Prologue
The cries of war shattered the silence, in a war for land between the daring demons and the murderous mortals.
Within this battle a mother demon carried her child, she raced across the field looking for, him.
On the far side of the battlefield he lay, this was the father of the child in the woman’s’ arms. He lay there covered in deep lethal wounds, in battle he had been over powered by a group of mortal warriors. Using a tree he was near to help him, he staggered to his feet, he franticly looked around. Where are they? He wondered.
“James!” the female cried out, tears were streaming down the sides of her pale face when she saw him at last. Seeing him so hurt she trekked across the land fast as her narrow feet would carry her, her long blond hair trail behind her.
“Kristi!” He managed to call back. James started to stagger toward her, he made little distance before he collapsed to the ground. With the amount of blood he had lost it wouldn’t be long before he died.
Kristi set their child down next to them as she eased James up against the tree. James blinked a few times so he could see better, as he looked up at his dear wife and child, he smiled. There young, three year old child was now back in Kristi’s arms wrapped up in her midnight cloak.
“Kristi, let me hold her for a moment.” He asked her.
“Of course my love.” Kristi replied, as she laid the child in his arms. James held her and gazed into her light green eyes. They were lighter than his emerald ones which now had tears forming within them. Then James put their little one back in the safety of her mothers’ arms.
He slowly took off his sliver chain necklace, which he had worn since he was her age. He placed it around her small neck, and spoke, “Don’t you forget me Nozomi, always remember your father ok.”
Kristi who had been crying all this time began to cry even harder, she continued to hold her child in one arm while she grabbed James’s hand in the other. They stared hard into each others eyes; James started to turn even paler than he originally was.
“Take her… take her to where this war will hopefully never each, the Forest of Mist protected by the Dragon of Shadows.” He said in a shallow tone.
Kristi nodded, she stood up to run off, but before she could leave she bent back down and gave him a final kiss.
As she ran away carrying the child, James closed his eyes and fell into a forever lasting sleep.
Chapter 1
14 years later
Many playful shrieks and screams came from a large group of mortal children. I watched them play near the woods that lay beside a large sapphire river. I stared at them from within the thick pine forest.
A few thoughts ran through my head such as why mortals were so carefree at this age? I remember back when I was around ten, I had been living with a wolf demon, and learning sword fighting.
Then again, I reminded myself, I was not like all other demons. Memories began to flow back into my mind, but a sudden noise saved me from remembering them.
My pointed ears suddenly twitched, as I heard the noise of a ball bouncing toward me. It bounced into the woods right beside me. I picked it up, the surface was so unusual and the colors quite bazaar.
“Kati, you idiot see what you did now the ball is somewhere in the woods! Go and get it.” I heard a young boy yell, I looked back over at the kids to see a young girl, in a pale pink dress, with long blond hair, running toward the woods to get the ball.
A smile split across my face letting one of my ivory fangs show. It was time to have a little fun. I launched up into one of the trees, still holding the children’s ball. There I sat waiting for her to come. The leaves and needles rustled, as she pushed her way into the woods. She walked around looking for the ball. Her flow of energy was neutral as she searched in some bushes.
Once she was a far enough distance into the woods I jumped down from the tree. My feet made practically no noise as they hit the ground. The blond haired little girl continued to look for what she came in the woods for.
“Hey, looking for this kid?” I questioned her. She began to shake and her flow of energy became colder, at the sound of my voice. It was one everyone in the village recognized.
She turned to face me her light blue eyes were wide with terror. I took a half step toward her, and without any hesitation she raced off deeper into the woods. She only made it about thirty feet from me before she tripped over a fallen branch. I quickly sprinted over to the young child.
I looked at how pitiful she was sitting there now crying in her fear. If she was a demon she would have tried to fight back by now, but no she just sat there.
“You mortals sicken me.” I hissed at her. The child sat there and didn’t reply, she just cried more and more.
