Authoress here. Finally.

Okay, I apologize for the immense wait!! I do have a good reason, however. I ride on two bloody drill teams, one for competition and one for exhibition at our state fair. Both performances are on the same weekend, and we practice twice a week, every week, for a total time of six-plus hours at the barn a week. And now, add that time onto cleaning tack, cleaning horse, clipping horse, cleaning horse AGAIN, cleaning tack again, and the allotted "freaking-out-about-major-performance" time, I'm pretty booked up.

And another good reason happens to be Writer's Block. I inherited it from JewelValentine, LadyKatsu, and Taehieko9683....THANKS GUYS. And...I might be stalling....I don't want the Yujo Chronicles to end!! But to the beginning of every instance that gives pleasure there must be an ending, and in essence the ending makes the duration all the sweeter. And if I get really pathetic I might just have to write an epilogue.

Anyways, onto the second chapter!

Yujo Chronicles: Ankara's Story
Chapter 2

From the moment Hiei started speaking, his mind brought back the memories, playing them back over his eyes in a relentless stream. His voice was flat, conveying nothing of what he felt inside.

Kurama listened carefully, reading much more than just what Hiei was saying. He noted every haunted shadow that crossed his friend's face, saw every rapid blink that kept unwept tears away. but soon, he noticed images floating at the edge of his vision. Alarmed, he sent a quick glance at the dark haired demon and saw in surprise that Hiei's Jagon Eye was glowing. Tentatively, the fox-demon rested a hand on Hiei's shoulder. The images strengthened and solidified, until both demons saw the tale as if they were living it.

Many Years Ago

In a band of roving demon bandits, rank is everything. Like a pack of wolves, the stronger you are, the more respect you receive. But unlike wolves, animals that care for one another and keep the ranking only in order to better survive, bandits are kill or be killed. Be used until you can't go on. Only the stronger make it through the tribulations of living.

Such was the world Hiei fell into. Abandoned by his mother, Hiei cut a living from the sorrow of others, stealing what he needed to survive, and surviving off of the barest minimum.

The loneliness was the only threat to the young demon. The bitter nights of huddling in some forgotten corner will corrode even the strongest soul, and Hiei was no exception. In an attempt to salve the wounds his abandonment had inflicted, Hiei began to run with a roving band of robbers and other scum of the worlds.

It was a freezing night and the snow was thick. The band of fifteen demons huddled around a meager fire they had started in the middle of the vast icy stretch of nothingness. The largest one, obviously the leader, pulled closer to the flickering flames. Another demon, squint-eyed and pale by nature, spoke up nervously, his long ears flapping as he spoke.

"Boss?" The creature gulped anxiously, hoping the larger demon was in a peaceable mood. "When we a'gettin' to the-"

"Shut up, scumbag." The leader's voice cracked like a whip, and his clawed hands made little holes in the ragged blanket he had wrapped around his overly broad shoulders. "We'll move in an hour, once my feet have stopped tinglin' and I can feel 'em again. Then, once first light hits, we'll be at the base of Ice World, just in time for the sacrificial festival at Kaere Sorunial."

The pale demon sighed with relief and scooted closer to the flames, glad the boss wasn't in an annoyed mood. A scrawny female demon, second only to the brawny leader, spat at him.

"Stop pushin' me, Skalpha!" Her hair was extremely thin, and her brownish scalp was easily seen all over her head. Her eyes were grotesquely large, and her nose consisted of one slit on the left side of her face. There had been another, but it had been blocked by scar tissue inflicted by a weapon of some sort.

Skalpha moved back grudgingly, allowing the important female to scoot closer to the coveted warmth. "It wouldn't kill ya to allow a body a likkle comfort, Dagru," Skalpha muttered to her.

Dagru's hand moved like chain lighting to her dagger. It had been placed securely at her hip, through the strip of animal hide that served as a belt. "One more word oughta you, runt, and I'll send you runnin' to the protection of your insane liddle friend back there," she hissed, gesturing with the notched blade at a figure sitting away from the band, back to them.

Skalpha's throat bobbed nervously as he eyed the blade. He could feel the eyes of the fourteen others sitting around the fire, and the need to be beheld as important took over his better judgment. Puffing up his narrow chest, Skalpha spat onto the rusted blade.

