"What was that for!" Tetsuo sputtered, wiping water out of eyes and staring at Kinnara who put the old clay mug back on the old wooden table.
"For THAT! Do you know what those villagers will do if they find out you're here! By the Gods, you are a moron!" She cried out, ready to kill him but she found herself unable. He just smiled apologetically, his hair falling around his face, each strand of his green locks weighted with the lukewarm water she had just thrown on him.
"Heh… well, I needed a bath anyway!" he just laughed which only made the girl more mad.
"I have half the mind to run one of my spears through you're smug little face!" She cried out…
Kurama shook his head and found himself back in the training room. Narue was pulling herself up onto the platform while Kuwabarra was already standing on the thick stone blocks that made the ring.
"You're main weapon is a sword, right?" Narue asked cheerfully, pulling at the collar of her blouse and then though better and unbuttoned it, revealing a simply silk camisole underneath that more then covered the needed parts of her body.
"Yeah…"
"Great… I don't have a sword… and fighting you with a spear just doesn't seem all that fair…" Narue muttered off then promptly bit her lip as though thinking.
"I can use the spirit javelin…" Kuwabarra muttered.
Kurama slowly began to nod off again and soon his chin fell to his chest…
"Please don't spear me, it sounds painful!" Tetsuo cried out comically, holding out his hands as though warding off some evil creature.
"Ha. Regular jester, you are!" Kinnara cried out, exasperated before cuffing him on the head.
"Ouch!"
"You'll be thinking ouch… What are you doing so far away from the demon army's encampment?"
"I… Well… Actually, I don't know…" Tetsuo trailed off looking out through the old shutters to the mountains that framed the old countryside. Cozy huts were nestled close to the base of the range and farmland stretched out as far as he could see.
"I'm on the wrong side of the mountains…" he muttered, rubbing his bandage covered forehead.
"No… really!" Kinnara replied sarcastically, falling onto the ash covered ground that surrounded the small fire pit.
"Still… Why did you throw water at me anyway? I mean, it can't just be because the villagers nearby would be upset, right?" He looked over at the demon who was sitting near the fire. Her soot streaked skirt had gathered around her knees, revealing tanned legs that had long slash marks of ash weaving across the unblemished flesh.
"I… It's because you're… AUGH!" she pulled at her short hair.
"Augh? What exactly is an Augh?" Tetsuo asked lightheartedly but pulled away as she slowly looked over at him, pure hatred making her eyes almost glow.
"You are the GENERAL of the DEMONIC ARMY! This war has called so many deaths and you are one of the causes!" she cried out, glaring at the green haired demonic man.
"That may be true, but do not think that I am the only killer. I do not kill children or women," Tetsuo added quietly as he looked away from the yellow eyed gaze of Kinnara.
"Hmpf, you may speak of honor but you have none. Do not think that you can trick me into believe that you do. All killers find ways to sleep at night, how can I believe you to be any different!" she angrily rose to her feet and stormed out of the cozy hut.
"UGH! I can't STAND him! What is he! An honorable villain! That is what he is!" she cried out once she was in the sanctity of the forest.
"Ah… Lady Demon?" A timid voice called out to her and she spun around to face a young boy. Dressed in loose rags he ran up quickly to her, wringing his small hands in worry.
"Hm? Shintaro? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be tending to your crops with your father?" she asked kindly, kneeling so she could gaze into the boy's deep chocolate eyes.
"Lady Demon! I cannot tend to my crops! A demon is ravaging it at this very moment!" he cried out, throwing his calloused hands into the air.
"What!"
"It's just like I said, Lady Demon!" Shintaro cried out…
Kurama startled awake at the sound of Narue rapidly swearing.
"What is it now?" Hiei's cold voice asked the young girl.
"Ugh… my only sword broke a week ago! Damn that demon!" she cried out while looking over apologetically at Kuwabara.
"Hey, no sweat, I'll just use the spirit…" he was cut off with the sound of two clicking sounds then a heavy object being placed into Narue's hand.
"Use this, just DON'T break it…" Hiei muttered and soon everybody was staring at what Narue now held in her gloved hands.
It was Hiei's sword, unsheathed and ready for use. She curled her fingers around the simple hilt and smiled at him warmly.
"Thanks!"
There was an awkward silence that filled the training room as everybody's eyes except Hiei and Narue's were resting on the sword.
"No way… Did HIEI just give Narue his SWORD?" Yusuke whispered loudly to Kurama who just nodded his head, also shocked.
