AN: Welcome back! Things are starting to heat up with tension and so far everything is playing out nicely. I hope you enjoy the story so far.
Raiu sat, her back straight, hands resting lightly on her knees. It was dark outside of the compound, the raucous song of cicada's echoing throughout the muggy summer night. Absently she smoothed over the dark blue hakama pants, adjusting the blue-white sheath of her O-wakizashi. The blade itself was shorter then a Katana, running around 56 centimeters in length. Still, it was a good weapon to have on hand and the weapon brought her some comfort on the near moonless night.
Hime-Sama tossed under the thick heavy sleeping blanket draped over the ornate bed. The twelve year old child was drenched in sweat, her fever only growing worse through the night. It was always worse for the Half-Oni to go through the transition of their bloodline awakening. Many didn't survive the process of Human and Demon blood warring inside their fragile child-like bodies. The two differing natures clashed with fervor in their hosts bodies, vying for dominance that often never came.
Raiu could only hope the Akuma Heir's Oni blood won soon, otherwise the poor girl...her sister...she corrected herself, would die. Her body would warp into something far less then human, and would likely attack anything she came across. It was this reason Raiu had offered to watch the process. She would bare the burden of ending Hime-Sama's life if the girl's Oni blood failed to manifest. Thankfully the soul rending screams of pain had long since ended as the day turned to night.
For some reason the change was less painful once night fell, and Raiu suspected this had something to do with the Oni legends themselves. Raiu couldn't bring herself feel anything about the choice she had made. She would simply do her duty to the Clan, she had never been taught, let alone allowed to question the judgement of the council's laws. Raiu was a tool, a weapon to guard the Clan Heir, nothing more, nothing less. A fact she was reminded of at every given moment.
Or at least that was what she allowed them to think. She allowed the Council to believe she was some docile, blood thirsty dog on a leash. She refused to give the decrepit old fools anything to use against her. Raiu had learned long ago to question everything, something Tajima-Sensei had encouraged greatly. Every order, every law was questioned in her mind. Outwardly she simply obeyed, giving them as few reasons as possible to inflict punishment. This clan liked it's secrets far too much, and it most definitely liked to keep a tight leash on Raiu.
Violet hues shifted to watch the thrashing form on the bed. A few more hours. She would stay her hand for a few more hours yet. Raiu had yet to go through the transition, (She did not realize at the time, she never would.) but the process scared her deeply enough to fear her own oni blood. Raiu had been raised to think she was mostly human, with very little Oni blood in her veins. Disregarding the facts that screamed otherwise, such as her enhanced sense of smell, or her healing factor, or even her own inhuman strength.
She was told that was normal for those of them who had some Oni blood in their veins, but they never told Raiu that these things were very diluted in half and quarter blood Oni. They never let her know that they feared the strength coiled in the muscles of her body, or the way her eyes would flash brilliant gold when she was angry or being punished. They never let her know how badly they wanted to end her life because she was too dangerous of a tool to let live, but too valuable of an asset to kill. The Council itself went to great lengths to keep it from Raiu that, even awakened Lilith would only possess a quarter of the power Raiu had been born to naturally. They made sure to reinforce this ideal through any means they had, and kept Raiu secluded enough that she never sought to question why.
Raiu had been raised knowing she was second place, and the rest of the clan had far more Oni blood then she did, and so she was beneath them. Lesser, somehow. But Raiu couldn't help but think that this was wrong. Raiu instinctively knew she was above them, more then them, in the same way one knows that the sky is blue, and that water is wet. But without definitive proof of this, she pushed it into the back of her mind and did not question the Council's judgement. She did not question the way she was secluded from the rest of the Clan, raised to be little more then Hime-Sama's shadow and decoy.
That was the problem, Raiu did not question certain things for fear of the answers she would find. Many years later Raiu would realize exactly just how much she should have sought those answers with a passion. Raiu would come to realize too much too late. Like the fact that Raiu and Lilith looked nothing alike. Where as Raiu was tanned skin littered with scars, with blazing red hair- Lilith was pale with dark hair, colored the purple of dusk. Where Raiu was athletically built, muscled from years of harsh training- Lilith was willowy and delicate. While it was entirely possible the two girls shared different fathers, only Lilith showed any of their mothers features. It was in her full lips that tended to quirk into a sensuous pout, or the way her jaw sloped gently into a sweet face. Lilith was a doll, beautiful in the way that something small and fragile is meant to be guarded and sat on display.
Raiu had no doubt that Lilith would grow into a knock-out of a beauty. Raiu did not have these beautiful, doll like features. But Raiu did not think herself beautiful. Raiu did not see herself as something that would make men fall to their knees in lust, or beg for a simple glimpse of her taunting smile. She was simply not aware of these things. She was not trained to be aware of these things, things that would make her desirable to men. Raiu was a tool, and tools did not have time for beauty and wants. They did not have time to sigh over daydreams of Emperor's sons or gallant samurai rushing to a maidens defense. They dreamed of war, of blood and of death. Raiu dared not to dream otherwise, for the broken, empty feeling that would remain once the dream came to an end.
