Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Wind Knoll's Curse ❯ Chapter 25

Scarlet was too terrified to move from where she was in the hallway though the darkness engulfing the area made her knees threaten to buckle. Every little sound and every movement put her on edge as she tried to make her way to the wind master's bedroom, wanting to at least be with Rachael. Pushing herself off of the wall she was leaning against, Scarlet took off quickly down the hallway before her to have twisted and disgruntled sounds echo from almost everywhere. A low murmur echoed from down the corridor she came from, an image bombarding her mind to show a human looking body dragging itself quickly down the hall.

 

“Go away!” Scarlet screamed as she made it to the end of the hall to open the door leading into Jin's bedroom. Quickly she closed the door behind her, leaning against it to keep it shut. Upon entering the room, the candles blew out quickly as the door shook violently against Scarlet. As everything seemed to be getting worse, the banging and the sounds ceased just as soon as they came. The candles seemed to relight steadily by themselves to illuminate the room once more steadily. Scarlet felt something in the dim lighting, dampening her back. Her eyes looked behind her nervously to find fresh, dark crimson blood creeping from the walls as if they were bleeding.

 

Screaming, Scarlet pushed herself away from the wall to watch as the blood had started to creep about the floor as if it were alive. The floors themselves and the walls were rusted and blooded over. Looking over at the bed where Rachael was sleeping, Scarlet hurried over towards it to find the covers covered in ash and dark blood as well. The blankets covered up the priestess' body as if she were lying there dead on her back with the cloth hiding her face completely. “R-Rachael?” Scarlet hesitated as she reached for the covers to pull them back to make sure the priestess was alright. Her fingers finally gripping onto them, she threw back the cloth to let out a horrifying cry at seeing Rachael lying there with her body cut open clearly.

 

“Scarlet!” Jin called out, grabbing onto the frightened woman's shoulders to spin her around. He looked at Scarlet with a worried frown on his face. “What is the matter!”

 

Upon being spun around, Scarlet found everything snapping back to normal. She looked at the wind master wide-eyed, shaking furiously from the experience. “R-Rachael…Rachael!” She shuttered, turning around to point at the priestess only to find her lying there on her back peacefully with the covers resting perfectly about her chest, undisturbed. “Wh-what…? No!” Making it back to the bedside, Scarlet shook with disbelief at everything being fine. “I swear, I saw her cut apart and covered in blood!”

 

Jin sighed as he rested his hand back upon Scarlet's shoulder. “The demons are playing with your sight again. Demons are notorious for playing tricks with the human sight to make them see disturbing images.” He could feel how frightened she was, as Scarlet was still shaking against his touch. “You are still so new to all of this, and I still have much to teach you.” Jin got Scarlet to look at him once more. “Tomorrow I will get started on a few things to train you personally for the ceremony. Also, if all of this is terrifying for you, once Rachael is well enough and out of my bedroom, I will allow you to stay here till the portal is closed.”

 

Scarlet brought her hands together and to her chest before eyeing the slumbering Rachael. “How can some of these people stand living this way? How could they possibly continue to stay loyal?”

 

The wind master was silent for a moment, his hands sliding from Scarlet's shoulders. “They stay loyal to us even after seeing what awaits them, because they know we will not let them suffer as these demons are making them think we will.” Jin walked over towards where Rachael slept to place his hand upon her forehead tenderly. “When I sleep, I watch over those who are in the afterlife. When I am awake, I watch over those on this plain. I will not leave my worshippers to live a life of torment no matter where they reside.”

 

Scarlet was quiet for a moment, watching the wind demon's actions. “…You never rest,” she whispered, embracing her shaking form. “You tirelessly watch over everybody.”

 

Jin looked over at Scarlet and simply smiled. “We all do—even the demons who feel obligated do feel some commitment to the humans that worship them. It is what you humans expected of us, and thanks to Yusuke's guidance, we became better guardians.”

