Chapter 5
"Mia are you crazy!" Shura awoke to a strangers voice echoing through the walls.
"Quiet!" the innkeeper Mia scolded through clenched teeth "You'll wake her." Shura sat bolt upright. It took her a minute to remember where she was. All during the night, she had dreamt of the travels she had made with her father. The memories were so vivid, she was almost fooled into thinking they were reality, that she was actually back in the forests with her kin. Shura rubbed her eyes. They were not used to the brightness of sunlight striking light colored walls. When her vision finally adjusted Shura noticed a small bundle of clothes resting neatly at the end of her bed. In the pile was her kimono, washed clean and mended perfectly, along with the rest of her garments. There was also a pair of soft moccasins made from animal hides. Shura tried them on last after she was dressed. They were bigger than expected, reaching halfway up her calves, but the fit was just right for her.
Shura cracked open the bedroom door slightly and crept silently down the hallway. She stopped just shy of the entrance to the kitchen, where the two women were and listened quietly as their conversation continued.
"Abandoned or not," the stranger was saying, "She's a demon, Mia!"
"Not all demons are bad, Niko. Besides she's just a child." came Mia's defense. Shura breathed out quietly. She was sure that new woman had just insulted her…she said something about her being…abandoned, whatever that meant. Normally she would have burst in to defend her pride, but this time the nice innkeeper woman was doing it for her. Shura decided to wait and see where the conversation went. She would step in if the lady Mia needed help.
"Did you even see what she did to old lady Cassia?" Niko asked harshly. Mia shook her head, not realizing the seriousness of her friend's question.
"No I can't say that I have," she replied casually.
"She's dead Mia. That child you're harboring killed our town's most skilled healer. Do you really think she'd do any less to you?" Mia was silent for a moment. She hadn't heard the news of lady Cassia's death, but even if Shura was responsible Mia refused to believe that the young demon committed such an act on purpose.
"I'm sure Shura didn't mean to," Mia retorted quietly. "She's not a bad demon, only frightened. And what she needs now is understanding and kindness, not your judgmental accusations." Niko shook her head and waved up her hands in frustration.
"Listen Mia, you're my best friend. I'm only saying these things to protect you." There was a long pause as Niko watched her friends saddening expression. Mia knew exactly where the conversation was heading. "I know you've been lonely these past few years Mia…but is this really the right answer?" Mia was close to tears.
"Niko…please…" she blurted out in half sobs as she wiped tears from her eyes. "You don't know what it's like for me, running this place on my own. It's too full of memories to leave, but the emptiness…I can't stand it!" Niko gently rested an understanding hand on her friend's trembling shoulder. As hard as it was to hurt her, Niko was seeing the consequences her friend refused to, and they had to be addressed for Mia's sake.
"I know Mia. But do you honestly think she'll be allowed to stay here, especially after what she did? It may have been an accident, but I guarantee no one else will see it that way. If she stays here, you'll loose everything you worked for. And what if you're forced to leave this place? Who would take you in if you had a demon child at your side?"
"I never thought for an instant things would be easy," came Mia's soft reply. "But you should have seen how they treated her Niko. She would have died if I hadn't done something. I couldn't just leave her there!" Niko sighed. There was no talking sense into Mia; she was as stubborn as an ox, especially when she truly believed something.
"Okay Mia I give up. You just keep on going. I'll support you any way that I can. But don't say I didn't warn you." the innkeeper smiled.
"Thank you Niko," she said in a voice that radiated gratitude. Niko rolled her eyes, her usual response.
"Yeah, yeah, you're welcome. I guess." Niko paused to take a sip of tea and simultaneously think of how to change the subject to something less mushy. "So where is this demon child of yours anyway?" Shura couldn't see the sly smile that crept across Mia's face.
"Closer then you think," she answered as she turned her head in the direction of the doorway and called over her shoulder "You can come out now Shura." Hearing herself suddenly addressed, Shura jumped in surprise, clumsily tripped over her untied bootlaces, and came crashing to the floor.
Now partially visible in the doorway, Shura scrambled to her feet and bowed in apology for eavesdropping. She had learned the technique of submissive apology from watching Jaken, seeing as how he was nearly always performing it.
