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The Tale of the Demon Lord	By : Arianawray Category: InuYasha > Yaoi - Male/Male > InuYasha/Sessh?maru > InuYasha/Sessh?maru Views: 56279 -:- Recommendations : 4 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters, and I do not make any money from these writings.

Chapter List
- 9
- 10
- 11
X: Sanctuary
After his morning lessons, Inuyasha wandered into the gardens enclosed within the courtyards of the castle. While the landscaped beauty of the greenery around him was pleasing to the eye, it did not soothe his soul as much as he hoped it would, for it was all painstakingkly designed, with plants chosen for their exotic nature or striking looks to suit gardens of different themes. Most of the ponds had been artificially created too.
But his mother had liked to walk in the gardens in the past, whenever she had had an opportunity to go outdoors safely, so he found some comfort in planting his feet on ground that she had once loved to cross. As he emerged from one garden filled with red flowers which stood at the very end of the ground between two wings of the castle, he looked into the distance and spotted a patch of natural wood in the distance.
His heart lifted, for he had lived in forests for many years between his mother's death and his arrival at the village that was kind to him, and from that time, had always felt safer around trees – especially the towering and shady trees that had so often given him refuge from predators, murderous demons, hostile humans and bad weather. Unlike Sesshomaru, Inuyasha had no power of flight; but he could jump so high into the air and still land so lightly that he often "flew" through treetops and open spaces in enormous bounds – it was nearly as good as flying, over a shorter distance.
He crossed the open space between the red garden and the patch of wood, and entered the cool, tree-shaded area. At once, he soared into the branches of the first sturdy tree he came upon, and surveyed as much of the wood as he could see from there.
It was part of a much larger forest, most of which extended beyond the boundary walls of these grounds. He knew that it was his grandfather and father who had built the castle proper. But from his mother he had heard how his father had explained that the land which now surrounded the castle had been claimed by his dog-demon ancestors for many thousands of years before the castle itself was constructed.
It appeared that when the time came to mark out the demon lords' personal territory with walls of stone, the line they had chosen had run through the forest, and they had built right through that part of the woods, bringing some of the ancient trees within the borders of their land. The forest might even have occupied this entire bounded space to begin with, and perhaps his father's predecessors had cleared most of the trees that eventually fell within the walls. But for some reason, they had left this patch untouched.
He sprang lightly from branch to branch, from tree to tree, until he was at the boundary walls. When he stopped on a branch almost directly above the wall, he could see a small group of guards on patrol along the perimeter looking up at him unhappily, undoubtedly having been given clear orders that the half-demon prince was forbidden to leave the castle grounds, and wondering how they could stop him if he tried. For one thing, he had his great demon-father's blood and was probably stronger than all of them combined; for another, their officers had also given them strict instructions that under no circumstances were they to injure the prince. Naturally, they were less than delighted to see him so close to the wall.
Inuyasha gazed out at the wild forest beyond. It would be so tempting to take another few leaps – just across a few more trees, and he would be out and away – and Sesshomaru would be as mad as hell.
But buoyed by his banter with Jaken that morning, he felt more cheerful about life in general, so he grinned down at the armoured demons by the wall, and yelled to them: "For fuck's sake, wipe those stupid looks off your faces! I'm not going past the wall! If I wanted to, you wouldn't be strong enough to stop me, so it's not like there's any use in looking so damn miserable about it!"
"Your Highness! Lord Sesshomaru says you are too young to be let out alone, and he will have our heads if you go over that wall!" one of them called up to him.
"'Too young' my ass. And why does the rest of that crap sound so familiar? He seems to threaten folk for every tiny reason, doesn't he? "
Inuyasha turned in another direction, and with the great leaps that were so easy for his strong young body to execute, he soared under the tree canopy parallel to the boundary wall until he was out of the guards' sight – and then he stopped and caught his breath.
For right there before him was a splendid, ancient tree, growing in a space somewhat roomier than that which the other trees enjoyed. Although it had a thinner trunk and less foliage than the tree in the village said to be sacred to the gods, it had a grave old air that reminded him of that well-loved giant he had left behind, and told him he had found his very own piece of enchanted forest right here within the castle grounds.
