by Max Jager
Standing his ground the cat glared down at the miko. With a sly smile he then began to walk in a circle around her. Growling low in his chest. "I am at that clever miko. And what are you going to do about it? Like you said, you are not the first miko that has come to try and take my life. And you will not be the last either. All will meet the same fate. Death at my claws."
Standing tall and proud, Yokiyo glared back at the cat with the same sly smile. "You know I wouldn't be so sure about that. I am not your average miko either cat. I detest demons such as yourself. Those of you that pray on helpless women and children. Lowest of the low. What is wrong cat? Don't you have the balls to attack men or other demons?"
Stopping with a hard glare and louder growl, the cat fisted its hands at her side. "You have one foul mouth miko. I will give you that in contrast to the others that have come. But that doesn't matter. You will die now!"
Watching as his muscles contracted to lunge, Yokiyo threw up a barrier and then smiled when he came into contact with it and howled in pain as he jumped back, his flesh burning where he touched it. "Awwww. Is something wrong there little kitty cat?"
Snarling at her the cat circled around as she dropped her barrier. She has made a fool of him already. He thought that she was going to be an easy mark. He did not think this one was trained either. But she knew barriers. 'Doesn't matter. I am stronger than her and so long as she doesn't pull out her arrows I will be fine. She surely can only do so many barriers before her powers start to fade.'
"Something wrong cat?"
Stopping to glare at her, the cat snarled his lips. "Nothing at all. I am just trying to decide if I am going to kill you before I eat you. Or if you will be eaten alive!"
With an evil grin, Yokiyo watched as the cat lunged again. Instead of another barrier she would toy with this one just because she didn't like him. She flared her powers and flung the cat backwards into a tree. Walking toward him she laughed. "You are nothing more than a vile beast. I am not your typical miko. I do not kill demons just because they are a demon. Had you been falsely accused of attacking humans and able to prove it, I would have let you live in peace. But oh no. You are the kind of demon that makes my blood boil with rage. You see the human race as nothing. Your own personal feeding ground. For that alone I will destroy you slowly."
X
Catching up to where they could hear the fight, all five men stood and gawked in both horror and amazement. There before them was the miko that was standing her ground with the cat. Not even flinching when it would attack her. She almost seemed to be toying with the very beast that has caused fear in their village for years.
Looking up at his leader, one of them was visibly shaking to see such a fight. His eyes full of worry. "Sir, what do we do if the cat comes this way?"
Looking back at the men with him then glaring at the fight, he hadn't thought about that. But he did understand his worry. Every man there except for him had a wife and child in the village waiting on them to return to it. "You all go on back. I will stay here and watch and see what happens with this fight. I will report back to My Lord once it is done."
"Yes Sir!"
Once they were on their way back to the village, the leader of the group turned glaring eyes as he focused on the fight. She was right on one thing. She did seem to be more skilled than the other ones that he killed. But she was playing with it. Like a toy or a game. And games don't last forever. 'Miko you better kill him.'
X
A gleam in her dark blue eyes, Yokiyo glared as she circled yet again with the cat before her. The glow of blue around her bright and clear to anyone who had eyes. Though she did not dress nor act like a miko most know, she was one and strong. The fact that her glow was blue and not pink set her apart from every other miko in the world. Just like her mother. "What is it kitty? Can you not follow through on your little threat and take done one little miko like myself.
Snarling as he lunged again, only to once again be thrown back in pain when she threw her powers up into a barrier. She was much stronger than she seemed at first. With each passing moment he waited for her powers to start to fade. But nothing. Taking in a deep breath through his nose as he tried to figure out a way to get out of this fight with his life when he smelled smaller pray. Being delivered to him it would seem.
With a snide smile he turned back to the miko and laughed. "Mikos of your stature and training aren't my style. Too much effort to bring you down and less time to enjoy your flesh." His eyes flicked to his right and he turned his body. Children were the most tender of all the humans he ate. "So I am sorry miko but our play time is over. My pray today is much smaller than you are." Then he was gone.
Racing after him, Yokiyo glared harder at him as she flared her powers to the absolute max as she found the child and circled around away from the cat to get there with a barrier in time. "I won't let you touch that child you vile creature. I will see you dead before you can get close!"
X
Watching with a glare the leader of the men fisted his hands. The miko gave chase, but the only thing that he could think was that the cat wasn't going for the village. That was good it would give them time to get his Lord and move on to the next village to take over. Turning he ran fast as he could until he broke the forest. There standing patiently waiting for him was his horse. "Come on boy. We have to get back to My Lord." He then swung himself up in the saddle and rode hard for the village.
Not stopping until he reached his Lord's home, he fell from his horse as the door swung open and his Lord was there. With a glare in his eyes he fisted his hands. "My Lord. The miko is strong and could have killed him with ease. But she played games with him. For too long it would seem and he was able to flee her. She gave chase, but no human is faster than a demon."
