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Along Came a Serpent pt. V
An ominous breeze passed through the house, raising Miroku’s spiritual sensitivity as it seemed to seep through his bones. For the most part he remained seated in the main room, unaware of my struggle in the yard. His wounds were already beginning to clot, and he decided to remain still as not to disturb the healing process. However, the unnerving gloom would not vanish, and his obligation to purify whatever evil should come was urging him to leave his place.
“Houshi-donno!! Houshi-donno!!”
The sudden cry startled the monk. Hurriedly he stood and rushed to the entrance, grabbing his shakujo and making his way towards the voice. It came from the other end of the village, where he had just recently been. He arrived to see a group of villagers on their knees, hands clasped together and heads bowed.
The solemn old man that had summoned him greeted Miroku. “What seems to be the trouble?” the houshi questioned, ignoring the sting of his wounds.
“Something most unfortunate has happened,” wept the old man. “Young Zushi is dead.”
Caught off guard by this alarming information, Miroku stepped closer to the group and found the male taijiya lying where they had left him – silent, motionless, cold.
“Please, houshi-donno. Say a prayer so that his soul might ascend promptly?”
Miroku obliged without a second thought. Shifting inside of the group, he arranged the body into a more dignified position and sat down in front of it. Before pulling out the prayer beads and clasping his hands, he looked sternly at the villagers. “Sango … does not need to know about what she’s done.”
-*-
Drip, drip, drip
The persistent dribble of liquid stirred me out of whatever haze I was in. Where was I? What was I doing? About to raise a hand to my numbing brain, I found it already occupied with an object. I glanced down in confusion, a sickening chill erupting inside of me.
Blood – everywhere.
Where did it come from?
My green skirt was tarnished in the awful darkness, the yukata not much better at all having splatters and smears on it.
Drip, drip, drip
My attention was brought to the gathering pool of crimson, where droplets trickled down from the katana held in my hand. Impulsively I released the weapon and sent it skidding across the room. Its course was interrupted, however, as it struck against the side of a prone figure. It was still excruciatingly hard to comprehend what had happened. I stared down at my bloodied hands. What did I do? How did this happen?
Mortified, I looked back at the facedown body that radiated red. The evidence was clear as day, but I didn’t want to believe it. I’d killed someone. Kami-sama, I’d killed someone! What on earth would have possessed me to do such an ungodly act?! At that thought my eyes widened. Possessed … of course!
“Houshi-sama was wrong,” I choke out to myself, falling to my knees. The demon inside me was indeed hostile. I covered my face with my hands, grimacing at the overpowering smell of blood. What do I do? I uncovered my eyes again to look at the body. It was a grown man; relatively tall will his hair in a short tail atop his head.
My stomach lurched as a theory struck me. This description summarized many on the taijiya in the village … but still … Unnerved, I slowly began to crawl towards the corpse. As I got closer I became more panicked. No, I couldn’t have. There’s no way he would … He can’t … It can’t be …
I extended a shaking hand towards the figure’s shoulder, too frightened to do anything further. My heart was pounding in my ears, desperate to try and calm myself. Finally, with a sudden burst of energy, I flipped the man over. Not a second after I let out a shriek of pure angst.
“Chichi-ue!!”
The tears streamed down before I could even suppress them. I cupped the side of his face in my hand, stifling the cries of anguish I knew wanted to burst forth as I looked down at his lifeless eyes. I wanted him to wake up, to tell me he was fine and that this was all a misunderstanding. No, there were no misconceptions about this. I had murdered my father. My flesh and blood.
My heart clenched tightly, weeping in its own wounded manner. And as this part of me was silently dying, a darker force within me seemed to grow more powerful. It fed off of my grief, beginning to hollow out my soul. When my sobs began to thin the villain wanted more.
Again my vision was beginning to sway, dark red beginning to blind me. I fought it, hissing as a crash of pain charged through my body. Despite the agony I stumbled to my feet, hitting the wall once as I lost my balance and sight. Slamming the bloodied shouji open I staggered down the hallway, tripping and buckling while the room spun in every which way direction. When I managed to make it to the main room I collapsed to the floor.
“H-houshi-sama!” I pleaded desperately. I struggled for sight through the red, but the monk was nowhere to be seen. In his absence, was a very alarmed and concerned Kohaku.
