Demons and Dragonflies

A light drizzle and heavy fog coated the sprawling camp just as it had the day before, and the day before that. Large canvas tents dotted the grass beside a road clogged with carriages and wagons that were covered in tarps. The spring weather made so much mud the royal party had become stuck only a few miles from their next destination.

A lone figure on a black mount rode ahead through the gloom. He checked behind himself more than a few times to ensure they did not follow him, one of a very few grateful for the shadowing mists. An exceptionally quiet man, stealth had been natural for him since he'd been a boy. The faint twinge of guilt that came with sneaking off from his family was not natural.

It didn't take long to reach the outskirts of Rivergard, and somehow the man remained dry by the time he dismounted his horse. The pure-blooded great demon frowned down at his feet as his fine boots squelched under him. He did not understand why he had to subject himself to these earthly impediments at all times during this excursion.

The man started a leisurely stroll down the cobbled streets, his hood pulled back just enough to show his face without getting soaked. He saw soggy, colorful awnings hanging in front of bistros and small shops. Lesser yokai were seen hanging lights for the festivities out in the rain. The townsfolk stopped to bow in reverence as he passed by, but they were all careful to avoid catching his gaze. He smiled to himself, pleased that his cruel reputation had made itself known so far from the Capitol. The youth walked with the grace of a cat, dressed in fine silks of dark navy and yellow that swished with his gait and peeked out from under a dark, ankle-length cloak. He followed his nose to the armorer's forge near the town's central square.

He'd heard men talking of this merchant's work on the road since they crossed into the Riverine. Entering the open building, the mysterious stranger pulled his hood back to reveal his long, silver-white hair. The smells of the place filled his nose, the burning coal, the sweet scent of hot iron, and the coolness of steel. Yet there was no thick feel of magic to the air. He walked past the intricate armor and helmets laid out on old workbenches. He worked his way towards where the owner of the establishment was hammering on some fiery piece of metal with his back turned.
"Is this the shop of Kono?" the prince startled a large ox-demon who almost dropped his tools at the sound of the voice.

The beast stammered, "I-It is, Your Grace! What a pleasure to see you here so soon." Then he bowed. "We were told the rains had delayed the royal company for at least another day or so. How may I be of service to you today?"
"I have heard you are the greatest armorer in the Riverine." Prince Sesshōmaru spied an array of swords and axes hanging from pegs on the far wall.

"Not sure about all that, m'Lord," Kono grunted, "but I use some of the purest ores around and I've never been one to cut corners." He wiped his massive hands off on the daub, brown leather apron around his waist. With a wave, he lead the way toward where the weaponry was hanging. "I'd be happy to bring anything down for a closer look."

Sesshōmaru scanned the wares for all of a few seconds before furrowing his brown and asking if any were enchanted. The ox looked him up and down and waited a long moment before responding.

"Reckon I can craft steel as good as most, but magics are beyond me, your Grace," he stated with some regret. "But I think I know of someone else who might help you." Kono then instructed him to seek an elderly human woman who lived in the woods past the western edge of town. "Some round here call her a witch, but she don't look like any witch I've ever heard of. Might be she could be of more help than I."

Sesshōmaru considered the smith for a moment. He could not smell a lie, and even if he had, there wasn't much time left to be picky. He glanced down at the useless sword at his hip and sighed.

"Where can I find this woods witch?"

-xx-

Thank the Gods for this rain, Inuyasha gloated to himself as the warm feel of her body pressed up against his. He pulled her closer, relishing the way every curve of their bodies seemed to hug the other. Even physically, they were a perfect fit. He breathed in her scent just as she hummed against him, and a ghost of a smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

Earlier he and Kagome had been standing idly near, and perhaps a little too close to, an overloaded cart being pushed out of a mucky rut. Their men stretched so thin by then that their accompanying Imperial Guards lent a hand in the ditch. They all sploshed in the mud, trying to push the enormous wheels up onto two inclined wooden boards. The mischievous prince had reached out to link his pinky with Kagome's, then nodded at the tableau before them, grinning wickedly.

Kagome had blushed when she bit her lip and knotted her brows, making a show of thinking about whether to set the dominoes tumbling. Not 10 seconds later, a loud cracking cut the air as the wooden wheel closest to where they stood collapsed, spilling the cart and its contents into the sludge and spraying the King's ward from head to toe with a sheet of the stuff. The scream she let out was authentic, as were the shouts of surprise from the men who'd fallen in the crash. Inuyasha made a show of scolding the flummoxed men-at-arms. Then, taking the sobbing young woman by the hand, he instructed their sentries to help clean up the cargo and finish getting the cart out of there while he took Kagome back to her tent.

From there, it wasn't hard to slip into the background of the foliage. The prince scooped the human into his arms and took off into the rain. They'd found a round pool in the middle of the forest at the bottom of a rise. A large cave mouth was halfway hidden in the hill near the edge of the water, and there they sat together curled around the meager fire Inuyasha had sparked. After she stops shivering, Inuyasha began brushing her hair with his claws. Nothing brought him a sense of peace like the silky feel of her strands between his fingers. Watching the light and shadows from the flames dance across the deep burgundy of her skirts at the same time almost had him hypnotized. Without thinking, he starts a soft plait in her long hair.

"It will be nice to get back home and sleep in our own beds again, don't you think?" he says absently, eyes fixed on the shine of the black diamonds embroidered into the shape of a giant dog on her scarlet bodice.

She snorts at the idea. "I am dreading returning to the Palace," she admits. Inuyasha feels her settle in even closer to him. "What if the rumors about gathering forces and a new false King are true? Our people are on edge already after this winter. What if he were to decide to land in the middle of a revolt? And with your uncle in exile on top of things?" her voice was higher by the time she let herself take a breath.

