Chapter Two: Shurato, Lost and Found
"...If you were ever to kill me, I would understand and forgive. Remember that."
When the grey morning finally came, Ashura was shivering violently, lying on top of the blanket with no other covering. Yasha blinked sleep from his eyes, then immediately rose to quietly wrap Ashura in the part of the blanket he'd been lying on. It was warm and Ashura sighed, burrowing completely under it.
There was something wrong. Yasha could not define what it was. He paused while building the fire and stood still, head cocked as if listening. It was almost as though a foreign presence were watching his every move; yet Yamato hung heavy and silent on his back, giving no such warning.
Ashura wasn't in good shape after the night's outburst. Perhaps that was it. Yasha proceeded to cook what was left of their food. He would need to hunt today.
Ashura lay under the blanket until the sun was almost at noon. Finally Yasha called gently, "There is food ready."
Ashura didn't answer. Yasha lifted the blanket. Golden eyes blinked hazily at him, but they were unfocused, feverish. "Ashura! What's wrong?"
Ashura smiled gently. "Ashura will never kill again."
"What did you do? Ashura!" Yasha reached to shake the white shoulders. Ornaments jingled softly.
"Ashura... has abandoned Shurato."
Yasha sat back on his heels, openmouthed. The solution was so simple, so elegant... but Yamato was such a part of himself that he hadn't thought of it. For that matter, Shurato was a physical part of Ashura-- Ashura's "other half."
"Where did you hide her, Ashura?"
"Only I know that."
Yasha hesitated. He did not like Ashura keeping secrets. But Ashura's eyes challenged him to uncover this one. Finally he relented. "I will bring you food. And if you do not tell me where your sword is, I can find her easily enough with Yamato."
The golden eyes blinked in surprise at that, and Yasha smiled a little. Ashura's mental capacity seemed to fluctuate along with the rest of the rhythms of that unique personality-- a mind sometimes too intelligent for Yasha to follow, and sometimes utterly naieve.
* * *
As the day wore on, Ashura became weaker and weaker. Yasha went hunting. When he returned with a small spotted deer, Ashura was barely conscious. Fear struck Yasha and he did not take time to cook the venison, but instead quickly hung the deer by the hind legs and collected the blood in a wooden bowl. Ashura would not drink it. Finally Yasha chewed the venison himself and tried to feed it to Ashura as a mother would a babe, but Ashura refused it and lapsed into unconsciousness soon after.
Abandoning Shurato had been a good idea, but it was not going to work. Yasha doubted this was a deliberate suicide attempt, though he had feared something of the sort for a long time. It was possible... but Ashura knew how Yasha would feel all alone. More likely Ashura, guided in the moment by less than full intelligence, had simply miscalculated.
Yasha had to find Shurato, but it meant leaving Ashura vulnerable. He could not cover ground fast enough while carrying his beloved. What beasts roamed in this forest, Mahadeva only knew. Certainly there were plenty of tigers. He lowered the carcass of the dead deer and dragged it well off as a distraction, then lifted Ashura into the huge spreading boughs of the tree in which they were often used to sleeping. Then, unsheathing Yamato, he spoke softly to the sword. "Yamato. Your love is lost. You must help me find her."
* * *
Yasha trotted fast over moss and stone, cursing himself for not trying to retrieve Shurato immediately. Of course, neither he nor Ashura had known what the result of abandoning the weapon would be; but that did not matter now. Yamato whispered the direction to his mind and he followed without question. Yamato was never wrong.
How far had Ashura wandered in the dark hours of the morning? Yasha ran for what seemed like too far. The sun sank and the stars came out. Tigers roared. A peacock screamed as something snatched it from its roost. Yasha swore. Then Yamato told him to slow down. He bore right, the sword almost tugging him along, and there was Shurato's golden glow, hidden deep in the bole of an ancient tree.
Shurato was enveloped in a kekkai similar to what had protected Ashura at times in the past. The sword was a living organism. What magic Ashura had woven to set the spell, Yasha did not know; but Yamato shuddered silently and Yasha knew he would not be able to reach Shurato. Ashura had deliberately seen to that. But I must! I must get Shurato back! Hefting Yamato in both hands, he found good footing among the slick stones and struck the kekkai with everything he had. He was thrown backwards instantly, Yamato flying from his grip.
Yasha rolled over and got to his feet, then froze as he realized he had not heard Yamato clatter to the ground... but rather the soft sound of someone catching it. In that instant he recognized the presence he'd felt earlier. "Who's there?!"
Soft laughter from the darkness. For one shocked moment Yasha mistook it for the laughter of Black Ashura--until the strange woman stepped out of the darkness, Yamato held fearlessly in her palms. "I can retrieve that sword for you." She smiled, offering back Yamato.
He took it quickly. "Who are you?" he demanded. "What do you want?"
"My name is Shukidevi. I want you."
Yasha's astonishment was partly testimony to his modesty, and partly a result of the suddenness of the woman's appearance here, in the trackless depths of the jungle that only deer and tigers knew. "I am already wedded by Gandharva rite!"
She shook her head. "You are hardly wedded to that barren creature. Don't you know it could cause your death?"
