Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

Angelus
By : TwilightAlien
Category: InuYasha > General
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Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.
Chapter List
- 21
- 22
- 23
Author�s note: thanks to all for your reviews, they are highly appreciated! Merely
Truth, there are a lot of things to do with such a link, and I hope I won�t
overdo it or miss important parts, but I think that what I have in store will
be interesting! Lots of chapters, you bet� As for Naraku and Kagura�s involvement,
wait and see� :o)
Chapter 22
Seven days. For seven additional days
Sesshomaru had endured the nonstop assault of foreign impressions, feelings and
emotions that came to him forcefully through his link with Kitana.
The first few days after the scene with
Hakudoshi and Moryoumaru had been awkward. The taiyoukai simply returned to the
clearing where Rin and Jaken had been waiting for them, and sat still against a
tree. Not eating, or even sleeping, he tried to tune out anything that came to
his mind, be it an emotion, a thought or an idea, in fear of being submitted to
something that was not genuinely� him. To no avail. Kitana was right: ignoring
this link was impossible, and had proven to be plain dangerous.
A recurrent thought, whispered by a bitter
voice at the far back of his mind, had haunted him during these days, a thought
of sword meeting flesh, of murder, of assassination. He finally dismissed the
thought as a ludicrous fantasy, one that he couldn�t commit now that this
troublesome creature who turned his world upside down had wormed her way behind
the high walls he had erected around himself.
So he came out of these long hours of
introspection resigned to the idea of sharing his head with somebody else, for
a short while at least. The sight that met his eyes when he deigned opening
them up was peculiar, even comical in a way, for Jaken was standing right in
front of him, dozing against his Staff of Two Heads, with dozens of multicolour
flowers adorning his hat, haori and staff.
Rin was chanting to herself in a low voice,
weaving another flower collar. Upon seeing her master�s awakening, she smiled
widely and bowed to him, before tiptoeing toward the kappa and clumsily adding
the newest floral creation to his already decorated neck. She then returned to
the serious task of picking flowers for the next artwork.
Following his nose, his eyes wandered along the
trunk, and then the branches of the tree that was facing him. There, sitting
cross-legged in an imitation of himself was his biggest problem of the latest
days. And months.
For three days now, Kitana had been meditating.
Keeping a discreet eye on the kappa and the child, she was satisfied to see
that when he did not felt observed, Jaken cared well for the young Rin,
providing food for her that he cooked with his staff. He provided entertainment
as well, although it was much less voluntarily.
Sesshomaru�s attitude first worried her, and
while she studied his quickly changing, disturbed moods she decided to give him
whatever help she could. So she installed herself comfortably in a nearby tree,
and tried to clear her head of all the strong or unpleasant feelings she could
have. Soon she succeeded at emitting soft, calming waves of emotions that she
knew could only help Sesshomaru to go through this ordeal.
She stayed like that for 48 hours, but then she
succumbed to sleep for a few hours. When she awoke she didn�t remember her
dreams, nor if she dreamed at all, but a frown on Sesshomaru�s forehead told
her all she had to know: she failed. So with a sigh, she resumed her meditation
until the taiyoukai came back to reality.
When he saw her posture, Sesshomaru understood.
He did not attain calm by himself, but with her help. He knew it should have
irritated him, but the strength of her projected calming emotions overcame his
own ire. It was not unpleasant in itself, feeling well was never a bad thing,
but now it was artificial and he loathed the feeling. She had no confidence at
all in his strength of character, and this would have to change. He would prove
her that no matter what she threw at him through the bond between them, he was
perfectly able to fend it off.
With a mental sigh, he rose and left the
clearing, his group now following after him. It was amazing how the little Rin
always knew when to wait for him and when to follow, and for an instant he
pondered if she shared some of Kitana�s sentient abilities. Dismissing the thought,
he went on. His quest for power had been postponed long enough, first because
of Naraku, then thanks to Kitana, and he was now decided not to be so lenient
about his nemesis anymore.
--
The day went on without incidents. The forest
they have been walking through became less dense as they advanced toward more
populated areas, and soon they crossed a road. Surprisingly enough, Sesshomaru
followed the road and led them toward a large fortified village. The night had
fallen when they reached the beginnings of the fields that surrounded the high
fences of the village, and torches were burning high atop the guard�s posts.
Kitana was puzzled, for it was not in
Sesshomaru�s normal habit to come close to villages. He did not seem to be
intentionally avoiding them, but it was clear for her that the youkai was a
countryside and deep woods wanderer, not fond of human settlings at all, unlike
Kagome�s group. A little high-pitched voice broke her musings.
