Chapter 2: The Unraveling
The toad demon had been expecting her for an inconceivable amount of time. The marshy creature inclined his head with a well-practiced sigh of irritation as he tugged at his small hat: Since when did my responsibilities by Sesshoumaru-sama's side get shifted to babysitting?
Well, he thought, reasoning for his lord in turn, if my lord were off on another short trek, it would only make sense that he would leave lady Rin under the vigilance of his most trusted servant. Under this flattering line of reasoning, Jaken puffed his chest out in pride, holding the staff of heads closer to him in what he hoped would seem like a more noble stance when he noticed his "charge" running over towards him, her midnight black hair fluttering all over her face.
"Ah, Jaken-sama! Gomen ne, I lost track of the time!"
Rin halted a short distance from the diminutive demon, her chest heaving from the amount of running she had done. She had been visiting her lord's demonic aviary, the evidence of which crowned her hair—brilliant, assorted youkai feathers littered her dark tresses.
"Humph, I'm sure you did, being so dimwitted as you are."
At this, the young woman stuck her tongue out at the toad demon as she scampered over and gave him a slight squeeze, "Ah, did you miss me, Jaken-sama?"
Jaken answered with a snort: "Miss a lackadaisical, curious lass like you? I'd think not."
Rin let out a little giggle as she brought her slender hands up to calmly remove the feathers that nestled in her hair, "Oh, don't be such a stiff!"
Jaken opened his mouth to respond, but stopped abruptly when he saw Rin look ahead, her eyes squinting as she stood frozen in her spot. Jaken followed her line of vision to see something that silenced him in its utter direness.
The grotesque scene collided into their eyes, glaring scarlet hues staining their sight as the two regarded the splintered, torn bodies strewn over the courtyard with ashen surprise. Jaken took a few tremulous steps back, his voice lowering to utter a few stuttered curses. Rin blinked twice consecutively before pitching forward onto her knees, and retched violently. Once she had emptied her stomach, Rin mentally suppressed the tears that threatened to overflow, bringing a surprisingly steady hand to slowly wipe her mouth. Jaken was still too stunned to do anything other than stand immobile and drop the occasional incoherent word or two. Rin exhaled headily before heaving herself onto her feet, walking slow yet firm steps towards the carnage that had tainted her lord's dwelling grounds. Her eyes darkened fractionally as she let out harsh breaths, trying to still the raging emotions under her deceptively calm exterior. She had never felt feelings of this extent, nor of this dark foundation. The young girl halted by a huddle of bodies, recognizing some of the clothes or remaining facial features—the human slaves she had grown fond of. She swallowed with a slight shudder when she saw a small, slender arm jut out from underneath the pile, a thin, bloody weaved bracelet clinging to the wearer's arm in a bath of blood. Rin felt a bitter taste in the back of her mouth, recognizing the fallen child: Sanami-chan…
The two of them had woven the bracelets with thread one afternoon, giggling girlishly over the fruits of their labor. Sanami-chan had been the one to suggest that they exchange armlets, as a sign of friendship. Rin barely knew the concept of companionship, and had complied readily, tossing the armlet into the array of baubles and trinkets she had collected over the year with easy insouciance. She had not expected Sanami-chan to keep on wearing the simple gift, especially after she had come out "strangely" with her new abilities. She had expected Sanami-chan to retreat under her parent's fearful pressure permanently; after all, who wanted their child to associate with a demon-raised human with supernatural powers? But she suspected that she did catch a glimpse of this bond, this… friendship; the pounding of her heart had filled her head, granting her no relief as she plodded blindly onward.
