Sorry guys about the poll. I had forgotten to check mark the box to put it on my profile page. NOW you can vote. About three or four chapters left.
Shu continued onward, still worried about Jiro. He considered going back to check on Jiro a couple of times, but stopped himself. Jiro had promised he would be all right, and checking on him would mean that Shu didn't believe him.
Shu bent down next to the river and drank some of the water before washing his face off with it. The blood that was washed off spread out in the water in a red haze. Shu heard a faint hissing in the distance. Shu prayed that it was because Jiro finished the snakes off.
"What the hell? !" Shu exclaimed when a vile odor hit his nose. He swore that it was like he was surrounded by a hundred skunks. A booming was heard and Shu turned his head. A gigantic golden poo-shaped monster was approaching him. Shu recognized the shape of it. He remembered when Bouquet used to transform into this monster. The only difference was that the one she became was pink.
The monster roared and ran the best it could toward Shu. The slashed at him with sharp white claws. Shu recoiled when the claws tore his shirt. Three long scratches ran diagonally down Shu's chest. He dodged a punch just in time. The monster roared in frustration and swung another punch. Shu ducked as pieces of rock behind him flew everywhere.
"Great time for me not to be able to summon Blue Dragon," Shu muttered crossly. The monster picked up a rock and chucked it at Shu. Shu jumped out of the way. The monster had expected this and punched Shu in midair. Shu was slammed into the rock wall. He felt a wound open up in the back of his head. Blood trickled out of his mouth. The odor and the head wound combined messed up Shu's thinking and before he knew it, another punch sent him back into the wall.
"Where the hell are you when I need you, Jiro?" Shu said to himself. The monster slashed at Shu again. He rolled away just in time and looked back. The slash had left deep grooves in the wall. The monster raised one foot and prepared to bring it down on Shu. Shu jumped back, but the force of the impact from the stomp knocked him down. Shu was about to give up all hope of surviving when a voice called out his name.
"SHU!" It was Jiro's voice. Shu rolled away from a punch and turned to where Jiro's voice was. He froze. Jiro was bloody all over. Two bloody holes were in his green tunic. He was so distracted by Jiro's condition that he didn't see the fist headed towards his head. Shu turned a little to late and the fist made contact. His vision went black for a moment as he was sent into the wall again. His body was hurting all over and Shu didn't think he'd be able to handle much more of this beating. A bloody dagger landed in front of Shu and he turned his head. Jiro smiled and hid out of sight of the monster.
Shu smirked and picked the dagger up. Shu waited for the monster to throw another punch. Shu easily dodged the fist and he slashed the monster's wrist open. The monster pulled its hand back and roared in pain and slashed with its other hand. This time, Shu sunk the sword into its arm and hung on. The monster attempted to smash Shu into the wall, but Shu ripped the sword out and jumped onto the monster's back just in time. The odor was overwhelming now, but Shu blocked it out the best he could as he climbed up on the monster's head.
The monster was frantic now, slamming itself into the walls and whipping its head around to throw Shu off, but Shu hung on tight. Eventually, Shu was able to sink the dagger into the monster's head. The monster's scream was cut off abruptly as it fell face-first to the ground. Shu lost his grip and hit the ground hard. The head came down on him. Shu felt instant pain in his chest when the heavy head slammed into him. He was able to get himself out from under it and freed Jiro's dagger from the dead monster.
Shu looked around for Jiro and saw him coming out of his hiding spot.
"Y-you. . .okay. . .Shu?" Jiro said, his breathing hard.
"Yeah," Shu replied. It was a lie. Shu was actually in tremendous pain. He could hardly feel his left arm anymore and the wound in the back of his head hurt like crazy. Jiro took his dagger back.
As the boys continued onward, Shu noticed that Jiro was struggling even more than usual to keep up. Suddenly, Jiro collapsed, clutching his chest and screaming.
"JIRO!" Shu shouted and went over to Jiro. Jiro's breathing was ragged and heavy. Shu bent down and his vision instantly went dark. He scrunched his eyes shut. The wound in his head was beginning to annoy him more than it hurt him. Shu slowly opened his eyes again, his vision returning to normal. Jiro was struggling to get up and Shu helped him. Jiro's body was feeling heavier than usual and Shu wondered if Jiro was even trying to get up. Shu wrapped Jiro's arm around his neck. He couldn't hang on to Jiro's waist since Shu's left arm was so broken that it just hung uselessly beside him. This made it harder to carry Jiro. Shu saw the light getting brighter after awhile and almost jumped up in joy as he saw the mouth of the cavern just up ahead of them.
"Jiro!" Shu exclaimed joyfully. "There's the exit!"
"Well. . .will ya. . .look at. . .that. . ." Jiro replied. Shu looked over at his companion. Jiro's face was incredibly pale and sweaty. His eyes were half closed and his head began to drop.
"You alright, Jiro?" Shu asked.
"I-I'm fine," Jiro replied. Jiro's eyes closed and he gritted his teeth. Shu heard a groan coming from him. They went out of the cavern and into the forest up ahead. Shu set Jiro down against a tree.
"Jiro, what's wrong?" Shu asked impatiently. Jiro looked up at Shu.
"I'm fine," he replied stubbornly. Shu sighed.
"You're worse than before! Just tell me what happened!" Shu demanded.
"It's nothing you need to concern yourself with!" Jiro snapped back. Shu saw tears beginning to form at the corners of Jiro's eyes.
"Jiro. . . are you. . . going to cry?" Shu asked.
"Just leave me alone!" Jiro shouted. He wiped his eyes with one sleeve and glared back up at Shu.
"And if you're so fine, how do you explain THAT?" Shu asked, pointing at the bloody holes in Jiro's tunic. "Did you get bitten?" Jiro's gaze fell on the wound and he narrowed his eyes at it.
"Doesn't matter. . ." Jiro grumbled.
"Yes it does!" Shu replied. "You could die from it!"
"Heh. . ." Jiro smirked, closing his eyes. "Didn't know you cared for me that much." His eyes opened and instantly grew serious. "I probably won't make it. I'll go on my own so I won't slow you down anymore."
"I can't do that, Jiro!" Shu replied. "I'm not leaving you behind!"
"I'll only be a burden!" Jiro retorted.
"So you want to die, then? !" Shu snapped. Jiro froze. "If we don't stick together, then we won't make it."
"If you take me with you, then we'll both die," Jiro stated. "I'm weak and poisoned. I'm pretty sure whatever lives in this forest will be able to smell it right away. I'll be putting us both at risk. That's why I should go alone."
"I don't care, Jiro!" Shu yelled, grabbing Jiro by the collar of his tunic. "We're in this together, got it? !"
"Can't change your mind then, huh?" Jiro asked with a smile.
"No way," Shu replied, letting go of Jiro.
"Guess we're in it together then," Jiro said.
