sageoftruth
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Sayuri the Outlandish Exorcist
Story 2: Nine-Tailed Trouble
(Part 2)
Story 2: Nine-Tailed Trouble
(Part 2)
Together they swung open the doors and wandered inside. The smell of pine and ale wafted into their nostrils. Sayuri slipped her feet out of her sandals and reached down to pick them up.
“You can leave your sandals on,” Emily said.
Sayuri pressed the tips of her fingers to her lips and looked around her with shifty eyes. “B…but I’ll dirty the floor, won’t I?”
“After what our feet just went through, we’ll probably dirty the floor no matter what we do.”
Sayuri looked to Harold for confirmation. “No need to worry,” he said. “See? I’m still wearing my boots.”
The look on Sayuri’s face bordered on disbelief. “But… is that really…?”
“You’re an odd one,” Harold mused. “Does everyone like you fear dirt this much?”
Sayuri opened her mouth to object, but gave up. Sighing, she re-sandaled her feet and followed behind the other two, trying her best to take as few steps as possible.
Together, they crossed over a wide stone floor and came to an empty counter. Harold rested his elbow on the counter and called out. “Fura? You there?” He shrugged. “Looks like the innkeeper is busy. That happens a lot. After losing her husband, she’s had to run this inn all by herself. She’s probably out restocking on ale.” He took a final look around to make sure no one else was watching before he reached over the counter and pulled out a key. “Aaaand here you go, ladies.”
“Will that be all right?” Sayuri asked.
“Of course! I’m in charge of this village after all.” He turned to leave, but Emily stopped him.
“Um… sir?” Enough time had passed for her to look at him without melting, but memories of her earlier conduct still made her blush. “So…” She felt ridiculous, but a certain question was nagging at her. She could not say it. “So, your daughter manages the town?” she asked instead.
“Yes,” he replied. “My wife’s been feeling a bit weak, so Mary’s been doing lots of the heavy lifting while I’ve been out. She’s become a real natural in the administrative stuff, but she’s still working on dealing with people.”
Emily felt a sting inside her as she heard him mention his wife. “She’ll get there, I’m sure,” Emily nodded, smiling to mask her disappointment. “Good night!” With a sudden jerk, she turned on her heels and grabbed Sayuri by the sleeve. “Let’s go, Sayuri,” she said, trying her best to sound calm.
Together they ascended the wooden stairs. Struggling to keep pace with her longer-legged companion, Sayuri turned to check Emily’s face. Her cheeks were red and her lip was trembling. “Is everything all right?”
Emily ignored her. “Two twenty… two twenty…” Emily muttered to herself, as her eyes checked every door in the hallway for the number on the key she held. “Ah, two twenty!” She inserted the key and they barged into the room. “Now, please give me a moment to…” She stopped mid-sentence as she saw their room.
Both of them stared mouths agape at what lay before them. By their feet lay a large fur rug that left only a few inches of the floor bare on each side of the room. Atop the rug sat a massive bed flanked with four carved wooden bedposts that each had a different animal’s head carved into the wood on top of it. In the center lay a thick fur blanket. Emily looked it up and down with admiration in her eyes. “My goodness! We could fit five people on this bed.” Just to the side, hung a window with fur curtains. “I guess all these furs are the norm for a village deep in the woods.”
She then heard a squeal of delight: “Emily, look!” Following Sayuri’s voice, Emily wandered over to the corner of the room, where a fur curtain hung from the wooden ceiling. Pushing it aside she saw Sayuri standing by a wooden tub. It looked like nothing more than a giant bucket, but it looked big enough for four grown men to occupy, and a wooden protrusion jutted from the inside of it, offering a place for them to sit.
Emily and Sayuri exchanged glances and they both smiled. “After everything that has happened today, we could definitely use this,” Emily commented, trying her best to suppress her excitement. As soon as Sayuri nodded in agreement, they both hastily threw off their clothes and tossed them into a pile in the corner of the room.
Emily stared at Sayuri’s body and rubbed her chin. “So, that really isn’t makeup then?” She’d gotten used to Sayuri’s face at this point, but even her slightly protruding chest, flat belly, and skinny legs were white enough to bring out the subtle peachiness in Emily’s fair skin as they stood together. “Is everyone this white where you come from?”
“Never mind that,” Sayrui dismissed. “Let us get the water running.” A handle hung from the ceiling by a chain just above the tub. Sayuri tried to reach for it. She stood on her toes and hopped up and down but could only graze it with the tips of her fingers. Eventually Emily came forward, reached up and gave it a hard pull.
A segment of the ceiling came down as a square-shaped funnel. Bubbly white water poured from it and began to fill the tub. “There,” Emily said as she released the handle, and pushed the funnel back into the ceiling. “Shall we?” The lid of the tub reached just above her waist. Pressing her palms against the lid, she hoisted one leg over. She paused as her toes touched the water. The initial burn caused her foot to flinch away, but as soon as she dipped her foot a second time, the wave of pleasure that ran up her naked leg prompted her to press onward. She lifted her other leg over and happily submerged herself up to her neck.