"And honestly, Inuyasha, I've gotten used to the freedom we've had over the past few months. Out here, it's like a weight off my shoulders. I don't have to assume every entity we come in contact with is a pair of spying eyes for one demon or another. The Capitol is a pit of vipers and you know it." He wished he could see her face as she paused. When Kagome spoke again her voice was thick with emotion. "And when we arrive in Rivergard I'm supposed to meet that horrible brat," she spat the last like it was a curse. Ever since the engagement was announced, Kagome only referred to her betrothed by such nicknames.

Inuyasha hugged her tighter and listened to the crackling of the fire punctuate the silence between them. "Well, you don't need to worry about any uprising. All our information tells us that Naraku is backing the wrong guy this time. This "king" is hated by his own men. Even without Kirinmaru serving as the Court's spymaster, Sesshōmaru is poised to take over the position soon enough. He's not good at showing it, but he does love you very much and he would let nothing happen to you. Besides, he's so hell-bent on killing me he'd never allow someone else to take the chance from him," he chuckled, attempting to cheer her up. The soft sob he heard in response cracked his heart.

"Hey," he took her cheek and turned her face to his own. "We never had trouble being careful before. And I'll be damned if some lord's pissant little shit will ever lay a hand on the love of my life. I don't care what my parents say." Kagome cracked a smile just as a single tear rolled down her cheek. Inuyasha brushed it away. "Naraku's plans will fizzle out before they start. Same as this ridiculous engagement business. I don't care what I have to do, Kagome. I'll find a way for us to be together forever." A whine squeaked from the back of his throat before he leaned in a pressed an insistent kiss to her lips.

-xx-

A different prince crept up to a strange house in the forest, silent as a shadow. The gray sky had darkened with the evening and rain pelted him in a constant whir. Sesshōmaru had begun his search floating above the trees hoping to find a scent, but the air was only filled with the magnified aromas of soaked earth and wet leaves.

It had taken longer than he'd expected to find this overgrown cottage. It was very well-hidden, built halfway into the side of a hill with gardens of vegetables and herbs spilling down the lawn in tiers. Sniffing, he could make out the thin trail of smoke curling from a cleverly disguised chimney. A barrier of substantial strength must have been put around the property for all of this to elude his keen senses. Perhaps this is not such a fool's errand after all Sesshōmaru thought to himself as he rapped on the wooden door.

The door opened with a loud creak. A stooped, aged woman dressed in red and white traditional robes appeared and scanned him up and down with one shrewd eye. A black patch covered the other, but he could almost feel its burning gaze. She took in his fine clothing, the sword at his hip, the crest of the royal family at his lapel. The old woman bowed as low as her back will allow before the Prince, then stepped away from the threshold to welcome him into her home.

It seemed to comprise one dark room, lit by a smoky fire in the meager hearth. Herbs and bunches of flowers hung so low from the rafters he had to duck to avoid running into them. The air inside felt greasy and thick. Scents overpowered his nose and the room spun for a moment before Sesshōmaru adjusted. The sorceress apologized, murmuring something about not expecting any royal pop-ins. Somehow she made it sound like an insult, but did offer him some tea, which he declined.

"How may I be of service, your Grace?" she asked, turning to ready a pot for herself.

"I've heard that you are a talented spell-worker," Sesshōmaru got right to the reason for his visit. "I am working on a sword to rival the great Tessaiga and I need a few enchantments," he spoke with his usual flatness.

The woman's cup slipped from her hand at that, landing with a loud clank on the floor. She stood still for a moment before picking it up. Slowly, she turned and stood face-to-face with the haughty prince. She eyed his ghostly figure up and down and held his stare for a long while before responding. Once more, Sesshōmaru could almost feel her missing eye searing into him.

"If I recall correctly, Tessaiga is your father's fang, able to defeat a hundred demons in a single stroke." her even tone was unexpected as he could hear her old heart race.

"You would be correct, sorceress."

"Please, my name is Kaede and I am no sorceress. It's true I have worked spells on a few weapons in my time. You might be familiar with my work as I rendered the enchantments on your uncle's own sword before your father sent him North. Obviously, all of my previous work has been with the approval of the King," she let the implication hang in the air and turned to ready some tea leaves in the bottom of the recovered clay cup.

Sesshōmaru had seen the havoc that Kirinmaru's blade could cause only once. The skies had turned black when he summoned a ball of demonic energy that grew bigger than a castle. As it burst into their enemies, the soul of every being it touched was sucked out and absorbed, albeit slowly. The sounds of those men screaming as they seized and twitched on the ground had haunted his dreams for decades after that. That kind of power had been unlike anything he'd ever seen before or since.

When Kaede faced him she had the grace to look embarrassed "That would explain why you've come alone then. It is against the law to work this kind of magic without special permitting. And rumor has it the King's eldest son is banned from receiving such permits..." But having a prince owe you a favor might come in handy one day, she thought to herself. For the first time since he walked in, Sesshōmaru broke his neutral mask to scowl petulantly. "However, I'm sure we could come to some sort of...discreet arrangement."

The crone explained that to gain her services he'd need to find the steel himself, and supply her with any other items she'd need for the process. Sesshomaru threw a sack of gold on the table and promised to provide any and all necessities. Steam whistled from the kettle behind her.

"Half now, half when it's finished."

Kaede nodded curtly. "Very well, Prince Sesshōmaru. Come back tomorrow when the rain has stopped. You can demonstrate your powers and I'll have a list for you by then."

The demon hummed his agreement and turned on his heel to step out into the bleak, wet evening once more. Forgoing what his father asked of him for drier clothes, he transformed into a ball of light and streaks across the sky. Not far away, a young woman was walking home and spied the glittering trail, wondering what kind of shooting star could be seen so clearly on a cloudy night.