Vampire Princess Miyu Fan Fiction ❯ When Friends are True-A Vampire Miyu Saga ❯ Wolfsister ( Chapter 15 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Chapter Fifteen



Author's Note:
What, you think you got rid of me that easily? I was up until three in the morning finishing it, so you'd better enjoy it! Anyway, just as a heads-up, there is some major Mononoke-Hime inspiration here, so don't flame me for it. It was a good movie and it inspired me, so not flaming for it, got it? If I get flames, then…burn in hell. Sorry to be blunt about it, but I'm tired. So…enjoy or whatever you do.
Chapter Fifteen
Wolfsister

For the first time in what felt like hours, the two Quarl stopped fighting and froze, heads cocked as if listening to something. There was a change in the air; something had happened, something that was going to complicate the mission. That thing could only mean that Miyu was awake.
"We must leave." Gigi hissed. "We'll deal with these germs later…" And with that, both Gio and Gigi disappeared, leaving Ichirou standing alone.
"Huh? What?" The werewolf panted. "What's going on? Why are you running away? Damn you guys!" There was no response, only the still silence of the coming dusk. It was that late already? With a sigh, Ichirou leaned up against the trunk of a tree but ended up in a slump on the ground. He had no idea that he was so tired. "Oh well… I'm too tired anyway…I wonder if Nagi and the others are okay?"
* * *
Further down in the forest, Nagi and his party were having problems of their own. "Damn!" He cursed. "Are they just trying to buy some time? We're the ones in a hurry!"
"Well, let's just get this over with." Senju suggested.
"Just what the hell do you think we've been trying to do?" Kitsune yelled at him.
Shiki only laughed. For some reason he had thought that the entire battle had been extremely amusing. "Hmm…" He mused. "That's not a bad idea. Maybe I'll lend a hand as well…"
From out of the blue came a mind-voice that shattered Shiki's train of thought along with his cool composure. Shiki! It screamed. Miyu has been resurrected! Then, as quickly as it came, it was gone.
Shiki felt as if he had received an electric shock. What? Then…what about Yui? Did that mean that he…he had…failed? He was trembling visibly. No, that was no possible! He had never failed at anything, much less killing a little girl! But still…it was best not to risk it. We're going to have to take a different approach… Shiki scoffed sourly at Nagi, who was charging straight at him, his sword blade flashing in the dusk light. "Damn! Get out of here, everyone!" With that and a violent swirl of dark mist, Shiki and all the lesser Shi disappeared, leaving Nagi, Senju, Yoto and Kitsune standing in an empty clearing.
"What the hell's going on?" Nagi yelled into the silence, which sounded unnerving after the roar and heat of the battle. "You can't screw with us like that!"
"Calm yourself, Shi." Yoto said, sheathing his sword in a gust of icy wind. "They are gone now. We can move on. I believe the your vampire needs you. We might as well be off."
Nagi only snorted. "What is going on…what's with these Shi people?"
"I wonder if they escaped before they all got killed?" Senju said, mostly to himself, placing a hand on his forehead as if it were really a question he had to think about. Nagi's face fell into one of confusion. Kitsune exchanged a familiar look with Yoto, but them raised her hands before her.
"I'm not saying a word." She grumped, and stomped off into the shadow-clad forest.
"Anyway, I'm just worried about Yui. Let's get moving." Nagi said to Senju, also disregarding his comrade's comment.
"Very well." Senju agreed.
"The path is clear, Shi." Yoto called over his shoulder. "We should not encounter any more obstacles until we reach the lower Layers, but I suggest we make haste. The Japanese forests at night are sometimes more traitorous than any foe you may meet along the way."
* * *
For the majority of the journey, the party stayed silent as they continued to make their ways through the forest. Occasionally Yoshi had to shift Lemunia on his back to make the situation less uncomfortable as Lemunia nodded to sleep. Every now and then Ryuko would offer to carry the boy for a while, but he was still looking too weak to carry any sort of weight. Not as bad as he did a few hours ago, but it would be a while before all his strength came back to him. To their luck, they did not run into a single Shinma - or Quarl, to their relief - until they were half way out of the second Layer, just after they were clear of the pass that lead through the tall, snow-capped mountains.
"Wait." Ryuko said, stopping in his tracks. Yoshi came to a sudden halt as well. Lemunia grunted and woke up from the snooze he was in. "There's someone here. Let me look."
"Is it a Quarl?" Lemunia asked. There was a slight hint of fear to his voice.
"No. It's a Shinma, but I think it may be one of your companions. Let me look."
"Ryuko, be careful. You're in no condition to be doing any sort of fighting." Yoshi called to his friend's back as the Wolfin was swallowed in the forest. There was an awkward silence for a few moments, a growing tension, and then Ryuko's voice penetrated the air like a gunshot.
"Hey Yosh. I think you'd better have a look at this." Yoshi gave Lemunia an uneasy look from over his shoulder before heading into the bushes after Ryuko. Both Shinma gasped when they saw what…actually, who…Ryuko had found.
"Amy!" Lemunia gasped.
The once proud Shinma was lying on the ground, looking as if he had been dragging himself along for some time. He looked exhausted and was very dirty, but still alive. At the sight of Yoshi, he shot the bat Chinese Shinma such a look that it would have killed anything mortal. "You…" He hissed. "Have you come back to laugh at me?"
