DISCLAIMER: Hmmm…I don’t think I ripped off anyone in this—oh yeah, there is something that needs a copyright announcement. Please see end notes for that. Otherwise, this is a continuation of an original story written by me. Okey-dokey, go read now.
Ikimashou!
RABBIT’S GAME 2 – THREE REALMS
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Chapter Four – Day Trippers
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The midday sun beat down on Eris the way a taskmaster would a slacking slave. Her body being clad in leather didn’t help matters much. Even so, the goddess of strife didn’t seem to mind at all—she was as much a masochist as she was a sadist. She grinned as she watched the Ohta sisters’ house from her perch atop a nearby utility pole.
“Now I see why villains like these things,” she mused. “Gives one a great perspective of things, it does…” A moment later, she watched as thirteen females left the house and broke up into three groups. “Ah…this should be fun! Now, who to choose…” A smirk came to her lips as she pointed to each group, singing in turn.
“Eenie, meenie, miney, moe…”
Alexa and Misaki waved to the other two groups as they led Calliope, Euterpe and Terpsichore towards Misaki’s car.
“Catch a demigoddess by the toe…”
Artemis watched intently as Urania held out a water globe, fixing a position on where they were to go next. Polyhymna would have been watching as well, but she was too busy keeping Erato from hiking up her miniskirt.
“Make her day all full of woe…”
Clio hoisted a kicking and screaming Melpommene onto her shoulder, and unceremoniously dumped her in the front passenger seat of Kurumi’s car. She then joined a laughing Thalia in the back, as the car’s owner got in and started the engine.
“Eenie, meenie, miney…”
Eris waited for a moment, then pointed to Kurumi’s car just as it started, and the vehicle shuddered a bit.
“Moe.”
The engine sputtered, stopped, and then restarted, and Eris smiled. She waited for the car to follow Misaki’s out of the dead-end street. “I’d love to tag along and watch the fun, but well, I do have priorities…” She disappeared in a swirl of black leaves.
Artemis took her attention from Urania’s water globe for a moment. “Was that…?”
“What is it, Lady Artemis?” Polyhymna asked, finally letting go of Erato’s skirt.
“Nothing…I just…no, it’s nothing.” It was something, Artemis thought, but she didn’t want to upset the girls in her charge. “Let us get started. We don’t want to be late coming back.” As they began to leave, Artemis took one more glance at the top of the utility pole. “Eris…”
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Mizuko yawned lazily as she uncurled her vulpine form, stretching her legs and tails for good measure. In a few hours, it would be time for her to meet Orochi in person—a needless burden, she thought, since he usually communicated by thought. “Maybe he’s just as perverted as the rest of them,” she thought. “Or maybe he just wants to taunt me again. Regardless, I will do as he asks, get my compensation, and be free of his scaly hide once and for all.” She strode away from the shady tree where she lay to bask in the sun a bit. She then morphed into her human form, and walked back to her shrine to get dressed. “He will give me what is rightfully mine…”
“And that would be what, exactly?”
The kitsune turned to see a swirl of black leaves appear, and where they dispersed, Eris stood with a finger to her chin, admiring Mizuko’s naked form. “It wouldn’t be something I’d be interested in, would it?”
“No, Eh-chan…it’s none of your concern,” Mizuko answered, not bothering to cover herself. “A simple bauble that is owed to me, that’s all.”
“It seemed pretty important to—‘Eh-chan’?”
“A cute nickname, ne?” Mizuko grinned at how easily she was able to divert the goddess’ attention from the original topic. “In Japanese, your name is pronounced ‘ehh-ri-su’, so it’s only natural to call you ‘Eh-chan’. It’s much better than calling you ‘Greek’, isn’t it?”
“Whatever…” Eris blushed a bit, but set to the task at hand. “So, you said you had something for me to do?”
“That I do…I want you to meet with someone—a nice young man who is also doing me a favor. His name is Akihito Masanori. He will lead you to your part of my quest. You do know where the Asahi Post building is, don’t you?”
“Yes, unfortuantely,” Eris responded bitterly. “You could say I had some business with a couple of its reporters.”
“Good then. He knows of the item I seek—the one I wish for you to retrieve. He will lead you to it, and you will bring it to me.”
Eris thought for a moment, then nodded. “Fine. In the meantime…”
“In the meantime I will attend to my duties here at the shrine…trust me, you’ll want me to do this, as part of your little group should be arriving shortly. You don’t have much time before your meeting with Akihito, so if you were planning to take advantage of my naked state, I’m sad to say you’re out of luck.”
