The I of the Beholder
By Ysabet
Disclaimer: Ushio & Tora isn't mine, sure wish it was, but it's not..... It belongs to Kazuhiro Fujita, Shonen Sunday, & whatever other companies happen to be involved. I just like it, & wish the bloody thing stretched beyond 5 volumes of anime and 33 volumes of manga. Sigh.
Chapter 2: The Sorcerer's Apprentice
With the bits of her mind that weren't frozen like a rabbit in a car's headlights, Asako knew that she would probably be a lot more comfortable if she shut her eyes. It would be so much better not to see what she was seeing: the shadowy but still-too-clear ground rushing by below her, the tips of trees just barely missing her head, the huge monster that was carrying her as casually as a child dangles a toy.....
It wasn't courage that made her keep her eyes open, or character, or any of those admirable traits; it was sheer, bloody terror.
"Whoosh!!"--- and they were slanting more towards the ground now, coming closer, coming closer---- Asako squawked and tried to pull herself up a little, tried to climb her own body in an effort to keep from getting brained by a rock or something; but inertia won out, and all she could do was hang there upside down until----
--- falling again---
--- "Thump!" and she was rolling over and over on soft, damp grass. Coming at last to a halt, Asako lay sprawled on her back with the world spinning gently around her like an amusement park ride; her heart pounded and she rubbed her palms hard against her closed eyes, fighting dizziness.
"Girl." The single word was spoken by a deep, raspy voice, all too familiar; she removed her hands and blinked up at the darkening heavens. The bakemono loomed between Asako and the dark blue sky, silver eyes peering impatiently down like a pair of baleful stars; pushing his mane from his face, Tora blew out a "hrrrmph" and tapped her with a single sharp talon in the middle of her chest.
"Well? Are you alive or not? And if you are, are you planning to lie there until the Donshoku comes and eats you, soul and flesh alike?" He sat back, crossing his arms; his dark-orange tail switched back and forth in irritation.
The world was still spinning; Asako carefully propped herself up on her hands, blinking up at the monster (God, she always forgot how *big* he was--- he blotted out an awful lot of the sky, didn't he?). "Uhhhhh..... Tora. Tora-san. What, what was *that*? How did you know..... ?" And then, as her thoughts came back into focus: "Where's Ushio?" The girl looked around wildly for the Spearbearer, expecting him to pop up over the next hilltop, long hair flying. But no.... no sight of him.
The bakemono shrugged noncommitally; "Around here somewhere, I suppose." He bared too many teeth briefly, and Asako shrank back a little. "The Brat and I have been hunting; something new is here in my territory..... as you saw." He snorted disdainfully. "That damned Spear told Ushio about it, but too late for the ones back there, eh?" The ancient monster grunted briefly. "I left Ushio on the other side of the ruins to look around; then I saw you running. You were moving fast, girl, but not fast enough, not to get away from THAT."
Asako shivered at the emphasis on 'that' and tried to collect her thoughts. She eyed the huge creature carefully; though she had been involved with Tora via Ushio-kun's adventures as the Spearbearer, she had never quite developed any real trust or fondness for the bakemono. Her instincts regarding danger had always been good--- and they shouted very, *very* loudly when he was nearby. Considering the fact that the monster had saved both her and Mayuko's lives multiple times, Asako realized with a faint pang of guilt that this was probably unfair; but somehow, seeing the sharp teeth and claws always made her feel like..... prey.
Like right now, half-lying here on the ground with wobbly legs and a head full of cartwheels: she felt like a rabbit confronted by a lion.
But the lion had just *saved* the rabbit, and the rabbit had a few teeth of its own. She slowly sat up and climbed gingerly to her feet, squinting off in the direction from which she had come. They had flown farther than she had thought; it was difficult to make out the site, but from what Asako could tell it was at least a mile or so away. A tag-end of memory niggled at her and she turned back to the bakemono, who sat regarding her somewhat sardonically. "Um, Tora-san; you called that thing a.... 'Donshoku'?" Reaching down, she carefully rubbed at her ankle; it was somewhat scratched from her rough rescue, and she saw that her denim jeans-leg was scorched and tattered.
Tora stretched his length across the ground, working his foreclaws in the thick grass for all the world like a giant housecat. "The Seki Donshoku Mono, the Red Devourer. Not something I have dealt with before, but I know of it from tales." The sod shredded and tore under the working claws, and Asako edged a little away, nervous.
She cleared her throat; fear made her feel weak, and now was *not* a good time for weakness. "You also said something about it eating me, um, 'soul and flesh alike', I think? What was that about?" Asako wiped some of the dirt from her face with a scratched hand--- her abrupt landing hadn't exactly been easy on either her skin or her clothes.
The bakemono shrugged, stretching one more time and then drawing himself up to sit on his haunches; he yawned widely. "Just as I said, girl. The Donshoku eats flesh with its teeth and souls with its body..... If you can't get away, it's a bad way to die. It bites and burns----- Those below, the grave-robbers; weren't they eaten?" The monster nodded towards the site.
Asako frowned, annoyance creeping in with her fear; "'Grave-robbers?' What are you talking abou--- oh, you mean the archaeologists? Tora-san, they're not grave-robbers, they--- they dig up old things to preserve them, so we can learn about the people who made them." She bent down to rub at her ankle again; it hurt, though not too badly. ".... eaten?" Asako's breath caught in her throat as she remembered the holes in the walls and the many tooth-ringed mouths; she felt a little sick.
Tora yawned again. "Grave-robbers, whatever. I've seen them many times--- they dig up old tombs and take the gold, if there is any. Sometimes there's not; sometimes they find one of *us*--- as they must have this time." He laughed nastily, a laugh full of teeth; the sound made Asako shiver. She turned away to hide her fear, looking down across the hills towards the site. It was very dark by now, and the stars were coming out overhead. A cool wind swept across the slope, ruffling her short, dark hair and sending the bakemono's dark orange mane whispering across his face. He brushed it aside again with the back of a sharp-clawed hand.
"Rrrrrrrrrrhhhhrrrrrr. What's taking the Brat so long? He should've come out by now....." muttered the monster impatiently, peering through the darkness. Asako hugged her arms around her shoulders, worrying; "Aotsuki you idiot, what are you doing? Be careful....." she whispered to herself, though from the look that Tora gave her he had heard every word. It was hard to read, that look; the great striped face gave away nothing. After a moment he turned away again, staring silently back out over the shadowed landscape; "It will come soon....." she heard him mutter. Then he spoke harshly: "Girl. Go to the shrine. I'll find the Brat." And without warning he gathered his huge limbs beneath him and leaped upwards, soaring impossibly into the air.
