A/N: If you've read Blood and Whiskey, welcome to my newest indulgence. Hope you like it just as much.
Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to that guy and the thing. Also inspired by The Descent.
-Beta'd as a favor by the awesome HazelBeka-
The wheels of the grey Range Rover spun, throwing dirt and pine needles in the air as it roared by, brusquely bouncing up and down. Thin branches and logs snapped and splintered with loud cracks as the vehicle zoomed over them.
"Are you sure this is the way?" Tenzou asked, his brow creased as he tried to read the map Iruka had scribbled on earlier. The paper fluttered in his one-handed grip as he clutched the car handle tightly, his knuckles white as he rocked in his seat.
"About eighty percent." Iruka grinned, glancing at the grouchy man before turning back to the road. "Both Izumo and Genma said the entrance was up here. That has to count for something."
Continuing to frown, Tenzou brought out a bright yellow GPS tracker, tapping the screen a few times. He almost tossed the device out the window as Iruka tested the car's suspensions. "I'd like to get there in one piece, if you don't mind. Won't be much fun having to drag my corpse around."
"Ha. We're almost there."
They drove past rows of long, slender trees and over mossy soil, the trail barely discernible from the flora growing heavily alongside. Vibrant greens stood out in the muted, foggy world, the air still thick with an old rainstorm. A large lake broke the forest scenery for a short while before they entered another densely wooded area.
"But you've never done this cave before?" Tenzou spoke up, seemingly happier that the trail had petered out into something less rocky. With both hands free, he traced a line on the map, going back to the GPS for confirmation.
"No, I haven't. But it's a category 2, pretty safe."
"Hm, we'll see."
A few minutes later, Iruka fishtailed slightly as he hit the brakes, parking in a wide clearing surrounded by thick pine trees. "Here," he announced, unbuckling and opening his door, promptly heading to the trunk. From inside, he yanked out a backpack and dark red helmet with a matching rope coil. He strapped the rope across his chest. "We have to hike up the mountain, following the river to the mouth of the cave."
Tenzou mimicked him, grabbing his own gear and suiting up. "How long?"
"They didn't specify, just said, 'a while,'" Iruka tied his helmet to his backpack, testing his headlamp's functionality. He rifled through the rest of the pack, counting off his supplies. Food and water, an emergency medical kit, extra rope, flashlights and spare batteries, various miscellaneous items... Check, check, and check. "But I doubt it'll take too long."
The river in question was more of a wide stream, littered with large, algae covered rocks and the occasional food wrapper. It twisted and turned, ugly and gnarled in its path as it rushed down the mountain. Miniature waterfalls from the rocks made for a prettier appearance, allowing freshwater fish to pop in and out of sight. It proved hard to keep up with, taking winding paths that pushed the climbers to struggle.
Using a wayward branch as a walking stick, Iruka huffed as he trudged beside Tenzou, slightly jealous of the other man's build. While he was slimmer, Tenzou was built for strenuous activities which required a good amount of lean muscle. The taller brunet was at ease, taking quick inventory of the trees and flowers in a little spiral notebook he repeatedly pulled out and tucked back into his jacket pocket.
"How's the documenting coming along?" Iruka teased, stretching to attempt to find the end of the river. It didn't look to go much further, but then where was the cave?
"You laugh, but as a botany student, this environment is perfect. A lot of these are species I'm not entirely familiar with; it's fascinating."
"And as an English student, I like caves," Iruka snorted. Distracted, he didn't see the entrance until he almost fell down it.
A gaping crevice cut ten feet across the ground and opened six feet wide, a huge black smile in the earth.
"Oh shit!"
Scrambling away from the weak bank, Iruka shouted a quick warning to Tenzou. Carefully, Iruka got in close, his boot nudging a few loose pebbles that fell into the cave. They plinked in the dark, landing after a few seconds; the drop sounded quite deep.
