Twelve Lords

by Max Jager

  Standing and moving to the pond just a few feet away, Kiyoshi crossed his arms. He was finding it increasingly difficult to be around this woman. Though she was 'playing' nice for Imae's sake, her stubbornness still shined through her eyes and the way she would say things. Like how she can fight just because she hasn't. His want and need to make her submit and obey him was growing. It was irritating. "Yoite has told me that while following her around he has heard whispers of the lowest ranking and lowest level demons. Talking about seeing my true power by killing her. Then they smile and call her My Lady as they walk past her. They would know better than to strike while I was here. However when I leave….."

  Dropping her head as she crossed her arms, Yokiyo growled herself. A really bad habit that she was picking up being around so many different dog demons daily. "That would make her a perfect target for someone to try and so something to her. Like Akahito did."

  "Exactly." He then gave her his emotionless look as he sighed. "I have seen you training in your purification recently. You are good for long distance battles. But how are you with close combat?"

  Blinking for a moment she dropped her head as she sighed. "I was trained in close combat by my brother before he ditched me. After that my friends tried to keep it going but unless I am using my purification then I am not all that great. Sadly."

  Taking a deep breath as he didn't move, Kiyoshi kept his eyes on her. "Then you will train alongside Imae. AI will have Umarus pick someone for you to train with in self-defense."

  Giving him an odd look, Yokiyo was just a little confused. "Really?"

  "You will be with my daughter more than anyone else while I am gone. I won't risk her life for anything or anyone. You will start after lunch." He then turned and walked away from her without another word.

  With a glare, Yokiyo followed him with her eyes as he walked away from her. Her eyes narrowed as she growled. "I swear every time I think that he has at least some empathy he acts like this. Nothing but a damn arrogant bastard after all I see."

  X

  "Hachiro!"

  Flinching as he looked up from where he sat in his room cleaning his sword, Hachiro blinked to see Umarus walking in. At first he worried that he had been seen spying on the miko all this time. He didn't look pleased about something. "What is wrong Master Umarus?"

  "You are good at close combat skills. Starting after lunch you will be in charge of training the miko in self-defense while I train Lady Imae. Only when I am doing this though. Otherwise I will do it. Understood?" With a glare Umarus stood over this horse demon as he crossed his arms. He was as slippery as a snake, but the best one other than Umarus and Yoite at close combat. And Yoite was on guard all the time, so he couldn't do it. If Umarus himself couldn't do it, this thing was going to have to be enough.

  Forcing himself not to smile, Hachiro nodded and then went back to cleaning his sword. "Very well Master Umarus. I will meet you in the gardens once she is finished with lunch."

  "Just don't be late."

  Watching out the corner of his eye as Umarus turned and left, Hachiro smiled a sly smile. This was going to be his chance to start seducing her. Right under their noses and no one will know a damn thing about it until it is too late. Once Umarus was gone he finished his sword, sheathed it and then left as he made his way through the building to another room. "Kiroku. Are you in there?"

  "Come in Hachiro."

  Walking in, Hachiro smiled to find Kiroku glaring at the palace as he growled. "You will get to kill the little brat. I am just asking that you wait until the next time he goes on rounds. Not this time. Please."

  Kiroku turned his black eyes to Hachiro with a growl as he snarled. "What? I thought that I was going to kill the brat and you steal the miko away for whatever reason. Why do you want to wait now?"

  "Oh I do still want the miko that hasn't changed my friend. But our dear Umarus has just told me that I have been chosen to be her self-defense teacher. I can delay her training at the same time take something right from under his nose." Going on in the room and looking out the window at the palace he smiled. "Not this round. But the next time he goes on his rounds we will take them and leave. You can kill the kid or whatever you want. And I will have my fun with the miko."

  Thinking for a moment, Kiroku figured that would be alright. It would give him more time to get more men together that wanted to do this with them. The more he had, the more would keep Yoite and Umarus busy so they could get them and escape. "I can agree to that. When the time comes I will take the brat to Motoichi and let him take her head and send a messenger with it back to Kiyoshi."

  "Then we are in agreement."

  X

  Looking up as the miko, Imae and Yoite walked out into the garden, Umarus smiled. "Lady Imae, you will continue your training with me." He then turned the same smile to the miko as he gestured toward Hachiro on his left. "Lady Yokiyo this is Hachiro. He will be your self-defense instructor when I am working with Lady Imae."

  With a half glare as she crossed her arms, Yokiyo shook her head. "Umarus we have had this discussion many times before. You don't need to call me that. Or My Lady. It is bad enough had I can't get Takara or Yoite to stop calling me that. Please don't make yourself a third person I have to fight about it."

  A half-smile as he laughed, Umarus closed his eyes. "Alright then miko."

  Glaring harder as she walked toward him again, Yokiyo sighed. "I would prefer you just call me Yokiyo. But I guess miko is better than the other." She then turned to Hachiro and sighed as she smiled. "Hello. Right to the point then, where do we start?"