The sound of fierce wind slashing and the metallic clanging of weapons rang in Rin's ears, and the heavy feeling of loss she had felt in one moment was replaced by an emotion that overshadowed her previous one by tenfold. Sesshoumaru-sama… she thought with a jolt, tugging her skirts aside with a hasty brush of her hand as she debated over what to do. If it really was Sesshoumaru-sama, he would be most displeased with her if she presented herself in front of his adversary, whoever it may be—that would give the enemy a chance to use her against him. Likewise, if the fighting that was going on inside wasn't between Sesshoumaru and an opponent, then she would just be attracting unwanted attention and endangering herself needlessly. Oh, but her heart! It cried out to her demon guardian, demanding to know if he was alive and well. Rin wordlessly clenched her fists and looked down to Jaken, who admirably seemed to have gathered his wits this time around as he held the staff of heads over the two of them, shielding them silently. The old toad youkai gazed up at his lord's ward and slightly shook his head, his raspy voice one of restraint and anxiety: "No, Rin. Sesshoumaru-sama would never forgive me if I allowed you to get yourself killed."
At this, Rin couldn't help but give a grim smile, even at the severity of the moment: "Oh, and no affections for me would keep you from letting me go?"
The manservant cast an exasperated glare at the young woman: "Hush, mortal! I have no time for your silly word games."
Rin was about to retort when a side of the fortress disintegrated in front of her eyes. Literally. Rin gaped unrestrainedly at the huge gape that now scarred the impressive castle, her eyes impossibly wide in her small, face. So much for her useless moment of inner debate—the fight would come to her, whether she liked it or not. A bloodstained figure emerged from the ruins of one of the towers, and the young human felt her heart leap at the hope of seeing her demon lord, only to plummet straight down to her bowels. This was most certainly not her lord. The creature… no person, she concluded decidedly, possessed chiseled features that rivaled her lord's, but where her lord had an abundant mane of silver, this person had a fountain of glistening ink-black hair pinned back by a simple, golden clasp. The creature seemed to sense her presence, for it fluidly turned its head to peer over at her from its shoulder, revealing stunning features and glowing, green eyes. Rin nearly gasped at the extent of the individual's beauty. Her gaze fell from the person's sardonic, knowing smirk to the broad shoulders that filled out the bloodstained armor, to his sinewy, lithe arms, one of which held… She gasped again, but this time out of horrid realization: this creature… this man—he had severed Sesshoumaru-sama's arm! At the desolate sight of her guardian's borrowed, foreign arm held limply and carelessly in the clutches of this rather ethereal aggressor was more than Rin could handle. The mortal girl dropped to the ground like a leaden weight.
For a moment, all was quiet. The strange figure by the towers stood in absolute silence, and Jaken could not seem to move the few paces that separated him from his lord's mortal. Then, a subtle but persistent ringing sound pervaded the air. The ringing grew shriller and heavier at the moment, making the pressure horrible to withstand. Jaken's ears began to throb as he watched in wide-eyed horror—the female's body was glowing an unearthly hue. Cacophony arose from the surrounding forest, and the toad manservant noticed with morbid perception that several birds had fallen to the floor, twitching under the pressure of such torturous sounds. Then, as suddenly as it had started, it stopped. The glow emitted from Rin's body began to subside, a healthier sheen replacing the eerie verdant glow from earlier.
Keh, thought the toad minion as he threw a panicked look at his lord's protégée, a hand still covering a tender ear, pathetic humans. It seemed like the rest was left to him. He had not been blind—he saw way the youkai was now regarding the fallen Rin. With voracious, barely concealed interest. Frankly, the toad demon had no clue about the condition of his lord, but judging from the arm that dangled limply in the youkai's loose grip, he was not faring well. Yet, Jaken stood firmer than he had ever stood before. If his lord had passed away, he would have sensed it. This fact gave the minute demon more hope than any other, and he stepped forward into his line of duty with no hesitance, drawing the staff of heads over the girl as he watched the striking youkai make his way towards them.