 

“Things must have been worse years before I was born,” Scarlet thought aloud between the two of them.

 

The wind master closed his eyes though he tried to keep his smile. “If you want to know what monsters we truly were, there is one book I can loan you.” With Scarlet being so silent, he tilted his head at her with a shrug. “Do you wish to see it?” Jin got to his feet and walked over towards his nightstand to pull out an ancient leather book that looked to be the size of a diary. He made his way back over towards his worshipper to show it to her. “If you want to read it that is fine with me. I have nothing to hide.”

 

Scarlet opened her hands to accept the diary like book that had seen better days. “Are you sure you want me to read this?”

 

Jin scratched an annoying itch on the back of his head with a sigh through his nostrils. “It doesn't matter to me.” He sat back down beside Rachael, running his fingers through her hair. “I need to give Rachael back some of her energy, so she can help me run things.”

 

“You need to give her energy? I thought you could only take energy from the humans that worshipped you and through sex no less,” Scarlet said in bewilderment.

 

The wind master chuckled a bit at Scarlet's comments. “It can be used both ways.” He closed his eyes as he made his way closer to Rachael's lips to kiss her lovingly. “I can have spiritual intercourse with any of my worshippers to give them energy as well. I just rarely do so, because you never know lately when I may need every bit of my power,” Jin whispered as he parted from the priestess' lips.

 

Scarlet watched Jin's actions towards Rachael, making her cringe almost with jealousy. Her fingers gripped the diary in her possession tightly, her teeth rolling over her lower lip. “I guess you've done this to quite a few of your worshippers.”

 

The elfin ears of Jin wiggled a bit at Scarlet. His baby blue eyes looked at her to cast a smirking look upon her with them. “Are you saying you're jealous?” He pushed himself up from the bed to make his way back over towards Scarlet with a toothy grin.

 

“N-No! I never said that!” Scarlet insisted as she looked off to the side with a bright blush.

 

“You didn't have to say it,” said Jin in return. “Your body language implied it.” He witnessed as Scarlet tried to avoid the topic by keeping her mouth shut and looking the opposite direction still. Jin reached for her chin to prompt her into looking him directly in the eyes. “The only reason I don't touch you is because of the ceremony for one thing and for another, you said you were nervous about it.” He witnessed the young virgin blush even more as Jin continued to stare at her. When he hinted coming closer to her lips to kiss her as well, Scarlet quickly pulled away from the demon to show she didn't want any kind of affection from him. “I see.”

 

Scarlet looked over at Jin with the soft blush still evident in her cheeks. “God, you're awful!” She growled as she tried to hide her embarrassment.

 

“Well, you might want to try and be rid of those feelings sometime soon,” the wind master insisted with a toothy grin as he turned his back to her. “Because once you're in shape, the ritual will begin.” He sat back down upon the side of the bed to be close to his priestess once more. “Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to give Rachael some of her energy back, so I can have her back amongst the group.” At that moment he began to take his top off by pulling the pieces of clothing down from his shoulders. “That is unless you want to stay and watch.”

 

The young woman's face nearly broke into utter shock at his words as she backed up to the door. “You have no boundaries!” She scolded with her fists clenched to her sides. “How anybody can put up with you is beyond me!” It gave her the strength she needed to finally leave the room belonging to the wind demon. Her back against the door she closed behind her, Scarlet looked up at the ceiling with a deep breath. He is so annoying…but what is this power he holds over me…? She wondered with her hand clasping her chest.

 

Back inside of Jin's bedroom, the wind demon looked down at the slumbering priestess. The back of his hand graced her cheek before cupping it. He leaned down once more to kiss her deeply once more. Gazing back at her peaceful expression, Jin smiled as he moved into the bed with her to lie beside her. “I will come to you,” he whispered mostly to himself, resting his forehead upon hers.

