The Eye of the Kami

For the next few days, Misasa helped Yuki become accustomed to life in Ishihara. She was individually introduced to her other roommates, women of varying ages, skill, and rank, but were all tied together by the bond of being musicians. Most greeted her with stiff politeness, and she knew it would take some time to garner their respect.

“I’m Misasa’s older sister,” one of the girls said, striding up to them on Yuki’s first morning. She was tall, thin, and unlike Misasa, had a hard look about her, a sharpness of face and depth to her eyes. Despite this, she was also stunningly beautiful, perhaps the most beautiful of all the musicians that she had seen.

“Older sister?” Yuki asked timidly.

“That means that I am in charge of the both of you.”

“This is Rin-nē-san,” Misasa offered, introducing her superior with forced courtesy. Yuki could tell that she was not very fond of her.

Rin nodded her head and continued. “Now, I don’t know what she’s told you so far, but Ishihara is not a place to fool around. You are an eye so you will not speak, unless it’s ‘Yes,’ to your superiors, which you will learn to do enthusiastically and without delay. You will complete your daily chores on time, and you will see to it that anything pertaining to my area, or my things is to be done first and with meticulous care. You will practice hard every day. The last thing I want is for a rumor to start that I am training toads. Oh, and I also require massages after my long nights, so you will stay up and wait for me to return when that occurs.” She gave Yuki a hard look.

“Where are you from, eye?”

Yuki moved her mouth to respond, but Rin grabbed her cheeks with her pincer-like fingers and pulled her in close. “Allow me to let you in on a little secret. No one cares. Now remember what I said, the only word I want to hear leaving these precious little lips is, ‘Yes’!” Her grip loosened and Yuki stepped back, stunned.

Rin’s eyes opened wide as if to prompt her.

“Yes,” she managed to squeak out.

“Needs more enthusiasm!” Rin snarled, but then twirled and strode away.

Misasa waited for a moment until her older sister was far enough away that she could not overhear them. “Don’t pay her any mind,” she said quietly. “She’s just bitter she hasn’t been called up to be a master yet. With her looks and skill, she should have graduated years ago. But for some reason, Ueda won’t allow it. Anyway, just do what she says, and you’ll be fine. She talks tough, but she’s not the one you need to worry about.”

Yuki was surprised to hear this, for Rin did seem quite formidable. “Whom should I worry about then?” she asked.

“The Lady, of course,” Misasa replied, her voice falling to a whisper. “You never want to upset her.”

Misasa then instructed Yuki in her daily chores and schedule. During this time, she described the strict rules and positions in Ishihara, which like a military, consisted of a pyramid of ranks.

At the very bottom were the eyes, those who were too new, too young, or too unskilled to do anything, so their job was to learn by observing. This was the rank Yuki would have to begin at, which is why Rin called her by that name. Eyes had no real names; they were just referred to simply as ‘eye.’ It was an insult that everyone had to endure until they could reach the next rank.

Next were the ‘younger sisters,’ or imouto as they were often called. Misasa told Yuki that she had become an imouto a year ago, after suffering as an eye for two and a half years. Imouto had older sisters, or onē-san and onē-san had masters. Masters were also ranked amongst themselves, usually by how much they could bring in monetarily. Masters also had the privilege of inheriting and passing on a special name. Among the musicians, the highest-ranked master was the Kotori, but the Tomaru and the Kasui were also famous.

Each rank had its own benefits. Masters were given their own apartments and much more freedom than living in the shared areas. They had their own money to spend and were often given lavish gifts that they could keep for themselves. Onē-san were the leaders in the common rooms and thus commanded much respect from their underlings. They rarely had to do chores for they had imouto and eyes to do those for them. They could also drink alcohol, and eat sweets, but were expected to maintain their perfect figures. Imouto were given names and could participate in the night’s events. They were given attention and respect from the eyes who were below them. The eyes, at the very bottom, had no special privileges, other than having a mentor who would likely be the only one to watch out for them.

Yet with each rank came responsibility. Every rank except for the eyes could have apprentices who they were personally responsible for. A violation by an apprentice was seen as a violation by the mentor as well, so there was a great incentive to procure mutual success. Ranks could be gained, but they could also be lost, and those rare but most egregious cases could result in a master falling back down to the rank of an eye.

