Harukanaru Toki No Naka De Fan Fiction ❯ Unbroken ❯ Declaration ( Chapter 2 )

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

Unbroken
A Haruka Naru Toki No Naka De Fanfiction
By SailorLight22
Chapter 2 - Declaration

I do not own these wonderful bishies, only the plot to this ficlette..
ANY replies would be appreciated, be easy though, k?

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'I must do this,' He thought, clenching his delicate fists. 'Yasuaki-san needs me!'.

It was true, he realized abruptly. His partner needed his protection! Opening his eyes, he summoned all of his strength, casting aside his doubts. He could feel the power flowing inside, struggling to be released.

Narrowing his eyes, he waited for his enemy, knowing that the attack would come swiftly. He would need every bit of the magic he possessed, so he must hold it in until the demon came too near to avoid his attack. Quickly, he glanced again at his fallen partner.

Yasuaki's two-toned skin had taken on a disturbing pallor. The younger man stiffened in renewed determination as the monstrosity bellowed.

"Flee, boy." It cackled, "I can always run you down after I destroy this useless doll.".

Eisen saw red.

"Yasuaki-san is not a doll!" He cried, stepping closer to the beast in his anger. For a moment, it seemed confused. Then it grinned, a horrid parody of humor on it's evil face.

"I see," The horror said, it's voice mocking. "Not a doll? Is it your plaything then, boy? A lover perhaps? Then it will be so much better for you to watch as I rend his flesh!".

Eisen shook his head. "I..I won't let you touch him! He is my partner, and my friend! I won't allow you to harm him, even if I must die with you.".

The beast drew nearer, it's eyes alight with unholy glee. "Partner? Friend? Tell me, boy, do you have none of your ridiculous human love for this pathetic creature? Or does it merely warm your bed?".

Seeing his distress at the crude words, the demon continued to taunt him as it prepared to attack. "Or perhaps it uses you? What a delight you must be, gasping and writhing with your toy. It is rather pretty, if you like mindless pleasure. Before I destroy it, I should try it myself. Maybe you'd like to watch, boy?".

Rage such as he'd never felt flooded him.

"Stop it! We aren't like that! He's...I..Never! I'll destroy you for even insinuating such a thing! I love him, and none of your filthy words can make it less true. Prepare to return to your master, for I have no more time for your games.".

The beast was less than ten feet away. Focusing all of his anger and need, he released his magic directly into it's leering maw.

The world exploded.

It seemed as if all the waters in existence had gathered into one place, compressed into thousands of the thinnest blades. The beast quite literally evaporated as the force of the blow destroyed its body, leaving a decimated patch of mud as a silent witness to the swathes of liquid that had passed through it's warped being.

Eisen blinked, unable to believe that he'd done it. 'What was that?' He wondered, shock numbing his mind as he staggered from the release of so much energy.

Shaking off his bemusement, he turned sharply to look at his silent companion. Dropping to his knees in the grass, he quickly took stock of the man's injuries.

While his face appeared unscathed, there was an alarming lack of color, except for his eyelids and lips, which were faintly tinged with blue. Grasping his shoulder, Eisen gently turned the priest onto his side.

The man's shoulder and upper back was a horror of blood and mangled skin, testament to the jagged blade that the demon had wielded. Bits of cloth and dirt were embedded in the wound, and further movement would be needed to remove them before his shirt could be taken off to cleanse it.

'Movement', He shuddered. 'I'll have to move him to a safer place.' He was worried that the battle could have alerted other demons to their presence. 'If more of them come,' He thought, 'We will both die. Yasuaki-san needs help, now!'.

He lowered the priest's body, shifting him slowly to lie on his back again. As he prepared to try lifting him over his shoulder, the man groaned softly in pain.

"Yasuaki-san?" Eisen murmured, taking his arm, "Yasuaki-san, we have to leave this place. Can you stand?".

"I do not believe so," Yasuaki whispered, his breath shallow. "There is no feeling there.". He gestured vaguely to his legs with his free hand. "Leave me. Find and tell the others, they will retrieve my body.".

Eisen shook his head violently. "What do you mean, retrieve your body? I won't just leave you here to die! I'm not going anywhere without you, even if I have to carry you every step of the way!".

The older man closed his eyes. "Do not be foolish. Death holds no fear for one such as I. If more of the Beasts come, I cannot aid you.".

