Chichiri
I had been walking for over an hour. I was freezing and soaked and even worse, the evening was setting upon me. It seemed as if I had been walking in circles. No matter where I was, there was no sign of a village or any form of civilization. I knew that I was walking deeper and deeper into a vast forest. and being new to this world, I knew that couldn't be a good thing. The whole time, only one thought occupied my mind, "How am I going to get home?"
I kind of regretted leaving Chichiri, even if he was a jerk, or so I thought. After all he was the only person that I had met in this world.
After a couple more hours, it got too dark to see the trail, and I soon lost the trail. Finally, I knew and excepted the fact that I was lost. I made one last attempt too keep walking and soon I found myself in the middle of a broad moonlit field in the middle of the forest
I sighed and sat down in the cool dried grass that reached to my knees, I gazed up at the starry night sky, The thought, "where am I ?" raced through my mind. I had never felt so alone or scared in my life. This had to be a nightmare, it had to.
The night air was cold and crisp, by now my clothes had dried pretty much. But it was still freezing. I tried to get deeper into the grass for warmth, but it didn't work
.
"This place is pretty though" I thought. But I was still in too much of a confusion to think about beautiful scenery.
I was lying down, exausted when I heard a rustle in the trees behind me. I didn't think much of it. "It's probably just the wind"
But soon after that I heard a low hissing growl. I shot up straight, not wanting to turn around and see what it was, but never the less I swallowed my fear and turned.
I gasped, it was a wolf. I had been terrified of wolves from since I could remember, and now I was alone in the woods me and the wolf, who was bearing his fangs and growling. This couldn't be good.
I began to walk slowly backwards, as the wolf began to walk slowly towards me.
"Nice doggy, nice doggy, get back, you don't want me, now, do you?" I said in the manner that I talked to my own dog.
It didn't work, it seemed to irritate him more and more and his growling got louder and the pitch got higher. I knew that no matter what I said, it wouldn't work, he was fixed on me.
Finally I couldn't stand it any more, I wanted some one to save me, or at least know that I was there. I let out a scream. But he lunged at me. Knocking me to the ground brutally. I could feel him sink him Ivory white fangs into my neck. I could feel the warm blood seeping from my body. I cried desperately for mercy, even though I new I would never get through to him.
Then I noticed a shadow come over the two of us. The wolf looked up and began to growl fiercely, with fire in his eyes. I knew that whatever that caused the shadow would be history too. There was a sound, a jingle. The wolf looked up and stepped back, he began to whine and then ran away with his tail between his legs. I was too terrified to even see who saved me. I lay on the ground coughing, trembling and crying.
"Are you all right no da?" I recognized the unique high pitched voice
It was that jerk! Chichiri! But he saved me... I thought maybe he's not such a jerk
"Th-Thank y-you..." I managed to squeak.
He sighed, "This is bad... Toreshi, can you stand up?
I Tried to stand up, but I felt too dizzy and fell back into the blood soaked grass.
"Don't worry no da. I can take you to some one who can help you. But you're just going to have to cooperate with me." he assured
I nodded and he helped me get to my feet again.
"Here..." he said, "Get on my back."
"Whaaaaat???" I asked
"Just do it no da." he said in a harsher, but not mean tone.
I nodded and he hoisted me onto his back. We started off to wherever Chichiri was gong to. I had no clue
****
As Chichiri trotted through the forest was in complete belief of what had just happened, because of the pain though, I knew all of this had to be true. But I tried to keep my mind off of the pain by thinking about this world that I had bee sucked into. I didn't want to think about it. I had thought about it enough in the past couple of hours that I wanted to give my mind a rest.
Finally we reached a village
"This is Choukou." informed Chichiri.
I nodded weakly.
"So you have heard of the Suzaku Shichi Seishi?"
I nodded
"Our Miko Too?"
I nodded, "have you allready called suzaku?"
"Yes, we called suzaku a couple of months ago. But our Mikos wishes didn't effect any of us. She wished that he and her beloved, Tamahome would never separate. She also wished that the war between our country and a neighboring country would end. Her last wish was that here friend, would be able to return to her world na no da"
"Who are you taking me to?" I asked
"A suzaku seishi, Mitsukake.."
"He has a healing power, right?" I asked remembering back to the Shijintenchishou.
"Yes, very good no da"
"Thanks."
I closed my eyes and put my head down, the pain was too much to bear.
"Are you okay?" asked Chichiri.
"It hurts really bad..." I whined
"Don't worry, we're almost there..."
After about another minute, Chichiri spoke up again, "Ah, we're there."