Asako crouched down instinctively as the great beast's leap carried him out over the hills towards the site, mane streaming about him. Slowly she straightened, wiping away the cold sweat that had suddenly sprang up on her face. *'Go to the shrine'?* ..... Well, it was as good a direction as any, she supposed, trying to ignore the fear that was biting into her bones with cold, sharp teeth. She wasn't doing any good here, so----- The shrine should be *that* way, no more than a couple of miles.
".... Ushio-kun...." she whispered; there was no-one around to hear her anymore. Shivering a little, she set out across the hills.
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The walk (more of a run, really) hadn't taken that long, and this was probably a good thing; by the time Asako arrived at the Aotsuki shrine, she was worn out with constantly peering into the night for a trace of drifting scarlet fog. Stumbling a little, she passed under the gate and hurried towards the lit windows of Ushio and his father's home with a pounding heart.
She could hear the television playing inside; at least Shigure, Ushio's father, was home----- and he was a priest, after all; maybe he could do something to help. During her walk through the dark the horrible fate of the archaology team had finally sank in, and it had been all she could do to keep from panicking. Something was out there that not only ate flesh, but *souls* as well-----
Asako rapped on the sliding door, breathing hard. Inside, footsteps sounded across the wooden floor, and the girl blinked in the unaccustomed light as the door slid open. Aotsuki Shigure's spare, calm form stood framed in the doorway; he stared down at her with a vague look of surprise. ".... Asako? Child, what are you doing up here at this time of night?--- Is something wrong?" He stepped back to allow her to pass him, his angular face creasing with concern as he took in her flushed and disheveled condition.
Still panting, she stopped a few feet in from the entrance and turned to face her friend's father. "Oji-san..... Have you seen Ushio? Has he come back here?"
The priest frowned. "..... No; he and Tora-dono went out without a word an hour or so ago; why? Asako, is something wrong---?"
One look at the girl's face was enough. He drew her down to a seat and, while he fixed them both cups of tea, Asako told him what she had seen. Told him about the archaeologists, the police, the red mist, and what Tora had said. Told him about the Seki Donshoku Mono, the very mention of which made his eyes grow cold and bleak. By the time she was finished the tea had grown cool, sitting untouched before them both; and Aotsuki Shigure's face was as dark and grim as any bakemono's.
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"Hold this" said the priest briskly, handing Asako a small paper bag as they began working their way around the Aotsuki Shrine's outer wall. She looked down at the contents; a package of metal staples (large), a roll of tape, a bundle of ofuda..... The girl stared at the carefully-inscribed warding talismans; she was all for anything innovative, but..... "Umm, Oji-san--- don't you usually *tie* these things on? I mean, a *wall-stapler*?" Asako gestured at the silver device in the priest's hands.
"Tha-WACKKK!!" He stapled another ofuda onto the gatepost at the shrine entrance. "We need to hurry" was all he said in his calm voice, but she could hear an underlying note of --- was it fear? Asako looked back down at the ofuda and ran a finger along the paper edges; how could these things help? This was a waste of time; they were just paper and ink..... But no; by now, she knew better. Things weren't always what they seemed, especially *simple* things; paper and ink might be a very powerful thing indeed, in the right hands.
She passed him another ofuda as they moved around the stone and wooden walls. Asako stared out over the road towards the city's lights, her mind in turmoil; it was so quiet up here, you could almost believe that nothing was wrong. But she knew better about *that*, too. While preparing the ofuda her friend's father had told her a little about the creature that she had seen: the Seki Donshoku Mono, the Red Devourer.
It was something that lived in old things, he had said; much like that centipede creature that had inhabited the stone samurai armor that she had met some time back. But the Donshoku was a rather specific monster; it lived solely in reflective things, mirrors and the like----- and the only real way to be rid of it was to trap its reflection and then break the mirror. Hard to do when it drifted like smoke, and that wasn't the only problem..... Shigure had stopped in his work for a moment, a strangely distant look on his face. Then, carefully drawing another character, he had continued quietly: The Donshoku ate souls. It was, as he said, the Red Devourer, the eater of all things mortal or spiritual; even other bakemonotachi feared it----- even they were not immune to its appetite.
An eater of souls as well as flesh..... horrible thought. As if dying wasn't bad enough! But to lose your *self*, your very essence to another creature's appetite--- that was so bad it didn't bear thinking about. Still, she HAD to think about it.....
For now it had her 'scent', her psychic trace. As gently as possible Oji-san had explained that, once Donshoku began a hunt, it would not stop until it had its victim. And it had begun hunting her..... the priest had questioned her very carefully: Had it followed her at all? And Asako had told him yes, that it had been coming up the hill behind her when Tora had dropped by.
It would find her. It was, Oji-san said quietly, very good at that sort of thing. And there wasn't much that could stop it--- the ofuda would probably slow it down for a few hours, and it hated sunlight; but beyond that..... Asako wiped away a sheen of sweat from her face with one rather shaky hand. There had to be something more they could do; maybe Ushio could-----
Oh. Ushio. *Ushio!!*
"Oji-san?!? What about Ushio-kun----- we need to *find* him, he might need our help-----" Her thoughts were running in little circles by now, and she caught at Shigure's sleeve; he shook his head firmly.
"No." At her look of mingled dismay and anger, he smiled briefly and brushed a lock of hair from the face of the young woman he had known since childhood. "You must understand, little one;" and he gestured towards the ofuda he had just stapled up. "This is to buy you time. The Donshoku *will* come for you, unless my son and Tora-dono have already killed it; and I rather doubt that." Shigure continued walking along the outer wall, searching for another spot to place an ofuda.
His calm was maddening; Asako felt herself becomming flushed with a mixture of anger and fear--- fear for herself, for Ushio, even for Tora..... he *had* saved her, after all. They were coming back around to the shrine gate again, and she opened her mouth to argue, but stopped as Shigure began to attach another ofuda *inside* the walls.....
"Ahh, Oji-san---? Why are you putting them inside as well as outside?" It didn't make sense.
Shigure straightened up, looking away out into the darkness; he seemed to be avoiding her eyes. "Oji-san?"
Reluctantly he faced her. "Yes, well..... Asako, we must prepare for the worst as well as the best." He looked down at the ofuda that he held in his hands, running his fingers across the graceful ink figures. "These--- they are to confine the creature when it passes the outer walls and comes within the shrine."
Not *if* it made it through----- *when*.
She understood. "You mean when it comes to eat me," said the girl clearly, all too calmly. It was as though ice was slowly beginning to form inside her, in her heart and in the marrow of her bones, cold solid crystals; it made it difficult to think clearly past the numbing terror. But suddenly she felt Shigure step up to her, felt him smooth her hair with one gentle hand.
"Asako. I will NOT let the Donshoku eat you, not your body *or* your soul." He smiled down at her crookedly with the calm, wise eyes that she had known all her life. "I AM a priest, you know; I'm not *totally* helpless! This isn't exactly the first monster that I've faced----- Why, I live every day with an ancient terror!" He laughed softly, trying to help.
