Jackie: Thank you so much for reviewing! I've been working very hard on this chapter.
DISCLAIMER: refer to chapter one
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Miyoiki fell into a deep sleep. Sesshomaru had noticed that the night before had been somewhat restless for Miyoiki. Had he inspired this peaceful slumber with just one passing comment? It wasn't as if he had lavished affections her. Just one compliment and a true enough one at that. If it is true, is it not more of an observation than a compliment? He watched her sleeping, and the soft smile he'd seen curve her lips earlier returned.
The night was chilly and the fire was dying. Jaken snored heavily, but it never seemed to wake Ah-Un or Rin. For Miyoiki's part, she did not stir. When the wind picked up Miyoiki and Rin shivered. If Sesshomaru were the kind to frown, he would have. He reached beside him, grasped a log, and tossed it on the fire. Still Rin shivered, and, as if by instinct, Miyoiki curled around her to gift Rin with more body heat. Sesshomaru collected the pelt he'd given Miyoiki the night before and covered his two human females. Quite a collection you have compelled me to take on, Tetusaiga.
Miyoiki let out a deep sound. It sounded remarkably like a purr, but what struck him was the inhuman hum of it. He was quite sure he had never heard a human make such a sound. Her odd scent invaded him, and even in sleep he could feel spiritual power radiating off of her. His eyes narrowed. It was close to her skin, so close that it might be missed. Purple and Magenta waves rippled around her. A demon aura.
He reached out and touched her exposed forearm, disbelievingly. It simply was not possible for a demon aura and spiritual energy to be in one being. They were conflicting energies. The claw of his index finger absently continued to trace circles on her forearm, and before he knew it he was less interested in this conflict and more interested in how smooth and soft her skin was. She startled beneath him and he looked up at her face, into her open eyes. Golden eyes stared into the flash of silver, and he forgot what he was curious about completely. His mind was foggy. He felt drugged.
He took in a ragged breath and stood. He took his place by the fire again and said, "Rin was shivering. You should have made sure she was covered before you went to sleep."
"Yes, my lord," Miyoiki said shakily and pretended to go back to sleep.
The way he was touching me… She shivered, but not from the cold. The feel of one sharp claw tracing over her skin as lightly as a feather had sent shivers down her spine and woke her from the depths of dreamless slumber. She fought the urge to caress the tingling that still danced on her arm. His face never changed, but his eyes had gone from curious to completely uncertain. He looked so lost… Was she imagining it?
You just don't understand him yet!
She tried vainly to return to the peaceful sleep that she had accomplished mere moments ago.
Her scent had intensified, and it fluctuated every passing minute. She was confused about something. His head still felt hazy. He had to concentrate. What had he been doing there? Why was he touching her? Her scent… Yes, the scent, and then the crackle of spiritual energy, and finally the demon aura. She's lying to me, she's not human…
Then there was the way her eyes had hypnotized him. Was it some sort of spell? Yes, there were plenty of demonesses that used similar tricks. Now that he knew what it was, he could avoid it. He looked over at her, and remembered two big blue eyes with the sparkle of silver looking into his, threatening to pull him. Perhaps it was already too late to avoid her enchantment. Jaken had some gift with these things. He would consult Jaken in the morning.
The next morning, while Rin and Miyoiki packed, Sesshomaru bid Jaken to walk with him. After a long walk in silence Jaken asked, "Is there something to wish of me, my lord?"
"Your gift for dispelling enchantments," Sesshomaru answered plainly.
Jaken blink, "What enchantment has been placed upon you? It must be very powerful to concern my great lord Sesshomaru."
"Some sort of charm," Sesshomaru said in his usual, unreadable tone.
Jaken stopped in his tracks. He had a knack for seeing enchantments; charm gave its victims a pinkish glow. He saw no such glow around his lord. He scratched his head and Sesshomaru stopped, peering back at Jaken over his right shoulder.
"Well, what is it?" Sesshomaru said a bit more intensely.
"N-nothing, my lord," Jaken sputtered, "It's just that I don't see any such incantation upon you."
So, it was so powerful and discrete a spell that not even Jaken could single out and dispel it with the staff of two heads. There was only one thing to do. He would pull Miyoiki aside and confront her tonight. He said nothing to Jaken in response, and turned so that he could return to camp. As usual, Jaken was too slow and Sesshomaru stepped right on him as he strode back to Miyoiki and Rin.
Miyoiki touched her forearm lightly, and heat built in the very core of her being. If not for the lost look in his eyes, she would have sworn he meant it as a gesture of lust. It had certainly invoked feelings of lust in her.