“A-are you gonna eat me?” she finally stuttered. I almost burst out in laughter but held it in.
What kind of stories are they telling the kids these days? I thought.
“Eat you, eat you? Ha I don’t eat humans, there to sickening for me. But let a big bad wolf demon catch you and you’ll be lunch! But me, what I do is just kill mortals for the sheer joy and pleasure of seeing there dying faces.” I lied. There was no way I would ever stoop so low as to killing for joy, but terrorizing was a different story.
“I watched her eyes get even wider as if they were going to burst.
I smirked this was all to fun, but I knew what was coming next. It happened every time.
This was about the time the villagers would come searching for the kid, and ruin my terrorizing. I stood up and faced were the villagers were most likely to come from.
“This is about to get fun.” I proclaimed. I glanced around for some sort of weapon and found a large branch that would be useful to me. I didn’t have a weapon of my own to fight with, so I was use to using whatever was handy.
“Into the woods men, we must find my daughter!” A brute voice called out, about armed ten men entered the forest.
“You again, Nozomi why are you back on our land I thought you were gone for good?!” A familiar man called out.
“Hey Stev, no I wouldn’t leave you guys that wouldn’t be any fun now would it. What would you do without me causing some excitement?” I called back as I saw the familiar figure within the group. I smiled at him, he knew me well he was the first person I ever terrorized.
“Archers, FIRE!” He voice call out.
Arrows began flying toward me as I fiddled with one of the turquoise beads in my hair. I looked up at the arrows, with a smile I swung the branch lazily and knocked them all from the air.
“Is that the best you lame archers can do?” I sneered.
With that said I charged toward the swordsmen. They gripped there swords tighter as I approached. Then a taller man jumped out at me, he swung his sword with great force but little skill. I dodged with a step back, and then swung the branch. I hit him hard in the side of the face and he went flying sideways. Two more men charged toward me, and they both got whapped with the branch as well. I laughed as they lay there, what they didn’t know is I was holding back. I wasn’t in the mood to actually injure them.
I stepped around them and walked toward Stev. As I watched him grit his teeth, I smiled I just loved to piss him off. Then rapidly he came charging at me with his long black sword. I tossed the branch I was holding off to the side. With a swift movement I picked up a sword from one of the fallen village men.
Stev swung with great force and I blocked him with ease, the swords clashed together, the sound was satisfying. Suddenly a searing pain entered into my back, as one of the archers dared to shoot at me. In my moment of confusion and pain, Stev swung his sword at me with all his might.
I managed to block it but the strength behind the sword sent me skidding backwards. My ears twitched as I heard another arrow get released, this time I dodged. I glared over at the only archer who dared to stay behind after watching the swordsmen get beaten up.
“Had enough yet Nozomi?” Stev questioned in a mocking tone.
“You know that answer.” I hissed. Before I went back to fighting him I reached for the arrow in my back and pulled it out it hadn’t gone deep so I felt minimal pain.
“Then let’s fight.”
“Fine, but you’ll regret it.” I sneered. Our swords clashed time and time again, the sound pleased me. Now I was prepared to listen for the ping of arrows, as arrows that were still being shot by the lone archer. I dodged all that came at me and continued to fight.
Suddenly I felt my body falling backwards. In one of my moves to dodge I had tripped over a bramble bush.
As I hit the ground Stev swung his sword at me. I attempted to block, but was a little to slow. As his sword hit mine they both crashed into me. A searing pain shot through me as my lower stomach obtained a large gash.
With a sharp hiss I pushed the sword away from me. Then without thinking I launched up into a tree that was close by. In a very swift movement, I had Stev confused. I jumped down from the tree and landed behind him before he had a chance to even turn around.
“Take this!!” I growled as my foot met his side. The force behind my kick sent him sideways into a tree, with a curt bow I skipped off into the woods.
I heard the sounds of rustling as they left the woods.
I will call this one a draw, no one actually won this time. I thought.