For the first time in what felt like ages, Yoshi's face cracked into his goofy half-smile. "Actually, no, but now that you mention it…" He started laughing loudly.
"Oh, shut up!" Amy snapped.
"What happened to you?" Lemunia asked, trying to get a better view over Yoshi's shoulder.
"He did this to me." Amy spat, shooting another "if looks could kill" glares at Yoshi. "He challenged me and…defeated me with deception…"
"What are you talking about, fruity-man?" Yoshi asked, bending down into a crouch.
"You know what I am talking about fool. The dragon."
"A what?" Lemunia asked, not believing his ears.
"Just what I said, boy." Amy snapped, pushing himself to his elbows. "He called up a dragon made of fire that he used to attack me."
Lemunia frowned. "Don't be ridiculous, Amy. Dragons have been extinct for thousands of years, since before our parents were born."
"Maybe in your world, kid, but definitely not in ours. Dragons are one of the main creatures that walk our lands." Ryuko said.
"Then…" Amy continued, throwing off all other side conversation, drawing the attention back to him. "He did something to me. A blue light shot from his mouth and drained away my life and left, leaving me for dead. I was alone in this forest all night, alone."
"Oh, whine, whine, whine." Yoshi rolled his eyes. "You Westerners, I swear. You turn every little situation into a death scene. Besides, it was your own fault for attacking Miyu and that family in the first place, without an official challenge at that! Just for that, we should leave you right here and let you get back to your ship be yourself. C'mon, let's go." He stood up again, hitching Lemunia onto his shoulders a bit better and began to walk away.
"Yosh…" Ryuko called after him. "We can't leave him. It would be…bad form." That last part sounded almost painful to get out. "Let me carry the kid for a while and you get him."
Yoshi swung around so fast that Lemunia had top tighten his grip to make sure that he did not fall off. "What? Why do I have to carry him?" He snapped.
Ryuko looked as if he was taken aback by his friend's tone of voice, but continued; "Because you fought him, that's why."
Yoshi made a vexed voice, glaring hard at Amy, but instead of protesting knelt down so Lemunia could climb off his back. Lemunia slid off, clutching at his wound. He did not protest either; they had done so much for him, helping an enemy, that he did not want to make it sound as if he was ungrateful. "Get on my back." Yoshi said, kneeling next to Amy. When the Western Shinma did not move, Yoshi said, more irritably, "Now, or I'll really leave you behind."
It was a little awkward at first since Amy was bigger and weighed a lot more than Lemunia, but Yoshi did not say another word while they continued to make their way to the Western ship. Ryuko was now carrying Lemunia on his back and were walking a little bit in front of Yoshi, despite his low energy, but only because the anger that radiated from Yoshi was hot on the back of his neck. "Um…your friend." Lemunia said after a long period of silence. "When we first saw him, he seemed…to be in a really good mood, all the time. Kinda like how my brother was. But now he seems different."
Ryuko nodded in agreement. "Yeah, he is, but it's just been since the little incident when Miyu was almost killed." Lemunia shifted uneasily. Ryuko did not notice. "It seems now that Yoshi gets angrier every time he thinks about her, and it's been growing."
"Why's that?" Lemunia inquired. "Does he not like her?"
Ryuko gave a dry laugh. "Of all people, kid, I'd think you would know more than anyone the feeling of loving somebody even though you're well aware that they love someone else."
Once again, Lemunia shifted but nodded glumly. Ryuko pitied his friend for that reason. Yoshi, although he could sometimes be a world class pervert of the highest degree, rarely let himself develop intimate feelings for a girl. In fact, Yoshi was terribly shy around girls, and therefore usually avoided the ones that he did not consider being a friend. And he did not blame him, either; Miyu was really an incredible and very attractive young woman, but everyone who knew her knew that her heart belonged to another, even though he had betrayed her and almost killed her. He could not imagine what Yoshi was going through at the moment, especially since the girl Ryuko had his eyes on for a while was more manly than some guys he knew. No one spoke again until they emerged from the forest and stepped out onto the beach that bordered the Spirit Sea.
"Well, this is where we let you two down." Ryuko said, stopping just a few feet short of the surf line. He let Lemunia slide off his back so he did not cause any pain to his wound; Yoshi nearly dropped Amy on his backside. "We got to get back to our own companions. And kid," He placed a gray furry hand on Lemunia's shoulder and lowered his voice to a whisper. "Just keep in mind that if there happen to be any confrontations later, which I seriously hope not, it's nothing personal." Lemunia nodded.
Yoshi snorted, stretching his hands over his head. "Well, that was fun. See you around, Amy." The sudden friendliness in his voice nearly threw Amy through a loop but when he turned around to say something Yoshi's back was already to him. "Oh, and keep in mind…" He extended his right arm behind him, palm open to Amy, and folded down four of his five long fingers, leaving only his middle digit protruding in the air. It took almost all of Lemunia's strength to hold Amy back from jumping Yoshi as the two Chinese Shinma walked away.
"Now why did you have to do that?" Ryuko asked him over Amy's insulting shouts. "I thought we could have gotten away from them without kicking up any trouble."
Yoshi laughed, sounding like his old self again. "Sorry, but I couldn't help myself." He chuckled. "It was too easy. Besides, would you have let an opportunity like that pass you, especially to a jerk like that?"