�Will Rin get new clothes, Sesshomaru-sama?�
The nod that Sesshomaru gave to the child
explained everything. Of course Rin was in need of clothing, and what a better
place to find child�s wear than a human village, at night. Placing her hands on
her hips and tilting her head to the side, Kitana sized up the situation; stealing
clothes would be a piece of cake, once they passed the fence.
�Don�t bother yourself, Sesshomaru. I�ll go and
get something nice for her to wear.�
�Of course Lord Sesshomaru won�t bother himself
with a human child�s needs, you dimwit female! It is not his task to go on an errand
so Rin can get clothes, of course not!�
Jaken was fuming, as always when he felt that
Kitana had gone too far.
Lifting an elegant brow, in a manner not unlike
Sesshomaru�s own mimics, Kitana chose not to ignore the little kappa, has she
had grown used to do.
�Oh, so whose task is it, Jaken? Yours, maybe?
Well, help yourself. I can�t wait to see how you�ll deal with the fence. Maybe
by digging under it in the dirt?�
Rin�s giggle filled the air like music, while
mirth washed over Kitana and Sesshomaru, not really coming from one or the
other in particular. Apparently they both enjoyed the mental image of a dirty,
mud-covered Jaken digging under the fence or falling over it, and a tiny smirk threatened
to appear on the taiyoukai stoic face.
Jaken was still stuttering an outraged answer
to Kitana�s mocking words when she started her way to the village.
�You don�t have to wait for me, you know. Just
go ahead, I�ll find you later.� With a wink to Rin, she added �with brand new
clothes that won�t smell of dirty rats!�
�Orange clothes please, Kitana-sama! Rin
loooooves orange!�
Bowing low to the child, she turned and
vanished. In a breath she was gone, her ebony form engulfed by the darkness of
the night.
--
Four. It took four rocks to the head to stop
Jaken�s grumblings and mumblings. The stamina of the small kappa was
stupefying, or was it his stubbornness that asked for admiration? No,
definitely not his stubbornness, more his stupidity. Yes, stupid he was, for no
one was pestering a taiyoukai such as Sesshomaru long enough to receive four
pebbles on the head without being very stupid.
Now that the peaceful sounds of the night could
be heard again, only disturbed by the soft sounds of Rin�s regular breathing
and Jaken�s hand massaging the bumps on his head, Sesshomaru realized that
something was wrong. He had amused himself for a while at throwing rocks to the
kappa, but now that the fun was over, the calm joy he had felt throughout the
last hour or so did not left him. Was it Kitana�s fault? Was she that happy? How
could she be? Then, he realized that the diminutive, aggravating youkai was
right. All the disturbances he created earlier had had a purpose: to alert him
about the fact that Kitana was late. Curious about what event could have kept
her from coming back, especially as it seemed to be something very pleasant, he
rose and went toward the village.
He found her crouched on the roof of a high
house, probably a noble�s house for it was square with a central courtyard. The
multiple torches burning down below created such an intense lighting that the
roof was left in total darkness, and they were invisible to the humans despite
his white clothing. Some kind of gathering was going on in the courtyard, a
wedding maybe, and apparently it was the source of her delight. Not really
understanding why, and seeing that she had already chosen some suitable clothes
for Rin, he reached for them in the intent of taking them and returning to the
camp, letting her enjoy whatever was happening down below.
That, however, was not going to happen.
Kitana swiftly grabbed his arm and tugged on
him. Not prepared for that, Sesshomaru lost balance and fell beside her,
adopting an undignified half-crouched, half-kneeling position.
�What is the-�
�At last, here you are! Took you long enough,
what kept you?�
�Kept me?�
She rolled her eyes at him.
�Yes, kept you. I thought for sure you would be
more curious and come investigate sooner. Listen; they are playing music down
there.�
The frown on his face gave way to surprise when
she pointed toward the courtyard. Music? Was it what pleased her so much?
Simple, plain human music? He looked at the people down under them and noticed
that they were indeed playing music, and most of them were moving as if they
were dancing. Or trying to, with their clumsy human bodies. How ridiculous.
His contempt at the whole situation hit her; she
would not endure another week of his foul mood and meditation though. It had to
change, somehow.
�You�re right, it�s not that good, but we can
improve it. Hold on to me!�
She did not wait for him to acknowledge her as
she leapt from the roof headfirst, weaving her tail around his forearm. He
reacted reflexively by grabbing it, and it was time for she would have fallen right
down on the ground if it was not from his hold on her.
The roof advanced over the court down below and
under it were stored unused musical instruments. Or whatever humans used to
produce music. Suspended head down, Kitana quickly grabbed something and
bounced back on the roof, using Sesshomaru as an unwilling anchor.
