Chapter One: An Unlikely Assistance
It was late evening when Shino returned to the small hut in the forests of Fa'Reah. Exhausted from a full days practice, he immediately fell down on the now tattered brown quilt, the only remaining memorabilia from his childhood. His long black hair scattered across his face, sweat on his brow, he just lay on the ground breathing heavily, quickly falling asleep. He was awakened a short time later by the sound of a twig snapping under foot outside.
From the years he'd spent living in the forest, he could estimate the distance and approximate height, weight, and speed of the intruder. Smirking under his breath, he spoke silently to himself, "It's a woman... about 5'6", 120lbs... 50m and counting..." he gently sniffed the air as a slightly evil grin creeps onto his face "Hanyou..."
With renewed strength, he began an intercept course, following his nose and the sound of the woman's footsteps. His right hand on the hilt of a beautifully crafted katana that rested at his left side, he sped through the forest, weaving through the trees until he came across a clearing. In it he spotted the Hanyou woman, running from an oversized Tenma*.
"You have been judged by the Hand of Fate, your punishment... is death!" raged the Tenma, brandishing a claymore in one hand; he began to bring down the gargantuan sword upon the woman. Her shrieks of fear echoed across the plains, but under her screams of terror, the sound of metal on metal could be heard.
Shino had instinctively rushed to help the woman, it was only too late he remembered she was a Hanyou. "Run you vile creature, lest you wish to become my next victim!" He shouted at the woman angrily, looking over his shoulder. It was then that he noticed her astounding beauty; her well defined cheeks, her beautiful tanned skin, her "developed" upper body. In fact she at first glance, could have easily been mistaken for a human; the only hint of her Hanyou genetics was her catlike tail and slightly pointed ears.
Distracted by the beauty, Shino lost his concentration in guarding the blow, and the Tenma slammed his left fist into Shino's stomach, launching him a good 25 feet. "Hah! A human? I'm surprised you managed to parry my blow, but nonetheless, YOU WILL DIE!" The Tenma charged Shino's fallen body, only to have it disappear right in front of his eyes.
"What?! Impossible..." the Tenma guard shouted. Then, he heard a whisper in his left ear; it was the boy's voice, "X Genome". The Tenma guard's eyes widened as he realized all too late that Shino was behind him. In a flash, the sound of metal slashing through metal and flesh was heard, and the Tenma guard was engulfed in a black flame, the ferocity of which seemed to come from hell itself. The black flame receded back into the sword, leaving nothing of the guard except for the now scorched land on which he once stood. The sword still in his extended right arm from the attack, his voice is heard again in a weak whisper, "Hidden Technique #1 - Hell Fire Sword".
A smile appears on his face as he sheathes his sword. As he looks to the forest, he sees the woman hiding in the tree lines; she's not much younger then him, approximately 18 years of age. As he takes a step to walk towards her, he falls to the ground, apparently completely out of energy. The last image he sees before he blacks out is that of the woman rushing to his aid.
It was late evening when Shino returned to the small hut in the forests of Fa'Reah. Exhausted from a full days practice, he immediately fell down on the now tattered brown quilt, the only remaining memorabilia from his childhood. His long black hair scattered across his face, sweat on his brow, he just lay on the ground breathing heavily, quickly falling asleep. He was awakened a short time later by the sound of a twig snapping under foot outside.
From the years he'd spent living in the forest, he could estimate the distance and approximate height, weight, and speed of the intruder. Smirking under his breath, he spoke silently to himself, "It's a woman... about 5'6", 120lbs... 50m and counting..." he gently sniffed the air as a slightly evil grin creeps onto his face "Hanyou..."
With renewed strength, he began an intercept course, following his nose and the sound of the woman's footsteps. His right hand on the hilt of a beautifully crafted katana that rested at his left side, he sped through the forest, weaving through the trees until he came across a clearing. In it he spotted the Hanyou woman, running from an oversized Tenma*.
"You have been judged by the Hand of Fate, your punishment... is death!" raged the Tenma, brandishing a claymore in one hand; he began to bring down the gargantuan sword upon the woman. Her shrieks of fear echoed across the plains, but under her screams of terror, the sound of metal on metal could be heard.
Shino had instinctively rushed to help the woman, it was only too late he remembered she was a Hanyou. "Run you vile creature, lest you wish to become my next victim!" He shouted at the woman angrily, looking over his shoulder. It was then that he noticed her astounding beauty; her well defined cheeks, her beautiful tanned skin, her "developed" upper body. In fact she at first glance, could have easily been mistaken for a human; the only hint of her Hanyou genetics was her catlike tail and slightly pointed ears.
Distracted by the beauty, Shino lost his concentration in guarding the blow, and the Tenma slammed his left fist into Shino's stomach, launching him a good 25 feet. "Hah! A human? I'm surprised you managed to parry my blow, but nonetheless, YOU WILL DIE!" The Tenma charged Shino's fallen body, only to have it disappear right in front of his eyes.
"What?! Impossible..." the Tenma guard shouted. Then, he heard a whisper in his left ear; it was the boy's voice, "X Genome". The Tenma guard's eyes widened as he realized all too late that Shino was behind him. In a flash, the sound of metal slashing through metal and flesh was heard, and the Tenma guard was engulfed in a black flame, the ferocity of which seemed to come from hell itself. The black flame receded back into the sword, leaving nothing of the guard except for the now scorched land on which he once stood. The sword still in his extended right arm from the attack, his voice is heard again in a weak whisper, "Hidden Technique #1 - Hell Fire Sword".
A smile appears on his face as he sheathes his sword. As he looks to the forest, he sees the woman hiding in the tree lines; she's not much younger then him, approximately 18 years of age. As he takes a step to walk towards her, he falls to the ground, apparently completely out of energy. The last image he sees before he blacks out is that of the woman rushing to his aid.