Warrior(The Dragon King Chronicles)(24)

Dazed and confused the soldier stopped, but Major Pak still tried to pass her.

"Major Pak!" she called. She observed the effort it took him to control himself. "There's strong magic here. You must return to the prince and guard him."

Pak shook his head hard, slamming a fist to his own forehead. Grabbing the other soldier by the arm, they returned to the prince's side.

Leaving them behind, Kira entered the tavern. She was deluged by the overwhelming odor of burning incense, mingled with the different scents of tantalizing food. Underneath it all was the rotten stench of death and decay. Her head pounded from the sensory overload. Wiping a hand over her burning eyes, she sighted her brother kneeling before a woman dressed in a flowing hanbok of red and gold silk. Her face was that of a beautiful woman with sharp, narrow features, but when she turned to look at Kira, her true form showed clearly. Her eyes were a bright amber with flecks of reddish gold shot through the vivid irises. The woman was not human, but a kumiho, a nine-tailed fox demon.

Her brother was enthralled by her beauty and under its sway.

Kira's first instinct was to kill the kumiho, but something stayed her hand-a memory of an old tale that her father had once told her. It had been about a soldier who had fallen in love with a kumiho. When the kumiho was slain by the soldier's brother, the soldier had fallen into a deep madness from which he never recovered.

She could not kill the kumiho yet. Their only hope was for her brother to recognize the kumiho's true identity.

Kira approached slowly, her sword raised.

"Why do you threaten me like this when I sit here before you unarmed?" the kumiho asked.

Kwan leaped to his feet. "Kira, are you crazy?" he sputtered. "Put your weapon down at once!"

"Oppa," Kira said in a low voice, "you know who I am and what I do. Do not let the magic confuse you further."

Kwan looked perturbed. He stared at the kumiho. "Are you telling me that she is a demon?" he asked uncertainly. "No, that can't be right. You're wrong for once."

But he looked unsure. Kira stood before him.

"I will prove it to you," she said.

"Don't hurt her!" Kwan thundered.

Kira nodded. Walking to the door, she opened it and called for Jindo. With a savage growl, Jindo raced into the room and charged at the kumiho.

The kumiho screamed and transformed into a fox, cowering in a corner, its eyes the same amber color as the woman it had just appeared to be. Kira grasped Jindo by the scruff of his neck and held him back, not wanting to have him kill the creature.                       
       
           



       

Kwan gasped. "A kumiho!"

He staggered in disbelief. "You were going to seduce me and then eat my heart!"

With the kumiho revealed, the enchantment over the place was lifted and truth was revealed. The tempting feast of just a moment ago was now nothing but old bones and garbage. The place stank of rotted flesh. In a corner lay a huge pile of bones and the belongings of dead men. So deep were the piles that it was clear the kumiho had killed at least a hundred men.

Kwan began to retch.

He reached for his sword. "You foul creature!"

Kira stayed her brother's hand, staring at the fox, which was hissing and yipping in fear. Its nine tails, bristled in alarm, fanning behind it in vivid color. There was something pitiful about the creature.

No, please don't kill me. I can help you!

The voice came from inside Kira's head. Surprised, she pointed her sword at the kumiho.

"Get out of my head!" she yelled.

Please, I can only speak to you this way in my true shape. But I can help you.

"Help us? How?"

Escape from the demons.

Kira studied the kumiho and wondered if she was being foolish to risk accepting its help.

I can help you, I promise. But we must move quickly. Already the abominable ones are closing in.

Kira asked her brother to leave with Jindo and wait outside with the others.

"I can't leave you with that creature!" Kwan shouted.

"Just wait with Jindo by the door. I will be fine," she said.

Once they left, the kumiho reverted to her human form.

"You have demons right on your trail. Even now as we speak, they are heading toward this village." The kumiho spoke with a languid air of certainty.

"How do you know this?" Kira asked.

"I have the ability to see brief visions of the future. They give me an idea of what is to come," the kumiho said.

