9 - The Sleeping Monster
He had kept his promise.
The snowfall thickened, billowing and prismatic as it fell from a black sky, coating Asira-sama's compound like it had layered over the western dead, a white, wintry shroud. Inutaisho listened to that terrible silence, the one that had followed his return with the survivors. He felt certain that this was what it would be like to be the last living thing on earth; isolated, heart-weary, and wrenched by survivor's guilt. Only steps away within the walls of Asira's home, his mother was silently grieving with a dignity that made him appreciate what it was to be the mate of a taiyoukai.
He had sworn to extract two lives for every one the west had lost, and he had managed to do that and more before Eido and Eizan had wisely chosen to flee to the main body of the northern army, an invading force still in transit. He supposed, in some strange way, the survivors had likely saved his life, because if he had been the last, he would have pursued Eido straight into the heart of that army, straight into hell, if need be. He hadn't been allowed that comfort, however. There had been his responsibility to Father and Kanaye, and the soul-clenching relief that came with seeing Kaia emerge unexpectedly from the wreckage of the fortress with a pale, silent Sesali gripped in her arms.
He had needed to move them quickly. He knew Eido would not rest until his victory was complete, and so Inutaisho had returned them to his mother. He'd had to tell her that three of her daughters were dead, that her mate and youngest son were likely to join them soon, that her eldest had not arrived in time to make a difference and had not even had the time to bury the lost with the reverence they deserved. He'd had to offer Sesali as her only consolation and she had taken the quiet, doll-like child and clung to her in a way that made his defeat feel so all-encompassing, so complete on every level, he couldn't stand being in the same room with her.
Aching hands clenched the railing that separated him from the snowy courtyard until he heard the sound of stressed, cracking wood. A silent surge of rage set his heart into a furious thump that filled his ears and it was then that he realized he could still smell Ayakami on himself, his clothes, his hair, and with those scents came flashes of faces, beloved, dismembered, lifeless. The west had bled out; it was a cold corpse collapsed over his back, a crushing weight that sent him over the railing before he realized what he was doing. He wrenched the sword from his side and threw it angrily, the sounds of his own heavy breathing loud and uneven as he stalked to the wide frozen pond and broke his way through, ice cracking as he sunk under.
The shock of the cold was both agonizing and inviting, starkly pinpointing every bruised muscle he had earned in that terrible, lonely battle. He went lower, toward the dark, murky bottom, pale hair floating freely like ghostly seaweed. He remained there for a long time, reveling in his growing discomfort until a lightheaded feeling began its unwelcome intrusion. He closed his eyes, focusing until he could see Shinya in all her fiery grace, willowy Hisae, and reckless Iriko.
He would lose his father and Kanaye as well. He could feel it.
Inutaisho snapped back to himself then, lungs seizing in complaint. He rose to the surface, inhaling a choked breath as one hand clutched the snowy bank. He blinked the shadows from his vision and pulled himself out, breathing raggedly while the knife-like winter wind began to freeze his hair and clothes. At least now I smell nothing of them or that place. He stared blankly into the water, which reflected the black horror he felt every time he allowed himself to consider their current predicament. He was the great strategist, the feared warrior, the trusted protector ... and now he was frozen on his knees, unable to adjust to this dizzying change in reality.
"I think you are blinded by your own arrogance and self-importance and questionable talent. They lavish you with wild acclaim as though you were some great, infallible god. I am utterly sick of you. Whatever my brother may have in mind for the west, my only goal is to one day force you to your knees."
His throat clenched as Eizan's words of only a few weeks earlier reverberated inside his skull. Instantly, he shoved himself back to his feet and turned toward the house. He had never lost before. He'd never lost anything. The tension in his body was unbearable, but he forced himself to gather his sword and compose himself. He couldn't afford to wallow in this, whatever it was. He had to save what was left.
When Inutaisho slid open the screened door, there was a measure of gratitude when he found Furu sitting cross-legged next to Kanaye's prone body. The stocky boy glanced up at him, brown eyes nearly covered by a shock of chestnut-colored hair. One eyebrow instantly quirked at his dripping guest. Smokey waves of frost billowed like cloud cover from Inutaisho's body as it made contact with the much warmer room.
"I thought dogs liked water, but you look a little cranky."
Inutaisho stopped short at that, forcing something resembling a weak smile for his hostess' young son. "'Cranky' does not begin to describe it, my little friend." He knelt across the pallet from the boy and immediately felt the heat coming from the body between them. Kanaye was barely recognizable; he was struggling, body lingering in a dismaying condition that had been difficult for their mother to bear, and so Inutaisho had taken over the boy's care. Despite the fact that they had been within Asira's home for a day and a half, Kanaye had shown no signs of healing and, if anything, had worsened with the onset of that undercurrent of heat. Their father was in a similar state; it was as though the two were caught in some sort of stasis due to the strange wounds inflicted by Ryuujin. Something was keeping their swift, inherent healing abilities from kicking in and saving their lives, and so now it was down to willpower.
"He worked really hard, didn't he?" Furu said quietly, inclining his head toward Kanaye.
"Yes, he did."
"If I train as hard as him, maybe I'll be able to fight a whole army soon."
Inutaisho mentally acknowledged the irony of that and felt gratitude toward his companion as the mood lightened. "He was able to do it because he has a strong heart. He's the bravest man I know."
Furu snorted at that. "He's not all that much older than me. He's not really grown up yet."
"A child could not do what he did. What I said was accurate." Inutaisho thought back to what he had found upon his return to Ayakami and wondered at the primal survival instinct he had seen in Kanaye that night. His brother had pushed too far, been pushed too far, and there had been something chilling in what Inutaisho had found when he'd arrived. Something feral and stoked by the most basics instincts: kill, survive, protect.
