Chapter 1 - The Rude Awakening

The sound of my mom cleaning echoed throughout the house. Trying to mask the sound so I could go back to sleep. I rapped the pillow around my head.
“Mmmm...my ....pilllowwww....” a fully asleep Hika said grabbing my pillow, causing my head to the ground.
“Ouch...Hika!” I said rubbing my head. Kiro laughed while tossing one of her daggers into the air. So I picked up my fan.
“It’s not funny!” I yelled while waving my fan in the air causing the dagger to fling into the wall.
“Hey!” she protested and threw her other dagger at me. I ducked and it flew into the hallway.
“That’s enough fooling around girls! You have to get going to leave for the capital soon” I turned around to see Mom with the dagger in her right hand.
“But...Hoshi started it!” Kiro said while playing with her tail.
“I don’t care who started it!” mom flipped her long braid and walked downstairs.
“What’s wrong Kiro?” I asked while beginning to put my bedding away.
“Why would you say somethings wrong?” she answered while continuing to fiddle with her tail.
“Every time you get nervous you play with your tail,” I sat down beside my little sister and held her.
“I don’t want to leave the village... I know how people will react if they found out what we were... They would hunt us down like the beasts we are.” Kiro said with immense sadness.
“Oh..Kiro.” I held her tighter. “You mustn’t think like that. Think of it as more like a blessing not a curse. Think of all the strengths we get from it. Hika is fun and very playful, but can change to deadly like the baby snow leopard she is. There’s you, you are quick and nimble, caring and over all an amazing person. Besides your dragon features are the coolest! Then there’s mom she is strong, has lots of stamina and is quite fast. But she can also be wild like the stallion she is” I explained.
“Then there’s you. You are a loner with trust problems...” she sighed.
“Kiro...” I got up and began to walk downstair.
“Hoshi. I’m sorry...” she ran up behind me and gave me a hug.
“It’s okay just put away your bedding and wake up our sleeping sister,” I smiled and walked downstairs. Mom was downstairs talking to one of our neighbors in the doorway.
“Would like me to make breakfast like I always do?” I asked walking to the fireplace in the middle of the room.
“Shoto, can you believe that he would do that?” Chichi asked my mom.
“Well as far as I know he isn’t here.”
“Thanks anyways Shoto” she smiled and walked way.
“What was that about?” I asked while stoking the fire.
“Oh Hayato is hiding again. Who knows where he can be. And it’s okay I’ll make breakfast today. You can go and get dressed in your male clothes,” she then began to crack the eggs and put them into the pan above the fire.
“Thanks,” I walked back upstairs to see my little sister Kiro struggling to awake Hika from her slumber.
“Need some help?” I asked from the doorway.
“Yeah that would be nice,” she sighed.
“Okay get me a bucket of water from the creek and bring it too me.” Kiro nodded and quickly ran downstairs. I opened my wardrobe and took out the long male robe and hat with a drape that covered my face, and wolf like ears. I used to always wear the same black kimono with a red obi back then, so it was nice to be able to change my wardrobe once in a while. Putting on the robe I noticed that there was a piece of paper in one of the pockets. I took it out and opened it to see a drawing that I drew when I was really young. It was of me and my imaginary friend Tai. I hadn’t thought about her in like ten years. Kiro’s footsteps slowly could be heard creeping up the stairs, so I quickly put the picture back into my pocket.
“What are you doing, Hoshi?” she asked. Kiro didn’t have the water that I had asked her for and quickly realized that it wasn't her.
“Kiro please empty your pockets.” I said walking closer to her.
“Why?” she asked innocently. I reached in to her pockets and took out some random odds and ends like some buttons and jewelry.
“Don’t you dare pretend to be me!” Kiro said while hitting him from behind with the bucket of water.
“Ouch!” In a puff of smoke the identity was reviled. It was Hayato.
“Get out of here!” Kiro yelled pushing him out of the room. Hayato was nitrous or stealing random shiny stuff but luckily if he gets caught he returns everything. Even though he was only seven years old he was quite the little ninja.
“Anyways heres the water you wanted,” Kiro said handing it to me. I tried to put the what Hayato took in my pocket but it was gone. So I just grabbed the bucket of water and pored it on Hika.
“What was that for!” Hika hissed.
“You wouldn’t get up,” I said handing Kiro her cloak.
“So? That doesn't give the right to splash me with water,” she groaned.
“Breakfast is done!” mother called from downstairs. Kiro raced downstairs and I threw Hika’s cloak at her and fallowed.







Chapter 2 - The Journey Ahead

Sitting around our table eating our breakfast I let out a small cough. Sarah grinned.
“Hoshi is sick! I’ll stay home and take care of her!” Kiro shot up and began to run to our room.
“No, Kiro you are all going no matter what,” her voice roared like thunder. Kiro slowly walked back and finished eating.
“We have a long trip ahead of us it’ll take us two days walking to get to the nearest village. From there we stock up on supplies and take three horses with a buggy.” I picked up everyone’s empty plate and put it in the large container so it could be washed in the creek. Mother shot me a glare.
“What?” I protested and dropped the container on the floor causing the dishes inside to brake.
“What? What? Honestly Hoshi you are the laziest person I know!” She yelled and stormed out. We were still on edge from the previous night when I refused to go to bed. Kiro and Hika looked awkwardly at each other.
“Uh! Lets just leave!” I kicked the container out of my way and ran upstairs to get our stuff. Our bags were sitting by the windows. So I picked them up and quickly ran back downstairs. Hika and Kiro were standing by the door waiting for me.
“Go apologize,” Hika said pointing outside.
“For you to talk! You blow up as soon as someone gets mad at you for no reason,” I threw them their bags, put on my sandals and walked out the door. Mom was by the stream drinking some sake. I stuck out my tongue at her but since the cloth was covering my face it was very ineffective.
“Bye Mom!” Kiro and Hika said while giving her a huge hug. I just kept walking and ignored her.
When they finally caught up it was just at the villages limits. From were we were standing we could see a huge rock with shimenawa tired around it. Shimenawa is a sacred rope that protects our village and makes it unreachable to people who weren’t taught in the ways of our village. All three of is held our arms up in unison and began to draw a shape in the air. The shape was some kind of ninjutsu that releases the seal enabling us to proceed on. For if we didn’t and kept walking on we would have found ourselves back on our village of Kage. After we released the seal we walked about ten steps before turning about and resealing it.