Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ My Naga Knight ❯ Chapter 7

Author's Notes: Since I don't like getting nasty, demanding questions being the only focus on my stories and filling up my review slots when it comes to alternate universes or what have you where the characters can be put in different situations, lands, and or forms, if you guys have a question dealing with one of my stories of this nature I beg of you to do one of the following:

 

1. E-mail me at oreana_kaze_tsukai@yahoo.com. I will always answer e-mails filled with questions of my stories. It's never a chore if I can get someone to understand the story they are reading. However if your e-mail feels more like a `sum up the story', I am going to ask you to bluntly reread or choose another story more your level and understanding, please.

 

2. IM me with the question on my YIM or AOL which are both posted in my bios. But if you're that lazy and don't want to look, you know my YIM from above so my AOL is: Jins phoenix. I am not going to ignore you, and I am not going to bite your head off. Contrary to my snippy/ranty behavior, I have no reason to be snippy unless I feel you're yelling or attacking me. That's very easy to avoid with me.

 

3. PM me with the question. Both MediaMiner and FanFiction, where this story is posted, have alternatives to getting my attention. On MediaMiner, please click the `send e-mail' and FanFiction click the `send private message'. I will answer your questions through that if they are sent and I will most likely get to them faster since it is sent to my hidden MSN which I am on from the time I get up till I go to bed.

 

4. Add me on LiveJournal (oreana_galena) and pester me there—you have all the options in the world to do so. I update that place almost constantly with a bit or ranting and or raving of the fic community though, be warned, it's friends only.

 

I give you these options because I hate that I post a chapter or a story and all I get is a baffled look on someone's face about a certain topic and it really irritates me when someone is rude about it in the comment slot when I feel I am being as clear as I can here. If you want to be rude to me, please be so in e-mail and or IM—at least through there I can talk to you somewhat face to face. Thank you.

 

 

The full moon that night filled the sky at Lunar Lake as the calm wind and night animals whistled to the only light hanging within the dark sky. Night birds and crickets chirped all during the long hours as the sun almost refused to shine. Jin was the only one awake as he rested there within the surrounding forest near the lake at the Mallow family's farm under the Paluu leaves he managed to gather for his bedding seeing as the Paluu Tree covered the area. He couldn't get his mind off of the two girls he left behind and was worrying about at that moment. He had made a promise to help the Cormac girls and he wasn't someone to leave a promise un-kept.

 

The crimson scaled tip of his python length body flipped back and forth as he remained there in thought with his arms crossed before him to suffice as a pillow at the moment. He was worried. It had been two days since he last saw the girls and fed them and at that moment he could only wonder how things were fairing. His pointed ear wiggling in the direction of the others sleeping nearby, Jin looked back at them to make sure they were indeed all sleeping off their meal before pulling himself silently from his bed.

 

His fingers wrapped about the cover of his diary as he took it with him while standing there upon his erected serpent body. He feared leaving behind his family without a word as to why, but he didn't want to leave the girls at the farm to find for themselves. But as he was slinking away from the serpent nest, he realized that it would take another day if not possibly more to get back to the Cormac Farm since he was so far east. A sigh escaping his lips and releasing as a crystalline vapor there upon the cold night's air, he scratched the back of his wild, messy hair in hopelessness.

 

“I won't ever be able to get there in time to help them,” he muttered to himself as he, regardless, worked on continuing towards the flat land that was resting just up ahead from the Laden Forest that was about the crescent shaped lake near the farm. Jin made it to the outskirts of the forest, resting his palm against the trunk of a Paluu Tree that was nearby. His childlike eyes of deep blue eyed the sky up above to marvel upon it for a moment before slinking down to slump over and think.

 

As a snake demon, he remained close to home with the family he had made with Dustin and the others so he didn't exactly know how vast Eytheria was and where its borders began and ended. He stayed in one spot where the food was plentiful unless the area was disturbed and humans were causing problems or finding their nesting sites. They never wandered about the human tainted land and for good reason. The only motive for Jin, his brother, and Touya leaving theirs was because their family and friends had been destroyed miles away from Eytheria and they needed to find a new home. Dustin was the one to take them in when his nesting area was disturbed and his family, friends, children, and only home he ever knew was burned and destroyed by the Eytherian Knights or at least, that was the just of what he was told.

