Feudal Japan-300 AD. Winter.

The snow has been falling non-stop for days now. Winter has come. It will
be a hard and dangerous time. But other than the spring and the cherry
blossoms that seem to fall like the snows of winter, I most enjoy winter. I
have always enjoyed how the world seems to revert to a state of purity. How
the snow covers everything and hides it in a blanket of pure white virgin
snow. It is all very beautiful.

Today, I have planned to take my first walk in the new snows, to go to the
shrine and make an offering to my ancestors. Excitedly, as soon as I woke, I
dressed in my winter clothing. I have also decided to train in the forest
out of sight of my family and the others who live here. Under my clothing, I
wear my body forming black garb-the attire of a Shinobi warrior. And I hide
my katana and other weapons in the folds of my Kimono.

And when I am ready, I make my way out the front gate, the guards knowing
that every year I go out and enjoy the winters' first fallen snow. They do
not stop me, in fear of punishment.

I wander into the white world, my heart filled with wonder and awe – every
single years as it snows, I feel as such. My senses renewed and am filled
with wonder and awe all over again and again with every return of the winter
snows.

As I walk down the pathway leading from the gateway, the snow makes a
wondrous sound under my feet. I smile with enjoyment. I have always loved
the sound - ever since I first remember hearing it when I was a small child.

The air has a cold sting to it, and my breath comes as thick fog, trailing
behind me as I walk. The air stings my lips and ears, and my nose becomes
cold. Yet, I still love it all. The ground is totally covered by white and
almost nothing shows through except wet black. I hear the cry of a great
bird of prey; her song fills me with pride and pleasure of my world.

I round a bend and move off the pathway to another barely visible path
leading up the side of a hill. I follow it, making sure my footing is sure
and does not falter. It leads up, up, up, up to the top peak of the hill.
And finally reaching the top, it is flat and there, surrounded by trees is a
wooden shrine nestled within the edge of the trees, snow hiding the curved
roof and the ground surrounding it.

I follow the well-cared pathway leading up to the ancient shrine, and gently
and silently with great respect, I enter the shrine. All my ancestors are
here, from the first of history to my great samurai warrior predecessors of
rescent. I gracefully move to the center of the shrine and standing before
the great stone baring all the names of my ancestors, I stand still and
bringing my hands out before me, I clap my hands three times and hold my
hands together after the last. I hold my hands palm to palm, I gracefully
fall to my knees and closing my eyes, I bow three times before the stone of
names. And finally as I rise, I light inscences and set them in a bowl of
ancient ash and sand. I say my prayers and finally I stand to my feet and
with one last deep bow of great respect, I step back ward out the entrance
of the shrine.

I leave the shrine with the sense of anticipation – as if something of great
bearing is to take place. I make my way past the shrine, into the forest
behind it, following a trail I had made years ago, using my memory to follow
the snow-hidden path. No knows of my destination – no one dares to follow
me.

I make my way through the snow filled forest, my destination just beyond –
in a clearing surround like a crescent moon by the edge of the forest. My
senses detect the presence of something I know not of. I near the edge of
the forest, the trees beginning to thin and as I move passed a grouping of
trees, I look out through the forest, through the edge of the forest and
instantly I stop in my tracks with a held back gasp.

Instantly I drop to my feet and hastily begin to slip the sash from about my
waist to gain access to my weapons and my warriors garb. I silently slip my
katana from it hiding place and I set it in the snow before me.

In the clearing, I see a wondrous and most strange object that I realize to
look as a sleek black bird of some kind with a long neck and no head –like a
goose.
And then I see a masculine figure, all dressed in black from head to toe
appear from behind a mound of snow, appearing as if he is looking, searching
or surveying the lands about the massive black goose like object. Then
figure moves passed one of the legs of black object, but suddenly the figure
disappears behind another rise of snow.

I am instantly alarmed and vexed by the mysterious, apparently male, figure
and the massive object that stands like an ominous bird in the white
clearing. I slowly rise to my feet, taking the hilt of my sword into my
right hand – prepared for any possible attack. Slowly, cautiously, I make my
way just within the edge of the forest, keeping my black eagle eyes upon the
massive object and the area where the man had vanished.

