Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Before I Die ❯ Chapter 2

Author's Notes: Ah, I am sorry for not updating in awhile. College classes were coming to an end, and I had to complete them. Thank gods above it is over. Thanks as well to those of you who reviewed. You were helpful. Also, be warned that older chapters may be re-updated via fixing of spelling/ grammar/ sentence structure errors, so don't worry about it.

 

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Touya remained out cold in the bed he was offered in the Brass Castle. Resting upon his back, his expression relaxed, his fingers flinched slightly in movement upon the covers they resided upon. His closed, narrow eyes twitched to show he was trying to rouse himself from the slumber his body was forced within. The young Zexen woman nearby caught the brief movements. Moving closer, she leaned forward to check on the temperature Touya had previously had with the back of her hand.

 

The feel of the woman's chilly hand against his warm skin made Touya's eyes fly open, inhaling stridently as if he had been suffocating in his sleep. His breaths labored as he sat upright on the bed, he shook the lingering dizziness from his head with a groan. “What—what happened?”

 

The surprised expression upon the young woman eventually disappeared, seeing the man was alright. “I am relieved to see you made it just fine,” she said, moving some of her shoulder length blond hair behind her ear to keep the strands from moving into her sight. “I am not sure myself what happened. Your friend dropped you off in a panic saying you had passed out.”

 

“And he just left me here?” Touya wondered with a slight laugh. “Figures, that boy could never stay put in one spot for more than two seconds.”

 

“He said he was just going to pick up something for you and come right back,” the Zexen woman pointed out, heading back over to the check-in desk. “He left just a few minutes ago.”

 

Touya brought his knees up to his chest, looking at the arched windows, which lined the other side of the room, before him. The large, wooden doors creaked on their hinges, revealing the wild redhead soon enough. The four aqua colored bangs hung over Touya's weary face as he did his best to express a smile. “It is good to see you didn't leave me here.”

 

“Why would I?” Jin asked with a broad smile. He sat on the side of the bed with a bag in his possession. Taking special care in moving Touya's bangs out of his way so that Jin could see the rest of the pallid face, he pulled the bag up to the empty space next to him. “I went to the bookstore, and I got you something.”

 

The dazed Touya watched Jin pull out a rather large book with brown, leather binding and old, slightly ratted pages. A rusted, gold lock was on the front as were a few letters, which were hardly legible. Opening his hands to accept the book he hadn't seen before, Touya peeked at it from all angles carefully. “Where did you find this one?”

 

“Seeing as the woman there knows you well,” Jin began as he threw off his boots for a moment, “I asked her what you haven't read yet, and she gave me this book that she rarely gives to others.” Messing up Touya's already messy hair, he grinned once more. “She said you deserved it.”

 

“Why was she hiding it?” Touya wondered aloud as he opened the book to skim the first few pages, which were slightly browned.

 

“She didn't say,” Jin responded with a slight shrug. “So, are you feeling better? Are you ready to get up and walk?”

 

Touya placed the book aside for a moment as he rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand. “Yeah, yeah, I think so.” Pushing the covers off of his body, he got to his feet thanks to Jin's help. His body threatened to slump back over in exhaustion, but Touya fought the feeling to the best of his ability with a slight hum in thought. “So what happened to me anyways? Did I just pass out?”

 

Jin guided Touya by the hand to the front desk once he put his boots back on. Paying the woman for the briefly rented bed, he smiled to her pleasantly as he gently pushed the water rune user forward. “I don't know. I just witnessed you throw up and then pass out on the ground. You hit the floor so hard that I was worried you could have busted your head.”

 

His fingers rubbing the slightly bruised area, Touya gazed back up at Jin. “It is just slightly tender right there. I don't understand why it just got so hazy, and then I lost all of my energy.” Though the two were risking quite a bit to be seen with their hands joined, Touya kept his within Jin's as they exited out of the castle area, heading for the cobblestone bridge beyond the market place.

 

Jin furrowed his brow in worry as he looked down at his companion whilst they made their way beyond the last archway, which would open up to the lengthy overpass. “You lost your energy again?” He twisted his mouth to the side, humming in thought. “I am beginning to think maybe you're just having withdrawal from your old rune not being in your possession.”

 

“Jin, if that was the case the doctors or even the rune sages would have diagnosed me with it,” Touya pointed out as they made their way into the towering forest, which blanketed the dirt road their feet soon graced.

 

“I swear you can't find happiness under any rock, can you?” Jin asked with a brief laugh, releasing Touya's hand to place his arm over his friend's shoulder.

