"NO! Please! Don't make me do it!"
"Come on, bitch – take it off – we KNOW what you are – why not show us?"
The young woman backed further into the alleyway, her eyes wide and fearful of the several bulky men around her. Her black eyes flashed like ebony as the fear rose in her throat, hot and thick.
"Why are you doing this? Please! I just want to go home! I never hurt ANYONE!" Her voice was high and scared, some of the men leered, enjoying the sight of a helpless woman plead.
"Because scum like you don't belong in our village! It's cos 'o YOU, and YOUR kind that this place has had so many people killed!" The leader growled, his massive arms and heavy brows labelling him as the town blacksmith. The other men cried out in agreement:
"Scum like her!"
"Bloody vermin!"
"Killers born – all of 'em!"
"Stinkin' Youkai!"
Her head bowed at the last insult – though politically correct, nowadays, being called a youkai WAS an insult.
The sun had been sinking into the west as she had closed up her small shop. Packing her items into their baskets, she had hauled them onto her back and headed home. Business had not been good recently – there were less and less Youkai like her, looking for new, or more fashionable power limiters. Her family had been specializing in crafting the essential jewellery for generations, and she had never seen a market as slow as this before in her life. Rather than walk an extra two blocks, she had taken a shortcut through a nearby alleyway - that's where these idiots had been waiting for her.
"Come on DEMON – take off your limiter and show us what you really are!"
The girl trembled, terrified of her situation – if she took the limiter off, there was no guarantee she wouldn't go mad – like the rest of her family had... only six months back. But if she didn't…
She saw the nearest man reaching towards her, his grimy fingers twitching as he eyed her figure, licking his lips. Her mouth twisted in disgust – there was no way she would let THAT happen either!
She sighed, weighing her options as fast as her almost frozen body would allow. Finally bowing her head, she came to a decision – they would end up taking it off anyway – whether she chose to or not… might as well go down by her own decision…
The men closed in, their semi-drunken breath and animalistic grunts and snorts, jeering her as she stood near her dropped baskets, and raised one had to remove her antique, heirloom – her power limiter…
"Well... this seems very friendly."
A dark, yet pleasant voice rang out from the other end of the alley. "But why don't you all back off and let the lady go home – she looks kind of tired – don't you think, Hakuryuu?"
A small cheep could be heard, followed by a bone chilling, whispering laugh. Green eyes blazed through the dimly lit alley as a tall, dark haired man came to stand not three feet from the nearest assailant.
"Oy, buddy – get the fuck outta here – or we'll do the same for you!" The one nearest to him threatened, shifting his weight to appear larger than he already was. The girl stopped in her movements, her hands almost to her neck – who was this joker? What on earth did he think he was gonna do against a gang of muscled, hairy, armed men? Talk them down? He could make things a lot, lot worse!
"Please! Get out of here! You're making a mistake! Just leave – hurry!" Her voice was high and panicked – she didn't want to injure any more civilians than necessary if she lost control! The burly men chuckled darkly to each other, turning their backs on the thinner man, labelling him as 'no threat'.
"Yeah! You heard her yourself! You're making a mistake – so just bugger off!" The closer man yelled again, his good humour turning sour as he took a closer look at the younger, more attractive male. He snorted, turning his back on the dark haired man, ignoring the growing anger swirling behind him like a spreading mist.
"You know, I think you're right... I think I have made a mistake..." The low, smooth voice slipped through the growing darkness like liquid chocolate. The youkai woman dipped her head, pleased that he had accepted her wish, yet at the same time feeling a slight twinge of disappointment that he couldn't help her after all. She shivered as she lifted her hands higher, reaching for the clasp...
"...I made the mistake of letting you live."
A blast of light followed the statement, followed by a high pitched squeal of life being quickly extinguished. A scream followed, which was then proceeded by the loud roar of an enraged male. Light flared like the sunrise, consuming each man, and stalling his life, before turning his soul to ash – so powerful was the blast.
Wide ebony eyes locked on green as the last man fell. Her hands fell to her sides, empty. A sharp intake of breathe, and the dark man was in front of her - his body so close, she nearly fell back in shock. He caught her as she stumbled, marvelling at how her waist length, golden blonde hair shone brightly, even in the dim alley light.
"Wh... what just happened?" She stuttered her mind reeling as she tried to piece together the strange series of events. The village workers. The dark man. The despair. Then... the light. Who was this dark man who brought the light? Like the morning star, that preceeded the dawn? Who was her dark saviour?
Her green clad smiled softly, his monacle gleaming as a small white dragon landed on his shoulder, seeming to have come out of the sky above. His chocolate brown hair gleamed in the twilight, and his face took on soft, concerned vogue, despite his obvious killing capabilities. He looked into her midnight orbs, green meeting black in a gut deep sense of recognition... and trust.
"I'm Hakkai… what's your name?" The man had a pleasant light tenor voice, which contrasted greatly to his earlier, deathly croon. He seemed to be holding back some inside joke, that only he knew - such was his smile.
She felt instantly at ease looking up into his emerald eyes, as though her safety was assured within this slim man's, surprisingly powerful hold. She allowed her lips to curve into a small smile as she answered:
"My name is Izumi."
TO BE CONTINUED...