Lone Scarlet Lily, Hidden in the World of Snow: Waiting for the spring.
Chapter 2: Fangless, Clawless.
The sound of snow crunching underfoot thundered throughout the village. Many, if not all of the demons who inhabited the woods, had started preparing for the battle against the priestess. As I listened to the shouts that sounded as the demons organized their efforts and the clank of metal from the armour and weapons that were brought from the armoury as it headed towards the center of the village, the path of which passed the thin walls of the old healer's hut, I slowly regained myself.
This was exactly what my father had been hoping to prevent when he halted the raids on neighboring villages when the clans fell under his leadership: the appearance of a strong priestess or monk. I wasn't too sure if the sudden stop of the raids would've prevented humans from seeking out aid in protecting their lives… But it seemed like he was the only one who saw this coming. Shaking my head at the thought of how things could have gone, I decided to focus on how things had ended up. There was one major concern, one that triumphed over the presence of the priestess: Master Katashi.
While he had decided to leave for the human villages, and our goodbyes had already been said… My heart bled at the thought of the elder demon not being able to even make it to the villages he had so dearly wanted to see. My body moved forwards, towards the back exit as I planned my route through the woods again. His wellbeing was no longer my concern, but it wouldn't hurt to figure out if he got through the forest alright. Besides, the bloodied strip of his kimono still sat atop one of the many targets he had set up in the woods. Walking a little further into the woods wouldn't be going out of my way to check on him.
With a few steps, I crossed the small room, stopping in front of the screen of the back door when a shadow fell over it. Pausing, I glanced at the front door which was visible from where I was standing. Another shadow stood guard over the screen, joined by one more as the seconds slipped by. The quiver slipped from my hand and rested up against the wall near the door, the bow soon joining it. Returning my gaze to the silhouette in front of me, I brought my fingers up to my obi and reached for the small knife hidden underneath the fabric. Once the cool wooden sheath was in my grasp, I hid it from sight once more as it disappeared into my kimono's left sleeve.
"What's the matter, Inoue? Gonna run off after your Master now that a priestess comes walking up our road?" The shadow shifted, shrinking down as the speaker came closer to the door. After a heartbeat of silence, long fingers reached around the screen and lifted it away from the doorframe, revealing Itsuki as he grinned down at me, "It seems like you're not only a pacifist, you're a coward as well!"
He slunk into my home, the armour that he wore over his grey kimono clanking unceremoniously as he did so. His long black hair had been tied back into a loose ponytail that trailed down his unarmoured back – a tradition in the clans. Battle was everything to these foolish demons. Scars on the back were disgraceful as they showed the weakness in a warrior: an unarmoured back would become scarred if you let yourself get carried away. A rather unwise practice. The amount of effort undergone to keep the front armour on without the back armour was wasted it resulted in a lattice of rope decorating the back instead of actual armour protecting it.
His eyes glinted at me like daggers, circling around me in measured steps as I heard his fellow clansmen enter from the front door.
"My, my, Igarashi. Back again so soon? If I had known the neighbors were so nosy, I would've moved out a long time ago." My cold eyes met his, and without Master Katashi to remind me of holding my tongue I didn't even hesitate to continue, "And I'm sorry to say, there is no cure for a wounded ego or foolishness. But please, do feel free to waste my time anyway."
He paused in his stalking, coming to a slow halt as behind me as he growled with rage. With such a temper, it was hard to believe that the false heir was older than myself. Although, I suppose that's more of his father's influence and his own unfaltering ego than anything else. You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who would refuse Itsuki anything in the three clans, save for the seldom times his father denied him – times which mostly concerned ending my life, so I've been told.
The hairs on my neck raised when the demon's breath fell on my skin. My head tilted itself away from him before I could restrain myself, creating some distance which he soon closed. His fingers caught the stray strands of ebony hair that hadn't shifted with the ponytail at my attempt to escape Itsuki's uncomfortable closeness. Moving the strand back into place as my hair trailed my back, he then reached up and fiddled with the scarlet bow that kept the source of the ponytail wrapped around itself in the shape of a bun. His other hand found itself sliding up my arms, pausing at my shoulder before reaching for the ribbon's twin: holding up the bun that sat across from the first.
"You know, half-breed… It really is too bad your 'master' never taught you proper manners." His whispers reached my ear easily, and I didn't bother to hide the scowl on my face that only deepened when I felt the ribbon loosening at his fingertips, "But, some still believe that there's still a chance for you to be taught your place. I'm sure with the proper instructor, you might even become… desirable… to some."