"No, probably not." Ryuko laughed as well. "It was pretty ingenious, though. C'mon, let's get back to the Fourth Layer. I am way overdue for a good night's sleep." Yoshi thought about that for a moment and realized that it had been days since he last slept. He nodded in agreement as he and his Wolfin companion disappeared back into the dark Japanese forest.
* * *
Kia breathed silently, doing her best to flex her talons without making the wood under them creak. She had been sitting in the same tree all day, and she was feeling about as stiff as the branch that she was perched upon. All her joins hurt; her back, her legs, her shoulders, her neck…even the marks on each eye were hurting. But as much as she wanted to, she did not complain. The reason to that was because Aoi was leaning up against the same tree that she was perched in, standing so still that a statue seemed to have more life to it. Normally people would not care what people thought of her, but Aoi was one of the elite Samurai of the Japanese Shinma Realm. If she said anything about the pain in her body, then he would probably consider her weak, and as the crowned heir of the Avian Clan, she could not appear weak. Kodi would certainly not approve. So instead she swallowed back the aches and continued to stare straight ahead.
They had a perfect full view of the Western Shinma's ghost ship, the massive bulk looming eerily on the dark ocean. She was still not exactly sure what it was they were doing there; they were "waiting", as Aoi and Ranka had put it, but waiting for what? For hours nothing had moved, and the only sounds to be heard was the soft lapping of the waves on the shores and the wind that moaned across the sands and through the trees. Now it was getting late; she could see it even through the thick, gray overcast clouds. A mist had begun to roll in from the ocean and had now blanketed all the landscape around them. And it was getting cold. Chances were it would snow again before midnight. For a while she wished that she had brought a book, or at least her homework, until movement near the ship caught her attention. With her sharp eye sight, she did not need a second glance to tell her it was Larva and Spartoi, returning to the ship from whatever they had been doing that day.
"What do you think they were doing?" She asked in a hushed voice to Aoi. "And more importantly, why didn't we do anything?" Just the sight of the blue-haired Western Shinma made Kia's blood boil as she remembered what he did to Miyu just a few days ago. Kia loved the young Japanese Shinma as if she were a little sister, and wanted to protect her all that much.
"A trained warrior knows when the time is right to attack." Aoi answered. "Of all people, Chinese Shinma, you and your comrades should know that is one of the first keys to victory in battle. We must watch them and study every move before we can do anything. Therefore it is better not to act irrationally." Kia grumped, shifting her position again. Acting irrationally…that was one of her greatest weaknesses. "Besides," Aoi's voice grew low and suspicious. "I saw more leaving the ship today, perhaps four or so, and only two have come back. Where are the others?"
Kia sensed reason for his uneasiness. "They're not stupid. Even they know its wise not to roam the forests of this world at night. If we are lucky, then it is the forest that have solved our problems for us."
"Or they found something that we were trying to keep hidden from them." Kia felt the bottom drop out of her stomach, but nodded. That was something that she did not want to think about. Instead she turned her attention back to the ship and shoreline, which was now silent and completely deserted. Darkness began to fall rapidly and she was considering calling it a night - if the other Western Shinma were not back at the ship now, then they would not be coming back at all - until she saw more movement emerge from the trees.
"What the…" Kia breathed, leaning forward on her perch. "What the hell is my brother doing here? And Ryuko? And who…" She bit off the last part of her sentence. She knew exactly whom it was that Yoshi and Ryuko were carrying, but she was not sure that Aoi would approve too much.
Unfortunately, Aoi had noticed what she had seen as well. "Kia…why are they helping those Western Shinma?"
Kia swallowed, thinking hard. "Well…my brother may seem like a dip, but he wouldn't do something like that unless he has a really good reason to." It was only a half-lie, but the samurai seemed to accept it. "Anyway, it looks like they were only dropping them back at the ship…" She frowned. This was getting a little strange. "Maybe I should go ask. Wait… they're heading back now. Hey listen, I'm going to return to the Fourth Layer. I don't know about you, but I haven't slept in almost three days. I'll see what they all found out today!" She added that last part quickly and held up her hands when Aoi gave her a questioning look. "Besides, you said yourself that they won't try anything now that it's night. Where can I meet you tomorrow?"
"Right here, Chinese Shinma." Aoi responded, looking back out at the ship. "I'll stay here and keep an eye out. These Western Shinma…are desperate to do what they need to succeed in whatever they came here to do. Something much worse is afoot, and I will not rest until I get to the bottom of it." Kia nodded, keeping her silence. She opened a Gate on the branch and stepped through it, disappearing with a lingering smell of electricity in the air.
* * *
To her surprise, Kia was not the only one who decided it was time to call it a night and return to the fourth Layer. In fact, everyone was there, looking definitely as if they had had a harder day than she had, and she could not imagine anything worse than sitting in a tree for hours on end. Tacha and Verde looked exhausted, as well as Kitsune and Yoto. Yoshi and Ryuko were looking in slightly better moods than the others were, although there was some strain to their faces and eyes. The only one who was moving was Mie-Ling, who was playing a game with Mioshi and Okkoto. The little cat-girl was in the trees, jumping for branch to branch, hiding from the two huge white wolves, who would pretend to search for her before finally circling around the tree that she was in. They had probably been doing it ever since Tacha and the other Chinese Shinma left, but it was the only way to keep her from wandering off on her own.
