"Sesshomaru-sama! Welcome back!" a petite young woman called from the back of a green-scaled, two-headed dragon.
He merely nodded at his ward, silver hair falling in a sheet to his ankles, spiky bangs falling to just above aureate eyes lined with a fuchsia stripe, matching two smooth stripes that were on both cheeks. An indigo crescent moon stood on his forehead between the center parted bangs, skin as pale as moonlight. Unusual clothing was worn; a spiked pauldron protruded from his left shoulder, his clothing reminiscent of the mainland in that the kimono proudly presented a honeycomb and sakura design, proclaiming royalty. His hakama were flowing but gathered at his ankles, the ends covered by black leather boots, and a heavy white fur was draped over his right shoulder. A blue obi lined with yellow held three swords.
The girl was gorgeous, dainty and bright, like a star. Her knee-length hair was chocolate and cherry wood, gleaming and thick, with thin strips of glowing silver. Eyes of gold peered from a softly tanned face, where stripes pointedly stood out, golden and delicate on her prominent cheekbones. A smile lit up her face, tiny fangs poking her plump lower lip, and a silver crescent moon stood out on her forehead. Pins with all manner of flashing gems held back heavy hair, and an ensemble of finest silk kimonos in vibrant blues and greens clothed her. A pair of flat slippers was on her feet, which were small and well suited to her tiny frame, as were her hands, where lengthy, claw-like nails were filed neatly.
Her moderately sized chest and matching hips were shown clearly through the lovely garment, obi reaching from below her chest to the crest of her hips, holding a sword with a vibrant indigo grip.
"Milord, you're back!" a tiny green imp squawked, stating the obvious. He was quite ugly, and wearing a tiny hat and clothes, clutching a tapering wooden staff, the top carved with a head on opposite sides, one a woman and the other an old man.
"Master Jaken, I said that already!" the girl pouted.
The imp glared, yelling "Stupid girl!"
"Jaken." His master stated firmly, his tone implying a threat.
"Sesshomaru-sama, I am terribly sorry! I am not worthy to serve such a noble and wonderful Daiyoukai as you! Yo-" The imp was interrupted by a generously sized stone that hit him on the head, causing a rather large bump.
The lord just began walking, followed closely by his retainer, ward, and dragon. The latter simply floated behind him, following with the girl on their back.
Several hours passed in near silence, and finally the lord allowed them to make camp for the night.
He was thanked before the girl asked to be released to gather food, which she was readily granted, provided she be followed by Jaken, though she had been taught how to defend herself; first from Sesshomaru's guards, and then by the Daiyoukai himself.
She took off in a sprint, her legs showing clearly through long slits in the silk, allowing her to move freely.
The scent of a boar caught her attention, and she slowly, carefully made her way towards the animal, not making a sound.
~DIFFERENT POV~
Three men ran, one out in front, all dressed in fur and armor. The leader was clearly faster, and quite attractive in his own right. He possessed teal orbs and raven hair in a high ponytail, revealing pointed ears. He was a wild type of handsome- definitely masculine.
The other two had paler hair, one having a Mohawk and the other spiked up short hair with a slash of lighter gray through the middle.
"K- K-Ko-ga…." Mohawk panted, hands on his knees as they slowed.
"What, wimps?" he demanded.
"When are we gonna eat?" the other asked.
Rolling his eyes, he replied, "I guess we'll go hunting now, if you idiots can keep up."
He finished his statement with a smirk, his speed creating a whirlwind of dust, leaving a pair of whining wolf demons in his wake.
~WITH RIN POV~
That boar sure looked like it would be a good supper! Hmmm… how to kill it? Maybe I should use Kōken'nin? That would be best for a quick kill. After all, Sesshomaru-sama asked that I be back quickly… Rin thought.
She slid a short sword out of a scabbard, revealing a delicate piece of work done by the master sword smith Totosai on Sesshomaru's orders, specifically for Rin. It looked like a piece of artwork, the hilt a gilded gold with a silver crescent moon daintily perched in the center, engraved in between the small pieces of metal that showed with threads of wisteria identical to that making the markings on her cheeks.
"Dragon Strike!" she clearly stated, swinging the blade in an arc, releasing the indigo wave of energy, which cleanly separated the large animal's head from its body. Sliding the sword back into the sheath, she slipped a dagger out from her kimono, casually cleaning the boar while collecting large pieces of meat and the organs, which she placed in a cloth bag. She wrapped the heart in a cloth before dropping it into the bag with the rest of the edible organs and meat.