 

“It depends on what rock I am looking under,” Touya said in return with a slight smirk. His stomach still feeling unsettled, he placed his hand upon it as he stopped walking for a moment. “I guess my body isn't too happy with me today. My stomach feels rotten.”

 

Jin watched as Touya nearly fell forward, his arm coming around quickly to support his chest before Touya could. “That's it; I am calling you some assistance.” Whistling loudly, the sound carried for miles. The reverberation itself startled the birds nestling contently within the trees and some of the creatures hiding nearby in the bushes. He was hoping the sound would carry on the winds to the one creature he wanted to hear it.

 

The currents blew tenderly about the forest, the trees bending to its touch as an ear piercing screech could be heard from far away. The call becoming louder with every passing moment was accompanied by the sound of the wind being cut by the mere flapping of a large bird's feathers. Jin and Touya both shielded their eyes as the giant beast made its way down to the woodlands below. His powerful wings of pure white, dipped in the lightest hue of blue, raised above his back, standing several inches tall. His beak parted to emit another powerful kree; the large sapphire colored eyes glimpsed about the area carefully since he was often hunted in Zexen land.

 

“Hey there, Wind Song,” the wind user said aloud, walking over to the large white griffon to hug it around his thick, feathery neckline.

 

The powerful griffon shook his body from side to side to rid himself of pesky bugs, which were nipping at his pelt. He had been a friend to Jin ever since the wind rune user found the egg on the side of the road, abandoned by the mother. Jin took in the egg and helped it hatch. Wind Song was raised into full adulthood before being released in fear of being killed by the knights.

 

Jin waved Touya over to the white griffon. Taking his partner's hand, he helped Touya on the back of the large mythical creature. “I will see you back at the inn, Touya. Wind Song will get you there safely.” Jin smiled as he patted the griffon. “Alright, buddy, take care of him for me.” Blowing a big kiss into the griffon's silky, white feathers, he padded Wind Song's rear tenderly to get him going.

 

“Jin, I am not so sure about THIS!” Touya yelled as the creature took off into the skies quickly. His hands grabbing tightly onto the griffon's feathers, which blew about in his face, Touya buried his face within the bird half of the Grassland animal. He wasn't too used to flying, even if Jin took him on occasion when he was well. Looking down at the trees that got smaller the higher than griffon flew, Touya managed to wave goodbye to his partner though he wished not to return back to the inn once more.

 

The redhead below waved in return, shielding his eyes from the bright rays of the morning sun with his hand cupped above his brows. “I'll see you back at Vinay Del Zexay, love. Take care of yourself until then.” Turning on his heels, Jin quickly jogged back into the Brass Castle so he could wait for Touya's weapon to be completed.

 

 

 

 

Seeing the wooden, interior walls of the inn room yet again, Touya sighed in dissatisfaction. He sat upon the covers of his bed he hadn't made up to gaze up at the ceiling above. As he shifted over to his back, he felt something against the fabric of his shirt, embedding slightly within his skin. Pulling himself off of the messy covers, he looked under his slightly raised arm to see the book that Jin had given to him. He seized the book to bring it closer to him to investigate the worn title.

 

“The Grassland Clans,” Touya read aloud to himself, shifting on the bed so that his head could be cushioned by the pillow at the head of his bed. “I never did read in depth about them.” Opening to the first page, his eyes began wandering back and forth across the ink, which had been slightly worn off during the years. “I can see why now she would have to hide such a book in Zexen territory.”

 

Jin made his way to the Vinay Del Zexay market place in a brisk jog with the sword his partner wanted to have a rune affixed within the metal. He headed close to the docks where the building resided, turning the corner on the left to make it to the inn's entrance. “Touya better appreciate this,” Jin mumbled as he struggled with the inn's door. “Carrying this weapon around is a pain in my rear!” He still fumbling with the door for a moment, Jin's ears caught the low kueeing sound of a griffon. Raising his brows at the sound, he looked up at the top of the inn to spy the white griffon he had fathered for years.

 

The eagle talons gripped tightly onto the edge of the roof of the inn as he threw his back with a subtle kree to those who would listen. His noble, angelic eyes spying Jin down at the door of the inn, Wind Song whistled to him like a regular song bird. Flaring out his feathers, he flapped his wings to help him flutter down to the ground below.

