One – On the Road Again
"Hey, Hakkai…"
"Yes, Goku?"
"Are we there yet?"
A patient smile. "No, Goku."
Another few minutes passed, the green jeep bearing a party of four continuing on its rattling path through the mountains and the only sounds being the rumble of the engine and the crunch of tires on the gravelly road. That silence was short lasting, however, as the youth called Son Goku spoke again. "…What about now, Hakkai?"
"No, Goku." The smile was strained this time, one of the only signs of tension on the normally pleasant face of Cho Hakkai, the driver of the vehicle.
"And you think we'll get there any faster if you keep asking?" Goku's fellow backseat passenger opened an eye to look stonily down at the boy, an eye that matched the man's long hair in its rich red tint. "We'll get there when we get there, so keep your pants on." The eye closed again, its owner trying to resume the light nap that had been interrupted by Goku's inquiries.
"You're a good one to talk about keeping your pants on," Goku muttered, sullenly slouching down in his seat and glaring at the sparse scenery as it passed by. "Perverted kappa."
This remark, instead of causing an argument as was intended, merely caused its recipient to smile. "At least I'm old enough to appreciate the fairness that is woman. All you care about is food."
"I have to! It's not my fault that I'm hungry all the time." As if echoing the sentiment, a distinct stomach rumble could be heard over the noise of the jeep. "There'd better be lots of food when we get there. How close are we again, Hakkai?"
Any reply that Hakkai would have made was forestalled by the rustle of a newspaper page being forcefully turned in the hands of the fourth passenger, a cold blond wearing the robes of a traveling Buddhist priest, whose eyes narrowed in none-too-subtle aggravation. "We're three minutes away from where we were the last time you asked, you stupid monkey, and we might get there sooner if you'll just shut up and quit asking!"
"But Sanzo…"
"You heard me." The priest reached among the folds of his robe for something while he scanned an article in the newspaper, and frowned when the object of his search was nowhere to be found. "Gojyo, give me a cigarette. I'm out."
"Sorry, ol' buddy, but I gave you the last one." The red-haired man sighed. "And that was three days ago."
"Damn." Silence reigned for at least another five uneasy minutes, then: "You sure that was your last?"
"Yep."
"Bastard…"
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It was rapidly approaching mid-day when the jeep finally approached a small cluster of homes and shops. "Good, it looks like they have an inn," Hakkai told the rest. "I'll go in and see if we can get a room or two. All that driving has me tired out."
"I'm going with you, and I'm just tired from listening to the idiot track in the backseat," Sanzo growled, ignoring the looks given him by the two passengers in question.
"You too, huh?" Hakkai laughed lightly. "And I thought I was the only one…" Another stomach grumble interrupted the conversation, and the driver added, "Gojyo, it looks like you'd better feed Goku before his stomach starts eating him alive."
"It would do us all a favor" was the low comment from the priest, while Gojyo made a disbelieving noise. "Why is it always my turn to feed the monkey?"
"Because you deal so well with children." The patient smile was stretched paper thin, and it was only the fatigue plainly visible behind it that made Gojyo move to get out of the jeep. "Thank you."
"No problem." He took the money handed to him by Hakkai and made sure that Goku was within sight before walking away towards the cluster of shops and market stalls in the center of the town.
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"This is quite the list." The girl took the paper offered by the innkeeper and studied it briefly. "Are you having a party or something?"
"You bet. I have some family coming by to visit – it's taken me forever to convince them that this area is safe after the youkai attack late last year. You know the one I'm talking about, don't you?"
"Unfortunately, yes." A sigh, causing the veil concealing the upper half of her face to flutter lightly. "I can only pray that those demons have met their end."
"As do I, Hana." Moving on to more palatable subjects, the innkeeper clapped his hands together briskly. "Are you sure you'll be able to do all of this as well as the usual cleaning?"
