Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

The Hot Springs	By : kuronekosama Category: InuYasha > General Views: 17152 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.

Chapter List
- 14
- 15
- 16
Author Notes:

nani: �what?�
fushichou youkai: phoenix demon
youki: demon energy
katana: sword
haori: formal Japanese male coat
suman: a more masculine, more familiar form of �I�m sorry.�

Chapter Fifteen of The Hot Springs

~~~~~~High Above the Forest~~~~~~

Toku�s thoughts were running amok in his head. They had to stop for the night rather than move on, somewhat due to the wounded fire demons in their care. Normally, they would keep going until they could see the black rooftops of their new northern mansion, but tonight�it was Genbu�s turn. Looking at the setting sun, which was only perhaps half an hour from sinking behind the horizon, he then swerved his head to the left, finding the face of his younger brother. His brows turned down in confusion at the listless, deflated expression he saw. �Nani?

Lending his attention to the girl in Genbu�s arms, he wondered what the matter was. She still had color in her cheeks. It was an odd color, but it was there. His younger brother felt his eyes upon him and turned to lend his gaze to Toku. The confusion was the most obvious emotion in Genbu�s eyes.

Holding the girl a bit closer, he shook his head.

Toku�s shoulders fell a bit. She died after all. Even though he knew neither of these strange demons, he felt angry. His first impression was that Tenrai seemed like a gentle person, but Toku knew that looks could be deceiving. He was resolute to get the whole story out of her sister, and then decide who was right, but he felt angry, all the same. It was an emotion he did not feel often, and usually summoned using his own will in order to fight well in battle. He knew his father would not approve of feeling something that had no cause, tri tried to suppress it.

Hoping that the stopping point he had been racing to get to would soon come over the horizon, Toku broke eye contact with his brother, glaring in front of him as if to command their destination to arrive to them rather than the other way around.

Genbu felt very odd holding a dead body. The spark of life was gone from her skin, and now no longer held the olive tone he had earlier admired but was turning a strange red color, unlike the blue tone that tinted human skin when their blood coagulated post-mortem. The scent of brimstone now laced her sweeter smell, which was quickly fading, but his eyes became distracted by the change in her hair, which looked to be bleeding. It was slowly turning white from the tips to the roots, as if her body were pulling in the red color. He watched it for quite a while, half-wondering if her irises were also turning white. Even the demon markings, barely visible on her neck from underneath the large haori, were paling.

It somehow reminded him of his mother, and the day she died. Genbu�s head jerked upward in sudden thought, and his mind worked furiously.

That army�

Genbu whipped his head over to his brother, about to relate his revelation, but didn�t have the chance as Ikkatsu cried out in anguish.

�Iyaaa! Tenraaaiii!� Ikkatsu had just woken up, and had looked over to her sister to check on her progress. Seeing the paling hair, she automatically knew that Tenrai had been dead for some time. She covered her mouth with her hands, and the tears streaming down her face created steam, having left the scalding body of fire demon. Toku set his hand on her shoulder, and said in a calm voice,

�We will bury her when we land tonight, unless you would rather take her home.� Genbu moved his phoenix closer to them. Ikkatsu shook her head, needing a few seconds to get control of her sobs.

�W-we won�t n-need to,� she managed to get out, still lending her watery gaze to Tenrai�s limp features. �Her b-body will return to f-flames in p-probably a f-few m-minutes.� Genbu looked down at Tenrai�s body in wonder, imagining the immense power housed within her body, released only in death or upon her own will.

�There it is,� Toku suddenly rushed out, pointing ahead of them to a ravine that cut through the land. There were many caves along the inside walls, which was fortunate, especially since the sun was merely a few minutes from setting completely. Toku and Genbu steered the fushichou youkai close to the ground until they were skimming the treetops, and abruptly sunk down, entering the ravine and quickly descending to the bottom. Genbu noticed that Tenrai�s hair was almost white at this point, and looked around for a place to lay down her body. Seeing a few flat rocks near the middle of the ravine, he climbed down from the phoenix. He could hear the its caws and the sound of its tail swishing behind him as he navigated the rocky terrain with Tenrai in his arms. Her body had not yet stiffened the way he had seen with dead humans, probably because of the warmth yet remaining in the tissue of her body.

His ears picked up the sound of Ikkatsu limping along behind him, trying to catch up. Arriving at the rocks, he laid her body down as gently as he could. A wave of heat rose from her body as he leaned back, and Genbu backed up a few steps, watching smoke rise from the folds in her clothing. Ikkatsu stood next to him, one hand over her mouth as she watched her younger sister begin to burn away. Genbu looked down at his red haori, seeing the dried stains of blood on the stomach of his shirt. A flash of light made him look up again, and he felt his brother�s presence on the other side of Ikkatsu. Tenrai�s body was suddenly engulfed with flames, burning a harsh, scalding red. Ikkatsu cried a bit harder, her shoulders shaking.

�May her soul rest in peace,� Genbu said, watching as her body very quickly disintegrated, not even leaving ash behind as a trace that she was once here. Ikkatsu suddenly turned away, limping back towards the fushichou youkai as if she couldn�t stand to watch anymore. Toku closely followed her, leaving Genbu to watch the last of Tenrai�s body disappear in a cloud of smoke. He felt his demonic blood fading away as well, and once again was reminded of his mother while the monthly fear of vulnerability also returned to him. Turning abruptly as his earlier thought struck him again, he quickly walked back, finding the cave that Toku and he had once shared before with several of their closest followers. The phoenix demons were huddled close against the wall and against each other, already snoring. Inside, Toku had placed a few blankets on the hard rock floor of the cave, and Ikkatsu sat on one of them, holding a small cloth to her eyes. Genbu motioned to Toku, and the elder brother stepped outside, noticing that Genbu�s hair was now as black as their mother�s.

�I�ve been thinking about that army back there,� Genbu began, his voice low. He wasn�t sure if fire demons had as good a sense of hearing as his own family, and so spoke at a whisper. Toku nodded, waiting for him to continue.

�Do you remember what okaasan said last night at dinner? About where she used to live? She was the servant of a lord near the border between otousan�s land and the northern land. Then Tai-nii-chan said later that she was almost attacked by the lord�s son, according to otousan, when they came to get her. Ne, aniki�do you remember what otousan did with the animal�s blood?� Genbu gave him a hard look, and it suddenly dawned on Toku.

�That army�it�s the army of okaasan�s former master! The son must have been killed, and they�re going to revolt against the northern lords, demon and human alike!� Toku said, a violent whisper. Normally, this would have only helped their cause, but it had come too late, and now they would be fighting the army, which obviously now had its own supply of modern weaponry. In reverence to their mother, and to their own heritage, none of the children killed humans unless they had no other choice, but� �But Genbu, that lord did not have a large army. He�ll be crushed by the weakest of the northern human clans.�

�In the morning, I plan to intercept the army and find out their intentions.� Genbu spoke with a hard voice, and by his tone, Toku knew that he wouldn�t convince him to stay with them, but merely nodded. Genbu fisted his hands, making the knuckles pop, and wondered how much messier things could get.

�Speaking of intentions�� Toku said, looking back at Ikkatsu. She was staring at the back of her hand, no longer crying but looking rather tired. Genbu nodded at him, and both entered the cave, prepared to ask some questions.
~~~~~~The Weeping Forest~~~~~~

