Diversion
As darkness slowly crept along the skyline, red and orange rays filled the horizon from the setting sun. Manta was extremely nervous at the sight; he didn't want to be separated from the others after nightfall, but this seemed unavoidable now. Ryu silently contemplated the same thing, but no one wanted to mention the problem. The pace was slow. Although Thalim was leading them through the thick wood, his strength was quickly waning the more ground they traveled. Yoh was several feet behind and wasn't paying much attention to him until he collapsed to his knees.
Manta and Ryu jogged ahead and knelt over him. Thalim rested his free hand against the dirt and held his torso firmly with the other. He stared at the ground with worry and took a deep breath.
"Get up," Yoh called with an annoyed expression.
Manta walked away from the injured man and stood next to Yoh. He stared hesitantly at a nearby tree and scratched his neck.
"Yoh, he's losing too much blood," he said gravely. "He won't last through the night if we don't do something."
Ryu tore a long strip from Thalim's garment and tied the fabric tightly around his torso directly above the wound. Thalim moaned weakly and closed his eyes, but as the bleeding slowed he smiled.
"Thank you," he said softly.
"You still need a doctor," Ryu replied, "and we don't have one."
The blood soaked through the side of Thalim's pants and grew heavy as the older seeping dried along the fabric. His hand was covered in the crimson, and he tried vainly to wipe off the excess onto his tattered shirt.
"We can't keep going like this, Yoh," Manta added. "He'll die."
"We'll rest for two hours," Yoh said reluctantly. "Do we have anything to clean the wound?"
"No," Ryu said gravely. "Tamao has the first aid kit."
Thalim took a few deep breaths and clenched his teeth as he struggled to return to his feet. He seemed unaware of his surroundings until this moment, and there was a great sense of urgency in his movements. Ryu used his body weight to leverage him upright and noticed sudden fear in his eyes.
"Thank you, Sir," he said quickly, "but I can keep going."
"You need to rest," Yoh replied.
"Yes," he said softly and began spanning the nearby trees with his eyes, "but not here. We should go around."
"You can barely walk," Manta said with a frown.
"We should go around," he repeated with a whimper.
"Why?" Ryu demanded. "What's wrong?"
The wind blew softly through the trees, swaying the leaves delicately as it passed. Thalim was immediately spooked and took a few steps away from the clearing.
"How long would it take to go around?" Yoh asked with a sigh.
"Three days," he replied sadly.
"What?" Manta blurted. "That's stupid!"
"Are you trying to keep us wandering around?" Yoh asked with a scowl.
"No, Sir," he replied as he continued scanning the nearby trees. "We can't stay here."
"Why?"
"We have to keep moving," he continued as he clutched his stomach tightly with the bloody hand.
"We're not going anywhere until you tell me what you're so afraid of," Yoh said sternly.
"We coexist peacefully because we don't invade her territory, and she doesn't invade ours."
Manta and Ryu stared at him with confused frowns. Thalim didn't elaborate. The sound of rustling leaves in the distance distracted him, and he darted his eyes to the clearing ahead.
"Who?" Yoh asked. He scanned the distance very slowly and scratched his neck.
"She is called Kiyomi," Thalim replied gravely.
There was a pause that seemed to worry Manta. He took a step forward and bit his bottom lip.
"Who is this woman?" Ryu asked lightly.
Yoh continued staring into the trees as he waited for a response.
"She is beautiful and dangerous," he answered. "Kiyomi would not hesitate to kill anyone she feels is a threat."
"Have you met her?" Manta asked with a whisper.
"No," he sighed, "but that is how we keep peace."
"What should we do, Yoh?" Manta's expression revealed his anxiety as he stared at the man's neck.
"He could be lying," Ryu suggested with irritation. "This could be an attempt to stall."
"She's not alone," Thalim rebutted. "Her followers will do anything she tells them, and their numbers are great."
"How many?" Manta whimpered.
"Two hundred at least."
"We're going through," Yoh said abruptly and walked away.
"I'm not lying!" Thalim called to him.
"I believe you," Yoh answered without stopping his pace. "Come on."
Ryu followed him without protest, but Manta was suddenly paralyzed with fear. Thalim clenched his teeth as the pain in his torso grew worse, but he didn't move.