As blissful warmth washed through her entire body, she leaned back. She felt so relaxed she could nod off right in the middle of the tub. She then noticed Sayuri watching her from outside. Sayuri gripped the lid with her hands, but she could barely hoist herself over. Giggling to herself, Emily got up and reached over. “Grab on.”
With Emily’s help, Sayuri entered the tub with a splash, and then promptly wished she hadn’t. “Aaah! Hot! It’s too hot!” she cried. She spun around, splashing water in Emily’s face and scrambled towards the edge of the tub. Using the seat of the tub as a stepladder, she climbed to the top and sat on the lid, shivering as her naked body was exposed to room temperature. Once she had calmed herself, she let her legs hang, dangling her pearly feet an inch above the surface. Occasionally she’d lower a foot to test the water, only to snap it back up the moment a single toe made contact.
Emily could not keep herself from smirking as she watched. “Come on, Sayuri. Wasn’t it you who wanted to take this bath so badly?” Sayuri nodded, but did not budge. Emily shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
Sayuri scoffed. “I doubt that armor would be able to protect me from hot water.”
“No, I mean… oh never mind.” Emily shrugged and settled back into the water. “You are really missing something wonderful.” She stretched her legs and feet and leaned back until she was up to her earlobes in warm bubbly water.
The sight made Sayuri forget about her predicament and smile. “I am glad to see you so happy. You looked so distressed after Harold came to our rescue. I could not tell what was troubling you.”
A sour look flashed across Emily’s face and she released a very deep sigh. “Ah, right. Harold. So, Mr. Tall Rugged and Handsome has a wife… What a shame.”
Sayuri squinted, letting the gears turn in her head. Then she grinned as if her mind had finally grasped the punchline to a tricky joke. “Ah, I see now.”
Emily rolled her eyes. “What? You of all people? Notice something? If you could drive spirits away with obliviousness, you’d be out of a job by now.”
Sayuri laughed. “Come now. Were you truly hoping to marry him?”
Emily stared down at the water. “I dunno… Maybe...? Eventually…? Perhaps sometime after my work with you is finished I could come back and jump into his arms?” Sayuri said nothing. “Ok, I get it. I’m being ridiculous. Shame on me for getting my hopes up.” She folded her arms and began to sulk.
Sayuri carefully dipped her feet into the water. It had cooled a bit at this point, so she allowed herself to slide into the tub. She had to sit up straight in order to keep her head above water, but Emily could tell she was enjoying the feeling. Sayuri gazed at her with purpose in her angular eyes. “Give me your feet,” she said.
The bluntness of the request caused Emily to sit bolt upright and pull her feet inward. “Excuse me?! If you think I’m possessed by some spirit of sadness, then you’ve got the wrong idea.”
Emily’s obvious reluctance made Sayuri giggle. “Don’t worry. I won’t tickle your feet this time. I just know a massage that should help you relax.”
Emily felt somewhat less tense, but her feet stayed where they were. “How can I be sure you won’t? I still remember the way you looked at them the last time you “exorcized” me. You looked like you were going to eat them right there.”
Sayuri let slit a sheepish grin, which did not arouse much confidence from Emily. “If I do anything of the sort, feel free to tickle me back.”
That only made things worse. “Oh, you would like that wouldn’t you?” Emily retorted. “Do you know how it feels traveling with someone who’s so in love with a practice the Holy Father forbids?”
Sayuri raised an eyebrow. “You mean tickling? Does your God really disapprove of that?”
Emily hesitated. There was no contempt in Sayuri’s tone, but the earnest puzzlement she showed in the face of what seemed like an obvious fact prompted Emily to think. “Well, the church said He considers it a form of debauchery… but now I really don’t know. It was so much easier when the words of the church and the words of the Holy Father were one and the same. Now, with the church’s corruption, I don’t feel like I know my God anymore.”
Sighing, Emily relaxed her legs and lifted her feet into Sayuri’s lap. One foot was crossed over the other in nervous anticipation. Emily folded her arms and turned her head to the side. “Go on. Take them. If this’ll help me relax, then I guess it’s worth the risk of trusting you with my feet.”
Sayuri nodded and slowly pulled Emily’s feet apart from each other. Her fingers were barely long enough to reach all the way around. As she gripped the outer edges, she pressed both thumbs just under the balls of Emily’s feet. Emily’s soles were flushed red from the water temperature, but they were like silk beneath Sayuri’s fingers, and once her thumbs began to move, Emily felt like she was entering the tub for the first time all over again. “Mmmmmm….” she sighed.
“There, that’s better,” Sayuri said with a sweet smile. “Let’s change the subject to something less troubling. So, this was your first encounter with a magical beast right?”
“I think so. Mmm… So talking about monsters is how you relax?”
“It helps me forget about more personal matters, if nothing else,” Sayuri offered.
Emily giggled. “Ok, I guess I’ll bite. It was pretty smart for a beast.”
Sayuri nodded as she shifted her thumb upwards and extracted another deep sigh from her partner. “Yes. These beasts can live for centuries and grow to be very wise if they live among humans long enough.”