 

Rachael's dreaming plain appeared quite peaceful. In the middle of a meadow filled with flowers of all kinds, her spirit rested within them. She was upon her back looking up at the blue sky with a smile. She had missed seeing such things when it came to her days in Wind Knoll. Her eyes shifting back and forth to watch the clouds pass by slowly, Rachael found her view blocked by the wind demon leaning over her. “Oh, my Lord,” she giggled as she pushed herself up from the flowers she was lying about. “What are you doing here?”

 

Leaning over, Jin kissed her upon the lips tenderly to taste of her spirit energy. He looked at her with a tender, childlike smile. “I have come to give the energy you will need to get out of bed and be well again.”

 

The high priestess couldn't tell she was blushing at that moment. She had often had times with the demon `god', but they were few and far in between seeing as she tried to keep her energy in check for his sake. Reaching for the wind demon, she wrapped her arms about his neck to kiss him happily in return, surprising Jin greatly as he widened his eyes a bit at her rather spontaneous and eager kiss to him.

 

“Have you missed me that much?” Jin laughed as he gently pulled her away from him to look into her eyes. He witnessed as she brought her hand close to her mouth while looking the other way, seeming to feel a bit ashamed. His hands gracing her shoulders, he brought his priestess close to his chest as if to hug her. As soon as their bodies met, the fabric on their forms dissolved leaving them naked. To feel of her human body next to his gave him such excitement. “I have missed you as well, Rachael,” he whispered upon the top of her head. The wind demon guided her down to the flowerbed beneath them.

 

Rachael closed her eyes, feeling of the heavy demon on top of her. The feel of him kissing her caused a pleasurable sensation to rake through her entire body. Her fingers exploring his wild, red hair, Rachael's breath started to quicken at the demon attempting to rouse her through his touching of skin with his hands and his lips. “My Lord…!” She exclaimed breathlessly. When the priestess felt him making it down to her thighs, she tensed up and unconsciously tried to stop him.

 

Jin was aware of the priestess' displeasure with her legs, causing him to fight back with her. “It is okay; it is okay,” he assured her quietly. “There is nothing wrong with you. You're fine.” The demon nuzzled into the side of her left thigh. He knew she was embarrassed over the stretch marks on her thighs that appeared no thanks to her losing weight when she was younger. “There is nothing wrong with you,” Jin assured her once more quietly.

 

Her eyes seemed to shine with tears as she looked down at him with a smile. “You were the one to help me through my embarrassing weight gain. I just…don't like what it left behind.”

 

The redhead smiled with a chuckle in the depths of his throat. “You looked fine then as you look fine now. Now, just relax.”

 

Biting her lower lip, Rachael soon felt the pleasure erupting from in between her legs. Arching her back, she cried out in ecstasy. “My Lord!” Her cries could be heard throughout her dreaming plain.

 

 

----

 

 

Scarlet slept peacefully for once that night. Enjoying her moments of slumber, she was suddenly awakened by a rather rough shake. The means of waking her startled Scarlet as she flailed her arms about for a moment before waking fully to realize that it was just Jin. “J-Jin…what are you doing!” She demanded to know.

 

“Come on,” said Jin as he pulled the covers off of Scarlet's body. “Come on, get up.”

 

“What time is it!” Scarlet wanted to know as she still felt incredibly tired. When she refused to move, the wind demon picked her up in his arms. She struggled against the demon irritably wanting to be put back in bed.

 

Jin grinned, showing off his fangs. “It is eight in the morning. I am taking you to get an early breakfast and then I am going to get you into a small exercise routine.” The wind demon made it down to the Dinning Hall where the breakfast was being prepared. He placed Scarlet back on her feet while opening the door to the dinning room, keeping a hold onto the tired woman as he escorted her inside. “Alright, now, sit down, and I will get some food for you.” Scarlet threatened to get up and leave prompting the demon to force her back down on the bench seat she was upon. “Nyeh-sit!” He demanded, waving his finger at her. “If you get up and head back to your bedroom, I will drag you back here kicking and screaming.”