And why not? She would be less than human to think he wasn't handsome. He had a deadly charm around him. Regardless of what any woman says, in bed they want a predator. They want a man who sees his prey, brings it under his fierce manly power, and scorches his catch on the flames of passion. At least, that was what she had observed. She shivered as feelings of arousal stirred up inside her. He was definitely that. A man that devoured his prey whole. She shook it off and tried to clear her head.
She knew what lust was, but she also knew what love was. She had made a vow long ago not to let her self be ruled by the instant gratification of flesh on flesh. She wanted something more. She very much doubted that the man who could ice over hell with the coldness of his voice would be able to supply that special something she so desperately wished for. With a determined expression on her face she waited with Ah-Un and Rin for her lord to return.
Sesshomaru returned and a hellish trek began. He walked them hard, and didn't stop for lunch. Rin set her face in stern determination. To Miyoiki it was obvious that Rin, in spite of her normal boundless energy, could not keep this pace. In one graceful potion, and without breaking her stride, Miyoiki grabbed Rin about her waist and sat her on Ah-Un's saddle.
"Since our lord is in too much of a hurry, my lady," Miyoiki ground out, making a point to be heard by Sesshomaru, "I'm afraid you will be eating in the saddle today."
"Okay," Rin replied meekly, her exhaustion apparent.
Sesshomaru did not even flinch which made Miyoiki's rage intensify. Miyoiki scrambled to keep up while simultaneously riffling through Ah-Un's saddlebags for a ration of dried meat and one of the small rolls she had bought. She gave them to Rin along with a water flask, and continued to glare at Sesshomaru's back as he continued his relentless pace.
Sesshomaru picked up his pace about an hour later. Jaken and Ah-Un were having problems keeping up now. Rin passed out on the saddle, and Miyoiki was slick with sweat. Was he running from something?
Sesshomaru smiled, no one would see it with him in front of them. No one was complaining, not even his new charge. She'd had some training wherever she had lived previously, but he doubted she had ever had to keep this kind of pace up for nearly twelve hours. She had fed Rin, but made no move to feed herself. She really was incredible. Whatever she was.
That was part of the reason for the quickness of his steps today. He wanted to see what she could take. He had a scientific fascination with her. What benefits came from a being who could wield both spiritual and demonic powers? How far could she be pushed before she exhausted both of them?
His other reason was to keep ahead of his half-brother.
"If you hadn't noticed," Miyoiki shouted four hours past sundown, "Rin has been passed out for some time and Jaken and Ah-Un don't look like they are much longer for this world."
Sesshomaru stopped abruptly and turned as he asked, "Are you questioning my leadership? I have lead these two longer than you have been alive, I know their limits. Perhaps, you are tired."
The only change in his voice, the only emphasis, the only hint of emotion, centered on the world 'you'. This made it even more obvious. He glared at him, her teeth clenched and her demon aura came alive around her. It was her spiritual energy that was down staged this time.
"I am only stating the obvious," She said too calmly.
She mimicked his tone exactly, striking the same note of emphasis. Now he was angry. No one mocked this Sesshomaru. He smiled and Jaken cringed, Jaken almost felt sorry for Miyoiki. Jaken whispered to her, "I would start running. He never smiles unless…"
He deliberately trailed off, but Miyoiki picked up where he left off, "Unless what? I am doing my job. I am protecting Rin. If he continues this pace tomorrow he will damage her health."
Miyoiki closed in on him. She stood a mere pace from him, looking him right in the eye. She said it again, "I am charged with her safety and well-being, and I WILL protect her as promised… Even from you."
His smile faded. Regardless of her disrespect, she had a point. He looked over at Rin; exhaustion had made her completely limp in Ah-Un's saddle. He did not want to hurt Rin; he just hadn't considered her in his little test of Miyoiki. Still his expression did not falter nor did the coldness of his voice.
"Jaken, make camp," Sesshomaru ordered, "Miyoiki, see to Rin, and then meet me one mile north of here."
With that he was gone. Miyoiki pulled Rin off the saddle, and Rin was too exhausted to stir in her arms. Remembering the previous night, Miyoiki wrapped her in a pelt and laid her close to the fire Jaken was building.
Jaken felt compelled to warn Miyoiki. After all, she was right, any longer and he would have fallen terminally behind. Ah-Un fell down rather than lying down and was completely out in seconds. Jaken grabbed her sleeve as she passed and said, "Your best hope is that he will kill you quickly. Beg if you have to, he can do far worse than kill you before the night is done."
"He will not kill me," Miyoiki said plainly, "Because he is cold and logical. Didn't you see his expression change? He knows I'm right."
