Kanashis eyelids felt heavy, each time the train hit a bump in its path it rocked him further and further to sleep. His eyes burned from how dry they were and his nose was clogged with snot, people avoided his eye contact but that didn’t bother him at the moment.
I look like the pathetic mess I am, If I was them I’d look away too. He thought while wiping his nose.
He went to the [Kisaragi] train station and boarded the first train to [Tousen] the capital of Edoland shortly after departing with Nordon. He’d arrive at Tousen in around six hours and then use the last bit of money he had from Kenken and Otsuga to buy a plane ticket to…
Where am I going to go? I can’t just show up at the Venator Tower right? Even if that’s the closest thing I have to a home at the moment… maybe I made the wrong choice here… Kanashi sighed. He picked at the fresh scab on his arm, a bad habit he’d begun to develop recently.
“Well worst case scenario I can sell [Itachi] right?” He muttered looking at the ring on his right ring finger. It contrasted his black arm greatly; the blood red color with runes inscribed across it were certainly peculiar but not as much as his black arm. It stuck out like a sore thumb, for Kanashi who was very pale and fair skinned to have an arm the color of burned coal was certainly off putting.
Maybe that’s why people aren’t talking to me… He thought while starting to search through his backpack. After rummaging around for a minute or two he pulled out a large roll of bandages he’d nabbed from the Hojo Clan estate and wrapped them around his right arm. Though it didn’t obscure his entire arm and hand it hid the majority of it and would certainly work for the moment. With that problem solved Kanashi put his bag back down by his feet and then let his head fall back against his chair. Each bump in the train path rocking him further and further to sleep.
# # #
Kanashi was in a void, one which had yet to take shape, a place he knew. Yes he had been here before, but he didn’t know when or why. However he knew that compared to the last time something felt off, this place was much stranger. The sense of peace and emptiness was instead replaced with a dread, one which filled Kanashi completely with fear making him unable to move, he couldn’t breathe, move or speak. It was hell, and he was stuck like that for what felt like over a thousand years. He tried to count each second but he stopped once he could no longer think the number without multiple seconds passing.
Then as it seemed like he was going to be stuck in the void forever he saw something, right out of view a white wisp of vague human shape. One which resembled a woman, he couldn't make out anything other than her long hair flowing in the non existent wind and a large kimono dragging behind her.
“!”
Kanashi tried to yell out to the women, begging for her help but nothing came from his voice, nothing at all. He could only watch as the woman faded just as quickly as she appeared. He pushed his body as hard as he could, he wanted to make a single noise, a yelp, murmur, hell even a breath of air would be enough to satisfy him. Just one more time he wanted to make a noise but nothing came out no matter how hard he tried.
His Vocal cords were ripped apart as he screamed as hard as he could. His lips and cheek ripping at the seams from how wide he opened them in an attempt to scream. But nothing worked, he had no mouth to scream with. He could only exist for another eternity, a time unknown to anyone other than him. He silently begged and pleaded for death, to end this torture. He needed to do something before this women left, before he was left in another endless eternity. But how long had she been fading for? A thousand years? Maybe more? Would she ever fade away or would she continued to tease him like this never truly vanishing but just giving off the illusion of it. A false hope that they might be able to call to her and the dreaded threat of her vanishing before that.
Kanashi pushed his body to its limits as he tried to move forwards, he forced his body to move through pure stubbornness and determination, he only took one step. With that step the bones from his hip down shattered instantly. The splinters of bone shot out of his leg like a cactus’s needles and he was forced down the ground.
Kanashi slammed to the non existent ground face first, every single tooth in his mouth flew crumbled to dust which poured out of his lips like sand.
“!”
He tried to scream once again but nothing came out of it, he tried to force his body to move but nothing happened. His body began to rip apart, flesh revealing muscle which snapped like broken threads. All the while his eyes focused on the women who'd faded almost entirely. In the last moment before she disappeared for good she turned around and looked back at Kanashi. Her foxlike eyes upturned into a smile, blood red eyes the same shade as Itachi's guard.
