"Your Highness!" Usa waved, trying to get their attention.

Feiyan watched as the two struggled through the sea of people, pushing to reach them. She noticed that no matter how they struggled, they seemed to get further and further away, like they were being carried away by the tide. Putting two fingers together, she shot a strand of spiritual power out, snagging Uta on the wrist. Catching on immediately, he wrapped it around his hand like a rope. Grabbing his brother, he gave a tug, and Feiyan began to reel them in. When they finally arrived before her, Usa bent over, hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.

"We almost got caught there. No matter how hard we tried, there just seemed to be more and more people..." said Uta, pulling his brother up, supporting him as he gasped.

"Yes, we saw. We'll have to find the torii as soon as possible. Don't drink or eat anything. No matter what anyone offers you, you must refuse. This place is full of spirits," she warned.

Usa nodded, still grimacing as he nursed the stitch in his side.

"We need to get back to the inn," Hajoon reminded her. "We don't know what situation the others found themselves in..."

She nodded.

***

The main room of the inn was ominously quiet when they returned. Not a single one of their companions appeared to be inside.

Feiyan felt a chill slide down her spine as she looked around. There were no signs of struggle or even any trace of the people who'd been there earlier. The low tables once again had a thick layer of undisturbed dust as if the place had been vacant for many days even though they couldn't have been gone for more than an hour. It was if time was moving differently within the inn.

"There's nothing out of place," Hajoon remarked, echoing her thoughts.

"That can't be right," said Uta. "Do you think they moved upstairs into the guest rooms?" he frowned.

Feiyan lifted her eyes to the balcony level. Flapping her fan, she sent a huge gust of wind rushing through the inn. Every single door on the upper level snapped open and there was an angry shriek as twisted futons came flying out towards her.

"Whoa!" cried Usa, leaping back.

Hajoon tossed daggers to the twins.

"Let's go up. Keep these at eye level."

The twins rushed toward the stairs.

Leaping onto the upper rails, Feiyan could see people struggling under layers of cloth through the opened doors, some of them were almost completely wrapped in snake-like futons.

"They're boroborotons," shouted Hajoon. "We'll have to cut everyone free. Hurry or they'll be suffocated to death..."

This was easier said than done: futons crawled along floors, dropped from the ceiling, each trying to snare their limbs as Usa and Uta slashed their way up the stairway.

"Wind Bl—" Feiyan started to say, but a futon came from behind and slipped over her mouth, wrapping itself around her face and head. Anticipating it, she'd raised her arm in time, and uses the sharp blades of the fan to slash it apart. It fell in shreds at her feet, still squirming.

"Wind Blade!" Feiyan bellowed, infusing her fan with a burst of spiritual power.

Her father's fan glided above her head, its aura almost singing with glee. The metal blades shifted, multiplied and layered themselves until the hovering fan looked like a giant multi-petaled lotus. It shimmered brightly and then the petals were released, flying outward to every corner of the inn, slashing the futons and cutting their victims free with such precision that there was not even a single drop of human blood spilled. However, the cost had been high.

Too much...Feiyan thought, coughing up blood.

"Stop pushing yourself. Your internal injuries haven't healed...it's much too soon to use that much power," Hajoon said in her ear, catching her in his arms as she stumbled sideways.

Blood dripped down her chin, but she smiled with satisfaction.

"We still have to make it to Shuto..."

"We will," Hajoon said with absolute confidence. "So, stop harming yourself."

Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap.

"Well...little bird. I must say that I'm quite impressed," the voice of the fox demon drawled from below the balcony level.

Hajoon stiffened.

The silver haired fox demon they had encountered earlier dropped his hands to his sides and smirked. Earrings jingled in the tall white ears that he no longer took the trouble to hide and his seven tails swished elegantly behind him as he walked into the center of the inn with leisurely steps. He seemed to have become even more sharply handsome than when they had seen him in the street.

