"Chichiri-Onii san!" Zakuro watched as a young girl of clung onto Chichiri's knees."I'm scared. Please, don't let them take me."
Chichiri looked ahead, beyond the wizened judge in pristine white robes. The eerie judge did not have a face, but nevertheless scratched his chin.
"You shouldn't allow them to get this attached to you, Chichiri." The judge said in a severe tone. "On the counts of stealing accounting to sin, I sentence you to hell."
Chichiri clenched his fists at the judgement. The little girl kicked and screamed, screaming out for him as shadows swept her away.
This must be purgatory. Zakuro thought, looking at the vast expanse of nothing.
"I see great potential." Said a woman's voice, looking at a younger Chichiri. "I wouldn't expect less of anybody born to reaper royalty. Tell me boy. Would you like to be a reaper?"
Zakuro watched as Chichiri ran alongside boys much older than him.
"This young?" Somebody murmured nearby.
"It will be easier to reap children." Another replied.
Zakuro saw broken images of children crying as Chichiri approached them. He gave them last moments of false happiness before taking their souls.
Zakuro felt the burden that Chichiri felt. She looked sadly at Chichiri as he struggled to keep quiet when little children were condemned.
Zakuro saw a door at the far edge of the room. She walked through the door and stood in front of a stunningly gorgeous girl around her age, looking at her with piercing blue eyes. She spun yarn in her hand and her silver hair seemed to be glowing.
She cocked her head, looking at Zakuro.
"What do we have here?" She said, without moving her lips.
She then caught Zakuro's hand and gently started shaking it. Zakuro looked at her confused.
"Zakuro." She heard Chichiri call out to him. "Zakuro. Wake up!"
Zakuro's eyes snapped open and she awoke with a jerk, sitting up.
"Chichiri?" She said, confused.
"You don't sleep wearing much, do you?" Chichiri said, looking at Zakuro's chest.
Zakuro's robes had slid off her shoulder. Zakuro squealed and covered herself. Nuriko mumbled about spiders and turned in the next bed.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Zakuro hissed angrily.
"Suzahara snores." Chichiri complained.
Zakuro looked at him angrily.
"And I have this weird feeling in my stomach." Chichiri said, looking away.
As though concurring, Chichiri's stomach rumbled.
"You woke me up because you're hungry?" Zakuro whispered angrily.
She pulled the sheet closer to herself.
"There is food downstairs." Zakuro said, shooing him away. "Fix yourself something to eat."
Chichiri glared at Zakuro.
"I don't understand how human money or food works." He muttered angrily. "Do you want me to beg now?"
Zakuro sighed.
"Fine." Zakuro said. "Wait outside."
Zakuro wore her mended and washed uniform. She tip-toed out of the room, careful as to not disturb Nuriko.
Chichiri and Zakuro entered the crowded tavern at the ground floor of the inn. The villagers sang merrily as they drank and waitress' scooted from customer to customer taking their order.
"How can you guys sleep this early anyway?" Chichiri asked, as Zakuro and he found an empty table.
He took out some money and gave it to Zakuro.
"We had a long couple of days." Zakuro said, stretching and yawning. "We haven't had a decent night's sleep in almost a week."
A waitress hurried towards them.
"What would you like to have?" Zakuro asked Chichiri.
Chichiri shrugged. Zakuro ordered for him.
"So what are you now, anyway?" Zakuro asked, breaking the silence the waitress left in her wake. "Are you human?"
Chichiri shrugged.
"Gods don't have the power to revive the dead." Chichiri said. "And I can still feel it."
"Feel what?" Zakuro enquired.
"When the end is near." Chichiri replied, after sighing.
"Then why are you hungry?" Zakuro asked, confused. "Shouldn't you be hungry for human emotions?"
"I'm not sure what I'm." Chichiri replied.
"How do we figure out who you are?" Zakuro said, encouragingly. "We could do some experiments to determine if you're human. Humans bleed when stabbed. Humans can't fly. Human fingernails can't grow when cut."
Zakuro said, counting on her fingers.
