DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha and all of the canon characters featured in this fanfic are the property of Takahashi Rumiko, Sunrise, Viz and all other respective copyright owners. I do not lay claim to these characters in any way, shape or form.
Chapter 25
The camp lay sombre under an ashen sky. The air was still thick with the reek of smoke. Sodden cinders clung to her boots. Every soldier she passed bore burns and bandages. The fire had left nothing unscathed. Even the Avatar couldn't take their eyes off the devastation.
She made her way to the central campfire. A trio of guards awaited her before the medical tent. She gave them a nod as she approached.
"How's the patient?"
"No better," one of the guards muttered. He glanced over at her and started. He covered his shock with a deep bow. "Avatar."
The others followed suit. The oldest of them - a flint-faced veteran - was the first to straighten up. "It's an honour to see you here, Avatar Kikyou," he began.
"Thank you." She dipped her head in a brief bow. "I'll see to him now."
"Of course."
The guard's face remained stony. His companions exchanged a glance.
She gave them a faint frown. "Is something amiss?"
"N-nothing, Avatar," one of the younger guards replied. He kept his eyes fixed on the dwindling embers.
She held them with a stare. The younger guards avoided it as best they could. The oldest was the first to find his courage. He cleared his throat.
"With all due respect, Avatar-"
"Yes?"
"Look, this may not be my place but-"
She raised an eyebrow.
He swallowed before continuing. "It's just - well, the healers have already done all they can for him. He may not live to see another sunrise." His voice was steady but his eyes betrayed his hopes. Most of the Water Tribe took a dim view of deserters.
"We shall see." She took a step towards the tent. "May I?"
The guard shirked at her approach. He recovered his dignity with a resigned grunt. "Very well, Avatar."
The others were only too happy to let her pass. She gave them a brief nod before she slipped inside the tent.
She woke in a haze of heat. Her head throbbed with her heartbeat. Her mouth was a dustbowl. Her sodden clothes clung to her like a shroud. She was bruised, beaten and parched as a stone. Yet she was still breathing. She could cling to life, if nothing else.
Getting up was far from the best of ideas. That didn't stop her from trying. Her efforts brought her nothing but a dull rustle. Her shoulders groaned. She eased her eyes open with a wince.
Iron bars stood stark before her. Flames flickered in the gloom. Heavy shackles chafed her wrists and ankles. Torchlight glinted off her chains. Shippou and Mayu were nowhere in sight.
She tried her voice. Her throat produced nothing but a hoarse rasp. Her head slumped forwards. She might as well try to yank the chains out of the walls while she was at it. Of course they wouldn't put a firebender in this furnace. Let alone a fire spirit. Shippou had to have made it out somehow.
Soft footsteps echoed down the corridor. She raised her gaze with a wince. Someone must be keeping an eye on her. She blinked and made out her jailer.
A young boy approached at a nervous pace, carrying a large bucket. His eyes, hair and clothes were all an unremarkable brown. He must be a servant; even the Fire Nation didn't recruit this young. He set the bucket down before her cage. She couldn't resist a longing stare.
The boy cleared his throat. He pulled a long ladle from the bucket and held it up to the bars.
"Here."
She stared down at the ladle. Her mouth ached with desire. It took all her strength not to dive straight for it. Spirits knew what they could have slipped in there. She turned her face away.
The boy stared nonplussed. She kept her eyes fixed on the floor. Thirst tore at her throat. She fought the urge to lick the sweat from her lips.
"Ah." The boy gave her a nervous prod with the ladle.
She started. A few drops spilled over her face. She shook her head before her tongue could betray her. Understanding dawned in the boy's eyes.
"It's okay." He withdrew the ladle and took a careful sip from it. "See?"
Her stomach gurgled. She shook her head weakly. Of course it would be even more treacherous than her tongue. She forced herself to focus on another spot on the floor.
The boy bent down with a sigh. He emptied out the ladle on the floor. Every trickle was agonising. He refilled the ladle and lifted it back up to the bars. He slid it through without spilling a drop.
"Here." He offered it to her with a pleading look. A faint blush joined the scatter of freckles across his nose and cheeks. He couldn't be much older than Souta or Mayu.
The mere sight of the brimming ladle was enough to part her lips. She suppressed a sigh at her own eagerness. Still, there had to be a better escape plan than dying of thirst. For some reason, Manten wanted her alive. She'd have more chance of finding out why if she played along.
She took a small sip. The boy nodded encouragement. She took another, fighting the urge to gulp down the lot. The boy held the ladle steady until she drained it dry.
He took it back as soon as she was finished. She gave him a hopeful glance. The boy shook his head. A touch of guilt tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"That's all for now."
He turned his back on her without another word. He picked up the bucket and walked away before she could muster a reply.
She slumped back against her chains with a groan. The message was plain enough: they'd let her live, but barely. Well, she'd just have to make them regret it. If only she could figure a way out.
She sighed as her eyelids began to flutter. The torches swam before her eyes. This heat wasn't doing her any favours. Even her thoughts took a toll on her aching head. She closed her eyes with another sigh. If only she could just...
