Author's note: I know nothing about Itsuki's character. I meant to look him up on the internet but I couldn't find a decent page about him and I haven't seen that far in the series yet, so yeah, I'm out of luck. Thus his personality and character has been pulled completely out of my ass. Sorry to all Itsuki fans if I've butchered him. ^_^;;;
Hiei's eyes flickered around the small tent as he perched on the chair, watching the other two youkai talking near the entrance. Kuronue was speaking to another male youkai, who looked to be about his age in body, but much more around Yomi's age in maturity.
Hiei had heard his name before, least he thought so. Kuronue had called the other youkai Itsuki, and as far as Hiei could tell that was his name. Itsuki was a male youkai with long green hair, that brushed just past his shoulders, a small scrap of brightly patterned cloth held back one side from covering his face, while the other side was allowed to flow free and occasionally cover his eye as he nodded and listened patiently. He wore a mix-match of clothing, more patchwork then what the others seemed to prefer in the travelling group. Yet his clothing was still sewn together with care and certainly wasn't a quick draping of rags. Golden eyes, with a slight tinge of red, stayed focused on Kuronue the entire time as he spoke in a soft voice, that Hiei couldn't hear.
But he didn't really need to hear what they were talking about, he knew already. He knew they were talking about him. Why else would Kuronue have brought him to this tent to sit and wait for them to do something or speak to him? A quick glance around told him the Itsuki was a healer of some sort, or that he at least had a fair knowledge of plants from various areas of the Makai. Hiei could see many plants hanging from the ceiling as they dried out, along with a chest that was sitting open on one side of the tent, filled with containers of crushed plants, strange colored dust and other weird odds and ends. The contents of the chest almost looked like something a performer would bring to do silly little tricks with, or to barter rare items to older youkai who cared about such a thing. But Itsuki certainly didn't seem the type to do that. His chest was packed with too much order and care for others to have browsed through it.
Hiei's eyes went back to the two who were speaking at the door, still in their hushed voices. He found himself frowning at them in impatience, wishing they would do something. He didn't like sitting in the chair. It felt uncomfortable, and he didn't like being in an unfamiliar tent in a camp that was full of people he knew nothing about. Being in an unfamiliar town would have been one thing. But a camp full of travelers? That was completely different.
Travelers were known for picking up all sorts of youkai in their midst, not being picky or choosy about whether one was a wind-rider, Koorime or cannibalistic. It didn't matter, because they let in anyone. This was great for those who needed a home and weren't accepted by others, but it also led to lots of trouble, because you never knew who was lurking in the next tent over.
Hiei fidgeted again in his seat, eyeing the door. He wanted to leave. But more importantly, he wanted to know where his sister was. He didn't like the idea of Yukina wandering around the camp, even if she was with Kurama or Yomi. He didn't know them well enough yet to trust them that much with his sister. So he just sat there and fidgeted, trying not to race out the door.
After a moment Itsuki nodded to Kuronue and stepped back, walking to where Hiei was sitting. Hiei frowned back at the taller youkai, never blinking or turning away as Itsuki calmly studied him. Hiei reacted much like a younger animal, determined to stare down the larger one in front of him. Meanwhile Itsuki just watched him quietly, his eyes calmly scanning over Hiei's entire body as he looked him over. Finally Itsuki reached forward and placed his palm against Hiei's forehead. Hiei glared daggers at him, silently waiting.
Kuronue walked over and stood next to them. "Well?"
Itsuki didn't answer for a long moment, then the hint of a smile crossed his lips. He walked over to his chest and grabbed what looked like a strange plant branch, then returned to Hiei. "Open your mouth. I want you to suck on this for a moment."
Hiei frowned at the small plant, but decided not to protest. The sooner this was all over, the sooner he could go look for Yukina. So he nodded slowly and took the plant, sucking on it for a moment. A second later, at Itsuki's beckoning, he spat the plant back out. Hiei couldn't help but blink a little when he saw it had changed color.
Itsuki only seems to smile a bit more, looking amused.
"You're a fire demon, right? With Koorime blood?"
