Chapter 5:
Royal Salvation
"None of us can ever save himself; we are the instruments of one another's salvation, and only by the hope that we give to others do we lift ourselves out of the darkness into light."
-Dean Koontz
Tsuyoshi walked alongside his newly returned Lord, his brain moving at a rapid clip due to the stories of the past Ryura was telling. Now he could see why Ryura had been ashamed to look at him after admitting he was the Leader of the Four War Gods. The crimes the group had committed were horrible, and he could truly understand how the Kami could not forgive him.
But that didn't mean Tsuyoshi would hold it over Ryura. After all, when a person attempted redemption, there always needed to be at least one person willing to not forgive, but to overlook past transgressions and look to the future, to guide the person into a better life. Tsuyoshi knew he couldn't be Ryura's salvation – the young Lord had to find that himself.
Tsuyoshi vowed to himself he would stay at his Lord's side as long as Ryura allowed it, until the Kami decided if he should live or if his soul should perish.
"Tsuyoshi, care to tell me what else has happened while I was gone?" Ryura asked, breaking Tsuyoshi of his thoughts.
"Of course, my Lord. Only proper after sharing your experiences, ne?" He asked with a wink of his now healed eye. "As I am sure you are aware, Lord Sesshoumaru has taken the mantle of Lord of the West. His mother, Lady Inukimi, still retains the title Lady of the West due to Sesshoumaru being unmated, and she oversees the lands while he hunts Naraku."
"I'm surprised he's unmated at his age. Lord Touga and Lady Inukimi were mated when they were fairly young, were they not?" Ryura asked with a raised brow.
"Yes, that is correct, but Lord Sesshoumaru I believe is holding off on mating and producing an heir until his lands are safe from the vile scum," Tsuyoshi said with venom dripping off his last words.
Ryura folded his arms as his head tilted. "Hm. Do you know where Lord Sesshoumaru is?"
"I cannot say I do, but I am sure I could find out." Tsuyoshi looked at Ryura from the corner of his eye. "Would it be wise to meet with him so soon?"
"Yes, I am expecting a bad reaction but it still has to be done. Speaking of 'so soon', how long has it been since the rumors of the Four War Gods started? I have no idea how long I was in the void for. Even though it felt like centuries I don't think it was very long, since Naraku and the humans hunting him are still alive, but..." he trailed off.
"Only six moon cycles," Tsuyoshi said with a bob of his head. "And I believe there is no such thing as time in the void, at least time as we view it."
Ryura was curious now. "What do you mean?"
"Well, think on it, my Lord. The Kami are unending. They are the only true immortals. Youkai can live for hundreds of years, the lucky ones can live for thousands. Who is to say that the Kami experience time as we do?" The water Dragon offered a small grin at Ryura's baffled look.
"So you're basically saying that what is a moon cycle to us is actually a century in...Kami-time?" Ryura's voice wavered. Kami-time, seriously? He wanted to smack himself at how dumb that sounded.
"Essentially, yes. Either way you were punished for quite a long time. I cannot begin to imagine how it must be to lose what makes us youkai for even a day, never mind six moon cycles," Tsuyoshi murmured thoughtfully.
The two fell into silence and walked for another hundred or so feet until Tsuyoshi suddenly spoke up, "Lord Sesshoumaru is fairly close. I will attempt to summon him. Prepare yourself for he moves much faster than he used to."
Ryura swallowed the lump in his throat. This was not going to be a pleasant experience and he fully expected to come out of it with a broken arm, or more.
"Lord Sessssshouuumarrruuuuuu!" came the cry of a green gami with a funny hat on his head. The gami carried a two headed staff; one head an old, graying man and the other a beautiful young woman.
The Lord in question paused only for a moment, looking over his shoulder briefly at his retainer. The gami's short legs were carrying him as fast as he could go, which made for a humorous enough sight that Rin, perched on Ah-Un's back, lost herself in a fit of hysterical giggles.
