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
- 26
- 27
- 28
Chapter 27
They crossed the entire courtyard toward the
main building, the one they saw at their arrival. Guards let them access the
doors with no problem, and soon they found themselves in a dining room. About a
half dozen of guests were already installed and eating, oblivious to their discreet
arrival.
�Are we at the right place? They spoke of a
meeting, not a meal!� Kitana whispered to her companion.
�Hn. You won�t eat, so for you it will only be
a meeting.�
This answer irritated her to no end; had she
known she would have either to fake eating and be sick or insult her host by
refusing the food, she would have argued more about the matter and perhaps even
refused to come along. Her irritation at being dragged there continued to
increase, and had she not already been detected by the guests she would have
turned tail and crawled back into her desolated little room, isolating herself
in the sinister desolation of her mind. But it was not to be.
�Aaaaah, Sesshomaru-sama! Come here, come!
Won�t you greet your old friend properly, you cur!� shouted a large, bearded
man as he rose from his kneeling position to greet the newcomers.
Greeting was maybe a little too feeble a word
to describe the effusions of joy and familiarity with which he graced
Sesshomaru. The man towered a good foot higher than the taiyoukai, and his
weight was absolutely not proportional to his height; the floor trembled as he propelled
himself toward his so-called friend.
Kitana looked at the scene with large,
unbelieving eyes; before her, the stern and stoic demon Lord was caught in a
strong, manly embrace by the huge giant. Both hairy arms were crushing the
shoulders of the dog youkai with tremendous force, and the right hand of the
monster patted him in the back with a resulting thundering sound, while he was
laughing his heart out. The strangest part of this display was that Sesshomaru
didn�t retaliate and the man still got his head on his shoulders; how puzzling.
The man released his hold on the aggravated
youkai and seized him by the shoulders, distancing them at a good arm length
and looking him all over.
�Ah! In all these centuries you haven�t changed
a lot, my friend. If one does not take your arm into account of course!�
He gave a hearty laugh, which was answered by
one of the coldest glares the taiyoukai could do. Kitana felt an extremely
strong murderous intent seeping from all the pores of Sesshomaru, and yet he
did nothing.
Her attention though was not on her companion,
but on the brute that so carelessly approached and assaulted him. The man was
totally different from anything she had seen in these lands. A rich red beard
ate his lower face and a bushy moustache joined it at the corners of the mouth;
together they descended on his throat and stopped at his upper chest. His eyes
were a common brown, almost hidden behind a single, huge eyebrow. He wore a
simple beige sleeved tunic made of linen, a pair of deep brown linen pants, a
leather belt strapped around his waist over the tunic and a large, two sided
war axe unlike any she had seen before was attached to his belt. His dirty,
human feet were bare and as hairy as his arms; but as human as he looked if one
omitted his size, the man emitted a terribly large amount of energy.
His gaze suddenly turned toward Kitana,
examining her shamelessly.
�And now my good friend, you bring a lady here
and you don�t introduce me to her? How rude can you be, Sesshomaru, I ask you?�
The taiyoukai was breathing slowly, trying to
calm down his animosity toward the giant man. When the urge to kill him subsided
somewhat, he turned toward Kitana and his voice reached her ears, as cold as
could be.
�Kitana-sama, this stupid example of an oaf is
a foreigner that my father did the mistake of welcoming in the family as a
brother eons ago. He does not have an ounce of manners but luckily, he is
usually roaming on the continent and only comes here every two or three
centuries.�
The warm, deep laugh of the youkai once again
filled the huge room and he slapped Sesshomaru in the back with his huge hand,
making a resounding noise.
�My friend, you never stop to amaze me!�
�Do that once more and you will loose the use
of that arm.�
�Ahem.� The large man seemed to take the threat
seriously as he straightened himself and backed up a foot from Sesshomaru�s
side. �As the Lord is not inclined to introduce me properly, my Lady, allow me
to do it by myself. I am Medved, a mighty Bear youkai from the great plains of Russia.�
The bear advanced toward Kitana, obviously
intent to hug her in a similar way as he did to Sesshomaru. It was not to
happen though, as a soft feminine voice halted his progression.
