Under the Weather

Survival of the Fittest

UNDER THE WEATHER

Chapter Twelve: Survival of the Fittest

By: Author 2

A/N: NOW IT REALLY BEGINS!!!! Also, Hakuryu is a male dragon, since his pre-incarnation is that Goujun guy from Heaven. He was also reincarnated because he helped them.

Disclaimer: I don’t own Saiyuki. I own the OC’s, except for Kintora, who belongs to NeonPink2011. Author 1 and Colorfulbubble12 are my editors.

“Let’s go around,” I say, staring at the old, rickety rope bridge doubtfully suspended over the ferocious, lethal river at the bottom of the chasm. Master Sanzo turns and fixes me in his bloodshot stare, face pale and lips cracked.

“Do you want to deal with that instead?” he asks, referring to the horde of livid youkai rapidly running towards us. I frown.

“Shoot them,” I say hopefully, noting that Master Sanzo hasn’t let go of his gun since we left camp this morning.

Hakkai gives a stiff laugh and says, “I don’t think any of us are in any state to fight,” Apparently that decides it for Gojyo, who floors Jeep, causing me to latch onto a mute Goku as we speed across the bridge, which tilts and dips under the weight of Jeep. Despite the fact that his entire body is covered in blisters, Hakkai turns to catch a glimpse of the pursuing youkai.

“Gojyo, you may want to go a bit faster,” Hakkai says nervously. Gojyo cusses, Jeep skids on the bridge, a rope snaps, and we careen, screaming, into the river below. Right before we hit the water Jeep transforms back into Hakuryu, flying away and saving his traitorous dragon ass, leaving us to plunge into icy cold water like bricks.

As water pours into my lungs something grips me like a lifeline and I force my eyes open to see a blurry Gojyo wrapped around my legs. Before I can attempt to kick him off the current slams us into the side of the chasm and we break the surface of the river. Desperately I gulp in as much air as I can before being pulled back under and further downstream. Gojyo has by some means clawed his way up my body and his head is under my chin, his arms around my waist, and we’re sinking fast, my pin wheeling arms doing nothing to help. I can feel my lungs constricting and I desperately try to reach the surface again, but Gojyo pulls me further and further down. Suddenly, I’m upside down, my skull being dragged across the rocks at the bottom of the river, and I lose what little breath I have. Somehow my head bursts out of the river just before I black out. I fling my arms towards the slight flash of wall I can make out. The wall turns out to be closer than I thought, and my arms slam into the sharp, jagged rocks, drawing blood. As my fingers scramble for a purchase on the slippery rocks I can feel my hands splitting, and the wall ends and pulls away from me.

Surprisingly, I don’t wish for the numbness I usually crave. I don’t know if it has to do with the men shrieking like banshees who surround me, but I don’t have time to think as a hand burrows into my skull and yanks me roughly out of the deadly river and onto dry land. Gojyo flies out and slams down into the ground next to me. I can hear him echo my sputters and chokes. Coughing, I flip onto my stomach and vomit water. I stumble further away from the riverbank, still gagging and possibly hyperventilating, and collapse next to a Goku-shaped lump on the ground.