Hello, friends! Look who showed up earlier this time! Okay, not so soon as it could be, but more than the last time LOL...
All reviews and private messages were encouraging and now, I translate my texts everytime I can! Yey!
So, I hope you like this one, I think chapter 8 is very exciting in different ways, mostly if you enjoy Naraku as I do, and the next is even better!
Good reading, everybody! Sorry If I written something inappropriate, I'm doing my best, swear it.
Chapter 6 – Sorcery
Since that night when the giant spider showed itself, Annabelle used to wait every guard in that castle go to sleep, so she could go to a lake nearby to conjure a protection spell. Anna came down a ravine that led to the stream's bank, wearing only a white – translucid – nightdress. With light and slow steps, she entered the cold waters and made circular movements with her fingers on the watery surface, then luminous circles came out the lake and floated to the skyes as Annabelle spelled words in an ancient language. All gravity around her seemed different, even her ginger hair swayed high and droplets of water flew to the air, combined with those ivory mystic orbs.
That kind of magic she was making made leaves grew on dead threes and grass arise over desertic lands. Nature showed itself strong and Naraku knew he could assign the recent phenomena to a single person:
"Annabelle, what is in your mind?"
It was clearly out of his plans to have a sort of witch or priestess on his way, ruinning his plot. So, next nightime, Naraku followed Annabelle's steps to the river and hidden himself behind a large three. Her carroty loose locks falling over her shoulders and her bare feet walking gracefuly on the ground made her looks like a part of the forest, as if she could be a flower, or even a ondine of the stream she was entering. Without noticing, the White Baboon got glazed on the woman with open arms, half of her delicated body inside the clear pond, spelling the same old words from nights before – in fact, it was more singing than speaking – and she was making the circles float again, gifting Naraku with a spectacle from nature. Sky became clearer with the lights, in fact it seemed purified.
This woman is dangerous - Naraku realized in his toughts.
"I know you're there" her calm voice surprised him. "Always sneaking around, Naraku".
Annabelle remained serene and went out the water, not caring if her clothes were wet and transparent, the fabric wrapped in her body, showing it curves. The celestian eyes were craved on the strange man who stared her shinny moon pendant. She doesn't seemed to be aware or ashamed of her condittion. Naraku, still rolling his eyes on every form of her, asked:
"What are you?"
"What are you?" She replied with the same question.
"I can't feel youki on you, but you can't be human" he commented, intrigued by her powers.
"As strange as it may seem, I am" the White Rose smiled in response, and then started to walk the path wich would lead her to the castle. The mysterious white aura remained over her, contourning all features, making her a light in the darkest of woods. Some grass returned to grow on the trail she was passing by. That happened on those days, since she started a protection ritual. One more thing to Naraku worry about.
He decided to bring a castle's guard with him in the next time, so the footman would see the things Annabelle could do, be afraid and tell everyone the truth about the redhaired girl... but she never came.
She is smarter than I thought.
Annabelle woudn't be stupid to repeat the rite, knowing Naraku was at her back. Although he earned a little credit from her for saving Hitomi's life, even so she couldn't give him a chance to ruin things for her. The Scottish Lady knew a lot of people who she trusted in, and had to move away after having her powers revealed. Every time someone found out about her gifts, Belle walked away, for she kney the nature of people, and what they were used to do when they had to deal with something they couldn't understand. So, Anna decided she would think about another way to protect the castle.
A few days after the ritual's ending, the eight-legged beast caused panic in the castle again, this time in the gardens. Naraku left another scar on youkay's face and it ran away. However, something began around the property. The firmament was always shrouded in purple mist, and the few leaves that grew on some branches finally fell, turning that scenery a funereal landscape.
On one of those faded mornings, Annabelle and Hitomi were sitting on a porch facing the garden
and staring the dead plants in a sadly silence. When the young master would get up, his body fell forward, Annabelle held him quickly, and touched his face. It was very, very hot.
"You're burning with fever!" She touched his forehead.
"It's nothing..." he said with rolling eyes, weakly.
"Guards!" The girl screamed with all energy she got. Two men came near quickly, grabbed Hitomi to his room and laid him down into his bed. Anna knelt beside him and asked for towels, water and some herbs. At that point, the guards didn't make any question. "Tell the shogun his son is unwell!" and that would soon be arranged.
"Yes, miss Anaberu!" they answered and ran to the lord's chambers to warn him. The man was sitting in front of the balcony's door drinking a cup of sake. "Sir, the young master is very ill!"
"Oh, really?" The old man took a sip of his drink and remained staring the desert outside the doors. "Take care of him then".
"Won't you come to see him, master?" They insisted, that behavior was uncommon for their lord.
"No" Hitomi's father answered emotionless "I'm busy".
While the subjects and servants of the castle commented that Kagewaki's father was acting strange, Annabelle induced the lad to drink a potion she had made from the juice of squeezed herbs. Even it was bitter, he didn't complain.
"You're tireless. How long you've been here taking care of me?" He caught her hand inside his trembling one.
"It hasn't been that long, my lord. You're so exhausted, I believe that journey wasn't good for you..."
"It certainly wasn't." the lad laughed weakly.
"I'll see if I can find something for you to eat" she was ready to get up, but Hitomi didn't ler her hand go.
"Stay with me here" he moaned "please...".
"My lord, what is that?" the lass bent her body, closing the distance between them. "You'll be alright." Then she laid down her head over his chest and heard it wheezing.
"I don't know, I have a bad feeling..." his brown eyes closed, stubborn against his will to stay awake.
"Don't be silly, you'll be fine, I promise" she closed her eyes apprehensively, sliding her hand down his neck, across his chest, and into his belly. "I'll watch over you" Annabelle spoke softly. So, she concentrated herself, kept her focus on Hitomi's body. Soon, she could feel what was happening inside him, and when she found out, the azure eyes opened wide.
