Chapter 3: Confrontations
Adina watched the dark demon; worry spreading throughout her very being.
'If he really knows what I'm thinking, then that means I don't have my normal advantage in this fight.'
"End the thoughts so we can began."
At the last sentence he jumped into the air, quickly passing her, running around her, while she tried to keep up with his movements.
"May I ask why you delay your attack?"
"I delay nothing, but I'm afraid you sealed yourself in my dark barrier." Reico answered back, as a wall of black surrounded the area.
"You're trapping me in here so I can't jump into the trees."
"Precisely, so shall we end this fight?"
"This fight has barely begun."
Reico was first to take the offense. He tried to hit her with his dark attacks, and each time she managed to avoid them, he got closer to hitting her. Realizing this, Adina swiftly moved to the other side of their closed in battle field.
"That won't work." Out of nowhere, Reico's energy slammed into her side full force, hurtling her to the ground.
"And Youko thought it was necessary that I not hold back with you. Please, if I had given you my all, you would've been dead by now."
Laughing to himself, Reico moved in to take her back to the camp area.
"You really think highly of yourself, don't you?" Slowly rising, Adina glared his way, anger forming from his arrogance.
"You don't think you could defeat me with one attack, do you." Her eyes started glowing, as her whole body started to glow light violet-blue from her demonic aura.
"Now this is a real fight." Reico's hand started to glow black, both ready to finish one another.
Adina was the first to move, disappearing for a second, before immediately reappearing behind him, maneuvering her hand as if to push him away. When the palm of her hand touched his shoulder, white-hot pain shot through him like knifes. She finally let go, landing easily, looking to see what damage she had done.
Reico, though just hit, acted as if nothing had happened.
"That attack wasn't meant to kill. Why, I wonder?" his voice taunting her.
Adina stayed silent, matching his stare, trying to keep her mind clear of thought. If the idea of her weakness came to mind and he read he thoughts, she would be giving him an even bigger advantage.
"Let us continue, shall we?"
"Don't be so hasty to lose."
With that he charged again, this time the attack was expected. His hand still glowing black, he reached out as if to mimic the same attack she had just used.
However, Adina had a very nasty surprise for her. His power instead of hurting her, materialized around her, constricting her without the least bit of gentleness. Immobilized, she looked at Reico in anger.
"What exactly is this thing?"
"It's exactly what you thought it was, a materialized form of my power. And it even comes with a few quirks."
As if his voice was an activator, the constricting bondage began to drain her of her energy.
'I will not be brought down without a fight.' With the thought, she sent her own energy blast through the weird substance, so it would hit Reico. To her shock and horror, her own power was sent right back through his.
Hitting her with more force than she thought she originally delivered, the beam dissipated, though not leaving without making sure she would be in pain after.
"Don't do more damage to yourself than is needed. Allow me to bring you to camp."
Though she would never actually give up to him, she had to admit that fighting past this would be pointless. She no longer had the energy needed to fight back, though the energy removed from her was minor, being hit with her own attack was not something she had ever wished to do.
Now, being wrapped up in Reico's power, she realized why most of the demons she defeated became unconscious. She was trying to not fall unconscious herself right now. Feeling drowsy and her body numb with pain, she fell into a dreamless sleep.
Reico looked back at the unconscious kitsune before continuing on. She was still wrapped in his power, floating over the ground. Every once in a while, he would check to make sure she wasn't awakening yet.
Looking ahead, he saw the opening to the encampment. He made his way in, still pulling Adina with the bondage, the other demons looking upon her with great interest. Reico glared at them, and they scurried away. 'Isn't the geisha house enough?' He brought her across to the other side of camp, where Youko was most likely to be.
Adina had just awakened from her pain-enforced sleep to the place she assumed was the demons' encampment.
She saw that Reico was headed to the more deserted section of the area. 'He must be taking me to Youko.' Reading her thoughts, Reico snickered.
"So, you're awake."
"It would seem so." Giving him a weak glare, she turned her head away to look at her surroundings.
"You can go sight seeing later, after all, it's not as if you will be leaving anytime soon."
