Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters you may recognize from the anime/manga "Inuyasha" (i.e. Sesshomaru, Rin, Jaken) Though there are a few original characters
Author's Note/Warnings:
~This isn't a story based around Inuyasha's group, but of his brother, Sesshomaru's
~This is a yaoi fic and there shall be mini lime/lemons in later chapters, but it'll be kept PG13 for the sake of gaia stare
~Don't think there is any spoilers (let me know if you see any)
~and Japanese termnology will be used in the fic so...
Know the lingo:
Inu - dog demon
Neko - cat demon
Ookami - wolf demon
Ningen - human
hanyou - half demon
Youkai - demon (or demonic energy)
haori - shirts of the times
kuro - black
yasha - female demon
jyaki - a demon's (evil) power
"yase ookami" - wimpy/weak wolf
If I missed any, plz pm me
Now on to the fic...
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
The inu lord rubbed his left arm subconsciously. Ningens knew nothing of pain or stamina. They knew nothing of power. It had taken him several painful years to completely regenerate his once severed arm. Even with the so called disability, no one had proved to be even a threat. He was used to being one of the strongest youkai around, and the slight disadvantage changed nothing.
It was no wonder why he despised humans so, they had little to no stamina or strength. His young female companion especially. He always had to temper his pace because Rin could never keep up on her own. She hadn’t really grown physically stronger or increased her stamina despite the fact she was now a teenager. When they needed to travel quickly she was still forced to ride Ah-Un. She was riding the beast now, resting in front of Jaken, not fifty feet behind him.
Once again the two were bickering. Rin was demanding that the imp should try and convince their lord to pause and make camp for the night. Jaken adamantly refused, declaring that only Lord Sesshomaru could say when it is time to rest and never to question him.
The inu couldn’t understand why she was so grumpy anyway, she had been riding his dragon the entire trip, expending little energy herself. If anything it should be Ah-Un who should be complaining and refusing to continue. The beast was carrying their few sacs of supplies and both Rin and Jaken.
Though they tried to keep their fight somewhat quiet, Sesshomaru had no choice but to listen in. They were traveling through enemy territory and he couldn’t chance toning any of his senses down, for his sense of smell was already overwhelmed with the sheer stench of the youkai traveling below and the fresh rain from the night before blending all the various scents together.
Having been forced to listen to them for hours on end, ranting about one thing or another, he was now thoroughly irritated. Though the only indication of this was the slight clenching of his jaw. A moment later, Rin shrieked as the imp yanked on her hair. Sesshomaru’s ears twitched and he growled low in his throat, turning to glare warningly at the pair.
Barely managing to make out the growl amongst the cries, Jaken looked to his lord. The imp took in the slight tick in his master’s jaw and his eye twitched. At the aggressive glare and suppressed threat, Jaken promptly let go of her hair and froze, slipping backwards off the dragon.
Lord Sesshomaru merely crossed his arms and cocked an eyebrow as the little green demon fell. Once he disappeared out of sight Sesshomaru glanced back at Ah-Un and the wide eyed Rin. The dragon let out a low keening cry and the inu, though frowning, nodded at the beast. They both gracefully descended into a nearby clearing.
Rin jumped down and ran to find her controversial friend. Calmly following her after a few moments he paused after just a few steps outside the clearing. Blinking up at the imp, dangling haphazardly from a high tree branch, Sesshomaru’s lips quirked slightly as he noted that the teenager had streaked right past him in her mad rush. The dizzy imp became even more confused at seeing his master nearly grinning up at him. At a particularly loud shriek from the girl, calling his name, Sesshomaru’s near-grin became an instant scowl.
“I’m going to take a look around, go and set up camp in the clearing.” His voice becoming even more condescending he scoffed, “If you get lost Ah-Un will show you the way, wait for me there.”
Sesshomaru stalked silently through the forest, scouting the surrounding area for any possible threats to his weaker companions. The longer he wandered, the more his desire to return home grew. They were only a few days of traveling away. Though the travel time would be cut in half if it weren’t for the pathetically low stamina of his companions.
