Author's Note: I've been writing this fan fiction with my friend, Cirrus, The Pheonix of Life for a while. I have to say it's probably my favorite story I've ever written. Hope you guys like it! If you decide you do and want to read ahead, please go to the story's website: www.lioness. This is where you'll find more chapters that we've already posted plus some extra credit information. Just to let you know, the set up of the chapters here is completely different than the set up of the chapters there. To continue reading from the end of this chapter, go to chapter 3.
Saramaru strolled down the forest path. 'I smell the stench of human blood.' She thought as she looked around. The demoness looked very much like the Lord of the West, Sesshoumaru, except she had no tail. Her powers were on a much different scale. She was a dog demon, but she had the powers of a sorceress. The full blue moon on her forehead glowed in the shade, and her blue stripes gave her face character. Her white and blue yukata rippled in the slight breeze. She was the image of grace, even with the sword by her side. Her eyes narrowed as she thought about the blood.
'I did not hear of any wars.' Saramaru stopped as she heard something. It was breathing, slight, but still breathing. And there was an aura of magic out of control.
'That bush.' Saramaru thought suspiciously as she stepped towards it. She raised her hand as she got closer, and with an upward flick of her wrist, it was in the air. She waved her hand sideways, and it flew slowly in that direction, placing it-self into the ground, where it started re-rooting itself in place.
Saramaru gave a little gasp when she saw what was under the bush. "I haven't seen anything like this in a while." she said aloud as she gazed down at the child before her.
"Of course you haven't. Blond hair, who would've?" A voice asked from behind her.
"Ah. Niiro-ichi, my friend. Now tell me, where were you?" Saramaru's voice rang out as she turned to face the reddish-brown griffin. He was the size of Ah-un, but much more graceful. She rolled her eyes as she saw the deer in front of him.
"Hunting, of course. But it appears you've been hunting for a different thing." The griffin replied.
"Well I wasn't searching for a little human girl, she just happened to catch my attention." Saramaru half-pouted as he accused her.
"Whatever. What are we going to do with her?" Niiro-ichi asked, "She looks pretty beat up to me."
"I'm not quite sure. We can't just leave her here to die…"
Suddenly the girl groaned and opened her eyes. Saramaru and Niiro-ichi watched expectantly.
"Well, now we know she's alive. What is your name child?" Saramaru asked as she looked at the small girl who was now rubbing her eyes as though she had just woken up from a long sleep.
The girl looked back at Saramaru, her eyes growing wide when she saw the stripes and full moon."Yes," Saramaru said answering her unasked question, "I am a demon. But that is beside the point. What is a young girl like you doing out here all alone?" Saramaru replied as she watched the girl, "You look a if you were attacked by something, is this true?"
The girl didn't bother to reply. One of the reasons she had been so upset when her fellow villagers called her 'demon' was because her parents had told her of the race's many bad deeds. Now she was standing face to face with one. In a way. The child whimpered and tried to push herself away, crying out when her leg was moved.
Saramaru's eyes widened slightly. "What, do you think I'm going to hurt you?" Saramaru kneels down so that she was eye to eye with her. She nodded slightly, too scared to speak.
"Ah child, child. You are so young and naïve. Do you think all demons are bad?" The corner of Saramaru's lips turn upward in a somewhat kind smile.
The girl nodded again. The demon in front of her didn't seem to be bad, but she didn't want to be too trusting of anyone after what had happened in the village. She hoped that the demon wouldn't attack her for her reply.
Saramaru's smile faded. "I suppose we haven't been a very good race to you humans. Well, it does not matter. Does your leg hurt?" Once again, the nod was her reply, accompanied by a little sob.
Saramaru's smile came back. "I can make it better. Do you want me to?" The girl nodded. She pushed herself towards Saramaru, her usual trust in everyone returning a bit.
The demoness reached out her hand and touched the child's leg gently. In seconds, her magic was working and the break was totally healed. "There. Now, try to walk. It should feel just like new."
She pushed herself up and took a few tentative steps. After realizing that her leg felt fine she smiled shyly at Saramaru. Then her eyes rested on Niiro-ichi. They grew wide again.
Saramaru stood up again and followed the girl's gaze. "Ahh. Niiro-ichi is my friend. He will not harm you." She looked back at her with a look that seemed to say, 'What is he?'
"He is a griffin, child. Grace strength, purity, and wisdom. The perfect animal." Saramaru replied to her unasked question.
"Where did you come from?" Saramaru asked. The child glanced at her, tears forming in her eyes.
She looked down quickly, not willing to answer the question. Saramaru closed her eyes, was silent for a minute, and then nodded. "I see. You don't need to answer that question anymore, Kita."
Kita gasped. How did the demoness know her name? She wiped away a few stray tears and laid down on the ground, trying her hardest not to burst out crying. Niiro-ichi looked up from where he was lying on the ground. He got up slowly, and walked over to where Kita was. He lay down next to her, and went back to sleep. Saramaru smiled. Niiro-ichi might look intimidating, but he was just a big softy. Kita grinned a bit through her tears and snuggled closer to him.