Inuyasha jumped lightly to the ground, approached the great tree, and gazed up at it in wonder. It was so gnarled, yet so strong; almost creaking with age, yet emanating an aura powerful beyond measure. Reverently, he stroked the bark, which was rough without being scratchy, and rock-hard while seeming to breathe and sense the air around it.
He closed his eyes and touched his forehead to the trunk, and at once he felt at peace, as if his cares were but tiny bugs that had lost their bite and could not truly touch him.
"May I?" he asked the tree softly, seeking permission to sit in its branches.
He thought he sensed it whispering back in the silent way trees have of speaking to the ones who know how to listen to them, even on days when there is no wind whistling through their leaves: You are welcome to rest in my arms, little prince.
So Inuyasha leaped into its great, woody limbs, found a comfortable crook between the trunk and one enormous branch, and very quickly drifted off into an afternoon nap filled with peaceful dreams of his mother smiling and laughing, and even of a white-haired, golden-eyed someone who must have been his father, looking at him with kindness and pride.
~ - ~
From a window in the castle, Sesshomaru had seen Inuyasha wander through the gardens, then towards the patch of wood within the boundary wall like a bee towards a flower. It was quite possible that his brother was planning to escape, but the guards had raised no alarm, and Sesshomaru could still see the light-purple fabric of the outfit Natsumi had chosen for the prince to wear today, flashing through the leaves.
Judging by his movements, he did not seem to be planning to flee. Nonetheless, fear grew in Sesshomaru's heart to see him so close to the wall, for the last thing he wanted was to have to bring the boy back by force. An attempted escape could not go unpunished, and it would quite destroy all the efforts he had made these few days to keep him calm and compliant by treating him well.
So the demon lord strode out to the patch of forest, and followed his brother's scent until he found the tree he was resting in.
Of course he would find this tree of all trees, wouldn't he?
The pace of Inuyasha's heartbeat and the rhythm of his breathing, which the demon lord's sharp ears could hear from where he stood, told Sesshomaru that he had fallen asleep. He shook his head, wondering why Inuyasha would choose to nap among scratchy branches when he had a perfectly comfortable bed to sleep in. But he remained silent, standing there on the ground and looking up at the boy for some time until he stirred, sensed his presence, opened his eyes, and stared down at him.
"I'm not required to report to you until dinner time," Inuyasha said with a groan.
Sesshomaru took a deep breath to prevent himself from rebuking the boy for his lack of respect, remembering that he had wished to see him as he truly was, not as he compelled himself to be in the bedroom. Instead, he said: "I see you've found Father's favourite tree."
"This was Father's favourite tree?" Inuyasha asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice.
"Yes, it was. He spent a lot of time out here with it, and he even told me its name: Bokusen'o. He also claimed that the tree had offered him some of its branches to make the scabbards for his swords."
"Really?"
"I wouldn't lie to you," Sesshomaru told him. It was probably true – the demon lord was many things, but he was no liar. "I'll show you those swords and scabbards when I have the time to tell you about them in detail."
"This tree talked to Father?" the prince asked.
"That's what Father told me."
"Yeah?"
"Has it spoken to you?" Sesshomaru inquired. It was difficult to carry on a conversation like this, craning his neck to look at the half-demon perched high above him, but he put up with it because he did not want to jump into the branches uninvited, or float above the ground and invade what little personal space his brother had left to him these days.
"Well, it didn't say no when I asked if I could sit in its branches – but I sure don't hear it giving you permission to do the same," the prince replied.
Despite himself, Sesshomaru almost chuckled. But he kept a straight face and said to Inuyasha: "Very well, enjoy your afternoon in the tree. Don't be late for dinner."
With that, he turned and walked back to the castle, knowing that while he had not lied to his brother, neither had he told him everything. His head filled now with memories of how once, a long time ago, Bokusen'o had talked to him too, until he had begun to live so hedonistically after his father's death that the ancient tree had sniffed, with displeasure, the fumes of wine, blood, lust and sadism that continually rolled off his body, day after day, and heard his bitter speeches about his father's foolishness, and gradually communicated less and less until at last it ceased to breathe another word to him.