It was a mistake. Dagru's blade flashed in the firelight, and with a yelp Sklapha leapt away from the circle around the fire, his left ear bleeding. He retreated sullenly to sit in the snow, beside the silent figure of a much younger Hiei.

"You just can't help it, can you?" Hiei didn't even look at his friend, eyes scanning the horizon. He usually sat the watch, seeming to not need sleep or warmth. Because of his fire and ice apparition heritage, the later was true.

Skalpha nursed his ear, tearing a bit of his jerkin off to bind the nick Dagru's blade had left. Once the impromptu bandage was in place, Skulpha started hunting the immediate area for a twig to clean his teeth with. "Sorry, Hiei, but I dunno what happens t'me! I just-"

"Get the itch to prove myself and become someone Momsies could be proud of." Hiei recited. The little pale demon used the phrase often enough for Hiei to have memorized it three times over.

Skulpha nodded amiably, and gave a little squeal of delight as his searching fingers found a stick. Breaking off a small length, the simple-minded creature started plucking bits of mutton from between his teeth.

Hiei let out a small sigh. Skulpha had immediately adhered to his side when Hiei had joined the band, the pale demon the lowest of the low. Needing a friend, Hiei had actually grown accustomed to the simpleton.

"So, you've never seen the festival at Kaere Sorunial, have ya?" Skulpha's ears waggled as he posed his question, pausing in his cleaning ritual.

"No." Hiei kept his answers short. He shifted position even so slightly, and glanced sidelong at the little creature. "Though, I hear it's quite the event."

The little demon nodded sagely, flicking another bit of mutton sinew from his teeth. "It only rolls around during the year of the people's god, JuRisunoe."

Hiei's curiosity kept him talking. "The god of Dance? Weaklings."

Skulpha chuckled, reminding Hiei of some small rodent pleased with a nibble of stolen cheese. "That what everyone thinks, 'till they meets one. Sorunials is downright nasty. They wean children from their mommies by tyin' thems up, and after the kicken' and the wailin' stops, theys gives 'em meat to eat."

Hiei quickly steered the topic away from weaning and mothers. "And the sacrificial festival...?"

Skulpha closed his eyes, as if savoring some remembered taste on his pale pink tongue. "'Tis a delight fer the senses, 'ole matey. I'll be rememberin' it forever, though I was only there once afore. They serves the bestest foods and the sweetest drinks, pale ale and nutbeer and wine aged twelve seasons! And den the women of the Sorunials start the dancin' and theys so beeeutiful!"

"Sounds like any other festival I've ever heard of." Hiei commented. "Where does the sacrificial part come in?"

Skulpha tossed the twig away into the darkness. "'Tis when the finest of all the dancers does the Red Heel ceremony. 'Tis a tribute to their god, ifn' you'll have it. It's beeutiful t'watch, but then again, 'tis waste of good womenflesh."

"Do they kill the woman?"

"O' course! Horrifically at that! Either arrers or starvation, take yer pick." Skulpha clapped his hands in his simple delight. Hiei frowned, and sighed.

Of course Hiei had grown accustomed to pain and suffering, toiling hard over the start of his life in an effort to stay alive. But in doing that, he had learned the importance in having a group. Going without one had been the worst experience he could have imagined. What he couldn't understand was why a group would single out and torture one of their own.

"The Red Heel ceremony," Hiei said slowly. "Tell me about that."

Skulpha liked having information Hiei didn't. The slow demon tapped the side of his thin nose and winked. "Oh, Hiei, you'll like that. I'll let ya find that 'un out by y'self."

The leader of the bandit's prediction had been correct. When the sun's harsh rays hit the horizon, the group saw the steep cliffs of Ice World rising up with a cold magnificence that made all that witnessed them shudder. Steep icy slopes rose up in front of them, but the object of the band's attention was the small dale nestled underneath the awe-inspiring sight.

It was a small village lodged between two jutting cliffs. Greenery was sparse, and most of it had browned already with the oncoming winter. But the buildings were all colored a whiteish blue, blending perfectly with the backdrop. In fact, unless one had an idea where to look, the village of Kaere Sorunial couldn't be found.

It had been there since the dawning of time. The people there were always tall, and willowy in build. Gifted with an unearthly grace, everything they did was a celebration of movement and life in every aspect. Sorunials walked in time to a silent tempo, laughed and talked as if to an undertone of music. Even their fighting style, ferocious as it was, could be mistaken for a dance.

