The Samurai

The Samurai Episode 6 Demons Are Real

Touka runs over to the window. 

-Wow, Kenshin look at the reflection of the moon and stars on the still water. Isn’t It so beautiful! 

Kenshin looks up toward the window. He sees Touka standing there with the moon shining on her beautiful skin. Her lips a pretty eyes catching the reflection of the moon off the water that’s so still it looks like a mirror.

He smiles and thinks to himself, "Wow she is so beautiful. She is an amazing woman. Any man would be so lucky to have her.

He replies,

-Yes, yes it is beautiful Touka. Just like you. 

She looks up and her face blushes as she looks at him with her soft eyes. Then she quickly runs out of the moon light.

-Me? You really think I am beautiful like that Kenshin? She ask softly. 

-No, Kenshin replies. 

Touka's smile fades away and she looks towards the ground sadly. 

Then Kenshin speaks again,

-You are much, much more beautiful Touka. The moon pales in comparison. 

Touka looks back up shocked and smiling. Her face redder than before.

-Really? She ask, Thank you! Th... That’s the nicest thing anyone…

She quickly turns away from Kenshin without finishing her sentence.

Kenshin notices the tears that fall from her cheek catching the moonlight. 

-Let’s, let’s get some rest. 

-O... Okay, Kenshin, she says softly.

Touka walks to the bed and gets in. She looks at Kenshin who's preparing himself a spot on the floor right in front of her. 

-You, you can sleep in the bed Kenshin. 

Kenshin looks up and smiles,

-That’s ok Touka, I’m good here on the floor.

-Please! Would you please lay in the bed. At least, at least until I fall asleep, 

Touka says while looking down fiddling her hands under the covers,

I won’t get mad or hit you not even if you accidentally bump into me or anything. I promise!

Kenshin stops making him a spot on the floor. 

-Sure Touka, yeah I’ll come lay in the bed. 

He walks over and lays down beside now smiling Touka. 

-Hey Touka, he ask, do you like poetry? I used to write poems a long time ago. Would you like to hear one?

Touka looks at Kenshin and answers,

-Poetry? I... I don’t know. I never really had the chance to hear any. You wrote poem’s Kenshin? 

Kenshin starts to tell his poem, as he’s telling it Touka snuggles up as close as she can to Kenshin. 

Half way through it he looks down and notices she's fast asleep with her arm over him, like she was making sure he didn’t leave. He brushes her hair from her face then leans and kisses her on her forehead. He looks into the moonlit sky and thinks to himself, "I better get some sleep too".

-Kenshin! Saya yells out, Hey Kenshin!! Wow you were right you can see the stars so perfectly out here. Pretty! There like fireflies. There’s so many, it’s amazing!

She smiles and then hugs Kenshin. He looks down and smiles at her.

-Yes there are a lot of them

-Thank you so much Kenny! Saya says, Your such a romantic!

Kenshin blushing answers her back, 

-What? I was just... never mind.

-I’m giving you complement silly. Now come here, Saya says as she pulls Kenshin down for a kiss.

-This place is so beautiful, it’s perfect! Kenshin, let’s build our house right here!? 

Kenshin turns to Saya. 

-That’s not... You know what that’s not a bad idea at all Saya. Its settled then this is our new home! 

Saya jumps up and yells,

-Yay! I’m so happy Kenshin! This is where we start our new lives together. I’m the happiest woman in the whole wide world! It’s the perfect place.. The perfect place for you to watch me diee!! 

Kenshin looks up at Saya.

-What! She answers him back, your just gonna watch them kill me. Aren’t you Kenshin? Kenshin!...

-Kenshin!! Kenshin, Kenshin wake up! Touka shouts,

Wake up Kenshin!

Kenshin opens his eyes and Saya fades away back into the shadows as Touka becomes more clear. 

-Tou... Touka !? I... I was dreaming? Did I hurt you? Are you…

-I’m fine Touka replies. But what about you Kenshin ? Your sweating and your pale, you look as if you’ve seen a ghost… Are you ok??

Kenshin looks away and puts his hand over his eyes. 

-It’s nothing Touka I’m fine. It was just a dream. 

Then he thinks to himself, "Just a dream. But they seem so real. It was like she was here. But she isn’t. I don’t know if these dreams are a gift or a curse. How long can I keep this up?"

Touka sits in front Kenshin waving her hands in front of Kenshins face. 

-Kenshin are you sure your ok? She ask. 

Kenshin looks down and notices the big frown and sad eyes on Toukas face. She’s worried about him.

