Shirin no Kami

Chapter 7: Honorable Devotion

            "Hold on to the masts!" Eriol commanded. The ship rocked furiously as it got caught in a gigantic whirlpool. The ship's crew grabbed onto the ropes of the sails. Huge conga lines of crew members pulled on the ropes to make the boat sail the right direction. The helmsman pulled the steer to the right as hard as he could to turn out of the whirlpool. "Damnit!" Eriol cursed as he held onto a pole tightly, "I know we are going to make it past this whirlpool. I just know it!"

            Am I dead? How is it even possible I am still alive? Those five really kicked my butt good. Just who are they? Why are they after me? What do they want?

            "Ah!" Syaoran sprung out of bed, reaching for the ceiling, "Back here again?" Syaoran looked around the cabin, seeing it was the same as before. However, something was missing; a certain emerald-eyed girl didn't appear before Syaoran as he woke up. Syaoran felt his wet forehead, taking off the moist cloth that has become a dry towel and placing beside him. Syaoran looked down at his stomach, all taped up. Feeling each rib in his stomach, he winced in pain after feeling a bruise. "At least nothing is broken."

            Syaoran slowly removed the blankets off of his body and picked up his clothes hanging from the chair. Slowly, he put them on, he felt the aching pain if he moved slightly. "They really beat me up," he complimented, "Whatever, I need to find Sakura."

            Sakura sat down peacefully looking into the bright blue sky touched by feathery clouds. With her basket full of apricot fruits inside, she picked one out and bit into it, tasting the tangy sour flavor which made her feel like she was in heaven. She sighed as she lay down on top of her arms like pillows. She closed her eyes after staring at birds flying in V-formation above her, hearing their light caws to each other. "Humans," she told herself, "Are they really as bad as Yue says? If that's the case, does that mean I'm bad too?"

            "Sakura," a voice called to her from behind. Sakura was awaken from her deep contemplation. She picked her head up and turned her neck around seeing Syaoran approach her. "Syaoran!" she exclaimed. Syaoran slowly bent down and sat next to her, staring at the sky just like her, "Is this what you do in your free time?"

            Sakura nodded with a smile, "It's also where I go when I'm confused about life, when nobody answers my questions." Syaoran bent his head down, "It's great that you have a place to call your own," he said in a disappointed tone, "But sadly, everywhere I have gone has lead me to a dead end after dead end." Sakura tossed him an apricot and he caught it perfectly on cue. "I'm sure you'll find yourself one day Syaoran," she reassured, "And whenever you don't have a place to call home, I'll always be here. This can be your home."

            Syaoran slowly stood up and began to walk away. Sakura inquisitively looked at him walk away, wondering what the matter was. "There were people who once let me into their home, but I brought disaster to them. I don't wish to do the same to this beautiful forest." Sakura stood up with all her courage and called out for Syaoran, stopping him in his tracks. "You never answered my question Sakura," Sakura was startled that he would remember a question he had asked so long ago, "Why are you the only human in 'Spirit Forest'? Do you like to be alone?" Sakura hung her head down, trying to muster up the courage to answer his question.

            "This forest did not begin with me Syaoran," Syaoran turned around seeing Sakura's sincere eyes, "Yue-san once told me of a brother I had here. My brother and his tribe, eventually, they all ran away from this place, leaving me behind. That is the story Yue-san told me." Syaoran was a bit sympathetic, "So you were abandoned?" Syaoran remembered how Amano once explained how he found Syaoran in the river, "So was I." Syaoran and Sakura walked up to each other, knowing that each other had something to give.

            "Syaoran," Sakura blushed as she began to speak, "I want you to stay in 'Spirit Forest'." Syaoran was a bit startled, "Me, live with you?" Sakura nodded embarrassed, "I want to know more about humans, about what I am. My whole life I was brought up wondering how to live, how to have fun, how to have friends." Sakura turned around blushing even more, "The spirits are my friends, but they can't talk back to me." Sakura turned around showing the tears streaking down her face, "I don't care what Yue-san or Kero-chan says. I want you to live with me, Syaoran-kun."

