Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Wind Knoll's Curse ❯ Chapter 37

It felt like Scarlet had just fallen asleep when she was woken with a harsh shake. “Scarlet,” Touya called in attempts to rouse her. “Scarlet, wake up before I dump water on you.”

 

Scarlet moaned, placing her arm over her forehead. “What time is it? I am so damn tired,” she mumbled wearily.

 

“It is 6:30 in the morning,” answered Touya, as he ripped the covers off of her body. “Come on; come with me.” When he heard the young woman groan, he stopped at the doorway with a disapproving shake of his head. “Don't give me that. You wanted to learn to do this, so grab something to eat and meet me at the Training Hall.”

 

Pushing herself out into the cold hallway, Scarlet found that she had to walk about in at least a long-sleeved shirt and jeans. She even kept a small fleece blanket about her body with a low mumble while dragging her feet through the many corridors. Eventually, she found her way to the Ice Temple's Dinning Hall. Scarlet leaned on the doors tiredly before opening them to let herself inside. Finding the closest surface to sit upon, Scarlet rested her head upon the table to try and relax her eyes just a little.

 

“You really shouldn't do that,” a young man advised, dressed in casual attire. “If you're here for training, I think the Ice Lord is going to want you as soon as possible.”

 

Scarlet gazed through her exhausted eyes to see a young boy, probably in his mid-teens, with short, black hair and glasses. “Who are you?” She asked groggily behind her arms she had crossed in front of her.

 

“I am just a worshipper here,” explained the young boy, as he sat down across from her. “I mostly live here under Touya's roof, because my parents are too caught up within themselves to notice anything I do.” He extended his hand to Scarlet. “My name is Bastian.”

 

“My name is Scarlet,” she said quietly, accepting his hand before bringing it back to rest close to her again. “Bastian sounds like a foreign name to me. Were you always here in Wind Knoll?”

 

“No, my family is originally from Germany,” Bastian answered. “My folks were on vacation one day around the outer area of Wind Knoll when the fog picked up and carried my family into its clutches. I wasn't born yet, but my parents said that they drove on a dirt road till their car suddenly stopped right in the middle of nowhere in dark woods clouded by the heavy mist. They eventually found their way here and have lived here every since.”

 

“You don't sound like you have an accent,” Scarlet remarked, as she rose to her feet to help herself to get something to eat.

 

“My parents do, but I was born and raised here,” Bastian explained, as he followed behind Scarlet to get himself something to eat as well. “So, naturally, I don't have an accent like they do.” He grabbed up a muffin and a few pancakes before heading back to the table to sit down and enjoy his meal. “So, you're the woman he's going to be training today?”

 

“Yes,” answered Scarlet, as she sat down to enjoy a few things she felt she could stomach that morning. “I was told that it is going to be tough for me, but I want to try this. Everywhere I look, someone is able to do something special like read minds, or move the wind, or make fire,” She couldn't help but sigh at having to remind herself of that fact. “I just want to join them.”

 

“Good luck on that one,” the young boy mumbled with his mouth partially full of the blueberry muffin he was eating. “I heard that training is pretty tough. I am one of the few who are glad they don't have to go through it.”

 

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Scarlet remarked sarcastically, as she messed with her food. “I don't care if it kills me.” She stabbed her fork into the pancakes she as well chose to eat that morning. “I am going to do my best to learn something under him.”

 

“If you're going to learn anything, it is going to be how to bleed,” Bastian insisted, as he worked on finishing his breakfast.

 

 

 

 

Touya waited impatiently for Scarlet to make it to the Training Hall just outside of the room he usually used. Picking up the sound of someone running towards him, he looked up from the ground he was staring upon. “You are late,” he growled upon seeing Scarlet make an appearance. “What took you so long?”

 

“I am sorry,” Scarlet lightly panted, as she ran as fast as she could to find the Training Hall Touya mentioned earlier. “I just didn't know where this place was. You could have told me that.”

 

“No excuses,” Touya demanded, as he opened the door to wave her inside. “You could have asked someone earlier and found your way here in record timing.”

 

Scarlet made it inside of the large, circular room to find it void of anything. She was confused, thinking that there would be more to it than this. “What is this, some kind of joke? I would have thought the room would have more to it than this.”

 

Touya couldn't say he cared for her sarcastic attitude. Upon shutting the door, he narrowed his eyes at her before concentrating on his energy to bring out his cold barrier, which encased the entire room in below zero temperature.