As he wandered, the scents became even more overwhelming though he couldn’t hear or see any demons. The fresh rain had stirred up so many different scents it was hard to filter out the non-threatening ones. A little unnerved by this fact, he tried to focus his youkai more. The only scent he could single out for sure was that of a nearby river. Easily turning in the direction of the river, the inu slightly picked up his pace. As he approached, the rumble of a distant fight steadily grew. The reeking scent of fresh blood slowly became more distinct in the air. The noises grew louder and more distinguishable as he neared the river. They were a mixture of growls and howls.
What was the ookami youkai doing here, so far south and this close to his homelands?
*~*~*~*~*~*
The inu broke through the last of the thick brush and promptly froze. Sheer havoc reigned in the clearing across the river. Wolf demons and their wolves ran in all directions, all with the intent of attacking. For a long moment, Sesshomaru couldn’t even find their enemy, but then he saw a streak of pale blue sprinting amongst the trees, a neko female. Gauging her speed he noted that the only ookami who even had a chance at catching her was the ookami leader himself, catching sight of the familiar blur that was Kouga. But even he struggled to keep up.
The inu crossed his arms, instantly taking in and sorting out the mass chaos. He focused his youkai on the neko, trying to see her better. She had ears like his despised hanyou brother, Inuyasha, but they were pinned back as she easily kept the distance between her and the wolf. Her pale blue hair blocked her face from his view, making him wonder if she was from a far off tribe or from the hidden one that was believed to live somewhere east of his lands. He had never seen any of the legendary tribe, but remembered a scroll regarding them in his childhood. The only visible way to distinguish tribes was their general coloring, which was generally a haphazard guess, and legend said that the water neko tribe that lie in the East, wore an elaborately decorated armband, declaring their origin.
The inu held a slight grudge towards nekos in general due to the stark difference and natural competitiveness between their species. But he held a certain respect for the renowned water nekos of the East. It was said that they were extremely talented warriors, who honed their skills to near perfection. Though their skills weren’t what had earned his hidden respect, it was the fact that though they held immeasurable power, as neighbors they had never once instigated any troubles near his lands. They were not exactly allies, but neither were they enemies. They were a little-known, yet peace loving clan, in fact, he’d never even encountered one.
The neko in question spun in mid-leap to strike out at the bothersome wolf. As her arm outstretched, brandishing her claws, something flashed, catching the inu’s sharp eye. An intricate silver armband. This female neko was indeed from the tribe near his lands. This was becoming interesting, a female youkai, from a mysterious clan…
Sesshomaru glanced around again at all the ookami. Nearly twenty youkai and at least forty of their ookami followers against a single lady neko. Not quite fair but apparently she had already made several good attacks, cause at least thirty more lay wounded or dead amongst the brush. She had made her dent, but at a price. She too had obviously taken a few good blows, most likely by their leader, Kouga. The inu could smell her trails of blood through the trees, and frowned, wondering at the slight burst of anger, wondering why it bothered him in the least. He mentally shrugged it off, supposing it was because he knew of their peace loving ways.
Uncrossing his arms he calmly took a few steps into the clearing, his demanding presence alerting nearly all the ookami, causing them to practically trip over themselves in effort to escape. His entrance had alerted everyone with the exception of the main pair. The ookami prince and the pale blue demoness were now locked in hand to hand combat. The inu instantly knew that the neko’s speed was in flowing, continued movement, not in close quarters, the ookami’s jewel shards gave him the speed advantage here.
Blood ran freely down the woman’s legs to gather in a crimson pool. She had been losing her lifeblood at an incredible rate throughout the battle, it was a wonder she was still standing, let alone fending off Kouga.
She brought her leg between their closely locked bodies and kicked him off her. Sesshomaru started to move towards the pair just as the yasha raised her hands before her, stacking her fingers in a small pyramid. Everything seemed to start to slow down, her eyes drifted closed and her pale blue hair began to drift upwards, as if it were floating within water. The markings on the inside of her wrists began to glow a bright, yet pale blue and the small markings beneath each of her eyes glowed a soft lilac. He could feel a sudden burst in the demoness’ jyaki, warning him of the impending attack. Sesshomaru paused, having only managed to complete his first step, but something in the grim attack about to be unveiled boded ill, making him hesitate, trying to read the exact level of threat.
