Untitled

By Hiei Jaganshi

I tried to look like my pride wasn't damaged as they just tossed food into the little space that was my prison. I looked up from the corner I always stayed in and watched them with my crimson eyes.

The guards ignored me and went on their way to the other prisoners. I hissed through my teeth after they left and looked at the food. I had been here for a week. The cell was spelled against teleportation and I was still slightly weak anyways.

I had a plan to escape. I didn't get caught often but it wasn't unheard of. If and when I did get caught I always had plans to escape.

I liked thinking ahead…

I sat back down in my corner and looked at my arm. There was an almost healed scar. I pulled my shirt off and studied the wounds there. Most were healed and all that remained of them were faded scars but there were the small reluctant wounds that almost refused to heal.

"Oy! Pyromaniac! Heh, how'd a guy like you get locked up in here?" someone shouted from across the hall.

I looked up and knew my eyes were about the only clear thing he could see of me. "What's it matter to you, scum?" I ask, not raising my voice what so ever.

"Just for the sake of… friendly conversion. I wanted to know."

"Hn." I closed my eyes again, concentrating on nothing more then healing before my escape act tonight.

"Okay, Mr. O-Silent-One," the demon said then started eating his food.

I dozed off into a light sleep and only woke up when I heard the guards breaking up a fight.

I opened my eyes and studied the situation then smirked. "So, a bunch of low class demons like yourselves can't break up a fight between two lower classed demons? Pathetic."

One of the guards turned and glared at me. "Oh, look who's talking! It's the Mighty Silent One!"

"Tch," was my reply.

The guards opened the door to my cell and I felt an urge to escape now. I swallowed it and watched them walk towards me.

"He thinks he's tough. No more than fifteen years old and he thinks he's tough!"

"I know I'm tough… Unlike you two." When the guards were right in front of me I looked up at them.

"I suggest we kill him. Make more room in this little prison of ours."

"We could sell him off as a slave…"

I rolled so I was lying with my back against the wall and kicked the first guard in the groin.

The second guard prepared for my assault by drawing his sword but I was ready.

I unraveled the white scarf around my neck and wrapped it around his sword. He went to cut through the fabric but a look of surprise crossed his face when the fabric wouldn't tear. I smirked. My scarf was a secret weapon.

I lifted the sword up and slammed my foot down on the top of his. He yelped in pain and I slammed my elbow back into his face, hitting him on the jaw.

He fell to the ground unconscious.

That wasn't how I planned to escape but it worked for me. I kicked one as I stepped over him and walked out.

The talkative demon looked at me. "Goin' somewhere? Can I come?"

"No, you can't come. You're going to sit here and rot just like the rest of you pathetic demons."

"…Damn. That sucks."

"For you maybe." I started walking then saw my sword and other stuff sitting on a table. I grabbed them and prepared myself for the maze-like place that this was.

I heard a laugh in the corner. "Heh, ignore these lowly demons. You're a bandit, I can tell by the way you walk and the quickness you move with."

I looked over at a dark cell and stared into the shadows. "And who are you?"

"No one important. The only thing you should be concerned with is how to get out of this maze-like place. You can't teleport your way out and I'm sure that you know the rule of the bandits. The get out time is extremely shorter then the get in time. Will you be able to get out as quickly as you have to?"

I hesitated. "What are you trying to say?" I asked.

Suddenly there was movement in the shadow. A bat demon leaned against the bars and grinned, pulling a torn wide-brimmed hat over one of his eyes. "I think you know, kid."

I hesitated. "So you're saying you know how to get out of here?" I asked.

"Yeah, maybe I do."

"And what do you want in return?"

"Someone who actually knows how to fight to watch my back. You look like a decent guy. You'll keep your word, won't you?"

"Maybe. Or maybe I'll run you through with my sword once I'm done."

"Well, if you think you can then go ahead and try but I wouldn't throw your life away like that."

I glared at him then relaxed a bit. "How do I know you won't try it?"

"You don't!" he said simply.

That surprised me a bit. The answer was simply blunt but from the expression on his face I didn't think he would. "Fine." I shrugged.

He laughed. "Alright, kid. Then let's get movin'."

I unlocked his cell and he walked out and stretched a pair of black bat wings. He flapped them twice then folded them. "Okay, the escape time starts…"

"Wait," I said. He blinked and looked at me, his pointed ears twitching. "What's your name?"

"Kuronue. Yours?"

"Hiei."

"Well, Hiei. It would be an honor but it's not under these circumstances."

I smirked. "I guess you're right. Now…"

Kuronue smirked. "Escape time starts now."

He grabbed a hand held scythe and started running. I followed.

We reach our first problem when there were three halls to choose from. "Well? Which one?" I asked impatiently.

"Um… This one."

I froze and looked at him. "You're sure?"

"Er… This one?" He indicated another hallway then his first choice. It sounded more like a question.

"You said you knew!"

"Shut up! I've been here as long as you have!"

"Baka!" I went to run down a hallway.

"Hey! Wait! It's this one."

I stopped and looked back. "Are you sure?"

"Well I'm sure it's not that one," he said, glancing down one hallway.

"How do you know?"

He grinned and tapped the brim of his hat. "Because they're coming down there to get us." He pointed as a bunch of guards came around the corner then he started running down the first hall he indicated.

I swore and followed. Why was I listening to an insane bat demon that didn't know what he was doing? "I'm going to die…" I said.

His ears twitched and he laughed. "No worries, kid! If you die I do too! Maybe we could keep each other company?"

