Kori Ryuen
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, I claim the un-named healer though...because he's nifty, but I don't really own anything.
Notes: Lots of wierdness and mystikness.
Muzik: Brakkish
Seshomaru idly walked, young Rin walking near him, exploring the strange terrain while Jaken huffed behind him, leading around the two headed riding Dragon they had some time ago aquired. The day was near noon, but not yet hot, leaving the three demons and human child in a rather relaxing position on the road.
The reason for this little excursion, among other things, was to visit a new healer in Aomori, a small fishing town far north. This news had been delivered to him by one of the few attendants back in the castle that he had set to investigate such things, a way to maybe have his arm returned to him at one point or another. The small toad demon, very much like Jaken, had informed him that a healer had given a boy who's arm had been torn off by a demon the limb back, and Sesshoumaru was interested in if the alagations were true.
As it stood, they were only about a few hours walk from Aomori, and soon would arrive, gods bless those there if the healer did not live up to expectation.
Hours later Sesshoumaru walked up the stone steps to where, allegedly, this healer did his business. Rin now rode upon the beast, Jaken infront of her, as they scaled the steep incline to the temple.
Initially it been a concern that the healer was a priest, but in all honesty, even if the priest attempted to attack him, it would be of little concern at all. He was a strong demon, he would deal with the consequences.
As they neared the red arch-way leading to the temple, they noticed a small demon man smoking a pipe and watching them with curiousity. He was not garbed as a priest, indeed, he looked little more than a villager, but his small horns gave him away for what he really was. The oni puffed out smoke before standing and bowing.
"Ah, Lord, it is an honor for you to visit this humble temple."
Sesshoumaru raised an eye brow at the man, who smiled kindly. "T'isn't truelly a temple, abandoned it was. So, a healing place has this place become. What ails ye, Lord?"
Rin blinked curiously at the man, before sliding off the dragons back and clutching the back of Lord Sesshoumaru's robes, looking at the oni curiously.
The oni smiled at the little girl, before again facing the Lord.
Sesshoumaru pulled off the side of his robe, showing the stump of his arm. "I seek a replacement arm, I was informed that you had this ability."
The Oni smiled good naturdly, "Ah, Koshiro has been telling his story, eh? The story is very much the truth, but human anatomy is very easy to heal, it might be harder for the Lord."
Sesshoumaru frowned, "Are you saying that you will not give me an arm?"
The man smiled, "Thats really for the healer to decide, for I am but a simple oni whom greets those that come to see the healer."
Sesshoumaru frowned at the man, "You are not the healer?" The man nodded, and Sesshoumaru concidered breifly killing the lowly creature for daring to lead him on, but decided it was a better idea to meet this healer.
Then perhaps he'd partake in killing the infuriating lesser demon.
"Take me to the healer. I have little time to waste upon this drivel." He said shortly.
The man put out his pipe, smiling kindly at Rin, before leading them to an old, more than a little run down and decrepit temple, whose ground had been over run with weeds. He led them through the wide archway and into the temple, Jaken and the Dragon scuttiling behind Sesshoumaru and Rin, who was looking at the faded red walls with interest.
"Rin thinks this place is pretty."
The man smiled back at her, Sesshoumaru looked at her breifly, looking around the dirty temple as well. Though it was old and not taken care of, the late aftenoon sunlight lit it up beautifully, illustrating the old paintings on the walls.
"Ah, the monks and priests of a time ago decorated it. This art represents the teachings of Bhuddha, of peace and harmony and healing. Perhaps a reason why this was chosen by the healer."
As the passed through a few more corridors and through and outdoor courtyard, they paused at a simple archway, and the Oni bowed to them, "The healer works in here, this is where you'll find him." before turning and going the way they had come.
They watched him dissapear behind a corner before Sesshoumaru walked through the archway into the room that had become this healers office.
Inside was fairly clean, if it had been dirty, Sesshoumaru would have been angry, but it was that clean that was to be expected from being diligently cleaned every day. The walls were the same ruddy red, and the only light provided was from the archway Sesshoumaru's group stood in and another archway on the other side of the large room.
But it seemed to be lacking a doctor.
Frowning, Sesshoumaru walked further into the room, glancing around, a chinese medicine cabinet lined one wall, the drawers closed. A few beds sat against the walls, bowels and other assorted things lay on other surfaces, everything you'd expect from a human doctor.
The only odity about the place was the distinctive lack of a humans scent. There were human scents, but they were scattered, and not very recent. The most recent one was of a demon, or a half demon.
As he observed further, he noticed a door to one side, near the other archway, and opened it.
What greeted his eyes surprised him.
There, lying on a pile of furs, lay a young looking demon, his eyes closed with sleep. His hair was a medium silver, shining dully and probably in need of a bath, but still silver and not just a light grey. His skin was fairly pale, and a large shirt covered him, badly sewn.
