Hello! my dear readers! I am so sad, nobody seems to review my story. does this means you don't like it? this makes me really sad... ok here's the deal: when I will receive 5 and more comments I will update the next chapter. so please review ok?)))
nyght_elf
"Sesshoumaru can we please stop?" asked Keiko for the thousandth time receiving the same short cold answer.
"No."
The young woman sighed bowing her head in despair and taking a deep breath, she increased her step. She was tired and hungry, but mostly cold. Her clothes including even her hair, were all messed, and smelled of smoke and dirt. She looked at her pants and examined her jacket.
"Uf I stink almost like Inuyasha," she mumbled with disgust, twitching her nose.
"Achoo!" she sneezed and gulped brushing her dirty bangs aside.
"Sesshoumaru, don't you know of a hot spring somewhere near? I urgently need a bath!"
"Hn," smirked Sesshoumaru, turning his head and looking at the female. He twitched his sensitive nose, her smell indeed was awful.
"If I won't take a bath every demon and animal in the neighborhood will run here, to see the awful smell that ruins the air," said the woman in an annoying voice.
"Will she always be so annoying?" He asked himself, trying with all his forces to maintain his composure. He was very tempted to grab her delicate neck between his fingers. Only a slight push will end her life, and the talking will stop. He could tell that she was tired, she was almost falling on her knees, but knowing he will let her behind, she stubbornly continued to walk.
He knew that she was human, weak and mortal and he wasn't used having someone as her, next to himself. Rin, Rin was different, she was a child, this one is a grown up woman. He didn't care if she was suffering; he was at every pass, showing his supremacy. He was strong, never feeling weary or cold. He could tell by her trembling body that she was cold. Her body language was easily read by him, she was hungry, cold and tired but he didn't care, he needed to hurry. He had a reason to hurry up, Rin and Kohaku were alone, he was sure Jaken wasn't a treat for the demons that attacked them lately, so he must rush.
Her heart was beating loudly in her chest; he made a mental point in remembering the specific sound. He hated this, but her life was in his hands for now, he must protect her in order to repay his debt. He imagined his father's face, if he would've known that he was protecting a human woman and gritted his teeth. If Inuyasha will ever find about this, he would be constrained to kill him.
"Are we almost there?" she asked him carefully casting a look at him and disturbing his thoughts.
Seeing that he again ignored her, she finally stopped talking. The truth was that she was very nervous and a little scared, being next to a demon. She considered herself a brave person, but any living human would be afraid traveling with a real demon that you could only meet in books or on the TV. She tried to ease the atmosphere by talking, but saw that this wasn't helping at all, so she instead decided to walk in silence. Sesshoumaru was walking at the same speed, his steps solid and rhythmical. His white hair was steadily swaying from one part to another. He didn't show any sign of tiredness or stress. She smirked thinking that if she hadn't touched him before, she indeed would've believed that he was made of cold, white stone. She always was proud of her stamina but after the stress and the tiredness from today, she wasn't in her best form.
She continued to follow him, feeling happy that her luggage had rollers and she was easily dragging it after her. He never spoke with her again after they started their journey, even if Keiko tried to hold a dialog that in the end still rested a monolog. Sesshoumaru would only smirk or hiss the "hn" sound and always keep walking, not even once turning his head to look at his new companion.
"Can we please make a short stop?" she asked him in a pleading voice.
The answer consisted only of a short cold, word: no! Keiko sighed and said
"I will rest for a few minutes, then I will catch up with you." She was tired and needed a break.
"Do as you wish," he finally replied and Keiko nodded her head in agreement.
"But don't walk too fast, I can't keep up with your speed," she yelled and received the same "hn" sound.
The sun was almost gone behind the horizon and the evening became even colder that before. She rested her luggage on the ground and sat down on it, stretching her sore legs. She closed her eyes and started to breathe deeply in order to calm down and to relax her body. A strange noise made her ears twitch. She opened her eyes and looked around herself; she was surrounded. There were almost ten dressed like samurais men, every one of them with a sword pointed at her. From the trees appeared a black huge horse, with a familiar man on its back.
