Kuniko ran up to him and hugged his legs tightly, again too small to hug him anywhere else. 'Welcome back father!' she said cheerfully before glaring up at him.
'And I'm not little!' The demon ruffled the little girl's hair fondly.
'Of course you're not.'
Kuniko's mother strode out, glancing at the horribly maimed human body in disgust. 'I see you had fun Kana.' she said rather stiffly.
The demon, clearly named Kana, looked up with his huge grin. 'This one wasn't exactly for sport Amarante,' he started, walking over to the body and kicked it.
'Stupid bastard shouldn't have been trespassing, nor should he have been speaking to one of my daughters.'
Kuniko's mother, Amarante, seemed a little bit shocked by this, but Kana seemed to take it that she was surprised the human had come into their forest. Kuniko followed Kana as closely as his own shadow did, mimicing him and kicking the body. 'Stupid bastard!' she repeated cheerfully.
Her mother raised a clawed finger, waving it disapprovingly at Kuniko. 'Watch your language little one.' she said, smiling slightly as Kuniko stuck her tongue out at her.
Kana streached, yawning loudly. 'I'm going to go inside and take a nap, today was a long day.' He commented as he strode into their den, Kuniko's mother sending him a glare from behind his back.
'Kuniko?' She called to the girl whose attention was now on the dead warrior, thinking it was a present from her father.
She got up and brushed herself off, hurrying over to her. 'Hm?'
Her mother brought a finger up to tell her to keep quiet and crouched to whisper in the little Kit's ear. 'Go find your brother and sister, make sure they're ok.'
Kuniko frowned. 'To the human village? But the humans are so weird!' she complained, although quietly.
'Please go Kuniko, for me?' she said, taking Kuniko's small hand in hers.
Kuniko sighed and nodded reluctantly, 'I'll do it... but I won' like it.' she said in the most whiny voice she could muster.
Her mother smiled and got up, 'Be careful little one.'
Kuniko nodded again, almost taking off. she suddenly whirled around and glared at her mother. 'I'm not little!' she growled before turning back around and happily running away from the den and into the thick forest.
'Uuuuumeeeeeeekoooo!' Kuniko called out when she reached the village.
It was dusk and many of the villagers had already went into their homes, oblivious of the demon's presence. Which was a good thing, for they had learned to fear the fox demon and her family, especially her father, Kana. 'Umeko! Where are you?' she called again before crossing her arms and leaning against a hut's outside wall.
'She's not here is she?' She pouted.
'Kuniko!'
The kitsune's ears flicked when she heard her name being called. She looked around to try to find the one who had called her.
'Kuniko, up here!'
Kuniko looked up and saw a little boy about seven years old with his face smudged with dirt and mud. The young boy had short and messy hair and bright brown eyes. He wore a simple blue shirt with torn white pants stained with grass and dirt, as well as bandages tied around his left arm and right leg. He wore the one on his arm just to hide a scar he had gotten while playing in Kana's forest, however, the one on his right leg was new.
'Hiya Yasuo!' Kuniko said brightly and stepped away to let the boy jump nimbly from the roof of the hut to the ground.
'Whoa!' he cried out, slipping in the mud and almost falling, however, Kuniko reacted quickly and grabbed his arm, easily helping him to gain his balance.
'Thanks Kuniko,' the boy said and tried brushing some of the dirt off of his pants.
'What are you doing out here?'
'Just trying to find my annoying sister.' she responded happily.
The two were secretly the best of friends, Yasuo forbidden by his parents to come any where near the demons, and Kuniko forbidden by her father to leave the forest. They, of course, ignored their parents and frequently met at the edge of the forest by this tree sapling that seemed to glow silver.
'Oh, you mean Umeko? I haven't seen her yet.' He responded and then thought for a moment.
'Kuniko... have you seen my father?' He asked, hiding his worried tone the best he could.
'No... why do you ask?' She responded, her ears twitched at his faint worried tone.
'Well... its nothing really, its just that he told us he was going out today, and he hasn't come home yet...' He said, blushing slightly, 'Mother is begining to get worried.'
Kuniko smiled brightly. 'Don't worry Yasuo! I'll be on the look out for him!' she said cheerfully.
Yasou opened his mouth to thank the kitsune, but she brought up a clawed finger, her ears flickering at the sound of someone walking closer. Kuniko grabbed Yasou's arm and pulled him behind the hut to stay hidden. She stuck her head out around the corner to watch the dirt path. She saw a group of human men walking down the path, coming from her forest. They were muttering amongst themselves quietly, quiet enough that not even the demon's sharp ears could hear. Kuniko saw that they were carrying something between them, she sniffed the air and realized they were carrying the warrior from before. Yasou came up behind Kuniko, looking out curiously as well. His eyes went wide and his face paled when he saw the body. He ran forward up to the group, crying out one word, 'Father!'
Kuniko cocked her head to one side, not seeing Yasou's father in the group of men, and didn't think it was the dead body. She watched further to try to find out, but she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up. 'What are you doing out here?' Umeko asked quietly.
'Umeko!' Kuniko said cheerfully and hugged her sister. 'I found you! mother told me to go find you because-'
'because father caught us, yes.' Umeko finished for her sister. Kuniko's eyes went wide.
'How come he didn't say anything about Kisho?'
'Because he didn't see me, baka.' Kisho replied, hidden in the trees above and looked out at the dead human and the now weeping child.
Kisho looked pretty much human to Kuniko, except for his silvery hair and grey fox ears and grey tail which hung over the branch he was laying on. 'Don't call me baka, brother!' Kuniko hissed at him, they didn't get along well, but they acted like angels in front of their mother to please her.
'Heh, its what you are little sister.' He replied to her, a smile on his face.
'Why you...' Kuniko growled, ready to scurry up the tree and beat her brother to a pulp.
He may be older, but Kuniko had proven she was stronger. Umeko held Kuniko in place with her clawed hand. 'Well, we better be going back home now Kisho, I'll see you tomarrow.' she said and waved good bye to her half brother who lay still, watching the boy with interest.
Kuniko turned, looking up and realizing what that look on her brother's face meant. 'Don't you dare hurt them! Just because they don't like hanyous dooesn't mean you should kill them! Mother says so herself!'
Kisho's face didn't change until he heard the word "mother." He looked down rather guilty, then glared at Kuniko. 'Fine, I won't. For mother, and not the little brat that doesn't know when to keep her mouth shut.'
Kuniko smiled widely at this, happy she had done something useful and allowed herself to be led back to the den deep in the ominous looking forest.
