Demon Gate

"I'm not nervous!" she protested, "it's just...I've never been around so many humans before. If you hadn't noticed by now, I don't attend many formal functions."

"Don't worry about it, everything will be fine. Just follow my lead. If you can teach me to hunt and cook, I can surely get you through one meeting."

They reached the edge of the treeline and emerged at the top of the terraces, the sprawling village spread out across the inclines below. The sunlight reflected off the rice paddies, their green stalks forming orderly rows, the lowlands visible in the far distance at the bottom of the valley. Higa took a moment to appreciate the view. It wasn't often that the day was clear enough to see so far, they could even make out the silver gleam of the snaking rivers that spread out across the plains.

"So, how does a human village compare to an Oni one?" Satou asked.

"It's smaller for a start. I suppose you don't get as much snow down here, everything is at ground level."

"Oni dwellings aren't on the ground?"

"They are, but they're raised on stilts, otherwise the snow would bury them."

"Interesting..." Satou muttered. "We'd better get moving, the Matsuyo delegation is probably here by now. My house is over there," he said as he pointed to the largest building. "Remember, just follow my lead and let me do the talking, unless they want to ask you a question directly."

He led her down the slope, the Oni having trouble keeping to the walkways between the paddies with her oversized feet. There were villagers working in the water, some of them staring in awe of the towering, red-skinned woman. Others quickly made for their homes, shutting the doors behind them and peering warily out of their windows as she passed by.

Satou noticed the kago that the Matsuyo family used to travel, they were empty, resting on the ground a short distance from the house. The bearers who were standing around them scattered as Higa came into view around the side of the building, her head high enough to skirt the roof, retreating to a safe distance. She seemed more amused than offended by their reaction, which was fortunate.

Satou knocked on the door, and after a moment his father opened it.

"Ah, Satou, right on time. The Matsuyo family has already arrived. Where is your..." He leaned out of the doorway, looking to and fro as he searched for Higa. It didn't take long for him to spot her, his eyes slowly climbing higher and widening as he examined the eight-foot Oni. "...friend..."

"Father, this is Higanbana, she is an Oni who hails from the mountain peak."

Even his father forgot his manners for a moment, staring at the giant figure, her white hair blowing in the wind.

"H-How do you do," he finally said, giving her a low bow along with the formal greeting. Higa looked to Satou for advice, and he gestured that she should do the same, so the giant Oni bent at the waist to return the greeting. "If you'd like to proceed inside," Satou's father continued, "we can get underway. I...uh..."

He sized up the doorway, realizing that there was no way to get Higa's massive frame into the house, she was far too tall and broad-shouldered. She could perhaps have crouched down and turned sideways, but even then there would be nowhere for her to sit, and it wouldn't be very dignified.

"Perhaps we should hold the meeting outside?" Satou suggested, "it's a nice day after all."

"Yes," his father replied, clearly relieved that Satou had suggested a solution to the problem. "I will fetch the other guests."

He went back inside and closed the door behind him, and after a couple of minutes, he emerged again. One by one the rest of Satou's family left the house, each one reacting with surprise when they looked over and saw the Oni. His brother Nishio seemed more awed than afraid, and his mother simply stared in disbelief. Next, the Matsuyos walked out into the sunlight, recoiling when they noticed the towering demon. It seemed that they hadn't brought their daughter, which was probably for the best. Not only would Higa have terrified her, but Satou didn't want to have to explain why he had rejected her hand in marriage...

They exchanged stilted greetings then assembled in a clearing near the house. The bearers brought pillows for the Matsuyos to sit on and a few of the villagers did the same. Before long everyone was seated in a circle, Higa towering over them, happy to sit cross-legged on the grass as she looked down on the humans in their formal kimonos. She seemed so out of place, yet her presence was commanding, making everyone else feel as small as they looked. His father cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention.

"Now that we are all assembled, let us begin the deliberations."

