Disclaimer: I own nothing of importance.
Chapter 4
Kita walked down the dark corridors, two others following behind her. She stopped in front of two carved oak doors, grasping the golden handles and pushing them open. The assembly gathered around the large table in the center of the room looked up, conversations dying down as she walked past them. She took her seat at the head of the table, looking around at the large group of demons staring at her. "Now that everyone is present. Let's begin," she said.
Whispered comments could be heard around the room, the youkai shifting uneasily in their seats. "That is a bold statement, especially from you. Did you call this meeting?" a spiky-haired demon asked, looking pointedly at the seat Kita was occupying. He glanced up, gazing at her almost sympathetically. "You know what happened the last time Our Lady found out you were acting independently."
Kita's dark gaze met his, the corners of her lips turning upward ever so slightly. "My mother is dead," she stated.
Quiet murmurs filled the air. An older youkai with a scar running through his left eye voiced the question on everyone else's minds. "What happened?"
"She was killed by the Sanzo Party." She looked around at the group before her, meeting their gazes. "I am taking her place," she stated, her tone leaving no room for argument.
Silence settled over the assembly as everyone pondered this turn of events. The wooden legs of a chair scrapped loudly over the concrete floors as its occupant stood. The silver-haired demon stepped away from the table, his brown eyes never leaving Kita. "My Lady," he said, bowing his head as he knelt on the floor. One by one, the other youkai followed suit, all pledging their allegiance to the new leader.
The young demon allowed a small smile to grace her lips before she bid her followers to rise and return to their seats. "The reason I've called this meeting," she said, her voice becoming serious, "is because the task appointed to my mother by Lady Koshu now falls to us. We must get the Maten Sutra."
"I say we take it by force!" the spiky-haired demon said, pounding his fist on the table for emphasis.
"I'm not sure that will work," Kita replied, resting her hands on the table. "A number of our brothers and sisters were lost when my mother tried that earlier today." She clasped her hands together, interlocking her fingers. "Together, they are indeed a formidable force."
"But, we captured two of them yesterday. It's only the human and the half-breed now. They can't pose that much of a threat," a green-eyed youkai argued. "Besides, we can use the hostages against them."
The brunette shook her head. "No, they somehow managed to break the spell my mother cast on them. They escaped and rejoined their comrades. Whatever leverage we might have had is gone. We cannot underestimate this group," she stated.
"An ambush then," the silver-haired demon spoke up. "We'll set a trap, catch them unawares. They fell into our traps last night easily enough. We could wipe them out with a surprise attack."
Kita let her lips curve into a cruel smile. "Indeed, an ambush is what we need."
A scarred demon raised an eyebrow. "You sound as though you already have something in mind."
"The sutra is what Lady Koshu is after, and it is carried by the human. Without his 'friends'-- the demons and half-breed --to protect him, he'd be helpless. So, we need to separate him from his companions."
A bald youkai with a half-moon birthmark under his eye leaned forward. "And, if they are as strong as you say, exactly how are we supposed to do that?"
Kita put her elbows on the table, resting her chin on her interlocking fingers. "We surround them and attack them as a group."
"But, you just said that wouldn't work!" a blonde demon interrupted.
She glared at him coolly. "This will merely be a distraction. Meitoku," she said, looking at a winged demon sitting further down the table, "you will wait out of sight, looking for an opening. When he's distracted, you are to swoop down and grab the priest." Her eyes swept over the room again. "His companions will most likely target Meitoku in an attempt to save the human, making themselves easy targets for the rest of you at the same time. This is how we will destroy the Sanzo Party."
. . .
Goku dragged his heavy eyelids open, staring up at the stars twinkling in the heavens. He blinked as someone's head entered his field of vision.
"Oh, you're finally awake."
"Huh?" Goku's browed furrowed in confusion. "You're me. How come there're two me's?" he asked softly.
"I'm afraid not, my friend," the golden-eyed boy replied. "I'm Hakkai."
"No, you don't look anything like Hakkai," he argued. "You look like me."