All her friends, however, were all on the ground, several of them leaning against the trunks of trees with their eyes closed. Each one sported several welts and bruises. Yoshi was already hanging upside down from a thick branch, indicating that he was ready to turn in for the night. Kia cleared her throat to get their attention, letting them know that she was there and, more over, that she needed to speak with them before anyone got any sleep. But she had to do this now; she had told Aoi that she would get the information they had to him when she saw him next, which was only in a few hours. Although she had not fought at all that day, her body ached for sleep too. She had not slept since the night before the Western Shinma had stepped foot on this land.
They stirred slightly, blinking their eyes open as if they did not recognize her. "Sorry about that, guys." She said in a whisper. "But I got to do this; Aoi asked me to get any information from you guys that may help us fight the Western Shinma and, more importantly, figure out what their true motive is. First off, what in the hell happened to all of you today?"
Each one began to talk at once until Kia had to tell them to go one at a time, starting with Tacha and Verde. The Felins told her about the fight with Water Lipper and finding out why some of the Western Shinma were here; for revenge against their humiliation from the battles of the Shinma Wars. Kia snorted the story away. It was childish, typical; something that a Western Shinma was known for, and that was holding absurd grudges. That showed that just from them being here to take Larva back because they thought Miyu was holding him against his will.
The other Chinese Shinma's stories were more frightening. Yoto and Kitsune went first, telling the rest about their encounter with Shiki; this meant that the Shi were involved now as well, and it was because of Yui. Small, innocent Yui who had no part in the battle, but since she was the only one who could help Miyu, had been pulling in against her will and was now as hunted as the rest of them. Then Yoshi and Ryuko told Kia about the Quarl. At the first mention of the name, Kia's blood went cold.
"Fuck!" She swore. "I knew that those bastards were involved somehow!" The others nodded in agreement, all looking as pale as she probably was. She ran all three stories through her head, sifting through the evidence and facts one more time. "This could only mean one thing; the Quarl are back to finish whatever the Shinma War had been started for."
"But that's ridiculous." Tacha said. "Everyone knows that the Quarl were all killed off when the war ended."
"Apparently not." Kia said. "They must have found a gutter or something, or at least some of them towards the end, but there where enough to come back and finish their jobs incognito. And don't look at me like I'm fucking nuts, because you all know that there were enough Quarl here to back that theory up, especially since they're all supposed to be dead."
"She has a point." Yoto said. "The pieces fit into place almost exactly. You probably all felt the shock wave just after noon, correct? It was before that that I think we all ran into the Quarl."
"I'm not saying it's impossible…" Ryuko began. "But can you explain to me why the Quarl started the war in the first place?" They all looked at Kitsune, whose special study was conveniently history.
"Well, if I can remember correctly, they wanted to attack the Japanese Realm for some reason or another; I don't think they ever got an exact reason. Now remember that everything that happened before they came to the Japanese Shinma Realm is a little sketchy, but I think they tried to get the Western Shinma to fight it out for them, or along side them, or something. But the Western Shinma refused. True, they aren't exactly fond of the Japanese Shinma, but it gave them no reason to simply attack, so the Quarls began to war by attacking the Western Shinma, which until then they held some sort of loose alliance."
"But I think it was something more than that." Yoshi said. "Do you remember what Caial said when Kyuko finally took a step in?" They all nodded, but Yoshi said it anyway: "'Just the person I wanted to see.'"
"It could only mean one thing." Kia said. "They're after Miyu and desire nothing more than her death. To us, it seems absurd and completely moronic that they would travel all the way over here to take Larva away from her, but there is still some sense to those thick heads. Something tells me that they didn't come here to kill Miyu as well. Well, except for maybe the blonde broad, but I think all of us saw some evidence of that as well."
"What can we do?" Yoshi asked in a bit of a panic. "We can't leave Miyu alone, especially with those freaks after her!"
"She's with Mori right now, in the Fifth Layer, and that's the safest place she could be right now. It will have to do until we can come up with a better plan. Until then, there are to be no casualties to the Western Shinma, even more strictly than before, got it?" The other nodded once again. "Good. Mioshi? Okkoto? Did you catch all of that?"
Every word, Chinese Shinma. One of the big wolves growled. We will tell our Mother immediately. And they were gone into the forest before Kia could say another word.
"Well, at least with that information we are a step ahead of them, or at least neck-and-neck." Tacha said. "But it's not enough. We have to get ahead of them and know what the next move will be. If not, then the same fate that bestowed Kyuko will soon fall onto Miyu."
Kia grimaced. "They want her dead. That's all they'll ever want."
* * *
It was late. The air was cold, and an eerie calm settled over the Heart of the Darkness. Wispy clouds drifted past a sliver of moon that hung in the sky. The only audible sound was Yui's gentle breathing as she slept next to Miyu, curled up under a blanket made of deerskin. Miyu was sitting up, awake, with a heavy brown bear skin blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She had not slept for a moment that entire night. Yui had fallen asleep long before. Her mind was troubled. She repeatedly asked herself, Where do I go from here? Should she find the others and rejoin the battle? But she felt as if she were in a great deal of debt towards Mori and the other Elders. They had come up from the Heart of the Darkness, to the world of the humans, to help her. Should she look for Larva?