�Touch me bear, and you die.�
Sesshomaru turned slightly toward her, curious
to see the outcome of her provocative words. The bear was a gentle fool, but
his Father did not make friend with the weak and none dared to cross the
creature for once angered, he was a natural cataclysm.
The giant stayed stunned for a couple of
seconds, before breaking in a thunderous laugh. He resorted to slapping
Sesshomaru�s shoulder once again, but did not move closer to Kitana.
�I see that you chose a spirited female,
Sesshomaru! Or did your temper already rub off on her? Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Now
I recognize you! Come, friends, let�s sit down at this table and celebrate your
return!�
The choice of seats was limited to three, in
fact; one at the very end of the table, and two to its sides. The left seat
being occupied by the leftovers of the bear�s meal, Kitana chose the other,
letting Sesshomaru gracefully sit down at the place of honor.
Now that their attention wasn�t totally
occupied by the bear�s antics, Kitana and Sesshomaru surveyed the rest of the
guests. The taiyoukai�s mother was occupying an elegant, elevated seat at the
other end of the table while the guest sat on cushions and pillows all around.
Two overly large creatures not unlike Sesshomaru�s canine form sat at attention
beside the royal figure, their blackish fur glistening as if diamond powder was
covering them up. It was only on a closer examination that the sparkling little
gems became more like stars on a moonless sky, slowly organizing themselves in
galaxies and nebula; the phenomenon was fascinating, but not natural at all. As
if the void of deep space was seeping into the room through the beasts, the
atmosphere was cold and unwelcoming and with the exception of Medved, almost
everyone seemed hostile to the newcomers.
At the right of the canine lady, sat a
beautiful but arrogant looking youkai with black tipped orange hairs that
reached down to his waist. He was concentrated on his meal, and a chilling wave
of disdain and disgust hit her coming from him. When he detected her gaze on
him, he raised his head a little and returned the gaze. Despite his nonchalant
attitude, sitting sideways with his weight on his left arm, his attention was
now all upon her, apparently; he couldn�t detach his eyes.
She could, however, and she continued to
examine the attending youkai. Various features stirred her curiosity and
interest, things such as markings, pointed ears, feathers or reptilian scales decorated
with a wide variety of jewels and weapons; this group was wealthy and powerful.
Halfway through the guests she was surprised to
meet eyes that she knew well; Sai was amongst the group, smiling warmly while eyeing
her with rather hungry eyes. She returned the smile with a smirk of her own,
and her eyes sparkled with amusement when she felt the first hints of desire
coming from the marten, who was now slowly liking her lips. Decidedly, this
female was not ashamed of flirting in public she thought, when a voice finally
broke the heavy silence.
�So, Sesshomaru-sama, you finally decided to
honor you Mother with a visit. How graceful of you; but did you need to bring a
stray along, my Lord? It isn�t like you at all, if I recall my distant
memories.�
It was the orange-haired male, visibly trying
to start a fight. He was now openly showing his contempt for Sesshomaru, and
Kitana did not have to send him a warning for him to take notice of this.
A servant brought tea and Sesshomaru, oblivious
to the provocative tone of the male, turned his golden gaze to his mother,
awaiting her acknowledgment. He did not have to wait for long.
�Friends, friends, let us put old quarrels to
rest and be civil for at least a moment; my son has indeed returned and it is a
reason for celebration, not fights. Isn�t it, Sesshomaru?�
The warm smile of the youkai did not reach her
eyes however, and her son did not care about returning the appearance of
happiness.
�Hn. If we could come to the reasons of my
presence here, Mother.�
�Of course, my son, of course. I gathered these
fine people to hear you out and see what we can do for you; you are lucky, for
Medved does not turn up here as often as I would like him to. It is a great
opportunity to count him amongst us tonight, as well as Sai and Yoko,� she said
motioning to the male at her side. �I take it you remember about the general
Yoko, did you my son? He has feats under his name befitting of the title of
Lord of the West, if that title was available of course!�
�How could I forget the fox, Mother?�
His face as blank as ever met with his Mother
affected smile, as she draped her furs tighter around herself.
�Don�t be so cold, son, I did not raise you
that way.�
She gestured toward the other guests, cutting
short the discussion about the unpleasant youkai.
