Nekomata, Ch.1

Nekomata
Chapter One: Into the Flames


I watched the dancing flames as they cracked near my feet and warmed my shins. The smell of smoke and burning meat filled the air while the shadows of the other travelers sitting around me whipped in time with the fire. Usually I traveled alone, but the offer of food, warmth, and protection was too good to pass up. The company I could do without.

“I’ve heard,” the oldest of our group grunted in the silence, “That a horrible creature has been seen near here.”

Flame-lit faces exchanged looks of curiosity, shock, and among some, indifference. One of the younger men, a newcomer to the group, cocked his head to the side so slightly that it was barely noticeable. He couldn’t have been more than eighteen years old, not much younger than myself. When the sleepy-eyed older man offered no more information, the newcomer ventured for it.

“What kind of creature?” he asked cautiously.

“The bakeneko,” the first answered simply, not even waiting for a dramatic pause of any kind, but the word was enough to turn mouths agape and make some of the party members flinch.

The elder watched their reaction with a small smirk on his face. He shifted his bony frame within his age-stained robe and reached up to untangle his long white beard from where it had lodged itself within his collar. Now that he had their attention, he continued with his horror story.

“As you may know, the bakeneko is the demon cat of legend. Though small, it wields unimaginable powers. Once it reaches ten years of age, its tail splits in two, and the bakeneko becomes a nekomata.”

There was a glint in his eye as he stared at the nervous newcomer, never letting that sadistic smirk slip away.

“Do you know what a nekomata can do, boy?”

The addressed tried to keep his voice steady, but failed.

“N-no.”

“Imagine the ones you love have just died. Freshly dead. You see their corpses lying on the ground unburied, but suddenly- they are no longer still. For one happy moment, you believe they are alive, until you watch them rise like puppets on invisible strings. Behind them, sits a cat. A very large cat almost like any other you’ve ever seen except for one thing – it has a forked tail. The movements of the tail pull on the invisible strings, and your deceased continue to move, haunting you, dancing in front of you, until you are so terrified, you scream for them to stop. If you try to run, the corpses will chase you. If you try to fight, there’s no way to win- the corpses are already dead and you cannot harm them. The only way to end it is by targeting the cat – but you’d have to get past the corpses first.”

By now the younger man had turned rigid in fear. Some of the other travelers looked nervous, but my face remained expressionless, blank with apathy – though inside, my stomach squirmed.

“The nekomata has other means of protection as well. If you get too close, it will summon fire to burn the flesh from your bones. It can also speak like a human, and some say it can even take on human form. Who knows what other kinds of power it possesses. The best thing you can do is to stay wary and pray you never come across one.”

I suppressed a scoff as I continued to watch the dancing flames. I could sense the nervousness of the other travelers without even looking up at them. It was kind of pathetic to watch them, really – a bunch of disillusioned men with no real destination, wasting away in search of something they’d never find. It hadn’t always been like this for them, I knew. I remembered seeing them when I was younger. They were proud fearless men fighting to preserve the freedom our country had for so long known. The man we had called Emperor had been little more than a guardian; he had protected us, but there had been few laws laid down. For the most part, each village was left to govern itself. At least that’s what my uncle had told me.

Things had changed now. The days of the riding warriors were long gone, replaced by these small traveling parties of poor men seeking a village that would accept them. They’d be better off starting their own, I thought. Only a foolish village would let a pack of armed strangers into their boundaries. No one could give up the swords, though. The swords were part of who they were, and though I didn’t group myself in the same category as my companions, I could understand this part of them very well.

It seemed that the country had taken a turn for the worst. Many of the villages we had come across were falling apart, others lay in shambles with nothing but piles of burnt and rotten wood to indicate that there had ever been a settlement there. Some of the people sitting around me had come from villages close to that state, but most had been warriors left from the rebel groups that had fought for control of the country. There had been no major battles since the new emperor had stolen the throne, claiming it his destiny to rule all those people who had once been free to govern their own lives. Almost everyone who had resisted was dead. There were no glorious war stories to tell.

“And what about you, kid?” the guy next to me asked, giving me a nudge with his shoulder, “What’s it like where you’re from? Where are you from?”

“Nowhere,” I grunted, trying to keep my voice low, “I’ve been on the move for a long time.”

