Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Wind Knoll's Curse ❯ Chapter 23

Author's Notes: Whoo, sorry about that. I am so tired lately and such a lazy ass that I take a lot longer to write things than I should. X3x Sorry about that. And thanks for the kind reviews and PMs. I am so sorry that I am slow to responding to some of them. Know that I appreciate them.

 

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Scarlet was worried for herself thinking on how obsessed Silvia appeared when it came to getting any of the demon's attention. She found it difficult trying to find comfort in going through with the ritual and then going throughout her life not even considering it. The wind within the temple blew gently within her bedroom, brushing her photo album upon her vanity open. Hearing her album open up brought Scarlet's attention to it as she pulled herself from her bed. She saw that the photo album had been opened to photos taken of her earlier years when she was just born.

 

Sighing softly, she pulled one of the images out of her mother still being nursed back to health when she had slight complications with the birth of Scarlet. She was taken care of within the temple and helped back to full health within four weeks time. As Scarlet looked through some of the images, she noticed odd smears of white light within some of them making her wonder if it was on the image or within it, rubbing her finger against the marks to have them not budge. “What is that?”

 

The wind currents blowing behind her now teased her hair before a hand reached out to touch her shoulder gently. It lightly startled her, so it didn't bother the wind master that much upon her jumping when he stepped into her sight. He looked from Scarlet to the photos in her hands to find her rubbing over a spirit being caught within the photo. “Mm, they caught Touya's spirit energy there in that one.”

 

Scarlet raised her brow at him and scrunched up her nose confused. “What?”

 

Jin pointed at the spot she was trying to get out of the image. “That is Touya's spirit energy. Spirits don't like their physical appearance being caught, so more than likely they revert to their spiritual energy form. In this case, Touya was probably watching over your mother closely and left the spirit mark that was caught in this photo. Something must have happened to her to have his energy appear on camera.”

 

Eyeing the photo once more, she sighed at being told the story before and feeling bad for it all even though she was just a baby who couldn't help anything that happened. “She nearly died giving birth to me,” Scarlet admitted somberly, putting the photo back in the album. “When I came out, she didn't stop bleeding and almost died from blood loss.”

 

“Ya'ouch,” Jin remarked with a slight wince. “At least she managed to stay with you for 16 years. I am sure she considered herself blessed in that aspect.”

 

Scarlet sighed through his nostrils, closing the album. “Are you here to discuss the ritual?”

 

“To a degree, yes.” The wind master made his way over to the chair within her bedroom space to sit down for the time being. He leaned back with his legs apart, rocking slightly as he eyed Scarlet. “Seeing as you're mentally and physically sick, I am going to help you change that, so when I do open you for that ceremony, you won't be too weak to take.”

 

The young woman merely scrunched up her face wondering what he meant. “Pardon?” Her tone insisted that she was insulted.

 

“I am going to take you to the local hospital,” Jin announced, pointing directly at her for a second as he leaned forward on his legs. “They are going to check you out and prescribe something for you to take to lighten your mood.”

 

“Physiatrists prescribe medications that you're thinking of, Jin, not really doctors,” Scarlet felt need to remind him as she sat down upon the chair at her vanity.

 

“I know of a doctor at the Lakeside Hospital who is both,” the wind master explained intertwining his fingers. “He was raised here in the temple when his father died and was taken away from his mother who was a substance abuser. He is well trained in both areas. While he rarely sees patients he doesn't have appointments with a week in advance, I am sure he will make an exception for me.”

 

“Jin, I don't have to go to some doctor, physiatrist,” Scarlet began defensively as she rolled the palms of her hands upon her thighs. “I avoided that since my mother was lying in her sick bed and my depression was diagnosed.” She could see the wind master eyeing her oddly as if to try and figure something out about her that Scarlet, once again, wanted left alone. “I don't need some whack job telling me stuff I already know and prescribe me something that will just fuck me up more.” When Jin continued to eye her, she stomped her foot down angrily. “What!” She demanded to know what it was he was trying to find already.

 

Jin was silent for a moment before parting his lips to say something. “You were mishandled before.” He witnessed as she waved his words off as she wanted to continue to hide it. “You went to a physiatrist when you were younger, and you were misdiagnosed—.” He paused for a moment, shaking his head at his choice of words. “—no, you were given a bad medical subscription.” Jin leaned back in the chair once more, crossing his arms over his chest and his leg over the other. He squinted one of his eyes as if to continue figuring her out while his elfin ears twitched to some of the spirits whispering to him. “Mm, you stopped taking it after awhile and that really screwed you over, didn't it?”