She came back with some kind of drum he had
seen once in his youth, at his mother�s fortress. The drum was wooden, and
looked like a thin hourglass with strings binding the two flattened heads
together in complicated weaved patterns.
Without more ceremony, she kneeled over the
drum. He had seen enough and was about to rise when a firm hand upon his
shoulder stopped him from leaving.
�Sesshomaru, don�t spoil my fun! Let�s see what
I can do to give a little beat to their party!�
Eyes reduced to slits, his mind invaded by her
contagious blissfulness, he sat down. He would make her pay this stupid
involvement with human affairs, and it would cost her, but for now he would
stay and see what she was up to.
�Beat?�
She rolled her eyes. �Yes, beat. Don�t you see
these people just want to have some fun, to celebrate, and the musicians don�t
understand that? Look, the drummers are sedated, not even using all their
instruments, see the large drums back there that are not even played with? And
the things with strings have the entire scene for themselves even though their
players are as stiff and expressionless as, as� as you! At least the flute does
have a nice sound. Let me tell you: the percussionists should be taking more
place in the melody, they should give life to whatever it is they are doing
with their stringed instruments. And the flute should be the accent. Let�s remedy
to that.�
Sighing, he stopped her inspiration with his
stern, stoic voice.
�The large drums are traditional taiko drums,
and they are used only at large festivals, they would not be used for such a
small event. The drum you so disrespectfully kneel upon should be held by your
side, and the stringed instruments you despise so much are koto and shamisen.
Although the humans play them very poorly, they are highly refined instruments
of noble-�
Not listening to him, Kitana started to play on
her drum. His voice stilled, his eyes following her movements. Slowly, her
hands started to beat a hushed rhythm out of her drum, following the drummers
that played down below. She integrated herself completely in the melody, not
changing anything, and he was about to tell her how pointless her intervention
was if she was to copy them when something occurred. She started to put an
accent on one of the sounds, periodically bringing back the louder note. He
turned his attention at the group of humans; they didn�t notice that a new
player had joined the band. Repeating the beat again and again, she added
another accent, modifying a lower note this time.
Then, as the rhythm reached a comfortable zone,
she modified it again. With more audacity, she increased the volume of her
beat, playing louder and louder. Unexpectedly, to Sesshomaru at least, the
other percussionists followed her and the sound of their drums amplified,
uniting with Kitana�s instrument in an interesting way. Boldly, she added two
new notes in between the existing rhythm, bringing an exotic twist to it.
In the courtyard, the shamisen players had
started to play with more energy, if only not to be overcome by the drums. The
flute was livelier, and the people were dancing with more energy around the
musicians.
It would still have been boring if Kitana
hadn�t increased the tempo a little bit. Even to Sesshomaru�s sensitive ears,
the change was subtle but it was enough to initiate an evolution in the rhythm.
Making sure that the musicians followed her, she took her time and
progressively brought the tempo to a truly lively beat. And then it happened.
In the courtyard, the musicians were enthralled
in the rhythm they were playing, so much so than one of them added a personal
touch to the beat, adding notes where before there was only silence. Then
another one, and then three drummers followed suit. One of the flutists started
to move around as he improvised a little melody, weaving it with great success
in the main song. Two men from the dancers, strong young men who were probably
soldiers in the local troops, left their partners and started to play the large
taiko drum, expertly using their trained muscles to make the best of their
instrument. Even the shamisen players couldn�t stay rigid anymore under that
beat and started to relax their postures, improvising wild melodies that made
the best of the rhythm they were given by the drummers.
Sesshomaru was surprised to discover that the
tranquil pleasure he took at listening to the musical accords was his own, it
had only been triggered by Kitana�s mirth. Memories of his childhood years when
his mother entertained guests at their house and let musicians play until late
into the night came to him. Of course what youkai considered music was much
wilder than what he was listening at, and he had never been one to appreciate
something as trivial as that, but the moment was peaceful and pleasant. He let
go of his scepticism and looked at Kitana with renewed eyes. The girl really
had a good musical sense. Her hands were flying over the leather of the drum,
creating an unearthly beat that was very catchy. Her whole body responded to
the music, her hips moving with the beat, her powerful and lean muscles
contracting in rhythm, she was dancing in a very sensual way, even though she
kept her ridiculous kneeling position over the drum. Suddenly realizing the heat
that pooled inside of him at the sight of her, surrendering herself to the
music, he turned his gaze on the courtyard down below.