I didn’t offer them any more information, and they knew better than to ask. I caught a few eyeing the black-sheathed katana hanging at my waist. I was relieved that I hadn’t had to use it during any time since I had joined the party. I hadn’t asked where they were going; I almost didn’t care. It wasn’t as if I had picked up any clues lately, so I had as much of an idea as to where I was going as leaf had about where the wind would blow it.

It was a chilly night, so I was thankful for the layers I was covered in. The dull red of the blanket draped around my shoulders looked orange in the firelight and hid a thick, warm gi beneath it. I had my long black hair tied up and concealed underneath the straw basket that had belonged to my uncle.

“Why are you wearing that silly thing?” a man asked, different from the one who had addressed me earlier, “The sun’s not out anymore.”

I sighed and made the motion to take it of. It wouldn’t matter anyway. My fingers closed around the brim, and I froze. Within an instant, I was up on my feet, hand now gripping the hilt of my sword rather than the forgotten basket hat. I unsheathed it with one swift motion, causing some of the men to flinch and others to fall backwards off their seats, cursing and drawing their own weapons. I smirked slightly in amusement. They thought I was going to attack them. They’d have to deal with their own confusion.

I didn’t wait for any of them to lunge at me. I pushed past the man across from me, successfully knocking him down just as he had regained his proper position on the log he had fallen off of. Some of them rose to come after me, but once they saw they were not me target, they stopped. Instead, they stood and watched.

My first target went down before he could even raise his sword. One swipe of my katana and his stomach had been sliced deep. No time to wipe the blood off the blade. In the corner of my eye, I saw another man come out of the shadows to my left. I swung my arm back without turning my head, ramming my attacker in the abdomen with the hilt of my sword. He bent forward in pain, and I wasted no time turning to run the sharp edge of my blade across his neck as he came down to crouch on top of it. My sword slid from under him and into the belly of another man.

The other travelers had finally caught up with the action. They took their swords and joined me, fighting our attackers as they surrounded the campsite. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw an assailant lung at one of my party members. The enemy’s blade came down to claim his life, but without warning, it was stopped as the metal clanged against the blade of my own sword. My companion’s opponent looked incredibly surprised. I gave him a swift kick in the groin. He lurched back with a pained grunt and then a piercing yell as my katana sunk into his chest. He fell to his knees, his weight pulling down on my blade until I had unsheathed it from his body.

I was too slow to avoid the person coming up behind me, however. I didn’t even need to see him; I could hear his leather shoes hitting the soil beneath him as he ran up behind me with his katana. Shifting my feet quickly, I turned to counter him, but his blade sliced my right shoulder. I managed to pull away and bring my blade up to meet his just before it reached my collarbone. I felt the searing pain from the wound but ignored it and the blood that was beginning to leak down my skin, staining my clothes. There was never a second to spare in battle. I had learned this lesson many times, but mostly from watching other people’s mistakes. Someone lowering a sword before his opponent was dead. Choosing the wrong moment to rub the sweat off his brow. Taking too long to recover from a blow that hadn’t claimed his life. Pain was distracting, but it was a fatal distraction.

I only needed one hand to wield my sword. My arm moved up to block the next blow as it came for me. My arm trembled painfully under the pressure; I wasn’t left-handed but I had no choice but to switch the grip on my hilt to my other hand. I pushed hard against his blade and slid off it to strike his face. My katana raked across his nose, slicing into his skin till it hit his cheekbone. He screamed, and with a shaky hand, I snatched the dagger I kept at my belt on the opposite side of my katana’s sheath. With a quick flick of my wrist, I threw it into my opponent’s abdomen. He staggered back, and I finished him off with a slash to the throat. I recovered the dagger and sheathed it. The companion that I had saved didn’t offer a word of thanks, but I didn’t stick around to wait for one, either.

The clanging of metal resounded in the air along with the ranging pitches of warriors’ shrieks and grunts. Body after body collapsed on the blood-tainted ground, each with its own unique thud or soundless fall. Among the various cries of battle around me, I had no choice but to join the chaos, though I made no noise as I did so.

Soon, the forest grounds surrounding our humble campsite were still again. I knew there had been more, but the last of the attackers seemed to have vanished. I wasn’t really sure why they had attacked us, but I was betting that they were more than likely hoping to steal something for their own group. A group just like ours. I hated what this country had come to. Bands of homeless travelers fighting one another, killing off each other in hopes that some would survive to find a village that would accept them. It was useless.