 

“Stop it! Just stop it, okay!” Scarlet demanded, rolling her hands over her head. Her bi-colored hair leaking through her fingers, she sniffled a bit having to be reminded of that. “He was an idiot doctor who didn't know what he was doing, and my mother wanted me to go, so I went every day she asked me to.” She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. “He gave me this medicine that was supposed to make me better, but it instead made my appetite go down to nothing. When I stopped taking it was the day my mother died. I flushed those pills entirely down the drain, and it caused me to stop eating completely.” Scarlet remembered how eager she was to get rid of them one night. “My step-dad made me go to another one, probably because he needed me to stay around to get some sort of income for the house as he wasn't going to do it.” She turned to the wind master, looking angrily at him through her tears. “I got myself better even if I was prescribed new medication. I stopped taking those pills and stopped going to physiatrists after all of that.”

 

“But look what it has done to you,” Jin felt need to say as he pointed at her fragile form. “You hardly sleep, you have no energy, your spirit sings more often than any living persons' I have ever known…Scarlet, you may think you're alive, but you're not. I, as a demon, have more of a pulse than you do right now.” He watched as Scarlet turned away from him, not wanting to hear what was being told to her. “Inside and out, you are killing yourself. You are so far gone, that was why you cut yourself to let you know that you're still physically alive and here.”

 

“Shut up!” Scarlet screamed wanting to be spared any truth about her situation whatsoever.

 

Jin got up to his feet and made his way over to the angered human. He grabbed onto her wrists to force her hands away from her ears so that for once, she would listen to him. “Scarlet, I am sorry, but you need help. You need to accept help.” When she refused to settle down, the wind master used his strength to keep her steady, wrapping his left arm over her front to keep her steady while he stroked the top of her head in attempts to calm her. “I can contact him today for the sake of getting you back into shape within a month's time. Then we will try the ceremony.”

 

Scarlet couldn't hold back any longer forcing her to cave under him. Turning around, she embraced the wind master tightly, burying her face within his chest. It was as good an answer as ever that she could give at the moment.

 

Sighing softly through his nostrils, Jin placed his chin upon Scarlet's hair. “Why don't you lie down and rest while I call him? I am sure you could use it for now?” He didn't hear a response out of Scarlet as she was still very upset at having the truth poured upon her. With her being so weak, the wind master knew it was wise that she not waste her energy on crying and that she no doubt wouldn't listen to him about sleep. He pulled her back gently from his embrace to place his hand upon her forehead. Scarlet stared at him confusingly. A blast of energy enveloped the young woman's form causing her to grow tired quickly as she closed her eyes and nearly fell to the ground. Jin was quick enough to grab her to help Scarlet over to the bed. Jin pulled the covers up over Scarlet, tucking her in for the morning so she could rest off her feelings. He sighed, getting to his feet and heading out into the hallway.

 

Justin was on his way to his bedroom though he had his nose buried into one of his books he had next on his list. Feeling the wind demon's energy up ahead, he looked up from over the rim of his glasses to see the wind master. “My Lord,” Justin began, removing his reading glasses before bowing down before the wind demon. “How are you fairing?”

 

Jin managed to smile at the high priest. “Justin, can you do me a favor? I need you to call Lakeside Hospital and get in contact with a Doctor Donavon Ross. I would call but not everybody at that hospital is open to this realm, so I will be unheard.”

 

“Of course.” The high priest dug into his robe's right pocket to pull out his cell phone. Cell phones rarely worked within temples or in certain areas given the high spiritual activity that most times short-circuited them, but Justin was willing to try. He shook his hair to get it out of the way of his ear, placing the cellular phone there to hear it was ringing for once.

 

The Lakeside Hospital's phone rang alerting one of the front desk receptionists. “Lakeside Hospital, this is Sally McGuire speaking; how may I direct your call?”

 

“Hello, Sally, I was wondering if you could get me in contact with a Dr. Donovan Ross,” Justin asked, closing the book in his possession after marking where he left off. He could tell she was becoming hesitant to do so after a few seconds of silence with how highly revered the doctor must have been. “Tell him I am calling from the Wind Temple, and it is within his best interest that he answers.”

