Of Crimson Butterfly's Dream

A Sesshomaru Fanfic

Based off the manga Series

A/N; so yea…we're at chapter six, which is shocking for me ya know. So were getting deeper into the storyline, and the real stuff is about to begin. Now to let you know, I've written this author's note, like, maybe months back before I actually wrote and finished the chapter. As for updates on myself, there's not much to tell you other then I'm at a four year college now, and I'm working hard at that. I got a new job during my long leave and am working as a host in a restaurant. That means maybe even longer times to update. I know some of you have been waiting for a long time now. But I promise you, I update, it might be long months in between but I don't abandon stories for long, I do most everything in cycles.

Also Noticed that OCBD now has its own cover! This allows you to see Cho and Chikara with Sesshomaru! You can see the full print on my Deviant Art it's the same name as here on Fanfiction! ChunmeiguiProduction.

I like to point out, that for those of you who are abet fans, bunker down, this story is here for a long run, and were only in the first act. And who knows, even when we reach the last act of the story, things may not be entirely solved yet…but that's mostly for me to figure out, who knows by then, you'll just be a fan of the story line and will continue on to the other stories to enjoy it. But if you suggest people to these stories, and you're reading them from the other tales…try to tell them to start with OCBD. Anyways I'm getting ahead of myself lol…so let's start right!

Once again, this was edited by Tsukino Aisuru – A!

Please Review; I need you the fan's to give me your opinions, encouragement, and ideas! Don't let me make plot holes!

Music: 4MINUTE - 'Volume Up' M/V and Copy and post into the search engine on YouTube! Enjoy these music choices! I hope!

I Hate Hot Springs

Sesshomaru stared at the woman who had the gall to shout at his face. Her face was flushed her body in full view to him. Jaken had some decency to turn around and stop looking at her. Now if only she would cover herself; however, it didn't seem like this woman had that sort of respect for herself. Instead Cho crossed her arms, the limbs sliding under her breasts and pushing them up.

"Explain yourself!" she snapped.

Sesshomaru remained silent. Cho had never been this angry, not in a while anyways. She didn't have a problem with the fact that she was currently nude in front of him; the problem she had was that he had messed with their bond while she was nude. She couldn't see what he was looking at, but she can tell his head was slightly turn toward the left, which she guessed that meant he wasn't looking at her.

"This Sesshomaru does not have to explain himself; you may cover yourself if it is such trouble," he said tilting his head back towards her direction.

She assumed he was now staring at her, and, for a moment, she felt a little uneasiness that she was nude in front of this Taiyoukai. She waved it off and tilted her shoulders up in a shrug. " I have no issue with my body, nor have I issue with those that view it, we all look the same under the cloth," she said lifting her head up, she had always felt pride with her view about it.

"That is where you're wrong, Ningen. Our bodies are not the same; you are human, a lesser creature, full of flaws and defects. Your hips are far too narrow, you are riddled with scars that, on a demon, would disappear in only a few minutes and your breasts are too large and swollen with stretch marks along the apex of where your arms meet your shoulder. You humans need to cover yourself up, and hide your ugly bodies from the eyes of each other," he said and moved passed her to sit back down beside the tree where he had been sitting previously.

Cho turned around slowly following him with her blurred gaze. Of all the things she ever heard about herself, from the blonde hair, to her unnatural height, to the western blue eyes, she had never been told that her body was imperfect as well. To say that she was shocked was an understatement; she was actually hurt and, for once, she was ashamed of herself. Her arms rose to cover her breasts and she turned around and trotted back into the forest back towards the hot spring. She wanted to cry because it felt like Benji all over again, only this man she had no connection to at all. Sesshomaru didn't know her, and he had a little human girl that followed him around. Wouldn't he see the same thing in the child? That they were just ugly creatures?

Cho heard the girl's giggling in the spring. Cho stopped walking and side stepped against a tree. She looked down at her hands examining some of the older scars that didn't go away from her childhood. They were faded now, just distant memories, but to a demon, they must glow on her skin like a candle. Maybe if she had been more careful when she was younger, acted more like the other girls. Hell, maybe she would have fit in, wouldn't have stood out as much, and have dyed her hair. And her breasts; what was she supposed to do about having large breasts? She was born that way. Cho ate healthy and exercised, so she didn't build up too much fat in her hips. Nothing about her was ever right; there was always something that someone had an issue with. She felt like this would always be her problem, and she may just end up a lonely old hag like the witch who toys with people's lives.

