Nightbreed

Yunomi’s Story-Book One



Part X Possum Kingdom

They left the bar, then vanished, arriving at a place Yunomi had never been before. They stood on the porch of a small, two story stone house on a ridge above the Badlands. There was a clear view of the surrounding area from all sides. Reaper unlocked the spells to open the door. He stopped and looked at her before they entered. “This is my house.” They stepped into a simple entryway. The house appeared to have been built in the 1700’s, with rough stone walls and hardwood floors. The furniture was plain, but well made. He led her through the front hall to a back room. As she passed open doors, Yunomi glanced in to see an empty dining room, a parlor, and a kitchen. Unusual objects and old religious paraphernalia adorned the walls.

Reaper stopped at the door to the back room, waiting for Yunomi to catch up. “This is the library. There is much information here that will be useful to you. Feel free to use it any time.” The room was lined floor to ceiling with crowded book shelves. In the center of the room was a simple wooden table and chair. A large black leather chair was in one corner, with a small table and reading lamp next to it. The room was designed for comfortable reading. Yunomi was entranced. She looked at some of the books, and wanted to stay for a long time, but Reaper turned and left the room. She followed him, thinking he would ask her to leave.

Instead, he started up the narrow staircase. He stopped on the third step, turned and looked directly into her eyes, his expression unreadable. Yunomi hesitated for a moment, then followed him up the stairs. There were two rooms upstairs, and he went to the one on the left. He opened the door and stepped in, Yunomi following closely.

The room was sparse and unadorned. The only furniture was a pine wash stand with a metal pitcher and basin, an armoire and a plain pine framed bed with a headboard made from a piece of iron Victorian grave fencing. A small bedside table completed the room. Three large windows afforded views of the surrounding Badlands on three sides of the house. There were no curtains, only open pine shutters.

Reaper turned to Yunomi, his face still unreadable. “This is my most private place, my place of rest. You are the only one to see it, no one else has been here before.”
“Lord, I am honored.”
Reaper reached out and caressed her face. “Do you truly love me? Is it possible?”
“I do, Lord.”
He bent to kiss her, and she responded, stroking his hair. He pulled away from her. “Yunomi, I must know. Do you come to me of your own free will? Do you truly understand what I am? My passion is not human. I could hurt you.”
“I’ll take that risk, Lord. I want to give myself to you fully, if you’ll have me.”
“Oh, I’ll have you, I just hope you don’t regret it.”
“I’ve never regretted anything, Lord, and I doubt I’ll start now.”
Reaper smiled at her self confidence. “You must be sure, Yunomi.”
“I am more than sure, Lord.”

He began to kiss her again, more deeply this time. He slid his hands under her tank top, and pulled it off over her head. Their kisses became more intense as she unbuttoned his shirt. He untied her drawstring pants and pushed them off, then sat on the bed and began pulling off his boots. “Finish.” he commanded. She took off her underwear and bra, and stood naked before him. He looked at her admiringly. “You’re beautiful, Yunomi.”
“Thank you, Lord,” she mumbled, staring at the floor.
“Come to me.” As she approached, he reached out and drew her down on the bed next to him. He caressed her face, neck, and shoulders, then kissed her deeply again, as he took her breasts in his huge hands. Yunomi sighed and started to unbutton his jeans. He broke the kiss and stood up, quickly removing his clothes. Yunomi gasped at the sight of her naked Lord. His body was flawless, beautifully proportioned. His tattoos glowed on his pale skin. Fine red-gold hair covered his chest, with a line trailing down his stomach. As Yunomi’s eyes wandered over him, they lit on his growing maleness, and widened. For the first time, she felt doubt.
“Lord, I don’t know if I can take you.”
“You can, I’ll go slow.”

When he finally withdrew from her, he saw the blood, and the pain in her face. “Shh, it’s all right,” he soothed. “I can take the pain away.” He put his hand between her legs again, and she winced. “It’s okay, open for me.” She obliged, and felt a radiating warmth spread through her abdomen. The pain dissipated, leaving only pleasure.

Reaper removed his hand from her and left the bed, returning in a moment with a warm, damp cloth. He cleaned the blood off of them both. “Yunomi, why didn’t you tell me?” he asked in wonder.
She was confused. “Tell you...? Lord, you’re not the first.” She was looking at him with a mixture of irritation and amusement.
“No? Then why...” It suddenly hit him. Her injury had not been caused by her lack of experience, but by his roughness. He looked infinitely sad. “I warned you I could hurt you. Are you still sure you want to be with me? I can’t give you the gentleness you need.”
Sly mischief came into Yunomi’s eyes, and she grinned wickedly at her Lord, then stretched languorously. “Who said I needed gentleness? I just wasn’t prepared for you. Let’s try again. I think I could get to like it your way with some practice.” She slid her hand seductively up Reaper’s thigh.
“You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?” he grinned, and pulled her to him. They made love throughout the afternoon, by turns tender and brutal, until they were exhausted and slept.