 

“Alright, hold for just one moment, please,” Sally insisted as she put Justin on hold before paging Donovan to the front desk. The doctor came around the corner upon him being paged. Donovan was in his mid to late thirties it appeared with auburn colored hair that was slightly wavy. Freckles dotted his fair skin and glasses rested across his nose. “Dr. Ross, somebody is calling you from the Wind Temple,” said Sally as she offered the phone to him.

 

Donovan knew that the only time somebody called from the temple, it was Jin trying to get a hold of him. “I will take it in my room,” Donovan insisted knowing it probably was to be a private conversation. “Thank you.” He kept the papers of some of his recent patients under his arms as he headed to the third floor where the doctor and nurses' rooms were located. The medical staff pretty much lived there; especially the often assigned third shift. He closed the door to room 317, making it over to his desk to accept the phone call. “Dr. Donovan Ross, can I help you?”

 

Justin handed the phone over to Jin at that moment. Jin accepted it and brought it up to his pointed ear. “Don, it is me, Jin.”

 

“Jin, is everything okay?” Donovan asked right away as he arranged some of the papers sloppily placed on his desk.

 

“Donnie, I have a favor to ask of you,” Jin pleaded over the phone. “I have to perform a ritual on this young woman in my temple, but she is spiritually and physically weak because of her depression she doesn't have treatment for. I cannot perform this without her being decent in strength.”

 

“What is her name?” Donovan wondered. “If she was ever administered at this hospital for any aliment, I can look up her papers.”

 

“Scarlet Baker—she has blond and black streaked hair and gray-green eyes. She'll be 25 soon to my knowledge.”

 

Donovan grabbed his pen and pad of paper to write down neatly the name given to him as he held the phone against his ear with his shoulder and cheek. “Alright, I will see if I can find her papers here. How soon do you want me to see her?”

 

“When is the earliest you can do so?”

 

“I have three patients in my care right now,” Donovan explained with a subtle sigh through his nostrils. “Two are in intensive care and the other is about to be released. If you want, I can see her for an hour at three today.”

 

“That would be great,” Jin said with relief. “Thank you, Donovan. We will see you at three then. Bye.” The wind master hung up the cell phone, handing it back over to Justin. “I was worried he wouldn't be able to see her with the demonic attacks being so frequent on people. I can only imagine how difficult it is for them at the hospital with this going on.”

 

Justin accepted his cell phone back, pocketing it back within his robe. “The attacks have been frequent, my Lord. Some of the high priests and priestesses are working on keeping the barrier up about the temple as you requested earlier.” He hesitated in continuing not wishing to worry or burden the wind master further. “But…but, my Lord, the attacks are too strong.” Jin turned to Justin with his brow raised in wonder. “The demons get stronger every passing hour. One of our priestesses fell from a brutal, unseen attacker with razor sharp claws.”

 

The high priest recalled being there as the elder priestess kept her hands up to pray to the higher, demonic power for strength to keep the wind barrier up only to suddenly be slashed apart by an unseen demonic force. She tried to fight against it though ended up screaming in pain as her blood splattered against the walls. Upon her falling, she was removed quickly and taken to the infirmary wing only to die seconds upon arrival. Her flesh was torn brutally from her body, causing some of her organs to be visible.

 

Jin sighed, shaking his head at having to be told this. He was unable to focus on the other worshippers when he was tending to Rachael. “I am losing too many of my reliable humans,” he grumbled, rolling his palms over his face. “Soon I won't be able to energy feed, and I won't be able to protect those within my temple.”

 

“Father, why don't you just open those who are closed at mind?” Justin suggested.

 

“I can't. Some still believe I am some Godly figure.” Jin grumbled at the thought, wishing facts didn't get so screwed up over time. “If they find me to be a demon, they will leave the temple.”

 

Justin furrowed his brow in worry. “With all do respect, sir, what good are they if they don't listen to you as is?”

 

Jin shook his head at Justin's remark knowing that the high priest was right, but he needed some bodies to remain so that he could disguise himself during dream walks to take the energy he needed. “As tempting as that offer is, Justin, I'll have to decline the thought. I can change my form into whatever it is they desire to see to get what I need.”

 

“But I am sure that is not your only concern at the moment, is it?” The high priest crossed his arms over his chest, keeping the book in his arms against his chest.

