1 The Calling

Yumeko Kasumi awoke to the sound of a soft whistling. It sounded similar to that of a wind chime drifting softly through the evening mist, and yet, there was something peculiar about the noise. Porting her cotton slippers and night robe, she stood up from her bed, listening closer.

Tuuu-tu-ting-tuu-ting-ting

It called to her, beckoning for her to follow it- and so she did.

She slid the front door of her humble little home open, making sure to apply as little pressure to the door as possible so as not to wake her brother and father. Carefully, slowly, the door cracked open. Yumeko breathed a sigh of relief and stepped out into the cool summer night.

Tuuu-tu-tu-ting-tu-ting

There it was again, whispering for her.

In a sudden breath of clarity, Yumeko suddenly realized how silly the situation seemed; breaking out of her house in the middle of the night only to follow the sound of a distant whistle. She considered going back inside and snuggling into the warmth of her blankets... but she pushed the thought away just as quickly as it came. Turning towards the sound, she started towards it, finding her way to the entrance of the forest near her home. Crickets called through the night, chirruping and singing their rhythmic song. The ground beneath her feet was illuminated by the sole light of the moon, glistening through the wispy clouds ahead, and onwards she went.

The whistling got louder and louder the deeper into the woods she went. Yumeko could feel her heart beating against her chest in anticipation of what she might find. As she approached nearer and nearer to the noise, she noticed something peculiar. It was in fact, not a whistle at all, nor was it a wind chime. It had a different kind of timbre... smooth, yet tainted with an air of sadness.

Yumeko listened, feeling the sudden urge to close her eyes and take in the ghostly sound. Yet despite the looming danger of the unknown, she felt no fear. Her muscles were relaxed, her breath completely even. In fact, she felt completely at ease. It was as if a warm blanket had enveloped her in its soft, cushioned folds. A gentle breeze brushed past her nose, and she felt herself sway to its gentle pull as if in a trance. Minutes ticked by, but Yumeko didn't seem to notice. The feel of the breeze was simply too enchanting to resist...

It was only until the crickets stopped singing that she realized the whistling she'd been following had ceased.

As if in a trance, Yumeko opened her eyes- yet she may as well have been dreaming as she was greeted by a scene straight out of a fairytale. The breeze that had enveloped her earlier was now swirling in a gentle sphere around her, leaves and wildflowers caught in the wind. The girl spun around in a circle, reveling in the mystical breeze. Then the whistling came back, stronger than ever- and with it, the breeze grew into a raging wind, expanding and forcing its way through the trees to surround her. As the whistling grew, something strange seemed to happen to the wind. It began to take on a sort of light-blue tint, resembling the color of shallow ocean waters reflecting the sun. Yumeko closed her eyes, unfazed by the mysterious power that surrounded her.

She took a deep breath, imagining herself harnessing the wind. She painted a picture in her mind, portraying the wind as a raging dragon that needed to be tamed. Yumeko grabbed ahold of the beast's long, graceful horns and glided along on its back as if telling it that she was unafraid. The slender creature lashed back and forth, whipping its tail through the sky. Yet despite all its struggle to throw Yumeko off, she held on steadily, staring the beast down. She wasn't letting it go free, and the dragon understood this notion.

And thus it was tamed.

The beast stopped thrashing and permitted itself to be submissive to Yumeko's gentle touch. She felt herself exhale deeply, and as though mimicking her state of mind, the wind around her also died down until it was nothing more than a whisper in the night.

"Open your eyes." A voice said.

It was only then that she opened her wide, dark eyes.

In front of her was a fox- a little red one at that. Surely this creature couldn't have been the one that spoke to her.

"Hello?" She asked it tentatively.

"You tamed the winds. You are the one." The fox took a step closer, peering at her through guarded, all-knowing eyes.

"What do you mean? The one-?"

Yumeko had not yet even finished her sentence when she was suddenly thrown backwards by a sudden gust of wind. A blinding white and blue light surged from the fox, engulfing it completely, like a great tsunami washing over a town. Yumeko shielded her eyes from the light, peering through her fingers to take in the ethereal transformation that took place before her very eyes.

A faint silhouette of the fox could be seen from within the light and its form appeared to shift and change. From a petite fox, it began to grow and grow to the point where it had morphed into a size comparable to that of a wild elephant. At this point, the faint blue aura of the majestic creature seemed to change into a light rose tint, swallowing Yumeko into its power. She could now see the noticeable changes in the fox's features with the power pulling her forward.

Instead of having its old, ruffled red coat, the fox now wore a coat the colour of pure, untainted snow. It was silky and long, and it gave off the instant impression of an otherworldly being, standing out like a sore thumb amidst the dense green foliage of the wooded forest. Yet despite the sea of white fur, the edges of its tail were tipped with a deep red colour similar to that of fresh blood. On its face, it bore markings in the same blood red fashion, adding a slight touch of danger, yet elegant grace to its unblemished fur. Yumeko had no words, using only her eyes to portray her fearful awe of the creature.

Yet despite the fact that the fox now loomed above her at a height of 10 feet, as well as porting strange markings, these characteristics were by far the least defining feature of the beast. The blinding aura of the fox faded away to a gentle pulsing light, finally revealing the fox's true form in all its fullness. Twelve luscious, silky tails swayed behind the fox in a hypnotic manner, moving slowly, mesmerizing.

Finally, the great beast spoke, dipping its head slightly to look at Yumeko.

"I am the great Mother Spirit, guardian of the spirit-realm, Eden." It spoke without moving its mouth. "I have chosen you to be my vessel of essence, the human that will carry my life force through their very being."

Yumeko could only stare, listening.

"I am dying, and with me, my homeland as well. I need a human vessel that I can share a body with, as this form is unstable, or rather, unwelcome in this mortal world." It paused for a moment then continued, "You are the only one who can assume this role as the keeper of my spirit. I have chosen you."

"But why me?" Yumeko whispered.

"Because you are strong. You have the makings of a powerful soul, just as your father did before you."

"My father? Why, he's sleeping soundly at home."

"I was referring to your biological father."

"What do you mean, 'my biological father?'" Yumeko took a step back, narrowing her eyes.

The fox swished its tails dismissively. "You will learn of the secrets of your lineage in time. But as of the moment, your role in the grand scheme of things is great- and inevitable."

"I still don't understand what it is that you're asking of me..." Yumeko said, fearful but curious.

The so called Mother Spirit looked her in the eyes for a moment, silently contemplating a response. Forest green eyes met ice blue ones, and a response was given,

"I'm asking for your life."