Chapter 7

Winded Ignorance

"It is a notable threat, one in which we should not turn our backs!"

"It's just low-level demons and humans. Why should we pay any attention to them?"

Sesshomaru sat with a bored expression in his war room as the demon council argued about the newest development in the cardinal lands. He took his rightful place at his throne sitting at the head of the long table. His demonic aura poured into the room announcing himself as the alpha male of his pack and thus the Western Inu Clan. He hosted this month's meeting on his palace grounds out of convenience which he now greatly regretted. His hearing turned their jabbering into background noise. His mind lured to a much more complex space.

He looked down at the palm of his hand thinking about the woman who barged into his receiving room declaring an immediate audience with him. He had been pondering her arrival finding she spoke no lie since he did not taste the deceit in the air nor could he smell it upon her. She was who she said she was which was quite a tonic to swallow. And if she was indeed a descendent of the royal Egyptian pharaohs, then she was truly a force to be reckoned with. 'Yet what would scare her so, for her to leave her kingdom in search of this Sesshomaru?'

His mind drifted again to the images presented him of his being gone rogue, baring sharp bloodied claws like some deranged mindless cur. He frowned at this and his beast grew restless and angered from the thought that he could sink so low. 'This Sesshomaru would never shame himself so.'His inner beast paced inside of its mental cage. It rattled his spirit demanding that he go back and claw the intestines out of that witch. Because surely that's what she was. A woman who possessed a chaotic scent of neither demon nor human walking around the living. His claws itched with the sensation to drag through her snowy hair and glide through her flesh until she either submitted to him or succumbed to the ashes of the earth. Her blood spilling into the Western soil to serve as her atonement for her disrespect in the manner that she arrived to his throne room.

But then she…apologized. There was that to consider. Just as quickly as she fired up, she simmered to a low. She had asked him as a ruler…to consider why one would leave their own to pursue help from another. And what would be so bad that they would journey so far and risk everything. If the vision was anything as to what horrors presented itself in her conscious, then that would indeed be enough reason to seek him out. But was it true? Was she a witch? Why should he allow her to meddle? Why should he bother?

Voices grew over the pattern of thoughts he found himself overturning. His eyes casted over the men and women in the large room sitting on dais around a long table in the very center. Sesshomaru looked about as the council conversed, argued, and grew hostile over the recent events attacking their lands. Demons of various colors, sizes, and ranking sat in the large room along with other Inu demons from the Western Inu Clan sitting along the walls of the room all sharing the piercing golden eyes in various shades but none shared the Silver Inu Blood line.

"It will only get worse!" Yelled a boar demon that was determined on an investigation.

"Demon and human villages are being targeted in large numbers. I hear rumors that mikos and monks are vanishing too."

"What happens to the humans is of no concern to us! Our numbers are dwindling as theirs rise." Stated an elderly demoness as she looked on with determination around the table. "Besides, a few human disappearances won't harm their overcrowding species."

"Of course, you can talk! It hasn't reached your lands yet, I wonder why that is Lady Hishira?" Accused another demon who eyed her distastefully.

A frog demon croaked shakily. "The attacks are too sporadic to be blaming anyone in this room. We should review the evidence before targeting others here."

A few other demons stood to argue before Sesshomaru had enough and spoke. "Be silent." He commanded causing everyone to stare at him in shock. Rarely do he intervene even when provoked. They knew the young lord to be short with patience and an act as a nonparticipant in the surrounding conversation. Opting instead to physical eliminate the problem at hand after the meeting was adjourned. So, this demand and interference raised hackles around the room. Sesshomaru looked about the long wooden table at the lords and ladies along with noted elderly demons of both his lands and other lands close to his borders. His piercing gaze gave a hard rake of disdain and annoyance in his gaze.

"Lord Tanako?" He addressed blandly watching as the nudging frog demon perked at the sound of his name being called. "What did you see?"

Lord Tanako gathered himself before speaking. "A few villages reported odd sightings of foreign demons nearby unknown to the locals. Then strangely enough, those villages would suffer from sudden attacks and perish. The few that managed to escape said that their small villages were being attacked by shadow demons. I went to investigate with a small number of my own, and I saw just two shadowy creatures that lay dying from a brutal attack. I killed them and black smoke left their bodies revealing two dead humans." He stated with a frown. "So far, only small farming villages have been attacked. Farmlands are dying now causing a hike in starvation for our people because of lack of crops in addition to this drought we are in. Also, there is a spike of wayward groups using this situation to take over supplies and other small villages. As of late however, the food is becoming a problem. There won't be enough to feed us all for the winters to come if this keeps happening."