"Shura, I'd like you to meet my friend Niko," the innkeeper said politely pointing out her friend with a motion of her hand. Once again Shura bowed, this time in polite greeting. Niko couldn't help smiling. The child was charming, even if she was a demon.
Suddenly Shura tensed and set her ears forward in alarm. She could sense someone approaching…and they weren't human. Sniffing loudly, Shura picked up not one, but three menacing scents.
"What is it?" Mia asked suddenly aware of Shura's uneasiness. Shura curled her lips back exposing her fangs.
"Demons!" she hissed.
Before she could say another word, Shura was hoisted off her feet and tucked securely under the innkeepers arm as she ran swiftly to the back of the building. Once they reached Shura's room, Mia dashed inside and set Shura on the bed. When she spoke her voice was filled with terror.
"Shura listen to me," she said sternly as she gripped the demon child by the shoulders. "I want you to stay here! Don't come out until I say its safe, understand?" Shura was baffled, but nodded her head in compliance as Mia turned and left, shutting the door swiftly behind her. Shura sat perfectly still for a few minutes as she mentally went over things.
As soon as she had mentioned the three demons approaching, Mia and her friend seemed overcome with terror. Before she could question why they were frightened, Mia stashed her away. Shura didn't see what they were so scared of. From what she could tell from their scents, the three intruders were only minor element demons, not too big of a threat.
Shura perked her ears when she heard voices from outside the room.
"Hurry! Quickly! They're here!" one person was shouting to another.
"We'd better bring more food this time, otherwise they'll kill our crops for sure!" another called. This time? Now Shura was curious. Had these demons been here before? Shura rose to her feet when she noticed one of the bedroom walls was actually a doorway that led outside. The door was locked shut with a tight latch. With a carefully aimed swipe of her claws, the lock was broken and Shura cautiously pushed the door open slightly. The air was thick with the smell of demon, food, and human fear.
Shura stepped outside and closed the door behind her. Then she crept silently around the side of the inn in the direction of the intruder demons' stink. Shura stopped when she reached the corner. Her senses told her the demons were not far from the front of the building. Peering around the wall Shura caught sight of the three demons. They were big ogre-like beasts, each standing well over ten feet, with massive limbs and ugly, warty faces. At the moment all three of them were stuffing themselves with the large platters of food placed all around them. As they ate, villagers would dart in and clear away dishes, as well as set down more food. A gathering group of people watched anxiously, out of the demons reach. Shura wrinkled her nose in disgust. She knew this type of demon. Despite their size, they were actually weaklings on the scale of both demon and mental powers. Why then were the villagers feeding these pathetic oafs? Her answer came when the food ran out. The leader of the bunch let out a mighty growl and beckoned a villager forward.
"You call this a feast?" the ogre remarked angrily. "That was barely an appetizer! Where's the rest of our food?" The villager, a tall, elegant man, bowed in frantic apology as he tried to calm the demon's temper.
"Please…forgive us… it was a harsh winter this year and it killed many of our crops,"
"I don't wanna hear it!" the demon bellowed. "Either you bring more food, or we destroy all your crops!" From his belt the demon lifted an enormous mace. The weapon, easily three times the size of a human head, could do vastly more then bash through someone's skull. Lowering his weapon to the earth, the demon tapped it on the ground lightly to demonstrate his power once again to the frightened villagers. Wide crevices split through the earth where the weapon landed, while tremors shook the rest of the landscape.
Shura gripped the side of the building for balance. She now knew where the demons had gotten the element powers she had sensed before. Each must have had a weapon, probably stolen from other demons, and through those artifacts they could control various elements. With his mace the leader could command earth. No wonder the villagers were so terrified. They could easily lose their land and home if they didn't appease the demons. Shura clenched her hands into fists. Those three monsters had to be stopped, and she was the one to do it.
By now the villagers were once again setting trays of food and large barrels of water and wine in front of the gorging demons. Carrying one of the trays was the innkeeper Mia. Out of all the porters, the three demons seemed to take a special interest in her.
"What's the matter cutie?" one of them crooned as Mia scowled hatefully. "Ain't you happy to see us?"
"Yeah," another chimed in "Is that any way to treat us after we spared your life?" Mia spit on the dish she had just set down then abruptly turned her back.
