Act II
Chapter 9- Designs For An Empire
"Lord Sesshomaru, there's another village ahead! That's the third one today!"
The demon lord gave half a nod to acknowledge he had heard Rin's pointing out the obvious. Over the past few months he had pushed deeper into the country, further than Rin had ever been in her past travels with him, and the young woman was understandably awed by the new sights and experiences; this particular region had several large villages grouped close together, a possibility that apparently had never crossed Rin's mind before. It seemed she was always announcing some new discovery or commentating on the surrounding flowered fields and trees- a habit that Jaken regularly attempted to quash.
"Child, you are without a doubt the most dimwitted and obnoxious person I have ever met! Why can't you keep your thoughts inside you own head?"
"I want everyone else to appreciate all this beauty as much as I do!" the girl replied as if the answer were obvious. "People get so wrapped up in their own thoughts they often forget to take in the world that surrounds them, and it would be a crime for all the birds and trees and clouds to pass unnoticed."
Jaken harrumphed a reply of some sort and waited for his next opportunity to scold his traveling companion. The party finished descending the large hill behind them and headed across the wide open plain; even though this newest village was still a good five miles away, Sesshomaru could already hear the shouting and braying of the inhabitants, and his nose crinkled in disgust as he thought of having to walk through such a filthy place. He avoided coming into contact with humans as much as possible during his journeys, but there was the very rare occasion when it became necessary. He heard a soft plop as Rin descended from A-Un's saddle, and a moment later she was trailing just off to his left, her eyes darting back and forth between him and the village.
"Um, my lord?" she asked hesitantly. "Is…is it my imagination, or…are we headed towards that village?"
"You are not incorrect," Sesshomaru responded, his gaze trained on their destination.
"May I ask why we're going there?"
"There is a demon who lives here that I must speak to."
Rin looked shocked. "A demon lives in the village?"
"It happens from time to time; it is no different from what my foolish little brother does."
"And the people accept him and everything?"
The demon lord would have shrugged if he were one to use such a gesture. "He is very talented in crafting talismans to ward away evil spirits and the like, and he sells them to the locals to protect their homes and goods; I'm sure there are people who do not trust him, but he does well enough, obviously."
"What do you need to talk about?"
Jaken chose this moment to pipe up. "You insufferable wench! Stop peppering Lord Sesshomaru with such idle questions; honestly, when are you going to start being meek and submissive like most normal women?"
A pointed rock suddenly sailed through the air and struck Jaken hard in the gut, causing the green imp to double over gasping. Rin sent a smirk his way, fire burning bright in her eyes.
"Haven't you learned yet I'm never going to be normal?"
Sesshomaru detected the tiniest hint of bitterness in that statement. He pulled a little further ahead of A-Un and Jaken to ensure there would be no more interruptions before sending Rin a questing look.
"Do you have a problem with who you are, Rin?" he asked quietly.
The young woman started a little, surprised at the insight. "Oh, no, I mean, not really." She shrugged. "Every once in a while I think about the strange looks people give me, either on the road when they see me with you, or when I go into a village for food and they wonder why I'm not at home with a baby on my hip. But it only bothers me for a moment, and then I remind myself that I'm happy to be with you, and if that costs me a few weird stares or rude comments…it's a price I don't mind paying."
"But you still don't think of yourself as normal?"
Rin gave a light laugh. "How could I? I ride a dragon and walk with the most powerful demon in the world every day!"
They were nearing the outskirts of the village now. It was midday, so the peasants' lives were in full swing; vendors yelled out the names of their wares, children chased each other while their mothers chattered, and livestock lowed and screeched. It was beyond Sesshomaru why any sane demon would ever willingly settle themselves in the middle of such chaos- or how they could stand the stench. Even as he and his followers passed between the first few buildings, the demon lord sensed all nearby eyes automatically turning to gawk at the newcomers. The realization didn't bother him in the slightest, but thanks to his prior conversation with Rin he now glanced back to see how she was faring.
