Chapter 12
The Court Games
"We're only here for a few days, Inuyasha, try and relax," Kagome murmured, tucking Shippo into the bed. He was getting stronger every day and he'd even been awake for most of the ride to Amdarh.
"I don't like this," Inuyasha prowled the room, uncomfortable with his surroundings. "Something's wrong here. I have a very bad feeling about all of this,"
"We'll figure it out tomorrow night, Inuyasha," Kagome approached him, her arms coming around his waist, pulling him back against her, her head resting on his shoulder. "We'll find out what's going on soon enough." Inuyasha reached up and stroked her cheek, his eyes locked on the balcony doors. That scent...it's so strong, but whose is it?
"Is something else the matter, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, kissing his neck.
"I don't know," Inuyasha growled, resting his hands over her arms, lying his head back on her shoulder. "I just think something really bad is about to happen," There's something familiar about that scent...but I can't put my finger on it...
"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Lucivar matched strides with his brother along the corridor of Lady Zhara's mansion. Daemon had arranged a meeting with Zhara's first escort to see what kind of information he could weasel out of the green jeweled twerp before he went to investigate on his own.
"You remember the last war, Prick. I won't let something like that happen again," Daemon's bored, sleepy tone sent shivers down Lucivar's spine. So, the Sadist was awake again. "Besides, it's been a while since I've cornered anyone other than the coven for vital information concerning Kaeleer or my Queen. Is this going to be a problem for you?"
"No, so long as there's no paperwork,"
Daemon smiled. Lucivar didn't know what he was more afraid of at that moment; Daemon's wicked smile or the hard yellow of his brother's eyes as he slipped on a black shield and vanished from sight. Daemon passed through the wall and was followed by his brother. Zhara's first escort was staring down at a document on his desk, looking mildly irritated. "Not coming?" He muttered, annoyed. "What does she mean he won't be escorting her personally? Then who's coming with her? Damnit! Why me? That little chit...she's playing games with us."
Maybe you won't have to corner him after all.
Perhaps not.
Daemon's eyes narrowed as the escort rose from his chair and moved towards the window. "Something about this isn't right. She said he had other matters to attend to, but what are they? How could they be more important than coming to the ball his queen has thrown in order to meet him? And what other Lord could she possibly be bringing with her...? Unless...she wouldn't, would she? No, no, that was a lie, besides, he'd be coming with Jaenelle."
The room suddenly dropped in temperature. The escort shivered, his breath puffing out in front of him. "What the hell?"
Bastard...? When Lucivar received no reply from his brother he feared the worst, and then...
We've learned all that we were going to, Bastard. Let's go.
Jaenelle shifted uncomfortably in the under stuffed chair Lady Zhara had offered her in the formal meeting room.
"I'm eager to meet these new friends of yours,"
"I know," Jaenelle said sweetly. "But they're a bit worn from the trip so I chose to let them rest,"
Lady Zhara glanced at Jaenelle over her shoulder and her eyes glittered for a moment. Jaenelle couldn't help but feel that now that she no longer ruled over the Dark Court that this queen found herself to be the superior queen.
I wouldn't suggest giving me that look while my husband is around...
"Yes, I suppose letting them rest for a while is agreeable." Lady Zhara turned to face her. "And your husband?"
"What of him?"
Lady Zhara hesitated at the change in Jaenelle's voice and eyes. "Do you have him under control this time?"
"No one controls him," Her midnight voice rolled from her throat like liquid fire, startling Zhara.
"Well someone should," Zhara snarled. "He's...sadistic..."
"Someone did try to control him and she made him what he is today. What would you suggest I do, Lady Zhara?" Jaenelle rose from her chair, glaring harshly. "Do you suggest the use of a Ring of Obedience?"
The queen's eyes widened in horror. "No, no of course not!"
"My husband will not be a problem for you, I assure you, unless youmake him a problem." Jaenelle moved towards the door and paused, her voice returning to normal. "Besides, I believe it's the tempers of the Lords Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha that you now should be worried about. Daemon is the least of your concerns...for now."
Zhara fell into her chair and examined her trembling hands after Jaenelle left the room. "She hasn't changed at all...She's the same as she was when she ruled...when she had the Ebony...and yet...she's different..."
