Sorry it has taken so long for me to update this sucker.
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.
Constellation of Blood: And So Begins The Hunt…
There was no possible explanation. How could he have survived the attack the group had bestowed upon him? And more importantly, how could he have found her location? All of these questions flooded Kagura's mind as she backed away from the peasant woman whom had obviously lost her life for the message delivered. She clutched desperately at the cotton collar of her nightclothes in an attempt to shield herself from the truth: Naraku was alive.
"I have a message, Lady Kagura." The woman had restarted her instructions. She was like a monotone death note sent specifically to destroy Kagura, little by little. "He says he hasn't forgotten your betrayal." Kagura clasped her eyes closed. She wanted nothing more than to shut out the petty human and her damned message.
"Shut up."
"And that your heart will once again beat within his grip."
"SHUT UP!" Kagura launched herself at the corpse only to have it dissolve within her fingers. In frustration and hopelessness, Kagura fell to her knees beside the remains. It was over. Her freedom, her life, her future, her mere existence was to be shattered by the hands of the man she once called master. She couldn't rely on Sesshomaru, for he thought of her as one thing and one thing only: a chance to gain a sword. With that last thought, Kagura stood up, left the castle, and entered the chilly night.
It was only when she could barely feel her toes and could hear her bones chattering, did she sit down for a rest. Her choice of leisure was a small grassy mound that overlooked the kingdom Nigi occupied. An icy wind wrapped its bitter fingers around the wind sorceress's body and she couldn't help but shiver. A single tear dwindled down the pale skin of the demon as she realized that her death was inevitable by now. The wind would be trapped underneath the firm grip of a monster, forever forsaken of the freedom she craved. And what truly broke her heart was the fact that it was right there. She could taste the sweet flavor of liberation and feel the tingly sensation of true release at her fingertips. Yet, that single flame of hope was extinguished by a single message. Kagura curled up into a tight ball within the lithe blades of grass to contemplate how she would spend these last few days left on earth. She would still help Sesshomaru get his little sword but that wasn't enough. But she needed something. She didn't yet know what it was, but it was there, in the back of her mind and in the pit of her stomach; nagging and itching to break through. It was a craving of information and feeling. And like a bolt of lightning slicing through metal, it hit Kagura. She knew what she wanted and she would get it before Naraku made his appearance.
Sesshomaru was more than aware of the deathly presence in the bedroom beside him. His sensitive ears had picked up the entire conversation and his acute senses had plucked out the fear radiating from the wind demon. He himself couldn't believe the news the corpse had brought to Kagura's chamber. He knew that Naraku would be inching his way to the demoness, playing with her mind and feeding off her terror. But as long as she didn't try anything stupid, she would be safe for the mean time. After all, she was under his protection for the time being. As long as she retrieved Nigi's blade, all would be made right. With that thought giving his mind peace, he glided out of his room. Standing in front of her door was Kagura, herself. Her skin was ghostly white but a new fire burned within her carmine orbs. The demon lord stared her for but a moment before retreating to a morning bath.
Kagura smiled silently as she pushed open the door to her bedroom. Sleep was useless to her for she had regained more than enough energy during the night when she came to her conclusion. The plan had already been put into effect whether she or Sesshomaru even knew it or not. The simple fact that the demon prince had noticed her flustered appearance was enough to set that same plan into motion. And a certain childish giddiness fluttered through her body when she felt his eyes roam over her. It was a small achievement, but a win nonetheless. She pulled open her door and swiftly entered her room. First thing was first, she would remove all remaining signs of Naraku's death message by scooping up the faint ashes and throwing them out of the window. Next, she found her most exotic looking kimono and donned the expensive fabric, which happened to be a gift from Sesshomaru's brother. She unleashed her raven hair from the constraints of her hair pins. After examining herself for a few minutes, Kagura was satisfied. She grinned at the amazing results of a few minor changes. It was going to be a great day, indeed.
Kagura descended for lunch early that afternoon. She wanted everyone within a ten-mile radius to bask in this newly acquired confidence. Servants stared at the creator of tempests while she sipped at her tea. Sesshomaru was the first to come down, quickly followed by his brother. Kagura snickered in the depths of her mind. How predictable of the demon lord – always has to be first. Both demons were in awe, although the surprise was more clearly written on Nigi's features. He sped past his sibling and lowered to one knee beside the wind charmer. In one graceful move, he swept up Kagura's wrist and laid a faint kiss upon her hand.
"You look absolutely amazing this post meridian." Kagura quirked a fine eyebrow at the source of her compliment. He could've just said 'good afternoon'. Both demons took a seat at the long oak table and prepared themselves for the meal by setting their linen napkins on their laps and neatly folding their hands upon the napkin.
At the snap of Nigi's clawed fingers, numerous servants scattered about the dinner hall in a race to see who could serve at a swift pace without disappointing their master. Exotic foods placed on porcelain plates trimmed in gold were set in front of each demon, followed by a pair of finely crafted chopsticks that, Kagura imagined, was a creation of exquisite beauty and not meant for the mere position of 'eating utensils'. As soon as the food was within Kagura's reach, she politely picked and chewed in large intervals so that it would look as if she had been brought up as a lady, instead of as a separation of collage of demons. Across the table, she could feel the molten glare of Sesshomaru's gaze burning into the deepest realms of her body. She could only guess what he was thinking and she hoped that compliment was buried underneath the insults, the sarcasm, and the ego.
"You could've dressed more appropriately for the occasion, Kagura." Kagura's crimson orbs darted to the object of her attraction. And she was met with the same stern stare that had drawn her near from the very beginning.