As I move, I slowly slip my kimono from about me, laying it upon the snow in
a place out of the way where I can retrieve it later. And now, only dressed
in my midnight black warriors' garb, I stealthily move amongst the trees,
through the still standing shadows of the trees.

I stop in my tracks, listening to the sounds of the forest and my
surroundings. I hear nothing. Yet, I sense that I am in great danger and it
is very near, and that I must return in the direction I had just come. I
turn and instantly, I cry out in terror as I feel hands grab hold of my arms
suddenly.

I instantly raise my eyes and am filled with terror, awe, disbelief,
instantly lust, desire and attraction at what I see…

The first thing I see is intense, almost glowing, eyes of golden yellow and
blood red fire-like veins about the outside of the golden yellow of his
eyes. Then the overwhelming and fear provoking sight of black and blood red
tattooing upon the entire face of the most handsome man I have ever set eyes
upon.

He looks as though a demon of our ancient myths, and stories, even the
forked tongue – like design upon his bottom lip and chin makes him ever
appear more so a demon.

And then he grins. And my heart and body dares to melt.

My eyes go ever wider as I see his teeth – black with hints of natural white
– telling me that at one time they were white and that they had been colored
permanently. Even his gums match the color of his teeth. But despite all his
evil and terror provoking appearance, I find him overwhelmingly attractive
to me.

And then I hear a groan like growl sound from deep within his black throat,
seemingly finding pleasure in my attraction to him and the way my face must
look to him at this present time. I let out a gasp of surprise as he
suddenly pulls my body against his…holding me closer than any man has or has
ever dared to due to my status as first and only daughter of the local Lord,
Zakumi.

Easily, he slips my katana from the grasp of my hand and inspects it
carefully as he holds me to him with his other arm. His eyes are so
intense…like fire but not…like liquid rock that the great Mount Fuji
releases and spills upon the ground. And the grin that plays on his face…

"Such a weapon of beauty, grace and death…a weapon of a great warrior." He
finally speaks – his voice is dark liquid silk against my skin. I shiver
with arousal to him and he lets out a devious chuckle that makes me shiver
all over again. "I sense that you are such a warrior my pretty."

I find my eyes trapped in his, his voice filling my body with a feeling
most foreign. My body is on fire, my heart races in my chest and I find that
I cannot breathe as I look into his molten eyes.

He forces the razor sharp tip of my katana into the ground at his right, and
takes a thick bunch of my long shinny black hair into his black gloved hand,
rubbing his fingers over the lock in his hand. He seems awed by it, enjoying
the way the light shimmers off each strand as he moves them in his hand.

I find a sigh slipping from my lips, the feeling of him playing with my
hair I find most enjoyable. And absent mindedly, I place my hands upon his
strong shoulders, holding to him so as not to collapse from the most
wonderful foreign sensations and feelings I am overwhelmed with.

Puffs of fog rise quickly into the air from my lips, my breathing fastened
by just the touch of the mysterious and demon – like dark man with fiery
golden yellow and red eyes. And despite the cold biting at my lips, the tip
of my nose and my ears, he seems to keep me warm with just the closeness of
his body – I can feel the heat of him against the exposed skin of my face
and neck. He is so warm.

The white of the world around us contrasts us, for we both wear total
black, like two black shells in a sea of white sand.

Suddenly I am jerked out of my reverie when I hear the sound of the
warning bell sound echo off the mountains surrounding the clearing.
Something is happening at my home.

I break my eyes from his and I attempt to pull away to escape and to
return to my home, but as I begin to slip from his arms, his grasp upon me
tightens and instantly he has his arms about me, forcing me up against his
hard muscled body, almost crushing me to him.

"Please…release me…I must go – my family…" I try to speak, looking up into
those dangerous but glowing – burning eyes of this man that holds me so
closely to him. I do not dare fight him, I can sense the danger of him – he
could kill me in a whim and have no qualms about it.

