Chapter 11
Five years later
The soft melodious sound of a flute filled the small clearing. It's notes gentle and sad, harmonizing in a way that spoke of the hurt and pain within the player's heart. Any who listened could hear how the male creating the music was suffering, locking away his emotions so no one could see them.
Sesshomaru shifted his fingers over the holes, blowing into the thin instrument as he played. He had learned to play long ago. It was common for nobility to learn to play some sort of instrument, and he had chosen the flute.
He didn't have time to play often, but the instrument was always on his side. If he got the urge to play, all he had to do was find somewhere comfortable and let the music flow. However, this time, he was using it to drown out the sound of the screams.
Sesshomaru wasn't the only one in the clearing. There were two other demons with him, a female and a male. One was his general. Yuki, a snow demon, had been loyal to him for decades. He found her roaming the lands, saw her potential, and brought her in to oversee his army. It was a decision he didn't regret at all. She helped him command the army as if she was made to be there.
The other demon, one Sesshomaru had just met a few days before, wasn't there willingly. He was tied to a rock, his body unclothed and splayed out. There was blood splattered over almost every inch of him, he smelled of urine and feces. His sobs and angry cries echoed in the sky, but it went unheard by anyone other than Sesshomaru and Yuki. Nakoa too, if you countied her, though she tended to mind her business and graze.
"Fuck you, bitch" The man yelled, screaming again as she pressed a single finger to his thigh, freezing the flesh. It was painful. The cold could do as much damage as the heat. Your skin literally burst from the cold, exploding in agony. He had seen it done many times. It was never pretty.
"So cold." Yuki drawled, her finger trailed up his thigh, towards his groin. "Do you have children?" Bending over, she cupped his groin between his legs. Those screams were more like a squeal, causing Sesshomaru to shiver in sympathy.
"Lord Sesshomaru gave you a chance to speak. You handled his poison surprisingly well." Yuki continued her fingers brushing over the man's length, leaving a blistered path in its wake. "However, you should have answered him when he asked. Now you have to deal with me."
"Fuck you and fuck him." The man squirmed, tears leaking out of his eyes as he let his head fall back to the rock harshly. He chuckled darkly, lifting his head again to look at Sesshomaru. "Who pissed in your breakfast, Lord Sesshomaru. I'm being tortured and still find your music sad and depressing."
Sesshomaru stopped playing, looking up at the sky. Sad? Sesshomaru wasn't sad. He was furious. Kagome, the woman he loved, was a whore. She had opened her legs for another, and Sesshomaru couldn't help but to wonder who else she had slept with. It wasn't an upset that kept him going every day, it was pure rage. He wanted Kagome, but she spent her time with other males. He wanted a whore.
Five years he had been fighting a war. Every few months he wrote to his father, gave an update on the endless battles, and every time he had to stop himself from asking about Kagome. How could he still want her? She had been with Kouga at a minimum, and yet, he still craved her. That was what made him angry.
Perhaps it was because of the timing. If she had laid with Kouga before they met, he wouldn't have been angry. It would have been in the past and something they never needed to speak about again. However, she had slept with Kouga after they had met. To him, it made everything different. He had slept with Kagura, but only because he hated the idea of having a human as his soul bonded. Kagome hadn't had any reason to hate him. If she had just waited, he would have come around, and they could have been happy together. Instead, he was left angry and alone, and she was nearing her death bed because of her age while opening her legs for the wolf.
Sesshomaru stood from the ground, tucking his flute into his armor. Turning towards the fool, Sesshomaru glowered at him, walking towards him slowly. With each step, the male's whimpers increased, and by time Sesshomaru was standing over him, the fool was crying. "I am not sad, as you say. I am furious. I am angry. I am in a rage." Bending over, Sesshomaru raised his hands, claws glowing green. "You are simply an annoyance compared to everything else. An annoyance that I tire of."