“I guess that’s the case with thi-ooooooh!” Emily moaned as Sayri’s thumb found a particularly tender spot on the ball of her foot just a few inches beneath her pinkie toe. “Aaaaaanyway, you said that they don’t eat people, but I’m sure I heard her talk about eating us.”
“Ah yes. Magical beasts feed off of spiritual energy, something we all produce without realizing it. When we are in a submissive or yielding state, they can drain it from us.”
“Well, that explains the tickling. I thought she was just toying with us.”
Sayuri shrugged. “It’s possible. A wise beast can leave its prey alive to produce more energy, but if the beast lacks control, we could be drained dry.” Emily’s feet began to sag and her toes dipped forward until they rested comfortably on Sayuri’s belly. Moving her hands downward, Sayuri pressed along the outer edges of Emily’s feet.
“Mmm… how horrible,” Emily mumbled, too blissful to show genuine concern. “Wait, does that mean we almost died?”
“Pretty much. Me moreso than you. We exorcists have very rich spiritual energy that the beasts find irresistible. If all of it was drained from me, I’d lose my will to keep going. People without spirit have weak wills. Without any spirit at all, even breathing would be too arduous a task for me.”
“Wait!” Emily began, motioning with her hand. “Before we get out, could you rub that spot beneath my pinkie one more time.”
Sayuri searched Emily’s foot. “Here?”
“NO NO! TOO HIGH! TOO HIGH! HEHE!” Emily laughed.
Sayuri moved her thumb lower. “Oh, here then?”
“Yessss…” As the familiar bliss returned to her body, Emily felt heavy. Her eyelids began to sink.
“It looks like you’re fading.”
“Mmmmm… yes,” Emily smiled. “Are you a magical beast, here to… drain away my spirit?” She closed her eyes and her words began to trail off.
Sayuri giggled. “Very funny, Emily. It would probably be best to get out now… Emily? Emily?”
* * *
The following morning Emily awoke wrapped up in a blanket. She felt stiff, but that was soon explained when she got up from the floor. Sayuri lay asleep atop the bed in her nightgown. She turned her head and yawned. “Oh, I see that you’ve awoken. Can I rest a little bit longer? It took all of my strength to pull you out of that tub.”
* * *
Emily took her time getting dressed. Eventually Sayuri got up from the bed and the two of them headed downstairs.
Day 2
Month of the Apprentice
The beast has bested her once, but Sayuri is determined to best the beast this time. What she needs is information. The beast has harassed the village for months, so the people must know something that can tip the odds in her favor. Heroically, she enters the bar, a small woman in a room filled with dangerous battle-scarred men and ferocious cutthroats. As she wanders in, she…”
Emily looked up just in time to step out of the way of a young man in a cotton tunic. “Oh, sorry about that.” The man tipped his hat in response and wandered past her. She looked ahead as Sayuri led the way into the tavern portion of the inn. “Are you sure we can find useful information here?”
Sayuri nodded. “A place like this should be the best chance we have. Look at all the people here. If I can learn more about the beast, I can prepare for our next meeting. Sayuri looked around her and her pace slowed. “Why is everyone staring at us?”
“In a secluded village like this, they probably don’t get many easterners.” Emily’s eyes wandered further down Sayuri’s outfit. “Also, you’re the only one in here who is barefoot. Would it kill you to wear your sandals while we’re in public?”
Sayuri looked hurt. “You know just as well as I do that I can survive without being barefoot,” she replied with her hands on her hips. “However, now that my feet are clean, I see no reason to dirty the place with my sandals.”
“You’ll just get them dirty again. Do you think anyone else here cares whether you dirty the floor?”
Sayuri was unperturbed by this. “They should care. They are guests here, just like we are. Maybe I can set an example.”
Emily shook her head. “I doubt it. If anything, I’d expect the opposite. You look ridiculous. She swept her gaze around the room. It was too large to see everything in one glance. Round wooden tables filled the area, many of them occupied by wood-cutters, hunters, carpenters, and a number of other men of different crafts. Emily then noted that it was mostly men, give or take a handful of wives and the occasional seamstress. Everywhere Emily looked, she saw eyes gawking at them, only to snap back to their tables when she looked at them. “Gathering information on the beast will be tough if no one wants to talk to us.”
“Hey! Hey! Miss! You, in the robes!” A man called from a circular table in the corner. He sounded friendly enough and the wide-eyed, expectant smile on his thickly-bearded face dispelled any suspicion she had that he might be calling out to them just to make a joke at their expense. The man wore a red checkered tunic and waved as they approached, as if they were old drinking buddies. He reached under the table and nudged back a bench with his boot, prompting them to sit down.
“How sweet,” Sayuri said to Emily, her eyes chiding the nun for her lack of faith.
Emily shrugged. “I guess word has already spread about our arrival. This is a village after all.”
The two of them approached the table and sat down. The checkered man acknowledged them both with a deep nod and the portly chestnut-haired woman sitting next to him did the same. “Good day, ladies,” he said. “You can call me Jacob, and this is my wife, Fiona.”
