Finally the class finished and I was ready to return to my house with Tanuki anxious in my pocket desiring to go at place that Mika mentioned. He said that there should have one monument about torii that can help him to understand more. Amerix had walked with me until the exit thanking me for the company and conversation we had at the classroom, even knowing that I should thank him by his effort to talk to me when noticed I was bad and tired. Amerix is a kind of man that I would feel comfortable to study on his side, learning about his culture and teaching him my likes of plants and the reason I am studying zoology. He is one that loves to study mythology, what is interesting because I tried to learn when I played some games, but nothing that called really my attention. My desires always were nature and meditation. Maybe this is because I always travelled on these games wishing to not face against a creature.

Just now I am noticing that I am speaking about him it’s becoming very weird, like if our relation is predestined. God!

I and Amerix said goodbye giving a good wave of hands and each one followed the way. Walking with Tanuki in my pocket is bringing a little security; it’s on this way that I heard the noises of chains from the Onis that were hidden and curious that not only I heard it. With him I hope that the help is more than necessary and he is very strong and fast to deal with every kind of threat.

~

Arriving at my apartment, I go up the stairs and arrive at my sweet hiding place, that of hidden has nothing. Opening the door and closing after entering, I feel a little of relief and put my backpack on the couch to take out the books and see them a little after I have a lunch. Tanuki quickly jumped from my pocket like a flea and the smoke exploded to bring him to his normal size.

– Ooofff… This pocket is tight! – he murmured stretching his body where I heard bones snap.

– My backpack is worse.

– Neither into your mouth?

– No!

I shouted blushed. Eat him already was disgusting; what can I say carrying someone alive into my mouth and have difficulty to speak, like I was with a big piece of flesh to chew? He laughed from this mock while I was trying to recover my patience.

– I am not so bad, Master.

– This isn’t the cause – I grab my phone from the backpack to turn on.

– Not matter. Now we need to go at the lagoon.

I had to wave my hands to calm down because I need to think a little too.

– Wait, Tanuki. I have to discover where is the lagoon. I don’t know the city for complete. Why do you want to see this lagoon so early?

– Your friend said that there is a martial arts academy there – I nodded. – If this academy has some torii at front it means that is Japanese and the torii should be the answer of all what is happening.

Of course I was trying to understand his strange words with Japanese. What is this thing he says so much today?

Thinking twice, this is the reason he left me alone yesterday. This thing should be important.

I asked it while I grab the books and put on the center table to check the covers and the beautiful art that the illustrator did.

– Torii is the monument raised with red woods and they look like more a path, but it’s the portal to connect you at spiritual world where the creatures should be coming from and the meeting with Gods too.

This made my ears lift and have curiosity about this strange monument. I am already trying to endure facts that one crazy fat dog appeared into a porcelain vase that my grandfather gave me to keep memories, met monsters that tried to capture me just to eat and now I have to hear that there is a portal that connect me into a spiritual world in fantasy. Just if this fantasy is nailed in Tanuki head.

Do I sigh or believe? I don’t know how I am enduring all this adventure because if this thing is real, a portal that can connect worlds, so we have one clue.

– We have to go there and check if there is a torii there – he grabs my arm, but I pulled quickly if he intends that I go with him to look for this place.

– I need to know where is the lagoon and the distance. I don’t have car and I don’t know how much costs the bus ticket.

He looked at me obeying my strange words and scratching his bag again. What is bus for someone that maybe can fly?

To hurry the situation, I was holding my phone yet and ordered him to wait. I had to search where is this lagoon and his name, the distance and so on. The GPS can help me a lot because I don’t know very well the map of city and I don’t want to delay. I still need to have a lunch, so let’s be fast. I typed something like “Sunomono lagoon” and the searches are indicating me some points that can help me.

Beaches, bars, restaurants, hotels… I am surprised that this city has a lot of beautiful places and I didn’t have the opportunity to meet one. Tanuki approached with his head to see what I am doing, thinking most than weird the technology I am using – or a weapon, if he is thinking it. I clicked on one point and a window opened showing photos and information about the local. Mika was right that there is an academy facing the lagoon with one entrance build with a wood tunnel. Tanuki puts his finger on the scream and shouted that this is the torii. So is this the suspect portal he is speaking? This looks like very simple for a portal.

