Demon Gate

When she finally broke away, she left him red-faced and gasping, her taste still lingering on his lips as she slid back down into the water. When he recovered enough to open his eyes and get his bearings, she had submerged herself up to the neck, her alluring body once again hidden just out of sight. It was maddening.

She dunked her head for a few moments, her white hair floating on the surface like a giant, furry lily. When she emerged again, she splashed the cold water on her face with her hands, shaking her head like a wet dog.

"D-Did I do something wrong?" Satou asked, rubbing his arm nervously as he sat on the shore beside her.

"No, you did something right," she replied. "I gotta cool off, or I might..."

Satou blushed again as she trailed off, the implication conjuring sordid images of her red, shining body moving atop his own. He willed his conspicuous erection to recede, resting his hands in his lap again in a futile attempt to conceal it.

"It's not quite locking horns," she said, "but it's better than a poem."

"You didn't steal my first kiss," Satou said, "you aren't taking advantage of me. I wanted you to have it...I want you, and if you want me too then why shouldn't do we this?"

"Do what?" Higa asked. "You don't even know, do you?"

He shook his head, and she looked over her shoulder at him, attempting to slick back her mass of wet hair and failing.

"I guess that's one of the things I like about you, I can't question your motives. Most guys just want a quick roll in the furs with me, and there's nothing wrong with that. But you...you wouldn't even know what to do with me, you just know that you want me. I like that, it's...innocent. But listen, kid. I'm an Oni, you're a human. A naive one at that. Even I don't know exactly how this will work, it might not go the way that you expect."

"I don't care," he blurted, "if my father refuses then...I'll run away!"

Higa threw her head back and laughed again.

"You thought I was talking about marriage? I was talking about...never mind. See, this is what I mean, you're so naive it hurts. But it's cute, really cute." She reached over and playfully pulled him into the water, Satou surfacing with a gasp. "Marriage is a bit premature, but I can show you a whole lot more than kissing. Would you like that?"

He nodded, and she shot him another toothy grin.

"I see that you took my advice to heart," she added "you're learning to assert yourself. I'll make a little Oni out of you yet."

She splashed him, and he splashed her back, the two laughing as they showered one another with water. When he tired, Satou drifted closer to her, sitting at her side as she wrapped an arm around him again. It seemed like the dynamics of their relationship had changed, in a good way. He got the impression that she saw him differently now, less of a source of entertainment, and more...something else. He couldn't believe that he had kissed her like that, the fresh memories of what they had done flashing through his mind. He could still feel her tongue moving inside his mouth, he could still taste her.

It had felt good to take initiative, it bolstered his confidence. If he could kiss an Oni, then maybe he could stand up to his father too? He was certain now that he couldn't marry Sasaki. If he did, he would spend the rest of his days pining for Higa.

"We should dry off," she said, shifting as she began to climb out of the pool. Satou averted his eyes reflexively as the mass of red muscle rose from the water beside him, stepping onto the shore and making for her pile of discarded clothes. "I need to do some more hunting before the sun sets. Want to come along?"

"I do," Satou sighed, "but I can't be away for too long. If my father comes to check on me and notices that I'm missing, there will be hell to pay."

"Alright, little Satou. Run off home then. You said that you could visit me at night, right?"

"I did," he replied, keeping his eyes on the forest across the pool.

"Come see me tonight," she said. "Think you can find my campsite again?"

"Probably," Satou replied. He had visited it only once, but he had a pretty good idea of where it was in relation to the sluice gate.

"Consider it a test then," she said as she dried herself off with her furry cloak, "come find me when the sun goes down. I'll be waiting."

***

"You took your time," Nagao said, shielding his eyes from the rays of the setting sun as Satou emerged from the forest. He was coated in sweat, breathing hard, doubling over as he came to a stop beside the old man. Nagao waited for him to catch his breath, leaning on a recently planted fence post.

"So, did you have fun with your Oni friend?" Satou's grin told him everything that he needed to know, and he shook his head in exasperation. "And here I was thinking that you'd get her out of your system, but now you look happier than ever. You're lucky that your father hasn't been back to fetch you yet. Here," he said as he threw him the hammer. Satou caught it, standing and wiping his brow.

