The dream was only a dream, as Soujiro was gaining a little
consciousness. His eyes opened up and he saw the real world. He was lying
in his room. How he loved being back safe in his room! The, he saw someone
he never thought he'd see again...
THE WANDERER'S EYES
(Chapter 10: The Witch's Spell)
"Please stay still... You're badly hurt..." a figure spoke. Soujiro fidgeted and fought with the hands of the figure, as a final wrap of the bandage went into his chest.
He asked, with a rather sleepy voice, "Where am I?"
"You're at your room... You've slept so soundly for four months and three weeks... It is autumn now..."
Soujiro noticed how the voice seemed to sing and flow into the music of the rain. He shook his head, for his eyes were still stuck having to see no color at all, like his dream, "Sai? Is that really you?"
"Ssh..." She put her finger on his lips "You need to rest... You are weary and out of focus... Just rest...."
He saw her add oil into his chest. He had been badly beaten and his chest had more than a dozen slashes. His neck had been wrapped tightly, but not so tightly to suffocate him. His hand and wrists were also wrapped. He asked again, with a sleepy tone.
"You didn't by any chance mend me... I mean- wrap bandages down-"
"Dr.Kirashime did all of you when he had you from the tavern. I only did your chest and your neck. I wasn't here too long, neither was he. Taro came back to see to his patients. He had to leave on urgent business regarding his property. I didn't see Taro that much to tell him how severely you were hurt. I'm sorry..."
Soujiro reached his hand into her shoulder, "It's fine. I'll be safe in your hands."
He smiled at her, but she had a worried face even then. The bandages were wrapped tight and a towel of cold water was pressed on his forehead. He felt hot and sickly, as if he had caught a disease from any of the patients.
"You have high fever too. The bush you had that cut had been infested with mosquitoes. Judging by the way you've been, it's dengue fever. You were sleeping, but you vomited while you slumbered and your teeth bled very much." She took the towel from his head and had it wet with the cold water. "Oh, I wish that the good doctor was here. He'd be a great help."
Soujiro took her by her wrist as she was aiming for the towel that quickly went warm. HE gazed into her weary eyes and pleaded, "Please. You don't have to go through all the trouble just for me. Please..."
She shook her head, "No! No, no, no. You'll die! My friend died the same way! Please, I don't want to lose you. I've got only you, Gyen, Soushi and Taro. There's no way that I can handle them the way you and I are."
"What do you mean?"
"Sou-kun, my friend... Soushi is blind, Taro is ignorant and Gyernyu... Gyenryu isn't in his right mind... Please... I'll be alone again."
Soujiro comforted her. Her eyes glistened and shimmered with the tears that were about to fall on her cheeks. He rubbed her cold, clammy hand that sacrificed her time to take care of him. "You'll never be alone, Sai-chan. I'll never leave you..."
Sai's tears cascaded down her cheeks. The wind blew through the window and a few drops from the rain fell on her neck. She stood up and took her hand from his. Her hair appeared to fly through the air as she went out the door. The strange thing is, the wind was blowing on the other direction...
A few hours after her visit, Taro came to Soujiro's room.
"Oi, Sou-kun!(Hey) I was wondering were you were. I never knew you yourself were ill."
Soujiro smiled, "Well, you'd never expect anyone to be sick when they danced in the rain. So, what's the matter?"
"Not much," Taro said in a friendly way, the way you'd talk to your friends as if nothing ever happened "Yuri's still the woman I love."
Soujiro was confused, "What? I thought you loved Kitsune?"
"When would I say that?! She's a blasted witch!"
"You- but you said her name the last time I over-" Soujiro stopped in his tracks before he ruined their friendship.
"I'd never say her name! She's a blasted witch I tell you! She conjures spell and, and well, everything naughty!"
"That day," Soujiro explained "That day before you left and talked to her in her room. You said, as I remember perfectly, 'Why is this so, Kitsune?'."
"I-I... I don't recall that... I never talked to anyone that day."
Soujiro tried to think, "Do you think that Yuri could be dead and that Kitsune, Kitsune was acting like her to have you?"
"It is possible, but why would she? She can turn herself into what she want but, why does she want me?"
"I don't know. Maybe you're famous here. You can't help being drop- dead gorgeous in a woman's eyes."
