Wow, my first multi-chapter Shaman king fan fiction. Usually I write Pailong and Jun one-shots but recently I've REALLY been intrigued by Hao as character. He seems so calm and nice but then suddenly can turn as ruthless as a war lord. He's really strange. I like to think that's because of the wrongs done to him by the human world. In a 15 (sort of) boy this is quite a trait to have.

First of, this is not romance between Hao and another character. Too many people love Hao to pair up with a random person I made up. No this is not Hao times another character, so rest easy! I think that wouldn't work because although I don't believe in Hao/Anna I think there is chemistry there to hold Hao off others.

Anyway Yoh etc. will appear later in the chaptet etc. Let me tell you: I'm not creating a new character to be a 'mary sue' or anything like that, I really did try to make her normal for the small amount of time she had a role in the world of the Shaman so please don't discriminate because she's not canon. I hope I can reassure you by saying she won't be paired with anyone and no one else will be paired either. V please read! Uwaah! What I mean to say is, although something may develop it can never really happen at all because of what Hao is planning for, thus, you don't have to be worried!

This fic is set in the month or so before the Shaman King tournament begins in the west, Hao is still gathering followers but his base is in a small countryside inn. I always thought it would be interesting if a human did enter his world because he believes so strongly in his principles. The essential part of this story is that if one did then a) would it make a difference? And b) how would it affect the story. I'm dealing with the fact no one would ever know I guess.

This is based in the TV continuum and since it's a back story, we probably would never know even if something like this HAD happened since it glosses over a lot (especially with Jun and Pailong which is why I love writing that fiction) anyway, on with the show.

This fic is COMPLETED but I will post the chapters weekly or…something. Please enjoy!

Many thanks to my beta reader (my first ever!) Alteng/Leslie and just a note: I'm in the UK so spellings will include 'u's in weird places!

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King.

Her mother came through the family's living area carrying a futon to be put away in the store cupboard. Her brow was furrowed beneath her greying locks in the way that usually reminded Mai not to cross her path in a hurry. Mai's mother was a woman meant to be obeyed. And when you owned an inn, this trait was common in landladies. They were the mistresses of the house and the pecking order was strict.

"A new guest has just arrived" her mother snapped, jerking her head at Mai who was sitting at the low table "He's in his room but he'll probably want a bath. See he gets what he needs"

The humidity was high and Mai wished she could have a bath as she watched her mother's graceful but purposeful movements.

Her mother bustled out of the back door of the room and Mai sighed, putting down her English book. At 15, she was already well versed in the ways of the inn and in accounting, but her language skills left much to be desired. Straightening her kimono she set off for the guest room.

The inn wasn't large, but going the long way around the outdoor perimeter stretch of wooden panelled paper screened corridor always caught Mai off guard with how long it took to travel. Arriving at the room and seeing the paper screen doors already open to let the sun stream into the guest room, she sat at the edge of the floor and bowed.

"Honourable guest, I am truly sorry to have kept you waiting" she spouted formally before raising her eyes to smile

She gasped.

It was a boy. One boy by himself. Well, he looked her age but there was no sign of any other people with him. Was he travelling alone? Without parents? He was sitting at the low table, his legs crossed, wearing a brown cape even in the heat and his hair stretched down to curl upon the floor, slightly matted from sweat. A bag was in the corner, rough canvas and nothing out of the ordinary. His face was beautiful but cold, and the gaze from his eyes was steely.

His expression, as he looked at her, was haunting. His mouth twisted into a smirk, and his eyes seemed to fill up with barely hidden disgust as soon as he saw her. Mai couldn't place it but something about him made her heart beat quickly. Then she understood. He was frightening. He was scaring her with just one look and she had only just laid eyes on him. Had she upset him with her lateness?

