Upon entering through the ornate door, Link and Shippo found themselves surrounded by high stone walls with torches lighting the path toward the inner room. Ahead of them, they heard the subtle sounds of laughter, as it bounced off the walls. Of course, the reason for having stopped was not necessarily due to the fact that there were people straight ahead but because the path was impassable, at least in a sense.
"Halt! Intruders aren't welcome!"
Having already anticipated this, Link held his hands up in surrender.
Acting his part, Shippo pushed Link forward. "The boy wishes to speak with our leader," his girlish voice explained. His countenance was calm, yet on the inside he was shaking with distress. He had to keep it together for everyone's sake.
Upon hearing the ludicrous come from the other female, one of the guards, much older in appearance, pointed her spear at Shippo while the other two held Link down, their own weapons at the ready. "See our leader?!" The loud one asked flabbergasted. "You should have thrown him over the wall!" She interrogated with much venom.
Almost shuddering from her bitterness, Shippo didn't' back down. "H-he was insistent!" He replied, trying his best to sound strong, but it proved difficult, what with the shouting.
Feeling her eye twitch, the older female turned and grasped the boy by his tunic and threw him to the floor. "You are to throw him out! That is an order! You should have more sense than to let the likes of this filth inside our home! Why, Aveil should have you executed for such an act!"
Picking himself off the stone flooring, Link glowered at the woman. "I only ask for an audience with her, afterwards, I'd be more than happy to leave."
Surprised by his insistence and arrogance, she retorted, "There will be no such thing!" Furiously, she snatched his arm and pushed him towards the exit, though he resisted, breaking free from her grip. "Why yo—"
"Let him inside!" A melodic voice demanded suddenly.
Stunned, the guard turned with baffled eyes. Had she heard correctly? Did her lady order her most trusted of female lookouts to allow a total stranger and yet a male in to her presence? "But my lady!"
"Do you question me?" the voice asked with a bored tone, easily startling the women. "Bring him forward!"
Gulping, she glared at the youth. "This way." While she led them towards the throne room, the remaining watchers shrunk back and returned to their duty. The fact that a trespasser had gained passage through their home left them speechless and all the more wary.
Arriving moments later, they found themselves in a luxurious room. The floor was decorated with ornate red carpet inlaid with golden designs. An assortment of weapons hung on either wall, fashioned with various styles of scimitars, glaives and spears. There were swords that were either curved with expensive jewels imbedded near the hilt, or there were blades much straighter yet smaller without much appeal. Along the walls, several red curtains draped, and along the farthest, an enormous stack of treasure sat. Chests filled with jewels and coins littered the small area, its wealth sparkled with much intensity.
Approaching, Link found himself yet again pushed to the floor quite harshly, but that was to be expected considering their cruel nature. Directly before him were a few stone steps leading up to a magnificent throne, carved mahogany wood and delicate satin red pillows along the seating and back. Above the chair was an elaborate golden banner with skulls decorated in to the rough stitching; it was the same as what was placed outside the fortification; it was a symbol of their power.
Link's eyes lingered upon the figure seated on the throne in a lazily manner. A ravishing woman relaxed in to the cushions, her legs dangling off one side of the armrest. As the fisherman claimed years before, the woman seated before him was of immense beauty. Bronze skin flushed under the many candles aligning the walls as well as the few torches standing nearby. Soft scarlet hair done in a high ponytail fell nicely over her perfectly rounded breasts in soft curls at the ends. A small ruby, accentuated by golden chains fell in the middle of her forehead, adding a certain charm to her features. Covering her slender legs, she wore deep red blooming pants, a sort of Arabic style added to it. And while her perfectly flat stomach was bared to all eyes, she wore a short but revealing sleeveless shirt, small enough to cover her small breasts; the silk fabric was also dyed in the rich color. As if her beauty wasn't enough, golden bracelets covered her upper arms, and golden earrings graced her small round ears.
Link blushed under her gaze. Admittedly, she was gorgeous, but such women did nothing to perk his interest. From what he remembered these Gerudo were tribes that often went out in search of boyfriends, and as soon as they got what they wanted, they disposed of them. The women were only interested in having baby girls that would add to their tribe. Males were rarely born, in fact every century a male would breathe life and rule the clan as a favorite that they would revere. While the need for more females did spark an important issue among them, so did wealth and power. Their sudden rush for supremacy over Great Bay was quite baffling and also startling.