Her heart ached. Had he thought of her at all since that dark day? It was so odd. One part of Miyu knew that was not him; not the Larva she had known since she was a human child. The cold look in his usually gentle eyes when he looked at her, the way her spoke to her. She looked down at her yukata. There was a large ragged hold in the front-center, covered in blood. There was another smaller tear on the left shoulder. Larva had done this, but she knew him well enough to know that he would have never done anything like this to anyone unless she or anyone else he cared about had been in trouble. They must have done something to him, she concluded. After they had been separated. And he would have remembered if Carlua had not interrupted. Anger boiled in her heart when she thought about the Western Shinma, mixed with pain and sorrow from the loss of her best friend and companion. She was also angry with herself. Why had she not seen how important he was when they were together? She may never rest in his arms again. Her soul was raked with pain and sorrow, but there were no tears. That surprised her more than anything else did in her train of thoughts.
MIYU? Mori's mental Voice came from behind. Miyu turned around to see the ancient Elder standing behind her. She was almost impossible to see; her dark fur blended perfectly with the black shadows. I THOUGHT YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN ASLEEP BY NOW. IS ANYTHING BOTHERING YOU?
"No…" Miyu began. "I was just thinking. I was not able to sleep."
EVEN THOUGH IT IS LATE, I THINK YOU SHOULD FIND SOME DESENT CLOTHING, UNLESS YOU WANT TO RUN AROUND IN A RUINED, BLOODSTAINED YUKATA. A BATH MAY NOT BE A BAD IDEA EITHER. Miyu felt her face grown hot; she knew that wolves had an incredible sense of scent. She hoped she did not smell too bad. She let the bear skin fall from her shoulders and followed Mori to a shallow, clear pond. Mori turned as Miyu took off her Yukata and slipped into the water. It was very cool, but it seemed warm at the same time; Miyu could not figure out what temperature it truly was. The simplest thing in the Heart of the Darkness seemed complicated. But whatever it was, it felt good. It was when Miyu shed her clothing that she realized that she did not have any scars on her body. There should rightfully be a huge, hideous scar on her torso where Larva had stabbed her, but her skin was unblemished.
Then she saw her left shoulder; there was a scar there. It was small, thin, and paler than her skin. It was where Larva had cut her. Miyu touched the scar, trying to fight back the memory.
Cold water splashed over her head. She twisted around and saw Mori standing behind her with a bucket-like object with a long handle clasped between her teeth. Lowering her head, she refilled it and dumped it on Miyu's hair again. Miyu coughed and wiped the water that ran in her eyes. JUST BECAUSE I HAVE THIS BODY DOES NOT MEAN I DO NOT HAVE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A MOTHER. I USED TO BATHE MY CHILDREN THIS WAY. EVEN MONSTERS CAN BE PARENTS.
"Oh no, I never though of you as a monster. I think you're beautiful." Miyu said.
Mori chuckled deeply in her throat, set the bucket down on the ground and lay down herself.
"Why did you and the other Elders save me? I thought that all Japanese Shinma wanted nothing to do with the vampires."
THE SHINMA OF THE FIRST AND SECOND LAYERS DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT. THEY ARE ARROGANT, JUST AS OSA WAS. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT YOU NOR ANYONE ELSE KNOWS HOW IMPORTANT THE VAMPIRES ARE TO THE SURVIVAL OF THIS CLAN, OR THEIR HISTORY. IT IS TIME THAT YOU KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR HERITAGE. I CAN TELL YOU THAT IN THE MORNING, SINCE IT IS SO LATE, THOUGH; IT IS A LONG STORY TO TELL. YOU NEED TO GAIN YOUR STRENGTH BACK. IT ALSO SEEMS TO ME THAT YOU DO NOT KNOW THAT TO DO FROM HERE. Miyu shook her head. MIYU, WHEN TWO INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCE THE SAME PAIN, THEN THEY UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE COULD. DID YOUR SHIMOBE FEEL THAT WAY?
"He lost both of his parents when he was really young, so he didn't remember them that well."
I THINK OUR LOSS IS A BIT MORE PAINFUL. YOU LOST YOUR MOTHER WHEN YOU AWOKE AS A VAMPIRE. AND I…ONCE HAD A DAUGHTER. MY DEAR KINAMI, THE YOUNGEST OF MY CUBS. SHE WAS JUST LIKE YOU; STRONG, FEARLESS, AND VERY SENSITIVE. SHE HAD MY FUR AND WOULD SOMEDAY BE THE ELDER OF THIS LAYER WHEN I PASSED ON, LEAVING HER BROTHERS AS SENTINELS. BUT SHE LOST HER LIFE IN THE GREAT SHINMA WARS ALL THOSE YEARS AGO. NO DOUBT HER HIDE IS HANGING ON SOME MANTELPIECE OF A WESTERN BASTARD'S CASTLE. She paused. I WON'T WASTE TIME. WILL YOU LIKE TO BE ONE OF US, OF OUR FAMILY, UNTIL YOU KNOW WHICH DIRECTION YOU WANT TO FIGHT IN? AS MY DAUGHTER AND THE SISTER OF OKKOTO AND MIOSHI?
"Stay with you?" Miyu asked. "As in… a family?" Mori nodded.