"Right you may be," Jaken whispered, "But no one disrespects my great lord Sesshomaru. The only one who has lived after such insolence in Kagura, and I think the reason is because it was far more torturous to allow her to live in her condition."
Miyoiki could not think of a response. She nodded and walked off to the north. Did he really mean to kill her? She was right. He knew she was right. He wouldn't have listened if she hadn't made a fuss, would he? Damn it all, she would not die tonight. Her eyes began to glow with blue and silver flames. She stepped out onto a clearing, where he was waiting for her.
"No human I have ever known is capable of that," Sesshomaru said, "So I will ask you a final time. What are you?"
"Capable of what?" Miyoiki asked, completely unaware of the flames that licked outward from her eyes.
"Don't play dumb," Sesshomaru said, "Capable of radiating fire from their eyes."
"Fire?" She asked and the fire died off.
She reached into her pack and pulled out a hand mirror. She looked at herself but it was already too late. The fire was gone. She looked up at Lord Sesshomaru and asked, "Are you feeling alright? Maybe the pace was too fast for you."
"Now you are insulting me," he hissed, "Again. You were lucky to survive your outburst earlier. Do not try me further or you will not survive this night."
To illustrate the point, Sesshomaru whipped out his one arm and his poison whip lashed out, cutting off a lock of her hair. She did not flinch or show fear. She merely looked at him and said, "I fail to see how doing the job you asked me to do is showing you disrespect. The fact that I would take my station so seriously as to stand up, even to you, in her defense, in fact pays you a compliment. I do my job, as you asked it of me, and I do it well."
She had a point again. Damn that was aggravating. He whipped his whip out again to even out the haircut on the other side of her head and said, "You disrespect me by lying to me. You sparkle with spiritual energy and yet you have a demon aura. You are not human."
"I was born in a small village to a noble family," She started, "Born to a human mother and a human father, both of whom were spiritually gifted. I fail to see how it is possible for me to be anything but human."
Miyoiki started to draw her sword, but her eyes moved from Sesshomaru to the tree behind him. Sesshomaru's whip flung over his shoulder and cut down the tree behind him. Standing there was a shocked and bewildered incarnation by the name of Kagura. She pulled a feather from her hair and fled. Sesshomaru watched her disappear into the sky, and then looked down at Miyoiki who was also watching Kagura disappear into the sky. Miyoiki sheathed her sword.
Kagura had not stopped to talk, so she was spying. If she was spying, Naraku was planning. However, what bothered him is that he had not known she was there until Miyoiki indicated her presence. Miyoiki looked at him and asked, "Who was she?"
"Wind sorceress Kagura," He answered.
Miyoiki nodded, and said, "Now, about my humanity."
She drew her blade again and moved to cut her arm as she said, "I will prove it with my blood. I bleed red, just like any other human."
Before he could stop her she made a long cut on her forearm without even flinching. She tossed the blood soaked instrument to his feet. She smiled and said, "You are a dog demon lord, are you not? I am surprised I would have to go this far. Can you not smell my humanity? I'm sure you can smell it in my blood."
The metallic scent was definitely blood. Every form of blood had that metallic smell, but it was not human blood. There was no mistaking it for that. He picked up her blade and tossed it back to her. She had cut herself to prove her point. She was convinced that she was human, or she would not have been so drastic. He would get no answers from her.
His blood ran cold when he remembered Kagura's spying. He had a feeling that Naraku knew exactly what Miyoiki was. He watched Miyoiki clean her blade and sheath it. Then she set about wrapping her wounded arm. Naraku knows, and he's planning something. Sesshomaru's hand went to his blade. Miyoiki would be used against him, against Rin. His grip tightened on the hilt of tokijin. She would not be expecting it, busy with her arm; it would be quick and merciful.
He froze. For the first time in his life he froze. Her blue eyes had caught him. They stared at his hand. Her left hand was frozen on the tie of her bandage, and her left arm was still positioned to be bandaged. She shivered, and the wind carried her scent. A small amount of fear, some anger, and the rest was gut wrenching sadness.
"Don't do it, my lord," She said softly, "Please. If you draw that sword I will be forced to fight you, and I don't want to because one of us will end up dead."
Normally he would have thought she was being cocky but the sadness in her scent was overpowering. She sincerely did not want to fight him. The thought of one of them getting hurt or dying, physically pained her. Tetsusaiga pulsed angrily at him, and his hand dropped from Tokijin. He walked past her back to camp without explaining himself. Miyoiki dropped to her knees where she had stood and wept.
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Jackie; I hope you enjoyed!