Chapter 17 - Alliance with the future enemy
After cleaning and patching his kimono Kagome and Sesshomaru set off towards the north once more in search of the sorceress which could hopefully aid her in getting home. "Sesshomaru…" Kagome started out softly. "You said the northern demon lord had been killed…when was that?" He glanced to her out of the corner of his eye. "My father spoke of it a couple days ago, it is unknown who did the deed. Why do you ask miko?" Kagome let her shoulders rise and fall in a shrug. "I had told your father there had been mercenaries I ran across who spoke of wanting to over take the Northern and Western lands…" He stopped then and raised a slender silver brow to her. "My father spoke nothing of such to me; tell me what you know."
Taking a deep breath she explained the situation she had been in when she had over heard the bits of gossip in the woods when she first came here. She heard the young demon lord give a "hmm" before speaking after a long moment. "Doesn't sound promising, although my father can handle himself if things range too far." Kagome just gave a nod and recalled what Sesshomaru's father would die of. It wouldn't be this… She reassured herself, it wouldn't be in any form her fault. "Kagome what troubles you?" She heard him question with little interest in his voice. "Nothing important, just this whole thing seems odd to me." He gave a light nod at her statement as they continued walking on the current path. "In a while after my wound seals over safely, we shall travel by light; its much faster then on foot." She blinked at his words and tried to figure out what by light meant but nothing came to mind.
"I fear for many things, I sense darkness looms over the horizon." Kagome whispered beneath her breath. "None of this is good, and I am worried what could come from it." He kept his steady strides as his gaze remained on what lie ahead. "My father and I shall keep things in order, and as of the northern lands we will support the young lord in whatever way we are able; but for now my task is to get you home priestess." She just gave a light nod and sighed softly.
Her fingers clutched the front of his kimono as her eyes were tightly shut against the wind which rushed by their forms. Travel by light he said, he said nothing about being three hundred feet off the forest floor! She whined mentally to herself as she felt his arms shift about her waist. "If you drop me I swear I will come back and haunt you!" She raised her voice slightly to counter the raging wind. "If I planned on doing so I would have as soon as we were at a reasonable distance up to kill you." He stated flatly since he was slightly annoyed about her even thinking that he would fail in keeping her safely secured in his demonic energy. Although he would admit he wasn't completely comfortable yet with this method especially traveling with another but he had a fair grip on the skill that his father introduced to him near three months ago. "How long must we fly like this?" He heard her voice which broke into his thoughts. "Until I grow tired of the method, why does heights disturb you?" He questioned with slight hint of mirth in his tone knowing since they took to the sky and how she clung to him that the female did.
"Heights do not bother me that much, I am use to traveling a fair distance off the ground although not with someone I don't know that well." Sesshomaru digested the information. "You travel by air often?" He would have raised a slender brow at her if they had been in a face to face conversation. "Not like every day but sometimes, one of my friends is a half demon and he moves so quickly that he rarely brushes the tree branches that he pushes off from so its basically the same feeling." Her reply muffled from between the wind stealing it and her face one step from hiding against his chest. "Half demon…" Kagome swore she heard him mutter the term in distain. "Nothing wrong with being half demon, although they are not as strong as a full demon, they are still powerful and besides they can not help how they are born so they should not be ridiculed for what they are." He heard the sternness in her tone and he gave a mental sigh. What she stated about them is true, but half demons are still considered tainted blood and is frowned upon by all of the higher courts of demons. "Not to mention just because they are half and not accepted by either species doesn't mean the ones who are related to them should shun them as well. Half demons for the most part have no one besides their parents who accept them, which in turn makes life all the more difficult. Very few are willing to even give them a chance, when most the time there is nothing wrong with them…they just have different blood." She protested thinking of her hanyou companion and how his life was rough.
He gave a sigh at how the subject was turning out and glanced over the terrain below. He thought this as good as any place to land for they had been traveling for near couple hours by his energy which probably lessened three or four days travel. He lowered them down to a open field and his white blinding orb faded from view. "Where are we?" She questioned as she removed herself from him and gave space between them. He studied the area briefly before answering. "Probably within a week's travel of the Northern mountains you seek." The fields which surrounded them were of a light bronze color which resembled cut wheat stems; but now that she thought on it , it was late fall after all which meant harvests. With another glance she noted the scraggly looking trees which were scrambled about the edges of the fields. "Come." She blinked as he heard the voice of the demon which would grow to wish her dead in the future, and his pitch oddly enough was very close to that of the futuristic legendary killing perfection. With a deep breath she caught up in stride with him and for several long minutes silence greeted both sides. "I wish you would tell me more of your journey miko, I could help you further in your task." Kagome glanced to him at his words. "I can't reveal much of anything besides heading to the northern mountains where I hope I can find a women who can assist me." She stated plainly in return as her gaze moved back to the front where they walked.
