Free Katsugami by Debbie Olive Page B

did you do
to him I’m sure you didn’t just grab his neck?” while she spoke
Katsuro no Hiroyuki wondered what they were saying for his mind was
barely able to keep up with what was said among them.
    “ I hope they don’t get into a
fight, thank goodness the barrier I erected earlier is still in
place if not some of the people would have walked into our fight
and would have been killed in the process.”
    “ Aki-niisama I did what was
necessary to find you, Otosama told us not to return without you,
when the human proved difficult the Hebi no Ishi released its venom
into him. Some of his vital organs are liquefying as we speak.” As
she spoke with head bowed signifying, no ill will towards the one
who stood before her.
    “ I will heal him, after which we
head back. I’m sure Otosama has great need of me that was why he
sent you. Where is Shinju? Tell to get ready we’ll be leaving soon”
she began walking straight ahead of her sister to where the dying
onmyouji laid on the ground.
    Kneeling by the side of the human,
using her sharp claws Akihana slit her wrist as blood flowed from
the wound; with the other hand she pried open his mouth to bring
her bleeding wrist to his mouth.
    Katsuro no Hiroyuki felt a strange
sensation entering his body, slowly opening his eyes as he saw the
yokai he spoke with earlier in the shrine, placing her blood soaked
wrist into his mouth.
    “ Stop, what are you doing?!” he
asked while struggling to free himself only to be forcefully held
down, as she continued to feed him with the blood from her wrist.
Tired of struggling against something he couldn’t control, his body
slowly surrendered into an exhausted sleep.
    After seeing that the human was
completely healed, Akihana carried him to where the pouch of the
shrine was and laid him there. Dispelling the aura that concealed
her true form as slowly an ayakashi with sparkling jade piercing
eyes and long flowing white hair emerged from the transformation
smoke.
    “ Aki-niisama is back!” said an
excited Shinju as he jumped down from where he was, running towards
his sister.
    “ Let’s go” said Akihana as they
began moving towards the Tori gate, at the last moment she turned
to cast a lingering glance at the human who lay asleep.
    The force of their aura opened the
gate as they moved through it into the world of the yokai, a world
where duty awaited their return.

Chapter 7
    On passing through the Kimon gate
into the yokai world, they moved swiftly heading towards the
Onikisu family home which on getting there discovered the head of
the family waiting at the entrance.
    “ Welcome Otosama, I have
successfully brought Aki-niisama as you requested” said Namika
while bowing as the others did the same.
    “ So until I called for you, if not
you’ll have stayed in the human world?” asked
Yuudai-sama.
    “ Otosama it is not my wish to be
away from the family, I only wanted to seek out something different
even if it meant leaving all I know; but when it comes to
fulfilling my duty I’ll always be here to do so” even as she said
this Akihana knew deep in her heart that they were only words said
to please her father.
    “ I expect nothing less from the
one who would one day succeed me in carrying on the tradition of
the family, now that it is settled let us all go in and discuss
what I have in mind as to the structure to be built for the
Naginata family” with that they walked behind their father, placing
so much distance between them.
    Sliding the door leading to the
family meeting room aside only to see their mother still seated
where they left her, bowing to greet her before each took their
respective seat at the table.
    “ Now that we are all here, let me
make something clear. Akihana’s duty is to create the finest
structure depicting the image of the wife of the Naginata family
and their new born child, the stones to be used must be white in
order to enhance its beauty, this task can only be done by the one
who is the most