Chapter 30 Raid
Hiei rolled over in bed, draping his arm around his wife. At least, that was what he wanted to do. Instead of her body, he was greeted with the empty side of the mattress. Instantly awake and alarmed he shot up in bed and his eyes darted around the room wildly before he noticed the closet light on. It flipped off and the door opened to reveal Mîra in her hunting attire, a silver bow in hand and a quiver of arrows on her back.
"Vesse? What are you doing?" he asked sternly. She sighed.
"I couldn't sleep. I thought I might go shoot some arrows instead."
"You shouldn't go alone," he growled.
"I can handle myself just fine. Besides I wasn't going to leave the fortress grounds. I'm not a fool," she said rolling her eyes. She walked over to the window and opened it, a cool spring breeze entering the room.
"How long are you going out for?" He asked, his arms crossed.
"If you're just going to worry that much just come with me. It's not like you were sleeping well anyway," she said pointedly.
"Hn," Hiei said.
"Not a word," she chided playfully. He quickly dressed and Mîra stepped out onto the window sill and paused.
"Are you going or not woman?" He asked irritably.
Suddenly she moved backwards, her eyes wide. "Hiei, what is the hour?"
There were times when he understood Mîra when she randomly asked him things. This was not one of them. Either that or he was just too tired.
"One in the morning," he said grouchily.
"The guards should be changing right now," she said.
"Woman, if you keep making these inane comments I'm going to go back to bed."
"They always make a noise from their armor."
"I'm going back to bed," Hiei said flatly.
"So why don't I hear anything?"
Hiei stopped dead in his tracks. He turned slowly at stared at his wife, her eyes wide and a look of sheer terror on her face. Immediately they raced to the window. Mîra nocked an arrow and whispered,
"Calina."
The tip of the arrow sparked with a light and Mîra aimed high and let go. The arrow sailed like a shooting star into the dark night sky until she commanded, "Leithian." The arrow burst and light rained down on the gardens below in a fashion that reminded Hiei of a firework. But unlike a firework, the light did not die out and it illuminated the gardens completely below.
Mîra gasped loudly in shock and Hiei's eyes grew wide. Countless numbers of bodies were slinking quietly through gardens. Now that the light had been cast on them, voices began to raise the calling card of howls and yells announcing the menace in the night. Hiei and his wife looked at each other simultaneously for a second before Hiei yelled,
"Shana! Shana! SHANA!" He paced to the middle of the room. Shana should hear him and come immediately, she had tied her shadow to his. She should come immediately.
"Turma!" His wife shrieked behind him. A slew of arrows bounced off the shield in the open window.
"SHANA!" Hiei bellowed again and she slowly rose out of the shadows, half asleep.
"Shana, wake up! Wake up!" He yelled grasping her shoulders.
"Hiei-papa? What's wrong?" She asked confused, slowly waking up.
"We are under siege. You know the procedures."
Shana's violet eyes widened and then hardened. "Hai, Hiei-sama!" Just before she slipped into the shadows he grabbed her and whispered. "Listen to me, get as many out as you can but I want you alive, do you hear me? Maria and Claudia are first then you. Don't do anything heroic."
The small shadow demon stared at him somberly for a moment before throwing her arms around his neck. Then, she kissed his cheek and disappeared. He stood and swiveled to catch the katana Mîra threw at him. He raised his arm and Koku shot out into the night, already knowing that he wanted her to do a quick surveillance.
The alarm suddenly blared. "We have to get out of here," he said sharply as Mîra hooked Víraserce to her hip.
"I know. Go find Kujo, I'll grab what we need here and help evacuate the servants," she said hurriedly. Hiei didn't want to split up but he had no choice.
"Don't dawdle," he cautioned. He was about to leave the room when Mîra suddenly grabbed him and planted a kiss on his mouth.
She pulled back and he stared into her concerned eyes. "Be careful, Herven."
Hiei touched her face gently for a moment. Then he darted through the door, drawing his sword. He darted down the hallway, noting that the raiders had yet to reach their corridor. More at ease knowing his mate would not be hard pressed to escape their room, he turned down to the main corridor.
