Wandering Warrior

Round 5

    Ryu took a deep breath as he walked out of the airport. He was dressed in the wrinkled white tee-shirt and torn jeans, his still wore his red headband. He had been forced to buy a pair of sandals to board the plane that would take him from Seoul to the Osaka International airport. His lungs expanded and he closed his eyes. It felt good to be back in Japan. Home.

    He hefted his canvas sack and made for the wilderness as soon as he could. There was a forest north of Kyoto that he had promised he would return to. It had taken him longer than he had expected to finish the tournament, and even then, he didn't believe he had actually won. Not fairly anyways.

    Sagat had beaten him. Fair and square.

    Ryu was ashamed to admit that while Sagat had held a hand out to him to help him to his feet, he'd been possessed by something and had attacked the host of the tournament. His fists had burned with blue fire and he'd ripped Sagat's chest open. It was a miracle that he'd survived. And so Ryu found himself back home, with his tail between his legs, so to speak.

    He was going to return to his dojo and focus his mind and body, but first, Kaze. He had promised he would return.

    His face heated as he thought of the yokai that he had encountered a couple years previous. He licked his lips and smiled to himself, he had a special gift for her. He'd brought back pebbles from all the places he'd traveled, he had a small sack of them, just for her. Each pebble was unique and he'd memorized where each had come from so he could show them to her.

    He walked for hours before he dropped his sack and sighed heavily. Now that he was back in Japan, he really didn't need to worry about his clothes or his shoes. He rustled through his sack and pulled out his karate gi. He changed quickly and removed the uncomfortable sandals. He made fists with his toes in the grass and closed his eyes. He was already starting to feel better.

    The spare set of clothes were thrown into his sack and he resumed his trek. He didn't have much further to go he figured. He was a fast walker with near-endless stamina, his muscular legs had already walked the length of Japan before. Her forest wasn't far.

    Every hour or so he would look about, trying to regain his sense of direction. He would frown as nothing was the same. The forest he had half expected to enter any moment never materialized. He found rather that the wilderness he was walking in was changing.

    The trees never appeared, rather he found zoning machinery. The grass beneath his feet changed to concrete and pavement. There was a park up ahead that he knew hadn't been there before. He kept to the side, and his eyes widened as apartment buildings and houses he did not remember came into view.

    His heart started pounding in his chest as his eyes found fake flowers in plastic flower pots. The playground, he noticed, had rubber flooring rather than dirt and grass. The shrubs were tightly trimmed, with awning over concrete rather than shady trees over soft moss. His sack dropped from his nerveless fingers.

    The sun had set and he found himself not caring. He cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted her name.

    "Kaze!" He yelled, his eyes scanning the concrete forest. Where was his forest spirit?! He was ignored by passer-bys.

    He grabbed his sack and made towards the river that he knew wasn't far from here. They had made love on the riverbank. His legs tensed and Ryu found himself running. His heart echoed in his head and he gritted his teeth in his mouth. He refused to believe that he wouldn't find her. Refused to believe that she was gone. Her vibrant image danced in his mind.

    He skidded to a stop close to the river, all the trees he remembered were gone. He could hear it, smell it. "Kaze!" He called her name again, unable to stop the panic that had entered his voice.

    Forest spirits were only has strong as their trees. He licked his dry lips and pushed on towards the river. His heart sank to the bottom of his stomach. Houses lined the riverside. He dropped to his knees just before a brand new dock. He shook his head and froze suddenly as he felt a breeze touch his sweaty skin. He jumped to his feet, his heart pounding.

    "Kaze..." He whispered, turning around. He had half expected to find her standing behind him, naked and alive. He was disappointed that she wasn't. He stilled as his black eyes focused on a lone, dry leaf. It dragged along the pavement, almost against the wind, away from the river.

    Ryu watched it for a moment longer before he followed it determinedly. The going was slow and once or twice he thought he was going crazy, but he did not abandon the leaf. It dragged him passed the playground with the fake floor, and past the zoning area. He stopped looking for the leaf when he came to a grassy area with a large, single oak. He could see more houses and buildings in the distance but he ignored them as he focused on the old tree.

    "Kaze," he said her name like prayer as he put a trembling hand on the trunk.

    "You came back..." her voice was faint, barely a whisper on the wind. He found his eyes filling with tears as he dropped to his knees in front of the old tree.

    "Yes!" His voice cracked as he bent forward and placed his forehead on the ground, bowing deeply. He had clenched his eyes closed. "Forgive me..."

    He tensed as her soft hands touched his hair gently, he wanted to grab her and hold her but he refrained. He stayed still, his head bowed. Her hands moved to his gi and clenched on the cloth over his shoulders. He straightened as she pulled on his clothing gently.

    There was no stopping the gasp that escaped his lips when he finally laid eyes on her. His beautiful yokai was but a shadow of her former self. She was faint, even though she was materialized, a weak glow surrounded her, making her look ethereal. Her long hair was limp and faded. Her face had grown gaunt, her cheeks sunken in, even her pointed ears drooped a little. There was a faint smile to her lips and tears made her violet eyes shimmer in the moonlight.

    "Kaze!" He pulled her into his arms and hugged her to his body. She snuggled into his chest and clung to his gi tightly.

    "You came back," she whispered, burying her face against him.

    "I won't be leaving you again," he vowed, placing a hand against her head. She laughed but it transformed into a sob. He held her as she cried against him, her slim shoulders trembling.

    "I'm scared..." she whispered, her voice muffled, "so scared..."

    He raised his head to look at the old oak. He was doing mental calculations in his head as he stared at the tree that he assumed was her life force. He could bring her tree to his home... He would beg Ken for funds. Ken would gladly lend him the money needed to move her tree to his dojo without killing it. That would bring her to his home where he could tend to her needs, and ensure she continued as before.

    "Listen," he licked his lips as he nuzzled her the side of her head, "I have an idea..." She pulled back to look at him with her wide, violet eyes. He continued undaunted, "I can bring your tree to my dojo. My friend..." he trailed off and cleared his throat, "He will help... I'll make sure you are safe..."

    She raised a hand and placed it against his mouth, silencing him. Her smile was brilliant and tears continued to shimmer in her eyes, rolling down her cheeks. "You would do that for me?"

    "Yes!" He didn't hesitate, "I love you..." her eyes closed and she sighed as she snuggled against him. He found that once he'd said the words, he wanted to say them again, "I love you," he repeated as he reached down and grabbed her chin with his fingers. He tilted her head up and very gently lowered his head to press his lips against hers. "Allow me to bring you to my home?"

    Her lips softened and she smiled against his mouth. Her hands came up and grabbed his head. He stilled as she stared into his eyes. "Make love to me, Ryu..."

    He hesitated but a moment. Something in the way she'd said that had made him tense, but her thumbs stroked his high cheekbones and she leaned forward and pressed a tender kiss against his lips. He groaned and his arms tightened about her frail body.

    "Anything you wish," he whispered against her lips.