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Devotion	By : BlackberryPatch Category: InuYasha > Yaoi - Male/Male > InuYasha/Sessh?maru > InuYasha/Sessh?maru Views: 12488 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
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Chapter List
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13
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Shifting, Whispering Sand

The sun stared down at him with fierce scrutiny as he moved and Sesshomaru glared with his own dark rage at all about him. The desert spread away from him in all directions in a formless vastness
that irrationally enraged him by being what it was, but he doggedly stuck to what course he could make. Inuyasha was here, somewhere... He could catch the vague scent of his brother, but it was the other demon he tracked- its scent was strong. He did not think about how strong the demon had been in person as well. That level of strength in another being was something Sesshomaru had never encountered before... A shiver of apprehension rippled over his skin and he felt cool for a moment even under the burning heat of the sun. Why had it taken Inuyasha? Even more than
his appalling inability to prevent the action, the action itself demanded some sort of explanation.
Movement in the distance made him pause. Narrowing his eyes against the glare of the sun Sesshomaru made out what appeared to be a caravan of humans mounted on camels; for lack of any other landmark or directional information, he approached them.
They were intent upon their course and he was close enough that he could see the fear that sparked in their eyes before any member of the caravan spotted him. He stood impassively as they scurried about with murmurs of ifrit and watched with some small humor as what appeared to be the head of the group approached him. "Oh great and powerful demon," the man addressed him in flowing Arabic, bowing low, "We merely pass by this place as we journey in search of Afzal, who surely is known to you."
Sesshomaru frowned thoughtfully as he ran through the man's words in his head. Afzal? The name was unfamiliar but he assumed it was the name of a powerful local demon; he wondered absently if it had been the same one he had encountered before.
Apparently unnerved by Sesshomaru's lack of response to his words, the headman continued in a
slightly more ingratiating tone. "We bring tribute to Afzal, but your greatness is such that we will give it to you instead, since you are surely more deserving." Since they had seen nothing to justify
this opinion, Sesshomaru wondered what it was they brought as tribute to this Afzal since they seemed to readily desire being rid of it. He got his answer as a figure was pulled from the back of one of the camels and dragged forth, kicking and cursing.
"No!" A throaty masculine voice cried out. "I won't go back there!" The figure was dragged as close to Sesshomaru as the nervous men seemed capable of approaching before they thrust it closer to him. The figure stumbled and fell to its knees. Its hands were bound behind it, Sesshomaru could see, and it shook the disarrayed headscarf out of its face to glare up at him.
The face that glared at him in fearful anger did indeed belong to a young man, but despite his tanned
skin and dark hair so like the local populace the man was obviously not human. Sesshomaru felt something inside of him jerk in recognition of the importance of that as he reached out and grabbed the man by the chin, raising his face to the sunlight. Slitted, cats eyes narrowed against the light as pointed, furred ears not unlike his brother's were slicked back against this stranger's head in apprehension and unease. "You are half blood," Sesshomaru observed aloud; unnecessarily as well since he had made the observation in Japanese and the young man's only response to the unfamiliar words was to continue watching him suspiciously.
"This is the last of our tribute," the headman was yelling in his direction and Sesshomaru released the half demon to look back at the quickly departing caravan of humans. "We have no more of what Afzal seeks, though should that change we will most assuredly contact him. Please relay our message when you meet with him, oh exalted one." The headman bowed deeply, then scrambled onto his camel as fast as he could and rode after the others.
Sesshomaru watched them go with an amused contempt. The half demon stayed where he had been tossed in the sand, eyes wary, and jumped when Sesshomaru reached for him again. But the demon only reached behind his new companion and tore the metal shackles from where they bound the half demon's hands. "What is your name?" he asked the young half demon, speaking Arabic now, his eyes still watching the departing caravan.
"Badr," was the quiet answer as the young man rubbed his chaffed wrists. He hesitated, still
eyeing Sesshomaru guardedly, then asked with reluctance and apprehension, "Did Afzal
send you?"
"No," Sesshomaru confirmed. Folding his arms and frowning he turned his gaze to Badr where the half demon still knelt on the sand. "I do not know this Afzal. Tell me of him."
Badr shook his head vigorously, jumping to his feet and backing away slowly. "The only thing you
need to know about Afzal is that I'm going to get as far away from him as I can."
Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at that statement, but was prevented from commenting to Badr how much that was not going to happen by the soft rustling of something moving against the sand. He turned toward the sound, but it was what he heard next that confirmed the identity of the creature that moved there.
"Afzal," the creature murmured in a voice that grew stronger, "Afzal- I know him. M'lord, it is bad luck to seek one such as Afzal."
Sesshomaru sighed. "Kunya."
