Authoress here.

I wish you all a very merry holiday season! Again, I apologize about the wait. School + Art Show + College +Scholarship apps + Death of an idea for this ficclet x NO TIME Long wait. Mathematically speaking.

Sorry about last chapter as well! I went back and re-read and I must say, it's doesn't portray my finest moment as an author. Hopefully this chapter will make up for it.

WARNING: A bit of graphic violence in this chapter. Be warned.

Earth and Stone
Chapter Four: Instincts

San ran through the underbrush, her moccasin-clad feet making only the slightest of noises to note her passage. Her spear was held close to her body for ease of movement, but it remained on the ready should danger come.

Her hawk guides flew above her, above the canopy of the forest. They called out periodically in their sharp, keening voices, and San changed her course accordingly.

The muscles in her legs screamed in agony, as San hadn't stopped since they began the journey at sunrise. Her eyes itched with tiredness; she hadn't slept much that night. Still, she kept alert as she ran, keeping her pace steady.

Without warning, one of the hawks ripped through the canopy, scattering leaves as he descended. Landing heavily on a branch level with her head, the hawk preened one feather as San doubled over, catching her breath.

"Midwife, we approach the place where we last saw the wolf-dog. We smell it yet; it must not have moved from this spot since we last knew of its presence." The hawk moved restlessly on his branch. "Midwife, my brother and I wish to go no further, and return to the trees of our kind."

"I understand." San had finally regained her wind, and tested her spear blade on one of the gently-fluttering leaves that still fell from the hawk's descent. The honed metal sliced the leaf neatly in two, and San allowed herself a small smile. "I'll return once I have killed the demon."

"May the winds guide you to fair skies, Midwife." The hawk dipped his beak.

San bowed her head. "May the air yield you guidance and good fortune. Thank you for your help."

The hawk took off from his perch in a flurry of talons and feathers; it wasn't long until the sounds of his flight faded. San rested for another moment before continuing at a more sensible gait than the flat run the hawks had set for her. She tasted the air as she trotted, hoping to catch what the hawks had sensed to direct her towards the demon.

After another half-hour of searching, San found the demon. The smell hit her before she saw it, though- an odor of raw meat, coupled with dried blood and the sickly-sweet scent of decayed flesh. The stench assaulted her nose in a way that made her bite back bile. Eyes watering slightly, San stepped forward silently, taking small sips of air to lessen the affects of the awful reek.

"H-Human…" A low, feral voice off to her left made San jump. She whipped around, spear at the ready. There, crouched over the long-dead carcass of a pine martin and other various remains, was the half-wolf. Its ribs were thrown into relief, the skin stretched tightly over the bones. Its fur was dull and matted with dried blood and thistles. As it staggered forward, San could see that the pads of the beast's feet were ripped and bloody. A smear of foam flecked its lower jaw; its eyes were rimmed in red, with thick mucus coagulating at the corners.

San fought the urge to take a step backwards in horror. The animal didn't look demonic as much as it looked deathly sick, despite the madness that burned in its eyes. As it opened its mouth to speak, a thick rope of saliva oozed down between its yellowed, blood-encrusted teeth.

"Human… should run… blood… death…" The beast could barely rasp words out, all the while taking labored steps towards her. San fought her panic off as she almost turned to do what the wolf-dog suggested. Instead, she lowered her spear and fell into a fighting stance.

"My brother, why are you killing needlessly? Does a demon grip your soul?" San shouted.

"Demon…? No, I kill… I bite… was bitten…" The creature growled, the madness in its eyes growing as it spoke, its voice becoming more ferocious and more insane. Then, without warning, it gave an almighty snarl of rage before springing at her.

San was caught off guard. She hadn't been expecting the creature to be able to move so fast, with its footpads being as torn up as they were. She managed to throw herself out of the way, but had to quickly dodge again as it came around for a second attack.

"DIE!" The wolf-dog howled, the word ripping from its throat. Foam came out from behind its barred teeth, and the matted fur along its back was raised angrily. San jumped out of the way of a third pass, and gave a quick, downward slice with her spear. She caught the fleshy part of the beast's back, and dark, diseased-looking blood poured out from the wound. The chunk of flesh that she had hewn from its back gave off a foul odor as well. The creature gave an unearthly shriek of pain and fury, and, turning on its haunches, sank its teeth into the wooden shaft of San's spear.

The shaft, although a stout piece of hardwood, broke to splinters in the mighty vice of the wolf-dog's jaws. San threw herself back as the powerful jaws gave another snap. The attack had left her with only a short length of wood connected to the spear head, shortening her reach with the weapon.

As suddenly as the beast attacked, it stopped. It stood, shuddering violently, head bowed and tail tucked in. It whimpered in pain- San hesitated, with the remnants of her spear raised. The wolf-dog looked up at her, and immediately San saw the look of comprehension take place of the madness that echoed in the beast's eyes only a few moments before. It gave another great shudder, almost loosing balance.

"My brother…?" San murmured, confused. The animal gave another piteous whine.

"Kill… me…"

"What?"

The wolf-dog took a staggering step toward her. "Kill me!" In the next instant, the creature bunched itself up and sprang at her a second time. This round, San was ready. She used the jagged butt of her spear-shaft to knock the wolf-dog's jaws away from her face, and then she quickly reversed the weapon to slice again at the animal's neck. The blade caught the scruff and, as the wolf-dog threw itself away from her, the spear was wrenched from her hands.

The wolf-dog gave a dry, humorless laugh that sounded more like a snarl. Though the insane bloodlust still shone in its eyes, San could sense that the creature was battling the madness that threatened to fully possess it. "Kill me."

