Chapter 3

Whispers

Amidst cold night breezes and faint lunar rays penetrating the treetops and lighting the dirty ground in front of him, Sesshomaru followed his path patiently, scouting the area and assimilating the details of the new territory where he would spend the next hours, or perhaps days.

Kitami province was fairly to his liking. A dozen years have passed since the last time he visited those lands and there were almost no changes to be noticed. The fresh air carried the natural scent of herbs, nourished soil and a light pinch of salt, probably due to the seas embracing half of its borders. His keen ears could capture the sound of the waves washing the desert beaches some miles away. The energy was clean, there were almost no wild predators or lesser demons to disturb him, and the freshwater rivers were filled enough with edible fish for Jaken to feed himself satisfactorily. The trees were also full of fruits as the season of harvest was on its prime, and the large human farms were covered by pollinated and multicolored flowers.

Rin would have enjoyed traveling through those lands.

Tenseiga has been silent ever since he laid his feet in Kitami. No more vibrations, no more mysterious dreams. Why, after two centuries of oblivion, only now the sacred sword started to alert him about Meidenkai? What has changed so for the artifact to reveal itself for him?

"Lord Sesshomaru, you haven't fed in a while. Since we will be standing by for the next hours, shouldn't we hunt you something?" a concerned Jaken helpfully asked.

"Not necessary. You can go find yourself some food if you are hungry."

"I'm fine, just concerned about your health, milord."

Sesshomaru didn't respond and the little demon kept gazing thoroughly at his master's back as he followed him. They were now in the woods a few miles from the castle's walls. As always, the dog demon lord was keeping his silence, undressed of any hurry and keeping his own thoughts and plans for himself. His golden gaze was fixed on their path, yet aloof at the same time. And Jaken, who had accompanied him for many decades now, was gradually learning to see through his master's wall of serenity.

Much in Sesshomaru had changed since his first reunion with Inuyasha. Tessaiga's rejection towards him; two defeats in a row for the half demon brother he so despised; having mastered the special technique hidden in Tenseiga, only to be forced to hand the blade over to this same bastard brother according to his Father's plans. His acquaintance with Rin, and that fateful moment when he almost lost her for good. Everything happened in such a short period of time, and the daiyokai had certainly suffered with the hard strikes against his pride and the feelings of compassion and loss which he wasn't accustomed to. Sesshomaru did never say a word, keeping his feelings to himself with such a resilience and composure that added much to Jaken's admiration for him. However, the sequels were notorious in his actions.

In other times not so distant in the past, Sesshomaru wouldn't have hesitated to obliterate that bear demon that guarded the palace. He would have used violence against the feudal lord and the civilians she so much seemed to cherish in order to wrest the information about Meidenkai's whereabouts out of her lips, especially when the lie was so obvious. Instead, he had given her time and meanwhile he would keep his distance and wait in the shadows. His will for power, for fighting the strong and subjugating the weak was slowly deteriorating, as his very hunger for food.

Maybe Rin had showed him another perspective of life, something bigger and deeper to live for.

But the happy laughs, the sudden sighs of admiration for beautiful flowers found along their way and the shrill screams when bugs touched her skin were no more.

She was left to properly grow on a human village and he clearly missed her, as Jaken missed her himself. "Having let go of his obsession for Tessaiga and Rin's absence may have left an emptiness in Lord Sesshomaru deeper than it looks...", the attentive ward sadly muttered to himself.

Jaken's thoughts were silenced when they reached a small river and a strong smell of oil, smoke and charred wood and meat stroke their nostrils.

"Lord Sesshomaru, someone must be nearby! I smell a camp fire," Jaken stated.

"This is no camp fire," Sesshomaru explained sternly while performing a huge jump across the river, followed by his ward clung to his mokomoko.

They landed on a small open field beyond the trees, where heavy smoke was pouring. A burning house greeted their sight amidst the thick curtain of smoke and ashes whirling in the air and covering the trees. The flames engulfed the small wooden structure and also part of the field around it, clearly forced and fed by a strong oil whose stench brought tears to Jaken's eyes.

"What a hideous sight." He covered his small nose. "Agh, this stench! Lord Sesshomaru, who has a keen nose, must be nauseating… Lord Sesshomaru?"

The daiyokai had already plunged himself against the burning house, breaking through the already crumbled door and disappearing beyond the living flames. He leaped back to safety less than a second later, bringing a strange pink package from inside in his arms as the frail structure consumed by flames finally collapsed behind him. Jaken widened his eyes as his mind identified the twisted "package" his master had just rescued.

