Standard disclaimers apply, et al.
A warning though. Succeeding chapters of this fic might be long in coming.
School and work reasons as usual. Further author's notes follow at the end.
The smell of blood hung thick in the air and only the clashing metal dared to compete with it. A full moon gave the battlefield the barest hints of light, tinged though it was with crimson. Shouts and screams of the dying were deafening in his ears. Torn off limbs and bodies lay scattered all over the field. But most of all, there was the blood; staining blades, shirts, leather armor, even the trampled grass no longer looked green.
Hirasa Li had been a commander for many years, long accustomed to the smells and sounds of war. But experience never deadened the fear or the pain that comes with waging it. He focused his mind on military tactics, not once falling into the despairing trap of his emotions. Feelings can come later.
"They've killed Jun and his nephews!" a shouted report, coming from his left. "The youkai-!"
"They're picking us off one by one!"
"General-!"
Whatever the young man was to report was cut off by a youkai claw tearing out his throat. The youth fell backwards, gurgling from his suddenly scarlet neck. Li's blood-stained sword swung in a sweeping arc and kept the youkai from enjoying its moment of triumph. The decapitated body fell, quickly replaced by two more of the beasts.
One of them also had a sword - and Li brought up his sword to block its clumsy swing, deciding that this was the more dangerous of the two. He sidestepped the other's slash and twisted away to assess his next move.
The two clearly weren't about to give him any pause from the fighting. The first one ploughed towards him with its sword in front, leaving the other to follow in its steps. Li had seen clumsier strikes from a soldier and didn't even bother to parry.
He took a step to the right, batted the youkai's sword away from him, and smashed his armor-protected fist into its face. The youkai fell backwards onto its companion and Li quickly followed with his sword thrust into both youkai's guts, right up to the hilt. Their dying cries added to the screams littering the air.
Surrounded on all sides, he studied their situation as swiftly as he kicked his sword free of the youkais' corpses. A band of human farmers against an army of youkai. It's almost impossible- and he glanced at the silent village behind the crowd of youkai and humans battling.
Even through the red haze that settled on the bloodied field, he could still see the flickering lights in the darkened houses, arranged not haphazardly around several roads. The moon had cast the dwellings in a soft light and kept most of the shadows at bay. It was almost.serene.
Li steadied his grip - and his resolve - and turned back to the battle. He suddenly had an idea.
"These youkai," he murmured to himself, "are disorganized. That is why they will not win." We will have an advantage.
"Hirasa-san-?" asked one of the younger farmers.
"Get everyone together. We'll drive into the whole mass and split them."
"Demo-!"
"It's either we split them," he aimed a determined glare at the farmer. "Or they split us."
"Hai."
The farmers were reluctant in carrying out his orders. Li would have screamed at them to follow his orders unquestioningly but they were farmers, not soldiers. Perhaps Li should have given them some consideration. Or not.
He strode into the fray, in the midst of farmers scrambling to group together while the youkai continued their assault. But no matter how many swords or claws he laid aside, no matter how many bodies littered the already blood-soaked soil, there was only a ragtag group of humans armed with pitchforks, hoes and whatnots that faced the bestial youkai. Li could almost feel the sense of defeat, and only his stubbornness pushed that thought away.
As long as there's still a human alive, we'll win this yet. We'll win this yet! His mantra almost caused him to miss the shadow of a youkai falling towards him. The beast had jumped high over a wall of its companions with curved claws aimed for him. He moved to avoid it. But even then, it would be too late.
Sanzo snapped his eyes open, breath coming out in gasps. His heart was thundering in his chest, blood roaring in his ears as he expected the weight of a youkai to fall on him - could almost feel searing fire from claws raking his back. But none came. None would come.
He sat up slowly, willing his heart-rate back to normal as he tried to re- orient himself. The small table to the far side of the room as well as the broken shafts of moonlight illuminating it reminded him of where he was and the events that happened before this.
The restaurant. The inn. A clumsy youkai ambush. He carefully sifted through his memories. They had arrived at the town hours before dusk, settling in one of the two inns and listening for talk of anything suspicious. Nothing turned up that might involve them.
No Kougaiji. No youkai.
But most of all, no Li. It was a dream.
Yet another dream.
Sanzo wiped the sweat from his forehead. It was yet another nightmare from a series of nightmares. And all with him taking the role of this General Li.whoever he is.
The nightmares were becoming too common for his liking. And the questions just keep coming.
Damn town, he cursed the village where the first of the nightmares had come to him, where the villagers spoke of a town that had been ravaged by youkai several miles to the west. It had happened a few years ago but tales of the bloodshed and the heroic soldier who had fought the youkai alone were still rampant in the town. That must be the reason. Damn bakasaru and his bedtime stories.
Sanzo lay back down on the inn's bed, shifting to find a cool spot on the squeaking bed, and went back to sleep. It was simply a dream, nothing more to it. He couldn't for the life of him figure out why the tales of a town he couldn't care less about would bother him so much.
A/N: Yes, I'm back. To post what will probably be my last Saiyuki fanfic. No, I have not tired of the series. I just don't have any ideas left for a new one. The final chapter of Ninjou I leave for Onna to finish.