In what seems like forever, he holds to me, his molten eyes holding mine
in an unbreakable stare, feeling him look deep into me as if my eyes are
windows to my soul. And then, he releases me, my eyes and my body, his arms
slipping from about me, taking my hand into his as he pulls tip my katana
from the ground.

"Come, we shall see what takes place in the home of your family my pretty
one." He exclaims, holding to my hand as not to let me escape. And he leads
me down the hidden forest path I had come, out into the open, past the
ancient shrine, all the way back in the direction I had traveled as if
knowing exactly where he is going.

He moves so quickly that I can barely keep up, his stride long despite the
length of his legs. He is not tall, not much taller than my father's nephew,
Kimora Kiroshawa, who is quite tall himself. I only stand just to his brow
while I stand to my cousin's shoulder. It seems as though just the tips of
my toes touch the ground as we make our way to my family home.

Soon we are on the road leading towards the gates of my home and just as
we are about to round a turn that would bring us into full view of the front
gates, the dark man suddenly halts in his tracks and instantly he pulls me
off the side of the road and ducks behind a thick gathering of trees,
forcing me to kneel upon the cold ground as he sits upon his heels behind
me, his arms at either side of me, his hands propping himself up upon the
trunk of the tree before us.

"W-what…" I begin to question when I am suddenly cut off as I feel his
teeth nip gently at my right ear.

"Silence." I hear him whisper in my ear, his lips just touching the skin
of my ear, feeling his hot breath against my cold skin. I instantly shiver
as I feel him full against my back, feeling the heat of his body through my
clothing and against my skin. I can feel the insides of his thighs against
my sides, and I have unconsciously placed my hands upon his knees…and I can
feel the hard muscles hidden beneath the black fabric of his clothing.

Moments pass and I suddenly hear the sounds of yelling and the sounds of
horses and clashing swords. A battle is taking place and it is spreading
outside the gates of my home…and moving slowly toward us.

As the fighting nears us, we remain as silent as death, but I can feel my
muscles grow tense – ready to spring – my body preparing to attack and
defend my home with all that I am…even until my very last breath. I become
conscious of a strange energy surrounding me and filling me and it is
growing greater and greater in strength and intensity with each passing
moment.

I hear the dark man growl deep in his throat, and I feel it rumble through
him and into me. Then I find him holding my katana in his right hand,
holding the grip toward me with one hand behind the guard. Carefully, I
raise my hand and I wrap my fingers about the grip of the katana, but his
hand remains upon it above mine.

He then purrs softly in my ear as he wraps his other arm about me, holding
me to him and I sigh with longing and a yearning I have not felt before.

"Be ready for anything my beauty, I sense deception." He then whispers
most critically and then releases my katana and holding to me, we both rise
to our feet, waiting for the moment when we will emerge and fight to protect
my home from who ever is attacking my home.

Part III

>>"Be ready for anything my beauty, I sense deception." He then whispers
>>most critically and then releases my katana and holding to me, we both
>>rise to our feet, waiting for the moment when we will emerge and fight to
>>protect my home from who ever is attacking my home. >>

Faster than the blink of an eye, the dark man vanishes from behind me and
appears standing in the road, in a fighters' stance, a strange silvery
weapon almost as long as his arm, held before him with both hands. And
immediately, he charges after a man dressed in dark blue and grey clothing
who is beating down one of my fathers soldiers unfairly.

The dark man grabs hold of the back of the attacker's tunic and rips the
man from off the soldier and tosses him across the clearing with strength
unlike I have ever seen before.

Then another of the attackers, one dressed in dark brown and black, turns
to see his companion being thrown far away off of one of my father's
soldiers. Immediately with a cry of rage, the man races toward the dark man
and just as he nears the dark man from behind, his katana raised for a death
blow in the back, the dark man turns about. I see his eyes blaze with
intensity, and everything about him told me that some dark force had control
of him – yet he appeared to have total control of it, a grin crossing his
face as he holds his weapon before him, prepared to battle.