Hiei automatically frowned, going on the defensive. "Yes."
"Well, that explains it."
"Explains what?" Kuronue glanced between the two of them, looking completely confused.
"He has a cold."
Hiei blinked at that, looking almost as confused as Kuronue now. Though he didn't think the expression on his face was nearly as laughable.
"A cold," Itsuki repeated as he continued to look through his chest. "They are quite common for Koorime, but obviously don't effect them that much because of their nature. The real problem comes in when the Koorime mate with another race that is there opposite. A cold is just a headache at most for any Koorime… for a fire demon it can be deadly. Luckily though, it looks like your little friend has gotten through the worst of it already. He just needs rest now for it to finish going away completely."
"That's it… it was that simple?"
Itsuki stopped for a moment and glanced up, regarding Kuronue with an amused look. "I suppose if you're that disappointed I could give him some other disease and make him sicker. But I hardly think that's what you want. A simple thank you will do."
Kuronue looked puzzled for a moment, then chuckled, running a hand through the back of his long pony tail in a nervous gesture. Apparently a comment like that wasn't exactly a joke with Itsuki.
"Uhh, yeah, thanks." Kuronue turned back to Hiei and flashed him a grin. "Well, lets get back to the wagon then, you should probably get some more sleep."
Hiei responded with a snort and jumped down off the chair. Without looking back at Kuronue or Itsuki he left the tent, heading in the opposite direction of the wagon and where he was supposed to rest. As far as he was concerned he wasn't dying, so his sister was more important to him. With that in mind he set out to look for her, and luckily no one tried to follow and stop him.
**
Yomi sat silently in one of the larger tents, his legs crossed as he awaited the other in the room to speak. He may have been blind, but he knew exactly whose tent he was sitting in and he knew exactly who was sitting in front of him at that very moment. He'd known her for years and didn't need to see her to know that she hadn't changed a bit. Mukuro had remained the same in all the years he'd been able to see, there was no reason she would have changed now.
He remembered that she was a tall woman, tall for the female youkai that is. His vague memory painted her with orangish red hair, that was more dull then it was interesting, cut unevenly along her shoulders in haste or dis-care. The rest of her was tall and thin, allowing one the illusion that she was weak and perhaps more helpless then most youkai. However, if ever an assumption were made, it was quickly corrected. In spite of her apparent 'frailty' Mukuro was a force to be reckoned with, able to easily hold her own against some of the best fighting youkai the Makai had ever seen.
And if one didn't see her fight, all they had to do to believe that rumor was look at her. Yomi knew well that Mukuro sported many scars from her previous life before she began travelling with the others. The three most obvious scars were on the left side of her body. The left side of her face was horribly scarred beyond repair, to the point that her left eye was nearly useless, save in rare occasions. A section of her arm was missing its skin, showing off a collection of veins and muscle for the passerby to see, while her leg also sported just such a large patch. Thanks to Itsuki's help the patches didn't bleed anymore, but they never fully healed either.
Yomi had once asked Mukuro about them and she'd simply replied that she didn't wish for them to heal. If she'd wanted them to heal, she wouldn't have scared herself in the first place.
Yomi also knew that no matter what Mukuro wore, she always had a small piece of cloth covering the scarred half of her face from sight. The other wounds were left in the open for others to see, and be wary of.
"This isn't a social call, is it?"
Mukuro spoke softly from her place a few feet away from Yomi. Yomi knew they were both kneeling on the ground in a very formal manner, which befit their ranks. Both were Makai lords in their own right, or at least in the world of travelers. Both the names 'Yomi' and 'Mukuro' were well known all across the Makai. In fact their names were more well known then the current three lords who ruled over the whole Makai, which at least made them feel like lords, even if they didn't have the official titles.
"It never is just a social call." Yomi confirmed for her quietly.
He heard her give a soft smirk, which was usually accompanied by a small smirk on her lips.
"No, I suppose it never is. And here I'd thought you missed me."
Yomi returned his own very small smirk. "I always miss you, old friend."
