Dragon Tears and Raven Curses - Chapter Seven

"Okay, let's see if this will actually work." Ryo sat cross-legged in his living room floor. He stared at the chalk in his hand for a moment, and then drew a crooked crucifix before him. He scratched his head and then lit a nearby candle. Byakuen padded up to him and sat down, staring with interest at the crucifix.
"Look," Ryo began, explaining the situation to Byakuen, "Grandmother once told me that if I ever needed to find anything, I should ask Saint Francis, the patron saint of lost things."
Byakuen regarded with him an odd look, and then looked at the crucifix. Ryo shrugged sheepishly.
"Look, I know I'm not a Catholic like my grandmother, but she said it always worked, and this is a good start. Remember, we can't let any loose ends go. I remember once when Grandmother was visiting us and I got lost in the woods. Grandmother found me almost straightway, claiming that Saint Francis led her to me. Now, if this is true, then we definitely need some help. But I really don't know how to go about this. She said I had to address him formally and end my address with an 'amen.' She also said that having a picture of a stature helped focus the mind so you could picture the person you are addressing, but I don't exactly have an icon of Saint Francis. Besides, Grandmother also said that Saint Francis had crucifix wounds like that Jesus fellow." Byakuen snorted. "Well, I'm trying here! It's not as if you are helping me!"
Byakuen stood up and walked over to the door. He waited beside it and glanced over his haunches at Ryo.
"Okay, I'm coming, I'm coming." Ryo stood up and padded barefooted over to the door. He opened it and Byakuen took a step forward. He glanced at Ryo, wrapped his tail around his leg, and pulled him after.
"What? Hey!" Ryo struggled to keep his balance. His tiger stopped and released him. "Thanks. Now, what is it you want to show me?" Byakuen walked off into the forest. Ryo quickly pulled his shoes on, closed the cabin door and hurried after him.


"Okay, this better be worth it," Ryo warned Byakuen after two hours of walking. By now, they were very high up in the mountains and when Ryo looked over his shoulder, he could see the countryside below between the leafed trees. Sometimes the sight was breathtaking as it overlay the countryside in a wave of green, other times, it just seemed mottled and ugly.
Ryo pulled himself up over the steep ledge and continued after his waiting tiger. "Look, how much longer until we reach our destination?" he asked. Byakuen shrugged and looked upward to an overhang in the side of a cliff. Ryo stared up at it, and then pointed. "Is that where I am going?" he asked. Byakuen nodded. "Are you kidding? Climbing that would kill me!"
Byakuen rolled his eyes before butting Ryo in the side with his head. "Oh." Ryo reached into his pocket and pulled out a red marble-like object. "Yeah, I suppose I could suit up if I have to. But do I have to go all the way up there?" He pointed at it again. Byakuen regarded him closely.
What? his eyes seemed to say. A big bad trooper like you is scared?
"I am not!" Ryo sulked a couple of moments as Byakuen turned away and began to make his way up to the foot of the cliff. Ryo sighed. It was useless arguing with a cat; he should have learned that already.


Seiji hugged his books closely to his chest as he hurried his way through the crowded university halls. Someone bumped him roughly in the back and jarred his grip. Seiji barely managed to gain control of his books before they fell to the floor. He hated the switch between the morning classes and the afternoon classes. It was always harder to get through the crunch of milling students.
Seiji finally broke free of the crowd and jumped to the side of the stream. He waited for an opening before he stepped back into the rushing crowd of bodies and was effortlessly swept out the door without being crushed. He quickly jumped to the side again and began to make his way across the parking lot. It was literally a sea of cars. Thanking Kami for his ability to ride the bus back and forth from his home. Seiji took the time out to pull his book bag off his back and dump his books into it. He looped one strap over a shoulder and glanced quickly around. Seiji took a deep breath. He dashed through the parking lot, missing the speeding lunatics trying to run him over
"This place gets more dangerous every day," Seiji thought to himself, tensing at the side of a busy road that parted through parts of the parking lot. He was waiting for a chance to dash across it. Wait for it wait for it wait for it wait for it wait fo-ACH!!!
The car in front squealed in protest as the driver stomped on her breaks. She could not stop in time to avoid hitting Seiji but, thankfully, Seiji was none worse for wear as he bounced lightly off of the bumper of the barely-moving car. He quickly jumped out of the way as the driver stuck her head through the window and began to insult his genes. Seiji ignored her as he stepped out of the way of the traffic and his sharp lavender eyes surveyed his surroundings for the person who had pushed him.
He did not see anything except for a raven flying overhead. Seiji's hand tightened into a fist as he heard an echo of words speaking, "Beware of those who are raven-shadowed. They carry the curse of a thousand deaths upon their hands."


