Who ever came up with the phrase 'things can not get worse…' I will find you, and I will kill you. Being as thing most DEFINATLY just got worse.
After entering the room the Commander went to the front, he motioned for me to sight in the middle of all the eyes.
A sweat bead ran down the side of my face.
I dare say this is even worse then an elders meeting….
If they chose to attack I would be in a very tight bind, my body has not fully recovered from the attack, nor my little jump through the shadows, let alone this room has more then ten strong Yokai in it, and I could smell more of them inhabiting this house.
Yes things had gone form manageable to, in the sense being screwed.
My gaze then went back to the front where the Commander sat with a boy. He looked to be around my 'current' body age of twelve, may be thirteen. Two shades of brown hair, along with milk chocolate brown eyes. He is where glasses dressed in a traditional black kimono with a blue male kimono jacket over it. If I assumed correctly he had a high-ranking position, being as he is sitting next to the Commander… I mentally frowned. He smells human… but there is the very slight stench of Yokai. Maybe he hides it well or his blood is diluted?
The room is dead quiet, not a soul makes a sound, and the old man looks at me calculatingly, mimicking my own gaze.
If someone dropped a coin in this room I do not even think it would make it to the ground with how thick the tension making the air heavy.
"So Kuro why don't you explain what you are… you are no human because no human could have fallen out of the sky and lived." His eyes formed a slight hard glare.
I meet his gaze, not flinching under the current pressure that is trying to subdue my own to get answers.
"I am human, so you have half of the conclusion right sir." I said calmly and thought of how to faze this; I hated this part especially since they did see what I came out off. "But I have… a slight mutation." Snorts erupted from the room they thought I was joking.
His eyes did not change.
"For example how I survived falling from the sky and landing in your pond…" the man who looked like a Cyclops laughed out right at that.
"What a loud of bull! You a human? You even smell like a yokai!" many nodded in agreement and mumbles filled the air. My purple eyes shift to him as he spoke, my face did not show any sign of anger or objective. In many cases it has been argued to what we are. The boy sitting next to the Commander spoke.
"She could be telling the truth let us not for get what I am." He smiles, as I looked at him as he spoke. His voice is happy and that of a child, but the underlining spoke of experience and authority. My eyebrow rose as I smirked softly, this guy just might be interesting indeed. Even at such a young age to sound like that. Well at least I will not get bored around here.
"I speak the truth… I was born a human and I will die as one." Spoke with no emotion in my voice or face. The Cyclops glared at me, I continued.
"As I said before I have a slight mutation that is not found… in these parts if you will." I decided to try my choice at word play to see if I would be able to dig out some information. "My village was attacked by… yokai as you have called yourselves." My eyes flashed gold for a spilt second as I let a spark of my anger rise, but just as soon as it had shown it vanished, the Commander did not miss this his eyes widened slightly.
The silence was back. I closed my eyes as I continued.
"Forgive me if I do not fully intend on explaining in detail of how I ended up in your pond, but it is hard to simply 'open up' to the same scented beings that killed innocent blood unprovoked…." My eyes became cold, even though they did not need to know that I was simply there as a rest stop before I had re-entered the academy territory, I would not sit and wait to be interrogated by the beings that may have been responsible for the shedding of innocent blood.
The Commanders eyes closed as if in thought.
"The Yokai that attacked your home where not from the Nura clan…" he leaned on a ledge tip cushion.
Closing my eyes I began to think of what to do next. If this clan did not attack the village then what clan did? How many clans are there in this area? Was the one that attacked a main clan, fraction, or just rouge looking working for a bigger group? So many questions ran through my head. The Commanders voice broke my train of thought.
"I must ask you Kuro to tell use what exactly happened." The look in his eyes held a trace of pity, but that was a very small trace.
I scoffed but consented anyway.