Taro looked at himself. His straight light brown hair and jewel green eyes WERE a big advantage to him. He was well-built and fair(A/N: I'm not trying to generalize the way you should think of him, but he looks a little bit like Aoshi. Or if you prefer to have research, he looks almost like TOSHIZO HIJIKATA. I can give you links later on if you ask for it. I can even scan it and send it if you're really interested.).
Taro accepted, "Well, maybe I am a bit attractive, but what about you?"
"What about me?" Soujiro echoed. He didn't understand the way Taro's mind works. Taro's first impression on him was a rude, jeering schoolboy. He didn't like Taro at first.
"Well," Taro started "You DO look like such a fine gentleman yourself. Any man would kill to have your looks."
"Not my past, they would." Soujiro said. He felt uneasy being a bit superficial. He appeared cold then, seeing the horrors of his past.
"Why? What happened?" Taro considered. Soujiro told him all about his days as a slave to his brothers and sisters and eventually meeting Shishio. Taro listened attentively to every word.
"I see, but still. You are like me. You ARE attractive. Why, ghosts that roam in the world would make themselves human just to see you."
"You joke around a lot. You should be a comedian."
Taro joshed, "I don't want to be one. People will laugh at me!"
The two burst into laughter and it died down only when Taro stopped smiling.
"What's wrong?" Soujiro questioned.
"I don't really know. I wish that what you said weren't true. Yuri IS alive and it was her sister that died."
"You mean Kitsune?"
"DON'T SAY THAT BLASTED WITCH'S NAME!!" he hollered. He appeared to be very mad at Kitsune. Who wouldn't blame him? She was as repulsive as she was mean. That can be compared to one's own bowels(A/N: I don't want to elaborate on this one. If you don't know what bowels are, it's that brownish stuff that you release when you go to the bathroom. If you say it's not brown at all, then I am sorry for your idiosyncrasy. If you still don't understand, which I doubt you would, other words are: FECES and POO).
Taro left him to rest. Soujiro, alone once again, felt a presence coming. He glanced at the door many times to see who that was. The wind was still and quiet. The ground was damp and moist. The autumn leaves fell with silence, as he saw a shadow right by the door. He heard a snicker outside his door and a little bit of a chuckle. An evil kind...
"Hello, Soujiro Seta..."
THE WANDERER'S EYES
(Chapter 10: The Witch's Spell)
"Please stay still... You're badly hurt..." a figure spoke. Soujiro fidgeted and fought with the hands of the figure, as a final wrap of the bandage went into his chest.
He asked, with a rather sleepy voice, "Where am I?"
"You're at your room... You've slept so soundly for four months and three weeks... It is autumn now..."
Soujiro noticed how the voice seemed to sing and flow into the music of the rain. He shook his head, for his eyes were still stuck having to see no color at all, like his dream, "Sai? Is that really you?"
"Ssh..." She put her finger on his lips "You need to rest... You are weary and out of focus... Just rest...."
He saw her add oil into his chest. He had been badly beaten and his chest had more than a dozen slashes. His neck had been wrapped tightly, but not so tightly to suffocate him. His hand and wrists were also wrapped. He asked again, with a sleepy tone.
"You didn't by any chance mend me... I mean- wrap bandages down-"
"Dr.Kirashime did all of you when he had you from the tavern. I only did your chest and your neck. I wasn't here too long, neither was he. Taro came back to see to his patients. He had to leave on urgent business regarding his property. I didn't see Taro that much to tell him how severely you were hurt. I'm sorry..."
Soujiro reached his hand into her shoulder, "It's fine. I'll be safe in your hands."
He smiled at her, but she had a worried face even then. The bandages were wrapped tight and a towel of cold water was pressed on his forehead. He felt hot and sickly, as if he had caught a disease from any of the patients.
"You have high fever too. The bush you had that cut had been infested with mosquitoes. Judging by the way you've been, it's dengue fever. You were sleeping, but you vomited while you slumbered and your teeth bled very much." She took the towel from his head and had it wet with the cold water. "Oh, I wish that the good doctor was here. He'd be a great help."
Soujiro took her by her wrist as she was aiming for the towel that quickly went warm. HE gazed into her weary eyes and pleaded, "Please. You don't have to go through all the trouble just for me. Please..."
