Ch. 3- The First Mission
She woke up the next day and met Kurama and the few other followers that were going on the mission. Of course, Yomi was coming, but so was Senju, who Arwen favored seeing as he didn't seem to hold a grudge against her, Maha, a bouncy young cat-demon, Keto, a dark, unfavorable demon, and Kuronue, who was Kurama's best friend, even though they were very different. She liked the company except for Kurama and Yomi. Yomi was never polite to anyone, and was reckless. Kurama was just a self-centered jerk. When they left Arwen stayed back with Senju and the others as Kurama and Yomi lead the way.
"Hey, Senju," said Arwen after a while, "I'm sorry I was so rough on you."
"You showed Master Kurama what he wanted to see." he replied. "No apology is necessary."
"It was rather fun to watch." called Kurama from the front. She cringed.
"Oo! He's such a jerk!" she said softly to Maha, Senju, Keto, and Kuronue. They couldn't believe what she'd just said.
"He just seems so." said Kuronue softly. "He actually fancies you. He finds your stubbornness rather cute."
She looked shocked at this. Senju nodded. He was a tall demon with short black hair and black markings all over. Maha smiled at her tauntingly. He had orange hair with cat ears and a tail. He was only a little taller than Arwen. He jumped in front and began to speak walking backwards, "Isn't it clear? Almost everyone fancies you, but Master Kurama's been down right-"
All of a sudden he tripped on a stump. They all stopped. Arwen slightly giggled with a 'you deserved it' look upon her face. She gave him her hand, "Need some help?"
"Maha, quit playing around!" snapped Kurama. Keto passed by at that moment not saying a word. His wispy brown hair was rustled by the wind. His green eyes flashed at Maha and Arwen. He was tall, but not nearly as buff as Senju.
"Master Kurama, why did you bring that cat and that girl? She especially belongs back at the base like all women should!" he snapped darkly. Kurama turned to him looking rather irritated.
"Funny, you ask. I was thinking the same about you." said Kurama cruelly.
"He's needed." said Yomi. He looked at Keto for a second. Arwen noticed that look and at that moment knew why Yomi wanted Keto there. Yomi was gay! The look of surprised on her face made Kurama almost laugh.
"Keto, Yomi, take up the rear." Kurama said. No one argued as the two held back. Kurama grabbed Arwen by the arm gently to keep her with him. She noticed the smile on his face.
"Yomi and Keto?" she whispered to him after a while.
"I've known about it for some time." said Kurama quietly. The weird look still remanded on her face. He chuckled softly. "Yomi actually said he loved me at one point, before Keto that is. I told him he wasn't my type. I'm strictly into women."
"Hum." she said not knowing what to say. 'Why would he say that to me? Surely that's not his way of trying to win me over.' she thought. Now she had a different weird look on her face. Kurama laughed softly. "What?" she snapped when she noticed him staring.
"Nothing, nothing." he replied looking away. "You just amuse me." he said looking back. She gave him a glare.
"I don't want to walk with you anymore!" she said crossing her arms and stopping. Senju, Maha, and Kuronue snickered. So Kuronue caught up to Kurama to leave Arwen with Maha and Senju.
As the two got further ahead Kuronue whispered to Kurama, "She's coming around. Pretty soon she might actually admit that she likes you."
"You think?" Kurama whispered back excitedly. He was about to look at her.
"Don't!" hissed Kuronue. "Enough for one day, Kurama."
Maha smiled wickedly as they walked together. Soon it got on Arwen's nerves.
"What?" she snapped at him. This made both Maha and Senju startle for a second. He looked at her.
"Oh, nothing." he said cheerfully.
"Just tell her, Maha." said Senju. She looked back and forth between them.
"Okay," sighed Maha, "I was just thinking about Kuronue saying how cute you two looked together earlier."
"What?" she choked. "Kuronue!" she yelled. He turned to her going red and laughing. She puffed up with anger. "I would have you know, there is no way in hell that I would even consider him to be a friend! I catch wind that you've said another word on the matter, it will be the end of you!"