At the hushed footstep, the neko’s ears twitched. Her eyes drifted open and they slid to see the newcomer. Brilliant lilac-colored eyes clashed with gold. The instant their eyes met, the yasha let her jyaki power-down, her eyes fading to a soft lavender. In that single instant, Sesshomaru felt an odd stirring in his chest and in his mind.
That seemingly never-ending moment was abruptly put to an end. Their eyes were tore apart a mere instant later. Kouga had seen her hesitate in her attack and took advantage of it, slashing across her chest in a wide arch, sending even more blood flying.
When the ookami attempted to follow it up with another slash, the inu lunged forward and caught his wrist quicker than he could blink. As the neko hit the ground she sharply cried out in pain. Instinctively reacting to the wrenching cry, Sesshomaru jerked the wolf’s arm behind his back so violently it brought the ookami prince to his knees with a cry of his own. His gasp turned into yelps as poison dripped freely from the inu’s claws and burned his skin. Sesshomaru’s eyes had turned blood red and the demonic markings on his cheeks had become a harsh violet and vivid in his fury.
With a sweep of his hand he threw the ookami to the ground. His sword hissed as he unsheathed the deadly Tokijin. Sesshomaru pulled it back to attack, completely determined to rid this world of the filth lying before him when a soft mew escaped the neko. Looking over at the bleeding demoness, his eyes faded back to gold and his markings once again became normal. He deftly lowered Tokijin and replaced it in the sheathe.
Turning his cold eyes to the ookami, he said in his usual soft and deadly tone, “Never near my lands again, yase ookami.” Kouga rose clutching his wounded arm and scowling darkly, then disappeared into the brush.
His face unreadable, Lord Sesshomaru knelt and lifted the wounded yasha into his arms. He turned towards his camp and kicked off into the air. The inu traveled at top speed, knowing he would be unable to save her himself. His healing skills were decidedly lacking considering he was the one normally wounding others, and he was no longer carrying Tensaiga as the blade was getting a general repair. Some small part of him was determined that this neko lived, the mystery surrounding her seemed to call to him telling him something else was at work here.
Chapter 2
Sesshomaru silently landed at their campsite. Feeling out of place with the neko in his arms, he quickly spotted his two companions sleeping on the two headed dragon, as the ground was still muddy from the rain earlier. He advanced on the pair, promptly kicking the imp awake. In his discomfort at the entire situation, he didn’t bother to reign in his strength, making poor Jaken land in the mud a few feet away with a decisive plop.
The imp gained his feet with a nauseating sucking sound, then looked up at his lord. Upon seeing the bleeding demoness in his master’s arms, Jaken panicked and started running around like mad, grabbing anything that could be of help, completely ignoring his master’s predicament and leaving him just to stand there. Still feeling awkward, Sesshomaru knew Rin would be a little more composed and more help than the incompetent demon.
“Rin, wake up” he commanded softly. The girl blinked and woke up almost instantly, stretching and yawning before she slid off the dragon, gaining her feet. Sinking slightly in the mud, she ended up at eye level with the neko. Her eyes went wide, not with shock but with awe, as if he carried injured demons all the time.
Rin gently touched the small purple markings beneath her eyes, they were shaped like inverted triangles, softly enhancing her gentle facial features.
“She’s beautiful” she whispered so softly that Sesshomaru barely heard it, even with his heightened sense of hearing. He frowned, wondering why the ningen was wasting time and shifted the demoness in his arms pointedly, effectively drawing her out of her wonder. Rin glanced up at him then back down to the girl.
“Milord, we don’t have anything to lie her down on,” she announced, as if the inu hadn’t bothered to notice, when inwardly he was nearly frantic to be rid of her and the responsibility of her care. He shifted her again, not able to find words to voice his discomfort at the entire situation.
“I can’t exactly take care of her while she is in your arms,” she said, frowning. Sesshomaru thought for a moment, glancing around the clearing, then glared at her, as if saying, “like I want to hold her?” and turned, setting the neko upon Ah-Un’s back. Rin watched in curiosity as the inu lord uncurled his tail from around his shoulder and took off his armor and haori in a few deft movements.
