Disclaimer: Fushigi Yugi and all its characters are the rightful property of Yuu Watase.

Rating: M

Chapter: 5 (The Cry for Help)

Kouji watched with unbelieving eyes as a tornado like thunder storm suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the horizon. Kouji squinted his eyes urging them to make out the funny shape in the storm.

"What the Hell is that?" he murmured to himself

Tasuki was still on the ground searching for the arrow he knew he wouldn't find, when suddenly he stood up. His body tensed as he felt the winds hiss behind his ears and stir his hair. He looked around for signs of life but the forest was still and quite. The animals knew there was bad weather ahead and they had scambled to find shelter. Every instinct he possessed told him here and now there was a major storm approaching. They needed to find shelter fast, this storm was going to be nasty. Looking up for Kouji his eyes settled on the back of his head.

"Kouji! There's a huge fuck'n storm coming we gotta get the Hell out of here!"

"Tasuki….." Kouji trailed off, completely shocked. "Get your ass up here and see this!"

Tasuki was not in the mood to play games with Kouji. Baring his fangs and scowling he started to yell louder.

"I'm telling you one more time, get the fuck down here! We need to go!"

From his position on the cliff Kouji only caught parts of Tasuki's excessive yelling. He was to transfixed on the figure hovering in the eye of the storm. It looked a lot like a bod-

Before he could finish his though a hard object collided with the back of Kouji's head making his eyes water. Turning around he came face to face with Tasuki's infamous bad temper. Standing at his full height of six feet he was in the process of putting his tessen away.

"Jackass! What did I say! We need to go RIGHT NOW! We don't have time to stare at shit!"

Tasuki swiftly jumped the few ledges that led to Kouji's cliff. With the same speed he grabbed Kouji's shirt and began pulling him away from the cliff's edge.

In response, Kouji reached out and grabbed the thin ponytail of Tasuki's hair causing the angry red head to turn around, ready to hit Kouji again. Raising his fist high in the air he whipped his head around to face Kouji to deliver a glare of death. Instead of looking at Kouji his eyes connected with the sight just beyond him. Out in the distance there was a hail storm, a thunderstorm and a tornado all combined into one unbelievable sight of rapid winds. Tasuki's eyes grew wide as saucers and his grip on Kouji loosened.

Kouji, glad that Tasuki had now noticed the obvious, yanked Tasuki's hair once more for good measure and then followed his gaze back to the storm. Standing side by side on the cliff's edge he pointed to the storm.

"I have no clue what the Hell that is. But I've been staring at it for the last five minutes. It even looks like there's something stuck in there. I thought it was a person but that can't be right? People just don't float!"

No sooner had Kouji finished his sentence when the distant figure suddenly started falling. Both men transfixed, watched slack jawed as it plummeted to the ground with sudden speed. Immediately the storm began receding as it spiraling backwards into the clouds, leaving the horizon clear without a trace of the once horrible storm.

Tasuki turned to Kouji, "Wha-…what…the Hell was that!"

Kouji glared at Tasuki, "How should I know! Look… let's just get out of here, I think I've had enough of the woods and hunting. This is giving me the creeps."

"I think after all this I need a drink," replied Tasuki with a sigh.

Kouji wrapped his arm around Tasuki's head pulling him into a choke hold. He punishingly tussled his fiery red hair with his other free hand. "You never change man! Let's go to the tavern nearby. You know I want a drink!"

Twisting himself out of Kouji's headlock he smoothed his hair back and grinned. Pointing at Kouji he replied, "You're buying!" Before jumping off the cliff and running toward the forest exit. Dashing at full speed he could hear Kouji screaming.

"What the Hell? You son of a bitch, don't you dare tell Ginnkigh…"

Tasuki's gang was notorious for their liquor consumption. They made it a habit to visit the bars and taverns whenever possible. Sometimes the bars treated them like royalty and spread the word that their liquor was "Tasuki approved" or specially selected "Bandit Beer." The problem was they didn't always have money to pay. Depending on the season, the jobs offered, and how lazy everyone was they just couldn't always afford to pay of their enormous bills. Being a legendary Suzaku warrior had given Tasuki the privilege of keeping bar tabs for each of his friends. Then they could pay it off a little at a time or whenever they had money. If Tasuki got to the tavern first he could put all his drinks on Kouji's tab. He let out a loud laugh just thinking about it.

Stopping at a crossroad he picked up the broken arrow Kouji had pushed into the ground to mark their path. One road took twice as long to reach town while the other dumped you right by the main road.

Snickering he looked behind him. No sign of Kouji yet he thought to himself. "Being fast had its advantages.'"

Racing onward triumphantly he let out a yell to no one. "Guess I found the arrow!"

An hour later he reached the tavern. He was parched from all that running and it was very dark.

The town was bustling with people. Children ran around with sparklers while mother's dresses in elaborate gowns held eloquent jeweled masks of legendary animals. He saw faces of tigers and phoenixes floating past him with glowing scales and multicolored stripes.

He caught sight of parades involving hundreds of people, street singers, and contortionists. There was so much activity going on he almost felt bad about only spending his time drinking it all away, almost. Reaching Ginnkigh's bar door his face fell as he read the sign "Closed for the Festival." Tasuki sighed. Just his luck, with a festival going on his favorite tavern would be closed on account of the manager being just as wasted as his usual guests.

He pushed past the crowds to a rundown shop titled "Pleasure Palace – Exotic Drinks and Darlings". Opening the bolted door he entered the room and instantly the smell of opium smoke and perfume collided with his senses. Something bumped into his chest and he looked down to see a pair of green eyes hidden behind a jeweled dragon mask.

