{"id":669,"date":"2014-01-12T03:16:24","date_gmt":"2014-01-11T18:16:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/?p=669"},"modified":"2014-01-31T17:03:41","modified_gmt":"2014-01-31T08:03:41","slug":"b2part04","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/b2part04\/","title":{"rendered":"Book II \u56db Part 04 (Spider)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"spider_fin\"<\/a><\/p>\n

It was a dreary afternoon at the old farmhouse. The sky was heavy with clouds, leaving gray shadows over the empty fields. The only movement inside was that of a cat, his form small and gray as he peered into his master\u2019s room. She had been crying since the morning and no amount of attention could ease her tears. Making one last attempt, he curled up beside her knees, resting his head on the silk of her kimono.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Gin,\u201d she sighed, running her hand over his back. Outside, the rain intensified, turning from a drizzle to a downpour. The cat flicked his ears, unable to hide his agitation.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t you be upset, too,\u201d she murmured, scratching behind his ears. In an instant, he calmed, sleepily closing his eyes. The trance lasted only a moment \u2014 there was a knocking at the entrance.<\/p>\n

They both looked towards the sound and the woman rose to see to the door. It slid open to reveal a man, his body covered with a straw raincoat. He wore a wide sugegasa, the hat\u2019s brim hiding his eyes as he spoke.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is good to see you again, though I am sorry it had to be in these circumstances,\u201d he said in a gentle voice, bowing before the woman.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you for making the trip here,\u201d she replied, mirroring his gesture. Her voice was barely audible above the rain. \u201cPlease, come inside.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gin had seen the monk once before \u2014 even so, the ringed staff startled him, its chimes taking the cat by surprise. Fur on end, he backed up behind the wall to watch from a safe distance.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour father was an wonderful man,\u201d the monk said as she took his raincoat. \u201cAnd now he will watch over you, as an ancestor.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt brings me comfort to think so,\u201d she replied, her eyes low. \u201cDo you need a moment to rest? It\u2019s quite a way from the temple.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m all right. We can start the ceremony as soon as\u2014,\u201c the man started, but paused as his eye caught the cat peeking past the wall.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs something wrong?\u201d the woman asked, watching the monk with worry.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat cat\u2026 he was here the last time I visited, wasn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe so.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was over a decade ago. How old is he?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout twelve,\u201d she replied, growing uneasy.<\/p>\n

The monk\u2019s eyes widened, locked speechlessly on the cat\u2019s face. Gin stared back, wishing he knew why he felt so uneasy.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt isn\u2019t safe to house such an old cat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t mean\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n

\u201cI do,\u201d the monk said, his tone solemn. \u201cHe\u2019ll start changing soon. You had best be rid of him before it starts.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA nekomata? But Gin would never hurt anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat matters little. He won\u2019t be the same \u2014 he\u2019ll turn on you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut\u2026 I couldn\u2019t,\u201d she whispered, clasping her hands. \u201cHe\u2019s all I have left now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere has already been such misfortunate on your home,\u201d the monk continued. \u201cI beg of you, do not allow any more to befall you. You must remove the cat.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sound of rain grew louder, the patters echoing along rumbles of thunder. The droplets hit the earth in waves, running down the straw roof to cascade down to the earth.<\/p>\n

A moment later, Shichi awoke. He could still hear the rain, yet there was no farmhouse \u2014 no cat, nor its master. His eyes tightened before opening and he glanced up to see the mouth of a cave. That was right \u2014 they had found a shallow cave the previous night. It was a lucky discovery, as it had just begun to rain when they\u2019d happened upon it.<\/p>\n

Ahead of him lay Chiyo, her body curled up beside the fire. It was nearly dead, down to its last few sparks in a pile of ashen wood. With a sudden realization, he glanced down, his eyes catching the egg tucked against his side. It was steady in the crook of his arm, its shell warm with the heat of his body. The egg \u2014 it was still safe.<\/p>\n