The stench of blood filled his nostrils and his sword met with a demon trying to kill one of his guards. Hiei grabbed the collar of the guard and demanded, "Where is Kujo?"
"I- I don't know, Heika, we can't find him."
Swiveling in time to parry a blow, Hiei darted around to the side and lopped off the head of another invading demon. He needed to find Kujo and quickly. Hiei darted quickly down the halls, the stench of death and smoke reeking in his nostrils as he flew by crumpled bodies of guards and maids. Suddenly there was a large exploding sound, the ground shaking in its wake. Hiei narrowed his eyes. The trap he and Shana set at the vault had gone off. Hiei immediately changed trajectory, thinking that maybe the leader had gone for the money while everyone else creating a distraction.
He felt Koku return to him as he ran.
'Master, the enemy forces are overwhelming. We must retreat.'
Hiei swore as he rounded a corner and shoved open the doors of the main hall, he knew a side passage that was faster to the vault, but Mitage's demons were waiting for him. Hiei did not hesitate to run into battle, slicing, cutting, kicking, and stabbing. He ducked as an axe swung horizontally at him and stabbed the demon upward into his stomach quickly before jumping back and avoiding a knife.
Suddenly he was knocked off his feet by a large gust of wind, katana knocked out of his hand. He could see the spear flying through the air and turned to avoid it but the spear grazed his arm. Hiei let out a howl as he hit the ground and he charged his fist with his youki.
"HAH!" He cried, letting out a wave of fire, incinerating the demons in front of him. He quickly stood and picked up a discarded sword charging through the throngs. He needed to get to the treasury damnit! As though someone was reading his mind, demons began to cry out as their legs were yanked into the ground, their upper halves flailing above the stone floor in confusion and agony.
Hiei could sense the shadows dancing around him and he darted for the passage, his wonderful child below in the darkness covering him. Hiei flew down the corridor that Shana took the liberty of clearing for him and immediately covered his mouth as he caught a whiff of smoke. He could feel the heat rising around him as he entered the hallway, the tapestries and rooms on fire.
"Shana, see if the bastard let anyone important go for the vault and then get out of here!" He coughed and darted away from the fire. Hiei was not worried about the money. He and Shana secretly cleared the vault days before, leaving the money in a secure location. As he reentered the main hallways the smoke thickened. Fire demon or not, he would suffocate if he didn't get out of there soon. More importantly, was his wife out? He pulled off his bandana and his Jagan and immediately found her at the library doors, whispering some sort of spell. Stupid woman!
He darted off, hoping to Kami that the corridors were not blocked. He knew she had water magic, but as fire raged around him, her sources would be minimal.
"Damnit, Mîra!" he hissed as he stared down the blazing hallway that led to the library. He felt a presence behind him and quickly jumped aside as a giant ball of energy zoomed by him. He quickly ran up to the attacker and killed him instantly. Frantically, he turned back to the hallway just in time to see his mate just barely making it through the gap the energy blast left before the fire engulfed the hallway again.
Immediately she grabbed the scarf around his neck and tied it around his mouth. "To the dungeons!" she yelled, her cry muffled through her own mouth cover. He led the way and she was on his heel as they raced against their burning home. He entered an open hallway and rounded a corner quickly.
"AH!" he heard her scream. Hiei jerked around just as a burning support beam and debris crashed down on his mate.
"Mîra!" he cried. He darted through the debris and found her conscious, struggling to push the beam off of her. Immediately he grabbed the beam and pulled as she pushed but the beam did not move. Hiei's eyes darted around until he saw that loose stone from the walls had fallen on top of the beam. Shit. He was strong, but he was also wounded and tired.
"Herven," his mate croaked. Damnit, no! Not like this! He grasped the beam and pulled harder but the fire on the beam traveling down to his hands. They licked his skin like warm kisses but his wife's face contorted as she let out a howl of agony.