�What the hell is going on here? Are you possessed,
all of you?� yelled a very angry old man, who appeared from the house with a
terribly furious look on his face. Everybody stilled in the courtyard,
everybody except Kitana who played her drum just a little bit longer than the
other musicians. Simultaneously, every human down below turned their gaze
toward her and Sesshomaru, and the reaction was predictable.
�Youkai! There are youkai on the roof! Youkai
tried to possess us!�
The few guards amongst the dancers had already
grabbed weapons and arrows started flying in the air, but the said youkai were
long gone. Leaving the drum on the roof, Kitana and Sesshomaru lost no time and
fled from the village. They were already at the edge of the woods when Kitana
stopped, laughing madly. Sesshomaru looked at her with bland eyes, wondering
why in hell he fled before puny human arrows.
�Ahahah! Did you see their face when they saw
us? A moment they were dancing and having fun and the next, they were bouncing
all over the place in a panic! What a fun night!�
She walked around him and put a hand on his
left shoulder.
�Thanks for accompanying me. We should do it
more often.� Then, she winked at him and started her way toward the camp, her
laugh echoing in the air. It was Sesshomaru�s turn to roll his eyes, mentally at
least. He had to admit though that he really had fun up there on the roof,
forgetting all about his recent predicaments and simply enjoying living the
present moment. For a short while he basked in contentment, happy to simply be,
and he did not dislike it.
--
Kitana was leisurely lying on her side on a
small beach along a river. The setting sun was still able to heat her black
skin and oranges and reds reflected upon her features. A crown of flowers
placed upon her head by the little Rin gave her the look of some natural deity,
and at this moment it was hard to believe how lethal she could be when she
wanted to.
Those were the thoughts that went through
Sesshomaru�s eyes while he surveyed the calm scene happening in front of him.
When she awoke earlier in the morning his ward had been immensely pleased by
the outfit Kitana found for her, which was simple and colorful, similar in
colors to the one she had had to abandon. The young human girl then took upon
herself to thank Kitana for this feat and rewarded her with songs and flowers
she picked along their travels. Lots of flowers. And for once, even Jaken
seemed to be relaxed and maybe even happy, as he was not the recipient of the
fragrant vegetal.
Kitana was pleased too. The last two days with
Sesshomaru had gone well; the taiyoukai was definitively more apt at
controlling the accidental bond that linked their emotions together. Or so she
thought, until he rose and addressed Jaken.
�Jaken, you will gather edible plants for Rin�s
meal. This Sesshomaru will come back with meat.�
The kappa nodded, excited about the perspective
of a meal more consistent that their usual share of fish, roots and stolen
crops.
--
It had been a long time since he had been so
hungry. Granted, he hadn�t sustained himself since before Rin�s kidnapping by
the rats, but this was a common occurrence for him. He left the riverside and
entered the forest, sifting through all the different smells for one that would
mean food.
It did not take a lot of time before he found
what he was looking for: a group of about eight small deer, grazing amongst the
trees. Usually, he would have used his great speed to swiftly catch one of the beasts
and break its neck, avoiding any blood spill on his pristine clothes and fur.
But today, he surprisingly found himself stalking his prey, crouching amongst
the bushes like a predator, waiting for the right moment to pounce. He wanted
nothing more than to sink his claws deep into the animal�s flesh, to smell its
fear permeating the air when it would realize what fate was upon it, to hear
the last beatings of its exhausted heart.
It had been a very, very long time since he
found any pleasure in catching his food, let alone this kind of thrill. His
very first hunts, when he was a mere kid, brought him a similar emotion, but
nowadays he didn�t delight in killing such weak animals anymore. Despite his
humanoid features, his canine instincts were strong and unlike wolves, dogs
were not true predators; they were opportunistic beings, sometimes relishing in
the pursuit and catch of a prey, but more often relying on foraging to feed
themselves. When a hunt was necessary, dogs tended to choose the easiest prey,
the one less likely to hurt them or force them to burn up too much energy;
after all, the purpose of a meal was to replenish one�s reserves, not to burn
them down. Why he was so mesmerized by the idea of basking himself in the death
of his prey when it was so foreign to his own nature, he couldn�t start to
understand.
The wind shifted, bringing his scent to the
herd. Small white tails flashed in the air before the whole group panicked and
fled the area. The rush of adrenaline in his blood pushed him forward: it was
now or never. Using only his muscles instead of his supernatural speed, he
caught up with the deer and chose a small female for prey. A pure pleasure
invaded him when the doe jinxed and jumped in between the trees, trying to
evade her predator even though she was clearly doomed. At the last moment,
right before his claws ripped her neck open, reality came back to him and he
grabbed the animal instead of slicing it up. A quick pressure on the neck broke
it down, and the doe convulsed in her last spasms of agony.