The short brunette smiled. "My spirit now inhabits your form and if you examine the body you are in, you will find that it is mine."
Green eyes blinked. "What?" he asked, trying to make sense of the situation.
"Just give it up, Hakkai," Gojyo called from his place near the fire. "It's too complex for the monkey to wrap his pea-sized brain around."
Goku bristled at the kappa's remarks, his body tensing as he reflexively prepared to jump up, an insult ready on his tongue. Almost as quickly as it had come the feeling was swept away, all the energy seeming to have been drained from his body. He clenched his teeth, wondering at how incredibly sore his entire body was and forcing himself to relax once more.
"Goku? Are you alright?" Hakkai asked.
The now tall demon looked up into the concerned golden eyes peering down at him anxiously. "I'm fine. Just really tired and really, really sore," he replied.
"I'm not surprised," the golden-eyed boy stated.
"What do you mean by that? What happened?" Goku asked.
"Well, I found you unconscious by the apple tree last night. I assumed you were asleep, but you had actually been drugged. I let my guard down and was drugged as well," he explained. "When I woke, we were both in a laboratory of sorts and I was in your body. I'm not sure how, but the youkai that captured us somehow managed to switch our souls. Without the limiter, you reverted to your demon form, which was too much for my body to handle. I healed most of the damage after I replaced the limiter on your forehead, but I expect you will still be sore for a day or two." His expression became serious as he met his friend's gaze. "That is something else I need to talk to you about. My body cannot sustain your berserk form. It almost destroyed it this morning, and I'm not sure if your soul would have gone with it, or if mine would have been pulled from your body instead. And, I would rather not find out," he said. "You cannot take off your limiter, Goku."
The emerald-eyed man had raised his hands so he could see them, staring almost curiously at the foreign limbs. Realizing his companion was waiting for a response, he met the golden gaze, nodding to show he had both heard and understood the gravity of the situation. It wasn't often a problem came up where he actually considered removing the golden coronet, but it did happen from time to time. "So, now I'm you and you're me," he said slowly, studying his new hands again. After a pause, his gaze moved back to the amber orbs. "Is there a way for us to switch back?"
"One would assume so," Hakkai replied. "If it has been done once, there should be another method to undo what was done."
"So, how do we do that?"
The short boy smiled a bit ruefully. "That, I do not know. But, don't worry. We'll come up with something," he said, patting Goku's shoulder reassuringly. "But, that aside for a moment, are you hungry? You haven't eaten all day."
Predictably, the demon perked up at the thought of food. "Boy, am I!" he stated, wincing slightly as he pushed himself to a sitting position.
"I saved some dinner for you," Hakkai said, turning around and grabbing a bowl. He handed it to the green-eyed man, who began devouring it.
"There would have been more, but someone couldn't control his appetite earlier!" Gojyo called.
"Maybe you'd like to cook your own meals from now on, Gojyo?" the golden-eyed boy suggested.
"Nah, I think you do a good job of that."
"Hm? What did he mean by that, Hakkai?" Goku asked in between bites.
The short brunette put one hand behind his head as he chuckled. "Well, I'm afraid I wasn't quite prepared to handle your body's rather demanding hunger when we ate dinner earlier," he explained.
"You were practically drinking it straight from the pot!" the kappa stated cheekily.
Hakkai's smile never faltered as he turned to the grinning redhead. "Perhaps you would like to do all the shopping from here on out, as well, Gojyo?" he asked sweetly.
"Shutting up."
Goku finished draining his bowl. "That was awesome!" he said, handing his bowl back to Hakkai. He opened his mouth as if to say something else but stopped himself, frowning.
"What is it, Goku?" the short brunette asked.
"I'm...not hungry," he answered, something akin to awe in his voice. "I only had one bowl, but...I'm not hungry anymore."
Hakkai chuckled at the saru's reaction to such a simple thing. "Well, it makes sense. My body doesn't require nearly as much food as yours does," he explained. "Although, I suppose it'll take some getting used to."
