Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

Higurashi	By : WillowCarlisle Category: InuYasha > Het - Male/Female > Sessh?maru/Kagome > Sessh?maru/Kagome Views: 21294 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.

Chapter List
- 10
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"You plan to do WHAT?!?"
Those annoyingly critical eyes, that Inuyasha remembered used to be filled with depthless nothingness, now roiled with the more frequent flickerings of amusement. And more terrifying yet, a reckless and careless determination. The eighteenth century had found them living life in seclusion, high upon a mountain pass, caught between the higher and lower moving ningen battalions . Human revolt against demonkind led to the destruction of thousands of ranking demon lords, sending the few that remained into exile from their own lands. Frightfully enough, Sesshoumaru hadn't been exempt from such. What had once been Miyako, the kingdom of the great Inutaisho, was now Kyoto, rural citadel of a trio of warring shogun. A century's time had seen to the besiegement, and inevitable overtaking, of a larger portion of the western province.
In the clash between the two advancing armies, the demon lord had refused Inuyasha's hand, opting instead to face off against over 180,000 human soldiers. Alone. It was years after he'd been forced to drag his brother's barely-living body away from the massacre, and into the shadow of the great Mt.Fuji, that Inuyasha had begun to forgive that stupid mistake. And now, looking down the barrel of yet another uncharacteristically dim-witted decision on Sesshoumaru's part, he had to wonder precisely which of the two of them was leading the other this time around.
"Must I repeat myself?" the elder demon asked off-handedly, rising from the low wooden desk where he'd been seated for nearly seven hours.
"Sekigahara wasn't enough for you, was it?" Inuyasha demanded, pacing the floor as he'd done at least a dozen times that evening. "Now you wanna go wading through fucking ningen strongholds to get to Mount Fuji? What the hell could you possibly find at the top of a stinking volcano?"
Sesshoumaru sighed, looking out the window of the castle's second floor study. He had no need for such arguments. To this moment, he still wondered why he felt compelled to reveal his decisions to the boy. It had to be the close proximity; living in such meager dwellings, for so long a period of time, with the hanyou. Even Jaken, long before his foolish sacrifice to the damnable human forces, had not been so easy to procure information from him. True, in this new land wrought with invading armies and blood-hungry warlords, his word was no longer law. In this new castle, a mere shadow of his ancestors� grand estates, he was equal, not master. But within their bond, as boy and brother, he would retain the final word. That was as it should be. That would never change.
He'd been robbed his right, as taiyoukai and daimyou of the surrounding human establishments, to die in defense of his land. That was an honor he had deemed worthy to place above his own name. Be it by human hand or not, none could question his power. Nearly 200,000 of their strongest, and he had withstood them of his own accord. The miko was the one to blame. It was only because of that aged wench's unexpected purification spells that he had faltered. And even then, death by a power he would have confessed to be greater than his own was an honorable death indeed.
But he had not died then. And for this, he had spent the greater part of a half century conspiring for the day he would regain his dignity. And that day was growing near.
"Are you fucking listening to me?!?"
He bypassed the hanyou's protests, moving toward the doors without a backward glance. Passing along the brightly lit corridor, he did his best not to cringe at the stench of the humans that resided beneath his very feet. Yes that, too, was the hanyou's doing. Enlisting the aid of these foul beings to maintain the appearances that he, Sesshoumaru, was of the few demon lords who tolerated and �aided� the humans. The indignity of residing beneath the same roof as these... insects... That too would soon have to be rectified.
"M-my lord?"
The tiny voice startled him slightly, coming seemingly from nowhere and everywhere at once, as he recovered from his momentary lapse into unawareness. He glanced beyond his left shoulder to the young girl that had addressed him. Yet another human to add to the growing list, he surmised. She was small. Much smaller than he, by an entire head and a half. The delicate arch of her neck, the slender swoop of her waist, were evidence of her fragility. The frailty of humans.
�Mamoru-sama has sent me to inform you that there are guests awaiting your presence, my lord,� she hurried on, her cheeks flushed as she bowed deeply, her eyes lowered.
He glared down at the little creature with the emerald eyes. She may have been considered beautiful, in the eyes of the human men. Her features were not as unbearably bland as most that serviced his home. And with hair an unusual shade of bronze, she was an oddity among the rest. A rarity� but an imposition all the same.
�Remove yourself from my sight,� he growled, noting with subtle interest that his words seemed to strike more fear into this one that all the others. �You will inform this �Mamoru� that I refuse to be bothered with such trivialities.�
He made to continue, but froze in his tracks, eyes widened as small hands reached out to grasp the material of his haori. He whirled on the girl, barely reigning in his fury as watery eyes looked up beseechingly at him.
