I walked down the old dirt road. My purple kimono brushed through the dust and left a fine trail behind. The sun was already set, and the only light ahead of me was the pale moon rising in the sky. I had never seen this road so empty. It was usually a busy place. Even at night, one could meet merchants and late travelers, even soldiers marching under unknown orders. Not tonight. It felt ghostly and deserted, as if everyone had agreed that tonight was not the night to be traveling.

I noticed a large rock and sat on it, thinking today was a bad night for hunting. There was an inevitable disappointment in the realization I might have to go home empty-handed. Recently I have been very successful in my little mischiefs. I was good at making humans regret some of their choices and wondering why they bring all their trouble to themselves. I may have grown too confident and arrogant. It has been way too easy these days to lure a lonely traveler to follow his heart's deepest and darkest desires.

As I was about to give up and turn back into my natural form, I heard the sound of horseshoes. I froze for a second, making sure I didn't make any noise so I could focus. It was undoubtedly a horse, and with every step, it came closer to me. The area was so deserted that the hooves sounded almost like thunder. I quickly reached for the little mirror I kept in my handbag, ensuring my looks were perfect. The beautiful flower kanzashi decorated the neatly fixed black hair of my chosen form. My lips were still bright red from the lipstick, and black eyeliner was completing my eyes. I liked the perfection and attractiveness of this look. There was something sinister but also so alluring in the feminine elegance I had been able to recreate.

Moments later, I saw the horse approaching from the far side of the road. It was a magnificent animal, chestnut colored with a fine, strong build. It took me a few seconds to see the rider. The man's shape became more visible with every step the horse made. Although he was riding, I could tell he was tall and sat with pride on the saddle, short black hair covered his head, and from here, I could see the delicate blue silk of his clothes. A foxy smile appeared on my lips, and I had to control my excitement. I quickly reached for my sandal and pulled the little strap biding it to my foot, tearing the thing so that it couldn't be fixed easily. The satisfied expression on my face turned into absolute distress and disappointment. For a second, I wondered if I should shed a few tears but decided that would ruin the perfect make-up. While practice taught me innocence and tears moved some mean, I would rely on charm tonight.

"Not a place for a lady." Said the horseman as he reached me.

I could see his face better now. He was young for a human, maybe in his mid-twenties, the features on his face were sharp but somewhat elegant, but his eyes made me look at him longer than I probably should have. There was power and mysterious darkness there, making me feel some strange fascination I had not experienced with humankind before.

"My lord," I responded as I got up and bowed my head. "I was on my way to the capital, but my sandal tore."

I showed him the shoe I was holding in my hand. It wasn't difficult to guess he was not just a merchant. That was a warhorse he was riding, and the two swords on his belt were castle forged. I might not be a human, but my mentor always said that to trap something, you need to understand it. I spent years studying their kind and understanding who they were, so I could be better at what I did. Observation paid well.

"Unfortunate." He said as his eyes trailed my shape.

I gave him a shy smile, trying to avert my gaze in pretend embarrassment, but I was still mesmerized by the cold darkness of his look. A moment passed, then another, and neither of us said anything. In this same situation, other men would have offered to help immediately. Walk me to the nearest village or inn, and help me with my sandal. This stranger didn't offer any of that, but he didn't walk away either.

"I'm sorry to impose on his lordship, but...perhaps you could help me get to the nearest town or even an inn. I'm sure I could figure it out from there." I suggested hoping that would solve whatever internal dilemma might be going through his handsome head.

There wasn't a verbal response, but he dismounted and approached me. The man took my sandal and studied it as if trying to figure out if that was fixable, but I was better. I knew how to damage something beyond repair.

"Can you ride?" He finally asked, returning the sandal back to me.

"A bit," I responded.

Horses or other animals were not something I had a particular fondness for. I would tolerate them and see them as necessary in this world, but not something I needed. The man held the horse and the saddle and helped me mount. I sat to the side, my legs hanging from the animal's right side. At first, I thought he would follow, but instead, he kept the reins and led the animal forward. I found this behavior odd and not typical. Most men couldn't wait to jump on the saddle behind me, even if that made the ride times more uncomfortable.

"I didn't mean to deprive you of your ride," I said after another long moment of silence.

