Hey guys! The household is finally settling down enough for me to work on the story again, but I'm still pretty distracted with my own pup. Sorry about the wait! Only a few more girls left until the ending chapters. Soon, there will be an interesting meeting between our little miko and Sesshomaru's mother, but until then, lets play with some more dragons. Thank you for reading! ~Catclass
Chapter 8
Kagome floated amongst white clouds and blue skies. Each fluffy, white form felt of cotton and fur. The bright, golden sun warmed her skin like the sweetest embrace. Everything was perfect until she realized there were two suns amongst the ever growing white clouds. They were forming a face that looked like Inuyasha until a subtle moon glowed between those yellow orbs.
"Sesshomaru?" She called out to the shifting form. "Sesshomaru!" It was no use as the orbs turned red and the sky became black. Lord Alduin cackled at her as the soft clouds turned to small hands that grabbed at her form. There were hands everywhere as the miko struggled and screamed in protest. "Miko" The ugly face spat, still sneering and laughing. Two, maybe four, white hands clamped around her neck. Kagome struggled to breathe, whimpering in fear. "Miko" The twisted mouth of lightening called to her again as it roared in more laughter. Everything began being sucked into it like a void. The girl screamed as the hands dragged her into the dark mouth and it closed around her.
"Kagome!" Blue eyes shot open to find gold ones staring back. A pale hand wrapped around the side of her head, his thumb resting over her cheekbone. His other hand held her glowing, right hand on the pillow between them. She was shaking, her throat was raw, and torrents of tears spilt from her eyes.
"Ses…Sesshomaru" Kagome whimpered.
"Miko, calm yourself." The lord ordered in a soft whisper. She pulled back the holy magic in her right hand as her left came up to hold the one cupping her face.
She sniffled again before letting out another whimper, "Don't let him eat me. Don't…" There were more tears and small hiccups before she settled down.
As she grew more aware of her surroundings, Kagome recognized that she was being held to the bed by a third thing. His hands still held her wrist and face, so it took her a moment to process what had the rest of her. Mokomoko had fully slipped around her waist and down between her thighs. The covers sat, piled at the foot of her bed, leaving her tousled and open miko garb visible. If she hadn't been so scared, Kagome would have found the whole situation erotic and embarrassing. Sesshomaru still hadn't moved from his position over her.
"What happened?" She meekly whispered. Slowly, the lord released her to return to a proper sitting position. Kagome wiped the tears away and fixed her kimono, while Sesshomaru thought about how to respond.
"Were you plagued with night terrors with Naraku?" He chose.
"I had nightmares, yeah, but why did you have to hold me down? I've never had to have somebody hold me before." She turned on her side to face him, watching for any subtle emotions.
"So this has not happened before?"
"I still don't know what exactly happened Sesshomaru." She hinted with mild frustration.
"You were restless and screaming." Kagome felt that was a mild understatement for him to wind up in such a position but chose to let him keep that version. Her quiet, "oh" slipped out before the whispered, "Then, no, it's never happened before."
It crept into a quiet morning as neither wished to talk about her fit. Eventually the miko lost her patience with the awkward atmosphere and grabbed her bathing supplies. He watched her leave the room but didn't say anything.
Once in the hallway, Kagome took a deep breath and released most of her inner tension. With her bundle of stuff, the miko wandered down the hall and into the bathing room. It wasn't a natural looking spring as the others had been, but a floor leveled pool. Steam floating off the surface promised of its warmth.
She quickly stripped away the miko garb that had been tainted with sweat. Even though they were dirty, Kagome made sure to properly fold the red and white outfit. Then, she placed the bra that she had hoped to wear another day on top of the pile, followed by her panties. Black hair had been brushed earlier, but the young woman left it down with the intent of bathing. Lastly, Kagome sat along the edge of the pool as she unwrapped white bandages from her arm, also showing signs of sweat.
Using small nail clippers, the miko snipped down the line of stitches and carefully removed each piece. A little blood bubbled along the surface of the tiny holes but the main wound was sealed. Dark pink scar tissue stretched around her arm in a ragged band with dark red blossoms of scabs here and there. Bright red blood mixed with drops of water as the miko softly washed it clean.