Then suddenly, I see a brilliant blade of red light emerge from the end of
the weapon pointed away from the dark man. And with one swift fluid
movement, the dark man dodges his opponent's moving blade and I then see the
glowing red beam pass through the middle of his attacker, out his back.

The dark man steps away and his opponent appears to slide from over the
red blade of light and with one last gasp for life, he collapses to the
ground lifeless.

The dark man turns and finds another opponent racing to take revenge for
the death of his friend and before the attacker could get closer, the dark
man raises his left hand into the air before him and instantly his opponent
stops in his tracks and with wide open eyes, he wraps his hands about his
throat and I can hear him gasp and choke for air – as if he is being choked.
I then see the dark man's attacker begin to rise into the air, as if being
raised from the ground by an invisible hand. Then the dark man closes his
hand into a fist and the man in the air cries out with the last vestiges of
breath he has and within moments his body goes lip with death and suddenly
drops from the air and lands upon the ground in a heap.

I cannot help but watch with awe and disbelief, seeing the dark man use a
weapon unlike I have ever seen before and can crush a man's neck without
touching him – even raise a man into the air!

I watch with womanly fascination as the dark man moves about, slaying
opponent after opponent with such grace, ease, skill and stealth – almost
like a dance…a dance of death. I watch as his clothing dances about his
ankles and the hood remains perfectly upon his head as he moves. I watch as
I feel my insides begin to throb and ache, and I realize that I desire the
dark man like I have never desired a man before.

He is a dark warrior, deadly and dangerous…his form moving like a shadow
in the light and his blade searing through the bodies of his opponents and
their katanas as if they were just toys – mere play things.

And suddenly I hear the fight begin to move closer, and shaking myself out
of my dreaming, I realize that I cannot go about looking as I am for if any
of my father's soldiers see me…I am in terrible trouble. But…if I enter the
battle as another mysterious dark warrior, then I will not be seen as the
daughter of the local Lord.

Quickly, I slip my cowl over my head, carefully pulling my hair through
the hole in the back to make a topknot, I take a deep calming breath and
holding my katana at the ready, I step out from my hiding place and out onto
the road.

I battle one after another, joining the dark man once to battle a gathered
group of attackers, but he slew them with ease and I moved on to rescue one
of my father's horse guards from two attackers who are forcing him back
through the gates. But as I near the fighters, the larger of the two
attackers notices me and leaves his friend to fight me.

"Awe, what do we have here?" The large man dressed in blues exclaims as a
devious and sly grin spreads across his ugly face as he realizes that I am a
woman.

I wave my hand to keep my silence, biding the large man to come for me as
I hold my katana before me, feeling my blood run like fire through my veins
and I can feel a darkness surround and fill me…making me ever stronger and
my senses stronger and more acute than I have ever experienced before.

The large man chuckles with pleasure, then moves toward me slowly, his
hands wringing the hilt of his katana as he moves step by careful step
toward me at an angle.

I bid the man forth again and instantly he charges at me…and then I hear a
voice in my mind. "* Now my beauty! Strike! *"

And heeding the voice in my mind, I drop to my knees and moving faster
than can be seen, I send the blade of my katana flying up at an angle and
instantly the razor sharp blade passes through the middle of the large man's
body and clear through the other side – cutting him totally in half.

I roll hastily away from the large man, feeling the strange darkness and
strength it gave me slowly fade, I leap to my feet, holding my katana at the
ready, half expecting the large man to turn and come at me once more, but he
stands in his tracks, his katana lying upon the ground at his feet. And
then, he falls forward and the upper half of his body separates from the
bottom, falls to the ground and then the lower half follows right after.

"RETREAT! RETREAT!" I hear a voice exclaim aloud and quickly the attackers
who had not had the chance to fight the dark man or I, high tail it and race
toward the forest and disappear in the shadows that is slowly filling the
forest as night slowly falls.