I wasn't used to that. Men would always talk to me and ask me questions about where I was going, why, and how I ended up on that road. I always had elaborate stories that made their imagination go wild. Not my new companion, it seemed. He walked ahead, holding the horse's reins and not uttering a word or looking in my direction.

"My father used to say that walking is better than riding." He responded without turning to look at me. "Riding makes you lazy."

"Your father is a wise man." I was trying to keep the conversation going as I couldn't afford another prolonged silence. How was it possible that he wasn't even trying to look at me as he spoke? "What is your name, my lord?"

"You call me lord, but you don't even know my name?" There was mockery and arrogance in his voice. "What if I am just a wealthy merchant?"

"I have seen panty of wealthy merchants," I responded with a smile, but he couldn't see that. "You would be the first with castle forget swords, and I suspect you also know how to use them."

"You are observant." Her remarked. "Shiroishi Tojiro."

For the first time since he helped me on the horse, I was happy he wasn't looking at my face as the satisfied smile graced my lips again. His first name didn't mean much to me, but Shiroishi was the name of the local lords. They had been holding these lands for hundreds of years. If I never bothered to know the name of the current lord, or his predecessor, this man would be a son, a cousin, or why not the present lord himself. The hours spent walking down the empty road were finally paying off, and I had sprung a trap worthy of my effort.

"Why is my lord alone on the road? Shouldn't you have your retainers and soldiers with you?" I asked, doing my best to hide the excitement. Luring merchants was one thing, but his lordship would be a fine addition to my efforts.

"It seems you find the roads safe enough to walk alone in the darkness," Tojiro responded. "What harm could come to me if no harm had come to you?"

"I'm sure your wife would be worried," I suggested trying to stir the conversation in the direction I needed.

"I'm sure she would if I had one." As he said that, a small disappointment crept through my skin.

Every yokai had its nature. Some were deceiving, and some just liked playing tricks. My sisters and I had a very special gift. We liked creating mischief and luring unsuspicious men to traps and sometimes their doom. One of my sisters enjoyed tricking travelers and shaving their heads. Another took the shape of an old woman and tricked humans into the darkest paths. Each one of us thrived on different mischief. My trick was not that complicated. I loved strife, intrigue, and drama and had to cause it wherever I went. My favorite play was tricking men into cheating on their wives or fiances. The scandal that followed was what fulfilled my purpose and filled my heart with joy. I probably should have abandoned this man here and now, disappeared in the darkness in my fox shape, but I couldn't. I was thinking about the darkness in his eyes and how resistant he appeared to be to my charms, and my ego and arrogance won. I was going to bring some mischief on this man.

"You never told me your name." This was the first time he started a conversation.

"I'm called Osen." I offered with a friendly tone.

We reached an old inn just a few miles down the road. I was familiar with the place, the building was small, but there were hot springs at the back. Tojiro helped me off the horse and handed the animal to one of the stablehands. After that - he disappeared. I was sure he got room for himself, but he did not utter a word to me, which frustrated me further. I was not used to my work being ignored, and the colder his behavior was, the more I needed to prove a point to myself.

Once I walked to my room, I pulled the mirror from my bag and looked at my face. There was nothing off, my makeup was still in place, and the beautiful features I had picked were still perfect. It bothered me that my charm was obviously not working on Tojiro. I knew my nature, and I was sure the gods made my tricks more appealing to men who should not be attracted to me, but no human should be attracted to a yokai, to begin with. It bothered me. I couldn't explain why, but that would be the first man to show little to no interest in me, and that was somehow wounding my ego.

There was a part of me telling me I should leave it as it was. I considered again turning into my fox shape and disappearing, tomorrow would be a new night, and I would find a more willing victim. But the frustration was starting to overwhelm my mind, and I couldn't find peace. I stood up, ready to turn, but instead, I pulled the hairpins from my hair, allowing it to fall freely over my shoulders. I would not lose to a mare human, lord or not. He was a mortal.

I couldn't leave it like that. I quickly walked out of my room, moving as fast as possible to the innkeeper and asking him where the man I had arrived with had gone. The man gave me a puzzled look but pointed at the hot springs.