“How did you know…about the others, I mean…not the, um…er…?” a surprisingly off-balanced Eris asked.
“What is that saying again? Oh yes…‘a little bird told me’. Remember, Eh-chan, the Greeks and Romans aren’t the only ones with a pantheon of deities.” She closed the distance between her and Eris, and gave the other woman a long kiss. “Now, off with you—Akihito awaits. I have work to do.”
Eris returned the kitsune’s kiss with one of her own. “Do your best, then…and if you’re a good girl, I’ll do mine when I get back!” She giggled and then disappeared.
Mizuko waited until the last of Eris’ dark leaves was gone before she walked over to a small cage, where a beautifully colored bird began to sing. “So, it seems Amaterasu’s little pet project and my own little pet have crossed paths before. And the Greek seer is involved as well…this could be troublesome if not handled carefully.” She gave the bird a few grapes and whispered to it, “Good job, Ten-chan.” The bird sang happily as it jumped from its perch and down to the floor of its cage, its beak opening wide to rip apart the grapes with its sharp teeth.
A few moments later, Mizuko stood at the front entrance of the temple, her long blonde hair now shoulder-length and midnight black; her ears and tails completely hidden from view. She adjusted her miko outfit, making sure it wasn’t a stitch out of place, before going out to meet the worshippers and tourists.
“Minna…irasshai! Everyone, welcome!”
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“I can feel the time closing in;
I can feel the years crawling through my skin;
And if I doubt myself, I can count on the rain
To cover the tears of this aging game…”
Euterpe’s singing and playing only added to what was already a beautiful car ride for the other passengers.
“Didn’t I tell you it was beautiful?” Alexa was facing the back seat, watching as the three muses in her charge while her partner kept her eyes on the road.
“It really is! Not just the bridge, but the whole city!” Calliope’s face was pressed against the car window, gawking at the Pearl Bridge and the skyline of Kobe.
“Yes…,” added Misaki. “And at night, the lights change colors, forming a rainbow pattern. It is very beautiful.”
“We don’t have anything like that back in Greece, or even on Olympus. I’m sure Iridia could come up with something, but it wouldn’t be the same. And you say there was an earthquake here?”
“Yes,” Misaki answered. “A terrible one. Over six thousand people perished, including…my parents.” Her soft voice grew almost to a whisper, but the feel of Alexa’s hand grasping her thigh in support brought Misaki back. “It was a long time ago…they built the bridge a few years later.”
“I’m sorry.” Calliope’s downcast eyes met Terpsichore’s quizzical expression. “No, she is okay…she has her sister and Lady Alexa to care for her. She is doing well.” That seemed to sate the smaller girl’s curiosity.
The muse of dance watched Misaki as she concentrated on the road ahead and smiled. She may have been the youngest of the Muses, but she was by far the most sensitive. On many of her own journeys she would give this dancer and that the inspiration to express their feelings, from bucolic joy to infinite sadness. If Misaki were a dancer, Terpsichore thought, she would not need inspiration from her—that came from Alexa, from her sister Kurumi, and even from her dead parents. Even so, she thought Misaki held a pain deep inside of her for the loss of her parents—whether she wished to express it or not--and that the girl was determined not to feel that kind of loss ever again.
She envisioned Misaki alone on a stage, walking slowly amidst the darkess. A cry was heard, and Misaki suddenly turned with her head held high and arms open wide, standing against the wind in a defiant stance; daring the powers that be to assail her. Terpsichore watched as her image of Misaki dodged left and right with her upper body, her arms flailing in the wind, yet her feet never giving an inch. Behind her on the stage appeared Alexa, taller yet more fragile; anchoring her lover, yet holding onto the smaller girl for dear life. Further back was Kurumi, leaning into both girls, unsure of how to help, but watching for anything that may come behind them. Finally another figure appeared above them all, Yume—Kurumi and Misaki’s mother, and Alexa’s former lover—shielding them with her body as she floated above them.
Yes, Terpsichore thought, this is how it is for them. This is how they are bonded…not unlike herself and her own sisters. She sent that image to Calliope, and the lead muse smiled. “Yes…that’s how it is. They’re lucky to have each other…those two.” She nodded toward the women in the front of the car, and Terpsichore nodded in agreement.
“But I can count on you, to play your part;
I don’t miss a beat of your animal heart.
