Of Fallen Wings & The Six Tails

1. The Kumiho and the Enigma

*****

The sound of thunder roared through the night as winds whistled in tandem throughout the trees of the snow-covered forest. The ferocity of the winds caused trees to crack and splinter as men became wary of the drastic change of weather so suddenly.

“Was it not clear just moments ago? There was not a single thundercloud in the sky and there still isn’t! What’s going on?” a man asked as he tried to keep his torch from blowing out from the ferocious gusts.

“No matter, we must kill her quickly before she can escape! Follow the trail she left behind!” another yelled within a group of twelve, all armed with swords, spears or bows as they trudged along the thick snow.

The group of men scoured the area with their torches lighting the way and a blood trail to guide them in the darkness of the forest. Slowly but surely, the winds ate at their dimming light source causing them to hurry. Because of the winds, the fires danced and swayed uncontrollably, leading shadows to trick their eyes as they search for the woman they were hunting.

A distance away, the fox-like ears of woman twitched in response to the chatter of the group as she hid in the shadows, injured and scared. Her raven-colored hair rained down her shoulders like a waterfall and shone in the dim moonlight. Her feral like eyes shined a faded coral color that glowed in the dark and her pupils were slit like a fox just as any of her kind: the Kumiho. At a gaze or a stare, her face was truly beautiful and could captivate anyone with just a mere glance...maybe even the Gods would ask her hand if they saw her. If anything, it was her deadliest weapon as it has taken hundreds of victims into its alluring gaze.

“If only it didn’t snow more last night! This is wearing me down too much!” a man whined.

Another slapped him on the head and shouted. “Shut up and keep your eyes open! She’s injured and won’t be far now!”

An arrow protruding from her left arm bled at the wound’s entrance leaving a trail of crimson dripping on the soft white ground. She’s been running for the past few hours since the dusk became night and her stamina waned as it grew colder with each passing hour. The men chasing her were no ordinary group of men but hunters of monsters, demons and the like and unfortunately for her, they seemed well versed in killing her kind.

“The trail leads there! Let’s hurry!” a man shouted as he pointed at the blood trail leading to her not too far away. As she heard their footsteps echoed closer throughout the soft snow, a loud crack in the trees was heard above them causing them to stop in their tracks. For some reason, the winds also stopped abruptly and the sound of thunder was noticeably absent as well. The situation confused the men who now looked at the treeline above.

“Is this a trick from the Kumiho?”

“No, they don’t have that kind of power! Now let’s hu-”

“Kekekekekeke....”

A notable sound of laughter echoed in the trees causing the men’s hair to stand up in the back of their necks as they looked for the source. It didn’t sound human and more birdlike in its tone causing them to be on full alert. The woman also listened silently as she was unsure of what to do at the unexpected event unfolding before her.

“What the hell was that?!” one man yelled as his voice trembled in fear.

“Is it a dokkaebi(goblin)?!”

“No, if it was, they would’ve shown themselves already….” another man murmured.

“Wait ...do you see that in the trees?! Those 2 white orbs up there! What the hell is that!!?!”

One man pointed at a tall tree that stood above the rest and seemingly reached for the skies. Their torchlights were not enough to light the area where the 2 orbs were but they could faintly see a figure standing on the branches as it silently watched them.

“Wha ...what is that?!”

“It must be a new kind of monster! Shoot it and take it down!” the leader of the group yelled as he pointed at the shadowy figure. As they all lined up their bows and arrows towards it, it just stood there and watched as it let out another laugh similar to the one heard before.

“Kekekekekeke…...無駄なあがきだ(it's useless/muda na agaki da)”

“Hold! Someone, light my arrow!” the leader yelled as one of the men went to take his torch and light the tip, now in a stunning orange blaze.

“Once my arrow lights near it, release all at once!” he yelled as he stretched the arrow on it’s bowstring to its the maximum point. He then released it, causing it to pierce through the sky at a rapid pace until it finally reached it’s target…...only for it to be stopped by the creature's own hand as it gripped the shaft. In shock, they forgot to fire their arrows as they watched the creature in fear and awe as it was something they've never seen before. The fiery tip didn’t falter in its light, showing the creature fully as it looked down upon them. The glow in its eyes shone brighter than the fire itself as if the creature’s eyes were small glowing moons. To their surprise, it’s body matched those of a young man but he had a rather frightening crimson mask with a nose as long as a single straightened hand. He wore foreign clothing that wasn’t seen often until recently: The robes of a foreign Japanese monk.

“Kekekekekekeke…..”

“I...I’ve seen those clothes before! It’s wearing the clothes of warrior monks from overseas!” a man yelled in fear as the others whispered among themselves in wonder.

“But how can a monk be up 50 feet above in the trees at this time of night?! Its eyes are glowing so it is no man!”

The woman who hid in the shadows finally looked out and saw the glow of the eyes above her quite a distance away. She stared at the creature in wonder just as the men did until she saw it’s glowing eyes turned to her. With a small yelp, she alerted the group causing them to look at her direction and she could only look in fear at what she’s done.