"We won't carry you," Yoh added. "You said you can keep going. That's what we'll do."
"You're risking your life for nothing," Thalim countered with frustration. "You'll fall into her trap, and you'll die."
"Yoh, maybe he's right," Manta added. "Let's just go around."
"If you don't want to die tonight, Thalim, you're better off traveling with us."
Ryu turned around briefly when he made the statement and didn't address Manta's hesitation. Yoh stopped abruptly but didn't face them.
"Do you not value your life?" Thalim spat. "You've never seen her power. You don't know what she's capable of."
"It doesn't matter," Ryu said sternly. "You'll be safe with us."
"You're too arrogant for your own good," he replied angrily. "You should be afraid."
"Ryu," Manta started but was ignored.
"Yoh doesn't fear anything," Ryu offered plainly, "so neither do I."
Yoh continued walking without saying a word, and Ryu immediately followed. Manta hesitated for a few moments but decided he didn't want them to be separated.
"Come on," he said weakly. "We should catch up."
"Your companions are crazy," Thalim said gravely. "They have no idea what they're getting themselves into."
Manta didn't answer. Yoh was never easily frightened, and this was a quality he knew Thalim would never understand. He was convinced years ago that strong people lacked proper things to fear, and this meant he wasn't considered among them. Ryu was strong by association. Manta was tolerated despite his nervous energy. Yoh had to see him as a burden but was perhaps too polite to voice his concern. His place in Yoh's life seemed insignificant at times, but he wanted Yoh to trust him. He wanted to feel useful and needed.
Thalim dragged his foot against the dirt path as he passed by. Manta was distracted by the sound but increased his pace when noticing he could no longer see Yoh ahead of them. They entered the clearing silently, and Thalim immediately stopped.
"I told you," he mumbled.
Manta stared ahead as pangs of fear ran through his stomach. Yoh and Ryu were standing in the clearing but were now surrounded by a large group of men dressed in black. Thalim tiptoed toward the crowd in an attempt to not be seen, and Manta quickly followed. There were words being exchanged, but they needed to get closer in order to find out what was being said.
"Who are they?" Manta asked worriedly.
"Members of Kiyomi's army," Thalim answered and leaned against a large tree.
"We will not allow you to pass," they heard one of the masked men say. "You will die where you stand."
"We have no desire to fight," Yoh said calmly.
"You must not have heard me," the man rebutted. "I am Shumei, First Captain of Lady Kiyomi's army. I will eliminate any and all threats to our territory. That includes you."
Ryu took a step forward and raised his hands. The crowd closed in the circle slightly, and many of the men drew their swords.
"There must be another way to settle this," Ryu offered politely then added. "This is not a fight you want to have."
"Ryu," Yoh said as he stared at the ground. "It's okay."
Manta pointed in the air with his finger as he rambled nervously, "Three, four, five, six, seven..."
Thalim stared at him with a frown, but his eyes darted back into the center of the circle when Ryu took a few steps back.
"If you would like to fight, I accept," Yoh continued. "But I ask that you allow my friend to step aside."
"You want to fight us all...by yourself?" Shumei asked angrily.
"Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen..."
"Yes," Yoh said plainly.
"The arrogance!" an unidentified person from the crowd yelled.
"Who do you think you are?"
"Twenty eight, twenty nine..."
"What are you doing?" Thalim interrupted angrily.
"There's at least thirty five of them," Manta said weakly. "Maybe forty."
"Stand down, Shumei."
The angelic voice feathered through the clearing and rang through their ears like a peaceful lullaby. Men from the crowd backed away from Ryu and Yoh immediately and fell to their knees, touching their faces to the ground. Shumei closed his eyes and clenched his teeth but took a step away and lowered his head.
A woman emerged from the shadow created from the trees and entered the clearing with a smooth, leisurely pace. She was wearing a long, white dress that bounced delicately against her feet, and there was a long split that exposed one of her legs to mid thigh. Her bronze skin was beautifully smooth and unblemished, and the long strands of her copper hair shimmered with light hues of orange from the lasting ripples of the sun. Her hazel eyes were large and pure, hiding behind long black eye lashes that fluttered as she blinked them. Her supple lips were slightly pursed when she stared at them, but after several moments of pause she curled them into a seductive smile.
"That's her," Thalim whispered weakly.
