Hi, again! I hope you all like the last chapter, as angsty and depressing as it was. After all, I couldn't let Kagome's pain go on forever without a release mechanism, right? That would be just cruel... and I'm not THAT bad *grin*.
I want to point out the the idea of a spider youkai in this chapter was inspired greatly by another Inu story here on FF.net called "Courtship"; I recommend it, too! So I just wanted to give that author(ess) their due credit.
BTW, so far I've got 2 reviewers asking for SeshKik, and no one (unless I've overlooked, in which case, gomen!) have asked for it not to appear, so we'll see how things keep going on that agenda. On that note, on with the chapter!
---------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 7: Kaigi Hakkyou (Meeting Insanity)
Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha sat poised and silent in the grand hall, listening intently to the story the servant before them accounted. In his grand chair, the elder brother nodded and waved for the female to continue whenever the rare interruption occurred.
"Arigatou, Sango," Sesshoumaru finally said, an unusually understanding tone within his voice. Both the oji and maid shivered despite themselves; it was cryptic for Sesshoumaru to be clement about anything that didn't coincide with his prospects.
Sango bowed her face low to the mats below her before rising and taking her commanded leave. She had already been deeply worried for the young princess from the lack of other humans present in the West (for demons rarely permitted them), but now that concern had at least doubled itself! What in the gods names had sent her into such a frenzy as to create such a bloodcurdling scream? She had inquired to the youkai servants, who concurred the shrillness could be heard throughout the whole expanse of the palace!
Sesshoumaru turned his gaze on his brother. "It appears she will be late attending this evening, then."
"Late?!" Inuyasha scoffed. "You'll be lucky if she chooses to show up at all!"
"She will be there, with you as well." Sesshoumaru stated matter-of-factly.
Inuyasha huffed dejectedly, and turned his nose up into the air in rebellion as his arms folded over his strong chest. There was no way he'd let Sesshoumaru get away with forcing him to do something! Though Inuyasha had no grounds on which to deny his brother's request for his presence that night, he could at least snub the osama by using indignance.
*****
Kagome waited in behind the screen patiently as she heard the rustling of fabric from the other side. She felt too sleepy to complain when the young maid, Sango, had entered her chambers and bid her rise to prepare for Lord Sesshoumaru's planned festivities that night. Like it would really matter to her that they were supposed to be festive...!
She looked outside, seeing the sun at the very beginning of its diurnal dissension to the edge of the world. She let out a soft sigh as Sango stepped out from the other side of the screen and handed her a freshly pressed silken kimono. Kagome took it in her heavy hands aimlessly.
"There you are, Kagome-hime!" Sango chimed. "I hope you enjoy it!"
"Thank you," Kagome nodded, and Sango left the room, saying she'd return shortly, after she had a chance to aid Kikyo with her apparel.
The kimono Kagome held was absolutely gorgeous! The hime hadn't the slightest idea what sort of monster made such clothes, but she had never felt such rich or soft silk in her life! The kimono was of a deep cherry colour, with softly embroidered white nojigiku flowers dotting it in small patches every other foot. The matching cherry-coloured obi dangled from Kagome's other hand as she examined the unknown seamstress's handiwork; too bad Kagome wasn't able to appreciate it properly. Not only had she never sewn a thing in her life, but she was in no mood for praising anyone for any reason.
With another sigh, she stripped herself of her plain kimono. Princesses were a spectacle in the public's eyes, with exotic and euphoric clothing, but it was all ornamental. In private, they worked hard around the palace, wearing practical clothes. There was no room for fashion and extravagance when it came to chores and the upkeep of the household – not that Kagome minded that at all; normal clothes were more comfortable, usually.
The fine silk slipped over her delicate shoulders and wrapped smoothly around her soft, curvy torso. She pulled the obi around her waist gently and knotted it into a bow. Her head snapped up as she heard her dressing chamber's screen door slide open abruptly, and she tugged gently on the obi to readjust it properly.
She stepped out from behind the dressing screen and stared at the figure before her. A child youkai stood there. She had maple hair that slunk down her neck and swept just passed her shoulders. Her eyes were sharp silver, marred only by the blackness of each minute pupil. Her face was pale as death, and looked clammy, as though she'd not seen the sun in days! Small fangs hung over her lower lip and she smiled as sanely as she could, though that helped her image very little.
Kagome could see the girl looking towards her, but not at her.
"So beautiful...!" said the girl, almost feverishly.
