Disclaimer: I do not own Fushigi Yuugi, I wish I did though. All I own is my version of the story, Jade Stevens, and Tara Robinson.
Chapter 7: Lost!
Jade stumbled through the thick undergrowth. She felt a slight tug, and looked down to find her skirt caught in a patch of thorns. She pulled them loose, falling down in the process. "Where the hell am I?!?" she cried.
************
A young bandit crept through the forest. He had gotten a pretty good haul from that camp. He snickered. Fools! Thinking they could deal with Genrou, bandit leader. He ran a hand through his bright red hair, taking his time. After all, he would have to stop sometime, and he wasn't in any hurry.
************
Jade finally stopped to regain her strength. Suddenly, she heard a pitiful screech. A young hawk stumbled in, dragging one of his wings. Immediately, Jade kneeled down next to the bird. Slowly she reached out to touch the hawk, and to her surprise, it didn't shy away. Grabbing a stick and a bandana out of her bag, she gently set the bird's wing. The hawk looked up at her with thankful eyes, and nibbled her hand softly. She stroked his feathered head. "Do you want to travel with me?" she asked, lowering her shoulder. The hawk hopped on happily. She grinned. "I need to give you a name. Hmmmm...how about Taran, after my best friend Tara?" Taran bobbed his head appriciatively. She laughed. "Now we can find our way out together." She walked off, the hawk keeping a close watch on the surrounding forest.
***********
Genrou set up his camp for the night. It was simple, but it was all he needed. Pulling out a bottle of sake, he took a deep swig. "Ahh, that's th' stuff." He was glad he didn't have to share his haul with anyone.
***********
Finding a small stream, Jade took a deep drink. Taran hopped down to get some water for himself. As the young girl looked at her reflection, she saw a group of men behind her. "Heh. Look what we found. A girl! A pretty one at that!" the leader sneered. He grabbed her roughly and looked her up and down. "What do you say, boys? Should we have some fun with her?" The men cheered. Jade kicked out, growling. The mob found this extremely funny. The leader pulled off her jacket, laughing cruelly. The captured girl screamed.
***********
Genrou heard the scream. He pulled out a knife and ran off in the direction it had come from.
***********
The men pinned Jade to the ground. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Taran attacking the men savagely. They grabbed him and stuffed him in a sack. The leader stood over Jade, smiling evilly. "You're mine, onna!" Suddenly, the man slumped forward. He was pulled off by a young redheaded man. The mob instantly attacked the the rescuer. While they were distracted, Jade pulled out her sword and struck out. Men fell like harvested wheat. The redhead watched, astonished. Jade knocked down the last man, breathing heavily. The young man seemed concerned. "Are ya okay? You were amazin'!" Jade nodded, unsure of what to say. Once you got past the flaming red hair, the man was very handsome. He wore a simple outfit, one like a bandit would wear. His amber eyes...they were so...different than any eyes she had ever seen. The young man stared back. She was a tall girl, very curvy... She had long reddish brown hair which went to her waist, and green eyes. "Thank you, sir. I'm Jade Stevens." the girl interrupted his thoughts. "I'm Genrou. Nice t' meet ya. Well, see ya. I gotta go." He turned to leave when Jade called after him. "Genrou-kun, will you please show me the way out of the forest? I'm lost, and I got seperated from my friends." The bandit snorted. He, lead a girl? "Sorry, but I don' like girls. Yer gonna have t' find another way, onna!" he remarked. Jade ripped open the sack Taran had been stuffed into, seething. She thought about the man as the hawk hopped onto her shoulder. 'How impolite can you be? Not helping a girl, what a jerk!' She pulled out her sword and leveled it at his chest. "I don't think you heard me correctly. As Celeste Warrior of Suzaku, I demand that you lead me out of this forest!" Genrou puffed up angrily. "I don' care if yer the Emporess of Konan, I don' like women! That's final!" Jade narrowed her eyes. Suddenly, it hit Genrou: She could be a hostage! After all, if she is who she says she is, than the emporer would pay a lot to get her back. He grinned slyly. "I'm sorry about that. I'll lead you out of this forest." Her eyes shone as she nodded happily. "Come on, onna-I mean Jade." Genrou led her back into the forest.
***********
Jade soon realized that, instead of leaving the forest, they seemed to be going in deeper. "How much further, Genrou-san?" The bandit called back "Almost there. Be patient." He grinned to himself. For a girl, she wasn't half bad! Of course, she was still a girl, and no matter what, that was the deciding factor. "Hey Jade? Are ya really th' Celeste Warrior of Suzaku?" The girl nodded. "Yes I am. Why?" Genrou fingered his right arm nervously. "No reason. Just keep goin'." He glanced at the young girl. "What are ya thinkin' about, Jade-san?" She grinned. She had actually been thinking about the others, but she didn't want to reveal that to the older man. "How old are you, Genrou?" He laughed. "Not tryin' to hit on me, are ya? How old are you?" Jade smiled. "I'm 16. I'll turn 17 on April 4th."
"Interestin'. I'm 17." Jade frowned. Her guess had been right! He was her age. But he didn't seem to be her type. She liked beautiful, heroic men. 'Oh for god's sake Jade! Get your head out of the clouds! Men like that are only in romance novels and fairy tales. You gotta take what you can get, otherwise you'll be very disappointed. Face reality, girl!' Suddenly, a mountain reared out of nowhere. Jade felt a sense of deja vu. Was this the mountain in her dreams? Genrou pointed at it and said "Welcome to Mt. Reikaku, home of the Reikaku bandits!"
Cool! I finally got to Genrou, my absolute favorite character! Of course, Jade and him are destined to be friends, or so it might seem. You'll just have to wait for Chapter 8!