RUN WITH THE WOLVES, AS A CREATURE OF THE NIGHT AND THE DEFENDER OF THIS WORLD. YOU COULD PROVE TO THEM THAT MESSING WITH YOU IS GOING TO BE THE BIGGEST MISTAKE OF THEIR LIVES. Mori said with a sneer.
Miyu considered the idea. Vengeance would be nice. "All right. I'll do it. For the vengeance, for protecting this world, and to finally have a family."
The Elder's wolfish smile grew so cold that Miyu felt the temperature of the air and the water drop, but suddenly the furry black ears perked up on the top of her head. Mori stood up abruptly, looking behind her, nose raised in the air. "Mori…"
SOMETHING…IS AMIDST. SOMETHING ILL. She snorted, as whatever it was smelt never bad. THIS DOES NOT BODE WELL. I MUST GO.
"Go?" Miyu inquired, raising slightly from the pool. "Go where?" Instead of answering, Mori was now speaking silently to her two sons, who had stepped out from the trees as if they were made of shadows themselves. Although her Voice was soft, Miyu could hear most of the conversation.
THE SEAL IS BEING THREATENED BY AN EVIL FORCE, AND I FEAR THE WORSE. WATCH AFTER MIYU. FIND THE GARB THAT SAINYON ADORNED WHEN SHE WAS WITH US. I MUST GO. Without waiting for a response, Mori bounded into the night.
The two white wolves only looked at each other, and they were looking very disturbed at that. DO YOU THINK…IT COULD BE WHAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT? Mioshi asked.
I DON'T DOUBT IT. Okkoto responded with a growl.
* * *
The tone in their voices made Miyu shiver. Something told her that things were going to become much worse before they showed any signs of becoming better.
Cait Sith approached the small hut wearily. He had spent all day looking for the blasted thing and well into the night, but now it was here. It was pitiful-looking, actually; a small Japanese Shine guarded by meaningless paper wards. But it looked too pitiful, like the borrow of a snake; a hole, harmless-looking, but hiding the true danger that lay beyond that one did not see until it was too later. He should have sensed something by now, a guard, a ward, or something. But right now nothing else mattered. He was here; he had finally found what he had been searching for all these long years, the only reason why he came to the accursed land in the first place. He chuckled in a revolting manner. "Here it is… I have finally how it!" Gima stood close by, a smirk on her pretty red mouth. Cait Sith thrust a hand forward. "Now I can release my mother from her prison!" In a flash of black energy, his wraith flew, howling in their demonic way, towards the hut that held the key. It shattered into a million pieces of well-aged splinters, kicking up dust and dirt all around.
As the dust cleared, Cait Sith saw the faintest glow of pale light, which grew stringer as the surroundings became clearer. A rather simple-looking dagger in a brown scabbard was hovering a few feet above the ground where the hut had just been. Cait Sith chuckled again but it quickly grew into mad laughter. "I have it! The key is mine!"
When Cait Sith turned back around, Mori was standing in the path. The breeze did not so much as ruffle her sleek black fur. IT HAS BEEN MY DUTY TO GUARD THAT CURSED DAGGER FOR THE PAST FIFTEEN THOUSAND YEARS. EVEN THOUGHT I WAS NOT THERE WHEN YOU TOOK IT, I WILL NOT FAIL IN MY DUTY. I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE. AND I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO ACIEVE WHAT YOU'VE COME HERE FOR. The powerful muscles of her back legs coiled and she sprang forward, claws out-stretched and huge jaws open. She moved with incredible speed and Cait Sith was barely able to dodge her. She turned quickly with as much speed and grace as a Shinma in a human form would. Cait Sith took off running. Mori could not chase him down and tear him apart at the moment like she wanted too, but the sudden movement made her limbs ache with age. Instead she threw back her head and howled. The world shook and quivered violently, like some small rodent hiding from the searching hawk. A tree a little more than a hundred feet in front of Cait Sith began to quake then up-rooted and fell across the path, blocking his escape. That would not stop him. He could still get away from her. Ignoring the throbbing ache in her joins, Mori charged.
When the huge tree crashed down in front of him, Cait Sith had no choice but to stop. He turned to see Mori running towards him. There was only one thing left for him to do. Some ancient overgrown dog was not going to stand between him and victory. Flinging a hand out, his cat wraiths flew screaming at Mori. Most flew past her. Most did. One of the black cat wraiths bit into her shoulder when she was within pouncing distance of the Western Shinma, sending up a mist of red blood. Her leg crumpled from the pain. She stumbled, tripped, and fell down the side of the cliff, snapping huge branches off the trees as the forest below swallowed her body.
From on top of the cliff's ledge, Cait Sith looked down to the spot where Mori had hit and disappeared. He laughed down at her. "Some Elder." He called after her. "Your world in doomed! The Japanese Shinma will fall under our rule!"
* * *
The next morning looked to be promising; why, Larva did not know. For not the first time he was questioning why what he and Spartoi were about to do, and that was venture back into the Japanese Spirit Realm. What reasons did they have to go there? As far as he knew, the original mission was completed, and that was to release him from Miyu's control. But Cait Sith had insisted that they go back out into the lower Layers to look for any worthy opponent, as he put it. Of course, now he and his friend knew that meant go look for any strong opponent from the foreign Realm and battle them to the death. And then that was broken down to the Sentinels and the Elders. For some reason, Cait Sith had become obsessed with destroying the hierarchy of the Japanese Shinma Realm, but his motives were unclear. At first he sort of explained it, saying that it was a message to the rest of the Realm that said to never underestimate them again. But soon the Quarl became restless and irritated with their questioning, especially after he returned to the ship so late the night before, long after midnight. The look in his eyes when Larva asked that morning was enough to make him want to leave the boat without a second look back.
