Chapter Four: Genkai's Tests-Part Two
(WC: 5,379)
Sarai trailed after Kuwabara and Yusuke, without really walking with them, per se. She didn't pay attention to their conversation as the group moved outside and began walking back down the stairs. She was lost in her thoughts. Then she almost ran straight into Kuwabara's back, but at the last second, felt his presence in front of her and stopped walking just in time.
Alert now, she felt a very ominous aura emanating from behind a barrier ahead of the group. She could sense that it was coming from a dense forest beyond the clearing everyone was standing in. The barrier was corded off similarly to the one before the gate, only this one felt stronger, way stronger than the first. The rope was also lower to the ground, meant to ward people away rather than let them pass under it.
Genkai turned to face the group, "Now that the weak have been eliminated the tests will be far more severe." Her words left a growing sense of dread in their wake and Sarai could sense a wave of fear rolling off a few of the men in the front.
"My insides feel all funny," one really freaked out guy looked ready to bolt.
"Master, the forest seems to have its own life force," said the same younger looking boy who'd asked about the video games in the second screening.
"Yes, to say the least. Its known as the Dark Forest and its as old as the human race. Its become a sanctuary for the oldest and most primitive demons." Genkai pointed up in the air, "On the other side of the forest is a giant tree. Make it there and you pass the test. You have two hours."
Sarai froze in shock. She'd read about demons in Takana's history lessons, but to think she might actually meet a demon today..
"Ah, I don't wanna go anywhere near that forest!" One man yelled and ran off, back the way everyone had come.
"Yeah, Genkai. I wanted to be your student, but I kinda want to live!" the second man was hot on the first's heels as they retreated from the test.
Genkai started laughing. "Yes, run along. I don't blame you. Even a person with the slightest spirit awareness can feel that the forest will tear you into pieces if you let it."
"There is truth to what this woman says. Only those with the training should attempt it. For instance, it is no place for a boy...or a blind girl." Sarai recognized the man's voice. He was the one who'd beaten Yusuke's score at the punching game. There were sparks of green in his hair, which she found to be odd as an inborn trait.
She didn't bother responding to him. Instead she just stepped closer to the barrier and held up her palms. Spirit energy pooled in her hands and flew outward like a net, creating a prismatic color spray for everyone who could sense it to see. It shot out like a pulse and dissipated in the distance. The things her energy touched were strange, some were indeed malevolent. She wasn't nearly strong enough to see across the entirety of the forest, but she was pleased with the ground she'd covered. Slipping into fugue, she shared her results with Takara. The added perception allowed her to see Genkai's appraising look leveled at her back and Yusuke's conversation with the green haired man who'd taunted the two of them.
"Heh, I'm not about to get scared of a walk through Grandma's forest," was Yusuke's smart ass reply.
"Watch your mouth you dumb little brat!" Genkai growled.
"You're just trying to scare me so I won't learn Genkai's powers, is that the big plan?" he'd walked over to confront the larger man. "Hey you wouldn't by chance be a monster in disguise would 'ya?"
Sarai filed that last off question away to look at later. Instead, What do you think, Takara?
The book was pouring over the energy readings. In the end there was a faint sigh, Mask your energy. Use the masked energy to sense the proper direction. This will be tiring, but you can take some of that creepy miasma in the air if its an emergency. Have the barrier spell readied just in case and be prepared to run with it. There was silence for a moment and then Takara added, Be careful Sarai. This place really does have demons and makai plants that inhabit it. I wouldn't normally let someone with such a short amount of time training attempt this. Do not make either of us regret your decision.
Even as she spoke in my mind, Sarai could hear Kuwabara shouting at Yusuke. "If you're gonna do this run then so am I!"
"Stop getting so excited. Its embarrassing!" Yusuke growled.
Genkai lost her patience and deadpanned "Best of luck, I hope you don't die." Everyone stilled and got ready. Sarai pulled out the proper spell symbols to keep her power masked so that she could focus on her senses instead. It wrapped around her like an over hot blanket and made her nose rather uncomfortable, but she tolerated it and got into a ready stance with the rest of the crowd. "Ready, set, go!" And everyone was off. They hopped right over the barrier cord.
