The Quest of Nyratar
A Man and a Youkai
"Sesshoumaru, wait!" Kagome struggled to walk pass the forest shrubs and vines that seemed to tower over her short frame. She glanced in front of her to find Sesshoumaru graciously flowing above the shrubs on his ki cloud. "What I'm doing needs more effort than what you're doing!" She called out to him without a thought. She was just wanting him to slow down a little—after all, she only had a few hours of sleep, four at best.
Sesshoumaru descended onto the forest floor and turned to face her with an emotionless gaze. He watched her intently as she struggled to close in the distance between them. "Miko," he began. Kagome stopped in front of his stature and looked at him with a curious demeanor.
"Are you implying you can summon your own ki cloud with less effort than walking through the forest?" Sesshoumaru's emotionless gaze pinned her down—rendering her brain into a pile of mush.
"Uh… oh… Not what I meant. Uhm… it's just that…" her face was flushed red from utter embarrassment as she failed to defend her words. Her gaze dropped to her feet, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. 'Dang it Kagome! I can't believe after this many years I still can't talk to him face to face!'
"Go ahead Miko. Summon your cloud," Sesshoumaru placed his hands in his sleeves and stood tall and proud. 'She implies I exert less energy when on my ki cloud. Ridiculous fool.'
Kagome unconsciously sucked in a breath and lifted her head to glare at the Inuyoukai in front of her, "You're joking right?" She asked him incredulously.
Sesshoumaru arched an elegant eyebrow, "Joking?" He tested the unfamiliar word on his lips. "This one does not joke, Miko." He turned around swiftly and started on his path, leaving a very curious, frustrated and confused Kagome behind.
Kagome stood there for a brief second, 'He doesn't know what the word means, does he?' She giggled softly—she'll have some harmless fun with him. Steading the straps of her misshaped sack on her back, she jogged through the forest floor to catch up with Sesshoumaru. "Do you know what the word 'joke' means anyway Sesshoumaru?"
"…" He kept silent and slight quickened his pace. "Insolent Miko. Are you implying this One doesn't understand a simple word?" His hardened gaze was focused on the path in front of them. Teasing the miko was another thing, but having her tease him was an entirely different subject he was not accustomed to.
"But Sesshoumaru!" Kagome called out his name with mirth etched in her voice. She received a glare from him from the corner of his eyes that reminded her that he was the leader of the Western Lands. Kagome quickly added with a small peep of her voice, "-sama… Sesshoumaru-sama. Can you tell me what it means?"
"Cease your insolent yapping Miko. This Sesshoumaru needs not explain anything to you." Sesshoumaru growled with light annoyance. 'Damn this female.'
"But if you know what it means, then you should explain it to me! I mean, you can't just use the word without knowing what it means!" Kagome rambled on without questioning her informality with the ice prince. Despite ignoring Sesshoumaru's warning growls, she kept questioning his intelligence—playfully of course, but he doesn't know that.
"If you know what joking means, then you should tell it to me! Surely, you know… right?" Kagome let out an airy laugh. "You don't even know what it means, why bother using the word?" She let out another series of giggles—unaware of the tension building within Sesshoumaru.
With a snarl, Sesshoumaru spun around with great speed, enclosed the distance between their faces and hissed at her—with his fangs elongated and ready to attack. "Cease this rambling at once, wench or so help me, I will sew that mouth of yours shut," his lengthened claws dug into her shoulder blades.
Kagome starred at him with wide, frightened eyes. Her speech escaped her the moment she saw his intent of keeping his threat if she makes a single sound. The conjunctiva of his eyes began to tint pink, his pupils narrowed into dangerous slits. She swallowed the lump in her throat, 'Did I go too far?' She nodded in acknowledgement that she was to stop annoying the prince. He was not who she thought he was… With a disappointed gaze in her eyes, she parted her lips to speak. "I'm sorry Sesshoumaru-sama…. I was just j-."
"Just 'joking,' is that right Miko?" Sesshoumaru growled and shoved her roughly and released his grip on her shoulders. Without another word, he leaped into the air and summoned his ki cloud to collect his composure—to be away from her.
