Uzina, the beautiful, red haired, female youko, smiled as she saw that one of the vines that she had connected to her small hut had been tugged. She was somewhat like a spider, waiting for hapless victims to fall into her web. It wasn't often that they did, but Uzina always took advantage of the opportunities, and her victims' possessions always seemed to fit her needs. She stepped outside and squinted against the hot afternoon sun.
"Which of my darling vines so kindly made me aware of a guest?" she asked, tickling each of her vines in turn. The fifth vine giggled and shook itself, telling Uzina that her "guest" was in the trap connected to that vine, "Oh this is so perfect. Whoever this person is, they are caught in my favorite trap. Heheh! This will be so fun!"
Uzina traced her way down the vine with her perfectly manicured index finger. At the end of the vine, she could not believe her eyes. Caught in a quilted cage of vines and flowers stood another youko, only this one was a male.
"Who are you?" he demanded. His voice was deep, making it clear that he was mature, but not too much so. About 300 or 400 years old. He was tall with silver hair and bright golden eyes, a thief's eyes. Uzina's own forest-green eyes sparkled with interest.
'So he's a thief too,' she though, 'This should be interesting.'
"Well," the male youko said expectantly, "You haven't answered my question."
Uzina circled the vine cage, studying her prize. She ignored the male youko's expectant questions, thinking to herself. 'What a youko! Tall and lanky with long legs... Hehe it should be fun to talk to him.' She finally looked up at the youko.
"What's your name?" she asked him.
"How is that any business of yours?" the youko demanded. Uzina sighed as if she was facing an overly stubborn child.
Mentally, she called a tree to lower one of its branches so she could sit. She ran her hand down the branch, causing moss to grow all over it so she would be more comfortable. Then she sat.
"I can see that you're going to be difficult," Uzina said, lacing her fingers together and resting her chin in her palms, "But I've dealt with other men like you. Granted, they've never been youkos, but then again I never thought a youko would be stupid enough to fall for any one of my traps." The youko bristled at Uzina's insult. She chuckled, seeing that her last remark had gotten to her prey.
"So what do they call you anyway?" she asked again, making her branch draw closer to the silver hair demon. The youko made an attempt to sit on the ground, but Uzina ordered her vines to wrap around his neck and hands, preventing him from any movement greater than talking, "I'll ask you one more time. What is your name?"
The youko refused to answer, so Uzina made the vine around his neck tighten, choking him slightly. Then she noticed a little tan sack lying at the youko's feet. She quickly ordered her vines to snatch it up and give it to her. Opening the bag, Uzina say something that made her eyes sparkle mischievously. Inside were seven highly prized artifacts from King Enma's most guarded vault.
"Oh you are a bad little thief, aren't you?" Uzina chuckled and took out the artifacts one by one, placing them in her own traveling sack. Then she threw down the youko's pack.
Suddenly, Uzina noticed that the youko seemed to be changing. His silver hair was going a bright read, and his glinting golden eyes were slowly ebbing to an emerald green. He was becoming smaller too, almost to the size of a young teenager. Uzina told her vines to fix accordingly, so the youko, who now looked more human, wouldn't slip out of their grasp.
"Kurama!" a gruff, but high-pitched voice called, "Kurama where are you? There's no sense in playin' around. Come on where are you?"
Uzina's vines covered the youko's, who she presumed to be called Kurama, mouth so that he could not yell back and warn his friends.
"Which of my darling vines so kindly made me aware of a guest?" she asked, tickling each of her vines in turn. The fifth vine giggled and shook itself, telling Uzina that her "guest" was in the trap connected to that vine, "Oh this is so perfect. Whoever this person is, they are caught in my favorite trap. Heheh! This will be so fun!"
Uzina traced her way down the vine with her perfectly manicured index finger. At the end of the vine, she could not believe her eyes. Caught in a quilted cage of vines and flowers stood another youko, only this one was a male.
"Who are you?" he demanded. His voice was deep, making it clear that he was mature, but not too much so. About 300 or 400 years old. He was tall with silver hair and bright golden eyes, a thief's eyes. Uzina's own forest-green eyes sparkled with interest.
'So he's a thief too,' she though, 'This should be interesting.'
"Well," the male youko said expectantly, "You haven't answered my question."
Uzina circled the vine cage, studying her prize. She ignored the male youko's expectant questions, thinking to herself. 'What a youko! Tall and lanky with long legs... Hehe it should be fun to talk to him.' She finally looked up at the youko.
"What's your name?" she asked him.
"How is that any business of yours?" the youko demanded. Uzina sighed as if she was facing an overly stubborn child.
Mentally, she called a tree to lower one of its branches so she could sit. She ran her hand down the branch, causing moss to grow all over it so she would be more comfortable. Then she sat.
"I can see that you're going to be difficult," Uzina said, lacing her fingers together and resting her chin in her palms, "But I've dealt with other men like you. Granted, they've never been youkos, but then again I never thought a youko would be stupid enough to fall for any one of my traps." The youko bristled at Uzina's insult. She chuckled, seeing that her last remark had gotten to her prey.
"So what do they call you anyway?" she asked again, making her branch draw closer to the silver hair demon. The youko made an attempt to sit on the ground, but Uzina ordered her vines to wrap around his neck and hands, preventing him from any movement greater than talking, "I'll ask you one more time. What is your name?"
The youko refused to answer, so Uzina made the vine around his neck tighten, choking him slightly. Then she noticed a little tan sack lying at the youko's feet. She quickly ordered her vines to snatch it up and give it to her. Opening the bag, Uzina say something that made her eyes sparkle mischievously. Inside were seven highly prized artifacts from King Enma's most guarded vault.
"Oh you are a bad little thief, aren't you?" Uzina chuckled and took out the artifacts one by one, placing them in her own traveling sack. Then she threw down the youko's pack.
Suddenly, Uzina noticed that the youko seemed to be changing. His silver hair was going a bright read, and his glinting golden eyes were slowly ebbing to an emerald green. He was becoming smaller too, almost to the size of a young teenager. Uzina told her vines to fix accordingly, so the youko, who now looked more human, wouldn't slip out of their grasp.
"Kurama!" a gruff, but high-pitched voice called, "Kurama where are you? There's no sense in playin' around. Come on where are you?"
Uzina's vines covered the youko's, who she presumed to be called Kurama, mouth so that he could not yell back and warn his friends.