Koraseru was drifting into darkness…….she couldn't even feel the pain of the dagger shoved into her stomach. She lay on the cold damp ground, her vision blurred, her own blood being the only thing keeping her warm. She lifted her arm up slowly to look at the object she still held in the palm of her hand, that the hunters had forgotten to take. Her arm dropped as she became weak, the object falling to the ground with her hand. She started to close her eyes, when a strange figure appeared looking over her. She tried to see it, but her vision was blackening by the second.
Koraseru watched as the figure examined her. "who..…are….. You?" she managed to say, choking on her blood. She felt the stranger put a hand on her head. It then reached out, pulling the dagger out of her stomach, causing her even more pain. She soon closed her eyes, falling into the darkness of what she thought would be her eternal sleep.
Koraseru awoke, sitting up and looking around. She grabbed her stomach in pain, looking down to see she was all bandaged up. She noticed she was far away from the temple, where she was left to die. She was laying on a pile of leaves near a fire, an animal skin blanket covering her. She soon felt a hand underneath her back, as another one reached out, gently resting on her stomach. "You shouldn't sit up." Came a voice from a man behind her. He gently forced her down with his hands.
Koraseru cooperated, laying back down. The man stepped in front of her, brushing his hands on his clothing. The man, looking about 20 wore no shirt, revealing a muscular body, but had a brown pouch mad out of animal skin hung around his shoulder. He wore brown baggy, ripped pants, stopping at his ankles that were held in place with a rope tied around his waist. He had a gray tail, mixed with a little bit of white and brown, and the same colored pointy ears. He wore a white head band, his hear tied back sloppily in a ponytail. The only thing that really stood out about this wolf demon was his electric blue eyes.
The man sat down next to Koraseru, putting something in her hand. "I believe you went through all that trouble to get that." He said. Koraseru lifted her hand to look at the valuable item. "Ma healing you was a pain in the ass you know that?" the man said jokingly. "Took up most of my energy." He said. "Why didn't you let me die and take this for yourself?" Koraseru asked. "huh?" The man looked ta her confused. "You are a thief are you not?" Koraseru asked. "Howja know?" He asked. Koraseru pointed to the mans pouch. Something on a chain hung out. "That's the necklace that belonged in the temple of Rah…..so….your the one taking all my spots." She mumbled. The man laughed. Caught me." He smiled deviously revealing pointy fangs.
"Whats your name?" Koraseru asked. "Ryu…..and you, must be the infamous Neko Koraseru…." Ryu said. "Why didnt you leave me to die?" Koraseru asked. "ok heres the thing……" Ryu started. "Im sure you have heard of my brother….Kyozame?" He said. "I was wondering if you would…..team up with me." He said. "Well that was very flat out." Koraseru said. "Why?"
"Ill tell you as soon as I feel I could trust you……" He said "You owe me your life….." He said. "…..deal…." She said. "Well in that case, hold on..…" Ryu said standing up, and lifting Koraseru off the ground. She winced from the pain.
"You're an ice demon?" Ryu asked. "Yeah….." Koraseru responded. "why?" She asked. "So am i……I think it would be a lot easier if demons with the same element work together.
They both arrived at a strange rundown looking house. "This is where you live?" Koraseru asked. "For now…" Ryu replied. He brought her inside. To Koraseru's amazement, it looked nothing like she would expect it to. The inside looked fit for a king. There were gold and jewels everywhere, used just for decorations. There was even a spiral staircase.
Ryu helped Koraseru up the stairs, and brought her into a bedroom. He layed her down on the bed, and walked over to the window. "This place is amazing!" Koraseru said. "Yeah I know…..i hate it." He said. "What?" Koraseru asked sitting up, then falling over.
"Take it easy!" He hissed. "I hate this place…..me and my brother live here…..i cant stand him…..and his intentions…..we are different, he wants to do things one way, and I want to do them another. He wont accept that……but at the same time, he wants me to remain with him……im not going to much longer. No matter how much he tries to kill me." Ryu said.
"What makes you think he would kill you for moving out?" Koraseru asked. "Trust me……if your partner in crime decided to go a different way with a different partner……you would kill them…..its the law of being a thief." He replied. "I guess your right." Koraseru answered. "Yeah…..once he finds out im going with you, he'd probably want to kill you too." Ryu said closing the curtains. "He…..would?" Koraseru asked. "Yeah…..so don't go blabbing..…ill handle this. Im going to warn you…..he wont like you at all." Ryu said. "lovely and when do I meet this lovely brother of yours?" She asked.
