Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ Nemesis ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 5 )

Chapter 4 :

 

Lee moaned and sat up .

 

"Where is the truck that hit me ?"she muttered looking around.

 

It looked that she had been lying in a grassy glen, hemmed in by tall trees on all sides. Through their dense canopy filtered sunlight shone down on her. There were grass stains on her skirt and dry leaves in her hair. A soft breeze danced through the leaves , lifting her wayward locks and cooling her sweaty forehead .

 

"I must have fainted ." She concluded loudly," Yang must have brought me out here.”

 

'But if you fainted wouldn't Yang take you to a hospital?'A small voice whispered in her head. 'Where was Yang anyway?

 

Frowning Lee looked around.

 

"Yang ", she called out "Come out!"

 

Only the soft rustling of the leaves and the lazy twitter of the birds answered her. A small trickle of fear began to creep up her spine. She got up dusting her skirt.

 

"Yang." her voice held a tinge of anxiety and a lot of anger "Come out this instant. This is not funny anymore."

 

Still nothing!

 

Silence could be deafening sometimes…

 

"Yang. Yang. Where are you?" Lee 's eyes shone with tears of anger and fear.

 

"Please…”

 

Her voice was a pleading whisper

 

"Somebody… Anybody…Answer me…"

 

There was a rustling of the undergrowth.

 

Lee whirled half in anticipation, half in fear… A huge wolf slowly revealed itself through the gap in the trees.

 

Lee froze.

 

'A wolf? In the city ' her brain refused to cooperate.

 

The wolf looked hungry and underfed. Its golden brown skin looked dull and the ribs were sticking out. The yellow fangs were bared fiercely at her, as was the feral brown eyes

 

Involuntarily Lee took a step backwards.

 

The low growling sound from the wolf froze her again.

 

The wolf bared its teeth at her growling. Lee's legs started to shake .Her throat appeared abnormally dry.

 

And then she lost her head.

 

"Oh go on!" she yelled dramatically, flaying her hands around "Eat me! You… evil wolf! May you have indigestion…"

 

The wolf appeared taken aback.

 

It sat down on its haunches observing her. Slowly the fur began to recede, the fangs started to shorten, the elongated snout transformed into a somewhat humanoid shape. Instead of the wolf there was a boy in its place staring rather strangely at her.

 

"Why would I want to eat you?"The boy said pleasantly "I only smelled food in your backpack. Give me your bag and I will let you go in peace."

 

 

Lee was frozen in absolute horror. She raised a trembling finger at him

 

"You…You… " she gulped "You are a werewolf ! "

 

She let out an ear splitting scream and ran blindly into the forest. She ran wildly the thorn bushes tore at her bare legs… She tripped over the root of a tree and fell hard on the dried leaves that carpeted the forest floor.

 

"Ouch!"

 

She grimaced holding her bruised knee. Strangely that fall brought her world into focus .She cocked her ears listening intently.

 

Silence.

 

'Must have outran him!'Lee panted

 

Her throat felt parched. She looked around.an uneasy feeling knotting in her stomach. It was quite clear that even though she had outran the werewolf . She herself was totally lost! A slow dreadful idea formed in her mind. What if Yang had fallen a victim to that…creature? She felt sick. But how did she get to this place in the first place? The last thing she remembered was the fiery glow…

 

'I must be dreaming 'Lee thought happily' this is just a big nightmare. Yang is probably going to wake me up at any instant and give me another big boring lecture on not sleeping in the library!'

 

Lee chuckled to herself.

 

Suddenly Lee felt herself jerked around "I want your bag girl! "The voice was a low growl

 

Lee shivered looking up into the brown eyes.

 

"No." she swung her arm wildly the flat of her palm coming in full contact with the boy's cheek in a ringing slap.

 

"Get away.” She pushed the boy away; her eyes wild with terror.and ran.

 

Lee could hear the footsteps behind her as she lengthened her stride, her aching limbs tiring.

 

"I shouldn't have cut all those gym classes "she muttered darkly to herself as she ran through the forest.

Suddenly the ground seemed to give away from under her…Her eyes widened with fear as she fell… A pair of strong hands caught her and hauled her up as she watched wide eyed… her favorite red ribbon had uncoiled itself form her tresses and fell down the cliff into the misty nothingness below…

 

'That could have been me!' Lee shivered sinking unthinkingly into the comfort of the arms that circled her.