As the guard before him kneeled to the seated woman, Shippo did the same. Of course he observed the female for a quick moment before his eyes landed upon two female servants tending to their mistress quite devotedly. They wore all white, including white veils over their mouths, and their hair was pulled up in a high bun. Unlike the seated female, they did not possess any fine jewelry that would highlight their beauty. On one side, the servant offered Aveil a goblet of wine while the other diligently used a long golden staff with many feathers decorating the ends to fan the woman. He noticed something about these women; each girl had the same exact hair color, bronze skin and golden eyes. How was that possible?
Taking a sip of her drink, she glanced at Link with a calm expression. "An intruder?" she asked her personal guard.
As if fearing great punishment, the aggressive and also protective sentry woman brought herself forward in a slight bow. "Forgive me. This boy required an audience and was quite insistent. We know not how he snuck inside, but I assure you I shall properly dispel of his presence."
Aveil regarded the youth. Among all of the Terminans she'd seen during her 20 years of existence, she never once saw anyone with golden hair and deep blue eyes. Dirt covered his somewhat soaked tunic from his many adventures outside her humble home. Perplexed, she noted the determined look in his eyes, and immediately she knew right away that he wanted something, but she would not hand it over so easily.
Annoyed with the constant fanning, she ushered her servants away, and pulled herself up from her seat. With each step she took, her hips gracefully swayed from side to side, her golden eyes watching Link closely. "What reason do you have for barging in to my home unwelcomed boy?" She had heard the ruckus a short moment ago, and she knew that someone had snuck in, most likely a man. They couldn't seem to resist sneaking inside for one glance at the women without getting thrown out. Of course she could have ordered for her guards to remove him from the fortress, but she was feeling quite bored as of late. A little entertainment once in a while couldn't hurt.
Not caring if it was rude or not, Link pushed himself off the carpet and stood before the woman. "I'm sure you're well aware of the reason, Aveil."
Disturbed by his impolite response, the guard pushed him to the floor with her spear at his neck. "Show some respect!" she barked.
She blinked before chuckling slightly. "Oh I do, do I?" She asked, quite amused with his choice of words. "Let him go, Allyse," she ordered. Ever so slightly, she leaned in towards him, admiring his unblemished face and the anger in his blue eyes.
Link flinched under her cold seductive stare, especially when her slender fingers caressed his face gently, following the scar on his cheek with the tip of her index finger. Of course he didn't move, but allowed her to do as she pleased, for now.
"Ah, but a boy you are not…you've grown up, haven't you?" she exclaimed with small smile before circling him slowly. "Not long ago, I recall a certain blond youth who snuck inside my walls and stole my treasure. It was you, wasn't it…Link?"
Link's eyes widened. She knew his name? How was that possible? "You know me?" Out of his few years spent in Termina, he did not allow himself to mingle with the pirates, as they were a forbidding and sinful tribe. The fact that she knew his name was questioning.
She laughed at his reaction. Leaning down closer, to where Link could smell her sweet perfume, her red stained lips brushed across his ear. "Someone told me," she whispered, sending chills through him. Pulling away, she crossed her arms. "In fact, I've been waiting for you. I knew you'd come sneaking in, and after this no less," she pulled from her blouse a very familiar pendant, which was wrapped around her neck loosely. "Yes, I was told you would stop at nothing to get your hands on it." She fingered the blue stone lightly before returning it back to her chest.
"Who?"
Aveil arched a brow. "Oh well aren't we quite demanding?" Her eyes fell on her personal guard. "You may leave." Looking over to Shippo, she pointed back to the exit. "Return to your post," she said waving him away.
Somewhat hesitant, Shippo stood up and with one last look at Link he sauntered away towards the hall that led to the entrance. There was no way he would just abandon his friend. Instead of following orders from the enemy, he glanced both ways. When all eyes were on Link, he concealed himself behind a few barrels against the farthest wall. There, he listened in.
Lifting his chin, Link regarded the woman before him. Someone had notified Aveil that he was on his way here. Who? Was it the same person responsible for the calamity placed upon Termina? Someone was aware of their quest and of his existence, but who? If only he knew.
She smirked. "Much is weighing on your mind, I can see," she muttered.
"Who ordered you to hurt the Zoras, and what did this person promise you?" He questioned. Of course he knew it wasn't simple to get like this, but if all else failed, he had no choice.
She mused. "So many questions…who said it was a person?'" She suddenly snapped her finger, easily summoning her personal servants. "Bound his hands and remove his weapons," she ordered.
OOO
After managing to escape, Inuyasha and Kirara descended onto the ground. The area around them was strangely vacant. There was not a sign of anyone in the vicinity and that alone was aggravating. An ominous fog settled itself around them, and it was difficult to make anything out.
Discerning what was there and what wasn't, Kirara spotted movement just beyond the many wooden crates ahead. Something was creeping there and whatever or whoever it was, Kirara leapt in to action with a fierce growl, determined in her quick flight.