"You're sure the scientist." Chichiri said sarcastically, scooting back a little. "Evil, yes. But surely scientific."
Zakuro grinned at Chichiri, her mind still stuck on his memories.
The villagers around them cheered. They were celebrating the revival of the forest.
"Maybe we should tell them that I was causing the forest to die." Chichiri said, following Zakuro's gaze.
"You must be a lot of fun at parties." Zakuro said, turning to face him.
Chichiri grinned.
"Been a while since I went to a party." Chichiri said.
"Then we party tonight!" Zakuro announced when the food arrived.
Chichiri blinked, confused. Then he looked at Zakuro suspiciously.
"This is because you got a glimpse of my past, isn't it?" Chichiri said in an accusatory tone.
Zakuro shook her head.
"This is because we completed three quests!" Zakuro said, merrily. "Kampai!"
Zakuro raised a glass of water.
Chichiri smiled and raised a toast. They laughed as the villagers danced.
"What are you guys doing?" Suzahara said, coming towards their table, a little while later.
Nuriko quietly followed him. Chichiri had managed to eat only a little till then, unable to ascertain if he liked the taste.
Suzahara sat next to Zakuro and frowned at her. He leaned a little closer to her.
"Why are you here with him?" Suzahara asked under his breath.
Nuriko yawned and sat next to Chichiri.
"My hearing is gone." Chichiri said, looking at Suzahara. "You're going to have to speak up."
"Signature of a human." Zakuro replied, smiling. "Maybe we should try flying."
Chichiri frowned as Zakuro giggled. Suzahara frowned.
"Relax, Suzahara!" Zakuro said. "This celebration in your honour. You're one-third a God!"
"I wasn't even invited to my own celebration." Suzahara moped.
"Suzahara-sama." One of the villagers said, approaching their table. "Thank you."
He clasped Suzahara's hand.
"Suzahara-sama." Other villagers cheered.
Zakuro got to her feet.
"A toast." She said, raising her glass of water. "To the future God and his general, who is going to save all of you from these demons!"
The villagers raised their cups in unison and drank to Suzahara.
"How much did you let her drink?" Suzahara muttered to Chichiri, as Zakuro settled down.
"Couple of glasses." Chichiri said, as he smelled the pork and then touched it with the tip of his tongue.
"I think that's enough Zakuro." Nuriko said, looking at Zakuro wide-eyed.
"Relax!" Zakuro giggled. "It's just water."
"You're buzzed from water?" Suzahara said, smiling sarcastically.
"I'm just happy at the progress we're making." Zakuro said. "We completed three quests! This does call for a celebration!"
Suzahara grinned in response.
"Excuse me!" He called out to the waitress.
"A round of baijiu." The waitress smiled and nodded.
"Baijiu?" Zakuro repeated puzzled.
The waitress bought a bottle of transparent liquid with white ceramic cups, which Zakuro immediately recognized. Zakuro shook her head when the waitress offered to pour her some.
Suzahara took his cup and gulped it in one go.
"Ahhh." Suzahara exhaled sharply, closing his eyes.
Nuriko followed suite and did the same. Chichiri sniffed the alcohol and pushed it away.
"Come on, Chichiri." Suzahara encouraged. "It's great!"
Chichiri frowned and nodded. He drank the alcohol in one gulp.
"This tastes disgusting." Chichiri said, sticking out his tongue.
Suzahara laughed.
"It's supposed to." Suzahara said. "It teaches you an important life lesson. Something which seems horrible in the beginning gives the best ending."
"The God of bad quotes!" Zakuro said, suddenly.
Suzahara frowned at her while Chichiri and Nuriko laughed.
The atmosphere around Zakuro was calm. The others seemed to have become one with the merriment in the tavern.
Zakuro looked at the baijiu, her mind working furiously.
It's illegal. Said a small voice in her head.
But it's just sake! It can't be that bad! Said another.
You're still 16. Chided another.
Don't tell me. Said a stronger voice. You're going to go home after a journey to another dimension and all you'll have to show for it is your damaged uniform.
Suzahara caught Zakuro looking at the baijiu. He poured her a cup.