**
She awoke to an uncomfortable sense of pounding in her head. Her chest felt like she had pressure applied to it, making her gasp in her breath as she instinctively clawed the surface of the ground. A low, rumbling sound filled her ears as the young girl opened her eyes with effort, feeling slightly cheated. Rin froze suddenly, her hazy eyes registering the moving earth before her. There before her stood the eerily beautiful youkai from before, but her eyes were not latched onto his figure, but rather at the violence of the ambiance around her. The trees were swaying powerfully, dancing to the howling wind as the earth itself seemed to quake, the small pebbles scattered here and there on the pathway trembling. She was only reminded of her captor's presence once more when she felt herself get pulled roughly to her feet and tossed over one shoulder: "Stop this nonsense, wench."
At his words, Rin looked over her shoulder and up at him owlishly, still blinking away the last remnants of sleep-enhanced wonder. Almost at once, the earth was stilled. Odd, she thought to herself, does he really know it was me? I'm not even sure if I have the power to make the earth react in such a manner.
But not only did the stranger seem to hold her powers in such regard, but he also seemed to treat it in a nonchalant manner, as if such occurrences were not beyond his prowess.
Well, if he could handle the supernatural without even batting an eyelash, Rin was sure she could as well. After all, she was the suspected wielder of such powers, right? Concentrating on her surroundings, Rin wondered absentmindedly how it was that she came to distinguish her guardian's lands from all others. Perhaps it was intuition, or perhaps it was a cultivated sense of what made Sesshoumaru. His lands, after all, concocted a part of him, no matter how little he wished to be bound to such matters. She winced with dismay once she looked around—the woods were by no means familiar. They had officially stepped out of her Lord's lands.
Rin cocked her head upwards as she attempted to remember what had come to pass and then desperately tried to dispel it when she had flashing recollections of Sesshoumaru-sama's destroyed fortress, the remnants of her human friends and the sight of the noble youkai's borrowed arm dangling out of the stranger's grasp. She shuddered, her eyes dark with anguish. How had the heathen youkai managed to get a hold of Sesshoumaru-sama? Hadn't he been out on another trip? He couldn't be… no; he wasn't. She rammed her nails into her kidnapper's prone flesh again, demanding in a tight, pained voice, "Let me down, now."
The person stopped, saying simply in a low, smooth, masculine voice, "As you wish" before dropping her promptly on the ground.
Rin landed hard on her bottom, a scowl marring her clear features as she stood up and brushed off her kimono imperturbably. He stood a few feet away, his arms akimbo as he calmly looked ahead, his long ebony hair rustling in the breeze. Rin glared at the elegantly dressed figure, her hair falling into her eyes as she sighed and took a ribbon out from inside of her obi. She then casually gathered her hair and tied it up into a ponytail, hints of pale flesh peeking from her sleeves as her slender wrists dealt with her unruly locks. By the time she was finished, Rin noticed that her captor's eyes were focused onto her, watching as she dropped her arms slowly to her side. She gave him a dry half-smile before asking off-handedly, "Where are we headed to?"
He turned to face her fully, his jade eyes flashing into the clear blue day. Faint golden marks graced his jaw line and Rin noticed that when he moved towards her, hints of the same golden iridescence shone in his skin under the shifting sunlight. He was of youkai origin, that she was sure of. He stood several inches away from her, looking down at her through gilded lashes and a straight nose, taking her in with those emerald orbs. Rin felt her breath catch—she had never been so close to such a perfect being. Sesshoumaru-sama, who was by no means less fair, had always commanded a certain restraint, and Rin had grown to acknowledge it with respect, keeping her proper distance from him at all times. But this demon had no such restraints, and was currently dissecting her through his cold, imperious eyes with a slightly insidious curl to his lips. He then let his gaze wander up and down her figure, making her blush at his blatant perusal of her, only to turn a deeper shade of scarlet when he shrugged carelessly and said, "Not yet worth any… interest. Well, at least he knew what he was doing when he picked you out. Not a mere mortal—you have the makings of a miko, and a damn powerful one at that." Before Rin thought her thoughts couldn't get any more jumbled, the striking demon murmured, "You'll have to do."