 

Scarlet crossed her arms over the empty table in front of her, resting her head upon her arms. The entire Dinning Hall was empty, leaving her a bit of peace to sleep. However, it was not to last as Jin came back to wake her from her minute or two slumber. Moaning, Scarlet rested her head within the palm of her hand. “Why do you have to implement this now?” She covered her weary eyes with her hands as the wind master joined her.

 

“Now, what good would later do?” Jin wondered as he pushed the plate close to Scarlet. “Go ahead and eat what you can. I also believe Don wanted you to document the foods you ate, when, and how much.” Digging into his right pants pocket, he pulled out a list to show to Scarlet. “I have a schedule for you to follow for the next coming months. More will be added to it as you get back in shape.” He pointed at the top of the list. “From 8:00 AM to 8:30 AM, you'll eat breakfast. Then from 8:30 Am to 10:00 AM, we'll go to the park and exercise. Right now seeing as you're not used to exercise, I will start out with some minor things for you. Then if you want, you can come back here and take a shower and a nap for at least an hour, and then, from 11:00 AM to 2 PM, I will be working on your servant training with a break of lunch. Of course every Monday you will be going to speak with Donovan around 3 PM till 4.”

 

Hearing all of that made Scarlet lose her appetite as she messed around with the pancakes and eggs on her plate. “So you planned out my entire day for the rest of my life?” She grumbled, resting her cheek against her knuckles. “That's just peachy…”

 

“Well, not entirely,” Jin chuckled. “Once I get you up to speed with your life, I will be planning much more.”

 

Scarlet scrunched up her nose as she finally picked up a piece of her pancakes to put into her mouth. “I thought I was supposed to be free here. This sounds like spiritual boot camp.”

 

Jin tilted his head slightly with a grin at her complaints. “Oh, now, come on. As guardian of your welfare and your soon to be spiritual husband, it is in my best interest to look after your best interest. And your best interest is to get back in shape and get your body back in tune with your servant duties to me—.” He paused for a second thinking about Touya. “—and to get you back in tune with being Touya's high priestess.”

 

“I'd rather be a high priestess than some servant girl,” Scarlet remarked irritably as she put another piece of pancake into her mouth. “Being called a servant still sounds so demeaning.”

 

The wind demon brought his hands together with a sigh through his nostrils. “Do you know what servants do for the demons?” When Scarlet didn't answer, he continued. “They are basically like maids. Long before the demonic war, which caused a good majority of our worshippers to be wiped, I used to have many of them. I cherished each one as if they were my wives as they were my main source of energy, and they served me when I was well and when I was ill.” Jin looked sorrowfully off to the side for a moment. “But then the demons attacked my temple, slaughtering every one of them and forcing me to turn to my high priests and priestesses. After that moment, not one child baptized under me became a servant in my name. I grieved for a few years as I missed them and the misfortune I had of not being able to obtain anymore.” Jin gazed back at Scarlet with a tender smile. “But now, I have finally been blessed with one.”

 

“I am sorry to hear that,” Scarlet said wearily as she tried to eat her breakfast. “I still don't like the sound of being a servant or maid.”

 

Jin grabbed onto her cheek to pinch it gently. “Well, hurry up and finishing eating. You've got five minutes left until we leave.”

 

Sighing, Scarlet stuck a few eggs into her mouth with a roll of her eyes not enjoying being up so early. “Wonderful…five more minutes until I have to suffer through hours of hell.”

 

 

 

It was terribly foggy that morning, leaving the town void of life. Scarlet found it to be slightly chilly as she wrapped her arms about her tiny frame while being escorted to the park not too far from the Wind Temple. She was in a sleeveless top, gray in appearance and rather raggedy looking to show age. Her baggy pants were black, nearly engulfing her thin legs. “I can't believe I am wearing this. I usually sleep in this stuff,” Scarlet grumbled as she made it to the park.

