Ghost 物語

Part 1:

Chapter 1.

Kiba Yūrei sat in the living area of a rustic manor hidden away in the mountains. He was peering through a closed glass door. The door leads to a beautifully carved balcony that presented a luscious view of the snow-capped peaks. Kiba's face was pressed against the glass watching a furry creature bound around collecting nuts. A youthful-looking woman in her mid to late thirties came into the room and watched the boy. She wore a typical white light dress with a red and grey kirtle. She then lightly scolded him for rubbing his face on the glass. The boy apologized and she hugged him.

"Your father should be home any minute now from town, and we will have dinner!" she exclaimed, trying to get the boy to smile.

"Dinner!" The young Kiba exclaimed. "What's for dinner, Mother?"

She smiled when she saw the boy revealing his snaggletoothed grin. He had been born with an oversized adult canine tooth which is why she named him Kiba.

"Beef stew and cornbread. Doesn't that sound yummy?"

"Yummy! Yummy!" Kiba said praising his mother.

The Mother walked back to the kitchen to finish preparing the food humming a kids song she got stuck in her head.

A rattle of the front doorknob and the click of the heavy lock was evidence that the Father had arrived home after his two day trip in town. Kiba ran to the door to greet the man.

When they got to the foyer they saw the familiar figure of dad.

The surprisingly lean man with black hair and a greyish goatee patted the boy on the head.

"Welcome home dad!" The boy said excitedly as he hugged his father.

"Gah wow, you are getting strong Kiba! Has your mother been training you?"

The young mother watched lovingly at the scene from the kitchen doorway. The man caught his wife's eyes and smiled. "Why hello, dear."

"Hello honey, did you have a good trip to town?"

"Yes, I was able to buy quality merchandise to keep us free and stocked for the coming winter!"

"Great news, Kiba help your father and I will prepare the table for supper."

"Yes, ma'am" the boy replied obediently excited to prove his helpfulness.

The father and son duo made quick work of the boxes and loaded the horse and wagon into the barn.

"Good work my boy," said the man, with a fairly gruff voice for his appearance. He smiled and pulled a square box from the top of one of the workshop cabinets.

"Let's go inside, and get ready for dinner before Mother gets mad."

Everyone had cleaned up and sat down at the table. Bowls of hot stew sat in front of each member. Kiba's mouth watered from looking and smelling the savory meal.

Kiba said a prayer for the meal and for a safe winter, with a mother prodding of course. After they all dug into their meals enjoying the succulent beef, stewed potatoes, and carrots. A cast iron pan sat on a cloth in the middle of the table with cornbread resting inside.

The father told the boy an embellished story about his trip to town making it seem more like a quest than a shopping errand. The mother laughing at how easily her husband duped Kiba. It was truly a picture perfect moment, but that was short lived.

Chapter 2.

A short loud knock at the door ended that beautiful dinner. Kiba's father glanced over at Kiba's mother who instinctively grabbed Kiba and took him straight to the basement. Kiba's father grabbed an enchanted katar he kept hidden in the foyer. He reached for the doorknob with a slight shake in his hand.

"Nobody should know about this place, except for some of the locals," He thought. "This can only be trouble."

He opened the door to four masked men and immediately went into a guarded position. Holding the katar in his right hand he was prepared to push the blade deep into the closest person.

"Wait wait wait," The person he was prepared to strike pleaded as he held out his hands.

"We are soldiers with the Empire!"

Kiba's father relaxed a bit but was still on guard. He surveyed the scene more carefully and realized he had made a mistake there were three men and one woman on the porch.

"State your purpose," The father said coldly.

"We need your help, no the Empire needs your help." The man in front clearly the officer in charge of the bunch said.

"I'm retired and have a family now. Please leave and never return."

"I'm sorry," the warrant officer explained. "This is conscription, a direct verbal request from the Glorious Emperor himself."

"I see," The Father said with a feeling of intense dread flowing through him. "If I refuse?"

"Sir please, If you do not we will be forced to take you into custody."

