Here's Chapter 10, folks! Thanks for the reviewing, hope there's more l) This chapter will uncover a newer enemy; one that will leave you questioning and curious for later chapters (I hope) l).
Enjoy!
Previous:
"You've taught our boy well." Sesshomaru's deep voice broke her thoughts. She blushed a light pink. 'Our boy…' She thought, her heart floating at the thought of having Sesshomaru's pups and kits. However, those ideas disappeared when she thought of the outcome. 'He could never consider having a mixed kin. They would probably be too weak for his liking.' Amaya frowned at the upsetting thought.
Sesshomaru sniffed the air and smelt Amaya's disappointment. He was confused, glancing at her to see the beautiful demoness frowning, her eyes glazed over in thought and held back tears. 'She is upset of something.' He thought. Wrapping his hand in her and squeezing it, he felt her calm down and look up at him. She forced out a smile at him. "I am well, Lord Sesshomaru. I was just thinking."
"Thinking of something that upset you." He stated blandly. Her face showed the look of being caught. He smiled quickly. "Come." She obeyed him, letting him guide her outside. When she saw the sight in front of her she gasped.
A beautiful horse drawn carriage laid out for them, with two massive horses—both black with white haired legs—strapped up to the carriage. The carriage itself was made out of maple wood and various amount of metal products that were available in the Feudal Era. Like the carriage, the horses were handsomely dressed up and ready for departure.
"Oh Kami, it's breathtaking!" Amaya managed to speak again. Sesshomaru chuckled at her reaction, proud to say the least at it too. The carriage was big enough to carry up to eight people, four on each side in the inside. Since he was bringing a few of his best servants with, he had another carriage very similar to the first one behind it. One of the guards, Yuski, opened the door for them.
"My Lady, your ride." Yuski said, bowing deeply. She blushed a tomato red and started fidgeting, clearly nervous.
"But…I'm not—" Before she had the chance to finish, Sesshomaru bent down and picked her up bridal style. Amaya yelped at the sudden difference and instinctively grabbed onto Sesshomaru's white kimono. He held back a heated groan as he felt her sharp claws dig into his outfit and skin. 'She'll be the early death of me.' he thought, forcing down his inner demon from taking control.
He stepped inside the carriage, sitting down as Hayato and Rin hopped in as well. Yuski closed the door once everyone was in and gave orders to the drivers. Sesshomaru felt Amaya pull away from his grasp, however he stopped her by placing a firmer grip on her waist. Only when she finally gave in did he allow her out of his grip, slightly.
A whip was heard, followed by the carriage being pulled forward by the powerful horses. Rin and Hayato practically attached themselves to the windows to watch the scenery pass by. Rin gasped and pointed outside. "Look, Mama! There's the flower field!"
"Yes, love. They seem to glitter with joy in the afternoon light, huh?" Amaya said, her eyes lighting up when she smiled. Sesshomaru couldn't stop himself from staring at her for many seconds before she caught him looking at her. He looked away, his face never giving anything away.
"Ma, do you think the Grand Ball will have fields like Sesshomaru's?" Hayato asked, smiling when Rin leaned back against his chest. Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at their closeness.
Amaya chuckled, doing the same thing against Sesshomaru. "Who knows? Maybe Sesshomaru's flower fields and forests are far too beautiful to even comprehend with others." she teased. Sesshomaru let out a growl of annoyance from his throat. This caused them to laugh. 'This cat is everything one could want. And I want her for myself…as my mate.' He gave in to the fact. Amaya had captured his cold heart and melted faster than any female—or person for that matter—did in the past.
After six hours of non-stop travelling, the horses were halted for a rest. The servants sat next to the road, stretching their sleeping limps and sore muscles. Rin and Hayato ran happily in the grass field that sat on the side of the dirt road. Amaya and Sesshomaru watched them with alerted gazes.
"Sesshomaru?"
"Hn."
"Thank you."