With that Kanashi burst into dust.
# # #
“!”
Kanashis face slammed into the cold hard metal of the seat in front of him. His nose while not breaking cracked painfully against the cold steel and he was forcefully awakened from his dream. Well dream was not correct, hellish nightmare would be the better term.
“Gah!” He coughed, tears dripping out of his eyes.
I don't know whether to be angry or thankful… He thought, pressing his hand against his face. He tried to apply healing magic but it seemed to do nothing.
“?”
I knew it wouldn’t actually heal me but it should relieve the pain somewhat… He thought, raising his brow. Now why did the train itself stop? Kanashi, still somewhat dazed, stood up and looked around at the rest of the train car, to his surprise it was empty, not a single person or animal in sight. Not even their luggage remained.
“?”
Did I fall asleep for that long? That… dream felt like it lasted forever but I also feel as though I only dozed off for a moment… Did I miss the stop? Did no one try to wake me up? I guess they were acting afraid of me before but I hoped they would give me a nudge or something… but that still doesn't explain why the train stopped… it should run 24/7 and is electric so needing to refuel isn’t an issue. Was there a cave in or something?
Bark bark bark!
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
The sound of barking dogs pulled Kanashis attention before him. The sounds of people screaming and crying, dogs snarling and barking materialized from seemingly nowhere.
Dogs barking? People screaming and crying? This is like something from a horror movie…
Just as Kanashi thought that he heard the train car in front of his erupt with noise, whatever was happening it was quickly moving towards him and it didn’t sound good. The growls and barks were much more audible, they sounded like something that came from a hellhound rather than a dog of any sort. The sweat dripping down Kanashi's body plastered the Hojo pendant to his chest, gluing it down tightly.
Did the Hojo rat me out to the Toumeikan already!? Did they take my apathy towards their request as a threat and just told the Yakuza? Or Is this them searching for me because of the Izumika Incident? Is this even the Yakuza? Is it just a robbery? What am I doing standing here thinking!? I need to move, I need to-
The car's door swung open and a horde of dogs ran inside, they looked alien in appearance, more like a chupacabra than any hound Kanashi has seen. Their mouths were filled with jagged needle-like serrated teeth and their eyes like pin dots black and sunken in. Their skin was covered in odd patches of fur and scale like growths as if they were infected with mange or a related disease.
[Itachi-
Kanashi quickly flicked his wrist to conjure his katana but the blood red ring flew from his finger as he did so. As if in slow motion he watched the ring drift through the air and out the open train car door.
The beast leading the charge lunged at Kanashis still extended arm and sank its many fangs into it.
“Gaaah!”Kanashi screamed. Thick dark red blood quickly poured from his arm which he recoiled in shock. As his arm pulled back the dog's teeth only sank further into it, the many small spikes along the serrated fangs shredding Kanashis muscle and arteries more.
“Damnit!” He roared, coating his other fist in enhancement. He smashed it down onto the dog's head as hard as he could and the dog's head exploded in a spray of gore. Skull, brain and blood filled the train car and flew into Kanashi's eyes blinded him.
The second beast jumped at Kanashi's legs ripping it out from under him.
“!”
Kanashi tried to catch himself on a seat as he fell but his arm refused to work, the damage done to it by the beast far too severe.
His head slammed onto the floor of the train car, the pain instantly ringing out through his body. The rest of the beasts now jumped atop him, Kanashi couldn’t see how many there were, his eyes blinded with blood and brains. He could only feel their teeth sink into him.
“Gyaaaah!” He cried spasming on the ground, laughter filled his ears, the laughter of a woman, one highly amused by his torment.
“Stop! Please don’t kill me, I'll do anything! Please stop this!” Kanashi cried out to the person. “I’m sorry pl-”
A hand covered his mouth, a slender cold hand made from soft skin. He could only muffle out begs for mercy and curses as the beasts continued to rip him apart, the pain was immense, indescribable even. Unless you experience it yourself you wouldn't understand. Having your every nerve shredded and ripped should have been saved for only the worst of the worst, those in the deepest layers of hell. The pit of treachery and betrayal.
