Sally
Fujishima’s Estate
Noon – 12:00
As Shinichiro took Sally for a stroll toward the particular warehouse of their house, Shinichiro could sense very strong energy flowing around Sally. It might be in a mellow or serene one but he could tell how powerful it could be when it was unleashed, though Sally was not showing any signs of it. He once worked with the Huntsmen Quarters that’s why his senses were almost alike to those men who work at the firm. And aside from what the lady boss of the said firm informed him, Sally has the potential to tame or synchronized with shrine maidens’ summoned familiars. It only happened once in their family and only the family head knew about that part of their family history and he sensed that to her. So great actually and it never happened to others, particularly those who joined their family.
“What can you say about the ritual dance of my granddaughter?” Shinichiro curiously wondered since he saw how Sally stared at Mikage when she just finished performing. He saw the forming bond between them that’s why he wanted to make sure who this Sally was.
“I’m not an artist but I can appreciate the beauty of it and based on her dance, it was different from the usual ritual of your family that I’ve known.” Sally answered according to what she saw there.
“I know it was different since every shrine maiden has their own taste to please their familiar. Still, what can you feel when you saw it, not in the technicality of her dance but the feels it gives you?” Shinichiro smiled but still, there was something he wanted to know and Sally sensed it already. She could tell that he was being cautious since he was feeling something radiating around Sally ever since she entered the premises of the Fujishima’s.
“Warmness and life, that’s the only way I could describe it. Does it has something to do with where you leading me?” she honestly answered him as they began to pass by an arc that was leading them to the bamboo trees within their estate.
“As a matter of fact yes.” Shinichiro answered as they were getting close to the only warehouse that was near the house of his son and his family.
“Can I hear them?” Sally was being caught when she heard what Shinichiro told her.
“Of course because you’re like Ice that made me trust you I just hope the soul beast of my granddaughter does so.” He chuckled lightly as they finally saw a very old warehouse that was already partially covered with veins.
“I see, she possessed great wavelength that could summon a high-rank soul beast.” Sally dropped her guess since she was already been brief before she went to the Fujishima estate.
“Exactly and this warehouse where we let it sleeps till Mikage summoned it.” Shinichiro looked over the warehouse and he noticed that it was covered with veins again. He just sighs before he proceeds on walking toward the door of the warehouse and started unlocking it.
“And if not?” Sally wondered as they stopped by the door of the warehouse and she could already tell that whatever kind of soul beast was residing there possessed a great amount of power. Meaning, it wasn’t an ordinary high-ranked soul beast. Sally can conclude that the soul beast here was either a knight or somewhat royalty-rank kind of soul beast it was.
“Then that’s the time, I am not sure how to deal with it because it either sleeps there until the rightful maiden will be able to summon it or it’ll break its orb and ruin everything in its path since it was already here on the surface. Let's just hope for the better and it will not come to that because it will be a worse nightmare for everyone.” Shinichiro released a wary laugh as he opened the door of the warehouse and it quickly emits a very powerful malice that could make anyone hallucinate or manipulate if not strong enough to deal with it.
“There’s an option of stopping, doesn’t it?” Sally wondered after hearing his answer and they went inside.
“It doesn’t exist it runs into your veins. It will call out to you and no matter how you try to leave it be it will just come to you.” Shinichiro sounded sad but it was their fate from being a shrine maiden who kept the cleansing job around their kingdom.
“You speak in experience.” Sally took notice of how the way Shinichiro answered.
“It does happen to me, once. Anyway, this is where we let it sleeps to which I could tell that it wasn’t sleeping anymore.” He smiled as he looked around the space of the warehouse.
The whole place inside was like any typical warehouse around a house looked. But to Fujishima’s, it was a different case. The things that were supposed to be there weren’t there ever since they put the orbs inside and they turned it into a confinement or a sealed place. The whole space was being placed with talismans, chanted ropes, and candles that surrounded the whole place, particularly where the orb was being placed.
“Are you awake, soul beast?” Shinichiro asked the orb but it remained quiet though he knew well that it was indeed awake already. It just does not want to talk to him.
As for Sally, she looked at the surroundings and it was totally neat but the malice lurking around was getting heavier and thick. She went where it was coming from and Shinichiro noticed that Sally was standing still at the orb to which he saw it glowed faintly. Sally knew that she attracts soul beasts very well and she was used to their slyness whenever they felt like it. But this time it was totally different as if it knew her.
“Speak and let me see you.” Sally firmly said that shocked Shinichiro the next thing that happened was the sudden closing of the door of the warehouse and the candles began to fire up that almost reaching the ceiling.
“You responding, meaning you’re awake.” Sally continued that made the fire from the candle died down to normal yet the color was changing.
“I can tell you’re hungry for her soul but she wasn’t innocent any longer as she already comes to her age yet, you still want to eat her. For what reason are you still desiring her?” Sally still added that made the orb begin to glow brightly as the voice of the same soul beast from then spoke up to her.