"You can count on me." Hana went over the list again with a delicate finger, mentally calculating the amount of supplies she would need to prepare all of the foods desired. "Now, about the payment - "
A discreet cough interrupted the conversation, causing both the innkeeper and the veiled girl to look up curiously at the man standing on the other side of the counter. Thanking gods for the draping fabric that hid her eyes, Hana pretended to continue tallying items on the list while studying the new customer. "I'm sorry, did I interrupt something important?"
Grinning his most affable grin, the innkeeper shrugged dismissively. "Not at all. Can I help you, sir?"
"You might." A small silver dragon perched on the stranger's shoulder let out a weary-sounding cheep, and he reached a hand up to pet the beast and soothe it. "I came here along with three others, and we've been traveling for some time without a proper place to rest. Do you have room for us to stay for a few days?"
Pulling out a ledger from a shelf beneath the counter, the innkeeper flipped through the pages and did some figuring of his own. "Well, we've got a big group coming in here tomorrow night and they'll take up all of the rooms but two. Is that okay? The rooms are small, but they're clean. Hana here makes sure of it." He patted the girl on the shoulder, startling her out of her concentration and forcing her to laugh uneasily to cover her surprise.
"I don't see a problem with it, but I need to talk it over with one of the others. I'll be back shortly." Hana continued to observe the man as he left the inn's main room to go outside, and noted with interest the three golden cuffs attached to his left ear.
"Seems nice enough," the innkeeper began, but lowered his voice at a gesture from the girl. "What – do you think something's wrong?"
"Not wrong, but definitely not normal," Hana murmured. "I'm trying to hear what he's saying outside." The conversation was muted beyond discernible words, but not quiet enough to miss one word: Sanzo. "He said there were four in his group?"
"Yes, four." Hana could see the thoughts connecting in the innkeeper's mind from the emotions displayed on his face, and the way the man's usual ruddy complexion paled a few shades when he reached his conclusion. "You're thinking what I'm thinking, then? That's the Sanzo, the one that's causing all the ruckus wherever he goes." Hana made a noncommittal noise, not wanting any words to betray her own thoughts. "He can't stay here. Not after all that time I spent talking my family into coming for a visit! They're pretty rich, too, and they said they might help me out with some of my expenses if everything went well!" Then the front door opened again, and the innkeeper forced the same grin as earlier onto his face. "Well, my good man, what did he have to say?"
The visitor smiled, a smile that did not quite reach his eyes – which were, Hana saw, the same color as the deep green tunic he wore. "If there's no problem, we'll take the two rooms."
"I see." The grin dropped into a tooth-clenching wince, the older man muttering, "I'm sorry, but there is a problem. I'm going to have family staying here, and I won't let them stay under the same roof as the Sanzo Party. That is who you are, I assume, based on what I heard you saying outside…?" The visitor nodded reluctantly, and the innkeeper stammered on, turning redder and redder with embarrassment as he continued. "I mean, no offense to you, and I would let you stay here as long as you wanted if it were at any other time – but you're a giant youkai magnet, and with the trouble we've had in the past with the youkai… that's just not good. Not good at all." Hana saw his hands clench and unclench with the effort to restrain his emotion, and she was sure the stranger saw as well. "I just don't want to put my family in danger, that's all. I hope you understand."
The raw soup of emotion filled the air with tension – worry and shame from the innkeeper, fatigue and a sudden hollow sadness from the visitor – and the girl, feeling it like a stab in the chest, had to turn away for a moment. She then noticed the sudden silence and the sensation of both men watching her curiously, and Hana rummaged in her mind for a suitable excuse. "I'm – sorry, gentlemen. I just remembered some things I have to get done this afternoon before all the shops close. Please excuse me."
"Oh. Of course, please go. I'm sorry to have kept you," the innkeeper quickly said, raising a puzzled eyebrow in unspoken inquiry. "We'll discuss your wages later."
"Thank you." Hana bobbed a curtsey to the older man, and gave a courteous nod to the stranger. "Have a pleasant afternoon."
"To you as well, Miss Hana," the visitor replied, turning his head to watch her as she walked briskly out of the inn.