"You think you could?" The father said with a raise of his eyebrows

"No, I do not." The officer said, "However if you escape or kill us every soldier in SAGA will be out for your blood. You will be marked as a terrorist threat and your family will become accomplices. This means all of you will face the death penalty."

The father gritted his teeth in anger.

"It is a cruel law, and I understand that this is beyond frustrating for you." The Officer was trying to relate.

"What do you know?" The Father barked at the Officer who seemed fairly young and inexperienced.

"Sir, please the whole nation is in danger. I may be young but I have a wife." The Officer's expression was like that of a frightened child than that of a military man. "All of us have family, and they are all in danger."

The Officer got on his hands and knees, "Please Colonel Shin'ichi Yūrei, Saga needs you!"

Chapter 3

The Father sighed. "What is in it for me and what are your assurances?"

The officer got to his feet, and stated, "We can not tell you the nature of the request unless you affirm your commitment. We can answer some of your questions, however. The Empire is willing to provide surveillance and protection for your family. We are even willing to allow them to stay here. Your son will be eligible for any academy of his choosing. We will give you monetary compensation as well, your great grandchildren will be set for life."

Kiba's dad glanced inside and looked back with a scowl, "You have no quarter here, let me inform my family. I will make my decision in one hour."

The Officer sensed a change in the aggressive attitude and decided that it would be best to let the man speak with his family.

Kiba's father closed the door and locked it. Then he kneeled down and knocked on the floor five times. A commotion came from down the hall and Kiba's mother came out from a hidden passage that was concealed by a rug. She walked over to her husband and they both sat on the floor. Kiba's father being a seasoned veteran could hear the soldiers at the door had walked off the property.

Kiba's mother's face was despondent and she looked pale as if she already knew what was discussed.

"Honoka, remember how I told you when we got married that there may come a time where I would have to leave." Shin's head held strong but his voice showed great sadness.

The young mother's eyes filled with tears as she recalled that past event. She wanted to scream and tell him that he has to stay and take care of the family. She knew it was a wasted effort though. She knew her husband was the last of Ghost Whisperers. She wanted him to be selfish and refuse, but she knew her husband. If he was telling her this… then it has to be.

"I understand," she said sorrowfully

"Bring Kiba to me," he demanded while gritting his teeth.

Honoka leaned forward and kissed her husband. The kiss was soft and loving, but brief. She stood up and walked to the basement. A minute or so later she returned with a concerned looking boy with dark hair and confused eyes.

"Hey Champ, Daddy is going away for a while." Kiba's dad started. Kiba not fully aware of the situation listened quietly for a youngster. "I have something for you." The man pulled out the small box that he got from the horse shed. He opened it up, and inside was a disturbing totem made of a piece of quartz cut into the shape of a skull. He pulled the chained totem out of the box and placed it around the boy's neck.

"This is the Yūrei ward, it has been passed down father to son for over a century. It signifies that you have become a man in the eyes of our family. While I am gone you must be as a man. You must take care of your mother and the home. This item I give to you will act as a reminder of your new responsibilities, do not lose it."

The boy was captivated by his father's words but found the necklace creepy. His dad said it was important though so he immediately cherished the gift regardless.

"Yes Father I will!" he said excitedly.

"Then it is done. I love you Kiba," The Father embraced Kiba tightly and after a minute he let go.

He walked over to his wife, whose face was streaming tears, and kissed her. Then he whispered something unintelligible to her that Kiba could not hear. The wife smiled. Shin'ichi Yūrei then walked over to a wall and hit it particularly. This caused a small crevice to appear. He put his fingers inside and slid open a small door. He pulled a large and surprisingly long travel bag out of the hole in the wall.

He smiled and bowed to his family and walked out of the front door.

Kiba watched from the front window as his father met with the soldiers at the end of the pathway. The father turned back one last time and got on the carriage that was stationed there.

Chapter 4.

A month passed and winter was in full force. The mother and son managed alone with the occasional drop in from the stationed soldiers in the area.

