Lessons Learned
Author: Shortey 83
Chapter 25: Laquhkriin
Disclamier: I do NOT own InuYasha, any of its characters or Skyrim.
Story Start:
Sesshomaru had lived up to his promise and the following day he took her back to the spot where she had first come face to face with his true form. Takara had been excited to see that the peaches were close to being ready to pick. Of course, they had also spent the day tangled in each other's arms, their bodies slick with sweat in the humid spring weather. Even a cool dip in the stream hadn't cooled their appetites for one another.
However, despite their many attempts, Takara's monthly cycle had made its appearance right on schedule. She had nearly been in tears, the insecure part of her worried that Sesshomaru would be upset or even disappointed with her.
That conversation had been a difficult one for her, but Sesshomaru was as patient as ever. He reassured her that child or not she would never disappoint him for something like that. After all, he had pointed out, that he had intended to marry her even before the topic of children had come up.
"Besides," Sesshomaru had pointed out. "There is always next month."
Sesshomaru had kept that promise the next two months as well.
Part of Takara wondered if she had been born the jinx in her family; the one destined to have an inordinate number of children only to end up barren. To say that it wasn't beginning to weigh on her mind would've been a lie.
She tried not to let it bother her and in turn bother Sesshomaru.
It didn't work. He knew.
However, he decided a trip to a neighboring village for a change of pace.
He also allowed Rin to come. While he may not have been a fan of humans, he was content to sit on the outskirts and wait for them to finish looking around the markets. Part of Takara wished that he was able to walk with her, but she understood that the people in this village may not have been as comfortable with a demon walking around as they were in hers.
"What about you, Rin?" Takara asked the little girl. "Was there anything you wanted that they didn't get for you yesterday?"
Rin paused at one of the shops that was offering pretty combs, jewelry, and kimonos. "I don't know," she answered as she eyed a couple of the combs. "Lord Sesshomaru usually buys me a new kimono when I need one."
"What about a pretty hair piece to go with the kimono your Lord buys you?" the stall owner asked.
"I don't know?" Rin answered hesitantly.
"Well you better decide quickly, such beautiful pieces like this won't be around for long." He told her.
"You know what, Rin. That could be a good idea." She said, before turning to the stall owner. "How long do you plan on having your shop set up for? We could go and see which kimonos need a matching hair piece and buy a few of them."
The stall owner looked pleased at potentially selling multiple pieces. "I will be here for a few more days at least. It would be a very wise to find something to match them all."
Takara nodded and guided the little girl away. After moving out of ear shot of the stall owner, she leaned down to speak softly to the girl. "You have to be careful when you're out by yourself, Rin. Don't let these people know you're interested in something, and don't act like you've got money to spin. They'll take you for everything your worth."
Rin nodded and eventually settled for a simple snack and Takara bought herself a jar of honey. It wasn't the shopping that she had longed to do, more so it was the getting out of the house and the village that she wanted to do. It was a breath of fresh air that she needed, but now with Rin in tow, the two of them were ready to return home.
Avoiding the markets on the way out of town, the two of them made their way to the outskirts of the village, passing the local temple as they did. There was a small gathering of priests outside the temple gates, but Takara simply grabbed Rin's hand to maneuver around them, politely excusing themselves as they did.
Just as they exited the group, she heard a voice call out to them. "You there, girl. Stop." Takara looked over her shoulder to see an older monk exit from the crowd of younger monks, his sharp gaze cutting to Rin. As Rin's hand tightened around hers, Takara pushed the little girl behind her unsure of the monk's intentions.
"Can I help you with something?" Takara asked him, keeping calm as his icy gaze met her own.
"That girl," he began. "Did she not used to travel with a demon?"
"She's not possessed by a demon if that's what you're suggesting, Monk." Takara answered.
As Rin peeked out from behind Takara, the monk's gaze cut back to her.
"How did you escape him? He seemed to have you completely under his control."
"I didn't 'escape' Lord Sesshomaru." Rin answered. "I traveled with him because I wanted to."
"I see," the monk said, turning his gaze back towards Takara who held firm under his stare. "You also said that you would never live with humans again."
"And she happened to find humans who appreciate her and don't treat her like a burden." Takara interrupted, doing her best to keep her calm as to not alert Sesshomaru to anything wrong. The last thing she needed was to give him another excuse to keep her in the village. "So, like anyone who can think for themselves, she changed her mind. Do we have a problem?"