Emily and Sayuri seated themselves and began their introductions, leaving out the part about Sayuri being an exorcist. “Thanks for inviting us over,” Emily said. “I really didn’t think anyone would want to speak to us.”
“Nonsense!” Jacob dismissed. “You two are just the people I was looking for, particularly, you, um…. Sayuni.”
“Sayuri,” she corrected. “What can I do for you?”
“Oh, it’s very simple,” Fiona continued on Jacob’s behalf. “It should be easy for one such as you. We were hoping for your blessing.” She sat back and nuzzled next to Jacob, eyeing him with a smile and a blush. “Jacob and I were looking to tie the knot.”
Sayuri paused. “‘Tie the knot?’ What knot?”
“They want to get married,” Emily whispered before turning back to the couple. “So, why are you going to us for something like that? Isn’t that a matter for a priest or priestess?”
Jacob smiled and nodded his head “Of course! We were looking for a Priestess of the Grove to bless us, so the forest spirits wouldn’t be angry about our union.”
“Have you ever met one?” Emily asked.
Jacob shook his head. “Not until now. Still I knew it the moment I laid eyes on you, with those fancy robes, that relaxed, graceful walk, and that long flowing hair…”
“Now, don’t start getting any ideas!” Fiona interjected, raising her voice just enough to give him a warning without implying that he was in any trouble.
Jacob appeased her with a pat on the head. “Of course not, my honey pot…” His large hand tousled her hair and she nodded, satisfied. He swiveled back to Sayuri in his seat and continued. “But anyway, I knew you had to be a Priestess of the Grove. Besides, who else but a spokeswoman of nature itself would wander into a bar barefoot?” Emily pressed her palm to her forehead and shot Sayuri an “I told you so” look, but Jacob appeared not to notice. “Also, if you can spare the time, I’d love it if you could bless me with some protection from the beast that roams the woods, when I go out for lumber.”
Emily turned to Sayuri, then Sayuri turned to Emily and the two stared at each other, nonverbally arguing over who should break the news to him. Sayuri was the first to cave. She turned back, wringing her hands as she looked across the table at him.
She had not spoken yet, but the uneasy look in her eyes said enough. Jacob deflated under the impending rejection. “So, you can’t help us?” His face was a mixture of cautious hope and crushing disappointment. One could be forgiven for thinking Sayuri had just dumped him.
Sayuri tried to find the right thing to say, “I’m really sorry, I…” She crossed her ankles and rested the roofs of her toes on the floor as she pondered. “Perhaps we could…” She was merely stalling for time. She had no idea what to do. As she sat there, tongue-tied, something furry brushed against the soles of her feet. “YEEEHEEE!” she yelped.
In an instant, her feet were off the floor and resting atop the wooden bench. “The beast! It’s here!” she cried.
“What?” Emily looked under the table and watched as a cat bolted across the floor and disappeared among the tables. She looked at Sayuri and laughed. “I found your ‘beast’. It was a cat. It was probably just trying to be friendly.
All three of them laughed, even Jacob, while Sayuri began to blush. “But I felt it. It was just like up in the tree yesterday. That coarse furry tickling.”
“Of course, Sayrui,” Emily said eyeing her with a wry expression. “I said it was a cat didn’t I? You know cats have fur right?” Sayuri looked like she had received enough ridicule, so Emily backed off. “At least we now know that this beast has fur. That’s some progress.”
“Yes, but lots of magical beasts have fur. We’ll need more than just that.”
Jacob shot forward in his seat and planted his meaty hands on the table, rattling the plates that rested atop it. “Oh! So you two are hunting the beast?”
“Indeed, we are,” Sayuri replied. “We seek information.”
Emily nodded. “Do you guys know anything about the beast?”
Jacob and Fiona exchanged grins. “Aww, who doesn’t?” Jacob said. “Stories about the beast come from the woods every day. I’ve even had a close call with the beast myself.”
Emily could hardly believe her luck as she leaned forward. “Oh, do tell,” she prompted.
Jacob was all too happy to oblige. He hopped up from his seat and pantomimed with his log-sized arms. “Well, I was out in the woods chopping up a tree I’d just felled, when I heard a cry. Following the sound, I found a clearing where a beautiful young woman was backed up against a tree.” Fiona grinned and giggled to herself as he continued to tell his story. “Up in front of her, I saw what looked at first like a large cat, but then I noticed that no four-legged animal stands like that, so it was more like a human wearing an animal’s skin, but not like a suit, more like if it actually HAD an animal’s skin and...”
“They get the idea, darling,” Fiona interrupted. “Just move on with it. You’re getting to the good part.”
Jacob wiped a drop of sweat from his forehead. “Hoo boy, just thinking about that thick orange fur gives me the shivers. The beast turned towards me and looked at me with these yellow cat eyes. I raised my axe and said, ‘Hey you! Leave that woman alone, or I’ll bury an axe in your skull!’ and the beast ran off.”
Fiona laughed. “That’s not how I remember it.” She chided him with a wry smile. “The way I saw it, you covered your eyes with those thick arms of yours and whimpered as the beast jumped past you.” With her correction made, she then put her arm around his heavy shoulder and pulled him close and kissed him on the cheek. “Still, that was a very brave thing you did for me.”
