Here I go! Chapter 8! Enjoy!
"Come now, Mori-hime. Won't you keep up with me?" Mukotsu asked.
I continued to glare at the grass beside the road we were on.
I couldn't believe he'd stuck me with this man again! After all I'd done for him!
On top of that, he'd tied me up like a dog and given Mukotsu the rope.
Maybe Mukotsu wasn't quite so forceful as to pull me around, but, this was humiliating.
"Ungrateful rat!" I said to myself. "I'll see him hang yet!"
Mukotsu sighed, and looked ahead.
"I really wish you'd forgive us for taking you prisoner like this." Mukotsu said. "We've had such troubled lives, all of us. We only captured you for a treasure that could make life just a little bit easier for us."
I'd have crossed my arms if they weren't tied to my sides. I didn't care that the treasure helped them. I only cared that they got it, and sent me home, soon.
"How did you come to be?" I asked, annoyed with hearing about that non-existent treasure again.
For a moment, he said nothing, and I wondered if he'd heard what I said.
I slowly brought my gaze around, to see him walking on, his head a little lower than before.
"Are you hard of hearing?" I asked. "How did you come to be?"
He raised his head up once more.
Still, he did not answer me.
I will not be treated with silence! I will get an answer!
I ran to catch up with him.
"How did you come to be?" I asked, loudly.
He looked up at me with the most eerie glare.
I jumped back as far as the rope would allow me.
Mukotsu had never glared at me before. This was new, and could only mean I was in trouble.
"I-I... I..." I stuttered. "I-I'll b-be quiet now."
He turned his gaze forward once more, and stopped walking.
"You would do well not to bring that up again." Mukotsu said.
He started walking again, and jerked the rope, forcing me to follow him.
Odd how he just forgave me like that. How bad had his past been?
Mukotsu led me down the road, calmly, not even bothering to ask me to keep up with him anymore.
Clouds began to build up over-head. Wind blew just a little stronger than before. The air became much cooler, as did the road.
It was about time. I was so tired of hot weather. My feet were scolded from walking on the blazing road, and my cheeks were still burning from the sun beating down over-head.
I let out a sigh of relief, as a gentle breeze brushed over me.
Things were becoming pleasantly cool. The outdoors was almost tolerable.
I was able to calm down to a mild irritation, from my constant state of annoyance.
For a moment, I forgot that I was tied up, and being led toward a potential battle, that was sure to lead to blood-shed.
I closed my eyes, and slowly lost myself within my thoughts, and memories...
My chest began to ache... like I had been holding my breath for some time.
I could feel myself breathing, but... I still felt like I was suffocating.
My skin felt cold, and wet. I felt someone's fingers in mine, clinging tightly, but shaking like they were trying to get free.
The scenery ahead of me was a gross green color, with something flying up in front of me, and dark streaks dancing all around.
All this... what did it mean?
I felt myself spinning forward, almost weightlessly.
Suddenly, my face slammed into dirt, and a hand landed hard on the back of my head.
With difficulty, I tilted my head up to find that I was now surrounded by dripping wet trees, and rain was pouring around me.
Mukotsu lifted his hand from my head, and yanked a jar from the basket tied to his back.
Just past him I saw a giant, anthropomorphic rat writhing in the mud.
"Oh, does the poison hurt?" Mukotsu taunted. "This one ought to put you out of your misery!"
He pulled the top off of the jar, and a yellow smoke erupted from within, enveloping the rat.
It wasn't long before it's pained cries stopped.
The smoke cleared as the rain continued to fall. The rat was dead.
I stood up.
"Such a nuisance." Mukotsu said. "All these youkai suddenly coming out like this. Mori-hime, you didn't pick that shrub from a while back, did you?"
I looked at him.
I didn't even know how I'd gotten here, and he expected me to know about a plant we'd passed along the way?
"What shrub?" I asked.
"Hmm, so you weren't paying attention." Mukotsu said. "I suppose they were only waiting for us to get away from the others. This way, Mori-hime. The rat left us some shelter."
He led me into a cave.
It reeked of rotting food, corpses and the creature's own stool.
"Ugh!" I exclaimed, slapping my hands to my face. "I refuse to stay in there! That smell is horrible!"
Mukotsu looked at me, already putting sticks together for a fire.
"Well, I suppose you don't have to stay here." Mukotsu said.
He allowed me the slack to back up a bit, which I took full advantage of.
"I'd have thought, however, that you would prefer this to the rain." Mukotsu said.
I raised my head slightly, and cast a glance outside.
It was pouring out there. However, it was warm due to previous summer heat-waves.
I would be just fine going out in the rain.
So, I slowly eased my way out, struggling with his grip on the rope, and sat against the outer wall.
"I won't go anywhere." I said. "It sickens me to say. However, you are the only one here who can protect me, as far as I know."
There was a bit of a pause. I could only guess what was going on.
Then, the rope dropped.
I wasn't going to ask why. I wasn't going to look in, and see what he was doing now.
I quickly picked up the rope, and began working to untie the knot.
It was no simple task, with my arms bound beneath the rope.
And the knot he used was rather complicated. I barely knew how to tie this one myself.
How such a stupid man came to learn this knot, and tie it properly was beyond me.
I started rolling around, and flipping, rubbing that knot against anything upon which I could find purchase.
It was a slow process, but, it was working.
Soon, I had it undone, and began pulling the rope off of me.
"Too much rope." I said. "What a waste. He probably needs this for his battle, too. He's going to die, where ever he is, and it's because he worries too much about my behavior!"
Once I had the rope off, I began wrapping it up so that we could carry it with us.
Mukotsu came out with a bowl in one hand, and a small bottle in the other.
His eyes went wide upon looking at me.
I put the now bundled-up rope to the side, and brought my full attention to Mukotsu.
"What are you gawking at?" I asked.
He narrowed his eyes at me.
I lowered my head, realizing my mistake.
"I have brought your meal." Mukotsu said, handing me the bowl. "Drink the contents of this bottle after you've eaten."
I looked at him as I took the bottle.
"Why?" I asked, very unsure of this bottle, now.
"My skin secretes a light coating of poison, from all the poisons I've consumed over the years." Mukotsu said. "That's the antidote for it."
Casually as he'd walked out, Mukotsu turned, and walked back into the cave.
I could only stare in shock at the spot he'd been standing in, as though he hadn't left.
He was trying to feed me poison! And he wasn't even trying to hide it!
Slowly, I set the bowl and bottle down, and turned away from it.
Things were getting worse and worse every minute I spent with this man.
"CAN THIS GET ANY WORSE?" I screamed to the top of the trees.
Thunder roared from above, and lightning flashed across the sky.
Instinctively, I squished myself up as close to the outer wall of the cave as I could possibly get.
Once that thunder passed, and the lightning was gone, everything was still, but for the sound of the pouring rain.
Mukotsu wasn't even coming out to ask about my scream.
I suppose it was nice to hear nothing, for once. But, at the same time, it was un-nerving.
I felt something... something powerful... and it was coming... to take my life...
Youkai - monster.
Well, I didn't cover quite as much as I wanted to, but, I can't make this chapter too long. You've gotta get up to go to the bathroom, or get a snack, or whatever sooner or later! Please, review!