Someday, Somehow
I wish you'd unclench your fists
And unpack your suitcase
Chapter 3: How they met
She could feel the his mouth on her body, licking her in places she only heard about other woman talk about behind their fans. He moved his tongue, claiming each part of her body, and branding it for his own. He stopped and looked at her, his golden eyes a blazed.
She sat straight up on her futon and tried to get her breath under control. She could feel the wetness between her legs, as if a reminder of what was happening in her dreams. She shook her head, trying to clear it from that vision from her head.
The eyes, they had been her strangers eyes. Who was he?
She rolled over and grabbed her robe. Her body was hot, producing a sweat that wasn't able to cool it down. It clung to her skin, making her more hot. She got up, careful not to wake the others that we sleeping in the room and headed towards the outside.
She slid the door open and crawled outside. The morning was just starting to come alive with its colors, and the air had a new kind of freshness. She slid to the edge of the walkway, and sat there watching the coolness turned to heat.
She yawn, thinking this is the first time she woke up without a sister. All that was left of her was a handful of brothers, none that she never really knew and her father. She had always been the outsider in this family, the one that seemed not to belong. She never had her father's or brothers desire for war or her sister desire for a strong husband. She was more wild then that, enjoying to spend her days on the land, instead of inside. She had a deep passion that was slowly being enlightened by something. She could feel it. It wasn't just what Joben had said, but something about why he said it made her wonder.
Next it would be her to marry, she had already heard that he was working on where she should be place. Some place that would serve him and betters his chances to win.
She sign, no matter how she looked at it, her future didn't hold much hope for her. She didn't try to think about the alternative, there wasn't much to gain if she killed herself. She never liked sharp pointy objects, she doubt she had the courage to push one through her.
No, the only thing left was to let fate lead her were she is supposed to go.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the cries that were coming through the wall.
"Youkai!" they shout in stress.
Why would a youkai attack them, she thought making her way through the garden and pass the gate. She weaves in and out of the people who were trying to get inside the protective walls of the stronghold. As she past them she could see the frighten look on their faces. What ever was attacking them wasn't something small.
Something grabbed her, pulling her back.
"Child where are you going," said Kaoko, her nursemaid. Her eyes frighten, widen at the fact that she might not live to see tomorrow.
The wall entrance was only a couple of feet; the big door still opened allowing the people in. But why wasn't the army leaving the castle to protect the people. Did they think that they had a better chance behind the stone and wood that surrounded them?
Nikki watched as a girl her age fell outside the walls. She had to do something, she couldn't let the girl get devoured.
"I got to help," she said breaking the hold. The armory was across the courtyard in the opposite direction, the only place Nikki could think that might have some sort of weapons was the kitchen.
Humans were such pitiful creatures, thought Sugimi as he pounded through the village in his true form. How dare they deny him his request!
He didn't have much liking for this lord; his loyalties were too questionable. Sugimi usually stayed out of affairs of the humans, rather letting them do what they will, so he wasn't surprise when this castle had fallen to outside forces and the royal family was destroyed.
His mussel struck a smirk as he headed towards the mighty castle. Mighty, indeed, he could knock it over in his human form.
The people were running towards it, as if it would help them. In their haste they knocked over a young girl, who cried out for their help. Nobody stopped to help her, and they call youkai inhumane.
"Stop," said the last voice he would thought he would have heard.
Standing over the girl, protecting her, was her! Dressed in her white sleeping kimono, and a robe trying to protect her flesh from exposure. On her head was a rice pot, which looked like some sort of weird helmet. Her hair whipping out from beneath it and trailing over her face to protect it. She had two wooden spoons in her hands. She looked magnificent.
She also look ridicules. And he would have laughed, if he weren't angry with her for putting herself in danger. Damn it, where were the people who were supposed to be protecting her.
He landed on all four, in his true form and walked around her. She kept herself between him and the girl who was whimpering on the ground. Her face looking at him, showing no fear. She was brave, braver then these messily humans that were suppose to protect her.
"I demand to know why you are attacking us," she said.
"You are in no position to demand," came his booming voice.
"Well if you aren't going to tell me, then I have no choice but to kill you," she said.
Sugimi was taken back, was she serious?
He was impress, she would die in a battle of course, he knew it and she knew it.
"The business is with the lord of this land."
"You intend to kill him and everyone around here," she said.
