Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Wind Knoll's Curse ❯ Chapter 21

Razz ran her delicate fingers through Scarlet's messy, straight bi-colored hair only to have a few strands fall out onto her hand to show how unhealthy it was. She shook her hand to get rid of the tresses. “Goodness, you obviously don't eat enough. Your hair keeps falling out onto my hand.” Razz continued to rake her fingers through it to have a bit more to do the same. “Has it always done this?”

 

Scarlet flinched a bit as some of her tangles were pulled out either by Razz's fingers or by the brush Razz was using. “Yeah, it always has been that way. It falls out a lot because of stress and other things.”

 

“I can tell,” the high priestess remarked softly. Twisting the part of hair she had in her hand into a chignon bun, Razz tied it there while putting a few thin Japanese needle hairpins to keep it in place. She allowed a few shorter strands of Scarlet's hair to flow down out of the bun about the young woman's face. “Alright, your hair is finished, and so are your markings. Now, let's get you outside to greet the Wind Lord.”

 

With the uncomfortable feeling of not wearing anything in front of some of the worshippers, Scarlet couldn't help but dig her feet into the marble flooring. She grabbed onto one of the towels in the room to place before her body, shaking a bit nervously while gazing at the curtains, which would open up to those attending. “No, no I can't do this…!”

 

Razz sighed, placing her hand behind her head. “Scarlet, you have to. The Wind Lord is in dire need of your assistance here.” When Scarlet looked over at her confusingly, Razz continued. “Lord Jin only has so many true followers who can see and understand him. You may not understand him, but you can see him, and that is a start.”

 

“Why does he need me that badly?” Scarlet wondered, keeping her body slightly covered in the white fabric hanging before her.

 

“Scarlet, who is it that keeps the fog under control during the morning hours?” Razz asked, knowing everybody knew the answer to that one. “The Lord only has so many worshippers he can go to when his energy gets low. He needs true worshippers to offer up their bodies to him in order for his powers to grow. With the current outburst in demon worshipping so few are left that he can actually do this to.” Razz made her way over to the scared Scarlet to remove the towel from her with a tender smile. “Even if you are weak physically, he could still use you.”

 

A sigh escaped through Scarlet's nostrils as she looked back through the curtains before her seeing some of the worshippers lined about the cleansing pool area. “I just-I don't want them to judge me…especially not my arms.” The reminder that her scarred arms were within sight now made Scarlet sick, as she tried to hide them by wrapping them about her torso and leaning over.

 

“Everybody has their imperfections and life scars,” Razz felt need to remind Scarlet. “Yours just happen to be in plain sight whereas everybody else's isn't.” With her fingers still gripped gently upon Scarlet's shoulder, she could feel the youth starting to ease up and relax. “Are you ready now? Nobody is going to judge you, Scarlet. The Wind Lord will make sure of that.”

 

“I hope you're right…,” Scarlet mostly mumbled as she was finally convinced out through the archway and into the Cleansing Room's main area.

 

A few of the worshippers heard her surface prompting them to look over at her. None of them judged, but the way they stared long and hard upon Scarlet still made her uncomfortable. She had threatened to run back towards the room she came from, but Razz stopped her many a times to help her towards the north section of the cleansing pool where Jin would surface to greet her.

 

It took awhile, but eventually the door leading to the hallways opened to reveal Jin standing there in different attire he was usually seen within. He wore a silver bar about his waste. It was thin in appearance and went up about his hips and dipped back down upon his backside and front. It held a tribal looking cloth, white in appearance, and that hung in a long V-shape in the front and back. He bore nothing on his chest but a few odd markings, probably from the same make-up, which was placed on Scarlet as it was white in appearance. The wind demon had part of his wild, red hair pulled back to stay out of his face, which was also marked up by some of the body paint. He wore silver armlets and ankle bracelets, which chimed as he walked.

 

Scarlet tried to hide her bright red face as she turned to Razz. “Why is he dressed that way?”

 

“Well, back in the olden days, they used to be naked with those they chose to baptize,” Razz explained, gripping gently onto Scarlet's bare shoulders. “It is now done by what they feel is right with the one they are baptizing. I am sure given your uncomfortable behavior around him being naked, he decided to at least cloth himself a bit for the ceremony.”

