The trees were halfway destroyed when she snuck out, one afternoon in high summer. She could see that they'd been cracked in places, the bark fraying as though something massive had barreled through. Stranger still were the bits of pure white fluff stuck in the branches, like a warm snow, and the violet scales that littered the ground. It appeared as though some large animals had been fighting - but she could tell from the way her spine prickled and the hairs on her arms stood that something else was at work, something stranger and infinitely more curious. Izayoi also thought that perhaps she should have turned from the trail before her, gone back out through the thin bamboo edges of the forest and into the safety of her family's mansion. And yet the trail of broken trees, glistening scales, and long white fur called her along, begging her to follow it and reach its end.
She crept along, quiet except for the sound of her own breathing as it grew more excited and frantic, on edge as she listened intently for hints of activity. Finally, after what felt like nearly hours to her, she heard a sound that was distinct against the chatter of little creatures and waving greenery – there were two voices, both deep and rich like they belonged to men. Izayoi wondered if they were hunters; that was strictly forbidden in the Nanase's forest, as all the game and life inside of it belonged to her family and Izayoi had seen people punished for poaching as little as a pheasant before. Then there was the issue of dealing with them, if they were… they'd be armed with bows and spears and likely much bigger than her. She was only a young woman of seventeen, small and unimposing in stature, plain and bare of her usual finery and adornments. All she carried with her was a little bound book of papers, scrawled in with charcoal drawings of plants and messy notes to herself. Still, against all better judgement, and perhaps drawn by the twisting feeling of both dread and excitement in her gut, she moved a little closer. They were not hunters. They were not even men.
They were yokai.
And these were not low level demons, not snarling pig monsters or shrill, harpy women. They were daiyokai, greater demons who ruled over all the others in power, strength, and intelligence. Their human forms were impressive and terrible, thrillingly beautiful and oozing with danger. She pinched the thin skin of her wrist to make sure she wasn't dreaming, and when the pain was very real, she stilled completely. Her little book of notes slipped from her suddenly clammy fingers and landed on the ground with a soft thud. In an instant, two pairs of inhuman eyes had turned sharply towards her.
She panicked, and hid behind the thick trunk of an old maple tree. Her legs had gone numb, heavy like lead weights, and her muscles were frozen stiff. She longed to run, but she was pinned in place by fear – there was no way that she could outrun them if they decided to hunt her down, but staying in place was almost certainly a death sentence. There was nothing she could do besides hope that they'd show her a scrap of mercy and let her go on her way.
"You only wish you could stop me," she heard one voice say, silken and bored. "As though you aren't too soft and gentle to finish the job here and now, silly pup."
"I've slain far more powerful enemies, Ryukotsusei. You wouldn't be any different," answered the other.
"Ah, but so near a human dwelling? I wonder if you have the heart to."
Izayoi began to tremble at the mention of others. She wondered if her family would be safe, if the village that they were lords over would be spared.
"Don't you dare."
"Have I touched a nerve? Worried I may kill them, are you?"
Confused, she poked her head around the trunk to peer at them, just for a quick look. Each yokai was a sight to behold. One was more serpentine than man, as though it was holding on to a human form just by the very fringes of his power. Energy seemed to tremble around his form, like invisible flames, the kind of shimmering one might see on a hot day. His flesh was as pale as a cloud, deep purple stripes running the length of his face, up and down. But most unnervingly, his eyes were a bloody shade of crimson, the pupils no more than black slits, contracted warningly as he sized up his companion.
The second one was decidedly more human in appearance, even if that wasn't saying much. He was incredibly tall, back straight despite the fact that he was weighted with rather fierce looking armor and a pelt of thick, cream colored fur. His face may have been rather handsome if it weren't contorted in hate, his lips raised and sneering, revealing a set of sharp ivory fangs.
"Try it, Ryukotsusei," he replied, his clawed hand twitching towards the blade strapped to his back.
She felt her forehead prickle with sweat. Now she was definitely convinced that she was going to die, by the hand of whichever one of these demons decided to kill her first. Why had they not threatened her directly yet? She knew she'd been seen, so it couldn't be an accident that she hadn't been acknowledged by either of them.
Almost as if cued, the one called Ryukotsusei turned his head and stared directly at her. Izayoi ducked her head back behind the tree, cursing herself for her curiosity and mentally preparing to be torn apart limb from limb.
"Did you hear, human girl? This one won't even protect what is his for fear of offending you."
Izayoi held her breath.
