I am really beginning to hate writing those words. My friends know I don't like repeating myself. But for the sake of those rabid lawyers, standard disclaimers apply. 

*****

"You're youkai, aren't you?" Chen Ming asked behind him.

"Eh?" Goku blinked at her sudden question. He pushed the blood-scent away from his thoughts – it was faint and smelled old anyway – and entered the room to lay Sanzo on one of the beds. No dust rose from the bed sheet. He turned to the woman behind him, remembering her question. "Why do you ask?"

"Nothing." She shrugged, her grey eyes on Sanzo. "It's just that practically no human manages to pass the lake dragon, even if there are a lot of them. To see that all four of you survived," she pressed her lips together in a mysterious smile. "You must be youkai then."

"Hai." Goku replied slowly, not liking how she kept staring at the monk. He could almost see hunger in those grey eyes. "We're all youkai. Except for Sanzo."

She nodded without even turning to him. "No wonder the poison didn't affect you then. It's a strange thing, affecting only humans and not youkai."

"Hai."

Silence reigned for a moment before she turned around to leave. "I'll go and prepare some food. Will you be staying here?"

Goku glanced back at the unconscious Sanzo, watching a slight breeze waft through his yellow-gold hair. "Uhm. I gotta watch Sanzo."

"Wakarimashita. I'll just bring the food over."

"Hai. Sankyu." He grinned at her half-heartedly, still not liking the way she looked at Sanzo.

"Nandemo nai. I know you're worried about him." The door closed silently behind her.

Goku focused his attention back on the sleeping monk. His bandaged cheek itched a little but he refrained from scratching it. It was only a shallow cut and should be gone by tomorrow. But Sanzo…

Goku pulled out one of the two stools that stood at the foot of the bed and took a seat, beginning his silent vigil. He lifted his leg on the stool, resting his chin on his knee. He had watched over Sanzo a number of times, but this felt different. They were staying at a local inn during those times, with the sounds of people coming and going surrounding them. This time it was a lone cabin in the middle of a forest with only the calls of birds and insects outside to surround them. But that wasn't what made it different either; what made him stay more alert than usual.

The spare clothing he wore still smelled like Hakuryu. All of them did. But it didn't dispel the faint blood-scent in the room.

He inhaled deeply, testing the air again. It was still there. Faint and old as though it had already seeped into the wood. The other rooms didn't have the blood-scent in them, though. Even the kitchen smelled clean. And he couldn't see any traces of dried blood either.

Something else came to his nose.

Goku pushed himself off the stool, turning around slowly to pinpoint the source of the new smell. It was like cold air and rain water mixed together, not at all unpleasant. He remembered how the 'lake dragon' smelled like cold water too. Almost like-

There was a soft moan from Sanzo. The monk had shifted in his sleep and was now facing Goku. His eyelids fluttered but remained closed.

Goku stepped closer to the bed, leaning over to cover Sanzo with the thin blanket. He was about to resume his seat when Hakkai came in.

"Daijoubu desu, Goku?" The older youkai pulled up another stool and set it beside Goku's, patiently smiling all the while.

"Umh." Goku grunted in ascent, taking his seat.

The two of them watched Sanzo silently before Goku decided to break it. "He'll be alright, won't he?"

"Hai," Hakkai nodded. "Sanzo won't let himself be killed by some youkai. Least of all one that would poison him."

"Umh." Silence reigned once more.

"Goku," Hakkai's voice was lower than usual as he spoke. "Did you notice anything different about Chen Ming-san?"

"Eh? Ano…" The young youkai remembered the scents a while ago, recalled how strange and yet familiar it was. "She…she smells…weird."

"How weird?"

Goku shrugged. "Weird. I smelled this cold air-cold water smell a while ago. I think it came from Chen Ming-san. But that was how the lake dragon
smelled too."

"Hontou?" Hakkai looked at Sanzo thoughtfully.

"Doushitano?"

The older youkai shook his head and stood up. "Iya. Just keep alert, Goku."

"Hai." He watched Hakkai move towards the door before he remembered something else. "Na, Hakkai, what were you and Gojyo doing outside while we were waiting for Chen Ming-san to finish?"

His question was answered by a smiling "We were just looking for other youkais. The townspeople did say that there was a youkai living here."

The door closed, leaving a confused Goku alone with his thoughts. Chen Ming-san had said that the lake dragon was a youkai. So what did Hakkai mean when he said they were looking for other youkais?

*****

A/N: Wow, can't believe this took so long. I'll try and post the next part soon. Sorry if the story's confusing. My head's confusing too *sheepish grin*