They Can Hear Our Hearts Beat

Kotori had been surprised at the sight of the white antlered cat coming out to see him.  The antlered cat wanted him to go so another antlered wolf huh?  He had thought of Ikigai more than once since that night.  Admittedly he had also thought of that boar spirit and all that had happened.  What would have happened he had tried eating a spirit?  She must have been right about that even if he didn’t like being the one wrong.

Kotori followed the cat into the weeping woods and to the spot where Iki was watching the water.  He had noticed the crystals had been sprouting up everywhere and all the oddities had kept him at home.  Kotori was interested in it all but at the same time felt wary of going out to far alone when things were so clearly not right.  What would happen if you did fight a spirit?  Were all spirits peaceful?  What was with everything glowing?  

The boy looked up at the sky to where the moon seemed to be looking right back.  It was always in the sky, even when the sun was out.  Being cautious was smart but at times he grew irritated himself for the wariness as if to be to careful bordered on cowardness.  His eyes roamed the willows now even as he approached Iki.  On the ground, the tree bark and branches all seemed determined to grow the strange crystals.

“Ikigai,” the wolf greeted the lady as he approached, a friendly pitch in his voice. “I like your cat,” his gaze glanced to the water she was near and even there spotted some crystals sprouting from a rock that was partially submerged. “Did you need help?” the brown wolf asked and followed up with, “I wonder what they are.  I wonder if they’ll keep spreading.” Could it get to a point where they would become an actual problem?  The fireflies were becoming a normal sight and when they were at the brightest as he went off to sleep he had kind of learned to enjoy the bright specks seeming to float in the air.


Kotori Fatalis