Chapter 4: Bound in War

~Ameki~

The field that Ameki's mother had been laid to rest in was more beautiful than she could possibly hope to describe. The wild flowers that grew were in abundance and diverse in variety. Rin had always loved flowers since Ameki could remember. They had spent many days together picking flowers for arrangements around the castle, and even tending the gardens. It had always been an escape for Rin, and Ameki had always appreciated her mother's hobby. It hadn't mattered the mood, flowers had always seemed to brighten and lift Rin's spirit. Ameki hoped that these flowers would help her mother find peace once again in her journey to the afterlife.

Jaken stood beside Ameki, giving the grave a final appraisal. The large stone that adorned the surface was covered in flowers that Ameki had picked out herself. The mixtures of orange and purple petals seemed to pop against the gray surface of the stone. Jaken had directed Ah-Un in aiding to move the stone from the nearby forest. Ah-Un was extremely strong considering the distance that had been traversed to erect the stone in its final resting place, Rin's resting place. Ameki reflected on her thoughts, adding to Ah-Un's strength. The demon would have needed to be strong to fly them to such a great distance in the first place.

Ameki kneeled before her mother's grave, pressed her hands together, and bowed her head. She heard the imp beside her shift his weight before kneeling as well. Ameki envisioned her mother in her thoughts. Her beautiful smile raged like a flame through Ameki's mind, causing her to smile and tear up at the same time. She wanted to always remember her mother that way, especially after the last images of her mother that danced around in the shadows of her mind. Her mother had always had an infectious grin, one that could light up the most dull of occasions or locations. Rin had truly been special, and Ameki thanked her ancestors for giving her such an amazing mother, but now it was time to return her to them.

Ameki opened her eyes just in time to catch a glimpse of Jaken wiping a tear from his own leathery cheek. For a demon, the imp sure was an emotional toad. It was a characteristic that Ameki had never even imagined demons having. The stories she had heard had always frightened her as a child. The people in the village had spoken of demons as if they were all evil, and no one had ever tried to convince Ameki otherwise. Not even her mother. She found that odd, but given the fact that she was also among people who could only see them as evil brought her possible reasons into perspective. The lord of the region's reputation would have suffered having been married to a demon sympathizer.

Ameki and Jaken returned to a small area at the edge of the forest where they could look out across the vast rolling fields of flowers. The meadow was simply breathtaking, and knowing that her mother would feel the same left Ameki with a sense of peace. The sorrow was still there, and would be for the remainder of her life. She knew that day by day she would become stronger, holding her mother's memory as sacred, the same way she had done after her father's death. Ah-un laid down, no doubt resting from the long night's endeavors. The sun had risen in the East, and Ameki felt the fatigue setting in. The events of the day before and the long night had all happened so suddenly. Most of it had felt as if it had been a blur, and Ameki did very little to retrace her memories step by step. Clarity was not something she wanted to tarnish her feelings of peace with so soon. She would do her mourning one step at a time. Until then, Jaken relinquished his knowledge to her, opening up her mother's past and letting Ameki unroll the scroll of knowledge that was her mother. Some details made her laugh, others brought her close to tears, but most of all she felt content.

Her mother had been through many hardships, but ultimately it had been Lord Sesshomaru that had saved her life, and had continued to care for her well being. Jaken spoke in the utmost respect for his lord. Ameki knew that his views were no doubt biased, but Jaken seemed to only speak the truth about Lord Sesshomaru's feats, and even some of his darker qualities. Sesshomaru was the Great Dog Demon of the West. Ameki had read scrolls containing information and lore pertaining to the Great Dog General, but to meet the son of the Dog General made her wonder how much other lore was actually true. The InuYoukai were strong demons that looked over and protected these lands from chaos. It was rare that the Youkai had dealings with mortals, but in the process of protecting their land the mortals didn't have to worry about rogue groups of demon's terrorizing villages and destroying crop fields. The InuYoukai maintained order. It was beneath them to terrorize humans.

Ameki couldn't help but to wonder if Sesshomaru had secretly loved Rin. Not in an intimate way, but in the way a pet dog loves their owner. Ameki slightly giggled inwardly at the idea of someone as fearsome as Sesshomaru bowing to a small child, but she didn't discard the possibility that Sesshomaru did hold a deep fondness of her mother. It was the only way to explain his actions up until this point. Ameki began wondering what this would mean for her. Jaken had relayed the details of Sesshomaru and Rin's final moments, and his promise he made to her mother to protect her daughter. Ameki wondered how this would change her already drastically changed life any further. How would she live? Where would she live? Would there be more demons? Ameki's brow had slightly creased only relaxing when she heard Jaken clear his throat.