Emily grinned. “Ah, so the ‘beautiful woman’ was you then?” Fiona nodded.
“I made a pretty good first impression, don’t you think?” Jacob asked winking.
Fiona began to stare into space. “And then he scooped me up and carried me back to my cabin. What a day.”
Sayuri looked at Fiona and then Jacob. “I… see that you are as strong as you look.”
“And what do you mean by that!?” Fiona asked with an edge to her tone.
“Ignore her. She meant nothing by it,” Emily excused with a wave of her hand. She turned to Sayuri. “So, what did you gather?”
Sayuri pondered and crossed her ankles again, albeit with more caution than before. “Well, she is large, has orange fur, catlike eyes, and does not seem to be very aggressive, since she ran away the moment Jacob arrived.”
“If that’s the case, why don’t you organize a mob and hunt the beast down?” Emily asked Jacob.
“Believe me, we’ve tried,” Jacob replied. “However, that beast is very good at hiding. She never attacks groups, but groups never find her either.”
Jacob’s voice trailed off as a curtain at the far end of the room was pulled aside, revealing a stage, where an exotic woman with a powerful presence stepped into view. The room had gone silent, all heads in the bar turned towards her, and no one touched their drinks.
She sauntered in from the edge of the stage, flashing one tanned leg and then the other as her red skirt trailed behind her, swaying side to side like the white tassels that hung behind her waist. She punctuated every barefooted step with a jingle from the loose bracelets that rolled along her wrists and forearms. She came to a stop and her face snapped towards the crowd, rattling the blue beads that adorned her head.
Her gaze swept over the audience, boring into everyone in equal measure. Her full red lips pursed with only the subtlest hint of a smile that deepened for just a moment before she swung her leg in the air and twirled across the room. She became a dervish of motion flying, hopping, kicking, and never letting her smooth tanned heels touch the floor. She leaped off the floor and landed in a tumble, and then sprung back to her feet without coming to a stop. She occasionally paused to flash some leg or pose for the crowd but only for a second at most. Certainly not long enough to catch her breath.
Everyone at the table had forgotten what they’d been talking about. “Wow! Who is she?” Emily asked. “I’ve never seen anyone move like that before.”
“Her? That’s Fura. She runs the inn,” Jacob explained.
Emily’s cheeks bulged and she nearly spat out her drink. “Her!? I thought she was just a traveling performer.”
Jacob chuckled. “Nope. She’s the person who manages this inn’s money, cleans the tables, keeps the beer stocked up, and acts as the bar’s main attraction, as you can see right here. She’s something else isn’t she?”
“‘Something else?’ Like what?” Sayuri asked.
“It’s just another expression,” Emily explained. She looked sidelong at Jacob with amusement. As he stared slack-jawed at this tall, beautiful and very talented woman, Emily half expected Fiona to grab him and drag him out of the bar, but Fiona was watching the dancer with just as much interest.
“She’s an inspiration to us all,” Fiona said. “The poor lady lost her husband to the beast a month ago, but she hasn’t asked anyone for help or charity. She’s just been shouldering all of the responsibilities herself.”
Emily nodded. “That is impressive.” The four of them watched Fura in silence. Emily felt disappointed that they were not seated closer to the front, where she could see more than a slightly blurry outline of the woman. Fura twirled from one end of the stage to the other, then came to a stop with her feet still only half-touching the floor. Applause filled the room and beer mugs thumped against the table, including Jacob’s and Fiona’s.
Fura bowed and then leaped from the stage onto a nearby table, rattling it slightly without spilling anything, and just as quickly, her feet left the table and landed on another, and another. Emily saw her leap from a table nearby, right in their direction. Her table rattled from the impact and the empty space in front of her had been occupied by two very graceful feet, decked out in red nail polish. She blinked in surprise as she looked further up.
Fura was even more of a sight up close. At a distance, she’d appeared to wear nothing more than a red top and skirt, but up close, Emily spotted numerous rings, a criss-crossing of beads across her belly, as well as poofy sleeves and a covering for her upper-body, both made from a very transparent cloth. It hardly made a difference, since they were all clearly designed to draw attention to her body, rather than cover it up.
As her gaze went further up, she saw a heavily made-up face grinning down at her. “I see that we have newcomers,” she said in a friendly tone. She stood up straight without unbalancing the table and dipped into a theatrical bow. “Welcome to my inn.” She glanced back and forth between Emily and Sayuri and flashed them an approving smile. “You two look very interesting. I’m sure we’ll get along great.” However, Emily was feeling a bit. Every head in the bar was turned towards them and the sudden influx of attention made her feel uncomfortable. Fura sighed and turned to face them. “Show’s over everyone! Back to your drinks!” she shouted. Nodding everyone returned to their drinks, but a handful of them continued to peer her way.
“Sorry about that. Eyes tend to follow me wherever I go,” Fura stated as if she were talking about the weather. She looked Emily up and down. The natural intensity of her gaze left Emily wondering if Fura was either noting something about her outfit, or undressing her with her eyes. “Then again, it seems you have a taste for showy outfits as well,” Fura said with a pleased hum in her voice. By then, Emily knew it was the latter.