He forces himself to smile as he pat’s her on the head. 

-I’m alright, thank you Touka.

He thinks to himself, "She truly cares about me. About a killer. A monster. She’s so so much like Saya". He smiles a real smile this time. And thanks her again. 

Touka smiles then jumps up and shouts,

-Right! Well then, what should our next move be she ask Kenshin while dancing around on the floor in front of the bed. 

Kenshin watching her smiling replies, 

-Good question, but after you went to sleep I stayed up a little while doing some thinking. And now that we’ve regain our strength, now that you know about the Demons. I think it’s best we go back to the leader of The Flaming Skulls hideout. See if we can dig up some trails from that Demi-Demon. 

We need to find out who he served. Who is this master he referred too. We need to hurry before the Demons start to move again. We have to crush them before they can gather in numbers. 

-Go back!? Touka shouts, Back to over there? Back to where that freak...

-Yes Touka, Kenshin tells her, You don’t have to be afraid. I would never let anything happen to you. 

Touka blushes then answers back,

-I’m not afraid! Fine we go back. But Kenshin I can’t feel there presence not even when there right there in front of me. Its like they have no life force. So, so how are we gonna…. 

-Just leave that too me Touka, Kenshin tells her. 

Touka looks at him and then ask,

-Just who are you, how do you know so much about Demons? 

-Touka I will answer all your questions soon. But right now we have to hurry.

-Fine! Fine Touka says back. But first we need to stop and get a few supplies and I still have to get in contact with the Ninja my Commander sent.

- We don’t have time to wait for them. I’m sorry Touka. 

-Alright then! Touka says back, let’s just grab what we need and go. And don’t worry about the Ninja. They are Tracker Ninja after all. They’ll find us. The two grab there things and head off back on the trail heading back towards the Flaming Skulls hideout.

As they vanish from town snow begins to fall from the sky. 

Not long after they are walking in a solid white forest. Snows continues to fall from the skies. Touka and Kenshin prepare their camp ground as they settle in for the night. Now the story takes place where it began...

Touka looks out into the dark night. 

-Wow it has gotten really cold now that wind is blowing, She tells Kenshin.

-Yeah Touka, I agree, He replies back to her, I’ll prepare us a fire, He says as he hands her a blanket. So just sit here for now and try to stay warm. 

She wraps the blanket around herself smiles and tells Kenshin,

-Thank you! Then she ask him, Well if were gonna build a fire can we cook some of the meat and just save the rice balls to eat while we travel? Oh. Please! She begs Kenshin.

-Sure Touka, he says back to her, A good stew will help you warm up.

Kenshin then builds the fire and begins cooking some of the meat Touka brought.

-Is it ready yet Kenshin? Touka says in her pouty voice, It sure smells good! I’m starving! 

Kenshin turns around,

-Calm down Touka, I’m hungry too! But I want the meat to be tender, so we don’t have to chew 100 times.

Touka looks at him and replies

-Chew? Like you chew anyways, more like inhale. 

Kenshin snaps back,

-Your one too talk!

And the two erupt into another argument. They settle back down only because the food is finally ready.

Now that the bickering is over and the food is served Touka slides over closer to Kenshin as if they never argued. Kenshin grabs the blanket covers her and makes sure she can feel the warmth of the fire. Touka blushes and smiles to herself while holding the bowl of stew. 

-Um... Thank you! she says still blushing. 

-You don’t have to thank me, I’m just treating you the way any man should treat a lady. 

Touka’s face grows redder.

-A... A lady, she says. Thank you!

They begin to eat there meal. Then they rest. Kenshin fixes the fire one last time making sure it will burn until morning. 

Then he settles in covers the already sleeping Touka that he is becoming more and more fond of. Then he gazes into the dancing flames as his mind drifts into a moment a distant memory.

-Put that fire out someone is coming! A voice yells out. 

Kenshin runs and puts the fire out... 

..But this Kenshin is just a young boy...

-What, what is it father? The boy ask, Is is it a Demon? 

Father he cries out,

-Quite boy! It’s coming! 

Suddenly his fathers eyes catch into a white flame and begin glowing before Kenshins eyes.

White eyes are a trademark of The Uchiha race. But only the strongest of The Uchiha bloodline unlock these eyes and the great power that comes with them. 

Warriors that have seen many battles. Slain many Demons and human warriors alike. These eyes grant them great vision and the ability to not only see but predict there enemies moves before they happen. It makes them excel on the battlefield. They reign supreme in one on one combat and there sword play is second to none.

-Boy hide yourself! Hurry and stay quite no matter what happens. 