What had gone through him he didn�t know, but
one thing was clear: it was not enough. The thrill of the hunt did not left him
with the capture of the doe, his heart was still pumping his blood much faster
than usually, and he jumped forward toward the rest of the herd. They were far
now, but it would take him no time to catch up with them.
Right before killing his second prey,
Sesshomaru stopped himself and shook his head. That attitude was not normal for
him, not at all. Suddenly, a chill travelled up his spine. He was not the
hunter anymore.
Still as a rock, he surveyed his surroundings
intensely. There was nothing to be seen, heard or smelled, but he was convinced
he was being stalked. His doubts were confirmed a moment later when a tall,
black creature not unlike a scorpion unfolded her long, slender legs and tail
and descended from a branch right in front of him.
�You.�
Kitana�s posture was tense, her breasts moving
slowly with her deep breathing, her eyes fixed upon his own.
�This bloodlust is not your own, Sesshomaru.
You are not the hungry one. Go back to the doe; Jaken and Rin are waiting for
you.�
His eyes opening up while his brows travelled
up under his bangs, he understood her words. Once again he had not been able to
discern her projected feelings from his own. However, he would not go back.
�The bloodlust is also mine, now that you
shared it with me.�
She shook her head at him, frowning.
�I shared nothing; you merely took it upon
yourself to satisfy an urge that is not yours.�
�Nevertheless; I am part of the hunt now.�
An intense, silent confrontation happened
between them, her eyes searching him for the tiniest hint of a doubt, his own
defying her to push him away. The taiyoukai flexed his claws, eager to feel
blood run under them, and Kitana�s muscles were tense, ready to feel what he
felt moments ago. After a small nod, Kitana turned her back to him and started
her own hunt, her new partner on her heels.
She was not that hungry, and she was used to
ignore this feeling, but obviously Sesshomaru was not. Now that he was so
caught up in the thrill of the hunt, she couldn�t resist it anymore than
himself and both had to respond to its call. She extended her senses, and found
what she was looking for. Turning toward the road they have been following for
two days, she climbed a tree and jumped into the foliage with deadly
intentions.
Sesshomaru was following her closely on the
ground, nothing more than a white flash flying amongst the trees to any
untrained human eyes that would have witnessed him. He was concentrating upon
his link with Kitana, receiving and analyzing her every mood with the most profound
pleasure. A bloodlust like this one he had never felt before and he let her
powerful intent to kill overcome his senses. He was a warrior in essence, his
best moments being when he fought against a powerful adversary. He had
misjudged Kitana, thinking she was just like him. How wrong had he been. She had
never been a warrior, would never be, no matter how much training he would put
on her. She was a predator. She took her pleasure in tracking down her preys, stalking
them, feeling the fear she instilled in these lowly creatures before she took
their life. Her whole body and mind was controlled by her instincts and
emotions, freed of any conventions or inhibitions and for that brief moment, he
was just like her.
As they quickly advanced in the lush forest, he
caught a scent on the breeze and Kitana oriented their path toward the origin
of the odor. It smelled like humans, a rather large group of humans. The stench
he always found so repulsive now was attractive to him in a purely primal,
bestial way. Soon enough they reached the road, and to his surprise Kitana descended
to the ground and advanced into the high grass of the fields close to the road
instead of hiding amongst the trees. The group of humans he smelled earlier was
further up the road, but she simply crouched right there in wait, hidden from
the view. He joined her.
�Humans?�
For an instant she lost her focus on the hunt,
and turned to face him. He could have sworn that her golden eyes were slowly
turning black.
�Is smell the only sense available to you,
Sesshomaru?�
Insulted by her teasing words, he was about to
retaliate when he understood. Of course smell was not his only resource; he had
stupidly let the strength of their link overcome his own attuned senses. Now
that he thought about it, he could easily feel the presence of a human with
spiritual powers on the road ahead of them, a human who was slowly closing in.
Was this human her intended prey? A pure-hearted monk or priestess?
�Not there, Sesshomaru. There!�
Kitana pointed a finger toward the woods on the
other side of the road. The wind was coming from their left, and as such the
scents directly in front of them were lost to him. Irritation came from her in
waves, for never before had she had such a distraction with her while she hunted.
As her desire to kill started to grow again, Sesshomaru received different
feelings through their links, and he frowned before looking at her once again.
Hatred. Lust. Greed. Restlessness. Another wave
of greed, submerged in a torrent of perverse anticipation, of pleasure tinted
with a viciousness that originated from the darkest of hearts.
