Chapter III:Time To Fight

“I’m sorry, Okimi, but I can’t let you fight.” Okimi felt disappointment wash over her as her brother told her the bad news. She had snuck with the army to the battlefield in one of the carts used for carrying weapons. She thought her brothers would love it if she came with them, but she was wrong.

“Come on, Omi. I can do it. I’ve fought with you guys plenty of times.” She watched as her brother looked at her, balancing in between letting her stay and sending her back home. When he finally answered, she was delighted.

“Alright, but only this once.” She jumped up into his arms, hugging his neck. She was finally going to get to do what she had always wanted. She was going to get to fight once more with her brothers.

They sat, waiting for the enemy to materialize over the Hill. Okimi watched carefully, not wanting to miss a thing. It seemed like they were sitting there for hours, just watching the hillside, waiting for some human existence to show itself. When they finally saw the swarm of men coming over the giant hill, Okimi braced herself, ready for the attack. When the signal was given, she charged forward, getting ready for the impact.

Okimi saw what was happening before she realized it, and was too late to stop herself. The bright lights to either side of her did not faze her as she continued to move forward into the crowd of people. When she finally saw the light and felt the heat, it was too late. She felt herself being blasted back as everything went black.

~0~

Aures jerked awake as he was blinded by the bright light shining through the tiny window to the hut. The tiny hut he had slept in was shaking as he tried to stand up, but then fell back down to the floor. After failing to get up many times, he finally gave up and started to crawl across the floor. When he reached the door and looked out, he saw something he had been dreading, but knew was bound to happen. Before him stood the demon he had been waiting for. It was him.

“Daisetsu,” Aures growled, his hands unconsciously turning into fists. The demon was smiling at him, letting his fangs show while his deep violet hair blew behind him in the wind.

“Ah, Aures,” Daisetsu said when he saw the fear in the undead demon’s eyes. His grin widened when he heard Aures gasp. He remembered when the idea had come to him. He was to bring the great demon back to life to serve his purposes, and to avenge the little demon who had been his son. Aures had rebelled, however, and now here he was, standing in front of Daisetsu, ready to fight. “I knew I’d find you here.”

Aures felt the anger fleeing to his face. “Of course you’d know,” he almost yelled, trying to keep his voice calm. “After all, you did send that stupid, weak snake demon to spy on me.”

“Yes,” Daisetsu stated, bringing his fingers up to stroke his chin. “He was weak indeed. He didn’t serve me very well, either…”

“Cut the crap, ass.” Aures was getting fed up with Daisetsu’s teasing and ignorance. “I know you were aware of how weak that stupid thing was. Why did you send him to me?”

“Oh, he was just a distraction until I could carry out my true plan.” Daisetsu watched as his opponent’s eyes widened in shock when he realized what he was about to say. “Yes, you know what I’m talking about, don’t you?” Aures only sat there, dumbfounded, which irritated Daisetsu a bit, though he did not let it show. “Here, why don’t I let Sadiko explain it to you for me.” Daisetsu moved from where he was standing to reveal the young woman standing there with a look of fear and sadness on her small face.

“Sadiko.” He whispered her name to himself, getting to his feet. How was she here? Aures was confused beyond belief. Why had Daisetsu brought her to him? Did he think he could persuade Aures to join him if she was standing there in front of him? He took a hesitant step towards her, wanting to touch her face to make sure she was real.

“Aures!” she exclaimed while running towards him. When she reached him, she jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down with her when her feet reached the ground. He slowly reached down and wrapped his arms around her waist, returning the hug. She nuzzled his neck, and he just knew she had to be real. He took in her scent with his advanced sense of smell, and it was the same scent he remembered smelling when he had held her in his arms 50 years before. “Aures.” She whispered his name into his ear before pulling out of the embrace. She smiled up at him and he could do nothing else but return her smile with his own.