 

"Thank you." she turned smiling at her savior.

 

Her smile faded away. It was the boy from whom she was running away in the first place!

 

"You !" she squeaked.

 

"Yes me !"There was a hint of anger in the boy's voice.

 

" Haven't you ever been robbed before? "He sneered, " I did not ask for your jewels or your money. All I asked for was the food I smelled in your bag and you had to go and jump over a cliff."

 

Lee was confused.

 

Wasn't a werewolf supposed to kill her in the most gory and painful manner and then eat her?

 

But he saved her.

 

"You saved me… Why?" Lee's voice was full of wonder.

 

"Is it so difficult to understand " the boy pulled away from her and folded his hand in a forbidding manner "I am not a murderer." His voice was sullen "I merely wanted the food. But it seems to me that you have more need of it since you were ready to jump off the cliff rather than give it to me. Keep your belongings. I will bother you no more."

 

He turned to go.

 

Instinctively Lee shot out a hand "Wait!"

 

The boy raised an eyebrow "Why?"

 

Lee lowered her head as she twisted her hand figuring out how best to term her predicament "You see I was lost and I cannot find my friend and you frightened me! "

 

The feeling she had been having since she woke up now overpowered her as fat drops of tears coursed down her eyes "So…I ran!" Her shoulders shook with grief.

 

The boy looked uneasy at her tears

 

. Hesitatingly he patted her shoulders "Don't cry girl! I did not mean to scare you, well not very much!"He admitted truthfully.

 

Lee smiled weakly at him "I know "

 

She dabbed the corners of her eyes delicately with a tissue and smiled at him "Lets start again .I am Lee." She held out a delicate white hand to him as a gesture of friendship.

 

The boy looked at her hand uncertainly before grabbing it in his warm calloused hands "I am Faraco."

 

"Faraco" Lee repeated.

 

It had such a strange tinge to it. Still it was a good name.

 

"Faraco would you like to share the food I have with me?" she smiled at him

 

Faraco nodded hungrily eying the bag Lee carried.

 

Faraco led her to a tiny stream in the forest. Lee washed her face in the cold water of the stream .She opened her bag and brought out the packed lunch that her mother had put in her bag that morning. She handed the packet to Faraco.

 

Faraco carefully unwrapped the packet; sniffing at the sandwich " This is unlike any food I have ever seen.”

 

Lee giggled a little watching Faraco gobble the sandwich. It was clear to her that Faraco was a boy.maybe of her elder brother Tori's age. His profile was lean and wiry but that could be due to lack of food .His head was covered with a dense mop of unruly golden hair and when he had washed away some of the grime that covered his face in the waters of the stream, Lee was surprised to find a rather boyishly handsome face with warm chocolate brown eyes underneath it .He wore a assortment of clothing which appeared to be more like rags.a rather dirty tunic that slipped of his shoulders.

 

Lee concluded that Faraco must be a homeless man.

 

Still, something worried her.

 

She could not recall any dense forests like this near the town where she stayed.

 

Maybe Faraco could help her.

 

"So… "she smiled at him "Where do you stay?"

 

Faraco stopped munching the chips she had given him, his thin face suddenly serious "I used to stay in a small village. But it does not matter any more! "

 

 

"Why?"Lee asked.

 

Faraco put down the bag of chips she had given him

 

"I thank you for your kindness. But I must go now " He said, abruptly getting up.

 

"Wait!" Lee yelled.

 

"You must tell me where the nearest tube station is!"She jumped up "Please, you have to help me!"She joined her hand in front of her in a supplicating manner

 

. Faraco stared at her.puzzled.

 

”Tube?"His voice was confused "I have heard of no such thing !"

 

"What?" Lee mouth formed an 'O' "How can you not hear about the tube?"

 

Faraco looked at Lee gently apprising her. She did not look from around here. Her kimono looked strange and indecently short. And the strange pair of cloth that covered the lower part of her legs seemed to be of no purpose at all. And her shoes.they was strange. She must be from another land.

 

Lee watched Faraco's eyes move over her. Her face heated up.

 

She put both her hands on her hips; her eyes flashed, "Has nobody told you that it is rude to stare.” Her voice was harsher than she intended.

 

Faraco turned from her blushing "I will point you in the direction of the village. Maybe you will find your people there!"He pointed at a forest track "Take that path .You will reach a village before sundown."

 

He turned to go.