Upon hearing this, Inuyasha turned to the feline. "What is it?" he called.
As if to answer his reply, a feminine scream rang out, much to Inuyasha's surprise. It seemed Kirara had found one of those pirates. She was probably hiding, waiting to ambush him. "Great job Kirara!" Inuyasha smirked before stepping forward.
Out of the misty fog, Kirara emerged with a small child. Kirara teeth bit in to the back of her shirt, lifting her in the air as the saber tooth sauntered toward her companion. The sight was not what he was expecting.
"Hey! Let me go!" Amber cried while struggling in the feline's grasp. Who knew such a large cat existed. The girl kicked in hopes of freeing herself, but the grip was strong. "You'll be sorry!"
Inuyasha glared and pointed his blade straight to her face, mere inches from her nose. "Be quiet! Tell me where your leader is!" He ordered.
Amber's eye twitched at his arrogance. "Like I'd tell you!" The pirate realized suddenly that the person standing before her was in fact a man, and she knew she was in trouble. She didn't know what kind of person he was. In fact, basic understanding of men baffled her, considering that this was the first time ever encountering one. Were men really as brutal as the tribe said? Would he kill her if she didn't fess up? God only knew she didn't want to die, but it was a matter of pride and also loyalty to her tribe that she kept her mouth shut. Spilling too much information was foolish and could lead to certain devastation.
"Is that so?" he questioned before taking her from Kirara and holding her by the back of her neck. His brown eyes scrutinized the small child in his grasp before they narrowed with impatience. "Who's in charge around here?" Inuyasha didn't have all day to wait around. Either she was going to talk, or he would have to take matters in to his own hands.
Amber stuck her tongue out at him, and kicked him straight in the chest. "I'm not telling you anything!"
Outright aggravated by her refusal to speak, Inuyasha growled menacingly. "I haven't got all day! Just tell me!" Sheesh, the kid was almost as annoying as Shippo! It wasn't like he was going to hurt her. He might have his moments, but he'd never hurt a kid.
"Never!"
A chorus of shouts drew Inuyasha's attention away from the defiant girl and towards the fortress surrounding him from all sides. The fog had yet to lift, and the voices of several distressed and outraged women appeared at the scene. While the haze partially hid their forms, Inuyasha saw the outlines of their body and their weapons gripped tightly. The tribe blocked the path in front of him, approaching with intentions of harming him for his sudden and unwelcomed intrusion, but he didn't back down, in fact, he smirked.
Stepping out of the fog, several amazons stood before him, their blades ready and waiting to take charge and strike him down. Their golden eyes, rare in most Terminans, blazed with abhorrence. Although their mouths were covered by silken cloths, Inuyasha knew very well that there weren't smiles hidden beneath the soft fabric.
Inuyasha readied his own sword in his free hand, while the other made sure to hold the child still. "You just don't give up, do you? Where is your leader?" He called out to them with annoyance.
One woman in particular stepped forward from the rest, her garments more distinct than her female friends. She was dressed in loose fitting green pants and a revealing top that exposed her slim body. Fiery red hair hung high in a bun, held together by gems. "Though I do not know why you have intruded upon our home, a man no less," She began and gritted her teeth as she eyed him some feet away. "This is as far as you go!" She glowered and held herself in a rigid stance, though she made no move as to attack. "You're not welcomed here!"
Inuyasha snorted and gripped his sword tightly. "Yeah well it's not like I want to be here," he replied. "Listen, I just want to talk to whoever is in charge!" After that, he'd be happy to leave.
"Talk? With our leader?" The woman scoffed at his ignorance. As if she would allow such a disgusting 'man' inside their home and in the presence of Aveil no less. Why the idea was laughable, and he would only dirty their home with his filth. "Our leader has no time to deal with pathetic dogs!" She replied. She eyed the child held firmly in his grasp, struggling to free herself. "You'd do wise to release her before we disassemble your limbs piece by piece."
Taken aback by their cruelty, Inuyasha was quick to react. "I have business here and whether you like it or not, I'm not leaving until everything is settled!" He scrutinized the woman who remained standing, though she did not make a move to attack, her expression however was laced with many emotions, but fear was not one. In fact, anger was more dominant than any other. Of course he supposed they did have a reason to want to strike him down, after all he did step on their property, but they were the ones responsible for all that was happening in Great Bay. Who else? It was obvious those creatures were nesting in their home.
The tribe drew forward, their steps alerting both Inuyasha and the feline that they weren't going to make this easy on them. They were bound and determined to dispel their presence.
"That's just like a man! Demanding everything for himself!"
