Metora in the Sky

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The bushes moved as an object sped through them swiftly. Wings held by wind soared above. A bright red glint came from the underbrush in the dark, catching the winged dragon's attention. A tail surrounded by yuukon, spirits of the dead, peeked up above the bushes. The dragon, Akogi, swept down and tore the glowing red jewel from the fox demon's mouth. Sat-ki, the willful demon that he was, tried to leap and pry the jewel from the dragon's talon. Akogi swung his tail and hit the poor fox to the ground.

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The brush rustled again, this time in the morning. A girl with a scar low on her cheek pulled back bushed and vines carefully, almost as if to not anger the spirits within. She moved a particularly green bush, only for a shapeless spirit to fly out. She leaped back and made a noise of surprise.

Once she settled, she peeked precariously over the edge of the bush and into a decent sized clearing. She gasped and ran toward a limp fox. A fox, mind you, half the height of a Torii gate.

She ran to the fox demon's side and put a hand to its stomach. It was still breathing, but ragged and shallow.

"God Inari. God Inari!" The girl with the scar moved Sat-ki gently, trying to wake him.

The large fox growled a little in protest of the pain reawakened by touch.

"Inari, are you ok?"

Inari...? She thinks I'm a God?

"I will get some water for you and something to clean you with. Is that ok, God Inari?"

Sat-ki nodded hesitantly.

When the girl came back and finished cleaning and wrapping his wounds, she spoke. "I apologize for not properly introducing myself. I am Metora. I have no last name, for I am the single daughter of a poor farmer."

"You need not worry about proper introductions. You have shown me great kindness already, and I thank you for caring for me," Sat-ki said when he finally spoke.

Metora gasped and bowed quickly, her head nearly touching the ground. "I'm not worthy of your thanks, God Inari."

"God Inari, God Inari. You keep calling me God Inari. I am no such god."

"You are all too modest. A god should be worshiped for such modesty."

"I am no such god! I am the fox demon Sat-ki!"

Metora sat and looked at the demon for a long while. The silence made Sat- ki worrisome of her plotting to leave him and his wounds. She spoke, "Whether or not you are a god, I do not know. But I will stay here and protect you nonetheless."

She stood and left slowly. Sat-ki supposed she was upset and angry at Sat- ki for not correcting her earlier. But she appeared near sunset with wood, and set a fire.

"What are you doing?" Sat-ki asked suspiciously.

"I attend to protect you until you are healed. I cannot leave you to yourself in this condition."

"You understand that I have no way of rewarding you."

She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, then relaxed and opened her eyes. Smiling, she said, "I care not if I benefit. I only wish to see you back upon the mountain, visiting us every so often."

"I'm not Inari! I do not live upon a mountain! I do not descend to grant you harvest of your rice!" Sat-ki snarled.

"Did I say you were Inari? I merely assumed you lived upon a mountain."

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It only took seven days for Sat-ki's wounds to heal completely. In that time, Sat-ki told Metora of the dragon twice his size that followed him all the way back to the forest from the side of the other sea. He explained that his spirit travel took him all around the country, and even around the world. He told her of magic and sword of other places. He told her how he came upon the den of a dragon, and how he became obsessed with the blood- red jewel that the dragon always held in its talon.

His obsession with it had driven him to steal it; to cherish the brightness of its core- so much like the light of the glittering twilight.

The dragon's name was Akogi- the word for greed; and his name fit him well. The greed in Akogi pushed him to follow Sat-ki to the calm daybreak, and into the blue water's reflection of the moon. He told her of how he lost footing on the road he was traveling, and how he slipped into the forest. He couldn't return to that road where he lost his footing; he lost sight of it. Even if he wasn't on a road, he could outrun the dragon. But he was too close to the edge of the forest, where he could see the light from the moon between the leaves, and surely the dragon could see the blood red jewel, held between his jaws, glittering like the stars.

How Sat-ki wanted revenge for Akogi injuring him and stealing back his jewel. He craved for the enchanting jewel- filled with the tears of those who lost it before him. Sparkling in the night...

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Sat-ki's ears twitched. It was that sound again. The sound of leathery wings being caressed by the sky. He knew it was Akogi again. Maybe the dragon wanted to make sure his prize would never be stolen again? Maybe he was lost from the same road? So many "maybes."

"What is it, Sat-ki? Do you hear something?" Metora asked from atop Sat- ki's back. Sat-ki had all of a sudden leaped up and ordered her on his back. From there, he started running. Sat-ki was a little bigger than a horse, so it wasn't like she was riding a normal sized fox, and he seemed to not mind the extra weight holding him down a bit.

"I hear the sound of the Akogi flying nearby," he answered honestly.

"What could he-" she was cut off by Sat-ki's violent and sudden change in direction. She nearly flew off onto the land beneath.

Branches of trees were torn and broken as Akogi landed with an ungraceful thud.

"Did you not have the jewel stolen back from you, Sat-ki? What does he want from you?" Metora asked, confused.