My body stiffened in a mix of fury and loathing. My right hand carefully delved into the folds of my kimono's left sleeve, clenching tightly around the hidden sheath. As smoothly and silently as I could muster, I unsheathed the blade. Holding tightly to the handle of the small knife, the sheath fell silently into the fabric of my sleeve once more. My quiet breaths clouded the stagnant air as the scarlet ribbons fell from my head, spilling the carefully wound locks of hair over my left shoulder and down my back. The typically straight strands were curved from the amount of time they had spent curled around each other, but all the same the ebony ends fell in line with my fingertips. My left forefinger twirled itself around the hair that fell in front of my figure as my right hand drew withdrew from the sleeve, hard metal pressing against the soft flesh of my underarm.
"You should be more appreciative of Master Katashi, Itsuki Igarashi." The threat that lingered in those words would be lost to anyone else but my master himself. No other had stifled more attempts on the false heir's life with merely a knowing glance, and merely the thought of the elder healer had stayed my hand on more than one occasion where he had not been there in person to stop me. Master Katashi had saved my life, after all. He risked his entire reputation on the continuation of my life, and his offers to join him had always been a poorly concealed attempt to continue saving my life.
Which is why Itsuki's interruption was all the more infuriating. I had no time to spend on this pitiful cub, and the unplanned slaying of the rotten demon annoyed me to no end. While impulse had occasionally caused murderous thoughts to rise, I would have preferred my revenge to have been planned. That way, both Itsuki and his father could face the same fate cleanly with no loose ends tying me up in this putrid village. However, as Master Katashi had often lectured, things had a tendency to not go as planned.
Which is why I decided to listen to impulse.
The wooden floorboards groaned underneath me as my exhale clouded the air. Metal glinted coldly in the corner of my eye as the blade that had pressed against my skin now stuck out from my hand, my thumb resting on the butt of the handle. I spun on my left heel, rotating my body around as my right foot shot out beside the heir's foot. The blade cut through the chilled air as it followed the forceful arc of my hand, my eyes trained on the widening blue eye chosen to become its new sheathe.
Resistance met my blade and the scent of demon blood pervaded my senses, the thickness of the smell had me flattening my tongue against the roof of my mouth to prevent the taste of copper from sticking to my throat. But as I battled with the scent of the scion's blood, the resistance gave way and the blade slunk into his eyes with a repulsive squelch.
"After all, Master Katashi is the only reason I haven't done this sooner."
There was a moment of shocked silence, in which I took notice of those that had crept into the healing hut from the front door. Masuhiro stood by the door, the screen held between his fingers slipped from his grasp as the silence stretched on. A young pale-faced Inoue cub by the name of Haruka stood near the herb-filled shelves built into the wall and was revolted by the heir's cry – she was too young to have been on a raid yet, and did not wear her armour well. Sota Igarashi, younger brother of Takumi (one of Itsuki's devout followers and his cousin) was also present. The smile on his face was disconcerting, but the Igarashi's always craved violence far more than the other clans. Perhaps it was simply their upbringing to seek ways to bring pain and misfortune to others. Perhaps it was simply the nature of demons.
I shifted the blade, then yanked the metal out at a different angle as I listened to him howl in pain. With a few quick steps backwards I was out of range from his blindly reaching hands, the blade safely tucked back into its sheath and hidden from the eyes of the demons by my kimono's sleeve. The quiver was slung over my shoulder, and the wooden bow was tightly held in my grasp as my fingers reached for the screen of the backdoor. But I was thrown to the ground before my fingertips ever brushed the woven sheet. Itsuki stood over me, harshly turning me onto my side with a swift kick to my side that had me gasping quietly for air.
"You mongrel! How dare you turn against me?! You should be grovelling at my feet like the half-breed you are!" His anger faded and he removed his bloodied hand from his gaping wound as he growled lowly, leaning in close to my face "I'll make you regret this."
"Itsuki." We both stilled at the gravelly voice, "I believe I told you to leave the healer alone. With Master Katashi gone, we cannot afford your 'lessons'. I will not allow it." The old floorboards creaked as the armoured Isamu Igarashi made his way deeper into the abode.
"But father-!"