Sarai tore off after them and let her senses wander as far as they could, rather than reigning them in so she could focus on her immediate surroundings without interruption. She took great care not to injure herself on the awkward leap over the barrier cord. Once she was inside she kept running and slowly pulled together the barrier spell she would need. She didn't have to expend energy on it until it was cast, but it was there, waiting in case she needed to fling it out at something.
She had caught up to the back of the pack when Genkai blew past in a red and green blur. "I'll be waiting for you by the tree," she called to the group. "If you're smart, you'll use your spirit awareness to find the quickest way. Goodbye!" and then she really did disappear in a burst of speed, pulling ahead of the group quicker than seemed impossible for normal humans..
"She's really fast! Are we sure she's not like an alien?!" Kuwabara exclaimed.
She wanted to laugh, but held it in not wanting to interfere with her breathing rhythm. Everyone was running the same direction until Sarai came to a sudden stop and branched off to the right.
She paused just off the main pathway because she'd noticed Kuwabara had veered off right along with her at the exact same time. They looked over at each other for a second and grinned. "I guess it makes sense, we got the same score," Sarai chuckled.
"Cool. We can run together if you can keep up." Sarai could tell he wasn't insulting her, that it was more of a challenge.
Sarai pumped her fist in the air and they took off again as one. On some level, she felt weird because even though her senses were stretched out and she was on the lookout for danger (both posed from creatures and terrain) she didn't really have a lot of time to really take in the view. She scrambled across fallen tree logs, rocks, streams and tripped on the occasional tree root a few times, but without being able to pick up her own trail, she wouldn't be able to describe many of the features she passed.
Kuwabara set a blazing pace, which pushed Sarai's endurance level harder than she'd ever done on her own. The younger boy made her feel incredibly out of shape. There were several times when Sarai had to lag behind to catch her breath, but seeing Kuwabara's back disappearing in the shadows of the forest would cause a spark of fear to ignite her pace again until she caught up.
Sarai was not in shape enough to handle such a trying run on short notice. Her hip and ankle were throbbing in protest and despite the sharp, bone deep pain that radiated from them every time her foot impacted with the ground, she just kept pushing forward. Her fierce expression caused the bandages around her face to draw in tight. She used the pain as a reminder that the curse was why she was there in the first place and even if her entire leg fell off and she vomited by that damn tree, she was going to finish this thing.
Her only option was to pull back her awareness some and sink slightly further into fugue state. With a quick calculation, she pulled out the spell for physical enhancement that would draw in ambient spirit energy and strengthen her body. The ache in her joints receded and her breathing became easier. As her reflexes improved, she was able to avoid tripping on anything or getting clawed by the sharp, low hanging branches she rushed by.
Despite her determination, Kuwabara eventually managed to pull ahead of her and disappear for the last time. She lost sight of him for five minutes before bursting through the treeline into a clearing. The change in terrain was so sudden she actually rolled her bad ankle, tripping and the rolling across the grass to the base of the hill.
Sarai made a noise that was somewhere between a moan and a growl before picking herself up and gazing at the top of the hill. In her tumble, she lost hold of the enhancement spell and didn't bother to gather it again. The giant tree was there and so were Kuwabara and Genkai. The sore, out of breath woman jogged up the hill.
"Hello girl," Genkai greeted.
Sarai panted for a moment and then bowed, "Hello Genkai-san." And with that she collapsed right onto her butt and started stretching out the ankle she rolled. With a crackle of warm power, she let her cloaking spell go and allowed the gathered barrier spell to return to the depths of her mind. With a deep sigh, she pulled completely out of fugue state in order to give her mind a bit of a rest.
The green haired jerk and another man Sarai hadn't met raced through the treeline and right up the hill behind her. Ha! Suck it! The "blind" girl outran you! She couldn't keep the smirk off her face. She finally pulled herself up and limped over to the tree, leaning against it and rolling the tendons in her sore ankle some more. She knew if she didn't gently loosen them the walk back would be a real bitch. She was already running on willpower alone.
She didn't listen to the last two, but when Kuwabara came over Sarai sent him a thumbs up, "Great job, Kuwabara-san. You were first. I couldn't keep up, but it seems we picked the same path anyways."
