Chapter 7: Beyond the Shadows

Adina waited patiently for Youko to return, occasionally glancing at the door. She also, out of boredom wondered the room slightly, finding a cabinet similar to the herb storage closet back at the geisha's compound. When she opened it, Adina found not only the basic species, but also various undistinguishable poisons.

'He sure is obsessed about his plants, isn't he?' she thought as she ran her fingers over the different vials.

Closing the cabinet door so it lock securely, Adina turned around and made her way to sit back on the bed. Running her fingers through her long hair gently, she fell deep into thought; analyzing everything that had took place between the time she had arrived here and now.

'Has it really only been two days?' she asked herself. 'With everything that happened it is hard to believe I've been here for such a small amount of time.'

As she continued to review everything, she found the mistakes in her plan were quite clear. The error in her ways was not only her assumption that she was not being followed, but it was within the escape as a whole. Instead of a direct attack to her opponents, she should've hid and completely ambushed them.

Though, even as she thought this, she corrected herself. Although indeed, it would've been quicker, Youko would've still been following her and their fight would've still occurred.

Which brought her to her current problem. 'Youko is playing it smart, not only in keeping me here, but this also totally removes my only sources of information.' She thought frustrated, referring to geisha friends.

Her expression softened a moment after, and she sighed as a tired look crossed her features. 'Though it is true he is not like the rest of those bloodthirsty demons. He appears to be heartless, but me still being alive is proof that it is only an act of survival.'

Her ears flickered on the top of her head as she heard footsteps approaching the hut. Sensing it was Youko, she calmed and turned to see him enter the room, a bedroll over his shoulder.

"I managed to find a spare in the storage, though if you want to retrieve your other one from the restaurant when you go to serve, feel free to do so."

"You were gone an awful long time to only take a trip to the compound. I assume you went to check the guards and Reico?"

"Reico was awakening, and the guards had already been replaced. Things here recover fairly quickly."

"I see," she paused slightly before continuing. "Did Reico seem angry to you?"

Catching her eye, he realized what she was referring to.

"He was upset, though not bad enough to be out for blood. Do not be too concerned about it," he assured her setting up her bed.

Nodding even though she knew he couldn't see her with his back to her, she suddenly discovered another purpose behind Youko's reason to keep her with him. He was not only looking after her for the welfare of his fellow thieves, but for her protection as well.

The demons she had defeated earlier would definitely want revenge for her defeat of them. Her eyes wondered to his form as he made his way over to her.

"I know it must seem foolish to sleep now, since you will be leaving for the geishas' restaurant shortly, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to try," he told her heading to the cabinet.

Opening it, he pulled something out of his robes and placed it onto one of the shelves near the back. Reorganizing the vials, he continued, "I inspected your mixture that you had to keep the wound fresh. I found it beyond normal skill. Where did you learn?"

Though he was not facing her, she looked away. "Do you really need me to tell you, or are you just trying to punish me for earlier?"

"I'm just trying to make conversation. Would you rather me assuming everything about you rather than asking you?"

Glancing up at him, she sighed before looking away again.

"No, I guess that wouldn't be much better. For what it matters now, Laquia did teach me the basics of conjuring poisons and such." She stood up from his bed and made her way over to her own.

Youko closed the cabinet, and moved to lean against the wall near the door. Raising his eyebrow, a sarcastic look crossed his face as he asked her, "Does that mean that I have to worry about you poisoning my food?"

Laying down, pulling the covers over her, Adina watched him with tired eyes before shaking her head.

"Even if worst came to worst, the most potent thing I would give you might knock you out for two hours," she smiled, "Besides, you'd probably smell it the minute it was brought into the room."

Leaning back, stretching slightly for a moment, she snuggled into the bed covers, making sure she had him in her line of vision.

"Aren't you going to bed too?" she questioned.

"I have no real need for it right now. Besides, the sun is about to rise, and I don't sleep too well in the light."

Not feeling inclined to continue speaking, Adina closed her eyes and tried to sleep, no matter how hard that would be with him just sitting there. Eventually, however, she did dose off and, quietly not to wake her, Youko moved closer to her.

Gently picking up her injured wrist, he undid the bandage he had covered it with. Checking to make sure it was healing properly, he rewrapped it, before looking for other wounds.

'I can't believe I'm doing this, but I don't want to put up with her being sick again.'

