A Fanfic by Yomi no Miko
Chapter 8: Unexpected visitor
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I was taken to what seemed to be a prison. All around there were chains and shackles aplenty, but I was the only prisoner there. It took us a long walk to reach that place, however I supposed it to be in some other part of that same underground complex. I was questioned, but gave them no reply, and they ended up getting the idea I was unable to speak. Surprisingly, I suffered no physical violence there.
I remained quiet all the time. The guy who was questioning me left then, and another youkai took his place, observing me. We stared at each other for a long while. He was a good looking youkai, with long straight black hair, pointed ears and wings as black as his hair. He reminded me of someone, but I couldn't grasp who.
"Can you speak?" He asked me, at last.
I shook my head, in a reflex.
"I know you do. You got all we said, didn't you?"
There was a long pause. I kept my silence.
"Are you here to see the Master?"
"Master?"
"A-ha! I knew you could speak!"
I turned my eyes down, visibly embarrassed. The scene I had just witnessed had not abandoned my mind yet.
"Answer me, stranger! Who are you and what are you doing here?"
"I don't know where I am..." And I wasn't actually lying on saying that.
"How did you come here?"
"Kurama brought me."
The youkai's eyes grew wide then.
"What?"
"That's exactly it. I don't know anything more. Ask Kurama if you prefer."
He left me on my own all of a sudden, returning after a couple of hours.
"I'm gonna take you to see the Master."
He unchained me, and brought me along. While we walked, I couldn't help asking him:
"Who's the Master?"
"You shall see..."
The youkai took me to a very spacious room, when compared to the other chambers I'd been in. Then, I met that broad, tall youkai who had beaten Kurama once more. He was sitting in a large armchair. He'd kill me for sure. The guy who had brought me there bowed before the youkai, pushing me against the floor, making me fall on my knees.
"Master, this one says Kurama brought him."
"Your name is Yomi, right, hunter?" the Master asked, calmly, too different from the hysterical youkai I've seen before.
"My name is Yomi, but I'm not a hunter. And who are you?" I asked, trying to pile up all the courage I had left.
"I'm Najah, Master of this territory. If you're not a hunter then, what were you doing dressed like one, lost in the woods?"
I lost all fear, can't really say how.
"I pretended to be a hunter so as to meet a thief named Kurama."
Just as I mentioned him.
"Yomi, you're here! I'm relieved! I looked for you every where!" The smiling youko added while he stepped towards Najah.
I was astonished once more. There was nothing visible in him that could possibly denounce of all the violence he had just suffered. Not a bruise, not a scratch.
"Are you alright? Do you feel better?" Kurama asked me, looking up at my surprised expression.
It took me a while to reply. I could just murmur a feeble, faint "Yes..."
"So you found a way to meet my father?"
Father?! What the hell was going on there?
I looked around. Only then I realized that several youkai were there too, many hybrids and of different races. They were all spread on the floor and seemed relaxed. I noticed that the guys who found me were also among them. Then I turned my eyes to Kurama once more, in order to check if what I had just seen was really happening. There he was, young and beautyful as ever. He had just seated himself on the floor beside Najah, so that the big youkai could caress his hair. Definitely he didn't present any trace of discomfort or pain.
Suddenly, Najah stood up.
"He's your friend, Kurama, so I'll let him be your responsibility. He may stay if he wants."
The youko stared happily at me. The monster continued.
"Talk to him. Tell him about our rules and let him think about it. He's got seven days to decide."
So, he kissed Kurama and left.
I was deeply dumbfounded. Not with the kiss, of course, but with the insanity of the situation. All that story had blown my mind.
"Come with me," the youko said. He was already close to me again. Would I never be able to notice his approach?
I stayed. So, he held my hand.
"Come."
I obeyed.
He took me to the surface. We were back in the woods, but in a place unknown to me. My eyes took some time to get used to the intense light of the day.
"I really hate those tunnels..." the youko told me, with a resigned look in his eyes "Are you hungry?"
"No, I've just eaten."
"Oh! I forgot that... Did you enjoy the meal?"
"It was fine."
"That's not what it seems... you don't look well..."
"Sorry. I guess I ate too much"
"Do you mind if I eat?"
I just moved my head, in a negative way, not really believing that he had just asked me permition to eat. What kind of youkai does something like that? Then Kurama walked towards an ordinary tree. I looked up and saw there wasn't anything edible there.