His own instincts alerted him then to something else, some other presence drawing near. There was a subtle surge in youki and he glanced quickly at Kanaye before propelling himself to his feet and out the door, not even thinking to close it in his haste to meet whatever was coming at them. His mind was filled with Eido and Eizan and the lives that lay behind the walls of the compound as he unsheathed his sword and raced to the front, passing half-asleep sentries who looked up in surprise when the white dog youkai flashed past them like pale flame. Without hesitation, he flung himself over the outer gate and directly into the path of ...
Seiya.
He stopped short and pulled himself to his full height, cooling the adrenaline in his veins. She halted as well, gesturing at the small entourage at her back, and complete silence descended for several moments as they regarded each other. She was clothed in something dark and form-fitting with a heavy cloak draped around her shoulders, a pale, icy princess who looked very much at home in the thick whirl of sleet and snow. He realized he was still brandishing his sword ... and that he could not risk putting it away. The human betrayal was still fresh in his mind, as was the fact that he had first met her within Eido's home. She was as heart-achingly beautiful as he remembered ... and thoroughly suspect. He could not guess her loyalties and could not risk the lives of others with his trust.
She radiated cool calm against his pained suspicion, but he had to quell his instinct to act when she began to move toward him, one purposeful foot placing itself ahead of another until she was less than an arm's length away. He could see the gleam of the delicate gold chains that encircled her wrists, the long hair hanging free, silvery-gold even in the blackness of night and that stare, so direct and unapologetic, as though she could read his darkest thoughts. And, truly, his thoughts were uncharacteristically dark these days. He remained on guard and tense, and even more so when her hand moved to her own twin weapons, thin katanas that rested against one hip.
"Don't," he warned and it felt almost like a plea, but she seemed to understand and merely nodded slightly as she placed the sheathed blades at his feet. Instantly, her guard of twelve disarmed themselves.
"I can send them away if you like," she offered.
"Please."
Starlit hair fluttered lightly in the wind as she turned to speak to her own people, ordering them to move back and wait for her. She then eyed him once more, hands outstretched. "Forgive me, " she spoke quietly. "I should have thought to disarm them earlier. These are strange times."
"How did you know?" he asked, his unease abating enough to allow him to resheath his sword with a resounding click.
"I remained in Japan after the gathering, so I was already nearby," she explained, then her head shook slowly in wonder. "The west is reeling from what has happened. They do not understand how the western inuyoukai have fallen."
"The western inuyoukai are still reeling themselves," he replied grimly.
"I got to Ayakami ahead of the main army," she explained. "I could not bury everyone in time, but I moved three women. They stood out. They smelled like you and your brother."
"Three women," he repeated, swallowing oddly.
"I am confident that one was Kanaye's Nee-sama."
Inutaisho's face tightened as something sharp twisted in his gut. "How could you know that?" he demanded roughly. "You didn't know her. You don't even know me." He stopped, then added in a voice that was laced with warning. "If you have been sent by Eido to mock me, I swear-"
That honest stare persisted, expression unaffected by his unspoken threat. "I knew because I found her at the front of your people," came the certain reply. "She died at the front, Inutaisho, not the back. Do you not realize that that speaks volumes? I don't need to know anything else about her to understand that Kanaye's respect for her was true and earned."
The sudden wave of anger dissipated as quickly as it had erupted and he nodded, feeling worn and weighted.
"What was her name?"
"Shinya."
Seiya nodded and took a step closer, looking up into his face as she said quietly, "He will not find Shinya or the other two. Some day, when you are ready, I will show you where they are. Until then, know that they will rest well."
He frowned in confusion even as he felt unabashed relief that someone had seen to his sisters. "Are you not Eido's ally?"
"I am no one's ally," she replied honestly, "but this is an injustice I cannot ignore. Eido's victory was ill-gotten." Pale eyes flickered thoughtfully toward the compound. "Lady Asira rules the south well, but you will not find rest here for long."
"She is a loyal friend."
"She will be targeted next as long as she shelters you."
She had put into words what he had already known to be true. They would have to move on soon, to where he did not know, but he could not travel with Father and Kanaye in their current conditions. It would most certainly hasten their deaths. He needed to buy them time, either to heal or to die with dignity, and he was certain Eido would not allow for either option.
"How many retreated with you?" she questioned. "You can regroup. I can call on my own people in China and you still have allies in Japan. We can -" She stopped, looking faintly taken aback when he laughed lowly at her suggestion, a bitter sound that echoed in the night.
"I retreated with my father and brother, both of whom are nearly dead. I also have a deaf hanyou, a grieving mother who has never seen a battle, and a three-year-old sister. That is what I am capable of regrouping."
"That is all? Truly?"
"Truly."
She regarded him silently once more, before asking almost cautiously, "Will you allow me to enter?"
Inutaisho's first instinct was to say no. He was on edge, prepared to see assassins coming from every nook and shadow. He was so fixated on preserving the few lives that were left, he could see little else. But he recognized something in her; he could not be certain if she was kind-hearted or calculating, but he believed the honesty he saw in her face. There was no duplicity, just an unapologetic straightforwardness that reminded him more than a little of the boy that was struggling for life inside the compound. He followed his instincts, even though his trust in them was fiercely shaken, and reluctantly stepped aside, gesturing her toward the gate. She stepped past him and he followed in her wake, inhaling the clean, living scent of her, watching with open interest as she stopped briefly outside the room that housed his father. The screens glowed with the gentle gold of candlelight, creating strange shadows that appeared more ominous than interesting. He watched the back of her head, catching her eye as she glanced carefully at him, expression inscrutable, before relying on her senses to find the room that housed Kanaye.
Furu was absent when they entered and Inutaisho knelt beside Seiya, watching as she extended one pale hand toward Kanaye's mottled face.
"I would not recognize this as the same boy. It seems Eido's heart holds little kindness or mercy, even toward someone so unprepared," she murmured, turning her face toward him, angelic in the dim light.
"He was able to stay up long enough to keep the vultures off of Father. He was alone with them when I found him. I am not sure how he managed it."
"I imagine hoping to hear you say something like that was part of his motivation."