Hiei didn't see it at first, but the closer they marched the more detail he took in. His sharp vision provided him with an idea of the people and place he was about to see.

The leader of the band, named Fulken, visited the village every twenty seasons, or every five years. His arrival was almost the sign that the Sacrificial Festival was coming. The band members, at most, hand seen the festival thrice, having ran with Fulken for fifteen tears. The demon leader was getting older; he had come to Kaere Sorunial eight times in his life.

The village had a medium-sized wall running around its base, a few yards above a tall man's head. This was also a safety precaution; the land around the base of Ice World was a haven for thieves and robbers, all presenting a different kind of danger.

But seeing as Fulken was well known to most of the people in the village, he and his band were always welcome. Indeed, the elder of the village stood on the wall walk, head just visible over the white-blue mottled wall.

Fulken had the band, as always, traveling at a well-paced lope. As the elder raised a hand in greeting, Fulken made a guttural noise in the back of his throat. This was a well known signal among the bandits, and they slowed to a brusque jog until they reached the base of the wall.

Years had taken their toll on the wall. It was wind lashed and weather-beaten. Along its length, a few scours and scorch marks told the tale of passing robbers and marauders. The most curious feature of the wall, however, was the dull red footprints marking the base of the wall. They had been lightly coated with a whiter paint for camouflage, but were plainly visible close-up. Forming three rows, they were closely laid together and impeccably printed, not a one smudged.

Skulpha nudged Hiei, who was standing next to him. "Those be from the Red Heel ceremony. It's after-" He was silenced by Dagru, who glared menacingly at the flop-eared demon. Fulken had started to speak to the elder.

"Elder Rejurou, many years may y'lead on!" Fulken's raspy voice was courteous and charming, as the leader bandit could be when he wanted to.

The elder bowed, head disappearing briefly behind the wall before coming back into view. "Leader Fulken, many years may you lead on. I welcome you to my village. Please, climb the ropes and join us for the festivities tomorrow evening!"

At a casual wave of the elder Rejurou, three long, firmly twisted ropes were let down. Fulken jerked his head to Dagru and another strong demon called Nuhakuju, and the three scaled the ropes first. Then, the rest of the band made their way up behind them.

Hiei wasn't overly impressed with the village scene that greeted his eyes as he came to rest lightly on the wall walk. The buildings were plain, so that the camouflage would be effective. The people were dressed in dark blues, grays and the occasional deep purple.

But the reason for why a god of dance would be worshiped was immediately noticeable. They floated as they walked, and the low murmur of voices carried a musical lilt.

Fulken was a guest of honor, but his band didn't have the same privileges as their leader. Dagru fumed silently as she and her mate Fulken were separated into two different sleeping quarters, but there was no room for negation. While Fulken was invited to the guest room of the elder's own home, the band was shown to a small, low-to-the-ground structure that ancient in age and rather sloppily made. It was thatched patchily, and a pane of glass was cracked badly on the window next to the poorly fitted door.

Despite its rundown state, the building was many times better than much of what the bandits had seen. A roof over their heads was a rare occasion, and for once Hiei was relieved to not have to sit half the night struggling to keep his eyes open on watch duty. The building was dark, but a large fireplace provided sufficent light and warmth to make it comfortable.

Skulpha immeadiatly went hunting in the small indoor woodpile for a twig to clean his teeth with, leaving Hiei to sit away from the others around the fireplace. The young demon was studying the inclosure raptly, noting every detail with his roving eyes. A small rack of odd weapons on one side, a window by the corner, and a bare wall met the scrutiny of his gaze. A small door caught his attention in one corner.

It was about half the size of a normal door, and the type of lock on it indicated it couldn't be opened from the inside. But what really caught Hiei's attention was the dull red footprint on the lower right hand corner, the paint cracked and peeling with age, but otherwise identical to those on the wall.

Acting quite uninterested, Hiei slowly moved towards the door. Once he was leaning next to it, he carefully put his ear to the rough wood above the door. Ever so softly, he thought he heard the snatches of a mournful tune. Before his ear could really catch much more than a muted hum, a commotion near the fireplace made him forget the door and the singing.

