Clocks (Akura Ou x OC)

Chapter 38: Imprisoned

Ikusagami was walking me across bare green hills to reach a stone building I saw in the distance. No doubt the dungeon. I felt sick to my stomach. Was I nervous? I didn't think so, but so much had happened that it was possible.

Ikusagami dragged me down a set of stairs in the stone building and I was at the dungeon. He locked me in a cell and glared down at me.

"There's no chance of you causing trouble now," he said.

I glared at his back as he left before staring ahead at the wall. I had to think of a plan and fast. I needed to get out of here before he went after Akura Ou. He knows where Akura Ou is. I have to warn Akura Ou to hide. I could free him from the familiar contract, but I can't without that hammer Tomoe had. What if Ikusagami stays here and waits for Akura Ou? Damn it, what if Akura Ou comes here to get me? If he destroys too much or attacks the gods, Ikusagami will have cause to stop him by any means necessary. Then if Akura Ou dies, there will be no suspicion placed on him.

My head was spinning. I felt so anxious and my legs were trembling. I sat down and brought my knees up to my chin. My stomach was churning. What am I going to do? Akura Ou will die if he stays at the shrine or comes back. I felt nauseous to the point I couldn't ignore it anymore. I ended up getting sick in one corner of the cell and then crawled away to the other end and started to cry. I wished I could be with Akura Ou. I wanted everyone to leave us alone. 

I heard a soft jingling and just ignored it. I figured it was a guard or something. I was surprised when I saw an icy blue butterfly flitting in the cell. It landed on my knees and I stared at it. It looked like the one Mikage had transformed from. I smiled slightly. It wasn't really him, but it was his. I could feel the same comfort washing over me that I felt when I went to see him. I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the stone wall.

I just needed to get Akura Ou to go hide. If he was safe, then I could think straight. I jumped when I heard a low buzzing. I realized it was coming from my pocket. My cell phone! I hadn't taken it out of my pocket since visiting Lady Izunami. It was at ten percent. better than nothing.

I dialed Nanami's number. It rang once, twice, three times. Don't tell me they were already on their way here. Don't tell me she forgot her phone.

Someone finally picked up.

"Nanami?" I said.

"No, Onikiri. Raya are you okay?"

"I'm in a dungeon in Izumo," I said, "I need you to tell Akura Ou to get away from the shrine. Ikusagami may go there. Akura Ou cannot come here no matter what. Ikusagami may be waiting here for him."

"I'll tell him, but who kidnapped you?"

"O-." I shrieked when my phone was yanked from my hand. Ikusagami had grabbed it and crushed it.

"Ookuninushi was right about not underestimating you," he said, "You are cunning as a yokai."

He grabbed my arm and yanked me up.

"We'll have to take you somewhere else."

"Let me go! Leave me alone!" I yelled. I felt tired from throwing up and my head still throbbed. Ikusagami pulled me out of the cell and up the stairs.

"On the bright side, you've set up a brilliant trap," he said, "You just keep making things harder for everyone."

I felt tears pricking my eyes. I felt sick again. I finally dropped to my knees and let it happen.

"I suppose you are still human, no matter how powerful of a human you are," he said, pulling me back up when I had finished and changing the direction. I gave him a questioning look.

"Ookuninushi doesn't want you dead. He just wants you out of the way. A visit to the medicine god is in order to make sure you aren't fatally ill."  

How can these gods be so bipolar?

Ikusagami picked me up again and took off. I ended up falling asleep, exhausted from the sick feeling in my stomach, throwing up twice, and the intense stress I kept having to endure. I was woken up after what felt like I had passed out and I was laying on a mat in a room that smelled  like peppermint and fresh baked bread.

"She doesn't appear to have any external injuries," a short man said.

"So then she has something wrong internally?" Ikusagami said.

"Possibly," the man said, "Since you're awake, have you been feeling strangely lately."

I realized he was talking to me. Ikusagami gave me a death look that said, 'don't you dare look to him for help.' 

"I don't think so. I've been under a lot of stress lately."

"Hmm. Have you eaten anything strange?"

"No?"

"Are there any particular reasons that you believe you could be sick. Perhaps somewhere you could have gotten the flu?"

"I've been back and forth between home and Izumo." 

"Alright. Finally, is there a specific reason you could be sick. The kind of reason caused by, you know."

It hit me like a train. I could be pregnant. It had been almost two weeks since I had been with Akura Ou. Could you get morning sickness this soon? When was my period last? I kept my panic inside.

"No, I haven't," I lied, trying to keep my expression blank. It seemed to have worked.

"Well, then it is probably just a result of stress and I would advise you attempt to relieve the source of the stress, once you have it identified."

"Thank you," Ikusagami said tersely before lifting me up again and flying away.

"What's the point of keeping me alive?" I asked.

"I don't know," he said, "Lord Ookuninushi wants you alive, he wants you imprisoned. He's so temperamental and such a drama queen sometimes, I don't know why he wants what he wants."

I smiled slightly but I sank into my own thoughts. What if I was pregnant? I couldn't tell right now. I was so stressed out and afraid I could very well just be sick from fear. I couldn't even consider being pregnant when I was going to be imprisoned. 

"You seem quiet. What are you planning?" Ikusagami asked.

"What is there to plan? I don't know what I'm going to do."

He was quiet and I recognized where we were.

"The Underworld?" I asked.

"Lady Izunami has been a close friend of yours," Ikusagami said, "Your friends will never suspect her."

"How could you drag her into this?" I asked.

"Because she would never be able to tell anybody. She spends nearly all her time in the Underworld because she cannot abandon her position."

Ikusagami opened the gate and nudged me forward. I jumped and entered into the Underworld. I started wandering forward and Hiou appeared to lead me to Lady Izunami's castle. At least I could stay somewhere pleasant.