The tengu sighed, looking back towards the torrential rain outside the cave. Perhaps it would be best to rest until it subsided \u2014 the cold would do no good for the egg.<\/p>\n

It was then that Chiyo stretched, her small white toes extending as she rolled onto her side. With a yawn and a shake of her head, she picked herself up off the ground.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood morning, Chiyo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot really,\u201d she replied, yawning once more. \u201cIt\u2019s still raining.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a strange dream,\u201d Shichi blurted before he could forget. \u201cAgain.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAgain?\u201d Chiyo asked, giving the monk a backwards glance.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout a cat. I nearly forgot the first time\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA cat? You mean like the one that tried to kill you?\u201d she asked, nosing through the bag he had left by the fire. He had finally allowed her to start eating their provisions, under the condition that she show some self-control.<\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose,\u201d the monk said, his eyes falling on the egg in his lap. \u201cIt was just a normal cat. But\u2026 he had the same eyes, and the same color. Perhaps I\u2019m thinking about him too much.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe,\u201d Chiyo said as she discovered a mouthful of rice crackers. \u201cBut he could be doing it to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe \u2014 the nekomata?\u201d Shichi said, blinking at her. \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, they can influence dreams. They like to scare people like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey don\u2019t seem influenced. I think\u2026 I think they\u2019re just memories.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe he\u2019s so fixated on you that he\u2019s doing it unconsciously. But that would mean he\u2019s nearby \u2014 he\u2019s still following us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think so?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter. He\u2019s no match for me and he knows it,\u201d the kitsune said before biting down noisily on a cracker.<\/p>\n

Shichi quieted. He couldn\u2019t get the strange cat out of his mind \u2014 literally. Even so, there as nothing to be done. In an attempt to distract himself, he returned his attention to the egg. Slowly, he turned it in his hands, examining the dark speckles that covered the shell. Why would humans want to steal eggs? It couldn\u2019t be to extinguish their population, otherwise they would have simply destroyed them. Shichi hoped he and Chiyo would find another village soon. Surely, there were parents somewhere who would be willing to take it in.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, when is that thing going to hatch?\u201d Chiyo asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf it does, it will be in the rainy season,\u201d he explained. \u201cSo we have a few months to find it a home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf?<\/i> It doesn\u2019t look damaged to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not,\u201d the tengu replied, shaking his head. \u201cBut eggs are sensitive and need attentive care. Only one in four actually hatch\u2026 and that\u2019s in a normal home. I wouldn\u2019t really call our situation ideal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat, you don\u2019t like sleeping in caves?\u201d<\/p>\n

Shichi looked at the kitsune with faint amusement, too weary to give her anything more.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was already out in the cold when you found it,\u201d he continued. \u201cEggs shouldn\u2019t be exposed for so long. If it does hatch, the child may have complications.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSounds like a hassle,\u201d she replied, licking crumbs off of her paw. \u201cBut doesn\u2019t your name mean \u2018seven?\u2019 Don\u2019t you have a bunch of other siblings?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy parents had eight hot eggs. Only three hatched \u2014 including myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh,\u201d Chiyo replied, meeting his eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what about you?\u201d Shichi asked, returning her look. \u201cDo you have any\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n

He paused in mid-sentence, his attention turning towards the mouth of the cave. There was a sound coming from the forest, one distant and haunting. At first, he wasn\u2019t sure if it was simply the rain, or something more. After a moment it was clear \u2014 there was music coming from outside.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you hear that?\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cMm,\u201d she replied with a nod, staring in the same direction.<\/p>\n

It was a stringed instrument, its melody sharp and trembling. Each strum echoed through the rainfall, high and strong like the hoofbeats of a deer.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt sounds like a biwa,\u201d Shichi said, still fixated on the sound.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe it\u2019s a local,\u201d Chiyo offered.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey might know where there\u2019s a tengu village,\u201d he said, his expression turning hopeful.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know. Something about it sounds\u2026 strange.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe sooner this egg finds a home, the better,\u201d he said, wrapping it in a piece of long cloth. Once it was snug, he placed it carefully back into his jacket. Hopefully, he could keep it from getting wet.<\/p>\n