Much to his ward's surprise, Sesshomaru slowly laid the old man on the grass - or, at least, what was left of him. He was completely drenched in burnt blood, and his entire body was on living flesh, with his hair, flacid skin and part of his body fat melted by the flames. However, a deep stabbing mark was still visible on his belly, clearly signaling an execution attempt.

Despite the demon's act, the small elder didn't last long nor seemed to discern anything around him. His only remaining eye lost the little brightness it still held and seconds later his mouth stopped moaning. He departed from the world, reduced to a charred bag of putrid meat shrunken on the floor.

"What a terrible way to go," Jaken commented, looking at the molten corpse. "It doesn't seem like a simple accident though. Maybe he was executed?"

"Probably." The silver haired demon stood up emotionlessly and turned around. "There is nothing more for us to do here. Let us-"

The sharp scream assaulted the demons' ears and they turned abruptly to face its source. A woman was standing near the trees, with her both hands covering her mouth and her eyes widened is absolute fear and horror. Sesshomaru watched her at first, and after losing interest in whatever she might have thought of the situation and taking a step ahead in order to resume his path, she turned around and ran away.

"Stupid girl! Lord Sesshomaru, that's bad. She will probably spread lies around and tell the others that it was us who killed that wretch."

"So be it. We have more important things to care about," he stated and resumed his way towards the woods.

...

Takashi, the old counselor, calmly sipped his tea while evaluating his new circumstances.

Killing the castle's chief cook was no simple task. He would surely be missed and his death thoroughly investigated. But the old man had unfortunately spotted the trusted and fatherly counselor poisoning their lady's breakfast - even though luck was on Sakuya's side that day and her maid accidentally dropped the food on the floor before she touched it. Hence, Hiko had to be silenced. And his family as well, of course, as they probably knew too much already by the time his assassins reached their house.

Takashi opened his eyes, watching the lady to whom he was supposed to be loyal pretty much alive and walking around the room tirelessly. The single candle still lit was enough to light her stern face. She was afraid for herself and especially for the innocent people living in her castle and lands, now threatened not only by the enemies at her borders, but also by the presence of that dangerous dog demon. Her mind seemed to be working to exhaustion in search of a feasible solution for her new predicament.

Takashi smiled softly. It was really a shame that that kind woman had to be eventually eliminated in order for his ambitions to be fulfilled.

"Did you consider telling him the truth?" A gentle and young voice around them asked shyly to the woman. "Maybe he would've understood... Maybe he will help us retrieve it!"

"He definitely would not. That is not a peaceful demon as those you are accustomed to, my little lord," Takashi interposed a patient answer.

"Please, mother! At least let me try to talk to him. I have demon's blood, so maybe he will listen to me."

Sakuya stopped and gazed lovingly at the young boy sitting beside her counselor at the chabudai, that courage and determination shining in his big and innocent eyes. She couldn't help but smile at the simplicity and naivety with which he viewed the world and judged others.

Sohma was already twelve years old and held the kind and brave heart of a prince. His already remarkable features were strengthening as time passed by: his hair was long and green, with some thin vines sprouting from his head, blended with his flocks; his eyes held an intense shine and lilac color; his fingers were made of flesh and wood, but flexible enough to move like human fingers. A half demon with features of plants and forests, his natural inheritance.

Sesshomaru wouldn't even give him time to speak. It was widely known that that fearsome creature disguised in the form of a handsome and elegant silver haired man despised half demons even deeper than he despised humans. And although it was predictable that eventually he would return to Kitami to take back his father's relic, she didn't expect to see him during her lifetime. It had been two centuries now and five generations of feudal lords since Meidenkai was left in the care of the Sakagama family.

So why now?

From generation to generation each feudal lord waited for him, ready to give him back the gem if he ever came for it. But the demon decided to pick the worst time.

"Maybe it was destiny. Maybe the gem itself called for Sesshomaru in these times of need?" she thought to herself.

Of course, on the other hand, things couldn't be better for Takashi.

For him, Sesshomaru couldn't have appeared in a more fortunate moment. The feudal lord was already busy holding her ground against an enemy hard enough to chew assaulting Kitami's borders. An additional war between her and the merciless son of Toga would probably end with her decisive defeat and, hopefully, death. And his path would be finally free. And he wouldn't even need to dirty a single finger of his.

He only needed to secretly sow the required hostility between daiyokai and daimyo, and hopefully the daiyokai would do the rest.

"Milady, the demon has made it clear. We have less than a day now to hand him the gem. Gods know what he is capable of once he discovers that his father's relic is lost," Takashi stated solemnly.

"It is not lost. Not entirely," she muttered in deep thoughts.

"It will matter little to him," he closed his eyes and sipped his tea. "There is no other feasible option. You must gather the army and end this new threat before Arashi decides to strike again. We cannot stand against two enemies of their size at the same time, especially alone. They might even join forces against us."