“D…don’t get the wrong idea,” Emily corrected, taking a step backwards and nearly bumping into a passing patron. “My clothes shrunk in a lake, and I haven’t been able to afford new ones yet. That’s all.”
Fura raised an eyebrow and grinned. “Well. I would call that a shame if that look didn’t suit you so much. Still, if it’s bothering you, I’m a pretty decent seamstress. Give me a moment to make a few measurements and I’ll have a dress ready for you in a couple of days. Come along sweetie.”
She leapt off the table and landed in a crouch on the wooden floor. She then straightened up and walked towards the bar’s entrance, motioning for Emily to follow without looking behind her. Emily watched her walk away. “Well, she certainly is… confident isn’t she?” she thought aloud.
“No doubt about that,” Jacob replied. “She’s taken the lead in every exchange I’ve ever seen between her and anyone else. I guess she’s just like that.”
Emily made a face. “It felt like she was flirting with me. I thought she used to have a husband.”
Jacob made a face of his own and nodded. “Yeah. She tends to be that way too whenever she’s around people. Boundaries really aren’t her thing.”
“So, what should I do?” Emily asked.
Jacob did a double take at the question. “What should you do!? Fura’s just taken an interest in you. In your shoes, I’d already be running after her, you lucky devil.”
Emily shrugged. “Well, if it’s for a free outfit, I might as well.” She turned to Sayuri. “Do you mind waiting for me?”
Sayuri turned to Jacob. “Actually, I was wondering if you could take me to the place where you ran into the beast. Do you remember where that is?”
Jacob nodded. “Of course! I’d never forget the place the place where I met Fiona. If it’ll help you, then let’s be off!”
Sayuri tried to puzzle around his wording, then got the hint as Jacob and Fiona got up from their seats and motioned for her to follow.
Meanwhile, Emily hurried after Fura. The dancer/innkeeper had taken her time walking to the entrance, so she was still within view. As Emily ran up to her, Fura giggled to herself, but did not turn her head. “You kept me waiting. I hope you appreciate what I’m doing for you.” Emily considered apologizing, but Fura’s tone betrayed no anger, and her words seemed to roll off the tongue like a cat’s purr, so Emily figured she was merely being toyed with.
Fura’s bountiful hips swayed as she walked, causing the tassels from her waist to slowly shift from side to side. As Emily looked further downward, she noticed that Fura still had her feet only half-planted on the ground. Her heels hung in the air and barely dipped with each step she took.
“Excuse me,” Emily began. “I can’t help but notice…”
“How I stand? Hmmm hmmm hmmm…” Fura giggled at Emily’s reaction. “Sorry, did I surprise you? I get that question a lot. When I studied dancing, I was taught that my heels slow me down when they’re rested on the floor, so I made a practice of keeping them up at all times. I move a lot faster when I’m already prepared to spring off the floor.”
Emily nodded. That sounded plausible, albeit harrowing. “Talk about dedication. It certainly paid off,” she said. “On that stage you were very light on your feet.”
Fura grinned. “An easy skill to pick up when you live a life that never lets you sit still.” She pushed aside a small door, revealing a wooden stairway that descended into a lit room. “This way.” She led Emily downstairs, moving with surprising speed even though she appeared to be walking at a leisurely pace.
Together, they emerged in a room that resembled a warehouse. It was made up entirely of hard wooden surfaces, with no furnishings whatsoever. Fura guided her to a corner of the room where a tall wooden post was embedded in the floor. Fura walked up to it and pried it from the floor. “This is where I’ll be measuring you. Undress and stand over there.”
Emily blinked. “Did you say ‘undress’?”
“Of course, darling,” Fura replied. “I need to see that fine figure of yours if I want to get the measurements for the dress right.”
Emily felt a hint of flattery from the compliment, then chastised herself for feeling it. She paused and looked hard at Fura, who grinned back without a trace of shame in her expression. As a nun, Emily had learned a number of ways to bring out the shame in people who had crossed their boundaries, but she felt like she’d met her match as she observed Fura’s carefree demeanor. “Ugh! Very well, but please, no more comments about my ‘fine figure’, ok?” Turning her back to the innkeeper, she slipped her feet out of her sandals, pulled off her tunic and undid her skirt.
As instructed, she walked over to the tiny hole in the ground where the post had been. “Arms out darling,” Fura said. Sighing, Emily complied. She held out her arms and tried not to feel like she was modeling for a painting. She felt a handful of fingers run through her red hair. “You’ve got lovely hair,” she heard Fura say.
“Focus on the measurements, PLEASE!” Emily snapped.
“I know just the dress to bring out hair like that,” Fura said. Emily held her position as Fura ran a tape measurer across her back, over her legs, and across her arms and made marks all over the nearby wall and floor. “Ok, let’s get that waist.” Emily felt the warmth from Fura’s body as she approached from behind and reached around Emily’s waist. It felt like an embrace.
