Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Before I Die ❯ Chapter 14

The hours seemed to pass by too quickly for Touya as he remembered waiting as patiently as he could that night for the wind master to return to his house. He opened the curtains, which hung before his bedroom window, watching as the snow fell relentlessly up at the ice clan's northern home to find no sign or energy signature of the demon. Closing his eyes, Touya released a worried sigh as he allowed the curtains to fall back into place. The feelings he had been immune to all these years as an ice demon were starting to overwhelm him—worry, fear, and the sickness which caused such things.

 

He is never this late, Touya thought to himself as he began to pace the bedroom floor. What has happened to him?

 

A knock soon coming from the side of his home, Touya's eyes shot wide open as he hurried for the door. He was hoping it was Jin and a part of him feeling maybe it was as he threw aside the flap of animal skin only to see otherwise. An annoyed frown creased his features as he stared down the youngest elder of the clan. “What do you want Sal'kra?”

 

“It's `Elder' Sal'kra, and you'd do well to remember that,” the elder growled as he pushed his way past Touya into his house without another thought. “So what has you pacing about like a fool? Some woman of the clan has your interest or is it something else I wonder.”

 

Touya didn't like it when Sal'kra pried, and lately he had been doing it quite often as if trying to catch him in the act of something. “I am waiting for my demon slave to get here so he can help me protect the boundaries of this place. I have no interest in the women here, you know that.” Touya tried to put back up his icy barrier of anger, but it was difficult to do lately it seemed even for somebody as annoying to him as Sal'kra.

 

“Is that so?” The young elder of the ice clan continued to eye the room suspiciously. “You know, you're acting quite attached for somebody who feels nothing for this lesser beast. What has you so interested in this demon?” The palms of the ice demon elder met with the icy vanity in Touya's bedroom as he leaned against the marble in a relaxed state.

 

“What is it you truly want, Sal'kra? I don't have all day for your foolishness!” Touya growled with his fists tightly at his side.

 

Sal'kra chuckled in the back of his throat at Touya's rising anger at him. “I am just curious what is it that keeps you up at night if no woman has your affection or is it you're giving it to somebody else such as this hired demon of yours?”

 

With Sal'kra getting so close to the truth of his worry, it angered Touya to the point of creating his ice sword and pointing it furiously at the nosey elder. “Get out of here! Now!”

 

“My, my, I must have hit a cord.” Sal'kra smirked as he headed towards the exit. “I'd advise you to be careful lately. Elder Ambar said the Goddess fears you turning down a dark path to your death. Naturally I wouldn't care about your meaningless life; however, I do care about the wellbeing of this clan, and if your carelessness puts it in danger, I will ask the pleasure of executing you myself.”

 

“Not if I get the pleasure of doing you in before you consider touching me,” Touya threatened through his teeth.

 

With that said, Sal'kra snorted in aggravation before departing the ice warrior's home. The wind bitter and biting at the ice elder, he ignored it as his white hair tossed about due to the brutal wind currents brushing against each strand. “You're up to something, Touya, and I am going to find out what it is that has caused you to change.” His breath was not visible upon the air when he spoke as his body found such climate natural. Crossing his arms before his chest, he Sal'kra headed back to his own home for the night.

 

Touya lowered his ice weapon with the elder gone from his sight. A shake of his head and a heavy sigh, he looked outside once more to check the position of the moon to find it high within the sky that night. He is taking too long. The ice master ran back into his home to pick up a few of his belongings. I am going to find him at that human city!

 

 

 

 

Two hours later, Touya made his way outside of the city with a hood over his head concealed within his brown robe he would sometimes wear outside of the ice clan's boundaries. His hand clasping the rare, sapphire, this could only found in the depths of his clan, that held the hood together in the center beneath his chin, the ice demon made his way hesitantly towards the front gates of Vinay Del Zexay. He was worried that the humans would know what he was as he made it towards the archway leading beyond the cobblestone walls. Only a few steps away from getting to the front guards, their swords clanked together as the two weapons met to block Touya's way.

 

“Halt! What brings you here at this late hour?” One of the guards demanded to know as it was unnatural for anybody to be out at such a time.

