A/N: I'm very depressed. So few reviews for the last chapter… Was it that bad? Anyway, I would like to thank those that did review:
Jaded Soul: Thank you for reviewing! And yes, who doesn't love scenes with Hiei and Shuichi.
Birth Stained Scarlet: I dub you my number one fan. Thanks for all your reviews since my first story! It's devoted readers like you that make me want to write more. Yay for reviewers that give me feedback.
angel of darkness flame: Another loyal reviewer! Nice to know you love the story.
Kurama's Fox: I'm trying to write as fast as i can. I was aiming for updating once every week, but that's impossible, so I try to update once every two weeks now. Sorry for the wait.
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Kurama deeply inhaled the cigarette, lightly held between his fingers. Nicotine didn't have any effect on demons, but smoking helped calm him down. It was an annoying habit he picked up when he hung out with humans. Kurama glanced at the young creature on his bed, tired after many rounds of fucking.
His eyes traced the outlines of the youth's body. He had little ears popping out from his head and long red hair that fanned out on the pillow. He was laid on his side with his arms curled in his chest. A thin sheet was wrapped haphazardly around his lithe body, revealing some of his porcelain skin.
Kurama couldn't help thinking about Shuichi. Everything reminded him of the boy lately. The fox moved off the bed and walked onto the balcony. The cool wind blew lightly against his skin as the moonlight bathed his body. He didn't care about walking out in the open naked.
His golden eyes raked in the sight. The moon was shining brightly and the stars were twinkling in the clear night sky. It was a beautiful night. Kurama sighed and tossed the cigarette off the balcony. No matter how beautiful it was outside, how beautiful a demon was, how great sex was, or how thrilling a heist was, he couldn't forget about one thing.
"Shuichi." Kurama said. He crossed his arms and glared angrily at nothing in particular. It had been four weeks since he discovered Shuichi disappeared. He was not only mad that Shuichi ran away, but that he had discovered a weakness in Kurama's plants. The youko looked up at the moon, as if looking for guidance.
He had looked for Shuichi the morning after he ran away. He pursued his trail and was horrified to see a pool of the boy's blood. Kurama asked around to see if Shuichi was seen alive anywhere. The youko was surprised to find out that the boy was seen with another demon. He was told that Shuichi didn't seem to be a captive and seemed to think with a rational mind.
"Stupid, stubborn brat. Why haven't you come back yet?" Kurama whispered. Shuichi had run away before, but he had always come back. Kurama had never done anything to make Shuichi so mad before. Four weeks was a little too long to make a point. He knew that the boy was a teenager and was going to start acting out, but he didn't think he would be gone for so long.
'Has he run away for good?' Kurama thought. He knew he should give the human some space, but after this long, he was starting to worry. 'He can take care of himself,' Kurama tried to convince himself. He knew that was a lie. Kurama knew how dangerous the real world was. He thrived on it, but didn't want Shuichi exposed to it. Now he regretted sheltering the boy too much. He wondered who the other demon was. None of the demons who lurked in the Ningenkai seemed to know who he was.
"Kurama?" a voice asked. The youko turned around to see that his newest playmate had woken up. His eyes were half-lidded.
"What's wrong?" the demon asked. Kurama then realized that his youki had rose while he was thinking of Shuichi. The fox smirked at him and then walked seductively over to the bed. While the demon had woken up, the sheet that was barely covering anything had slipped off.
Kurama reached for his hair and twirled the red locks around his fingers. 'It's not as soft as Shuichi's,' he thought. Kurama gave the other demon a playful grin and pulled his head back by the hair. The demon gasped.
"Naughty demon. You interrupted my thoughts. Now I'll have to punish you." Kurama whispered into his ear. The other demon felt something slither up his limbs and was surprised when the vines tied him down to the bed and spread him. He was even more worried when he saw that Kurama was holding a menacing looking whip. Kurama was going to take out his anger with Shuichi on the not-so-innocent demon.
X X X X
The rain was harshly pouring down on the traveling companions. The fire demon was quickly jumping from tree to tree; trying to escape the wrath of the cold, wet bullets. His eyes darted to his right, where the main road was. The jaganshi was surprised to see that the human was not far behind. However, he could see that the boy was breathing harder, getting tired from running after him all the time.
