"Please tell us another myth, Orochi-sama!" said a boy with blonde hair.

"Oh yes, please!" begged other excited children around the fire. The man who had deep black hair and beard, chuckled, his blue tired but wise eyes twinkling. When children's demanding turned into nearly shouting, he simply raised his hand and as if by magic everyone fell silent again, waiting for village's storyteller to start.

"Very well", he said and stood up. He glanced around the double page and then noticed a tree. He walked to it then reached out and snapped one of its branch which was full of leaves. He turned back to children. All of them watched him closely, eyes blinking curiously. He walked to them.

"Do you," he started and held up the branch. "know what this is?"

"A branch of course," said one boy.

"Hai," Orochi nodded. "But the color is important. What is the color of leaves?"

"Green," said girl with soft voice.

"That isright. What does it mean?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. "What does color green mean?"

Children looked at him, puzzled. Then one hand rose.

"Yes?" asked Orochi, now looking at girl who had short black hair and big brown eyes, wearing yellow kimono.

"Life," girl said. "Green symbolises life."

"Very good, very good," storyteller said and then looked at one girl who had lingonberries collected on her lap. "May I take these?" he asked and the girl nodded. He took a fistful, nearly all of them. Then he raised his hand and crushed them inside his fist, red liquid dripping down his arm.

"Now tell me, little girl," he said looking back to girl who had rose her hand and opened his palm. "What does this color symbolize?"

The girl looked carefully at the storyteller's red hand. "I don't remember. Onee-san didn't tell me," she shook her head.

"Never mind," he smiled kindly to girl and then rose his hand once again. "This color symbolises violence. Fear. All of those things that you should not encounter."

Orochi lowered his hand. "This what I tell you now, it is not a myth. It is not a story, it is not a joke. It is the cruel truth what you have to understand even if you are very young now."

Children glanced at each other, confused, and then continued to listen intensively. Orochi sat down and eyed at them.

"This village has been my home since I was born. Like all of you, I played here, learned how to speak, how to read, how to write, how to live with people in peace and honor life. We humans have feelings, compassion and conscience. We know how to tell merry stories and how to laugh a laughter that comes from our heart," with that he placed his hand over his heart. He looked at children and they did the same, feeling their hearts beating inside of them. Storyteller watched them, smiling calmly but then his face turned serious and he stood up. Children took their hands away from their chests and eyed at him intensively.

"But life is not that everywhere. There," he touched the branch in his left hand with his right one and tarnished its leaves with the red liquid. "is no life, no peace. Green is blurred in red, everyday is full of fear, brutality. That world... doesn't know the word 'mercy'."

He glanced at the children. Their eyes were wide, almost fearful. Except one girl's who had black hair and brown eyes. Her eyes were curious.

Orochi started to walk around the fire, children's eyes following him. "They are no humans", he shook his head, putting down the branch and rubbed red color on both of his hands. "There hands are covered in blood. Animals' blood, humans' blood, even their own. They have longer nails than us, claws. Their teeth are sharp enough to cut your throat open."

Children gasped.

"And their eyes. When you see them, you know you can not do anything to save yourself," the storyteller said and stopped walking. "Red. Black. Yellow. Do hope that you will never see those eyes."

One girl grabbed a boy's hand in fear, nearly in tears.

"They are no humans," Orochi repeated. "Predators."

He started walk again, gesturing with his arms. "You can not run away from them, they are ten times faster than you. You can not climb on the trees, they can jump on its top. And you can not hide because they will smell and hear you."

He stopped again, children looking him with great fear and horror. "They do not have our week, human ears. They have animal's ears. Predator's ears," he finished and silence fell around the fire, the only voice was the children's heavy breathing.

"Cool," said one voice and all faces turned to its owner. The black-haired girl's brown eyes were full of curiosity and interest.

The storyteller looked at her with myriad expression and came towards her. The girl's eyes turned doubtful, like she wasn't sure if she said something wrong. Orochi bent down so that his face was close to her own, his blue eyes drilling to her brown ones. "It is not 'cool', young Kagome. You have to listen me very carefully now. Do not ever, ever wish that you would meet them. They are no humans."

Girl's eyes held now confusion, something that Orochi couldn't understand and he stood up again. "Now I think it is my time to stop. Sleep tight, little ones."

"Kagome! Kagome!"

Fire was everywhere. People screamed, ran and cried. Twelve years old girl, who wore red-white priestess outfit, her black long hair tied, ran hastily around her village which had turned into a nightmare-scene.

"Kagome!" she shouted but all she could hear was people screaming. "Ka-"

"Young Kikyou!"

Girl turned around and saw a woman who had the same kimono and was running towards her.