"Cease your noise, child! I have important information for Lord Sesshoumaru!" Jaken squawked while shaking his staff threateningly at the child as he trotted past her. His threat didn't work, Rin only continued to laugh.
"Jaken, I pray you have a good reason for this. I faintly remember saying I wished for no interruptions today," Sesshoumaru rumbled as he fully turned to look down at his panting retainer.
"Y-yes, you did, Lord Sesshoumaru!" Jaken said through gasps. "But it-you have message from Tsuyoshi of the East!" From the sleeves of his clothing he produced a small scroll bearing the marking of a silver lightning bolt.
Sesshoumaru snatched the scroll from Jaken's small hands without hesitation. It was rare for Tsuyoshi to seal his missives with the silver lightning bolt of the House of Storms. He broke the seal with a claw and spread it out with his fingers. Having only one arm sort of made it hard to read the scroll properly, but Sesshoumaru adapted quickly.
Sesshoumaru, Patriarch of the House of the Moon and Lord of the West,
I send this to you in hopes your hunt for the vile hanyou Naraku are coming to fruition. I believe I can safely assume that all of Nippon is looking forward to the day the hanyou is destroyed.
That said, I have a request. The young Lord Ryura has recently returned to the East and he is wishing to meet with you. He is more than aware of the events in the past, and fully expects any punishment you see fit to give him.
May the Moon Grace the West and May the Wind Grace the East,
Tsuyoshi,
Steward of the House of Storms
Sesshoumaru felt his lip lift in a silent snarl. While he knew the message had come from Tsuyoshi judging by the scent that layered over the parchment, it didn't stop him from being wary of hearing Ryura was alive and well, when he was supposed to have died on Horai Island. He swore on his ancestors that if Naraku had somehow managed to revive Ryura the same way he had the Band of Seven, Sesshoumaru would tear down the eastern mountains and take Naraku with it.
The scent of flowers assaulted his nose as his poison rose to the surface, a neon green engulfing his hand and the scroll at the same time. Soon nothing was left of the message, and Sesshoumaru flicked his hand to the side, ridding it of any lingering acid.
"Jaken, find my half-brother and the Miko. Take Rin to them," Sesshoumaru said as he turned on his heel and began heading east. He didn't wait for a response from Jaken, knowing what the gami would say anyway. Some grovel about "Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru, of course Lord Sesshoumaru, right away Lord Sesshoumaru!" or "The whore and the half-breed!? Why, my Lord, why!?"
The latter would have earned Jaken a swift kick to the head, and it wasn't something Sesshoumaru exactly had time for at the moment.
Once he was far enough away from his small pack, Sesshoumaru quickly folded himself into a small orb of light and rose into the air, only to streak across the sky in the direction of Tsuyoshi's scent.
When he found the water Dragon, Sesshoumaru descended swiftly, only coming to a stop when directly in front of Tsuyoshi. Next to him was Ryura. The red eye'd Dragon had his lips pressed into a thin line while watching Sesshoumaru's form unfold from the white orb of energy and light.
"I see you weren't joking about how fast he can move now, Tsuyoshi," he heard Ryura mumble to the water Dragon beside him, earning a soft chuckle.
"Greetings Lord Sesshoumaru, I hope your trip was fair?" Tsuyoshi asked with a smile.
"Indeed," Sesshoumaru began. "What is the meaning of this?" His eyes slid over to rest on Ryura as his senses went into overdrive, trying to pick up some hint of deception. Grave soil, specifically. His senses were still examining everything about Ryura as the Dragon Daiyoukai spoke.
"Well, first off, it's good to see you too, asshole." Ryura snapped. Tsuyoshi elbowed him in the arm and gave him a firm glare. Ryura cleared his throat. "Your sire gives you his greetings and wishes to inform you that he is now a part of the Kami; he has ascended. Congratulations, Lord Sesshoumaru, you are now the son of a God."