He looked at her, raising an eyebrow and waiting for her to continue. Amaya breathed in and started once more. "Thank you for everything that you have done so far for me and Hayato. Never in my long years have I seen a teen like him so happy. He has a sister, a mother…" she paused, looking at him with love-filled eyes. "…and a father, all of whom he cares about and they to him. After his own parents were killed, he hasn't had a whole lot of creatures to even trust. I may have been there as his new mother, but he needed a father. And I think you have accepted that role when you saved his life all those weeks ago. You're the first male demon he can look to for help and guidance."
Sesshomaru held her gaze for several heartbeats before pulling away and staring out at who he secretly considered as his own son. "He has done well in the castle. Even for a hanyou." He said blandly, not wanting his voice to let out his feelings. However, he knew that she knew he cared for the cheetah hanyou. The wind blew through his silvery hair, lifting it up from his waist.
The dog demon suddenly sensed her scent spike up in fear and disbelief. He looked to see her shaking slightly. "No… I thought… it can't be…"
"Amaya, what is wrong?" Sesshomaru asked, placing a hand on her shoulder, feeling her body trembling still. She shook her head and somewhat sobered up abruptly.
"I thought I smelled someone very familiar..." She whispered softly enough for him only to hear. Amaya shrugged her shoulders helplessly. "Maybe it was my imagination."
"Your imagination has swung back and surprised you and I multiple times. If you sensed something, it was no joke." he said firmly.
Amaya sighed, walking into the grass. "Then I must investigate. The presence could be dangerous for the children." She explained, her face going serious as she walked into the meadow.
"Then I shall assist." He confirmed coldly. Turning around, he ordered the servants to keep a watchful eye on Hayato and Rin. They bowed in response.
Sesshomaru heard Amaya change into her cougar form behind his back, shaking to ruffle out her fur. The dog demon observed her as she balanced on her hind feet, her front paws pressed up against her chest. From his knowledge, any type of feline species in the bakeneko family could walk or stand like a human without much difficulty. Many of which, including Amaya's family tree, had amazingly unique abilities that varied on the bakeneko. It was no real surprise that her form, the cougar, was highly intelligent and cunning in stealth hunting.
She tilted her head up and took in a long, deep inhale of the air, her mouth open and her nose flaring. With a slow exhale, Amaya opened her eyes and pointed with one of her paws to the northeast, towards a thick forest, but slightly off from the direction to the Grand Ball Palace. "I smell the presence in that forest. Come on." Without another word, the bakeneko dropped to all fours and started running away from Sesshomaru. He didn't hesitate in following her scent of spicy hibiscuses and cherries.
Sesshomaru knew she was quick for a cougar, but she was faster than he had judged, even for a demoness that lost the majority of her powers when she was just a cub. He wasn't saying he was having a hard time keeping up, but her years of training and improving herself clearly showed through her muscles contracting and releasing with every breath she took, every time she leapt from a high place or long distance, or when she ran harder. The two of them seemed to blow with the wind across the meadow with their agility. 'This Sesshomaru would not mind doing this more.' He thought with a internal smirk.
When they reached the forest's edge, Amaya chirped as she started to slow down. He took her order and did the same. At a full stop, he could detect a very faint aura deep in the forest, it's presence obviously disturbing Amaya and even his inner demon. "It seems to be waiting for us. We must be on high alert." Amaya said, looking up at him for his opinion. Sesshomaru just nodded in agreement and followed her into the forest.
It was like a door had slammed shut behind them. Almost instantly, the taiyoukai felt the forest around him and nothing outside of it. He had a hard time even feeling out Amaya's presence because it felt so faint through the thickness of darkness. Luckily, she stayed within it sight, a couple of yards ahead of him.
She looked back at him, her eyes calm, but her pupils were larger than normal. "You okay, Sesshomaru?"
He nodded, forcing away the scents and auras of the forest and only focus on hers and the one they were searching for. "Where to now, Amaya?"