"I am sorry, my brother," San panted, vainly feeling around for a sharp rock or a heavy branch she could use as a weapon. "I will end your suffering."

The beast again charged her, apparently immune to the pain of the stout spear shaft still wedged in the scruff of its neck. San ran backwards, only to slip on the carcass of the pine martin.

I'm going to die…

With the wind knocked out of her, San struggled to breathe as the beast pounded towards her. Scrabbling at the neck of her tunic to pull it away from her constricted throat, San grazed her finger on something deadly sharp.

Ashitaka's dagger!

The wolf-dog was upon her, jaws wide open, foul breath blasting into her face. San jabbed the sharp point of the crystal dagger upwards with both hands, feeling the red ribbon the dagger was bound with break at the back of her neck. She felt the dead weight of the beast as it fell on her, roaring still. As the yellowed teeth came toward her face, San wrenched her head to one side and thrust upwards as hard as she could.

There was a deadly moment of silence. The forest was still, not a bird in the area to make any noise. The only sound was San's terrified breathing.

The wolf-dog lay on top of her, dead, with the razor-sharp crystal dagger buried in its throat. The sick-smelling, dark blood oozed around the blade and fell down San's hands to her arms. Blood dripped steadily out of the wounds made when San had whacked the animal in the snout with the jagged end of her spear, and each drop landed on San's cheeks and forehead. Its teeth were brushing San's hair; any further and they would have ripped into her skull. The blood intermingled with the silent tears pouring down San's face; her heart still beat a terrified staccato against her ribcage.

After what seemed like an eternity, San shoved the carcass off of her, bringing the crystal dagger with her as she ran blindly from the scene of death. She didn't stop until she splashed into a stream. Falling to her knees, San splashed the cold water into her face, still crying, and now shaking slightly. The prospect of death had been so close, so real… San's panic seemed to grip her stomach, and she opened her mouth and retched into the water.

Several minutes passed as San breathed the clean air deeply, trying to calm down. Presently she noticed a sharp pain growing in one hand; she had been gripping the dagger that had saved her life in her fist. San immediately dropped her hand into the water and cleaned the blood off of the crystal dagger. Once it was clean, she brought the flat side to her lips, still shaking a little.

Thank you, Ashitaka.

"Ashitaka, have another helping. You're like a scarecrow, you need to eat more."

Ashitaka gave Toki an amused glance as Kouroku burst into noisy laughter. They sat in the couple's small home in the residential district of Iron Town, enjoying a meal at the end of the construction of the town hall. The men had finally finished building it that afternoon, leaving it only to be furnished on the inside. In celebration, they had taken what was left of the day off.

"Toki, my beloved little buttercup, Ashitaka doesn't need a fourth helping unless he really, really likes your cooking."

Kouroku quailed as his wife towered over him, holding a serving spoon in a menacing fashion. "You suggesting my cooking ain't good?"

"O-Of course not, my ravishing, delectable, cuisine-goddess," Kouroku stuttered. "In fact, I think you wanted another helping, didn't you, Ashitaka my friend?"

Ashitaka couldn't help but laugh as the big man cowered beneath Toki's pregnant frame. "A small one, please. If I eat much more I don't think Hiasu will carry me anymore."

Toki beamed, and then waddled towards the small kitchen off of the larger room where the low-slung table was set up. Kouroku sent Ashitaka a thankful glance before downing the contents of his cup. "You gonna help the women with the insides of the town hall tomorrow?"

"No." Ashitaka sat back, internally wondering how he could squeeze down another helping of the delicious stew. "I was going to take Hiasu and take a look around the orchards for any signs of the animal the farmers have been talking about."

"Oh, the jackal?" Kouroku scratched his cheek, smoothing over the stubble from the previous day. "The one they said was behaving strangely?"

"Yes. They said the oxen wouldn't go near where it had been, either. Normally, I would let it go as just a hungry jackal daring to go near men to perhaps get a meal, but the oxen wouldn't behave that way if that were the case."

Toki re-entered the room, bearing a huge bowl of the steaming stew. "I know you said a small one, but this way you can just eat what you like."

Ashitaka chuckled, picking up his chopsticks again. "Thank you, Toki."

She slowly got to her knees, leaning heavily on Kouroku's outstretched arm. "Ahh, thank you, Kouroku dear. I'm gonna be so glad when this little girl shows up!"

"Little girl?" Kouroku said blankly. "I want a little boy!"

Toki snorted. "A miniature you? Please, I can feel it's going to be a proper young lady."

As Kouroku opened his mouth to protest, Ashitaka cut in with a grin. "How do you know it's not twins? You could end up with one of both."

"Bite your tongue." Toki said, looking aghast. "One will be trouble enough! I gotta take care of a kid and Kouroku; I don't think I could handle a third baby!"

Ashitaka joined Toki's laughter as Kouroku sputtered at Toki's insult. He quickly fell silent, mulling over what had happened earlier that day. All morning he had been feeling emotions completely unrelated to whatever he was feeling at the time, and around noon he had felt such a strong feeling of terror he had gasped aloud. For some reason he was certain it was San. During the war of the gods and humans, Ashitaka had seen a vision of the wolf girl riding into battle; perhaps the feeling of panicked dread he had felt around mid-day was something like that.

Around midnight, he excused himself from his friends' company, thanking Toki for her generous hospitality. He walked slowly, watching the black tree line as he went. Tomorrow, he would be able to escape the tall walls of Iron Town… perhaps, tomorrow he would finally see her again.

End Chapter

Authoress here.

Hopefully, I can post another chapter while I remain on break from school. Hope this one was good enough to make the wait worth it!

Cheers,
Pen