�Here is Sai, the head of my informants; she is
not here often either, and she could be of a great help to you. Medved keeps me
informed on the happenings on the continent; and you know most of the other
attendants, all of them my most loyal assistants.�
Sesshomaru nodded minutely, having known the
said assistants from birth and being aware that they assisted his mother mostly
in spying, murdering and blackmailing other high-ranking youkai. Kitana was
apparently fighting not to be overwhelmed by the melancholy that was brought by
their discussion about his father, and she managed to convey him the emotions
she felt when each one of the youkai in attendance was introduced. Most of her
reactions matched his own appreciation of the group of high ranking youkai; all
but the marten, which was apparently the source of a displaced and annoying
physical need that threatened to distract him from the task at hand.
�My Lady wanted you to explain your demands by
yourself, Sesshomaru, but she said a word or two about a hanyou,� said Yoko
while he studied his claws boringly. �You know how the rumors run fast here,
and I find them hard to believe. Could it be true that you need help in
fighting a mere hanyou?�
He turned his intense green gaze toward
Sesshomaru, only to be met by bland golden eyes.
�This Sesshomaru seeks information about the
whereabouts of the hanyou Naraku. Maybe some here have heard of him.�
�Indeed we have, but I was under the impression
that Naraku was an extremely powerful youkai. No one ever mentioned he was a
half-blooded creature! Are we speaking about the same individual,
Sesshomaru-sama?�
The one who spoke was a petite female, about as
tall as Rin, but with womanly features and shoulder length, pale blonde hair.
She was seated across Yoko, and he shot her an irritated glance as she spoke.
�Naraku is powerful, but he is hanyou; human
smell is mingled within his stench.�
�And why would you need our help to find him,
Sesshomaru-sama? Aren�t you a skilled tracker yourself, or were your father�s
teachings insufficient in that area?�
The questioning youkai was a dignified old man,
looking somewhat like an owl of some sort with an air of wisdom about him; a
grey moustache descended on either sides of his mouth, giving him a perpetual
pout that could have been ridiculous, but only added to nobility of the
creature.
Sesshomaru�s cold gaze settled on the old man,
and he recoiled a little on his cushion, taking a particular interest in his
cup of tea.
�My Father�s teachings were thorough in many
domains, Taneki-sama. As I said, Naraku is powerful and he knows how to hide
himself from my senses, no matter how keen they are. However, I suspect he is
not prepared for the skills of other forms of youkai.�
�Is it why you keep this female at your side,
my Lord? She is of no great birth, and I wonder what abilities she possesses
that makes her worth your attention, beside her obvious physical assets. You surely
know it is considered an offense to bring a whore or concubine to a reunion
such as this one? Please correct me if my assumptions are wrong, but I think
her place is in the bedroom, and in the bedroom she should have stayed.�
The reptilian voice that venomously interrupted
the taiyoukai and steered the conversation exactly where he did not want it to
head, was a voice heavily laced with heinous intentions and ripping of disdain
and deceit. Kitana instantaneously disliked the creature that spoke, a slender
and pale female with a forked tongue, slit green pupils and the characteristic
unblinking eyes of a snake. She recognized in it the typical signs of a
sadistic being, an assassin or torturer, and wanted nothing but to end her days
as soon as possible, making her pay for the crimes she obviously took pleasure
in committing.
Her reaction was mirrored in her partner, in
his ever calm and collected way. Without even turning his head toward the
offensive female, he turned his eyes sideways and studied her for a moment,
savoring the uneasiness that was starting to appear on her scaled face. The
people of his mother were powerful and bold under the illusion of her
protection, but when face to face with an enemy they revealed the pitiful
creatures that they truly were, all of them.
�It is not the purpose of this gathering to
discuss the presence of Kitana-sama by my side. All of you should know however
that This Sesshomaru does not take kindly to fools and never tolerates their
behavior for very long. It applies to you as well as to her. She has a role to
play that none of you could even begin to understand.�
It was hard for him not to react in a more
direct way to the insults of his mother�s servants, but Sesshomaru knew when
politics preceded over brute force and reigned in his anger. His own companion
was not helping him at all though, as she was getting less and less focused on
the discussion and more turned upon her own feelings. He did his best not to
turn and look at her, fighting a need to shake her back to reality; but he
would not endure her chaotic emotions for much longer, especially since they
were now a disastrous blend of painful waves of sadness mixed up with anger,
physical lust and desire to kill. As he tried to ignore these feelings, the
very creature responsible for a large part of his discontentment spoke.