Many thankees to the great, wonderful, and very amazing sf-sama for beta reading and editing this fic.
The smell of blood hung thick in the air and only the clashing metal dared to compete with it. A full moon gave the battlefield the barest hints of light, tinged though it was with crimson. Shouts and screams of the dying were deafening in his ears. Torn off limbs and bodies lay scattered all over the field. But most of all, there was the blood; staining blades, shirts, leather armor, even the trampled grass no longer looked green.
Hirasa Li had been a commander for many years, long accustomed to the smells and sounds of war. But experience never deadened the fear or the pain that comes with waging it. He focused his mind on military tactics, not once falling into the despairing trap of his emotions. Feelings can come later.
"They've killed Jun and his nephews!" a shouted report, coming from his left. "The youkai-!"
"They're picking us off one by one!"
"General-!"
Whatever the young man was to report was cut off by a youkai claw tearing out his throat. The youth fell backwards, gurgling from his suddenly scarlet neck. Li's blood-stained sword swung in a sweeping arc and kept the youkai from enjoying its moment of triumph. The decapitated body fell, quickly replaced by two more of the beasts.
One of them also had a sword - and Li brought up his sword to block its clumsy swing, deciding that this was the more dangerous of the two. He sidestepped the other's slash and twisted away to assess his next move.
The two clearly weren't about to give him any pause from the fighting. The first one ploughed towards him with its sword in front, leaving the other to follow in its steps. Li had seen clumsier strikes from a soldier and didn't even bother to parry.
He took a step to the right, batted the youkai's sword away from him, and smashed his armor-protected fist into its face. The youkai fell backwards onto its companion and Li quickly followed with his sword thrust into both youkai's guts, right up to the hilt. Their dying cries added to the screams littering the air.
Surrounded on all sides, he studied their situation as swiftly as he kicked his sword free of the youkais' corpses. A band of human farmers against an army of youkai. It's almost impossible- and he glanced at the silent village behind the crowd of youkai and humans battling.
Even through the red haze that settled on the bloodied field, he could still see the flickering lights in the darkened houses, arranged not haphazardly around several roads. The moon had cast the dwellings in a soft light and kept most of the shadows at bay. It was almost.serene.
Li steadied his grip - and his resolve - and turned back to the battle. He suddenly had an idea.
"These youkai," he murmured to himself, "are disorganized. That is why they will not win." We will have an advantage.
"Hirasa-san-?" asked one of the younger farmers.
"Get everyone together. We'll drive into the whole mass and split them."
"Demo-!"
"It's either we split them," he aimed a determined glare at the farmer. "Or they split us."
"Hai."
The farmers were reluctant in carrying out his orders. Li would have screamed at them to follow his orders unquestioningly but they were farmers, not soldiers. Perhaps Li should have given them some consideration. Or not.
He strode into the fray, in the midst of farmers scrambling to group together while the youkai continued their assault. But no matter how many swords or claws he laid aside, no matter how many bodies littered the already blood-soaked soil, there was only a ragtag group of humans armed with pitchforks, hoes and whatnots that faced the bestial youkai. Li could almost feel the sense of defeat, and only his stubbornness pushed that thought away.
As long as there's still a human alive, we'll win this yet. We'll win this yet! His mantra almost caused him to miss the shadow of a youkai falling towards him. The beast had jumped high over a wall of its companions with curved claws aimed for him. He moved to avoid it. But even then, it would be too late.
Sanzo snapped his eyes open, breath coming out in gasps. His heart was thundering in his chest, blood roaring in his ears as he expected the weight of a youkai to fall on him - could almost feel searing fire from claws raking his back. But none came. None would come.
He sat up slowly, willing his heart-rate back to normal as he tried to re- orient himself. The small table to the far side of the room as well as the broken shafts of moonlight illuminating it reminded him of where he was and the events that happened before this.
The restaurant. The inn. A clumsy youkai ambush. He carefully sifted through his memories. They had arrived at the town hours before dusk, settling in one of the two inns and listening for talk of anything suspicious. Nothing turned up that might involve them.
No Kougaiji. No youkai.
But most of all, no Li. It was a dream.
Yet another dream.
Sanzo wiped the sweat from his forehead. It was yet another nightmare from a series of nightmares. And all with him taking the role of this General Li.whoever he is.
The nightmares were becoming too common for his liking. And the questions just keep coming.
Damn town, he cursed the village where the first of the nightmares had come to him, where the villagers spoke of a town that had been ravaged by youkai several miles to the west. It had happened a few years ago but tales of the bloodshed and the heroic soldier who had fought the youkai alone were still rampant in the town. That must be the reason. Damn bakasaru and his bedtime stories.
Sanzo lay back down on the inn's bed, shifting to find a cool spot on the squeaking bed, and went back to sleep. It was simply a dream, nothing more to it. He couldn't for the life of him figure out why the tales of a town he couldn't care less about would bother him so much.
A/N: Yes, I'm back. To post what will probably be my last Saiyuki fanfic. No, I have not tired of the series. I just don't have any ideas left for a new one. The final chapter of Ninjou I leave for Onna to finish.
Many thankees to the great, wonderful, and very amazing sf-sama for beta reading and editing this fic.