"Disgusting beasts…I hope you choke on it!" The lead demon narrowed his eyes and rose to his feet. He towered over Mia, but even in the wake of his massive shadow, she refused to face him.
"Don't forget who you're dealing with missy!" he growled as he slapped his mace in his hand. "I killed your husband, and I could just as easily kill you!" Mia remained motionless. She would rather die then submit to her husband's murderer, a fact that enraged the demon leader. He had just about made up his mind to strike down the insolent woman, when suddenly a young voice rang out in the air.
"That's enough!" one by one heads turned in the direction of the voice. Human and demon eyes alike fell on a small demon child approaching boldly from the shadows. The villagers were both stunned and frightened, Mia was horrified, but the three demons were utterly amused. They watched curiously as the tiny child strode forward without the slightest hint of fear. "Leave this place now!" she demanded, her voice filled with even more boldness then before. The lead demon stepped forward and stared down at the child in annoyance. She clearly needed to be taught her place.
"Wha'd you just say!" he growled as his body cast a huge shadow over the child. If his size alone didn't intimidate her into submission, his booming voice sure would. Much to his surprise, Shura just stared up at him with cold, angry eyes. There wasn't any sign of fear in either her stance or her gaze.
"I said leave!" Shura repeated her order without wavering. The demon leader looked at her skeptically for a second, then tossed back his head and filled the air with deep, booming laughter. His two companions joined him in a chorus of hysteria.
"Ha ha ha! That's funny! A little pipsqueak like you…giving orders to me!" Gripping his mace tightly, the demon suspended the heavy spiked ball over Shura's head. "Looks like I'll need to teach you a lesson!" Slowly he let his weapon fall. Horrified, Mia tried to dart in and save her new child, but her effort was stopped short when Niko tackled her from behind. Anxiously, everyone waited for the inevitable impact that would end the courageous demon child's life.
A thunderous bang sounded through the air as the weapon landed with force and stirred up a heavy cloud of dust. A hush fell over the watching audience. They were expecting a massacre, but when the dust cleared, Shura stood unharmed as she held the mace above her head with an outstretched arm. The demon leader watched in horror as the frail looking child reached up with her other hand and sank her nails deep into the mace's iron frame. As she gripped with both hands, wide cracks seemed to spring from her fingertips. The crevices spread all through the mace, growing bigger and bigger, as Shura tightened her fists. Eventually the ogre's weapon could no longer stand up to the treatment and shattered, sending tiny fragments of iron in all directions. The demon looked down at the bare, wooden handle that seconds before had been his great weapon.
"Why you little…" was the only thing he could manage to spit out. In fit of rage the ogre demon swung the wooden handle at Shura with all his might. But once again he underestimated the child. In a feat of agility, Shura jumped into the air, avoiding the blow and simultaneously landed on the wooden handle. To compensate for her size, Shura used the weapon like a ramp to get within striking range. She moved with such speed the ogre demon didn't even have time to react.
Shura snarled loudly as she sank her nails into her enemies face and drug them effortlessly through his flesh. Again and again she struck, her claws tearing through skin, muscle and bone. When her foe's scream became unbearable, she split open his throat to silence him. Shura's assault ended when one of the two remaining beasts finally managed to tear her off with his massive hands. But to him, she showed even less mercy.
Shura dug her claws into her captor's palm, this time letting her toxins do the work. Stricken with pain, the demon tried desperately to pull Shura off of his hand. But his efforts only caused her to tighten her grip and thus force more poison into his blood. The deadly toxin took effect immediately melting flesh, dissolving bone and liquefying its victim's insides into a soupy mush. Shura managed to jump free just as her attacker fell lifeless to the ground and continued to dissolve into a shapeless rancid blob.
The last remaining ogre looked on in horror as both his companions met gruesome deaths at the hands of the small demon child. He cowered when the youngster set her blazing yellow eyes on him. Not even his weapon, a fire whip, was any match for her. Faced with such facts, the demon did the only thing he could think of; he threw up his hands and ran away crying, but only after he tossed his fire weapon at the child's feet.
