Akiko stood in front of the shrine in her miko’s vestments, the night air chill around her. The steady golden light of Tamao’s eyes spilled out, illuminating the precincts. For some reason, Akiko was tense, and she looked around, searching for any cause.

Looking behind her, she saw it. A kegare-spirit, like a giant lizard, larger even than a crocodile, its black and oozing tongue lolling from its mouth as steaming saliva dripped from its jaws to hiss on the ground. Akiko clutched the bells, waiting to see what it would do.

It sprang, straight through the torii, its fangs rushing towards her face.

Akiko sat bolt upright on her futon, swallowing her scream before she could waken Shiraishi. <em>A dream.</em> She remained sitting while her breathing calmed down, but she was still keyed up, almost as nervous as she had been in the dream. Sighing, she grabbed a yukata and went out, across the pond and through the gate into the precincts, quickly purifying herself as she entered.

The night was overcast, but the shrine lights were still on, so she had enough light to look around. Everything seemed to be in order; certainly there were no giant lizards, and she could see no other signs of kegare. She heard something from near the entrance, and looked over, but couldn’t see anything there, either. She walked over to the torii, but could see nothing in the gloom that covered the steps. Certainly, there didn’t seem to be anyone there. Sighing, she walked all the way round the precincts, finding nothing out of place, and then returned to bed.

The shrine woodland was on fire, the flame front advancing towards the shrine as Akiko watched. She ran out with a hose, desperately spraying water on the fire, but it was relentless, leaping across the precincts to seize on the roof of the shrine.

Akiko’s eyes opened and she stared at the ceiling. She was drenched in sweat, breathing heavily, and very awake. <em>Not again,</em> she thought. <em>I thought last night was enough.</em> She considered trying to get back to sleep, but she was too keyed up, and in any case she could recognise the signs of Tamao wanting her to do something. Forcing herself not to mutter complaints under her breath, because the kami would almost certainly hear, she got up and put her yukata on before going out to check on the shrine.

Everything looked fine. This time, though, unlike the previous day, she looked more closely. Maybe there was something she had missed, and that was why Tamao had woken her up two nights in succession. She walked all round the shrine building, peering under the veranda, but could see nothing in the dark. Quickly, she went back inside and came back out with her torch. Even shining that under the platform, she could see nothing that wasn’t supposed to be there.

She went round the back of the shrine, and played the light over the rocks of the iwakura. They simply sat there, no signs of litter, damage, or pulsing red lights within them. She swept the light round the precincts once more, but there was nothing to see.

Shaking her head, she headed back to bed once more.