As he walked on, she realized she was still wrapped in the bondage, floating lightly over the ground. Bowing her head taking all the sounds and smells of the camp in, she tried to determine where the nearest exit was. To her dismay, the only one was the one they themselves had used.
"Don't get any ideas about escaping, now. We're almost there."
They got close to a hut in the back, appearing similar to all the others except it had attached to it what looked like a greenhouse and was slightly larger. The smell of plants of all species came to her, most of which she realized were very dangerous.
A flashback of the old priestess's words flooded back to her like a bad dream. This was the domain of the leader of the demonic thieves: Youko.
As they neared the hut, Adina found herself tense up, knowing what was coming. The frightening prospect of meeting this demon wasn't his power, but of what he would decide to do with her. The hairs on the back of her neck rose as a shiver passed over her flesh.
She was bringing her own fear upon herself; something Laquia taught her was an easily spotted weakness. She fought to gain control her emotions, but all it accomplished was a wave of panic.
As they entered, Adian spotted the demon responsible for the bloody corpses she had found earlier.
She looked at the demon before her. His golden eyes were watching her, freezing time as they went. For that moment, their eyes met, the air felt a lot cooler.
Shivering, Adina realized her fear had dissipated, leaving her feeling calmer. She realized he was now talking to found herself to be listening.
"I said, what were you doing near this fortress?"
"I am looking for someone."
"Here?"
"I'm suspecting that you have her captive."
"And does this person have a name?" Realizing she would get nowhere without telling them she answered truthfully.
"Laquia."
Youko's eyes widened slightly with amusement.
"I'm afraid you're about one day late. She escaped sometime yesterday."
Her heart skipped a beat. 'She escaped? Then I came here for nothing. I'm now trapped here because I wasn't quick enough getting here. What am I going to do?'
Feeling despair, Adina let her head fall slightly, letting her bangs cover her eyes.
"So, what exactly are you going to do to me?" Youko heard the defeat in her voice and answered.
"Whatever I see fit."
Reico, who had listened the whole time, quickly spoke up.
"My lord, may I make a suggestion?"
"I'm listening."
"I was thinking she could stay with the geishas."
Adina's head swung up at the word.
'Geisha? Me?Are they crazy, or sickly cruel?'
"Since you caught her, Reico, you will get your wish."
Gaining control of her, Reico turned and exited with a brief, "Thank you, my lord," and left.
Adina was in a state of shock as she reviewed all that had just happened. She had been captured by villagers, been attacked by three demons, captured by the fourth, brought to her destination with a great lack of spirit energy, met the "great" Youko, finding out all her efforts were for nothing, and now was sent to live as a geisha for life. Yeah things were just peachy.
"You, kitsune, you never told me what your name was."
"Adina." Answering lifelessly she let her head hang as she tried to wake herself up from this living nightmare.
Reico looked back at her thinking to himself. They were almost to the geisha house, and, seeing the female, the demons in the area were awakening from their most likely drunken stupor. Finally there he entered, Adina in tow, still wrapped in his energy. Unwrapping it, he put her on her feet, looking back at one of the head geishas.
"Master Reico, what brings you here today?"
Shouen looked at the depressed looking female.
"Recruiting you a new geisha."
Nodding, Shouen turned to Adina.
"We'll get you situated, dear."
"I'll leave her with you then." Leaving quietly, Reico left to attend business.
"So. What did you do?" Startled slightly at the cheerfulness of the geisha, Adina almost jumped.
"I came here looking for someone."
"Then I am sorry that they are forcing you to do this."
"It doesn't matter. What is this place?" Looking around, Adina realized the place looked more like a restaurant than a geisha house.
"This half of the place is the dinning hall, and that curtained area over there is the "fun house."
"Oh."
Adina was shaken of her shock from everything, realizing a certain problem.
"I can't be a geisha."
"I know you have your honor, but I'm afraid there is no choice in the matter."
"No, I mean I really can't be a geisha."
"How so." Adina gave her a weak smile.
"Oh." Shouen understood. She couldn't be a geisha because of her mating laws. It was a species thing.
"We should talk this over with master Reico."
"He probably won't do a thing about it."
"I don't think so, but let's find out."
Writing something down on a piece of paper, Shouen turned, and called for one of her geishas.
