Ch. 3

IT WAS HOT!

And I don't mean more than just a little bit warm, it was steaming! There was no air current, not even a warm one to help me. There was absolutely no moisture in the air. What little rain there was yesterday had been lapped up by the ever thirsty tongue of the sun. I could literally watch as Cume got smaller and smaller. Sweat rolled of my bare shoulders and added just a tiny drop of moisture to the cloud. My tongue felt like a log in my mouth. Finally, in desperation ordered Cume "Go to the nearest lake!"

"But Milady, the nearest lake is several miles away!" Cume argued. I knew he must be feeling weak from dehydration, but if we didn't get to some water soon, not only would he disappear, but I would die of thirst.

"Then go like the wind!" I said. Cume didn't argue any further.

Rising a mile into the sky, Cume zipped through the air like he was on ice. The air stirred my hair and cooled my sweat as we flew through the sky. I knew Cume couldn't last at this speed for long. I prayed the lake was close.

"Hang in there Cume!" I called to him. My poor companion couldn't speak. All of his breath was needed to fly. I scanned the ground, looking for the faintest glimmer of sun on a pool of water.

I was nearly blinded as we sailed over a large lake, untouched by the heat.

"There it is Cume!" I shouted to the exhausted. My seat had grown smaller and smaller until I was barely sitting on my friend. I held on gamely as Cume tipped sharply down to earth.

The wind sang in my ears and my face lit up with excitement.

My amusement turned to fear as I realized how close we were getting to the lake.

"Cume, you are going to fast! We shall crash!" I called, my words spinning away back up into the sky. If Cume heard them, he didn't heed them. He continued his breakneck speed until I could see the waves on the surface of the water.

"Dive Milady!"

I stood up and jumped off Cume, turned myself around in the air and hit the water in a swan dive. The cool water hit my skin like a hammer. My breath was knocked out of me as the speed of my dive carried me further under water. I spread my body out and stopped myself from sinking. Clawing the water like a cat and kicking as hard as I could I raced for the top.

I broke the surface of the water with a loud gasp. I brushed the water from my eyes and looked around me.

Powdered diamonds were spread over the lake like icing on a cake and played with my eyes. I didn't know if I was ten feet from the shore or fifty. It was hard to measure the distance of this big lake. Squinting in the distance I thought I saw a line of trees. I raised my arms and struck out for what looked like the shore

My limbs were just starting to feel like lead when my feet touched sand. I heaved a sigh of relief. I had forgotten how big the lake was. My arms dropped to my side as I stumbled up the slight slope. I could see the shade from the trees and I looked at it with longing.

A hand suddenly grabbed my ankle beneath the water. Jerked to a stop, I fell face forward in the water. The hand pulled on my leg, dragged me back to the deeper part of the lake. I struggled, and managed to kick the unknown creature in the face. The head broke the surface of the water and I screamed at the sight.

A flat face, void of a nose or lips sneered at me. Its gray, blind eyes stared at me as its pointed fangs grinned at my terror. Another demon rose out of the water beside it and grasped my arm.

I struggled harder, but more demons raised their heads and gave aide to the first two.

My head was almost completely submerged when I heard a shout. Water filled my world as the clammy arms cut me off from the light and the warmth. My head started to feel dizzy with lack of air. I wanted the darkness to finally cradle me in its warmth.

As if in a dream I felt my captures release me. A warm liquid that wasn't water washed over me. I felt strong grab me and pull me towards the surface, and then darkness took over my world.

The roof was on fire, smoke was slowly taking over my lungs, making it hard to breathe. I heard a scream that sounded like my mother's somewhere outside. Kohana cuddled against me in fright, and I hugged her close to me. My father's yells of rage reached my ears and filled me with terror. Father never yelled.

A voice called my name. Grandma appeared out of the shadows and dragged me and my sister from the corner.

"Come Aki, give your sister courage and help her. We must flee!"

"But Father…. Mother-"

"They will be fine, child! We must hurry!"

Grandma steered me to the door and I clutched Kohana's hand in mine. We made it out of the burning hut just as the roof collapsed in on itself. I felt sorry for the house that I had slept in for so many years of my life.