Sesshomaru plunged his hand into the fool's gut, pushing as much poison into the male as he could. Skin melted away, liquefying until there was nothing but a gaping hole, blood pouring, intestines falling to the ground. The fool would die, but Sesshomaru still had questions. "For five years, we have been at war. Your leader has been a coward, hiding away. Tell me where he is."
"I'm already dead. There's nothing else you could do to me." The male chuckled, his guts rolling out with each laugh. Done with the inconvenience, Sesshomaru melted the man down until even the rock was gone.
"That was fun while it lasted." Yuki pouted, her fun cut short. As soon as the words left her mouth, she pranced over to Sesshomaru, wrapping her arms around his neck. Yuki was beautiful. Sesshomaru could admit that. Her hair was white and wavy, thick and perfectly in place. Silver grey eyes that were just as cold as her skin. She wore scantily armor, only covering the breast and groin area. He never understood her armor, but he didn't care enough to ask.
As much as he thought she was beautiful, he had never been interested. She was too aloof, too… happy… for him. There was a difference between smiling every day, and whatever Yuki was. She was so cheerful that at times, he would have to hide from her.
"Now that he is done, maybe we can have a little fun?" Her soft childlike voice deepened, and Sesshomaru frowned. He hated her voice. Still, he may not be interested romantically, may not like her happy, chipper personality or her voice, but again, he couldn't deny she was beautiful. Maybe, just this once, he could give her what she had been asking for.
The thought didn't even last a second before a shrill and angry whinny had them both looking towards Nakoa. The horse had reared back on her hind legs, kicking her front ones wildly in front of her with her ears flat, then stomped down to headbutted Yuki, snapping out with her teeth to grab Yuki's arm before throwing the woman away harshly. She stomped her hooved feet hard on the ground, placing herself between Sesshomaru and Yuki.
"That beast needs to be tamed!" Yuki screeched, pushing up to her feet, a hand on her shoulder, her nose bleeding. "What horse goes around attacking people?"
"She is a friend, not a pet. She has free will." Sesshomaru reached up to run his hand down Nakoa's neck, fingers brushing down her fur. She huffed, stomping her foot again with a scathing glare in warning when Yuki stepped forward. "Go, Yuki. Find me another of the enemy's army. This time, find one that is weak minded."
"But…" She pouted again, looking Sesshomaru over. She didn't need to say anymore for Sesshomaru to know what she wanted. He said nothing, turning from her instead. For a split second he had thought of bedding the snow woman. Luckily Nakoa had brought him back to his senses. She wasn't the kind of woman that would settle for a one time thing. She would want more, and that wasn't something he was interested in. He wasn't even sure if sexual pleasure was something he could achieve anymore. Not with his body and heart wanting Kagome.
"Leave, or Nakoa will make you." Sesshomaru heard Nakoa snort, stomping both hooves against the ground. Yuki hesitated, but turned to leave. When she was gone, Nakoa trotted up to Sesshomaru, head high, proud of herself. He patted her jaw, pressing his forehead against hers. "You have never liked women near me, Nakoa. Why then, did you let Kagome cross my path?"
She nickered, breath hot on his chest. Her tail flicked back and forth, ears back on her head as she pushed against him slightly. He knew what she was saying before she lowered her muzzle to nip at his wrist gently. Kagome was different from all the other women. She was his soul bonded.
"She slept with another after she met me. You cannot expect me to be agreeable to that." He scoffed, and she lowered her head, eyes dull and deadpanned. Looking away, he rolled his eyes. "Kagura was different. I had been sleeping with her before I met Kagome."
He winced as she stepped on his foot harshly, getting her point across painfully. "Fine." He grumbled, gripping at her mane. "She isn't a whore. That I can admit, but I am still angry. I wanted her… I still want her, and she went with another. Do I not have the right to be angry?" Nakoa gave him sad eyes, pressing her head against his chest. Nakoa didn't choose between him or Kagome. She felt sorry for both. With a sigh, he leaned against Nakoa, accepting the truth. Kagome had chosen another over him. He didn't understand it, but he would accept it. If she didn't want him, then so be it.