Hiei had purposely slowed down his pace so that the boy could see him. He knew that Shuichi couldn't keep up with him at his usual speed. The fire demon was surprised that the human never complained every time Hiei pushed him to run faster or jump higher. It was almost like the boy was determined on proving something to himself. Shuichi was physically fit before he met Hiei, but after four weeks in the wild with a temperamental fire demon, Shuichi had toughed up.
The wind picked up and the branches started to sway, slowing Hiei down a little. The fire demon stopped and dropped off onto the main road. Shuichi caught up with him in a few minutes. He was panting.
"There's a city up ahead. We can rest there." Hiei said.
"No, it's okay. I can keep going." Shuichi panted. Although he wouldn't admit it, Hiei was impressed at how strong-willed the youth was.
"Don't overwork yourself. Everyone needs to rest." Hiei stated curtly. Before Shuichi could counter with a remark, Hiei flitted ahead of him, disappearing in a flash. Shuichi frowned, knowing that Hiei was now playing his least favorite game, hide and seek. Hiei would pick a difficult to reach location, and Shuichi would have to find him, or else Hiei would leave Shuichi to survive by himself for a few days.
Shuichi could find his own food, make his own shelter, and protect himself against weak demons. He did all this when he traveled with Kurama, but Kurama was always there to keep him company. Hiei's survival test forced Shuichi to deal with the psychological aspects of surviving alone. The jaganshi knew that Shuichi's biggest fear was being left alone. Shuichi had the sneaking suspicion that Hiei was trying to turn him into a hunter.
And now, Hiei had disappeared into the city. Shuichi has learned by now that Hiei usually picked somewhere far away from humans, in a dry place, and usually dark. It took about half an hour for Shuichi to reach the city. He was surprised to discover that it was populated by humans and non-flesh-eating demons. This was the first time in a while that Shuichi even saw another human being. However, he knew he didn't have time to fraternize. He had to find the fire demon or risk being left alone again. The time Hiei allowed him to find the demon got shorter each time and the time Hiei left Shuichi alone got longer each time Shuichi failed to find him. The second time Hiei left him, Shuichi was about to call it quits and just find another path, but his pride wouldn't let him be beat by a midget demon!
Shuichi guessed that he had about another half hour left before Hiei would disappear and return probably a week later if he didn't find him. He took in the surroundings and concluded that the center of the city was populated with humans and demons alike. Hiei had to be somewhere on the outskirts of the city, but where? Shuichi found an avenue that ran through the outside of the city. He walked along the streets, eliminated brightly lit stores. He knew Hiei wouldn't be on top of any of the buildings, like he might normally be, because it was raining outside. His eyes passed a dark and rundown building. Hiei liked abandoned warehouses…
After wasting ten minutes searching the place, he couldn't find him. He spent 15 minutes walking along the avenue. There were probably only a few minutes left for him to find Hiei. Shuichi cursed and slammed his fist against the wall. The recoil stung. His nose started to run from the rain and cold and the sniffled. He didn't want to be alone for a week. He crouched down beside the wall of the abandoned building and he felt something sting inside his heart. 'Why do I keep playing these games with him? Why don't I just go back to Ku-' Shuichi stopped his thoughts. 'If he hasn't found me by now, he must have never really cared for me…' the boy thought.
A flash of lightning lit up the sky and thunder roared loudly. This jerked Shuichi out of his depressed state. That's when he saw the small, dimly lit inn across the street. He saw the Makai letters written on the sign and recognized that it was an inn for demons. It was away from humans, dark, and dry inside…
Shuichi forgot about his thoughts and quickly ran into the inn. Once he entered, the demons lurking in the lobby lazily looked over at him. Shuichi looked around, but couldn't find Hiei anywhere. His heart sunk.
"Hey, human. This place is for demons only. Unless you have a demon master here, get the fuck out." The innkeeper said. Shuichi felt like there was a hole in his chest. The fire demon had outsmarted him again. There was that familiar stinging behind the eyes. He was so sure…
"You were cutting it close. I've been here for almost an hour." Hiei said, as he descended the rickety staircase.