Inutaisho's brow furrowed at that as he regarded his struggling brother. Did Kanaye value his approval so much? He was not sure. Their's was not the sort of typical relationship that brothers tended to have, with the younger dogging each and every revered step of the elder. No, he and Kanaye had a different sort of kinship, one of mutual respect, of distinct personalities, of shared camaraderie against a pack of overzealous sisters and an understanding that one was very unlike the other. They were two sides of a coin, opposites that orbited the same sun, which was the burden that came from being the only sons of a taiyoukai that was widely regarded as the most dominant figure in Japan, of a ruler who had been unshakably in place for over five hundred years.
Inutaisho was roused from his thoughts as he watched Seiya gently inspect Ryuujin's work: that dark, hellish wound that had been punched through the chest and was now refusing to close. It all but pulsed with a dark poison that had Asira's people baffled.
"I know this," she said softly. "Does your father suffer from the same?"
"Yes. It's not responding to anything we do. It's spreading and I believe it is the reason their other injuries are not healing."
"That is because this was inflicted by Ryuujin. I will assume you were not touched by it during your own battle with Eido."
Inutaisho's face was grim. "It will be a cold day in hell before I allow that bastard to touch me with anything."
"You must understand," Seiya went on, looking at him earnestly, "that sword was created specifically to destroy youkai. Even if a death blow is not dealt, one will eventually succumb to the spreading effects."
He felt something hard settle in the pit of his stomach. "Then you are saying there is no way to help them?"
"That is not what I said at all, but that sword reflects Eido's cruelty very well." Her expression became almost sympathetic as she said, "This cannot be cured; it must be cleansed. You will have to find a human priest or priestess to help them."
"You are telling me to have them purified? In their current state? It will kill them," he replied brusquely.
"Then perhaps it would be merciful either way. They will die as they are and it will be a slow, undignified death. You must make a decision."
He made no immediate reply, watching as slender fingers lightly grazed the shadowy, spreading wound ... and, apparently, that was all it took. Kanaye's chest suddenly rose with the sound of a death rattle as sickly yellow eyes opened. One ruined hand instinctively struck like a snake, grasping Seiya's fingers in a death grip and filling the room with the sound of snapping bone. Inutaisho moved to separate them, but Seiya, looking distinctly unperturbed by the crushing grip, gestured with her other hand for him to be still.
"Kanaye," she said in quiet greeting, clasping the back of his clenched hand with her free one. "You are even more of a troublemaker than I first guessed. Well done." She glanced at Inutaisho once more. "I can see the decision in your face. Go. I will stay with them."
Something in him remained hesitant, even as he found himself trusting her words. "Why are you doing this, Seiya?"
She considered that for a moment before replying quietly, "Because I think I will be important to you."
Inutaisho went to the nearest human town of substance, one that was tucked neatly into a hillside, sleepy and silent and unprepared for the arrival of a bitter, angry youkai. If anyone owed him anything, if anyone should be forced to save those lives it was a human and he was prepared to do what he had to do in order to make that happen. He dropped onto the road out of his pitched hurry, movements shadowed by the purple of pre-dawn, feeling that surge of anger rising once more as soon as he caught that human scent. It was uncharacteristic; he had been raised toward something else, but his soul burned for vengeance and, for once, his innate benevolence toward humans seemed to be lacking. Intellectually, he understood the difference between these people and those of Hokido, but in his heart he knew humans would not be so discerning between demons if the situation were reversed. He wanted to show them what it felt like to lose everything in the space of hours, to know what it was like to see family members dissected on the ground, spent and meaningless. In his mind's eye, he could see what he could do to this place; he could destroy it. Remove it from existence. He could take a priest. He could take a dozen of them and force them to save his father and brother.
Inutaisho slipped past the sentries at the gate and dropped into one of the backstreets near the outer wall, still considering the fate of this place. His head immediately turned, taking in the odd sights and sounds of a town waking up. He saw the open back door of a small hut, the sounds and smells of cooking, and then movement ... he looked on as a small girl knelt at play, whirling some sort of stick with a shiny stone tied to the end. She stopped when she noticed him, looked up at her surprising visitor and smiled with all the innocence that comes from ignorance.
"Yasha," she murmured.
"I am no spirit," he replied, equally quietly. And I am not terribly friendly at the moment, I'm afraid. He and the girl regarded each other silently for a few moments, her face full of curiosity, his blank and appraising. And then he felt a sudden surge of shame. She does not understand me because she does not know what I am capable of. She has not seen it for herself and that is to Asira-sama's credit. He would not undo Lady Asira's work in a moment of vengeance against a group of people who had nothing to do with his predicament.
Inutaisho turned from the girl and moved silently through the empty backstreet until he reached the village's small, crude temple. It was surrounded by a neatly-tended garden, meant to radiate simplicity and austerity, a symbol of calm for the people of the village, but it did nothing to soothe him. He walked up the steps and pushed open the doors, face cooling into an indecipherable mask as he prepared himself for the most likely response to a youkai's sudden entry. Lured by the sounds of intrusion, an elderly, robed monk entered the room to investigate and, immediately, his mouth opened as though to alert his fellows. He was quickly silenced by Inutaisho's upraised hand.
"There is no reason to call them. With or without them, I could easily destroy this place and its people, and I would prefer not. Deal with me civilly and I will offer the same. Needlessly escalate this and I will fully defend myself."
The man glanced cautiously over one shoulder before gesturing toward a small room off the main thoroughfare. Inutaisho followed him inside, turning to watch as the monk quickly snapped the door to a close. The scent of incense was thick, coating his sense of smell with its sickening aroma.
"Why have you come here, youkai? This is a place of rest and peace, and your kind finds comfort in neither." The monk's tone was suspicious; hands hung loosely at his sides, even as the subtle shake of fingers suggested he was feeling more nervous than calm.