            BOOM! The whole forest shook, like an earthquake. Sakura stumbled a bit; Syaoran immediately caught her before she could fall all the way to the ground. "What was that?" he asked. Sakura sniffed the air, smelling the unfriendly aroma of gunpowder, "Human invaders? But how?" Kero and Yue arrived at the scene and got on their knees in front of Sakura. "Guardian," they humbly bowed. "Guardian?" Syaoran questioned as he heard them. "Our mistress is the guardian of this forest," Kero explained. "If you wish to live, bow before the mercy of our guardian," Yue threatened. Syaoran immediately got on his knees pressing his hands on the ground. "Sakura," he apologized, "I had no idea of your responsibilities."

            Sakura picked Syaoran up by the arms, "All of you stand up," she modestly rejected, "It's nothing special, I just look after most of the spirits of this forest and they still call me guardian. No need to be so formal." "Guardian!" Yue exclaimed urgently, "There are ships off the west coast, the Water nymph spirits are holding them off for a short time but they can only do so much." Sakura worriedly gave Yue an expression of, "Are you serious?" "It also appears that the human invaders have learned to strengthen their ships to pass our torrential waters and storms." "Let's go!" Sakura commanded, "We have to get there before any of the human invaders land."

            Sakura clasped her hands together and put it over her mouth, creating a megaphone. Taking a deep breath, she then erupted with the highest pitch sound she could create. "Tweeeeeeee!!!!" The piercing sound resonated in the air. Syaoran covered his ears from the incredibly painful sound. The sound, heard far away by a spirit living in the mountains responded back to Sakura's call, "CAW!" Sakura stuck her arm up in the air as a fast approaching blue object started coming closer and closer to her. Sakura then jumped and immediately landed on top of a huge indigo bird. "Great job Tori! Now let's go to the west coast, we have to help Shui (pronounced 'schway')."

Yue and Kero followed closely behind, leaving Syaoran looking up to them. "Hey!" he shouted as he heard his echoes, "Let me come along!" Syaoran cupped his ear trying to hear a response. "No!" replied Kero's voice, "It's too dangerous, and besides, what good will you do to the forest?" Syaoran felt horribly insulted. "What good?" Syaoran rolled up his sleeves getting peeved as the statement repeated in his head, "I'll show you what I can do!"

"Fire!" Eriol shouted. The blasting of cannonballs from the side of the ship hit the thick one-hundred year old trees all lined up protecting the inner forest. Eriol saw his men quickly grab another cannonball and load it into the cannons. "Fire!" he said again. The sounds of endless explosions erupted and echoed, scaring off the birds that perched atop the trees.

"Ahhh!" a man shouted as he was pulled overboard by a watery tentacle. "Man overboard!" Eriol stated, "The Water spirits are here, do something about it." The crew began to collect pails of waste and excrement and started dumping it into the water. "That should get them!" Eriol replied with confidence. Suddenly, a water spirit erupted from the water and fell into Eriol's ship. She squealed in pain on the ship, Eriol stared at her transparent figure and saw the convoluted trash lodged into her body. "I beg your forgiveness, Water spirit." Eriol closed his eyes and sincerely repented for doing what he accepted.

England, Two Months Ago…

            "Daddy!" a short cute little girl ran up to her father, raising her arms in the air begging for him to pick her up, "Daddy hug!" Eriol bent down and picked her up, feeling her dark red hair tickle his hands picking her up. "My little moonshine, Nakuru," Eriol cuddled his daughter close to his cheek, "Will you promise to be good to you mother?" Nakuru replied with a happy smile and nod. "Good girl!" Eriol gave her a heartfelt hug.

            "Eriol," a voice called out as Eriol opened his eyes. "My beloved wife," Eriol stated looking at his beautiful Japanese wife, "Don't worry Kaho, I promise I'll return as soon as I can." Kaho walked up to him and hugged him, "You have to come back," she said, "You just have to, I don't want my husband dying because of some stupid sea battle, please return home safe to me." Eriol lightly pushed her away from him, "Don't you worry Kaho," he reassured her, "I've only accepted the job from her majesty that I would help Japanese Lord Bukai recapture the land to the west."

            Kaho turned around and started to cry. "What's the matter my dear?" Eriol gave concern. "It is said in Japanese myth, that the lands to the west belong to the spirits. If you ever disturb the land, then you shall be cursed forever." Eriol slowly turned around his wife and gave her a kiss on the cheek, "No curse could ever separate me from you and Nakuru." Kaho gave him one final hug before he left the door.