Two droplets of water landed on her outstretched hands. She blinked surprised and touched her cheeks to find she had started crying. At the same time, she heard the bushes rustling and she looked up just at the girls were coming back from the spring.

"Are you sure Cho-san is ok?" Rin asked as Suzuran was fumbling with the folded kimonos.

"I'm sure she is fine. It seems that your lord was testing limits or something of the nature and forgot the situation Cho-sama was in; nothing more. She's probably on her way back now," the small imp woman said with a chuckle.

Cho snorted and snapped a twig. The imp easily caught the sound and turned her head to where Cho had hidden herself. Cho flicked her eyes towards the imp, tears still streaked down her face but she knew her eyes glowed with a fierceness that said all that she needed to say.

"Suzuran-sama, is something wrong?" Rin asked stopping and turning around again.

"Nothing is wrong, Rin. Go on ahead. I'll catch up in just a moment." The little girl smiled and nodded and kept walking.

"Cho-sama, are you ok? Are you wounded? You are crying," Suzuran asked placing the kimono down at her feet.

"I am crying because I cannot be free of the inconsiderate opposite sex we call males. Don't worry about me, Suzuran. I want to be alone for a while; please return," Cho said calmly scooping up the kimono in her hands. She pushed herself off the wall and started walking back towards the hot spring.

"Did something happen between you and Lord Sesshomaru, my lady?" Suzuran asked her large eyes narrowing a fraction in question.

"Don't be concerned. It's nothing that won't go away in time," Cho said and disappeared behind the trees surrounding the hot spring.

Suzuran turned, seeing as she wouldn't get anything else out of Cho. She returned to the camp site. Once there, she could see Rin was already settling down for the night with a bowl of cooling water to quench her thirst. The grounds seemed perfectly normal expect for the extra leaves and branches that had gathered at both the exit of the forest and around the tree that Sesshomaru had once been sitting beneath.

She also noticed a peculiar expression on the other imp's face and decided it was her duty to question him. With a poke of her clawed finger against his head, Jaken glanced up, a red shade across his awkward beak.

"What do you want onna," he squawked.

"Only to ask what happened to my lady. She seems odd, and I wonder what is with this peculiar expression you have. This quietness seems odd for you. You usually are loudmouthed, and you shout a lot at Rin," she said crossing her arms over her chest.

"That's none of your business, woman. I'm going to bed," he grumbled hopping up on his webbed feet.

"Oh, my…could it be…you like the tall women! You saw my lady's body and…had perverse thoughts!" The she-imp raised her voice only a slight octave. This was fun; she could only imagine the joy her lady got from teasing men.

The Jaken had a horrified expression and jabbed the point of his staff in her direction, "You should think better speaking that way as a Princess of imps, inferior or not! And I would never think such a thing of a human woman! Vile creatures they are," he snapped, then turned and continued waddling away.

Suzuran grinned slyly and tucked her hand under her chin with a chuckled, "I didn't say anything about your liking humans…just tall women."

Jaken visibly twitched but otherwise ignored her and made himself comfortable nestled in some tree roots. She almost laughed out loud and decided she would tease him more about it later. She would make some fun of this, and maybe it would get her lady to smile; after all, she seemed to have an issue with males right now.

"I will take your silence as a yes," she chirped and waddled away as fast as she could before he could say anything back towards her. As she made her way towards Rin and the dragon she caught a glimpse from the Taiyoukai whom was sporting an odd glimmer in his amber eyes. Perhaps he found amusement in her form of torment towards the imp, or perhaps not. But it was gone just as quickly and his gaze was intent on the forest and that the woman hadn't returned.

~C~

It was late into the night, and that damned woman still hadn't come back. Sesshomaru stood and reached out to grip the chain that sparked to life as he sought it. If she didn't come back he would make her and he didn't care if he was pulling her out of the hot spring or from screwing some random stranger. The moon was high in the sky, which put it well past a few hours.

The chain grew tight but wouldn't recoil or retract like it did before. Instead he heard a few snaps and a crunch among the trees. He needed to investigate and drag the woman back with him, if she wasn't planning on coming back. He didn't need this or have to go searching for her later when he was ready to leave. As he walked through the trees following the glowing chain he stopped in front of three large oak trees aligned in a row, all three with the bloody chain wrapped around the trunks four or five times. She looked like she literally jumped over the chain a few times to make sure it was knotted in place and couldn't retract and drag her back.