"To be blunt, I need you," Inutaisho replied, unblinking as he stared into the ancient, weathered face. "My family has come under assault. Our enemies used a weapon that inflicts a kind of damage that cannot be healed by our own bodies; the wounds fester and spread like disease, ultimately leading to death. I have been told that the only viable cure requires the assistance of a priest ." He paused, then added, "I have no other option. To save their lives, I have to ask you to purify them."
"You are inuyoukai from the west," the man murmured, brown eyes narrowing in appraisal. "Why would you come so far to make such a strange request?"
"At the moment, we are guests of Lady Asira, the taiyoukai who rules the demons of southern Japan. She has not faltered in her kindness toward us, but it is imperative that we move on quickly, both for her well-being and for the human population," Inutaisho explained, hoping honesty would win what force could not. "I cannot move my father and brother until they are cured."
The monk's gaze was dispassionate, unreadable, and his answer crushing. "You cannot believe that a human monk would defile himself in such a way. Youkai feed on human misery and despair. I cannot assist you. It would go against everything I stand for, everything I protect here."
There was a hot surge of temper as Inutaisho felt his control begin to slip, anger evident in his voice. "You have no idea what you are talking about, old man. If you knew anything about our ways or who you are dealing with, you would be asking to assist me. The ramifications of my father's death will be felt by many, human and demon alike."
"Is that a threat?"
"It can be if that motivates you."
The monk pulled back then, eyes hooded. "Then you represent exactly what I protect this village from," he said lowly, breaking the stalemate as he paced a few steps toward the middle of the room. He put up a relaxed front, but Inutaisho's eyes could pick up the tell-tale signs of strain in his voice and posture. "I will not help you, youkai."
Inutaisho's restraint broke then. He grabbed hold of the monk before he could stop himself, pressing him against the wall as one hand wrapped entirely around the old man's spindly arm. "This sort of ignorance is what leads to needless death," he barked. "It is not I who will bring disaster to you and your village, it is the man who defeated my family. You do not know him or what he is capable of. You know as little about him as you do about me, and yet you, so secure in your false wisdom and your lacking education filled with human nonsense, assume that I am like him." He released the man with a light shove, putting distance between them before his anger gained a better foothold. "My family serves as a bulwark in the west. We have stood between the demon and human population for over ten centuries, just as Asira-sama does here. I am sure you despise her, too, do you not? You think she is merely idle, secure in her power and unwilling to move against the humans around her? You have no idea what she does every day so that the people in your village can endure a mindless afternoon of rice-farming, so that your children can play safely without being snatched from their mothers' arms by some mindless youkai. You are so smug and self-righteous. I see it in your face. You believe that ease of mind has come through your efforts and not hers, and you are so very wrong."
"You speak nonsense," the old man sneered, offended by the words. "We are beneath her notice. That is how we survive. Youkai view us as a pestilence."
"Yes, that is so. Many do view humans in that way, but it remains a matter of pride. A tight leash on the lesser youkai is a direct expression of power. I do not know Asira-sama's true feelings toward humans, but I can tell you for a fact that her work keeps you alive, whether directly or indirectly. It is the same in the west. If you refuse to help me, you are effectively destroying what defense there is for the humans that reside there."
The monk was silent for several moments before finally replying, "Even if what you say is true, I cannot assist you. I have my oaths and I will not break them to save something so monstrous. Youkai are born from depravity, from the worst of what lurks in this world. It would only be to human benefit if whatever weapon was used against your people continued its work."
Inutaisho swallowed back the black rage those words summoned, quelling his desire to obliterate the tiny old man as he carefully controlled his voice. "You call us monstrous and depraved. Do you even know who you refuse to save? Then I will tell you. My younger brother, Kanaye. He's an absolute brat, but I cannot express how proud I am of that boy. He has educated himself beyond any of us; in fact, I would wager he knows more about humans and their cultures than the lot of this village combined. He spends his days teaching a deaf hanyou girl to communicate even though he finds it a thoroughly frustrating task. He takes himself too seriously, he's cocky and overconfident, but his soul is honest and he has never raised a hand against a human." Inutaisho paused, thoughts passing to the other. "Then there is Kazuya-sama, my father. He has served as the western lord for over five centuries. He raised his children to view humans as part of our responsibility, to put ourselves between those who would do harm and those who cannot adequately defend themselves. To him, power is displayed through benevolence and order. We have lost people to his cause, but he has instilled enough honor in me and my siblings to see the virtue in his ways. In the end, he was betrayed by the humans he protected, his people were decimated, his daughters murdered as they fought beside him. He has lost everything. All because he so unwisely believed he could trust the humans he'd so often defended in the past, but with your short lives come short memories. Those two, they are the monsters you refuse to save."
The monk's eyes averted as he digested the words, but when he spoke again his voice was kinder. "You show an unexpected capacity for kinship, youkai, and so I will say that you have my sympathies, but this is a demon matter. I will not risk pulling this village into the middle of what is clearly an affair between youkai."
At that, Inutaisho felt himself give in to the absurdity and laughed quietly, a short, bitter sound. There was humiliation at having bared himself so openly to a human, and all for nothing. There was also a seething rage churning just under the surface and it was that that colored his final words. "Then you had better return to your prayers, old man. You will need them, for the west has fallen. If Asira-sama follows, you will look back on this day with the kind of regret I am feeling now." He shoved the door open with one clawed hand, the gold light of full dawn assaulting him in all its splendor. It might as well have been a black, open maw. "There is some irony in this, though, human," he said quietly as he prepared to take his leave. "I will be leaving this village intact even as your inaction finishes the executions my enemies have started. Your callousness and self-interest have shown me that there was indeed a monster in this room all along ... and it wasn't me."
