The Legend of Akikumo by Dani Hoots

Author:Dani Hoots
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Japanese mythology, shinto, inari, akikumo, kitsune, okami, kami, shrine, japan, Japanese, mythology
Publisher: Dani Hoots
Published: 2020-09-14T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

October 1590 (Azuchi-Momoyama Period)—Odawara

THE GENTLE LEAVES BEGAN to fall, painting the forest a beautiful hue of orange and red. The air was crisp and smelled of fallen leaves and soaked earth. The color of nature matched my fur, and I turned into a full animal to disappear in a pile of leaves. Akikumo laughed as I stuck my head out.

“I bet you can’t see me!”

“Even if I might not see you, I most definitely can hear you.”

I jumped out of the leaves and frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He bent down and rubbed the top of my head. “That you are a typhoon in a kitsune’s body.”

I ran back into the pile of leaves. “Yeah, well, you won’t be able to find me if I stay quiet!”

“Is that a challenge?” Akikumo asked as he transformed into his wolf form.

I didn’t answer but kept running into the woods. I would need to be quiet if I wanted to lose him and prove that I too could be an exceptional hunter.

So far I hadn’t won, but today would definitely be my day.

I was smaller than Akikumo, so I had that going for me. I darted through the bushes, hoping Akikumo couldn’t follow.

Knowing him, though, he would find a way.

I heard rabbits and birds running in opposite directions, hoping I wasn’t after them. Although I was peckish, I didn’t feel like hunting. No, I wanted to prove once and for all that I could win a game against Akikumo. If I could beat a kami, then I was unstoppable.

I zigzagged around, keeping an ear out for Akikumo. Thus far I hadn’t heard any sound coming from him, but unlike him, I didn’t possess acute hearing. I would have to increase the distance between the two of us in order to really hide.

A few minutes passed, and I felt that I had run enough. I jumped into a pile of leaves under a tree and made sure all my fur was covered. I waited a bit, listening to see if Akikumo at least figured out the area I had hidden. If I was lucky, it would take him a while.

But I was never that lucky.

It wasn’t long before Akikumo came walking into the area, his yellow eyes scanning all around. I stayed quiet and tried to control my breathing even though I was out of breath from running so long.

“I wonder where Ketsue-chan could be... I guess she isn’t in this area. I should probably head back.”

I snickered a little and watched as the white wolf before me turned back around and leaped at the pile of leaves I was hiding in.

“Gotcha!”

We laughed as we tumbled around the forest floor, leaves messing up both our fur. I couldn’t stop giggling as Akikumo flung leaves on top of me.

“Fine! You win!” I tried to knock the leaves off of me, but Akikumo kept grabbing a bite with his mouth and flinging them in my direction.

“I have no idea what you mean. I don’t see you—you blend in too much with the surrounding.

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