 

As Jin continued onwards slowly towards Scarlet and Rachel, he moved off to the side slightly to reveal the ice master demon behind him, who had come to view the ceremony as he vaguely promised he would. Upon seeing the other demon worshipped under her mother, Scarlet froze up a bit not expecting him to be there.

 

“Are you ready?” Jin asked with a nod of his head at Scarlet.

 

“What-what is Touya doing here?” Scarlet wondered, crossing her arms over her chest.

 

“He is here to witness your baptism, like a loved one should,” said Jin as he pulled Scarlet's hands away from her chest. “Partly he is here on your mother's behalf. It is always best to have somebody you love here, so he had to do.”

 

Touya rolled his eyes at Jin's choice of words. “Thanks, Jin,” he grumbled, placing his hand upon his hip.

 

“Can we just get this over with?” Scarlet practically begged, not wanting to stay before the wind demon worshippers naked any longer.

 

“Alright, alright,” Jin said in a hushed whisper, raising his hands up in defense. “So testy you are.” Placing his hand upon her bare back, the wind master guided her towards the water. “Just follow me, and you'll be fine.”

 

Scarlet placed her toes into the cold water, tempted to jerk it back only to have Jin urge her forwards. Forced down into the chest high water, she made her way to the center of the cleansing pool with Jin right behind her. Making it to the center, she looked to the worshippers who had attended to watch the ceremony go on only to pull her gaze back down at the water beneath her. Scarlet was extremely nervous, and Jin could tell.

 

Jin gripped gently onto her shoulders as he held a jagged dagger in his right hand. “Just be still and relax. The tenser you are, the worse it is going to be.” Facing to the east, he raised the dagger into the air while keeping Scarlet close to him. “Kèl dèn miat, sèn kèldin mat!”

 

Scarlet was confused as to what the demon was saying aloud to everybody around him who now saw fit to mimic his actions in pointing towards the east with their index and middle finger. It must be demonic, Scarlet thought to herself. At that time, a light suddenly came up from below the water causing the liquid surface to start to bubble as it was forced apart by the magical force engraved in the marble underneath.

 

The cleansing water parting, it showed the wind demon's symbol upon the ground. It was lighting up in a bright, yet soothing white light from the twist and turns of the mark. Scarlet watched as the light began to steadily interact with the body paint on her skin, causing it to light up slowly and warm her from the inside out.

 

Jin noticed the light reacting with both their bodies as he moved the dagger down towards her upper chest. Sparing a few more words in demonic, he moved the end of the dagger towards Scarlet's skin, piercing it to cause the blood to bubble forth from the cut he created. Jin watched as the blood crept down her skin to cause it to create a different pattern over the one the body paint made. He looked over at the painful expression she made from the cut he gave to her. “Do you want to know?” Jin asked as he leaned in a bit towards Scarlet's ear.

 

Breathing steadily from the slight soreness still stinging through her body, Scarlet managed a nod as she rested against the arm the wind demon had behind her.

 

Releasing a soft sigh through his nostrils for no particular reason, the wind demon looked back over the design now in blood red upon her body. “You're going to be my servant.” Jin saw Scarlet look up at him rather confused and a bit insulted by where she was placed, forgetting the demon had no control whatsoever over where she was placed. “The guardians of the winds have decided! Scarlet Baker has been awoken and baptized under me!”

 

The water within the pool area started to settle, coming back into place slowly as it once was. The blue eyes of the wind master looked over at the ice demon standing on the sidelines. It was Touya's signal to throw the piece of fabric he had in his possession towards the two, so he could stop the bleeding from the cut he had to make. Jin caught the cloth in his open hand, to wrap it about Scarlet's lower neck area where he had pierced her.

 

Scarlet reached up to the bandage now covering her baptism wound. “So what about the body paint? What do I do with that?”

 

Jin looked down at Scarlet with a raise of his thin brows. “In due time, it will disappear,” the wind master explained as he helped Scarlet out of the cleansing pool and to Razz who was holding a towel to wrap her naked form within. “Right now, the next thing of importance is do you want to go through with the other ceremony?”