"I'm so glad you realize this,"
She gasped, looking around frantically, but didn't find the source of that voice. "I...I need to sleep..."
"It's rude to listen in on someone elses conversations," Jaenelle scolded as she walked towards their room, fully aware that Daemon was behind her.
"Are you scolding me?"
"Not yet," She growled, throwing their sitting room door open, dropping herself onto the leather couch that awaited her. "Part of me can understand her fear of you, but another can't. She's hiding something. Something important. She knows something that we don't,"
"I know," Daemon murmured, dropping the sight shield so that she could look at him. He closed the door and locked it, throwing black aural and psychic shields around the entire room. "I dropped in on her first escort shortly after we arrived."
"And?" Witch asked, waiting patiently with narrowed sapphire eyes.
"Apparently Surreal isn't bringing her boyfriend as they had hoped. She's bringing someone else with her because he had something to take care of. He thought it was me, until it got terribly cold in the room." Daemon studied Jaenelle's face for a moment and pressed on, "Something bad is about to happen, isn't it?"
Her sapphire eyes softened as she looked back up at him. "I don't know, Daemon. Tomorrow we'll know more about what's going on," She patted the seat next to her on the couch. "Now come sit with me, Daemon."
He gave her a wry smile as he sat next to her, wrapping his arms around her as she snuggled against him. "You know," She smiled against his side. "If you wanted..."
The lights instantly went out and she giggled.
"It looks like a village to me," Miroku murmured as they stared out at the structures they could see from the forest line.
"Good, I'm getting hungry," Sango murmured, looking more tired than she ever had before. Miroku smiled softly at her.
"Then let's go see about some food and that information," Miroku took a step forward and growled, slapping his hand to his neck. "Well, at least we know Mioga is still with us,"
"Why must I always get squished?" The flea whined as he resettled himself on Miroku's shoulder. "Of course I'm still with you. We have to find Lord Inuyasha before something bad happens,"
"Let's get moving then," Sango murmured as she walked out of the forest line towards the village. Miroku followed obediently, his staff clanking as they walked.
"What do you think their reactions of us will be?"
"I'm not so sure," Sango shrugged, pausing for a moment. "Miroku, do you sense anything?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary. Well, not for us at any rate. No demonic aura so far, but there is a presence in this place. It's strange..."
"The air here is too rich, like in Inuyasha's forest,"
"The land has been purified," Mioga ventured. "When Lady Witch destroyed the taint, much of the land was purified in the process,"
"How many died?" Sango asked as they got closer to the village. "In the last war, that is."
"There's no way to know. You'd have to ask Witch that question. But even she may not know," Mioga shrugged as he looked upon the village. "This is a human village, so perhaps the old trick shall work here, Miroku?"
"It's worth a try," Miroku admitted, looking to Sango for confirmation. She nodded, seemingly believing of Mioga's observation. "We can't stay the night, but it may get us some food."
The first landen they came in contact with was a woman who stared at them in surprise. "Who are you?"
"Young maiden," Miroku's voice was silky as he spoke, bowing low to her. She blushed in reaction to this and started chewing her lip a little. "My name is Miroku, and this is Sango. We are demon slayers and we have come to rid your village of the vile demon that haunts it."
"Demon?" The woman stared at him, confused. "There is no demon here,"
"On the contrary," Miroku smiled, rising again. "Your village wreaks of his aura. He's definitely here,"
"Oh...you can sense his aura?" The woman studied him intensely for a moment.
"Yes, and I am here to offer our services to you to get rid of him for a small price, of course."
"What kind of price?" The woman's friendly exposition had suddenly changed, startling Miroku.
"Just a hot meal and some drinks!" Miroku said quickly. "We're traveling so we don't have time to stop longer than needed to defeat this demon and feed ourselves." The woman visibly relaxed and nodded.
"So be it then. Come with me and I'll introduce you to the leader of our village," Miroku couldn't help but admire the woman's figure as he followed behind her, unaware of the death glare he was getting from Sango. At any rate, an hour later they were enjoying one of the best meals they had had in a long time. The leader of the village turned out to be the young woman's father and had been the one to give them their meal, and now sat across from them at the table.
"Can you tell us how to reach the Keep at Ebon Askavi?" Sango asked later during the meal.
The girl's father studied her for a moment. "You're traveling to the Keep?"