“It’s the Kumiho!” the leader yelled, making the group focus their attention again on their main target as they released all of their arrows in one smoothe motion. The woman stood frozen like a frightful deer as the arrows draw closer to her location.

*WHOOSH*

In an instant, all the arrows scattered to the ground as a fierce gust blew them away with a force that could match a Typhoon. As they looked at where the woman was before, she was now gone with no trace left behind….

----------------

The woman closed her eyes as waited for her demise ...but nothing came. As she opened her eyes, she was in a different location of the mountain, now on a cliff overlooking a large flowing icy river.

“What? What just happened?” she voiced in confusion as she glanced around the unfamiliar but much calmer place.

“大丈夫ですか(Are you okay?/Daijoubu desu ka)” a voice answered but in a tongue she couldn’t understand. She looked at the source and it was the creature or man from before causing her to become frozen once again. Its frightening red mask shone in the moonlight causing a red glow that lit the area around it as the creature kept its gaze on her.

She backed away in fear as she stood near the edge of the cliff, hoping that it wouldn't try to hurt her.

"Please…..let me go!" She begged as she held the arrow coming out from her wounded arm.

"Kekekekekeke…."

Within a blink of an eye, the arrow she once held was gone and her arm was wrapped in a cloth. The thing in front of her now held the bloody arrow and threw it towards a tree causing it to stick in place with perfect accuracy. It then tapped the side of its head twice and spoke once more.

"Are you scared?" It spoke, now in perfect Korean and a low but calm voice.

"What are you?" The woman questioned as she stood trembling from fear and the cold.

"I am nothing…"

"Nothing? You are not human nor are you from here so please, answer me..."

It stared at her and seemed hesitant to tell her as it stood there calmly.

"As I've said, I am nothing. Just a passerby who saw a troubled woman getting chased by a group of men so I decided to help…"

She looked at his glowing eyes with concern and because of its vague answer, thought of ways to escape from this unknown entity. With clenched fists, she continued backing away slowly until she could feel parts of her feet dangling off the edge.

"Are you planning to die even though I saved you?"

"I don't know if you are a God, Deity or a monster so how can I trust you if I don't know your motives? I must thank you for healing me but that doesn’t change the fact that you have the powers that defy anything I’ve seen before." She answered. For some reason, it caused him to laugh silently to himself as she watched his shoulders shuffle up and down. In an instant, he bent one knee and crossed one leg over the other as he sat there in an act of balance that amazed the woman.

"Understandable.” he admitted and then with a snap of his fingers, a ball of fire floated in front of her and warmed the place.

Unable to peel her gaze off of this person or thing, she asked. “So...what are you?”

“Kekekekekeke……...if I would best describe myself, it would be a Kami ...just like you are.”

Dumbfounded by what that meant, she questioned him.

“What is a Kami?”

“Beings or spirits with ties to nature yet are not necessarily Gods or Deities ...and yet, they can become one if certain tasks are completed. We are one and the same with nature’s life energy….the feelings of all that can become either good or evil.” he answered a bit vaguely.

“......and which one are you? Good...or Evil.”

“I am neither....” he answered quickly as if he’s heard the question a thousand times before.

“.....seems like you are hiding something.” she speculated as her brow creased above her eyes. 

“Maybe, maybe not...kekekekekeke. And from what I can see, while you hide them behind your hair, I can see the ears of a fox. You are much like a Kitsune from my homeland…..I’ve heard tales but I’ve yet to meet one until now."

"A Kitsune?"

"A fox spirit that can take the shape of beautiful women or men ...mostly women. It’s been centuries so I can’t recall what they do besides changing forms and marrying humans ..."

Her ears perked up from her long black hair and finally showed themselves after knowing that the creature knows of her kind. She lingered on the fact that the creature didn’t know her other powers, especially her most important one, her fox beads. If there’s one thing that must be kept secret, it was that since it held her powers and is used to take the life energy from humans via a deep kiss. He didn’t seem interested in killing her so she loosens her tense muscles and relaxed just a little while still keeping her attention on him.

"We are called Kumiho here in my country…" she answered as she sprouted her tails out, confirming the existence of similar creatures in her country. As he watched, he noticed that she only had 6 tails but didn’t question them.

"Explain....why were the men chasing you?" he asked. The question seemed to trigger her face into a frown as she looked down towards the ground.

"They are hunters. They hunt and kill creatures and demons of all kinds....even vanquishing spirits if needed."

"Are creatures and the like not worshipped or treated with respect over here?"

The wording intrigued her as she looked back up. "Depending on the creature...why would you ask that?"

"Because the people in my homeland respect their presence and mostly avoid us rather than hunt us down unless they are true monsters. Some worship, some don’t and some just leave us be. Humans only hunt those who cause trouble for them ...quite different than just killing almost everything as it seems here." he answered.

“It was similar back then but things have changed now.” she admitted.

“Why is that?”

