Sacrifice

Beneath the night sky, Hoshiyo nestled comfortably against her father's torso. The rhythmic trot of the horse on the soft terrain cradled her into a deep slumber, bringing a sense of peace during the two-day journey to the village. They reached the village's outskirts, and the horse, without prompt, veered onto a dirt path leading to the mountains. Before them stood an ancient, weathered Torii gate, its light wooden structure decorated with rope and vines. The horse halted abruptly. Hiroshiro gently shook his daughter awake, and her red eyes flickered open to witness the imposing gate, beyond which a pure white fox awaited as if expecting their arrival.

"Can you see a Yokai?" Hiroshiro inquired.

"There's a Yokai on the other side of the gate," Hoshiyo confirmed.

"Well, let's see if we can get a closer look," Hiroshiro suggested, prodding the horse with his heels. However, the creature stood still as if startled by an unseen force. "Come on, boy. Why did you stop?"

"Maybe he can see Yokai too?" Hoshiyo speculated. She swung her legs over the horse and descended using the crates.

"Hey, where are you going?" Hiroshiro asked.

Preferring not to answer, Hoshiyo moved a few feet ahead, fixating her gaze on the white fox with black ears. Speaking in a feminine tone, the fox addressed her, "I see the rumors are true—a human with the sight of a Kami."

"What's your name?" Hoshiyo inquired.

"My name is Byakko. I serve as the messenger for the Kami residing on this mountain," the white fox introduced herself.

"What's happening over there? Who are you speaking with, Hoshiyo?" Hiroshiro's voice echoed.

"Her name is Byakko, Daddy. She's a white fox," Hoshiyo replied.

"Ask her about those goat antelopes. Where can we find them on the mountain?" Hiroshiro urged.

"Your father doesn't know? Why haven't you told him the purpose of your visit?" Byakko inquired respectfully.

"I... I don't know," Hoshiyo admitted, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "If he finds out, he may never trust me again. He might think I'm crazy or worse."

Byakko sighed softly, understanding Hoshiyo's predicament. "The creatures you seek are Yokai, once visible out of curiosity but now hidden due to human threats. Despite laws prohibiting hunting, some humans still endanger innocent lives here on the mountain."

"If they're hidden, how will my dad see them?" Hoshiyo whispered a hint of desperation in her tone. She feared their journey might have been hopeless.

Byakko glanced at the unsuspecting man, his innocence stark against the backdrop of the mysterious creatures. Returning her gaze to Hoshiyo, she offered a glimmer of hope. "Follow the path to the fork ahead; the right trail leads not far up the mountain, where you'll find the dire wolf Kami. He's the Kami of the moon with blue fur."

"Thank you," Hoshiyo responded cheerfully. She bowed gracefully, swiftly racing to her father's side, reaching for him to lift her back onto the horse. Hiroshiro gently settled her into place and asked, "What did the Yokai say?"

"We have to follow the path," Hoshiyo replied, pointing forward to guide her father through the darkness. The Yokai illuminated the path and trees like fireflies. Hoshiyo giggled, attempting to catch a small Yokai with bright pink wings, but they danced away too quickly for her. A procession of blue spirits formed a guide along the path, leaving a trail of light blue hue when they moved away from the horse. Byakko caught up to them, ensuring their safe journey.

Hiroshiro observed the trails—one leading far up the mountain, the other only halfway up the hill with another gate ahead. He inquired, "So which way are we going? The pathways are ahead, but the mist and clouds make it hard to see."

Hoshiyo pointed to the right and said, "We have to go that way; it will lead us to where we need to go."

"Okay, but once we find the spot, we need to set up camp, got it?" Hiroshiro declared.

"Yeah," Hoshiyo replied quietly.

Byakko leaped on the horse's neck and faced Hoshiyo, her four tails swaying around. She sniffed her friend, inspecting her clothes and eyes, and asked, "Will you stay awake long enough to meet the Kami of the moon?"

Hoshiyo yawned and replied, "I'm going to close my eyes for a minute. I'll be awake when we get there."

"Hold on, we're almost there. I think I see something up ahead," Hiroshiro announced, squinting to make out a small brown wooden shrine slowly emerging from the forest.

"We're here," Byakko confirmed.

A flock of bluebirds took flight to avoid the approaching animals. The horse stopped at the shrine, revealing a shimmering blue dire wolf behind it. Its eyes sparkled brighter than the night sky, rousing Hoshiyo from her slumber. However, Hiroshiro couldn't sense the Kami staring at him with such bold, intimidating eyes.

"Looks like we should rest here for the night," Hiroshiro suggested.

"The moon, Kami," Hoshiyo said.

"What did you say?" Hiroshiro asked.

Hoshiyo looked back at her father, knowing the beast was invisible to him. She replied, "A Kami wants to speak with me."

Hiroshiro yawned and asked, "Can't he wait until tomorrow morning? He's a Kami with all the time, but we're only humans. I'm exhausted."

The Kami circled Hoshiyo, and with a deep, mighty voice, he said, "Why have you come here? Humans are not welcome here."