"It was a normal night in my home, but it soon was interrupted in the late out of the night by the sounds of screams and blades. Yokai… they resembled corpses, smelled like the walking dead too…" I closed my eyes as the memories replayed its self in detail, my training to memorize every detail showing in this. "I had just returned from a work when the town was in flamed, slaughtered villagers lay scattered through out the streets. Women, children, elders, men, it did not mater to them. They killed on sight." Folding my arms across my chest I continued. "Searching for survivors was my main priority… only a handful of civilians survived on the outskirts that had not been attacked, or simply over looked. I was able to get them to safety but the village was not a military base, the village was simply farmer and trading town. It was not meant for a full on attack. After I secured the survivors in one of the deep forest caves, the corpses did not stray from the out side of the village… it seemed as if they where searching for something." Taking a moment I continued, "I headed back to see if I had missed anyone else, but... this time is when things became… messy…." I looked at the commander as I began my next words. "I had made my second sweep and came to the mountain shrine area when I stopped one of the green Yokai from devouring a child… by the time I had hit the child in a safe please and confronted the lone Yokai he had been accompanied by his 'clan' mates I assumed them to be. Before I lost conciseness he said that my 'Fear' was high and that there 'master would be pleased'." I finished my gaze had never shifted form the Commanders face.
The younger man sitting next to the Commander stared at me in shock, his eyes wide.
"How did you evade capture?" he asked.
"At first I did not…" I said as I pulled back the turtle neck to reveal the bark bruises of claw marks on my neck "but it seemed that they had underestimated a mere human." I said with a small smirk as I remembered the leaders shocked face. Shaking my head I continued "As I said before, I have a slight mutation… this allowed me to interrupted there… mode of transportation and create my own path way. What your guards had witnessed was just simply the disturbed path spitting out the intruder." I said to explain the question in full. "Know sir, would you please enlighten me on what you and your followers are?" I asked. It is know my turn to ask the questions you old geezer.
He smirked and chuckled.
"Ah you don't beat around the bosh do you know Kuro, well to answer your question, we are what you would call Yokai, or in other languages Demons. The clan that you have so, unfortunately, fallen into is known as the Naru Clan we are the largest clan in the eastern Japan… know that you know how about we have proper introductions. A pretty girl like your self should have a better name then Kuro." He smirked; I could not help but smirk as well, the old man is sharp for his age.
"My name is Nurarihyon the Supreme Commander." He motioned to the younger man sighting next to him. "This is my grandson Rikuo Nura the Third, and current, Commander." He smiled. I nodded in greeting; it was time to at least give them my real name. Who knows it might even help to build some 'trust'.
"I apologize for not stating my name before Mr. Nurarihyon, my name is Hazen Yami. I do have a couple of questions to ask from you…" he nodded for me to continue. "When the yokai said I had strong 'Fear' what exactly did they mean by that term."
"Fear is the unique skills and traits of each Yokai, depending on each of the Yokai the level and forms of fear change." He gave a brief explanation to my question. I nodded it made cense, it was just like my bloodline element only this was Yokai power. Both could be seen to each other as there own forms of 'power' it was just a different way of calling it. This might want farther investigation…
The man to my left he had long greenish black hair he looked to the Commander.
"Know we know that she is a possible threat to are clan how will we deal with the girl." And like that the mood was killed, I sighed. New name for this man: Mr. Buzz Kill.
"As I am in an unfamiliar territory, my options are limited on what I can do. My skills will be available to the Nura Clan until I am able to find a way home…" I offered being as it might help, "But first I would like to settle a score with the Yokai who attacked my home." I said coldly at the last sentence Yami howled with battle lust.
The man who spoke earlier raised an eyebrow.
"What skills would a human have that we Yokai do not have." The cheesier cat smile found its way to my lips as he said this. Yami nor I like to underestimated in the very least.
"Do not underestimate me sir…" I said as I met his eyes and let a small bit of Yami's blood lust slip through our eye contact. The demon inside of me screamed in his ears only. This made his eyes widen several degrees. Only a second had passed and I turned my gaze to the commander. Nothing physically had changed, but Mr. Buzz Kill, probably, needed to go change his pants. "I have been trained in the way of a shinobi, healing arts, sword play, tactics, assassination, and intelligence gathering." Every one seemed shocked by this. I hate to boast but hey, I'm not some weak little girl everyone thinks I am.
