Crossover Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Journey to the City of Endless Night ❯ Chapter Eighty Two ( Chapter 82 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

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Chapter Eighty-Two

There wasn't a single cloud in the brilliant azure sky. It contrasted starkly with the devastating swath of destruction they followed into the mountains. Uprooted trees lay scattered over the terrain like broken matchsticks. Deep gashes lined the earth, scarring it. The undersides of rocks long buried exposed their slimy secrets. For miles around, there seemed to be endless chaos. The light of day revealed all the horror they had heard the night before.

Sango felt Velvet's arms squeeze tighter around her waist, her face buried into the demon slayer's shoulder as Kirara followed the dwarf sorcerer turned hawk. They had been searching for any clues, any sign of Miroku and Silk since early morning. So far, all they saw was deforested mountains and rubble. Sango fought her growing anxiety, not wanting to face the possibility that the monk and spy hadn't been so lucky in the aftermath of Mal Yaska's demise. Nonetheless, she squeezed her thighs around Kirara, urging the fire cat to fly faster.

“Don't look down. Don't look down. For Belar's sake, don't look down,” Velvet whispered. “Oh---we're so high up. Why didn't I stay back with the pack horses?”

Sango shook her head, a small smile crossing her lips. She slid Velvet's arms further down to loop around her waist. The petite blonde had been crushing her stomach for the last five minutes. “Uh, Liselle, you're squeezing a bit too tight.”

“Oh!” Velvet giggled nervously. “Sorry, Sango. It's not that I don't trust Kirara---but I don't trust the ground. Or gravity. Or Kirara.”

Sango laughed softly. “So trust me instead.”

“Why do you think I was squeezing so hard?”

Sango didn't answer. She watched the hawk spiral a descent and prepared Kirara to do the same. She stared at the barren desolation before them. Here, there were no broken trees. The mountains lay bare, denuded of all vegetation. Small divots where boulders must have sat stood out in shadows like pockmarks in the exposed soil. A great wasteland lay in a concentrated area surrounded by the encroaching forest. This had been done by the Wind Tunnel.

There was no doubt in Sango's mind that they had found the monk and spy. The demon slayer urged Kirara to hurry. The fire cat angled down and landed on silent paws. Kirara stepped towards a small outcrop next to the barren mountain.

Sango called out softly, “Monk?”

The blue-banded hawk landed next to them, blurring and being replaced by the dwarf sorcerer. He gruffly commented, “We're going to have a talk with your monk, little girl, about rearranging the landscape.”

Sango ignored him, calling out a little louder, “Monk, are you there?”

From around the rocks, a wary face peeked out. Beady, dark eyes darted around and a large nose twitched nervously. Hands framed the face, fingers curled under. The little Drasnian spy looked so much like a skittish rat---and if Sango wasn't worried about the monk, she would have laughed.

Silk asked, his voice hoarse, “Who---who's there?”
Velvet's grip loosened on Sango and she slid to the ground, stumbling on shaky feet in his direction. “Thank Belar you're safe, Kheldar.”

The little spy scrambled towards her, clutching her face in his hands. He peppered it with kisses, a broad grin on his face. Silk kissed her, the action desperate. He encased her in his arms, crushing Velvet closer to him, his fingers threading through her honey blonde hair. “You're a sight for sore eyes, Liselle.”

Velvet hugged him back as fiercely. Into his ear, she said firmly, “Don't you ever leave me like that again. You hear me, Kheldar?”

“Not to break up this love fest,” Beldin said, his voice a rumbling growl. “But, is that monk with you?”

“You're a sight for sore eyes, too, Beldin,” Silk quipped.

“Don't be cute with me, Kheldar. I'm not as patient with Alorns as Belgarath is,” Beldin retorted. The dwarf sorcerer stumped towards the outcrop, leaning over. An ugly string of curses erupted from him. “Little girl, you had better get over here.”

Sango rushed over, looking over his large humped back to see Miroku propped up against the mountain. His face appeared pallid and a sheen of sweat coated it. Dark green lines etched pathways across his cheeks, down his throat, and traced under his under-robes. They swirled up his cursed arm, making his skin seem alien. He breathed heavily, the action labored.

