Untitled

By Hiei Jaganshi

Pain. I felt it shoot through my head as it was slammed into the ground for the seventh time. I tasted the metallic taste of blood and coughed as the demon slammed my head again. I saw a flash of white and cried out quietly. The demon laughed and pulled me up by my hair. I glared defiantly, blood pouring over my crimson eyes.

I stared at my attacker and he laughed. "…Ugh… I-is that your worse?" I asked. I didn't know when to quit. I didn't know anything about quitting.

"You've got guts, brat. I'll give ya that, if nothing more." The demon said. He pulled me a few inches from his face. "If you lick my shoes clean I might let yer death quick."

I raised a hand and waved it in front of my face. "Uh… Gross… I know why this town reeks now… It's your breath!" The demon threw me and when I hit the ground the air was knocked from my lung. I gasped for air but instantly knew it was a mistake as I looked over and saw the demon foot coming towards me.

I rolled but felt steel-toed boots catch my side and the sickening crack of one or more of my ribs breaking. I cried out and the crowd of demons laughed.

"Finish him!" "Yeah! Give us blood!" "Make him scream again! The brat deserves it!" They cried. I smiled grimly. I had a feeling if I didn't do something this was it. I was eight and I was getting one of the worse beatings of my life. My left arm was broken, my head bleeding, I couldn't stand, and I couldn't see out of my right eye… Things weren't looking good.

I laid there, begging silently for a quick death. Wanting it to end but when another kick sent me crashing against a brick wall I knew I was doing nothing more then mumbling empty death wishes. I slowly tried to get up and felt the boot catch my stomach. I screamed and the force of the blow sent me up in the air about two feet and I hit the ground again, sobbing from the pain. My vision blurred and I wondered how long I would remain conscience. Once I fainted I hoped I wouldn't feel the pain.

I screamed again as he kicked me repeatedly. I wasn't even rolling away from his blows. I would hit the brick wall and land right back on the ground where he could kick me again. If only I hadn't been taken by surprise in the first place… I thought to myself. I felt rage build inside and grabbed onto his leg as he kicked me this time. He pulled his foot back and dragged me along the ground.

"Hey! I think he wants to licked yer boot!" a demon shouted.

"Why I think yer right! Go ahead, boy. Clean it."

I glanced at the filthy dirt, blood covered boot and spit on it. Then I bit down on his leg and he yelped in pain. I felt my fangs tear through the thick fabric of his pants and dig into flesh. Now my blood wasn't the only taste I had in my mouth.

He shook his leg and I felt my grip slip. I landed on the ground and then he pulled his foot back and I felt his boot slam into my face. I screamed and laid on the ground, covering my face and shaking. I felt blood pour down over my hands and knew my nose was broken and I probably had a busted lip. One of my fangs were missing but it would grow back.

I felt hot salty tears run down my face from my broken nose and run into a few cuts that I had. They burned but I ignored them. I slowly looked at the demon and gave the best glare I could. They started laughing.

"He looks pathetic!" One cried.

"Oh yes! And it's making him look tasty!" "He's small but would be enough for all of us!" I felt my heart speed up in my chest. "Let's eat him while he's got half a mind of what's going on!" This couldn't be the end…! "Look at 'im panicking! 'e knows what we want!" I struggled to my feet. My body refused to work but somehow I made it to my feet. I watched as the seven other demons closed in and I looked to see how high the roof was. I jumped but barely made it to the roof. My upper body landed flat on the roof and my legs dangled down. I quickly tried to climb up, my movements full of panic.

I finally got my left leg up onto the roof and went to pull myself up when my first attacker grabbed my right leg which was still off of the roof. He dragged me off of the roof and threw me right into the middle of the seven other demons. I scrambled to my feet, forgetting all about my wounds and broken bones. All that was there was an empty feeling inside and the urge to escape with my life.