"Yeah! I beat Urameshi!" He was clearly the most excited about that. "You made good time too! You beat everyone else." Sarai smiled at his exuberant attitude.
After she spent a good ten minutes just tending to her ankle she moved on to stretching out the rest of her body. Lots of strange places were sore after her mad dash run through the forest. More people showed up as time ticked by. Sarai continued to ignore them in favor of stretching out every tense and sore muscle group she could. When she didn't feel like she was just completely winded and useless, she finally leaned back against the tree and rested, closing her eyes and appearing to doze off.
As she cat napped Sarai could feel the life giving energy as it buzzed through the tree. Minute echos and vibration crackled off through the bark and popped along her spine like tiny little pop rocks on her spirit. She knew it was what made the bark grow as the tree got bigger. Most of the vibrations came from the leaves, which were tickled by every faint breeze that whispered through them, and super charged with the sun's energy. This particular tree had some of the strongest vibrations she'd ever felt and she assumed that it had something to do with its age and size, maybe even its close proximity to the Dark Forest.
"Times up, only you nine have passed," Genkai's voice interrupted her semi-conscious state and she snapped back into alertness to look around.
"Wait a second there should be one more guy coming," Kuwabara's voice was tense.
It was then that Sarai noticed Yusuke hadn't made it yet. She walked forward to the edge of the hill crest and put her hand out, stretching out her senses to see if she could sense where the younger boy was. With a laugh, she dropped her hand and reined in her senses because he'd just burst through the damn tree line.
"Sorry, I never make exceptions," was Genkai's reply.
"WAIT FOR ME!" he called as he came tearing up the hill.
"What?" Genkai had heard and looked over.
"Uremeshi!" Kuwabara called out.
"You know, suddenly I'm reminded of a fortune cookie that said the straight way isn't always the fastest," annoyance dripped off of his statement.
"But listen boy, you didn't really go straight through the dark forest? You would have faced a lethal man-bat," Genkai looked up at him as she spoke.
"What you mean Buldoc? Yeah, he was hanging out with me for a while. The guy was fast, but not nearly as fast as Hiei." Yusuke shrugged and then grinned wide, "I took good care of him though! You'll see." I didn't recognize either of the two names he mentioned, not that I expected to. He started cracking up as he thought about the position he'd left the man bat in.
"Don't you see you've got no reason to laugh, idiot!" Kuwabara had grabbed him by his jacket lapels, lifting Yusuke off the ground slightly. "You went over the time limit!"
"What!? You can't be serious..." Yusuke looked over at Genkai. "Is that true?" Annoyed disbelief covered his features.
"It seems to be," she answered with a smile. "But I believe I will make an exception."
The two boys broke out into excited laughter and actually hugged each other, "We did it!" It only took a few seconds for them to leap apart and look like tough guys after their emotional slip up.
"Why don't you quit hugging me, you weirdo!" Yusuke yelled.
"You're the one hugging! I was trying to squeeze you to death!" Kuwabara growled.
Sarai couldn't take it. She burst out laughing and had to bend over and grab her knees in order to keep from falling on her ass. The two of them just looked over at her and yelled, "Its not funny!"
This caused her to fully tip over. Her knees slammed into the soft grass and she moved to cover her mouth, stifling the fit into giggles. She knew some of the intensity of her reaction was a release of nervous energy. When it had run its course, she took a deep breath and stood. Sarai couldn't keep the giant smile off her face when she looked at the others. Some of them found her display distasteful, or maybe even unsettling, but mostly they probably just thought she might just be deranged.
They were probably right.
Genkai lead the group back towards the stairs and up to the courtyard. Yusuke and Kuwabara chatted some on the way, but for the most part the group was silent throughout the journey. With the exception of one kind looking man with a curly mustache, it seemed like everyone had a major case of "I'm a bad ass," which meant they were too busy trying to look tough, stoic, and cool, to say anything remotely entertaining. And thats when I noticed one of them couldn't seem to keep his damn eyes off me, or this creepy smirk off of his mouth.
