Author: Ilúvënis Telperiën
Disclaimers: Slam Dunk is the property of Takehiko Inoue, IT Plannings.
Pairings: SenRu and others
Ratings: R
Type: Novella
Warnings: AU, Romance, Fantasy, OOC-ness (?) and YAOI
Summary: Having broken an ancient code of honour of the jungles, Sendoh Akira, a young hunter, found himself led into the jungle by a pack of wolves. He met the Prince of Beasts and found himself encumbered with raw emotions as never before.
Author's notes: This is dedicated to the AkiraKaede Mailing list as an apology for not being able to write the AkiraKaede syndrome fic due to predictable reasons. Also to be seen as a replacement for 'Eternal Love', which is probably the worst fic the SenRu fandom had seen in its history.
Oh, and this fic is not beta-ed by anyone else! I think I was careful enough, but I'm apologizing for any grammatical, punctuation and language errors that you may come across!
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The co-existence of Man and Animal was, since the earliest of times, finely balanced on a thin thread of equilibrium. Man took sufficient for food, and Animal steered clear of Man's path.
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Come forth my young fearless warrior
Here I whisper ancient words of candor
Pledge your tribute, honest and true
"Pursue not, the escaped of preys.
Hunt not, the expectant of mothers.
Destroy not, the homes of the weak.
Preserve not, the remnants of traps.
Slay not, the defenceless of the youth."
Hear, my cherished huntsman
Honour your codesAnd no harm will befall
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The song, always sung by the eldest of Wiseman, constantly reminded the hunters to keep to their promise - the promise to maintain the fragile equilibrium of life.
The relationship was always carefully sustained, until certain of men decided that being the sole beings capable of manipulating their surroundings, the availability of food and wealth should be brought under their control as well. Animals were ruthlessly exploited, hunted and murdered. Men took over plots of forestland, wiped out animal population in those lands and took what they wanted. They had all, but stood by the ancient codes of honour.
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"Gee, Koshino, hurry up!" The strong baritone was dropped to a sharp whisper, urging his fellow hunter along. Sendoh Akira narrowed his eyes as a small shadow flitted by, causing hasty rustling of dry leaves and twigs. "A hare," He muttered, taking careful aim with his crossbow before firing a shot at the brown hare. The hare leapt off the ground with a loud, pained squeak. Instead of collapsing, it took off into the bushes.
"Shit!" Koshino cursed loudly, not expecting the hare to survive Sendoh's arrow. He glared at Sendoh, who merely shrugged and gave chase.
"No! Akira!"
" 'Pursue not, the escaped of preys'!"
"Leave it if you can't kill it!"
The three other huntsmen called out to their friend harshly. Sendoh ignored them. He wasn't going to give up the hare so easily. He was sure that the arrow got it good. The spots of blood on the ground proved his theory. The injured animal rustled through the trees, the arrow still in its shoulder. Sendoh was sure that he would capture it in no time. After all, a small animal like that didn't have that much blood to lose. He lost his friends fast, as he ran deeper into the thick, green jungle.
The undergrowth rustled noisily, and the hare ran. Sendoh felt as though he should stop. There was something odd about the situation. Firstly, no small animals had survived his arrows before, and secondly, the hare seemed to know where it was going, instead of running in erratic circles with inconsistent twists trying to lose its pursuer. The hare, however, was slowing down. He smiled grimly to himself – no, he must get that hare, or his family will starve.
The hare ran into a clearing in the deep of the jungle. Sendoh stopped. Luminous eyes of green and gold flickered ominously within the darkness. The sky was darkening, and night was approaching fast. His heart pounded loudly, and he felt sure that any predators within the threatening depths could hear his blood running through his veins – the very blood that they thirst for.
He had forgotten about the hare the minute a large wolf stepped out of the undergrowth. Sendoh's eyes widened. He had never seen wolves of this size before. Its grey fur seemed to bear an odd tint of red, and its grave golden eyes bore into his with penetrating intensity. He braced himself.
Within minutes, a dozen other wolves, smaller in size, emerged from the darkness. Sendoh felt lost. He was under a pack attack. Looking around wildly, he realized that he had come so far into the jungle that he did not know his way out any more. He steeled himself for the inevitable battle.
However, the lead wolf seemed to have other ideas. It looked him over and turned its head to aside and communicated with another wolf, which was slightly diminished in dimensions but still large. That wolf strolled silently with the grace of a predator to his back and he found himself rapidly encircled by the pack. Sendoh almost felt that all was lost. The wolves were definitely going to have him for dinner, probably the first meal of the night.