Even when Sesshomaru had come to his senses at last, curtailed his own excesses and done his best to rule his lands well, the tree had never spoken to him again.
~ - ~
In that long-ago age, most demons did not believe in farming, considering themselves creatures born to hunt prey and thrive on what the earth could yield them from its wild spaces. But for an establishment as large as the demon lord's castle, it was unfeasible to rely on a supply of food that came from its hunters alone.
So the food for the castle came primarily from standing orders for beef, pork, eggs and vegetables placed with human farmers who owned land within the kingdom's territories and were paid fairly for their produce; from the few hunters employed by the castle to bring back deer, wild fowl, seafood and rabbits; and from the groundsmen who dabbled in growing their own vegetables and raising some poultry.
Occasionally, states under the demon lord's protection would provide tribute in kind when they were short of cash; Sesshomaru had told his administrative staff to be flexible about such matters.
That was what Jaken had mentioned to Inuyasha this morning before their etiquette lesson. And as Inuyasha looked at the spread on the table for dinner, he could only conclude that the human farmers must have had a poultry population explosion of sorts – either that, or the hunters had found no deer and only retrieved fowl – or perhaps tribute had just come in from some state overrun by feathered creatures. For the table was bursting with roasted goose, duck and chicken, braised duck with vegetables, chicken soup with herbs, and egg dishes galore.
Demons often eat their food raw, but it seems that when it comes to poultry, they like it as well cooked as anyone else. Inuyasha loved roast goose and duck, and enjoyed all kinds of egg dishes. He eagerly tucked into the dishes, and also liked the herbal chicken soup when he sipped it, for it tasted almost exactly like what his mother had cooked for him when she was still alive.
"I thought it would be good for you to have a little more variety in your diet for dinner," Sesshomaru told him. "You've had raw beef for three nights now, and I thought it best to give you another type of meat."
"It's great, thanks," Inuyasha murmured, savouring a slice of roast goose, rich with its fat-fragrant smoothness.
Sesshomaru was eating too, happy with his brother's appetite and even enjoying the taste of the food himself.
"I don't often need to eat, except when I have expended a great deal of energy in battle, flight or transformation," the demon lord casually remarked. "But sometimes the taste of food appeals to me. How long can you go without food?"
He wanted to learn more about him, but did not know if Inuyasha would give monosyllabic replies, or go into a sulk at being spoken to. However, spending the afternoon up in the ancient tree seemed to have calmed the half-demon, who answered: "I'm always hungry. But even when I don't eat for days I can still function quite normally. An empty stomach is just unpleasant, that's all."
"You can have whatever you like to eat here, as long as our kitchen staff are able to get it," Sesshomaru assured him.
"I'm not a pig," he stated, through his mouthful of goose.
"I didn't say you were. I may not eat much, but Father had a good appetite, and he loved the taste of skilfully cooked food, although raw meat suited his digestive system better. He liked raw beef, and roast goose, and very lightly cooked eggs. You seem to take after him in so many respects. Your eyes are very like his. But you're nowhere near as tall – although you still have some growing to do."
"Was he taller than you are now?" Inuyasha asked, a hint of interest in his voice, although he made no eye-contact with his brother, focusing only on the food on his plate.
"I believe he was. He was an exceptionally tall demon when in his two-legged form, and was more muscular than I am. I seem to have inherited my mother's slimness of build. Although you don't have my height – yet – or his, your physique is closer to his. But your face – you still have that childlike roundness in your cheeks – and you perhaps have something of your mother's features too."
Here, Sesshomaru caressed Inuyasha's face with his left hand, causing Inuyasha to swallow his last mouthful of food and put his cutlery down.
"What time do you want me in your room tonight?" he asked Sesshomaru coldly.
"I was thinking earlier today, in our patch of forest, that you seemed rather tired. You still look a bit drawn. You need not go to my room. Rest in yours, and have an early night. I won't bother you – but if you want to talk, or wish for my company for some reason, you are more than welcome to come over."
Inuyasha looked as if he thought Sesshomaru had lost his mind.