Kenshin runs and hides. It’s dark and quite. But Kenshin can hear footsteps footsteps that draw closer and closer. 

Then suddenly he sees green glowing eyes followed by a nauseating smell that makes him cover his nose. 

The Demon reveals itself at first glance it appears almost human. But it has these eyes, eyes glowing this eerie green. 

Then the hideous monster takes from out of the shadows. Its fingers are boney and extremely long with even longer razor sharp talons. Its feet almost hand like with long toes and talons, inverted hind legs like that of a wild beast.

 It looks like the creature can walk on all four legs just as well as its walking on two. It stinks so bad like rotting flesh.

Its face is long and narrow with a long wide mouth full of razor sharp fangs. Its mouth gaping drooling as it sniffs into the air. Kenshin is terrified. 

He’s an Uchiha, so he knows about Demons. The Uchiha tell stories about them all the time. But it was believe the Uchiha pushed most of them back along time ago. So Kenshin himself has never seen one.

Long ago a Demon took a human as his wife giving birth to the Uchiha race. The Uchiha grew up around Demons. In those days Demons were common. 

The Uchiha served as they're guardians protecting them during the days. The Demons fed on humans regularly. They even farmed them and created Demi-Demons sparring the humans life in return for there service making them slaves to the Demons. 

The Uchiha witnessed the Demons cruelty to the humans and grew sick of how they treated there half brother human as cattle, livestock. Since they were also half human they began to hate and despise the Demons. 

Some Demons learned that the Uchiha’s blood would grant them more power and strength if a Demon devoured them. So they too would be hunted and killed. 

Eventually the Uchiha rebelled against the Demons using their power to overthrow them. The Demons were driven back by the very blood they gave the Uchiha. And for a long time Demons hid in the shadows.

In that time men formed an alliance with the Uchiha. The Uchiha had there best most skilled warriors from the Special Ops who hunted Demons in secret. 

As of lately there has been increasing rumors of Demons being sighted even stories of them raiding villages. But those were just stories. That’s what Kenshin believed until 3 days ago.

In one night a nearby human village The Uchihas worked out of and often used as a trading post was completely wiped out. Most of the villagers were reported missing. Some perished in the fire there remains found amongst the ashes of the village left in ruins. 

There were no survivors as far as anyone knew. But still Kenshin didn’t believe it was Demons. No he wanted to believe badly that it was a group of bandits. Blood thirsty men. They always kill one another out of greed. But as he looks in shock at this this monster this Demon still in disbelief fear like he has never known sets in.

It’s not wearing clothes, it’s a hideous creature covered in thin wiry hair it looks more like an animal. Its skin is almost almond colored and it has several spike like horns protruding from its neck and head. And its nose is big like like a bear. It’s a Monster. 

It sniffs the air opening it’s great nostrils while closing its green eyes pointing its head into the sky. And suddenly the beast speaks using its raspy serpent like voice uttering one word. 

-UUCCHIHAAAA!

It then drops down onto all four legs and its neck stretches bringing his head down to the ground. It sniffs again. 

"Oh! Oh No! It’s going to find me", the young teen begins to panic, "This this monster, this Demon he’s gonna sniff me out and devour me".

 Just like in the stories he's always heard as a child.

"No, where is Father! Did he just abandon me? Did he…"

Suddenly the Demon raises its head and looks straight over to where Kenshin is hiding. Its eerie green eyes gaze into Kenshins. They are mesmerizing.

"Oh! Oh! No! It found…". As he looks into the Demons eyes he calms down and becomes still. The beast begins to move towards Kenshin who is now in its trance. 

Then out of nowhere the beast head vanishes and its stinking rotting blood sprays the air. Kenshin quickly comes to and the Demons head hits the ground.

And at that very same moment Kenshins father appears before him swinging its rotten smelling blood from his sword then sheeting it. 

-Fa.. Father, he cries out. 

His father rushes to his side,

-Boy are you all right? Can you hear me boy. You fell under the beast trance. Don’t ever look into a Demons eyes. Are you alright boy? Kenshin?

-Kenshin! Hey Kenshin do you even hear me? You sure space out a lot! Are you ok! Earth to Kenshin.

Kenshin shakes his head then looks at Saya.

-Sorry Saya, I’m ok he answers her back. I was just thinking about my father. 

-Oh really! You never mention your family that much Kenshin, Saya says as she grabs Kenshins hand.

-I’m sorry Saya, they died when I was still young. Just before I became a man and soon after I was in war after war. I’ve known only war. 

