Walking with a Dog (III)

When she woke, the sky had already grown fully bright, a clear blue that looked freshly washed.

Warm sunlight filtered through the gaps between the branches, scattering fragments of light over the two figures.

Han rubbed her eyes and slowly woke. At the green filling her vision, she stared blankly for a moment before remembering that she had already left Kiyomori Temple, the courtyard home to so many shrine maidens.

The dog demon beside her seemed to have been awake for some time-or perhaps he had not slept at all. She had no way of knowing. He simply sat with his back against the great tree, one knee raised and a hand resting loosely upon it, in the same posture as last night, as though he had never moved.

Han watched the demon, while the demon gazed into the distance. His eyes held less of their usual sharpness and a little more calm, yet that composure seemed to harbor an endless will to fight.

Han stopped dwelling on it and prepared to stand, only to discover that she was still clutching the hem of his clothes. Awkwardly, she let go and went to the river. She broke a twig from a nearby willow, dipped it in mineral salt, and chewed it carefully. After washing her face and rinsing her mouth, she felt fully awake.

She sat by the river and quietly let her mind wander. Thinking that the shrine maidens back in the courtyard had probably finished their morning prayers by now, she suddenly realized how far apart they were. She longed so much to return to that little world, that peaceful courtyard with its tall persimmon tree, its hall with eaves like wings in flight, and all those warm, caring people.

She quietly felt the breeze brushing her cheeks and breathed in the forest's distinctive scent of grass and trees. Gradually coming back to herself, she felt the salt pouch still clenched in her hand. Remembering how Sister Gardenia had carefully sewn that tiny pouch for her in the sunset's fading glow, she found the courage to keep going.

At some point, the dog demon had risen. Now he stood silently watching the girl approach.

The girl took two small rice balls from the bamboo tube she carried and offered one to the demon.

His gaze swept over the plump white rice ball. "I don't eat human food," he said indifferently.

The girl frowned but said nothing more, carefully returning the rice ball to the bamboo tube.

The shrine maidens had made these rice balls for her before she left, carefully tucking sweet-and-sour plums inside. They gave the little rice balls a special flavor, one that tasted almost like home.

She was not actually hungry either, but her long-established human habits made her eat the rice ball as usual.

Once the girl had finished eating and washed her hands, the silver-haired dog demon took the lead again.

She hurried after him, moving up from behind to walk at his side.

"Only humans need to eat human food," Sesshomaru said evenly.

"What?" Han had not understood.

"All demons need is power. Eating is merely a habit acquired through influence." Sesshomaru was no longer so sparing with his words. "True power does not come from food."

"But..." Han hesitated. Everyone ate normally like this. She swallowed the rest of her words.

And so, amid occasional conversations, the two traveled on for many days, stopping and starting along the way.

Sometimes, looking back, Han even felt that her days at Kiyomori Temple had been long, long ago. Ahead lay only an unknown future, and beside her, this silver-white figure.

They ventured deeper and deeper into the forest. Gradually, even sunlight seemed unable to penetrate it, and rich green surrounded them.

Their surroundings also grew quiet. The insect calls that could be heard everywhere in the forest and the birds that could be seen at every turn had vanished without their noticing. The silence was frightening.

"We're here." Sesshomaru suddenly stopped before an enormous tree.

Han studied it closely. It was a strange tree unlike any she had ever seen, tall and straight. It would probably take four or five people to encircle it, she thought. A faint fragrance suddenly drifted through the air, then gradually grew stronger. Looking up, she saw purple branches laden with large, pure-white blossoms. Richly fragrant, the flowers gave off an enchanting scent.

Sesshomaru knocked on the trunk. Though he clearly used little force, the branches and their blossoms trembled gently. After a moment, a face slowly emerged on the trunk, though calling it a human face might not have been quite accurate. Its skin still resembled bark, its nose was frighteningly pointed, and its dull eyes drooped. Wrinkles covered the entire face. Startled, Han stepped back, instinctively retreating behind Sesshomaru and peeking out with wide eyes to study the demon.