Inutaisho returned to Asira's home in time to say farewell to his father, who managed to regain some measure of clarity in his final moments. He spoke gently to his mate, gave kind instructions to his son and asked for Sesali, who was brought in by Kaia, more asleep than awake. Not understanding the gravity of the situation, the girl merely tucked herself in beside her father, one small pale hand wrapped around a larger wrist as she returned to sleep. So unaware that this day was not like other days, that when she woke he would not be there, but in some ways, even though the death had been slow and torturous, the end was eerily beautiful. Inutaisho remained on his knees, expressionless, posture erect, listening to his own dull heartbeat as his father's slowed and ceased.
When it was over, he looked to his mother, whose face was pale and shadowed by grief. She reached out one hand to stroke Kazuya's long, silvery hair as she said quietly, "Kanaye will follow him soon. You should remain nearby, Inutaisho." Golden eyes flickered to his face. "Seiya ... that young woman from China ... she remained with him while you were gone. He has been speaking to her some, but so little of it makes sense. It is the same sort of hallucination effect your father suffered."
"Will you not see him, mother? He needs you, not Seiya."
The hand withdrew from Kazuya and she averted her eyes. "There is something ... wrong with Kanaye. Beyond the state of his body. It is like ...," she paused and then looked at him fully, fearfully. "It is almost like he is not my son. I do not recognize him. Something terrible has happened and I feel like I don't fully understand it."
Inutaisho was surprised at this confusion, the uncharacteristic coldness. His mother had always been very hands-on, inordinately so for a youkai, and she had never lacked feeling for any of her children. His mind prompted him back to his arrival on the battlefield and the Kanaye he had found there; he had felt it then, that difference she spoke of, but for it to have altered such deep maternal instinct was chilling. He made sure his voice was kind as he replied, "Mother, he is the same person. I have some idea of what he had to do to keep himself and the others alive. It was beyond what he should have been asked to do. This change you feel in him will pass if he survives; if he does not, you will regret not making peace with him. He is in this state because he was defending those you love. Bear that in mind."
"Let me remember him in the way I knew him. Not as this. When the end comes, I will be there for him," she promised quietly.
The end. Inutaisho looked once more at his father; he could feel the body cooling, and so he reached for Sesali, pulling the sleeping girl into his arms as he looked across the room at his father's swords. They had been removed from him and placed in intricately-carved racks that adorned the far wall. His eyes settled on one in particular. Tenseiga. The newer of the swords that had been crafted by Toutousai; it was capable of resurrecting humans, its abilities a gift from the western gatekeeper to the youkai lord who so frequently extended himself to protect the frailest of creatures within his domain. Kuroshi ... it is not humans who need resurrecting today ...
He was on his feet before the idea had completely formed, passing Sesali off to his mother as he moved to the sword. Its polished hilt gleamed in the dull, orange light as he unclasped it from its sheath, pulling it out partially for inspection. It represented a joint effort between himself and his father, a symbol, the blade constructed from both of them, meant to be passed from Kazuya to Inutaisho from the very beginning. And now, he supposed, it had been. Wordlessly, he placed the sword fully in the sheath once more and secured it at his side before turning to find his mother eyeing him questioningly.
"I have someone I need to speak to, Mother. I will be back by morning," he said, feeling her appraising stare on his back as he exited the room, heart heavy and steps heavier. Within moments, he was sliding open the door to his room, grateful to find Seiya where he had left her, seated primly beside Kanaye's still, sweat-soaked body as though waiting for tea to be served. You really are a princess, aren't you? he thought idly.
Seiya glanced up at him questioningly, eyes jewel-like in the low light as he knelt beside her. She seemed to find her answer in his demeanor. "It was not your failure," she said coolly, without preamble. "Humans have many failings. Their blindness when it comes to self-preservation is only one of many. They do not understand that as they seal the fate of your family, they help seal their own. Eido will not extend the benevolence and protection that was offered by your father."
He nodded. "That argument fell on deaf ears."
"You carry a new sword."
Nothing gets past you, does it? he wondered in surprise as he brushed one hand across the sheath. "This is Tenseiga. It's a healing sword, meant to give my father some extra level of protection for the humans. He has always used it sparingly, but now ... if the humans will not help me, I will go to the western gatekeeper to see what he can do, if anything."
"Can he resurrect youkai as well?"
"I don't know. Most of his dealings have been with my father, so I do not know the extent of his powers, but he is my last option, short of abducting a human priest and attempting to force him to heal Kanaye. That is likely to end up with Kanaye being killed in an act of martyrdom. I cannot risk that just yet." His troubled gaze traveled to his brother. "I am running out of options, Seiya."
"Then go. I will remain until you return. Your mother seems to be ... struggling with him," she said delicately, nod indicating Kanaye.
At that, a surge of warmth toward her briefly lightened his heart. He reached for the hand closest to him and was surprised when she allowed him to take it. The fingers Kanaye had snapped earlier were neatly aligned once more and so he allowed himself to press them lightly between his own. "At least now he seems more inclined to sleep than to break bones."
"He is free to break them as much as he likes. It means he is still alive," she replied lightly, lips curving seductively in faint humor. "He is enduring the worst of this. The least I can do is offer a small amount of commiseration." She appeared thoughtful as she regarded the hand that had entwined with hers. "Save his life, Inutaisho. Focus on that. And when that is done, I will save all of you. You have my word."
He studied her with some surprise. She was a total enigma to him: detached, but warm ... calculating, but compassionate ... she made no sense. He could not predict her, but he was confident in one thing already: her word was good. She was nothing if not honest, he could feel that much for certain. "I barely know who or what you are," he admitted quietly. "I don't know what you want, but I am inexpressibly grateful for you right now."
She turned to face him fully, mere inches from him as flawless lips turned upward once more, green eyes wide and honest. "I think I want you," she replied softly, blunt as ever, "but right now my focus is on making sure you live long enough for me to know for certain. Part of that is keeping your family safe for you. I already do that for my own. What you see is a natural extension of me. Don't fear my intentions."
