Sandstorms VI She wiped her sweaty brow with the back of her hand, and stared up at the cloudless sky. She smiled happily as she felt the hot wind rush through her hair.< Today is the day. I can feel it. > “Shichi, What are you smiling about? Are you alright?” Shichi looked over her shoulder to see her brother staring at her with a worried frown on his face. “No, I...” Her brother frowned,”Well..” She clenched her hands nervously, slowly looking up to meet her brother’s glare.“ This is the day. The prophecy is true. The savior has come.” She spoke in a rush. “ I just know it!” “ Whatever. Just don’t let the guards see you slacking off.” With that said, he marched on, shouldering his burden with difficulty. Shichi’s gaze followed her brother as he marched across the sand. “ I just know it,” she whispered. ````````````````````````````````````` “ Get out of my sight!” Yushi yelled as another bumbling idiot tried to quell their master’s anger. < I will not lose to that...that.... forbidden child! I refuse! > He slammed his fist on the table, knocking all his papers on the floor, < Kurama will be mine or he’ll be nobody’s at all! > “ Lord Yushi, there is someone here to see you.” “ I don’t want to see anyone!” Yushi yelled, his face red with anger. The current crises combined with the desert heat wave caused his pig eyes to be wild and blood shot. He breathed heavily, rivulets of sweat rolling down his fleshy jowls. “ It is Kurama-sama.” Yushi’s head lifted at the name, and a slow smile began to form on his face. < He must be crazy if he thinks he can come back here. He won’t escape me again. > “ Let him in.” `````````````````````````````````` Kurama took a deep breath as he walked into the room. Yushi was sitting there behind his desk, his arms spread out invitingly. Kurama felt bile come up in his throat,< Can I really do this? > “ Kurama, long time no see. So, you’ve finally come to your senses.” Kurama plastered a smile on his face and wandered over to Yushi’s desk. ”Yes, Lord Yushi. You were right. You are the only one man enough for me.” He leaned over the desk to look Yushi straight in the eye,” I’m your loyal servant.” “ Really,” Yushi said with a laugh,” Then as my servant, I command you to come over here and sit in my lap.” Kurama blanched.< Hiei where are you? > But then quickly recovered and walked around the desk to settle himself into Yushi’s lap. “ That’s a good servant,” Yushi said softly,“ Look at me Kurama.” Kurama hesitantly turned to look Yushi in the eyes, and was startled by the look of desire in his eyes. He gave a little yelp as he was pulled violently forward until his face was but inches away from Yushi’s. “ Kiss me.” Yushi whispered. Kurama closed his eyes and reluctantly obeyed. ````````````````````````````````````````````` Hiei silently opened the flap to Yushi’s tent and snuck in. His glance wavered worriedly on Kurama, but then focused on the task at hand. < The kitsune said he could do this. I’ve got to trust him. > With a worried frown he made his way to the back of the tent, looking around frantically. < Where is it? Where is that damn... Oh, there it is. > Hiei smiled. Kurama pulled back roughly, his chest heaving from lack of air. It took all his effort not to wipe his mouth and to look at Yushi with a smile on his face. “ My dear Kurama,” Yushi whispered as his hand traveled down the small of Kurama's back,“Let’s go somewhere more...private. Hm?” Kurama panicked and his gaze flickered to the form silently leaving the tent. To his horror, Yushi’s gaze traveled there as well. “ What is this!?!” Yushi yelled in rage. His eyes focused on Kurama, “You.” The sound of the jawbreaker ricocheted off the sides of the tent, and Kurama’s yelp was loud and surprised. Yushi had delivered a massive hook to Kurama’s jawbone, his fist meaty and glittering with rings like brass knuckes. Hiei turned back just in time to see Kurama’s limp form slid down the wall of the tent to land on the floor, unmoving. He looked up at Yushi, blind with rage. “ You son of a bitch!” Hiei drew his katana and rushed at Yushi, only to be blocked by his guards. He slashed and blocked and parried as fast as he could, his mind on one thing...Kurama. Suddenly Hiei was pushed back roughly as another group of guards came, and another, and another. He growled with frustration, raising his katana high and bringing it down with a swish. The tent fell down slowly, covering the guards and blinding them to Hiei’s presence. Hiei swiftly found Kurama and dragged him out of the tent, running for their lives. They had got what they wanted. Now they could leave. Hiei panted with breath as he reached the tent he was looking for. There stood the slave girl, Shichi, reaching out her hand eagerly. “ Did you get it?” “Yes.” Hiei said calmly,” Now your people must help us escape.” “Yes, yes.” Shichi said happily< He got it! The key! The key that will free my people! > “Well...” “Oh, right,” She smiled,“The only way you can leave this place is if you follow the plant line. They lead to the boundaries.” She fingered the key lovingly. “Thank you...” But they were already gone. ```````````````````````````````````````````````` Kurama groaned as his bruised cheek began to throb, < Where...? > He slowly opened his eyes and looked up to see Hiei’s face, his arms holding him tightly. < He’s so beautiful. > He slowly turned to look over Hiei’s shoulder and what he saw made his heart skip a beat. “Hiei....” Hiei looked down at Kurama’s fearful expression, and at the bruise spreading from temple to cheek. “ Look.” Hiei turned around to see a mass formation of Yushi’s soldiers forming a tight circle around them. He frowned, < I know what I have to do. > “ Kurama?” Kurama looked up at him with a solemn expression on his face. “No.” “What?” “No,” Kurama said as his eyes began to cloud up with unshed tears, “ I won’t leave you.” Hiei sighed,“ But you have to. Don’t worry. Everything will be fine.” But in his heart he knew that this was a lie, and Kurama knew it also. “Run!” Kurama gasped as his feet hit the ground and he began running and running and running. Suddenly, he looked back. Hiei was surrounded by soldiers, and though his slashes were quick and deadly, it just wasn’t enough. Hiei cried out as he was slammed to the floor and the soldiers swarmed over him. “ No! Not my Hiei!” Kurama cried out angrily, turning to run back into the fray. “Stop!” Kurama was grabbed from behind roughly. He swiftly turned to see a slave girl look up at him with a fearful expression on her face. Her face was smudged with dirt, her eyes wild with newfound freedom.“ You can’t go back there.” “But, Hiei...” “No!” She yelled,” What good will you be to him dead?” She took a deep breath and looked up into his eyes. “ We’ll be back for him. I swear it.” To Be Continued.....