I take a slow deep breath, and placing my katana in its sheath upon my
back after I run a piece of torn fabric down the length of the blade to
clean the blood from it, I turn about and look at the scene left after the
small army turn and ran.

There are bodies lying all about me, many of whom are those the dark man
and I had slain in defending my home and it's soldiers who where sorely
outnumbered. And there is blood soiling the cold ground, giving the dirt a
sickly dark red color.

I turn my eyes toward the dark man who I find kicking the body of one of
the attackers with his black booted foot, holding his now bladeless weapon
in his right hand. Then he turns toward me, his eyes glowing in the
darkening light, then he begins to move toward me but suddenly we hear
yelling of many men – my father's returning soldiers! My father had sent
them on a trek to Kyoto insearch of someone a month ago, and now, they have
finally returned.

And immediately I see the battalion of my father's soldiers round the turn
in the road, all upon horseback their katana's in hand, prepared to fight to
defend the home of their Lord.

I quickly join the dark man's side, keeping myself paired with him, for
some reason I do not know. As the first of the soldiers suddenly stop their
horses before us, about to leap from their mounts to attack us, a handful of
the remaining soldiers who had defended my home as best they could races out
from behind the still open gates.

"Stop! They are not the ones! They helped fend off the attackers!"

Part IV

>>And immediately I see the battalion of my father's soldiers round the turn
>>in the road, all upon horseback their katana's in hand, prepared to fight
>>to defend the home of their Lord.

I quickly join the dark man's side, keeping myself paired with him, for
some reason I do not know. As the first of the soldiers suddenly stop their
horses before us, about to leap from their mounts to attack us, a handful of
the remaining soldiers who had defended my home as best they could races out
from behind the still open gates.

"Stop! They are not the ones! They helped fend off the attackers!" >>

Silently, we are both shown into my home surrounded by soldiers, all
except the dark man and I with any knowledge of who I am and that I actually
live here, and we are brought before my father.

We stand before my father, a proud and honorable man, despite his
advancing age, sitting upon his knees in his place higher above all others
in the room, dressed in his soft grey and black kimono, his katana, tanto
and wakisashi resting upon the stand behind him. He looks critically upon
the dark man then I for we do not fall to our knees before him to show our
respect.

"I thank you for defending my home, strangers. And to thank you for doing
so, I offer you a place in my home to rest upon your journey for as long as
you so wish. A room will be prepared for you and what ever you so wish shall
be yours." My father exclaims, noticing the look that his chief commander,
Nakamato, of my father's soldiers had. He obviously has great distrust for
the dark man and I, though he has no clue as to who I really am.

I bow my head in silence to my father in acceptance. I see the dark man
glance to me, he fiery eyes burning me through my black clothing. It feels
like he is reading me, and I feel my head become dizzy suddenly, and I feel
strange, but I keep my balance and remain as motionless as possible.

Then the feeling fades and I see the dark man take a single step forward.

"My companion and I accept your offer." I hear the dark man speak, his
dark silken voice making me shiver suddenly and my insides ache.

"Good. Now, you will be shown to your room, and later, we shall have a
feast in your honor." My father returns, surprising me with his generosity.
Then my father turns toward his chief commander. "Nakamato, show our honored
guests to their quarters, and have their needs met."

"Yes my Lord." Nakamato retorts, trying to hide his distaste and distrust
for the dark man and I. But he will not fail my father, or he will be
dishonored and would require him to perform seppuku – ritual suicide.

Nakamato turns and moves passed the dark man and I, just glancing at us to
tell us to follow. Together, the dark man and I leave the room, followed up
from behind by four soldiers, but before we leave, the dark man nods his
hooded head slightly to my father.

We are shown to one of the best rooms on the east wing of my home, a room
that is meant for the stay of important guests. It is large and quite
spacious, with beautiful silk paintings upon the walls, exotic plants that
had been imported from distant countries, and ivory statues upon high
quality tables.

The dark man and I enter the room, glancing about then the dark man turns
to Nakamato.

