Disgraceful
Kagome already had a scowl set on her face when she entered Sesshoumaru's study. She was relieved that Katsurou wanted her to go, but it was not going to make arguing with Sesshoumaru any easier.
To her surprise the room was filled with youkai. Sesshoumaru and his mother stood at the head of the table, sporting a large map with stone markers covering it.
Tortuga looked to her as she entered the room. "Ah Kagome-sama, please join us."
Kagome eyed them all as she moved across the room to stand next to the old turtle.
"What's going on?"
"The show is about to start." Tortuga said cryptically.
Sesshoumaru nodded to the inuyoukai to his right. The youkai reached over out of sight and brought out a black bag. Reaching in, he lifted out a grotesque severed head. She could tell it was a snake youkai by the scaly green hue to its skin, and the forked tongue hanging out of its mouth. Blood covered its mouth and teeth, letting her assume this one had attacked someone.
The inuyoukai held the monstrous head in the air, allowing everyone a good view.
"This is the youkai that attacked our mercenary. We are fortunate that Rin was able to dispose of him, but not before she put an obsidian crystalis in his neck."
There was a round of "ahhhs" and grunts of agreement. Kagome had no idea what they were talking about.
Tortuga stepped away from her side to get closer to the snake head. He pulled a small vial from his robe and uncorked it.
"My lord, would you mind handling the head? There might be venom left in its mouth."
Without a word, Sesshoumaru took the head by the hair and held it up for Tortuga.
The turtle poured the vial into the open hanging jaw. Everyone watched with an air of anticipation.
So slowly, Kagome thought she might have imagined it, the jaw started to move. To her further amazement, the whole face became animated. The head's milky dead eyes darted around the room, not focusing on anyone until it landed on Sesshoumaru.
"Filthy dog! You have bound my ssspirit to my body! I demand to be put to resst!" The head rasped in fury.
"Who is your leader?" Sesshoumaru asked.
The head's lips curled up in a snarl. "Asss if I would tell you."
"That is fine. This one will personally hunt your family down and kill them." The daiyoukai promised.
The snake head's expression faltered. "You wouldn't be able to find them."
"Scent alone would give them away. They would reek of the same stench as you." Sesshoumaru said with a tone full of disgust.
Kagome's mouth hardened into a frown. She didn't like the direction these threats were going.
"I will tell you what you want to know as long asss you leave my children alone." The head bargained.
"This Sesshoumaru does not make deals. Tell me or I will gut your children and make armor from their scales."
Stark fear crossed the snake's face. Kagome had no clue if Sesshoumaru was telling the truth, but it was obviously enough for the snake to believe his threats.
"Our tribe leader had made allies with the Nagasss from the far west."
"A name!" Sesshoumaru barked.
"Kudando."
"That is the leader of the southern snake tribe. Who is leading the Nagas?"
The snake head opened and closed its mouth a few times in silence, before Sesshoumaru gave the head a rough shake.
"Stop! We were not told much. Our ordersss were to invade the dog lord's land and burn every village we came across. The Naga rewardsss us well."
"Who gave the orders to attack the small village on the border of my territory?"
The head furrowed its brow, scales bunching up across its face. "I don't know anything about that."
Sesshoumaru snarled and shook the head hard. "LIAR!" He roared.
The head cried out. "Ssstop please!"
Kagome's concern for the snake's family started to dwindle. Stepping forward she stood in front of Sesshoumaru.
"Who ordered your tribe to murder Inuyasha?" Kagome demanded.
"Who isss that? A nobody?" The snake leered, his tongue flittering out of his mouth.
Kagome leaned closer to the head. Deep, dark anger settled in her heart. "Youkai around here call me Shikei no miko. Would you like to find out why?"
The snake head rolled its eyes. "I am already dead. What more could you do to me?"
Kagome snatched the snake's forked tongue in her hand, yanking on it. The snake's eyes widened in horror. He would scream but all that came out was a garbed wail.
Lady Manako smiled, and pulled her fur closer around her. "Oh this is fun."
"Sure any of us could inflict more pain on you, after all you're just a head, but I would make sure you stayed alive, so you would never die; perhaps a never-ending meal for the crows? Dishonor forever, your family shamed to carry on your name…Look at the disgraceful youkai stuck outside the western palace walls; wishing more than anything he could just die…" Kagome said coldly.
Everyone in the room seemed to become unnaturally still.
She released the snake's tongue.
The head hissed and snapped its fangs at her.
"A powerful naga from the mainland approached Kudando, offering the tribe wealth in exchange for waging war on the wesst."
"What is the naga's name?" Sesshoumaru asked.
The head blinked slowly a few times before he said, "He callss himsself Ananta Vasu. His power iss immense, otherworldly. Our people bowed before him. He promissed Kudando the dog lord's land once we conquered the west. He was more than happy to have uss murder those in line to inherit the throne."
"What does the Naga get from all this?"
"Everything. The west is just a stepping stone on his way to total power."
Everyone stared at the head incredulous. "Total power?" Kagome asked.
"Ananta Vasssu plans to rule over every human and youkai across this land."
"A fool." Sessoumaru said.
"A fool that is destroying our land and people." Lady Manako chimed in.
"I have told you everything that I know. Please let my spirit rest!" The snake head begged.
Kagome looked to Sesshoumaru for his reaction. His eyes regarded her moment before nodding.
"You tried to kill the slayer." Kagome noted.
"I didn't succeed? What a pity." The snake taunted.
"Wrong thing to say," Kagome chided before she grabbed a hold of its jaw. The head hissed and spit at her, helpless in her grip. Her reiki slid down her arm, and flowed over the snake head. The response was immediate. It began screaming as its flesh smoked and burned. Her reiki quickly turned it to ash, and the small obsidian arrowhead fell to the floor.
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Author's Notes: AH HA! Our villain finally has a name! More chapters to come soon. In the mean time, I would love to know what you think!