Rin stared in awe for a moment as Sesshomaru bared his chest. She had forgotten how beautifully built he was, his cold demeanor tended to make her forget. She had only seen him shirtless a few times, and only when his haori got ruined in battle. Sesshomaru was meticulous even in his about bathing and didn’t let anyone accompany him for his daily rituals, not even Jaken, the only one he didn’t mind being near was his ever-present companion, Ah-Un. He always left in his full gear, and came back the same, only difference was freshly changed clothes and his slightly damp hair.
Rin watched as he carefully laid out his haori on the ground in front of her. Still silent, he picked up the pale neko and placed her upon it. Without a word or a backward glance, he left in the direction of the river, probably for another bath, Rin thought to herself.
Rin had Jaken set up all the supplies needed while she undressed the neko down to her underclothes to get a better look at all the wounds. Rin made sure to clean out them all, yet hesitated on the biggest one, the last wound she had received, a giant gash from her lower right side of her ribcage to the left side of her collar bone.
The ningen cut through what was left of the cloth that bound her chest to reveal the worst of the wound. Jaken looked away as she modestly covered the yasha with Sesshomaru’s haori, leaving only the laceration to view. Rin leaned down and inspected the wound and cocked her head curiously. There were minute traces of her master’s poison preventing the demoness from healing herself.
Had her master been the one to nearly kill the neko? He had been the one to carry her here… had he felt guilty for it and brought her back for healing? Is that why he felt so awkward? Because he had hurt someone he hadn’t planned to? Jaken’s voice broke into her thoughts.
“What is that marking on her chest Rin?” he asked from where he stood at Rin’s shoulder. She glanced up from the poisoned wound to a demonic marking centered just below her collarbone between her breasts.
“It looks like a blue star in front of a crescent moon,” she said in wonder. This only made things even more confusing. Sesshomaru had a crescent moon on his forehead. Were they connected somehow? After a long moment, Rin couldn’t stand the confusion anymore and shot to her feet, nearly knocking Jaken flat. She spun and darted into the brush that Sesshomaru had disappeared into earlier. She wanted answers and she wanted them now.
The girl had completely forgotten that she was supposed to care for the neko, leaving a stunned and confused imp to tend to her.
Jaken stood in shock, starring at the swaying leaves that had swallowed the young ningen. After a moment he looked down at the neko lying at his feet. The imp sighed, knowing he had been forced into taking care of her because of Rin’s impulsiveness.
When he kneeled to bandage her main gash, the demoness mewed softly and shifted. Her eyes drifted open slightly and she stared at the green demon before her for a long moment. His presence finally seemed to sink in and her eyes shot open. She was instantly on her feet, pulling the strange haori around her, knocking Jaken to the ground.
“Who are you? What am I doing here? Where exactly is here?” she demanded, swaying unsteadily on her feet. Seeming to disregard her own questions, she mentally dismissed the little demon and glanced around the clearing. Not recognizing her surroundings, she simply decided which way was east and staggered in the general direction.
Jaken jumped in her path, shouting a hysterical “Wait!” and nearly got run over by the unsteady woman. Seeing her suddenly pale face, he realized she was close to fainting from the extreme loss of blood. The dragon apparently also sensed the neko’s state and swiftly launched forward, its tail curling around the woman, catching her, then leaned her against its side.
“It’s alright, Lady Neko, you’re safe. What is your name and why are you attempting to rush off? You are seriously wounded” he scolded quietly. The woman frowned, still staring east. “My name is Tsukiko… I must hurry, my wounds matter not,” she said simply, her eyes glowing in their fierce determination to continue on.
“Why must you hurry? You must heal or you will die,” was his now incensed response. At this, Tsukiko gingerly stood up again, the tail still wrapped around her waist went unnoticed as she started forward again, Ah-Un slowly moving along with her. Her next soft words chilled Jaken like nothing else.
“The inu’s lands are under attack, I must tell my village. They must go to his aid. The warriors there are no match for the attacking force, they will die.” She paused as she became lightheaded, falling to kneel on one knee. Everything fell silent for a long moment as Jaken took in the devastating news. Then he somberly approached and silently stood before where she now kneeled. He hissed a command at Ah-Un, resting a steadying hand on her shoulder as the dragon’s tail uncoiled from around her waist. The beast backed away and swiftly took to the sky.