A scene of complete chaos met my eyes as the smoke cleared away. Demons everywhere were attacking my family. I saw my cousin drop to the ground, his battle axe smeared with blood. The demon that has slain him caught sight of Grandma and me. It advanced on us and Grandma made an effort to block my sister and me from its view.

A yell of rage sounded and Father came out of nowhere to cut down the demon. He turned towards us and looked me straight in the eye.

"Live Aki!" was all he said before he turned and cut a beeline through the swarm of demons with his lightning power to my Aunt's house. The last sight I saw of him was a demon howling his agony as he clutched his burned arm, Father raising his hand for another strike.

Grandma drew my attention from the scene by shaking my shoulders and I turned, dragging Kohana behind me. I followed her as fast as I could to the edge of our village. A demon jumped in our way and I stopped in terror. I thought of the recent training Father had given me on how to use my powers, but my arm was frozen at my side, and I couldn't raise my hand.

Grandma didn't waste any time. She called out a word and the grass beneath the demon's feet stiffened and grew ten feet in two seconds. The demon's screams were short lived. Kohana started crying again. Grandma ordered her to stop. She grabbed my hand and dragged me along behind her.

But the other demons were alerted by the dead one's screams. More of them came our way, racing after us, their swords held high. Mother called my name. I turned, hoping to see her running after us. Instead I tripped over a root and Kohana fell over me and sprained her ankle, her terrified cries turning to wails of pain. Grandma picked her up and ordered her to be silent.

I got up and ran after Grandma, my heart pounding in time to the demons footsteps that were chasing us.

A demon blocked my path and I screamed and swerved to the right. Another sneered in front of me and I ducked under its widespread legs and continued to run

"Grandma!" I shouted, not able to see her or my sister anymore. I looked behind me and saw the demons catching up to me. I had made it to the bottom of the hills. If I could make it to the top, I would b safe. But the demons chasing me wouldn't let me.

One of them caught my ankle and caused me to trip. It laughed as it raised its spear. All of a sudden, flower pedals like lightning bolts rained from the sky, piercing the demons and ending their lives. I looked at the village to see Mother standing there smiling at me. She beckoned me to run, and I desperately began to crawl my way up the hill. I didn't turn in time to see Mother being cut down from behind by a particularly ugly demon.

I watched as the smaller me rose to the top of the hill and turned towards the burning village. I wanted to hold her, to tell her that everything was ok. But I knew I was powerless to even give me a small word of comfort. For days I would be in a daze, crawling when I was awake, living the nightmare again in my dreams. But at the moment the younger me watched as the last of her village burned to the ground.

A soft voice called my name out of the darkness. I turned from the horrible scene to see a young demon with blue eyes walking towards me. He smiled at me and called my name again. I looked back at the village that was burning, burning before my younger self's eyes. I wanted to hold her. To tell myself that everything was ok. The demon grabbed my hand-

I jerked awake from my tortured sleep to see Shippo's face looming over me, watching me worriedly, his hands still on my shoulders. Sweet was pouring from my face, and I was panting as if I had just finished a race. Cume squeezed himself over me and made it rain, soaking me through.

I coughed and spluttered from the unexpected awakening.

"Thank goodness!" Shippo said with a relieved smile. "We thought you were a goner!" The strong arms that pulled me from the water helped me to sit up.

"Shippo!" I said, surprised to see him. "What are you doing here?"

"Saving a drowning Lady," the kitsune answered with a smile. I smiled back at him.

"I thought I told you to call me Aki," I said.

"Of course, Aki." Smile.

"Milaaaaaadddyy!" Cume cried, obviously relieved that I was alive. "Are you hurt?"

"No, Cume, I'm fine," I answered somewhat tiredly.

"You should sleep," Shippo said. "You are tired from your near death experience."

"Have you said that often to people?" I asked trying to be funny. Shippo actually laughed.

"Quite often," he said with a smile. "People have a way of getting themselves into messes."

I giggled weakly. Cume floated under me and I drifted to sleep in his comfortable folds, Shippo's smile chasing away all my bad dreams.