Sesshoumaru stared hard at Ryura. Every word he had spoken was the complete and utter truth. There were no speed increases of his heart to show he was lying, nor did his aura fluctuate. The information, once proven to be true, floored Sesshoumaru. His father? A Kami? He felt bitter at that. Just how was he to surpass his father, again?
"I see, and yourself? How is it you are standing among the living once more?" Sesshoumaru voice was guarded, per the norm. His eyes held a curiosity that Ryura picked up on right away. He didn't grow up with Sesshoumaru for no reason, after all.
"The Kami felt being locked away and turned into a void wasn't a suitable way to attempt to redeem my soul. After all, one can't prove themselves when they can't move, breathe, see, hear, or taste, can they?" Ryura said dourly. "Tsuyoshi and I are under the impression that time moves slower in the void. While it has only been six moon cycles since my death for you, for me it has been six centuries. I'm pretty sure your sire had something to do with it, though. I'm not the only one in history who has committed a heinous crime."
Sesshoumaru listened intently and watched, searching for any lies. When he found none he motioned for Ryura to continue.
"Your sire came to me, woke me from my apparent slumber and explained what was to happen. I will tell you what he told me, on behalf of the other Kami," Ryura said.
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Ryura the Dragon, Daiyoukai and Patriarch of the House of Storms, once Lord over the Eastern Territories of Nippon. You are hereby released from your imprisonment, and you will be returned to Earth. This decision has been made to give you a chance to redeem yourself and your very soul. Should you fail, this one and only chance will be swiftly stripped from you. If you fail, you will never live again. We will be your judges. Live your life and live it well. You will not be given another opportunity to prove yourself."
When he was finished repeating Touga's words, Ryura's eyes opened to look at Sesshoumaru. The Daiyoukai of the West held a thoughtful look on his face.
"And you have summoned me. Why?" Sesshoumaru asked after a few moments.
Ryura let out a soft chuckle. "I wish to redeem my soul, Sesshoumaru." He dropped his title, wishing to speak to Sesshoumaru on even ground, as friends. "I know my actions in the past were far from honorable, and I hate myself more every second that passes for what I've done to my family." He gave a broken smile. "You have always been one of the most honorable people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. I ask for your help."
Sesshoumaru's brows rose and his eyes widened a fraction in a rare display of shock. "You wish for my help," he said. The Dragon Daiyoukai bowed deeply, as deep as a commoner would to him.
"Very well," Sesshoumaru murmured. "However until you find your own path, you will act the Lord you were raised to be. While you may not have a grip on your lands, does not mean you can afford to act anything but the Lord you are. I will not remind you again."
Ryura instantly rose to stand straight and he nodded. Sesshoumaru turned to walk away, only pausing to throw a command over his shoulder. "Follow."
Tsuyoshi and Ryura looked at each other for a moment, then the water Dragon gestured to follow after Sesshoumaru.
The trip was silent for the most part, except for short words from Tsuyoshi pointing out pieces of the lands they were traveling. Quite a lot had changed during the time Ryura had been away. Sesshoumaru hadn't said a word since they left. He was too busy scenting the air, trying to get a clue to where his half-brother might be. Where he was is where undoubtedly his ward would be.
Sesshoumaru made a sharp right, finally getting a whiff of the half-breed's stench. Honestly, didn't the boy know how to bathe himself? Sesshoumaru was aware the Miko took as many baths as she could, so why couldn't Inuyasha learn from that? It was like he couldn't smell himself.
"Excuse me, Lord Sesshoumaru, if you do not mind my asking, where is it exactly are we going?" Tsuyoshi asked after a few more moments of silence.
Sesshoumaru didn't pause to look back; he spoke as he walked, adding yet another thing to the list of what he was doing. Sniffing out his half-brother, paying attention to his surroundings, looking for any threats, walking, and talking... Well, good thing Sesshoumaru was quite capable at multitasking.