Yasha's face grew very grim. "You said you could retrieve that sword. Get it for me." He nodded toward the kekkai.
"First you must promise to someday give me what I desire."
"I cannot. I am sworn to my loved one!"
"Your 'loved one' has never even been taken by you! How can you call that Gandharva rite? You are a celibate, Yasha-ou, forever dreaming of an illusion!"
Yasha was beyond both rage and embarrassment. He felt the sheer urge to kill beginning to build and fought it down with brute willpower. "You are a miko then? Or a stargazer? You know who we are?"
She nodded.
Yasha was silent for a brief time as his mind raced over the options. Finally he spoke with reluctance. "I should kill you, but... Get me the sword. Cease to watch us, and I will give you what you desire for one night. Otherwise--" His face grew even grimmer.
Shukidevi did not seem surprised or fearful. On the contrary, she looked a bit pleased. Yasha thought that perhaps she had not expected even this much. "Very well. Yasha-ou is a man of his word." She turned toward the kekkai. "This protection spell is very strong. Give me your hand."
Yasha extended his right hand with reluctance. The warm, soft fingers that closed over his felt so much like Ashura's... He allowed himself to think of Ashura, only of Ashura. That betraying Ashura's trust was necessary to save Ashura's life. Yamato whispered; he felt its power being drained through him; he closed his eyes. A moment later there was a flash, the kekkai was shattered, Yasha dropped the miko's hand and strode forward quickly to pull Shurato free. As he did so, the sword woke, its eyes flying open. He lifted the fabulous weapon in the air and it disintegrated into cometary swirls of light, shooting away into the forest. Back to her master, he thought with satisfaction. In his left hand, Yamato felt content.
Yasha sighed deeply and sheathed Yamato. "Thank you. Now I must return to Ashura... but my promise to you holds. When, and where?"
She only smiled, holding up a hand as if in farewell. "One day you will come to me."
Yasha shook his head in bewilderment. He was standing alone in a glade with Yamato at his side. Shukidevi was gone.
* * *
Yasha returned to an Ashura who was weak but conscious, sliding out of the tree into Yasha's beckoning arms. He held Ashura fiercely to him. "Do not leave Shurato again!" he whispered. "You ran away from a part of yourself."
Silence.
"Yasha... How many hells must I endure for my sins in this life? Can anyone tell?"
Yasha looked grimly down into the pleading eyes. "You will endure no hells. I will be with you, always. I will protect you, always. Even against Brahma, Vishnu and your own heavenly Father, Shiva, I will protect you!"
Ashura leaned against him silently.
"...If you were ever to kill me, I would understand and forgive. Remember that."
When the grey morning finally came, Ashura was shivering violently, lying on top of the blanket with no other covering. Yasha blinked sleep from his eyes, then immediately rose to quietly wrap Ashura in the part of the blanket he'd been lying on. It was warm and Ashura sighed, burrowing completely under it.
There was something wrong. Yasha could not define what it was. He paused while building the fire and stood still, head cocked as if listening. It was almost as though a foreign presence were watching his every move; yet Yamato hung heavy and silent on his back, giving no such warning.
Ashura wasn't in good shape after the night's outburst. Perhaps that was it. Yasha proceeded to cook what was left of their food. He would need to hunt today.
Ashura lay under the blanket until the sun was almost at noon. Finally Yasha called gently, "There is food ready."
Ashura didn't answer. Yasha lifted the blanket. Golden eyes blinked hazily at him, but they were unfocused, feverish. "Ashura! What's wrong?"
Ashura smiled gently. "Ashura will never kill again."
"What did you do? Ashura!" Yasha reached to shake the white shoulders. Ornaments jingled softly.
"Ashura... has abandoned Shurato."
Yasha sat back on his heels, openmouthed. The solution was so simple, so elegant... but Yamato was such a part of himself that he hadn't thought of it. For that matter, Shurato was a physical part of Ashura-- Ashura's "other half."
"Where did you hide her, Ashura?"
"Only I know that."
Yasha hesitated. He did not like Ashura keeping secrets. But Ashura's eyes challenged him to uncover this one. Finally he relented. "I will bring you food. And if you do not tell me where your sword is, I can find her easily enough with Yamato."
The golden eyes blinked in surprise at that, and Yasha smiled a little. Ashura's mental capacity seemed to fluctuate along with the rest of the rhythms of that unique personality-- a mind sometimes too intelligent for Yasha to follow, and sometimes utterly naieve.
* * *
As the day wore on, Ashura became weaker and weaker. Yasha went hunting. When he returned with a small spotted deer, Ashura was barely conscious. Fear struck Yasha and he did not take time to cook the venison, but instead quickly hung the deer by the hind legs and collected the blood in a wooden bowl. Ashura would not drink it. Finally Yasha chewed the venison himself and tried to feed it to Ashura as a mother would a babe, but Ashura refused it and lapsed into unconsciousness soon after.
Abandoning Shurato had been a good idea, but it was not going to work. Yasha doubted this was a deliberate suicide attempt, though he had feared something of the sort for a long time. It was possible... but Ashura knew how Yasha would feel all alone. More likely Ashura, guided in the moment by less than full intelligence, had simply miscalculated.
