Chapter 17

  The rushing air quickly dried the last patches of damp fur which were stubbornly clinging from their bath as the leaf—caught by the powerful gust of wind Fuku summoned—rocketed across the sky.

  Ben let himself watch the world streaking past below. What would have taken him a week on his own hooves was compressed into a single breathtaking flight.

  He was still apprehensive—Fuku’s skills were still a mystery to him—but having done this once before, the fear was tempered by his exhilaration. He trusted Fuku, and because the skill belonged to him, Ben’s trust in his friend eased most of his anxiety.

  The land shifted beneath them as the minutes passed. Rolling plains gave way to swelling hills, wider rivers, and heavier forests. Small villages dotted the landscape, soon growing into towns clustered around the occasional walled fortress. In the distance, two sprawling cities pressed against the base of a rising mountain range, its peaks growing sharper and more distinct as the leaf drifted toward them.

  One city sprawled to the east, the other to the west. The closer eastern city bristled with tall buildings—even from a distance, Ben could see the strange unnatural lights glowing in the buildings. ‘Ugly things, fangs of metal and stone stabbing into the sky,’ he thought.

  A familiar plume of smoke roiled up from each, but the dark clouds seemed to drift away from the valley between the two metropolises. It was into this clearer, more central area that the leaf finally began its gentle descent.

  “Ben! Ben!” Fuku screamed over the roaring wind, pointing with a small paw toward a village nestled on the edge of a river that wound down from the mountains. “Look there! That’s a Beast-kin village!”

  Ben was unsure how the Tanuki knew that—perhaps he’d visited this part of the world before—but he nodded, not fully understanding the significance of the declaration.

  The leaf-boat finally lost its forward momentum and began to drift downward. It swayed and tilted in the currents of the air but never so much as to spill its two passengers, finally coming to rest in the upper canopy of an olive grove just outside the village.

  ***

  “Uhh… Fuku? How do we get down?” Ben asked. “And once we do, aren’t the villagers going to come investigate what just landed in their olive grove?”

  “Oh, yeah,” Fuku said and scratched his ear. “You’re big and you can’t float like I can.”

  “You can float?” Ben asked, surprised by yet another new ability.

  “Not exactly, I guess. I use Gust to lower myself down, but that’s not going to work for you, is it?”

  “No, I don’t think that will work for someone my size, Fuku,” Ben said dryly. “And what about the villagers?”

  Fuku scratched harder, more vigorously, as though trying to dislodge a pesky tick. “I don’t know. I’m not used to having to deal with these issues. I should have thought this through a little better.”

  Ben let out an exasperated sigh and caught Fuku’s paw before he dug a hole through his own ear. Fuku looked up and offered a crooked smile.

  “Oh! I know!” he said, an idea popping into his head. “We’ll use our human disguise, like in the last city.” Then his face fell. “But you were asleep last time and… you kind of have to be ‘in’ my sack.”

  Ben just looked at the Tanuki, his stare blank and emotionless. He had been told how the disguise had worked; he understood the mechanics. He even knew he had unknowingly assisted last time, with the Keiyaku drawing on his curse's power. Though he wasn’t sure what it would be like to be awake for it. But he could think of no better option.

  With a deep breath, he spoke. “Do it. I don’t see another…”

  That was all the consent the Tanuki needed. Within seconds, his sack was flowing over his own body and engulfing Ben as well.

  Ben gulped as Fuku’s furry tan skin flowed around him. It was soft, warm, but inexplicably horrifying.

  Then came the pull. This was not a sensation Ben had experienced before. It was unlike the pull that had dragged him across the field, and it was not the compulsive rage of the curse. Instead, it felt as though an icy river was being sucked out of his very navel.

  “Whoa…” was all he could get out before he was surrounded in fur.

  The world went dark around him. He fought the urge to struggle, to break free, and instead closed his eyes, focusing on his breath.

  Then the strangest sensation began.

  He could feel his skin, muscle, and bone shift as though they were made of liquid. It wasn’t painful, so much as startling. Then he felt another person pressing not just next to him, but into him. He knew it had to be Fuku, but the sensation was disturbing, almost violating—intimate in all the wrong ways.

  He tried to scream, to tell Fuku to stop, but he found he no longer had control of his own body. It was as if his form had melted to cover the Tanuki, as if Fuku wore him like a second skin, but with yet another layer—a soft and velvety, yet tight and compressing layer—covering them both.

  The mental connection formed next. While he couldn’t directly hear Fuku’s thoughts, it was as if their minds were no longer separate, but overlapping. Then, with another strange wave of that icy energy from his navel, it all coalesced into one singular person.

  Ben opened his eyes, but they were not his eyes. Nor were they Fuku’s. They were a strange combination of both and neither. This new person blinked, looking around, confused and momentarily frightened.

  Then the leaf vanished from below them… and they dropped.

