Disclaimer: I do not own HP or IY.
Chapter 14: To Heal & Heel
The first thing he noticed when he began to awake was that his head was pounding constantly and a coppery taste in his mouth. He spent the next minutes in a state of heavy drowsiness, not caring about his surroundings.
Then, he felt a pulsing pain originating in his midriff and with it; his memories of the battle quickly went to the surface of his mind.
He snapped out of his daze and not even attempting to stand up, he checked his new cell.
This certainly was becoming a recurrent theme he morbidly thought. He sighed, he was again chained to what was apparently a bed, only way more luxurious and ornamented that what he was used to. His prison was also decorated with colorful, opulent tapestries displaying many kinds of traditional flora and fauna. The room was made of diversity of woods, mostly cherry, pine and in some parts of maidenhair tree.
It was a classical Japanese upper-class chamber. Satisfied with that conclusion, he passed to his second question- Why was he here?
He doubtless had been captured by the enemy, as the chains reflected. For what, he could only imagine. If he was a prisoner waiting for his execution he would obviously be in some kind of dungeons, not in this flamboyant room. Same if he was captured with the intent of extracting information.
He could also be a hostage, waiting for a bargain between the two sides for his freedom. But he was a low-ranked commander; his live didn't have much value.
He was still debating with himself about their reasons for having captured him when the wooden door slid to the side, permitting entrance to the room to a middle aged man.
He had his long, what appear to be a suspicious shade of black hair tied in a knot at the back of his head and was dress with the usual clothes of the era; a long, thin coat called Haori and the skirt-like clothe called hakama. These were made by silk, denoting his elevated rank. His face was marked by a blue stripe. At his middle, a silvery sword was gleaming from its sheath. He was carrying a suspicious package.
He sat up from his previously laying position to warily stare the new-comer.
He continued walking until he arrived to his bed. Then, he proceeded to calmly extend his hands towards him. Harry panicked.
He jumped backwards, his hands in front of him for either attacking the demon or protecting himself.
Of all manners the stranger could have reacted he did the most unexpected one: he laughed.
Harry blushed in shame from his reaction, but didn't lower his hands.
"Calm down, little one, I will no evil towards you."-Said the older Youkai.
Harry didn't answer but he lowered his arms and allowed the visitor to approach him.
"You have obtained grave injuries, it's a miracle that no further damage have been obtained! You have been very lucky indeed, young one, to attain so quickly medical assistance. And what a battle you have danced! Stories will be written for such an achievement! T'was a pity its end! For such a dance to be halt by a dishonest attack towards your bare back, dishonorable I say! It is known that only cowards and liars strike while unnoticed. But of course, such fault tis not only for them, but also for you. It's known that a warrior knows every inch of his surroundings, for they decided the battle. It is good to be concentrated towards your known opponent, but is not to centralize all of your attention toward him and him alone!"
The stranger was interrupted by a yelp of pain. He looked down towards his work. Apparently, he had been tightening the bandages he was wrapping around the little demon's injuries while he was counseling him until they were just too tight to be comfortable.
Apologizing for the pain caused what he knew now to be a doctor hurried to unbind the bandages.
He then grabbed the remedies needed to help the young one recover and made the attempt to feed them to the injured demon.
Harry stubbornly pressed his lips against each other and refused to ingest any given medicine, turning his head each time the physician tried to made him swallow it.
After many failed attempts, the doctor stopped and said to the other one-
"My, my, aren't you just a stubborn one. Your obstinacy could be almost compared to the young master! Ah, the sightlessness of youth! Well, young man, enough is enough. Open your mouth and swallow this medicine, you'll thank me very graciously later. After all, ruptures of blood vessels and muscles, multiples hematomas in the liver and small intestine, a hemoperitoneum, couple with a severe blood loss and a cut diaphragm don't paint a good picture for you."
With each word that the older demon said Harry became more and more bemused. He certainly had attained more injuries, sometimes way worse than a poisonous stab, but never had someone explain with such detail his numerous wounds. Madam Pomfrey would usually just tout at him while drowning him with various potions and in the army there would be a great number of wounded that needed urgent attention in order to survive and too few healers to do it.
Amused and a little sad with the fledgling's reaction, the physician took advantage of Harry's bewilderment and quickly and efficiently made him drink the medicine.
Satisfice with his success, the demon turned his back to put his utensils back in order in his bag while hiding his smile at the young demon's coughing and hacking from the fool taste of the remedy.
"Well then, with you agreeably ingesting your medicine I think my job here is done. It's been a pleasure, wee one, and I hope that we'll well meet in the future. And with that, I'll retire and leave you to heal. T'was a pleasure, little one." -Said the healer before heading down towards the door.
"Wait!" Harry's shout stopped the Youkai in front of the door. "My name is Hari, not young one or anything else you could possibly conjure, and I am definitely not little!"
"Then, Hari, my own is Asikou Asa, but for you, you can call me Asa if you want, little Hari." The healer said before opening the door and exited from the chamber without waiting for a reply.
He walked a few meters when he heard him shout "I am NOT little! It is just that the world is based on a conspiracy making everybody abnormally large!"
He chuckled and continued down the corridor.
After a few minutes he saw a pale haired young man walking near him. He hurried up his steps until he was side by side with the other one.
He bended his body until his mouth almost touched the man's ear and said.
"You have chosen well, young one. I accept."
With that, he straighten himself and continued walking, leaving the other person who changed his direction towards the elder's previous path.
A/N: finish at last!
So, like it? And who do you think Asa is? A hint, he isn't an OC.
Also, thank u all who had review/fav/follow or read this story, it makes me very happy!
And that's for today, folks. See you next chapter!
Toodles.
Aria.