Chapter 13: Giving the Gift and Taking the Price

Hiei stepped through the portal and looked around. The mountains were high as peaks and the sky was purplish black and glowing fire red. Akamery told him the Fire Mountains were volcanoes, yet the flowers that they grew were as dangerous as the tribe.

Biting his lip, he glanced behind him. The portal was staying open possibly until he crossed through it again. He touched the purple pouch that Kurama gave him and kept it close to him as he started walking.

Akamery told him that the Outslaan Helder tribe would only cause him problems. Not only were they fire demons like Hiei himself, but they were also rock demons. Very useful since they lived in the hottest places.

He didn't know what the Pectus Luminarium looked like, but he had a feeling that if he asked the tribe, gave them Kurama's and his gift then maybe, just maybe they would tell him.

'Stupid, prideful people,' Hiei knew he should swallow his words since he was almost the same, but he was neither a fool nor an idiot.

He walked up the pathway trail when he felt the presence of another demon. Demons to be exact. He looked up to see silhouettes of at least ten to twenty of the Outslaan Helders. His eyes looked to the left and then to the right, the whole pathway was blocked.

"Stranger that can climb the Mountains of our Gods and of our ancestors before our generation, I'm Amour one of the Outslaan Helders." The middle of the group split and someone started walking. Once she was in the sunlight, Hiei was taken aback.

Her hair was a dusty brown yet her eyes were dark green. Her skin was tanned and her clothing was the strangest. Her ankles and wrists were covered in green leaves that were fireproof. Even her skirt was made from the same grass. Her shirt was made from leather and was weaved with the leaves.

"I'm Hiei Jaganshi."

Amour looked at him and then folded her arms. Her hair wasn't tied up so it was a free to do whatever it pleased. It was bushy and tangled, yet in a good way. Kurama would have her seduced right after looking at her. "What brings you here Hiei?" she asked

"I come for the Pectus Luminarium. In exchange I brought two gifts, one may please you more then the other," Hiei nodded.

Amour narrowed her eyes and the tribe behind her raised their weapons in a threatening stance. "Who is this for?"

"Akamery," Hiei said gripping the pouch tightly, yet showing now signs of backing down. "I was sent because she's in trouble."

"You know our sister?" Amour demanded, "How are you connected to her? Do you have proof?"

Hiei pursed his lips. This was the bad idea. Akamery told him that she knew the clan leader and the clan called her their sister. She was the only stranger among them to earn that damned to hell title. Now he was standing in front of the leader she befriended to save her life. "I do not have proof and I'm connected to her by..." How to say it? He growled to himself. He had to tell someone sooner or later and even though he couldn't admit it to anyone else, he had to say it, "L...love."

Amour looked at him straight in the eyes and he didn't dare to turn away. Finally she waved her hands and the warriors brought down their weapons, "What are these gifts you speak of?"

Hiei took out the pouch and said, "This is from a close friend of hers." He tossed it and she caught it without effort. "Kurama of the Youkos."

Amour nodded and opened the pouch and poured out the gem. Instead of black that it was once, it was pure gold…Amour looked at it for a while before saying, "What is the other gift you brought us?"

"My life."

Amour bit her lip. It was tradition to only choose one that seemed the most valuable. She folded her arms and relaxed as she gripped the gem in her hands. She knew just by the scent of it that it was Akamery's and it was tinged with the poisons so many came to get for. "You would give up your life if it meant to save her own?" She asked him.

Hiei nodded, "If it was meant to save her own," he echoed.

Amour sighed and then said, "The gem is more valuable then your life."

Hiei knew that much. Forbidden Child and the legends about him, it was only proven that it was just worthless. "I see."

"The only reason that is so, is because you can't love Akamery and her loving you if you're gone."

That made him feel as if he got slapped in the face. He bit his lip and watched her as she turned around and started to walk, "Fallow me, a gem is worth at least seven of the flowers."

Hiei followed her up the pathway and almost widen his eyes. The volcanoes weren't even close to volcanoes as the stories said. It was a village surrounded by lava flames! How could this flower even survive the heat?

Amour kept walking off into the distance and Hiei kept following her. Only two gaurds were coming along. The steam made everything seemed to be wavy, but Hiei was a fire demon so he knew that the heat was just trying to find a way to cool off.

They kept walking until they reached a cooler place. The lava surrounded it and it was a lake full of flaming fire. No human would be able to survive the intense heat. Amour carefully walked along the banks and then knelt down near a tree that held the leaves that she wore. Hiei looked to see that it was a heart with two A's in it.

"This was me and Akamery's place. I planted the flowers here just in case it was for her. Since you love her and I know from the scent of the gem she loves you as well," Amour picked seven, but tricked Hiei and picked out more then just seven and handed it to him along with the pouch, "I know that I can trust you with our scared item."

Hiei nodded and tied the pouch back on to his hip. Once that was done, Amour was staring at him and then asked timidly, "Her condition……is it bad?"

"As worse as it's going to get," Hiei assured her.

Amour nodded and then said, "You're not going to find another one like her you know. Love her with all you got and I'm sure she'll love you the same." She looked, "Do you want me to escort you out of the area?"

"No," Hiei said curtly and vanished into thin air and landed next to the portal. He bit his lip, 'Stay with us all the way through, Akamery. I got what you need. Now just be patient, it's all I have.'