It did help, a little. After a moment she smiled back rather weakly; "Do you mean Ushio or Tora, Oji-san?" she joked, hoping he would understand----- there was more than one way of saying 'thank you.' And she walked past him to the next section of wall, hoping that the darkness would hide the traces of tears that were beginning to streak her cheeks.
******************************************
They had finished the walls and were walking quietly back towards the house when they both heard a roar: "PRIEST!!!!"
Shigure spun in his tracks, looking back at the gate; from the darkness beyond there was another cry:
"OPEN THESE DAMNED SEALLLLLLSSSSSS!!!!!" The priest took off at a dead run, with Asako trailing behind a close second. When they reached the gate, she skidded to a halt and blinked hard, panting; what in the world---?
Beyond the stone and wooden pillars, filling the street, there seemed to be a sort of----- well, one could call it a ground-bound thunderstorm for lack of a better word. Lightning flashed, but the usual ear-shattering sounds were strangly muffled and muted by something that looked like a thick fog, rolling and shifting, crowded with tiny moving lights..... The noise was still horrendous; and within it all was Tora, leaping about and howling like a maddened tiger. Backing away, Asako could make out the bakemono's eyes and teeth, briefly lit by the lightning crackling from his brow. He roared again, swiping at the fog with his foreclaws----- and then he *screamed*, a sound she had never before heard from the monster. Rearing up on his hind legs, he swung again and again, retreating a little with every slash towards the gate-----
And then Asako saw the mouths in the fog, and how the lightning framed everything in *red*, as though filtered through a scarlet lense: the Donshoku-----
"OPEN-THE-SEALS!!!! OPEN THEM!!!! GODS *DAMMIT*, PRIEST!!!! RrrrrrrrraaaaaaAAHHHHHHRRRRRRR!!!!!"
Wall-stapler in hand, Shigure reached the gate and tore away three of the ofuda; he leaped aside just in time to keep himself from being run over by the bakemono, who shot through the opening in the shrine's wards like a cork from a bottle. Asako jerked back; Tora was carrying something--- was that *Ushio* on his shoulder?!?
Shigure was hastily reattaching the ofuda, "Tha-WACKK!"--- she could hear him behind her; but as Tora collapsed in a panting heap on the ground, her eyes were all for the sprawled, black-haired shape half-hidden in his mane..... "USHIO!!"
He wasn't moving.
Asako reached him just as his limp body began to slide off; with a total disregard for the growling orange heap of monster beneath him, she eased the boy gently onto the ground. He was still clutching the Spear tightly--- in fact, he had it wound in his arms, held close to his body like a lover; that was the only tension anywhere on him. All of his other bloodied and battered limbs were loose and sprawling, relaxed as death. But he *was* breathing, slow and steady, his mouth slack and showing his sharpened canines-----? He was still in his Spearbearer form! But..... he was unconcious. WHAT---?
Behind her a rattling, hissing yowl made the hair stand up on the nape of her neck; she turned her head to see a wall of red surging and beating against the entrance to the shrine. The monster outside the gate was casting rapidly back and forth, cruel mouths snapping in rage within its scarlet mists as it pressed up against the unseen barrier provided by the ofuda. Shigure stood before the gate, breathing hard.
And as Asako stared at the Donshoku, she felt the scattered, drifting eyes *fix* on her, riviting its attention on her, on its *prey*-----
Tora dragged himself to his feet, taking sharp, painful-sounding gasps of breath. Looking up past her friend's limp form Asako saw that he was clutching his side, and that there was--- something? Not blood?--- pouring from it; something bright, like liquid fire; it pooled thickly on the ground like a spill of mercury, then faded away into the soil. That wasn't to say that Tora *wasn't* streaked with blood here and there; his orange hide was looking distinctly the worse for wear. The bakemono hissed like a boiling tea kettle at the thing at the gate, then jerked his head towards the main shrine. "Inside, NOW! That will hold the Donshoku for a little while, at least..... but not forever." He stumbled to his feet and lurched towards the building, limping badly.
******************************************
Inside the central shrine all was brightly lit; lamps and candles burned, their tiny flames flickering in the incense-scented air. Peace permeated the very walls.
But there was nothing peaceful about the bedraggled group that sprawled in various states of disarray on the smooth wooden floor.
Of them all, Shigure had faired the best; somewhat out of breath he knelt over his son, brushing the long strands of midnight-black hair back from the angular face. Ushio was scratched and battered, his clothes torn here and there; a faint scent of acidic scorching wisped up smokelike from the damaged cloth. He lay limp as a doll, his head pillowed on Asako's lap; her fingers followed the path Shigure's had, unconciously stroking dark tangles from the closed eyes.
She reached for the Spear, intending to loosen his tight grip and lay it aside, but stopped at Tora's fierce gesture: "Don't. Not if you wish to see him wake." Frowning, Asako looked at the bakemono; "Why not?" she demanded. "He doesn't look too hurt--- why does he have to keep hold of the Spear?" The lights of the shrine were beginning to bring back her courage; she hadn't realized out there in the dark how much she had been craving *light*, simple light. After a moment she noticed what her hands were doing--- Ushio's long, dark strands were tangled in her fingers--- and she stopped, flushing.
The ancient monster was curled up around himself, holding one huge hand against the still-leaking wound in his side; his eyes were closed. "The Brat needs to keep that damned Spear close by because---" and he licked at a rip on one shoulder, "--- he's inside it." He licked at it again, hissing a little in pain.
Shigure frowned, placing a hand on his son's forehead. "*Inside* it? How can that be?"
Tora shrugged, wincing noticeably. "It took his spirit inside when that bastard Donshoku tried to eat him; I felt it. I suppose it doesn't want him eaten----- they're linked, after all." He tried to twist around to get a better look at his side, a grimace of anguish briefly crossing his striped face.
Asako stared down at her friend, absently stroking his forehead again; when she noticed what she was doing, she didn't stop this time. *Ushio-kun, you idiot.....* His face was very pale, oddly empty-looking; was his spirit really somewhere in the Spear? It lay so close to him--- he held it as if his life depended on it, sharp-nailed hands tight in a white-knuckled grip. Carefully Asako ran her fingertips across the blade; it was cold, unnaturally so--- it numbed her skin a little. And it felt so---- it felt so----
---- so -----
(she was falling down, down into blackness, down towards the tiny spark of fire far, far below, down-----)
SMACK!..... And Asako's head was ringing and her cheek stung; she lay half-fallen backwards, one hand to her face, staring up at Shigure. "W-what..... what was *that* for?!?" she stuttered, angry and a little dazed.
