A/N: Just so you all know, I am going to be replacing this chapter a bit later. I got the idea for this part of the story this morning, and I've been typing it up all afternoon. What I mean by 'replacing it later' is that I'm going to be putting a few chapters before it so that it makes more sense. I started writing the first chapter after I wrote this one, but I'm so excited about what you guys think about this one that I couldn't wait to post it. Please r&r after you're done, I'm desperate to know what you think (and to get my teacher off my back grrr...).
"What is the meaning of this father? I have other business to attend to and yet you insist on dragging me here." Sesshomaru complained to his father calmly. The older demon looked down on his son from his throne-like seat and smiled warmly.
"A young demoness has asked to pay her respects to the royals of the west for her allowance into our lands and I wasn't exactly in the position to turn her down."
Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at the laughter in his father's voice.
"What position were you in then that you couldn't refuse her?" he asked skeptically.
Inutaisho leaned in so he was whispering in his son's ear before muttering "Erect".
Sesshomaru flinched at his father's answer as Inutaisho straightened and broke out into a booming laugh that filled the entire hall.
Sesshomaru grunted in disgust and looked towards the massive double doors that led into the room he was now occupying.
"Sorry I asked."
Inutaisho smacked Sesshomaru on the shoulder lightly.
"Oh don't be such a stiff Sesshomaru, having a bit of fun wouldn't kill you. Besides," he added, "from what I know about the girl, you two would make quite the couple."
"I am not going to take this woman as a mate father, you know how I feel on the subject."
Inutaisho just shrugged. "You never know…"
Sesshomaru glared momentarily up at the demon lord. "Yes, I do."
Neither men spoke after that, and both watched as the invited demons settled down in their places and gossiped quietly to each other, wondering why exactly they were here.
As soon as the last demon arrived and sat down, Inutaisho stood up and spread his arms open wide as though nothing could have pleased him more than seeing his guests before him.
"Welcome to all," he boomed, effectively quieting his guests,"and so happy I am that all of you could make it." He smiled warmly and clasped his hands together eagerly before continuing on.
"I have invited you all to my humble home on a request from a new member of our lands. Upon her acceptance, she asked that she would be able to thank me and the rest of the lords and ladies of our lands properly, and to show her respects to all of us."
Many of the lords in the room bowed their heads approvingly and Inutaisho grinned, now finished with his short speech. As he sat back down in his seat, he nodded to the eagle demons positioned besides each of the large glass windows, and upon his signal, each one flew to the height it reached, pulling down the brilliantly decorated shades. The room plunged into darkness as the sun was blocked out, and the occupants began to whisper to eachother, curious to know what would happen next.
As the eagle demons touched back down on the ground, they began beating the air with their great earth colored wings rhythmically and the room was filled with the powerful sound. Several of the ladies in the room shivered at the icy draft that suddenly seeped into the room and they hugged their luxurious clothing tighter around them, seeking warmth in the delicate fabrics. Their mates went on high alert and Sesshomaru watched their reactions curiously, his phenomenal eyesight easily cutting through the darkness.
Slowly, the beating of the eagle demon's wings died out and was replaced by a hissing sound momentarily before silence shrouded the room thickly.
No one moved; they hardly breathed, and as the great double doors began to creak open slowly, every head turned to watch.
Two female snake demons in their human forms emerged from the small opening in the doorway, the brilliant red scales covering their legs shining brightly in the dark room. Each demoness had an open black fan placed in a tight bun at the back of their heads, creating the effect that their dark hair continued upwards and was painted with intricate patterns of red dragons. Their outfits flowed around their serpentine bodies as they moved gracefully to stand at either side of the door opening, and the both sank to their knees with their decorated claws in their laps simultaneously.
A very pregnant pause filled the room, and Sesshomaru wondered if the girl had gotten cold feet, and had run away, too frightened to perform.
How very wrong he was.
The two serpent demons raised their heads slowly to look up at their goddess as she stepped through the doorway.
Transforming as soon as she had fully entered the room, two blood-red cobras replaced their human forms, and they hissed importantly when the girl stopped between them.
The snake demons' scales glistened dangerously in the firelight, and as they slithered up the girl's legs, they carried the fans that been in their hair in their mouths. They moved smoothly up her torso and coiled around her arms, placing their fans into each of her hands. Her hands wrapped around the paper fans as soon as she felt them on her skin, and the red dragons decorating them turned icy blue at her touch.
