Chapter 1: The ransom
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"You only have until the next blood moon to make him remember." The fallen daiyokai infront of her sputtered blood.
"Remember what?" Rin was confused. What is he talking about?
"You." The demon answered albeit with difficulty. He smiled sinisterly as if he was privy to some joke.
That one word left her stunned. She didnt know what exactly had happened before she arrived, but somehow it gave her an ominous feeling. His answer had managed to stir fear deep within her heart.
Rin was going to demand from him more but the demon had already lost a lot of blood and his youki had already significantly diminished. She could see it leaking off from his severely injured body.
The wounds Tensaiga had left, rendered him good for dead. And so, after a few minutes, the yokai disintegrated and vanished forever.
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Three agonizing days had passed before Lord Sesshomaru finally woke.
He felt tiny hands lightly brush his forehead. The movements were careful yet with expert ease. Jaken. But they were too soft to be the imp's.
Cold water dripped as a cloth wiped the sweat on his temples.
When he opened his eyes, true enough, he saw not the green imp's big round ones. What greeted him were chololate orbs glistenning with unshed tears. The owner frowning down at him in concern.
A girl. A human girl.
She blinked a couple of times. Disbelief and relief both written in her face. She dropped the washcloth into the basin beside his head and she held his face in both hands. "-maru sama." She stuttered.
"How dare you lay a hand on me, human?" His voice a little hoarse from disuse.
"Lord Sesshomaru...?" Rin uttered in confusion. He spat the word like a venom. Human. The word dropped like a huge wall between them. He has never called her that before. He called her child often but that was before he knew of her name. "It's me, Rin."
"Jaken!" He called out sternly. He tried to sit up in bed but pain shot through his entire system with the effort.
It was then that he realized that his left arm was gone.
"You musn't move yet-" Rin despite her earlier dilemma tried to lay him back down but he slapped her hand away, like she was filthy or something.
"Ma-master!" The imp could not hide his glee as he ran towards them and almost tripped in the process. "You're awake!"
The daiyokai ignored the arrival of his loyal aide. "Who are you?" The dog demon questioned the human girl instead.
"You dont remember her?"
"You dont remember me?"
Jaken and Rin asked in unison, dumbfounded.
"No." He answered blatantly.
"Lo-lord sesshomaru, surely this must be a jest. I-" Rin stopped herself.
No! Not after all you've confessed to me that night. Yes, that must be it. He might be in shock due to the trauma and injuries he had.
Images of the sly demon flashed in her memories. Is this what the enemy meant? His last words kept ringing in her ears.
"Tensaiga." The western lord asked of his sword. He could heal his arm with the weapon his father gave him.
"My lord, I'm afraid, but the sword is lost."
"Master Jaken!" Rin tried to reason.
Sensing the disheartened girl's resolve crumble, Jaken ordered, "Leave the room child."
When she tried to protest, the loyal aide held her hand in a firm grip, reassuring her everything will go back to normal. And she hoped to the heavens it would. Because right now, her heart's torn apart.
She bit her lip to stop herself from crying and ran out of the room.
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Rin hurriedly went back to her own quarters.
"Lady Rin?" A handmaid's worried voice inquired from behind her. "Is everything alright?"
She only nodded in response and rushed out of sight from the other servants in the palace.
Sesshomaru-sama... He looked at her with such cold eyes. Her chest hurt. It felt like she was trampled on. He doesnt remember me! As she ran her tears continuously dripped from her eyes, wetting her cheeks.
What happened three nights ago was a blur. It was all too fast.
She was taking a bath on a nearby waterfall when a demon attacked her from nowhere. She screamed for help and Lord Sesshomaru came to her rescue. But the demon was far more deceitful.
The yokai asked for her master's most priced possession in exchange for her life. And Sesshomaru not wanting to risk her life, relented.
Tensaiga.
Rin went to her knees and grabbed the piece of garb from under her bed and felt the hilt of the katana wrapped beneath it.
She unsheathed the sword and held it in her palm. The blade glimmering in the moonlight casting a silvery shine.
He finally was able to master it's full potential. He had saved her countless of times with it. He was able to help his brother, Inuyaha, defeat the evil Naraku once and for all with it. He was able to reconcile with his father's decision of giving Tetusaiga to the younger sibling. When he had no resentment left, Tensaiga healed the arm he lost during the encounter with his old man too. He had achieve far more greater things since then.
This was Sesshomaru-sama's most valuable sword.
But why did the demon not take it?
Was it not his most valuable possession?
Then what exactly did Sesshomaru-sama gave in exchange for her life?