She looked around them, closing her eyes and perking her ears up to their highest. She stayed still for a full minute, which seemed like an hour to him, before she caught the sound of something. Her ears flip to and fro, causing Amaya to shake her head viciously. "This way." She said, breaking into a trot-like motion. He walked beside her, confused as of why he didn't hear anything.
When the trees seemed like they would go on forever, they broke away abruptly into a very small clearing of grass. Amaya stopped again, her eyes going wide. Her body started shaking violently, her lips curling upwards, showing her deadly fangs. Then, just as it all started, it ended just as quickly, her body going still like a statue.
"What's wrong, Amaya?" Sesshomaru questioned, glancing side to side for any hiding enemies.
Before she could reply, the bakeneko was sent flying into a tree, splitting it in half like a twig. She yowled in pain, hitting the ground with a hard 'thud'. Groaning, she tried getting up, but someone—something—attacked her again. It was far too fast for him to even begin with, as he watched her shoulder be bitten by a large shadowy creature. Screaming, she started bucking her hips like a rampaging bull, trying to get whatever was impaling her shoulder off. With a loud snarl, Amaya jumped to the closest large object, which happened to be a hundred year old tree. The cougar spun on her forepaws and began crushing the shadow against the thick trunk roughly. Every impact to the bark, Sesshomaru could hear bones breaking, not knowing whose bones they were though.
Having enough, the taiyoukai summoned his acid into his claws, the poison dripping from his fingertips. With one flick of his wrist, the strings of acid snapped towards the shadow.
Amaya, seeing this, placed all of her strength in one more thrust and managed to backlash—with a powerful kick of her hind legs—the shadow off of her shoulder. She threw it off just as Sesshomaru lashed his acid claws out at her. Jumping aside for extra caution, she caught a quick look at the shadow being practically ripped apart. She winced when the creature fell to the ground, landing on its side. "Nice…job…Sesshomaru…" Amaya huffed from the pain in her ribs. She turned around and felt her blood stop cold.
Lord Sesshomaru wasn't anywhere in sight. In fact, nothing was in sight; just darkness and her.
The cougar felt a shiver run up her spine as a evil twisted laugh echoed through the stilled air. Snarling and looking around frantically, she called out, "Where the hell are you, you low excuse for life?"
"Oh, is that any way to speak to the one who shall kill you?" The voice purred from behind her. Amaya yowled when she felt something sharp stab her side. She pulled away and hissed when she saw her side dripping with blood. Her markings turned as black as the darkness around her and Amaya roared in fury.
"Come out and quit acting like a coward!" She snarled, her voice echoing off into the empty distance. Sizzling noises floated around Amaya, making her shake her head in annoyance. A figure of lighter black clouded up in front of her. It lifted its head and opened its eyes.
But they weren't eyes. They were dull, pearl-shaped orbs of white nothingness.
Fear coiled tighter in the demoness's stomach as the creature shaped into what was closed to a wolf. It tilted its head back farther, opening its mouth to show sharp fangs, taking in Amaya's fear.
"Hmmm…delicious…" It hummed. The creature started circling Amaya's form, seemingly getting closer. "You are riper than I thought, kit. Oh, how I've waited for so long to do this…however," it got close enough that Amaya nearly threw up from smelling its disgusting, decaying breath. "my quest will not end so easily. I'll have everything to myself and rule these lands, once I've finished you; and the ones you love…" the shadow's voice faded off, as did its form.
o / o / o / o
Amaya gasped loudly, her body jolting upwards as if she had been holding her breath underwater for a long time. She then realized that she was back in her humanoid form; and Sesshomaru was standing over her, holding her in his one arm.
"Amaya! You're alive." He breathed, his shoulders visibly sagging in relief.
"Wha…What are you talking about, Sesshomaru? I was standing in the exact same spot, wasn't I?" Amaya coughed out, still breathing hard.
Sesshomaru shook his head. "No, you vanished right before my eyes, like you were covered in some sort of invisible barrier. I couldn't sense you or smell you out. You were gone for almost thirty minutes, Amaya."
