Fox: And she strikes again! Mwahaha!
Kyff: Stop that, you'll scare all of the reviewers away!
Fox: Hmph. I will not. -pouts-
Kyff: Hiei and Touya and all other original characters of YYH do not belong to Fox.
CHAPTER 4:
Gifts of Blood
"Ice master Touya," a voice called, soft and smooth as silk.
Touya paused. He glanced up, finding the source of the voice in a pale green demon he vaguely remembered as the one he had seen arguing with Rono earlier. Tetsu, Rono had called him. He was faintly surprised that someone had recognized him. He was not as well known in the Makai as Yoko Kurama was because he tended to stay out of the public spotlight, clinging to shadows as if he were a shadow himself.
The elegant demon met his cool gaze levelly, his eyes warm and serene. "You desire the death of the demon in front of you because he hurt your friend, correct? The one bound by the fire?"
Touya remained silent, still with his sword raised above Rono, ready to rain down vengeance at any given moment. Far off in the distance, the sky grumbled with the noise of an approaching storm.
"I will assume your silence to be affirmation of this fact. I would make you an offer, then. Take the forbidden child. If you still desire revenge, I will give you the honor of performing our ritual for us. All you must do is cut out our dear Rono's heart using this," he held up a sharp-bladed dagger dripping with a black liquid that sizzled when it touched the ground, and Rono paled in shock.
Touya started a little. Forbidden child? How does he know Hiei is the forbidden child? He narrowed his eyes in suspicion. This must be a trick. If he knows who Hiei is, he knows how valuable he is. He would not give up such a priceless demon so easily.
"Ah, I see you do not trust me. You are even wiser than I would have guessed," he laughed with delight. "I swear to you, ice master, on my honor, there is no catch to my bargain. I do not wish the fire demon any harm. It was entirely accidental that our band crossed paths with him. Rono was our intended sacrifice from the very start."
"Y-You bastard! How--" Rono sputtered. Tetsu ended the noise with a swift backhand to the demon's face.
"And the poisoning wards?" Touya asked, choosing to ignore the outburst from the doomed demon.
"Being removed as we speak." Tetsu gestured toward the fire with a graceful wave of his arm. Touya's gaze shifted over to Hiei, now unchained and on his back, but still unconscious. An indistinguishable shadow he assumed was a demon silhouetted against the fire knelt by Hiei's side. His glowing hands were outstretched over the still form, and Touya could see each of the wards peeling slowly back from Hiei's skin.
"They have been on for quite a while, so it may be some time before he awakens," Tetsu said sadly.
Touya lowered his sword of ice. "All I want is Hiei," he said softly, his eyes still on the body of his beloved. "Do what you will with your own."
This statement seemed to wake Rono from the shock he had fallen into at the sudden violence from his, by all appearances, peaceful comrade. "You scum," he spat. "How could you betray me after all I've done for you? You'll never be half the leader I am!" Two demons moved to their old leader's side and held him still as Tetsu approached.
"Betray you? How could I betray you? It was you who underestimated me." He knelt before Rono with a deceptively pleasant smile on his face and a hard gleam in his golden eyes. A pale green hand reached out to caress a dusty purple cheek. "My dear, stupid friend," he sighed. His hand slid down and wrapped itself firmly around Rono's throat. He leaned forward to whisper the last words Rono would ever hear as thunder began to rumble above. "I will always be more than twice the leader I made you."
With lightning speed, Tetsu plunged the steaming dagger into Rono's chest, twisting it until a gaping hole appeared. When he finished, only the hilt of the dagger was left. The blade had somehow dissolved inside of the twitching demon's body. Tetsu reached into Rono's chest cavity and pulled out the heart, black as pitch and still beating. He stood and held it high above his head.
"Hear me, Lord Makiko!" He shouted to the sky as it crashed and boomed. "Your last servant will be your last sacrifice. We will bow to you no longer. With his death, so will your power weaken and die. Know that we will come for you. Vengeance will be ours!" He crushed the heart in his hand, blood raining down all over his green robes. Lightning struck nearby, and rain began to pour from the sky in streaming torrents, the droplets crimson in the eerie moonlight.
All was silent for several moments, but then Tetsu spoke, staring at the blood-soaked ground as if seeing it for the first time. "He was a coward, a weak fool. He thought he was better than the demons who slaughter for power or fun, but he was no different. His murders were committed for selfish reasons as well. So should his own life end."
He looked up at Touya suddenly, his golden eyes intense even through the sheets of rain. "I have great respect for you, Shinobi ice master Touya. You are not like the rest of us. I hope you continue to lead that honorable life." He motioned to one of his followers, who gently picked up Hiei's still form and placed the light burden in Touya's arms. "Leave with your life and your love intact, Touya, and know that you will always have an ally among the Second Sight clan."
It was just past dawn. The solstice was over, and so was the storm. Touya reclined in the thick grass on the bank of a river, idly trailing patterns through the water with one hand. Hiei lay nearby, curled close to the dying fire, sleeping peacefully. His breathing was soft and even, no longer the shallow, choking gasps that had been coming from the small body when Tetsu had released them both. Touya's healing abilities were minimal, but he had done all he could to help Hiei recover faster and ease his discomfort. He had also replaced the ward on Hiei's Jagan eye, and cleaned the drying blood from them both.
Touya thought about Tetsu and sighed. The Second Sight clan, he mused. How fortunate that we did not end up enemies. The Second Sight clan was a tribe of demons with mental abilities that far surpassed Hiei's Jagan eye. They could read even the most guarded mind with ease, and most of the tribe communicated only through telepathy. They could rip apart a demon's mind with a single glance. They were also so secretive that few of the demons who saw them lived to tell the tale.
And to learn that they are now sworn enemies to one of the Makai's most powerful demon overlords... He frowned. I must find a way to convince Hiei to stay away from the Makai for a while. A great war is coming, and he will surely be swept up in it if Mukuro has her way. For all that he is her heir, she does not seem to mind risking his death.
A light moan caught Touya's attention. His head whipped around so quickly that he felt his neck crack. Hiei was sitting up, holding his head and grimacing in pain.
Touya smiled in sympathy. At least you are safe, my love.
Fox: One more chapter to go.
Kyff: That's it? You should have made it longer!
Fox: Oh hush. There was no elaborate plot, and you can't drag on a story without an elaborate plot! I'll save that for the next one.
Kyff: Thank you to all of Fox's reviewers because you help keep her in good spirits (along with her current music: "The Coachman" by Michael Longcor. It's such a...an interesting song...)
Thank you, you charming reviewers you!
Dragon Tamer103088
The Forbidden Fox