The rest of her bath had gone as it usually did: shampoo, conditioner, soap, and shave. It was all perfect in the water that was as warm as it had promised. Her mind slipped back to Shippo and Rin as she relaxed. The little girl would be a grown woman before Shippo reached her current height. She went from being a little sister to big sister in only a couple of years. Kagome blushed, "Not that I think she's my daughter or anything." Her words came out as mumbling in the large room.
A pale, clawed hand rested against the edge of the pool from behind her. Kagome hoped it was Sesshomaru, prayed for it even, but she knew. Hot breath behind her ear slowly glided down her neck and to her shoulder. She was frozen in place, petrified. That is, she was until she got angry.
Pink aura raged over soft skin as Kagome turned to face her intruder. Water swished as the dark lord retreated a step back, but he smiled happily. Forgetting her nudity, the enraged miko screeched, "Pervert! Stay back or I'll cook you in your own bath!" A pulse of holy magic emphasized her point.
He laughed. The miko's anger wavered as Lord Alduin cackled out, "Your game is most amusing!" When he calmed some more, the dragon continued, "My tongue is never wrong, you see. Your undergarments prove me right."
Blue eyes widened before shooting over to her pile of clothes. Kagome's favorite bra sat innocently on top. However, a cold grip around her neck had the young woman jerked back to face him. A forked tongue slipped out and caressed the bottom of her chin. Kagome knew he was tasting the small scab from Sesshomaru last night.
"Get off!" The young woman screamed as she threw her hands forward. A barrier formed and repelled him even further across the room. While his form was submerged and she was safely behind a barrier, Kagome climbed out of the bath. She slipped on her panties and bra before the black haired man rose from beneath the surface. Water glided off his black hair; it fell across his white face and red eyes. When she met those eyes, the miko froze again. Lord Alduin terrified her.
"How you tease me, my little miko." A Cheshire grin spread across that bony face. Kagome felt bile jump into her throat and burn at it.
"I'm not your 'little miko', you creep!" Her eyes never left him as she grabbed the rest of her stuff. The young woman held the holy barrier with a towel wrapped securely around her body until the dragon lord attacked. His hand transformed into scaled talons as it struck against the pink wall. The force at which he hit sent her stumbling against the wall, but her barrier held.
"Is this how women of your time flirt? It is very enticing." The dragon growled before striking another blow. This one knocked the girl to her knees. Kagome clutched at the towel as she screamed with every hit. Lord Alduin's human features twisted into reptilian ones as he grew more excited and gleeful.
The holy barrier shrunk around her as the deadly strikes got closer. Kagome knew that her friends and family would be shunned or killed if she attacked a lord in his own home, but it was getting hard to stay defensive. The heat from the crackling of his talons hitting pink magic made her realize how close the dragon lord had gotten. In a sudden move, the miko flickered her holy magic long enough to roll out of the way and capture him inside the small bubble.
"Miko~" Lord Alduin called out in a sing-song tune. "I'm going to catch you~!"
The bile returned to her throat as she bolted for the door. Terror struck when she found the thick wooden door to be locked. "Sesshomaru!" The young woman screamed as she beat at the polished wood. "Sesshomaru!"
Crack! The sound of her magic shattering ceased all panic. Slow padding of wet footsteps on stone casually moved closer. Kagome sprinted across the side of the pool and to one of the large windows. Her fingers barely reached the edge; even with her training, the young woman could not have made that jump. "Crap" She swore under her breath.
"Alright, little miko, I'm done playing your silly games." The dragon lord appeared in front of her with the poise of a taiyoukai. His features had returned to the pale face as his lip pulled into a smirk. "It's time for my prize."
"No!" Kagome screamed and repelled him into the wall with her powers. "Sesshomaru!"
"Sesshomaru~!" Lord Alduin mocked. He stood up and slammed her back into the same wall. "Calling out somebody else's name while you flirt with me is so rude of you."
The dragon lord only had a loosely closed bathing kimono clinging to his body as it dripped water to the stone floor. Its black cloth looked leather with the amount of water still held within it, but Kagome found that it didn't feel like leather when it rubbed against her thighs. Lord Alduin was suffocating her both mind and body. His powerful aura clashed against her remaining holy light and he was winning. The tall man's body squeezed the slender neck while he pushed her small form against the stone wall. She gasped for air as he leaned in to nip at her ear. "Submit to your lord." A snake tongue licked across her cheek.
