Chapter Two: Xiaoli
With a quiet grunt of discomfort, Shino started to come to. It was mid- afternoon when he awoke. These sleeping patterns were unusual for him, living a life always on the run. Almost subconsciously, he tried to stretch, a morning ritual; to his horror, his snapped his eyes open to find his arms and legs bound with rope, and the astoundingly beautiful Hanyou girl in the corner on his small mud-hut.
His eyes full of rage; he shot her a look that could have caused Hell to freeze over. "So this is the payment I get for saving your life?!" The girl had an extremely frightened look on her face, and tried to hide herself further in the corner. Soon his rage turned to a silent composure, which only served to make the Hanyou her more frightened. "No matter... such bonds won't hold me.
Outside the hut, the whistling of an extremely violent wind could be heard. Shino's eyes had glazed over in white in utter concentration. The Hanyou girl made to run outside and escape, but once she looked up, she felt safer inside. The skies, once clear and sun filled, had turned an ominous dark gray; in to distance, the sound of lightening striking the ground could be heard; torrential rains started to pound the forest line. The elements themselves were going haywire.
She turned her attention back to Shino, trying to compose herself; but his state now was more frightening then anything happening outside. An extremely powerful flame aura had manifested itself around him right before her eyes. In a matter of seconds, the ropes had burnt away to ash, which in turn burned away to nothing before it could hit the ground. Now standing, he looked to face her.
For the first time, he heard her speak, "No... Stay back... d-d-demon!" Tears freely flowed from her eyes, and her cries and screams of fright soothed his heart and his mind. The aura around him slowly dwindles until it finally dematerialized completely. He walks slowly to the girl now huddled in the corner; her eyes clamped shut and whimpering, he gently stroked her face affectionately. She looked up slowly, expecting the frightening powers of a warlord to be before her, but found the gentle, smiling face of a boy who was at most one year older then her?
"What's your name?" Shino asked the girl, his voice much calmer and friendlier. The girl looked up at him confused as to the compassion and kindness she was being shown. "X-x-x-Xiaoli..." she managed to stutter out, still quite frightened. Shino smiled at her again, and then began to look at the surroundings.
It was unmistakably his own hut, his possessions had been cleaned and organized, assumedly by the girl... except for one item; his beautifully crafted weapon. He looked at the position of the dropped blade, the tip pointed towards the entrance. At first he thought nothing of the weapon, figuring that he must have dropped it sometime last night. He went to pick it up, but upon first touch of the hilt, he paused... it was still warm.
He lifted the sword gently and brought it to his nose, he breathed in deeply, shivering almost, a look of happiness on his face. Xiaoli immediately started to cower in the corner again, as if she thought if she pushed hard enough into it, she might be able to disappear from his sights. "I... it's not what you think... I would never strike one who sleeps..."
Shino looked at her and laughed. "You have no reason to fear me, Xiaoli. If you had intended to kill me, to blade would not be pointing towards the door. The fact that the hilt points in my direction has me assume that..." he paused and smiles appreciatorily at her "... that you watched over me as I slept... but why did you have me bound?"
Although her face was cloaked in the shadows of the corner, it was quite evident that she was blushing rather deeply. Still pressing against the wall of the corner, she started to stand. "I... well... you said... you would kill me..." He looks at her, a puzzled expression on his face, but soon burst out in gentle laughter once again. "Heh... I guess I did say that... well... I won't, don't worry. You're safe with me."
For the first time, he saw her smile. She started to walk towards him, before she collapses into his arms, knocking him onto the ground. He looks down at her, her head resting on his chest, exhaustion evident in her eyes. "Thank you" she says before drifting off into a quiet and deep slumber.
With a quiet grunt of discomfort, Shino started to come to. It was mid- afternoon when he awoke. These sleeping patterns were unusual for him, living a life always on the run. Almost subconsciously, he tried to stretch, a morning ritual; to his horror, his snapped his eyes open to find his arms and legs bound with rope, and the astoundingly beautiful Hanyou girl in the corner on his small mud-hut.
His eyes full of rage; he shot her a look that could have caused Hell to freeze over. "So this is the payment I get for saving your life?!" The girl had an extremely frightened look on her face, and tried to hide herself further in the corner. Soon his rage turned to a silent composure, which only served to make the Hanyou her more frightened. "No matter... such bonds won't hold me.
Outside the hut, the whistling of an extremely violent wind could be heard. Shino's eyes had glazed over in white in utter concentration. The Hanyou girl made to run outside and escape, but once she looked up, she felt safer inside. The skies, once clear and sun filled, had turned an ominous dark gray; in to distance, the sound of lightening striking the ground could be heard; torrential rains started to pound the forest line. The elements themselves were going haywire.
She turned her attention back to Shino, trying to compose herself; but his state now was more frightening then anything happening outside. An extremely powerful flame aura had manifested itself around him right before her eyes. In a matter of seconds, the ropes had burnt away to ash, which in turn burned away to nothing before it could hit the ground. Now standing, he looked to face her.
For the first time, he heard her speak, "No... Stay back... d-d-demon!" Tears freely flowed from her eyes, and her cries and screams of fright soothed his heart and his mind. The aura around him slowly dwindles until it finally dematerialized completely. He walks slowly to the girl now huddled in the corner; her eyes clamped shut and whimpering, he gently stroked her face affectionately. She looked up slowly, expecting the frightening powers of a warlord to be before her, but found the gentle, smiling face of a boy who was at most one year older then her?
"What's your name?" Shino asked the girl, his voice much calmer and friendlier. The girl looked up at him confused as to the compassion and kindness she was being shown. "X-x-x-Xiaoli..." she managed to stutter out, still quite frightened. Shino smiled at her again, and then began to look at the surroundings.
It was unmistakably his own hut, his possessions had been cleaned and organized, assumedly by the girl... except for one item; his beautifully crafted weapon. He looked at the position of the dropped blade, the tip pointed towards the entrance. At first he thought nothing of the weapon, figuring that he must have dropped it sometime last night. He went to pick it up, but upon first touch of the hilt, he paused... it was still warm.
He lifted the sword gently and brought it to his nose, he breathed in deeply, shivering almost, a look of happiness on his face. Xiaoli immediately started to cower in the corner again, as if she thought if she pushed hard enough into it, she might be able to disappear from his sights. "I... it's not what you think... I would never strike one who sleeps..."
Shino looked at her and laughed. "You have no reason to fear me, Xiaoli. If you had intended to kill me, to blade would not be pointing towards the door. The fact that the hilt points in my direction has me assume that..." he paused and smiles appreciatorily at her "... that you watched over me as I slept... but why did you have me bound?"
Although her face was cloaked in the shadows of the corner, it was quite evident that she was blushing rather deeply. Still pressing against the wall of the corner, she started to stand. "I... well... you said... you would kill me..." He looks at her, a puzzled expression on his face, but soon burst out in gentle laughter once again. "Heh... I guess I did say that... well... I won't, don't worry. You're safe with me."
For the first time, he saw her smile. She started to walk towards him, before she collapses into his arms, knocking him onto the ground. He looks down at her, her head resting on his chest, exhaustion evident in her eyes. "Thank you" she says before drifting off into a quiet and deep slumber.