It seemed that the gods were with me because if words and charming smiles would not bring his lordship to me, I was going to use other means. As I walked to the onsen area, I hesitated for a moment. Perhaps I shouldn't push this one so far. What was the purpose here? There was no scandal I could pursue, or at least not one I usually did. It wasn't about the mischief anymore, however. My pride took the best of me, I couldn't accept the idea that my charms were not working on this man, and I had to do something.

I walked into the bath area, and hot steam was coming from the water caressing the stones. By the edge, I saw a familiar figure against the rocks, his arms relaxing on their cold grey surface. If I found him handsome when I first saw his face, now it was hard to deny the skip my heart did. His body was lean, and the years of sword practice were visible by the shape of his muscles. There was a prominent scar on his right shoulder. It looked like someone had tried to run a blade and separate the arm from the joint. However, I found the tattoo on his left side more curious. It was of a dragon starting over his chest, and the animal's body was crawling through the left side of his body and disappearing under the water. I took a breath, trying to chase my curiosity and focus on what I came to achieve. I couldn't explain how I felt. After all, humans and yokai were different species, a fox feels no attraction to a sheep.

I stepped to the edge of the hot spring, noticing his eyes following me with the same curiosity I looked at him. The torches around the pool reflected in his gaze and made the darkness of his irises look splattered with gold, so unusual for humans that it almost caught me off guard. My finger started working on the obi, removing the support and unwrapping it slowly until the fabric fell freely on the ground. The number of clothes people needed to wear has always fascinated me. While I admired their fashion and the elegance they put in their clothes, the need to add many layers was unneeded.

I allowed the kimono and everything under it to slowly drop off my body while Tojiro was still looking at me and a faint smile appeared on his lips. For a second, I was worried that none of my charms worked on him, but that smile said something different. I stood there for a moment, allowing him to observe the nakedness of my form before I made a slow step into the water, and then another one, moving closer to him as my body sank slowly into the pool.

"Unexpected." He said as I moved closer to him.

"Why would that be unexpected? I hear this place's springs are famous." I responded as I allowed the water to slowly caress my skin. "Where did that come from?" I asked as I ran a finger gently over the scar on his shoulder.

At first, Tojiro didn't respond. He didn't pull away from my touch, but he didn't expect someone to be so forward. Humans were funny like that, with their modesty and norms of what was accepted and what wasn't. All of it just create trouble for them rather than liberating them. But I would not complain. If they were more open-minded, I would never fulfil my purpose.

"An old enemy. Wanted to deprive me of my arm or possibly my life. I paid him with the same." He responded as I moved my finger across his wet chest to the mouth of the dragon decorating his body.

"And that?" I asked next. The ink was black and created a sharp contrast with his pale skin. Humans liked decorating their bodies, but I had never seen one so arrogant to place a god on his torso.

"So many questions." That smirk appeared on his lips again, and I stepped backward, defenseless. The way his look made me feel suddenly scared me. "My grandfather used to tell an old story: how he walked in the mountain one day and met a dragon by the river. According to him, he talked to the dragon for three days, discussing the world and sharing his human life with him. In the end, the dragon gave him some advice. He told him that if he built his castle at a certain location, his clan would grow to be one of the most powerful in the land and survive for thousands of years. I feel like the dragon has become my family's guardian ever since."

"Dragons don't just talk to humans." I teased him, trying to chase the discomfort I felt in the situation. He was winning me. With how he looked at me and the depth of his voice.

In reality, that story could be the truth. Dragons didn't often talk to humans, they found them stupid and naive, but occasionally there would be an interaction the dragons would entertain. Yokai were probably the only creature that showed genuine interest in humans and never with good intentions. Was that what made me feel different around this man? There was something mystical in his blood, and the yokai part of me was curious? I felt as if I had even forgotten the purpose of my being here, and I was just enjoying the time around him. I chased the thought away. Yokai, dragons or gods, we didn't mix with humans. It was forbidden and wrong.

"How many dragons have you met to know that for a fact?" Tojiro teased as he smirked from the corner of his lips.

"None." I lied easily, prizing myself for maintaining some self-control over my emotions in his presence. "Did your grandfather build the castle?"

"He started. He could never finish it." The smirk disappeared from his lips and became more serious. "My father, however, almost finished it, and it was up to me to do the final touches. I completed it three years ago."