 

Feeling the cold air rush all over her body nearly crippled Scarlet entirely. Her arms embracing her freezing form, she fell to her knees feeling herself unable to move. “S-So c-cold…!” Her breath on the air, Scarlet tried not to let any part of her flesh touch the ground around her, having a feeling her skin might be ripped from her if she touched it.

 

“You wanted to do this, so we shall. Now, get on your feet,” he ordered with a stomp of his foot. When Scarlet didn't rise up fast enough, he made his way over towards her to pull her up. “Stop trembling like a child!”

 

“It is too cold!” Scarlet exclaimed through her chattering teeth. “What-what is the purpose of doing this…!” She grabbed onto her long sleeved shirt to pull it tighter against her body, hoping that would help her get warmer.

 

“Whenever somebody has any defense or fighting abilities in them, the only way they will come to the surface is if you put that demon or human in an intense situation,” Touya explained, as he moved back away from Scarlet. He powered up his Ice Shards attack in both hands to get ready to attack Scarlet. “From what I've gathered, you have defensive abilities. Considering the amount of trouble you get into dealing with the spirit world, this should come in handy. However, we must get them out first.”

 

“I can't do that if I don't even know how to tap into my powers to begin with!” Scarlet insisted, seeing him powering up his attack. She knew with how cold she was she wouldn't be able to dodge the oncoming assault.

 

“Powers come from within you,” Touya explained, as he walked about the opposite side of the room like a cat stalking its injured prey. “You dig within yourself to bring them out. How you come about it, isn't my affair. This is just to make sure that it comes out of you in the end.” Bringing his hand up close to his mouth, he blew the shards towards Scarlet.

 

Scarlet turned around hoping to avoid being cut to death by the razor sharp shards. It was to no avail, however, as she felt the shards slice right through her skin and clothing to cause her to bleed. Falling to her side, Scarlet could feel the cold almost eat her alive through the injuries she received. Her eyes widened, she screamed loudly at the pain raking through her.

 

 

 

 

Touya knew that Scarlet couldn't take a bunch of hits on her first day in training, so after a few more harsh words spared, he let some of his priestesses take her to the room she had taken up. Scarlet lied on her back on the bed, allowing Jessica to tend to her injuries. She bit the pillow she had her face buried within each time an open cut was dabbed with medicine.

 

“You brought this on yourself, you know?” Jessica insisted, as she carefully placed the strips of cloth over the wounded areas on Scarlet's back and sides. “It isn't as though he means to be cruel, but it is the only training that he knows how to do. I am just surprised your blood didn't freeze right away. I wonder what caused that not to happen.”

 

“I didn't expect the training to be this hard,” Scarlet mumbled against her pillow. She closed her eyes and hissed at the pain of feeling her opened gashes being touched once more. “God, that hurts!” Scarlet tried her best not to shed any more tears of agony though it was difficult.

 

Jessica washed her hands of the blood that had gotten on her fingers with a heavy sigh. “Well, sweetheart, it is going to hurt for awhile. Just try to lie down and rest for a few hours. You need to let that heal before stepping back into the ring again.” She got to her feet with the bowl of medicine in her hands. “Don't worry, Scarlet. Everything is going to be okay.”

 

Scarlet closed her eyes sorrowfully. “I hate the fact that being here just makes me miss Jin even more…” She heard Jessica stop just near the door to exit her room. “Every moment I was being hit by Touya's attacks, I was hoping that Jin would come rescue me.”

 

“I know how you feel,” Jessica remarked from in front of the door. “I have been close to the Ice Lord for many years now.” She put the bowl down on a nearby table, which was holding a few pictures Scarlet brought with her. “When I was six, he was basically like a father to me. Whenever I was crying in my room, he would find his way to me, and hold me, and everything. Anytime I have to go to the Earth Temple to be with Kurama, I never stop thinking about him.”

 

“Why do you have to go to the Earth Temple?” Scarlet was tempted to turn around to make eye contact, but she was quickly reminded why she couldn't when she attempted to move just an inch.

 

“My younger brother is a healer there at the temple,” explained Jessica, as she messed with a necklace her sibling had given her. “When we had a rough time dealing with our mother, we leaned on one another a lot, so I try to spend time with him when I am able.”

 

Scarlet was beginning to notice a trend with a lot of adults. It was beginning to worry her a bit, considering so many had gone crazy or were attempting to. “I guess I better get to sleep,” said Scarlet wearily. “I know I probably won't have long until Touya comes back here to drag me into studying once more.”