"Kaede-sama!" Kikyou cried and ran to her.

"Young Kikyou, what on earth are you doing here?" Kaede asked, touching the girl's slightly shabby face because of the smoke. "You have to run to a safety place immediately, it is dangerous out here."

"No, I can't leave without Kagome."

"Kagome?" asked Kaede and then placed her hands on Kikyou's shoulders. "Where is your sister?"

"I don't know. She was playing with Kin-chan and Manami-chan and their parents have found them, but I can't find her!" Kikyou said, nearly in panic which was not like her.

"Calm down, child. I'm sure she-" but Kaede cut herself when she glanced over Kikyou's shoulder.

From the woods came fear.

There was five of them. They wore dark kimonos and walked calmly, ignoring the fire that was all around the village. They looked merely dark figures but then Kaede noticed the hair of one of them. It was very long and shined in crimson color. Kaede's eyes widened and fear washed over her.

"Young Kikyou, we have to run, now!" she yelled, grabbed the girl's arm and started running. She didn't even dare to look behind her. People screamed even louder and ran in panic, out of the village.

"No!" Kikyou yelled and snaked her arm away from the woman's grasp. "I won't leave without Kagome!"

Then she turned and ran.

"Young Kikyou, don't!" Kaede yelled and then noticed a man who had short hair and moustache, running near the girl. "Takehiko-san!" she yelled and the man stopped running, looking at her. "Do not let young Kikyou run away!"

The man understood immediately, seeing Kikyou run towards him. The girl didn't even have time to blink when she was suddenly lifted to the man's shoulder. Takehiko ran forward, following Kaede out of the village.

"No, let me go! No! My sister is in there!" Kikyou kicked and hit but Takehiko held her firmly. She looked at the village and saw dark figures clearly, lashing screaming people, their hairs shining, so much blood, and triangular ears...

"Please let me go!" she shouted, now desperate. "She's only six years old! Please! Kagome!"

But the man didn't listen.

She couldn't move.

Her face was against her knees, her bare legs in contusions because of running. She didn't even remember when or where she had lost her sandals, all she could remember was shouting, fire, smoke...

Kagome raised her head, coughing, and looked around. She was behind Eiji-san's hut but fire was very close and people were shouting. Her face was dirty and her green kimono was ripped from the hem.

Then she heard deafening scream of a child and sank her face to her hands. Tears rolled down when she realized that it might have been someone of her friends. Onee-san... Where are you? Did you forget me? she thought, sobbing, remembering her sister's beautiful and calm face. Her only family.

Suddenly she heard footsteps close by. Someone was coming towards her. Onee-san! she thought and raised her head.

It wasn't her sister.

In front her was a tall young man, wearing a crimson kimono. His hair was white, shining like silver.

And... yellow eyes and white dog ears.

She gasped loudly but not from fear. It's really true...

"What are you looking at?" growled the man, revealing his sharp fangs.

"I-I..." she tried to find her voice, trembling.

"Keh. Poor piece of shit," he said wryly, and suddenly bent down and scratched her dirty cheek, drawing blood.

"Ah!" Kagome cried and heard the man's bitter snort.

"Are you ready to die?" he asked.

Kagome shook now with fear and new tears came to her eyes. She didn't want to die. "O-Orochi-sama was right," she sobbed and looked at the man, believing now that he truly was a monster. "You really are not human."

Something in his eyes changed.

"I would never want to be someone like you! You hear me?!" he shouted, raising his hand like he was about to slash her.

Kagome sueezed her eyes shut. "I want to live," she whispered.

"What?" he yelled and Kagome flinched.

"I said I want to live!" she yelled back now, looking at him with fear but her eyes were intent. He seemed confused because of her sudden courage to yell at him. "I wanna live..." she sobbed, closing her eyes once more. "I don't wanna die. I wanna see my onee-san and play with my friends... Please... Let me li-live..."

There was silence for a moment. The only sound was her load sobbing.

Then she felt something warm on her cheek and she opened her eyes. The man caught one of her tears with his clawed finger and licked it away. Kagome looked into his eyes. They didn't look evil, not even so scary. They were full of intense brightness.

Without a word, the man turned around and started to walk away.

Kagome didn't know why she did it. All she could think about was that this creature didn't kill her and maybe there wasn't anything dangerous about him after all. So she asked; "Hey, what is your name?"

He stopped and looked at her. He started to grow and narrowed his eyes. Faster than a stormy wind he hit her on the back of her neck, making her she pass out like. The world around her became calm and dark.

AN:

Part of this idea came into my head while I watched Avatar. This is just outset, there's coming a lot more. I hope you'll enjoy.

- kirr1001