And when you push from behind, I know I can
Cover a mountain with the palm of my hand…”
Euterpe paused strumming her lute for a moment, wondering what had been discussed, before giving a shrug and going back to the song she was playing…
“Oh babe, you can make history young, again…
You can re-write it, you can decide the things that should or shouldn’t have been…
You can look at me in the scheme of things…
Oh babe, you could make history young…again.”
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Clio was practically drunk with glee from Kurumi’s rapid driving. “Whoo-hoo!! This is great! Go faster, Sensei! Go faster!!”
“There is a speed limit, you know!” Melpommene’s voice lacked the excitement of her sister’s. “You keep this up, and it’s sure to end in tears!”
Kurumi waved her off with one hand, while she used the other to steer her car around the rest of the highway traffic. “Don’t be such a spoil-sport, Mel-chan. You really have to lighten up a bit. Just look at Thalia—she’s having a great time, too!”
Sure enough, the muse of comedy had her head stuck out of the window, eyes bulging and tongue wagging like a rabid dog.
“Can’t take her anywhere,” Melpommene deadpanned.
“Don’t worry, Mel-chan…we’ll be back on the city streets soon enough. I have to make a stop at the paper before we go on to Akihabara. You guys will love—“
PING! BONK!!
Melpommene watched as the side mirror suddenly went spinning off to the rear. “That can’t be good.”
“No…no, it’s not!” Clio pulled a limp Thalia back into the car, a large welt forming on the latter’s forehead. “Guess she never saw it coming.”
“How is she?” fretted Melpommene. “Is she conscious?”
A woozy Thalia stared blankly at her sister. “Whoa, Clio—did you mate with a hydra? Why you have so many heads? They’re all cute, but…” She pointed to a spot just to the right of Clio’s head. “That one’s got only one eye…must be part Cyclops…”
“I don’t think she’s ever conscious, Mel…Maybe you should slow down, Lady Kurumi…it looks like your car can’t take this speed.”
“Damn the torpedoes!” Thalia shouted. “Punch it, Chewie!”
Kurumi looked over her shoulder for a moment at her rear-view mirror, seeing the serious look Clio was giving her. “Maybe you’re right…That’s never happened before! Let me pull off at the next ex—“ She was cut off by the sound of her rear bumper unhinging and rolling into the oncoming traffic.
“Are you sure this vehicle will even make it to the next exit?” Melpommene’s already ashen complexion became more so—if that was possible—as she gripped her seat.
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“Lady Misaki, I have heard from Clio that you are a writer. Is there any way we can help you with your work?” Calliope asked.
“Thank you very much for the offer, Calli-chan, but Alexa-chan has been a great help, given her first-hand experience on the subject, right Alexa-chan? Alexa-chan??”
“Pull over…NOW!” Alexa’s voice was loud and fearful, her eyes glowing a bright green. Misaki did the best she could to swerve her car to a open parking spot, then grabbed both of her lover’s hands for support.
Even Euterpe put down her lute to see what was happening. Terpsichore clung to Calliope as the older girl leaned forward.
“Kurumi’s car…Thalia…oh no, we’re not gonna…” Alexa drew back from her vision at the touch of Misaki’s hands. “Misaki! We’re not gonna make it! They’re falling apart!”
“Slow down, love. What did—“
As Misaki listened to her panicked girlfriend, both Euterpe and Terpsichore stared at Calliope, hoping to at least get some kind of translation for the garbled speech they were hearing. “I’m not sure, but whatever it is, if she’s seeing it, it can’t be good…”
Finally Misaki turned to Calliope. “Calli-chan…is there any other way for the Muses to teleport other than through water?” She tried to speak calmly, but her voice was shaking.
“Well, Lady Artemis and Lady Kurumi teleported us here, but they did it together. We cannot do it on our own. What’s wrong?”
“Ku-chan is in trouble…her car is dismantling, and the pieces will be strewn all over the highway, causing accidents and killing many unless we can help her in some way.”
Calliope thought for a moment. “And there’s no way we can reach them otherwise. Lady Artemis may be able to locate them with Urania’s help, but they do not have their own vehicle.”
“And we can teleport, but trying to land on a fast-moving car is nearly impossible,” a downcast Alexa added.
Just then Misaki’s cell phone rang, and a voice came through the car’s speakers. “Lady Misaki, Lady Alexa…”
“Urania?” a surprised Calliope asked.