"Kaoru…" sighed Keiko not knowing, to laugh or to cry at the vision.
"You caught up faster than I thought," she admitted wanting to get up, but saw that one of the armed soldiers pointed his sword at her.
"Oh, give me a break; are we going through the same procedure again? Can't you leave me alone?" she asked Kaoru who easily jumped on the ground and headed toward her.
"Do not resist, you are at disadvantage," he said grabbing his sword's hilt and looking at her with a confident smile.
She was again dressed in her weird clothes and her hair was dirty yet she still was desirable for him. Seeing her, his blood went faster down his veins. She was meant to be his and no one will stop him from claiming her, not even she herself.
"Hell no, I am not going with you, I must return home," she said jumping on her feet and preparing for action.
First she made a step but the closest soldier waved his sword at her. She easily ducked and supporting her body with her both hands, she hurled her right leg forward, pushing with force. His knees buckled and the man fell on his back with a sound of amazement on his lips. The next one that approached her from behind got the air knocked of his lugs, meeting her left feet in his chest. He fell on his backside with a hard thud.
Two men seeing their fallen comrades attacked her with their swords and battle cries. The look in their eyes was murderous. They were angry at her, because of her they were humiliated a second time, plus they travelled the entire night without rest.
"No, don't hurt her," yelled Kaoru to his men, but it was too late.
Keiko easily avoided the first blade but the second slightly chopped her sleeve and scratched her skin.
"Crap," she cursed under her nose blocking the next hit with her elbow.
She ducked again and hit the soldier in his chest with her palm. With her other hand she grabbed him by his wrist and looking at him, her lips widened in a slight smile. The man looked at her, his look obviously telling that he didn't understand what she was doing. With a fast move she wrenched his hand and knocked the sword out of his hand, and then she rolled on her back and jumped on her feet holding the sword in her hand.
"Now I'm not at disadvantage," she smiled, addressing to Kaoru who stood and observed her every move.
She stood in the battle rack, her look confident and calm. She was in her element, feeling sure of herself with a sword in her hand. What she didn't know was that a pair of golden eyes were observing her every move.
Sesshoumaru felt the humans' presence a long time ago, but he didn't pay attention to them. He smelled her near the place where he left her, but he decided to wait. He won't be the one to search for her; she must follow him and obey his every word. He stopped and waited for her, but she still wasn't coming. Then he smelled her blood and in the next second he was next to the place where she stood. The plan was to wait until she will need help and to save her, thus repay his debt once and for all. Unfortunately it didn't work how he planned. She took the sword from one of the soldiers and was armed and ready to battle.
"Kaoru this is getting silly, leave me alone, I must return home," she said to the samurai who looked at her carefully.
So she knew the man, decided Sesshoumaru seeing the familiar way she spoke to him.
"You are mine and you should be punished for running away," replied the man taking a step to her.
"Yours? Are you kidding me? Am I a pet or a belonging to be "yours"? You don't even know my name, but that's not the point," she finished the sentence.
"Your name?" asked dumbfounded the man. He really didn't ask her name.
"See? I am Onizaki Keiko, nice to meet you."
Keiko nodded her head at him and smirked. The other men looked at her with careful look observing her posture and exploring her weak points. They never expected a woman to be such a treat to their warrior pride. One of the soldiers charged toward her. She blocked the first lunge with her sword and turning around, jammed the next sword aside pushing the soldier with her leg in his chest. The man's breath got out of him, and he flew behindhand looking at her with an amazed look.
"You're just a woman," he whispered thunderstruck.
"Sesshoumaru's sword definitely is better than this," she stated as a matter of fact, examining the blade in the last rays of the sun.
"I know I am a woman and I find that quite satisfying," she said turning her head at him.
"Got a problem with that?" she asked him and made a step toward Kaoru.
