Haruke walked through the forest, humming lightly as she walked. Her black cat ears twitched slightly, for it was a better day than most, and she was actually on the happy side. Her black, waist length hair swayed slightly in the breeze as she bent down to check a herb she thought might come in useful later. It was indeed the one she sought, so she picked it, putting it in a small cloth satchel she had made herself. She looked up quickly as she heard a twig snap, her right ear twitching, trying to pick up any more sound. Her eyes grew wide as she heard the voices of many human males coming her way. She quickly got up, and was about to run, but was too late. A stone flew from the trees, hitting her on the shoulder. She cried out in pain, her hand covering the spot where she had been hurt, her knees bending slightly.
"There you are demon." A human spat her way, throwing another rock, hitting her right thigh. He smirked as she cried out in pain. "This time, we will kill you." Before they had taken slight pity on the twelve year old cat demon, but now... now that villagers had started to die, they knew she didn't deserve their pity. "You murdering demon." He threw another rock, soon joined by others, intending to kill the demon girl.
"Please! I didn't do anything." Haruke dropped to her knees, shielding her face with her arms. Little did she know, there were more humans behind her. One threw a rock that hit the back of her head. She fell forward unconscious.
"Nice shot Kai!" Another villager shouted. The villagers quickly grew silent as the sky turned black. They looked around them, for it was only mid-afternoon, and shouldn't be getting dark for hours.
"Foolish humans." A demon dressed in white fur with the face of a baboon covering his own stepped forth out of the trees. He quickly killed the humans surrounding the cat demon, clearing the way to her. "You will make a useful servant, little one." He picked up the girl off the forest floor, before riding his dark cloud back to his castle.
Haruke awoke a few hours later, her hair spread out on a pillow beneath her head. She groaned lightly, sitting up slowly. She flinched when she touched the back of her head where a rock had hit her. She felt dried blood mixed in with her hair, and almost cried. But she promised herself she wouldn't anymore, she would never cry because of humans again. She looked up suddenly as a door opened to her right. She looked up at a young man with long black hair that was tied up, but still flowed down his back. She quickly looked down, when he didn't look pleased at her staring.
"Good you're awake. For a while, I thought maybe the blow to the head had killed you." The demon Naraku knelt beside the mattress on which Haruke sat, looking confused and frightened. "You noticed that I'm a demon, didn't you? Very good, perceptive." He smiled slightly at the frightened cat demon. "Tell me, what is your name?"
"Ha-Haruke." Haruke kept her gaze on the mattress, not wanting to make contact with the demon beside her. She wondered what he wanted her for, it wasn't as if she could be of use to him, she was only a child. What could a demon who had such obvious power want with someone like her?
"Haruke, what a pretty name. You will call me Master, or Master Naraku." Naraku gazed at his new servant, pleased. He was glad he had seen her in the woods, and that he had saved her from the ill-mannered humans who were trying to kill her for a crime she did not commit. "I saved you from those humans so that you could serve me. As long as you do that, you will have my protection. But if you disobey me, you will find that I am a very cruel master." Naraku rose looking down at Haruke who had been listening silently, but subtly shaking the entire time he spoke. "Come, we shall find you clean clothing and a warm bath." No servant of his would look as dirty and unappealing as Haruke currently did.
Haruke rose as Naraku bid and followed him down a lengthy hallway to a storage closet. He pulled out some clothing, and put it in her arms. She continued to follow as he led her to a hot spring where she could bathe.
"Make it fast, then return to the room you were in before." Naraku closed the door in Haruke's face, standing on the other side, listening to her movements. When he heard her enter the hot spring, he walked away, going back to his room. When Haruke returned from her bath, he would show her to the small room that was off his. He had decided a while back that he needed a personal servant to cook his meals, and help him dress, he had just had trouble finding a suitable one. But then he had come across Haruke, and he knew he had to have her. She would be quite pretty in a few years time, and he deserved to have a pretty girl serving him. On top of that she was a full demon, so she would live long as he did.
Haruke slowly stepped into the hot spring, almost sighing with pleasure as the hot water flowed around her. She dipped her head under the water, intending to wash the dried blood out of her hair. She rinsed off, making sure she was clean, moving quickly as Naraku had ordered. She didn't want to know what sort of punishment he would think up for her taking too much time. She could tell he was very powerful, and that he was most likely cruel. There was something evil about him, and she didn't want to cross him. When she stepped out of the hot spring, she dried off, quickly putting on the black and purple kimono he had given her. It was a bit short, only going down to her knees, but she wasn't about to complain. She quickly carried her old clothes to the room Naraku told her to go back to. She knocked lightly before entering, kneeling before the demon.