It really irritates me if they do that but once again… it will be the death of them.
The Commander had watched everything as he blew out from his pipe.
Where had the pipe come from?
"As of know will remain as a guest of the Nura Clan, if your skills are needed you will be summoned." With this the Commander took one last puff of his pipe and blue it back out, the meeting was adjourned. I closed my eyes, why did that just seem like a way of kindly saying 'we will let you stay as a gust, but really your not going to leave' I hold back the sigh that wanted to come out.
Everyone began to rise from there seats and move out of the room. I remained seated along with the man who I dubbed Mr. Buzz Kill, Commander, and Rikuo.
I stood to leave when Rikuo got up at the same time.
"Hazen! You are wounded." I gave him a confused face before I looked down, the third was right. My body is covered in small and large gashes that had all closed and some had started to brake open when I stood. But the biggest one stood out it was a nice six-inch slice to my side. It had re-opened and I looked at it as I noticed again the ragged shape my shirt is in.
"Ah, it looks like one of them nicked me… I guess I was worried about other things!" I laughed and scratched the back of my head nervously but winced when my re-located shoulder jostled in the joint, Rikuo gave me a look that said 'did not feel it!?', this just caused me to smile softly and give him a thumbs up. "Don't worry Mr. Young Leader, after a while of shinobi training you get used to being sliced and diced after a while…"
"You need training baka…" a voice growled at me, Buzz Kill jumped up ready to draw his sword. His red eyes glared at me and then shifted to the white wolf lying at my feet.
"Finally decide to come out Ackshift? Or have you come to lecture me?" I looked over down to see a white wolf with ice blue eyes glare at me as he stepped out of my shadow.
He snorted.
"I still regret the day I allied my self with you woman…" he growled, his voice gruff and deep.
"O you know you love me! We haven't died yet!" I protested he just scoffed. I looked at the other three occupants of the room. "Sorry about him he's a grump when things don't go according to plan." Buzz Kill still remained on guard.
"Girl what is that?" he demanded, his and hovering ever so close to the hilt of his sword.
I looked at him with boredom.
"My guardian of coarse." I said stupidly. His glare hardened, I sighed. Reaching out my hand in front of me I focused and called Ackshift.
My eyes closed, a sense of peace washed over me… warmth of wolfs fir brushed my skin filling my hand, and I gripped the fir. It felt soft to the touch; the smell of winter filled my nose. I had all ways felt at piece with Ackshift, he had been with me ever since Lady Sada and I had been separated.
Buzz Kill was the first to speak.
"Guardian?" he asked skeptically.
I sighed and sate back down.
"Where I lived, the leader of are military branch raised me… when I would leave the compound she would send Ackshift as a back up." I said in explanation. Not really, Lady Sada did not trust my branch to ever send me back up if I ever needed it, so when I had first entered the Academy she had given me Ackshift as a friend and guardian. He is a lunar wolf, one from the Aqua Branch that Lady Sada ruled over. "Sir I believe I did not get your name?" I asked cocking my head to the said. The man took a moment to comprehend what I said then he answered.
"My name is Gyuki." He remained stocked as he finally exited the room.
"Nice to meet you!" I said to his retreating figure. He did not do anything to acknowledge my small greeting. Rikuo chuckled nervously as he walked over to me he kept a small distance between himself and Ackshift. Noticing this a smiled softly. "Please Third don't be weary of Ackshift, he will not attack unless if I am in danger. He is like my partner." I said trying to calm him some.
"I thought as much, but it is not every day that we see a white wolf, even in the Yokai world." He said as he motioned for me to fallow after him. "Know I will take you to see Zen. He is a member of are clan that is like are doctor." He said with a smile. I nodded and fallowed after him Ackshift quietly at my feet.