 

“If all of my open-minded worshippers die, I will be left with nobody I can speak to,” Jin clarified as he massaged the area in between his eyes. “I cannot control a closed-minded flock. Anyways, I best watch over the others on guard duty. I cannot afford anymore to fall.” With that said, Jin took off down the hallway to the room where the high priests and priestesses would gather to keep the wind barrier up if ever it was needed.

 

 

 

 

A few hours later, Scarlet was awakened and found herself standing before the glooming looking hospital of Lakeside. A storm was brewing, casting a dark shadow over the town. It made the out look of the hospital less appealing, prompting Scarlet to back up nervously. “I don't want to go in there…”

 

Jin shifted his elfin ears slightly at her words, shaking his head a bit at her fear of the place. “It is just a building, Scarlet. It isn't going to bite you or anything.” He watched as she tried to hide behind him like a little child. “Come on. Donovan is waiting for you.” Taking her hand into his own, he helped her through the front doors and into the hospital.

 

The place smelled of strange and irritable scents. For Jin, he could taste some of the human blood upon his tongue every time he breathed. Voices could be heard paging certain doctors every now and again over the intercoms. The hospital was apparently very busy.

 

Forced through the front doors, Scarlet made her way up to the check-in desk rather nervously with her palm resting against the cold wall. She couldn't help but look over at Jin rather confused, not sure what to do. The wind master ushered her forwards quickly. “Stop it!” She demanded in a low hiss, struggling away from Jin.

 

“Go ahead and tell them you're looking for a Dr. Ross,” Jin insisted eagerly.

 

Horrible whispers hissed about the hospital, drowning out the regular conversations being held by those around her. Wicked laughter caused her skin to crawl. The images of the damned began to flash before her eyes. The walls that were once so clean rusted over with blood. Heavy, labored breathing made Scarlet back up quickly, running into Jin. She looked up at him pleadingly. “Make it stop…!”

 

“I cannot,” said Jin simply as he pushed Scarlet behind him. “It is best just to let it pass.”

 

Scarlet closed here eyes tightly, covering her ears to drown out the horrible, labored breathing she could hear echoing down the halls. Just as the sounds were reaching their peak, Scarlet opened her eyes quickly to find everything back to normal. She brought her hands down slowly from her ears, looking around nervously to make sure the damned were gone.

 

“Are you alright?” A young nurse asked, leaning forward to check on the frightened Scarlet. The sound of her voice obviously startled her making the woman feel a bit bad for doing so. “Forgive me. I didn't mean to frighten you. Can I help you?”

 

“Umm,” Scarlet struggled to find the words wanting to just turn around and leave the hospital, but she knew Jin wouldn't let her. “I am looking for a Dr. Ross. I have an appointment with him at three this afternoon.”

 

The nurse clad in the usual white attire checked her watch upon her wrist before smiling tenderly at Scarlet. “Well then, he must be expecting you. Come with me.”

 

Scarlet followed behind the nurse carefully down the many halls of the hospital. Doors were on every side of the sanatorium, leading to many places of importance. She spotted gurneys just about everywhere—some were lined with a fair amount of blood. They came upon the end of the hallway, stopping at room number 129. Scarlet waited for the nurse to open the door only to be frightened by the sounds of agonizing screams coming from beyond the walls. “What…what is that?”

 

The nurse seemed a bit leery to answer that question as she pushed the squeaky door open. “Those are more…intensive patients we have. They need a lot of special care…” She cleared her throat and escorted Scarlet inside of the small room so Dr. Ross could have a look at her later. “Just wait here. Dr. Ross will be along shortly.”

 

Jin snuck inside of the room as well, allowing the nurse to leave upon stepping out of her way. He placed his hands behind his back, making his way over towards the certificates Donovan had received for completing his medical training. “Such a clever boy, that,” he remarked, placing down one of the picture frame he had in his possession. “With all that went on in his life, he still managed to find the strength to make this dreary town a bit better.”

 

“He sounds like he means a lot to you,” Scarlet mumbled with a raise of her brow, trying to show she didn't really care though she couldn't help but feel a bit of jealousy.

 

Jin caught her tone and couldn't help but chuckle softly within his throat. “A good many of my worshippers mean a great deal to me. With Donovan, he had many chances of giving up and just wasting away to let me claim him, but he never gave up.” The wind master granted her a smile as he rested against the opposite wall with his hands over his chest. “It is a reason I chose him to treat you. You have a few things in common.”

