Sesshomaru and Jaken arrived at the Daiki residence sometime after noon. After hiring a carriage, they made their way up the mountain hillside to the more affluent neighborhoods. The difference was remarkable. The pathways were mostly paved cobblestone with plenty of landscaped gardens. Large deciduous trees framed entrances to wealthy villas, although they were currently devoid of their fragrant blossoms during this time of year. Even the air smelled cleaner, carrying notes of crisp mint.
They waited at the villa entrance, a stone archway with the family name Daiki inscribed in a gold plaque hammered to stone at the side. On either side of the arch, stood two large deciduous trees. Their branches lacked any leaves and flowers, but held on to some amounts of settled snow. On some branches, the snow partially melted, forming icy stalactites that refracted the bright afternoon sun.
It wasn't before long they could hear shuffling as Daiki Nao made his way to the entrance to greet them. He was dressed in an austere navy silk kimono with a (probably ceremonial) katana strapped at his waist. Just a proper one and a half steps behind him followed his servant, wearing a simple linen kimono and holding a thin paper umbrella over his master's head - to protect him from the harsh winter snowflakes of course.
Daiki Nao was the democratically elected Governor of the city. Although, when only a small subset of the population had the privilege to cast votes, democratic might be too strong of a word.
Although he didn't look like it, Nao Daiki was an older gentleman, just starting on his seventh decade alive. He had a long beard and long hair that he kept black with consistent dyes. The only thing betraying his age were his crow's feet, little lines that radiated from the corners of his eyes and were prominent whenever he smiled. Regardless of his age, the man was gregarious, quick to smile and laugh. He looked ready to leap forward and embrace his visitor but restrained himself.
"Lord Daiki," Sesshomaru greeted, arching his back in a small bow. Jaken, in his human form, mimicked his actions, but begrudgingly allowed his bow to dip deeper in acknowledgement of his inferior standing.
A heartbeat passed as the Governor took in their appearances and registered their identities, but soon after a large grin spread across his face, reaching up to his eyes and crinkling the corners. "Lord Maru - Am I glad to see you here!"
To the Governor, Sesshomaru (or Lord Maru) was an inconsequential noble from another province. They had met several brief times in the past and Nao was always struck by his sophisticated demeanor.
However, it was not a coincidence that Sesshomaru reached out to Nao, fabricating a story of family tragedy and expressing a strong desire to relocate to Kunashiri. Back in these times, when life was fleeting and fragile, it was a story that Nao could easily relate to.
Nao was quick to welcome Lord Maru to Kunashiri, but at the same time the Governor saw an opportunity and was quick to secure it. He offered Lord Maru something better than just permission for relocation. He offered him a spot in his inner circle - a spot on the Council that is, in exchange for a particular service.
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"Where is your household, Lord Maru? I was expecting to see an entire entourage today," Nao began genially. They were seated at a low wooden table with a shiny lacquered surface with delicate china. The Governor finished pouring out the steaming tea and passed a cup to Sesshomaru.
Jaken and the other servants of the villas stood a few paces behind their masters, pretending not to listen to every word that passed from the noblemen.
"Ah, I dismissed my household staff, after - Well, I'm sure you already know what happened," Sesshomaru allowed for a pause, anticipating Nao's socially required pity.
"Yes, yes, as you've mentioned… It was truly a tragedy," Nao said, shaking his head and looking appropriately somber on his guest's behalf. He even gave a couple of short tsks, as if to emphasize the point.
"It's just me and my most trusted servant, Sabantoshi." Sesshomaru gave a brief glance in Jaken's direction to acknowledge his existence.
Of course, after almost a century of travelling together, Sesshomaru could already tell that Jaken was bristling at being considered a lowly human servant, but another part of the imp demon was revelling in a small joy at being called his most trusted servant.
"Ah, it is good to travel light. Let me know if you have any need for good household staff as I have quite a few servants I could lend to you." The Governor smiled good naturedly and continued to sip on his tea.
It continued on like this for quite some time, the two noblemen exchanging idle pleasantries. Their servants quickly lost any interest in the conversation. They chatted about general politics; Nao probed Sesshomaru for his political alignment and Sesshomaru was all too inclined to praise Nao's insightful vendettas. Nao boasted about his capables sons and Sesshomaru lamented about his lost imaginary family. He even threw into the conversation a manufactured desire to find a proper noble lady to settle down with. At last, after the teapot was refilled at least once, did the meandering chatter shift topics.