"So, you are aware of her history with this demon?"
"Yes, and as far as I'm concerned it's none of your business."
The monk didn't say anything else, but his glare never left Takara. Finally, one of the younger monks spoke up. "Master Ungai, what would you have us do?"
"If you know what's good for you, you'll tell them 'nothing'." Takara answered before the monk, Ungai as she learned his name was, could.
"Why is that?" Ungai asked.
"Because I consider her to be my daughter, and I won't let you lay a hand on her."
The monk seemed taken aback by her aggressive stance, but he said nothing. With no argument coming her way, Takara decided it was best that she left. Keeping her body between Rin and the monks, Takara ushered the little girl out of the village.
It was odd for Rin to be so quiet, but once Takara felt they were a safe enough distance, she stopped and made sure.
"Are you alright, Rin?" Takara asked as she knelt down to gently turn the little girl around. She wasn't sure what she was expecting when she looked at Rin, but it certainly wasn't her tears. Even though Rin shook her head 'no' tears continued to fall down her cheeks.
"It's ok, Rin. I don't know who those monks are, but they won't bother you, I promise."
"It's not that," Rin finally let out with a sob, doing her best to wipe her tears away. Once she wiped her face, her watery brown eyes met Takara's blue ones. "Did you really mean that?"
"Mean what, Rin? Of course, I won't let them get you."
"No, do you really consider me to be your daughter?" The little girl sobbed, her tearful gaze hopeful.
"Of course I do, Rin." she told her, pulling the sobbing little girl into a tight hug, stroking the back of her head softly until her sobs finally quieted. Takara may have said the words in haste to defend the little girl from the monk, but she had meant it. To begin with, when she had first met Rin she had felt the little girl to be more of a younger sister, but the more time she had spent with her, the more protective and maternal she had felt.
Grabbing Rin's shoulders, she gently pushed the girl back to where she could look her in the face again. "Look Rin, I've still got a lot to learn, so I won't be perfect by any means."
"I think you're perfect," Rin argued with a smile.
"Well thank you, but I'm far from it." Takara laughed, wiping away the remaining tears from the little girl's face. "Now let's get back before someone gets impatient."
Rin nodded, but as Takara stood up she noticed Rin's face had shifted from happy to worried in an instant as she glanced behind Takara.
Looking over her shoulder, she noticed that the small group of monks had followed them out of the village lead by the monk, Ungai. Once again, Takara took up her protective stance and ensured Rin was behind her.
"We mean no harm," Ungai clarified. "I merely wanted to speak with the girl to ensure she is well. The last I saw her, she ran off into the night following a powerful demon."
"I'm fine. Lord Sesshomaru would never harm me." Rin finally spoke up.
"So you've said." Ungai replied, but Takara got the feeling he wasn't satisfied with the answer. He turned to Takara next. "What do you know of this 'Lord Sesshomaru' she speaks of?"
"What I know, is still none of your business. Now leave us alone before I get angry."
The monk narrowed his eyes at her challenge. "It is our duty to ensure humans are protected from demons. You appear to be human, so tell me, are you protecting a demon? If you get in our way, you will regret it."
By that point, Takara had already had enough. Better call Sesshomaru before anything gets started. My butt still hurts. Takara thought before focusing on her mate's face in her mind. Sesshomaru, I need you.
With that final thought, she uttered a bit of dragon speech to make her point and keep the monks away. "Unt Zu'u"
The monks, Ungai included jumped back in surprise as the earth trembled at her words. She knelt down and instructed Rin to hold onto her. If she needed to run as Sesshomaru asked her to, she was going to have to slow time down to get enough of a head start just in case her call to Sesshomaru didn't work.
"What sorcery is this?" Ungai demanded. "I sense no demonic aura around you."
"Because I'm not a demon. This is your last warning, back off and leave us alone before you regret it. Rin is safe, happy, and loved with me and that's all you need to know. "
This time Rin spoke up, with force. "I don't need to be saved. I'm happy and safe right where I am. I want to stay with Takara-" She stopped before she could say too much.
Finally, Ungai seemed to relax, as his face softened ever so slightly. "So you've said before." He let out a breath and dismissed his disciples back to the monastery. Once they were well out of sight, Ungai turned his head to Takara's right, deeper into the forest. "I am not here to fight you again. I know when I'm outmatched."
From the corner of her eye, she watched Sesshomaru stroll casually out of the tree line and put himself between Ungai and herself.
