• A Woman’s grudge


    Kiku sat down on a rock slurping her noodles that she bought from the Oden cart off the road. She took out her compass seeing she would reach her destination soon. A lot of travelers came down the mountain pass at this time so it was no surprise to see some people coming and going.
    Kiku sat away from the Oden cart listening to two men gossiping like old women.
    “Have you heard?” one man questioned. “The imperial palace has been having trouble since that woman showed up at the daimyo’s door step”
    “What do you mean?” the other man asked him.
    “Well from what I heard it all started when a woman appeared. The following day his son was killed during a highway robbery. The next his wife got sick and died. The day after that half of his servants died. And now his only daughter has fallen ill and is dying”
    “How horrible!” his friend gasped. “May the gods have mercy on him and his people”
    Kiku sighed finishing her noodles and got up continuing on her travel to the next destination.


    The daimyo sat alone in his empty throne room drinking saké in large amounts. His sick, beautiful daughter in the next room lying weakly in her bed. The doctor won’t even come to see her thinking he would be cursed. All but one of the servants gave up their positions and left him leaving him alone.
    He began to cry losing all hope. Why did this have to happen to him? Why is he suffering? What did he do to deserve this?
    The last of the servants burst into the throne room.
    “Milord!” he cried.
    “I’m busy go away!” he snapped waving his hand at him.
    “But Milord, a strange girl just barged in and went to see the princess!” the servant protested.
    “What!?” the daimyo boomed then stormed out of throne room and followed his servant to his daughter’s room. He slid the shogi door to the side and saw his daughter in her bed and was breathing normally. The daimyo dropped to his knees and looked at his daughter crying her name.
    “Don’t worry I gave her some medicine she should be alright” a young female voice said.
    The daimyo looked to his right and saw a young girl with shaggy blonde hair. Had one pitch eye and one pure white eye and had a pair of thick glasses on her face. She was wearing a dark turtleneck shirt and a pair of black pants.
    “Who…Who are you?” the daimyo demanded.
    Kiku looked up at him and smiled. “Oh sorry for barging in, I’m Kiku a Yokai detective”
    “A Yokai detective?” the servant questioned. Kiku nodded her head and took a bite of her rice ball.
    “That’s right, I’m here to solve your little problem that you’ve been having” Kiku said. “Mind telling me the whole story?”
    The daimyo saw this as an opportunity to save both him and his daughter. He sat on a silk pillow as he told his story.
    “It all began last winter. A beautiful young woman appeared at my door step. She begged to be let in and I saw no harm in doing so. I offered her a room but the next morning she disappeared”
    Kiku leered at the daimyo. “Sounds like an Aonyobo”
    The servant leaned forward. “What is causing milord’s pain?”
    “An Aonyobo, is a female spirit that usually haunts an abandoned palace but this is the first time I’ve heard of one haunting a habitable place more or less one this powerful”
    “Tell me Yokai detective could you get rid of it?” the daimyo asked.
    Kiku merely smiled and pushed up her glasses. “I’ll do my best milord. From this point on I’ll take full responsibility from here on out”
    Both the servant and the daimyo bowed at the Yokai detective respectfully thankful that she came.

    Kiku sat outside of the palace waiting. If her theory is correct she would come back again. Night had already fallen and the light from the pale moon shone down.
    Kiku took out a rice ball and started to eat it. Soon enough her attention was turned to an approaching woman.
    She had long black, tangled hair, pale face, and a torn up white kosode. She approached the doors then stopped after seeing Kiku sitting there.
    “Hi” Kiku greeted with sincerity.
    The woman remained silent staring at the young girl curiously. Kiku sighed and stood up.
    “Look I don’t know what beef you have with the daimyo but if you tell me I’ll work something out” Kiku said.
    The woman continued to look at Kiku then she gritted her teeth. “He promised” she said in a weak voice. “He promised that the three of us would be happy”
    Kiku looked at her questionably then looked down seeing blood staining the lower part of her kosode. Kiku gently grabbed the woman’s arm.
    “Are you pregnant?” Kiku asked her.
    The woman slapped Kiku across the face and disappeared. Kiku gritted her teeth then walked back inside of the palace. The daimyo and servant boy was waiting for her.
    “I saw her” Kiku said.
    “Did you get rid of her?” the daimyo questioned. “Will she leave me alone?”
    Kiku glared at the daimyo and clenched her fist. “No, I was wrong this isn’t an Aonyobo”

    Stay tuned for another Yokai Detective!