I stood alone on the cliffside that overlooked the sparkling sea. My piercing blue eyes scanned every last section of the land that surrounded my village. My pale blonde hair whipped around me in the swirling wind, causing it to
caress my face. I kept my right hand placed on my sword; Midnight Blade. It was placed on my right hip, resting in it's scabbard.
An exquisite lapis lazuli was placed in the hilt of my sword, shimmering bands of silver snaking it's way around it, holding it in place. The hilt itself was the darkest of blues, which earned it its name. I had it personally created and forged for me by the famous blacksmith in our village: Kane. I also had a specialized chain hooked to my left hip. I used it only in dangerous times, for it was too powerful for simple play. With it, I could cause someone to be electrified. All I needed to do was say a few words with a meaning behind them, and my meaning became real. It only worked with my element, of course.
Right now, I was keeping an eye out for mine and my people's enemy: Shinya. Her name alone described how dangerous she was. Passionate, yet fiery at heart. She yearned for the downfall of my people, yearned for the downfall of my family. Ever since she killed my father, she came once every six months to wreak havoc on us. Ever since his death, I have become the head of the village. That also gave me the passage to become the leader of our warriors. I was the greatest combination of fighter and caretaker.
She burned our houses a year ago, mainly targetting the Natsuki mansion. I made it out while the others were stuck in the inferno. That was when I got my first sight of her. That was when I first witnessed how she brought about the fire that killed my family. She produced the fire out of her fingers. When I grew up, however, I had learned that they were really produced from her Nekote; steel claws that were placed on her fingers. Every time she returned to the village, she would use her Nekote as a physical and elemental weapon. They were as red as the fire she called forth. Shinya was feared and hated by the people of my village.
Suddenly, I heard a snap of branches behind me, about a mile away; in my training, my hearing improved, and now, it was trained to pick up the sound of the lightest flutter of a bird's wings five miles away. I swirled around, keeping my senses alert, readying my muscles for combat. My grip on my sword tightened, my eyes stared straight ahead, my ears remained tuned into the footsteps heading for me. When I heard the steps come closer, most definitly headed in my direction, I crept silently toward a bush right next to the intruder's path. After a minute, he finally showed up, stopping right next to my bush. I let my eyes capture everything that was his silhouette. From his black pants to his black vest covering a bare chest. All the way up to his shoulders which had a tattoo of a dragon snaking around his biceps to his strong neck. I let my eyes rise to his sensuous lips set in a firm line of determination and up to his icy green eyes which roamed around the clearing I was standing in minutes before. He reached his hand up to his head, gliding his fingers through his shiny black hair in frustration. He stood there a moment, a perfect statue of danger, before quickly turning around.
I was waiting for him.
"Looking for me?" I smiled sweetly at him, letting my eyes glide over his lean muscles, my tongue swiping across my lips.
At first, he looked at me, stunned. Then, he glared, not letting my attempt to seduce him reach his male senses. He let his eyes wander over my curves, though; it was a mistake, for that allowed me to sense his weakness. If a woman were to get close to him, he would fall under her spell, no matter how tough of a fighter he is.
"It depends," he said, in a slightly husky voice. His eyes locked on mine. "I'm looking for a girl who disguises herself as a sweet and innocent lady while becoming a killer at a moment's whim. Know of any?"
Allowing my lips curve just slightly, I purred at him, "If I did, why would I tell you?" I took slow, measured steps toward him, reaching my hand out to his chest and letting my fingers play a little. I leaned my head foward and toward his ear. "Unless you like women like that," I whispered into his ear. I felt him shiver against my touch.
Clearing his throat, he jerked away suddenly, causing me to smile. "Don't play games with me!" he growled, struggling to regain his composure. I grinned at him.
"Who ever said I was playing? Unless," I gazed into his burning emerald eyes, "you want to play..."
Letting out an exasperated sigh, he said to me, "If you don't anyone by the description I'm looking for, then just say so."
When I did nothing but pose seductively and smile, he turned away. Giving up with playing with my prey, I quickly appeared in front of him.
"Maybe it's me. Maybe you're looking for someone who's standing right in front of you."
He stared at me, shock clear on his face. Proabably from my show of speed, or my sudden confession.
"But it depends. Who wants to know?" I asked him, my eyes now an ice blue.
He hesitated a bit before answering. "I'm Arashi, and I work for someone who has been very interested you for a while now. I'm sure you know her. She goes by the name of Shinya."
I froze. I literally froze up at the mere mention of her name. So Shinya was sending slaves to do her dirty work for her? In that case, I'll kill everyone of them. My eyes narrowing on him, I took a second to slip my Midnight Blade from it's scabbard before striking. His response was quick. He spun around, dodging my attack and removed a pair of nunchucks from his vest. He held them up to block my second attack that I was aiming at him. I quickly twirled around to end up behind him to stab him in his back. The minute I was behind him, however, he leaped up in the air and did a somersault to end up behind me, placing a short knife at my throat.
