Chapter 4: Getting Into the Swing of Things
Adina woke to the sounds of people moving and talking. She felt exhausted, and her body ached as she tried to sit up.
"Finally awake?" Turning she saw that Shouen had come to get her up.
"How long have I been sleeping?"
"Well, we're just getting breakfast, but I think about ten hours." Nodding, she stretched, and got out of bed.
She remembered the happenings of the night before and felt the feeling of hopelessness flow through her body once again. She at least had had a chance to escape before, but the seal changed everything.
She felt useless, and very vulnerable. She had no way of defending herself. 'I have to find away around this, I only have about a week left.'
She looked at her wrist, and although itappeared normal, she could still feel its evil.
'I'll just have to go along with this until I can find a way to remove this curse, or at least find some kind of loop hole.'
Douji suddenly came from behind her, looking unnaturally energetic.
"We're having spicy tuna rolls for breakfast!" She looked at the geisha, who had turned from the calm, composed geisha, to a hyperactive child.
"Yes Douji, now get up before you scare the poor thing." Shouen turned from making the beds to moving Douji away from her.
"Besides, aren't you supposed to be making the tea today?" Confusion crossed her features for a minute before her expression turned from realization to horror.
"Oh my gosh, I hope it's not overcooked!" Fleeing from the room, Douji disappeared into what Adina assumed was the kitchens.
Shouen looked at her fleeing shape and shook her head, a smile on her face.
"She's still a child inside, that one." Realizing she was not alone, Shouen kept collecting the rest of the blankets, before turning her attention back to Adina.
"So, tell me how you really feel?" The way she said told her not to lie to her.
"Tired, and a bit drained."
"As I thought. That was no simple curse Reico put on you either."
"What do you mean?"
"That mark around your wrist is a very complex spell, and I've only seen him use it once, and that was on a very powerful demon. By that means of understanding, I figured you are no ordinary demon."
"But why do they want to keep me here? Wouldn't it be better to kill me?"
"I thought of that, and I believe that they do not know what to do with you yet, so they are keeping you here, for safe keeping."
Adina, now feeling better, knowing she had someone with knowledge of the curse on her, made her curious of some things.
"So, what other duties do we have besides..."
"I know what you mean. Well, we cook for them, entertain them, and give them some fun. It's not that exciting."
"Are we cooking for them now?"
"No, this is our time to eat. They practice, or just sleep, then we feed them, and sometimes we even dance for them, there is also tea in the morning, and sake at night, also..." Douji then appeared out of nowhere, interrupting.
"We also have the fun rooms open after lunch, and mmmm." Shouen covered Douji mouth trying to shut the obnoxious girl up.
"Douji let me remind you that she will not be taking part in any of that."
"Oh, I thought that you were giving her the daily schedule."
"I was. Her schedule."
"So, we have a newcomer." The new voice came from the door where the kitchen and bedrooms linked.
"Mizu, wedon'tneed your snappy attitude at the moment," Shouen said over her shoulder.
"Yeah, so go find some guy to mess around with," Douji added.
"If you are meaning to call me a slut, child, maybe you should ask your mommy to tell you what one is. Oh I forgot, all you have left for a mother is a pile of ashes, that and granny there next to you."
By now, Douji was seething in anger. Adina was shocked that anyone could just walk by and for no reason start throwing out insults at one another. Sure, the boys in the village always made fun of her when she was little, but that was only teasing. This kind of insult was one to make someone to feel like dirt.
Just then, a bell sounded from the kitchens, signifying that it was time to eat.
"Well, I wouldn't want my breakfast to get cold. Ta-ta."
Douji was about to say something, when Shouen grabbed her shoulder, and gave her a meaningful look.
"We'll finish this later, Douji." Nodding, they turned to Adina, before making their way to the kitchens to eat.
Youko looked up from his plants as he heard the bell for the geisha's breakfast. He had been up since early this morning, not able to sleep anymore. Though he would never admit it, thoughts of their new guest had filled his head.
Her appearance had been an odd one indeed, showing up for almost no reason at all. Why was she so desperate to find that friend of hers?
And furthermore, why hadn't Laquia tried to find her after she escaped?
These and even more questions had been bugging him all night.
'Oh, well. They will make themselves known soon enough.'
Adina sat with Shouen and Douji as they ate. The food was quite good, but Adina was too distracted to truly enjoy it.
'There has to be a way out of here.'
Glancing at Douji's laughing face as she talked to the other geishas, Adina felt bad for what Mizu had said.
'That woman has a lot of nerve talking to people like that. I know that the male demons of the village fight, but I wonder if the geishas assist in battle.'
"Hey, newcomer!" Adina turned to the demon that had been speaking with Douji.
