Through Wolf's Eyes (Princess Mononoke - San's POV)

Chapter Ten- I'm On Fire

San awoke from unconsciousness. A burning sensation unlike anything she had ever felt before encompassed her entire body. She had fallen onto Lord Okkoto's tusk and was now being carried away toward the pool of the Forest Spirit. The crimson red, demonic worms were everywhere, devouring Okkoto and her.

She gasped in fear, "I'm on fire." She shouted as she reached out and grabbed hold of another tusk, attempting to get off the demon boar. Red demon worms shot out from her hand. She cried in fear and agony as the demon worms encompassed her body and dragged her deeper into its depths upon Lord Okkoto's snout.

"No! I don't want to become a demon! Please stop, Okkoto!" she begged, but it was no use. The demon boar continued toward the pool of Forest Spirit, unyielding to the girl's pleas. 'It can't end like this. I must save the forest, even if I die. I don't want to become a demon.' She thought as the burning within her body became more and more intense.

Then a voice pulled called out her name, bringing a sliver of hope. She gasped in surprise, 'He's all right! The demon mark hasn't torn his soul apart or killed him yet.'

"Ashitaka!" She yelled as loud as she could. A few moments later she heard his voice again.

"Lord Okkoto, calm your fury! Oh mighty lord, let me have the girl! I beg of you! Please, let her go! San! Are you there? It's me! Ashitaka!" Ashitaka shouted to Lord Okkoto, unsure of where she was at.

'Ashitaka!' San thought when she heard him speak and she felt Lord Okkoto come to a stop. She began to kick her feet, anything to show Ashitaka where she was. The burning was so strong, it drained her of what little energy she had left. All she could see was demonic red worms, feel the burn of her entire body, and barely hear the other sounds outside the roar of the demon boar god Okkoto. Growls from her wolf brothers rumbled the air as they attacked the humans beneath the pelts of the fallen boar warriors. Her eyes grew heavy as darkness threatened to take her once more.

"San!...San!" She heard Ashitaka cry once more, this time much closer than before. His voice carrying a sense of relief. She opened her eyes and saw him, right there in front of her, his hands reaching out for her.

"Oh, Ashitaka!" she said surprised yet relieved to see him. She grabbed a hold of his arm as tight as she could. Lord Okkoto squealed in rage as he thrashed his head back and forth. She felt Ashitaka's hand sliding down her arm, their grips coming loose.

"San!" he cried out as Lord Okkoto thrashed and set Ashitaka flying away. "Ashitaka!" she screamed, as the red demonic worms engulfed her once more. 'NO! I don't want to become a demon!' San thought, as the burning spread over her body and made it feel like her very soul was being devoured.

"Give me back my daughter, demon." San heard her mother curse out, but the young woman could do nothing. All that was there was the burning sensation and endless sea of red. Her whole body felt heavy and she felt her life force slipping away. Then it all stopped. The burning, the sensation of demon worms devouring her skin, and the noise. The world was suddenly silent except for her mother's voice calling out,

"Ashitaka, can you save the girl you love?"

'Love?' San thought as the crimson red began to fade from her view, replaced by darkness, wet, and cold.