A younger fox demon trailed behind him, black ears tilted back, tail thrashing. His eyes flicked to the balcony level with a cautious look.

"Hmph. She killed them all in one blow, my Lord...so, we should be wary," he said, glaring up at them.

"Indeed! I would have been disappointed if you'd shown any less skill, my dear bird," said the fox demon. The shattered bead in his forehead winked at her.

"Stop calling me that," Feiyan hissed, trying to lean casually on the balcony's railing. She didn't want the fox demon to know how badly she was injured, but since she hadn't sensed him at all, she wasn't sure how much he had seen. Perhaps he'd even been there since the beginning of the fight.

"'Dear bird' was my pet name for you," he said. He paused for effect, smile widening. "You were once called Suzaku, the revered Vermillion bird who was a guardian goddess of the upper realm. It's a shame that you have forgotten me. As a former lover with whom you shared a deep affection, I must say it damages my pride."

Hajoon's lip curled into a snarl, thinking how very much he wanted to sink his dagger into the man's throat. Seeming to read his mind, the fox chuckled at him in a maddening way.

"Enough of this garbage," said Feiyan, curtly. "If you have something to say, then say it."

The fox sighed.

"Very well. As you may have discovered, not all the creatures trapped in Ushitora were enemies of the guardian gods...nor were they all allies of the one who is about to awaken under the mirrored lake in Shubo's capital."

"You're claiming to have been neutral in the thousand-year war between gods and demons?" she scoffed.

"As I said...we were once lovers...and foxes don't normally trouble themselves in the matters with other spirits. We enjoy our leisure far too much even though we belong to the demon world. However, not all foxes think the same," he said carefully.

"Sakurako..." said Feiyan.

The fox nodded.

"Yes, Sakurako..."

"Is that why you only have seven tails? You had nine once," she said.

"Ahh. You're starting to remember," he smiled meaningfully, seeing the realization dawn on her.

I don't know how I knew...

"No," she snorted. "And I don't believe for a second that you were ever a lover of mine."

The fox pursed his lips, but then his eyes flicked to Hajoon, full of inexplicable glee.

"You wound me, but no matter. It's best left in the past anyway," he said graciously. "Well then. Onto the more serious matter: I can see to it that you and your people get to the torii without any further issues, but I want something in return," he said.

"Why help us?" demanded Hajoon, full of suspicion.

"Because Sakurako killed my wife and took my tails. A seven tailed fox cannot be the lord of the nine tailed fox clan," he laughed bitterly. "And only a fox knows the secret to stealing another's fox bead. If you steal it back for me, then helping you helps me, since I'm trapped here without it," he shrugged.

"Very well," said Feiyan. "How do I go about it?"

The fox shook his head and pointed at Hajoon.

"Him...not you."

"No!" Feiyan snapped immediately.

"It has to be him," the fox said, crossing his arms.

"It's fine," said Hajoon calmly.

"No! There's no deal. I refuse!" Feiyan rounded on them, hands formed into fists at her sides.

The fox laughed.

"Despite how you're dressed, you don't have the right parts for this. Naturally, it must fall to him."

"I'll do it..." said Hajoon, nodding. He patted Feiyan's shoulder as he passed. Feiyan glared at his back as he walked away, but he didn't turn as he descended the stairs.

Defeated, filled with disbelief and hurt, she slid down against the railing. For the first time in a long time, she let despair take her and cried silently.

Although he knew he had hurt her, Hajoon didn't have any regrets as he followed the fox. Based on what Lord Xuan had said in the previous realm, there was really only one way to prevent Feiyan from dying in Shuto. Since he'd already promised to protect her, there was nothing more to think about.

Chapter Note:

Boroboroton: a tattered futon (a Japanese sleeping mat) that comes to life at night. It rises up into the air and throws its (former) owner out of bed, then begins to twine around the head and neck of the sleeper with the intent of strangling them.