Nano 2009 excerpts
A winter breeze blew through the brick city of Akamachi, causing whatever doors were open to creak. The darkness crept into every house and building, snow whirling above the heads of whoever dared to go outside. In the streets, crowds of horned people gathered, their skin colors ranging from charcoal grey to pale white. The sound of flames came from seemingly everywhere at once, shooting out of the hands of the horned people, lighting up the sadistic grins they wore. The fire quickly engulfed the few wooden buildings in the town, leaving a trail of smoke that could be seen for miles.
The crowds formed into a single group of people, gathered around the largest, most extravagant building in Akamachi, hellbent on one mission - destroying the palace and killing the empress. Emerging from the crowd was a humanoid bird, wearing a simple blue robe. He ruffled his black feathers, coming the closest a beaked creature could to a smile.
"My gaki friends", he began. "Today will be the day you overthrow your oni enslavers. Today is the day of gaki freedom, skree!"
The hundreds of gaki in the crowd began to scream and cheer. The crow-man threw up his hands and cried to the clouded moon while the gaki ran by him, breaking the main palace door open.
The invasion had begun.
***
Kagami sat alone by the entrance to the abandoned town, tapping her foot and looking around warily. Her contact would show eventually... or so she hoped. He was somewhat fickle with how he entered the area in their usual meetings. Showing up in front of her wasn't enough, jumping down from a tree branch or appearing in a puff of smoke seemed to be the way to go for Karasu.
A figure approached from behind the gaki woman, jumping across the roofs of the abandoned city like it was part of a child's game. The figure landed gracefully, forcefully grabbing Kagami by the shoulder. The gaki spun around, her brows furrowed.
"Goddamnit Karasu, I-". Her voice was met by a lump in her throat when she saw the cat-eared man that stood before her. He flicked his forked tail several times, making a motorlike purring noise with his throat.
"You suprised not to see Karasu here?", the catlike man said.
"Who the hell are you?", Kagami said, swallowing the lump and staring into the stranger's eyes. "I thought nekomata were dead"
The figure grinned, pointed canines showing. "You'd like to think a lot of things that aren't true. Life isn't always black and white"
"You didn't answer the question", Kagami said. "I'd like to know you are, or else I'm just going to assume you're not my friend"
"My name is Kaito. I'd like you to remember it at the last person you'll ever meet"
The forked parts of the nekomata's tail began to twitch uncontrollably, the ground rumbling in unison. The earth cracked open, two adult gaki rising up from it.
"You remember them, right?", Kaito said. "They sure remember you. In fact, they would love to repay the favor that you gave them so long ago"
"Mother? Father? You're alive?"
"Yes, those are your parents, Kagami", Kaito said.
The two gaki approached their daughter, the female gripping Kagami in an embrace.
"Mother... what are you doing?". Her mother did not answer, but began to sing an ancient gaki lullaby.
Rabbit, small rabbit, why run so fast?
The day is long gone, the day has passed
For now it is time for goodnight
And I will see you at the morning light.
The gaki woman continued to repeat the lullaby until Kagami burst into tears, kneeling on the ground, her tears wetting the dark brown earth.
"Mother... I want to go home... take me home..."
Kagami's parents looked at each other, nodding. They each gripped one of their daughter's shoulders, both of them singing the lullaby the whole time.
"Stop it, Father.. I feel weak". Kagami's breath came in deep, concentrated inhalations. Her arms began to shake, giving way to the ground below, body collapsing onto the dirt.
"Mother... Father... please, stop"
Kagami, Kagami, why run away?
You have done wrong, and now you must pay
We hope you have enjoyed your last days
For we still love you, forever and always
Kagami's eyes closed and did not open. The two gaki took their hands off her limp shoulders, the heat fading from her body even more rapidly now. Kaito, from his lofty perch on top of one of the abandoned buildings, snapped his fingers. With the passing wind, Kagami's parents dissappeared, leaving nothing but a single, dead body, mouth formed into a smile, in their wake.
***
Madara's face was still wet from tears rather than the torrential rain that had stopped when they got back to camp. He was kneeling on the wet grass overlooking the cliff, bawling like a child who had lost a doll.
"Those rocks down there must seem so inviting right now", Aoi said, walking up to the tsuchigumo as he contined to cry. He looked over at the tengu woman, nodding. It was all he could do.
"Why'd she have to die?", he said between sobs. "Why does ANYONE have to die?"
"Something kills them. Old age kills them. Sickness kills them. People kill them", Aoi said.
"Who killed Kagami then, huh? Nobody saw it but her. Whoever killed her... I...". Madara began to wail.