"Hiei!" Shuichi screamed in happiness. He turned around to see Hiei with his arms crossed, wearing a smirk on his face. Shuichi wanted to run to him and hug him, but he knew Hiei would disappear before his arms ever locked the embrace.
"He's with me." Hiei said to the keeper.
"Maybe you should get another slave. This one's pretty but stupid. What kind of slave makes his master wait one hour for him?" the innkeeper asked.
"Hn." Hiei replied and walked up the staircase.
'Did I hear that right? Slave?' Shuichi asked himself. He thought Hiei would deny that and explain that they were only traveling companions, but Hiei never said anything.
When they got to the room, Shuichi was happy to see two beds. He thought Hiei would make him sleep on the floor. He quickly took off his wet jacket and tossed it in the bathroom. He stripped down to his underwear and gratefully climbed into the bed. Hiei noticed the cuts and bruises on the human. Shuichi no longer complained of cuts or wounds anymore.
"Shouldn't you take a shower and clean yourself?" Hiei said. Shuichi groaned. It felt so nice to be someplace soft, dry, and warm. His muscles were so sore from chasing after Hiei and then searching for him. He sighed and headed into the bathroom. He plugged the drain and filled it up with warm water. He missed taking baths. When it was full, Shuichi happily stepped in and started to lather up his hair with shampoo. It's been so long since he properly cleaned himself.
Outside, Hiei stared out the window. He was looking at the place Shuichi was crouched in just a few minutes earlier. The boy almost gave up. The fire demon wondered why he even bothered to take care of the boy. He was playing games with him and wasting time when he should be looking for Yukina. But, where was she? He didn't know the human world that well and Shuichi only had a limited knowledge. Hiei considered ditching him earlier when he had to slow his pace for him.
Hiei had originally thought the demon that attacked Shuichi would show up again, but so far he hadn't even sensed any powerful demon close to the one that attacked him with the huge axe. It had only been four weeks, so maybe he'll show up again. If nothing happens for another month, he'll leave the human and look for Yukina on his own.
An hour later, Shuichi came out of the bathroom, dressed in silk pajamas. He still carried a few luxury items that he took with him when he ran away. He towel dried his hair, put his wet clothes in the washer, then the dryer, and then finally plopped down onto his bed. He snuggled the pillow and drifted off into slumber.
The fire demon was still awake. Shuichi was used to Hiei not sleeping at normal times. Hiei would sleep when he sensed that everyone else in the inn was asleep and that there were no potential threats after he carefully examined the few humans and demons that passed before the inn.
At around two in the morning, the few clients in the inn had fallen asleep and there was no one outside. Hiei then went to his bed. He glanced over at Shuichi to see that he had fallen into a deep slumber. His hair was fanned out over the pillow and several locks of hair fell by his neck. There were lazy curls of red resting by his shoulders and one strand that was caught between his lips. Shuichi was beautiful, even Hiei admitted that. He quickly looked away and turned over in bed.
'It's been too long since I've had sex.' Hiei concluded.
X X X X
Just as the early rays of the sun shone over the city, Hiei was already awake and dressed. He found a piece of paper and scribbled a note saying that he was looking for information. He would be back by noon. Hiei was thankful that Shuichi knew how to read Makai writing. He wouldn't have bothered taking Shuichi with him if he didn't know anything about the demon world or its lifestyles.
Hiei put on his cloak and left the inn. Earlier, he learned that there was an establishment a few miles to the north that was a center for demon gossip and trade. It only took the fire demon about an hour to find the place. It was hidden at the base of an inactive volcano. Jagged cliffs and dense vegetation made it hard to see.
As Hiei entered the place, he noticed that it looked very much like a marketplace. There were stands for Makai fruits, vegetables, and herbs. There were weapons, ornaments, and amplification devices. Hiei browsed the weaponry to see if there was at least a decent katana. He tried out a few of the swords, but none were good enough for him. Then again, you can't really find a well-crafted weapon in a marketplace. He left the stands, searching for anyone who might know about hiruiseki or ice maidens. To his disappointment, the demons that populated the place were mainly merchants and low-class demons. He must have gotten bad information.
