Chapter 4

Rescue!

Wolf and Dragon Meet

"DIE!" Koyuki yelled, leaping at a lizard demon, transforming into a wolf mid air and sinking her fangs inot his throat and leping back into her doe form away from another on coming attacker. She shifted into her human form again and used the doe's leg strength to leap high into the air then the cat's claws to slice the troats of two lizards that had jumped after her. She jumped back and opened her wings again, hovering above them when someone flew an axe up at her, is flew by her a nipped her wing, she cried out and flapped to the ground, wing dripping blood. Koyuki landed a few feet away and stumbled, falling to her knees and leaned up, huffing against a tree trunk. She was somewhat in control of herself, not that the full effects of the shock had worn off. Buut she was still in pain, and her muscles still spazzed when she moved too fast or landed to hard, her arm twitched and she looked up to find a group of lizard men comin at her, with axes swords and daggers.

This is it, I'm done. She thought despairingly.

Koyuki closed her eyes waiting for their blades to reach her and death to follow. She heard slashing, gurgleing, then silence. She opened up her eyes just a bit, then they shot open. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. A young man, about two inches taller than her, (even without his hair,) with spiked jet black hair, and a white starburst, wearing a black cloak and white scarf, blood covered sword at his side, was standing in front of her. He had slashed the throats of every demon that had rushed her.

The lizards took a few steps back." Oh hell. It's Hiei." One of them said.

Hiei? Is that his name? Koyuki was brought out of her thoughts when,

" Are you hurt?" He asked her, voice devoid of emotion. She shook her head.

"No. Besides the trap i'm fine." She informed him. If he was gonna be all business then so was she. He looked at her leg and spotted the trap digging into her, then, faster than Koyuki could see, sliced the trap in half releasing Koyuki's ankle. She retracted her wings and they vanished, but there was still a bloody gash on her back. She stood up. Shakily, but at least she was on her feet. Hiei took that as a sign that she was fit enough to move around. That way, if there was a problem, she could get out of harms way on her own. The lizard men had regained some of their composure and started to charge Hiei and Koyuki.

" Look human," He said as he raised his sword and took a fighting stance," I need you to go hide someplace where you won't get in my way." He ordered her a bit harshly.

Oh damn, Hiei mentally slapped himself, that made me sound like an asshole, now she'll be pissed. I forgot how touchy human women were. But Koyuki just nodded and ran off to the side with scarsly a limp. That puzzled Hiei a bit, but he would have time to wonder about it later. Now he had to worry about the countless lizard demons coming at him. He killed a great many of them and didn't get a scratch on him. Hiei wasn't even breaking a sweat.

However, they had managed to back him up against a large boulder. He was fighting them off alright, but he didn't notice the lizard demon creeping up behind him from the top of the boulder, who had a dagger in his hand. But while Hiei didn't notice him, Koyuki did, and so she shifted into her wolf form and crept up to the bushes at the base of the rock. Her plan was to kill the demon right before he hit.

Koyuki slid herself along the forest floor, silent as an owl in flight. Slowly, silently, stalking her demon was getting ready to spring, and so was Koyuki. He jumped and Hiei turned around to see a large lizard demon, dagger at the ready, coming at him. Koyuki hurtled herself out of the bushes and bit down hard as she closed her jaws around the side of the lizard demon's neck.

He struggled as the two landed on the ground. They rolled around wrestleing. Each fighter trying to gain advantage over the other. The demon had purposely kicked her injured leg making her let go of his neck, so his injuries there weren't life threatening. Still Koyuki had gotten a few other blows in. She had bitten the crap out of his right arm and now she was jaw-locked onto his right shoulder.(What? You think pitbulls are the only dogs who can do lock-jaw?)

Hiei was battleing with two other lizards that had ganged up on him, but he watched Koyuki out of the corner of his eye as she dealt with her own problems. Why did she interfere? I could have handled it. She didn't have to get involved. He thought. Then his eyes widened in shock as the lizard demon Koyuki was fighting took out his dagger, the one that had been intended for Hiei, and plunged it into her shoulder, dangerously close to her heart too. She let go of his shoulder with a yelp and he took the opportunity to kick her off him.

