Enjoy!
-Crims.
.0.
Bitter.
The blood was bitter, tainted with the foul soul of the mutilated corpse beneath him. Sesshomaru could taste the shortcomings of the man; deceit was one of them. The fool had tried to bargain with him:
Sesshomaru had just returned from his strange encounter with the small, human girl and chose to prowl within his castle as opposed to hunting. As luck would have it, his prey came to him. It was the best kind of prey: the ones that didn't know that they had walked into the territory of a predator.
He heard the front gates break and listened as footsteps wandered about until they came across what they had come for.
He heard a laugh, overjoyed…greedy, and the distinct clinking of precious metals and jewels. The young man had then confronted him in the great hall. Sesshomaru had been patiently waiting, knowing the man would seek him out.
"So you are the famous beast. How befitting a title!" He laughed. "Honestly speaking, I am not here to take your head, although as you can see, I am well equipped to do so," The over confident man chuckled as he gestured to the weapons strapped to his body, "Instead I would like to take a burden off your shoulders. I noticed that you have no use for all of the…wealth you have acquired." The selfish gleam intensified in the man's eyes. "I will make you a deal: your riches, all of them, for my silence. I will be a rich man, and you can continue to live your life in these woods, undisturbed. Although if you should refuse," The man brandished a sword and grinned, " I will kill you and take everything you own. Either way, I will walk out of this Godforsaken place richer than when I walked in. Your answer?"
Sesshomaru ran his eyes over the man's body, observing him.
Lean, Post adolescent, tall, greedy, lustful, and deceitful—all accurate descriptions.
His silent gaze unnerved the man, Sesshomaru could tell.
"Your answer?!" The man's stance had changed. No longer was it sanguine and sure. The young man had sensed the sudden, atmospheric change in the dark room. A bloody smile split from Sesshomaru's face and accompanied with glowing red eyes, it was enough to run the man's blood, cold.
"Take whatever you can carry." A simple command, but the very words felt heavier than the weapons strapped to his body.
Sesshomaru turned, and left, his body molding into the darkness as it welcomed him.
Somehow, the man knew, he felt, he should run. But his greed silenced his common sense brutally.
The man sheathed his sword and, ignoring Sesshomaru's order, unfolded his sack, ran to the room containing the treasures, and began grabbing whatever her could get his hands on. He had filled seven sacks by the time Sesshomaru appeared once again.
When Sesshomaru saw the immense stack of bulging sacks, he laughed mockingly. He knew it; greed always did cloud one's knowledge of his or her capabilities.
"One sack, or nothing." Sesshomaru said. The man's face reddened with fury as his lips brought themselves together and began sputtering.
"We had a deal!" He exclaimed. Sesshomaru's slanted with a sadistic glee, and the man's anger lodged in his throat, effectively silencing him. Sesshomaru turned and left.
In frustration, the man ran a calloused hand through his hair and kicked the closest thing to him: a pile of gold coins.
Something caught his eye. It's dirty and poor state stood out against the brilliance of the gold. It was a sack, one that was at least thrice as big as any one of his. A laugh of triumph escaped his grinning lips and the man began to stuff the bag with three of his. He looked to the other four that lay by his feet, dissatisfied.
His eyes surveyed the room, clouded with the prospect of riches and only seeing what could all be his.
The riches taunted him, beckoned him. He could hear their voices: quiet, soft, and tempting. He could see himself, sitting in a throne like a king, as those lesser than him groveled at his feet, begging for just one coin. He heard himself laugh as the noble lords that sat at his table marveled at his wealth. He had placed his mountain of riches in the center of the room for all to worship. He had it all—power, money, glory—it was all his.
Then the man heard a laugh that was not his own penetrate his prophecy; a laugh that was not his own. A laugh that was…inhuman.
Suddenly the merry music ceased and the illusionary scene turned dark, evil. The sweet wine that coated his tongue turned sour, like aged blood. The peasants at his feet rose like some kind of twisted dance. They're dirty faces became hollow: they're eyes, lips, and hair became black, their ragged clothes morphed into dark clothes. As one, as if controlled by some unknown force, they walked to him slowly and drew daggers from their hearts. The gold crown atop his head turned to lead and thorns. The silk and velvets that had clad his body became bloody. The great hall he had not to long ago been feasting in became a center of horrors. The walls bled and wept. The lords that had bathed him with praises began to slaughter one another. But none of these terrors could compare to the sight before him: the tower of gold that he had once worshipped melted an became a shimmering serpent, quickly devouring all in it's path, until all that stood in its path was him…
The man fell to his knees, clutched his head and screamed until the cords in his throat burst. He dropped the bag that he thought once contained his future, but now knew it only held death. The gold and jewels in the bag spilled at litter the floor. The man watched in frozen horror as the coins stood up on their own and began to slink towards him, up his, body, into his mouth, eyes, and nostrils. They whispered a dark lullaby to him, one that resounded in the depths of his mind: "Greediness will kill you…consume you…prey…on…you…" Then a flurry of shriek-like laughter would follow, becoming louder with each repetition.