We reached a small white stucco house with a red, clay-tile roof. Surrounded by a small wooden fence.
Chichiri knocked on the door, "Mitsukake, It's Chichiri na no da"
The door creaked open. The man who opened it was tall and muscular. He had to be over six feet tall. He had spiky black hair that was framed with a bandanna.
."Who is she?" he asked
"I'll explain in a minute but for now she needs help, Mistukake can you heal her?"
The man nodded, "Yes, bring her inside."
Chichiri entered the well lit house and I was hit with a burst of pleasantly warm air, it felt so good.(as I had been out in the cold for hours) then Chichiri set me down on a small wooden chair in the corner of the small house, and Mitsukake approached me.
He cringed, "This is bad. What happened to you?"
"I-it was a wolf, it attacked me." I explained
"Yes, I can see that by the claws marks, Well I can take care of that."
He held his hand to my chest and the whole room filled with a red light. My whole body felt warm and I felt extremely relaxed and almost sleepy. Then it was all over. I looked down and my body was as good as new! Even my clothes were perfect again.
"Wow!" I marveled, "That's amazing! Thank you so much!"
He smiled "You're welcome."
Then he turned to Chichiri and his voice got quieter, "So, who is she?"
"Well..." Chichiri explained, "I stopped at a pond by the woods, and she burst out of the water. She was wearing my beads." He pointed to the beads around my neck, " She claims that she's from the future and that those beads were given to her by her parents. I believe her because when I tried to take them off, she began to glow with the red light of Suzaku. When I took them off of her, she fell to the ground and couldn't move, it was strange no da."
"Hmmmm... sounds awfully weird, maybe she was sent here by suzaku... who knows." said Mitsukake
"Do you know what it could mean?" I asked
Both shook their heads
I hung my head down low, I wanted some answers
"I'm sure we'll find out soon though." assured Chichiri ,"But for now you can stay here, tomorrow we'll try to find some answers."
"I'm sure you two must be starving," observed Mitsukake, "I still have some food left, if you want some."
I nodded, "I'm starving!"
"Yes, me too. Thanks Mitsukake no da."
With that Mitsukake brought two steaming bowls of soup followed by two bowls of rice to the table, "Here you are miss... um... what's you're name again?"
"It's Tracy... To-Re-Shi..." I said simplifying it
"That's kind of hard to say.." commented Chihiri, "Can we call you by a nick name? a name that's easier to say than Toreshi no da."
I nodded with my mouth full, "un."
"Hmmmm..." Chichiri was thinking,
The two of them Listed a bunch of names before I found the one that I liked
"How about......ahh, yes, ..Tenmei no da?"
I liked the sound of that name, it was pretty, "I like it!" I exclaimed, "What does it mean?"
"Well, 'Ten' means heaven or heavenly and 'Mei' means Destiny" explained Chichiri
"Wow! That's very pretty!"
"So, Your Tenmei now. Hi Tenmei no da!"
"Ummm..hi.." I said nervously, he was kind of an odd man.
* * *
After diner Chichiri turned to me, "Now are you so sure that you can go out on you're own?"
I couldn't believe that he was bringing that up again! "That's not funny!" I growled, "I coulda died!!"
"My point exactly no da"
Call me a drama queen, but I was on the again, "You're so mean! Whats wrong with you!?"
"Hey.." he said softly, "I didn't mean to upset you, oh... I'm sorry Tenmei."
I wiped my nose on my sleeve, "Well, you should be."
"Look, "he said , "I'm calling a truce. How about we start from a new beginning. We're going to have to be together for a while, well at least that's what it looks like for no, so we might as well be friends no da"
"No" I said flatly, " I can survive on my own."
"Surly you're joking miss Tenmei.." he scoffed, "After what happened tonight, you still think you can go out on your own?"
"Of course! What are the chances that I'm gonna get attacked by a wolf again?!"
"It's not just a bout wolves..." he explained, "It's about you being a girl, new to this world. You don't know your way around. There are some sick and twisted people out there, what happens if you end up in the wrong hands"
"What? Are you saying that your the only descent person in this country?" I asked
"No, I'm just saying that there are some sick people, at least you can stay where you know that you are safe. that's here. I mane what if you go out there and you fall into the hands of a gang, or you're forced into prostitution, what happens then no da?"
I glared at him at first, but then I realized how senseless it was to try to go off on my own again. He was the only person in this whole world that I remotely knew. If I went out on my own again, I probably would only get into more trouble. Who Knows, next time, Chichiri might not be there to save me.
I hesitantly nodded, "Okay, Chichiri, you have yourself a deal..."