Taking a knee a few feet away, Iruka rummaged through his pack, producing several metal pitons. He handed a few of them to Tenzou and began hammering them into the rocky ground, threading rope through the eyeholes and then around nearby trees before throwing the rest down the mouth of the cave. Finished with his anchors, he scrutinized Tenzou's, who did the same for him.
"First to break their leg wins." Iruka muttered, double checking his harness and carabineers. He locked the clips down and adjusted his rope, tying a neat figure-8 knot and tucking it into the loops that hung around his thighs. Next came his elbow and knee pads, all snugly fastened. The gloves followed suit, thickly padded to protect from rope burn. He then loosened his ponytail, pulling his helmet on and clipping the chin strap tightly. The headlamp flicked on.
Tenzou gave a dry chuckle, ducking down to adjust his own bindings. "That's not a leg break. More of a leg, arms, ribs, head, etc., of the fatal variety."
Iruka neared the fissure, yanking on his ropes to test their hold. He turned his back to the cave, leaning backward and propping himself on the edge diagonally, legs straight. A thrill ran through him at the prospect of nothing more than thinly woven rope keeping him alive. He nodded at Tenzou, taking a steady breath. "One way to find out. Cheers."
Jumping off, Iruka let the rope slide through his gloves, cinching his fist and letting his feet hit the wall. Pushing off again, he periodically closed his left hand to slow his descent, his right hand holding the rope above him. As he dropped down, the light from his headlamp gleamed off of the walls, revealing deep scratches and the different rocks layers. He looked up, watching the entrance get smaller and smaller, a bright circle of light that drew away from him.
Once his boots touched soil, Iruka stood and unclipped himself. "Clear!" he shouted, moving out of the way. As he waited for Tenzou to come down, Iruka explored the base, trying to place the drops of water that reverberated at a steady rate. At his feet were mostly broken chunks of rock and patches of green where grass and weeds managed to grow. Small fern-like plants sprouted in one corner. Puddles of old rainwater made the ground rather muddy.
The taller brunet joined him quickly, smoothly gliding down and landing safely. "I'd say it's 200 feet, give or take."
"It won't be the only drop. The only way out of this chamber is to go down," Iruka reported, jutting his thumb in the direction of the exit he'd found. "It doesn't look that tight, but who knows how it'll get."
Tenzou inspected the ragged hole, already taking off his pack. "Did Genma say anything about it? Maybe how many more shafts before we reach the main caves?"
Frowning, Iruka shook his head. "If he did I can't remember, and Izumo was too preoccupied talking about the hundreds of cavities hidden around here." If he were a tad more honest, he'd admit to being so focused on the idea of another expedition that he hadn't paid the utmost attention.
The botany student's eyes narrowed. "If this is poxy cave, they'll regret it," to Iruka, he said, "do you want me to go first?"
For their sake, Iruka hoped this really wasn't a pointless expedition. Getting Tenzou to agree had been hell. "No, I'll go. If the passage closes down, it'll be easier for me to get back out." While Tenzou might have the body for hiking, Iruka's was perfectly suited for caving. Advantage, him.
Tenzou nodded. "Good idea."
Shucking off his pack, Iruka shoved it down, watching it catch on a few jagged edges of limestone as it slid. He got to his knees, entering cautiously after it and freeing the forty pound pack while pushing on. "It starts off a bit horizontal, but it's sloping down." He went further, grunting as the roof stooped low, closing in around his head. With only the sound of his body dragging on the dusty rocks and his own breathing, Iruka journeyed into the ground, sporadically knocking his helmet on the pebbly walls.
The shorter brunet faintly heard Tenzou's response, needing to stop and call back. "You'll fit so far. I'm almost at the end of the passage!"
His pack suddenly dropped, tumbling for a few seconds before landing with a loud splash. Cursing, Iruka paused. It would be stupid to go ahead without knowing how steep it was. Slipping a hand into the side pocket of his pants, he brought out a glow stick and snapped it on. Inching over to the edge, Iruka let the stick fall, watching it bounce around and sink into the water below. Green light burst into the darkness, clashing with the beam of his headlamp.