Chapter 2
Him
I sat on the shoreline of my side of the river, and watched the wave’s crash upon the shore. I had been sitting there ever since I had dressed my wounds earlier. I was becoming bored. No I was more than bored I was sick and tired of living everyday alone.
It had been a little less than four-teen years since that day, the day I lost my mom and dad. I reached for the silver chain that hung from my neck. It was all I had left from my father, and a black cloak that was back at my home was all I had left from my mother.
I hadn’t lived my entire life alone since that day, my mother had left my with another snake demon. Kana cared form me till I was eight, then on a cold November day she was killed. A group of bear demons caught her off guard while she was hunting. She didn’t think to save herself, instead she told me to run. In my fear I had obeyed her, after that I wandered alone aimlessly for weeks.
Then one brisk windy January evening I met an elderly wolf demon named Fury. He taught me how to sense anyone’s flow of energy. He also taught me how to fight. I lived with him till I was twelve then he sent me away, he told me that I needed to gain more independence. He also promised that we would meet again when the time came.
I pulled my self back into reality. “Nozomi, you’re such a baby can’t even take being alone can you.” I said to myself. Letting out a long depressed sigh I got up and began to make my way back home.
The mist begun to thicken as I walked toward my home, the cold moist air felt nice my wound. As well as on my feet this was an exceedingly hot day for walking barefoot. I smiled at the fact that I had one of the best homes for a loner demon. This was an upside of living in the middle of The Forest of Mist.
My nose started to twitch I was picking up the scent of another demon. From what I could tell it was some sort of cat demon, male probably. I stood still for a second to make sure I wasn’t imagining things.
From what I could tell, he had only walked by only a few minutes ago. His flow of energy was warm I could tell he wasn’t an enemy. I began to sprint in his direction, and then I realized he was probably lost, his scent was overlapping.
“How long he has been walking for. These woods are hard to maneuver through.” I unintentionally asked aloud.
He must have heard me, because then sound of running stared. I ran off toward him, we were getting deeper and deeper into the woods. Which even I knew at this time of day was dangerous. The running stopped as I heard him hit the ground, another noise sounded to but further off.
I sprinted up to where he sat, he was holding his knee and I could see as well as smell the blood. He snarled at me as a warning, to back off, but I could have cared less. He was injured I wouldn’t leave. I kneeled down to his level and looked at him, he was wearing a light brown deer hide vest, with a midnight black shirt underneath and he wore shredded dark brown shorts.
“Go away.” He growled.
I continued to ignore his growling, as I looked at him, I saw his face he had two black tiger stripes on each side. I couldn’t see his eyes though because his hair was covering them. The tips of his light brown hair were bright red. A lot like the tips of my dark brown hair but mine was a much darker red. A sharp intense pain entered my gut area where I had been injured. As the tiger demon kicked me with what I assumed to be all his might. I collapsed to the forest floor in agony, as he shifted backwards a smirk crossed his face and a single fang showed just like when I smirked.
“What was that for?” I managed to grumble as I felt my wound start to bleed again.
“I said go away.” He replied plainly.
I sat up holding my aching gut and glared at him. As I glared at him I saw his eyes, they where white there was no color in them even his pupil was white. I also noticed he had a black sword belt, but no sword.
“Why should I go away? I live in these woods.” I sneered.
“You live here?” He said dumbfounded.
“Yes I do, this forest has been my home since I was about twelve.”
“Wow you mean you don’t live with a group of snakes or other demons?” he asked in surprise.
“No.”
“Wow the beads in your hair are a common thing among some tribes.”
I was about to tell him about the beads, when his eyes grew very wide. I saw his hand was holding the broken part of his belt. He jumped to his feet and franticly looked around.
“Where is it?” He exclaimed.
I realized he must be talking about his sword. Maybe that is what I heard fall when he fell as well. I thought.
“It must have been flung somewhere when you tripped, what does the sheath look like? I asked.
