"Whether it's a myth or a manipulation we all want to fall in love."
-The Mirror has Two Faces (1996)-
"Serpent's Curse"
By: FenixPhoenix (Giselle González)
Chapter 9: "Sacrifice"
Takeshi Koga stormed into his room, still consumed by anger. He stopped suddenly and forced his mind to cool. There was something amiss. His inspected the Spartan room minutely. His lips twitched. It was hard to keep from smirking, but he pulled it off. There were intruders inside his room; he could feel their presences frozen in place. Koga did nothing to disclose the fact that he'd made then. Instead, he strolled deeper into his room faking casualness.
Something unwelcomed occurred to him and he approached the opposing wall with barely concealed urgency. What if they had found it? He tapped a hollow spot in the wall and the hidden compartment snapped open. He peered inside and pale. It was gone! The book was gone!
"Damn you!" he cursed, losing his momentary cool. This changes everything! Fuck! I should have kept it with me at all times! Fuck!
He glared at the shadows and the figures hidden within. He picked the nearby table up and threw it aside with all his might. It crashed against the wall, but a huff suggested he'd at least hit one target. As if on cue, the intruders jumped into action. Under the rain of wooden pieces, Koga welcomed the shadows that came out of their hiding places, intent on surrounding him and, probably, capture him in order to bring him before Yukimura or Kyo -maybe both.
Koga took out his knife and cursed them to hell. He was stronger than he looked and adding his increasing anger to the equation… well, there was no one and nothing to stop him. Without them knowing they'd just released the demon he'd become. It wasn't long before his hand was coated red with blood.
-o0o-
Sakaki Kenji sat before Kyo and the interesting group he'd collected. He glanced at Yuya. Her pale complexion made the half-moons under her eyes stand out. Tomorrow the head of the snake would appear on her back and, because of that, they were all on edge.
Kenji gripped the book on his lap. He'd been studying it thoroughly for the last few days, knowing that time was running out. Kenji could see, better than most, the road ahead; a road that was reserved solely for Yuya. He knew for a fact that she's spent the last couple of nights in pain -shaking at the caress of cold hands only she could feel.
So, as he waited for everyone to settle down, Kenji took a moment to order his thoughts.
"Are you going to speak someday before Yuya dies?" Kyo snapped, his tiredness making him cranky.
Kenji couldn't blame his mood. His irritation was obvious and so was his concern. Kenji knew that dealing with mortality could not be easy for a man once revered as an untouchable demon.
He smiled for the first time since he'd been told about the situation and said, "I know what must be done."
His words drew smiles on everyone's faces, especially Yuya's.
"Go on," Kyo ordered, crossing his arms. Though he was the only one who hadn't smiled, his eyes glinted with desperate hope.
"There is a way to stop the curse. It's a ritual which, if done correctly, would allow me to help you fight the serpent, Yuya-san," Kenji explained.
"Why you?" asked Benitora.
Onime no Kyo was thankful that he wasn't forced to ask the question. Though Kenji had not made a move towards taking Yuya from him, Kyo wasn't taking any chances.
Kenji turned to Benitora, "Because you are all going to be busy dealing with Koga."
"Fair enough," Kyo acknowledged, his entire spirit aching for the blood of the bastard who'd dared harm Yuya.
"Wait," Yuya put up a hand, her brow marked by confusion and worry. "There something you aren't telling us, Kenji-san." Her eyes became slits, "For every action there's a consequence, so what will you be trading for my life?"
Kenji smiled, "No action is without consequence, yes. However, I have considered it thoroughly and have come to the conclusion that I am the best fit for the job." He leaned towards her, took her hand and squeezed it in reassurance. "Don't worry about me, Yuya-san." He let go of her, much to Kyo's silent relief, and turned to Akira, "I will need your help, though."
When Akira looked to Kyo for confirmation, he nodded in acceptance.
"Tell me what to do," Akira obliged.
"Then it's set," Yukimura declared cheerfully. "When will you start the ritual?"
"We don't have much time. Tomorrow marks the last day for Yuya-san, so we should probably start right away. I will instruct you on what I need you to do for the ritual," Kenji said to Akira, "and hopefully, before tonight, we shall be ready to start."
