Ten Miles of Autumn Leaves 十里秋叶 (Hana ✗ Sen)

[Mu]

Due to their work, the hunters had many hideouts scattered throughout the country. There were places to hide even so near that god's territory. A run down small home that was probably once mainly used as a rice storage, abandoned now that there was no need for it. There was no rice to store away and hide during these times. While one hid outside acting as a guard in case anyone managed to stumble across their little prison, the other man - the one who had knocked Kiyoko out - stayed inside to keep watch. They had no idea what she was capable of exactly. She was locked away in one of the barred rooms, but they had to be cautious.

He could hear movement from inside her room now, shuffling as she moved across the dirty tatami flooring. "You're awake," the man spoke with a gruff voice. His straw hat remained perched on his head, sword at his side. It never left it, and it was always within reach. The figure stopped outside of the bars, glaring down at the miko. "You must be thirsty, eh?" he mumbled to her. In his hand was waterskin. "I'll bet you want some, but I'll have to feed it to you." The voice made it seem like he was eager to do just what he had said.

 

[Hana]

"W-who are you?" She couldn't keep the tremor from her voice, out of both nervousness and a brimming well of anger. Kiyoko narrowed her eyes at the man, unwilling to show the worry that had caused a her stomach to flip. She didn't recognize him as any one of the men from the village at all. No one quite wore clothes like that, the fabrics seeming as if they could blend in with the reds and browns of autumn in Ochiba - except none of the people even had anything to make their clothes like so there. And how she hated to be kneeling, his stare piercing a hole through her head. No, it was actually a glare. As if she had done him some great wrong, when she had never seen him her entire life.

Her hands clenched behind her back tightly, before she took a shaky breath to loosen them. Out of sight of the man, she tried to twist her hands. There has to be a way, fuck- The look in the man's eyes and the tone of his voice told her he had less than pure intentions towards her. It caused her to shiver, almost. Instead of replying to his 'suggestion', as if he thought he was being kind to her, she just glared at him. The red of her eyes lent an unsettling appearance to her angry glare. It was a stare that usually unsettled those who tried to bother her in the village, those people who hated and feared the very sight of them. On a small girl, it made for a very strange sight.

As if she was going to let him. "Why?" Her mind was racing. She had to buy herself some time, some time to get out of these ropes, some time to cut her way out of this room. The sword at his waist was a very worrisome sight. Kiyoko wasn't much of a fighter against someone like him. Much less someone who sent her such a threatening look. But she couldn't let that cow her. She exhaled. "I have nothing to give you. And didn't you hear that I'm an evil witch or demon-possessed miko back in the village? I'll fucking curse you." She tried to smirk, even as her hands busied themselves, twisting about her arms behind her back - as uncomfortable and cramping as it felt.

 

[Mu]

The man scoffed at her threat. "If you knew who I was, girl. You would know I wouldn't care less." Under the hat, a pair of gleaming light brown eyes rolled at the miko. "I'll have to force you to drink, then." Quietly, he shuffled to the doors of the bar, metal keys clinking against each other as he opened the door and swiftly closed it behind him. The key disappeared within the mess of leaves that he wore, almost as if it had never existed at all. "We have a dangerous job, but it is so, so worth it in the end." He grinned at her, eyes twinkling now that they were so close to their prize. If this was successful...

But she wasn't allowed to die, at least not yet. Maybe once they had that god, they might as well dispose of her. Or who knows, she might be a good wife to one of them, they needed to pass their abilities one way or another. Crouching down, he peered at the face of the miko. He didn't know her name, nor did they need to. She was pretty, a little cute... her profanity was a bit of a surprise to him. With a rough hand and equally rough fingers, he grabbed at her face, fingers prying against the hollow of her cheeks to force them open as the other flicked away the cap of the waterskin. "Drink."

 

[Hana]

Her threat was batted aside like it was nothing. Kiyoko gritted her teeth, flinching away at the sound of keys clinking and sliding into a rusty lock, the door swiftly opening. In it she saw a bit of hope, but how...? Her eyes rapidly darted towards the man as he neared her, looming over the kneeling girl. "I don't want you near me," she snarled, shaking her head at him and flashing a wild-eyed expression, almost like a rabid animal. Her 'pretty' face held as ferocious a look as she could muster. "I don't know what the hell you're talking about. What the fuck kind of job involves kidnapping a nobody priestess for a prize?" She really, really didn't like the way he looked at her. It was plain unnerving, those beady eyes twinkling from under that stupid hat.