"Lord Sesshomaru could be gone for days. It would probably be wise to make a campfire and gather some food." Ameki stood slowly and started off toward the woods, turning on her heel when she did not hear Jaken's footsteps following.

"Are you not coming?" She asked. Jaken let out a yawn, and smacked his lips for dramatics.

"I'll wait here for Lord Sesshomaru…" He said as his voice slowly drifted mirroring his eyelids over his yellow orbs.

"But you just said-" Ameki was cut off by a loud snore that clearly came from the small imp. Her brow knitted together in astonishment. Either the imp was playing her like a fool, or he was extremely exhausted. She shook her head and muttered to herself as she continued walking. The forest around her was vibrant with sounds. The animals and insects there sounded very happy, and how could they not be living so near to a beautiful field abundant in flowers? Ameki came to a stream that zig zagged through the trees, it was shallow in some parts exposing the fish that traversed the currents. Ameki sent a quiet prayer to her mother who had taught her at a young age to catch fish. They had often been chastised for catching the koi and catfish from the palace ponds that decorated the huge garden area. Ichiro had always chuckled at Rin's little adventures with their daughter, but Yuudai had always looked down on such childish behavior.

Ameki hiked her dress, knotting the fabric so that it clung to her legs above her knees. She stepped into the chilled water and let out a small sigh as the liquid rushed around her aching legs, almost as if to massage them. One, two, three fish was her bounty for the evening, along with a few berries and mushrooms she had foraged. She toted the fish over her shoulder with a sturdy stick that easily slipped through their gills and through the mouth. It was how she had kept the first few fresh while she had waited patiently for others to swim into her reach. She had stuck the stick into the thick mud at the edge of the creek, leaving the fish in the water. She carried the berries and mushrooms in the crease of her yukata as she folded the bottom of it upwards against her body, exposing her now dry legs, but securing the edibles so that she wouldn't drop them. Most Princesses were coddled, but Rin had made sure that her daughter could be self reliant when needed, and in that moment Ameki was grateful.

She arrived back to the place where she had left Jaken. His snores still echoed off of the closest trees. She shook her head slightly in disbelief. She would have to gather the firewood as well if she were to prepare the food. Something inside of her wanted to wake the lazy toad, but she instantly felt bad after having the idea. She hadn't slept in such a long time, and there was no way of knowing how long it had been since Jaken had slept. She simply felt grateful for his companionship in the moment. Sure he wasn't awake, but it just felt good to not be alone. Especially after everything that happened. After Jaken had opened up about her mother, she recognized the many different ways he expressed his own fondness of Rin, and even some irritation. It was to be expected though, especially after they had traveled for such a long time together. Tension was no doubt likely to surface. Especially if he had been this lazy and made Rin do all the work in the past as well.

The only thing that roused the slumbering imp was the delectable aroma that the fish gave off over the fire. Ameki noticed the waking imp and plucked a stick from beside the open flame. She offered it to him and smiled. Without a word the imp hastefully devoured the cooked fish. Ameki registered the instant regret that washed over Jaken's increasingly red cheeks.

"Ahhhhhhh! Hot, hot hot!" He bellowed as he now danced in place swatting at his tongue with his hands and breathing with exaggerated quickened breaths. Ameki cringed at the sight, knowing that she should have warned him.

"I'm so sorry Jaken. Here…" She offered him a few berries and a mushroom that had already cooled. The imp glanced at her weerily and poked the mushroom. Checking to see if the temperature was acceptable. Ameki pulled the other two fish away from the flame and sat them to the side to begin cooling.

"Something tells me trouble follows you as well." Jaken murmured as he consumed the berries one by one glancing at her out of the corner of his narrowed eyes. Something told Ameki that Jaken was already comparing his experience with her to those he had lived with Rin. That made her smile despite the obvious displeasure that radiated from Jaken's scornful glare.

Ameki grabbed her fish after she was sure that it had cooled. She began eating as she watched Jaken continue cramming berries into his mouth. She instantly noticed that the texture of the fish was different than what she had eaten before. The cooks in the castle hadn't prepared fish over the open fire though. It wasn't a bad taste she thought to herself, and it was definitely more crunchy.

Ameki felt an instant pain in her shoulder, causing her to scream out and choke on the fish she was currently eating.