 

Touya kept himself hidden in the darkness as he was used to doing as an assassin of his tribe. “I am here to see a friend of mine. He needs my help. I came all the way from Iksay Village, so please, let me in.”

 

The two guards appeared to deliberate silently between one another about whether or not to let Touya through before nodding a `yes' at the ice demon. “Alright, you may go in.” The two pulled their swords from one another. “But be careful from now on when it comes to such late travels.”

 

The ice master merely nodded as he walked past the guards into the cold, stone city of the human race. His bare feet hitting the stone streets of the Zexen capital, Touya made his way quickly towards Jin's home. The picket fence was within sight within the moonlit night. A dreadful feeling was washing over the ice demon was he opened the gate and hurried to the door to knock upon it. “Jin, are you home?” When nobody answered, he tried knocking a bit louder. “Jin, are you there?” Once again, nothing came from the other side. Even if there was still the option that Jin wasn't home, Touya opened the door regardless to allow himself inside.

 

The door creaked open to the dark living room area of the house, shadows from the outside dancing upon the inanimate objects within the living quarters. It played on Touya's jumpiness but only for a moment as he made his way to the staircase quickly to head on upstairs. All of the doors were closed and lightless except for the very last one at the end of the hallway where Jin's mother was kept. Touya silently made his way all the way to the end of the corridor to the slightly opened door. He didn't bother to open it at first, instead he listened to the sniffling coming from the other side before finally sliding the door open completely. “Jin?” He called so as not to startle him.

 

Touya made his way into the grimly feeling atmospheric room. From where he was at the doorway, he spied Jin over upon his mother's bed, sobbing against his knees. He made his way over to the weeping wind demon, bringing his hand up as if to say something only to stop and use it to pull some of his loose sky blue hair back into place at first. “Jin, what is the matter?” Looking about the room lit by a single candle on the nightstand behind the head of the bed, Touya noticed no sign of Jin's human mother. “Where is your mother?” He was dreading the answer, but asked it anyways.

 

Jin pulled his head up only slightly, leaving his wild, messy hair to continue to cover his face in the darkness. “She died last night. Once I came home, it was over for her…” He wiped his eyes clear for a moment with the back of his hand. “When she passed, I had to have her buried early in the morning.” A mournful sigh escaped his lips. “I can't keep the home she loved and lived in for so many years. It has to be sold and all her things auctioned tomorrow.”

 

Kneeling down beside the bed, Touya wrapped his chilly fingers about Jin's arm, which was blocking him from seeing the wind master's face. He moved the fiery, red hair out of his way to see Jin's tear stained face. “I am sorry, Jin. I am so sorry.”

 

Running his fingers through his red hair, Jin nodded at Touya's apology for the turn of events. “Thank you, Touya.” Jin embraced the ice demon, burying his nose into the icy skin of Touya. “I really don't want to go back to the wind demon clan right now.”

 

Touya was a bit surprised by the embrace but accepted it regardless, holding onto Jin tightly in return. “You will have to stay at the inn. It is too dangerous for you to come home with me to my clan. Sal'kra has been getting nosey lately about my affairs, and I cannot afford to have him finding us out.”

 

Jin pulled back from the hug for a moment to look pleadingly up at Touya with a shake of his head. “No, I don't have enough money! I haven't been working as an assassin to others in years. I need a place to stay, Touya!” Touya looked the other way as if to say another definite `no', Jin grabbed onto his shoulders to shake him for a second. “Please? I promise I won't be a bother, and I will stay out of this Sal'kra's sight!”

 

Sighing at Jin's persistent behavior to be brought back to the ice demon clan, Touya finally nodded his head only to raise his hand to prevent Jin from cheering just yet. “Only on one condition and that is if you remain in your shinobi attire when you're out and about. I don't need anybody finding us out, or we will both end up without a home.”

 

Piper listened to the story Touya was confessing to her only to have him stop at that point making her confused as she shrugged with a raise of her thin brow. “So, what happened next?”

 

Touya looked over at the Chisha woman with a slight cough against his hand. “What do you meant `what happened next'?”

 

“Well, you obviously now live at the Zexen inn. Why is that? Did you both get found out?” Piper seemed to ignore the fact she was getting a little nosey about the whole thing.