"Lord Sesshomaru?" She returned the title to his name which was becoming habit for her now, which she didn't give much respect to his future self; but the again he never really earned it from her, they were enemies in a sense after all. He gave a 'Hn?' In reply to let her know he was listening. "Why do you dislike humans as well?" His face revealed nothing of if he was surprised or not at the question, he held his emotionless demeanor which would one day soon always be in place. "Humans are weak and fragile creatures, I do not hate them just disapprove of most of their actions. They are in a way lower then demons for we can easily slay them and they lay destruction to anything they touch."
Kagome thought on his words a moment before responding. " True, we can do quite a bit of harm to things around us , but we also care even though sometimes us humans do not see the mistakes off hand. We are still young species, haven't been around as long as your kind and other species and so we make mistakes. Even you demons started some where and I am sure even if they weren't the same mistakes the lot of you had made some sort of errors." She gave a sigh as she continued. "Yes, we are weak also but that is also a strength of ours, our emotions can be a strength and I believe even though most of the ones in our species do not get along well, that the stronger ones should always defend and protect the weak; for it is a type of duty to figure wrong from right. Like I tend to a fox demon child who is in no way my own but I care for him because I have accepted him as part of my family and so in turn I protect him because he is weaker then me at times and he is just a child; but I hope when he is older he will pass on to others the same kindness and affections I showed him." She shook her head lightly noticing she was rambling on by being on her soap box for the hundredth time.
She looked to him then and he seemed to be pondering over her words and they were once again left in silence for a while before he finally stated. "But that makes no sense, why put your life above another's when one could get you injured or even killed?" She blinked and searched briefly to form her answer in her mind. "Because Sesshomaru, they are people and creatures you care a lot about, those people you just feel are worth dying for, worth protecting no matter what, and in turn one day they will return the favor to someone they grow to feel they need to love and protect. What is life, when you have no one to share it with or to help, to laugh, cry, feel pain, glory and loss with? It isn't much of anything, and when all is said and done at the end of your lifespan what will you have to remember, to say I did this and I am proud of doing it? To be all mighty and powerful can be grand, can be helpful , can show how magnificent you can be; but what is it with no one to share it with to use all that power for good and not selfish gains. Not to just sit there and be a stone statue and merciless, and its not feeling like its your duty to do so, its doing it because you feel its right." She went quiet again and another long moment passed before he spoke his casual tone.
"Miko, what you speak of is correct in a sense, but the demon world differs much more then yours. In my world emotions are locked away from a young age because its live or be killed for the majority of the time. You must be powerful or they will walk over you, you must be cunning or they will deceive and over throw you , and you must be swift to kill or they will kill you first. We demons in a sense can learn to care for another but it is dangerous, for those we would care for are a weakness. Like mating in my world even just political mating is a weakness but in time all higher demons need to mate to pass on the heritage and title to an heir. If I was to mate it will most likely be a political alliance and I would not care for the one I am set to mate , but it would be duty to protect her and keep her in comfort within my power because she shall birth my offspring." Kagome gave a sigh at his words as once again spoke. "So you are taught not to care and to consider anyone who is weaker then you that is around you a weakness?" He just gave 'Mhm' to confirm her question before he spoke once again.
" All higher demons are suppose to be educated in such, but some of them do not reinforce it as much as they should. I, myself, strive to be close to perfect as possible to uphold my father's and my own image which is expected of me. Even at this age I have heard the rumors which were spread about me being heartless in the courts, but I do not care what others see of me for I have no interest in any of them except to keep alliances secure and wars to minimum. Even my own father has looked down on how I interact and treat others, he blames it on my mother but was not her doing but my own for I have the desire to be the best no matter what it takes; and to the ones who dally and do not take their roles seriously have only death in their future." His answer sounded kind of final but she pushed it slightly more. "They can be balanced Lord Sesshomaru. Emotions and power; you can care for others and it can be a strength, your father is an example of that. He cares for his people and you very much so, beyond just duty and look at how powerful he has reigned over the years." She stated in determination as she noticed at some point they had stopped walking. "My father is very powerful indeed but was born so and did not have to train to a extreme to be the best, I on the other hand wasn't as fortunate to gain his complete demonic powers and strength when conceived; and so in turn until I reach his level I will never be satisfied with myself nor will I allow myself to rule as my father does , for I have not earned it."
He walked ahead of her to continue their journey and she just stared at his back for several long moments as if everything about the stoic demon lord clicked into place at his words, it was a very odd feeling.
Sheesh that was a long chapter for me and I know not much action but gives good view on character's view points and where they stand in things and how they express each other , the young lord isn't as closed up now as he is in the future but is still as stern and cold. R&R thanks!