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| - Izaya Orihara sat by the riverbed, his shoes off, his pants rolled up, and his feet dipped into the water. It was a nice day in the remote area outside of Kirigakure. The sun was partially obscured by the clouds, and part of the air was moist from the never ending fog that seeped in from the village, but that didn't matter to Izaya. It was a nice day because: one, it wasn't raining. Two, there were no people around. And three, he finally had some time to himself. Slowly, and quietly at first, until he was able to assure himself that there was nobody around, Izaya began to sing. "Loose lips, might sink ships, but loose gooses take trips, to San Francisco Double Dutch Disco Tech-TV hottie, do it for Scotty, do it for the living and do it for the dead, do it for the monsters under your bed, do it for the teenagers, and do it for the Moms, broken hearts hurt but they make us strong, and~..." Fortunately, that was all Izaya could sing with the courage he'd built up. He knew that he wasn't a very good singer. In fact, if anyone had heard him, he'd kill them! But it was nice to hear his own voice without any hints of sarcasm once in a while. Placing Toto, still sheathed, on the ground next to him, Izaya layed on his back and stared at the sky above him. Today was definately going to be a very good day! Xianzhi, grand prophetess of the Jashin Cult, direct speaker of Jashin, was of all things. Taking her own time to relax. She needed it. Her cool cloud-white hair blowing with the breeze, she was near Kiri for the point of taking time to herself. Maybe she'd find some poor unsuspecting soul. That'd be nice. Plus... she was sick and tired of these recruits... keeping her pac,e she continued to walk. An a single noise perked her ears. The noise of singing? Perfect. Izaya came to the conclusion that, since it was such a nice day, he should take a nap! He didn't really like the idea of someone coming up to him and stealing his things while he was sleeping... Especially not Toto... he'd had it forever. But, he was tired, and there wasn't much else to do. His eyes fluttered shut, and even though he wasn't sleeping yet, his breathing became slow and relaxed, and his body went limp. It would only take a few minutes for him to drift off. Soon... Xianzhi glanced around tree after tree, searching for the previous source of melody. She found who it was. Her boots making no sound, she glanced downward, raising a brow. Hmm... blonde... handsome. She decided to lower her body down, peering at Izaya, she stated. "Wakey-wakey..." Maybe he'd prove a good sacrafice? Or maybe... something else was forming in her mind. "Nnnn..." Xianzhi's whispered was met with a groan, and, instead of waking up, the boy rolled on his side, away from her. He was not to be disturbed. In all honesty, she probaby couldn't wake him even if she wanted to. If he didn't want to wake up, he wasn't going to wake up. Instinctively, he hugged Toto. No one was going to have it. "Tch." Xianzhi stated in annoyance. Giving a light kick to his back, she frowned, "I said wake up." This one was going to prove a nuisance. What fun was enjoying yourself when the person you were trying to mess with didn't respond? This made Izaya twitch, then open his eyes. Did someone just kick him?! Turning his head, he glared at the... fairly attractive... woman who had struck him. Still, he refused to sit, or stand from the ground. "I'm sorry... Can I help you?" He asked innocently. If she replied rudely she'd get a mouthful from him. Xianzhi smirked, yes... this would prove a good sacrifice. "Yeah, you can." "I need your help with something. I have a caravan back in the woods that needs repaired, I was carrying a shipment to Kiri." "Care to help?" she was unsure if he would bite-for-it. If not, oh well. If so, more finesse. "Oh... Alright." It sounded plausible, and Izaya liked to help people. Standing, he grasped Toto by it's strap and slung it over his shoulder. "Uhm... Lead the way?" He suggested. It wasn't as if he was a carpenter, but he doubted it would be very hard to fix the caravan. Just some nails and ducttape, right? She smirked inwardly. This was going to work. Much better. "It's a mile to the west, near an enclosure." she lead the way, walking offward into th west, back from the direction she had came, it would be placed perfectly for him to not-escape. They walked in silence. Izaya was much too nervous to ask a question; it seemed almost unreal that someone who looked like she did would come up to him, in the middle of the day while he was napping, wake him up, and ask him for help. It was almost as absurd as the other thoughts that were running through Izaya's mind... The