CHAPTER 08 / Insult to Injury

I managed to get to the geyser without being seen. Not wanting to hang around on the surface any longer, I nearly jumped straight down...then I remembered my wing. I would not be able to fly down the same way I did coming up.

I was never a good climber. I had been flying to get myself where I needed to go since I was little. I decided to use the elevator that that earth goddess had had installed. I staggered over to the elevator, which wasn't too far from the geyser itself. I pressed the button, signaling the elevator to begin its slow descent down the shaft. It was then that I collapsed into a heap by the guard rail on the platform. I stared up into the blue sky, the sun nearly overhead as it approached noon, until the safety doors above slowly shut away the light from the sun.

The lift arrived at Hell. I staggered to my feet, and made my way to my chamber, using the Third Leg as...well, a third leg. When I got to my room, I unlocked the Third Leg and slipped it off of my arm, and tossed it onto the table, rattling tools and knocking a couple into the floor. I collapsed onto my bed and passed out nearly instantly.

BANG BANG BANG BANG!

"Okuu! Open this door!"

My head, spine, and wing were still throbbing with pain, but I knew better than to keep Orin waiting. I found the strength to get up, and managed to make my way to the door to open it.

"Okuu, what have...holy...what the hell happened?"

I looked away at the floor in shame. Orin grabbed my chin and made me look at her.

"Okuu, the shrine maiden stopped me on my way here. What did you do?"

I didn't answer. She looked at my wing, and the condition of the buster left askew on the table. She then brought her hand roughly against my face-a slap similar to Satori's, that told me I had screwed up.

"The Mistresses sent me back to make sure everything's alright, and what do I find!? Two humans injured and a nearby forest up in smoke! I knew you were a birdbrain, Okuu, but I thought I'd be able to leave for a short while and NOT come back to find that you've started an incident! Do you know how STUPID I'm going to look for leaving you alone? Mistress Satori is going to kill us both! The shrine maiden will be the least of our worries!"

Again, I was quiet. I knew I had messed things up. I didn't need Orin to yell at me about it.

She sighed. "Come on to my room, so I can patch you up."