Manta was unable to respond. He whimpered something incoherent and clutched his chest with his hand. Ryu seemed caught in the same trance; her beauty was overwhelming, and he couldn't look away.
"They are intruders," Shumei explained.
"You don't recognize him?" she asked softly.
She was staring at Yoh when making the statement, and although he matched her gaze his expression was vague.
"Lady Kiyomi," he pleaded, but she interrupted him.
"He is the demon Asakura."
"Demon?" Manta repeated with confusion.
"If I allowed you to fight, Shumei," she continued, "all of you would die. I can't afford to waste good men on such a futile effort."
He was visibly offended by the statement but didn't protest. The men were still kneeling, but many of them were trembling.
"One of my companions is injured," Yoh said blankly without addressing their conversation. "He needs medical attention."
"That's right. You can't heal people," Kiyomi replied. "You only have the power to destroy."
The pause was uncomfortable. Yoh resumed eye contact for several seconds with her but didn't speak. She smiled again and stepped toward him, and his eyes narrowed. Ryu held his breath as she stopped inches in front of Yoh's face and gently moved a few strands of his hair away.
"Hao's eyes are more refined," she said randomly. "Your eyes are...wild."
Thalim staggered toward them, and Manta held his free arm as they entered the circle.
"Shumei," Kiyomi said without moving away from Yoh's face, "see to it that his companion is nursed properly."
"Yes, my lady," he replied bitterly and motioned for a few of the other men to help him. Manta stepped back as they took Thalim out of the clearing and disappeared into the woods.
"You can stay with us for the night," she said playfully. "You must be exhausted."
"We'll only stay long enough for his wound to be tended," Yoh rebutted.
He took a few steps away from her and walked behind the men who were leaving. Ryu and Manta followed Yoh instinctively, but they all stopped when she spoke again.
"It must be difficult to keep it contained," she added.
Ryu and Manta turned around, but Yoh did not.
"The demon inside of you," she continued. "You must grow weary in pretending to be something you're not."
"What are you talking about?" Ryu asked.
"We'll stay for one night," Yoh replied calmly and walked away.
"I look forward to that," she said coyly.
Anna was lying on her side against the cold floor of the cave. Her knees were slightly bent with her toes pointed downward, and one of her hands rested flatly against the stone. Strands of her hair hid most of her face, but one eyelid was visible through the mass. The cave was filled with the sound of her shallow breathing. Her body was completely still with the exception of the movements in her chest.
Pino had been staring at her for several minutes as the setting sun in the distance covered the floor with ripples of orange rays. She didn't appear unconscious; it was more likely that she was sleeping. His eyes traced the length of her arm and lingered at her delicate fingertips. The hand that was visible appeared smooth. He was sure the softness would overwhelm him if he touched it. There was sudden worry in his expression as he glanced at her legs. The linen dress she was wearing was very thin, and now that night was vastly approaching, he wondered if she would be cold. The hem of the garment was shorter in this position than it was when she had been standing in front of the tree. A portion of her thigh was exposed, and he stared at it intently as his heart raced. He hated the thought of babysitting Yoh's wife because he suspected she would be a nuisance. He wanted to shut her up, but now that she was sleeping he couldn't control his need to watch her peaceful slumber. Perhaps this was what Nemari meant by her having subtle power. He wanted to keep her warm. He wanted to make sure she was properly cared for.
No, he just wanted to touch her thigh.
She tightened the hand that had been resting against the cave floor into a weak fist and exhaled without opening her eyes. Pino crawled to the wall behind her back and leaned against it. A few strands of her hair brushed gently against his arm, and as he moved them away there was a need to run his fingers slowly through her hair. Anna didn't move when he made contact, and this only increased his boldness.
Her hair was incredibly soft. This repetitive motion was automatic; Pino was simply unaware he was doing it. As his fingertips reached through the smooth locks they gently caressed her shoulder. She stirred slightly as his calloused hand contrasted greatly with the surface of her skin and softly exhaled. The shallow breath sent an uncomfortable chill down his spine, and he closed his eyes.
"Pino." Zria entered the cave abruptly with her arms folded tightly over her torso. "What are you doing?"
He stared at her with a dazed expression and didn't respond.
"It's time to go," she said with irritation. "We're almost there."