She layed a few feet away, still and unmoving, eyes closed. Damn is she...? Hiei thought, standing still . He had killed the two lizard men he had been fighting and was now watching the chaos unravel before him.

"Hehehe. Too bad wolfy. But it looks like I win." He was reaching towards Koyuki and his hand was about two inches from her when,

"I don't think so." she said snapping open her yellow eyes. She shot up and locked onto his neck again, only this time she didn't hesitate, and she ripped out his throat. Her pure white coat was stained red on her chest, muzzle, shoulder and leg.

He stopped struggling and his bidy grew limp. Koyuki she began to limp over to Hiei but she collapsed to the ground and faded into her human form, still soaked in the blood of the demon and her own. Hiei flitted over to her. He turned her over and held her up against him. He called out to her. "Human. Human! Get ahold of yourself! He yelled, but she didn't move and remained unresponsive.

"Can you hear me? I said wake up!" He shook her a bit. Then he stopped. He could see her move and her eyes started to open, then he saw green pupils staring up at him.

"Am I dead?" She asked him, a bit dazed.

"No fool, you're not dead." Hiei replied, and Koyuki swore she saw the slight look of concern leave his eyes and be replaced by relief, but it disappeared in a flash.

"What happened to the demons?" Koyuki asked.

"They're all dead." He answered, then actually took into account what she had said. He looked at her.

"How did you know they were demons?"He asked her.

"I'm a half demon." She said.

That explains alot. Hiei thought with ralization and his eye twitched in annoyance. Suddenly remembering the demon energy bursts he had felt when he'd first seen her. It made perfect sense.

Koyuki tried to stand but she fell back down clutching her shoulder. Blood seeped sluggisgly from the wound near her heart, and her breathing was heavy.

"Calm down half-demon, I need to get that dagger out and bandage up the rest of your wounds." He said moving to pick her up. She moved as he lifted her up bridal style, struggling to get out of his grasp, but he held her tight.

"Don't move," Hiei ordered, " I'm going to pull out the dagger. Just try not to scream." He looked at her and she nodded, ceacing her struggling and letting him carry her over to a tree, where he set her down against it.

He placed his left hand on Koyuki's right shoulder and grabbed the dagger handle with his right hand. "Ready?" He asked quietly, Koyuki closed her eyes and nodded. Hiei pulled and Koyuki bit her lower lip, clutching the dirt in her hand. The dagger was out and the wound was now bleeding freely. Koyuki released the breath she'd been holding and ripped off her jacket sleeves, useing one to bandage up her shoulder and the other to bandage her ankle.

"There, I should be fine now. I hear faster than humans. Being half demon does have it's perks." She said, with a small smile. She started to haul herself up to a standing position, using the tree to support herself. Hiei stared at her with a straight face but in his mind was in a bit of dissarray.

What is with this girl? I've met strange humans before, and even stranger half-demons, Yusuke proves that, but this is by far the strangest person I've ever incountered. Most people I know would be whining and crying, they wouldn't even bother moving after injuries like that. Even some demons would be out of it for a while.

Koyuki had noticed Hiei staring at her." Is something wrong?"she said.

"Huh? Oh it's...it's...nothing. Forget it." He said forcefully and he started to walk away. "Come on," He called to Koyuki, "I've got someplace to be, a long way to go, and only two months to get there." He didn't look at her as she ran to catch up with him. She's barely limping and isn't even breathing heavily, who is this she? Hiei wondered.

They walked side by side in silence. And Koyuki was getting un- easy." Ummmmm," she said and Hiei shifted his gaze to look at her, seeming bored, "my name's Koyuki, Koyuki Honoka. thanks for helping me back there." She introduced herself with a light smile.

Hiei looked ahead of himself again and didn't reply. Koyuki was kind of annoyed, but she didn't show it and pressed a little farther. "Do you have a name?" she asked with innocent curiosity. Then mentally smacked herself, Uh that was a dumb question to ask, of COURSE he has a name! She even felt stupid for asking at all, she alredy knew his name from when the lizards had said it earlier, but she wanted to be polite.

Hiei looked back at her and was quiet for a few moments, then replied, "Hiei." He said and went back to watching ahead.

