We found the mountain path east, as indicated by Amagiri. Just like he said, it was more of a climb than a hike. The steep inclines around Hakone were making our ascent laborious and grueling. To add to the difficulty, there were wide boulders along the way that were hard to pass, especially for Haruhi's tiny legs. Koan wasn't carrying her anymore, his own ascend already difficult enough for him to add the burden of a weight on his back. He kept his fox form and Mika took hers too, easier for them to jump from boulder to boulder.
I was leading the way to Haruhi with the rope around my stomach and linked to hers, a bit down. If she were to trip, the rope would prevent her from going all the way down. I asked her to be careful and to keep only a small slack so that I could still move without constraint but without putting her in danger. I, on the contrary, had no insurance on my climb. If I were to fall, I would go all the way to the bottom of the incline and I would drag Haruhi with me. I had to stay focused on each of my steps.
As we were getting higher, a thick mist started to obscure my vision and, looking down, I could see that Haruhi's knees were shaking with the fear of falling. It wasn't a cliff, far from it, but it still was very impressive for someone who had never climbed before.
« Haruhi, calm yourself. » I ordered « if you keep shaking like this, your steps will put you in danger. »
I could see her trying to regain her composure and calm her trembling body, but it wasn't easy for a terrified nine years old.
« I'm too scared... » she said.
I didn't answer and waited for her to calm down. I couldn't get back down to her and I couldn't carry her either. She let out a long breath, probably to gain courage, and started climbing again.
« The path gets better a bit further ! » I heard Mika yell « Haruhi will be able to relax a bit and rest her legs and arms ! »
I nodded and turned to Haruhi who nodded too, making me acknowledge that she had heard. Her steps gained more force, her volition renewed with the prospect of rest. Mika wasn't lying, when I was able to see the rest of the path, I saw that although not flat, it was still a lot less steep than what we had climbed. When I was able to stand and after checking that my supports were strong, I grabbed the rope.
« Haruhi. » I shouted « put your feet on the path and let go of your hands. »
She looked at me as if I was crazy, clenching to the rocks she had in hand. I waited for her to comply and saw the trust in her gaze when she let go of her hands. I began pulling her up and she walked on the path until she reached me. I grabbed her by the collar of her kimono and led her on the flatter side. She caught her breath and sat for a while, resting her legs.
« Are you alright ? » I asked her.
« Yeah... » she answered, panting in exhaustion.
« I have good news ! » said fox Mika, near us in a blink. « I smell salt ! Mineral salt ! »
Mineral salt, that means hot spring.
« Let's go ! » she continued, jumping around in excitement « it seems very near ! Haruhi, wouldn't you kill for a hot bath right now ?! »
I saw Haruhi's eyes lit at the mention of a hot bath but I had to oppose it.
« Our objective is Chizuru's rescue, there is no time for this kind of entertainment. »
« It's not entertainment » she objected « it's survival. Haruhi needs to get warm and to ease the pain in her muscles. The hot spring can help her achieve that ! And... » she added, coming closer to sniff me with disgust « after those days hiking in a forest, you need a bath as well. You're going to make your wife faint with your smell and trust me, I'm an expert. »
Haruhi chuckled and I frowned but it was true that we were all stinking and that the hot springs had a lot of medical virtues. They could probably help Haruhi with her sore muscles and me with mine even if I was better at ignoring the pain.
« Alright. » I said « but only if it's really near. You go find the hot spring, Yasha-san, and I stay here with Haruhi so she can catch her breath. We are walking again in one hour, with or without you. »
« Seems fair. » she nodded with her long pointed snout.
She went away and it took her only fifteen minutes to come back. There was a spring a bit downhill but with a very practical path. It wouldn't be a big waste of time. We stood up and started walking again. When we got to the hot spring, Haruhi had stars in her eyes.
« It's the first time I see one... » she confessed in awe, approaching her hand in the water.
I caught her hand rapidly and dragged her away.
« We need to check it's not dangerous first. » I explained « the water can be boiling hot and we don't know what kind of minerals are inside. Some of them can hurt your skin. »
« I smell nothing more than inoffensive ones. » stated Mika, in her human form again « a little sulfur, no acidity... Can't tell for the temperature though... »
I unsheathed my wakizashi and plunged it into the hot spring for several seconds. I then brought the metal carefully to my thigh to have an idea of the temperature without hurting my hands or feet. I'll need them against Kazama. The temperature was hot but bearable. It seemed perfectly safe.