Yunomi awoke with moonlight shining in her face, alone in Reaper’s bed. She sat up, then saw him at the open window, gazing pensively out at the Badlands. The sight of him naked in the moonlight was almost too beautiful to bear. Yunomi rose and went to him. “Lord, are you troubled?” She laid a hand gently on his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her waist.
“No, just thinking. I’ve never been with anyone that I...” He hesitated, unsure of what to say. “That I cared for. I always thought I’d be alone, but now...I think maybe we were meant to be together.”
“I’ll stay with you forever if you’ll have me, Lord.” Yunomi kissed his shoulder.
“I told you I’d have you.” He scooped her up and carried her back to his bed.

Over the next few days, Yunomi learned to love Reaper’s way. He had to heal her now and again, but she seemed to thrive on his lovemaking the way she thrived on Dark Side life. She was tough and strong, and soon learned to give as good as she got. They would lie sleeping in each other’s arms, bruised, sore, and happy.

Yunomi let Reaper walk in her mind, holding nothing back from him, baring every aspect of her being. He also opened his mind to her, allowing her to walk where she wished. Once, she came upon an iron door, with hideously twisted faces wrought into the metal. She reached out for the lock, overcome with curiosity. The metal seared her hand, causing her to cry out. Holding her burned hand, she backed quickly away. Later, she asked Reaper about the burning door in his mind. “Did you burn yourself?” he asked in a strange tone, at once comforting and menacing. “Then don’t touch it!” Yunomi was stunned into silence, and didn’t mention it again. Reaper behaved as if nothing had happened, but Yunomi knew there were boundaries.

Part XI And I Would be The One,,,

One night a rare Badlands storm blew in while they slept. A crack of thunder woke Reaper, and he saw Yunomi at the window, moving back and forth. He lay on his side watching her, trying to figure out what she was doing. A flash of lightning revealed that she was dancing, and when he listened closely he could hear her singing to the storm. Whenever there was a roll of thunder or big flash of lightning, she would laugh and lean out of the window. As Reaper watched her, the prophecy came back to him. The Lord of Darkness will know many, but hold the Storm Child above all; and she will bring power to the Dark Realm.

The storm waned and passed by; Yunomi returned to bed. “What were you singing?” Reaper asked as he stroked her hair.
“A Human song. I’m only happy when it rains...” she sang a few bars.
“I’ve heard you play that song at your house. You really love storms, eh?”
“Yeah, I always have. They turn me on.” She ran her fingers over Reaper’s tattoos, then kissed him.
“Mmm, my Storm Child,” he responded, kissing her throat and shoulders.
“Why did you call me that?” Yunomi seemed startled.
“Because you love storms. Did I upset you?” Reaper was puzzled.
“That was my parent’s name for me. I was born during a typhoon. I never thought I’d hear it again.”
“I won’t call you that if it bothers you. It seems to suit you, though.”
“No, it’s okay. I just hadn’t heard it in so long, it surprised me.” She resumed kissing him, giving tiny bites to his lips and throat. He wound his fingers through her hair, and lay on his back, allowing her to have her way with him. As she kissed across his chest and stomach, he released his grip on her hair. Reaper had found that Yunomi disliked having her head held when she went down on him. For some reason it bothered her a great deal. He reached behind him and grasped the iron headboard as she showed him her love. After a few minutes, he stretched and called to her. “’Nomi, come’re.” She slithered back up to his face and kissed him. He deepened the kiss, and put his hand between her legs. Although he no longer injured her, she still needed time to get ready for him, especially when they played rough.

She knelt astride him, leaned forward and bit his ear. Reaper growled and rolled her over on her back, holding her with his weight. “Bite me, will you?” He began biting her neck and shoulders. She writhed underneath him, trying to escape. Finally, she pulled his hair, and he looked up at her. Moving in to kiss him, she bit his lip instead, then laughed. “Oh, you’re a bad girl,” he growled as he pushed her legs apart.
“Watcha gonna do about it?” Yunomi laughed.
“Give you this!” He entered her all the way, and she gasped in pleasure.
“Oh, yes, Lord, I’ve been bad!’ she groaned, wrapping her legs around his waist.
They rolled and fought until they both came, then lay together peacefully at last.

