Author's Corner
There was a wonderful question asked in a review for the last chapter which I thought I would answer here.
"Rizuki Dhan: Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you say sesshomaru is currently unable to use his whip and poison? So why can he use it here?"
First of all, I'd like to say well remembered! Here's a quote from chapter 17: "He had lost the ability to summon his whip of light and poison claws when he had been transformed into a Black Inugami, but his strength was not entirely diminished."
The transformation was supposed to have rendered his whip and poison unusable, though he somehow manages to use the former in the last chapter. Without giving too much away, what I will say is it was intentional and will be addressed later. There are certain... loopholes in the curses related to emotion, and a strong enough amount of willpower may be able to weaken the curses slightly. I want to say more, but that's all I can reveal for now. Keep that in mind when reading future chapters!
EIGHTH BLOOD
Chapter 21: Change the world
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The villagers thanked them graciously for rescuing them from the bandits and Octavia's cheeks warmed at the overly kind words, but she couldn't stop thinking about the voice in her head.
Okteviah True Jewel, it had called her.
What was that name? Such a bizarre manifestation of thoughts. She must have simply imagined it when she was drugged up on adrenaline. Yes, that had to be the case. Otherwise, it would mean she was going insane by hearing voices that weren't really there.
Still, its promises had been chilling.
Sesshoumaru was quiet at her side – the villagers awkward in his presence, but grateful for his actions – and kept passing her subtle glances. His eyes were cautious, assessing, uncertain.
He hadn't said anything since he'd slaughtered the bandits. She was still confused as to how he had been able to summon his light whip, having been under the impression that he couldn't, but maybe she had gotten it wrong. Such an attack wasn't limited to Silver Inugami, so maybe the transformation hadn't affected his basic demon abilities. He could still use both his swords just fine.
His eyes were blistering, like boiling lava, and he looked at her like he was annoyed about something.
When isn't he?
She would get it out of him when they were alone.
The village granted them sanctuary for the night – to Sesshoumaru's displeasure – but Octavia was very pleased. The guest house was nothing special, but it would be nice to sleep in a bed and have a fire on the hob at the centre of the room. She thanked them for their hospitality then excused herself, saying that she wanted to get cleaned up before bedding down.
She made her way down to the river on the edge of the village and sensed Sesshoumaru following her in discrete, though he made no attempt to mask his powerful aura.
Youki spread out from him like terrifying wings, but all she did was smile.
Now he was just showing off.
The river was concealed by a line of trees and she stopped at the water's edge to stare at the moon's rippling reflection. Sesshoumaru came to a soft halt behind her and she turned, meeting his eyes which were burning like crystal amber. He blended in with the dusk, simmering silently like a shadow, and she waited for him to make a move.
"Tell me, human, do you get off on unnecessary heroics?"
She wanted to say that his voice was like ice but it wasn't. It was molten hot and quiet. Low, deep and throaty.
"Maybe," she answered, "But so do you."
His eyes narrowed. "This was supposed to be an incognito journey, but you have managed to somehow draw attention to us everywhere we go. These scenarios are avoidable yet you consistently choose to intervene, thus wasting time and hindering our progress north."
"So I should've left them all to die? You saw what was happening. They were going to murder them. What if that was your family?"
"It is not our business."
A burst of anger flared in her chest and she bit down on her tongue.
They were all the way back to square one.
"I thought you were past this," she whispered. "Of thinking people are undeserving of your help just because you deem them as 'lesser'."
"You thought I had changed my mind?"
"I thought you'd started to see the value of life, regardless of what the person is! After the cages, I thought you'd . . . I thought . . ."
"You thought wrong. My opinions remain the same. Humans are beneath me, therefore I will not waste my time chasing monsters from under their beds."
"From what I've heard, your father didn't think it was a waste of time."
The flames in his eyes doubled and he stalked closer to her, lifting her chin with a claw and leaning in to intimidate her.
"My father was a fool."
"It's you who is the fool."
He winced at the bitter retort.
