Okami Renshin:
It'd been a year since I killed my father and ran away from home. I still haven't quite figured out how to turn my divine form on and off. I figured calling it my 'divine form' sounded a lot cooler than something corny. Most of all, when I returned to my base form, I now possessed the identical few white-colored strands of hair my mother had. Even crazier, it's in the exact same spot, too. I've blown through more than half of my expenses in just housing alone. I figured staying in a cheap and rundown motel was better than being a sitting duck at home where anyone who wanted me dead could find me. Spending my father's dirty murder money made me absolutely sick to my stomach. However, I knew that it was better than dying. I knew that if my mother could have one thing from me, it would be to survive. However, the thought of going to sleep and not waking back up runs through my mind from time to time. I had no one. Worse, I've hit a standstill in my training. A visual learner such as myself really only learns from seeing something done by someone else.
So, more than anything, I feel as if I'm doing nothing but wasting my time. I didn't even have so much as a lead as to who would have wanted my mother dead. So that meant I had no clue who wanted me dead or why. I spent the past year looking over my shoulder at every turn. However, on my birthday, December seventh, something strange happened…stranger than anything that's happened to me thus far. When my eyelids popped open, I saw nothing but a massive white void. "Huh?" I said aloud in a dazed confusion. I turned my head to the right and then to the left, but the scenery didn't change; no matter where I looked. Nothing but a white void and golden clouds.
This caused me to look down at my light brown hands. However, when I looked down, I watched as my tail swayed behind me. I instantly reached on top of my head and felt my ears twitch at my own touch. With a tilt in my head, I asked myself, "Why's my divine form out? No, better yet…" I once again looked around while asking out loud this time, "...where am I?" "You're in The Realm of Twelve. Or I guess Heaven would be a better word for you," a mysterious voice answered. I quickly spun around to locate the source of the voice. Behind me stood a man that was at least six feet tall. He had the same color of jet-black hair as me in my base form. His eyes were the same hue as mine. However, they were darker. While mine were more scarlet, his were a deep blood red, lacking any sort of glow in them at all. By far his most notable feature once again was eerily similar to mine. Instead of them being reminiscent of a wolf, the man who stood before me possessed a set of ears and a tail that looked like they belonged to a tiger. I watched as his black tail swayed behind him, and then I looked up with skepticism beaming in my eyes as I questioned, "And you are?" Though I had never seen the man before, I had to admit, there was something familiar about the scars on his face. The man placed his hand on his chest and stated, "My name is Tora Romanov."
"Tora Romanov," I said as I tried to remember where I'd seen him before. The instant I remembered, it felt like someone splashed cold water on my face. I looked Tora in his blood-red eyes and said, "I remember you now. You were at my mother's funeral with those other people in black suits."
While resting his arms behind his neck, Tora remarked, "Wow, I'm shocked you remember. That was a… tough day for all of us. Natomi was a good friend. And an even better leader." "Leader?" I ask with a spiteful tone. I felt both of my ears stand on end as I questioned, "Who are you really?!" I watched as his tail maneuvered in front of him, and he answered, "Why, I'm the Tiger God, of course." I knew it. I've heard of him before. Twelve animals are beloved in several different countries. "If memory serves, the Tiger God is revered in Russia," I thought to myself in an attempt to piece together what was truly going on. I looked up at the tall man and remarked, "Alright, Tora. You answered my previous questions, so let's see if you can answer this one…" I watched as his posture stiffened, almost as if he was unsure of his own safety for a moment. With my scarlet eyes narrowed, I coldly asked, "...who murdered my mother? If you worked alongside her in 'public service,' I know that you know." I watched as Tora looked away from me. Almost as if he was too afraid to tell me the truth.
A slight sigh escaped his lips as he said, "Well, kid. I don't know how to tell you this. But I don't believe Natomi had a stroke. In fact, I believe it was your father who poisoned her." I stared at him, deadpan. He was shocked by my reaction. I'm sure he was expecting me to refute what he said. In fact, I'm sure that he expected me to attack him, all while calling him a liar. However, I could do nothing but sit there. "That's all you have?" I ask in a shattered tone of voice. I gnashed my teeth together and lashed out, "You knew who did it, yet you did nothing about it?!" With his arms extended, acting as a barrier between him and me, Tora asked, "You knew?!"
"Yes, I knew," I yelled back. The declaration that was about to fly out of my mouth was packed with more bass than I knew my body was capable of producing, "I'm the one who killed him!" Shocked. That's the only word that would have been appropriate to describe the expression on Tora's face. "You killed him?" He asked like he couldn't believe what he heard. "Yeah," I shot at him. I balled my fist and yelled, "While you and all the other people my mom led were fucking off, God knows where I discovered who killed her, and I was the one to kill him!" Suddenly, the aggression was knocked out of me. In place of it stood fear. Tora narrowed his eyes at me and remarked, "Listen, kid. Even though I may have known the truth, there isn't a damn thing that we could have done about it! There are rules and regulations in place that prevent such a thing! Besides, how do you think that would have gone over with you, huh!? How do you think you would have responded to eleven strangers running into your home and murdering your father?!" "If you had shown me some evidence, I would've gladly helped out," I refuted. Tora reached down, grabbed me by my shirt, and stated, "Well, I didn't have any to show!"
