Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha nor any of the familiar characters. Nassi and Kenichi belong to me, and Kilik belongs to the Soul Caliber franchise.
Chapter Fifteen: An Orphan on the Roadside(Second Sequence)
"If you so wish it, my dear," he growled as he raised his hand.
His hand was grasped before the whip could deploy. Sesshoumaru glared into his father's calm features and sneered. "Release me and move."
"I think not boy," InuTaishou refused. "I will not stand here and watch you beat her. To strike her would be to violate your vow to protect her. Do so and she becomes a ward of the west, as she should be."
Sesshoumaru saw the truth in his father's words and, with a last growl towards the young woman in question, vanished from the field.
(End)
And disappear he had, not only from the large field but the rest of the castle grounds.
(1)
"Come on Kagome," Nassi whispered as she freed Kagome from the cuffs. "He's gone. It's ok."
Kagome's arms trembled as she lowered them from the restraints, her eyes unseeing as Inuyasha rushed out of his haori and draped it over her shaking frame. 'The look in his eyes,' she remembered as Inuyasha shrugged out of his haori and draped it over her shoulders. 'He was so angry.' In that moment Kagome wanted to cry, shame suddenly washing over her at what could have been a betrayal of her benefactor. The shame disappeared when Nassi crooked a finger under the shorter girl's chin.
"You. . .you saved me."
Kagome blushed, her cheeks a brilliant pink as the forgotten crowd dispersed from the field. "You are my friend Nassi-chan. I could not let you suffer in my stead. You will not be my whipping boy." Kagome gasped, surprised, when silvery tears filled the kencho youkai's eyes. They opened up to the young hime and the womanly strength and steel reserve of a seasoned warrior melted into the vulnerable heart of a small, frightened bird. She was pulled into a rough hug before she could comment, Nassi's hold on her gentle as she rested her head on Kagome's shoulder.
"My friend," she heard Nassi whisper and the relief, and shaky joy, in her voice brought tears to her eyes.
"Yes," Kagome nodded and stroked the older girl's hair. "Your friend, forever."
. . .And the pink gem attached to her arm bracelet glowed, its light shielded by the haori hanging over it.
(2)
Weeks had passed since the incident and Sesshoumaru had yet to make an appearance. Kagome worried, both that the tall daiyoukai had been injured and that he was still upset with her, while the other members of the Western Citadel went about their daily business. Her training with the generals continued as scheduled. Today Nassi was training Kagome on her bo techniques while Inuyasha traveled with a few guards to secure the forests around the western borders.
"Kilik said that he had an issue with the way you work through your katas," she said as she retrieved the tonfas from her pupil and passed her a short staff. "So that's what we're going to do most of our work today."
"Did he say what it was that I am doing wrong?" Kagome frowned thoughtfully. "I believe I have all of the strikes and rotations memorized."
"You have all of them down but he said that you were stiff. You lack flow Kagome-chan."
"Alright," Kagome began and palmed the short staff in her hands. "How do I improve?"
Nassi grabbed another staff from the wall, this one nearly twice her height and whisper-thin. "Have you ever watched Kilik perform his katas? He usually does them with his eyes closed. Kilik's moves are fluid because he stops worrying about the moves he making and allows himself to still."
"Still?"
"Just trust me," Nassi responded. "Let's see if something I do will work for you. My people have war chants that prepare us for battle. Maybe one will help you." Nassi held her staff at her right side, motioned for Kagome to do the same, then beat the tip of her staff against the wooden floor. Nassi began to bounce on the balls of her feet, her bobbing in time with the steady thrum of her staff's rhythm against the floor and again Kagome mimicked her instructor. The first call left Nassi's lips, the sound sharp and loud as it too kept in time with the staff's strikes.
Nassi suddenly took off, performing a slow, bouncing march that, along with the staff's steady beat and the wild birdcall, breathed life into something untamed that resided within Kagome's spirit. It rose up and surrounded her, her heart speeding up as her aura suddenly swelled and wrapped around her. Nassi stole a glance at her and grinned, then wrapped her own youki around herself. Kagome's invisible pull merged with Nassi's golden crackling energy and it was not long before Kagome's own call echoed off the wooden walls of the dojo.