 

“Wind Song, what are you doing here!” Jin demanded to know in a high whisper. Running his fingers through the griffon's feathers and fur line gently, he saw some people nearby a bit frightened by the size of the intimidating animal of the wild. “Come on, buddy, you have to get out of here! Shoo—go on now!”

 

The griffon erected his feathered ears at Jin's actions as the man waved his hands at Wind Song to try and make him leave. Jumping back on his paws and talons at the movements, he playfully snapped at Jin's hands as he used to do when he was merely a kitten. Lowering his head, he raised his right talon above it as if to be playful with his master.

 

“Wind Song, shoo! Go home!” Jin asked of the griffon once more in a hushed whisper, continuing to wave his hands. When the griffon still refused to leave and go back into the woods where he belonged, Jin walked over to the large beast to move his palm along his white feathered, neck and face. “Buddy, you've got to get out of here! You are creating a scene!”

 

The round, sapphire gleaming eyes stared at Jin, reflecting the man's body within them as Wind Song took in every word. Looking left and then right, the griffon lowered down to the ground to get enough energy to push off of the stone road he stood upon, flapping his wings to take to the skies once more.

 

Jin shielded his eyes from the loose partials, which flew at his face thanks to Wind Song's powerful wings creating the strong gusts of wind. He watched as the citizens nearby whispered to one another at what they had just seen. His pointed ears catching a few of the words spared within the small crowd made him slightly nervous as he made it to the inn's door to invite himself inside. Closing the door behind him quickly, Jin leaned upon it momentarily with a sigh of worry. “Spotted with one creature outside of Zexen's walls and people just have to start yammering about it,” he grumbled, parting for the staircase.

 

Touya continued reading his book under the covers of his bed when Jin finally made his way into the bedroom. Seeing the worry in his expression, he asked, “What is the matter, Jin?”

 

“Why didn't you order Wind Song home?” Jin inquired, closing the door and locking it as well. “He was on top of the inn building, waiting for me to come to the door and people saw him!”

 

Releasing a brief laugh behind his closed lips, Touya turned his focus back on the book with a shrug. “And that is a—bad thing?” He wondered. “It is not like Zexen people go around these days pushing out people who have connections with strong, wild creatures. They are all talk and no action.”

 

Jin scratched his head as he sat down at the small round table near one of the two windows in their small inn room. “Some thought I was a Grassie!”

 

“Jin, please,” Touya began as he closed his book after marking his spot, “people here think you're an elf with your ears being the way they are. I doubt you have to worry much about them fearing you are now in league with the Grasslanders.” Putting his book down on the nightstand, he got to his feet to join Jin at the table. “Besides, I told Wind Song to go home. He didn't listen to me.”

 

“And I have told them several times I am not,” Jin grumbled, supporting his cheek with his palm. The young man was known to have his ears point whenever he was happy or excited, but most times he was spotted, he was seen with them pointed. Accusations were made that he was of an elf tribe, and it made him irritated.

 

“Just be relieved they don't know your true origin,” Touya said with a shrug, turning to look out the slightly cracked window. The feel of the chilly air made him feel a bit at peace. Not to mention he felt a lot warmer than before.

 

Jin removed himself from the chair he was sitting within with a slight grunt, making his way over to the side of the open window Touya was gazing out at. His finger tapping upon the windowsill, he hummed in thought at his true origin. Jin looked over at his partner, his other hand hidden within his pocket as he rested one of his feet against the wall. “Do you ever regret it?”

 

Plucking an apple out of the basket in the center of the wooden tabletop, Touya took a bite to sate his grumbling stomach. “Regret what?” He asked Jin, his mouth slightly full.

 

“Do you regret ever falling for me?” Jin clarified. His hands moving about his pants a moment, he appeared to be searching for something. Pulling out an empty, small leather pouch, he hissed slightly to himself. “Dammit, I guess I am out.”

 

Touya shook his bi-colored hair, running his fingers through it to keep it out of his face. “No, I don't regret it. I know our love is considered a double sin, but remember what I told you—I would go anywhere with you, including Hell.” Hopping up out of the chair for a moment, Touya went over to the nightstand to pick back up his book so he could read it at the table since his nauseous feeling had disappeared for the time being. “And by the way, you're not smoking anymore.” Touya was aware whenever Jin pulled out the leather pouch he carried, he was looking for his cigarette he normally made for himself. The smoke always irritated him while Jin was used to many different scents the wind carried. “So where is my sword?”

 

“Oh!” Jin exclaimed, removing the strap of the sheath he had resting from his right side to his top left shoulder. Removing the sheath from behind his back, Jin handed the sword over to its rightful owner. “Hopefully now it won't fall out.”