There was nothing but an awkward silence between us. "What?" I asked in a defeated tone of voice. Tora threw me back by my shirt and continued to say, "I had a feeling. I had a suspicion. But I never had any evidence that proved he did it. Therefore, we couldn't do anything." He crossed his arms and stared down at me while declaring, "Don't go around patting yourself on the back like you should get a medal for killing your father. That's something any son would have done in your position." It took me a second to recognize the way he looked down at me. It wasn't in a way to display that I was inferior to him like my father had done. It wasn't to threaten or scare me. Rather, it looked like the way an older sibling would scold their younger sibling. "But how would I know that?" I asked myself. I chalked it up as nothing more than the family dynamics I'd seen on TV. I watched as Tora let out another sigh and turned away from me. Though he no longer faced me, he blurted out, "I know why you're here." Even if a part of me didn't wish to speak, even I wanted to know what I was doing in this Realm of Twelve, as he called it. "Why am I here?" I asked with my arms crossed. While he turned and side-eyed me, he answered, "You're here because it's your fifteenth birthday." I raised an eyebrow and questioned, "How'd you know that?" This prompted Tora to turn back around and face me. It wasn't until I looked at him with some form of clarity that I paid attention to how he was dressed. His jet-black hair is worn longer, possibly past his shoulders, with a slightly disheveled, windswept style that gives him a rugged edge. He wore a high-collared, double-breasted coat in a deep, almost black shade of scarlet, with fur trim around the cuffs and hem. Underneath, a shirt in a dark, neutral tone, with subtle stitched-in accents. He wore a slightly torn but sleek pair of black pants, which was tucked into his black combat boots. "Might need a pair of those," I mumbled to myself. His piercing blood-red eyes were his most striking feature, conveying a fierce intensity and divine power. He had two prominent facial scars, one running across his cheek and the other over his brow, which only added to his battle-hardened, predatory appearance. His swaying tail and resting ears truly conveyed that he was a powerful deity.
I watched as his gaze met mine, and he continued to say, "Because, every five years, the twelve of us are transported here to bathe in divinity and become more powerful. You might not remember, but I met you once when you were about ten or so. I knew you were thirteen at Natomi's funeral, and I knew you were born in December. So, really, it was more of a waiting game before I'd meet you."
With a tilt in my head, I remarked, "Well, you went through all the trouble of getting me here, so what can I do for you?" A slight chuckle escaped his lips. He found something funny. He must've. I didn't think I phrased my question as if it was a joke. "So why is he laughing?" I asked myself. Once he got the laugh out of his system, he looked me in my scarlet eyes and stated, "My young god, it isn't what you can do for me…"
I watched as his blood-red eyes shone with a bright glow while he continued to say, "... it's what I can do for you." Being slightly impressed by his display, I crossed my arms once more and asked with a grin, "Alright then, what can you do for me?" "A favor," Tora immediately answered.
Those two words felt like I was punched in the stomach. "Apparently, I'm not the only one who knows that I need him," I said to myself. While staring into his eyes, I quickly thought of my choices, "He said we come back every five years. So, hypothetically, I could wait here. But then again, why waste five years when I could play a risk and have it turn out in my favor? I'll just call his bluff for now." My grin widened as I interjected, "What makes you think I need a favor from you-" "Come now, are you really in a position to pull my card? Just think about it; who else do you see around here that's going to teach you about being a god?" He quickly pressed his finger against my forehead while saying, "Better question, who else is here to teach you how to leave this place and return to Japan?" A chuckle escaped my lips. In fact, for the first time since I could remember, I laughed. I looked back up to the god and saw that he was smiling. Why? I didn't know. Maybe he and I had the same sense of humor; who knows? As soon as I finished laughing, I placed my hands in my pockets and said, "Alright, I'm listening." I watched as Tora extended his hand and said, "Let me do both you and Natomi a favor. Become my student, Okami."
Once again, Tora's words stunned me. I could do nothing but look him in the eyes and ask, "Why would you do that?" Tora ran his fingers through his messy jet-black hair and answered, "Your mother saved my life once before. I failed to save hers. So, I'm hoping that by training her son and preparing him for the life he's been thrust into, she'll forgive me." I could no longer prepare myself for anything that Tora said. It all was a shock to me. This entire time, I thought I was the only one suffering over my mother's death. I thought I was the only one who blamed themselves. However, it's been placed in front of me in plain view that I was not the only one who felt as if they bore the weight of failure. "Fine. I'll become your student," flew out of my mouth faster than I gave it any thought. I watched as Tora placed his hand on my head and stated, "Wise choice, kid. Now that you've made that decision, I'll tell you how to leave this
place. But before I do that, there are a few things I'd like to explain first."