  Giving her a bow, Hachiro forced himself to stay composed. Even his heart rate being this near her was intoxicating for him. But he couldn't let Umarus know it. "It is an honor My Lady…."

  "No…"

  Keeping his smile as he stood from his bow, Hachiro laughed as he shook his head side to side and held his hand up. "Lord Kiyoshi requested it of those that work for him. Master Umarus may be able to choose not to but I will do as My Lord requested."

  Rolling her eyes as she dropped her head and let her arms fall to the side, Yokiyo groaned. "Great. Well I guess you are going to be like Takara and Yoite then. Fine. So where are we going to start?"

  "First you need to tell me if you have worked with weapons other than a bow and arrow."

  Nodding as she turned serious and looked at him, Yokiyo put one hand on her hip. "Yes. Though it wasn't much. I had some training in swords with my brother when I was younger like ten years old. Other than that my training revolved around purification and what I can do with it since my mother before me, grandmother and the woman I lived with from five on were all mikos. I can do barriers and of course my sacred arrows. I also know how to charge objects and throw them."

  "I see. I heard that the barrier you used to protect our Princess that day was quite strong to stand up to the repeated attacks of a cat demon. Hachiro let his eyes move to Imae with Umarus as he forced a smile. "I would like to see one of those myself starting out."

  With a nod, as she too smiled at Imae and how serious she took her training with Umarus, Yokiyo moved a little further away. "I can make them different sizes and different strengths depending on how much purification I use on them. And I can change sizes and strength at will while it is going."

  Blinking to hear that, Hachiro was thinking that he was going to have to change how he went about getting her and mounting her. He wasn't going to give up, but he had to change how. "Change sizes?"

  With a wink, Yokiyo laughed as she crossed her arms. "That's right. I learned real fast that when fighting groups of demons if I can make them small and then grow them out fast, I can send them flying away from me. I can make them small enough that it is only a hair away from my body, or large enough to nearly engulf the palace. Oh I can move with them too."

  As he let what she said sink in, Hachiro knew he had his work cut out for him with her. But that just made it even more of a challenge and that much more thrilling to know
in the end she would be his. "You said you can charge things as well. Like what?"

  "Mostly just throwing needles and small daggers and knives. I haven't done anything else."

  Looking over at the rack of practice weapons, Hachiro smiled as he gestured toward it. "I know you said you had some training with a sword. Would you like to pick that up, or start from scratch and pick something different?"

  Going over the rack, Yokiyo looked through the weapons as she studied each one. She really didn't want to learn something new, but the sword seemed so mute right now looking at them. And she was going to do all she could to protect Imae. And she had to admit that they were all right, though she preferred her bow and arrows, they were not always going to be enough. Then she saw the naginata. Smiling she picked it up. "How about this one."

  Giving her an odd look, Hachiro blinked his eyes as he let his head fall to the side. "You want to learn a naginata?"

  Nodding as she let her eyes half close. "I do. Mama always talked about how brave and strong my grandmother was. My grandmother on her side that is. She used bows and arrows, but she also fought with a naginata. Mama was going to teach me too, but she died before I could start training with her."

  "I see." Hachiro then walked up to her and smiled at her. "Let's start with learning some basic move sets for it."

  "Sure."

  X

  As he headed for his room, Kiyoshi let his eyes close as he sighed. He spent the better part of the day getting no work done ad he watched the miko and Imae train from the roof. Hachiro was the best one for her when Umarus couldn't do it, but he was also a blundering fool. The whole point of teaching her anything was so that she could protect his pup. And the rate he was going with not explaining anything to her at all, it wasn't going to happen.

  But as he walked past her room he stopped and looked at the door with a glare. Opening it he growled to see that she wasn't there, and didn't seem like she had been in there at all. It was the middle of the night so where was she?

  "Damnit!"

  Going to the window he blinked to see her in the garden with a practice sword in hand as she tried to go through the skill set that Hachiro was trying to show her that day. Jumping from the balcony he gave her an odd look as he walked toward her. "Why are you out here doing this at this time of night?"

  Breathing heavy, Yokiyo stopped and turned a glare over at him. "Because of that damned Hachiro that is why. I couldn't get a thing with the naginata, so I opted to back to the sword. I still couldn't get it! He did them a few times at demon speed and expected me to see it all. But no he just told me to do it and wouldn't explain what he did a tall the jerk."

  Walking over to the weapons he lifted the naginata and went back and held it out too her. "My weapons of choice are my twin katanas. However my father and Umarus made sure that I was trained to use all weapons just as skillfully as them. Let me show you."

  Taking the naginata, Yokiyo dropped her head so he couldn't see her face as he walked behind her and put his arms around her and over her hands on the staff. She was nervous like this and she hated it. "Alright."

  "It was this. You move like this to get it." Kiyoshi then focused on guiding her through the steps that Hachiro should have took the time to show her that day a few times. Stepping back he smiled as he watched her go through it a few times on her own, each time getting faster. "You got it."

  Standing as she looked down at the naginata, Yokiyo looked over at him and smiled at him as she laughed. "I do have it. Thank you for that. And now it is bed. I am tired and Imae never lets me sleep in."

