Ch.2 – Greetings

Quick bit of info: in this story the amount of stripes adorning a full demon is a symbol of that demons strength. For example: Inu Tashio has one stripe on each cheek, wrist, and ankle but Sesshomaru has two stripes on each cheek, wrist, ankle, and hip therefore making Sesshomaru more powerful.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or the characters in it. I only own the characters I create.

Normal POV

Sesshomaru growled irritably at his father as they stood in a line outside of the front palace doors, waiting for the packs to begin arriving, only to receive a reprimanding growl back from his father warning him to behave.

Inu Tashio was dressed in white silk hakama and haori with dark blue stripes up one sleeve and a large red obi holding his spiked silver armor in place along with the two swords that were always on his person. The dark stripes matching the stripe on each of his cheeks, wrists, and ankles without clashing with the thin purple line over each eyelid or the trademark blue crescent moon in the center of his forehead. His long silver hair hung to his waist in a tight ponytail with only his parted bangs left loose aside from the fluffy silver tail he draped over his left shoulder. Thick black boots adorned his feet. Next to him stood his beautiful mate, Izayoi. She stood tall by his side with her straight black locks laying loosely about her hips and her puffed bangs parted so all could see the crescent moon that laid on her forehead. She wore several kimono layers of red, purple, peach, pink, green, blue, and light pink decorated with large yet elegant puff ball like flowers in a darker pink surrounding small golden centers respectively. A pair of elegant golden silk slippers hid beneath the mound of layers. It was a good thing that this ball was happening in the early spring otherwise she would be burning up in her traditional royal garbs.

Sesshomaru wore his white hakama and haori with large red hexagonal patterns scattered about his shoulders and the ends of his sleeves. His favorite golden obi with the swirling purple design circled his waist securing his sliver spiked armor and his sword. He wore thick black boots like his father but allowed his straight silver hair to flow loosely at mid-waist with his tail draped elegantly over his right shoulder. His bangs parted slightly in the middle to present the navy blue crescent moon of his birth, marking him as the heir. His cheeks each held two magenta stripes that also adorned each of his wrists, ankles, and hips always in the same set of two. Each of his upper eyelids was lined with a red stripe that called attention to his cold golden eyes and contrasted greatly with his pale skin. All others in his pack had slight tans being as they spent a significantly larger amount of time out in the sun than he did.

While Inu Tashio and Sesshomaru's features were very sharp and pronounced with silver hair and golden eyes, Sesshomaru's more so than his father, Izayoi had a softer and kinder face with dark hair and warm large brown eyes that reflected into the boyish face of her young son.

Inuyasha stood beside his brother in his usual red haori and hakama wearing miniature black boots while shifting his bright golden eyes toward his brother in a silent plea for escape while his little face, bare of any markings, scrunched in worry. His fluffy silver locks hanging just below his shoulder blades behind him. The twitching silver triangles atop his head moved in every direction trying to detect any stray noises.

All three of demon heritage had sharp deadly claws and ferocious fangs, even Inuyasha those his were much smaller and slightly duller. The two older inu youkai had control of a poison that they could make seep from their claws or form into an energy whip, helping them to be immune to almost all poisons. Being a hanyou Inuyasha did not inherit the ability to produce his own poison but did inherit the immunity, though not many knew that little fact.

Sesshomaru POV

About an hour after noon the first quest finally arrived. The Eastern Lord, Koga of the wolves, was the first to arrive; running at top speed the wolf youkai barely skid to a stop before the western canines his black ponytail whipping his own face from the sudden stop. His traveling companions, a couple of male wolves from his tribe by the names of Ginta (having a thin white Mohawk) and Hakkaku (having short grey hair with a black tuff in the middle like a stripe), panted toward their lord after catching up a minute later. All three males wore brown fur wrapped around their waists like a towel and minimal armor over their chests. The two lowers males had their tails lax behind them but Koga's was swinging with excitement. Sesshomaru mentally groaned. These wolves were always causing some kind of trouble during social gatherings, another unneeded reason he had to hate such events.

"Lord Koga of the Eastern Wolf tribe, we welcome you to the Palace Moon. A servant will guide you and your companions to your chambers for your stay." Inu Tashio announced as Sesshomaru watched the three sets of muddy brown eyes light up, two at the prospect of rest and one of the soon coming females. Sesshomaru allowed himself a mental eye roll at the insolent whelp that was considered a lord.

Several other packs began to arrive, each receiving a greeting and being directed to a servant to for their chambers. What went unnoticed by most was the glare his younger sibling was receiving each time a family was led away by a servant. Holding his tongue Sesshomaru noted to inform his father later. After another two hours the Southern Lord and his pack arrived.

The Lord of the Southern Dragon tribe was a tall male (though not as tall as the Inu tribe) with darkly tanned skin, greasy brown hair that hung at his ears, and dull black eyes set in a pudgy rounded face. He wore an overly extravagant black haori and hakama set embroidered with copper dragon scales and an image of himself in his true form on the back. A heavily embroidered red obi finished off the look. Next to him stood the Southern Lady. Her bored black eyes seemed to stare around at nothing as her own greasy locks, going to her chin, hung about her overly thin face. He had to hold back a shudder at her protruding bones. An overly thin copper kimono hung loosely upon her form covered in a multitude of large careful flowers with seemingly no pattern. The copper dragon scale on each of their foreheads nearly blended with their heavy tans.

