Chapter 2
There was nothing Miroku or Sango could say to calm her fears as she stepped into the grand entrance of the castle which would be her new prison. She watched as Miroku painfully closed the massive doors until the tiny line of light from the outside world disappeared when the doors connected. The entire castle seemed to want to engulf her in darkness, it was almost like a living cage, she sensed eyes watching her every move. Even if it was all in her head she knew there was at least one pair of eyes to be true, and it would belong to the one person who was expecting her, the demon lord of the castle.
It all seemed like a waking dream. Her body felt detached from the rest of her as if tossed away and drifting in a fog of numbness. It had been this way ever since her father had told her what he had done, what he had seen, and what he was forced to agree to. She just couldn't come to grips with reality—couldn't believe this was her reality; even now the folding events seemed more fitted for the pages of a story book. Her father and sister wept for days until Inuyasha arrived to take her away, she hadn't slept since the news of her leaving, but then again she hadn't shed a single tear of her own either.
This really was like being in one of her books. Everything she read about demons, their world, their abilities, seemed to be materializing in front of her eyes. She couldn't hide her shock when her whispering was overheard in the carriage by the demon escort and she couldn't help but notice how he didn't wear any shoes. His sensitivity to hearing but his lack of vulnerability to the elements was impressive. They were such mysterious, powerful, crud creatures, and to be honest she had always wanted to meet one…just not like this—then again, how else would you meet a demon, if it isn't under some sort of disastrous events?
Inuyasha looked surprisingly human when she had always pictured them to be deformed in some way. No jagged sharp razor teeth or sunken hollow eyes—from what she could see, just long claw like nails and dog ears on his head. The way he fidgeted with his clothes, crossing his arms and legs in a pout, he almost reminded her of a wild dog forced to wear a collar. The butler and maid who introduced themselves as Miroku and Sango had no exterior features like Inuyasha which would lead her on to thinking they were demons. In fact she was certain they were both human.
Miroku, was a charmer—border line flirt, introducing himself with a kiss on her hand and a wink. He excused the escort's brash behavior and it was through him she found out his name and position. The royal guard—literally, the security guard dog. She coughed in her hind to hide her humor. Sango, with a cheerful smile on her face, pinched Miroku's cheek as she ripped his face away from her hand, and introduced herself while excusing her brother's cheekiness. She was beautiful with long dark hair with an aura of intelligence. They were both polite and cordial, but there was still something about them that seemed…off. Why would two normal human being be here, unless they weren't in fact, normal at all?
I know you're tired from your journey," Sango spoke, catching her attention as she let the whimpering Miroku go." But the lord has asked to see you as soon as you arrive."
Fear struck through her body like a lightning bolt, she didn't expect to see the lord so soon. She swallowed an invisible lump in her throat and tried to hide her shaking hands from them. Her father had tried to convince her to go into hiding or to run away, but even if she did, not only would her father be in danger but the entire village would face the lord's wrath. This was her decision, even now as she stood in the belly of the beast; she had no regrets saving her father's life by sacrificing hers. The only thing to do now was to keep traveling the path she choice to walk on and move forward.
"I…I understand. I'm ready."
They both smiled and assured her again that her life was not in any danger.
The castle seemed larger than how it appeared, though its crumble conditions outside, did mirror its decaying interior. The vibrant colors that once adorned the entrance were dulled with dust and time. Covered in thick cobwebs, the chandelier above creaked dangerously, missing chunks of crystals here and there. Where every there was a gap on the wall, a perch of some sort, there would be hideous statues of monsters frozen in a snarl, details so fine she wondered if they were once alive.
She followed Miroku up the stairs into a long hallway as Sango left to complete final touches in her room. Their footsteps reverberated from the tall arched ceiling, crumbling pillars threated to release their hold of the roof, and with each passing pillar there was a block of new dust collecting where a portrait of some kind used to be.
The design of the castle was impressive, even though it was losing its splendor, it was obvious the immense work that was put into the building was made through an artist eyes. It wasn't until Miroku's footsteps disappeared that she turned her attention away from the architecture toward the doors that he gestured for her to open.
She breathed deeply into her nose, straighten her back, grabbed the swinging door handle, and opened the heavy door as fast as she could. When she looked inside there was nothing but complete darkness, except for a tall window on the other side with the curtains pulled away, and moonlight spilling onto the floor. She turned to Miroku only to find that he had disappeared. It was just her, the empty hallway, a dark room, and the distant moonlight.
Her feet began to shake and she could hear the pounding of her heart in her ears. She clutched her secret compartment that contained her lucky treasure and again she tried to hold back a dry laugh. How lucky can it be if it leads her to a demon castle, then again she was still alive, wasn't that a miracle in itself?
She took a step into the darkness, and another, and another, never averting her eyes away from the window. Everything was inked black except for the glowing light from outside, it felt as if she was floating into the night sky, walking toward an open door to heaven.
When she reached the window, she was too entrance by the midnight sky and amerced in her own fears, to notice the demon lord approaching.