It was particularly cold on this night. Honoka was making chamomile tea and young Kiba started the fire in the fireplace. Kiba got the fire lit with a couple of matches and tinder. Honoka brought the tea into the living room on a stainless steel platter, and it down on a cedar coffee table. She poured the hot water into two ceramic mugs and sat down on the leather sofa. Kiba crawled up and sat next to her. She put her arm around her child and hugged him.

"What me to read you a story?"

"Yes," the boy nods his head while holding the mug and blowing on it. Kiba was very sheltered so he was not embarrassed by having his mother read to him at the age of twelve.

She smiled and told him the popular legend of Kintaro the Golden Boy. It was a story about a young boy who lived in the mountain wilderness and boasted incredible strength. He lived with a mountain witch who raised him. The boy held a large wrestling tournament among the creatures of the mountain and was able to defeat them all. A wandering man witnessed the boy's feats and challenged him to a contest of strength. Besting the man, he revealed to the boy that he was a famous warrior. He took the boy on as a disciple and trained him. Kintaro eventually becomes the chief hero for the country. He then showers the nice witch who raised him with luxury.

Kiba loved this story and would often pretend to be Kintaro. When his mother finished the tale, Kiba had fallen asleep leaning on her. The mother smiled and closed her eyes as well.

Chapter 5.

Kiba woke up to a startling sound. It was a cracking sound followed by a strange gurgle. He could not see very well due to the fire being mostly embers. He felt his mother beside him and shook her fearfully whispering, "Mother wake up."

He heard another gurgle and felt something wet he looked at his hands; eyes straining in the dark...Red.

The boy's eyes widen with a dreadful realization and fell off the couch.

"Mother?" He squeaked.

His mother was staring at him with wide piercing eyes. A dark figure was emerging next to her body as Kiba's eyes adjusted to the darkness. For some unexplained reason, he could see quite well now.

The figure was like a shadow and was wearing some kind of leather hide. The hide contained the familiar faces of the soldiers who came to visit. The boy shuddered and froze as he saw the creatures arm jutting out of his mother's neck. It had the appearance of a large blade. Blood was pouring and coagulating around the dark limb. The mother's face was contorted and blood ran down her lips.

The vile being slowly turned and looked at the boy with ominous blood red slits appearing out of its invisible face. Then suddenly an intense high pitched frequency roared out from the monster. Intense synesthesia occurred in Kiba's causing him to lose focus he could only see an intense red filter. He could barely make out the creature sliding his arm out of his mother's neck. A hand formed and pulled out chunks of flesh and throat. A circular mouth opened in the demon's face and devoured the gore with a sickening delight. The frequency was making Kiba's motor control difficult and he found himself unable to control his bowels.

The boy saw the creature drew closer to him, but his subconscious fight or flight decision was not working keeping him paralyzed. The creature's arm morphed back into a long sharp black blade. Just as the creature was about to stab the boy his pendant floated away from his chest. The area lit up with a golden white light which caused the monster to be blasted across the room. The boy was suddenly aware of his surroundings because the high-frequency noise the demon emitted ceased. Without much time to recover the dark entity growled with a guttural roar.

"Take it off!" it barked sounding like a pig squealing mixed with the sound of nails on a chalkboard.

"Take it off, take it off, take it off, take it off!!!" It continued psychotically. The monster began repeatedly stabbing Kiba's mother's corpse in a wild attempt to convince the confused child.

Kiba only answered with intense vomiting. The fiend's screaming turned into a frenzy and black orbs began to float out from his body. They rose about a half a meter from his body before they rocketed towards the defenseless Kiba. To the astonishment of the demon, they glanced away from the boy whenever they came within a meter as if there was some sort of force field around him.

The orb crashed around the living room causing black flames to erupt from the hitpoints. The monster seemed to relax and laugh as he realized he could just burn the house down on top of Kiba. When suddenly a loud explosion blew out the wall behind the creature. The monster paused and turned to see a quick flash. The next thing it saw was the ceiling. It's loosely defined head was rolling on the floor. It then turned into a black ooze which puddles up and flowed back toward the fiend's body. However, before it could reach its body a man placed a strip of white paper on the demon's body. With a loud ear-piercing screech, the demon began to dissipate. It broke apart and was absorbed into an ether-like hole.