Kurama was even laughing at her remark to Kuronue. For days they walked in this order till they reached an ancient tomb. The marks on the outside were the writings of an ancient type of demon. Arwen was baffled by them, but to her they also looked strangely familiar. She examined the walls as Senju, Maha, Kuronue, Keto, and Yomi pushed on the rock some time. Then the five decided to just blast through it. That's when Kurama stepped in.
"There's a way to open the door without force." he said calmly.
"You couldn't tell us that sooner?!" snapped Maha exasperated.
"You didn't ask." Kurama replied. They all looked a bit annoyed with him. He went to the markings by it and read to himself, 'The resting place of King Valio and Queen Sapia- blah, blah, blah- those who enter must show their blood.' He stood up and turned to Arwen. "May I borrow your dagger?" he asked her.
She took the dagger out of its sheath that was around her right thigh and gave it to him. He grabbed her hand pulling her over to the markings which was a little redder than the rest of the wall. He quickly, but gently cut her hand then put it on the symbol to enter. After a moment the rock door creaked open. Kurama lead them inside.
As soon as they were in, he began to wrap Arwen's hand with a cloth as the others lit torches. She stared at him as he tied it.
"Why did you need to do that?" she asked as he handed her dagger back. She slipped it back into its sheath. They all stared at them.
"Only the blood of a virgin." he said walking on. She went red. Maha and Senju stayed back with her.
"So you're a virgin?" asked Maha with a scandalous tone. She knew what he was thinking. 'Why do all men have to be that way?' she thought. He went on, "If you want to be a woman, I have no problem helping you. Sure it will be a hard task, but I'll handle it."
Up front Kurama was gritting his teeth.
"Would you shut up?" snapped Senju to Maha. "Can't you see Arwen's a lady?"
She nodded with a smile. "Thank you, Senju."
"Arwen!" called Kurama. She came to him dreadingly. "I want you to come with me."
They'd reached a fork in the path.
"Yomi, take Keto, Senju, Maha and Kuronue down the left. I have a feeling you'll find a lot down that way, but Arwen and I must find some special items." Kurama said.
"Why Arwen?" snapped Yomi.
"Be thankful I put you in charge of the others and go!" Kurama roared. He then drug Arwen down the right path. For a little while she was afraid to speak to him because he seemed to be in a bad mood.
Yet she found the courage to ask, "Why did you pick me?"
Kurama stopped walking and turned to her with a softer look. "For one thing our powers compliment each others, and you're rather small. That's good for tight spaces so take it as a compliment in this part of the job. And most of all, I'm just sick of Yomi's bullshit."
They walked on in silence for a while, but then Arwen asked, "So what so important about this tomb?"
"There are two mystical jewels in here." he replied. "And perhaps the swords that strengthen them."
"But is it really that important to have them?" she asked using her torch to burn the webs. "This is ridiculous!"
"No, this is work!" he snapped. "Now stop acting like Yomi and do your job!"
"UH!" she sounded loudly then rushed ahead madly. All of a sudden Kurama felt something. He jumped grabbing Arwen. As they hit the ground spikes came up where she had been walking. She looked shocked. "Why did you do that? We both could have been killed?"
He helped her up. "I'd find it impossible to replace you." he said sweetly. "Besides I'd be out 50 years of service."
She pushed him away and stood a good distance away with her arms crossed. She yelled meanly to him, "Jerk!"
He picked up the torch and walked ahead. When Arwen saw a huge spider she found herself unable to keep her cool and distance from Kurama. She shrieked and ran to him grabbing his arm. He looked down at her with a surprising smile. She quickly let go.
"I just hate spiders." she said nervously. 'Of all the things to fear.' thought Kurama. 'Spiders.' He put his arm around her. 'Oh, no!' she thought.
"I think spiders would be afraid of a spirit fox, don't you?" he said pulling her close. "You're safe as long as you're with me."
'Did he really just say that?' she thought. 'And is he really smiling at me like that? His arm is making me feel so safe and comfy. Wait a minute! Is he trying to seduce me?' She walked with him puzzled at his kindness he was displaying. Then they soon came to a strange room. There was a door ahead. On it was a crest of some sort. It was a heart with three swords in it. One had an earth symbol, one had a fire symbol, and the last had a wind symbol. She walked to it slowly just staring at it.