Kitana�s face was totally concentrated upon
whatever beings were hiding amongst the trees. Her fangs were now uncovered,
showing discreetly from behind her upper lip, and a hiss was audible if he
tried not to listen to the breeze in the trees and herbs. Sesshomaru closed his
eyes, letting himself be submerged by her strong desire for blood, by her
hunger. He realized that these other feelings were not hers, could not come
from her; they were from her prey. Or preys. The beings hidden in the forest which
harbored so much dark emotions were her targets, and she was waiting for the
best opportunity to strike at them.
The humans on the road had slowed their
approach, as if they suspected something. He could see them in the twilight now,
a group of about ten old men, women and even child, all of them poor, all of
them taking place in an old cart hauled by an even older donkey. It was rare
for humans to travel so late without any protection, and this group exuded
anxiety and nervousness, a heavy smell of fear transforming their scents into delicious
bait for any youkai miles around.
�They know you are there. Both groups know.
They sensed your youki.�
Her tone was very low, but he knew that if she
could feel anything beside her urgent lust for blood, she would be resentful
toward him.
The travellers finally arrived near their
hiding place, and it was what the other group was waiting for. An attack was
launched from amongst the trees, war cries were shouted at the top of lungs and
four large youkai emerged from the woods, two going for the front of the cart
and the two others for the back. They resembled oni, with huge fangs erupting
from the corners of their mouths and small horns protruding from their
foreheads.
Kitana wasted no time and sprinted across the
part of field that still separated her from her preys, heading for the monsters
that were attacking the front of the cart. Sesshomaru reacted to her intense
bloodlust by jumping at the ones who attacked the cart by behind. In an instant
the four beasts were either dead, beheaded by an energy whip, or left dying on
the ground, their abdomen spilling all their contents on the dirt of the road.
The sprint of the black creature and her pristine
white companion did not stop there however; it continued toward the forest,
where other brigands were waiting to back up their comrades. A group of fifteen
different barbaric looking youkai, all armed with weapons such as axes and
clubs and sporting horns, claws or tails, were surrounding a lone human female
clad in a black cloak. For a brief moment Sesshomaru was pleased, for he had
not expected a good fight, but his hopes were shattered when the oni broke out
in panic and fled through the woods. Growling, he went after them, decided to
destroy these cowards.
Kitana stopped before the woman who had not
moved yet. There was her prey, waiting for her as her partner took care of the
rest of her followers. Power crackled around the small frame of the human, disproving
anyone foolish enough to consider her small stature as a proof of her
helplessness. The woman was chanting an incantation and around her appeared a
simmering barrier of energy that repulsed Kitana and forbade her to advance any
further.
�Demon, listen to me. I am the dark miko
Kurotsuki and I command you. You will cease this ridiculous attack and join me
and my troops. There will be a huge reward for those who help me take the
content of this cart, and you will not be forgotten!�
Kitana listened at the woman and smiled a very
unpleasant, toothy smile, before laughing out loud. Her mirth affected
Sesshomaru who terrorized the few youkai still standing against him with an
evil smirk of his own. Looking at the woman with what were now totally black,
void eyes, she spoke.
�What makes you think I am a demon, dark miko?�
Confusion flashed in the eyes of the priestess
when she sensed no youki coming from Kitana. This feeling soon give way to fear
and anger, and the woman started chanting again and gathering energy.
�How arrogant are you to think that I would
bend to your wishes and obey you?�
Sweat formed on the temples of the woman, and
under Kitana intense gaze, rolled down in drops along the side of her cheeks,
then jaws. Her small form was travelled by tremors and her fear became almost
tastable in the air around them. She closed her eyes in a last effort at
summoning allies or strengthening her defences, doubling the intensity of her
incantations.
To no avail. With a sneer, Kitana placed her
hand upon the barrier and, her eyes flashing with golden light, sent a surge of
her own energy right through it, shattering it. The woman named Kurotsuki screamed
and tried to back away, panic filling her eyes, but caught her foot in a root
and fell backward.
Kitana kneeled over her, the woman now
screaming and fighting with tooth and nail which only fuelled her desire to
kill her. The gleam of a blade caught the black predator�s eyes and a dagger
slid alongside her abdomen, causing no damage to the protective suit. Laughing,
she immobilized the miko�s arms by snaking her tail around her and sat upon her
belly, totally stopping her desperate and furious attempts to escape.
Upon that, Sesshomaru came back from the
forest. The bandits had been unworthy opponents, cowards who abandoned their
comrades and fled for their lives, but today it had been strangely satisfying
for him to track them down one by one and put an end to their miserable lives.