She’s just measuring me. It’s nothing to worry about, she told herself. Then she heard a snap as the tape measurer broke in two.
“Rats!” Fura cursed. “I knew this thing was on its last legs. I figured I could at least get one more use out of it. Hold still for a second! I’ll be back with a new one.”
“Can I at least sit down?” Emily asked.
“Oh no. That would mess up the measurements. Just try to keep still. I’ll be back soon.”
Fura’s footsteps made no sound as she walked out, and Emily found herself standing completely still, and all alone with nothing to look at except the wall in front of her. The floor felt hard under her feet, and she shifted them back and forth, while doing her best to ensure that they always returned to the same spot. Barely a minute had passed before she began to wonder if Fura was still standing right behind her, taking in the view and silently laughing at her attempts to keep still.
She heard a sound: *mrrrowr*. She turned her head and saw a cat out of the corner of her eye. “Oh, hi there, kitty. I guess you escaped from the bar.” Emily was not much of a cat person, but until Fura got back, this cat was the best company she had available. It was a shame the cat couldn’t make dresses in Fura’s stead. The cat glanced sidelong at her and moved up to her. It rubbed its head against her ankle, which made her smirk from the soft tickle. “Heehehehe! Don’t do that okay? I’m trying to keep still! Nohohoho!” First one ankle, then the other. The sensation made her curl her fingers in frustration, but she willed her heels to remain still and eventually the sensation passed. “Phew! Cats,” she sighed. “Nothing but trouble.”
She felt a furry tail flick against the back of her leg. She tried to turn her head, then felt the light tickle of whiskers on her high instep, causing her to nearly jump. “Eeeep! Shoo! Shoo!” she bent over and tried to drive the cat off by waving her hands at it. The cat shot her an unimpressed look before returning to its business, and returning her to her ticklish struggle. It rubbed its head against her instep, tickling with its fur. “Nohohohogawd! Not thehehehere! Hahahaha! STOOOP!” she reached down to scoop up the cat, but it appeared to sense what she was doing and bolted before she could grab it.
It circled around her, hopping over her right foot. She tried to follow it with her arms, but the chase caused her to overreach. Her heartrate shot up as she felt her center of gravity slip away. She waved her arms, but it did little to stop her as her knees pitched forward, her heels lifted from the floor and she fell. “Oof!” She landed on her hands and knees and the cat meowed in amusement. “Defeated by a cat,” she murmured to herself sullenly. She secretly promised herself she would throw this cat out into the street once her measurements were done.
She dropped her forehead to the floor and sighed. Then, as she looked back behind her, she noticed her toes were still pressed against the floor, in the exact same position as they’d been before. There was hope for her after all. She took a deep breath and braced herself against the floor. All she needed was one precise push and she’d be back on her feet, in the exact same position where she’d started. Hopefully Fura would not notice if her arms were a bit out of place.
Of course, the cat, who seemed to have acquired a fondness for ruining her day, had decided to return for another pass. First she felt the whiskers again, in the worst of all places, the sole of her foot. The sensation sent a shiver across her shoulders. “Eeeeaahahaha! Whhyhyhy!?” she laughed, feeling a shudder as the cat rubbed against her brightly reddened sole. This was too perfectly sadistic to be an accident. The cat’s side was nestled comfortably against her arch when it did the unthinkable.
Perhaps it was just really fond of her, or maybe she’d stepped on a fish at some point today, or maybe the cat really was determined to ruin her day. Emily felt those insufferable whiskers again on the sole of her other foot, a harbinger of worse things to come, and it did not disappoint. Immediately after, something coarse and wet repeatedly ran from the ball of her foot to just below her heel.
“AAAAAGHAHAHAHA! NOHOHOHOHO YOU CAHAHAHAHAN’T BE SERIOUS! HAHAHAHAHAHA!” Emily shook her head, tossing about her red curls, and she banged her fist on the wooden floor. She tried to push herself up but her arms shook as she braced herself against the floor. She could not focus on anything except her feet and how badly she wanted to teach that cat a lesson. Also, the bed of fur resting just under her arch made an excellent demotivator.
“PLEHEHEASE GIVE IT A REHEHEHEST ALREADY!” she begged. Red in the face, and reduced to negotiating with a cat, Emily’s felt ready to give up. Forcing Fura to start the measurements anew felt like a small sacrifice compared to what she was currently going through. She knew she looked ridiculous as she knelt on all fours, buck naked. It was time for a shift in priorities.
Emily un-tucked her toes from beneath her foot and pushed back, shoving her feline tormentor away from her. Before the cat could recover, she scurried to the other side of the room and scrambled to her feet. “Get back! Away with you!” she snapped. The cat stared up at her, curious but uncaring. “I said GO!” she ran up and aimed a kick just close enough to send the cat running in the opposite direction.
As the cat rounded the corner and disappeared, she heard a familiar voice not far away. “Ruby, my baby! How did you get down here? Go back to your crate, okay?” Emily heard the jingling of loose bracelets and then Fura stepped into view. As she laid eyes on Emily, she covered her mouth, barely stifling a giggle. “I guess I kept you waiting too long, huh?” she snickered. “Aren’t you the impatient one?”