I actually laughed. "Your company would drive me insane!"

He stopped and grinned. "I hear that a lot. Wanna take care of them or can I?"

I threw my left hand out towards our enemies and created a wall of Ningenkai flame to stop them. "There."

"Not bad." He looked at our next choice of hallways. "Let's see…"

I smacked my head with my hand. "I'm following an idiot that doesn't know how to escape from here…"

"Hey! How about you pick a way? I picked one last time."

I stared at him. "You picked? You picked a way! We could be going the wrong way because you picked a way!"

He folded his arm and raised his eyebrows, waiting for me to calm down.

I instantly looked at the floor and cleared my throat. "I can't believe you just picked."

"I didn't." He grinned.

"Huh?"

"He started down another hallway at a slow pace. "I'm telling you I know how to get out of here… Unless the rumors are true about this pace and it moves."

"It moves? Hn. I doubt that." I looked behind us to check the wall of fire that I created. It wasn't there. No scorch marks or anything and there was a completely different hallway there. "Um…"

Kuronue's ear twitched and he glanced at me. "Huh?"

"Maybe the rumors were right…"

He looked behind me and saw what I meant. "Well… I hope you've live a good life, kid cause we're dead." He pointed to the guards that were closing in on both sides.

I smirked. "Nope but I'm not ready to die yet…" Kuronue blinked and looked at me. I summoned the ningenkai flame around my fist and arms then looked at a wall. "I'd stand back if I were you…"

Kuronue had already stepped back because of how hot the air was. "Fist of the Mortal Flame!" I shouted to show off a bit then started punching at the wall of the hallway. I felt it giving way and after about two minutes it finally broke and I stepped into the next hall, molten metal falling onto my shoulder.

Kuronue whistled, impressed then stepped through. A drop of molten metal fell onto his arm. He swore and started swatting at it. "Hothothothothothothothothothothothot!"

I knocked the metal off of me and looked at Kuronue, who was jumping around blowing on his arm. He saw me and stopped. "What! You might be all 'fire-proof' but I ain't!"

"Hn." I started down the hallway.

He folded his arms and made a face. "'Hn' Hnhnhnhnhn!" He mumbled an insult under his breath then followed.

Suddenly the wall next to us gave and Kuronue and me jumped to opposite sides of the hallway. A huge Golem Guard snarled and swung an axe at me. I dropped the to ground as it cut through the wall next to me.

I got back up quickly and jumped back a few feet then threw a ball of fire at it.

A high-pitched whistling caught my attention and the scythe Kuronue carried caught the Golem Guard by the throat and Kuronue tugged on the chain, pulling the Golem to the floor. The weight was too much for the floor and it caved in. The floor collapsed underneath Kuronue and me.

I prepared for the fall, keeping my legs under me but then I felt someone grab me by my arms.

"Y'know kid…!" Kuronue's wings flapped faster and harder to keep us both up while his voice was strained. "You're… lighter than I thought…!"

I sighed, slightly relived that I wouldn't have to try to land on stones, and other things after falling through a few floors.

He dropped me on a part of the floor that hadn't gave in and landed, folding his wings.

He stared at me for a moment, expectantly. I turned and started walking.

There was silence for a moment. "YOU'RE WELCOME!" he shouted to me.

I walked back and looked down. "Well… think you can fly down?"

"'Think you can fly down'? What kinda question is that? I just flew with you as extra weight didn't I?"

"Alright. I can jump." I saw a spot where I could land about three floors down. I jumped and as I landed on the rock I aimed for my knees bent to absorb the impact.

I waited as Kuronue jumped and flared his wings last minute to slow his fall.

"There's the door," Kuronue said.

"Yeah… but this seems…" I began.

"Too easy…" Kuronue finished.

"It's an ambush," we said at the same time. We stared at each other for a moment. "It's only common sense," we both said again, making excuses for the same time talking. We looked at each other. "Okay… THAT was just plain creepy," Kuronue said.

"Agreed and it's obvious we both agree there's an ambush outside."

"Yeah… Well, what are we waiting for?" Kuronue asked.

"Nothing," I said. We started to the door.

I walked outside first. Kuronue blinked rapidly a few times because of the light from the setting sun.

"At least it won't be here long…" he mumbled.

I looked around and saw around a hundred prison guards. Kuronue lazily spun the scythe around, holding it's chain in his right hand, giving it some slack then holding the rest in his left.

I drew my sword. "You take the first half I'll take the second. Sound fair?"

"Yup. Sounds fair to me."

I ignored Kuronue's next actions and focused on what I had to do. I quickly cut down one enemy then went to the next. I made sure each slash of my sword was a killing blow. It was getting dark and like it or not I had to gain distance before I could rest. I would be traveling well through the night. No one liked to travel at night in Makai.

One guard managed to block my blow and leave me open. As I brought my sword up I suddenly felt warm blood spray my back.

There was no pain. I cut down the guard and looked back. Kuronue had killed his last guard as he snuck up behind me. Kuronue held his scythe, it's tip dripping with blood. "Sorry, kid. He almost got away form me." He grinned and swung his weapon, cleaning it of blood.

I spun my sword in my right hand, doing the same, then sheathed it. "Hn. I suppose you want a thanks?"

He smirked. "Nah. Cause I know I'm not getting one from you!" He flared his wings and took to the air. He gave a two-fingered salute. "See ya!" he called then disappeared into the night.

I smirked. "Interesting day…" I said to myself, shaking my head. "Hn. Thanks," I said to the night sky then took off at a fast pace into the dark woods of Makai.