They Can Hear Our Hearts Beat

What had happened?  Why had things changed so fast?  He was fine a moment ago, they were conversing a moment ago but then she was suddenly speaking in strange words and Kotori felt his energy-sapping out far too fast.  It had been a small cut!  Hardly more than a drop of blood!  Still, his energy was drained as if he’d lost a bucket of blood instead.  It didn’t feel right to say it was blood loss causing this drain in energy but he also couldn’t fathom any other logical reason.

Iki had her head bowed and was speaking in some language he didn’t understand.  It sounded pretty but it sure wasn’t very helpful at the moment.   “What are you saying?” Kotori tried to pull his attention away from this lack of energy, tried to pull his focus back on her. “Did something happen?”

An inner argument was working through his brain on whether or not it was smart or stupid to risk eating a crystal.  Some plants could be life-saving but some were deadly.  This was a rock thing so it would be questionable if it followed those principles and which way it swung even if it did.  The boy focused his attention on Ikigai thinking of how she had reacted to the boar and now she was acting strange here.  She had obviously been the one right last time.

Kotori grit his teeth as the proud wolf had no desire to humble himself to anything or anyone.  What if she was right again though?  None of this made logical sense so maybe it was some spiritual thing.  Kotori didn’t have to like it to make it be real.  He’d ignored the boar as a spirit last time and ended up feeling a bit foolish for it.  The horned boy let out a slow exhale of resignation, started to lower his head thinking he might try humbling himself also.

A moment of hesitation and the wolf’s head looked back up, “No,”  Kotori was fairly certain if he lay down he wouldn’t be able to get up.  “Hey, Spirits.  I’ll say sorry if I pissed you off in some way but I’m Prince Kotori Fatalis and I choose to bow my head to no one.  If you want to humble me come and face me.” Kotori wasn’t sure he had the energy to beat up a lame rabbit at the moment but every fiber in him refused to submit if that’s what they wanted.

His eyes went to the crystal he’d cut his paw on earlier and bit into it but instead of swallowing the pieces as it broke he’d spit them out.  He wasn’t going to do what some spirit tried to will him to do.  How strong were spirits anyway?  Did they fight physically?  They could make him tired but they couldn't make him drop dead right?  All Kotori knew was that if he bowed to them he’d never forget and always regret it.

Kotori Fatalis