 

Arriving upon the park, Scarlet looked out at the eerie sight. Fog covered all of the flat plain, making it difficult to see much of anything that wasn't within sight. Her eyes shifting over towards the swing set she could see shrouded within the thick fog; Scarlet watched as the one swing swung back and forth, creaking upon each sway. Every time the wind blew, it was almost as if people were whispering upon it though nobody could be seen. She never liked going to the park, even as a little girl. Backing up into Jin's chest, Scarlet looked up at the wind demon with a shake of her head. “I don't like it here. Can't we train somewhere else?”

 

Jin looked down at Scarlet wondering what had her appearing so spooked. “Come now, it isn't that bad. Is it because of the fog?” He frowned down at her hoping that she'd be braver than that. Raising his arm, he opened his hand to force the wind to blow about the fog so that it would lighten up and show a bit more of the desolate area. “Is this better?”

 

“I-guess…” Scarlet mumbled as she kept her eyes and ears open for any stray demons that may attack her senses.

 

“Alright, now we stretch, so we don't pull anything.” Jin outstretched his arms to rotate back behind him, intertwining his fingers to stretch out his back. “Just stretch out your body without over doing it.” He watched as Scarlet seemed to resist at first. “Stretch or I will come over there and make you do it,” he threatened.

 

Scarlet rolled her eyes once more and started stretching by raising one hand straight upwards and having the other come behind her head to grab onto her upper arm. She still felt uneasy about working with the demon out in the open, even if she was assured he was a high level one that could take on anything. Feeling something staring at her from behind, Scarlet turned around to the point her back was facing the wind demon. “Jin?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

She kept her eyes out at the still foggy park, on edge at every groaning sound and every twig that snapped. “What exactly-what makes a demon?”

 

Jin looked over at Scarlet from where he was mostly looking at the ground. He was trying to stretch out his legs by bending them from side to side. “It is a multitude of things. A demon can be somebody that was rejected from passing into heaven by the child ruler, Koenma and sent to the pits of Makai to be punished. It can be an un-rested, lost, and angry spirit that pulled from the body and cannot find peace. Also, it can be spirits who wander the world and envy the living so much they turn into vindictive demons.”

 

“What were you?” Scarlet asked in interest.

 

“I thought I told you which I was,” Jin chuckled as he finished his stretches. He began to swing his arms back and forth. “I was judged before Koenma, and I was told my deeds were sinful, and I needed to repent, so I was sent to Makai to be reborn as a demon.”

 

“Yeah, but…what was it that you did?”

 

The wind demon paused for a second, not having to explain that part of his past before. “Well-umm-millennia ago, I was a half-elf born.” When he saw Scarlet not really stretching well, he moved over towards her to help her bend down a little bit with her legs straight. “When I was growing up, I had to take care of my mother by myself, and I don't know what happened with my dad. I was told he died in some war, but I often think it was a lie. Stay straight,” he ordered to Scarlet when he was touching her legs. “Anyways, she ended up falling ill to the point I had to run everything for her. When she died, I was forced out on my own at the age of 16. While I was traveling by myself, a group of thieves attacked me and beat me within an inch of my life. They threatened to kill me if I didn't work for them. So I worked under them for the coming years of my life by taking the lives of others and rolling in the gold I would receive as payment.”

 

“But, then-it wasn't your fault,” Scarlet felt need to say, shaking her head. “You were forced to kill innocent lives.”

 

Jin allowed Scarlet to stand upright again, turning her around so she would face him. “I was a coward,” he said simply. “I was a malicious coward. There was nothing but my own life that I valued at that moment when they threatened me. My mother and father were gone, and I had no siblings to protect. I deserved to be damned.”

 

Scarlet looked off to the side feeling awful for the wind master. “Jin, I am-I am sorry.”

