The leaves rustled in the wind as a young youko about three feet tall
tried to take strides which were far larger for her tolerance. still
fleeing for dear life, she did not notice the stray stone her next step
trampled on. She landed squarely on her face, scratching her cheek while
instinctively saving her right arm from hitting the unwelcome ground. She
heard a loud growl and felt her heart stop for a millisecond.
The youkai was about to lounge at her when her fingers felt a patch of sand within reach and she swung her fist just in time in a small arc straight at the youkai's face. A couple of seconds was all the poor youkai needed for a speedy escape and soon she was on her feet again during the time that the youkai was still busy getting the sand off his eyes.
As she ran on she glanced down to her right arm.
/Still bleeding/ she thought, then proceeded to scold herself.
/That's because you're not careful!!!/ She recalled how the claws of the insistent youkai seared her flesh just minutes ago.
This wasn't the first time a youkai had chased her, true enough, but she never did enjoy chases, especially if she was going to be the main course of a starving youkai. She assured herself that this was yet one of those I'll-soon-get-away chases.
That was, until another stray stone brought her downfall.
This time luck left her and she was outwitted, her back pinned onto
the trunk of an ugly Makai tree.
/Thought you'd escape, eh, brat?/ the triumphant youkai hissed, licking his lips with his wicked tongue.
The helpless youko swallowed hard. Her strength had left her altogether, and then she began to feel the effects of her badly inflicted wound as she sank to her knees and accepted defeat. However, she displayed an inevitable amount of calmness so the youkai decided to be a little gentle when he saw that his prey had at last gave in.
/I'll make this quick, I promise, now, don't cry, hush now!!/
The youkai was shifting his tone from calm to harsh, harsh to calm, as the youko's tears commenced in one straight outflow. Yes, she was still a child an death was one thing she never had the wisdom to comprehend, and here she was facing death without even knowing what it exactly was.
Nevertheless, no word nor cry escaped from her trembling mouth, and them she just shut her lids, not wanting to see the ugly jaws of the youkai which was about to take a bite.
She knew she was a failure. She knew she failed her promise to herself that if the day will come that she will have to die, she will die fighting.
But she did not even raise a muscle to fight.
Because she didn't know how to.
To run was all she knew as a means of self-defense. No more.
As she shut her lids harder, she abstained from moving such that her end would occur in one rapid seize…..
When after several moments have passed and nothing happened, she slowly unshut one eye to check what could have gone wrong. She let out a gasp as the sight of the sliced youkai greeted her vision when she fully opened both eyes.
When she raised her gaze, her eyes met a pair of keen, golden hazel ones and for a while there was silence…
She broke the gaze and scanned the owner of the intimidating eyes from head to foot.
He was a big youko, with long silver hair, a silver fox tail and fox ears, just like her own. He wore an immaculately white garment which looked quite fresh, compared to her ragged ones. The last thing that caught her attention was a fine green thing he was holding. It was long and was adorned with thorns and took the appearance of a whip.
/It took the appearance of a whip./
At that instant, her pupils dilated to points of horror and she realized that she could be next to the dead youkai at her feet.
Shutting her lids again and hugging her wounded arm against her body, she uttered a low cry when she felt a warm hand pat her head.
/That looks like a nasty wound you've got there./
It was a male voice that spoke, so kind that she unhesitatingly opened her eyes to see from whom it came from. It was the big youko who held a whip, a rose whip, unknown to the young demon fox.
She was still crying and had only began to stop when she realized that the big youko had no intention of hurting her.
/Would you let me see it?/ he asked, pertaining to the wound on her arm.
At first she was hesitant, it could be a trap, but she held out her arm anyway, wincing in pain as she did so.
/So that youkai gave you a hard time, eh, little fox?/ he started to speak as he commanded his plants to creep out of his hand into the wounded arm of the young youko.
/It's a dangerous world here in Makai. Why are you out here alone? Don't you have anyone to take care of you?/
The young youko lowered her head in reply.
/There, it's as good as new/ he announced, calling his plants to creep back.
The young youko's face lit up as she examined her fully recovered arm.
/I have to leave now./
The big youko was about to jump off when he paused as he remembered something.
/My name's Kurama/ he said, observing the still unmoving youko across him. Pausing expectantly, he then cast a smile at her when she did not display any sign that she was going to state her name back.
/You don't have anyone to take care of you, do you?/ Kurama asked, and this time she replied with a shake of her head.
/Then how would you like to be my little sister?/
The young youko's face lit up again as she rose to her feet and Kurama carried her up in the air. She squealed in delight, and when Kurama put her down and they started to walk together, she uttered a single word.
/Jeiro./
Kurama looked down and smiled again.
/Nani? Nani desu?/
/My name's Jeiro/ she repeated.
Kurama winked.
/Jeiro-san…no…imooto-san./
/Onii-sama!!!/ Jeiro replied back happily.