            "I promise I'll be home," he said as he waved goodbye, "And Nakuru." "Yes?" Nakuru responded. "I promise I'll give you a new friend for Suppi!" "Ok daddy!" Nakuru waved goodbye. She then looked at a cat-like plush toy she carried in her arms, "You hear that Suppi? Daddy's going to get you a new friend."

            Eriol opened his eyes, hearing the sound of bursting cannon fire. "I made a promise to you Kaho, Nakuru," Eriol reassured his victory by fastening his sword on his belt, "I will return." Eriol put his foot on top of the mast and scanned the coast of the forest. Suddenly, he hears a loud caw and immediately snaps his head up.

            "Mamoru!" a voice yelled out, "Protect us!" The cannons shot in unison, however, they did not hit any of the trees or coastline. The cannons hit the encompassing shield, exploding the cannonballs in thin air. Yue and Sakura pulled out their bow and arrows and shot it towards the ship approaching inland the coast. "Sink the ships," Sakura told Yue, "But don't harm anybody." Yue gave Sakura a sour face, "You don't tell me what to do when it comes to humans!" Sakura shrugged off that statement and began to fire her arrows.

            "Abandon ship!" said the captain of the first ship coming close inland. The crew immediately jumped off the ship and into the waters. At the same time, Yue's arrow capsized the entire ship with one single hit. Eriol saw this predicament in his own ship, sadly seeing his good men cowardly swimming away from 'Spirit Forest'. "Captain," Eriol's watchmen called, "We are the last ship. What should we do?" Eriol looked at the barrage of arrows hitting the hull of his ship.

            "Sakura," Kero called out, "I'm going to light that whole ship on fire!" Kero waited for Sakura's confirmation. Sakura saw the proud captain in the ship, staring at Sakura with the most determined eyes she's ever seen. "Hit the hull," she commanded, "That will be their warning shot. If they don't abandon ship, then the ship will capsize at least." Kero nodded his head and took a deep breath. Suddenly, Sakura saw something swimming in the water, "Kero-chan stop!" In panic, Kero spit out a huge fireball, squarely hitting the hull, "What's the matter with you Sakura?" Sakura only stared at the figure climbing the burning hull of the ship. "Syaoran! NO!" "That idiot!" Yue cursed.

            Syaoran dug his nails in the little crevices of the hull, trying so desperately to climb up on the ship. Syaoran heard screams of the crew members who desperately jumped out of the ship, nearly taking him down back into the waters. Syaoran held on continuing to climb up as each man fell down.

            "Captain," Eriol's watchman asked worriedly, "Are you coming or not?" Eriol turned to his watchman and shook his head. "I will make sure all of you leave before I do, tell everyone to abandon ship at this moment." The watchman nobly bowed and went on his way. "Eriol!" Syaoran shouted from behind him. Eriol slowly turned around, getting a good look at Syaoran. "Oh," he said remembering him, "It's you stranger, I never thought I would see you here." "Shut your mouth Eriol," Syaoran snapped, "You have to stop this now. You're attacking my friend's home and I can't let that pass." Eriol shut Syaoran out by turning around and walking away, "I don't have time for this."

            Syaoran feeling insulted, ran up behind Eriol and pulled his shoulder. Suddenly, Eriol turns around, lashing his sword at Syaoran. Syaoran stumbled back a bit after seeing his shirt have a clean vertical cut. "You think you have a reason for protecting the forest?" Eriol asked rhetorically, "I have a better reason to take it down." Syaoran gave Eriol a snare. "I can't return home until I have accomplished her majesty's mission. So if you'll excuse me--" "Can't let you do that!" Syaoran interrupted, "You're not going to get 'Spirit Forest', I'll assure of that!" Eriol closed his eyes and put his sword back in its sheath.

            "Do you have something you fight for stranger?" Eriol asked. Syaoran was slightly confused about the question, "Yes," he replied, "I fight because I need to respect the wishes of my fallen comrades." Eriol lashed out his sword again, this time facing it by the sharp end and putting it in between his face, making a perfect symmetrical view of his straight face. "I fight for this sword, which sheds the blood of my enemies," Eriol said honorably, "But the blood it spills is to protect my wife and daughter. I will keep fighting to stay alive, for their sakes." Syaoran gave Eriol a sympathetic expression, "I'm sorry," Syaoran said, "You have direct family to tend to, which I cannot compare my cause. But Eriol, the 'Spirit Forest' is a sacred place, if you leave now you can see them again instead of burning in this ship alive with your ambition to take 'Spirit Forest'."

