CHAPTER 2
Where people meet other people.

Dawn broke.

Sanzo blinked, waking from a doze he had never intended to take. Goku was beside him, still out cold, a makeshift bandage that had once formed the hem of Sanzo's robe wrapped around the wound. A careful exploration proved that it was still bleeding, and Sanzo glared at the sun, glared at the saru, and swore.

"What a bad time to do this," he grumbled, as the light flooded the valley ahead of him. Dawn came quickly on the far side of the mountain. He could espy the valley from here -- they were near the foot of the mountains. And there was a hint of red and gold in the distance that might just have been rooftops.

He looked at Goku and back down the trail. Leaving him behind... was tempting, definitely. Like it had been tempting to turn around and walk down that other mountainside, all those years ago, leaving behind the golden-eyed youth who stared after him through the bars of his prison. But for the same reasons -- whatever they were -- that had stopped him from walking away then, he felt compelled to get Goku to safety. Leaving him now, on an exposed mountain side haunted by rabid youkai.. was certain death.

I wish I had something that I didn't need to protect...

He didn't think about it. He didn't waste time and effort in a fruitless argument with himself, when he knew what the final conclusion would be. Instead, he hoisted Goku over a shoulder, and set off down the mountain side.

***

"There's a shelf below. It's quite a drop," Gojyo reported to Hakkai, who was preparing breakfast. "One dead youkai. I think I see blood, but I can't be certain. No sign of either of them, though."

"Would they come looking for us?" Hakkai mused.

"Knowing Sanzo-sama? No way."

"I don't think he has a choice, though."

"Yeah, we have Hakuryuu. And the food."

"Actually, I meant that he couldn't scale that slope, and it doesn't look like there's any path leading back up... breakfast?" Hakkai shoved a plate in front of him.

Gojyo looked down, and his stomach did a flip-flop. Amazing fact of life #6453 : When the one whom you normally fight with for food isn't present, you don't feel hungry.

"Something wrong?" Hakkai inquired.

"Naw.. just not hungry."

Hakkai raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Oh. Really."

"Okay, fine," Gojyo eyed the food again. Perhaps his errant appetite would pick up after he started eating...

...Fat chance.

After he finished throwing up, Gojyo collapsed on the ground and watched the sky spin above him. "Look, I think I see a sheep..." he said, gesturing at a bank of clouds. "Don't you think it's pretty?"

The view was interrupted by Hakkai looming over him. "I think you're in serious trouble."

"Trouble? Me? Since when have I been in trouble?"

"Since that youkai clubbed you last night," Hakkai replied, not in the mood for jokes. "If you can get up, I think we'd better make tracks for civilization as fast as possible."

"Can't you just do one of your healing acts?"

There was a pause. Hakkai looked away. "I'm sorry, I can't. It's not a flesh wound..." He glanced over to where Hakuryuu had morphed back into Jeep form. "Come on Gojyo, let's get going."

***

Sanzo's arms were starting to give. They had reached the edge of the valley, and Goku hadn't shown any signs of reviving. From here, he could see rooftops clearly, and they belonged to a temple. Or at least, it had been a temple at one point in its life, for the architecture implied such, but the high stone walls that surrounded it and the guards -- just black specks from this distance -- patrolling the battlements, gave it the appearance of a fortress.

I can only hope.. that it's still in human hands, Sanzo thought fervently, transferring Goku to the other shoulder and continuing down the path. Or we're both in hot water.

It was almost noon by the time he reached the gate, swaying slightly with his burden. A sentry called out a challenge as he neared and he paused in midstep, too tired to bother with courtesy. If this were a human settlement, it wouldn't take long for them to figure out who he was...

The breeze caught the sutras around his shoulders, causing them to trail in its wake.

"Sanzo Houshi?" the sentry, surprise ringing in his voice.

Sanzo bit back sarcasm. "Yes. Open the gate."

The gates -- massive affairs of heavy wood that loomed far over his head, creaked ponderously as they moved back. Another sentry hurried out to meet him. "My apologies, Sanzo-sama. I didn't--"

"My companion is injured," Sanzo cut him off. "He requires immediate medical attention."

"At once, Sanzo-sama," the guard turned, relaying orders. Out of the corner of his eye, Sanzo saw a messenger rush off. "May I?" the guard asked, indicating Goku.

"Be careful of the head wound," Sanzo replied, handing Goku over with a certain sense of relief. Privately, he swore that this was the last time he carried the bakazaru anywhere. "Incidently," he said, adopting a nonchalant tone, "Is it normal for temple guards to wear full armor?"

"We are not a typical temple," the guard said, with a hint of pride in his voice. "We are the last bastion of human settlement west of the mountains. Our grounds house refugees from all over the lands, victims made homeless by incessent youkai attacks."

