3.17: Of Relics and Silk

3.17: Of Relics and Silk

Natalia watched for a while without interrupting.

The old shack no longer looked old at all once Ume’s followers truly got their hands on it. Rotten boards disappeared in chunks. Fresh timber went up almost as quickly as the old wood came down. Sawdust rose in pale clouds and drifted through the late afternoon light. Hammers cracked. Saws screamed. Glass flashed. The section of fence Ume had been granted already stood marked for alteration with neat little charms tied to the posts, as if the wood itself was supposed to shake itself apart and walk away.

The sight pleased Natalia more than she let show.

Ume was bright with her new purpose. Rui was watching everything with the kind of sharp look she got when her heart was invested in something or had latched onto an idea that she would not let go. That part interested Natalia quite a bit.

Rui wanted to create relics, whether by making new ones or repurposing old ones. Natalia thought about the four Maneki Neko statues Rui had traded to Ume for the shack on the property. Their attuned pieces, especially the paws, could be stripped off and given a second life in a new form. It was much like what Sumire had done with Rui’s jade bracelet. Rui had bitterly complained that the relic was being used for a purpose it had never been made for, yet Lady Kogane, who had once been an inanimate object herself and could communicate with relics to a degree, had said that it approved of Sumire’s use of it. The Maneki Nekos already possessed the qualities Sumire needed for her Maneki Neko Fist technique. Their paws were the most important part. Their invitation reacted to spiritual power. They were already tilted toward attraction, luck, and response. If Rui could separate that from the rest and mount it properly into bracelets and anklets, the hardest part would already be done.

The attunement is already in place, but the housing is in question.

Natalia watched one of the goths carry out a length of old shelving on one shoulder as if it weighed no more than an umbrella.

The idea itself was reasonable. Rui had proven herself clever with tools, especially her bat, Excalibur, which now rested in her new office. She was quick to adapt as well. She had been raised around relics, spiritual detective work, case records, old techniques, and the practical business of handling dangerous things, even without spiritual pressure of her own. If anyone without real crafting power could learn to repurpose an object intelligently, it would be her. She was her father’s daughter and the heir to his legacy.

Aika, however, worried Natalia. Rui’s sister could barely see or interact with yōkai at all, except in rare moments, such as landing an accidental hit in a burst of emotion. Even so, she was still capable enough to be a viable successor. Rui had already carried off all of their father’s books, desk, papers, and other things from his old office, claiming them in a way Aika would not be able to easily undo. Aika, on the other hand, had taken some relics from his office before leaving and said nothing about which ones. Perhaps this was simply the natural splitting of a deceased loved one’s possessions.

The question was whether the result of Rui’s hard work and research would hold up.

A paw mounted into jewelry was no longer protected by the original figure’s weight, balance, or structure. It would be handled differently, worn. Casual wear and tear would occur during combat, contact with her skin and contacts with objects. Sumire fought hard, ran and sweated. She would get thrown to the ground. If Rui made something too delicate, it would break or fail at the worst possible moment.

Natalia’s mouth curved faintly.

It was a simple problem on the surface. That usually meant it would become troublesome in practice.

Her phone buzzed in her bag.

She drew it out and glanced at the screen. The name there made her blink once in recognition.

Ah… that client.

Natalia had sensed something strange from her the moment they met. She was not human, a sanctioned member of the yōkai society on the human side like herself. Her true form had to be anything but simple. There were yōkai whose nature announced itself at once. Aura, rot, blood, storm and hunger. This woman had felt complex, her nature obscured, like several scents inside silk wrapping. Natalia had taken the commission anyway. The woman had taste, money, and a very clear idea of what she wanted in a dress.

Her messages were as elegant as the rest of her.

うつろの絹: Pardon for my interruption. May I ask how the progress on my commission goes, Natalia-sensei?

Natalia looked once more toward the construction and typed with quick, neat strokes.

きゅうびのひかり: Your dress is finished except for some small details that I’m not yet satisfied with.

The answer came back at once.

うつろの絹: May I drop by and see how my dress looks?

Natalia smiled.

きゅうびのひかり: That’s quite fine. The customer’s always right. Please give me an hour to return to my atelier.

うつろの絹: That suits me. I look forward to it.

Natalia slipped her phone away and turned.