            Eriol thought about Syaoran's statement, in his mind, it only processed a flat rejection to the thought due to his honor. Eriol simply placed his hand on a fallen sword on the ground and tossed it to Syaoran. Syaoran looked at the sword perplexed. "We shall duel," Eriol stated as Syaoran was shocked, "I shall fight for my family and you shall fight for the 'Spirit Forest' protection." Syaoran shook his head, "Eriol, I'm not going to fight, I refuse to!" Eriol snared at Syaoran, "I will not allow you to insult my honor like so. If you refuse to fight then I will take 'Spirit Forest' after I have defeated you."

            Syaoran, faced between a tough decision, picked one that would be in the favor of Sakura. Syaoran took a sword stance, putting his index and middle fingers out while having the sword above his head pointing at his opponent. "Tell me your name stranger," Eriol demanded, "Every honorable duel begins with both men knowing each other's name." Syaoran squinted at Eriol, "Syaoran," he said, "Syaoran is my name." Eriol nodded his head in approval, "Then allow me to begin the duel, with my loyal sworn oath I say before I take people's lives." Eriol had his sword put between his face and closed his eyes, solemnly saying his oath like a prayer.

"By the name of her majesty, God, the country, and my family, I Eriol, will duel with the noble Syaoran. May whoever who wins the duel kill their opponent swiftly and honorably. This is my solemn oath," Eriol opened his eyes and stared at Syaoran, "En garde!" Syaoran and Eriol stared at each other, staying frozen in their fighting positions. The poles on the ship began to crackle under the raging fire, burning the foundation until the pole began to make a light creaking sound. The pole slowly inches closer to falling…BAM! The sudden sound indicates the beginning of the duel, Syaoran and Eriol both rush at each other, pointing their swords at each other while charging. Their inch closer and closer, their swords cross, and the sound of hard metal hitting resonated with the light crackling of the fire.

Eriol charged at Syaoran as his back was turned and started to fence Syaoran, continually trying to punishing Syaoran with quick pokes and horizontal swipes. Syaoran dodged each poke by moving out of the way and deflecting the swipes with his sword. Eriol continues his offensive techniques to push Syaoran further back. Syaoran inched closer to the edge of the ship. Suddenly, a plank from underneath Syaoran burns and begins to crackle. Eriol gives one hard vertical swipe, swinging up to down, trying to split Syaoran in half. Syaoran wisely puts his sword above him, blocking the attack. The recoil however, pushes his whole body weight down, making him break the plank underneath him. Syaoran barely manages to catch the edge of the floor before falling. Syaoran is helpless, Eriol stares at him holding on for dear life, trying not to fall down.

Then, in an honorable fashion, Eriol sticks his hand out and assists Syaoran to get up, "I will never allow you to be so easily defeated."  Syaoran gives him a look of gratitude and puts his sword in fighting position again. This time, Syaoran goes offensive while Eriol defensively blocks his low sword strikes and confusing twirls. Syaoran drives Eriol back a bit until Eriol strategically broke into Syaoran's offense and trying to drive a poke in the middle of his stomach. Syaoran quickly turned to his side so Eriol's sword stabbed right through his clothes. Syaoran in turn, dropped his sword and punched Eriol squarely in the face, making him drop his sword.

Eriol gets on his knees and hangs his head low for letting his guard down. He slowly wipes the blood coming out of his mouth and jerks his head up to see Syaoran in a fighting stance. "So you want to brawl?" Eriol asked politely, "Then come on, I didn't start all those pub fights for nothing." Eriol slowly removes his captain uniform, now wearing a nice frilly suit. He slowly undoes his cuff lings on his wrists and rolls up his sleeves. Eriol then bends his head low and pulls up his arms in a boxing position. "Let's go!" he said.

