Ok, I admit, I got this idea from someone else (you'll have to scour my faves to find out who) but I'm putting my own twist on it. Yes, it is supposed to be a Beyblade AU, set in a 'bow and sword' timeline, with Nekojin and humans being the two opposing forces. Rated for violence, definatly language later on and some graphic torture very soon...

Blood On My Fangs

Chapter 1

A sharp, snapping sound woke me from my cat-nap instantaneously. Years of experience made me still my body before my eyes opened, not moving an inch on the branch I was lounging on.

Forcing my breathing to stay even was easy. Keeping my eyes closed was not.

My silver neko ears twitched ever-so-slightly, trying to determine where the noise was coming from. It was just a snapped twig.

But again, experience told me to lie still and prepare for an ambush.

If it had been an animal, or innocent traveler, there would be more noise following. Only people who were sneaking up on me would make a single sound.

After several minutes of slow breathing, a line of soft curses met my ears.

They obviously believed I was still sleeping, which showed that they were human.

Foolishly human.

But then again, who was I to comment?

Here I was, in the no-man's land between Nekojin and human territory, on my own and napping.

Although, I am elite. I am probably the strongest Nekojin in the village, even when compared with the Prince.

Being only 14, and female, that was a feat I was immensely proud of.

Another nearby rustle brought me out of my thoughts, The branch I was on was only 10 or so feet off the ground, and from what I was hearing...they had me pretty much surrounded.

That was bad.

Really bad.

For them, I ment. Not for me.

Us cat-people tend to get vicious when we're cornered. Not that we aren't vicious to begin with.

I'm using my nose now, too. Hm...

A hunting party. All to myself. They shouldn't have.

Only six or seven men were around the tree, but I was picking up scents of a dozen more back at their camp. The light scent of steel was testimony to the fact that they were armed lightly, and armored the same way.

Leather doesn't stop Neko fangs, love.

They're clearly taking their time to get within striking distance, and so I start to wonder just how they found me.

I'm 10 feet up in a leafy tree, barely moving, and clothed almost completely in greens and light browns. Human eyesight isn't so good in the early morning, either.

My light, form fitting green tank top leaves my arms exposed, but then I have my dark hunter green cloak draped over me. Leather has always been something I'm quite fond of, and so my light brown boots, dark brown pants, and my dyed purple headband are all leather.

The only things that aren't brown/green are my golden eyes (currently closed), my dark purple headband across my forehead, my glossy silver streaked black hair (which goes down to my knees) and the dark purple wrap that keeps my hair in line without daily brushing.

I'm starting to hear whispers around me now that they're sure I'm sleeping deeply.

Something about me possibly being dangerous...!

My eyes fly open, and I fall upon nearest human without pausing.

His throat comes out with one swipe of my claws, and now I'm wondering why they bothered to go after me in the first place if they were going to leaves their necks open.

I whirl around, crouching low to the ground and launch myself at the human with my fangs open and waiting.

Another human's life blood is seeping onto the forest floor now, and the taste of blood is fueling my energy.

Cries are sounding now, and the humans at the camp will surely be headed my way.

Again, my claws rip through a nearby throat and the cry for help dies.

The remaining 4 are circling me now, but tough luck honey.

A branch snaps off in my grasp, easily 5 feet long and a foot thick around the base, and I sweep them out of the way with one swing of the log.

I'm turning now, heading away from the approaching camp of soldiers and diving back into the wilderness.

A sharp pain shoots through my left shoulder and I falter in my leap. I can see an arrow protruding from my flesh, but I don't pause to pull in out. Blood would just make me easier to track.

Another arrow embeds itself in a tree inches from my head, making me lunge to the side in an effort to get out of their sights.

Bad idea for me this time.

The flat of a broadsword bashes into my right temple, and I'm seeing stars as I rake my claws out at the wielder.

My claws slide across a metal neck-guard and the sword come down again, this time flat on the top of my head.

A flash of pain resonates through my skull before I go completely numb.

xxxxx (POV change)

Against my own will, my fingers are drumming against the dark oak desk as I wait for my brother to return.

Takao is my half brother, and I even share a birthday with him. Brash, loyal and a fierce warrior indeed. He has only just turned 15, and I 16, but we are already doing the dirty work of grown men.

Not that I think he minds being in the forest, hunting down possible slaves in his spare time.

He had been gone a week. Not unusual, but he was only going into the fringes of no-man's land. Takao should have been back after a few days.

A flash of midnight blue hair storms past my office and I call him in immediately.