"Stop with your mewling, cub." He dismissed his son as he knelt down in front of me, and I adamantly refused to meet his gaze or accept the hand he offered, "Although, it's quite surprising to know our half-breed healer can actually draw a little blood – even without our majestic fangs or claws." He spat out the word 'half-breed' as if it was toxic, as much as he tried to conceal his spite.
"I seem to be doing just fine against your son, Isamu." I glared up at his icy blue eyes as I let a wry smile curl my lips, "Even without fangs or claws."
"Father, that's just right! We should give the half-breed a trial to prove her worthiness as that old fool's successor!" Isamu stood with a scowl and turned to face his son, who was speaking animatedly in his excitement, "At least he was a former white-tiger warrior before he retired and became a healer. The healer of the clans is supposed to be held in high regard by all, right? How can we hold the half-breed in high regard when she's never had the blood of our prey on her hands?! Let's make her show us her ability in battle! That priestess – the one who's killed our kin – let's set the half-breed on her!"
While he was talking to his father, snide glances were cast my way as he sneered at his brilliant idea: let the priestess kill the half-breed, and rid us of her! Not a bad plan, for a foolish cub. If I kill the priestess, their problem is solved and I would be 'accepted' into the village, (until the next enemy comes looking for a fight, anyway), if I die, then Itsuki and his gang are happy.
Smack! Crash!
"Did I not say to be quiet, Itsuki? Know your place."
The sharp slap Isamu gave him sent the heir flying into the wall of the healing hut, rattling the structure as Isamu turned back to me and hauled me up roughly by the crook of my elbow. The demons that had been frozen in place made themselves scarce as they scurried over to Itsuki silently, although Masuhiro sent me a backwards glance which I ignored pointedly.
"Now, half-breed. Let's see if you can get rid of the priestess. Even without fangs or claws." The same sneer I had seen on Itsuki's face moments before twisted over Isamu's as he glanced down at the bow I held, "It seems Master Katashi had enough sense to train you, so there's no reason you can't draw a little more, huh, half-breed?"
He released my arm from his grip, and spun around to leave the hut. I retrieved the scarlet ribbons that had been discarded on the floor before following his retreating form languidly. He reached the screen door in easy strides, and a scowl crossed his face as he saw the time I took with my steps. I purposefully slowed, and the creases in his frown deepened. My lips curled upwards.
"Hurry yourself along, half-breed."
I didn't.
He growled, reaching out a long limb and grasping the flesh of my arm under his fingers, pulling me along as I still attempted to trail behind him slowly. He squeezed my arm tighter, and as I felt a bruise in the shape of a hand form underneath my skin I soon gave up the petulant act. He prowled through the light layer of snow that had fallen over the roads while I avoided his sunken footsteps, ignoring the looks and whispers of armour-clad demons milling around as we made our way towards the entrance to Kitabayashi village.
The snow of the circular clearing had already been beaten down by dozens of heavy footfalls, turning the powder into slush underfoot. Owners of said footfalls all stood at the edge of the entrance in a somewhat askew semi-circle, and all of them jumped to attention the moment Isamu stepped past the first few clansmen. They quickly formed ranks, getting themselves organised now that their 'leader' had shown himself. After their shuffling had ceased, he spoke.
"Fellow clansmen of Kitabayashi! As you know, there is a priestess on her way here. Our own half-breed healer–" He patted me roughly on the shoulder and pressed into the juncture of my neck and shoulder with his fingers after a second bone-rattling tap, "has decided to finally open herself to our customs and shed the blood of our prey. Turns out, she's not quite the pacifist she made herself out to be!"
The crowd stomped their feet at Isamu's announcement. He said more, but I was forgotten to the crowd and to him the second he opened his mouth again – completely enraptured by the sound of his own voice and the way his listeners looked up to him with awe. After several minutes of ceaseless praising of himself and his lineage, and how that will bring them victory in this battle and the battles to come, it was only when I shifted myself in his grasp did he seem to remember he was holding onto me.
"-and it's now time for us to avenge our kin!"
I was shoved roughly out of the semi-circle that had been formed: the bodies of white-tiger demons blocking my path back into Kitabayashi village whilst the main entrance (and exit) of the village lay unguarded before me. It looked more like a banishment than a battle.
Shrugging, I slung the quiver off of my shoulder and threw down Katashi's bow before I placed my hair back up into its intricate style: two buns wound tightly on my head with the remaining hair falling down from them and acting as two ponytails on the sides of my head, the scarlet ribbons keeping everything tied up. As I picked the quiver off the wet ground, adjusting it to hang across my body, and the bow had found itself back into my hands, coming up the main road into Kitabayashi village the figure of a woman appeared.