There was also a separation of families, which were essentially jobs or specialties. There were the foxes, the warriors of Ishihara, who were the most remote and removed. Of them, Misasa knew truly little. There were, of course, the musicians, of which they were now a part. There were the actors, who put on many events in the various theatres in Ishihara. There were also the entertainers. Their job was to entertain guests in an individual or group setting by using the arts of conversation, storytelling, and even dancing. Lastly, there were the flowers, which were the most numerous and whose sole focus was physical pleasure. Along the moat side of Ishihara were where the cheaper flowers could be bought, and as one moved towards the center, the prices rose substantially. Yet, in this act, everyone was expected to partake, and anyone could be bought at any time. Strangely, only eyes were off limits, being seen as woefully inexperienced, and this was a rule strictly enforced. However, the invulnerability that came with being an eye did not last forever. Eventually, everyone would have to partake, for in the end, they were all courtesans of Ishihara.

Yuki was quickly given a small, round golden brooch with the character for ‘music’ engraved into it in black. It had a clasp and pin on the back so that it could be transferred between garments. This, as Misasa said, was always to be worn, to identify her as a musician to her own family, other families, and even to patrons. Every musician had one identical to hers, and if she were to lose her brooch for any reason, it would spell disaster for her.

Above all these rules and regulations sat the Lady Ishihara herself, and her administrative staff, of which someone like Ueda was a part. These were people separate from the hierarchy and were afforded the most important benefit one could aspire to have. They could freely leave the district. Not even the highest-ranked master could go beyond the walls of Ishihara unless they had express leave from the Lady, and this was rare. The only other possibility of escape was if one’s contract was bought, and one became a courtesan of a high-ranking or wealthy individual. This happened on occasion, for the courtesans of Ishihara were highly prized, and some men could not stand to see their favorites shared with others.

This was the goal of most women, as Yuki soon discovered. Everyone had the dream of rising through the ranks and becoming so beautiful, so skilled, so sensual, that they would be brought into a wealthy family and freed of their bonds. Yet how many girls really accomplished this? How many more girls never made it?

Abuse by the hands of outsiders was rare, but sickness and disease were real problems. Precautions were taken, but due to the nature of the business, it was something that could not be completely helped.

“You don’t have to worry about all that just yet,” Misasa explained, with a mournful look. “For now, just focus on understanding the basics, and getting along with the girls.”

Yuki nodded, but it was all so much to take in. “What about men?” she asked.

Misasa shook her head. “There used to be quite a few male servants in Ishihara, but there are none anymore.”

“That is strange,” Yuki said. “I wonder why.”

“I do not think the Lady much likes men,” Misasa ventured. “From what I hear, she is very severe with them.”

Yuki shimmied closer to Misasa as they scrubbed the wooden floors on their hands and knees. In a low whisper, she asked, “So who is this Lady Ishihara? The man who brought me here refused to speak about her. It was as if she was some kind of ghost.”

Her mentor stopped immediately and drew even closer to Yuki, who was surprised by her abrupt movement. “We can’t speak of her here,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “But all you need to know is that you don’t ever want to draw her attention. Do you understand?”

She was annoyed at being yet again rebuffed in her quest to find out some answers. But she nodded in solemn agreement.

Yuki herself was terrified of this place and with good reason. Her fall from idyllic bliss to this frightful cage might have done her in if not for her new resolve and her father’s words ringing in the depths of her spirit.

“Yukiana! I’m coming for you!”

About one week after her arrival, Yuki experienced her first official observation.

“Remember, you are just an eye, so you say nothing!” Rin reiterated harshly. They were about to enter the building that sat at the corner of the district.

“Just watch us and do your best to learn,” Misasa said in a more compassionate tone.

The three musicians went into the building and ascended to the second floor. They were dressed in fine kimonos, and their faces were painted white as was the custom. However, compared to the other families, the allure of the musicians was their skill with their instruments. Loud voices could be heard from inside the room, of men who were already drunk.

“I hope they just let us play and leave,” Rin whispered, peeking inside through a crack in the door. “I have not been required to stay overnight for a long time, and I’d like to keep it that way.”

She knocked lightly, slid the doors open, and then proceeded inside. The two veterans gave their introductions, while Yuki went towards the wall and sat down as she was instructed to do. Most men were familiar with having an eye or two around, so they hardly paid attention to her. There was already an entertainer in the room, but her shift had now been completed. She bowed and exited, much to the dismay of the men, as she was a well-known onē-san.

The room was small but tastefully decorated, as most were in the district. There were five men huddled around a rectangular table on the floor. They had already eaten, so there were several sloppy plates and bowls on the table, as well as several empty clay bottles of sake. The men were middle-aged, workmen most likely, for their clothes were a bit dirty and stained with what seemed to be plaster. Yuki could even see some flecks of sawdust in their hair. Yet they had scraped enough money for a night in Ishihara, and so they were expected to be treated like daimyō lords.