She yelped as he grabbed her. What would happen if she tried to bite his hands off? It was sorely tempting, but she had to hold back. The unlocked door behind him was a chance. Mind rapidly working, she tried to put up a convincing struggle against his hold. This takes me way back.

The boys of the village used to bully her. Until he came. She had learned all the ways to fight back or get out of those situations by necessity, from making herself cry to distracting them. Or convincing them she was beaten. Remembering the days when her face was pushed against the earth, chants around her to eat dirt. When he was there they no longer bullied her, trying to play nice with the boy everyone gravitated to. When he was no longer there she was already smiling and unnerving, rumors about a witch spreading around the village.

"P-p-please, don't do this," she stuttered words hard to get out as he forced her mouth open, red eyes wide and pleading up at the man, trying to pull away from his grip. His fingers were uncomfortably digging into her face. She was half-lying at this point. There was something about this man and this situation that was very, very wrong.

 

[Mu]

Her pleas fell on deaf ears, but the man was still slightly confused... yet also amused. "Girl, it really is just water." He took a swig from the water skin to prove that she was just overreacting, before bringing it back to her lips. "You will make this harder for yourself if you don't drink, now be a good girl and just sit tight." The man's voice was beginning to sound frustrated the longer trying to force her to drink was getting. Pushing into the hollows of her cheeks once more, he tilted the waterskin and emptied a few mouthfuls of water between her lips, pulling back just to let her swallow.

"You should be happy you're part of something so big," he chuckled as she drank. "Soon our dreams of having the riches of the world will come true, all thanks to you." He gripped her chin, tilting it upwards so she could take a good look at his face. He was a man who had been through plenty of battles, yet had never actually slain a god before. The God of Rot would be his first, and he would become a hero for it. Though he did not look old, he was by young either. A battle torn face with a scar running from the bottom of his right cheek to the his left eyebrow, marring his face with a permanent scar. "Maybe if you don't cause such a fuss, you can settle down with one of us. You deserve it for being so helpful." He slapped his knee as he burst into joyful laughter as if he had just cracked the funniest joke in the world.

 

[Hana]

She stopped struggling as he lifted the waterskin to his own lips, watching him with wary eyes still hinting a bit at her own inner panic. Even if it was only water, the longer she stayed here, the less she enjoyed discovering new things from what he was saying. How would capturing her help them get riches? Kiyoko clenched her eyes shut as he brought the mouth of the waterskin close to her lips again, his fingers forcing her to open up with a small gasp. His fingers were rough on her skin, as if the calluses had built up and thickened in layers over years. It was unpleasant. And this was humiliating. Her cheeks were burning as she was made to swallow mouthful after mouthful of water. After he pulled the waterskin back, she coughed.

At least he's making sure you're not thirsty, eh? She told herself sarcastically. Was he going to feed her next? The thought of his hands holding anything she should eat made her shudder in repulsion as he made her look at his face, straining her neck slightly as he pulled her chin up at an awkward angle. That was a large facial scar - and she didn't want to think of how he had gotten it. "Settle down?" She backed up further away from him, or tried - was there a surface where she could grind the ropes against to weaken them?

"I'm a miko, not a bride. I sure as hell won't marry someone who took me against my will." Kiyoko hated the sound of his laughter, but focused on grinding the rope against the sharp edge of wood behind her. Was this some sort of joke to him?

 

[Mu]

His eyes almost softened, as if he felt sorry for her. "Getting married and settling down with a family is every woman's dream," he sighed as he shook his head. "Would it not be an honor to bear a child that can wield a weapon that defy even the heavens? It is far, far better than-" the man spat on the ground with disgust and contempt, "serving a god who cares nothing for his people." The voice that was trying to be somewhat gentle on the girl was now rough and gruff, laced with the hatred of Nishibyakko. "This land is dead and there is nothing we can do about it. So why bother worshiping him at all, little miko?"