Goku remained silent, staring down at his hands. He shifted to a different position, watching the limbs that didn't belong to him obeying his commands. He shook his head slightly, looking up at the stars glittering in the dark night sky. It's gonna take some getting used to, huh? Is it gonna take that long to figure out how we can switch back? he wondered, staring unseeingly at the heavens. But, I don't want to get used to it. I like my body. Hakkai's body just feels...weird. It doesn't feel right, like there's something wrong with me. I don't think I'm sick, but I just...don't feel good. I don't know, it's probably just another side effect of transforming in his body. It'll probably go away in the morning. He shook his head, turning to look at the monk sitting near the fire. "Hey, Sanzo-- do you know how to switch us back?" he asked.
The priest didn't look up at the question, continuing to stare into the flames. "Why are you asking me?"
Goku shrugged. "You always have an answer," he said as if it were obvious.
The corner of the blonde's lip twitched. He leaned back, letting his gaze wander to Hakkai. "How far is it to the next town?" he asked.
"I think it's about three days away," the short brunette replied. "Although, I'm not sure how far we are from the road we were traveling on, or if there is another road through the mountains."
The gunman rose to his feet, brushing dirt off the back of his robes. "We'll be heading out early tomorrow morning. I'm going to bed. If anyone wakes me up, I'll shoot them," he stated, moving towards their packs to retrieve his bedroll.
"Sanzo...?"
The priest stopped at Goku's soft inquiry, although he didn't turn around. "I have an idea that might work. However, I'll need to find a temple to get the items I need. Until then, you'll just have to deal with it."
. . .
Morning found the four travelers picking their way through the undergrowth as they tried to find the road. Sanzo led the group through the forest, followed by Gojyo with Hakkai and Goku bringing up the rear. The golden-eyed teen noticed his companion fidgeting as they walked, an odd expression on his face. "Is something wrong, Goku?" he asked.
"I don't know," the tall brunette replied. "I just have this weird feeling all over my body and it won't go away."
"Are you in pain?" Hakkai asked, a bit of concern evident in his voice.
"No, not exactly," the emerald-eyed man replied, sounding unsure himself. "It's just…I don't feel good. I'm not getting sick, but I don't know how else to describe it. It's like there's something wrong with me, but I can't tell what it is." He shrugged helplessly. "I just…don't feel good."
"Hm." Hakkai turned his attention back to where he was walking, noting that they were beginning to fall behind Sanzo and Gojyo. I wonder what's wrong with Goku? Normally I would assume that it was a side effect of whatever that demon did to switch our souls, but I am not experiencing anything like what he described. Perhaps it has something to do with him transforming in my body? Although, that doesn't make much sense, either…
"We found you, Sanzo Party!" A group of demons emerged from the trees in front of them. "Hand over the scripture or prepare to die!"
"I'm surrounded by morons," the priest muttered, pulling out his gun and shooting the one who seemed to be the leader of the group.
Gojyo summoned his shakujou to his hand. "Well, at least these morons will provide a bit of light exercise," he said, flicking his wrist to send the sharp blade flying through their opponents.
Goku held out his hand, a slight smile forming on his face in anticipation of the battle. He blinked, not feeling the familiar tingle of energy as his weapon materialized. He looked down, confirming that his hand was still empty. "Aw, man! I can't summon my nyoi-bou!" he complained, glancing at Hakkai.
The short brunette raised his hands apologetically. "I'm afraid I don't know how to call forth your weapon, Goku," he explained.
The emerald-eyed man shrugged. "I guess we'll have to do this the old fashioned way!" he cried, leaping into the thick of the fray.
"Be careful, Goku!" Hakkai cried, watching a bit apprehensively as his body jumped recklessly into the middle of the fighting. He didn't have any more time for observation as two demons attacked him. He evaded the blows easily, reflexively bringing his hands together and summoning his chi. He stopped, eyes widening slightly as he remembered the wild energy he now had at his disposal. He didn't think his companions would appreciate it if he accidentally killed them with the rest of the demons. The youkai took advantage of his hesitation, swinging his sword at the heretic's head. Hakkai brought his arm up to block the stroke, remembering too late that Goku's body didn't have armguards. He tried to jump back instead, knowing he wasn't fast enough dodge the strike. The blade left a shallow cut across his chest.