"Never" Kagome hissed as she brought her knee up between his legs. It was the dark lord's turn to gasp and fold over in pain. With her throat bruised but free, the girl grabbed his shoulder and gave the pervert a strong right hook to the jaw. Inuyasha had taught her that one.
The miko was about to escape when a large hand pulled her long, black hair. Another scream escaped when she knew that he now had her from behind, her wounded arm pinned at her back. "You bitch" The dragon lord spoke in a monstrous growl.
Ominous wind forced her to clutch at the wall for support as it beat against her. Kagome screamed again as the dark aura could be seen consuming the room even with her eyes squeezed shut. Blue eyes peeked at the horror behind her to find a full sized, black dragon looking down at her. Its spiked head looked like her whole body could be swallowed in one bite. Much larger talons stomped down nearby causing cracks and dust among the stone floor.
"If you won't submit by choice, then I will force you down." The scaled snout roared in a deeper version of his normal voice.
Before Kagome could respond, the bathroom door exploded into splinters. A red-eyed Sesshomaru walked in dragging an unconscious Terra. He threw the girl before her father and carefully studied the room. The miko slid down to the floor as the huge dragon turned to face him.
"Sesshomaru" She whimpered.
Fierce demonic eyes turned to her crumbled form, still barely wrapped in a towel. The young woman watched his nostrils flare and knew he could smell everything. More supernatural wind spiraled about the demon lord as fangs elongated in rage.
Tokijin sang out as it joyfully sliced at the steel scales. The snapping of the dragon's jaw rumbled the floor like thunder and the long tail splashed waves of water across the stone walls. In a flash of light, the dog demon's sword clanged loudly against a scaled forearm. Black talons swiped, barely missing magenta stripes. White and red fabric revealed a counter strike of poisoned claws before Tokijin could land another hit. This strike sent the dragon lord back into the pool, only to reemerge with a sharp blade pointed under his chin.
"I surrender for now." The sopping wet man grumbled. "It's not appealing when a bitch screams out the name of another man."
Sheathing the sword, Sesshomaru turned to the shaking miko. His red, demonic eyes stayed glowing angrily as he quickly walked to her side. Pale hands lifted her from the floor and carried her small form out the door.
A burst of dark energy sparked from behind the fur clad shoulder as the sound of water splashing met her human ears. Before noticing one of his hands had been replaced by mokomoko, a trail of light swished through the air. The energy evaporated and a soft thud could be heard even though she couldn't see anything. Kagome closed her eyes, wanting to believe that Lord Alduin wouldn't catch her. She wanted to believe that he would never eat her or anyone else ever again.
They entered the room; the miko felt the soft bed beneath her. Sesshomaru, eyes still glowing and fangs still long, stayed glowering over her. Silver hair curtained the rest of the world as the tall demon leaned forward. The pale face with ragged markings disappeared around the side of her face, but his heavy breath could still be felt. Kagome gasped as a warm tongue slowly licked at the flesh that had been tainted by the dragon lord. Her heart jumped into a new speed as that tongue made its way to her throat in small lapping motions. A white leg slid onto the mattress beside her.
"Sesshomaru?" Kagome gasped again as his nose touched the bottom of her chin. Instead of responding, the demon lord growled. Suddenly, the strange comforting turned scary. He could smell her fear and to her horror lightly placed an open mouth over her jugular. The strange acting Sesshomaru growled again as his fangs bit at her neck.
Barely thinking, Kagome relaxed into his hold and lifted her chin further. The young woman laid there, baring her neck to the demon. Apparently, she chose correctly because Sesshomaru released her, only to nuzzle the bruised flesh. Red eyes finally shifted to gold as he stood straight.
"You are well?" Sesshomaru asked as if he hadn't just made the young woman into a feverish pile of goo.
"I am very well, my lord." Kagome let slip out as her cloudy mind tried to recover from the intoxicating experience. It went tumbling back down as he tilted his head and smirked. "Indeed."
