-CHAPTER 2-
Pursuit
It wasn't quite full consciousness, but neither was it enough to escape the pain. Through the dim fog that obscured everything, Sanzo could feel movement. Every jolt rang through his tortured nerves, sending waves of pain flashing through them. His left arm was a constant source of agony, as well as the long slash across his right side that stretched all the way to the middle of his back.
The fog across his vision was clearing.
Unfortunately, his nerves were waking up as well.
The fog cleared.
He was slung across a youkai's back, his hands and feet bound. Every step that the brute took sent another wave of pain stabbing through his broken ribs. The cords were biting into his left wrist, which was a swollen mess. It wasn't a pleasant thing to wake up to, overall.
"Someone take over," the youkai grunted, and flung him to the floor.
Broken bones slammed into hard ground, wrenching a grunt of pain out of him.
"Looks like our monk's awake," the youkai who had been carrying him sneered. Something moved in his field of vision. A boot connected with his ribs with a sickening thud. He clamped down on the scream that threatened to break out. There were a few more kicks, each one sending a flash of pain that stabbed all the way to his eyeballs. Just wait… till… shittt. He coughed up blood. Damn… this pain is driving me crazy…
He couldn't remember what had happened to the gun.
Someone grabbed his head and twisted it around. His vision was filled with gaping fangs, and a pair of cold black eyes. "I'll pay you back," a low voice hissed.
He couldn't find the energy to speak.
"Later," another voice ordered from overhead. "We're still not in the clear yet. You, take him, and let's go."
Hands grabbed him and lifted him off his feet. He struggled, out of sheer desperation rather than any belief that it would work. The bonds chaffed, distracting him from the fiery pain in his left arm and his gut. The youkai cuffed him across the side of the head. "Stop that."
I'm… the thought was left unfinished, as he sank swiftly back into oblivion.
***
Goku was practically bouncing up and down with impatience by the time Gojyo finished bandaging Hakkai's wound. The earth youkai streaked out of the door, his acute sense of smell picking up on the trail that the attackers had left with ease. Hakkai, following at a more sedate pace, quietly pointed out the trails of blood to Gojyo.
"Looks like Mister Worldly Monk gave them a run for their money," Gojyo replied.
"For all you know, that blood may be his."
"He had it coming," Gojyo replied, but the comment lacked conviction.
***
Waking up was a damn unpleasant experience under normal circumstances, and this was far from normal.
There were youkai all around him. And he hurt like hell.
His back was against a tree trunk, his hands in front of him, bound at the wrist. More cords held his ankles together. But what really worried him was the sight of trees as far as the eye could see. They were back in the damn forest.
The sky was dark, but somewhere off to the left, the first rays of sunlight were beginning to drive away the night. Dawn was coming; they had travelled all night.
Sanzo growled as one of the larger youkai stooped down in front of him. He had dim recollections of those black eyes staring into his earlier, but his pain-fogged mind refused to elaborate.
The youkai sneered, and backhanded him across the face.
Sanzo lunged, his hands aiming for the youkai's throat… and came up short as the youkai grabbed his wrist.
"So fragile…" the youkai examined the broken joint. "Would you like to find out how much it'll hurt if I crush it again?"
"Fuck off."
"My, curious, aren't you?" the youkai's grip tightened, sending a flash of pain that left him gasping for breath.
"Where are the sutras?" the youkai demanded.
He didn't respond.
The youkai ran a clawed finger along his wrist. "I'll ask again. Where are the sutras?"
"Tell Kougaiji to give the fuck up," Sanzo grated.
"Kougaiji?" the youkai asked in some puzzlement. "Oh… I see. No, we're not part of the measly mob that follows Kougaiji around," he sneered. "Nor do we care about why he wants the sutras. We have our … own uses for them."
"Then who do you work for?" Sanzo asked.
"No, no, no. I'm the one asking the questions." The youkai drew a thin strand of blood with his claw. "The next one will hurt more. Trust me."
