** Inspiration came a bit late but whatever, the third's chapter is up! Making fun of grammar is a serious offence but still don't sue me. Lights, camera, ACTION! **
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN SAIYUKI because I just don't. Duh!
The crowd roars with anticipation as he steps into the ring.
"Kintaro! Kintaro! Kintaro! Kintaro!", goes the rhythmic chants, deafening.
Looking up to the coliseum lookalike building, he squints his eyes at the touch of the sunlight.
'Warm…' he thinks to himself.
Named after his golden eyes, Kintaro has won many fights despite being a greenhorn and a boy. While the fighters of the arena are mostly notorious criminals on death row, he on the other hand is no more than a slave thrown in the brawl to make it more…stimulating, so they say. More or less, he's the sideshow freak. Being a youkai, none of the spectators gives a second thought to seeing a boy in such a cruel sport. Instead, they love it. Nowadays, he's the 'sideshow turned main attraction'. In exchange for his participation, his master gains fortune and power beyond what any man could ever want. Today, here he is again, battling for his life.
Countless times he tries to break free from his master but with each failed attempt, the custom made shackles gripping his hand, feet and neck become heavier, tighter, colder against his skin. Punishment for his disobedience. The shackles are a pain especially in fights. Another recent 'gift' from his master is a gold studded earring that pierces both his upper earlobe. Tinkered with magic enchantments, the earring can induce great pain at a simple snap of a finger. But that is far from comparison should the word 'excruciate' slips his master's lips. His head will instantly feel like blowing up, his body shakes with torment and blood oozes from his nose. Too great a pain, he pass out every single time. Hell doesn't even come close to describe how his life really is. With no recollection of who he is, Kintaro curses his own existence. Like everybody else, he must have belonged to someone. Anyone.
Why aren't they looking for him?
'Please, somebody save me', Kintaro utters in an inaudible voice.
The chanting of the crowd brings him back to reality. Kintaro changes his position to a fighting stance. Before him stand his opponent, a large build man with a long scar on his left cheek, eyes eager to kill. Without warning, the man comes hard with a kick to his stomach, sending Kintaro flying before his back slams mercilessly against the brick wall. As Kintaro gets up to his feet, another kick meets his head, follow by a punch to the face. Blood spurts out leaving a coppery taste inside his mouth. 'This guy's fast!', Kintaro thinks as he evades the man's elbow attack. But not fast enough. There! An opening! His animal instinct kicks in and Kintaro lays an uppercut to the man's chin and a power up roundhouse kick to the chest. The man falls hard before coughing out a pool of blood. Kintaro stops to take a breather. His youkai strength is apparently too much for a human body to withstand. A broken chest, the man is done for. The fight's over.
Kintaro turns his back and starts to walk away. He does not wish to end the man's life. Let the punishers do the job. "BOOOooo…", the crowd is unhappy with Kintaro's resolve. Suddenly the man, clearly in pain stands on his feet and dash towards Kintaro with a small knife aiming at his chest. Desperation gives him the adrenaline for the extra push despite his injuries. Moments before the knife can pierces into Kintaro's chest, he swiftly bends backwards. The knife pierces into thin air. Kintaro's feet then deviate into a whirling thrust directly to the man's abdomen. "Gah!", the man screams as he goes up in the air and drops headfirst to the solid ground. More blood gushes out of him. Unwilling to call quits, the man tries to get up but Kintaro quickly holds the man's neck, pinning him to the ground. The man struggles to break loose, his breath cut short. Kintaro hesitates to make his final move.
"Don't", Kintaro whispers. "Please, don't", he further pleads.
The man reaches out for the knife on the ground when…'Crack' goes the neck.
As Kintaro sees the light in his opponent's eyes go dim, his heart weeps silently. While the man's body stays warm, Kintaro screams his heart out as guilt tortures his soul for taking yet another life. Definitely not his first but the pain is not an ounce less painful.
The sudden loud cheers of joy for the winner drown his cries of grieve.
'Soon', he says to the sun above his head. Soon, he'll sure to escape or die trying.
"Sanzo, where to? ", a concern Hakkai asks.
"Out", Sanzo plainly replies.
Along with the click of the door knob, Sanzo left the room.
The Sanzo trio is taking a three days' rest. Hakkai advises so as Hakuryuu needs to recharge his strength. The mountain's terrain is hard on the dragon. Much to his relief, Sanzo doesn't argue aside the normal 'tch' sounds he usually makes. He speaks even lesser. The journey without Goku is hard. Throughout the journey, Hakkai finds himself glancing at the side mirror out of habit to make his regular check when he remembers that Goku no longer occupies the backseat. Meal time is the worst. At first, it's either him or Gojyo that tries to strike up a conversation. Eventually they give up and eat in silence because each conversation ends up reminding them even more of Goku, a taboo to the trio. "Goku... ", Hakkai lets out a heavy sigh.
Sanzo sits smoking his cancer stick with his back against a dead tree trunk. Too much is happening and he needs some time away from… mostly everything. The town's too damn noisy since there's a tournament going on. The tournament is a new fancy way to execute death penalty on criminals. Sometimes, he wonders if humans are any better than youkai. Whatever it is, it's sickening. He knows better than to stick his nose in such troublesome matter. It is clearly none of his damn business too.