Mai bent to apologise again but he interrupted with "Get on with it" his voice was soft, but a sharp edge to it told her he wasn't in the mood for the formalities of an inn

Taken back she stammered "Sir, I the bath…would you" she took a deep breath to calm herself "Would you like the bath prepared? It is hot today." Her hands were shaking, and she clamped them down onto her lap to hide it

He regarded her carefully and then turned away to look out onto the sunlit garden, the room was on a corner of the main building so the screens opened in two directions. The large garden glowed in the sunlight. He didn't speak for a moment, staring coolly out at the scenery, before saying icily "I expect the bath to be ready all the time. I didn't pay for an establishment that keeps me waiting. Yes I want a bath"

Mai bowed hurriedly and scrambled to her feet, she wanted to be away from this horrid boy as soon as possible. Turning into the corridor she picked up speed. Slipping in her socks on the shining wooden floor beneath her the surface came rushing up to meet her elbows and knees. Hitting the wood, she cried out in pain, and Mai grabbed her elbow where the pain sent lightening up her limbs.

"Clumsy fool" the words floated out into the hall in his soft tone of voice and felt like needles in her back as she hurried away.

The plains of sand seemed to go on forever before Mai reached the next town. The dust got in her eyes and made them water, and her bag was digging into her back. The road was dry, and she had not had a drink since the day before even though her food was still running high. She gratefully stumbled into the town and looked for shade.

A small grove of trees seemed promising and she threw off her bag and dove for the nearest park bench, slipping off her trainers and stretching her toes. Heaven. She looked around for some sort of sign. Mai frowned; all the towns in the West looked the same, never any signs, all with the same neat houses and stores, barely any cars and a few groves of trees. She sighed, she might have even walked straight through her destination without knowing.

Her vision wavered and Mai groaned as she rubbed her eyes. Fainting was not an option, however tired and thirsty she was. Besides, she was too strong to be a fainter.

Mai rubbed her feet absently and looked for a convenience store to by a drink from. That was most important. On the corner of the avenue she was situated on, a white sign stuck out, a store. Mai smiled and pulled herself up, which was difficult considering her legs wanted to stay sitting. Throwing her long sleeved jacket around her, she pulled her back pack on again and set off for the store.

Nearing the double doors, she had almost reached her sanctuary before her head decided her body was too weak to go on as it was. Mai slumped down in the middle of the path with a sigh and put her head between her knees, waiting for the flushes and dizziness to stop. At least the smattering patches across her vision were entertaining.

The next thing she knew two sets of arms were hauling her up and on to her feet again. She felt her legs sag again as she began to stutter out an apology for blocking the road way. It was no good, her body had decided enough was enough. She passed out.

He had been in the bath house and had complained scathingly to her mother at the size of it. Her mother's guest-face was polite, and she took his complaints without comment and assured him the dinner would make up for it; their chef was the best in the area. Naturally serving of the meal went to the usual dogsbody.

"Mai" she called "You're to serve the guest, he's your charge now"

Mai shuddered; she had dreaded those words the whole afternoon, her heart sank as she collected the food trays. She didn't want to see him again. For him to say anything to her again. The bruises on her arm were nothing compared to her bruised pride. 'Clumsy fool'. What if she slipped up again? The words came back and she flushed as she neared his room. She slowed down to make the trip last longer but knew when she reached the threshold it would be easier to get it over and done with as quickly as possible.

He didn't even look up as she arrived. His hair was damp from the bath, and he sat in a white and green plain cotton kimono, a towel around his neck, back in his original crossed-leg position. He looked like any other guest would, except she now noticed his large earrings that his hair was scraped over. She didn't even have her ears pierced, and this was the first time she'd seen a boy, who wasn't on TV, with such large decorations.

Mai entered the room and placed the trays upon the table in front of him. He regarded the dishes carefully as she set them out to the best of her ability and poured him some tea to go with the meal. The boy picked up his chopsticks and without even saying a word, began to eat the food quietly. Mai waited to see his reaction to the food, but his face never changed, and Mai decided to keep her eyes on her knees ,while she sat in the corner to pour him more tea if he needed it, her back straight and rigid. She tried to keep her face smooth, as she worried about what would happen next.

He didn't need another cup of tea pouring after all. He finished eating and said quietly "Take it away" with a flick of his hand before resting his elbows on the table to stare out at the garden again, deep in thought.