The insults continued. "Have you heard the rumors? His breath is like poison, every step he takes on this blessed world and haven for humans, the plants wilt and years of famine follow. His touch is like acid, melting through the hard-earned work of men. One strike from his paw destroyed so much land, so many families. You'll ruin your pretty face worshiping that filth, people will stone you for it." The man shrugged, "I do not believe in many gods. But if you must follow one, there are better ones out there. The god of war has always favored humans."

 

[Hana]

Who was this man to decide her dream for her? Kiyoko wanted to spit back something vile as she saw the way he gave her a pitying look. It was a look she would always loathe seeing on others, and she loathed it now. The more he would run his mouth, the more she could feel something brewing in the pit of her stomach, a sickly burning. She took a deep breathe, about to retort, when he suddenly turned hateful. This man... Her eyes narrowed, a darker tint appearing to the bright red depths of her eyes that grew ever more as he continued. He was the same as everyone else in this cursed world. Hating a people just because they worshiped a god for reasons they could not understand.

She understood now, eyes straying over to the glinting sword at his waist. If she focused on it intently, there were the faint marks and engravings of a blessed sword on it. They're hunting the Western God... It was becoming clear to her. The treacherous arrow that had sunk into Nishibyakko's flesh that day, the one she had to pull out - it was of the same kind, huh? And now they were using her to lure him out? Seriously? That guy coming to rescue her?

"If you're not done running that mouth, then let me fucking shut it for you! Bastard!" Without warning, the miko sprang from her kneeling position, guided by an unnatural energy, and sprinted behind the man. Years as an orphaned child had taught her how to steal things and the element of surprise would help her this time. The keys? It was in her mouth now, and she grinned ferally at him as she held it in between her teeth. She brought her arms over her head and in front of her, snapping the weakened rope. "Fuck you, I'm not that easy! Why should I listen to a crook like you?!" Quick as a mouse, the girl pulled the weakened tatami mat from under him, flipping it and toppling the man.

She locked the cell as she fled, heart racing and a hysterical giggle escaping her. Fuck, that took some nerve of her.

Her smile faded as she fled further down the hall outside of the cell. It was dark, hard to see despite the torches along the walls. Panic began to bubble up once again as she slid doors open and shut to find them dark and empty, and as she heard the angry shout in the distance she gulped. On impulse, she grabbed a torch from the walls and headed further inside. "I should have it with me...!"

 

[Mu]

"Don't inter-- hey!" the man yelped in surprise at the sudden flash of movement from the miko. What... what was this girl? Suddenly, the key that he had buried inside of his coat was gone, the familiar weight of metal vanishing as if it was never there. "How dare you-" Interrupted again. Within seconds, his world was upside down, the floor beneath him rising from under his feet and throwing his balance backwards as the tatami mat crashed onto him. "You little--" he started, but the miko was already gone, darting away from the cell and locking him inside. "Gah!" he snarled, "Takahashi! We have a runner!" shouts ran from the cell room, notifying the man that was hiding outside. Quietly, the shadow shuffled to the entrance of the building, arrow glinting in the light and ready to shoot if the situation called for it.

The man inside pushed the rotting tatami mat off of him, growling in seething anger. How dare that little bitch do that to him. His pride, his pride as a man and as a god hunter...! He drew his sword in the dim light of the room, the small torch allowing the blade to shine, the characters carved into it prominent. If this weapon could kill a god, then... He brought the weapon horizontally over the wooden bars, slicing it clean and leaving no splinters like butter. "Where are you, little miko?" he called out teasingly, almost as if he was singing a children's lullaby. "Come here and let's spend some time together~"

There it was, movement down the hallway. He pounced at the sound, catching glimpse of that miko's uniform disappearing around the corner. With a quick swipe he lashed out, missing as the blade sunk itself into the rotting and moss-covered wall of the building. She was running in circles trying to throw him off, but he knew this place like the back of his hand. This was his station after all, he had been here many times. Compared to a lonely girl who knew nothing of the outside world, he was an expert. If she wanted to play that game, then he could play with her. Chasing after her with ferocity, he deliberately positioned himself so that she would never be heading towards the entrance. His footsteps were loud, ensuring she would hear the creak of the wooden panels and the squeak of the tatami, leading her to the opposite direction - towards the bathroom. There would only be one door there, and he could easily knock her out then. The man licked his lips, it had been a while since he had some proper fun.