"I don't recall telling you to bring back your old clothes." Naraku turned his attention to the girl who entered the room, not really caring that she had brought her old clothes, but he had to establish authority over her, and make known that if he didn't order something, it was not to be done. "Fold them neatly, and put them in the corner over there for the time being." He watched as Haruke did as she was told. "Come over here when you finish." He noticed she was very timid, something she had not been when alone in the forest. She had seemed happy when in the forest, and he was somewhat pleased that that was changing quickly. "Now then... I will show you to the room where you will prepare my meals." Naraku rose, and bade Haruke to follow, which she did. He led her to a stone room with a fireplace that had a kettle hanging inside. "Prepare me something fast. Make sure to make a little extra for yourself." With that Naraku exited the kitchen, leaving Haruke to her own devices.
Haruke looked around the kitchen, knowing she had no time to lose. Her head still ached, and she wanted to cry, but Naraku had said he could be cruel, and she didn't think she wanted him to be. She checked the cupboards to see what was inside, and found them almost bare. She checked the cellar, and was relieved to find a few things there. She brought up some vegetables and a smoked rabbit, and prepared a modest meal. She was sure her cooking wasn't so good, but she still hoped Naraku would be at least somewhat pleased. She put the food on a wooden tray she found, and carried it to Naraku's chambers where he was waiting for her by the window. She knelt on the other side of the tray setting it before him. He was very lordly, and she did not assume that she could take food until she was told she could.
"It seems someone has already broken you in." Naraku was pleased by the scent of the meal, but he knew that scent didn't always allude to taste. "It saves me the trouble, but I was somewhat looking forward to it." He smirked slightly, and Haruke gripped her new kimono, rustling the fabric. "When I have finished, you may eat what is left."
Haruke nodded silently, not looking up at Naraku, still gripping her cloth kimono. She already hated living with Naraku, and he hadn't done anything too bad to her. It was the threats he made that scared her, for she was certain that he'd follow through with them. She patiently waited for Naraku to stop eating, hoping he would leave her something to eat. She hadn't been able to fix much, and she had never really cooked before; just fish over an open fire.
Naraku looked over at Haruke, her face hidden beneath her hair. He had been observing her for a few weeks before actually bringing her to the castle, and she was completely different from when she lived in the woods. In the woods she had been happy, carefree, and smiled at the slightest and smallest of things. Now that she was with him, she was exactly the opposite, and that made him smirk. She was learning her place, and that her life would not be an easy one. He left a very small portion of his meal left before getting up and walking out of the room. "You may have what is left. I expect the next meal to be bigger and taste better." Naraku shut the door, leaving Haruke by herself.
Haruke ate what was left of the meal, surprised at herself; it didn't taste as bad as she had feared. The portion was small, and didn't quite fill her, but it was better than nothing. When she was finished, she quietly picked up the tray with the dishes on it, returning to the kitchen to wash them. She hadn't been ordered to, but it was common sense. She drew water and quickly washed the dishes returning to the room as she was quickly learning to do. When she returned, she found Naraku waiting for her.
"For a minute, I had thought you ran away. But you're too smart for that, aren't you?" Naraku's voice was level, but really he was quite angry to return and find Haruke missing. If she didn't come up with a good reason for leaving, she would be punished.
"Forgive me, Master. I thought I should wash the dishes." Haruke bowed, hoping Naraku wasn't angry. She could almost sense he was, and that frightened her. She closed her eyes tightly, tensing for punishment she was almost sure was coming. She had been correct as Naraku quietly rose from his place by the window and slapped her across the face, knocking her halfway across the room. She felt tears running down her face, and did her best to hide them, not wanting Naraku to see her cry. "I'm very sorry, please forgive me." She cried out as Naraku kicked her, his foot almost crushing her ribs. She was winded, and lay still on her back, knowing more was coming, but also knowing it best to just take it, lest things be worse on her.
"Never leave this room without my permission." Naraku looked down at Haruke with a scowl, not caring that she was having trouble breathing. He walked back over to the window, looking out it. "You may go to your room and get some sleep." He would work her hard the next day, and he didn't want her falling asleep as she did her chores. He did not turn around as he spoke, but he did hear her crawl into the next room and flop down on the mattress.
It took Haruke a little while to catch her breath, especially since she had dragged herself to her room promptly after Naraku told her she could leave. She didn't want to linger there, and take more of his anger. She lay in the mattress, slowly getting her breath back. It was quite a few hours before she was finally able to drift to sleep.