She was met with choking darkness. Her hand rose to her mouth. She took a moment to settle her stomach. She'd been warned.
A faint cough came from the gloom. She lifted her hand from her face. Flames blossomed on her palm. Her eyes narrowed as they adjusted to the shifting shadows. She blinked and made out a pitiful figure lying on a palette of furs.
The sight alone was enough to raise her bile. The stench almost made it give way. The Fire Nation had left the man a burned husk of his former self. His entire body was shrouded in bandages. Only his eyes and mouth were left bare. Even they could barely move. As far as most of the healers were concerned, he might as well be a corpse.
She swirled a fresh breeze through the doorway. He cracked an eye open. His rheumy gaze strained towards her footsteps. His parched lips mumbled a word as she approached.
"Water... "
His hand twitched towards her. Even that was enough to make his ruined features twist with pain. She hushed him and knelt down beside him.
She found a small soapstone lamp among the healers' scattered belongings. She lit it with her index finger. She snuffed out her own flames as it took light. The patient flinched at the sudden brightness.
She dimmed the flames a fraction. He reached for her hand with a groan. His fingers tightened before he could lift his arm. Another scowl tore at his features. She soothed him with a light touch on his shoulder.
"Save your strength."
His mouth twisted into a mockery of a smile. "Save." He let out a dry chuckle. It soon broke into a rasping cough.
She reached for her canteen. "Here." She lifted his head and eased a trickle down his throat.
He swallowed it with another cough. Water dribbled down his chin. She wiped it away with a cloth. He attempted a smirk.
"Kind." His voice was anything but.
She shook her head. His taunts were as feeble as his breaths. She wiped away the last few drops and laid him back down. His smirk twisted into another grimace.
"Relax. There's more if you need it."
He didn't bother with a reply. She suppressed a sigh and reached for the flask at her waist. Of course he wasn't going to make this easy.
She uncorked the flask and reached for her chi. The water sprang to her hand like a tamed beast. A warm glow spread through the liquid. She collected her breath and reached out towards the patient.
He flinched away from the light. Another groan escaped his mouth. She laid a reassuring hand beside him.
"It won't hurt."
He attempted to shake his head. That brought on another wince and more coughing. She sighed and set down the flask. She reached out both hands and got to work.
The water spread over his chest like a blanket. His eyes widened as it crept towards his throat. She hushed him with a smile.
"Relax."
He winced as the water brightened. She carried on her work, ignoring his mumbled complaints. He couldn't keep them up for long. A few moments was all it took for his scowl to ease into a sigh.
She carried on until his breath finally steadied. She recalled the water with a flick of her wrist. He let out a soft moan. His body was limper than ever. There was only so much that even the Oasis could do. At least his breathing was a little easier now. That should help him rest, if nothing else.
She reached for the flask. His fingers grasped her sleeve. His grip was surprisingly strong. She was still far stronger. She brushed his hand away.
"You need to rest."
"Need-" He broke into another cough. His face tightened with frustration. His mouth tried to form another word. "Nee-"
"Rest." He certainly didn't need to argue with her. She drew back her hand and reached for the canteen. "Would you like some more-"
A soft rustle caught her attention. A shadow fell across the doorway. She glanced over her shoulder and found a familiar face peeking through the tent flap.
"Kikyou?"
Her eyes opened to the same scene. The same stinking, sweltering, choking pit. Moon knew how much time had passed. The torches may have been a little dimmer. Or maybe her head was just a little clearer. She could have been out for hours or minutes. One was much the same as another in this hole.
Her eyes searched the shadows for any signs of life. There was certainly no sign of Mayu. She hadn't glimpsed so much as a hair of Shippou. Spirits only knew what was keeping him away. Not that there were any others around to ask. Besides, she was hardly going to put her faith in Kikyou.
She tried her voice. No one answered her. She swallowed and tried again. Her throat soon made her wish she'd never bothered. She held her tongue and her temper while she bided her time. Not that she had much choice. Even sleep eluded her.
The boy was her only relief. He returned once with a bowl of broth and another ladle. He fed her as best he could. It was mostly vegetables, salted and spiced a fair deal more than she cared for. At least a third of it slopped down her clothes and onto the floor. She gulped it down all the same.
He left her as soon as she finished. She didn't even get the chance to whisper a thanks. She leaned back again her chains and prepared herself for another wait. If she had any luck she might even get to spend some of it asleep. The prison's silence was almost enough to make her miss the voice in her head.
Her eyes were starting to slip shut when a light drifted into view. This one was brighter and clearer than any torch. So Manten had finally deigned to speak to her. She swallowed her nerves and lifted her chin. Well, she certainly had more than a few words for him.
"In here." The boy's voice was soft as ash. He stepped aside to allow her visitor a closer look.
"Keh. This all you got?"
Her eyes shot wide open. Her head snapped up in shock. There was no mistaking that keh. Sure enough, she met a familiar golden scowl.
"Inuyasha?"
Constructive criticism is very welcome!
I update once a month.