 

The dry twigs snapped behind Jin as he remained there within his thoughts at the edge of the wood. His right ear wiggling slightly to gather the sound, he quickly spun around to bare his fangs at the one that might be sneaking up on him. “Who's there?” He demanded to know in a whisper.

 

“Relax, Jin,” Dustin's deep voice beckoned from within the dark surrounding night as he slithered forward. His crimson eyes blinked at the shadowy figure ahead of him, that his adjusted night sight could make out was indeed the redheaded snake demon. Multi brown colored scales shined from the moonlight gracing them as he made his way over to Jin's side. “Why aren't you asleep with the others? Normally you'd be fast asleep by this time and snoring so loud, Aland would wake up to complain.”

 

Jin could tell what Dustin was getting at as he lowered his pointed ears ever so slightly as well as his serious frown before sighing and looking away. “I am sorry…”

 

Dustin rested his forearm against the trunk of the Paluu Tree that was close to him as he eyed Jin closely. “Something has you bothered since that incident at the barn. You won't eat, your mind keeps wandering, and obviously it bothers you late at night for you are not sleeping. You're going to end up killing yourself if you are not careful or getting horribly sick.”

 

Jin tapped his fingers on the leather covering of his diary as he thought about what he had written upon the blank pages lately dealing with the Cormac girls. His ears rising once more as he looked back at the endless sea of stars, he scratched the back of his head wondering what to do. He wanted Dustin's advice but he feared what he would say if human children were involved. “Dustin?” Jin began inquisitively, “You had children, didn't you?”

 

Dustin blinked a few times to show his surprise in the question. It was a sensitive topic for him and he tried to stray from it whenever presented to him but obviously Jin wanted to know something about it. Clearing his throat to keep it from cracking at all, he rubbed the back of his ivory neck wondering where to start. “Well, of course I did. I had many, many children. Even if the female I got pregnant was about to give birth or just finished, I would find another one in heat to have my next batch of children.”

 

“So you had a harem?” Jin wondered aloud quietly so as not to wake the others.

 

A soft chuckle raised up form the back of Dustin's throat as he nodded. “Yeah, I guess you could say that. But I loved them all and made sure they were taken care of, especially my children. They were my world to me and if I ever did lose one to those wretched humans, I was devastated and took my anger out on them.”

 

The redheaded snake demon listened carefully, feeling a bit piteous towards him. “They meant a lot to you, obviously.”

 

“Oh, sky above, I loved them so much,” Dustin expressed truthfully. “They did, and I could see my family growing bigger and bigger with every new addition whether from me or from them. My family was my safe haven alone and spanned for miles in the wooded area to the south humans use to call the Serpents Nest due to our numbers being so large.”

 

Jin cocked his brows a bit confusingly knowing that area well. It was hard to miss it due to the dead, charred land at the base of the mountains refusing to grow anymore life. “Wait, do you mean the area known as Hells' Coppice? That place looked dead to me when I saw it. It was burnt—it's a burned area, isn't it?”

 

“And then you know what happened next,” Dustin said vaguely not wanting to go into elaborate detail. Massaging in between his eyes, he cleared his throat once more though the pain he tried to get rid of was clearly there still in his wavering eyes.

 

“I—I am sorry, Dustin,” Jin apologized as he rubbed his arms as if to try and get warm from the cold night that engulfed them. “I didn't know that everything was…burned.”

 

“My children were my everything and I will never fully heal over what those humans did to me and the family and friends they stole. Even now my body can still feel the blistering fire biting at me,” Dustin sighed miserably. Refusing to shed a tear over it at that moment, he shook his head briefly wanting to change the subject. “So, why did you want to know?”

 

“Well, you know what it is like to be separated from your kids at time, I bet,” Jin said quietly as he crossed his arms over his broad chest. “And I am sure the only time you were really defensive and worried were when they were females.”