She shook her head, "No! No, no, no. You'll die! My friend died the same way! Please, I don't want to lose you. I've got only you, Gyen, Soushi and Taro. There's no way that I can handle them the way you and I are."
"What do you mean?"
"Sou-kun, my friend... Soushi is blind, Taro is ignorant and Gyernyu... Gyenryu isn't in his right mind... Please... I'll be alone again."
Soujiro comforted her. Her eyes glistened and shimmered with the tears that were about to fall on her cheeks. He rubbed her cold, clammy hand that sacrificed her time to take care of him. "You'll never be alone, Sai-chan. I'll never leave you..."
Sai's tears cascaded down her cheeks. The wind blew through the window and a few drops from the rain fell on her neck. She stood up and took her hand from his. Her hair appeared to fly through the air as she went out the door. The strange thing is, the wind was blowing on the other direction...
A few hours after her visit, Taro came to Soujiro's room.
"Oi, Sou-kun!(Hey) I was wondering were you were. I never knew you yourself were ill."
Soujiro smiled, "Well, you'd never expect anyone to be sick when they danced in the rain. So, what's the matter?"
"Not much," Taro said in a friendly way, the way you'd talk to your friends as if nothing ever happened "Yuri's still the woman I love."
Soujiro was confused, "What? I thought you loved Kitsune?"
"When would I say that?! She's a blasted witch!"
"You- but you said her name the last time I over-" Soujiro stopped in his tracks before he ruined their friendship.
"I'd never say her name! She's a blasted witch I tell you! She conjures spell and, and well, everything naughty!"
"That day," Soujiro explained "That day before you left and talked to her in her room. You said, as I remember perfectly, 'Why is this so, Kitsune?'."
"I-I... I don't recall that... I never talked to anyone that day."
Soujiro tried to think, "Do you think that Yuri could be dead and that Kitsune, Kitsune was acting like her to have you?"
"It is possible, but why would she? She can turn herself into what she want but, why does she want me?"
"I don't know. Maybe you're famous here. You can't help being drop- dead gorgeous in a woman's eyes."
Taro looked at himself. His straight light brown hair and jewel green eyes WERE a big advantage to him. He was well-built and fair(A/N: I'm not trying to generalize the way you should think of him, but he looks a little bit like Aoshi. Or if you prefer to have research, he looks almost like TOSHIZO HIJIKATA. I can give you links later on if you ask for it. I can even scan it and send it if you're really interested.).
Taro accepted, "Well, maybe I am a bit attractive, but what about you?"
"What about me?" Soujiro echoed. He didn't understand the way Taro's mind works. Taro's first impression on him was a rude, jeering schoolboy. He didn't like Taro at first.
"Well," Taro started "You DO look like such a fine gentleman yourself. Any man would kill to have your looks."
"Not my past, they would." Soujiro said. He felt uneasy being a bit superficial. He appeared cold then, seeing the horrors of his past.
"Why? What happened?" Taro considered. Soujiro told him all about his days as a slave to his brothers and sisters and eventually meeting Shishio. Taro listened attentively to every word.
"I see, but still. You are like me. You ARE attractive. Why, ghosts that roam in the world would make themselves human just to see you."
"You joke around a lot. You should be a comedian."
Taro joshed, "I don't want to be one. People will laugh at me!"
The two burst into laughter and it died down only when Taro stopped smiling.
"What's wrong?" Soujiro questioned.
"I don't really know. I wish that what you said weren't true. Yuri IS alive and it was her sister that died."
"You mean Kitsune?"
"DON'T SAY THAT BLASTED WITCH'S NAME!!" he hollered. He appeared to be very mad at Kitsune. Who wouldn't blame him? She was as repulsive as she was mean. That can be compared to one's own bowels(A/N: I don't want to elaborate on this one. If you don't know what bowels are, it's that brownish stuff that you release when you go to the bathroom. If you say it's not brown at all, then I am sorry for your idiosyncrasy. If you still don't understand, which I doubt you would, other words are: FECES and POO).
Taro left him to rest. Soujiro, alone once again, felt a presence coming. He glanced at the door many times to see who that was. The wind was still and quiet. The ground was damp and moist. The autumn leaves fell with silence, as he saw a shadow right by the door. He heard a snicker outside his door and a little bit of a chuckle. An evil kind...
"Hello, Soujiro Seta..."