"If I were you, I'd not waste my time climbing. They're unripe." I advised.
Kurama chuckled.
"I'm not climbing... and the fruits aren't going to be like that for much longer."
He closed his eyes. Suddenly the tree bent one of its branches towards him. A dud fruit which was hanging from it quickly changed it's color, becoming a very succulent tidbit.... The youko pulled it carefully and then made the tree go back to its original position.
"Are you sure you don't want any?"
I wavered but decided not to change my mind.
Kurama looked around once more, as if searching for any sign of danger. Then we sat under the tree's shadow and he started to eat. I was glad we stopped 'cause I couldn't hold the hubbub inside of me anymore.
"What kind of community is that? Is Najah your father? Are you all thieves? Who the hell are you?" I queried in a very uneasy tone.
He looked at me, holding his laugh, too polite to talk with his mouth full. If I didn't seem so anxious, maybe he'd have eaten the whole fruit before answering me. So, he threw his meal away, licked his fingers and only then did he start to talk.
"That's no community. We're only fifteen. Najah isn't my real father, as you could see, but he raised me since I was a pup. He helped me a lot and I love him very much for that. And, yes, we're thieves. All of us, except my father. I'm a youko, my name is Kurama, I'm seventeen years old and I hate aubergine. Wow... Did I answer everything?"
"Are you mocking me?"
"Me???!!... No way!"
I started to think about what he had just said. The master wasn't his real dad. That made sense. So, that should be a group of thieves, with a fanatic leader. Did he say he loved him? How could that be? That guy was a madman, a runaway beast. And the story about them being father and son... Fathers are not supposed to kiss their kids like that... No! He was only seventeen! I knew he was young but not that much. This age is so insignificant for a Makai son. I was almost ninety then and yet no one would ever take me seriously if I didn't lie about it. A youkai is considered an adult only after he's a hundred and half years old, maybe two hundred, depending on the species. It was known that no youkai could handle his own youki before that age. What a hell... Kurama was some sort of grown up baby! That made no sense at all. I started to feel like a pervert.
A noise was heard. Kurama jumped up.
"Hunters." He stated, in a very low voice. I could see how nervous he was.
"Let's go back."
"No. We're too close to home. I can't risk taking enemies to our hide-out. Come with me!" Then he started to run in the opposite direction, right towards the sound.
"Kurama.. Are you out of your mind?" I said, holding his arm.
"They're too close. I can't let them get nearer. Father would be mad at me..."
As he realized I'd not let him go, he transformed himself into his multi-tailed fox aspect. Then, in a nimble way, he dodged my catch and disappeared in between the trees.
I tried to follow him, but soon I lost his trail completely. However I insisted on marching towards the direction I considered the right one. I heard voices, coming to the conclusion I was near. Then I noticed something push me from behind, shoving me to the ground. It was Kurama, back to his youko aspect.
"Don't just stand there!" He whispered in my ear. "They're there! Take a look!" Then he pointed out to a group of hunters on our right.
I was probably much more blind then than now. They were right next to us, and yet I wasn't aware of them! They were three tall, armoured warriors. They were hornless, which made me believe they were not really from a high-power class. Anyway, they were intimidating. I noticed Kurama was just staring at them, analyzing them carefully, as if planning something.
"Let's try a surprise attack!" I suggested, trying not to excite myself with the upcoming fight.
"Hold on... I'm thinking..." The youko answered me.
Thinking about what? To Hell with it! Three enemies standing right before our eyes, and the youko said he was thinking!?! I grew more and more impatient every instant.
"What can you do?" Kurama asked me.
"Do what?"
"Your you-ki! What can you do with it?"
I swallowed hard. Now I had to admit I could only fight using my hands and a sword. Hn... Kurama 'd think of me as a useless bloke then.
"I'm a swordsman and... My you-ki is, well... It's hard to control sometimes and I..."
"Where's your sword?"
Damn! I had forgotten it! What a crappy warrior I was!
"It's not a problem, I can get you one..."
I looked at him before retorting, wondering curiously where he could have hidden a sword.
"You mean you got one there?"