Shigure sighed and looked apologetic. "Child..... you were leaving us; the Spear was taking *you* in *too*." He sat back, running long fingers through his dark grey hair. "I assume this means that we will be able to reach Ushio later----- if we survive this, that is. In the meantime....." He climbed to his feet and went over to one of the shrine's cabinets, pulling open a drawer and bringing out several long strands of juzu: rosaries, sacred beads. Stooping, he gently took his son's limp form from Asako, carrying him over and placing him on the floor before the main shrine. Methodically the priest began to wrap the Spearbearer and the Spear with the juzu, strand after strand. "This should keep him as safe as anything, I suppose....."
He stood; at his feet, Ushio lay like a parcel ready for postage; Asako stifled a moment of hysterical laughter at this image and also rose briskly to her feet. "Right," she said, dusting her hands on her sides. "What shall we do next, Oji-san?"
Tora spoke up from where he had lain watching the whole procedure with an unreadable expression. "You--- Priest---- you had best stay here with Ushio-Brat. And you--- girl-----" he pointed with one sharp talon, "----- I've an idea for you. Come with me." He climbed carefully to all fours, favoring his side.
Asako frowned, shooting a glance at Shigure; he raised one eyebrow and shook his head, as much in the dark as she. "Ahhh, Tora-dono, what of your injuries?" the priest asked, slipping a strand of juzu around his own neck. "Your worst wound--- that does not look like blood....."
The bakemono snorted once and twisted his head around to look at the wound; it was still leaking silvery, shining fire that ran in liquid drops to vanish on the floorboards. "Not blood. Life. It is how we are, we bakemonotachi; after all, we are mostly spirit----- Of course, some of us are more *solid* than others....." He sighed, a hiss of pain; he glanced at the two humans and showed his teeth briefly in an expression that had nothing to do with humor. "That is why I *HATE* creatures like the Seki Donshoku Mono so very much..... they can do more damage to my sort than even that shit of a Spear."
"Hhhrrrrrrrrrrr...... I need to heal. And it may be that I can, and swiftly, too..... We have a little while; it will take the Donshoku an hour or two to break through your seals-----" He shot a darkly approving glance at Shigure; "----- Not a bad piece of work, Priest."
"So----- come with me, girl. You can help." And with that the bakemono moved slowly through the shrine, limping as he stepped out into the yard. Asako shared a doubtful glance with Shigure, then shrugged and followed.
******************************************
As Asako followed the monster out into the yard, she looked nervously around; nothing, just the darkness below the almond trees. No red fog, no floating eyes, no snapping mouths----- not yet.
Not yet. The wind made soft, ghostly sounds as it blew through the leaves; she shivered and walked towards Tora, who sat in front of the old shrine entrance watching her silently. He stared for a long moment and they both stood there, listening to the wind; his silver eyes reflected the dim starlight like a cat's, lambent mirrors in the darkness. Then the monster sighed, muttered something that she couldn't quite catch and stepped forward into the building.
So much--- well, so much *junk*! Asako recalled that the old shrine had fallen into disuse several centuries past, and apparently it had been relegate to the duties of storehouse ever since. Poor Tora----- for five hundred years he had been stuck in the basement of this place! She still didn't trust the bakemono alltogether, but she could *definitely* feel sorry for him. And there it was----- a dark, gaping hole in the floor; she could just see the stone stairs going down into the blackness. Thankfully they were passing it by; whatever Tora had in mind, it wasn't down there..... and she was glad.
Where *were* they going? They were winding through the boxes, baskets and unidentifyable objects towards the back of the building; it was quite dark, and she sneezed as dust made its presence known in the air. "Um, Tora-san? Where are we going?"
The bakemono was silent a moment, then replied gruffly "Here. This will do well enough." They had come to a far corner of the building, where the boxes had been shoved aside to form an open space; not a very big one, but big enough for, say, a large orange monster to nap in..... Asako stopped, looking around a bit warily. Faint shafts of light filtered in from outside through cracks in the ancient building's upper walls; there was just enough light to see by. The girl turned to look at the monster, who was regarding her with equal wariness..... There was something *odd* about the way he looked; if she didn't know better, she would say that he was---- uneasy? Nervous?
The monster---- well, fidgeted; that was the only thing Asako could think to call the uncomfortable way he glanced up at her and then away, limping restlessly across the dusty floor. With a growl rumbling deep in his chest Tora finally swung around to look at her directly, fixing his silver eyes on hers.
"Girl..... " he stopped for a moment, then went on, his expression fierce and yet a little pained. "I do not usually do this, this *explaining*--- I usually just--- but you are close to Ushio-Brat, and....." Tora looked to one side with a face as dark as thunder, seemingly irritated with himself. He ran a clawed hand through his mane, muttering under his breath ".....never bothered about this sort of thing *before*...." as he carefully lay down on the cold stone, favoring his wounded side.
Asako watched him for a moment, wondering just what the hell the bakemono was trying to say. She didn't need this; she was frightened and exhausted enough as it was, and *now* she was getting annoyed as well.
"Ummm..... does it have something to do with your wound? Is there something I can do to help you?" She was still nervous of the great beast, but she hated to see *anything* suffer, even huge bakemono who were too full of themselves. Asako stepped a little closer, wondering; she wished she had Mayuko's lack of fear for things large and furry, but--- still, if Tora needed help, what could she do? She didn't know anything about monster first-aid.....
Tora snorted; "Funny you should mention that, girl," he said softly and with a certain dark humor. "It's as I said; I am, in my way, more vulnerable to damage by the Donshoku than you----- and there is only one thing that will heal me quickly enough that I can save myself and the Brat from being devoured." His silver eyes glinted in the dimness with a certain predatory light, and Asako suddenly had a bad feeling about where this conversation was going-----
She took a step back; she couldn't help it. Fear was beginning to drown out her annoyance; there was something about that look on his face..... Asako started to speak, but Tora held up a huge hand.
"Girl----- *You* are what I need. I need your life--- your flesh and blood. I need *food.*" And the bakemono growled softly, long and low, a rumble of thunder shaking the dusty room.
Asako took another step back, feeling the monster's eyes boring holes into her. "---?!?" She tried to say something, but the words died in her throat as Tora rose, moving towards her with unmistakable intent.
His eyes were colder now, terrible, the eyes of an an animal but with all the intelligence of a monster: sudden death incarnate. "I need human flesh and blood and life to heal; nothing else will close my wounds." He stepped forward-----
Stalking her. *No.....*
Terrified, Asako backed up until she bumped into a wall, then lost her balance and slid down it, eyes fixed on the predator before her. The huge beast took another step, rumbling low in his throat; his teeth shone white in the shadows as he snarled. "Hhhhhrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.....If I were inclined to be sorry, girl, I might be; you are not so stupid as most humans. But that's just too bad."
And the monster moved towards her, teeth bared.....
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This exciting episode was brought to you by "Cliffhangers R Us", a brand of YsabetCo.
