Meeting the Youko Chapter 5
The next morning Anna awoke with her cheek nestled into a soft patch of ground cover and her hair matted with dead leaves. She sat up, noticing the way her tunic-like dress clung to her body from the ground moisture that the previously white fabric had absorbed. Absent-mindedly, Anna started to comb out the leaves from her hair and realized with a soft chuckle, that it was the very thing she had done just a couple of mornings ago in the human world. It seemed that every time she had any interaction with the king of thieves, she ended up waking up amidst underbrush complete with a nymphly pattern of twigs and leaves in her hair and some rather un-nymphly bruises.
Anna yawned aloud, and stretched in much the same way she would have done if she were back home in her apartment. She only half noticed how quickly she seemed to be adjusting to being in the demon world; deciding she would ponder the implications later. As Anna arched her body to try and stretch out some of the stiffness caused by sleeping on the ground, she noticed a bowl had been laid out only a few feet from where she had dropped the night before. She scuttled closer, her eyes wide in a curious expression and noticed that the bowl was actually a mortar and pestle containing a few leaves of spearmint, and a succulent plant of some sort. Beside the bowl was a kind of tulip like plant that Anna had never seen before, a hair brush and what looked like a tooth brush. Taking a hint, Anna used the mortar and pestle to make herself some toothpaste and used the brush to tidy her hair from its state of disarray. Finishing her morning grooming ritual, Anna decided to explore the untouched tulip-plant left conspicuously before her.
As her finger just barely touched the petal, the plant reacted. Opening its bloom fully, revealed water within the flower smelling sweetly of a honeyed tea. Naturally, Anna didn't trust it, however it quickly occurred to her that poisoning her randomly was hardly his style…still. The plant was clearly of human origin but possessed a demon youki similar to the one Anna had come to recognize was the spirit fox's.
Anna's lips parted in the shape of an "o" as she realized that she could tell exactly which plants were affected by Youko's demon energy from the night before as well as how many demons were nearby. Though she couldn't detect exactly where or how far away the youkai were, Anna's new awareness was clearly a sign of the improvement of her own psychic ability. Closing her eyes, she tried to do the only thing logical, she concentrated. It was difficult to clear her mind of the wild thoughts that pervaded in a flurry across her consciousness, but as she slowly banished them away she started to see vague outlines. Most were humanoid, a few were anything but, but Anna was clearly able to sort out the differences in their energies to identify each individual youkai. A familiar form stood out to her, as it bounded closer and became a clearer image.
Anna opened her eyes to see Anya skipping along the path of Youko's vast ningen garden to land in front of Anna. She tilted her head to the side as she stared in a bewildered fashion at Anna's outstretched hand. Worried that Anya's telepathy would focus in on her thoughts, Anna spoke, "Do you know what this is?" she asked, indicating the plant.
Anya smiled, her lips curling in the most feline of ways and her split tail flicking as if she had just caught a bird. "It's a tea tulip; Youko makes them with his demon energy somehow. We have a whole patch of them in the kitchens. You must have pleased him in some way for him to leave it for you; he usually doesn't care if the human slaves get enough water or not." Anya waved her hands as an apology in front of her when she noticed the appalled stare coming from her human charge. "No offense, no offense! But really, you should go ahead and drink it. You'll find it very refreshing. I think Youko's bewitched it to make up a whole meal. Makes getting food a lot easier when he and Kuronue are out on a job, I guess."
For a moment longer, Anna watched the Nekomata begin to fidget nervously. The feline's neurotic behavior was hardly a vote of confidence that she was telling the truth. Hesitantly, Anna put the edge of the tulip to her lips and made as if to drink. Anya never changed in her nervousness and never reacted to Anna "drinking" any of the tea. Anna lowered her gaze and breathed deeply the scent of the liquid. It was rich, almost like a chai tea that invited her to sip. Anya chose to break the silence.
"Oh! By the way, this was left for you on the door when I came in."
