OH MY GOSH! I'm so SORRY! I thought I had already updated this chapter AGES ago. I must have draemt it (like I seem to do more and more often. Maybe I should do a checkup in my brain. It doesn't seem to work as it used to)
Well, here is (after I don't know how long) the next chapter of this fic. I really hope you enjoy it after waiting for so long. (PLEASE forgove me)
The start of a dangerous ride
Goku, Hakkai and Gojyo were roughly awoken by a hyper Kouryuu sunrise early that morning.
"Up you go, my sweethearts!" she sang, ripping the sheets and pillows from them. "There's no time dozing in this forest! Yer priest have decided he will take the risk to take the river west and save him days in your wonderful company. So we got a bunch of work to do today in order to make it all the way with every limp where it's supposed to be!"
"What're ye talking-uff." Goku was hit in the face by a flying pillow.
"Get your lazy asses off the beds and help me make breakfast and rebuild our strength!" Kouryuu sang as she left the room.
"What's her problem?" Gojyo asked Hakkai.
"Maybe she don't want to make breakfast on her own?" the green eyed man suggested.
Sanzo was already out, having slept only the last few hours before sunrise. His hair was still wet and Kouryuu had let him borrow cloths that wouldn't be in the way during the day. She had explained the route down the river, and he really longed to see the faces of his comrades when they understood it. The Yokai living at the riverbanks only made the whole deal more interesting. It was long since he had felt such excitement.
"Oi, what are you smiling for?" Gojyo asked suspiciously. Sanzo hadn't realized a wide grin was crossing his features.
"Something funny, stupid," he answered, still grinning like a wolf at a rabbit.
"I don't like his face today," Gojyo confessed to the others.
"Have you ever liked it?" Hakkai asked pointedly.
"Less so today," the kappa said, a cold shiver running down his spine as he cast a glance at Sanzo, who looked awfully satisfied.
"Oi, Sanzo. What's up?"
"Breakfast, if you'd bring me some water," the priest answered, throwing the little Yokai a bucket.
"That's a reason Goku would grin for, not you," Gojyo pointed out.
"He asked what's up, not what I was smiling about," Sanzo more or less sneered.
"No fighting before the food is served and eaten," Kouryuu said as she appeared seemingly out of nowhere with her arms filled with dry firewood.
Gojyo, for the moment, dropped the case about Sanzo grinning like a wolf, knowing the reason would appear sooner or later, and turned to the female blonde.
"You said we're going down the river. When'll we depart?"
"With the next wave," Kouryuu said as she dropped the firewood. "Which should be this night."
"Wha? But then why did ya wake us up so damn early?" Goku, who just came back with the water, exclaimed.
"Cause we got a hell o lotta work to do today. First of all, we need to eat."
At that, Goku had no more complains.
Hakkai glanced at the still smirking Sanzo, who calmly fixed the food. He had a really bad feeling about the whole thing.
"Make sure those stocks are tightly tied together. If they're not we're gonna be killed by the river's power. You too, I won't be responsible for your deaths if the raft is to break under our feet. Don't forget to fill the gaps with moss, use it richly. Sanzo, are you done anytime soon?"
Kouryuu was obviously enjoying herself royally as she walked around giving orders to left and right. But she was working just as hard herself with bringing them everything they needed and making new ropes, oars and a rudder. She was actually making two extras as well, for security. If unable to steer on the river they would be lost.
Gojyo, Hakkai and Goku were making one twelve stocks broad raft each, which Kouryuu had explained was necessary. They would place the tree rafts on each other, the middle one crossing the one below and on top, tying them together.
"The third is soon done," Sanzo reported. What he was doing only Kouryuu really knew. It had something to do with sewing, that much Hakkai was able to decide from discreetly watching the priest work.
"I'm going to catch us some fish," Kouryuu announced. "Sanzo, blow some life in the fire when you're done with that. I'll be back soon."
"That bitch," Gojyo growled. "I wanna know just what we need a three rafts high raft for. Completely unnecessary."
"I would prefer to think she knows the best," Hakkai said nervously.
"I prefer to think she will make a whole bunch of food for us as thank you for building those rafts for 'er," Goku complained.
Gojyo growled. "It must be nice thinking like you."
"You're all underestimating her," Sanzo spoke up as he put away whatever he was working with. "She has travelled down the river on the back of the wave, surviving by the skin of her teeth. If you tried you'd be dead by the first bend."
"And of cause you would know," Gojyo asked annoyed.
"She told me last night."
"So she told you th' way down th' river?" Goku asked.
"Yeah."
"Then I trust you know if the way is safe or not," Hakkai smiled.
"I do."
"…And?" Gojyo pressed.
"Ah-ha!"
The tree men turned to a victorious little girl they all recognized from the village.
"I knew it!" she said loudly. "You are slaves of the witch!"
Gojyo had a rope in his hands and were very ready to use it to strangle the girl. Usually the thought of hurting a girl, especially a kid, would never cross his mind, but at the moment he felt so used he stepped closer to the girl with rope in hand, but before he could reach her, a spear cut through the air and buried itself in a tree, right under Gojyo's nose.
"Even if you have only half a bond to humans, it doesn't give you the right to hurt them. Especially not a little kid," Kouryuu scolded when she appeared between the trees. She had a bundle with fish. She was obviously very good at it.
