Ch 10

My new life became not only more dangerous, but of new satisfaction as well. After leaving the ruins of my childhood home, trusting that my father wouldn't hurt Mother if he wanted to end his own life or break his heart. I immediantly traveled to the mountain manor to learn of Inukimi's condition and inform her servants that they now worked for me since my father gave me jurisdiction.

"Damn you husband! This is all your fault for what has happened! These are my staff and they answer to me alone-"

I sat straight and took her insults with a stone face, cutting her off with a hand, "-since your last escapade, and now in your current condition we cannot take anymore risks on the pup. I am placing a guard around the manor, and your maids would answer to me by correspondence of your condition through Myoga while I am on my travels. I have received word from my father's advisors by decree that I am now lord over the humans and half-demons of the west-"

"Disgusting worthless filth," I heard her mutter before I tried to calmly continue.

"-and because the Western Lands are in a state of confusion and a possible uprising against the shogun leaders... I need to leave and meet the council of demon and human to prevent any rash decisions my father may have started. Your duty is to stay safe and stay alive and healthy enough to deliver...our...pup. The degree also states that you are under me and my father's protection so no harm can come to the child."

I nodded my head to her sulky face and dismissed myself, after a quick word with the staff to keep a closer eye on the lady, I took off still hearing her insults behind my back.

I had stayed my first night in the demon slayer village where my human allies and old friends pitied me and offered me their alliance once again if I needed help defeating my father. I rejected the idea quickly, reminding them that there were more important matters to take care of.

I traveled alone inspecting the human and half-demon lands to clear them of dangers and make sure the people were well cared for. Bandit gangs were starting to form up from the East and think that the land of the West would have more opportunities since the political system was in chaos.

I had put together trained humans to prepare themselves to guard their villages, however, the numbers from the east coming in were growing and due to my own limited guards and allies I couldn't be everywhere at once if I wanted to.

A year later, I found myself putting together a small council of human leaders (lords and village headmen) to meet with me every few months to not only meet and trade to better the economy, but to present their grievances for me to fix or finalize. Many did still fear me for a while, but once I expressed my understanding and kindness to their families they were slowly starting to accept. Their children were more accepting than their fearful parents, but I didn't mind as I was delighted in their playing around me or with my long tail. Spending time with the youth gave me a sense of hope for the future in all that I was working towards.

It was moments like that that I would wonder what my own future sons would look like, the eldest would be a dog demon for sure since he/she was through lady Inukimi, but what of the other? Would he also be a pure dog demon? A mixed blooded demon? A half-demon?

I made sure to visit Inukimi whenever I could (for the sake of the child she carried), and she would mostly yell in my presence as to why I was to blame for her gaining weight and not being allowed to see anyone while she is pregnant. One of the servants had almost caught her jumping off the roof in hopes of killing the pregnancy so she would rejoin her lover back in my father's household.

"What I do is none of your business if you are never here!"

I stood before the frantic female as she prattled on and on about her troubles experiencing the pregnancy.

"What is the point in all of this?! I'm not allowed to leave, I cannot go visit friends, and now I'm becoming fat and ugly! This is all your fault husband! If you had more control of yourself, we would never be in this situation! Now, you are wanted for death by your father's allies if either one of us ever return..."

I had stopped listening to her complaints long ago, instead I smelled the air and found strange residue of citrus. Citrus fruit was rare human food from the North and while quite tasty we demons often use the peels for cleaning our foul odors. Where and how did she get the fruit? It smelled refreshing to my sensitive nose, but how much was she paying for it, and why? It wasn't like she was eating them other wise the smell would be on her. And according to LeeLee-chan, the lady was mostly craving human noodles and raw pork. I would have to consult the servants again...

Lady Inukimi had finally stopped her talking to look away from me with disdain, I inwardly sighed and almost rolled my eyes at her childish behavior. Even though I wasn't bound to her as a mate, or truly wed to her, she was my responsibility whether we liked it or not.

I had left her explaining that I needed to see to the half-demon tendents while she scoffed at the idea.

A few months after I had formed the council and visited the aggravating lady, I had also wanted to add a tribe of half-demons that I had found at a refuge camp on my lands. But they didn't want anything to do with the humans due to their past rejections. Apparently, half-demons are not accepted by neither human or demon communities due to prejudice and misunderstandings.

A patch of land was found and cleared up by a river since a flash flood which led me to encourage a group of orphaned half-demons and humans to see if they could live together as my grandshire predicted.

There weren't that many willing participants whom wanted to move and start a new life, but there were a few young couples that trusted me enough to willingly adopt the orphans and raise them. Their first year was a proven success as I had predicted, the beginning wasn't perfect but I do give credit to the female mates and peace keepers for keeping up with the stubborn males and following the system I had established to keep them safe and well fed in their own village. I would visit often whenever I could, and gave the job of headman to a wise young half-fox demon to watch over the new tribe before I left them to start their third month.

My travels on foot and in the air continued over the Western boarders as I tried to make peace and visit human and demon communities to keep them for harming the other and stop couriers of my father's from spreading word of rebellion against all the humans and half-breeds.

Traveling monks would either want to befriend me or try to kill me on the spot thinking I was an evil spirit from hell. I would either avoid those type of holy men or knock them out cold if they tried to attack me. However, this soon changed when I received a new travel companion.

I had traveled to the Kyoto providence to bring my latest speech statement to the human council when I once again met the servant boy Saitou from my father's lands when the castle had been cleared a few months ago. His mother was with him to bring me news from my mother...

"...milady sends her wishes milord, though she does miss you terribly, she is safe from the lord's threats due to the hold she has over his heart..."

I sat before the human maid, Raei-san, and her son Saitou in a private room at an expensive tea house because it was the only place I knew of that would give us the respect and privacy needed. Little Saitou sat next to his mother with a serious expression on his face, but I could see a determination there as well.

"You reside in the lands of my mother's clan, Raei-san?" I inquired.

She looked down and sadly shook her head, "The clan of your mother's have gone into hiding for the followers of your father, and it was reported that two of your mother's older brothers were attacked in the forests by the boarder...the rest of the human servants and myself have wandered about looking for work in different places while the demon servants have either gone to appeal to other demon households and your father's in hopes of helping milady..."

I clutched an angry fist as I kept my calm expression, not wanting to frighten the elder mother and child.

"How have you received correspondence from my mother?"

She looked up and smiled warmly as she looked down at her son to pat his head, "Little Saitou-kun sneaked into the castle a few weeks ago to find the lady Mother and tell of your journey, milord..."

So, the young human boy was loyal and efficient...he could be a useful squire after all...

The young boy nodded his head eagerly, "Milady says that she misses you and loves you milord, she also wishes to know how her future grandpup is doing?"

I noticed how my mother's retold words were questioning my unborn son rather than inquire about lady Inukmi, in a sense this gave me a small speck of comfort knowing my mother cared and still supported me during my exile and suffering.

Before both Saitou and his mother departed for the night, I made arrangements for them to work and live at a local shrine keeper (an ally human who believed in my cause), with a promise to return for Saitou when he was old enough to assist me on my travels.