Rin shivered unconsciously, wrapping her arms around her—she wasn't ever sure if she wanted to be seen as "interesting" by the likes of him.
"We," he said as he turned to walk on, looking over his shoulder with poised beauty, "are headed towards the Northern lands. You are my property now, wench."
Rin returned his gaze, shrugging as she tossed her hair over her shoulder as she followed his long tread with her own awkward strides. She refused to seem like she feared this demon; she was sure Sesshoumaru-sama would find her soon enough. She wouldn't even bother to correct him and tell him her name—why bother, especially since Sesshoumaru-sama would soon restore her under his vigilance? Yet Rin knew this particular youkai was stronger than the rest she had faced with her lord, and would therefore not go down without a fight. He walked with an underlying grace and power, his muscles rippling under his elegant robes as he strode onward, his hair rippling like waves down his back. There simply was no need for him to threaten her; it would be a waste of energy and time telling her things he was sure she could sense on her own. Yes, she was sure that Sesshoumaru-sama would come for her. But the image of her guardian's separated arm and the subtle strength of this new enemy made Rin simmer with hidden worry nonetheless—he would be an infinitely more formidable opponent than any other they had faced before.
Pushing aside any troubling thoughts of the future, Rin resolved to concern herself about the present. She had to ponder about her companions' survival. She lacked the advanced skills of a youkai, so she couldn't be sure if her lord and the toad steward had died or not. Yet she was confident that if they had, she would have sensed it. They meant all the world to her; there would be no way they could have passed away without her knowing it. They must be alive. With that issue settled, Rin walked behind her captor with a resolute step, her hair bobbing cheerfully as she kept her rhythm. And yet, her mind nagged, you saw Sesshoumaru-sama's arm… it was amputated from the rest of his body. How can you be sure of his continued existence? Rin shook her head, refusing to dwell on that particular possibility. The thought that her lord and Jaken-sama had survived was the only one that allowed her to keep this façade of brave detachment up. If she thought they were dead, she certainly wouldn't be able to head towards unknown lands with such determination.
The girl had intrigued him more than he would ever let on. To emit such indifference, she must have great control over her emotions. The lord of the Northern lands smirked slightly, remembering the confrontation he had with the dog lord. Sesshoumaru had been pressed to fight, and his skills were not on par with what lord Tetsuyo had expected. Perhaps he had been holding back; that would explain many uncertainties. Yes, he must have been holding back—he would not risk fighting in his full glory if he thought his ward was too near. The peculiar relationship the demon lord maintained with his rapidly growing human protégée had been much pondered about, and many of the youkai around his lands had been wondering if the formidable dog demon had gone a little… soft. But then again, if she was indeed the little mortal he had been carrying around, then he found it not surprising in the least that Sesshoumaru had gotten a tad infatuated with the little woman. She had an incredible spirit—one that he saw could be barely restrained in the rapidly budding body she had at the moment. Not only had she taken her kidnapping with polished ease, but she had also managed to keep his rapid pace, her human body not yet showing any signs of fatigue, even after four hours of trailblazing. Turning his head slightly, the jade-eyed demon watched his captive walk in tempo to his steps, her head bowed and her doe-like brown eyes deep with thought. He wondered vaguely what was going through the girl's cute, mortal head before she looked up suddenly, her effulgent dark eyes clashing with his vivid, verdant ones. She gave him a saucy look before he returned the favor, his own mouth pulled up into a smirk—yes, she would definitely be worth breaking into.
Author's note: And you're probably wondering where our dear Sesshoumaru-sama is during this all? Romance will come some time soon (I can't rush it! Rin still isn't more than fourteen! It stinks of pedophilia…)
And Jaken? You'll find out…
Thanks to those who reviewed! It's very encouraging, to say the least.
I had totally forgotten about this chapter. It had been sitting in my laptop for about a month, and when I decided I wanted to update this fic, I found it sitting there; it only needed a few touch-ups and corrections, and that was it. Sorry for my lack of attention… ^_^
