duende

.:jaki:.
chapter seven

Kouga broke the surface with a splash and rose to his full height in the waist-deep water. The late spring breeze teased his skin as it swirled around him, cooling him as the water evaporated. Sighing deeply, the wolf watched droplets of water drip from his nose and chin and splash into the waters flowing past him, one enveloping the other. He could see his the outline of feet through the clear waters and wiggled his toes, causing eddies and swirls of mud and debris to cloud up around his legs before melting away with the current. Expressionless, his eyes grew distant and unseeing as his thoughts numbed him to the natural beauty and peace surrounding him.

'What am I doing here? Should I return to the den..?'

Part of him wanted to go home, to be somewhere familiar... but alone? The idea of returning to his home where so many of his family and comrades died sickened him. The direct confrontation of such painful memories repelled him.

Aqua eyes blinked to life when a fish darted past him causing Kouga to shift his weight from one foot to the other. The miniscule movement stirred up more clouds of muck from the riverbed that temporarily obscured his visage. Frowning, Kouga lifted his eyes to gaze at the greenery lining the shore. He couldn't stand around like this all day. This was Sango's forest and Sango's home. He wasn't welcome here, therefore a decision had to be made.

'East... perhaps?'

A self-mocking smirk graced Kouga's face as he thought of his distant kinsman who lived in the Eastern Lands. He'd have to defeat many of their warriors in order to be accepted into the pack, then he'd probably have to fight every day for the rest of his life just to remain in the pack.

He didn't want to live a life of constantly fighting just to ensure his acceptance into a group that wouldn't want him to begin with. The Yourouzoku prince allowed his entire tribe to be massacred while he alone survived relatively unscathed. Worse, the thing that wiped out his tribe did not die by his claws.

Kouga was tainted.

No, in their eyes he was even worse than that.

He was disloyal.

Kouga clenched his fist. The sweat and grime from the last two days dripped off his flesh as the sun continued to caress his back with warmth. Breathing deeply and slowly, Kouga pushed his thoughts to focus on the present, clearing his mind of the Eastern tribe. His hands relaxed beside him as he allowed himself to relish the moment. Muscles relaxed under the sun's cheerful rays and he breathed in the hearty scent of the surrounding woods.

He missed this.

The enjoyment lasted but an instant as his heart stubbornly held on to his forlorn emotions. Bitterness teased at his consciousness, reminding him of his utter lack of companions and the ruined friendship with the one being who had shown him supreme kindness when he least deserved it. Jaw clenched, Kouga rubbed his face with his hands as he attempted to scrub away his thoughts. The action did little to help him force the memory of Sango's tears from his mind, but it was distracting enough.

The wolf dunked himself under water once more before moving closer toward shore. The river wasn't as nice as the one that hid his den and helped to protect his people, but it certainly served its purpose. Squeezing the moisture from his hair, Kouga's mind turned toward his physical needs and his belly growled in agreement.

Wild boar sounded most appetizing and he scented the air for his potential lunch.

Water lapped at his shins when a delicate breeze danced across his skin forcing goosebumps to rise as it told a tale of warning to his nostrils. He instantly froze in mid-step as his mind recognized the scent. Eyes closed, he stretched his senses. Scent, smell and sound played together as they told him their secret and his skin began to crawl uncomfortably.

Oni.

Definitely.

Tilting his head back, Kouga inhaled deeply as the crosswinds tangled the scents of the forest into an aromatic knot that yielded him only a brief flash of insight. The oni was moving, slow and steady, he was certain of it.

But where?

Opening his eyes, Kouga found himself staring in the direction of the taiji-ya village. It didn't feel as though the oni was moving toward Sango, but the wolf had to be certain.

Clothing and armor hastily worn, the wolf sprinted through the forest. The sun dried his exposed flesh as tendrils of his hair spun like inky banners on the winds. Skidding to a sudden stop, Kouga tested the air, inspecting the clues carefully. He retracted his steps several yards, and then moved a few feet toward the taiji-ya village.