"Come on." Suzahara coaxed. Zakuro shook her head.
Suzahara grinned.
"It's really good!" He cooed, getting the cup closer to Zakuro's mouth.
Zakuro inhaled the pungent alcohol and coughed.
"It smells like a hospital! Zakuro said, pushing Suzahara's hands away.
"It's really good." Nuriko coaxed.
Zakuro watched as Chichiri poured himself another cup.
"What?" He asked, when he saw Zakuro looking at him.
Damn peer pressure! Zakuro thought, trying to convince herself.
She took the cup from Suzahara and drank it in one gulp. Suzahara and Nuriko cheered as the alcohol burned her throat. Zakuro coughed. Suzahara patted her back and took the empty cup from her.
"You're now a man!" Suzahara laughed, patting Zakuro's back.
Zakuro frowned.
"I don't feel anything." Zakuro complained.
She had seen movies in which people seemed to have the best times after drinking. Zakuro poured herself another cup and drank. Suzahara watched her, his chin on his hands and his elbows on the table, smiling.
"Don't let her drink too much!" Nuriko said, concerned.
"Relax!" Suzahara said. "Nobody gets drunk in three cups."
In the events that later transpired in the night, Suzahara came to regret that sentence.
It first started off as a warm feeling. Zakuro took off her coat and kept it close to her. Her uniform was the only connection she had to her world. It was the only thing that made her normal. Zakuro shook her head, trying to get the feeling out of her mind. But doing that made her dizzy.
"Guys!" Zakuro said, her tone a little high. "I think its working!"
Nuriko looked at Zakuro amused.
"It can't be." Chichiri said. "I don't feel a thing yet!"
"Don't you worry!" Zakuro said, leaning over the table and pouring him a cup. "I'm sure we can get you drunk. And then you would be happy!"
Chichiri involuntarily smiled.
"What?" Zakuro asked confused.
"Zakuro?" Suzahara asked, no longer high. "You've drunk before, right?"
Zakuro grinned toothily at Suzahara.
"You know what's cool about this world?" Zakuro said, looking at the ceiling. "The stars here are so much brighter. You can see across the milky way."
Nuriko giggled.
"I told you not to let her drink too much." She said, proceeding to rise. "I will take her to our room."
"I'm not drunk!" Zakuro insisted.
She pushed Nuriko's hand away.
"I want to stay." Zakuro insisted.
"Come on." Nuriko said gently.
"But..." Zakuro protested.
"Let's get you to bed." Nuriko said, her tone calm.
Zakuro's put her head down.
"Can't you see?" Zakuro said. "Once you become a general, I won't get to be with you anymore."
Nuriko, Chichiri and Suzahara looked at her quietly, Nuriko and Suzahara realizing what Zakuro meant.
Suddenly, Zakuro started wailing.
"That's so cruel!" Zakuro cried. "I made so many friends here. I have met so many people here. It's cruel that I can't see you guys anymore after you become a God."
She hugged Nuriko's hand.
"It just sucks." She mumbled, hiccupping slightly.
But it seemed that her friends had just realized this. Chichiri poured a glass of baijiu and pushed it to Zakuro.
Zakuro drank it before Suzahara could stop her. Suzahara looked at Chichiri reproachfully.
"Tonight, we party!" Chichiri shouted.
"Kampai!" Zakuro joined in, raising her empty cup to the ceiling.
Suzahara and Nuriko looked at each other. They sighed a while later and joined in.
Suzahara, Nuriko and Chichiri looked at Zakuro's antics amused. Zakuro stood up a while later, staggering as she tried. Suzahara rose with her offering her a hand. Zakuro frowned at him.
"I can walk on my own!" Zakuro said, pushing his hand away.
She took a step and stumbled. Suzahara was ready and he caught her. She frowned at the floor.
"Stay still, stupid floor!" Zakuro shouted, her voice slurred.
She reached for her sword and found her hip empty. Chichiri casually pushed her sword under the table.
"MY SWORD!" Zakuro shouted. "CALL THE POLICE!"
"You left it in your room remember?" Suzahara said, gently holding her shoulders.
