Breath Of The Flower

Enmei approached the dark cave carefully. The scent of blood lingers around the entrance, standing a safe distance away from the cave, visible by the setting sun, Enmei drops a small pebble at the entrance. He carefully listens to the shuffling and growls that came from the cave. 1 demon, he confirms.

Gripping on his katana Enmei moves to the cave, when he heard some footsteps. He rushed up a tree and listened.

"Hurry, we need to move him, that boy- he'll find my baby!", the woman frantically whispered to her husband.

"But what guarantee will we get that the boy hasn't found him yet"

"I don't know, nor do I care, I have to save my boy"

"Your being unreasonable"

"Your being selfish! He's our son, he doesn't have anyone if we abandon him"

"No- he's not my son, he's your son, he's a demon"

"You-"

"All you think about is him, he's your child so I understand that your protective, but have you thought about me, it's always my child, my baby, my son, I'm the father yet I haven't been able to do anything, now he's gone, all you care for now is the remaining bit of the child we- no you had".

"Are you jealous? If you want to be part of his life then you can now!"

"Stop, our son is dead."

"My son is alive, he is right there he needs our help"

"Your son is there not mine, and he needs your help", along with those words the husband turned around to leave.

The woman glared at her husband then continued her walk to the cave.

"Honey~", she sweetly whispered, "where's my baby boy, my bundle of joy, my world~ ".

The growl in the cave deepened and a figure flashed past, hiding behind a rock.

"I've brought food", she continued, reaching inside her basket she held a small package, wrapped up neatly in bamboo leaves, "here", she then placed it on the ground and stepped away.

The demon rushed out and grabbed the sack, it's claws eagerly ripped open the leaves revealing a thin slab of meat.

"Mama brought it just for you... it's fresh as well", her hands rubbing against a bleeding wound on her wrist.

"Papa left us.. but don't worry, mama is here for you even though there will be less meat then usual... you won't mind will you? Since.. your mama's baby boy".

—-

Enmei sitting outside the cave listened to their interaction.

"Pitiful..." he muttered, his hands scratching the back of his head, "what to do..."

His head tilted to the direction where he assumed the father went. Hopping off the tree he followed the sound of crunching leaves and angry mutters. The wife can wait. She's too foolish... too hard to convince but the father- Akai is another matter.

"Honey what's wrong", the mother hovered over her child's trembling body. His head snapped to her direction and pounced onto her, but upon meeting her brown eyes he hesitated.

"Ma-ma?" He croaked out.

"Yes! I'm your mama honey what wrong do you need anything?"

"Hung..y im hu..gry"

"Do you need more food? Here eat I can't let you starve!" She pulled her left arm and shoved it into his face.

He immediately grabbed the arm and bit into it. A mental switch flipped in his mind and he continued to eat his mother, his brain became cloudy and all he could think of is how hungry he was.

—-

"Akai-san, do you have a moment?", Enmei stepped in front of the man.

"Arghh what do you want this time", he glared at the boy, much younger than his son.

"I happened to over hear your conversation with your wife and came to the realisation that you are harbouring a demon without the knowledge of any officials"

"What does that have to do with you- plus he... he's not... no my son is sick he hasn't been turned into a demon or all that nonsense"

"But sir, since when did I say your son is the demon that I spoke of?"

"Cut the crap I know what you are trying to do don't make me turn against my wife or child"

"You already have, the moment you left that conversation, the moment you left your wife to that monster-"

"DO NOT CALL MY SON A MONSTER!"

"He is, once a demon has eaten the flesh of a human person they cannot turn back-"

"SHUT UP my son is different, he recognises us he knows I im sure he somewhere in there my little boy is..."

"Your little boy is gone but your wife is not, leaving her with a demon could potentially-" *CAWCAW*

Enmei's head turned to the direction of the noise, "dammit..", he whispered and dashed off.

—-

"GAHH" the demon swung his hands around in an attempt to hit the crow, causing it to screech louder its beak pecking at his eyes now and then. The mother stared at her son in worry her remaining arm supported the wound from the missing limp. At that moment a flash of purple covered her vision and the left arm of the demon- her son crashed against the walls of the cave.

The boy proceeded to mutter words under his breath as he sliced the monster.

"..stop", she pleaded," Your hurting him... your hurting my baby", she stood up and threw herself onto Enmei as an attempt to stop him when the body of her husband collided into her. His strong arms wrapped her body and he whispered soothing words and apologies to her.

"Honey, he's going to kill our son... we should stop him", she weakly told him but in return her husband stared at her with so much pain and hurt.

"Our son is gone... I can't lose you too"

"But..." tears fell from her eyes.

"Please for me?"

"I'm sorry.. I thought... our son was still in there..."

Akai kissed her forehead gently and held her in a warm embrace, "he's still in our hearts", she chuckled at his corny lines.

Meanwhile Enmei listened to the demon's weak, haggard breathing, "meat.. food.." it kept chanting.

"May the light guide you..." Enemi prayed as he did a finishing slash to the demon's head. It rolled away and coincidently hit his mother's foot, she flinched but carefully lifted up his head. Her hands brushed against the strands of hair on his forehead.

"I love you my baby boy.."

The demon's eye widened then let out a relaxed breath, his eyes shut and he let the feeling of sleepiness over take him.

Later Enmei found out from surrounding villagers that the husband and wife duo had committed suicide in their small house on top of the mountain.