"I know you're there."
Tears stung at her eyes, but she still didn't speak.
"Come out, dear, let us have a look."
"And now," the other one snarled, "my patience has run out." The sound of metal scraping was not lost on her, his sword sliding against the sheathe in a threat.
Her breathing caught heavily in her throat. Was he supposed to be protecting her? Or did he intend to eat her after he deposed of his rival? She felt a good deal like an unwanted pest, some insect caught on its backside, struggling to right itself while two people argued whether to crush it or just take it outside.
"Inu no Taisho," Ryukotsusei flourished mockingly, that horrible hiss even more present in his voice than before, "rest assured that I will be returning."
There was a great crunching noise and the ground shook tremendously. Above her head she saw the sleek scales of a purple dragon slipping out of the forest canopy, before disappearing completely into the clouded sky. Her legs shook and she collapsed against the tree bark, her skirts crushed in her fists and her hair plastered to her forehead. And then she heard footsteps, a heavy tread, the sound of metal clanking as certain doom approached her.
Without thinking about it any further, she shakily back stood up, ready to run as fast as she could. Izayoi knew she had no hope of outrunning him, but she was damned if she didn't at least try. Before she could move, though, his voice pinned her in place against the trunk.
"Human?"
"Yes?" she answered back, weakly, gaze averted from him though he was nearly in front of her.
"Leave. Under no circumstances are you to return," he said, the tone commanding and practiced. It was strange how it reverberated through her, how she felt both afraid and comforted by it. She finally looked up from her wringing hands and met his eyes.
Izayoi grasped dumbly for words, anything at all, but all that came out was a weak stutter. He gave her a hard look, waiting for her to either speak or leave, and when she didn't do either he actually growled at her.
Startled out of her shock, she only responded by stumbling forwards a few steps and fleeing as fast as her legs could carry her. Once or twice she was sure she tripped, scraping her hands and knees as she came down, but it all felt blurry and disorienting to her. She was breathless as she stumbled in through the back gates, the guards yelling in concern for help, that the princess looked as though she'd been hurt - and then the lack of oxygen finally caught up with her, hitting her tired brain, and the world went black around her.
o0o
"You could have been snatched by bandits! You foolish girl!"
Izayoi was used to being yelled at, but for once she accepted it without even a shred of indignation. Her father was right. She could have died.
"–too old for this, daughter, entirely too old. Other women your age are married with children, and here you are collecting wildflowers in the wilderness without even a servant to keep you company! How many times do I have to explain this to you? You must take a sentry with you when you go out into the forest! I've been happy to indulge your little habits, and yet you disobey my only rule. Why are you so set on testing my good will?"
She kept her head low, stare trained on the dirt beneath her fingernails and the black hair pooled at her knees. There was no other way to deal with her father when he got this worked up and flew into one of his pointless little tirades. Had Izayoi been in his place, she's sure she would have been outraged too - she'd left home in the middle of the day while she was supposed to be devoting herself to the koto, and then come back sweaty and red from exertion, adorned in a stolen and now filthy servant's yukata, eyes giant with fear before passing out in the back gardens. As the lord of the mansion and certainly as her father she was forced to admit that he had every right to scream at her until he was hoarse in the throat. Izayoi even considered briefly that she was a bit lucky that he'd never been the sort to use physical discipline, because now would certainly be the time for it – he'd never hit her, and though he gesticulated wildly, she was never worried that a blow would land on her. His reprimands stung a bit, but her father was the sort who was all sting without venom. By dinnertime he'd likely be cooled down and perhaps even in a good mood again, all smiles and gentleness once more.
"I'm sorry, chichi-ue," she offered as soon as she heard a break in his rant.
"Not sorry enough to behave! I wash my hands of this mess," he announced, looking down to his wife where she knelt in flawless form on their little raised platform. "You may speak with her, see if you have any more luck."
She nodded, giving him a raised eyebrow as he rose and left the room with an air of supreme annoyance and superiority. He paused only long enough to throw a scathing look at his daughter, but Izayoi was unconvinced by his show of authority and so it was promptly ignored.
"Daughter."
Izayoi glanced upwards, finally relaxing her spine a little and loosening her expression. Her mother was looking at her a bit sadly, disappointment in her nut brown eyes and written into the fine features of her face.
"Haha-ue?"
"Why do you not value your life? Our lives? Have I not taught you your worth?" she said gently, arms falling limp to her sides. "All we have left in the world is you, my child. The Nanase clan absolutely cannot afford your loss."
