Twelve Lords

by Max Jager

  With a sad expression, Izumi watched as Yokiyo grabbed her bow and arrows and left the village. With a sigh she fell from the roof. Yokiyo was her absolute best friend, more like a sister than anything. And she hated it that since the day that she woke up and Senri was gone, that she has changed so much. Looking up at the sky as she crossed her arms with a glare, Izumi stomped her foot. "Damn you Senri. I can't wait to see you again and rub it in your face what you have done to her. I really hope you regret leaving her every day."

  "I am sure he does to an extent my love."

  Looking to her right, Izumi gave her husband a mock glare as he came over to her. "I just hate seeing her like this you know. She was always happy and chipper as a kid. Now she acts like if it isn't me, you or Sada she doesn't like anyone. And I just can't help but blame Senri for it. I just know that if he stayed she wouldn't be like this now."

  With a nod as he put his arms around her waist, Itachi smiled down at her. "I agree with that. But at the same time we can both understand where Senri was coming from. Had it been me in his situation, I can't say that I would have done a single thing different than what he did."

  "I know." Leaning her head on his chest Izumi looked where Yokiyo walked off away from her again. "Well I don't know how long she is going to be gone. She promised me she would come back so let's go home for a while."

  Pulling her face up to his, Itachi laughed as he seared her mouth with his own. "That is an enticing idea my wife."

  X

  Yokiyo walked for a while, until she came to the lake. Looking out across it in the moonlight the waters were calm and looked more like a sheet of glass than a lake. Turning to climb up in the cherry blossom tree there she sighed as she got comfortable. "I really don't know what to do though. I want to find Senri and beat some sense into his head. But at the same time I want to stay here, be Village Miko and stay with my friends." Leaning her head back against the tree as she felt sleeping pulling at her she sighed. "Mama. Papa. I really don't know what to do. I wish you could help me with this."

  After a moment, Yokiyo felt her eyes start to flutter shut as sleep claimed her. Though after what seemed like only a second after she closed her eyes, she jerked them open when she got the feeling like she was falling from the tree. But when she opened her eyes her heart started to race. She wasn't in the tree anymore but standing in a seat of black void. "What is going on here? Where am I?"

  "Calm down Yokiyo. Everything is fine."

  With a gasp when she heard the voice from her past behind her, Yokiyo's eyes went as wide as they could as tears streamed out of them. Slowly she turned around and froze when standing there, with a small glow around him was her father! "Papa?"

  "That's right…." Kaien then gasped as his now sixteen year old daughter flew into his arms and threw her arms around his neck as she sobbed. Smiling a warm smile he wrapped his arms around his little girl. He so wished he was able to watch her grow into the woman she has become in the flesh. But he has seen it. With a small laugh in his voice he rubbed her back. "Come on honey what's all the tears for?"

  Clinging to him as if he was life itself, Yokiyo was trying to stop crying. "You know why Papa. I never thought I would ever see you again. I miss you so much."

  Holding his daughter in his arms for a moment, Kaien smiled as relished in the fact. Watching from the heavens with their mother, he longed to be able to do this. But he wasn't granted much time to come and speak with her. Easing her out of his arms he held her upper arms as he looked down at her. "Yokiyo I don't have much time here. So I need you to listen to me and listen closely alright."

  Gasping as her hands gripped his clothes tighter, Yokiyo looked up at him with wild eyes. "You can't…"

  Reaching up he whipped her tears from her face with one hand as he smiled into her eyes. "This is between the realm of dreams and you being a wake. Everyone passes through this when they go to dream. I stopped you here so I could talk to you." Then his eyes became serious. "Yokiyo do not go after your brother. Whatever you do otherwise is up to you. But do not go chasing after your brother."

  Tensing she looked up at her father like he had ten heads. "Why not Papa? You know what he did and why right? You can't really mean to just let him get himself killed do you?"

  Laughing as he took his daughter's hands off of his chest, Kaien held them a their sides as he smiled at his little girl. "Just trust me Yokiyo. Just like you trusted every move I made and every word I said without question eleven years ago. Senri will be fine. He isn't going to die. You will see him again one day soon. I can't tell you how I know this but I know it. I promise. You need to focus on you. Stop being so cold and let others into your heart like your mother and I did. Be happy."

  With a smile as she nodded and more tears streamed from her eyes, Yokiyo smiled as she pulled her hands from his and lunged into his arms one more time. "I will Papa. I promise I will. I am so sorry if you are disappointed in me."

  Closing his eyes as he hugged her tightly, Kaien smiled. "Annoyed at your brother yes. However your mother and I have never been disappointed in either of you. Ever. You have both always made us so very proud to call you our children. Always remember princess. Your mother and I love you and your brother. More than you will ever know."

  "I love you too Papa." But then she gasped as he vanished. "Papa!" Jerking again, Yokiyo found herself sitting in a tree once again. Tears still streaming from her eyes. She couldn't believe what just happened to her!

