Chapter Four
Disclaimer: Fushigi Yuugi and the associated characters and settings do not belong to me. The plot and any original characters that may appear, however, do.
Author's Note: I recently noticed that this site was randomly dropping italicized bits of writing, so I went back and fixed chapters two and three. All thoughts, dreams, and flashes of memory should now be properly italicized.
I'm basing the limitations of Tasuki's speed on an insect called a tiger beetle. They run so fast that they go temporarily blind, only getting their sight back when they stop moving. It makes logical sense, and it explains why he never used his speed any of the times he was involved in a chase.
…
At the same time that his fellow Celestial Warrior was preparing to enter the barn, Tasuki carefully led his horse down Mt. Reikaku in the deepening twilight of dusk. There were several trails along the mountain, and he was taking them down one of the easier ones known only to the bandits.
"Don't leave the mountain tonight."
Tasuki forced himself not to react to Reirei's words. She had been gone the entire day, but was now walking along beside the gelding.
"It's dangerous, Genrou," she insisted. "Set up camp here an' cross the foot o' the mountain in the mornin'. It'll be safer."
He slowed the gelding, frowning slightly as he considered things. It would be safer on the sacred mountain. Wolves and other things would still be able to attack, but they'd be protected from any real danger. An' I'm so fuckin' tired right now. Haven't slept since right 'fore Miaka got here, an' that wasn't exactly restful.
He finally reached a decision and stopped the horse. There was a small stream about a quarter mile from their location, so they wouldn't be too far from water if they camped just off the trail.
"Miaka, we're gonna set up camp here," he said, his voice heavy with exhaustion. He turned in the saddle, freezing in shock when he got a good look at her. She was pale and very obviously in pain. He immediately helped her out of the saddle and was dismounted and supporting her weight before she had time to fall.
Ya fuckin' idiot! Ya didn't see any horses in her world, so they prob'ly don't use 'em. Ya shouldn'ta made her ride s'damn much in one day when she hasn't had much practice in years.
He got his coat off and wrapped it around her as she shivered against him. "I need ya ta lean against th' horse for a bit. Can you do that?"
She nodded and gave him a small smile as she shifted to lean on the gelding. It only took him a few moments to get her bedroll from the pack mare and set it in a good area for camping. Then he scooped her into his arms and settled her down.
She stretched out on her side while Tasuki hurriedly got their camp set up. Her thighs, bottom, and pelvis had been alternating between numbness and pain as her body tried to get used to riding a horse again. Her first time riding hadn't been nearly as bad, but she'd been ill at the time, and her companions had made the journey as easy on her as they could.
Once I'm feeling a bit better, I'll have to let Tasuki know that it's okay, she thought. She could tell that he was upset with himself for not realizing she would need more rest stops then they had taken. It's not his fault I've matured since we last saw each other. He probably expected me to whine when I needed to rest.
Tasuki gathered some wood from the few scraggly trees that were nearby and used the tessen to start a nice fire to the left of Miaka. Then he set his own bedroll to her right. There was no way he'd be able to stay up all night to guard her, but she would likely be safe sleeping between him and the fire.
We'll need more wood, though, he thought, looking around. His best option was the stand of trees he could see in the distance, just beyond the protection of Mt. Reikaku. His next course of action decided, he gave Miaka a few pieces of jerked meat.
"I'm gonna get us some more wood, then cook up some real dinner. You rest here."
She nodded her assent, still lying on her side and looking miserable as she nibbled at her food.
Damn it, I'm such an idiot, he thought with a sigh as he turned away from her and started toward the trees. We'll have ta take it real slow tomorrow so she can recover.
He shuddered slightly at the strange tingle that ran through his body as he passed beyond the protection of the sacred mountain. There was an odd feeling in the air that made him uneasy. Maybe that hallucination was right about things.
As if his thoughts had called her forth, Reirei stood before him. "Turn back, Genrou, please. I don't know what's up, but somethin' ain't right. There's somethin' out here, waitin' for ya. I can feel it."
"We need more firewood," he said, stopping, though not because of Reirei's words. He squinted, calculating the distance between himself and the stand of trees. There were many who considered him not too bright, but that perception had more to do with a tendency to blurt whatever crossed his mind than an actual lack of intelligence. His gift of speed from Suzaku required him to be able to calculate distances and the exact time it would take to safely traverse them.