Reaper nuzzled Yunomi’s neck and stroked her hair. “You’ve become one Hell of a lover, Yunomi.” he smiled.
“Thank you, Lord. You’ve been an excellent teacher.” He regarded her thoughtfully. “Those who know me well call me Reaper.”
“I know.”
“Why won’t you, ‘Nomi?”
“Because you’re my Lord. It wouldn’t be right.”
“You’re more than my acolyte now, you’re my companion and lover. We needn’t be so formal.”
Yunomi caressed his cheek. “I’ll call you Reaper in private, if you wish. But publicly you are my Lord.”

Reaper frowned. She had an annoying way of getting what she wanted, either by making it seem like his idea, or convincing him she was right. He had never been so subtly manipulated. “I’ll have to kill you one day, Yunomi.” He was only half joking.
“I know, but you’ll miss me when you do.” She was completely serious, and it rattled him a little.
“Remember when I reclaimed you from the Tengu?” He changed the subject. “I said I’d put my mark on you one day.”
“Yes, Reaper. I remember.” She kept her word.
“Now is the time.” He was determined to rule her, one way or another. He lit a lamp, and sat on the bed facing her. “It’s different from what I had envisioned then. Close your eyes, this may hurt.” He touched Yunomi’s breast over her heart, and she winced as the touch began to burn. She squeezed her eyes shut as he traced a design on her with his burning touch, but she didn’t flinch or complain. After an eternity, the pain stopped, and Reaper laid his hand over the tattoo he had made, healing it. “’Nomi, open your eyes.” He was holding an old mirror, and showed her the mark he had put on her. The tattoo was small, only about three inches across. It was a black heart with red thorns twisted around it, surrounded by blue and violet flames.
“Reaper, it’s beautiful. I’ll wear it with honor.” Yunomi was very happy. Reaper looked pleased, and leaned over to kiss her lightly on her new tattoo.
Yunomi stroked his hair and quietly asked “Reaper, will you wear my mark?”
He looked up at her sharply, momentary doubt flashing in his eyes. But seeing nothing to doubt in her face, he said “All right.” He closed his eyes, and Yunomi closed hers too, willing up the knowledge to do what he had done. Then, without hesitation, she began to draw over his heart. It didn’t take long. She drew with precision, her vision clear. Then she healed him, as he had done for her.
“Open your eyes, Reaper.” He studied the tattoo in the mirror, a single, vertical line of calligraphy directly over his heart.
“It’s beautiful, ‘Nomi, but what is it?” He couldn’t tell if it was writing, a picture, or both.
“It’s Senki, a poem by Miyamoto Musashi. He was a sword master who attained enlightenment. The name means ‘war spirit’. It says The moon in the cold stream like a mirror.” She smiled enigmatically. “I am your moon, and you are my cold stream. You’ll understand it with time.”
“Maybe with time I’ll understand you, ‘Nomi. But you’re a puzzle to me now.”
She smiled, and stretched, then lay back down to sleep. Reaper joined her, sleeping with his hand on the tattoo he had given her.

The next morning, Yunomi sat at Reaper’s kitchen table, drinking coffee and staring out the back door at the Badlands. Her Lord was still sleeping upstairs, but she had become restless. She had been at his house almost a week, and her warrior’s soul was looking for a real fight. Reaper came downstairs and sat at the table with her.
“You’re up early.”
She nodded. “I need to go out, Reaper. I’ve been idle too long.”
Reaper smiled. He understood well. “Good. I have business to attend to...”
“That doesn’t concern me,” Yunomi interrupted, laughing.
Reaper glared at her for an instant, then laughed himself. It was going to be hard to put anything over on her. “I’ll be back in a day or two this time. I’ll come by your house then.”
“All right. If you miss me there, look at el Camino.”

Reaper stared at her. The realization that she wasn’t going to hang around waiting for him to get back was sinking in, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about it. “Uh, okay. I’ll see you whenever, then.”
Yunomi suddenly felt that she had shown too much independence, and became contrite. “Lord, I’ll wait at my house if you wish.”
“No, do what you need to. I’ll find you when I get back.”

Yunomi got up and walked around the table to Reaper. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek, then whispered “I love you, Lord.” Reaper said nothing, and Yunomi went upstairs to get her sword. He walked out on the front porch with her when she came back down.
“Don’t get killed.” he said.
“You either.” She waved as she disappeared.
Reaper shook his head. What had he gotten himself into? A companion! He hadn’t known what to do with her as an acolyte, and now she was his lover. He shrugged, and went back in the house to get ready to leave.

END OF BOOK ONE

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Kanike

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