Homeland
Disclaimer: Not Mine
Chapter One – Survival of the Fittest
His prized dragon letting him soar high above the city of Amarante, Sesshoumaru Taisho, secondboy of house Taisho under elderboy Togenkyo, peered intently down at the chaos unfurling. Every youkai in the city was well aware that this was the day the tenth house would move to claim a higher position.
They all knew, also, that the fourth house was precariously weak, Lady Kanna having recently lost the favor of Naraku, the youkai's patron deity. Naturally, Kanna was fervently praying to Naraku, but the god of chaos wasn't a forgiving one.
Ah-un twisted beneath Sesshoumaru. Aware that his steed was growing increasingly impatient – even the house pets sensed the upcoming battle – the young lord sent the drake into a steep dive towards the corner of the city.
Always tactful, Sesshoumaru swung in awkward arcs, sending Ah-un in undulating patterns across the night sky. Lady Kanna's house was clearly glimmering with the mystical lights sprouting from the mirrors splayed across her complex. Usually, these illuminated patterns seemed quite intimidating; today, they only served as a target for the eager killer.
He tossed away all caution as he urged Ah-un into a straight descent towards the reflecting gates before Kanna's courtyard. The Lady wasn't foolish enough to allow anyone to pass into her home from above; the only door was in front, and that guarded by another mirror, an enchanted looking- glass which only let members of the house in, unless the Lady instructed otherwise.
Sesshoumaru smiled as he drew out a small, skin-colored piece of cloth and placed it over his eyes. Focusing on the face of Lady Kanna herself, he waited patiently until he was certain that the transformation had taken place.
He moved in front of the mirror.
Reflected was a small, fragile-looking creature. Those who saw her would have thought her no more dangerous than a child. But, as the youkai soon learned, children can be dangerous.
"Greetings, Lady Kanna," the mirror intoned.
Sesshoumaru nodded calmly and moved towards the glassy surface. He'd seen this feat accomplished many times, but never from this perspective. Taking a deep breath, he calmly strode through the apparently solid glass, which melded around his form and turned completely impenetrable once he'd passed through.
Sighing with relief, he removed the shapeshifting mask and replaced it in a fold of his robes. He pulled his hood up higher, seeming to be no more conspicuous than one of the various members of the household drifting around the compound.
There was no indication of his murderous thoughts.
He slipped towards the main chapel, the basic shrine erected for Naraku. It was rather amusing that in Amarante, the females generally presided over the males, and yet their god was, in fact, a lowly male.
Inside, he could hear the frenzied chants of the priestesses. His lips curved into a malicious smile. Certain that the main force of Kanna's house was occupied, he headed towards the slightly smaller structure next to the chapel.
Here were the training grounds, the gymnasium, and, most importantly for Sesshoumaru, the rooms of the youkai nobles. Here, the first casualty of war would take place. And if all went well, no one would be able to discern which house had perpetrated the deed.
He was as silent as a shadow, and his eyes gleamed red with the bloodlust.
Fingering his finely crafted dagger, the assassin slipped through the opened doorway into the silent chamber within. He bypassed the first six rooms; they were empty, the priestesses in the chapel. Besides, any one of them could easily have destroyed him, their mental powers overriding his physical.
The seventh room was his target. He hitched his cloak even higher over his head. It was the perfect plan, of course. Lady Kaede – it was funny to call her that when she was his sister, having succeeded their deceased mother – had seen to that.
Drawing out a small pouch of what seemed to be innocent flower petals, he lifted them out and blew gently towards the tightly shut door. Instantly, the petals turned razor sharp, cutting with deadly accuracy into the weathered wood, until a section was so weak Sesshoumaru was able to push it out and step through.
The boy lying in bed, shivering, knew his death had come.
Quite amusing, the fact that the victim was still regarded as a boy. Sesshoumaru pondered this as his dagger dug into the body's heart. After all, this supposed 'boy' had been the cause of at least a dozen deaths, had taken place in raids on human communities.
But of course, a dozen kills was scarcely anything in the chaotic world of the youkai.
Placing on his mask again, Sesshoumaru reformed his features into those of the boy he'd just slaughtered. He walked confidently past the guards surrounding the chapel, even tossing a careless insult at one of them, as nobles were apt to do.
