Chapter Ten
Bright chocolate colored eyes skimmed the green forest about her. The sun was rising high over head, lighting the deep forest a dark green, for only some of the parts of the forest floor would get the sunlight through the thick branches and leaves that covered the ground like a roof above. Standing high, in one of the many taller trees, a little girl. Covered in a torn pink Kimono and dirt, stood looking about. The tree gave her good height from the ground and a good spot to hide in the leaves of the smaller trees below. Oddly not very afraid of heights, and knowing well how to climb a tree, she grabbed a thick branch above her, and pulled her self up upon it. She had been doing this every few minutes. grab a branch, look around, grab another, climb up and repeat. She was trying to get a good view of the area around her, and to also look for the people who where chasing her.
The people who where chasing her were actually of two different groups. To her sad luck one was a group of villagers who where after her for some reason or another, as was every village she had come across, and the second was a group of demons. There reason was simple. A meal. Usually the demons that chased her wanted her flesh as a meal. Thinking this made the frail girl shiver against the wind that was stronger the higher up she went, but she shook the thought from her head, and climbed another branch. Somehow, climbing the tree she was able to escape both groups, only praying each group would find each other and end the chasing of her own. Though that wish was far from happening, as it has yet. Though she had been lucky and had yet to see either group since sun down, and now it was noon of the next day.
Pulling her self up onto another branch, ignoring the pain in her palms from the rough bark digging into her skin, she pulled her self up to the last thickest, strongest branch she could see in the tall Elm tree she had chosen to hide in. Standing slowly her feet, she found her balance and stood looking around. The sky was bright over head, and birds chirped in a tree near by to her. Moving some leaves aside, she was able to see some of the landscape before her. She was always amazed at the sight from so far above. Seeing many tops of the trees, for the ground had sloped below her, so she could get a good view of the area around her. She could see some sort of clearing up ahead, in the direction she was heading, and only hoped a friendlier village was there she could hide out in, and get food. Looking around, she turned to walk to a branch of equal width near by, and then another till she was on the other side of the tree and looking at the forest behind her. She couldn't see much, other then trees for it slopped up and out behind her. But she could clearly see the large tree she had run across earlier, for it stood taller and wider then all the other trees around her.
Seeing this tree she begun to think of the demon who laid under it, and wonder why he had let her free. Though he looked wounded, he still looked strong enough to kill her, if he had so wished it. She also thought about how human he looked compared to the much uglier, nonhuman looking demons that where chasing her before."I should thank him." She thought idly, then shook her head. Heading back that way meant running into those demons or humans again, and it didn't deem safe. "He is probably gone." She told her self, as she moved to sit upon the branch, feeling well worn out, though she slept decently in the lower barks of the tree earlier. Yawning she moved to slid down the branch to one below her, then from that one to one below that, and so forth. She did this till she was closer to the ground, closer to the thicker and wider branches she had slept on only hours before.
She was close to the bottom of the tree, hanging by her stomach on the branch preparing herself to jump to the ground quiet a few feet below, when she heard a snap of a twig near by that scared her enough that she lost her grip and landed hard on the ground below. Landing hard on her ankle, twisting the one she twist the day before once more, and fell back onto the ground on her butt with a small "Ouch" slipping from her lips. She looked around her fearful for a moment, only to see a pair of legs clad in white standing near where she had fallen. She quickly stood to her feet, wincing when she put weight on the ankle she had twisted and stumbled into the trunk of the tree.
Standing she quickly backed up against the tree, fear thick in her throat, a scream stuck, as she took in the person standing before her, and gasped out the scream instead of letting it out fully. Before her stood the demon from before. She gulped. He was here to kill her, she knew it. To finish what he had not done the day before. She begun hopping her way around the tree, to try and get away from him, her eyes locked on his gaze, as his golden gaze seemed locked on hers.