So when she finally burst into the bathroom, hoping to find a way out, she would find a looming shadow blocking the only exit instead. "There you are~"

 

[Hana]

It was over. She had trapped herself before this dead end of a bathroom, where the only things were a round wooden tub, washbasins and dusty old bath tools. Kiyoko quaked in her clothes as the footsteps thundered closer and closer to where she was. "This has to work..." Muttering almost hysterically to herself she yanked the door open and flung herself into the dead end room, holding tight onto the torch in one hand and shining it around the room. The man continued to chant eerily behind her, his voice bouncing off the walls and as she spun around, heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of her ribs, she let out a whimper at the sight of his looming figure at the only exit. "Iie-" She choked on what sounded like her own tears, backing up further as he drew closer, the light of the torch casting his scarred, grinning face in a ghastly shadow. He looked like a monster...

But she could deal with that. Luring him closer with her fear-stricken eyes and the tears leaking down the corners down to her cheeks, didn't she look particularly helpless compared to a man like him? She sure hoped he thought that. Just as he thought he could pounce on the little miko, Kiyoko waved the torch in front of her and threw a handful of dried plant into the flickering flames that grew stronger as she waved it around. She immediately covered her face with her sleeve as the plants burned up and a smoke with an odd scent filled up the small space. Come on... Work!

The man would then cough as the smoke filled his lungs, breathing in the strange smell that made his eyes tear up and his vision to go blurry. His limbs would weaken as he started feeling dizzy, and as he began to stumble she pushed past him and shoved him into the wooden tub. She might not be as strong as him, but she had her wits with her - it let her survive against the bullying and more physically imposing males in the village before and it would help her now.

Kiyoko thudded down the halls once again, frantically seeking an out of the dark hallways. "Please, please, please-" After what felt like forever seeking an exit, she saw light at the end of one dark hallway and sprinted towards it.

 

[Mu]

A strange smoke filled the small room, the man instinctively bringing his sleeve to cover his nose, but it was too late. He began to cough profusely, filling his lungs with the odd aroma. His world began to haze over, his vision becoming fuzzy as he saw double. He crashed into the bathtub as Kiyoko pushed him, smashing straight through the rotting wooden covers of the tub with a groan, splinters flying everywhere. He cried out as some dug into exposed skin, but is head was too dizzy for him to call out. As he grasped the edges of the tub with trembling fingers, two of Kiyoko's retreating figures darted out of the room.

Though she had managed to get away from the man inside, her frantic footsteps were loud enough to notify the bowsman outside. He nocked an arrow, stretching the drawstring and pulling it back, aiming for the sky just beyond the entrance. The footsteps became louder and louder, her feet patting against the tatami mat, her rhythm a mess due to her panic. As soon as he saw her foot pass through the threshold, he let the arrow fly loose, shooting past the door as a warning shot.

Silently like a shadow, he slunk out of the bushes, nocking another arrow into his sleek bow. There, that would buy enough time for his partner to recover. And sure enough, the man had managed to stagger his way to the entrance, reaching out with calloused and rough hands for her fragile looking neck as he pivoting to smash her against the outside walls of the crumbling house. "You little bitch," he spat in her face, his face flush and eyes teary from the spoke. He had picked up his sword, and it was gleaming in the moonlight. "I'll fucking chop off your pretty little arms, and let's see you do that again when I have my way with you," he hissed at her, eyes glowering in the dark.

"I'll make sure you never get away again," he grinned menacingly, beckoning to his partner with a cock of his head. The bowsman pulled the drawstring back once more, the arrowhead aimed directly at the red eyes of the miko.