Mai almost didn't hear the soft words, his eyes flickered in her direction and she saw once again the disgust and impatience in them. How had she offended him this time? She didn't want to hear anymore harsh words so she set about clearing the table, her hands betraying her as she spilt a spot of tea from the cup onto the wooden surface. She speedily wiped it up with a small cloth and piled everything on the tray.

Bowing hastily, she half ran out of the door back to the family quarters.

"Mother," Mai called as she dumped the tray in the kitchens "I don't want him as my charge"

"Don't be silly" her mother appeared from the hallway, wiping her hands on a towel "He may be a little difficult for you to handle, I got that impression earlier, but it all builds experience. At least he's not a drunk"

"Well, I'm not going back tonight" Mai said quietly "Mother, he frightens me"

"Don't be silly. Anyhow, you'll have to go back tonight, Mai"

"Why?"

"You haven't set out the futon"

Mai opened her eyes to bright sunlight. She groaned, turned over and nearly fell off the park bench she was lying on. Grabbing the wood, she pushed herself up, too quickly, and laid back down again.

"Careful, you might hurt yourself" a voice said pleasantly

Mai opened her eyes again and looked to where the voice had come from. Sitting on the bench opposite was that boy. She stared and sat up quickly, not bothering to wait for her head to clear and stood up to face him. His hair was shorter, but it was definitely him.

"You…" she stammered "You're here!"

He was wearing a white t-shirt and green pants, a far shot from what she had last seen him in, and his hair was tied up in a messy top knot, hardly the elegant glossy locks he had previously sported. His smile was different too, easier and kinder. Mai looked about her and spotted her belongings.

The boy grinned "Why are you rushing around? You have somewhere to go?"

His style of speaking was different, she stared at the kid, how could he have changed that much?

"Hey Yoh, she up and about yet?" a new voice, louder and more brassy chimed across to them from the street. Mai looked up to see three guys approaching. A tall man in a white suit carrying a wooden sword, he was looking at her in a way that made her uncomfortable. The boys next to him were about her own age and one was scowling fiercely while the other, whose voice it clearly was, waved as much as he could when his arms were full of shopping bags.

Mai tightened her grip on her things and looked back at…Yoh? Not the other then . . . but they looked exactly the same. She frowned at him and the expression was not unnoticed, and he opened his mouth to speak. The other three arrived and dumped their shopping on the ground before the tall man yelled in a thick accent "A beautiful lady swooning into my arms, it is not often I am blessed with such luck"

"Can it, Ryo" the short, loud boy snapped, he ran his fingers through blue hair and looked at Mai "Want a drink? You look pretty wiped out"

Ryo looked hurt for a moment before winking at Mai, who moved fractionally away from him.

"Ryo, you're scaring her" the other younger boy, who wore a scowl and radiated unfriendliness looked back towards her "Our friend doesn't know that his gift with women is actually scaring them off"

"Hey short pants, when you know women as I do, you realise they are simply shy flowers who run off at the slightest compliment of me. I only scare them with my wonderful courtesy" Ryo shot back

'Short pants' glared and then shrugged at Mai "You ought to drink; this weather is deadly"

The blue haired boy handed Mai a bottle of water, and she took it gratefully, replenishing her dried out body. After the first mouthfuls, she realised she ought to be sensible and started sipping more slowly. Her body felt better with each swallow of cool liquid.

"So what were you doing fainting all alone in the middle of the road?" Yoh asked cheerfully "You looked pretty wiped"

Mai looked at him carefully, weighing up her choices before replying "I was travelling by myself but I only just got into town. I haven't drunk for a day and I was just…you know…wiped," she finished lamely, pulling her stuff towards her slowly

The blue haired boy kid noticed this and said "We're not going to mug you or anything. We just want to help a fellow traveller in need." He held out his hand "I'm Horohoro" he signalled to the others "And they're Yoh, Ryo and the kid with a permanent rain cloud over his head is Ren"

"Hey!"