Sango heard him whisper through parched lips, “Assailed by affliction, we discover Dharma and find the way to liberation. Thank you, evil forces.”

The demon slayer whirled on the misshapen sorcerer. “You said he'd be untouchable! Look at him! Does he look okay to you?”

“He was untouchable as long as we were in Mal Yaska and in front of Nahaz. After that, well demons don't play by the rules as you can see.” Beldin scratched an arm pit and sighed. “Kheldar, why don't you tell us what happened?”

Sango turned her attention back to the monk and knelt down, gently clasping his cursed hand. Miroku gasped and licked his lips, his hand squeezing hers in a crushing grip. His raspy voice reached her ears as he whispered, “When sorrows invade the mind, we discover Dharma and find lasting happiness. Thank you, sorrow!”

Silk shuddered, burying his nose into Velvet's hair. He inhaled deeply and said, “Well, after the palace collapsed, we ended up in a horrible cave.”

Sango placed her hand onto Miroku's forehead. His skin felt hot and clammy. The demon slayer said, alarm in her voice, “He's burning up!”

Miroku leaned into her touch, a shuddering cough breaking into his meditation. It morphed into a fit, the sound of his coughs emanating from deep inside his chest. At the corner of his mouth, a trickle of blood dribbled out. An agonized moan escaped Miroku. He took a deep breath and resumed his prayers. “Through harm caused by spirits we discover Dharma and find fearlessness. Thank you, ghosts and demons!”

Sango pulled the monk close and eased his head into her lap. She bowed her head and felt tears streak unbidden down her cheeks. She cradled his overheated body in her arms. With one hand, the demon slayer stroked his loose hair away from his face. She didn't need to hear what happened. She knew. He'd sucked something in and it had poisoned him.

“After the cave, Kheldar. I don't need a blow by blow,” Beldin barked. “How did the monk end up looking like someone who's done every drug known to Nyissa in one go?”

“I don't need the blow by blow.” Silk audibly shuddered. “We got out of the cave and realized a demon was on our tail. We couldn't go back in, but we needed cover. Next thing I know, damn monk has me pinned in another cave, muttering some strange prayers.”

“Get to the point, Silk.”

“I don't really remember much from then on. It all blurred into Taur Urgas's pit, Relg, and me fighting Miroku tooth and nail. At some point, though, he gave up whatever he was doing and went out to face the demon. After the hellspawn did its chest beating, I heard wind like I've never heard before. It was like the Cherek Bore. And then it stopped and the demon was gone.”

Beldin cursed loudly. “So that's why he rearranged the landscape. How long ago was that?”

Out of the corner of Sango's eye, she saw Silk look towards the sky. He said, “Well, it's about nine in the morning now, and when that wind knocked me from my stupor it was maybe an hour before dawn.”

“So about four hours.”

Miroku shuddered a moment and tensed, a tight grimace marring his already ill features. He said through clenched teeth, “Through people's hate we discover Dharma and find benefits and happiness. Thank you, those who hate us.”

“He's been doing that for about an hour now,” Silk said. “Monk's the only person I know that thanks a demon for poisoning him. That Buddhism of his has some strange notions.”

Sango's eyes welled with tears and her lip quivered. She whispered brokenly, “You stupid, stupid man. How could you do this to yourself?”

“Sango---,” Miroku rasped. He turned his face towards her, his nose brushing her thigh. He groaned, the sound pained. The dark green lines pulsed and cut deeper across his face. Miroku gasped and his eyes flew open. They were glassy, unfocused, and seemed to stare through her. His body spasmed violently and blood trickled out of the corner of his mouth. The monk's eyes fluttered closed and his body fell limp.

Sango cradled him close, rocking him. She bit her lip to hold in her sobs. This was the worst poisoning she had ever seen him have. She gently smoothed his hair, patting it in an attempt to soothe her frayed nerves. Leaning down, she kissed his temple and eased him back down onto the ground.

The demon slayer stood and whirled on the hunchback sorcerer. She jabbed a finger at him. “It was your idea to take him into that godforsaken city. This is your fault. You need to do something to fix him!”