Looking at the demoness once more he saw the silent tears filling her lavender eyes. The insolent demon turned uncharacteristically kind and gentle at the sight of her upset. He patted her shoulder soothingly and softly said, “Now, please tell me everything, I am a servant to the inu lord.”
Chapter 3
Sesshomaru sat quietly at the shallows of the river’s edge, brushing his freshly cleaned hair, contemplating the days events. He couldn’t help but want to know what was going on between the ookami and neko tribes. What could the nekos have possibly done to enrage the ookami tribe enough to draw them this far south. He wished he could take his usual indifferent view of everything but today’s incidents sparked his interest, it was just so odd. He hated feeling involved though, so he did his best to distance himself from the actual happenings, seemingly cold and uninterested.
He felt the ground beneath him shift lightly as Ah-Un landed behind him. After a moment he stood up, knowing he was wanted back at camp by the way the two headed dragon kept fidgeting. The inu patted Ah-Un reassuringly before taking off towards the campsite.
Sesshomaru had been able to hear Rin’s frantic run through the woods from the river’s edge, but had thought nothing of it at the time. It was becoming a common occurrence these past years, as her willfulness got a bit carried away. It disturbed Sesshomaru, he didn’t like that the girl who often traveled at his side was no longer the docile, obedient little ningen she had been, but now a headstrong teenager. He needed to find some way to reign her in without getting too involved. He just didn’t need the hassle of the impulsive ningen when he already had to deal with his servant, Jaken. The inu motioned for the dragon to go and fetch the girl.
Focusing once again he realized that the neko’s scent had faded. She was no longer at the campsite with the imp. After a moment, he caught her scent. The yasha was now heading east. He could smell her panic and anxiety in her scent, along with minute traces of blood.
She had obviously healed almost completely. Many demons had the ability to heal themselves, but it took time. Sesshomaru had thought that with the severity of her wounds it would at least take a day for the wounds to mend enough so they wouldn’t reopen, not just an hour or two…
The inu landed at their clearing, naturally silent. When Jaken didn’t immediately notice his presence, he decided not to waste time and just get to the point.
“Where is the girl, Jaken,” he asked rather harshly. The imp barely flinched at the underlying threat in his master’s voice. Shrugging, he muttered, “Oh, the dim-witted girl went running off shortly after preparing to heal the neko.”
Sesshomaru’s eyebrow twitched. He was one of few words and greatly disliked having to explain or repeat himself. The inu hadn’t meant Rin, Jaken should have known that. The imp was acting somewhat odd… He hadn’t risen to his feet when his master approached, he hadn’t shouted “Milord” or continued ranting about Rin’s insolence. Jaken still sat upon the ground, legs folded, staring at the Staff of Two Heads, slowly spinning before him, once again silent.
Sesshomaru cleared his throat pointedly, “Jaken, I meant the neko youkai. What has happened?”
His master’s presence finally seemed to sink in. Jaken shot to his feet, knocking his staff to the ground in his rush and ran to his side shouting “Milord! You‘re back.” The inu merely blinked in response in his usual disinterested way.
“You mean Tsukiko, Milord? The neko?” the imp asked stupidly. The inu was tempted to smile at learning the attractive demoness’ name in such an odd way, but old reactions and habits took over. He glared and practically growled, “Any other nekos I have saved?” Then immediately frowned at the way it had come out, he hadn’t wanted to bring attention to the fact that he had actually helped someone, let alone his blood rivals, the nekos.
Thankfully, Ah-Un and Rin interrupted the unsettling moment as they descended into the small clearing. Rin tried to climb down but the dragon blocked the way with it’s tail, and the ningen scowled.
This seemed to trigger something within Jaken. He rushed over and climbed onto the beast’s back, behind Rin, yelling, “Milord! Your lands are under attack by thousands of demons! We cannot handle it alone so Tsukiko left to warn her village and her allies but I am unsure that she will be able to complete the journey unaided. She is still weak, but insisted on going as soon as she was able to move. I was forced to wait here for you so she left without me, we must make sure she is able to complete the journey. The fool neko will probably die on the way.”
