Misery in the Mountains

I was just floating there for the longest damn time. I have no idea how long I was out; it could've been days, weeks, or minutes, it all felt the same. Well, technically, I didn't feel anything. I just was there in that eternal balckness, unable to move but not having the will to, not being able to see anything, not even breathing, and if you're like me and have spent your whole life breathing, its a very odd sensation to suddenly not. I didn't even think all that much. Mostly just the common question: am I dead? I hope to hell not, death was way too damn boring: just float around and do nothing for eternity? Uh, I get shivers just thinking about it. So imagine my delight when it seemed like an eternity later I heard someone say "Roku?"


I could feel the ground underneath me, and the cool night air kissing my skin. I went from floating in darkness to lying on my back, pain lazily licking my side, eyes closed to darkness. I liked this kind though, 'cause all I had to do to escape it is to open my eyes. So I did. It hurt like hell, I don't know why, but I was finally able to open them after a few struggles. It was dark, either because it was night or my vision was still fucked, I'm not sure. I tried to sit up and immdiately regretted it, I hissed through my teeth at the white pain, and lay back down has fast as possible, but the pain caused me to momentarily forget how to breath.


"You're awake." It was a simple statement, but it took me a minute to process it. I opened my eyes and looked over to see a campfire, and staring into it, with his knees brought up to his chest, was Gojyo. His hair gleamed in the light, and his eyes seemed to sparkle. There was no cigarette dangling from his mouth to my surprise, and I glanced around to see no one else. It was just me, Gojyo, a campfire, and all of us under a tree. Romantic, huh?


"Where're the others?" I asked, my voice a quiet whisper. I cleared my throat, and my voice returned to me when I said "and what the hell happened? How long have I been unconscious?"


"About two days. Not only did you have an arrow through your gut, you but a lot of other injuries from the fight, too. The others are going to find water," Gojyo started, "and 'what the hell happened' I should be asking you."


"Nothing happened," I said slowly. "I'm a guy who looks out for others who can't do it themselves, aka you."


"I didn't ask for you to get shot with a arrow," Gojyo pointed out.


"Yeah, well, you probably weren't asking for the decapitation you were about to get, were you?"


"You don't give us very much credit; we've handled near-misses before. What are you, a masochist?"


"Oh, yeah, getting an arrow through the gut is a real turn on for me, what's yours?" I asked
sarcastically. "Besides, I could say something like 'I'd never let anyone die on my watch' like some chessy western, or I could say 'I saved your ass otherwise I wouldn't get paid'. You can decide which one you like best." It was beginning to hurt to talk, but I thought Gojyo was being a bit ungrateful. Couldn't he just say 'thanks'? Even 'if you try that again I'll kill you' would've worked.


"Hmm. You forgot the 'well, us half-breeds have to stick together' bit." I looked at Gojyo, and realized he was clearly watching for my reaction. The question was probably a shot in the dark for him, so I grinned and said "Yeah, that's a good one." It was an answer that could be taken as a 'yes' or 'what a funny joke!'


"So, you are, aren't you?" Gojyo asked after a moment, looking at me with those red eyes. I could tell by his face that he was expecting to have drag the answer out of me kicking and screaming, so I surprised him.


"Were you expecting a huge arrow to appear over my head flashing 'half-breed below'?" I asked.


"No, but...I wasn't really sure, you know." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I heard all of our kind had blood red eyes and hair."


"That's like saying all Buddhist priests are fat, balding little cherubs that always help others and never do wrong," I said rather pointedly. We both looked at each other, the same thought going through our minds: either the monks had gotten a little lost along the way to Enlightenment, or we had the most seriously fucked up apple in the whole orchird.


"Never thought I'd ever meet another 'child of taboo' as they like to say," Gojyo said, and I sensed he was a bit pissed thinking about the common nickname.


"I perfer half-breed. "Child of Taboo' makes it sound like you had sex with a donkey," I said, and surprisingly he laughed.


"I think, to some people, there's not much difference between donkey or demon," he said.


"Well, you're not cynical at all, aren't you?" I said quietly. We were quiet for a moment before Gojyo smiled to himself, then looked at me.


"Hey, I heard another rumor about our kind," he said, and whipped out a deck of cards. "They say that half-breeds are dangerous with cards." He held them out to me and smiled. "Wanna see if it's true? I've been itching for a good game of poker, just too bad there's no girls around to watch me kick your ass."


