Hiei's Harem - Pt. 8 - Discovering

Scene 15 ------------ A Couple Hours Later


* Hiei stretches and yawns as he wakes up on the branch. Well-rested and in a somewhat better mood, he swings his legs off the branch and looks around the clearing below him. He smirks when he notices Minoro sitting against his tree almost directly below him. Using his stealth skills, he scales silently down the tree on the other side of the trunk that's wide enough to hide him. When he reaches the ground he leans around the trunk to cuff the younger male playfully. When he finishes the playful gesture he scowls at himself, 'Since when do I feel.. playful?' Minoro peeks around the tree to find Hiei with his back against the trunk and wide-eyed. Minoro grins and moves around to pin him loosely.


Minoro- Did you.. want me?


* Minoro's voice breaks Hiei out of his distraction. He looks up at the Hyena demon. When Minoro starts to lean closer to kiss him Hiei presses his head back and raises a hand to stop him.


Hiei- Hn.. But.. N-not here..


* Minoro relaxes. Hiei resists the mild urge to just give in and pull Minoro's mouth back down to his.


Minoro- Then where..?

Hiei- Later.. Sometime.. I have to go.


* Minoro tilts his head with obvious confusion.


Minoro- Sir, if I was too..?


* Hiei squirms away from Minoro and the tree.


Hiei- I have to go.. talk with that guy Dagon.

Minoro- Why?

Hiei- I'll explain.. later.


* In a blink Hiei leaves the Hyena demon alone and confused. He doesn't stop moving until he nears the center of the village. Coutaro, the only one in the communal area, formed by the three brothers' huts, looks up from the tool he's working on. Hiei tilts his head as he moves closer.


Hiei- What is that?

Coutaro- It was a shovel.. I'm putting a new handle on it.

Hiei- How did it get broken? Did you and Kuma have a disagreement?


* Coutaro chuckles as he shakes his head and continues working.


Coutaro- No. It's just an old tool.

Hiei- Then have a new one made. Couldn't the metalsmith do that?


* Coutaro stares at the half-repaired shovel.


Coutaro(Quietly)- This was Father's..


* He catches himself, half glances up at Hiei, then sets the shovel aside.


Coutaro- Maybe it is time to..

Hiei- Just because you'll get a new one doesn't mean that one has to be thrown away.


* Coutaro stands.


Coutaro- If you're here to see Hab or..

Hiei- I came to talk to Dagon.

Coutaro- They just went to see that he's been fed.

Hiei- Take me to him.


* Coutaro nods and leads Hiei through the village until the apparition pauses. Coutaro comes back to him curiously to see what he's watching down a side path. The two demons that were arguing before are currently involved in a different sort of energetic activity in their full demon forms: A male canine hybrid and a female lynx. Coutaro grins as they watch the canine ride the female quite excitedly.


Coutaro- I figured they'd get together sooner or later.


* Hiei glances up at Coutaro.


Hiei- Let's continue, shall we?


* Coutaro motions.


Coutaro- The hut he's in is right over there.


* When Hiei and Coutaro enter they find Habataro and Kumataro talking with Dagon as the Crow eats. The three fall silent and look toward them.


Hiei- Glad to see that you're all getting along so well.


* The Lynx brothers stand.


Habataro- We were just telling him..


* Hiei waves a hand dismissively at them as he focuses on the handsome, dark-haired demon.


Hiei- You will tell me about this demon scum named Matsua.


* Dagon looks up with a cocked eyebrow.


Dagon- He's the one I bought Yu-Yu off of.. What happened to Yu-..?

Hiei- I sent him back where he belongs.. So Matsua is a trader like yourself?


* Dagon holds up a hand in protest.


Dagon- H--- no.. I may buy and.. use a slut now and then for revenue, but Matsua is the whole business.. He catches them, breeds them, uses them..

Hiei- I get the idea.. I detest such a.. business.


* Dagon shrugs.


Dagon- It's not too pleasing to me, either, but he's not breaking any rules..

Hiei- He caught and sold one of my friends.. A Territorial Lord, nonetheless.. Where do I find him?

Dagon- His facility is the largest in this area.. Matsua, himself is one of the two richest demons around here.

Hiei- Hn.. And who would be the other?


* Dagon chuckles.


Dagon- You're lookin' at him.


* Hiei studies the Crow a long moment.


Hiei- Why did you buy.. Yu-Yu..? Which, by the way, is Lord Yusuke Urameshi, son of..

Dagon- I know who he.. is.. I knew the moment Mat showed him to me. I bought him to get him away from that guy.. Luckily, Matsua cares more about money than that kind of.. power.

Hiei- Did you know that.. someone else was there?

Dagon- Not really. I only seen Yu.. Lord Urameshi.. But he did seem.. depressed about something.

Hiei- Depressed?


* Dagon nods.


Dagon- Yeah.. Almost like he.. regretted leaving the place,.. but knew he had to.. Now, look, I put that ward on him, but it was more for his own protection. You know how rogues are attracted to power around this time of year.. H---, look at yourself.. Or me, why the h--- do you think I came here to check you out?

Hiei- Move on.

Dagon- Well, Yu-Yu.. sorta.. had a deathwish or something.. I couldn't get him to tell me what happened.. If anything would have jumped us on our way here he wouldn't have protected himself.. I put the ward on to mask him, not hinder him.

Hiei- You still used him.


* To this accusation Dagon sighs and shrugs.


Dagon- I'll be the first to admit that I'm no angel.. Crows can be pretty insatiable in most everything.. Sex happens to be one of my favorite pasttimes.


* Hiei watches Dagon wink at the brothers.


Dagon- Twins are fun.. Don't find 'em too often.


* Kumataro's facial fur even blushes. Coutaro just crosses his arms.


Hiei- Crows get distracted easily, too.. This is why they usually have such short lifespans.


* Dagon looks back up at Hiei.


Dagon- I concentrate well enough.

Hiei- If I were to take you to help me get rid of this Matsu-whatever-the-h---, could I trust you?


* Dagon blinks up at Hiei then looks toward Habataro.


Dagon- Is he serious?


* Dagon looks back up at Hiei motioning toward the mark on his neck.


Dagon- You put this mark on me, didn't you?

Hiei- You agreed.

Dagon- Right.. So I no longer have any choice..

Habataro- Dagon,..

Dagon- You could order me to slit my d--- throat and I'd say 'Give me your sword, Master'.. You could order me to turn over and stick my a-- in the air for you and I.. Well, actually, I'd have no problem with that.. But..


* Hiei looks from Habataro, to the twins, then turns to leave.


Habataro- Mas-,..

Hiei- Shut up!


* The three brothers sigh and palm their faces when Hiei disappears. Dagon looks at them puzzled.


Dagon- You can't be serious that he didn't know..

Kumataro- It's a long story, Crow.

Dagon- Well, h---, I got nothing but time.


* Habataro takes the dirty dishes from Dagon with a growl and leaves. Kumataro shakes his head as he follows. Dagon looks up at Coutaro.


Dagon- Come on. I'm the new guy around here.. We're brothers now, right? What'd I say?


* Coutaro sighs deeply again, then sits down. He begins to explain the events that have brought them to where he and his brothers are now. And how touchy the subject is for their Master.