Mukuro paused and didn't speak, apparently accepting that answer. But she'd started the first part of the conversation and he'd followed, reassuring her of his friendship and non-violent intentions. Now it was time to truly explain himself.
"My wagon has been travelling a steady course west to east for most of the year now, aiming in reaching your camp two moons from now. On our travels we've encountered more then a fair number of towns which were cleared out, all the youkai scattered in death to the point of stench. There hasn't seemed to be a pattern, save that it is happening in many places. I have my suspicions as to who-"
"Hunters." Mukuro hissed out the word, her voice communicating exactly how much hatred was in her mind and stance at the moment. Yomi paused in his speaking and frowned with her, then gave a very small nod.
"I had suspected as much, but didn't want to jump to conclusions. Or perhaps I hoped I was overreacting."
"You're not." Mukuro stood up and Yomi could hear her move to lean against one of the tent posts, as she was ought to do when troubled. "You're not mistaken because I've heard similar reports from other such wagons who have been passing through. Not to mention that the men who come to our camp fires for nightly diversions have whispered of such things. From what I have gathered the hunters are growing in number and are slaughtering youkai for their pleasure, their rarities and even perhaps their flesh."
Yomi frowned. Flesh eating youkai were some of the worst out there, for they never obeyed any one code as a whole. One never knew when the youkai beside them could be one of those who'd developed a taste for the flesh of their own kind.
"I also have heard that you've picked up two more with your wagon. Who are they?"
"Two kids."
Yomi turned his head a bit as Kuronue's voice came from the entrance of the tent. He couldn't help but smile to himself, as he knew that Mukuro was frowning in distaste. She wasn't one to like surprises or being interrupted, but Kuronue had permission to walk in, since there was only so much Yomi could report without the use of his eyes. It was a silent agreement between him and Mukuro that Kuronue could be present, however she preferred to not show the nocturnal youkai that she approved, for her own reasons.
Kuronue surely was smiling as he crossed the tent and dropped down next to Yomi on the floor. Without wasting a moment he leaned back against Yomi's shoulder, reclining there and playing with a strand of his hair. Mukuro remained standing against the tall wooden pole support beam.
"Two cute little kits, who aren't as young as they look. Both of them are halfbreeds, mixes between Koorime and fire-types. The cute girl is called Yukina and she's predominantly Koorime, while her brother is named Hiei and is predominantly a fire-type. He's got quite the pissy little temper to match too."
Mukuro seemed to direct her attention to Kuronue. "And the one named Hiei is sick, if I heard correctly."
"Yep. He's got a cold, of all things. But we had Itsuki check on him and he should be right and ready soon, easily enough. Which really means he'll just be pissy and healthy now."
"And the empty towns you found? They were from one?"
Yomi felt Kuronue stiffen a bit against him, and then the nocturnal youkai sat up, going serious. "Yeah. We found them in a basement, huddled together and scared. I haven't asked them much about it yet, but I'm sure their parents were among the ones killed. Whoever did it didn't take the time to loot the village or anything. They just swept through and killed what they found, then left. The place was burned too, with a lot of collapsed buildings."
Mukuro gave a soft sigh. "Your report matches others, perfectly. So it appears we have at least one band of hunters roaming the Makai with intents of collecting trophies of the dead or eating them."
"Hunters come and hunters go. Nothing changes." Kuronue returned to leaning against Yomi, apparently going back to his carefree self once more. Yomi had the urge to comment, but he knew better.
He knew little of Kuronue's past, but most travelers were the of one or two circumstances. Either they were thrown out of their own home and family, with nowhere else to go, or they were nearly wiped out and the last of their kind, seeking shelter in a place where they could be accepted. Yomi didn't know which circumstance Kuronue came from, but he suspected it was the latter of the two, because he hadn't heard of another nocturnal youkai from the mountain region for quite some time.
"My, aren't we relaxed?" Mukuro's voice took on a slightly teasing tone.
Kuronue responded with a chuckle. "It's my job to relax people, Muku-chan. Perhaps you should take advantage of my services while I'm available."
Mukuro pushed off the pole and walked over to them, leaning down toward Kuronue's face. "I'll pass. I'm sure you have your fill of customers." Then she exited the tent.
