2. Oni

TWO

ONI

Faktil quo Laus

Faktil stepped into the clearing.

"Thank the goddess," he murmured at the sight of a trio of small buildings.

The closest and largest of the three was no bigger than ten paces in either direction. It was propped up on large rocks, which was good for keeping certain critters and water out. The dwelling was sided with overlapping wood slats and a metal roof kept the weather out. Even in the dim light it looked primitive, but it was a vision and a blessing. The light glowing through the rear window drew him. He was damn lucky to have found help so fast.

Before Faktil knew it, his face was eagerly pressed against the window. No one was home, but the flickering artificial light hanging from the ceiling assured him it was recently occupied. On the left there was an upholstered bench that took up much of that wall. On the right was a small table with two chairs, and beyond it a squat, black, metal box with a pipe running from the top to the ceiling .

Ah, a firebox. He nodded, understanding what the vented metal contraption was for.

His gaze panned the rest of the interior. There was a window on each of the walls, which were painted a faded white, like the outside. A flower and leaf decoration hung above the table, but the walls were otherwise bare. A multicolored round textile lay on the floor and shelving sat just below the window he was peering through. Beyond that the structure was spartan.

Where is the bed?

As soon as the thought formed his gaze swung back to the left, giving the upholstered bench another glance.

That's the bed. Faktil grimaced at how uncomfortably small it was. He then laughed, recalling it was for a short human.

Faktil nodded, appreciating that the space looked tidy, though the bed appeared recently occupied.

Where did you go?

He looked around for clues. How many people lived in the little cabin? Did they hear him crash? Is that what woke them? The questions cascaded through his mind as he walked around the structure, intent on waiting by the door for the occupant to return.

Naomi

Naomi exited the outhouse and was surprised Bandit didn't instantly assail her.

"Bandit?" she called to him as she looked around, rinsing her hands in the wash barrel.

Apparently, he'd disappeared. As worked up as he'd been she didn't expect him to take off, but Bandit had the knack for disappearing to do whatever it was that birds do. He'd show back up eventually, the way he usually did. The first time he'd popped up in the cabin, she nearly peed herself. It wasn't the middle of the night like today, but she had just woken up and was still groggy. The moment was extra freaky because the door was shut and she was certain she'd left him outside the night before. It happened again and again, and she just had to get used to it. Bandit had a spot in the eaves where he was getting in and out, but she'd yet to discover the feathered Houdini's secret. Until she did, she just had to expect the occasional wake-up call or surprise squawk.

Sneaky Bandit!

Sometimes, such as now, it was the reverse, and Bandit disappeared. She liked to think he had other parrot friends, although he was the only one she'd seen and they weren't native to the islands.

Maybe he's made friends with the terns or the boobies. Bandit made friends with her, why not the other birds since he was one? Bandit's got a booby girlfriend.

"Help me, I'm inventing a social life for a parrot," Naomi snorted as she walked across the dirt courtyard.

Her life had truly changed. She used to work all the time and hardly had a social life. Now she led a more relaxed pace. Watching the birds nest on the beach and the fish flit around the tide pools passed for entertainment these days. It was calming, but she desperately missed her family and friends. She didn't get to see her ‘ohana' often enough before, and now that had turned into not at all.

That can't be helped now, so there's no sense dwelling on it.

Naomi quickly dispelled the train of thought, refusing to get bogged down in the morose facts of her life. Her gaze landed on the firepit, noting that the coals were still glowing from the night before .

That will make relighting it easier .

She grabbed her canvas bag off the stump that doubled as a fireside stool and slung it over her shoulder, then continued on to the cabin. She'd need it for later, regardless of what the day held.

"What is on the agenda today? Some fishing maybe," she mumbled.

That was probably a good plan since she collected taro yesterday. This afternoon she could work on processing the fish to dry alongside the tubers .

"Mmm." She nibbled her lip at the idea of making some fresh poke.