woman's confident stride gave an air of self-assurance and authority... But, it was to be expected of a caravan leader, wasn't it? The area was soon in sight, the caravan at the end of a cliff, a single pathetic stream of water drippling off the click, a minature water-fall. The caravan and shattered crates lay on their side luckily. Additional cliffs overhanging above them. Water drippling down. Xianzhi nodded, "We're here." "Alright..." Izaya walked over, inspecting the caravan. It seemed strange to him that the crates would be splintered, and thrown about so haphazardly... It had the feeling of a robbery... But, then, she might've just crashed. Otherwise, she wouldn't be here right now, asking him to help. They'd have taken her, or killed her. Suddenly, Izaya turned to her. "What's wrong with them? I mean, specifically. Otherwise, I'd just suggest getting a new wagon." Luckily, he hadn't noticed the clone, Xianzhi simply slammed the back of his head with the ring of her kunai, enough force to knock him unconcious. Then... she could sacrifice him. She was tired of certain recruits saying she didn't give Jashin her own due. And now they wouldn't be able to... plus, if they still did, it was most likely they might just... dissappear on 'accident' if thye kept it up. Izaya fell to the ground, hard. His head was spinning... and the sides of his field of vision became black... tunnel vision? Everything was fuzzy... he wanted to go back to sleep. But he wasn't unconscious just yet. Stupidly, he began to stand back up again, tottering slightly as he did so. There were no hostile intentions in his movements. It looked like he was hit so hard, he wasn't even aware he had been hit. Xianzhi's clone, hit once more. While the real Xianzhi had to play the part of saving him from a falling rock. "Oh my gosh! Watch out!" but before he would be able to turn around, it would be good-night. Acting as if she ran towards him, it would be a perfect ruse incase he awoke. As predicted, he looked up just in time to see her running towards him before the kunai hit him, once again, on the back of the head. This time when Izaya hit the ground, he stayed there, with no obvious signs of him being conscious or otherwise aware of what was happening to him. Toto, his sword, had fallen off of his shoulder the first time he stood, and now layed a few feet away from where they were. Xianzhi smirked, grasping the body, her clone dissappeared, and she used body-flicker to vanish them to her personal homage in the cliffs. By the time he awoke, he would be tied on an alter, markins of fiendish design scattared all across the room, and his stomach would also be stained with the blood of the symbol. Xianzhi sat there, pondering the ritual at hand. Izaya stirred slightly in his sleep. He had a huge headache, even while unconscious. His body shifted slightly unde the bindings, but not enough for him to notice he was actually tied down and wake up. Whimpering, he sighed... This hurt a little too much... Rubbing her fingers together smoothly, she had the one in mind. Grasping a snake-dirk, she walked over to her victim. Smirking sadisticly as she glanced down at his pathetic situation. "So weak... so tender." "And the perfect sacrafice." She even had Toto strapped across her chest, and connecting to her back, allowing her to carry it. A special prize for her slight-trouble. As she spoke, Izaya began to groan quietly. She shouldn't have laid him on the back of his head... Since she struck it, it was sending waves of pain through the rest of his body because it's weight was on it; this would wake Izaya up soon, and then he'd freak out once he saw the woman he was helping with a dagger in one hand and Toto in her possession. Dragging the blade across his ribs, she made a small incision. Adding some chakra to keep the wound open, but unbleeding. "Tch." "You think Kiri would by now have realized our hold on the Land of Water." "Too bad..." if he awoke. It'd be quite funny to see his reaction. And, he did. Izaya's entire body cringed, and his arms and legs strained agains the restraints. His breathing became labored; the rising and sinking of the ribs not helping with the incision she had made. As he was barely able to gather his wits, he looked down, at his body, to the side Xianzhi wasn't on, and then to her, an expression of terror and fear for his life clearly visible on his face. "W... What are you doing..?" "Using a ritual. You are to be a simple lamb of slaughter, to be delivered to Jashin." she admitted, Xianzhi made another incision above the last. A total of 6 were to be made on each side. And then it would be in effect. Inhaling sharply, he shuddered from the pain. "Why me..?" He asked quietly. He