Anna released the tulip, watching its petals close again as if slipping into a dormant state. Grabing the note that Anya handed her, she read a list of tasks she was assigned to in the garden. Looking back up at the cat demon showed that Anya had become even more nervous. She now fiddled endlessly with her thumbs and even managed to accidently scratch herself with one of her own claws before she mumbled an incoherent phrase in Anna's direction.
Anna furrowed her brow, "Is everything all right? Would you like to sit down for a minute?" As she spoke, Anna had risen to ease closer to the cat in the hopes of guiding her to sit down for a minute. To her shock, Anya took a step back for every step forward that Anna took.
Anya shook her head hard enough to make her cat ears wiggle in the rush of wind. "Oh, no, no! Everything's fine…I just have a bunch of chores to do and my direct superior can be a real oni when she tried to be! Make sure to get those tasks done…I'll talk to you later, human!" With that closing statement, Anya darted back in the direction in which she had come faster than Anna's eyes could follow.
With nothing else to do, and the confidence that the tea-tulip was not poison, Anna drank deeply and indeed felt much more refreshed than she had in days.
Anya hurried down the corridor past some bewildered youkia of different sorts. Her head buzzed as their mixed emotions whirled through the air and bombarded her with varying degrees of intensity. As is typical, their first reaction was surprise at seeing her in the more populated halls of the guild; generally, Anya preferred to stay off by herself. The second reaction Anya sensed was attraction. She was a rather comely demoness, even if her empathic handicap kept strangers wary of her. Under normal circumstances, Anya's confidence would have risen with the realization, but as she rushed down the hall to Kuronue's office, she was hardly telepathically open enough to be effected by the lustful eyes watching her from behind. Beside, Anya's older brother would hardly tolerate any demon taking advantage of his sister's mood affected temperament.
Two guards stood in a relaxed but alert position on either side of Kuronue's door. One was dressed akin to a well armored samurai and completely humanoid in appearance. The other appeared to be a kind of centaur, with a draconic body in place of his equine proportions. They watched Anya's approach carefully as the cat demon tried in vain to focus her mind enough to catch a few stray thoughts of the warriors. When their mental defenses proved impenetrable to Anya's magics, she had no other option than to resort to more mundane forms of communication.
"I need to speak with Kuronue. The charge assigned to me has become…complicated." Anya spoke and paused to watch the two youkia fighters eye each other with barely a movement on their part. The mostly human looking samurai turned his focus on Anya. Again, she readied herself to try to break through his mental barrier as she furrowed her brows in concentration. The demon before her was impossible to read, either by his thoughts or his emotions. Had Anya possessed her brother's talents at telepathy, she likely wouldn't have had any trouble reading the guard. But then, she also wouldn't have to live in near solitude as a result of the unpredictability of her art.
"A message has been sent. You will be summoned." The draconic centaur muttered towards Anya. His voice growled, and Anya found herself very relieved she couldn't detect his emotions. The amount of annoyance in his voice spoke volumes enough.
Anya flicked her split tail, in the process "accidentally" bouncing her chest suggestively. If her wild mental abilities had taught her anything, it was how to utilize feminine wiles to the fullest extent. Being designed as a lovely mau nekomata didn't hurt her either. The Samurai aberration swayed visibly, while the centaur straightened. "You will be summoned." The samurai only echoed.
The lack of readings coming from the pair simultaneously made Anya nervous, and oddly relaxed. The enchantments of Kuronue's office prevented her from sensing if anyone was present inside, and since the pair of guards proved too powerful for her to hear, she felt relaxed enough to let her guard down. Anya was grateful that Youko and Kuronue preferred a little separation from the bustle of the inner guild; it proved to be much more relaxing here than back down to the central hall whence she came. Without asking, Anya relaxed against a nearby wall to wait for her summons.