He took a deep breath and ran, his vision blurring and then vanishing as his speed rendered him temporarily blind. That was the major weakness of his ability and the reason it had been utterly useless the two times it could have made a real difference. He'd been forced to use normal speed when chasing Amiboshi after the failed summoning ceremony, and again when Ashitare had stolen the Shinzaho.
He kept up a constant count of the passing seconds, coming to a stop after one hundred and thirty-two. He was right in front of the trees, just as he had calculated. He walked into the trees, gathering wood as the last traces of sunlight faded from the sky.
…
It waited in the shadows, watching the mountain with its hated barrier against demon kind. At first, it had seemed like they would stay just out of its reach until morning, when its powers were weakest, but then the foolish male crossed the barrier, just as the demon's mistress had said he would. It chided itself for not having faith in its mistress's abilities as a seer.
It could smell several different flavors of delicious guilt within the bandit along with the even more delectable whiff of deeply buried self-hatred. This human would be both plaything and feast. It gathered its power as the last vestiges of sunlight faded from the sky, preparing to form a bond with its prey.
…
Tasuki carefully set down his pile of sticks and reached back to draw the tessen, intending to create just enough fire to use the metal fan as a torch so he could see. Before he could even touch the tessen, he fell to his knees, screaming in agony. Something tore brutally through his mind and soul, filling him with its filth as it learned all it could of him.
Finally, it was gone, leaving him panting for breath and feeling sick and violated. He heard dark, mocking laughter and looked up to see Reirei standing over him, her normally brown eyes now the putrid blackish green of rotting flesh.
He heard a gasp off to the right and turned his head, blinking in confusion at the sight of another Reirei, this one with the correct eye color.
"G-get away from him," she shouted, taking a step toward them despite her evident fear. The other Reirei languidly waved her hand, laughing as the girl who had spoken vanished with a scream.
Tasuki stared at where she had been, utterly shaken. She's just a hallucination… ain't she? How… why did she scream like that?
"Ya should be payin' attention ta me, Genrou," the remaining Reirei said calmly as she strode toward him and kicked him in the face, the force of it knocking him flat on his back. She straddled him before he could even attempt to get up. He tensed, ready to fight her off, but she just laughed.
"Why bother fightin'? Deep inside, ya know ya deserve a lot worse'n this, for what ya've done," she sneered, his struggles lessoning at her words. "Your mother an' sisters have always been right about ya. You're a useless waste o' skin. Your speed wasn't enough ta save me, an' it wasn't good enough ta let ya stop Amiboshi or ta retrieve th' Shinzaho. Think o' all the sufferin' caused by that last little failure. It made Nuriko's death all for nothin'."
"Shut up," he whispered.
"An' lets not forget how ya failed Chiriko. He looked up ta ya. He thought ya were brave, an' ya let him down. Ya forced that poor little boy ta take his own life, 'cause ya were too much o' a coward ta do it for 'im. An' when Chichiri asked ya ta do the same, ya had ta be forced inta action while Tamahome figured out a way ta save him."
"Shut up!"
"An', o' course, there's always your attempted rape o' Miaka. Ya tried ta get her interested in ya, an' when that didn't work, ya tried ta do ta her what my brother tried ta do ta you," she said in disgust.
"Shut up!"
"Why?" she asked softly, caressing his cheek. "I'm only sayin' what you yerself think. But don't worry, Genrou. I still love ya, an' I'll make certain ya get some o' the punishment ya think ya deserve."
There was silence for a moment in that small patch of trees. Then the calm was shattered by tortured screams.
…
Miaka had fallen into a fitful, pain-filled sleep shortly after Tasuki left for more wood. She was awakened by the sound of someone rummaging through their supplies. Her hands had already started toward the ornamental hairpin tucked into her braid when she heard a familiar voice softly cursing.
She struggled up into a sitting position, starting to speak before she even got a good look at him. "Tasuki, what-" She gasped, her hands going to her mouth to stifle any other verbal reaction. He was crouched near his bedroll, looking more like a wild animal than a person.
Feral, amber eyes stared out of a face had been both bruised and rubbed with dirt, the latter looking like it had been done to irritate a myriad of tiny facial cuts. His beautiful, golden red hair had been coated in mud and what smelled like animal droppings, the fiery locks smothered by a patina of brown filth. His shirt was dirty as well and hung in tatters, revealing bruises and gashes.