For the second time that day, Eisen grew angry. "Didn't I tell you that I would protect you? I fought for you just then, fought and won! I can do it again if I have to, so stop trying to drive me away with your senseless platitudes and let me help you!".

For a moment, Yasuaki appeared almost startled by the younger man's sudden outburst, his eyes widening slightly. Then his ever-present mask fell into place. "Do as you like, then.". He closed his eyes, seeming to fall unconscious.

After several seconds, Eisen calmed himself. Tightening his hold on the taller man, he pulled him upright, and lifted his good arm to wrap around his shoulder.

Bracing himself, he stood, carefully shifting the other man's weight until he felt sure that it was safe to move. Grunting slightly with effort, he leaned forward, his hands cupped behind his partner's thighs to hold him steady as he began to walk.

He could feel the beating of Yasuaki's heart clearly through the thin material of his garment, and it reassured him. After what seemed like hours, he felt a cool, moist breeze ahead, a sure sign of a cave nearby. As he came to a clearing, he noticed a small stream running from a fair sized cavern in the hillside.

With a quiet sigh of satisfaction, he crossed the open space and cautiously peered into the darkness. Realizing that he would have to leave his partner outside to investigate further, he slowly lowered the man to the ground. Taking his torch from the pack he'd managed to save, he lit the end and once again approached the mouth of the cave. Sensing no danger, he entered.

As his eyes began to adjust to the dim light, he moved with more confidence, his feet sinking into the floor slightly as the rock turned to soft sand a few yards in.

Glancing down, he saw that the sand was pale and clean, proof that the stream had once been a much larger waterway. He noticed that the walls were flecked with bits of the same sand, reflecting the torches' faint glow as he moved further into the darkness.

The walls curved slightly downwards, and after a few dozen feet, they met with an almost solid wall of stone, with only a small hole to allow the water to flow into the streambed.

Eisen sighed in relief. There was no sign of anything dangerous, and no animal spoor to suggest an occupant might return. The stream ran almost completely straight, following the left wall, so there was plenty of room for the two of them to rest comfortably away from the edge.

Offering a silent prayer of thanks, he returned to the entrance, kneeling by the priest's still form.

His face, while still frighteningly pale, had an almost peaceful expression, belying the severity of his wounds. Eisen winced at the notion of moving him again, but resigned himself to the task.

Once again, he slung the taller man's arm over his shoulder, and half walked, half carried him to the mouth of the cave. Allowing his eyes to adjust again, he stood facing away from the dwindling sunlight.

After several minutes, he walked inside, careful to avoid pulling on Yasuaki's injured side or his torn clothing. Moving to the cave's rear wall, he chose a spot well away from the water's edge, and eased the man down, resting his weight on his unharmed side.

He quickly retrieved the pack from the entrance, pulling out the tightly rolled futon, absently seeing that it was, in fact, his own. He spread it on the floor beside his partner, and gently pulled him onto it, making sure that his face turned to the side to allow him to breathe.

Satisfied, he rose, and returned to his pack. After a quick look, he saw his medical supplies, and took the small pouch back to his partner's side.

His eyes wandered over the wall beside them, settling on a narrow cleft about halfway up the side. Gripping the torch, he forced the end into the space as deeply as he could, giving it a firm jerk to assure himself that it was secure before lighting it again.

Moving back to his companion, he was reminded of the need for cleansing the wound as soon as possible. Murmuring a soft apology, he drew his dagger and split the seams of the man's garment, pulling it gently away from his skin. Parts of the cloth were embedded into the clotting blood, and had to be peeled back. He very nearly cried when his partner stirred at the painful tugs, groaning softly.

Once he'd managed to remove the material, he saw the terrible wound clearly for the first time. It was a long, jagged cut, nearly a foot long, and he felt the sting of tears as he remembered how the man had saved him from what would surely have been a fatal blow.

Shaking his head, he forced down his guilt and reached for the bag of herbs. Opening it, he took out the ones he would need, and dug through his pack for a bowl to put them in for mixing.

After crushing the dried herbs into a fine powder, he took a length of bandage from the pack and soaked it in the stream's cool water. He squeezed the excess liquid into the bowl, allowing the mixture to steep while he set about the most unpleasant part of his task. Gently, he ran the damp cloth over Yasuaki's bare back, washing away the dirt and blood. Taking his time, he made sure that all the debris was gone, so that the risk of infection would lessen.