The scent of their fear that permeated the air, their looks of sheer terror and
the screams of agony satiated an urge he had never felt before. It was nothing,
though, compared to what was going on in front of him. Kitana�s prey was a
miko, but not the one he sensed earlier. She was a dark miko, a priestess who
lost her soul to gain control over youkai and evil spirits.
His companion had secured her prey and was now
toying with it. She reached for the cloak that covered the miko�s head and face
and ripped it away, uncovering an angry and panicked face with tears running
down the cheeks.
With her empty black eyes fixed upon the
woman�s pathetic features, Kitana delicately scooped her neck in her left hand.
With her right hand, she softly caressed her forehead before replacing a stray
lock of dark brown hair.
�Hush, beautiful, hush. Why are you so
terrified? Aren�t you able to control creatures like me? Aren�t you the one who
sets them free upon human villages and travellers, letting them destroy
everything in their stake for the sake of increasing your own dark power? Tell
me, why am I not under your control? Why aren�t you summoning such creatures to
your help right now? Is it because you are too weak, or because even they don�t
want to come close to me?�
The miko was now silent, her eyes fixed upon
the terribly beautiful face of her enemy. She had heard the smooth words of the
creature and her enticing voice, following the movement of her soft lips and
tongue as she spoke to her, but the meaning of her words did not reach her. Her
entire mind was focused on the now snarling lips that uncovered terrifying
silver teeth, and when they parted slightly and she saw a second mouth hissing
furiously behind the teeth, her spirit went blank.
The jaws closed and the sweet lips started to
move again before her eyes. The priestess couldn�t fight anymore; the youkai
that she called to her before her barrier was broken did not come to assist her,
abandoning her to her fate. Her quest for gaining power upon the creatures of
the dark was ending now, and she was loosing. She trembled in fear when the
black female bent her head toward her and started to languorously lick and kiss
her ear, triggering sparks of pleasure in a body that was too far gone to
appreciate it. The contact descended along her neck, small suction movements
giving way to more kisses and licks as the creature reached her collarbone. It
was then that she saw the tall, white dog youkai who was standing close to
them. He was not one of her regular minions, but he was youkai and maybe she
could submit him to her control.
Whispered words left her lips, incantations
meant to subdue and attach the spirit of youkai to her own, but the only effect
they had was to anger the tall male. Poison started to drip from his right hand
when the words of power reached his ears, and he would have killed the insolent
dark miko for her pathetic tentative at enslaving a creature such as himself if
it hadn�t been for Kitana. At this instant, her teeth sank in the flesh of the
woman, shredding her carotid artery and jugular vein in one swift, experienced motion.
The pleasure that engulfed both females was
his, too. Sesshomaru slowly savored each wave of energy that entered his body
through their link, through the blood of the priestess. It was different from
when Kitana fed on him though, very different. He felt only a subtle hint of
sexual excitation this time, mingled within a string and an intense wave of
bliss that sent him to his knees. The dark miko was moaning, her body was limp;
the energy she spent years to accumulate was transferred to her murderer in
each warm sip of blood that was taken from her. Caught up in the intense
moment, Sesshomaru finally closed his eyes and his head fell backward, as he
fully received every sensation that coursed through Kitana�s body.
Their trance was cut short though when an
arrow, charged with holy energy, struck a tree right above Kitana�s head. In
the blink of an eye Sesshomaru was back on his feet.
�Back away, youkai. Leave this poor woman�s
body alone, you have done enough!�
Kitana growled, not even bothering to turn
around and look at the intruder, intent on finishing her meal. Sesshomaru was
not alarmed either, for the woman who fired this arrow was after all only a human,
and all her holy energy could not affect him or Kitana. He felt strangely
disconnected from the situation, his naturally indifferent composure coming
back only to clash with the pleasure that came to him from his partner.
Another pink arrow was sent flying toward
Kitana, and this time she reacted. The heart of the dark miko had stopped beating
and her body was now nothing more than a rotting mound of flesh to her senses,
already decaying. She stayed crouched over her victim, but this time she turned
her upper body toward the newcomer. As the arrow reached her, she caught it in
between two fingers as easily as if she picked an immobile leaf from a tree.
As her eyes were slowly regaining their normal
color, she kept them intensely trained on the woman who dared threaten her. She
took in the flowing red pants, the long-sleeved white tunic, the luxurious
pitch black hairs that surrounded the white, angry face, and in a fluid
movement she threw the arrow back to the one who fired it, embedding its tip in
the ground mere inches before the feet of the priestess.