"I'm not scared of you!" the girl said, blowing her chest up, looking cocky.
"Why thank you for saying so after screaming at my face the other day," the woman said sourly.
"And we're not her slaves," Gojyo growled.
"You're all Yokai!" the girl yelled.
"Perhaps," Kouryuu said. "We may be Yokai, we may be humans, we may be devils… we may be Gods." She turned to the little girl with a strange glimmer in her purple eyes, making the girl shrink back fearfully.
"Hey, and you scold me not to hurt a kid," Gojyo hissed, not liking the way Kouryuu talked.
"Words have never killed anyone. But I'm not lying. I don't know who I am, therefore not what I am. You should be glad you have chosen whose side you're on."
Kouryuu took out her spear from the tree and called for the other three to help her with the dinner. Then she turned to the girl. "You are welcome to join us, if you're not too high and mighty to blend yourself with outcasts like us."
"We're no outcasts," Gojyo stated.
"Indeed?"
"But you're the Yokai witch living in this forest, taking our men away," the girl suddenly yelled.
Kouryuu, who always seemed to be so calm, suddenly snapped. "Those men were killed by Yokai, yes. But humans are far from innocent. They entered the forest wanting to kill Yokai, they underestimated them and were killed. It's not harder than that. Now go home before I let you join the Yokai in the river."
The girl flinched in fear before she started running from the place.
"I take it you don't like humans very much?" Hakkai asked carefully.
"Humans act like gods, Gods act like sinners, devils act like Yokai, Yokai act like saints. Whatever pretty names you give them, they are all the same when it comes to the roots, still they all try to make themselves into something they can't be. That's what my owner told me once."
"Owner?"
"Since I was a foundling the one who found me called himself my master, and I was his slave. His mistake was to teach me how to fight. I don't think I need to tell you the reason he died."
"The one who found you was a human?"
"Yes, and once he was dead the Yokai of this forest took me in. The minus wave has been a real heartbreaker. Not only for me, I suppose."
They ate in silence, but as soon as they were done Kouryuu was back to her normal, bossy self.
"No more laziness while I'm still around. If you don't catch the next wave you'll be stuck for another day under my supervise, and right now I'm positive none of you want that, do you?"
She was met by a union groan.
Kouryuu worked harder than before after the lunch. She helped Goku tie the stocks together, she gave contracture advices to Gojyo, bandaged Hakkai's foot when he happened to drop the raft on it and took over his job so that he could rest and tie ropes as she showed him how to do it. All the while giving orders to all of them.
Sanzo was fastening the things he had done on the raft Hakkai had been making, which Kouryuu had decided would be on top. It seemed to be a rather difficult matter and Kouryuu was not late to instruct him how to do it. When he finally was done they helped each other to put the three rafts on top of each other and then push it into the river.
"Now we have to drag it upstream for some time. You guys stay ashore while I stabile the raft from the water. I know this river better than my own hand so don't worry about me. The wave will come in about an hour so work fast. I want to fasten the rudder before the wave comes. Don't forget to have your weapons ready, the shorelines aren't free from Yokai."
They all followed her orders as good as they could. And at last they had landed the raft on a stone with one end pointing up enough for Kouryuu to fasten the rudder.
"All aboard and make yourself at home. Tie a foot of yours to the raft and be sure you can move over the whole thing. We must wait like this until the wave comes to pick us up."
"Can I ask something?" Goku said.
"If it is about the rafts position, it is because if we lay plain we'll be inside the wave and not on top of it as I want to. Leaning it like this will make the wave pick it up to carry us on the back."
"Okay." Goku hadn't quite understood everything she said, but he did catch the inside/on top the wave thingy.
"Oi, Sanzo. What are these things for?" Gojyo finally asked, looking at the things at each edge of the raft.
"You'll see," was all Sanzo said. He was starting to look really exited now.
"We have another few minutes before the wave comes, so try to relax until I give the signal."
Goku sat down with Jeep on the lower part of the raft where he was protected from the sun. Gojyo and Hakkai soon joined him. All three of them looked up on the captain when she suddenly started to sing.
I wish that I was far away
Across the edge of Time
In front of me are mountains
To pass them I must climb
When cliffs are placed behind me
I meet the virgin sea that promise me my death
I wish that I was far away
Out of reach for love
All three of the Yokai friends were surprised when Sanzo suddenly joined Kouryuu in the song. But none of them could really complain. Sanzo had a very good, clear, deep voice that was pleasurable to listen to, and it mixed perfectly with Kouryuu's brighter one.
I wish that I was far away
Beyond the edge of Life
No matter who I am
I'm struggling to live
Following the trail of blood
I sail the endless sea that promise me my death
I wish that I was far away
Out of reach for you
The look-alike duo continued to sing, and their song was joined by the sounds of the river and the forest.
I wish that I was far away
Where Death has no control
We keep our dreams or set them free
To God or Hell below
It was faint at first, but the sound of the wave swiftly came closer.
With time I paint the image of me
And cross the raging sea that promise me my death
I wish that I was far away
"Prepare yourselves!" Kouryuu yelled and all of them grabbed an oar each. As the captain and Sanzo ended the song they saw the face of the wave.
Out of reach for me
