Chapter Two: The Master and His Hound
Rated - M (for suggestive adult themes, references to some violence, and coarse language)
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.
o - o - o - o - o
It had been 80 years since the day Inu walked through the door that would change his life.
Inu still resided in possession of his master, Bosu. The rules are still the same; only the faces have changed.
Despite being kept out of sight, the notoriety of the master and his dog has spread. His first master, who referred to himself as Bosu, died of old age, leaving Inu after 20 years. Bosu had passed Inu off to one of his trusted followers, who then took up the mantle of "Bosu." It had been that way for over a century. Serving one master who would then turn the leash over to an heir or be taken. Inu had been "taken" twice from those who were incompetent enough to get themselves killed by those who had sought out power. Those two had been the worst versions of Bosu Inu experienced. The original Bosu had commissioned a monk to create a collar for Inu, which an incantation need only be uttered, and Inu would be brought to heel. Fortunately, their reign as Bosu had been brief. Both lasted less than a decade, which was nothing for Inu as a half-demon. Indeed servitude had been ingrained into Inu now after nearly one century. He only thought of himself as a tool to be used when beckoned, and his life was simple enough to not think anymore of the matter. If there were times Inu ever stepped out of line, even if that line were imaginary, Inu was subjugated.
Bosu was kind enough to him as long as he was "good," so Inu had little in the way of complaints, even if he were allowed to have any. There was a roof over his head and food in his belly. No one ridiculed him anymore, either. At least not openly. The last person who did, Bosu, had him eliminated. Bosu said, "If they are saying things about ye, think what they could be saying about me. I am yer master and ye are an extension of me!"
Inu only nodded. He had learned not to speak unless ordered to speak. The first Bosu had taught him that. Inu stared mutely at the floor, kneeling by his master's side until he was instructed to do otherwise.
This Bosu had taken to flaunting his dog, unlike past masters who had kept him a well-guarded secret. This Bosu was much more power-hungry than any of Inu's previous masters had been. He had gathered a following of underlings who pillaged and plundered for sport. However, he kept no one close except for his loyal Inu. Why should he when he had a dog at his beck and call?
One day, there was tell of something that could grant its bearer anything they desired. When Bosu heard this rumor, he immediately sent underlings to investigate the claim's validity. Inu heard the gossip from the lackeys from his room, which was hidden from view. Outsiders were not allowed to lay eyes upon Inu.
Weeks and months passed, and finally, one night, a man returned to tell Bosu of the Shikon jewel. "It is true!" the man said. "A jewel of infinite power is held by a priestess for protection. It is said she does so to purify the jewel."
"Purify it?" Bosu questioned, scratching the stubble on his chin with intrigue. He pondered the news for a moment, waiting for the man to answer.
"The jewel is supposed to grant a wish when it is pure. Any wish, I guess," the man responded. "Apparently some yōkai taijiya entrusted it into the priestess's protection because demons are attracted to it and she is the only one with the power to purify it."
"Demons ye say?" Bosu inquired. He looked thoughtful for a moment. He left the messenger waiting as he internally contemplated the news. "Hmmm," he pondered. "Send for Onigumo," he said, finally.
"Yes, Bosu," the man said and gave a quick knuckle to his head before leaving. Bosu waited several moments before the messenger reappeared with another man. This man was young, his dark brown eyes gleamed with mischief, and he wore a matching mischievous smirk.
"Onigumo," Bosu addressed the man. "I want ye to go take a team of the boys and take care of this priestess."
"Yes, Bosu. And the Shikon Jewel?" Onigumo asked.
"What of it?" Bosu asked lazily. He was bent over and rested his chin in his hand.
Onigumo looked somewhat confused. His brows furrowed, "Bring it back, right? So we can wish for anything we want…" He was having difficulties comprehending Bosu's motives.
Bosu was not used to having his will questioned. He came into power fifteen years ago, taking on the mantle of "Bosu" after killing the former and usurping his title with his men. Bosu steepled his hands, "yer orders are to take care of the priestess and the jewel along with it."
"But, Bosu, think of what we...you could do with that kind of power!" Onigumo pleaded.
"Enough!" Bosu yelled. He put a hand out to silence the young bandit. "What use do I have for wishes, ne? Do I not have all I need? All of the power? All of the respect I could want?" he said firmly. "I do not tolerate yer questions well and I will not tolerate competition if someone else gets their hands on that jewel."
He shot the bandit a glare and waved him away, "Now go."