Kagome's heart fell into fright by the youkai's daunting appearance. "W-Who are you?" Her heart was thumping again, blood rushing throughout her body as she tried to remain calm.
The girl approached her suavely and unrushed. She lifted her right hand and ran her fingers along the fabric crossed over Kagome's front. The hime shuddered as an instant of pleasure ripped forth from the spindly, spine-like fingers dragging over her left nipple. Immediately afterwards, Kagome chastised herself for her impure thoughts.
At that moment, more youkai – this time, male guards – burst into the room, and tackled the girl down! Kagome gasped in shock and horror as they dragged her out of the room kicking and shrieking violently! She watched as the girl reached out with her spine-fingers and slashed at one of the guard's throats; it tore through flesh and muscle with ease!
Kagome's scream caught in her throat, and she pushed herself behind the dressing screen, hiding her face in her hands. Never before had she seen such a vicious murder: a slaughter so feral that under its circumstances, it seemed rather justified! To corner a wild animal was to deserve to feel its fangs, and for one reason or the other, Kagome felt that way here.
After a few more moments, Kagome noticed a hand on her shoulder. Sango stood beside her with an unreadable look on her face. Kagome shuddered as she spotted the dead youkai guard lying face-up on the mats of the chamber, blood dripping from his split neck and gathering in a pool beneath his head.
"Sango-san!" Kagome cried, embracing the servant tightly. "What WAS that?!"
Sango waited a moment before offering her blunt response. "Shokkouza."
"Sh-Shokkouza? Who—?"
Before Kagome could finish, Sango cut in: a sure-fire sign she was tense and nervous. "Shokkouza is a spider demon. She has been in Sesshoumaru-osama's service for four years now."
"But, why would she come here? I mean, I don't have anything of interest to her."
"You wear her work," Sango commented, running her thumb over Kagome's kimono. "She was the one who made this."
"Oh," Kagome nodded. "She looked so..."
"Insane. She is insane, and it would be best that you do not go look for her. She is like that with everyone, though there is a reason."
"What?" Kagome asked. How could ANYBODY have an excuse for being insane? Not that Kagome was an expert on insanity, but they were what they were, right? Did it really matter why?
"It's in her blood," Sango replied, sighing heavily. "Like all of her kind, Shokkouza has an obsession with weaving. She will weave all day and night, and not stop unless forced to do so... Spider youkai don't die from being killed or hunted; they work themselves away until they die of exhaustion. Shokkouza is doomed to continue that tradition, I fear. Lord Sesshoumaru has doubts that she will live to see winter, at the rate she's going."
Kagome's eyes threatened to let tears well up, but she forced them back. Showing sympathy towards the spider would mean her conscience would urge her to go after her, and THAT would most likely mean Kagome's own death. "Why did she visit me?"
"She wanted to see you wearing it," Sango indicated Kagome's kimono again. "She always does. I think it's a way of saying goodbye to it," Sango paused in hesitation, but decided to continue. "Her works are like her children."
Kagome nodded her head and Sango slipped her arm around the hime's waist. Both girls moved slowly out of the room, careful not to step near the guard's corpse, for the sake of Kagome's outfit.
Sango helped Kagome down the hall and smiled. "You'll have a lot of fun tonight, Kagome-hime. I know you will."
Kagome doubted it. She was still furious at Inuyasha, after all. And now, she had to deal with Shokkouza and the events that followed her arrival. Kagome seriously doubted she'd enjoy herself, but she'd certainly pretend she was, if only to please Lord Sesshoumaru and keep her and her sister alive another day.
"Sango-san, I'm not sure I like it here..."
"Kagome-hime, I beg your apology if I'm being too bold, but have you really given it a chance?"
Kagome thought about it. Had she? She thought she had. "I... think so. But, Shokkouza... and that guard! I don't know if I could live in a place where death is—!"
"Death isn't rampant here in the palace, Kagome-hime," Sango interjected. "It's a good place to live. Humble and self-aware and cautious, maybe, but not sadistic. Even the area around the palace is civil in demon standards. Only in the wilderness will you find the nightmares that people in the East talk of so freely and generalize all demons to be. Even then, Sesshoumaru-osama and Inuyasha-oji would NEVER send you there unprotected."
Kagome smiled and turned to look ahead of her. She wasn't sure all of what Sango had said was true, but she would certainly try to keep an open mind. After all, what else could she do? She was on her way to a party now, where she would meet Sesshoumaru's demon circle, and she would have to remain neutral at least – if she wanted to live, that is!
