Chapter 4: Sunset
Leaving his fellow seishi had to be the hardest thing Tasuki had ever done in his entire life. He had never been as close to the Mt. Reikaku bandits as he was to the other Suzaku seishi. While he had only known them for a short while, they had become a family bonded for life. Now, they all gathered together to say their good-byes to Tasuki and Chichiri.
Mitsukake, Hotohori, and Miaka were gathered around Chichiri.
"Take care of Tasuki and yourself," Mitsukake said in his deep gentle voice as he patted Chichiri on the shoulder.
Hotohori, in his imperial clothes (complete with box hat and duck shoes) smiled uncertainly. "Are you sure you can handle this problem without our help?"
Chichiri nodded solemnly. "Hai. If too many people were with him, I know that Tasuki would feel very uncomfortable no da. With my knowledge of lycanthropes, I should be able to aid him in his quest to find the werewolf who cursed him no da."
Miaka, who wasn't stuffing her face for the first time that day, shifted her gaze from Tasuki to Chichiri. "Be careful out there. If anything happened to either of you, I don't know what any of us would do." [1]
Chichiri gave the Miko a brief smile. "Don't worry, Miaka-chan no da. We will return safely no da."
Meanwhile, Nuriko and Tamahome were teasing Tasuki lightheartedly while Chiriko looked like he was about to cry.
Nuriko gave the bandit a smile and a wink. "Don't let that mouth of yours get you in too much trouble."
"Yeah," Tamahome piped up. "This time, you won't have Nuriko and me to pull your sorry hide out of any trouble your mouth starts Fang-boy!"
In a matter of seconds, Tasuki stood on top of a charbroiled Tamahome with his tessen in hand.
"Just needed to get that in before I left Obake-chan," He smirked.
"Tasuki-san?"
Tasuki looked down at a teary-eyed Chiriko and almost felt like crying himself. He always had a soft spot for the youngest seishi.
"What's up, Chiriko?"
"Please be careful, Tasuki-san," Chiriko's voice cracked as he fought back a sob. "Please come back soon."
Tasuki pulled the young boy into a tight embrace, tears threatening to spill from his eyes as well. "I'll come back as soon as I can Chiriko. I promise."
* * *
The sun was just beginning to set by the time Tasuki and Chichiri were well outside the city limits. Chichiri fidgeted nervously in his saddle; something that Tasuki had never seen the monk do before.
"Ne, Chichiri?" Tasuki asked. "What's wrong?"
Chichiri glanced as the setting sun fell lower behind the horizon before answering. "We should stop here for the night no da. Now that we are outside the city, there aren't any people around for miles, so you won't put anyone in danger at night fall no da."
Tasuki gulped. Between learning that he about his curse and leaving the palace as soon as possible, he didn't even have the time to think about his transformation when the sun set. What would happen to him? Chichiri had said that he would become a bloodthirsty monster, but would he even know it?
*Will I even be aware of what I'm doing after I transform? Or am I going to just black out? If I do black out, what'll happen if my mind comes back and I find out that I've slaughtered innocent people? But what if I'm actually aware of what I'm doing, but I can't stop myself? To feel my body hurting people, to see their blood with my own eyes, but I can't stop it. No. I don't wanna hurt anyone, that much I know for certain. I never wanna hurt anyone. And what about Chichiri? By coming with me, is he risking his own life? I'm so confused.*
Tasuki carefully dismounted and stared nervously at the sun that had almost vanished beyond the horizon. He removed his tessen and coat, slinging them over his horse's back. If he was going to become a monster, than he didn't want his only coat to be destroyed, or his prized tessen damaged.
"What do I do, Chichiri?"
Chichiri took a deep breath in an attempt to keep Tasuki from hearing his nervousness.
"Head into the forest no da. I will follow and make sure you don't attack any people while you are a werewolf no da."
*Attack people!* Tasuki paled *Of course I don't wanna attack any people. But you said that there shouldn't be anyone around here for miles. Am I gonna be so dangerous that I can't even be left alone in the middle of nowhere? Will I really be that horrible? *
"I'm scared, Chichiri."
The monk was taken aback by Tasuki's statement. The red head never admitted to being afraid before. He was always trying to keep his rough appearance, always trying to keep his emotions in check. Now the very thought of transforming terrified Tasuki. Chichiri couldn't help but feel worse about his friend's curse now.
"It's all right, Tasuki no da. No matter what happens, I will stay with you throughout this whole ordeal no da."
Tasuki could hear the strained, lighthearted tone that Chichiri was trying to maintain. But he could tell that Chichiri was almost as scared as he was.
"Chichiri…" Whatever Tasuki was about to say was cut off as the bandit collapsed to his knees with a cry of pain. Chichiri looked to the horizon and swore loudly.
The sun had completely set.
[1] Yeah, despite my hatred towards Miaka, I decided to make her sound somewhat intelligent. I know I'll regret this later