'That can't be!' Amaya thought wildly. 'I was in the same spot through everything. Was I…was I simply dreaming?' Sesshomaru's voice stopped her thoughts for a second. "You then popped back into the clearing, motionless and not breathing. You were like that for another ten minutes…" he trailed off, pulling her closer to his chest. "I thought you were gone for good, my Amaya." he whispered into her ear, his voice not giving a lot away though.
But that wasn't necessary. She felt his worry, and he was happy again when she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm sorry Sesshomaru. I didn't mean to frighten you so badly. Can you forgive me?" She pulled away, looking into his deep amber eyes.
"Hai." He said, leaning down till her forehead touched his. He could feel her living heat flow off of her body in radiating beauty. He had feared that she had been dead, which sent him into a semi-mourning state, something he never knew he would ever experience in his long years of lordship.
Amaya reluctantly pulled away from him and transformed into her cougar form, stretching out her bruised shoulders. "We need to get back. I'm sure Hayato, Rin and everyone else is concern about our location."
"Hn." He nodded in agreement. She started walked but stopped, looking back at him and smiled shyly.
"You know, I've haven't seen you in your demon form in a long time. I think it would be nice to run with you one of these days." She declared, her cheeks glowing a faint red under her fur.
"Maybe someday…" Was all he said before heading back to the field. Amaya's ears folded back sadly as she followed his footsteps.
The whole way back was silence, and it was nerve-racking to Amaya. She felt stupid for mentioning his demon form, and even more for making him upset about it. 'Why can't I do something right for once in my damn life!' She grumbled to herself.
As they walked out of the forest, Amaya couldn't help but feel like she was being watched. Stopping at the forest edge, she couldn't sense anything behind her, not even that evil shadow creature. But, those words it said before in her "dream" came back hauntingly; 'I'll have everything to myself and rule these lands, once I've finished you; and the ones you love…'A shiver ran up her spine again, but she shook it off.
'That monster will not have her victory. Not on my four lives.' She thought.
"Amaya!" Rin's voice called out in the distance.
"We're coming, Rin!" She yowled out, her call easily reaching to the others. Looking over at Sesshomaru, who had raised an eyebrow, she smirked. "Can you keep up?" She purred, and then sped off into the meadow.
Not even five minutes passed, and Amaya reached the carriages. To her dismay though, Sesshomaru had already gotten there first. Puffing her cheeks out, she growled. "Show off." She said.
He chuckled. His chuckle made her stomach do flips. 'Sesshomaru should laugh and smile more often. It makes him a better person.' Hopping into the carriage after him, Amaya purred as she laid her upper body in his lap. Her ears flickered when she heard Rin and Hayato climb in.
"Ma, what happen to you? You look all rough up." Hayato said, his voice edgy with concern.
She lifted her tail and tapped it on his nose, causing him to giggle. "Let's just say a trunk and I had a very disagreeing argument." She said, half lying to her adopted son.
He laughed fully. "That's really sad, Ma. Maybe I can learn some lessons from you." This caused her to hit in a little harder on the head with her tail before pointing it in his face.
"Watch it, mister, cause that can be dangerous." Amaya teased, not even glancing at her son as she stared out into the meadow passing by. That's when she saw multiple tiny raindrops hit the window in light layers. Soon, however, it grew more into a light drizzle, the water slithering down the glass to the muddy trail. The hypnotic pelting around them caused Rin and Hayato to drift off into a light snooze, while making Amaya fall into a deep meditation, her eyes glazed over.
Sesshomaru himself was also in a meditation state. He, for the first time in a long time, felt completely relaxed among other creatures, especially a hanyou such as Hayato. He enjoyed his "family's" company. It soothed him farther into a sleeping state.
Kinda of a stupid ending, but it'll come back in the next chapter! I'm heading to VA for the week, so I'm unsure if I'll be able to upload at all. Until next time with Chapter 11! Review please!