Beldin stood, unmoved. His hideous face drew into a tight scowl. He said, his voice a rumble, “Just what is it you think I should do, little girl? How should I fix him?”

Sango bit her lip, fresh tears welling up in her eyes. She shouted, “I don't know!” With a vague gesture, she implied sorcery. “Something! Do something!”

Beldin's expression hardened. “I'm afraid things with the Will and Word won't work that way. Only one reckless enough to try what you're suggesting is Belgarion. If I tried to burn away whatever is poisoning your monk, I could do more harm than good. He sucked in a large demon. I'm not sure there's an easy answer for this.”

Sango lunged at him, beating her fists into his over broad shoulders. “How could you take him with and not know he'd end up like this? It's all your fault!”

Beldin didn't retaliate. His long arms encased her, and he pulled her close, letting her vent her anger and sorrow. Sango pounded her fists into his chest, sobbing openly. Each strike made a satisfying thwack. She howled in fury, trying desperately to strike his misshapen face, only to have him squeeze her tighter.

Sango shouted, “You did this to him! You should have made sure that we weren't separated. You shouldn't have even taken him with!”

Beldin remained steadfast, his embrace firm. He didn't retort. He didn't defend himself. He stood as an immovable mountain for her rage to crash against.

“I don't care what tasks you had to complete. Look at what you've done to the monk!” Sango screamed, her fists hitting his hard shoulders. “I'll never forgive you if he dies. Never!”

The hunchback sorcerer only pulled her closer. No matter how much anger she hurled at him, it seemed he would refuse her the satisfaction of fighting back. He reached one gnarled hand up, gently rubbing her back. Somehow, the action only fueled the demon slayer's temper more.

“Why didn't you let us keep searching last night? You knew there were demons after him and you didn't let us get to him in time! We could have stopped him from using the Wind Tunnel!” Sango punctuated each statement with a blow. She screamed, anger coursing through her. She snarled, “This is all your fault!”

All the fury suddenly drained from Sango, and she slumped against the dwarf sorcerer, weeping. The power of her sobs rocked through her. She felt her knees go weak. His strong arms held her against him, and his solid form gave her something to ground herself to. Sango cried, the anguish seeping into the core of her being. Never had she felt such fear for Miroku.

Brokenly, Sango whispered, “I can't lose him. I love him.”

Beldin whispered, his rough voice soft, “I know, Sango. I know. Let it all out now.”

His rough hand threaded through her hair and she felt him rock her slowly. Beldin gently held her, his chin resting atop her head. He hummed softly, the sound soothing her frayed nerves. This gruff sorcerer---the very same that had threatened to disembowel another man---showed her such tenderness. Sango sobbed brokenly, feeling the last of her anger towards him melt away.

Beldin asked softly, “There. Do you feel better?”

“Yes.” Sango nodded. She took a step back and wiped some tears away. “I---I'm sorry, everyone.”

The demon slayer bowed her head, ashamed she had shown such weakness. She bowed low to Beldin, wordlessly showing her contrition.

“Don't be. I'm not for freaking out on the poor monk last night,” Silk said. The spy grunted softly as the wind was knocked out of him. “Okay, okay. Maybe a little sorry. You didn't have to elbow me in the gut, Liselle.”

“Pay Kheldar no mind,” the little blonde spy said. “Besides, you helped me last night, Sango. It's okay.”

Beldin tilted her chin up and smiled. The expression made his deformed face beautiful, and warmth emanated from his eyes. “Nothing to be sorry for, Lady-O. We're all entitled to 'ave a little melt down now and again, don't y' know? Now, let's find a way to get us all back to camp. Polgara might have a remedy that can help yer monk.”

There was scuffling behind the demon slayer followed by the soft purrs of Kirara.

“Nice kitty. Nice kitty,” Silk said, his voice cracking.

Sango giggled, wiping more tears away. “Kirara, don't scare Silk. That's not nice.”

“Kheldar, scratch under her chin. She likes that,” Velvet said, an amused lilt to her voice.