Eventually, the horse could no longer see well enough to continue on, and Sesshoumaru was forced to dismount in order to lead the horse a bit off the trail towards an area with less underbrush, though the trees still crowded in around them. Rin walked on the other side of the horse�s head, clutching its bridle in anxiety. Once they stopped, the horse was tied to a nearby tree, and she watched as Sesshoumaru walked to a clear spot in the ground. He unsheathed one of his swords, the blade singing dully in the forest air, but she could not recognize which one it was. He lifted it above his head, with the blade pointed downwards, and she heard a rush of air leave his lungs as he plunged it down to the ground, burying about six inches of it in the soft forest floor. Immediately, a globe of soft gray blew out from the center of the sword, expanding like a giant bubble until it passed through Rin, the horse, and several of the surrounding trees.

She gasped in surprise, feeling the awful presence forced away from her. The horse whinnied in reaction but otherwise did not move. Jogging the few feet to her master, she looked at the sword now implanted in the ground, and sent a questioning look to him.

�What was that, Sesshoumaru-sama?� she asked, curling her fingers into the cloth of his nearest sleeve.

�Tenseiga �it will protect you tonight.� He left the sword where it was, walking to a nearby tree, which sat only five feet away. In truth, the use of the sword as a barrier was unnecessary since he was perfectly capable of protecting her, but the entity possessing the forest would keep her awake that night, and she would sleep easier if it could not come so close.

Rin followed, wanting to be near him rather than near the sword, and waited as he lifted his bulky armor quite gracefully over his head, letting it hit the ground with a subdued thump. He took a seat in front of the tree, and she sunk down onto his lap, settling as close to him as she could.

�Can we be on our way at first light, Sesshoumaru-sama?� Rin softly asked as she set her cheek against his chest. She knew that the spirit possessing this forest was only a few yards from where she sat, having been pushed away, but once his arms came around her shoulders, pulling the fur pelt over her body to keep her warm, she felt her body relax, and no longer feared whatever it was that haunted the Weeping Forest.

Something about him...always made her feel completely safe�

�Of course, my love,� he answered in as soft as tone that she had used. Rin, not yet tired, thought of the events in the past day as she sat there in her master�s lap. The conversation she had held with him that morning, the good-byes to her sons, and the karasu youkai attack that had occurred. So many things seemed to be going on, and she didn�t understand any of it.

