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Chapter One: The Angels of Death

Kira sat underneath a huge oak tree letting the warm summer breeze caress her face. She was a very beautiful girl, tall with a slightly muscular frame and light brown skin. She had purple hair that was cut short in the back with long bangs parted to each side of her face. She wore a red vest that was only buttoned once from the top and showed off part of the black bra she wore underneath, black khaki pants with black shoes, and several bracelets on her right wrist. Her silver eyes were full of life as she looked around. The clove she sat in was full of lush grass and beautiful flowers. Kira breathed in the heavenly scent of the flowers and it helped to relax her body. She stretched out her legs as she began to yawn. Next to Kira sat a plain green scarf and two silver bracelets, two small daggers attached to a red leather belt, and a backpack that was full. From underneath the scarf something began to stir and out came a tiny djinn. The djinn had smooth yellowish-green skin with long wavy silver hair, gold eyes and stood about 4 inches in height. She held herself proudly as she stood straight and flew up to Kira’s shoulder. “Good afternoon sleepy head,” said Kira with a teasing smile.
“Kairi,” replied the djinn with a pout on her face.
“I know what your name is,” said Kira as she grabbed the scarf and bracelets and stood up. “Sleepy head is just a nickname.”
“Kairi!”
“Fine,” said Kira with a sigh, “I won’t call you anything else.” Kairi nodded her head and smiled. “Well anyway,” Kira paused to brush her clothes off, “we have to head into town so that means you need to be bound for a little while.” Kairi shook her head and began to float away from Kira. “Look Kairi, I already explained to you why this is necessary. People are afraid of djinn users and I can’t have people running away from me when I need information from them.” Kairi continued to shake her head and started moving further away as Kira tried to approach her. “I’d rather not force you but I will if you don’t cooperate.” Kairi shook her head. “Alright then, binding spell level 1 Kai-“
“No!” shouted Kairi, “Kairi will come. Kairi will come,” she said in defeat.
“That’s good,” said Kira satisfied and she held out the scarf. Kairi’s body began to glow and she flew towards the scarf. As Kairi’s body started to disappear, the scarf began to glow. When Kairi’s body had completely vanished, Kira wrapped the scarf around her neck and squeezed one end of the scarf through bracelets, the scarf immediately stopped glowing. She grabbed her bag and tied the leather belt around her waist before walking away. Kira walked for a few minutes until she came across a half paved road running north and south. She stepped from behind the thick blanket of trees and was greeted by the hot afternoon sun. She waited a moment for her eyes to adjust to the new lighting before taking the path south.

Takanei Village

“Alright so we’ve transferred the deposit amount into your account,” said an elderly man sitting at a round wooden table. The man had light brown skin that was wrinkled from age, long white hair kept in a braid, and the milky white eyes of a blind man. Next to the elderly man stood a tall young man with a slightly darker skin complexion and the same facial features. He had the same colored hair worn in the same style and startling blue eyes. He wore a white shirt with loose brown pants and sturdy brown boots. The young man had a look of disgust on his face as he stood quietly listening to the transaction take place.
“Very well,” said another man standing across from the old man. This man was quite young as well. He was tall with a slight muscular build and light brown skin. He had silver hair tied back in a ponytail and beautiful lavender eyes. He wore a black dress shirt under a red vest with black pants and shoes. On his waist he wore a katana and around his neck was a black choker with a red orb hanging in front of it. Next to him stood another man who was slightly shorter with pale skin, blonde hair, and dazzling green eyes. This man wore a black jacket with dark blue pants and shoes. On his back he carried a katana and a pouch around his waist. The four men stood in small rectangular wood that was plainly furnished with the small round table, a couple of chairs, and a dresser. The room smelt burnt wood and smoked meat.
“We won’t take long and we’ll leave as soon as we’re done,” said the blonde hair man. The elderly man nodded his head. He knew it was best that they didn’t stay long. The villagers had been in an uproar when they had heard the elder’s decision to hire djinn users to rid them of their problem. “Come on Kyosuke, let’s get this over with.” Kyosuke glared at the man who was standing next to the elderly man before leaving the house with his partner.
“The angels of death father, of all the mercenaries you could’ve hired, you had to hire them,” shouted the young man when the other two had left. The elder frowned but did not make a sound. “Why djinn users, there are other mercenaries who can do the same work without using djinns.”
“Hush Anar, they are the only ones capable of getting rid of that demon. I did what I believe was best for our survival, or would you rather me sit by and let my people get slaughtered?” asked the elder but he did not expect a reply. He stood up revealing a tall muscular frame that seemed out of place with his aged face. He walked into the adjoining room leaving his son to his own thoughts.

Kira entered the quiet village of Takanei and looked around in surprise. The streets were mostly deserted; the only noise came from the few people still loitering around and from the warm breeze passing through. Kira stopped a nearby villager and asked for directions to the inn. “It’s not too far down,” replied the middle-aged woman. “Better hurry and get there. No one should be in the streets when the demon pays a visit,” explained the woman and she hurried off. Now Kira understood why the streets were so deserted. She made her way towards the inn only seeing two other people along the way.