"Is it true that you brought down those other demons, and even tried to bring down Reico
as well?"
Wondering how they had come to find out she looked at Douji and knew. Giving her a wry look, she answered.
"Yes, I did manage to defeat the demons."
"Did you even stand a chance against Reico?" Feeling cornered, she sent a pleading look towards Shouen, who shrugged.
"I'd like to think so."
"Your just modest, I bet if he hadn't pulled that stunt with those power wraps, than you would've won."
"There is no way she could have won against Reico."
"Yeah right, Adina would've clobbered him." Needing to stop this before it got out of hand, Adina cut in.
"Really, I don't care, Douji, he defeated me."
'For now at least.'
"Of course he did." Mizu walked up to the group with a smirk.
"We didn't ask your opinion, slut!"
"Douji..."
"No, Shouen, I'm not going to back down this time." Shouen looked lost, but nodded anyway.
"Yes hag, stay quiet so the kid can talk."
"Don't talk to her like that! At least she is considerate enough not to flash everyone around her!"
"Child, it is what the men want, not that I'd expect you to understand." Adina never saw Douji so angry. She wondered what could've brought on this fit of rage.
"Ever since I have arrived, all I have known form this place is that even though everyone is out for themselves. But even then, there is at least respect for the other as a living thing. Though I guess everything is always below you. So I want to tell you something. The males in the village only use you for pleasure, and probably won't give a hell if you were to turn up dead the next day. Remember that, and also that the next time you insult me or my friends, I'll make sure it becomes a possibility."
With that, Douji turned a high-heel and left the room.
Adina was about to follow, but Shouen held her back.
"Leave her be, she needs to let off some steam. Besides, we need to get you your wardrobe."
Nodding, she followed Shouen through the door, and back into the bedrooms.
Shouen lead Adina through the many winding hallways, until they reached a door that opened to reveal a rainbow of colors.
There was no end to the different kimonos, all different variations and types neatly hung in rows of what seemed to go by the hundreds, similar to a walk-in closet.
"I have so many to choose from," Adina noticed wide-eyed.
"We'll start you out with two for chores, one for sleeping or relaxing, two or three for normal meals, and two different ones for special occasion," Shouen told her. "Now get to it, you only have until this afternoon, so we can get you ready for this evening's meal."
"Whatever ones I want?" Adina wondered. The very idea was tempting, for the only clothes she ever possessed were traveling and fighting clothes that either she or Laquia hand-made.
Shouen smiled and headed toward the door. "Enjoy yourself, but don't lose track of time." She reminded before exiting and shutting the door behind her.
After the door was shut, she carefully looked through the different sections and types. When Shouen had told her to be back by noon, she thought the time limit ridiculous. 'How could it take someone that long simply to pick out a clothes?'
She soon discovered why. Though she was usually quick to decisions, the seemingly unlimited amount of choices slowed her down.
She soon had her regular kimonos, since there was not much choice, but when it came to the more elegant and decorated kimonos, she felt stuck. Finally grabbing her favorites, she left the room, backtracking her way to her sleeping quarters.
She found Douji there waiting for her. "Wow, I think that's the quickest anyone ever took to choose."
Adina smiled then responded, "I was gone for a while. What are we doing today?"
"Well, first we have to get you situated, then we'll show you around the kitchen, tell you how and what to cook, finally we get ready, and lastly serve the meal."
"That seems like a long day."
"If you were here for dinner last night, you would've had to clean up as well."
"If I didn't know any better, I would probably say that you all do more work than the males."
"That's no secret," Douji laughed as she helped Adina carry her clothes over to a long rack that held what she assumed was the other geisha's kimonos.
"Shouen is probably waiting for us in the kitchen. Shall we go?" Adina nodded the followed her once again down the hallway.
Youko looked up as Reico entered his 'green house'.
"What is it Reico?" he asked as he turned back to tend to his plants.
"Youko, the villagers are entering our territory."
"Most likely for revenge," he answered not looking up, "What they don't understand is that the weakest of demons could pick up on their stench making it impossible to try a sneak attack."
"Yes, indeed their goal is pointless. But who shall I send to take care of them?"
"Whomever you see fit Reico, at the moment I really don't care." Seeing that he didn't want to be bothered, he murmured a "Yes, my lord," before leaving.
Concentrating on his plants, his thoughts drifted to the Adina. He wondered if she was settling down and accepting the probability that she wouldn't be meeting up with that older demon she said she was searching for.
He thought back to when he first saw the aged demon in the prison cells. He had been on his daily rounds, and had stopped by to take a head count on the prisoners.