 

He held out on answering her question to reach over and grab himself something to drink as he was starting to feel warmer than usual once more. Placing the glass back down on the nightstand near his bed, he sighed at the question presented to him. “Well, it would be a year later before anything really happened.”

 

Touya recalled how Jin would usually be seen by the ice demon clan in his dark shinobi attire with his powers oppressed. Everybody who saw him assumed he was just a weak demon Touya managed to keep under his control. Jin was never allowed to speak out in public, leaving him to be voiceless as well as faceless to those who saw him. His blue eyes were the only thing they could see. Some of the ice demons were on edge upon seeing the faceless demon wander back and forth at night and in the broad daylight hours, but they knew Touya had him perfectly under control and there was no cause for alarm.

 

“I still say you give the warrior too much freedom!” Sal'kra growled, his fists meeting with his thighs from the Indian sitting position he was in. “That demon could be using Touya blindly for all we know, waiting for the moment to strike at any time!”

 

Elder Ambar seemed to ignore Sal'kra's words of anger as he sat peacefully across from him on the other side of the burning blue flame.

 

Sal'kra was growing impatient with Ambar's emotionless attitude towards the subject at hand. “Why do you do nothing, Elder Ambar? Your people are at stake, are they not?”

 

Hearing of his people being in possible danger, the great elder opened his weary eyes for a moment to hum in thought. “No, only one of them is from what the Goddess tells me.”

 

Not understanding what that meant, Sal'kra shook his head irritably before leaving the Elders' Circle to head on outside in the heavy snowfall they had that evening. The sun was heading behind the mountains at a steady pace making the temperature drop with its slow descend. Squinting his eyes through the steady snow fall, Sal'kra managed to find the demonic duo heading towards the ice warrior's home. The elder narrowed his eyes as he watched the two closely.

 

Touya removed the flap hanging in front of his doorway to allow himself inside as well as Jin, knowing the wind demon could only take so much from the demonic cold. To make sure that the cold wouldn't blow the door open, Touya kept it securely in place by tying the animal fur off to the side, causing it to stretch across the doorway completely. Upon doing so, he went to his windows to pull the cotton linens across them, so nobody would be able to see the wind demon unmasked.

 

“Is it safe?” Jin asked behind the mask he wore from his ninja attire.

 

Moving the last curtain into place from beside his bed, he looked over at Jin and nodded. “Yes, you can take it off now.”

 

Jin slipped his fingers behind the thin fabric to lower the black mask from over the slope of his nose to reveal the most part of his face. “Phew, thank goodness. Wearing this thing all day gets me a little hard at breathing some times even if the fabric is relatively thin.”

 

“It's either have the air filtered through that mask or have you be executed for your past crimes against my clan,” Touya felt need to remind his partner as he slipped off of the bed to remove his shirt, as if he were hot from the day, from his pallid chest. “It's late. I need to make dinner.” He took weary steps towards the kitchen doorway only to pause and look over at the wall to his right, sensing a familiar presents not too far away from his home. “Sal'kra is outside my house…” Touya's tone was filled with annoyance and anger as he wondered what the brash elder would do now.

 

Jin looked over at the door with a raise of his elfin ears. “What's he doing outside again?” It had been three months since Sal'kra found the need to stay stationed outside of Touya's house every once in awhile ever since Jin came to stay with the ice demon. Some times the elder would even bust through the doorway, not even announcing himself to Touya in attempts to find out what was going on with him and this unknown demon. Jin's fingers gripped onto the edge of his mask once more as if ready to place it back if it were necessary to do so.

 

Touya pointed quickly at Jin with a nod of his head. “Put that back on quickly. Who knows what he is planning right now.” He made sure Jin's face was covered once more before bothering to unlatch the animal fur from the place he had it so tightly tied. Pushing it aside, he made his way out into the snow fall once more to confront the obviously angered ice elder. “Why are you outside my house again, Sal'kra? Nobody invited you here. Be gone!” Touya demanded as he pointed at the opposing ice demon.

 

“You may be able to control that weak beast inside of your house, but you cannot control me, weak demon!” Sal'kra insulted.

 

Clinching his teeth, Touya merely growled at Sal'kra's words to him and to Jin.

 

“Tell me, what causes that beast in there to listen to you?” The elder went on to wonder as he could see Jin still inside of the house just off to the side. “What strength is it that you possess to have him under your spell?”

