Chapter 1 – The Way of War
[3 days later]
She walked, yet she had no idea where she was going. She hoped to find a town that hasn't been touched by the Westerners yet. But within the last two days, all the towns she skirted had banners raised with the crescent moon insignia. She stayed away from them.
She survived in the forest alone by hunting and foraging. It wasn't so bad.
Everything was fine, until she accidentally stumbled upon a camp filled with demon soldiers.
There were at least ten of them. They all stopped what they were doing, looked up and gazed at her.
She froze.
A demon tiger grinned widely at her. "Well, 'tis been a while since we had any women around. I'll settle for a human!"
Raucous laughter soon ensued.
Rin gulped, turned around and ran. She cursed her badluck, and its never-ending tries to get her killed.
She knew they were right behind her as she heard their loud treads.
Soon they were upon here. She was knocked on the ground, face forward when one of the demons leaped on her back.
"LET ME GO! DAMN YOU DEMONS!" She screamed and struggled, desperate, against the tiger demon.
"Ohhhh. We got a feisty one here." He commented as he grabbed her and forcefully flipped her onto her back.
"By human standards, I think this one is what they call beautiful. What do you think Ryu?"
The snake demon shrugged his shoulders. "I ssssstil think humansss are only for dinner. You sssshouldn't play with your meal."
"Ah, but I heard the human wenches can be quite satisfying to lay with!" His eyes suddenly glinted with lust.
Another demon joined in. "They are! Very different from a demoness touch. Can't say its better, but it's not bad either."
Only then she fully understood her situation. She would get raped, slaughtered then eaten! She shuddered.
"VILE CREATURES! GET OFF ME! Go back to the WEST and leave me be!"
The tiger demon looked down on her. "You should be screaming for mercy, and crying in fear. Instead, you insult us? You're not very bright for a human, are you?"
The demon suddenly grabbed the front of her kimono and pulled it sideway, exposing the side of her breast. She screamed and lashed out, and flung curses at him. Another bout of laughter issued, making her feel sick to her stomach.
"What is amiss here?"
All the demons fell silent, even the tiger demon atop of Rin suddenly rose from her to turn around. She pulled her kimono tightly around her and scooted backwards, wary.
The tiger demon shrugged his shoulders. "My Lord, this human wench came across our camp. It maybe an accident, but she could be a spy."
"A spy?!" She yelled, outraged. These demons were making excuses! Rin peeked around and saw a tall man with hair the color of the pale moon approaching them. Another demon.
Sesshomaru was not a fool. He knew his soldiers trapped this woman not because they suspect her as a spy, but because they were lusty, demon men. It troubled him not, for such is the way of war. He didn't intend to stop them but that was before he saw her.
Her voluminous, rich brown hair cascaded around her. Her shabby kimono did nothing to hide her beauty. She was slender, yet bountiful in all the right places. When their eyes met, he was quite intrigued that her russet orbs were filled with hatred.
"Who are you, and where did you come from?" Sesshomaru asked quietly, his face void of emotion.
"I will tell you nothing, you foul demon!" She hissed.
He raised an eyebrow at her hostility. He heard his demon soldiers gasp. "Stupid human! Do you have any idea who-"
"Silence." Sesshomaru snapped. "Return to the camp, at once."
The demons bowed, then left. The tiger demon sent Rin a nasty smile, as if he knew that she was doomed before leaving.
Soon it was only Sesshomaru and Rin.
She stood up, backing away.
"I will not repeat myself once again, human. Answer me."
Rin prevented herself from shivering. She knew this man was not to trifle with, yet she refused to show her fear. "No, I will not. You ruined the land where I lived my whole life! You westerners are monsters!"
"Hn. You are from the North. I suggest you watch your tongue, and respect me for I am your new Lord. Surrender." The Northerners were proud, and they do not switch their loyalty around so fast after being conquered. Many Northern villages still stood against him. But he knew that in time, they would come to accept their new ruler… just as this one will.
Her eyes widened. "The North… we lost the battle?"
He raised his chin slightly. "I claimed the Castle of the North three days ago, human."
And so they lost. But what baffled her the most was the identity of the demon in front of her. His amber eyes, despite their color were cold. He wore no simple attire; no doubt he was an aristocrat. He wore a spiked armor around his torso. His demonic markings were stripes on his cheeks and a crescent moon on his forehead.
It dawned to her then. Her mouth fell open. "You're the Lord of the West!"
He expected her to cower in fear, or bow down to him, but he certainly did not expect her eyes to spark in renewed hatred, her lip curling.
"It's you! It's your fault! You declared this useless war for your own selfishness! You are but a lowly worm!" She couldn't help her anger, and she was spouting words she care not to think about first.
His patience was being tested. This woman was either very brave, or tremendously stupid. He started towards her, his eyes glinting with malice. "A worm, you say?"
She took a step back. "Yes! You care for no one but yourself, hurt the innocent for your own personal gain. You have no morals! But what can one expect from a demon? I despise all of you!" She had no idea what devil was possessing her to taunt this demon. She was truly frightened for herself, but she abhorred the war, and now the very person who started it was in front of her. And her hatred to all demons ran deep.