Saramaru shook her head. "I'll let them rest. I have to find out where Sesshoumaru is anyway." she sat down, and started searching for the lord of the western lands in her mind.
Kita was awakened from her restful sleep by the clashing of swords near by. Niiro-ichi's head snapped up. "Kita, get on my back. We must get away." He said stiffly. Nodding, the little girl climbed on, clinging to him and putting his feathers in a death grip. Niiro-ichi spread his wings, and jumped into the air. While he was flying away, he looked back to see two giant white dogs fighting in a clearing.
One of the white dogs only had three legs, and was dodging trees. The other was rolling its head around, seemingly telling them to move on. Then it got ugly, the three legged dog attacked the other, and ripped at its shoulder. The whole scene scared Kita more than anything she had ever seen in her short life. She hid her face in Niiro-ichi's feathers, shaking violently with fear.
Suddenly, the two dogs were done with their fight. The dog with a torn shoulder was following them, looking back every so often to check for her opponent. Of course Kita didn't see this, for she was still half hiding and quivering on Niiro-ichi. The white dog roared loudly, falling to the ground, blood seeped out of its shoulder. The three legged dog bounded past the wounded one towards Niiro-ichi.
The noises brought Kita's face out of the feathers. She might have been terrified, but her curiosity was greater. Kita watched, too scared to move as the three legged dog came closer and closer to her. The dog pounced, barely missing Niiro-ichi, who was trying to avoid being hit. Kita once again pulled herself close to the feathers. She didn't know this dog, but whoever he was, he was not good.
Niiro-ichi went closer to the ground, trying to cover himself in trees. For a moment, it seemed like whoever had been following them was gone. Then, a one armed man who looked much like Saramaru jumped onto Niiro-ichi's back, throwing Niiro-ichi and Kita into the ground.
Kita tumbled to the ground falling off the griffin. She pulled herself into a ball, whimpering, all common sense gone from her head. The one armed man came towards her. A bright blue light shot out from Kita, making the grass ripple and pushing sticks and such out of the barrier. But it didn't seem to stop the man. He walked right through it. The man walked closer and closer.
He walked right up to Kita, reached down, and grabbed her by the neck. She squealed, kicking and struggling, trying to get away from him, but it did not seem to help. His grip remained strong, keeping most of the air from Kita's lungs. Not having the strength to continue struggling, she went limp in his grasp.
Saramaru came running up behind the man, clutching her bleeding shoulder. He turned around as she got closer and called out, "So, we're traveling with human's now, are we cousin?"
Saramaru growled and said, "Stick your ego up you ass where it belongs and unhand her."
"And why should I do that?" Sesshoumaru asked, "The child is just a pitiful human. You have no need for her. I expected more of you. You are a full blooded demon. This is the kind of behavior I'd expect from my bastard brother, not you."
Saramaru growled. "Last time I checked, your 'bastard brother' had better manners than you did. And at least he still has two arms."
Sesshoumaru glared daggers at her. "Inuyasha is the one who took my arm." he told her, "Therefore how could he have better manners than I? Now tell me why you are with this filthy human?"
Saramaru growled again out of frustration. "She has no where else to go, she has magical powers, and I need the company. Unlike some people who prefer little toads, I like graceful, powerful things. Now unhand her before I place a curse on you that you'll regret later."
"I have no reason to fear your little spells." he replied, "And this 'graceful, powerful thing' has no control over her abilities what so ever. She put up a barrier without knowing it and it was so weak I could walk right through it. Even Inuyasha's bitch can make better barriers than that."
"No reason to fear my little spells huh? And I thought you knew better." Saramaru closed her eyes, and within seconds, Sesshoumaru was flying through the air, and Kita was in her good arm.
He landed on his feet and glared at her. "I still do not understand you taking a human child willingly." he said, "But I will leave for now. This Sesshoumaru has better things to do than pick a fight with such a weak one as you." With that Sesshoumaru left.
Kita was hanging onto Saramaru's shirt, sobbing. Her neck had five small places where the skin had been burned by Sesshoumaru's poison claws.
Saramaru fell to her knees. She yelled to Sesshoumaru, "FINE! You're still my LITTLE cousin." She looked down at Kita, and her eyes softened. "I'm sorry child. It's all right now though." She hugged Kita, and struggled to get up.
Niiro-ichi woke up from his faint, and went to help her. "What prompted you to go after Sesshoumaru like that?" he asked, "You know it always brings problems!"
"He was too close. I was trying to keep him away from Kita, although it seems my efforts were futile." She replied.
"I'll say." Niiro-ichi agreed. They looked down at the child in Saramaru's arms. From her expression it looked as if she would never let go again.
Saramaru sighed as she looked at Kita. "I no longer have the strength to heal her. We will have to take her to Kaede. It will be the first time we have seen her since she was a very small child, I believe it was fifty years ago." She climbed on Niiro-ichi's back. "You know where she lives, Niiro-ichi. And go fast."
She got onto the griffin and they flew off. Kita looked up at her protector. The cuts were getting bigger and they were turning green. It did not look good. The world began to turn gray to Kita. The girl smiled at Saramaru just as the world went completely black.