A cold wind curled around him, sneaking beneath his cowhide coat. Thrills of goosebumps were felt down his back. Sendoh wasn't sure what caused that - the wind, or the unsettling atmosphere encompassing the place. He pulled his clothes together with his free hand, his right hand on a death grip on his twelve-inch long dagger.
Then the lead wolf did the unexpected. It turned away from him and walked into the jungle. He turned around quickly to see the other wolf on its feet and looking at him sternly, as though expecting him to follow. It nudged Sendoh's leg while another wolf sank its teeth into his trousers and pulled him in the direction of the jungle. Sendoh was bewildered and for once, he was at a loss of what to do.
The menacing presence of the wolves made his final decision. He followed the fast disappearing figure of the lead wolf into the jungle, the pack pressed close to him and urged him on.
Turn, Akira! Run while you are still strong!
The wolves pressed hard, and he hastened his steps involuntarily.
The night is still young and your dagger is sharp! Draw blood and run from these beasts!
The trees seemed to thin out slowly. Sendoh found himself led by the pack of wolves down a narrow, almost invisible path of white sand amidst thick shrubbery. It was all becoming very strange, he realized, how could there be fine, white sand trails as immaculate as such in a wild, uninhabited forest? He shuffled noisily through the shrub branches and leaves. Not able to resist himself, he turned to look at the path he came from.
There was nothing but endless darkness. It seemed as though the world he came from had faded away to nothingness. The wolf growled softly, warning him to continue moving. Sendoh bit back the urges to run – he could go nowhere but follow the wolves – to wherever they wanted to take him to. He had a faint notion that they wouldn't eat him – yet. He could see the elegant swish of the lead wolf's large bushy tail ahead, and he broke out into a small run to catch up.
Sunlight had long evaded his vision, but Sendoh found that he was able to see every single thing in his path. The moon would not be up yet, and even so, the thick greenery would shield the weak white glow. There seemed to be an infinite source of light amidst the woods – as though the trees gave off light on their own. His tracks were illuminated by a soft green light which was surprisingly comforting, instead of eerie.
He knew that he would be too far within the mountains for anyone to find him. They would think he's dead – and how was he going to leave, if for some strange reasons, the wolves spared him? He pressed his deerskin cap firmly in place, as though he would be meeting someone important. The atmosphere was so thick that it seemed to crackle with an undefined energy of sorts.
The lead wolf suddenly stopped.
Sendoh blinked and slowed his pace. There, a few feet away, was an entrance to a large cave. The lead wolf looked at him with its grave, golden eyes. Sendoh gulped visibly and stepped forward. An unknown force seemed to guide him in his walk into the cave. He heard the pack of wolves growl neutrally and soft shuffling indicating their departure.
The cave was dark, but his legs seemed to know their way in on their own accord. He couldn't see a thing, but he felt thick, wet moss beneath his cowhide boots, and for every step there was a soft spongy squish. Hunter instincts told him that he should get out before the unknown predators that lurked within the darkness attacked him, but his legs brought him forth. His heartbeat resonated loudly within his chest, and he was almost sure that the silent thumps were echoing off the cave walls too.
The tip of his right foot kicked something. A door. Sendoh sighed in subtle relief that he had not crashed into the structure head-on. He gave the door a push and it opened.
It was a large, circular room built into the rocky cave. A fierce fire burned within a humongous cavern, which could only be the fireplace. Sendoh's blue eyes widened in a mixture of wonder and shock as his vision swept through the neatly furnished room. It looked lived in, he thought. That was stupid, he winced, only a man could start a fire like that.
Then his eyes fell on a panther sleeping on a large, flat slab of rock. It was the only living thing in sight and it didn't look like a pet. In fact, it looked like it lived in the place.
But the fire…
He took a tentative step towards the panther, silently berating himself for his stupidity.
Why am I approaching a panther, which could eat me in two seconds flat?
The panther roused itself and stretched in a languid, feline manner. It raised its torso and sat upright on the rock slab, head raised high and proud – in a regal fashion. Sendoh was electrified [1] to the spot the minute he looked into the sharp, penetrating gaze of the blue panther eyes. The panther jumped off the rock and walked towards him slowly, elegantly, swaying its lean and powerful body. Sendoh could not move at all. He was entranced by the bewitching shade of blue of the panther's eyes.
The panther looked him over – and he was suddenly reminded of the large wolf, which had led him here. It walked behind Sendoh silently and there was a subtle rumble of the air around him before a soft, masculine voice broke the trance.
