Onmyou Taisenki Fan Fiction ❯ Onmyou Taisenki: Rebirth ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

It was another peaceful day in the countryside; the air vibrant with the energy of spring, the clouds rolled quietly through the sky almost lazily, the wind swayed gently through the grass and it was warm enough not to be oppressive for the early morning. A small teahouse sat in the middle of a field of low grass and for at least a mile you could see a small billow of white smoke rise from a chimney and smell the fragrant scent of brewing tea. On the front of the teahouse steps a thirteen years old boy with cinnamon colored hair and shining violet eyes swept away dust and grass from the walkway while an older man in his fifties set a couple of chimes in front of the doorway.

 

When the chimes were set in place the older man shuffled back into the house and the young boy followed once the walkway was cleared. Inside was a modest and yet comfortable living room set with three low standing tables, on each table was a small bonsai, two places for guest to sit, and a small kitchen area where tea and other foods were made. There were two doors on either side of the living room, one that led to a bed area for travelers to rest and the other for the aging man and young boy.

 

“Riku, we're low on tea and medicine herbs today. I'll need you to gather some from the forest over by the river.” told the older man with his aged voice

 

“Alright grandfather!” young Riku chirped in a cheerful tone

 

Riku went to his and his grandfather's room and dressed in his traveling clothes which consisted of a old green shirt that was two sizes too big for him, a pair of pants that where tied on with a worn leather belt, a pair shoes given to him by his grandfather when he was a young man and a small rucksack Riku carried over his shoulder. Once he was changed Riku nodded to his grandfather and left the teahouse on his journey into the dense forest.

 

The walk to the forest took Riku about an hour and once he entered the valley of trees the young man searched out the herbs his grandfather needed. Riku had lived with the old man for all of his life and knew exactly the herbs to pick and which he didn't need. One of the herbs Riku gathered were for the special teas his grandfather made while the other was used to treat injuries travelers received on their long journeys. Since the tiny rest house was so isolated between the forest and mountains most people who stopped by were usually on their way to the capital around the mountainside.

 

Riku stopped collecting herbs when he thought he heard something. The noise was so faint that it could have been the wind but his grandfather had taught him to always be sure and never to take chances. One time the chocolate haired boy hadn't listened and wound up being injured by a wild animal that was wounded from a hunter's trap. Riku had spent several days under his grandfather's care from the bruising he had received and from that day on he was doubly cautious when out by himself. The young man never carried a weapon with him, rather he climbed into the trees until the danger had passed. Sadly, Riku had spent many days on the branches of tall oaks waiting until animals or hunters passed him by.

 

Turning his head Riku narrowed his hearing on the place where he had heard the noise and silently listened. Minutes passed and Riku felt his confidence return until something caught his attention. It was quiet and almost inaudible but there was something a few meters to his right. It sounded like someone who might be hurt so the young man wasted little time before walking over. Natural instinct demanded that the boy runaway and not think anything about what might or might have heard but Riku's grandfather had instilled in him that when in trouble lend aid to others and others would lend aid to you in turn.

 

Steadily, Riku crept over until he could see something or someone. As the young man gazed at whatever it was he made out certain distinctions, it looked like a body but something was off about this particular body. Moving closer Riku saw that the whatever it was seemed to be covered in white and blue, it wore on a gray tunic, with red pants, and there was something long coming from the end of its pants with a bell hanging at the tail end of it.

 

Riku walked closer and closer until he was over the thing and was amazed at what he saw. It looked like a cat but this creature was too large to be a normal cat, it was bigger than Riku from its position on the ground. Its face looked like a felines' but it seemed almost human, the creature was also wearing clothes and a giant sword was hanging on the side of it. Amazed and stunned Riku didn't know what to do but at the soft murmurs the creature moaned out made the brown haired boy decided to look it over for injuries.

 

Kneeling besides its prone form the young man put his slender hand over the feline's head to check for fever like his grandfather taught him. When he felt nothing Riku brought his hand down to the feline's neck, further south to the creature's chest, abs, and stomach to see if it had been wounded in any way. Riku tried not to be amazed by the cat's body and muscle definition but he found it hard not to stare at the outline of those tightly packed abs, the chest that strained the armor it was wearing and the soft, almost silk like fur the feline was covered in. When the creature made a quiet growl like sound Riku pulled away and stumbled back in case he was attacked. Only when the young man was certain that the feline was unconscious did he continue his diagnosis of the cat's condition.

