Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Diary of a Demon's Slave ❯ Chapter 4

Kurama had managed to find himself a hotel room to stay within in Makai. He knew he had to work in both Makai and Spirit World to help Koenma with the trafficking of humans. Hiei always came and went as he pleased, not really listening to anyone, while Yusuke mostly stayed in Spirit World on occasion to try and understand things better from Koenma's point of view and Okuro's, whenever the boy showed his face to raise a complaint. With the young woman he had taken from the slave traders resting in his bed, he had made sure she was carefully hooked up to fluids from a needle.

 

He was busy writing down a few notes on his desk when he heard the young woman behind him moving several hours later. Looking over his shoulder, he watched as she noticed instantly the needle in her arm, making him scurry to his feet to make her stop from pulling it out. “No, no, no,” he whispered, pulling her hand away. “It is just liquids to counteract the drugs.”

 

“What do you want?” The young woman asked fearfully, pulling her hand away from the needle in her skin.

 

“I wanted to ask where you were before those demons brought you to that building,” Kurama said. He, as well as the others, were eager to try and find a link to where the major hub of the trafficking was coming from. They had been given so many clues, but each one led them to nothing.

 

Turning her head to the side to gaze at the door, she shook her head trying to remember that night clearly. “I don't remember,” she answered honestly.

 

Kurama could tell she was trying, and he couldn't help but smile tenderly at her to show he meant no harm. “What's your name?”

 

“Fiorella Romano,” she answered, wiping the exhaust from her eyes, which were marked up by bruises and mascara. “I come from Italy before they took me away and dragged me here.”

 

“Fiorella,” he repeated with a smile, moving some of her hair out of her face. “Just, please, try to remember best you can. In a few days, once you're better, I have to take you to Spirit World.” With that said, Kurama moved himself from the bedside to head back over to the desk he was at previously.

 

The young woman was quiet for a bit, as she fidgeted with the bedcovers. “You never told me your name,” Fiorella pointed out. “I should know the name of my rescuer.”

 

“My name is Kurama,” he answered, turning around in the chair he sat upon. “Me and my friends rescued you and a few other slaves from whatever miserable future you'd have down here.” The redhead hid the fact that he was part of the reason it all began, though it pained Kurama to remind himself of that fact. “It is best you get some sleep. I'll make sure to call for dinner soon enough.”

 

 

 

Gwenevere was still passed out within the candlelit room that belonged to the wind master who had adopted her. She could slowly feel herself coming back to reality, when she struggled to open her eyes to the world around her. It was all blurry, but she could recognize that the demons were there hovering over her. Feeling something wet touch her face, Gwen jerked her head slightly away.

 

“She appears to be okay,” spoke Touya, as he moved a bit closer to the human woman. “I guess she just fainted.”

 

She could feel the ice demon's cold hand touching her cheek, causing her to lightly push him away from her. “Don't touch me…” She mumbled wearily.

 

“We have to touch you, to make sure you're okay,” teased Jin lightly, as he held onto her hand. “We were afraid that you died—that your heart stopped beating.” He knew that she hadn't eaten yet, causing him to worry a bit. “I know she shouldn't sleep all day, but I cannot get her to eat like this.”

 

“She's too weak to fight with you,” Touya assured the wind master. “If you feed her, I doubt she'll resist. She is probably hungry though.” His narrow eyes shifted down at Gwen with a roll of his shoulders. “Who knows when the last time she ate was.” With that said, he took his leave of the room, feeling the human woman was fine.

 

Jin released Gwen's hand, which he could tell was anxious to leave his own. “Just stay put. I'll be right back.” He could tell she was still heavily sedated, but Jin was still worried she would try to escape in the state she was in. “Just…stay there,” he insisted once more before disappearing quickly down the hall.