"Yes," he said not ashamed. They were his, to do how he liked and it was their fault, if they had handed her over, she, he would gladly had left them in peace.
"Then take me," she said stepping towards him. Both spoons lowered, but still looking him straight on.
"You," he said surprised, he had originally came for her. So why was he now acting in shock? "You would give your life up for them?"
She nodded, not failing to meet his eyes.
"You loyal to the lord is commendable."
"I have no loyalty to him," she said, not sure why for the first time she spoke her mind to him. She would have never voiced her opinion around her father in the same manner. That was just asking to be whipped.
He was surprised; she had to be the lord's daughter. Her cloths were to rich for her to be anything else. But the way she said it was in discuss.
"Then why are you sacrificing yourself for him."
"My mother was princess of this land before he came, he has no claim on these people except what he took," she said. "These people don't deserve what has come treading on them because of him. I am their princess and it is my job to protect them with my life."
So the girl was from the original family of this land. He thought the eyes look familiar.
"I except," he said. "Your life for theirs."
She stepped forward, as the young girl reached out to grab her. She bent down to say something to her then walk forward.
"Your lives have been spared to day because of her. She is now dead to you," he said at the wall. He made eye contact with the lord that silently said it was far from over between the two of them.
The people watched as he bent down and she climbed up onto his back. They watched as the last traces of their beloved princesses vanished into nothing but a legion.
If she weren't so scared right now, she would have enjoyed this. She had loved highs as a child, always climbing up to the next branch in a tree just to test how far she could go.
But none of her years tree climbing has ever lead to this. The land stretch below her, and the fields looking like pattern sewn into a piece of cloth. She could make out rivers and lakes, and see little dots moving around. Geese flew by, shooting her strange looks as they continued to where they were going. She wanted to reach out and touch them but held back.
She looked down at the big white dog like creature that she was ridding and wondered. He was a magnificent creature with silky fur that covered her in their warmth, like a blanket she had when she was a child. She felt safer then she should have at the moment. They have been traveling like this for almost half the day, far from anywhere she had ever been.
"Where are we going," she asked, trying to pick out the landmarks. They had to be out of her father's land, but where? She heard the land stretched until there was ocean, but she had never seen the ocean or the land beyond her forest. This was new, exciting, and frightening all at once.
He didn't say anything, but head down towards a farm.
She watched as the land rose and met them, coming down with a soft land. They were in front of a large farmhouse. This wasn't a holding of a lord, but maybe a village elder or something like that.
The blinds of the building drew back and out walked an old woman. Her gray hair tied back into some sort of bun and her kimono plain.
She bowed at the beast before turning her eyes towards his companion. She didn't make any face gestures that would seem that she was afraid of him.
"What brings you hear, Milord," she said.
"Get the child dress property, old woman," he growled.
"I am not a child," Nikki said, speaking out for the first time.
The woman looked at the dog beast half expecting him to take a chunk out of this impudent girl, but he didn't.
"I happened to be six and ten, making me over the age of a child," she continued.
"I take it that your father never taught you to hold your tongue," he said.
She smiled at him. "He tried, Milord."
"Come child," said the old maid leading her into the house. Before the child opened her mouth to big and found herself starring down another mouth.
Nikki entered what looked like to be the front greeting room and was stirred towards the back. The house was simply decorated with little to do. They might be important, but they weren't rich.
"You're not going to beg me to help you escape," the woman said, opening a door.
"What's the use," Nikki said following her in. "I have a feeling that your loyalty lies with him."
"Then you are wise child," she said.
"I'm not a child," Nikki said.
He sat in the tree in his preferred form and looked out towards the land, trying to figure out today. He went to the village with all the intention of seducing her, only to be caught. He almost destroyed a village of humans for one girl, only to turn out that she was the only one in that village that had courage to stand up to him. Not that he was too sure if she knew who he was. Now he was sitting outside the home of one of many human servants, waiting for her to emerge.
"Milord, I found you."
He watched as the tick jump up and looked at him. He sign, wondering what he did to deserve someone like him.
"Took you long enough," he said facing the house.
"Sir, I must protest to this," said the tick.
"You had no objections to it before," he said. He knew Myoga had a respect for humans that he could never seem to require, but still made no protest when Sugimi had made his attentions clear.
"But is it safe for a human to be traveling in the company of you," Myoga said.