 

"Faraco!" she moved ahead and held his arm "W…Where am I?"

 

"You are in a forest south of the capital of Konon ."Faraco was surprised at her lack of knowledge "In fact the capital is just two sundown's distance from this place . Don't you know that ?"

 

Lee was beginning to feel faint . The incidents of the previous moments in the library came back to her with amazing clarity .The bird… the book …Oh God !And for the second time in the same day Lee fell in a dead faint !

 

When Lee finally opened her eyes it was already dusk .Night had spread her satin veil over the lands. She groaned and sat up .It appeared that she was lying in a cave .A small fire burned at the mouth of the cave and her bag was kept at a corner. She got up .It seemed that she had been lying on a bed of dried leaves , some of which stuck to her hair . Absentmindedly she picked the errant leaves out of her hair.

 

'I must look like a mess .' Lee frowned.

 

She was beginning to understand where she was .

 

It was the world of the Four Gods. When she was younger she pestered her grandmother to tell her about this place, the adventures she had and often imagined herself in her grandmothers place. It seemed now that her childhood dream had been granted to her and strangely enough suddenly she was wishing for her mundane life back again. A shadow fell at the mouth of the cave.

 

Lee stiffened .

 

It was Faraco.

 

Unbidden a welcoming smile crept over her face.

 

Faraco looked at her "Oh you are awake "

 

There was only a tinge of anxiety in his voice .He sat down cross-legged beside the fire holding the fish he had caught over the fire "Are you feeling well now ?"

 

Lee nodded"Yes.I am sorry for before …"

 

Faraco shrugged ."You can stay with me tonight .Tomorrow go to the village." He said handing her the cooked fish .

 

"Do you stay here ?"Lee asked delicately biting into the fish.

 

"Are you always so inquisitive ?"he asked roughly.

 

"Well I am curious…"Lee shrugged .

 

"Curiosity killed the cat .Remember that girl ."Faraco said dryly.

 

Lee looked at him hurt "Why are you being so mean?" her lips trembled a little "At least tell me how you can change shape ?"

 

"You ask too many questions girl." Faraco got up ."Go to sleep. "He walked out of the cave.

 

Indignant Lee followed him outside ."How can you leave me alone ?"she yelled at him "Would you leave a poor ,defenseless girl to fend for herself in a land she is unfamiliar with !"she ended dramatically .

 

Faraco whirled around grasping Lee's arms with surprising force and drew her abreast him ."Don't try my patience Lee ."His voice was a low growl "You will be much safer alone than with me. "

 

He let her go with such force that she stumbled and fell rather heavily on her back. He whirled and walked off into the night.

 

 

Lee looked angrily at his retreating figure and got up massaging her sore backside. Suddenly she shivered feeling the wind wash over her. She looked around .It seemed that she was in a cave in the valley of a now dry riverbed. In front of her the river gently sloped down into the near dry river bed .A small trickle of clear water hardly held any indication of the raging yellow torrent the river became during the rainy season. Lee carefully made her way to the river bed and cupped up some of the water in her palms .She felt the cool water quench her thirst.

 

"Lee you are in deep deep shit. " She muttered to herself as she looked up at the clear night sky

 

.What would she do now ? She made her way back to the cave . If she kept the fire burning through out the night maybe no wild animals would disturb her . Suddenly she wanted to go home. To sleep in her bed, listen to music ,gossip with Yang and irritate Tori .Her eyes moistened a bit .She wanted to go home, to a world she knew, to a world she understood …

 

Her mind came back to Faraco .Her first acquaintance in this place .What did he mean when he said that she would be safer alone than with him ? True she had seen him change from a wolf into a man, but did that mean that he was a monster ?! Did he then devour humans ? Lee remembered his warm chocolate brown eyes and shook her head .

 

'No ,Faraco is not a killer.'

 

.She lay down on the dried leaves clutching the bag close to her .

 

'Mom, I want to go home !'A single tear rolled down her eye as she let sleep claim her .

 

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Yang looked into the open book on her lap , a sense of deja vu assaulting her . She watched the letters fill the yellow pages of the book as if by magic as it showed Lee's every move. She could feel Lee's anxiety ,fear and loneliness. She felled compelled to read more .She ran a hand over the pages sleep claiming her as well ,her heart suffused with the momentary peace that Lee enjoyed, her last waking thought was

 

 

'Lee, what have we got ourselves into now ?'

 

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

 

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