***

The discussion dragged on until the sun was just starting to dip behind the mountain, the two families going over the finer details of Satou's proposition, working out everything from trade routes to rice yields. Higa became more relaxed the more that people engaged with her, and soon she was discussing the treacherous climb to her village along with what logistical difficulties merchants might encounter during their journey. She was only a hunter, and so she didn't know too much about the financial details of her village. She knew the terrain better than anyone alive, however, and so her input proved more useful than Satou had anticipated.

The Matsuyos were receptive to the idea, as Satou had known that they would be. It just made too much sense to refuse. More than simply doubling the yield of rice and the size of the workforce by uniting the two farms, this way they could multiply their take by a factor of eight while having to make comparatively few changes. The merger between the two families would still happen of course, but later down the line as it was no longer a pressing issue. It seemed that his brother's marriage to Sasaki would not even be necessary for this new partnership, although it would be welcome.

The Oni was of course of great interest, and they quizzed her at length about the day to day activities of her village and the culture of her people. She explained how her settlement was located near the mountain's snowy peak, and how their large, stone dwellings were raised on stilts or perched atop the rocks to prevent them from being buried beneath the snow. Each house was equipped with its own fire pit, used for both heating and cooking, and thick fur coats kept them warm when they had to venture outside. It seemed that several generations ago, likely due to humans encroaching on their territory, the Oni had decided to live further up the mountain. Their existence had since passed into legend, living on only as myths and stories that most dismissed as either allegory or pure fantasy.

Her people might not have many of the amenities that were enjoyed in the shōen, they had no land suitable for farming up there, and they didn't engage in trade. But they had some advantages over their human neighbors. Higa's cudgel had been forged in their village, for example, which meant that the Oni had the ability to smelt their own iron. Currently, all of the iron tools that the shōen required had to be bought from merchants, and so that presented yet another opportunity for trade.

Satou was surprised that the two families had accepted Higa so quickly. While her appearance might be fearsome, once they had managed to get her talking it had been obvious to everyone that she wasn't a monster, but rather a perfectly reasonable and articulate woman. Their apprehension had melted away, replaced by a curiosity that Higa was more than happy to indulge. She was boisterous, she liked the attention, and it was the first time in many weeks that she had been able to talk to anyone besides Satou.

When the meeting was adjourned, everyone said their farewells, then the Matsuyos followed Satou's mother into the house. They would stay overnight again and return to their own village in the morning, the mountain paths were treacherous in the dark. Satou got up to leave, gesturing for Higa to follow, knowing that he was not wanted in his family's home. He didn't let it bother him. There was nowhere that he would rather be than sleeping beside Higa in her patchwork tent.

He made his way back towards the edge of the forest, heading in the direction of Higa's camp, but he was stopped by a figure that emerged from one of the houses. He paused, gesturing for the Oni to stop, worried that one of the superstitious old women was about to pelt his companion with soybeans as part of some banishing ritual.

Instead, Nagao emerged from the shadows.

"Nagao!" Satou exclaimed, "I was worried that I might not get to see you again before I left."

The old man looked the Oni up and down, his expression remaining neutral.

"Miss," he began, "I've seen a lot of strange things in my years. But you're by far the most unusual thing I think I've ever laid eyes on."

"Uh, thank you?" she replied hesitantly. The old farmer turned his attention back to Satou, his wrinkled face breaking out into a smile.

"Looks like you didn't get this Oni business out of your system like I had hoped, young Satou. I suppose it can't be helped. Now this unfortunate woman is stuck with you. At least your sons will be stout and healthy, that's all a man can really ask for in this world." Satou gestured hurriedly for Nagao to be quiet, Higa already starting to laugh. "Looks like I don't have to keep your secrets anymore, and rumor has it that your brother is going to be taking up your mantle and leading the shōen in your stead. It's a shame, that. He's a bright boy, but you've proven your worth as a leader. Is it true that we won't be paying taxes to the crooks down in the lowlands any longer? That my family will soon be able to eat rice and venison every night?"

"If all goes according to plan," Satou replied with a nod.

"That'll be another new sight for these old eyes."

The two friends embraced, then Satou and Higa continued on their way. As the pair reached the edge of the forest, he heard someone call his name.

"Wait Satou!"

He turned and was surprised to see his father making his way up the terraces towards him. He looked at the man in confusion, waiting for him to catch his breath.