The female continued to laugh as she sat on Kanashi's stomach. Though he couldn’t see her he could the slight yet noticeable increase of weight on his stomach. A second hand came to his eyes, wiping the blood and brains from them.
Though his vision was still blurred Kanashi could clearly see two eyes staring down at him. Fox-like eyes, the same ones he’d seen in his previous dream.
Ah, I knew these ""dogs"" looked familiar, they’re the Chupacabra's from that movie I saw with Frairk…
With that thought a final beast tore into Kanashis jugular killing him.
# # #
“Gyah!” Kanashi gasped, his eyes shot wide open and he lurched forwards, the sweat from his body literally flying from him. His heart was pounding and his head hurt like he’d been smacked with a chunk of metal.
“A- are you okay, sir?” A voice asked in Shinkai, a female voice with a thick Edoland accent.
Kanashi looked up and saw a middle aged woman in uniform, the same uniform worn by the train station workers. Looking around Kanashi saw that the train had come to a stop and the outside of his seat's window was bustling with action.
“Y-yeah.” Kanashi grunted out, rubbing his head.
“You hit your head pretty hard on the seat in front of you when the train stopped. The other passengers thought you’d been severely hurt. Please try to not cause such a problem.” She said,
“I’m sorry.” Kanashi muttered, nodding his head.
“!”
Just then a sudden pain overcame his right ring finger, a red hot pain like he’d been burned with a hot object. Kanashi quickly looked downwards and saw that Itachi's ring was literally burning his hand, smoke coming from his boiling flesh.
“Gah!” He yelled in surprise, ripping the ring from his finger and letting it fall to the ground.
“Sir are you okay?” The woman asked. The concern in her voice, quickly being replaced with agitation.
“It burnt me!” Kanashi growled looking at his right finger.
“!?”
His finger was perfectly fine, not a single injury on its pitch black surface.
“But how…?” He muttered, Is this another dream? Am I just going crazy?
“Do you mean this ring Sir? It’s cold to the touch.” The woman said holding it perfectly fine in her hand.
“...”
Kanashi reached his hand out to grab the ring but hesitated right before touching it, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath he took from her hand and clutched it in his own.
“...”
Expecting the worst, Kanashi kept his eyes glued shut and held his breath but nothing happened, the ring was indeed just a piece of cold metal which laid in his fist.
“Sir, if you need medical attention please go to the infirmary one lane over, we can’t keep the train stopped any longer.”
# # #
“Was that your way of telling me not to even consider selling you?” Kanashi asked his Katana aloud. He was resting his back against the stall of the train station bathroom which he normally wouldn't do but it was surprisingly clean.
“You could have just said something to me rather then torture me… not one nightmare, not even two nightmares, you also felt the need to burn my finger to make me look crazy in public? You’re lucky I dont flush you down the toilet right now…”
“...”
The Katana stayed silent as Kanashi stared at his reflection in the blade. “Well, you’re right that I was wrong to consider selling you, you’ve gotten me through a lot of conflict so I’ll keep you around.” He sighed, flicking his wrist and deconjuring the blade.
So it’s not just a piece of their soul inside the Katana, they’re still sentient in it as well? It would be useful to contact them somehow… it looks to be possible but only on their terms and not mine. When I see Julius again I’ll need to ask him-
“That’s right I’m not going to see him again… I quit the mission.” Kanashi bit his lip. “Even if I called Nordon and apologized right now It's not like they’d just let me back on board. How could they ever trust me again? Who’s to say I wouldn’t quit again in the future if something bad happens? Something they would really need to depend on me for…? I made my choice, what I thought was the right choice and I’ll have to stick to it. There’s no going back now.”
“Eto… Basuroom needo to use purease?” Someone asked as they knocked on the stall door.
“whoops…”