He had to admire her ingenuity to ensure her privacy, but this Sesshomaru was not going to put up with it! He tugged the chain hard the tree groaning as the chains bit into the wood and starting to shred it. Granted, the lord should have easily using any other chain have crushed straight through the wood, but for some reason the tension was not snapping the trees. This was ridiculous! He examined the chain and found it continued on back into the trees only to wrap itself around the trunks of another three trees. How had she accomplished all of that without him noticing?! He marveled at the chain's capabilities. There wasn't anything he could do. For now he would make sure she unraveled her creation once he found her, and then figure out a way to punish her, a way that, unfortunately, didn't involve harming her, as they were bonded.

He found her at the hot spring, curled up against a tree, fully clothed and sleeping what seemed to be comfortably, though her face said otherwise; her brow was creased and her eyes were twitching, flicking back and forth beneath her eyelids. Her fingers curled constantly and her legs were tense like she was prepared to start running in her sleep. Sesshomaru frowned and wondered what would cause a painful expression like that on the human female. It was an expression he had seen Rin make in her sleep when she dreamed about her parents and siblings, or she dreamed about her death. Nevertheless, he'd had enough of this and lifted his foot to nudge the female's shoulder with his toe. She merely rolled over to face the other way.

Irritated, he flipped her over, grabbing her kimono by the collar and tossed her into the hot spring in one fluid motion. She came up screaming, sputtering water and rushing out of the steaming spray with a choice collection of curse words.

Those lightning storm eyes were turned on him, the bolts ricocheting back and forth with renewed fury, then what he saw before he had tested the chain.

"What… the hell…gave you the brilliant idea that it was okay to throw me in a pool of hot water?!" she shrieked waving her arms towards the pool of water. And he hadn't understood a single word she had said.

What language was she even speaking? It was a clipped, slow language, its words were carefully pronounced even as she was shouting it and sputtering what he guessed that language's version of profanity.

"Speak again woman, this Sesshomaru prefers to understand what he is being called," he said flicking his hair with his only good arm.

"I said… What the hell gave you the brilliant idea that it was okay to throw me in a pool of hot water?! I could have drowned, been burned, hit my head on a stone, the list goes on! Just 'cause you're a demon, or a high and mighty god damned lord doesn't mean you can just go around tossing people in any direction you want!" she shrieked again. That said, she took a breath, smoothed her short, cropped hair out of her face and lowered her arms to her side.

"I think it is an adequate punishment for not returning and for wrapping the chains around the trees so I could not force you to return instead of having to come myself," he responded.

Cho glared at his general direction. She had wrapped the chains around the trees so that the chain couldn't recoil and draw her back in the same way. She had been careful to spread the tension on the chains evenly between the trees so that even the mega powerful Sesshomaru would have some difficulty. He appeared just too irritated to use his incredible strength to break the trees. That or she was just lucky and it worked, though she doubted it.

"Who said I wouldn't be returning? I just didn't want to see your face at the moment, demon. Is it too much to ask to have privacy, or is that a concept lost to the demonic?" she cooed and walked past him, shaking her soggy kimono of water. She was following the path of the chain now.

"So now you see the difference between you and I, Ningen? This Sesshomaru is surprised," he glared at her, the most expression he had shown through this entire ordeal of having to go retrieve her, and she couldn't even see it.

" 'This Sesshomaru' seems more confident in talking to me... as long as you're insulting me in some way, that is," she said, glancing in his direction.

"I have much confidence in speaking to you; I choose not to waste my breath on a human. It is you that leave yourself open to insult by opening your mouth," he added, the corner of his lip twitched, but did not move; he had almost given her that small smirk you would sometimes see right before he cut someone's head off. In this case, he was verbally slicing the woman to pieces.

She was messing with the chain wrapped around the first tree, it slid loose easily so that she could unravel her work. Soon enough the trees were freed of the chain's grip. A cloud of dust was released into the air where the chain had been touching the trees, the trees dropped the short distances towards their stumps. And just like that, there was a rumbling sound and the trunks begun to slide away in one direction. Sesshomaru moved from their path as they fell and the loud sound of heavy trees hitting the earth and water splashing as the branches smashed into the spring of the water far behind. So he had cut through the trees after all; the chain had been holding them together by some strange work of magic. Perhaps there had been some of Cho's will in the hand of keeping him from calling her to him.

The same process was repeated with the next set of three trees and them, too, crashed. Leaving the six mangled stumps behind, she followed him back to the camp. It was amazing that their little party hadn't heard the trees crashing. The only one awake and waiting for them was Chikara, his tail wagging with anticipation to see his master returned to him at last. Cho lay down beside the fire, happy to see that Rin and Suzuran were snuggled warm and cozy in their new blanket. But since someone ruined her clothing, she was safer by the fire till they dried off. She had never gotten a cold as a kid, so she wasn't about to start now. She fell fast asleep, returning to whatever nightmare her mind would create now.