The inn was a shabby looking two story building and since the town was so small it also served as a restaurant and bar. Inside, the first floor of the inn was very spacious and warm. There was a fire place to the back of the room that shot up a huge blanket of flames and smoke despite the warm temperatures outside. The place smelt of smoke, sweat and alcohol and Kira wrinkled her nose in disgust as she looked around. Off to the right of the room was a bar that was stationed by two bubbly waitresses who smiled flirtatiously while pouring drinks for their mostly male customers. Behind the bar was a door that Kira guessed lead to the kitchen area. To the left of the bar was a staircase leading to the second floor and to the left side of the room was another counter that was much smaller than the bar. This counter served as a registration desk for those wishing to stay at the inn. Behind this counter was a lovely young lady who was taking down the information of a disappointed looking couple. The rest of the room was filled with tables, chairs, customers, and more waitresses that served the people ordering food. “Can I help you with something?” asked a waitress slightly startling Kira.
“Actually I’m looking for the two mercenaries known as the angels of death. I heard that they were passing through here.”
“I don’t know why you’re looking for them but you better be careful of those djinn users. Nothing but filthy lowlifes if you ask me,” replied the woman with disgust. Kira flinched slightly at her words but did her best to hide her discomfort. She had never thought that people could hold so much contempt over the elementals.
“So they’ve been here?” asked Kira anxiously.
“Been here and unfortunately are still here. Our elder had the nerve to hire them to slay that damn demon.” Kira’s interest suddenly piqued when she heard the women mention a demon. It had been awhile since her last encounter with a real demon, they were a very rare sight. If one did manage to break through the realms of hell into earth it would mean it was a very powerful demon. Kira remembered clearly that time 5 years ago when she encountered a demon. She had been only twelve then but she remembered how exhilarating it had been to fight with a demon. Despite the joy she took in the battle she barely managed to escape with her life. Even for a high level elemental it had been quite a challenge. She didn’t want the mercenaries dying before she had a chance to speak with them.
“And where does this demon live?” asked Kira curiously. The waitress looked at her with surprise and was stunned silent for a moment. When she finally regained her composure she stuttered her answer to Kira before nodding her head and quickly moving away. Kira thanked the woman as she walked away and then left the inn. Outside the streets were completely deserted and an uneasy feeling filled the air. Suddenly the wind picked up greatly shaking the roofs of the poorly built houses. “It’s coming this way,” said Kira to herself and as if on cue Kira saw a huge silver wolf rushing towards her direction. The wolf was about ten feet in height and Kira seemed like an insect compared to its size. Two young men were running alongside the wolf trying to slow it down with their attacks but with very little results. “Those must be the guys,” said Kira as she watched them get closer, “but that isn’t a demon. What’s going on here?”asked Kira confused and curious. She began to slip of a bracelet from her right arm and threw it into the air. The bracelet stopped in midair and started to spin until it was just a blur in the sky. “Binding spell level one!” shouted Kira while holding out her hands. The bracelet started to glow and increased in size. The wolf kept running in her direction and just when it reached her, Kira threw down her hands and the large bracelet flew towards the wolf. It wrapped around the middle of the wolf’s body immobilizing it.
“What the hell are you doing?” shouted the blonde hair guy angrily. “This is our job!”
“No need to thank me for saving your lives.”
“Trust me, we won’t!”
“Gabriel calm down,” said the other man and he put his hand on Gabriel’s shoulder as if to hold him back.
“Kyosuke we have a job to do and she’s interrupting us,” replied Gabriel through gritted teeth.
“I’m sure she has a good reason,” said Kyosuke and he looked at Kira waiting for her explanation.
“Are you two so dense? I thought you were supposed to be the best of the best,” said Kira confused about her current situation. She was sure that this wolf wasn’t a demon. Its aura was not even dark.
“Get to the pointed!” growled Gabriel angrily. He was quickly losing patience with this girl and wanted her to leave even if he had to resort to force for it to happen.
“That’s not a demon.”
“We realized that,” replied Kyosuke. “Is that all?”
“Djinns don’t attack without reason! Why are you trying to hurt her? You should be trying to find out why she’s so angry.” The djinn growled loudly and shook its body trying to break free from the binding spell holding it in place. “She’s really upset. These people must’ve done something terrible to her.”
“We really don’t care. We were just hired to get rid of her,” replied Gabriel.
“I can’t believe you guys are elementals with attitudes like that.”
“We only do what we’re paid for.”
“Then I’ll pay you double to leave her the hell alone!” shouted Kira angrily.
“What the-“
“Gabriel calm down,” said Kyosuke calmly. “I’m sorry miss but we can’t accept your offer. We are already in contract with these people and we have already received half the payment for the job.”
