Royalty Bites

Chapter Three

Abruptly Hiei turned and walked away. Kageri tried to follow him but lost him in the darkness of the night. All was quiet until... An icy cold hand clasped over her mouth. She tried to scream but couldn't. Her body was jerked around and shoved into someone's chest. She looked up into deathly blue eyes. This man had long black hair and a sickly pale face. His claws tapped her cheek. "Karasu?" She managed to choke out. He chuckled. Kageri tried to pull away but couldn't.

Karasu licked his lips and kissed her neck. She tried to kick him in between the legs, but her dress restricted her from doing so. She tried to slap him, but he had a firm grip on her. She tried to jerk away but couldn't. Karasu took one hand and rubbed it luxuriously up and down her back. Then he took the zipper of her dress and began to play with it. "Does my fox want to play?" he asked. "I'm not your fox!" Kageri screamed. She tugged fiercly then pushed back, ramming her elbow into Karasu's stomach. She got free and ran. In no time Karasu was over his shock and after her.

There was no way Kageri could outrun Karasu. Not in a dress. 'Why?' she asked. Karasu was the once person who scared her. He was crazy! Insane! A perverted nightmare! Kageri winced as Karasu slashed his claws into her back and caught her. He threw her to the ground and towered above her. "Now what to do with my fox?" he mocked.

Kageri panicked; there was no telling what Karasu would do. He was probably already forming a sick-minded plot in his head. She looked for a way to run but there was nowhere to go. Karasu would just chase her and beat on her before he started the real torture. Karasu knelt down and brushed the back of his hand on Kageri's cheek. She slashed at his hand and he pulled it back. "Come on, foxy, don't you want to play?" he teased and ran his fingers down her arm. Kageri's eyes widened in fear. She slapped him. She took this small opportunity to run but was slammed to the ground a minute later.

She struggled to free herself but Karasu pinned her motionless. "I'm getting tired of your games." he said with much annoyance in his voice. Kageri looked around. She wished someone was near, perferably Yoko, but anyone would do! She needed help! She flinched at Karasu's touch and told herself not to cry. 'I won't cry... I won't give him the satisfaction. Yoko! Please help!' she screamed in her mind. Karasu sensed that she was pleading for a rescue. He laughed at her and continued his sick game. "Get your hands off me!" she screamed.

It all happened so fast. One moment Karasu was towering over Kageri. Then a black flash appeared. And the next he was laying on his back. An arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her away from him. 'Yoko!' she exclaimed silently and turned toward him, hugging him tightly. She blinked confusingly as the body tensed. She pulled back to stare into the scoked, embarrased, crimson eyes of Hiei. They were both speechless as they stared at each other. Hiei broke the trance and looked to Karasu. He was down on one knee, an arm around Kageri as he pulled her to him, and the other hand was poising his sword, ready for an attack.

Karasu stood and inspected the cut. He frowned and looked at Hiei with dull-witted eyes. "Not very nice." he said. He disappeared and reappeared, with his boot ramming into Hiei. Hiei slid back with Kageri and winced slightly. Hold on. said a voice in her mind. She had no idea who it was or how it got there. She laid stunned, wishing Hiei would get up. Hold on to me! the voice in her head yelled. Kageri lifted her head to see a violet eye staring at her. Hiei's other eyes were closed. 'A Jagan?' Kageri grabbed onto Hiei and held her breath, expecting anything at this point.

All the could tell was that the wind blew really fast and everything became a blur during the instant that Hiei moved with his super speed. When he stopped he was standing up, his eyes glaring at Karasu, and was holding Kageri bride-style? Somehow her arms had wrapped around his neck, but she didn't move them now. "Give me back my fox." Karasu ordered. Hiei smirked. Kageri stared at him. She just realized how... handsome he was. "She's not 'your' fox." Hiei said, "And I don't think she minds my rescue either." No she didn't. She couldn't have wished for anything more.

Karasu began walking calmly to them with a dark spirit orb forming in his hand. "This is none of your business, Koorime, now just hand her over." He said with a threatening voice. 'Koorime? But those are ice apparitions...' Kageri thought matter-of-factly. "I will do no such thing." Kageri blushed. Hiei... was heroic. Who could have thought? Karasu disappeared and reappeared a second later, shoving his energy orb into Hiei's face before punching him and grabbing Kageri. He threw her to the ground and started to go after Hiei, but the fire demon appeared in his face with his sword stabbing into Karasu's gut. Karasu's claws slashed at Hiei's face in order to knock him away. Then he spun around and dropkicked him. "Hiei!" cried Kageri.

Hiei fell to the ground but sat up, ingoring his throbbing pain. 'I... have to protect the princess.' He told himself. One look into her eyes made him know this. He had to.

