The next morning, I find myself awake earlier than Tomoko. "Probably, early morning." I mutter to myself.
As I walk down the hall, Orochi's door was a tad bit open. Strange, I peer into the room to find his bed still disheveled and no trace of him anywhere. I walk out into the dining area to find a teapot on the table with an empty cup.
"Did he leaving early to somewhere?" I shake my head and grab some things to go bathe in the springs carefully.
As I climb up the steps towards the springs, I could suddenly hear a very low humming in the distance. The closer I got the more familiar it sounded, the sound of moving water echoed the silent morning air.
I walked the last step of the stairs to find Orochi in the springs alone, "Your up early." He looks at me and pulls back some of the hair from his face.
"Same to you. I'm surprised to find you here. I thought someone has sophisticated as you would have other means of bathing." I playfully tease him and laugh at his confused face.
"Just because I'm a demon doesn't mean I have some magical place to bathe. I like the outdoors." He admits to me and ties his hair back with a ribbon that had been sitting on a stone beside him.
I bite my lip, "When will you be done then? I can come back later and bathe."
"Why leave, when you can just join me?"
I look at him with a puzzled look, "Huh?! That's- that's just-"
"Gracious of me? I know, I am a gentleman after all." He winks as I roll my eyes.
"Hardly. You could just be a pervert."
In my mind, no doubt other women would give themselves the chance to get closer to a man like him. But, for as long as I have known him we have only shared brief moments of connection.
A hug, a kiss, and a night together. One would more than likely assume we have a relationship, but we didn't. Did we? I shake off the thought and pile my hair onto the left side of my neck.
"I'm a demon, Ren. Please, there are other things than just bathing I could do if I wanted to. You forget how demons work here. Nothing comes free without a price." Strangely enough, it hits too close to home.
The price of being a demon hunter in the Lotus family was being targeted by the Beliath.
"Yeah... I guess you're right." I mumble.
I walk over to the divider that is standing in the corner and change out of my clothing. The lengthy mirror that stands behind here allows me to look at my body. I seemed to have lost some weight since I last noticed in the human world.
My face looks slimmer now, smoother, and more unrealistic. Almost as if I've turned into a doll. Everything about me seems more beautiful, but it couldn't be the demon world turning me into something not?
Maybe you're just accepting yourself, appreciating yourself for its natural beauty. The thought sticks to my head like a nail to aboard. It does seem like since I've come to the demon world, I have started to like my image better.
I smile to my reflection, "Maybe the demon world isn't all that bad."
"Hey! You can get in now. I'm going to get dressed and probably head into the port if you want to come again." Orochi says from behind the divider.
"Alright, I won't take long then."
I hear his footsteps recede in the distance and I walk out to the spring. A few minutes pass of me sitting in the water before I start to rinse my hair. The warm water feels refreshing against my sore muscles.
The image of my parents crosses my mind as I sweep my hair back. Their faces are only a distant memory now. Only the tearful eyes of my mother's face were left with me and my father... I couldn't even remember what he looked like now.
But since that night I lost them and after talking to Akuma, I feel somewhat okay. As if something in my life is going right like I finally found a purpose. I huff in the realization of what I said to myself, "Purpose..." I mumble.
Just like the spirit said before she sent me to speak with Aiya.
Was that all I needed to get on the right path to avenging my parent's death? Or at least some way to get back at Beliath.
Akuma or at least using the power Akuma's blood will give me is a clue to me finding my true nature. My true identity. "Thank you, you stubborn demon," I say hoping that somehow Akuma would probably hear that.
~~~~~
After a while, I'm in my room admiring my sword when Orochi comes into the doorway, "Hey, are you coming with me? I'm leaving soon."
I look up to see he's in a different outfit than what he usually wears. His hair is tied back in a lowkey ponytail and is wearing a plain black outfit you would see normal townspeople wear.
I nod as I slide the sword back into its casing, "Yeah, umm, what are we doing? If you don't mind me asking."
He shakes his head, "Not all. We're going down the port today on some business. Mostly fetching some things I ordered again. Wear something a little less flashy today. Plain or not as colorful will do."
I raise an eyebrow at him, "Is there a reason as to why that is?"
Orochi stays quiet for a few moments as he considers his words, "No, just trying not to catch that much attention."
"Hmm." Is all I manage before he leaves giving me a moment to change into something else.
After I get ready, we both begin walking down the steps of the mountain in the small forest. It's silent at first until a question bubbles behind my lips ad blurt out, "Orochi," He looks over at me "Out of all the things you've told me, you never told me why you brought me to this world. I just... I want to know why?"
He stays quiet for a few seconds and finally answers, "Well, what if I told you I have had an eye on you for a while."
I stop taken aback by his words, "What do you mean?"
A nervous laugh comes from him, "Well," We both continue walking down the path as he speaks, "I was always on business here and there in the human world. A few years back, I was strolling through the town.
"I came to cross a girl who was at a tree who had a hurt ankle and helped her get back to her home."
I gasp, "Wait, that guy... that HUMAN guy that helped me was you?!"
"Crazy, right?"
My head shakes in disbelief, "There's no way. But that still doesn't explain why you brought me here."
We were almost down the steps now before we could catch a carriage into the port. "Well, I had kept my eyes on you for a while even in the human world. I would see you now and then in the market or running around."
The steps finally end and we stand at the end of them waiting.
"I did think then you were very beautiful. I had decided I would only take you if there was a moment in your life when it would be better for you. Turned out it happened sooner than I thought."
I blush a little bit at his comment, "Isn't that kind of stalker-ish? Not to mention, taking me without my permission."
He laughs, "I do have to admit it probably wasn't one of the best things to do. But I am a demon, no?"
I roll my eyes, "Yeah, I guess being an unethical and sadistic person is a demon."
"Sadistic?" He questions.
"Surely, that isn't the first time you've heard that about you."
"Nope, you're the first."
I laugh at him, "Glad I could be then."
As we waited for a carriage to come, we talked about things related to the demon world. It was easier to smile now with Orochi, almost natural. My opinion of him was slowly changing the more I got to be with him over the few days.
He seemed more human, it made me feel normal even if I was the strange one in the world of his own.
"Orochi, you know you're not that bad of a person," I admit to him as I stare off into the path in front of us as we ride.
"You think so?"
I look down at my hands, "Actually, you're not. You just seem like a total jerk at first and seem to have walls put up. Little stubborn if I might add."
He laughs at my comment, "Well then I'm glad you think so."