 

[Hana]

The priestess scrambled out past the door to her freedom - only for her hopes to wither and die as an arrow whizzed past her shoulder. Kiyoko felt it, a sharp breeze just past her cheek and her ear, rustling her hair and she skidded to a stop, heart pounding in her chest. Her gaze frantically flickered about the outside surroundings, trying to see into the dark forest. It was just trees all around, casting shadows underneath. The building was in the middle of a clearing. And someone was pointing an arrow at her right at this very moment, right? That man had a friend who was ready to shoot her if she so much as moved. There were two? And in the face of that, she found herself frozen, unable to move.

The fear locked her limbs into place instead of sending her in a frenzy this time. She. Couldn't. Move. "Shit!" She wanted to cry. This wasn't quite as on par as on that day, but no human being had actively tried to harm her like this yet.

It turned out she had no time just to stand there and hyperventilate in place as a form came up behind her, grabbing her by the throat as he turned her around and slammed her against the side of the building. The shriek that bubbled up in her throat from the pain lancing up her back and her head cut off in a choke as the man pressed down. Her eyes started tearing up from the ache, before focusing on the glowering man in front of her. Shuddering, she took in a deep breath, throat rasping from the chokehold. It hardly gave her enough air to talk, but she pressed on. "Gh... G-got you good, didn't I?" Just the anger in his eyes and the way he was far from calm told her she had hurt his pride.

If she was going to die here, she might as well... Her hands flew up to grab onto his hand, which was locked around her neck in a vice grip. She dug her nails into his skin and her eyes bore into his. "E-even if... My god is e-evil to you... hhh... hhhe's still a great and fearsome god... A-and..." She clawed against his skin for more air, throwing her head back against the wood with a gasp. "He... was loved... by my people." And that means there's something about him that's worth looking into. She loosened her hold.

 

[Mu]

"Loved by your people? Ha!" The man snorted. "The people of Ochibamura hate him! Your so-called people are dying, and you run that pathetic excuse of a temple all by yourself." He spat in her face, grinning like a madman as he shifted his head to give his partner enough room to fire his arrow, ready to pierce through her skull. The bowman's eyes almost seemed to gleam like jewels in the dark when he let the string loose, the arrow whistling through the air with his hiss, speeding and cutting through the air fast approaching the miko as the men laugh and cackled at her impending pain-

Almost out of nowhere, a single flash of silver collided with the arrow, sending it flying off course. Another flash resulted in the cry of the bowsman as he dropped his weapon and clutched his eye, scarlet blood seeping through his fingers. Falling to the floor gasping and trying to keep himself together, the man who had been holding Kiyoko released her, stepping back and gripping his weapon with both hands trying to seek out who had interrupted them.

Nishibyakko, however, did not seem pleased. Whether it was because his follower had been hurt, or because he had dragged himself out of the barrier and off temple grounds in the middle of the night, it didn't matter. The fury was written plainly on his face with the hateful snarl and the glowering eyes that seemed to pierce into a man's soul. Three glowing spheres floated around him like eerie spirits, the Treasure of an Okami, an object or several objects that were given to each Great God to serve as a powerful weapon or item. He and the other three Directional Gods had them in numbers. The dragon held one great orb that contained the spirit of the coming spring. The phoenix had two burning suns. The turtle had four to seal away the cruel darkness, and the tiger had three. It was living metal, metal he could control at his will like water from the gods. He wasn't afraid to shed blood, nor end a life with them. And all human beings feared it.

It only took a careless wave of his hand for the orb to change shape, sharpening itself into a spear before solidifying, flying forward much like the beads Kiyoko wielded and piercing straight through cleanly and smoothly the bowsman's body. He barely had the time to cry out as he collapse, melting into a sobbing and shuddering mess on the grass, blood seeping into the earth. Nishibyakko turned to regard the swordsman with a menacing smile, "Were you looking for me?" In the blink of an eye, he was in between the miko and the man, almost as if he had appeared out of thin air. "Another dog of the Emperor coming to do his dirty work?"

 

[Hana]

Ignorant bastard. Despite apparently being so close to dying, the priestess still had enough fire in her to glare back at the man. How could he know that she meant her family, and not that village with its hatefulness? She grinned roughly at him, leaning back as far as his iron grip on her neck would allow, her smile more a baring of teeth that hinted at her guts to stand up to groups of people all alone. The back of her head and her body hurt like a bitch, but damn if he didn't piss her off. It made her distantly annoyed that she was probably going to die in a few moments with an arrow piercing through her skull. Turning her head with some difficulty, her eyes sought out that of the archer.