 

The wind demon smiled, almost pure and childlike at her comment. “Do not worry about me. My time to be re-judged will come soon enough. Now, let's get you running.” Jin pointed ahead at the dirt track that was covered further up by the fog. “We're going to run this track. It is used by runners and sometimes by me whenever I feel like jogging. Now, let's start off walking and then we'll jog and then run. Does that sound good?”

 

“What sounds good is bed right about now,” Scarlet grumbled honestly. Upon saying that, Jin pushed her forwards with one firm push to her back. She stumbled forwards only to catch herself. “Watch it, buddy!” The wind demon didn't allow her to spare another word as he ushered her down the track before them.

 

I ran that stupid track for what seemed like hours. A good part of me was so tired that I just wanted to go home and sleep already well into the next day. When ten did arrive on the dot, the air-head whisked me back to the temple. I didn't even care about a shower. As soon as I got back, I fell on my bed and fell asleep rather quickly.

 

Jin scratched the side of his head in bewilderment at Scarlet's desire to sleep. “Goodness, it was only a few routine exercises.” When his ears caught the sound of her lightly snoring, he smiled tenderly down at her. Grabbing onto the covers, he moved them up to her chest to tuck her in for the hour. “I'll be back later to wake you for further training,” he whispered mostly to himself as he knew Scarlet was dead asleep. “Hopefully this rest will revive your spirit a little bit.” Jin escorted himself to the bedroom door to allow the servant child to sleep in peace.

 

“My Lord,” a young woman called down the hallway upon the demon making his appearance.

 

The wind demon raised his brow as he gazed down at the high priestess Rachael, who had recovered. “Razz, how are you feeling?”

 

Razz blushed as she looked down off to the side for a moment to avoid contact for a moment. “Yes, I am feeling a bit better no thanks to you.” She reached for Jin, wrapping her arms about his torso to hug him tightly. “I am indebted to you, my Lord.” She closed her eyes as she hugged him tightly. “You kept me alive ever since I was born here.”

 

Jin blinked in surprise of the hug before finally embracing her back with a smile. He looked down at Razz, remembering the night she was born within the temple. Jin knew her mother well as a high priestess of his. “I remember your mother when she worked under me, Razz. She was beautiful, with long braided, coffee colored hair and equally brown eyes.”

 

He remembered seeing Rachael's mother often in the garden beside the temple, tending to the flowers she would grow there. Jin would call her for hours to find where she had gone to have her answer `in the garden'. He landed beside Rachael's mother, watching as she was watering a few of them that she had planted. “Keira,” Jin remembered saying to her as he watched her dainty hands work away at her garden. “What are you doing out here?” Walking over towards her, he placed his hands upon the young woman's shoulders. “You know you really shouldn't be doing much of anything right now when you're so far along.”

 

Keira was pregnant at that moment with Rachael and was do any day. She got to her feet with Jin's help. Her hand resting upon her swollen stomach, Keira allowed the wind demon to help her back to the temple. “I will be fine. I just wanted to tend to my garden before heading in to rest.”

 

Later that night, Keira had a difficult birth when it came to Rachael. Jin remembered hearing her spirit reacting to the spirit world at critical levels. Once Rachael was safety delivered, some nurses turned their focus back on the dying mother. He watched in utter horror as one of his priestesses was dying there in the delivery room. “Keira…?” Jin wondered to himself in shock as he could see her body failing her before his eyes. Upon hearing her flat-line and her body go still, Jin realized she had died. “KEIRA!” He yelled, not wishing to pull her under with the rest so soon.

 

“There was nothing we could do, my Lord,” one of the nurses explained somberly before the wind demon hours later. “At the very least, the child is okay.”

 

Jin turned around to look at the child that Keira had been holding for so many months with an expression almost void of emotions that could be described. A part of him didn't want to admit to hating the child for killing his priestess, but the feeling was there and it pained him as he walked over to the child to look upon it. He saw the defenseless human babe lying there in the nurse's arms looking hungry; witnessing her there, Jin's anger and resentment dissolved with a heavy sigh. “Let me see her,” he said quietly while extending his hands.