Jeiro smiled to herself.
/No youkai would try to chase me anymore/ she thought gleefully.
/They'll have to face my onii-sama first!!!!/
--owari--
The youkai was about to lounge at her when her fingers felt a patch of sand within reach and she swung her fist just in time in a small arc straight at the youkai's face. A couple of seconds was all the poor youkai needed for a speedy escape and soon she was on her feet again during the time that the youkai was still busy getting the sand off his eyes.
As she ran on she glanced down to her right arm.
/Still bleeding/ she thought, then proceeded to scold herself.
/That's because you're not careful!!!/ She recalled how the claws of the insistent youkai seared her flesh just minutes ago.
This wasn't the first time a youkai had chased her, true enough, but she never did enjoy chases, especially if she was going to be the main course of a starving youkai. She assured herself that this was yet one of those I'll-soon-get-away chases.
That was, until another stray stone brought her downfall.
This time luck left her and she was outwitted, her back pinned onto
the trunk of an ugly Makai tree.
/Thought you'd escape, eh, brat?/ the triumphant youkai hissed, licking his lips with his wicked tongue.
The helpless youko swallowed hard. Her strength had left her altogether, and then she began to feel the effects of her badly inflicted wound as she sank to her knees and accepted defeat. However, she displayed an inevitable amount of calmness so the youkai decided to be a little gentle when he saw that his prey had at last gave in.
/I'll make this quick, I promise, now, don't cry, hush now!!/
The youkai was shifting his tone from calm to harsh, harsh to calm, as the youko's tears commenced in one straight outflow. Yes, she was still a child an death was one thing she never had the wisdom to comprehend, and here she was facing death without even knowing what it exactly was.
Nevertheless, no word nor cry escaped from her trembling mouth, and them she just shut her lids, not wanting to see the ugly jaws of the youkai which was about to take a bite.
She knew she was a failure. She knew she failed her promise to herself that if the day will come that she will have to die, she will die fighting.
But she did not even raise a muscle to fight.
Because she didn't know how to.
To run was all she knew as a means of self-defense. No more.
As she shut her lids harder, she abstained from moving such that her end would occur in one rapid seize…..
When after several moments have passed and nothing happened, she slowly unshut one eye to check what could have gone wrong. She let out a gasp as the sight of the sliced youkai greeted her vision when she fully opened both eyes.
When she raised her gaze, her eyes met a pair of keen, golden hazel ones and for a while there was silence…
She broke the gaze and scanned the owner of the intimidating eyes from head to foot.
He was a big youko, with long silver hair, a silver fox tail and fox ears, just like her own. He wore an immaculately white garment which looked quite fresh, compared to her ragged ones. The last thing that caught her attention was a fine green thing he was holding. It was long and was adorned with thorns and took the appearance of a whip.
/It took the appearance of a whip./
At that instant, her pupils dilated to points of horror and she realized that she could be next to the dead youkai at her feet.
Shutting her lids again and hugging her wounded arm against her body, she uttered a low cry when she felt a warm hand pat her head.
/That looks like a nasty wound you've got there./
It was a male voice that spoke, so kind that she unhesitatingly opened her eyes to see from whom it came from. It was the big youko who held a whip, a rose whip, unknown to the young demon fox.
She was still crying and had only began to stop when she realized that the big youko had no intention of hurting her.
/Would you let me see it?/ he asked, pertaining to the wound on her arm.
At first she was hesitant, it could be a trap, but she held out her arm anyway, wincing in pain as she did so.
/So that youkai gave you a hard time, eh, little fox?/ he started to speak as he commanded his plants to creep out of his hand into the wounded arm of the young youko.
/It's a dangerous world here in Makai. Why are you out here alone? Don't you have anyone to take care of you?/
The young youko lowered her head in reply.
/There, it's as good as new/ he announced, calling his plants to creep back.
The young youko's face lit up as she examined her fully recovered arm.
/I have to leave now./
The big youko was about to jump off when he paused as he remembered something.
/My name's Kurama/ he said, observing the still unmoving youko across him. Pausing expectantly, he then cast a smile at her when she did not display any sign that she was going to state her name back.
/You don't have anyone to take care of you, do you?/ Kurama asked, and this time she replied with a shake of her head.
/Then how would you like to be my little sister?/
The young youko's face lit up again as she rose to her feet and Kurama carried her up in the air. She squealed in delight, and when Kurama put her down and they started to walk together, she uttered a single word.
/Jeiro./
Kurama looked down and smiled again.
/Nani? Nani desu?/
/My name's Jeiro/ she repeated.
Kurama winked.
/Jeiro-san…no…imooto-san./
/Onii-sama!!!/ Jeiro replied back happily.
Jeiro smiled to herself.
/No youkai would try to chase me anymore/ she thought gleefully.
/They'll have to face my onii-sama first!!!!/
--owari--