Rin walked with her head held high, her eyes wide with curiosity as she looked back and forth to take in their surroundings; she didn't appear to be feeling self-conscious at the moment, perhaps empowered by their talk from a few minutes before. Satisfied of the young woman's position, Sesshomaru turned his attention to the onlookers who were also observing his companion. There were plenty of whispers and pointing, and some fervent looking back and forth between the demon and the girl in an effort to ascertain the connection; no doubt some drew the conclusion that Rin was his concubine, and Sesshomaru wished he knew which people thought that so he could cut them in half.
There were others, though, who stared at Rin in a different way, almost as if they were awestruck. Sesshomaru focused on those gazes, and found that most of them belonged to younger men; the demon lord gave them the most cutting stare he could, daring them to make a move of some sort. This was not the first time he had caught men practically salivating as they observed Rin: there had been several occasions when his group had passed someone on the road and the demon lord noticed the man's head rotating around to focus on the young woman as long as she was in sight. It turned his stomach to know these lowly human males were having filthy thoughts about his Rin; she was too pure and sweet for them, and they didn't deserve to so much as look at her. Sesshomaru slowed his pace long enough to get an arm securely behind Rin's back and put his hand on her shoulder blade, which prompted a terrified look on her face.
"L-Lord Sesshomaru?" she stammered.
"I don't like the way they're looking at you," he muttered in return, giving an especially evil eye to one leering farm boy. "They must know you are strictly off-limits."
Rin's face flushed but she kept quiet, and they pressed on through the town. After a few more minutes of gasping villagers and pointed glares, Sesshomaru turned aside into a fair-sized shop, pulling Rin along with him after giving Jaken orders to continue to the village outskirts. The shop was shadowed for the most part, lit by a few scattered bronze lamps suspended from the ceiling by dusty chains; the faint pools of light revealed a room filled with rack upon rack of charms, protective statues, and dozens of other items designed to promote luck, health, and the remaining myriad of things humans desired above all else in life. Incense clung to the air in a thick cloud, eerily wreathing itself around everything in sight like an all-encompassing snake, and Sesshomaru wondered if the pungent scent was what kept the store owner from gagging on all the human stench outside.
The demon lord released his companion to let her roam about the room, as they were the only customers inside at this time. He strode through the mystic atmosphere offhandedly, not the slightest bit daunted by all the paraphernalia meant to awe and slightly intimidate the usual patrons.
"I know you're here, Hiroshi," Sesshomaru called as he approached the counter at the far end. "Answer my questions and we can both carry on with our appointed tasks unhindered."
There was a sigh, and a tiger demon in his human form emerged from his crouched position behind the counter.
"That nose of yours is too good, Sesshomaru. I was hoping you'd think me at lunch."
Hiroshi was a head shorter than Sesshomaru, but he was powerfully built, and his pale yellow eyes held a keen alertness; his square face had six black stripes, three on each side, running from the ears and jaw to almost meet near the mouth. He now ran a hand through his short ginger-colored hair and cocked his head expectantly.
"Well, how can I help you today?"
"You live in a well-traveled village, and you hear many stories from pilgrims who stop here before they go on their way. Have you heard of any particularly troubling demons of late in this region?"
Hiroshi gave a simultaneous scowl and smirk. "Don't tell me you're now in the business of ridding the world of unwanted vermin; surely you haven't developed a sympathy for humanity."
Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed to slits. His and Hiroshi's fathers had made an alliance in ages past when the elder tiger demon's territory on the continent had been threatened; the coalition's end result was peace on the mainland and Hiroshi visiting with curiosity to learn more about the Great Dog Demon's land. Naturally- being the son of a new ally -he had initially stayed in the Inu no Taishou's palace, and as Sesshomaru was young enough at the time to still be living at home, the two had seen a lot of each other. Sesshomaru had no desire to use the word 'friend' to describe anyone he associated with, though he and the young tiger demon did spend a significant amount of time together playing childish games; perhaps it was all those long days chasing and play-fighting each other that made Hiroshi think he could address the other in such informal ways.
