Rin refused to elaborate, much to Suzume’s frustration. No matter how Suzume asked, Rin would not tell Suzume anything more than that she was the key to Suzume’s past. Rin knew something of Kazue, Suzume was certain about it. The fox obviously had not been affected by the spell but she was playing along with Suzume’s charade. What is she getting at?

Suzume tried several different subtle techniques to wheedle information out of Rin.

“Come on, Rin,” Suzume whined. “You have to tell me, this is my past after all.”

Rin was walking ahead of Suzume her long red tail swishing back and forth as she walked. “Just because I’m the key doesn’t mean I have to tell you right away.” Rin glanced at Suzume over her shoulder and grinned at her.

Suzume scowled at her. “What is wrong with you immortals? Do you live to make my life miserable?” Suzume growled in frustration and threw her hands up. “Speaking of annoying immortals, where is Kaito? We’ve been walking for days and we haven’t seen any sign of him. He said he wouldn’t be gone long.” Suzume’s voice had reach a high pitch tone which made Rin flattened her ears against her head.

Rin shrugged. “I don’t question the master’s motives. He told me to lead you west and that’s what I am doing.”

“Where are we going? There’s nothing out here but farms and villages. I thought he wanted to go to the White Palace.”

Rin’s tail twitched from side to side. “Why would he want to go a place full of humans? Personally I cannot stand their stink.”

“I resent that.”

Rin ignored her and continued. “If the big eight hadn’t been trapped, then your people would never have been allowed to flourish like this.” She motioned towards the fields that surrounded them. “It’s disgusting, you’re inferior in every way possible and yet you continue to breed like vermin.”

“I am not vermin. I am the daughter of the emperor, I’ll have you know.” Suzume snapped. True she had been disowned but that didn’t change her lineage. Besides, Rin didn’t need to know that her father had disowned her.

Rin laughed. “Human rulers mean little to me. Back when the Dragon ruled along with his brothers and sisters, your people could hardly rub two sticks together. I don’t understand why humans are so sensitive.  Maybe that’s what makes you so delightful to tease.” She smiled again showing Suzume her fangs.

If Suzume had been a bit more sensible she would have shut her mouth, but she never did think before speaking. She was preparing a retort when a roar from above stopped her. A strong wind picked up and whipped her hair around her face. She pushed back the fly-away strands and glanced up to the sky. Rin ran past Suzume and towards the serpentine body of the dragon as it landed on the road nearby.

Suzume shuddered to see Kaito in his dragon form. He always appeared more menacing as a dragon. Maybe it was his massive jaws or the powerful coils of his body. It might also be the fact that he could squish her like a bug if he wished.  

“Master!” Rin cried. She ran to greet Kaito as he transformed back into his human form.

Kaito held Rin at arm’s length as she wiggled her tail back and forth. It reminded Suzume of a lap dog.

Suzume giggled and covered it with a sleeve. She cleared her throat to further cover up her laughter and said to the dragon, “Nice of you to join us. I was starting to hope that you’d never come back.”

Kaito pushed Rin aside to get a better view of Suzume. His expression was serious and for a moment Suzume paused. This isn’t like him. Does he suspect what I did? Rin pulled a face at Suzume over Kaito’s shoulder as if to say, ‘I know you really missed him.’ Suzume ignored her, instead focusing on the dragon. Let her think I care for Kaito. It will be that much easier to learn about my powers in secret and subdue both of them once I know how.

“I’m glad to see you missed me, pet.” He grinned breaking his solemn expression. Kaito reached out to presumably ruffle Suzume’s hair, but Suzume dodged the action and the air crackled with Suzume’s power.

His smile faded once more and he watched her gravely for a moment. She leveled an arrogant look at him. That was a fortunate accident, maybe I’m starting to get the hang of this.

“I have good news,” Kaito said at last breaking the awkward tension. “I found a place for you to train.”

 “What?” Suzume asked and then quickly schooled her features to neutral. “What do I care about these powers? All I want is to go back to the palace. A general’s wife doesn’t need a mastery of spiritual power,” She scoffed.

“You’ll need them if Akito comes to take you away and the general challenges him to fight for you. I doubt any man you would choose could fight for himself.” Kaito replied and Rin sniggered behind him.

Suzume opened her mouth to retort and then bit her tongue. Kaito did not realize just how close he had been to Akito. And he’ll never find out if I can help it. Distracted by this fact, she couldn’t come up with a snappy retort fast enough and Kaito jumped his advantage.   

“Did I leave you speechless?” He laughed and Rin joined in with her throaty laughter as well.

Suzume threw both of them a dirty look which they promptly ignored. The laughed for several minutes in which Suzume huffed and pouted until their laughter died away.  

“So where is this place? Who is going to train me, oh great dragon?” Suzume asked with her arms crossed over her chest. She turned away from them so she was watching them from the corner of her eye.

Kaito wiped laughter-induced tears from his eyes. “It’s a temple not far from here. The priests there are well known for their mastery of spiritual powers. The best part is their order used to worship me before I was sealed.” He puffed out his chest.

Suzume rolled her eyes. “So we’re going to a temple run by your minions. Great.”

“What a brilliant plan, master.” Rin piped up.

On second thought, I hope they can teach me how to fry one annoying fox.

“Thank you, Rin.” He patted her on the head. Rin closed her eyes and leaned into his hand.

“Well, are we going, or are you to going to need a moment?” Suzume interjected.

She turned so she couldn’t see Rin. She was undoubtedly giving Suzume another look. I really don’t like that woman.

“We’re leaving right now. Follow me,” Kaito strolled down the road before turning to cut between two fields. The path he was head faced a distant mountain range.