"I think her attire is quite charming, brother." Even Nigi's jovial voice wasn't enough to break the frigid line of vision between the two. Kagura's rosy eyes turned into thin slits of bloodlust as she spoke.
"Nigi thinks my kimono is fine."
"I hate to scar your pride, Kagura, but Nigi finds anything remotely feminine attractive." That was the last thing Kagura remembered hearing for her vision turned a bright white and she could feel wind swirling about her form in a twisted tornado of destruction. Nigi watched on in absolute shock as a whirlwind appeared from out of nowhere and tossed the table clear across the room. It had been aimed for Sesshomaru's head, but the demon prince's reflexes were quicker than the human eye and he easily dodged it. Kagura stumbled backwards as realization hit her like an angry storm. She promptly regained her wits and hurried up the stairs to her bedroom.
It was an embarrassment. She had never let her emotions take control of her power like she had done a few moments ago. But she had been so angered, so hurt, that she couldn't control the energy she unleashed. She had wanted to wound Sesshomaru like he had wounded her. Yet she couldn't. Even now, as she stood by her bed and inhaled deeply to calm herself down, she couldn't yet clear her head to face him. If he were in her presence, may everything holy help him for she would not know what she was capable of doing to him. And as if someone unearthly had heard her thoughts, the demon lord slid her door open and met her look of anger. Kagura tried to look away, for she, too, could feel the fury radiating off of him. But she couldn't help but question why he would be so infuriated when he had insulted her. He slowly slid the door closed and stalked towards her like a maddened tiger hunting down its final meal.
"Are you a complete imbecile, or do you just have sudden outbursts of stupidity?" Kagura could feel her fists clench and droplets of blood descending down her flesh from the puncture wounds her nails created. In flash of madness, the wind sorceress stepped forward and delivered a lethal blow to Sesshomaru's cheek. Three slim lines of blood seeped from his flawless skin, yet Kagura hadn't moved an inch. Her cheeks were flushed from the sudden rush of excitement and little bits of onyx hair had worked their way into her face, creating a dangerous shadow over her eyes.
"I have been insulted for the LAST time! I will NOT allow you to disgrace me any longer!" She was now grasping his own clothing in an unconscious attempt to keep her body balanced. Yet, in a split second, she was raised high up in the air by Sesshomaru. His fingers curled around her neck and Kagura could feel the burning sensation of his poison claw itching to be let loose.
"You are just begging to be killed, aren't you? You think you can order I, the great Sesshomaru around and live to tell about it? You are sadly mistaken." Kagura choked a high-pitched snicker and returned fire with fire.
"Great? Ha! You're nothing but a worthless coward. You can't even kill Inuyasha, a simple half-breed." The taunt had surprised Sesshomaru and had given Kagura the opportunity to fight out of the death grip. The demoness gave a quick sidekick to the demon lord's side and back flipped to the other side of the room. Unfortunately, Sesshomaru was still blocking her exit. She could try jumping from the window but she knew how fast Sesshomaru could react and thought against it. However, she was able to foresee him unsheathing his electrical whip and was able to respond. She hastily moved out of harm's way with each blow, leaving cracks in the floor and deep slashes in the walls. But it was of no concern to the wind sorceress and she retaliated with a 'Dance of the Dragon'.
The battle of power went on for only a few minutes before each demon ditched their weapons and settled on hand-to-hand combat. Kagura had thought she had the advantage, considering she had both arms to use as weapons, but Sesshomaru was agile and swift. More than once during their battle, Kagura noticed that he could've mortally wounded her with a single blow yet he didn't use his strength's full potential. The fight seemed to go on for hours – jab here, block there, kick this way, duck that way. Kagura unleashed one more attack, only to be held off by Sesshomaru's forearm. Kagura struggled to get past his strength.
"Just…give it up…Sesshomaru. I've got…the…upper-hand – no pun intended." She watched in amazement as the corner of Sesshomaru's mouth inched upward into a smirk.
"You insolent wench. Do you even know why I reprimanded you for your actions?" When he heard no answer from her, he continued. "You practically signed your death over to Naraku." Kagura suddenly went limp and called off her attack, only to receive a harsh push that ended in her landing on her rear. Lucky for her, she landed on the mattress of her bed.
"What?" Sesshomaru was now towering over her. She noticed that even though she had given him numerous cuts and bruises, they had almost completely healed; restoring his former impeccable face. She also noticed that half of her kimono had slid off her shoulder during her battle and she began to ease her bruised wrist up to it so that she could remain modest in a demon lord's presence. But once again, Sesshomaru was quicker than she and seized her tender wrist, bending it backwards little by little.
"You were part of Naraku and even though you have your own heart, he can still feel his own power. Your little air show was like bringing a moth to the flame." He was trying to…protect her? Reluctantly, Kagura was pulled out of her fantasy as he bent the wrist further back. She whimpered in protest and made a mad dash towards the window. It was risky but she had to try something; she was fearing for more than her life at this point. There was a certain gleam, a mysterious sparkle to his golden orbs that made Kagura shiver from within. A muscular arm followed by an equally masculine body blocked her figure from every available exit. A tight grip was formed around her wrist once more, and when she tried to dip around him, he pulled the mangled arm behind her; paralyzing her. She was brought back against his chest and Kagura suddenly became aware of every little movement: the tight knot in her throat, the restrictions on her chest, the warmth in her belly, and the scorching breath trailing down her neck. It was all over for her…
Hmmm…perhaps I should've gone on? Naw! I'll save it for the weekend!