Chapter 1: The Awakening

Ishki’s eyes opened. Dark green eyes, heavy with sleep surveyed the shadowed room around her. The bed next to hers was rumpled; the blankets twisted and half off the bed.

Mye? Where is she? Ishki scanned the room, noting that her clothes and shoes were missing. Where did she go off to at this time of night? Her grogginess was replaced with worry as she flew off the bed and grabbed her clothes.

She better have a damn good reason for sneaking out at this time of night. Ishki fumed, as she hopped on one foot, trying to slip into one of her boots.

Ishki silently slipped from her room and eyed the door next to hers. The last thing she needed was Nataku waking up and seeing her sneak out of her room. She grimaced with the thought of his scolding. No, it was better if Nataku didn’t have a clue that she and Mye had left. Sometimes his over protectiveness could be suffocating.

With a last apologetic glance at Nataku’s door, Ishki stealthily made her way through the Inn’s rundown hallway and out into the night.

She found Mye standing waist deep in the lake. Her hair loose and illuminated by the two moons that hung above. Ishki kneeled behind the trees that concealed her and watched Mye as she played with the water with her fingers.

She’s careless. If I was one of them, she’d be in trouble. Why can’t she learn to be more alert?

“I knew I’d find you here.” Mye started and twirled around, her eyes wide.

“Ishki!” Mye looked sheepish as Ishki appeared from her hiding spot. The fact that Mye hadn’t sensed her presence was evident from the blush on her cheeks.

“What if it hadn’t been me searching for you Mye?” Anger made her voice harsher then she intended it to be. “You have to be more careful, you know that even populated areas aren’t safe.”

“I know that!” Mye made little twirls with her finger on the waters surface. “It’s just that I’m so uncomfortable in that old Inn. It’s even worse then the last one we stayed in.”

She made her way over to the shore of the lake and crouched on a huge rock that jutted out into the lake.

“I know, Mye, but if you’re going to come out here, you have to learn to be more alert. If you can’t sense me, then how are you going to sense a demon?”

Mye gave her an amused look. “No one senses you Ishki, you give off nothing. No sound, no energy. Heck I can’t even see you unless you want me to!”

Ishki grinned and gave Mye a sly look. “That’s because you’re blind and deaf. A rat has better senses then you do!” Ishki’s grin got bigger when she saw Mye’s eyes flash with temper.

Eyes narrowed, Mye walked up to where Ishki was crouched on the rock. “I may not have the kind of senses you do, but I know something you don’t.”

Ishki raised an eyebrow. “Oh, and what would that be?”

“This!” Mye grabbed Ishki’s wrists and flipped her into the lake.

Ishki surfaced, sputtering and gasping. She glared through wet blonde hair at a cackling Mye.

“Oh come on, its just water!” Mye said as she retreated from an agitated Ishki. “I know you hate the water and you can’t swim, do you honestly think I would drag you into an area where your feet couldn’t touch the ground?” Mye put her hands up in front of her, in a gesture of calming.

“Come on Ishki; don’t do anything you’ll regret.”

“Oh, I’m not going to be the one regretting my actions.” With mischief in her eyes, Ishki pounced. She knocked Mye back into the water with a splash.

A satisfied grin spread across her face as Mye surfaced sputtering. Only in these moments with Mye, did she ever feel completely at peace. Nothing mattered but enjoying the night and forgetting about all her problems. The morning would come too soon.

Ishki and Mye chased and dunked each other, their giggles echoed into the night.

“I’ve been thinking lately, Ishki.” Mye said as she watched Ishki drag herself out of the water. “We have enough money saved up to buy our own place now; we don’t have to travel anymore.”

She stopped ringing out her clothes and stared at Mye. “Don’t give me that look Ishki, we could have a home!” Mye’s eyes took on a dreamy look. “A place of our very own, we wouldn’t have to travel from village to village all the time.”

“A house is just a place Mye. What does it matter, as long as the three of us are together?” Her voice quiet, Ishki examined the shirt she had clenched in her hand.

“A house can be burned or destroyed; you know what happens to hunters who settle down.” Her eyes still downcast, Ishki tugged her over shirt back on.

“But….”

“No buts Mye, they know our smell, they’ve tasted our blood. As soon as we settle down, they will catch up to us.” She swallowed hard. “There isn’t a home anywhere on this planet that would be safe from them.”

“We could make it safe though! Why not, we do it for other people!”

“It’s not the same Mye; do you want to get attached to a place and then watch it get ripped apart by them?” Ishki turned furious eyes to Mye. “Cause believe me, they will come, and there won’t be anything left when they finish.”

“Are we going to spend the rest of our lives fighting and running?” Mye asked defeated. Mye wore such a sad expression that Ishki grimaced and rubbed her temples.

“Listen Mye, I’m not saying that we can’t ever settle down. We are bound to run into a place where it’s safe.” She offered Mye a weak smile. “So why don’t we keep searching for it?”

Mye brightened. Her whole face came alive in her delight. “You’re right!

“Of course I’m right!” Ishki gave an indignant snort. “Don’t ya know that your elders are always right!?”

“Pffffttt, you’re five months older then I am. Just cause I haven’t turned sixteen yet doesn’t make you any wiser then me!”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah!”

Ishki grinned. “I’ll try to remember that.” She held out a hand to Mye and pulled her up onto the rock “Now if you’re…” Ishki froze; there was something out there, something powerful. She pushed Mye back into the water and jumped in after her.

“Hush Mye.” She hissed and put a hand over Mye’s mouth. “Stay in the water, there’s something out there.”

Mye went still. Her mismatched eyes scanned the trees around them. “That isn’t a demon’s energy Ishki.”

“I know; whatever it is is much stronger.” Ishki narrowed her eyes. This energy sang in her head, its melody ringing with power.

She pulled Mye deeper into the water, never taking her eyes off the trees. The melody became louder and louder, but oddly enough, it was soothing. Before she could trace it’s locate, it stopped. The silence was deafening.

“It’s gone.” She looked at Mye, worried. “Let’s get back to the Inn. I want to make sure Nataku is alright.”

They entered through the window, careful not to make a sound. She could feel Nataku in the other room, still asleep, and breathed a sigh of relief. Sleep was put off, even after Mye’s even breathing filled the room. She was to busy thinking about how the melody sounded like Mye’s and Nataku’s when they used their power.