He said nothing, but his body language said enough to convey to the old monk that the females behind him were his charges. When he had heard Takara's faint call, he wasn't sure what to make of the situation. His demon side had conveyed her concern, but not immediate danger, so when he felt the tremble of the Earth when she spoke the dragon language, he was a little confused.
Seeing the old monk again was not a pleasant sight, but he didn't seem postured to harm Rin or his mate, so he would allow him a chance to explain himself.
"So, both of these girls are under your protection now?" Ungai asked.
Takara didn't know why she expected Sesshomaru to answer the monk but realizing that Ungai really did expect an answer made Takara chuckle a bit to herself. When Sesshomaru gave her a questioning look over his shoulder and she realized she laughed out loud by mistake.
"Sorry," she sheepishly apologized. "I just thought it was funny that he really expected an answer."
"Very well," Ungai finally sighed. "I don't understand it, but I can tell that neither of them are under a spell. For whatever reason, they seem happy with you." He turned away and began walking back to the temple. "If that is the case, I wish you all the best."
Without another word, Ungai turned and left, following in the direction he had dismissed his disciples. Takara watched him go and only set Rin down after he was out of sight. "Man," she huffed. "That old guy sure is stubborn. Can't he take a hint?"
"I don't like him very much." Rin sighed, hugging Takara even after being set down.
"I know, Rin." Takara stroked the girl's head in a loving manner before she turned to Sesshomaru. "And before you say anything, I was preparing to run."
In a rare show of affection, Sesshomaru reached out and cupped Takara's cheek in his hand, gently stroking her cheek with his thumb. "I know, My Treasure."
"You can really feel what I'm planning to do?"
Sesshomaru smirked. "No."
"Then how did you...?"
"I knew you wouldn't want to be punished."
With a roll of her eyes, Takara responded with a dry laugh. "Ha. Ha. Ha. Look who's a comedian now."
"Were you bad, Takara?" Rin questioned, her innocent brown eyes shimmering with curiosity.
Takara pinched her fingers close together, "Only a little bit, but I learned my lesson."
"I doubt that." Sesshomaru said as he turned to walk away.
"You're probably right" Takara laughed as she took Rin's hand and they followed Sesshomaru back to the clearing where they had left Ah-Un. After helping Rin onto the dragon, Takara hopped up behind the little girl, passing her the jar of honey she was holding so that she could take the reins. Once they had settled and taken to the sky, Sesshomaru followed suit and led them back to the mansion.
On the ride home, Takara and Rin had decided that they would work some more on the little girl's writing in the garden once they had got back. So, while Rin went to wash up and grab her brushes, ink and some paper, Takara took her jar of honey back to their room.
"What did you find today?" Sesshomaru asked as he removed his armor.
"Oh, just a little bit of honey." Takara responded as she poured him some sake, passing it to him once he had settled in his usual spot watching the waterfall in silence. "Thank you for taking us out today, Sesshomaru. It was a nice change of pace until those monks decided to bother us."
Sesshomaru took a sip of his sake as Takara leaned her head on his shoulder. "I had intended to take you elsewhere, but when Rin asked to come, I felt it would upset her of I had not allowed her."
"Oh?" Takara asked, as she pulled his fur onto her lap to stroke it. "Where were you planning on taking me then?"
"A clearing on the other side of the mountain. I had planned to spend some time with you in my true form, but I was concerned that I would harm Rin."
Takara was a bit surprised that he had been so forthcoming about his plans with her, but what pleased her the most was how he had planned to work on her suggestion about her needing to understand his true form better. "That's ok," she told him as she continued to stroke his fur. "I have a hard time telling her 'no' too."
"Indeed," he acknowledged.
After a few more minutes of quiet, Takara stood up, preparing to go to the garden. She turned back to Sesshomaru as she walked along the porch. "How about joining us in the garden?" She asked. "I'm going to start helping Rin with her reading and writing." He didn't answer, but Takara hadn't waited for one. She extended him the invitation and he would either take it or not. Takara knew better than to wait around for one.
Rin was an eager student and she picked up on everything Takara taught her rather quickly, but not wanting to put a damper on the little girl's enthusiasm, Takara limited the amount she taught her and instructed her on repetition to prefect the characters she was learning. At some point in the session, Sesshomaru had accepted Takara's invitation and joined them, sitting silently a short distance away.
