The days stretched out for the Sanzo Team like the unending horizon.They had stopped counting the days long ago, as their bodies and hearts feel into the rhythm of travel, bickering, and fighting. They were following the bidding of higher powers, and the command of their own hearts, "Just go west".

They went west, and blazed a trail youkai blood so thick it choked the earth with crimson sin. They went west, to the source of the youkai's bloodthirsty madness. They went west, to India, to Houtou Castle where the youkai lord Gyumaoh was sealed and awaiting his resurrection.

They slaughtered the guards, stormed the castle, and finally smashed their way into the chamber where the forbidden experiments were being conducted.

Digital screens flickered and thick cables snaked their way across the metallic floor. Out of every corner loomed huge electronic contraptions. Strange marking glowed softly on their sides, and seemed to wriggle as they were watched. On a huge platform above the floor, the ancient, hulking form of Gyumaoh rested.

Well over eight feet tall, the youkai lord was a mass of tubes, cables, and wires that connected to larger cannnisters and machines. Fluids dripped in and out of his body. His mouth, which had eaten the flesh of humans in ancient times, was now covered with a breathing mask.

"What an old geezer", Gyojo said, kicking an unconscious youkai scientist out of the way, "It that guy really supposed to be scary?"

"I think", Hakkai said quietly, "The best course of action right now is begin turning off the machines"

"If the 'science' part of the experiment is terminated", Sanzo said, fingers twitching around his smoking revolver, "then the minus wave will stop"

Sanzo turned around and fired at two charging guards. They crumpled to the floor soundlessly.

Goku grinned, and twirled his bo, "We get to break stuff!"

They broke stuff. Sanzo kicked over monitors and shot up computers. Gyojo's blade sliced through the carpet of cables and Hakkai's chi techniques shattered machines. Goku's bo seemed to be everywhere, as he smashed everything around him with childish glee.

In the midst of the sounds of metal bending and glass cracking, they barely took note of the middle aged youkai woman who walked into the room. Behind her were Kougaiji and his team. She pointed an accusing finger at the Sanzo team.

"Damn you all, stop it! I won't let anyone get in the way of what I want!"

They turned from their mayhem and readied their weapons. Sanzo held his arms out, palms up, and began to chant under his breath.

"Kanjizai bosatsu..."

"Kougaiji, stop them! Do it if you ever want to see your mother again!"

The four youkai behind her charged at them. Hakkai, Gyojo, and Goku meet force with force, holding the line while Sanzo continued to chant. The sutra around his shoulders began lifting up like charmed snakes and winding around his arms.

"...ra gya tei ha..."

Goku pushed his bo into Kougaiji's chest and extended it, sending the youkai prince shooting to the back of the room. Hakkai closed his eyes and concentrated his chi to form a solid wall between his party and Kougaiji's.

"...hatsu...me..."

The sutra stretched and writhed as it extended from Sanzo's body. They wriggled in the air like paper-thin tentacles.

"Makai Tenjyo!"

Hakki's chi barrier vanished. The sutra lashed out ridiculously long, miles of holy text that reached out for the enemy youkai.

The youkai woman screamed, and the room flared with strange blue light. Electricity spewed from destroyed machines that whirred with the semblance of life. The yin-yang symbol on the front of Gyumaoh's life support glowed and twisted around. A hideous humming began, and the metal floor vibrated with it.

"Sanzo...", Goku groaned and leaned on the high priest, "I don't feel so good"

"Get off me," Sanzo snapped, "Or I'll kill..."

Sanzo never finished his threat. The experiment room had disappeared. Sanzo and his teammates were standing in a dirt road surrounded by olive skinned people. The air was heavy with scent of spices, sweat, and dust. There were in the middle of a marketplace thick with noise that abruptly stopped.


Hakuryu perched on Hakkai's shoulder and squeaked in confusion. A hundred eyes were fixed on them, and a hundred voices babbled in a strange tongue at once. They were pointing eagerly to Gyojo, or Goku's bo, or Sanzo's gun, but almost all were gesturing to Hakuryu with wide eyes. Several women and men were gazing at the white dragon and weeping uncontrollably.