The men stared in awe at the musicians, at Rin in particular, for she was adept with the shamisen, and could also sing. Misasa played with her now and again, and Yuki noted that while Misasa was also quite skilled, she was not too far ahead of her. That was good, for her position as a musician kept her safe.

After a few upbeat bawdy tunes and an old sea shanty called, ‘The Fisherman’s Wife,’ Rin paused for a short break. Meanwhile, the men, who were for a time entranced by the music, resumed their drunken banter.

“Lovely, just lovely! How I love the old ocean hymns,” one of the men commented.

“How’s that cousin of yours doing?” another man asked with a burp. “The one you say has a pretty wife. He’s a fisherman I recall.”

“Ah,” the first man replied. “Not so well, not so well, I think. Have you heard the rumors coming up from Kagiminato?”

The four others shook their heads ‘no.’

“Well, I’ve been told that the whole place nearly burned to the ground! I haven't heard anything from my cousin yet, but as you said he was a seafarer down there. I hope he made it out alive with that pretty lass of his.”

“You don't say!” the others said in an exaggerated drunken fashion. “A fire?”

“It’s true, by the kami! There was some kind of battle between the Kagi soldiers and the local sailors that caused it.”

“Wait a minute!” the smallest and drunkest man chirped. “I have heard about this! But I didn't hear about any fire! I heard that the sailors were stirred up into battle by a ghost!”

“A ghost!” the others cried in drunken chorus, now fully invested in the story.

“Indeed!” the little man said. “They were led by the ghost of the Raijin!”

“The Raijin?” one man asked. “I’ve never heard of him!”

“You know of the Raijin!” his friend cried, slapping him on the back of the head. “You’re just too drunk. He’s the Thunderlord! The Captain of the Kurogumi!”

“But he’s long dead!” the man shot back angrily, rubbing the back of his head.

“That's why it’s his ghost, you dumb fool!” the small man howled.

“But why would the ghost of the Raijin fight against the Kagi?”

There was a long pause. The men were thinking hard.

“Perhaps because the Kagi pulled out at the end of the war, and didn't defend Lord Akira when he was beset by Mashige at the battle of the Akasaka.”

They all agreed that this was the best answer because they quickly moved on.

“I’m sick of hearing of all these ill signs and omens every other day!” one of the men, who seemed the most contemplative, finally said. “We’ve got yomi in the countryside, oni growing bold in the north, barbarians to the west, and now we have ghosts in the south! The Shōgun surely needs to answer for these things!”

There was a tense pause. It was not wise to criticize the Shōgun, even while drunk.

“But we are doing just fine in the east!” the short man said with a hiccup, and the other men exploded with laughter. They clinked their cups once again and began another round of drinks with a loud, ‘Kampai’!

Eventually, Rin and Misasa began once again, and the night was over before Yukiana could realize it. However, she was struck by the conversation that these men just had.

“The Raijin...” she thought. “The Thunderlord. Could this be news of my father?” She had never heard him call himself by that title, but she understood that there was so much that she did not know about him. It was likely that he would have gone to Kagiminato at some point. Was he involved in this skirmish? Did he have anything to do with the fire? She did not know, but for some reason, it gave her a glimmer of hope.

When the night had finally ended, Rin and Misasa packed up their instruments and prepared to leave. Flowers would be on their way to finish the night, as was often the custom.

But Yuki was still stuck on thoughts of her father. These men seemed to know something, and she greatly desired to find out more.

“Excuse me!” she said, rising to her feet. “I am sorry, but you were talking about the Raijin and I…”

Everyone’s attention had shifted to her, but while the men were amused, Misasa looked horrified, and Rin was livid.

“Well, I just wanted to know what his real name is, or was, if it’s possible?”

“That’s enough, Eye!” Rin interjected, doing all she could to restrain her anger. “I’m terribly sorry gentlemen, this is her first time.”

“I’ve never heard an eye speak before,” one of the men mumbled out loud.

“Me neither,” said another.

“Say, there must be some kind of rule that was broken,” the contemplative one said with a sinister grin. “Shouldn’t we get a discount? Or a free service to make amends? We paid good coin to have a perfect night, and now you tell us you brought in a green-blood!”

The other men were at first baffled but then slowly caught on. “Yeah! We want a discount!” they began to chant, growing louder and more aggressive.