The inu had gone completely still. His eyes dilated at the news, becoming a deep crimson red. Someone dared to declare war on his lands. The one thing that belonged to him alone, that had been meant just for him. His useless sword Tensaiga meant nothing, but to him his lands meant everything. The demonic stripes upon his cheeks stretched and darkened in his instantaneous fury. Instinctively looking towards his lands, his gaze fell upon Rin and hesitated. His anger faded enough to regain control of himself again. After a long moment of deadly silence, he spoke.
“What shall we do with Rin, she cannot accompany us if the numbers are truly that great. Not even I could keep an eye on her in that chaos. If it truly is a serious attack there will be many elite among the masses, and they will demand my complete attention. I cannot have a ningen distracting me.”
Jaken stared, dumbfounded. Sesshomaru had never openly showed any worry for the human girl. It was well known how he abhorred humans and hanyous with their inferiority. This whole situation proved how serious of an ordeal it was if it had Sesshomaru speaking such. The imp wanted to tease him for it, but knew it would be a fatal mistake. Knowing this, he tried to appease the inu.
“Tsukiko said the girl will be safe in her village. It is well protected, there are warriors there at all times. She said that they always leave a few behind to protect the place and the weaker nekos.”
Sesshomaru nodded, his worry appeased. Then he told his servant, “I will meet you at her village then. I must talk to one of the nearby youkai tribes to see if they can help. They owe me a favor.”
*~*~*~*~*~*
They had caught up with the injured Tsukiko rather quickly and Tsukiko joined them atop the dragon. Rin was now looking down to the undying forest below Ah-Un. She couldn’t believe the natural beauty of it. Not one tree shown any sign of ill-health, each tree bore its own striking shade of green. The whole forest seemed impossibly lush with its many streams, rivers, and lakes. She couldn’t help but lean to the side to glance down from her perch. Even Jaken eyed it in muted respect.
They approached a small mountain range and Tsukiko slowed Ah-Un down. They drifted above a stunningly beautiful waterfall amongst the mountain. It was rather difficult to see at first because of the dense foliage. It was decently large and at the bottom, the water formed a pool with a small stream flowing to the west. Looking at their surroundings, Tsukiko’s eyes softened and she smiled.
“There are only 2 entrances to my village. One of them is by the waterfall, which is the one normally used by us nekos, but I doubt that your dragon would appreciate getting wet,” she said with a small laugh, her lavender eyes shimmering. Some of the worry and pain had left her features as they had gotten close to her village. She now held Ah-Un’s reins loosely in her hand and easily guided the beast to gain altitude. The closer they got to the crest of the mountain, the more light-headed Rin & even Jaken got. Something about the climb wasn’t usual.
“What is this cursed sensation, Tsukiko?” Jaken demanded. At first the neko merely blinked at him, as if she had no idea what he was talking about. But then it dawned on her.
“Sorry, I forgot to warn you. There is a barrier up ahead, approaching it makes ningens and youkai alike grow faint, to discourage them from discovering our village. If it wasn’t for my company you all would have been passed out by now, including your dragon. With one of the water nekos by your side, the effects fade.”
Ah-Un landed just below the peak and Rin started wiggling in her curiosity to see this mysterious village. The dragon’s tail once again came up to keep her in place as it carefully jumped the remaining feet and stopped. They found themselves on a small ledge overlooking a small valley. The beauty of the forest surrounding the mountains couldn’t compare with the sheer tranquility found here. Numerous natural springs flowed from within the valley, giving the trees a healthy glow. The valley walls provided protection from damaging winds and bad weather.
As they descended, Rin searched for signs of the village but couldn’t see anything through the dense foliage. Even Jaken was confused. He couldn’t smell or sense any demons or even humans below. All but Tsukiko shuddered as they felt themselves pass through an invisible wall of energy. As they slowly passed through it, they felt a curious cold sensation, as if descending into a still pool of freezing water, only vertical. Jaken was suddenly hit with the scent of neko youkai and could now hear them below.
Tsukiko guided Ah-Un through the top canopy of trees and a small village came into view. Huts and lean-tos of nearly every size scattered amongst the trees with nekos milling about their business. Everyone but the children stopped to watch their decent, most with a curious light in their eyes.