Human eyes would tell you that she was just a sickly old woman, but a demon could sense the strong power that resided within her. She was definitely a dangerous force to be reckoned with, yet even now he could not remember why she had been there in the first place.
Perhaps he would question Reico, but that would have to wait. In the meantime, he had Adina on his mind. The moment he laid eyes on her he had been full of conflicting emotion.
His mind told him she was dangerous and needed to be destroyed immediately. She had, after all, defeated three or four of his best men, and by what Reico informed him with, she could have the power to destroy them all.
Yet his instincts would not let him. They told him that she needed to be protected, namely by him, but he would have none of it.
He shook his head slightly, as if trying to shake himself loose of these confusing thoughts. There were other matters to attend to, like the opposing demon tribes that were trying to rid this part of the country of all enemies.
Lately they had taken a liking to ambushing him and his men. And then there was that pesky village of humans that would sooner risk dying than lose their land.
No, the female kitsune should not be on his first train of thought, or as far as he was concerned, on his mind at all. Besides, for now she was under the geisha's wings and had a very powerful seal to restrain her from using her power.
She could not do any damage for the time being, so he wouldn't think about her. Clearing her from his mind, he concentrated only on his work.
The kitchen was full of geishas; all wearing plain working kimonos, most cooking, some cleaning dishes, and the rest running to the room she assumed the male demons ate. Shouen was at the front of the room calling out orders to those who just came to join the others.
"Ah, there you two are, I've been waiting. Adina how did you fare choosing?" She addressed Adina.
"Well enough, but it was harder than I thought it would be."
"You would be surprised what a big choice in clothes can do to a woman," Doujio said joining the conversation.
"Well, let's get to work. After all that is what we're here for." Shouen suggested. "Here you two can start with beginning the rice. The you can make the sushi rolls, and serve the platters with wasabi."
As Shouen called her commands out as they got to work. Adina had no idea cooking was this much of a hassle. Usually the meals she made were simple, good, but also easy and fast to make.
The kind of food she was making took too long, was probably hard to get for everyday people, not to mention it was probably stolen from the villagers.
The thought of the villagers brought back the memories of the bodies she found, the ones that had stained both the grass and the scent of the air with blood. Because of this, she held no grudge against them.
She would be devastated if she found the brutally murdered bodies of her comrades. 'They probably see that a lot. No wonder they hate all demons.'
She looked at Douji, who was sitting next to her stirring the rice, adding seasonings as she went. Adina saw the youth in her friend once again as she made a funny face at the smell of the rice.
She was younger than most of the woman there, and Adina couldn't understand why she was there in the first place.
"Douji, may I ask you a question?" Adina asked.
"Sure, what is it?" She responded without looking up.
"How did you come to work here?"
Douji stopped and looked up. "Why do you want to know?"
"I just thought that you didn't seem like the kind of person to work as a geisha."
Douji gazed at the floor as if in a trance than she answered, "I was forced to."
Adina stared wide-eyed at her friend. "Why?"
"The demon tribes of this area are brutal enemies, and battle often. My tribe was passing through, and an opposing force of this tribe thought we were allies. They viciously attacked us, and then Youko and his men caught them by surprise and ambushed them. Reico made a deal with me that if I worked here they would spare my life. They had thought I was part of their enemy's tribe. I am now the only one of my tribe left."
They sat there for a minute in silence. Adina let her words sink in.
'She was forced to work here as I am. And not only that, it wasn't her fault. She and her tribe had been around at the wrong place and the wrong time.'
Finally Douji spoke up. "That was about two years ago, and only Shouen knows the whole story. Mostly because the others only care about themselves," she said with a shrug.
Adina smiled. She was back in her cheery mood. They went back to work, finishing the rice.
When they finished making their part of the meal, they headed over to Shouen to make sure they were not needed elsewhere.
"Nope, you two are done for now. If you want, Douji, you can help Adina get ready for serving."
"Sure. Come on Adina, let's get you made up."
Following her back to the sleeping quarters, they grabbed their serving kimonos, then headed to another part of the seemingly endless domain.
Coming to a room with sitting areas for makeup, a room for fresh laundry, and others for dressing, they went over to the changing areas. Douji got dressed first, and then helped Adina get into her kimono.
"What do you want me to do with your tail?"
"Just leave it under the first layer."
"But it's so pretty." Douji said with a pout.
Adina laughed quietly, "Yes, but it can be quiet a bother."
Nodding she left it alone. She then helped Adina with the tie, and then led her to the makeup station. Adina watched as Douji applied the eye makeup like a master.
As she had never put makeup on before, she was clueless to how and why they did it. When Douji finished, she turned to Adina, and handed her the makeup.
Shaking her head, she said, " I've never worn any."