Anya stretched her arms above her as she settled down, preparing to wait at length for the arrival of one of the guild's leaders. Half-glancing back at the guards told her that they hardly considered her a threat; both of them choosing to ignore her and resume their relaxed, but ever alert guard of the door. It was a rare treat for Anya to let down what shaky mental defenses she possessed. Since the fighters proved to be too powerful for her telepathy or empathic senses, this encounter proved to be one of the sparse moments Anya's inner personality was dominant while still in the presence of others.
At the core, Anya was like a child who had seen the horrors of the world at far too young an age. Her mental powers granted her access to a part of others they seldom shared. Too often, that insight had resulted in a since of distrust that prevented Anya from ever truly being comfortable with any other entity. Her "gifts" had exposed her to some of the most deplorable characterization of others, some intentional while others were only subconscious. As her empathic nature grew, Anya had discovered, through trial and error, how easily she could become engulfed by the plots around her. It had been a blessing when her brother had convinced Youko and Kuronue to offer her a home in the guild.
Youko spotted Anya and the guards long before they registered his presence. While he was not surprised that the cat demoness didn't notice him, he was hardly pleased that the two warriors hadn't been able to detect him either. As the three demons before the spirit fox recognized their guild leader, Youko watched the nekomata stand respectfully and the two guards straighten to a vigilant posture.
Anya lowered her eyes as the fox came to stand before her. "Prey tell me…why have you ventured so far from your quarters." His voice was low; he spoke so carefully that it was impossible to tell anything about his emotions from his voice.
As Anya opened her mouth to speak, the centaurian youkia spoke first, "She has a message concerning the human girl just fresh from the Ningenkai."
Youko turned his eyes to bore holes in the youkia. He had spoken to Anya and had expected her to answer. If it were at all possible, the demoness looked even more uncomfortable now that the spirit fox might have been put into a less than amused mood. Youko mentally chuckled; how curious that she should hate her psionic gifts so much, yet be so unsure of herself without them.
Deciding to discipline the clearly under-trained youkia later, Youko addressed Anya once more. "I understand it is difficult for you to be in crowds, yet you must pass through the main hall to get here. What could be so important?"
Anya tried to steady herself, but the pounding in her chest must have been audible as she opened her mouth to reply. "I've been tasked with watching the new human girl and was asked to speak directly to Kuronue or yourself if there was anything that might require your attention. I am here to do so, as instructed." Anya hoped her reply sounded respectful, lest it sound pretentious by dialect.
Youko watched her squirm for a little while longer before nodding an "I accept" to the nervous nekomata. Without waiting, Youko turned to walk towards the door leading to Kuronue's office. Anya took his abrupt end of conversation as a sign to follow him and swallowed as she passed the two youkia guards, each looking just as nervous as she felt, on her way to speak with the guild masters.
Youko flicked his tail in bemusement as he entered the front chamber of his private sanctuary. Front and center was a round table which served as a meeting ground to the highest of authority in the guild whenever planning a new raid. Anya recognized the atmosphere and straightened her back, her tail twitching in a far more nervous fashion. She followed the silver fox a cautious distance behind as she rounded the large round table to a side table neatly tucked in a corner with a draw-able curtain for privacy. He directed her to sit, taking an opposite seat to her as he took stock.
Youko waited in a quiet patience for Anya to reveal what was so important as to traverse the guild halls and find its master. He noticed with a slight smirk that although she was more herself away from penetrable minds than ever, the myriad of emotions which played on her face were those of an unsure kit.
"The human woman, Anna, sensed me when I approached…She recognized me. I figured she was some sort of psychic, but within a few nights her ability went from basically dormant to capable of distinguishing characters she knows and those she has never seen. I'm concerned that it might progress further." Anya hoped the bandit king understood what she was trying to say. All though Kuronue was hardly unperceptive, Youko had a reputation of being able to detect even the slightest of twitches that illuminated a motive or emotion. He was a learned empath which required no otherworldly power. Combining his keen perception to near unfaultable deductive reasoning and it was easy to see how boredom had been his original motive to begin a life of thievery. Anya couldn't imagine the fox going a day without challenging himself to find a new puzzle. Pity those puzzles were often someone's sealed vault or magically sealed valuables.