"I'm so sorry, haha-ue," Izayoi said gently.
The lady of the house shifted from her place, coming down to the floor to kneel before her daughter, and in a gesture of affection and easy forgiveness, took her into her frail little arms and rested her chin on her child's crown. She petted the top of Izayoi's head, combing her slender fingers through her hair.
"Do not return to the forest," she sighed, both pleading and ordering at the same time.
"I won't," Izayoi promised, voice muffled against her mother's chest.
It wasn't an unfamiliar scene. She would be yelled at and forgiven, and she would play at being a good daughter for a few days out of respect for her parents, but the result was always the same. This routine had been unchanged for years now.
The Nanase clan wasn't really much of a clan, in any case. They'd been quite wealthy once, hundreds of years ago, but the uprising of the shogunate had left them unstable and fractured. One top of that, a few generations of unsuccessful marriages and badly mismanaged funds later, and all they were left with was an old mansion in an isolated forest, a tiny village of peasants who paid their dues but could barely feed themselves, and a single, errant princess with no brothers or sisters to shoulder some of the burden. This was Izayoi's justification for doing as she liked; the clan was going to die whether she behaved or not. Though she loved her mother and father dearly, she couldn't find it in herself to pay their warnings much heed.
This time, she obeyed dutifully for a total of seven days. Fear was a strong captor; it held her to her home and she stayed put for the entire week without wandering. She wasn't in any hurry to meet either of those two yokai again, because she had the nagging feeling that they wouldn't spare her a second time. But eventually her fear wore off, and after those seven days had passed, she managed to convince herself that the danger had lessened. She loved that forest, and she was bitterly irked - it didn't belong to them alone, did it? Why should she be intimidated out of taking her fair share of it?
More importantly, she'd lost her papers that day she'd found the demons and though the whole notebook was likely ruined, she had to at least look for it. Izayoi had a bit of an elaborate fantasy about running away and becoming a miko when the family coffers finally ran totally dry, and so she'd spent years studying plants for their medicinal qualities. She'd written down every scrap of information she knew, drawn pictures of each species and every variety she could find, and so if her book was lost then so too was most of that knowledge. She couldn't bear to think of starting over from scratch.
Against all forewarning she returned, drawn back like a hapless moth to a flame.
Besides, it felt especially joyful to tempt fate – there was a thread of danger, a pleasant kind of edge in her veins that made her feel awake and alive and put a tingle in her toes and fingertips. Despite her parents' concern and annoyance, she figured that as long as she returned home safely there couldn't be any real harm in her explorations. She kept herself alert at first, just as she stayed close to the thin outer ring of trees near her home – but after one or two hours with no sign of the pair of battling yokai, she figured it was safe to continue deeper into the woods. The book had yet to materialize, but she knew that if she returned to the spot where she thought she'd lost it, there might be a chance that it was still there.
Her hunch had been correct, of course. She was delighted when she saw it, despite it being wrinkled and half the pages ruined and wet from dew. A quick flip through it revealed that the ink had stayed, and though most of her charcoal sketches were blurred and distorted, the older and more permanent work was saved. She was so caught up in her own personal celebration that she didn't notice a single thing out of the ordinary, no strange auras, no feelings of doom or of mystery as she had only a week before. Izayoi simply knelt on the ground, picked it up and flipped through its pages, lost in the contents and feeling as though risk had been well worth it.
"Woman," a familiar voice rumbled suddenly, "what are you doing here?"
All the fear she'd suppressed and that had eroded with time and distance came flying back into her heart with a vengeance. Her eyes flew wide open and she glanced up as soon as she realized who was speaking, but the moment she saw his face she felt compelled to look away. Immediately, her head dropped in respect and she leaned towards the ground, nearly touching it with her forehead, palms flat against the earth.
"I was only... I just... what I mean is, I.." she tried, lamely, unable to speak.
"You seem rather small to involve yourself in the affairs of daiyokai."
"I don't really want to be involved with the affairs of daiyokai," she admitted quietly, "it's just my luck." For a moment she thought her hearing was failing; she could have sworn she heard a tiny snort of laughter.
"You don't get the luxury of telling me what you do or don't want, now," he told her. "I told you not to return, and you have. You have no choice but to face me."
He came closer to where she knelt in prostrate. Her hands contracted into tight fists, her eyes squeezed shut, head still cast towards the ground. Her heart was racing so fast she feared it would rupture. He crouched in front of her; she could see his feet in front of her face. She'd never heard of a demon lowering itself to the same level as a human before, especially not one of his stature.