  Branches snapped and cracked around them, tossing their shared body from side to side as they tumbled through the canopy, like an apple shaken from a high branch.

  Just before the ground zoomed up to meet them, a life-saving gust of wind whipped around their form, righting them in mid-air and setting them down hard on the soil.

  “Wow,” a voice said that was neither Ben's nor Fuku's, yet somehow both.

  They stood for a moment, knees bent and arms spread for balance, waiting for the world to stop spinning… before slowly straightening up.

  “Ben, let me do the moving and talking, okay? I have been working on this character for a long time,” They said in Their strange, dual voice.

  “Okay, but how? And what do I do?” Ben asked, unsure if he was speaking to Fuku or to himself.

  “I don’t know,” They said again, “but keep a watch out. You are the fighter. If we need to fight, then it’ll be your turn to take control.”

  Ben was fine with that. He honestly didn’t want any part of this anymore but knew that if he told Fuku to end the skill, he probably would. And that could put them both in danger.

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  “Okay, I’ll try,” Ben agreed, the words emerging in the strange, dual voice of their new disguise.

  And with that, he mentally withdrew, allowing Fuku to take the lead. He wasn’t sure how he did it, but something told him that if he just gave in and moved to the back of their shared mind, he could still be present if and or when necessary.

  ***

  As They stood and dusted off their clothes, picking up Their cane and top hat before firmly pressing it onto their head, the new being spoke to itself one last time.

  “Ben, we need a name. I generally go by Sir Gekkei around here. Is that all right?” the human-shaped being asked.

  “That’s fine,” They heard through the shared voice, as Ben replied before fully receding into the background.

  The transition was easier than he expected, and he found he rather enjoyed being the one transported rather than the transporter all the time.

  The villagers arrived moments afterward.

  “Who are you, and what happened?” one asked as they neared.

  “We saw a big green boat or something land here. Are you okay? Was that you?” another asked.

  “Yes, my fine fellow, my name is Sir Gekkei, and I apologize for startling you with my contraption,” They said, Fuku clearly taking the lead. The voice was now solidified into one, yet it was different from either—neither Fuku’s nor Ben's.

  “What was that thing?” “How did you get down?”

  “It was a… gliding machine! Yes!” They said, clearly making it up on the spot. “And unfortunately, I got down the hard way,” They added, continuing to pat the dust off Their clothes.

  “Then where’d it go?” a middle aged lady asked.

  “Sadly, I believe the sail-cloth has blown away. It escaped when the tethers broke,” They answered much more smoothly.

  “It couldn’t have gotten far.” “We can go find it for you, sir!” two young boys said over each other.

  “Excellent! That would be greatly appreciated,” Sir Gekkei answered and bowed slightly to them. The two boys scampered off farther into the grove.

  “May I inquire as to where I am? The breeze I caught sent me off course, and I fear I am somewhat lost,” They asked one of the villagers. This was a sturdy-looking man of about thirty, with a thick, solid build, a leather apron covered in small scorches, and a short mess of dark brown hair that grew into a full beard around his squarish chin.

  “This here’s Riverforge. Where were you supposed to be heading?” the burly man said.

  “Riverforge,” They answered, sounding astonished. “That’s nowhere near where I was supposed to land.” They sighed and continued, “It appears my glider will need some major adjustments before it’s ready for the market. Is there a place where I might purchase some refreshments and supplies here?”

  Ben watched this all from behind eyes that were not his own. He couldn’t help but admire Fuku’s skillful way of creating an excuse for their presence and dodging questions about their destination.

  It was as if he were both watching and feeling. He felt not only the sensations of this strange body he was inhabiting with Fuku, but also traces of Fuku’s feelings—like the flicker of interest when Fuku chose to speak to the young blacksmith, not because the man was the leader of this group, but simply because Fuku thought he was handsome.

  Ben looked at the blacksmith through their shared eyes, and while he could see what Fuku found appealing, he didn't feel the same way. In fact, he didn’t feel that way towards any of these people.

  It was a sad reminder that those feelings—that part of what it meant to be human—were now missing from him. Though feeling it secondhand through Fuku was… an interesting experience.

  ***

  They were led down into the village proper, peppered by questions the entire way—questions which Fuku, as Sir Gekkei, artfully avoided or answered with blatant yet creative lies.

  Once in town, the villagers scattered, but perhaps picking up on Sir Gekkei’s interest, the blacksmith guided Them to the tavern, which just happened to be the general store and inn as well.

  “This be about the only place in Riverforge to do business,” the blacksmith said as they arrived, his country accent present in his words. “There’s a caravan that comes by once a month, that’s where I sell my wares, but if you’re needin’ supplies, Ol’ Man Duugan will be able to take care of ya.”

