My Soul Will Find Yours

Hahaue and chichiue[1] gifted me a cat when I was still four. The palace kids refused to play with me because their mothers would tell them ridiculous stories about me being part oni[2]; looking back, I realized that their made up tales were most likely borne from their jealousy towards me and mother. I don"t mean to brag but we were father"s favorites. Even if hahaue was his fifth wife and I was his fourth son, we were his number one.

When I first saw the little ruffian that was to be my first and only best friend, I was in awe. His fluffy black hair was beautiful, the pads of his feet reminded me of beans, and his raspy meow melted my little heart. Because we had the same eye colors, I decided to name him Kan-chan. Kan-chan and I were inseparable. We ate, slept, and even bathed together; the latter activity horrified mother because she has never heard of a cat bathing but when she saw how much Kan-chan enjoyed being in the tub with me, she relaxed.

His presence in the palace did not stop the bullying, it only intensified it. I didn"t mind, simply because I now had a friend who would accompany me wherever I went. I think Kan-chan was a human in his past life because whenever I"d cry to him about one of father"s other wives treating me unfairly, he would look at me with his wise eyes as if telling me not to worry. Every time he witnessed the cruelty I was subjected to, he would run to hiss and scratch and bite whoever was hurting me. If he"s not yet satisfied, he would leave a surprise on their bedsides the next day. Sometimes it was a dead rat, sometimes it was a headless bird, and when he"s feeling especially naughty, a dying snake he ambushed in the garden.

Kan-chan unfortunately died when I was about to be appointed as the next shogun. I cried like a baby when he took his last breath, the palace physicians said he died due to the complications brought by his old age. I still miss him everyday but knowing that he lived a life full of adventures and mischief with me, I would immediately have peace of heart.

I got up from the chair I was sitting on and hurriedly paid for my food and drink. Following the screams I was hearing, I found myself in the alleyway next to the izakaya[3] I just left. There, I found a heavyset man in his late fifties holding a white cat by its tail while hitting its backside with a bamboo stick.

"Oi, old timer! Are you so bored that you"d hurt a cat?" I said to announce my arrival.

"Mind your own business, kid! It"s not you who just lost his evening meal to this vermin!" the man smacked the cat again, the poor animal cried and tried to break free from his grip by swinging its exposed nails. Unfortunately, its abductor was holding it in such an angle that its paws only hit air.

"Let the cat go and I"ll pay for your meal."

"Haha!" the fat b.a.s.t.a.r.d laughed. "You won"t be able to afford it even if you work for the shogun for a day!"

"Oh?" I was suddenly tempted to remove my eye piece to let him know who exactly he was talking to. "How much was it? Maybe I have enough with me to compensate you."

"Forget it, kid!" he was about to hit the cat again when I flicked a shuriken[4] at him. Its blades were dipped in a solution that could leave one paralyzed for half a day. The blade lodged itself on the hand that he was using to hold the cat.

"Argh!" he grunted, let go of the cat, and slumped on the floor.

"I asked you kindly but you didn"t listen," I walked towards him to retrieve my shuriken carefully before placing five gold coins on his lap. "Don"t worry, you"ll be back to normal after half a day."

I walked to where to cat was licking its wounded b.u.t.t, I reached inside my robe and gave it the half eaten fish I took with me from the bar. "Here you go," the cat sniffed the air suspiciously before taking cautious steps towards the fish. As soon as its little mouth clamped down on the meat, I let go of it and stood up.

"Speak," I commanded, the old man who was slumped on the floor looked at me weirdly.

A third man appeared out of nowhere and paid his obeisance. "Great leader, we have received news from the castle that your niece has been abducted by the Three Riding Brothers. They are currently in the pine forest located in the town"s southeastern end."

"Hmm. Don"t these people learn?" I said before I disappeared in the shadows with my subordinate. The old man from earlier shuddered and couldn"t believe his eyes, how could two men disappear just like that?

~~~

I got on my waiting stallion and went to the location my shadow guard told me. Kuro, the black beast I was riding, ran as fast as the wind. I lightly pressed his sides with my legs when the pine forest came into view. The immense speed he showed earlier immediately turned into a soundless trot.

I listened carefully for any sound. Halfway through the forest, I heard the boisterous laughter of three men. I reached down and patted the muscular chest of my ride, signaling him to stay where we were. I got off Kuro and stealthily climbed a nearby tree. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw four of my men do the same.

A couple of feet from where I was hidden, three men were starting to build camp. One was starting a fire while the two a.s.sembled a makeshift tent. Their clothes were as filthy as their skin and hair. I heard a faint whimper, my hawk eyes zeroed in on the burlap sack that was tied to one of their horses. Something inside of it moved as if struggling to come out. The man who was starting the fire heard the cry as well and went to retrieve the sack. He opened it and to my complete horror, out popped my niece Yuki!