The demon seemed immeasurably pleased to be recognized and he crawled out from behind a pile of sand to crouch at Sesshomaru's feet. "M'lord, I lost track of you for awhile, but I followed the humans and I have found you again!" He giggled insanely, delighted. Badr was watching Kunya with an expression that wavered between disgust and fear and was still backing away slowly.
He might not have any idea who Afzal was, but Sesshomaru had the feeling he'd hit upon the direction he needed to follow to find Inuyasha. "Kunya," he barked, his voice hard and dangerous, "I will seek Afzal. If you do care for this, leave." He leapt forward and grabbed Badr by the arm, the
young half breed yelling in alarm. "You will show me where to find this Afzal." He tone brokered no argument, and Badr nodded slowly, still scowling.
Kunya crept closer. "I will go with you as well M'lord," he whined, and glared evilly at Badr.
While potentially useful, these were most certainly not the companions he would have chosen and Sesshomaru sighed, suppressing the sudden urge to rub his temples. This was not likely to be a
pleasant journey, but as long as it ended wherever Inuyasha was he didn't care.
--
Inuyasha followed behind Afzal as his host lead him back under the shelter of the tall, broad-leafed trees of the oasis and he raised his face to a breeze as it stirred past them; the desert climate was stifling and his clothing was certainly not designed for it. Despite the initial positive impression he'd had of his host he'd refused the offer of a change of clothing.
"The desert truly does go on for quite a ways," Afzal was saying as he looked back out over the sand with an odd look of fondness. "Though not forever." He grinned. "It is several weeks to the next oasis, in any direction. Several days still even if you travel with demonic speed."
Something about that information tickled at the back of Inuyasha's mind, but he didn't dwell on it and
turned back to the wonderful peace that surrounded him. "This is... amazing," he said, grudgingly maybe, but with utter truth in the words as he let his eyes drift over the oasis again. It didn't matter that he'd spent most of the day viewing every corner of the haven, he still felt like every time he looked at it, he was seeing it for the first time.
The oasis seemed large, covering several dozen acres, though Inuyasha knew didn't really have anything to compare it to. Afzal had turned it into a sanctuary for those like himself- half demons. The roughly two and a half dozen beings that called the oasis home, all of them were half bloods.
His eyes were drinking in the details of the place yet again as he and his host made their way back to the central building, Afzal's house where he'd awoken earlier. Many shapes moved under the trees, though fewer than there had been earlier now that the heat of the day was growing, and all of them were half demons. The thought nearly blew his mind; not one of them looked wary or fearful as he walked past, not one of them looked ready to hide on the chance humans, or demons, should
suddenly appear to persecute them. A group of children in the courtyard before the house was laughing and playing what looked like some sort of kick-ball game. They were mostly human featured but their mixed parentage was evident in strangely shaped eyes or ears and the occasionally present tails or wings. Inuyasha paused to watch them as they played; children's games didn't hold any particularly good memories for him and it surprised him how much he was pleased that these kids wouldn't be able to say the same thing.
Afzal paused beside him, looking justifiably proud. "Thank you. It has been hard work, but I feel that it has been worth it." He closed his eyes and raised his face to the sun, letting the warmth of
both it and the children's laughter wash over him. "I constructed this place to be a haven for others of mixed blood," he said affirmatively, "persecuted as they are so often, by both humans and demons." His face darkened. "Sometimes they are sold to me, by their own kin, because the humans feel it will buy them some protection from me should I grow wrathful toward them." He shook his head, expression clearing as he turned to Inuyasha and smiled. "There are thirty-two half bloods living here at this time, and I am pleased that I could have provided them with this- the security to live peacefully."
Inuyasha nodded as he looked back out over the oasis one more time but remained silent as they made their way back into the cooler inner building. Once they were inside he said mildly, "You are powerful, to have been able to make this and keep it."
Afzal's smile turned harsh and bitterly pleased with itself. "There have been many who have tried
to take it away from me," he confessed. "But yes, I have been granted the power to keep them all away from my paradise."
Inuyasha let the peaceful lassitude of the oasis steal over him as he thought and there was silence for a moment again as they walked. "Your energy is so... focused," he said at last. "You don't feel like a half demon. You don't feel like... anyone I've ever met before."
Afzal smiled again. The expression was almost catlike, secretive. "Yes," he said in a tone that
did not invite more comment.
Inuyasha was used to ignoring that tone. "Why is that?"
"I suppose there is reason for it." Afzal's voice was brittle now.
Inuyasha stopped in the middle of in the hallway. "Yeah? What is it?"
Afzal turned back to him, the smile gone. He eyed Inuyasha up and down in stark evaluation.