Kagome straightened the heavy sack on her shoulders with shivering fingers. She was shaken—her knees felt rickety and weak, her heart was pounding ferociously in her chest. 'He's not the man I thought he was…' She awkwardly avoided the sharp thorns and shrubs while trying to keep herself upright on the plant-ridden path. 'What else would I expect from him? A laugh or something?' She berated herself for expecting him to show her some sort of emotion—or something to make her believe he was a good man, but with a selfish personality. 'I guess he's just plain… him,' Kagome sarcastically thought.
-0-
The day uneventfully passed into late evening— the air began to chill and Kagome was beyond exhausted. It's been a good seven or eight hours since their last rest near a stream. To Kagome's pleasure, Sesshoumaru had dissipated his cloud and resumed on his feet at a slower pace than before their heated encounter. Kagome's eyes gazed lazily over Sesshoumaru's tall stature. 'He's always so… upright.' For all she knew, Sesshoumaru wasn't even slightly tired. His back stood tall, his chest up and forward and shoulders still and firm looking. His hair even looked more perfect than before. 'If that's even possible' Kagome remarked bitterly. Her hair, much like Inuyasha takes constant grooming to prevent unsightly cowlicks and knots. For the past half a day, she has yet to see Sesshoumaru groom his hair and it remained—perfect. Her, on the other hand had leaves and twigs pull and scrap against her hair and scalp. Kagome sighed, she was unsightly.
"We will camp here for tonight," Sesshoumaru casted a brief glance over his shoulders to Kagome. It was a small clearing in the forest where he has camped many times before—it was a safe location. He saw her nod mutely and chose a spot covered with lush grass by a tree trunk. He opted to sit on a fallen log not too far from her. He watched her rummage into her large leather sack and mumbled incoherently. Sesshoumaru deterred his attention from the mumbling miko and looked up into the sky. The half-moon shone brightly with her sister stars in the continuously darkening sky. 'We will reach Nyratar before night falls tomorrow…' He had lost track of time when he dwelled too deep in his conversation with his Youkai. His Youkai claims he was too harsh on the female, that it was upset from his master's treatment. He was getting a headache… Sesshoumaru let out a soft sigh, 'you will be the death of me…'
"Achoo!" Kagome blushed and covered her face in embarrassment. She didn't mean to sneeze so loud—her sneeze brought Sesshoumaru out of his thoughts. Though it was early spring, the nights were still chilly and damp. The wool blanket she covered herself with provided her very little warmth. 'I should've packed more…' Kagome sighed and glanced over her sack. She missed her yellow sack—she could fit a refrigerator in there if she wanted to… but it was long gone and in the future. She saw Sesshoumaru shift on his fallen log and stood on his feet.
"Stay here, I will return shortly," he swiftly turned on his heels and headed deeper into the forest.
Kagome sighed, what other choice did she have? She could very well get up and head back into the forest, but she would be betraying Sesshoumaru's what little trust he has in her and hurting Inuyasha at the same time. She couldn't help but wonder why Inuyasha was so eager to tell her to help his brother. Surely, they've settled most of their differences and grudges against each other—well enough to not kill each other on sight. She sighed again, 'it's going to be a long week.' She snuggled deeper into her wool blanket for more warmth—it soothed her. It had been a long day, and all she wanted was a brief moment of rest…
-0-
"Mmm…" Kagome stirred from her comfortable position on the lush grass. "Oh…" she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand to clear her fuzzy vision. A large fire illuminated the small clearing and the smell of meat tickled her senses. She noticed Sesshoumaru resting rather close to her. Her eyes trailed up Sesshoumaru's frame to meet his emotionless eyes. His golden eyes sparkled under the flickering flames of the fire—it captivated her. Their gazes interlocked to what seems like for hours until Sesshoumaru looked away from her.
"There," he said briefly and nodded at the meat skewered on a few sticks in front of her. "Rabbit meat, it'll keep you energized for tomorrow's journey."