This spirit felt so natural to Kagome, so much so that she never noticed when Nassi's movements changed, merely allowing herself to perform a single rotation with her staff before catching it in her left hand. The women faced each other as they performed the katas, their feet still moving as they marched in place. The strikes flowed from her and Nassirudden watched, impressed, as Kagome worked through her stiffness.
'She would've made a perfect addition to the tribe,' she said to herself and winced when Kagome slammed her strike against the floor. The war cry was a ancient talisman to her people and she couldn't help but remember when she and her mother would oversee the tribes preparations for battle. A ringing nearby cut through her memories before they could become darker. She glanced up at a set of bells, one of thousands throughout the castle, and frowned as they began to ring again. She raised her hand and closed her fist without thinking, a symbol of her people for their attention but had little time to be surprised when Kagome responded and went quiet. The bells rang again, this time with a single ring to the center of the group of three after the three noted peal from the group themselves.
"Kagome, stay here," she said as she dropped the staff and reached for the curved longsword hanging from the wall.
"What's going on Nassi?" Kagome asked groggily. She felt like tar, or like waking up from a heavy sleep, and she was having trouble understanding the urgency in Nassi's movements.
"The castle is under attack. You can't defend yourself yet, so stay here." Nassi opened the dojo doors and glanced back at her pupil. "These doors are warded against intruders. I'll send some of the servants this way."
Kagome stood by as she closed the dojo doors. Minutes in the stillness of the dojo air, with nothing in the room with her and the ringing bells, began to wear on Kagome's nerves. She wondered what was happening and whether or not her friends were safe. It wasn't long afterward that the heavy oak door to the dojo pushed open and Kagome slipped from the crack she made. She tumbled into the hallway, then dusted herself off, picked up her staff, and glanced down the dimly lit hallway. Everything was quiet, the usual hustle of servants gone as the bells continued to ring. The ringing of the bells never changed, the cluster of bells giving three solid rings before the large bell in the center sounded twice.
'Hm,' Kagome said to herself as she quietly made her way down the hall. 'I wonder if these bells can tell me where Nassi and the others are.' She followed them up and down hallways, past servant quarters and the cafeteria before she realized that the bells were changing. She approached another hallway, this one leading to the throne room, and gasped at the sudden sounds of battle coming from the walkway. She peered over the corner and gaped at the soldiers, what looked to be hundreds of them, viciously attacking growling ogres with dark, swirling eyes. Each ogre was easily the size of two of its opponents, yet the Western forces fought the creatures one on one, hand to hand.
One soldier slashed across an oni's face, snarling victoriously when blood spurted from its right eye. He turned in time to see her and snapped at her angrily. "Onna, what are you doing here?"
"Remus?" Kagome gaped shocked that this blood-drenched, half-feral creature was in fact her friend. "Remus, what is-"
"Come on," he snapped as he grabbed her arm and darted down the hallway. "A defenseless human in this mess is asking for trouble. Why didn't Nassirudden-sempai secure you?"
"Well, I-"
"It doesn't matter." He stopped in front of the massive throne room doors, shoved them open, and shoved her inside. She whirled around quickly, her mouth open to protest, but found the doors quickly shut behind her. Kagome turned back to the room and smiled sheepishly at Inu no Taishou's stunned face.
"What are you doing here?" Nassi demanded as Kagome finally took in the blood and bodies around her. The once regal adornments of the throne room were desecrated with the destroyed bodies of the enemy, with appendages separated from those they were born with and the stench of steaming entrails wafting from the floor like a apocalyptic cloud.
"I believe I may be ill."
Keni'Chi and Kilik rolled their eyes, exasperated at how princess-like the statement was as Nassi crossed the room to her. Inu no Taishou said nothing, merely slinging the blood from the blades of his sai as he noted the odd green hue the little hime had become.
"Kagome, do not be sick," Nassi said as she approached the young girl. "This is what battle looks like and you have to adjust yourself. You can do it."
Kagome fought bravely, not wanting to disappoint Nassirudden, but felt as if she were fighting a battle she was destined to lose. The saliva in her mouth was hot and she moaned miserably as brain began to shut out the world. She turned toward the window with the intent to focus on the clear blue sky outside and shrieked at the dark, writhing cloud that blocked out the sun.