Yasha had to find Shurato, but it meant leaving Ashura vulnerable. He could not cover ground fast enough while carrying his beloved. What beasts roamed in this forest, Mahadeva only knew. Certainly there were plenty of tigers. He lowered the carcass of the dead deer and dragged it well off as a distraction, then lifted Ashura into the huge spreading boughs of the tree in which they were often used to sleeping. Then, unsheathing Yamato, he spoke softly to the sword. "Yamato. Your love is lost. You must help me find her."
* * *
Yasha trotted fast over moss and stone, cursing himself for not trying to retrieve Shurato immediately. Of course, neither he nor Ashura had known what the result of abandoning the weapon would be; but that did not matter now. Yamato whispered the direction to his mind and he followed without question. Yamato was never wrong.
How far had Ashura wandered in the dark hours of the morning? Yasha ran for what seemed like too far. The sun sank and the stars came out. Tigers roared. A peacock screamed as something snatched it from its roost. Yasha swore. Then Yamato told him to slow down. He bore right, the sword almost tugging him along, and there was Shurato's golden glow, hidden deep in the bole of an ancient tree.
Shurato was enveloped in a kekkai similar to what had protected Ashura at times in the past. The sword was a living organism. What magic Ashura had woven to set the spell, Yasha did not know; but Yamato shuddered silently and Yasha knew he would not be able to reach Shurato. Ashura had deliberately seen to that. But I must! I must get Shurato back! Hefting Yamato in both hands, he found good footing among the slick stones and struck the kekkai with everything he had. He was thrown backwards instantly, Yamato flying from his grip.
Yasha rolled over and got to his feet, then froze as he realized he had not heard Yamato clatter to the ground... but rather the soft sound of someone catching it. In that instant he recognized the presence he'd felt earlier. "Who's there?!"
Soft laughter from the darkness. For one shocked moment Yasha mistook it for the laughter of Black Ashura--until the strange woman stepped out of the darkness, Yamato held fearlessly in her palms. "I can retrieve that sword for you." She smiled, offering back Yamato.
He took it quickly. "Who are you?" he demanded. "What do you want?"
"My name is Shukidevi. I want you."
Yasha's astonishment was partly testimony to his modesty, and partly a result of the suddenness of the woman's appearance here, in the trackless depths of the jungle that only deer and tigers knew. "I am already wedded by Gandharva rite!"
She shook her head. "You are hardly wedded to that barren creature. Don't you know it could cause your death?"
Yasha's face grew very grim. "You said you could retrieve that sword. Get it for me." He nodded toward the kekkai.
"First you must promise to someday give me what I desire."
"I cannot. I am sworn to my loved one!"
"Your 'loved one' has never even been taken by you! How can you call that Gandharva rite? You are a celibate, Yasha-ou, forever dreaming of an illusion!"
Yasha was beyond both rage and embarrassment. He felt the sheer urge to kill beginning to build and fought it down with brute willpower. "You are a miko then? Or a stargazer? You know who we are?"
She nodded.
Yasha was silent for a brief time as his mind raced over the options. Finally he spoke with reluctance. "I should kill you, but... Get me the sword. Cease to watch us, and I will give you what you desire for one night. Otherwise--" His face grew even grimmer.
Shukidevi did not seem surprised or fearful. On the contrary, she looked a bit pleased. Yasha thought that perhaps she had not expected even this much. "Very well. Yasha-ou is a man of his word." She turned toward the kekkai. "This protection spell is very strong. Give me your hand."
Yasha extended his right hand with reluctance. The warm, soft fingers that closed over his felt so much like Ashura's... He allowed himself to think of Ashura, only of Ashura. That betraying Ashura's trust was necessary to save Ashura's life. Yamato whispered; he felt its power being drained through him; he closed his eyes. A moment later there was a flash, the kekkai was shattered, Yasha dropped the miko's hand and strode forward quickly to pull Shurato free. As he did so, the sword woke, its eyes flying open. He lifted the fabulous weapon in the air and it disintegrated into cometary swirls of light, shooting away into the forest. Back to her master, he thought with satisfaction. In his left hand, Yamato felt content.
Yasha sighed deeply and sheathed Yamato. "Thank you. Now I must return to Ashura... but my promise to you holds. When, and where?"
She only smiled, holding up a hand as if in farewell. "One day you will come to me."
Yasha shook his head in bewilderment. He was standing alone in a glade with Yamato at his side. Shukidevi was gone.
* * *
Yasha returned to an Ashura who was weak but conscious, sliding out of the tree into Yasha's beckoning arms. He held Ashura fiercely to him. "Do not leave Shurato again!" he whispered. "You ran away from a part of yourself."
Silence.
"Yasha... How many hells must I endure for my sins in this life? Can anyone tell?"
Yasha looked grimly down into the pleading eyes. "You will endure no hells. I will be with you, always. I will protect you, always. Even against Brahma, Vishnu and your own heavenly Father, Shiva, I will protect you!"
Ashura leaned against him silently.