  Reaching up to touch her face, she could swear that she could still feel where her father touched her face she smiled. Looking up at the stars she smiled through her tears. "I will always trust you Papa. No matter what. I will stay here, and be a Village Miko just like Mama was. And wait patiently for Senri to come home. Who knows. I may find a husband and shock brother when he comes home. Thank you for coming to me Papa. I was ready to throw in the towel on everything. I love you both and miss you so much every day."

  Making of a Lady Chapter 56

  A long black cloak fluttered in the wind. A now eighteen year old Yokiyo walked with her head down hiding her face in the hood. And hiding her very unique miko outfit. Flashes of what happened just three days after she told everyone she wanted to be the Village Miko flying through her mind. That morning, the day she was to be made Village Miko, demons attacked on mass. She joined with Izumi and Itachi and fought hard to fend them off and save as many people as they could.

  But in the end she was sent flying by a large fire ball, and was knocked unconscious when her head hit a tree. She didn't know how long she had been out when she woke up with a massive headache. Dropping from the tree she was void of all emotion except for her tears. It was like looking the day she and Senri found her parents thirteen years before. The village was gone. She walked through and found bits and pieces of people she knew and cared about. Others were just gone. Like Izumi and Itachi.

  She stayed there for a couple of days and buried who she could. After she was done, she said a prayer over it and then set out on her own. The first place that she went was to pay a visit, that would possibly be her last to her parents graves. She wanted to tell them that she was sorry for not being able to protect everyone. It would be her last visit to them. Once she stayed there for a couple of days she set out just to travel and wonder around all the lands. Never again would she ever lay claim to another village. Never again would she let someone into her heart. She was now destined to wander around the land to deal with nuisance demons and nothing more.

  Cutting the world off, she held onto only a few things. She did retain the teaches of Sada where demons were concerned. Not all the demons were hunting and killing humans. Most of the ones she came across just wanted to be left alone and didn't care one way or another about humans. The ones that truly were like that she left alone. The ones that actively hunted or tormented humans. Those are the ones that she draws on her anger and immense power to not only kill them, but to utterly destroy them.

  It was following ab
out the demons such as those that brought her so close to the Southern Demon Palace right now. She had heard of a cat demon in the area that has been attacking villages in the area. But they focused on women and children mostly. Which angered her anyway.

  Reaching the outskirts of the village she glared as she was met by armed guards with glares. Much like when they arrived at her last home. Hardening her eyes she stood her ground. "My name is Yokiyo. I am a traveling miko. I heard of the cat demon that plagues these parts. I am here to offer my assistance in slaying it."

  Crossing his arms, one of the men glared back at her. "What payment is it that you wish from the Headmaster miko? The last one demanded gold payment before she was done. She left, came back and said the cat was dead. However last night a little girl went missing from it again."

  Not budging, Yokiyo sighed as she stood her ground. It was the mikos or supposed mikos like that which really angered her. "The only payment that I seek is a room for the next two nights. That is all."

  Blinking, and in a little shock the man just looked at the woman before him. She didn't want anything but a room to stay in for two nights to kill the cat? "That is it? You truly do not desire any payment other than that for this?"

  Nodding her head, Yokiyo noticed behind him the well-dressed man glaring at her. She was glad that her hood was hiding her own glare. When you look at the people of the village, they were dressed like her villages. He was dressed like he was a Lord. It made her sick. "That is correct. I have no need for gold or physical items. Just a place to lay my head for a couple of nights is all I ask."

  Turning to look at his Lord who nodded, the man turned back to the miko and motioned for her to follow him. "Those are more acceptable than the other terms. However with the fact that others have tried to scam us you will have guards with you when you are in the village."

  "I have no problem with that." She then looked over to see the un-trust in the Headmaster's eyes as he watched her. 'You pig. I hate men like you.'

  Watching as she vanished into the Inn, the Headmaster glared. This cat demon was nothing but bad news for him and this village. If it stayed around much longer he didn't know if he could make this place as large and grand as he envisioned it to be. All he wanted was it gone. This miko did seem different than the rest though. He just hoped that she could and would kill it so he can be demon free again. His wealth depended on it.

  X

  On the way to her room, Yokiyo did ask for a small map of the area. She had never been in the area and wanted some idea of the terrain that she was going to be hunting in. Now alone in her room with a cup of tea she studied the map. Though footsteps outside her door drew her attention away from it. "Who is it?"

  "I am the Headmaster of this village. Ichigo."

  "Come in."

  Walking in and sitting down across from the young miko, Ichigo kept his arms crossed as he glared at her. "You are positive that this all that you require while hunting and killing this cat. You are going to ask for nothing else while you are here?"

  Annoyed Yokiyo sighed as she went back to reading the map. "That is exactly it. I am a miko. Money has no value to me. Nor do anything physical things save my clothes, bow and arrows. This is what I do. I wonder around the lands and help people deal with problem demons like this cat that you have attacking this village. The only payment that I need is just a bed to sleep in for a couple of nights. That is it."