 

Before Scarlet could speak, the door opened and Donovan made his appearance with a clipboard in his hands. He caught the wind master out of the corner of his eye prompting him to look over towards the demon. “Jin, you are here.” Donovan smiled as he opened his arms to embrace him like a brother. “It is good to see you again, my friend.”

 

“You act as though it has been ages when I come here to check on any patient that is under my care,” Jin chortled. Whenever any of the worshippers of Jin came to the Lakeside Hospital and were near death or dying, Jin came to check upon them. It caused Donovan and Jin to see one another a fair amount until recently when most of the worshippers were too frightened to leave the temple or their homes. He pulled back from the embrace to smile at the doctor before nodding over towards Scarlet. “This is the one I wanted you to look at for me.”

 

Donovan turned around to find Scarlet sitting upon one of the chairs rather nervously. “Ah, yes, Scarlet Baker.” He removed his glasses from his shirt collar, where he had them hung to place back over the slope of his nose. “I managed to find your papers, by the way.” Donovan skimmed over some of the papers describing certain mental and physical ailments Scarlet was administered for. He continued to eye them as he made it over to the table he wanted Scarlet to lie on, beckoning her to sit down upon it by tapping it. “Sit up here for me.”

 

When Scarlet hesitated upon standing before it, Jin picked her up and placed her upon the table. He could tell she was terribly nervous. “It is okay,” Jin insisted, patting her side tenderly with a smile. “He's not going to hurt you.”

 

“So you were administered here before because of depression,” Donovan began as he looked through the old documents. His brown eyes caught sight of some interesting notes listed further down causing him to go silent for a moment as he gazed at the nervous woman. “Do you want Jin to be here when I ask you a few questions about why you were here previously or are you anxious about something else?”

 

“All of the above…,” Scarlet answered quietly as she gazed down at her feet.

 

Donovan looked up at the wind master with a slight shrug. “Would you mind leaving the room for a few minutes? I hate to ask that of you, my Lord, but part of this is confidential.”

 

Jin didn't appear as though he wished to leave though he thought on it. He blew his bangs out of his face upon deciding. “Alright, I will leave.” The wind demon patted Donovan on the shoulder before pocketing his hands to exit the room. “I am just stepping outside, now.”

 

The young doctor waited for the demon to leave before turning to Scarlet. “So you were administered before in the psychiatry section of the hospital.” He witnessed as she looked away. Donovan sighed as he situated his glasses once more upon his nose, running through the notes. “Cutting, biting, not eating--.” Here he looked up at her. “They had to lock you up in a padded room because of this.”

 

Scarlet remembered being first administrated against her will upon her mother's death. She fought against the nurses and doctors when they thought it wise she stayed under their care. She clawed and bit at the staff trying to move her. Her nails were blooded as were her arms as Scarlet screamed at the nurse that was forced to tranquilize her. The sentences she yelled echoed within her mind as she came back to the present. “I was,” Scarlet whispered, swallowing hard at having to remember that. “They would clip my nails down and drug me almost every time I acted out. I got to the point I couldn't fight anymore.”

 

“Something must have really upset you to cause such a lash out,” Donovan pointed out as he looked back down at her papers once more. Pulling his attention from them for a moment, he felt pulled to look at Scarlet's wrists, which were covered by her gloves. “Can I see?” He saw Scarlet act hesitant to do so. “It is alright. I won't judge you.” Scarlet outstretched her hands slightly with her palms up, allowing Donovan to grab onto the silken gloves to remove them. His eyes widened at the multiple scar tissue that had formed over her wrists and arms. “Gracious,” he breathed horrifically.

 

“My mother died,” Scarlet answered, clearing her throat as her voice threatened to crack at having to think about it once more. “She was my best friend and the only person to spare me from ever being touched by that awful person who dares call himself my father…”

 

“I see.” Donovan put the clipboard off to the side before asking Scarlet to lie down on her back. When she resisted, he eyed her somewhat in a scolding manner. “Come now. I promised Jin I would look over you, and so I shall.” He got her to finally lie down at that moment.

 

Scarlet felt terribly uncomfortable to be back within that hospital and being touched by a strange doctor. When he was finished checking her over, she sat back upright. She could tell by the look in his eyes that it wasn't good. He seemed worried to an extent. “What is it?”

 

“Well, your heart beat is rather poor and you're five pounds underweight for your age and height,” Donovan remarked with a sigh, jotting down what he had realized. “You need to start eating better and exercising more. What I want you to do is keep a food diary for me. I want to see what you're eating and when you're doing so. That will help me regulate your eating habits and adding things to your diet.”