 

Touya nudged Jin harshly in the side causing the wind beast to wheeze. “Can you not take this one step at a time, you eager bastard?” He narrowed his eyes, scolding Jin with his arms crossed upon his chest.

 

“Jeez, okay!” Jin grumbled, rubbing his side. He blew the hair out of his face with a shake of his head. “I didn't think it would hurt to do so, but then there is always you.”

 

Touya allowed Jin to amble off while in slight pain, shaking his head in return at the redhead to show his disapproval of Jin's actions. He saw Scarlet's confusion written upon her pallid, weary face. The ice master couldn't help but smile reassuringly at her. “Do not rush your decision right now on that virgin ritual. Whenever you're ready, let one of us know.”

 

Razz slipped her hands upon Scarlet's shoulders. “What was she? She was a servant, right?” She titled her head to the side curiously, parts of her hair sliding into her face.

 

“She is a servant under Jin,” Touya confirmed. “I am sure Jin will agree she can start her training later tomorrow.” He turned slightly to the side to show he was going to be leaving soon. From where he was, Touya could see the concern and slight irritation in Scarlet's expression. “And Scarlet,” he began, catching her attention, “there is nothing wrong with being a servant.” With that being said, Touya made his leave of the place.

 

Scarlet watched as the ice demon headed out of the double doors and disappeared into the dimly lit hallway beyond them. “What does being Jin's servant mean for me?” She asked the high priestess.

 

Razz smiled down at Scarlet. “It means many things for you. I will explain later tomorrow. It is late, and you need your rest for now.” The high priestess helped the baptized Scarlet out of the Cleansing Room, helping her to the bedroom. “I can tell you that the class is not something to be ashamed of; that is for sure, my dear.”

 

“I was expecting something that wouldn't sound so…degrading,” Scarlet admitted with a raise of her brows at the word. “Why is it that I was going to be a priestess under Touya, but I am a servant under Jin? Why do people get put under different classes when worshipping two different demons?” She couldn't find the logic in this as she was soon helped down the hallway and to her bedroom door in the candlelit corridors.

 

Razz allowed Scarlet inside of her bedroom, lighting a single candle with a wave of her hand to pass over to the weary girl, so Scarlet could have some light within the horribly dark space. “Each person is built differently, spiritually and physically,” Razz explained as she handed the candle over to Scarlet, pointing to the bed close to the circular wall. She knew Scarlet was exhausted from trying to help the scarred woman's chakra's open. “The demons have different uses for different people. Apparently your body spiritually was powerful enough at your young age to over cloud everything else and have you be chosen as a handmaiden in Touya's care. But your spirit was weakened now, so no doubt your body's physical abilities came out further this round, and you were chosen as a servant.”

 

Scarlet sat down on the side of the bed, holding the candle in her possession. She could make out Razz's features thanks to that single flame's light touching a few objects within the room. “How can I weaken my spirit? I thought I only weakened my body with depression.”

 

“Well, your spirit essentially makes up your body and without that, you wouldn't be alive right now. When you threw yourself in depression, you weakened your spirit by not doing anything to make it stronger. You lain in bed all day and rarely ate,” Razz said, joining Scarlet upon her bedside with her hands tucked in her lap. “If your body doesn't have healthy habits, your spirit isn't going to either. Also, given the fact that you probably stopped your spiritual training under your mom, your abilities you could have obtained as a high priestess went dormant, and you lost them.”

 

Scarlet shifted her feet slightly, placing the candle upon her nightstand, which was at the head of her bed. “Can I get them back?”

 

Razz shifted her eyes off to the side with a twist of her mouth. “Well, of course, but that doesn't change what class you are in right now. Even once you die, you are still going to be the Wind Lord's servant.” The high priestess got to her feet steadily to make it towards the cracked bedroom door. “And trust me, he has so few of those lately, so the more the better for him.” She could see Scarlet roll her eyes in the dim lighting prompting Razz to chuckle in the back of her throat. “Get some sleep. You have all new lessons to learn in due time considering your class.”