Securing the bag to her back, she took off at a run, due north, to where her Lord was.
~KOGA POV~
Those numbskulls were so far behind me, I couldn't even sense them. So much for them wanting something to eat. They're taking so long that it'll be next week before they get here and we can hunt!
I took in a breath, but paused for a second as an enticing scent wafted across my nose… kind of like some purple flowers my woman had told me the name of once when I tried to give them to her…. What was it? It started with a w. We- wa- wis- wisteria and forest, with a hint of sunshine. Weird, to smell something like that in a forest. It's not like there's much sunshine in a demon forest. Wisteria isn't exactly common either.
So what was that smell?!
Annoyed, I growled and changed direction, following the scent trail. It stopped at a clearing, where I could see a fire growing. The source of the scent was standing near the fire, pulling neat chunks of what I could smell was boar out of a bag. The scent of storms, dog, clouds, and danger surrounded the area, along with a hint of boggy toad. Reptile was present too, a demon reptile at that.
Looking closely at the figure, I noted the expensive silk of the garment, the shapely figure, and the slight smell of mutt. Long hair had white streaked in it, and the person was small. By the shapely curves, I assumed it was a woman.
A figure emerged from the shadows at the far end of the clearing. I knew this person.
"Sesshomaru-sama, you're back!" the woman demurred.
The dog glanced in my direction. He knew I was here, so why wasn't he saying anything?! Damned mutt.
"Rin." He spoke.
My eyes involuntarily widened. This woman- was Rin? The little girl that had trailed after the ice lord like a lost puppy? Hell, had it been that long?
"I brought you the heart."
She pulled out a larger object wrapped in cloth, no doubt the aforementioned organ.
The dog held out a hand, and the girl deposited the bundle into his open palm, where he unwrapped the cloth, revealing a bloody heart. Sesshomaru took a bite, and I scowled. He was trying to scare me. Stupid mutt!
"I am aware that you are there, wolf." A cold voice declared.
"So?" I challenged. The girl whimpered, moving behind the dog as I revealed myself. Her tiny hands were holding onto his clothes so hard that they were white, even with her nice tan. Wide golden eyes stared at me in terror.
"Rin." The tall man ordered.
"But Sesshomaru-sama," she cried, "He's a wolf… the same kind as the ones that attacked me."
Rin was that scared of me, and not of Sesshomaru?
She hid behind her Lord, gripping his robes.
"Rin, I will not tell you again."
"Y-yes, Milord."
She released his clothes, and he stepped forward.
"Wolf, why do you approach this Sesshomaru and his ward?" he asked flatly.
"I smelt her, and it bothered me. I followed the scent, and here I am, with a mutt, a human and a toad." I scoffed.
He narrowed his eyes, which suddenly held a gleam that didn't look good for me or anyone else involved.
"Wolf, you will take my ward. If she is harmed in any way, your life will be forfeit."
"WHAT?" I yelped.
"Sesshomaru-sama!" the girl whimpered, betrayed.
She looked wholly terrified and betrayed. Was I really that bad or had that mutt brainwashed her? The dog pulled out a sack that had some metal in it. He put it in her hand.
"That is your coin. Do not waste it. I will come to collect you when I am able." He told her.
"Thank you Sesshomaru-sama…" she trailed, looking up at him with tears in her eyes. She suddenly leapt at him, giving him a hug, shocking the hell out of everyone in the clearing.
A silence permeated the clearing, until the toad screeched, "RIN, GET OFF SESSHOMARU-SAMA THIS INSTANT YOU STUPID GIRL!"
She let go reluctantly, stepping back.
"Collect your things, Rin, and you will leave within the hour. You may eat and bring the rest with you."
The girl thanked him, taking the meat off the fire and tearing into it daintily, if such a thing were even possible. Then she handed me a stake with grilled boar, a large chunk.
I took it, "Thanks."
She nodded, eyes downcast as she finished her piece, going over to the dragon and retrieving a decent sized sack. I smelt cloth and soap. She added the smaller bag with the money in it into the big bag. She stared at the ground, glancing up at me every once in a while, before flinching lightly.
"Guess we better go, onna." I growled, and she started before following obediently.
~WITH SESSHOMARU~
After Rin and Koga had left, Sesshomaru had materialized a cloud of energy, flying at the speed of light.