"Okay, I'm here now! I made it!" Ryo gasped for breath as he pulled himself into the cave that was hidden from below by the overhang's shadow. His red and white body armor clinked loudly against the rocks as he collapsed onto the floor. "I'm so exhausted!" He wiped at the sweat beading his forehead. "I have to start working out more, I'm getting far too out of shape." He stood up on shaking legs. On the other hand, climbing the rocky face of the cliff had not been easy after a two-hour hike.
Ryo stared into the murky blackness. "Just how am I supposed to see?" he wondered softly. He glanced downward. He had two options. The first was to hope he didn't accidentally kill himself as he walked blindly into the cave. His second one was to climb down the cliff, grab some sticks for torches, and then climb up again. It didn't leave much for a decision.
"Let's hope this works," Ryo thought to himself as he began to make his way through the cave. He tripped over a fissure and fell to his knees. He stood up slowly and cocked his head to the side. He glanced behind and noted that the sun was beginning to set. He turned away and continued down the twisting tunnel. Light soon disappeared. In order to tell where he was going, Ryo hugged the walls, pausing every now and then to listen closely to his surroundings.
"I really do need to learn how to communicate with Byakuen better," Ryo told himself as he remembered how he left the tiger at the cliff base. He took a step forward into the inky blackness and stopped, listening closely to the sound that drifted over his ears.
faap . . . faap . . . faap . . . faap . . .
"Uh oh."
Ryo ducked suddenly as a raven screamed past his head. There was a flash of bright light that nearly blinded Ryo's eyes, and a familiar face stood in the narrow tunnel, dim light shining from his upraised fingertips.
"I warned you to stop looking," Hisoka spoke softly in direct contrast to the harsh tone; his words echoed through the tunnel.
"No you didn't." Ryo smiled and shook his head. The other man's eyebrow quirked upward in a silent question. "You commanded me not to look. There is a difference. I think it is time I mentioned that I do not take well to orders."
Hisoka shrugged. The feathers that lined his shoulders rustled with his fluid movements. "The meanings of my words still hold the same. You were to stop looking."
"Hey, can't a person do a bit of exploring without people poking their noses into their business?"
"Other people wouldn't have minded if your exploring didn't dig up things meant to stay dead."
Ryo froze . . . . things meant to stay dead. . . "Why do you say that?" he asked as he moved towards the center of the tunnel for better maneuvering. The man blocked his way to the inner parts of the tunnel, so he couldn't make a headlong dash down the length with a wild hope of reaching the end before being stopped. The tunnel was far too narrow and low for him to fight freely in it. On the other hand, it would be a disadvantage for Hisoka too. "What are you trying to keep me from finding out?"
"Does it matter?" Hisoka curled the one hand that wasn't glowing into a fist. He held it slightly outward to Ryo. "You know too much already."
"Look, if you just tell me what I'm not supposed to look for, then I probably will have my questions answered, and I won't be butting into anyone's business."
Hisoka turned his face from Ryo as shame flew across the fine features. "I dare not," he replied softly.
"Then let me pass through."
"I dare not do that either."
"Then I'll make you."
Hisoka gave Ryo a look of surprise, then his eyes swept over the armor. "You'll make me? I doubt that very much. I already know who you are and I know your weakness. I will exploit it if I have to."
"Humph." Ryo regarded the space between them, and then launched an attack, flying forward with a fist outward towards the man. Hisoka snorted and then slid around the attack. His black robes and hair fluttered delicately with his movements. The glowing hand fell downward through the air and the light disappeared immediately. The tunnel plunged into darkness.
Ryo whirled around to face Hisoka but felt something hit the back of his armor. It screeched sharply and slid around his waist. His hand slapped downward at it as he jumped back, but the snaking feeling continued until it had squirmed upward and wrapped itself around his unprotected neck. It tightened.
Ryo's hands flew upward to grab at the thing, but it expanded and twisted itself outward. It roped around his hands and pulled them against his throat. Something gleamed and Hisoka appeared behind him with his hands in the air, a silver cord running through his fingers. His red eyes glinted oddly in the light that seemed to shine from the silver buckle at the collar of his cloak.
"Everyone has a weakness, boy, you just opened another one up for me to exploit," he said. Ryo struggled at his bonds.
"I know how to use it to my advantage though!" Ryo grasped, struggling to widen his hands and slip his head free. He kicked backwards and felt his heel connect with something solid.