Shifting in the small space and inhaling dust, Iruka let his legs hang over the side, scooting forward. He could see it wasn't too far to the bottom, but a bad landing would be dangerous. Gripping a chunk of protruding rock above him, he warily descended, boots skidding slightly on the narrow ledges.
Once fully down and mid-calf in clear water, he picked up his pack and the glow stick, setting them on a shelf to dry off. He whistled shrilly, letting Tenzou know that he was good to come through.
Flashlight in hand, he scouted the area, wading out of the groundwater and onto dry land. Past the entrance, it widened into a large chamber with a high arching ceiling. Huge stalactites hung from the roof while sharp stalagmites rose from the ground, giving it the appearance of a pointy grin. Grabbing his pack, Iruka ventured deeper. The pitter-patter of dripping water was louder, carving out veins in the limestone and rushing into other voids. It wouldn't surprise him to find a huge reservoir somewhere.
His footsteps echoed loudly, scraping the rock when he couldn't get traction as he clambered over large fallen boulders and uneven stony ground, taking in the wonders that only caving could bring. Minerals grew in abundance, either in translucent spiky crystals or white cauliflower-like shapes. They winked and sparkled in his light which swept around the cavern curiously, pausing on the erosion patterns etched in stone. The cave soon broke into many splits and channels, the walls closing to a point. Some were a few feet wide, but others made the first shaft they'd entered look spacious. But which was the way? He studied each succinctly, finally settling on one path.
Backtracking, he reached the well of water just as Tenzou was marking the coordinates in his GPS. The taller man glanced up, turning his body towards Iruka. "Did you find the next entrance?"
Iruka nodded. "Two possible ways to go through, but the far right one seems promising."
Hours later and miles under the mountain, conversation dwindled into silence. Both cavers wordlessly went on, each content in their own minds as the jingling of their harnesses and the crunch of dirt under boots mixed with the rumbling of running water that bled into a larger, underground system.
The pathways they traveled narrowed and widened irregularly, lit only by the beams of the headlamps and flashlights. More and more puddles wore depressions in the ground, making the rest of the terrain muddy and unstable. Twice, Tenzou had slipped, caking himself with mud while Iruka had managed to take an icy bath.
Each took a turn leading, correctly choosing the next passage and stopping to make a few markings on the map Iruka procured from his sodden pack. Eventually they paused to take a small break on a slab of rock that acted like a bench. Iruka stretched out his legs as Tenzou took the opportunity to find the next route.
It didn't take long for Tenzou to return, a grimace on his face. He heaved a sigh, shaking his head. "Bad news. I can't find where to go."
Immediately dismayed, Iruka frowned and stood, taking a step forward. "You sure?"
Tenzou jerked his head to the side. "Come look."
Iruka trailed after the taller brunet. They reached the furthest point in the cave quickly and Iruka's heart fell to his feet. Neither of the cracks that delved into the wall looked good. Each developed into a steep incline, exuding danger from their inky depths.
"Fuck, to come all this way to get cockblocked. Dammit." Iruka cursed, releasing his pack. It fell heavily, the thump echoing noisily.
"Neither of us can fit. We'll have to go back and try another way. Maybe in a few weeks."
Iruka froze. He stared hard at the middle crevice, his eyes narrowing. If his head and shoulders could go through, the rest of his body could. Tenzou wouldn't be able to.
Advantage, him.
"Wait, wait, wait. Wait a sec."
"Iruka…" Tenzou said his name with a warning.
"I can fit through this one."
The other man bristled. "The hell you can, it's too risky. We don't know what's down there."
"I can get by, and probably find another way for you," Iruka insisted, already releasing several yards of rope, tying it to his harness and carabineers. "Otherwise, this day is completely wasted."
"No," Tenzou said firmly.
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"Does it look like I want to drag your corpse around?" Tenzou raised his voice slightly, eyes narrowing. "There could be a pit of stalagmites down there, ready to skewer you. It's dangerous."