"So, Lord Maru, have you had time to consider my proposition? With your help, you would be making a strong presence for yourself in Kunashiri. Who knows, in a couple of decades your noble house could be as influential as the Katsu house." Daiki Nao speaking of his special proposition - a seat on the Council in exchange for investigative services.
"My Lord, you flatter me deeply to offer up a seat on your council in exchange for my services, which may not even prove fruitful."
"Nonsense! You are a bright young lord! I've always found that those with the most to gain are often the most motivated." Nao smiled at him, offering himself up as an unsolicited mentor. Of course he didn't know that he was speaking to a demon that was centuries old. "So, what do you say?"
"I'll have to say that you are quite right in your deduction of me, Governor. It would be absolutely foolish of me to turn down your offer. So I'll have to agree - let's hear what you'll require of me in exchange for the Council seat."
The servants perked up, surreptitiously stretching out their backs and stifling small yawns. The conversation was finally getting interesting.
The Governor stood up, joints and bones popping and snapping all the way. He gave a quick arch of his back, bracing his hands on his hips, to get rid of any last cracks. Then, he began to pace back and forth in front of the table.
"It started a couple of years ago, we began to have strange reports coming out from the slums. They weren't really much of a concern at first, you know how things are in the slums, there's always a drug or a disease or a gang. But well, the reports were strange. People were dying suddenly and always of inexplicable causes! One moment they would be fine, and the next they would be screaming about how they were being burned alive. And then after that? Nothing! They would go quiet and still, like the dead. But they would still be breathing. At least for a bit. And then they'd die." Nao stopped suddenly, as if pondering on how to continue the story. He opened his mouth to speak a couple of times but then would restrain himself and shake his head. The pacing was incessant and for a couple of minutes only the shuffling of his kimono layers could be heard.
None of this was news to Sesshomaru who had already read reports of a strange illness originating from Kunashiri from his spies. Of humans who died but did not die. Humans who stopped speaking and moving and drinking and eating, until their bodies wasted away and their hearts finally stopped. Nao was describing all of the physical symptoms of this strange condition. But Sesshomaru knew why it was happening. Someone was reaping their living souls, leaving behind a body with no master to slowly waste away. Someone was collecting hundreds and hundreds of human souls and Sesshomaru wanted to know why.
Nao had gathered enough wits to begin again. "The first report was four years ago. It was just one boy. A poor orphan. He threw himself into the well after screaming about being lit on fire even though the rain was pouring that day. The villagers hauled him out of the well and took him away, but he died a couple days later. Then more reports came, mostly from the slums but sometimes from the noble houses. A nobleman just lost a son a couple of days ago. Of course, the son was a known womanizer and alcoholic and who knows what else."
As Nao continued to talk, he became increasingly agitated. His fingers twitched wildly and began to grip and wringe at his clothing. It was as if he was talking to himself, not even bothering to acknowledge Sesshomaru's presence.
"My Lord?" Sesshomaru prompted, bringing the Governor's attention back to the present.
With a deep sigh, Nao settled back down at the table where Sesshomaru had been sitting all long, barely twitching a muscle. He scooped up his cup and sipped at the now cold tea. He didn't even notice that his guest hadn't even touched his tea. "I'll be straight with you Lord Maru. The deaths don't concern me. Like I said, with a city of this size, there's always going to be something. However, someone in Kunashiri is distributing a new drug and I am completely in the dark about it. I want to know the source. I want to know who is distributing it. I want to know how they're distributing it. I want to know everything."
"You are very confident that it is a drug, my Lord."
"Yes, yes, very good question. A couple of years ago, there were other reports too. Shifuku is what they call the drug. What a fitting name for a drug, bliss. A new drug at the same time these strange deaths started occurring? Don't you think it's too much of a coincidence?"
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A/N: Sabantoshi (Jaken's human name) is actually a modified form of servant. I honestly find it hilarious that Sesshomaru just calls Jaken "servant"... Please leave any reviews. :)