The door opened, and in came another wolf demon, looking very much like ryu, but a little more groomed, and a little more mature. He had gray eyes, and wore the same clothing ryu did, accept the baggy pants were an off white color.
"Who is she?" the man asked Ryu, looking at Koraseru. "This is…..Amaya. I'm keeping her." Ryu said. Koraseru didn't like the way he referred to her as his property….and what was with her name?
"You cook?" He asked her. "Uh….." she looked at Ryu who was nodding his head yes. "Yeah I cook." She said. "Good. Make us dinner." He left the room, closing the door. "Wow…..hes kinda scary." She said. "Yeah…..thats why we are getting out of here now." He said. "What? Now? why don't you talk to him or something. If you just run away he will find you…and me." She said. "I cant talk to him that's suicide…..besides he knows im going to pull something like this.
He walked over to the window, opening it again. "Get on my back. Ill jump." He said. "I could jump myself." Koraseru said. "Not in you condition. You will break both of your legs." He said. Koraseru rolled her eyes. She climbed onto his back.
"Hey Ryu?" Koraseru asked as he stepped up to the ledge. 'Yeah?" He asked. "How does your brother know your going to pull something like this?" She asked. "Cuz ive don't it before with my dear old friend Mai." Ryu responded. "And what happnede to this dear old friend of yours?" Koraseru asked. "Kyozame caught us, cut both of Mai's feet off, then hung him." Ryu said as he jumped off the window sill. "Lovely." Koraseru said to herself with a horrified look. Ryu landed swiftly on the ground. "I pity that man….for the good half hour I knew him….he was like a best friend……right…this way." He ran off, with Koraseru still on his back, deep into the forest once again.
(3 months later)
"Did you remember to take care of the guards at the door?" Ryu whispered, running swiftly down the passage way. "Yeah they're long gone." Koraseru answered running along side of him.
They came to a golden door, with a lock on it. "ok, there should be a place where you enter a code around here…" Ryu said feeling around. The door suddenly opened.
"What did you hit?" Koraseru asked. "I didn't hit anything…" Ryu said pushing the door all the way opened. They both walked inside the vault, to find two other thieves just about finished packing there bags with the gold, and jewels.
"What the?" Ryu yelled. Koraseru looked at both demons. They stopped packing their bags, and looked up. "You!" One of the demons spoke. He wore a while kimono looking outfit, and had gray wolf like ears, and a tail. "I thought I got rid of you four months ago!" He spoke again. "Guess again! What the hell are you doing here! This was mine!" Ryu yelled.
"We got here first!" The other demon with black wings said. "Who…..is this?" The dog looking demon asked walking over to Koraseru. "You…..must be Koraseru." He said. "Koraseru blushed. The demon reached into the back of his hair, and pulled out a bright red rose. He brought it to his nose, smelling it, and then, gave it to Koraseru. "A beautiful rose, for a beautiful thief." He said. "Alright Kurounue, lets go." The demon called. In a flash, they were gone.
"Those idiot! I cant believe it!" Ryu said walking around, inspecting the place. Koraseru looked at her rose. "Who were they?" Koraseru asked in a daze. "Youko Kurama, and his acquaintance Kurounue. "Youko Kurama?.....wait…the Youko Kurama!?" Koraseru asked. "Yeah. You don't want to get mixed up with him. I hate him with a passion, and he's so annoying." Ryu said. "And if he thinks, he's pulling you into his life, hes got another thing coming." Ryu said. "Oh….." Koraseru said disappointingly.
Koraseru awoke to Ryu once again, telling her to get up. "go down to the stream, and get some water." Ryu said handing her a bucket. "Sure….." Koraseru said miserably. "A please and thank you wouldn't hurt. I know I owe you my life, but im not your slave….." Koraseru said. "Please and thank you." Ryu said sarcastically.
Koraseru walked down to the stream, about three miles from the tree house Ryu had built after they had ran away. Koraseru had found it very odd that they had not been seen by Kyozame, or his army of lower class demons.
Koraseru knelt down at the stream with the bucket, scooping in the water. She stopped, and turned around fast. She felt someone was watching her. She stood up, looking up at the trees. She turned around once more, not expecting The Youko Kurama to be there. she screamed, and fell over right into the stream.