In the end, Hiroshi decided not to return home and moved to this region to make his wares and learn all he could about humans. He had no aspirations of making a name for himself or carving out his own territory, but it was true he stayed well-informed on current events thanks to the crowds of people who came from all around to buy his trinkets and spells. Sesshomaru preferred to think of his occasional visits not as asking for help, but rather letting Hiroshi save him the time of researching the biggest threats in the area.
"You know as well as I do that the more terrifying and powerful the demon, the greater glory will be in slaying it," the dog demon sneered.
Hiroshi shrugged. "There hasn't been too much activity around here lately. I've heard about an enormous snake demon making a menace of itself waaaaaay far away from here, so I wouldn't bother with him until you're closer to his nest; no point making a special trip just to whack his head off in two seconds." He absent-mindedly licked the back of his hand and rubbed it behind his ear. "Hmm…. Oh! I know the bear tribe over in the next valley recently lost their leader; from what I understand, they're kind of lost at the moment in selecting a new one, so I don't know if they might be open to some sort of alliance, maybe. After all, you will need some warriors in this upcoming empire of yours to help keep things in order."
The two demons discussed a few more possible avenues to pursue before Rin wandered into sight. Hiroshi immediately ceased in his ramblings and stared at her a few seconds, then stared at Sesshomaru, and then back at the young woman.
"So, it's true!" the tiger demon muttered in amazement. "You really do have a human girl following you around."
"I do not see how that concerns you."
"Since when does stuff have to concern me for me to take notice? Hi there!"
Hiroshi reached past Sesshomaru to wave at Rin, who of course smiled back and walked over to introduce herself.
"You're even more beautiful than I had heard," the tiger demon declared, making an overdone bow to the girl.
Rin arched an eyebrow. "Someone's been talking about me?"
"Oh trust me, a lot more than just 'someone.' Any time I bump into anyone who's recently spotted our intimidating guest here," Hiroshi gestured to the unamused Sesshomaru, "they always talk about the stunning young lady who's never far behind. Tell me, how do you put up with this old grump?"
The dog demon sent a warning glower, which was blithely ignored by Hiroshi.
"It's a pleasure to be around Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin assured him. "I've never been happier in my life."
The shop owner clapped his hands. "Hoo-hoo, Lord Sesshomaru! You keep a firm leash, don't you?"
"We're leaving now, Rin. This flea-bitten cat's mewling grows tiresome."
Hiroshi's hand suddenly shot out to examine Rin's locket, a movement which clearly frightened her, and Sesshomaru saw with some pride that her hand was at the ready to grab her sword hilt.
"Say now," the tiger demon whistled with appreciation, "where'd you get this? I haven't seen one of these in ages. This looks like an original model, too; those were way more accurate than the later knockoffs…."
Rin coolly backed away out of reach. "Lord Sesshomaru gave it to me a long time ago."
Hiroshi's eyes darted back to the other demon, curiosity and suspicion growing quickly on his face. "Oh really? My, my, Sesshomaru, that's not a gift I would ever expect you to give- it's far too sentimental. Tell me, was it blank when you got it?" He was getting a devilish grin now. "I would love to hear it before you go."
Sesshomaru was stuck. He wanted to get Rin out of here now before Hiroshi explained anything to her, but if he abruptly turned and stormed away, Hiroshi would no doubt triumphantly burst out the reason why. There was a moment of silence as Rin sized up the person before her, and then with a slight disgusted noise she turned away to join her companion.
"I'm not one to keep Lord Sesshomaru waiting," she replied loftily.
They walked out together into the blindingly bright midday sun, and Rin suddenly stamped a foot in indignation, looking thoroughly put-out.
"How dare he talk to you that way!" she exclaimed, scowling at the closed curtain behind them. "He was terribly rude, and he had no respect for personal space."
Sesshomaru found himself smiling on the inside at her fierce loyalty. He was incredibly relieved Hiroshi had pushed too far there at the end and tipped the scales against himself in Rin's eyes; the dog demon wasn't at all sure what he would have done if she had realized the two souls in the locket were their own. He quickly headed away from the shop, determined to amply distance himself from the place before Hiroshi popped out and shouted anything incriminating after them.