"You've been attacked." A statement, not a question.

"Often. The mountains are crawling with youkai. Is that how your companion was injured, Sanzo-sama?"

Sanzo arched an eyebrow, but did not reply.

"Forgive me, I did not mean to pry. This way." The guard led the way through the temple grounds.

There were houses within the walls. Most were hastily erected, but provided decent lodging. Rice fields grew further in, supported by irrigation systems. Farmers moved amongst the swaying stalks. Refugees, the guard had said.

A squad on horseback clattered past. They moved with the precision of well-drilled soldiers, spears held perpendicular to the ground, brightly colored banners snapping in the wind. Their armor was polished until it shone, and the plumes in their helmets streamed.

They sure looked like greenhorns.

"What's that?" Sanzo asked, indicating the squad.

"A patrol," the guard replied. "They will be scouting the surrounding areas for youkai."

"Do you do this often?"

"Only of late. Our cavalry unit is newly formed."

A patrol, eh? Sanzo thought sarcastically. And the youkai will see you from a mile away. But idiots will be idiots...

The moat surrounding the temple was the second line of defense. This they crossed, using a traditional wooden drawbridge. Sentries looked down from the battlements, sporting crossbows.

Soldiers were training in the courtyard -- if these could be called soldiers. Most looked as if they'd just been plucked off a farm, not knowing which the business end of a sword was. They duelled clumsily, smashing practice swords into crude shields with more enthusiasm than skill.

If this was once a temple... it seems to have abandoned that identity a long time ago, Sanzo mused.

They reached the temple doors -- tall, impressive affairs of solid wood, heavily reinforced by iron bars. Here the guards handed them over to several monks in traditional gray robes, the latter looking incongruous in the mill of armored personnel.

"How can we be of service, Sanzo-sama?" one asked.

"Food and lodging. And a healer," Sanzo ordered.

"As you wish, Sanzo-sama. Are you injured, yourself?"

"No." But I'm as tired as hell.

"Would you care to--"

"No," Sanzo snapped.

The monks drew back, looking chagrined. "Our apologies, Sanzo-sama. We didn't mean to impose. This way, please."

***

Elsewhere

They were halfway down the mountain when they ran out of road. And ran into youkai.

Hakkai sensed their presence moments before they appeared, and brought Hakuryuu screeching to a halt. Gojyo was fumbling for his staff when the first of the youkai appeared around the nearest outcrop, when Hakkai brought a hand down on his arm and shook his hand, minutely.

They were surrounded. Armed youkai, guarding both sides of the pass and closing in from behind, eyed them warily. There had to be at least twenty of them, each carrying a crossbow or a sword... or both. Yet they did not attack immediately.

Cautiously, Hakkai and Gojyo stepped out of the Jeep, which returned to dragon form. Crossbow bolts tracked their every motion. The air was thick with tension.

A youkai stepped out onto the rocky track, regarding them with suspicious eyes. "Who are you?"

"Just travellers," Hakkai replied placidly. "Seeking passage across the mountains."

"You're youkai, aren't you?"

That came as bit of a surprise. Prior to this, youkai had been content to attack first, and ask questions later. Still, the absence of an obviously human priest could have had something to do with it.

"Does it show?" Gojyo asked, with a mirthless grin.

"Yes... we are," Hakkai ceded.

There was a pause. Then, at some unspoken signal, the crossbows lowered. "Well met," the youkai, evidently the leader of the party, said at last. "If not for the red haired one, we would have mistaken you for humans at the first."

"You don't know who we are?" Hakkai asked, all innocence.

"Should we? Are you fleeing from humans?"

"What humans?" Gojyo asked.

"The humans in this area hunt down all youkai without discrimination. You are fortunate to have come this far without encountering resistance." He gestured brusquely towards the valley below. "I wouldn't head down, if I were you. The area is crawling with anti-youkai sentiment."

"But..." Hakkai spread his hands helplessly. "We're bound for the valley..."

A second youkai hurried up. "Sir..." he leant forward, whispering something into his superior's ear. The first youkai's expression darkened.

"We have word of a human patrol closing in on the area," he told Hakkai and Gojyo. "We cannot linger here. You two must come with us."

"I'm not budging," Gojyo replied obstinately. "Where would you bring us, anyway?"

"Back to our headquarters. I'm afraid that I cannot leave you to wander around. I am under strict orders to bring all vagrant youkai back to HQ... or kill them."

"Then... I guess we have no option, do we?" Hakkai replied.

***
TBC
***


Archived : http://division-stormwind.org/sf/works/bordernew2.asp
Borderline, original edition : http://division-stormwind.org/sf/works/border2.asp

January 01 03