Kagome gingerly picked up a skewer and examined the cooked meat, "Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama." She gave him a gratified smile. She shifted in a sitting position with her knees tucked on her right side and leaned on her left arm. She slowly nibbled at the tender meat until satisfied. She let out a soft sigh—she was beyond content. The chill of the night no longer affected her because of the fire Sesshoumaru had built for her. She tilted her head softly so she can see Sesshoumaru from the left corners of her eye. 'Why are you suddenly so kind?' She wondered.
"This one isn't being generous. As pack leader, I am merely prolonging your services for me. You are useless to me if malnourished or ill," Sesshoumaru spoke in his icy tone—seemingly reading her mind. 'Guilt.' His Youkai snickered. Sesshoumaru resisted the urge to roll his eyes in the miko's presence. "This one feels no guilt…" he whispered lowly.
"Hm?" Kagome stared at him curiously. 'What was that last thing he said?' She waited for him to repeat, but to her dismay he didn't. He just sat there looking intensely into the blazing flames without any emotion—as usual. She sighed, 'It's out of duty I guess.' She couldn't help but feel there was something more within Sesshoumaru than duty. Compared to Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru was stoic, composed, and calculating. Kagome giggled, Inuyasha was brash but he was gentle—he genuinely cared for her wellbeing. She had been contemplating his offer to mate him and spend the rest of their lives together as husband and wife—but she was scared. Not of Inuyasha, but the fear of Inuyasha still believing she was Kikyo's incarnation. Kagome sighed and repositioned herself onto the soft grass. It was a dilemma for sure.
Sesshoumaru stared at her with curious eyes. He could feel the turmoil rolling off of her body in waves and it peaked his interest. 'Could she be thinking about that half-breed?' He wondered if she knew about his adulterous actions and chose to overlook it. "Tell me, Miko…" Sesshoumaru began. Kagome shifted her position to look at him while resting comfortably on the soft ground. Her sapphire eyes locked onto his. Her large almond shaped eyes stared at him with a childish innocence—should he break that naïve innocence of hers, or should she find out for herself from Inuyasha?
"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Kagome waited for his question.
Never breaking their interlocked gaze, he parted his lips to form his question but discovered he couldn't manage to say, 'Are you aware that the halfbreed has been unfaithful to you.' He closed his lips and breathed out brashly through his nostrils. His eyes hardened into a cold glare and abruptly turned his face away from her. "Sleep. I will patrol," he ordered and started to retrieve into the forest to reflect on his thoughts.
Kagome stared at his departing figured with a confused gaze, "What are you wanting to know Sesshoumaru…" She knew he wanted to ask her a question—but what stopped him? She sighed and shook her head in an unconcerned manner, 'Beats me… I just want to sleep.'
On a thick branch of a tree not too far from the camp, Sesshoumaru watched the miko reposition herself comfortably before drifting to sleep. 'Damn her,' he cursed. His eyes narrowed into slits at the sleeping female. 'What is she to me… to make me reconsider my questions to her?' A few sudden flashes of Rin's childish smiles crossed his eyes. 'Is it because she's human… or is it because she considers Rin as one of her own…' Sesshoumaru let out a frustrated growl, 'Damn her. Damn humans. This one will not succumb to the relations of humans.' A sudden image of Kagome's smile from the camp played in his head. The night will be long for Sesshoumaru. In the three years they worked together to fight Naraku, never once did he take notice of her eyes. And yet images of Kagome's hauntingly beautiful gaze began to taunt him.
'Release me,' his Youkai commanded. Sesshoumaru scoffed at his youkai's request. 'I have to feed tonight…' Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and sighed, it had been a while since he let his Youkai roam and feed under the moon. Like any creature on the planet, one must eat to survive and his Youkai was no exception. What Sesshoumaru eats might feed his body and his Youkai for a short while, but in order for it to sustain itself, it must hunt—free from Sesshoumaru's control for the night. Summoning his ki cloud, he headed further south so he wouldn't interrupt Kagome. She would be safe in the camp—he made sure of that. He extended his aura and scent surrounding the camp earlier when Kagome was asleep to keep the rogues away. If any were to attack, she could take care of herself.