Hoshiyo pointed to herself and asked, "Don't you know who I am?"

"I know who you are, but that doesn't give you the right to disturb me in my home."

Hiroshiro, busy unpacking the luggage for the night, camped out two sleeping bags beside the shrine. He suggested, "Hoshiyo, ask the friendly Kami if we can rest and talk tomorrow. We traveled far from the east."

Stumbling over his sleeping bag, he fell onto it and fell asleep. The Kami of the moon quietly waited until he knew Hiroshiro wouldn't wake back up before continuing his conversation with the young girl. He growled, "If you have not gone by morning, I will personally send you to the land of the dead."

Without uttering a word, she sprinted to her sleeping bag and concealed herself under the covers. Shaking and whimpering, she succumbed to sleep under the rustling winds. The Kami of the moon reclined on the shrine dedicated to him, casting an apathetic gaze upon the humans. He harbored no interest in their actions, given everything they had done.

Byakko positioned herself by his side and said, "Tsukuyomi, punishing humans for their transgressions is not the solution. Compassion might guide them better."

Tsukuyomi growled, "Human greed will lead to their demise. Why should I bother helping them?" He lifted himself from the wooden platform and returned to his resting place within the shrine.

"Don't you dare turn your back on them, especially after everything the little girl has endured," Byakko pleaded.

Tsukuyomi halted, absorbing the words from his messenger. While he did feel a degree of pity for the humans, he believed they needed to face the consequences on their own. As the sun ascended above the clouds, cicadas orchestrated a loud chorus. Hoshiyo uncovered herself, pressing her hands against her ears to drown out the overwhelming sound. "Why do they make so much noise?"

Hiroshiro extended his arms and slowly rose, sensing an eerie shadow looming over him. Upon opening his eyes, he saw the majestic Dire Wolf Tsukuyomi in all his glory.

"Wolf!" Hiroshiro exclaimed, his cry jolting Hoshiyo out of her grogginess. She turned to see her father in panic before the formidable wolf. Lowering her eyelids, she explained, "Dad, he's the Kami I spoke to last night."

"What? And you're not scared of him?" Hiroshiro retorted, using his forearms to defend himself from any potential attacks.

"Yes, I'm scared. The other one was a whole lot nicer," Hoshiyo argued.

Tsukuyomi rolled his eyes and returned to his shrine, resuming his seated position. He remarked, "You should leave; I can't help you."

"My dad wants to meet the goat antelopes. There's got to be something you could do," Hoshiyo pleaded.

"What is going on? What's wrong with the animals?" Hiroshiro inquired.

Tsukuyomi growled, "The ones you seek are Yokai who thought they could trust humans. Unsuccessfully hunted, they came here to hide from harm, vowing never to reveal themselves again. Leave; all you humans have ever done was take what was never yours."

Byakko swiftly moved between the two before a conflict could erupt. He shouted, "Enough, Tsukuyomi. We don't have time for your ill-willed moral values. Her Tanuki friend informed me of the child. Amatsu-Mikaboshi gave her the power to see us so that she could help us."

"Wait, what?" Hoshiyo exclaimed, pressing the palms of her hands to her face. "No one told me anything about helping anyone."

Hiroshiro argued, "My daughter is only ten years old. Why would he choose her?"

Facing the girl and her father, Byakko explained, "Amatsu-Mikaboshi chose you to help us save our worlds. Humans are consuming too much. We've come here to the islands to live peacefully, where we are given homes to return to while the humans on this planet destroy themselves."

Holding on to his daughter, Hiroshiro yelled, "With all due respect, she's too young to understand any of this. Besides, how could she possibly help you?"

Tsukuyomi took a stand, puffed up his chest proudly, and said, "The other Kami and I grow weaker every day, and soon, we won't be able to use our powers to help the humans anymore. We could lend you our strength." "No!" Hiroshiro bellowed, "Come on, Hoshiyo. If we leave today, we could make it back in time for the festival."

Hoshiyo looked back at them and whispered, "I'm sorry."

Tsukuyomi sighed and returned to his den, while Byakko decided to leap away from the shrine to speak with them as the two packed their belongings to attach to the crate. Hiroshiro frowned, aggressively tossing everything together, a side of him his daughter had never seen before.

"You were given the opportunity to save your planet, and you deny it?" Byakko said.

"You're asking me to sacrifice my daughter to become one of you and somehow use her to heal the world. She's all that I have left; I can't lose her, too," Hiroshiro whimpered.

He climbed up on his horse with his daughter and galloped back down the mountain to return to the village in haste. Byakko attempted to catch up with them.

"Stop, Byakko," Tsukuyomi yelled, "A man with a broken heart will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Leave him be. I told you it was too good to be true."

Byakko returned to the shrine and said, "We have to warn Amatsu-Mikaboshi. He will know what to do."

Rain began to pour on the village, and thunder shook the mountains, hiding Hiroshiro's tears as his daughter's glowing red eyes proved to him that her fate was already sealed.