Yomi chuckled softly on his own. Some people never changed. Especially Mukuro.
**
Hiei's eyes flickered around the small tent as he perched on the chair, watching the other two youkai talking near the entrance. Kuronue was speaking to another male youkai, who looked to be about his age in body, but much more around Yomi's age in maturity.
Hiei had heard his name before, least he thought so. Kuronue had called the other youkai Itsuki, and as far as Hiei could tell that was his name. Itsuki was a male youkai with long green hair, that brushed just past his shoulders, a small scrap of brightly patterned cloth held back one side from covering his face, while the other side was allowed to flow free and occasionally cover his eye as he nodded and listened patiently. He wore a mix-match of clothing, more patchwork then what the others seemed to prefer in the travelling group. Yet his clothing was still sewn together with care and certainly wasn't a quick draping of rags. Golden eyes, with a slight tinge of red, stayed focused on Kuronue the entire time as he spoke in a soft voice, that Hiei couldn't hear.
But he didn't really need to hear what they were talking about, he knew already. He knew they were talking about him. Why else would Kuronue have brought him to this tent to sit and wait for them to do something or speak to him? A quick glance around told him the Itsuki was a healer of some sort, or that he at least had a fair knowledge of plants from various areas of the Makai. Hiei could see many plants hanging from the ceiling as they dried out, along with a chest that was sitting open on one side of the tent, filled with containers of crushed plants, strange colored dust and other weird odds and ends. The contents of the chest almost looked like something a performer would bring to do silly little tricks with, or to barter rare items to older youkai who cared about such a thing. But Itsuki certainly didn't seem the type to do that. His chest was packed with too much order and care for others to have browsed through it.
Hiei's eyes went back to the two who were speaking at the door, still in their hushed voices. He found himself frowning at them in impatience, wishing they would do something. He didn't like sitting in the chair. It felt uncomfortable, and he didn't like being in an unfamiliar tent in a camp that was full of people he knew nothing about. Being in an unfamiliar town would have been one thing. But a camp full of travelers? That was completely different.
Travelers were known for picking up all sorts of youkai in their midst, not being picky or choosy about whether one was a wind-rider, Koorime or cannibalistic. It didn't matter, because they let in anyone. This was great for those who needed a home and weren't accepted by others, but it also led to lots of trouble, because you never knew who was lurking in the next tent over.
Hiei fidgeted again in his seat, eyeing the door. He wanted to leave. But more importantly, he wanted to know where his sister was. He didn't like the idea of Yukina wandering around the camp, even if she was with Kurama or Yomi. He didn't know them well enough yet to trust them that much with his sister. So he just sat there and fidgeted, trying not to race out the door.
After a moment Itsuki nodded to Kuronue and stepped back, walking to where Hiei was sitting. Hiei frowned back at the taller youkai, never blinking or turning away as Itsuki calmly studied him. Hiei reacted much like a younger animal, determined to stare down the larger one in front of him. Meanwhile Itsuki just watched him quietly, his eyes calmly scanning over Hiei's entire body as he looked him over. Finally Itsuki reached forward and placed his palm against Hiei's forehead. Hiei glared daggers at him, silently waiting.
Kuronue walked over and stood next to them. "Well?"
Itsuki didn't answer for a long moment, then the hint of a smile crossed his lips. He walked over to his chest and grabbed what looked like a strange plant branch, then returned to Hiei. "Open your mouth. I want you to suck on this for a moment."
Hiei frowned at the small plant, but decided not to protest. The sooner this was all over, the sooner he could go look for Yukina. So he nodded slowly and took the plant, sucking on it for a moment. A second later, at Itsuki's beckoning, he spat the plant back out. Hiei couldn't help but blink a little when he saw it had changed color.
Itsuki only seems to smile a bit more, looking amused.
"You're a fire demon, right? With Koorime blood?"
Hiei automatically frowned, going on the defensive. "Yes."
"Well, that explains it."
"Explains what?" Kuronue glanced between the two of them, looking completely confused.