Daisetsu looked on at the two standing there smiling at each other lovingly and laughed inwardly to himself. This was exactly what he wanted, and he knew it would happen. ‘What a fool,’ he said to himself as they hugged once more, still not speaking a word to one another. ‘Little Aures is not as strong as he appears after all. Well, what would happen if…’

Aures pulled out of the second embrace he had had with Sadiko and looked down at her once more. Wow, she sure looked beautiful in the moonlight. He could have just stood there forever, looking at her, not saying a word and not hearing a word escape her perfect lips. Aures was so captivated by Sadiko’s emerald gaze that he did not hear the powerful demon behind her laughing wickedly. As Aures stood there, looking at Sadiko, the wind blew strong around them, and when he blinked, she was gone. Aures stared at the ground in shock. What had just happened? No, he knew what had happened.

“Daisetsu,” he growled, thinking about the awful creature who had such power over both him and Sadiko. He had tortured Aures for ‘betraying’ him, and would not stop until he got what he wanted. Why did he have to do this to Sadiko, though? What had she done to deserve such punishment? Aures decided to take a walk and think about what had just happened and what he was going to do about it. He walked out of the woods and towards the gigantic hill where he always went when he needed to think. As he walked, he saw Sadiko’s face in the back of his mind.

When he reached the Hill, he stared at all the bodies lying on the ground, most of them burnt and mangled. Humans were such petty creatures, having wars like this. The way Aures saw it, they should just duke out their differences one-on-one. Mono e’ mono. But maybe they were incapable of this? Aures shrugged the thought of as he started walking toward the top of the mound, looking at the bodies he met on the way.

Halfway up the hill, Aures froze, looking down in horror at one of the bodies lying on the ground. It was unlike the other bodies that were all over the place. No, this was a female form. He had always known the female human kind to be gentle, and had never known of one…battling like this. He bent down to the girl and saw her breathing shallowly. Yes, she was still alive. Her scent was still strong, and the stench of death had not yet consumed her body. He could also hear her soft, distant heartbeat, and decided she was in bad shape and he should try and help her.

Aures looked at her shivering form before turning her over to get a better look at her. He gasped when he saw her slumbering face, and realized who it was. It was…her. The girl he had met in the woods only days before. How had she got here? He guessed she had been fighting with the rest and fallen. Her soft features tensed as he moved her and lifted her in his arms, carrying her away from the sight of destruction. He stopped for a moment, looking at her pale face. She reminded him of…he shook that thought. Right now he had to concentrate on taking care of her, not kissing her. He stepped into the woods and towards the hut where he was staying, all the while watching the different emotions played on the girl’s small face.

He stepped into the hut and looked around. Okay, so this was not the best place to keep a girl, but where else was he supposed to take her? He couldn’t just leave her out in the woods. He lay her down on the mat he usually slept on and brushed the hair out of her face. She was beautiful indeed, and felt like just sitting there and looking at her forever. ‘But you have to take care of her wounds or you won’t get to look at her at all.’ He shook himself to get rid of his traitorous thoughts, and stood up.

First, he had to get her out of her filthy clothes. He opened the sliding door that led into the next room and found the large chest sitting in the corner. It had been left by the previous owner of the hut, and he was now grateful. He had not had any use for it before this time, for what it contained did not serve him any. He opened it and found a silky white and black kimono. He shut the trunk and went back into the room he had left the unconscious girl in. He bent down to her and hesitated. This was a bit awkward, he had to admit. Undressing human females was something he had never done before. But if not this, then what was he going to do?

Aures decided just to try and not look at her pale form as he started undressing her scarred body. During the time he was undressing and dressing her, he did not look, unless it was necessary. When he had finished, he lifted her head and untied the knot that was holding her long hair up. He looked at her dark hair, feeling the silky smoothness of it in his hands before he laid her head back down to rest on the mat. He got up and went outside to get water for her. Why couldn’t he get these thoughts out of his mind? She was seriously hurt, and here he was, smelling and touching her every chance he got. He shook himself once more as he went back into the house with a pail of water in his hands. He bent down to her and put the water to her lips. She didn’t wake up, but her reflexes swallowed the water when he poured it into her mouth.

When he was finished, he moved over to the opposite wall, leaning against it. He would not sleep tonight. He had to watch her. ‘To make sure that she’s okay,’ he told himself, but he knew why he really wanted to watch her. Gods, why was he having these stupid perverted thoughts? He had never had these thoughts about any other human girl, not even Sadiko. He felt his stomach tense when he thought about Sadiko. He had forgotten all about her up until now. Tears filled his eyes and tried to forget her again as he watched the slumbering girl at the same time.