She approached quickly, a large sword hung at her hip and over her priestess attire (a red hakama worn over a white kimono, as Master Katashi had explained was the fashion for humans) she wore plate armour that covered her shoulders and torso, attached to the latter were some plates that made up a 'skirt' of armour that rested against her thighs. She looked young, but knowing that a human's outer appearance aged a lot quicker than a demon's, I estimated that she was in her 'late teenage' years (another term used by Master Katashi).
With a quick search for a tail and a glance at the ear that held her long black hair from falling into her face, I noted that a human's appearance – like Master Katashi had explained – looked much like my own: besides the pointed ears, I could pass easily for a human. As she came closer, the strength of her spiritual power became readily apparent. With her powers, it would be easy to slaughter most – if not all – of the demons gathered to watch the spectacle. The fact that she dealt with the white-tiger demons stationed outside of Kitabayashi seemed far more likely, and I might even venture to guess she didn't even have to breathe heavily afterwards.
She paused at the end of the road, just before the trees parted and revealed the circular clearing and the wooden homes that spread out behind it. I could feel her eyes sizing those behind me up, before her gaze turned to my own figure. As I scrutinized her closely, I could see four light purple marks on her forehead forming a diamond-like shape. I took them to be the 'great demon' marks of humans – the manifestation of superior spiritual power as a mark on the body. While I wasn't too experienced with humans myself, the fact that the white-tiger demons of this village could make frequent trips out and claim the lives of many humans without too much trouble…
The energy I was sensing from her would've been more than enough to stop them in their tracks: which means she was unusual for her species. Unusual in this area at the very least.
"Come on, half-breed! Get on with it!"
"Yeah, draw some blood, healer!"
"C'mon! Give us a fight!"
The calls of the bloodhounds stirred me from my thoughts, and I met her eyes as I chilled the air in the clearing enough to have my breath billow out visibly as I exhaled. She tensed, drawing her sword as I formed a crystalline arrow and notched it to the wooden bow.
Pulling back the string, I aimed it at her. My feet left the ground as I jumped over the swing of her sword, turning around in mid-air as I took aim at my target once more, who currently stood out from the crowd of demons standing behind them. On the exhale, my fingers released the bowstring and the ice arrow flew through the air before it hit its mark, piercing into the metal plate of armour that was supposed to protect the chest from regular arrows.
As I landed, the target fell to their knees, and the priestess looked at me with wide eyes.
I raised an eyebrow at her, making my way closer to her as the white-tiger demons closed the semi-circle around us, blocking off the road out of the village now as well. My words were almost drowned out by the shouting of demons, but the priestess gave me a very confused look as I leaned in to whisper in her ear (making sure to keep an eye on the sword she held as I did so).
"Let's see what you can do, priestess." She looked around, taking in the enraged demons of Kitabayashi before her eyes lingered on the quickly reddening patch of snow that seeped from the recently deceased leader of the Igarashi clan, the ice arrow sticking out of his chest bursting into shards and scattering through the air, embedding themselves into nearby demons that surrounded the body.
After a moment passed, she whirled around and pressed her back against mine as we squared off together against the advancing demons.
"You know, without any fangs or claws."
O
-Disclaimer-
I do not own the InuYasha movies, manga, or anime. The only thing I own are my characters and the fanfic!
O Reviews O
DovieDM-1991-Promised Wings: Thanks for the review! And so early in the story's life too... It really helps me push through all the ideas running through my head right now for this story and try and figure them out. Hopefully you'll like where I'm planning to take this!
So, this is kinda going somewhere. Maybe.
It's a shorter chapter, but I think this is a good stopping spot, sooo I'm gonna use it!
Aaaaaaanyway,
You can find the reference that I'm using for Nozomi's clothing and whatnot on my DeviantArt profile under the same name (TheEmberWoods). Or you can search my username and probably find it that way as well (I tagged it... And I think that's how that works).
Next time on the LSL, an Inuyasha fanfic...
A priestess and a half-breed?
Will they continue to work together, or will things fall apart?!
What is Nozomi's 'rare gift'?
HOW DOES THIS GET TO SESSHOMARU?!
You'll have to tune in next chapter to maybe find out... :3
Thanks for reading, Fireflies!
-Love, Ember ;3