 

“That's none of your concern! Get out of here!” Touya demanded once more.

 

Sal'kra merely smirked, his eyes closed as he lowered his head momentarily. “I wonder how strong he truly is!” His eyes flashed open as Sal'kra used his ice powers to create several ice shards to hurl at the unsuspecting Touya to see how the other demon would react.

 

Touya's eyes widened as he wasn't expecting that kind of attack from one of his own. Unable to think on getting his ice barrier up in time, he closed his eyes waiting for the sharp pain to hit him only to hear one of the shards breaking like a thin piece of glass. He opened his eyes to find Jin standing before him with some of the ice crystals embedded in his front though he was able to catch at least two of the four to break them in his hands.

 

The elder was amazed by the demon acting so quickly on Touya's behalf. He shook his head and stepped back, unable to believe he caught at least two of them. “Why? Why does he do that!” Sal'kra exclaimed in anger more so than confusion.

 

Neither Jin nor Touya answered. They merely looked at one another before gazing over at the confused elder of the clan. Touya pointed over towards the east of the clan. “Go home, Sal'kra. Go home and don't bother me again.”

 

Snorting in anger, Sal'kra did just that. He knew it would be pointless to continue to stay and get to the bottom of what was going on between the two demons, realizing now the demon Touya had under his command was a bit stronger than he imagined.

 

With the snow soon covering Sal'kra's tracks as well as his form, Touya turned quickly to Jin to see the shards there in his chest. “Dammit, I didn't expect him to actually attack this time! I was caught off guard!” Touya sounded furious with himself as he pulled one of the ice weapons from Jin's chest, causing a bit of crimson liquid to pour from the wound. “Cover it. I cannot, or I will freeze your blood with my hand.”

 

Jin did as he was asked placing his hand there as he panted softly from the adrenalin rush he received. “Do elders usually attack?”

 

“No,” Touya answered with a sigh as he guided Jin back inside. “They only attack when the Goddess and sacred ground is breached and threatened, and that is mainly why I was caught off guard. I didn't expect Sal'kra to go against the code of the elders.” He steadily helped Jin sit down upon his bed before pulling out the other shard. Seeing Jin grunt in pain, he apologized. “I am sorry, but I cannot leave them inside of you or your entire body will steadily get frostbite from the inside out.”

 

“Apparently this Sal'kra isn't too found of you,” Jin remarked as he covered the other wound. He watched as Touya made his way back over to the injured wind master with some bandages and medicine to place upon them in a clay bowel. “And exactly why is that?”

 

Touya sat beside Jin with a sigh thinking of why Sal'kra had become so bitter towards him. “Well,” he began, running one of the strips of cloth into the medicine bowel, “ever since I was little, I was able to outdo everyone in my class. Sal'kra is my age, and even now he is envious of my talents in battle. I am sure a part of him wishes he were a warrior and not an elder.”

 

“I guess he was just born to be in battle.” Jin smiled for a moment. “Sometimes we get born into classes we don't want to be in.” The feel of the medicine covered bandage concealing his wounds, he hissed once more while biting his lower lip.

 

“You could say that again.” Touya ignored Jin's growling knowing that the wind demon would be alright. “Sometimes I wish I were just born as a normal being at times.”

 

Jin grabbed gently onto Touya's hand once the ice demon applied the last bandage to his pierced skin. “It wouldn't matter to me what form or class you took. I would still find my way to you whether in this lifetime or the next.” He rested his forehead against Touya's with a smile upon his face, lit by the rising moonlight.

 

Closing his eyes, Touya tilted his head to the side he brought his chilly mouth to touch Jin's warm lips. He brought his hand up to cup the side of Jin's face, dipping his tongue into the wind demon's mouth to taste of his warm breath. Pulling back from the kiss for a moment, Touya looked into Jin's lidded baby-blue eyes with a smile, which he rarely expressed. “Thank you for that.” Touya moved some of the red strands of hair out of Jin's face. “I love you dearly.”

 

A chuckle surfaced from Jin's throat. “I thought I would never hear you say that in my lifetime.” Cupping Touya's head tenderly, he drew the ice master back into the kiss, lowering him down to the bed to lie on top of the ice demon.