Mai shook his hand carefully and said quietly "My name is Mai" before taking another sip of water

Yoh stretched his arms before asking "So, where are you headed to, Mai?"

Mai pulled her sleeves down to her pals and crossed them saying "I'm looking for something."

The boys exchanged glances before grinning "Well, maybe, we're looking for the same thing."

Yoh smiled gently "Would you happen to be in the tournament?"

"Tournament…"

"The Shaman Tournament?"

Mai blinked. These kids talked about Shaman just like he had. It was possible they would know him. This tournament…they thought she might be in it? This was her golden opportunity. Maybe there were many Shaman in the area. She grinned, and that gave her hope to find the one she was looking for. But to continue her journey with these Shaman, she would have to tell a little white lie.

When Mai went the next morning to open up the boy's room for the day, she found him gone. The room was left as if he had slept there, the blankets and futon were strewn across the room as if the sleeper was plagued with nightmares, but he was gone. The canvas bag, he had brought as luggage, was in a corner, but Mai still wondered where he would leave so early in the morning, it was barely six when she usually opened the screens and today was no different. She shrugged to herself and decided her life was easier if he wasn't here anyway before setting up the room for the day and opening the screen doors.

Mai smiled, it was going to be a beautiful day, especially if that boy wasn't here. She wouldn't even mind the countryside humidity or the cicadas continuous droning if he wasn't there to put her on edge. Mai went through all her other work that day with a smile on her face, feeling her spirit lightening without the prospect of seeing the boy again. Maybe he wouldn't come back at all. That was too much to hope for she realised somehow, but she still wished it.

It wasn't until night had fallen with no sign of the boy, that she decided to close up his room, if he wasn't back, tough. The night was dark and full of shadows; the inn was lit up against the countryside, the moon providing light to see where the lamplight didn't reach. Mai hummed as she headed back to the guest room to close up.

Turning into the room, she yelped. A cloaked figure was in the middle of the room. A burglar? She had heard no one else enter the inn for some time. Mai scrambled for the light switch located on a wooden beam, and light flooded the room at once. It was him. His back was to her, but his hair was unmistakable, the cloak swung about him as the breeze from the night blew off the garden. Mai was stuck with what to do for a moment before deciding on bowing.

"Sir, I did not know you were here" or coming back at all, she silently added "Please forgive me for not setting up the room; let me set the futon and"

He turned on his heel towards her in a single smooth motion and snapped "I can do it on my own, I'm not an idiot. Leave me; I'm not in the mood for your stupid conversation tonight, girl"

Scarlet hit the carpet with his annoyed words as his eyebrows twitched together. His irritation seemed to spread out through the room, and Mai steeled herself to draw her eyes up from her bow to his face. Blood seeped down his features and dripped onto the tatami mats of the room. He didn't even seem to notice the wound. Mai felt her stomach turn at the gore.

"Sir your face, it's" she felt flushed for a moment, was the room hotter than before?

"A scratch" he snapped twisting away from her wide eyes "Some weak fool of a Shaman got lucky before he went to hell" he hissed, touching the wound with his thumb before regarding the blood "Get out!" The room was warming slowly but surely, she could feel it

For the first time since she had made her first bow to him, Mai felt her resolve harden against his command to leave. Whether the blood steeled her to do it or not, she would never know. She didn't leave. Her hands were shaking and her heart was pounding but she wouldn't go. Her mother had taught her to help people in need. Even horrid boys.

"Sir" she ignored the heat and put it down to her own fear

His back tensed and she recoiled "Get out!" he repeated, it sounded as if his teeth were gritted

"Sir, we have a medical kit; the wound needs cleaning" she didn't understand what he was talking about with Shamans but she knew injuries needed looking after

"I don't care, get out," his voice was raising above his soft snap to a louder, harsher tone

Mai dug her nails into her palms and shot back "No." The temperature seemed to shoot up as if Mai had placed herself over a hot fire

Her swung around at her and brought his hand across her face "You dare disobey me, servant?" His face was full of anger. "You have no idea who you're talking to, girl"

Mai grabbed her face as she stumbled before crying out the first thing she could think of in reply "You're ruining the tatami mats!"