Why is Karran in the south? Will Tai-chan make amends with Kiri-chan? Why are crow demons spying on us and even attag usg us in broad daylight, especially considering their weak powers? Has Inuyasha-sama found his mate and is Kagome-san still alive? Is the Shikon no Tama still intact and untainted? �What exactly is going to happen during the ceremony?

Rin�s head buzzed unpleasantly with worry and confusion after a while, and she tried to think of happier things: Okashi, the housekeeper, memories of her children, and most importantly, Sesshoumaru. She felt a grin come to her face as she thought of the erection he had been fighting practically the entire day. That he still desired her after so many years was really breathtaking. The arousal did eventually go away after about half an hour into the Weeping Forest. She wondered, though�

I am not tired yet�and�it wouldn�t be a waste of time�since we can�t go anywhere, anyway�

She felt her heartbeat pick up, and a blush rose to her cheeks. Mou�Sesshoumaru-sama can probably tell that I�m nervous for some reason by now. He�ll make one of his dry remarks that makes my heart skip a beat and makes me angry with him at the same time, and then I�ll have lost the element of surprise.

She was wrong, however, because his mind was on other things, and he wasn�t paying attention to her at the moment. When he said nothing, she took it to be a rare chance and leapt upon it. She pictured her position in her head for a bit, hoping that she could accomplish her goal with as much surprise as possible.

Adjusting her elbow as if only seeking her own comfort, she managed to move her left arm out of the way, and waited for a few more seconds. Her cheek already knew where the fold in his haori was, and she lifted her hand, moving quickly but smoothly. Touching the area in his hakama that she knew covered his manhood, she cupped her hand over it, rubbing gently.

Sesshoumaru had been thinking of what to do about the crow demons and the annoying pest that was currently making trouble for them in the forest, even if it was holding off any more crows for the time being, which was the only reason why he didn�t kill the malevolent spirit now. However, a small, warm hand found the limb that had been the most annoying of all that day, and his mind immediately dropped all other concerns just as quickly as his heart leapt into his throat. His back stiffened, and something else began to stiffen as well�

�Mmf�Rin, you are not ready for mating tonight�did you forget?� he asked, his voice only slightly affected. Her lips found the gap in his shirt and nuzzled it open as she glazed her kisses onto his chest.

�I can still pleasure you, master. Your prowess as a demon is strong, and I am only seeking to fulfill it,� she easily answered. Feeling frisky, she wondered where the words came from, and surmised that they must be the result of her past life�s experiences in dealing with her husband�s rutting instincts. Most of the time in her first life, she was trying to divert his attentions, especially when he had been very active with her of late and was tiring her out, but other times, when the children needed much more attention, and she had to give some of her time and energy to them, Sesshoumaru would tell her to simply go to sleep at night rather than �drain� more of her energy. However, she had always found that she fell asleep faster if he made love to her first, and had learned many ways of convincing him�

Moving her hand a little more suggestively and rubbing harder, she began to move her body downwards, and her head eventually disappeared underneath the fur pelt.

�Rin, you need your rest for now since�since you are still recovering,� he said, faltering only once as her hand pulled at the ties to his hakama. He wanted to save his seed until he could implant it in her properly the next night when she would hopefully be feeling up to it. He wanted to be assured that a child would grow inside her belly the next time they made love.

�This does not take too much effort on my part, Sesshoumaru-sama�just enjoy it, ne?� she said, her voice muffled and barely audible to the human ear. He heard it just fine, though, and gritted his teeth as his arousal stiffened, having been wrapped in the warm fingers of his mate, who was trying to extract it from the folds of his clothing. He looked down and could only see the fur pelt. Beyond it, he could see her from the knee down, sitting on her hip between his feet. Finding her shoulders beneath the fur pelt, he tried to gently pull her afromfrom him.

�I�I wish to wait until we can make love together,� he panted out, trying to find her wrist without scratching her since that hand was now pumping over his swelling length. Once he managed to grab her hand, he had already become fully erect, and he cursed himself for being so easily manipulated. She didn�t seem to listen to him, though, wanting her own way, and smoothly slid half of his arousal into her mouth, no longer needing her hands.

�Aaah!� he choked out, pulling up with one hand on her shoulder and one wrapped around her wrist. His efforts were extremely half-hearted, though, and he felt his control slipping as his head leaned back against the tree trunk. Releasing her wrist and bracing his hand on the ground, his other hand found the back of her head, riding it as she expertly licked and sucked every sensitive surface.

�Ah, Kami,� he harshly sighed, closing his eyes to the dark forest canopy above them. He wondered again how she could feel so safe with him, especially considering the fear she had shown up until they had stopped, that she was able to�do this for him.

