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“Grandpa!” Hiroko called, walking out of the small bamboo hut he shared with his caretaker. He looked around and sighed, not seeing the man anywhere. He was a small child, much too small for his age. He was also very odd looking for his species. Instead of the normal white, black and red hair of most Japanese crane demon he had long black hair, the tips naturally turning white as it grew. His eyes, which where supposed to be dark brown, where solid black; whites included. His soft, oddly feminine face, was free of the bright red demon markings most of his kind had. He was, beyond a doubt, odd looking.


“Graaaandpa!” He called again, frowning.
“Well look who it is!”
Hiroko laughed nervously to himself as he watched three demon boys jump across to the platform his home was on. Bird demons where very private creatures. They usually lived in trees, on high cliffs, or in mountain caves. Hiroko’s village was made up of seven bamboo huts in trees, each surrounded by a five foot diameter platform. In the center of the village a large oak tree was surrounded by a larger platform. It served as a sort of meeting place.


Hiroko smiled nervously as the demons grew closer. They where all male Japanese crane demons of eight or nine. “H-hi guys.” Hiroko said as steadily as he could. The three boys standing in front of him where his constant tormentors.
The largest boy, who was twice Hiroko’s size but still the normal size of an eight year old boy, grinned down at him. “Hello, freak.” The other boys snickered.


For once in his life Hiroko was glad his eyes where black. His tormentors could not tell where he was looking, which happened to be for an escape.
“Why don’t we play a game?”
Hiroko stiffened, ”I’d rather not. Um, Ikasu-sensei is waiting for me.” The boy was young, eight in fact, but not stupid. He knew what ’game’ the others wanted to play. It was called “Hang the freak from the platforms by his hair” and was not fun for Hiroko.


The three boys suddenly lunged at Hiroko. The smaller crane cried out and jumped back, causing his would be attackers to fall to the ground. Hiroko watched them for a few seconds before jumping over them and running.


He wasn’t very fast but he hoped someone, anyone, would see he was being chased. He knew it was hopeless. No one in the village liked him. Even his mother, who lived two huts away, hated him. He was the deformed mistake. The bastard child conceived of a rape. He was nothing and no on ever let him forget it.


Hiroko could hear footsteps behind him, getting louder with each passing second. He knew this was it. They would catch up to him and beat him senseless. If he was lucky they’d hang him by a rope over the edge of one of the platforms. Someone would eventually find him, unconscious but mostly unharmed. If he was unlucky, and he usually was, he’d be beaten and hung by his hair.


“Get him!” One of the boys cried, all three of them howling with laughter as they caught up to the black haired crane. The largest boy reached out and grabbed his long hair, causing Hiroko to cry out and fall.


His largest attacker forced Hiroko to lay on his stomach and sat on him. “Let’s rip out his feathers!”


Hiroko’s heart sank and he started trying to crawl out from under the larger child. When Hiroko was hatched, as bird demons lay eggs, his mother was horrified. Her new baby had three large feathers on each his arms. The solid white feathers grew from his wrists and, because he was still young, where about five inches long. He always tied them to his arm with a few strips of leather. He had never worried about them before because they where thought of as dirty and disgusting by his kind. They didn’t want to touch them.


Hiroko screamed for help as the boys tore away his clothes and started kicking and hitting and pulling his hair and feathers. An adult actually walked past the children, completely ignoring Hiroko’s cries.


Hiroko’s attackers suddenly stopped. “Who the hell are you?” One of them said, causing Hiroko to look up.


A man dressed in odd clothes was standing there, two saif in his hands. The man’s face could not be seen, it was covered in a black cloth that also covered the top of his head. The only thing that could be seen where his piercing golden eyes.


The boys that where holding Hiroko down let him go and backed up. The man glared at them and held out one of the saif, pressing it against the eldest crane’s neck. He said something in a foreign language and hissed. Hiroko’s tormentors squawked and ran away.


Hiroko sat up on his knees, trying to hide his lack of clothing from the big stranger. He wasn’t afraid of the man…Well, maybe a little. The man crouched down in front of Hiroko and dropped the part of the cloth on his head that covered his mouth.

“Keif haluck?” He asked, a goofy smile on his dark face. Hiroko found him very handsome. His features where sharp, though not severe. His skin was very dark brown and a black stripe that ran from the inside corners of his eyes to his ears. He seemed to notice Hiroko’s discomfort and chuckled lightly. He pulled the cloth from his head and wrapped it around the boy.  “Mm?”