�Please take no offense, but what would we gain
by helping you, Sesshomaru-sama? If this Naraku is that powerful, wouldn�t it
be better to side by him rather than seek his destruction? Or at the very
least, keep our neutrality?�
Sai was eyeing him cautiously, but was still
provocative, as if this reunion was nothing but a battle to win, bringing forth
opportunities to bleed her opponent to his death. She had apparently chosen him
as a foe, and if he could judge by her sideway glances toward his onyx-skinned
partner, the reason for this enmity was sitting right by his side. Irritated at
the notion of his companion going so low as considering the marten as an object
of desire, and even more irked by his own jealous reaction to the idea of the
two women sharing intimate moments together, he almost snapped at the small
weasel-like creature.
�Siding with Naraku is an utterly foolish idea;
his conception of making alliances consists in absorbing his allies into
himself, stealing their powers and abilities. He tolerates no one, and is
greedy for supreme power. But you are free to do as you wish marten.�
The large bear coughed strongly while trying to
hold back a laugh and when Sesshomaru met his eyes, he spoke his mind.
�I remember a certain dog youkai, or two, who were
after something similar themselves. Supreme conquest. None of us here
intervened to stop them, or any other similar minded youkai before. Why should
we do it now?�
Sesshomaru nodded, able to recognized concealed
help when he received it.
�Naraku is gathering shards of the Shikon no
Tama, a jewel that gives him tremendous power. Without it, he is nothing. To
gain the whole jewel he is now rampaging in the human world and targets the
puny demons that roam it, but he will soon accomplish his goal and turn his
attention toward youkai of noble blood who do not mingle with humans. When he
reaches that point, he will simply capture and devour the interesting ones, and
destroy the others. He can be overcome now, but if he is not stopped, it will
be the end of the world as we know it. He does not need allies, and will not
leave any possibility for neutrality either; he seeks power for himself to
assimilate.�
Murmurs and hushed words filled the room as the
assembly of youkai discussed the points brought by Sesshomaru. One of them
though was not part of the general discussion.
�You never struck me as a hero wanting to
protect the world from destruction, Sesshomaru. You are selfish, arrogant and
power hungry yourself. When did it change? Or is it just a beautiful little
speech designed to win our support? Did Naraku cross you in a more� personal
way?�
The dog youkai mused over the hostile words of
Yoko, deciding that any lie would be detected by the members of this assembly.
The game was risky though, for his mother had no tolerance for weakness in her
son.
�Indeed. The fool tried to use This Sesshomaru
multiple times, and failed miserably; but he shall be punished by my own hand
for even thinking he could succeed to sully my honor. I merely wish to
accelerate the outcome of this affair by seeking the intelligence of this
court.�
The murmurs started again, only to be stopped
by a shout from the head of the assembly.
�Silence!�
Eight heads turned toward her.
�Sesshomaru, you sadden me, son. You come back
to your mother after centuries of roaming as a savage in the wilderness,
crippled by the loss of an arm to your bastard hanyou half-brother, and
accompanied by a low-life youkai whore of a breed so insignificant that no one
has ever heard of it. Yet, my pain as a mother isn�t deep enough; here I learn
that you let another hanyou cross you, to the point where you can�t even track
and destroy him by yourself.�
Anger was boiling in Sesshomaru, a cold, white
anger. His mother was many things, but never before had she resorted to
humiliating him in public. He stayed still though, as blank faced as ever,
while at his side his partner was lost in her own emotional world, barely aware
of the dynamics of the gathering.
A forked-tongued slithered between lips, before
her owner granted the audience with her opinion.
�How sad, to see such a well-bred and strong
youkai fall so low.�
She could not have chosen a worse moment to
speak. The serpent uttered her last words; a split-second later, her head was
rolling on the table, her body falling on its side on the lush cushions. Blood
was ejected from her severed neck in long arterial jets, tainting the silk
cushion a deep blackish crimson. Only a faint green glow at the tips of
Sesshomaru�s fingers betrayed the murderer but the effect of his action was
instantaneous: a total silence filled the room as the attention of everyone was
brought back to him.