“Yeah, like I'm sticking my hand anywhere near those overgrown fangs. I'm fond of my fingers, thank you,” Silk retorted.

The fire cat padded over to Sango, bumping her head against the demon slayer's shoulders. She purred, the sound rumbling deep from within. Sango turned, kissing Kirara on the nose before rubbing her cheek against the fire cat's. Kirara rubbed her nose onto Sango's. The demon slayer reached up, scratching her ears, earning her a contented meow as the fire cat leaned into her ministrations.

“I love you, too, Kirara.”

“So Beldin, how will we get back to the pack horses?” Velvet asked.

“That's a very good question,” Beldin said, scratching a large hand over his beard. “There's three of you---and then there's the monk. He's clearly in no condition to travel all that far. And tonight's the new moon. It'll make travel even more complicated.”

“Well, if I never see this cave ever again---or any cave for that matter---it'll be too soon. I don't want to stay here another night,” Silk said.

Beldin assessed Kirara, walking around the large cat. He pursed his lips, looking from them to the cat again. “Little girl, you think that cat of yours can carry three? She's an excellent flier---for a feline.”

Sango scratched Kirara under the chin, earning her another head bump. She nodded. “Absolutely. Kirara often carries me, the monk, and Kagome.”

“Good.” Beldin stumped over to her. “Then this is how we'll do this. You'll fly Kheldar and Liselle back to the pack horses---,”

Sango's eyes widened and she gasped. Her eyes darted to the still form of Miroku. “But what about the monk? I'm not leaving him here!”

“Not askin' y' to, Lady-O,” Beldin replied, lapsing into Feldegast's baroque. “I'll stay with him and when you come back, we'll get him to the pack horses.”

“Uh, Beldin, on second thought, I'll take the cave,” Silk said, eying the fire cat with wary eyes. “And not to ruin your plan, but I don't think our spiritual friend is any condition to fly, either.”

“It's not that bad, Kheldar,” Velvet said. “She's kinda like riding a horse, but in the sky.”

Kirara growled softly, the sound injured.

“Liselle, you nearly squeezed me to death,” Sango pointed out. She looked at the hunchbacked sorcerer. “Okay, but how do we get the monk to stay on Kirara on the way back?”

“Simple, me girl.” Beldin winked. In his hand, a long white rope appeared. “We tie him on. I can't translocate him without all of the Malloreon Church finding out, and I don't risk changing him in any way. With the way he's poisoned, I don't know what it might do. So, that leaves tying him onto the cat.”

Sango looked from the rope to Miroku and back. She bit her lip. “I don't know---,”

“I'll re-enforce it while I fly alongside you. He'll remain stable.” A sober expression crossed his face. “It's the only option we have. When Ctuchik willed himself out of existence, Belgarath had the snot knocked out of him. My brother took the brunt of that explosion and rode so fazed I doubt he remembers the trek out of Cthol Murgos with our Master's Orb. Polgara held him on his horse with her Will alone, but I don't dare do that without reinforcements here. If that cat has to shift too quickly, he'd fall. So, we'll tie him on to make sure we get the monk back to the horses.”

“Alright. You'll stay with him?” Sango asked. She wanted so badly to trust this sorcerer---that he'd watch over Miroku while she did this.

“I will.” He gently rested a hand onto her shoulder. “Don't worry, little girl. He's in good hands.”

Sango smiled weakly. She yanked Miroku's staff from the ground. “Well, let's get back to the horses so we can get back to everyone else.”

Kirara stood still and Sango launched herself onto her back, scooting towards the front to make room. She held the staff across her lap, knowing it'd be easier to take with on this trip than with the monk later. The demon slayer looked over her shoulder---and hirakotsu---at Silk and Velvet, seeing their twin expressions of apprehension. She shook her head, a small smile on her face.

“We don't have all day, you two,” Beldin growled. He knelt down next to the monk, gently brushing hair out of his face. Over his humped back, he barked, “Now. Get on the cat or I'll turn you both into rats and feed you to her. Choose wisely, me friends.”

Velvet climbed on first, her arms curling snuggly around Sango's waist again. She trembled behind her, the nervous energy building the static electricity. With a shaky voice, she said, “Come on, Kheldar. She doesn't bite.”