 

Gwenevere could hardly find it within herself to move an inch. Every time she attempted, pain shot through her. Moaning miserably, she tried her best to stay awake considering the fear that was pumping through her body. All she knew was that the two were demons and for far too long was she tortured and beaten just to submit to whatever master she was given. Come on, you fucking body, Gwenevere grumbled to herself, as she tried to pull herself off of the bed only to have her entire form feel like it was made of lead.

 

Reentering the room, Jin saw Gwen trying to pull herself off the other side of the bed. He put down the bowl in his hands on the nightstand on the right side of the bed before hurrying over to Gwenevere to stop her. “Whoa, whoa, easy there, lass,” Jin whispered, pulling her back gently to get Gwenevere upon her back. “Stop making this hard on yourself.” He chortled his words to her, as he wasn't sure why she was so eager to try and escape when he hadn't done anything bad to her.

 

Her back upon the mattress once more, Gwen felt like she would pass out again any moment. “Why are you doing this…?” She mumbled, watching him through her hazy sight.

 

“What do you mean?” Jin inquired, as he grabbed the bowel of pasta he had made earlier. “Ever since you came through the door, you've been acting like I am going to lie a hand on you.” Using a fork, he carefully tossed the noodles about to get them warmer before putting it on a plate he could feed to the human woman.

 

“You're ignorant of what they did to us…aren't you?” Gwen asked softly, as she struggled to keep her eyes opened.

 

“I was told by Touya the just of what they do,” sighed Jin. “And one of my friends is actually a human. After fighting with him, I found humans to be more entertaining than anything.” Twirling the pasta upon the fork, he showed it to Gwenevere best he could. “Now do you want to eat this or not? You really should.”

 

Gwen was hesitant to open her mouth to the food. She felt as though it could be poison for all she knew. However, it was the first nice, warm meal she had in awhile. Eventually she nodded, opening her mouth to accept the food from the demon. When she swallowed, she looked up at the wind master. “Mmm…and I am still alive,” she said quietly. “I am shocked.”

 

“Quite the mouth you have, I see,” Jin smirked, as he got another bit of the pasta on the fork to give to her. “I guess I have a reason now to make sure you have something in it.”

 

“You know, sir…master…whatever you are to me,” Gwen began before accepting the next bite, “eventually, I will be getting better, and when I do, I will be sure that you pay for that comment.”

 

Seeing as he was obviously offering his dignity to me, I felt I had every right to walk all over him and threaten him. I wasn't about to let another demon stomp all over my body and then rip out my humanity and shove it back down my throat. I know at the time, it wasn't the best thing to do, but all I knew was he was a demon…and all demons, in my book, were scumbag, sinful, obnoxious, dirty, bastards.

 

What was weird about this one was he kept smirking at everything I said to him. I was no fool in knowing he was quite powerful given all demons were compared to human, but something was just off about how he returned my threats.

 

10/2009

 

“You may keep saying some obnoxious things to me, but I still find your reactions quite relieving,” explained Jin, as he finished spoon-feeding her. The bowl and utensils he had within it clanked together, as he cleaned up the spot about the candles he had lit to illuminate the room. “And my name is Jin the Wind Master, by the way.”

 

Gwenevere cocked her brow at his name. “Your last name is…wind master…? What kind of parents did you have?”

 

“That, my dear, is a title,” said Jin nonchalantly, as he headed for the door. “I didn't say it was my last name.” He turned around at that moment to wink at her before sliding his bare foot into the partly open door to move it further so. “I will return in a moment.”

 

Gwenevere basked in the silence before hearing the wind master return once more. She couldn't help but place her hand upon her head at having to hear him speak upon him reentering.

 

“Not many demons have last names, as they are just demons,” explained Jin, as he shut the door behind him before making it over to the bed to sit beside Gwenevere. “If you can even find a demon that has one, that will surprise me.”

 

“So where do you get such a title from?” She couldn't help but find herself a bit curious, as the demon wasn't slapping her around for speaking out of turn.