"You don't understand how much danger you're in, do you?"
Izayoi squeaked, shaking her head. Her hair formed a blessed curtain around her burning face, even as she lifted and straightened her back. Izayoi braved another quick look at his face and not his feet, just for a second. She felt a little jolt of surprise, since he looked very different to her upon second observation. Before he'd seemed much more frightening to look at, more fangy and sharp. Despite his warnings, something in his expression was softer to her now, open and almost pleasant. He was certainly not terrible to look at, sort of hypnotizing the way a storm might be; it was dangerous to expose yourself to it for too long, but all the same you longed to go out and be hit by the force of the winds, the rain, the thunder.
Still, she hadn't forgotten that he was a demon.
"Are you... are you going to eat me?" she managed, past her dry throat and lips.
He laughed at her, driving her humiliation even deeper.
"Oh, no. Not me, but there are plenty of things in this forest who might like a taste," he told her, voice unnervingly gentle. "Do you want to live, little woman?"
She nodded fiercely.
"Ah, then come."
Before she was fully aware of what was happening, she saw his hand extended into her field of vision. She risked yet another glance at his face; his eyes met hers for only a second before they darted away to scan the trees. She'd never seen gold so rich in her life, not even in the homes of her wealthier aunts and uncles and cousins – it shifted and shimmered, lively and deep. He suddenly pulled her up so that she was standing next to him, and she wavered.
"If you follow me, then no harm will come to you," he assured. Izayoi almost laughed; it didn't matter if she followed him or stayed in place. If his mind was made up to harm or kill her, then being contrary for the sake of it wouldn't change anything.
Hesitantly, she began to follow his steps. He was leading her back to the edge of the forest, to the back gates of the Nanase mansion.
"Are you taking me home?"
He looked down at her, apparently amused. His lips twisted into a rather bizarre smile, one that reminded her suddenly of a wild animal.
"You likely wouldn't make it back otherwise."
"Is that... are you threatening me?"
"What a talkative one you are! And curious too, aren't you?"
"I have a lot to be curious about," she retorted, stumbling to keep up with the long strides of his legs. "You and some... other demon just appeared in my family's forest without warning, and you expect me to just take it unquestioned?"
"That's fair. Maybe this will satisfy you? Ryukotsusei is an old foe of mine, who loves nothing more in this world than getting on my nerves. He's under the rather false impression that he can just do whatever he pleases without any kind of consequence. I told him," he paused for a second, eyes again darting around the forest, scanning the tree line, "that he's not to harm any of the humans he finds. Knowing that old bastard, he's going to try to kill you and the others, just to see if he can get a rise out of me."
"What a terrible idea," Izayoi murmured, knowingly. "You keep talking about us like we belong to you or something. Have you named yourself the protector of these lands, or is going out of your way for humans you don't know something you just do for fun?"
"You are very astute, little woman."
She felt her face heat again. It felt awkward that he called her 'little woman', as though he was simply reassuring her of her insignificance.
"Please don't patronize me," she whispered. His grip on her wrist tightened painfully.
"I don't mean to."
"Then don't."
The back wall of the mansion was within view now. She felt weird and conflicted about their inevitable parting. He simultaneously frightened and fascinated her, both as a demon and as a person. There was something strangely human about him, but not quite human enough for her to feel entirely safe. It was hard to place.
While her head spun, he stopped walking. The back courtyard was only a few small steps away, now.
"I have to ask," he said, that rumbling voice shaking her out of her thoughts, "what possessed you to return to the forest. No other creature would have dared, not after what you saw."
She shrugged lightly, and rubbed her now sore wrist.
"I just wanted my notes back. Besides, it's my forest, not yours, so it's not as if you get to tell me to leave and never come back."
"'Your' forest? Are you always this way?" he chastised. She immediately bristled at his tone.
"I told you already, you needn't patronize me. I'm not a child."
"Forgive me."
Izayoi huffed, feeling frustrated. Clearly this conversation wasn't going anywhere; she could kiss her hopes of satisfying her curiosities goodbye. He was already turning to leave and Izayoi realized she couldn't stand to let him have the last word.
"Will I see you again?"
The yokai looked mildly surprised, then contemplative.
"Perhaps."
"Perhaps? Is that all?"
"By heavens, little woman, you are the bossiest creature I've met in a long time."