"Let's kill him and end this charade!"
"Men are better left for dead than they are alive!"
The shouts sent waves of adrenalin through his veins. Link was right when he said that the place was swarming with guards, and the fact that they were issuing threats at him was enough to almost drive him over the edge. On the downside, they were humans, not demons or monsters; he couldn't just kill them.
Annoyed, the female in charge raised her hand, signaling the others to prepare themselves. "You were warned!"
Realizing that they were not going to halt on the child's account, Inuyasha prepared himself. "Damn!" If only he had he hadn't turned mortal, then he'd have a chance of getting pass them without the worry of causing harm. He had no problem dealing with the mutants, but humans were another matter.
Without a second to spare, the woman in charge signaled the attack, and battle cries filled the area.
Raising the blade in self-defense, Inuyasha found himself at odds with the overpowering humans. While he blocked many of the attacks, Kirara watched his back, her fangs startling very few of the women who dared approached.
The child, felt dizzy from the constant movement in her captor's grasp. She found herself held firmly at his waist, while he clashed blades with the others. Amber hadn't expected any of this, but she found herself watching the man that held her closely. Why hadn't he thrown her aside?
Thrown back suddenly by their nimble movements and flexibilities, Inuyasha knew he couldn't keep up much longer. While his sword had the power to push them back, he found that he needed more distance in order to pull off one of his moves. Before, he had intended to cooperate with them, and had done his best to push aside the threats, but they just weren't willing to listen. Wanting him dead was one thing, but possibly hurting one of their own in the process was not what he had seen coming.
In an effort to protect the girl, he held her closer, his hold on his sword tightening. A sudden attack from above caught his attention, when one of the tribeswoman leapt in to the air for what appeared to be an ending blow, Inuyasha fell back by the barrage of twin blades, and he hit the ground hard. Unfortunately, his sword fell from his hand and landed some distance out of reach. Before he could manage to move out of harm's way, he felt the tip of the blade at his throat.
"Any last words?" She asked.
Inuyasha glowered at her. What could he do now? He was surrounded with weapons pointed straight at him. But aside from this, no harm came to the child next to him, but he didn't remove his hold on her either. "Damn it! Just hear me out!"
"Why should we listen to scum like y—"
The woman before him raised her hand in silence. "Enough." Her eyes wandered the man from head to toe before returning to gaze in to his dark eyes. "And what is so important that needs discussed with our leader? Hm?" From her reckoning, the wall near the entrance of the gate had collapsed, and it was all because of his strange sword. "I'll hear what you have to say before I kill you and throw your corpse over the wall."
Inuyasha surveyed the surrounding tribe before his gaze settled on his feline companion. Somehow, Kirara was netted down by some strange rope that sparked from the slightest of movements. "Tell me why you're all hurting the Zoras!"
A smirk formed on her cherry lips suddenly and she found herself chuckling. "And why would you care about that? Surely it has nothing to do with you, man."
"It has everything to do with us!" Inuyasha mentally cursed himself for letting the last word slip.
The smile left her face and her mood soured. "Us?" So there were more of them then? 'That would explain the disturbance not long ago…' "Unfortunately I cannot answer your question. In fact, our own leader, as of late, ordered the attack," she explained. "By law, we are to follow orders, nothing else."
Not sure whether they were honest or not, Inuyasha couldn't help but wonder about this leader. Seeing as how they disliked men in general, the leader was no doubt a female. But that did not answer his next question. "What about those disgusting sea creatures that attacked the Zoras? Where did they come from?"
"Ever persistent are we?" She frowned and tilted her head in a fashion before shrugging. "I cannot answer because I do not know. I'm sure Aveil would be willing to answer you...but unfortunately, she doesn't appreciate being bothered." Noticing his distress and determination to find some means of escape, she lifted her chin. "I'm afraid your visit was short lived." Raising her spear, she prepared to finish off the worthless male, but before she could strike him through the heart, he grabbed the shaft and pushed her back with surprising strength. "Give up! You can't win!"
"I'm not taking no for an answer!" He pushed the woman away. "Either you do as I say or I snap her neck, which is it?" He brought the child closer to him, and watched their reactions. Surely they had to have some compassion in their hearts if only for one of their own, no older than themselves. Even Inuyasha didn't have it in him to hurt her, and he wasn't going to either. He only hoped they would allow him access inside, if not, he was in trouble.
Before she or any of the others could retort back, hurried footsteps drew their attention away from the intruder. Almost immediately, a group of women emerged from the haze, some injured, others soaked.
With annoyance flaring the Gerudo who appeared, along with all the others, glared at Inuyasha. He had destroyed their boats and injured few of her companions, and she wanted him to suffer. "Why have you not killed him?! That man should be locked up!"
