NejiGirl: (relieved) I'm glad that it was good. I thought it might have been a wee too bit short, but thank you anyway.
Kaida: Finally a constructive review! I suppose that there was a bit too much conversation. I'll try to put more detail into the settings and thoughts and such. And something will be happening in future chapters to make it M. Or at least I believe so. If not, I'll change it to T.
Myalieninvader: (grins) Good, I was hoping that the characters were...in character. And I'm so happy you think that this is an amazing fic. (oO) It actually shocks me to know someone thinks so!
MarauderKid: Thank you, as well!
X
Chapter Three, Sesshomaru's provocationSesshomaru glanced behind him as screams sounded and a loud slap was heard. He had been sitting near the fire with Inu Yasha and Koga glaring at him for a while now and had begun to wonder where the monk had gone. Having heard the slap and the monk's protests, he knew then where he had been. Sesshomaru, uninterested in the shouts, blocked out all sound and scanned the forest for anything suspicious – perhaps Naraku.
At the thought of Naraku, Sesshomaru was reminded of his young consort, Rin. Naraku had said that Kohaku would keep her company, but Sesshomaru didn't even know whom the hell Kohaku was.
"The women don't seem very polite today," Miroku murmured, sitting next to the fire, rubbing his red cheek. "Especially Sango." He winced. "She has a most hard slap, if I must say so myself." Jaken merely rolled his eyes in reply, sitting cross-legged in front of the fire ahead of the elder brother of Inu Yasha's.
"Milord?" Jaken turned to Sesshomaru, who looked deep in thought. Feeling Jaken's gaze on him, the demon blinked and looked down at his servant.
"What is it, Jaken?" Sesshomaru murmured in his low, serene voice. Jaken, hesitant, merely shook his head. Koga watched the scene play out and noticed Sesshomaru's eyes stare unblinkingly at the fire. The wolf-demon decided that he had escaped back into the reverie Jaken had woken him from.
Koga hadn't thought about it before, but perhaps what Naraku had taken from Sesshomaru was possibly a woman. At that sudden concept, Koga felt less suspicious towards the demon and felt a grin play on his lips. Of course! His woman couldn't harm Inu Yasha, now could she? Koga, beaming now, took a bite of his fish and ignored the disgusted look from his nemesis, who seemed to think he had gone abruptly demented.
"Miroku, you pervert!" Sango roared, stomping over to the "camp site". "Do you ever give it a rest!"
"Come now, Sango, I had expected you wouldn't mind! You're always rubbing against me, trying to get my attention!"
"WHAT!" The others winced – excluding Sesshomaru – and shook their heads sadly, even Jaken.
Fool, Jaken thought to himself, eyeing Miroku who was moaning and rubbing his face that was red from Sango's slaps.
X
The next morning, Sesshomaru felt weary from controlling his anger and impatience. What's more, the human priestess, Kagome, kept glancing at him. It wasn't the glances that bothered him. It was her in general that did. And what was worse, was that Sesshomaru felt like they were going in circles, even though he was well aware that couldn't be so. Nothing looked familiar.
Right then, there was a small village surrounded by gardens and small streams of irrigation flowing through the crops, feeding them. The village itself was diminutive with cottages clustered together and a tall gate formed by solid logs enclosing it on the outskirts of the village. He could spot guards on the tops, looking out for demons, no doubt.
Sesshomaru realized that they hadn't been near a village for leagues. Not any as large as this, at any rate. He shot a meaningful look at Jaken, who flinched and then grimaced, a bit unsure of how to speak up to his and his lord's enemy. Fortunately for him, Koga took the words out of his mouth.
"Hey, mutt, don't you think we should stop at this village while we haven't died from exhaustion?" Koga sneered, his point obvious. Inu Yasha's ears twitched, his shoulders squaring.
"We are, moron," Inu Yasha snapped at him. "I just want to go about this correctly, so we don't get shot by anything. Or stabbed, for that matter." Glowering, Koga became mute and started to sulk. Kagome noticed this and sighed.