 

“A food diary?” Scarlet wondered with a wrinkle of her brow. She didn't like the sound of it from where she was sitting.

 

“You are going to document everything that you eat and when and how much,” explained the doctor as he sat down for a moment, his hands resting in his lap. “When you come back here within a week, I will add a few things in, and I expect you to eat them. It is a good thing Jin never did that ritual on you. With your heart being so frail right now, it would stop within an instant.”

 

Scarlet's eyes widened a bit at hearing him say that. “How much energy do they take exactly when they feed?”

 

“Well,” Donovan began, thinking about it with a hum, “Demons have a bottomless pit for energy feeding. Depending on how much energy is being spared from them depends on how much energy they need to barrow from their worshippers.” He leaned forward slightly, nodding out the window behind Scarlet. “The Ice Barrier from hell being controlled by Touya the Ice Lord is wearing the poor soul down. He is trying so hard to keep the demons from attacking the outer world and his own worshippers from assaulting one another that he is losing a great deal of energy. He has to feed from five priestesses at once. It is getting to the point he might need to turn to his priests.”

 

“Exactly how does that work when they're not…that way…,” Scarlet wondered, assuming they weren't bisexual or even gay.

 

“The desperation of demons would surprise you,” Donovan chuckled as he clicked the pen in his hand. “They are an embodiment of sin and so they do what is regarded as sinful acts no matter what.” He sighed a bit, looking over to the side with a brief smile. “Don't be too worried about your demonic fathers anyways, Scarlet. Jin and Touya have barrowed one another's energy many times from the past, so they have experience in pleasing men.”

 

Scarlet rolled her hands over her face, shaking her head at how far they would go just to stay alive and powerful. “They do all this just for the sake of power. I cannot help but find that selfish.”

 

Donovan looked sorrowfully at her for a moment. “Then you fail to see what they mostly use that power for.” He couldn't help but disagree with Scarlet's thought of their selfishness. “Touya is trying his hardest to keep the entire world from crumbling under the malicious intent of demons. He grows weaker by the second because of all the energy he is releasing. If he falls, Kurama and or Jin have offered to take up the barrier in his place. Because demons take the same sex's energy by sexual means doesn't mean anything other than the fact they are desperate to replenish their spirit energy.”

 

“Jin did it to you once too, didn't he?” She felt in his voice that Donovan was speaking from experience making her wonder if the wind master truly did.

 

He removed his glasses upon her question. “Yes, he did.” Taking his shirt, he rubbed the lens carefully to remove an annoying spot upon them. “I found it to be uncomfortable at first, but he assured me that it was just to save his energy level and himself, or he would surely die.”

 

Scarlet rubbed her hands nervously, rolling her legs back and forth a bit to try and keep feeling in them as her body was getting tired of sitting. “What happened to cause him to spend so much energy then?”

 

“There was a demon attack on Wind Knoll fifteen years ago, and Jin was forced to put a barrier around the temples in the town to save the worshippers from incoming demons while the others fought them off. He was in a trance for months,” Donovan explained, placing his eyeglasses back on. “High priests and priestesses tried to offer up their energy to him but the only way he could truly benefit was by sexual contact, so whenever people slept in his temple, he would walk into their dreams and take their energy. I was one of them.”

 

“I don't remember that attack,” Scarlet answered honestly. “Of course, it was long ago, and I must admit that I have a hard time remembering things from fifteen years ago.”

 

Donovan could only smile at her words. “You're lucky then. Some of my memories I often wish I could forget about.” Checking the time, the young man sighed. “Sorry that I couldn't get too far with today's session, but I am sure I can next week. If you want, I can arrange another meeting for next Monday at three. How does that sound?”

 

Scarlet shrugged as she slid to her feet. “I don't have anything else to do, and Jin wants me to get better. He is pretty much demanding it.” She made her way towards the door, wanting to leave the hospital quickly as the place seemed to continuously torment her. “The ice master isn't any better about it.”

 

“Then you should be so lucky as to have so many people care for you compared to what you had after your mother's death.” Donovan saw Scarlet recoil her hand from the doorknob for a second upon hearing his words. He looked away from her at that moment to eye the papers still in his hands that he was jotting upon. “Take care till then, Scarlet.”