"I do not know what he wants from me. Perhaps it would only make him feel better if he got rid of all potential hazards to his treasure," Sat-ki kneeled down a bit, "Get down and run. I will keep him away from the town and you."

She hesitated. "Sat-ki."

"Go!"

She jumped down and ran into the forest to the side of the stand off. Akogi only spared her a glance, but decided to do nothing about her.

"What is it you wish from me, Akogi?"

"I want to keep you from destroying me for this cursed jewel. We've spilled enough poison into this jewel. It's time to decide between us, who is worthy of it." His voice was deep and echoed a bit in the Sat-ki's large ears.

"So come. Defend your precious jewel. I have mine." He tempted the large dragon.

"You have yours? Ha! You mean the feeble minded girl whom just fled into the forest? That is no jewel, as you know, I'm sure!"

"She showed me kindness without hesitation! Her heart is more pure than the blood and tear stained crystal you hold!"

"Don't be absurd. You know she alone can not suppress your greed for this jewel!"

"I said, 'I have mine,' I did not say it was enough." Sat-ki's eyes reflected the gem glinting with anticipation. Sat-ki lunged for the red object in the dragon's talon.

"Fool! You have learned nothing!"

Akogi whipped his tail around, but the fox jumped to the moon, avoiding it, and jumped down on the dragon's head, clawing the dragon's eyes. Eyelids were too thick with scales to pierce by means of claws. The fox retreated back a few bounds. The dragon snapped forward at its adversary. Sat-ki kneeled down underneath his jaw and stood tall quickly to shut the dragon's mouth. Akogi growled in pain as he bit his snake-like tongue. Red liquid flowed down his chin and dripped on Sat-ki's fur. Sat-ki took his chance to wrap his own teeth around the jewel and broke for it.

Akogi roared in anger as Sat-ki ran toward a nearby temple with the jewel glinting in his mouth.

"That was a dirty trick, Sat-ki! You really do have a thirst for blood, just as your name says!"

Akogi took flight on green leather wings to follow the crafty fox demon. It only took seconds to catch up with the speedy fox demon. Sat-ki led the dragon down the road, and didn't loose footing this time. He took the short road to the nearest temple- Inari's temple.

As Sat-ki ran over a bridge Akogi exclaimed, "Your legs will eventually give out, Sat-ki! Especially since you had a week's rest without use! How long do you intend to run? From the forest to the side of the other sea again?" He laughed at his own cleverness.

"No," Sat-ki responded looking back a bit, "only until you fall into my trap!" He bounded through the first of the Torii gates, and turned when he reached the next. Akogi followed close behind, pleased that Sat-ki had finally given up. Sat-ki laughed as he realized his plan had worked.

Still speeding toward the fox demon, Akogi stopped abruptly, and the surprise showed in his eyes.

"What!?"

Akogi was lodged in the Torii gates, and could not get out. Sat-ki, being half as large as the dragon, was half the size of the gate. Akogi was twice as large and, therefore, the size of the gate, and unable to fit through.

"This was simply too easy! Since you are from the land of the other sea, you didn't know that the gates are blessed, and can not be broken by and evil spirit, or one with such! The demon stood with one foot on top of the jewel, and laughing at the dragon's lack of knowledge about this culture.

"That was a dirty trick! A dirty trick, you nasty little fox demon! You're no better than me, even if a bit more clever!"

"Say what you will, but you'll see what happens when the priests find you come tomorrow morn." With that, Sat-ki picked up the jewel, and walked off to find Metora.

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"Sat-ki! You're all right! I was all too worried that you had been slain!" Metora jumped up to hug the fox demon around the neck.

Setting the new prize down, Sat-ki said, "You need not worry. The dragon is safely stuck in a Torii gate."

"A Torii gate," she laughed, "he got stuck in a Torii gate?"

"Of my own idea, I will humbly add," he said, smiling as much as a fox is able, "and I have a gift."

"A gift?" Metora asked carefully, but not able to hide her surprise.

"Here," Sat-ki pushed the jewel forward with his paw.

Metora's eyes widened. "This, which you worked so hard for?"

"I hope it will help it will help you and your family to rise from poor farmers to rich farmers. It will sell for a very good price."

Metora couldn't speak. She knelt down and picked up the blood-red jewel.

"I must be going. I wish to not be a bother to you anymore." Sat-ki turned to walk back into the forest.

"Sat-ki," she said quietly.

He stopped and turned half way. Metora took out a knife hidden in sleeve.

Questioningly he ventured, "Metora."

She thrust the tip of the knife into the center of the jewel. It shattered into a thousand pieces, and gleamed brighter than it did when it was whole. She returned the knife to her sleeve.

"I will keep one piece to remind myself of you, and sell the rest to help my family as you wish it to be," she smiled, "Thank you. Thank you so much!" She ran to Sat-ki and pressed herself into his warm fur, hooking her arms around his neck, crying. "I can't thank you enough! Thank you, Inari."

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End.

A/n: I wrote this for a computer class project. If I had written it for fun, it would have been much better and required a rating of NC-17, which and have messed up.