�Enough.�
His voice was calm and composed, in total
contradiction with the scene that was unravelling before him, with servants and
retainers running in panic to remove the corpse and limit the damage to the
valuable cushions and carpets that were absorbing the spilled blood. His closed
eyes were hidden under his bangs, his head slightly bowed down, but as he
started to smell the sweet and sour aroma of fear tinting the air, he straightened,
eliciting a few gasps from some of the attendee as his eyes settled upon them.
He paid them no attention though, finally fixing his gaze upon his mother
instead.
�I have heard enough. But know this: no one
insults This Sesshomaru and lives to talk about it, including Naraku. Whether
this ridiculous court of yours has a part to play in his demise or not is your
choice, Mother; I will wait for the answer until tomorrow morning.�
The taiyoukai rose and gave a last, hard look
at his mother and the other youkai, before turning his back to the gathered
demons, his partner at his side. As they were about to cross the door, a new
voice resonated in the large reunion room.
�How is it that I hear about this reunion when
it is already ending?�
As Sesshomaru and Kitana turned around to face
the newcomer, the person who spoke those words reached the head of the table in
a shaky way, helped by a sturdy looking wooden walking stick, and stood there
defiantly glaring at the Lady of the castle. She was an elderly woman, so
petite and fragile looking that at first Kitana mistook her for a human. Her
face riddled with so many wrinkles and blotched with brown age spots made it
hard to determine exactly where her mouth and eyes started and ended; her bony
fingers clenched upon the pommel of the cane looked like even this task was too
difficult for them; and her long greyish hairs, planted on a balding head, only
added to the appearance of extremely old age of the creature. She wore a plain
white kimono, but straddled upon her back was a flat, oval brownish structure
not unlike a turtle shell.
However, when she dismissed the external
appearance of the woman, Kitana could feel an immense strength coiled inside of
her, something similar to what she felt in the tree Bokusenou; this woman was
youkai, and she was powerful.
�Kame-sama. You should not exert yourself by
walking up here for such a trivial reunion. I have no need for a Seer at the
moment, and I heard you were ill. You should return to your quarters and rest.�
The chanting, cold voice of the Lady was a balm
to the ears compared to the raucous sound that came out of the elderly youkai
lips.
�There was a commotion earlier about a creature
brought here by your son. I came to see her with my own eyes, as deficient as
they may be. Is the Tsowandar still here, my Lady?�
At these words, a few laughs erupted from some
of the attendees and the orange-haired Yoko spoke up.
�Kame-sama, you should really go back to sleep.
There are no such things as your Tsowandars, much less here with us.�
He turned to face the assembly.
�It is sad to see how old age affects even the
mightiest youkai. This old hag is crazier than ever, if you ask me.�
The laughs came back, supporting the General�s
words, and soon turned into an animated discussion about how delirious the most
recent predictions and declarations of the turtle really were. However, not
everyone was laughing. Still standing away from the group and not being taken
into account anymore, the stern Sesshomaru had grown even colder upon hearing that
word, and his firm hand was pressed upon his partner�s shoulder to stop her
from stepping forward. In a whisper that he hoped would be drowned under the
loud laughs of the assembly, he addressed her, trying to calm her down.
�The turtle is insane; do not pay attention to
her words. Her mind was already gone when I was but a child, and Father kept
her here as an amusement, for she likes to make predictions between her moments
of confusion.�
�Insane or not, it doesn�t explain how she
knows that word!�
Kitana�s voice fell upon the room like thunder,
for everyone had stopped laughing when she spoke up. Feeling embarrassed and
now being the center of attention, she did her best to straighten up her
posture and appear as proud and imposing as Sesshomaru, for it would not do to
show weakness in front of these hostile youkai. Even though the carcass of the
most aggressive one was now hauled away from the room and the blood swept off
the floor, there were others who would enjoy tearing her apart, verbally at
least.
�Is that you?�
The attention of everyone being directed toward
the taiyoukai and his consort, it was only natural for the old turtle to turn
her head toward the door, trying to distinguish what forms where standing there
through her vision obscured by cataracts. The contrast of a pure white form
beside an onyx one was what pushed her forward.