"Douji, could you please give this note to master Reico, please."
Opening the door, she left with the note Shouen had given her.
"We'll have this settled soon enough, dear."
Reico stepped in a few moments later, looking very annoyed.
"Well, it seems I haven't left you here for five minutes, and you get yourself in trouble."
"Yes, sir, there is a problem." Shouen spoke to Reico, while Douji took Adina to a whole other room of the geisha house.
"So, you really can't be a geisha."
"How did you…"
"I read the note. I know it is a bit nosy of me, but around here that's the only way you know what's going on."
"That's alright, but how did Shouen know that I was captured?"
"It would be hard not to notice. But you should know you are the first geisha to come here by means of force."
"How can that be possible? I would've thought that other females would've at least put up some kind of fight."
"Well, once their lives were threatened, they gave right away. Besides, most of us here consider it lucky."
"How could that be? If I could, I would sooner kill myself."
"We get paid a good sum of money, we get free food, sleeping arrangements, and the job itself isn't that bad." Adina stood wide-eyed, not being able to imagine thinking like that.
Just then, Reico entered the room, Shouen in tow.
"You can get yourself out of everything, can't you?"
"Reico, sir, is there really a need for you to be angry about this?"
"Quiet, Shouen, if you will. I'm not angry about this, just suspicious. It's so convenient that a female kitsune is bound to their mate for life."
Adina found herself at the moment furious. Why couldn't he just take what she told them and get over it. Him speaking to her in such a way made her feel violated.
"Reico, you should know I'm not lying. You befriend one of mine kind, and should know very well of our mating laws." She did not want to refer to Youko at the moment, knowing he was probably reading her mind anyway.
After a moment, Reico, looking satisfied with the answer she gave him, continued the not so cheerful conversation.
"As you wish. I will make you off limits to the demons, but don't go wondering off very far, for, even if it is a rule here, if you leave this area, they will not hesitate. So, now that you know the rules I will take my leave. But before I go, here's a little parting gift."
Moving fast, he grabbed her wrist and let his dark energy flow to her. Adina gasped in pain, realizing that he was putting a curse on her. He let go after a moment, his hand leaving a black mark on her wrist. It started to decrease in size, forming into what looked like a black colored bracelet, the kind people tattoo on their skin.
In a moment it disappeared, but Adina still felt the energy weighing her down. The whole thing gave her a bad feeling that seemed to spread from the place he put it on her. She found herself dreading its very existence.
"Now I know you will not be going anywhere anytime soon. That mark will show up every time you try to use that power of yours. But don't even think for a moment that it will only be there to make you look pretty. It has special powers that are much like that materialized wrapping that I used to capture you. When you try to use your power, the mark will drain you of energy, but that will trigger its other effect, which happens to be a power seal. Don't you see? Escape is futile."
Reico then walked out, laughing as he went.
Shouen and Douji ran to Adina's side, catching her before she hit the ground. "You'll be okay dear, don't worry."
"It's alright, Shouen, and thank you, both of you. I just lost feeling in my legs, it's okay now, I think."
"Don't bother, Adina, Shouen won't loose her motherly touch no matter what you say or do."
"It won't be a problem, just let us carry you to the bedroom."
With that said, Adina let them carry her to the area in which she'd be staying. If her head was spinning before, it was on the verge of exploding now. Heading there, the two geishas put her into an empty bed, and she fell into a deep sleep.
Reico came at the end of the day to give Youko his report.
"Sir, I have placed a curse on the female."
"Which kind?"
"A power restraint. Another thing, sir, she is off limits to the men."
"So she can't be a geisha."
'I had thought so.'
Nodding, Youko listened to the rest of the day's happenings, then dismissing Reico.
Returning to caring for his plants, Youko thought of the female kitsune. 'She will be going through hell trying to fit in here. I only hope the demons don't attack her when they hear she's not for them.'
Without another thought of it, Youko continued his "garden work" before heading in for the night.
A/N: I hope you all enjoyed that, and that you won't be afraid to tell me what you thought about it in your reviews. (But know that I don't appreciate flames!)
Yours truly,
Adria of the Demon Sisters