Iruka fell silent, his lips pressed in a thin line. It wasn't that he didn't know the dangers, but that he wanted to do it despite the dangers. It gave him a satisfying kick that eclipsed everything else in his life. Maybe he was fucked up for wanting that, but it was his choice to make.
"Okay, look," Iruka began, his voice even, "I can go down while you hold the rope. I'll do a quick survey of the area, and if anything looks too dangerous, I'll shout back and you can pull me out." He raised his hands, palms toward Tenzou. "I just want to look."
Tenzou gave him a long stare, taking an equally as long sigh. "Just to look. Five minutes."
Iruka inclined his head. "Alright."
Quickly finalizing his safety measures, Iruka stepped towards the gap and got to his knees. He took a deep breath, shaking out his arms. As much confidence as he had in his ability to squeeze through, it was going to be a very snug fit. It was possible he could get stuck.
Shoving those thoughts away, Iruka went in arm first, bracing and dragging himself down. Behind him, Tenzou gave the rope slack, using his own harness and body weight as an anchor.
Carefully maneuvering his head as he crawled, Iruka's chin hit the edges of the hole. Pausing, he shifted, contorting to let his right shoulder scrape through. He wiggled, the toes of his boots scrabbling to find purchase so he could push himself. Bit by bit he moved, soon inserting his entire torso and then legs. Chest tightly compressed by the walls, Iruka struggled to breathe, jammed whenever he took a deep breath. His other arm was pinned firmly to his side, adding to his discomfort. He didn't mind crawling through small spaces, but it did ramp up any miniscule sense of claustrophobia to high levels. Twinges of nervousness clouded his mind. Exhaling to narrow his ribcage, Iruka tried to elbow his way further.
Nothing happened.
He tried again, the muscles in his arm straining to free him. Again, nothing happened. He wasn't budging.
Knees unable to fully bend, Iruka let out a quiet grunt, beginning to twist and turn the best he could, barely able to turn his head.
"Don't rush it," Tenzou called out, most likely listening to his slightly panicked movements.
Not capable of replying, Iruka continued to writhe, the sharp edges of the channel wall digging into his stomach and arm. Small dust clouds rose, filling his mouth as his face pressed to the floor, eyes wide and anxious. His chest ached with the need to inhale properly, worsened by his fretful state.
Shit shit shit!
"Iruka? Are you alright?"
A tug on his harness.
If he didn't make it through, he'd have to give up, tail between his legs... No, that wasn't going to happen. Not after the effort it took to get this far.
Staunch determination replaced fear. Closing his eyes, Iruka stretched out his arm, making his body as thin as possible. His shoulders inched away from the walls, giving him a little room. Latching onto hunk of rock, he yanked, hissing as his arm suffered a few bruises and scratches.
His wedged hips jerked free, allowing him to squirm through like a worm. The passage then widened, letting him to fully draw breath and pick his torso off the floor.
"I think I'm almost through!" he yelled in relief, both arms now in front of him, army-crawling at a faster pace. He was almost sliding, gravity dragging him down as the path went into a deeper decline. Groping at the walls to slow his descent, Iruka coldly realized he was slipping too fast. The end of the tunnel approached rapidly, a black hole that his headlamp did nothing to illuminate. In alarm, Iruka twisted back, trying to grab the rope attached to his harness.
"Tenzou!"
The rope came with him.
He was sailing through the air, swallowed by blackness. Landing harshly, his helmet slammed into the rocky ground, the sound deafening as it resonated a few times. Ears ringing and body in pain, Iruka blinked rapidly, disoriented. "Aaaauuggh." He moaned, unable to move as he worked through the pain, eventually sitting up sluggishly. His headlamp had gone off, leaving him in the pitch black.
"Iruka! Iruka! Fuck!" Tenzou's voice came through the tunnel faintly. "Answer me!"
"M'alright!" Iruka shouted, cringing at the loudness. A wave of dizziness hit him, making him gag. He was probably concussed. He brought a hand and pressed it against his temple, widening and closing his eyes. "Just fell!"