I want to point out the the idea of a spider youkai in this chapter was inspired greatly by another Inu story here on FF.net called "Courtship"; I recommend it, too! So I just wanted to give that author(ess) their due credit.
BTW, so far I've got 2 reviewers asking for SeshKik, and no one (unless I've overlooked, in which case, gomen!) have asked for it not to appear, so we'll see how things keep going on that agenda. On that note, on with the chapter!
---------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 7: Kaigi Hakkyou (Meeting Insanity)
Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha sat poised and silent in the grand hall, listening intently to the story the servant before them accounted. In his grand chair, the elder brother nodded and waved for the female to continue whenever the rare interruption occurred.
"Arigatou, Sango," Sesshoumaru finally said, an unusually understanding tone within his voice. Both the oji and maid shivered despite themselves; it was cryptic for Sesshoumaru to be clement about anything that didn't coincide with his prospects.
Sango bowed her face low to the mats below her before rising and taking her commanded leave. She had already been deeply worried for the young princess from the lack of other humans present in the West (for demons rarely permitted them), but now that concern had at least doubled itself! What in the gods names had sent her into such a frenzy as to create such a bloodcurdling scream? She had inquired to the youkai servants, who concurred the shrillness could be heard throughout the whole expanse of the palace!
Sesshoumaru turned his gaze on his brother. "It appears she will be late attending this evening, then."
"Late?!" Inuyasha scoffed. "You'll be lucky if she chooses to show up at all!"
"She will be there, with you as well." Sesshoumaru stated matter-of-factly.
Inuyasha huffed dejectedly, and turned his nose up into the air in rebellion as his arms folded over his strong chest. There was no way he'd let Sesshoumaru get away with forcing him to do something! Though Inuyasha had no grounds on which to deny his brother's request for his presence that night, he could at least snub the osama by using indignance.
*****
Kagome waited in behind the screen patiently as she heard the rustling of fabric from the other side. She felt too sleepy to complain when the young maid, Sango, had entered her chambers and bid her rise to prepare for Lord Sesshoumaru's planned festivities that night. Like it would really matter to her that they were supposed to be festive...!
She looked outside, seeing the sun at the very beginning of its diurnal dissension to the edge of the world. She let out a soft sigh as Sango stepped out from the other side of the screen and handed her a freshly pressed silken kimono. Kagome took it in her heavy hands aimlessly.
"There you are, Kagome-hime!" Sango chimed. "I hope you enjoy it!"
"Thank you," Kagome nodded, and Sango left the room, saying she'd return shortly, after she had a chance to aid Kikyo with her apparel.
The kimono Kagome held was absolutely gorgeous! The hime hadn't the slightest idea what sort of monster made such clothes, but she had never felt such rich or soft silk in her life! The kimono was of a deep cherry colour, with softly embroidered white nojigiku flowers dotting it in small patches every other foot. The matching cherry-coloured obi dangled from Kagome's other hand as she examined the unknown seamstress's handiwork; too bad Kagome wasn't able to appreciate it properly. Not only had she never sewn a thing in her life, but she was in no mood for praising anyone for any reason.
With another sigh, she stripped herself of her plain kimono. Princesses were a spectacle in the public's eyes, with exotic and euphoric clothing, but it was all ornamental. In private, they worked hard around the palace, wearing practical clothes. There was no room for fashion and extravagance when it came to chores and the upkeep of the household – not that Kagome minded that at all; normal clothes were more comfortable, usually.
The fine silk slipped over her delicate shoulders and wrapped smoothly around her soft, curvy torso. She pulled the obi around her waist gently and knotted it into a bow. Her head snapped up as she heard her dressing chamber's screen door slide open abruptly, and she tugged gently on the obi to readjust it properly.
She stepped out from behind the dressing screen and stared at the figure before her. A child youkai stood there. She had maple hair that slunk down her neck and swept just passed her shoulders. Her eyes were sharp silver, marred only by the blackness of each minute pupil. Her face was pale as death, and looked clammy, as though she'd not seen the sun in days! Small fangs hung over her lower lip and she smiled as sanely as she could, though that helped her image very little.
Kagome could see the girl looking towards her, but not at her.
"So beautiful...!" said the girl, almost feverishly.
Kagome's heart fell into fright by the youkai's daunting appearance. "W-Who are you?" Her heart was thumping again, blood rushing throughout her body as she tried to remain calm.