"Don't push, don't push!" He cried desperately to her. He needed help. She was going to burn alive or get crushed by the beam. Koku's full form immediately appeared. With a snort, the dragon wrestled her muzzle underneath the beam and pushed up. The beam moved slowly and then the rocks shifted, causing the beam to loosen immediately.
"They're still alive! Get them!" someone shouted.
With a roar, Koku shoved the beam into the air, grabbed it with her tail, and hurled it at the gaggle of demons coming after them. Mîra gasped heavily as sat up and Hiei pushed the sight of the grotesque red marks on her hands and the even worse burns on her arms to the back of his mind. He pulled her up and she stumbled before finding her ground. Her hand immediately went to her side and curled around the hilt of her sword. Hiei's attention snapped back to reality, Koku letting out another terrifying roar as she reared her head back and then discharged hellfire onto more of Mitage's men.
"We need to keep moving," Mîra said forcefully. Hiei did not waste time. He darted off, his wife behind him as they raced downwards into the lower levels of the fortress. Hiei felt Koku return to him as he reached the one of the entrances. He shoved open the heavy wooden door and his wife ran past him, taking the lead. Behind him, he could hear the clanking of weapons and the bloodlust cries of demons not too far behind.
Suddenly Mîra stopped, whipped around, and drew Víraserce. He ran past her as she slammed it into the ground, channeling her magic and screamed, "Cemen!" Large pillars shot out of the ground and slammed against the ceiling, causing stone to break. She turned and ran and he followed her as they darted left, right, right, left, and then- a dead end.
Mîra pulled down the cloth covering her mouth and panted heavily. She leaned against the wall for support, clutching her abdomen. It was then that he noticed a thick trail of silver trickling down her side. Hiei took the scarf off of his neck and walked over to his mate. He moved her arm to see a large sliver blots on her torn green cloth. He lifted the shredded cloth carefully to reveal a gash in her side, bits of debris, dirt and wood splinters ingrained in her raw flesh. Hiei pulled off his dusty cloak and tore strips of cloth. He tied the black fabric around her mid-section, covering the torn cloth over the gash. Hopefully that would help from keeping anything else getting in, but it needed to be disinfected and sewed up. Fast.
He swallowed. "How much time do we have?"
"What time?" she answered dryly. "Plan A- cover me," she managed between coughs. Slowly pushed herself off the wall and pulled a dagger with a bright blue handle out of one of the two brown satchel bags she was wearing. She turned to the back wall and Hiei turned to stand his ground in front of her, Koku at the ready. He heard her whispering a series of words and out of the corner of his eyes he saw a faint blue glow. From beyond, the sound of something large being broken echoed along the stone.
"Mîra," he said warningly. He could hear her whispering become more frantic and suddenly the blue light died. He heard her swear sharply in elvish and pound against the wall.
"Okay," she sighed. "Plan A failed. Now onto plan B." Hiei could hear her slowly making her way over to him. His mate was not going to be conscious for much longer. Her figure was hunched as she reached him but she forced her body to straighten, her eyes resilient and her visage hard. She raised her arm. "Turma," she commanded solidly. Hiei felt the shield go up around him instantly.
"Now what?" he asked.
"Well, I can sing which will draw Shana to us, let her know we still need help." She did not look relieved.
"But?"
"But as long as the shield is up she cannot touch our shadows."
Hiei licked his dry lips and nodded in understanding. He stared into his wife's stony visage and let the quiet knowledge that she could not hold the shield for long passed between them silently. He grounded himself again and readied Koku. For a moment, as the white light began to swirl around his feet, he closed his eyes as his wife began to sing. He had no idea what the words were or what song it was but it didn't matter. Did he ever tell her that he thought her voice was loveliest sound he had ever heard?
But the ugly sounds of the bloodthirsty demons were nearing, the earthen barrier now destroyed. They clamored down the hallways, running towards the source of the dripping purple and silver.
Hiei could feel a pressure underneath him and he looked down through the light to see a black spot. He looked at Mîra's feet and saw it slowly spreading there as well. There was a loud cry as Hiei braced himself as a demon charged them, only to the thrown back by the barrier. Angered by the obstacle, they threw weapons and charged again only to be repelled.