"Great! This way I can give you a fair fight!" She cried out happily as she gave the sword a few test swings.
"Be careful or you'll poke someone's eye out... Have you even practiced since I left?" Hiei chastised at her and she smiled at him, embarrassed.
"You really are hopeless… and to think you were once feared..." he muttered to himself darkly before going over to the wall, leaning against it calmly.
"Right-o! Fun! Well then… let us get started, Kuwabara? Come at me when you're ready!" Narue called out cheerfully, flexing her fingers on the hilt before nodded to him, still smiling.
"Right! But you better fight me this time!" Kuwabara called out to her before running forward, raising his spirit sword as he did so.
With surprising speed Narue parried the blow and darted away. Slicing the air with surprising speed Kuwabara kept going at her. Unlike with Yusuke though she continued to give a rather interesting fight but it was not enough to keep Kurama awake…
"Hm… well then, do you need me to help you with the demon… or do the reiki warriors have it contained?" Kinnara asked as she finally stood up, wincing as her knee popped.
"No! No one can stop it! Even the elementalists!" He cried out and Kinnara could see that he was shaking.
"So… You want me to help?"
He nodded feverently at her, trying to keep himself composed but he was on the verge of tears.
"Alright… just give me a moment to grab my spear…" she called to him as she raced back to her hut, throwing the small back door open.
Tetsuo looked over as she ducked through the opening and quickly grabbed her favorite spear, the one with the bells.
"Where are you off to?" He asked as she began to duck through the doorway so she could leave.
"There's some demon ravaging the fields! I've got to go!" she cried out as she raced out to follow Shintaro to his father's fields.
"What kind is it!" Kinnara screamed to him as her long strides caught up to him and quickly outraced the boy.
"A water Oni!"
"Gotcha!"…
Nearly falling off the bench was how Kurama awoke, slightly startled when he heard Narue scream in pain as a blow from Kuwabara connected and sent her reeling, her shoulder scraping across the stone floor.
"Ouch…" she groaned as she heaved herself off the floor. The shoulder of her blouse was torn away, revealing a bleeding shoulder and two frayed straps, one for her bra and the other for the camisole.
"Hey, you okay? I didn't mean to hit you that hard!" Kuwabarra cried out to her but she just bit her lip and nodded to him.
"I've gone through worse! Now then…" she stood straight again, "is that all you've got?"
Kuwabarra just grinned. At least she was giving up a fight unlike with Yusuke. As he charged at her, his spirit sword rising as he got closer, she got ready. Just as he swung she ducked and the only thing the sword sliced through was the hem of her already stained shirt. Soft fabric flew into the air to be tossed by the soft breeze that danced through the room.
With one deft movement she darted through his legs and stood up behind him. She did not raise Hiei's sword but instead her fist and swiftly punched the back of Kuwabarra's head. He fell forward and stumbled for a moment before spinning around to face her.
Anticipating his every move she couldn't help but bounce lightly on the balls of her feet and this time darted away as he slashed at her again with his spirit sword. Unlike last time she could not move out of the way in time and the spirit blade cut through her top and camisole, tearing the fabric away and revealing her midriff.
"Hey!" she screamed in indignation, blocking his next blow but she wasn't ready for the other spirit sword that he had just made. It slashed across her upper arm, cutting the sleeve away from her right.
"HA!" Kuwabarra cried out in victory as he now placed her on the defense while she rapidly blocked his blows with surprising agility but it yet again wasn't enough as one last blow cut away the blouse from her body and instantly made Kuwabarra freeze at what he saw.
Running up her arms were long scars that looked like burns. They twisted up her arms and eventually stopped near her shoulders though a few made it to her neck. On her lower back whip marks laced across her skin, standing up in small, smooth ridges. But what was most frightening was the word carved into the inside of her right forearm. The word was burned into her skin with careful handwriting and while old, still looked as though it caused pain. The word was what caught everybody's eyes…. It read : TRAITOR….
Trenity170: YAY! Another great chappy… I hope…
Kurama: What do you mean… "I hope…"? Shouldn't you know? You are the writer?
Hiei: This baka nigen doesn't know anything….
Trenity170: I'd be nice if I were you… well.. for reviews…
Narue: My job! ShadeSpirit says " Pretty Good. I like it, and there's mystery. Keep at it
Trenity170: Aw! Thanks! I'm such a mystery nut you have no idea how much fun it is to write one. Well… enjoy, please review… and until next time… Cheerio!