 

“Mmm-hmm,” Dustin hummed with a nod. It was sexist but female snake demon children were heavily guarded from the time they were born till the time they found a mate. Dustin had many daughters and guarded them with Aland and Finlay till they were big enough to be found attractive by other male snake demon. Whenever he had a son, he cared for him until he was at least ten and then would push him out of his care to find for him-self though would watch carefully from afar.

 

Jin turned to the demon beside him, crunching the dry twigs and leaves there beneath him as he did so. “The reason I haven't been myself lately is because…I have been separated from young, female children I promised another I would take care of,” the crimson scaled snake demon answered honestly with his palm pressing against his bare chest.

 

Hearing this, Dustin was unaware how to express his shock. “Since when did you have children? I didn't know you had a naga in heat, Jin.”

 

Jin's large indigo eyes widened in embarrassment from Dustin's remark as he shook his head furiously not expecting his leader to insinuate that as he hissed, “No, no! It's nothing like that, I promise!” Laughing nervously at the thought, he rubbed the back of his head once more, showing that he did it too often at times especially when in thought or embarrassed. “I haven't been with a female in some time now. Though I have to say I did it merely for the procreating purposes.”

 

“You were a top pick of your old nest?” Dustin asked almost off topic.

 

The burning color of pink remained on his cheek as he had to think back on his intimate sessions. “I was picked mostly to take some of the females because of my blue eyes,” he answered with a nervous chuckle followed by a grin. “Most heated females enticed me into it and sometimes I was chosen by their fathers and or mothers because of my eye color and my build. I was a warrior of my old nest and protected them.”

 

“What of Touya, your friend?” Dustin turned to look back towards the group sleeping deep within the surrounding woods. “His eyes are unique and the likes of which I have never seen on a snake demon.”

 

Jin followed Dustin's gaze to look at the sleeping snake creature with a brief smile. “He was and still is a hard one to help make babies. Some found his eyes to be too cold and scary when they are not that way at all. However, some females did want him to breed because of his scales and their pattern but others didn't like that he was small in height.” Clearing his sinuses, he looked back to Dustin with a nod. “But, other than that, yeah I was chosen a lot to be the main snake demon to create babies though, at times, I had to fight my brother for them.”

 

Dustin had Jin and Touya for awhile within his care but both were still enigmas to him. There was so much he needed to learn and know about them just as the same applied to the two additions. “So who are the ones you have now?” He pried, tilting his head to the side as his tail slithered upon the grass.

 

The embarrassment quickly vanished upon the next question handed to him as he frowned a bit not sure how to answer that. “I—I can't tell you, Dustin. All I can tell you is that I was closer to them back at the Cormac Farm and that was why I refused to leave.” Jin's eyes quickly darted about the land in front of him waiting for Dustin's answer. He wasn't sure how Dustin would take that and he feared he was dropping too many clues that it was the Cormac daughters he was looking over.

 

The alpha snake demon had no idea what Jin was getting at and how he could have hid the two daughters he was planning on taking care of right under his nose. He was at a loss, however, on what to tell Jin. It would be dangerous for the young hearted snake demon to head back to the Cormac Farm alone and he didn't want his clan to head back there when all they needed was at the Moon-Lu Farm. “Jin,” Dustin began with a sigh of disappointment, “I really don't want you going back to the Cormac Farm. You will starve there and, besides, it is a day away from here. You wouldn't be able to make it seeing as there is nothing back there for you except for the two young daughters you promised to take care of.”

 

“Dustin, isn't that enough for me to go back there and starve?” Jin asked eagerly as he moved closer to his leader.

 

“Jin, you are not going back to the Cormac Farm to die!” The snake leader hissed with a fork of his tongue. “Don't be stupid! I can understand how hard it is to try and leave children behind to grow up on their own, but what's the point of going back when you're only going to die in the process?”

 

Jin could tell things weren't going his way as he contorted his face into a pouting anger. “Dustin, please!” Jin begged his fists clutched tightly at his side. “I have to go back to the Cormac Farm and I will do it with or without your help!”

 

Scratching his forehead with his thumbnail, Dustin tried not to explode at Jin once more though he was about to. Regaining his composure, he took in a deep breath and released it before eyeing the rambunctious redhead once more. “Jin, I have to do what I feel is right for my clan and those I watch over. As soon as you separated from your brother and came to my nesting site to be let in, you became my responsibility as the others I have with me. I don't want you going back there where I know you will die without help.”