"Do you see anything?!"
"Fuck," Iruka said softly. Reaching to the back of his helmet, he tapped the light switch. It was futile; the device was smashed. His head was pounding, a staccato beat that clashed with his racing pulse. "My light's out!"
"Can you climb back out?"
Iruka tried to get to his feet, crying out when he felt agonizing pain rip up his thigh and his leg give. "FUCK!" he shouted, falling back down.
"What? What happened?" Tenzou shouted back, his voice pitching.
Tentatively touching his limb, Iruka felt a nasty slice carving up his thigh, wetness oozing from the wound and coating his fingers. Just what he fucking needed. "Tenzou, I'm hurt!"
"How bad?"
"It's my leg. I don't think it's broken, but it's bleeding."
"Put some pressure on it and see if you can make a tourniquet. I'll try to find another way down, don't move."
With a grimace, Iruka cursed and gritted his teeth, forcing himself to map out the injury with trembling fingers. The edges curved around his muscle, not as deep as he initially thought but just as bloody. He procured a pocket knife and blindly cut into his shirt, ripping off a long strip that he tied into a tight tourniquet. He couldn't see his shoddy work, but it would have to do.
Sighing and panting in pain, Iruka scooted back carefully. He leaned on the cave wall, keeping his leg straight, palms pressed down on the wound. He let his head tilt back, scratching the helmet. What the fuck was he supposed to do now? He had no idea if there was another entrance, or if Tenzou could get help. He was now injured and couldn't even explore. Another sudden drop like that would kill him.
The minutes ticked by. Iruka's watch, now with a cracked screen, glowed faintly when he pushed the side button. It wasn't enough to see, but at least he knew he had been down in the hollow for more than twenty minutes with no communication from Tenzou. He refused to think about the chance of dying alone in the dark and helpless. If he did, it was like giving up.
The pain of his injuries had ebbed somewhat, letting him shift his position and reexamine his leg. The makeshift bandage felt damp. The reek of iron told him he was probably losing a fair amount of blood, yet his only regret was not being able to examine where he was.
There was no rush of water to indicate mud, so it was probably dry. From the echoes of their conversation, he had been able to tell it was pretty big. The ground was mostly level where he sat, which might mean the rest of the ground was equally as stable, not that he was willing to bet on it.
He was thirsty, his mouth cotton dry and lips cracked. Reckoning he would be stuck for much longer, he might was well be productive. Iruka did a quick inventory of his tools. His harness was fine, and he still had his carabineers and CAMs intact; the rope which had anchored him to Tenzou was cut through; the brunet figured it had been severed during his struggle— he should have used two, but it didn't matter now. He had left his glow stick back in the pit of water as a marker, but didn't have spares on him. Everything else was inside his pack, on the other side of the passage. Lady Luck wasn't favoring him today.
Besides his pocketknife, he also had a lighter and two emergency flares. Not much, but it was something he could work with. He could waste a flare now and gauge his surroundings, then make a move from then. He'd need to save the last one for any more future crises.
Gathering strength and breathing evenly, Iruka hauled himself to his feet, grunting weakly as he clutched at the walls for support. His fingers had trouble getting traction, slicked by blood.
What sounded like faint whispering slowly filled the cave, setting off every alarm in Iruka's head. A chill began at the base of his scalp, crawling down his body and making his hair stand on end. Sounds of stone cracking and shifting accompanied it, circling the brunet. Startled, Iruka whirled around, unable to make out any words or see the source. Fear gripped him with an iron fist as he curled into himself, mind racing with possible threats. The whispering and breaking abruptly disappeared, but the coldness persisted, leeching its way past Iruka's skin and into his bones.
Breathing heavily and desperately needing to see, Iruka bit the cap of the flare and dragged it against the wall. The flare instantly released an intense burst of light, blinding Iruka momentarily. His eyes quickly adjusted and he held the flare up and away from his body.
