The Exiles

Chapter 3

A week passed before Aka healed enough to travel. During the time the two spoke about many things: Robert talked about his childhood in England growing up in an orphanage. He explained how he served in the Essex militia before joining the Templar Order as a squire at the age of nine. Aka talked about growing up in the mountains, explained the thrill of flying. With tears in her eyes she talked about her tribe.

When finally the day came for the duo to leave the camp Aka couldn't stop smiling. Rob donned his armor and when Aka asked why he simply said it's a dangerous world they live in. "So, where exactly are we going," she asked when Rob mounted Wind. He held his hand down to the demon. Confused, she held her hand up to him and gasped as the knight pulled her up onto the horse. "I can fly you know," she quipped to Rob who chuckled. "Yes, but it would probably draw less attention if we ride into a village together." Aka laughed and said, "You take all the fun out of things. Besides, I've never ridden a horse. What do I do? And why are we going to a village?"

"You hold on tight. Actually controlling Wind will be my task. As for the village we may get a lead on work, and we need to get you some new clothes, and a horse of your own."

When they stopped later in the day for lunch Rob helped Aka down Wind. "I am so sore," she complained as she rubbed her thighs. "How do you do this?"

"Years of training," Rob replied. You'll get used to it. Aka laughed and said, "The hell I will. I'll fly until we find a village, then I'll get behind you on your horse." She took the curry comb from the saddle bag and removed Wind's saddle and began to run the great horse down talked to the horse the whole time. Rob watched her work while he built a small fire and set a pot for tea.

A day later, Aka flew down next to Rob and said, "There is a village just ahead," and landed just ahead of Wind and to the side. Rob as before pulled the demon up behind him, and couldn't suppress a smile when her arms went around his chest. A few minutes later the duo rode into the village and the villagers parted as if a hot sword was passing through butter. At first Aka thought they had noticed she was a demon, then she smirked as the truth dawned on her. The people were taken back by Rob. He was easily the largest person in the hamlet and his golden hair was hanging about his face. He was wearing his armor and his sword was slung across his back. On the back of Wind he must have appeared gigantic if not a demon himself. Some of the villagers shouted and ran away.

Rob stopped Wind, and helped Aka dismount the stallion, before dismounting himself and asked one of the braver villagers if they had shops for supplies, as well as where he could get clothing for his companion. The man looked at Aka and noticed just how damaged (and revealing) her clothing was. He rocked until an angry glare from the demon reminded him of his manners. The man stammered his apologies and informed the duo that there were merchants in town who can assist them with their needs. "And an inn hu….man. My companion and I need a hot bath and comfortable rooms for the night." Aka said coldly, trying to catch herself calling this foppish dolt human. If he noticed the slip, he hid it well. The man bowed and ran off, Aka's mocking laughter following him. After a moment she looked up at the human warrior towering above her. "Really, I don't have anything to worry about. You are clearly the demon here." She began to walk towards the first establishment the lecherous human and pointed to. She looked over her shoulder and without missing a beat said, "Are you coming?" Rob grinned and shook his head as be began to follow his diminutive friend.

Aka didn't have experience with money or shopping, so she simply watched and listened as Rob told the shopkeeper he wanted to purchase traveling clothes for his friend. The man gawked as Aka for a moment before retreating to the backroom. A moment later a woman named Take appeared who turned out to be the man's wife. She bid Aka to follow her to a shielded pavilion to try on clothing. The ended up leaving with three soft but durable robes for Aka, as well as undergarments. Rob also purchased two foul weather cloaks as well as oil to fend off water from rain. When the time to pay came, Aka noticed there was no haggling. The prices Take offered were lower than any price she had heard offered to other shoppers. After they left the store, she asked why. "Because, they think I am a demon or perhaps a god. What merchant would dare cheat a god or a demon?," he said with a chuckle. Aka gaped for a moment and laughed so hard her ribs hurt. As they approached the shop for supplies for Wind Rob and Aka stopped. Walking towards them was clearly a half demon. He was young, with dog ears on his head. Accompanying him were two women, one of whom was an archer, the other had a sword on her waste and some kind of weapon on her back. The other two was a demon child, and a monk.