 

Having to think of that made Scarlet further tired as she lied down under the covers of her bed. Blowing out the candle, she wrapped herself up tightly though flinching from the slight pain near her neck. “Goodnight then, Razz. I'll see you tomorrow.”

 

“Goodnight, Scarlet. Sleep well.” Razz quietly closed the door behind her as she made it down the hallway to her own bedroom. The halls seemed a lot more quiet and deserted than usual. It put an uneasy feeling through her small figure. The wind that used to once comfort her was beginning to cover her skin in nervous goose bumps.

 

Darkness within the hall began to steadily creep from the walls and cover the corridors in a thick fog. It moved as if it were alive, snuffing out the candles along the way to feed the growing cloud. Razz didn't notice anything until it finally caught up behind her, blowing out the last candle within the hall she was within, making it so dark that she could hardly see a thing. Her heartbeat quickened as the blowing of the wind felt like somebody breathing heavily upon the back of her neck. Knowing what it had to be made Razz attempt to straighten up and gather what courage she could.

 

“You are not welcome here,” she almost whispered through her heavy breathing. Her fingers hesitantly made their way up to the wind pendent she had on at all times. She spun around quickly on her heels with her hand outstretched and her palm out. “Be gone from here!” Razz yelled, blasting the demon with what light power she could muster to pain the beast.

 

The demon screeched loudly at the light piercing through the darkness it had created and fed upon. It spared a few warped words in possibly demon before lunging forwards to cover Razz in a whirlwind of suffocating darkness.

 

Razz brought her hands up quickly, screaming from the assault of the fog. “No! JIN!” She yelled, keeping a firm grip onto her pendant to muster up more of her strength for another attack. “You're not welcome here! Be gone!” Razz demanded again, putting her hands side by side with her palms out to blast it again, weakly, with another light blast. The light barely made it through the thick darkness. It was snuffed out just like the candles within the hallway. Razz was unable to stay on her feet much more as she felt as though she was being choked by unseen hands.

 

Jin heard Razz's yell for him as well as hearing her soul weaken drastically. He quickly ran down the many hallways looking frantically for her with a wiggle of his ears, which could hear her spirit's melodic tune. “Rachael!” He growled angrily at the demon that dared to venture into his temple to try and steal one of the humans from under his watch. Pulling his hand back, he threw it forwards to unleash a strong gust of wind to blow the demon out of existence. With the thick fog gone, Razz's body could be seen on the floor in almost a fetal position. Jin hurried over towards her weakened form. Kneeling down behind her, he pulled Rachael's body over to see her skin had gotten paler and some of her veins darkened. “Rachael!” He yelled trying to snap her awake. When he couldn't get the high priestess to respond, he got to his feet and ran to the infirmary wing.

 

The nurse on night duty was cleaning everything she could, hoping to keep herself occupied for the time being as it was awfully quiet for the night. It didn't last for long when Jin plowed through the doors with Razz in his arms. The young woman jumped to her feet, spinning around in her long white robes, some of her straight, strawberry blond hair coming down from the bun she had. “My Lord…whatever is the matter? Oh my goodness, Lady Rachael!” She gasped, covering her mouth upon dropping the towel she was cleaning her utensils with.

 

Jin helped the body of Razz over to the bed in the center of the room. “You've got to help her!” He pressed his ear against Razz's chest to listen to her heartbeat. “Her heartbeat is weak!”

 

The nurse opened her hand and rested it over Rachael's body to try and find the problem as those in the infirmary were taught to do. Closing her eyes for a moment, she concentrated on the weakened aura of the high priestess lying before her to find most of it suffocating from the thick, gaseous fog the demon left behind inside of her. She opened her eyes and brought her hand back slowly. “The demon managed to get some of himself inside of her body. It has poisoned her and weakened her aura.”

 

“Flush it out of her body then!” Jin urged demandingly.

 

Biting her lower lip, the young nurse wondered if she'd be able to do so without somebody to at least do an exorcism. Upon an idea hitting her, she tensed up for a moment and raised one finger at the demon. “I think I might have something.” She scurried over towards the many different potions lining the shelves to pluck two from the upper ridge. The nurse grabbed the two potions and mixed them accordingly into an empty vile causing the liquid to almost turn into bottled sunshine. “It looked like a darkness demon got her. Any form of light whatsoever can flush what is left inside of her out.” She showed the bright liquid within the clear vile to the wind master. “This has to do it.”

