/- At least the sun is normal -/ Sesshomaru sighed as he slipped into his white mansion kimono.
Looking outside towards his lands made the taiyokai's tail fur stand on end. He had awakened to find himself back in his chambers; in his bed... completely untouched. However, that was not the case with last night. Last night was...
/- Interesting, to say the least... -/
Last night, during his patrol under the red moon of dragon mating season, Sesshomaru was confronted by a tranced shoujo ryu. He was actually seduced by the unknown dragon and mated with her. He let her...
/- I shouldn't have given in so easily, but... something inside me willed me to her. -/
Looking at his new arm, Sesshomaru's stone eyes closed, remembering her feather soft touch... and her softer lips. How he wished to feel such kindness again... but it was bothering him to why. Inu-yokai kept life mates; they just didn't go around at night and give out their genes. And even though he wanted to believe it was just a one-night stand, Sesshomaru couldn't keep her tranced-like eyes out of his head.
/- Why do I wish to see that dragon again? Why did I give my body so willingly to her, knowing she wasn't in her right of mind? Was it lust? -/
The Lord's mind was totally clouded with questions that he knew had answers... and with the night before. That magical night before. He wanted to forget; wanted to let go of the fact the some random dragon out there is now carrying his children, but he felt some sort of responsibility.
/- I'm the one who gave in, therefore I'm responsible for that child, regardless of it being a one-night stand. Besides, I am in dept to her. -/ He smiled slightly, looking at his new arm again and flexing his fingers.
Walking out of his chambers towards Rin's room to check up on her, Sesshomaru started to pounder on the dragon's name.
/- I did ask of her name before we mated... but I can't seem to remember... -/
"Tenshika, I'm glad I could help."
The lord gasped lightly as the dragoness' deep, rich voice went through his memory, giving him an identity.
"Tenshika... I feel that we will cross paths soon again." He whispered to himself, walking down the dim hallways as he followed the smell of flowers that Rin brought in some much.
"Kagome! Kagome, where are you!"
"Inuyasha, over here!"
"Oh gods! What happened to her?"
The miko's eyes were bolted open, her sapphire eyes nothing but black nothingness and fear. She lay on the ground, her legs spread and her uniform torn in different places. Blood escaped from her back and her mouth was opened wide, as if to scream, but nothing came out.
Inuyasha recoiled at the scene, finding it to be obvious to what happened to Kagome. The smell of a male was drenched in the blood and semen was present.
/- She was raped... -/
Miroku was brave enough to pick Kagome up from the scene and place her on Kirara's back. They raced to Keade's village, which was where they were stationed the night before. When the elder priestess saw the poor girl, she almost had a heart attack. Shippo was equally surprised.
"W-what happened to her?" He yelped.
Sango's skin paled, trying to imaging what Kagome must have been through that night. Miroku also didn't have the heart to say. Inuyasha growled and ran off, following the scent of the male that forced himself upon Kagome.
After gathering from shock, Kaede sighed, examining Kagome's worn body. She wrapped the young miko in cotton blankets before continuing with questions.
"By any chance was Kagome out towards the well last night?"
"Yes, Kaede." Miroku answer, sitting across from her.
"Oh, that's not good. Ye should never go out on ye own during a red moon.Tis the dragon mating season. Have ye every heard of them?"
"You mean fire-breathers?" Sango replied.
"Nay, child. Dragons of the human type. Humanoid dragons... are the worst kind. During the red moon, thy stray from their lands and seek out 'worthy' mates. Even though these are the Western Lands and dragons don't live here, thy will travel a great distance to search for the perfect mate."
"You mean... they force themselves upon 'worthy' mates?" Miroku winced.
"Aye. Any human or demon foolish enough to wander by thyselves during such a time will surely be taken of ye innocence. Kagome must have come across a male dragon on a rampage. She is lucky, since male ryus usually have dry mates."
"Dry mates. What's that?" Shippo asked.
"It's when Kagome won't be having a child out of all this. During the red moon, tis usually the female's time to find the 'worthy' mate and the males... just seek out pleasure."
"Do the female dragons force themselves?" Miroku asked.
"Nay, they seduce."
"Nani?" They said in unison.
"Thy will give ye the one thing ye always desired... and then pull ye into a world of fantasy. When ye wake up the next day, tis feels like all was a dream, but an overwhelming parental instinct will start to take hold of ye. That's how dragon tribes grow in strength... from the many males that are claimed by a shoujo ryu and share their essence."
Within a mountain range of the Southern Lands, a large castle stood strong on the face. From its vantage point, hardly any enemies could come to it. Only the flight of the ryus can access the mansion. Many fly in and out of the mountain home, while many stay to tend to the needs of the mansion and lower levels of the mountain castle. As of now, many dragons flocked back to their home, carrying babies or satisfied from a night of mating.