His heart all but thumped gratitude for this strange, beguiling girl as he leaned forward to kiss her lightly on the forehead, just above the crescent mark that had so captivated him the day he had first laid eyes on her. It was a platonic gesture of thanks ... and not so much, because he felt certain she was meant to be more to him than a friend. She had all but said so herself, that she would be important to him. He knew better than to believe anything else.
Inutaisho drew away from her and rose to his feet, sliding the door open to find that the thick snowfall had returned, gray skies unleashing a torrent of white on the heavily-coated grounds. He stopped instantly, obediently, at the sound of her voice.
"Inutaisho," she murmured. "You have my condolences for your father."
He glanced back at her, unable to fully voice his loss, and so he said what was most sincere in his heart. "He was a good man."
"He has been replaced by the same," she replied, her own answer ringing just as honestly.
The sky was pitch black and pinpricked by stars that resembled tiny beads of light sewn into a velvet tapestry. The crisp air and light snowfall made for what Inutaisho would long remember as the clearest, most beautiful night in his memory. There was a sense of clarity, of resolution, all clinging to the very air he breathed. As he waited for Kuroshi's arrival, Inutaisho marveled that he could appreciate such natural beauty on one of the worst days of his life.
He felt it then, that subtle surge in youki that always preceded Kuroshi's arrival, and he turned to look behind him as a lithe form emerged from the ice-slickened pond. The demon coalesced quickly, morphing from insubstantial to robed and present, all within mere moments ... and then Kuroshi's eternally young face smiled kindly back at him, sea-colored hair hanging in gentle waves across his shoulders.
"I am surprised to see you here, Inutaisho. This is a difficult time for you."
Inutaisho took a step toward him, feeling a sense of relief at the absolute peace the demon radiated. It was like a soothing balm applied to a raw wound. "Then you know I am in full possession of Tenseiga now."
Kuroshi's head bowed deferentially. "I also know that you are now the western lord. Western Japan has reason to mourn ... and to celebrate. Kazuya-sama was a great and just man. You will be even greater, that I know without doubt."
Inutaisho couldn't stop the derisive sound he made at that proclamation. "Greater than him at what? I have lost the west. I am lord of nothing, and right now I am not able to spare the energy to care overly much about that. I am here to ask you for help, Kuroshi. You owe me nothing, but I've come to you because of your unique ... associations ... and the affection you hold toward my family." Inutaisho barely recognized his own voice, but he was out of options other than to return to Asira's home and build two funeral pyres. "I have very little else to lose and I am willing to do whatever is necessary to keep what's left."
"Kanaye."
"Yes."
Kuroshi's pale eyes fell to where Tenseiga rested against Inutaisho's hip. "That sword ... I remember the day your father brought it to me. He said it was created with all the heart and authority of the west, that it came from the two of you. He was a unique individual." Kuroshi smiled fondly at his own memories, reaching forward questioningly for the sword. Inutaisho detached it from his side and handed it to him. "His pride in you was fierce. As hard as he worked, as much blood and effort as he put into his domain, he told me that you were his greatest accomplishment in the west."
The soothed wound was suddenly rubbed raw. "He was as intensely forgiving of my flaws as I was of his. Neither of us was perfect, but we saw each other clearly. You cannot ask for more from a father than that."
"He molded you into precisely what the west needs to save itself."
Inutaisho said nothing to that, simply looked on as Kuroshi unsheathed Tenseiga and stared at his own bright reflection. Without warning, he passed one hand over the blade, a gentle caress that slit the hand from fingers to wrist. Blood dripped into soft, pristine snow as Kuroshi looked up once more and extended his hand for inspection. "If a human had done the same, it would have healed immediately. I believe you are here because this sword is incomplete. I know you well, Inutaisho. Just as I knew Kazuya."
Inutaisho frowned at the enigmatic words. "I came because I want the option to resurrect Kanaye if he should die."
"You are treading dangerous ground," Kuroshi said lightly, but his tone suggested seriousness. "For a youkai to be able to wield something that exerts such complete dominance over death, that risks all natural balance. It is beyond my power to grant."
"Then not even you can help me," Inutaisho said quietly, that feeling of defeat resurging. He was certain he had never before felt such total, all-encompassing exhaustion.
"I did not say that," Kuroshi replied, smiling faintly as Inutaisho's head lifted once more. "I will intervene with my master on your behalf. Demon souls are his domain and he is a jealous, possessive caretaker. If he agrees, I must warn you to wield that sword carefully, thoughtfully. If your interventions are excessive, you will unleash something that I think even the mighty Inutaisho-sama may not be prepared for."
"But you believe he will grant your request?"
"I believe he will demand something in return."
Internal warning rang as Inutaisho cautiously asked, "And what will that be?"
The western gatekeeper glanced up at the pitch-dark sky. "Do you see the clearness in this night? It is a beauty rarely appreciated by the creatures of this world, human and youkai alike." Light wind jostled Kuroshi's hair as he moved closer to Inutaisho, soul as clean and bare as the night sky above them. "I am from the sea, but I have been land-locked, serving my master and your family for so long, I cannot remember the smell of salt in the air or the comfort of total immersion. But I do remember that the sky so often looked like this. Clean, new, like it was freshly-washed by the hand of a god. My heart sings every time I see it."
"Your master will not allow you to return to the sea?"
Kuroshi lifted his arms, the silvery threads of ghostly manacles glowing briefly in pale starlight. "I am trapped. He will not release me until I have a replacement strong enough to endure my position. I am stuck here for eternity until that happens."
Grim understanding dawned on Inutaisho then. "You want me to agree to be your replacement."
Kuroshi nodded, smile fading, appearing almost apologetic. "Not immediately. I will wait as long as I can, for you have so much to accomplish yet, so much left to do to secure the legacy your father left you. I will wait for as long as I can. It is a difficult thing for me to ask at all. I feel genuine love for your family. I felt them pass through the gate. Each of them."
Inutaisho silently regarded Kuroshi before finally asking in an odd tone, "Are they at peace?"