The golden-eyed teen danced back away from his opponents, feeling the sting across his chest. His eyes widened as he glanced down, confirming the severity-- or lack thereof --of the injury. That's hardly more than a scratch! But, how? I'm not nearly fast enough to-- His body fell into a defensive stance as the demons closed the distance between them, bringing their weapons up to attack him again. Of course! he thought, weaving around the blows with ease. Goku's body is much faster than mine is! He ducked under his opponent's sword, sweeping his leg out and sending the youkai to the ground. He grabbed the sword before the demon could recover and ended his life. Instincts took over and he rolled to the side as the second demon brought his mace down, the sharp spikes digging into the ground where Hakkai had previously been. The short brunette shot his leg out, his foot catching the youkai in the chest. Leaping back to his feet, the teen disarmed the demon and plunged the sword through his heart. He pulled the blade free, looking up to see three more enemies running towards him.
Goku kicked and punched, the smile never leaving his face as he watched his opponents go down. He sensed movement on his right side and lashed out with his fist, not intending to let a demon sneak up on his blind side. He blinked in surprise as his hand got tangled in the chain of the shakujou.
"What are you doing, Goku?!" Gojyo angrily demanded, yanking the chain back as soon as the green-eyed man had freed his hand.
"I'm sorry!" the tall brunette replied, the smile gone from his face as his opponents pulled themselves to their feet and charged at him again. If I had reacted any faster, I probably would have lost my hand! he thought, blocking a club and delivering a swift punch to the demon's gut. He twisted out of the way as another youkai tried to stab him with a dagger. But, how am I suppose to know what's over there when I can barely see out of my right eye?!
Goku jumped up as one of his opponents tried to knock his feet out from under him, kicking the demon in the head instead. He heard a snap as the demon's neck broke from the force of the blow. He ignored the corpse falling to the ground, spinning back to face his other enemies as he landed. He ducked another swipe from the dagger, grabbing a good-sized rock from the ground as he did so and chucking it at the demon. He grinned as the stone hit its mark, the short demon he had been aiming at crumpling to the ground, either unconscious or dead.
There was no time to celebrate the minor victory as another youkai swing a thick club at him, forcing him to jump back. He flinched as the wooden bat connected with his left arm, knocking him off balance. He allowed himself to fall, catching himself with his right hand and flipping backwards to land on his feet again a short distance away. He grit his teeth, resisting the urge to clutch his throbbing limb.
What's wrong with me? he wondered, running meet his opponent once more. I so totally should have been able to dodge that! He leapt forward, grabbing the club as the youkai took another swing at him. His eyes narrowed as he tried and failed to pull the weapon from the demon's grasp. What is with me today?! Could it be this body? But, Hakkai's not that much weaker than me-- is he? he wondered, bringing his knee up into his attacker's gut. The youkai stumbled as the air was forcefully knocked from his lungs. Not waiting for him to recover, the tall brunette wrenched the club from his opponent's hands, tackling and pinning him to the ground. Sensing more that hearing someone come up behind him, he rolled out of the way as a sword came down, embedding itself in the chest of the demon he had been holding. Goku's foot connected with the youkai's chin before he could react, stunning him. Quickly jumping to his feet, he pulled the sword from the weak grasp and decapitated its previous owner. He straightened up, hefting the unfamiliar weapon in his hand. His senses tingled as he felt someone else come up behind him and he spun, swinging the sword with all his might. He nearly dropped it as it connected with something solid, the harsh clash of steel on steel ringing in his ears as the metal blade was almost jarred from his hands.
"Hey, watch it, monkey!" Gojyo yelled, blocking the sword with the shaft of his shakujou.