Koraseru could hear the fox demon laughing lightly at her situation. She stood up, her flowy white shirt and skirt clinging to her wet body. "Its not that funny." She said blushing. "Perhaps not….." the Kitsune said. He crossed his arms, examining the neko's new look, his right eyebrow slightly raised with the amusement. "perhaps…..more intriguing…" he said smiling, and revealing his fangs. Koraseru blushed some more.
Kurama walked into the stream, his hand outstretched to Koraseru. She hesitated, then took his hand. He pulled her out with force, as she fell into his chest. "Im sorry….." She said backing up. "Don't be…" He replied. "well…uuh…I have to go back and give Ryu the water…."
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Kurama responded. "W…..why not?" Koraseru asked. "Kyozame's demons are heading up there…..should be there in a few minutes." He said. "What!?" Koraseru asked. "Yeah I saw them heading there…" Kurama responded.
Koraseru dropped the bucket of water, running in the direction of there hide out. She arrived, and everything was like it should have been. "Ryu!" Koraseru yelled. He stepped out onto the balcony. "What the hell is your problem?" Ryu called down to her. "KYOZAME!!!" She yelled. Ryu looked up, and over to his right, where he in fact, saw demons heading his way. "You have got to be shitting me!" Ryu yelled.
By the time Ryu had gotten down from the hide out, Koraseru was already freezing the demons attacking her. Ryu threw ice shards at a demon coming from Koraseru's back, splitting him in two. "There are two many….." Koraseru yelled to Ryu. By then, they were surrounded by about 2 hundred demons, all with a strange marking of three circles on their heads. "What are we going to do Ryu?" Koraseru asked. "Ok…..ill take one hundred, and you take the other one hundred." He replied. "I don't know if I could…...I'm tiered already….…" Koraseru yelled.
In the blink of an eye, all of the demons were slain, leaving Ryu and Koraseru clueless. "You should really pay attention to your surroundings more…." Came a voice from their left. Youko Kurama and Kurounue were both standing there. "Thank you…." Koraseru said. "Don't thank me…..i was going to let the demons take him…." Kurama said nodding to Ryu. Ryu crossed his arms, looking the other way. "It was because you made it back before the demons got here…..that I had to help you." He finished. "Me too." Kurounue said winking at her. "Oh please…..i coulda kicked their asses!" Ryu yelled.
You are both wounded…..why don't we go somewhere where we could….. fix you." Kurama said looking specifically at Koraseru. "I know what you meant you dirty little Kitsune." Kurounue mumbled in his ear. Kurama stepped on his foot.
"well….i…" Koraseru looked at Ryu. Ryu glanced at Kurama, then back at Koraseru. "Your coming with me." Ryu said to Koraseru. "But she's wounded….." Kurama protested. "So I will heal her!" Ryu yelled. He walked away, pulling Koraseru with her. "Thank…you…" Koraseru said to them both.
"Son of a bitch!" Ryu yelled in pain as Koraseru wrapped his ankle. "Oh stop, your such a baby!" She said smiling. "I barely made a peep when you closed the gash in my side." Koraseru chuckled. "So what are we going to do? I mean…..he is tracking us with your sent." Koraseru said. "Very true……and he doesn't know yours much……I have an idea." Ryu said slowly standing up. "Where are you going?" Koraseru asked. "Ill be back…..you stay here." Ryu replied. "Why cant I come?" She protested. "Its not exactly the smartest place to go right now……but it may help us. Ill be back. You stay here…..do not move." He said.
It had been dark for about six hours, and Koraseru had finally drifted off into a restless sleep. With all the tossing and turning, she screamed when she felt someone grab her shoulder. Chill! Its just me are you trying to wake all of Makai!?" Ryu said. "Ryu?.....you seem……different….." Koraseru said. "I am." He answered. He stepped into a section of moon light. Koraseru gasped, and stood up, walking over to him.
"Ryu your…….." She felt his face, and ran her fingers through his hair, expecting for those wolf ears of his to be there, but they weren't. instead, she saw human ear underneath his slightly shorter hair. She looked behind him, and did not find a tail. He smiled. Koraseru did not see fangs either. "Your…..ningen…." she said backing up.
I took an antidote from a crazy inventor who lives right in the middle of Kyozame's property. It turns me into ningen for about a week, then wears off. It does make me a little weaker, but, I am able to get rid of my demonic sent, and obvious demonic spiritual power. He said.
Koraseru ended up falling asleep on Ryu's lap. He felt uncomfortable at first, but didn't mind after that. "man…..human emotions are so weak……" He said to himself, playing with Koraseru's hair. "Kurama…..i won't let you take her." Ryu said making a fist