Surprised by her choice of words, the leader in charge frowned. "Locked up? Naomi, you know Aveil would not tolerate that!" She eyed the small group, noticing that they were soaked from head to foot. "Was anyone hurt?"
Looking back, Naomi shook her head. "We're fine, but a number of our pets were annihilated," she replied before glaring at the male draped in red just a few steps from her. Noticing one of their own caught in his grasp, her agitation heightened.
OOO
The tournament ended with a round of cheers as the winner ascended the platform where he was congratulated with his reward. While the event proved challenging, Kauji had decided to lose on purpose, if only to let his companion win. After all, winning wasn't everything, and besides, he'd won plenty of times in the past and many of his male friends were irritated with their repeated losses. The Zora that did win was a good friend of his, Zaruth. He had a reason to win; after all, a certain female waited earnestly for his victory.
After receiving his prize, a blue pearl, the joyous Zora grinned triumphantly. Almost instantly, all of his fellow Zoras bombarded him with congratulations; they couldn't have been more proud.
Kauji smirked from his place in the background. "A great match."
Looking over his shoulder, Zaruth smiled. "I still can't believe I won!" A laugh escaped him.
Kauji couldn't help but stare at the pearl grasped loosely in his friend's hand. The pearl itself was a basic gift for a tournament. The ocean produced ample amounts year round. They were always regarded for their rich color and quality; they were a favorite among the females. A while back, it ended up as a ritual custom among the tribe and tournaments were often held each year. Whoever was claimed victor would present his prize to his beloved. Pearls also functioned in marriage proposals.
While Zaruth was carried away by the other contestants, Kauji sighed and massaged his shoulder which ached somewhat.
"Kauji!"
Looking over his shoulder, he turned and greeted the young woman warmly. "I hope you found the event to your liking."
Kagome smiled. "You came in second. Great job!"
He grinned. "Yeah well it was interesting." Raising his arms above his head, his elbows and shoulders popped, and a pleasurable sigh left him. Looking back at the woman, he smiled politely. "Well, I think I'll go rest for a while," he replied. "You and your friends are free to go anywhere. Later we will feast."
Kagome nodded and waved the exhausted male goodbye before turning to her female companion who stood ever so silently beside her. "Sango?"
"Kagome…can we talk?"
"Huh? Sure, what about?" She asked curiously.
Settling themselves at the ledge of the spring, Kagome turned to the older woman. Apparently something was bothering her; otherwise, it wouldn't seem so important. From the look in her eyes, realization dawned on the school girl. Of course she'd been avoiding the subject for some time, but she knew sooner or later it would catch up to her.
The woman's eyes settled on the spring in deep thought. "However long it takes us here in this world, we'll definitely return home," she began. Truth be told, she didn't know how long that would take, but the sooner this task was accomplished, the sooner they acquired the remaining three pendants, the sooner they could leave this foreign land and back home. "Then, we'll put an end to Naraku." She glanced back at Kagome. "You'll be able to return to your family," she explained.
The priestess nodded.
Sango sighed. "Kagome, you know it's not good to keep everything locked up inside…"Her eyes watched for any change in her countenance, but Kagome's eyes were elsewhere. When she saw her passive expression, she continued on. "What you went through wasn't easy…and acting like everything is ok will only hurt more." Kagome had yet to actually shed tears in her teammate's presence, and that frightened her. The girl she had come to know was hiding her pain was replacing it with false cheerfulness.
Kagome's melancholy expression reflected off the surface of the water. Sango was right. "I know…I mean…what's done is done…what's the use in delving deeper in to the past?" she asked, but mostly to herself. Her virginity was taken from her by a cruel man who had also taken from her another important gem…the Sacred Jewel. If only she had stayed with the others instead of wandering off that night.
"These things happen...sometimes we can't avoid it," the slayer solemnly explained. Though Sango had seen Kagome's jovial countenance over the past couple days, she knew that deep down her companion was hurting. She saw the lament in her eyes. Sometimes she just wished Kagome would open up just a little more. "There was a time…I was almost assaulted…I was 12 summers old…"
Kagome's thoughts snapped back to reality and she looked upon Sango with curiosity. "What?"
Sango remembered that day vividly. The night was like any other, calm and peaceful, but unfortunately the night also brought great terror. A horde of demons had demolished several important shrines near her home. On that day, she and her people were summoned by a young lord to exterminate the creatures wreaking havoc at the castle. The battle was strenuous and fierce, and it took all of Sango's training to push through.