"It is…adequate." The dark man exclaims to the chief commander of my
father's armies. Then out of the corner of my eye I see him move his left
hand with the slightest of movements. "You will leave us, now"

I turn to look at Nakamato, and I find him looking as if he is not there
in the mind – almost as if he is in a trance.

" I leave you now. If you have need of anything, ring the bells and a
servant will come and see to your needs." Then Nakamato turns and leaves the
room, sliding the paper and wood door closed behind him without another
word.

And I then realize…I am totally alone with the dark man!

I feel my heart begin to quicken and my breath hard, and I am filled with
nervousness and I can feel my knees dare to bend beneath me. But though I am
within the confines and safety of my home, this man – this dark demon-like
man has me here, all to his own devises.

I hear the dark man chuckle; it is as if he had heard my thoughts, as he
explores the quarters my father had given us. I stand motionless, looking
out the window to the beautiful snow covered bamboo forest beyond, and the
magnificent carp pools that have been there for as long as I can remember.

I suddenly jump as I hear a bell sound once, and turning about, I find the
dark man letting go of the red silken rope connected to a bell that summons
a servant.

Moments pass and I see the shadow of a woman fall to her knees outside the
closed door.

"You summoned?" I hear the soft, subservient voice of Kimaya, one of my
father's youngest servants – and one of the most beautiful.

"I have. I wish hot bath water brought that I may bath." The dark man
explains the Kimaya, seeing his fiery eyes peer at the shadow of the
servant, his eyes intense and I see a slight smile tugging at a corner of
his lips. "Make haste. I do not take pleasure in waiting."

"As you wish." Kimaya answers and quickly she rises to her feet and
hurries away to complete her task. Then the dark man turns his eyes to me,
and a most devious grin spreads across his face. He is up to something.

Minutes pass and the door of the room opens and I watch from the window as
Kimaya carefully and most quietly enters the room and hurries to pour the
buckets of hot steaming water into the bathing pool.

Kneeling upon her knees, carefully pouring the first of four buckets of
water into the large bath pool, I notice the dark man enter the adjoining
room and move toward Kimaya. He moves like a predator with his sights on his
prey and is closing in for the attack. She does not hear or even see him and
instantly she lets out a hushed gasp as the dark man lowers the fingers of
his right hand upon the top of Kimaya's head and slowly run his fingertips
down the length of her brown hair.

"You are a rare beauty, Kimaya, I wish to have you…one day." The dark man
whispers, but just loud enough for me to hear – I think he does it on
purpose and it instantly feels me with jealousy and seething hatred for
Kimaya.

But I have never hated Kimaya; I have always thought her a wonderful young
woman and would make a wonderful mother and consort to Nakamato, despite
Nakamato wanting me as his own. The pompous fool had many a'time made his
intentions apparently clear to me and my father. Of course I will not have
him – I despise him unlike any other man before.

I see the dark man glance toward me, seeing the look upon my face, though
he can only see what is not covered by my black cowl. I can feel and
anger…no, a rage boil up inside me unlike I have ever felt before and it
makes me weary of what I might do if my rage grows out of my control.

Kimaya says nothing, but I can see her shudder with his touch, and the
sadness in her eyes for she has been saving herself for the night of her
marriage…to Nakamato. Yet, despite the dark man's advances, she silently
continues her task and once the last bucket is poured into the pool, she
waits for the dark man to move away from her that she may leave to bring
back more water to fill the pool the remainder of the way.

The dark man steps away from Kimaya and turns to look out the nearby
window to the white world beyond. "Go, complete your task."

And with that, Kimaya carefully stands to her feet, grasps hold of all the
bucket handles and hastily makes her way from our quarters and as she moves
passed me, I notice the trail of tears running down her cheeks. But I am
still jealous of her and the intimate attention the dark man had given her.

Part V

Kimaya returns shortly and without one word from the dark man, she pours
the last bucket into the pool and waits for her next order.

"Now go, I will summon you if there is more needed." The dark man orders
with his dark silken voice and I notice the shiver that instantly courses up
her back, but she silently rises to her feet and turning to me, she bows low
with respect and leaves the room.