“Ane-ue! Daijoubu?” He rushed to my side, grasping my shoulder as he crouched down.
The pain intensified threefold and I cried out. Kohaku was saying something, but I couldn’t comprehend as I fought the spirit within me. It was becoming obvious that I was to lose again. “Kohaku!” I gasped out in a strangled voice. The gaps of blindness were becoming increasingly longer. My body was getting numb.
“Get – out – of here.”
“No! What’s happening to you? What happened to your eyes?”
I let out another hoarse yell, unable to resist much longer. “GO!”
Kohaku now had tears in his own eyes, “I need to help you! Ane-ue!”
Before I could control it my right arm shot out and grabbed the kusarigama tied to his sash. The weapon rose and was about to slash him when I grabbed it with my other hand and forced it down with an effort. I had now completely succumbed to the red sightlessness.
“Leave, Kohaku! For both our sakes, leave!”
It was silent as I struggled against my traitorous body, but soon enough I heard the creek of a floorboard followed by footsteps rushing away. I sighed to myself for a moment, though it was interrupted by the hurting jolts seizing me once more. The demon inside hissed its scorn at how I let the prey get away. As the torment increased my mind slowly began to shut down again. The kusarigama still clutched in my grip, I again faded out of consciousness.
‘Please, let Kohaku be safe.’
-*-
Miroku watched as the villagers finally covered Zushi’s grave with a large pile of soil. The incense was already burning in commemoration of the spirit. Vaguely he wondered if the taijiya’s restless spirit was the negative energy he had sensed. Even so, the ominous cloud surrounding the village failed to dissipate.
“Surely Sango-sama hadn’t meant to kill him, houshi-donno.” Commented the old man in a mournful voice, “But she has never been so aggressive among these people.” He paused again, stroking his wrinkled hands together worriedly. “I … I saw something wicked within her eyes, which flashed a sudden red while she watched the scene unfold.”
The houshi glanced down at the man, listening intently on what he had to say.
“There have been rumors that Sango-sama became possessed since the late attack on the village. I had dismissed these thoughts, thinking our mightiest warrior would never let such a thing happen to her. But now, seeing this, I have my suspicions that something awful is about to befall us.”
“Houshi-sama!”
Both men turned to see Kohaku speeding down the road towards them. His eyes were full of tears, his hands stained with blood.
“And so it has begun,” whispered the old man, who turned and knelt in prayer with the others.
Before the monk could even speak my brother was already grabbing him by the sleeve and pleading for him to follow. “You have to help her. Ane-ue, something’s wrong with her!”
Despite his confusion Miroku rushed after the boy. As they ran their surroundings were becoming darker, an overpowering demonic aura attacking the houshi’s sixth sense. They passed bodies in the streets - slashed and lifeless, expressions of betrayal maiming their faces. They halted at the front of our home, where the massacre had begun.
“She was – she was here,” panted out the small taijiya, hands on his knees.
Miroku observed the area, the demonic aura nearly seeping out of every hut and corner. He attempted to hone in on the source, however the overwhelming energy made it a very difficult task. Eyes shut in concentration, he surveyed the area for sudden spikes in hostile atmosphere. All too suddenly he found it, the clinking of chains his warning.
“Watch out, Kohaku!” the houshi shouted. He tried to reach out for the boy, to tug his shoulder in an attempt to push him to the ground. He was too late.
With a nauseating ‘thunk’ Kohaku’s eyes went wide, a sharp jolt racing through him as a blunt object penetrated the bone between his shoulder blades. His legs immediately buckled, the parts of his body below the wound completely numb. He sat there silently, never blinking, as if he did not recognize the pain.
Miroku, unnerved by the scene, peered down at the kusarigama protruding from the taijiya’s spine. He vaguely debated if it was wise to pry it out or leave it. His eyes began to travel down the chain of the weapon to its wielder. Taking in the near savage appearance he turned away only slightly with a forlorn expression, “Sango …”
Though I desperately wanted to deny it, he was right. I wanted to drop the chain, fall to my knees, but my body wouldn’t respond. It never did, not while it was slaying my villagers and not now. All it would let me do is watch and blame myself.
‘Is he alright?’ I frailly whispered to myself.
“You know what that weapon is capable of,” the insidious serpentine voice retorted. “Attacking your own dear brother, Sango. How merciless you have become.”