Akira nodded and stood to follow Kenji. They were about to leave when the rice door suddenly slid open to reveal a pale-looking Saizo. He stumbled forward and would have fallen if Kenji hadn't moved to support him. The man was covered in blood, most of which seemed to be his.
"Yukimura-sama…," he whispered.
Yukimura went to him and helped Kenji hold him up. "What happened, Saizo?"
Kyo had never heard Yukimura as concerned as he sounded now.
"We were… attacked," Saizo explained, grunting and holding his side. Kyo could tell that there was a big gash there, deep enough to have covered him in blood.
"Sanada Yukimura," a messenger was standing by the door, his face completely pale upon intruding into such a scene. "I-I have a p-p-package for Sanada-san."
Sasuke retrieved the box and handed it to Yukimura, whose lips were now a thin line.
"I-Is h-he okay?" asked the messenger pointing at the fallen ninja.
"He'll be fine," Yuya answered, grabbing the messenger by the hand and guiding him down the hall. She smiled as though nothing bad had happened and Kyo was amazed by her quick thinking.
When she was back inside, she addressed Benitora and Sasuke, "Get him into the next room. I'll do my best to treat his wounds."
Once they were gone, Yukimura opened the package. His eyes widened a fraction before they became frigid. Whatever was inside had sparked anger in the normally cheerful General and, though it could prove a distraction, Kyo was curious at its contents.
"Get rid of this, Sasuke," Yukimura instructed, handing him the box.
Kyo glimpse inside. Set atop white silk, were three middle fingers, fingernails still crusted with dry blood. Sasuke cursed but did as told.
"I am sorry for your loss, Yukimura-san," Kenji lamented, placing a hand on the General's shoulder.
Kyo offered no words. Instead, he handed him the bottle of sake he'd been drinking from. Yukimura accepted it with a nod and drained the contents in four gulps. He shrugged afterwards, trying to hide his pain, "They all knew the risks."
Kenji nodded, "Let's go, Akira-san."
Akira squeezed Yukimura's shoulder on his way out. When they were gone, Kyo opened another bottle of sake and poured in two cups.
"We'll make him pay soon enough," Kyo promised, handing Yukimura a cup.
"Cheers to that," Yukimura said mirthlessly, raising his cup.
-o0o-
Shinna Yuya exhaled softly, mentally preparing herself for whatever was about to happen. Wits gathered, she squared her shoulders and marched into the room where Kenji and Akira had been working on the ritual. It was six o'clock sharp, and Yuya was as ready as she would ever be.
Akira grabbed her hand and squeezed reassuringly. Then, he guided her to where a shirtless Kenji was sitting down, cross legged and eyes closed. He looked peaceful, as though he'd fallen asleep.
"Everything will be alright," Kenji said in his reassuring voice.
Yuya smiled and, following Akira's instructions, sat down behind Kenji, back to back.
"We need you to bare your bark, Yuya-san," Akira instructed.
Yuya was glad Akira could not see her blush. It made sense now why Kenji's eyes had been close.
"For this to work Kenji's flesh has to press yours," Akira explained, probably mistaking her pause as hesitation. "If you don't then-"
"Okay," she interrupted, feeling her blush intensifying. "Just give me a moment." She exhaled softly and undid the ribbon that was tying her yukata close.
"Here," Kenji said, handing her a towel without looking back.
Yuya thanked him and used the towel to hide her bosom as she slipped out of the upper part of her yukata. "Are you sure this is going to work?" she asked, feeling more nervous by the second.
She tried not to think too much about how warm Kenji's back felt as she leaned onto him, so that there was no more room between them. Good think Kyo's not here, she thought, wondering what he would say or do if he knew all the details of what they were doing.
"It should," Akira said, as he took a long purple ribbon made of silk and began twirling it around their torsos, tying them together. The ribbon went around them three times before Akira tied it in a bow on her left side, shoulder-height.
When that was done, he sat cross legged before the silky bow. He lit the two candles that were on either side of him and then began to chant something that sounded like nonsense to her; though she had to admit that the whole thing made his words sound kind of mystical as well.