Sango and Miroku nodded.
"If you don't mind, I'd like to ask you why you're traveling to the Keep."
"We're looking for some old friends," Sango said simply.
"We've also found that a very powerful demon has made a nest there." Miroku added very convincingly.
"Is this demon anything like the one you rid us of today?" Something sparkled in the man's eyes before Miroku could answer.
"Well, no, this one is much stronger."
"Ah, well, then, you'll need to hurry. The Keep is at least a day's walk to the north from here. However, we can lend you a horse if you would like?"
"A horse?" Sango asked, confused. "I saw no horses,"
"That's because there aren't any," The man rose from the table smiling. "Just as there are no demons."
Miroku stared at the man in surprise for a moment before he sighed heavily.
"I must admit, you did provide the village with some wonderful amusement though. But I must ask you to leave. We are not a very superstitious people, and if there were any demons lurking about they would have been destroyed by the Eyrien warriors who watch over this village. Now, please, leave,"
"Well," Sango grumbled an hour later as they approached yet another forest. "At least he was decent about it,"
"It could have been worse," Mioga said sheepishly.
"Wasn't it your idea in the first place?" Miroku accused, his eyes closed as they walked.
"Well...yes..."
"Come on, you two. We've got a lot of ground to cover before the sun sets tonight."
Inuyasha grumbled under his breath as he followed Jaenelle and Daemon, Sesshoumaru and Kagome with them. He didn't want to be introduced to this Lady Zhara character and he damn sure didn't feel like being the center of attention when there was something he already wanted to do.
That scent is going to drive me nuts...It has to be bothering Sesshoumaru, too?
Jaenelle gave them a gentle smile as they reached the formal sitting room and opened the door, ushering them inside. Lady Zhara stood with her back to them, staring out of the window to look upon her estate.
"Lady Zhara," Daemon said flatly, making her shiver. Slowly, she turned...and stared. Inuyasha had frozen solid upon entering the room. He'd caught her scent...and wanted to cry out. She looked and smelled just like...
"Lady Zhara, this is Lady Kagome, Lord Inuyasha and his brother, Lord Sesshoumaru," Jaenelle said before he could finish his thought. Kagome bowed her head slightly, caught a glimpse of Inuyasha and went rigid. "Inuyasha? What is it? What's wrong?"
"Feh," Inuyasha shoved her hands away, his eyes still locked on Zhara.
"Are we missing something?" Daemon inquired, wary. Had Inuyasha sensed something?
"Izayoi," Sesshoumaru said flatly. "She looks and smells like Izayoi,"
"How do you know that name?" Zhara asked, glaring at the elder lord. "How do you know my sister's name?"
Inuyasha felt his legs buckle and Kagome's arms come around him to ease him down. "Izayoi...was my mother..."
Zhara stared at him, disgusted. "You couldn't possibly be any son of hers. Look at you,"
The room went cold, but this time it wasn't coming from Daemon. Jaenelle's eyes flew to Kagome's form and narrowed in curiosity.
"Inuyasha, are you sure?" Kagome asked, looking back up at Zhara. "She does resemble your mother but..."
"Her scent..." Inuyasha choked on it, hating this. Besides, the smugness washing off of Sesshoumaru was almost too much to bear.
Daemon broke the silence. "If what you say is true, then our lives just got all the more complicated."
Zhara glared at him but said nothing, instead she walked towards Inuyasha and Kagome. The closeness of her made Inuyasha growl.
"You're a half breed," Zhara muttered. "My sister--"
"Was in love with my father," Sesshoumaru said in distaste from behind the group. "Inuyasha was the result of her love and my father's fondness of humans."
"Shut up," Inuyasha murmured, his hands shaking. Sesshoumaru just smirked, amused. So much for stoic and passive.
"All of you," Kagome growled. "just drop it. This isn't the time for this. We've got bigger problems on our hands to take care of."
"She's right," Jaenelle said tightly, not liking the look in Zhara's eyes. "Zhara," That wondrous midnight voice rolled over all of them then. "Zhara, step away,"
"Get out, all of you!" She shouted suddenly. "And take that disgusting half breed with you!"
"No problem," Inuyasha growled, his head still bowed, his claws flexing. He rose to his feet, shoved his brother aside and fled the room, intent on ripping something into shreds before he went on the rampage with his brother.