Glancing away, blue eyes fell on scarred flesh. She whipped around and pulled up his long white and red sleeve. The demon lord watched stoically as the curious miko revealed his own scarred flesh. Kagome felt bad for an instant with the memories of Inuyasha cutting off his first arm, but the fact that it grew back during a fight with Naraku quelled any negativity. She pulled her arm against his and beamed, "We match!" His steady gaze didn't touch her joy as she rolled off the bed and continued getting dressed. A hard blush and warm stomach had the young woman with an excess of energy.
"So, what happened between you and Terra?" Gold eyes watched the towel drop from behind the open, short kimono top. Her blue panties peaked out from under the white curtain as she moved around. "What took you so long to come for me?"
She peaked over her shoulder to catch his eyes curiously low for such a dignified lord. When they shot back up to meet hers, they weren't gold but honey. "And…" She turned back to pull on her hakama; he watched that too. "What was that… on the bed? You acted strange."
After tying and tucking her miko garb into place, Kagome made her way to the stuffed bag. She didn't expect that he would reply for some time, so the young woman got out her scroll to cross Terra off the list.
"That one attempted using toxins to manipulate this Sesshomaru." He eventually admitted as he resumed a lounging position on the bed. "Her spells, however, proved troublesome."
Kagome repacked her bag, minus her hairbrush, as the reality that they just killed the Lord of the South set in. When she was ready for mayhem to ensue at any moment, the miko sat against the beam across from the demon lord to begin the process of detangling her long locks. It was some odd level of peace that left her smiling.
"His stench should not taint you." His quiet voice almost whispered.
"Oh, that makes sense, I think." The miko watched those amber orbs stare at the dim candles around the room. "Why did you bite me?" She pushed.
The silver lord frowned at her accusation, "This Sesshomaru did no such thing."
"I vaguely remember teeth on my neck." She innocently recalled as the brush glided through her hair.
"A human could not understand demon ways." Now, he was purposefully looking away from her, but Kagome struggled to take him seriously. She burst into laughter which did get Sesshomaru to turn an angry glare at her. In a fit of giggles she managed to say, "wait, wait… let me guess."
He was surely insulted at this point, but the miko hadn't had this much fun in a while. "Were you scaring away the bruising he left?" She checked his response; nothing. "Were you checking my temperature?" Again, there was nothing. "Were you being an alpha dog and having me submit?" Wait, his frown relaxed and eyebrows lifted a little. "You had me submit?!" She squeaked and dropped the brush.
"The inner beast had the dragon perish for attacking pack under a treaty of peace." He said nonchalantly before leaning forward to grab the pink handle. Handing it back to her, he revealed quite the mischievous smirk, "This Sesshomaru is your 'alpha dog' now, miko." He leaned back and closed his eyes, perfectly content. Kagome sat there, dumbstruck, and ever failing to fight against the warm and fuzzy feelings engulfing her. Her thoughts, however, couldn't help but wonder why someone who would let her go as soon as this was over was drawing her in so close.
As expected, soldiers came barging in and lined up at the entrance. Kagome had had plenty of time to draw her bow from the sitting position against the bed post. Sesshomaru, true to his nature, never budged from his comfortable position.
A tall woman with red eyes and aqua hair gracefully walked in, the soldiers saluting at her entrance. Her blue and green dress trailed along the floor behind her as a gold crown decorated her head. It was obvious that this was a lady of royalty with endless grace and poise.
"This Kimiko is grateful to you for ending the reign of my elder brother." The dragoness tipped her head in gratitude. "Many ladies of the world, goddesses and demons, perished from his appetite. This little sister could only save a few, but not enough."
Kagome eased the tension on her bow and let the arrow tilt to the floor. She looked at the same crimson eyes as the horrible lord, but these were different. Kimiko finished with a proud, motherly smile, "Please, continue your stay here as you meet with any daughter or lady of the late lord. You are cherished guests to the ruling Lady of the South."
Sesshomaru made sure to nod before the entourage followed their new ruler down the hall. The miko eventually relaxed, bow lying across her lap. Everything seemed calm until a memory had the girl on her feet and out the door. She raced down the hall and into the room of pregnant women.
Kimiko looked surprised at the human's sudden arrival, but continued to remove the large necklaces from the women around the room. One by one, the goddesses nodded before taking another form to leave. A couple birds flew through the taunting, open windows while another simply evaporated. Soft chuckling caught her ear and brought her attention to the African goddess.