“A huge drought ravaged our lands alongside war, causing humans to become desperate in hunger. It lasted for years and with it, tensions started growing between humans...and then, every other creature. It was more peaceful before but now it is a land full of strife...”

“War ...is constant. No matter where I go, it is already there...like the air we breathe.”

She shot a look back at him with an unsuspecting glare.

".......you are lying. There have been decades of peace before..."

She watched as he crossed his arms and slight movement from his shoulders up and down came a small chuckle.

"Kekekekeke...I have nothing to lie about but if you believe so, go ahead. I’m not one to judge one’s place to live or what they do there. Being an observer from above, I’ve seen it many times from my homeland to beyond...from here ...to islands thousands of miles away...like a constant and never-ending ‘infinite’. Don’t take my words as truth if you don’t want to ...maybe I am a liar who’s just passing by…..kekekekeke….”

They stared at each other in silence, one relaxed and the other, tense.

“If I may know, why do they hunt you? Do they hunt you just to eradicate your kind?"

".....it's because we want to become human. For us to achieve that, we must eat 1000 hearts or livers of men or go 1000 days without eating humans or meat. There is another method but I’m not too familiar with that one..." she answered.

"I see…...and that's the difference for Kitsune back home as most of them usually don't care to be fully human. If I remember correctly, I don't recall any stories of any Kitsune becoming human in my country since they'll choose to be a higher being closer to a God."

His words sparked curiosity in her as she slowly stepped away from the cliff’s edge and back onto solid ground.

"They don't? Why is that?"

"As I said, the people over there don't bother creatures and the like unless it causes trouble for them. For the Kitsune, sometimes they become brides for men if they wanted to but it depends on the men they chose to be with. If found out, the men choose to accept them or not. They’ll acknowledge that they’ve been tricked or that they love the Kitsune too much to let them leave. No need to become human if they accept you how you are..."

The woman studied him in silence...unable to understand how differently her kind was treated in comparison to the Kitsune overseas where he was from. His voice never wavered in its tone and no action in his body suggested that he was lying to her.

“Sure conflict arises here and there but nothing towards this level of hate so it’s quite sad to see a creature such as you in a constant state of worry and fear. You must’ve lived a long life to be able to transform as you are now...right? Your methods of finding peace are different from mines but I’m not one to judge since every creature finds it a different way...even if the methods themselves are violent. If I could at least give you minutes, hours or days of peace, please enjoy it ...you've lived long enough to earn a lifetime of it.” he said as he finally got up from his weird sitting posture and offered a hand towards her from meters away.

The words struck a chord within her that she hadn't felt in a long while and made her question the creature’s motives. While the fierce red mask he wore gave her an impression of a fearful demon, his soft voice was calm, gentle and never evoked any malicious intentions. They stood there staring at each other for a few moments in silence as the moonlight lit their figures in the dark and cold night.

In a blink of an eye, he disappeared without a trace causing her to look around the area with worry. Her eyes shot from here to there but he was not seen anywhere as she scanned the forest and the surrounding area.

“Boooooo!” his voice sounded from behind her causing her to jump from where she stood to where he was once before. As she looked behind her, there he was laughing at her actions as she glared at him in anger. He finally stopped and with a wave of his hand playfully, he spoke again.

“You are too tense so please calm down a bit! There are no hunters of any sort here so can you please just relax just a little?” he suggested as he started walking towards her with his hands behind his back.

"How did you get there?" she asked with a trembling voice causing him to sigh as she didn’t want to believe him even till now.

"I teleported...just as I did before when I brought you here. Would you like to be somewhere more comfortable?" he answered as he offered a hand towards her again.

She stared at it with her eyebrows shooting upwards in worry and took a defensive stance with her claws out. He noticed a sheen of sweat on the top of her forehead as it slowly dripped down her worried face into the snow below. It was night and cold so there was no reason for her to sweat...aside from being scared of him. He read the atmosphere and nodded at her knowingly….she didn’t want him there.

“I see. If you feel this threatened by me, then I must take my leave….” he acknowledged as he turned his back towards her and started walking through the air as if there were steps for him. She noted that every time he stepped, a sound of ringing from his head seemed to fill the air. He then turned back towards her and now walked backwards through the air as she watched him in amazement and confusion at the same time.

“I’m sorry to have caused you any worry so for now, I bid you farewell Miss beautiful Kumiho. May you have luck in your journey to become human...” he waved goodbye and within a blink of an eye, disappeared once again alongside the ball of fire that was floating nearby. There was silence in her area and yet in the far distance, she heard the sound of thunder that traveled away from her. She stood there in silence with her mind full of thoughts as she looked over the icy river below her. An enigma just appeared in her life and she deeply questioned what he was and if he could help her in her journey.

“I shouldn't have hesitated.”

Again, she questioned what he was and pondered if he was a God. In all her years of living, she has not seen such power as his and began planning something in her head if she was to meet him again.

“My time is too short for doubts now……..if my thoughts of him are true, then I must find him once again.”

With that, she dashed away into the snow-filled forest and disappeared into the darkness of the night.