The mirror let him out again, and he slipped away, as silently as he had come.
"It is complete?" Kikyo inquired wearily of her older brother. Perhaps he may have been her senior by sixty-three years, but she nevertheless was counted as more powerful than he, especially with her budding skill as a priestess.
Sesshoumaru bowed sardonically to her. "Yes, dearest sister, the deed is complete."
"That is good." She paused momentarily before remarking, "I assume you didn't let anyone see you...?"
"They saw me, certainly, but assumed I was merely a soldier."
She smirked wryly. "Ah, of course. You do fit into the position of commoner quite well." Her words were scathing, but her tone was light, bantering, and he grinned, realizing that she was just complimenting his disguising techniques.
The two siblings walked in silence for a while. Sesshoumaru didn't miss his sister's tense poise, the way her hand continually strayed to the enchanted bow she always wore casually over one shoulder. Finally, sensing that she wasn't about to provide answers unless he asked, he questioned, "How is Lady Kaede faring?"
Kikyo ran a hand absently through her long, thick raven hair. She was older than Kaede, but had relinquished the position of Lady of House Taisho to her younger sister because she soon grew impatient of running all the affairs of the house.
Now, of course, Kaede had been in various affairs with all sorts of youkai – nobles and commoners alike – and was almost ready to give birth to her first child.
"Kaede...she's doing well, I suppose." Kikyo shrugged languidly. "She's not in too much pain, which is a good thing. Especially for Onigumo; if she bled too much, she'd kill him for causing her the anguish."
"Arrogant brat," Sesshoumaru muttered under his breath, referring to the upstart girl. Kikyo caught the mutinous words but merely smiled serenely and said nothing.
As an afterthought, the priestess queried, "Actually, have you seen Onigumo around recently? Perhaps Kaede really did kill him."
"Doubtful, though it's possible, of course. I remember seeing him this morning." The elder sighed wistfully. "He looked rather flustered. I'd hate to be a Lady's personal plaything."
"You don't mind being a noble's, though, do you?" Kikyo purred.
He laughed. "You're perfectly aware that I must comply to the demands of any priestess or female noble of my house, any priestess of the Academy, and any visiting female from our neighboring cities."
His sister smiled at that – doubtless she enjoyed lording her power over her brother – but that smile vanished when Onigumo raced towards them, his ruby eyes gleaming.
"Lady Kaede needs to see you now," he called as soon as he was within shouting distance.
The two nobles fled towards the direction of their own main chapel. "Premature birth?" Sesshoumaru hissed, as they raced wildly across the compound.
"Of course not! Naraku grants us the power to control birthing, you fool," Kikyo retorted, sending waves of wind at the shrine doors so that they burst open right as they reached them. Sesshoumaru quickly slowed his momentum, regaining his poise, but Kikyo barreled towards Kaede, noting that the girl was definitely convulsing.
The other priestesses of House Taisho were already gathered, as were the remaining nobles. Kikyo knelt at Kaede's side, pointedly ignoring the efforts of Eri and Ayumi to help the writhing girl. "Kaede...Kaede, you must focus! Ignore the pain. Listen to my voice!"
"Yes...Kikyo..."
"Shall I begin the bonding?"
Kaede seemed not to hear, or if she did, not to comprehend. After a minute, however, she managed a faint nod.
Kikyo leapt to her feet. "Eri, Ayumi, support Kaede for the bonding process. Eri, you take elderboy Togenkyo; I'll bond with Sesshoumaru, as usual. Hurry!"
Kaede moaned as she touched a trembling finger to Onigumo's forehead. Quickly bringing the Lady back to her seat, Eri placed her hands on Togenkyo's head, letting the silver light spread from her hands into him.
Sesshoumaru knelt before Kikyo, and she couldn't help but run her finger delicately over the strange crescent moon in the center of his forehead, watching its outline glow a brief silver.
The process over, Sesshoumaru dashed a perfunctory kiss on his sister's cheek. "Bring us victory," she whispered in his ear.
"Don't I always?" he laughed, summoning Ah-un and heading for Lady Kanna's complex.
