Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Before I Die ❯ Chapter 9

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

 

 

Piper's sandaled feet tapped against the stone floor of the underground clan. She held in her hands a round, clay dish with red liquid filled close to the brim of it. She made her way to the room that the wind demon had claimed as his for the time being. Her foot slipping into the small crack of the doorway, Piper opened it slowly to allow herself inside.

 

Jin was sitting at the candlelight table, with his forehead resting within the palm of one hand while the other outlined some of the titles of the books Piper had managed to gather for him. He was on the brink of falling asleep with how much wine he had lately requested and not to mention getting a slightly bit tipsy in the process.

 

She could see that the demon was getting quite tired by how he would tilt his head down before jerking it back up again as if to wake himself. The clay dish she held clanked as it met with the wooden table once Piper placed it down close to Jin. She put her hand upon Jin's back as she leaned in close to the demon's flushed cheek.

 

“You look very tired, Jin,” Piper said with a shrug. “Are you sure you don't want to lie down and go to sleep? You look like you could use a nap at the very least.”

 

Coughing within the palm of his hand, Jin turned to look at Piper with a slight nod of his head. “I guess that sounds like a good idea,” Jin said, though his words slurred slightly as he attempted to get to his feet.

 

Piper quickly acted as Jin's crutch as she helped the slightly tipsy demon over towards the cot not too far from where he was sitting previously. She pulled back the covers of the bed before helping him down slowly to at least sit upon the comfortable mattress. The demon appeared quite lethargic thanks to the consumptions of alcohol he had taken in, and Piper couldn't help but feel badly for the young demon given he was worried over his friend.

 

The wind demon was too drunk to care to even undress a bit for taking a nap, so the young Chisha woman did it for him as he remained seated. She pulled off his sandals for him before bothering with his shirt as Piper noticed he was sweating a bit from the poor ventilation underground and the troubled thoughts probably didn't help any either. Once they were removed, she helped Jin lie down before pulling the covers over him.

 

“Sleep well, demon,” Piper whispered as she picked up one of the candles in the room as she blew out the others. “I will be at the vineyard if you need me.”

 

Jin merely grumbled his response as he closed his eyes to try and catch some much needed sleep. He heard the door close behind Piper once she left him in peace. His ears twitched at every little sound they could catch. It made his mind start to wander to the past as he heard a very faint patter sound—of water dripping and tapping upon the stone grounds.

 

----

 

The same tapping sound could be heard within a distant cave the wind demon had taken up after he had been outnumbered by the ice demons Touya had under his control from what he could recall from centuries ago. The cold dampness of the cave bothered him very little, and Jin didn't flinch when a drop of water broke upon his forehead, cascading down the slope of his nose. He was too consumed with personal thoughts of his own as he kept his eyes upon the distant ice lands claimed by the ice demons.

 

I have to get back in there, Jin thought to himself as he leaned against the craggy wall of the cave. Apparently fighting my way in isn't going to work, so I guess I'll try the other route. Pushing himself off of the side of the damp cave wall, Jin ran out of the mouth of the cave before taking flight into the darkening sky above.

 

Touya tossed his weapons upon his bed before planting his rear upon one of the many pillows, which were piled about his room's marble floor. It still bothered him as to what the wind demons were after as they knew the tribe rarely attacked theirs. The wind demons were known, for the most part, to be peaceful and very religious in their own beliefs much like the ice demons, but the two sides never converged, never aided one another, and never waged war on the other, so it bothered Touya and the tribal leaders of the ice clan.

 

He leaned his head back to rest his light blue hair upon the pillows scattered behind him in attempts to relax. As he did so, a simple snap of a twig caught Touya's attention. Quickly he shot his head up and gazed over at the nearby window he had closed. He pushed himself up off of the pillows scattered on the floor to inch his way slowly over towards the window to check outside with his ice powers at ready.

 

A foreign shadow seemed to move quickly across the snow covered trees and ground outside, putting the ice demon further on edge. He pulled from the window and hurried over to the door of his house with his ice sword forming about his right hand. Pushing away the thick tarp, Touya stepped outside with his ice sword at ready. “Who is there?” He asked in a demanding tone.