That didn't sit well. She clenched her fists by her sides.
"Excuse me! I'm just confused," her voice raising in pitch as she spoke, getting shriller by the moment, "it's not every day that I get to make conversation with a daiyokai! And please stop calling me 'little woman', it gets on my nerves!"
He laughed, which only worsened her condition.
"Stop it!" she cried indignantly, flustered and embarrassed and angry all at once. She'd had such hopes for this conversation. She'd imagined being graceful and serene instead of red faced and howling like a girl.
"What shall I call you? You must have a name," he finally said, only a hint of his previous mirth seeping through.
"I'm called Nanase Izayoi. Just Izayoi is fine," she said sternly, before straightening her back and schooling her expression. "I'm the princess of this estate, which may not be anything to you, but among humans I command a great deal of respect."
"Why would a princess be alone in a forest?"
It was a good question. She pressed her lips into a thin line, considering.
"I like the forest," she finally said, "it feels more like home to me than anywhere else in the world."
"That's all well and good, but I really must ask you to obey me, even just this once. These woods are not safe anymore, and it would be incredibly foolish for you to risk returning," he explained. The appearance of amusement and cocky superiority that he'd had earlier was completely gone now. He looked dead serious, his tone taking on the commanding edge he'd had when she'd first seen him.
"I... I suppose."
"Your life would be in danger. Your family's as well," he continued, "Ryukotsusei is not to be taken lightly by humans."
"I understand."
"You hesitate."
Izayoi shifted under his gaze, then sighed deeply. It was a mystery to her that he was able to read her so simply… or maybe it was simply that she was just more transparent in her plans than she realized.
"Izayoi."
"Hm?"
"I'm not to be taken lightly, either."
She felt dread rising back up from its depths, the weight of his words hitting her with their full impact. He meant that she was in his way; that despite his amusement and apparent kindness, he was still not someone to be trifled with or ignored. Whatever urge he had to protect her individually could be outweighed if she ever hindered him again. And still she felt that she couldn't give up so easily, and so she barreled right on without missing a single beat.
"I see. I can't promise you that I won't come back, or at least not honestly" she sighed, gustily. He scowled but continued to listen to her. "This… journal is more important to me than you know. I've spent years filling it out with drawings of plants and all sorts of information, and now because of your disputes I have to go through it and redo nearly a year's worth of work."
"You care for it that deeply?"
"This is one of the few things I can decide for myself. I suppose it's childish for me to guard this habit of mine so jealously, but... I've been preparing myself for a time when I might need the knowledge."
Now he was curious; he uneasily shifted towards her, one eyebrow quirked. She took it as a sign that she should continue.
"My situation is precarious. I'm a princess now, but I have no idea whether or not I'll be able to live in such comfort in the future. It would be stupid of me not to have a backup plan, would it not? Besides, this is one of the few things I'm really any good at. Doesn't it seem unfair that you'd ask me to give up my only chance of a livelihood for someone I've only just met?"
"I was under the impression that princesses are regularly asked to give things up for their families."
"Are you… are you calling me selfish?"
"I said no such thing, you came to that conclusion all on your own," he retorted neatly. "In any case, it does sound incredibly selfish to me that you would put you and your entire family in grave danger all because you don't want to give up a hobby of yours."
"It's not a hobby!" she cried, balling her fists at her sides, temper already rising to its earlier pitch. "If I'm left without a husband and a fortune then I'm as good as dead anyway, and since there's nothing to my family name and nobody clamoring to marry me the only thing that's left for a woman of my position is the life of a miko! And I can't very well do that if I don't know anything about medicinal plants, can I, so I very desperately need this book and everything that's inside of it!"
If he was affected at all by her little rant, he didn't show it. It was almost like he hadn't even heard her speaking.
"Whatever your reasons are -and I'm sure you have plenty- Ryukotsusei wouldn't pay them any mind. He'd kill you for being a princess as soon as he'd kill you for being a miko. It doesn't make a difference."
"I should have known you wouldn't understand."
Something flashed in his eyes, fiery hot. Suddenly she felt very, very small, as he drew his spine up straight and towered over her with his full height. He was taller than any human man she'd ever seen in her life, easily above 180 centimeters.
"I understand completely," he told her, "that you are young and soft. You've never been hungry, or afraid, have you? Then you wouldn't even begin to know the kind of danger that you are throwing yourself into, even just by keeping me here longer than necessary. It's only out of respect for you and your kind that I didn't slaughter that impudent little serpent where he stood."