 

Touya took back his sword. He removed the blade from the decorative sheath it was within to gaze at the circular water rune, which had been implanted firmly within the beginning of the blade, where it met with the hilt. “Hmmm,” he hummed in thought, placing the blade back into the sheath, “I guess I will find out whenever I can manage to go out and fight again.”

 

“I am sure you will be able to in due time.” Jin glanced at the position of the sun before sighing through his nostrils at the time of day it was. “Well, bud, I should head to the Iksay Village. I have somebody there who has a job for me.” Grabbing up his double daggers as well as his own sword, he placed them upon his bed so he could hunt for his uniform. Opening the doors of the closet, Jin pulled out his clothes so he could fold them up on the bed to take with him. “I hope you will be alright. If you're not, you will send word, won't you?”

 

“I will be fine. If I get nauseated, at least there is a bed I can lie down upon,” Touya said to the worrying Jin. “I can also ring for Simon to go get one of the knights to haul you back here.”

 

“Why don't you just make things easier on yourself and whistle for Wind Song?” Jin asked with a brief chuckle as he gathered back up his weapons and attire he would wear at night. “I am sure he will come fetch me if there is ever anything wrong.”

 

Touya put on a smile with a nod to Jin as he watched him head for the door. “I promise I will be fine. I will send Wind Song if I have any big problems.” He opened his book back to where he left off seeing as he would be along for the coming hours. “Be careful yourself, Jin.”

 

“You know me,” Jin responded with a brief wave, departing from the inn once more.

 

Hearing the door shut made Touya sigh a bit in loneliness. The feeling always seemed to overwhelm him when Jin left to take on a job. Leaving his book open, he walked over to the open window to watch as Jin left the inn to head out to Vinay Del Zexay's front gates so he could go to Iksay Village. Leaning against the windowsill, Touya gazed up at the setting sun with a sorrowful sigh. “I hate the dark. It always leaves me with nobody…”

 

Running his fingers through his hair, Touya walked back to the book he had lain out on the wooden tabletop. Sitting back down at his seat, he turned to the only object that kept him company throughout the lonely nights ahead.

 

Jin took to the skies when he was out of sight of the Zexen citizens. He hated the thought of leaving behind Touya when he was so sick, but he had to make money for the inn he had rented out for his partner. He watched from the skies as the sun hid quietly behind the mountains overhead. Diving down thanks to the wind he could control, Jin made it to an area within the Zexen Forest. It was a space where the trees covered the waterfall and miniature lake with their thick trunks and many leaves, which sprouted from the branches.

 

He removed his weapons once more so he could change in the privacy of the woods. Removing his vest and shirt from his muscular body, he tossed them on the ground before removing his boots and pants. Picking up the black clothing he brought with him, he put the shirt on first, which met with his upper thighs and had no sleeves. Taking his black, baggy pants next, he slipped them on before taking his black sash to wrap about his waist to keep his shirt tucked in and his pants up. Jin pulled the extra piece of fabric on his shirt up over the lower part of his face so it would go over the slope of his nose and outline his baby blue eyes. Fixing his bracers on his arms tightly and tabi boots on his legs next, Jin fixed his weapons into place for the final time on his body.

 

“I sure hope this night goes by a bit faster than the others. I cannot afford to stay out too long,” he murmured behind the cloth to himself, running incredibly fast to the next village.

 

Iksay was a small village just northeast of Vinay Del Zexay. It was well known for its windmills and wheat fields, which glowed brilliantly in the setting sun. One of the men of the village remained away from the town near the main large, powerful windmill behind the fence, which kept the fields protected from villagers wandering beyond into the wheat meadow.

 

He appeared nervous as he waited there near the working windmill. The man with a thick, brown beard covered up his shivering body as he remained within the slightly chilly night. Putting his hat on next to cover his messy hair, he looked about anxiously as he was put on edge at the sound of wolves howling at the full moon. “Where is that man?” He murmured to himself.

 

“I am right here,” Jin answered, his back resting against the bricks of the windmill. “So, let's cut to the chase. What do you want from me?”

 

Digging into his pockets quickly, his breath labored and his heartbeat quickened, the man handed over a piece of paper he had folded up within his pocket. The very presence of Jin made him feel a sort of fear he had never felt before. Even if Jin's eyes conveyed innocents, they also conveyed a startling null emotion towards the thought of death. “There is a treasure deep within the mountain path just a ways south of here rumored to be buried there but guarded by some beast.”