Hiei frantically searched down at the ground again. The black wasn't covering enough yet. He stared worriedly at his wife as her voice began to waver and her extended arm shook. Blood and puss oozed out of her burns and he grabbed her wrist, supporting the weight of her arm.
The ground shook as larger demons approached them. Hiei shot a look at the ground again. The large demon began gathering red energy and felt Mîra's muscles tense up as she shot more magic at the barrier. He braced himself as the red youki hit the wall and it dissolved.
"Hiei," his mate said, her voice cracking, "I cannot do that again."
He looked down to see there was enough black and looked up to see another ball of red youki being formed.
"On three," he said slowly and she nodded.
"One." The demon pulled his arm back.
"Two." Hiei kept his youki at his fingertips.
"Three!"
The red ball of youki charged at them, the barrier went down, Hiei released his own youki and then he was yanked into the darkness. He felt a small hand grasp his collar and he was zigzagging through shadows until they emerged.
His mate gasped for air as she coughed, collapsed intoa ball on the ground. Shana plopped down wearily and Hiei darted around to look at his surroundings. He felt no one threatening around them but that might not last for long.
He pulled himself to his feet and jumped up into a tree, he needed to get his bearings. He slowly made his way up but just before he reached the top, he suddenly heard shrieking below. He jumped down to the ground immediately to see Kujo with his arm around Shana's neck, the small demon clawing at the demons arm helplessly. Five large demons stood behind him menacingly and Hiei immediately looked for his wife. There was a decent amount of space between them and Mîra but he was sure it wouldn't do any good. His mate was struggling to pull herself onto her feet. Still, despite her condition, she was giving Kujo a very deadly look.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the happy little family," Kujo sneered at Hiei. "Drop the sword and if you so much as even think about releasing your pet, I'll slice the girl's throat."
Kujo… this demon betrayed them! Hiei growled angrily as he tossed the sword towards Kujo. The lizard demon grinned maliciously.
"Good," he hissed. He kicked it off to the side, too far for Hiei to grab it and strike in one dash. His mate was too injured and drained to make any quick moves and Shana was too weak to hide in the shadows.
Hiei was on his own.
The realization was a cold one and a terrible, nauseating dread filling him. He did not care about death. But if Shana or Mîra were to die…
Snap out of it. Focus. Think like the fox. What could he control? Time. He needed time. Fortunately, that was easy. Villains love to chat incessantly, a trait he learned was costly the hard way once.
"Traitor," he sneered. "How long have you been working for that bastard?"
"Not long after you made that filth your mate," Kujo spat angrily. "I believed in you, fought for you, and I would have died for you! Then you betrayed all of our dead because you've fallen for an elf bitch." His grip on Shana's neck tightened and she let out a whimper. "I won't stand for it," he hissed.
He turned his beady eyes to Hiei's mate, who managed to pull herself to her knees. "I'm making this simple. Give me the elf and I won't kill the child."
Hiei's eyes narrowed, his fists balled tightly. "You are asking for an exchange?"
The lizard demon's eyes glinted at him dangerously. "No, no. I'm saying if you don't hand over the elf, I'll kill the girl and then take the elf. If you do, I'll let her live and deliver her to Mitage as a bonus."
"And what will you receive? Did he tell you he will give you all the women and money you could imagine?" Hiei sneered.
"Oh no, nothing simple like that." The lizard demon turned to Mîra. "Once the King has his fill with you, I get to have a turn. Then I'll show you what it really means to be the prisoner of a demon. "
Hiei's muscles tensed but Kujo turned to him sharply. "Don't move." Hiei growled threateningly. He had to find a way to kill this bastard!
"I will go."
Hiei snapped his attention to his mate. She was struggling to stand but once she was solidly on her feet, her back straightened and her head held high. She unbuckled Víraserce from her hip and her beloved blade fell to the ground with a large thud. She kicked it away from her. "If you spare Shana's life, I will go with you quietly."
Hiei wanted to shout no, he was supposed to protect her! They didn't just narrowly escape to watch Mitage win! But then was he supposed to condemn Shana? His Shana, the bright child he saved and kept under his care and tutelage for years? He couldn't.