Karasu laughed and said, "Just give it up. You're weak as it is and you'll never defeat me." Hiei stood and spun his sword around in his hand. "You're strong... so strong I'm releuctant to make the kill..." he said with a sneer that sent shivers up Kageri's spine. 'He's... so cool!' she thought and blushed. Karasu spat. "To make the kill?" he asked jokingly. "Surely you don't expect to defeat me." he said. Hiei grinned. Kageri's heart skipped. Suddenly a dark aura of flames started to emit from Hiei's body. His Jagan opened wide and all of Hiei's hair, that already didn't, stood on end. He held out his arm that held his sword.

Princess, move yourself immediantly. Kageri looked at Hiei, he didn't look at her at all. She nodded and scrambled to her feet, running to him. Karasu tried to grab her but as his fingers touched her dress, they started to burn. Instantly he pulled back and scowled at Hiei. A strong wind with bad karma began to blow rapidly. Kageri froze and looked around herself. MOVE! She gasped and leapt into Hiei's arms. His crimson eyes glanced at her then refocused on Karasu. Kageri looked at Hiei's arm. The white bandages had burned away to reveal a swirling tattoo of a black dragon. 'The Makai Dragon?' she gasped in her mind with recognition. Oddly the flames didn't seem to burn her.

Hiei pulled away from Kageri and stepped in front of her. His sword was now enlightened with the darkness flames. The wind howled in thier ears and swirled about them. Kageri's hair, dress, ears, and tail were thrashed about wildly but she didn't seem to notice. Soon Hiei was engulfed in flames. The embers ate his shirt away. Karasu stood boredly and started to summon his own spirit energy. Hiei saw this and laughed. "Do you really believe you can stop the Makai Dragon?" he shouted. Karasu recoiled.

Hiei lunged forward with his sword and shouted, "Sword of the Darkness Flame!" He slashed into Karasu's shoulder, before he could finish Karasu had disintegrated before thier very eyes. Kageri stared in disbelief, but believing it all. As Hiei regained his footing, the wind stopped and the flames dispersed. He stared at his charred arm before walking back to Kageri.

Kageri's breathing was jagged and all she could do was stare at her rescuer, Hiei of the Darkness Flame. He let his arm fall to his side and looked into the eys of Kageri. "Are you okay, Princess?" he asked. She smiled. 'He's acting like he doesn't care... but his eyes betray him.' She thought. "Yes. Thank you." She told him. Hiei gave her a barely noticable nod and took a step towards the castle. "Let's get you inside." he told her.

His eyes widened and he sucked in air through his clenched teeth, making a soft whistle. He lowered to one knee and held his burnt arm. "Hiei!" She exclaimed and sat on her knees. She put a hand on his back, and the other started to grab his arm but he stopped her. "No, princess, I'm fine." He assured her but Kageri wouldn't listen. "Are not! You're arm could have been scorched straight off your body! You're hurt!" she said and tried once more to help. Hiei lowered to a sitting posistion and so did Kageri. "Hiei... let me help." she ordered.

Hiei chuckled. "You help all low-lives of your clan?" he asked. Kageri stared at him. She would have whacked him upside the head if he weren't already hurt. "Of course not." she told him. "Then why me?" Kageri blinked and wondered how he could say such a thing. "Because you rescued me... I've heard you're in high regards of Yoko, as well as mine now." She smiled and laughed. Hiei's heart could have melted; her laugh was innocent and pure, like nothing he had ever heard before. Gentle... Caring...

Hieit ook his eyes away from his arm when he heard something. He watched at Kageri ripped the fabric of her dress and tied it as a bandage to his arm. "Princess..." he started to complain but she silenced him. "It's okay. It's not like I liked this dress anyway." she said. Hiei smirked. Yoko was right. She was a dangerous vixen. He doubted that he would ever see her this formal again, except at her wedding with some foolish prince. He scowled. No fool prince deserves to be king, not the king of the clan, not her king.

She gave him a friendly pat when she was done. "Thank you." he said and stared at his hand. Was it just him or was the fabric emitting some feeling? A warm emotion? He stood up and held out his good hand. She took it and Hiei pulled her to her feet. "It's time to get you back... it's almost midnight. You still have to choose your king." He said, mumbling the last three words. Kageri gasped and fell to her knees like her legs were numb. Hiei instantly dropped to her side. "What is it?" he asked, thinking something was wrong. Had Karasu entered some poison in her before he got there? Was it just starting to take its effect?

Hahaha! Another cliffhanger! o.o;; I just love torturing people... Well. I would continue on to the ending tonight but instead I will torture you guys and go on to my other fic that needs a chapter update. Until next time! Keep the reviews coming!
Love, Toorikosu.