  "Indeed." Moving before he knew what he was doing, Kiyoshi stepped up to the miko, used a hand to tilt her face up toward his as he pressed his lips to hers in a gentle kiss. Seconds later when he realized what he was doing he broke the kiss and turned back for the palace without even looking at her, nor saying a single word. But behind his closed eyes his heart was pounding. 'Why in the hell did I just do that!?"

  Yokiyo watched him walk away from her with a hammering heart and wide eyes. She was in shock! Slowly she reached up and touched her lips with her fingers. They were still tingling where he touched them. It was almost like she could still feel his lips on hers. "What was all that about?"

  With a gasp she dropped her head as she turned and rushed through the palace toward her room. But every time she closed her eyes she saw his mouth descending upon hers again. That same tingling feeling would course through her lips. Shaking her head as she reached her room she fisted her hands and held her eyes shut tight. 'Damnit stop thinking about it! It didn't mean anything. He is just trying to play mind games! Snap out of it!"

  Laying down in the bed she let sleep slowly claim her. Still trying to deal with the fact that she couldn't deny that having him kiss her made her feel strange inside. But worst of all she liked it! And that is what scared her more than anything at the moment.

  The Priestess and The Demon Chapter 64

  Rubbing the side of his head as he paced in his study, Kiyoshi growled. It has been two months since he kissed that infuriating miko. Two full months! He berated himself for nearly a week when it happened the first time. But it happened again! More than a few times he has kissed her, and even more than that he has wanted to but stopped.

  And since that day it was harder and harder to find peace every day in his own palace! He would normally take his daughter and spend time with just her and that would calm him and give him peace no matter the chaos going on around him. But now he found that the miko was just as calming to him as his daughter was! And top it off with that standoffish attitude she has he was nearly ready to go insane.

  Stopping to glare out the window he growled even louder. She was rude. Defiant. Stubborn. The longer she stayed the more she let her lack of respect for him show through and they have fought about it. clenching his fists he narrowed his eyes as he growled even louder. "I am really starting to regret asking her to stay for Imae. She has two choices. She acts right or she is out. I will heal my pup."

  Leaving his study, he stopped just outside the door and took a deep breath. Imae was in her bedroom with Yoite with her. But the miko wasn't there. Her scent was coming from the direction of the hot spring. Going toward Imae's room he sighed. 'Why aren't they together right now? When Imae isn't training she is usually plastered to the miko's side no matter where she goes.'

  Opening the door to her room, he smiled briefly when Yoite turned with his hand on his sword but stopped when he saw it was him. He had Umarus put him through some hard training on never to trust his nose and only what he sees when it came to protecting her. And he really is was the perfect choice for her main guard. He has proven that he is loyal to not only him, but his daughter as well.

  Stepping back further into the room, Yoite gave a bow. "My Lord." He was elated that he didn't blame him for what nearly happened to Imae that he has taken it even more seriously. And thanks to the intense training he got, he is more confident than ever that he will be able to do it.

  Hearing Yoite Imae looked up then gasped as she smiled and jumped off her bed and ran to her father. "Hello Father."

  With a smile Kiyoshi lifted his daughter and gave a nod to Yoite. "You are dismissed for a time. I will be with her for a while. I will send someone to find you when you are needed again."

  "Thank you My Lord."

  Leaving her room with her, Kiyoshi sat Imae on his shoulder like he always had and smiled as he looked up to see her own smile. "Imae where is the miko at? You are usually with her this time of day."

  Reaching over she curled her arms on top of his head and laid her head down on her arms as she giggled. "Yokiyo went to the hot spring with Miss Takara. Even though Yokiyo told her she didn't have to and could do it herself."

  A small laugh as he turned direction and headed for the spring, Kiyoshi gave her another odd look. "So then pup why aren't you with her? I thought you liked to go to the spring with her."

  "I do but I just didn't want to go today." She th
en tugged on his hair to make him look up at her again. "Am I dirty or smelly Father? Should I have gone with her?"

  Stepping into the entrance hall Kiyoshi sighed as he smiled and threw her nearly to the ceiling and then caught her as she giggled. "No you are not smelly or dirty. I was just wondering why you didn't go with her."

  Hugging him around his neck as he left the entrance hall, Imae let out a sigh. "I just didn't really want too. Miss Takara never makes me, but she likes to try to get me to wear a kimono. I don't like them unless I have too."

  "Does she say why she does that?"

  "She says I look too cute in one."

  Sitting her back on his shoulder, Kiyoshi couldn't help but laugh as he pictured the first time she was in a kimono. She was beautiful, but at the same time didn't look like his pup at all. Her dull colored hakama and haori set she wore all the time suites her much better.

  Turning down the hall that dead ended into the hot spring he smiled up at her. "Let us go and check on the miko shall we Imae? And I will be sure to tell Takara that while her intentions aren't bad, unless there is a reason not to try to get you to wear a kimono. Does that sound appeasing to you?"