 

The wind was blowing the snow about roughly outside making it impossible for even the ice demons to come out. Only one demon was able to find the fuel to make his way through the storm and to the Great Goddess' Temple. The hooded ice demon pulled out his marked palm to show his association with the elders of the ice clan. The markings on the demon's palm began to shine a bright, sky blue, reacting to the same circular pattern on the icy door. The door able to read the design made for the ice demon clan elders only began to shake before steadily moving apart to allow entrance into the sacred temple.

 

Moonlight poured weakly into the Goddess' Temple, the candles lighting by themselves as soon as the elder stepped into the building. The ice door slid back together, giving the hooded elder some peace within the building as he made his way to the giant ice crystal in the center of the room surrounded by several smaller ones. The pallid fingers gripped onto the hood to pull it back and reveal the face of the elder. By no surprise, it was Sal'kra.

 

Sal'kra made it up to the dully shining crystal, lit merely by the candlelight in the main room. “The Goddess' Crystal,” he said mostly to himself as he stood mere inches away from it. “Great Goddess, there is something you want to show Elder Ambar regarding that ice warrior, Touya. Please grant me the sight you hold to allow me to see what secrets the ice demon is hiding.”

 

At that moment the crystal began to shine a bright, white color to produce an image upon its clear appearance. Sal'kra squinted through the brightness of the illuminating crystals to see the images it was producing of Touya within his own home. All he could see was Touya apparently having fun and making love to some being, which was out of the projection. “What is he doing?” Sal'kra wondered, shifting his eyes back and forth. “Who is he with?”

 

It was then Jin finally moved upwards from lying down on the bed into the eyes of the Goddess. His hair was messy and mainly in his face though Sal'kra was able to recognize exactly who the chuckling demon was. “It's him—it's that intruding wind demon!” Sal'kra exclaimed mostly to himself, unaware somebody was standing behind him watching as well.

 

“Not only is he in bed with an enemy,” Elder Ambar's voice announced from behind Sal'kra, “but he is sleeping with a man. That is a double sin for the young warrior.” Ambar made his way to the side of the youngest elder of the group to see what the Goddess was portraying before them.

 

“Don't you see what he might have done, Elder Ambar!” Sal'kra exclaimed. “He might have set up that assault onto the ice demon boarder!”

 

That doesn't sound like Touya in the least, Ambar thought to himself as his fingers gripped tightly onto the staff he held and used often as a walking cane. “I am going to assemble the elder council. I want you to send the guards to Touya and the wind demon and bring them before the council. That is ALL I want you to do, Sal'kra. Please do not harm them.” Ambar turned around to make his way out of the Goddess' Temple and to assemble the elders for the council.

 

Sal'kra waited until Ambar was gone from sight, smirking there within the dimly lit room. “You are MINE, Touya!”

 

After spending an intimate moment with one another, Touya and Jin both slept side by side upon the ice master's bed. Soon enough he could sense the powers of the coming demons towards his home. His eyes shot open quickly as he got up in bed to shake Jin awake. “Jin, get up! Get up, hurry!”

 

Jin snapped awake with a shake of his head. “What, what is it?” He asked wearily.

 

“More than just Sal'kra is coming this time,” Touya said breathlessly as he kept his eyes upon his door. “Guards are as well! Hurry and get out of here!”

 

“But—!”

 

Touya didn't have time to argue as he pointed to the window while grabbed his pants he had on the floor. “NOW! Get out of here!”

 

Jin was hesitant to do so as he grabbed up his clothes and just hurried into the kitchen, suppressing his powers.

 

“Jin, don't!” He wanted the wind demon to get out of his house, but he was unable to escort him personally as the animal skin acting as his front door was torn from where it stood. Touya got on the defensive when seeing how aggressive they were being causing him to ready his ice sword. “What the hell do you want? Why are you here?”

 

Sal'kra pushed his way past the guards to make his presence known. “You're found out for your crimes behind the clan's back, Touya!” The elder pointed at the cornered ice demon. “The Goddess has shown us with you sleeping with the traitor!”

 

Upon hearing that, Touya's heart sank as he lowered his ice sword slightly and took a step back.