The light and the thing around his throat disappeared. Ryo ducked beneath the cord and whirled around to face Hisoka. Something solid slammed into the side of his face. He blindly lashed out. He felt something breeze easily across his armored hand and another thing smashed hard against his unprotected neck. Ryo's elbow swung backwards and he felt it strike. The blow rang solidly through the cave along with a grunt of pain. A quick twist, and Ryo's arm jerked away.
He heard a soft shuffle and then a footfall. Light flared again at the fingertips of Hisoka as he stood before Ryo. He held his side as he gave Ryo a look of malevolence. "That hurt," he commented casually as his chest rose and fell with ragged breaths. He winced at each one.
"I would say you had it coming," Ryo replied in the same tone of voice. Hisoka drew a hand over his mouth as a trickle of blood ran down it. Ryo frowned. He hadn't hit the man there, had he?
"Bit my tongue," Hisoka explained when he saw the expression.
"Oh." Ryo watched him closely and then smiled. "This is an unusual fight. It's almost as if we're not very serious."
Hisoka froze in what he was doing. He regarded Ryo closely. "As if this is a game?" he asked softly. Ryo appeared thoughtful, then shrugged before nodding in agreement. Hisoka smiled. "All of life is a game," he said softly as he straightened up. His ribcage and spine popped loudly. "But some games have deadly rules and even deadlier outcomes."
"Would you mind telling me what I want to know now?" Ryo inquired. Hisoka glanced sideways at him before smiling sadistically.
"Sorry; that is not a possibility." The light went out once more and something flared in the darkness. Ryo ran toward it to attack and solidly crashed into the wall. The sound of metal hitting against stone rang loudly in the dark tunnel as bolts of pain arched through his body. He stumbled backwards. A mocking laughter echoed through the tunnel and something struck Ryo sharply across the cheek. It stung and blood ran down his face. Immediately, Ryo knew he had just been cut by something sharp.
Ryo wiped the blood away with the back of his hand and listened closely, his eyes shifting side to side. He dodged blindly to the left side as something whooshed through the air and raked the side of the cave. Sparks glowed bright in the darkness before going out. Ryo raised a hand and felt something strike his arm. He punched blow it and connected with a stomach.
"Ach!" Hisoka stumbled away, his breath coming in harsh breaths as a raven cried out in the cave. The sound echoed loudly in the thick silence. Ryo's breath matched Hisoka's as heat rolled off his armor in waves. Something lashed out once more and Ryo ducked to the side. He felt something scrape against his cut cheek. He grabbed it-it was a hand-and flung it backwards into the wall. Silver glinted in the dark and wrapped itself around Ryo's neck. Ryo grasped the cord with one and tried to pry it loose around his neck with the other.
A raven screamed somewhere in the cave again, the sound multiplied by echoes a thousand times over, and something harsh smashed into Ryo's armored stomach. Ryo kicked upward, missing whatever it was completely. The line that was lashed around his throat tightened and another part of it wrapped around his ankle.
At loss for balance, Ryo fell roughly to the ground. Mocking laughter began to ring through the tunnel again, overlaid by the high-pitched sound of a raven's cry. Ryo struggled against this bindings. Footsteps were heard, and Ryo felt himself being drug over the floor.
"What are you doing?" Ryo growled, the blood in his ears roaring loudly.
The laughing stopped, but not the raven's cries. "I'm disposing of a nuisance," Hisoka replied coldly. Ryo struggled more against his bonds. The heat inside of his armor built. The more Ryo struggled against his bonds, the tighter they became. When breathing became extremely difficult to do with the cord around his neck, he stopped struggling. Still he was pulled through the cave, until he could see faint light pooling beside a corner.
His eyes quickly adjusted themselves to the disappearing sunlight as Hisoka tugged him over to the entrance of the tunnel. He glanced down the cliff, and then at Ryo. He shrugged. "Emergency breeds necessity. Please understand, I dare not allow you to come any closer to solving your mystery than what you are already at. Too much rides upon this matter."
"What . . . Are you . . . Trying to . . . Tell me?" Ryo asked beyond the tight grip around his throat.
"Goodbye," Hisoka replied, nudging Ryo off the cliff with his foot.
"Aaaaaaaah!"
Hisoka turned away, listening to the yell. It stopped as soon as Ryo hit the ground. "Sorry," he added under his breath as a raven cried and flew up to him. He disappeared with the last rays of sunlight.


Here's a bit of Japanese history trivia for you: Ryo's grandmother would have been born before World War Two. Now, before World War Two, about 43% of Japan was Catholic. Therefore, Ryo would have been in a very strong position of his grandmother being Catholic. There is a reason for this; Ryo gets mocked for it later on in the story. ^_^



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