~C~

Morning came soon enough, and when Cho awoke, she was wrapped snuggly in a blanket and the young Rin had wrapped her legs around Cho's midsection from behind. Suzuran had somehow wound up snuggled against her bosom and Chikara had made himself comfortable over her hip. But that wasn't the end of it; a slightly wet and scaly nose had pressed itself against her forehead, nudging her to awake. She was quite literally surrounded by all of Sesshomaru's companions except for Jaken. She sighed and turned her gaze to the two heads of AnUn and patted his head gently. The two dragons seemed to purr in response. They didn't seem to mind her at all and it hadn't taken that long for them to like her.

Rin stirred and sat up, stretching, "Good morning, Cho-neesan," she said with a loud yawn. Cho arched a brow at the child's newest endearment to her name, "I'm sorry Cho-san, I didn't mean to call you big sister! I hope it didn't bother you," the child squeaked covering her mouth slightly.

Cho smiled slowly then started to laugh softly, "It is fine…I don't think I'd mind at all. I'll even start to call you Rin-chan, if you want me to," Cho said, it was odd, she felt slightly lighter this morning, despite all the drama the night before.

She looked around the clearing, and discovered the reason being that Sesshomaru wasn't present. She could probably easily find him if she wanted to, and knew that he couldn't try to abandon them without something happening with their link. Jaken wasn't there, either, now that she thought about it. Perhaps the demons were having some important meeting about the predicament they were in.

"Cho-neesan, are you ok?" Rin asked, bringing Cho out of her thoughts. "Sorry, did you say something, Rin-chan?" Cho asked creasing her brow.

"I was saying that I'd like you to call me Rin-chan, and don't worry about Lord Sesshomaru-sama; he always comes back," she said grinning.

Cho shrugged. "I wasn't worried," she said and stood up. Suzuran rolled across the ground and Chikara slid off her hip to lie on the ground and let out a sharp yip before standing up.

It was only a few moments later when Sesshomaru stepped back into the campsite followed by his waddling servant. Cho had already assured that they were packed and prepared to go when his high and mighty self had returned. The girls and fox were seated comfortably on the back of AnUn ready to go. Sesshomaru simply turned and they continued on the path they were on the day before.

Cho began to think over what had occurred in the short period she had been there. She had arrived in the feudal era to discover that she could not return home, and she was marked by a demon that everyone and their brother had a problem with, literally. Her sister was a reincarnation of a dead priestess and, the best assumption, the ex-girlfriend of a dog demon her sister was madly in love with. Cho already had to face the same dog demon in battle, and then fought a horde of demon raiders, saved an imp princess from an ogre demon who had issues with not being able to kill a human, and then defeated a band of road bandits whose leader turned out to be the son of the headman acting out. She was then attacked by the first of the many demons she expected would be after her sent by Yamasuso the witch who caused all her troubles in the first place. And the coup de gras of it all, the same witch actually managed to bind her to a demon, which, according to her sister's tales, should have been impossible.

If she was to think it over more, she could assume that Yamasuso had the capability to control demons, which might explain why she could bind Sesshomaru, but she highly doubted there was enough power in this chain to kill him. Most definitely it could kill her, but not him. So far, she could tell that the chain was very versatile, yet not at all, and she had this feeling that whatever happened to her would happen to him.

"Yamasuso…what is she exactly?" Cho asked out loud revealing her deep thoughts, needing answers to make the pieces fit together in her head.

"She's a scary woman," Rin said making a freighted and disgusted face.

Jaken looked back and seemed to ponder whether to answer her or not. "She is a human that became a demon. By eating the flesh of young and beautiful women, both demon and human, she was able to continue her life. She was also a dark priestess and, with her powers, captured a demon princess and was able to absorb the ability to control demons' minds and make them believe they adore and worship her," Jaken explained.

"How can such an ability exist? What use has it for a demon who is already a princess?" Cho said frowning as she pondered this.

"Well, if you're not a very nice princess, maybe that lets you be as mean as you want and they won't care," Rin suggested.

"It seems like the most amazing tool to have when you want to rule a kingdom," Suzuran grinned.

"And so Yamasuso gained this ability, which explains the other demon and her dragons attacking me…What else has she used this ability for?" Cho asked.