�Tsowandar-sama, is that really you?�
�Kame-sama. My companion is no Tsowandar; you
are mistaken.�
The baritone of Sesshomaru�s voice did not
detract the senile old turtle from her goal. The sound of her stick hitting the
ground stopped as she finally reached them, and she settled her whitish gaze
upon the black form of Kitana.
�Young master, clearly you are the one who is
mistaken.�
Her hazy eyes locked with gold and black ones,
wisdom meeting with confusion.
�Tsowandar-sama. I am honored to be a witness
of your return among us lowly youkai. My body suffers from the tragedy of old
age, but I assure you that I will do everything I can to assist you in your
task.�
With a shaky bow of the head, the elderly gave
her respects in a way Kitana had never experienced before. Her, being the one
others bowed in front of? Clearly she was imagining things, but who was she to
put an end to the fleeting joy of an old, dying woman? She was trying to decide
how to act toward this venerable turtle, while investigating the origin of this
word she said, when a mischievous smile appeared on the corners of the mouth of
the old woman.
�But I see you have already chosen your
partner, oh noble one. I have to say it is a surprise to me though, to see a
male standing beside you. Your choice is unheard of, even though you certainly
picked a worthy and powerful lover.�
Embarrassment crept back under these words, and
Kitana was about to answer when Sesshomaru did it in her place.
�You will cease your assumptions, old one. You
are in the wrong; we are not lovers.�
A genuine surprise appeared on the face of the
old turtle, and only grew when Kitana confirmed the taiyoukai�s words by a firm
nod of the head.
�Oh? But you shared your life, didn�t you? Lord
Sesshomaru, this old youkai admires your self-restraint. Being able to withhold
while giving your life energy is� impressive, to say the least. Impressive
indeed.�
Anger was the reaction of the taiyoukai but he
was cut short by a rustle front the backdoor of the room, the door from which
the turtle came in. A group of four middle-aged female youkai, clearly servants
of the castle, came in a hurry and quickly scanned the attendees of the
reunion, looking for someone. Finally, when one of them caught a glimpse of the
old turtle, they all rushed forward toward her. Aware of the commotion, the
elderly youkai yawned deeply.
�I am afraid you will have to excuse this old
turtle � yawn -, for I have to� sleep� We will � yawn � meet later��
On these words, the turtle seemed to fall
asleep on the spot, her weight supported entirely by her walking stick.
Apparently, she timed her nap exactly with the arrival of her group of
servants, and was saved to hear their admonitions about her wandering alone in
the complex maze of the castle.
�Excuse us, oh my Lord, for we have failed in
our task to protect and escort Kame-sama. I hope she has not disturbed this
assembly to much.�
Sesshomaru kept his eyes trained on the
sleeping form of the turtle while she was caringly carried away from the large
reunion room by her servants. He turned around when it became apparent that she
wouldn�t wake up, and left the room, urging Kitana forward with a sweep of his
fur pelt behind her knees. Another voice cut his retreat.
�Hear me, Sesshomaru. My court will gather the
information you seek. We will meet again here in two days, at noon. I expect
you to be punctual.�
He didn�t even slow down his pace, missing the
strange smirk that appeared on his mother�s lips and the surprised looks of the
said court.
--
�You were useless.�
Those were the first words he uttered since
they left the disaster of the dining room. He had led Kitana back to his old
quarters, where she made the unpleasant discovery of guards posted at every
door, screen and window of the place. Her sleeping quarters were no better than
a prison, and he didn�t seem to care about that in the slightest as he put the
responsibility of the near failure of the meeting on her shoulders.
Kitana did not have the strength to retaliate
or defend herself; he was right. She had been useless, a bystander with no
power over the outcome of the events, and she didn�t care. She did not care
about it, did not care about Sesshomaru�s opinion of her. At this precise
moment she cared about nothing.
After she had taken her seat at the table,
Kitana had been deeply distracted by her inner demons. Gnawing at her soul with
tiny pointy teeth, they brought back scene upon scene of her previous life,
resurrecting the hurt and despair that slept in her heart. Then it only
worsened with the strong waves of lust she received from the marten, making
sure that she couldn�t in any way focus upon the discussion happening before
her. At first she tried to fight it, tried to show Sesshomaru what the guests�
inner feelings inspired in her. It worked for a short while, until she was
engulfed in the murderous intents of the snake woman. She then retreated into
her own feelings, barely registering the death of the snake woman, and it took
an effort of will to rise and follow when Sesshomaru left the scene. Her
previous masters using her abilities for their own personal gain flashed before
her eyes, and she saw herself killing or destroying her targets once again,
only to discover that their hated faces were being replaced by the cool and
stern features of Sesshomaru. The consequences that slavery had on her soul and
spirit were back at full force, as if all the efforts she had done in the
previous months to move forward and leave this past behind counted for nothing.