"Really Inuyasha, why do you have to always cause a stir every time we come into a village," the monk was saying. Suddenly they stoped as they saw Rob and Aka. "See?!," the half demon snapped. I told you it wasn't me!" With that he looked at the armored knight and demanded, "And just what the hell are you doing here?!"

Rob raised an eyebrow and replied deadpan, "Shopping." The monk rushed past the angry half demon and gazed licentiously at Aka. He took her hand and asked, "Lady, will you bare my children?" In the blink of an eye Aka hissed and slapped Miroku hard. So hard in fact he fell to the ground, stunned. "Serves him right," the sword wielding woman said. "We are sorry about this." A moment later Inuyasha and the archer both looked hard at Aka and said, She's a demon!

Rob stepped in front of Aka before the angry demon could say anything and said, "We are simply here for supplies and lodging for the night. We mean no harm to this village." Not waiting for an answer, he took Aka's hand in his own and lead both her and Wind past Inuyasha and his party and went about their business not waiting for a response.

"How dare that human say such a thing to me," Aka snarled as she drank more sake. Rob tried to stop her, but the furious demon would have none of it. After eating their evening meal Aka ordered sake. And more sake. Rob drank his tea and watched the demon closely. If the alcohol was getting to her, she didn't show it. "I'm no whore. I'm not a slab of meat to be sold at action." Rob knew he had to do something to calm the demon down, and his mentor in the Order always said music calmed the savage beast. Rob opened up the larger compartment on his saddle back that he had with him and withdrew a lute. Aka looked at her fiend, an eyes raised, her tirade stopped mid word. Rob strummed a couple of cords to check the tune, and after a moment began to play a melody. A moment later he began to sing in a language that no-one in the inn except one young lady had heard before. English. And while none of the patrons in the inn save one understood the words, the music was beautiful. The huge blonde man had a wonderful voice. Patrons began to run out and return with friends and family, telling them they had to hear the huge blonde demon and his songs. Well into the evening he played and sang, and when he finally stopped and stood for the night the young archer that was with the half demon from earlier was clapping enthusiastically. And she wasn't the only one. Everyone in the grand hall of the inn was clapping. The innkeeper brushed to Rob and said, "Please, stay with us a few days. You do us great honor, and your room and boarding will be free of charge." Aka glanced at the two and before Rob could say anything she said, "We accept. And now its time for bad and bed." With this proclamation laughter and more clapping followed the two to the room they rented earlier in the night.

"Rob," the demon said as she pulled one of her new outfits from her traveling bag that was purchased earlier in the day, "I had no idea you could sing. That was beautiful." The knight was laying a blanket on the floor near the futon that Aka would rest on. She walked over to her friend and placed her hands over his. "You do not need to sleep on the floor Rob. There is plenty of room for us both." Rob's face was red from the blush he had. He didn't answer exit to shake his head no. "You have nothing to fear from me Rob. We are traveling companions, nothing more. You needn't do this. Now put the blanket away. I will take a bath, then you should do the same."

When the soaked demon returned to the room Rob's blanket was on the floor, and a second blanket bundled up as a pillow. "Stubborn human" she said with a shake of her head.

"Why yes, there is talk of a band of bandits to the east of here," the headman said. "They demand a toll be paid by travelers, and if someone doesn't pay or doesn't pay enough, they are killed." Two days had passed since Rob and Aka had come to the next village some city miles and four days had passed since the duo had left the previous town where Rob had performed as a bard.

"How much can the village pay us if we remove these bandits for you," Aka asked pointedly. She was sitting crosslegged, her hair twisted into a long braid which rested in front of her right shoulder and fell onto her lap. Her robe looked amazing on her with the matching black fabric and red trim to match her hair and eyes. "My lady," the headman replied, "there are at least thirty of them." Aka cocked her hand and said, "I didn't ask that."

"I believe you will find us quite formidable," Rob said. "And as my friend said there is the matter of payment." Soon a price was negotiated and accepted and Rob and Aka were on their way.

"We will need to know what fortifications if any these bandits have. I'd also like to get accurate information regarding their numbers," Rob said to Aka. "The more information we have the harder a blow we can strike them and scatter them to the wind."

Aka nodded and said, "I don't want to scatter them. I want to kill them." She had an eager glee to her red eyes that Rob hadn't seen before. "And I can get us the information we need. What time do you think is the best time to strike?"