"So she just fled and gave up?"
"I would imagine that is what she is doing My Lord."
Fisting his hands at his side, the Headmaster started to shake. "Curse her. Go and ready all the men and their families. We will leave this waste hole of a village and find another one. In the middle of the night we slip away. At this rate that damned cat is going to strip it of all the women and children. Get going. Now!"
"My Lord!"
Making of a Lady Chapter 58
With her dark eyes glaring, Yokiyo circled with the cat demon before her. The glow of blue around her bright and clear, telling anyone who saw it what exactly she was. Though she didn't dress like a miko did in red and white. She wore her mother's colors of light blue and white. "What is wrong with you kitty? Can't you take down one little miko like me? You must not be that strong after all."
A snarl for the miko the cat lunged again, only once again to jump back in pain when his paw connected to a barrier. It was small and stayed only around her but it was strong. She was stronger than some of the other mikos he had ever come up against. But the scent of tears from a young human hit his nose. To him the young always had the most tender flesh for meals. With a sly smile he made eye contact with her. "Mikos of your stature aren't exactly my style. Much to rough. I am sorry miko but play time is over with you. My pray is much smaller than you are tonight."
Her eyes narrowed as he turned and raced away from her, Yokiyo gave chase. "No way in hell. You bastard I won't let you touch a child!"
X
Imae sat there looking around as she shook and sobbed. Her head hurt now and she could feel the welt on her face where he smacked her hard. She could hear the growls and feel the eyes on her. The demons were watching her. "Please. Please someone help me. Anyone! Grandma. Grandpa. Auntie Yukani. Uncle Kamui."
Hearing a twig snap scared her to death as she sucked in a wild breath as she closed her eyes and let out a scream like she had never done before. "Father help me!"
"Get away from her you bastard!"
Her eyes flying open, Imae jerked her head up just in time to see a woman diving out of the bushes and knocking her out of the way just before she was clawed really badly by the cat. Her eye
s blinking Imae could only look at her. 'Who is she?"
The second she and the girl hit the ground she threw a barrier up around them, Yokiyo glared up at the cat as he started to beat at her barrier with abandon. He was holding nothing back and she used too much energy already. 'Damnit this is bad. I got to think of something fast to get use out of this!'
"Who are you?"
Turning to smile at the little girl Yokiyo was breathing heavy. "My name is Yokiyo. What is your name honey?"
"My name is Imae." Blinking as she looked up at the barrier Imae then looked back at the woman with blinking eyes. "Are you a miko?"
Nodding Yokiyo smiled again as she closed one eye. "That's right I am. Don't worry honey I promise I won't let any demons near you alright?"
Laughing Imae covered her mouth as she sat there with the miko. "You will have to let a few of them when they get here."
Blinking at her, Yokiyo let her own head fall to the side as she gave her an odd look. "What are you talking about?"
"Lord Kiyoshi. I know that he will be coming for me. Or Master Yoite or Uncle Kamui."
Yokiyo couldn't do anything but look down at the little girl. There was no way she was talking about the Demon Lord of the South Kiyoshi. He was nothing but an ass and had a reputation of hating all humans with a passion. Not to mention everything that a miko tried to do he did the opposite! "Honey I am sure that you may want to think that he will save you but…."
Shaking her head side to side, Imae smiled as she held her ankle again. "He will. He saved me after demons like the cat destroyed my village. I was an orphan and the village treated me really bad. He let me go home with him and then adopted me as his daughter. You will see. He will come for me I know he knows I am in trouble and is on his way."
Grinding her teeth together as she closed both his eyes from the barrage of hits from the cat, Yokiyo fisted her hands in the grass. Ignoring the blood that ran down her back. "If that is true he better get here fast is all I can say."
"He will be here just in time. You will see. He would never let anything happen to me. Or Uncle Kamui or Master Yoite."
Slumping down as she shook, Yokiyo knew that at best she had only a short time before she passed out. Between the blood loss and the barrier, she was draining what she had left fast. 'I still need to try to think of something fast. I will not put my faith in that bastard showing up like she does. I can't do that.'
X
As he raced through the woods, Kamui glared as he followed Akahito's tracks. Akahito was clearly trying to cover his tracks and had he been anyone else and not had the training his father put him through he would have lost it. But he didn't cover it continuously so it was easy to track for him. If he lost it all he had to do was stop a second and focus and then find it again and was back on the run.
He didn't know how long he had been running through the woods when he slid to a stop with every hair on the back of his neck standing on end. Every demon that was in the woods seemed to be racing toward him. Then the smell of purification hit his nose. Feint but it was there. And from what he could tell, this miko was really strong.
Reaching out he grabbed a small bird demon and pulled it to his face. "What the hell is going on where the miko is?"
Struggling to get away from the dog, the bird was crying. "A cat demon attacked her! I didn't touch her! The miko has a barrier up please I don't want to die! I didn't touch the little girl! I promise!"