Great, more mountain climbing. “Can’t you just fly us there or something?” Suzume asked.

Rin gasped. “How could someone as low as you ask something like that of the master?” She pressed her hand to her chest as she spoke.

“We’re going to walk all the way over there? Why can’t he transform and fly?” Suzume asked with a puzzled expression. It made perfect sense to her.

“Sure, you can ride,” Kaito said with a devious gleam in his eye.

Suzume gave him a suspicious look. “What’s the catch? You’re being too nice.”

“No catch, get on.” He transformed in a puff of smoke.

His forelegs straddled the two fields and grain was bent sideways under his feet. The coils of his body wrapped back and forth across the fields rising and falling under the tall grasses. His whiskers brushed against the ground and rustled with every breath. His breath brushed over Suzume’s skin like a cool breeze. Rin wriggled back and forth her tail swinging to and fro. She held her hands to her chest as her body swayed while staring at Kaito in adoration, while Suzume eyed him with suspicion.

“I don’t trust you,” Suzume declared. Nothing was ever this easy with Kaito. Nothing.

He laughed and the sound echoed off the hills and rumbled like thunder. “Well, I do have less control of my human mind in this form and I have been known to drop riders from great heights and also I sometimes eat them.”

“Never mind, I’d rather walk.” There’s always a trick with him.

He laughed again and the sound reminded Suzume of a brook. He transformed back into his human form and said, “Well if there are no other arguments, let’s head out.”

Kaito led the way and Suzume hung back, concocting a plan in which she could learn more about her own powers, get more information from Rin, and somehow seal Kaito –and maybe Rin for good measure. Yeah, it should be simple enough. She almost believed herself. Almost.

The trip took the remainder of the daylight before they arrived at the temple. The temple itself was at the top of a flight of stairs, which Suzume complained about climbing, loudly. The priests were lighting the lanterns that hung from the red archways that led into the temple as they mounted the top of the stairs.

The priests  led them to the temple courtyard.  The remaining priests were lined up in front of one of the shrine buildings. The man in the forefront was ancient with deep creased wrinkles on his face and a completely bald head. Despite his great age, he stood upright and had a certain glow to him.

“Lord Dragon, thank you for honoring us with your presence.” The priest bowed low from his waist.

The other priests followed suit and bowed in unison to Kaito. He smiled down at them before lifting his hand. He’s loving this.

“And this must be the priestess you mentioned.” The old priest approached Suzume and brushed his hand against her face. His hands were deceptively soft and gentle. She normally didn’t like people to touch her but she found the priest’s touch soothing. “You have a very old soul. It has seen much over the centuries.”

He smiled down at her and Suzume felt a warm glowing feeling grow in the pit of her stomach. A yellow light haloed the old man’s head and she gasped in wonder.

“It would appear we have met in a previous life.”  He smiled at her.

“How do you know that?” Suzume asked.

“Souls recognize one another, even if the vessels do not.” The priest said. His eyes flickered towards Kaito for a brief second and Suzume’s heart raced. The priest looked back to Suzume and then to a step back. When the priest’s hand left her, Suzume felt as if she might collapse. “We have prepared rooms for you to rest in and we have baths ready as well.”

Suzume perked up at the sound of a bath. She was used to being clean and after the disastrous aftermath of her last bath, she was looking for to being clean and sleeping in something resembling a bed.

“Thank you, that would be most welcome.” Kaito replied, in a somewhat respectful tone.

I didn’t think he could be respectful to anyone. What is different about this priest?

“My second, Jirou, will lead you to your rooms and the bath.”

The second was a middle aged man with salt and pepper black hair that was covered by a small white hat.

“Ladies, Lord Dragon, please follow me.” His voice was soft and melodic. Suzume thought of the head priestesses at the mountain shrine and her brash second. They’re nothing like the mountain priestess. Why couldn’t I have been sent somewhere like this?

Suzume silently fumed as Kaito and Rin were each shown to separate rooms. The final room was reserved for Suzume.

“Here are your chambers, mistress.”

“Thanks.” Suzume looked inside. It was plain brown room with barely enough space for her to stretch her arms without touching the wall. “Where’s the baths?”

Jirou chuckled. “They are down this way. If you like I can show you.”

“Yes, thank you.”

He led her down to the bath chambers where a few of the priests were filling tubs with boiling water. Suzume could have cried at the beautiful sight. It was much more rustic than what she was used to but it was the closest thing she’d seen that reminded her of home in a long time.

“Take your time, and let your worries slip away,” Jirou motioned to the bath chamber.

Once the priests left, Suzume hastily undressed and sunk into the tub. It was just deep enough to submerge her body up to the shoulders. She let the heat sink into her flesh and she closed her eyes to relax. Every time she did, however, she thought of the visions at the hot spring and the monstrously huge spider who had captured her afterwards. She sighed in frustration. I cannot even relax properly. Maybe while Kaito is preoccupied, I can try and force some more information out of Rin. Suzume got up and dressed in clean clothes the priests had left out. She slipped out of her chamber and went to Rin’s room.

The temple was quiet except for the sound of bugs chirping in the night. She padded down the wooden hallway her own footsteps echoing back at her. When she got close to Rin’s room, Suzume heard voices. One of them was male.

Curious, she crept closer. The male voice sounded familiar. She pressed her ear against the paper screen door.

“Oh, Rin, right there,” the male moaned.

 Suzume gasped and covered her mouth but too late the occupants had heard her.

“What was that?” Rin said.

She did not have enough time to escape before the door flung open and a half naked Kaito was standing in the doorway of Rin’s room.