Gensomaden Saiyuki Fan Fiction ❯ Beneath the Skin ❯ Chapter One ( Chapter 1 )

Chapter One

"Lord Kougaiji . . ."

The young prince turned at the harried sound of the voice in the doorway.

"Yaone, what is it?"

The girl gave him a small bow, "I'm sorry for disturbing you . . . but - but . . ." She trailed off, unsure of how to break her unhappy news. "It's your sister - the Princess Ririn . . . she's gone again. I haven't been able to find her anywhere."

Kougaiji moved towards Yaone. "What?"

Clutching her hands nervously, the young woman dropped her eyes. "I'm sorry, my lord. I know I was supposed to be watching her . . . but she slipped away . . . I don't know where she is."

Swearing under his breath, the young man shook his head. Stepping past Yaone he started down the hall. "Dokugakuji," he called out.

Yaone's voice was rushed as she hurried after her prince. "He went to the aviary . . . to see if any of the flying dragons were missing. I-I asked him to - I hope that was alright.

The prince stopped and turned towards her, "Of course Yaone - it was very quick thinking." He could see that she was worried and he gave her a small smile. "It's not your fault . . . my sister has her own mind - I know how difficult she can be."

The girl raised her eyes back up to his face. "Yes, my lord." Her voice was small and she once again clasped her hands in front of her.

Kougaiji reached out and touched her shoulder. "I don't blame you, Yaone . . . my sister is beyond the age for childish games and it's time she learned that." Turning once again, he started back down the hall. "Let's see if Dokugakuji has found anything." With a slight nod of her head, Yaone followed behind him.

The two had just rounded the corner, when they almost collided with the man that they had been seeking. "Kou . . ."

The young prince saw the expression of the older man's face, "She's gone again, isn't she?"

The dark-haired man nodded his head, "Yes . . . no more than a few hours I'd say. She's probably gone after Sanzo's party again." Dokugakuji saw the exasperated look that passed over the man's face. "She just wants to help you, Kou - it's probably her way of trying to show you how much she cares about you."

Kougaiji regarded his friend for a moment before replying. "Didn't we have this conversation already? I don't need you to act like my big brother."

The other man sighed, "No you don't . . . and I was never really a good one to begin with anyway." He turned his eyes away. "So, I guess we're going after her again?"

"Yes . . . I don't have any choice. The Empress will be in a rage when she finds out."

"My lord," Yaone interrupted. "I wish to go with you."

Kougaiji looked at her, "Not this time, Yaone. Dokugakuji and I will go - I need you here in case Ririn returns." He saw the crestfallen look that fell over the young woman's face. "I'm trusting in you to keep my sister here until I return - anyway that you have to." He gave her a smile. "I know that you can do it."

Yaone looked at him and smiled in return. "Yes my lord, I will do as you say." She bowed her head once more.

Turning back towards the dark-haired man at his side, Kougaiji's eyes hardened. "Let's go get the little brat, shall we?" Without another word, the young Youkai prince started back down the hall. After giving Yaone a good-bye smile, Dokugakuji fell in behind him.

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The young woman started at the sound. Focusing her attention, she cocked her head and listened. Faintly she could hear them - the hunters who were making their way towards the small clearing where she now crouched. Quickly finishing off the last of the small handful of dried fruit she had allowed herself for breakfast, the woman quickly rewound a length of dark gray cloth around her face until only her eyes were visible and then drew the hood of her short cloak up over her head. Taking up her pack, she settled it on her shoulders and then retrieved the carved wooden walking stick slipping it behind the pack's straps across her back. Then just as silently, she once more climbed up and into the spreading branches of the tree where she had passed the night.