The little rat faced spy hoisted himself up behind his wife, his arms secure around her. “Okay, okay, Beldin. No need to get nasty about it. I don't appreciate the obvious dig at my appearance any more than you do, my hunchbacked friend.”

“Keep talking, Kheldar, and I'll do it anyways,” Beldin retorted.

Sango patted Kirara on the shoulder, and the fire cat launched herself into the air. Behind her, she heard the spy squeak in surprise. The demon slayer couldn't help the laugh that tore from her throat. The hunchbacked sorcerer had threatened to turn him into a rat---and here he was squeaking like one. Its irony was utterly ridiculous.

“It's not that funny!” Silk said, his voice reaching higher octaves.

The trek back to the pack horses was rather uneventful. They followed the same path of destruction. Sango pushed Kirara to fly faster, wanting to return quickly to the monk. They still had to deal with his poisoning, and she didn't want to leave him alone for too long.

A soft murmured mantra reached her ears as Silk kept repeating endlessly, “Don't look down.”

Finally, the small grove hiding the cave they had tied the pack horses into emerged below them. Sango angled Kirara to land nearby. As the fire cat landed on silent paws, the demon slayer felt the crushing grip on her waist ease. She looked over her shoulder to see Silk and Velvet land on shaky legs. They steadied each other, eying Kirara warily.

Silk said, “I get it now. The monk kept repeating those prayers and they didn't make sense to me, but I get it now. I don't think I want to do that again. Ever. No caves. No flying.”

“It wasn't that bad,” Velvet said, a slight tremor in her voice. “Not if you didn't think too hard about how high up we were, that is. Or how far away the ground was.”

“Stop talking, Liselle,” Silk grumbled. “I now know why I'm short. I was meant to be close to the ground.”

Sango shook her head, laughing softly. She stuck the monk's staff into the ground and slipped hirakotsu from her back to stand next to it. She said, “Not to interrupt, but I'm going back for the monk.”

“Good luck, Sango,” Velvet said. “We'll make sure everything is ready when you come back.”

The fire cat took flight, and Sango pushed her to fly even faster. They needed to get back to Beldin and Miroku without delay. This time, Sango didn't have to worry about any passengers. It was freeing to fly solo---to have a destination and a mission. With all of the anxiety and uncertainty surrounding the monk's condition, the demon slayer needed something she could control---and the time to clear her thoughts. She paid little mind to the landscape below, only checking it at intervals to check her progress. She trusted Kirara to know where they were going.

Her emotional outburst replayed in her mind. Sango was stunned by how candid it had been. She had admitted to a total stranger that she loved Miroku. She hadn't really voiced it before now, but having put it into words, Sango knew that she had to face it. She loved Miroku---and she couldn't imagine losing him now after losing so much.

Despite his bad habits---and there were many---Sango knew the real man underneath. He was smart, kind, generous, sweet, and considerate. Miroku was funny. He may have been a lecher at times---and he pressed all her buttons with his behavior---and yet she knew she only got angry because she didn't want him to know that she liked his touch. Underneath it, though, Sango most enjoyed the challenge the monk provided. She found him complex and intriguing in ways no one else had ever been. She loved him, and now she had to make sure he was around for her to keep on loving.

Kirara began a steady descent as soon as the barren mountain came into view. She landed softly, stepping towards the prostrate monk. The hunchback sorcerer sat with him, one of his large hands gently mopping the monk's brow with a cloth. He gruffly said, “You did such a stupid, reckless thing, sucking in that demon. You sure you're not really an Alorn? Only an Alorn would see something like your curse as a weapon and then be stupid enough to actually use it. I hope you don't have any more brilliant ideas, monk.”

Miroku chuckled softly, the sound raspy. He said, his voice raw, “No. I can't say that I am---an Alorn that is.” A deep cough rumbled from his chest followed by sharp wheezes as he tried to catch his breath. He whispered, “What I am, however, is thirsty.”