Words from a taiyoukai she thought a friend, combined with the portrait of one
she had associated with the tragedy that shook up her life and left her empty,
were all it took to send her crashing down again.
Then the turtle lady stepped forth and
blabbered confusing and strange words that somehow managed to slip past the
haze that covered her mind. Questions surged to her lips, only to be halted by
Sesshomaru�s interventions, and totally lost when the old one suddenly fell asleep
right before them. Such an odd behavior was certainly not right, and she would
do well to remember the taiyoukai�s opinion of the old turtle: senile and
insane, that was probably the case.
�Pathetic.�
She rose from her inner wanderings to stare at
the cold features of her companion, the one who used her, the one she let down.
�Yes.�
On that word, she turned her back to him and
entered her quarters, wanting nothing more than being left alone; and he
obliged.
--
Now standing by herself in the barren bedroom,
Kitana felt the full weight of her despair crash upon her. Her mind was being
trapped in her past again, and with Sesshomaru angered at her for letting the
meeting unfold without being of any help she had no way to escape her
predicament. Could she even consider him a friend anymore, now that she knew he
was only interested in using her for his own benefits? No one would come to
help her this time; she had to help herself, and she wasn�t in the mood to do
that. Her only desire at the moment was to fall into oblivion, but knowing that
she already tried that and failed only increased her distress.
She eyed the bed for a moment, wondering if she
should slip between its sheets and try to sleep away the awkward feelings that
overwhelmed her at the moment. However, her instincts told her that she would
be an easy target lying in bed in the center of an enemy settlement, with
guards so close that they could rush in at any moment. Escaping was not an
option, so she quickly did the only thing she could to dissimulate herself: she
climbed onto one of the large wooden pillars that supported the roof and
reached the rafters, where she was sure to find a soothing obscurity.
While she automatically went for the darkest
spot, the best place for her to hide in, her hazy mind noticed the presence of
a small opening in the shoji screen that was supposed to separate this room
from the adjacent one.
Cocking her head to the side, she reached it
and evaluated it.
It was a small, rounded opening that had been
neatly cut into the paper frame, right at the junction between the roof and the
wall; not an accident at all. As she looked into it, trying to get a glimpse of
the next room, she was surprised to see nothing but another shoji screen; the
hole was an entrance to a double wall that separated the two adjoining
chambers, not a communicating passage.
She hissed as instincts and curiosity pushed
her to hide further in this space. Folding her back spines tightly against her
back, she managed to squeeze through it, descending headfirst along the solid
exterior wall, going wherever the hidden passage would take her.
--
Sesshomaru emerged from the small pool in the
back of his private garden and squeezed the water out of his hair before
putting his pants back on. The reunion had been really hard on him, and
conflicting feelings were raging inside of his head. The discussions angered
him to no end, and it was a small miracle in itself that the snake youkai was
the only casualty. Beheading her would have soothed his temper if only he had
not been submitted once again to endless waves of desire and lust coming from
the woman sitting at his side. At first, she played her part well, relaying her
impressions of the guests, but it did not last long. Her irritating depressive
emotions soon took over, mixed up with a physical longing that was totally
displaced for such a reunion.
He had been confused at first when he sensed
her arousal, thinking that maybe, maybe it was directed to him. After all, they
had shared great intimacy in the not so far away past and he knew he would not
refuse her touch. However he was quickly disillusioned when he witnessed the
looks that the dirty little weasel was sending her way; he could not believe
that this insignificant youkai, this slip of a female was the one responsible
for arousing his partner. When at last he rid himself of the aggravating
creature and managed to be alone in his own chambers, he removed his armor and
swords before undressing totally and plunging head first in the fresh pool of
water that served mostly as a bathing area. He needed to cool down from the
rage coiled inside of him as well as from the longing that his body interpreted
as his own.