She slowly got to her feet, her abused muscles screaming in protest. He can take care of himself, a selfish part of her whined, wanting to just curl back up and rest. She ruthlessly pushed that thought away in disgust. She was Tasuki's priestess just as much as he was her warrior, and he needed her right now.
She slowly approached him, noticing that he was holding the bag with their cleaning supplies. "You carry that bag," she softly ordered, "and I'll help you to the stream."
He opened his mouth, about to protest, but she shook her head and grabbed his arm, pulling him up. She guided him toward the stream, biting her lip to keep from crying out when she saw his back. It had been sliced to ribbons, and then dirt and tiny bits of rock had been ground into the horrific wounds.
Tears filled her eyes, but she forced herself to remain silent. He always seemed to get hurt, either physically or emotionally, every time she was around him.
Finally, they got to the stream, and she took the bag from him, pulling out soap and a soft scrubbing brush. Then she led him into the stream and sat him down, the shallow water only coming up to the middle of his torso. She knelt beside him, ignoring the agony in her legs as the cold water made her sore muscles seize up. Her own pain was inconsequential at the moment.
She knew she should start cleaning out the wounds on his back first, but she started with his hair instead. Out of all her warriors, he had always had the prettiest hair, like someone had taken the lovely golden red light of dawn and had spun it into strands of silk. It was almost painful to see it so fouled.
Once she was finished, she moved on to his back, removing the remains of his shirt before she began to gently scrub. Once again, she had to fight back tears. She knew she was causing him even more pain, but he stayed mostly quiet, only a few soft noises escaping him.
She didn't like how quiet and subdued he was. It wasn't like him. Even when he'd been nearly killed by Tamahome because of her thoughtless selfishness, he'd still made comments about girls always getting him into trouble.
"What happened?" she asked softly as she finished working on his back. Instead of answering, he cupped his hands in the water and brought them up to wash his face. Then he abruptly stood up and grabbed her, lifting her into his arms. "What the he-!"
"Ya shouldn't be in cold water," he said, cutting her off and starting back toward camp. "It ain't gonna do ya any good with those sore muscles."
"Tasuki, put me down! You're hurt!"
"I'm better off'n you'll be if we don't getcha outta those wet clothes an' warmed up."
He was trying to get her to think of other things. It wasn't going to work. "What happened, Tasuki?" she asked again. "Please tell me."
He was silent for a moment, then finally answered. "Nothin'. I fell in the fuckin' trees an' got myself hurt. Guess yer clumsiness is contagious." He tried to grin, but it turned into a grimace of pain. "Who'da thought that a bunch o' damn trees could do worse ta me'n Nuriko tossin' me inta a wall?"
Now that his face was free of dirt, it was easier to make out all of the bruises. There was a large one surrounding his left eye, and one in the shape of a hand on his right cheek. That and the terrible wounds on his back made it clear that he was lying to her.
She opened her mouth to demand the truth, then closed it. His odd behavior indicated he hadn't been the victim of a normal attack. Something very bad had happened, and if he didn't want to talk about it, she had no right to force him.
"You're right," she said instead. "The cold water made my legs hurt even more."
He got her to the camp and helped her out of her boots and pants. Her shirt and vest were still dry, fortunately. While she warmed herself at the fire, he opened another one of their bags and studied two small, covered pots, one painted with a green glaze and the other with blue. The green one contained something that would help Miaka, and the blue one would help his wounds heal and keep them from getting infected.
He left the blue pot where it was and took the green one over to Miaka. "Rub this inta your thighs an' rear. It'll relax th' muscles an' getcha feelin' better."
He carefully sat down on his bedroll, facing away from her as she applied the liniment. After a few moments, he heard strange sounds coming from her direction and turned to face her, frowning slightly in concern. She had finished using the liniment and was now huddled on her bedroll, her shoulders shaking with suppressed sobs as she held his coat tight, like it was the only thing that could comfort her.
He crawled over to her and put his hand on her shoulder. "Miaka?"
"I-I'm sorry, Tasuki," she sniffled. "I know you don't like it when I cry, but I can't help it. I miss Taka and Hikari and everyone else from my world, and I hurt, and now you're hurt too! You always get hurt because of me, and I hate it!"
He turned her around with a soft growl and held her close. "It's my own damn fault that I got hurt, an' it don't matter what I do or don' like. Cry if ya need ta," he said, gently stroking her hair, her tears warm against the bare skin of his chest. He softly kissed the top of her head. "I'll always be here for ya ta cry on."