"As much as I trust your wisdom and councils with my very life, Takashi, I cannot make him my enemy." Lady Sakuya turned a worried face to her old counselor and he cleared his throat discreetly. "It's more than simple war affair. These very lands, Kitami and the other provinces in the west, are his home. He is the son of our long lost and beloved patron, and Meidenkai belongs to him by right. There must be diplomatic way."

Takashi raised his eyebrow skeptically and the lady sighed, knowing that her predicament was not one easy to solve. She placed her hands firmly on the table and stared at her counselor.

"What about the other clan lords?" She knew the answer to that question already, but she clung to hope. "Did they answer my call?"

"They did. They cannot aid our cause."

"Can't they?" She replied disdainfully, unsurprised. The truth was crystal clear. They wouldn't lend their armies to a childless widow who named a bastard half demon as heir. Sohma shrugged and stared sadly at the ground, knowing that he was the one to be blamed, even indirectly.

"Milady, it's me." Their conversation was interrupted by a deep voice beyond the door.

At the lord's invite, the door slid open and the armored samurai entered with his helmet resting below his arm, greeting his superiors with a respectful bow.

"Milady, I bring you urgent news. Hiko is dead." Sakuya opened her eyes wide in shock and stood up abruptly at the news. "It appears that his house has been attacked. We have an eye witness waiting for you outside."

She burst out into the corridors, followed by the officer and the child. Takashi swallowed dry, keeping his composure, and followed them lastly. Something was very amiss.

...

As soon as they reached the garden, the young woman waiting outside fell on her knees, as if all her strength had finally escaped her legs. Sakuya made way through the curious crowd and kneeled in front of her. The girl was obviously terrified, sweating and shaking, fear and horror consuming her face.

"Milady! I am sorry! I am so sorry…"

"It's all right, you are safe now. Please, tell me what you've seen," she commanded softly.

"Milady… It was him! That demon from yesterday!" She broke out and the lord widened her eyes severely, feeling like her entire body was hit by a giant and icy rock. "He was there… He was holding Master Hiko... He killed them! He murdered him and his entire family!"

"Sesshomaru was seen at Hiko's house? Why, those are wonderful news." Takashi touched his mouth discreetly amidst the crowd, disguising his victorious smile inside a gesture of shock. So, that unlucky demon visited the old cook's house after the counselor's assassins finished the deed, and was now to be blamed by his murder. That would greatly aid and speed up his plans. The resolute speech that Takashi had prepared in order to distract the feudal lord from investigating the murder would not be necessary after all.

"Do you see now, milady?" He approached the paralyzed daimyo staring with dismay at the witness and touched her shoulder respectfully, like a demon's claw slowly getting a hold of its prey. "Do you acknowledge the filth that stains his soul?"

"Are you sure of it?" Sakuya managed to put her words together and approached the girl further, holding her firmly by her shoulders and staring eagerly and hopefully at her eyes. "Are you completely sure that it was Sesshomaru, a tall and silver haired demon? Did you see his hand in action? Did you see him murdering them?"

"I…" The girl faltered for a moment, and confusion seemed to sprout in her mind. But eventually she shrugged and lost it, covering her eyes. "Milady, yes, milady, I swear! I swear it was him! I wouldn't lie! Poor master Hiko… Oh, master Hiko… His family…"

"That's unacceptable!" a man in the crowd yelled.

"So horrible…" a woman cried.

"That demon must be punished!" and another.

The daimyo swallowed dry, feeling like her very ground, her careful planning and Kitami's very future were twisted and turned upside down. The weeping, angry and scared crowd stared directly at her, waiting for her reaction and directions, but the words were stuck like knives plunged to her throat and her movements were frozen in place. She closed her eyes and kept her silence for a moment, trying to collect her thoughts and trace a new strategy. But that event changed and worsened everything exponentially.

"You must protect your people. That's what you promised." Noticing the so awaited crack in her resolution, Takashi finally approached his face and whispered to her ear, advising her, reaching and touching her soul, softly sowing his sweet poison. "He is violent, sadistic, cruel. He hates humans and thrives for power. He is nothing like his father. He will corrupt Meidenkai as soon as he put his fingers on it. You must get rid of this demon before he consumes your beloved lands with all its innocent inhabitants. There is no other choice."

She heard him. She pondered. She tried to listen to her own heart's advice, but it was numbed by grief, concern and pride.

"Assemble the army." The tragic words finally came out of her lips, like dry spikes, hurting her throat and very soul, as if somehow betraying herself. But Takashi was right. That threat needed to be dealt with, for the sake of their people, and for the sake of Hiko's soul. "We march at dawn."