 

“How do you give it to her?” Jin wondered as he supported Razz's head.

 

“She has to swallow it,” the nurse explained looking rather confused at the redhead. “With her out cold, I don't know how to make her do that.”

 

“Give it to me!” Reaching over, he grabbed the vile to put the liquid into his own mouth before directing Razz's face towards him. Leaning down, he placed his lips upon Razz's pale to get the medicine into her body.

 

Razz suddenly turned away, her body beginning to convulse violently from the amount of it getting inside of her. Her hands tightened into fists as she arched her back and screamed from the remains of the demon being forced out. She threatened to start tearing at her own skin with her nails causing Jin to restrain her with the nurse's help.

 

“Come on; come on,” Jin begged over her howling in misery. “Come out of there!”

 

Razz arched her back once more, widening her white eyes while coughing up blood, which was so dark in color, it almost looked like oil. She paused in that position for a moment before going slack, closing her eyes as her head rolled to the side.

 

Jin witnessed the high priestess doing such a thing, worrying him greatly. “Razz?” He called, leaning in towards her a bit. “Rachael?” When she didn't respond, Jin started tapping her cheeks a bit to try and get her to wake while the nurse attempted to wipe the blood from her mouth. “Rachael, wake up!”

 

The nurse watched hopelessly as the wind demon tried to get the high priestess to respond.

 

Opening her eyes finally, showing off her chocolate brown orbs, she looked over at the concerned demon. “My Lord…?” She inquired wearily. “What…happened…?”

 

“Oh thank the wind, Rachael, you're okay!” Jin praised breathlessly as he rolled his palm backwards from her forehead to her messy, brunette hair. “A darkness demon got you in the hallway. It nearly got away with killing you by leaving its mark inside of your body.”

 

Razz flinched a bit as she took a slow breath inward. “My body still feels numbed with pain. I can feel parts of it still inside of me…” The high priestess wanted to cry, not enjoying the thought of a foreign demon marking the inside of her body in any way. “Can you not get one of the priestesses to get the rest of it out of me?”

 

“It is too small a job for them right now, Lady Rachael, you know that,” the nurse said, handing over a large, clear container of the potion she made for the high priestess to swallow earlier. “Besides, it isn't a demon inside of you, but the demonic darkness he left behind in your body. You need to take this every two hours to get it flushed out of your body completely. Soon you'll feel back to normal in no time.”

 

Jin watched as Razz attempted to sit upright only to moan in agony at how every inch of her was still in pain from the aftermath of that experience. He took the large container in her hand so that it would be safe from the woman's weak grasp. “Right now you need to rest. If you need me to take you to your room, I will do that for you.”

 

Rachael couldn't deny she was still startled. The thought of sleeping alone that night made her very uncomfortable and frightened. “Can I sleep with somebody tonight, my Lord?” She practically begged, grabbing onto his white strips of cloth. “I can not find it in me to sleep alone tonight.”

 

“You can stay with me,” Jin said as he slid his arms underneath Razz's body to pull her into his embrace. “Tonight I really have to talk to those high priests and priestesses. The demons are still getting through.” He sighed, holding his fallen follower close to him. “I cannot allow anymore of my worshippers to endure this kind of pain.” He turned to the nurse with a serious frown upon his face. “Tell the high priests and priestesses to get on it. I need a barrier around this temple for only the humans to pass through. I cannot allow anymore demons into my temple!”

 

“Yes, sir,” the nurse said softly as she hurried out of the infirmary.

 

Wearily, Razz placed her fingers upon her throbbing head. “That demon…I am sorry, but it was so much stronger than I was. I thought I could take it on by myself.” Razz felt need to explain her stance as Jin was always against the humans fighting alone when it came to demons; especially now seeing as even higher S classes were making their way through the portal connected to Makai.