 

Jin turned his sight from her, as he exhaled heavily at the question given to him. “I don't think you want to hear the reason why I was given a title.” He knew that being in the shinobi caused him to get a dark reputation in Makai, and all of the demons viewed him as a celebrity of some sort. Given Gwen's stance on demons, he wasn't about to feed her views any further. Hearing her getting tired, Jin snapped out of his thoughts and paid his attention to her. “You should sleep. You still need to sleep off the drugs.”

 

“I don't feel like sleeping in this house.” Gwenevere didn't want to openly admit that she was tired from the anesthetic she had received. Her eyes wandered up to the wooden ceiling, feeling rather nervous about her new surroundings.

 

“You have nothing to be afraid of,” Jin insisted, as he stroked her head tenderly to try and help her do so. “Besides, you have to at one point.” At that moment he was about to head back outside of the room into the hallway.

 

“Where-where are you going?” She wondered with exhaustion from where she was lying under the covers.

 

Jin stopped at the door with a brief shrug of his shoulders. “Sometimes I will go out and train a little bit or catch the breeze. I am sure one of these days you'll like to do that.” He witnessed Gwen look in the opposite direction, causing him to chuckle within his throat. “Goodnight, Gwenevere. Sleep well.”

 

When he shut the sliding door, Gwen rolled her eyes and tried to get comfortable again on the bed. “It is Gwen…Gwen, you moron,” she mumbled to herself. She couldn't deny that the day had left her quite exhausted. Unable to fight her heavy eyelids, Gwen managed to fall asleep that night.

 

 

 

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I slept contently throughout the night. The drugs, however, had a hand within that. If I were more aware, I wouldn't have dared shut my eyes in that building with two demons walking around me. Eventually, the drugs would go through my body, and I would find my energy again within the light of the next day.

 

10/2009

 

Moaning softly, Gwen opened her eyes to find Jin's blue gazing back at her and rather closely at that. “AH!” She screamed briefly, nearly slapping him across the face with a swift movement of her right hand. “What's wrong with you! Do you naturally watch people sleep that closely!”

 

“I was just making sure you were okay!” Jin insisted, as he ducked away from her oncoming hand. “You were crying in your sleep! I thought you were in pain.”

 

Gwen never could remember a time where she was told she cried in her sleep when she was upset or hurt. She was quick to reach up and touch her cheeks to find them dry of anything. “You liar,” she hissed, pushing herself away from the redhead. She had only moved a moment to find that her chest was still going to shock her with pain. Biting her lower lip, Gwenevere's face hit the sheet beneath her.

 

“You shouldn't move so quickly,” Jin insisted, as he reached for her. He caught the furious look in her eyes when Gwen managed to turn her head and gaze angrily at him. Jin recoiled his fingers back, knowing she didn't want to be touched by him. “You don't plan on just lying there, do you?” When she didn't answer, Jin tried reaching for her again regardless of her threatening looks. “Come on, you went through surgery not but a day ago. You should really be careful with what you do, and sadly, you're going to need me to help you.”

 

“I don't need your help,” she growled through her teeth when Jin did so regardless, assisting her to sit upright on the bed. “I will be fine without you.”

 

“Do you think you can walk into the kitchen and make your own breakfast while your body is in absolute pain?” Jin inquired with a raise of his brow before shaking his head to answer her question. “No, I didn't think so.” He pulled away from her with a teasing smile. “I'll be right back. It is wise you stay here. You're to be in bed for four days, so I was told.”

 

Gwen sighed heavily through her nostrils, as she leaned her head against the headboard. Closing her eyes, she tried to block out the agony that had crippled her earlier when Jin left to go make her breakfast.

 

Elsewhere, out in the woods surrounding the Makai City, Okuro was working on unsheathing his blades and attacking with them. Keeping the blades almost close together, he took a few steps forwards to swing them from side to side. Moving the top blade from the one he had below it, he moved both outwards, parallel to his body, with his knees slightly bent. His black ears moved backwards when he heard something coming through the grass towards him. Quickly he spun around to attack using his duel-blades. A scythe brought up to catch them, the young half-demon showed he wasn't impressed by his father. Okuro moved the scythe with his blades above and over his head, so he could get his swords back.

