Chapter 19
A gentle prod on the shoulder roused Shura's senses, as did a tiny, girls voice.
"Shura….sister Shura…."
"Mrg…" babbled Shura with a huff before burying her face deeper into her folded knees and hugging her arms around the remainder of her head. For a moment the insistent little voice stopped, but it was quickly replaced by an even less appealing sleep distraction.
"Hello….anybody home…?" this time the voice registered as Inuyasha's and it was followed abruptly by a series of gentle knocks to the crown.
"huah…wha…." A still sleepy Shura blurted as she finally opened her eyes. She was still outside slouched just beyond the cavern interior, her half demon uncle sitting beside her. At present Inuyasha was tapping lightly on her cranium with the flat side of his knuckles in an effort to alert her to the child standing at her other side. "What is it?" she finally managed to mumble. Rin, who apparently had been tugging at one of Shura's sleeves for the past fifteen minutes, released her hold on the fabric and fixed the she-demon with a concerned stare.
"It's master Matyeo," the girl informed "he's become restless," the child paused before adding innocently "I think he's having a bad dream." Without a second thought Shura uncoiled from her slouch and rose at Rin's beckoning.
"Okay dearest, I'll tend to him. You go back to sleep now." Rin nodded in obedience and quickly headed back inside the cavern. Shura was quick to follow, but she did pause long enough to snub Inuyasha who was teasing her with a suspicious eye.
Moments later she came to Matyeo, who was indeed very troubled by something. Though still caught half in sleep the dragon was twitching hard, as if witnessing something painful or gruesome. Kneeling down Shura placed a gentle hand on his forehead and almost instantly Matyeo reacted, giving one final violent shudder before opening his sleep heavy eyes.
"Are you okay?" cooed Shura softly in concern. For a few moments the dragon merely stared up at her, as if entranced by her very presence. Then to Shura's surprise, he shied away. "Matyeo…" Shura tone hardened a bit when the dragon refused to answer. "What is it?" After an unnervingly long pause Matyeo finally caved.
"Something sinister is flooding my dreams with darkness and it has made me fear for you…and your clan." Shura leaned a bit closer her mind suddenly uneasy.
"Is it Naraku?" her question sent the faintest of trembles through the dragon's body. Such was a horrible thought.
"I don't know," Matyeo finally admitted, "I just don't know."
A shimmering white sphere of energy blazed across the early morning sky leaving a fine silver trail amidst the pastel pinks, oranges and purples that had already emerged. The orb made deliberate movements, skimming just shy of the sprawling forest canapé that enveloped nearly the entire region. It was an unusual sight for the wilderness dwellers; to see silver rays of light suddenly pouring through the foliage and what looked like a comet soar periodically above. But for one individual the orb of concentrated, demon energy was not a strange, foreign presence, but an ally of many, many years.
"Ah, Sesshomaru. It's been a while since your last visit." Voiced the tree demon Bokusenou in an eerie, echoey tone as the silver orb descended slowly through the canapé. Moments later the sphere dissipated, revealing the elegant dog demon within.
"Indeed it has," came Sesshomaru's reply as he took a few strides forward. As the dog demon spoke Bokusenou proceeded to project a knurled, hook nosed, countenance through his bark. It was an uncommon practice; done solely out of politeness for his company, so that they might speak "face to face" as it were.
"So then…" murmured the tree "what is it you want to know?" Sesshomaru's eyes flickered ever so slightly.
"Witch demons," he answered with unnerving composure "I need to know about their spells…" The tree demon gave a little hum of thought.
Stationary though he was, the whispers of the forest and earth helped to paint a most elaborate portrait of distant happenings. Furthermore, Bokusenou had always made it a point to pay extra attention to news concerning his late ally Inutaishou's decedents, and that included Sesshomaru's unorthodox leap into parenthood with the black witch queen.
"I see, so your concern is for your daughter" Bokusenou voiced frankly, catching Sesshomaru completely off guard "well I'm afraid I don't know much of witch magic in perticular, however I think I can help with the answers you seek." Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow.
"Go on." The tree gave another light rumble.
"As you already know, witch demons live in a society composed only of female members and they in turn rely exclusively on outside demons species to procreate and expand their lineage." The tree paused when Sesshomaru gritted his teeth harshly.
"Your point, Bokusenou," grumbled the dog demon with a sharp impatience that was unusually accented in his voice.
"My point Sesshomaru," continued the tree "is that these demons exercise some rather stringent methods of preserving their bloodlines in future generations." Now Sesshomaru was becoming alarmed. In all that time since his involvement with the blackwings' the dog demon had never bothered to reason out how an entirely female species managed to keep all its members so uniform in appearance, powers, and gender, and he was starting to regret it.
"You mean…" the dog demon's voice lowered dramatically, as if reluctant to finish the suggestion "they use sorcery…to alter their young?"
"Correct," confirmed Bokusenou "a seal to be precise. From what I understand, before a baby is born the mother undergoes a purifying ritual to banish all traces of the father's influence. In this way her child is born a direct descendent of the tribe." A wave of nausea passed over Sesshomaru, but he managed to suppress it. All things considered the witch's tactics, however unorthodox, did seem to make sense. However they left one very important exception.
"So then, how do you explain Shura?" inquired the dog demon seriously. Bokusenou hummed again, this time with an unexpected note of amusement.
"Your daughter…is a most unique case. You see, under normal circumstances witches only pick lesser demons as mates so the sealing process is easier…" the tree paused as Sesshomaru's expression shifted into a half-smirk.