"Inu Yasha, he only asked a question," she pointed out. Koga perked up.
"Kagome, you don't have to protect me from that cur," he took her hands and she blinked rapidly. "I know that you are wounded that he is insulting me, but as long as those offending words are not from your beautiful lips, then all shall be well."
Sesshomaru eyed Inu Yasha, who looked ready to disembowel Koga, who was looking like a lovesick puppy. And he calls Inu Yasha a mutt, he thought, mentally smirking. He wasn't sure what either of the males saw in the human girl, but decided that it was none of his business and if they wanted to fall that low, then they might as well do so. And will you do the same? A voice mocked him. A voice that sounded uncannily like Naraku's. Ignoring it, Sesshomaru moved forward ahead of them.
Inu Yasha, noticing his brother move ahead without notice, shoved Koga away from Kagome, grabbed her, and moved ahead with a newly found determination. Koga gapped after him, then stormed behind him with indignant fortitude.
Sesshomaru didn't even look at Inu Yasha as he clomped ahead of him, Kagome in tow. Miroku, Shippo, and Sango followed after Koga's indignant steps, leaving Sesshomaru and Jaken behind them once more. It didn't bother Sesshomaru. He wanted to be at the end. He resented being crowded; especially near Inu Yasha and his mortals.
The thought of mortals once again brought up Rin in his thoughts. Attempting to cover an oath that had begun to escape his lips, he tried pushing the image of the young female picking apples with Jaken. Sesshomaru, at that thought, felt his heart clench painfully.
"Inu Yasha," Sesshomaru murmured lowly, having caught up with his brother. Inu Yasha started, surprised at his elder brother's sudden appearance at his side.
"Huh?" was Inu Yasha's unintelligible response as he blinked, suspicion gleaming in the golden eyes of the half-demon. "What is it, Sesshomaru?"
"Have you considered that any of the monks in any villages might perhaps know of Naraku's location or perhaps one of the demons you slay without any thought like the moronic pup you are?" Inu Yasha was responsive at the insult by letting out a string of swearing, which Sesshomaru promptly ignored. Jaken, however, was counting inside his head, until at almost more than a minute, the half-demon shut up with his curses. His older brother, however, had narrowed his eyes, obviously unhappy with Inu Yasha at that point. "Enough nonsense, Inu Yasha, I'm not a very patient demon to taunt at the moment."
"Taunt?" Inu Yasha suddenly roared.
"He is right, when I think of it," Sango spoke up thoughtfully. "We hadn't even thought of asking the people of the village about Naraku or any demons relating to him."
"Then let us start," Jaken bleated, going ahead at a hasty pace. "The sooner we arrive at Naraku's castle, the better!" Sesshomaru, with a meaningful glance towards Inu Yasha, followed his servant at the same quick pace.
X
The villagers cast curious looks at the group that entered their small, humble village. What was more frightening was that three – no four! – were demons. They all were thinking the same thing: Why did the guardsmen let them in? At first they thought that perhaps they had killed them, but they know that couldn't be so. The guardsmen were watching on the gate above with narrowed eyes, their chests puffed out, and standing tall and straight as ever. So the question came back after it's cycle: Why did the guardsmen let them in?
Sesshomaru didn't care for the stares. He didn't care for the monk's stares either. Miroku was leering at almost every beautiful woman in sight. Sesshomaru glanced around, his eyes raking the crowds, before he glanced down at Jaken, who was puffed up with pride. Pride for him, the elder demon realized. He had never understood Jaken's veneration (admiration) for him. And the fact that he still followed Sesshomaru even after his rude treatment towards him astonished the demon even further. When he thought about it, Jaken had never protested much towards his kicks and slaps and shoves. The only thing that Jaken had ever really "protested" – if that was what it should be called – about was when Sesshomaru went ahead of him and he'd always call, "Please, wait for me, milord!"