 

“So I heard you went to talk to Koenma without my permission,” said Kuronue with a disapproving narrow of his eyes. “What is it that you went to him about? I am to assume more talk about the slave trade.”

 

“That's for you to find out,” Okuro growled, as he backed away from his father.

 

“Okuro!” Kuronue snapped, twirling his scythe about to show he wouldn't be troubled to use it if that was what it took to get his son to speak to him. “Don't think for a minute I won't be afraid to shame you.” When Okuro got into his defensive stance, Kuronue ran after the young mix-breed with his scythe he had ready. Using his quick reflexes, he tossed the weapon towards Okuro to witness as it just barely missed him when his son rolled out of the way.

 

Managing to get to his feet, Okuro's ears shot up when he saw Kuronue just above him with his scythe ready to come down upon him. Bringing up one of his swords to block the attack, he struggled to keep his father from winning against him by pushing against his blade against his scythe. His black fox ears pinned back, he growled angrily before using his foot to trip up the bat demon and manage to scramble free. As he was back on his feet again, Okuro spun around ready to attack his father once more only to find him nowhere in sight. “Where'd he go…?” He wondered aloud to himself.

 

The scythe the bat demon used coming from the left managed to snag the blades Okuro was wielding and pull them from his hands. Holding onto the chain that the weapon was kept on, Kuronue then tossed the chain at his disobedient son to snag his left ankle just as the half-breed was about to run away. Pulling on the chain, he dragged Okuro towards him. “Trying to run away from a battle is a cowardly thing to do unless there is a pure reason to gain from doing so!” He scolded, as he reached down to grab Okuro by the collar of his red Chinese kimono he was wearing to bring him to his feet once more. “Now, care to tell me what you were talking to Koenma about?”

 

Okuro pushed angrily away from his father, brushing his outfit free of any grass that got on it. “I don't know why the hell you don't bother to help them! I tried to, and you tell Koenma you don't want the reports to come to me anymore!”

 

“I told you that I have no reason to get involved with the slave trade again,” Kuronue growled in his defense, as he put his weapon of choice away. “I freed your mother and that was all I was looking to do back then. The other slaves could have had their fates sealed for all I cared.” He bent down to pick up the blades Okuro was wielding earlier against him to show to the young boy. “As for you participating in it, you nearly got yourself killed, because all you are is a little boy running around without a lick of sense in how to defend yourself against an enemy!” Here, he threw the blades at his son to let them land inches from Okuro's feet.

 

“So you won't finish what you started!” Okuro exclaimed angrily, as he plucked his swords up from the ground to place them back in their sheath upon his back.

 

“Don't worry about what I did!” Kuronue demanded, as he turned to head back towards the house he owned with Nari. “What you need to do is come inside now. I don't trust you out here by yourself.” He felt he could never leave Okuro alone for more than a moment, as the demon was insistent on causing problems.

 

Angrily, Okuro followed behind his father back to their home in Makai.

 

All day I was forced to stay in bed. If I threatened to move, I was reminded of why I couldn't do much. The agonizing remnants of my surgery would pain me with every movement I made. However, I had to admit I found myself extremely bored with a TV that didn't have anything that the Human World had to offer.

 

10/2009

 

After flipping through the channels on the TV, Gwen found that it being off was more comforting than having it on and having to watch and listen about demons tearing one another limb from limb. Sighing, she turned to the collect of books that the demons had brought down with her. Looking through them, she found some of the Wiccan books she often read to keep herself up to pace on her religion. Thinking back on some of the circles she would cast to keep evil out, Gwenevere couldn't help but feel an idea pop to mind to keep her safe, as she opened the book up to the first few pages to refresh her memory a bit.