"Oh dear", Hakkai sighed. He took a white rag out of his pocket and polished his monocle, "I don't think we are in Houtou Castle anymore"

They were soon surrounded with reaching, grasping hands and hungry eyes. A hand grabbed at Goku's sleeve, and someone tried to grab Hakuryu from off Hakkai's shoulder. The little dragon bit the would-be thief's hand who cried out in his alien tongue. Hakuryu flew up into the air, circling the crowd and breathing a tiny gout of flame. The crowd ahed loudly.

"Get the fuck away from us!" Sanzo shouted, pulling his revolver out from his priest's robes, "I mean right now, you idiots"

"I only let pretty women get that close to me", Gyojo said, backing around from someone trying to touch his hair, "and none of you are over a five"

Sanzo waved his gun at the crowd, who stared back at him dumbly. He pointed his gun at the sky and fired a warning shot. They scattered like a noisy flock of birds. The marketplace was now a lot of empty stalls and unprotected goods.

"Well", Sanzo muttered, "They at least seem to understand that"

Sanzo frowned as he felt a familiar tugging on his sleeve.

"Sanzo, I'm hung-"

With a motion so fluid it could only come from countless repetitions, Sanzo whipped out his paper fan and cracked Goku over the head.

Hakkai looked down at himself, "Perhaps a change of dress would be in order first"

"Yeah", Gyojo agreed, "We're drawing some seriously unwanted attention. Did you see the nose rings on some of those women? Talk about bad taste"

They quickly looted some clothes (and Goku grabbed some persimmons) got dressed under a stall. Gyojo found a hooded cloak to hide his vibrant hair. Hakkai asked Hakuryu to become a jeep, but the dragon seemed unable to transform. They found a basket to hide Hakuryu in and covered it with some scrawls.

They left the marketplace just as they heard footsteps approaching and angry shouts.

They found an alleyway to huddle and hide inand spoke in hushed voices.

"Where are we?"

"An obvious question, Goku, but not one with obvious answer"

"Well, I think were in India"

"Possibly"

"Where else could we be?"

"Anywhere but Shangri-La, really"

"That last persimmon is mine, perverted kappa!"

"Finder keepers, you stupid monkey"

"Is there someway I can kill you two without making any noise?"

"So, Sanzo, you are our leader. What do we do?"

"Go west. We're bound to run into something familiar sooner or later"

"Why west?"

"Well, it's a direction, isn't it?"


"A man who has the power to call thunder. A white dragon and a man whose hands are as deadly as swords. A boy with an extending staff. And a warrior with red hair and eyes," Lord Snow held the letter in his gloved hand and sighed, "I wish the ravens would bring some real news"

He knelled down and added more wood to the fire. The red woman beside him had her eyes fixed on the flames, and did not seem to acknowledge his presence.

"I will consult the flames tonight", Melisandre said slowly, still facing the flames "this red man, if he exists, may be a servant of the God of the Light"

Lord Snow found he did not like the way the firelight twisted across her face. He turned away and busied himself with other matters on his desk.

Lord Snow heard her continue, "Or a false prophet of The Other"


"Khaleesi, do not trouble yourself these rumors of a dragon in Qarth", Jhiqui said in soothing tones.

"You need not dwell on such gossip. The world is mad for dragons. Some could become mad enough to see what is not there, and convince others of the same"

"A lie told often enough can seem like truth. It is known" Jhiqui added.

"It is known" Irri echoed.

Danys dismissed her servants. If only she could dismiss their words as easily. Doubt was not was she needed, not now. She gave herself the luxury of hope, and it made her pulse quicken.

A dragon in Qarth! There was a white dragon seen in Qarth. If it was true, then perhaps their are others as well. More eggs waiting to be hatched by the Mother of Dragons.

She slept, and her dreams were of a dragon that towered over Westros. It had a legion of heads, all beautiful and breathing torrents of fire.