Rin kept one hand around the base of his phallus while the other was flat against his abdomen, monitoring the level of arousal in his blood. He was reaching his peak quickly, having been teased virtually all day. Rubbing the flat of her tongue over the tip of his engorged length, she listened to the choked gasps he made. His stomach muscles shuddered every time she took him between her lips or put pressure on the end of his erection, and his ragged breathing only encouraged her.

�It�s been too long,� he ground out, using his other hand to brace his weight as he gently pumped his pelvis upwards. �Mmmff!� Sesshoumaru thought of the few times when he had been alone over the past sixteen years. Those times when Jaken was off delivering a message to one of his offspring, and his eldest son was patrolling his area of the Western Lands� border, he would be alone in the mansion where he had spent so many years with his mate. He would miss her so much, and wander about the house, recalling memories of her in the different rooms. He also yearned to once again make love to her, at least to hold her, but firmly denied himself the opportunities to fulfill his need with other females, and a couple had offered themselves. Instead, he used the times when he was alone at night to find an old kimono of hers that still held her scent, and think of her legs around his hips as he pleasured himself with his own hands.

Most of all, he missed the faint feeling that her connection gave him. For those sixteen years, their connection was strong but void of the sensation that her end always sent to him�undying love. Having her love filtered into his body made him more content than he had ever imagined.

�Rin�uhhhnn�remove your hakama,� he roughly uttered, pulling the fur pelt down far en to to see her waist. She lifted her head in confusion, directing her gaze to where she believed his eyes were. Her hand still held his arousal, and absent-mindedly stroked down the hard length.

�Why?� she simply asked, at least rising to her knees.

�Just do it,� he said, a little louder. He firmly grasped her wrist, pulling her hand away from him, but it was too late. Growling, he felt one spurt of seed leave his phallus and gritted his teeth as he forced himself to stop, at least for a few more seconds. Rin, not sure what he was planning since they had decided not to make love at least for another day, pulled at the belt of her hakama, jerking it free of the knot. Sesshoumaru felt another shot of seed burst forth, and clenched his jaw, grunting. He couldn�t wait for her much longer and shoved her hakama down to her knees. Then pulling her over his lap with one hand behind each thigh, which pushed the hakama down her shins as her legs opened, he felt her hands clasp onto his shoulders.

�N-nani, Sesshoumaru-sama?� she asked, confused. He didn�t say anything, though, in an attempt to contain himself. She felt the throbbing tip of his phallus brush the entrance to her body, and clutched his shoulders. �Why?� she whispered, not understanding his sudden desire to empty into her womb when previously, her mouth had been enough. He shoved his arousal as deep into his mate as he could, holding her soft curves in his hands to secure the connection. Rin loudly gasped, not from pain but from the surprise of his sudden invasion. The tender skin inside her womanhood only mildly protested the friction of penetration, and she was thankful that her body would soon be back to normal. �Sesshoumaru�� She felt a hot liquid shooting inside her and laid her head on his shoulder, listening to his satisfied moans, which sounded loud in the forest since it was so unnaturally quiet.

The hands on her hips flexed, and she felt him shift underneath her, his back arching. He seemed to be stopping, and the obvious question was forming in her head.

�Why did you�?� she began, not needing to finish the question.

�Suman,� he said instead, ignoring her question for the time being. �I�didn�t give you any pleasure and only took my own.�

�That was my intention, master,� she replied, speaking softly into his demon ear.

�I wouldn�t be a proper husband if I let you get away with that,� he sighed, turning his head and kissing the soft skin on her neck. She sighed, squeezing his shoulders and waiting for him to make the point that she knew was coming.

His left hand rose and held her shoulder, clamping her against his chest. The other hand ventured beneath her haori, rising up between her shoulder blades and finding the top of her spine, which stiffened.

�Sesshoumaru-sama, you�re not going to�� she started, but was unable to finish her question. He petted the top of her spine, sending little flecks of sensation to the core of her womanhood. Her thighs tightened against his hips, and she shakily sighed.

�The scars are certainly convenient, Rin,� he began, making his strokes on her back longer. �I love performing this service for you where it smells of your divine essence, but having you climax while still buried inside you appeals for some reason. Petting here�� he demonstrated, stroking two fingers halfway down her back, ��is the same as licking that little jewel hidden between your thighs.�

�Hhmmmff! Sesshoumaru�� she groaned, digging her fingers into his shoulders. She wanted to say that the difference between the two methods was that the scars on her back worked ten times as fast, but could barely speak more than a couple words at a time.

�Kami, you smell so good,� he gasped, feeling another gush of seed empty from his body. He made his strokes longer, using more fingers, and only had to wait about fifteen seconds before his mate stiffened against him, breathily moaning in rapid crescendo.

�Mmmf! Unhhh!! �Sesshoumaru! I�m�I�m coming!!!� Jerking repeatedly against him, she sighed heavily. �Hai�� Changing the grip she held on his shoulders, she arched her chest into him, which pushed her body down against his pelvis. �Ohhh�� She felt a few drops of her orgasmic fluid seep from where she was connected with her mate, and only after one last shot of semen did his arousal soften inside her. She slowly relaxed against him, feeling his arms come around her.