Onigumo clenched his jaw and gave a swift bow before departing. Bosu watched him leave and motioned for the messenger to come forward. "See that it is done," he said softly.
The messenger knuckled his forehead and bowed low. He exited the room and made his way out of the building. As he rounded the exterior of the building, a hand went around his mouth, and he felt a pressure evenly glide across his neck before he could think to move. His instinct to call out for help came out in wet gurgles as warm wetness poured down his neck and into his kosode. The messenger dropped to his knees and clutched at his neck. His feeble attempts to contain his lifeblood were in vain, and he finished slumping to the ground.
Onigumo waited until the man stopped twitching before drug the body out of sight. He looked around to see if anyone had witnessed his act, making it obvious that this action was a compulsive one. He pulled the body into a nearby shed and walked into the night.
Bosu stayed in his rooms alone; everyone knew of his infamous hound, but no one had seen him. There were rumors Inu was a white-haired dog as large as a wolf. Other tales said it was no dog but a man. Even Bosu's closest men had never seen Inu. Whatever Bosu's dog was, man or beast, it didn't matter. Everyone feared the dog being called on them.
When no one was around, Bosu would bring Inu out of his hidden rooms and talk with him, often treating him like a pet. Tonight he had brought Inu up and placed a dish of food down at the foot of his chair. Inu waited until Bosu had sat back up and signaled for Inu to partake. Inu devoured the meal as a dog would, gulping down bites with little chewing. As he ate, Bosu would reach down and stroke Inu's hair. "Good boy," he would say.
Inu stopped eating suddenly and sat up straight. He sniffed the air, and his ears swiveled towards a sound only he could hear. "What is it, boy?" Bosu asked quietly. Inu ran over to a wall and put his ear against it. His suspicions confirmed he leaped over Bosu and grabbed him. Inu lifted Bosu and ran to his hidden rooms, tucking the man behind him as he ducked and listened.
Inu's hidden room was positioned so that Inu could always be aware of the happenings in Bosu's living quarters. Inu could hear conversations and smell things that mortals would never notice, like fear or poison. While the idea of Inu was a deterrent for many, it was more practical to put Inu's enhanced abilities to good use. There had been many who failed to be deterred and insisted upon trying to dispatch Bosu. Inu was always there to stop that, though Inu was only allowed outside his room unbidden if Bosu's life was at risk.
They could hear voices coming from the main hall. "Are you sure about this?" asked one voice. "Yeah, I'm sure," another replied.
"It doesn't feel right doing this to Bosu," one whispered. "Shhhhh!" someone shushed.
"The coward took his dog and ran," a voice said. Inu recognized the voice from earlier. Bosu did as well, and his face hardened into a sneer. "Onigumo," he spat. "How could I have been so blind to his aspirations?" he asked no one in particular, for he would never expect Inu to respond, and if Inu had, he would surely be punished at a more opportune time.
They listened as the conversation between Onigumo and Bosu's men continued once they had felt confident that Bosu had absconded to safety with his hound. "This don't feel right, Onigumo," one man said cautiously. "Bosu never did wrong by us."
"You weren't singing that tune a minute ago. He never did us wrong by keeping the Shikon Jewel all to himself. He's selfish and wants all the power for himself. Did you know he would rather destroy the jewel rather than wish for us anything our black hearts desire?"
Silence. "Still…"
"Do you want this payday or not?"
"I spose…"
"Cuz we can cut you out and that's more for us!"
"What about the hound?"
"Yeah, Bosu's dog."
"You let me worry about that. I will take care of my boys. You are all with me right?"
"But no one crosses Bosu and lives to tell the tale! It is known."
"Fuck him and fuck his dog! Have you seen the dog?"
"Well….no…"
"Have any of youse guys ever seen the dog?"
No, was the unanimous response.
"That's because the fucking dog doesn't exist! It's just a ploy to keep everyone scared. Well, I ain't scared no fucking more! Now….are you with me?!"
"Yeah," the men said quietly and then louder and louder until they were all celebrating and cheering about their good fortune. "Yeah!"
A hearty cheer rose from the men, and Onigumo quieted them. "Shaddap you lot!" The boisterous merriment died, and Onigumo waited until the men were quiet before continuing. "There will be time for celebrating later."
"What's the plan…. Bosu?" one man asked tentatively, trying out the new title.
"Easy. Go take out that priestess and nab the Shikon Jewel. We will wish for anything and everything. No one will fuck with us and even if that dog were real it wouldn't be able to do shit."