Even as a kid my father was in The Special ops. I’ve always lived a militant structured life style even with him. I never stayed in one place long. Always moving heading towards the next battle, Kenshin tells her. 

-It’s ok Kenny, Saya says back. Sooo... What are we gonna do today?

Kenshin looks at her,

-Hmm. Good question, how about you decide. 

Saya answers back cheerfully,

-Um ok. We could go into town…. Or you you could just watch me DIE! Your just gonna watch as they kill me. Isn’t that right Kenshin? Kenshin!....

-Kenshin, Hey Kenshin it’s time to wake up! Touka shouts out, It’s time to go. We need to get moving. Were almost there now. Hey are you ok, huh Kenshin?

Kenshin wipes his eyes and looks up at Touka as she prepares herself for the journey. It’s still snowing Touka has already gotten everything packed and ready to go.

"It’s cold. But I don’t feel cold. No I’m sweating. Why why am I sweating. Was I dreaming? Dreaming. That’s it, I was dreaming about her , about Saya again. They are getting worst...

It’s been about a year now. But it feels like it was just yesterday. But it wasn’t, Saya's gone. Even though she still remains here in my mind haunting my dreams, dreams that have become more like nightmares. Every night I see her it feels like she’s here. It feels so real, but it’s not real because she’s gone. 

She can’t come back except for in my dreams. They are a blessing and a curse. She haunts me. But I don’t want her to stop I don’t want to not see her. I don’t, I could never forget her".

Touka knells down and places her hand on Kenshins shoulder. 

-Hey are you alright Kenshin? Your sweating. It’s no rush, she says, take your time. 

-No, I’m fine Touka. 

He looks at her and smiles a fake smile. She recognizes the fake smile he often uses when he's not telling her the truth. 

She sits back down and makes a pouty face. 

Kenshin looks at her and puts his arm around her

-I’m fine Touka. 

He then thinks about how he and Touka met. And how they have been traveling together every since that day. She’s so much like Saya, except unlike Saya she’s a Ninja. A warrior. 

She’s fierce and precise with deadly accuracy. She can take out any man with ease. No she can take out men with almost no effort. 

But she is as beautiful as she is tough if not more so. With her long beautiful silky black hair with fiery colored red ends always with that one bang that’s red just like her ends, dangling in front of her left eye.

Her hair usually up, pinned up in a long ponytail held by the two throwing needles she hides in plain sight.

Her black sleeves short with red fish net covering her arms going all the way to the end of her hand right before her fingers. Black arm guards. Her short black skirt giving her mobility. 

Her long beautiful legs covered in the same red fish net she wears under her kimono top. 

The tall black boots on her feet also hiding daggers and throwing needles. 

Under her short skirt she wears shorter shorts, also fiery red.

 Her beautiful large purple calculating eyes. Her big red lushes lips.

She is a beautiful woman. One of the most beautiful women Kenshin has ever laid his eyes upon. In fact only one other woman has caught Kenshins eyes like that. 

Saya his equally beautiful wife, that Touka so reminds him of. 

He revisits the memory of the day they met that day by the shore. He remembers how beautiful she was and he also remembers how she threw her daggers yards away delivering a lethal blow to the fish hiding beneath the waters surface.

Her eyes are beautiful, but they are also accurate like that of a hawk, pin pointing her targets with deadly accuracy from unimaginable distances. 

She has the stealth of a swooping owl. The tracking skills of a wolf and the bite of a deadly viper. And she is as beautiful and as deadly as a tiger. Her colors even make her resemble one more so.

Touka looks at Kenshin and smiles that pretty smile at Kenshin. Then says, 

-Well ok, if your ready Kenshin we can go then she springs up. 

Always so energetic. She has also lived a life of solitude. She grows more attached to Kenshin with each passing day. More so than she'll ever admit. She looks at Kenshin still smiling.

Kenshin is a very handsome man long dark hair that hangs just above his shoulders. He often times has it up in a ponytail that sits on top the back of his head looking like a rooster tail. A beautiful face with a scar on his left cheek a slit from a sword. 

He wears a Samurai uniform. With large long sleeves he often time has his arms tucked in hidden and crossed. It's purple and has a black shark fin on the back just below the collar. The Uchiha’s symbol. He wears a black under shirt just beneath the purple kimono.

His hakama is red with black flames coming up from the feet. On his feet he has red tabi socks and black wooden clogs.

He is always wearing his sword and at first glance he appears to be an ordinary man. You can tell he’s strong and in top shape. But you’d never guess he wields this dark amazing mysterious power. 