Deep within the mansion, however... three dragons already have arrived back home. One ryu being quite familiar.
"Tenshika-sama, you're back already? You must have landed your mate quickly." One of her servants stated, following the ryu around the mansion chambers.
The other ryu, a male, walked next to Tenshika... seeming to be equal in Lord rank.
"Well, I try not to mate with many males in one night. It tires me." She smirked, running a hand through her light blue hair.
The male beside her chuckled, his black wings opening briefly. "I followed you to the Western Lands and bagged me a nice human wench. She seemed strange, though... her kimono was very high, showing off her legs; I just couldn't give her up. And she was a miko, too."
"Did she smell of a male already?" Tenshika asked.
The male scratched his head. "How was I to know? It was Red Moon, remember? Hardly anyone remembers who they mated with, or if they were already claimed."
The shoujo ryu lord narrowed her aqua eyes, causing both dragons to cower.
"Don't play me for a fool, Sentai! Shoujo ryus don't remember, but males do... they just can't control themselves... you horny bastards."
Sentai chuckled nervously. "Aww... don't call us that. We can't help if we don't let you females have all the fun during red moons. And to answer your question, 'yes'. She smelled of half demon."
Tenshika gasped, as so the other shoujo ryu. An evil smiled painted onto her lips.
"A half demon, you say? I despise half demons! I hope you did your worst to that strange miko, Sentai. Miha, come. I have much to do. The tribe is coming back and I need to count how many new additions are going to be in the tribe... and how many half breeds I need to kill from the outcome of last night."
"Yes, Tenshika-sama." Miha whispered as the two of them walked from the male dragon.
Sentai just shook his hand, stretching his arms and wings.
/- That Tenshika; she's got a mean streak after Red Moon that'll put anyone off their game. I just know I have to find that wench again. She was the bestlay I've had in 2,000 years! -/ Sentai chuckled deeply, walking off in the opposite direction.
Making her way to the mansion's large courtyard, she stepped with a grace that threatened Sesshomaru's. Her eyes were now strong and fierce, much different from the submissive trance she was in last night. Her servant, Miha, tried to keep up with the shoujo ryu lord as her long legs strides took her to the middle of the courtyard in seconds, where the whole dragon tribe stood around, waiting for her presence.
Chatter went everywhere, echoing through the mountain range on which they lived. With one clear of her throat, the mountains silenced, her people stopped movement, and all fell on one knee, paying respect to their lord and master.
"You may rise, my people. Please... may the men follow Miha to the mansion, while the shoujo ryus stay out here. I must examine each of you... for any needed extermination." Tenshika scowled, the sapphire on her head reflecting the sun's early light.
The males did as they were told and followed Miha to the mansion. The women stood in a crowd in front of their Lord, extremely afraid for their unborn children being killed. They were well aware of Tenshika's deep hatred for any half demons or dragons... and of her ability to destroy unborn life with the sapphire on her head.
As she walked through the crowd, her nose was on high, sniffing for anyone of the shoujo ryus that smelled of human. Tenshika found human blood mixed with demons and dragons alike to be cursed. It was an utter disrespect to her tribe to have human blood in it and she would not think twice about killing a mother-to-be's child.
Finally, a dead on-lock.
/- Fresh prey... -/ Tenshika smirked evilly, cutting through the crowd on the trail of ningen blood.
Pushing two ryus out of the way who were protecting the 'infected', the Ryu Lord growled, looking at the cowering female at her feet as her jewel glowed light blue.
"Please, spare my child! This is my first offspring. Just let the boy live for once." She begged, her wings wrapped around her stomach.
Tenshika snarled at the pitiful sight. Picking the female up by her hair, she positioned her mouth to her ears, growling in her most lethal and animalistic tone; her already deep voice sounding like the devil itself.
"How dare you try to protect evil's reincarnate? Humans should keep to themselves. They make us demons and dragons weaker and more tainted. Humans only know of wars and confusion... and it being a male! Your son shall never see the light of day."
With her hands pinning her to the ground, Tenshika straddling her legs and -the sapphire glowing into a bloody ruby- her whole body glowed a dark blue. She used her free hand tocovered the 'infected' dragon's stomach, despite the woman's wings blocking the way. The poor female struggled to break free as her parental instinct spiked. Her body shifted and thrusted against Tenshika's wishes; slowly feeling the life inside her fading. All she could do was stare fearfully as Tenshika's jewel glowed angrily.
The others watched in horror as the Lord sucked the child from the shoujo ryu. Lifting off the dragoness, Tenshika looked emotionless as the mother-to-be was broken of her spirit. The unborn baby floated in a blue sphere over Tenshika's hand, and with the closing of her eyes, her jewel relaxed and turned back into a sapphire, the sphere shone red and then disintegrated.