 

Nothing answered the ice demon's question, leaving him to lower his sword and call back his powers. The ice sword pulled from his hand, Touya turned on his heels to head back into his home. As soon as he closed the flap behind him, the wind demon dropped from the ceiling with his dark attire on and a new mask, which covered all but the area about his eyes, and drew his steel sword to place over Touya's neck to stop the ice demon from making another move.

 

“Don't make a sound,” Jin's tone demanded through the fabric, which concealed his mouth. “Now, tell me where it is.”

 

“Where is what?” Touya asked seriously as he made not a move with the blade dangerously close to his throat.

 

“Don't be stupid!” Jin demanded angrily through his teeth as he was desperate. “Where is the crystal?”

 

Touya grunted slightly as the wind demon pulled back on his hair. “I am not trying to act stupid, demon—what crystal are you talking about?”

 

“The crystal!” Jin repeated again angrily. “The cleansing crystal!”

 

Still dumbfounded, Touya shifted his eyes from side to side trying to think of what crystal the demon was speaking of. “The only crystal we have around here is the Goddess' Crystal, which is located in the Ice Goddess' Temple.”

 

Jin pulled back the blade he had against Touya's throat, pushing the ice demon forward with an irritable sigh. “Then at midnight you are going to take me to it!” He said angrily.

 

Touya fell upon the floor, grumbling from the fall before turning around to look up at the wind demon. “Why do you need that crystal for?” He asked with his eyes narrowing further with a growl rippling in his throat. “Nobody is allowed to take that crystal—not even people of the ice clan!”

 

“I don't care!” Jin hissed as he looked over his shoulder at the ice demon. “I really need this crystal!”

 

Cocking his icy blue brow at the foreign demon, Touya had to ask, “What for?”

 

Jin sat down at one of the chairs open within the bedroom, keeping his sword resting against his right shoulder. “That's none of your business,” he remarked childishly.

 

Moving his hands behind his back slightly, Touya worked on powering up his Ice Shards attack discreetly for a moment. “Well, it kind of is my business when you're stealing from our Goddess!” Pulling his hands from behind his back, Touya quickly unleashed his attack at the wind demon, who was quick to move but not without getting scratched on the shoulder and cheek by the released ice shards.

 

Jin's bare feet sliding upon the marble, he kept his sword in one hand while the other rested upon the slippery surface beneath him. He quickly headed for the ice demon with anger at Touya's retaliation.

 

Recreating his Ice Sword, Touya brought it up to defend himself against the oncoming blade of the opposing demon. The two kept their eyes locked on one another as they forced what strength they had into the blades they were using that rested against the other. Touya knew he couldn't afford to lose, as he didn't want to disappoint his Goddess or his people, so he quickly got down on his free hand and brought his right leg around to trip up Jin.

 

Losing his footing, Jin fell upon his back with a harsh thud. Shaking his head slightly in attempts to ward off the attempt to black out, he soon found the end of the Ice Sword in his face.

 

“Alright, wind demon, I am going to take you to the elders of this clan, and you'll wish you never stepped foot on this plain alone,” Touya threatened.

 

-------

 

Leola kept a firm grip on the griffon's dampened feathers as well as keeping an eye on the ill stricken ice demon. Touya had passed out from the overwhelming heat, which had taken over his body. The young Chisha woman worried for Touya's health and for her own clan's health. She knew if she came back with a near dead demon, the wind demon wouldn't be too happy and might destroy her friends and family.

 

“Come on, ice demon,” Leola begged through the storm. “We're almost there! Just through this forest and we're home!”

 

Song Wind weaved through the many towering trees in the Kupo Forest. He lowered his head to try and avoid the rushing raindrops, which bit at his face. Shaking his dampened feathers as he continued down the road beneath him, he released a loud griffon kwee as if attempts to call out to his master he knew was close.

 

Jin remained asleep underground in the Chisha Clan's open room thanks to his drunken stupor. His elfin ears twitching slightly, he caught the muffled cry the griffon unleashed, causing him to slowly bat his eyes open. His head throbbing from the drinks he had previously consumed, Jin rubbed the area hidden under his fiery red bangs in attempts to settle the headache. “Oh, man…,” Jin moaned before he caught the griffon cry once more. “Wind Song…?....Wind Song!”

 

Realizing who it was, Jin attempted to shoot up out of bed quickly, only to have his stomach become unsettled from the Chisha wine. “Good Gods above…!” He grumbled in displeasure as he held onto his stomach.