"How close are they?"

"We don't have much time."

Kira knew the half-breed pack would be after them again, but she had no idea how to evade them. She pushed aside the thought that Shin was probably dead.

"We need to get to Mount Baekdu," Kira said.

"I can help you. I can take you to the River God's underground lair," the kumiho said. "No human knows of its whereabouts and it is protected by the River God. The demons cannot follow you there."

Kira felt a surge of hope. "You can take us there and get us safe passage?"

The kumiho raised a delicate hand. "I will help you by telling you what you must do when you see the daughters of the River God, but you will have to bargain with them alone."

"But how can they help us? What do I ask them?"

"The River God's palace is deep underwater and can only be reached by their special underwater boat. If you are able to strike a deal with the maidens, then you can use their boat to take you close to Mount Baekdu. However, although they are cousins of the Heavenly Maidens, they are not alike. The River Maidens are indifferent to the welfare of humans. They are more likely to kill you than help you. But I will tell you the secret of how to receive a boon from them. That is the most I can grant you."

"It is enough," Kira said. "And in return, what is it you want?"

"To be human, like you," the kumiho responded.

"But that's impossible!"

"Nothing is impossible. The gods themselves blessed the Ungnyeo and changed her bear form to that of a woman. I want that, too, to be human. To have a soul."

"You think eating the hearts and livers of human men will change you?"

The kumiho was silent. After a long pause she closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Kira felt a push, as if someone had tapped her on the head. The next moment, images flashed before her eyes. The beautiful kumiho seducing men, pleading with them to accept her for who she was. The men eagerly agreeing until she transformed into her true shape, then recoiling in horror or attacking in anger. The kumiho killing the man she'd loved and eating his heart and liver as tears poured down her face.

Kira was appalled and yet moved by the scenes she saw. The kumiho seemed to feel something similar to human emotion.

"I thought by eating human flesh it would turn me into a human, but it has been a lie. It leaves me thirsting for more blood. And all it does is heighten my fox senses."

"So, again, I ask you. What do you want from me?" Kira stared into the kumiho's beautiful eyes, trying to gain an understanding of the creature.

"I want you to show me what it feels like to be a true woman."

A surprised laugh left Kira's lips.

"And how can I possibly do that?"

"Let me into your mind."

Kira recoiled. "No!"

"I offer you safety in exchange for sharing your memories. Where is the harm?"

"How can I trust that you will help us?"

"You must decide one way or the other," the kumiho said. "I promise that I will keep my word. But I will also offer you something else. You travel a dangerous road. A look into the future, a window into seeing what is to come and perhaps the choices facing you; this is the special gift I will give you."

Kira was unsure what to do. The kumiho had already killed many men, probably by pretending to be a tavern owner. Could Kira trust that she would not do this again?

"I am done with this life, I can promise you that," the kumiho said. "I will seek another way to become human."

If the half-breeds were close by, Kira had no choice but to take the kumiho up on her offer.

"I will agree, but you must take us to safety first and then I will let you into my mind," Kira said.

"Now it's my turn to ask how I can trust you," the kumiho said with a slight smile.

"You can't, but you have my word. And the knowledge that I could kill you here and now."

The kumiho's eyes filled with a mixture of sadness and humor before she inclined her head in agreement.

"Then you must follow me closely," she said.

They exited the tavern together, joining Taejo and the others. As soon as Jindo saw the kumiho, he began to growl. Ignoring him, the kumiho morphed into a nine-tailed fox.

Everyone gasped at the metamorphosis.

"Do not harm her," Kira ordered. "The kumiho is helping us."

"Young mistress, do you feel that is wise?" Brother Woojin asked, a worried frown wrinkling his face.

"Can't you see her aura?" Kira asked.

Brother Woojin shook his head. "Creatures of the otherworld do not have an aura," he said.

"Then for once, I ask that you trust me," Kira said. She looked each member of the group steadily until they all agreed.

Follow me. Kira heard the fox's voice in her head again.