…
Three Years later
Kagome laughed, chasing InuYasha around the courtyard. He was getting so big. He looked to be around six in human years, but he was still very much the toddler he had been twenty years ago. Touga had explained that a demon's body aged slowly. Their emotions and maturity aged even slower. A demon could look like an adult, be two hundred years old, and still have the mental complexity of a teenager. That was the case with Sesshomaru, though Kagome didn't let herself think about that. Teenager mindset or not, he was just downright cruel.
"I'm going to get you, runt." Kouga yelled, and InuYasha squealed, turning direction with a laugh as Kouga chased him. Kouga was amazing with any kid. He loved playing with them, but that was all he would really do. Any responsibilities that came with a child, he left on someone else. Currently, Kagome.
Touga and Izayoi had asked Kagome to babysit while they went out to town to enjoy each other's company. Kagome had no problems taking care of InuYasha. Kouga had planned for them to go out as well, but she had cancelled on him to babysit. Imagine her surprise when he showed up to help. She couldn't help but to kiss him when he offered to spend the night helping with InuYasha. Alastar had even thanked Kouga, glad that Kouga's tail was the one that was going to get pulled instead of his.
When InuYasha got distracted by a bug jumping from flower to flower, Kagome sat down in the lush grass. Kouga plopped down beside her, panting. Together, they sat in silence, watching InuYasha play. It was peaceful, but something was still nagging Kagome. The war that seemed no where near ending. She hated it, and refused to admit it out loud, but she worried for Sesshomaru. She couldn't imagine being at war for so long and as of the letter they received that morning, there was no end in sight.
"Stop thinking about him, Kagome. You keep getting that look on your face since this morning." Kouga grabbed her hand, lacing their fingers together. "I know your heart. It's kind and fucking huge. But he doesn't deserve the darkest corner of it."
"I know. I just can't help it. I feel like… I feel like something is wrong with him." Kagome frowned, looking up at the floating clouds. "I feel like he needs comfort and closure, but instead he is lonely. It's almost like everyone turned their back on him."
"Because he left them no choice." Kouga ran his thumb over her scar, then kissed the puckered flesh. "There's no coming back from this Kagome. He lifted his claws against his soul bonded. He is no good."
Kagome didn't say anything, instead looking back towards InuYasha. Her gut churned, worry filling it. She knew Kouga was right. Sesshomaru didn't deserve any of her worry. She didn't even want to give it. However, no matter what he had done, she was a peaceful being. She didn't want to see anyone hurt or isolated. She sincerely hoped he found happiness in his future.
...
Sesshomaru is taking another step to growing up. He finally admitted that Kagome didn't do anything wrong with being with Kouga. Now he just needs to understand why she was with him, why she doesn't want anything to do with Sesshomaru. That will happen in the next chapter. We also got a little bit of an explanation as to why Sesshomaru has seemed so adolescent in this story. It's because he is. Woman always mature faster than men, and that is no different in this story. Sesshomaru is still growing. In demon society, he is still young. That doesn't excuse everything he did, but now we can understand it a bit more. Sesshomaru is getting very close to understanding what he did wrong. Very, Very, close.
Now, on to the challenge. I think I will keep the number of reviews at Twenty-five. I don't want to ask for so many that ya'll lose out on a chapter. I like doing this challenge, and don't want it to stop because I get greedy. So from now on out, Twenty-five will always be the target. Twenty-five reviews from different people by Wednesday, and the next chapter is yours. Here's a little teaser for you. Sesshomaru wakes the f*** up. He finally realizes why he's an idiot. Kagome end up devastated and feeling more alone than ever. Over all, a very emotional chapter for both Sesshomaru and Kagome. It will be good, and it's honestly one of my favorites, mostly because Sesshomaru realizes what he should have all along. So. Send in those reviews, and the chapter is yours.