"…what does that mean?" she asked, much more quietly.
"The collateral damage would have wiped out your clan home and all of the villages surrounding it. It may have escaped your notice, princess, but Ryukotsusei is a dragon, and they are not known for their gentle natures."
Suddenly she recalled the damage she'd already seen, the trail of broken trees, thick maples and oaks snapped in two like they were twigs. Their tussle had not even been a fatal one. She thought about the crushed forest floor, the violet scales, and the fur…
"Inu no Taisho," she whispered under her breath, realizing all at once exactly what he was. "That's what he called you, isn't it?"
"Yes."
The leader of the dogs, the general. She'd heard of him in stories before; a massive, white dog-demon who prowled all over the western lands. He was rumored to have brought down all sorts of other yōkai, entire armies of them, nearly single-handedly. She just hadn't put the two things together until this moment.
"Why would someone so powerful care this much about the lives of humans?"
His lips pulled back a little over his fangs again, like he was baring them, but it didn't appear unfriendly. It was more like he was showing them to her.
"I'm not a common dog," he explained, "but there are some traits that even inuyokai can't shake."
"You want to protect us, then."
"Exactly."
"You just… shouldn't concern yourself so much with me," she said, gently. "Ryukotsusei loses his leverage over you if you simply stop caring, doesn't he?"
"You misunderstand the situation terribly. He'd likely kill you anyway."
"So there's… no solution to this problem, is that what you mean?"
"There is," he grumbled, "if you would just listen to me and promise not to come back here, where you make it so easy for him to pick you off."
Once again, Izayoi steeled herself. She folded her arms neatly over her chest, lifting her head high and leveling him with the most elegant, defiant expression she could possibly manage. It seemed that he understood her message quite well, for he heaved a deep, resigned sigh and closed his eyes. Any moment she expected him to start rubbing his temples in frustration.
"Here's what I will… propose, then. If you can put off your stubborn disobedience for a little longer, I will return within a week. There may be a solution that satisfies everyone."
She felt a jolt of excitement and pride run through her. Her first, stumbling attempts at diplomacy had worked somehow, and because of it she would be getting exactly what she wanted. Izayoi felt immensely clever for it, and perhaps it was because of this that she decided to finally show some deference to the yokai before her.
"I can promise from the depths of my heart that I will follow your directions, until then."
"Good," he said, "At last, I've appeased you."
Izayoi's head nodded. "In a week?"
He tipped his chin in affirmation, before he turned sharply and disappeared like a ghost back into the trees. He gave no farewell, no means of contact, no last instructions. It seemed likely that he was exhausted by her stubbornness; she only knew this because she slumped a little as soon as she felt sure he was gone, like she hadn't slept in days. He was dangerous and inhumanly strong, but he was also as hard-headed as she was and had a kind of wittiness about him that made it surprisingly difficult for her to keep up. And now that the adrenaline had left her veins, Izayoi's muscles ached with tiredness.
Yet she was satisfied, even optimistic. It was quite an accomplishment to trick a demon.
(edit as of 7/17/2016:
Some notes! I try not to use gratuitous Japanese, when possible, but there are just some words that imo don't translate very well or just sound a lot prettier in their original version... or I'm using both to avoid being SUPER repetitive. Anyway, on the off chance that you haven't read a billion other fanfics in this fandom, here are the translations-
Yokai: demon
Daiyokai: great demon (or large demon)
Inuyokai: dog demon
Chichi-ue: very old, respecftul term for father, to the effect of "honorable father"
Haha-ue: like chichi-ue, but means mother instead
Shogunate: basically the samurai uprising against the emperor. This happened during the Kamakura Era (1185-1333).
On that note... the third movie and manga are at odds as to when Inuyasha was actually born, so thinking about it too much will only make your head hurt. I've decided to use bits and pieces of movie 3 canon, since it's really the only source of info on his parents. However I'm not using his age from that movie, which puts him at like 200+ years old. So this fic takes place sometime around the mid to late 1400s! Like I said. Don't think about it too much. It will only hurt you.
And finally, for those of us who don't regularly use centimeters: 180cm is around 5'10'' or 5'11''. The average Japanese man during that time was maybe around 5'8''-5'9''... and on the Inuyasha wiki, Inu no Taisho is listed at 190cm, which is about 6'3''. Meanwhile, Izayoi is listed as 5'4''. Holy Height Differences, Batman)