And with each repetition, the man's sanity slipped from his control…
Sesshomaru stepped out of the darkness, silently joyfully and watched with as the young man mumble to himself. His mantra was:
Gold.
Gold and Jewels.
Jewels and Gold.
Blood.
Blood is Gold
Blood…jewels
I see it all!
HELP ME!
"I can help you." Sesshomaru cooed. Startled, the young man quickly stood on shaky legs and drew his sword.
Sesshomaru stared at the weapon with little interest, before his gaze slid up to look into the man's half-crazed eyes. "Yes! Yes help me! I'm seeing things, h-hearing things! Horrible things! Unspeakable things! Help me!" The sword fell from his unsteady grip and with a heavy 'clang' that echoed throughout the room, fell to the floor. A pile of treasures by the man's feet toppled and brushed against his foot. The man screeched, grabbed the sword, and began to attack all the treasure in his sight with a maddened ferocity.
Sesshomaru placed a deceptively calming hand on the man's shoulder. Immediately, he relaxed and once again dropped the sword.
"I can take all of your fears away. I can make it all go away." Sesshomaru whispered. It was almost awe-inspiring how a mouth that was made to rip apart flesh produced a voice that had the ability to piece what was left of the man's mind together. The man nodded numbly, and just like that, his will faded away, as his lucidity had.
Sesshomaru placed a claw in the juncture that attached the man's ear to his head, and sliced.
The man howled a terrified scream and attempted to flee, but it was already to late. Sesshomaru had captured his prey.
"With this, you can no longer hear."
The same claws brushed against the man's eyes, and as his victim choked on his fear, the venomous tips sunk into the man's sockets and stayed there, letting the poising seep into his skull. The man's screams verified something for Sesshomaru. It reassured him that he was still the same twisted soul he had always been, even if the girl was the complete opposite.
"You can no longer see, nor hear." Sesshomaru crooned. His claws digging deeper into the man's skull until he reached the brain.
The man was paralyzed, his mobility severed, but he still felt everything, each second more excruciating than the next.
"…" His lungs were silent. His screams went unheard. But Sesshomaru understood. "Please…Let me live…" It was always their last attempt to life, to sanity. Sesshomaru would always deny them both.
"Greediness will kill you…consume you…but I preyed on you…" Sesshomaru dragged his claws out of the man's head, drew them across the earless sides and finally released the man. He fell to the ground with a wet 'thud'.
Sesshomaru watched as the dying man convulsed beneath him. Sesshomaru licked the blood that had dripped down his arms and frown. "You are…bitter." The man didn't respond.
He raised a weak, bloody finger to the monster that stood above him. "…," He said before the gift that was his life left his body. Sesshomaru understood.
.0.
I curse you.
That had been the man's last, unspoken declaration.
Sesshomaru could not think of anything more befitting.
.0.
Kagome stared at her mothers back, apprehensive. When she'd returned from the woods with her injury, her mother had been hysterical, and had promptly forbade Kagome from stepping a foot into the woods ever again, after a series of motherly I-told-you-so's. But Kagome had been determined to make amends with her now new friend and had wondered off again. When she came back, she had expected an earful of scolding and an inhumane amount of punishment and chores. She got nothing. Not anything in the sense that her mother didn't scold her, but literally nothing. Her mother did not speak a word to her, and no amount of pleading and apologies from Kagome had changed that in the two days after she had returned. Kagome was getting desperate. She loved her mother and they had always been each other's strongest support, now she felt like they were two distant people who happen to live in the same house.
Sure she had broken her promise, but the severe silent treatment was more than she could bear.
"Mama, please! I'm sorry; I'll never do it again! Please, say something." Kagome begged as she clung to her mother's skirt while the older woman washed the dishes.
She was brutally ignored. Fed up and frustrated, Kagome dropped the skirt, picked up the nearest plate and flung it as hard as she could, without aggravating her arm, across the small kitchen. The loud crash broke the tense silence for a moment only.
Kagome's mother set down the wet plate and cloth in her hand and turned to look at her angry daughter with flattened lips and steely eyes.
"I'm very disappointed in you Kagome." Her mother said and walked across the room and began to pick up the shards.
Kagome's face fell and the anger left her, replaced by sadness.