 

When she heard the sliding door open, she peeled her eyes from her book to see that it was the redheaded demon. “I thought you said you had training to do,” she mumbled, not wishing he were back so soon.

 

“Well, I hope it isn't a crime to check on you ever so often when you are bedridden,” Jin explained, as he sat down on the bedside closest to her. “Besides, they still said there is a chance the demon heart could fail you should your body not adapt to it well. I don't want that to happen.”

 

“So watching me is going to make sure that doesn't happen?” Gwenevere wondered with a roll of her eyes. “I fail to see the logic in that.”

 

“If you show signs of it, I'd like to be able to get you to a doctor—there is your logic,” Jin retaliated. He happened to notice the words on the book she was reading, though they were new to him. Tilting his head to the side, he squinted one eye to try and make sense of the word on it. “What are you reading? Who is this “Wickana person?”

 

“It is pronounced Wiccan, you dolt!” Gwen exclaimed, marking where she was before shutting the book. “Look, if you want to train, I promise I am fine! Just-just give me awhile to be alone, alright?” She looked away from the demon, not wanting to have the nerve to look him in the eyes when she shooed him away.

 

“Quite the rough thing you are,” said Jin, as he got to his feet once more. “I hope you bear in mind, lassie, that you're stuck here forever. With a demon heart, you cannot go back to the surface. Koenma wouldn't allow it.” He hated to sound heartless in return to her, but he was finding himself running on a very short fuse with her attitude lately. Jin sighed out his frustrations, as he headed towards the door. “I am going to be heading into the market with Touya. Is there anything that you needed from there?”

 

Hearing that they were going to be going to a market, Gwen felt her heart lightly jump from the thought. “There is actually,” she began, as she thought back on casting a circle. “Could you get me four candles from there as well as something to light them with like a lighter or something?”

 

“We have candles and lighters here, my dear. What exactly did you think we lit the candles we have with?” Jin was curious to know her response to that one.

 

“Oh, I am sorry,” Gwen began sarcastically, “I thought you used your fire dragon breath. But, no, what I want is my own lighter. I need it.” She didn't want to go hunting for a lighter than the demons may try to hide from her later should they find out what she was up to. “And besides, as far as candles are concerned, I need certain colored ones. I need a red, green, blue, and yellow candles, so I would appreciate it if you'd do that for me.”

 

Jin could tell that her appreciation was mostly said through her teeth and not with her heart in the matter. His hands on his hips, he shook his head down at her with a deep exhale. “Alright, I got it. I'll work on that while you read whatever it was you were reading. Just remember, you're not supposed to lie down a lot, so don't do that while I am gone.”

 

“Thanks,” sighed Gwenevere, as she brought back up her book to continue reading about casting the circle, as it had been awhile since she had to do such a thing.

 

I had to admit that when he left, I was nervous about how I would go about executing such a thing. Even though it pained me to do so, I had to get up and search the house, because I wasn't sure what all the other rooms of the building were. I knew that when I was allowed into their home, there were four doors in the hallway. The one I was within was apparently the redhead's room, and I had, on occasion, seen the other demon head to the room across from his. It made me curious as to what was in the back of the small hallway.

 

10/2009

 

Gwen pulled herself slowly down the hallway feeling pain strike her every step of the way. It caused beads of sweat to roll down from her forehead, as she made it to the door on the left of the corridor. Opening it up, she found that the room was empty except for a bed near the far side of the area closest to the window. It looked as though, whatever it was used for, it hadn't been used in some time given some of the cobwebs.

 

Trying to catch her breath, Gwenevere worked on pulling herself over to the other room. However, her sight began to get hazy and her body weak. Slowly she lowered herself down to her knees with a painful cry at the pain in her chest. Biting her lower lip, Gwenevere found herself collapsing on the floor.

 

 

 

 

It would be hours later for her to find herself back into the bedroom she had escaped from earlier. “How often are you going to cause trouble?” Touya's voice remarked sternly. When her eyes fell upon him, he shook his head while pulling the damp cloth back from Gwen's forehead. “I thought we made it clear that you're supposed to stay put in bed for four days, or did Jin neglect to mention that?”