The lord's heir was a shrunk copy of his sire and stood at the far end of three older female siblings. The lusty young females appeared to be carbon copies of the Southern lady expect for the marking on her forehead. Each had an obscene slit cut into the side of their kimonos exposing much more skin than Sesshomaru ever wanted to see on these females. The Southern Lord gave his daughters a look that Sesshomaru knew all too well, before turning to receive his greeting. The bastard of a Southern Lord was telling his daughters that one of them needed to become Sesshomaru's mate and future lady of the Western lands. Like hell he was going to mate one of these sluts.

"Lord Kuraidesu of the Southern Dragon tribe, we welcome you to the Palace Moon. A servant will guide you and your family to your chambers for your stay." Inu Tashio greeted. Inuyasha pulled himself closer to his leg catching the attention of the youkai in front of them. They gave a disgusted glare at the pup before following the servant they were assigned.

Suppressing a growl Sesshomaru wrapped his aura around Inuyasha to comfort him as the carriage of the Northern Lord pulled up. The simple wooden carriage did nothing to note the wealth held by the Northern people, being almost equal to that of the Western, but was much larger than the average carriage.

Normal POV

The Northern Lord and his pack are known for having a mysterious mix of species of youkai born to them, which was easily seen as the pack began to exit from their transport. The Northern Lord left the carriage first. He was a shorter man with dark blackish- brown hair in a short slightly balding style showing off the gleam on the top of his head, one hazel eye was slightly larger than the other, and his simple grey haori and hakama were secured with a light purple obi. The marginally tanned skin of his face bore a slightly red stripe on each cheek, a grey line over each eyelid, and the symbol of his birth, a single red drop of blood, sat in the center of his forehead. His short greying tail, marking him as an inu youkai, was visible as he reached to help his mate, a small usagi youkai, from the caravan. The royal symbol lay between the part of her tan fluffed bangs, to match the short sandy colored stripe on each cheek and eyelid. Her scrunched sky blue eyes scanned the area around her as a tan clawed hand held her waist length hair in place. A minor breeze blew at the onna's yellow kimono, making the small flowers that decorated it seem to float.

The Northern Lord's new heir, his daughters mate, exited next. The scrawny barn fukurō youkai adjusted his orange and deep brown outfit, with a black spotted white obi and customary black leather boots, before sending his pale brown eyes across the western pack. His bony face, baring only the royal mark, held a look of annoyance as he held a speckled hand out to his very pupped mate. The blonde ahiru youkai, only differing from her mother in hair color, rubbed her swollen stomach through her own silken kimono, once again matching her mothers.

Just as Inu Tashio was about to step forward to greet the Northern Lord and his tribe another youkai stepped from the carriage. The youkai had no aura and smelled of fresh lilacs and rain but no other features could be discerned. A pair of pale daintily clawed hands peaked slightly from the end of the sleeves of a thick black cloak.

Sesshomaru POV

'Who is this youkai and why can this Sesshomaru not sense anything but their scent.' Looking toward his father he was astonished to see all eyes on the strange youkai.

"Lord Fuzakemashita of the Northern youkai tribe, we welcome you to the Palace Moon. A servant will guide you and your family to your chambers for your stay." Inu Tashio said still staring at the mysterious youkai.

"Oh Tashi don't be so serious! We haven't seen each other in far too long!" The Northern lord chirped at his father laughing heartily. Giving in with a sigh Inu Tashio flashed a smile at his old friend.

"Your right Fazake the time seems to have flown by. I see that your family is looking well. You know my mate Izayoi and my eldest Sesshomaru." His father spoke cheerfully motioning toward each. Sesshomaru gave a slight bow at his name. "And that little guy you see there is my youngest son Inuyasha. The lads just in his fiftieth summer."

"Congratulations my friend I am sure he will be a strong fighter just like his father." Sesshomaru didn't like the apprehensive look the Southern tribe all seemed to be giving his little sibling. "Where are my manners? Let me introduce you to my lovely family." The lord's over exuberance was beginning to give him a headache. "This is my beautiful mate Shindi, my eldest Hoittonī and her new mate Diran, and my youngest daughter Katza." The man said directing at each youkai before finally, motioning to the mysterious youkai.

Sesshomaru noticed a small wave from one of the onna's dainty hands. Her head turned toward the gardens before she kneeled down, allowing a small amount of her pale green kimono with intricately embroidered dark green vines to peek out of where her cloak split. The moment she was at a full kneel a small fluffy white rabbit hopped from the gardens and directly into her lap.

"Bunny!" Inuyasha exclaimed and ran toward the strange female. A gasp could be heard from the surrounding youkai as his small hanyou sibling rushed toward the mysterious female.

Dun dun duuuuuuu….. Hope you enjoyed it so far. Please leave me a comment and feel free to give any advice or ideas you have for the story. Sorry to give you such a large stock of, typically, unfamiliar terms so I made a little list below to help.

Vocabulary:

Kuraidesu- darkened

Hanyou- Half demon

Youkai- demon

Inu- dog

Usagi- rabbit

Onna- woman

Fukurō- owl

Ahiru- duck

Fuzakemashita- playful