"Let's finish this farce, you and me, now and forever," she proposed turning her head to one side and looking at him with a determinate expression.
Sesshoumaru was still observing her every move when his sensitive senses, felt that someone was approaching the place where he left Rin. The probability that it was a foe was very high. He was out of time. He growled knowing that he must respect his word and take the human woman with him. He landed in front of her just when the samurai wanted to give his answer to her.
The commotion his apparition created was quite satisfying. Everyone gasped in fear and started to tremble slightly. The soldier faces paled and they all pointed their trembling swords at him.
"A demon! He's a demon!"
"Mononoke!" Everyone except her yelled in fear, she only casted her surprised glance at him.
"Sesshoumaru…" but she couldn't finish her sentence.
"We are going," he said grabbing her by her shoulder and tossing her toward the road.
"Hey, can you be gentler?" she yelled at him regaining her equilibrium.
"Get away from her," said Kaoru pointing his sword at Sesshoumaru.
He made a step toward the white haired demon intending to strike him. Keiko stopped in place and turned around.
"Kaoru don't, you don't stand a chance against him, trust me," she assured him with a confident tone.
She started to fear for the fool's life. Sesshoumaru kills the ones like them just for sport, like doing nothing. Their lives don't count for him.
"Did he kidnap you?" he asked her but Sesshoumaru turned around, he was already walking toward him and he already activated his poisonous whip. His fingers started to glow green and his eyes changed colour from gold to red. Keiko reacted without thinking. She jumped at him and hugged him with both hands pressing herself hard on his chest.
"Sesshoumaru, please don't kill them, they aren't worth your time," she argued knowing his weak point: his pride.
Is this woman out of her mind? Sesshoumaru though that she definitely was, for a sane woman would never do what she did now, she simply threw herself on a demon, separating him from his prey.
"You! You are his whore?" asked one of the men with venom in his voice.
He could feel her fast beating heart next to his, she was scared.
"Don't be silly, we just travel together," she replied looking at the already growling Sesshoumaru.
"Fools, get away from here, this is the strongest demon here. If you care for your lives get away!" she yelled losing her cool.
Seeshoumaru grabbed her hands with his clawed hand and tried to toss her aside.
"Move, woman or I will kill you!"
She shook her head and closing her eyes she rested her head on his shoulder.
"Sesshoumaru, please," she whispered but then one of the soldiers jumped with his sword at her screaming dirty words at her. Someone first flew some powder on him, but Sesshoumaru even didn't flinch; only Keiko sneezed a few times.
"Do you think this weak powder affects this Sesshoumaru?" he asked showing his fangs and the soldier startled at his words.
Another man flew at him with his sword in his hand. His battle cry got stuck in his throat when Sesshoumaru's hand made the deadly blow and the green whip stopped his heart. Keiko blinked not believing her eyes. She looked at the men seeing how the death took the light out of his eyes. His legs buckled and he slowly started to fall, the sword fell on the ground from his already weak hand. He finally fell on the ground and the blood from his wounds covered the mud in red. Keiko could only hear the beating of her heart in her ears. She blinked and looked at the man, then looked at Sesshoumaru.
He in his turn bowed his head to look at the woman. Her face was pale and her eyes were as wide as a pool, yet her hands were still on his back. She started to tremble blinking constantly until he saw a tear coming from the corner of her left eye. When he looked at the rest of the men, he saw evident fear on their features. This was quite satisfying; he was a demon after all. He smirked and said.
"Move away from my path."
They all made a step aside; some of them started to yell in fear and ran away in panic. Kaoru screamed orders at them but three of them ran away not even turning their heads to look behind.
The woman's hands were trembling; she looked at him and released him then fell on her knees, still looking at him. When the next soldier lost his composure and attacked him, he raised his hand again, but when he wanted to strike the stupid woman jumped before the man, stretching her hands aside.
"No, please," she pleaded with him.