“Black with silver tiger stripes, the handle is burgundy.” He replied.
We both began to look for the sword, I quickly spotted it. I looked over at the boy and thought about yelling for him. But as I got closer to the sword I became intrigued by the level of energy it gave off. I reached for it and as my hand griped around the handle it released a large flash. I was sent backwards by the force of energy, which had emitted from it.
“Um, owww?” I said in more of a question than in pain.
The boy ran over to me and pushed me away from his sword. “Why did you touch my sword? Couldn’t you feel the level of energy it gave off? This is an enchanted tiger sword, only tiger demons can hold it.”
I stared at him not really knowing how to reply. I looked down at my now burnt hand, the mark it had left would only be there for a few hours but it was interesting.
“I guess I wasn’t thinking.” I replied meekly.
“Let me see your hand.” He commanded.
I slowly put my hand out toward him. I thought the burn was interesting it was in the shape of a tiger. He looked at my hand for a moment with a very a confused look, “Never have I seen this happen.”
“What do you mean?” I questioned.
“This mark is just exotic the other two demons that were dumb enough to touch my sword had scars that just looked like blobs. Yet this mark is so detailed.” He said trying to figure it out.
I stood there and looked at him. I began to think he looked kinda cute, his eyes where what had really caught my attention, so unique. I realized I didn’t even know his name.
“I don’t know why the mark looks like this. I don’t quite care either but, I do care to know your name.”
“You have like no attention span whatsoever do you?” He asked
“No none at all sometimes.” I replied.
He stared at me with a puzzled look, as I looked at him with a curious one. “So you just wanna know my name? He said still quite intrigued.
“Yes, please.”
“Well it’s Soren, Soren Ling Torock.” He finally told me.
“Soren… Hello I am Nozomi, Nozomi I. Twili.”
Chapter 3
Battlefield
“Whoa so you live here, this is so neat.” Soren said completely amazed as he looked around at the outside of my cave house.
I looked over at him and smiled, he was very nice and he seemed trustworthy. I glanced down at the cut on his leg, it was still bleeding. Unlike the gash I had on my stomach, which had stopped bleeding as we walked back.
“Thanks but before you look around any more just stand there ok, I don’t need your blood getting all over.” I replied.
I watched as Soren looked down at his bleeding leg. “It should have stopped bleeding by now shouldn’t of it? He asked me sounding a little worried.
“Yes by now the bleeding should have stopped but, maybe when you fell a rock got lodged in your wound.” Has this boy ever been hurt in his life? I wondered he just seemed so worried by the injury it was strange.
“Yeah I suppose.” He said still sounding stressed.
“Just stay put alright, I will get you some herbs and a wrap.” I said as I walked into my cave, I grabbed a bowl of water a few herbs. I also grabbed a piece a fabric, I had stolen it from the mortals, it would be good to wrap around his wound.
I walked back out and looked over to where he was supposed to be standing only to see he had run off. I set down the supplies I had grabbed and followed the trail of his crimson blood.
My sensitive nose began to twitch, a potent smell was wafting through the woods, that smell was smoke! I sprinted toward the smell, now I knew why he had run off.
“Nozomi!” I heard him cry out. I raced towards the sound of his voice as fast as I possibly could. A very familiar scent hit my nose. It was more fowl than the smell of the smoke.
“It’s those mortals from the village how dare they!” Anger ravaged through me like a strike of lightning. I could also tell by the cold flow of there energy they were here to kill.
“Soren!” I called out letting him know I was on my way. I only hoped the mortals wouldn’t capture him or worse, before I could help him.
At last I reached a large clearing. What I saw angered me the scent of fire had been coming from a small trap fire. I quickly realized this was a meant for me. The mortals had taken my last prank a little too seriously. The other thing that angered me was is that Soren got caught up in all this.