It had been Kiho who had taught her the skills that had saved her life countless times since her abrupt journey had begun - about sleeping in trees and covering your trail; about what types of plants and fruits were edible; how to relieve the sting of poisonous plants and perform basic first aid for injuries. He had also taught her how to use a bow and fight with a long knife and also with the heavy carved walking stick that he had given her on her birthday. It had been Kiho who had taken in a fevered, half-starved girl-child and given her a name; and it had been Kiho who had thrust her pack and walking stick at her as he had urged her to flee before it was too late. And finally, it had been Kiho who had gone to meet the mob from the neighboring village that had come to take her away, or worse, and had given her enough time to escape.

Kiho . . . The woman swallowed down the lump that had formed in her throat, as she recalled her adopted father. The thought that he might have given his life to protect her made her heart ache with a pain that brought tears to her wine-dark eyes; and her one regret since her perilous journey had begun was that she had no idea if he were alive or dead. Closing her eyes against the memories, the young woman sent out a silent prayer to the gods to watch over the old man and protect him.

The woman's eyes flew open as the crunch of a footfall sounded below her. Damn . . . how did they get here so quickly without my hearing them? Shrouded within the hood of her cloak, she watched the group as they stopped.

" . . . I'm telling you, the scent leads here." The speaker was a male with orange-red hair and a red star-shaped mark on his left temple.

"Well, I don't see anything." Came a curt response from one of the other men; this one was bald with a black zigzag mark that ran across the top of his hairless skull.

"'Are you callin' me a liar, shine-head?" The red-head growled.

"I didn't call you nothing - at least not yet, star-boy."

The woman watched as the two Youkai men argued between themselves; and it was only a few more moments until the entire group had taken sides and joined in. As she observed them, her hand strayed to the hilt of the long knife that rested against her hip - hoping that she would not have to use it. But as she watched the arguing group below her, she had a feeling that in a few more moments her pursuers would be taking care of that problem themselves.

She had been horrified and stunned a few days ago when she had watched several members of the marauding band beat and kill one of their own. She had been filling her canteen and taken cover when several of them had approached the small stream amidst the growling and hissing of an ongoing dispute. After about thirty minutes of insults and veiled threats, four of them had converged on the fifth and then savagely beat and stabbed her to death. The woman had been stunned by the cruelty and apparent ease with which they had killed their former companion. As she watched the group below her, she felt an involuntary shiver down her spine as she recalled the twisted and bloodied body that had been callously left to rot in the sun.

What really frightened her the most, however, was realizing that if such people held their own companions in such low regard, then they would never have any mercy for an unknown outsider. The woman had no illusions that despite the tainted blood that flowed in her veins, and given half the chance, the group below her would gleeful kill her in a heartbeat; or worse, that they would assault her in ways unimaginable before doing so. After witnessing the atrocity at the stream, the woman had gone out of her way to avoid any contact with the wandering band - at least until yesterday.

It had been a combination of bad luck and inattentiveness that had caused her to be seen by a small foraging party. Almost immediately, the pursuit had begun and within a few minutes time, half a dozen of the strangers were on her trail. Crossing the freezing waters of the stream, she had been able to throw her pursuers off the trail while she once again ascended to the trees and where she had spent a very cold and miserable sleepless night. Her humor had not improved any when she had finally noticed how depleted her food stores had become. Normally she would have supplemented her supplies by fishing and foraging, but the presence of the Youkai had made that impossible.

The hiss of a sword sliding from its scabbard brought the woman's attention back down to the small group below her; and she watched as more weapons were drawn. The two main protagonists began to circle one another warily while the rest of the band was content to stand and watch for the moment, waiting for first-blood to be drawn.

Just as the red-head swung up his sword towards his opponent, the cry of several other voices loudly boomed out. Almost as if one, the group below the woman turned their attention towards the sound - their fight forgotten for the moment.

The woman was just as stunned as the men below her, when a small figure in green and yellow burst through the underbrush and into the clearing. Quickly pulling herself to a stop, the young red-haired Youkai girl took a quick look at the armed men in front of her.

"Brother is going to be really mad at me this time."