Sesshomaru frowned listening to the frog demon lord describe the tough situation. He thought back to what he saw in the vision that the strange woman presented, and he frowned. The creatures attacking the city looked like what the frog lord described. And then there was also the situation he came across earlier when that couple was attacked. But he wasn't so sure. He would need to see for himself. Could this possibly be the same beasts?

"Our lands are being struck except for yours and a few of the others!" One lesser lord voiced as others nodded in agreement. He looked at a few of his Inu Clansmen watching them hiss with distaste at the suggestion. One elderly lord challenged leaning up over the table. "Pardon my lack of manners this morning but I find it odd that your lands has not been touched, Lord Sesshomaru."

"Watch your tongue, when addressing Lord Sesshomaru." One of his loyal shoguns threatened with a sharp glare at the elderly Lord who returned one of his own.

"If you have a solution to this matter young Lord than please give us council" Demoness Lady Aoki challenged looking over at him from her side of the table.

He thought for a moment. Everyone's lands but his own was on verge of a civil war due to minor issues that the Lords were foolish enough to disregard between the humans and demons. It is no secret demons were being outnumbered and the human populations were vastly increasing in a matter of days. There was no fear of anyone killing them all the time and so they began forming cities and towns. He found it odd that droughts and famine would attack demon territories and yet seemingly leave the human ones clean. Yet the humans were disappearing in large numbers all together in the much smaller villages. Mikos and monks were vanishing too which he really could care less about. His mind wondered back to the woman taking in account her words and visions. He continued to watch the large room of babbling women and men bicker causing the beginnings of a headache to form. His claws flexed in warning before he had enough of it all; finding them to be irrelevant and unworthy of his time. Without further notice he stood gracefully without sound and began to head out.

"I will investigate, personally." He simply provided in midstride.

Lord Tanako sputtered standing to point at the demon. "Where do you think you're going!"

Sesshomaru once again that morning stopped in mid stride to sneer not feeling the need to answer to anyone. All eyes of various kinds looked upon him with various emotions. He moved onward leaving the answer of his turned back and silence in his departure. The day had got away from him. He noticed the lanterns begin to be lit and the growing darkness outside through the many windows of his home. Sesshomaru paced back to his throne room to find no sign of the blue eyed exotically dark colored woman. The energy still stung from the power struggle the two created moments ago and ladled the empty room. No one had come in since, leaving a strong smell of the Egyptian queen and lightening coating the air. The hairs on his skin stood up from the static and vibrations rolling over his arms.

His nose tilted in the air ,noticing her scent had left from the front doors and out of his castle. He walked calmly forward before catching a sight in the corner of his eyes. Quickly he made his way to his table where he saw a piece of parchment gently folded addressed to him on the front written in odd Japanese kanji. The lines seemed more like paint strokes as if he was about to be read a poem or be introduced to some form of visual art. Picking up the parchment, he opened it revealing a short message inside.

My apologies for my absence. Went to see to my friend's needs. Be back quickly.

Ororo

As if summoned, the lanterns on the wall flickered. Suddenly the wind blew and the scent of fresh rain and vanilla spiked. He turned to see the woman standing but a few feet from him looking ever more enchanting as the moment she arrived earlier. He watched her bow slightly in greeting. "I hope I didn't have you waiting for too long." She spoke gently. "I do also apologize for my actions earlier. I meant no harm and spoke out of frustration. I am new to your Western cultural norms and I'm still learning your customs and the like." She voiced hoping to move pass her earlier discretions and build some foundation of a truce.

Sesshomaru took her words in stride finding her behavior odd. One moment she was lethal showing signs of destroying the foundation of his castle and now she was here apologizing for her ignorance of cultural and demonic customs. Tucking that for analyzing later, he simply nodded before turning away.

"Follow me." He commanded.

With slight humor she nodded feeling better and doing what he asked of her for once. She noticed he had on all his weaponry attached to him as if he was prepared for battle. This baffled her somewhat wondering why would he need to wear such a thing in his castle. As she walked, she could feel the energy in his home shift. The air felt odd and thick leaving a nasty taste on her tongue. They climbed the stairs moving pass demons and guards that quickly cleared the halls for the great demon before her. Her skin tingled in warning as she looked around but saw nothing but servants and soldiers rushing about in various directions. It left her disoriented and she felt the need to chant a protection spell like the ones they use on their ancestor's tombs in Africa from thieves and evil shaman. Now she could see why he chose to wear armor and keep two swords to his person. "There is dark energy here. Someone means you harm." She spoke quickly walking just a few steps behind him glancing at everything and anyone in suspicion.