There he was. Arrow nocked and pointed right at her, the metallic gleam distinct under the moonlight. He had finally come out in the open, no need to hide when his partner had pinned down their prey. The smile faded from her face as she stared her own death in the face, as if in realization, her eyes boring into the archer's. I hope you know that spilling my blood isn't going to do anything to give you what really matters. She wanted to say something, but remained silent and closed her eyes, bracing herself -

It's not going to hurt much, just a sudden pain and then nothing.

But nothing came.

She heard the pained shriek, high and distinctly almost feminine, like that of a wounded animal. And it didn't come from her. Her eyes snapped open just in time to see the archer fall to the ground, clutching at what remained of his eye. It was terrible. Blood ran down painting his face and his fingers a dark red that looked black in the night, along with the remains of his eye dangling and peeking from in between his fingers. Kiyoko just had enough time to process that with her breath-deprived mind when her tormentor released her abruptly.

"Gahh-" She dropped to her knees, gasping for stolen breaths. "Hah-" What had come to save her? What had stopped them? The wind shifted in front of her and she looked up, catching sight of a tall form, broad shoulders covered by a simple robe... Dark hair tied low in a strange manner -

And then she heard his voice. Kiyoko recognized the malicious tone readily, eyes widening. "N-Nishibyakko-sama?"

 

[Mu]

"What the fuck--" the man leapt back a few steps, his eyes wide at Nishibyakko. Both men were tense, ready to dodge or move to strike their opponent. The swordsman fearfully glanced at his fallen partner laying in his own pool of blood before snarling at the god. "You-- you've recovered, eh?" his eyes seemed to be roaming and analyzing the god for any wounds, but the yukata he wore was free from any bloodstains, and seeing the surprise on the swordsman's face made the autumn god smile.

There was a spark of recognition. "That man over there was the one who shot at me in the woods, right?" he took a step forward and the swordsman took a step back in response. "Congratulations, it took fifty of you sorry dogs to tire me out. What a crowning achievement." He took another step forward. "The Emperor will be so glad to hear that all of you failed." Nishibyakko wasn't even afraid when he leaned in closer to Kiyoko's assailant. "And you have the balls to lay hands on one of my followers? Once I make my way to the royal palace I will burn that building to the ground and I will watch your so-called god hunters perish and become more useless than prostitutes." With each word the god spat out like poison, he jabbed at the man's forehead with a finger, his pale violet eyes boring into his brown ones like mesmerizing wisps of smoke.

With a shout, the man shoved his sword forward towards the god's exposed stomach hoping to get a clean knockout. Yet as the metal neared the god's skin, it began trembling in the man's hands before it began hissing. The sheen of the sword vanished, a growing brown spot enveloping the weapon before it crumbled into dust, leaving not even the handle. Nishibyakko looked down at it, lifting his head back up to see the fear in the man's eyes with a shrug. It took a second for one of the orbs to change into a spike, spearing straight through the man's chest and piercing his heart. "You are lucky I blessed you with one strike," the god stepped back, not wanting to dirty himself. "Bleed to death, trash."

He patted himself down before turning to look at Kiyoko. Despite the fact he had easily killed off two grown men, he looked tired and worn out. "Are you dead, girl?"

 

[Hana]

Even from her spot behind the enraged god, Kiyoko winced at the hostile snarls exchanged between the men. She scrambled back, hands tearing up chunks of earth and grass from the ground as she dragged herself as far away as she could. Yet even then, why did she feel as if she was safer sitting behind Nishibyakko? She dug her nails into her palms as the god took deliberate steps towards the man that remained standing, trying not to look over at the bloody mess that was left of the archer. The god wasn't even frightened or roaring out like she had seen him once when he had flown into a rage trying to leave the borders of his land, yet the calm way he spoke and belittled the god hunter made a shiver run down her back.