"Inuyasha...Inuyasha!" Kagome threw Zhara a nasty look over her shoulder and ran after him, Jaenelle quickly following. Sesshoumaru and Daemon remained behind, but only for a few moments.
"I said get out," Zhara snarled, her eyes falling upon Sesshoumaru. She hesitated before asking, "How old is he?"
"What does that matter?" Daemon snarled.
"I would estimate around 80," Sesshoumaru said simply. "He was bound to a spell for fifty years and was asleep during that time. Six years ago, Kagome released him from the spell."
"That's not possible," Zhara murmured. "My sister was not from your home. She disappeared when we were children." Sesshoumaru turned and left the room, finding this information to be boring and useless. At any rate, he really could have cared less about any of it. His main concern was getting through the ball that night and then setting out to find Rin and her captor.
"Inuyasha might want to hear this information more than any one else. She was, after all, his mother," Daemon ignored the look Zhara gave him and left the room, feeling a little unsettled by this discovery. If Inuyasha's mother, this Izayoi woman, was truly Zhara's sister then that would mean that at some point, someone from the feudal era had to have traveled to Kaeleer in order to retrieve the woman. Daemon's golden eyes narrowed to a hard yellow. We're missing something vidal here...something that even Lorn chose not to tell us...
And that troubled him a great deal.
"Hey!" Kagome growled, yanking on Inuyasha's arm. "Isn't that enough already?"
"No!" He snatched his arm back, slicing through another tree. "No, it will never be enough!"
"Inuyasha! Calm down! Come on, we have more important things to worry about! Save your strength, you may need it tonight!" Kagome urged, taking a step back from him to avoid another falling tree. "Inuyasha...! Sit boy!"
"Damnit, Kagome!"
"You left me no choice, Inuyasha," She growled, staring down at him. "Look, I know you're frustrated and confused, we all are, but stop taking it out on the trees. Save this for Naraku! Forget about Zhara, forget about everything but Naraku."
"That's not it!" Inuyasha screamed into the dirt, remaining on the ground even though the spell had worn off already. His claws tore into the ground. "That scent! I hate it!"
Kagome stared at him, confused. "Zhara's scent?"
"No!" He shouted, frustrated. "It's someone or something else! I don't know! I can't get a decent lock on it! But I know it's wrong. I know it's bad...I just can't find the source,"
"Oh..." Kagome knelt down beside him, resting her hands on his back. "We'll all figure this out together, Inuyasha."
He sat up, staring at the pile of ruined trees set before him. "I'm not so sure about that," He was tense, she could easily see that and his emotions about his mother and apparently now his aunt were still bubbling on the surface.
"Inuyasha,"
"What?"
She flinched at the harshness of his voice. Even after all these years there were still some days when that sharp tone of his voice came to him that she felt nervous. "I know how you feel about...about your mom and Zhara, and well--"
"Do you?" He growled, turning away from her. "You know what it's like to lose your mother? To never see her again? No, Kagome, you know nothing of how I feel right now!"
For a moment she just stared at him in disbelief at his words. "What do you mean I know nothing? Have you forgotten where I come from? Where my family is? Damnit, Inuyasha! I'll never see them again because the well was destroyed! Don't you dare tell me I don't know how you feel!"
"Kagome..." He turned but she was already racing out of the garden and away from him. "Hm...Kagome..." He breathed deeply for a moment, growling at the new presence in the garden with him. "What the hell do you want?"
"Are you truly Izayoi's son?" Zhara asked quietly, staring at his turned back.
"Yes," It came out in an unpleasant snarl and Zhara began to regret approaching him. "It just kills you that your sister gave birth to a half breed, doesn't it? Well I've got news for you, Zhara, I'm a half demon with one hell of a nasty temper, and if you want to keep running your mouth about something you don't even know about I'm going to sharpen my claws on you,"
Zhara gasped and took a step backwards from him. "You..." She shook herself, she was a queen and she refused to apologize to this half demon as he claimed to be. "You must be mistaken. My sister, Izayoi, disappeared when we were very young."
"Then that solves one problem," Inuyasha growled. "She disappeared, she didn't die. Somehow she ended up in Japan and she grew up there. She fell in love with my father and I was the result."
"If this is true...then my sister is alive after all..."
