What Happiness I Can Muster - Scroll VIII

Scroll VIII: Steel Blue Howl

For the past few weeks I have been venturing to the Servant’s Quarters in secret and it’s becoming an even more welcoming and warming experience every night. It’s nice to have something to look forward to and to have new companions to talk with. Though, I am not yet comfortable in revealing my sudden downfall so I have made Semiko promise not to tell until my say so. I do not want them to pity me as such. I just hope these moments last for what time I have. From what my father has reported the ceremony with be held in the land of Setsuna, in the Emperor’s Palace, in which Takemaru will soon take the throne. Along with me. The date still unknown as to when. It’s practically torturing me that I do not know of when my fate is sealed! My father can be very unpredictable with certain activities such as this.

Izayoi stops from the sudden torch relighting within her yet again. She has had to slowly teach herself to calm her nerves. Slowly inhaling and exhaling she makes little blows out from her lips, her mind calming down. The day had been lazy and long along with the humidity. The Lady’s bangs and the scalp of her hair even took a toll, giving it a slight greasy look that it not suite well with her….at all! If she presented herself like this to a certain soon-to-be mother-in-law it would not smooth well. This gave less self-confidence in herself. Her eyes downward to the paper and continues.

I need to stop thinking of emotions that shall bring me down to this misery. I could still have a brighter future even if I do go on with the marriage…right? Am I thinking of too many negative thoughts on this…please what can I-

A gust of wind suddenly bursts inside from the open screen door. It flickers out her remaining candle as it hits behind her with a whooshing sound. The immediate darkness blackens her sight but she could hear the flapping of her scroll as she cautiously plants her hands over it. Careful not to smear the ink. Waiting for the air to settle down she opens her eyes and awaits for them to adjust, in which didn’t take long at all. Her head rises to see a stream of smoke slither up from the candle’s tip. Checking to see no smudge on her work she makes a small sigh. She could almost see all her symbols perfectly from the glow behind-

A howl.

Her head snaps behind her crouching form, her spine then straightening as she quickly moves half her body towards the piercing sound. Finger tips touching the smooth wood floor. She just froze and listened; her eye paying full attention to the outside world. The moonlight giving out a touch silvery/blue to her pale skin as the howl grows stronger. Holding firmly into the air the cry lengths out and echoes out for miles. Beautiful, powerful, fierce, and inspiring to her ears.

As it dimmers down from the night sky she could still hear it echo in her ears after it was long gone. Remembering how it flowed like silk over the moon. The moon. The princess glances up at the light as the moon was shining at its brightest; illumining all over her room in a majestical welcome.

A Full moon.

You could hear the alarming hollers of the guards and visitors in the palace. Some annoyed or plain terrified. Why should they be scared? It was nothing more than a wolf perhaps? My lady had heard several howls though this one was more…overwhelming. Could it have really come from that of a demon? A man barges from his room from across the garden; his hair was spiked up from his usual attire that she had seen this afternoon. It made her giggle in the inside as his voice grumbles, “damn dogs!”

An Inu !?! Izayoi’s heart skips! Yes, she knew of them. Vicious, merciless creatures they were and were practically the root of all evil to the eyes of many. Though it was rare to hear from one; last time she got any evidence from them was years back. Izayoi knew about wolf demons but they settled in the mountainous areas, too far from here to detect a cry from. All that surrounded them were lush plains and sharp pointed hills.

What are they doing here!? I hope whatever it is, wolf or dog, that it doesn’t mean harm. *sigh*… course it does. You don’t know the reason why they even howl! Hn…I guess it can’t be helped can it? Either way it was a graceful sound. Maybe they’re right when they say that demons

Can have the will and power

To drive humans

To

Them