Aoi put her hand on his shoulder. "Calm down, Madara. Let's think this through. Do you remember who with Kagami right before she died?"
"Well, first there was me... then you... then Ganymede, right?"
"Bingo! So the last one to see her before she died was Ganymede"
"Yeah... then a couple minutes later we found her dead", Madara said.
"Do you understand what this means, Madara?", Aoi said. "We know for sure neither you or I could have killed her. Ganymede was the last one to see her. Therefore..."
"...He's the killer?", Madara said.
Aoi smiled, and Madara's eyes widened in fright. "This... this can't be possible! Why?", he said.
"We can't say for sure, but it's the only possible lead we have. And don't you want to see Kagami's killer put to justice?", Aoi said.
"I... I do", Madara said.
"Then there's only one possible choice", Aoi brought her face to Madara's ear. "You have to kill Ganymede"
***
The creeping shadow above Ganymede's bed came closer and closer still, its eight legs shifting impaitently on the floor. The figure took the red bandanna from around its neck and carefully tightened it around the halfbreed's head, covering his eyes.
The figure brought its face close to Ganymede's neck, fangs bearing down on their target. Ganymede, in a move of instinct, slapped the face away, bolting up and removing the bandanna from his head. He fumbled with a match in the darkness for several seconds, but eventually the lamp got lit.
"Madara?", Ganymede said. His best friend was standing above his bed, fangs still extended.
"Yeah, it's me", the tsuchigumo said, with somewhat of a muffled voice because of his fangs being out. He picked up his bandanna from the floor and began to walk out of Ganymede's tent.
"Wait", Ganymede said, grabbing Madara by the shoulder. "Did you just try to kill me?"
"I guess", Madara said, pulling his fangs back into his mouth.
They stayed silent for a second, then Ganymede's fist flew towards Madara's face. The tsuchigumo was hit by the full force of the blow, knocked backwards, and left to regain his balance while Ganymede began to circle around him.
"What the FUCK is your problem?", the halfbreed screamed. He punched his friend again. Madara made no effort to dodge, and the skin around his eye began to turn bright red. "Who put you up to this? WHO?"
"Nobody", Madara said. Ganymede clawed at Madara, leaving scratch marks on his face. Madara winced, tears welling up in his eyes.
"Why did you do this, then, you son of a bitch? WHY?"
Madara began to sob as Ganymede scratched him again and again. His teeth clenched and face covered in red lines and tears, Madara whispered the three words Ganymede would remember for the rest of his life-
"I hate you"
The crowds formed into a single group of people, gathered around the largest, most extravagant building in Akamachi, hellbent on one mission - destroying the palace and killing the empress. Emerging from the crowd was a humanoid bird, wearing a simple blue robe. He ruffled his black feathers, coming the closest a beaked creature could to a smile.
"My gaki friends", he began. "Today will be the day you overthrow your oni enslavers. Today is the day of gaki freedom, skree!"
The hundreds of gaki in the crowd began to scream and cheer. The crow-man threw up his hands and cried to the clouded moon while the gaki ran by him, breaking the main palace door open.
The invasion had begun.
***
Kagami sat alone by the entrance to the abandoned town, tapping her foot and looking around warily. Her contact would show eventually... or so she hoped. He was somewhat fickle with how he entered the area in their usual meetings. Showing up in front of her wasn't enough, jumping down from a tree branch or appearing in a puff of smoke seemed to be the way to go for Karasu.
A figure approached from behind the gaki woman, jumping across the roofs of the abandoned city like it was part of a child's game. The figure landed gracefully, forcefully grabbing Kagami by the shoulder. The gaki spun around, her brows furrowed.
"Goddamnit Karasu, I-". Her voice was met by a lump in her throat when she saw the cat-eared man that stood before her. He flicked his forked tail several times, making a motorlike purring noise with his throat.
"You suprised not to see Karasu here?", the catlike man said.
"Who the hell are you?", Kagami said, swallowing the lump and staring into the stranger's eyes. "I thought nekomata were dead"
The figure grinned, pointed canines showing. "You'd like to think a lot of things that aren't true. Life isn't always black and white"
"You didn't answer the question", Kagami said. "I'd like to know you are, or else I'm just going to assume you're not my friend"
"My name is Kaito. I'd like you to remember it at the last person you'll ever meet"
The forked parts of the nekomata's tail began to twitch uncontrollably, the ground rumbling in unison. The earth cracked open, two adult gaki rising up from it.