"Feh," Inuyasha moved towards the trees, his arms falling down to his sides. "She died a long time ago," Zhara looked up but he was already gone.
"Izayoi was alive...and she had a son..." She turned back towards her estate and sighed heavily. "What's going on? How is any of this possible? Is there a realm that we have yet to explore? A realm that you found, sister?"
Kagome looked at herself in the mirror and sighed heavily. No matter of dancing was going to cheer her up. Not tonight. Inuyasha hadn't meant what he had said. After so many years with him, she knew that, but still, it hadn't kept her from being hurt by what he had said. And she hadn't seen him since then either.
"Kagome?"
She turned from the floor length mirror and faced Shippo. "You're awake. Are you feeling better, Shippo?"
The kitsune nodded, smiling up at her in wonder. "You look pretty, Kagome!"
"Thanks, Shippo," Kagome turned back to the mirror and admired the black spider silk dress that Karla had lent to her and sighed heavily. Would Inuyasha think so?
A knock on her door brought her attention to Daemon as he entered. "Are you ready, Kagome?"
"Mmhm," She forced a smile towards him. "Shippo, you stay here with Kilala, ok? I'll bring some food back with me from the ball."
"No problem, Kagome!" Shippo said cheerfully, feeling that there was something wrong, but deciding against pressing to find out what. He would know eventually anyway. Besides, he had a feeling it had to do with Inuyasha's absence. Kagome took the arm that Daemon extended to her and let him lead her down the hall where Jaenelle waited with...Sesshoumaru?
Jaenelle giggled at the expression on Kagome's face. "Didn't think it was possible, did you?"
"No, not really," Kagome murmured as she and Daemon approached the two. Sesshoumaru didn't look quite as dangerous or as intimidating in a tux, but then again, it was Sesshoumaru after all. She had a feeling his swords, Tokijin and Tenseiga were on his person somewhere, they just couldn't be seen.
"Shall we?" Jaenelle smiled as she heard the start of the music.
"Let's get this over with," Kagome sighed, surprised when Sesshoumaru held his arm out for her. Obviously he'd been instructed by Daemon on how to make this whole court game play out correctly. But it worked for her, so long as he didn't go crazy or anything and start snapping necks. That's a bit extreme, even for him, Kagome...get a grip and stop trying to think of reasons Inuyasha might race in here and pick a fight...
The ball room was crowded with people when they entered, most of which, she noted with interest, were younger than she thought would have been there. Of course, Daemon had looked extremely young before he'd announced his age, so perhaps they weren't really young at all? Well, young by their standards of course.
Kagome also couldn't help but notice the looks Daemon seemed to be getting from several others they passed as they made their way towards the far end of the room. Apparently they hadn't quiet gotten used to his presence amongst them, or they truly resented him. But she and Sesshoumaru were also getting a few strange looks. The demonic markings on Sesshoumaru's face and his pointed ears weren't exactly normal amongst these people. The pointed ears, maybe, because of the De al Mon, but they weren't quite as pointed as Sesshoumaru's. And then there were his claws...
It was going to be an interesting night indeed.
Inuyasha's amber eyes flashed in the moonlight as he perched himself in a tree just outside of the ballroom. Lucivar was below him, leaning lazily against the tree, a goblet of brandy in his hands. He seemed relaxed and alert at the same time, as if ready to strike. Everyone seemed to think that something terrible was going to happen at any moment. Inuyasha didn't disagree at all because that scent he'd picked up earlier had gotten stronger all of a sudden.
"Where are you?" Inuyasha snarled to himself, his eyes scanning what he could see of the ballroom.
"You know," Daemon said as he and Jaenelle danced close to Sesshoumaru and Kagome. "if you two don't start smiling at each other, no one's going to believe this,"
"How about we switch?" Jaenelle offered, smiling inwardly at the relief that washed over Kagome's face just then. The particular song they had been dancing to ended anyway and each dancer bowed to the other and then Jaenelle was dancing with Sesshoumaru and Kagome with Daemon. It definitely turned some heads their way, not that any one had ever stopped watching the group since they had arrived, but it didn't matter.
"If I stumble, don't laugh at me," Kagome said awkwardly as Daemon lead her in a simple dance. "I told you all that I couldn't dance in heels."
