When I came to, I was aware of the fact that I was lying on something comfortable. Like really comfortable. So comfortable that I wanted to roll over and fall asleep again.

Of course, life had other things in mind for me.

My eyes fluttered open and at once were greeted with the sight of a wooden ceiling far above my head. I let my eyes leave the ceiling, glancing around at the room before me. The glow of a sunset peeked through a western window, washing the room in a myriad of colors. I was lying on a raised cot that felt incredibly more comfortable than the one in the trainee bunks. A white paper partition was set up to the left of me, blocking the rest of the room from view. But to the right of me, sitting in a chair and looking as worried as ever--

"Lisa, you're awake!" my brother practically yelled, rising to his feet so fast that I was worried he would topple over.

"Very observant," I said sarcastically, though I couldn't help the grin that tugged at the corners of my lips.

A woman in a white silk kimono came into view, a concerned look on her face. Her hair was done up into an elegant twist at the top of her head, held together with a red ribbon.

"Lisa-San, how are you feeling?" she asked.

"Like I could sleep for a couple more years," I joked, eliciting a smile out of her.

"My name is Asuna and I'm one of the healers here. You've been unconscious for quite some time. Sensei Denji tells me that you drove away a Raiju on your own?"

"Something like that," I mutter.

"Very impressive. Just make sure you are more careful next time," she instructed, flashing me a kind smile.

"Yes Ma'am," I said, smiling in return. She handed me a small cup of steaming yellow liquid and I raised my eyebrows at her inquisitively.

"Green tea. It has immense healing properties," she insisted.

"Right...," I muttered, but decided to take a sip anyway. The hot liquid slid down my throat and immediately I felt my fatgue begin to ebb away.

"Let me know if you need anything," Asuna said kindly before disappearing behind the paper partition, most likely going to the aid of someone else in the infirmary.

I set the tea down on my bedside table and glanced at Danny.

"So, I almost got killed today. How was your day?" I joked. He shook his head at my joke but gave a small smile anyway.

"I've been in here for the whole day, waiting for you to wake up," he said.

"Wait, how long have I been out?" I asked, eyebrows raised.

"A few hours," he admitted.

"Hours?" I almost shrieked, sitting up and trying to get out of bed, only to be stopped by Danny.

"Lisa, you sustained a lot of internal injuries. You need rest," he said.

"I've already rested," I grumbled. "I've rested all day."

Before I could even stand to my feet, Shinji and Sora appeared from behind the paper partition.

"Good to see that you're awake and feeling better, Lisa," Sora said, flashing me a kind smile. "Our village owes you for driving away the Raiju."

"Oh, uh, you're welcome," I stammered, not sure what to say.

"Sensei Saito would like to speak to us in the Great House. He said it's a matter of urgency," Shinji said quietly.

"Good. I need a reason to get out of here," I mumbled, throwing back the covers and standing to my feet shakily. I felt the blood rush to my head and I wobbled slightly, grabbing Danny's shoulder to steady myself.

"You okay?" he asked me, his eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"I'm fine," I grumbled, letting go of his shoulder and taking a few tentative steps forward. I didn't fall on my face, so I considered that progress.

"Let's go. Saito will be expecting us," I said, making my way over to the door of the infirmary, the others close behind me.

As we walked through the village on our way up to the Great House, I could feel that something in the atmosphere was different from before. There were fewer people outside and the ones that were moved quickly to and from their destination, never lingering to chat with others as they had done before.

Fear. That's what it was. These people were afraid. Something had changed them, and I had a hunch that it was the attacked that had happened just hours earlier.

I had the sinking feeling that this wasn't the lighhearted village that we had wandered into yesterday. Something had changed, and it wasn't for the better.

The Great House seemed gloomier today than it had been yesterday, or maybe that was just my overactive imagination. The candles that were mounted on the wall flickered this way and that, making shadows dance throughout the room. The golden throne that sat at the end of the hall was cast in shadows, giving it and eerie appearance.

The double doors to our right sprang open and Sensei Saito strode into the room, looking troubled. He took a seat on the throne and beckoned for us to move closer. I stepped forward, looking up at the aged village leader.

"I have heard of the troubling events that transpired during Sensei Denji's training session. A Raiju attacked you, yes?" he asked, peering down at me.

"Yes, Sir. That is correct," I answered.

"Hmm, very interesting," Sensei Saito mused, stroking his beard. I was almost offended. It's like, hey, you were almost eaten. Wow, that's interesting!

"What's interesting, Sir?" Danny asked, seeming just as confused as I was.

"The Raiju is a companion to the god of lightning, Raijin, brother to Susano," Sensei Saito explained.

"Susano?" Danny asked, his face twisting with some sort of emotion that I couldn't place. Was it fear? Curiosity? Whatever it was, I couldn't tell.

"Yes, his brother is Susano, the god of storms," answered Sensei Saito. Danny's expression shifted, as if he were deciding whether or not to say something.

"This might sound kind of weird, but I, um, had a dream last night involving Susano," Danny admitted.

"'A dream? Did you sleep with your blanket last night?" Shinji asked, alarmed.

"No, it was too itchy," Danny answered. "But I don't see how that's relevant."

"You must be careful when you dream, Danny. Dreams cansometimes be a doorway into Yomi-no-kuni, the Land of the Dead, where tricksters, malicious gods, and demon-spirits dwell. If they find you in the Land of the Dead, they can manipulate your mind to their will," Shinji explained. "We must use blankets with kanji sewn into them to protect us from entering Yomi-no-kuni.:

"You could have made them more comfortable," Danny muttered.

"What did you see in your dream?" Sensei Saito asked Danny, his eyebrows furrowing in worry.

"Um, Susano was talking to an Oni-demon-thing. He said that he 'had a plan for the four of them', but that he had to take his long-awaited revenge on Amaterasu first."

Silence settled across the room like a thick blanket of mist on a cold night. Sensei Saito stood to his feet and began pacing across the room, his eyebrows furrowed in thought. I fidgeted nervously, waiting for someone to break the silence.

After what seemed like ages, Sensei Saito stopped pacing and turned to face us.

"If a Raiju has escaped from Yomi-no-kuni, the gate between realms has surely been opened, giving the storm gods Susano, Raijin, and Fujin free reign to bring about Taisen, or the Great Battle between the gods."

He paused, his face troubled.

"We are all in danger."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N: Thank you all so much for reading and supporting this novella! I'm so sorry for the late update, the weekend got kind of busy for me. Next chapter should hopefully be up by Saturday, if not maybe a little later!

If you would like to fund my caffeine and writing addiction, you can suport me here: https://ko-fi.com/X8X8GT37

~K.M. Anderson