Taiki stared at the petite human as she climbed from the well to stand before him. He could scent her fear, see her slight trembling, but her eyes were fierce as she slowly raised her head to look at him. For an instant she seemed to freeze, then her blue eyes widened dramatically.
"Sesshoumaru?" He frowned slightly as she murmured his infant son's name. She shook her head almost immediately. "No. You look like him, but your youki is different. Who are you?"
Taiki was momentarily caught off guard by her sudden boldness, but he didn't mind over much. Instead he cleared his throat. "Inu no Taishou, Lord of the Western Lands." He caught her quiet gasp of surprise. "And who are you little human?"
Kagome:
Kagome gaped at the youkai. This was Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru's father. Alive. But that meant…
"Excuse me, but how old are your sons?" The youkai looked slightly disgruntled for a moment before she remembered that he had asked her a question first. He must have noticed the panic behind her question though, because he simply raised an eyebrow and answered her. "I have only one son. He was born three moons ago."
Kagome felt her face pale dramatically. Yep, she was right. The well had taken her further back and now it had stopped working. She was stuck here without her friends and family. A low growl reached her and she looked up in confusion, only just realizing that she had ended up on the ground. Gentle hands wrapped around her wrists and carefully pulled her upright. She looked into soft golden eyes.
Taiki:
"Are you alright human?" Taiki helped the human up without a thought. "Kagome," she murmured, her eyes looking into his dazedly. Her name? Taiki nodded and looked her over, noting her odd clothes and feeling how small her wrists felt in his grip. Indeed, the little female's head only came up about chest height on him and her skin was so very thin his claws could shred it like paper.
Easing his hold a little, he surprised himself with the concern he felt. For a human. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he looked to be sure she could stand unaided and released her. "Kagome. What brings you here little female? Not many human villages are out this way."
The girl visibly hesitated. "I came through the well. It connects to my home, but it isn't working right and I can't get back through."
How odd. Traveling through a well, she's either mentally ill or she has power I've never encountered. Seeing the girl's eyes darken slightly at the mention of home, Taiki again felt an odd surge of concern. "You may stay with me until your situation is resolved," he found himself offering. The human stared up at him in surprise. Hell, he was surprised at himself. He had no idea why he'd made that offer.
Kagome:
Kagome stared at the youkai in front of her. Inu no Taishou was asking her to come stay with him. The strangest urge to laugh bubbled in the back of her throat. Pushing it away, she considered her options. One the one hand, she could stay at the well and hope it began working again. Until it did work though, she'd be without food, shelter, or a way to protect herself if any other youkai found her. On the other hand, if she did agree to leave with him she had no way of knowing what he'd do with her. Sure, he'd died for Izayoi and by all accounts he had loved her. At this point in time though, how exactly did he feel about humans?
Kagome studied the hansom face and the bright golden eyes. He hadn't harmed her yet and his hands had been incredibly gentle as he'd helped her up. Making her decision, she cast one last glance back at the well before nodding. "Thank you for your offer. I accept."
The large youkai nodded and turned, walking away at a pace she could keep up with. Deciding to trust him for now, Kagome shook off her fear and followed.
Taiki:
Taiki could hear the little human breathing heavily. He glanced around. The clearing they were in was acceptable. "We'll make camp here."
The little female sighed in relief and sank down to rest against one of the trees. "How much farther until we get there?" Her voice was low and he could hear her weariness. "Two days at the pace we've been going," he answered. Sniffing the air, he pointed to the left. "There's a stream that way if you'd like to make use of it." With a grateful smile, the girl stood and tiredly made her way through the trees. Taiki watched her go for a moment before leaving to scout the area.
======This part is a little gory. Skip if you don't like.===================================
A crackle of leaves drew his attention. Concealing himself and keeping a tight reign on his youki, Taiki watched a young buck wander close to his hiding place. His beast trembled in excitement and he could feel the red heat bleed into his eyes. The little female needs to eat after all. One step, another. The buck wandered closer, oblivious to the nearby predator.
His claws lengthening slightly, Taiki pounced on the deer. A savage growl ripped through his throat as he tore into it's flesh. The feel of warm blood splattering over his face, the last beat of the heart under his claws, his beast rejoiced in the hunt. It's been too long, he thought. As his prey stilled in death, Taiki felt his beast withdraw from the surface of his mind. Looking down at himself and noting the blood, Taiki grimaced. The little female would not be happy. He quickly finished gutting and skinning the buck and wandered in the direction of the stream. Surely she'd be finished by now.
Kagome:
Kagome watched as Inu no Taishou entered the clearing, a deer carcass dangling carelessly from one hand. He studied the fire she had made and nodded in approval. "I have already eaten, you may cook the rest as you'd like."
Kagome shuddered slightly as she noticed the missing hunks of meat. Had he eaten them raw? Grimacing she moved towards him and he set the deer on the grass. "Um, may I borrow a knife or something?" He nodded and handed her a dagger almost as long as her forearm. Gulping slightly, Kagome turned and began preparing the deer.
The smell of roasting venison made her mouth water. Kagome hadn't realized how hungry she was. She snuck a quick glance across the fire at Inu no Taishou. "Do you have a name? Besides Inu no Taishou I mean." He stared at her a moment before answering. "You may call me Taiki." She nodded and gave him a small smile. "So why were you all the way out here?"
"I have not had the chance to hunt or travel since the birth of my son." The youkai's expression darkened slightly. "My mate died in the birthing." A surge of sympathy flooded her and Kagome lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry. It's terrible to lose somebody." Taiki made a small sound of agreement and she closed her eyes briefly, remembering her father. After a moment she reached forward to pull the roasting deer from the flames. "Want some?" She asked politely.
The youkai shook his head. Well I guess he did eat earlier, she thought with a wince.
Taiki:
Taiki watched in amusement as the stubborn little female kept pace with him. He knew she was tiring (humans were so terribly fragile) and yet she made no complaint as she trudged along beside him.
"Shall we stop for a while?" He offered. At her nod, he led her over to a fallen log and sat gracefully. The little female settled next to him and he peered over at her curiously. "Tell me about your home," he asked, watching her reaction.
Emotions flickered across her soft features. Longing, sadness (he ignored the slight guilt that crept inside him), confusion, and….panic? "W-well, it's.. it's different from here." She hesitated as if unsure, then continued. "There are lots of people there. Less trees. It's not as… untamed." Her eyes took on a faraway look. "I live at an old shrine with my grandpa, my mom, and my little brother."
Taiki could hear the affection in her voice as she talked about her family. "And how do you travel from there to here through the well?" He didn't think she seemed mentally unwell or unstable in any way. Also, he hadn't detected any untruth in her scent when she had told him about the well. Leaning forward, he waited for her answer.
Kagome:
Kagome swallowed nervously under the youkai's heavy scrutiny. She wasn't entirely sure she should answer that, but maybe he could help her? After all, he had been one of the greatest youkai of all time. Surely he would know something that could help her get home. So taking a deep breath she began her story.