A moment later, they had both emerged into the rain. The droplets hit their backs like stones, wetting their clothes as they hurried through. As the two yokai moved through the trees, the music grew louder. They were getting close.<\/p>\n

Tucked within a grove of pine was a wooden gazebo. Rainwater streamed down the angled roof, cascading down the raised fringe. Beneath it sat two figures \u2014 one was a man, a human who appeared to be some kind of traveler. The other was a woman, dressed in a long silk kimono as she played the lute before him. Her crimson sleeves draped along the wooden floor, long and silken amongst the many layers of her robe. Her hair was just as long, a river of black flowing down to her knees.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, they\u2019re human,\u201d Chiyo muttered from their place behind a large tree. The monk didn\u2019t respond, looking closer to examine her long fingers and the dull gaze of the man at her side. His eyes were hollow, half-lidded as he leaned into the sound of her music. It was as if nothing else existed to him \u2014 nothing but the plucks of the woman\u2019s instrument and the red color of her lips. A flicker of movement drew Shichi\u2019s attention away. His eyes locked on the threads that were slowly binding their way around the man\u2019s body. The pale strands hung over his frame, slowly tightening as the man stared on.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Shichi whispered. \u201cShe\u2019s not.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chiyo\u2019 blinked as she made the same realization, her eyes following the glistening silk that was winding over the man\u2019s limbs. The monk was right \u2014 she was no human. It wasn\u2019t the first time she had seen a spider yokai, though she had never witnessed one preparing its next meal in person before.<\/p>\n

\u201cA jorogumo,\u201d she said under her breath. \u201cWell, too bad for him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just as she began to turn away, Shichi shifted forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cShichi,\u201d the kitsune hissed, narrowing her eyes at the tengu.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s going to eat him,\u201d he said, returning her glare.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what? That\u2019s none of our\u2014,\u201d she started, then stiffened as he moved from the safety of the trees. \u201cShichi, no!\u201d<\/p>\n

He ignored her, stepping past the trunks of the young pines towards the gazebo.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!<\/i>\u201d she repeated, moving only a second too slow to catch him. It was too late \u2014 he was already out in the open. The tengu stopped at the base of the gazebo, lifting his head towards the figures above. Rain dripped down the side of his face as he raised his shakujo, his fingers gripped firmly on the wood of the staff. A moment later, he brought it down, thrusting the base into the wet earth. The iron rings clattered together, filling the air with an echoing chime. The music screeched to a halt, shattering the spell like a dropped mirror. For one dreadful moment, the clearing was utterly silent.<\/p>\n

Finally, the human closed his eyes. Slowly, he took in a breath, filling his lungs as if it were the first time. It was only when his eyes reopened that he seemed to have fully waken.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat was\u2014,\u201d he began, then paused as he noticed the silken threads that had begun to bind his torso. \u201cA-Ah\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

His eyes became saucers, trembling as he tore the strands from his arms, shuffling backwards and stammering incoherently.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease,\u201d the woman in the kimono said, her voice soothing. \u201cDon\u2019t fret. It\u2019s just\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n

\u201cJ-jorogumo!\u201d he cried, staggering as he got to his feet. His shoes pounded down the stairs, splashing mud across Shichi\u2019s legs as he flew past. He continued to sputter and shout, the sound fading as he fled deeper into the forest. It seemed that, for the time being, he was safe.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou<\/i>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hesitantly, Shichi looked back towards the gazebo. The woman\u2019s eyes were piercing through him, the strands of her hair rising with anger. One by one, jointed spider legs emerged from the folds of her kimono. Her body rose, lifting onto the arachnid frame. While her top half was still deceptively human, her bottom half was clearly not. Her legs clicked along the wood as she headed towards him, an arrow locked decidedly on target. Somehow, he remained in place, neither blinking nor breathing as she towered over his form.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy would you do that?!\u201d she snapped. \u201cThat was my dinner!<\/i>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDinner?\u201d Shichi said, lowering his brow. \u201cThat was a person.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat, a human? Hah!<\/i>\u201d<\/p>\n