"Well, don't sneak up on me like that!" Goku yelled back, frightened by what he had almost done to his friend.
Two shots rang out, banishing a pair of demons running towards the tall brunette's unprotected back. "Pay attention to the fight!" the priest shouted.
Goku turned back, bringing his weapon up as another demon ran towards him. I never realized how hard it is fighting with only one eye! Hakkai makes it look so easy-- how does he do it?! he wondered, clumsily blocking a wooden staff with his blade. He kicked the youkai's leg, crushing his kneecap and plunged the sharp blade into the demon's back as he fell. He glanced up, looking around for more enemies. His eyes widened as he saw a demon swooping down toward the oblivious priest. Dropping his sword as if it were fiery hot to the touch, he leapt towards the blonde. "Sanzo!" he cried, arms outstretched in an effort to reach the gunman before it was too late.
The monk started to turn upon hearing his name, but was knocked to the ground as the tall brunette unexpectedly tackled him. He cursed as his gun flew from his hand, skittering across the forest floor. His eyes scanned the ground, quickly locating the silver weapon. He rolled out of the way as a demon's foot came down where his head had been seconds before. Grasping the gun, he fired off several rounds, banishing all the youkai near him. He quickly climbed back to his feet, reloading the weapon as he did so. "What are you trying to do, Goku?!" he demanded angrily, turning to glare at the emerald-eyed man. He spotted his companion, not as his side, but disappearing behind the treetops with a flying demon acting as his escort. "Goku!" he yelled, aiming for the youkai carrying his charge. The two were gone from view before he could get a clear shot.
Hakkai heard Sanzo's call, pausing long enough to see that the youngest member of their team was no longer with them. He redoubled his efforts, the sunlight glinting off his red blade as he cut down the opposition. Even though it had been years since he had held a sword, he found that he still remembered that particular dance of death well. Blood liberally stained the ground around him, more than a bit of it dying his clothing crimson. It was only a few minutes more before he and his two companions were the only ones left standing. He looked down, gazing at the large number of corpses surrounding him. Memories came unbidden to his mind, the situation eerily familiar. He could almost hear the rain beating on the windows, thunder rumbling softly in the distance. He shook his head, firmly refusing to let his mind travel down that painful path, focusing instead on the present. "What happened to Goku?" he asked, moving towards his companions.
"Flying demon carried him off," the priest replied, his tone clearly irritated.
"Trust the monkey to get kidnapped during a fight," Gojyo remarked, lighting a cigarette as he joined the other two.
"But, why would they go after Goku? I could be mistaken, but I don't think they are aware that Goku and I have switched bodies. So, why would they single me out?" Hakkai asked.
"Correct me if I'm wrong," the redhead said, grinning mischievously, "but I think you were the actual target, right, oh illustrious one?"
"Tch." Sanzo didn't bother answering the water sprite's question, pulling out a cigarette of his own.
"Oh, dear. I don't suppose the demons will be too happy when they realize they grabbed the wrong man," the golden-eyed teen stated, the benign smile seeming out of place on the normally exuberant face. "Shall we go after him?"
The priest sighed. "It seems he needs even more looking after in your body. That monkey is such a pain," he complained, walking in the direction their missing teammate had disappeared in.
Hakkai stopped suddenly, looking around.
"What is it?" Gojyo asked.
"Do you see Hakuryuu around here? He usually finds somewhere safe to hide during the fight and comes out afterwards. But, I don't see him anywhere," the short brunette commented.
"Perhaps he followed Goku. After all, the monkey is in your body," Sanzo stated, unconcerned.
"Perhaps you're right," Hakkai agreed. "That'll make it easier to locate Goku, too."
Gojyo tilted his head back, exhaling the smoke from his lungs. "You know, this is the second time we've had to track him down in as many days. Maybe you should consider keeping your pet on a leash, Sanzo."
The priest didn't bother to reply.
. . .
Goku struggled against his captor, trying to free himself from the demon's grasp. The youkai had his arms coming up and around Goku's shoulders with his hands clasped behind the brunette's head. "Let me go!" the green-eyed man demanded.