Iruka's mouth fell open in astonishment. The cave he was in was breathtakingly vast, curving high above his head. The ground was entirely uniform, except for an obsidian monolithic stone rising from the ground, standing tall in the center of the cavern. Around him, the walls were decorated with strange drawings and etchings that depicted a creature resembling a monstrous wolf, showing it in fierce battles with more bizarre beings. Turning behind him, Iruka saw he had smeared a good amount of his own blood on a series of symbols, several of his handprints painting the brutal creature's body.
Shivering, Iruka turned and limped over to the black stone, in awe of the smooth material it was carved out of. Hissing with each step, he reached out with a shaky hand, touching the flat surface with curious fingers. It hadn't been made from any material within the cave since the stones didn't match. Where had it come from? Why was it here?"
The rock was unexpectedly warm beneath his touch, and seemingly growing hotter the longer he held contact. Peering closely, the English student could see tiny hairline fractures creating intricate spiderweb-like designs, twisting all over the stone.
He was being watched.
Uneasy, Iruka withdrew his fingers, caught off guard by the sudden certainty. A quick inspection of the cave confirmed that he was utterly alone; there couldn't be anyone watching him. So then..? Confused, he scolded himself for being paranoid and returned his attention to the magnificent stone, ignoring the gnawing urge to glance over his shoulder. He hobbled over to the other side, finding no markings to read or decipher; Iruka could spend hours simply staring at it, marveling.
A surge of pain from a misstep forced Iruka to slump against the pillar, dropping the flare as he yelped and clutched his leg. "Gah!" In the red-infused light, Iruka could see his substandard bandage had slipped, allowing black liquid to pour freely. It spilled down his pants and over his boots, seeping into the ground around the base of the dark stone.
"Shit."
Iruka unlatched his helmet, letting it drop. His damp hair drifted into his face in clumps, released from their binding. He yanked off his shirt, holding the knife in his mouth before using it to rip off a few more strips. He carefully retied his tourniquet, adding a few bandages along the slice to close it, all the while biting his lip to keep from crying out.
Bracing on the stone, he almost slipped off, leaving a perfect handprint on the glossy surface. Iruka frowned, both in pain and disapproval. He was practically desecrating whatever this thing was. Lamely, Iruka tried to wipe it off, but it was as if the blood had soaked straight into the rock, oozing into the cracks and staining it. His uneasiness growing and feeding his paranoia, Iruka carefully bent and retrieved the flare. It would stay on for a while longer, but he couldn't afford to waste time.
Slapping his helmet back on, Iruka began a slow and broken trek to the opposite wall of the cave from where he'd entered, hunching slightly to keep pressure on his injury. Part of him wanted to stay, demanding he turn back to the monolith; Iruka struggled to ignore impulse, surprised by its strength. It made no sense to stay any longer, and so he kept limping further away. Luckily, the exit passage was a simple shimmy through a few feet of rock, no crawling required. With the flare, he continued on, taking short breaks to check on his leg and reorient himself every once in a while.
His back and chest now decorated with scratches, Iruka stumbled into the subsequent cave, knees hurting with a fall he'd taken. The flare had given out, forcing Iruka to continue with just the flame of his lighter leading the way. Aware he could be heading deeper into the system, Iruka kept his head high and refused to think about it, focusing on simply going from one cavern to the next one.
He held the lighter up, eyes trained on the flicker of light as he inched further into the cave. The flame danced wildly and Iruka grinned. It was reacting to a breeze, which could mean he might be reaching the surface. Iruka sat down heavily on a boulder, releasing a throaty grunt. He was trembling, body wracked with pain from all the wounds he'd sustained. His thigh was a constant roar of agony, weak to any weight he tried to put on it. He might be making progress, but it wouldn't matter if he couldn't carry on, and right now, he was close to his limit.
Shutting the lighter and closing his eyes, Iruka bowed his head. Surrounded by the pitch black and utter silence that could only come from caving, Iruka focused. If he could find a branch of wood, taken down into the caves by a storm, he could create a torch with the material of his pants. If he kept using the lighter, it would run out of fuel. Then again, he still had a flare left, but until he could at least figure out how deep he was, it wasn't worth risking.