 

With the ice warrior not saying anything about his love affair, Sal'kra looked over at the kitchen with a raise of his thin, white brow. “Now, I wonder where this demon mate of yours is.”

 

“Get out of here!” Touya yelled quickly knowing Sal'kra had spotted Jin's energy signature. The two guards with the elder attacked the ice warrior, pinning him down against the floor with what strength they had as Touya tried to resist them.

 

The wind about the room began to blow about aggressively as Jin made his way back to his partner's side in the ninja attire he usually wore. Rearing his fist back, he caught one of them by surprise, causing him to be blown right through the wall of Touya's house, dying instantly.

 

Sal'kra quickly got out of the way of the thrown guard, surprised only for a moment as he growled at the wind demon's resistance. “Guards! Guards!” The elder yelled over and over again as he powered up his ice shield to keep himself out of harm's way incase the wind demon wanted to assault him.

 

The other guard turned on Jin only to have the wind demon blow him back with just a raise of his own wind barrier to protect Touya from their grasp. Jin was fearful of more coming, knowing a good many of the ice demon guards could overwhelm him if he wasn't careful. His eyes wide-eyed and full of anger spotted the shouting Sal'kra across the room. When he was ready to attack, Touya grabbed onto the black shirt Jin was wearing.

 

“Don't touch him with his ice shield up!” Touya warned in a high whisper throughout the commotion. “He will just absorb your punches and whatever you throw at him! Elders are better defenders than anything in the clan.”

 

“Then let's get out of here!” Jin insisted as he ran past the elder on the defensive and out the doorway. As soon as Jin made it out into the snowy village, he stopped for a second upon seeing several guards standing in his way with many weapons aimed at them both. The wind demon kept Touya close to his body, ready to call upon his wind powers if he had to in the event he would have to protect them both. “Now what? I can't take them all alone.”

 

“That has been enough!” Elder Ambar's voice could be heard about the many guards as he made his way to the traitors. He used his staff to make his way close enough to the ice and wind demon, sensing the wind demon's aggressions on the wind. “You knew this was bound to happen, wind demon. Do not think you can just fight your way out and be free from the previous crime you committed. Ice demons are resilient, and we will never give up.” He nodded his noble head at the still fighting wind demon. “Release him, so we may trial you both.”

 

Jin's grip on Touya only tightened upon hearing those words. Upon feeling it, Touya looked up at Jin with a sigh through his nostrils. “Let me go.”

 

The wind demon felt then that he failed. He closed his eyes and relaxed his body to allow Touya to step away from him for the time being. With the ice demon separated from his companion, the guards quickly wrestled Touya to the ground to bind his hands in the painful exorcism charm to keep his powers from being unleashed. Jin attempted to help Touya from the position he was in with his eyes widened in fear. “No, don't hurt him!” He pleaded only to be pinned down as well when he got too close to have the same treatment done to him. The charm burning his hands, he released a cry of pain as he was brought to his knees.

 

“There is no sense in you hiding anymore, wind demon!” Sal'kra grumbled as he pulled off Jin's mask to reveal his face.

 

Elder Ambar shook his head as he looked at the two through his weary sight. “Bring them to the Elders' Circle. We will decide what to do with them there.”

 

Two guards each took the demons to the Elders' Circle, following behind Ambar and Sal'kra.

 

The elders gathered within the circle about a blue flame fire under the eyes of the Goddess. When the circle was opened by one of the elders, the guards were allowed to bring in the two demons to be tried for their crimes against the ice clan. One of the ice guards grabbed Touya by the neck and forced him forwards to be tried first before the clan elders.

 

Touya stumbled forwards and landed upon his knees. For once in his lifetime, he was too ashamed to look his own clan elders in the face. He allowed his messy bi-colored hair to hide his face.

 

Elder Ambar gazed at the demon on trial through the flickering blue flame. “You hide yourself from us. Why do you do so now? What is it you're ashamed of?”

 

Jin's elfin ears picked up that Touya appeared ashamed of something making his heart sink in worry of what it was. He watched from the sidelines as Touya was being verbally persecuted first for his betrayal against the clan.

 

The ice warrior raised his head slightly as he looked through his hair at the elder across from him. “I am ashamed…at betraying you all. But bear in mind that is all I am ashamed of and not my methods of doing so.”