The dragon swirled in a wild zigzag to avoid the arrows being shot by Kanna's soldiers. Leaping lightly down on the roof of the chapel and waiting for his signal, Sesshoumaru blended in with the stone tile, letting his drake be the distraction.
Kikyo initiated the first mental barrage against the priestesses of Kanna's house. She felt the anger and pain coming from the victims; focusing, linking her strength with Eri, Ayumi, and the struggling Kaede, she threw forth another assault. Another one, this time even stronger with the aid of the common priestesses of the house, smashed into Kanna's mind.
Naraku was with them today.
"Focus," Kikyo hissed in Kaede's ear. "There is a spell, one connected with the birthing process. Are you strong enough to handle it?"
"Yes..." the girl gasped. "Tell it to me...I will repeat your...words..."
"Ilik meht wenyi bete tydahl," Kikyo intoned.
"Ilik...meht wenyi...bete...tydahl!" Kaede reiterated.
"Ied oseht ohw esoppo su," the other whispered, sensing that the baby was about to emerge.
"Ied...OSEHT....ohw esopPO SU!" Kaede cried feverishly.
"Yrotciv si srou, yadot."
"YROTCIV SI SROU YADOT!" She forced the baby out and collapsed against the chair, her breathing ragged.
But the damage had been done. Sesshoumaru gaped as he heard the dying screams of the lower priestesses in Kanna's unholy circle. He leapt into the chapel, his sword and whip ready.
He tossed a single tiny pellet into the middle of the room. Immediately, everything was pitch black.
The scuffles of the living priestesses showed him his targets clearly. Traveling in a circular path, Sesshoumaru grinned wickedly each time his blade encountered flesh. From across the room, he heard Kanna mumbling, the beginning of a spell.
His whip took the tongue right out of her mouth.
Leaving the chapel, he caught up with Togenkyo and the elderboy's legions, which were calmly disposing of all the nobles. It was youkai law that to eliminate a house, all the true members of that house had to be destroyed. For if any nobles remained alive, they could bring accusation down upon the perpetrator, and the unfortunate house would then be left in the 'justice' of the ruling council.
"So, brother, a nice, clean sweep, it would seem," Togenkyo remarked, watching the soldiers move with deadly accuracy towards a hidden panel in the wall.
"Apparently," Sesshoumaru agreed amiably, watching the disposal of two noble children.
Togenkyo smiled. "One should always be on alert," he remarked.
Suddenly, Sesshoumaru's eyes widened as he gestured to something behind his brother's back. "What...that can't be!"
"What is it?" Togenkyo spun, realizing the deception too late.
Sesshoumaru's sword slid through his heart, the secondboy carefully lowering his dying brother to the ground. "Indeed, dearest brother, one should always be alert. Pity you do not follow your own advice." He twisted the blade in the wound. "Now Sesshoumaru is elderboy of House Taisho, and Togenkyo be damned."
"I've lost connection with Togenkyo!" Eri cried, clapping a hand to her forehead.
Kaede managed to look up. "Togenkyo...dead?"
"Undoubtedly," Kikyo explained wryly. "Sesshoumaru's been aspiring to reach the position of elderboy for a long time, and if that surge of elation coming from him means anything, he just achieved his goal. Power-hungry conniving arrogant male." She insulted her brother, but in truth she was grateful towards him; almost everyone in House Taisho loathed Togenkyo. "Now, come. Let us look at the child, Ayumi."
Obediently, the youngest of the priestesses brought forth the baby. All the girls peered at it doubtfully.
"Its eyes are golden," Eri remarked.
"That's hardly surprising. Sesshoumaru's are golden as well."
Ayumi peered closer. "The babe's are of a darker shade than his brother's, however. They're almost amber, in a way." She turned to Kaede. "What shall we name him?"
Kaede, tired by the aftereffects of birthing, languidly answered, "Does it really matter? For all I care, just call him dog."
Kikyo smiled at that. "Very well then. Thus begins your life as a worthless male...Inuyasha."
His first memory was of his sister, Kikyo, her undeniably beautiful yet unfeeling face above him as she watched him sleep. He did not know, then, that she'd requested to train him in the ways of the youkai. He didn't know that she sensed something...different, something special, within him.
She often left him unguarded, and would return reeking of blood, with arrows missing from her quiver.