"How is this?" Rin asked, holding up the paper that she had tried to write her name on.
"Much better than the last one, Rin. You just have to keep practicing."
"Alright," the little girl acknowledged with a cheerful smile.
Takara had looked up just in time to see Ayako's approach and waited for the honorary pain in the butt to speak. "My Lord," she acknowledged him with a bow before she turned her attention to Takara and greeted her in kind before announcing that dinner was ready. With that, Takara helped Rin pack up her supplies and returned them neatly to her room before bringing her meal back out to the garden where Sesshomaru still sat.
She ate most of her dinner, eating lightly in preparation for the evening she had planned as she eyed her handsome husband. It wasn't long before he noticed her eyes on him and turned those molten amber eyes in her direction. "What is it?" he finally asked.
"Oh, nothing. I was just wondering why you hadn't asked about the honey I bought today." She replied, handing her dishes to a servant who took them away and excused herself for the evening.
"And why should I have asked about it?"
"Nope," she laughed, as she stood up, planning to tuck Rin in for the evening. "Now you're just going to have to wait until I make sure Rin is in bed for the night."
She heard his light growl as she walked away, but she didn't stick around long enough to find out what kind of growl it was. Instead she did as she had told Sesshomaru and ensured that Rin was tucked into bed for the evening and all of the servants had gone home for the day.
When the house was quiet for the night, she went to her room, changed into her yukata for the evening. With her jar of honey in tow, she headed to Sesshomaru's rooms only to find that he still wasn't there.
Playing hard to get, is he? She thought, placing her hand on her hip, her foot tapping in a rapid staccato on the hard floor. She thought about teasing him, but considering she was probably still fertile and with her knees still bruised, that was probably a bad idea.
What she had planned for the evening though went out the window as a faint roar echoed in from somewhere in the night.
"Vahdin, meyz ahrk grind zu'u!"
An icy chill ran down her spine at the dragon speech that was uttered and directed at her, but regardless she rushed to her room and put on her modern day clothes, mentally calling out to Sesshomaru while she did so. By the time she stepped out of her rooms and turned to go back to Sesshomaru's, her mate appeared in front of her.
"Am I to assume that was a dragon?" he asked, his armor and weapons in place.
Takara nodded hesitantly. "Yes, and I'm not sure who it is, and I have a bad feeling about this."
"What did the dragon say?"
Takara hesitated a moment before she finally repeated what the dragon had said. "His words were 'Woman, come and meet me.' and I'm not sure what it was about his tone, but it was not a friendly greeting."
Before she could say anything else, the dragon shouted again. "Vahdin, meyz ahrk grah uv zu'u fen ag daar sahsunaar!"
She could feel the color drain from her face, worry beginning to twist her gut. "Woman, come and fight me or I will burn this village." She saw a shimmer of red beginning to form around Sesshomaru's eyes and knew then he was beyond angry. He turned to exit the house Takara followed him, stopping on the porch, knowing better than to attempt to follow him without his permission.
"Sesshomaru, wait." He paused, turning to her, but before he could speak, Takara continued. "I'm not asking to go, but please let me call Sahloknir and Yolheimin. You might be able to destroy the dragon, but you won't be able to kill it. Only another dragon or I can do that."
He paused briefly as he considered her words before he nodded. "Call them, and you will come with me, so that I can understand what the creature's words. Hurry and dress." Takara nodded before shouting Sahloknir's and Yolheimin's names and rushed inside to put her armor on and grab her weapons.
Sesshomaru was waiting at the edge of the porch, giving Jaken and Ayako orders to gather the villagers to have them hide should the dragon attack. Without looking in her direction, he extended his arm to her, a silent instruction for her to step into his embrace. No sooner than she did, Sesshomaru took off into the air.
In the dark she couldn't see him, but she could hear Sahloknir's voice nearby. "I'm here Vulombrii. I could feel Loqahkriin's shout and rushed to see what I could do to help."
"Who is Loqahkriin? What have I ever done to him?"
From the opposite side of Sesshomaru, she heard Yolheimin's reply. "He is a loyal servant of Vulthuryol, and your existence is enough to cause this." A angry growl rumbled from the fire dragon and she could see the outline of his head as flames danced in his mouth between his words. "The fact that you can absorb a dragon's soul into your own makes you a threat to his master, whether you intend to be or not."
"Is there any reasoning with him?"