"Mama, I'm—"
"Go to your room. I cant bare to look at you right now." Rose said with her back facing her daughter and the result was a broken-hearted Kagome. When rose realized how harsh the words were, she turned to apologize, but it had been to late. Kagome had fled the room, and shortly after, the house. Rose heard the slamming of the door and quickly rushed after her daughter, the broken shards abandoned.
"Kagome!"
.0.
She ran blindly, never stopping no matter how many times she fell and scraped her knew. Her heart hurt more. She had broken her mother's trust and now, the one person who she had left didn't love her anymore. It was all her fault. She should have stayed away from those stupid woods!
Kagome had run into the village square without realizing it and before long, she was lost. Breathing heavily and sobbing, she stopped running and curled in on herself on the street, not caring whether or not a cart or animal of some kind would trample her. She cried and cried until her eyes were dry and her head had begun to hurt. She sat up and realized it was dark. There was no one else around except a group of unknown men, mostly likely drunk, standing in in front of a closed bar, eyeing her.
Kagome was suddenly frightened. When they began walking towards her, she ran. They followed.
Her heart beat in unsteady tremors, parts of her body began to break out in sweat, and her lungs couldn't hold out for much longer.
She ran through the village blindly, the group of men laughing and crashing into things rambunctiously as they ran after her.
Suddenly she remembered her mother's words: 'Many people have ventured into those woods…those people, Kagome, have never returned.'
'Of course!' Kagome thought joyously and headed for the woods; positive that the men would not dare follow her there for fear that they would never return.
She was right. The minute the woods came into view, the men slowed their chase with trepidation. The sight of the towering trees and signs written in blood seemed to slap them out of their drunken stupor. They quickly stilled their chase and looked to each other with fearful eyes.
Kagome stopped at the entrance of the woods, turned to face the men with a challenging grin, and bolted through the trees.
.0.
She was in danger.
Sesshomaru could smell the foreboding sense of malice that followed the girl. The hairs on his body stood on end and his muscled coiled in anticipation. Something was chasing Kagome. Something dark, disgusting dared to pose a threat to something so pure.
Unacceptable.
Sesshomaru dropped the heavy flesh he had been fisted on and roared. The moon seemed to shine brighter as if it too was imbued with fury.
Sesshomaru did not realize he had shifted until he stopped his reflection in the blood of his victim, and he sneered in a way that was meant to be a vicious smile.
.0.
No matter how fast he ran Sesshomaru felt as if he couldn't run fast enough. He could smell the girl's fear. It was more pungent than the blood that painted his fur. He felt agitated, like he had no control, and that did not sit well with him. He needed control. He wanted to revel in the blood of whoever was foolish enough to challenge him, to endanger Kagome.
Her scent was closer now. She had begun to run closer to the woods. Sesshomaru knew she was seeking him. And find him she shall.
Sesshomaru was not opposed to kill in front of her. She would understand what he truly was, then. She would know exactly what she had befriended.
Kagome was only a few strides away. She was running towards him. He was running towards her.
"Mr. Animal!" She called.
.0.
She crashed into something and was sent spiraling to the ground. The pounding in her head intensified and she groaned.
Something growled back. She sat up quickly with a tired smile.
"Mr. Animal! You came!" She clapped and threw her arms around his neck; her arms and hands came into contact with something cold and wet. In the darkness, she did not know it was blood…
Sesshomaru immediately stood in front of her when she released him, red eyes narrowed and body crouched.
"I don't think…they…followed me…too scared." She chuckled. She knew what he was looking for, just not how he had known she was in danger. Sesshomaru surveyed the area before he turned to look at her.
The injuries, that were not cause by him, were minor, he noticed as he surveyed her frail frame. Her hair had become disheveled and her breathing was labored and strained. She was tired, he noticed, before her blue eyes closed and she slumped forward. Sesshomaru shifted just in time to catch her.
It was the first time he's held her with his humanoid form, and it felt different…more intimate. His overheated body was enough to withstand the dense chill of the night so he wrapped himself around after he had laid her on the floor. He watched over her as she slept, but didn't heal her wounds. The little drops of blood seeping from her wounds were not his to heal. He hadn't caused them.
He simply watched over her until the sun replaced the moon and she began to stir. He could hear the voices from the border calling for her. Her family, most likely.
He wanted to spend time with her, see her wake, but he wanted his forest free of search parties more. So he carried her to the border and dropped her there. He stayed in the trees until someone came across her body. But it wasn't until she was handed over to her mother, a strange looking woman, was he sure of her safety and retreated back to his fortress.
He had rid his body of blood before he stood in his room; thinking about the woman Kagome had been given to.
Familiar…that woman…strange indeed…
.0.
Yes, I'm planning something…
-Crims.
God Bless.