"Sendoh Akira,"
Sendoh turned around in shock. In the place of where the panther should be, was the most stunning specimen of men he ever saw. The blue eyes were the exact shade of cobalt as the panther – no, he was the panther.
"I speak to you, mortal," The young man frowned slightly. Sendoh was shaken out of his stupor rudely and he realized that he had been staring into the eyes of the beautiful man for too long.
"Aa," He replied hastily, "I am Sendoh Akira,"
Mortal?
"Are you a man or a panther?" He fumbled for words.
"Neither," The soft, sexy voice rippled through Sendoh's senses.
"Uh… why am I here?"
"You should not be," The gorgeous being walked back to the rock slab, "You should have been devoured by the Guardians of the Jungle for breaking the code of honour,"
Sendoh could only gape at the gently swaying back of the ethereal being – the powerful, sexy, feline sway.
"But Sakuragi, for some strange reasons, think that you should be sent to me instead,"
"Pardon me, but…who are you?"
"Rukawa Kaede. I am the Prince of Beasts, but I am what you mortals considered a deity,"
"A god?"
"Not a god. Gods created us, and they leave the protection of the jungles and the beasts to us," Rukawa sat on the rock slab and crossed his legs. Sendoh noticed the tight black satin trousers that did not conceal the powerful lithe muscles of Rukawa's legs. He swallowed, eyes trailing up the slender torso covered in a silky, black shirt.
"Cease your lecherous thoughts, thou artless ill-nurtured lewdster," Rukawa snapped.
"You can read minds?" Sendoh asked incredulously, his heart thumping wildly from the embarrassment of being discovered.
"Your straying eyes concealed ill of your mind," Rukawa rolled his eyes, "And have you forgotten the reason for your presence in my abode?"
The code of honour!
Sendoh made a sharp intake of breath, "I supposed that I would be punished?"
"You are not frightened?"
"I don't know," He replied truthfully, finding himself unable to lie before the sharp blue eyes, "I had to feed my family, and well, the hare is the only chance I'd get to catch something that day,"
The blue eyes bore into his with frightening intensity, seeming to search for traces of deception and greed.
"Food is not the reason for harming the weak, and Haruko is not just any hare [2],"
"The hare has a name?"
"She is our royal messenger," Rukawa continued, ignoring Sendoh's astonishment, "There are reasons for the existence of the codes of honour, mortal,"
"Hey, I have a name!" Sendoh scowled uncharacteristically. Rukawa, however, ignored him still, "Prey meant to be yours would be yours, but escaped ones have strong commitments elsewhere. They could be mothers, fathers, or even deities," The blue eyes returned to Sendoh's, "Do you not understand, mortal?"
"I have a name! It's Sendoh Akira!"
"Haruko, in this case, is very important for the royal family of the beasts," Rukawa turned away – Sendoh was sure that he was smirking.
"Eh, so is the Haruko hare okay?"
"She is with the royal healer," Rukawa replied, "You will follow me,"
As if he was hypnotized, Sendoh followed Rukawa out of another door in a corner of the room. Before stepping out, Rukawa waved his hand at the fire in the hearth, putting it out. Highly fascinated, Sendoh looked at Rukawa's hands, "Wow! How did you do that?"
"Aho," The blue-eyed deity snorted as though putting out fires with a mere wave of hands was a common occurrence, at least for him.
Sendoh grinned and followed in the steps of Rukawa. He noticed the long, silky hair that cascaded down the back of the deity, briefly bound by a piece of string fashioned from some kind of animal hair, instead of skins like humans used. He wondered what it would be like to free the hair, as dark as night, from its restraints and run his hands through the soft strands. [3]
They were walking through a path of white sand like the one he treaded upon arriving. Sendoh couldn't help himself but ask, "Where are we going?"
"You will see our King and learn about the truth in the codes of honour. And hopefully," Rukawa said lightly, "You will actually absorb something into your beef-witted head,"
Sendoh opened his mouth to protest, only to be greeted with an even worse abuse, "That's a real insult to cattle, though. Kawata will not be happy to hear of this,"
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[Post-script A/N: This was supposed to be a short-story, with no chapters whatsoever, but seeing that it's getting a little lengthy, I will cut it off from here and post it online first. Stay tuned.]
[1] – 'Electrified' is a figure of speech. It was too early then for the existence of electricity.
[2] – Haruko the Hare, it made sense.
[3] – Fluffy sap! Oh man! *Bangs head on the wall* But it's not the end of it yet.