Now I need to check the distance from my apartment until there. I click few bottoms and information that when I look at Tanuki’s face I see he is surprised with this strange object and windows – or only openmouthed. A kind of witchcraft, he should be thinking while scratches his bag. Did they predict or wonder about the future how would be?

– God, Tanuki! – I shouted. – The distance is big. We would need to grab a bus if we want to arrive there.

– How much is the distance? – I had to see the scream again to have sure what I read.

– 16 km. We would have to walk more than one hour to arrive there.

– Only this? We can fly until there.

I thought to rebuke more because the problem isn’t the fact that we aren’t on his era. Did he say “fly”? Would nobody notice a man at sky? I should remember that on his era all looks a challenge for everyone. Challenge is the only thing that motivates us to fight for our dreams and my challenge is to buy clothes for him.

Tanuki is magic. He saved me twice, so he have a way to travel faster without anyone noticing him.

– This can work – I commented.

– I can go alone there. I know you are tired from all the problems.

And how does he know I am feeling a weight on my back because of these problems? At least he is realistic.

I watched the phone and the time was 12:25 p.m., time to prepare the lunch. Tanuki doesn’t feel hungry being immortal. I wonder even with these “benefits” if he doesn’t wish to eat something that he likes. Sushi?

– Tanuki – I called his attention and he is hearing me. – Can you go until the lagoon and certify about this?

– I can, Master.

– So I have an order for you – look at me giving orders to someone I was hating! – Try to find this lagoon and this torii and we can eat sushi one night. What do you think?

At moment I finish speaking he held my hands with strength, looking at my eyes with a great confidence and bright that is freezing me.

– I can, Master! I won’t disappoint you on this. Where is the direction?

I grabbed my phone to check the local and it was telling southeast. I have any idea where is north what I can say about southeast? Just a GPS to help me.

Tanuki quickly ran until the window where he was going to jump with these clothes showing the big belly, the kimono tied on his waist and the exotic collar. I wonder if people would call him of faggot or macumbeiro (who worships spirits and demons for a purpose) because of this big thing on his neck, but he doesn’t care with it. I don’t think so.

– Why don’t you use the door? You can call attention jumping from the window.

He turned back and gave me a smile with a reply:

– I am the Wind Guardian; I go with the wind.

No words to speak, he jumped down and I ran to watch him, but I don’t see him anymore. He disappeared. I just see leaves flying at right and I try to see the route. He should be shrunken or he went with the wind, like he said.

Doesn’t Tanuki know the problem he is passing if they discover he is magic and living with me? When they discover I can sign my certificate that I will be dead.

I am thinking a lot.

~

After prepared the lunch and eaten, I sat on the couch and grab the books that Amerix lent me to read. I have to learn about these creatures coming from another world. I just don’t know if he thinks I am crazy speaking these nightmares with Onis. If I tell it for Mika she would think I am getting anxious or even crazy; Kona would mock my face more than he already did and my father would think I am getting sick.

God! I don’t want to think about these negative stuffs. I need to clean my mind. After I read one chapter – or try to read – I should meditate a little.

The cover is really beautiful showing a little illustration of some creatures and a big Japanese signature with his traditional spelling. The spelling I think beautiful. The illustrations that the book has should be useful and incredible to wonder together with their stories, origins, reasons and how they live. It’s strange to study about demons.

The first pages I turned to see with a good wind coming from the window where Tanuki jumped. The harmony that it’s bringing to me is a relief and I couldn’t let the sensation goes out without feeling the peace. I lifted from the couch to go at window and appreciate the park again with his leaves flying. By the wind I thought that Tanuki was arriving with the wind, like he said; but isn’t him. I look down at park and I see some people resting there, others giving a walk. If this park is known I don’t know, but the people like here.