"So it IS you, isn't it?" he muttered into my ear. "Amaya, is it? Lady Shinya told me your name, describing your cover to me. I'm sorry, but I guess you lost this little battle then, didn't you? Winner takes all, I guess," he said, grinning devilishly at me. Keeping the point of his weapon at the hollow of my neck, he dragged me down the cliffside to the beach.
"Are you seriously going to drag a perfectly innocent woman away to your house? What? You're going to play with me or something?" I teased him playfully, refusing to confess to my identity, although he hit the bulls eye.
"You just love to play games, don't you Amaya? Haven't I told you already to just give it up?"
I shrugged. "It's fun to tease men. You should try it," I laughed at him.
When we hit a patch of trees before emerging onto the beach front, I swiveled around and placed my sword at his neck. He stared wide eyed at me as I dragged him into the shade of the leaves.
"What the-?" I cut him off with my finger at his lips. I leaned close to him and whispered against his lips, "I may be Amaya the Lightning Wielder; that's what she called me, isn't it?" he nodded before I continued. "I may be the most dangerous girl you've ever met except her. But I am also Amaya the Caretaker. Amaya the Compassionate. I'm not as bad as she made you believe. I'm only as bad as my enemy makes me. I survive to protect." I paused a moment before adding, "And I'm going to do something before allowing you to leave here."
I leaned toward him and tilted my head slightly to the side. His eyes were wide as they stared into my slowly closing eye lids. 'I hope he forgets this' I thought before the most startling thing happened.
My lips met his, and heat entered me in an instant. His lips quickly responded to mine, kissing me back fiercely. His arms, which were at his sides, rose to wrap around me and pull me closer. My hand came up to caress his cheek, stroke his soft hair, and to pull him closer to me as well. We were a mess of limbs in the trees surrounding us. His lips never left mine, and I didn't want them to. I didn't want him to leave my side. I found him, and greedy as I am, I wanted him to stay with me. He left my lips and allowed his kisses to travel down my cheek to my neck. I sighed, leaning my head back and cherishing his touch. Almost too soon, his head came level with mine again, kisses coming to a stop.
"We can't do this," he whispered.
"Oh yes we can," I whispered in a lustful voice, staring at his appealing lips.
"I was supposed to capture and kill you," he said, hanging his head in defeat.
"You don't have to."
"It was my duty."
"Well, you give your duty up."
He looked up at me, astonished. "Give it up? I lived for that! I trained myself since I was twelve to serve my Lady. Trained-" I cut him off.
"She isn't YOUR lady. You will not claim her no longer," I gazed deeply in his eyes. "You will claim ME."
"You're crazy," he said, shaking his head and laughing.
I slapped him. "I'm not crazy. You're mine and I'm yours. I don't know about you, but that kiss...it awakened me. It felt RIGHT. I felt like I belonged with you." I looked down, embarassed.
It took him a while to respond, and when he did, he lifted my chin to look into my eyes. "I felt it too, Amaya. Trust me, I did. It's just that, you have a duty to protect your people and I have a duty to take that away from you. To bring you to...HER...and have you killed. How are we supposed to do both?"
I smiled up at him, "Easy. You let me go back to my people, you go back to Shinya. I act like I never met you, and you make it like you couldn't find me."
He took a minute to let all this sink in. Finally, he grinned at me. Oh my Goddess! He looked sexy, with his dimpled smile and lit up green eyes Set in contrast with his shocking black hair. It was the first time he really smiled at me.
"You're right, it could work! You're...wow," he gazed upon me in admiration.
I smiled before standing up and offering him my hand. Sadness was quickly taking over me. I had to let him go. Right after meeting him and realizing we were meant to be. After realizing I didn't ever want to let him leave my side. I had to let him go back to my enemy. I glared at the rock next to my feet, allowing my hair to cover my face so he wouldn't see. I lifted my head up to meet his gaze.
"You must go back. I'll stay here until your ship is out of sight. Remember, you never met me. Never saw me. You couldn't find me."
He hugged me tight and kissed me much slower, more passionate, than before. "I'll miss you every day. I will think of no woman other than my fierce, ferocious, sweet, and sexy Amaya," he growled into my ear in the most seductive voice any man has ever used on me.
"I'll miss you too, my strong and caring Arashi." I hugged him so tight it would have broken anybody else's bones. He just hugged me back, before letting me go and looking at me once more before making his way to his boat. I watched as his boat sailed away, cried when I saw him stand on the railing, eyes gazing longingly at the clump of trees that concealed me.
Once he was out of sight, I wiped my tears and hiked back up the cliffside and headed to my village. I took a scan around the perimeter and concluded that no other person was sent here to look for me. My village was safe....for now.
Shinya will never stop. I just hope she'll believe Arashi when he says that he couldn't find me.