"So… I can go to my room now if I want? For the rest of the night?" he asked warily.
"Yes, you may," the demon lord said, amused by his brother's disbelieving air, but also a little injured that Inuyasha did not want to stay longer in his presence.
The half-demon put his napkin aside, pushed his chair back, gave Sesshomaru a quick but formal little bow, and left the dining room, leaving his brother looking after him over a table brimming with dead birds which the servants would no doubt thoroughly enjoy for their supper.
~ - ~
"I don't really need another soak, but I do want to wash my hair, so please prepare my bath quick and let me jam the door shut with a piece of furniture after you go, before he changes his mind," Inuyasha told Natsumi once he was back in his rooms, and found the racoon demon girl getting his night things ready.
"Changes his mind…?" she asked, not understanding what he meant.
"He says he doesn't need me tonight – if I'm at all lucky, it means he's getting tired of me. But whatever it means, right now it simply tells me that I can sleep unmolested all night. So what have you got for me to wash my hair with?"
Natsumi smiled at his haste, and showed him the jars and glass containers in the bathroom that held cleansing and fragrant herbal concoctions that were good for hair, and white vinegar which could also be used for cleaning or rinsing.
She left him alone in the bathroom and busied herself putting his laundered garments neatly away in the right wardrobes and chests, and looking through some outfits on hangers to see what would be best for him to wear tomorrow, until she heard him call out a little sheepishly: "Uh… Natsumi… sorry, but could you come in for a moment please? I need a bit of help."
"How can I help you, Your Highness?" she asked, hurrying in to find him crouched deep in the bath, trying not to expose himself to her, but holding the glass bottle above the water.
She had to hide a giggle as he muttered: "How am I supposed to use this herbal thing? Just pour it over, or what?"
"If you will allow me, Your Highness…" she said, kneeling by the bath and reaching over to take the bottle from him. She poured a little of it into the palm of her hand, went around behind him, spread the liquid over the top of his head, rubbed her hands together to spread the remainder over her palms and fingers, then massaged the concoction into his scalp to absorb what dirt and grease there was. Very gently, she rubbed it around his triangular ear flaps too, taking care not to get any of it into the ear canals. She poured out a little more, and smoothed it over the length of his silver hair.
Inuyasha melted under her fingertips. It felt so good, and she was as gentle as his mother had been, careful not to snag his hair with her little claws or pull his ear flaps. After that, he trusted her to scoop up some of the bath water in a small container and pour it over his hair, making sure to avoid his ears and warning him in a soothing voice to close his eyes in case some of the water ran down his face. To clean the herbal liquid off the backs of his ear flaps, she wet her hands with water repeatedly and rubbed the downy fur and soft skin until they squeaked.
"Now for the vinegar rinse," she said softly, diluting some of the clear vinegar with water so it didn't smell so tart, while retaining its crisp scent. Asking him to tip his head back, she poured the solution over his tresses, making sure most of it ran onto the floor and not back into the bath, combed it through his fringe and smoothed it down his sidelocks, and he was done.
"Shall I help you with the rest of your bath, Your Highness?" she asked, a little cheekily, for she knew what his reaction would be.
"Natsumi," Inuyasha gave a mock-growl. "What I like about you is that you don't do all kinds of things to my unclothed body."
"Very well, Your Highness," she said with a smile, and left him to soothe his limbs and muscles in the deliciously hot water.
When she decided that he must have sat in the water long enough to turn into a prune, she called out to him, and he reluctantly left the bath to let her dry his hair and clean the insides of his ears, and ask if the sleepwear she had set out was to his liking.
"It's fine," he said impatiently. "Now shoo. I'm going to bed."
He ushered her out before hoisting up one of the heavier chests and jamming it behind the door – not that it would stop Sesshomaru, but at least it would give him warning if his brother changed his mind about leaving him alone and tried to slip in.
Not knowing about the secret passage gave him full peace of mind as he jumped into his big, comfortable bed and burrowed down under the covers for a nice, peaceful night of rest. And all alone too, he thought, the gods be thanked.
- 9
- 10
- 11
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The Tale of the Demon Lord