They had been walking awhile and Koyuki was trying hard not to show it, but she was exhausted. Her ankle had been throbbing for some time, and her chest wound was starting to hurt her.

Hiei noticed that the strange half demon, Koyuki her name was, had been lagging farther and farther behind over the past hour. They'd been traveling at a pretty steady pace for four or five hours now, and it was getting dark. Hiei was a bit annoyed that they'd have to stop sooner because of her, but he was still impressed that she was able to keep up as well as she did. Hiei knew better than anyone that the demon world woods at night, especially with an injured half demon is basically the same as digging yourself a grave.

He stopped and Koyuki looked relieved to be resting.

"We should find a place to stay tonight. Find a camp, build a fire, get something to eat, and rest." Hiei said. Koyuki perked up at the mention of fire and food. Glad she could be doing something useful rather than following Hiei around all day. For the past few hours she was thinking of a way she could repay the demon, here was her chance to start. Koyuki had thought she was being a burden to him, but now she had a chance to prove herself.

"If you find a clearing I can start the fire and get the food!" She volunteered. And he nodded. Hiei told her to wait in a hollowed out tree stump until he got back. He said he was going to scope the area for a small clearing and to see if there were any threats nearby.

"Be quiet and don't move from this spot. If I come back and find you gone you're going to wish that you'd died with the lizards." he looked at her sternly and she nodded, settling herself, signaling to him that she wouldn't move.

Hiei had found no threats and a small clearing near the edge of the woods. It was a few yards from a stream, so water wasn't a problem. I better get back to the Wolf. He concluded turning away from a cliff he'd been standing on that oversaw a vally. He headed back towards the place where he had left his charge. Hiei expected her to be gone. Possibly spooked by an owl or mouse and had run off, but when he got to the tree stump, there she was, waiting for him just as he had left her. Noticably more tired, but unharmed.

Hiei led her to the clearing and she set to work picking up branches, sticks, and dry grass. Hiei was relaxing on a low hanging tree branch pretending to be asleep. In truth though, he would peek open one of his eyes every few minutes to see what Koyuki was doing. I wonder how she's going to get a fire started without any flint. Hiei thought, inwardly chuckling. Suddenly there was the sound of fingers snapping, a pop, and then the sound of a crackling fire.

Hiei was, needless to say, a bit surprised, "How did you do that?" He asked her, sitting up.

"Do what?" she questioned, honestly looking like she had no idea what he was talking about. Hiei wondered if she was mocking him or if she really had no clue what he was asking her.

"That," he said, motioning to the fire, "start the fire without using anything." He looked at her and eyes narrowing, she stared at him , and said nothing.

"What?" He asked, annoyed. Koyuki looked thoughtful as she though of the best way to respond.

"Well," the girl began, "My father was a Faerie. You may have heard of them. Forest dwellers, shape sifters. They are people of th elements." And Hiei nodded.

"I've heard of them, so what?" He asked.

She looked over to him again, "We are people of the elements, and while I'm not particularly skilled in it, I can use elemental magic. Fire is an element, I can only really create small spurts of flame, I can also use water magic a little." She said, snappingher fingers and a small flame hovered over her hand, then she snapped again and the flame was gone. "See?" She asked making sure he got it, and Hiei nodded.

He turned back to his tree and jumped back up on the branch he was previously sitting on, closing his eyes. "I wouldn't fall asleep just yet Hiei." Koyuki told him, tending the fire.

"Oh? And why not?" He asked, looking at her and wondering why she was preventing him from a well earned nap.

" Because," she answered, not looking at him, "I'm going to go get something to eat for us," Koyuki paused again then added hastily, "unless of course you don't want anything, then i'll just get something for me. You eat meat, right?" She looked at Hiei intently, he asnwered immidiately.

"Sure, meat's fine. Any kind you can catch. As long as it's not too cooked." Hiei paused for a minute, then continued, "I'll stay up a bit longer, I guess." When Hiei was finnished, he leaned up against the tree again and Koyuki began to walk away.

As he watched her disapper into the darkness, he wondered briefly if she would be alright on her own, but he decided not to worry himself about it, and looked up at the stars as he waited for the girl to return.