 

“I was just…I was looking at the other rooms,” Gwenevere answered honestly. “I didn't expect it to drain so much out of me to do so.”

 

“Next time, how about you ask?” Touya suggested, as he dabbed the cloth back into the bowl of cold water. He rang out the washcloth he was using before bringing it back towards Gwen only to witness her attempting to back away from him. “Do you want to do this yourself?” He asked angrily, wanting her to hold still. “You were found sweating so much you almost had your clothes soaked.”

 

Feeling his hand touch just under her chin, she found herself nearly losing her breath at the chill, which raced through her. “Why are you so cold…!”

 

“They don't call me an ice master for nothing,” said Touya, as he removed his hand from her skin realizing it was really putting a stress on her heart from the drastic change in temperature. “And I would advise that you take it easy on Jin. You're about to give the man a heart attack with your antics.”

 

Demons don't have emotions, Gwen reminded herself, as she looked off to the side to avoid Touya's comment. All they know is the suffering of others.

 

“Is there a reason you were looking around in those rooms?” Touya asked, as he brought the damp cloth back.

 

“Yes, I was looking at them and wondering what they were used for,” said Gwen, as she folded her hands upon her stomach.

 

“A long time ago we used to have other friends who lived here,” explained the ice demon, as he tossed the washcloth back into the water bowl. “We all trained together for awhile, and then they moved out to be on their own terms. I cannot say it is a big disappointment, as we do see them from time to time. The rooms you saw once belonged to them. Why did you want to know?”

 

“I wanted to hope I was going to have a room of my own once I am able to stand,” said Gwenevere, as she fidgeted a bit.

 

“I would assume that Jin's bed would be big enough for you both to be okay with.” Touya took the water bowl and turned to head for the door. “I don't think you really should bother with another room. Besides, sprucing up those rooms isn't going to be easy or cheap.”

 

“And yet he bought me,” mumbled Gwen with an annoyed sigh.

 

“Talk to Jin about it. He owns you, not me,” Touya reminded her, as he exited the room with the items in his hands. He made it down to the kitchen to pour out the water into the sink and put the cloth away for a moment on the kitchen counter. “Well, she's okay,” he said, when he looked over at Jin, who was sitting on the sofa in the living room. “You can tell because her `charming' attitude is still shining through.”

 

“She just assumes we're going to hurt her,” Jin said in her defense. “I am sure in time, she'll grow to like it here.”

 

“The reason she was out and about is because she wanted to know what was in the other rooms.” Touya rang out the cloth before folded it up to let it dry for a moment. “She explained to me that she wanted to have her own bedroom.” He made his way to the living room to sit in the empty chair diagonally from where Jin was. “I don't think she wants to sleep in your room with you forever.”

 

Jin scratched an itch within his wild hair before rolling his back with a heavy sigh. “I thought these humans were taught to get used to demons even if they were abused. You'd think she'd be relieved to have someone who will actually feed her and not raise a hand to her while she's sick.”

 

“Once again, Jin, the humans are taught to fear demons. Yes, they might be used to us, but that doesn't mean they want to be.” Touya massaged his forehead to try and rid himself of the headache he was getting just trying to handle the girl. “I am sure right now she's not counting her blessings in where she's placed. She could have it much worse, that is for sure.”

 

“I just hope her friend is okay,” said Jin, remembering the other female Gwen was caged with. “I didn't mean to pull them away from each other, but I am afraid I could only handle one as well as afford.” Catching the time on the clock, Jin removed himself from the sofa to head over towards the kitchen, as he knew it would be time to eat dinner soon enough. “Right now, I am glad I only chose the one if they were both going to gang up on me.”

 

“Just give it time, like you said,” Touya suggested, as he picked up a book he was reading. “She'll get used to us, I think.”