Both Jaken and Rin’s gaze was instantly drawn to a light colored demon near an odd totem in the center of the village. He was wreathed in white and gold. His haori was immaculately white, showing off his golden sashes perfectly. His hair flashed a pale blonde and by the depths of his golden eyes you could tell he was wise beyond his years.
Tsukiko leapt of the dragon’s back a good fifty feet above the ground to land before this golden neko. Despite her injuries, she landed easily before him and gracefully sunk into a half bow and ducked her head in respect. He mirrored her action, showing that they were of equal status within the neko village. To Jaken’s surprise, the few villagers in the area bowed fully in greeting Tsukiko, who grinned and bowed her head in acknowledgement, signifying her high rank.
The pale blue demoness opened her mouth to speak but hesitated when she met his eyes, knowing how sharp his instincts and senses were. She knew he was already breaking down what he already knew. His critical eyes took in her odd clothing, the inu’s white haori.
“Kenaku…” she started but stopped again when he gently reached out and rubbed the edge of the fabric with his claws and delicately sniffed the air without moving. His eyes then darted towards the pair on the odd looking dragon.
Looking back to Tsukiko, he simply mouthed “The inus?” having smelled the Taiyoukai upon the shirt and remembering someone telling him about the two headed dragon being a constant companion to the Lord of the Western Lands. Tsukiko nodded gravely. Turning on his heel, Kenaku lightly jumped to stand before one of the smaller huts and pulled the dark draping that blocked the door to one side, his claws flashing furiously.
Rin was so entranced in the whole situation, she didn’t realize she had started pulling on Ah-Un’s hair in her anxiousness. With two low keening cries the twin headed beast voiced its distress, just as the golden neko ducked his head inside the small hut and apparently discussed something with its occupant. Jaken would never know for sure because the dragon’s cry had overpowered his sensitive hearing, blocking out all other sound.
Letting the draping fall back into place, Kenaku signaled for Tsukiko to follow him to the main lodge. When she frowned, glancing back at Jaken and Rin, the male neko strangely ran two fingers across the side of his neck. It apparently represented something, because she smiled and nodded. Following him, she left the two guests alone and disappeared into the cabin.
Chapter 4
For a moment the neko villagers stared at them, leaving Jaken feeling strangely unsettled and alone. Feeling decidedly exposed, he fondled the handle of the Staff of Two Heads, trying to draw some form of comfort from its presence. He was so used to having Lord Sesshomaru standing before him, a nearly invincible wall between him and possible threats. It was definitely different without the intimidating youkai felling anyone who dared to challenge or anger him.
Staring at the flap of the small hut, he thought to himself. This whole situation was rather odd. His lord’s land getting attacked, finally meeting a demoness of a legendary (yet rarely seen) neko tribe and their hidden village? Then there was the strangely silent golden youkai… And now he faced dozens of nekos… with all the rumors about the extremely honed talent for fighting running through his mind.
He lost all track of thought when the drape fluttered open slightly. Suddenly all of his instincts went off, sending him into a panic. Something was seriously a threat, though he had absolutely no idea what it was. An instant later, the frightening smell of fire filled the air in one sudden burst. Ah-Un started thrashing about wildly, stamping its feet sending the two to the ground. Rin landed with an indelicate thump on her backside while Jaken landed on the back of his shoulders, nearly on his head.
Completely frantic, the imp started thrashing about trying to get himself upright again. He started cursing like mad but abruptly froze when someone suddenly appeared above him. The neko was rather pale but otherwise considerably dark for a cat demon. Being so close, his short black hair, which was haphazardly spiked about, blocked the light of day for the imp. Feeling distinctly threatened, Jaken attempted to overcome his rising panic, but something about this unusual neko seemed to scream “death.”
The young kuro neko cocked his head to the side and his dark red eyes flashed mischievously. Then the boy grinned, however this apparently didn’t calm the imp down, it only seemed to make him even more frightened because his oddly long fangs made it look decidedly evil.
Though it had all happened rather quickly, Jaken was losing his grip under the tension. Just when he thought he was about to burst, the darkly colored male drew back slightly, his wicked grin widening. Suddenly his face darkened as he bared his teeth and swooped down in apparent rage.