I was trying to recognize the people there, a silly game to pass a time. I had seen someone with hood hiding his face behind a big tree and I thought it was my class friend, but the fur is black. Maybe should be someone that likes to pass the afternoon on the park. I walked away from the window after receiving a good breath and the wind that is still hitting on my face, moving the red hair softly and my fur ruffles with the sweet harmony, suddenly broken by a figure landing on the window.

I screamed with the figure that moves slow into my apartment with this weird and cold look. Now I noticed that is the fox from yesterday and I began to get scared again.

– Did I scare you, Ochiba?

My heart was beating fast with the swear warming my body. If I run he can capture me; if I stay he can kill me. It looks like the old saying: if run the animal catches, if stay the animal eats.

– Stop calling me by this name! – My mouth frozen by the fear in staying alone in danger while he just crosses his arms and lands his arm on the wall.

– It’s difficult to lose this custom.

– What do you want with me now? Did you come to eat me too?

– I just came here to know how is the prey in the middle of chaos.

– Stop mocking! This isn’t funny.

And it’s difficult to know if he is laughing or not because of this scary mask he is using to hide his emotions. By his silence and the way that he behaves he doesn’t see fun with this joke, but it isn’t helping me to keep calm. I looked around to see some broom to kick him out.

– I never had the intention to mock you – he turned his head until the window. The wind stopped blowing. – I just had the worry to know if you are alright.

– For what? – unfortunately any object to protect myself. – To swallow me to give you obscure powers like the Onis said?

– Onis are mostly arrogant desiring to be powerful, but their lives are resumed in destroy and eat while punish the condemned – maybe I should agree with his argument. He turned to see me with these occult eyes. – Each Yokai has his reason to follow their objectives and many are hunting you. You have no idea how your name is being sounded person by person.

– And you? Why are telling me these things?

– If I say can unmask all the mystery that is above and under you, Ochiba.

– And why don’t you unmask your face?

I still feel uncomfortable with him calling me by a name I don’t have and with unknown meaning, but this mask is a mystery that is scaring me. There are many thoughts of what hides behind the mask.

He didn’t reply my question; his presence is quiet in all the ways, looking at window for some unknown reason. The way he is here I wanted that Tanuki arrives and kicks him out. I insisted on the question, asking again and he behaves so calm, having a silent spirit paying attention on some rough movement.

– Ochiba – he looked at me with a cold, but calm voice. – I would like to tell you everything what is happening, but the answers only you should discover and isn’t fair that I finish with all this right now.

– What are you talking about? – more confused with his exotic philosophy and this mystery that is letting me despair. – I want to know why everyone is hunting me. I am only a student that left homeland.

– On this world you are a student; on other you are more than this.

– Which another world are you speaking?

I was feeling a mix of fear and angry. He invaded my apartment to tell his miraculous phrases, stand quiet looking at window with the same clothes than yesterday, the silent behavior he has and the silence to accompany us into this nightmare.

And this other world? Is Tanuki saying the true in having another world? So the meaning of torii can be real.

The masked leaves the wall, standing and keeping a distance between us, like a duel – something I would hate to deal, this is because I am stepping back.

– One day you will understand why, Ochiba. The worlds are cruel.

I didn’t need someone to tell me the world is evil, cruel, cold, sad and so much. Does he live at the Moon to speak such crazy things?

I tried to call him back to clarify some explications, but when he finished the phrase, he looked at window and began to move his body to jump and go out, a fast and silent farewell. I don’t know if I get relieved or with more questions to do; I really wanted is Tanuki here!

– Don’t need to miss me – he said climbing on the window. – I will see you soon.

How I wanted to send him to the Hell so he doesn’t come to bother me! He literally jumped from the window and disappeared from my front, letting the silence echoes and the wind blows on my body. Again I find myself alone after receiving a scary visit from someone that uses mask and takes with him a sword like it’s normal to take weapons now-a-day. At least he didn’t threat me with this blade on my neck. Just to think the scene I passed yesterday I feel my fur in shock and dithers.

And again: silence, loneliness and a fear piercing my soul like yesterday. If this week is being agitated, how can I say about my entire life if I don’t discover what is happening?