Early the next morning, Sesshomaru sought out the bear demons to determine if they would pledge their allegiance to him, or if they would rather challenge his superiority and earn instant death. They were surprisingly easygoing creatures, declaring their fealty almost as soon as he was done talking, and there was no hint of them having ulterior motives in accepting him so quickly. They even happily offered up some choice meat they had recently hunted down as a token of their good will, which the demon lord accepted only because he knew Rin would eat it. Sesshomaru's party left the bear demon tribe with the latter waving and cheering, promising to be of service any time they might be needed.
"What an accommodating group of fellows!" Jaken commented with surprise once they were underway. "They must be very simpleminded fools indeed to not even question to whom they're pledging their loyalty…."
Rin took on a look of mock horror. "Master Jaken! Are you saying one should think twice before following Lord Sesshomaru?"
The green imp practically screamed in fear as the leader turned back on cue to stare Jaken down with a bone-melting look.
"I s-s-swear I meant nothing by it, milord!" he wept as he flung his arms over his head and cowered in the grass. "I swear, I swear, I swear!"
There was no reply from Sesshomaru, but A-Un did step on Jaken quite hard a few seconds later. The group continued on as the sun slowly climbed higher to shine its rays over the budding spring world; Rin was snacking on some nuts, while Jaken was still too terrified to speak, so it was an unusually quiet walk for some time. Sesshomaru did nothing to encourage either of them to change their current positioning, but he knew it was only a matter of time before someone would feel compelled to start chattering. After a good half hour of silence Jaken sat up a little straighter in his place on the dragon's hindquarters, sticking his beaky face high in the air as he intently sniffed. In a moment he'd jumped down and was scurrying through the marshy grass, clearly on the trail of something he couldn't ignore.
"Ah-ha!" the little demon cried in another minute.
He proudly trotted back towards everyone, dragging a faintly squawking lump of some sort. It quickly became evident Jaken had found a wounded young red-crowned crane, and if there were any doubts as to his intentions, he made them clear in another moment.
"I haven't had roasted bird in quite some time!" the imp cackled with delight. "It certainly is lucky I have an always-ready source of fire; if you'll give me just half a second I'll toast this right up and we can be on our-"
Rin leapt off A-Un like a pouncing wild cat and gently but quickly snatched the crane away, clutching it to her chest.
"You monster!" she shouted. "How could you even think of wanting to kill something as beautiful as this? He's just hurt; he'll heal up before long and be as good as new!"
Jaken protested. "It's the law of nature! I have every right to eat him. Look at how that wing's bleeding: there's no way that'll mend before I or something else gobbles him up."
Rin was now back on A-Un and hurriedly fishing for her medical kit as she attempted to balance the bird in her arms out of the imp's reach. She stroked the crane's head several times in a soothing way, assuring him she meant no harm.
"Lord Sesshomaru, please don't let Jaken eat him!" she wailed. "I promise he won't cause any trouble. I'll just keep him until he gets better."
"That's not fair!" the green demon shrieked.
Sesshomaru turned away from the spectacle. "Your screaming is grating on the ears, Jaken. If you say anything else for the rest of the day, I will roast you with your own staff."
He heard a gulp from behind but nothing else, and he began to push ahead once again. Rin was very quiet for the next few hours, devoting herself to binding up the injured wing, feeding the bird, and keeping a wary eye on Jaken. She cradled the animal lovingly, running her hand across his smooth feathers over and over, just smiling down at her charge; the crane did not struggle or seem the least bit anxious to get away, but was instead settled in her lap as easily as a cat. When they stopped briefly at midafternoon, the young woman scrambled away to a nearby stream to net some fish, leaving the bird on A-Un's saddle. The dragon kept one head focused on its passenger and the other trained on Jaken, daring the imp to try anything underhanded; Jaken silently harrumphed and turned away, resigned to the fact he would not get his way this time.