 

Jin took the piece of paper to unfold it to take in the map that the man had obviously purchased. He only looked at it for a moment before pocketing seeing as he knew the area in Zexen well enough. “And you want me to get this for you?”

 

“If you can manage to destroy the monster and get the treasure to me, I split half of it with you evenly for your payment,” the man said eagerly, his tone seemed to be filled with greed.

 

Jin wasn't sure about taking on this job. It wasn't like the others he had normally taken for the Zexen Council, and the man seemed much too eager for this reward he was to fetch. “Fine,” he sighed with a shrug. “I will get it for you, but since I am doing this, I get to decide what I want from the treasure, if there is such a thing.”

 

The man didn't have time to agree or disagree as Jin quickly sped back off down the dirt road without another word. Under the fabric, which covered his mouth, he sighed yet again with a shake of his head as the world passed him by in a blur with the speed he was running at. “I have become a mere lapdog now,” he muttered. “Not much has changed recently.” Gazing up at the stars with a shake of his head, Jin reminded himself that he was gathering the money for Touya, and it wasn't blood money unlike the other darker years he was with his clan.

 

 

 

 

Touya closed the book he had within his possession later within the night. With a stretch and a slight yawn, he walked over back to the window to watch the stars try to outshine the others surrounding them. He admired the beauty for awhile with his arms resting upon the woodwork of the windowsill until the sound of a griffon caught his attention instead. His heart beating rapidly in worry, Touya leaned out the window to gaze down at the streets below.

 

The sight of a large griffon with white feathers and fur made Touya whistle briefly to catch the creature's attention. “Wind Song,” he called in a whisper. “Wind Song, be quiet! You'll wake everybody up!”

 

Wind Song erected his feathery ears at the sound of Touya's voice. His noble eyes of sapphire reflected off of the full moon as he glimpsed upward at the young male of the winter. Gathering up his strength, his large wings of white, dipped in a soft blue flapped harshly against the air as he guided himself upward towards the opened window where he could see Touya.

 

Touya quickly jumped back to get out of the way of the large griffon, who wished to get into the inn room he was not allowed within. When the griffon came into view, Touya waved his hands at the majestic beast to try and make him leave. “Wind Song, you don't belong here! Shoo, shoo, get out of here!”

 

The griffon didn't care to listen. Releasing a soft kree, he forced himself through the window to the best of his ability. His large lion farm got caught as he tried to fit himself through the medium sized window space. His talons scratching at the wooden walls beneath him, he squawked a few more times as his instincts of fear erupted when he felt cornered and trapped.

 

“Shhh, shhh!” Touya demanded quietly, grabbing onto the griffon's talons to pull on it gently to try and help the trapped griffon through to the other side. “Come on, buddy, just help me out here!”

 

Wind Song slowly inched through the small space he was given, eventually getting on the other side. Shaking his body to fluff back out his feathers and fur once he was in the inn room, he looked about the human building with interest. Sniffing the air and the ground like a hound dog, he wandered over to Jin's bed to pick up his scent there before making it to the closed door. Whimpering in the back of his throat, he released a few barks as he scratched at the mahogany door.

 

Touya couldn't help but feel for the griffon as he headed over to him to pull him away from the door. “I know, I know, you miss Jin. Come on, you can lie on his bed to keep you calm.” Touya helped Wind Song over to the bed Jin often used, putting him on the covers, which smelt entirely of the redhead. “That should relax you.”

 

Wind Song buried his beak into the covers, his wings folded next to his sides with his paws and talons tucked under his body. Warbling softly in his throat, he looked at the door waiting for it to open once more.

 

“I know,” Touya began, joining the griffon so he could scritch him behind the ear, “you miss, Jin, don't you?” When he heard the griffon warble once more, he sighed through his nostrils as he wrapped his arms about Wind Song's large, feathery neck. “I do too…”

Remaining within the comfortable feathers of the large bird creature, Touya closed his eyes for a moment to try and help himself to sleep though it was hard for him to without feeling so alone.

 

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Ending Notes: Just minor notes on a few things people might get confused over. Sorry if I insult your intelligence, but you can never be too safe: 1) Griffons, as little babies, are called kittens. They are also known to bark for their parents. 2) Grassie is a remark from Zexen citizens—a vulgar type remark towards Grasslanders. 3) Scritches are small, nail type scratches that birds and bird creatures enjoy. It actually puts them to sleep at times.