didn't know what she was talking about; what the hell was Jashin? But, he hadn't done anything wrong to her! She came to him asking for help! So why did she target him..? What did he do wrong!? "Because I have a point to prove." "Fellow Jashinist's believe that I am neglecting my holy cause by not sacrificing like the rest of them." Xianzhi made the third incision, the blood unflowing due to the chakra holding it in place. "But... your here to prove them wrong." Clarity. Izaya was about to vomit from the pain. "Please find someone else... If you want something, I'll give it to you... I don't want to die yet..." Surpising himself, it seemed Izaya wasn't above begging. Though, there was a high possibility that the moment she untied him he'd attack her and try to escape. Small tears formed in Izaya's eyes. He didn't want to cry..! "Find someone else? Your already here... and the ritual is making progress, whether you want to die or not doesn't deter me." The fourth incision was added. Xianzhi chidded, "What makes you think I would? Hm? What would stop me?" "What happens if I kill myself before the ritual is over..?" Izaya asked slowly. His eyes dulled, and he stared at her, bored. If he was going to die anyway, why not take her fun out of it? Sure, he might be dooming someone else in Kiri to damnation... But that was okay. He didn't like the villagers. They could all burn in hell. "Would it ruin your plans, if I killed myself before you were able to finish..?" "Then I'd find another... and another." Xianzhi admitted blandly. "You'd only slow me down... but the nice thing of being a Jashinist is that I have plenty of time at my finger-tips." The fifth incision was created. She was close to finishing up his right side. Izaya considered his options. They weren't many. He could kill himself (even though he was going to die anyway), and ruin her fun. But then she'd just go out and find someone else... Tears began to stream down his cheeks. Why was it happening like this..? He never should have trusted anyone else, ever... All he could think to do was repeat himself. "Please let me go... I'll give you anything you want... Let me go... please..." "Anything?" this was intresting. "And if I let you live...?" "What then? Running won't work. And trying to kill me will fail miserably, I assure you." Xianzhi stopped her motions, lowering her snake-dirk to her side. The thought of a personal servant was nice... maybe even body-guard. With his attitude, she could easily sway him. It'd be perfect. "I don't know... Do you want money, or something..? Or the sword..." While it was unfortunate for the sake of the conversation, Izaya was once again beginning to slip from consciousness. The cuts were the only reason he had woken up in the first place, after all. The boy should've been out for at least a few more hours. "I don't know what you want..." Placing more chakra in his system, she would keep him awake. "My personal servant... I'll let you live in return for obedience and servitude." Xianzhi stood there, one hand on his restraints, other hand closing the incision slowly, healing it. Maybe this would work... A cold stare was directed at her. "Servant...? You're joking, right?" Now that he was almost better, he could impose his will more effectively! She couldn't keep him as a servant! He'd never listen to anything she said, and wouldn't do anything she asked him too. If anything, he'd just leak out information to the Land of Water and get her in trouble. "No... I refuse... Take something else..." ... and the wounds could easily be reopened wider. "I said servant..." "I could take anything from you, sad little boy." Xianzhi offered more pain now. "I offer you the lesser of two evils. I let you life as my servant, or you take your place at Jashin's feet. And he isn't as... kind as I am." Xianzhi waited for an answer. And :no: wasn't a choice. This made Izaya squirm and shudder uncomfortably. "... Fine... alright..." He muttered. It was fine. The moment she let her guard down, he'd take back his sword and run back to the village. Maybe cause some trouble there and get tossed into a jail; it'd be better than staying with this woman, wouldn't it? "I'll be your servant..." Xianzhi smirked. "Good." slowly, his wounds closed, and she placed her palm on his stomach, the seal of blood now becoming a marking, etched into his skin. "No escape, your now mine." Xianzhi smirked, "Welcome to the Jashin Cult..." using her dagger, she sliced the bonds, but he would realize resistance wouldn't work... the seal would shut down his chakra whenever she saw fit. All the time... Izaya didn't realize this. Leaping off of the table, he kicked the woman in the stomach, then launched himself back over the