 

“Dustin, please!” Jin continued to beg as he slithered closer to him to grab onto his hand and hold onto tightly. He tried looking the strict naga in the face but Dustin turned his head to show he refused to listen at that point. “Please?” He asked once more with his pointed ears slightly faltered. “You said it yourself that I cannot eat or sleep or do anything anymore so why should I remain here and be miserable? Either way, I might as well just wait to die…the thought of them being alone is eating at me.”

 

Looking back at the pleading snake creature, Dustin could no longer remain angry at Jin as he released a sigh to show his surrender to the younger demon. “If I say `yes' will you promise me you'll take someone with you?” Dustin asked, raising his finger to Jin as if to scold him like a child.

 

“Yes, yes, I promise,” Jin responded with a furious nod of his head.

 

“However, Jin, I have one more thing I want you to do for me,” Dustin stressed, grabbing onto his wrist to keep Jin leveled. “I am not above releasing you and your friend out to the Cormac Farm to stay and live, but I am also not going to have you traveling back and forth from one destination to the other. If you are eager to be back at the other farm, you must find us a place nearby where the rest of us can thrive from.”

 

Jin looked at him confused as he tilted his head slightly. “You want me to find an area nearby that can make up for the loss of the Cormac Farm?”

 

“If you want to remain close to these daughters of yours, you are going to have to find an alternative for us,” Dustin clarified as he crossed his arms upon his broad chest. “As I said before, I am not going to have you go out on your own. You stepped into my nest and you will remain there until I see fit to banish you or you die.”

 

His baby blue eyes wandered about the dark surroundings before catching Dustin's piercing crimson red. He didn't want to leave the nest, but he felt he was taking on way too much at this moment. It was as though he was forced to find a way to make everybody happy all thanks to his actions at the barn when it burned. Scratching the back of his head, he kept the frown upon his face as he nodded hesitantly at Dustin's request. “How long do I have to find a place?”

 

Dustin showed Jin three fingers before answering, “Three weeks is all I am giving you. If you cannot find an alternative to Lunar Lake, we will remain here and you'll be forced to stay here with us.” Seeing the worry and doubt on Jin's face that he would ever find such a place, Dustin cupped Jin's chin to make him look into his eyes with his scaly tail. “And Jin, I have ways of making you eat and survive. I've come across my own share of stubborn children so don't think you're the first for me.”

 

“Alright, I promise I will find a solution,” Jin assured as he grabbed onto Dustin's tail to remove it from his face. “And I promise I will be okay. You worry too much.”

 

“And for good reason,” Dustin scoffed before embracing the playful member of his nest.

 

Jin blinked several times in embarrassment once more as he tried to hide the fact that he didn't mind being embraced by someone else regardless of the times he would pull away from Dustin whenever he did so. He just got a bit annoyed whenever Dustin did it around the others since it was mostly a father holding onto his child and he hated being treated like a kid. Looking around to make sure nobody else was watching and that everyone was asleep, Jin did the same eventually though not tightly.

 

Dustin kept Jin in his embrace regardless with his hands cupping his upper back and the back of his fiery red hair. “Please promise me you'll at least sleep better tonight and eat something before getting up to head back to the Cormac Farm. I don't want you to die on your journey up there.”

 

“Dustinnnnnnn,” Jin whined as he pulled out of the embrace. “I promise I will be fine. I am not a kid. I am old enough to take care of myself.” With that said, Jin turned away from his leader to head back to the nesting site where he could hopefully get some rest before the cock crowed upon the Mallow's farm.

 

The ivory toned snake demon watched from where he was standing as Jin disappeared back into the thick foliage to lie back down for bed. He kept his sight fixed on the back of the foreign demon with a furrowed brow of worry. But you are so young, Jin…you may not see it, but your heart keeps you young and you act foolish… Knowing that the sun would rise within a few hours, Dustin followed behind Jin shortly after to go back to sleep for the coming day.