Zakuro frowned, trying to think back. She decisively nodded after a while and walked towards the villagers, Suzahara protectively walking behind her. She proceeded to climb the counter.
"Ladies and gentlemen." Zakuro shouted. "You probably don't know me. But I know all of you."
Zakuro pointed around the room.
"You are all the townsfolk of Kai Lo." Zakuro said.
She then nodded and tried to get down from the counter, tripping as she tried. Suzahara carried her over her shoulders.
"Wheeeee!" Zakuro shouted, as Suzahara carried her to her room.
Chichiri and Nuriko apologized to the townsfolk for Zakuro's rude, unladylike behaviour.
-X-X-
Suzahara put Zakuro on the bed.
"No!" Zakuro struggled and got off the bed.
"You should sleep." Suzahara said, trying to coax her.
"I don't wanna!" Zakuro shouted. "I don't like this bed. I want to sleep on my own bed."
"Zakuro." Suzahara said, sternly. "Sleep!"
Zakuro looked at Suzahara reproachfully.
"My bed had so many fluffy pillows." Zakuro said, knocking on the hard ceramic pillows. "I don't even know what this is! I wanna go hoooommmmmmeeeeee!"
Suzahara slowly set Zakuro on the bed. He knelt next to her bed as she looked at him, tears sticking to her lashes. He gently took a teardrop on his finger. Zakuro reached out and held his hand with both of hers.
"Do you get larger every time you finish a challenge?" Zakuro asked, running her fingers on his hand. "What if you became a giant by the time you finish all the quests?"
Suzahara looked at Zakuro, his expression unreadable.
"You'll need really big shoes." Zakuro mumbled, clutching his hand tighter.
Suzahara chuckled.
"I wish you were born Tokyo." Zakuro said, after a while. "Or me here. I wish we were in the same place."
She yawned as she said that.
"I worry if you'll still remember me once you become a high and mighty God." Zakuro muttered. "I don't want you to forget me. That'd be the worst."
Zakuro slowly drifted off to sleep, still holding onto Suzahara's hand. Suzahara watched as she slept. He knew he could wriggle his hand free and leave the room. He could have done that anytime in the last hour that Zakuro slept. But he didn't want to go. He thought of what Zakuro said in the tavern. He gently pushed away a stray hair from her face.
"I will never ever forget you." Suzahara mumbled, gently kissing her cheeks.
-X-X-
The sun poured into the room. Zakuro tried to shut her eyes tighter. But the sun still reached her brain and drenched it in searing pain. She slowly opened her eyes, each nerve screaming in agony as she performed the simple action.
It was weird that Zakuro forgot about the hangover part in a movie. Zakuro saw the faint silhouette of somebody sleeping next to her. She traced the person hands to hers.
Zakuro's head throbbed. She closed her eyes again and opened them.
"Suzahara." She mumbled, recognizing the person sleeping next to her.
She shot upright a moment later, cursing under her breath. She checked for her clothes and sighed in relief when she found them on. She turned to kick Suzahara, but stopped herself in the last minute.
Suzahara was still gently holding onto her hand, his face peaceful. Zakuro felt the heat rise to her face.
It must be the lighting. Zakuro firmly thought, before kicking Suzahara off his bed. He isn't cute in any way.
"Ow!" Suzahara groaned.
"What the hell are you doing?" Zakuro shouted. "How dare you get into my bed?"
Suzahara's face turned red as well.
"You wouldn't let go of my hand!" Suzahara shouted back.
"Get out!" Zakuro said, throwing the hard pillow at him. "Get out! Get out! Get out!"
Suzahara scrambled to the door. He opened the door and watched Chichiri and Nuriko listening in. Nuriko had an odd expression on her face.
"Get out!" Zakuro shouted again.
Suzahara scrambled away. Nuriko entered the room and closed the door, blocking Chichiri who seemed to be about to say something. Zakuro rubbed her aching forehead.
"Do you have aspirin in this world?" She asked.
"Are you OK?" Nuriko asked, her expression unreadable.