She rubbed her neck, still in slight disbelief over how close she had come to getting an arrow piercing through her skull just earlier. And it was because Nishibyakko Okami decided to come here for some reason. Unable to tear her eyes from the scene, she bit her lip. Despite knowing how the hunters had taken her to lure her god out, she hadn't believed he would actually come. But here he was, ensuring that she had only a brush with death and nothing worse.

The very moment he decided to kill the last man, Kiyoko ducked down and closed her eyes, stomach stirring queasily. The slick shhlick of something piercing a warm living body made her grimace. Tucking her head in between her knees and curling herself into as small a ball as possible, she took a few more deep breaths. Breathe. She had broken out into a cold sweat, and hugged her knees tighter when she heard the god's voice. I'm obviously alive, but hey I can't believe it myself. At least he was still as gruff as ever when talking to her. After a pause, the girl raised her head.

The priestess smiled, a dazed and loopy grin, up at him. "Hey. You're not going to punish me for being late, right? This was an unexpected detour."

 

[Mu]

He stared at her. "What?" Nishibyakko's voice echoed through the night, loud over the dying groans of the crumpled men on the ground. Looking at her face, the god couldn't help but chuckle. A breathless chuckle, like he couldn't believe what he was seeing in front of him. "Are you sure you didn't get into my alcohol?" he asked another question, tilting his head curiously at the girl before looking over her once more. She was dirty, probably because she had been kept in such a unkempt house. There were several bruises on her skin that made something inside of the god boil in seething anger. There were a few cuts, some still bleeding, but he wasn't sure if Kiyoko had even noticed her injuries.

"Consider this experience punishment enough," he sighed. Nishibyakko quietly approached her, leaning down to scoop the much smaller girl into his arms and holding him close to his chest. He was still a bit drowsy and his head still throbbed painfully from drinking yesterday, but the adrenaline and the crisp night air helped him focus. An arm under her legs and the other wrapped tightly around her body, he blinked down at her face with noticeably softened pale violet eyes before walking back towards the temple. It helped that she was incredibly light, and didn't struggle as he carried her. There was a change in the aura around him, the god avoiding looking into the girl's eyes, pacing silently home. "I had to get up and smell you out, you know. What a handful."

That wasn't necessarily the full truth. He had been awake just before sundown, and had watched it sink under the mountains. Slightly concerned when the sky was already dark and there was no sight of the miko, he went searching for her. The fact that he was able to pass through the barrier set up by the spring god was startling enough.

 

[Hana]

Since when did his crappy sake get into the discussion? Kiyoko was trying as hard as she could not to listen to the dying gurgles and gasps of the downed hunters, and wrinkled her nose at Nishibyakko. "I don't even like sake." He was chuckling, the sudden rage and fury that was etched on his face just moments ago when he had gutted the man like a fish gone like it was nothing. She found herself laughing slightly as well along with him at the ridiculousness of her words. The miko had to wonder at the surreal situations she found herself in because of him, but found her thoughts turning around and circling uselessly. It was challenging to focus on thinking after all the excitement had died down.

Looking up at the western god, she blinked as he moved to pick her up. "E-ehh?" The girl uttered, tone confused and questioning. Her head swam at the sudden elevation as he scooped her up, and she grabbed onto the god's robes. She gazed up, met the god's eyes, and for a second looked like she was going to ask why he was looking at her oddly. He looked different, but that was probably just a trick of the light. "... The back of my head feels like it's been hit by rocks." How she knew that feeling enough to compare it to the experience, she wasn't going to elaborate and the miko wisely shut up. "Not that I know what that feels like, of course!" It felt like she was blabbering too much, but after such an experience anyone could tell the girl was in shock.

Red eyes dimmed slightly as she looked down, loosening her grip on his clothes slightly. The walk back to home was quiet, only the moon as her guide and maybe Nishibyakko. Cats were known to never lose their way, after all... If she tried to go back alone, she would have gotten lost in an unfamiliar forest. The god's movements were gentle, unfamiliar to her even as it put her in some strange sort of comfort. His steps as he walked were lulling in their own way, and for the first time she wondered if this was what gliding felt like. He had that sort of easy grace she would never be able to achieve in her life.

She didn't know how long they had been walking, but it felt like it was going to go on for a while...