  They stuck out a hand. “Thank you so much…”

  “Kint,” the blacksmith supplied and took the offered hand. “It’s Kint. I know, it’s a strange name, but…”

  “That is not a strange name at all. It has character. —Kint,” They said, as if tasting the name. “I like it. Would you care to join me for a drink?”

  “Uhh… I can’t right now, sir. My forge, ya see, if it gets cold, then I gotta…”

  “No apologies required, Kint,” They said and clapped a hand on the man’s thick shoulder. “Perhaps another time. I thank you again for your assistance.”

  Ben sensed Fuku’s pang of disappointment, but he also felt Fuku slip a coin from their shared pocket and press it into Kint’s hand as They turned away. A small token of appreciation.

  They stepped into the tavern-store and looked at the provisions for sale. Ben didn’t know how much Fuku had stored in his tail, but they had eaten only a few times since leaving the last city, so Ben was uncertain what he might be looking for here.

  Turns out it was information.

  “Excuse me, sir. Are you by chance Mr. Duugan?” They asked.

  “I am. And who might you be?” came the response.

  “I am Sir Gekkei. I have had the opportunity to grace your delightful town on this fine day and was hoping you might have a bit of information I have been seeking,” They said with a bow, not removing their top hat.

  “I know a few things. What is it you’re wantin’ to find out?” Mr. Duugan asked. His scowl seemed immovable, the man’s expression never changing.

  They leaned in close and whispered from behind a hand. “I have heard there is a hidden dungeon near here. Could it be that those rumors are true?”

  Though They could tell Duugan was a little startled, the scowl didn’t waver. “Perhaps there was. But you don’t look like no adventurer.”

  “So true!” They said. “And I certainly am not… but I do have friends who are, and they have been itching to take a run at Echidna’s Den for quite some time.”

  Fuku said the name slowly, a hint to the proprietor to alert him to how much They already knew.

  Though the name startled Ben. He felt their shared body twitch as his shock ran through it. He then felt Fuku’s admonishment, followed by a wave of Fuku's own repulsion to this gnarled old man, who stank of stale ale and horse dung.

  The man just stared at Them, taking their measure.

  Finally he must have decided the gain was worth the risk, “It’ll cost ya.”

  “Of course, and I am well prepared to meet any price,” They said with a huge smile and a wink.

  The old man didn’t look impressed. Instead he looked around, his head extending and eyes roving the store. There was no one else in the shop, but his paranoia made him double-check just in case.

  “Two gold,” he said.

  “Ahem…” They coughed at the large sum. “...a fair price, I’m sure—and one I would be more than happy to pay. But I feel that, since I was informed there wasn’t a large market for such information…”

  “Fine. One gold,” came the quick response—Duugan clearly hoping to get something out of Them.

  “Ah, yes. A much more fair price—but still a bit steep. But—I suppose—for such a rare location, the price is completely understandable,” They countered smoothly.

  Now came the moment of truth. Ben felt a jolt of panic spike through the bond.

  One gold equals one hundred silver. The realization slammed into him along with the certainty that They had only seventeen silver on Them.

  “I believe I do have a gold coin here…” They said, digging through the many pockets of the suit They wore.

  Fuku didn’t miss a beat. Their confident expression melted into one of deep concern. They began patting their pockets—first casual, then with growing urgency. Their hands dove deep into each pocket, pulling the linings out one by one.

  Finally, They reached into the main pocket and slowly produced a small handful of coins, spreading them across the counter.

  Seventeen silver. No more.

  “I… uhh… it appears I may have been robbed!” They said, voice full of breathless shock. “Or perhaps my coinpurse fell when I arrived. Either way—my money is gone.”

  They let the insinuation hang in the air like smoke.

  “I would never dream of accusing anyone… but those two young men who were so eager to run off and help find my glider—if they’d found my money then…”

  Duugan glowered at the paltry sum on the counter, then looked toward the door. They could see him weighing the hassle of a supposed robbery against getting at least some payment, especially after showing he knew where the dungeon was.

  With a final, disgusted grunt, he swept the seventeen silver coins into his hand.

  “Lousy… cheap… no good…” They heard Duugan mumble under his breath.

  A map was set down on the counter a moment later, and Duugan’s scowl felt as if it had grown even more scowly. With a small bit of charcoal, he made a crooked X on a section, then rolled the vellum up before handing it to Them.

  “It’s marked,” he grumbled. “Anything else?”

  “No, sir. You have taken my last. I shall bid you farewell and good day.” And with that, They exited the store, tucking the map into the front of Their vest.

  Ben couldn’t help but be amazed at how easily Fuku was able to navigate these people. He lied without hesitation, fed on the people’s greed—or their simple humanity—and twisted every circumstance to his advantage. He would never be capable of a feat like this.

  A wave of appreciation passed through their shared consciousness. It was Fuku, beaming at Ben’s praise. Though Ben wasn’t sure if what he’d been thinking about had been praising Fuku, or chastising him.