 

Jin remained outside in the hallway with his back against the cold wall. He watched as some of the nurses and doctors passed by him, not noticing him at all though some walking by were so lucky as to see him. He watched as one of the nurses trying to talk to a family kept looking his way. With him draining some of the energy in the room, the temperature was obviously lower than usual. Jin could see the woman's breath on the air. He could tell she was a bit nervous upon seeing the demon. Don't be scared, he whispered to her within her mind. I am not going to hurt you.

 

When the family finally left, the nurse bid them farewell though looked nervously back over at the wind master still staring at her. Even though the demon granted her a tender smile, she still couldn't help but hurry away down the hall. Scarlet managed to open the door just in time to witness the woman frantically leave the area.

 

“What is wrong? What did you do?” Scarlet asked in a whisper knowing not everybody could see him.

 

The wind master looked down at her with a brief chuckle. “Nothing. The woman is open to me. She opened her mind to me unknowingly.” He pushed off of the wall with a grunt. “It is rare humans do that by themselves without the temple's guide, but I guess with the happening of recent events, the humans are forcing their minds open to stay alive a bit longer.” Jin clapped his hands together. “So, are you finished for the day?” Before Scarlet could answer, Jin hissed and grabbed the sides of his head looking as though he were in immense pain.

 

“J-Jin, what is the matter!” Scarlet wondered, grabbing onto him to try and shake him back to his senses. The wind master seemed unable to answer. Whatever it was that was attacking him was drowning out her voice making Scarlet shake him harder. “Jin! Jin, what is it!”

 

Jin looked up through his wild, red bangs almost looking livid and in a trance at the same time. He curled his lip like a wild animal to show off his demon fangs while growling. Scarlet felt some relief in the fact he was staring beyond her and not directly at her. “I-I've got to GO!” He hissed as he hurried for the exit. “Go back to the temple and stay there.” When he saw Scarlet about to question him, he threw his fist off to the side angrily. “Do as I say!” The wind master didn't have time to say anything else as he made haste out of the hospital.

 

Upon stepping outside, Jin gathered his wind to take flight quickly. He could hear desperate calls from Touya being flooded out by the evil demons now crawling about the town. On his way to the Ice Temple, he saw a white figure running down below, almost covered in the mist. Flying down a little lower, Jin heard the high pitched cry of the fox demon in his silver fox form. Kurama had obviously heard the cries for help and was eager to go to Touya's aid as well.

 

Feeling something above him, Kurama looked up at Jin with his deep, red eyes with his paws beating against the cold, cracked cement. They are attacking Touya's temple, he said mentally to Jin. You heard his cries too. They are converging upon the Ice Temple, because its barriers are damaged. Touya is weakened. If they break through, they will kill him.

 

The front doors of the Ice Temple were being banged upon ruthlessly. Touya remained in front of the chair that was to be his throne in the temple, his hands stretched upward with his palms out to try in desperation to keep the ice barrier about the town and now about his temple. Some of the high priests and priestesses were at the door with their palms facing towards the entrance in attempts to aid the ice demon in his eagerness to keep the coming demons out with the powers they too were awakened to with his aid. With every loud bang upon the door, Touya flinched as though his very soul was being beat against. The female worshippers that could see him were surrounding him and placing their hands upon his body in weak attempts to give their energy to him.

 

Another harsh bang of the doors caused part of it to break and one of the high priests to suddenly fall to his knees when his torso was torn in half. His body there in pieces and blood marrying the floor, some of those a witness to it screamed and panicked. “They're breaking through!” A young woman yelled.

 

Touya breathed heavily, nearly faltering as his knees threatened to buckle. With a shake of his head, he tried to stay up while putting forth more of his energy to keep the ice barrier strong. He ignored the women around him desperate to keep him up. Their hands were grabbing onto his clothes and their arms wrapped tightly around his thighs and ankles. Another harsh crack in the door forced another follower to fall from unseen energy. It was here Touya knew the next attack would bring him down.

 

Everything at that moment onward was slowed in motion to him. All he could hear was his own breathing while everything else was silent. He was sweating profusely. I am going to die, he thought there in that moment. They are all going to die, because I am so weak.

 

At the next assault upon the door, it broke down and Touya fell down to the floor. The demons flooded into the Ice Temple, hacking and clawing away at the worshippers there within the room. The high priests and priestesses still alive raised their own ice barriers around their form to absorb any attacks placed upon their soul while trying to kill off the lower demons in attempts to defend their master.

