YAMA-VIEW (author's note) No. 2

This is my second annotation for this first chapter. I'm here to explain what may be look as an inconsistency in the story: Yuki's look. As you already know, she's a kitsune, a yokai fox (refer to Glossary). Kitsune are in a category of yokai called OBAKE-shape sifters. Hence her appearance will vary from scene to scene, of course depending on the situation. But you'll notice a constant feature her white fur-hair in her human form-as I have stated I think in the glossary, in ancient Japanese myths kyubi-kitsune[9 tailed spirit fox] are described as having golden fur. So to make Yuki special amongst the special, I decided to make her fur white. Also when a kitsune transforms it does mostly into a female form independent of the gender of the fox. Same thing with possesions.

Be sure to check all the notes and the glossary for more exciting facts, stories and an inside view to book!!!

Chapter I: Kitsune through the mirror

Hidden in the mist Yuki dashed towards the place where she first encountered Princess Yukari. Mean time she -the princess- lay on her bed with a high fever, to her parents’ dismay only seemed to worsen. Even the royal palace doctors found themselves at odds in regards to her condition and concluded it was for the best to wait and see how her symptoms progressed. Tired of waiting, filled with a sense of powerlessness and impotence the emperor went to the temple’s main shrine to continue praying for his daughter’s well-being, as he had been doing every day. A tense and heavy atmosphere surrounded the temple when Yuki arrived; pulled by her curiosity she hopped inside and wandered around for a while until she saw the emperor and his wife near the main shrine; this is where the mirror that Yuki found was.

As she cautiously and stealthy approached the couple, she felt their sadness and sorrow as well as their desire to save their beloved child. Feeling compelled by the sincere desire of the aching parents, Yuki decide to take action and help them not knowing that the daughter in peril was none other than the one she was looking for!

Even though she was told by Maki not to approach the humans-remember we kitsune are yokai!!!-in the temple, she just ignored the order and transformed into a beautiful miko, then headed towards the depressed king and queen.

While trying to console her husband the queen saw a human figure approaching in the clearing mist.

Chapter I: Kitsune through the mirror

During that meeting a heated debate broke, regarding what should be done after this. One group favored to search for a new temple or shrine with a capable mirror; others said it was better to wait for the humans to leave so they could use the mirror. No consensus was achieved during the meeting; Maki then interrupted the dispute amongst the factions and ordered Yuki to further research the human presence in the temple and also to find a plausible secondary mirror to use. With this disposition the argument ceased and the tense atmosphere was blown away.

The following morning, just after dawn, Yuki left towards the temple. When she arrived, the temple was covered in mist that came from the near mountain range and partially covered the lake that neighbored the temple.

She waited until the mist subsided, to continue her plan. At the same time princess Yukari anxiously stared at the window as if she knew Yuki was near. Even though almost a mile apart they instantly recognized each other’s aura.

Several hours had passed since Yuki started her surveillance of the area; to her pleasure everything was the same as the day before. After meticulously revising the surroundings she decided to head into the temple.

Chapter I: Kitsune Through the mirror

As their eyes met, Yuki fled back to rendezvous with the pack and inform about that encounter. That first contact was favored by fate-at least that was what Maki later said she believed-became the turning point in Yuki’s life.

Just as sunset approached from the side of the neighboring mountains, she arrived at the kitsune layer. Even though tired from the long journey from the temple to the mountains, she rushed to the place where Maki rested and explained in a detailed report what had occurred.

While darkness took over the skies and the moon shined amongst its companion stars, they convened their daily meeting to listen to Yuki’s report. As she narrated the day’s events at the temple, many of the kitsune were stunned over such a close encounter between Yuki and the princess. After a moment of silence, Yuki rose and said “As our eyes met, I felt her heart calling out to mines. I felt no threat from her……………rather a warm feeling. I really wanted to get closer. It felt like another part of me was calling my return”-those words were engraved in the memory of those present, and kept in the heart of everyone that heard and narrated it.

YAMA-VIEW (author's note)

This script is basically free writing so you the reader can help me guide the story into awesomeness!! The glossary is constantly being updated, and when I feel some clarifications are necessary I'll post this Author's Note!!
Thanks to those of you who have taking there time to read this tale, I hope you're enjoying it so far, any ideas, please don't hesitate to cantact me at: yukinoeternanl.blizzard@gmail.com or living your comments in the blog!!


