Hello! This is my humble little attempt at an idea that has been nagging me for some time. This is an OC fic inspired by KiaraxxRaven's story "Love for a Water Sprite." Special thanks and cookies to her for putting up with my self-conscious rambling.
NO MARY-SUE!!!!!! I wanna get the point clear right now; Lamia is an original character with a story and characteristics unique to her. Along the way there may be a romance, but I'm not sure yet. (Tell me a review if you think that should be different, *hint, hint*) For more a pic I drew of her and some links to the mythology that her character is based on, go to my profile.
On to the fic then!
Houmei had just finished shopping when she ran into trouble; they were just small-time thugs trying to act tough in a small town, but there were three of them and one of her. When things were reaching their breaking point two men came to her nonchalant rescue, the older, red-haired man apparently disappointed by her age, the younger just seemed to enjoy the fight, but he was friendly, helping her gather up the groceries she had dropped.
"Gojyo! Goku! I thought I told you to keep a low profile!" Came a man's angry voice, when Houmei looked up she saw a jeep come to halt. The man yelling had on a priest's robe and was blond, driving the jeep was another man in a green shirt, and sitting in the back apparently enjoying the show was a woman, she had waist length dark hair and ice-blue eyes. Strangely, despite the warm weather she was wearing a long coat, and a high-collared blue shirt underneath it, and a sash of the same color was tied around her waist. Stuck in the sash was a silver rod about an arm's length long and banded in the middle with ebony.
"You know we do stick out fairly well ourselves, Sanzo." she said to the priest.
"Hey," The younger one returning her groceries ask, "do you know an inn with some good food?"
Houmei blinked as she gathered her wits, "Actually my family runs one." she said.
*
A few hours later Houmei and her father were clearing away the dishes from the dining room table. Houmei was still teary-eyed from her out-burst about the demons that had devoured her friend, and she didn't notice her father stopping the young woman who had come with the travelers before she went upstairs. The inn keeper had noticed she had not eaten anything while seated with her companions; she had pushed the food around on her plate, but nothing had reached her mouth.
"Are you feeling well?" the innkeeper asked her, catching her arm, and he started at the coolness of her flesh, even through the fabric of her coat.
"Yes, thank you." she said, quickly freeing her arm and dashing up the steps.
She sighed, reaching the top, "I hate the living." she added under her breath.
"You don't say, huh, Lamia?" Gojyo said snidely, he and Goku were playing cards and consequently were arguing about. Hakkai was recalling the conversation they had with innkeeper with Sanzo.
"The average human doesn't know the reason for the disaster," Sanzo answered him; "They just assume the demons are showing their true colors."
"So telling them to get a clue wouldn't work, huh?" Gojyo injected.
"Might be well for you Gojyo," Lamia said, leaning against a chair with her back to her card playing companions, "But not everyone may take Hakkai and Goku's little restraints as just fashion. I myself have other issues."
"Oh don't worry," Gojyo said flirtatiously, "You can suck on my ne – oof!" he was cut off by Lamia's elbow smacking into his ribs.
"Deviant." she spat.
"Now, now –"Hakkai said calmly trying to defuse the situation with his trademark smile.
A rumbling on the first floor that got of five of their attention, downstairs there was a group of garishly dress men and women. "Ah man," Goku moaned, "The carnival's in town."
"Oh, yeah." Gojyo said, "I'd like to show a few of those carnival hotties what kind of action is going on under my big top."
"Too much information!" Hakkai called from behind him.
"The inn's booked, preacher man." Goku said, proud of his fleeting intelligent decisions, "But had the fore-sight to book a couple of singles."
"We should stay close," Sanzo started, "you never know when we might we might be attacked, but," He turned on his heel, "I'm sick of seeing your sorry faces, so screw it!"
"It warms by hear to see us getting along so well." Hakkai said as they went off to their rooms. "Good times."