Sesshomaru continued forward not even giving anyone a second glance. "You see this in your vision as well?" He inquired.

Ororo shook her head, keeping pace. "No. This is happening now. I wish to tell you everything in private. I promise I will leave out no detail." They walked across his grounds to a large building. This one was more private than the others. They walked up the steps and she could see that they were never truly alone as not far, his Inu guards were patrolling and watching closely.

They made it to a room guarded by two large boar like demons that eyed her warily before opening the doors of his study. He walked in with her on his heels and immediately they closed the doors behind them. Ororo spun around at this, afraid slightly of what would come at her back. Feeling somewhat safe, she turned to follow again down a long hallway into a small waiting room. A partition of intricate lattice work sat in the middle along with a few seats revealing that this was a receiving room. The tall Inu demon seemingly glided past into a larger room filled with scrolls and books of all kinds. Bookshelves lined the sides of the room all the way to the high ceiling. Lanterns were lit on the corners of the room giving it a golden glow. A large table sat in the center with maps and parchment in stacks on top. Everything was tidy and clean except for his desk. Her blue eyes roamed over everything and even fell behind him to the large window overseeing a lotus garden of some sort.

"You left." He stated sitting himself down on his knees upon the thick pile of cushions behind his desk. His slender fingers reached out and pulled out a brush and ink box.

Catching her attention, she moved to sit in front of his table politely in Japanese fashion. "I went to keep my promise to the couple you came across earlier. I wanted to see how they fared with getting the house and necessities. They have young children, and I wouldn't be able to sleep at night without knowing that they were safe and inside a home."

He nodded in remembrance to that night when they met originally. "You just met, yet you provide assistance." His pen glided across the parchment quickly.

Ororo shrugged. "I know what it's like to start all over and wish you had someone to help you in your time of need. They are good people."

He went silent at this. Those people will have more problems coming towards them then that fire and those petty attacks. A human and a demon couple wasn't accepted by demons and having a human monk and a demoness was extremely rare and frowned upon. Yet, she spoke as if there would be nothing to fear for them now. He began taking a few notes of things he remembered about the day before glancing up at her curious expression upon his writing. Blue orbs roamed his table before finding his eyes and looking back down.

"Are you literate?" He questioned looking into her blue topaz eyes that stared down onto his rhetoric.

Ororo shook her head with a sad sigh. "If you go by my departure letter, you can tell I struggle with your writing system. I have learned many languages but none from the Far East. Your language doesn't translate well into my own unfortunately. However, I do wish to write and read better one day." She confessed.

"Hm"

She watched him for a few more minutes as he wrote down things and some, she could make out but unfortunately she was struggling to see the nature of his task. Ororo licked her lips before attacking the issue at hand deciding to not waste anymore of the little time they had left. She went to open her mouth only to close it as if he had spoken.

"Yes?" He questioned looking directly at her.

"I wish to speak about what you have seen. About these vile creatures." She nodded in thought. "My sister and I have researched, and we thought these beings are maybe some spirit. But it doesn't make sense that they would be present in physical form like so and vanish upon simple destruction with a tool. Also, when killed they leave behind dead bodies of humans. We have concluded it is magic…possession. But of what kind we don't know. It is not of our culture or homeland…these beasts." She expressed watching him write down the information.

And this is how the evening went on. Ororo divulged everything she had come to learn and know. She had come prepared as well. She had pulled out her satchel and showed him notes, pictures, and diagrams. Sesshomaru had mislabeled her and found despite her ignorance in his language she was very much the tactician and puzzle solver. She had already begun looking over his lands pointing out potential villages that may be threatened by the situation. She had concluded many attacks were coming from the very center of Japan and moving outward towards a village deep in the forests on his lands. This piqued him as it was the village his half sibling resided with the miko that watched over his ward while she enjoyed spiritual studies with the elderly miko.

They conversed…well more like Ororo gave monologues of information filled with very few words that she could count on her hands spilling from the lips of the Inu demon Lord. Yet, progress was being made. Ororo had caught him in a slight pause at the mention of the village and knew something important was said. Seeing him write, she continued. They went on like this with her simply telling him of the information she knew and asking questions in which he provided very little responses. A servant had come in providing light refreshments and tea as the pair worked together looking at maps and conversing of things that have happened. A few lanterns and the study fire pit was lit bringing more light into the room. She had come to realize that he knew very little about the situation on his lands. This was something that manifested over time until it became a present problem.