Rui and Ume were both looking at her now. Ume stood half inside the open shell of her future shop, one hand on her hip, her twin-tails and red bows bright against the drifting dust. Rui had one of the promised maneki neko in both hands already. The goths had brought an assortment of her most appropriate merchandise with them along with all the materials to remodel the building. Rui looked as if she was resisting the urge to take it apart with her bare hands through sheer force of will. She waved a hand over its paw. There was no reaction, as usual.

“You can leave it to me,” Rui said at once, grinning over one of her prizes.

“It’s my project, Rui-Rui.” Ume giggled and flashed her fangies.

“Hmph.” Rui pouted. “That doesn’t mean you can’t use a second supervisor. It’s about time your followers got used to following my orders!”

Ume gave her a look that would have resulted in a sweatdrop on her forehead if she was an anime character.

“Good.” Natalia’s eyes moved to the fence line where chalk marks and dangling charms already mapped out Ume’s expansionist ambitions. “Please make sure that you don’t sacrifice too much of the beautiful fence to expand your building’s footprint.”

Ume’s face lit up even more.

“That means I can knock a few more down?”

“By all means, but don’t take it too far.” Natalia laughed softly. “It’s a shame that Akuchi followed Sumire. I could use a ride. So I’ll take an alternative route.”

“The bus or a taxi?” Rui asked.

“Of course not.” Natalia smiled. “I have other means at my disposal, and I wanted to make a brief stop on the way anyway.”

She turned toward the garden.

“Be good while I’m away.”

She lifted one hand in a little wave and leaped the fence with easy grace. The tiled cap of it hardly seemed to notice her weight. From there she crossed the yard in a handful of swift steps, the fox statues flanking the path with their old patient stillness, despite all the construction noise behind her. The ginkgo leaves stirred overhead. Light and shadow trembled across the moss and stone.

At the center, the hidden gate waited in the shape the household had learned to ignore.

Natalia reached the middle statue and laid her fingers against it.

The old pattern stirred under her touch at once. She did it not out of ceremony. She had rewritten these paths long ago and they knew her well. The stone gave a low answering hum beneath her palm. He tapped her foot against the ground near the statue where the basin for the mirror was. She sent waves of spiritual pressure into it in a signal. The fox holding the mirror reacted beneath the ivy and weather stains. The shadows at the statue’s base thickened until they shone like black water as the substance began to pour from the statue.

Natalia stepped through.

There was no soft passage. No drifting change.

One instant she was in her old garden.

The next she was elsewhere.

She landed in the yōkai world with barely a sound, and in the same breath her body stretched and changed. Golden hair vanished into a flood of fur and her limbs lengthened. Her spine lengthened and enlarged. Nine tails unfurled behind her in a bright sweeping fan behind her as she dropped to all fours in the shape that fit this place more honestly than her human beauty ever had.

The smaller yōkai scattered from her path almost at once. A paper-faced spirit ducked under a cart and trembled there. Two mushroom things toppled over each other trying to get out of her  way. A little lantern yōkai bobbed so hard its flame spat sparks in every direction. Others only stared.

Some watched in fear, others in reverence.

Many wore an adoring, almost foolish softness lesser creatures often had when they saw her in this form.

Natalia paid them no mind. Her paws struck the road in a rapid rhythm and the warped city peeled away around her. Leaning roofs, lanterns that watched, drainage channels that floated where no rational and educated engineer would have allowed them, shadows thick in alleys alive with whispering forms. The yōkai world bent around her momentum as if eager to shorten the route for her.

By the time the Council district rose ahead, the streets had quieted.

Order always changed the air first.

The district smelled less of appetite and more of ink, cedar, heated stone, lacquer, paper, dust sealed into records for centuries. The buildings drew themselves straighter there. Lanterns hung with more restraint. The little yōkai who thrived in clerical spaces moved quickly and kept their eyes down, though plenty still glanced up when the nine-tailed fox passed.

Ushi stood at the gate in a large courtyard outside the Yōkai Council compound as usual.

He saw her from a distance and straightened at once. By the time she reached him, he had bowed low enough that his horns nearly framed the paving stones.

“Natalia-sama.”

She slowed to a walk and lowered her great head just enough to acknowledge him.

“I wish to enter,” she said. “I need to see Lady Kogane, Tsukumogami of Relics.”

Ushi rose carefully. “Shall I escort you?”

“That won’t be necessary. I can find her myself.”