He would've honestly done this earlier, and probably should've instead of waiting until she fell asleep, but at the time she had been feverish from the poison, and it had already been difficult to approach her without having to inspect her wounds.

Backing up to return to his place by the wall, he sat with his back against it once more. He watched her sleep as the sun began to rise, reawakening the camp's inhibiters, and found himself content in remaining where they were.

Unfortunately, the sunlight flooding the room woke her, and she sat up yawning slightly. Standing up from the bed, she caught a glimpse of him in the corner.

"Were you there all night?"

"It wasn't more than a couple hours. Are you going to leave for the compound now?"

She nodded before rolling the bed up nicely and placed it in the closest corner to her. After that she stood, and started heading for the door. Seeing that Youko was following her she sighed.

"I don't need an escort to walk such a short distance. You won't be doing this everyday will you?"

"If you want to remain safe, it would be a good idea if I accompany you there and back. That won't be a problem, will it?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"As a matter a fact, it will. I am not a child, and am perfectly able to take care of myself," she said walking away towards the restaurant.

He came up from behind her, and whispered into her ear, "That may be so, but you are momentarily powerless and much weakened from last night's escape attempt."

She had stopped dead in her tracks the moment she felt his breath against her ear. Turning she gave him a weary look.

"You know, if you'd stop arguing with me, I'm betting we could actually get along without killing one another," he said before walking around her heading in the direction of the compound.

Adina stood there, momentarily paralyzed where she stood until Youko called over his shoulder, "Are you coming?"

Snapping out of her daze, she nodded before quickening her pace to catch up.

The moment Adina entered the geishas sleeping quarters; she was greeted, more like attacked, by Douji. Shouen helped her off the floor, which she had fallen to when Douji literally charged her.

Giving her a weak smile, Shouen asked her, "So, I see that your plan didn't work out the way you wanted it to."

Douji looked at Shouen wide-eyed, before her expression turned from overjoyed to angry.

"Shouen, you knew she was going to leave the whole time?"

Shouen shrugged. "I only found her note a few moments before all of the commotion began. You found out only shortly after I did."

Douji didn't stop her ranting there however, and instead whipped around, and shot Adina an ugly look.

"So you were just planning on leaving without so much as telling us? You were just going to leave a stupid, probably short, useless goodbye letter that you didn't even mean!"

Adina winced at her tone of voice, knowing she deserved everything that she was getting. Honestly, they did help her with everything up to that point, and she didn't have the decency to give a proper farewell?

What she didn't expect was for Douji to immediately apologize for yelling at her, and even more startled when she heard what came out of her mouth next.

"I'm sorry that I didn't realize what was going on after lord Youko didn't show up for dinner. Oh, I shouldn't have been so naïve!" she whined.

Adina sweat dropped. 'I didn't know anyone could change emotions so quickly'

"Douji, you're absolutely right. I probably should've told you I was planning on leaving last night, but I thought that would just make things more complicated. But it doesn't really matter now, since it didn't work."

Douji smiled brightly before a curious look crossed her face. 'Oh no. Looks like she wants some questions answered.'

"So," she said with a sly look, "What did happen if it didn't work out successfully?"

With a defeated look, Adina told the two of them, feeling she at least owed them that. When she was done, though she left some of the information out, they were both speechless.

Of course, though, it was Douji that broke the silence. "So, he's keeping you with him until he can figure out were it's safe to put you? Why would he do that, I mean, you wouldn't be stupid enough to try it again after he defeated you."

Adina gave her a wry look. There was no way she was going to stay here, at least by her own will. They would have to keep her bound in hundreds of pounds of heavy chains to keep her from attempting to escape.

"Well for now, you're just going to have to wait it out, aren't you?" Shouen spoke for the first time in a while. Agreeing with her she told her about moving the extra bedroll and some of her other clothes.

"Sure, since we're off making breakfast today, we'll help you bring the stuff over."

Tyko crept through the trees softy, his ghostly shape flowing like a wisp of smoke in the cool morning wind. Reico had sent him to once again confront the humans and leer them into a false sense of security.

Though the way Reico explained it to him was simple, he knew the village men would not be suede so easily after that last attack. But then again there was the other set of orders he was given; to spy on one of the villagers.