"If you stumble, I'll stumble with you," Daemon said with a smile. "That way we both get laughed at."
"Gee, thanks," Kagome chuckled, her eyes drifting towards the door where she spotted Surreal and her date. "They're here,"
Daemon's eyes hardened a bit and he danced them close to Jaenelle and Sesshoumaru. The couples switched again and Kagome instantly felt the change in Sesshoumaru.
"They're here,"
"I know," He said simply. "His scent..."
"Inuyasha sensed it, too." Kagome risked a glance at the couple as they began dancing. "Something's wrong, Sesshoumaru. I sense a jewel shard near by."
"His neck," Sesshoumaru offered. Kagome glanced back at him and groaned.
"Four of them in his neck, two in each of his arms. Who is this guy?" Kagome's hands tightened on Sesshoumaru's arms. "He's looking over this way,"
"Ignore it,"
When the music ended again, they followed Daemon and Jaenelle towards the far end of the room for drinks and a bit of a talk.
"This isn't good at all,"
"What?" Daemon asked. "Did you recognize him?"
"No, I've never seen him before, but he's got eight jewel shards with him. Four in his neck and two in each arm." Kagome murmured. "Zhara was right in thinking that he was trouble."
Sesshoumaru was looking right at Surreal's date, sniffing the air around him. "His scent is familiar..."
"You think so?"
"That's it," Sesshoumaru growled. "He's a wolf demon,"
"Oh great..." Kagome moaned, taking a rather large swallow of her punch.
"There's something else," Daemon said as he studied Sesshoumaru's face.
"He wears the red,"
"What?" Jaenelle and Daemon asked at once, staring in disbelief towards the man Surreal was dancing with. "Blood and Demon? How can that be possible?"
"It's not," Kagome murmured. "There's no way that can be right,"
"It is," Sesshoumaru snarled.
"Then..."
"Jaenelle, sweetheart, I think we all need to go and see Lorn soon,"
"I agree," She growled, knowing her grandfather dragon had been holding something back from them all. And that's when it happened.
Sesshoumaru heard the scream first and then the entire ballroom went silent. "Rin,"
"You're sure this will work?"
"Of course it will," Surreal smiled as she pressed Rin against the tree trunk. "Now, just stay here and don't go anywhere. I promise you, I'll have Sesshoumaru racing into your arms before the end of the night."
Rin bit her lip as she searched through the darkness around her, unsure about any of this at all. A thirteen year old girl out alone in the dark didn't really seem like a good idea to her, but Surreal had said that it would bring Sesshoumaru back to her. Still, she had a bad feeling she'd made a terrible mistake in trusting a woman she didn't even really know anything about.
"This was a bad idea..." Rin pushed off from the tree and looked around, deciding the go back they way they had come. She got ten feet from the tree when she heard a loud rustling from behind her. Rin turned, studying the tree line for a moment before she realized how much trouble she was about to be in. A guttural laugh had filled the air. A laugh she recognized.
As Naraku burst out of the trees straight for her she let out an earth shattering cry of, "LORD SESSHOUMARU...!"
Inuyasha's ears twitched and he whirled away from Lucivar, whom he'd joined on the ground only a few minutes before, racing towards the woods in a hurry. Lucivar heard the scream just as Sesshoumaru burst from the ball room, his eyes going the deadliest shade of red the Eyrien had ever seen. In a second, Sesshoumaru ran passed him after his brother.
"What the hell?"
"It was Rin!" Kagome said, breathless, as she came up to Lucivar with Daemon and Jaenelle.
"What the hell is going on?" Lucivar snarled, looking towards the woods where the two brothers had vanished.
"Is something the matter?" Kagome looked over at Surreal and her date, her eyes narrowing. She didn't trust Surreal, and she was never going to trust the man she had with her. Especially not with as many jewel shards as he had in his possession.
"No," Kagome lied. "Nothing at all,"
Surreal smiled at her and Kagome suddenly hated the woman. Even if she was under Naraku's control she was Blood, she should have had the strength to fight his control...unless she didn't want to. That could present a problem.
End of chapter! Wooh...that was longer than I thought it would be... XD so how about Izayoi's origins? A little...foggy a bit, and even patchy, but I'm getting there! I promise! Oooh, and bad Rin! Now you're in danger. Tsk tsk.