Most of the people who lived in Sarayashiki were like sheep. Ignorant, prejudice, bleating sheep. They assumed all demons were evil and all humans were good; as if the issue were simply black and white. There were grey areas in between. Take for example how most of them had treated the girl prior to the doxy attack. They assumed with her paler complexion and raven black hair that the uncle was right; she was half demon. That her late mother had been a whore and slept with demons. The mother might have still been a whore and the girl was certainly a bastard, but that was beside the point. Little did this wholly human village know that even half demons were just as obvious as whole demons. The girl would have been a lot stronger, maybe even an elemental if she had been a half breed. She was seen as inferior to everyone else in the village because of it.
Yet, with the exception of the uncle, the whole village it seemed turned their opinions about her around when she was scratched by the doxy that night in the pastor. If she was half breed demon, she would have certainly died from the doxy toxin. The parasites in there ate away at a demon's brain, spine, and nerves. A long, arduous, and painful death. In half breeds, it was said to take longer for them to die, but they would still most certainly die.
Yet the girl survived the doxy toxin, even as she freaked out, thinking she was about to die. It looked like the scratch marks on her leg were going to end up scarring, but that would leave proof that she was human; or at least was not demon.
Her bull of her uncle tried to refuse the evidence right before his eyes. Even tried to refuse to let her train as a protector anymore because he was embarrassed about her not being a demon, like he said for years. People were treating him a little worse as they were treating the girl better.
Hiei had been with the girl in the tavern run by the keeper. The keeper liked the girl very much, but in a mentor like way. Probably the only person in the village who treated her right in town before the doxy attack. Before the doxy attack, the keeper would give them a discounted dinner once a week. After the doxy attack, there was no need. People who happened to be in the tavern when they walked in would pay for their meals.
"Yes, um, yes, thank you," the girl murmured up to the elderly women who thanked her for fending off the demon spiders. The foolish women seem to think the spiders would have ruined their coffee shop by the docks. "Saif?" she said turning to him. Hiei turned and looked over to her. She passed him the bigger of the two cookies that the elderly women had given her. He took it wordlessly and sat it on the napkin by his dinner plate.
Saif. That name suited him as well as any name. He could not risk his real name, even down this far south. The bounty hunters that were still looking for him would be using his real name. All because of some stupid drunken night.
The girl had broken her hard dry cookie in half, dunking it in her tea to soften it up before she nibbled on it. She was looking over at the bar, watching the sheppard and the keeper talking.
"And her, you know what-" the sheppard said.
"Father?" the keeper interrupted.
"Yeah sure," the sheppard sighed. "He said no, just like that. I literally offered to marry her for the dowry of a chipped cup off the shelf, and he said no. Just like that."
"Maybe he knows she ain't inclined to marry? So he refused you," the keeper suggested unconvincingly.
"I could make her happy though. I could make any woman happy, I'm sure of it," he groaned pathetically. He sighed. "Anyway, I should get going. Back to my empty house." He paid his bill to the keeper.
"You'll find someone," the keeper said comfortingly. The sheppard did not look convinced though.
The sheppard left the tavern, bumping into the person walking through the door, murmuring an apology. That person was the procurer of all people walked into the tavern. A man in his late twenties, long and sleek black hair, pencil thin scare running vertically over his right eye, and fancy black suit. His whole look just screamed expensive. Hiei felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand straight up. The procurer new his real name and knew the bounty hunters out looking for him. A time or two, he hired them for their services. Hiei tried not to notice like the others in the tavern. The procurer was renting a room for a time being. He even paid upfront for an entire month. Hiei cursed internally at the idea of that. It seemed like he would need to be skipping town sooner rather than later. The girl was not quite ready yet to take over as protector though. She could handle demon animals, but when a demon person rolled in, she could be easily killed. He needed to train her more.
The procurer was busy chatting with the keeper, learning about the town. Oh all things, the keeper pointed out the girl, complimenting her newfound skills as a protector. He sounded as proud as a peacock.
The procurer looked over at them, eyes looking intrigued at the sight of Hiei and the girl sitting together. The procurer strolled over to their table, coming to stand surprisingly close to the girl. She skidded her chair back a little to make room for him. He smelled faintly of expensive tobacco smoke.
"So," he said in a velvety voice. "You're the village protectors." He spoke only to the girl though. "Dangerous line of work for a pretty little one such as yourself?"
The girl looked up at him, mouth slightly parted. She was unsure what to say back. "Umhm," she hummed.
"How long have you been protecting your town?" the procurer as her.
"A... a... a couple of weeks," she managed to choke out. She would not even look up at him, intimidated as she was.
"Strong, fiesty girl?" he teased down to her with a flirtatious smile. Her face tinged pink at that. "So protectors Saif and Nanashi. Nanashi, that is a name that just rolls off the tongue." Her face went from pink to red.
"Thank you," she struggled out, not looking up at him.
"I'm Sakyo, by the way, miss," he introduced himself only to her. Then the procurer boldly reached over to touch her chin to lift her face up. Hiei hissed under his breath. The girl flinched back away from his hand. The procurer pulled his hand back, but only in feigned withdrawal.
His eyes flicked to Hiei and then back to the girl. "If you'll excuse me, I must retire. Riding the king's road all day through the mountains is exhausting. Enjoyable, but exhausting. Room 303 by the way," he added with a wink to the girl.
Hiei watched the procurer waltzed up the stairs like he owned the place.
After that, Hiei waited until the black of night to follow after the procurer into his room. He came in through the window, only half surprised to see the procurer sitting in a squishy chair next to the fire in the fire place. In one hand, he held a lit cigarette. A clear glass of brandy sat on the small table by the chair with a bottle of opened brandy beside it. A ash tray sat beside that.
"I was wondering when you would turn up," he commented, taking a drag from his cigarette.
Hiei looked at him. "You're not allowed to smoke in here."
The procurer took another drag and then stamped the cigarette out. "Funny how a fire demon would be worried a little smoke. What is it that you want? What threats are you here to make? Or bargains for that matter, Hiei?"
Hiei did not fall for the teasing. He leaned against the open window and crossed his arms over his chest. He stared at the procurer, unblinking. "Why are you here?"
The procurer raised his hands up in the air and shrugged. "Can't a vastly wealthy man visit a beautiful city such as this?"
Hiei did not believe him. "Have you sent word to the bounty hunters yet?"
"Not yet," he commented. "Maybe I'll be too busy enjoying this city and seeing what it has too offer to even care to remember to let them know a felon is hiding out here, on the run."
"I didn't,-" Hiei started, flustered.
"Do it?" the procurer cut him off. "Yes, I'm sure you didn't," he added sarcastically. "Two drunk men, one says one thing, the other runs off. Now who is to be believed?" The procurer bent down and picked up his glass, sipping from it. "So what's your price? To keep silent. The bounty over your head is quite high considering."
Hiei narrowed his eyes at him. "Let me at least finish the new protector," he offered.
"That demure young woman?" he asked. His eyes sparkled at that. "How old is she again?"
"Almost 17," Hiei answered.
"Almost?" the procurer mused. "Such a sweet age. Mature, but still so innocent."
"Leave her alone," Hiei replied.
"Do you think I would really take away not one, but two protectors from this town? Surely you don't think I am that heartless, do you?" the procurer challenged.
Hiei flitted out the window without another word, seething about the procurer and his veiled threats. He could call on the bounty hunters after him. He could take the girl away with him to the capital to work for him. If he stayed, he risked himself being captured. If he left, he risked the girl being ensnared. A catch twenty-two.