Naomi yawned wide. Or maybe I'll go back to sleep. That actually sounded like the better idea.

Just as she reached the covered porch, a massive shadow stepped around the edge of the cabin. Naomi sucked in a sharp breath and stopped dead in her tracks.

Nothing this big lives on the island, she reminded herself as she panned up, tipping her head back to see all seven feet of it. Not. A. Damn. Thing. Is. This. Big. Her heart hammered in her chest.

Whatever it was growled deep and stepped toward her. The light streaming from the cabin landed on the figure. She caught a swath of blood-red skin, wild, black hair, and gleaming, sharp fangs. Obaachan always talked about demons like they were real. Maybe her grandma was right.

"Oni!" she screamed, turned, and ran for her life.

Faktil quo Laus

"By Vrag's tail!" Faktil cursed, slapping his tail against the ground, as the human female ran screaming into the dark woods .

You scared the perdition out of her.

He should've known better than to abruptly step around the building. He was just so excited to have found someone so quickly. Then he saw her and was momentarily distracted. It wasn't how damn small the human was that captured his attention. She barely reached his chest, but he was used to humans being surprisingly small. No, that wasn't it. It was dim, barely dawn, yet that couldn't hide how stunning she was. She had long dark hair and dark eyes, much like a Cadi female, though her features were more delicate. Her sweet floral scent gripped him and he wanted to roll around in the heady perfume. Then her scream pierced his ears, breaking the spell.

Faktil cringed as he replayed the way the little female reacted when he tried to greet her. Her eyes widened, looking impossibly large on her petite face. Her sweet scent quickly changed, she sucked in a stunned breath and screamed. Guilt churned in Faktil's gut, mixing with a memory from his youth. The fear twisting the female's face and her shrill terrified wail made his blood run cold. It was too reminiscent of his sisters when the Scelus Cadi raided their village.

Faktil shook off the terrible memory. He was nothing like those enemy warriors, but the little human didn't know that. The urge to find the frightened female and ease her worries, the way he would his sisters, propelled him forward. Faktil took a step toward the tree line then paused when something else occurred to him.

I really must have been knocked in the head. He groaned. He'd briefly visited Earth once before as part of a rescue mission, and learned humans knew nothing about races from other worlds. How could I have forgotten?

That was easy to answer. The humans he recently rescued were familiar with others, since they'd been enslaved by the Jurou Biljana. Those interactions were foremost in his mind and he forgot they didn't represent all humans. He grew up knowing about off-worlders. It was the norm with the races he knew and regularly interacted with.

Now, what do I do? Faktil's frown deepened.

He needed help, but didn't want to further traumatize the stunning little creature. There were some things that could cause lasting emotional distress. He didn't want to be the cause of that.

Find someone else.

He felt lucky to find this dwelling so quickly, since the view from the beach didn't reveal any evidence of civilization. It made him reluctant to leave the cabin to look for another dwelling hidden somewhere in the thick forest. But there was a path ahead, and it had to lead somewhere, hopefully to another home.

This time, try not to frighten the occupant. He shook his head at himself.

Faktil walked past the firepit and the spindly wooden rack set up near it. His stomach grumbled as he noticed the root vegetables drying on the rack.

Apparently, I'm hungry.

He bypassed the two smaller buildings that made up the compound, taking the path that led into the tropical forest.

She was alone. Any decent male would've come to her aid after a scream like that. Something about that pleased him.

Instantly his brow furrowed with guilt. That's awful, he rebuked himself. It wasn't that he liked the idea she was alone, just that she had no male.

His thoughts again drifted to when he first saw her. She had a heart shaped face, a perky little nose and full lips, though it was her eyes that were the most compelling. Her dark eyes were large with a thick fringe of lashes giving them a sultry alluring quality. She was absolutely gorgeous.

"Oof!" Faktil barked when his toe caught on a root as he rounded a tree in the path.

