BLURB:
Demon hunter
Akakiba keeps many secrets from his human companion. The fact he's a werefox
isn't the worst one.
In feudal Japan,
magic is dying. As a demon hunter, Akakiba finds this problematic. The evil
he's been trained to destroy is disappearing and, along with it, the
shape-shifting abilities of the clan he left behind. With his only companion, a
determined young human named Yuki, Akakiba traverses the country slaying demons
and performing odd jobs.
But when an army
of demon-possessed humans masses to exterminate his clan, Akakiba must put
aside old feuds and protect his family–-all while hiding an important secret
from Yuki. Will they find a way to defeat the demon possessed before it's too
late? With magic dwindling, will it matter either way?
Anna
Frost is a Canadian girl who spends winters writing and dreaming of summer. An
overdose of Japanese culture and media has led her to write fantasy inspired by
Japanese mythology. In a shocking break with literary tradition, Anna does not
live with cats. Instead she lives with chinchillas, which can be just as
demanding and evil as cats.
Author links:
Excerpt:
Sometime
later, the boy woke.
“I’m
hungry,” he said shyly. “Are we there yet?”
“Do
you want a rice cake, um, you?” Yuki blinked. “Uh, you never gave us your
name.”
“I’m
Taro, because I’m the firstborn in my family,” he explained as if they couldn’t
figure out that a person named “eldest son” was likely to be the eldest son.
After
discovering Taro’s name, they also discovered that once he was finished being
awed into silence, it was very difficult to get him to stop talking.
“Why
is your name Akakiba?” Taro asked. “Is it a warrior name?”
“No.
It’s the name I was born with.”
“Why
would your parents pick that name?”
“My
father is named Kiba, the fang. My mother is Akahana, the red rose. They
compromised with Akakiba, the red fang.”
“Oh.
Do you always wear your swords?”
“Yes.”
“Even
when you sleep?”
“Yes.”
“Even
when you take a bath?”
“No.”
There
was an all-too-brief moment of silence before Taro asked another question. “Why
is it the Fox clan and not the Dragon clan? Foxes don’t fight demons, dragons
do.”
Yuki
intervened, perhaps sensing Akakiba’s growing impatience. “Foxes fight demons
too. Don’t you know the legend?”
“There’s
no legend with fighting foxes,” Taro asserted.
“Is
that so? Then I can’t tell you about it since it doesn’t exist...”
“Tell
me!”
Yuki’s
voice softened as he began. “A long time ago, when foxes were more than mere
animals and possessed great powers, it wasn’t rare for them to take our
likeness and live among us unseen. It so happened that a fox disguised as a
beautiful lady fell in love with a strong and honorable samurai. They married
and lived happily for a time.
“One
day, a dog wandered into their garden and started chasing the fox lady. So afraid
was she that she turned back into a fox and leaped to safety on top of a wall.
Having witnessed the scene, the samurai begged her not to leave, swearing to
love her forever even if she were a fox. She heard truth in his voice and
returned to him. They had many children and lived happily for a time longer.
“In
those days, demons were strong and cruel, and they despised foxes for their
willingness to side with humanity against them. One such demon descended upon
their home and killed the samurai before the fox lady’s eyes. In her anguish,
she took up her husband’s sword and slew the monster.
“The
fox lady’s sorrow was, however, too great to bear; a wasting sickness took her,
and she was soon on her deathbed. Sensing her death approaching, she told her
children that they were to become slayers of demons, for nothing else would
allow her to rest in peace. Her children obeyed and founded the Fox clan to
honor their mother. Ever since, the Fox clan’s warriors have been fighting
demons wherever they can be found.”
Akakiba
glanced at his friend with surprise. “I didn’t know you knew the legend.”
“I
didn’t know it before. Someone in the village told the story during the
festival. You should have told me. It’s interesting.”
Akakiba
heard the unspoken reproach: You never tell me anything. But why should he?
There was no need to speak of his clan. He himself hadn’t dealt with them in
years, not since he rebelled, left the clan house, and found Yuki.
Taro
spoke up. “But how did the fox lady know how to use a sword?”
Akakiba
and Yuki sighed in unison. The road would be a long one.
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