"We are to retrieve my ward, as well as Ryura's swords," he said. He heard Ryura's breath catch behind him and inwardly Sesshoumaru smirked. Apparently the Dragon had been looking for his swords, but couldn't find them while Sesshoumaru knew exactly where they were, or really, who they were with.
"I am unsure of the reason, but your swords have chosen a temporary master. They were brought to me while their new master attempted to find someone who fit the swords, since you were dead at the time," Sesshoumaru explained as they continued walking. Ryura had sped up and was now walking alongside the Inu Daiyoukai. The anxiousness he felt to feel his swords in his hands once more was not missed by Sesshoumaru.
"Why didn't you take them? I mean, they're strong swords," Ryura asked curiously. "I'd rather you have them than some ignorant asshole who would mistreat them."
Sesshoumaru glanced at him. "They would not allow me to touch them; a barrier has been placed over them, and from the lightning that attempted to harm me, I would think the swords erected the barrier themselves," he paused for a moment. "Worry not. Your swords are in very, very loving hands. Totosai has shown them how to properly care for a sword, considering their new master is an archer and has only ever held a sword to taunt me."
"Taunt you? And they lived?" Ryura snorted with laughter. "Must be some archer, then."
"By sheer luck, I assure you. I found my sire's grave and attempted to retrieve Tessaiga. I lost my left arm in the process," he admitted ruefully. "I will leave the rest of the story for your sword's temporary master to finish. It is quite the interesting tale."
Ryura fell into his own thoughts at that. Tessaiga- no, don't tell him the hanyou held his weapons! He paled at the thought and shook it forcefully from his mind. That was the last thing he wanted. If that hanyou had harmed his swords in anyway, Touga's son or not, he was going to die.
Despite his attempt to shake the thoughts away, they kept coming back and picking at his brain. When Ryura heard the aforemention hanyou shout Sesshoumaru's name with hate and digust, it did nothing to ease Ryura's worries. The hanyou did have his swords! Oh, somebody was going to die tonight. And that somebody was a half Inu-youkai with freaking dog ears on top of his head, dressed in a smelly fire-rat robe.
"Inuyasha, sit!" came the cry of a woman, followed by an earth shaking thump. Next to him, Ryura could sense Sesshoumaru's humor, and he silently wondered what all that was about.
Sesshoumaru, Ryura, and Tsuyoshi broke through the tree line, entering a large clearing where a camp was set up. Boar meat roasted over a fire, and bedding was laid out at various points around the campsite. Ryura's red eyes darted around the camp, taking in the appearance of everyone there, not minding when they began to pull their weapons out when they noticed him.
He couldn't see or sense his swords anywhere. Had Sesshoumaru been lying? No, the Daiyoukai just didn't lie. He saw it beneath him, just as his sire had.
"Oi, ya bastard, what are you doing with him!?" Inuyasha yelled while pointing the tip of his transformed fang-blade at Ryura. "Isn't the fucker supposed to be dead, anyway!? And who's he!?" Tessaiga's fang swiveled around to point at Tsuyoshi. The water Dragon raised his hands in an innocent gesture.
"Inuyasha, you will cease opening your mouth if nothing but colorful language will spill out around my ward," Sesshoumaru growled out as his hand landed on Rin's head. The girl squealed the moment she saw him and instantly attached herself to his leg. The sight earned a choked snort from Ryura, which earned him a glare from Sesshoumaru.
"Seriously Inuyasha, I think having a Princess for a mother and a Lord for a father, you'd have better manners engrained into your genetics!" Kagome spat out. She hated it when he cussed around Rin, too.
"What? Kagome, the fu-" he was rudely interrupted. "Inuyasha, sit!"
The beads around his neck shone purple and he was rammed into the earth. So that's what the shaking earlier was about. Ryura promptly lost it. He pointed a clawed finger at the prone figure inside a hanyou shaped crater, and laughed hysterically to the point he had tears in his eyes.