"Hey, Nishibyakko-sama?" After a while of peace and quiet, the girl suddenly spoke up. She didn't look up at him, avoiding his eyes. "...Thank you for coming after me." She gave up her fight to hang on to wakefulness then, and didn't speak anymore. In a few moments, Kiyoko was fast asleep in Nishibyakko's arms.

 

[Mu]

"Really?" he murmured as he walked. "Rocks? Have you experienced people throwing swords and spears at you as well?" Nishibyakko asked jokingly, though he did not look down at the girl in his arms. He was more concentrated on walking back home safely, avoiding the jagged rocks on the path or tripping over grass. The sake in his body didn't affect his motor skills that much, but his senses were not as sharp as they could be. Kiyoko was lucky that most of the alcohol had been flushed out of his system so that it was just enough for him to smell the miko out in such a large area.

They had been walking for a while when the god finally braved himself to look down, blinking at a sleeping Kiyoko. She was still holding onto his shirt, albeit lightly and not a vicegrip like before, but she was snoozing away possibly lulled by the movement of the god. Her face, although dirty, was oddly and serenely peaceful like a newborn child. The innocence that seemed to radiate off from her prompted a smile from the western god, unseen by the sleeping miko. It was tempting for the god to poke her cheek or sweep a lock of hair fluttering in her face behind her ear, or wipe away that smear of dirty on her face. Nishibyakko didn't remember the last time he was so close to a human being that was proud to be called his follower. Her words echoed in his head, he was... loved by her people? After all he had done, he was glad that... perhaps not that long ago, they still held onto that belief in him.

He was slightly tired when the temple finally came into view, the cat sitting near the entrance meowing gently when he passed through the gate. As the god lowered her onto her futon, which he unrolled using his foot, he quietly covered her body with a thick coverlet to protect her from the cold. He blinked as she shuffled at the movement of her body, making herself more comfortable on the futon. Nishibyakko stiffled a laugh, and smiled a small smile. "You'e welcome... stupid girl."

Nishibyakko was still uneasy. There were many god hunters, and even though he had killed the two of them he was not sure how many were lurking nearby. Not to mention unlike his room, it was easier to find the sleeping quarters of the only miko in the temple. With a groan and silent determination, the god hauled his own futon into her room, setting up and settling down right in front of the sliding doors with the bowl of fruit offerings at his side. Scratching the cute temple cat behind the ears, the god lay down. He was tired too. As much as he tried to stay up and listen for any strange sounds, soon, even the autumn god succumbed to sleep.

 

[Hana]

Kiyoko awoke slowly to the feeling of golden sunlight streaming in from the window, hitting her face. It felt warm, and she lifted her hand without opening her eyes to rub at her cheek. Her hand came away damp, and the girl frowned. Why was her cheek wet? She didn't remember any nightmares the night before, and it wasn't hot enough for her to sweat. Unbeknownst to the miko, she was smearing a small bit of blood from a small, shallow cut on her cheek as she rubbed at it once again. "Mmnn...?" She was lying on her side, head resting on the rectangular pillow. A thick coverlet was warm on her body, though now more rested at her hips as she kicked it back. She touched the cut directly this time and paused. Why was there a cut on her face?

And then, she realized with all the subtlety of a bear roaring in the woods, that the sun was up high in the sky. It had to if it was coming in through the window And she had just lost a good chunk of time snoozing away. Groaning at her own folly, she forced her eyes to blink open slowly and sat up on the futon. In doing so, she rolled on her back and disturbed the nasty bump on her head there that a certain hunter yesterday had gifted her with. Twice. The first with the handle of his sword, and the second when he smashed her against a wall.

She seemed to be doing a lot of that smashing against walls thing these days. Or smashing against floors. Or trees, or forest floors... Maybe she should cut the habit more. Her body liked to remind her of it at the worst of times. It was the familiar throbbing ache that came from a good beating, and she had had her share of those. Hell, her back was probably going to be black and blue from how bad it felt.

Against all odds, Kiyoko looked down at herself, pulled down one side of her white top off of her shoulder, and stared at the bruise blooming there. It seemed to stare back at her. She frowned. And then poked at it curiously. "... Shit, that hurt."