"To create abominations…" the cold stoic voice of Sesshomaru filled in far ahead of them.

"Create abominations?" Cho repeated. "You mean, half breeds like Inuyasha… My sister told me you don't think much of them, and you think of them lesser then humans sometimes. Would this mean that the woman can still reproduce, and uses the male demons she captures to create half-breed children?" Cho said, taking a guess on what he means.

"How did you figure all that out so quickly?" Jaken asked his voice rising slightly.

"Because I'm smarter then you," she replied, then slid off the dragon's back to walk closer to Sesshomaru. "Then if Yamasuso is a dark priestess…then shouldn't a priestess of good, like my sister, be able to break the chain?"

Jaken grumbled and started to stroke his chin. Suzuran spoke up, "They should, but curses are hard to break," she said.

"It doesn't seem to be a curse though, but a binding or bonding. The chain so far has shown to only be a unbreakable bond between us. Its only job is to make sure we are to stay as close together as possible," Cho pointed out and twirled the beads between her fingers. She could feel the crackle of its power between her fingertips.

Sesshomaru's eyes flickered towards her as he walked her own as well. For some reason, she could sense he was thinking about something. Perhaps his mind was processing the same thoughts as she was.

"What are you thinking, Sesshomaru-sama?" Cho asked, returning her stare to the beads. Despite all that had happen last night and this morning, answers were more preferable than her attitude of wanting to ignore him…what was she, twelve?

"Hn…" was his only response, which didn't help in her cause at all. "Jaken…" Sesshomaru called out.

"Yes My Lord!" Jaken shouted. The group stopped walking as Sesshomaru had.

"Stay with Rin…Onna, come." He ordered, then looked at Cho; obviously she was the 'onna.'

Cho could have been stubborn, maybe fought him, cursed him out, but Rin shouted at her, "Grab Lord Sesshomaru's MokoMoko-sama!"

A white cloud was gathering under Sesshomaru's feet, and he was still staring at her with the expectation to follow his order, which must have meant that Rin's instructions were correct. So Cho reached out and gathered a fist full of fur, with both hands. Before she realized it, they were starting to float off the ground, and the only thing supporting Cho's weight was Mokomoko. She curled around it with her arms, holding on tight, and watched the ground as they climbed higher and higher into the air. Their small group grew smaller as well, till they looked like nothing more than ants on the ground. Of course… being blind, she couldn't tell this or even how far off the ground they really were.

"Sesshomaru-sama… remember that I cannot see. I ask to know where it is that we are going." she voiced growing more confident as they soared through the sky.

"We will find a priestess…" was his only explanation.

~C~

The forest was very still. Animals stayed hidden and made little sounds in their hollows on the ground and in the trees. The only sound was the gentle humming of long silver dragons that floated through the air carrying in their little spindle of arms glowing orbs.

Kikyo reached out to touch one of the dragons as it placed the moaning soul into her hand. The dragon clicked and pressed its head into her hand. enjoying the gentle touch from its mistress. The soul collectors didn't stay long and they scattered into the sky. Kikyo narrowed her dark eyes as she sensed a very powerful presence approaching her; two of them, to be exact.

She recognized one of these demonic auras, but the other one…it confused her. It was powerful, but dull. It was the kind of aura she might expect from a demon lord after he was sealed away in a sacred item. None the less, the demons had scared away her soul collectors and they wouldn't return to her and feed her till the demons were gone.

Kikyo retied her hair and stepped down from her comfortable seat in the tree. Its branches had grown into the prefect shape, like a cradle, and she was almost sad to have to remove herself from it. None the less, the demons were definitely coming her way.

~C~

Sesshomaru landed in a small space between the trees. The branches were swaying in all directions to allow him passage. His passenger, Cho, released the hold she had on his fluffy fur boa and dropped to the ground before he touched the ground. Cho groaned and stretched out her body. It felt like they had been flying for hours and her arms and legs were stiff from holding on so tight to the fur.

Sesshomaru was facing her watching her moving her body to get the feeling back.

"Are you done?" he asked, stoically, as if he really cared.

"Yes, I'm through. Where are we?" she asked looking in his general direction; he turned away his silvery hair swinging around him. He was choosing to ignore her. "I recall before we started this trip, I said I was blind, and I like to know where I've being taken, alone, with you, because if I recall you don't like me very much," she snorted and followed after him as he started to walk away.

"I'm looking for a priestess…I know she is near," was all he said.