"The time when warriors are typically the least ready for an attack is dawn. Much of the force is typically sleeping or just waking up, and the night watch is tired. But how will you get that information without being seen? I'd not have you put yourself at risk and I not be there to help you," Rob said. The shiiick, shiiick song of the stone against the steel of his sword constant, and giving him an excuse not to look at Aka.

The demon walked over to Rob and put her hands on his, stopping the rhythmic dance of stone and steel. "Rob, I'm a demon remember?" She knelt down and looked into his eyes. "Please do not worry, and do not think any less of me for what you are about to see." Aka stood and stepped away from Rob. She turned her back to him…

Rob watched as his friend walked a few steps away and was confused at first when she turned her back to him. Then with a few flicks of her hand, her clothing fell into a heap to the ground. The demon stepped out of the pile and clothing and a moment later she was engulfed with flames. Where Aka had stood a moment ago, now stood a eagle, easily the size of a large dog. The bird looked at Rob who looked on stunned, his work forgotten. With a shriek the bird lifted into the sky and was gone.

An hour passed, then another. The sun was getting low in the late summer sky and Robb paced and fidgeted. He tested the edge of his sword, looked over his lance and hammer. Then he'd resume walking back and forth again. Just before the run set the eagle landed in camp. There was another flash of flames, and Aka stood facing Robb, her body bare. "I am sorry Robb, I know you don't like to see me this way." She sounded sad as she picked up her clothing that Robb had folded up for her. "The flames from transforming into my true form would destroy the clothes, and.." She gasped as Rob put his arms around her and held her close. He ran his hand through her hair and said, "I'm glad you are back. I was worried about you."

Aka smiled and rested her head against his chest, enjoying the closeness she felt. "Let me dress and I will tell you what I saw," she said after a moment or two. With a final tight squeeze Rob let her go and sat back down. And much to Aka's pleasure and surprise he didn't look away as she dressed.

"It looks like the bandits raided and butchered a band of merchants headed south. I county thirty-four of them, and they all have horses. They now have women with them, and they are drunk on sake and blood. I think now is the perfect time to strike." The demon was using her claws to draw a rough diagram of the layout of the camp.

"Wind and I will be charging uphill, but that shouldn't be the kind of disadvantage tonight that it normally would." Rob's voice was ice. She'd only heard him that way once before, on the night he had brought her down. "How will you attack them?," Rob asked.

"Why I'll be flying above you, where else?" The gleam and hunger for blood in her red eyes was unmistakable. "But we must go soon if we are going to do this tonight." With a nod, Rob stood and prepped Wind for battle. The stallion snorted and kicked a hoof as if he understood exactly what was going on. While Rob was making his final preparations Aka watched. When he finished with Wind, she handed him his helmet and stood on her tip toes and gave Rob a kiss on the cheek. "I'll be right above you." The knight, his face hard as stone, simply nodded as he mounted the stallion. "Ware of archers," he chocked out at last. Aka flashed him a smile and a wink and took to the sky.

Hirotoro was laughing drunkenly as he forced his kisses onto the merchant's widow. "Aw, come on now," he said drunkenly, "you ain't married no more!" The men around Hirotoro laughed at the crude joke and were oblivious to the tears the devastated and broken woman was crying. With another toast of stollen sake they let loose a cheer. They had no idea that death was coming fir them tonight. The first inkling that Hirotoro had that something was strange were the fires. There were balls of fire coming from the sky followed by screams. Why are the guys down the hill screaming? Why are they building fires in the trees? He pushed the half naked widow from his lap and staggered onto the road leading down the hill. He saw movement ahead, something huge, something fast, and…

A moment later Hirotoro was slammed to the ground, a shattered lance running him through. All through the camp bandits were shouting, screaming, trying to get an idea about how to escape this hall that had come upon them. The demon on horseback was devastating. The horse would run men down, trampling them underfoot. The huge armored demon was striking men down with a terrible hammer, spaying blood and bits of bone into the grass like rain. Then the find in the air! Fire striking men down, even the ones on horseback! Within a few minutes it was all over. Every one of the bandits was slain. Rob and Aka helped the four surviving women to town and Aka dropped a bag full of heads at the headman's feet. There was no complaint about the fee charged.