Kurama reached into his pockets bringing a small seed to view. He let it in the palm of his hand, and I watched that meager dot changing form. It developed long stems which grew attached around the youko's arm, while part of the plant expanded outwards in a blade-like form. In few instances it formed a perfect sword, sharp and firmly connected to Kurama's arm. I was truly impressed with such a transformation. Kurama's you-ki was amazing! And to imagine he was still incredible young.
He stripped the sword from his arm carefully, twisting some vines so as to form a handle. Then he gave it to me.
"Let's do it quickly. This sword won't last for long in your hand. See that guy with his helmet down? It's their swordsman; he's keeping the watch. You take care of him and I'll get the other two who are professional hunters. Agreed?"
It was very humiliating to be commanded by a kid... But as I had not been skilled enough to even find myself a weapon, I decided it was better to shut up for the moment. I imagined I'd waste my opponent easily, then I'd help Kurama with the two others.
"All right," was my reply.
"Go that way and I'll go around to get my on their backs."
I decided to act my own way, which meant that I shouted and jumped in front of the guy. But he escaped my strike and fought back against me furiously. It occurred to me that it wouldn't be as easy as I had guessed. We had almost the same skills. He knew my tricks and I knew his. My opponent wore a kind of protective armor. It seemed to be very heavy, but his agility wasn't affected at all. There was a deep scar on his face, barely visible due to the helmet's position. The equilibrium of that fight was already annoying me, but not as much as the silence kept by the hunter. He didn't retort any of my insults. In a sudden move, the warrior took the sword from my hand leaving me completely helpless. He aimed the sword towards my neck. I was never the type of youkai who begs. So, I closed my eyes and waited for the inevitable.
"Leave him alone. It's me who you want, isn't it?"
Kurama approached us in determined steps. His clothes were all covered with blood drops and he carried a weird whip on his left hand. The warrior in armor stared at him, but his sword remained close to my neck.
"Throw the whip away!" He demanded, his voice suffocated by the heavy helmet.
Kurama obeyed.
"Put your hands in front of you, so that I can see them. Where are the others?"
"Dead." The Youko said while he acted as he was told.
"On you knees!"
Kurama hesitated this time.
"Do as I say or I'll kill him!"
The youko knelt down quietly near him.
The blade switched quickly from my neck to Kurama's, as if to cut his throat.
"Don't even think about using your powers or I'll kill you both!"
I though about doing something about it, even though I didn't have any ideas at all. Somehow, the guy perceived it.
"Stay where you are Yomi, or I'll bleed you precious little friend."
That surprised me.
"How do you know my name?" I shouted.
Kurama remained on his knees, the sword teasing his throat, but he seemed to be very calm.
"You don't remember me..." The stranger said, taking off the helmet.
It was Joh, my old friend and lover, from Raizen' army. I got even more choked then.
"Joh..." I gasped "You're here? How?... What happened to your face?" I asked on seeing the scar that crossed his face from the forehead to the chin, deforming it.
"An accident... is it that important? You never considered me to be good-looking anyway."
"Joh, you were my friend. We've done nothing to you. Let him go."
He laughed.
"So, that's it? You're worried about him... only him. I'll kill him. Not for the reward. I want to see you as lonely and abandoned as I am."
My ex-friend seemed mad. He used to be so reasonable and placid about everything. That couldn't be the same Joh I used to know.
"What the hell, Joh! What happened to you?"
"Hn... Do you really want to know what happened in this life of mine?" He asked, staring vaguely at Kurama.
He paused.
"No, you don't want to know..." He added sarcastically, "You never cared about me. Know what? I'll make a scar on his nice skin so that he'll be marked just like me."
In a fast move, Joh leaned the very tip of the sword against Kurama's forehead, pressing it, until blood could be seen coming from a small cut.
"Stop it Joh!!" I screamed.
But he continued cutting the skin up to the side of one eye.
"I'll do whatever you like, I swear, anything. I can be you slave, but, please, stop it."
Joh didn't seem to be listening to me anymore while the blade sliced Kurama's cheek. The youko remained still. His face was already covered with blood.
Joh stopped and looked at me.
"Do you still have the gift I gave you?"
I didn't. I had sold it one day after I received it.
"Hai. But it's not here with me."
"Liar!" He said with anger, hurting Kurama even more. "You'll see..."
But he couldn't finish his speech. All that happened so fast that my eyes could not get it well. In a flash, tiny sticks erupted from the ground, penetrating Joh's body in between the armor's gaps. He let the sword fall and collapsed. Kurama took a trembling hand to his bloody face and fell to the other side.