“I am the muse of science and astrology,” the voice responded matter-of-factly, “So by extension I would also be the muse of both technology and fate. But that is not important, Calliope. I have alerted Lady Artemis as to the possibility of danger to Lady Kurumi and our sisters, and she suggested I get in contact with you to confirm my suspicions.”
“And she didn’t even get a headache!” Misaki whispered to her girlfriend teasingly. She then proceeded to tell Urania what Alexa had seen in her vision.
“I see,” the muse answered. “Please hold…Artemis has asked Zeus for help. It should be arriving shortly. Also, I would also suggest Lady Misaki ask Amaterasu for some assistance, as our influence in this area is rather poor.”
Misaki blinked for a moment, embarrassed that she hadn’t thought of that herself. “But is there enough time?”
“For one such as yourself, time is irrelevant,” Urania answered, “Ask her—she will know what to do.”
“Right.” The phone disconnected, and all eyes turned to Misaki. She was still holding Alexa’s hands, and gripped them tighter. “Come with me—it’ll help if you’re there.” She then turned to the three girls. “Don’t move—we won’t be long!” A warm golden aura shone around the petite brunette and her girlfriend as her eyes closed in meditation.
Calliope warned, “Don’t take too long up there---“
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“Ah, I have been expecting you, Misaki-chan,” Amaterasu said politely. “And I see you’ve brought Lady Alexa with you as well!” The goddess nodded her head in what could be considered a slight bow.
Misaki returned the bow with a deep one of her own, followed by a stunned Alexa. “Please forgive me, Amaterasu-sama. It’s one thing to see you in my dreams. It’s another to see you in person.”
“Thank you, Lady Alexa, and welcome to the Heavenly Plane. Unfortunately, this is not the time for pleasantries.” The sun goddess turned to leave the Gates of Heaven and enter her palace, her beautiful kimono trailing on the ground behind her. “Come with me, please…even in a timeless place such as this, temporal matters still carry urgency.”
Alexa pulled Misaki aside as they walked behind their guide. “She’s more beautiful in person…especially in this place. I guess since this is her realm, this is where she is the most radiant.”
“Too bad you did not come when I was first called, Alexa-chan,” Misaki teased. “We were both completely naked.”
Alexa’s eyes popped open. “You didn’t…with her…did you?”
Misaki giggled. “No, silly! That would be sacrilegious. Besides, she has…someone else fulfilling that need.”
The seer thought it best not to take that any further, as the beautiful goddess led them to an odd-looking door—one that seemed anachronistic, given the splendor of the ornate gardens and old-style palace. It was a basic wooden door with a glass inset, as one would see in an old office building. A sign in old Japanese kanji hung over the door.
Misaki read the writing out loud. “It says, ‘Office of Divine Affairs.’ I did not even know we had one of these!”
Amaterasu smiled. “Not many people do, Misaki-chan. The Emperor’s requests are filled here, as well as disputes among the deities.” A knock on the door brought a gruff voice from the other side.
“Whaddaya want? I’m too busy for anything else!”
“Shitsurei shimasu, Koyane-san…” Amaterasu poked her head in, and the golden aura surrounding her head could be seen lighting up the room from behind the door.
“Ah, Amaterasu-sama! To what do I owe the pleasure of the Divine One?”
“There is a matter that I need you to take care of.”
“If you’re talking about that traffic nightmare going on down there—hey, who are the cuties you have with ya?” The short, balding man peered from behind his paper-filled desk to get a look at the sun goddess’ companions.
“This is Ohta Misaki. You already know about her. And this is her companion, Melanos Alexa. I am sure you have a file on her here as well. Ladies, this is—“
“Oh, please, allow me!” The little man stepped up and bowed to Misaki. “It is an honor to fimally meet you, Ohta-sama. And you, Meranosu-san…” The man took a long look at the tall redhead before him. “If there is anything I can do, do not hesitate to ask. I am Ame-no-Koyane, Chief Executive of the Office of Divine Affairs.” He stood as proudly as his short stature would allow.
“Um…pleased to meet you.” Alexa bowed curtly and gave Amaterasu a look. “About that, we’re…”
Koyane looked at the three women and suddenly remembered why there were here. “Oh, right, right…As I was saying about that traffic mess, people were starting to complain almost immediately, and I got a long distance call from some guy named Hermes—says he knows you personally, Amaterasu-sama—who asked if something could be done. He speaks perfect Japanese for a Greek, y’know…”
Amaterasu, for all her radiance, had trouble hiding a blush. “Anyway, is there anything that can be done?”