‘Come forth human huntress.’
“Why should I, you don’t own me.” Sally sounded sarcastic but her expression was still blank and Shinichiro couldn’t believe what he was witnessing. The soul beast talks to her to which it only speaks to Sawako whenever she visits the warehouse and Mikage was through her dreams.
‘I own you ever since you step foot on this family.’
“You’re not Inari Fujishima, the maiden led me inside the estate.” She cleared to the soul beast that went silent for a couple of seconds before speaking again. It knew the person who owns the name in the Fujishima family.
‘Now, I understand the sudden crumbling around the estate…this will be fun…I can tell the young maiden saw something in you.’
“Show yourself to me.” Sally was being firm when she commanded the soul beast to show itself clearer than the glowing orb.
‘You’re not my maiden.’
“I am not telling you about your full form. I am telling you to show up through your energy.” Sally cleared what she was trying to say to the soul beast but it just laughed at her.
‘I am bonded here as you can see the seals around me. They were preventing me from even showing that.’
“Show yourself to me.” Sally kept insisting until her eyes flicked something that soul beast could recall who owns those eyes.
‘You…’
Sally didn’t say anything but she emits something that only the soul beast could recognize and even Shinichiro felt threatened by what Sally was emitting. It was totally dark and deadly which made the soul beast feel agitated and cornered which made the whole warehouse on crumbling to such power that was radiating around the warehouse.
‘STOP! You’ll hurt her if you hurt the head of the family.’
“Since when did you care? Start showing yourself now.” Sally was still firm until the orb began to emit its energy out of the orb and took the form of a small fox.
‘You’re more monster than I am, milady.’
“Then remind me who turned me into a monster of the night.” Sally answered as she reaches out her hand toward the barrier and the soul beast fox formed went on flying to where her open palm was.
‘I can’t argue with that but take care of Mikage, milady. Only you can compromise with me and her. She felt that as you were also being summoned by her.’
“Are you saying letting myself be possessed by you?” Sally pointed out that made the soul beast fox form quickly shake its tiny fluffy head.
‘No, nobody can possess you, milady but stay with her at all cost.’
“Something was stirring in the soul beast realm, am I right?” Sally released a sigh when she heard that. She already could tell that there was already something happening around in their own realm of soul beasts.
‘Can’t tell but tonight be warn and protect her at all cost as you’re fated bound to her.’
“Are you telling me that I’m just like you?” she guessed but she knew already what the soul beast before her was talking about as she felt it there when she saw Mikage practicing her own ritual dance.
‘No, I’m just a familiar but you’re more. So please, milady, protect her heart.’
“That’s why I am here.” Sally put down her hand that made the soul beats go back to the orb without responding anymore – well, more on Sally didn’t let it speak for more.
When the menacing aura around the two of them died down, Sally turned her heels, and magically the door of the warehouse began to open up. Sally noticed that Shinichiro was not moving from his spot which made her click her tongue before she moved quickly to his side and quickly dragged Shinichiro’s frozen state out of the warehouse. As soon as they got out of the warehouse, Shinichiro began to breathe as if something was holding his breath then the door of the warehouse was quickly locked up as if they didn’t enter in the first place.
“Sorry, you have to see that.” Sally politely apologized for what just happened there as well from dragging the head of the family who was still in a state of shock from what he witnessed there.
“None has taken but what was that? Who are you really?” Shinichiro managed to drop what was bothering his mind from what he saw and heard between Sally and her conversation with the soul beast that was being confined inside the warehouse.
“Nobody. But maybe tonight, you’ll find out soon.” Sally might be smiling when she respond but it was not reaching her eyes and helped Shinichiro to get up onto his knees before they went back to the house.
Sally might be aiding Shinichiro on their walk back to the house, but none of them speak along the way back. But Sally could feel that Shinichiro was being wary of her since he witnessed something that he never encountered before. It was bothering Shinichiro a little but when they stopped, he pulled away from the aiding arms of Sally and slapped his face to regain his composure. Sally was just looking at her until he patted Sally’s shoulder before smiling genuinely at her.
“Protect my granddaughter, if the soul beast could be alarmed like that and you made it bowed at you; protect her at all cost, Sally. I could feel that only you can do it more than anyone of us.” Shinichiro was serious when he said that to Sally. She was about to respond to that, but Shinichiro did not let her speak as he went back on walking ahead of her. Out of the blue, when she was not fully aware of it, she just smirked in her mind like she found something interesting for the first time in her existence.
“Why I’ve got the feeling that I’m not gonna leave this place for the time being…” Sally whispered to herself as she suddenly felt the urge of staying for a moment around the Fujishiro estate. She might not have any clue about it but she shook her head to let it slide for a moment and went on following the tracks of Shinichiro back to their house.