*
Lamia found herself in luck. A gypsy would not be missed, and given most of their folk traditions, it was not likely they seek her out for revenge; they would be too frightened to do so. Lamia stepped outside the inn, and lit up a cigarette, pretending to take drags off of it.
"I didn't think anyone would be up this late." Lamia heard a man behind her. She turned; it was one of the caravan. He was tan wearing brightly decorated clothes.
"Couldn't sleep." Lamia said, walking toward the ally, hands in her coat pockets, she could hear the soft-footsteps of the man following behind her, and then she heard the knife sliding out of a sheath. Lamia spun, grabbing her would-be attacker's upraised arm. She twisted the knife out of his hand, and spun him around so she could grab the back of his neck. The hat he'd been wearing had flown off, reveling his long, pointed ears.
The demon snarled in pain and surprise. His neck felt like it was locked in a vise, no human had strength like that, but she had no demonic aura, or red hair that would have marked her as a half-breed. "You're no human," He choked out, "What are you?"
"I might ask you the same thing." Lamia hissed. She lifted the knife, dragging across his throat, the blood flowed and Lamia caught it in her cupped hand.
"Hey Lamia!" She looked over to the inn, Gojyo was standing at the window of his room, "Stop snacking and get over here, we've got problems!"
*
Spider demons were bad enough, spider demons with hostages were worse, things only went downhill further for Sanzo when the spider demon grabbed his face and started her flirty threats.
"Perhaps, devouring the highest of priests may provide life everlasting," he pulled him closer to her face, "to human women you must look very handsome."
"Up close like this you look different," Sanzo sniped, "Uglier."
At the insult, she slammed his head into the floor, "I'll destroy you!" She cried, "I'll tear you into such tiny little pieces no one will be able to tell what you were – "
She was cut off by the webs being cut through by the crescent-shaped blade of Gojyo's staff, "I'd rethink the menu, honey," he said, "that dish is a little sour."
Hakkai was with him with an equally bad one-line while Goku yawned and Lamia wiped her bottom lip with her thumb, clearing away the last traces of red.
"If you're looking the thanks keep searching." Sanzo snapped at them.
"I wouldn't want then anyway." said Gojyo, "but you'd you like some help taking her down?"
"The more the merrier." Sanzo replied, replacing his robe over his shoulders.
"Quite the tough guy act!" The demon yelled, "I'll split your little friend in two before you can take a step!" No sooner had she said this then Hakkai was behind her, and recovered Houmei from her grip.
"You're too slow lady," he swept her up into his arms, "and now that we have your bargaining ship, why don't you just surrender?"
She whistled and group of demons appeared behind her.
"Kill them all!"
"Endangering an innocent person is bad enough, but taking out cook hostage!" Goku was able to yell before the onslaught came.
Lamia pulled the silver rod from her belt, blocking an overhead attack from a demon with a long sword. "You're really gonna fight me with that little stick?" He said as they were face-to-face. Lamia smiled before twisting it in the middle and it pulled apart into two long daggers that she brought down across both sides of his neck, erupting in an arterial spray.
"Useless fools!" The leader yelled as her troops her slaughtered, "Can't you do anything right?!" And Sanzo landed a blow that sent her sprawling.
Then as an easy victory seemed at hand, things just as quickly got worse. The demon woman's skin turned black, and began cracking and splitting open as she began to change from, and moments later a giant spider loomed menacingly over them.
"Ew! I bet that tastes gross." Goku said, shattering the silence that followed.
"It must be nice thinking the way you do." Gojyo said with honesty.
The comic relief was interrupted by webbing be shot at, and entangling the five of them, the four tried cutting threw it and Goku freaked. "Ew! This shit is nasty, get it off me!!"
Lamia pulled against the web that had encased her wrists, getting enough leverage to one of her daggers to the webbing, she grunted in frustration, "I can't cut the web this time!" she yelled, and her ruminations her cut short when Houmei screamed, apparently she had just woken up, bad timing.