Sesshomaru observed Rin's nursing skills over the course of the day, noting the genuine care and concern she showed for a creature that could never thank her, never do anything for her in return. It was clear she had a natural instinct for such a task: she would make the perfect mother someday…
…Except she'll likely never be one, as long as she's determined to follow you.
There was a slight press of guilt at that thought. Sesshomaru had broached the subject with Rin once or twice of her someday settling down and raising a family, but her answer was the same every time: all she cared about was staying with him.
"I love children, of course," she'd admitted, "but if it came down to the two, I'd still choose you. I can't have both; it's not like I could have a family and tow them around with me!"
Watching her now as she drew out her cloak and wrapped it around the crane, Sesshomaru suddenly was under the impression that he was robbing the world of a most valuable contributor; Rin would raise wonderful children, make her husband the luckiest man in the world, provide her village with strength and wisdom…but the demon lord shook his head. For better or for worse, this human had bound herself to him, and there was nothing he could do to change her mind.
Night came on, and the group halted to take a rest. Jaken sulkily curled up on the far edge of the campsite, refusing to even look at Rin- despite the fact she'd tried to make peace by giving him first choice of the meat from the bear demons. The young woman rolled her eyes and set about feeding the crane some more fish, dangling the little silver slivers just out of his reach so the bird had to beg just a little before she'd relinquish them. The animal ate and ate, which Rin apparently found very pleasing.
"Good Red!" she cooed. "Good boy! You'll get well again in no time with a hearty appetite like that."
"I take it you've named him now," Sesshomaru commented, watching as the crane snatched a fish away, barely missing Rin's fingers.
"Yes indeed. I have to have some way to address him."
"You do understand that naming him will make you more attached."
The girl grimaced slightly, but nodded. "I know. But I don't know how long I'll have to take care of him; he could be stuck with me for weeks, and if so I don't want to be rude by simply calling him 'you.'"
Only Rin would worry about being rude to a bird.
Red, apparently full, flopped into the young woman's lap and settled in to fall asleep. Rin leaned against a nearby tree and looked as if she were going to follow suit, but the demon lord wasn't ready to let that happen.
"You haven't eaten yourself, yet."
Rin glanced at him in surprise. "I'd forgotten…I don't want to disturb him though, so I'll wait till he's in a deeper sleep to move him."
Sesshomaru plucked her backpack from the ground and tossed it to her side.
"Oh. Uh, thank you."
She pulled out some fruit and began to nibble on it, periodically giving Red a visual check to be sure he was comfortable.
"Lord Sesshomaru, why don't you like human food?"
"It has no appeal for me whatsoever," the demon lord replied. "I find the flavors repulsive and overbearing."
Rin chucked the inedible part of her fruit away into the shadows. "Is there anything you do like? Do you suck the blood out of squirrels when I'm not around?"
Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at her, though he knew she was joking. "I am not a lowly woodland demon. Having been born into a family of high status, I am accustomed to the types of dishes served in my father's palace; most of the ingredients would be things you've never even heard of, and many of them would do you bodily harm of some sort, if not outright kill you."
"Hmm, okay," Rin sighed. "I thought maybe you were just super particular about how normal food is prepared. It's too bad; I'd love to cook for you."
"You are not my servant."
"I know, but I still want to do things for you." The young woman began to unwrap a bar of some sort. "Are you going to have a palace once you're done setting up your empire?"
Sesshomaru picked up a pebble and flicked it thirty feet away to whack Jaken on the back of the head. The imp yelped and whipped all around, trying to spot the bug that must be nearby.
"A leader must have a seat of power from which to rule. Subjects are more likely to stay in line when there's a visual reminder of who's in charge."
Rin chewed thoughtfully for a few minutes, absent-mindedly petting the bird nestled between her legs. After a while she glanced over at her companion, and there was something that almost looked akin to fear in her eyes.
"Are humans going to be some of those subjects?" she asked softly.
Sesshomaru blinked back for a few seconds before shaking his head. "It has never been my intention to rule humankind as well."
It suddenly struck him that their conversation was taking place from almost opposite sides of the clearing. Without pausing to analyze why he bothered, the demon crossed over and sat down a pace or two away from Rin.
