HP: Spirit Talker

Sugawara-sensei, it turns out, has a wife and two twin children. After some thought and consultation with the brothers, who had already explored the nearest lands for a day's flight, they decided to seek help from a Dorogumo (ayakashi, a spider-weaver of fate who can transform into a human) who had been discovered living near the town.

In exchange for a set of knitting needles melted from rose quartz, magnetized specifically for host binding, fortressing, and self-repair, which I did in half a day, the Dorogumo granted the request.

In a few hours, the ayakashi wove four beautiful silk scarves with gold threads woven in (I gave him a piece of gold), to which I attached enchantments of self-cleaning, comfort, self-repair, and the most complex — thermoregulation, according to the host's needs.

The latter enchantments were very difficult to understand (without understanding the enchantments, they can't be attached to the item through the ritual circle), and I was almost too late, and just a few hours before I was to leave for home, Sensei was caught.

 On the promise that he would not tell my clanmates, the man received a gift for himself and his family. Dorogumo wasn't doing anything new, so she decorated the women's scarves with a floral pattern and the men's scarves with an abstraction of dark circles and lines that were barely visible.

 The man was confused and even wanted to give something expensive when he read the descriptive note on the scarves, but I was able to talk him out of it (I thought so until I received two coded scrolls in brown, dark cases; Sensei said they were his trophy, but the man couldn't read the scrolls and they were lying around, so I had an excuse).

New Year's Eve itself was very peaceful and quiet. I visited the local temple with some other clan members, drank a glass of omazake, prayed to the local gods, made a wish, and returned to the compound. It would have been more fun if I had someone to celebrate with on New Year's Eve, but as it was, it wasn't too bad. In honor of the holiday, I was given some freedom and made my way to the back garden, almost a wooded area.

There, together with the brothers, I built a small fire and laid out the prepared offerings to the gods, as well as various goodies respected by the yokai and ayakashi: sugar candy, berries, nuts, honey, pastries. Despite the noise of another party coming from the main building, I felt at peace, at one with the world.

Gradually, in the fire of my campfire, petals of multicolored flames appeared, and upward, not only sparks, but ghostly lights and balls of light, carried away by the wind.

 I felt good and calm in my heart, not thinking about anything else, just breathing deeply and listening to the world. I was so absorbed in this activity that I did not notice that there was a lot of wildlife around the fire — on the ground, in the air, and even in the fire. A pair of crimson lizards with yellow, rather squinty eyes had settled into the fire. In the air around them were translucent kites and small dragons with long whiskers.

Surprisingly beautiful creatures with silver and blue scales. A variety of birds, both carnivorous and not, perched on the branches, and small spirits winked from the crowns themselves, wearing colorful garlands. On the ground, the fire was surrounded by silvery, translucent spirits and small Yokai animals such as a horned mouse or a three-eyed white hare.

 The brothers chose the highest branches and looked down condescendingly at everyone. Their places were unchallenged. But I was most surprised to see two girls in their twenties, plus or minus a few years, wearing traditional kimonos.

Both were pretty, but one had black hair and eyes and pale skin, and the other had brown hair with a slight red tinge and eyes the color of honey. Both sat silently to my left, quite close to each other, gazing spellbound into the cheerful fire. I can feel them — they are not human, but their souls, bright and shining, are at peace now. Besides, I don't even have a thought to spoil the idyll.

I don't know what's going on, but I don't care — the atmosphere is too magical, despite all the "magic" of this world, the real magic I see here and now, and ruining the fairy tale is not for me.

Like it ? +100 Chapters on Patreon!
www.patreon.com/molakar