Jaken yelped, slamming his eyes shut and curling defensively into a ball. After a full minute, he realized nothing was ripping at his flesh, nothing was even touching him. He uncovered his eyes, only to discover the boy had paused. The neko’s dark eyes glinted again and a flashed another grin and then he blew a smoke ring in the imp’s face and laughed as he sputtered in shock and fury.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Rin sat watching the whole exchange from a few yards away. She couldn’t help but smile at the neko’s antics. She, unlike Jaken, had sensed something different in his presence, though what exactly, she couldn’t even begin to name.
The boy unceremoniously yanked Jaken to his feet, then promptly brushed past him to stand before the dragon. Obviously curious about the strange beast, he bravely stepped up to it and sniffed one of its two heads. Ah-Un sniffed back, just as curious, snuffling his hair with its snorts.
Jaken gathered his senses and looked about for the source of the fire he had smelled. He glanced up at the village totem to see the centerpiece aflame. Puzzled, he took a few cautious steps closer. The piece on fire was obviously made for that purpose, but it looked as if it had never been lit before this night.
Because of the smoke ring the demon blew in his face, he guessed it was he who lit the thing. The little youkai turned to look at him, only to see a now entirely non-threatening and curious kuro neko. He was gently pulling at Ah-Un’s ears, then poking its tail with the dragon trying to investigate him as well the entire time.
Ah-Un shifted when he tried to feel the scales on its back, revealing the girl to the neko. Now completely oblivious of the dragon he stepped towards her and knelt above her. His face hovered inches above hers, studying her. To his surprise, she boldly returned his gaze, studying his face as well, not shying away or completely freezing like most others would do, including youkai. Apparently this girl was rather daring, challenging a strange neko like that. He didn’t mind though, he secretly approved if anything. He didn’t really believe in tempering his emotions, to him it was the same as lying outright. If he was curious, he investigated. If he was angry, he killed. It was just the way he had always lived.
Rin continued to stare at him in wonder. None of the other nekos in the village were as darkly colored as him. He was only the second neko she had seen up close and his open curiosity helped her become bold in her own appraisal. His red eyes were intense in their curiosity and focus, the pupils were merely slits in the light of the fire. He cocked his head to one side as he looked at the rest of her build, revealing two mauve demonic stripes on either side of his neck. They looked like Lord Sesshomaru’s only longer. She quickly realized that the markings must have been what Kenaku had gestured to Tsukiko, they had been talking about this neko.
Suddenly a deep voice resonated through the small clearing, “Nanashi, get off the poor girl,” a large male youkai declared playfully with a somewhat crude undertone to it. At first, Rin didn’t understand why that was. She glanced back up at the boy, apparently named Nanashi, only to find a lop-sided grin and a slight blush creeping up his neck.
As she watched him stand up and back away slightly, she quickly realized what the newcomer had meant. Nanashi had straddled her legs in his single-minded curiosity, making their position strangely intimate. Rin felt her cheeks warm as he held out a hand to assist her. Once standing, she couldn’t meet his gaze and simply glanced around for Jaken. Despite the mutinous expression on the imp’s face, she hurried to his side, feeling strangely out of place.
Nanashi frowned at Rin’s reaction to the interruption. Why did she act ashamed? There had been nothing sexual in those moments in spite of what his friend had said, at least on her part. He had started to get aroused at her proximity, but she couldn’t have known that, she was only a ningen. She wouldn’t be able to smell the slight change in his scent. Unluckily for Nanashi, everyone else in the area could, for they were all youkai. Thankfully though, most of the nekos had had the grace to leave once the male had practically called him a lecher.
Nanashi swiftly leapt to stand before the male, grinning widely. They both slightly inclined their heads, not completely willing to show the other submissiveness. The kuro neko playfully punched at him saying, “Stop ruining the moment, Aki.” They both laughed lightly and walked off into the nearby brush.
“So, Aki, what did Kenaku say?”
“Not much, just that you must go outside the village to wait for the inu lord’s arrival and escort him in,” Aki answered softly. Nanashi paused for a moment, a thoughtful look in his eyes. He bowed his head slightly, his bangs fell in front of his face, blocking him from Aki’s view, “So an inu is finally going to enter our village again after all these years…”
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