altar. He'd use it as some kind of cover, if she tried to use a kunai or something... Honestly, he couldn't believe she'd let him free so easily, without restraining him, or seperating his hands so he couldn't form handseals, or anything! It was almost too good to be true. "Heh..." Xianzhi stayed where she now was kicked into. A simple thought would disallow his chakra. And it soon did. It ceased... and he was the victim in this situation. He would stay that way. "Gratitude? No. Opening her arms wide, as a show that she was free to be hit, "I'm wide open kid... hit me with your best jutsu. Tch." Xianzhi had her own technique in mind. "Fine!" Izaya immediately clapped his hands, taking in a large amount of the moisture from the atmosphere and making crimson water in fromt of him. It looked like some of the blood had stained the floor here, and it was absorbed into the water... But that didn't matter. With a thought, the water rushed towards Xianzhi, ready to crush her against the cave wall. Xianzhi then implemented her seal, activating the seal. Soon after, his chakra would shut down, leaving the red steined water in a puddle at her feet... maybe a refreshing splash. Heh. "What was that?" she taunted as his seal activated. This, however, didn't seem to deter Izaya. The moment he saw his technique starting to fail, he lept over it's aftermath, aiming another kick; this one at Xianzhi's face. It was alright if he couldn't use his jutsu. He'd just beat her to death! And then, when she was dead, she wouldn't be able to prevent him from using his techniques anymore. Xianzhi only decided to show him true force. Using ninja-wire, she grasped his boot, and twirled his body in a spinning motion, threatening to cause more trauma to his bones, along with the metallic wire sharp enough to injure his calf. Izaya gasped. Looking down as he leg was torn from the ground, he grimaced while being tossed around like a ragdoll. When she finally desired to let him down, the boy crumpled to the floor, backing himself into a small section of the cave wall, with the leg she had injured still extended. Blood was seeping out from under the wire. Izaya whimpered. He knew his place now. Xianzhi smirked. "That's better..." letting go of one end of the wire, it zipped back to her palm, firmly she placed the jumbled wire into her pouch. She'd let him limp. Walking over to him, she hunkered her body down to his level, sitting on the tips of her feet. "Now... you realizer your nothing more then my property." Smirking, as soon as she was ready, it'd be time to transport to her homage. This place was just a sacrifical pit. "I-I do... I'm your property..." Izaya whimpered. As soon as his leg was released, he pulled it back to his person, and began to heal it. Slowly, the wounds began to close... Would she punish him for doing this? It might upset Xianzhi knowing that he could quickly heal anything she dished out... Xianzhi raised her brow as the wound began to heal. Intresting... but he was wrong. It wouldn't upset her. It would only entice her more. The thought of him being injured, and then healed? The perfect servant... she could harm him, and he would be fine. This was now much better... Izaya lowered his head once he had finished healing. "What..." He began quietly, choosing his words carefully. He didn't want to upset her. That would only make things worse. "... Is there anything I could do to please you..?" Instead of asking what he could do to help her, he figured this would make her happier. That he was working for her, instead of helping her out of his own gain. He was her property, after all. Xianzhi smiled. "Yes... I suggest you follow me back to my place. It'll be your home." she already knew which room would be his... but then again. He could make things worse for himself. And his punishment would be even more miserable and dismal. "After that..." she smirks, "You shall call me by Xianzhi-sama. If you can't do this, then Mistress or Master. I'd suggest you get used to calling me these..." For a moment, he looked up defiantly. She expected him to call her Master? Mistress? To use honorifics? Was she out of her mind? But then... He remembered how easily she had trashed, and defeated him... And his pride sunk, and he bit back his tongue. "I... I understand... Master..." In spite of himself, he couldn't help the bit of venom that dripped off of the last word. Still, he stood, and waiting for her to leave before he did so himself. Xianzhi snapped her seal, activating the earthen door, the chakra sliding it open. Ironically... it was the very same cliff-waterfall he had been at when he was struck. It was time for her to head back home.
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