 

Touya was too weak to get up from where he was lying though he watched in horror and dismay as some of his worshippers were slaughtered and fed upon. He closed his eyes not wishing to be a witness to his failure. A shadow of one of the demons covered his form as the disfigured beast closed in on the fallen ice demon. With a sickening twist of its head covered in mostly burnt and blooded flesh, it reared its claws back in attempts to come down to destroy Touya's body only to be blasted back by Jin's hurricane wind.

 

At the broken entrance, Jin landed quickly to his feet, using his wind powers upon the demons to destroy their bodies in the massive currents. Kurama transformed back into his human like appearance with red hair. On his hands, he pushed himself into a front flip to land upon his feet to beckon the powers of nature to come forth through the floors to bind the demons into place with their roots. He stood there with his palms upward and his fingers bent to force the plants tainted in evil to beckon to his call. When he heard one of the humans fall dead upon the floor, Kurama snapped his head in Jin's direction. “Shield the humans!”

 

Jin was hesitant to do so at first as they only had two hands there to keep the attack under control and he knew they both couldn't be on the defensive. Sighing through his nostrils, he waved at the worshippers. “To the walls! Get over to the walls!” He demanded. When the ice worshippers ran over to the walls, Jin created his wind barrier about the pillars lining the temple a few feet from the ramparts.

 

One of the demons bound by Kurama's plants couldn't help but laugh evilly at their attempts to save their friend. “You cannot keep us bound here no matter how hard you traitors try.” His voice sounded as though he were talking through blood within his mouth at how often he gurgled. “Even if each of you tries to keep the barrier up and save your pathetic humans, we will eat away at this town little by little till there is nothing left.”

 

Kurama headed over towards the demon bold enough to speak up on such a subject. His fingers placed together, he allowed the weeds of one of his plant to wrap about his wrist to create a sharp dagger, which he placed against the demon's rotted neck. “And we can try to stop you every step of the way.” With that said, he slit the demon's throat causing his head to roll from his body, which soon fell to the ground. With a clutch of his fist, Kurama brought it close to his chest to cause the thorn vines to cut the demons' bodies into pieces.

 

Jin hurried over towards Touya at that point. He picked the drained ice demon up in his arms. “Touya?” He called softly, shaking his friend. The ice master's eyes were closed and his body limp. “Touya, are you okay?”

 

After the demons had been taken care of, Kurama hurried over towards Touya to kneel down beside him. He could tell that the ice demon was nearly drained completely. “He is on the brink of death. We've got to get him energy now.” Kurama also thought about the barrier now demolished that once protected the town. “I have to take up the barrier. Jin, I am counting on you to get the energy he needs to stay alive as well as watch over things here till he's back on his feet.”

 

“No, please,” a young woman beckoned from behind the barrier. With her voice carrying upon the wind, Jin released the wind barrier with all of the demons destroyed. The brunette priestess hurried over towards her Ice Lord. “The Wind Lord has done enough for us. He cannot possibly handle both jobs granted him with his own followers waiting for him back at his temple.”

 

Kurama closed his eyes a moment to listen to the whispering spirits around him before opening them again. “Lady Jessie, what else can we do? We cannot have Touya here unguarded. If we do that, the demons will just come back to kill him while he sleeps.”

 

The high priestess placed her hand upon Touya's chest looking with worry upon his exhausted body. “Then have the Wind Lord give him back some of his energy, and I will take over in his place until he is back on his feet with the other high priests and priestesses.”

 

Jin looked up at Kurama with a slight shrug. “She has a point. I cannot watch over both temples. If you want, I can get Suzuka down here to guard the front doors until everything is rebuilt and Touya is back on his feet. He may not be strong, but he has enough power to keep the lower levels at bay.”

 

“Then we'll do that,” Kurama agreed with a nod. “Lady Jessie, gather the injured with your friends and take them to the infirmary. I will use what powers I can to barricade the door until they are fixed.” He watched as some of them were too scared to move. “Quickly now! I have to get back to my temple and conjure up the barrier to keep the demons from spreading!”

 

Jin picked up Touya within his arms and hurried to the ice master's bedroom. Rushing down the halls, Jin made it to his chilly room. Kicking the door open, he placed Touya down on his bed covers. “Hold on, Touya,” he whispered, cupping the ice master's cheeks in his hands. “I won't let you fall.”