  Crossing his arms with a sigh of his own, Ichigo narrowed his eyes at the miko that sat before him. Now able to see her clothes with her cloak off, she wasn't dressed in the normal red and white of a miko. "You are not pulling our chain that you are a miko right? I have never seen a miko dressed like you before."

  "I wear the colors of my mother before me. They may not be red and white but I assure you Headmaster that I am a miko."

  A single night's stay in the Inn wasn't going to break him. And tomorrow he would find out for sure when his men followed her into the woods to make sure that she at least tried to kill the cat. Closing his eyes only to open and glare harder than before at her he fisted his hands. "You will be able to kill it right? You are the fifth miko to come and offer to help us in the last few months. One of the others conned me and took off with lots of my gold. The other ones were killed by the cat."

  Her interest peaked, Yokiyo looked up at him with a curious look. "They were killed?"

  With a nod as he glare turned to the floor, the Headmaster put his fisted hands on his knees. "That's right. The one that was here before you, I did not send mend to watch her. I wish I had now. She took my gold and fled when she was hunting the cat supposedly. The other three were killed and eaten. Witnessed by my own men."

  Turning back to the map, Yokiyo let out another sigh. "I see. They were untrained in their purification or weak in it. I am neither so this won't be a problem for me."

  His eyes shooting back to her and how she seemed to not even care who he was irritated him to no end right now! He wanted her word that she would do this and she couldn't even give that to him! "You swear. You swear you will do this and not fail?"

  Turning a glare up at him that made him visibly flinch, Yokiyo tried to hide the annoyance and venom in her voice. This man was nothing more than a pig and she detested helping him. But it helped the peasants of the village more which was why she was going to do it. "If I had no intention of taking the cat out, I would not be here. I would have passed right through and not given it a second thought. Now Headmaster is that all? I really need to get back to preparing for hunting tomorrow before I go to sleep."

  "That's all." With a growl the Headmaster stood and stormed out of her room looking down the hall to see his number one guard coming toward him. "I want you and five other men on her at all times. Make sure she does what she says she is going to do. If she doesn't do it, let me know. We leave tomorrow night and this retched town can deal with it themselves."

  "Yes My Lord."

  Making of a Lady Chapter 57

  Though she was trying to be as quiet as possible, Yokiyo was finding it hard to track through the woods with six men following her and not even trying to hide the fact that they were in the woods. Finally after a few hours of it she turned on the with a glare as she crossed her arms. "You know you could at least try to be quiet like when you hunt deer or boar. If that cat is anywhere near here you are going to give him a heads up. You have to be quiet. Or I might as well walk away right now."

  Glaring at her the lead of the men crossed his arms. "You don't get to tell us what to do woman. You focus on your task at hand and never mind about us got that?"

  Turning her back on them Yokiyo crossed her arms as she let out an annoyed growl. She wasn't going to keep doing this with them. Perhaps if she acted like she was leaving they would stop. "Very well then. I will be on my way. And you can tell your pansy of a Headmaster that I did not do what I said I would because the men he sent wouldn't keep the noise down even when I asked them too. You can't sneak up on anything with the amount of noise the six of you are making. Not even a wild animal, let alone a demon."

  With a glare the leader of the men crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at her. She had a point on that one. It was important that his Lord stay there to do what his overall plan is. If she didn't kill the cat then he would leave and all would be lost. "Fine. But you better just do what you are supposed to do."

  "If you are quiet I will be able too." Yokiyo then turned her glare back to what she was doing. She could sense lots of really strong demonic energy around here. None of them were as strong as the Demon Lords, but strong none the less. And something about them were vile. Not like the harmless demons she has come across as well. There was a sinister hunting to one of them. Her eyes narrowed as she moved quickly and silently. 'That has to be it. It's close too.'

  X

  Licking his lips as he watched the miko zeroing in on him, the cat demon smiled as he peered from the trees. She was really good at tracking and he knew with the trail he left it
was only a matter of time before she found him. She would be the fourth miko that has come to kill him recently. The others were tender and tasty. He knew she would be too. A small laugh and his smile grew even bigger. 'I will lure her closer. Into a trap and then attack her. Four mikos. Perhaps this Headmaster is serious about getting rid of me. But I am not going anywhere that easily.'

  Falling from the trees he began to growl loudly and act like he was trying to get away from her instead of luring her into his trap. 'That is it miko. Follow me. Come to me and you will become my meal for the day.'

  X

  As she followed the cat, Yokiyo narrowed her eyes. She could sense his change in energy and the way he was openly leaving a trail for her to follow. He was going away from her, but making no efforts to hide. 'That fool. He is trying to lead me into a trap. That much is clear from his actions. This must have been what he did to the other mikos. However he is in for a surprise I am much stronger than they were.'

  Sensing that he stopped, Yokiyo reacted before the men with her knew what she was doing and charged in her direction. Her floor length black hair billowed out behind her as she used her miko powers to increase her speed. Reaching the clearing she slid to a stop and glared up at him standing there like he was king of the world. "I take it that you are the cat demon that has been tormenting the village near here and taken the lives of three other mikos?"