Chapter 7: Lost!
Jade stumbled through the thick undergrowth. She felt a slight tug, and looked down to find her skirt caught in a patch of thorns. She pulled them loose, falling down in the process. "Where the hell am I?!?" she cried.
************
A young bandit crept through the forest. He had gotten a pretty good haul from that camp. He snickered. Fools! Thinking they could deal with Genrou, bandit leader. He ran a hand through his bright red hair, taking his time. After all, he would have to stop sometime, and he wasn't in any hurry.
************
Jade finally stopped to regain her strength. Suddenly, she heard a pitiful screech. A young hawk stumbled in, dragging one of his wings. Immediately, Jade kneeled down next to the bird. Slowly she reached out to touch the hawk, and to her surprise, it didn't shy away. Grabbing a stick and a bandana out of her bag, she gently set the bird's wing. The hawk looked up at her with thankful eyes, and nibbled her hand softly. She stroked his feathered head. "Do you want to travel with me?" she asked, lowering her shoulder. The hawk hopped on happily. She grinned. "I need to give you a name. Hmmmm...how about Taran, after my best friend Tara?" Taran bobbed his head appriciatively. She laughed. "Now we can find our way out together." She walked off, the hawk keeping a close watch on the surrounding forest.
***********
Genrou set up his camp for the night. It was simple, but it was all he needed. Pulling out a bottle of sake, he took a deep swig. "Ahh, that's th' stuff." He was glad he didn't have to share his haul with anyone.
***********
Finding a small stream, Jade took a deep drink. Taran hopped down to get some water for himself. As the young girl looked at her reflection, she saw a group of men behind her. "Heh. Look what we found. A girl! A pretty one at that!" the leader sneered. He grabbed her roughly and looked her up and down. "What do you say, boys? Should we have some fun with her?" The men cheered. Jade kicked out, growling. The mob found this extremely funny. The leader pulled off her jacket, laughing cruelly. The captured girl screamed.
***********
Genrou heard the scream. He pulled out a knife and ran off in the direction it had come from.
***********
The men pinned Jade to the ground. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Taran attacking the men savagely. They grabbed him and stuffed him in a sack. The leader stood over Jade, smiling evilly. "You're mine, onna!" Suddenly, the man slumped forward. He was pulled off by a young redheaded man. The mob instantly attacked the the rescuer. While they were distracted, Jade pulled out her sword and struck out. Men fell like harvested wheat. The redhead watched, astonished. Jade knocked down the last man, breathing heavily. The young man seemed concerned. "Are ya okay? You were amazin'!" Jade nodded, unsure of what to say. Once you got past the flaming red hair, the man was very handsome. He wore a simple outfit, one like a bandit would wear. His amber eyes...they were so...different than any eyes she had ever seen. The young man stared back. She was a tall girl, very curvy... She had long reddish brown hair which went to her waist, and green eyes. "Thank you, sir. I'm Jade Stevens." the girl interrupted his thoughts. "I'm Genrou. Nice t' meet ya. Well, see ya. I gotta go." He turned to leave when Jade called after him. "Genrou-kun, will you please show me the way out of the forest? I'm lost, and I got seperated from my friends." The bandit snorted. He, lead a girl? "Sorry, but I don' like girls. Yer gonna have t' find another way, onna!" he remarked. Jade ripped open the sack Taran had been stuffed into, seething. She thought about the man as the hawk hopped onto her shoulder. 'How impolite can you be? Not helping a girl, what a jerk!' She pulled out her sword and leveled it at his chest. "I don't think you heard me correctly. As Celeste Warrior of Suzaku, I demand that you lead me out of this forest!" Genrou puffed up angrily. "I don' care if yer the Emporess of Konan, I don' like women! That's final!" Jade narrowed her eyes. Suddenly, it hit Genrou: She could be a hostage! After all, if she is who she says she is, than the emporer would pay a lot to get her back. He grinned slyly. "I'm sorry about that. I'll lead you out of this forest." Her eyes shone as she nodded happily. "Come on, onna-I mean Jade." Genrou led her back into the forest.
***********
Jade soon realized that, instead of leaving the forest, they seemed to be going in deeper. "How much further, Genrou-san?" The bandit called back "Almost there. Be patient." He grinned to himself. For a girl, she wasn't half bad! Of course, she was still a girl, and no matter what, that was the deciding factor. "Hey Jade? Are ya really th' Celeste Warrior of Suzaku?" The girl nodded. "Yes I am. Why?" Genrou fingered his right arm nervously. "No reason. Just keep goin'." He glanced at the young girl. "What are ya thinkin' about, Jade-san?" She grinned. She had actually been thinking about the others, but she didn't want to reveal that to the older man. "How old are you, Genrou?" He laughed. "Not tryin' to hit on me, are ya? How old are you?" Jade smiled. "I'm 16. I'll turn 17 on April 4th."
"Interestin'. I'm 17." Jade frowned. Her guess had been right! He was her age. But he didn't seem to be her type. She liked beautiful, heroic men. 'Oh for god's sake Jade! Get your head out of the clouds! Men like that are only in romance novels and fairy tales. You gotta take what you can get, otherwise you'll be very disappointed. Face reality, girl!' Suddenly, a mountain reared out of nowhere. Jade felt a sense of deja vu. Was this the mountain in her dreams? Genrou pointed at it and said "Welcome to Mt. Reikaku, home of the Reikaku bandits!"
Cool! I finally got to Genrou, my absolute favorite character! Of course, Jade and him are destined to be friends, or so it might seem. You'll just have to wait for Chapter 8!