Saiyuki Chronicles - The Naneko Chapter [COMPLETE]

Naneko - Final Chapter

Word count: 1,820

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Though nowhere in sight, the faint smell of Naneko's skin still fragranced the air. The hazy image of decaying ruins danced along the horizon of the desert; gradually coming into focus the closer he got. A line of tall palm trees bordered the far edge of the darkened city. An oasis? The lush greenery seemed to compliment the harsh city which seemed to be severely destroyed.

Seiten Taisei cautiously strode past the city's entrance, preparing for anything that may attempt to ambush him. Homes and buildings were dilapidated at best, nothing but decayed framing struggling to maintain shape at worst.

Once he surveyed the area, confident there was not even so much as desert life crawling through the area, Seiten Taisei swiftly made his way to the back of the city towards the oasis.

•

Hakkai drove Hakuryuu as far into the city as he could before fallen boards and debris blocked the path. Once the vehicle stopped, all three men immediately jumped out from the Jeep. Hakkai gave a small wave to Hakuryuu as a non-verbal thank you before the dragon squee'd from the hood.

The uneven footing made it difficult to traverse through the city without losing one's balance. Hakkai looked around, curious as to what happened in this space. It seemed vaguely familiar but he couldn't put his finger on it.

Sanzo and Gojyo seemed unaffected by the surroundings as they both continued on after The Great Sage. Shaking the curiosity, Hakkai pushed forward.

•

The edge of the city seemed to blend right into the oasis. The thick grass gradually slowed Seiten Taisei. The further he broke through the grass and low-hanging vines, the thicker the grass felt at his feet; almost as if it was trying to trip him up.

Rustling from his left showed the vegetation opening up to him and creating a path. Was this the way to the succubus? Seiten Taisei sharply pulled his feet from the grass blades trying to ensnare him and he dashed down the open pathway.

As he glided down the path, the ground suddenly gave way. Seiten Taisei used the momentum of the sudden change in direction to push himself off the sides of the pit, climbing out before continuing towards his destination.

While it seemed like everything was going easy in the direction the oasis was leading him to, at almost every turn there was something trying to ambush Seiten Taisei. Vines would reach out, trying to entangle themselves around whatever they could grab, scratching at exposed flesh. The oasis was definitely alive as it tried every combination from branches and vines reaching out to him all the way down to the ground caving in.

Seiten Taisei took a sharp turn off the path, tearing through the vines and pushing his way past the trees leaning in his way. He had caught on to the fact that the oasis was intentionally trying to lead him away from Naneko. Evidence of her scent becoming stronger as he separated himself from the path proving his point.

•

The Sanzo party made their way to the back of the deteriorating city and the oasis opened itself wide to the three men, almost welcoming them. Sanzo slitted his eyes, suspicious of their situation. Still, he followed after Hakkai and Gojyo as they easily ran down the trail, the trees leaning back and out of their way so as not to block the path.

The sound of branches cracking and snapping echoed through the air accompanied by the irritated growls and barks of the Great Sage. They were getting close.