Thanks to everyone reading! I'll be adding chapters and fixing typoes. Keep the feedback coming! - Veishia
The young man sat quietly in the inn, his tea growing colder in his cup. His eyes gazed unseeing at the green liquid as he absently ran his thump around the rim. The shadows in the common room deepened as the sun slowly sank behind the mountains. The murmur of foreign voices, the aroma of vegetables, fish, and rice filled the room. All of it was ignored. Finally, the man rose and drained his cup with one long pull. As if a signal had been cast the screaming began. A peasant burst through the door shouting, "DEMONS! THE DEMONS ARE HERE!…," then he collapsed with a bloody gurgle, a large grey birdlike creature on his back, it's beak impaled in the soft flesh of the fellow's neck.
The man, who had been drinking tea dropped the cup and in a fluid motion drew and threw a dagger. The weapon found it's target sinking into the strange creature's right eye. The man sprinted to the two corpses and retrieved his blade. He ignored the screams of the patrons as he pushed through the door drawing his sword which was buckled on his waist as he went outside.
Chaos and fire greeted Robert as he stepped into the deepening dusk. Flames flickered on the simple huts that had been set on fire. He scanned his surroundings with a veteran's cool and disciplined eye. He counted six or maybe seven of the strange birds, and a humanoid looking female. He knew she wasn't human as humans lack the power of flight. She was easily twelve or so feet off the ground and laughing manically, flames flowing from her hands as she threw a fireball at a hut. Robert glanced at the spear he had rested against the wall of the inn he was in; he had been hired by the village headman to assist against this danger. He knew what to expect and had planned accordingly. He gripped the spear and without a word threw the weapon as a javelin. The demonic female never saw it coming. The missile skewered her just below the breastbone. With a scream she fell from the sky with all the grace of a thrown stone. The birdlike creatures roared and flew towards the man who had felled their mistress. The never had a chance. With cool precision Robert hacked and slashed with his sword. It was a dance, a dance of death, and the villagers who watched this foreign warrior were both awed and terrified by his brutal efficiency.
Aka lay on the ground. Her body was wracked in pain. She opened her mouth to scream again, but all that came out was a pathetic whimper. She held the cruel spear that pierced her through with both hands and try as she might couldn't remove it. For the first time in her life she felt cold. So very cold. Her vision was beginning to blur and breathing was becoming hard. The cries of her birds were diminishing and then silence reigned. Suddenly, a warrior unlike any she had ever seen was standing above her. He was clearly a foreigner. His hair was blonde and he was far to large of stature to be Japanese. Perhaps he was a half demon? Finally, her endurance was spent and she gasped out a final word that she was curtail would fall on deaf ears; "mercy…"
"…mercy." Robert heard the word, little more than a sigh on the wind. He thrust his sword into the ground barely an inch from the felled demon's head. He gripped the spear with two hands and drew the weapon from her body. The effect was instantaneous. She woman's eyes flew open and she screamed like a lost soul as the steel was pulled from her abdomen. Robert knelt down next to her and quickly scanned the creature for the first time. The female demon was small, maybe five feet tall. Her hair was long, black, and unkempt. The clothing she had was little more than rags and her feet were bare. Robert grabbed the tattered remains of her tunic and ripped off the right sleeve. He pressed the filthy cloth against her would. She had surrendered to him; had plead for mercy. And so Robert was honor bound to do all he could to keep his felled enemy alive. Chivalry demanded it. For the demon Aka was correct, the human who bested her was not Japanese, but a warrior called a knight from the far western lands.
"What are you doing?," shouted the headman as he rushed to the kneeling knight. "Kill her! I hired you to kill her and her demons!" Robert looked up at the furious noble and said, "No. You hired me to stop her which I have done. She has surrendered, and as such is now under my protection as honor demands." "SHE MUST DIE!," screamed a villager who was armed with a pitchfork, "She's a killer!"
"So am I," Robert replied. With a scream of hate the villager lifted his makeshift weapon and charged at the still thrashing demon. He never not close. Swift as a snake, Robert stood and drove a mailed fist into the farmer's face. He went down like a stone. Robert treated his sword and stood over the wounded demon.
"Hear me," he roared. This creature has surrendered and as such is under MY protection. If any seeks to do her harm you must first defeat me. I have no desire for more bloodshed tonight. I will take my payment, my horse, and my prisoner and leave you tonight. Bury your dead and get on with life. This is over." The knight then scooped the barely conscious demon up and draped her over his shoulder, and made way to the stables that housed his horse. She weighs next to nothing, Robert mused as he slung the felled female across the horse's back. The village headman and a crowd of villagers were waiting outside as he lead this horse out. They all bowed to the knight, and the headman said, "Thank you for what you have done, but I fear you are making a terrible mistake letting that evil creature live." As he handed a bag of money to the exiled knight, Robert said, "Perhaps, but it is my mistake to make. Regardless she will bother you no more."
Hours and miles passed as Robert guided the house and its burden into the countryside. Finally around midnight he stopped and build a small lean-to . He loosened the dagger at his waist and picked up the unconscious demon. Gently he placed her beneath the makeshift shelter and built a small fire. As he set a small pot of water to boil he more closely examined his prisoner. She was shapely. Her hair fell down to her lower back. Her skin was pale white. She was busty; her tattered shirt barely enough to cover her breasts. Her face was heart shaped and youthful, looking no older than twenty at the most, and she was filthy. Finally the water began to boil, and he took a silken cloth and field dressings from his saddle bag. Robert placed it into the hot water, withdrew it and walked over to the demon. Gently he removed the rude bandage and began to wash the blood away from her wound.
Every breath pained her, every step the horse took shot pain though her body. Am I dying, Aka wondered. Try as she might she couldn't open her eyes. Her battered body refused to obey her mind. I need to run away, I must escape! This can't be how it ends…!
Aka startled awake. Pain! It hurts! Her eyes opened and she saw him kneeling before her. Her captor was wrapping something tightly around her abdomen, and she noticed she was topless, her body exposed before this human who had conquered her. She tried to move, but her strength failed her. "So you're awake," the man said quietly. "Who are you," Aka asked, resigned to whatever fate had in store for her.
"My name is Robert. Try not to move, it will take time for you to heal, even with the medical care I've given you. If you were a human you'd be dead already. Do not try to escape. Do not attempt to fight me. If you do, your surrender will be void and I will take your head. What is your name, demon?"
She closed her eyes and said tiredly, "My name human is Aka. What will become of me? Am I your slave?"
"I have been a slave, or at least very close to one. I will take no slave. You are however my prisoner. After you are healed you will guide me to the border of this region as I am newly arrived. After that you will vow to not attack humans again, and you may chose your own path." She felt his hand behind her back and cried out as he sat her up. She opened her eyes and saw Robert had a bundle of cloth in his hand. After a moment she realized it was a tunic, and he put it on her to cover her nakedness. "Sleep now demon. We will speak more in the morning.