�Please, my lord�� she whimpered piteously, tugging at his garments. �Please.. Mamoru� he will beat us, if we do not comply with his wishes��
�What concern is that of mine?�
Her eyes widened, the tears brimming and flowing freely down her ivory cheeks. She loosened her grip, wringing her tiny hands together as she backed slowly away. Eyes downcast once more, she muttered a hasty apology before scurrying away on noisy little bare feet. He narrowed his eyes, turning only to find Inuyasha leaning against the wall behind him, a look of consternation on his face.
�You know, you coulda been a little nicer to the kid,� the hanyou grunted, glaring at him. �Least you could do is go see who�s at the fuckin door.�
He ignored the comment, stepping around the arrogant boy as he continued toward his chambers. �I bear no such interest in appeasing these insignificant beasts. If you choose to cater to the girl�s wishes, then you may feel free to do so. It is within your blood to do their bidding, is it not?�
The sardonic grunt was soon to follow. �Can�t you tell she likes you, you ass? Hell if I know why, but she probably went out of her way to make sure she�s the one who comes to get you. Now she�s gonna get beaten for it, and you don�t give a flying shit, do you?�
He turned, accepting the obvious challenge for a spar, but the boy had already slipped away. Sesshoumaru frowned, glaring at the spot the hanyou had been standing in. Breathing deeply, he could still make out the girl�s scent above the disgusting odor of humanity.
It is none of my concern.
Squaring off his shoulders, he went along his way. There were more pressing issues to be dealt with.
*~~~
�No!! Stop it!�
The scream came to his ears as clearly as if the very creature uttering the sound were standing above his head. He knew the tones. Knew the desperate lilt a voice would develop when it�s owner was overcome with fear. Knew, also, the distinct grunts and sounds of struggle of a human bent on having his way over one who tried to physically surmount him.
So� he would find this more suitable a punishment for something so immaterial?
A strangled cry echoed somewhere further below the castle foundations, muffled most assuredly by boxes and crates. A scraping noise followed, and that by a tearing of cloth.
Rising in one fluid motion, Sesshoumaru walked to the balcony rail. He had taken a liking to this room. It was an empty chamber. The only one in the entire estate. This room, separated from the others by a connecting corridor, then spreading further outward with a wide shaded veranda, was a place he could find piece from the majority of the human sounds and scents. It was to the far eastern side of the great building, overlooking spacious fields and rivers below the hillside the castle was situated upon. It also overlooked the large compound that the humans utilized for storage.
Eyes cast downward over the rail, he could clearly make out the wooden doors to the shack the humans had created. Within the small rotund building were piles of wheat, rice, and numerous other substances used to feed and clothe the inhabitants of his home. There were tumblers of American ale and barrels of artifacts brought in by foreign vessels fifty years prior; these kept prohibited from human hands due to their rarity, with such trades now banned by the ningen shogunate. But it was not the magnitudes of odd possessions that struck his interest this night. No. It was the sickening sound of a man forcing himself upon a young woman that drew his attention to the shack.
Eyes set upon his quarry, Sesshoumaru rested a hand against the wooden banister, hoisting himself up and over it, and soaring through the air to land soundlessly at the shack�s doors a good distance below. He moved smoothly between hanging racks of cloth, past rails of weaponry and bails of rice. The scent of tears met him as he rounded a final corner.
"Stop! Please, Mamoru-sama! Please!�
A torn blue kimono. A hard bare back, half-covered by a shock of jet black hair. The glint of a bone-handled knife as it settled itself again the familiar curve of a delicate ivory cheek.
�Shut your mouth, girl,� the gravely voice hissed. �I warned you before. But words and fists do nothing for you, do they? You�re more than ready to fuck that disgusting beast, but you�d push your own kind aside?!? A monster such as he wants nothing to do with you! But I will gladly take what you so willingly surrender to him!�
He had had enough.
�A beast, am I?�
The startled rustle of clothing. The clatter of a blade hitting the wooden floor. The look of disbelief. Then came the part that he enjoyed the most. Realization begetting fear, fear begetting desperation. And desperation bringing subjugation to the forefront as an initiation of the game.
�M-my lord! It isn�t as it seems, your Grace��
He was a youth. Perhaps twenty ningen years, if even that. Sesshoumaru found himself frowning once again. How did one such as this gain appointment as dictator of his grounds? He would have a talk with Inuyasha. And once he�d beaten some sense into the boy, he would turn his attentions to the task of reorganizing the mess the hanyou had undoubtedly made of his staff.
�Grace�� he murmured the word, trying to decipher what emotion the word left within its wake. �Would you have me believe you find this �beast� to be gracious?�
The boy was faltering already. He would have to end the torture soon, before the thing wet itself in fright�
�Well� What I meant��
�You will return to the courtyards,� he spat, outlining his bored tone with just enough venom to set the boy�s knees to shaking. �You will remain there until I find some modicum of interest to deal with you.�
�Y-yes sir!� Mamoru yelped, scurrying to gather his things as he made for the door.