I tilted my head in curiosity, allowing the long strands of black hair to move around the water like snakes. I started wondering about his life. How old was he when he took over his father's lands? Or when he got that scar? Or the tattoo? Not typical for me to want to know my victim besides what I need to make my tricks work. I had to get a hold of myself and finish what I came here to do. I was probably just frustrated because he had been practically immune to my charms, and it was difficult for me to win him over. It didn't matter; I was up for a challenge, and he would bend

I stepped closer again, reducing the distance between us, but no reaction from Tojiro. His arms were still resting on the cold stone, and he didn't try to reach for me, nor he wanted to push me. I moved slower again and leaned forward, my lips pressing against his. No reaction and that must have been the first time I ever kissed a human man, and he would not even act surprised. He appeared utterly uninterested in my actions.

I pulled away, confused, unsure of what facial expression I should use. Disappointment? Sadness? Rejection was not something I was familiar with, and I struggled to keep my act. To my surprise, he ran his tongue over his bottom lip as if trying to taste the place where I had kissed and then smiled.

"As a child, I was always angry at my grandfather's dragon story." He started talking casually, but his eyes were burning with something new. "I wanted to be the one who meets and talks to the dragon. I spent some time in the mountain looking for the creature, but I never found it. I screamed, begged, and even threatened it. I was so angry I was not the one to meet the dragon. Eventually, in my anger, I decided the story was a lie but made a good myth to scare our enemies. A fox is not a dragon, but perhaps it proves my grandfather didn't lie."

I forced a smile on my lips and then a fake laugh. I had to remind myself there was no way he would know my real nature. I looked human. I acted human. I was probably too pushy for a female, but nothing in my nature would suggest I was anything but a human. Surely human females would pursue a male they found attractive?

"You have met a kitsune, my lord?" I said, trying to add surprise, even fascination, in my voice.

"Don't play with me, fox." His voice was so serious when he responded.

Before I could even think of a clever comeback, he grabbed my shoulder and switched our places. My back pressed against the stone, my chest pushing against his with every breath I took. I panicked. There were stories about what humans would do to my kind if we were captured. Humans sometimes attempted to kidnap and harm creatures as magnificent and powerful as dragons. A simple kitsune like me had nothing in defense but my smart mouth. I couldn't transform. Even if I did, I would still end up in the water between him and the rocks. Instead of me trapping him, I was the one trapped.

"My lord..." my voice came out husky, trying to turn the situation in a different direction. "I'm afraid I am just a simple woman trying to express gratitude to the man who saved her. I have nothing else to give you but myself."

"One does not need saving from self-inflicted danger." Again that smirk appeared on his lips. I felt attracted to it and scared at the same time. "A week ago, one of my men was very late from his travel. I made nothing of it, but his wife did, and he had some serious trouble at home. It happened a few other times with other men...and I started asking why all of them were late and what had happened. They all had a very similar story: how they met a beautiful woman in need, and at first, they just wanted to help her. Still, she seduced them, which later created trouble at home."

"My lord thinks I am so beautiful I could be a spirit luring your men?" I looked him in the eyes, trying to muster every ounce of charm my form possessed. "You think too highly of me. I'm sorry to say that, but your men wanted to explain some very natural urges with something very supernatural."

"I thought the same." He reached for my face a ran a finger over my cheek. The gesture made me melt and shiver. I could feel the roughness of his skin, but my body leaned into the touch wanting more. What was going on with me? "But then one of my most trusted men came to me a few days ago. I have known him since he was a child. Kagetsuna is my best friend, he is married to the love of his life, and I know he would not do anything like that. He told me how he met a woman and helped her, she tried to seduce him, and he resisted, but part of him wanted to give in to the game. Nothing happened, it seems. Words and few kisses were exchanged, but when he came home, his wife found a handkerchief in his pocket with lipstick on it."

That one I remembered. Stubborn man, loyal to a fault, but I had discovered that everyone wanted something they couldn't have. It was just human nature. Sometimes, it was a castle that didn't belong to them, a field that looked bigger than theirs, or a woman. Despite his resistance, he had given in to my charms, more challenging than the rest and more reserved, but I had achieved my goal using my tricks. It wasn't really about the seduction. Often, it was the guilt that created more trouble at home rather than what happened or didn't happen.