"He has a cold."
Hiei blinked at that, looking almost as confused as Kuronue now. Though he didn't think the expression on his face was nearly as laughable.
"A cold," Itsuki repeated as he continued to look through his chest. "They are quite common for Koorime, but obviously don't effect them that much because of their nature. The real problem comes in when the Koorime mate with another race that is there opposite. A cold is just a headache at most for any Koorime… for a fire demon it can be deadly. Luckily though, it looks like your little friend has gotten through the worst of it already. He just needs rest now for it to finish going away completely."
"That's it… it was that simple?"
Itsuki stopped for a moment and glanced up, regarding Kuronue with an amused look. "I suppose if you're that disappointed I could give him some other disease and make him sicker. But I hardly think that's what you want. A simple thank you will do."
Kuronue looked puzzled for a moment, then chuckled, running a hand through the back of his long pony tail in a nervous gesture. Apparently a comment like that wasn't exactly a joke with Itsuki.
"Uhh, yeah, thanks." Kuronue turned back to Hiei and flashed him a grin. "Well, lets get back to the wagon then, you should probably get some more sleep."
Hiei responded with a snort and jumped down off the chair. Without looking back at Kuronue or Itsuki he left the tent, heading in the opposite direction of the wagon and where he was supposed to rest. As far as he was concerned he wasn't dying, so his sister was more important to him. With that in mind he set out to look for her, and luckily no one tried to follow and stop him.
**
Yomi sat silently in one of the larger tents, his legs crossed as he awaited the other in the room to speak. He may have been blind, but he knew exactly whose tent he was sitting in and he knew exactly who was sitting in front of him at that very moment. He'd known her for years and didn't need to see her to know that she hadn't changed a bit. Mukuro had remained the same in all the years he'd been able to see, there was no reason she would have changed now.
He remembered that she was a tall woman, tall for the female youkai that is. His vague memory painted her with orangish red hair, that was more dull then it was interesting, cut unevenly along her shoulders in haste or dis-care. The rest of her was tall and thin, allowing one the illusion that she was weak and perhaps more helpless then most youkai. However, if ever an assumption were made, it was quickly corrected. In spite of her apparent 'frailty' Mukuro was a force to be reckoned with, able to easily hold her own against some of the best fighting youkai the Makai had ever seen.
And if one didn't see her fight, all they had to do to believe that rumor was look at her. Yomi knew well that Mukuro sported many scars from her previous life before she began travelling with the others. The three most obvious scars were on the left side of her body. The left side of her face was horribly scarred beyond repair, to the point that her left eye was nearly useless, save in rare occasions. A section of her arm was missing its skin, showing off a collection of veins and muscle for the passerby to see, while her leg also sported just such a large patch. Thanks to Itsuki's help the patches didn't bleed anymore, but they never fully healed either.
Yomi had once asked Mukuro about them and she'd simply replied that she didn't wish for them to heal. If she'd wanted them to heal, she wouldn't have scared herself in the first place.
Yomi also knew that no matter what Mukuro wore, she always had a small piece of cloth covering the scarred half of her face from sight. The other wounds were left in the open for others to see, and be wary of.
"This isn't a social call, is it?"
Mukuro spoke softly from her place a few feet away from Yomi. Yomi knew they were both kneeling on the ground in a very formal manner, which befit their ranks. Both were Makai lords in their own right, or at least in the world of travelers. Both the names 'Yomi' and 'Mukuro' were well known all across the Makai. In fact their names were more well known then the current three lords who ruled over the whole Makai, which at least made them feel like lords, even if they didn't have the official titles.
"It never is just a social call." Yomi confirmed for her quietly.
He heard her give a soft smirk, which was usually accompanied by a small smirk on her lips.
"No, I suppose it never is. And here I'd thought you missed me."
Yomi returned his own very small smirk. "I always miss you, old friend."
Mukuro paused and didn't speak, apparently accepting that answer. But she'd started the first part of the conversation and he'd followed, reassuring her of his friendship and non-violent intentions. Now it was time to truly explain himself.