Shura was still snarling as she watched the remaining intruder flee. The coward didn't disserve to escape, not after what he and his friends had done to poor Mia and the villagers. Shura raised a blood stained hand to the sky. A sphere of energy blazed at her fingertips, and it grew with each angry thought that surged through her. Fur bristling and fangs bared, Shura sent the blast flying. The demon had nearly cleared the village outskirts when Shura's sphere of energy hit him from behind and disintegrated his body into nothing.
Shura watched patiently as the villagers exchanged nervous remarks and glances. Though she wasn't necessarily anticipating her efforts be showered in praise, Shura was confident that she at least gained some degree of respect from the villagers she had just saved.
"Filthy demon!" a shout arose from amongst the crowd of gathered people. The cry was accompanied by a large rock that hit Shura hard in the shoulder. The demon child stumbled backwards in pain and shock. The ungrateful humans she had helped moments before were turning on her! Shura fell to the ground when another rock nailed her in the head. She was beginning to see why her father despised humans so much. They were just as he had said; pathetic, weak-minded, cowardly creatures that only cared about themselves and could never be trusted.
"Stop it!" Mia's stern command filled the air as she ran over and scooped Shura up in her arms. "How dare you treat Shura that way, after she just saved us all!" Shura clung tightly to Mia as she buried her throbbing head into the innkeeper's kimono. That was an answer she couldn't wait to hear. The scent of Mia's blood filled Shura's nose as she too was suddenly struck.
"So you're the traitor who took in that murderous beast!" another angry villager cried. Shura felt Mia sink to the ground under the force of another blow. By now a mob had started and the air was filled with angry shouts and flying rocks. Only when the village leader stepped forward did the crowd fall silent.
"That's enough!" the leader commanded his authoritative voice filling the scene. Calmly he walked over to Mia and gently helped her to her feet. He too had heard all the rumors of the innkeeper's decision to harbor the young demon that had slain Cassia the healer, but unlike his subjects, he liked to hear the story from the source.
"Mia is it true you've taken in this demon child?" Mia looked nervously at her lord. He was a lean faced man who had surprisingly gentle eyes despite his status.
"Yes, sir." Mia replied softly. Shura glanced over at the leader. What did he mean "taken in?" She didn't live there.
"I see. Well, Mia I can't say I approve of your choice, but I was there when the trappers came, so I understand why you made it." The leader paused and scratched his chin lightly. "I'm not sure if this is the wisest decision, but I feel it is only right seeing as how this little one saved us from the ogre demons. Mia, as long as you teach her properly, and make sure she doesn't harm any of the residents, the demon child may stay with you." Mia was so overjoyed that she could barely speak in between happy sobs.
"Oh thank you! Thank you so much! I promise Shura will never be a bother!" the leader smiled in return and quieted her with a gentle nod. Then he turned to address his anxious subjects.
"From this day forth the child Shura is an honored member of our village and should be treated accordingly. Anyone who tries to harm the demon child will be severely punished. Is that understood?" The villagers nodded reluctantly, but many were still filled with skepticism as the group slowly departed.
Shura remained silent the entire way back to the inn. She couldn't get the head villager's words out of her mind. He had said she was a member of their town now…but why? She already had a home with her father and Jaken. They were probably on their way to the village at that very moment. True her father didn't come to help when the demon hunters captured her, but he was probably just being cautious in case they had set other traps. He wouldn't just leave her alone and never come back.
Once they reached the inn, Mia carefully washed and dressed the wounds on Shura's shoulder and forehead. Niko arrived a few minutes later with some of her children's old clothes and toys for Shura to have. Niko's presence made Shura remember the conversation the two women had earlier that day.
"Mia…" Shura asked innocently as the innkeeper wrapped her own injuries. "What does abandoned mean?" Mia looked up in surprise, and Niko became suddenly nervous. Both knew why the child was asking, and neither wanted to answer.
"It means…" Mia hesitated but forced herself to continue. "Being left alone." Shura felt her insides go cold. As much as she didn't want to believe it, she knew deep inside her heart that her father had done the unthinkable and that he was never coming back. As she clenched her fists tightly, Shura felt warm droplets slide down her cheeks. For the first time in her life she had shed actual tears. She continued crying, even as Mia's comforting arms scooped her up and rocked her gently.
"Why? Why?" It was the only thing Shura could cry between painful sobs and the only question Mia couldn't answer.