Fan Fiction ❯ Silver Tear ❯ The Assassins ( Chapter 8 )

The Assassins

"I like camping out…" Sukura stretched as she looked into the sky. "It's so beautiful out tonight. I could stare at the sky forever."

"I admit so could I…" Kit smiled.

Like usual, Hoku sat away from them in the shadows. It was clear night, though it wasn't as clear to her as it was to them. A dark cloud seemed to be coming.

"Hey Hoku." Kit said. "Come on and join us."

"I'm fine." Hoku said as she peered at him out of the corner of her green eye.

"Woa… that's creepy." Sukura shuddered as she stared at Hoku. "I can hardly see your body over there, only your eyes."

Hoku grinned. She knew her eyes did glow in the dark. It abled her to have sharp vision even at night.

"Are you sure you aren't afraid of the dark?" she snickered.

"What if I was?" Sukura huffed as she folded her arms. "At least I'm not afraid of insects."

"That's because you are one."

"Okay ladies." Kit said. "Let's try to have a peaceful night for once. So we all have our fears, what's the big deal about that."

"You don't seem to be afraid of anything." Sukura said.

"Well…" Kit blushed.

"Don't flatter him too much." Hoku said. "You'll only give him a big head."

"What are you afraid of?" Sukura asked Kit curiously. "Come on, you can tell me…"

"It's not that big a deal…" Kit said. "But yes… I have my fears too."

Hoku looked at him. She was curious to know too.

"I'm afraid of… People hiding behind me…" Kit said.

"What?" Sukura gasped as Kit spun around and grabbed something behind him.

It was an arm with a glinting object in it. Kit pulled on it harder and heaved a man over his shoulder.

The man gasped and dropped his knife. He had the wind knocked out of him from landing so hard on his back.

"Oh… look." Hoku said with little enthusiasm as she appeared next to Kit and stared down at the cowering human. "Someone has come to loot us…"

"P-please…" the man whined as he stared up at them with terrified eyes. "Don't hurt me."

"Coward…" Hoku hissed.

"What have you come here for?" Kit asked.

"I'm sure as hell aint going to tell you." the man spat. He seemed to get a little braver.

Kit didn't smile or show any emotion at all. He just thrust out his staff and held it to the man's throat.

"If you wish, I can kill you." Kit said.

Hoku stared at him. This wasn't like Kit at all. Maybe it was the dark, but he seemed to even look different.

The man froze. He stared at the staff for a moment.

"I was sent here to kill you…" he finally said.

"Kit?" Sukura asked. Her hand was on her sword.

"Please…" Hoku spat. "What makes you think that a measly little human like you can take on a demon."

"I am a student of Kia." he said. "We are skilled warriors."

"And assassins." Kit said. "Who sent you?"

"That is something I will not tell."

"Really?"

Kit pushed the end of the staff even deeper into the man's throat.

"The emperor." the man gasped.

"What!?" Sukura exclaimed.

"I see…" Kit said as he removed the staff from the man's neck. "You're hunting for a bounty."

"Indeed I am." the man nodded.

"Are you hunting Hoku?" Sukura asked.

"Yes." he man replied. "And you, and you." he said as he pointed at Kit and Sukura.

"Me!!??" Sukura gasped. She then drew out her sword. "Why? Tell me!"

"I do not know." the man said. "I am just following what the message said."

"You know about this too, don't you?" Hoku asked Sukura.

"That's not important right now." Sukura said.

Kit was still staring down at the man.

"Leave." he told him. "And don't bother trying again."

The man clumsily stood up and ran back into the trees.

Hoku watched him go.

"That was odd." she said. "Since when do we have bounties."

"You've had one for a while." Sukura said as she sheathed her sword. "But I don't understand why I have one… or Kit for that matter."

"So, you knew of this?" Kit asked. He still wasn't his normal self.

"Yes…" she said. "Though, I am truly in remorse for my actions. I was sent to slay Hoku by the emperor. I used to live in his palace and wasn't aloud to leave, but he promised my freedom if I carried out the task…"

"But you didn't." Kit said. "I understand now. He must know that Hoku is still alive, and now that we're both traveling with her, we must be noted as her accomplices."

"Why the hell would the emperor want me dead?" Hoku asked.

"He thinks you're capable of killing him." Sukura replied.

"Damn straight." Hoku grinned. "Well… I'm glad to know that I'm still feared."

"But for how long…" Kit said thoughtfully…

The next morning, Hoku set out to find something to eat. She felt oddly out of shape since she hadn't fought in a while. She transformed into her animal form and went on a hunt. The morning sky was red from the clouds. This wouldn't be a clear day. Hoku dreaded this the night before. She didn't want it to rain. That would slow down their journey.

Hoku climbed up a steep ridge and looked around at the landscape. There was nothing but trees for miles. Not a village, or field or anything else. Hoku wondered how far east they'd traveled. She'd heard of the large trees that grew there and the massive forests they created. It made her wonder where her enemy would be hiding.

Something from below made her mind shift. She looked down and scanned the bottom of the cliff. She didn't see anything, but she had a feeling that something was there. Since the wind was blowing toward that direction, it was hard to smell what it could be. She then realized that whatever it was might have smelled her. She crouched down and waited.

Moments passed. Hoku was starting to grow bored of waiting. Whatever it was, it wasn't important. She stood up and froze. A scent caught her nose. She turned and before she could defend herself, something massive struck her. It wasn't a powerful blow, but it was enough to knock her off her feet. She stood up and stared at the huge beast that attacked her.

It was a large white tiger. On its muscular body, there were black stripes and its claws were like daggers along with its two teeth that overlapped its bottom jaw. There was a tiger symbol on its forehead.

