Chapter
Sixteen
Anubis sighed as he walked the verandahs of the palace. He really hated it when Shuten and Naaza got so blood thirsty. True...he was no better. But at least when he toyed with his prey, he didn't sexually abuse them. He could almost guarantee that that would happen with Tamahome. He almost felt sorry for the youth....
Almost.
He walked slowly and found himself within the gardens. Smiling at the peaceful atmosphere, he walked silently along the paths. The sounds of quiet sobs could be heard not far off. A hunched figure sat, her legs under her, near a sakura tree. A blue and gold kimono flowed around her, long maroon hair falling in folds around her subtle body. Anubis stopped as he heard the soft sounds of weeping. 'Who..?' he wondered, then held his breath as he looked upon the one name Soi. His face tightened as he heard her cry. 'No woman should cry like that...' he thought to himself, then walked over silently to her. "Soi-san? Daijoubouka?" he asked softly.
"Oh! Gomen nasai!" Soi quickly dried her eyes, sitting up. She felt a slight flush stain her cheeks. It was incredibly embarrassing to have someone see her like this. 'At least it isn't Tomo...' "I'm fine, Anubis-san."
"Hmm...you don't seem to be." Anubis said softly as he sat down, assuming a lotus position. The sunset's light colors fell across his face as he looked at her in concern. "Why do you cry?" he asked softly.
"It's...nothing. Just foolish female fancies. Nothing for you to concern yourself over." Soi replied, her eyes now dry as she turned to look into his eyes.
"Female fancies, eh? They wouldn't happen to have long blond hair and blue eyes, would they?" Anubis asked knowingly, remembering how she would always hang on Nakago's every word. "Fantasies indeed. Ones that shouldn't be mulled over so." Anubis said softly as he looked into her eyes.
She turned her head away, staring at the tree line. "He saved me, you know. When my family attempted to sell me to a brothel. He killed the man that tried to take me forcefully and saved me."
"And yet, he leaves you, mistreats you, ignores you...for what? A little of 'his' attention?" Anubis asked softly, almost indignantly. "You deserve better. You are a warrior." he said firmly.
"I...there is another reason." Soi admitted hesitantly. She thought of the times she had been with Nakago and sighed.
Cocking an eyebrow, then nodding in understanding, Anubis said, "Lovers...of course. He would." He snorted in disgust. "Bastard...he uses you even more, holding you to him in that flimsy excuse," he growled out softly as he looked away. "He is no warrior...just a bastard."
"Oh no! It's ...we..." Soi sighed, staring at a nearby pond. She had always thought that they were indeed lovers. But after seeing the looks Nakago was giving Shuten...
Sighing softly, Anubis scooted closer to her. "He didn't deserve you. No male who treats you as a whore deserves to even live," he said softly.
She smiled softly at him, as she gazed at him. "That is all I have known for a very long time, I'm afraid. The only reason I am still not doing it is because of my status as a seishi."
Anubis smiled softly back. "You are an incredibly strong female. I...am honored to fight with you," he said softly, then hesitantly brought a hand up and brushed some of her hair away from her face.
"Really?" Soi looked at him, almost suspiciously. Why would he? She was just a mere woman after all. What was he really after?
Anubis smirked. "There...that is much better. Be wary for yourself and fight to keep your honor and dignity," he said softly, taking his hand back and then looked up at the darkening sky.
"Hai...as I've always tried to do." She looked into the pond, the waters dark. She sighed, her fingers lacing together. Nakago would be looking for her soon.
"Have you really?" Anubis asked softly as he looked at the sky. "It would seem not...since you so easily submit to the blond one."
She shrugged, her eyes on the slowly moving water. "I have no choice but to submit. As I said, I am required to perform this spell for him. Besides I...love him."
Snorting softly, Anubis said, "He will be otherwise occupied." He could feel Shuten and Naaza, their rising desire. He knew they would include the blond seishi easily. "He will not need you. So why do you demean yourself?" he said softly as he looked over at her, eyes tracing her profile.
"What do you care if I do or not?" Soi turned, staring at him with near anger in her eyes. "What is it to you what I do or do not do?! Why would you even care?!"
Anubis sighed softly and looked back up at the sky. "Why....I do not know the answer. But...I follow the stars...they led me to you." He said softly, then looked back down at her.
"To me?" Soi turned, her gaze confused and uncertain. No one had ever said such things to her before. Her eyes narrowed and she stood. "Pretty words...did Nakago send you? To test my loyalty?!"
Snorting softly, Anubis laid back. "I wouldn't speak to that bastard if you paid me." Anubis growled out, then grinned. "Him I wouldn't mind killing, feeling my no-datchi slide through his body as his lifeblood fed the earth." He growled out, then looked up at her. "Do you mistrust him so much as to think that he would abuse you even more as such?" he asked her softly.
"Do I think he would do whatever it took to get what he wants, then yes." Soi shrugged, sitting back down gracefully, her legs folding underneath her. "We are all just tools for his use. Take the twins for example. He cares not for them, only what they can do. He has no use for Suboshi, seeing the boy as weak. But one day...Nakago will eat his words."
Smirking, Anubis nodded. "Hai...and knowing our luck, it will be at Suboshi's and Rajura's hands," he said softly. Chuckling softly at the thought, Anubis stretched. "It's been...so long since I've known what it means to relax," he said thoughtfully.
"Really?" Soi smiled, enjoying the thought of being around someone who didn't immediately look at her as if she was a cheap whore. She smirked, then moved behind him. "Take your shirt off."
