I tried to make this chapter a bit longer. It's not exactly action packed, but I loosely planned more of that in the next chapter, when we finally find out what Youko's after, and everything a long that line. It might surprise you. Ohohohoho.

This chapter is pretty much setting up for the next. Which I'm going to start working on after I post this.

Tryst

Seven

I followed this new demon without complaint for about seven or eight minutes. After this amount of time, I got curious and started asking him different questions.

"What does this place look like?"

My answer was a shrug.

"Well, how much farther is it?"

"Dunno."

I stared at the back of his head for a very long time as silence fell over us again. How dense was this demon, exactly? I wondered. On the other hand, maybe he was like me, and Youko had only told him so much, keeping the important details to himself. I thought this was foolish.

Because Youko decided to withhold information, the demon leading me and myself did not know what to expect. This could mean we had a higher chance of being murdered. What good did that do him?

I watched the sun, which seemed to lower itself further to the horizon with each step I took towards this place. It seemed to me that the sun just didn't want to see what was going to happen, and had decided to hide, hoping to be under the horizon by the time we got there.

The sky was pink and orange by the time we saw a building looming in front of us. My grip on my box tightened. It looked more wide than tall; judging by the windows, there were only two floors.

I was glad for that; it probably meant that this demon wasn't powerful. He just happened to have something Youko wanted. There was nothing to worry about.

Things were still as we continued toward what was slowly becoming a large, black box in our path. I knew that when things were still in the Makai, it meant that something was going to happen, and that it wouldn't be good.

The demon leading me seemed to know this too, because I could tell that he was getting more nervous with each step we took. We were both on edge by the time we were within a good throwing distance of the building.

I wondered if Youko had simply set us up to die, but I didn't see a point in him telling me what I was supposed to do when I got inside if that was the case. I stopped, waiting, watching as the demon continued ahead of me.

I suppose he simply wasn't observant, or he might have noticed the difference of the ground; instead of dirt, there was sand, and any inconsistencies in scenery in the Makai meant that there was something meant to kill or trap you.

Unluckily for him, this one was meant to kill him. I watched with mild fascination as he was caught, screaming, in large teeth and pulled under the sand, which was splattered with specks of blood. It had been too quick to make much of a mess.

I waited patiently for something else to happen, standing near gates I hadn't noticed before. It was probably a good thing I had stopped near them, because though they were open, it appeared as if I were waiting to be invited further.

I watched as the sky slowly turned pink and purple, before a smaller demon came bounding out of the building towards me. He stopped a few feet in front of me and bowed, and I offered a tiny one in return. There wasn't much else I could do with a box in my hands.

He seemed satisfied and took hold of the hem of my dress, and led me along the path. I tensed when we crossed over the sand, but besides a small vibration, nothing happened.

I had gotten through, and I assumed that Youko wouldn't mourn the loss of a demon so dense as the one that had been taken.

This new demon didn't ask me what my name was, or what business I had at this place. I stopped again once I was led through the front doors, because the demon let go of my dress and bounced off. I had never seen a demon hop away before, and I was marveling at this when someone cleared his, or her I wasn't really sure, throat.

Looking up at the staircase in front of me, I saw a demon that looked rather full of himself; he was a bit large and unhealthy looking, and had a terrible under-bite. Still, he held himself as if he were the most beautiful demon to grace this world, and the clothes he wore only further supported this idea.

He dressed almost like a human emperor, and though the building was unimpressive outside, the interior of this place was decorated with no reservations. I realized this demon probably had many things Youko wanted.

"I," he began, his voice loud as he stood as straight as he could manage. "Am Yoshiro."

With this announcement, he lightly pounded a fist on his chest and I managed to look reverent. No matter that I thought he looked ridiculous.

"Welcome guest," he said happily as began descending the stairs. "I would like to know what has brought you here, and who you are."

I vaguely wondered how welcome people were if he had a monster waiting to eat anyone that ventured to far, but I didn't comment on that. "I am called Yumi," I answered quietly. I was not allowed to have too much confidence in myself. "And I am here only to see you."

"And that box?"

