She ran faster, the tall grass slashing her bare legs and arms.
The cuts stung and she held up her hands to protect her face.
She knew he was back there, chasing after her.
If she could just catch her breath, she might make it to the woods
and be able to hide. The pain in her side ached as she pushed herself to
run faster. She glanced back over her shoulder and crashed into something.
She sprawled on the ground looking up at the tall silhouette in front of her.
Her heart pounding, she attempted to scramble away, making a soft
whimpering sound as she gasped for breath.
"Are you alright?" the silhouette asked her.
A second silhouette appeared.
"You were running really fast, ya know!" the second silhouette said.
"No, don't take me back to him," she gasped, "please..."
The first silhouette knelt down next to her, revealing a young man with a
wry grin and orange hair.
"I don't know what you're talking about." the young man said. "Take you
back to who? Is someone after you?"
There was a crashing noise back in the distance. She jumped up and tried to
run, but her ankle gave way and she fell with a cry of pain and defeat.
"I have to get away now. He'll hurt me again if they catch me!" she looked
up with a desperate look, "You've got to help me. I can't go back there."
The orange haired man put an arm around her waist and lifted her to her feet.
"Put your arm around me, we'll help you get out of here." he said, "By the
way, I'm Tasuki, and he's Chichiri."
Together they made it to the forest. In the middle of a cluster of trees,
they stopped. "Chichiri, get up there and I'll hand her up to you."
Tasuki said. Chichiri swung himself up into the tree.
"Hurry up, ya know," Chichiri said as he reached down to lift her up.
Between the two of them, she was hoisted onto the branch.
"I'll stay down here and distract them," Tasuki said, "You two keep quiet."
She pressed her back against the trunk and tried to slow her breathing.
She could hear them trampling through the woods, searching for her.
"Please," she prayed "please don't let them find me."
The brush below parted and several men appeared.
"Hey you!" The largest one growled, "You seen a girl run through here?"
Tasuki uncrossed his arms and pushed off of the tree he was leaning against.
"I might have," he said, "What's it to ya?"
"Now listen here boy," the big man snarled "if you know, you better tell me
now! If you don't, you'll regret it!" The group of men stood facing Tasuki
looking ready to fight.
"Who are you calling a boy, Tubby!" Tasuki shouted baring his fangs, "Do you
know who you're talking to!?!"
"Sure, I know," smirked the man, "I'm talking to the smart-ass punk who's
about to get his ass kicked!"
"Oh, yeah, C'mon! I'll take you all on at once!" Tasuki challenged as he
reached over his shoulder and grasped his tessan.
"Get'em boys, make him tell us where she is!" The burly man shouted,
pointing a grubby finger at Tasuki.
"Rekka-shien!" Tasuki shouted as he swept the tessan out of it's holder and
directed the flame on the closest attacker. The flame scorched the man as
the rest of the group shouted in terror and fled.
"Humph, amateurs. Not like they ever stood a chance against me. But you'd
think they'd take thier garbage with them." Tasuki muttered as he nudged the
scorched body.
The cuts stung and she held up her hands to protect her face.
She knew he was back there, chasing after her.
If she could just catch her breath, she might make it to the woods
and be able to hide. The pain in her side ached as she pushed herself to
run faster. She glanced back over her shoulder and crashed into something.
She sprawled on the ground looking up at the tall silhouette in front of her.
Her heart pounding, she attempted to scramble away, making a soft
whimpering sound as she gasped for breath.
"Are you alright?" the silhouette asked her.
A second silhouette appeared.
"You were running really fast, ya know!" the second silhouette said.
"No, don't take me back to him," she gasped, "please..."
The first silhouette knelt down next to her, revealing a young man with a
wry grin and orange hair.
"I don't know what you're talking about." the young man said. "Take you
back to who? Is someone after you?"
There was a crashing noise back in the distance. She jumped up and tried to
run, but her ankle gave way and she fell with a cry of pain and defeat.
"I have to get away now. He'll hurt me again if they catch me!" she looked
up with a desperate look, "You've got to help me. I can't go back there."
The orange haired man put an arm around her waist and lifted her to her feet.
"Put your arm around me, we'll help you get out of here." he said, "By the
way, I'm Tasuki, and he's Chichiri."
Together they made it to the forest. In the middle of a cluster of trees,
they stopped. "Chichiri, get up there and I'll hand her up to you."
Tasuki said. Chichiri swung himself up into the tree.
"Hurry up, ya know," Chichiri said as he reached down to lift her up.
Between the two of them, she was hoisted onto the branch.
"I'll stay down here and distract them," Tasuki said, "You two keep quiet."
She pressed her back against the trunk and tried to slow her breathing.
She could hear them trampling through the woods, searching for her.
"Please," she prayed "please don't let them find me."
The brush below parted and several men appeared.
"Hey you!" The largest one growled, "You seen a girl run through here?"
Tasuki uncrossed his arms and pushed off of the tree he was leaning against.
"I might have," he said, "What's it to ya?"
"Now listen here boy," the big man snarled "if you know, you better tell me
now! If you don't, you'll regret it!" The group of men stood facing Tasuki
looking ready to fight.
"Who are you calling a boy, Tubby!" Tasuki shouted baring his fangs, "Do you
know who you're talking to!?!"
"Sure, I know," smirked the man, "I'm talking to the smart-ass punk who's
about to get his ass kicked!"
"Oh, yeah, C'mon! I'll take you all on at once!" Tasuki challenged as he
reached over his shoulder and grasped his tessan.
"Get'em boys, make him tell us where she is!" The burly man shouted,
pointing a grubby finger at Tasuki.
"Rekka-shien!" Tasuki shouted as he swept the tessan out of it's holder and
directed the flame on the closest attacker. The flame scorched the man as
the rest of the group shouted in terror and fled.
"Humph, amateurs. Not like they ever stood a chance against me. But you'd
think they'd take thier garbage with them." Tasuki muttered as he nudged the
scorched body.