 

“Sleep well,” whispered the high priestess, as she took the bowl with her and exited the room.

 

With the candles out in her room, Scarlet rested her cheek against the pillow she had cried within. Closing her eyes, she drifted off to sleep as soon as the exhaustion overtook her. She felt as though she were asleep for only a few moments when she felt something was nearby her—in the bed with her. Opening her eyes, Scarlet turned her head quickly to eye the empty space next to her. Relief settled over her momentarily only to feel panic as soon as someone touched the top of her head.

 

“Shhh,” Jin's voice whispered, as he pulled himself into view next to Scarlet with a gentle smile. “It is just me.”

 

“Jin…?” Scarlet inquired in shock. “This-what are you doing here? How did you get here?” She was a bit nervous that it could be another demon playing with her mind. Lately, she found herself becoming paranoid.

 

“I could tell that you wanted me to be here,” said Jin, as he pointed to his head. “We are linked, remember?” He rested his head in his hand before waving the other over the candles upon her nightstand to help illuminate the room. With light filling the dark room, Jin saw the way she was lying and the wounds on her back. “Touya was training you today?”

 

She could tell there was strain in his voice when he asked. “Yeah,” Scarlet answered in a whisper. “I can't move. Those shards of his hurt.” She found the pain still attacking her when she attempted to move once more.

 

“So he hurt you?” When Scarlet didn't answer right away, Jin pushed himself up off of the bed to look at her back to see the many bloodstained strips of cloth, which were wrapped around her body. He gently placed his fingers upon the bits of fabric concealing her wounds to find Scarlet yelp in pain. Growling angrily, he brought his hand back into a fist. “I told him not to do this. I told him I would hurt him if he went too far!”

 

“Jin, don't…!” Scarlet hissed at trying to move. “It isn't Touya's fault, it is my fault that I wanted to do this.” She paused, thinking about her next choice of words wondering how Jin would take it. “To be honest, I still want to do this.”

 

“You're insane,” Jin snorted irritably with a shake of his head. “Touya is going to give you everything he's got, and that boyo, quite possibly, will kill you!”

 

Scarlet exhaled heavily, as she gazed about the room curious a bit. “When you train your special worshippers, Jin, how do you go about it?” She watched as the demon went quiet. “Come on, Jin. I want to hear what you have to say about that.”

 

Jin ran his fingers through his wild hair realizing that he was cornered. “When I train my worshippers, I have a room similar to Touya's that I put them in. A majority of them have the ability to use wind in some way whether it be to defend, fight, or just tease it for their own amusement. I fill the room up with my own wind powers to make sure they can keep their footing against anything that comes at them and to provoke their powers out. When they manage to keep on their feet, I toss my throwing stars, daggers, whatever I was given as a ninja at them to see if they can use the wind to defend against it.”

 

“Let me guess, you throw it directly at them and if they fail, they get injured,” whispered Scarlet, feeling the pain those people went through just to unleash their abilities.

 

“It would be stupid to throw anything at a human's vitals, don't you think, lassie?” Jin wondered with a brief chuckle. “Why do you think that you be marked by Touya, but he never aims at your heart or neck or anything else that could cause you to die?” He rubbed Scarlet's head gently. “When I train my fighters or defenders, I really push them to unlock what abilities I know they have. They may come out blooded and in pain, but they still reached their potential.”

 

Scarlet remembered Touya saying that the two ninjas only knew how to train people based on how they were trained. She looked at the demon through the dim lighting of the flickering candles. “Your training must have been hell.” She heard Jin chuckle softly in the soft light.

 

“Demons in general only know one way to train—that is with harsh discipline, and the more awareness you beat into your pupil, the better,” explained Jin. “When I was younger, I was chosen to compete with a bunch of other wind demons for a spot in the shinobi sect. I was chosen and Touya was chosen from his master, because we were both the best. Once we were picked, we were put through years of harsh training just to master everything we could as well as master our own skills before our masters died.” He rested his head down on the pillow to eye Scarlet closely with a brief raise of his brows. “But, that is for my defenders and fighters. When it comes to the others just having special talents with the wind that are not meant to do the above mentioned, like Angela, I just try my best to get them to master it. It is still a bit intense but not like the other.”

 

“Have you ever…killed someone before in training?” Scarlet reluctantly asked, as she fidgeted with a black strand of her bi-colored hair.