Hoku let out a hiss.

The tiger demon's yellow eyes seemed to flash as it roared back. It was challenging Hoku.

Hoku accepted by roaring back. She then leapt at him.

The tiger dodged out of the way and attempted a counter attack, but Hoku blocked it with her arm.

It seemed to grin as it leapt back and waited for Hoku to attack.

Hoku leapt up with her flaming claws. She would try the hellfire attack, but the tiger did something she didn't expect. It leapt into her and forced her to the ground. Hoku was pinned down on her back by the tiger's massive paws on her chest. She then caught a strange scent. This tiger was a male, and he was trying to seduce her. Hoku didn't panic, though, she was in shock. She attempted to glare into his eyes, but before she could, he held his paw to her throat. Hoku could feel his claws lightly touch her jugular. She then feared that if the tiger became paralyzed, he'd fall on her, causing his claws to penetrate her skin. She instead kicked him in the stomach with her back leg, but that didn't do any good either. He was too heavy.

Then something happened so quickly that Hoku didn't really see what happened, but she did know that the tiger was off her. She stood up to find that her body was shaking. She'd never been harassed like this before and it felt really strange to her. She was angry now. She glared at the tiger, who was now lying on the ground. She then transformed into her zodiac spirit form.

"You pig…" she hissed as she continued to glare. "Now what shall I do to you?"

A yellow fox appeared next to her. It was Kit. He startled her so badly that she blinked. He just cocked his head to the side.

"Idiot." Hoku said as she folded her arms and stared at him. "I didn't need your help!"

Reminded that the tiger was still around, she looked over to the place he was lying and saw that he was gone. She growled.

"Damn…" she hissed. She then looked up at Kit angrily. "Now see what you did? I was going to kill him."

Kit transformed into his spirit form too so he could talk.

"I'm sorry." he said. "You just looked like you were in a bit of trouble."

"Look." Hoku said. "It's one thing if you help me find Marrowind, but it's another when you step into my fights."

"Well… not to be blunt…" Kit said. "Be he was trying to…"

"I know what he was trying to do!" Hoku snapped. "And I had it under control."

"Not from where I was standing." Kit grinned.

"Not to break up the conversation." a voice said. "But you should really mind your own business fox."

Hoku and Kit both turned around to find a man standing there.

The man was a youth, no older than Kit. He had short, spiky white hair with black tips. His feet were like that of a tiger. He wore a violet Kimono with a chest armor. The left sleeve looked like it had been torn off and in its place was a huge, white tiger arm with a massive paw and huge black claws.

"Really?" Kit replied. "Hoku here is my friend, which makes her my business."

"I see…" the tiger said. "Since she is your business I sense you two are together."

"I see you can't get your mind out of the trash." Kit said.

"Indeed I can't." the tiger grinned. "The first look I had at her… I knew she'd be mine."

Hoku gasped.

"It's odd how predictions can go wrong." Kit said.

"Yes, isn't it." the tiger replied. He then reached to his waist and pulled out a long braided whip. "Well then I suppose the prediction of me killing you won't have the same flaws. Then my first prediction will be true once more."

"You talk smart." Kit said. He was starting to sound annoyed, a feeling that didn't show too often in him. "I suppose that makes up for everything else."

Hoku felt her body still shaking. The more she listened to this conversation, the more she felt like a damsel in distress. Not only that, she had this vibe that both men were fighting over her! She wanted to say something or to make them stop, but for some reason, she couldn't say anything. There was an odd fluttery feeling in her stomach that she'd never felt before. It made her feel strange.

"This woman is strong and beautiful." the tiger said. "It puzzles me on how someone like her would be with a weakling like you."

Kit didn't say anything. He reached for his staff that was tied on his back and held it out in front of him.

"Look, I don't want to fight you." he said. "But if it's necessary, then I will. Don't push me to kill you."

"I couldn't imagine that someone like you could kill me." the tiger said. "You're not a Zodiac, correct? You other demons are inferior to us. You should respect our power."

"It's pretty pathetic when you start answering your own questions." Kit said. "Look, like I told you before, I'm not interested in fighting. Possibly if you catch me another time…"

"This… is enough." Hoku hissed. She'd finally found her voice.

Kit looked at her.

"Indeed it is." he said. "Shall we make our leave?"

"Yes." Hoku said. She didn't care about agreeing with him, she just didn't want to look at the tiger anymore.

"I don't think so." the tiger said. He then cracked the whip. "We settle this now."

"Will you shut it!" Hoku growled. She then glared at him with the angriest eyes. She was very angry now. She didn't forgive anyone who fell in love with her. "I'll let you keep your life, but if you ever, ever, come near me again, I will kill you."

With that, she turned and transformed back into her animal from. She looked at the tiger over her shoulder, then took off as quickly as she could.

Kit gave the tiger a grin, then transformed too. He then followed Hoku.

The tiger watched them go. He wasn't about to chase them. He knew it would have been a waste of his time.

"Till our paths cross again fox." he said.

Hoku and Kit returned to find that Sukura was cooking some fish she'd caught herself("Unlike you two, I can swim!"). The two decided to keep the episode with the tiger to themselves. Hoku preferred it that way. She didn't want to remember, but in a way, she kind of did. It was the first time anyone had ever admitted to wanting her, but then again, Hoku didn't forgive Kit for butting in. She didn't need to hear what was on his mind. His and the tiger's conversation was proof of what he thought about her. Hoku was beginning to trust Kit, but now, she wasn't sure if she could. If Kit was indeed in love with her, then she would have no choice but to leave. She didn't need a distraction like love to stand in her way.