I glanced around to see a group of mortals surrounding him. From the way he looked I could tell he had been caught by surprise by the mortals. Wounds coursed him already even though he had been fighting for a few minutes. The worst one gash crossed his torso I could tell it was slowing him down. He was having trouble deflecting the blows because of his wounds.
I cracked my knuckles, before launching toward one of the mortals, I slashed a large wound across his back and he fell to the ground as my poison took affect.
The ping of several bowstrings echoed through the air, I looked over to see archers hidden in the trees. While cursing under my breath I dodged the arrows.
I looked back over at Soren who was getting weaker by the minute. The mortals surrounding him were closing in.
I jumped straight over the group of mortals, using one as a trampoline and sending him into the ground. With perfect aim I landed right next to Soren, who looked a little shocked to see how high I had jumped.
"Hey!" I said in a high pitched cheery tone. Soren glared at me for a moment, and then smiled.
“So you made it.” He replied.
“Of course, I can’t lose the first real friend I have made. Especially on the day I met him.” I said with a smirk, He let out a small chortle, but not for long. The mortals were still swinging there swords.
He blocked one after another, as the swords came crashing towards him. I could tell I needed to get him away from this battle. The expression in his colorless eyes was full of pain.
I struck a village warrior in the face with my foot, and he flew backwards. I took his sword and started to help Soren fight. He caught one of his attackers off guard and dealt him a lethal blow. The ping of arrows being released rang out again, as the archers decided to start helping again. I kicked the swordsmen I was fighting in the gut, as he fell I got behind Soren to block the arrows from hitting him.
"Thanks." He mumbled as he blocked a blow from one of the mortals.
I nodded to him and went back to fighting. We injured a few more men till it was only two against three. The sound of swords clashing was all that was heard for a moment, as we all fought. I couldn't hear the ping of an arrow over the sound of the swords, but I knew one had been shot when I heard Soren cry out.
I looked over him to see an arrow piercing straight through his left arm, the one he held his sword with.
Soren dropped his sword to the ground in agony. With a look of defeat as he held his arm and dropped to his knees, to exhausted to get back up.
In my rage from seeing him get hurt I flung my sword into the chest of one of the swordsmen. Then without hesitation I grabbed Soren’s sword off the ground. This time no burning energy came to me as I grabbed it. Only an energy I had never felt before, it was like I was drawing energy from the weapon.
I turned to the last two swordsmen and dealt them both a final blow to the neck with Soren’s sword. More arrows were shot at me, I tried to dodge but one pierced my back. I cursed to myself then picked up one of the arrows, with un-human strength and speed I threw the arrow into the tree line. I heard a thud as one of the archers fell to the ground.
"Retreat men!" One of the archers called out, immediately rustling came from within the tree line and the men ran away.
I growled as I saw them flee, if it were under different circumstances I would have chased them all down and never let them return home. Only I couldn’t not with Soren, I walked over to him and handed him his sword. As he grasped it, a smile crossed his face. “Thanks, it is great to know I have a new friend I can truly trust.” He said.
I smiled back and helped him onto his feet, we walked forward a short ways before I felt his knees buckle. I slowly lowered him to the ground. His face had turned as pale as his eyes which closed as he passed out.
He lost a lot of blood. I thought to myself. I am amazed it took this long for him to finally pass out. He is a stronger demon than I thought he was. Abruptly I realized I had to find some way to get him back to my home before he lost anymore blood.
"Great how am I gonna get him all the way back to the cave?" I asked no one in particular.
Then the bushes started to rustle and another demon walked into the clearing. “Maybe I could be of assistance?”
Chapter 4
Brother
The glowing light from a small fire was the first thing I saw. Then suddenly a rush of pain shot through my left arm and torso. I lifted my arm in agony to see it wrapped in bandages. I blinked and tried to figure out what was going on but my mind was blank.
Then I saw an image of a girl, she had dark brown hair with tips the color of blood. Around her neck she wore a sliver chain. Who is she? I thought. I lay there confused at what was going on.