"Fuck me." Iruka sighed, tapping the metal square on the rock, the clinking noise echoed slightly. Echolocation would've been handy.
He jumped as a loud thump rang out, followed by a lot of scraping and shuffling. It sounded frighteningly close. Eyes wide and unseeing, Iruka shrunk into himself, hyperaware of how horribly vulnerable he was.
There was another bang, this time followed by the very familiar beeping of a GPS device being used. Tenzou!
Clambering to his feet, ignoring the flaring pain of his wounds, Iruka stood. "Tenzou! Tenzou!" Firing off his last flare, Iruka recoiled at the eruption of light, searching for an opening.
The scraping stopped.
"Iruka?"
"You look tired."
That was an understatement to the nth degree. Iruka rubbed his eyes. "Had a rough night, couldn't sleep." Yawning, Iruka adjusted his backpack, hoping Tenzou would drop it.
Tenzou didn't drop it, shooting him a stern look. "Exams are coming up, you need more sleep. What kept you up?"
Opening the door to the lecture hall, Iruka slunk down the stairs, taking a seat in the back rows. Tenzou followed dutifully, sitting beside him. "Some papers I had to do," Iruka lied, taking out his textbook and a few sheets of paper. He held back another yawn, watching as the auditorium filled with students. So far so good, nothing out of the ordinary.
Tenzou's tablet laptop blinked on. "Don't forget you need to start working on your presentations. I can help you out after class."
Presentations were currently the least of his worries. Glancing around the room with shifty eyes, Iruka shook his head. "I think I can handle it."
"The offer stands. I'm helping Genma too; he's almost failing."
Iruka gave a small smile, fingers playing restlessly with his pen. He began to doodle mindlessly. "Of course he is. Even Izumo can't help him. Kotetsu got lucky." The professor walked into the room, quickly setting up the slides and beginning his lecture.
"Speaking of which, why is Izumo asking me what's wrong with you?" Tenzou added bluntly, turning to look at Iruka with his piercing stare. "Raidou mentioned it as well."
Iruka froze, the smile becoming stiff on his face. He couldn't let Tenzou know; he couldn't let anyone know. No one would understand what was happening. Giving a choked laugh, Iruka glanced down, double-taking when he noticed what he had been drawing. Shit. "They're just mad I wouldn't let them borrow my laptop. Last time I did, they loaded it with viruses." Discreetly, he folded the paper and slid it into his pocket, fingers trembling.
Whatever Tenzou's reply had been, Iruka hadn't been able to hear it. To his horror, a familiar chill slid over his body, bringing back the awful sensation that he was being watched. The whispering began again, weak at first but growing in volume until it was the only thing he heard.
"Sorry, what did you say?" Desperately, Iruka tried to focus on Tenzou's frowning face and mouth, but his attention was snatched by the rhythmic chanting that built to a roiling crescendo that Iruka unwillingly knew by heart. Anxious, Iruka scanned the auditorium, holding his breath as runes and symbols emerged out of nowhere and scribbled across the walls and board. They began from his corner of the room, sprawling and spreading rapidly, drawing no attention from his classmates as they painted every inch.
They were exact replicas of what he had seen in the cave, down to the violent creature stained with his blood. They shifted and danced, matching the chanting that slowly fell back, but rumbled low; Iruka could feel it inside himself, vibrating with a life that wasn't his own.
The brunet felt trapped, unable to move as his heart thudded wildly in his chest, pulse quickening the longer he stayed. A cold sweat trickled down his back.
He needed to leave, now.
Iruka jumped to his feet and frenetically shoved all his belongings into his backpack, running out of the room as fast as he could. He ignored Tenzou's shout of concern, hoping he could rationally explain it to him later; it wasn't possible right now. As he bolted across campus, the scribbles followed, leeching out from each step he took, like he was the source. Frightened he was going out of his mind, Iruka ran faster, quickly reaching his flat and locking himself inside.