"So my blood canceled Mura's seal. How amusing. It's what she deserves for thinking herself more powerful…" the dog demon started to gloat, but a grunt from Bokusenou swiftly interrupted.
"Canceled? Hmph," the tree gave a swift bark of laughter "Not even your father's blood could have canceled that kind of sorcery. No Sesshomaru, your blood only slowed the process. The witch's seal placed on your daughter is still there, trying to suppress the canine traits she inherited from you… even if it means dividing her soul in the process." Sesshomaru's face fell and his already pale skin went noticeably whiter.
"Divide her soul…" he repeated slowly before his throat constricted. As much as he didn't want to think such a thing was happening, the explanation matched every shred of evidence he had witnessed; his daughter's sporadic power shifts and memory loss, the creeping darkness in her aura. All were the result of overlap as her "witch's half" tried to predominate.
"I'm afraid…" the tree went on in despair "if left unchecked the conflict will eventually drive her mad." Sesshomaru stared unblinking for several moments, as if envisioning such a scene in his mind. Then without the slightest quaver he voiced sternly.
"How can I stop it?" his question met with an uncertain reply.
"You, Sesshomaru can do nothing directly, for the burden is one your daughter must overcome herself. However, with confidence and adequate strength of body and heart…it is reasonable to believe she might be able manage the darker half of her soul."
Again the dog demon went white, but this time it was in rage. He was furious at Mura for having done this to his daughter, but even more so he was furious with himself; for all time he had missed. All the years he could have spent helping to prepare for this, and instead his child was being softened and degraded by a human caregiver. His little escapade of stubborn neglect…could have already sealed Shura's fate.
The dog demon clamped his fangs together hard in an effort to steady himself. Such was not a time to start becoming feebleminded, not when Shura needed his guidance the most. And upon his return he would show no more restraint. No more lenience in training sessions, no more tolerance of mistaken steps. Even if it meant making her despise him…he would see to it that she got strength enough to resist whatever internal threat loomed in her future.
"Thank you Bokusenou," Sesshomaru at last concluded as he turned to leave "you have been most helpful." The three demon didn't reply, only let out a hum that might be translated as a nod of the head and hopes for a successful future.
It was close to midday by the time Matyeo finally awoke and appropriately enough it was compliments of his loudly growing stomach. The previous afternoons little skirmish had left the dragon absolutely ravenous for fresh meat. Slowly he rose, testing the steadiness of limbs and muscles with deliberate movements. Then he studied his wings. Bending, flexing, and finally flapping…the repairs were flawless. Sighing in satisfaction the dragon assimilated the structures back into his human form and then approached the entrance of the cavern. White light poured in from the outside, giving the dreary gray stone walls a mottled look. And resting in the midst of the glittering rays was a very frumpy looking half demon. From where the dragon stood Inuyasha's injuries looked mostly healed.
"Well, look who finally decided to get up." The half demon's snooty remark reached Matyeo just as swiftly as his gaze did "Its about time." the dragon snorted. Had he been in any other mood Matyeo probably would have let the remark slide, but with intense hunger also came a very short temper.
"I apologize for my inconvenience…" sneered the dragon sarcastically "next time I'll piss off the demon and let you get thrashed by it." Immediately Inuyasha got to his feet and maneuvered, with some difficulty, into a semi-tensed fighters stance with fists at the ready.
"Why you…" was all he managed to growl out before an angry female voice interrupted the impending brawl.
"Alright boys break it up!" snapped Kagome as she stormed in and confidently wedged herself between the arguing demons. "you're supposed to be resting." In a huff the girl turned, first to face her companion. "Inuyasha settle down and stop being such a snot," she ordered. Then she shifted to Matyeo "and as for you Matyeo I don't want to see you leaving this cavern. Is that clear?"
Being used to Kagome's attitude, and knowing full well the consequences of disobedience, Inuyasha huffed but quickly resumed sitting. Matyeo however was not so swift to comply. Respecting humans he could do, but staying put at the whim of a fifteen year old mortal when he desperately needed to hunt. That was something different.
"I'm sorry but I can't do that. I need to go in search of game while there is still daylight left." The dragon informed as politely as he could. His reasoning was logical, but apparently not good enough.
"Don't worry about food, Shura already said she'd bring some back after she was finished practicing," the girl informed before adding "and she gave me strict instructions that both you and Inuyasha should stay here and recover."
The dragon opened his mouth, ready to argue that he was in fact fully recovered, but he was stopped short yet again by Kagome.
"Oh and don't try to tell me you are," she interrupted "because Shura also told me that if you try to fly now you'll put to much strain on your body and make yourself sick. Sooooo…" the girl paused and gave the hardest of stares "have a seat." This time the dragon couldn't argue and reluctantly sank to the floor across from Inuyasha. His action delighted Kagome and her once domineering face brightened into a smile. "That's better. Now then I'm going to see how Sango, Miroku and Shippo are doing gathering firewood. Don't you go anywhere." And with that the girl departed. Only after her footsteps had gone far out of hearing range did either demon dare make a sound.
"Sheeze…is she always like that?" asked the dragon in a voice that harbored both surprise and pity.
"Uh-huh," grunted Inuyasha.
"And here I thought master Sesshomaru had a bad temper." Again Inuyasha grunted, but it was more directed towards the mention of his brother rather then Kagome. As far as he was concerned the longer that white ruffed bastard stayed away the better.