Saiyuki Fan Fiction ❯ Shades of Time ❯ Tempering Fire ( Chapter 27 )

Xan and Rei both looked at each other frowning. There had been a rumble in the distance and from their vantage point on one of the outer balconies of the inn they could see plumes of dust shoot toward the sky.

“What in the name of all the long forgotten gods was that?” Rei said.

“No idea. Might be a good idea to go find out,” Xan said, already headed back inside.

Going to find out what it was proved unnecessary as the source of the commotion came to them. Rei, Xan, Hakkai, Gojyo and Anya had made their way outside to see what was going on. None of the gathered people had ever quite seen a dragon smirk before but that was the only thing it could be called as Diablo landed in the clearing behind the inn. He shifted almost instantly to his humanoid form and made a straight shot for Rei.

“Sister of my pet, you will have no trouble with the living dead tonight,” he said, one corner of his mouth lifting slightly in amusement. “They have been suddenly indisposed. They will no doubt be spending the night clearing the rockslide blocking their hideaway.”

Rei's lips twitched a little. “Thank you, Diablo.”

“Certainly. Spar?”

“Happily. Though you can't exactly oblige me in that form,” Rei said, grinning a little.

“As you wish, sister of my pet,” Diablo said, stepping back several paces and switching to his dragon form. His massive head and chest lifted and then arched so his head was pointing downward, looking at the ground below.

Rei smiled and her gaze went to Hakkai for a moment. “It's okay, Hakkai. Don't worry,” she said before stepping up to Diablo.

“Rei, what . . .” Hakkai began before Xan and Anya caught his arms.

“It really is okay, Hakkai. She's fine,” Anya said.

“But . . .”

“Just watch and see, lover boy,” Xan said.

Hakkai watched in horror as Diablo's chest expanded and his mouth opened wide. Hakuryuu squeaked in alarm and hid his head against the curve of Hakkai's neck, not wanting to watch even though he thought he had a better idea than his pet about what was going on. Rei stood calmly and waited, head tilted up ward and looking for that first forming tongue of flame.

Hakkai was straining against the hold the two women had on his arms. He didn't want to fight to get loose in earnest, fearing he'd hurt them if he did but he couldn't calmly stand by and let Rei get hurt either. Xan sighed and rolled her eyes.

“Okay, that's it. I'm putting him on lockdown, Sunshine,” Xan said to Anya. Yellow threads suddenly wound themselves around Hakkai's legs, arms and upper body securing him tightly without being cutting.

Hakkai and Gojyo both shot Xan a startled look and she shrugged. “You were about to go running over there and get yourself toasted. Rei knows what she's doing, relax.”

“I'll ask how you did that later,” Gojyo said, turning back to look at where Rei and the dragon stood.

The blast of flame from Diablo singed the grass in the general area and Gojyo dragged a protesting and obviously upset Hakkai backward away from the heat. A moment later the two men could only blink and stare. Rei had been in the direct path of the flame and was completely unharmed. Stranger still, there was a decided change in her. Fire still seemed to be swirling around her at a dizzying pace, running patterns around her body before beginning to take form.

“It looks like . . . armor?” Gojyo questioned, shooting a confused look at Xan.

“It is armor. Modified splint mail variety unless I miss my guess,” Hakkai said, now more curious than afraid since it was obvious that Rei was all right. “Is it actually made of fire?”

“To a certain extent. It's a combination of the fire, a little bit of chi and demon energy. From what Dad said, it was something that any demon or halfbreed can manifest if the proper element is there and they have the ability to control it. Dad did a fairly extensive study of it after Rei told him she could do it.”

Xan went on to explain the rest of it but Hakkai heard very little of the explanation, having turned his attention to the sparring match that had suddenly ensued between Rei and Diablo, who had shifted back to his humanoid form. To the human eye they would have been little more than a blur and it was apparent that Rei wasn't only fast and strong for a halfbreed, she was fast and strong for a youkai. She had to be to spar with and do well against a full grown dragon. While it was clear that neither one of them was trying to kill or seriously injure the other it was also quite clear that they weren't pulling any punches or kicks either. This was made very clear when Rei jumped and planted both feet into Diablo's chest, staggering him backward.

Hakkai felt something odd stir inside of him, something like pride and <i>possessiveness</i>. Something he'd never felt before, not even with Kanan all that much. He was slightly afraid of the strident and strong litany in his head that kept repeating over and over again, mine, <i>mine</i>, Mine, <i>Mine</i>, MINE, <i>MINE</i>!

He was slightly startled when Gojyo leaned an elbow against his shoulder and as though sensing what was going on in his mind turned to face the fight before saying almost casually. “Well, Kai, you wanted indestructible. I think you got it.”