Another forest was passing by below, but a certain scent had caught his attention. It was a soft scent of honeysuckle and jasmine, with a little musk thrown in. A very familiar scent, but instead of the usual fear, anxiety, or gaiety, there was terror, despair, and rage, torrents that bombarded his sensitive nose.
His golden eyes narrowed, and without a word, he descended to the forest floor, where he found a beautiful young woman, lying on the ground, bloodied and bruised, clothes ripped into shreds and bleeding from a lower area. He did not show his disgust, but his eyes widened as he saw her eyes; the lovely chocolate color reflected back a message: a plea for death.
He knew, however, the allure of her would bring the idiot half-breed to his death. He picked her up, placing a blanket that Rin had used at one time around her bare form, and placed her on Ah'Un, who had landed while he was in thought. He ignored the silent woman, only scenting her occasionally to find she was alive.
She lay across Ah'Un, unmoving and lying there with her silky ebony hair flying about her pale, slender form. Her body relaxed as her consciousness faded slowly… and sent her into despairing memories of earlier that day, where dusk was fading into darkness.
~POV~
"Hey, Ban, have you heard those people talking about that new mercenary?" a cross dressing man asked.
"Yeah, Jak. Wanna go check it out guys?" an even more handsome male asked. He had a long, beautiful black braid and sapphire eyes.
"Gesh!"
"Sure!"
"Whatever…"
They all hopped onto a man-machine, rolling through the forest. They came to a regular issuer of missions.
Bank slang, "You know who the newbie is?"
"Sure, I know who you're talking about. Sweet girl, you'd never think she was a mercenary. But she does a damn good job. I'll call her here. Wait a moment, please."
"Shiori-san, come meet my guests!" the man yelled.
A young girl entered. They were all stunned by her looks. Soft, waving periwinkle silver hair fell to her waist, accentuating her ample curves, and her unusually dark skin made her beautiful lavender eyes look even softer and more doe-like.
"Hello, I'm Shiori." She introduced. Her voice was a soft soprano, lilting and gentle.
"This… is the new mercenary everyone's buzzing about! It's a wench!" Jakotsu yelped.
Shiori laughed behind a delicate hand. Only then did they notice the claws and markings she had. A wind blew past and revealed pointed ears.
"A demon?" Bankotsu asked, an eyebrow rising.
The girl smiled, "Not quite."
"How can you 'not quite' be a demon?" Jak asked.
"I'm a hanyou. My father was Tsukuyomaru of the Bat Demon Tribe. My mother was a human."
"How interesting… a hanyou!"
"So, who are you?" the young girl asked.
"We're the Band of Seven!" Jak yelled.
"Band of Seven? What's that?" she inquired innocently, head tilting, eyes wide and lips pouting.
The men all deadpanned. "You don't know who we are?!" Bankotsu yelped.
"No, not really. Should I?"
"Shiori dear, these are the seven men that were killed for being merciless murderers and mercenaries." Her benefactor told her.
"Oh!" she said, giving them a bright smile, "Can I know your names?"
"I'm Bankotsu, and this is my partner, Banryuu." The leader stated with an alluring smirk.
"Jakotsu, you filthy wench!" the cross dresser glared.
"You don't have to be so mean!" she pouted, eyes wide.
"I'm Mukotsu. Will you be my bride?"
"Um… No. I'm only seventeen…"
"Suikotsu miss." The man introduced.
"Renkotsu." The bald man gruffly stated.
And the last man was introduced as Genkotsu, and Kyokotsu was dead.
"Nice to meet you all. Master, do you have any missions?" the girl asked.
The man smiled at her enthusiasm. "In fact, I do. How about you go with the Band of Seven and observe?"
"That sounds fun! I hope you guys don't mind if I travel my own way."
"Own… way?"
She didn't answer, and jumped up to a spot on an overhead balcony. She jumped, and a set of skin and fur wings unfurled from her back. Giggling at their expressions, she began flying.
"Better hurry up, or you won't be able to catch up!" she called down to them. They startled, and jumped back onto Ginkotsu, heading to the site. The group arrived just in time to see her using a barrier to cut the man's head off, leaving the inside of his throat exposed. The barrier dissolved and the head fell to the floor, blood pooling.
She was laughing, and even the seasoned mercenaries balked as a shiver ran the length of their spines…
Finished 5/27/13