Hiroko blinked and clutched the cloth. “Who are you?” He asked softly. The man blinked and shook his head, his shaggy white hair bouncing.  “Laa afham…”


The man stood up and put his hands in the pockets of his pants. They where black, loose and bound at the bottoms.  His ‘shirt’ was sleeveless and tucked into his pants. A black cloak was also tied around his neck. “Mansour.” He said, smiling and pointing at himself.


“Is that your name?” Hiroko asked, frowning slightly. Mansour, as Hiroko assumed he was called, nodded. “Okay…I’m Hiroko.” He said, pointing to himself. “Hiroko.”


The larger demon nodded and repeated, ”Hiroko.” He crouched in front of the child again and cupped his large black nailed hands together as if he had water in them. “Momken finjan maa'?”
Hiroko blinked his big black eyes, ”Water?” He looked down in thought and then nodded, ”Okay. I’m sure Grandpa won’t mind. You did help me.” He timidly held up his hand for the hawk to take. Mansour smiled brightly and took the child’s hand, seemingly not bothered by the feathers others found repulsive.


Hiroko led him to he and his grandpa’s hut. “Grandpa!”
"Who's that with you Hiroko...And where are your clothes?" Grandpa said, coming out from behind the home with a basket of leaves in his hands. He dropped the basket and quickly went to the child.


Hiroko let go of Mansour's hand as Grandpa inspected him. "The others...Um...Attacked me, I guess. He saved me though!"
Grandpa looked at the dark skinned hawk. Hiroko didn't clearly remember what the kind old demon looked like. He only remembered he looked like a normal Japanese crane demon-solid white hair with black tips and bright red bangs.
"Thank you." the old demon said after deeming the black cape wearing man was no threat to his ward.
Mansour blinked, "La afham."
"He doesn't speak Japanese." Hiroko said, tugging the odd pants the older demon wore. The pants where tied with rope around his ankles, giving them a baggy appearance. "Do you still want water?"
Mansour stared at the boy, "Maa'?"
Little Hiroko nodded. "Water."
Mansour narrowed his eyes at the child. "Water."
Hiroko smiled brightly. "Yes. Water. To drink."
The hawk nodded.


Hiroko looked at Grandpa, who sighed and nodded. "It's fine."
The child smiled and grabbed Mansour's hand, leading him into the house.
"Sit. I will get you water." Hiroko said, making Mansour sit around the low table in the middle of the room.
"Water." Mansour said, grinning.


Hiroko, still wrapped in the cloth Mansour had given him, went to a barrel in the corner of the room and filled a bowl with water, going back to Mansour and giving it to him.
The hawk greedily drank the water and sighed happily. He smiled at the boy and suddenly pulled him closer. He held some of Hiroko's short black hair in his hands, "Aswad…" He looked into Hiroko's eyes, gently stroking the boy's cheek. "Aswad."
He frowned and tugged at the cloth surrounding the boy.


Hiroko blushed red, "You want it back? Okay. Turn around."
Mansour cocked his head. Hiroko pointed at the cloth and then in the opposite direction. "I'm going to put some clothes on."
"Ohh..." Mansour said, turning his head to look in the other direction.


Hiroko went to a small chest near the pile of futons and took out a spare kimono, quickly changing.
"Okay...Mena...Manso..."The child frowned as he walked back to the hawk. "I can't say your name..." He said, sitting next to Mansour and handing him the cloth.


Mansour took it and deftly wrapped it around his head and mouth. The older demon leaned down and stared at the child, who fidgeted.
"Why are you staring?" Hiroko asked, glaring at the foreign hawk.
Mansour turned his head to one side. He grabbed the crane child and pulled him onto his lap.
"What are you doing?" Hiroko cried, though he didn't struggle. The big demon made him feel safe.
Mansour stroked Hiroko's cheek and nuzzled his cheek against the child's hair. "Anta Jameel... Sa-Aj3aluka Li Yowman Min AlAyyam."
Hiroko blinked, "What?"
Mansour suddenly placed the boy on the floor and stood. He smiled down at him, suddenly crouching. He moved the cloth from his face and kissed the boy. "Salaam!" He said pleasantly to the shocked child before replacing the cloth on his face and bounding out the open door.