A pained gasp had Raiu's hand gripping the hilt of the sword in a white knuckled grip. Her breathing restrained to focus on the quiet sobs coming from the shivering bundle on the bed. Silently she stood, slipping the sword into its place on her hip as she lifted the thin bamboo curtains surrounding the bed. Using her red kimono sleeve to shield her sensitive nose from the cloying, putrid scent of incense permeating the large bedchamber, she peered into the darkness. Raiu couldn't say she was surprised to see glowing gold cat-like eyes staring back at her. The Heir had pulled through.
Liliths long, purple hair lay splayed around the white sheets, tangled and curling in knots as she struggled to sit. Raiu was at her side at an instant, cold hands pushing her sister to lay back down, and not strain her weakened body.
"Hime-Samaa, you shouldn't move yet..." Raiu hissed quietly, one of Lilith's hands coming up to lock painfully around her wrist. Raiu lowered her ear to hear the heir's rasped words for water before she collapsed back against the large pillows scattered around her frame. Raiu could see the faint bleaching of color at her roots, the stark white a sharp contrast to the dark purple. As the last of the changes took place, the rest of the girls hair would turn white, and she would sprout horns. Raiu's eyes took in the sweat soaked sleeping kimono, the rapidly fading flush of fever to clammy pale skin, and the two raised bumps on Liliths forehead where the small, curved horns would rip through and settle. At least the worst of the change was over. Raiu placed one hand over the shaking digits that still gripped her wrist with such force, had Raiu truly been human it would have been broken. As it was, the grip was uncomfortable at most, and easily broken.
"Forgive me Hime-Sama but if you want water, you'll have to let go..."
Raiu barely contained the shaky laughter that bubbled in her chest. Hime-Sama would live, she wouldn't have to stain her hands with more blood. Raiu felt relief flood through her veins at the realization that the Heir would live to be strong, and powerful. Raiu was surprised at the emotion, as she and her sister weren't particularly close. For that matter it was never 'Sister' by which she addressed Lilith. Raiu had tried as a child, but a firm smack to the face from Okasan quickly deterred that sort of thing. So it was always Hime-Sama, or Akuma-Sama. Never sister, or friend, or Lilith-chan. However, Raiu couldn't really say whether the relief was caused by the fact that she wouldn't have to take a life tonight, or the fact that Lilith had pulled through. Distantly, Raiu acknowledged she did care for her sister in the muted way one may care for a 5th cousin six times removed, but no real emotion bubbled in her heart for the girl.
Raiu never really questioned why she didn't push harder to befriend the Akuma Heir. She never really questioned why the two siblings never tried to make that connection with each other. Raiu knew Lilith was comfortable around the girl, in that Raiu was her guard, and Raiu was comfortable in that she was the weapon that protected Lilith. But neither girl made the effort to connect on a more intimate level. Raiu was not actively aware of the dark, churning loneliness she had shoved in the back of her mind, the emotions she couldn't put to words, or how it made her feel to be viewed as little more then a stray begging for scraps in a clan she was supposedly born into.
Raiu didn't know that Lilith, for all intents and purposes was just as alone as she was, an outcast among her own people, viewed as little more then a doll on display for her weakened bloodline. A political figurehead used as a bargaining chip to lure stronger oni into the clan, on the off chance that she might one day produce a full blooded heir. Neither girl was aware that they were being slowly moved to be pitted against each other, that both were being blamed and compared to the others shortcomings.
If either had known at the time all it would have taken was a offered hand and a truly kind smile-, they may have made more of an effort. But they didn't. In their young minds, so cemented was the role of Master and Servant, Equal and Lesser, that they never questioned what a friend was or could be. They never questioned what a sister was or what a sisterly bond was. In hindsight, they should have tried. It could have prevented a lot of unfortunate circumstances in the future.
Lilith finally released her wrist, allowing Raiu to slip over to the bedside table and upend the full water pitcher into a glass before leaning over the girl to bring the drink to her parched lips. Greedily Lilith drank the liquid down, turning her head to the side when she was done to gasp quietly through the pounding pain in her head. Her tone was harsh as she spoke.
"Remove that cursed smell. It's making me sick."
Raiu felt the corner of her lips twitch into a smirk as she let the curtains settle back into place, removing the incense brazers from the room at Liliths command. Tipping the burning coals into a bucket, Raiu covered a sneeze as a cloud of soot rose up to assalt her senses with the smell of sea-salt and lavender. Raiu was beginning to hate the smell, having breathed it in most of her life. But at the same time, Raiu found a part of her longing for the briney scent of the open ocean, and the smell of the sea in her nose.
Shaking her head to clear the residue scent from her nose, Raiu slipped out of the room and down the left hallway to go wake Midori-Sama and inform the Clan Head that her daughter had awakened as an Oni. As Raiu turned the corner that would take her to the Clan Leaders chambers, she ended up colliding with a very solid and sturdy figure. Before she could end up sprawled on the floor, Raiu found an arm wrapped around her waist lifting her back to her feet.