The girl approached her suavely and unrushed. She lifted her right hand and ran her fingers along the fabric crossed over Kagome's front. The hime shuddered as an instant of pleasure ripped forth from the spindly, spine-like fingers dragging over her left nipple. Immediately afterwards, Kagome chastised herself for her impure thoughts.
At that moment, more youkai – this time, male guards – burst into the room, and tackled the girl down! Kagome gasped in shock and horror as they dragged her out of the room kicking and shrieking violently! She watched as the girl reached out with her spine-fingers and slashed at one of the guard's throats; it tore through flesh and muscle with ease!
Kagome's scream caught in her throat, and she pushed herself behind the dressing screen, hiding her face in her hands. Never before had she seen such a vicious murder: a slaughter so feral that under its circumstances, it seemed rather justified! To corner a wild animal was to deserve to feel its fangs, and for one reason or the other, Kagome felt that way here.
After a few more moments, Kagome noticed a hand on her shoulder. Sango stood beside her with an unreadable look on her face. Kagome shuddered as she spotted the dead youkai guard lying face-up on the mats of the chamber, blood dripping from his split neck and gathering in a pool beneath his head.
"Sango-san!" Kagome cried, embracing the servant tightly. "What WAS that?!"
Sango waited a moment before offering her blunt response. "Shokkouza."
"Sh-Shokkouza? Who—?"
Before Kagome could finish, Sango cut in: a sure-fire sign she was tense and nervous. "Shokkouza is a spider demon. She has been in Sesshoumaru-osama's service for four years now."
"But, why would she come here? I mean, I don't have anything of interest to her."
"You wear her work," Sango commented, running her thumb over Kagome's kimono. "She was the one who made this."
"Oh," Kagome nodded. "She looked so..."
"Insane. She is insane, and it would be best that you do not go look for her. She is like that with everyone, though there is a reason."
"What?" Kagome asked. How could ANYBODY have an excuse for being insane? Not that Kagome was an expert on insanity, but they were what they were, right? Did it really matter why?
"It's in her blood," Sango replied, sighing heavily. "Like all of her kind, Shokkouza has an obsession with weaving. She will weave all day and night, and not stop unless forced to do so... Spider youkai don't die from being killed or hunted; they work themselves away until they die of exhaustion. Shokkouza is doomed to continue that tradition, I fear. Lord Sesshoumaru has doubts that she will live to see winter, at the rate she's going."
Kagome's eyes threatened to let tears well up, but she forced them back. Showing sympathy towards the spider would mean her conscience would urge her to go after her, and THAT would most likely mean Kagome's own death. "Why did she visit me?"
"She wanted to see you wearing it," Sango indicated Kagome's kimono again. "She always does. I think it's a way of saying goodbye to it," Sango paused in hesitation, but decided to continue. "Her works are like her children."
Kagome nodded her head and Sango slipped her arm around the hime's waist. Both girls moved slowly out of the room, careful not to step near the guard's corpse, for the sake of Kagome's outfit.
Sango helped Kagome down the hall and smiled. "You'll have a lot of fun tonight, Kagome-hime. I know you will."
Kagome doubted it. She was still furious at Inuyasha, after all. And now, she had to deal with Shokkouza and the events that followed her arrival. Kagome seriously doubted she'd enjoy herself, but she'd certainly pretend she was, if only to please Lord Sesshoumaru and keep her and her sister alive another day.
"Sango-san, I'm not sure I like it here..."
"Kagome-hime, I beg your apology if I'm being too bold, but have you really given it a chance?"
Kagome thought about it. Had she? She thought she had. "I... think so. But, Shokkouza... and that guard! I don't know if I could live in a place where death is—!"
"Death isn't rampant here in the palace, Kagome-hime," Sango interjected. "It's a good place to live. Humble and self-aware and cautious, maybe, but not sadistic. Even the area around the palace is civil in demon standards. Only in the wilderness will you find the nightmares that people in the East talk of so freely and generalize all demons to be. Even then, Sesshoumaru-osama and Inuyasha-oji would NEVER send you there unprotected."
Kagome smiled and turned to look ahead of her. She wasn't sure all of what Sango had said was true, but she would certainly try to keep an open mind. After all, what else could she do? She was on her way to a party now, where she would meet Sesshoumaru's demon circle, and she would have to remain neutral at least – if she wanted to live, that is!