"Stop acting like you're so different," she hissed, "You care about Rin, and the last time I checked, she's definitely human. Which makes you a hypocrite as well as a fool. Your father loved Izayoi and you couldn't stand it, so you projected it onto the entire human race. You were jealous. The great Lord Sesshoumaru. What nonsense. You're not great. You're a fool, a hypocrite, and a baby."
Something flickered in the bonfires of his eyes. A new rush of rage triggered by a painful long-hidden memory.
For a second, she wondered if he would try to strangle her again.
"You know nothing," he spat, "Nothing of this world or of me. It is you who is laughable."
"Is it?"
"You speak up against every minor detail you disagree with and fight what cannot be fought. Would you fight with death itself? You wish to tailor the world to your ideals, but this is not your world. Besides, a tiny insignificant human like yourself could never accomplish such a feat."
She felt tears pricking at her eyes.
You will never belong here.
"But you could?"
"Obviously."
In her frustration, water filled her eyes and turned her vision wobbly. The Daiyoukai became a blurred outline in front of her and she balled her fists at her sides, biting her bottom lip hard.
"If . . ." she whispered quietly, "If you don't fight for what you believe in . . . If you don't even try to make the world a better place . . . How can you expect to be worth anything?"
The tears started falling then and she quickly turned away.
She hated herself for letting him see them.
How could he still not understand? She'd hoped he was different, but in the end, he was just like everyone else.
As she stood quietly choking on sobs, she felt his fingers reach and clasp hers. She gasped at the sudden contact, not daring to turn around, as his grip on her hand tightened and she shivered.
Darkness rolled in as the final rays of sun disappeared behind the horizon. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks and mixed with the blood and dirt there. He was still holding her hand – if it could be called that – and his other crept up to brush her hair away from her shoulder. The tips of his claws spider-walked along her skin and she trembled. She could feel his breath on the back of her neck and closed her eyes, still crying softly.
Why did she have to be so pathetic? Her tears were drying but the hollow feeling in her chest remained. He was cruel for playing with her. She couldn't guess his intentions, but she suspected they had something to do with getting her to stop blubbering.
Yet the feeling that was arising in her chest alongside the emptiness . . . It was a foreign feeling. Startling. Sickening.
"One of their blades caught you," he said suddenly, and she jumped at the close proximity of his voice.
"What?"
Her voice sounded coarse. He tapped a spot of flesh on her left shoulder and she winced at the quick sting of pain the touch brought. Tilting her head back, she saw a small gash where she'd been cut that was slowly leaking blood.
She hadn't even noticed.
"Come," he beckoned, gesturing for her to sit on a rock beside the river.
He seated himself beside her and plucked a bright green plant that was growing in the water. "What's that?" she asked as he pressed its leaves gently over her wound.
"It is a medicinal herb that grows in most rivers. It is used to treat smaller injuries."
Once he finished dressing it, he sat back and examined his work. She leaned back over her shoulder to look at it and wiped her sticky eyes. The work was neat and precise. She found it hard to believe that someone usually so callous and cruel had a talent for first aid.
"Who taught you that?"
"My mother," he answered, tossing the unused leaves back into the river.
She thought back to what Kannika had said about the Lady Mother. She supposedly lived in a place called Moon Country, high up in the sky in a floating castle, and she liked painting.
"Were you close to her?"
"She was my mother."
He said it so matter-of-factly.
Was.
". . . What happened?"
His expression revealed nothing and he rose to stand. Her eyes followed his movements and she swallowed thickly.
"You wanted to bathe," he changed the subject. "Do so."
Her gaze sunk to her knees and she sighed softly. She hadn't really expected him to tell her.
"What about the leaves?" she prompted, gesturing to her injury.
"They have a tacky texture and thus will not fall off in the water. Now proceed. I shall keep watch."
"That won't be necessary—"
"There are not only starving youkai for you to worry about. Men are hungry too. And you practically announced your whereabouts to every man in the entire village. My presence will serve as protection."