Satisfied, the wolf breathed a sigh of relief. Wherever the oni was headed, it was steadily moving away from Sango and her village.

• • •

Their expression belayed a level of stress that Sango recognized as an effect of long-term fear. A swell of pity and dread formed in the taiji-ya's chest as she lead the two men into the heart of her desolate village. Neither said a word as they scanned the village wide-eyed, no doubt wondering how it came to be that Sango would be the last of the taiji-ya.

"The rumors are true then?" the older one asked as his eyes roved from empty house to empty house. "You are the last?"

Sango turned to face the one who spoke, "I am."

"But we heard you traveled with others... a houshi, miko and a... youkai?"

"Hanyou," Sango corrected, "we split ways long ago."

A strained frown. "I... see..."

The younger one glanced from the man standing beside him to Sango and let out an impatient breath, "You are Sango, right?"

The older one shot the younger one a reprimanding look as the taiji-ya confirmed her identity.

"Forgive my nephew's rudeness, Sango-dono. My name is Yasuo," he gestured toward his nephew, "and this is Kano."

Sango offered a weak smile and nodded as Yasuo continued, "We've been having a lot of trouble lately."

"What can I do for you?"

Yasuo cleared his throat uneasily as he locked eyes with Sango. "We were hoping your friends were nearby," he said uneasily, "You see, we need protection from an oni..."

Brows furled together, "An oni?"

"It usually only attacks during a full moon, but—"

Sango shook her head, cutting Yasuo off in mid-sentence, "I am a taiji-ya, not a miko. I'm afraid I won't be able to help you."

Kano snorted, "I told you—"

"Sango-dono," Yasuo interrupted Kano as he put a restraining hand on his arm, "we know you specialize in youkai, but we are in great need. Please, hear us out."

Silence stretched out as brown eyes absorbed the expressions on both their faces. Lips twitched downward as a swell of pity forced her to give a hesitant nod against her better judgment.

A relived smile and a brief bow acknowledged her willingness to listen. "Thank you, Sango-dono!" he said in a rush, "Please understand, we know you can't exterminate an oni. We simply need your assistance. You see, a houshi resided in our village and worked very hard to protect us from this oni, but he is with Buddha now."

He paused, trying to get a gauge on the taiji-ya's reaction. Her stoic expression ignited a twinge of worry, but Yasuo would not be dismayed. If he could simply convince her to come, it would probably be enough. Swallowing hard, Yasuo continued, "We sent for another houshi, but he is still two days away. We need your help to protect our village until he arrives. Our people are scared and many are fleeing. If too many people leave, we will be vulnerable to attack from bandits and the like. Our crops are already suffering... please, Sango-dono. We wouldn't ask for such a favor if it were avoidable."

Sango's brows scrunched together as she considered Yasuo's words for several moments, "But... you said it attacks every full moon, right?"

"Traditionally, that is correct."

"Traditionally?"

Yasuo frowned. "It has been known to come sooner. But very rarely."

"I don't see how I can help you, Yasuo-san," the taiji-ya sighed. "My weapons will not kill an oni. They will only make it angry." Another thought struck her and she added, "Besides, the full moon is still five days away."

"Four," Kano corrected.

"Four," Sango repeated, "You said that the houshi will be in your village in two days. That's in plenty of time to exorcise the oni or at least put up the wards necessary to drive it away. What do you need me for?"

Yasuo smiled grimly as his eyes implored the taiji-ya, "We have seen disturbing omens. We believe that if you are there, your presence alone will be a comfort to the people and many of those planning to leave will decide to stay. We do not wish to see our home destroyed."

"I see," She said thoughtfully. "So you want to hire me to stay at your village until this new houshi arrives. Is that right?"

"Yes, we believe it would calm everyone."

Sango was temped to simply tell the old man that if the village was prone to attack and they were seeing omen, leaving would be the wisest course of action. Even if that meant losing crops and property to bandits.