Book bag thrown to the floor, Iruka closed his eyes and plastered himself to the door, pleading wordlessly. He gave it a few minutes before finally peeking into his apartment. It was mercifully empty of any black symbols and absent of the voices.
With shaking hands, Iruka heated and poured himself a cup of lemongrass tea, plopping down in a stool in the kitchen. The heels of his palms dug into his eye sockets and his shoulders bowed in. What the fuck was happening?
This was the eighth goddamn time it had occurred, but each incident was just a terrifying as the last. No matter what he was doing, who he was with, or where he was, the voices would start. He could tell when they were coming as their entrance was preceded a strange coldness that would envelop him. They were gentle at first, ignorable, but with every appearance, they were louder, bringing the black markings that seemed to persecute him. The symbols would hover around or stain any nearby surface; an inexplicable event that only he was privy to.
Downing the scalding tea, Iruka brought out the paper he had scribbled on. With unsteady fingers he smoothed out the crumpled edges, unsettled by what he saw. He had drawn the runes, not that surprising with what was happening, but he'd also crudely sketched out the beastly creature in the midst of the symbols, surrounded by a ring of smaller beings.
It had the face of a great wolf, a vicious scar carving down the right side of its face, giving it a dangerous aura that was accentuated by a muzzle full of sharp teeth. Its lips were pulled back, exposing gum and etching lines of anger around its eyes. They stared back at him, one iris colored in and the other blank. Its body was arched in attack, hackles raised.
Iruka played with his empty cup, letting the porcelain whirl around as he spun it. There was probably a very logical and safe explanation for all of this. Clearly, he had hit his head one too many times and had knocked something loose. He was having visual and auditory hallucinations, as well as the ever increasing, absolutely aggravating need to go back to the cave and find the stone again. He wanted to touch it, feel its polished surface, trace the fracture lines and sit beside it.
Whatever the fuck he had done in that cavern, he was tempted to go back, seduced by the anomaly of the rock and the thrill of trying to reach it. He'd very nearly died, but it didn't matter. He wanted to slip back into his gear and fuck, he didn't know. There was no reason for him to go back, especially considering how dangerous it had been, and how very angry Tenzou was after. It was irrational, illogical, going against his sense of self-preservation; however, it did nothing to deter the compulsion.
So it was either a neurologist or a psychiatrist. Perhaps both, to cover all bases.
Iruka threw the picture away, pouring himself another cup. He didn't want to have something wrong with him, but there had to be a reason he was losing it. Yet every explanation he could dredge up indicated that he was bona fide insane.
"Ah, fuck." Iruka sighed, his earlier adrenaline leaving his system. A bone deep tiredness crept in and he slumped in his seat. The visions had even trespassed into his dreams, forcing him to keep his nights short. Though, being an insomniac sounded better than having concussed himself into delirium.
Heaving a sigh, Iruka slid off the stool, heading to his bedroom. He'd make an appointment with the university's doctors after a long shower. The brunet paused when he saw a man standing next to his T.V and secondhand couch.
Iruka blinked. He blinked again. He gave it a third try, holding his eyes shut for a few seconds longer before cracking them open.
The man was still there.
He was dressed in a robe; the outer layer was a deep, shimmery ocean blue color with thin silver swirls and symbols expertly dyed on the fabric. Black pants covered his legs, the baggy ends cinching before they reached the man's ankles and bare feet. He had a matching cerulean dressing that covered his right eye, and pointed silver hair that stuck straight up. Thick white bandages were wrapped around his ribs, giving off a good view of the stranger's impressive physique. On top of his right pectoral was another one of the runes, a stark blood-red against pale white skin.
"Hell, just what I needed. Confirmation." Iruka gave a mirthless laugh, pitying himself. At the very least, he could admire the incredible details of his imagination. He had never taken himself to be creative. The hallucination seemed so real, an underlying aura of danger and power wafting off it. "Please go away." He implored the apparition.
The stranger's impassive face darkened; his eye narrowed and his jaw set.
"A human."