 

 

 

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The stallion Blythe rode upon made his way gradually back to the Cormac Farm that morning seeing as she had left earlier to gather food that would be suitable for a breakfast even if both girls were at a loss on how to prepare food. She was worried a great deal seeing as some strangers made breakfast for them before but failed to show up for the past two days. Blythe feared that now she would have to take on as much responsibility as she could being the older sister of the two and the thought frightened her.

 

The hooves of the large beast dug into the ground as he made his way to the farm he knew so well before breaking into a steady gallop to finally reach what he knew was home. Blythe kept the food items securely under her arm as she guided the stallion to the corral where the animals were still being kept until the barn could be reconstructed. Making Midnight come to a halt, Blythe hopped off the saddle with the bread and assorted vegetables within her basket she was carrying. Her fingers wrapping about the reins of the stallion, she guided him to a post nearby to tie him up until she had her hands free to unsaddle him. “There we go,” she whispered before getting out an apple that she had on her to feed the horse. “Good boy. I will come back to fix you all up for the day when I put this food up, alright?”

 

Heading quickly for the house, Blythe jogged up the stairs on the porch out front to get to the front door to let herself in. opening the door, she saw her younger sister sitting there upon the sofa reading a book to herself seeing as that was the only way for her to keep her mind occupied aside from drawing. Offering a brief smile to Neda, Blythe headed over to the kitchen counter to place down the items she bought. “Hi, Neda,” she said as cheerful as could be to get her sister's attention. “I went to the Eytheria Market today and got that chain you wanted for those red pieces of plastic or whatever they are you keep finding.”

 

Neda looked up past her book to watch from the side as her sister got out the things she felt confident to try and cook. Marking her spot, she pushed herself up off of the sofa to examine the small, silver chain her sister managed to buy for her. “I found three more just outside around the farm. I guess I can use mom's knife and try to puncture holes through them.”

 

“Please be careful with mom's knife,” Blythe pleaded as she put up some of the food for the moment. “I don't want you cutting yourself. By the way, did the carpenters come here to examine the damage done to our barn?”

 

Nodding, Neda grabbed onto a piece of bread to nibble on since she was hungry for the moment. “Yes, they came. That Thane guy you met at the Kalrune Village was here too. He asked about you and I told him you were at the market place.”

 

Hearing of Thane, Blythe couldn't help but smile for a moment as she got out some of the things she would need to place some of the eggs in. “So, what did they say?”

 

“They said that, seeing as it was completely destroyed thanks to the fire, they were going to have to build from the ground up. They promised they would make it bigger and make it extra safe so this wouldn't happen again,” Neda explained finishing off the bit of bread she had in her hands.

 

“That's good news,” Blythe praised as she put everything away. “Did anybody else show up saying that they were here to take care of us? I was wondering what happened to those people who left us breakfast a few days ago…”

 

Neda could only shrug with a sour look on her face as she headed back to the sofa in the adjoining living room. “No. I bet they abandoned us. I guess the goddess feels we deserve that much.”

 

Hearing her sister say such things made Blythe's heart ache as she headed after her sister to kneel upon the wooden floor in front of where Neda sat on the sofa. “Oh, Neda, don't talk like that. The goddess makes things happen for a reason and we found someone who is willing to help us in everyway possible. Is that not good enough?”

 

A frown appeared upon Neda's face as she scoffed at her sister's remark. “I don't see why she had to take our parents from us. That was just cruel and heartless of her.”

 

“Neda, Don't say such things about our goddess!” Blythe exclaimed in shock. “She would never let us down and you know this! We have Thane now to help us and he is doing all he can at this point. Can you at least let him do so?” When Neda refused to answer her, Blythe threw her hair back over her shoulder to get it out of her face as she held her sister's hands within her own. “Neda, please—Thane is trying everything he can to make things easier for us right now.”

 

She didn't wish to hear anymore than she already had. The anger of the situation, regardless, was boiling up inside of her as she pulled herself from her sister. “I will be in my bedroom. I don't want to talk about this now.”