Minutes pass in silence and finally the dark man turns from the window and
looks to me where I have remained standing, my eyes upon him – unable to
break them from him, from his back.

As soon as I see his intense golden yellow and red eyes, I shudder and I
immediately see that grin of his cross his face, making his eyes appear to
gleam ever brighter.

He keeps his eyes upon me, that grin on his face as he moves toward the
steaming pool of water, and then turning his back suddenly toward me, he
raises his hands to his hood and slowly, carefully, he slips it back from
over his head.

And what I see fills me with terror, awe and fascination for as the hood
of his black robe falls upon his shoulders, the first thing I see is a crown
of pointed horns upon his head – a head absent totally of hair and covered
totally in black. And still, I cannot take my eyes from him as I shrugs his
shoulders slightly and then his robe falls to his feet upon the floor,
revealing what he wears beneath.

He wears a black tunic with wide sleeves above the elbows, and appears to
flow down to just about his knees. There is a wide leather belt about his
waist and upon his right hip I catch sight of the weapon I had seen him
fight against the attackers of my home. I notice that under the long tunic,
he wears bottoms that too are black and puff-out about the top of his below
the knee boots. The attire of a warrior – made for fighting in.

I watch with growing interest as the belt he wears falls from about his
waist and onto the floor. He moves his arms and moves his right shoulder and
the right side of his tunic slips over his shoulder, then he removes the
other side and slipping his arms from the sleeves, he lets the tunic too
fall to the floor behind him, at his feet. Under the tunic, he wears a
second tunic just like the first but looks made of lighter black fabric.

His hands before him, I notice one of his gloves drop to the floor before
him, then another. I can seem him move, doing something infront of him and
then I see him part the front of his inner tunic. Then as if on purpose, he
moves his left shoulder and slowly, he allows the shoulder of his tunic to
slip over and I look with wide eyes as I catch sight of his skin.

Black as death and red as blood!

And I quickly begin to wonder if the rest of his body is as his face
looks. And soon I find my answer as the inner tunic falls to the floor
behind the dark man and I have to hold in the loud gasp that almost escapes
my mouth as I look upon his back – his bare skin for the first time.

His back is totally covered in black and red tattooing – not one inch of
his skin is left uncovered in either red or black. And the female part of
him notices the hard sculpted muscles of his back and shoulders move and
flex under the wondrous red and black skin of her, the broadness of his
shoulders and the perfect line of his spine. Even his arms are covered with
red and black.

And then he turns about and looks to me.

My knees instantly dare to give way beneath me, finding his body so
perfect yet he now more than ever appears the demon I had first thought him
to be. His broad well shaped chest and stomach too bare red and black
designs that I slowly find to be very beautiful, and I can feel myself
wanting to much to touch that skin of his and to run my fingertips…my tongue
over every single inch of black design upon his magnificent body.

I look into his eyes, finding them blazing like fire and that grin still
upon his face. I let out a sigh that sounds too close to a moan and I
instantly see his grin deepen.

He moves toward me slowly, not once breaking his eyes from mine which have
seemingly locked mine to his – I feel like I am drowning in them, unable to
escape from their burning depths…and yet, I do not wish to. And soon he is
standing before me, looking down into my eyes, I looking up into his and I
flinch slightly as I feel him place his hand upon the side of my face, and
before I can do anything about it, my cowl slips from over my head and he
drops it to the floor at our feet.

He places his hand upon my cheek again, feeling the heat of my flush in my
skin. Slowly, he glides his hand up and back, slipping his fingers into my
hair and I cannot help it as my eyes close, but not all the way, my eyes
locked to his though through slits between my lids.

I cannot help the soft moan that escapes my slightly parted lips, finding
great pleasure in his touch. And I sigh as I feel him remove his fingers
from my hair, but I then feel his hand take hold of mine.

