"YOU,"

She squeaked lightly and stared down the hall. It was the man from the market, but how she wondered. How had he managed to find her? She wasn't looking for him and the fact that he just appeared puzzled her. How did he even know that she was up and about? She was sure that she knocked out the guard for more than a couple of hours, so how was it possible? She didn't hear him at all but yet still he was there standing in front of her. She shook her head some and took a step back, trying to convince herself that he wasn't there but he was. The only thing she did was blink and before she knew what happened he was on her with his hands around her neck.

Survival instincts kicked in quickly, forcing her to fight back. She hissed at him then brought her knee up quickly, slamming it into his chest, flipping him off her. Her mind screamed directions at her but the only thing she could do was run, that was basic instinct. Against all odds her legs seemed to cooperate with her and she jumped up quickly to run away from him but he was already on his feet. The frustration was evident on her face as she shifted her weight from leg to leg. Her eyes widened as she felt herself hit the floor. It was remarkable. She didn't even see him move but she felt the impact of the blow. She gritted her teeth against the pain the laced her body then turned to meet his gaze. Somehow he had manage to pin her to the floor with most of his weight rested on her already damaged ribs. His eyes seem to look right through her and she panicked, kicking him, making him let her go. She ran off and into the first door she saw. She looked around the room, wondering where she was.

Everything was basically broken. Shards of glass sparkled in the moonlight and dying flowers lay on the floor. She looked around for a place to hide but found none. It was impossible to hide in a room that was practically empty. It was cold, dark and damp. She felt as though she was in a dungeon. It was better than the room she first awakened in but it felt all the same to her.

She backed herself into a dark corner and watched the door as the knob slowly started to turn. Her mind raced as she stared at the door in fear and the strangest thoughts ran through her mind.

"I'm going to be put in his harem or I'll have to act like his pet. I'll have to purr at his every command and eat out the palm of his hand. Worst of all, I'll be treated as a common cat. An animal that has no respect in this kingdom ruled by men."

She wrapped her arms around her stomach and doubled over, whimpering softly as pain surged through her body. The fall with that man, that creature, had opened her wounds far more worst than how they were before. Her mind continued to race as the pain she felt increased rapidly, blurring her vision some. It felt as if someone was stabbing her with an object continuously.

"No….no…. not now…please….," she whispered softly, covering her mouth, trying to keep quiet while wretched coughs threatened to overtake her body.

The door to the room rattled and turned more, till it finally opened, revealing nothing but thin air. She sighed softly and allowed her deprived lungs the air that they desperately needed. She rose slightly and walked along in the shadows until she reached the door. She looked around the room some and the eased the door shut until she heard the door click, signaling that it had closed.

She never heard the door lock. The only thing she did hear was the sound of a voice racing through her fragile mind. The voice of something that was so evil and so cold that actually it sent chills down her spine.

"Here little one…come out…come out… and play."

The voice whispered through her mind, putting her senses on high alert. She couldn't hear nor see anything but she knew that someone was there. Someone was watching her. She looked around the room trying to see if anything was misplaced in anyway that would give away the person's position, but nothing was askew.

"Be calm little kitten… I won't hurt you… much."

Her mind raced again as she heard the voice once more, sending her into a panic as her gaze practically flew around the room. She turned towards the door then grabbed the knob, pulling on it but it wouldn't budge. Crying out she scratched at the door, trying to get out of the room that scared her so but it was to no avail, the door just wouldn't open.

"Is my little kitten trapped?"

Came the voice once more, making her jump and turn to stare around the room. Stepping away from the door, she looked around more before she ran towards the balcony doors which slammed shut in her face, locking instantly. She screamed and grabbed at the locked doors trying to open them, but her efforts proved futile for the doors would not budge.

She screamed as she was suddenly flung away from the door by an invisible force. Her breath caught in her throat as she slammed into the wall, trembling violently in fear. Shaky legs gave out from under her as she slumped to the floor, gasping for the air that she couldn't seem to drag into her burning lungs. Tears trailed down her cheeks slowly not from fear but from the pain that was escalating through her body like a raging fire. Her wounds bleed freely around her now, staining the floors turning it from a cold gray to a crimson red.

She struggled with herself and tried to keep awake, but soon found out that it was easier said than done. Vision blurring, lungs burning, heart throbbing, and mind racing was all of the above for her as she gave into the darkness that closed in around her.


Takai stared down at the pathetic wench before him. Her form crumpled on the floor and her hair was matted with dirt. Truth be told, she looked like a rag doll, dirty and broken. She almost looked dead to him. The way she laid on the floor at that odd angle made him think that maybe he had pushed her too far, but for him nothing like that ever existed.

He scoffed lightly and looked at his wrist, licking his blood that flowed freely from it. Never did he think he would meet a girl that could possibly be his match. Such a thing was never heard of. Yet still she had manage to hurt him, humiliate him, and worse of all draw his blood. In all his years of training and combat no one ever managed to do half those things without trying. Even if they did succeed, they never lived long enough to gloat. It amazed him that such a weak creature could do that to him.

With a smirk on his face, he continued to watch her struggle to breathe. He was beginning to like her. Her will to survive and fight attracted him to her, no matter how much he tried to deny it. There was something puzzling about her, something unnatural. Bizarre was the word the that best fitted this situation for him but it still felt unnatural. It was the strange feeling that something important was going to happen. Something that could change the very thing they called life. However, he didn't care at the moment. All he wanted was revenge. Revenge for embarrassing him and marking his all too fair skin.

He watched her open her green eyes again and focus them on him. Her movements were slow and painful. Seeing her try to get up to fight him, even in the state that she was in, amused him. He chuckled and turned away from her knowing that by the time she got up, she would have probably passed out from pain again.

Normally in a situation like this he would have already killed a tyrant like her, but he didn't. In fact, he couldn't. No matter how much he wanted to, it was against his will. He cursed himself over and over again as he walked towards her. He was hungry, very hungry. He intended to have a meal, even if she was on it. With a flick of his wrist, her body rose from the ground. It hung in the air limply as he moved towards her. With his every step, it seemed as though she was shrinking before him. He knew no such thing was possible but it felt like it.

Stopping within touching distance, he watched her. The smell of her blood was intoxicating and pure. While licking his lips he took the final step towards her. His hand reached up to touch her cheek lightly as his fangs slid down. He brushed away the hair that covered her neck and stared at the vain that pulsed with life. He was disgusted with himself. He was acting like a love struck victim when all she was to him was a feeding toy. She was something that he could play with when he was bored. He didn't care about her but his actions showed other words. All he wanted was to punish her for everything she put him through. With an angry growl he slammed his fangs into her neck, not caring if he caused any excess pain to her.

Blood flowed freely into his mouth and slid from the corners of his lips. Her blood was different. It was pure and innocent. It was like the taste of a virgin but mystic. In his mind there was no way to explain it. It was simply delectable. One taste. No. One drop would have had any other creature hooked for life. He pulled away and licked his lips. He couldn't explain the feeling but it was there. It was something that made him feel human, made him feel sick. He backed away from her as his vision blurred.

"What the hell did you do to me?" He screamed at her limp form that hit the floor.

Nothing made since to him. It was as if her blood was purifying him from the inside out. Worst of all, it felt as though he was standing in pure sunlight. He felt warm. He felt weak. He felt human. He gagged. It was too much for him. He would make her pay for his pain, his suffering and his humiliation. His scream echoed off the walls and made everything vibrate. For the first time in exactly one thousand years Lord Takai fainted.