She sat suddenly and analyzed him to the bone, so she felt the dark aura – similar to Naraku's – within Hitomi. Anna trembled and distrusted the White Baboon's intentions again. That guy should have something to do with that mess. But, most worried about her young master then with dirty plots, Annabelle filled her lungs with air, held his head in her hands, closed her eyes, opened her lips and brought them close to his dry, half-open mouth. With their mouths almost sealed, a thread of light escaped Annabelle's throat and entered through his.
In the day after, Kagewaki awoke feeling much better and without fever, although he was still weak. The foreigner miss realized her efforts did work and decided to repeat her little act every night, when her protector was deeply asleep. Finished her work, Annabelle went to her room and prayed with her hands together. The spider still walked around the castle, but doesn't entered it anymore.
She is purifying him. Naraku noticed after a few days, so he began to observe her through a small crack in the door.
"What are you doing there?" a handmaid, carrying a winnower with food, stopped in front of him and asked.
"Oh, what a wonderful surprise! Is this for the young master?" Naraku pretended to be friendly and the woman said a "yes" bouncing her head. The pretentious hanyou invited her to sit at his side. "Come see something very interesting with me".
The maid knelt and put her small black eye on the crack, then she blanched as if she had seen a ghost.
"Go, tell everyone in this castle there is a witch among us and she is responsible for drying Young Master's energies."
Without hesitation, the maid dropped the tray on the floor and rushed to warn the Shogun and the samurai leader about Annabelle's actions. The day when the poor lady would be unmasked had finally arrived.
As she completed her task, once again Annabelle lifted up and prepared herself to go back to her room, so she was surprised by the samurai that always gave her chills.
"You, follow me. Master wishes to see you" he demanded with his katana in hand.
"Alright, it has no need of use this thing... Ah!" the girl moaned as soon her arm was pressed by his impetuous hand. She coldn't even walk by her will, because the man pushed her until they were at the great hall – the place she almost got killed in her first time there.
"Don't you try to trick us" he said, speaking for him and the other two in there: Hitomi's father and Naraku. The maid was silent as alone on a corner, other guards were around. She was cornered.
"What's happening?" Annabelle asked as soon her arm was realesed. The way those people were looking at her wasn't good. Although she feared, her features stayed confident. Then, when her eyes fixed on Lord's castle, she've seen a strange shadow underneath him – a spider. So, she narrowed her eyes to see better and saw a web thread connected to the man. When she was almost finding the origin of the that thread, the maid's voice gained her attention.
"I saw with my own eyes sir, she was bewitching the young master, draining his soul from the body!" She pointed the finger at the Scottish lady, fiercely.
"That's not truth! You didn't understand what you've seen..." Anna tried to explain.
"Witch!" the hysterical woman insisted "She bewitched the master, bewitched us all!"
"Witch... Witch!" all the guards in there repeated the cursed word in unison choir. Every human soul inside the hall were drove in fear of unknowing things and the anger grew within them as a disease. "With!" How Annabelle hated that word... if only they knew the goodness inside her, but that men held her arms violently, trying to immobilize her. Naraku remained silent, only observing that odd situation. The master's face showed a sadistic smirk.
"No, I was trying to protect him!" As long as Annabelle had a voice, she would defend herself. She bounced her body wanting to get rid of those men. Her legs rattled, she tried to kick her gaolers, so the girl realized that with physical strength she could not keep those guards away. "You don't understand!" the lass screamed "He is the one to blame!" and finnaly, she stared at the owner of the land and the castle, surprising everyone. "The youkai is inside him." the ginger foreigner announced convicted, attracting Naraku's attention.
"That's absurd, woman!" the samurai brushed the sword blade on her chin "Say another impropriety and I'll cut your tongue."
"Arrest her" the lord said visibly apprehensive. "Tomorrow I want to see her quartered in pieces!" his eyes widened and fixed on her, as he could see the flesh beneath the dress.
"No." She stared at him even more deeper, if he could see her skin, she could reach his soul. Fearless, Anna relaxed her arms and hands.
"Take... Take this woman out!" his voice trembled, Hitomi's father was suddenly unsettled, his lean joints stiff and his fingers stretched like thin, dry bones. "She-she is cursing me, take her out now!"
"No." once more, she spoke calmly, but decided. That time the guards and the samurai were immobilized too.
"What's the meaning of this?" the men asked "What has she done?!"
In short, unhurried steps, Annabelle turned to the paralyzed creature and held out her hand. The dark shadow following him started to writhe. Naraku noticed he would have to stop her, but before he had a chance, someone else did the work for him.
"Anaberu..." Kagewaki was leaning against the door, gazing at her in deception.
She turned and looked at him, terrified. Her arms went down and the faint white light around her faded.
"Hitomi..." The name was spoken weakly as she encountered the gaze of someone disappointed and frightened.
He knew.
A heavy blow to the head made her lose her senses. Naraku hit her with his sword's handle and held her in his arms.
"Take this witch away!" master gave the order.
The White Baboon carried her carefully, as he was passing through the door, Annabelle's legs bumped lightly on a unbeliever Hitomi.
As he had been guided, he left the girl in a cell and tied her hands and legs, even knowing that it might not be enough to contain her will to scape. Still, Naraku tied her firmly and laid her down on the cold floor. At last, pushed the orange waves away from the milky face, listened to the heavy breath, and when he found himself he was lost in the dazzle of her vulnerable and beautiful visage.
"This is ridiculous" the Baboon reprehended himself, got up quickly and left her in the small prison, at the mercy of the night and the cold weather.
It seems I got rid of you now. He thought, but Naraku wasn't so satisfied as he appeared to be.
To be continued...