I went to run just to get away. All I wanted was to escape. I quickly crawled under another demons legs and they started laughing again. I started running and tripped when my foot decided not to work because of how badly sprained it was. I went to get back up but a demon slammed it's fist down, slamming me back against the ground. He picked me up by the back of my cloak and threw me to another demon who held me tightly.

All I could do was kick and scream. I felt my foot hit something and started struggling even more. I heard a demon swear vividly and gasp for air. I started coughing as my insides felt like they caught fire. I coughed violently and when I looked at the arm of the demon who held me I saw blood… Blood that I had coughed up.

"…please…" I found myself begging. "…I don't want to… don't want to die…" They all started laughing. They thought it was hilarious.

The one I managed to kick came close to my face. "Welcome to hell, brat."

I smirked, suddenly feeling empty and cold. Who would care if I died? No one. But I cared and that's all that mattered to me and if I was going to die then I was going to die fighting. The demons stared in confusion, all though they kept it hidden with grins. I knew my smirk was without emotions. My eyes probably were too. I'm still willing to bet I looked insane. "Heh, no wonder this town sticks. All of you damn demons have bad breath."

Two of the demons started mumbling to each other. I summoned up some spirit energy and set fire to the demon who was holding me. He screamed and dropped me. I instantly curled up into a ball to avoid getting crushed. He ran into one of his buddies and I got up. I went to run again but a demon grabbed me.

"Get 'im, now!" He threw me into another demon and as I raced forward he grabbed my cloak and it tore. He tossed it aside and grabbed my shirt, pulling me backwards.

I landed on my back, on the ground. Three demons started grabbing at me at once. I felt claws cut and I started kicking again. I hit one demon low and another on his knee. I rolled and got back up. As I ran I felt my shirt start to tear but tangle around me. The third demon held onto my shirt and refused to let go. I swore and went to fight against my shirt when my first attacker swung a thick mental pole. I hit the ground as fast as I could and he hit his buddy in the face.

His buddy howled in pain and I got up, the rest of my shirt falling off and I tried again to run.

I froze in my tracks. Four had blocked my exit. I couldn't believe it. I was NOT meant to die like this. It wasn't fair! I didn't get to get revenge on Koorime for naming me the Imiko. I didn't get to get stronger. I didn't even get a chance to TRY and change who I was! Why was my life like this! Why? Was I fate's favorite joke? Why did fate leave me with everything that was unfair? I screamed my frustration and everything around me began to burn. "Why the hell won't you leave me alone!" I scream to no one in particular. "Damn it! If this is hell I hope you all burn!" I don't know how long I spent screaming my rage but suddenly everything spun and went black.

I slowly awoke. First I felt nothing. I began to wonder if I was dead and I laid on the ground for a few minutes wondering if this black abyss was death. I felt warmish and empty.

I realized that I hadn't even opened my eyes. I slowly opened them and realized my right eye was swollen halfway shut. I went to get up but couldn't move my left arm. It was dark but there was an eerie light to everything because of Makai's full moon. I got up onto my knees and the world spun. All around me there was nothing. Just ash and ruin. I stood up, gritting my teeth as I stood and looked around. There was nothing within a hundred and fifty feet of me but ashes and ruins. I realized my body was as if I had a fever and I could only guess what had happened. I had lost my temper. Something I had never done before…

I had lost my temper and become a living inferno. I concentrated to lower my body temperature but realized I couldn't. I had been out long enough to get a fever because of my wounds. I saw something grayish buried beneath the ash. I reached down and pulled my cloak out. I dug through the pockets and realized I still had some of my valuables. It was hopefully enough to hire a healer. If I walked around like this then I wouldn't be able to survive a day. I sighed and started to walk to the next town. I checked my sword as I walked and tied my cloak around my neck. "Note to self: If you decide to call a town stinky and blame it on the 'filthy pathetic demons' then don't get caught off guard and be ready to fight the whole town… Otherwise just don't say it. Hn, and the next person who tells me to watch my tongue I'll make sure they die painfully." I tied my arm against me and sighed. "I bet the next town's gonna smell worse." …I told you I don't know when to quit.