"Fine," she scowled, crossing her arms. "Just don't look."
He snorted. "Do not be ridiculous."
Her jaw dropped as he made his way over to sit behind a tree.
Such a rude man.
Still, she waited until his back was turned to undress and carefully slip into the cold water. It was absolutely freezing. She flailed around to try and get blood pumping faster through her body and cursed silently at herself for taking steamy bubble baths for granted. Her foot touched something slimy on the riverbed and she yelped, splashing like a fish.
"Enjoying yourself?" Sesshoumaru teased.
"Shut up!"
She thought he chuckled at that but maybe the temperature of the water was making her delirious. She scrubbed at herself vigorously, trying to get all the muck off, desperately wishing for a bar of soap and shampoo.
Cicadas clicked in the distance as she ducked her head underwater then came back up and wrung it dry.
"I thought you couldn't use your whip thingy."
"It came as a surprise to me as well."
"Can you use it again now?"
He seemed to try, flexing his fingers and concentrating intensely.
"No."
"Maybe the curse is weakening."
"Maybe. It could be that the closer to Namida we get, the less powerful its hold becomes."
She tucked her dripping hair behind her ears, contemplating. "I haven't been able to use my magic, though."
They had fallen prey to a strange sort of spell work.
"I'm getting out now," she announced with a cough. "So don't even think about peeping, all right?"
"You are remarkably confident in your appeal," he noted, and her mouth fell open in shock when he added, "Or are you that eager to be seen?"
"I am not."
She climbed out onto the bank and slipped her clothes back on. It was a bit uncomfortable since she was still dripping wet but there were no towels around here or probably anywhere in this time period.
She squeezed the remaining dampness from her hair and slid her feet into her sandals before making her way over to Sesshoumaru.
"You're the narcissist of the two of us," she said.
"Debatable. You seemed rather pleased with yourself when you were running around with those bandits. Too pleased, in fact. Were you imagining yourself as a famous samurai?"
Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment.
She knew she'd gotten too into it.
"Well," she mumbled, "I did distract them from killing the villagers. So, there. Score one to me."
"Hn."
He was laughing at her with his eyes.
"Oh, go ahead and laugh, but just you wait. As soon as I get my magic back, I'll be the one laughing, Sesshoumaru. I might even burn your other hand if I'm feeling extra pissy."
"By all means, feel free to try. You will not receive another chance."
"We'll see about that."
She went to make her way back to the guest house but stopped when she realised he wasn't following her. He wasn't moving, much to her confusion, and she furrowed her brows and waited.
"Why are you just standing there?"
"I too must bathe."
Oh.
"Do you want me to keep watch?"
He smirked and joked, "To witness you chasing off some poor creature with a bucket? No, that will not be necessary."
So cheeky.
She almost laughed but held it in as she folded her arms over her chest, smiling ever so slightly. "Fine. Refuse my protection. You'll regret it."
"Again, debatable."
Despite her better judgement, she did laugh at that. The atmosphere between them was warm and light. Unusual. She could get used to this, she thought as she walked away from the river. Maybe travelling together wouldn't be so bad if he was like this more often. The transformation seemed to have made him much more pleasant. Unless, he actually was like that deep down, and only pretended not to be.
She heard the distant splash of water from behind her – undoubtedly from Sesshoumaru – and she wondered if he would come to sleep with her in the guest house after he was finished bathing.
The idea wasn't as disagreeable to her as it should have been.
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They set out for the road the next morning and Octavia thanked the villagers immensely for their kindness.
Sesshoumaru hadn't come to share the guest house with her last night, which had made her more disappointed than she'd expected. What had she been expecting? For the two of them to have a sleepover and play Truth or Dare? How unrealistic. He might be nicer than he let on, but he was still a demon and a daimyo. He would never cram marshmallows into his mouth and try to utter 'chubby bunny' whilst doing so.
He met her on the slope leading up to the main road and she jogged to catch up to him. He seemed cleaner than before, no doubt thanks to his wash in the river, but he was still wearing that shirt with the rip in it.