There was a sudden shot and the web broke and the demon screamed. "What the-?" Lamia started, she looked over at the door and saw the innkeeper holding Sanzo's gun. When the last of the webs fell away Houmei ran to her father, "Isn't that your gun, Sanzo?" Lamia asked.
"I guess he gets a cut." Sanzo said, retrieving his weapon.
The spider woman reared again, "I'll kill you! I'll kill you all!" Instead of attacking again, she turned on her last surviving minion.
"Ew, she's eating her friend." Goku grimaced.
"So it's not just Lamia who likes to eat men?" Gojyo said, earning Lamia's death glare.
The demon's energy healed her wounds and she faced to attack Houmei and her father, Goku jumped into attacking with his staff, blocking her blow.
"Why do you defend these humans?" The demon yelled, "They're weak, you are of my kind! You are demons!"
"I like this girl's cooking, that's reason enough!" Goku answered.
"So it always comes down to eating in the end." Hakkai laughed.
"Animal instincts, they're all he's got." Sanzo answered.
"You disgusting traitors!" she yelled, "I'll devour you all!"
"Hakkai," Sanzo said, "Take care of Houmei and her father. Lamia, Goku, Gojyo, buy me some time," and he wiped the scripture off his shoulders.
They sprung into action, Hakkai shielding Houmei and the innkeeper while Lamia, Gojyo and Goku started to attack again, keeping attention away from Sanzo. They dodged more webbing, hacking at whatever target presented itself. One huge, furry leg shot out knocking Lamia off her feet; she flew back hitting the wall. When she had pushed herself up on her elbows, she saw Gojyo standing over her.
"I'm here to protect you." He announced in typical voice men use when trying to impress a damsel in distress. Lamia however was neither.
"My hero." Lamia said snappishly, and shot her leg strait out and up, like she was trying to do a backward summersault and hit the toe of her boot right into Gojyo's nose. She used the force of coming back to spring up onto her feet.
"Damnit!" Gojyo cursed, holding his bleeding nose, he shook his to gather his shaken wits, "If you wanted blood that bad, there are a lot more fun ways to get it!"
"Hey guys, a little help!" Goku yelled, he was parrying another spider leg with his staff, Lamia crossed her knives like a pair of giant scissors and chopped threw it. As the demon screamed, Sanzo had finished his chant and the Maten scripture flew at their enemy, tying off her motion and trapping her in place.
"Think you can finish her off Goku?" Gojyo asked, pinching near the bridge of his nose, to stem the blood flow.
"Can I?" Goku said, taking off.
The monster screamed in pain as Goku stabbed with his staff. Blood spurted and she dissipated into huge burst of wind and bright light.
*
They were all loaded up in the jeep ready to take off; they had been ready for about ten minutes.
"I guess Houmei's not coming to see us off." Goku said softly.
"I hope there wasn't too much damage." Hakkai said to the old innkeeper.
"No, I can rebuild, the important thing is that we're safe." He replied, and then there was a creak of the inn door opening and Houmei stood in the doorway, holding a box.
"Houmei!" Goku spoke as she stepped forward, offering the box.
"It's only lunch," she said meekly, "But please, take it if you want."
"Houmei you're the best!" Goku said, taking the offering, "Thank you."
She didn't speak as he settled back and the jeep took off.
*
"So no they're sending assassins." Hakkai said as they drove, and Goku and Gojyo fought Houmei's lunch.
"They know who we are and what we're planning to do." Lamia said, trying to talk over the ruckus.
"And now this Kougaiji." Hakkai added, recalling some the night before with their would-be dispatchers. "What do you think, Sanzo?"
"I'm sorry; I can't concentrate with those two idiots in the back." He said, indicating Goku and Gojyo.
"Speak for yourself." Lamia said, she was sitting behind Hakkai, trying to keep way from the inevitable food fight that would happen between the other two passengers of the backseat.
"Shut up!!" Sanzo rose in his seat, whacking the offending to with his fan.
-End Chapter One-