Anubis tensed up at that. "NANI?!" He tilted his head back, then forward quickly as he blushed. "What are you going to do?!" he asked as he lay there, not moving.
Soi rolled her eyes. "Men. Do you always think with that particular part of your anatomy?! You are tense. I will give you a massage. Now remove the shirt!"
"You don't have to, Soi-san." Anubis said softly as he slowly sat up. He looked at her and a slight light of tenderness could be seen in Yami's eyes. "I....enjoy just being with you," he said softly, almost shyly.
"Arigatou. That means a lot to me, Anubis-san. But I do not mind. It is part of what I learned. But if you don't want me to..." She left it hanging, her eyebrow raised. Sighing softly, Anubis lifted his shirt off, then shrugged self-consciously. He turned his head away and muttered something about 'stubborn onnas' as he rested his arms on his knees.
"Much better." Soi grinned from behind him. Men were so stubborn at times. Removing a small vile from her kimono, she sprinkled her hands lightly with the scented oil. Rubbing her hands together to warm them, she placed her hands on his shoulders. Massaging the tension from them, she couldn't help but smiled at the hard muscles under her hands. Anubis tried not to moan in pleasure, but couldn't stop one as he relaxed. She didn't seem to be reacting to his scars...which was a good thing. Sighing softly, he nuzzled his face into his arms. She grinned, watching Anubis as he melted into a pile of goo under her expert hands. Her hands continued to work as she leaned forward. "So many scars, Anubis-san...the mark of a true warrior."
Shivering slightly at her words, Anubis turned his head slightly. "Maybe...." he said softly, remembering how some of them had come about.
"No? Did you want to talk about it?" Soi asked, her hands moving down his back, soothing the knots and kinks out. "Relax, don't be so tense."
"Gomen ne....it's hard to relax when one has been a warrior for the past four hundred years." Anubis said softly as he sighed.
"Four hundred? My my...you don't look a day over two hundred." She teased, her fingers moving farther southward as she worked.
Chuckling softly, Anubis sighed again. "Arigato, Soi-san..." he murmured, then moaned as she hit a nice knot in his lower back.
"Irasshai, Anubis-san." Soi smiled, her fingers going lower as she worked. "Did you know this is the first time that I can remember when I worked on someone and they didn't ask for any sexual favors? It's quite an...experience."
Anubis smiled softly as he moaned again. "I...shall endeavor to please you, madam," he said softly.
"Really? How so?" Soi smirked, the fingers of one hand traveling to his side while the other went even lower.
Stiffening slightly, Anubis brought his head up slightly and looked at her. Suddenly, he smiled. "However you wish it," he said softly.
"Ah, such a dedicated young man. But let us test your resolve first. Do you, perchance, know why Nakago always wishes for my attentions?" Soi smiled, her fingers running up his sides now.
Shivering slightly, Anubis' eyes closed partly as he looked at her. "I take it, it isn't just your sexual prowess," he said softly.
"Oh, there is that." Soi grinned, enjoying the verbal bantering. "But alas, no. That is not why. Do you, perhaps, recall me mentioning a spell?"
Nodding as he watched her, Anubis said, "So, you bewitch with spells as well as your looks....quite the combo, ne?"
"Oh, I don't bewitch." Soi purred, her fingers sliding over his chest. "It's called the Bocchi Spell. It...raises a person's chi tremendously."
Sighing softly, Anubis leaned up and back into her. "You needn't bewitch me, Soi...you have me already. But....I don't want you to do this just to replace Nakago," he said softly as he laced his fingers with hers, stopping her progress.
"What if I were to say that you replaced him in my affections a long time ago?" Soi replied earnestly, her fingers clasping his tightly. "You are noble and loyal. Kind and considerate to me. No one has ever treated me like a woman before..."
Anubis turned his face to her. "You deserve it..." he whispered softly as he looked at her.
She blushed. A rare thing for her. "Do you...really think so?"
He brought one of their hands up and kissed the back of her hand. "Hai...I think I always did when I first saw you. You have strength...and that is something that should be worshipped," he said softly. She looked down, her cheeks warming as she blushed. Never had anyone spoken so to her before. It was far headier than anything Nakago had ever done or said to her. Smiling lightly as he caressed a light finger across her cheek, Anubis said softly, "So lovely..." Looking up, she stared into his eyes softly. She cupped his cheek, her finger tracing over his features softly. Tilting his head into her hand, he purred very softly, watching her. "You deserve better," he whispered softly.
"Really? And who would that better be? You?" She smiled, her fingers tracing his lips.
"If you would honor me..." he said softly as he looked at her.
"No, it would honor me." She whispered, just before her lips met his in a soft kiss. Sighing softly as he kissed her back, Anubis gently pulled her into his lap. He swiped at her lips with his tongue, asking for entrance. She purred, her lips opening and inviting him in. Her own tongue brushed his briefly, her fingers teasing her way down his chest. Moaning softly as he pressed his tongue in, Anubis wrapped his arms around her waist. Purring more, Soi tangled her tongue with his, her fingers brushing his exposed nipples. Slowly, he lowered himself back, keeping their lips locked as he lay out underneath her. He broke the kiss and looked up at her, smiling softly. She smiled down at him, her hair fanning both of them as she leaned over him. Her hand pressed against his chest, massaging circles over his nipples. "What did you want, Anubis-san?"
Sighing softly in pleasure, Anubis smiled again. "You...and only you," he said softly as he ran his hands up her back.
"Then show me, Anubis...show me what it's like to be loved." Soi pleaded, her fingers brushing over his cheek softly.
+ Book II : Chapter Fifteen +
+ Book II : Chapter Seventeen +
