Part 1--

The rain fell hard that day as Yuki was delivering an important package for her father. She was careful with her steps so she wouldn't slip in the mud making the package dirty. The rain soon fell even harder, so hard that it was very difficult to see. Yuki shielded her face as she picked up her haste. The sky became dark, and the moon was covered by dark clouds. Yuki looked around her, she felt weird, as if she were not alone. She then began running down the road as fast as she could still feel the presence right behind her.

Suddenly she tripped over her own feet when she tempted to look behind her. Face first she went tumbling into the thick dirty mud along with the package, which had bin rapped in a white silk. Yuki quickly reached for her sword, but by surprise it was missing it had fallen a few yards from her, but it was too late she was surrounded by a gang of bandits. "Hey, my pretty. What have we got for daddy today." As the man reached for the package Yuki smacked his arm. "You devil Bitch!" Yelled the bandit as he jerked back pulling up his sword. "Ill show you no one makes a fool out of!-"Before the bandit could finish a giant blade a struck trough his torso. The bandit dropped his weapon as he fell down dead, with his blood soaking into the mud.

All the other bandits gasped as they seen a dark figure with glowing red eyes. They all retreated shouting in fear, there voices faded as they blended in with the darkness. "Run girl. It is not safe here." Said the deep voice from the shadows.

"W-who are you?" Asked Yuki, covering her eyes so, she could look up at the shadowed figure, but the figure had vanished before her eyes. So many things were flying through her mind at that moment. What was he, and why were them bandits after her.? She slowly got to her feet, still looking around her, and grabbed her father's package, along with her katana. When she finally arrived home her father got a glance at her. By the site Yuki was giving, her father quickly ran towards her. "Yuki, what has happened my dear, you had me worried." He took another glance at her making sure she was unharmed. "What has happened here?"

"Bandits they." Yuki made a sigh while she looked out at the pouring rain. "They tried to steal your package, but that man."

Yuki's father gave her a weird look. "Who is this man that you speak of? Was he one of the guards of the village, maybe even the temple?" Yuki's father waved his hand. "That question can wait, get you cleaned off and get some dry clothes on. Yuki listened to her father and got cleaned and put on some dry clothes. Her father waited for her at the table with some fresh tea waiting for her. The smell of it made her feel conferrable as she took a seat and drank from her cup. The tea made her feel relieved, but it still didn't take the thoughts from her head.

"I'm sorry about the package father." Yuki sat her cup down and looked at her father. "I've failed to bring it to you in one peace."

Yuki's Father almost spitting out his tea. "Oh, don't worry yourself up to much; it wasn't that important of a package anyway. There wasn't much damage done. Just got a tad dirty. By the way, who is this man that you were speaking of?"

"I-I don't know, I don't even know if he was a man at all. He was hidden in the shadows when I looked up at him. His eyes, they were so red, like a demon. If he's a demon, then why didn't he slay me like any other one would? He was something different. Something I've never experienced before."

"Are you sure this is what you saw?" Said Yuki's father raising his thick gray eyebrows. "This creature had the eyes of a demon and the body of a man?

"I couldn't see his body, just the sword and the hands that wield it. He told me to leave, and that it wasn't safe for me being there. The bandits seeing their leader dead, they ran of, and were just me, and him."

Yuki's father then got on his feet and walked to his room grabbing his robe. "Father, what are you doing?"

Still walking her father said "I'm going to talk to the guards to check things out. You stay here, ill be back soon."

Yuki walked over to her bed and lie down, and slowly fell asleep. When she woke in the morning the sun was bright and shiny and the flowers were nicely bloomed in the trees and plains. Her father was sound asleep, so she decided to take a walk like she usually liked to do. With her katana along side her, she walked down the road leading away from the village. When she came across one of the guard towers she overheard a guard talking.

"I heard there's a bounty on a man, well maybe a man. There's a nice price on him, but the catch is the priest wants him alive. I'm going to look for him; I can't leave such a price alone. Come we'll find him ourselves and split the reward."