"Are you okay to travel home?" The miko asked, noting the lack of the ornate collar. The older woman caressed her large stomach before smiling. "These children shall arrive any day now. Home will wait for us."
"Wait, 'children', are you expecting twins?" The goddess laughed at Kagome's innocent reaction. Returning to a chuckle, the dark skinned beauty replied, "When you are as old a spirit as I, one birth welcomes many to new life." Blue eyes blinked in awe as the power of the woman before her sunk in.
"Help me, child." Long, brown fingers stretched out towards the smaller miko. "I need to feel the land beneath these swollen feet." Kimiko had long moved on to her next task in some other room, leaving Kagome and the dark- skinned goddess. Together, they got her large form off the cushioned couch and down the noisy hallway. Children and mothers were running about in cheer as the human helped her waddle past the main entrance.
Standing amongst the many families in the courtyard, the African woman sighed in contentment. Her earth-toned toes mixed with healthy dirt and grass as fresh wind returned her lost breath. The sweetest voice of a little girl sung out in a joyful melody. Soon, another joined her and another after that. Women of the world sung for their freedom, their children, and their homes. Chills shivered over Kagome's skin with the melody. Tears of many dripped to the courtyard's dirt and sprouted beautiful flowers. One by one, the families took to the skies, glowing like the ethereal beings they truly were.
With the setting sun, Kagome watched Gael and Terra transform into dragons before flying in opposite directions. The only song left ringing through the wondrous yard turned garden was the melody of the goddess at her side. Soon, it too ended in the softest whisper.
As if liquid, the world came up to meet her as the older woman moved to sit. Plants and roots twisted and bloomed into a lovely cane for her to lean upon. The miko simply sat on the ground beside her as they watched the red and yellow sunset.
"May I know your name?" Kagome asked softly, looking up at the peaceful goddess.
"There are many names that the humans of my land give me, but I am most fond of Asase Yaa." The miko did not recognize the name, but made sure to remember it. "Asase Yaa?" She repeated.
"Yes, child. Asase Yaa." Those dark brown eyes glimmered in amusement as they slipped down to glance at the little miko.
"It's been a pleasure to meet you. My name is Kagome." The girl smiled.
The goddess hummed, "The spirits on the winds of this land comforted many of us with stories of a maiden from the future with such a name. One brags about its child, a demon lord, sharing romance with this girl."
"What?!" Kagome gawked, "There is no romance! I mean, yeah, ok, I kind of like the guy. But the feeling is not mutual! And who's to say its love, right? I mean, I loved his brother for years and it didn't last, so this will also fade. Besides, he couldn't love me. I'm only human." Pink cheeks puffed in a pout as blue eyes studied a rock. Asase Yaa shook with uncontrollable laughter causing a stubborn smile to sneak back onto the miko's pale face.
"Miko" Shocked embarrassment froze the girl to her spot at his voice. The goddess snickered as she stood, a happy tree softly growing through the rock to aid her rise.
Silver hair shimmered in the dimming light as the demon lord waited patiently for the miko to turn. Kagome gradually met his eye, but she couldn't make out what emotion floated behind the stoic mask. Her heart rate increased as his focus settled on her alone.
"Are you not returning tonight?"
"Do you mind? I don't want her to be alone when she goes into labor."
Sesshomaru's lazy gaze drifted to the large stomach before he nodded in acceptance. Kagome sweetly smiled as the demon started to walk away. A nudge from Asase Yaa and a pointed look had the young woman running after him.
"Wait! Sesshomaru!" Her small hand grabbed at his long sleeve. A silver brow furrowed in concern as he waited for her to continue. "I, um, I wanted to say goodnight."
A subtle, slow blink from the lord had pink lips open in hesitation. "Oh! Right. Good night, Lord Sesshomaru."
His slender hand rose up to gently caress her blushing cheek, darkening with the slightest movement. It slipped around her face as he leaned forward. Kagome's eyes fluttered shut as his bangs mixed with her black ones. Like their bangs, the miko could feel the light and dark energy mixing around them. She smiled into his touch, well aware of how deeply she had fallen in love.
"I await the day." He whispered.