The power his Uchiha blood gives him as it courses through his every vein. 

You would never guess he can swing his sword so fast it cuts the air creating these blades of wind. Or he can summon this incredible power and you can hear and see the electrical aura this power creates. 

The glowing white eyes he release when he transforms into this deadly Demon killing machine.

The way the ground itself peels from beneath him for the energy he release while he admits this electricity that pierces the air waves creating this sound like a large flock of chirping birds. 

Kenshin is anything, but ordinary. No, he is amazing in fact he is the soul survivor of his clan. A bloodline of warriors half Demon half human. He's the stuff of legends.

Legends rumors or like what the Demons have become as they hid there existence away in the shadows. Letting themselves become mere camp side stories as they built there strength. 

Now all of a sudden they are emerging from the shadows. Emerging from the stories whispered behind closed doors. Becoming real. They are real very real. 

But why? Why now? Why all of a sudden? What is their aim, their reason? Have they regained enough of there powers and numbers feeling comfortable enough to step in the light and take center stage? 

Are they preparing for another war? Are they trying to once again reign supreme over men?

What chance will man have without the aid of The Uchiha? The warrior race that pushed the Demons back for them in the past. The warriors that battled the Demons for centuries holding them in check. 

That is until men the same men that will so desperately be in need of there help again mercilessly slaughtered them in an act of betrayal and fear.

This is what our two heroes set to find out. They are now in a race against time trying to stop the Demons before they gain to strong of a foothold.

Alone these two brave warriors head back into the lions den the Flaming Skulls stronghold. Back where they first encountered the reappearance of Demons. 

Where Kenshin first displayed his incredible power unleashing it to slay the Demi-Demon. Back to where Touka stared in disbelief at Demons and the power of this mysterious Samurai.

At the time she thought Kenshin was just a mere fisherman a relic from the war. But since then she has realized he’s anything but.

And since her encounter with him, her world will never again be the same. But just who is he, who is this Samurai?.

The answers lie up ahead as they embark into the next chapter of Kenshin and Touka’s quest.

The two make there way back towards the hideout. The eerie fog still hovers just above the ground and the stench of death once again fills the air flooding into there noses as they get closer to the hideout.

-Kenshin, Touka shouts out from behind, I believe that Demi-Demon or Scythe, or whatever you wanna call him.

I believe he’s our killer. I’ve already said the killer had to be using a large weapon to slice those bodies the way they where. They way the killer wiped them all out in a single night with ease. 

Not to mention the fact that he was there at the crime scene. How everything just got quite after you killed him. All the evidence points at him. Right? 

Kenshin turns around and replies,

-Sure it seems like a good theory but I’m just not buying it.

-What? Touka shouts, not buying it!? What part exactly aren’t you buying how much more evidence do you need?

How do you explain him being there. If he didn’t kill them, what other reason would he have for being there?

Plus you saw the way he moved. I never seen anything like it... 

Well other than you, she whispers under her breath,

And what about the corpses that were half eaten like they were mauled by some wild animal. The power he had the way he moved. 

You’re the only other person or thing I’ve ever seen move like that way. And your not the killer right?

-Thing! Kenshin says back, So I’m a thing now? Wow! 

-Oh shut up you know what I mean, she answers back, Grow up! 

And once again the two start arguing and bickering. 

Then they quickly stop and become silent. The hideout is just in front of them. The buzzards and crows fly into the air away from their meals of the rotting corpses of the bandits. 

Touka and Kenshin once again prepare to enter the hideout. 

As they do Touka looks around and tells Kenshin,

-It doesn’t look like anyone has been here.

-Shhhhh! Kenshin whispers, Let’s look around Touka but be quite. This time we’ll be ready. Stay focused and as sharp as razor sharp. Become one with your feelings and instinct. Sense the presence of everything around you. Don’t drop your guard. 

Touka looks at him and then answers,

-Right!

They enter the building. The only light is the sun piercing the entrance and the holes in the ceiling and walls. They continue on until finally making their way to the back. 

Touka shouts out in disbelief,

-What! Its empty! Where are the ninja where is that horrible monster? How can this be? What, just what is going on here? 

Kenshin keeps looking around,

-It seems we are already to late Touka, he says, We didn’t act fast enough. Someone has already come by to hide any evidence of Demons. They’ve cleared there tracks behind themselves. Which can only mean one thing...

..Touka things are worse than I previously thought, much worse. It seems there is a powerful Demon behind this. Working in the shadows. He is not quite ready to reveal himself. But make no mistake he is there, hiding, orchestrating things from behind the scenes.