As soon as the creature was absorbed completely the ether hole froze giving off an appearance of a floating mirror. Then it fragmented and shattered into an uncountable number of pieces. Suspended the pieces evaporated.

The man stood calmly and surveyed the scene. Blood and debris littered the room but the black flames disappeared with the demon. He looked at the young boy kneeling in front of his mother's mangled corpse. The child was in a completely dissociative state and was poking the woman's face, which other than the blood running from her mouth and her piercing death gaze, was like normal.

Disbelief at first then anguish overwhelmed the young boy who started to cry heavily. "Mother...wake up Mother."

The man walked over and patted the kid on the head. He let him cry for a moment then he grabbed the boy by the collar and took him to the bathroom. Kiba put up little resistance but kept his gaze toward the body. The man stripped the boy of his soiled clothing and sprayed him down with a hose.

"Sorry kid, but you need to get clean." The mysterious man said. After he rinsed Kiba off he prepared a hot bath. He was mildly surprised the hot water still worked considering the damage done to the other side of the house.

"Alright, kid I think you can take it from here." The man said as he helped the boy into the tub. Kiba did not respond it was like he had given up on paying attention to his surroundings.

The man walked out of the bathroom and grabbed several large sheets from a closet. The passing through the destroyed living room, he made his way outside. He grabbed a large sack that he threw to the ground earlier before he smashed into the house. He then proceeded to the corpse in the living room. Blood and gore were all over the place but the body was mostly together. He opened the large bag which contained iron filings and salt. He poured the mixture all over the body spreading so it covered the entire body. He then threw a sheet over the body, then another. He then carefully rolled the body up in the sheets like a shroud. The blood was leaking through the two sheets so he repeated the process with more sheets he had grabbed. He then moved the body to the kitchen and closed all the doors. He would have just left it in the living room, however, the living room was exposed to the outside. It would not be good if a wild animal were to try to get the body.

The man then walked back to the bathroom and helped the boy get dry. As he was patting him down he heard a soft sound of snoring. The kid had fallen asleep.

Kiba woke up the next morning screaming and clutching his chest which was beating a rapid pace due to panic. He looked around with wide bloodshot eyes.

"It was just a dream… It was just a dream…" he muttered to himself trying to calm his nerves.

"I am afraid not." A voice said from the corner of the room.

A sense of dread filled Kiba as he saw the mysterious man sitting in the corner of the room. The man stood up and Kiba was able to distinguish what he looked like for the first time. He was tall with a slender build. He wore a very interesting outfit consisting of a pair of pants that were of a similar look to the loose desert style. His top was like a sleeveless gi. Both were white with a silver silk embroidered design. He had a sash around his waist of a gold color. His face had a cool appearance but that could have due to his sharp white and silver hair and pointed goatee. His eyes were a fierce blue. He exposed arms were lean but muscular riddled with scars. He wore tall getas for his footwear which made him seem like a giant.

"W-who are you?" Kiba asked trembling.

"I'm your godfather kid."

Chapter 6.

Kiba was quiet after the man revealed himself.

"C' mon kid you got some work to do," the man grinned ignoring the depressing mood of the situation he found himself in.

Kiba got up and followed the man to the living room where there was a massive hole in the wall letting in the very cold winter air.

The man stepped outside and grabbed a shovel that was propped up on the balcony side wall. He handed the boy the shovel.

"Starting digging Kiba, and do a good job because it will be the place we bury your mother." He said this grim statement without looking at the boy. He then walked inside.

Kiba who was still trying to figure out what was happening in his life just held the shovel. He was cold and miserable. He missed his father who would have prevented all of this. He felt anger and hatred for everything.

"Why is this happening?" He muttered to himself as his eyes teared up.