Nassi turned toward the window and cursed seconds before it shattered and rogue oni began to pour into the room. "Kagome, defend yourself!" Inu no Taishou demanded as he dove toward the onslaught. The slaughter began at once and his sai sang joyously at the dark blood that spilled to the flawless marble floor. Nassi patted her shoulder encouragingly then raised her sword and followed her lord. Kilik and Keni'Chi flanked Kagome's sides and struggled to keep the oni at bay.
Kagome watched, wide eyed and devastated, as her friends displayed sides of themselves that she had never seen. They were nearly feral in their viciousness and seemed to take great pride in the amount of damage they could deal to their opponent. Even Kilik, human like she was, reveled in the joys of battle. The dark aura leaking from his staff filled her with dread and she kept her back to the throne doors-and Keni'Chi.
A sudden snarl jerked her from her thoughts and Kagome ducked, barely in time to avoid the flying hand of an enormous three headed ogre. Its massive body was puke green and rippling with muscles. Black horns adorned the middle head, traveled down the creature's back, and tipped the creature's tail. Kilik and Keni'Chi went flying, their shouts of surprise lost in the growls and snarls of battle, and the satisfaction in the oni's gaze as he stared down at the small princess.
He reached out for her, intending to simply pluck her like a flower, and snapped in surprise when Kagome used her forgotten bo to quickly rap his knuckles. In that moment Kagome made a decision and she prepared herself, her staff at the ready as she waited for what it would do next. The oni's hand remained outstretched but no longer as close to her as it thought about what to do. It reached out for her again but this time Kagome darted forward and rolled between the oni's spread legs. Her hair brushed against the filthy ripped cloth it used for a covering and she barely avoided being caught again by its claws. She jumped up, regained her grip, and swept the staff through the air and into the ogre's crotch. The oni snarled in pain, all pretense of playing with his dinner forgotten as he whirled around and struck out at the tiny woman.
Kagome parried and swung again with a grip that would make future baseball players proud. Her staff connected with its knee with a solid thwack and it howled in pain again. She danced away from it, darting in and out like a hummingbird as the sounds of her attack reached the ears of the others. Neither had the time to see to her but all kept an ear toward her in case she needed quick rescue. Kagome jammed the staff's end against the floor and swung herself around, catching the oni's abused knee yet again before moving back toward the missing window.
The oni yowled, balled its massive fist, and slammed it into the floor. The marble tiling immediately shattered and the shockwave destroyed the rest of the tile that stood between itself and Kagome. Kagome, Kilik, and Keni'Chi, who were standing nearest to her when the attack happened, were thrown from their feet. They landed hard, Kagome worst of all as she bounced off the tile and skidded through the glass on what remained of the floor. She moaned, sat up, and shook her head, waiting for the world to stop spinning around her before glancing toward her staff. It lay in broken halves beside her and she groaned in a rising panic.
The ogre growled in triumph and raised its hand again just as Kagome looked to her companions. Kilik remained unmoving and Keni'Chi struggled to his feet, red bleeding into his silvery eyes. He held his right arm, the forearm bent in a manner that was not natural, and snarled at the oni that was rushing toward him. His weapon was nowhere nearby and neither was Kilik's staff as another oni slobbered over her unconscious friend. Kagome cried out, grasped the broken remains of her staff, and threw them toward the oni before raising her hand towards her aggressor. The broken ends of wood were deadly in their accuracy and each glowed bright pink with reiki. One found its home in the chest of Kilik's attacker, while the other whizzed by Keni'Chi to pierce his attacker's massive forehead. It bore into the bone and burst inside the brain, splintering purified bits of wood into the creature's unsuspecting gray matter. Each oni burst into ash as Kagome bathed her attacker in brilliant white light.
The oni exploded, shoving her out of the window. She plummeted several feet down the side of the castle and winced, terrified as she rapidly approached the sea. Imagine her surprise when, with only a few feet between her and unfathomable pain, her descent began to slow. Kagome glanced up, expecting to see Nassi flying above her, but saw nothing but a shimmering pink bubble. She fell into the waters and gasped, panicked at the sudden cold.
"Shit!" Nassi thundered as the bright light blinded her. She was blasted into the stone walls when the oni exploded, while Keni'Chi and Kilik were thrown towards the wooden entrance doors. Only Inu no Taishou stood his ground, his sleeve shielding his eyes as the brushing waves of purity washed over him. It refreshed him, as well as the other allies in the room as Kilik regained consciousness.