"Ah, My apologies Miss. I wasn't aware anyone else was wondering the grounds..." The voice was deep, rumbling out of the mans chest. The arm was quickly removed as Raiu took a step back to gaze up at the man she had run in to. The first thing Raiu noticed about him was that he was tall, and it wasn't just because Raiu herself was only around 4'6'.
The man before her was easily 6'4', in his early 30's, and very obviously a foreigner. His dirty blonde hair fell to his squared jaw, sloping back to his broad shoulders. His nose was prominent, and his eyes lacked the distinctive almond shape most of the men in Japan possessed. His accent was thick, although Raiu couldn't place it, and his clothing was very obviously western. He wore a tan vest over a crisp white shirt and grey dress slacks that covered the tops of his brown riding boots. A red bow-tie kept the ruffled lace cravat around his throat, and she took note of the empty rapier scabbard on his belt. Raiu peered into his forest green eyes to hide the fact she had been looking over his well muscled body.
"No...uhm...My apologies, I should have been watching where I was going, Sir..?" Raiu's voice came out far meeker then she intended, almost shy. His booming laugh assaulted her ears and her first opinion of him was, despite the fact he may be handsome, he was very loud, while not entirely unpleasant she couldn't hide the wince he caused to her sensitive eardrums.
"Arthur Wigress, a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Raiu found a heavily calloused hand thrust into her face, the movement had her body tensing, but she slowly placed her hand into his. His grip was firm, but gentle as if he found her delicate and Raiu had to force down the blush that threatened to creep up the back of her neck as he leaned down to kiss the back of her hand. Had this man no shame? She must have looked mildly ruffled at his display of affection because it had him laughing once more as he explained.
"It is a customary way of greeting a pretty lady back in America. I'm sorry if I have offended you, Miss..?"
"Gekido. Ah...No you didn't offend me, It just...took me by surprise is all, Wigress-Dono." Raiu answered. Her instincts coiled in her belly with a sense of unease, which is why she provided him with her surname. Taking her hand back from the man, she bowed low at the waist, both hands clasped together against her stomach.
"Please, call me Arthur." He chuckled, slipping his hands into the pockets on his trousers. Raiu dimly noted a fragile looking gold chain leading from his belt to his left pocket, but thought little of it. Hesitantly, she made to move around the man who was large enough to block her passage into the hallway behind him.
"A-ah...Arthur-Dono, was there anything else you needed..?" Raiu questioned hesitantly. Her body was turned to the side, her hands resting openly over each other at her stomach, but she could easily move to defend herself against the man. Raiu wasn't entirely sure why but she didn't trust the foreigner in front of her, or his overly friendly manner.
"I can't think of anything at the moment, I'm actually leaving now. It was a pleasure to meet you Gekido-Chan, I look forward to seeing you again." Was his pleasant reply as he moved past her, the entire conversation Arthur had been smiling at her in a way that turned her stomach and put her on edge, as if she were a pleasant surprise found under a Christmas tree. Her eyes never left his back until he disappeared around the corner and she continued on her way.
Taking a deep breath, Raiu raised her hand to knock on the door frame that led to Midori-Samas rooms. She paused once she heard the murmur of voices within the chamber, distinctly foreign, they were talking in a dialect Raiu could not understand. Furrowing her brow, Raiu chewed on her lower lip as she tried to decide whether to interrupt or not. Figuring Midori-Sama would rather know then wait, she rapped her knuckles on the door frame. Instantly the conversation stopped, before Midori's sharp, reprimanding tone cut through the night.
"It had better be important." Raiu's eyes narrowed faintly, but she didn't open the door despite the murmur of several different voices inside the chamber.
"Midori-Sama, Hime-Sama has awakened, I thought you should be informed." The sound of quickened footsteps had Raiu stepping back from the door quickly as it was cracked open. Dressed in the same Kimono from the morning, Okasan blocked the view into her room with her body. Her sharp red eyes glared malevolently down at Raiu before she paused to consider her words.
"Wake the good Doctor and retire for the night. I will see my daughter in the morning." Before the door was abruptly closed in her face. Raiu huffed slightly in irritation before turning on her heel to walk towards the Doctors quarters to inform him of Liliths condition.
Returning to her chambers, Raiu paused beside of the doorway that would take her to Liliths room, her hand rested on the wooden frame before she removed it and laid out her futon. Unhooking the sword from her waist, she reverently laid the blade in it's stand before slipping out of her clothes down to her sleeping kimono. Raiu wasn't exactly tired, but she was emotionally exhausted, too much od the day continued to play in her mind, her thoughts lingering on the foreigner she had met moments ago. With a groan of irritation, Raiu rolled over on her side and forced herself to sleep.
Gekido- Fury. Raiu no Kakure Gekido is the name given to Raiu by Tajima upon handing her over to the Akuma Clan as a child. Her full name translates to 'Thunderstorm of Hidden Fury' with Gekido being her surname, and Raiu (Thunderstorm) being a nod towards her birth name Dendō (Electric).