What he thought, she could not tell, his face was emotionless, a flat mask betraying no thoughts of anger, or the will of wanting to kill her, only watching her, and every move she made. Making the fear in her make her heart beat increase as she hobbled around the tree trying to get out of sight from him. When she noticed that he did not follow her, only to turn and walk the other way with out so much as another glance. She let out a sigh of relief, about to turn and walk away, ignoring the pain that shot up her leg. she had only taken on little hobble when she fell over and into a pair of dirty brown boots. Boots she noticed looked very human and familiar. As a hand squeezed around her arm, and forcefully pulled her to her feet and slightly off the ground. Pain shot through her arm, and she let out a small yelp of pain, as she hung by nothing but her arm and inch off the ground, as the male who had grabbed her, stared into her eyes with a bright, crooked smile.
"So we had finally found you! Little wench!" He said thickly. his breath reeking so much so, that the smell of it had her head spinning and gasping for fresh breath as he put his face to hers breathed into it, laughing at her reaction. "Finally! You can pay for all the food you have stolen!" He laughed "Bu..But! I stole nothing!" She chimed out, grimacing in the uncomfortable position of his grip on her arm, as he shook his head with anger. "You lie!" He yelled back as he let go of her arm, causing her to fly back a few inches, and hard onto the ground, landing once more on that cursed ankle, and let out another yelp of pain.
As she slid backwards on the ground on her hands and butt to put distant between her and the male, she tried finding something to throw at him. "Looky here, Girl! You will pay us what you owe, or pay us with your life." He said, steeping towards her, noticing that as he talked, he talked louder, and a moment later another male, then another came out of the tree line and towards her. Talking to each other and laughing that they had finally found her.
"Now pay up! Come on! We don't have all day!" the first male said as he inched towards her.
"Yea! You kept us chasing you for too long, Girl. Maybe your money is not enough." The second male, much younger then the first commented as he followed behind the first.
"Bu..But.. I don't have any money!" The girl answered in a shaky voice, pausing in her crawling as her hand grabbed something hard and around. She grabbed it and tried standing, wobbly to one foot, her hand behind her back.
"Then it is your life you must pay with." The first stated as he pulled out a dagger from his waist, fear gripped the girl, freezing her to her spot.
"wait." the third male, much much younger then the other two, maybe a little older then her self. A boy, said, as he approached the two "Killing isn't the answer. It wouldn't give us anything." He stated, and the older first male look thoughtful.
The girl took this moment to begin walking backwards, one step at a time. Counting how many she had between her and the group before her. Glad the other had made them stop, but when they looked to her, she froze again.
"Your right. It wont." The first commented.
"Maybe we should put her to work first." The second suggested, the First looked to him then nodded.
"Good idea, but she still should pay for stealing to begin with. To learn a lesson. One finger for each of the four fruits you have taken." He smirked as he turned and walked after her.
"I stole nothing!" the girl yelled out, chucking the rock at the males head, feeling a little happy that it hit the target, striking the male straight in the head, splitting the skin and causing a line of blood to tear down his face. She turned an ran the, as she saw the anger build in his face. Tough she could hardly run, as she could only limp. each step hurt, as she put weight on that sore ankle, causing her to slow down greatly and stumble many times.
She barely made it over a fallen log twenty feet away before they where on her again. She fell over it, and into a pair of black boots, that had her scrambling to her feet, to afraid of being caught behind her, to worry about anything else, as she ran and hide behind a near by tree, as the first of the males jumped over the fallen log and right into the point of a sword.
The girl let out a gasp as she watched the males once angered face, fall into shock as he steeped back and out of the point of the sword. The wielder of the sword was the tall demon clad in white she had ran across twice before. She blinked, wondering what the demon was doing as she ducked and watched from her hiding spot. Hoping not to be seen. She knew she should run, but she was sore, knew running was useless at this point and was honestly. Mildly curious.
