Destiny's Hand

It's All Comes Down

Mugen and Jin found the river and followed it, all the while sprinting. Neither said a word or slowed their pace. They were men on a mission and nothing was going to stand in their way. Both had been weary from the previous battle, but their resolve rejuvenated them.

Suddenly, they heard the sound of a horse galloping in the same direction as them, but on the opposite side of the river. They both halted in place and scanned the riverbanks eagerly trying to spot the source of the sound. Both sides of the river were lined with trees and bushes blocking their view. Both knew it could be only one person. Jin spoke up, "It's Katashi. We must be close."

"Then we better get there before him." Mugen responded quickly. He didn't wait for Jin to answer, he sprinted off. The sound of the horse was becoming distant. They needed to close the gap. Before long the clomping of the hooves became almost too faint to hear. Mugen skidded to a stop and screamed out, "God dammit!" He looked back at Jin and saw his own desperation reflected in Jin's eyes.

They both resumed their sprinting. Mugen reasoned they were only a few miles away from their destination. Any closer and he would have heard the rider dismounting. They could easily run the next three miles in fifteen minutes or less. Mugen thought Katashi seemed like one of those dramatic assholes, who enjoyed taking his time when it came to killing people. He didn't relish the thought of Fuu being tortured, it actually made a growl escape his lips, but if it meant being able to save her he would take it.

Less than fifteen minutes had passed when they saw the old house with a horse tied outside. Without thinking Mugen dived into the chilly water and quickly swam across. As soon as his feet touched the muddy soil on the opposite bank, he pushed hard against it and sloshed out. He heard Jin gracefully exiting the water and and waved for Jin to follow him to the closest side of the house. They pressed their wet backs against the wood and took a second to catch their breathes. Mugen stealthily glanced around the side of the house and didn't notice any signs of movement. He turned to Jin and shook his head.

Jin crouched low and walked around to the entrance of the house. Mugen knew what he was intending to do. He waited for a few feet to come between them and followed suit. Mugen would keep a lookout and be Jin's backup if he needed him. He wanted to be the one to slice open Katashi's gut, but decided it was better to keep a cool head. Being rash could cost Fuu her life. For once Mugen was not willing to take the chance, he controlled his urges to fly into the room.

Jin was only in the house for a few seconds before coming back out shaking his head. They both scanned the property looking for a trail or a clue when they heard muffled voices. Mugen stayed low to the ground and ran in the direction of the noise. He followed a worn path to a shed. Jin and Mugen crept to the only entrance, an old worn door. It was shut tight. Mugen stood on the left side and Mugen on the right. Mugen heard a man's muffled voice followed by a loud crack. It ended with something dropping to the ground and a high moan. Mugen knew that moan anywhere. In a simultaneous movement, he and Jin kicked open the door and rushed in.

Fuu did the only thing she could think, she grabbed the sword from Shino and stood behind Haru placing it against his throat. Running wasn't an option. Katashi had a horse and would be able to catch up to them in no time. Not to mention they were tired and battered and had no idea where they were. Holding Haru hostage was their only available leverage. Haru scoffed in response and then gave them a beastly smile. Fuu's hands started to shake. From Haru's face she knew that there was no way out, she felt trapped.

Soft foot steps padded outside the door. They stopped abruptly and the door came flying open. Both Shino and Fuu had stepped behind Haru and grimaced with the bang of the door against the wall. Finally, Fuu was going to see the man that had hunted her down, threatened her life and those who she loved. She had been so eager to find him and kill him, but now that the moment was here she felt frozen in place.