"The only thing those girls would see is you crying over your cigarette," I grinned, slowly rolling over to face him, sitting up too painful so I was going to have to support myself up on my elbow. "Let's play some cards, jack."


"My name's Gojyo, remember?"


I smiled. "I meant jackass. Next time, let me finish my sentence."



"We should try to hurry," I heard Hakkai say a while later. I couldn't see them, but I could hear approaching
footsteps, followed by "This bucket's really heavy! And what're we gonna eat, I'm starved!"


"You're head'll be in that bucket if you keep up the whining," said Sanzo, I could just imagine him reaching into his robes to pull out his idiot-proof paper fan.


"Took your sweet time in getting here," Gojyo said as Hakkai, Goku, and Sanzo emerged from the surrounding night.


"I guess you weren't as hurt as I thought, if you're well enough to play against Gojyo," said Hakkai in a slightly scolding tone as he made Goku drop the bucket beside me and kneeled down. "Believe me, I'd rather have morohine than poker," I said, gritting my teeth as Hakkai pulled apart the makeshift bandage on my side, the pain unbearable but I said nothing. Goku leaned down and looked at the hole in my stomach intently. "It doesn't look that bad," he said. "Are you sure you aren't making it up?"


"Looks can be decieving, you little pus bucket," I hissed when Hakkai pushed a cold, wet rag against my stomach.


"Try not talk," Hakkai said, trying to smile.


"Goku, it might be in your best interest to leave Roku alone," said Gojyo. If my face hadn't been contorted in pain, I would've looked at him questioningly. What, suddenly he decided to stick up for me?


"And why would that be?" asked Sanzo, saying what I was thinking.


"I dunno. That's the first time I've heard Roku insult anyone, so he might be in a pissy mood cause of the pain, right?"


"Shut up, Gojyo," I growled. "Do you fold or not?"


"Still thinking about cards?" Gojyo asked with a mock scold, but he couldn't help the grin spreading over his face. "If you insist," he said, laying down his cards on the ground.


"Damn, a flush!" said Hakkai, peering at the cards. I looked away, and Gojyo laughed. "Whatta ya say, Roku?"


Hakkai was still cleaning the hole in my gut, so I couldn't move. I knew everyone was looking at me, so I sighed heavily. "Shit," I growled, and Sanzo said, "Well, looks like you won, kappa. Please tell me you won back the money he stole?"


"What did you have, anyway?" Goku asked, and before I could do anything, he grabbed my facedown cards and flipped them over. Everyone looked at them, then turned to me. Gojyo's mouth fell open, and he stuttered "H-how the h-hell?!"


"I told you before, let me finish my sentences," I said with a small smile, tapping my cards. "I was going to say 'Shit, sorry for your luck, but I have a royal flush.'" It was true; staring up at Sanzo, Goku, Hakkai, and Gojyo was a King, Queen, Jack, Ace, and Ten of hearts.


"Roku beat Gojyo? Either he cheated, or was very lucky," Sanzo said, and I looked at him. "Hey! Why can't I just win fair and square?"


"Because someone kicking Gojyo's ass at cards is a sign of the apocalypse," Hakkai said cheerfully.


"Roku kicked your ass, Roku kicked your ass..." Goku chanted, until Gojyo lunged for the boy, malice in his eyes. "Come here, you little monkey, and I'll kick your ass!"


"Don't be a sore loser," I scolded him, then asked Hakkai "Well, what's the verdict, doc?"


"I'm no doctor," Hakkai said, done cleaning my wound and rewrapping my chest. "But I'd say a day of rest, then you'll be fine."


"Just close his wound now, and we can be on our way tomorrow," Sanzo said, looking at me instead of Hakkai, like it was a conspiracy.


"Will you quit acting like I'm plotting to make this trip last as long as possible?" I said, a twitch of pain making my words slightly more venomous than I wished.


"I did close the wound, but it will take a little time to heal all the way, you know that Sanzo," Hakkai said. "Besides, I think we could all use the rest. Its been a hard couple of days." His tone, though polite, had
a slight edge to it, as if it was the end of discussion. I could see Sanzo just burning with death threats and insults, but he instead stalked away and lit a cigarette. My eyes drooped as Gojyo and Goku attempted to kill each other, Hakkai set up sleeping bags, and the pissy priest smoked his cigarette in silence.