“Hah! Who do you think you’re talking to? I just talked to Fujin—it seems he has a connection to the Greek gods as well…in fact, he’s a direct descendant of the Greek god Boreas. He wanted to go run off and help Lady Kurumi out, but I told him the proper request had to be filed first. Now that you’re here, he can proceed.”
“Fujin…and Boreas?” Misaki gave the man a curious look. “Excuse me, but why did we not have to go through these channels before?”
“Simple. Other than Amaterasu, no one bothered to actually follow the rules before. Now look at all the paperwork I’ve got!” He waved his arm, accidentally knocking over a pile of said paperwork. “It can’t be helped, I guess…as long as things get done and the country—and the Heavenly Plane—runs smoothly, I don’t really care.” He turned his attention back to Amaterasu. “So, if there’s nothing else…”
“There is not.” The goddess bowed slightly before leading the other two women out of the office. “Thank you again, Koyane-san.”
“No problem…oh, and if you see Ume-chan, please tell her to grace my office with her presence, will ya? She promised to go on a date with me!”
Amaterasu led Misaki and Alexa back to the Gate of Heaven. “And so you have it. Leave things to Fujin—continue your journey, and remind the others to continue as well. It is important that they do so. You will find out why soon enough.”
“Thank you so much, Amaterasu-sama,” Misaki said with a bow. Alexa joined her, and the sun goddess stepped towards the redhead.
“Fear not your dreams…the future is never set in stone.”
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“—you two…” Just as Calliope finished her sentence, a bright flash of green-gold light appeared between Alexa and Misaki. “Don’t tell me…”
“Yup, we’re back!” Alexa answered. “Have you heard anything from them yet?”
“Are you kidding? We never saw you leave! One second you’re here, then a flash, then you’re still here…like you never left!” Terpsichore shook her head affirmately, while Euterpe sat open-mouthed.
“Lady Misaki…are you still there?”
“Yes, Urania-chan…we’ve just returned from seeing Amaterasu-sama.”
“One moment please…” Some muffled whispers could be heard coming through the car speakers. “”I see. Thank you, Hermes. Lady Misaki, Lady Alexa—please wait there until I can provide further proof of their safety.”
“Thank you, Urania.” Alexa sounded a bit more relived knowing Hermes was nearby—meaning that Fujin was not long in getting to Kurumi. “In the meantime, Amaterasu suggests that you continue on to the shrine. I’m not sure why, but she said it was important that you be there.”
“It is as it is written in the stars, Lady Alexa, and the stars never lie. We will proceed. Hermes or Fujin will inform you further. Until later…stay well.”
“You too, Urania. Don’t forget to tell Artemis—“ The sound of the disconnected line annoyed Alexa. “Is she always so abrupt?”
Calliope sighed. “Pretty much. Not exactly the life of the party, but we love her just the same.” She looked down at Terpsichore, who once again gave her a questioning look. “They’ll be alright…put your faith in their gods.”
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What was left of Kurumi’s car continued to speed along the highway. The wheel covers, doors, rear engine hood and top had long since been discharged along the way. The passengers themselves were still intact, though Melpommene was sure she’d be in need of some serious therapy when this was all done.
“It’s amazing when you really think about it,” Clio said, enjoying the thrill of the event.
“All that debris, and not one person killed or maimed yet! You’d think there’d be at least one explosion or a major pile-up or something!”
Kurumi groaned as she did her best to avoid the panicking drivers. “Don’t ask for it, Clio-chan…it’s not like I’m an expert driver or anything!”
“You’re an excellent driver …definitely an excellent driver!”
Everyone looked at Thalia. “It wasn’t me! It was him!” She pointed to the front of the car, and there sat Hermes, dressed in a white suit and sunglasses.
“You know, you’d go a lot slower if you put your foot on the brakes,” the messenger god teased.
Kurumi wasn’t in the mood. “Look, I have no brakes—hell, I’m barely keeping this side of the car up! Can’t you stop this thing?”
“Nah, but my friend there can,” Hermes replied, pointing to a spot behind the passengers. “Go ahead, look—the road’s straight…you won’t hit anything!”
Everyone looked to see what appeared to be a man with a leopard’s skin and a wild mane of hair. On his back he carried an enormous bag, which he was using to somehow steer the various shrapnel of Kurumi’s car away from the other drivers. “Ladies, meet Fujin…Shinto god of wind.”
The strange man gave a wave with one hand, while gathering up his sack around his neck. “First, we might as well get rid of this…” He reached down and started ripping out pieces of the engine, tossing them to the side of the road.