“You can rest assured that she will be punished,” Rin said, trying to placate them. But it was no use, they were already drunk and growing angrier. They turned down more sake and food. They even threatened to bring the matter to an administrator. Yuki was shocked and felt sick and slunk back in the corner of the room. Not only had they utterly failed to answer her question, but she had made a blunder of her first-ever job, where the only thing she had to do was stay quiet.

When they finally mentioned the Lady, Rin reluctantly gave in. She glared back at Yuki with rage in her eyes but then sauntered up to the men seductively. “To make amends,” she said kneeling beside one of the men. “I’ll stay and sing you boys to sleep. It will be a complimentary service.” She caressed the side of the man’s face with her finger. “Let’s just forget the whole thing, shall we?”

This seemed to work, and the men quieted down. Misasa pulled the stunned Yuki out of the room before she could object, and she was forced down the stairs. The flowers were already on their way up, determination marked on their faces. Yuki was overwhelmed with sorrow. Not only for Rin but for all these women here, most of whom were utterly trapped. In Ishihara, money was everything, and now Rin would pay for her mistake with her honor.

When they were finally outside, Misasa turned and slapped Yuki across the face. It was not a hard slap, but coming from Misasa, someone who had been so kind and took her in, it felt like a death blow.

“That was for Rin!” she said, her soft face furrowed in anger. “Although she may give you much worse tomorrow morning, and you can be sure I won’t stop her! She can be a devil at times, but no one deserves that! You do realize that she just saved your skin. If they had reported what you did to any of the administrators, you could have been whipped like a dog!”

“I’m so sorry!” Yuki whimpered in between sobs.

“What were you thinking?” Misasa asked, softening slightly as Yuki cried hard. “What kind of question was that anyway?”

When Yuki finally managed to slow her crying, she told Misasa the story about how she came to Ishihara, and about her father who was likely still looking for her.

“I just wanted to know if that was him!” Yuki said, trying to regain composure. But whenever she thought about Rin, she could not stop the tears from coming. She felt so guilty that she could throw up.

“Listen,” Misasa said, now in a more comforting tone. “I know you’re new and it’s hard. I understand that you want to leave. You can hold that hope in the depth of your heart. But you also have to be present in the moment. We are a family now, and we need you.”

Yuki wiped her eyes and managed to smile. It was a bittersweet thought. She already had a family, well, she had a father. But it was nice to have someone else to comfort her. She never had a sister before. She gazed upwards and noticed that the night sky had changed. Summer was wearing on and the clouds passed by like flying ships. Customers laughed merrily in the streets, passing from one building to the next, completely unaware of them. Each window shined with the vibrant light of life.

“Misasa?” Yuki started.

“Yes?” she said.

“Do you ever want to just leave this place?”

Misasa put a finger to her lips. “Not here,” she said urgently. “We can speak more of this back in our room.”

When they reached their room her mentor quietly disrobed from her outer garments and sat down on her futon which was next to Yuki’s. There was a somber look on her face. No one else was in the room at that time as they were still out working. Only their own lamps were lit.

“Yuki, sit here,” Misasa said, patting the space next to her. Yuki sat down.

Misasa sighed. “Everyone here, save perhaps those at the very top, wishes there were a way out. There is extravagance but no freedom here. There is little chance to find real love. But the penalties are too severe, and even if I could escape, where would I go? My family brought me here. I couldn't go back to them. I have no one out there waiting for me, looking for me. So, this is my place. This is my lot. I am alive at least and I have a job to do.”

“You could come with me!” Yuki offered. “My father would take you in, I know he would!”

Misasa shook her head. “What would I do out there?”

“Anything!” Yukiana cried. “You could do anything!”

Her mentor smiled tenderly. “You sure think a lot of me. I suppose I could get married and have a family of my own. We could live in the countryside, away from all this. Well, if your father ever comes and manages to get you out, and has some extra coin to spare, I’ll come with you. But until then, don't do anything foolish. Remember, if you get caught trying to escape, it's not only your head but mine as well. And talking about your father coming to rescue you won’t endear you to many of the other girls here. Some harbor the same hope but have waited in vain. So, let’s just keep this between us, all right?”

For Yuki, that was more than enough. “I promise I won't do anything foolish. And I don’t know about other girls, but my father will get us out of here, one way or the other. We can even bring Rin if she’ll come.”

“All right,” Misasa said, patting her on the head. “I believe you. Now let's get some sleep. I’ll tell you a little secret, Yuki. When you dream here, you’re free.”