-0-
An earth rumbling howl tore through the midnight sky as the great beast morphed into a humanoid form. Sesshoumaru's youkai assumed control of their body and headed north to the camp. Along the path he picked up his discarded robes and armor and swiftly slipped them on. He and Sesshoumaru were satisfied from their feast of wild boars and Sika deer. The beast grumbled in pleasure when he picked up Kagome's luscious scent. He wasn't done hunting for tonight; there was one more prey he was wanting to taste before the night was over.
Sesshoumaru growled at his youkai's control, 'Don't you dare.' His youkai smirked when he felt his master fighting for control. "Just a little more time," he said. Sesshoumaru roared furiously in his confines and began to break the control of his beast. His youkai snarled and hurried his pace into the camp—he was running out of time. He finally broke into the clearing and there he found Kagome comfortably sleeping near the diminishing fire.
The youkai silently kneeled by Kagome's nestled body and nearly purred at the close proximity. He had been attracted to her the moment she defied him at their father's grave—he will teach her a lesson of dominance tonight now that he was free from his master's confines. 'You will cease this insolence, beast' Sesshoumaru growled lowly. The beast shook his head and trailed his crimson eyes down her body. He placed one of his hands on the grass above Kagome's head, and the other rubbed lazy circles on her shoulder. Despite his master shaking his concentration in his confines, he leaned over Kagome's face and watched her stir in her sleep. "Hello… Kagome," he whispered—his voice thick and hoarse. Kagome's eyes snapped opened.
"Sesshoumaru-sama!" It took a few seconds for her eyes to render the image of Sesshoumaru's face clearly and was shocked by his crimson conjunctiva. Kagome gasped tried to scoot backwards, but his hand on her shoulder held her firmly in place.
"No, not Master. Youkai," he whispered and closed in the distance between their faces. His tongue darted out past his lips and dragged it lazily up her cheek and towards her ear. "You taste as lovely as you smell," he whispered lustfully.
Kagome froze in her spot on the ground—unable to speak or blink. Her wide eyes stared at the youkai's crimson and noticed the pupil began to flicker between icy blue to gold. Sesshoumaru was fighting for control. She's seen Sesshoumaru's true youkai form once before, but she has never interacted with the beast in Sesshoumaru's body. She swallowed nervously… "Heh," she let out a pathetic chuckle, "where's Sesshoumaru-sama?"
The youkai closed his eyes and grimaced at the losing battle for control. He felt his master's disapproval of licking the miko's cheek but when he did so, Sesshoumaru's anger increased tenfold. "We… will meet again," he grounded out between clenched teeth and let out a loud snarl—frightening Kagome immensely.
Kagome tore herself away from his hands; her top caught onto his claws and tore the thin material. She watched with doe eyes as Sesshoumaru or his youkai rather, hiss and growl in a hunched position. She flinched when he let out another snarl and he suddenly fell silent. Kagome swallowed the lump in her throat and willed herself to speak, "S-Sesshoumaru-sama?"
Sesshoumaru looked up, revealing his golden eyes. Kagome sighed with relief and slumped against the tree's trunk behind her. He narrowed his eyes at her briefly before getting up and dusting the dirt off his kimono.
"Are you alright?" Kagome asked with a concerned tone. That was an experience she wasn't entirely new to. After all, she's dealt with Inuyasha's youkai several times.
Sesshoumaru turned on his heels and grunted, "That will never happen again." He leaped into the branches of the trees rapidly and disappeared into the forest once more for the night.
Kagome sighed and shook her head for what seems to be the hundredth time today, "What in the world…" The moon was still high in the sky—the night was still early. "It will be wise to get some sleep," she murmured. She has had enough of overly emotional demons and demon lords. As of Inuyasha wasn't enough, now she has to deal with Sesshoumaru's youkai. She laid down once more on the soft grass, but she was certain—after that ordeal, she will not be able to sleep a single bit that night.
/
End Chapter!
JR- Heh :) I'll try to update faster, but no promises… at least this chapter didn't take a year and few months to update!