 

Wind Song's wings flapped steadily as he landed before the Chisha Clan's warriors who were waiting outside for the incoming ice demon. Once the wild griffon landed, the warriors hurried forward to help Leola off of the beast's back before hesitantly helping the sickened demon off as well.

 

“Take him quickly to one of our open rooms,” the village chief demanded through the harsh wind currents, which carried the dampened air from the storm that was slowly settling.

 

Piper witnessed from one of the stores above ground as Touya was pulled from the griffon's back and helped towards the inn building. She closed the door from the general store before heading quickly down the stairs in the storeroom, which led to the main underground living areas of the clan. Her sandaled feet tapped against the stone ground as she made it in a hurrying fashion to where she had left Jin. Grabbing onto the wooden doorknob, she opened the door quickly. “Demon—your friend is here!”

 

Jin had his legs over the side of the bed he was within, rubbing his forehead still as the headache remained. “I heard…I can hear Wind Song.”

 

She could tell that the demon was in pain from the bit of wine he had consumed. Piper pulled from the door and made her way inside to help the wind demon. Her hand upon his back, she leaned over slightly to get a better look at Jin's face, which was masked by the darkness of the underground. “Are you okay? Do you need me to get the clan nurse?”

 

He raised his hand and shook it to express his answer. “No, I am fine. I promise. It's just a minor hangover.”

 

The commotion outside of the door catching her attention, Piper looked over her shoulder for a moment before turning her attention to the sickened demon. “They are going to bring your friend here and check him out later in the day.”

 

“Why don't they look at him now?” Jin grumbled slightly.

 

“Our most experienced doctor is not at the village for the moment,” Piper explained as she helped Jin back down to the bed, knowing he was in no shape to be up at the moment. “Just relax, you're friend will be fine.”

 

As soon as Piper spared those words to the wind demon, the door flew open. The guards holding onto the passed out ice demon's body made their way over to the empty bed within the same room they offered Jin. They pulled back the covers quickly before placing down Touya on the softened mattress.

 

With all the commotion going on, Piper was pulled away from the room with force thanks to the guards that were eager to settle the ice demon as if fearing hell would be unleashed if they didn't do everything correctly. Jin watched from where he was sitting upon the other bed, though everything around him was a bit hazy.

 

“How is he…?” Jin mumbled with his head continuing to pound. “Is he alright…?”

 

The guards responded to Jin's questions, but he was unable to retain the answers from how heavy his head felt. Not able to take it any longer, the demon rolled his head back and closed his eyes—not able to stay awake any longer.

 

 

 

 

All was quite for the coming hours passing through the Grassland Clan. Some of the villagers were still put on edge with the pending threat they felt looming over their heads with the souls of two demons hidden under their very village's soil. The village chief was on edge as well—worried for her people even if she knew that the demons meant no harm to anybody deep down. What she feared the most was what the tension between the two parties would cause.

 

Her hands folded before her, Sana invited herself into the room Jin was still within. She had opened the wooden door quietly so as not to disturb the wind demon, recalling his headache earlier. The old woman was surprised, however, to see the young Piper sitting upon a wicker stool not too far from the demon's bed.

 

Piper had watched the demon sleep throughout most of the day and well into the evening. She was worried for his health as any regular human would die from the amount of alcohol he had consumed via worry. Piper was so hooked onto the wind demon's steadily rising and falling chest that she didn't even notice the chief standing near the doorway until Sana felt the need to clear her throat.

 

Snapping her head in the direction of the door, she found the elder village chief standing there. Piper didn't move, but her expression faltered into sadness as she turned her saddened eyes upon the wind demon. “Oh…hello, Chief Sana…”

 

Sana headed over towards the stool Piper was sitting upon to delicately place her aged hand upon the young woman's shoulder. “You are braver than the others to sit here by the demon's side as you do, Piper. What has gotten you so interested?”

 

Piper's fingers tapped upon her lap before releasing a built up sigh. “I guess I just pity them and the situation the spirits placed upon them.” She kept her focus set upon the slumbering wind demon. “Will his friend be okay?”

 

“It will be up to the spirits to decide,” Sana said simply. She gazed over at the demon with her weary sight. “Has he woken up since he passed out?”

