"You ask too much questions; I am not telling you that," he said, taking another sip of the tea. "Now we had a deal; I told you what you wanted to know. Now you tell me about you," he gave me a light smile.
I was not satisfied with the answers I received. It was clear he was still bitter about the whole thing with his brother, and it sounded like what the brother did had fatal consequences. I wondered if the brother was cold hearted, or if it was just a situation that had gotten out of hand. Either way, I wanted to talk to the brother when he got here.
I shrugged. "What do you want to know? I haven't lived an interesting life by any stretch of the imagination." I took a sip of the bitter tea. It was good, hitting just the right spot.
He place his head in his hand intently looking at me. "How did you end up at the tavern for one thing."
"Kind of a long story," I replied, looking into the tea cup rather than at him. It wasn't my favoritest story ever, but then, talking about Hyaku's past probably wasn't easy for him either.
He smiled, "I have no wear to go."
I sighed, closing my eyes for a moment as I was brought back to the moment my life changed forever. "I was ten years old when my family was killed by a demon. My mother, father, and baby sister were murdered right before my eyes. I was hidden under the cot when the demons entered the room, so they hadn't found me. The demons apparently thought my family posed some kind of a threat to their existence. But, we didn't. My father was just a humble farmer who helped any weary traveler that passed through. I think I laid in my sister's blood at her side for two days before someone finally found me and brought me into the heart of the corruption of the city, where the women were auctioned off. I was bought by Juki and he put me to work in his Tavern. For a few years, I worked in the back, just making the drinks and letting the other girls bring out the drinks, but when I turned twelve, I was old enough to waitress. Juki put me in the most revealing of clothes and practically showcased my body. If the men wanted to use me, I had no say in the matter. I tried running, but I was always caught and beaten. Eventually, I just succumbed to my fate and accepted it. I guess, in a way, you saved me from the horror that was my life."
Hyaku didn't say anything for a moment, he only stared.
I forced a small smile. "Don't look so surprised. Everyone has their cross to bare. I was just a little young when I began my journey. But, that's why I think you should give your brother a second chance. I mean, you're lucky you have him."
He glanced a way for a moment, unable to look me in the eyes. "What about your singing? Where did you learn to sing like that?" he changed the topic.
I frowned slightly, but I went with it. "There was a girl at the tavern who had caught me singing to myself. She had been a professional singer for a few years before she had hit rock bottom. She gave me tips and pointers for a few years before she died when a demon killed her for touching him."
"Not all demons are as bad as they are," Hyaku told me.
I nodded. "I know. You, Koori, and Hana have proved that much to me. But, it's hard to just accept that after hating them for so long. I think humans are just as bad. One of the reasons I don't have friends. Makes me wonder if I'll ever have any. I just can't make the connections with them. I'm just socially awkward." I gave a small, sad smile.