Tightening his hold on the bird Kamui growled. "The little girl. Is she a human girl that smells of Lord Kiyoshi?"
"Yes please let me go! I didn't touch her!"
Growling as he let the bird go, Kamui looked in the direction the purification was. He was on the right track. He would take out the cat demon. But then what would happen if the miko didn't want to let Imae go with him? Several have tried and Kiyoshi has sent them all packing. "Damnit I have to try!"
X
With Ryu racing over the palace, Kiyoshi looked down to see his sister pacing in the court yard. Akahito tied. Kamui's scent coming from the woods. A miko. A barrier. "Hurry Ryu."
Rushing aster through the sky Ryu let out a mightier roar as he pushed himself aster yet.
Glaring Kiyoshi could see where there was a small clearing where the miko's barrier was and could smell the cat. He knew the cat was going to be nothing to deal with. The miko may be another story though. His eyes narrowed as he growled. 'I won't let some filthy miko take her away from me. Never!'
X
Jerking her head up when she heard that familiar roar, Imae smiled. It was Ryu! Her father was coming! He was almost there! Turning and looking at the miko she laughed. "Did you hear that! It is Ryu! Father is coming and he sounds close!"
As she lay there on her side, Yokiyo cracked her eyes open to look at her. For her sake she hoped she was right. She was almost out of energy and there was no way that she could stand up to the kid, let alone Kiyoshi for her right now.
"Father!"
Looking up through hazed eyes, Yokiyo saw that it was in fact the demon Lord Kiyoshi in the flesh. The bastard. But he did have a glare for the cat that seemed frozen in fear at the moment. 'Well then could she be right?'
"Imae!"
Jerking her head to the other side, Imae let even more happy tears fall from her eyes when she saw her uncle! "Uncle Kamui!"
Looking the other way, Yokiyo saw another demon standing there. 'She does seem to know them personally and he said her name.' "At least you are going to be alright." Then another ragged breath as her body went limp as her barrier crashed around them.
Looking down at the miko, Imae gasped as she grabbed her and shook her. "Yokiyo wake up! Wake up!"
Kiyoshi looked at Imae and the miko then back to the cat as it thought it could run. "Kamui."
"Right." Kamui then turned and raced after the cat to deal with him for trying to touch his niece. Kiyoshi would deal with the miko.
Falling from Ryu as he landed behind the girl, Kiyoshi kept his eye on the miko. She was hurt from the cat on her back, but she would live. It would appear that she used too much purification and passed out. "Imae."
Turning to look up at her father as he walked to stand behind her with crying eyes. "Father she saved me from the cat. She didn't let the cat hurt me we can't just leave her like this she is hurt. Can she come back to the palace with us please? Just till she heals."
Her chocolate eyes playing on his heart again as he turned his eyes back to the miko. With a sigh Kiyoshi nodded. He did owe the miko that much. She did keep his daughter safe until he could reach her. "Very well. The second her back is healed she is gone."
"Oh thank you Father!" For just an instant she forgot what happened to her ankle and tried to jump up to hug him but gasped as she closed her eyes and started to fall, but landed in his arms. "Ouch."
His eyes intense and worried as he looked down at her, Kiyoshi lifted her into his arms. "What happened?"
Tears once again gushing from her eyes that day, Imae let out a sigh as she was placed on Ryu. "Master Yoite and I were in the gardens. Aunt Yukani and Uncle Kamui were still in the palace. Akahito came and told us that you were seen on the horizon. I heard Master Yoite start to talk to me. Akahito hit him and then grabbed me and covered my mouth as he brought me here. When he dropped me from his back I twisted my foot."
"I see." Though his daughter wouldn't know it, his rage was now through the roof! Thanks to that bastard he almost lost his daughter and now he had to touch a miko for keeping her safe till he could get to her side. Turning back to the miko he lifted her and as gently as he could without having too much of her touch his body, draped her over Ryu on her stomach, the mounted behind Imae as he took to the sky at a much slower pace toward the palace.
"Father."
Looking down at the way his pup still kept her eyes down he didn't like it. "What is it Imae?"
Looking up at him over her shoulder, she had fresh tears coming from her eyes. She was worried about what would happen t
o Master Yoite. "Master Yoite is not going to be in trouble is he?"
Blinking Kiyoshi gave her an odd look. "Why on earth would you ask me something like that?"
Turning her head from him Imae let her eyes half close. "Because he was my guard. I told Akahito that he was a traitor. We knew he didn't like me but didn't think he would do that. I am sure that Master Yoite didn't think he would hit him and take me like that."
With a soft smile, Kiyoshi wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her back against him, smiling into her wide eyes as she looked up at him and he looked down at her. "I am sure that he has guilt for what happened. I will be having a talk with him still. He did let down his guard when he shouldn't have. But he will not be in trouble and will remain your guard."