�I think you lost this. You should be careful
where you place those, they could seriously hurt someone.�
The miko slowly reached for a third arrow,
totally ignoring the taiyoukai. As the wind carried her scent of soil and
decaying bones to him, he understood why: she was the undead priestess, the one
apparently allied to his half-brother, working against Naraku. They had met
before and he ignored her then; she was returning the courtesy.
Recognition also flashed in Kitana�s eyes. This
woman looked awfully like Kagome, and her energy was very similar, too. Why
didn�t she sense her presence earlier? She was obviously there to protect the
human travellers against attacks, it was logical, but something was off with
her.
Then, as she continued her silent
investigation, it struck her.
�You� you have no heat, you are cold! No flesh�
How can it be?�
With angry eyes, Kikyo levelled her third arrow
to Kitana�s head.
�And you have no youki, blood sucker.�
Sesshomaru�s boredom reached Kitana through
their link, effectively reducing her curiosity. Was the man doing it on
purpose? She shot a look at him, only to see him turn his back to the scene and
walk away. Puzzled, she looked once more at the miko but then, an even stronger
wave of disinterest and indifference struck her. Silently, she rose and reluctantly
left the scene, trailing after Sesshomaru. Kikyo followed their retreating
backs as far as she could see them, and then turned her eyes upon the
desecrated body of Kurotsuki. The woman who had been plaguing the countryside
for months with her attacks against temples and shrines was now dead, and her
death had not been a pleasant one according to the look upon her face and the
gaping wound on her neck. Slowly, the miko put away her bow and arrow and
returned to the group of travellers who were waiting for her, walking around
the corpses of the bandits.
--
They travelled back to the camp mostly in
silence, after Kitana had washed quickly in a small stream. Her head was full
of questions and interrogations that she couldn�t hold back for long, and soon enough
she voiced them out loud.
�Sesshomaru� I�m not sure I want to know the
answer but� what was she?�
The taiyoukai continued his way as if he didn�t
hear her, but her curiosity laced with a little bit of anxiety unnerved him.
�Do not concern yourself with her.�
�Are you kidding? This woman is walking around
in a body with no flesh in it! I couldn�t even have distinguished her from the
ground and rocks around if it hadn�t been from my eyes! And you ask me not to
be concerned? No way!�
�What you say is ridiculous. Of course you
couldn�t have seen her without your eyes.�
�Well, no, it�s not what I mean. I mean, I
don�t need my eyes to see, I see the heat produced by living beings. Remember
the memory you took from me� Or rather no, don�t remember that please. And
don�t try to change subject. What I want to say is that she has no heat, and it
cannot be.�
�Hn.�
A moment later, he stopped in his track and
turned toward Kitana, who had stopped walking when she received his last
answer.
�You know, Sesshomaru, since you won�t answer
me, I think I will go back there and question her directly. She is very
interesting, you see� To me, at least.�
The taiyoukai was almost rolling his eyes.
Almost.
�She is an undead miko, and before her death
she used to be well-acquainted with my half-brother.�
As a bland expression on Kitana�s face was the
only reaction to his words, he pursued.
�She is made of clay and graveyard soil. Her
spiritual powers are important, and she is apparently one of Naraku�s enemies.
That is all This Sesshomaru knows about her. If you are still curious, go to
her. I doubt she will answer your questions with anything other than arrows,
though.�

He turned again, almost at the camp, but he did
not have the time to move a foot before her voice was heard again.
�Sesshomaru��
�What?� he said with irritation.
�Congratulations. For earlier, you know. You
have done well.�
It was his turn to be confused.
�Earlier?�
�Yes. You gained a better control over our
link. Once you understood it was my hunger that you felt, you took the
conscious decision to let it invade you as well. But during the entire hunt,
you had control over your emotions, you were yourself. And for a moment, you
gained control over my own emotions, too. That�s a feat.�
She had arrived at his side, a serious, solemn
look on her face.
�So if the link doesn�t disappear, you�ll be
able to survive it� I think��
A giggle escaped her before she leapt into the
foliage. It was time, as Sesshomaru�s anger flared at her last words and he
made a movement to grab her, to force her to explain herself. Now however, as
he felt her mirth, he understood that she was simply teasing him and didn�t mean
what she said. She wanted to anger him, and she succeeded. For a short while.
His stoic mask back in place, Sesshomaru
grabbed the dead doe that was still lying on the forest floor and continued to
the camp, his companion laughing cheerfully amongst the treetops. Along the
way, a tiny ghost of a smile turned the corner of his lips slightly upward.
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Angelus	By : TwilightAlien Category: InuYasha > General Views: 3232 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.

Angelus