“You're damn lucky I have a soft spot for that demon slayer of yours, monk. I'm not doing this out of the goodness of my own heart, don't y' know?” Beldin slowly eased Miroku upright, leaning his frame against his chest. In one gnarled hand a cup of water appeared. The hunchbacked sorcerer placed it at the monk's lips, gently tipping it. “Easy. Sip it nice and slow. No need to have it come back up.”

Sango watched, fascinated by the sorcerer's tenderness. His actions betrayed what his gruff words tried so hard to hide. She could pick upon Beldin's concern. His compassion shone in the way he tipped the water cup in small increments, allowing the sick monk to swallow its cooling liquid. Tears welled in the demon slayer's eyes as she realized that Beldin truly cared---and judging by his careful attention to Miroku felt some level of guilt for what had happened after their escape from Mal Yaska. Through her tears, she felt a smile cross her lips as she realized that the dwarf sorcerer reminded her so much of Inuyasha---all harsh exterior hiding the gentle soul inside.

Before she could alert them to her return, Miroku turned his face away from the water cup. The ugly green fissures criss-crossing his face seemed deeper and darker. He whispered, his voice defeated, “Thank you for the water. It'd be best, however, to just leave me here and for everyone to go on without me. I can't move and I don't want to be a burden anymore than I already have been.”

“Okay, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you're part Arend. Only an Arend would say something so self-sacrificingly stupid. I'm not writing you a ballad, if that's what you think,” Beldin retorted. “Don't be an imbecile. You're not going to die, and I promised that little girl that we'd get you back to camp. I don't break my promises.”

Fear curled in Sango's gut. She couldn't believe that the monk had given up so easily. She thought back to his mantras. She realized why he had been reciting them. It hadn't been to give himself to focus on until they could find him. It wasn't a method to keep him present, tethered to his consciousness. Sango realized that the monk had been reciting these prayers to prepare himself for death. Miroku was dying---or at least believed he was. Sango felt tears prick her eyes as she realized she was losing him here and now.

And then the demon slayer felt her fear burn away into rage. How dare he simply give up like this? How dare he think he could die? Sango stomped over towards the pair, her fists clenched to her sides. She towered over the ailing monk, balefully staring down at him.

“Sango---,” Miroku began, his voice a soft whisper.

“Can it, monk,” Sango snarled through gritted teeth. “How dare you! Haven't I lost enough? Haven't I had to say goodbye to too many? Isn't it enough that I've lost my father, my brother Kohaku, my village---everything? Haven't I given enough? And now I have to lose you, too? I can't. I won't let you die, Miroku.”

Miroku's eyes went wide. He whispered, “Sango, I---,”

Sango cut him off, not nearly finished with her tirade. “I did not push you out of the way of that demon's attack just so you could quit on me. And furthermore, you were supposed to be okay after I did. How dare you try and get yourself killed, you selfish idiot! You're getting on Kirara and going back with me even if I have to hold you on myself. As if I would ever leave you behind. Are we clear, monk? You don't get to leave me behind. Not ever!”

Sango threw herself onto her knees and took the monk's face into her hands. She kissed him fiercely, her tongue tangling with his. Gently, she combed her hands through his loose hair, threading her fingers in it. She broke it off, leaning her forehead against his. “Damn it, I love you, you stupid, stupid ass. If you die on me, monk, I'll make Sesshomaru bring you back with that sword of his---just so I can kill you. Got it?”

Miroku smiled weakly. He nodded slowly. “Yes, my dear Sango.”

Beldin chortled softly. He kept the monk propped against his broad chest. The dwarf sorcerer looked down into Miroku's face. He pointed a stubby finger at Sango and said, “Monk, marry that girl. Marry her now.”

Sango blushed furiously, her hands falling away from Miroku's face. She clenched them in her lap and looked down, her hair falling into her eyes. She had completely forgotten about Beldin. “Uh---I---I forgot that we weren't alone---,”

Beldin chuckled softly. “Don't worry, me girl. Yer pep talk be jist what our spiritual friend needed t' hear. Now, let's get him on yer feline friend before the day gets away from us, don't y' know?”

Sango nodded tentatively. She looked up, her eyes connecting first with Miroku's, then with Beldin's. “Okay. How are we going to do that?”