�Why?� she asked again, much more groggily this time.

�I wish to give you another child,� he admitted, stroking her hair. She didn�t say anything in response for a few seconds, but eventually held him closer, kissing the side of his neck.

�Just in case, let�s try again tomorrow night,� she whispered. �I, too, wish to have a child with you, Sesshoumaru-sama.� She could almost feel his smile, and was tempted to kiss him just to check.

After perhaps a minute passed by, they finally settled in for the night, replacing their clothing and adjusting their positions. Rin fell asleep almost immediately. With her brow pressed to the crook in his neck and her arms around his waist, her soft breathing was all he could hear that night.

But, of course, he could also feel her love spilling over into him, and wished to never lose it again.
~~~~~~Midnight in the Western Woods~~~~~~

Inutaisho took a long sniff, making sure he was on the right path. He had been traveling fast the entire day, sprinting across the open fields, jumping through the trees, and leaping over rivers. It had been over a month since he had last visited this area, and things smelled a bit differently. The leaves had decayed away and now a fresher scent of renewed vegetation was in the air. The moon was very bright that night even though it was only half-full, and the stars blinked at him from their high perch. He only hoped that Genbu was okay, and that Yokiri didn�t kill him for ignoring her for so long. He no longer worried for his mother, though. She could do anything�he was sure of it.

Running forward, he caught a familiar scent, and chased after it, nearing the place where he and his love used to meet. He remembered the day they met so clearly, and it was at the same exact spot, almost a year ago.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~Flashback~~~~~~

Determined to do his duty well, Inutaisho prowled through his section of the border, constantly on guard and ready to take on any enemy. They would be finding his mother again soon, and he wanted to be able to say to her that he had been doing well. After two days, nothing more than a few animals had crossed his path, all fleeing from him. He was halfway angered by it, wondering if he would ever find an enemy to shoo away from their lands. Coming across a very hilly area, covered with trees and thick brush, he found the familiar path and began to travel along it, sniffing every once in a while for something out of the ordinary. There were waterfalls, ponds, and streams all along this area, so his hearing did not help as much since the sound of running water was always in the distance, and he had to rely on his sense of smell. Halfway through the forest, probably close to the sun�s zenith, a scent drifted past his nose, faint and very unique. He instantly recognized the scent as being an odd type of youki, and immediately set out to find the source.

Hopping along the tree branches, he realized that he was coming closer to what had to be a waterfall. His claws scratched the bark as he went, though he tried not to let his scabbard hit the branches. The scent became stronger as well, and he grudgingly admitted to himself that it was a pleasant smell. Finally coming to the last tree, he blinked a couple times, letting his eyes adjust to the brightness. He saw a small but deep pond into which a waterfall emptied. The sunlight glinted off of the water and made the entire area light up. There were rocks all along the edge, but barely any visible ones in the pond itself. It really was a beautiful scene�very serene�but his mind was entirely bent upon finding the identity of the intruder. Looking at the shoreline, he saw a pile of clothing and the glint of some sort of metallic weapon half-hidden beneath the clothes. His eyes searched for the owner of the clothing.

A movement behind the waterfall caught his attention, and he realized that the trespassing demon must be back there. Keeping one hand braced against the trunk, he fisted his hand around the hilt of his sword, which he had been training with since his teens�a sword crafted from not only his father�s fang but also his uncle�s fang. It had taken two years to master, but it was extremely powerful, and even Toutousai warned him several times to be careful with it. He had used it before in battle, but never by himself. His father, uncle, or younger brothers had always been there. He didn�t exactly relish using it now, always preferring to keep territory fights from getting out of hand, but the need to prove his worth to his father overrode that inhibition today. Waiting for the demon to emerge from behind the waterfall, he silently watched the small movements, his heart speeding up.

What came into view nearly made him fall off of the tree.

It was obviously a female, in human form but nonetheless breathtaking. Her skin was pale, dotted with brown freckles, and his eyes were immediately drawn to her bare chest despite his best intentions to determine the type of demon she was. However, a movement behind her distracted him from the luscious display below her elegant neck. Wings, like that of a swan or a dove, unfolded, but they looked almost ethereal, as if they were only a ghostly image of real wings. They weren�t completely opaque, but he could see through them. She stretched her arms, which made her wings stretch, too, and his eyes once again were inevitably drawn to her breasts. Walking a little further along the shoreline towards what had to be her own clothing, she reached back to wring some of the water out of her hair, which was as white as his own and draped down between her wings to the middle of her back. He could see a few feathers in her hair as well, sporadically spaced, but what he really wanted to see was the color of her eyes. However, if he did see her eyes, she would undoubtedly see his, and his peeping would be at an end.

She was the most beautiful thing he had seen in his life.

He watched her dress, using a plain piece of white cloth to dry herself as she stood on a flat shore-side rock. He was a bit amazed when he saw that the cloth passed right through her wings as she dried her back, and wondered if anything could really touch them. Her clothing flowed onto her torso and down her limbs, off-white and laced with brown leather straps to keep it tied around her body. The dress had billowy sleeves that revealed one long line of flesh down her arms, and laced around the delicate limbs with the same leather straps. It fell down to her ankles, molding to the curves of her breasts, waist, and hips. Finally, she pulled on a hand-tooled leather belt that looked fairly expensive, and which held several loops. Looking down at the rock in front of her, he noticed the array of knives there, and a single katana that flowed with its own energy.

