The princess and her escort

Blood welled from the girl's paw pad and she watched the blood drop onto her Koto. Uncle Plague was there with her, promising to fix her string tomorrow. For now, he wanted to get her back to the palace and she wouldn't argue. Though the fireflies hadn't been angry with her, there was now fear in Ikigai when it came to them. She wouldn't be straying outside at night again. The experience with the boar had been one thing, but this... this was entirely different.

Sticking close to her uncle, Ikigai let him lead her back towards the palace and away from the azumaya. "What do you think they want?" She was mostly speaking out loud. If he didn't answer, she wouldn't have been upset about it. The little princess's mind was going a mile a minute, trying to figure out the mystery of the blue glow.

"X"