The guards began walking down a small flight of stairs. Yuki quickly hid behind a tree. They walked down the road in a whispery gossip. Yuki silently fallowed behind them in brush and behind trees.

"I heard it was seen on this road somewhere, they didn't find it, but a bandit lied dead in the mud. They say his blood was everywhere, that blade of his must have left a pretty big wound. They say they found a golden necklaces, it seemed to have a golden cross on it. It could have belonged to the bandit, or even the thing's, but why would a demon like creature keeps a cross with him? Couldn't have belonged to it. Well soon find out know wont we.

The guards finally came to a small waterfall, which had a cave behind it. "You suppose its hiding in this cave here. Let's check the place out. If not him, maybe we'll get to play with some bandits, heh heh"

Yuki waited a few moments. The guards still haven't returned. So she waited longer, but still no signs of the guards, not even a sound. She eventually walked her way to the cave beside the waterfall. She took a small peek inside. She saw a twisting stairway that was lit by torches a few feet away. She slowly walked down the stairway, which lead to an old wooden door. Slowly opening the door she could here a voice not to far away. "I-I swear I don't know where it is. Please don't kill me, let me go sir." Said a voice from a very scared man. It was one of the guards crouched up in fear. In horror the other was pinned to the wall by a giant sword. A tall man in black plate and a long red cape, very pail skin, with three inch horns upon his head looked down at the helpless guard. The man slowly looked over, right at Yuki. A harsh chill ran up her spine. The man began walking towards her. She quickly ran up the twisted stairways and out of the cave.

She continued to run but she was suddenly caught by the back of her shirt and thrown to the ground. She quickly pulled out her katana giving it a quick swing, quickly stopped when she seen that he didn't even try dodging her blow. "Go-ahead, strike me down. Strike me down with your weapon. Release me of this dreaded curse that's haunted me for years. What, are you scared? Kill me, I'm not armed." Said the deep voiced man.

Yuki slowly put her weapon back in her heath. "How foolish, but yet, you have a brave soul. No one would have ever laid down there sword to me. Why do you do this, girl?"

"You helped me, and I wouldn't kill the person who saved my life. What are you, and why did you save me?"

"I am Shikimasen, A fierce killer with a black heart that can't be controlled. The evil inside me cannot be converted, I am what I am. Ill never change. " Shikimasen walked to a near by rock and leaned on it. "So, there's a bounty on me huh? They will come, and then more blood will be shed. The blood that makes me thirsty for more. There flesh, sliding on my blade.

Suddenly the surviving guard took off out of the cave and ran into the brush. Yuki quickly flinched to go after him, but shikimasen's platted arm stopped her. "Let them go, it's their death. Let them destroy their own lives."

"But the Mayor will send many men! They'll have you killed!" Shouted Yuki giving him a grave look. "They will hunt you, and then destroy you like animals.

"What is your name girl?" Asked Shikimasen turning around to look down at her. Yuki looked up in his eyes. He had the eyes of a dragon. Orange/red collard eyes at day, glowing red when in darkness. It was like something she has never seen before, not even in her father's stories.

"Yuki" Said Yuki as she looked over at the smoothly moving waterfall. Shikimasen still looked down at her.

"Leave here Yuki; you are not safe around me. Do not come here again, or it may cost your life. Those assassins will stop at nothing to stop me, or anybody with it. Now go"

"Assassins?" Said Yuki with a confused look on her face. Shikimasen gave her a quick look.

"It's none of your importants. Now leave." Yuki walked away as Shikimasen walked back into the gave. She still had many questions about him. Why didn't he answer the question about saving her life? Why are assassins after him? When she got to the village gate the guards stopped her.

"The Mayor wishes to speak with you. Head to his palace right away." Said one of the guards opening the gate after the message was told.

Yuki quickly made her way to the palace, where two more guards stood guarding. They gave her a nod then opened the doors. She walked into the palace, where a guard led her to the Mayor's room. The Mayor took a quick glance at her then stood up from his chair. "Ah, just the person I was wishing to speak to."