"Thanks, Nagao, I got back as quickly as I could."

"Well? Are you going to tell me what happened?" the old man asked as he readied the next post. Satou lifted the hammer and gave it a tap, driving the post into the earth.

"I think she likes me. She asked me to visit her campsite tonight, I'm going to slip away once my parents have fallen asleep and go to her."

"Really? Well good luck to you, young Satou. It sounds like you're in for quite the night. How...large is she exactly?"

"Maybe eight or nine feet," he said as he gave the post another whack.

"I...see, quite the night indeed..."

"Satou!"

He turned, hearing someone calling his name from further up the terraces. It was his father, come to fetch him for supper no doubt. Satou exchanged a glance with Nagao, he had beaten his father by only a minute or two. If he had dawdled on his way back down the mountain, then he would have been discovered.

"You look like you've been working hard," his father said as he came to a stop beside the pair, appraising the fence. "You've certainly earned a break. Nagao, how are you?"

The old man bowed low, addressing Satou's father in a formal manner.

"My family and I are well, thank you. Your son is a fine worker."

"Good to hear, good to hear. Come Satou, your mother has prepared supper."

"Yes, father," Satou replied as he shared another glance with Nagao. The old man winked at him, ever faithful to his word, and Satou waved farewell as he followed his father up towards their house.

CHAPTER 6: LOCKING HORNS

Satou boiled with conflicting emotions. He was elated, his heart still racing after his encounter with Higa. He couldn't keep his mind off her even for a moment as his family chatted around the table. Whenever he closed his eyes, all that he could see was her red skin and her white hair. He could still taste her lips, feel the smoothness of her body, like an afterimage that lingered in his mind.

But at the same time, his gut was twisted with dread. Like a charging ox headed towards a cliff, he knew that he would soon plunge over the precipice. Conflict with his family was inevitable. There was a heat inside him now, rising up from his belly, a sort of reckless and urgent need to get it over with. Like amputating a gangrenous limb, it was better to do it fast, before the rot spread.

He knew now that he could never marry Lady Sasaki. It was not uncommon, it was even expected for those of the upper classes to seek pleasure outside of their marriage, especially when it had been arranged with someone that they didn't get along with. Wives were for reproducing with, concubines and prostitutes were for pleasure. Satou could probably get away with sneaking off to see Higa even after his marriage to Sasaki and nobody would question it.

But that wasn't what he wanted. His sense of honor commanded him to marry the Oni if she would have him, nothing less would do. If she refused his hand, then he would accept the consequences willingly, as his life would have lost all meaning. He could not pursue two women, however. Nor could he have two wives, even if one of them was in name only. It was all or nothing, he would either have what he most desired, or he would lose everything.

He had thought long and hard about it. In the worst case scenario, the marriage would have to be delayed until his brother came of age, and he would have to marry the girl in Satou's stead. The practice was known as gyauenkon, and it was common in circumstances where the older brother was killed or otherwise rendered unable to fulfill his marital obligations. The shōen would not suffer because of him.

It was time.

Satou stood, clearing his throat, his family setting down their cups and chopsticks as he got their attention.

"Mother, father, I have something to announce."

They shared surprised glances, his younger brother watching curiously. The words were so hard to find, sticking in his throat like honey, but he mustered all of his willpower. It was just like the kiss, he had to take charge, he could do this...

"What is it, Satou?" his mother asked.

"I do not intend to marry the Lady Sasaki."

There was a moment of shocked silence, and then his mother bowed her head, covering her mouth with the long sleeve of her kimono. His father's face began to redden, his brow furrowing as he glared across the table.

"What!?" his father spat, as much disbelief in his voice as there was anger. "What are you saying!?"