"Other than the splitting head ache." Zakuro grumbled. "I'm fine. Stupid Suzahara! Sneaking into the room when you were away!"
Nuriko looked at Zakuro and smiled.
"Would you like for me to kill him for you?" Nuriko offered, getting to her bed.
"Tempting." Zakuro said, rubbing her head.
Her stomach started churning. She pushed the thick blanket off of her and tried to get out of bed. She took the support of the wall.
"I will be right back." She waved to Nuriko.
She exited the room and walked towards the lake at the back of the inn to wash up. She walked slowly, each moment laboured.
Chichiri jogged up to her, a sly grin on his face.
"Go away." Zakuro said, shooing him.
He thumped Zakuro on the back. Zakuro caught herself from falling. She pulled herself up taking Chichiri's support. Chichiri mocked her the entire way.
When they reached the lake, Zakuro looked at her reflection. As expected, she looked like a zombie. She smoothened her hair and washed her face. The cool water calmed her a little. She sighed as the water rippled.
"I'm never drinking again!" Zakuro declared, dipping her feet in the lake.
She could hear Chichiri laughing behind her.
"Come here so that I can smack your head." Zakuro said, frowning at Chichiri.
Chichiri laughed.
-X-X-
At the same time, high above the clouds, a procession pulled by shadows passed through Kai Lo.
"Anything catch your fancy, sire?" A throaty voice asked.
There was a pronounced sigh.
"Nothing yet." Another replied.
He looked lazily at the teenage girls, who were tied and gagged, tears running down their cheeks. He sighed again.
"They will have to do, I suppose." The sire said in a while. "Turn around."
"Yes, sire." The throaty voice replied.
They passed over a lake as they were about to turn.
"Wait." The sire said, suddenly.
He sniffed the air.
"Another world..." He muttered, a sinister smile on his lips.
-X-X-
At the tavern, Nuriko and Suzahara argued.
"How could you?" Nuriko chided. "You violated an innocent girl!"
"I did no such thing!" Suzahara spluttered. "I was sleepy too! Just drop it!"
"No." Nuriko said, flexing her muscles. "I'm going to do Zakuro a favour and re-arrange your jaw."
Suzahara stepped back.
"What the hell..." Suzahara muttered.
Nuriko pounced on Suzahara.
"Oh Reaped Souls, Light the Path." Suzahara chanted, immediately, closing his eyes.
Nuriko stopped mid punch as Suzahara's eyes lit up white and a strong gust of wind surrounded him.
The gates to hell, you must close.
A God candidate fate has chose.
An ancient demon from hell set free.
Bound to servitude he must be.
At that point, Suzahara and Nuriko heard a scream pierce the quiet afternoon. They both ran to the front desk and saw patrons running in fear. Suzahara stopped one of the patrons.
"Demon." The patron muttered in fear and ran for the front door.
Suzahara unsheathed his sword and ran towards the back of the inn, Nuriko on his heels.
A sense of dread settled on Suzahara. They arrived at the deserted lake and saw Chichiri sprawled on the ground, unconscious.
Nuriko and Suzahara ran to Chichiri. He didn't seem to be hurt badly. Nuriko sprinkled some lake water on him and he slowly regained consciousness.
He jumped to his feet, swiping characters in the air. The gust of wind ruffled the leaves.
"Shit." He cursed softly.
"What happened?" Nuriko asked.
"Where's Zakuro?" Suzahara asked, looking around.
Chichiri rubbed his head.
"They got her." He sighed before answering.
AN:
Translations:
Baijiu- Type of alcohol that originated in China. As strong as vodka.
Sake- Type of rice wine popular in Japan. (Zakuro thought she was having sake when she was actually having a much stronger drink.)
Kampai- Cheers!
Cultural reference: In ancient China, people slept on hard pillows. Fluffy pillows didn't come into play for a very long time! I did not know that!
-X-X-
No reviews to thank. :(
-X-X-
I really worry if what I'm writing is good or if I'm just wasting bytes in cyberspace. I have been torturing my sister to scrutinize every chapter and post something good. I really enjoy writing this story. T-5 chapters for important announcement.
As always, keep reading.