"Haha! Fuck yeah!" the men cheered. "Can we celebrate now?" one man asked.
"Yeah, fine. Celebrate yer asses off. Get it outta yer systems."
The celebration went on until late morning. Bosu did not sleep at all during this time. Inu sat in the corner of his tiny room and watched. He could have quickly dispatched all those men with one fell swipe of his claws, but Bosu had not said one word since the conversation had died away. The older man looked thoughtful, where Inu had suspected he would seethe with anger. He had witnessed it enough times. He couldn't care less, though, what Bosu did. It was none of his concern anyway.
Midday came and went. Finally, the men roused from their drunken stupor and made their way out of Bosu's hall. Bosu, himself, still sat unmoving, waiting for the last of the lot to clear out. When he finally thought they had all gone, he stood up or rather stooped since Inu's room was too small for a full-grown man to stand and signaled to Inu. "They all gone?"
Inu nodded, and Bosu gestured to the room door, intending for Inu to lead the way. Inu headed out cautiously, despite being sure that no one was around. There was no questioning, Bosu. He had been trained to let Bosu feel superior and do as told or be punished.
When they arrived at the main hall, they found it in ruins compared to how Bosu usually maintained his residence. Bosu assessed the damage and sighed. "I should have seen the ambition in Onigumo…. He was always too cunning and conniving... I thought...that perhaps he would make a good second…." He bent down and picked up the fragment of a partially ruined bowl and brought it closer to his face to look at. He was quiet for a moment and then suddenly threw the bowl onto the floor, allowing it to shatter among the rest of the mess. "Who the fuck do they think they are fucking with?" he bellowed, finally allowing his anger to show. Spittle flew from his mouth as he yelled. "Have I not been good to them?! Have I not been generous?!" His chest heaved from his momentary exertion. "I suppose I will just have to get rid of this mess in one fell swoop." And then Bosu laughed maniacally. He laughed until he was out of breath and sank to the floor.
Rather than be concerned for Bosu's mental health, Inu sat and watched the flies that buzzed around the remains of spilled drink and food. "Inu!" Bosu screamed, breaking him out of his thoughts, "Fetch me my gunpowder. If they want a celebration... I'll give them one they will never fucking forget... The lot of em."
Inu obediently went off to retrieve Bosu's stash of explosives. He had Inu bury them under the floor. In actuality, Bosu hoarded many things of value and had Inu hide them around the complex, where they would not be disturbed without Inu's knowledge.
Gunpowder was not easy to come by, but Bosu had amassed a small stockpile over the years. Inu hated the smell of the stuff. It was kept in paper and bamboo wrapping, which kept it moisture free. Inu dug four small bags up from under a false floor near the back of the house. He carefully brought them to Bosu and laid them at his feet, one by one. "Careful!" Bosu chided. "That is delicate stuff. More delicate than ye!" he said with a biting edge. Had Inu any pride, he would have felt ashamed by those harsh words, but he had lost his pride decades ago.
Bosu had Inu arrange the four bags around the ruined room. Inu wasn't sure what the intent was behind the powder, he had never seen it in action, but Bosu was being careful. While Inu found places to put the bags out of a direct line of sight, Bosu had taken a handful of the powder and laid out a thin line that connected one bag to a wall. Once done, Bosu dusted his hands and took a satisfied breath. Inu came over on all fours to his heel and waited for direction.
"Right, let's go grab a bite and wait for the boys to return. I can't imagine that Onigumo has enough control over them yet to organize what he has planned. Hehe, young cocky fool. I'll show him." Bosu looked down at Inu's silver head and patted him. "Fuck with me will he? Well...we won't waste yer talents on the like of him. Hehehe. Come Inu."
They departed the main hall and went outside the compound until the sun began to set. The back of the compound was engrossed within the treeline, so Inu launched them into a sizeable branched-out tree to wait. Inu was a little saddened when he realized that Bosu hadn't actually been serious about getting food for the both of them. Bosu fed him when the mood suited him, which was not always regular. Inu was fortunate enough to have clothes upon his back because Bosu wouldn't have spared those either had Inu not already had robes that befitted his unique qualities, growing with him and mending on their own.
Finally, the men began to trickle back to the compound. They gathered around a fire one had started outside, feasting upon a wild boar that someone had either caught or stolen, likely the latter, for none of them were skilled hunters. Onigumo came around and spoke to some of the men individually before making his way into Bosu's ruined house, followed by the select men he had spoken to. Bosu watched and nodded to Inu to get him down. He collected Bosu upon his back, leaped down from the tree, and landed just out of sight of the men lounging around the bonfire. Bosu motioned for Inu to stay, and Inu sat and waited.