Kujo let out an evil, loud laugh as he walked towards Mîra. He glanced back at Hiei. "If you make any sudden moves, I'll kill the girl."
His youki flared around him and Hiei knew what was going to happen. Kujo had paralysis venom that could immobilize his victims for weeks, depending on how much he used. He was going to immobilize Mîra, then Shana, and get away. He couldn't let Kujo do this!
Hiei's gut twisted as he watched Kujo slowly get closer and closer, there had to be a way! Hiei's eyes fell on Víraserce. Then he stared at his mate, her proud, defiant eyes staring coldly at Kujo as he walked towards her. He remembered that look in her eyes. That was the look on the battlefield she gave him before he brought down his sword and the way she stared at him on their wedding day.
Mîra was a strong, proud woman who never let anything stand in her way unless the situation was beyond her control. The war and the marriage were beyond her control. Kujo coming for her was not. Hiei's eyes fell back on the claymore. The claymore was well within his reach and Kujo was taking his time as he walked towards Mîra. Mitage's thugs were hanging back, eyeing him like he was their dinner. Oh how wrong they were about to be.
Hiei watched Kujo get closer and closer until his hand was reaching out to touch his mate's brave face. Suddenly Mîra's eyes went wild with rage and Hiei moved.
"CALINA!" She screamed.
Hiei's hands wrapped around Víraserce's hilt just as the blinding light overcame his sight. He pulled the heavy sword out of the scabbard and moved. He had spent months down in Mukuro's hell and if there is one thing he learned, he learned to fight without relying on his sight. He was the only shadow in the brightness, moving towards the screams of the weak thugs and killing them without hesitation.
But when he regained his vision, he realized he was not fast enough. Mîra was on the ground and Shana was next to her trying to wake her to no avail. His mate's sprawled spotted purple and silver white hair looked oddly like a cocoon but Hiei knew it would not protect her. Kujo was too close, a claw raised above Hiei's mate and child.
"You bitch!" Kujo roared.
"NO!" Hiei cried, dragging the sword behind him. He raised it but it was too heavy and the sword was only weighing him down. The hilt slipped from his fingers as he extended his claws towards Kujo but it wasn't enough the sword slowed him down too much and Kujo's claw was coming down on them slowly but he wasn't going to make it he-
A large blur crossed his path and Hiei found himself swiping where Kujo should have been but instead it was air. Hiei stopped just short of his mate to see a monstrously large charcoal and grey wolf throwing Kujo into a tree. Then the wolf grabbed him by his large, sharp jaws and threw him again. The beast pounced on Kujo and in a swift motion, bit off the lizard's head. The wolf threw his head back to the sky and let out a long, loud howl.
Honjo. That meant-
Kirin was suddenly beside him, his eyes narrowed through the slits his helmet allowed. Honjo had found Mukuro like he asked. Relieved that help was on the way he crouched down to his mate. He gently pried Shana's hands off of Mîra's clothes. Sobbing the small demon clutched herself to him and he held her tightly with one arm as he tried to examine his wife. Suddenly, other demons were around him and it took him a moment to recognize them. Mukuro sent her medics. They immediately began to examine Mîra and one of them tried to take Shana from him.
"No!" He snapped, wrapping both arms around the child. He felt a heavy hand on his shoulder.
"Let them work, Hiei. The girl needs to be examined." Kirin's voice made sense to him but he couldn't let her go. He couldn't let her out of his sight. But Kirin's grip became stronger and Hiei kissed the shadow demon on the head before allowing the medics to take her.
"Hiei-papa," she wailed.
"I'm right behind you, you're safe now," he tried to say reassuringly. It must have worked because the demoness nodded and the medics rushed off. Hiei watched them take Shana away and begin to tend to her. Shana would live. She was going to be okay. Hiei turned down to his mate.