 

Jin sighed as he made it carefully down to his bedroom. “You should have known better than to try and take on a demon by yourself, sweetheart.” Upon making it to his bedroom door, he opened the door with his foot as his arms were full at the moment. Stepping inside, he pushed his hip into the opened door to make it close as he headed for his bed to place the worn priestess down upon the covers.

 

“I just feel so helpless with this situation,” Razz admitted groggily. The covers curving about her body made her feel relaxed for once. She kicked off her shoes with the wind master's help. “I really wish none of this ever happened.”

 

The wind demon helped her under the covers with a slight raise of his brows. “I am sure we all agree to that one.” Taking the rounded, large vile, he placed it carefully on the nightstand to the left of her. “I will wake you up every two hours to have you take that. We cannot have you not getting what that demon left inside of you out of your system. It could kill you.”

 

“Just rest for now, Razz,” Jin insisted, placing his hand on the side of her face. His thumb stroked the smooth skin upon her cheek with a caring smile. He watched as she managed a nod before closing her eyes to sleep. Jin knew that she wanted him to stay with her, so he remained in his bedroom though merely sat upon the side of his bed.

 

 

 

 

 

The coming hours were rather peaceful. It relaxed the demons knowing that the worshippers wouldn't cause a lot of problems in the middle of the night. Shishiwakamaru rested upon the roof of his temple, sitting cross-legged with his demon, samurai sword over his right shoulder. His eyes were closed and his head lowered. While he was trying to sleep outside, a distant voice pleading for help caused the demon of death to quickly open his eyes. Raising his head, he pulled the sword from where it was resting to look over his shoulder with a confused expression. “Who is calling me?” Standing to his feet, the swift demon seemed to disappear with the speed he traveled at to make it down to his temple where the voice was coming from.

 

Shishi walked through the dark marbled hallways, lit with skull scones. His feet carried him through one archway designed into that of the grim reaper, walking down the red carped corridor before walking up a hallway, which rose up to the right. The hallways were confusing to most people new to the temple. They would twist and turn in odd directions, giving a person a sense of fear of not being able to find their way out. Maps had to be marked upon the walls to let people find out where they were going. Shishi on occasion had to make sure he too was going the right way as he headed to the next twisting corridor, which led to his bedroom he rarely used.

 

Walking down this long passageway, he noticed somebody at the end of the hall sobbing in a black hooded cape. His priestesses only wore that kind of cloak. As he made it closer, the stench of human blood was starting to really irritate his senses. “Priestess, what are you doing?” Shishi asked irritably.

 

The priestess paused, turning around steadily to face the demon of death she had been calling to for the past few days. When she finally was able to face Shishi, she showed him the blade that she had in her hand. She had apparently dragged the dagger across her arms in a desperate attempt to summon him. Her black eyeliner and mascara had mostly washed away from her tears, staining her face in the makeup. Her long black hair managed to slip through the hood she had up making Shishi realize who it was.

 

“Silvia!” He said in shock. For once he was able to reach the distant worshipper, but only because she was literally cutting her life away. Shishi hurried over towards Silvia to pull her up from where she was kneeling before his bedroom door. “Silvia, what are you doing?”

 

Silvia looked up at the demon of death, reaching up with her blooded hands to touch his face to make sure she wasn't dreaming. “You are here! You are finally here!”

 

Shishi grabbed onto her wrists gently to remove her hands from his face as her human blood was starting to mark his skin. The smell of her blood was really making him ill. “I've always been here. You were always just too stubborn to listen to me,” he almost growled. “What are you doing to yourself?” He looked at the cuts littering her arms as he pushed the long, flowing sleeves of the robe back.

 

Bringing her injured arms close to her chest, she looked desperately up at the demon. “Everybody is still on that wild hunt for who caused the sudden flood of demons. Enough people knew I was working there to come looking for me. I need help, my demon Lord!” Silvia begged, stepping closer to Shishi. “They are going to find me and burn me alive! I don't want to die!”

 

It was an odd realization from a woman who, without worry, worshipped in masochistic ways to the demon `gods'. Crossing his arms over his chest, Shishi sighed not sure what to do at first. Bringing his hand up to his mouth, he thought about a solution before ushering her towards his bedroom. “Come with me. I have an idea.”