Syaoran carefully pivoted side to side, trying to confuse Eriol. However, Eriol just waited for him to approach. "Closer, closer, closer," Eriol thought in his mind. Suddenly, Syaoran pulled the first hit by quickly snapping his hand towards Eriol. Eriol ducked the hit and tried to deliver a right uppercut. Syaoran saw this and quickly turned sideways, dodging the uppercut and returning a back roundhouse to Eriol's left side. Eriol used his left arm to deflect the kick. Syaoran then grabbed Eriol's right arm, rolled over his back, and kicked him on the left side of the face after he landed on the other side. Eriol shook the pain off and threw a left hook at Syaoran. He quickly blocked it with his right palm, but Eriol grabbed his hand. Eriol then delivered a right hook and Syaoran in turn used his left palm to defend, but Eriol grabbed that too. Eriol then crossed Syaoran's arms together and head-butted him in the forehead. Syaoran stumbled back a bit dazed.

Eriol rushed in and grabbed Syaoran by the collar and repeatedly punched him in the gut continuously. Syaoran sporadically spit out the blood after each punch, until he finally put his hands on Eriol's punch, and threw it back to Eriol's body. Syaoran then returned the favor by kneeing Eriol continuously in the gut. Eriol began to spit blood sporadically too; even his glasses shook off his body after spitting so much blood. Syaoran then pulled his balled up fist back and unleashed a punch. Eriol's reflexes made him duck the punch however. He grabbed Syaoran's arm and tossed Syaoran to the nearest pole, Syaoran's back hit the pole hard.

Eriol tried to catch his breath after the difficult fight. Syaoran got back up on his knees and tried to regain his breath after the wind got knocked out of him. "Well fought Syaoran," Eriol complimented, "But this doesn't end until one of us is dead." "I agree!" a different voice shouted. Syaoran snapped his eyes open after hearing the familiar voice.

All of the sudden, a shining metallic object passes right through Eriol's heart, instantly making the honorable man fall face first on the ship's dirty wooden ground. "ERIOL!" Syaoran yelled. The fire behind Eriol's body began to wane showing two figures Syaoran looked at with disgust, Greed and Envy. "Syaoran," Greed saluted, "I was wondering where you've been, and it looks like we finally found you." "What do you want with me?" Syaoran demanded to know. "Oh nothing!" Greed playfully joked, "We just want the sin inside of you." Syaoran gave Greed an angry look, "WHAT SIN!?" Greed began to chuckle, "You'll find out soon enough." Greed walked away leaving Envy behind. Syaoran stared at Envy with utter resentment. "I've come to give you a warning," Envy stated, Syaoran gave him a menacing stare, "The five sinners will individual try to capture you. It might not be today, it might not be tomorrow, but we are going to hunt you down by ourselves. The glory will be mine however." Syaoran saw Envy beginning to walk away as the fire started to rekindle but instead of the crackling of the fire, the sinister laughs of Greed are heard.

Syaoran ignores the laughs and rushes by Eriol's side. "Eriol!" he shouted shaking him awake, "Eriol! Wake up Eriol!" Eriol slowly opens his eyes and sees Syaoran tearing up, "You can't die, good men can't die!" Eriol smiled at the compliment Syaoran gave him and simply replied, "I am not a good man," he said sadly beginning to sob, "Not only did I forsake my family's promise to them, but I didn't honorably duel you to the end. Forgive me." Syaoran grabbed Eriol's wrist, feeling his pulse dwindle each second. "No Eriol!" he stated, "Don't die!" Eriol wasted little time talking and tried his hardest to pull something out of his pack on his hip. He pulled out a little white cat plush toy that had a note on it saying, 'To Nakuru:' Syaoran looked at it perplexed, but Eriol surely began to explain with his last words.

"That is a toy for my daughter," he said as he began to cough out blood, "Give it to a friend of mine back at Kyushu post. The name of my second-in-command is Vung. Find her and tell her to deliver it to my daughter." Syaoran agreed by nodding his head, "I promise you, I will do that!" "Thank you!" Eriol replied, "When I am in heaven looking down upon you, I will pray to the lord that you will never be lost again my friend Syaoran…" Syaoran's eyes began to unleash small rivers of tears. "I will tell the lord, may Syaoran, the stranger from the west, never be lost agaiiiiiiiiiii--"

Syaoran heard Eriol's last breath of life. He closed his eyes having the tears pour out even more. In one reverberating scream, Syaoran howls like he has never howled before, for a fallen friend, and an honorable man, Eriol.