The scene was almost unreal. The great and powerful General Mîrvana was out cold, looking more batter and beaten than he had ever seen her. He knelt down and picked up her cold hand, intertwining his fingers with hers. How could he let this happen to his mate? Did she really use that much magic? How could this have taken her out? She was the notorious general! He should be distressed but all he could feel was confusion.
"She's bleeding heavily on her side! We have to stop it quickly or she'll go into exsanguination!" One of the medics reported. Hiei's eyes widened and thrust his hand over the open gash. In an instant he began to burn her flesh. He was thankful she was passed out, he wasn't sure if she would have been able to bear the pain. When it was cauterized, he withdrew his hand and the medic stuck a needle in the gash. He hoped it was a disinfectant.
Hiei felt the familiar rumbling of the ground and he knew the centipede would be here at any minute but what if they were too late? What if she didn't… No. He was not going to think that way. He was not going to give into those notions!
Hiei turned as the giant centipede pulled up and slammed to a halt. His gaze wandered to the top where a figure hopped down the centipede quickly. Now on the ground, Mukuro bypassed Hiei and began barking orders.
"Rei, get the elf on board now!"
"Hai, Mukuro-sama!" One of the medics responded. Hiei rose with them and her cold fingers slipped through Hiei's as they pulled her away. Hiei start to follow but Mukuro stepped in his path.
"We need to get moving, we have a head start to the border but it will still take a few days."
Hiei ignored her and tried to side step around Mukuro but her arm extended, blocking his path.
"She needs surgery. For now, you have to let her go."
Surgery? Hiei's gaze snapped up to the former king. "You want to open her up?" How could they open her up? They needed elf blood for that. Shigure was the only demon he knew who could cut someone open and not use it. Shigure was dead. They didn't have elf blood.
"Hiei." Mukuro's usually clear voice seemed faded in the back of his mind.
"You can't cut her open." He looked at her. "You'll kill her if you cut her open." The nauseous panic began to spread again as the realization sunk in. "You can't cut her open! You-"
Hiei felt himself flying for a moment before his back slammed into something hard. Pain shot through his back and he fell limply to the ground. He tried to push himself back up but his body was exhausted and resisted heavily. Then, there was a foot on his back, shoving him back down. His eyes slid up angrily into Mukuro's calm blue eye.
"Hiei, I drained elves for their blood during the war. I wanted to experiment with it. Blood types are color coded. Pure silver is rare but I have it, courtesy of probably a cousin of hers. Shigure taught the medics well before he died. I would not be careless with your mate, Hiei."
"You despise her." The statement was more out of confusion than anything, but hurt crossed her blue eye for a moment.
"She makes you happy. I do not understand why but my understanding is not necessary. She makes you happy. I would never make you unhappy, Hiei."
The demoness removed her foot and took a step back. He laid in the ground for a moment, the panic dissipating as he processed her words. The feeling of relief stayed in him as he pulled himself to her feet. He stared up at the woman, her unemotional blue eye staring at him. This woman gave him so much and yet he still rejected her romantic inquiries. That did not mean he valued her any less.
"I too look out for your happiness, Mukuro."
Mukuro stared at him quietly, her blue eye revealing nothing. Hiei briefly wondered if his blunt response would earn him a snide remark. But then, her lips pulled into a small, understanding smile.
"We should leave now, we are vulnerable where we are. Mitage's men will be looking for me and I need to get you to the human border before the Spirit Brat realizes what is happening and raises the barrier."
Hiei frowned. "How will he know? He would only do that if there was pure chaos here and an actual threat to the human world."
Mukuro stared at him, her face dropping into a look that only he could recognize as sorrow. Then she looked up at the sky. "What would you call this?"
Hiei followed her gaze but he could not see anything. He darted up into a tree, wondering what she was talking about. He reached the top, scanned the surrounding area and froze. Now he understood.
Hiei could see it, not too far in the distance, the large fiery ball of bright light. In passing, it might have been seen as a curious beauty with the way it illuminated the dark sky like a beacon. Demons were congregating to it curiously, wondering what it was.
Hiei clenched his fists and swallowed the bile in his mouth.
The fortress was consumed.
Translation Notes:
Calina- Illuminate
Leithian- Release