Stay tuned for next week's exciting adventure when Asako tries to talk Tora into vegitarianism as an alternate lifestyle....... =^_^=
By Ysabet
Disclaimer: Ushio & Tora isn't mine, sure wish it was, but it's not..... It belongs to Kazuhiro Fujita, Shonen Sunday, & whatever other companies happen to be involved. I just like it, & wish the bloody thing stretched beyond 5 volumes of anime and 33 volumes of manga. Sigh.
Chapter 2: The Sorcerer's Apprentice
With the bits of her mind that weren't frozen like a rabbit in a car's headlights, Asako knew that she would probably be a lot more comfortable if she shut her eyes. It would be so much better not to see what she was seeing: the shadowy but still-too-clear ground rushing by below her, the tips of trees just barely missing her head, the huge monster that was carrying her as casually as a child dangles a toy.....
It wasn't courage that made her keep her eyes open, or character, or any of those admirable traits; it was sheer, bloody terror.
"Whoosh!!"--- and they were slanting more towards the ground now, coming closer, coming closer---- Asako squawked and tried to pull herself up a little, tried to climb her own body in an effort to keep from getting brained by a rock or something; but inertia won out, and all she could do was hang there upside down until----
--- falling again---
--- "Thump!" and she was rolling over and over on soft, damp grass. Coming at last to a halt, Asako lay sprawled on her back with the world spinning gently around her like an amusement park ride; her heart pounded and she rubbed her palms hard against her closed eyes, fighting dizziness.
"Girl." The single word was spoken by a deep, raspy voice, all too familiar; she removed her hands and blinked up at the darkening heavens. The bakemono loomed between Asako and the dark blue sky, silver eyes peering impatiently down like a pair of baleful stars; pushing his mane from his face, Tora blew out a "hrrrmph" and tapped her with a single sharp talon in the middle of her chest.
"Well? Are you alive or not? And if you are, are you planning to lie there until the Donshoku comes and eats you, soul and flesh alike?" He sat back, crossing his arms; his dark-orange tail switched back and forth in irritation.
The world was still spinning; Asako carefully propped herself up on her hands, blinking up at the monster (God, she always forgot how *big* he was--- he blotted out an awful lot of the sky, didn't he?). "Uhhhhh..... Tora. Tora-san. What, what was *that*? How did you know..... ?" And then, as her thoughts came back into focus: "Where's Ushio?" The girl looked around wildly for the Spearbearer, expecting him to pop up over the next hilltop, long hair flying. But no.... no sight of him.
The bakemono shrugged noncommitally; "Around here somewhere, I suppose." He bared too many teeth briefly, and Asako shrank back a little. "The Brat and I have been hunting; something new is here in my territory..... as you saw." He snorted disdainfully. "That damned Spear told Ushio about it, but too late for the ones back there, eh?" The ancient monster grunted briefly. "I left Ushio on the other side of the ruins to look around; then I saw you running. You were moving fast, girl, but not fast enough, not to get away from THAT."
Asako shivered at the emphasis on 'that' and tried to collect her thoughts. She eyed the huge creature carefully; though she had been involved with Tora via Ushio-kun's adventures as the Spearbearer, she had never quite developed any real trust or fondness for the bakemono. Her instincts regarding danger had always been good--- and they shouted very, *very* loudly when he was nearby. Considering the fact that the monster had saved both her and Mayuko's lives multiple times, Asako realized with a faint pang of guilt that this was probably unfair; but somehow, seeing the sharp teeth and claws always made her feel like..... prey.
Like right now, half-lying here on the ground with wobbly legs and a head full of cartwheels: she felt like a rabbit confronted by a lion.
But the lion had just *saved* the rabbit, and the rabbit had a few teeth of its own. She slowly sat up and climbed gingerly to her feet, squinting off in the direction from which she had come. They had flown farther than she had thought; it was difficult to make out the site, but from what Asako could tell it was at least a mile or so away. A tag-end of memory niggled at her and she turned back to the bakemono, who sat regarding her somewhat sardonically. "Um, Tora-san; you called that thing a.... 'Donshoku'?" Reaching down, she carefully rubbed at her ankle; it was somewhat scratched from her rough rescue, and she saw that her denim jeans-leg was scorched and tattered.
Tora stretched his length across the ground, working his foreclaws in the thick grass for all the world like a giant housecat. "The Seki Donshoku Mono, the Red Devourer. Not something I have dealt with before, but I know of it from tales." The sod shredded and tore under the working claws, and Asako edged a little away, nervous.
She cleared her throat; fear made her feel weak, and now was *not* a good time for weakness. "You also said something about it eating me, um, 'soul and flesh alike', I think? What was that about?" Asako wiped some of the dirt from her face with a scratched hand--- her abrupt landing hadn't exactly been easy on either her skin or her clothes.
The bakemono shrugged, stretching one more time and then drawing himself up to sit on his haunches; he yawned widely. "Just as I said, girl. The Donshoku eats flesh with its teeth and souls with its body..... If you can't get away, it's a bad way to die. It bites and burns----- Those below, the grave-robbers; weren't they eaten?" The monster nodded towards the site.
Asako frowned, annoyance creeping in with her fear; "'Grave-robbers?' What are you talking abou--- oh, you mean the archaeologists? Tora-san, they're not grave-robbers, they--- they dig up old things to preserve them, so we can learn about the people who made them." She bent down to rub at her ankle again; it hurt, though not too badly. ".... eaten?" Asako's breath caught in her throat as she remembered the holes in the walls and the many tooth-ringed mouths; she felt a little sick.
Tora yawned again. "Grave-robbers, whatever. I've seen them many times--- they dig up old tombs and take the gold, if there is any. Sometimes there's not; sometimes they find one of *us*--- as they must have this time." He laughed nastily, a laugh full of teeth; the sound made Asako shiver. She turned away to hide her fear, looking down across the hills towards the site. It was very dark by now, and the stars were coming out overhead. A cool wind swept across the slope, ruffling her short, dark hair and sending the bakemono's dark orange mane whispering across his face. He brushed it aside again with the back of a sharp-clawed hand.
"Rrrrrrrrrrhhhhrrrrrr. What's taking the Brat so long? He should've come out by now....." muttered the monster impatiently, peering through the darkness. Asako hugged her arms around her shoulders, worrying; "Aotsuki you idiot, what are you doing? Be careful....." she whispered to herself, though from the look that Tora gave her he had heard every word. It was hard to read, that look; the great striped face gave away nothing. After a moment he turned away again, staring silently back out over the shadowed landscape; "It will come soon....." she heard him mutter. Then he spoke harshly: "Girl. Go to the shrine. I'll find the Brat." And without warning he gathered his huge limbs beneath him and leaped upwards, soaring impossibly into the air.
