Thirty demons? A secret, feral leer graced his face just then. He licked his lips.

Nothing to one who has slain a thousand.

*****

Gojyo sneezed. "Damn cold." he muttered before drowning a cup of weak wine. It did little to warm him. But hell, it was something, at least. Perched on the only unbroken chair in the now roofless tavern, he looked into the fire Hakkai...or rather...Tenpou...had told him to make.

"Those youkai are drawn to heat like metal to a magnet." the man had said. "Just like you, ne? Just wait here while I go get Sanzo. He's been gone for an awful long time." And he left. But Gojyo followed, eavesdropped and then ran back.

"I'm hungry." a voice said from behind him on the floor.

"Shut up, saru. You just ate the last of our reserves. If you want more, scrounge around the village. I'm sure there's some edible trash around here. Might have to fight the dogs for it."

Goku kicked himself up. "What kinda animal do you think I am?"

"What a memory you've got, saru."

"Why you-"

The sound of a creaking door cut him off as Hakkai walked through, smiling. "Don't tell me you've started arguing already. I've only been gone...about five minutes."

"Ten." Gojyo corrected morosely, turning away from the two of them to stare into the fire. It was ridiculous. Completely ridiculous. He bit into his cigarette. Fucking asshole.

"Hakkai? Is Sanzo coming back now?" the boy was looking out the glassless window again in the direction the surly priest had gone. Before Homura, Goku was never this anxious whenever Sanzo just wanted to go off alone to meditate. But ever since Homura...well...everything that had happened with him just proved how frail Sanzo really was. A mere human with the resilience of a twig when compared to a god. That's why he hated it whenever Sanzo was alone because that would make Goku feel alone. And then there was always that threat that the aloness would last forever if Sanzo never came back.