"Retrieve Kagome, Nassirudden," she heard through the haze that fogged her brain. She glanced up, then followed his gaze before jumping up and out of the window. Nassi saw Kagome's splash entrance into the water but not the girl herself. Few bubbles rose to the surface and Nassi darted toward the small pier that Kagome's falling body barely missed.
'Again with the water ' she barely heard her inner youkai gripe as she blindly began her search. She knew in her heart that no human could survive a fall from so high but she hoped anyway, and prayed to the gods of her people for Kagome's safety. A quick splash to the left of her perked her attention and Nassi turned, dumbfounded, as Kagome waved to her from underneath the waves. Her white training gi was soaked to the underclothing, but Kagome was smiling as she waved again. Her nose was closed by a thin membrane and along her cheeks were what Nassi first thought were stripes. They flapped open and Nassi jerked back, startled, as she realized that they were gills. There was webbing between her fingers and toes, which Nassi quickly noticed when the girl's bare feet appeared beneath her. Once Kagome's odd appearance was accepted Nassi's heart leapt joyfully, though painfully, at finding her alive.
Her joy spread through the bond and Kagome laughed. 'I'm glad too, though this all is most surprising,' Kagome replied as she studied her hands. 'Do you believe its permanent?'
"Probably not," Nassi said with a grin. "We can pull you out and see." Nassi reached down with Kagome's consent and pulled her out of the water, amazed as her features returned to normal. "Well at least we know what the water god did to you," Nassi replied as Kagome wrung the water from her heavy tresses. Kagome let out an indecisive snort and Nassi laughed before changing forms and flying Kagome to her room to change.
(3)
The warrior slid the shoji opened, pausing slightly at the stench that poured from the ogre in the room. They snarled at the sunlight that streamed in, but she paid them little mind as she made her way across the tatami floor to another shoji on the other side of the room. She slid this one open too and ignored another set of oni as powerful strides carried her across the room. One creature, a vicious purple oni with great teeth and beady black eyes, stepped into her path and roared. Spittle flew from the rank, dark hole it called a mouth, then swiped forward to snatch her in its sharp and deadly claws. A flash of pink from her armor was its only warning before the giant hand was separated from the oni's wrist. It howled in agony and snarled again, its eyes going from the lithe form to the giant boomerang still grasped in her hand. She raised it until its sharp rounded edge was in front of her, the vaulted forward at an inhuman speed. Seconds later the oni was dead, its headless neck spurting dark blood as the warrior softly landed behind it and continued into the room on the other side of the last shoji .
The scent of burning sandalwood immediately assaulted her senses, the pleasant fragrance a welcome change from the blood, rot, and unwashed bodies that permeated the remainder of the castle her mistress had 'procured' from the previous occupants. Screens of epic battles were hung along the wall of the back of the room. Candles were grouped on shelves and along the floorboards of the small area. In the center, where pillows of bright colors were scattered all over a small futon, sat a small child around the age of eight. She sat on her knees, head bowed and her eyes closed as curls of incense smoke swirled around her.
"Rin-sama, I ha-"
"That is no longer my name." The eyes of the small child opened, revealing glowing white orbs to the startled warrior. Her voice was the voice of many and she used it to pin her peon with her otherworldly stare. "Here our past lives are dead. We cast them aside the moment we accepted our Dark Art. Is that not right slayer?"
"Hai, my queen," the warrior replied and kneeled in respect. The girl inhaled deeply, glowing orbs sliding closed, before giving a sigh and rising from her pillows. Her orange and yellow checkered yukata was faded and frayed, but renewed and lengthened itself as the child moved from her seat to stand in front of her favored warrior. By the time the warrior looked upon her queen again she had changed, the small yukata now a yellow kimono with a black and orange checkered obi. Her hair, unimportant to the entity fueling her, remained in its childish side ponytail and her eyes continued to glow.
"Tell me a story of dogs, my slayer," the child-queen whispered as she raised the warriors head. "Tell me a story of dogs and death at the hands of my army."
"My queen, I cannot. We did not succeed in exterminating the Western Dai."
The child's eyes narrowed and her fingers fell from the woman's chin. "Explain."
"The plan was foiled by the three Western guardians- Inu no Taishou's generals-and a young woman belonging to the long dead Kingdom of Roses," the warrior explained. "Inu no Taishou defeated several of the warriors on his own, but those that were left were destroyed by those four."