"You remember them, right?", Kaito said. "They sure remember you. In fact, they would love to repay the favor that you gave them so long ago"
"Mother? Father? You're alive?"
"Yes, those are your parents, Kagami", Kaito said.
The two gaki approached their daughter, the female gripping Kagami in an embrace.
"Mother... what are you doing?". Her mother did not answer, but began to sing an ancient gaki lullaby.
Rabbit, small rabbit, why run so fast?
The day is long gone, the day has passed
For now it is time for goodnight
And I will see you at the morning light.
The gaki woman continued to repeat the lullaby until Kagami burst into tears, kneeling on the ground, her tears wetting the dark brown earth.
"Mother... I want to go home... take me home..."
Kagami's parents looked at each other, nodding. They each gripped one of their daughter's shoulders, both of them singing the lullaby the whole time.
"Stop it, Father.. I feel weak". Kagami's breath came in deep, concentrated inhalations. Her arms began to shake, giving way to the ground below, body collapsing onto the dirt.
"Mother... Father... please, stop"
Kagami, Kagami, why run away?
You have done wrong, and now you must pay
We hope you have enjoyed your last days
For we still love you, forever and always
Kagami's eyes closed and did not open. The two gaki took their hands off her limp shoulders, the heat fading from her body even more rapidly now. Kaito, from his lofty perch on top of one of the abandoned buildings, snapped his fingers. With the passing wind, Kagami's parents dissappeared, leaving nothing but a single, dead body, mouth formed into a smile, in their wake.
***
Madara's face was still wet from tears rather than the torrential rain that had stopped when they got back to camp. He was kneeling on the wet grass overlooking the cliff, bawling like a child who had lost a doll.
"Those rocks down there must seem so inviting right now", Aoi said, walking up to the tsuchigumo as he contined to cry. He looked over at the tengu woman, nodding. It was all he could do.
"Why'd she have to die?", he said between sobs. "Why does ANYONE have to die?"
"Something kills them. Old age kills them. Sickness kills them. People kill them", Aoi said.
"Who killed Kagami then, huh? Nobody saw it but her. Whoever killed her... I...". Madara began to wail.
Aoi put her hand on his shoulder. "Calm down, Madara. Let's think this through. Do you remember who with Kagami right before she died?"
"Well, first there was me... then you... then Ganymede, right?"
"Bingo! So the last one to see her before she died was Ganymede"
"Yeah... then a couple minutes later we found her dead", Madara said.
"Do you understand what this means, Madara?", Aoi said. "We know for sure neither you or I could have killed her. Ganymede was the last one to see her. Therefore..."
"...He's the killer?", Madara said.
Aoi smiled, and Madara's eyes widened in fright. "This... this can't be possible! Why?", he said.
"We can't say for sure, but it's the only possible lead we have. And don't you want to see Kagami's killer put to justice?", Aoi said.
"I... I do", Madara said.
"Then there's only one possible choice", Aoi brought her face to Madara's ear. "You have to kill Ganymede"
***
The creeping shadow above Ganymede's bed came closer and closer still, its eight legs shifting impaitently on the floor. The figure took the red bandanna from around its neck and carefully tightened it around the halfbreed's head, covering his eyes.
The figure brought its face close to Ganymede's neck, fangs bearing down on their target. Ganymede, in a move of instinct, slapped the face away, bolting up and removing the bandanna from his head. He fumbled with a match in the darkness for several seconds, but eventually the lamp got lit.
"Madara?", Ganymede said. His best friend was standing above his bed, fangs still extended.
"Yeah, it's me", the tsuchigumo said, with somewhat of a muffled voice because of his fangs being out. He picked up his bandanna from the floor and began to walk out of Ganymede's tent.
"Wait", Ganymede said, grabbing Madara by the shoulder. "Did you just try to kill me?"
"I guess", Madara said, pulling his fangs back into his mouth.
They stayed silent for a second, then Ganymede's fist flew towards Madara's face. The tsuchigumo was hit by the full force of the blow, knocked backwards, and left to regain his balance while Ganymede began to circle around him.
"What the FUCK is your problem?", the halfbreed screamed. He punched his friend again. Madara made no effort to dodge, and the skin around his eye began to turn bright red. "Who put you up to this? WHO?"
"Nobody", Madara said. Ganymede clawed at Madara, leaving scratch marks on his face. Madara winced, tears welling up in his eyes.
"Why did you do this, then, you son of a bitch? WHY?"
Madara began to sob as Ganymede scratched him again and again. His teeth clenched and face covered in red lines and tears, Madara whispered the three words Ganymede would remember for the rest of his life-
"I hate you"