"I wanted to tell you," his father continued, "that I may have acted...rashly. I thought that you had forsaken your family and your responsibilities, that you had rejected everything that your mother and I had tried to teach you. That wasn't the case, I see that now. Even after we let you storm off into the woods, you still found a way to help your shōen. If this...woman," he said as he gestured towards Higa, "means so much to you that you would go against the wishes of your family...then I cannot stand in your way. You can return home if you so choose, we could even build accommodations for Miss Higanbana if she wishes to remain here with you."

"Thank you for the offer," Higa said before Satou could reply. "But I have my own duties to attend to. I must return to my village to relay your proposition, and then once the hunting season ends, I won't be coming back down the mountain until the following year."

"But it doesn't have to be permanent," Satou added, looking up at Higa. "What if during the hunting season, you and the other hunters set up camp in our village? We're right in the middle of the forest, you'd have access to the whole mountain without fear of being driven off. It's better than being out on your own in the wilderness, right? We have food, shelter, everything you'd need."

"I suppose," she replied, considering. "It would give us access to new hunting grounds too. I'll suggest it to the elders when I arrive at the village."

"And until then?" Satou's father asked.

"Until then I'm staying with Higa," Satou announced, giving her a pat on the thigh. "I'll return to her village by her side."

"You did always talk about wanting to scale the peak," his father replied. "Very well, you have my blessing."

They exchanged one last formal goodbye and then his father turned back, Satou and Higa heading off into the forest. Satou could scarcely believe what he had just heard. His father never apologized, and he had never known the man to change his mind once it was set.

"That went pretty well," Higa said once the village was out of view behind the dense trees. "When I left my village at the start of the season, I didn't imagine I'd be serving as an ambassador."

"I think I've finally earned my father's respect," Satou replied, "and all it took was me disgracing the family and running into a mythical creature in the woods. If only I had thought of that earlier..."

She gave him an affectionate pat on the head.

"Are you sure you want to come back to the village with me? It's a long hike up and down the mountain, and it's going to be pretty cold at the summit."

"Yeah, I want to stay with you," he replied without hesitation. "And when I say that I want to stay with you, I kind of mean...long term. Is that something you'd be okay with?"

She scratched her chin, feigning indecision for a few moments as he looked on.

"Well...you are more portable than an Oni bed warmer, so you've got that going for you." She grinned at him as he trotted along beside her, peering up at her expectantly. "Aww hell kid, you look like a lost puppy, how can I say no to those eyes? My life would get pretty boring and lonely without you around anyway. At least I'll have someone to stoke the fire pit in my hut when I'm out gathering wood."

"You mean it? You really want me to stay with you?"

"Sure, you can travel with me when I'm hunting, and you can stay with me in the village if you think you can cut it. Don't worry, I won't let anyone snack on you when the venison starts to run out. You'll be able to visit your family again when we set up camp in your village. You have to do something for me first, though."

"Anything!" Satou replied excitedly.

"Recite your poem again, the one that you left for me on the rock when we first met."

"O-Oh," he stammered, his cheeks already starting to flush. "I'm not sure that I remember it..."

"Of course you do. You wrote it, didn't you? And knowing you, I bet you agonized over every line for hours."

She laughed at his expression, knowing that she was entirely correct. He had poured his heart into that love letter, as if perfecting every word would somehow cause her to fall madly in love with him. In a way he hadn't been wrong, it was only because of that poem that they were together right now, it had been the catalyst that had set all of these crazy events in motion.

He began to speak, Higa smiling as she listened to him.

"I chanced upon you in the pool, the shimmering water a reflection of your beauty. Skin the color of fire and passion entranced me, like no one had before. I would weather the blows of your mighty cudgel, for just a moment of your company."

Satou wasn't sure that the Oni would ever admit it, but he could see how his words warmed her, the way that her mischievous grin took on a more sincere and sentimental quality.

"You dork," she giggled, patting him on the back and very nearly knocking him off his feet. "You're a cute dork though. Real cute. Let's hurry back so that we can put that silver tongue of yours to better use..."

THE END