"There was so much confusion the night your sisters died. It was so unexpected, I was caught off guard and so I cannot say for certain." His voice became gentle as he went on, "Your father was different. There was a feeling of completion, an inadequate word to describe what I felt, but close enough. It is .. a warm experience, beautiful and peaceful, when a soul passes through in that way." He stopped, seeming to search for words as Inutaisho listened in silent wonder. "I suppose I can say it best in this way: his heart was not consumed with Eido or loss or treachery, it was filled with all of you."
Inutaisho turned his back to Kuroshi, mind and heart filled with the demon's words. They had respawned that unnamed agony, the same one he had felt so keenly when he'd cleansed himself of Ayakami's lingering scent. He knew he was not thinking clearly; he wasn't even sure if he was capable of that anymore. His recent losses had finely honed his sense of purpose into one of preservation. Save Kanaye. Keep them all safe. Return for the west.
He felt his hand wrap around the hilt of his own sword. It was what he had always turned to in an effort to preserve what was important before. Now, though, it was useless. The enemy was beyond his reach, even beyond his voice. All it would take to vanquish it was to offer himself. There was both dread and peace in the decision, and some distant irony. He would buy Kanaye's life for the price of his own, even though he was certain the human monk would have argued the idea that youkai had souls at all.
A future already written, a debt to be paid.
He could not feel a difference in Tenseiga. Inutaisho had only Kuroshi's word that his master, the Serpent King, had agreed to the terms, and that it had been returned to him capable of reviving youkai. His mind was full of the looming toll; not knowing when the contract would be called in was difficult to accept, though he supposed knowing would be even worse. It would be pointlessly distracting, living life with a date circled in his mind. It was done. It was the least he owed his family for not having been there that night; everything, all that had gone wrong had spun outward from his decision to leave that day. He wondered how long that would haunt him, that last careless conversation with Shinya when she had teasingly referred to him as the spare in her shadow. He felt now that he would be in her shadow forever, tied to the task of righting what he could and praying for forgiveness for the rest.
He was so distracted, he barely saw Asira-sama's walled home come into view in the distance, but his sense of hearing managed to snap him out of his reverie. A cry. Agonized, vengeful, like something unearthly unleashed. Instantly, he picked up speed, hurtling toward the compound and past the stone walls. The front courtyard was quiet, encapsulated by the usual snowy solitude, and so he rushed to the back, ears picking up on his mother's fearful voice ... Seiya's clear, demanding tone ... and ...
He stopped himself almost as soon as he rounded the building, horror struck by what he found. The snowswept grounds were soaked with blood and ... remnants ... of something that had once been living. He felt his insides harden at the sight, his sense of smell assaulted by the reek of blood and death. Beyond the wasted remains, he found Seiya bent in the snow, silvery-gold hair loose and fluttering in the calm breeze as she worked to pin a struggling form that had managed to wrap a hand around her throat.
Kanaye.
He moved before he had completely absorbed the scene, passing Kaia, then his mother, who appeared pale and stricken as she watched Seiya's struggle. Inutaisho shoved past them and bent beside Seiya. If the situation had not been so dire, he supposed he would almost have smiled at the look of cool calculation she wore, as though unmoved by the Kanaye-like creature that was desperately attempting to throttle the life out of her. Green eyes flickered briefly toward him before she dug further into the snow with her legs, using all of her strength to keep the boy from throwing her off of him. Wordlessly, he pried Kanaye's fingers from around her throat and gripped the hand as he worked to get his face in the boy's field of vision.
"Kanaye! Enough!" He barked the words, amazed at the sudden change from prone and sleeping to possessing a murderous, vengeful strength. The eyes were red-tinged, radiating a molten rage Inutaisho had never seen before. He felt Seiya pressed beside him, warm and unrelenting in her own attempts to hold down her charge.
Inutaisho tried a different tactic then, dropping his voice to something calmer even as he kept a firm grip on the arm. "The battle is over, Kanaye. Stop this. You're hurting Seiya and frightening our mother."
He watched that familiar face change, eyes fading back to a murky gold as Kanaye's head dropped back into the snow, exhausted, chest heaving for air. The fight drained out of the body so suddenly and completely, Inutaisho could almost feel Seiya's suspicion. He nodded gratefully at her and she rose to her feet, all grace once more as she peered down at the two brothers who remained firmly embedded in the snow. Inutaisho released his grip on Kanaye's arm as he recognized the weary, bewildered stare.
"Nee-sama..."
"You brat. I'm not that pretty," Inutaisho replied warmly to Kanaye's obvious confusion.
"Nii-sama."
"That's more like it." He glanced up at Seiya, who appeared regal and aloof once more. "Who was that?" he questioned, nodding toward the remains that littered the snow.
"A priest," she replied calmly. "He went to Asira-sama and told her you had requested his help for your father and brother." Seiya glanced carefully at the now-wilted Kanaye. "He'd been so docile, I did not consider him capable of such a violent response. But when the priest purified Ryuujin's effects ..." A delicate pause. "Well, I can only say that Kanaye reacted badly to being purified and was disturbingly thorough in his methods. I don't believe the priest had time to suffer very much for my error."
"Purified ..." Inutaisho repeated blankly. The weight of Tenseiga suddenly felt unbearably heavy. The priest had changed his mind; he'd come after all and had lost his life for it. Inutaisho had been desperate to avoid more death, and had lost his future for it. If he had waited longer, neither he or the monk would have lost anything at all. He would almost have found humor in the ridiculousness of it all if not for the grim horror of the situation.
He looked beyond Seiya for his mother ... and was disheartened to find her gone, completely absent from the scene. He did not understand what had changed, but there was an undercurrent of something he found disturbing. The mother that had raised them would have been the first to run to Kanaye, not the first to run away, and he could not explain why there had been such a fundamental shift in her feelings. He did see that Kaia still lurked nearby and sent her on an errand to clean the gory mess that was Kanaye's room.