Maybe it was because Yui had made her way to the Fifth Layer and, to his understanding, had revived Miyu. The mere thought made chills run up and down Larva's spine. That meant that she was out there, somewhere, probably waiting him, watching him, waiting for the chance to steal his blood and make him her slave once again. Well, that was not going to happen. She had been easy enough to defeat before. And, from the ties she once had with him, seemed reluctant to fight back against any assult. Keeping her at bay would not be as hard as it once seemed to be.
But now he was wondering why he was obeying Cait Sith's orders once again as he and his hulking friend made their way through several feet of fresh snow that had fallen the night before, making their way across the First and Second Layers. They stayed close to the river which, by Water Lipper's description, ran straight through the land. That meant that if they followed it they would not get lost, but that was hardly a thought when they saw the condition Water Lipper was in when she finally returned to the ship. Her faire skin was badly blemished with dark bruises and half-healed wounds that were still too tender to touch. It looked as if she had been attacked by a very large animal. Pazusu had, of course, been appalled, asking her what had done this to her. Larva had a feeling that he was not the only one who saw her sea-green eyes flicker to Cait Sith and, with a heavy swallow that one did when nervous, answered "Chinese Shinma" hastily before retreating to her cabin.
Then there had been Amy and Lemunia. Both were in bad shape as well, Amy being very dirty and exhausted and Lemunia with a blood-soaked ribbon tied around his middle. They too, said that it was the Chinese Shinma, although Lemunia sounded as if he had wanted to say something else instead. Amy, on the other hand, began to rave about the Chinese Shinma he had fought, saying how it was the most unfair, disgraceful battle he had ever been in and talking about the vileness and downright rudeness of the Chinese Shinma himself. Lemunia retreated to his cabin as well, leaving Amy fuming in the middle of the room before he almost collapsed of exhaustion.
There was only one thing to be concluded from this; the Chinese Shinma were as they had said to be, as told by their parents; savage monsters that only fought for the taste of blood. Pazusu warned the remaining Western Shinma to keep an eye out for them and, if seen, to avoid them. Their other comrades had been lucky, but something told him that that luck was running thin.
But so far they had not seen any Chinese Shinma. Or any Japanese Shinma, for that matter. In fact, they did not see anything until they were on the border of the Third Layer.
Something caught Larva's attention out of the corner of his eye. Something was laying on the bank of the icy river- something large and black. With a second glance he saw it was breathing. "Hey Spartoi, isn't that the Elder of the Fifth Layer?" Spartoi looked too. Sure enough, it was Mori, the once proud Elder of the Fifth Layer, laying in a crumpled, pathetic heap on the ground.
"I wonder what did that to her." Spartoi said, then shrugged. "Oh, well. It looks as if she's out of action. She doesn't seem to see us, which will make it easier for us to take care of the Second Layer. Where ever they are." Both of them were near the outskirts of the Second Layer, and so far they had not come across one Shinma of that Layer. They were probably all taking refuge in the lower Layers. All except for the Sentinel. With her out of the way, they could move onto the Third Layer.
Larva said, "I really don't see what the fuss is. If something could befall the second most powerful Shinma in this Realm, then they truly are a weak..." He was cut off by a sudden movement within the shrubs across the river. From the dark foliage two snowy-white figures emerged, moving swiftly on silent paws, their large, sleek bodies kept close to the ground. Wolves, but they were too large to be ordinary wolves. They had to have been Mori's children, Mioshi and Okkoto. And something else... a small figure, dressed in the white pelt of some animal, was on one of the wolves' back. Judging from the slender arms and legs visible from the fur, it was a female. Grasped in one hand was a long spear, and she wore some sort of red mask over her face. The two wolves stopped by their mother, nuzzling her gently with their muzzles and making some sort of whimpering noise. Mori stirred, then pushed herself up on her front legs. Then Larva and Spartoi could see what was wrong; there was a fairly good-sized hole in Mori's right shoulder, bleeding dark blood sluggishly. The figure riding one of them jumped off and approached the Elder, pushing back the mask. She was a pretty girl, looking about in her teens. Dark locks of hair framed her pale, slender face. She was wearing a loose, dark blue breeches and a white long-sleeves shirt with a light-brown reed-like patter that covered her chest. There was a leather strap that hung over one should and ran down the front of her chest with a scabbard attached that held a dagger at her hip. Though at a distance, she seemed oddly familiar.
She approached Mori, and tenderly touched the wound in her shoulder. Mori drew back her lips in a snarl and growled, showing her long white fangs and a massive amount of pain in her eyes. The girl drew close to the wound, inspecting it. She then made a sour face and drew back shapely, a hand raised to her nose. It smelt awful, like rotting flesh. Moving the fur aside, she saw that the ragged flesh was blackened, as if it was rotting, like something evil had struck her there. Swallowing the nausea, she bent close to the wound, putting her lips to it. The two Western Shinma watched her as she turned her head to the side and spit out a mouthful of blood. "Spartoi, you don't think that could be?" Larva asked, letting his question unfinished.