'We do not wish to see our home destroyed.' Those words struck a chord with her. She understood what it was like to live in a village constantly under threat and the strong desire to do everything in her power to protect it. Still, an oni was way out of her expertise. It would be disastrous if the oni showed up early and she was the only person there to defend the village.

"Why did you ask about my companions?" she asked suddenly.

Yasuo offered a half smile, "We were hoping that the miko or houshi you once traveled with would be able to exorcise the oni in case the houshi we sent for doesn't arrive by the full moon."

A pause.

"I see."

"Will you help us, Sango-dono?

The taiji-ya's lips formed a tight line as she turned the question over in her mind. "If this oni attacks before the houshi arrives," she said gravely, "it is very unlikely that I will be able to kill it. You understand that, right?"

Yasuo nodded and sighed, "Of course, but I don't see any other way to keep the village from falling into chaos without you. It may be a misguided hope, but what else should we do? Many of us have nowhere to go. Our crops are our livelihood."

Sango eyed them for a moment before nodding, "I'll do what I can."

• • •

The hairs on the back of Sango's neck stood at their full height by the time she arrived at the village. The sun was low on the horizon, casting the village in a dying orange light that made the shadows feel uncharacteristically ominous. She looked forward to the end of their trek all day, but now that they had arrived, she found it impossible to relax. Her muscles were so tense that her neck hurt and she was starting to develop a headache besides.

The villagers greeted her with a mixture of apprehension and relief. Many of the children stared at her outright, some even boldly pointed at her and Kirara as they clutched their mother's legs and hid their faces as the taiji-ya looked their way. Sango smiled and tried to look friendly, but the atmosphere that perpetuated the village probably made her grin look like a sneer in their eyes.

Jaki was everywhere. It was almost stifling. No wonder the people were so haggard and frightened. The jaki so permeated the air that Sango felt certain she would see the oni lumbering out into the open at any moment. The taiji-ya rubbed her arms as she glanced down at Kirara and saw that her tails were puffed up. She, too, was tense for action.

Turning toward Yasuo, Sango said in a low voice, "Why aren't the people hiding? Don't you have a place for them to hide?"

"They'll hide during the full moon, there's no reason to do that now." His eyes narrowed slightly as he lead her through the village, "Is there?"

Sango eyed the people as they past by, watching them as they went about their daily tasks. They seemed both blissfully unaware and strangely on edge, as though all was well but... not. "I don't know. The jaki is pretty strong. Is it always this bad just before an attack? Does it get worse as the full moon approaches?"

"Jaki? I'm not familiar with that."

The taiji-ya adjusted the Hiraikotsu on her back, "Jaki is evil spirit. Can't you sense that?"

"I feel..." Yasuo frowned as he considered his words, "foreboding. I'm worried about my home and crops, but I think that's normal all things considered. I think we all feel that. As for this 'jaki' you mention, I don't sense anything like what you describe. In fact, I've never heard of such a thing before."

Sango sighed dejectedly as she scanned the village once more, trying to determine if what she sensed was growing stronger or not. The air was so steeped with the oppressive malcontent that it was difficult to know if it was gaining in strength. It could be that what she sensed was residual, however unlikely. That would certainly explain why the people couldn't sense it. Living with it day in and day out would cause their minds to grow psychological calluses in response to the exposure.

Yet, that still didn't answer her initial question. Surely, the jaki intensified as the full moon approached. If the people couldn't sense anything, Sango had no basis for which to judge their level of danger, but instinct told her a confrontation was immanent. The ignorance of the villagers around her only heightened her sense of urgency while also causing her to invariably second guess herself.

If this were abnormal... if they knew the pattern better than her... wouldn't they already be in hiding?

"Sango-dono," Yasuo said, interrupting the taiji-ya's thoughts as he gestured toward a modest cabin, "you can stay here tonight."

AN: Yeah. Cliffhangers are awesome! You guys love it, admit it.