Feeling disheartened, Hiei was about to leave, when a demon caught his eye. It was Roto. Now what would he be doing in a place like this? The blue demon looked very nervous when walking around the marketplace. Hiei stealthily followed him, noticing that Roto constantly looked over his shoulder. He was definitely scared of someone. After following him through what seemed like a maze of strange stores, Roto finally stopped in front of a butcher shop. The sign outside simply said one word: MEAT. He glanced around more anxiously than usual before stepping inside. After a few minutes, Hiei entered the store.
There were human carcasses hung around for display. Some were skinned, so that only the muscles and bones were left. There were stuffed organs and human brains were on a tray, displayed like a delicacy. Hiei's nose crinkled at the pungent smell. He also noticed that Roto was nowhere in sight. There was only the butcher behind the counter. Hiei approached him. The huge red demon eyed him as he felt him approach.
"Hmm. A tiny demon like you needs a lot of meat. I suggest eating three hearts a day and a pound of lean muscle to build up your body," the butcher said.
"I don't need meat. I'm looking for someone," Hiei said.
"Oh? There's no one here but you and me," the butcher said. Hiei scanned the place and didn't sense anyone else. Roto couldn't have escaped, or else his jagan would have caught him.
"Now, I sell hearts at about 30 coins for one. The muscle is about –" Hiei slammed his fist down on the bloodstained counter and his evil eye burned into the other demon's eyes. The butcher took a step back, now realizing who was in front of him.
"F-forbidden ch—" he started, but Hiei grabbed his large neck and pulled his face close to his. The butcher's face turned purple.
"Roto. Where did he go?" Hiei asked. The butcher grabbed a knife nearby and tried to stab Hiei with it. Hiei let him go to avoid the knife.
"Refuse my meat, will you? I'll show you the benefits of human meat!" The butcher then started to flex his muscles and they grew three fold. He roared and ran at Hiei. The fire demon easily avoided him and his fists started to glow with black flames. The butcher started to drool and breathe deeply through his nose. He was regressing into a primitive brute. He charged again at Hiei, but the jaganshi jumped onto his head and punched at it rapidly.
The butcher fell back, grumbling in his clumsiness. Hiei didn't like fighting with his fists and sorely missed his sword. His eyes caught a hot poker nearby. The butcher snarled and tried to punch Hiei this time. Hiei grabbed the poker and jumped into the air. He slammed it down onto the top of his head, piercing his head and throat.
He fell to the floor. The butcher made a gargling sound, trying not to swallow his own blood. In a few seconds he was dead. Hiei abandoned the body and looked into the back of the store. There was a dark curtain covering something. Hiei lifted it up to see a tunnel. It led into the center of the volcano.
Hiei stepped into the tunnel. It was distant, but he could feel some youki in the distance. After a few minutes, he arrived at what seemed to be another marketplace. There were torches and fires everywhere. There were cages of humans being sold off, human souls being sold in bottles, and dens where live torture took place to entertain the demons. Demons roamed the place, munching on cooked human fingers. This was the real demon's marketplace. Hiei looked for Roto among the crowd, but was only bothered by salesmen trying to get him to buy a human slave.
"Come on, come on! It's all the rage! A human slave without a wage."
"Buy your slaves right here! Obedience instilled through fear!"
"Get two slaves for the price of one!"
"Young ones for sale! They won't put up much of a fight. Take one home now and they'll keep you warm at night!"
Hiei brushed through the annoying slogans, killing at least three merchants who touched him. The other merchants moved out of Hiei's way, trying to claim the dead merchants' merchandise as their own. Hiei finally found Roto, after the crowd moved out of his way as they tried to take as much humans as they could for free.
The blue demon was walking away from the marketplace, through a dimly lit passageway. Hiei quickly followed him, making sure he wouldn't lose him this time.
Roto emerged into a dark room. He was sweating profusely. Hiei didn't see what he was so nervous about. There was only another person in the room, and it was a human. Roto got down onto his knees and bowed before the human.
"Sakyo-sama. Y-you call-called for me?" Roto stuttered. Sakyo took a puff from his cigarette and looked calmly at the cowering demon before him.
"You gave me some bad information," Sakyo said.
"Oh? I thought I told you everything I knew," Roto said. Sakyo continued to look at him calmly and took another puff of his cigarette.
"You thought you told me everything? What is it that you've been keeping from me? Is it the fact that Tarukane is producing jewels through captive ice maidens?" Sakyo asked. Roto nervously laughed.