 

Finding nothing physical wrong with the creature Riku tried to wake it by shaking on a furry shoulder.

 

“Umm… excuse me. Are you all right? Hello…” Riku tried to ask while making sure that if the feline did wake up hostile he could dart away without injury

The creature murmured and then open it eyes, which were a brilliant shade of red, almost the color of blood. The feline looked up in confusion before staring at Riku. It tried to get up but it's body refused to obey and the feline was forced to slump back to the ground with a thump. Riku looked at the creature and then spoke up…

 

“Are you okay?” the young man asked with trepidation

 

“Do I look like I'm okay?” a voice that cut like a knife asked

 

The creature scowled at the boy like he was an idiot but Riku didn't seem to take offense.

 

“I…I'm sorry. Do you need anything?” Riku somewhat stuttered while trying not to seemed abashed by the feline creature's outburst

 

“…” the feline turned it's head to one-side and ignored Riku

 

Riku bowed his head, knowing when he was being dismissed and walked away to continue gathering the herbs he needed. As the young man continued about his chores he felt the gaze of the feline creature on his back never wavering. Just as Riku finished getting the necessary herbs he walked back over to the prone figure of the feline and kneeled down next to him.

 

“I'm getting ready to leave, are you sure you don't need anything?” the young man asked while giving the creature a worried look

 

“…” the feline turned away again while saying nothing to the young man

 

“Well, alright. I hope you have a safe travel, but I should warn you that the animals around here can get wild so you shouldn't lie here to long.” Riku told the feline while getting on his feet and walking away

 

“…” the creature continued to ignore the young man and closed his eyes as if shutting out the world

 

Riku nodded and then walked away from the creature without another word but just as he reached a few feet away something burst from the bushed and charged at Riku. The young man sidestepped the charging animal and watched as it kept going heading straight for the prone feline. Riku could only yell out a warning as the thing barreled down on the feline…

 

“LOOK OUT!!!!” Riku screamed as he saw the animal almost charge over the feline

 

The creature snapped open its eyes and used the last bit of its strength to jump out of the charging animal's path. The feline moved with the grace of its breed as it jumped into the air and land to the forest floor with dexterity before stumbling onto his knees. He panted in exhaustion as the charging animal veered back for a second attack. The feline looked to the rampaging animal and sighed in preparation of its next attack when he felt something overcome him. As if all the energy he had lost was being returned to his body the feline drew his sword and with a turn of his wrist sliced the animal in two.

 

The wild animal cried out in pain before dropping to the ground deadly silent. The creature looked at the animal he had killed and then turned his head to look at the young man staring agape. Wanting to say something the feline opened his mouth but within the next moment his vision doubled, his legs felt like sludge, and he was falling towards the forest floor.

 

The young had watched the spectacle with wide eyes as he saw the creature full of grace and glory jump from the ground, land on both of its feet, stumble, bow its head, and then unsheathe his sword to cut the charging animal in two. It was just like those stories his grandfather had told him about with samurai and ninja and the way they fought. To say the least Riku was amazed and mystified and somewhere in his heart he felt grateful to be in the presence of such a warrior. Riku saw the feline warrior turn to look at him with confused crimson colored eyes and slowly open his mouth to reveal two rows of elongated teeth when the samurai fell to the earth. The sword fell from his hands to clatter onto the forest floor beside him almost innocently.

 

Riku rushed over and tried to see if the feline had been hurt but when he shook the warrior all he heard were snores. The young man slowly smiled and then let out a laugh as he thought about the irony of the situation. Here was a creature that looked like a giant cat, fought like a tiger and snore like his grandfather. The whole scene was hilarious to Riku and so the boy ended up laughing for minutes on end but deep in his heart a worry seemed to fill him at seeing the samurai sleeping on the ground, and Riku couldn't understand why.