I blinked, and looked down at it. "It is mine. Nevertheless, I will show Yoshiro what is inside later, if that is what Yoshiro wants. It is nothing special."

"We shall see," Yoshiro said lightly, waving his hand. He stopped in front of me, and I realized now that I must have gotten taller. Or perhaps he was simply short. "You have come at a good time. Dinner," he said grinning.

I looked at him curiously. "I did not mean to intrude-"

"Nonsense. I love to have guests eat with me. I will have Jiro take your box-"

"If it is not too much trouble, I should like to keep it with me," I said meekly. I waited, avoiding eye contact.

"Well, if you insist. Come now, you must tell me about where you have come from, and where you have heard of Yoshiro."

I followed him, hoping that he referred to himself in third person only once in awhile. I would not be able to handle that the entire time I was here.

The layout of Yoshiro's home wasn't complicated on the ground floor, so I assumed that it would be just as simple on the second floor.

At least, this is what I was hoping. I knew already from the sun setting that the southern part of the building was the back of the building. And that was good enough for me.

I was lead into a dining room, while Yoshiro told me stories about things he had done or how he had gotten the items that decorated his home. I watched him with the wonderment of a young child, though I could not honestly care any less.

There were only a few more demons sitting at the table talking amongst them selves, older demons with younger females sitting obediently beside them. None of the men looked even mildly attractive. I assumed that they must have been rich in some way, but the girls showed no signs of being slaves or something of the sort.

"We have a guest," Yoshiro announced. He seemed to like raising his voice to a booming level whenever he first entered a room. "Yumi. A young girl who has traveled far from her home to visit."

I bowed slightly before Yoshiro ushered me to a chair and I sat down, setting the box on my lap. I wondered why he had assumed I had traveled far, but he had probably said this because it sounded good.

I did not pay close attention to the conversation. I instead ran my fingers along the edge of the lid of my box, only glancing up when my assumed name was mentioned, and even then, it was only in a passing reference.

I did not have to join the conversation when dinner came either. While I ate, I noticed that the other girls were silent as well. Perhaps they were not allowed to speak. This was a relief to me, because it gave me no chance to slip up something, or perhaps say the wrong thing.

I was in, and I did not want to mess up and be thrown into that pit of sand outside. Despite everything, I was in no hurry to die.

But dinner dragged on agonizingly slow, and I was half tempted to jump into the pit myself; conversations that were really only men bragging to each other were starting to get tiring, and I was growing restless. I had to keep Yoshiro distracted, but maybe he would be distracted enough just by eating dinner.

I was eyeing a knife with intense interest when Yoshiro finally announced that it was time for him to retire to his wings, and the other men agreed as chairs were pushed back and they nodded and murmured various thanks and farewells.

When the room had finally emptied, Yoshiro took notice of me again. "Now… why don't you accompany me tonight, and you can tell me of your travel, hm?"

I looked up at him, trying to appear eager. "I would be honored, Yoshiro," I said, bowing my head slightly again. I stood up, and he maneuvered my arm so it was intertwined with his. He patted my hand as he led me out of the room, and back to the main hall.

"It has been a few months since a lady as attractive as you have visited me."

"I find that hard to believe, if you don't mind me saying," I said my gaze downward.

"It's gotten more dangerous to come this way," Yoshiro said as we ascended the stairs. Apparently, he didn't want to take his not so attractive appearance into account. "You must be very brave, under that timid exterior."

"Please… I don't deserve to be flattered."

"Of course you do my dear," Yoshiro declared, his voice rising again. "There are very few people that visit me that do not deserve to be flattered!"

I smiled shyly, but said nothing else. The hallways on the second floor weren't complicated either; a large main hallway, and an occasional one that branched off. But, these led to dead ends, and I wouldn't have to worry about those, since they were straight. No turns to throw me off, which served to be an extra reassurance.

Because, for some reason, the further down the hall we traveled, the closer we came to his room, the tighter my grip on the box became to stop myself from shaking.

It's not much longer, but I tried. I'm hoping to stay in a more medium range than extensively long, and I hope that being able to read the next chapter soon will keep people happy with the length. Don't forget to leave some feedback. :)