"Despite the fact that humans and demons live in the same world, in many ways we do not share it. People have their villages and castles, and the demons have all the rest, unofficially." He raised his gaze to the stars, watching the nightly patterns emerge. "My aim is to prove myself the strongest and most powerful being in the world, so humans are automatically excluded from the list of those to conquer since- no offense -they do not offer the slightest challenge in conquering. They will never pose a threat to me, and therefore, I leave them alone."
His companion seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "So, it's possible that you could have your kingdom established somewhere, and the humans would never ever know it, because there's no need for crossover. It would be like a hidden empire under their noses!"
"It's possible," Sesshomaru conceded.
"I'll bet you it is what happens," Rin declared, getting a little excited. "Kagome's told me there are no demons where she comes from, but maybe it's just that no one's ever seen them because you have them all under submission; either that, or you've killed them all by then."
"Both are possible outcomes."
For some reason, that answer made the young woman chuckle a bit. A moment or two later, though, the laugh died down and her face became rather downcast.
"What's the matter now?" Sesshomaru prompted after too long of a silence.
"Nothing."
The demon sent a disbelieving stare. "Surely you've learned by now that answer will never satisfy me."
Rin smiled a little in spite of herself. "I was just thinking about how I won't be there to see your empire reach completion."
Sesshomaru didn't know how to answer that one. She spoke the truth and knew it, so he couldn't lie to make her feel better or hopeful. It was a rather awkward pause they endured, one the demon lord honestly didn't know how to end without sounding cruel.
"I wish I were immortal," Rin whispered, turning her face away.
She wasn't fast enough: Sesshomaru glimpsed the tear as it rolled down her cheek. Usually he did everything he could to prevent the subject of Rin's mortality from surfacing, for both their sakes, but this time it had snuck up on him. It hurt him to see her shoulders quake from a sorrow he could not ease, but there was nothing he could say that wouldn't sound trite or ridiculous. Rin dragged her sleeve across her face and guiltily looked back at him.
"Sorry. I know how much you hate crying."
Sesshomaru rose to his feet, looking down at the bowed head beside him. "You know I let you get away with things no one else could."
He couldn't just leave her like this. He'd sworn to himself to be everything for her he could be, and he knew right now she needed comfort more than anything…but he was at a loss as to how to give it. He'd seen Inuyasha console Kagome many times with an arm around the shoulder, or an embrace, or any of the other numerous movements humans preferred in times of need. How did those things help? They didn't change anything; they were all meaningless gestures that in no way affected the outcome of the situation. The demon reached out his hand to settle it on Rin's hair, but withdrew it before he could touch her.
"What would you have me do, Rin?"
He'd said it so quietly, Sesshomaru wasn't sure at first if she'd even heard him. But after a while, the young woman lifted her eyes to return his gaze; she watched him for what seemed a long time, as if she were assessing whether she'd heard him right or not.
"Would…would you let me sit beside you a while?" she finally breathed out.
Sesshomaru would have smiled if he were more accustomed to the action. He lowered himself back down to the earth and reclined against the large tree behind them, their sleeves just touching. Rin didn't say anything else for the remainder of the evening, but he assumed she must be content with the arrangement, as her smile never dimmed; she stroked Red's back, checked his bandage, and occasionally glanced up at her neighbor with a shy grin. The fire grew dim as the stars thickened overhead, and before much longer the young woman began to yawn. The demon lord waited for her to give into sleep and crawl away for her bedroll, but she seemed determined to stay with him as long as she could.
Finally, however, Sesshomaru felt a gentle weight fall onto his shoulder; in amazement, he looked down to confirm what he knew was there. Rin had gone to sleep as she sat there beside him, her cheek and upper arm settled against her companion. Sesshomaru was not at all sure how to react to this development, and for several minutes he simply stared at her, trying to ascertain whether or not he should be affronted. After a time, he let himself relax, mentally pointing out that Rin certainly hadn't meant to fall asleep on him. He closed his eyes so he could rest for a brief while; it wouldn't hurt to let her sit there for a few minutes.