After dispatching all the demons from the vicinity, the lord was kind enough to offer them a place of sanctuary until morning. During that night, she and her brother slept in separate rooms, while her father was tended to by some royal physicians.
She remembered how restless she felt after the battle, and she recalled how her father praised her when she fought. The lord of the castle had been so thankful for their help, that he offered payment to her father if he handed over a few of their clan members to work at the palace and keep it protected, but that offer was declined. The lord gave up, and did not mention another word.
While the events from earlier still played in her head, she heard soft footsteps stalking towards her, and she sat up in bed thinking it was her brother wanting to spend the night like he usually did. How wrong she was to assume such a thought. The person standing in her room was not her brother, but it was in fact the young lord of the castle.
She remembered questioning why he was there, and when he said nothing but reached out to grab her, she leapt out of bed and reached for her weapon. Everything happened so fast, that she hadn't had much time to discern his movements in the dark. At one point he was straddling her small form and ripping at her kimono and the next he was lying across the room unconscious.
Having heard her story, Kagome remained silent. She never knew much of Sango's past, and having heard of her assault, Kagome's frown deepened. "…"
Sango continued on. "I was thankful my father was still awake. If he hadn't arrived when he did…" She fought the urge to growl when she recalled how his rough hands had touched her in various places that night. Her father was lucky the lord hadn't executed him for his attack.
The priestess understood the terror her friend must have faced. In fact, when Sakon had ripped her clothes and forced a strange liquid down her throat, it took all of her will power to resist, but in the end she was at his mercy. Though she wasn't alone in the world; there were many women with their own problems, and Kagome was no different. Sango was fortunate that day.
Sango eyed her companion. If only there was something she could do to ease the burden placed on the young school girl. But she knew no matter what she said, nothing could heal the pain she suffered. Thankfully the guys were quiet about this, and were not persistent on the matter. A sudden awkwardness fell upon the two, and Sango felt she might have saddened her friend further.
A moment later, Kagome sighed. Her hand combed through her long tangled ebony tresses and she groaned in protest. "I really need a bath…my hair feels awful," she pouted.
Noticing the change of topic, Sango decided to drop the subject. "I don't believe bathing in the spring is an option."
Kagome blinked. "No. I don't think so…" She groaned and leaned on her hands with her head hanging.
"Why not look around some more?" Sango offered. After all, there were countless rooms surrounding them. Since the guys were away fetching the next pendant, she and Kagome could possibly make themselves useful in some way or other.
Noticing her friend stand up, Kagome shook her head. "That's ok…I think I'll just stay here for a bit longer," she explained. A small smile graced her saddened expression. "You go ahead. I'll catch up later."
Hesitant, Sango nodded and left Kagome to her musings. Although she hated to leave, she knew it was probably for the best. 'I'm sorry Kagome…'
OOO
Kauji sighed as he returned to the sanctuary of his room. Parchments littered the floor, which was covered with white sand; they remained there for some time, most crumpled up and tossed elsewhere. Sheer ivory curtains draped around the farthest side of the room, encompassing his bed. Along the walls were several ornaments of many shells, and on the opposite side of the room, a small pool of water.
The young male fell against his bed lazily and stared at the ceiling with lingering thoughts of the event and also of the travelers. For a moment, he briefly wondered if it was possible that they could free their clan, but then again, humans were known to be weak and corrupt. Yet, Kauji didn't see those characteristics in most of them. In fact, few had attributes of strong warriors, yet they were gentle and youthful; the qualities he found in the females, mostly the youngest in the revealing garb.
The older woman, who claimed to be a slayer, kept her guard up continuously. Not long ago, he had noticed her examining his people with uncertainty, and although his kinfolk claimed innocence, she held doubt in her eyes. Unlike her other companion, Kagome, she was an interesting girl, and although danger lurked around the corner, her smile remained nonetheless. Sweet and somewhat naïve, he found her most appealing. A smile graced his lips at the memory of her cheering him on in the tournament.
The gentle sounds of tapping drew his attention away from his thoughts. Sitting up, he reached over and grasped the lidded jar next to the bed and held it up before his face, leering at the small ball of light inside. "Sorry, but right now, I can't afford distractions," he explained, watching as the pink light darkened to a scarlet. "I'll let you go soon, I promise." He smirked before setting her aside. Laying back down, he closed his eyes.
OOO
Aveil chuckled as she circled Link. After sending her servants away, she allowed all of her attention to focus solely on the boy before her. He was quite the looker, compared to all the males in Termina, and although he was without facial hair made him all the more attractive. Don't get her wrong, she found him quite nice, but she preferred older men, ones that were forceful and also submissive.