The silence grew heavier by each second, everyone was afraid to move or to cause a noise. Kaoru looked at Keiko, she was or a fool or very brave yet he could tell she was nervous and scared herself. Then how did she know the demon? What connection do they have? Is she really his mistress, this being the reason why she ran away?
Sesshoumaru enjoyed the game, seeing her scared face, was amazing. Still she wasn't crying, she had a lonely tear in her eye.
"Damn," he cursed when his sharp sense again warned him of the danger traveling toward his camp.
He cursed again, the woman wasn't able to travel that fast, so he had only one choice. He couldn't leave her behind, he gave his word that he will take her to that miko and his word always had a great value. He never broke his word and he definitely wasn't going to break that tradition because of a mere human.
"Rin!" he spoke feeling again the dark aura.
Keiko heard the name and understood everything. Walking on shaking legs toward her luggage and grabbing the handle, she started walking on the road, not daring to look at him. She yelped when he grabbed her by her waist, and raised her in the air. He wanted to throw her luggage but she grabbed the handle tightly shaking her head.
"Don't move woman," was all he said before creating the cloud under his feet and flying to the sky, leaving the wondering Kaoru alone with his men.
"Damn, she escaped again," he cursed heading toward his horse.
"Take him back to the manor, he deserves a proper burial. This demon will pay for what he did, I swear he'll pay!" swore Kaoru getting on his horse's back and spurring the animal.
These demons were making no sound.
They had no smell and no definite form. They were fast as the wind and cold as the ice, moving like invisible shadows between the trees. When they were approaching it seemed like the nature itself moaned in pain, feeling the deadly atmosphere. The sound that they were making could send chills even at the bravest person, a sound of deep cold anger mixed with pure hatred. The low guttural growl could make one's heart trembling with fear and the blood become cold.
Kohaku never saw demons like these ones, nor did he hear about them. His village had its own archive about all kind of demons but he never read about any of these. His brave heart refused to became cowardly, he had to protect Rin, and his life mattered less. The girl was waiting for lord Sesshoumaru to come and her thoughts were concentrated at him, yet after the drama she passed through she had changed. She became more silent and was often thinking at something, her look becoming absent. Kohaku thought that she must feel sorry for the ones who died in attack; she grew attached to them through time.
It was good that she wasn't feeling the dark atmosphere that was in the air. Jaken was unusually silent and composed, he looked at Kohaku and nodded, but the young demon slayer had the time to see a shadow of fear nascent in the depths of his eyes. Lord Sesshoumaru was gone and they could be in trouble if some weird demons will attack them.
Kohaku knew they were snatching around, sniffing and looking for them, but they had surrounded themselves with herbs that hide the scent, and Jaken made an illusion spell with his wooden staff. He didn't know how much longer they will be able to fool the ones that were searching for them. Kohaku took a deep breath and looked at their camp. Everything was good for the time being, the fire in the middle of the camp, the resting dragon next to their food supplies and Rin. Rin was sitting on a wooden roll that Kohaku prepared for her and was looking at the fire.
"Is something wrong Kohaku?" asked him the girl meeting his eyes.
"No, nothing is wrong Rin," he replied feeling miserable for lying but he didn't want to trouble the girl that was already suffering.
"Sesshoumaru-sama should be back soon, don't worry," she told him with an assuring smile and he nodded.
He really hoped Sesshoumaru-sama will come back soon, but just in case he prepared his weapons and smeared the blades with poison, always looking at the trees that seemed colder and darker than usual.
Keiko glanced at Sesshoumaru who looked only forward and increased his speed every second. He must really care for Rin if he hurried that way. From the manga she knew about his feeling toward the little girl but seeing this in person… well everything seemed strange here, starting from her traveling, yet he was the same as she predicted, cold and cruel with a huge Ego. She smirked when a thought crossed her mind.
"Sesshoumaru, will you kill me too?" she asked him promptly, looking directly at him trying and to observe his reaction and maybe read his face. The question didn't surprised him, not a single muscle on his face flinched.
"My word is keeping me from killing you," he finally said through clenched teeth.