The man stirred again, but remained silent. Eisen sighed as the priest's pale skin was revealed. The edges of the wound, while rough and jagged, were intact, no stitches would be needed to close it. He rinsed the bloodstained cloth, and wrung it out until it was barely damp. Looking into the bowl, he saw that the mixture had almost totally dissolved, leaving him with a slightly gelatinous substance.

The odor was strong, capable of bringing tears to one's eyes, and he suddenly recalled Akane-sama referring to it as 'Like our alcohol', whatever that was.

He stirred it slightly with a finger, satisfied that it was well mixed and ready for use. He leaned close to his partner's face, and whispered softly.

"Yasuaki-san, I'm sorry, but this will probably hurt very much...". There was no response, but the man's brow furrowed in acknowledgement. Holding his breath, Eisen dipped the cloth into the bowl, coating it well. He wrung it out slightly, and moved it over the edges of the wound.

Yasuaki tensed, the liquid burning away at the gash after a moment. After several seconds, he relaxed again, and Eisen swallowed heavily. Soaking the cloth once more, he whispered, "I'm so sorry," and ran it directly over the wound itself, squeezing the substance out of the cloth and into the still oozing cut.

Yasuaki screamed.

His reaction, though not unexpected, was shocking. Eisen could never recall hearing the man make such a sound, his cries were almost bestial.

Eisen jerked backwards, sobbing as the priest convulsed in agony, his spine arching to an almost impossible angle as he continued to unleash that horrible noise.

Suddenly, he couldn't stand to watch it. Such suffering could not be borne alone.

Leaning close, he wrapped his arms around his partner's thrashing body, pulling him almost roughly against his chest. He felt Yasuaki's nails score his flesh again and again, drawing erratic lines that tore and bled. Refusing to let go, he clenched his arms tighter, whispering words of comfort and apology into the older man's ear.

At last, his movements became less frantic, and his breathing deepened somewhat as he regained control of himself. Eisen could see that he was barely conscious, his struggles had tired him almost to the point of collapse.

With a start, he realized that his own arms and shoulders were aching, no doubt due to restraining the priest. He loosened his hold, now cradling the injured man rather than grasping. Still murmuring comfort, he lowered Yasuaki until he was leaning against his side.

Quickly, he tore off strips of the remaining bandages, and wound them around the man's narrow chest, securing them well before shifting him to once again lie flat on the futon.

Seeing him shiver, Eisen retrieved the pack, which had been knocked away unnoticed in the struggle. He opened it, pulling out a blanket. Carefully, he spread it over the man, avoiding contact with the wound. He found himself wishing that he'd been able to carry both their packs. With the darkness closing in, the cave was cooling rapidly, and there was no time to gather wood for a fire this night.

As the minutes passed, Yasuaki's shivering increased. Eisen tried to think of a way to help, but came up blank. Then, a thought struck him, and he stiffened.

He had no fire, and no more blankets. All he had was... Himself.

Blushing furiously, he removed his shoes. After a few false starts, he finally managed to get them off, placing them next to the pack. He crept into the space between his partner and the wall, cautiously lifting the blanket and settling himself next to the sleeping man. For several long moments, he lay still, pondering his situation.

Yasuaki's wound ran diagonally from his shoulder to a few inches above his waist, leaving very little room for contact without causing him pain, Eisen knew.

Forcing away his embarrassment, Eisen moved closer, until he was pressed firmly against the curve of his companion's side. He rested his arm tentatively around the man's waist, pulling the blanket up to cover them both.

He held his breath, waiting for any sign of discomfort from the older man. When none came, he sighed, relaxing himself as much as possible, given the circumstances. "Rest well, Yasuaki-san. I hope you're comfortable like this.." He murmured, softly.

The quiet sounds of the stream, and Yasuaki's steady breaths lulled him into a deep lassitude, and he closed his eyes wearily.

He may have only imagined it, but in the moment before sleep claimed his exhausted mind, he swore that his partner spoke, his voice a low whisper in the clinging darkness.

"Yes...Very much so.."

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I deeply apologize for the long wait, I'll try to have the next chapter out much sooner. Thank you to everyone who's been waiting!