‘I … I didn’t mean to. I didn’t mean any of this.’
Miroku looked on, puzzled as to why I was so still. A glint of silver caught his eye. He searched my form to see if I carried anything metallic, though another flash revealed scales. “It’s the youkai,” he murmured, noting the silvery hide of a serpent as it coiled around my body, fading in and out of vision.
“How can you say that, Sango?” The voice hissed very close to my ear. “If you didn’t want to hurt anyone then why did you do it? Boredom? Hated? Does it make you feel powerful?”
I felt a tear roll down my cheek, ‘No – no, I - … couldn’t have wanted…’
“You killed them all, Sango. The villagers, your father, even that little cat of yours.”
I could feel something inside of my shattering.
“And now sweet little Kohaku only has a few minutes to live.”
‘No …’
“It’s all your doing.”
‘No …’
“You killed them all!”
‘No!!’
“Sango!” I felt a pair of arms encircle me from behind, grabbing both my hands and forcing them to my sides. My body struggled against Miroku, tugging frantically to get away. The resistance tore at the clots that had formed on his wounds, reopening them and sending more red dripping to the ground.
“I’m sorry about this, but you must awaken.”
A sudden blue energy engulfed us, immediately bringing a strained yell from my lips. He was attempting to purify and purge the youkai for me. It was extremely painful, probably more so then the initial possession. The demon’s unbearable screech threatened to deafen me, its body crushing me tighter.
“That damn houshi!” it seethed, managing to cope with the burn. “I will not be silenced so easily.”
‘Don’t hurt him!’
Hastily the serpent manifested itself into a solid form, launching towards Miroku. Startled he pushed away, grunting slightly as the snake bore its fangs into his shoulder. I immediately withdrew from him, grabbing hiraikotsu from its post at the front door and sending it hurtling towards him. He managed to dodge, but only by a hair’s length.
Before the weapon could return Miroku rushed forward, only to stagger on his feet. He shook his head, stunned by his sudden loss of balance. His shoulder was beginning to burn and he cupped the bite with his opposite hand, “What have you done?”
The youkai on my shoulder gave an animalistic smirk, fangs dripping with green-tinted ooze, “I’ve injected you with a very deadly shouki. It can rid the world of you in a matter of hours, that is, if the taijiya doesn’t get you first.” It laughed menacingly as I caught hiraikotsu. I hefted the boomerang over my head and spent it slamming back down to the ground where houshi-sama would have been had he not bolted out of the way.
Miroku stumbled backwards and nearly tripped on another body. “Sango, listen to me,” he demanded, weakening hands holding the shakujo protectively in front of him. “I know you can hear me. You need to be strong and fight this.”
Inside I was beginning to surrender, ‘I can’t houshi-sama, I’ve tried. Please forgive me.’
“This thing is feeding off of your negative energy,” he continued while fending off my attacks. “If you give up you’ll only be helping it. Don’t let it consume you, fight it.”
“ It’s foolish monk, no matter how hard you try she will not wake up.”
‘Wake up …’ The words echoed in my mind. Despite the chaotic situation the visions came back. ‘I ran into the forest, and came across Yuwaku, the serpent. He told me I could go back to the way I lived before Naraku … so, I’m … ’ I was startled back into reality when the houshi finally collapsed backwards while caught off guard.
Hiraikotsu swiped out to disarm him of the shakujo in mid fall, a brutal cracking noise arising when it connected with his wrist. I let go of the weapon, substituting it with the katana of a slain taijiya suspended from a window.
‘No … no! Houshi-sama get up!’ Terror was beginning to fill my very being.
Miroku struggled to rise, only slumping back down exhaustedly. It seemed the poison was catching up with him.
I stepped roughly on his chest with one foot, the katana poised above his neck.
“How would it feel to kill the one you love, little taijiya?”
Another tear escaped the corner of my eye, ‘I would rather die …'
That seemed like all the prompting Yuwaku needed to raise the blade and ready the strike.
-*-
Miroku stilled the hands that were rubbing at his sore eyes, a foreboding tension beginning to capture his senses. Violet-tinted eyes swept back to the woman who lay motionless on the futon. Kirara was beginning to sense it too, the fur on the back of her neck standing on edge as she slowly made her way towards the monk. Something wasn’t right.