For a moment nothing happened. She struggled not to squirm or ask stupid questions, but she was starting to feel rather silly. Before she could question the validity of the ritual, everything around her disappeared and she was thrown into an all too familiar place; a black canvas she'd visited when Kenji had kissed her a long time ago.
This time, instead of finding the child, she saw Kenji, half naked like he'd been in the room. His hair, though, was untied and it flowed freely down his shoulders, moving a little as though there were gusts of wind inside this place.
"What's going on?" she asked, worrying when she saw him looking around almost desperately.
"It must be around here," he said vaguely, squinting and moving in circles, looking at the nothingness ahead.
Yuya knew she should worry about whatever he was talking about, it seemed important after all. Plus, she had no idea how this ritual worked or what she should do. She trusted Kenji knew what he was doing and would instruct her when the time came. Yet, she could not brush aside a feeling that had been nagging at her since their meeting this morning.
"What is the consequence, Kenji-san?" she asked, her sudden question breaking him out of his search.
"I understand it now, Yuya-san," he said cryptically. He smiled widely and it was so different from all his other smiles. This one was happy, genuinely so.
"What do you understand?" she asked, approaching him.
He opened his arms, as if to embrace the darkness, "I understand Masaki's gift… I understand the dream you had of the sakura tree… I understand it all now. Nothing is what is seems."
Yuya frowned, "What are you talking about? Wasn't the dream simply a possible future we could have…together?"
He shook his head. "No, Yuya-san! We were meant to make each other happy, just not in the way we thought. Do you see it?"
"I'm sorry, I don't understand," she said, frowning and trying to grasp the enlightenment he'd found.
"We were meant to reunite one another with our love ones," he explained with barely contained excitement. "And that's exactly what we should do."
Yuya's frown deepened, "But Kenji-san, your loved one is de—," her eyes widened in realization, "Kenji… You're going to die! Is that what you're telling me?" His smile widened. Yuya didn't like where this was going. She gripped his arms tightly, shaking him, "You can't! I can't allow you to die for me!"
Kenji grabbed her shoulders and, leaning forward, he planted a chaste kiss on her brow, "No, Yuya-san… Don't you understand? I'm going to live! Just not in the same place as you…"
"But—," Yuya's argument was cut short by hissing. She turned towards the origin of the sound and she saw Koga's black snake coiled and ready. She gasped and the serpent leaped towards her with fangs bared.
Kenji pulled her to the side before the snake could bite her. He pushed her behind him. "Be careful," he said, assessing the situation. "Yuya, move towards that direction." He pointed to the side and she did. "Slowly, don't take your eyes off of the snake."
Yuya nodded and did as told, moving slowly sideways, like a crab. She didn't stop until he told her to. Then, she stood there, waiting and dreading what was to happen. The serpent slid into the space between them. Its head moved back and forth, as if it could not decide who to attack. Then, it hissed and, choice made, leaped at its target.
-o0o-
Takeshi Koga walked around his gathered troops, surveying each man attentively. He'd gathered the most wanted -the most respected criminals for this simple purpose. He had promised them riches beyond their wildest imagination, but half the men here have come simply for the challenge of fighting Yukimura or Kyo.
The sadistic smiles parting their lips convinced Koga he'd chosen correctly. After his examination was over, he turned to face the small Inn where he knew his enemies were waiting.
How ironic can fate be? He thought grimly, as he remembered that it was not long ago that the Anemona tragedy had taken place. For it was, as though fate had wanted to punish him, that while he killed Kenji's loved one Kyo had killed his. It had been as he danced with happiness after witnessing defeat glinting in the eyes of Kenji, that he returned home expecting a warm welcome from Nozomi and had found, to his extreme distress, only a cold body waiting for him.
But it didn't matter anymore. The past was the past and no matter how much he willed it to change, it would not be altered. Tomorrow morning Yuya would die. That was also an unalterable fact. With that thought ringing loud and clear in his head, he looked up at the dark sky. It was only then that he noticed the red moon.
Takeshi Koga smiled, "A red moon… blood will be shed tonight."
He heard the men chuckling, prowling with increasing excitement and palpable bloodlust. He even heard their shallow breathing as adrenaline began to fill their blood. Wasting not another second, he spread his right palm and gave the signal to attack.
To be Continued…