"Not until you're dead." Sahloknir growled. "Laquhkriin's utterly mad. Had it not been for you wish to avoid extending your life further, I would've helped you to kill him already." As he spoke, sparks danced in his mouth. "Do not let him deceive you, Sesshomaru." Sahloknir then addressed her mate. "His goal will be Vulombrii, and he will not stop until he is put down."
"But that means..." Takara began but she stopped. That could wait for another time. For now, she had to focus on what needed to be done.
Sesshomaru landed in a clearing a good distance away from the village, the moonlight providing only enough light for her to see the outline of the dragon who had landed in the field opposite of them. Yolheimin and Sahloknir didn't land. Instead the two of them flew straight at the creature, the three dragons tumbling to the ground, all of their snakelike bodies tangled with each other.
Takara watched as yet another dragon bolted down from the night sky like an inky black streak, blotting out the stars as it moved. She felt Sesshomaru's arm leave her as he rushed to intercept the creature before it could strike one of the two allies, but no sooner than his blade pierced the creature's flesh did it dissolve into nothing more than a trail of mist.
"No, don't leave her!" Sahloknir roared to Sesshomaru, but it was too late. A gust of wind was felt behind her as she watched the creature that Yolheimin and Sahloknir fight with also vanish in a cloud of mist.
"Too late," a wicked voice growled from behind her. "Praan Sil Zeim"
As she turned, Takara felt the earth fall out from underneath her feet as she began to fall, a startled scream flying from her lips. She could only watch the night sky, visable only as a small hole of black between a bright contrast of white mist grow smaller and smaller as she continued to fall.
Just before the hole could vanish, a streak of blue bolted in, rushing towards her as the night sky disappeared behind it. Knowing better than to do so, she forced herself to look over her shoulder to see what lay below her, only to discover an outcropping of jagged rocks looming up from the mist.
As the towers of rock came closer and closer, scaly arms wrapped around her, pulling her against a solid, armor plated body. Just as they were about to make impact, Sahloknir, turned, taking the brunt of the impact and sparing Takara the life ending fall.
Stone cracked and crumbled as Sahloknir roared in pain, the rock that they landed on breaking into pieces from the force of the impact. They fell again, but not nearly as far the second time, Takara's head buried against the dragon's scaly hide until they stopped moving and the dust began to settle.
"Sahloknir?" she called him when he didn't move. Turning, she pushed his heavy arm off of her, carefully stepping off of his body onto the broken rocks and made her way up to his large head. "Sahloknir!" she desperately pleaded, her eyes brimming with tears. "Please, Sahlocknir, open your eyes!"
As if the dragon had heard her call, his chest finally rose as he gasped for breath, his eyes opening slightly, and even his dragon's face had distorted as he cringed in pain. He didn't speak as he slowly twisted his body in a position to where he could stand, and the tears truly fell from Takara's eyes once he stumbled to his feet. His beautiful scales were in pieces along his back where he had struck the rock formation, his ivory spines snapped off, blood dripping from here they used to be. Takara looked up to his head and even one of his antlers had snapped off in the impact.
He didn't remain on his feet for long. His back legs giving way as he moved to lie down.
"You big idiot," Takara sobbed as she leaned against the uninjured side of his head, stroking his muzzle. "Why did you do that?"
"A slight miscalculation, Vulombrii." he wheezed, coughing up a bit of blood. "I thought I could reach you sooner, but my ability to fly works differently here."
"Slight miscalculation?!" she demanded even as her tears continued to flow. "Are you going to be alright? Can you heal? Is there anything I can do for you? What do you-"
"Hush Vulombrii," Sahloknir demanded. "Be silent."
Takara instantly quieted and listened as did her injured friend. In the distance, she could hear the faint echo of a shout.
"He's followed us, and it seems he's brought his master along." Sahloknir sighed, pushing himself to his unsteady feet.
"Where are we?" Takara asked, looking away from the injured dragon to her surroundings. A thick layer of fog covered the floor below them, and Takara was unsure of just how far down the rock towers went, but every so often, she could see a hint of white stone peeking up from beneath the blanket of mist.
"The border between this world and the next." Sahloknir answered, "A demon graveyard from the looks of it."
Turning to face the dragon, saw just what the dragon meant. Not too far in the distance was a massive skeleton of a creature, clad in armor, sitting upright in the middle of the stone pillars.
"It seems that Laquhkriin was ensuring you wound up dead or as close to it as possible."