Apparently Skulpha had accidentally trod on Nuhakuju's footpad after finding just the right twig. The bigger, meaner demon had swiped a claw at Skulpha, scratching him across the shoulder and neck. The pale demon must of felt the itch to prove himself, because Skulpha had tried to give Nuhakuju a return punch.

Nuhakuju had caught Skulpha's punch in his razor-sharp claws, making blood run down Skulpha's arm from the gashes they made. The bigger demon then latched his claws around Skulpha's neck, and crushed the pale demon's windpipe in one clench.

Hiei watched, horrified, as Nuhakuju released the dead Skulpha onto the floor and returned to the semi-circle around the fireplace. Dagru patted the big demon's shoulder in a sign of approval. "That runt had it coming a long time. Finally, he'll stop his jabbering and stoopid questions."

Hiei's heart seemed to have frozen, and his eyes were glued to the twig, rolling limply from between Skulpha's still-twitching fingers. A glazed look was already coating the flop-eared demon's eyes. Hiei felt tears welling in his own, and a scream of despair and grief ripped unheeded from his throat. "NO!"

With the speed of a madman, Hiei was to the weapon's rack and then darting towards Nuhakuju while unsheathing the random weapon he had snatched, a katana. The bigger demon had barely time to fight back before Hiei was upon him, dispatching him with a fury-driven thrust.

The remaining members of the band stared at him, caught between respect and disbelief. This young, quiet demon, among the lowest in the ranks of the demon bandits, had just speared the third most important in their band!

Fulken's eyes narrowed, and the elder of the village surveyed the small smudge of blood that stained the stone flagstones that made up the floor of the old building. After Hiei had killed Nuhakuju, Dagru had ordered the others to take his weapon and hold him while she fetched Fulken and Rejurou the elder.

"Well, Hiei, I didn't think Skulpha would die an' ever be avenged. And I also didn't think y'had it in ya." Fulken looked at Hiei, a small shine of pride and respect flaring in his mud-brown eyes. "But still, killin' any member of me band requires a punishment."

It was obvious that both Fulken and Rejurou were drunk, and in merry spirits. The threat of a punishment wasn't at all frightening to Hiei, but his eyes darted to the dull red footprint marking the corner of the little door in the back of the room. Rejurou must of seen, because he began to cackle, his mirth shaking his frail body, and sending the reek of alcohol into the air.

"Fulken, matey, I have an idea. Your young master slayer here can spend a night with the sacrifice!"

Hiei felt his entire body tense. The singing behind the door must of been the sacrifice! The two demons on either side of him noticed his reaction and mistook his sudden understanding as fear.

"Aw, lookit liddle Hiei, scared of a night wi' a woman!" The demon to his left sneered.

"Wot else didja excpet?" The right hand demon chuckled. The elder and the leader of the band found this uproariously funny, and started slapping one another on the back, and wiping tears from his eyes.

"He can kill a man, but 'e can't spend a night wi' a woman!" Fulken howled. Hiei tried to keep his face dispassionate, but the distaste and anger he felt at their insinuation broiled in his heart. Overall, spending time in a little room for just a night was a ridiculously silly punishment, but Hiei felt dirty just thinking about what the other demons excepted him to do.

"And once your little warrior survives his night, I'll gift him with the katana he killed with. He'll have earned it, then!" Rejurou announced grandly. Hiei frowned ever so slightly, and Fulken noticed.

"Thank the elder for his kindness!" Fulken barked. "C'mon, runt! Er..Hiei!"

With the two daggers his captors held tickling his sides, Hiei bowed his head jerkily. "T-Thank you."

"Okay, put the demon killer in!" Rejurou roared merrily. The other demons cheered, and they dragged Hiei towards the door. The elder undid the lock, and heaved the small door open. It was surprisingly thick, perhaps a foot in width, as was the rest of the walls. Hiei got one good squirm in before he was shoved bodily into the doorway. He had to jump backwards in order to not be slammed by the door as it slammed shut.

Breathing hard, Hiei heard the distant noises of the demons on the other side, until all disappeared. Hiei guessed all of them were out to get as equally drunk as the leaders were.

Resigned to his fate, Hiei noted that there was a torch light in the room, which he was surprised to find as large as the room he had come from. And in the back corner of the enclosure, was a girl.

End Chapter

Authoress here.

Goodness, when a girl loses Writer's Block, she really loses it! Now review and I shall start the next chapter!