Hello all you lovely readers! I have to be honest, the first day I posted, I kept checking in on how the story was doing like a person addicted to facebook. I felt like a stalker to my own story. ^_^ Thank you all for such a wonderful response, I hope the story lives up to everyone's expectations. Special thanks to all of you who took the time to review. You all get a hypothetical golden bowl of ramen. Congrats!
The Buzzkill
Sesshomaru subtly took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of blood and carnage. While the scent itself was repulsive, it was however, in it's own way like an old friend. Very familiar, and soothing. After 900 years of dispatching the unworthy, it had become a habit of his to seek out unwanted troublemakers roaming in the Western Lands when his mind was heavy with some contemplation of some sort or when he needed to escape annoying people that he could not outright kill. With this instance, it was escape on his mind as he left to patrol his lands.
Sighing, Sesshomaru took flight into the sky heading his way back to the castle. His eyes intently scanned the ground hoping to catch a glimpse of some more vagabonds. He was still eager to engage in a good fight. Sadly his luck had seemed to run out. Not as many demons dared to invade his lands after the many years of establishing his reputation as a cold blooded killer. Things just weren't like they used to be. Not like the years following his father's death . Now those were the days. Plenty of upstarts and wars. Simpletons believing they could take him down. He sniffed contemptuously. As if that could ever happen!
"Milord!" A screeching voice pierced through his thoughts as he landed lightly on the ground at the entrance to the castle. Speaking of people he wanted to kill- Escape, he corrected. "Milord!" Jaken sobbed. "Why did you leave your faithful servant!" Sesshomaru walked forward toward the door tramping on Jaken in the process. After all these years, it was a wonder why Jaken could not simply resist standing in front of him. Did he expect Sesshomaru to walk around him? The idea of it was absurd. All the way to his study, Jaken blundered and wrung his hands, babbling about the same things that drove Sesshomaru to leave earlier. The toad never learned. Why couldn't he more like Rin? "Are you listening Milord?" Jaken gulped. "That is to say-, not that your hearing is impaired because we all know that it is most wonderfully accurate-"
"Silence." Sesshomaru sat down and paged through some important papers. "It is pointless to repeat myself when I have made myself very clear."
"But Master Sesshomaru! The Western Lands is in Jeopardy! There has even been talk of mutiny- Ack!" Jaken fell over as a paperweight hit it's mark. Jaken woefully rubed his head. "If only you would take a mate! The other Lords would stop their talk of replacing you with Inuyasha!"
"I thought I told you never to speak my half brother's name unless necessary." Inuyasha was a subject he would rather not visit. After Naraku's defeat they had formed some sort of truce. He had simply moved from the list of people Sesshomaru would someday kill, to the list of people he barely tolerated. "Inuyasha is weak. Hardly fit to rule the Western Lands."
"Yes, it's true that you stronger and more powerful. But he does have something that you don't have. Which is a mate, and most importantly: heirs!"
"One day I will look into getting a mate but only and only when I wish it."
"After 900 years no one thinks that is actually going to happen." Jaken muttered. Then realizing what he had said, he froze fearfully. Sesshomaru ignored him letting the demon sweat a little.
"Jaken."
"Yes!" Jaken jumped.
"Bring me my tea."
"Yes Milord! Right away sir!" Jaken scurried away. Sesshomaru sighed. That should buy him some time. Fifteen minutes later Sesshomaru heard Jaken's clawed feet click against the floor. "Your tea, Milord." Sesshomaru barely acknowledged him as he took the cup from Jaken. Half way through, Sesshomaru sniffed, noticing the very bland smell of tea. How odd. Was Jaken using some sort of new tea? Whatever it was it was not as good as- Sesshomaru grabbed his head in shock as waves of sensations rolled over him. What in the- "Forgive me Milord!" Jaken wailed as he abruptly ran from the room. "It was for your own good!" Sesshomaru stood up and the room begun to spin. He was going to kill that toad once and for all! He seethed. What had possessed Jaken to betray him when he had always worshiped the ground he walked on? It was the only reason he had kept him around! Suddenly a new aura approached. Sesshomaru's guard went up. In, walked a demoness. She slinked up against him and purred in a very telling way. Not very subtle was she. Shocking enough was the way he began to respond to her. Not outwardly of course, but inside he was a mess of emotions. He looked down at her assessing her worth. She was attractive enough with her pretty face and curves, but she looked like all the others that had tried to snare him. Shallow and stupid. She pouted at his hesitation, lips curling in the most fascinating way. He had to get out of there. For once in 900 years he began to feel his control slipping in the most horrifying way. Snarling, his eyes bled red as he slashed at her with his claw and burst through the wall fleeing.
A few moments later Jaken rushed in after hearing a great explosion. The first thing he saw was a huge gaping hole in the wall, the stones still dripping with acid. Then his eyes went to the female on the floor clutching her shoulder.
"I thought you said he wouldn't be able to resist me!" She said waspishly. Jaken gulped as he looked out into the night sky through the hole Seshomaru had exited. "Somehow I have a very bad feeling."
Yay! Chapter 2 is complete! I'm going to try to keep updating weekly on Friday if I can. Sesshomaru is probably the most difficult character to write. Everyone has their own imaging of what he is like. He can't be too soft, because he is Sesshomaru after all. But he has to bend to the plot, whatever one it is. I tried my best in that respect. So hopefully he doesn't seem too something or other.