Asako crouched down instinctively as the great beast's leap carried him out over the hills towards the site, mane streaming about him. Slowly she straightened, wiping away the cold sweat that had suddenly sprang up on her face. *'Go to the shrine'?* ..... Well, it was as good a direction as any, she supposed, trying to ignore the fear that was biting into her bones with cold, sharp teeth. She wasn't doing any good here, so----- The shrine should be *that* way, no more than a couple of miles.
".... Ushio-kun...." she whispered; there was no-one around to hear her anymore. Shivering a little, she set out across the hills.
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The walk (more of a run, really) hadn't taken that long, and this was probably a good thing; by the time Asako arrived at the Aotsuki shrine, she was worn out with constantly peering into the night for a trace of drifting scarlet fog. Stumbling a little, she passed under the gate and hurried towards the lit windows of Ushio and his father's home with a pounding heart.
She could hear the television playing inside; at least Shigure, Ushio's father, was home----- and he was a priest, after all; maybe he could do something to help. During her walk through the dark the horrible fate of the archaology team had finally sank in, and it had been all she could do to keep from panicking. Something was out there that not only ate flesh, but *souls* as well-----
Asako rapped on the sliding door, breathing hard. Inside, footsteps sounded across the wooden floor, and the girl blinked in the unaccustomed light as the door slid open. Aotsuki Shigure's spare, calm form stood framed in the doorway; he stared down at her with a vague look of surprise. ".... Asako? Child, what are you doing up here at this time of night?--- Is something wrong?" He stepped back to allow her to pass him, his angular face creasing with concern as he took in her flushed and disheveled condition.
Still panting, she stopped a few feet in from the entrance and turned to face her friend's father. "Oji-san..... Have you seen Ushio? Has he come back here?"
The priest frowned. "..... No; he and Tora-dono went out without a word an hour or so ago; why? Asako, is something wrong---?"
One look at the girl's face was enough. He drew her down to a seat and, while he fixed them both cups of tea, Asako told him what she had seen. Told him about the archaeologists, the police, the red mist, and what Tora had said. Told him about the Seki Donshoku Mono, the very mention of which made his eyes grow cold and bleak. By the time she was finished the tea had grown cool, sitting untouched before them both; and Aotsuki Shigure's face was as dark and grim as any bakemono's.
******************************************
"Hold this" said the priest briskly, handing Asako a small paper bag as they began working their way around the Aotsuki Shrine's outer wall. She looked down at the contents; a package of metal staples (large), a roll of tape, a bundle of ofuda..... The girl stared at the carefully-inscribed warding talismans; she was all for anything innovative, but..... "Umm, Oji-san--- don't you usually *tie* these things on? I mean, a *wall-stapler*?" Asako gestured at the silver device in the priest's hands.
"Tha-WACKKK!!" He stapled another ofuda onto the gatepost at the shrine entrance. "We need to hurry" was all he said in his calm voice, but she could hear an underlying note of --- was it fear? Asako looked back down at the ofuda and ran a finger along the paper edges; how could these things help? This was a waste of time; they were just paper and ink..... But no; by now, she knew better. Things weren't always what they seemed, especially *simple* things; paper and ink might be a very powerful thing indeed, in the right hands.
She passed him another ofuda as they moved around the stone and wooden walls. Asako stared out over the road towards the city's lights, her mind in turmoil; it was so quiet up here, you could almost believe that nothing was wrong. But she knew better about *that*, too. While preparing the ofuda her friend's father had told her a little about the creature that she had seen: the Seki Donshoku Mono, the Red Devourer.
It was something that lived in old things, he had said; much like that centipede creature that had inhabited the stone samurai armor that she had met some time back. But the Donshoku was a rather specific monster; it lived solely in reflective things, mirrors and the like----- and the only real way to be rid of it was to trap its reflection and then break the mirror. Hard to do when it drifted like smoke, and that wasn't the only problem..... Shigure had stopped in his work for a moment, a strangely distant look on his face. Then, carefully drawing another character, he had continued quietly: The Donshoku ate souls. It was, as he said, the Red Devourer, the eater of all things mortal or spiritual; even other bakemonotachi feared it----- even they were not immune to its appetite.
An eater of souls as well as flesh..... horrible thought. As if dying wasn't bad enough! But to lose your *self*, your very essence to another creature's appetite--- that was so bad it didn't bear thinking about. Still, she HAD to think about it.....
For now it had her 'scent', her psychic trace. As gently as possible Oji-san had explained that, once Donshoku began a hunt, it would not stop until it had its victim. And it had begun hunting her..... the priest had questioned her very carefully: Had it followed her at all? And Asako had told him yes, that it had been coming up the hill behind her when Tora had dropped by.
It would find her. It was, Oji-san said quietly, very good at that sort of thing. And there wasn't much that could stop it--- the ofuda would probably slow it down for a few hours, and it hated sunlight; but beyond that..... Asako wiped away a sheen of sweat from her face with one rather shaky hand. There had to be something more they could do; maybe Ushio could-----
Oh. Ushio. *Ushio!!*
"Oji-san?!? What about Ushio-kun----- we need to *find* him, he might need our help-----" Her thoughts were running in little circles by now, and she caught at Shigure's sleeve; he shook his head firmly.
"No." At her look of mingled dismay and anger, he smiled briefly and brushed a lock of hair from the face of the young woman he had known since childhood. "You must understand, little one;" and he gestured towards the ofuda he had just stapled up. "This is to buy you time. The Donshoku *will* come for you, unless my son and Tora-dono have already killed it; and I rather doubt that." Shigure continued walking along the outer wall, searching for another spot to place an ofuda.
His calm was maddening; Asako felt herself becomming flushed with a mixture of anger and fear--- fear for herself, for Ushio, even for Tora..... he *had* saved her, after all. They were coming back around to the shrine gate again, and she opened her mouth to argue, but stopped as Shigure began to attach another ofuda *inside* the walls.....
"Ahh, Oji-san---? Why are you putting them inside as well as outside?" It didn't make sense.
Shigure straightened up, looking away out into the darkness; he seemed to be avoiding her eyes. "Oji-san?"
Reluctantly he faced her. "Yes, well..... Asako, we must prepare for the worst as well as the best." He looked down at the ofuda that he held in his hands, running his fingers across the graceful ink figures. "These--- they are to confine the creature when it passes the outer walls and comes within the shrine."
Not *if* it made it through----- *when*.
She understood. "You mean when it comes to eat me," said the girl clearly, all too calmly. It was as though ice was slowly beginning to form inside her, in her heart and in the marrow of her bones, cold solid crystals; it made it difficult to think clearly past the numbing terror. But suddenly she felt Shigure step up to her, felt him smooth her hair with one gentle hand.
"Asako. I will NOT let the Donshoku eat you, not your body *or* your soul." He smiled down at her crookedly with the calm, wise eyes that she had known all her life. "I AM a priest, you know; I'm not *totally* helpless! This isn't exactly the first monster that I've faced----- Why, I live every day with an ancient terror!" He laughed softly, trying to help.