He could not even fathom why Reico would suddenly take interest in a human, but Reico had always possessed what it took to survive, and was always cautious. Tyko was not only Reico's right hand man, but was more like his own private assassin. He wondered whether he had done something wrong, or if Reico was planning something big.

Letting his mind go blank, he focused on his purpose of being there as he neared the clearing he would be meeting the humans in. When he stepped into it's center, a net made up of heavy metal fell over him with hopes of capture.

However, the clever trick was useless as it slipped right through his body as if he was made up of a smoke-like substance. As it fell with a loud clank, as Tyko blinked unconcerned, turning his head to a pair of frightened men.

Taka stood wide-eyed at the demon that now stood where he shouldn't have. 'That net was specially made for catching and disarming demons. What foul magic is this? Unless he isn't a demon…'

Then Tyko had him by the neck, his companion sprawled on the floor in an unconscious bloody heap.

"Unless I was what? Finish your thoughts before you bore me into killing you. If not a demon than what? Speak!"

Wincing at the pain it took to breathe, his pathetically whispered, "You're a… a spirit?"

Tyko's face was covered by an ugly smirk that rang death, his eyes piercing Taka's very soul, worse than a weapon ever could. Taka recognized the look in his eyes as hate. And not just hate for the human race in general, but for him as an individual. This demon had known him at one time.

"Tell me… did I kill you… and then you became what you are now?" he tried to speak, but it ended up as more of a whisper.

The spirit squeezed his throat tighter before viciously throwing his body to the ground. Feeling quite dazed, Taka regarded Tyko with extreme caution, knowing anything might set him into a fit of rage.

"Kill me? I guess you could say that. Your skills of reading people have never left, even through all of the selfish battles you've formed, huh Taka?" he paused slightly, his whole being showing that he wanted to kill him, making sure he'd want to be dead from all of the pain that would be inflicted on him.

"No Taka, you were not my enemy before my death. Quite the opposite actually. However, back then you knew me as Shizuma," he grinned evilly at Taka's horror filled face.

"No. Shizuma died during one of the human wars. I saw him fall into the sea. I even swam to his aid. There was no sign of him."

"Actually," he said ignoring Taka, "I am not him, just an evil, lifeless creature that was made by the bitterness and rage of a human. For you see, Shizuma had floated down into the bay, and when you saw movement, you assumed it was an enemy. In your own fit of rage, you stabbed him a couple times, but by the time you were calm again, he was so bloody, you weren't able to tell it was him anyway. And all the while he was watching his best friend murder him without mercy. The hate and betrayal in his heart was powerful enough to create me, a spirit that still houses that anger, and wishes to release it."

"Then why don't you? Why don't you kill me, ending the revenge you feel you need to release?"

"Because, Taka," he murmured dangerously, "It is this hate and rage that keeps me alive, without it, I would cease to exist."

He suddenly looked up, as spirit wards soared through the air straight at him. Smirking at what he assumed was a pathetic attempt, he moved to swipe them away, but found contact with them burned.

Blue flames made their way up his arm as Quala stepped into the clearing, baring more wards.

"Be gone, evil spirit, for the dark have no place here. As those actually work on you, I would dare you to remain here long enough for me to cover you head to toe."

"Wench!" Tyko hissed, ridding himself of the odd colored fire, "You have sealed your own death!" After that, he faded in to the background, his presence no longer detectable.

"Can you walk?" she asked Taka. He nodded, still in awe at her arrival. "Then take him and get to a healer," she said pointing at his fallen companion.

Getting to his feet, he rested the other man's weight on his shoulder, before making his way to the village. Remaining, Quala did not remove her eyes from the direction the demonic creature had fled to.

"What could they be planning I wonder?"

A/N: A little short for my taste, but it was already hard to try and continue after all of that excitement from the last chapter. Last chapter does seem to make this one appear slightly short, doesn't it? Oh well, I'll probably be able to make it up to you with a really good long one next time, but that all depends on whether you review!

Anyway, I don't want to take up more of your time with an author's note, but there is one more issue I have to touch bases with you on. I want to know if you would all like a sequel? I have good ideas for it, but I don't want to waste my time writing it if you won't be interested in reading it. So this time in your review, don't just tell me to update, tell me your opinions!

Yours truly,

Adria of The Demon Sisters

PS: If I get a lot of reviews, I will be inspired to write faster!

!R&R!