"I know this!" she said in surprise. He stood back and watched her with an unreadable look upon his face. "My father showed me this crest and told me a story about three demons. One of earth power, one of fire power, and one of wind power. The heart symbolized there oneness in desire. It was to rule the Demon World together." said Arwen.
"What happened to the demons?" Kurama asked. He'd heard this story and had always been fascinated by it.
"They became one demon." she said putting it together. "They started the Domini race!" She looked shocked at the crested, then shocked and angry at Kurama. "We're robbing my grandparents' tomb! We're robbing my grandparents' tomb! This is horrible!" she yelled absolutely panicking.
"Well, I could never figure out how to get in here until you came along." he said calmly. "The blood of royalty!" he said gesturing to her grandly. She became out raged.
"You knew!" she said going to him. "You knew!" she screamed. She pushed him, but he just stood there. She began to hit him thoroughly while shouting, "You knew this was my grandparents' tomb and made me help you rob it? You evil, selfish, ugly, low down, piece of filth!"
He grabbed her by the arms and stopped her. He was looking very stern now. "Look!" he thundered, "Yes, I knew the tomb I was robbing! And you know what you should actually be grateful you're here with me because only you can retrieve the two other jewels and the swords."
"Why?" she screamed. "Because you might spare my life if I agree to give you these jewels, and the one you gave back to me! The hell with you! I'd rather die!"
"Open the door!" he thundered. He pushed her to it. She slammed against it, and it began to open. She fell to the floor hopeless and tired. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Kurama pulled her up and dragged her into the golden room where two coffins laid. One was on the left and the other on the right. And in the middle was a stone heart with two real swords in it. There was an empty slot where the third one fit, but it was gone. The two remaining held the jewels on the hilts of the swords. They glimmered brightly to the point where Arwen began to walk to them.
"This is your destiny, Arwen." said Kurama softly, no longer holding her. She turned to him. "Do you know how powerful those jewels are? If they were to fall into the wrong hands-"
"Your hands?" she interrupted. She gave him a skeptical look.
"I don't want those jewels." he replied.
"What are your intentions then, Master Kurama?" she snapped.
"You'll find out soon enough that there's a rush involved in finding hidden beauties." he said to Arwen getting closer to her. "Some I keep as trophies, but others I just want recognition of finding."
"And that's all you want?" she asked calmly. He brushed the hair from her wet cheeks, then his hand brushed her neck and chest. Their eyes were locked together. She felt a shiver down her back. Something told her to trust him.
"Well, I have one thing better than the jewels and swords to play with." he whispered. She knew he was referring to her. She tried hard to ignore the comment for it sounded so tauntingly sweet from his lips. "Come on, and take the swords. If you leave them here it puts your family a lot of danger."
She turned away to recover from his touch saying, "Wouldn't they still be in danger?"
"Yes." he replied. He gently stroked her back. She shivered. "But here if someone were forced one of you who's to say that you can stop them. If you take them, you can hide them, or even us them."
She reached out and grabbed one of the swords. It came out with a tug and she set it down. Then she took the other one out. It was the green jeweled sword. She took her out sword from its sheath and slid the new sword in. Perfect fit. Then she wrapped the other sword with the red jewel in cloth. They began to walk back though the place, and as they were squeezing through the spikes the whole tomb started shaking.
"Go!" Kurama shouted to Arwen who was a little ahead. She was free, but he was still in the spikes. His tail got caught on a jagged one. Arwen rushed through them to free Kurama. As soon as he was, they ran down the hall way and met up with the others at the fork who were running for dear life.
"Hey! Put those back!" shouted Arwen about the bags of jewelry and gold. Kurama grabbed her up.
"No time for that now!" he said. "Let's go!"
They went running though the doors as fast as possible and just in time. The entry way caved in. When they were at a safe distance they all dropped.
"I told you not to put your bags on that lever, Maha!" snapped Kuronue.
"Sorry, but they were heavy!" Maha whined.
"You-" shrieked Arwen. Kurama covered her mouth with his hand. She struggled against him.
"Go back to the base." said Kurama. "Only leave two for Arwen and me."
They all nodded and left, but in the distance she heard Maha shout, "Have fun on your honeymoon!"
Kurama uncovered her mouth and said, "We will rest for a little while."