"I do not love the Lady Sasaki," Satou explained, struggling to keep his voice from wavering. If his years of social conditioning had imbued him with any kind of skill, it was the ability to go through the motions, to speak clearly and concisely when he needed to. The more he tried to think of this as some kind of formal function, the easier it became.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing," his father replied. "We've raised you for nearly two decades to respect this family, to understand your place in society, to put the honor and the needs of your shōen above your own desires. And this is the result? You reject everything that we have taught you, all of our values!?"

His mother was still covering her mouth, shocked by his declaration, looking away as if she didn't want any part in the argument that was beginning. His brother glanced between Satou and his father with frightened eyes.

"You will marry the Matsuyo girl," his father ordered, slamming his fist on the table and shaking their bowls of soup. "I will not allow you to tarnish this family's good name, the name that your grandfather toiled to elevate. We have made agreements, plans, I can't believe that you would act so...so selfishly!"

"Selfish!" Satou exclaimed, his father recoiling as if he had been struck by a blow. "I was never asked, you just planned out the rest of my life without even consulting me. Have I not been a good son? Have I not been obedient? Have I not done everything that you have asked of me up to this point? Now I ask one thing in return, the right to choose my own wife, and you won't even consider it?"

"This isn't about what you want, Satou. This is about our family, our shōen. The future of our community depends on this union, you told me that you understood that."

"You keep telling me that family must come first, even if it makes me miserable. I can't marry Sasaki, I'm in love with someone else. I will leave if that's what you want, you can pretend that I never existed or that I was killed if it will preserve your status, but I cannot go through with this marriage."

"And where does that leave you?" his father asked. "Do you think that come together in passion and stay together in tears was a joke? Something that I tried to instill in you for fun? Look what your passion has brought you," he said as he gestured towards Satou's mother, who was now sobbing quietly into her sleeve. "Marriage is not about love. Reckless romances tear apart families and end noble lineages. You will do your duty, or so help me..."

"What?" Satou asked with a shrug, "what can you take from me that I would not give up willingly? I will renounce my name and my inheritance if necessary, you still have a male heir in my brother Nishio. I will give it up gladly if it means that I can't marry Sasaki."

"That would make you an outcast, a barukamin," his father snapped. "You'd be no better than someone who carries away corpses or collects the night soil from privies."

"What will we tell the Matsuyos?" his mother wailed. Her words stung, not because of how upset she was, but because her primary concern was for their family's relationship with the Matsuyos rather than for the welfare of her son. He had hoped that she might support him, she had always seemed more sensitive than his father, but it seemed that his hopes had been misplaced.

"Tell me who this girl is," his father snapped, standing so hastily that he almost knocked the table over. "Tell me who she is, and I'll have her family exiled into the wilderness."

"You can't exile her," Satou laughed, growing bolder the longer their confrontation went on. "She doesn't live in the village, she is an Oni who came down from the mountain."

His father hesitated, confused, his mother looking up from her sleeve.

"Oni...aren't real," his father insisted. "Do you dare to lie to me Satou? Is there no dishonor that you won't stoop to?"

"She's as real as you or I," Satou said, "I met her when I was tasked with opening the sluice gate."

"It must be true," his mother said, choking back her tears. "It's a yokai, a demon has bewitched our son and turned him against us!" She resumed her sobbing, covering her face, his father not knowing how to respond.

As bad as Satou felt, there was also a kind of elation, a relief now that he had finally come clean and his secret was out in the open. It felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He was now free to do as he pleased, for the first time in his life he could go where he wanted and do what he wanted. Nobody would be able to stop him, he no longer had anything to lose, and thus there was nothing more to fear.

"I have never felt such shame," his father spat, Satou staring him down across the table. It was as though nothing that Satou had done up to this point had counted for anything. A lifetime of obedience and respect, and all that his family could focus on was a single incident of rebellion. Rebellion which could not be more justified from Satou's perspective.

He turned around, storming out of the house and making for the sluice gate. His father followed after him, but his mother fell to her knees, clinging to her husband's leg and preventing him from pursuing their son.

"Let him go," she begged, "he may yet come to his senses!"

A few of the villagers who were still working the fields nearby or carrying sundries to and fro paused to watch the commotion, Satou keeping his eyes fixed on the forest as he marched away from the village. He vanished between the trees, the shadow of the mountain looming over him.