"Ha, you should have waited for it to cool, that's what you get for-" Jaken's eyes widened as he noticed the fresh blood that stained the shoulder of her Yukata, and the wound was quickly seeping. He instantly jumped to his feet to tend to the girl, glancing around frantically at what could have caused it. Sesshomaru would have his head for this he was certain. Ameki pressed her hand against the shoulder gritting her teeth. The sharp pain had seemingly come out of nowhere, and had momentarily disoriented her. After the pain subsided a bit Ameki pulled the collar of her Yukata over her shoulder to expose the mark. The gashes weren't awfully deep, but they were serious enough to require treatment. Treatment that neither her nor Jaken could administer without the right ingredients. They slightly resembled claw marks, but there wasn't a matching mark that should have torn through the clothing.

Jaken gasped at the sight of the wound, and looked around once more. Had an invisible demon of some kind attacked, and would it attack again? Jaken hurried over to where he had been sitting and grabbed his staff. He rushed back to Ameki and took a protective stance. He watched the area around them closely. Anticipating every direction someone could attack from. He heard another squeal from behind him. He turned to find a new mark appeared on Ameki, a much smaller one, but fresh. It was a small gash that appeared in the meat of her cheek. Jaken hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary. He couldn't feel the presence of any demons, nor apparitions. Something was strange. Something odd was happening and if Jaken didn't find out soon, he was sure Sesshomaru would get to the bottom of it when he returned, but he knew it would be without his help, because poor little Jaken would be joining Rin in a much more shallow grave among the flowers. Jaken Shivered.

~Sesshomaru~

Day broke as soon as Sesshomaru had dispatched the last of Yakunan's men that had refused to flee. Most had retreated, but Sesshomaru had yet to see Yakunan. The battle had been intense, but Sesshomaru was not one to so easily fall to the weaklings he had been challenged by. Among the men he fought had been two of Yakunan's generals. It would seem that honor had been cast to the side as both attempted to take on Sesshomaru at once. Sesshomaru was sure that Yakunan was simply staying back and observing the show from a distance. The only he reason Sesshomaru had not gone after him so soon was because he knew that would be what Yakunan wanted. Besides, Sesshomaru took pleasure in showing Yakunan how easy it was for him to dispatch his men. Sesshomaru had special plans for Yakunan, and he always saved the best for last.

"Very well done Sesshomaru!" Sesshomaru had felt his presence draw near before he had even spoke. Sesshomaru turned to face Yakunan who now stood atop a ruined castle rampart. Yakunan clapped his hands to add his usual theatrics he loved to display with witty humour. Although, Sesshomaru found nothing humorous about the demon before him. Yakunan displayed a cheesy grin that simply made Sesshomaru's inner demon sneer. Sesshomaru wanted to rip the flesh from his face intact, so that he could make Yakunan stare at the grin he meant to mock Sesshomaru with.

"How did it feel to cut down men that used to be your closest allies?" Yakunan chuckled.

"They were never truly my allies if they joined with the likes of you." Sesshomaru let a small hint of anger enter his voice. The sight of Yakunan was all it took to make Sesshomaru submit to his inner thoughts. He wanted Yakunan to know he was angry, but he would never make an uncalculated move in haste. He wasn't the unruly mut that his half brother InuYasha was.

"Ah, mores a pity I suppose. Well, this was definitely better than ransacking small human villages. Even swiped me a token." Yakunan winked and flashed a fang filled grin. Sesshomaru became curious at his last remark. A token? Had he meant the demon head he sported on the spike tied to his back in the fashion of a banner? Sesshomaru observed the head a bit closer, he didn't recognize the lowly demon on the spot. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes.

"You taunt me with the head of one soldier while we stand among hundreds of the dead?" Yakunan was truly pitiful flaunting such meaningless feats. Sesshomaru had easily dispatched nearly two hundred of Yakunan's men in the amount of time it had had taken him to fight both of Yakunan's generals. They had been the only demons notable enough to consider worthy adversaries.

Yakunan contemplated Sesshomaru's words with a smile detaching the head on the pike and throwing it to Sesshomaru's feet.

"You take all the fun out of everything Sesshomaru. Maybe if you had lightened up in our first meeting we wouldn't be here." Yakunan spoke.

"You were the one who challenged me." Sesshomaru replied.

"I simply wished to test my weapon against yours. Your cultures craftsmanship intrigues me, and I wanted to see if your blade could hold up to mine." Yakunan shrugged.

"You were the one who became serious when I sliced through your fur. I thought it was decorative. How was I supposed to know you carried your tail around your shoulders?" Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at Yakunan's attempt at banter with the obvious hidden insult.

"I tire of talking." Sesshomaru hissed.

