Rest For the Hunted
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The resonation of the girl's heart pounding radically about her chest, drove her to move faster, faster. Echoing across the wintered landscape, bouncing off the ice-covered trees, their burly voices assaulted her reddened ears.
"That miko witch can't have gotten far. Keep searchin' men. The sooner she's found the sooner we get our meal." A rumble of agreement came from several, possibly ten or fifteen, youkai whom were ready to consume the young priestess.
Full-bled demons were targeting her, predators drawn to prey, driven to capture the girl and end what little life she has. Leaping over fallen branches and boulders she continued to fly through the silent wintery hell surrounding her. Bristling cold wind attacked and burned the bare skin upon her body, freezing the minimal clothing that clung to her scrawny form. They can not catch me. I will not allow it. Survive. These thoughts flooded her mind as she tripped over a root, landing knees and palms first. Choosing this moment to rest and catch her breath, the miko contemplated what she was to do. Crawling to the nearest boulder to hide from her pursuers, she leaned against it and found herself surprised at its warmth. Inhaling and exhaling deeply for the relief of her lungs, she watched as condensation clouds formed and dissipated. Rising her chin, deep chocolate brown eyes caught sight of little white flakes falling from the heavens above, a light dusting that would cover all bloody tracks. That should slow them a bit. The girl knew she had to start moving, the youkai would catch up even with a disadvantage. Examining the area she realized not far north of here, there was a cave. Regarding this as her only safe haven, the miko pulled herself from the ground only to lurch forward from immense pain. Glancing down to confirm what could only be the cause, a large shallow gash stretched from hip bone to below the ribcage. She attained such a wound from one of the inuyoukai hunting her down; razor sharp claws pierced through dirtied ivory skin as she escaped his grasps. There was no time to worry about such predicaments, her only thoughts were that of 'It isn't deep enough to be fatal' and 'Must stay alive'.
Pain racked through the girl's body as she pushed waywards past shrubbery into a clearing that lead to a mountain side. Within that mountain side was the cave, her hide away, her freedom. A sigh slipped by her cracked lips. Finally. Making it slowly across the snowy desert she stopped when their voices were heard. Worry and fear evaded both body and mind, she questioned her own limits, would she escape death. Picking up speed even though pain rocketed from her torso, she sprinted the rest of the way until mere meters from the entry. Not thinking twice about what might hide in the depths of the cave she ran in several hundred meters until believing she wouldn't be discovered. Panting from breathlessness and pain, the priestess sunk down to the icy floor. Placing herself in a semi comfortable position against the cave wall, she noticed a warm liquid pooling at her side. That can't be good. Glancing back, it was noted that the cave expanded probably another thousand or so meters. Closing her exhausted eyes, she attempted calming the ragged breaths that resounded in the dead silent cave. Rolling open eyes heavy with sleep, the miko gazed at the cave entrance and waited. As moments passed, everything seemed to slow around her as blackness started to blur her vision. At last, she truly rested.