The shadowy creatures she had seen were present but in very isolated incidents in Japan. She did find a pattern however. Wherever the shadowy creatures were found, strife and conflict had preceded the human village. As noted earlier, demon farms were being targeted which meant the food supply for demon communities maybe becoming threatened by a human. "I think it's best to look to the villages with the most problems and start there." She advised making a note to begin her search tomorrow. Sesshomaru had advised they meet early at the front gates and make their way to the village in the forest. Ororo looked behind him to notice the sun was replaced by its lover realizing the lateness of the hour. Both stood up from their positions feeling oddly victorious yet still precautious of the other. Ororo began to say something when the door swung open.

"My Lord! I have returned!" A squawky voice announced catching the pairs attention and causing Ororo to wince slightly form the high pitch. The sound seemed to come from what she thought was a swamp troll. A tiny one for that matter dressed in robes of nobility. The small thing threw himself onto the wooden floor in a very overdramatic bow in which the Lord simply chose not to acknowledge.

She turned to see the lord glare at the small thing before walking around his desk and motioning for her to follow. She pulled her white cotton dress close to her body and moved around the small thing that yapped about not having the respect that he deserved. They exited the room where the boar guards previously were stationed only to find their stations now empty. A funny feeling settled in her stomach and quickly she spoke the same spell she placed on the doors of Hiromi and Ryo onto his office. She quickly walked forward before the small toad like creature moved right in front of the Lord continuing to speak.

"My Lord, I am so happy to be away from those filthy humans and that ingrate brother of yours! Why did you send me all the way out there My Lord! It was horrible! Rin's behavior has grown-"

Ororo's eyebrows went up watching as the Lord proceeded to step on top of the creature and continue his trek forward leaving the poor guy face down on floor. Seeing this Ororo quietly wondered the nature of the relationship the obvious servant had with the demon. Most importantly where did the small troll fail in the servant-master relationship that had caused him such treatment. Quickly, she walked up to the poor thing to help him before he fought her off waving his staff at her.

"Don't touch me, wench!"

Ororo pulled back and glared at his choice of words especially when she wanted to help him "Wench?" She questioned looking at the male who continued to walk forward. "Now, I see why you get treated so, fool." She muttered stepping away ignoring his name calling directed at her person. He continued to cry out about his treatment and the lowly actions of the unbecoming demonesses. In a blink of an eye, the toad was hit by one of the art pieces that sat on a shelf knocking him down again.

"Jaken, you are dismissed." Was all that was heard leaving the toad demon lying on the floor in pain, grimacing.

The pair walked in silence throughout the castle until they were in the large foyer of his castle. Guards were stationed throughout grounds while others were on patrol. She bowed to him in thanks. "I shall wait for you here in the morning when the sun rises. In kind for your help, I'll provide some relief for your fields as it seems on my way here you are in desperate need of rain." She voiced before she turned away and proceeded from his palace and down the stone steps.

This made him question her actions. He immediately thought back to the night of the fire when it conveniently decided to rain putting out the fire for the humble couple and their children. Turning around he made his way back to his study as he thought about the progress that was made. More solutions were given in the time he spent with a stranger than it was with the generals, shoguns, lords and ladies from the morning's meeting. The memory of her telling him about his home being dangerous flared within him. He entered his room and closed the door tightly behind him in deep thought questioning who would wish ill will of him in his home. He wasn't surprised due to his harsh nature he had made plenty of enemies but who had he allowed in his home. And who would be brave enough to try him?

Sesshomaru made his way to his desk where he looked about his notes and books of things to research. He would leave a note to his General to watch over things in his absence as before. Suddenly, the light from the moon in his window had vanished and he turned to see the culprit. The sound of thunder could be heard announcing the arrival of clouds. He watched them move rather quickly building in grandeur yet very calmly about. Lights flashed of static blues and whites blocking out the moon from his view. A few drops hit his window and slid down slowly in front of him; taunting his lands of anticipation and desire. Just as the exotic queen had said, it indeed began to gently rain.

"Fascinating." He muttered looking at the reprieve on the faces of the men outside as some came out to stand in the gift from the heavens. Their voices echoed their disbelief of the occurrence finding no clouds before indicating rain was coming. He continued to stare at the tiny beads of water tapping against the glass of his window.

"Fascinating indeed."