 

When Riku finally calmed himself he tried to wake the feline again but the young man only got the soft breathing of the warrior in response. Now that the humor of the situation was over Riku realized he had a dilemma on his hands. If he left the feline were he was more than likely he would be killed by another wild animal while unconscious. If the young man tried to take the warrior back and he had a gravely injury Riku could make the warrior's condition worse than it may already be. Even though the feline didn't say he was injured he didn't say he wasn't injured he just implied that he wasn't all right.

 

Looking at the form of the sleeping feline Riku knew that he couldn't leave him there to be eaten by a wild animal or something far worse. Taking hold of the creature Riku lifted the warrior into his arms and walked towards the teahouse but not before sheathing the feline's sword. All the way the young man shouldered the weight of the feline with ease and was surprised at how light his bundle was even with the sword dragging along side of the sleeping creature.

 

Once at the teahouse, Riku set the feline down on his futon in his and his grandfather's room and then went to brew some of the medicinal herbs he had gathered. Riku looked around for his grandfather while the plants brewed in the kettle but didn't see the older man around. He called for the older man while he was carrying the feline warrior inside and setting him into bed but had received no answer. Looking around he also noticed that his grandfather's pack was missing and his walking stick was gone as well. It was likely that the old man was out but he usually left some kind of letter or note to say where he would be and when he would be coming back.

 

Riku tried not to panic and thought of the likely reasons his grandfather would have left without telling him but he couldn't help but worry. Putting aside his thoughts Riku concerned himself with the samurai in his bed and how he would explain himself. The young man had an ominous feeling that the feline wouldn't take to kindly at being `rescued' and would demand an explanation. Somehow he had a feeling that telling the feline that he had done it out of the kindness of his heart would land him in more hot water than if he didn't say anything. Even though his grandfather said the truth was the best policy Riku felt that this one time he would have to make something up.

 

When the herbs finished brewing Riku got a cup and aided some tealeaves while he poured the heated medicinal water in along with a small amount of honey. He hoped that the feline wasn't allergic to the plants and would take the medicinal tea in a good faith gesture. Steeling his nerves Riku walked to his room opened the door and prayed he wouldn't get yelled at. Looking inside the young man saw that the samurai was still deep asleep and so Riku quietly walked towards the feline and set the tea down beside his sleeping form.

 

“Excuse me, sir? Could you please get up?” the young man asked with trepidation in his voice

 

When the feline made no move to awake Riku decided to try and wake him like before. Shaking the warrior on his shoulder Riku watched for any sign of movement. Slowly, the eyes of the feline fluttered open and the young man watched as the crimson eyes settled on him again. Just as Riku was about to say something he was grabbed by the collar of his shirt in clawed hands and brought to the futon face first. A pair of hands wrapped around his neck and the young man could feel the pricks of needles on his throat.

 

“Who the hell are you!?” raged the voice of the feline samurai

 

“I'm sorry. Really sorry! I…I…I…” Riku tried to explain but the words refused to come out

 

The feline growled out while becoming more and more agitated at this punk's lack of an answer. He looked around while keeping the boy in his tight grip and assessed that he was in someone's house but couldn't remember how he got there. Looking down at the boy in his hold the feline saw that he wasn't trying to get away or make any threatening gestures so he hauled the boy up and looked him square in the eye.

 

“I'll ask you one more time and then it doesn't get pleasant after that. Who are you and where am I?” the voice of the samurai held a deadly tone to it that froze Riku's heart

 

“My na..name is R…Riku. I brought you to my grandfather's teahouse.” Riku said with as much courage as he could muster under the present conditions

 

The feline looked into his eyes again and when violet met crimson Riku felt like he was under the gaze of death itself. Minutes slowly ticked by and soon the creature dropped Riku to the futon without warning then tried to stand up. The feline slowly stood and then wobbled before tumbling back to the futon when two scrawny arms caught him in a protective embrace. The feline looked up to see the boy holding onto his waist and looking worried over him but the samurai refused to give the young man any satisfaction and pushed him away.

 

“I don't need your help.” Said the feline with exhaustion

 

The warrior rose to his knees shakily and tried to get to his feet again but the strain from trying forced him back to the bed again. Riku watched as the creature tried time and again to get to his feet but with each try he exhausted himself a little more.