Sesshomaru was infuriated. He had killed many, for lesser crimes than this woman was committing. She dared try to wound his pride by her petty insults. "Human, you will call me Lord Sesshomaru, for I now command you. Refuse, and you shall regret the day you decided to raise my ire."
"No. I will call you for what you truly are; a despicable worm!" She yelled stubbornly. Only after she unleashed her refusal and harsh words, she realized she had gone too far.
She only had but a moment to glimpse his black expression before he suddenly vanished, and she found herself pinned against a tree, his clawed hand wrapped around her slender throat. He towered over her. She gasped and grabbed his wrist. His hand was immovable, yet he did not brutally choke the breath out of her. She realized his hold was meant to be threatening.
"You speak so carelessly, but you are not without fright. In fact I can see the fear in your eyes. What do you hope to gain from offending me? Your death?"
His face was so close to hers. He possessed a strong jaw, and his nose arched perfectly. His lips were pulled into a tight line, and his tawny eyes were unmerciful and fixed on hers. She caught herself unconsciously admiring the demon for he was beyond handsome. She was mad for doing so, since the said demon is currently threatening her life.
His fingers suddenly moved from her neck to her face. Lightly he traced her lips and her cheeks. He was surprisingly gentle. He released her suddenly. "…or perhaps death is too simple of a punishment for someone who disrespected and slighted their Lord so blatantly."
"Just kill me! I do not care!" Her voice shook, and she did not like it.
Suddenly, he smiled.
She knew that it was a devil's smile, and it did not bode well for her.
"I think I shall put you back in your place, and strip you of your pride. I should finish what my soldiers surely would've started, if it wasn't for my arrival." His voice was low and contemplating.
Rin felt as if someone had stolen her breath. She was terrified. "Surely you couldn't mean you'll-" She lost her voice, seeing that he was absolutely observing her from head to toe, his eyes blazing and seemed to be stripping her of clothes with his look alone.
"No. If you really are a Lord, you wouldn't bother with the likes of me!" She yelled. Inside she trembled.
He scoffed. "I am a Lord. Which means I can have anything… anyone I want, peasant or not." His voice held so much promise.
She backed away from him. "You will not have me. I won't let you." She whispered.
"You know you cannot fight me, nor stop me." His expression was dark and dangerous. He reached behind him with one hand and then she heard a strange metallic sound. At once his spiked armor was loose, and he tossed it aside.
He was right. Rin knew not what to do. In sudden desperation, she tried to dart past him and flee. She hadn't taken three steps when his hands wrapped around her waist in an iron grip and he swung her to face him.
"NO! YOU SHALL NOT DEFILE ME! YOU CANNOT!" She screamed and pounded at his chest.
She heard a dark and low laugh near her ear, his warm breath making her stiff. "But I can." At once he tumbled them into the ground. He pinned her down with his body and she could feel all of him against hers. She tried to push his chest away, but he was immovable. She only felt his powerful, hard muscles against her hands.
She thrashed wildly below him, relentless. But all he did was bear down his weight on her, and then she was breathless and unmoving. He grasped both of her wrists above her head with a hand and leaned in closer to her face. "Surrender. Admit defeat." He whispered.
She said nothing. She was close to tears, but she shook her head in persistence. She will not give him that satisfaction. She shut her eyes tightly, afraid of what he might do to her in her defiance.
But he did not move nor say anything. When she opened her eyes, she found that the Demon was staring at her in a peculiar way. He lifted a finger and once again, traced her face lightly. His gentle fingers moved lower, to her neck then near her chest. She was terrified that he might rip her kimono from her. But his hand returned to hold her chin and held it firmly.
He leaned in closer to her face, only but a breadth away. She could smell his tantalizing breath and masculine scent. When she looked in his eyes, it made her blood run hot… then icy cold when she realized what he was about to do. She will not let him kiss her!
She turned her head sharply away from his touch. "Fine! I surrender! The North is defeated, you are my Lord!" She cried in desperation. Her voice was shaky.
He stopped his advance.
Then he rose fluidly, freeing her of his weight. "You continue to insult me. So you would rather surrender than suffer a simple kiss."
She scuttled away from him and also stood up. "A kiss from a demon?" She didn't bother to hide the contempt in her tone.
He stared at her with such fierceness, it made her shiver. Yet he didn't say anything. He only turned his back on her to retrieve his armor.
Rin saw this as a chance. She reached inside her kimono and held the hilt of the knife she brought with her. But she was shaking uncontrollably! Could she do this? Kill a man? A demon? Her mind whirled in doubt.
When he bent to pick up his armor, she realized she could never get the chance again to get rid of the man responsible for many sufferings. So she withdrew the knife and lunged at him.
He sensed her with ease. He saw her through his peripheral vision, and with an unmatched reflex, he whirled around and knocked the knife away from her hands just as it was poised to stab.
He held her arm so tightly, his claws dug in her skin drawing blood. She yelped and cursed him. Then he harshly pulled her towards him, his fury showing and as black as the night. She swore she saw his eyes stained red. "You are foolish for trying that."
The damn human just sealed her own fate.
~o~O~o~
AN:
Next Update will depend on what kind of Reviews I get for this story I just started, so I know if this piqued your interest as much as my other story. If you guys want, I'll work on two stories at the same time. If not, then I'll just continue to focus on my other story, and put this one on hold. Let me know, my loves!
Thanks! :)