It did help, a little. After a moment she smiled back rather weakly; "Do you mean Ushio or Tora, Oji-san?" she joked, hoping he would understand----- there was more than one way of saying 'thank you.' And she walked past him to the next section of wall, hoping that the darkness would hide the traces of tears that were beginning to streak her cheeks.
******************************************
They had finished the walls and were walking quietly back towards the house when they both heard a roar: "PRIEST!!!!"
Shigure spun in his tracks, looking back at the gate; from the darkness beyond there was another cry:
"OPEN THESE DAMNED SEALLLLLLSSSSSS!!!!!" The priest took off at a dead run, with Asako trailing behind a close second. When they reached the gate, she skidded to a halt and blinked hard, panting; what in the world---?
Beyond the stone and wooden pillars, filling the street, there seemed to be a sort of----- well, one could call it a ground-bound thunderstorm for lack of a better word. Lightning flashed, but the usual ear-shattering sounds were strangly muffled and muted by something that looked like a thick fog, rolling and shifting, crowded with tiny moving lights..... The noise was still horrendous; and within it all was Tora, leaping about and howling like a maddened tiger. Backing away, Asako could make out the bakemono's eyes and teeth, briefly lit by the lightning crackling from his brow. He roared again, swiping at the fog with his foreclaws----- and then he *screamed*, a sound she had never before heard from the monster. Rearing up on his hind legs, he swung again and again, retreating a little with every slash towards the gate-----
And then Asako saw the mouths in the fog, and how the lightning framed everything in *red*, as though filtered through a scarlet lense: the Donshoku-----
"OPEN-THE-SEALS!!!! OPEN THEM!!!! GODS *DAMMIT*, PRIEST!!!! RrrrrrrrraaaaaaAAHHHHHHRRRRRRR!!!!!"
Wall-stapler in hand, Shigure reached the gate and tore away three of the ofuda; he leaped aside just in time to keep himself from being run over by the bakemono, who shot through the opening in the shrine's wards like a cork from a bottle. Asako jerked back; Tora was carrying something--- was that *Ushio* on his shoulder?!?
Shigure was hastily reattaching the ofuda, "Tha-WACKK!"--- she could hear him behind her; but as Tora collapsed in a panting heap on the ground, her eyes were all for the sprawled, black-haired shape half-hidden in his mane..... "USHIO!!"
He wasn't moving.
Asako reached him just as his limp body began to slide off; with a total disregard for the growling orange heap of monster beneath him, she eased the boy gently onto the ground. He was still clutching the Spear tightly--- in fact, he had it wound in his arms, held close to his body like a lover; that was the only tension anywhere on him. All of his other bloodied and battered limbs were loose and sprawling, relaxed as death. But he *was* breathing, slow and steady, his mouth slack and showing his sharpened canines-----? He was still in his Spearbearer form! But..... he was unconcious. WHAT---?
Behind her a rattling, hissing yowl made the hair stand up on the nape of her neck; she turned her head to see a wall of red surging and beating against the entrance to the shrine. The monster outside the gate was casting rapidly back and forth, cruel mouths snapping in rage within its scarlet mists as it pressed up against the unseen barrier provided by the ofuda. Shigure stood before the gate, breathing hard.
And as Asako stared at the Donshoku, she felt the scattered, drifting eyes *fix* on her, riviting its attention on her, on its *prey*-----
Tora dragged himself to his feet, taking sharp, painful-sounding gasps of breath. Looking up past her friend's limp form Asako saw that he was clutching his side, and that there was--- something? Not blood?--- pouring from it; something bright, like liquid fire; it pooled thickly on the ground like a spill of mercury, then faded away into the soil. That wasn't to say that Tora *wasn't* streaked with blood here and there; his orange hide was looking distinctly the worse for wear. The bakemono hissed like a boiling tea kettle at the thing at the gate, then jerked his head towards the main shrine. "Inside, NOW! That will hold the Donshoku for a little while, at least..... but not forever." He stumbled to his feet and lurched towards the building, limping badly.
******************************************
Inside the central shrine all was brightly lit; lamps and candles burned, their tiny flames flickering in the incense-scented air. Peace permeated the very walls.
But there was nothing peaceful about the bedraggled group that sprawled in various states of disarray on the smooth wooden floor.
Of them all, Shigure had faired the best; somewhat out of breath he knelt over his son, brushing the long strands of midnight-black hair back from the angular face. Ushio was scratched and battered, his clothes torn here and there; a faint scent of acidic scorching wisped up smokelike from the damaged cloth. He lay limp as a doll, his head pillowed on Asako's lap; her fingers followed the path Shigure's had, unconciously stroking dark tangles from the closed eyes.
She reached for the Spear, intending to loosen his tight grip and lay it aside, but stopped at Tora's fierce gesture: "Don't. Not if you wish to see him wake." Frowning, Asako looked at the bakemono; "Why not?" she demanded. "He doesn't look too hurt--- why does he have to keep hold of the Spear?" The lights of the shrine were beginning to bring back her courage; she hadn't realized out there in the dark how much she had been craving *light*, simple light. After a moment she noticed what her hands were doing--- Ushio's long, dark strands were tangled in her fingers--- and she stopped, flushing.
The ancient monster was curled up around himself, holding one huge hand against the still-leaking wound in his side; his eyes were closed. "The Brat needs to keep that damned Spear close by because---" and he licked at a rip on one shoulder, "--- he's inside it." He licked at it again, hissing a little in pain.
Shigure frowned, placing a hand on his son's forehead. "*Inside* it? How can that be?"
Tora shrugged, wincing noticeably. "It took his spirit inside when that bastard Donshoku tried to eat him; I felt it. I suppose it doesn't want him eaten----- they're linked, after all." He tried to twist around to get a better look at his side, a grimace of anguish briefly crossing his striped face.
Asako stared down at her friend, absently stroking his forehead again; when she noticed what she was doing, she didn't stop this time. *Ushio-kun, you idiot.....* His face was very pale, oddly empty-looking; was his spirit really somewhere in the Spear? It lay so close to him--- he held it as if his life depended on it, sharp-nailed hands tight in a white-knuckled grip. Carefully Asako ran her fingertips across the blade; it was cold, unnaturally so--- it numbed her skin a little. And it felt so---- it felt so----
---- so -----
(she was falling down, down into blackness, down towards the tiny spark of fire far, far below, down-----)
SMACK!..... And Asako's head was ringing and her cheek stung; she lay half-fallen backwards, one hand to her face, staring up at Shigure. "W-what..... what was *that* for?!?" she stuttered, angry and a little dazed.