He didn't mind the solitude during the day, however. As he grew, he listened to other conversations, and that, along with Kikyo's tutelage of language, soon enabled him to hold coherent conversations with his siblings.
Not that they usually came to visit; only Kikyo came, and that was usually just to teach him more of youkai lore.
In his childhood, he never heard a friendly word.
Kikyo entered the room calmly, nodding deferentially to Inuyasha, who was swinging a thin wooden stick around in a parody of a swordfight. "You will stop that now," she said flatly, stating it as a fact rather than an order.
Nevertheless, the stick dropped instantaneously to the ground.
Kikyo smiled, pleased at his obedience. "You learn quickly, don't you?"
That wasn't necessarily correct. The only thing Inuyasha had learned was that if orders were obeyed, Kikyo didn't call upon Sesshoumaru to lash at him with his whip until he cowered under the beating.
Kikyo suddenly whirled on him. "You are a noble," she spat, her voice filled with venom. "Do you understand the meaning of that? Could you possibly?"
Not knowing what to say, he took it as a rhetorical question and wisely kept silent.
"You've turned fifty now," she explained. "Perhaps it's time I began teaching you the basic youkai arts."
"What are those, mistress?" the boy asked politely.
She glanced indifferently at him. "I think I'll begin with...dragon riding."
Inuyasha had to resist the urge to shriek with delight. He'd always admired the pearl-scaled, turquoise-mane creatures, their lashing bodies lithe and supple; the obsidian-armored, crimson-mane beasts, always snapping at their riders; the sapphire-covered, violet-mane drakes, obedient and playful.
"Come."
He followed her towards the enclosure where the dragons slept. "Choose one," she ordered.
Was she really speaking to him?
"Well? Which do you prefer? You're not ready for a black one yet – they're rather temperamental right now – but pearl or sapphire, pick your choice."
Unable to decide, Inuyasha raced around the pen until he finally settled on a pearl-grey one, its dark eyes shining with inner intelligence. "This one?" he asked hopefully.
She clicked her fingers calmly, and the drake made its way over, observing Kikyo warily. Doubtless she'd been the perpetrator of the thin crimson lines across its underside.
Kikyo motioned to a twisting azure one, which slithered over disdainfully. This was her own preferred mount – recognizable by a single white scar in the shape of a circle in the center of its forehead. She leapt lightly onto its back, motioning to Inuyasha to do the same.
Ever eager, the boy jumped, crashed into the side of the drake, and slid to the ground disconsolately.
"Isn't he a bit young for that?" a soft voice inquired mockingly.
She didn't even bother answering, but her hand flew to her bow.
"After all, you're hardly a decent rider yourself."
"Ayumi, you forget that I have attained the rank of high priestess and am seventy-six years your senior. Also, I happen to be on very good terms with the current weaponmaster, who might accidentally send his blade spiraling into your heart."
Ayumi sneered. "Kaede would never allow that."
Finally, Kikyo turned to face her. "Kaede would be quite pleased, I warrant you. Now, get up!" she barked at Inuyasha.
Realizing the importance of his actions, the little youkai grabbed onto the dragon's side and threw himself up, sitting comfortably between his steed's horns.
"Satisfied?" Kikyo asked.
Ayumi whirled and stalked away.
"I did it!" Inuyasha squeaked happily, stroking the dragon's head. "Now...now how does it fly?"
Kikyo hesitated; she didn't want to torture the drake too much. "Use the emblem of House Taisho," she explained. "Once you press the engraved coin onto the dragon's forehead, it will create a link between your two minds. You must urge the dragon to fly. If it senses that you are too weak, it will do nothing."
Inuyasha pushed the emblem into the dragon's head. Fly...fly...
The dragon yawned, cast Kikyo a clearly pitying look, and closed its eyes wearily.
Kikyo sighed. "Sesshoumaru!" she called. Perhaps a bit of inspiration in the form of punishment would motivate him.
He finally soared among the stars, but even in the faint starlight, Kikyo could see the red scars standing out upon his skin. And she felt that she'd lost something when he didn't smile at his achievement.
Hello, please r&r, everyone. Also, if you have the chance, please review my other stories, too. Thanks. -Silver