The great Demon stood there, looking with disgust at the three humans that stood before hi. Shock and anger on their faces. "Demon! leave, you have no reason for being here!" The first male called out, gripping his left side where the sword had went into. Blood covered his hand and ran down his side. The demon only wrinkled his nose in disgust at the foul smell but said nothing as he took one step towards them. "If you are protecting the little wench, then be it. You can die as well!" The stubborn males said as he unsheathed his sword and took a stance that was painful to him, but seemed to ignore, as the other two, who seemed afraid nodded and did the same thing.
"You will die for protecting the wench, and for harming our leader!" The second male had commented, taking his turn and ran for the demon striking for his side. He did not last long, as all it took was one graceful step to the side, and a swing of his blade to the males shoulder and his head rolled right off and the body toppled to ground spilling crimson liquid all over the brown forest ground.
With Anger clear in his face, the first male took his turn. He did not die as quickly, and had moved quiet skillfully for being a wounded weak human, that it took a few dodges before the great demon would move his sword in a arch that aloud him to gracefully swipe if from the males left shoulder, down to his waist. Surprised covered the males face before the wound seemed to exploded and gush blood from shoulder waist, and he fell to the ground with a vaant look. Before the second male had hit the ground dead the demon was turning to face the last one. A younger one, a boy, who had already dropped his sword in fear and had turn running. This one seemed to be of no importance, as the demon flicked the blood from his sword and sheathed it back in its sheath at his side, then turned to walk away.
The girl watched with fear and wonder, specially when the demon seemed to walk away from where she was standing, and small understanding filled the girl. As she quickly jumped from her spot and tried running after him. "Wait!" She called out, and was mildly surprised that the demon had stopped. With slight courage she moved to stand in front of the demon and bowed before him. "Th..Thank you for saving me." She called out, her face red. Who knew a demon would save her.
"There is no thanking is needed. They where merely in my way." He stated as he moved to walk around her, and away.
"Wait!" The girl called out again, when he didn't stop walking this time, she hobbled her way after him and along his side. "Please... L..Let me thank you.. For helping me." she asked, looking up and up at him. realizing as he stood that he was rather tall, and rather good looking for a demon. From his long silver hair, to the stripes that assented both of his cheek and the faint blue crescent upon his forehead, she thought him to be a Lord, with the way he held himself so proper and everything. She was very grateful that this person, this demon was her savior. When he didn't look at her and kept walking she frowned and continued to walk in silence along his side, well more like a slow hobble. For at least an hour she had hobbled after him, till her ankle could take no more and she fell with a yelp of pain. Tears brimmed her eyes as she looked to her ankle, the thin leg was swollen and discolored. Touching it made her wince with even more pain. She let out a small whimper, and looked up noting that the demon had stopped and was mildly looking back at her.
"Why did you follow?" He simply asked. She stood to her foot, only to fall again in pain. "I..I wanted to repay you for helping me." She said honestly, looking to him with no more fear.
"There is no need. I did nothing of the sort. Only took out something that was annoying." He stated about to turn to leave, pausing when she gasped out loud. "Your.. Your wound.. Its bleeding again!" She called out, calling his attention to her, her pointed hand at his left side. Placing his hand to his side, he felt his clothing, they felt oddly wet, and when he pulled his hand away, it was slightly covered in blood. He narrowed his eyes at his hand. Maybe he had gotten up to early, but the annoying sounds of those men searching along the woods, and her cry of pain had him doing other wise something he would never find himself doing.
Turning he moved to a large tree and sat back upon it, with nothing more then thought of rest to heal his wound even farther, and not on the girl who had followed at his side for the past hour or that she was nearly crawling her way over towards him. She sat quietly near his side, and stayed that way for the rest of the day, her eyes dropping closed every once in a while before she had fallen asleep. Deeming it safe, the great demon himself closed his eye, if only to rest for a while to increase his healing and stop the bleeding. When that was done, he would leave the weak girl behind and continue on his way back to his lands.
AN: Please R&R. Hope you are enjoying so far!