Author's Note: I know I already did this in my profile, but...IT'S DONE! I love this fic, even if you hate it. I've wanted to write it since I first saw Midoriko, and now I have. It begins with her thoughts, and it will end with them.
When you lose your vision, all your other senses become heightened. I once spent an entire day with my eyes shut; standing in the middle of a village I'd never been to before, just so I could pick up all its scents and sounds. Really get to know the place, and all of its characteristics. Places even have a taste after a while. By sunset my feet knew their way around better than my eyes ever could, proving that we rely too much on our sense of sight. And it didn't take long for people to grow accustomed to my presence. I was simply in the background, and they no longer noticed me. Human nature grows predictable after you've been alive for long enough, and I like to think that I am very wise. Demon nature is even predictable after you've had enough experience dealing with them. Creatures that can take human form also take on human characteristics, and those that can't are more like animals. Everything becomes conventional with time.
"Midoriko."
"Hmm?"
"It has arrived." In a flash of metal and shadow black hair, the armor clad priestess had knelt down onto her left knee. The ground before her bulged as a tunnel shoved its way down the long, winding path. Midoriko didn't move, but behind her the villagers ran in fear. A large centipede burst out of the tunnel inches away from where her sword lay in the dirt. It let out a breathy hiss, sending any villagers who had been brave enough to stay running for their lives. In one swift movement Midoriko stood and sliced the centipede into two, sticky pieces. Time slowed as the two halves tumbled awkwardly forward, and Midoriko reached out towards the gap. A bright light flashed, a scream sounded, and she was sheathing her sword.
"Sayo, we're done." Wordlessly, a pretty petite woman in priestess dress detached herself from the rubble around her feet and scampered up to Midoriko's side.
"You should have accepted payment from the villagers," hissed Sayo.
"I don't need money, so why should I ask for it?" The pair traveled carefully around the disrupted ground and followed the twisting path through a small wood. Another village rested on the other side, but this one had no ripped paths.
"Midoriko, Sayo!" The breathless voice belonged to a good-looking young man with dark hair and bright eyes. "How did it go?"
"They all go the same way, Ronin," replied Midoriko.
"She spaced out before the battle; I think she's getting lazy," whispered Sayo.
"Hush! I am not lazy!" Ronin laughed.
"The villagers have prepared quite a feast for the return of the great priestess. Come before they're too hungry to honor you." Screams filled the air, followed by many running footsteps.
"They seem very hungry," remarked Midoriko. The villagers ran past, all proclaiming the same thing; "A demon! A DEMON!" Sayo sighed.
"Another one? You are a demon magnet, Lady." Now Midoriko laughed, and stepped forward with her sword drawn once again. Ronin moved sideways towards Sayo.
"I've never seen her purify a demon before," he whispered.
"Your first time! How fun," she teased. "You're a purifying virgin." Ronin blushed, but Sayo didn't notice. She wasn't a very modest girl.
"Priestess! I don't care what anyone says, you do not have the power to stop me. And you will become my dinner!" The speaker was a tiger demon, the stripes of his fur repeated on his cheeks. An amused smile appeared on Midoriko's face as he rushed at her, swinging his sword recklessly. She brought her weapon up smoothly and stopped his swing.
"Greed will corrupt your heart," she said simply. The tiger was pushing his sword towards Midoriko with all his strength, and she had not moved an inch. Sweat beaded down his forehead as a bright, pure light flashed where the swords met and crawled up the blades. He let out all his breath in one final scream as his body convulsed and turned to ashes that blew away in the wind.
"Incredible," gasped Ronin. Midoriko picked up the fallen tiger's sword and shook her head.
"Such an inferior weapon, where did he get this blade?" She handed it back to Sayo. Ronin stuck his nose close to the sword.
"Looks okay to me." Sayo knocked him on the nose. "Ouch! What was that for?" Midoriko cackled.
"All you can see from that close is metal. Back up." Ronin stepped embarrassedly back.
"It's flimsy!" he exclaimed.
"Good job, Ronin. Now go fetch the villagers, I'm starving!" whined Sayo. Midoriko grinned and sheathed her weapon again.
"You didn't do anything, little priestess."
"I came along," she protested.
"I'll be back," sighed Ronin and walked off to recover whoever had fled.