"Never?" Douji stood in shock. Then her look of surprise vanished, and instead turned into a devilish grin. "Well, then I'll have to show you."
Adina decided that the look of shock suited Douji better than this new one, which she found quite terrifying.
"Ok, let's start with the facial cream. Then we'll go on to the blush, and eye makeup, and after that we'll play with your hair…."
Adina internally shuddered. And she thought the cooking and cleaning was the worst part of the job. 'I didn't think someone like Douji could be this frightening.'
They quickly hurried to their companions, making no noise as they ran through the brush. This was their perfect chance. And the demons wouldn't even see it coming.
After they rid the barbaric creatures from this world they could live in peace for a while, at least, until more came to claim the land. That was how it always was; demons come, they slaughter them, and then more come to take their place.
Only this time around, the demons were more advanced, and possessed an extravagant amount of power.
They had lately been struggling with them, and have lost many of their men. But this would be no more.
A blessing had been sent to their village in the form of a famous priestess, whom after about a month of preparing them with knowledge of demon exterminating, and then readied them to finally take them down. And now, they didn't even have to worry about their loved ones at home. Because of the priestess's power, no demon could enter their precious village.
They covered ground quietly, not even a breath was heard. But they never saw the shadowy figure, which followed them just as silently from above.
Reico snickered slightly at the human's stupidity. They didn't even realize they were walking straight into his trap.
"This way, men." One of the men called as they neared what they thought was the demon camp. Instead, when they entered the clearing, poised to attack, they found it completely empty.
Well at least until Reico jumped from his hiding place and landed with a quiet thud. He looked at their frightened faces with a look of amusement and disgust.
"And you call yourself soldiers."
"Name yourself beast." A man who appeared to be the leader spoke out.
"My name is no concern to you, but if you want a subject for your last thoughts, I guess you can call me your undertaker."
"You will pay for that comment with your life."
"How will you do so, when you are already in my trap?"
"What?" All the men looked around them in horror as three other demons came out from the shadows. One with only one red eye, like a Cyclops. Another was normal except for the spider legs that connected to his back. The last figure was merely a shadowy outline of a man in a cloak.
All four demons stood silently watching their prey. Suddenly, Reico lifted his eyes from them and moved them to the demon with spider legs.
"Kuzo, I think it's time to reveal our surprise."
The demon nodded and lifted his head. Then all of the area was surrounded by spider web. Not the harmless kind, but the kind that was as lethal and sharp as a knife.
The humans looked around them madly for a way out. The second they did this, the demons attacked all at once. Very soon the ground was soaked with blood, and yet the humans kept fighting.
The Cyclops demon was in combat with the leader, swinging his claws at him, but the human kept swatting him away with his spear.
Reico killed one of the weaker ones, then jumped in a tree to watch his men fight.
"This one is stronger," he observed.
The leader did a flip in the air, landing behind the Cyclops. It turned quickly, but as it did, he slashed him in half.
The human smiled up at Reico, who jumped down from the trees, glaring at him.
"What are you waiting for beast, an open invitation?"
"You are no normal human."
"There is no physical difference between me and my men, but I will admit to coming from a long line of demon slayers." His eyes taunted Reico.
"It's like he's laughing at me."
Reico walked calmly over to him, not taking his eyes off him. When he got close to him, the human took a strike. Reico tilted his head just enough to have it barely hit him. The human had jumped back when Reico dodged, then yelled to his men to fall back.
Reico merely laughed, "Where are you going to go? And don't tell me that that weak spear is going to pierce Kuzo's webbing."
"Actually, that's exactly what I am going to do." As he said it, he moved to the web, all while putting a weird powder on the tip of his spear. When he reached the web, he struck it, and to Reico's surprise, it snapped with little effort.
"Men! Back to the village!"
Kuzo was about to run after them, but Reico stopped him.
"No, we'll get them later. For now take his body and find a burial spot." He said pointing emotionlessly at his dead companion. "Tyko, come with me." He spoke to the dark figure.
As they walked back to the camp, Reico spoke to him about his plan. He nodded signifying he understood. When Reico gave him permission to leave, his form disappeared with a puff of smoke.
A/N: Okay people, as you probably know if you've read this fic before, I did some big time editing. I had ten chapters before, but now, I've decided to join some of them to make the chapters longer, and I also changed some of the story so it is easier to understand and enjoy. For all of the people who had read this fic before, I am truly sorry if I confused you, but I believe that the new version is better and hope you think so too.
Anyway, I think it's coming along, and I hope you are all enjoying it. Things will really get interesting within the next few chapters, and the more reviews I get, the more inspired I will get to type. So don't let me down.
Yours truly,
Adria of the Demon Sisters