 

Ambar's withered fingers gripped upon his staff for a moment taking in Touya's words. “I see.” His eyes shifted upwards at the wind demon for a moment. “So he is your reason for this change in your heart.”

 

Touya said nothing. He was fearful of what the elders would do if he announced his love for the wind demon there within the circle.

 

The elder recognized the stiffening aura consuming the ice warrior once more. The beads decorating his hair clicked together as he titled his head slightly. “Your heart has hardened again. Is there a reason for that?”

 

Once more Touya didn't answer as he clutched his bleeding and burned hands behind his back.

 

Without saying anything in return to Touya, Ambar nodded at the guards holding onto the superior wind demon. “Execute him.”

 

With the sound of the ice swords moving quickly to carry out Ambar's orders made Touya release his cold inner barrier. His eyes shinning with the sight of tears in his eyes, he looked over at the guards holding onto the wind demon. “STOP!” He yelled, causing the guards to stop their weapons inches from Jin's flesh. “Please…just stop!” The tears falling from his eyes managed to make it past his chin and crash to the floor once they had frozen from touching his cold flesh.

 

“Ah, so you do feel something for him,” Ambar said with a nod while motioning for the guards to back down. “You're trying to protect him from being killed on your behalf by pretending you feel nothing for him.”

 

“The wind demon meant no harm!” Touya insisted while avoiding saying Jin's name knowing that revealing a demon's name gave it more vulnerability to its foes than anything. “He just wanted me to heal his dying mother with my True Water Rune!” With the room silent, he lowered his head with a heavy sigh. “He just wanted to find the rune I have to heal his mother—not the Goddess' Crystal. He meant no harm whatsoever, so I helped him to have him leave the clan…”

 

“So where exactly does your love affair with the demon come from?” Sal'kra wondered with a smirk.

 

Touya growled at Sal'kra's remark, about to attack with his powers only to have the charm to keep him from doing so. Closing his eyes tightly, he hunched over panting heavily at the burn to his hands from trying.

 

Elder Ambar placed the side of his finger against his mouth, thinking about what to do regarding the two. It was true that the wind demon merely protected Touya and did nothing else. However, he couldn't deny that the two demons had committed crimes against the clan and those couldn't go unpunished. As if to give him an answer, the road he saw Touya walking down came to mind making Ambar realize this wasn't that time for the ice warrior. He pulled his finger from his mouth to speak once more. “I have decided with the Goddess what will be done.”

 

The elders, Touya, and Jin were all silent as they looked upon the eldest of the elders.

 

Ambar was quiet for awhile as he tapped his fingers upon the staff he used. “Touya, I banish you from these grounds.”

 

Touya's head shot up as he heard Ambar say those words to him. There was relief upon every inch of his being.

 

While everyone was shocked and some angered, Ambar continued regardless. “I banish you from ever returning here as well as your companion. If either one of you are caught here on sight, we won't hesitate to kill you both.” He caught the confusion in Touya's eyes prompting the elder to tilt his head downward to look directly at Touya. “This is the dark path the Goddess wants you to walk together.” When he saw that the ice warrior was able to recall the vision Ambar spoke to him about so long ago, Ambar managed a brief smile. “Release them.”

 

The guards cut the charms from the two demons, allowing them to be free. As soon as Jin was freed, he hurried over to Touya who couldn't find his feet to help him stand. “Come on,” he whispered to his partner. “We can get out of here.”

 

Sal'kra couldn't stand to see this happen as he steadily rose from the circle. “This is not FAIR!” He yelled angrily wanting to see Touya killed before him. Everybody was silent upon the elder's outburst. “He has been keeping the identity of that intruding demon from us for a year! He should be executed!”

 

“Sal'kra,” Ambar began sternly, “you have not seen what the Goddess has shown me. This is a fair enough trade. Besides, the wind demon didn't harm us or steal anything from us under Touya's watch. There is no reason to execute him for a crime he didn't commit.” Ambar lowered his head, rubbing his aged hand, which was resting upon the top of his staff. “And in that light, Touya didn't endanger anybody. The reason I am banishing him is because of his love to another male demon. It is a low sin in its own right and is why it deserves a low punishment.”