The blood colored cobras hissed again, and while one of them slid back down her body to come to a stop coiled around her right leg, the other moved up to curl loosely around her neck. The demoness had yet to look up, and kept her eyes trained to the ground just before her feet. As the snakes settled around her body, she closed her eyes slowly, and without warning, snapped her head up. Huge bursts of flame erupted in the corners of the large room at her violent movement, causing a few demons to jump in surprise. Firelight filled the room, allowing even the demons with the worst of sight the ability to see her clearly through the flickering of the flames.
She was tall and slender, looking to rival Sesshomaru in age or just under it. Strength flowed from her aura and her very presence demanded respect. Her long black hair flooded out behind her in a cascade of teal streaks, ending just below her shoulder blades.
An aqua blue beaded belt dipped down between her legs and held a loosely flowing black skirt that ended a few inches below her knees around her waist. The light material moved on its own accord, even while the demoness wasn't moving. It was completely transparent, showing a navy blue triangle of material wrapped around her more intimate parts. Black strips of the same material as the skirt were hanging gently from around her upper arms topped with smaller versions of the belt around her waist. Each arm decoration nearly brushing the ground with how long they were.
Her entire torso was completely bare, except for a strange type of clothing no one in the room had ever seem before. The black fabric had thin strips acting as straps to keep it up, with blue and black strings of beads hanging from the edging. The material continued down to cup her breasts and cover a curved triangle of either breast, just enough so that her dignity was held and her cleavage was revealed drastically. The material tapered off at the bottom corners of the triangles and thin strips of the fabric wrapped around her torso to keep it on. Strings of blue beads dangled down from just under her bosom coming to a stop just above her navel. In her hair, a sapphire encrusted tiara topped her head and completed the picture.
The demoness took a cautious step forward, a silver bracelet donned with tiny hanging bells jingling from her ankle when she moved, and Inutaisho smiled at the delicate sound, and how ironic it was for a woman such as this to be wearing bells. The double doors slammed shut behind the demoness as she flicked a hand slightly, adding a few more startled jumps from her audience to add to her collection.
As she moved, warmth flowed from her body and swirled about the room, dispelling the ice that hung in the air, and replacing heat to the bodies of her viewers. She raised her arms above her as she took another graceful step forward, crossing her wrists over her head and snapping her fans shut. As if on cue, the viper on her leg slid smoothly up her thigh beneath the transparent skirt before curling itself tightly around her skin. She didn't seem to notice as the snake increased its pressure on her leg, and she smirked slightly as the creature began to sink into her body, changing from red to black as it went, becoming one with her so that its picture was all that remained. The serpent around her neck slithered up and down her torso once, before doing the same as its companion, leaving the demoness with twin snake tattoos around her leg and neck.
Her audience watched in amazement during this entire event with rapt attention, though a few of the woman made disgusted faces as the snakes entered the demoness' body.
Lowering her arms slowly, she strode gracefully to the center of the room, using her outrageously long legs to her every advantage. She kept her eyes closed as she walked and bowed lowly in the direction of Inutaisho and Sesshomaru when she had taken her place. When she straightened, she slowly slid her eyes open, revealing glowing blue eyes. Deep sapphire in color, the moment they were revealed, everyone – even those who couldn't see her eyes – sensed a change in the atmosphere and many shifted uncomfortably, unsure about whether or not to trust the woman with the strange powers.
Turning vividly gleaming eyes to the great lord, she bowed again, keeping eye contact with him the whole time, before doing the same to Sesshomaru. Both lords felt a shiver pass through them as she paid her respects, her gleaming blue eyes sending ice through their veins.
Straightening, the demoness flicked her fans open and closed several times as though warming them up before placing one foot diagonally in front of the other, and raised her arms above her once again, her eyes still trained on lord Sesshomaru.
R&R! I need to know what you think about this chapter, I'm not sure I like the snakes, but they might come in later. I don't know, tell me what you think. Oh, and I just want you to know, when I was explaining her clothes, the thing on her torso was a beaded bra. From what I know about the feudal era,women didn't wear them back then and it's really hard to explain what they look like, so I'm sorry if I didn't explain it well. R&R please!
-Lots a love-
Laveda