The journey to the west is rough and lately, Sanzo is made aware of Hakkai and Gojyo's eyes checking on him now and then, concern over his wellbeing but nonetheless suffocating. Tch, he doesn't need their pity, he just wants to forget.
With eyes toward the sky, Sanzo lets his mind wonder off….How long has it been then? 3 , 4 months? Yet, his heart aches like yesterday's pain... He still hears Goku's faint voice calling out his name, stopping him in his way numerous times. He brush it off as a cruel mind trick. Forgetting Goku is next to impossible. Drowning in his emotion, Sanzo feels a tinge of sadness welling up inside him. Tears threaten to flow out.
NO! NO! NO!…Stop! Sanzo screams to himself yet small orbs of crystal trickle down his face.
Now is his chance.
Master is out in town on meetings with the higher-ups of the town council. Today is unusual since his master allows him to take a bath at the private hot spring famous for its healing nature. Perhaps master wants him to recover fast for the next fight. Standing guard is master's most trusted henchman. His strength rivals that of an elephant. No joke.
Stepping out of the hot spring, Kintaro walks closer to the henchman. Then he picks up his robe and throws it into the air. The henchman is caught off guard by his action and his eyes fix itself upon the flying robe. Before he realizes it, Kintaro sweeps his feet and with a heavy thump, he falls onto the wooden plank. Kintaro takes the opportunity to strangle the henchman's with his chains as hard as he can. The henchman's body goes limp, still alive however. He might be powerful but anyone human is not without mistakes. He just takes advantage of that.
Suddenly, he feels a sharp pain to his stomach. A small knife is sticking into it. When did he..? "He IS master's henchman after all", Kintaro sniggers. Gritting his teeth, he carefully pulls out the knife. Blood seeps out from the wound. Kintaro takes a towel and wraps it around his waist like a bandage. This should hold the wound. Till then, he needs to make his escape. There are more guards outside and he has small chances of survival in his current state. Putting on the henchman big black cape, Kintaro climbs onto the wall and jump to the other side. Once he is in the clear, he dash to the nearest forest. The more he runs the harder it seems for him to breath. He is losing blood and consciousness is slipping away. NO! A bit more! Kintaro goes deep into the forest, not care in the world to where the path carries him as long as he's far away from his master. Suddenly, a figure appears from behind a tree. Kintaro head-butt straight to it and stumbles onto something soft…
An animal?
Ah, so warm.
Warm like…like...like… the sun?
What's this feeling? So familiar…Where…
NO! His mind screams.
RUN. RUN. KEEP RUNNING KINTARO…
"Goku!Goku!". A voice, barely a whisper fills his mind.
This voice too sounds familiar.
'Who's Goku?' Kintaro wonders. It seems like a nice name.
'Ahh..my eyelids feel so heavy'.
'Maybe I should sleep for a while. Just a bit'.
'Tired. I'm so tired and hungry.'
'I'll buy myself some manju once I wake up.'
Then the world goes black.
"I'm back".
"Welcome back, Gojyo. Have you gotten all the things on the list?"
"Of course Hakkai. But why do you order so much. I only have two hands."
"Ah, I'm sorry. Usually Goku helps out..."
"…"
"Never mind then. Anyways Hakkai, let's hit the bar tonight. I got us some hot dates. Hehehe…"
"I don't know Gojyo. I want to settle early today".
"What? Come on Hakkai! Just for a bit. It's a sin to have good looks and not use it. Well, second to me that is but it will be FUN."
"I'm sorry. Hakuryuu's not well today. So, I'm rather worried leaving him alone."
"Fine then. More for me. Well, I'm off."
"Oh, Gojyo. Manju? I don't think I order any of them."
"…..Actually, I buy them on a whim since Goku likes them so much. My bad."
"Gojyo…"
"Well, Ja…" Click.
"Chuu.. " Hakuryuu nuzzles his head fondly on Hakkai's chin.
"Yes, I miss him too Hakuryuu", Hakkai smiles his sad smiles.
Sanzo's about to stand up when something knocks him real hard. "What the hell?" Sanzo yells. He winces in pain as his butt slams back to the ground. His head throbs. Back to his senses, he sees a small figure clad with a black cape lays motionless against his, probably a kid. Well whoever he is, he's damn heavy. He then notices silver chains attach to the kid's hand. His feet too.
Shackles? What on earth?
"Oi, oi,...", Sanzo shakes the body rather ungracefully. No response, none. He's not dead, that's for sure. Tch, such a troublesome thing. But it's no wonder since he too feels light headed from the early collision. Sanzo pushes the kid off his chest with great difficultly before advancing to check his condition. Even a cold one, he still has a heart. Removing the cape, Sanzo stops halfway as he catch a glimpse of a golden diadem that he knows far, far too well to be mistaken. Hastily, Sanzo removes the remaining cape covering the boy's face.
IT CANNOT BE! GOKU?!
** ..And CUT! How was it? Too Gladiatorish? Blergh, I suck at writing fighting scenes. Then I tend to describe everything too much. Sheeshh. What do you think? Hmmm..O sweet readers do sweetly leave a comment. Thank you for reading! **(^_^)