He cleared his throat and explained, "As you know, you and I are gods. But I'm going to tell you what that truly means. We faithfully serve the countries that revere and venerate us. For me, that would be mother Russia. For you, that's Japan. You will protect spirits and mortals alike while also protecting yourself. If you don't, demons will consume the soul of whoever you fail to protect." "That answers what that fox was so afraid of," I thought to myself. Tora continued to say, "Demons hunt by the smell of a soul. Most won't have the balls to attack you. They fancy spirit souls. But they won't turn down a mortal soul either. So, at any time of day, in any place, a demon is liable to appear. That means keep your head on a swivel." Little did Tora know, I was on the run with my head resting on a swivel. On the run from who or what? I didn't know. However, I spent the past year living as if someone were hunting me down, and I had no intentions of stopping. I opted to keep my family history to myself. If Tora knew nothing, just as mom kept it with everyone else, I would as well.
Once I tuned back into the conversation, I heard Tora emphasize, "Some don't have as sharp of a smell. But gods like you and I are capable of vividly smelling a demon. The best way I can describe it to you is that of death. Now, the second thing that you need to know is about familiars. We, as gods, can make contracts and bind our souls to spirits. These spirits serve us until we die." "Until we die?" I asked in a confused tone of voice. Tora snapped his fingers and quickly explained, "Since our souls are bound together, their lives end when ours do. Master and familiar are then returned to the spiritual plane together." My eyes narrowed as I remarked, "You're throwing around a lot of confusing terms at me, man." Tora flicked me on my forehead while spitting back, "Then don't ask questions if you're not ready for the answer!" Despite what he said, I shot Tora a glare even though I had more questions. I watched Tora cross his arms and declare, "Now isn't the time for questions; that's why I'm keeping this brief. So, when I send you back, the only way you'll be able to return is if you have a familiar. Next…" I watched as Tora opened his hand, and a katana manifested in his palm. I was nothing short of astonished. "How the hell did you do that?!" I asked out of pure curiosity. Tora extended his hand while saying, "If you loved seeing it, then you're going to love doing it!"
I graciously opened my hand as Tora dropped the blade in my palm. With impatience coursing through my veins, I wrapped my hand around the handle of the katana and attempted to draw it. However, Tora placed his hand on mine while ordering, "Don't draw it yet!" I quickly stopped in place and asked, "Why not!?" Tora pointed at it as he explained, "This here is a divine instrument. Your birthday present from your mother." The wind was suddenly snatched out of my body. If I didn't know any better, I would've thought Tora punched me square in the chest. His statement caused me to look down at the blade and study it. The sheathe was the same hue as my jet-black hair. Two scarlet strings were tightly wrapped around and hung from the sheathe. The circular guard was silver in color, while the handle possessed the same color as the sheath. I couldn't put my finger on it, but something was enticing about it. Knowing that it was from my mother only made me appreciate it that much more. I looked up at Tora as he continued saying, "gods like us possess divine instruments to aid us in dispatching demons. When one is forged, it must be drawn at our shrines to have a blessing inscribed into them." As soon as Tora mentioned a shrine, I immediately knew what he was talking about. Back home in Tokyo, there was a massive statue of the Wolf God that people prayed to. I watched as Tora opened his hand, and a sword manifested in his palm. I'd never seen a sword like it before. "Perhaps it's Russian?"
I said to myself in an attempt to satiate my curiosity. He placed his hand on the blade and said, "This is called a Kiliji. It's a Russian sword. It's my divine instrument." Once I saw the blade, I was impressed even further. The blade was the exact same blood-red hue as his eyes. However, what caught my interest was the engravings that I couldn't decipher. While holding it up for me to see, Tora explained, "This here is our divine language. I'll teach you to speak and read it once you return with a familiar." "Then it sounds like that's where my focus needs to be," I quickly added. My outburst caused Tora to chuckle. the Tiger God side-eyed me and said, "Alright, kid, you're antsy, I get that. So let me tell you what I need to so that you can be on your way." Tora sheathed his blade and instructed, "Imagine your Instrument disappearing. Not from you, but just from eyesight."
Tora's instructions were vague at best. I didn't know what that meant. However, I watched as he extended his hand and let go of his sword. Suddenly, it vanished into thin air. I looked back up at him and saw a "told you so" grin on his face. This caused me to scoff and do as he had done. I opened my hand and simply thought of my sword no longer being there. To my complete and utter surprise, it worked! It was gone! I couldn't see it, and neither could Tora. He patted me on my shoulder and asked, "See? Was that so hard?" I stuck out my hand and extended a specific finger for my response, which made him chuckle. Once again, Tora placed his hand on my head and remarked, "Remember, Okami. Don't draw your blade until you stand before your shrine." I nodded my head in response. To me, there was no longer any need for words. I knew what I had to do.
All that remained was for me to leave from this white expanse and get down to it. As soon as I looked back up at Tora, he smiled down at me. Again, I couldn't figure out why he smiled. But who was I to judge what made someone happy? "Be safe, and for both our sakes, move quickly! Don't keep me waiting, Little Wolf." Before I could utter a word in response, I stood in a forest. I looked around and realized I had no clue where I was. The only thing I could think to say was, "What the hel-" Before I finished my sentence, I threw up. Perhaps my body didn't appreciate its first time being teleported.