He started to pitch forward but his tail shot out, acting as a counterbalance, and he swiftly regained his footing. Faktil eyed the root then chuckled incredulously.

That's what I get for being distracted.

His stomach growled again then rolled around in his gut like it was trying to digest itself.

Talk about distracting. When did I eat last?

He couldn't recall that detail, along with the specifics of his crash. From the hollow sensation in his gut, it had definitely been a few days.

Faktil frowned at the implication. Something had kept him from eating. It gave credence to the notion he'd chased at least one of the reptiles to Earth. He wouldn't have left the pilot seat to eat.

Goddess, I hope I got the bastards before they relayed Earth's location.

He shook his head in frustration, then had to let it go. At this point there was nothing he could do.

That is, unless one of those scaly bastards washes ashore. Then he'd kick some reptile tail.

Faktil's stomach growled again, reminding him it was empty. He panned the forest as he continued on the winding path. The sun was coming up, filtering through the tangled branches, making it easier to see. There was a variety of vegetation, with colorful flowers and fruits. The trees and brush were filled with a dozen different creatures from the insects to the chirping birds. He had no doubt much of this was edible, but without his comm he had no clue what was what .

The dirt path broke through the trees, and Faktil came to a halt. His head tilted quizzically as he scanned the ocean in front of him. This wasn't the same beach he'd washed up on. That was behind him, in the opposite direction, beyond the dwelling. The nagging in the pit of his stomach screamed something was off, and it wasn't simply hunger pains.

Naomi

Naomi looked behind her, certain the demon was chasing her through the forest. Thankfully it wasn't right behind her. She turned around and nearly smacked into a branch.

"Shit!" she barked, throwing her hands up in time to catch the limb.

With her heart thundering in her chest, she collapsed against the trunk. Warily she watched the woods, trying to catch her breath.

I wasn't imagining things. It was a giant oni.

The demon stepping out of the shadow replayed in her mind. Its blood-red skin, wild, black hair, and sharp, white fangs flashed through her mind. The deep growly voice sent chills down her spine.

Grandma Kyoko, or Obaachan, as she usually called her, was Shinto, and was always telling stories about the onis in Japan. Whenever she misbehaved, Obaachan warned her the onis would come. And if she was really bad, she might turn into one of the demons.

But that was just a myth, stories to get kids to behave. Never for an instant did she believe any of it was real.

"Then what the fuck was that?" she stammered.

Naomi huddled against the tree trunk, trying not to hyperventilate, but her heart continued pounding out of control. Her gaze frantically roved the forest as what she saw and her grandma's stories spiraled through her mind. Any slight movement in the underbrush or overhead made her jump.

Eventually she noticed it was lighter out. Naomi blinked, trying to shake off the fear. Nothing lunged from the shadows. Nothing was coming to get her.

I was seeing things. I had to be. I was sleepy. It was dark, she reasoned, shaking her head and trying to understand what happened.

It just seemed so real. Her brow furrowed, then her heart rate spiked. Maybe I've finally lost it.

She'd been alone on the island for over a year. No one had come back to the cabin in all that time and it was doubtful they ever would.

I'm so desperate for someone, anyone, I invented an oni, but why?

The answer instantly came to her. She invented a demon because she truly believed she was stranded due to karmic backlash. Or maybe she actually died and this was her afterlife.

"No, I was just tired and a little stressed." She refused to believe she was losing it.

She had battled anxiety and depression after being stranded and came out on top.

And I'll overcome whatever this wrinkle is. Naomi nodded.

The best way to do that was to keep busy.

I originally planned to go fishing, so I go fishing.

Anxiously she glanced in the direction she'd come from. She'd have to go back there to get the fishing gear out of the tool shed. Even though she dismissed the demon sighting as the hiccup of a tired and lonely brain, she still resisted going back .

Or maybe I can go foraging instead.

That would be equally productive and keep her busy so she didn't dwell on the oni.