Silence resounded. Her face seemed to be pounding as blood flushed through her cheeks. She was shaking in fear of what he would do. No one had ever hit her before over a word as simple as 'no'. Her legs felt weak but adrenaline kept her upright. Her cheek felt as if it was on fire. The temperature in the room seemed to be rapidly cooling, however, leaving a single fire beneath her skin.

She didn't want to look up at him but she raised her eyes as far as his mouth, which was set in a thin, angry line.

"Fine." He turned away from her and sat at the small table. "Tatami mats are too good to waste, after all." She didn't move. "Well, get it then."

His temper seemed to have flared down but his words were quiet and measured, which was somehow worse than screaming. Mai fled the room and back to the storeroom where they kept the medical kit. On the way, her mother stopped her. Her eyes were worried as she took in her daughter's pale complexion but flushed cheek and bright eyes.

"What's going on? I thought I heard shouting," Her brown eyes were concerned. "And your cheek is bright red, what happened?"

Mai felt ready to blurt everything out but instead shook her head; she had no idea why she was keeping quiet about his treatment of her and smiled gently at her mother. "The guest injured himself, I am fetching him something"

Her mother frowned but Mai raced off to fetch the medial kit before returning to the room. She looked at him sat at the table, the blood pouring down his face, and shuddered. He was so clam now. Was it the eye of the storm? She gently placed the box on the table and waited for acknowledgement.

Nothing. The blood continued to fall.

Mai sighed and opened the box, pulling out a disinfectant wipe. "Please, sir, you need to clean the blood and dirt away, or it could become infected." She held it out to him. "Sir?"

He looked at her; she blanched; the gore wasn't nice to look at. The look in his eyes was worse. Did he hate her even more now? He regarded the wipe and skidded around on his crossed legs to face towards her. "You do it."

Mai gulped, not meeting his eyes, "Me?" she repeated "But I have no clue how to"

"I can't see where the blood is coming from," he stated as he licked his lips clean from the scarlet river. Mai stared in morbid fascination and said impatiently "Come on then."

Mai leaned forward and started to the clean the blood up. It soaked up almost immediately and she had to use a small towel and a larger one to press against the cut on his hairline to stop the blood, while she spent time cleaning up the rest of the blood on his face and where it had dripped onto his neck, each wipe cleaning away more and revealing his tanned complexion once again. He moved his neck to allow her access to the blood, his brown cloak's heavy material had seemingly soaked most of it up. His hair needed to be washed though. Once Mai had cleaned his face, still avoiding looking straight at him, she applied a wad and gauze against the skin and wrapped it carefully around his head, balancing on her knees.

Looking back at her handiwork, she felt quiet pleased with herself, as she wiped her hands clean on another wipe. The tatami's would have to be replaced, his clothes and hair washed but the blood flow was stemmed. She drew her hands away from the gauze, as she finished securing it, and gasped as he grabbed her wrist firmly.

"Let go," she said, pulling away.

Her skin felt hot, and it seemed to be getting hotter. Or was the room getting hot? Was this what had happened before? Soon she was sure it was both, although the pain in her wrist from his fingers, was searing her skin. She cried out in pain, as her wrist felt like it was engulfed in flames.

His grip was strong though and didn't move an inch. He scowled at her "Next time you are insolent to me," Her wrist felt hot. "You'll get more than a small burn like that"

She yelped in pain.

"You can't see it, human, but there's a spirit with me ,and he doesn't like insolent human maids, who don't know their place," he smirked "And neither do I."

He let her go and she pulled back, falling to the floor. She grabbed her wrist and looking in horror at the finger shaped burns in the skin. She gasped and scrambled up to run it under the tap. In the corner of her eye she could have sworn she saw flames around the boy with the bandaged head, but she couldn't stay to find out.

Cruel laughter followed her retreating steps.

Please review. New chapter VERY soon. It's already written