Sighing, she stood before the boy and shook her head sadly. "Such a shame…it really is," she admitted. If only Link were a few years older. She knew he would grow to be quite handsome. Besides that, they were from two different worlds, with two different ages. Aveil was a leader of pirates, and he was a boy reaching his peak among the adults in a far lesser society. Obviously they had nothing in common, so why would she bother taking the situation any further?
Of course she felt some disdain for men in general. Why was that? In her eyes, as well as the other women of her tribe, men were barbaric. Conquering and abusing women were in their nature. In fact, they took great pleasure in harming a girl, no matter what her age and violated her in cruel and immoral ways. They took satisfaction, long ago, and burned her homeland, and she experienced first-hand what it was like to be raped and beaten. She felt the torture, the humility from those vile beings, and yet, there was something about them that drove her over the edge. After all her years of pirating, she yearned for the sensual touch from such a creature, if only for a short moment. Afterwards, she'd satisfy herself in his suffering.
While her eyes sparkled in mischief, Link found her gaze quite unsettling. The woman appeared distracted by her own thoughts, and although her eyes never left his form, he looked away. Observing the large room, he noted that the fishing tank sat off the side with fewer fish inside its glass walls.
Aside from all the weapons placed against or hung from the walls, Link noticed a bow and a familiar case of golden arrows sitting neatly against the wall. 'Those are Kagome's….'
"Tell me, are your friends at the domain right now?" She questioned.
Link glared, but he did not answer, nor did he intend to. The fact that she knew where the others were was not surprising. Link was sure those water imps were working under her orders and had been spying on them. Because his hands were bound, his plans were somewhat hindered, and he knew that if he were to obtain the pendant, he'd have be wary, because unlike all of the guards, Aveil was the most powerful. How did he know that? It was a simple fact that only the strongest could rise to power in the tribe. And seeing how her people feared her, that was another clear sign that Aveil was not a woman to reckon with.
The door to the room suddenly opened, earning both occupants attention. Several irate women sauntered inside, bringing with them a large cat which they dragged by strong chains; strange magic held the feline down, shocking her each time she tried to free herself, and in the process zapped her energy.
"The hell! Let me go!"
There was a disturbance behind the door, followed by many familiar curses and shouts. Pushed inside, Inuyasha fell on one knee, glaring at the individuals responsible. Besides his hakama slightly ruffled and dirtied, Inuyasha was unhurt and ready to kill, regrettably, his arms were seized, therefore hindering his means of attack.
Realizing he was not alone in the large, decorative room, Inuyasha's gaze landed on Link, who stood with nonchalance, staring at him as if he wasn't expecting his arrival. "Well, look who got caught!" His voice dripped with sarcasm. Of course he should have figured this would happen. "You got a lot of nerve kid!" He scolded. "Acting all high and mighty!"
Scrutinizing the loud male, Aveil felt her displeasure heighten. Just who was this loud mouthed male? She most certainly didn't approve of his presence, and the fact that her guards brought him straight to her angered her greatly. "Why have you brought this man here?"
At the sound of her voice, each sentry fell to their knees in deep respect, with their foreheads touching the ground. Some shuddered, dreading that they would be disciplined severely for allowing a male inside the fortress without her permission. In fact, they knew the exact punishment granted to them for such a crime.
Curiously, his eyes landed upon the petite and curvaceous woman standing before a large throne in front of them. Inuyasha knew instantly that she was the person in charge. The way she held herself high above the other women, and the fact that she was dressed in upper class garments, told him otherwise.
When they failed to give her an explanation, she felt her blood boil. "Explain!" she demanded with crossed arms.
One of the commanders in charge spoke up. "This man destroyed the perimeter, harming some of our companions. We found him with one of our own caught within his grasp. He demanded to speak with you, my lady," the one in charge of the lower class guards replied quite hurriedly.
"Oh?" Aveil eyed Inuyasha. "And pray tell how such a man destroyed the wall? Not only that, but how did he get past the gate?"
Breaking free from one of the offender's grasp, he held his fist high in front of him. "Hey! Why don't you ask me yourself!?" Just as he was about to say another word, Inuyasha's face met the ground roughly with a blade to the back of his neck. What in the world was wrong with these women and their brutal conduct?
Gulping, one of the sentries stepped forward, pulling the chain that wrapped around Kirara quite delicately. "This feline is capable of flight. He flew over the walls that way," she explained.
"Flight?" Aveil eyed the saber tooth. How was a cat capable of flight? Slightly interested, she sauntered up to the large beast and gently caressed her white, silky fur, much to Kirara's disapproval. Never in her life had she seen such a beast.