 

“No,” Jin admitted honestly, “and I don't plan on ever doing so.” He rolled his shoulders thinking back on some incidents that did happen. “There were times that things went wrong, sure, but nothing bad ever happened to them.”

 

“I must admit…I am surprised you came to see me.” Scarlet felt herself blushing at the mere thought of him coming to `rescue' her. Her heart even skipped a bit. “I didn't expect you'd bother with me for six months.”

 

Jin tilted his head slightly, confused as to where she'd get that idea. “You do remember that ritual I performed on you, right? We are considered bound, and I am your spirit husband.” He moved in closer to kiss her upon the forehead. Jin let the kiss linger before pulling away to rest nearby her. “I heard you calling out to me earlier, so I came as quickly as I could.”

 

Scarlet's reflex was to try and hug him. However, just by using her right arm, she let out a loud cry in pain. Closing her eyes tightly, she breathed heavily to try and regain her composure. “God, this hurts…!”

Having to see her in so much pain angered the wind demon. When he heard the door opening, Jin shot his attention over towards who was entering to find it was his old friend, Touya. He witnessed the slightly surprised look on the ice master's face quickly disappear at seeing Jin there.

 

“I thought I smelled you here,” said Touya, as he closed the door behind him. “Although, I must admit that it is a shock to see you here when your temple is constantly under attack.”

 

Jin threw the covers off of himself, and jumped to the floor to rush over his friend. “How dare you do this to my only servant! I trusted you to treat her well!”

 

“I told you I would treat her like any other high priestess of mine!” Touya growled in his defense. Realizing that Scarlet was listening to their argument, he turned around to whisper back and forth between them in demonic. “I am sorry that she is your only servant, but she is another of my priestesses, and she can defend if I get her to unlock it!” He motioned angrily. “I hope you will keep in mind and remember in the future that her mother was my worshipper, and Scarlet was, in turn, baptized by me when she was a baby. The only reason she came sulking to you was because she was a lost lamb and refused to speak to me!”

 

“Regardless,” Jin hissed in demonic, “she baptized herself under me, and she is the first servant I have had in a very long time, dammit! I swear, if you do something to her, I won't be afraid to step in and attack you for it!”

 

Touya looked unaffected by Jin's attitude, as he looked over his shoulder at Scarlet to see the girl gazing at them, confused. “You will do well to remember she was mine first,” he remarked selfishly in demonic still. “I lost some of my worshippers in that demonic attack, so any others I can get back are welcome for me. If you so badly wish to have another servant, breed your damn humans more.”

 

Jin knew it wouldn't be the time or place to do anything about Touya's words to him. Realizing that he had to head back to his temple, he walked back over to Scarlet to kneel at the bedside to hold her closest hand within his own. “If you need me, don't be afraid to contact me. I am afraid I have to go and make sure Jillian is okay.”

 

“Jillian?” Scarlet inquired wearily against the pillow. “You mean that tiny girl I saw you with?”

 

“Yeah,” Jin answered with a sorrowful smile. “She is young and yet she has anorexia. I've been trying to get her to eat, but she tells me that the demons or voices won't let her. I think the demons are taunting her, so I am trying my best to save her before she dies from lack of food.” With that said, he spared Scarlet one last kiss on the cheek before pulling from her beside. He nudged his way past Touya to let him know he wasn't thrilled with him for the time being.

 

“You both sounded mad,” Scarlet pointed out once Jin left. “What were you guys talking about?”

 

Touya sighed with frustration over the event, as he grabbed a nearby chair to pull up close to the bed Scarlet was in. “It was nothing,” the ice master lied, resting his fingers against his forehead. “I take it you're still in pain considering the groaning I heard earlier?”

 

Scarlet grumbled at Touya's remark. “Well, you think?” Sarcasm rolled off of her tongue, as she moaned at the twinges of agony she could still feel whenever she breathed. “I was told that my blood didn't freeze over, so I was relieved of that.”

 

“You know why, right?” Touya inquired, as he rested his forearms against his thighs. “Your defensive abilities kicked in to prevent your blood from being frozen. You have the power, and during a dire moment, it saved you from being terribly ill. It might be a harsh method to train people, but it is productive.” He reached over to grab up the book he had asked Scarlet to read. “How far have you gotten?” The ice demon sped through the many pages to land upon her bookmark to find she had read further.