Faktil quo Laus

The needs of his stomach outweighed the need to find a communicator, or even his curiosity about why the beaches were back-to-back. Faktil waded into the water then crouched down. The rock formations in the water created a small bay and numerous tide pools. The natural sea wall also blocked the churning waves, making it easier to see in the water. Without moving a muscle, he waited for the fish to forget he'd just invaded their territory. Although it had been a while, he used to regularly fish this way back home, and it was all about patience.

Faktil's eyes glossed over as he stared at the rippling water, a memory from his youth surfacing. Avraham was his mother's second mate and not truly his sire, but the male raised him as his own. He taught him how to fish, how to track, and hunt game. In the quiet moments like these, while they waited for their prey, Avraham shared all the things a sire should.

"It would be easier if we used the snares," Faktil huffed to Avraham as another fish slipped through his hands.

Hand fishing was hard, and it took a lot longer for less reward. Plus, at six, his hands weren't big enough to get a decent sized fish.

"It would." Avraham nodded in agreement. "But we might not always have our snare."

He couldn't fathom why they'd ever come to the river to fish without bringing their snares, like they did today. That would be dumb. But adults said and did strange things all the time, so he just nodded.

Faktil counted the fish laying on the riverbank. There were five, one for each of them. Avraham caught the four bigger fish, and he'd caught the tiny one, though it was big enough for Ciara since she was only one.

"Sire, don't we have enough?"

"That is a good question." Avraham smiled at him. "It is very important to only take what we need, but we must also plan for tomorrow."

"Because the cold season is coming, and we must stock away food," Faktil finished.

He understood that lesson. Although if that was the point, why did they come fishing without their snares? It didn't make much sense.

"Yes." Avraham rubbed Faktil's head and smiled. "I knew I wouldn't have to worry about the females if something happened to me."

"Nothing will happen to you," Faktil insisted.

Except things did happen. Kinsha, the village of his birth, was too close to Scelus Cadi territory, and one day Avraham didn't return from border patrol. Faktil was barely eight seasons, but the job of caring for his mother and sisters fell to him. Then five years later the Scelus raided his village.

The warrior broke down the door and burst into their dwelling. Faktil knew instantly it was a Scelus soldier from the teeth braided into the male's locks. His people, the Vidya Cadi, didn't desecrate the dead the way the Scelus Cadi did, not even their enemies were treated with such dishonor. Ciara and Asbjorn's screams snapped him out of the observation and he was on his feet.

"Behind me!" he shouted to his sisters, while squaring off against the Scelus warrior, despite the fact that the male was twice his size and armed with a blade.

The females instantly ran behind him, while still screaming in terror.

Avraham's old sword hung above the door. He had to get around the Scelus bastard to get to it. His chances were good since the vile warrior wasn't even looking at him.

"I think I will take you with me." The bastard hungrily eyed Asbjorn.

Faktil wasn't an adult yet, but he was old enough to know what that lecherous look meant.

"No!" Faktil roared, launching at the warrior.

Except he was too young and green to comprehend that his rage wasn't enough to protect them. The warrior knocked him aside and went for his sister.

"I'll show you what a real warrior is. I'm nothing like the pathetic crooked-tailed males you're familiar with." The sick male stalked Asbjorn, who was clutching Ciara.

The warriors of the village had dwindled over the years from going to war or guarding the border. Avraham taught him what he could, but the lessons had been cut short. Regardless, Faktil refused to let that dissuade him. He wiped the blood running into his eyes and leapt to his feet again.

At the same time, his mother barreled through the busted door. She grabbed the sword above the door and brandished it at the Scelus bastard.

"Leave!" she screamed as the blade trembled in her hands.

Except his mother hadn't been talking to the warrior. The command was directed at him and his sisters.

Faktil shook his head, unwilling to relive the rest of the memory. That had been just the beginning of their trials. Migrating farther into safe territory had taken moons. Finding shelter for his sisters, bartering for clothing to keep them warm, all of it was secured with the game he caught. Often, he wasn't sure how they'd survive, but they did.