I stared over at the fire and gazed into it, a pair of glinting eyes looked back at me. I looked closer to see a rattle snake cured up on the floor by the fire, it stared at me with its narrow eyes.
Without warning memories began to flow back in my mind, I realized what was going on at last.
“Nozomi!” I called out remembering her name.
The soft sound of Nozomi’s footsteps walked past the opening to the room I was in. “Nozomi?” I called again, as I tried to sit up.
The footsteps halted and Nozomi popped her head into the room “Your awake, don’t move you might reopen your wounds just lay back down!” She said in a panic.
I slowly lay back down and glanced over at her. “Where am I Nozomi, how did I get here?”
“You’re in my home. Just sit I explain everything in a minute.” She replied, before she ran off.
That was strange. I thought. I waited for her to comeback, straining my ears to pick up the sound of her footsteps.
Then the sound of her nimble footsteps started again as she walked toward the room I was in. This time a second set of footsteps followed hers they were heavier and hit the ground harder. Who is here? I thought. Suddenly a very familiar scent hit my nose. That’s not possible. Is it?
I watched as Nozomi walked back into the room followed by a taller figure, as the fire flickered I saw his face.
“After you collapsed I met this guy and he carried you back here so I could tend to your wounds.” Nozomi said.
“T-Tonro?” I questioned.
“Who else could it be, you damn idiot!” Tonro said in a tone he had never used before, his eyes were full of many emotions. He came over and sat down by me. I saw the true look in his amber eyes. I could tell something was very wrong.
“Brother what’s the matter?”
“You worried me little brother. I mean I don’t wanna lose you as well.” Tonro replied as Nozomi back out of the room.
“Lose me as well, brother what happened?” I was starting to worry.
“Little Amber is dead.” He replied solemnly.
I couldn’t believe it. Amber our youngest sister was gone. As I sat there in the silence letting my tears rain down. I remember all the joy my little sister had brought Tonro and I. Every time she smiled it was as it the sun was shining on us. He long orange hair with the red streaks, and her light amber eyes. Never to be seen again, ever. As my tears began to dry I asked Tonro.
“How did it happen, I mean how did she die?”
“She collapsed in her flower garden one day, and by the next she was gone. We have no clue what illness she had, and we have not heard of it happening to any other tiger demons.”
We sat in silence again. Then Tonro spoke up once more. “I was so worried about you. I left the village about a week ago to come and find you and tell you of the news. I was unsuccessful in finding you until yesterday; when I smelt your blood and panicked. When I finally found you that snake demon Nozomi was standing next to you trying to figure out how to get you here. At first she looked ready to kill me but must have realized we were siblings.”
“I am sorry to have worried you brother.” I said meekly.
“It’s ok. You’re fine that is all that matters.” Tonro replied. Though as he spoke I could tell there was something else on his mind.
“What’s the matter now brother?”
“I saw Nozomi’s hand that mark. How did she get it do you know?”
“Yeah, when we first met I had tripped and my sword had flown off into a bush. When she found it she tried to pick it up and that is what happened.” I explained.
“Weird I never knew that could happen. That mark is so strange, I wonder why that happened.”
“I couldn’t tell you brother.” I replied.
“There is something about her, at the moment I am not sure weather to trust her or not. I mean she is a snake demon.” Tonro admitted.
I shook my head at his comment. “Weather she is snake demon or not. Clan member or loner I trust her. She didn’t hesitate to help me, she dove straight into a battle were she could have been killed. She treats me like a friend, not a higher rank like everyone in the village. I like it, it is really nice.”
“Brother, are you saying you don’t like your position in the village? I mean you are the heir.” Tonro sneered.
“I don’t want to be, I don’t see why I have to be the heir. You should I don’t want the spot.” I informed him.
Tonro looked at me his eyes grew wide, he was amazed to find out I didn’t want to be the next village leader. I shivered at the look I was going to get from my father when I told once I arrived back home.
*