This probably wouldn't have bothered me if I didn't have such excellent perception. Not only could I feel his gaze running over my form like a particularly annoying moth dancing over my senses, but I kept getting the slightest taste of his intentions. Something dark and violent. I could sense the lust rising from him in a small wave before he stuffed it back down, glancing at the others to see if anyone noticed his slip. The only time I'd felt that particular mixture radiating from someone was when I'd visited my Dad in prison. In that large visiting hall, with the inmates and their visitors crammed into little tables, I'd been able to tell exactly which ones of them had committed a vile sex act. The touch of his gaze, his intentions, bothered me on many levels, but the most pressing fear was the frequency with which he checked me out. It seemed he'd already fixated on me and that didn't mean anything good.
Watching someone unnoticed is trickier than most people would think. I can sense around me in a 360 degree circle just like a normal person can see. My perception comes in a picture with other obvious details like energy, aura and things of that nature. Its no more intrusive than glancing at someone. I can pick up on strong intent or emotions if the people around me aren't skilled enough to hide them, but its not like I can read their thoughts or that they're a constant supply of information. Mostly, its like catching a scent on the breeze before the wind changes. To push my perception further than that, to learn more about their intent or emotions means that I'm potentially alerting them to my own interest. If I focus on one person too much, rather than casting out my general net of vision, that person has the chance of sensing it and realizing exactly what I'm doing.
Takara's exercises taught me how to cast my general perception out in a net much further than I'd ever needed to in order to see, despite my bandages. That's how I'd been able to see such a large area around me in the forest. She also taught me to focus it and learn things about the people around me that mundane senses couldn't pick up on. I knew I could try something invasive and more direct, but until he did anything more than leer, I just couldn't justify it, no matter how annoying or distasteful it felt. Instead I just made sure my senses were wide enough to encompass the entire group without focusing on any of them. I also maneuvered myself so that I was walking just ahead of Yusuke and Kuwabara. It wasn't like we were best friends or I trusted these guys, but Kuwabara did have nice energy waves and we'd already been alone in the forest together. I knew he wasn't going to stab me in the back and it felt comforting to have someone there who was at least less of a variable than anyone else in the strange group.
I was so wrapped up in analyzing thoughts and data that occasionally sparked up I didn't realize we'd made it back to the temple. Genkai turned back to us and growled, "From this point on you can forget about sympathy!" It shocked me out of my thoughts.
What the hell was that supposed to mean? My motto was "Carve mercy into your soul." Where did her statement come from? Did it have something to do with the next screening test? "The final test will be a tournament between the ten of you until one is standing," she clarified. "You will fight until your opponent is dead or incapacitated. I don't care which." The words stilled my heart.
I didn't have time to think much, because she turned and opened the doors. There was a great statue inside. "Come on now, walk," she ordered. Her original declaration left me feeling numb and dizzy. I walked forward with the crowd like a sheep while I desperately tried to figure out what principles were most important to me.
Once we were inside the doors shut, closing us in total darkness. It didn't matter to me, it was just an absence of light which didn't hamper my senses a bit. Kuwabara was the first to speak, "Hey, what's wrong with the lights! I don't like that lady!"
"Yeah grandma," Yusuke agreed. "What, do you expect us to fight in the dark?"
A single lamp suddenly lit, it's range was just far enough to bathe the group in dim, flickering light.
I could tell the vast majority of the room was still covered in shadow. Even as the light came on, I found I couldn't really focus on that. There was something in this room. Something evil and strong that scared the shit out of me. I guess it was easier to tell in the enclosed space. The energy waves didn't disperse in the atmosphere like they had outside, they bounced off the walls, the ceiling, the inhabitants of the room and rolled around like a silent, echoing thunder in my mind. It was impossible to pin-point the source, not that I even had the remotest interest in focusing on the dark energy enough to peak it's interest in my own vibrations.
Genkai was suddenly smoking a cigarette. She blew the smoke in their faces, "Yes, you little crap. That's exactly what I expect." I grinned at her choice of words even though they filled me with dread. "You must use your spirit awareness to see. Use weapons if you've got them. Hit 'em where you like. Anything goes. The winner is the one who can walk back alive."