"Here," she said, giving him back his outer haori. "The priest laid out some old clothes from the other villagers but he wasn't sure if they would be too small for you. You could've tried them on and—"
"I do not need anything from them."
He slipped the haori back on and she noticed then that he was no longer wearing any armour. It had been damaged during the battle against the human-faced trolls but she didn't realise it had been that much.
Without it, he looked . . . naked.
"My shoulder is better," she said.
"Naturally."
"Thank you for that."
His eyes slid to hers and narrowed suspiciously. "You have expressed your gratitude to me a lot recently, considering you still constantly rebuke my opinions."
"We might not see eye-to-eye on everything, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate you doing nice things. Like your shirt, for instance. You didn't have to give it to me. It was really considerate."
"It was a matter of decency, not consideration. I cannot have you wandering around in the garbs of a whore."
She frowned. "You don't have to say it like that. I can wear skimpy clothes if I want to, and you can't do anything to stop me. Maybe I shouldn't have insisted on getting new ones."
"Then you would have been travelling alone."
"You know, where I come from, there are less strict rules on what girls are allowed to wear."
"You all parade around half-naked, do you?" he smirked, "Stealing eyefuls of each other whilst bathing?"
She rolled her eyes.
"No, Sesshoumaru, being a Peeping Tom is generally frowned upon there too."
Fluffy clouds flowered across the blue pastel sky and the air tasted fresh. They walked through the rice fields until they were back on the road, and continued heading north towards the sea.
They were silent as they travelled, but Octavia was surprised to find that the silence wasn't uncomfortable.
Japan in feudal times was stunning.
Landscapes were wild and unpolluted – the grass a vivid green and sparkling in the hot summer sun like emeralds – and even the wildlife was incredible. Exotic birds and mammals roamed the plains and skies of this world, and Octavia observed them curiously. She'd never seen animals like this. Their feathers and fur were saturated and rainbow-esque, no creature exactly the same, and she found herself wondering what it would be like to paint them all. Would it be like what had happened when she'd tried painting Sesshoumaru? Would they be too magical to transfer properly onto paper?
Her feet ached terribly in the flimsy sandals but she tried to ignore them as she took all in the scenery.
"Over this hill, you will see a city," Sesshoumaru interrupted her sightseeing, "It is a demon city with a special glamour put in place to prevent it being discovered by humans. Since you are with me, you will be able to see it."
"Are we going through it?"
"Yes. It is situated between two large mountains, therefore going through is the fastest route to the coast, unless you would prefer to diverge greatly and circle around the mountains."
She glanced down at her sore feet and winced at the thought. "Okay. But if it's a demon city, won't I be . . . unwelcome? I am human, you know."
"They will presume you are my servant."
"I just got out of being a slave!"
"Servant, not slave. Slavery is illegal in my lands. There is a difference between the two, human."
"Is there?" she muttered, frowning.
"Yes, there is. Working in the serving industry puts food on the table for many who would be unable to provide for their families otherwise. Slavery, on the other hand, is not a choice. Individuals are taken from their homes and forced to work. They are nothing alike."
She hesitated.
"I never thought of it like that."
"You wouldn't have. Such complicated matters are above your understanding."
"All right! No need to insult me over it."
The cages came flooding back into her mind and she bit her lip, uncertain. "This black market," she started, "Where the trolls and oni were going to take us to auction off as slaves . . . Is it in this city?"
His brows quirked in surprise, and she smiled in triumph.
"It is, isn't it? I'm right. You think the city practices the trade even though it's illegal. We're going to investigate, aren't we?"
One corner of his mouth curved upwards slightly.
"It would seem you can use your brain after all."
Her smile widened and she felt herself filling up with resolve. Holmes and Watson on the case, she thought excitedly, then followed him up to the top of the hill and watched as a city slowly appeared in the distance, as if a table cloth had been lifted up from over it.
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Author's Corner
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