“Hey!” a shocked Kurumi cried out. “You’re ripping up my car!” After a look of disbelief from Melpommene, she waved him on to do his bidding.
“Now, a little reverse thrust should do the trick…just let me get up the front there…” Fujin leapt over both rows of seats and onto the front hood.
Hermes scooted over to give the much larger man some room. “Not too much, okay? We don’t want these ladies to lose their lunch!”
Fujin gave him a nod, then reached for the huge bag. He pointed the opening at an angle downward and ahead of the car, and gave a gentle squeeze of the middle of the bag. Soon wind began to rush ahead of the car, so much so that the vehicle began to lose speed.
“It’s working!” For the first time, Kurumi actually thought she saw a smile on Melpommene’s usually dour face.
Fujin gathered his bag to his side, and slowly pressed against it, forcing more air out and slowing the car further until it came to a stop. “Well, my job here is done.” He and Hermes jumped off of the vehicle, joining a very relieved Melpommene on the side of the road. As soon as they got off, what was left of the car simply fell to pieces, leaving Clio and Thalia sitting on their backs on an upended rear sofa, and Kurumi hoding a no-longer-functional steering wheel.
Fujin took the bag and returned it upon his broad shoulders. “Well ladies, while Hermes-san works things out with the authorities, I’ll be more than happy to take you where you want to go.”
“Can’t we just go home now?” Melpommene asked.
“No!” Clio and Thalia both shouted. “Who knows what other trouble we can get ourselves into?” Clio added.
Kurumi just rolled her eyes. “Thank you, Fujin-sama. I don’t know how you knew we needed your help, but I’m grateful for it.” She bowed to the wild-haired god, who let out a roaring laugh.
“You live with a seer and a herald, have a Greek goddess for a girlfriend, and have nine muses in your charge…and you wonder how I knew about your plight? Ha! I think that time in Olympus is dulling your senses, girl!” He whistled for the other girls to join him. “Let’s go ladies…first stop, Asahi Post!” He took the bag off of his shoulders and let the wind blow straight up, with a wave of his hand, he swept up the four ladies and headed off toward the office towers of Kobe.
Kurumi’s surprised yell was the last sound the group heard…”Girlfriend??”
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Misaki stepped out of her car and waited for the others to join her before activating the alarm. Having heard from Hermes of her sister’s exploits did settle her mind, but something about it still bothered her. “She’s always been a reckless driver, Alexa-chan, but she takes very good care of her car. Whatever happened was definitely unnatural…and I am surprised that you could not see who the cause of such an act was.”
Alexa smirked at her lover’s remark, knowing full well it was not meant in anger. “Hey, I’m clairvoyant, not psychic! The good thing is that all is well for now…”
“’For now’? What did you mean by that?” Calliope asked.
“Nothing,” Alexa replied, admonishing herself for the slip. “Let’s just enjoy the rest of the day, okay?” She led the rest of the group to the front gate of the large palace that stood before them. “I guess you could say there’s something here for us all to enjoy.”
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Urania stopped at the top of the large staircase. Checking her bearings, she pointed to the temple ahead of her. “We have arrived at our destination.”
“Ah, so we have,” Artemis said, noting the signpost. “Itzumi Shrine. This should be an interesting stop for all of us.”
“Very much so,” Polyhymna said, her face beaming with excitement. “I have heard so much about the Shinto gods and their shrines…I consider myself blessed to finally be able to see one in person!”
“There is also a historical aspect that must be inspected,” Urania added. “Though that holds very little interest to me, I will be sure to record what we learn here for the benefit of both Calliope and Clio.”
“Very thoughtful of you, Urania.” Artemis then turned to Erato, who was looking back at the long flight of stairs with dismay. “Is there a problem, Erato?”
“Well…I feel kinda funny coming here, you know. I mean, shrines and eroticism don’t exactly go together.”
Artemis smirked. “What if I told you that, like our own shrines, these have beautiful maidens tending to them?”
“Are they virgins?” Erato leered.
“I’m sure you’d like to find out, do you not?”
The group turned to see a tall woman with shoulder-length black hair smiling at them. Artemis knew right away that this was no ordinary miko.
Even though she knew of their arrival, Mizuko still felt uneasy about having a goddess of Artemis’ stature; she was definitely stronger than Eris, and that put the kitsune on edge. Even so, she did her best to put on a brave face.
“Welcome to Izumi Shrine…please, follow me.”
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End of Chapter Four
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