He watched Sango’s eyebrows give a small twitch. Was she coming to her senses? Before he could sigh in relief her expression contorted into a grimace. She shifted uncomfortably, turning her head in various directions as a tear streamed down from her closed lids. Kirara started to growl.
“Sango, are you awake?” he reached out a hand, but just as suddenly a dark energy crackled around her and sent it back. “Shimata,” he cursed, looking on as she made a somewhat pained noise within her throat.
A familiar glint of silver appeared wrapped around her form. ‘Though the body had been destroyed the spirit still remained within Sango,’ Miroku recollected.
The serpent continued to slither about, its head lifted and stilling above the taijiya’s chest. Taken back by a sudden brightness, the houshi brought one hand above his eyes to shield them. Glowing in a fierce light blue, a moderate sized orb was gradually lifting from Sango’s chest to the youkai’s awaiting jaws.
Miroku was struck by a sudden wave of panic. Immediately he reached into his robes and pulled out a dozen sutras. He shot them to various corners of the futon, keeping one in his hand and forcing it forward. The dark aura crackled against his hands, cutting them and threatening to disintegrate the ofuda he held.
“I will not let you take her soul,” he spat heatedly.
Yuwaku paid him no heed, focused on its current task. Red eyes gleamed brighter then ever as the withdrawal of her spirit sent muffled noises of pain from the taijiya. Miroku held his status, determined in his attempts to pass the ominous barrier that separated them.
“Stay with me, Sango,” he demanded, a bead of sweat tickling down his jaw line.
She grimaced again while the energy crackled around her. “Houshi - … sama.” It was strangled and faint in sound, but it was her voice nonetheless. The light of the radiant orb quivered slightly and paused in its ascension.
The houshi felt a small sense of relief wash over him. Managing to maintain the incantation within his head Miroku spoke out to her, “Can you hear me? Sango stay with my voice, don’t stop resisting. No matter what illusions the youkai may show you they’re not real.”
The soul continued to struggle, poised for a moment before retreating towards the taijiya’s body in a snaillike pace. The serpentine coils of the snake crushed her tightly again, bring forth another suffered yelp. Again the orb halted and rose once more.
“Wasted effort,” the serpent cackled in a sadistic tone. “Your little taijiya will break any moment now. She simply cannot bear the thoughts running through her head. What a burden you’ve become for her, houshi.”
Sango let out a shaky breath, eyebrows furrowed intensely in her misery.
Miroku narrowed his darkened eyes at the youkai. “She is stronger than that.”
Yuwaku let out another cruel laugh, “Honestly you think too highly of her, monk.”
His eyes flashed once more and the taijiya suddenly arched with another yell and fell back against the futon motionless.
To the houshi’s dismay Sango’s soul had now completely risen out of her body, hovering between the serpent’s eager mouth and her stilled chest. She’d gone silent, she wasn’t breathing. Desperate he forced himself against the barrier, the energy still nicking at his arms.
“At long last,” breathed Yuwaku to himself. Hastily and yet painfully slowly, he captured the orb within his jaws and it vanished with a loud gulp.
Miroku could only stare in utter disbelief. Sango lay lifeless amongst the covers of the futon, while the beast about her grinned blissfully and relished his newfound power.
Rage was already beginning to boil his blood, “b*****d!”
The serpent looked over at him smugly, “Watch that tongue of yours, holy man.”
A crimson light was beginning to ricochet off his silver body. He gravitated in the air above Sango’s body, circling for a moment before slithering towards the shouji. Kirara growled menacingly at the apparition and Miroku sprang to his feet,
“You’re not getting away. Even if it costs me my own life I swear that I’ll return hers!”
The door slammed open as the snake bolted out into the courtyard, its appearances growing larger and larger with every passing second. Miroku pursued it, kicking on his sandals and grabbing the shakujo.
With an earthshaking thud the serpent hit the ground, already in a striking pose. It had grown three stories high, resembling many of the other hebi youkai they had fought in the past. Its massive tongue swatted the air, its fangs dripping with venom. Large red eyes focused down on the small man who opposed it.
“So be it, monk,” Retorted Yuwaku in a thickening raspy voice.
“I’ll devour you bones and all. That way you’ll both be together within my stomach.”
-*-
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((that was lovely,i should really pay attention to your warnings that slightly killed my happy mood))