 

With the baby coming into his arms, he looked down at her with a tender smile. “Bring some milk for her, so we can feed her.” He sat down on the side of his bed, holding onto the young girl remembering the name Keira wanted to give her baby if it was a girl. “Rachael, I will be the one to take care of you now. I promise to do you and your mother proud.” Jin tapped her nose gently with his finger as he rocked her in his arms.

 

“And you did fine,” Rachael explained, bringing Jin back from the past. She touched the wind demon's cheek to get him to look at her. “I turned out just fine, and I know my mother would have been proud to see me today.”

 

Jin chuckled within his throat, nodding at her comment as he held onto her wrist. “You have no idea how much. She had such dreams for you to take over in her place and to be somebody I would be proud to call my priestess. I am more than pleased and proud to call you my high priestess.” He sighed a bit as he gazed over at Scarlet's bedroom door. “I feel the same way with this one. Her mother died on her, and her father is an abusive bastard. She still has much growing to do but nobody to by there with her on the journey.” His blue eyes set back upon Rachael with a slight shrug. “Also, she is mentally and physically sick. It is taking so much to keep her alive.”

 

“What you're doing now is fine. Exercise, proper eating, and study into the ways she was blinded to will make her forget her pain and get her back into at least proper physical health,” Rachael assured the demon as she folded her hands before her dress. When Jin looks away from the high priestess, she moves her hands behind her back to try and gaze up into his eyes when she leans forward. “I know you too well, Jin. You won't give up on her until she's well. You're stubborn like that as you always have to get your way.”

 

The wind demon chuckled with a bright smile upon his face. “I try my best.” Looking at the time on the wall clock, he saw that Scarlet had forty more minutes before getting up to study. “Razz, can you do me a favor and watch over things here for a little bit and wake Scarlet in the coming hour?”

 

“Well, sure, but where are you going?”

 

“I am going to check on Touya. I will be back soon so don't worry about me being gone for too long.” Jin winked at the priestess with a wag of his finger. “I need you to wake Scarlet and get her prepared for study when it comes to her servant position.”

 

“Yes, my Lord,” Razz responded with a slight bow. She witnessed as the wind demon took off down the hall to make it outside to fly to the Ice Temple.

 

 

 

 

 

The Ice Temple was still trying to be reconstructed where it had been broken into. Jin landed outside of the temple doorway, which had to still be concealed with Kurama's dangerous vines covered in thorns. Reaching his hand up towards the vines, he allowed his energy to be felt by the demonic creations to have them part for him to enter. Stepping inside, he found Suzuka inside watching over some of the worshippers and the men and women who were trying to rebuild the part of the temple that had been destroyed. When he caught the redhead out of the corner of his eye, he blinked a few times, surprised to see him. “Jin, what are you doing here?”

 

“I have come to check how Touya is and speak with him.” He looked around the room a bit to find that everything appeared okay since the last time he was there. “So how is he? Is he feeling better?”

 

Suzuka was quiet as he looked somberly over his shoulder at the hallway, which would lead to the ice demon's bedroom. “One of his high priestesses is with him right now. He is having a hard time stabilizing his energy.” He turned back to Jin with a worried frown. “Ever since that attack, his energy has been chaotic. Maybe you can help him a bit while you're here.”

 

Touya was lying in his bed with his high priestess, Jessie, at his bedside. The ice demon appeared as though he was in pain. He was breathing heavily while sweating profusely at having his energy rising and falling. Jessie was holding onto his hand tightly, trying to reassure Touya she was there and trying her best to help. When she heard the door open, the priestess turned to look over her shoulder to find the wind master there. “Jin, the Wind Lord,” she seemed to praise.