Keiko saw that he was barely restraining himself from growling at her but she continued.
"Not now, I mean later, after we reach the shrine and you will fulfill your word," he didn't answer and she sighed looking at the stars.
"I guess that means a yes," she smiled sadly but then she looked at the ground where she saw Sesshoumaru's camp.
Keiko's heart increased its speed when she saw that Rin and the others were surrounded by youkais, jackal youkais. She could see their red eyes sparkling in the nights' dark and could hear their hysterical laugh that broke the silence. They were sneaking around and waved their tails in anticipation. If they were like their animal relatives this means they were in trouble. Next to them there were other creatures, more like cold soulless shadows. Keiko tightened her grip on Sesshoumaru's hand and looked him in the eye without saying a word. He nodded his head at her and they landed soundlessly in the shadow of some bushes. Sesshoumaru released his sword and headed toward them but when Keiko tried to follow him, he turned his head and ordered her to stay there.
"No way, I want to help," she argued but then she felt how a strong hand grabbed her by her waist and someone pulled her to a strong chest.
Keiko felt how a clawed hand with thin long fingers that was as cold as ice, grabbed her neck and started caressing it.
"My, my, the great Sesshoumaru finally found himself a human woman. After all it is always true, like father like son," smirked a male voice next to Keiko's ear.
"Ryujinshen, this human has nothing to do with this Sesshoumaru," spoke the dog demon looking at the new appeared demon that grabbed the human.
"Totally true," assured him Keiko, grabbing his clawed hand with her fingers and trying to ease the grip, easier said than done, he was a demon after all.
"Did you miss me? I missed you. I promised you I will wipe your clan from this world, now I came to fulfil my promise," spoke the male in a hysterical voice.
"You weakling, you are nothing compared to this Sesshoumaru," replied the inuyoukai with a confident voice examining the opportunity to kill the jackal without hurting the human.
"That may be true, but now I have a new ally that borrowed me some new powers," smiled the youkai.
Keiko twitched and furrowed her brow, new ally, and new powers? This wasn't as simple as it seemed. She tried to turn her head and to look at her captor but the male squeezed her harder and ordered her:
"Hold still you weak human if you want to survive."
"Like hell I will," replied Keiko with venom in her voice.
She ducked a little and tossed her elbow with force, hitting him in his solar plexus and then she lifted her right feet and hit him hard on his feet. The demon yelped and even didn't have time to react or to protect himself from her fast upcoming moves. She sharply hit his nose with the base of her palm, hearing the cracking sound of his cartilage, finishing the series with a hit in his most precious place with her fists put together. The demon ducked on his knees, being unable to breathe for a few seconds. His eyes changed color from brown to red and he whispered.
"You, bitch I will kill you for that."
"I don't actually like this kind of insult, you stupid cur! Keep your hands off me! Nobody dares to touch me without my permission!" spoke Keiko losing her cool.
It seemed the men in this era were very full of themselves. She looked at Sesshoumaru who observed her carefully and smirked taking a step toward him.
Sesshoumaru couldn't believe his eyes, being afraid that his mind was playing tricks on him. The human actually freed herself from a demon's grip. Not only freed, she even immobilised him for a while. This woman isn't as simple as she tends to be. He looked at the still yelping demon and smirked.
"Ryujinshen should I let the human fight you? It seems you are weaker than she is," he spoke in a mocking tone and the jackal demon growled in frustration.
"Sesshoumaru, you always considered yourself above the others, I will change that today!"
"You may try it, but it will end here!" said Sesshoumaru charging toward him with the blade in his hand but when he approached the demon; he transformed in mist and enveloped the space around them. Sesshoumaru's eyes widened a little but not a single word escaped his lips.
"What the…?" asked Keiko in his place, looking around herself and seeing how the mist was spreading around them. The visibility dropped to zero, it seemed you could cut the white mist with the knife, so dense it was.
"No, Rin," whispered Keiko seeing a dark shadow traveling toward the camp.