The boy, for he didn't meet the requirements to be a man, squinted his eyes at the sudden assault of light, before slowly oppening light blue eyes and looking up at him in confusion.
"Hello?" His voice was still a little high, near that of Inuyasha, but quite a bit more educated. Sesshoumaru regarded him coldly.
"You are the doctor." He stated, and the boys eyes widened before he stood and bowed.
"I appologise, Lord, I shouldn't have been napping." He bowed again, not looking into Sesshoumaru's eyes. "If you will give me but a moment, I will be out with you."
Sesshoumaru noticed the distinct lack of an excuse and smiled slightly, before nodding and turning to go to wait with Rin and Jaken.
A few moments later, the young demon, his scent a strange one even for a demon, arrived bowing to Sesshoumaru.
"Again, I wish to appologise for napping." Sesshoumaru nodded, before the boy looked him over, "Missing an arm, I suppose that is what your visit is about?"
Sesshoumaru nodded, "An unfortunate accident, can it be fixed?"
The boy frowned, "Please, sit down on one of the beds and lower the shoulder of your robe." He said, indicating one of the many beds. Sesshoumaru regarded it, before sitting down and lowering the shoulder of the robe to his missing arm.
The boy pulled up a stool, before taking a look at the stump where an arm had once been. "It was a clean slice...but infection set in slowly after...did you spend time with this entreated?" He asked, curiously tilting to look at the back of his shoulder.
"Yes, I let it heal itself over." Sesshoumaru said, watching the boy as he slowly fingered the scar tissue.
"It was burned shut in some parts...an energy weapon, I assume. Well, the nerves are going to be the hardest part...but I think that we may be able to give you an arm. Mind, it will take a little bit of time, and, a deal of pain on your end for it to work correctly."
Sesshoumaru felt the weight of fear leave him.
"How much time?" He asked instead.
The boy rubbed his chin, and there was movement behind him. Rin had been watchiing this boy avidly, and soon Sesshoumaru noticed why as well.
The boy had about seven tails, all the same silver as his hair, and all swishing a little as he thought.
"Well, depends on how long it takes to gather the materials...since your a dog demon, it may take some more time." He sighed a little, before standing up and heading towards one of the desks, pulling out paper and a quill, writing quickly upon the parchment.
"What are you doing?" Rin asked, attmpting to look at what he was writing but unable to translate it. Kioshi smiled at her, continueing to scribble.
"In order to regain the Lords arm, I am going to require materials to replace what was lost. A human arm is simple to replace, because the arm needn't transform and the materials can be found around the area that the human lives. Demons are more difficult, because they need different materials, some local, others not. For a high demon it's very difficult, because they move about so much and they transform from demon form to that of human, and their powers usually are released through their hands. So, I am writing a list of what materials I will need first, and then what I know I'll need later, and what I suspect that I may need." He explained, lifting the paper and blowing on it, drying the ink faster.
Rin didn't understand most of what he said, but the general idea was that he was going to fix Sesshomaru-sama's arm and he'd be better, so she smiled and nodded before scurrying over to the white haired demon and crawled up onto his lap.
Sesshomaru had been listening intently to Kioshi's explanation, the competency of the young doctor was very high, which Sessomaru had hoped for, but hadn't really been expecting...well, he'd actually been expecting an incompetent, like all the other doctors he'd been to see. But this boy did not seem to be perscribing snake oil or monks.
The boy turned back after a moment, the piece of paper still in his hands, but the paper was laid against a board, and his brush was poised. "Lord, I need to ask you a few questions, and may need to take a blood sample later on." He waited for Sesshoumaru's accent.
Sesshoumaru quirked a brow, "For what?"
The boy eyed the stump of his arm. "The questions are for the extra materials I may need to accustom the arm to your bodies individual features, the blood is for the construction of the new arm, because as I'm sure you've realised, not just any arm will work for you, they'll be eaten by your body and rot through. I need the blood to ensure your body will accept the new limb."
Most of that made a veague kind of sense to Sesshoumaru, not being in any way medically inclined.
"But I think for now we should get you settled in, for you will be here for a time. I'm afraid, my Lord, that we lack the rich living that you know." He stood, placing the paper onto the table and looking out at Jaken and the Dragon. "We don't really have a stable, is he tame enough to let roam?" The boy asked.
Sesshoumaru eyed his servant and the dragon, "Jaken can stay with him."
The toad like demon squaked, "B-but my Lord! He acts fine on his own!"
Sesshoumaru eyed him, "Then you should have no trouble, Jaken."
The boy stiffled a grin badly, "Would the Lord prefer a private room for the Lady?" He asked, referring to little Rin who blinked cutely at them. Sesshoumaru frowned.
"No, she stays with me."
The boy nodded, before standing up and lifting the shoulder of Sesshoumaru's robe to rest as it should. "Please follow me."
And they did.