Priestess…of course, someone who might be able to break the bond so he could be free to cut off her head, run her through with his sword, and disembowel her midsection…maybe not in that order and maybe all three. They had only gone a short distance into the trees when he stopped. She stopped as well, and her eyes scanned the blurry shades of greens and browns. She could hear footsteps and the sound of branches and foliage being disturbed as someone was approaching them.

A shape clothed in a red and white cloth she assumed was similar to Keades outfit appeared from behind a large tree. She could hear the distinct sound of a bow being pulled and it was surely loaded with a very sharp arrow that was pointed at either Sesshomaru or herself.

"What is it you want, Inuyasha's brother?" a voice spoke.

"You to remove the beads of binding around the human wench there and I," was what he said in response.

Cho snorted and crossed her arms. "Pleasant way of saying you need help, Sesshomaru-sama. My name is Cho Higurashi," Cho called out her eyes darting in different directions trying to seek out her face if anything else.

The woman set her bow down and drew closer. Of what Sesshomaru could see the priestess Kikyo looked concerned for the human woman. Cho was taller than her; taller than most females to be exact. Kikyo reached out and touched the woman's face and Cho grabbed her hand.

"Please, don't do that," Cho said softly giving her a smile. "You're blind," Kikyo said instantly.

Cho shook her head. "Only partially, I can still see colors and general shapes…I just need my special… item to see, but I broke them falling down a hill," she said.

"I see..." Kikyo responded then turned her head towards Sesshomaru. "How is it that you received a binding? I've heard so much of the great dog demon, it seems almost laughable," she said, her eyes narrowing.

"Watch it Miko," Sesshomaru growled out.

Kikyo snorted. "Just as arrogant as your brother," she said and stepped a safe distance away.

"Brother…you wouldn't happen to be Kikyo would you…the priestess my younger sister is supposedly reincarnated from?" Cho questioned. Kikyo gave her a dark look.

"I was unaware she had a sister…" Kikyo said and re-gathered her weapon.

"Not many were. It wasn't something she broadcasted to the world," Cho said simply.

"This Sesshomaru grows bored of your chatter. Can you remove them or not, Miko?" Sesshomaru stepped in-between the women.

Kikyo snorted herself, much like Cho had. "I cannot, just by looking at them, they were made by a priestess of considerable power. Only she can remove them or, if she were to die, they will break on their own," Kikyo said and turned to walk away. However, before she stepped back around the tree she stopped and looked back at the both of them.

"Was there another demon accompanying you?" she asked.

Cho glanced at Sesshomaru who made no motion to speak, so Cho responded. "Had there been… he or she would have probably been dead long before you sensed us coming, is what his lord is probably thinking."

Sesshomaru growled a warning at her and Cho ignored him. Kikyo 'hnn'ed and disappeared altogether. Cho then looked up at him and chuckled.

"So, we wasted a trip to get here, then," Cho said and walked away back the way they had come.

Sesshomaru wasted little energy grabbing the back of the woman's kimono and dragging her back to his side as the cloud begun to from under his feet again. Cho reached out and locked her fingers into the fur.

~C~

Yamasuso tapped her fingers across the surface of the dragon's hide. The horde of demons surrounding her moved and swarmed, adjusting in the darkness. She was watching the bubbles and the scenes that were currently playing out. The female working alongside the dog demon had slayed her pack of demons she had forged together in a pit. They had been a long and tedious task that had taken so many of her other demons to create them.

It had been a waste, but she would look at the bright side and call it a necessary waste of her resources. She could see that the pair would work together in thick or thin, and this could possibly work in her favor. At the same time, the pair had left the youthful human alone, with only a dragon and two imps to protect her.

This she could do. Though she's keeping the demon and human bound, she could still use a youthful snack and with them far away from the child, she could grab hold of her, take her, and devour her before they even have time to track her down.

The witch called out into the darkness between the slithering bodies of the dragon that protected her. A shadowy figure moved into the witch's space, its solid form lost long ago. Yamasuso smiled lovingly at the creature and crooked her finger for it to come closer.

"You call to me, mistress?" the creature spoke. Its voice was raspy and hollow, sounding as if it was speaking from some faraway place.

"Yes. This child… I want not for the demon to kill any more of you, my precious demons. I would like you to use your necromancy to recall the dead beneath the human child and her protectors, and have them brought to me," the witch ordered.

"As you wish, my mistress. I shall call the dead to do your bidding," it responded then slithered back out into the dark cave moving.

Yamasuso smiled softly, then shouted out, "Kill the protectors if you have to," she added. "Preferably." She grinned. A soft whisper of "yes" followed her last command.