Safe? From other youkai yes, but from him no. He had decided to take her mostly because he could have the fun of seducing her, the fun of the hunt.
"She wanted to come," he said watching the bitch come out of the tent. She wore the robes of a male, which was fine. Her hair was wrapped up in a matching cloth, and she had a pair of traveling sandals on. He watched her for a couple of seconds, he never notice how tight her body was. She must have spent a lot more time out door then he thought.
She looked up at the tree, at him for a second.
"Sir, have you seen a big white dog running around," she asked.
"Shss, child," said the old woman coming out of the house. Myoga looked at him, before jumping on the woman's neck.
"Myoga," he growled.
"Never mind," she said as if she was hopeful that he would have disappeared. "You look different, Milord."
He looked down at her with the same eyes as the stranger from the night before. She took a step back in surprises and then quickly recovered from the look of shock.
"I have many forms," he said jumping down from the tree and coming to in front of her. She was a good foot shorter then her, and look like she could break at any moment. But she didn't back away, but looked at him full on. She was going to be enjoyment to tame.
She stared straight into his eyes, daring him to do something and felt a sudden pinch on the skin. She smacked the area and opened her palms to find a flat thingamabob laying it, groaning.
"I see you met my servant, Myoga."
"Ah, a pleasure to met you, your highness, and I must say you have the sweetest blood I have ever had the pleasure of tasting," the tiny tick said, trying to go from 1D to 3D.
Nikki smiled at the tick, she liked him already. "Thank you, and call me Nikki." She looked straight back up to the youkai standing in front of her. "I am dead now, so I guess I lost the title of princess."
Nikki watched the man in front with an odd sense of both longing and fright. She still could taste the feel of his lips on her and wonder if it was a dream. She hadn't told anyone about what happen in garden because she didn't believe anyone would have believed her. Plus it was something she could keep to herself always, something that could only be hers. But then the same strange, who turns out to be some sort of youkai demon, came back and she ended up sacrificing her life for the sake of the people yet he hasn't tried to do anything to her.
She watched the hair in the breeze, as tiny parts of it were played with. She had never seen hair so white before. Even on the elders, it never had it luster, like snow that has freshly fallen or the moonlight. Definitely the moonlight, thought Nikki, that seemed to fit the whole youkai thing. And it was paired to a pair of very intense golden eyes, a pair that had shown through in his human form.
How many forms did this youkai have?
"Sir," she said catching up with him. "How many forms do you have?"
He didn't say a thing, but Myoga spoke up.
"Most lower youkai have only two or three. My lord has more then is possible to count," he said in a proud voice.
"Have you been in his lordship service long," she asked.
"Longer then I can remember," he answered.
"I take it his lordship is a good master," she said.
"Yes, he protect old Myoga well," the tick said.
Sugimi rolled his eyes, protect him. Not that the flea had much of a chance to know what it was like to be protect, the moment it senses danger it would go off running.
"You disagree, milord," she said. He turned back and looked at her, he knew he made no movements to show how strong he disagree with the statement, so how did she guess.
"Wait until you see a battle, then ask me," he said turning back. He didn't owe this human an explanation.
"Milord forgets how loyal I am too him," said the tick.
"And what I remember is how many times I have had of need of you and you were no were to be found," said Sugimi.
"Not everyone is able to protect him or herself milord," she said in defense to the tick.
Sugimi stopped and turned around. He had never been talked back to, other then a couple very close friends that knew he wouldn't take them seriously.
"What did you say," he said.
"I said not everyone is able to protect themselves, milord."
"That what I thought, don't speak on matters you don't know about."
"And don't talk down to me," she said back to him. He stop.
"Myoga leave us now," he growled out. The tick shot the human the look of fright before hopping away to safety. He felt sorry for the girl, Sugimi wasn't use to people talk back to him, and this tiny girl had said what first came into mind. Hopefully, the youkai would go easy on her being the first offense.
"I thought females of your kind didn't say anything unless they were spoken to."
"Then don't talk down to me," she said back, meeting him in the face. Youkai or no, he didn't have the right to treat her like a half-wit. "You don't own me."
He grabbed, breathing down on her. He could feel her flinched under the pressure he was applying to her arm. She bit her lip, trying to not scream out in pain. His eyes board down into her, trying her to get to back down.
"Rule one, I own you."