After all she’d gone through to hold her position, Fura’s teasing tone made Emily want to scream at her, but she bit her lip and forced herself to remain calm. “Where were you?” she asked. “Didn’t you hear me?”
Fura shook her head. “I keep my supplies stored away in another cabin. Sorry if I kept you waiting. The place was kind of a mess.” That sounded reasonable, but Emily needed someone to blame for what had happened to her. “Anyway, what was there to hear?”
She asked for it, not me, Emily rationalized. “Well, while you were out looking for more measuring tape, I had to stand completely still, while your cat came up and started…” Emily’s rant came to an abrupt halt and color returned to her cheeks. Back in the convent, talk like this would have gotten her sent to her room for a full day of cleansing penance. Part of her wanted to let Fura know exactly what she’d just been through, but the contents of the rant were just too embarrassing to talk about.
Fura stared at her with searching eyes. “Yes? My cat came up and…?” After a pause she sighed and slapped her forehead. “Oh dear. Ruby was being friendly again, wasn’t she?”
“More like sadistic. Do you know how much that fur tickled?” Emily winced. Just saying “tickle” made her throat dry up, but there wasn’t much left to hide at this point.
Fura laughed. “Oh, I know. You have no idea how many dance routines of mine she’s messed up during practice. Can you imagine trying to stand on your toes while a cat is brushing against your foot? I probably have her to thank for teaching me never to stay in one place for too long while I’m dancing. I try to keep her in a crate but she still leaves whenever she pleases. Nothing seems to get in her way when she wants something.”
“Sounds like a certain someone I just met,” Emily murmured, shooting Fura an irritated look. “I guess we’re going to have to start over with my measurements.”
“Oh no. Don’t worry about that. I left plenty of marks in the wood before I left. Heel position, toe position, head height, wing span… We should be able to pick up where we left off no problem.”
“But you…! But I just…!” Emily felt a mix of relief and outright fury, which ultimately left her at a complete loss for words.
“I know, I know, I told you to hold still,” Fura said with a dismissive nod. “I just wanted to see if you could actually do it.” She shot Emily a wink.
Emily sucked in her breath and tried to contain all the discomfort and anger inside her. She managed to keep her voice down, but could not hide the sharp edge in her tone. “I see. And did you also know that your cat would come in to harass me?”
“Of course not,” Fura replied. “Now, I have a busy schedule, so let’s get back to measuring. I’d be happy to keep up this banter, but running an inn by myself, is…”
“I GET IT,” Emily interrupted with a loud huff. If her irritation was bothering Fura in the slightest, it was not showing in that amused grin of hers. Emily let the subject drop. This was a battle she could not win. “Fine. Let’s continue then.”
Fura laughed. “Suit yourself, my peach.”
Clenching her teeth, Emily returned to her position.
* * *
“We’re almost there,” Jacob said as he led Sayuri into the woods. Sayuri struggled to keep up, but Jacob knew how to traverse woods far better than she did. Also, his leather boots handled the terrain far better than her clunky wooden sandals. Thankfully, it was no challenge to spot his bison-sized back in the distance as she stumbled over roots and walked into low-hanging branches.
She hurried around a thick tree trunk and ran right into Jacob’s back, but he did not appear to acknowledge her. He stood facing a clearing in the forest. His arms hung by his sides as he stared ahead. “Here it is,” he said. “The place where I first met Fiona… and… the beast.” He swallowed. “I’ll be over here if you need me.”
Sayuri held out her hand. “Please hold for a moment. I have a few questions.”
She could see the reluctance in his eyes as he considered her request. Whatever he’d seen here had left its mark on him. “Ok then. If it’ll help with the hunt. Please just make it quick.”
“Can you point to where the beast was standing?”
“Yes.” Jacob wandered over to the small clearing and approached a large tree. “Fiona lay up here, and the beast was where I’m standing.”
Sayuri nodded. “And when the beast ran off, which way did she run?”
Jacob took a few steps back. “Well, when I entered the clearing, I was standing… here.” He tried to keep calm, but Sayuri noticed a drop of sweat run down his forehead. “so…”
“It’s okay,” Sayuri reassured him. “That was then. You are safe now.”
Jacob nodded, then turned and pointed. “She ran off that way.”
“I see. Thank you. You have done your part. If you feel uneasy…”
Jacob shook his head. “Don’t mind me. I’m not going to miss the chance to see an exorcist in action.”
Sayuri crouched beside the ground. “Indeed, she was definitely here.”
Jacob scratched his head. “That was many months ago. Would her tracks still be here?”
“Not her tracks. However, she has left some magical residue. We were trained to track that sort of thing back at my academy.” She leaned close to the ground, and looked hard at it. It was invisible to the naked eye, but she could sense its presence as she got close to it. “This one has been around for a long time. I’ll need to use powerful tricks to trap this one.”
Taking slow steps, she followed the direction Jacob had pointed. Surprisingly, the tracks the beast had left were still visible. “Very interesting. This beast has lots of power in her legs. I’ll need to make a note of this.”
