Love is never lost. If not reciprocated, it will flow back and soften and purify the heart

Washington Irving

Chapter 3: Tatsuo

'How could this fragile onna be my master? What makes her special?'

Observing the human from up close, I could tell she was young. Much younger than the masters who came before her. She spoke with a confidence one would not expect a woman of her stature and naivety to have. Judging by her limp and pale appearance, the girl was very much in pain and greatly injured. But she dared not show it. Instead, choosing foolishly to attempt to outrun me, even turning her back on a predator she knew could rip her apart with one swipe of a claw.

I have lived through many centuries and have only once encountered a human such as her. They were both brash and highly irritating. The only difference it seemed was that this little girl was highly obvious to the extent of her own powers. If she were truly aware, our battle could have lasted well into the night.

I narrowed my eyes as I examined her aura. It glowed brilliantly in a combination of gold and pink. But it felt erratic, almost as if it would burst forth at any minute. Her power was horribly untamed. 'It is luck that has been this girl's doing. She has power that may even excel that of her predecessors and yet, she is not even aware.'

I watched as the girl bent down to drink. Almost immediately, my eyes softened as I was pulled into a sea of memories of my old companion.

503 Years Ago

The night was still. All living beings came to a hush as the very air seemed to thicken with apprehension and fear. No creature dared to move lest they be next during this blood-lust driven hunt.

A predator was in their midst, and it was one they couldn't beat.

I relished the silence. Even nature acknowledged my greatness as the most powerful being in this forest. No prey was safe from my gaze and this one would not be different. Peeking through the edge of the forest line, I spotted said prey standing still in the middle of an open field, her head swiveling around in all directions.

I snorted.'Hm. Pathetic.'

My prey remained oblivious. It was better that way.

"San...ni...ichi..." I whispered to myself. I launched myself from the trees before taking a dive and speeding towards my desired prey.

Closer and closer I flew, my legs outstretched, and talons extended, until- 'Finally!' My prey turned around, black hair spreading across the wind like the wings of a raven. And suddenly, time seemed to stop. Everything within my vision froze. The night was still, but not like this.

'How did she-?!' Although my head could not move, my eyes darted around. Taking a closer look, the slight swaying of the trees had stopped. The bit of clouds I could see also unnaturally still.

Midoriko. The bane of my existence and the prey I had yet been unable to conquer.

'What have you done to me woman?'I whispered through a mental link. Midoriko smiled lightly as she stood shaking her head at me. It was a sight that both irritated me and stirred an even deeper emotion I had yet to explore. "I have merely beat you at your own game Tatsuo." While her face appeared amused, there was a heat within her eyes that ignited warmth within my own belly. This woman was quite the enigma. An incredibly powerful priestess whose desires were that of a normal earthly woman.

I never knew whether I wanted to devour her or be devoured by her.

'Release me wench.'She waved her hand in the air, the invisible cage disappearing from around me as the world came to life once more. I huffed and turned my head away in order to avoid the oncoming embarrassment I knew Midoriko was to spew.

"Tatsuo? Are you alright?" she asked with a muffled voice that sounded too suspicious. One snort later and I knew that she was laughing at me, covering her mouth in a failed attempt to keep it from being known.

I snapped my head in her direction, fully intent on giving her a piece of my mind for entrapping me with her miko powers, knowing just how dangerous it was to use them like this when she wasn't fully trained.

'Do you realize how dangerous that was? You could have purified me. Then with me gone, you would have a harder time protecting yourself with no one to watch out for you! Such carelessness you humans harness! Don't you ever think about your actions before you carry them out?!'

I expected Midoriko to jump up and shout at me just as she had in the past. Yet again, I was thrown off when she simply smiled. Her face is as bright as the full moon itself. I watched as her lips moved, her sweet voice a melody to my ears as the image forever seared itself into my memory.

Present

"I love you too...my big strong protector."

To this day those fateful words still drifted in and out of my mind.

'Midoriko...'