***

The sun had dipped behind the mountain, casting the valley into darkness as Satou stumbled through the dense forest. He had followed the stream up to the sluice gate and then he had tried to retrace his steps back to Higa's campsite, but he was starting to think that he was lost. He just kept walking, he was giddy, full of nervous energy. He had really done it, he had really stood up to his parents. He had no clue what was going to happen now. He dared not turn back, at least not until his father had been given enough time to cool off. Would they even take him back after what he had done? It was impossible to know.

The snowy peak of the mountain was visible through the canopy here and there, so it was impossible to get completely turned around. It would be best to just keep heading in the same direction.

Satou froze, listening intently. Something large was moving around nearby, he could hear it crushing fallen sticks and rustling the undergrowth. He felt a pang of fear. Could it be a bear? He looked around for a nearby tree to climb, but before he could make his move, a large furry mass burst out from between the trees a short distance ahead of him. It charged towards him, impossibly fast for a beast of that size.

He turned to flee, but it was too fast, and he felt something wrap around his body and lift him off the ground.

"Looks like I caught me a little lord," Higa said, throwing her fur cloak back to reveal her red skin and laughing as he kicked his feet in the air. "I wondered what kind of animal could be making that much noise."

"Damn it, Higa, you scared the life out of me!"

She set him back on the ground, and he turned to glare up at her, brushing himself off.

"So what brings you back to the mountain so soon? I wasn't expecting to see you for a while yet, I was going to do some more hunting before you came back. Did something happen?"

"I told them," he declared. Higa's yellow eyes widened, reflecting what little light was available like those of a cat, and she planted her hands on her wide hips as she looked him up and down.

"I knew you had it in you, but I'm impressed, Satou. How did they react?"

"Uh...not well," he replied, wringing his hands. "They didn't kick me out, I left on my own, but I don't know if I can go back. At least not right now. My father was furious, my mother wept..."

Higa cocked her head, her expression sympathetic.

"All of this upset on my account," she muttered, "I'm not sure that I'm worth it."

"Of course you're worth it," he insisted, "and this isn't your fault. I never wanted to marry the Lady Sasaki," he added bitterly, his brow furrowing. "Meeting you didn't change that, it just gave me the confidence to stand up for myself."

She smiled and reached down a massive hand to mess up his hair.

"Let's get you back to my camp, I'll make you some tea. You'll feel better with something warm in your belly. You can tell me all of the juicy details on the way."

He nodded, following behind her as she turned and headed back into the dark forest.

***

Satou lifted the steaming cup to his lips and took a draw from it. The tea was brewed with wild herbs, and its flavor was mild, calming him as the warmth spread through his stomach. The cup was too large for him, more the size of a bowl, but Higa didn't have anything that was more appropriate for someone of his stature.

"Human family dynamics are...confusing," she said, sitting beside him as the fire pit in front of them crackled. She took a sip from a saucer of sake, the alcohol warming her in a different way, looking up at the moon as it cast them in its pale light.

"What are Oni parents like?" Satou asked, setting down his beverage on the grass and looking up at her.

"My parents wouldn't care who I married," she replied with a shrug, "Oni don't have complex lineages and political unions like your kind do."

"It's only really the upper classes who do that," Satou added, "the peasants can marry who they want most of the time. Like my friend Nagao said, there's balance in all things. They might not enjoy the luxuries and privileges that a Shogun does, but at least they're free to love whoever they want."

"So are you now," she chuckled, nudging him with her elbow. "You gave up your name and inheritance. Assuming that they take you seriously, you're as free as a peasant as of tonight."

"I guess you're right," he mused, taking another drink from his bowl as he stared into the dancing flames.

"Aren't you going to miss your silk pillows and your servants?"

"I don't think you have a very clear picture of what my family does," Satou laughed, "we're just farmers. I never had silk pillows or servants, or anything like that. But even if I did, that life doesn't suit me. I want to be out here under the stars, I want to wander the forests and scale the peaks, like you."