 

“Afraid not,” Piper responded with a shake of her head. “I've been waiting for him to do so.”

 

Sana gazed over at the agony stricken ice demon at the other bed. She could see he was sweating horribly with his face contorted in what appeared to be unbearable pain. She pitied the demon as she gazed at him from across the room before pulling her attention from him to Piper. “Why don't you stay here with the wind demon while I get his friend moved elsewhere? The doctor doesn't feel comfortable with a territorial demon sitting in the other bed where his back will be turned. He wishes to work his best and not under pressure.”

 

Piper nodded in agreement. “I promise I will. You can move the ice demon out into another room if you need to. I will explain to Jin what is going on so he won't get upset.”

 

“You have come to call the demon by its name,” Sana pointed out as she turned towards the ice demon. “It is best not to get too close to such a creature as they are wild and unruly just like the wind spirits.”

 

Not knowing what to say as the guards came into the room to cautiously move Touya, Piper merely nodded though lowered her head slightly in submission to the chief's words to her. She watched through the flickering candlelight as the ice demon was moved from the bed—he releasing a disgruntled cry of pain that slightly spooked those attempting to help him.

 

Jin apparently caught the sound of his partner with the help of his acute hearing. He didn't wake; however, he turned his head slightly, growling within the depths of his throat. “Touya…,” the wind demon managed to grumble in his slumber.

 

Piper raised her brows at the name Jin spoke. When the door closed behind Sana and the others, she reached over to gently shake the wind demon. “Jin, are you okay?” She asked softly.

 

Scrunching up his face with his eyes still closed, he moaned while rubbing his forehead. “Don't talk so loud.”

 

“I am not,” Piper assured him with a brief chuckle in the back of her throat. “Your head is hurting from drinking too much Chisha wine.”

 

“I'm sorry,” said Jin as he continued to massage his forehead in attempts to settle his headache. “I've never gotten that bad in decades…”

 

Piper pushed herself up off of the wicker stool she was upon to pull a few things from the nearby cupboards to help make a medicine that would help his body settle from the hangover the demon had received. She couldn't help but look baffled in the densely lit room at the remark about his wine consumptions. “It has been `decades'? Exactly how old are you?”

 

“Too old to count or even care to remember,” Jin answered. Looking over at the empty bed on the other side of the room, the wind demon felt a ping of worry. “Where is Touya?”

 

Closing one of the wooden cupboards, she looked over at the empty bed. “They had to move him to a different room. The doctor wasn't too keen on treating him when an angry demon was within the area….sorry,” Piper apologized on the doctor's behalf. Pulling a bowl from the cabinets as well as a few herbs to crush together, she sat down at the table in the center of the room to begin working on the medicine she had in mind for the wind demon.

 

Jin shrugged slightly with a soft sigh. “That is how the world is and always has been....” his voice slightly trailed off not wishing to continue on that subject.

 

Piper could tell he was uncomfortable with the thought making her try to think of a different subject. “So, how exactly do two demons of different elements manage to come into such a…forbidden union?”

 

Hearing her hint such a thing between the two lovers made Jin freeze temporarily before become territorial about the touchy subject not everybody was open to. “Why do you care?” He asked, anger lingering on his every word.

 

Hitching in breath at the slight sight of his fangs and the sound of his anger rising, Piper cowered slightly from where she sat. “I am sorry! I didn't mean to offend you or anything; I was just curious!”

 

Jin waved off his anger hearing Piper's frightened speech. “Sorry myself,” he sighed. “I am used to people being so ignorant of us and our feelings for one another. Our clans threw us out when we were found out all because of their religious standards. It's hard enough being a damned being…but being a damned being shunned from your very own people is worse.” He looked over at Piper through the candlelight. “It's like you don't belong anywhere anymore.”

 

Piper's fingers tightly embraced the sides of the bowl she was using to crush up the herbs within her possession. “That's so sad to hear,” she whispered in sympathy. Continuing on with her concoction she was making, she asked, “Do you care to tell me about how you met? It will be awhile before the doctor is through looking at your friend.”

 

The wind demon was silent for awhile, gazing up at the ceiling to watch the shadows dance at the beckoning of the flickering flames on the center table. “How much time do you have?” He asked, tapping his fingers upon his stomach where his arms were crisscrossed.