I ran towards the youko. I was even more scared now than in the beginning. He moved a bit and opened his eyes.
"I'm gonna be fine." He whispered, closing his eyes.
"I'm sorry." I begged "It was all my fault. If I were not so stupid, so useless..."
I tore a strip of cloth from my shirt and placed it on his face, trying to stop the bleeding.
"Don't worry about that, ok? Nothing in this world could make you ugly... and I'd love you even if you skin were with its inside out."
Kurama laughed and then let go a painful moan.
"Don't make me laugh, nut, it hurts."
"So sorry!"
I heard Joh groan. He moved. As I feared he could still react, I left Kurama and grabbed the sword that was beside me, Joh's sword. I stood up and pointed the blade to his chest. He was still laid on the ground.
"Damn! You deserve to die!" I cursed aloud.
"So do it." he mumbled.
Lots of blood was coming from his mouth. I hesitated.
"Do something for me once in your life."
I killed him. He didn't have any chance to survive the wounds anyway. I turned back to Kurama.
"I'll take you home."
"No." He said, almost not moving his lips "I can't go back like that."
"But someone must help you. It's still bleeding ."
"It'll stop soon. Let me stay like this."
I considered ignoring his will but I gave up. If I took him home, I would miss the opportunity to be of any help. Besides, how could I be sure he'd be safer there anyway?
The cloth was already red and wet with all that blood, so I used the rest of the shirt. His face was all cut on his left side. My heart ached just to look at it. But there weren't any other wounds. The blood on his clothes belonged to the hunters he had killed. I stood up again. Kurama had his eyes closed and didn't answer me anymore. So, I tried to think about what to do. I walked around the battle field to check for signs of danger. Instead, I found the dead bodies of the other hunters. I got a water container, a blanket and some other unimportant stuff from them. I placed Kurama on one side of the blanket and covered him with the other side.
The night was coming.
I used the rest of the water to clean the cuts on Kurama's face but I could barely look at his deformed skin. The cuts were even deeper than I had thought.
Damn Joh!
It was getting very cold as darkness spread around us. Kurama was sleeping soundly. I lay on the grass, a little bit away from him. I feared I would weak him up as the last time. I planned to spend the night awake to watch him, but I ended up sleeping too, I don't know for how long.
I dreamed of the dying youko who claimed to be Kurama's father and about all that crazy story he had told me. Luia, Najah and Joh were also there. Maybe nightmare was a better name to describe that dream. Anyway, it didn't make any sense but I guess dreams are always like that. So, I didn't mind it when I woke up.
I looked to the blanket and... Kurama wasn't there. I got up astonished. I checked again. The blanket was empty. There were two pieces of bloody cloth beside it. No sign of Kurama. I wanted to call him, to scream his name but I figured that it was not a very wise move to shout in that dangerous place.
So, I decided to look around. Joh's burial was in my plans but the disappearance of Kurama made me forget that completely.
I searched everywhere around and in a few moments, I was already very worried, not knowing what else I could do.
Then a water noise was heard. Thirsty, I searched for it. When I reached the place, I found not only water but also the person whom I was looking for. He was swimming happily in the beautiful lagoon before me.
"Aren't you coming? The water is great!"
"Kurama... your face..."
"I told you I'd be fine, didn't I?"
"But that fast?"
"Really? It'd be even faster if I didn't have to spend so much youki to kill your boyfriend."
"My what? Where the hell did you get an idea like that? He used to be my partner in the past, that's all."
"Of course...". He added with a smile.
I was so amazed that I forgot that I was thirsty. I just stood there, watching him have fun.
"So? You're coming or not?"
"I'm going."
A warm bath would be just fine after all that.
"Aren't you going to take off your clothes?" Kurama asked, in a very charming way.
"Well... are... are you naked?"
"Sure! Look!"
He pointed to the stone where some parts of his clothing could be seen drying by the sun.
"You can take off yours. I promise I won't look."
He turned his back to me.
I took off all my clothes and entered the water. It was a kind of shock to me. Its temperature was not nice at all, too cold. I didn't understand how could he be enjoying that.
Then, I felt a soft touch on my shoulder. He was close to me again.
"Delicious, ne?"
"It's the best bath I've ever taken."
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Shrine to Yomi-Sama -