Shichi sighed. He was growing tired of explaining that humans were people.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was my first meal in a week,\u201d she continued, bringing her face closer to his. Her eyes were flashing gold, glowing beneath the dreary haze of the rain.<\/p>\n

\u201cSurely, you can eat other things,\u201d he replied, using his free hand to search through the satchel at his side. \u201cWe have plenty we can share with\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s our<\/i> food!\u201d Chiyo shouted, finally making her presence known. The monk ignored her, pulling a vegetable from the bag as an offering.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is that, a carrot?\u201d the woman scoffed. \u201cDon\u2019t be a fool. Spiders don\u2019t eat carrots.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, Shichi,\u201d the kitsune said, folding her arms. \u201cSpiders don\u2019t eat carrots.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it\u2019s\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n

\u201cEnough!\u201d she shouted, knocking the vegetable from his hand as she shoved her face against his own. He could feel her breath on his beak, her black hair blocking his view to the side.<\/p>\n

\u201cI should kill you,\u201d she hissed, her voice clicking.<\/p>\n

\u201cGet in line, lady,\u201d Chiyo said, seemingly unconcerned with the death threats to her companion.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease don\u2019t,\u201d Shichi said, holding up both hands as he leaned away. With every inch that he backed up, she pushed in closer, finally reaching to grasp his face with her hands. Her fingers were pale and spindly with long nails that dug into his flesh.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll do you one better,\u201d the woman seethed, the glow in her eyes intensifying. An aura enveloped her body, rising from her limbs like steam. It happened in the blink of an eye \u2014 a terrible, seeping cold snapped through him, stealing his breath and rearranging his insides. He felt as if he were being sucked through a whirlpool, unsure of which way was up or down. He was almost certain that he could hear Chiyo growl, her feet scuffling nearby, but couldn\u2019t see her past the glow.<\/p>\n

A moment later, his body dropped to the ground. There was a scuttling as the spider left the clearing, the red of her kimono disappearing beyond the trees.<\/p>\n

\u201cNh,\u201d Shichi groaned, tightening his eyes as he attempted to reorient himself. Chiyo\u2019s body was some distance off, apparently knocked away during the fuss.<\/p>\n

\u201cShichi?\u201d she called, turning towards the sound of his voice. \u201cFor a second, I thought she was actually going to\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n

Chiyo stopped speaking as she looked at him. She could only stare, her pupils shrinking at the sight of him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d he said, shaking his head to fight the pounding inside.<\/p>\n

\u201cY-you\u2019re\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Once his eyes focused, he glanced down at himself, trying to figure out what was robbing the kitsune of speech. It took the monk a long time to put together what he was seeing. No longer did his robe fit, nor any other item of clothing. In a panic, he lifted his hands to ensure that all of his fingers were intact.<\/p>\n

\u201cA-ah,\u201d he gasped, his chest filling with cold air. There were no fingers to look at, nor were there any hands at all. All he could see were his own black feathers. No, not just feathers \u2014 wings.<\/p>\n

He cried out in surprise, fumbling over his own thin legs to topple sideways on the rain-soaked ground.<\/p>\n

\u201cShichi, you\u2019re\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d he stammered. \u201cNo, no!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re a bird!<\/i>\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It was a dreary afternoon at the old farmhouse. The sky was heavy with clouds, leaving gray shadows over the empty fields. The only movement inside was that of a cat, his form small and gray as he peered into…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-669","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-book-two"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/669","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=669"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/669\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":698,"href":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/669\/revisions\/698"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=669"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=669"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=669"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}