The late night bath helped him to come back to
his senses; although he still received some perceptions from Kitana�s distant
mind, they were weaker than at the reunion, less dramatic and freed from
anything remotely sensual. He easily discarded them as foreign to his being and
concentrated on more pressing matters. He had to think about what happened earlier
and what to expect from the group of miscreants his mother called her advisors
and consultants; a reflection about the meaning of the turtle�s intervention
was also needed. All this should help him to remove the last bits of desire for
his partner from his mind.
Lost in thoughts, his attention drifted to
something unexpected. Leaving the rest of his clothes, armor and swords where
they laid, he walked back inside the house, toward the main entrance. Instead
of continuing through the large doors and going outside in the courtroom, he
turned to the wall and moved a panel aside, uncovering a discreetly placed
staircase. Silently, his bare feet carried him atop the stairs, where the whole
second story was entirely devoted to his departed father�s bedroom, now his
own.
Leisurely, he crossed the magnificent room
without even a glance at the elaborate artwork that covered every wall with
paintings of powerful dog demons flying amongst the clouds. He spared no time
looking at the huge bed that stood in the center of the chamber, a bed made in a
European fashion at the demand of his father, built in a gigantic piece of teak
so valuable that it alone represented the annual income of a minor warlord. The
white sheets of silk and the mattress of down did not steer his interest, no
more than the ornate fireplace that occupied half of the western wall of the
room or the comfortable cushions that were nonchalantly placed all around the
hearth.
His attention was rather focused upon a scent,
a smell that he couldn�t begin to understand the reason of. His mother had seen
to keep its source thoroughly contained in another area of the courtyard, and
by no mean it should have been possible for these spicy emanations to tickle
his sensitive nose here, in his own private bedroom. Gracefully flicking a
strand of wet silver hair behind his shoulder, he slowly scanned the room,
turning upon himself in his search.
Behind him, a black form slowly descended from
the rafters of the ceiling, first tucked into a compact ball then unfolding its
appendages one by one. When his peripheral vision caught the sight, Sesshomaru
relaxed slightly and turned around fully, coming face to face with an upside
down and smirking Kitana.
�What are you doing here?�
His tone was unpleasant, but he felt curious
and amused at the sight of her. He personally knew the guards assigned to her
chamber and she shouldn�t have been able to pass by them unseen without killing
them. Yet, it would have caused an uproar which was obviously not the case for
his sensitive senses would have picked the noise up, let alone the smell.
�The right question, Oh my Lord, would be how I
arrived here.�
He slightly cocked his head to the side.
�Indeed.�
Her smirk became a malicious smile as she
descended and landed on her feet, before rising and looking at the room behind
him. The smile, though, never reached her eyes.
�Your place is definitely nicer than mine. Much
less guards, for one thing. And more space. More� decorations.�
He kept his gaze trained on her as she brought
her eyes to his form and detailed him slowly, from his sculpted chest and arm
to his lower abdomen. She then came back up to his ravaged shoulder, noticing
the thick scar that had formed there, and then his still wet mass of hair that
stuck to his back and dripped upon his pants.
�You should put your clothes back on. You will
become sick, all wet and exposed like that in the middle of the night.�
He raised an elegant eyebrow before answering.
�Youkai don�t have sicknesses. Beside, I do as
I please. Now tell me.�
She turned her head up toward the ceiling, and
he did the same, puzzled by her attitude.
�I think I won�t be so useless anymore. There
is a whole maze of highly concealed secret passages underneath this compound,
with entrances in each and every building.�
She turned back to face him, and their eyes
locked together, hers filled with a fire he had not seen since they arrived in
the castle.
�You wanted to learn more about the people who
live here; I will now be in a position to provide that information.�
His surprise was visible; he had always known
his mother was a deviant and twisted plotter, but to the point of spying on her
guests and husband? Then, thinking about it, he reached the conclusion that it
was surely not beneath her. It would be interesting to see how his partner
could use the deviousness of his mother to gain information about her. He
nodded his approval. Kitana held his gaze for a moment, before jumping up,
catching a rafter and using it to propel herself upon the ceiling itself,
upside down. Then, she crawled along a beam and disappeared where it joined the
wall.
- 26
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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