« Haruhi, you don't have any wounds ? » I asked.
The hot spring could also carry infections. It was better to be sure to have a healthy body. Better safe than sorry.
« I don't. » she shook her head.
« Then you can go. » I said and I turned around as she undressed herself.
Mika's hakama and kimono disappeared in a blink and she winked at me before joining Haruhi in the water. I couldn't help but watch her naked body with her ginger tail and blushed uncontrollably, turning my eyes away.
Damn Kitsune...
Koan, still in his fox form, laid somewhere a bit flatter than the rest and started snoring almost immediately. Reporting my attention on the hot spring, I could see the girls enjoying themselves in the turbid water. After a few minutes, I called on Haruhi.
« Haruhi, get out. » I ordered « You risk overheating. » She complied and got out and I put her in a clean nagajuban. « Go near Koan, I'll wash your kimono and you'll put it back when it's dry »
She obeyed and snuggled against the giant fox, warmed and relaxed. Just like he did, she fell asleep almost immediately. I made a fire near them and took Haruhi's clothes to the hot spring.
« You should get out too, Yasha-san. » I told Mika.
« Alright » she said, standing out of the water just in front of me and I started blushing again.
She was pouring the water off her hip-long ginger hair and was fully aware that I was avoiding looking at her. I moved a bit so I could access the water without getting my face in front of her womanhood, plunged Haruhi's kimono and nagajuban in the water and took them back to the fire. I tied the rope between two trees and hung the clothes. Mika was looking at me the whole time with a wry smile.
I came back to the hot spring and got in, fully dressed, which made her chuckle.
« Maybe you should take your clothes off. » she laughed.
« Maybe you should put some on. » I replied coldly, undressing myself, the turbidity of the water hiding me.
« Alright. » she said with a wry smile.
Her body instantly covered with a thin nagajuban, totally drenched in water that wasn't hiding anything at all. It was even worse than a simple naked skin. The nagajuban was following every curve of her body without covering it the slightest, leaving no room for imagination. Drenched that way, it was even see-through and I could see her pink nipples peeking underneath it in a very erotic way.
« Satisfied ? » she asked.
« That isn't appropriate. » I replied, avoiding looking at her.
« Why ? » she asked with a smirk.
« I thought you were supposed to behave. » I said and she chuckled in response.
« I'm behaving. » she grinned with a shrug « I'm not bewitching you, am I ? »
I got my clothes out of the water and put them on the side. I would hang them later. I tried to ignore Mika looking at me with hungry eyes, closing mine. The water was agreeably warming my skin and easing my sore muscles. I started to relax even if my mind was fully occupied by the desire to see Chizuru again and the annoyance of Mika's presence next to me.
I felt it coming even before feeling the pain. The bloodlust. My smell changed, like a shift. I felt more aware of all my surroundings, like a natural predator. Then the pain striked... My insides eating themselves, my heart crushed by a fist, my lungs out of breath... My ponytail was white already when I opened my eyes abruptly.
« Mika... » I called « my kimono... The powder... »
« Oh ! You're in demon form again ! » she said, curious.
« Mika, please... the powder... » I asked again.
« Alright, alright... » she said, looking into my kimono.
She found my sleeve pocket and started getting the hairpins out but when she found the medecine, there was no powder anymore. The little paper bags were soaked in water and the powder was gone. I saw it and felt hope leaving me. The pain got more intense. What a fool I was, so focused on Mika that I forgot about the medicine in my pocket and got into the water fully dressed... The fingers around my heart tighten their grip and my intestines start burning in hunger.
« What happens if you don't take it ? » asked Mika, totally unaware of the danger of staying next to me.
She wasn't smelling good but she was the closest. I jumped out of the water and landed on her, holding her wrists in my hands. I could smell the blood pulsing. I wanted it. Uncontrollably, I passed my tongue on my lips in anticipation.
« Don't hurt me, Hajime ! » yelled Chizuru's face beneath me and I backed off in horror exactly at the same moment I felt the teeth of the giant fox closing on my skull.