"You're not the one I was supposed to get, but you should work just as well," the demon said, straining to hold on to his squirming prisoner. "Hold still! You'll end up killing us both!"
"I won't die that easily!" Goku stated defiantly.
The demon cursed as one of the tall brunette's flailing legs connected solidly with his shin. His eyes brightened as he saw the ravine up ahead. Almost there, he thought, flying faster.
Goku felt the demon speeding up, guessing that they were nearing their destination. They swooped down, heading into the ravine when his hand finally found something. He grabbed it, his fist crushing the delicate bones inside the folded wing as he jerked it as far forward as his arm could go. He heard the youkai gasp in pain, flaring his other wing to slow their descent. The emerald-eyed man refused to loosen his grip as the wing he was holding tried to open and they went spinning out of control, slamming into a tree. The upper branches snapped under their combined weight, the leaves and twigs tearing at their clothing and skin as they fell. After hitting what felt like every limb along the way, they ran out of branches and landed on the ground. Neither one moved.
It was a few minutes before Goku managed to rouse himself, hissing in pain as he sat up. Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! Oh, that hurts! And I thought I was sore when I woke up last night! he thought, one hand clutching his bruised ribs. Noticing the demon beginning to stir several feet away, he pulled himself to his feet, catching himself on the tree as his shaking legs almost sent him to the ground again. He took another moment to steady himself, glancing around for anything he could use for a weapon. Looking down, he spotted a large limb that had broken when he had fallen from the tree. He picked it up, eyeing the jagged end where it had split from the trunk. He glanced back at his opponent, seeing the demon had risen to his feet as well and was holding a dagger in his hand.
Goku moved forward to attack, his enemy mirroring his movements. The tall man brought the makeshift club up to block the metal blade, his other fist aiming for the demon's chest. The youkai wasn't quite fast enough to block the strike, staggering back a step. Goku pressed his advantage, thrusting the sharp end of the branch into his opponent's unprotected chest. He jerked his head to the side as the dagger came up, tracing a thin line across his cheek as demon tried to take the green-eyed man with him. The human-turned-demon released the limb, watching his enemy fall to the ground. He sighed, leaning back against the tree. Why am I so tired? he wondered, closing his eyes as he rested. He tilted his head back, taking a deep breath. "Hakkai, your body sucks!" he yelled, knowing no one could hear him, but feeling a little better after shouting it out just the same.
"Kyuu!"
Goku opened his eyes, locating the small dragon that was flying towards him. "Hakuryuu!" he exclaimed, surprised to see the creature. "Did you follow me out here?" he asked, holding out his arm. The white animal perched on the offered limb, kyuuing happily. The brunette smiled, running his hand down the slender neck. "Good dragon."
The emerald-eyed man allowed himself to rest for a moment more before pushing himself away from the tree. Hakuryuu jumped off his arm, settling itself on his shoulder instead. Goku picked up the dagger the demon had dropped, slipping it in his belt. "Well, I guess we need to get out of this ravine and find the guys, huh?" he said, heading towards the cliff wall. "I hope I can find somewhere to climb up it."
The tall man hadn't taken more than a few steps when he heard someone crashing through the undergrowth behind him. He spun around, the dragon flying from his shoulder as three demons appeared, all breathing a bit heavily. "Aw, man, not more of you guys," the brunette complained, falling into a defensive stance.
The youkai looked a little startled to see him. "What's he doing here?" a demon with a scar running down his face asked. "Meitoku was supposed to grab the priest!"
A short demon with black hair noticed their fallen comrade on the ground. "We're not going to find out why from him," he stated, eyeing the limb sticking from the winged youkai's chest. "What should we do now?"
The third demon had silver hair and seemed to be the leader of the group. "We'll take him with us. It's not exactly according to Our Lady's orders, but we still might be able to make it work," he said, unsheathing his sword.