My comrades regrouped quickly, making sure no supplies were missing and checking on the state of other party members. It wasn’t long before I found myself surrounded.

“You saved us,” the youngest told me, “You attacked them before anyone else saw them coming.”

“Fought bravely,” another commented.

“Defended me in battle,” one grunted.

I guess I should be happy for that much acknowledgement. I feared what was coming next though.

“You’re wounded,” the elder said, “Let someone tend to you.”

“I appreciate it, but no thank you. I’ll treat myself.”   

“Don’t be foolish. That is a serious wound.”

“I’ll be fine,” I snapped impatiently, nearly slapping the elder’s hand away when he reached towards my shoulder.

I stopped myself before I hit him, but I made one mistake – I looked into his eyes. Immediately, he gasped and drew his hand back. I knew I shouldn’t have been standing so close to the fire. The darkness was how I had kept my secret hidden before. That, and I had avoided eye contact with any of the other travelers.

“You,” he growled, though his voice trembled slightly, “are a demon!”

He drew back along with all of the other startled party members. I glared back at the elder with defiant eyes. Defiant blue eyes with slit pupils like a cat’s. He was the only one who could see them, so the other men around me just looked confused. This couldn’t end well; I had to get out.

“What are you talking about?” the youngest man asked, “He just saved us!”

“This boy’s a hero,” another agreed.

“That’s not a boy,” the elder grunted, pointing his weapon at me, “She’s a nekomata!”

I stepped back, closer to the fire. They had me surrounded. I would have to break through them somehow, but there were so many.

“Will you turn against me after I protected your pathetic lives?” I hissed at him, not bothering to keep my voice low anymore.

“You’re a monster! How do we know you won’t reanimate the dead you killed today to kill us in our sleep?”

“Why would I want to do such an idiotic thing?” I almost screamed.

I didn’t raise my voice often, but I was not a patient person. I was tired of being judged by what I was rather than what I did. I wasn’t going to waste my time trying to reason with them if they were going to be so irrational.

I gripped the hilt of my katana despite the burning pain in my shoulder. I was ready to break out of the ring of people, when my ears caught the sound of footsteps approaching quickly. My eyes widened as I realized that our enemies were regrouping.

“They’re coming back!” I yelled.

“You don’t fool us, demon,” the elder snarled, “Don’t think that you can make your escape by lying. Nekomata!”

My eyes could see them now. I ignored the old man and unsheathed my katana. The travelers took it as a threat and readied their own weapons. The elder was just about to give them the signal to attack when he found the tip of an enemy sword jutting out of his chest.

“So you have a nekomata among you?” his killer asked with a grin, “The emperor is offering a reward for such demons. We’ll take it off your hands.”

I could stand being called a boy when I was disguised as one, but when I heard the word “it,” my blood boiled. I lunged for the man who had just unsheathed his sword from the elder. He blocked me in time and pushed me back towards the fire. The travelers in my group only watched, not daring to interfere. They had no reason to fight the attackers if all they wanted was me, and I knew there was no hope they could overcome them anyway. They were probably just hoping I’d finish off most of their enemies so they would stand a chance against the rest.

My secret was out; there was no point in hiding my powers any longer. I took advantage of my position by the fire and raised a hand. My katana fell onto the floor with a thump as the flames behind me suddenly reached out and engulfed my body, embracing me with their heat and power. It had been a long time since I had done this, but I hadn’t forgotten how. I’m sorry, Uncle.

My body began to shrink. I could feel soft black fur grow out of my skin, rippling all over me. My ears slid up the sides of my head as the shape of my face began to change. As my bones rearranged themselves, I could feel my tailbone extend from my body and split into two. My hands and feet grew soft paw pads, and I could feel my nails turn into hard, sharp claws.

When the flames dispersed, I was unrecognizable to the people who had just seen a young woman in men’s clothing standing before the fire. Now, atop a mound of discarded garments stood a nekomata.