Bitterly acknowledging that he still had to perform his duty, he knew that killing this magnificent creature would forever be burned into his brain. Taking aim and leaping with all his might, he silently sailed through the air, drawing his sword as he went. It hissed as it left the sheath, and he landed directly in front of the demon, letting only a serious expression reveal itself on his face. She jumped back in surprise, gasping and nearly falling back into the water.

�Who are you?!� she incredulously asked, feeling unsafe since her weapons were on the rock between them rather than on her person. Looking him over, she saw the dog-ears that adorned his white hair, the clean armor he wore, and the powerful aura of the sword in his hand. His features were handsome but devoid of any extreme emotion. The random braids in his hair somehow distracted her, and she found herself not paying attention. It was only when he spoke that she realized the danger she was in.

�We are not aligned with demons of your nature, and you�re in our territory,� was all he said. His voice was pleasantly deep and rich, but she backed up a step, eyeing the sword on the ground that she wished was in her hand. Thinking to herself, she tried to remember exactly where she was. She had ventured only a few hundred meters in the Western lands, wanting to explore the area�s waterfalls. The Western Lord carried two swords, but he only had one, and the Western Lord would not refer to his land as �ours,� but �his.� He did have three sons, though�

�Are you a son of Sesshoumaru-sama?� shevelyvely asked, recovering the step that she had just given him. His expression did not change, though, which made her inwardly falter since she had been hoping that it would somehow make him react.

�Aa, but that is of no concern to you. What type of demon are you?� he asked, pointing his sword at her chest. He was still a couple feet from touching her, and deep inside his heart he wished to touch as much of her as he could. He wondered if he could get away with merely booting her off the land. He certainly did not want to kill her�it would be a crime to slay something so rarely enchanting, and her scent from this close was making his blood run fast. He might have convinced himself that bloodlust was the only reason for his fast-beating heart, but he knew better than to lie to himself.

�I am an owl demon, the daughter of Fukurou-sama in the East.�

That got a reaction out of him. He reared back a couple of steps, surprised that someone of her royal stature was out here alone.

�Which son are you?� she asked, coming closer. �I�m the eldest, and the only daughter in my family.� She was also surprised to find the son of her father�s western neighbor, and found herself immensely curious about him. He looked to be older than her, a bit mysterious and untouchable. Though her family and his were not in open war, neither side was friendly, either. Such was the way of the era in which they lived.

�I�I am the eldest of my siblings,� he hesitantly responded, still holding his sword in front of him. His eyes betrayed him, though, and once again stared at the thinly veiled chest that he had earlier admired.

�I am Yokiri�what is your name?� she ventured, coming within six inches of the tip of his sword. Her eyes werenestnest, and he realized that she was practically standing on her own weapons.

�It�s Inutaisho�but if you wish to live any longer, Yokiri-san, then you had better leave, and take your things with you. My father ordered any non-allied demons to be slain if found within our boundaries�and that includes you.� He took a small step forward, bringing the tip of his sword to within an inch of her throat. Her eyes widened a bit, and he took the few seconds that she used to stare at him to appreciate the rich purple of her irises�like embedded amethysts.

�But I wish to talk with you. I talk to hardly anyone other than my family�please�no one knows that I�m here, and you can pretend that you didn�t see me. Can�t we talk for a bit?� She saw his jaw clench, and wondered if he was mulling it over in his mind.

�I cannot trust you, Yokiri-san. Leave now,� he ordered, pressing the tip of his sword to the dip in her throat. She slowly nodded, putting up her hands. He backed away several feet, watching her bend down to retrieve her weapons. She slid four daggers into loops on her right side and attached her katana to her left side. He knew that she would probably say something before leaving, and only waited for her to look at him. He set his most serious expression on his face, keeping his guard up as best as he could even though he wanted to get one last look at her chest. She regarded him with her jewel-like eyes, slowly placing her right hand on the hilt of her sword.

�Do not draw that sword, Yokiri-san,� he warned, tightening the grip on his own sword. Slowllowly smirked, and widened her stance.

�You cannot trust me, you say?� she softly asked, now feeling challenged.

�Don�t make me kill you,� he growled, letting a touch of his concern get out. Her smirk became a smile that flashed her brilliant white teeth, and her hand deftly brought the sword out of the scabbard. He noticed that though the blade was straight, it was serrated on both edges, making a stab from it painful indeed. It held a faint green glow, most likely a poisonous youki, but he did not fear such poison. He was his father�s son.

�As if you could�� she taunted, bringing her other hand around the hilt. She lunged at him, aiming to slice at his arm, but he easily dodged, coming around to smack her backside with the flat of his sword.

�Stop it!� he demanded, watching the anger on her face at having been so childishly punished for picking a fight.

�You�re better than I thought,� she admitted, circling around him. �Let me ask, though�what power does your sword hold that it emits such power? It�s truly impressive,� she complimented, nodding towards the blade in his hands. He gritted his teeth, but calmed himself down, not letting her get behind him.

�I could show you, rather than tell you,� he threatened, making her smile. She stopped, now that his back was to the water.

�My sword only poisons, but that would have no effect on you, now would it? �However, it�s not my sword you should worry about,� she hinted. He saw her eyes roll into the back of her head, and his mouth fell open as her entire body, except for her daggers and sword, became ethereal. It was as if her spirit stood there, eerily regarding him, but�she rather looked like a goddess.

�Impressive,� he said, letting a little smile curve his lips.

Here we go�

She swiped her sword at him, but he blocked it with his own. He spun around, swinging at her body but realizing with dismay that it went right through her. They parried for a bit, the clangs of swords ringing clearly against the rocky walls around them. All he could do was dodge and block her blows, especially since he couldn�t hit her. He realized that he could probably knock her sword away, but decided to give her a sporting chance. She lunged at him several times in a row, forcing him to back up, and then made strong, very controlled whacks at his chest, which he blocked, but which prevented him from moving forward.

Both were smiling, though hers was an opaque shadow of the smile he had earlier seen, and he could hear her ragged breathing easily. She�s tiring herself out. Her swordplay reminded him of Toku�s method, clean and fast but not with as much strength as Genbu�s deadly style. She lunged at him again and again, and he backed up more, wondering how long it would be until she quit from exhaustion. Another lunge, and he stepped back once again, only to realize that there was no more ground beneath him. Tripping backwards, he fell into the pond, yelling in dismay. He heard the splash as he hit the water, and a trickling laugh once he was under.

How embarrassing�

Now knowing what she had been about, he had to applaud her strategy. As he sputtered to the surface, standing waist deep in water, he flipped his hair out of his eyes, only to see a green-tinted sword pointed as his neck. She had come out of her ethereal state, and looked smugly triumphant.

�Out of the water,� she ordered, lightly motioning with her sword.

�But�� he began, wanting to retrieve his sword, but realizing that he had no right to ask for that chance.

�Your sword is fine right where it is,� she said, motioning again with her sword. He climbed out, dripping wet, and stood a few feet from the bank.

�The armor�take it off,� she said, looking happy about the change in circumstances.

�The hell?� he said, looking at her incredulously.

�I like it and want to take it home, but I certainly don�t want to get any blood on it,� she explained, hardening her expression. �But maybe I won�t kill you if you do as I ask.�

�Fine,� he spat, unlatching a few ties and dragging the armor over his head. He tossed it to the ground. He knew he could get away easily�her movements weren�t fast enough to wound him in the slightest�but he didn�t want to get away. She was on his father�s land, and he would get rid of her.

He saw her look him over, and wondered what the hell she was thinking now.

�On your knees, now,� she said, coming a few steps closer. He did as she said, warily watching her sword. Her cheeks blushed as he watched her. �Close your eyes.�

�Hell no.� He saw her hand tighten.

�If you do as I ask�� she threatened, swinging the sword-point close to him, ��Maybe I won�t kill you.�

�As if you could�� he replied, throwing her words back at her. She seemed to concede that to him, and stepped back once, stabbing the sword into the ground. Stepping forward again, she repeated her command.

Opening his senses as wide as he could: his hearing, his sense of smell, and even his touch sensitivity to test the breeze, he closed his eyes, waiting to hear her step back and grab the sword. He did hear her take a step forward, and felt the sunshine over his eyes blocked by her shadow, but she made no other move. What the hell is she doing?

He flinched as two soft lips brushed his own, and his heart leapt into throat when he finally realized what she had been planning. She�s kissing me� Her hands fluttered down to his shoulders, and her lips pressed against him more urgently. Tilting his head back and opening his mouth, he let the kiss deepen. She made a small noise, letting his tongue slide wetly into her mouth. Reaching up, his hands found her waist, and she slowly dropped to her knees. Becoming the one being kissed, she twined her arms around his neck, pressing close even though he was getting the front of her dress wet.

Unable to help himself, his hands found the globes of her rear end and held on, pulling her against him as his body naturally responded to such an enticing female. She widened the stance of her knees and let him pull her into a noticeable bulge in his clothing. Her mother had told her�in undeniably clinical detail�how mating occurred. What her mother had not warned her of, though, was how strong desire could be. The moment that this Inutaisho of the Western Lands dropped down in front of her, practically exuding masculinity, she felt her thighs shake with desire. It was strange, though, because half of the flutter in her heart was not lust, but rather, some other soul-shaking emotion that she had little experience with.

The hands on her hind end tightened a bit, and the tips of her breasts felt extremely sensitive even though they had not touched anything more than the cloth she had already worn for almost two days.

Why did I do this? I wanted�needed�to so badly and yet I don�t even know him�I�m not even allied with him. Why then�am I kissing him?

Not realizing it until she was halfway down, Yokiri felt her shoulders gently meet the damp, grassy ground. The sun did not bother her closed eyes since his shadow now blocked it, and the sound of the waterfall blocked the noise of any birds or of the breeze flowing through the trees. He slid one of his legs between hers, butting his thigh against a warm spot in her lower abdomen, and the smell of his wet hair filled her nostrils.

In the back of her mind, a stern voice reminded her of her duties, reprimanding her for forgetting them. She tried to block them, to let the strong, handsome dog demon above her do what he wanted, but something in her also wanted to stop. She didn�t want this to be some first-time fling, a short-lived lust.

Pushing at his shoulders, she wondered if he would even stop, but surprisingly enough, he gently ended the kiss, bringing his face away a few inches. She opened her eyes to look up at him, and gazed at his unmasked face for the first time, finding it even more handsome than the serious expression that first drew her in.

�Do you believe in love at first sight?� he asked her, keeping his voice at a whisper. He licked his lips, searching the amethyst gaze directed at him, and in the back of his mind remembered a conversation with his mother when he was still young�she had told him of how she had fallen in love with his father when she first saw him as a child, many years ago. It was love at first sight, she had said.

�I do now,� Yokiri answered. A laughing smile creased her lips then, and she added, �I only wonder if you trust me now.�

�We can work on that,� he replied, looking down at her full set of lips. �Just let me kiss you again�at least a kiss,� he amended, seeing the rejection in her eyes. �The rest can come once our parents approve. Fair enough?�

She smirked, tightening her legs around the one tucked between them.

�Fair enough.�

~~~~~~End Flashback~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I�ve been such a coward�fearing her father is nothing next to being without her.

Inutaisho ran faster, hoping that she was still waiting for him. They met every ten days after that first encounter, always meeting up at the waterfall, and usually staying there to watch the moon travel through the sky. They had spoken at great lengths about their families, their upbringing, and what was expected of them as the eldest. Yokiri was rather amazed by his mother, and wished to meet her as soon as she was once again found. But both had fathers that were stubborn, and the two ill-fated lovers doubted that a happy ending was in store for them.

Now, if he had calculated correctly, their next meeting was for that night. He didn�t know if she would be there since he had skipped their last two meetings. He hoped, though, that she might still have faith that he would return�and that she had managed to be there in the first place, especially considering the close watch her father had promised to keep on her after they had been discovered.

Hearing the waterfall ahead, his heart picked up as her scent grew stronger. She�s there, I know it. Jumping up to the tree branches, he found them to be a faster route since tnderndergrowth was so thick in that area. Leaping from one to the next, he saw the break in the trees ahead, and suddenly wanted to put his arms around her more than anything else in the world.

Halting abruptly, he searched the grassy area around the waterfall for his soon-to-be-mate, and his heart skipped a beat the second he found her, wetting her feet in the water and looking dreadfully depressed. Her hair dripped down over one shoulder, glistening softly he mhe moonlight, which lit up the entire area. Her shoulders were slumped, and a sad frown marred her features. She looked timeless and lonely, but he would never make her that sad again. Leaping down to the grass of the tiny valley, he watched as Yokiri jumped in surprise and looked over to him expectantly. Her face lit up, and her frown turned upwards into a delighted smile.

�Inutaisho!� she half-squeaked, scrambling to her feet and running at him. He felt his heart warm from the inside, and held his arms open as a smile lifted his lips.

She looked just as he remembered. Her dress was light blue that day, tied shut with tan leather straps. Her feet, as always unadorned, flew over the grass as if barely touching it. Silky white hair bounced as she ran, as well as the chest that he so loved, and her ethereal wings fanned out behind her, mimicking her arms as she jumped into his embrace.

Catching her and spinning her around in his happiness, Inutaisho silently praised his mother�s existence. Mother always did give the best advice.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Only a bit of lemon, yes, but chapter sixteen will have a doosey of a Rin/Sess lemon. And did Tenrai�s death surprise you? Don�t worry, more plot next time, but most of it will be something extremely ecchi�oooh, I can�t wait.

Sincerely,
The Black Cat
- 14
- 15
- 16
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

The Hot Springs