�Do not run, human,� Sesshoumaru hissed just loudly for the man to hear as he shied past the unmoving demon. �If you run� I will find you. And I will kill you.�
A light gasp had him turning his attention back to the girl. Her auburn eyes looked up to him in both fear and relief. She struggled to gather her kimono, her cheeks flaring beneath the stream of fresh tears that flowed from her eyes. She sniffled loudly, wiping at her face with trembling hands.
�You� You must think me the lowest of whores��
He watched her move to cover her bruised shoulders with the tattered material. Stepping forward slowly, he lowered himself to one knee. Her eyes grew large as she looked up at him. Her breath came in labored pants, and she scurried away as he lifted a hand. Ignoring her actions, he undid the ties to his outer haori and lifted it from his shoulders.
�What are you---�
She stared in confusion as he held the thing out to her, and he refused to acknowledge the brief flutter of emotion as her face filled with hope and appreciation.
�You are a virgin,� he spoke matter-of-factly as she pulled the robe about her. �I can only assume one would first have to experience the physical aspects of being a whore to be labeled as such.�
Her laughter took him by surprise. Her very aura seemed to fill with light and humor as she giggled to herself, her tiny fingers clutching the golden material of the haori.
�My lord is quite humorous,� she breathed, struggling to her own feet as he rose. �I� Thank you. For your kindness. And for� for saving me��
Again, her eyes filled, and he nearly took a step backward as the girl flung herself into his arms. He didn�t dare to touch the quivering mass of ungodly emotions as she wailed into the fabric of his undercoat. He merely stood, shocked beyond compare at both her audacity to touch him in such a manner, and at his unwillingness to push the thing away from him. Her tiny hands crept along his sides, locking behind him and deepening the embrace.
�It is not your power as a youkai that stirs these feelings within me,� she whispered brokenly, pressing her cheek into his chest. �It is your heart, my lord. This beautiful heart of yours that makes me love you so��
Without warning, she hurried past him, running quicker than he�d thought her capable of across the earthen path and into the dark shadow of the castle. The scraping of wood told him that she had slipped inside through the servants� entrance. He looked down at the moist spot the girl had left in her tearful wake.
Kindness?
Taking the material between his two claws, he lifted it away from his skin.
A beautiful heart...?
The girl was obviously mistaken. He had interfered with that mongrel's distasteful actions simply because... because...
The frown deepened.
My lord is quite humorous... Thank you. For your kindness�
He allowed his eyes to fall to the spot where she'd been sitting. Kneeling, he picked up the blade that lay there, looking over the glistening steel point. He could smell her blood here... Could feel the faint traces of it along the blade's edge... He glared down at the bits of blue silk that still remained from the kimono Mamoru had destroyed in his greedy haste. There was a faint smell of blood there as well.
The boy had injured her in some way. Most likely to threaten the girl; to force her to do what he demanded. With a sudden flare of garments, Sesshoumaru moved determinedly out of the shack and toward the castle courtyard. His mind was made up. Mamoru would be soundly punished. And once that punishment was made clear before the eyes of every human on staff, the bastard would be disposed of.
Not for the sake of the girl, his mind immediately rationalized. I will make him an example for those who defy my sovereignty. I will not have this behavior within my domain.
�Inuyasha��
The boy was at his side the instant the name was uttered.
�Gather the servants here immediately.�
�What�d you do?� the hanyou demanded, staring at the shuddering form that awaited them as they entered the courtyard. �What�s going on?�
�I will not repeat myself.�
With a shrug, the boy set off in the direction of the main entrance. He could hear the hanyou barking orders left and right, effectively setting the humans into motion as a stampede of footsteps flooded outward into the gravelly yard. The eyes of nearly fifty or so servants were upon him now. Keeping his eyes trained on the half-naked man before him, he sought out the girl�s presence, finding it near the back of the crowd.
�It has come to my attention that there are some among you who have suffered at this man�s hand,� he began, just loudly enough for them all to hear. �You bend to his will. You conform to his orders.�
He let his eyes wander to the face of the bronze-haired girl. �You cower beneath his strength.�
�He�s head of your guards,� Inuyasha put in, flopping down nonchalantly on the entranceway steps. �He�s been in charge of keeping everybody in check� since you don�t exactly wanna do it yourself��
He ignored the insolence in the hanyou�s tone, instead allowing his eyes to wander, for the first time in twelve years, over the faces of the humans that served him. Some looked on in wonder, some in indifference, but none in fear or in respect. And none, save for one, in reverence. He returned his blistering gaze to the man that had sought to destroy that one gentle force.
�There is but one here that should invoke such feeling within creatures such as yourselves,� he murmured darkly.
He extended his hand slowly, his knuckles realigning themselves as the poison ducts within them inflamed and began to excrete a noxious fume.
�Watch carefully, humans. As you will learn, this day, precisely who that �beast� truly is.�

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