Chapter 1
Forest
Why can't you see that you are my child
Why don't you know that you are my mind
Tell everyone in the world that I'm you
Take this promise to the end of you-
SOAD
Once there was a demon lord.
He came across a fair maiden deep in the forest looking both disheveled and dignified. He was not known for his kindness, in fact he was quite feared in his region, but something about her intrigued him so he watched her from afar. She was not human, at least not completely, and this intrigued him even more. She was quite beautiful she had long soft pink hair flowing with every slightest breeze. Her skin was like porcelain and glistened when the sun hit it through the trees. He could not see her eyes as they were closed. He watched her for hours and she never moved once. If it were not for his heightened senses he would have thought her dead.
The smell of sorrow was pungent around her. "Either kill me or leave me.", her silky golden voice interrupted his internal dialogue. So she had noticed him. With a raised eyebrow he looked at her and simply replied, "Whatever for?" Unmoving, eyes still closed she told him simply. " I do not need a witness to my grief nor a burdensome stalker." "Grief.", were the only words that came from his mouth as he came closer to her. There was an enormous silence between them. Usually this tactic worked. Being silent until the other person felt uncomfortable and filled it with what he wanted to know. He moved closer and reiterated, "Grief." "You realize that is not a question?", she said coolly. A little smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth, obviously she was of few words like himself. So this would prove to be either interesting or frivolous. "Indeed.", was all he uttered. He ventured closer towards her. She smelled of an approaching storm and honeysuckle mixed with great sadness. Why did he even care he wondered to himself. He quickly decided it was a good diversion from the mundane, besides she was not like any hanyou he had met , and that intrigued him greatly.
"Is there a reason you have been sitting here for so long?", he asked thinking it was a good question. "Yes.", she said and said no more. Still unmoving like a living statue. This was getting him nowhere. So he thought of a less close-ended question, but before he could she spoke without any provocation. "Be gone I do not need a new demon when I already have so many from my past haunting me." He was quite insulted by her lack of respect for him. Did she not know to whom she spoke? Surely she did. He should kill her where she sat and be done with this. "Either kill me of leave me.", she repeated her earlier offer as if she had read his mind. The he wondered if she actually could. So he asked bluntly, "Can you read my thoughts?" "If I could would it be wise of me to tell you I could?", she said flatly. That he thought was truly a well measured response. With that he turned and simply left.
He found it hard to sleep because his mind would not stop wondering back to the maiden even though he had put a great distance between them. He wondered why she was in the forest alone and apparently unarmed with no male around. Who was she, and damn it he still had no idea what her eyes looked like. Her kimono, even though it had seen better days looked like it was once from a prominent family. He could still smell her scent that lingered on him. With so many unanswered questions he decided that he would return tomorrow.
He returned the next day, but this time he brought a small offering of food in hopes of getting her to talk or at the least open her eyes. She was in the same exact spot eyes closed and unmoving. This time he was much bolder and sat only feet from her. She made no indication the she acknowledged him. He sat silent just taking in his surroundings contemplating his next question. Before he could open his mouth she coldly informed him, "I do not require your charity." This quite simply angered him as it was not often that he was prone to kindness. For the briefest of moments he thought he saw a faint smil curl on the corner of her mouth. His anger ebbed slightly though this did provoke the thought she was toying with him. While contemplating this a gust of wind blew tendrils of hair ever so lightly tickling his nose. He instinctively grabbed at them catching just enough to twirl around his clawed finger and inhale deeply before letting go. He thought that he heard a slight sigh escape her lips but wasn't entirely sure. What was going on inside him, his own emotions were betraying themselves. This made him move farther from her before something more could happen.
After a long silence and much introspection he was able to form his words carefully, "I will ask you one question each day that you must answer." It sounded like more of a command than a request which was fine with him he was a Lord after all and she was below him. To his astonishment she replied simply, " That is acceptable." Of course it was he had already deemed it so. Once again she seemed to hear his thoughts because she let out a humorless laugh. He glanced at her sideways to see if she were looking at him, and of course she was not. "Are you mourning for someone?", was his question of the day. She was silent for a long time and obviously not comfortable with the weight the question seemed to bear on her. Finally, she sighed a heavy burdened breath, "Yes and then added four to be precise." That was intriguing. He opened his mouth to say more but quickly knew that no more would be forthcoming today per their agreement. Seeing nothing more for him there that day he simply left, leaving her looking small and alone once more.