He bowed again and stepped aside. The gate opened when he shoved it open, creaking on its heavy hinges. It moved with a heavy shudder moving the bulk of old wood and stone.

Natalia passed through without breaking stride as soon as it was open enough for her to go through.

She did not head for the circular chamber where formal meetings gathered the Council beneath one roof. They all had chambers in this complex, although not all of them were always present. She cut across a side court lined with old stone basins and winter-bare maples, then entered a quieter wing where records, relic inventories, sealed archives, and private receiving rooms sat tucked behind carved panels and floating lanterns.

The building felt familiar as always. It wasn’t just a fond memory. She had spent many years serving here in the past. She knew it better than her atelier.

The polished floor held the same faint vibration of energies. The corridors still smelled of ancient paper and incense and rain caught in old timber. Heavy embroidered hangings shifted without wind. Relief carvings ran along the beams overhead, depicting relics in their many lives. Swords. Mirrors. Dolls. Combs. Scrolls. Bells. A child’s shoe. A cracked flute. A parasol with one bent rib.

She passed a side alcove where clerks were sorting petitions that folded themselves into seeming living birds. Another where three little archive spirits argued in furious whispers over a register older than all three of them combined.

Then she saw Meifu-no-Nana.

The nekomata scribe sat upright on a cushion like a little black magistrate at court, glossy fur neat as lacquer, twin tails curled and uncurling behind her with bureaucratic emphasis. Tiny spectacles perched on her nose. A brush rested in her mouth while a halo of scrolls floated around her head and shoulders. She scribbled notes directly into the air, each line hardening into paper before fluttering down into tidy stacks.

Natalia slowed.

Meifu-no-Nana looked up at once.

“Lady Kogane,” Natalia said. “Where is she at the moment?”

The black cat blinked, then set one sheet spinning into a finished pile with a flick of her tail.

“In her chambers,” she replied. “Do you remember where that is?”

Natalia’s fox mouth curved. In this form, the expression came out with too many teeth.

Meifu-no-Nana’s ears flattened just a little at the sight.

Natalia noticed and laughed under her breath. Then light ran through her body in a soft gold wash and she stood there human once more, long golden hair spilling down her back, fox ears lifted through it, all nine tails fanned behind her in a warm bright arc.

The effect on Meifu-no-Nana was immediate.

She sprang from her cushion and rushed forward to hug Natalia, all twin tails and black silk fur and officious dignity discarded at once.

“It’s good to see you in this light once more,” she said. “Have you considered returning to the yōkai council? While there are no current available seats, we will always honor you for the service you gave us a hundred years past.”

Natalia bent and gathered her into a warm embrace.

Meifu-no-Nana pulled back with a scowl that sat oddly on such a small glossy face.

“What a shame. I hoped to talk to you about your project.”

Natalia blinked. “My project?”

“That interesting girl of yours.”

“Sumire?” Natalia asked, smiling and tilting her head.

“Yes.” Meifu-no-Nana’s eyes narrowed behind her spectacles. “Her aura intrigues me to no end. While she appears to be human, she has a very strong and rich yōkai aura. There is a great deal more to her than the eye meets. I am interested in seeing how she develops.”

Natalia’s smile deepened.

“I as well. I noticed how complex her aura was the moment I met her. She is quite the puzzle. Having started her life as a man only makes her more interesting. She has been adapting nicely to her new gender since you last met her.”

“Interesting. A man, you say?” Meifu-no-Nana frowned and tapped her feline lips with the end of her brush. “I never would have imagined that. Are you quite sure? Her aura does not speak of masculinity. There is a deep femininity about her that cannot easily be forced or faked.”

Natalia laughed softly.

“You think so? I noticed that quality as well, but at this time I’ve been more concerned with easing her into her new life than studying the intricacy of her soul. I know much more of it now, but when we first met, her aura was strongly veiled by her Noh Face power.”

“I thought so as well.” Meifu-no-Nana tipped her head. “I look forward to seeing where she goes in life. There is something about her that draws interest.”

Natalia gave her a last warm smile.

“I agree. Now forgive me. I really must see Lady Kogane.”

She slipped from the nekomata’s grasp and moved off down the corridor with her tails flowing behind her.

Meifu-no-Nana stayed where she was and watched her go, her eyes intent behind her little glasses.