 

Jin made his way over towards his friend and the ice priestess. He could see from the redness in her eyes that she had been crying often over the fear of the demon dying. “Jessie, is it?” He was trying to make sure he didn't forget her name was quickly. “It's okay. I will stabilize his energy. Stand aside, please.” Kneeling in the place the priestess was, he got his lips close to Touya's, sliding his hand on his chest. “It's okay; you're going to be okay,” Jin whispered on the ice shinobi's mouth. He appeared to kiss the ice demon as he attempted to send some of his energy back into Touya. His hand remaining firmly on his friend's chest, he pressed his fingers in certain spots. Come on, Jin begged within his mind. Breathe with me, or you're going to suffocate yourself.

 

Touya still appeared in agony from where the priestess was watching. His fingers curling and his body jolting every once in awhile, the movements seemed to lesson a bit as Touya's breathing got back down to normal. When the wind demon parted from his lips, the ice master blinked his eyes open. “J-Jin…? Once again you come to my rescue,” he joked lightly.

 

The redhead smiled, showing off his fangs in the process. “You always were a troublesome little brother.” The two, of course not related, thought of each other as brothers mostly growing up in the shinobi sect. Jin slid off of the bed to allow Touya some breathing room.

 

Feeling somebody watching them from the far corner of his bedroom, Touya looked over to find his high priestess there looking rather worried and upset. “M-My Lord…you're okay!” She expressed with tears rolling down her cheeks. She hurried over to his bedside once more, holding onto his hand. “I was afraid I would lose you.”

 

Touya looked apologetically at his priestess. “I didn't mean to worry anybody, Jessie. Thank you for being here with me. I appreciate it.” As he embraced the priestess, he witnessed Jin making motions to get the woman to leave for a moment or two. “Uh, Jessie, why don't you go and get some sleep? I am sure later I am going to need more energy to feed off of, so be sure that everybody is in condition for that.”

 

Jin watched the priestess nod with a slight bow. He waited for her to leave the room before bothering to speak with the Touya. “So, how are you feeling? Better?”

 

Touya sat upright in his bed, bringing his legs close to his chest with a smile and a throaty chuckle. “Well, I am feeling better now that you came to help me. I forget that you can control any bit of air, including what we breathe in.” He tilted his head slightly down, allowing some of his sky-blue hair to roll into his face. “So, why are you here? Is something the matter?”

 

“I was curious about how you wanted to train Scarlet seeing as she was baptized under you as a priestess, I think,” Jin confessed, sitting relaxed on his friend's bedside.

 

Trying to remember so far back on one person was difficult for the demon as he had many worshippers he baptized and took in. He massaged his forehead in trying to remember the ceremony. “Umm-yeah, she was baptized as one of my soon to be priestesses. As far as I am concerned, if she wants to pick up training with me, she is more than welcome to come back here to train.”

 

“Well, I was working out a schedule for her to get her back in shape and in tune with things, so if you want, I can find her a time to come over here to train,” said Jin as he tilted his head to the side as well, almost playfully.

 

“Did you not hear me? I said IF she wants to,” Touya said firmly. Jin looked at him rather shocked making the ice master sigh irritably, closing his eyes. “I know she was originally mine, but I know a part of her still feels resentment towards me and what happened with her mother. I don't want to force her over here. I am sorry I haven't had much time with her. Ever since my barrier was attacked, and I lost my energy, I haven't had much of it to do anything.”

 

Jin scratched the back of his head a bit in confusion over Touya's choice. “Once she is finished with her training, I can bring her over here to talk with you. Maybe you can convince her to worship under you once more as your priestess.”

 

Touya rolled his eyes at Jin's air-headedness. “Whatever makes you happy seeing as you aren't listening to me,” he grumbled mostly to himself. “While you train her, let me get some sleep. I think I can handle a peaceful few hours of rest now.”

 

Reaching over, Jin messed up Touya's hair a bit more as if to pat him on the head like he was his younger brother. “I will bring her over around three or so.” He helped his friend lie down, pulling the covers up to his chest. “Sleep well, and I will see you in a few hours.”