While she observed the feline, she shifted her gaze to another of her guards, this time holding a large weapon in her hands. Taking the offered blade, Aveil marveled at the craftsmanship. Admiring the soft glow emanating off the blade, she suddenly found herself distracted by the odd letterings engraved in the steel. Something about this sword disturbed her, and with great dissatisfaction, she returned it to her servant. "Place it with all the rest," She ordered. While the other woman walked off to complete her order, Aveil sauntered over to the male with long ebony hair. The moment she stood before him, she placed her hands on either of her hips. "Look at me."
Looking up in to her strange golden eyes, Inuyasha glared.
"So…you are a half demon, are you?" she asked, surprising Inuyasha completely. She laughed at his reaction. "Strange, you look human enough. Here I thought you'd be stronger…how disappointing…"
Distrustfully, Inuyasha clenched his fists, "Who told you?!" Immediately, he allowed his eyes to fall on a certain boy. Did Link foolishly tell these strangers about his secret? He noticed the annoyance on the youth's face, and the sudden shake of his head as if to answer his question. Obviously he didn't.
Again Aveil cackled, before turning her back on him. Sitting in her chair, she crossed her legs, resting both her arms on both supports, however, her smirk did not falter. "I have my sources," she replied. "So I hear you're trying to save the Zoras?" She chuckled at the thought. "Such pathetic creatures. Do you really think you can save them so easily?" She questioned. "What were you thinking of doing, just breaking inside our home and asking us politely to stop?" she asked, her malicious smile ever-present.
"Damn you!" Inuyasha cursed. "Just because they might seem lower to you does not give you the right to torture them and kidnap their people!" he criticized. "If it's a fight you want, fight me!" He struggled in the guard's grasp. "I can make it worth your while."
Aveil arched a delicate brow. A man was willing to fight on behalf of a useless tribe of humanoid fish? A stranger from a far off land was willing to sacrifice himself for another? Why the very idea was unthinkable. However, it did spark her interest. "A fight? With me?" she questioned. "And you say you'll make it worth my while?" She shook her head.
OOO
Due to the loud commotion, several young palace retainers gathered around, their curiosity sparked on account of two strangers within their settlement. On closer inspection of these outsiders, they realized that they were both males. Fearful of the dreadful rumors that circled about their people, regarding the savageness such men expressed, they fell in to hushed negative whispers. While some were quite upset about this disturbance, others were quite interested, considering it was a first in their life time to actually look upon the opposite sex.
Entering from the servants' quarters, Amber trudged down the hall, her thoughts straining to understand what had happened moments ago. That man had threatened to hurt her if the others hadn't agreed to allow him access inside. Apparently he had something important to discuss with Aveil and she wondered what it could be. Since he did release her, thankfully, Amber had been surprised that the royal sentries were willing to let her off the hook, but she fretted what might happen later on. It was unavoidable, and she knew that Aveil would discipline her. Although the thought bothered her, she didn't care. What was more important to her was understanding this guy's presence and what he could want with her leader.
Silently, she quickened her pace down the long passageway, careful of capturing some of the tenants on duty's attention. As soon as she neared the room, the entry way covered by silken drapes, Amber heard various noises on the other side. Pushing back the cloth, Amber peaked at the occupants nearby.
Directly in front of her, she found several maidens blocking her view of Aveil and the perpetrator. Providing that she entered from the side door, she crossed over to the gathering of servants, and attempted to push past them, but when that failed, she stood on her tiptoes, and tried to capture some of the conversation between Aveil and the stranger. If only she wasn't five foot tall.
Instantly, she spotted the dark haired male with the attitude, and the fact that he was held down, she smirked. Just as soon as she found a great spot to observe the scene, and possibly a punishment for the intruder, a hand suddenly pulled Amber from view and towards the back.
One girl in particular, quite tall in appearance, regarded the two males. "What do you think they want?"
"Nothing but trouble, if you ask me."
Another girl, quite hopelessly overjoyed by this event, simply smiled. "Oh look at his hair! And his clothes!"
Groaning, the older girl standing beside the eager teen merely slapped her shoulder. "Snap out of it! He's a man!" She argued. "He'd sooner rape than strike up a conversation!"
Somewhat aggravated that they had pushed her aside, Amber tried once more. "Them?" Squeezing her way through the throng, she managed to duck under a few arms in order to observe who this other person was. On closer inspection, she found this male quite…young? No…there was something different about him. Blond hair stood out among everyone in the room. The color was indeed foreign and unusual. Unlike his companion, he was strangely quiet during the whole ordeal, not once expressing any sign of cowardice or resentment. A green tunic with brown sleeves adorned his slim appearance. Baffled, she wondered when he had snuck in. 'Who is he?'