It was a time in his life when he began to truly understand the lessons Avraham had tried to teach him, and he used every one of them. He could whine about their plight, except his story wasn't any different from other Cadi who grew up during the great war. In fact, his story was better than many. He and his sisters survived, because they were blessed with such good parents.

Thank you. A somber smile tipped his lips as he thanked his kin and the goddess who made them a clan.

It had been a while since he'd relived those particular memories. The little human's scream and the need to fish obviously resurrected them.

Faktil pushed aside the past, focusing on the water, and a genuine smile tipped his lips. A small school of blue-finned fish had gathered around him while his mind drifted. With his hands already poised, Faktil picked out his quarry then struck.

"Son of a metcor !" he cursed when the fish slipped through his fingers, just like when he was young.

Faktil waited but the fish didn't return. He moved up shore and waited again, yet the fish still did not return.

Are the fish here more skittish than the ones back home?

His gaze panned the water. It wasn't simply the fish that were absent, he'd frightened off everything.

I know I am out of practice but this is ridiculous. He stood with a huff, giving up the fruitless task, at least for now.

As Faktil stretched from being stooped over in the water for so long, he eyed the landscape beyond the beach. When he came ashore early this morning, the large hill was on the right. Now it was on his left. Again, that nagging feeling returned .

There was one way to confirm his suspicions. His eyes drifted to a particularly tall tree that didn't appear too far away. He could climb it, survey the area, and maybe spot another dwelling or city inland. Faktil waded ashore and headed into the forest. As he moved through the trees and underbrush, he was quiet, listening for the female. The last thing he wanted was to frighten her again, or anyone else who might be able to help him.

It is very beautiful here.

The trees, bushes, and ground cover were a dazzling array of green, ranging from earthy olive to a bejeweled emerald. He'd been in space for the last few moons. There had been an arboretum aboard the Osivoire frigate, where he'd been stationed before they confiscated the reptile freighter, but nothing compared to the variety and vibrancy found on a planet. He'd been to several planets and this place was exceptional, reminiscent of the preserve in the Chekil province back home. Life buzzed all around him, from the insects to the birds. Even the flora seemed to tremble with an overabundance of life. Everything was in bloom. As he passed, he lifted a magenta cascade of blossoms coming from a broad-leafed shrub. The flower was nearly as long as his arm. He pulled in a breath, appreciating its perfume.

Stunning. He smiled at the scent. It reminded him of the gorgeous little female. Sweet and compelling. With an appreciative nod he moved on.

Faktil stopped when he came to a massive tree trunk. He panned the behemoth that extended way up through the canopy of branches. It had to be the one he saw from the shore. Unlike the skinny trees that only possessed a crown of fronds at their peak, this tree had numerous twisting branches all along its length that were perfect for climbing. He leapt, his claws digging into the gray bark, and began the ascent. The tree lizards scurried off and the birds took flight to avoid him, all but one. The green-feathered bird with a red swath across its face sat just out of reach, studying him. When he passed the branch it was on, it fluttered to a higher perch and continued watching him.

"Aren't you curious," he chuckled as he passed the creature.

Its feathers ruffled and it squawked something that almost sounded like words. Faktil's eyes widened as the creature indignantly flapped off.

"Sorry if my laughing offended you," he murmured as he continued climbing.

It took another few minutes to reach the treetop, but soon he broke through the canopy and was higher than all the surrounding trees. His stomach dropped as he panned the landscape, turning to take in the full scope of it, which wasn't much.

It's an island! The nagging suspicion that something was off had been right.

The island was longer than it was wide and teardrop shaped. On the north end was a sandy beach that jutted into the ocean, and at the south was the rocky, overgrown hill. Beyond that, there was nothing but water for as far as the eye could see.

"I'd hoped I was wrong," he let out with a long sigh.