"Sounds like a typical Saturday morning street fight, huh, Kuwabara?" Yusuke smirked.
I blocked the two of them out, though I was standing right in front of them. Between creepy stalker dude and whatever that aura was emanating from, I was pretty spooked. I still hadn't come to a decision about what I intended to do. I wanted to break my curse more than anything, but was I willing to take another life to reach that goal? That didn't sound like me at all.
"Now before we start you introduce yourselves and speak up!" Genkai announced. I rested against the nearby pillar and silently watched the others.
The first man stepped forward. "Names Musashi," his voice was kinda deep and a little on the gravely side. "I'm a 4th degree black belt at Shinbatto-ryu kendo. I hunt down evil beings and destroy them."
The next was the younger looking boy I remembered who kept calling Genkai "master." "I am Shorin. A psychic in training. I have traveled the world in search of a perfect instructor."
After Shorin came the green haired jerk. "People call me Kibano. I am a master in every style of martial arts and I live to test my limits."
The next was the curly mustache guy. "Shinpo the wanderer. Nice to meet you all." He was stocky, but well balanced looking.
The other guy who crested the hill with Kabano spoke after, "Amaru of the ninjas. Bodyguard of government officials. I've been trained in the ninjutsu art of stealth."
"I'm Karoda. Contract killer." His low spoken words sent chills down my spine.
"Kazuma Kuwabara, punk of Sarayashiki junior high."
That little revelation made me double take. That tall ass boy was only in junior high and he'd beaten freaking everyone in a foot race through an evil forest? Not to be completely ageist, but why the hell was a junior high kid taking part in something like this?
"Yusuke Uremeshi. The much, much worser punk of Sarayashiki junior high." That revelation didn't surprise me as much. He was shorter, but carried himself with the expression of someone who was up to trouble.
"I'm Daisuke," the final man spoke and even as he introduced himself, his eyes slide over to me once again. "I collect magical artifacts and dabble in the esoteric arts."
That just left me. I waited a few heart beats before finally speaking, "Sarai." I didn't give a last name, I didn't want creepo/Daisuke or the contract killer to know. "I am here by mistake, but since I've made it this far I've decided to stick with it."
That made everyone double take. Genkai spoke with an aggravated tone, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
I brushed my fingers over the bandages. "I am cursed. I came seeking help, but I didn't really understand what was happening when I got here. I didn't find out until after the first screening and after that I wanted to see how far my abilities would take me." I bowed in her direction, not sure how impertinent that would sound and not wanting to anger the powerful woman when I needed something from her so badly.
It was silent for several moments and then Genkai laughed, "Well that's one hell of a whim. Are you going to continue from here? It could cost you your life."
I didn't answer immediately, but my head tilted to the side in thought. I could tell her no, but then I risked her telling me to get lost while she completed her own task. For now, I would just have to wait and see what happened. If I got paired up with the killer, or anyone else bleeding off deadly intent, then I would probably quit then. "I will; you're clearly busy with this at the moment and I can't leave without finding out how to break this damn thing. Seems like the best way to stick around." It was true. I also knew I could back out and they would probably let me go. I was not planning on fighting anyone to the death.
Her gaze weighed heavy on me. I stood still and my spirit was submissive to hers as she scanned me for a moment. "Well, I can't argue with that," she finally answered. She looked up into the air and arrows came flying down to stick into the ground. "Pick the arrow you think is pretty. That'll decide the order." Once again, her words had me smirking in amusement. I hadn't been this entertained by a group of people in a long time.
Since I was the closest I waved my hands over the arrows and picked the one I felt compelled to grab. I never knew if this was a real talent or a pretend one. It only worked out in my favor about half the time when I tried it with cards. Luck was a bit tricky today, I got paired with Daisuke, the one with the leering eyes. I kept my expression blank when I saw how...pleased he seemed to get paired with me. We were going second and since I had some time I sat down and began rifling through my backpack.
As it turned out, the first match was between Karoda and Amaru. As the two walked out, Karoda paused and turned back, "Lets make this clear. In my line of work I've been taught not to quit until they're dead. And fighting a trained bodyguard I can't help, but feel its professional."