Natalia found Lady Kogane’s chambers at the end of a quieter branch of the Council wing, past a row of lacquered pillars and a shallow indoor garden where white gravel had been combed into concentric rings around three old relics set on stones like offerings. The air there had a faint metallic sweetness beneath the incense, warm bronze and old paper and polished wood. Even before the doors opened, she could hear the softest chiming from within, so faint that it might have been mistaken for the memory of sound.

A handmaiden opened the doors for her and bowed.

Natalia stepped inside and slowed a little, letting the room reveal itself properly.

Lady Kogane’s chambers were rich without being gaudy. Screens of hammered bronze and dark gold stood behind her in overlapping layers, worked with scenes of bells, mirrors, prayer ribbons, and hands lifting small treasured things into light. A low brazier breathed gentle heat into the room. Lanterns hung behind silk shades painted with pale chrysanthemums and fine black branches, their glow turning the lacquered floor to warm amber. Alcoves along the walls held objects on individual stands, some wrapped in silk, some bare, each one placed with the care of a shrine offering. Nothing in the room had been set where it was carelessly. Nothing was merely decoration.

Lady Kogane herself suited the chambers too perfectly to be anything but their heart.

She sat beside a low table, one hand resting lightly near her cup. Her robes were cut like a shrine maiden’s, but armored with overlapping gold and bronze plates shaped like bells. Every small adjustment of her posture stirred a faint ringing from them. Dark hair spilled over one shoulder and down her back beneath an ornate crown of gold that framed her face without swallowing it. She was beautiful in a composed, formal way, but there was warmth in her eyes when she saw Natalia that softened the severity at once.

She rose to receive her.

“Natalia of the Unsetting Light,” Lady Kogane said, smiling. “Solar Arbiter of Continuance. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?”

Natalia smiled back. “Lady Kogane, Tsukumogami of Relics. I could ask the same. Your chambers are well appointed and they suit you.”

Lady Kogane’s mouth curved a little more. “And you arrive too beautifully to be accused of intruding.”

Natalia laughed softly at that and closed the distance between them. Lady Kogane met her halfway. Their greeting was not stiff. Not with old friends and old powers like theirs. Natalia touched her arm first, warm bronze ringing beneath her fingertips, then kissed her lightly. Lady Kogane accepted it with the ease of someone who knew better than to pretend surprise when Natalia was being Natalia.

“I notice that you still aren’t dissatisfied,” Natalia replied.

“That is unfortunately true.”

They sat together at her low table.

The handmaiden who had opened the doors for her moved gracefully to the table and began to pour tea for them. She wore shrine robes as well, though simpler, white and deep red, with her sleeves tied back neatly for service. Her body carried the faint feel of someone recently born, still growing used to being fully embodied. There was nothing clumsy or childish in her. The way she moved expressed a slight newness in the way she set her feet, the way her hands hovered for a heartbeat before committing to motion. She was very lovely, and Natalia suspected she knew the truth about her, even though it was only theory.

Lady Kogane noticed where her gaze had gone.

“You have not met,” she said. “She attained her human form very recently and is currently applying for her license to live in Tokyo.”

Natalia’s face brightened at once.

“Truly? Then congratulations are in order.”

The handmaiden nearly fumbled the teapot that she held.

Lady Kogane smiled behind one hand. “She has worked hard for it.”

Natalia rose before the poor thing could prepare herself and stepped around the table. The handmaiden straightened quickly, uncertain whether to bow again or freeze on the spot. Natalia spared her the choice by drawing her into a warm embrace and kissing her softly on the lips.

“You did wonderfully,” Natalia said. “I am pleased to meet you.”

The handmaiden went bright red all the way to the ears.

“Th-thank you,” she managed.

She did not seem to know where to put her hands after that. Natalia took pity on her and returned to her place before the girl melted into the floor entirely.

Lady Kogane laughed under her breath.

“She is not used to one such as you yet.”

“Few people are,” Natalia said cheerfully.

After some time when she recovered, tea was served. The handmaiden poured with both hands, composed again only by force of will, then withdrew a respectful distance and stood ready.

Lady Kogane lifted her cup and studied Natalia over its rim.

“You came for a purpose?”

Natalia nodded and beamed. “I did, and I must warn you that I am short on time. I need to request the use of the portal that leads to near my atelier, but more importantly, I wanted to ask you what you thought of Rui.”

“Detective Shinohara’s daughter?” Lady Kogane smiled.

Natalia nodded.

“She is very spirited,” Lady Kogane said. “An interesting child.”