 

“Neda,” Blythe sighed as she watched her sister leave the sofa to head upstairs with her belongings. Following after her younger sister, Blythe stopped at the foot of the stairs for a moment wondering what to do about breakfast now. “Neda, are you not going to eat breakfast?” The closing of their bedroom door was enough to give her the answer as Blythe moved some of her reddish brown hair behind her ear to keep it from slipping in her way. Knowing that she was on her own at that moment, Blythe headed back to the kitchen to grab her basket to get the eggs and take care of her stallion she had ridden most of the morning.

 

Her brown boots tapped against the rickety old porch as she made her way back down to the corral to tend to her horse first knowing he must be exhausted from the ride and ready to unwind. The tranquil breeze caressed her white dress as well as her wavy tresses whilst she looked at the clear, beautiful sky. She was trying to stay optimistic and it was becoming very hard to resist the urge to collapse on her knees and cry in want to give up. Blythe was thankful she had Thane who was eager to help them back on their feet when he hardly knew them; she just wished her sister wouldn't make things harder than they already were at that moment.

 

“Oh, my goddess…please, help me further,” Blythe begged almost in tears as she remained where she was out in the middle of their land staring up at the clear blue sky.

 

 

 

 

The wind blowing about Eytheria graced the senses of the wind snake demon as he wiggled his ears slightly up and down at the feel of it. Turning to face it seeing as it was blowing from the north, he grinned ear to ear feeling it caress his features. “That sure does feel nice now, doesn't it?”

 

“If you are so eager to get to the Cormac Farm, it is best we keep going,” Touya insisted as he offered to go with Jin back to the farm. “We didn't come all this way so you could bask in the blowing wind.”

 

“You're always so serious,” Jin grumbled as he followed behind Touya who was keen to get back to the farm from Lunar Lake. He was tired of walking long distances already and wanted to find a place to relax. “Why did you offer to come with me?”

 

“Because Dustin doesn't trust you by yourself and, seriously, would you want Aland and or Finlay to come with you on this journey of yours?” Touya wondered as his scaly form continued to slither about the flat, grassy surface beneath him that was still covered in dew. The two snake demons decided to be bold and walk out in the middle of the plain that stretched for some distance in Eytheria though they were risking quite a bit in the process.

 

Grumbling at his friend who was just trying to wise up to him, Jin quickly followed after him to remain at his side. “So, do you know of any places nearby Cormac that could help the others?”

 

“Jin, Cormac Farm is located far from many places. It's almost isolated and in its own little world,” Touya explained with an irritable sigh. “If you want to stay close to those girls, you are going to have to think of some schedule, because everything is either a day or so ride from it.”

 

Pressing his finger to his cheek, Jin hummed in thought as he continued down the path he felt had to be the right one. “Well, there has to be a place nearby somewhere. I mean, come on, there are other snake demons out there somewhere—don't you think?”

 

Touya could only shake his head from side to side as he shrugged. “I am not sure. I would like to think so but we are the only ones I have seen thus far.” Stopping for a moment, the ice snake demon looked left and then right as if to decide where to go though the thought of meeting others rang clear in his mind. “Don't get me wrong, I would love more than anything to have a bigger family like what we had. I miss the thought of having others to protect and women to lie with to make babies.”

 

The crimson scaled snake demon couldn't help but scoff at him for a moment. “You never would lie with another woman. Why are you now going on and on about being with a woman to have children?”

 

“Well, unlike you, I didn't get so many offers to open up many women.”

 

Jin smirked as he continued towards the forest that was just ahead a several feet away from them. “That's what happens when you have the eyes demon females want as well as the body.” His goofy grin soon turned to a serious frown as he thought of Dustin back at the Lunar Lake and about the family he lost years ago. “Speaking of which, I am wondering if it would be possible to find such creatures for the sake of Dustin. I know he had a large family but the humans deprived him of them.”

 

Heading into the thick forest that was in their way, Touya looked at Jin with wonder seeing as he didn't understand or know much about Dustin as a leader. “What do you mean to do for him? Are you planning on finding him a new nest? If so, good luck, because I am sure most of those nests out there already have alpha males.”

 

“Maybe,” Jin said forlornly. “I just want him to be happy again is all. I guess he deserves that much for all he has done.”

 

Touya went silent as the two of them continued onward towards the Cormac Farm, hoping to reach it before nightfall.