"I-I don't know anything about that!" Roto defended himself. Just then, Hiei stepped into view. Sakyo didn't notice him before and casually glanced at him.
"Hiei, is it?" Sakyo asked. Roto froze at the mention of the name and whimpered.
"I really don't know anything about the koorimes, Hiei. Please, you have to believe me!" Roto cried. Hiei ignored him. He was concerned with the human. How did he know his name?
"Where is this Tarukane?" Hiei asked. Sakyo put out his cigarette.
"I don't know where he is. But I heard that one of his cronies is in a nearby town. Karasu, I believe his name was."
Hiei was surprised that Karasu was so close. At least he was on the right track. Karasu was definitely linked to the ice maidens. He turned to leave and considered killing the human for an instant. He didn't think humans knew his name. Perhaps it's not wise to let him live if he knows he's after the koorimes.
"You better get a move on. Karasu might leave soon." Sakyo said. Hiei decided not to kill him. He might come in useful later if he needed more information. Hiei turned and headed back to the city.
"Do you think you should have told him about Karasu?" a voice asked. Roto cowered even more at the new presence.
"I think he's capable of ruining Tarukane for us. This has gotten more interesting. A brother, trying to free his sister; and a greedy baron getting rich on her tears… I wonder who will win," Sakyo pondered.
"I don't see why I can't just kill him for you."
"Because, Toguro, I want to play with him some more." Now Sakyo turned his attention to Roto. Toguro noticed him as well.
"What should I do with him?" Toguro gestured at Roto.
"Kill him." In a flash, Toguro moved towards the blue demon and snapped his neck. He then turned and walked toward Sakyo.
"You really think it's wise to let him live?"
"Who? Hiei or Tarukane?"
"Both." Toguro said. Sakyo smirked as his hands found their way toward Toguro's jacket.
"Come now, don't ruin my fun," Sakyo said, as his fingers played with the button on Toguro's jacket.
X X X X
Kurama had searched for Shuichi, looking in human populated cities. He was sure he would've found him by now. He knew Shuichi wasn't dead yet. He had been able to follow his scent to this city, before it was drowned out by the scent of other human beings.
Frustrated and tired, Kurama headed to a demon bar just outside of the city. He was disappointed when he entered. There were no attractive demons inside. He ordered strong alcohol instead.
Just as he reached for his drink, a pale white arm reached it first and brought it to his face. Too bad his silver mask was in the way.
"Karasu." Kurama simply said.
"Oh? I'm flattered you remembered me." Karasu said. He brought the drink toward his mask and sniffed it.
"You should have this with a little blood. It really gives it a kick."
Karasu then turned his eyes to the little marks he left on Kurama's neck. They were almost gone, but there were still faint traces left. He brought his fingers to trace the marks when Kurama grabbed his hand and pushed it away.
"What's wrong? Did you not enjoy it?" Karasu asked. Kurama glared at him. It was just a one-time thing. Kurama had no interest in Karasu again. He was more concerned with Shuichi.
Karasu didn't like being brushed off so easily. He removed his mask and brought his lips to Kurama's. The fox casually moved away. That angered Karasu. He entangled his thin fingers in the youko's gorgeous silver hair, only to have Kurama shrug him off again.
Karasu reached for him again, but Kurama caught him before he could touch him again. Kurama glared at him and pushed him away. Karasu detected something troubling those beautiful golden eyes. He had an idea who.
"What's troubling you, youko?" Karasu asked. Kurama didn't respond. If Karasu touched him again, he would kill him.
"You know, I met someone a while ago that reminded me of you. He had gorgeous hair and such a beautiful face. I think you would've enjoyed him too." Karasu said. Kurama got up to leave.
"And he had the most beautiful cries. He whimpered every time I tasted his blood and he desperately called out for help. You really should have been there." Karasu added, now smirking at the youko. Kurama suddenly felt chilly. He left the bar before Karasu started to boast about even more horrific stories. He started to worry about Shuichi more and more. Kurama knew he had to find him soon.
After Kurama left the bar, Karasu was smiling as he put his mask back on, remembering Shuichi's blood on his lips. If only Kurama knew who he was talking about.
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