“Then give it back. I won’t let you bother her anymore,” shouted Kira and is followed up by another loud growl from the wolf. Doors started to open as curiosity took over and people began to come see what was happening. People gasped as they saw the huge wolf immobilized by a huge ring. The air is suddenly filled with the voices of people asking questions. The wolf growled again and some people screamed in fear and ran back into their houses. The rest of the crowd suddenly began to part to let someone through. The person they parted for was the elder of the village led by his son. This man was the same man that had hired the two mercenaries to get rid of the demon.
“What’s going on here?” asked the elder in a commanding voice that demanded an answer.
“This b***h-“began Gabriel but Kyosuke cut him off quickly.
“There is a young girl here demanding that we leave the creature alone. Isn’t this the creature you asked us to take care of?” asked Kyosuke and the elder’s son nodded his head.
“This creature is not a demon!” shouted Kira. “It’s an elemental djinn. If you people weren’t so thick-headed you would’ve realized that from the start.”
“How dare you talk to us like that?” said Anar angrily. “You’re the same filth that binds djinns and forces them to do your biddings.”
“Really then, how about I just stop. Would that make you happy?” asked Kira and Anar nodded his head unsure of what she might do but willing to agree to anything that would cause one less elemental to be around. Kira held up her arm ready to release the binding spell on the wolf who was still struggling to break free.
“Are you crazy?” shouted Gabriel surprised that she was really considering to release the spell and he turned to glare at the elder’s son.
“They want me to stop binding djinns to my will so why not start with this one?”
“If you let it go-“
“It’ll attack these people,” finished Kira. “I know that and they obviously deserve it.”
“Is this really a djinn?” asked the elder suddenly interrupting their conversation.
“Yes it is,” replied Kyosuke. “This djinn is the creature you asked us to kill.”
“Why would a djinn attack our village? Djinns are sacred to us; we wouldn’t do anything to hurt them.”
“Djinns are only sacred to elementals,” replied Kira. “You people don’t know anything about djinns. I bet you’ve been hunting wolves in the surrounding forest?” asked Kira suddenly and the villagers looked at her with surprise confirming her question.
“What does that have to do with anything?” asked Anar whose patience was slipping away fast.
“This djinn has taken on the shape of a wolf. She clearly has a pact with the wolves and you people must be killing off her pack.” The wolf suddenly growled as if to agree with Kira. “Level two binding spell, reduce,” shouted Kira and the bracelet around the wolf’s mid-section enlarges and moves up to its neck. It wrapped around the wolf’s neck like a collar and the wolf began to shrink until she was the size of a normal dog. “Level four binding spell, conform,” said Kira and this time the wolf’s body began to glow along with the bracelet. When the light disappeared the wolf stood before them in the shape of a naked young woman with red skin and fire as hair. Orange symbols for fire and flame wrapped around her body and the djinn stood there with a look of disgust and anger on her face. She let out a sound that sounded similar to a wolf’s growl. “I’m sorry lady wolf for forcing you to reveal your true form,” said Kira apologetically.
“My name is Fiona,” replied the fire djinn. “I understand since these people are complete fools. I thought I would scare them by taking a few from their village but they continue to slaughter the wolves and they dare hire these men to kill me! I have never killed of their kind. I have the safely hidden away and am willing to return them on the condition that they stop hunting my wolves.”
“Father,” said Anar unsure of what action to take. A look of surprise can be seen clearly on his and the other villagers’ faces. The elder stepped forward a few feet and suddenly fell to his knees in a deep bow. Tears poured down his blind eyes as he lowered his head. Anar and the other villagers quickly followed suit.
“We have indeed been foolish Lady Fiona. We deeply apologize for our terrible deeds and promise from this day on to stop hunting the wolves that you hold so dear,” said the elder in deep remorse. Fiona nodded her head satisfied with their apology and reply.
“In exchange I’ll return your people and ask that the wolves watch over this village but if a wolf should be killed again by your people then the price will be a life for a life.”
“Very well milady, we will agree with these terms.” Fiona nodded her head and as she did people began to wander into the village with confused looks on their faces. The villagers cried out as they ran forward to embrace their loved ones. Kira smiled also satisfied with the outcome. She held out her hand to release the binding spell but Fiona stopped her.
“I think I would like to travel with you. The wolves don’t need me with the new pact in place and I find you very interesting.”
“Really?” asked Kira with surprise and delight. “I would love that.”
“My previous form will be more comfortable and suitable,” replied Fiona and Kira nodded her head.
“Level one release, level three release,” said Kira. Fiona turned back into a dog-sized wolf and her movement is returned. Kyosuke and Gabriel stood to the side watching, Kyosuke with a blank stare, and Gabriel in shock.
“Does this mean we don’t get the rest of our money?” asked Gabriel. Kira turned to look at them and smiled she completely ignored Gabriel’s glare and began to talk to Kyosuke.
“Well now that that problem is resolved, I have a proposal for the two of you.”
“After you just lost us-“
“What is it?” asked Kyosuke cutting of Gabriel. Gabriel turned and started to glare at Kyosuke who ignored him as well.
“I want you two to enter the Celesta city tournament with me?”