The oddly dressed Shikon Miko stood over the crater, hands on her hips as she yelled at Inuyasha, still in his crater. When he tried to get up, she yelled the command word again, causing the hanyou's body to rise into the air, only to be slammed down again. It made Ryura laugh even harder; he was sitting on the ground now, pounding a fist into the dirt, unable to contain his mirth.
"Inuyasha, don't you think Sesshoumaru realizes how much we're needed to defeat Naraku? He wouldn't of brought the guy here if it wasn't for an important reason! And you goofball, he has Tensaiga. He might have revived him, for all we know!" Kagome scolded Inuyasha as if she were a mother with an unruly child. "And just look at him! Does he looked like the crazed maniac we met on Horai? That jewel is gone and so is the diamond on his forehead!"
"Lady Kagome, I think we should focus on Lord Sesshoumaru and his...guests," Miroku said in an attempt to get the girl to realize just how dangerous the situation was. Didn't she remember Haroi Island?
"I have to agree, Kagome... This is a dangerous – they're dangerous," came Sango's voice soon after Miroku was done speaking.
Kagome looked up and blinked, eyes darting between the monk and youkai slayer. "Huh? Oh come on, guys. Sesshoumaru isn't stupid. If he wanted to kill us by ambush, this wouldn't be how he would've done it. Think about it. We all felt his aura before he showed up."
Jaken had to agree with the wench. His Lord wasn't stupid, though he did wish he would kill Inuyasha and just be done with it. He bobbed his little green head in agreement, but kept his thoughts to himself for once.
"My Lady, I must ask. You speak very freely of Lord Sesshoumaru. Are you his intended?" Tsuyoshi spoke up for the first time since they arrived. His question only made Ryura laugh harder. Sesshoumaru, mate a human? "Ah, forgive me as well. My name is Tsuyoshi. I am the Steward of the House of Storms."
"Bwhahahah!" Ryura roared. "Her, and Sesshoumaru? Mates? No offense, Miko-sama, but..." his words were stopped by a renewed bout of laughter.
"Oh hell no!" Inuyasha yelled as he popped up from his crater. "I dunno who you are, but you say something like that again, I'll wipe that goddamn head of yours off your fuckin-"
"Sit!" Kagome screamed while pointing a finger at him.
Her face was a bright cherry red at the words and she looked down at the ground. She knew she was just a human, and not very powerful, but to have someone laugh at thinking of her and Sesshoumaru together, sort of hurt. She didn't feel anything for the Daiyoukai Lord, of course. The hurt came from something far different than that. Kikyou had once laughed at her for her thinking she could be with Inuyasha. It reminded her of that horrible experience.
Sesshoumaru watch the exchange with interest, and he knew he wasn't the only who felt the hurt course through the woman-child's aura. He chose his next words carefully, "The Miko is powerful, Ryura, despite her race. If such a thing would happen, I would be proud of what heir she could give me."
That was enough for Ryura to stop laughing immediately. It was then, those words that he said, that Ryura realized just how much Sesshoumaru had changed over the centuries. He looked to Sesshoumaru thoughtfully, inwardly smiling. It was a good thing, that he changed. He had been far too much like his mother in the past for Ryura's liking; a giant stick in the mud. He just sort of sapped all the fun out of all the games they would play when they were children.
No one paid attention to Kagome sitting Inuyasha yet again when he popped up and almost tried to rip Sesshoumaru's head off. They instead looked at Sesshoumaru, waiting for an explaination for this arrival with the two other youkai.
"If the half-breed will calm down, we can begin explaining why we are here," Sesshoumaru murmured to Kagome, who had walked over to Rin to ask if she was ready to eat.
Kagome's blue eyes blinked and she looked from Rin up to Sesshoumaru. "Oh, sure. Can we eat first, please? We were traveling all day, and I'm sure even Rin is hungry, aren't you sweetie?" She finished with a smile as she turned her attention back to Rin.