 

“Please stop, you're just going to hurt yourself if you keep on.” Riku told the feline while placing two hands over the warrior's shoulder to force him back down

 

“Leave me alone! I can do this!” the creature shouted while getting from under the boy's hold

 

The feline fought with the little strength he had left to get the boy off of him but the young man was more relentless in his need to stop the warrior from hurting himself.

 

“Just stop it!” cried Riku

 

“Leave me alone, damnit!” barked the warrior

 

Both feline and human struggled against each other until the feline at last lost all of his remaining energy and collapsed to the futon. This time he didn't get up and Riku removed his hands from the warrior's shoulders and looked into his ruby eyes that were burning with indignant anger.

 

“Happy now punk!? You managed to get me down so now what do you want with me, huh?” the voice of the creature was both angry and embarrassed

 

“I just want you to rest so that you don't hurt yourself more than you are.” Riku said while looking down at the feline with concern on his face

 

“I don't need your pity.” the samurai said while looking away from the boy

 

“It's not pity. I'm just worried about you.” Riku told the feline while going over to the cooled tea and picking up the cup he had made earlier

 

“What the hell do you care if I'm injured or not!?” voice the feline with confusion

 

“I don't know why I'm worried. I guess just can't help myself.” the young man said while laughing to himself

 

“What are you laughing at!?” the feline growled out

 

“Nothing. Here you go.” Riku offered the cup of tea to the warrior in hopes that he would take it and get better

 

“What's that stuff?” asked the warrior as the smell from whatever it was made his stomach rumble and his nose flare

 

“I made you some herbal tea mixed with medicinal herbs so you could regain your strength.” Riku offered

 

“Yeah right! It's probably poison!” yelled the creature in disbelief.

 

The feline's mind was arguing the point that it the boy wanted to kill him why bother saving him but the warrior was too stubborn to take anything from anyone and told his mind to shut it.

 

“Don't worry it's not poison. See I'll drink some.” Riku said while brining the cup to his lips and taking a small sip

 

The feline watched the boy with critical eyes as the young man swallowed a small portion of the tea and then looked back at him. The boy offered the cup to the feline who turned his head but tried to take the cup in his clawed hand. Riku saw the effort it took the warrior and decide to make it easier on him.

 

“What the hell are you doing!? Put me down!” shouted the feline while he was lifted onto the young man's lap and had his head rested on the boy's chest

 

“Do I look like some kind of weak woman to you!? Put me down!” the feline tried to order the young man to put him back like he was but the look in the boy's eyes spoke of a conviction that wouldn't be deterred

 

Riku put the cup to the feline warrior's mouth and waited for him to drink. The creature looked angrier than a hornet but when the young man refused to release him huffed and opened his mouth to swallow down the tea. The feline not being careful chocked on the first gulp of the sweetened tea and coughed it back up. Riku immediately took the cup away and lifted the warrior up to pat him on the back. When the tea had passed the samurai's throat down to his stomach and he started to breath normally again Riku looked down at him.

 

“Are you alright?” Riku asked ever mindful of the feline's temperament

 

“Idiot! Tea is not going to kill me, I just lost control for a second.” the feline told the young man in annoyance

 

Smiling at the warrior, Riku took the tea back in hand and carefully put the ceramic cup back to the feline's lips. This time the young man was careful about how much the creature swallowed and once all of the medicinal water was gone he set the ceramic dish down and looked over the samurai. Seeing the steady breathing of the feline Riku looked into crimson eyes, which were regarding him with unease. The young man smiled down to the feline and set him gently to the futon before retrieving his utensils and leaving the room.

 

“Where are you going?” the voice of the feline asked while trying not to seem eager

 

“I have to get ready for any customers I might get to come in today.” Riku answered while not moving from the doorway

 

“What is this place?” the feline asked while slowly drifting off

 

“I told you, this is my grandfather's teahouse.” the young man replied while smiling to the feline who was almost asleep

 

“Why did you help me?” was the lasting the warrior said before closing his eyes and falling into darkness

 

“Because, I wanted to.” said Riku before walking out of the room and closing the door gently behind him