My Love is a Lifetaker

A pair of figures is settled on a veranda, overlooking a courtyard. One is an older woman with her pale hair drawn back into a thick bun, possessing a statuesque beauty that demands reverence. It is befitting of the lady of the house. Yet, the way her lips curl into a slight smile, the warm glow in her eyes, and the affection with which she gently pets the girl in her lap betray her tender nature. All members of the clan were obliged to use their martial prowess to serve Youdu, and many clung to this duty fiercely. She did not. Motherhood led her to retreat from both court and combat, allowing her to cherish her children, and she showed no desire to part from them.

"Mama, will I be as pretty as you?"

"You're already the most beautiful thing in this garden."

"R-Really? But..."

The girl lifts one of her hands to examine it. Although still young, they were already becoming rough and calloused from intense training. Most might take pride in the evidence of their hard work, but she was a sensitive girl. For all the gifts that it was clear she had inherited from her mother and father, their confidence was not amongst them. Constantly fretting over everything she did, she could hardly compare to the great pillars of the family.

Her mother's hand overlays her own, long, delicate fingers fitting into the grooves.

"Silly girl. It will take more than a few scratches to mar my daughter. Besides, this is nothing compared to what you did to me."

The hand squeezes hers tightly; the woman's nails dig into her skin, causing a pained squeak to be forced out. The girl tries to pull away, but her mother's grip is too firm. Still, driven by panic, she stands up to coax more strength out of her little body as she desperately tries to yank her hand free.

"Stop! It hurts!"

"Whine all you like—you brought this on yourself. With your weakness, you leave a trail of those who love you broken and forgotten."

"Mama, you're scaring me!"

Sobs creep into pleas for release, and the sight of blood trailing down her hand makes her even more desperate to get away. But fingers wrap around her thin neck, leaving her only able to wheeze as she's forced to look up. The beautiful woman she knew her mother to be is gone. Her nearly decapitated head hangs from her neck, rot and maggots festering inside the wound. Dozens of cuts divide her face into a jigsaw puzzle, from which more than a few pieces are missing, and those that remain don't seem quite to fit together. The rest of her body fares no better.

"Don't run away. Look at me. Look at what you've done, Iori!"

"...ss Iori, stop!"

A tangle of webs catches her, but is soon reduced to shreds. Iori's eyes shoot open, and she glances around for her attacker. However, she does not see a warehouse, but a familiar shack with three familiar faces surrounding her. Iku grimaces as she applies an ointment to Yumiko's neck. The Tengu looks frightened and can't seem to decide whether to look her sister's way or not. Between those two and Iori stands Lady Yor, a box tucked under her and several spidery additions on her form. All around, gashes have been cut into the walls.

Realizing what had happened and what she had done, Iori's ferocity becomes tamed. She turns away with an even deeper frown than usual, carving itself into her features.

"I'm sorry, Yumiko, you caught Big Sis at a bad time. I...I thought you were someone else."

"No, I should have listened to Miss Iku. She said you needed rest, but you've been asleep for so long, and Miss Yor brought snacks, and I didn't want them to go stale..."

"Let it rest, girl. What's done is done, and your dear sister has awoken."

Iku's interjection earns her a glare from Iori, but the younger girl forces a smile and takes the opportunity to change the subject.

"You mentioned snacks?"

"Indeed, she did, my lady. We thought the aroma of your favorite sweets might be just what you need to wake up."

"What a clever idea. Truly, I'm fortunate to have you both. Thank you."

Her smile becomes more genuine as she lets out a giggle, and Yumiko recovers some of her confidence from the approval. Of course, there was also pride to be taken in the fact that the idea had worked: Iori had begun to stir as soon as they drew near enough to the abode for her keen nose to pick up the scent wafting on the wind and through the cracks of the shack. By the time they entered, she was muttering in her sleep, and Yumiko could not resist the temptation to quicken her tise. It was this that led to the sight that greeted Iori when her eyes finally opened, but no one wished to dwell on that. Likewise, no one dares to mention the tears drying on her cheeks.

Instead, they enjoy the sweets. Yor and Yumiko sit near Iori as the box is opened, releasing some heat as the array of still-warm pastries is revealed.

"You really do know my tastes."

"Well, of course. I'd be a poor businesswoman if I didn't know a regular."

"I helped too!"

"You did pretty well for your first time baking."

"Hehe~!"

"But I think I'll have a hard time eating these on my own, so why not share them?"

Yumiko hesitates for a moment, but that quickly breaks under Iori's reassurance, and she snatches two red bean buns out of the box. The first disappears past her cheeks in a matter of seconds, but as she's about to bite into the second, she pauses. Scrambling to her feet, she rushes back over to Iku. The woman blankly as the sweet is thrust in front of her.

"You should have some too!"

"I'd be happier if your dear sister didn't trouble me so often, but I'll take what I can get."

Iku takes it, the Tengu beaming with self-satisfaction at her sacrifice. Meanwhile, Iori finally reaches into the box to claim one of the pastries for herself. Yet, her hand stops short of what she's aiming for. She spends several seconds flexing the muscles in her arm and hand, trying to stretch them to the length she knew they should be. After all, it had been her legs that were cut short, not her arms. With an inkling of an idea forming, she takes the time to look over her hand. The nails are shorter, and the skin appears softer.

Pulling away the blanket that obscured most of her body, she commences a thorough inspection. The result earns a frown. There's a wrapping around where she was bisected, but that isn't what concerns her. A flex of her toes shows that they work just as they always have. However, her legs also seem shorter than they should be. Or rather, it seemed that she had become younger while she was sleeping.

"I see you've taken notice of your treatment. Before you throw a tantrum, it was either this or keeping you off your feet for longer than you would've agreed to. It'll be easier for your body to mend if it's like this for a time."

"Tch. It's your job to heal. It seems I overestimated you."

"I suppose you did."

Iku and Iori share a look, a heavy tension creeping into the air until the latter sighs and lifts herself up more to grab the sweet she sought. Her gut, ever suspicious, told her that the priestess was lying and had done this as part of some scheme. But she had no proof of this, and there was little to be gained from retaliating. Not here and now at least. She'd already caused enough worry.

"Yor, I'll need you to put out a call for some assistants."

"What for?"

"It'll take time to become comfortable with this body even once I'm physically well enough to attend to my usual duties. I won't let the rest suffer because of me."

"I see. Then, what should the length of the contract be? And what's our budget?"

Iori's eyes shift from Yor, who diligently takes notes, to Iku, who shrugs as she wipes her mouth clean. She shakes her head, only more thoroughly convinced of her suspicion.

"Make it flexible. They'll receive the same salary as a top member of the family."

How long she was like this would ultimately be determined by the priestess's whims, but Ioir had no interest in playing her games. She wasn't going to grovel. As long as her heart still beat, she would do the only thing she needed to in this world. The state of her body hardly mattered, even if she stayed like this forever. At the moment, the only thing that mattered was who would shoulder the responsibility of protecting her family while she was indisposed.