"Gomennasai…" the girl squeaked trailing off as she craned her head upward to meet eyes with Tasuki.

Tasuki looked down at her and felt his face start to go red, she wasn't wearing a top.

Instinctively, he reached behind him and started to pull off his coat, to see something like that staring him in the face was temptation incarnated. Shifting his eyes to the ceiling to avoid staring directly at her chest he had his coat half way off when a cold male voice reached his ears from across the room.

"I didn't pay good money to have that girl put clothes on….."

Tasuki finished pulling the jacket off himself and over onto the girl and pushed her behind him. His embarrassment left him instantaneously and a new emotion filled with anger took its place. Looking around he scanned the room. His eyes caught the sight of a soldier sitting back in a dark corner surrounded by three busty naked girls serving him food. Tasuki let out a small primal growl trying to get a visual, he wanted to know whose ass he was going to kick, but the smoky atmosphere and the dark corner made this guy practically invisible. He could see his armor, it was so damn shiny, "He must make some underling polish it every day," though Tasuki. "I guess the guys a general or something." No matter, he gleamed with satisfaction baring his fangs in a twisted smile, that fancy silver armour of his will turn a nice shade of red when I heat it up. His hands slide slowly to his tessen's holster, waiting for his cue. "Fuck drinking", he thought. "This was going to be fun."

Teria was in a daze. "Did this man just put a coat over me?" She thought. "Doesn't he know the Pleasure Palace is famous for its topless servers?" Oh and why oh why had she spoke Japanese, stupid, stupid. Rule number four, customers are not supposed to be reminded of your heritage. At the Pleasure Palace every girl is every man's fantasy and speaking a language they can't understand is never part of their fantasy. The girl looked between the two men trying to decide which was the lesser evil and the better choice. She didn't want to go back to the soldier, he had brought more than enough women to entertain him and besides she was just filling in for Jensyi the serving girl. She wasn't a whore that he could buy and do with what he pleased. Where was Big Mama anyway? These drunken guys were all gropers.

Go with the redhead and he might want her for himself to do, God knows what. But go back to the soldier and he would touch her again. She was just trying to take his order and of course, like most handsome men, he got fresh. Looking beyond the muscular red head's broad shoulders she remembered the soldier's comments made just moments ago.

"So, how much a night do you cost?" His hands tried to reach for her breasts.

She had jumped away and went to the entrance door, serving girls were not supposed to be treated like whores, everyone knew that. But Big Mama was nowhere in sight and this guy was persistent. He was talking to the girls next to him, loud enough for her to hear him, taunting her trying to get a rise.

"I think your little friend likes me. Maybe I'll come back here more often for visits just to play with her. She seems to be afraid of me, but I'll change all that." Pulling an eager blond close to his chest he let out a breath of smoke.

"You girl's are so friendly and yet your friend seems rather…..annoyed with me, wouldn't you say? If you ask me she needs to be friendly toward guests or she won't get any tips. Maybe she needs someone to teach her how to properly treat a man?" He smiled coyly in her direction watching her squirm as she stayed by the door. He was the first handsome customer they had had in a long time and the girls were falling over themselves trying to please him, but she just wanted to do her job. Teira knew taking Jensyi's shift would be a mistake, festival nights always brought in weirdoes. How could she work with this guy leering at her? She had retreated to the door and was just about to get some fresh air when she collided with a solid mass. Looking up at him had been the last straw, she was going to loose it if she didn't calm herself down. Just where in the Hell were all these good looking guys coming from?

Putting on her best smile she looked up at the red head catching his amber eyes, she didn't want them to start going at it and boy did he look like he wanted a fight. She could see his muscles tense and bulge outlining his white shirt. Standing behind him she noticed he smelled like trees and grass, he must be a hunter or a woodsman? The low growl emitted from the stranger in front of her made her mind remember her present predicament and what a busted bar would cost out of her pay.

She could just hear it know, "Teria couldn't handle a little flirting from a customer on her first day as a serving girl. Honestly it was pathetic, she got all scared just like a little mouse and ran away. Why, she got so upset she bumped into another customer and caused a huge fight over her. Her! Nothing more than a common serving girl, why the men had no idea she wasn't for sale."

"No, no, no!" she thought as she tussled with herself.

She couldn't loose this job she needed the money and she needed a place to stay, no exceptions. "I can do this she coaxed herself. The only things men want when they come here is the attention of a pretty girl, drinks, and sex. I can provide two out of three. Just look him in the eye and keep his mind off the other soldier and there will be no fight, simple enough. Okay and go!"

"Welcome to the Pleasure Palace! We serve the best drinks and don't charge extra on festivals. If you will just take your seat I can get your order."

Tasuki looked down at the girl noticing her nervously strained chipper voice. He couldn't see underneath her mask but he knew there was no way she was happy about all this. She was trying so hard to be cheerful despite her circumstances. In a way she reminded him of Miaka always so happy no matter what, determined to make the best out of things. Well no matter he was here to help and as long as he was here he was going to see to it she was treated better. Barmaid or not she was still human and he hated seeing the weak being picked on or pushed around. Looking her in the eye he asked her a question.

"Did that asshole pay for you to keep your top off?"

Teria swallowed hard as she produced a squeak of a "No."

"Dammit!," he thought. "I didn't mean to snap at her like that, guess I am still worked up over that asshole in the corner."

Tasuki swiftly reached for his jacket on the girl and dug in the pockets, making the girl jump in protest. He produced ten gold coins and deposited them in her hands.

"Look here, I'm paying five coins for you to keep my coat on while I'm here and another five for drinks, okay?"

Tasuki couldn't tell under the mask what her reaction was to this, but she pulled his coat tight around her waist and took off to the bar.