I have writer's block. -.- But, to make amends for not posting in like a week, here is what I have so far of Ch. 5. Leave reviews to tell me what you would like to see in the story!
Chapter 5:
Sesshoumaru's transformation ceased abruptly at the all-too-familiar sound of squawking. With a quick shake of his head, the crimson of his eyes faded and his body ceased its tremors. Turning in a deliberately slow half-circle, Sesshoumaru was able to see Ah-Un's incoming form silhouetted against the rising sun, the little imp Jaken jumping up and down on his back worriedly.
The dragon touched down only a few moments later and Jaken hoped off his back, moving to bow in front of his lord. When he rose, his bulging yellow eyes searched the destroyed, smoldering castle and he opened his mouth to speak. However, before he could utter a single word, Sesshoumaru lifted his foot and gave the toad a swift kick, sending him flying into a tree a few yards away. That felt damn good, the taiyoukai thought, even as his outward appearance stayed flat.
He was actually quite thankful to the little imp for snapping him out of his sudden rage. To go tearing after a demon just to save his ward would… well, it would confirm Shoichi's suspicions. Had the Lord of the Western Lands really be tamed by a little girl? Had… had he gone soft?
No, Sesshoumaru scoffed. His actions and feelings were justified; he had lost something that was rightfully his and that demon had burned down the only place he had ever called home. And Sesshoumaru had a nagging hunch at who was behind all of this.
Though the smoke hung thickly in the air, Sesshoumaru could still pick up the scent of something very feminine lingering around. He followed it to a small hydrangea bush where, at the very base, sat a half-eaten, ant-infested apple. He knelt beside the bush and the smell that surrounded the fruit was unmistakably Rin's. Upon rising, Sesshoumaru caught another scent, still familiar, but sickening to his nose. The smell of fear was faintly intertwined with the odor of charred wood and Sesshoumaru followed it into the confines of the willow tree.
One of the stone benches was smashed to rubble, bit and pieces of it lying everywhere, and the smell of fear was prominent there. One of the bench's legs sat in the koi pond and the little fish swam around it indifferently. Sesshoumaru followed the path of destruction through a tattered rosebush and out onto the garden's trail where it was obvious a chase had occurred. Sesshoumaru stopped only a few yards in where the chase had come to an end. If Rin was what the demon wanted, he had her now.
Rin's stomach let out a low rumble. It was only one of many that had occurred in the last hour or so. She sat in the same corner of the same room, watching as a large figure just outside the door paced back and forth down the hallway. It's footsteps were heavy and slow and Rin had a feeling this creature was the same one she had met in the gardens only just a little while ago.
She found herself drifting in and out of sleep despite the fact that she tried to fight the fatigue. Sesshoumaru's face kept finding it's way to her mind and she wondered where he was now and what he was doing. Was he even looking for her? Would the great Lord Sesshoumaru lower himself to search for and rescue a human?
The sound of the door sliding open had Rin's eyes snapping open. For a moment, she thought she saw Shoichi at the door, his long, bushy tail flicking behind him, but upon closer inspection, Rin saw that the figure that had just entered was much more feminine, though very closely related in looks to Shoichi. The female demon smiled at Rin, her smile much warmer and welcoming than that of her male counterpart.
"My name is Leiko," she said softly, her voice soothing. "What's yours?"
It was then that Rin noticed that no one else she had come into contact in the last few hours with had asked for her name before this woman. For some strange reason, the notion was comforting and Rin couldn't help but be lulled into a false security by this demon. "Rin," the young girl replied shortly as Leiko came to take a seat just in front of her.
"I see Kanaye was rough on you," the demon said, making a 'tsk tsk' noise with her tongue and shaking her head. She delicately ran her clawed fingers over Rin's newly mended arm in a soothing motion as her gray eyes searched the girl's face. "I'm sure you're hungry, Rin. How about we go get something to eat?" she asked.
Rin nodded her head dumbly, still entranced by this woman, and allowed Leiko to help her to her feet. The two walked slowly to the door, Leiko very careful not to push Rin's injured body further than it needed to go. The dark hall was empty when they stepped out, meaning that Leiko had obviously dismissed whatever was guarding the door earlier.
"Do you know where you are, Rin?" Leiko asked, receiving a shake of a head as her answer. "You're in the grand shiro of the Southern Lands, my dear," she replied, flashing Rin another wholehearted smile. "I know you're very confused as to why you're here, and while I can't tell you the exact reasons, know that you will not be harmed any further. I promise you that. I'll take good care of you, Rin."