Come by Night 3: Kitsune No Yomeiri

Chapter Eleven - Breaking into Heaven

Light envelops my skin and I am blinded for a few seconds until my pupils slit against the brightness. We step from your world into that which is occupied by the divinities. This realm is not in the sky, as is popularly believed, although it is a land that dwells among the stars.

Of course, so does your world.

The air is warm, the sky a golden hue in daylight splendor. The buildings are magnificent, all in pristine condition, the rooftops adorned in golden tiles that sparkle in the sun. The entropy that consumes your earth is held at bay by the immortal gods. They act as the rulers of this realm, using the power they steal from the wellsprings of the multiverse and your people to empower their magic. For that, they may or may not grant a favor as suits their purposes.

The truth is, for all that the arrogant gods lord their superiority over mortals, they envy you humans.

I look down at you to make sure you are all right, to find that you are as filled with wonder as the others of your species who have come. Your mouth is open, eyes wide and bright. I want to tell you that what you see is a farce. It's as much an illusion as my magic.

Alas, I haven't the heart. Instead, I urge us to follow the line to the bazaar, where we are supposed to set up our booth, except we are not going to do that. I turn us down a side street, and then into an alley where I abandon the cart.

I cannot use the shadow realm here, as it is blocked off from my kind. But I did not start my life as a demon. I once dwelled among the gods. I know their secrets, their lies, and their tricks. These I keep to myself. I am not in the habit of gossiping or selling information without goodly recompense. The truth is, most demons do not care, preferring to avoid the gods, and thus, their judgment and scrutiny. Many yōkai avoid me simply because of my past connection to the kami, as though I were tainted. I do not mind. It saves me unwanted aggravation. Demons can be as bothersome as humans, but gods are worst of all.

Now that we have arrived, whatever fear I held of coming has dissipated into a rising excitement. This does not mean throwing caution to the wind, however. We must be especially careful if we want to steal our daughter back. So I change our illusions into lion dog shinshi in humanoid forms, going about some god's business. This will allow us to roam about freely, for there are shinshi and divine messengers everywhere.

"Where are we going?" you ask me timidly.

"To scout the auction house first. If they plan to bid on our Tsukiko, we'll find out more there."

I see the terror in your eyes at the mention of our daughter being held in such a place. You nod and that is where we go. If she's not there, then we will have to go Daikokuten's palace, which glitters gold and white above the town. Believe me when I tell you, we must hope she is in the auction house.

My mouth sets in a firm line as we draw near. I can smell the fear of those imprisoned within. My hackles rise and it is only through the most severe discipline that I keep my ire in check and play the role I have affected.

"Halt! On who's authority have you come?" one of the guards demands of us. "What is your purpose?"

"Our master Raijin sent us," I say without missing a beat. The god of thunder, lightning and storms is a fearsome kami, and few are willing to rouse his ire on behalf of anything. Even fewer would dare say they are emissaries of him when they are not. But I've dared worse. "Our message is for the Auction House master alone."

The guard nods and allows us to pass through the entrance. I forge ahead without a second glance. We walk side by side, and I begin peering peripherally in the cages at the creatures held captive here. My blood boils to think my little girl might be in such a cage. I pretend not to care. It could be me in one of those cages, if the kami knew I was here and my god chose to sell me.

I do not look at you, but I can sense your unease. And no wonder. This place is a miniature hell in 'heaven.' I hate it here. I sense the distress around me and want to flee. Some of these creatures are hybrids between species, human mingled with either the divine or yōkai, which the gods call 'abomination' and 'anathema.' The worst they slay, but the beautiful ones they keep as pets and slaves.

It is yet more proof that the 'good and righteous' gods are just another form of demon, albeit more powerful. They would not be so if they did not steal that energy from lesser beings. The whole of the system is corrupt from its very foundation. Would that I could fix it. The best that I can do is offer sanctuary to those who need it most. Now I wonder if my astral beyul is safe to return to. The kami's messenger invaded it easily. Where will we go once we have Tsukiko?

'Enough,' I tell myself. 'I will figure that out after. You know how this goes. Stay on mission, or lose all.'

Yet, the longer I am here, the more I become convinced my fox child is not. Now what? There is nothing for it but to duck out of here and figure out how we're going to sneak into the home of one of the most powerful kami.