Change of Fate // Kyojuro Rengoku

.005

The Shack

Kyojuro stepped his way through the rain and mud, avoiding as many large puddles as he could. The rain was coming down hard, but there was nothing to be done about it. He wasn't going to prolong this search anymore, not when he was so close. Therefore, he pressed on. He left the town quite a while ago, and was starting to think he should have asked the shop keeper exactly how far this building was supposed to be, when finally, he saw something.

An old, crooked shack stood in the distance. He could tell even from this distance that the roof likely leaked. It was probably cold, wet, and sad inside. He didn't want to imagine the girl he was searching for to be living in there. The boards were splintered and broken in spots, he could see candlelight seeping through the cracks in the wood.

He made his way closer, keeping his guard up. He couldn't be sure if this was her, and even so, if what the shop keeper told him was true then she would likely attack anyone coming near her home. Finally he made it to the front porch of the building, the overhang providing a bit of protection from the rain. There was no door on the entry, just a thin sheet hanging off the edges of where a door should be.

Kyojuro knocked on the wooden wall beside the doorway. "Hello?" He called out, before pushing the sheet aside, peeking in and clearing his throat. "Anyone here?" His eyes took a moment to adjust to the darkness. The shack was small, just a square room with a window on the opposite side of the wall with the doorway. There was a table with a few books on it, as well as the candle that was providing the only light to the room. A few piles of clothes surrounded the table, all seeming so tattered that they couldn't possibly be worn anymore, and leaning against the wall was a bow with arrows in a holster.

Then, he saw it. In the right corner, there was a makeshift bed. No mattress, just a collection of sheets on the ground. A small figure was huddled next to a pile of gray fur, and the fur shifted at the sound of his voice. A wolf head rose up out of its curled up position, instantly growling at the stranger.

Kyojuro raised his hands up, trying to show that he meant no harm. The wolf looked from the Hashira, then to the huddled figure it was curled up next to, letting out a quiet whine. The girl turned her head around, her pale and sweating face showing through her hair. She was cradling her right arm, eyes barely open to be looking at the stranger in her house. She was feeling so ill, she didn't even recognize the man at first, but then she saw his golden and fiery hair. She smiled weakly.

Maybe she was dying, she thought to herself. This was what her angel looked like that would pass her over to the other side. The most beautiful man she ever saw. Her body turned, slowly wobbling to stand up. Kyojuro's breath caught in his throat, she looked awful. Her right arm had a large slash from the elbow, down the back of her arm, to her wrist. The bleeding seemed to slightly stop, but there was so much blood down the side of her body, it was no wonder she looked so sickly. Accompanying the gash, her face was scratched, and her simple clothes were torn in spots. She had no shoes on her feet, her bare toes and fingers looked red and blistered from the cold, wet environment.

She shakily stood in front of Rengoku, sniffling as she looked up to him. They stared at each other for just a moment until her eyes rolled back, and her body collapsed. Before she could hit the ground, Kyojuro stepped forward and caught her in his arms, not caring about the blood that would surely stain his clothes.

The wolf whined again and stepped up to the two, pressing and prodding at the girls leg that was limply resting against the ground as Kyojuro held her up. "Alright, I'm going to get you some help." He spoke. He was worried, she clearly has already lost a lot of blood. Her breath was shallow, but she was still breathing, a good sign. He had to be quick. While still holding onto her, he picked up the cleanest looking cloth he could find, wrapping it securely around the wound, before getting a better grip on the girl, picking her up and holding her close to his body to try and keep her warm.

"You'll need to keep up, we're going to go fast." Kyojuro spoke to the dog, hoping it would somehow understand his words. He stepped out of the shack, making sure the pup followed. Then ran as fast as he could to get help, as fast as he could while still allowing the dog to keep pace behind him.

••••

I know this is dorky but this story has 100 reads and that makes me really happy 🥺 please feel free to comment what you think! Thank you for reading 💕