"It seems like your friend met a beautiful woman, and she left him a gift." Despite my attempts to explain the situation, I was becoming nervous. Had my hubris taken the better of me and forced me into being careless? "I'm not the yokai you are looking for, my lord."

"No? They say kitsunes fear dogs, and dogs could smell them. Should we test that?" He pushed himself closer to me, preventing absolutely any chance of escape.

"Perhaps we could talk about that." I had no reason to doubt he would drag me as I was naked in front of the dogs. While I did not suffer from the human need for modesty, being in proximity to the dogs was not something I was eager to do. "You came here to look for me. You allowed yourself to fall into a trap. You want something."

"It is questionable who fell into a trap." He responded with so much confidence.

I should have seen that. I suspected something was off, and the moment Tojiro had not been responsive to my charms, I should have known there was something more to him, just a single traveler in the night. Still, I was too arrogant, and it all turned into another game. As I struggled with my thoughts, he ran his finger down my cheek to my neck, making my whole body shiver. Was that how my victims felt? Trapped but filled with the need to experience more? I was scared and attracted to my captor at the same time, perhaps not fully realizing I was in danger.

"Poor wording." I corrected myself. "I'm not a dragon. Unfortunately, I cannot promise you a nice castle or some extra land."

The roles were reversed. I was now in the spot where I would usually put my victims in a corner, created by a situation of my own making. But this man came looking for me, which was a new, exciting feeling. Perhaps I was losing my mind, I had never heard of a story where a yokai would go insane, but maybe I was the first. But it wasn't just the situation. There was something about him. I continued pressing after Tojiro even after realizing he was not my typical victim. I was chasing after this man even if there was no real scandal to be created. I should have ran hours ago.

"No, you can't. I will be honest. At first, when I started looking for you, I thought I would kill you." His voice was ice cold, and I didn't doubt even for a second that had been his intention. "But you are beautiful." He paused. If his voice was freezing, his eyes were burning. "And I am sure that is all a very clever trick, but I like the trick. Come with me."

I met this man hours ago, and ever since, he had not stopped surprising me and catching me off guard. It was a new and familiar feeling. Pushing travelers to chase their desires was one thing. There was excitement, but I assume a farmer with an excellent crop throughout the year felt the same excitement. Whatever Tojiro made me think was going beyond. I didn't know the word for it, or if there was one, but my heart beat so fast I thought it might spring out of my chest.

I could say yes and escape. Tojiro couldn't keep me cornered between himself and that rock forever, and once we were on the way, I was within my power to turn into my true form and escape. I could do hundreds of things to trick him and outsmart him, even have a little payback later.

"Come with you, so you can show off to your retainers?" Humans were sometimes stupid, but in my experience, they rarely avoided an opportunity to exercise their cruelty.

"I don't want to show you off." He responded and made a step back. Was he allowing me to leave if I wanted? "I want to have something no one else does. Damn them if they want to look at it or not."

My mouth opened, but no words came out of it. Somehow Tojiro had said what probably was bothering me as well. He was a handsome man, but he was the only one who had resisted me, put me in a trap of my own making, and made me excited in a way I have not been in years. If I was something rare for him, I could say the same for him.

My lips moved, but again no response came. I had no place with a human, I was not created to live in their houses and castles and do whatever they did through their day, but maybe I could with him. Besides, that could not last long. He would grow tired of me, or I would start finding him as dull as the rest of his kind. But what else was left out there for me? I spent another night on the dirt road, chasing travelers and doing my best to ruin their marriages. Even the entertainment of that grows old and repetitive.

"And what would I do if I came with you?" I felt as if I needed reassurance, although my mind was made.

Then again, of course, I needed reassurance. It was a yokai's nature to pester and tournament humans not to follow them and live in their castle as equals. There were laws in our world, and the relationship between our two kinds was not meant to be.

"You can have whatever you want." He answered with a smirk.

Whatever I wanted? It was him I wanted now, and that was the first time I felt an actual need for a human.

"You?" I raised my eyebrow as I asked.

"You will find me more challenging than my retainers." He laughed, but I was almost sure I had already got him. After all, I was still alive. "What is it, little fox? Would you continue trapping unsuspicious men, or would you come with me?"

The surrounding had grown quiet. Not even the water was making a sound anymore. I looked up to the sky, wondering what god had been involved in this mischief and if that was a punishment or a blessing.