Grimm Tales: Rise of the Yokai

Chapter 21 A Grimm Adventure

But I wasn't alone for long.

I opened my eyes, and quickly shut them again when I found myself staring right into the bright lights above me. Just like Susanoo'd said, I was in the infirmary. The bed I was propped up in was surprisingly comfortable, especially for a hospital.

Movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. Dante had stretched out on the floor next to me, and he seemed to be watching the other two people in the room with us.

Sarah was curled up on one of the small chairs stuck in one corner of the room. Sunlight streamed in through a large window that looked out towards the ocean, which she was using to read the book she'd buried herself in.

Tobias was sitting in the other chair, a chess board spread out on the small table between them. The kitsune's tail was twitching, and he had an irritated look on his face.

"Would you make a move already?" he snapped.

Sarah must have been better at multitasking than I thought, because she didn't even look up from her book. With a flick of her fingers, one of her bishops zipped forward and captured Tobias' only remaining knight, which floated over to join the small army of black pieces Sarah had already captured.

"Oh, come on!" whined Tobias.

"Check in two," said Sarah serenely, turning to the next page.

"Wow, that's a good move," I said. "Tobias, man, seriously, just stop while you're behind. She's not even looking at the board and she's still kicking your ass."

Sarah and Tobias both jumped at the sound of my voice.

"Zane! You're awake!" said Tobias.

Sarah closed her book. "About time, too."

'Too bad I didn't get to sleep through the rest of that match," I said. "It was painful to watch."

Tobias rolled his eyes. "Oh, ha-ha, very funny."

At the sound of my voice, Dante had jumped up and was darting around the room like a hyperactive puppy, his tail wagging so hard his whole body shook.

He ran up to my bedside and bumped his head into my chest. I buried my hands in the dog's fur, scratching behind his ears.

"Hey, boy," I said. "I'm glad you're okay, too." I turned to my friends. "Where's ... I mean, uh ... where are the others?"

Sarah smiled. "Jason's fine. Nick and my brother took good care of both of you. They discharged him yesterday, but he wouldn't go home. He's been here the whole time."

"Kora dragged him off to get some lunch," added Tobias. "I think Miroku went with them." His ears perked up and flicked towards the door. "Speak of the devil."

The door to my room slid open, and Kora and Miroku walked in, their hands packed with food and drinks that looked like they were from Dragon's Roost. Jason walked in close behind them and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw me. Nick and Leo really had done a good job patching Jason up. If I hadn't seen what happened for myself, I never would've known he'd almost ...

I was on my feet and crossing the room before I noticed I was moving. The relief I felt at seeing him alive and well, especially after what had happened, was more than I could put into words.

I wrapped my arms around Jason and hugged him so hard I think I actually lifted the werewolf off the floor. When I realized I was crushing him, I loosened my grip, and once he was back on the ground, I held him at arm's length and looked him straight in the eye.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again, you hear me?"

Jason put one of his hands on mine and reached up with the other to wipe at his eyes.