Shigure sighed and looked apologetic. "Child..... you were leaving us; the Spear was taking *you* in *too*." He sat back, running long fingers through his dark grey hair. "I assume this means that we will be able to reach Ushio later----- if we survive this, that is. In the meantime....." He climbed to his feet and went over to one of the shrine's cabinets, pulling open a drawer and bringing out several long strands of juzu: rosaries, sacred beads. Stooping, he gently took his son's limp form from Asako, carrying him over and placing him on the floor before the main shrine. Methodically the priest began to wrap the Spearbearer and the Spear with the juzu, strand after strand. "This should keep him as safe as anything, I suppose....."
He stood; at his feet, Ushio lay like a parcel ready for postage; Asako stifled a moment of hysterical laughter at this image and also rose briskly to her feet. "Right," she said, dusting her hands on her sides. "What shall we do next, Oji-san?"
Tora spoke up from where he had lain watching the whole procedure with an unreadable expression. "You--- Priest---- you had best stay here with Ushio-Brat. And you--- girl-----" he pointed with one sharp talon, "----- I've an idea for you. Come with me." He climbed carefully to all fours, favoring his side.
Asako frowned, shooting a glance at Shigure; he raised one eyebrow and shook his head, as much in the dark as she. "Ahhh, Tora-dono, what of your injuries?" the priest asked, slipping a strand of juzu around his own neck. "Your worst wound--- that does not look like blood....."
The bakemono snorted once and twisted his head around to look at the wound; it was still leaking silvery, shining fire that ran in liquid drops to vanish on the floorboards. "Not blood. Life. It is how we are, we bakemonotachi; after all, we are mostly spirit----- Of course, some of us are more *solid* than others....." He sighed, a hiss of pain; he glanced at the two humans and showed his teeth briefly in an expression that had nothing to do with humor. "That is why I *HATE* creatures like the Seki Donshoku Mono so very much..... they can do more damage to my sort than even that shit of a Spear."
"Hhhrrrrrrrrrrr...... I need to heal. And it may be that I can, and swiftly, too..... We have a little while; it will take the Donshoku an hour or two to break through your seals-----" He shot a darkly approving glance at Shigure; "----- Not a bad piece of work, Priest."
"So----- come with me, girl. You can help." And with that the bakemono moved slowly through the shrine, limping as he stepped out into the yard. Asako shared a doubtful glance with Shigure, then shrugged and followed.
******************************************
As Asako followed the monster out into the yard, she looked nervously around; nothing, just the darkness below the almond trees. No red fog, no floating eyes, no snapping mouths----- not yet.
Not yet. The wind made soft, ghostly sounds as it blew through the leaves; she shivered and walked towards Tora, who sat in front of the old shrine entrance watching her silently. He stared for a long moment and they both stood there, listening to the wind; his silver eyes reflected the dim starlight like a cat's, lambent mirrors in the darkness. Then the monster sighed, muttered something that she couldn't quite catch and stepped forward into the building.
So much--- well, so much *junk*! Asako recalled that the old shrine had fallen into disuse several centuries past, and apparently it had been relegate to the duties of storehouse ever since. Poor Tora----- for five hundred years he had been stuck in the basement of this place! She still didn't trust the bakemono alltogether, but she could *definitely* feel sorry for him. And there it was----- a dark, gaping hole in the floor; she could just see the stone stairs going down into the blackness. Thankfully they were passing it by; whatever Tora had in mind, it wasn't down there..... and she was glad.
Where *were* they going? They were winding through the boxes, baskets and unidentifyable objects towards the back of the building; it was quite dark, and she sneezed as dust made its presence known in the air. "Um, Tora-san? Where are we going?"
The bakemono was silent a moment, then replied gruffly "Here. This will do well enough." They had come to a far corner of the building, where the boxes had been shoved aside to form an open space; not a very big one, but big enough for, say, a large orange monster to nap in..... Asako stopped, looking around a bit warily. Faint shafts of light filtered in from outside through cracks in the ancient building's upper walls; there was just enough light to see by. The girl turned to look at the monster, who was regarding her with equal wariness..... There was something *odd* about the way he looked; if she didn't know better, she would say that he was---- uneasy? Nervous?
The monster---- well, fidgeted; that was the only thing Asako could think to call the uncomfortable way he glanced up at her and then away, limping restlessly across the dusty floor. With a growl rumbling deep in his chest Tora finally swung around to look at her directly, fixing his silver eyes on hers.
"Girl..... " he stopped for a moment, then went on, his expression fierce and yet a little pained. "I do not usually do this, this *explaining*--- I usually just--- but you are close to Ushio-Brat, and....." Tora looked to one side with a face as dark as thunder, seemingly irritated with himself. He ran a clawed hand through his mane, muttering under his breath ".....never bothered about this sort of thing *before*...." as he carefully lay down on the cold stone, favoring his wounded side.
Asako watched him for a moment, wondering just what the hell the bakemono was trying to say. She didn't need this; she was frightened and exhausted enough as it was, and *now* she was getting annoyed as well.
"Ummm..... does it have something to do with your wound? Is there something I can do to help you?" She was still nervous of the great beast, but she hated to see *anything* suffer, even huge bakemono who were too full of themselves. Asako stepped a little closer, wondering; she wished she had Mayuko's lack of fear for things large and furry, but--- still, if Tora needed help, what could she do? She didn't know anything about monster first-aid.....
Tora snorted; "Funny you should mention that, girl," he said softly and with a certain dark humor. "It's as I said; I am, in my way, more vulnerable to damage by the Donshoku than you----- and there is only one thing that will heal me quickly enough that I can save myself and the Brat from being devoured." His silver eyes glinted in the dimness with a certain predatory light, and Asako suddenly had a bad feeling about where this conversation was going-----
She took a step back; she couldn't help it. Fear was beginning to drown out her annoyance; there was something about that look on his face..... Asako started to speak, but Tora held up a huge hand.
"Girl----- *You* are what I need. I need your life--- your flesh and blood. I need *food.*" And the bakemono growled softly, long and low, a rumble of thunder shaking the dusty room.
Asako took another step back, feeling the monster's eyes boring holes into her. "---?!?" She tried to say something, but the words died in her throat as Tora rose, moving towards her with unmistakable intent.
His eyes were colder now, terrible, the eyes of an an animal but with all the intelligence of a monster: sudden death incarnate. "I need human flesh and blood and life to heal; nothing else will close my wounds." He stepped forward-----
Stalking her. *No.....*
Terrified, Asako backed up until she bumped into a wall, then lost her balance and slid down it, eyes fixed on the predator before her. The huge beast took another step, rumbling low in his throat; his teeth shone white in the shadows as he snarled. "Hhhhhrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.....If I were inclined to be sorry, girl, I might be; you are not so stupid as most humans. But that's just too bad."
And the monster moved towards her, teeth bared.....
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This exciting episode was brought to you by "Cliffhangers R Us", a brand of YsabetCo.
Stay tuned for next week's exciting adventure when Asako tries to talk Tora into vegitarianism as an alternate lifestyle....... =^_^=