  I stared back at them with even more cat-like blue eyes. It had been a long time since I had taken this form; I had forgotten what it was like. I was almost large enough to be a dog. My vision and hearing were even better than when I was in human form, letting me see and hear everything around me perfectly in the dark. Enemies and former allies alike were trembling at my size and the dark blue aura that my body was emitting as I waved both of my long black tails. First, I summoned the fire behind me and launched it forward to engulf the people closest to me. That gave me much more room to work with. I could see the corpses of the dead warriors not too far off. I raised my left tail, and one of the bodies rose with it. I flicked my tail back to make it rush forward, and with another swing, the corpse’s sword had severed the neck of one of the men standing furthest away from me. There were panicked cries as men scrambled in all directions – trying to keep away from me, but at the same time, scurrying away from the corpses as they began to rise off the battlefield. It was difficult to control too many at the same time, however. My right tail summoned corpses from the ground, then worked with my left to control them all. The movements of the tail didn’t control them so much as my will did when there were that many of them. It was mentally exhausting.

So many people. I wasn’t sure if the fire was just getting too hot or if my head was spinning from exhaustion. The heat of the flames didn’t normally affect me, however, so I was betting on the latter. I couldn’t keep this up much longer; I needed to find a way out.

I had to shuffle aside as I saw a dagger flying towards me. I staggered and was too slow to avoid getting cut on the foreleg. That limb was not having much luck today. My shoulder wound had healed during my transformation, fortunately, but my body was still worn from the previous battle. The transformation had taken a lot out of me, and I could feel more energy draining from the magic I was using. I was sorely out of practice.

There was an open path through the flurry of panic that I could just barely make out as my vision began to blur. I dragged myself in its direction, wary of the men who were still putting forth a stance of bravery as they pointed their weapons at me with trembling hands. I scorched the closest one, but didn’t have the energy to keep up my control on the corpses. I let them fall with a whip of my tails and relieved of the burden, began to hurry towards the trees that would provide my cover. I held the leather tong that hung off my sword’s sheath in my teeth as I dragged the weapon with me. I couldn’t leave it behind. My mind was too clouded with pain and exhaustion to acknowledge the threat that came from beside me. A buff, dark-skinned man with hawk eyes stood to my left armed with no more than a large staff. He swung down at me before I had time to react or decide which direction to dodge. The last thing I remember was a painful thud on the back of my head. Then, my eyes slowly closed as the world faded to black, the smell of burnt corpses still fresh in my nose.

…………………………………….

“The sun isn’t going to wait for you, Ryoko,” Uncle Jiro said as he watched the reddened globe settle behind the mountaintops.

“I’m almost done,” I replied, hurrying into my training gear and finally grabbing the katana sitting on the dresser next to me.

I felt myself tip off balance just a bit as my hand gripped the black sheath of my uncle’s sword and its weight pulled me forward. I slid the door to the side and burst out into the courtyard where he was waiting for me, a patient smile on his face.

“Silly girl. You think you can practice your swordsmanship in the dark? Well, I know you can see better then most, but-”

My frown stopped him. He stared straight into my eyes, the way most other people were afraid to do. His eyes were also blue, like mine, but not a demon’s. They were friendlier than my father’s had been, though the rest of him made him look similar to his older brother from the shaggy black hair to the short stature. I blinked at him and slowly pulled up the corners of my mouth. Training sessions were no time for scowling. He rustled my hair affectionately and began to lead the way down the road, waving his hand at me.

“Let’s go,” he called back, “Before we’re spotted.”

I gave a nod he couldn’t see and ran to catch up with him.   

…………………………………….

My eyes opened. Just a dream. It seemed like so long since I had been that young. Back when I knew that people hated me, but still didn’t understand why. Uncle had always told me that I had to keep my cat form a secret. It was my fault he was gone, and now I had let myself transform again, for the first time since he had disappeared. Wherever they’ve taken you, Uncle, I’ll find you. I swear.

It was cold. I could see flames dancing outside the window of the dark shack I found myself in. I examined my surroundings more fully. Mostly empty room, except for another cage under mine; at least that’s what I figured it was unless mine was somehow hovering off the ground. I could hear small shifting noises coming from below me. It seemed I wasn’t the only other prisoner here.

My front and back legs were bound tightly with rope. Even my tails were tied together, as if that would stop me from using them. I lashed them around until I had managed to slip one out without too much difficulty. The legs would be more of a challenge. I began to gnaw at the ropes bounding my forepaws, but it was difficult. I gave a frustrated grunt and thrashed around my cage until I heard whimpering below me.

“Who’s there?” I asked finally.

It felt strange to talk with a cat’s mouth, but somehow I was able to. My voice sounded a bit grated, but still human. There was no answer.