Bosu walked intentionally to the center of the group and made hand gestures for silence. None of the men made a sound. They were either too drunk or too dumbfounded to speak. "Hello, boyos," he said quietly. One man had the gall to greet Bosu back, "Heyho, Bosu!" which was responded to by a neighbor's smack to the back of the head.
"So, ye're not with me anymore?" Bosu asked, sounding a little hurt. He put a hand to his chest for emphasis. "Have I not treated ye all well? Given ya whatever ya wanted? And all I ask for is yer respect."
Some men looked a little abashed, while others looked confused.
"Well, ye have yerselves a choice here….come back into my band…." He waited a moment to let his words sink in… "Or join Onigumo's fate."
"Wha... what's Onigumo's fate?" one man asked.
"How about we find out neh?" Bosu asked with a kind smile. He walked closer to the bonfire and used a foot to kick around some twigs near the edge until he found one he liked. It was thick for a twig and held a burning flame on the end. The men watched him with interest as he picked up the branch and walked nonchalantly over to the house in which Onigumo had enclosed himself. He delicately placed the flame next to the wall of the house. "Anyone care to fan this a bit for yer old Bosu?"
The men eyed each other until one was shoved forward to do the deed. He pulled out a folded fan and waved it over the flame, encouraging it to grow. The flame did grow larger and larger. The band of men watched wide-eyed until the flame caught up on the wall's wood. The man stepped back quickly. He looked back at his companions only to find they had all retreated several yards from where Bosu had stood. He ran to rejoin them, the fear of the unknown licking at his tail.
They all congregated far enough away to "find out" what Bosu had planned for Onigumo. Whatever it was, it looked to be messy. The fire had started on the side of the house opposite the main hall. It did not take long for the flames to engulf the wall; however, it had gone unnoticed by Onigumo and the few men he had taken inside with him. Onigumo wouldn't notice the flames until it was too late.
Inu had been told to stay, but something nagged him to move away from the spot he was in. He jumped away seconds before the house exploded. Men screamed from within in agonizing pain, and Inu could smell death and burning flesh. He covered his nose with a sleeve and bolted further away. He'd never seen such chaos before. He had seen death. So much death. But doled out by him, he never fathomed the extent of his destructive tendencies. Bosu had required he be as neat as possible to avoid detection and rarely used Inu to take out large quantities of people. This gunpowder, though, was different from anything he had experienced. In the scheme of things, he had lived a rather long and sheltered life, always kept out of the eye of the public and hidden from the view of those who may become too curious. In Inu's retreat, he had not noticed that he had stumbled upon the band of Bosu's men, who stared at him, jaws agape.
Bosu's glare pierced into Inu, and Inu immediately hunched down onto all fours. He glanced up and saw that Bosu pointed into the woods, directing Inu to retreat quickly. Inu gladly jumped away from the band of men's disbelieving eyes. He could still hear Bosu growl deep within his throat in barely veiled anger. Inu spent the night in a tree, waiting for Bosu to call him down.
It took several days for the flames to die down. Inu remained in the tree, keeping watch over Bosu from afar. He watched as Bosu sent men into the ruins of the house to confirm the deaths of Onigumo and his closest men. He heard a ruckus when Bosu was called over, "Heyo Bosu! Com'n take a look at this!"
Bosu carefully walked over the ash and ruins of his home until he came to see what the fuss was over. The bandit pulled a straw mat off the body of the still-living but badly burned Onigumo. He was utterly disfigured, his face half burnt off, and his one remaining eye had the eyelid burnt away. That eye regarded Bosu with evident hatred, and he wheezed pitifully in anger or pain; no one could tell. "Hnhnhnhn," Bosu chuckled. He nudged Onigumo's body with his toe, "Serves ye right Fucker." Onigumo's flesh where his eyelids had been twitched, and his lips - what remained of them - turned upwards into a sneer. Bosu's smile disappeared, and he turned his back on the usurper. "Take him and throw him out with the rest of this trash," Bosu said softly. He walked away from the ruins of his home and waited for the men to drag Onigumo away. Bosu spat, "Good riddance."
The men carried Onigumo's burnt body far away from their encampment to a precipice and threw it over with little ceremony. They heard a satisfactory thud once he had hit the ground and walked back to the encampment. If the fire had not killed him, the fall surely would.