Cycle of Karma
By sf
Begun : Aug 31 2003

Rating : PG-13 for violence. And of course, no fic is complete without some character abuse.

--

Sanzo opened his eyes.

"The next town’s so far away! We’d never reach it even if we drove all night," Goku whined, right into his ear. "Sanzo, are you listening to me?!"

The engine spluttered then, and there was a soft whimper from the dashboard. "I think Hakuryuu’s just about done in," Hakkai said, turning to look at him. "If we want to travel any distance tomorrow..."

He looked up into the sky, and the moon was rising on the horizon. It shimmered in the dusty air, yellow and engorged. There was no shelter for miles, but just enough foliage and rock to accommodate plenty of assassins.

"And we haven’t had dinner," Goku’s whine continued, taking a life of its own. "I’m starving to death! And can’t we have some water? Please?"

"And it’s going to start freezing in a moment," Gojyo pitched in.

Sanzo took a deep breath, wincing as the air seemed to claw its way down his windpipe. "Fine."

With a chirp of relief, Hakuryuu ground to a halt.

"Right, let’s get a fire going so that we can have some real dinner," Goku leapt out of the Jeep, radiating enthusiasm.

"No fires," Sanzo cut in tersely.

"But... but... but why?"

Sanzo shrugged irritably. "It’s not safe." Someone’s watching us. Somewhere.

"And there’s no wood," Hakkai pointed out. "Except the bushes, and those wouldn’t burn properly."

Goku looked morose. "So it’s cold leftovers again? We should have pushed on to the next town..."

"You’re the one who wanted a stop," Sanzo shot back, as he climbed out of Jeep. Screw this all... he needed a smoke.

"You said ‘no fires’," Gojyo smirked. Nearby, there was a brief shimmer, then a white shape winged up to perch on Hakkai’s shoulders.

"Don’t get smart with me, kappa." There was a flash of light in the darkness, which faded into a muted glow at the end of the cigarette. He nearly choked upon inhaling, but once the smoke was in, nerves that he hadn’t realized were wound taut loosened gradually.

"It’s been a long day," Hakkai told them. "And a long night, if I might add." He shot a look of what might have been admonishment at Sanzo. The other ignored it. "We all need our rest."

"But--" Goku started.

"After dinner, of course," Hakkai smiled at him.

"Screw dinner," Gojyo muttered. "I’m going to sleep. Saru can eat his heart out."

"Post a guard," Sanzo said.

"Not me!" Goku piped up.

"Not me either!" Gojyo said quickly.

Hakkai and Sanzo exchanged glances. "I’m the driver," Hakkai said discretely.

"It’s not like anyone can sleep with that monkey snoring the stars down, anyway," Sanzo muttered. There was a scrape of dirt as he sat, his back to one withered, leafless specimen of a tree. And it’s not like I’d get any sleep if I tried. Not with...

He paused. There it was, that intangible feeling that clicked with the cigarette smoke and recalled too many nights and too many rude awakenings... It was stronger now, more familiar, and the cold that needled down his spine had nothing to do with the chill of a desert night.

Youryoku, he realized. Not the typical concentrated stab that bespoke of a youkai climbing in through the window, but diffused. Dissipated. Diluted.

Steeped. It emanated from the ground. The earth was soaked in it. It rang with the same undertone that Hyakugan Maou’s castle did ... even with every youkai slaughtered and the castle torched, the land still remembered.

This was even older. Youkai had lived here, and their fathers, and the grandfathers of their grandfathers. Generations upon generations. Youkai had been here long before the Minus Wave. Long before Gyuumao. Perhaps were still here... there was no way of knowing.

Goku had stuffed his face and leaned back to sleep. Gojyo was already out, snoring lightly. "Wake me up in an hour," Hakkai soft voice reached him, out of the darkness.

Sanzo scoffed quietly. "Go to sleep."

***

Hours passed without incident. The nerves grew used to the tingle of youryoku, further dulled by fatigue and nicotine. It faded, like a persistent smell that one failed to notice after a while. The pack of cigarettes ran low, and another had to be broken out. The night was still, soundless and windless. But the air was tense, watchful.

Goku began snoring again, and with a small sigh of irritation, Sanzo leaned over to roll him onto his side.

And that was why the arrow bolt intended for his head embedded itself in the tree behind instead.

The others scrabbled awake to the explosion of gunshots and the whine of arrows overhead. A bolt lodged itself into Goku’s cape as he tried to stand, sending him flopping over onto his back. A glowing barrier shot into place over him as he frantically tore the arrow out of the ground, deflecting several more that were rather more accurately aimed.

"I thought you were supposed to be on guard!" Gojyo yelled. "Sleeping on the job, monk?"

Sanzo fired off two more shots. "You didn’t sense them either."

"Yeah, but I was asleep!"

"Which is why I had to step in to save your sorry ass. Why I bother, I don’t know."

The shakujou’s blade stabbed into the ground inches away from Sanzo’s foot. There was a momentary lull in gunfire. "Idiot cockroach," Sanzo ground out. "Watch where you put that thing. If you can’t even control your phallic symbol..."

"...get a wimpy one, like yours?" Gojyo shot back.

The bullet came close enough to sever several strands of hair. As Gojyo drew breath to protest, a shout interrupted him.

"Hakuryuu! Behind--"

A draconic shrill of pain escaped as the dragon fell, one wing leaking blood. A blade cut -- steel had sheared through cartilage and membrane. The wing hung loose, barely supported by a thin framework of bone.

"Hakuryuu!" Hakkai cried again, the anguish evident in his voice. There were several explosions of light as he rushed to Hakuryuu’s side.

"Idiot! Behind you!" Sanzo’s gun clicked on an empty chamber, but Goku was already there. There was a gurgled scream as he brought Nyoibou down hard enough to split a youkai’s skull. "Gotcha," Goku smirked. "Five already."

The death did nothing to abate the fury of the attack.

"Learn to shut up," Gojyo snapped back, decapitating one. Beside him, Sanzo calmly reloaded and began firing again. "This really was a bad place to stop."

"Oh listen to you..." Gojyo muttered. "This is just a bit of a warm up before breakfast."

"It is not," a voice cut in. Gojyo glanced across, startled, and met narrowed green eyes. Hakkai stood slowly, cradling Hakuryuu. "It’s not a game." His free hand darted out, and the subsequent blast obliterated the remaining attackers.

"I’m sorry," Gojyo replied, recalling the blade. It clicked onto place in a shower of blood. "I didn’t mean... well... I’m sorry..."

"Hey, Hakkai, is he okay? Hakuryuu?" Goku asked.

"We have to walk," Hakkai said curtly. "And he needs warmth, rest and proper food, if the wound is to mend properly. And we need water. Bandages. Something to clean the grit out..."

There was an uncomfortable pause. "I think there was a stream somewhere ahead..." Gojyo volunteered. "Or some village..."

"Then let us walk," Sanzo ordered. "It’s morning." Stowing the gun, he set off without a backward glance. His sandals churned up dust.

Slowly, the others followed one by one. Eventually, they vanished beyond the dunes.

And the sun rose on a blood soaked ground, littered with bodies.

***
TBC
***