He lashed out with his feet, trying to kick the youkai in the gut… then choked on a scream as his captor dodged neatly and twisted his arm.
"Let's see if I can break another bone, shall we?"
Something snapped, and the pain in his left arm drove him beyond the brink of consciousness for a few moments.
"I'll handle this," a calm voice was saying, as the darkness before his eyes cleared.
There was some… someone? something? standing in front of him. It might have been youkai or human, but it was impossible to see through the ghostly white light that resonated from it.
Power, he realized. All that is power so concentrated that it's taken a tangible form. I've never seen anything like this before. Wait… not quite. It's like Hakkai's barrier… just that this isn't … quite the same…
"One will attempt to be civilized," the being said. "Where are the sutras, Sanzo?"
"What do you want them for? If you're not in league with Kougaiji."
"Uses, uses," the being mused. The white light shifted like a fine mist. "You can sense it, can't you? Power. The sutras have many uses."
"Hell, they're mine. I'm not about to give them away."
"What if you don't have a choice?" came the amused reply.
He didn't reply. Black spots flickered at the edge of his vision. If he could just escape into unconsciousness…
A flash of pain brought him back. Shit.
"You're not getting away that easily," the being snapped. "I will not ask again. Where are the sutras?"
"I don't have them." Isn't it obvious? I don't have the fucking sutras. I don't even remember what I last did with them. He felt the faint stirrings of panic. But if these guys don't know where they are, they must be in friendly hands, right? But where on earth… I never misplace them…
"Where did you last put them, then? You gave them to someone? Who?" the being leaned forward.
"I don't know. I don't care."
There was a hiss of anger. Civilized. Right.
"There are many ways to inflict pain, Genjo Sanzo."
Shit. No. I hate getting bashed up.
"If I had my leisure, I could resort to the … more usual forms. However, there are ways of blocking out the physical kinds of pain. Thankfully, there are more direct and effective measures." The being leaned closer. "And I dislike damaging people who may be of use later."
There was no time for thought, just a mind-shattering stab of pain right through his head. The world went gold and red. Sanzo flung up defences, trying to block the assault on his mind, but the enemy's strength was way too great. Far greater than anything he had ever encountered. That whole aura of power had been honed to a spear point and sent crashing through all mental barriers.
No way of stopping it.
He screamed as his mind disintegrated under the assault.
***
The flying dragon cut swiftly through the night air. Far below was a wide plain, bordered by a forest on one side and a city on the other.
Kougaiji glanced down. "This is where they said those rogue youkai were."
"Shall we touch down?" Doku asked.
"At the edge of the forest," Kougaiji directed. He leaned back, frowning slightly. It had been a while since they had last had to deal with rogue youkai. In fact, with all efforts being directed towards the resurrection, he normally wouldn't have cared about the presence of youkai, rogue or no. But this group was… strange. They were led by … they weren't sure if it was a youkai or not… a creature of extraordinary power. So powerful that even the Empress had started to worry. And now the Bitch had directed him to stop It.
He wished they knew more about this enigmatic enemy. All they had were reports of his teams being waylaid and practically… destroyed. Killed didn't cover it. No wonder the Empress was worried.
The dragon banked and headed down towards the forest.
***
Goku stopped dead in his tracks. Gojyo nearly ran into him. "What's wrong, Goku?"
"Something's wrong…" the smaller youkai was as tense as a board, peering ahead into the gloom. He glanced up. "I thought I sensed something."
"Sanzo?"
"I don't know… but there are youkai ahead."
Hakkai stepped up, breathing hard. His injury was hurting again. Shallow but annoying… "You should be resting," Gojyo said to him.
"I'm okay."
"We can't push on like this without killing ourselves," Gojyo retorted.
"But Sanzo--?" Goku asked.
"A few minutes won't make a difference. Besides, you're hungry, aren't you, bakazaru?"
It suddenly occurred to Goku's stomach that they had been walking all night, and it hadn't been feed for the past 6 hours. "I'm famished!" he wailed.
"Alright, that settles it," Hakkai said with a weary smile.
