My ideas on this story started right after I watch the Bakeneko from O-Ayakashi A Japanese Classic Horror. Kusuriuri is, by far, one of the characters I love the most. No entirely on his good looks, but his skills as a demon exorcist. So I made him meet the one who controls ALL youkais and mononoke and spirits, which, he slays with his one hell of a sword. There's only one chapter for the moment, so, to those people who wants to read the next chapter, will have to submit their reviews...(am I blackmailing?)

Story 1

Chapter 1

Sickness

-cough- -cough-

The sound of someone coughing painfully rang out in the quiet room. Unlike any other room, this room is decorated all over with wind chime and lucky charms, hanging on the walls and on the ceiling. And on the ceiling, each spaced from each other a good 40 centimeters, was hanged with transparent curtain-like cloth that is very rare. Deep red in color and sewn on them by hands using golden and silver thread were the images of spiraling creeper plants that blooms out a lily-like flower.

A bed was situated at the far end of that room, and above the bed was heavy curtains colored with the purest white and sewn on it were the symbol for the Nuraihyon, scattered all over randomly. The rules of the family states that only the lord of the current head of the Chimimouryou are allowed to use clothes painted or sewn with the Nura's symbol. Those that is not the lord of the Nurarihyon using the symbol will be punished severely.

An 18-year-old girl was lying on the soft bed, with blankets as thick as futon draped over her body, covering her already sick and frail enough self. Her long locks of blue-black midnight colored hair cascading down her bed, part of it lying on the floor. Eyes half-opened, her deep blue eyes looking towards the round and black shoji door, above the door was a short curtain with bells hanging off at each ends, ringing gently whenever someone opens the shoji door.

"Hime-sama, there's a medicine seller here to offer his service to your ladyship. Please grant him your permission to allow him to see your ladyship's condition." A small yet audible voice cracked the silent peace that the sleepy maiden had just gain for the last 2 hours.

The maiden, named Aya, was sick. The sickness had prolonged to the alarming date of exactly 3 months since she last caught it. The servants and other powerful youkai had tried their best by scrambling around looking for a doctor to cure their lady the moment she claimed she had another headache attack. Right after she claim her headache becomes worse, she loses her footings and fall down, rolling down the stairs, but not fainting before having her head hit the stone cold ground when her body came to a halt near the small fountain situated right in front of the stairs. Now lying in bed for the past three months, she cursed herself for not taking the medicine that she was requested to take every morning.

Flashback

"Hime-sama, your medicine is ready..." said Mitsui, one of her servants that serves Dayuu her daily meals and medicine.

Sighing, Aya nodded and motioned for her to place the medicine on the table. The medicine was in the form of soup which is boiled with herbs and ingredients for 3 hours. It is good for relaxing her mind and cools down her temper, plus the fact that she herself had anemia, she, really need the medicine.

Before she was able to drink it, a servant rush into her room and said, "Hime-sama, there's a conflict between Ryoga-sama and Ren-sama! Your ladyship are needed there to talk things out between the two of them!"

Raising from her seat immediately and ignored her medicine, Aya quickly donned on her blood red shawl and head out towards the hall, which the place of the said argument is currently tearing down the peace that she had worked so hard to achieve.

Just as she was going to go down the stairs, a wave of dizziness hit her, causing her headache from yesterday starts to pound her head again.

"Hime-sama, are you alright?" ask one of the servants.

Struggling to find her words, Aya forced herself to speak so as to ensure that the servants will not wail and scatter around just for her sake, to find doctors.

"Yes...I'm...quite fine..."

Stepping down the stairs, she didn't realize where her foot land, and when she did realize, and that is when the sickening weird feeling that one feels when one stepped 2 stairs ahead instead of one, it was too late. Before she knew, she was tumbling down the stairs, head hitting the stone fountain that is situated in the middle of the entrance, right in front of the stairs.

The last word she heard was, "Get the doctors!"

End of flashback.

"I told you before Mitsui, no more medicine. I'm getting tired of drinking medicine every hour." Said Aya, her voice becomes raspy for the lack of using her voice.

"But, Hime-sama, his medicine is proven and guaranteed for it's effectiveness. You should try it Hime-sa-" Mitsui start to persuade her mistress to receive the medicine seller's service, but what Aya gave the servant is...

"No." a firm reply of rejection.

After a while of silence, Aya sighed heavily and whispered her thoughts in a barely audible voice, "Sent him in then."

A look of delight immediately washed over the sullen look that had previously flooded Mitsui's facial expression. Nothing makes the little servant girl happy than seeing her own mistress stays healthy and taking her medicine on time. Scrambling up, Mitsui slide open the shoji door and invited the medicine seller to step inside of the room of Aya Nura.

Walking slowly, the medicine seller takes a quick glance and founded the bed, which is situated at the far end of the room. I see, a prey.

Stopping right in front of the bed, he notices that the maiden that speaks with them earlier was lying in bed, fast asleep. He assumes that since there's no other person in the room, that raspy sound speaker must be her.

Taking her hand from underneath the covers, he examined her by placing two of his fingers on her pulse, which is very weak. He was going to tell the servant named Mitsui to get some herbs for the maiden, but seeing there's no one behind him at all, he decided to wait.

While waiting, the medicine seller decided to take his time to observe his surroundings. It was a very unusual room, with transparent cloth hanging from the ceiling and colorful wind chime hanging at every window. It was then he turned his attention to his patient, sleeping soundly on the bed.

Long eyelashes and rosy cheek, she looks pretty pale from the sickness and very beautiful for someone of her age. It was a very long time ago since he last saw a maiden as beautiful as her, and recalling the event when he encountered the Nue and the fighting over the todaiji centuries ago, he really had to admire the beauty that the deceased Ruri-Hime have earlier cannot match the beauty of this maiden. But there's something that nobody knows about him, is that he knows who is this maiden...

That will soon be his next prey...

Date Written: 6th of September