Youko pushed a stray lock of silver out of his eyes and watched the nekomata's form remain rigid. She was clearly concerned that he would reproach her for seemingly unimportant news. To the contrary, Youko was pleased. He needed the girl's latent psychic ability to form further in order to better test the subjugation crystal. A random human wouldn't have serviced; He needed someone capable of applying will in order to insure he had not wasted his time in collecting the crystal. Anna was a time-saver, she could be used to properly test the crystal on a human, and later could be sold as a rare food to those who craved for such. Youko eyed Anya's breasts, briefly registering that her body's rigidity had transferred to accent her swell with a pert center. He smiled to himself that someone gifted in reading the minds and intentions of others could be so unaware of what effect she might have on them. Anya was fortunate that he had never fawned over cats.
"You are concerned that her ability to perceive will translate to an ability to effect the perception of others; as it does with your older brother." Youko remarked, leaning back in his chair in order to grant the cat demoness some distance to aid in calming her anxiety.
Anya nodded before responding, "Perhaps I wouldn't be so concerned if not for my… condition. In my clan, those who are gifted with being able to control their telepathy and empathy are sometimes able to transmit what they feel to others. My great grandfather used it to incense enemies of the clan against one another before coming to reeve the remainders." Anya looked down and too the side, "It's stupid to think that a human could ever do anything like that of course, it's just that I didn't expect her to gain any powers at all."
"You needn't be so apologetic, it detracts from whatever you are trying to persuade. Which is exactly…?"
Anya looked back at the fox's amber eyes and shivered. He was beautiful and she felt a sudden warmthening in her core. Those eyes, so unreadable, could promise compassion and understanding (she hoped he was going to show her some compassion), as well as a merciless death (she hoped she hadn't angered him that much). "I don't know what to do, I," Anya stuttered," I don't know why I came here." She closed her eyes tightly and braced for reproach. When none came she opened her eyes to find the fox smiling with slight warmth. Anya visibly relaxed and let her eyes roam to the well toned arms and musculature promised beneath his tunic. The warmth strengthened and spread below; Anya was unfamiliar with arousal not inspired by a lusting onlooker. She was disappointed when her audience ignored it.
With her confession Youko stood up and strode beside her, placing delicate fingertips against the skin of her shoulder to rouse her eyes to meet him. Following his unspoken command she stood as the fox withdrew his hand, following the movement to maintain physical contact with her master. She mewed disappointment beneath her breath when her efforts to stay in his silken touch failed. The kitsune turned his back to her, looking back with amber gaze before speaking.
"You came because you were ordered to do so. You are obedient." His voice was colder now, as if he had reached some decision he had been debating on, though Anya couldn't imagine what. Somehow she doubted whatever decision it was had been about the human girl at all. His lack of interest in questioning her about the specifics of the morning persuaded the notion that the kitsune all ready knew. Anya scolded herself for thinking her guild master hadn't noticed the rise in the spirit energy of his newest captive. She was, after all, wearing a rather expensive piece of jewelry he would undoubtedly want back.
Anya practically floated out of the guild leader's chambers and steadied herself for the oncoming of the emotions of the main hall. Walking back the path she came, she hoped that Anna would give her another reason to visit the shadow of the fox again. She wiggled her knows in a girly fashion as she hope further. Perhaps the next time she saw his kitsune's shadow, it would be from above and hers from below.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
I am very sorry for the Way-Too-Long wait between chapters. Let's just say I had a bunch of very time consuming life tasks to accomplish which distracted from writing. I'm in the process of moving, so I will try to update as readily as possible. And hey, anything is an improvement from my previous bout between chapters. Anyway, thanks for your patience and continued interest.