Onmyou Taisenki Fan Fiction ❯ Onmyou Taisenki: Rebirth ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

The day slowly passed by and so far no customers came by the little teahouse. Even though Riku was sadden by the lack of patrons he was happy that he had this time to keep watch over his houseguest. Inside of his room rested the feline samurai he had carried from the forest and was currently nursing back to health, despite the creature's claims of not needing the help. The young man had never seen a creature such as the one he was looking over before but he knew when others needed aid and was glad to be able to help the tired warrior. Of course the feline loudly proclaimed that he could take care of himself Riku was headfast in his determination to heal the creature.

 

The young brown haired man looked to the door where just on the other side slept the samurai and Riku wondered what the creature was. A large talking cat was something that he could never have dreamt of and yet a few feet away there was one sleeping in his room. Throughout the day Riku had wondered who, how, and why there was such a being in the forest or even this world but then Riku remembered he knew very little about the world. Ever since he was a tiny child he had never ventured farther than the forest and no longer than the mountainside of his grandfather's teahouse. The more Riku thought about it the more he realized that he had never been to the capital and the city was just on the other side of the mountains, less than a days travel from where he lived.

 

His grandfather had never taken him away from the small teahouse to the bustling city and had never told him about the things that went on there whenever the older man journeyed there. It almost seemed like his grandfather was protecting him from something but that wasn't possible. What did a young man like him need protection from and who could he be a threat to? Riku was barely a whisp of a boy and had never so much as hurt a bug if he could help it. No more than likely his grandfather was just overprotective and wanted his grandson to live a normal and peaceful life.

 

By the men and women that traveled here to the capital Riku could tell that it was a busy and sometimes cruel place. Many men had come here with swords and guns demanding a place to rest or directions to the capital. Women had come who looked as if they where on the run from something horrible and would stay no longer than a few moments before venturing off never to be seen again. Maybe it was better that he never knew what lay beyond the reach of the mountain over into the vast city of men. But when Riku looked at the room his guest was staying in he couldn't help but be curious about things he knew little about.

 

Where there more creatures like the samurai in the world? What was it like in the capital? What was a lord? Did they have teahouses in the city? These were a few of the questions Riku had floating around in his mind but he had always been content with the answers his mind made up before now. It was just that, when the young man thought about the feline and his fighting ability Riku couldn't help but be entranced. The young man had asked his grandfather about some of the men and women that ventured to the teahouse from time to time and the older man had always honestly answered him as best he could. Now that the older man wasn't here Riku had more questions than he knew what to do with and the answers may lie in the sleeping form in his room, if only he had the courage to ask.

 

Riku shook his head and returned to cleaning the living room and arranging the bonsai. He knew that this particular samurai would never answer his questions and probably wanted to get away from him as soon as possible. When Riku thought about it he had been more than a little impulsive in his actions; the warrior hadn't asked to be rescued or nursed back to health. He didn't even seem to like Riku in the least and now the young man had basically kidnapped him and locked him away in his house like some kind of bird he found in the forest. Riku felt ashamed of himself for his actions no matter how noble and one lesson his grandfather had instilled in him was to let things live and die they way they wanted to.

 

Riku as a child had always liked to take in wounded animals and then nurse them back to health but he had trouble letting them go. His grandfather had reasoned that if someone took him away from his freedom and kept him locked up how he would feel. He had answered that he wouldn't like it and had let all of the creatures he kept go back home to live their own lives. He realized that some of his bad habits were coming back and he knew he would have to remedy this situation as soon as the feline was well.

 

Looking out the window of the living room Riku saw that the sun was setting and the sky was taking on the familiar reddish-orange hue and it would soon be dark. Riku's grandfather had still not returned but the young man remembered that sometimes the older man spent days in the capital and would be back as soon as he could. The young man lite the few candles he and his grandfather kept around the house and then went to lock the front door. Making two bowls of rice and using the last of the herbal tea he had made for today Riku put the food on a tray and went to his room. He knocked on the door and waited for a response. A soft grunt was his only response and Riku too it as an invitation to enter.

 

Slowly, the young man opened the door and walked inside of the darkening room and set the food down by the resting feline. Riku went over and lite the single candle in the room before turning to his guest.