 

The youngest elder was still outraged as he grabbed onto the sides of his head wanting to rip the hair strands from his scalp. It was unlike elders to be so insanely angry. Normally they were calm and stern thanks to meditation and connection to the Goddess.

 

Touya couldn't help but be a bit worried over Sal'kra's anger as he was helped steadily to his weary feet thanks to Jin. His fingers wrapped tightly about Jin's wrist as he helped himself out of the circle. As he was about to exit through the archway of the room, Touya stopped for a moment to look over at Elder Ambar. “Thank you,” he said breathlessly in a merciful tone.

 

Elder Ambar merely expressed a smile for only the ice warrior to see as he lowered his head further.

 

Through his blinding rage, Sal'kra watched as the two demons slowly exited out of the Elder's Circle and towards Touya's house to pack what things they could before leaving. He didn't care what anybody thought or what anybody said as the elder ran towards Touya to tackle him from behind, causing Touya to land face first in the layered snow.

 

Touya quickly shook the cold powder from his face before bringing his elbow up to knock the elder from his back. With his back free, he scrambled to his feet quickly to turn around with his ice sword out.

 

Jin was shocked at first, but his shock turned to anger as he was ready to charge in to save and protect Touya. Taking one step forward, the staff of Ambar met against his chest soon enough to stop him from progressing. “Don't!” Ambar said sternly. “This was a fight raging on before you vowed yourself to him, wind demon. Let him settle it.”

 

“I won't let you walk out of here just as easily as that!” Sal'kra yelled in anger as he got his ice staff out. Taking his staff and whirling it about his head, he was able to pull the snow from the ground to barricade himself in a cyclone of shards.

 

Seeing as he was just pulled into the Elders' Circle, Touya didn't have his True Rune to enhance his powers or his steel weapons. Regardless of this realization, he wasn't afraid to take on the elder. “If you want to fight me like a true warrior, then don't hide behind your defenses and take the wounds I give you like the man you claim to be.”

 

Sal'kra's rage was further lit by that statement. “Who says I am defending myself!” He yelled as he pointed his staff forwards to beckon the thousands of ice shards towards Touya.

 

Touya wasn't worried as he raised his hand upwards to make the snow shoot up as a vertical wall so he could be spared from the oncoming attack. Running at a blinding speed about the elder, he continued to throw the snow several feet high to block the wall of ice attack from hitting him prompting Sal'kra to laugh out loud.

 

“Now who is the one defending and acting as the coward?”

 

“I am not just defending myself,” Touya said once he stood behind the unsuspecting elder. Using the side of his hand, the ice warrior hit the back of Sal'kra's neck harshly to cause his foe to fall harshly towards the ground. During the shock, Touya was able to grab Sal'kra's staff, which contained most of his power usage. “I was distracting you to the point you wouldn't be able to pinpoint me, but I am sure your mindless anger did most of that job.” He held onto the staff with his eyes narrowed angrily down at his enemy to show he had been victorious. “I have won, and you are defeated.”

 

Sal'kra had been driven into madness at this point as he got to his feet quickly trying to not only retrieve his staff but to at least land a punch on Touya. His face was wrinkled into extreme anger with his hair falling from the upwards style he usually had it within as he tried to pierce the skin of Touya only to have the exiled warrior to be too fast for him.

 

Upon the fourth or fifth try of this, Touya had enough and used the back of his hand to land across Sal'kra's face. With the beaten elder landing back into the snow once more, Ambar had seen enough as he stepped in between the two with his hands raised.

 

“Touya, you have won your freedom from here. Pack your things and hurry onwards,” Ambar insisted before turning to Sal'kra. “As for you, you disgrace me! It is times like this that I wish Touya were my disciple instead of you.”

 

It was the most damning thing Sal'kra could hear, but at this point he knew he was a disgrace. He merely stayed where he was, not wanting to see the faces of the others who were scorning his actions and failure.

 

Jin looked down from Sal'kra before shifting his focus on his partner who was still standing firmly against his fallen adversary. He placed his hand upon Touya to snap him from his stance with a sidewise smile. The wind demon didn't say anything this round. All he did was nod towards the direction of Touya's home. Jin's feet crunching through the snow, he made his way there with Touya following behind him in his tracks.