Here he is, my little brother. Being that I am the Prince, and currently in charge while my father is away, people are required to show me respect.

But with my brother, in private, we are just that.

Brothers.

As he steps before me, I take in several things at once.

His neck is lightly bandaged. The hilt of his sword if caked in dried blood. His auburn eyes are sparking in...fury? Approval? Respect?

"Company report!" I hear myself bark at him, flipping my white scarf over my shoulder.

"Five dead, one critically injured, few others with minor scratches." Takao shot right back, mouth tightening into a thin line.

I can feel my own doing the same.

"Takao, didn't you take elites with you? I did send you off with an elite hunting party to command." My voice is weary now, I only let my tiredness show around him.

He's frowning now, but his smile is almost mocking.

"The elite hunting party currently consists of one man with crushed ribs. Like I said Kai: Five dead, one critically injured."

Now this catches my attention.

My expression must have disbelieving, because Takao's eyes were serious.

"No rockslide, no war, no forest fire."

My mouth opens to ask him to elaborate, but he beats me to it.

"Caught the 'lil bitch responsible though!" Takao informs with a sudden wink.

I'm standing in one fluid motion, chair falling behind me.

"Captured? As in, alive?" I ask, trying to conform that he had somehow managed not to kill the one responsible.

"Oh yeah. They were aiming to keep her alive from the beginning."

Prince Kai Hiwatari snorted. 'No wonder.'

Then, I picked up on several details that had previously escaped my attention.

"Little? Bitch? Female then. How 'lil', exactly?" I growled, striding over to my brother's side as his frown deepened.

"No older than I am. And hell yes, she's a Nekojin bitch. Just outside our walls."

This took a few seconds to process. No older than fifteen. Nekojin, so close without being detected.

Was this a rogue, or the beginning of war?

And no wonder she was so strong. But still, the only Nekojin we knew of with that kind of skill was the Prince, Ray Kon. Was it possible that she was part of the Royal bloodline?

A slight twitch from Takao's right hand made my thoughts pause. His sword hand only twitched when he had either used it repeatedly and recently, or was going to do so shortly.

"How is she? What kind of restraints do you have on her? Do you know anything else about her?" I stopped myself from asking too many questions here, and I was already headed for the door.

"Apart from a deep arrow wound to her shoulder blade, a nasty bruise on her temple, a possibly cracked skull and a serious concussion, she's in perfect condition. We had her wrapped up in chains for the ride back, but she hasn't regained consciousness yet and won't be waking any time soon."

This didn't bother me too much. Nekojin could take much more punishment than humans could.

Takao was about to be proved wrong, because Judy burst through the door at that moment.

"Nekojin...pant...awake...gasp...dungeon...wheeze...chains loose..."

She managed between breaths and nursing a rather nasty cut on the side of her cheek.

The brothers were gone after the third coherent word.

xxxxx (POV change)

I think I'm coming to, and I must be alive.

Not even hell could possible hurt as much as the headache I'm suffering from.

The events of yesterday are still fresh in my mind, and the first thing I realize that I'm cold. I seem to be vertical, vaguely sitting/kneeling, and my back is against a freezing damp wall.

Nekojin can not tolerate the cold very well at all.

Then it feels like someone is fiddling with my wrists. Pulling them above my head. Closing a harsh, steel cuff over it...

My golden eyes snap open as I take in the situation.

I am in a dungeon. My back and head is screaming out in pain. Someone is chaining me to the wall.

Somehow, I manage to move my other hand enough to slash at the woman's cheek with little power behind it.

She drops the chains and makes a mad dash for the door.

Unfortunately for me, I have my right hand shackled to the wall, and my other shoulder is burning with the blood I lost from the arrow wound.

The woman takes off, probably to get a guard, or the Prince, and have them come down here and finish the job.

Being chained up is nothing new for me. I have been captured many times (and obviously escaping) during my hunts, and have never reviled anything about my village.

Ah, creaky dungeon door hinges alert me to the two visitors. One looks my age, another looks about a year older.

God, I don't even know who they are and I'm already getting a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I think I recognize the broadsword owner as the younger one, but the other is a new face.

Two-toned hair, steel gray and navy blue, is short but gives him a cold look. That, and the blue triangles on his cheeks. The crest of the phoenix is over his heart shows that his is of Royal blood.

Now I think I know: The Prince Hiwatari.

Not good.

He steps forward, and the younger's grip tightens on that broadsword.

This is only (so far) in Kai and Mia's POV's (point of view's).

This is one of the few stories I'm doing in first person, so tell me what you think of the style.