"How could you? That was going to be my first child." The woman whispered, holding her stomach as she looked blankly at the ground.
Tenshika huffed, putting a hand on her armored hips. "I did you a favor. Oh, and I also know of your human mate. If you some much as travel to the Western Lands to met up with him again, I'll take YOUR life next time AND the soul of your lover shall be forever entrapped within one of my life spheres." She whispered, her deep voice cutting through her like the hole in her womb.
The shoujo ryu lord then looked at the frightened crowd, her mask of stone still on; her icy teel eyes piercing through them. However, her eyes seemed merciful this time.
"Good news. Everyone else seems to be healthy. We shall have a good addition to the tribe this year. Let me remind you that I kill half breeds within you for your own good. Human blood should never mix... because half breeds are evil reincarnated. They shall bring destruction to this all-ready war torn era. It's not this shoujo ryu's fault that she mated with a human last night, but she's fallen in love with one."
The crowd eyed the ryu, giving her no more sympathy.
"Don't see me as cruel... I don't seek the destruction of all humans and half breeds, but Kami help me, I will prevent any from coming from my tribe. Do I make myself clear?"
The shoujo ryus fell of their knees again, no longer frightened of Tenshika, but fueled with pride that they had no 'cursed' blood within their dragon tribe.
"Hai, Tenshika-sama! Long live the dragon tribe!" The females chanted.
Even the shoujo ryu that just had her baby destroyed from inside her womb kneeled, her eyes full of sorrow, but her voice full of the same pride.
"Rise dragons. I'll be expecting a healthy generation a year from now. You are all dismissed."
And with that whim, normal activity resumed in the village-like courtyard of the mansion. The normal air space was crowded with ryus, flying in and out of the mountains and flying down to the lower levels of the castle once again. A normal day was upon the mountain range.
Tenshika walked into her mansion chambers, seeing the males leaving with content looks on their faces.
/- I hope Miha told them about my new rule; check your mates for signs before claiming them. I don't want us to have such a lustful title anymore. -/
Suddenly, as if the word 'lust' triggered something, two strong arms circled Tenshika's waist, pulling her close to an armored chest. She turned around to meet Sentai's eyes, him smiling seductively.
"I hope that just because red moon is over that we can't have any fun."
Tenshika turned around and scowled at him, her hands resting on his chest if she needed to push off.
"We are not mates, Sentai... don't try it."
"Aww... don't shun me away, my Tenshi."
The shoujo ryu lord winced at the nickname that Sentai dawned upon her. The word 'Tenshi' was in her name, making it easy for Sentai to call her one. Using her hands, she pushed off, making Sentai chuckle warmly.
"Feisty as usual, Tenshika. I'll wait for the day that you finally become my life mate."
She spat at him, her fists balling.
"You can just keep waiting." She snarled, her sapphire glowing slightly in anger.
Sentai's expression stayed cheerful, causingher to growl again. He advanced, but stopped, knowing that would be suicidal. In the end, he chuckled again.
"I hope you take care of the child, Tenshi. If we can't make one ourselves, we might as well take care of someone else's."
The dragon Lord huffed.
"I have no desire to take care of a child I don't know the father to. I shall destroy this one as I have so many others." And with that, Tenshika left the flirting Sentai the second time that day.
Even though she acted otherwise, Tenshika's attitude was good today. She could have acted much worse to Sentai today, but his advances on her were becoming more of a... turn on than an annoyance. And the more of a turn-on Sentai became, the worse her attitude towards him. But now -more than ever- Tenshika didn't wish to be life mates with the dragon lord of the North.
/- I may not remember last night... but I still feel the same beautiful tingle of warm breath against my lips... and the cute smile he wore. I wish I could remember his face, though; that was no ordinary man. He was the man of my dreams... and unlike so many other unborn babies I've killed inside me... I wish to bere this one for some reason. I can sense that this one... is truly worthy and I will truly love it. Oh, how I wish to know of my child's father so that we may live a peaceful life. Maybe I will met him again one day. -/
Covering her naked stomach affectionately with her hand, Tenshika smiled warmly, walking to her bedroom chambers.
/- The scent is getting thicker -/ Inuyasha stated, stopping at the start of a mountain range.
In his anger, Inuyasha had traveled a very far distance from home, following the scent of the male that had forced himself upon Kagome that morning. It was now the afternoon, with the hanyou well out of his brother's familiar lands.
/- Damn... these must be the Southern lands. Why would Kagome's attacker travel all the way to the Western Lands just for her? -/
Looking at the mountain range that lied ahead of him, Inuyasha sighed, a face of determination covering his features.
/- It doesn't matter. This male's scent is in this mountain range somewhere... and he shall pay with his life for ever laying a hand on Kagome! -/
With that said, the hanyou dashed off, taking the cover of the falling sun's shadows from any unknown enemies sure to come.