Once again, he scanned the crowds casually, not caring for the startled jumps that his gaze had administered the last time also. He frowned, feeling his stomach growl slightly and wondered if the stream that was not for irrigation might provide him with fish. As for Jaken and the others...Well, Inu Yasha and his allies were none of his concern. And Jaken? He knew better. He and Rin both had knew when they joined Sesshomaru that they were to get their own food.
Rin...Sesshomaru stifled a sigh as the young girl once again began to vex his mind. He heard Inu Yasha's growls and realized that his younger brother was becoming irritated at the stares. Then again, he always has been...Since he is a half-demon.
"What are these people's problems? Do they have to stare at us like that? Damn!" Inu Yasha snarled it all at Kagome, who merely blinked.
"They're probably just curious, Inu Yasha and..." Sesshomaru blocked out the rest of her answer, along with sound period. He wasn't interested in what they had to say, nor what the humans of the village thought of him or Jaken.
"Milord, there is a stream right there! I'm sure there isn't any fish and if the villagers would permit it, we could get some vegetables from their fertile gardens! What think you, milord?"
"Quiet, Jaken," Sesshomaru commanded in a soft drone. "I'm aware of all this. However," he nodded to one of the farmers, "you can ask, because I'll not discuss anything with these disgusting vermin called humans." Jaken gazed up at him with soulful eyes that spoke, And yet Rin of the race, milord, you call vermin, may I remind you? "Go, Jaken." The servant nodded mutely and went to question the farmer, who merely nodded, glancing warily over at Sesshomaru, who paid no regard to the young male, believing that the mortal did not deserve his acknowledgement.
"He says that it is fine, milord. Shall we...?" He nodded, while Jaken glanced behind him at Inu Yasha and his companions. They were speaking with the villagers about Naraku and asking for a place to stay. Miroku, however, was more intense when asking for "a place to stay". He was asking for them to bear his children and perhaps even marry him.
X
"What about that young man outside?" The owner of the home asked, smiling tenderly at his guests. "Wouldn't he and that other demon like to come in the warm house?"
"Feh!" Inu Yasha merely turned his head, snorting, crossing his arms over his chest with an irate look on his face.
"Oh my, is ill-humor between those two?" He turned to the others.
"They're brothers," Shippo explained eagerly. "They don't like each other that much, however. They're not like your family."
"Nay, there is conflict in my family as well." Shippo gave a curious look as the elderly man moved to the pot that was filled with steaming soup. "Eat up while it's still hot."
X
Sesshomaru sat in the woods – not too deeply, though – leaning on a tree's trunk, his eyes closed. Jaken had curled near a bush, his staff clutched in his hands. Unlike Jaken, however, this demon brother of Inu Yasha's was not asleep. He was quite awake, aware of every sound, scent, and movement. And because the nocturnal owl was not hooting, he knew that someone was in the woods – someone other than himself. Someone, he assumed, whose name was Naraku.
"Lord Sesshomaru?" He heard his heart beat more distinctly then – thump thump, thump thump – fast, pumping blood into his system. He opened his eyes slowly and stood up in the same eased pace. I'm hallucinating, he realized, I'm hallucinating about something that I know that could not be here. Could not be here, when Rin is with Naraku. And knowing that bastard, he isn't going to let her go. Not until I come with Inu Yasha in my claws...Which could take a long while at this velocity. He sat back down, mute. He felt an emptiness that he had known was there – just not so conspicuous as it had been. Damn you Naraku – wherever you are.
X
Naraku smiled to himself as he stared up at the same moon that was above Sesshomaru's head only over fifty leagues from the castle. Ah, Sesshomaru, I might not want to return the girl to her. She would make a lovely collection to my body... Naraku chuckled and rubbed his wrist. And an even better companion.
X
DIS: So, Kaida, was that well-detailed? I liked how this chapter came out – even more, I am liking how this story is coming along. I hadn't expected it to be so...inspiring, lol! Anyway, please review and tell me how it is. I'd like some advice and constructive criticism too! Adieu!