“I agree.” Natalia set down her cup. “She has a desire to craft relics as her father did. He did not teach her the craft, but he left behind many books and papers on the subject. Being as you are the foremost expert on the matter in the yōkai world, I wanted to ask whether Rui will be able.”

Lady Kogane thought for a long moment. The tiny bell-plates at her shoulders chimed when she shifted and then went still.

“Only time will tell that.”

Natalia gave her a look.

“Surely you know more than that. Can someone without any spiritual pressure craft relics that Sumire could use?”

“Ah.” Lady Kogane nodded once. “Your project. A very interesting girl as well. Her relic loves her well.”

Natalia’s brows lifted. “Are you saying that if her jade bracelet achieved a human form, it would love her?”

“I firmly believe so.” Lady Kogane set her cup down with careful precision. “It was fond of its previous owner and fondest of its creator, but it was certainly interested in Sumire as we all are. So much so that it guided her into using it in a way she could handle. Its true function is to amplify consciousness power in a range of ways. Its power could be turned in that direction as long as the user had the potential to shift how the energies within a relic were being expressed.”

“Does that mean Sumire is the most qualified to create relics?”

“Not necessarily.” Lady Kogane shook her head. The bells on her sleeves answered with a faint answering ring. “Sumire has an interesting gift, but that alone would not produce relics. What does is imagination, will, and technique.”

Natalia leaned back slightly, thinking that over.

“Does that mean you do not necessarily need spiritual pressure to create them?”

“Yes,” Lady Kogane said. “But a strong will is crucial.”

“Couldn’t she use the jade bracelet herself in that case? When it comes to willpower, few can match RuiRui.”

Lady Kogane smiled at that.

“I can believe it. She struck me as extremely willful from the first moment we met. But to answer your question, no. She would not be able to use the jade bracelet as she is.”

“I see.” Natalia touched her lips thoughtfully with one finger. “Then how would she be able to craft relics that could make use of spiritual power when she has none herself?”

“It is imagination that matters most, as I said. If she follows the necessary steps correctly, the relic she fashions may function as desired.”

“That is reassuring.” Natalia’s whole face brightened. “So it will not be a waste of time for her to learn the craft?”

“Most certainly not.” Lady Kogane’s smile deepened into something more openly pleased. “I expect great things of her. I look forward to meeting the relics she creates.”

“She will start by trying to create makeshift relics from Maneki Neko paws.” Natalia’s voice softened as she thought aloud. “I have been wondering how that idea will play out.”

Lady Kogane rested one elbow lightly on her table and tilted her head.

“If she is disassembling a relic for a new purpose, they may resist her intention. However, if she shows them the use of their new form, they may decide to embrace their new purpose.”

Natalia’s eyes lit up.

“I see. So all she truly needs is strong willpower and sufficient imagination. That helps tremendously, Lady Kogane.”

She drew out her phone, checked the time, and winced.

“I only have ten minutes left at this point. I am sorry to show up and leave so quickly, but I need access to that portal. Otherwise my client may be upset with me.”

Lady Kogane laughed softly behind her hand and nodded.

“As such as expected and warned. You may use the portal right away.”

She turned her gaze toward the handmaiden.

“Please see Natalia to the correct portal. If she loses her way, guide her. It would be inappropriate to send her away unattended. Escort her out of the yōkai world with great courtesy.”

The handmaiden bowed at once.

“Yes, my lady.”

She was still blushing a little from Natalia’s embrace, and now that she had to walk beside her the color deepened all over again. Natalia noticed it. So did Lady Kogane.

Natalia rose. “Thank you, Lady Kogane. You have been most helpful.”

Lady Kogane inclined her head gracefully. “Do not make your client wait too long. Silk wears impatience poorly.”

“How in the world did you know the requested material for her commission?" Natalia laughed, not waiting for an answer, then turned to follow the handmaiden.

The poor girl moved a little too quickly at first, then caught herself and slowed to a more appropriate pace, trying very hard to look composed. Natalia was amused enough to say nothing. Behind them, Lady Kogane watched with bright, knowing eyes and a smile she did not bother to hide.

Special thanks to PrincessArylin, ShinjiHinako, Assurbanipal II (Achan) for beta reading book three! <3

Illustrations Disclaimer: Locations aren't always 100% canon. Usually they are only representative. Character features and styles may stray a little now and again.

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