That left only the three of them out in the snow: himself, Seiya and Kanaye. Just like that day at Eido's home when Kanaye had sent Eizan away with a broken nose and a good dose of wounded pride. It seemed so long ago. Now, though, for the first time in days, there was an honest sense of hope. Kanaye's body was freed of Ryuujin's poison and already lurching into recovery mode and Seiya had proved to be exactly the ally he'd needed, right when he had needed one most. He looked up at the woman that stood over him, little more than a girl, really, but so serious and forthright, it was easy to forget that. She seemed to sense his warm thoughts because she knelt in the snow once more, glancing carefully at him before leaning forward to whisper something in Kanaye's ear.
When Seiya's head lifted, she graced him with one of her rare, sincere smiles. "You did save him, you know, even if it wasn't the way you thought you would have to do it. He smells like Kanaye now, not like Ryuujin. His body can take care of the rest."
Inutaisho's answering smile was rather grim as he glanced from her to the blood-splattered snow. He felt certain he was in for an interesting discussion with Asira-sama. "I need to see what I can do for the priest. I suppose I owe him that much."
"And I need to see to the promise I made to you," Seiya said brusquely, rising to her feet once more.
"To save me and my family?" he asked curiously. "And just how will you see to that?"
"Don't look so smug, Inutaisho," she replied archly. "My methods are my own. You can expect to hear from me soon."
He looked on as she turned to leave, his curiosity getting the best of him. "You whispered something to Kanaye. May I ask what you said?"
She glanced over her shoulder, seeming to consider whether she wanted to divulge the information. "I reminded him that he once said the two of you were useless. I told him I have never known anyone who has displayed as much effort and devotion as the two of you. You suit each other."
She moved away and this time Inutaisho let her go, keeping his mind's reply to himself. And you, princess ... I am more than certain that you suit me...
Locating Eido's army encampment was a simple matter. Seiya had only to follow the trail of dead humans and burned out villages until she found the carousing pack of dog demons situated in the valley outside Ayakami. The noise and scent of them set her in a rather irritable mood, her arrival inciting a near-violent response as they reacted first to the sight of her, pale and fair-haired, much like the western inuyoukai. Scent wisely won that battle before it started and they settled down, though there was some measure of violence when one of them unwisely whispered a lewd suggestion as she passed.
Seiya calmly stepped over the body and moved on to Eido's tent, entering without so much as a warning or an invitation. She found the dark-haired northern lord examining an ancient, tattered map, his muscular form caught in the dusky glow of candlelight. Eido was known to spend a lot of time on his weapons training and he looked every bit the part.
He glanced up briefly from his work. "I was surprised to hear you did not return to China."
"I will return when I am ready."
"I was also surprised to hear that you've been lurking about Lady Asira's home with the remnants of the western filth."
She moved forward a few steps until she was standing less than an arm's reach from him. "You sound jealous, Eido."
He sighed at that and dropped the map, violet eyes flickering toward her. "Perhaps. But then I have never made my feelings for you a secret, have I? You are special, Seiya. Generally, when I want something, I just take it."
She smiled grimly at that. "You can try to take it. Is Eizan prepared to take over as northern lord? I can assure you there will be a vacancy."
Eido laughed genuinely at that and she was surprised, as always, by his strange affection for her. He got to his feet and moved to open a lacquered trunk, placing the map inside before withdrawing another. He set it on the table before turning his full attention to her. "I will not lay a hand on you until you ask for it, and now that you seem wrapped up in the tragic saga of the west's darling Inutaisho-sama, I gather that I will be waiting a while longer. I assume he has something to do with why you have come to me."
Seiya folded silk-sleeved arms, schooling her face into the expression that tended to send her father's workers scrambling for cover. "I came to tell you something, not to ask you for something."
"Oh?" Eido asked, eyebrows rising with interest. "Then say it. You have, as always, my undivided attention."
"I am going to return to China with Inutaisho and his family," Seiya said calmly. "If you choose to follow them, if you cross the sea and enter my territory, I will make certain you disappear in a most violent and unfortunate way. You will be a sad footnote in the history of your people, and you know that I have both the ability and the resources to make that happen."
He sighed at that, reaching out one large hand to gently grasp a handful of silky hair. "Do you like him so much, Seiya?"
"I recognize his face," she replied coolly. "The kindness in his soul certainly exceeds mine, but he is so like me in the role he serves within his family. You have broken them. Enough."
"I'm going to kill him one day, as well as the others. It's a matter of time. Don't waste too much energy on them."
"Then don't be surprised if you find me there to meet you."
He released his hold on her hair and stepped back, shaking his head as though in disbelief. "You underestimate the kindness in your soul, Seiya."
A delicate eybrow lifted at that. "Perhaps. Just don't underestimate my more expansive capacity for cruelty, Eido."
His smile returned, oddly sincere and always off-putting to her for the fact that it was so ill-matched to the black soul of this man. "Indeed," he replied, bowing formally. "It's what I enjoy most about you, Hime-sama. Take your new pet and run, but understand that you are only buying time for him."
Seiya moved to exit the tent, her voice laced with warning as she called a parting reply. "Eido, I have met the man you intend to kill. He will come for you some day. In the end, it will be you who will need to buy time."
So weird. Seriously. 5 years later and here I go again. As mentioned in my profile, it has always bothered me that this remained unfinished. The original outline/chapter 9 was lost long ago when my computer crashed and I just never gathered the energy to rewrite it all. Now, though, I am stuck trying to remember all the little details of the plot. It's been coming back bit by bit, helped along by the same "soundtrack" I had going when I worked on Chapter 8. Yes, I write by music. :) This chapter feels a little rushed, so I do apologize for that.
I cannot say how often this will be updated, only that I intend to finish it so that it will stop bugging me when I think about it. :) I am out of school and have a job, so my free time is a good bit more limited, but it will get done. Now I just have to try to get back "into" the minds of these characters. Chapter 10 will finish out the flashback, and then back to the main story. Next chapter, I follow them to China. :)