"Pleasant though I find you, I have known you for less than the span of the moon's passing. For what reason should I trust you with my secrets?"
Inuyasha scowled and he looked away; there was a reason for his curiosity, and it wasn't just to anger the other half demon. The walls of the hall were latticed to let the breeze flow through this area and Inuyasha let his eyes be drawn out through the decoratively patterned cut wood to
catch sight of a pair of young half demons in an impassioned embrace, one of them giggling in adolescent exuberance as she broke away from her partner to run coyly through the garden as her partner pursued.
"I struggle to find balance," he said finally, voice somber. "The demon takes over when I... when
my life is threatened. And every time that happens it... eats part of my soul and I..." He trailed off. "I don't want to lose myself to it." He echoed words he had said on a previous occasion to a different audience and he had to squeeze his eyes shut because not even Tetsusaiga at his side was any comfort with Sesshomaru absent.
He felt Afzal move beside him and he turned his head to look up at the other man. Afzal's eyes were sympathetic and he rested a companionable hand on Inuyasha's shoulder. Even before the other man spoke Inuyasha knew what he was going to say. "I understand," were the words that slipped from the other half demon's lips and Inuyasha knew that he truly did understand, in a way no one else ever had. He knew it was a battle that Afzal had himself fought- and won.
Inuyasha reached up to touch the other man's face, brushing dark hair away from piercing dark eyes. "When I look at you and feel your energy I know you have found that balance." He pulled back and turned toward the wall, arms folded over his chest. "That is something I... want. Very much. I know we're not exactly friends or anything, but, great as your oasis is, I don't want it. I'm not trying to threaten what you have here, I have my own life to get back to; I just..." He shifted his weight and resisted the urge to glance at his companion. "I don't think I could ever find anyone else like you, who could teach me about this."
Afzal sighed, his other arm coming up and he embraced Inuyasha briefly. "It is something it took me a long time to find," he responded with a calm intensity Inuyasha had never heard from the other man before. "But it is something I believe I can help you with."
Inuyasha smiled quickly, then ducked his head. "Thank you," he said simply, wondering at himself
and his own actions around this man. For all the dangerous power Afzal held, he was unassuming and easy to talk to.
Afzal 's devoted page came barreling down the hallway toward them; he scrambled to a halt as he
realized he'd found his lord and babbled out his message. Afzal frowned thoughtfully, and nodded affirmation of receipt of the message. The page bowed slightly in response and scampered away again.
"Well." Afzal turned to Inuyasha. "That is the end of your tour I'm afraid; duty calls. I have other
visitors I must attend to; men have come and wish to speak with me."
Inuyasha frowned. "'Men'? You mean... humans? They trade with you?"
Afzal shrugged dismissively. "The oasis is self sufficient, so we have no need to trade for any
necessity. However, I do provide the Empire with some few things that only I can give them; in exchange they give me information concerning the location of persecuted half bloods." He smiled.
"Playing allies also prevents the annoyance of having them attempt to usurp me or to place a military base nearby."
Inuyasha felt his flesh crawl as he remembered his last encounter with organized military forces.
"What empire?"
Afzal shrugged again, frowning in annoyance. "Whatever the current human empire calls itself.
I've given up attempting to remember their names." He paused, peering closely at Inuyasha's face. "What is it?"
Inuyasha shrugged. "I... had a disagreeable run in with... some military types, a couple months ago, that's all."
"Oh?" His host pressed. "How disagreeable?"
He tried to suppress his reaction, but Inuyasha knew his lip was curling in distaste when he talked about it. "Their hunters have some sort of oil, when it mixes with your blood it... I dunno, turns off your demon I guess."
Afzal smiled his secretive half-smile. "Yes, I know it. I should- I invented it."
--
Sesshomaru watched Badr in the bright moonlight as the half demon stood from his crouch. "We will be there soon." He turned to Sesshomaru, ducking his head respectfully but with the far more believable purpose of hiding his omnipresent scowl. "By next sunset, if we don't stop."
Sesshomaru nodded but didn't move, standing and regarding Badr carefully even as Kunya slipped past them and continued ahead in the darkness. "What do you know of Afzal?" he asked the young half blood again.
Badr sighed, scowling even more fiercely. "He's a goddamn manipulative bastard," he growled out.
"Is that enough?" He turned to follow Kunya, but Sesshomaru's hand on his wrist stopped him. "Look," the half demon said testily, "telling you anything isn't going to get me out of going back to that place, so why the hell should I?" He pulled his hand away, and Sesshomaru let him go. If the half demon wasn't going to be forthcoming he wasn't in the mood to push for more just yet; there
was time for that later. Sesshomaru turned toward the moon for a moment, letting its light fall over him before he moved after his companions.
--
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