Spartoi snorted. "It can't be." He said. "Miyu's dead. There would have been no way for her to survive with that wound. Anyway, why would she be attacking her own kind? But then again, she was a vampire. They don't care whose blood they suck."
She did this two or three times, and Larva realized that she was sucking out the bad blood from Mori's wound. Who was this girl? "No, she not trying to hurt her. She's helping her." He took a step forward, almost unconsciously, and a twig under his foot snapped.
The girl tending Mori's wound suddenly jerked her head around, staring at the two Shinma. Her eyes flashed golden in the weak sunlight, giving off an eerie light of their own. She stood up; not breaking her gaze as her eyes held a look of spite. She spit out her last mouthful of blood, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Mori looked over her shoulder, growling at them. The girl reached up and pulled off the white fur cloak from her head, letting long dark hair spill onto her shoulders. It was Miyu. Alive, and running with the wolf pack. She turned away, and sung her legs over one of the white wolf's back. "Go back to your ship!" She called from over the river, and all four of them disappeared into the forest.
"Spartoi," Larva said. "You go find the Third Layer. I'm going to follow them."
"Larva, be careful." Spartoi warned. "Miyu will probably try to take you back if you are caught off guard."
"And what about you, my friend?" Larva mused with a small smile. "Where will you be?"
"Hunting down a worthy opponent, as Cait Sith told us. And fear not; I will not return like the others. In fact, I will return with the head of one of Chinese Shinma, how does that sound?" Larva only nodded, his smile not faltering. He would really rather Spartoi not, but nothing could talk him out of it now that the idea was in his head. Spartoi laughed once and clapped Larva on the shoulder before setting off once again.
Larva turned to follow after Miyu and the wolves when he noticed something red glittered on the ground. If the world was not covered with snow, then Larva would not have noticed it, much less cared. It glimmered quiet brightly, standing out like freshly spilt blood on the white snow. But for some reason the flickering of the slight object beckoned to him, and before he knew it he was standing before it. It was a ribbon entwined tightly around a dark tree branch that was sticking out of the ground. He reached down and picked it up, letting it unwind itself from the thorny branch. For some reason it seemed very familiar… it looked like the ribbon that Miyu wore in her hair. It did make a little sense, since the first time he had seen Miyu since she awoke her hair was loose around her shoulders. This entire area seemed familiar, now that he looked around at it. In reality, it looked like the same landscape that he had been walking through for the last hour- a wide plain covered with snow. But there was still something about it, a clouded memory… He shook his head. No, that was ridiculous. He did not know why he did not set the ribbon back on the branch. Instead he tucked it into his sleeve and continued walking.
* * *
"Snow." Kia grumbled to herself. "Out of all the worlds in this realm, why did it have to be snow?" True, she did just fine when it came to climbing trees and fighting in branches or any other surface that she could get an easy hold on, but snow was different. The Wolfins and the Felins had fur and special pads to maintain a foot hold on the ice. She had slick scales, making it very difficult. Yoshi was no better under the same conditions. Avians were made for the air and from fighting among the thick branches of trees, not for an icy terrain. Maybe Spartoi was not as dumb as he appeared to be. Kia doubted it.
She had been crossing the snow-covered landscape with Aoi and Ranka since sunrise, and already she was exhausted. If she said it once, then she had said it a hundred times; Avians were not made for walking in the snow! But once again she bit back all the bitching that was itching to get back and resorted to grumbling under her breath to relieve some of the stress. And the situation did not get better when it started snowing again.
"Shh…" Ranka said suddenly, holding out an arm, stopping Aoi and Kia where they stood. "They come." Kia craned her neck up to get a better look, not seeing anything, but then gasped angrily when she saw the figure come up over the snowy rise.
"It's him." She hissed.
The large man stood out oddly in the white landscape; he was wearing a sort of light armor topped off with a bronze dragon wrapped around his shoulders the wind whipping his cape about. Spartoi; the Western Shinma she had fought against and was knocked out by in a most humiliating way. Aoi snorted. "I hate strangers wandering around our territory!" He scoffed.
Spartoi smirked, sizing each one of them up. When his eyes fell on Kia, he gave an evil sneer. "Well, well…if it isn't you…" He said. "My name is Spartoi!" He announced to the others. "I'm here to beat you! Now, who will it be…" His eyes fell on Aoi again. "I'd rather fight you than either of the broads…since I know that one of them is too weak to fight…"
Kia's temper raged up so hot that all the snowflakes around her melted. "Weak huh?" She shot back. "Five minutes, big guy, and I'll shove that weak straight up your ass!"
"Hold your temper, Chinese Shinma." Aoi said, but it was to little avail. "Very well," he said, turning back to Spartoi. "Let's see what you've got."
"Oh, no you don't!" Kia said, stepped forward to meet Aoi's eyes. It wasn't that hard, as they were both about the same size. "This jackass made a fool of me before. Let me have my revenge!" Aoi looked at her for a moment, then nodded. A triumphant grin split Kia's face as she turned back to Spartoi.
"Just you wait, Western bastard!" She said. "This time I'll rip you to shreds!"
Thunder growled overheard.

To be continued…