 

“I don't know if you want it or not but I made some rice and vegetables if you're hungry.” the young man said while sitting down next to the samurai

 

“…Thank you.” was the only response the feline made and it was said very quietly

 

“You're welcome and please except my apology for what I did to you earlier. I had no right to and I am very ashamed with myself for violating your honor.” Riku bowed his head and let his cinnamon colored hair cover his face

 

“…whatever.” the samurai said in dismissal before getting up and reaching over to the food and taking it in shaky hands

 

Riku wanted to reach over and steady the feline's hand but remembered that he creature hated to be treated like an invelet and just watched the proceedings. The feline took small bites of the rice with the chopsticks and it took him a few tries before he managed to get a good portion into his mouth. Riku said nothing about the few bits of rice spilt onto the futon and continued to watch with longing eyes. The creature looked at him with a snarl on his face and Riku bowed his head before anything could be seen on his face. When he heard the bowl drop onto the floor and the feline look curse did he look up in worry.

 

“Damn it!” the samurai cursed while looking at the mess he had made on his clothes and the bed

 

Riku felt the last of his resolve melt away and the young man wasted little time before moving towards the feline and taking the spilt bowl of rice away and cleaning up the mess.

 

“I can do this by myself!” the samurai cried out but Riku paid no mind to the outburst and continued cleaning up

 

Once the rice was cleaned up Riku handed the feline his bowl of rice and another pair of chopsticks before moving away and keeping his head bowed low. The young man refused to look at the creature and whatever he might have said in angry retribution. If the feline refused to accept the food Riku would make another bowl for him and then leave the warrior to his own devices.

 

Riku heard the samurai growl and he looked up slowly and stared into burning ruby eyes. He looked down to see the samurai holding out the bowl and chopsticks to him. Confused, Riku took the utensils in hand and waited for the creature to say something. When the feline crossed his arms Riku became even more confused and then opened his mouth when a clawed hand stopped him.

 

“This is yours isn't it? Eat it.” the creature said curtly before turning his head away

 

“I can always make some more if I…” Riku attempted to say before being cut off

 

“I said eat damn it!” growled out the samurai

 

Riku shuddered under the force of the feline's voice and then slowly started to eat. The young man took small portions of the rice with the chopsticks and slowly ate. Once half of the food was gone Riku put the bowl in front of the samurai before backing away and bowing his head with his hands in front of him. The boy said nothing and waited for the creature to make the first move. Whether he got yelled at or the feline decided to eat was left in the hands of fate.

 

When Riku didn't hear the rough voice of the samurai he looked up to see the creature looking at him with the bowl and chopsticks in hand.

 

“I can't eat this by myself with my hand unsteady as it is.” was the only thing the feline said

 

Riku took a minute to understand what he was hearing and then it dawned on him. The samurai had too much pride to ask for help but he was asking for help in a rough roundabout way. The young man went around to the right side of the creature and then helped balance the clawed hand to take the bits of rice and ball them on the chopsticks. When a suitable chunk of rice had been placed onto the chopsticks Riku steadied the feline's hand and watched as he took the bits of rice into his mouth. Riku smiled to himself but kept his face neutral when the creature looked at him and then they both proceeded to finish off the food.

 

Once the last bit of rice was finished off Riku took the bowl and handed a ceramic cup to the samurai. The feline took it without a sound and drunk the sweet tea before handing the cup back to the young man and lying back onto the futon while closing his eyes. Riku smiled and took the dishes and spilt rice into the living room and eating the rice that was left over. Since they had so little out here in the middle of nothing but trees and grass Riku's grandfather taught him not to waste anything. Finished with the food Riku drunk his own tea and then washed the used utensils before heading into the guest room. The young man changed into his nightclothes and then settled down for the rest of the night.

 

Throughout the night both feline and human slept uncomfortably when they began dreaming of things they couldn't understand. Flashes of days long gone by, people they didn't know, words they couldn't understand, and battles they had never fought passed them by in the darkened hours. Both tossed and turned uneasily before they calmed down and fell into the blackness of dreamless sleep.

 

Without knowing it Riku rose from his bed and opened the door of the guest room and walked to his and his grandfather's room. He quietly opened the door without waking up the feline and then set himself down into the hollow of the samurai's body. The samurai wrapped himself around the bulk of the boy and put his tail over the young man's waist in almost a protective hold.

 

Neither knew it but that night something had begun that neither would understand for days to come but both accepted without question. The only witness to this strange and yet familiar act was the full moon, which shone down upon the both of them in silent awe.