"Sorry to ruin your plans," Goku said, his lips turning upward ever-so-slightly, "but I'm not going anywhere with you."
"We'll see about that, traitor!" the silver-haired demon spat, rushing forward to attack.
The emerald-eyed man dodged the thrust, bringing his fist up and connecting solidly with his opponent's ribs. He had to leap back as the scarred demon attacked with a spear, the sharp point catching Goku's shirt as he barely avoided being skewered. He landed a few feet away, instantly dropping down to the ground as a crossbow bolt embedded itself in the tree behind him, courtesy of the ebony-haired demon. He heard a blade whistling through the air and rolled out of the way, hearing it slice into the ground where he had just been. Rolling to a crouch, he leapt towards the scarred demon.
The youkai smirked, moving his spear to impale the agile heretic flying towards him. The malicious grin fell from his face, however, as the human-turned-demon twisted his body, barely avoiding the deadly spearhead and drawing the dagger from his belt. The scarred demon didn't have time to react as the sharp blade slid in between his ribs, piercing his heart.
Goku yanked the knife out, letting the demon fall to the ground. One down and two to go, he thought, jumping to the side as another crossbow bolt flew past him. Sensing movement, he ducked, feeling the wind as a sword sailed through the air just above his head. Swinging out his leg, he tripped the silver-haired demon, sending him to the ground. The brunette was on top of him immediately, his left hand holding his opponent's sword arm down while his right plunged the dagger through the leader's throat. He tried to jump out of the way as he heard yet another projectile sailing through the air, but this time he wasn't fast enough. He grit his teeth as he landed on the ground to keep from crying out, clutching the bolt sticking out of his leg. His grip tightened around the knife's handle, searching for another weapon within arms reach should his attack fail. His eyes brightened as they landed on the spear at his side, still loosely clutched by its previous owner.
The short demon smiled as he finally hit his target, already reloading another bolt. Movement from his opponent caught his attention and he glanced up, seeing the dagger hurtling towards him through the air. He batted the weapon aside with his crossbow, smirking at the failed attack. The expression fell from his face as he saw the tall brunette rushing towards him through the air, the spear clutched firmly in his grasp. With no time for him to dodge, the weapon pierced his chest, pinning him to the ground as he died.
Goku cried out as he landed, his injured leg crumpling beneath him. He raised himself up on his elbows, checking to make sure his enemy was indeed dead. Certain that the fight was over, he allowed himself to fall back to the ground, taking a minute to rest. Hakuryuu landed next to him, nudging his cheek as he kyuued softly.
"I'm alright, Hakuryuu," Goku said, sitting up. He drew in a sharp intake of breath as he moved his leg. "This is gonna hurt," he muttered, looking at the bolt still sticking out of his thigh. He ripped off one of his sleeves, tearing the material into strips. Taking a deep breath, he carefully grasped the projectile, bracing his other hand on the flesh around the wound. One...two...three! He yanked the bolt out of his leg, biting his lip to keep from crying out. It was a few seconds before the pain receded to a more manageable level and he dropped the bolt to the ground, his hands shaking badly as he quickly wrapped the makeshift bandages around his leg, staunching the flow of blood. He sat on the ground panting for a few seconds more before leaning over and pulling the spear out of the ground. "I should probably get my dagger, too," he muttered, using the spear as a support as he pulled himself up. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths once he was standing, trying to even out his breathing. Hearing the beating of wings and feeling the air stir, he opened his eyes and looked at the white dragon hovering in front of him. The dagger was clutched in his talons.
"Thanks, Hakuryuu!" he said, taking the weapon and replacing it in his belt. The small creature kyuued again as it settled itself once more on his shoulder.
Goku raised his head, looking towards the cliff wall visible through the trees. "Alright, let's go," he said, moving forward. He used the spear like a walking stick, trying to keep as much weight off his injured leg as he could.
The tall brunette limped away from the small battlefield, unaware of the dark eyes watching him from the shadows.
. . .
To Be Continued
If you would like a response to your review, sign in or leave an email address.