“Climb onto the cat and I'll get the monk on after you,” Beldin said. “It'll be tricky, but if we take our time there's no reason we shouldn't get him where we want to go.”

Sango jumped onto Kirara's back. She coaxed the fire cat to lay down on her stomach, making it easier to maneuver Miroku onto her back. Once she was in position, the demon slayer watched Beldin lift the  monk carefully in his long arms, cradling him. The monk gasped at the movement, pain marring his expression. His limbs dangled uselessly. How could they do this if Miroku couldn't even hang onto her?

Slowly, the hunchback eased him astride the cat. He said, his tone curt, “Lift your arms, little girl.”

Sango did as told, watching Beldin loop Miroku's arms around her waist. He made his hands interlace together and then cut a piece of his rope, tying the monk's wrists together. Once they were snug, Beldin let go. Behind her, Sango felt Miroku's heavy weight rest on her back. Sango held her frame stiff, straining to keep them both steady. Little by little, the demon slayer felt the pressure lessen until she hardly noticed his presence at her back. If not for his labored breathing in her ear, Sango would have thought Beldin had taken Miroku back off of Kirara. Somehow, the dwarf had to be using sorcery to lighten the load. Next, Beldin snaked rope around Miroku's waist. He gestured that Kirara should stand, and slowly the fire cat complied, allowing the sorcerer to secure the rope twice around her belly.

“Walk around a minute. I want to make sure he's steady,” Beldin ordered.

Kirara slowly took careful steps as she carried them around the small clearing. Miroku shifted forward minutely, his chin resting on Sango's shoulder. He chuckled sardonically. “When I envisioned being tied up with you, my dear Sango, it wasn't anything like this.”

Sango laughed softly. She chided half-heartedly, “Hentai.”

Miroku whispered, his hot breath tickling her ear, “Only for you.”

Sango blushed profusely. “Miroku---,”

Beldin said, “Alright. He's in flying shape. I'll stay close to keep him steady. Let's go. We need to get back to the others before nightfall.”

He shimmered, the blue-banded hawk taking his place. With a piercing cry, he launched into the air, Kirara following behind. The journey was a slow but steady one. The hawk had quickly fallen into line next to the fire cat, gliding effortlessly. They kept to the same path of destruction, making their way under the mid-afternoon sun. Sango turned her head, catching Miroku's face out of the corner of her eye. The spidery green veins remained an ever present reminder of his predicament, but his boyish expression made her smile. Miroku had fallen asleep, his cheek resting on her shoulder.

Sango gently brushed her fingers over his interlaced hands. “Almost there, Miroku.”

Finally, the clearing she had dropped Silk and Velvet off in came into view. There stood her hirakotsu and the monk's staff side by side. Nearby, a wagon waited, the rat faced spy sitting in the driver's seat.

He called out, “Good timing! I just got back with the transportation for our spiritual friend!”

Sango landed Kirara and the hawk followed suit. It flickered and Beldin reappeared. “Good work, Kheldar. Guess you won't be a snack for the cat after all.”

“Very funny,” Silk retorted.

“Come on. Let's get the monk into the wagon and get out of here,” Beldin said, nimbly untying Miroku. “We need to keep moving. No telling how many Temple Guardsmen and Grolims are looking for us---and I don't feel like giving them an object lesson on why wanted posters with my face paper all the trees.”

Sango held still while Beldin untied Miroku's hands. The monk remained asleep, his shallow breaths tickling her ear. Once the last rope was free, she felt the dwarf lift him away.

“Retrieve your things, little girl, and get into the wagon. Best keep him elevated and still while we make our way back to camp,” Beldin said, holding the monk.

Sango nodded and did as told. She settled his staff carefully into a corner followed by hirakotsu. Then she settled into the other corner with Kirara, transformed into her small form. Beldin carefully set Miroku into the wagon, stretching him out.

Sango eased him into her lap and kissed his temple. She brushed hair away from his face. Sango whispered, “When I envisioned us cuddling, monk, you were awake for it. Next time---and there will be a next time---you will be. You hear me?”


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