 

“I am almost to the last few chapters,” Scarlet answered, watching Touya best she could out of the corner of her eye. “Do I really have to memorize everything about this temple? I have hardly been in it.”

 

Touya smiled tenderly, as he closed the book to place back where he found it. “You were in this temple quite a few times,” he whispered between them in the flickering candlelight. “When Cynthia Baker was feeling better after your birth, and her bleeding stopped, and she healed, she would bring you to my temple almost every day.”

 

He couldn't help but remember back when Cynthia came back to his temple doors with baby Scarlet in her arms. Touya was walking around the main area of worship when he heard Cynthia talking to some of the high priestesses. Stopping in his footsteps, he turned to see the few week old Scarlet in his priestess' arms.

 

“She is beautiful, Cynthia,” said a young, African American priestess, who was eyeing the baby. “The Ice Lord would love to see her, I wager.”

 

“I do owe the man my life,” said Cynthia, knowing that she couldn't have survived the birth without his blessings. She couldn't see the ice demon, but she knew that her `God' saved her.

 

The woman turned around, feeling the chill in the air to see Touya behind her. “My Lord?” She whispered to the demon.

 

“Bring her daughter to my bedroom, Clara,” Touya insisted to the priestess before heading in that direction himself.

 

Clara held onto Cynthia's shoulders to guide her towards the bedroom belonging to the ice master. “Come with me. The Ice Lord would love to see your baby.” Going through the temple, she guided the woman to the door belonging to the ice demon. “Give her to me,” the young African woman asked of Cynthia. “I will take her to him.”

 

Cynthia was reluctant to hand her over, but she did so nonetheless. She watched with her hands folded before her robes as the fellow priestess made her way to Touya's bedroom.

 

Touya remembered there being a knock at the door before it opened. It was rare should he ever have children in the warmer months, but they were still treasured all the same. “Let me see her,” Touya insisted, opening his arms to accept the baby. With the child placed in his arms, he smiled down at the infant. “My dear, child. You're a treasure within this world.” He remembered holding Scarlet to see her look up at him. “You can see me, can't you? I just hope that trait remains with you.”

 

“Cynthia mentioned when she was recovering that she wanted you to name her,” Clara spoke from before the demon. “I am sure it is because she knew you saved her in that room.”

 

Touya pressed his thumb against the baby's forehead gently to massage the skin gently. “Scarlet,” he whispered to himself, thinking about the blood that Cynthia spilled just trying to give birth to that baby. “For some reason, I have a feeling it may suit her in the future.” Leaning down, he placed a chilled kiss on her forehead.

 

“You named me…?” Scarlet asked, breaking Touya's reminiscing. “I thought my mother was the one who named me.”

 

“No, it was me,” said Touya, as he reached over to pet her gently on the head. “Clara was the one to take you back to your mother and give her the name I chose. During the time you continued to grow up, you would see me unlike your mother. However, when you hit age thirteen, you suddenly stopped seeing me.” He sighed heavily having to remember that day. “I called your name when you entered the temple, but you couldn't hear my voice. Just like your mother, you shut off to me.”

 

Scarlet could tell he was upset having to talk about that day. “Why does that happen? I would imagine if you've seen something like that, you would never forget it. I don't think I ever remember seeing you when I was growing up.”

 

“It sadly happens, my dear,” said Touya, as he fidgeted. “When humans grow up, they suddenly `mature', or shut themselves off to the world around them. I am lucky if people around me continue to see me even when they live here.”

 

“This world does a lot of crazy things to you,” said Scarlet softly. “Is there a reason that the adults start to lose their sanity after awhile?” She witnessed as Touya gave her a confused look. “Lately I have noticed that adults are either abusive, drinkers, drug users, and a slew of other things.”

 

“When humans drop out of reach of the demons they worship and can only see the evil things around them, they start to dive down into a never ending pool of insanity.” Touya held onto Scarlet's hand tenderly to squeeze it reassuringly. “I was relieved your mother never went down that road. I could tell she was on the verge at times, but she stayed strong for your sake. Her love for you is what kept her strong.” When silence plagued the air, he reached for the high priestess book. “Seeing as you're injured, I'll read this with you for the day.”

 

Earlier I felt like I could have punched him for the wounds he gave me, but after hearing his story dealing with my mother, I felt like I could hold onto him and just cry. While I missed Jin intensely, I found reading in that horrible light with Touya put me at peace. It felt like I was five, reading with my first father again.