"I see." The child walked away, toward a shelf in a far corner as the warrior stood and trailed behind her.
"My lady, are you displeased with me?"
"No," she shook her head. "Those creatures were pawns sent to test the strength of the great dog. I know more now and it has not cost me anything important."
"Of course Kaguya -hime." She watched as the child grasped a small porcelain pot and peered inside. "What are our plans now, my queen?" she asked as the child returned to the futon. The elaborate kimono melted away, returning to the dingy yukata that the child had on before she descended from her cushy throne.
"Or plans are to wait, dear one," the child said as she peered underneath the lid of the pot. Something inside chattered angrily and she clucked soothing noises at it before returning to her guest. "We will wait and watch them before burning their little citadel to the ground."
(4)
The skies were gray and had been so since he and Lasher began their journey from the Western Citadel. He rode on, uncaring if it rained as he patrolled the border between the western and eastern territories. His mind would occasionally turn to The Incident, but it was his beast's insistent whining that was grating on his everlasting nerves.
To make matters worse, the rainstorm he had been expecting was now a frightful downpour with crashing thunder and blinding lightening. He deemed it unimportant but it was becoming increasingly difficult to convince Lasher to do the same.
'We could get out of the rain and go see her,' Sesshoumaru's beast offered. 'I am sure she has forgiven us by now.'
'This Sesshoumaru has done nothing to be forgiven for,' he countered as he continued his ride. 'She is the one who defied my order.'
'That order was stupid anyway,' his beast replied with a huff. 'You know Kagome is clumsy. Instead of punishing Nassirudden for something she could not have helped, you could have stayed by Kagome's side while she recovered.'
'This Sesshoumaru is no lap dog. Next you will expect me to lay at the foot of her bed and whine.'
'Some onna like it when you whine.'
Sesshoumaru closed the door on that train of thought, wondering to himself why he chose to give a voice to his subconscious when all it did was cause trouble. Mud splattered when Lasher stepped into a puddle and Sesshoumaru frowned as the brown water soaked his hakamas and stained Lasher's beautiful coat.
'May we go back now, master?' the horse whined pitifully. 'It is miserable out here and so am I.'
Sesshoumaru sighed but relented, pulling on Lasher's reins to point him toward home. The horse's first step splashed water again and Sesshoumaru stopped at the groan that rose from the dripping bushes. He attempted to sniff out the sound but the rain and mud were all his sensitive nose could pick up. He swung down from his mount, unsheathed his sword, and parted the bushes. He heard a whimper this time, the sound small and afraid. Sesshoumaru paused near a tree behind the bushes and close to the side of the road. At the base of the tree was a small bundle wrapped in a blue blanket that was caked in mud and filth. The bundle groaned, then a muddy face appeared at the top of the blanket. The emerald orbs that stared back at him were sick with fever and the figure shivered under the downpour. Sesshoumaru glanced at it for a second, then turned and made his way back to his horse.
Sesshoumaru sheathed his sword, put his foot in the stir-up, and was pulling himself into the saddle when Kagome's face rose from his memory. She was sad but defiant, her heart out for him to crush as he involuntarily imagined what she would do in this situation. He envisioned her running up to the creature, uncaring if it was dangerous or not, and scooping it into her arms before begging him to take it with them. She would win, of course, no matter how he would explain why dragging a half soaked, sick youkai anywhere was a bad idea.
He could have sighed then, but disliked the thought of water in his delicate nostrils. Instead he pulled his foot out of the stir-up, returned to the clearing, and removed his cape. He wrapped it around the muddy mess before he picked it up and returned to Lasher. The small youkai shivered in his arms and the heat from its fever seared the skin at his throat.
"Come Lasher," Sesshoumaru said as he returned to his saddle. "Fly home swiftly."
(End)
SF: You know what held this chapter up? Code Monkeys being on Netflix. I kid you not. I found that Code Monkeys, Shorties Watching Shorties, and Destination Truth are just a few of my nerdy faves that are on Netflix. I will try to behave myself and update quickly but I can't lie, the military bear is gone again and I can't make any promises.
Oh, and Nassi's little march is reminiscent of traditional Native American ceremonies. The call itself was (I'm not gonna lie) the first couple of seconds of Kanye West's Power. If you want to see what dance inspired me, look up Native American War Dance on YouTube.