"Yikes, tail still sore?" Yakunan barely finished his witty remark before Sesshomaru drew his weapon slicing the area where Yakunan stood. Yakunan's quick reflexes afforded him the chance to dodge the attack, gaining ground on Sesshomaru who was now wide open to an attack. Instead of plunging his sword into Sesshomaru, he simply laughed a few feet from his ear. Sesshomaru glared at him out of the corner of his eye, but Yakunan pulled away before Sesshomaru could prepare another swing.

"You're fast, I'll give you that dog, but your speed is nothing compared to a dragon's." With that Yakunan appeared in front of Sesshomaru, knocking the sword from his hand. Sesshomaru's disarmament left him with a free hand in which he sliced forward with his poison claws making contact with Yakunan's shoulder.

Yakunan quickly stepped back, using his agility to spring him farther and farther as Sesshomaru charged forward claws outstretched. He dodged again and again until Sesshomaru managed to graze his face. Yakunan jumped completely free of Sesshomaru after that landing back on top of the rampart. With a bit of irritation Yakunan chuckled.

"Out to ruin my image I see? You must be jealous of my looks as well I suppose. You learn something new everyday with the Great Lord Sesshomaru." Yakunan sheathed his sword.

"I tire of this as well Sesshomaru. I need to catch up with my soldiers and crack some skulls for their retreat." Yakunan clicked his tongue and brought his finger up, as if to introduce another point he wanted to blatantly make. However, Sesshomaru was not ready for the fight to end. Not until he held Yakunan's beating heart in his clawed hand.

Sesshomaru's Energy whip lashed out, catching Yakunan off guard. Sesshomaru did not stop there. He continued his onslaught of attacks racing forward until finally he was able to catch Yakunan's leg, causing him to fall to the ground with great force. Sesshomaru swooped in with his poison claw, ready to strike.

"As for my token Sesshomaru…" Yakunan quickly hissed. Yakunan's eyes flashed a bright white, and Ameki's face appeared in their reflection. Sesshomaru stopped, his poisonous claw mere centimeters from his chest.

"That's right Sesshomaru...She's mine now." Yakunan used Sesshomaru's hesitation to slip free and distance himself. Sesshomaru glared up at Yakunan with a distasteful scowl. What had Yakunan done? Was Ameki in danger? Had someone followed them without Sesshomaru sensing it? Yakunan soon answered his question with words that froze him to his core.

"Her soul belongs to me. I simply allowed her to return when you did your little sword trick because I wanted to have some fun with you." Yakunan sneered in Sesshomaru's direction. His playful banter had diminished.

"That little sword of yours won't save her a second time, so killing me is out of the question, because now we are bound. It looks like we have a long road ahead of us Sesshomaru." With that Yakunan took to the sky in his true form. A dark gray dragon that moved like a serpent, stirring the wind into a gusting gale that disrupted the dirt all around, leaving the stunned Sesshomaru in a dust storm.

Sesshomaru's thoughts raced back to the odd occurrence that had taken place upon Ameki's revival. He had known something was strange, and had suspected that maybe Yakunan had simply left that mark to taunt him, but now Sesshomaru knew. Yakunan had planned this from the beginning. It was why he had come to Yamato castle. He had intended to mark Rin so that Sesshomaru couldn't harm him without hurting her. After his plan fell apart with Rin's accident, he fell to the backup plan that was quickly formed. Sesshomaru surmised that Yakunan had killed Ameki and marked her because she was the closest thing he would have left to his Rin. Killing her had guaranteed that Sesshomaru would bring her back, meaning she was now leverage because the sword would not work on her a second time. Sesshomaru could not kill Yakunan without Killing Ameki, and if he were to then his promise to Rin would have been broken.

Sesshomaru grabbed his sword from the ground and sheathed it. His hand shook with the anger that surfaced. You are Lord Sesshomaru! He told himself. The shaking in his hand did not stop with such seemingly useless words. He, the Great Lord Sesshomaru, was limited to what he could do, because he was afraid of breaking a promise to a dead mortal woman. He instantly regretted referring to Rin in such a way. She was dead, because he couldn't save her. His feelings for her had nothing to do with what Yakunan was doing. Rin had nothing to do with this any longer. No Yakunan was playing on a weakness. A weakness that he had gambled and anticipated would arise. Ameki… Sesshomaru had not even known of her existence until recently… So why was the thought of losing her angering him so?

Sesshomaru couldn't stand to ponder on it any longer. He needed to release the built up emotions that were currently clouding his judgment. He needed the sweet release that his inner demon could give him. He needed the calming effects of the Western skies, the feel of the wind through his fur as he glided through clouds and peered down at the world below him, but most of all. He needed to make sure Ameki was safe. His inner demon came forth, sending a thunderous roar into the sky where his true demon formed chased it, as if he were an echo.