"Rin is hungry, yes! Lord Sesshoumaru, may Rin eat with Kagome-chan and the rest? She has not ate aaaaaallll day!" The child gave Sesshoumaru her famous gap-toothed smile, and the Daiyoukai Lord of the West narrowed his gaze, slowly turning it to Jaken. His left eyebrow jumped with annoyance when Rin's stomach growled, furthering her point of not eating all day.
"Jaken," he said, his voice dangerous and low. The gami squeaked and turned around to face his Lord. Shippou stuck his tongue out at Jaken, since the gami had been arguing quietly with him before now.
"You have not allowed Rin to eat?" Sesshoumaru asked.
Ryura, behind Sesshoumaru, fell into another bought of laughter for reasons unknown to the others, even Tsuyoshi. The water Dragon gave Ryura a curious glance, one which Ryura could only respond with a, "You'll see!" before trying to muffle his laughs.
Since Sesshoumaru looked as if he was about to blow his top, Kagome gently urged Rin to go and sit next to Sango so the youkai slayer could help her get a plate of food together. Kagome was sure Sesshoumaru wouldn't stop her, not with the knowledge that Rin hadn't ate all day now revealed to all of them. If Sesshoumaru didn't kick Jaken to Hell, Kagome sure would; she wasn't happy with the little gami either.
Sesshoumaru stalked over to his retainer, and looked down at him with still narrowed eyes. "Well?"
Jaken began to stutter, "M-my Lord! We were traveling in search of the hanyou and his who- the Miko," he corrected himself quickly, "There was no time to stop!"
"That is why there is dried deer in one of Ah-Uh's saddle bags, Jaken," Sesshoumaru said as he deftly ripped Jaken's staff from his hands, only to bop the gami harshly over the head. "Make sure it does not happen again."
Jaken fell into a heap of brown and green on the ground with a quickly growing bump the size of an orange on his head. He muttered out a "Y-yes, Lord Sesshoumaru," before Sesshoumaru stepped on him as he passed by.
Ryura's snort was drowned out by the gami's cry of shock. It seemed to the Dragon Daiyoukai that Sesshoumaru had found a way to entertain himself, and by the looks of it, it entertained the rest of the group too, especially the small Kitsune whose tail was still bristled over the small argument they had they thought no one else could hear.
"Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru said as he neared his half-brother. "Calm yourself. No harm will come to your pack. Save father's fang for Naraku."
Inuyasha, who had been watching as if everyone had suddenly lost their minds, snapped out of his reverie and growled at Sesshoumaru while sheathing Tessaiga. "Fine, whatever. But if he and his buddy over there," he said while pointing at Ryura and Tsuyoshi, "try anything, I'll take it out of your hide after I kill them."
"I am sure," Sesshoumaru said sarcastically.
"Oi, ya as-jerk!" Inuyasha stepped forward to be nose to chest with Sesshoumaru.
Kagome rolled her eyes and went back to plating the cooked boar. With the inu brothers bickering, no one was going to be able to talk, so they might as well eat. When everyone but the youkai, minus Shippou, had a plate, Kagome rose to her feet and walked over to the are Ryura and Tsuyoshi were quietly sitting and offered them both a plate with a smile.
"You two should eat, too! Especially you," she said while looking at Ryura. "If you've been dead all this time, you have to be hungry."
Not wanting to offend the Miko, Tsuyoshi carefully took the plate from his hands and nodded at the other, "You should accept her offer, Lord Ryura."
"I..." Ryura fumbled with the words, overly shocked she was being decent with him. Was this girl insane? He tried to kill her and her friends before! He grunted and gave a short nod, then took the plate from Kagome. "Thank you, Miko-sama."
"Kagome, my name is Kagome, and I prefer to be called it," she said evenly, not exactly liking being addressed in such a way.
Startled, Ryura looked from his plate up to her. "...very well, Lady Kagome."
The Miko huffed and threw her hands up in the air. Oh well, it was a start.