"Hakuōju, a two-thousand-year-old magnolia tree," Sesshomaru said, seemingly by way of explanation.

"That's right. And the sheath of Tenseiga, the sword Sesshomaru's father left him, was carved from my trunk," Hakuōju said, casually glancing at the girl behind Sesshomaru.

"This time, I want to ask where Totosai is." Sesshomaru remained cold. After all, the Dog General, Hakuōju, and Totosai were widely known to have been close friends.

"Totosai? Do you want to find Tessaiga at his place?" Hakuōju asked.

"Precisely."

"I don't know. Totosai has always been the one to come and disturb my sleep," Hakuōju said. Perhaps now I should add you to that list, the magnolia demon silently added.

"Then, as a Great Monster who has lived so long, do you know how she can gain her power?" Sesshomaru frowned. Since Hakuōju was unwilling to say more, he would not press him. He would find Totosai sooner or later. Instead, he simply changed the question. Though he named no one, there was only one "she" present.

"Let me take a look," Hakuōju requested.

Han stepped out from behind Sesshomaru of her own accord and stood before the magnolia demon, looking slightly uneasy.

"Phew." The magnolia demon breathed out, his breath carrying the distinctive fragrance of magnolia wood, blowing the girl's bangs aside. A silver marking flashed on her forehead, then swiftly vanished. But Sesshomaru had already seen enough.

It was an unopened lotus bud.

So this girl's true form is a lotus demon? Sesshomaru frowned at the thought.

Yet she had no demonic aura, only the pure aura of spiritual power.

Those two auras were entirely different. He could never mistake one for the other.

"A spirit, then." Hakuōju sighed. It was both what he had expected and what he had not.

He had once had the good fortune to see a spirit, though that one had been much weaker. He still remembered that it had been a gemstone spirit whose true form was a fiery-red agate, apparently born after a thousand years of gestation within a volcano. He had merely been passing through, but he had sensed spiritual energy surging skyward nearby, spilling out in all directions. Even the volcano itself seemed to have been set ablaze.

Thousands of demons had arrived in an endless stream, all hoping for a share. He had been very weak then too, so after a sigh, he could only leave in silence. He still remembered how frail the newborn spirit had been. Though tremendous power lay hidden within its body, that very power had drawn the other demons' covetous attention. In the end, the spirit had supposedly been devoured by a Great Monster, though no one now knew where that Great Monster was.

Hakuōju looked at the girl before him. Like all the spirits of legend, she appeared only seven or eight years old, with delicate features and the gentleness unique to plant spirits. Her actual age, however, was probably far younger than her appearance suggested. Perhaps she had only recently been born.

Upon hearing Hakuōju's sigh and brief words, Sesshomaru understood what race the girl belonged to. These beings seemed blessed by heaven, yet were surrounded by danger from birth, and few survived. Legend said that when members of their race grew immensely powerful, they could even summon wind and rain, harnessing the forces of heaven and earth. But the girl before him was still far too young-and far too appetizing, to demons.

As for Sesshomaru himself, even knowing that devouring such a being would greatly increase his demonic power, he disdained strengthening himself through such a pointless method. Though he had felt a momentary temptation, it had ultimately come from an appetite for food, not a thirst for power. Strength gained by relying on an outside power was not true strength.

"Let's go," Sesshomaru said, seeing that Hakuōju had no intention of saying more.

The girl followed at his side, trusting him as before.

"Wait," Hakuōju spoke again.

The two stopped just as they were about to leave.

"Take these branches as my gift to you. I hope I will see the day you grow strong."

Several flowering branches fell from Hakuōju's tree.

"Oh, thank you!" Han was somewhat overwhelmed by the favor. She knew how precious they were, so she thanked him earnestly.

"All right, off you go." Hakuōju sighed.

The two figures gradually disappeared into the deep forest, leaving only Hakuōju's heavy sigh and the rich fragrance of magnolia blossoms lingering quietly among the trees.