"Come, bathe me." The dark man exclaims, his eyes making me feel like I am
on fire, burning and unable to escape the burn of pleasure. He takes hold of
my other hand and slowly, carefully, he takes a step backward, leading me
toward the pool. I do not fight, I cannot fight – he seems to have a power
over me that I cannot break and do not understand, but then I do not want to
fight.

Standing at the edge of the pool, he stands before me, and releasing my
hands, I can see out of the bottom of my eyes his hands rising up to undo
the sash about my waist and before I know it, I feel it loosen about my and
slipping it from about my waist, the dark man tosses it to the floor with
his pile of clothing.

He then undoes the ties holding the scabbard of my katana upon my back and
the scabbard and katana falls to the floor with a thud. He then undoes the
laces holding my sleeves to my body at my elbows and falling to one knee
before me, he undoes the laces at my knees, ankles and very carefully the
ones about my thighs. All the while, not once breaking his eyes from mine.

He rises and standing before me again, he undoes the fastens holding the
wrists and forearms of my tunic closed and then he undoes the ties holding
my tunic closed. First he undoes the outer one that had been hidden under my
sash, and slipping his hand just inside, he undoes the second tie. And as
soon as it is undone, the sides of my tunic slip from his hands and part
before him, revealing most of my bare chest to him, but my breast have
remained covered by my tunic.

I tremble before him, and he chuckles softly, my innocence all to apparent
to him – to the both of us. I can feel the blood racing to my face, neck and
chest, making me grow hotter than I already am. And he then grasps hold of
the open sides of him tunic and pulls my tunic down my arms and tosses it to
the floor.

And now I stand as naked as he does, but I can now feel the heat of his
body radiate from him against mine, sending shivers to rake my body for the
air of the room is cold.

He finally breaks his eyes from mine, and I see them slowly lower from my
eyes, down to look upon my bare chest before him. I shiver with cold,
feeling the nipples upon my breasts harden more than they are.

He glances up at me, the lowers his eyes back upon my chest and slowly, he
lowers his head and before I know it, I gasp out softly as his lips touch
the sensitive delicate skin of my left breast. He kisses my skin with the
softest of butterfly kisses, moving his lips ever closer to the darker
colored center. And then his lips touch it, the colored center and I then
suck air in between my teeth as I feel his lips open, encircling my nipple.

I am overrun with sensations indescribable and I can feel my legs daring to
collapse from under me. I feel his arms about me as I feel the dark man
suckle upon my breast, running his tongue over and about my hard and
swelling nipple in his hot mouth.

I then feel him run his hands up and down my back, along my spine, making
my shudder and my skin twitch where his hands wander. And I then feel him
run his hands down my back and his fingers slip under the waist of my
bottoms. I shudder again as I feel his hand move about the waist around me
to the laces that keeps my bottoms closed and undoing the laces, he again
slips his hands into my bottoms and slowly runs his hands down my sides,
pulling my bottoms down.

As he lowers, his lips move from my breast, the valley between them, down
to my stomach as I feel my bottoms and the dark man's hands run over my
calves and then to my ankles. Then as he lifts my feet one by one to remove
the bottoms from my legs, he kisses and licks the skin of my stomach, making
the muscles of my stomach twitch under his lips.

I moan under my breath, beginning to enjoy the sensations that courses
throughout my body like white-hot lightning and his touch upon my body.

Slowly he rises again and his kisses with him, up my stomach, between my
breasts, up my chest to my collar bone where he nibbles gently there. Then
up the side of my neck, kissing then licking where my pulse can be felt and
up to my ear where he bites at my ear with his lips. Then he moves his
kisses behind my ear where he begins to kiss, then lick and suckle upon that
sensitive place behind my ear.

I moan and I without realizing place my hands upon his shoulders, until I
feel the burning of his skin under my hands.

But suddenly and most unexpectedly, the dark man pulls away from me. I
dare not open my eyes, especially when I hear him moving about before me.
And I then hear water moving – the dark man must have stepped into the
water.

"Open your eyes little one and come bathe me." I hear the dark man's voice
that makes my insides quiver and ache and leaving me yearning for something
unknown to me.

~ Continued in Part VI ~