A moment passed

"AHHHHHH!!!" he screamed and slammed the blade of the shovel into the snow hitting the first layer of frost. He began shoveling with an aggressive and angry attitude taking his frustrations out on the task before him.

From the kitchen window, the mysterious man watched with a smile on his face.

A few hours later the boy had dug a massive hole about two meters deep and three meters wide. The boy was hot from the labor and his hands were blistered. He was surprised at how much he had dug and through snow no less. He was dirty and covered in mud. A sense of pride swelled up through his despair.

"This will be a perfect grave." He thought numbly.

As he smoothed the edges he the mysterious man appeared.

"Good work, kid." He said dryly. Kiba looked at him with surprise. He was walking toward him dragging large box made of silver.

"Your old man left this in one of his hidden chambers. Its purpose is to seal and protect your mother's body from any sort of reanimation or possession."

He dragged the coffin to the edgy of Kiba's pit and opened it up.

Inside was the shrouded body of Kiba's mom.

"It is time to say Goodbye." The mysterious man said with a hint of compassion.

Kiba still could not believe the events that occurred over the last 24 hours. He felt so alone and he was scared.

His sadness for his mother was complex, he thought of all the times she was mean and all the times she was nice. He thought of all the times he was mean or didn't listen. He thought about his father who left them. He thought about the tears on his face. He thought about how he dropped to his knees in the snow. He thought about the pit he just dug. He thought about how he was hungry and would never taste his mom's food. He thought about everything and nothing at the same time.

Kiba knelt on the ground for what felt like an hour but it was only a few minutes. He stared at the body until the strange man closed the casket.

"It's time." He said simply. With a feat of strength, the man lifted the silver deathbed up and jumped down into the pit. He set the box down and whispered something inaudible to Kiba.

"Goodbye Honoka, you truly were a wonderful mother after all."

Chapter 7

Kiba buried his mother alone and worked diligently in the freezing weather until the sun started to set. When he was completed the earth rose up in a mound. Kiba patted down the loose dirt and made the mound smooth and compact. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked at his work. It was rather beautiful he thought. What he saw he swore to never forget.

He eventually went inside and drew a hot bath. He felt the heat of the inside air warming his extremities which had gone pretty numb from the cold. He got into the tub. The water and steam felt like it was cleansing his soul of the despair he felt, but he could not shake the fear the demon had seared into his brain. That absolute terror and weakness made him shudder.

"I have to get stronger!"

When he finished his bath he went to the kitchen where the mysterious man had prepared some chicken curry. The man handed the famished kid a bowlful.

"Eat up and get some sleep kid, tomorrow we leave."

Kiba was caught off guard he had not thought about what his future would hold. He realized that this guy was his godfather which meant he was a guardian, but he did not even know this guy. Where would he go? What would he do?

As if reading Kiba's mind the mysterious man said, "Don't worry, all will be revealed in time."

Chapter 8

The mysterious man woke up after his first night of sleep in a week. He had the ability to suppress his sleep schedule to a few hours a week without the negative health effects. This was due to the nature of his field of work, but he did love the few hours of sleep he did get. He heard that Kiba kid scream a few times through the night but that was expected. Kiba was going to have to get used to that, unfortunately. It was better if he learned to cope on his own.

The man got up and walked outside. The cold air touched his skin and he took in a deep breath. The air sliding through his nasal cavity was not nearly as sharp as it had been the last two days.

He chuckled to himself, and muttered, "Looks like you got lucky, kid."

He went to Kiba's bedroom and woke him by turning the lights on.

"Hey kid this is what you will wear from now on don't complain." The man shouted as he tossed two pieces of cloth fabric onto Kiba's face. "Oh it shouldn't need to be repeated but never take that pendant off."

It was a short sleeve gi. Kiba put the outfit on which fits surprisingly well.

The man grins slightly and said, "Alright let's get a move on."

Kiba and the man walked to the front door of the home. Kiba stopped to put on his coat and shoes.

"You will not be using those on this journey." The man said bluntly

"What should I use?" Kiba asked confused.