“You smell like a human,” I told it, “Listen, if you’re trapped here too, get me out of this, and I’ll help us escape.”

I slipped my paws through an opening between the bars and hung them down  over the edge of my cage. I heard whatever was under me shuffle backwards quickly, but then, there were soft sliding noises as it dared to venture towards my bound limbs. I could feel small fingers pulling on the knot, but no success.

“I c-can’t,” a voice whined, “It’s too hard.”

“Keep trying,” I ordered, trying to keep my voice as patient as possible.

It sounded like a little boy. I hate children, I thought bitterly. All messy and whiny and smelly. He sounds like the one who used to throw rocks at me on the street. Why is this taking so long?

There was a triumphant yell as the boy finally loosened the knot and let the rope fall on the floor. Finally free, I used my claws to tear the rope off my hind paws. Now I could stand on my hind legs and summon the fire that was further away than the other had been. I rose up until the tips of my ears brushed the top of my cold metal cage. Through the window, I could see a single guard making his way past the bright fire. As the blue aura surrounded me once again, I watched as the flames engulfed his silhouette. His yells lasted only for a moment before he fell into a heap on the floor. I gave my tails a wave and beckoned him towards the shack. He rose again, still lit aflame and began to trudge in my direction. The flaming corpse burst through the door and produced the keys to my cage from a hidden pocket that had still not been devoured by the fire. A shrill noise deafened my sensitive ears as the child screamed at the top of his lungs. I felt a surprisingly strong pang of guilt, but ignored it. As cruel as it sounded, escape was more important than this boy’s innocence.

The dead guard unlocked my cage, and I leapt out to watch him do the same to the boy’s. I found him cowering in the back corner of the cage, probably no more than about nine years old. His old brown clothes were tattered and a bit too small for him. He had short dirty blonde hair that was almost brown, but for the most part, he looked mostly plain and ordinary. It was too dark to tell what color his eyes were.

He didn’t move even when his cage was opened. I ordered the corpse away to fetch me some clothes; he was mostly burnt out by now.

“Well, it won’t do you much good to just sit there,” I told the boy, who seemed relieved by the guard’s exit, “If you stay here, the other men will just lock you up again when they find out the guard’s dead. It’s now or never, kid.”

Then the boy did something I did not expect. He rushed forward and stretched his arms out. I stiffened in shock as he hugged my neck, sobbing into my fur. He isn’t scared at all?

“Don’t leave me,” he cried, “Please?”

I sighed.

“Look, I’m not your babysitter. I’ll take you someplace safe, and that’s all. Got it?”

The boy drew back and frowned at me, but slowly nodded in agreement. It’s better than staying here, kid, I thought. He managed a small smile that was enough to soften me a bit. It was kind of funny the way he kept staring at my tails until the guard came back. Immediately, the boy rushed behind me in fear. The blackened body dropped a heap of clothes at my paws and collapsed as I released it from my will. The boy yelped and shrank back.

“Jumpy, aren’t you? Do they call you scaredy cat where you come from?”

“No,” the kid replied indignantly, “My name’s Tori.”

I shook my head and picked up the clothes in my mouth. I stepped over the burnt body and watched Tori scurry around it as fast as he could. He opened the door and let me pass through before following me out towards the fire. The campsite was still and quite. None of the sleeping warriors had been disturbed by the man I had killed, so for now, we were safe. No time to waste though.

“Stay here,” I told the kid and began to slink around the tents set up not too far from the fire. Inside the furthest one, I found where all the extra weapons were stored. Just as I figured, my uncle’s sword was among them. I picked it up in my mouth and dragged it back to the campfire. The boy watched curiously as I placed it next to the bundle of clothes I had dumped there. I made him turn around before I took my place by the flames. Time to change back.

I called the fire forth to engulf me again, but this time instead of shrinking, I grew taller. My fur and tails disappeared, and I stood upright as my vision and hearing dulled a bit. I was human again. I reached for the bundle at my feet and pulled on a pair of loose pants and a dark gi with baggy sleeves. Not too fashionable, but better than nothing. I placed the katana at my belt and tapped Tori’s shoulder. He jumped and let out a small cry of surprise once he saw me. I slapped a hand over his mouth and shushed him.

“Now then,” I said, once he had calmed down a bit, “Let’s get out of here, huh?”