"My wagon has been travelling a steady course west to east for most of the year now, aiming in reaching your camp two moons from now. On our travels we've encountered more then a fair number of towns which were cleared out, all the youkai scattered in death to the point of stench. There hasn't seemed to be a pattern, save that it is happening in many places. I have my suspicions as to who-"
"Hunters." Mukuro hissed out the word, her voice communicating exactly how much hatred was in her mind and stance at the moment. Yomi paused in his speaking and frowned with her, then gave a very small nod.
"I had suspected as much, but didn't want to jump to conclusions. Or perhaps I hoped I was overreacting."
"You're not." Mukuro stood up and Yomi could hear her move to lean against one of the tent posts, as she was ought to do when troubled. "You're not mistaken because I've heard similar reports from other such wagons who have been passing through. Not to mention that the men who come to our camp fires for nightly diversions have whispered of such things. From what I have gathered the hunters are growing in number and are slaughtering youkai for their pleasure, their rarities and even perhaps their flesh."
Yomi frowned. Flesh eating youkai were some of the worst out there, for they never obeyed any one code as a whole. One never knew when the youkai beside them could be one of those who'd developed a taste for the flesh of their own kind.
"I also have heard that you've picked up two more with your wagon. Who are they?"
"Two kids."
Yomi turned his head a bit as Kuronue's voice came from the entrance of the tent. He couldn't help but smile to himself, as he knew that Mukuro was frowning in distaste. She wasn't one to like surprises or being interrupted, but Kuronue had permission to walk in, since there was only so much Yomi could report without the use of his eyes. It was a silent agreement between him and Mukuro that Kuronue could be present, however she preferred to not show the nocturnal youkai that she approved, for her own reasons.
Kuronue surely was smiling as he crossed the tent and dropped down next to Yomi on the floor. Without wasting a moment he leaned back against Yomi's shoulder, reclining there and playing with a strand of his hair. Mukuro remained standing against the tall wooden pole support beam.
"Two cute little kits, who aren't as young as they look. Both of them are halfbreeds, mixes between Koorime and fire-types. The cute girl is called Yukina and she's predominantly Koorime, while her brother is named Hiei and is predominantly a fire-type. He's got quite the pissy little temper to match too."
Mukuro seemed to direct her attention to Kuronue. "And the one named Hiei is sick, if I heard correctly."
"Yep. He's got a cold, of all things. But we had Itsuki check on him and he should be right and ready soon, easily enough. Which really means he'll just be pissy and healthy now."
"And the empty towns you found? They were from one?"
Yomi felt Kuronue stiffen a bit against him, and then the nocturnal youkai sat up, going serious. "Yeah. We found them in a basement, huddled together and scared. I haven't asked them much about it yet, but I'm sure their parents were among the ones killed. Whoever did it didn't take the time to loot the village or anything. They just swept through and killed what they found, then left. The place was burned too, with a lot of collapsed buildings."
Mukuro gave a soft sigh. "Your report matches others, perfectly. So it appears we have at least one band of hunters roaming the Makai with intents of collecting trophies of the dead or eating them."
"Hunters come and hunters go. Nothing changes." Kuronue returned to leaning against Yomi, apparently going back to his carefree self once more. Yomi had the urge to comment, but he knew better.
He knew little of Kuronue's past, but most travelers were the of one or two circumstances. Either they were thrown out of their own home and family, with nowhere else to go, or they were nearly wiped out and the last of their kind, seeking shelter in a place where they could be accepted. Yomi didn't know which circumstance Kuronue came from, but he suspected it was the latter of the two, because he hadn't heard of another nocturnal youkai from the mountain region for quite some time.
"My, aren't we relaxed?" Mukuro's voice took on a slightly teasing tone.
Kuronue responded with a chuckle. "It's my job to relax people, Muku-chan. Perhaps you should take advantage of my services while I'm available."
Mukuro pushed off the pole and walked over to them, leaning down toward Kuronue's face. "I'll pass. I'm sure you have your fill of customers." Then she exited the tent.
Yomi chuckled softly on his own. Some people never changed. Especially Mukuro.
**