"If you're asking about killing I already answered. Use any force necessary to defeat your opponent and ensure your victory." Genkai's expression was passive in the face of Karoda's bloodthirsty leer.
"Yes, yes, you've said that twice. I wanna know if you'll hold it against me if I turn out to be a cold blooded killer." Ice trickled down my spine and I suppressed a shudder. No need to show fear in this pool of sharks.
"Young man, I'm a psychic, not a saint. I'll train whoever is strongest regardless of any moral shortcomings."
That entire line of conversation sent more chills down my spine. What the fuck was I getting myself into? Would she really allow people to kill each other in this place. I pulled my jacket tighter and bit my lip as a way to keep my expression neutral and free of worry. I should have known better than to get too comfortable. Sakyo sent me here after all, and I'd eat Genkai's freaking hat if he was on the straight and narrow. Still, it did bother me and I felt like the only way I could go through this was re-evaluate if I wanted to stay at each new development.
I ignored the two fighters as they bantered and stood still. Kuwabara and Yusuke were at my back and, once again, they felt pure enough that I didn't mind them being the shield between me and the others. I entered fugue state and began taking stock of my strengths, weaknesses, and resources. There was a pocket knife and a tazer in my backpack, the former designed for utility, the latter for personal protection, but that was all. What's more is I was a dancer and not a fighter. I spent a single summer playing at Karate with a YMCA pass and while action movies and fight scenes were my favorite, I really only knew how to cut a rug and even then I could get pretty off balance outside of fugue state.
I took a moment to observe Daisuke without actually looking at him. He was shorter and thinner than I was and his spiritual energy was higher than mine, but I couldn't tell what his awareness levels were, though I knew no one had tied or beaten mine and Kuwabara's score. I could tell he was staring at me again and as the others battled on, his gaze only glanced away a handful of times. I didn't pay attention strictly to any one thing while I watched everything from fugue state, but I was always aware of what was happening closest to my body. At the moment, I was using it as an improved stream of consciousness.
With a sigh and a gentle hand placed on my wrapped spell book I sent her a thought, What do you think, Takara? He is stronger than me, but he doesn't feel...quite on the same level as the others either.
She seemed to ponder my words, a silent hum thrummed from her into my fingers. There is...something strange and familiar about his energy.
I couldn't read whatever she was hinting at so she tossed a bit of the feeling my way. It was pain, suffering, and a sense of being ensnared with no escape. What the hell is that? The feeling, even though it wasn't my own, sent tendrils of sadness through my senses and now that she had showed me, I could feel the faintest breath of it wafting from Daisuke.
You'll have to probe further to find out. Its coming from within some heavy dampening spells. I think he's bound something to him, something that doesn't want to be caught. The heavy velvet that I'd wrapped her in felt warmer in my hands.
So, I could use that against him. If I can make it so that he's too busy trying to gain control over it then I can take a cheap shot while his attention is busy elsewhere. Though I sent the thought to Takara, I was mostly musing to myself now.
Don't forget to mask your energy so he can't see you. And have a barrier spell at the ready just in case. If nothing else, you can try that trick you showed me last week. Takara paused for a moment, but spoke up when I went to put her back in my bag, No, take me with you.
I was unwrapping her when Genkai announced the previous fight was over, with Amaru as the winner. Shorin and Shinpo were next, but I was too absorbed in my own thoughts to watch them in the darkness. Shorin didn't take long at all to win, though, and then it was Musashi and Kuwabara's turn. I watched with a muted sort of interest, but if it were words I would have said that it went in one ear and out the other. I did notice a pretty blue haired girl standing with us that definitely hadn't been around before. She must have appeared from thin air. Yusuke and Kibano went next. With my turn after theirs I felt myself fall back into planning once more.
When Genkai announced Yusuke as the winner and called Daisuke and I up I finally snapped out of the strange trance I'd put myself into. I'd just dropped the velvet back into the bag and pulled the strap up onto my shoulders when Daisuke paused, eyes finally flickering away from me only to lock onto Takara, who was held firmly against my chest.
A/N: I probably misspelled some of the NPC names. I hope you enjoyed this story.
Please review and let me know what I can do to improve this. :)