"Just what you have on." The man replied calmly.

"Umm…" the boy looked out into the snow-covered mountainside that shone through the window.

"Sounds cruel?" The man laughed, "well I will tell you a bit of information. Your mother and I had to do the same thing when we were your age..."

The man paused and looked at Kiba sizing him up. "Actually we may have been younger."

Kiba was shocked, "Wow you grew up with my mom?"

The man coughed dryly to clear his threat. "Well yes for the most part. Now, are you ready?"

"Yes!" Said Kiba energetically.

The man laughed and raised his thumb and index finger to his lips and whistled.

Kiba watched him do this puzzled. The cold air made him shiver as it came into contact with his uncovered body. His bare feet immediately began to sting from the snow. Then a few moments later a rustling sound grew from the distance. It grew louder and louder until a strange animal appeared. It was about the size and shape of a donkey but its neck was long and rose upward. The head was much more like that of a large goat. Two sharp horns grew from its head and two tusks grew out from the corners of its mouth. The beast was covered in brownish wool.

"Wow, what is that?" Kiba asked in astonishment.

The man looked puzzled.

"How shelter did they keep you?" He thought to himself

"It's a paca a fairly common pack animal." The man responded.

"Do you ride them like a horse?"

"Uhhh no they don't care much for that."

The beast snorted and lowered its head to the boy. It sniffed a few times then let out a big puff causing Kiba to laugh.

The man grabbed a long leather reign and began to pull the animal to let it know they were moving out. The paca followed the man.

They had walked about fifty meters when Kiba asked, "Umm mister, what should I call you?"

The man realized he never gave the kid his name.

"You can call me sensei for now."

Chapter 9

Kiba was cold and walking barefoot down the path slowed his pace drastically. The chain and item he wore on his neck kept him surprisingly warm. The item almost acted like it was a part of him. He was passively excited about leaving his home because he had spent his entire life within a five-kilometer radius of it. He could recognize that they were heading down the path toward the village where his father would buy supplies and food. Kiba looked at his Sensei who was making a weird pose with his finger and his eyes closed. It only lasted a few seconds then he opened his eyes and put his hand down.

"Kiba," the man said suddenly.

"Um yes, sensei?" Kiba replied.

"We are headed toward the village as you probably are aware."

"We are that's great I have always wanted to see the village." Kiba interrupted.

"No, you will not be seeing the village." The man said sternly.

Kiba's face dropped in disappointment.

"There is a holler just before the actual valley where you will wait for me. It should only take me a couple of hours. You think you can manage?"

Kiba was worried he had very rarely been left alone and never in a place so unfamiliar.

The man who could pick up on the boy's disappointment said, "Consider this your first test, if you are able to stay in the holler without being spotted by any villagers then I will tell you more about your Mother and Father."

The man chuckled internally. This was the reason the man let out as little information as possible. It was to be able to coerce Kiba into doing things that he may hesitate or be unwilling to do.

The boy paused a look of thought scrunched on his face and then relaxed. "Ok Sensei, I can do it," He remarked confidently.

After a few hours of fairly rigorous hiking, they reached a small ravine. "This is the holler where you will stay. On the other side of that peak in front of us is the village. I should be back before nightfall."

Kiba, although he agreed to stay, was having second thoughts. He was deep in a wilderness that he was unfamiliar with. All he had was a gi and his father's necklace.

His Sensei sensing a new uneasiness in Kiba walked the paca to the nearby stream to let it get some water. He opened one of the side pouches and pulled out an almost glass-like rock. It had been chipped down into a very sharp point. The rock was a dark black and was about twenty-five centimeters long.

"Here this is obsidian, this is a common stone in this country due to volcanic activity. It was used to make weapons in ancient times. You will defend yourself with that in case anything goes wrong. Warning though all the edges are sharp so you might need to figure out a way to use it without cutting yourself."

The gingerly handed the glass to the boy who looked at it with pride.

"Wow, it's so pretty."

The Sensei nodded. "Yes, things used to take lives are often pretty aren't they?"