Thanks again to those reading this, :P

Chapter I: Kitsune Through the mirror

Once the pack agreed to search for the local gods, they waited till dusk to resume their march. A few minutes after night fall, the kitsune gathered in the outskirts of the village. It is from this moment on that my clan starts taking a leading role in this tale!

The pack leader Maki, called three kitsune to lead the search for the local deities. In case they got separated from them those squad leader could take control of the group and continue their endeavor. One of the kitsune called to lead was Yuki, a member of my clan and Maki’s youngest sibling. She was tasked with guiding the pack in this search, since gods live on a separate plane from humans and even yokai have a hard time finding local gods. Even amongst my clan Yuki was a special one. After only 300 years she was able to travel freely through water and other reflecting surfaces, such an accomplishment as most commonly achieved after at least 600 years, so basically those in my clan that can do that are generally roku-bi or shishi-bi. Since gods live outside of the human realm, the only way to reach them was through ponds and mirrors in their shrines. 

Even though Maki was a kyu-bi she had a hard time with this technique, that’s why she chose for that important role her most talented and youngest sibling. Yuki was best known for her completely white fur and her dark eyes and playful attitude. While Maki was known for her cool and collected way of being and seriousness as well by her golden fur and grey eyes, by all accounts an excellent leader. Yuki was responsible for transporting everyone through the mirrors in the shrines to land were the gods dwelled. That night Yuki led a group to search for the closest shrine, with a sufficiently large mirror so the whole pack could move through. About an hour into their excursion, the group returned with news, saying they found a good mirror and a pond that could be of use in a temple a couple miles away. 

Close enough to reach before dawn and far enough from the nearest village that the kitsune could use it in broad daylight. And so they ran through the land into the temple were the mirror and pond were said to be. When the group arrived the temple was empty, since it was just before dawn, at least that what they thought. The night before the king of Ren, arrived to the temple with her ill daughter, whose condition was diagnosed as terminal by the palace medics. So in a desperate tempt the imperial family traveled to the temple to pray for the health and life of the princess, whose name was Yukari. When the pack arrived the princess was playing near the pond when she saw Yuki, who was scouting the area.

Chapter I: Kitsune Through the mirror

Both groups parted ways as the mantle of the night approached them, one to north while to other pack went to the east in search for a place to rest and await news for as long as they could from the scouts. The territories to the east where the most peaceful ones, while the ones at the north east and south west were the ones most affect by the conflicts. As I’ve been told-as many times as I heard this tale-the trading routes, from ages before the kitsune arrival, were controlled by the small island kingdoms in the North East and South West, since those kingdoms were rich in precious material, mainly minerals essential for the trade and elaborations for the emperors and empresses garments used during ceremonies and daily life, all of them of course finely crafted. Ren was known throughout the world for its craftsmanship and the precious minerals found in its territory. Its mayor allies and trading partners were the neighboring kingdoms of Kio and Sai which are found in a northerly direction from Ren.

The now separated kitsune packs, tasked each one with an important labor, after moment of sadness and heartfelt goodbyes, between members of the different clans, we can say that our story truly begins. Now on their way to discover and understand the situation in the world that they arrived at, headed to unknown in search of answers and full of curiosity.

After several hours of travel, the group reached the kingdom of Ren. Several of the eldest kitsune transformed into human figures to move freely around the crowds while they searched for details of the status of the world. After several hours in a small town, which was a fishing community, they returned to the group and reported what they were told by the locals. They also took to the pack a newspaper whose main article was titled INPENDING WAR. We kitsune are yokai, so we normally don’t mingle with human affairs, thought it was a normal occurrence. But the group that went to town, moved and convinced by the arguments of the villagers argued that this was more than just a war period, but a time of chaos and unbalance that was harming not only humans but the entire realm. After hearing this, that expedition leader a female kitsune called Maki-the only kyu-bi on the group-asked the members: “then what do you propose we do?” After a small discussion amongst the intelligence gatherers, they proposed to seek the local deities and talk to them, that way both the kitsune’s and human interest could balance each other, which would later prove to be the foundation of long lasting symbiosis, between yokai, gods and humans.