EIGHTH BLOOD
Chapter 16: Puppeteer
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Ah-Un dropped them off a few miles away from the stronghold. They said their goodbyes and watched its shrinking silhouette eventually disappear beyond the horizon. By then, the sky was streaked with scarlet. They walked through the night, deliberately sticking to the main roads in an effort to avoid undesirables. Not that it would matter if they ran into any. Even without his youki, Sesshoumaru was ridiculously strong and armed to the teeth. Only an idiot would provoke him.
The following day was cold and rainy. It wasn't until after midday when a break in the rain came and they were able to continue on their way. Sesshoumaru was unhappy with the delay. He'd hardly spoken to her since Ah-Un's departure yesterday. She wasn't asking for endless chatter, but she wished he'd be a bit more responsive. She missed Rin and Jaken fiercely.
Twilight came and went. Her feet were bruised and blistered, but she knew better than to ask if they could stop. It was her fault for wearing sandals. Why hadn't she requested boots? Maybe she could trick Sesshoumaru into carrying her. Lying down and refusing to move ought to do it.
She was considering doing just that when a cluster of panicked cries sounded up ahead. A horde of people was scrambling towards them like wildebeest. Their clothes were torn, and they were caked in mud, but they were dressed too finely to be countrymen. Sesshoumaru sneered as a middle-aged man collapsed at their feet. He clutched his bleeding side and coughed.
"Help us," he begged. "Please . . . Help us."
Sesshoumaru ignored his plea and continued walking.
Octavia knelt so that she was level with the man and supported him by his shoulders. "What happened?" she asked. "Who are you guys?"
"We are residents of the valley," he answered weakly. "The warlord of this province owns a castle there. We were attacked by a hideous youkai that took Lady Chiyo prisoner. You must save her. Please!" Tears streamed down his cheeks. "We abandoned her . . . We're rotten cowards."
"No, you're not." Octavia lifted her head and saw that Sesshoumaru hadn't stopped walking. "What are you doing?" she called after him. "Weren't you listening? We have to help them."
"We haven't time."
"Then we'll make time!"
Pausing, he tilted his head to glance back at her. When she didn't relent, he narrowed his eyes and said, "Allow me to remind you that it was your idea we embark on this quest. If you wish to help, then go ahead, but I never agreed to diverge from the original path you proposed."
She shot him an icy glare. "I bet you'd help if it was your kind in trouble."
"Think whatever you want, human. It makes no difference to me."
The man in front of her doubled over in pain. She lifted his haori and winced at the bloody gash above his hip. Digging through her pack, she withdrew a roll of bandage and wrapped some around his waist, pulling it tight in an attempt to slow the bleeding.
"Which way is it to the valley?" she asked.
"I'll show you," he whimpered. "Thank you . . . so much."
"You should rest. Just point me in the right direction and I'll be fine."
He smiled tenderly. "It's quite all right. The path is difficult to spot for newcomers."
Defeated, she nodded and helped him to his feet.
Sesshoumaru turned away. "Don't expect me to come and save you."
"Don't worry, I won't."
The man stumbled down the road. None of the other castle residents acknowledged him as he passed, too busy recovering from the ordeal. Octavia followed him through the sea of survivors, wondering what kind of youkai she'd be facing. She needed to think of a strategy before she charged into the castle and sought out Lady Chiyo.
The valley was shrouded in mist. From the cliff's edge, it looked more like a lake.
"Did you see the youkai before you ran?"
He shivered. "Yes."
"Can you describe it?"
"I only caught a glimpse of it, but I remember that it didn't have a face . . ."
Her pulse quickened in response to his words.
"Here," he said, offering her a small knife. "It's not much, but it's sharp. Be careful in there."
Nodding, she accepted the knife and put on a brave face. "I will. Thank you."
The man smiled and pointed out the path. She followed it down, feeling her way with her hands once the mist became too thick to see through. The cliff to her right kept her oriented. As long as she didn't let go, she was unlikely to go tumbling over the edge. Fortunately, the path was simple to navigate and direct, meaning she reached the bottom without any issues.
The real challenge began now. The valley was completely submerged. She couldn't see more than a couple of inches in front of her. How was she going to rescue Lady Chiyo if she couldn't even find the castle that she was being held hostage in? She picked a direction and started walking. An hour passed before she discovered a large structure that resembled a building. Interestingly, the mist was a lot thinner here. She couldn't decide if that was a good omen or a bad one.
She found an engawa on the ground floor with a broken shoji. Stepping over it, she realised that she'd found what she was looking for. The inside of this castle wasn't unlike Sesshoumaru's, although it was less grand and eerily empty. There also wasn't any mist within the castle walls, which Octavia found strange. What was stopping it from spilling in from outside?
The floorboards creaked beneath her feet. Several of them felt like they were on the verge of breaking. She tiptoed down the long corridor, brandishing the knife. Meanwhile, her heart hammered in her chest. Every hair on her body was erect, and her palms were slick with sweat.
She wasn't sure why, but she had a feeling that something was following her.
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Despite his better instincts, Sesshoumaru found himself in pursuit of the human's scent.
Don't expect me to come and save you.
That wasn't his intention. He was merely observing.
He arrived at a ledge overlooking the valley and grimaced at the sight of the sapphire blue mist below. The human was long gone, but the man who'd led her here was resting by a boulder. His eyes were fixed on the bowl of cloud matter before him, and his expression was passive.
"You came," he said. "How unexpected. We were under the impression that you didn't care what happened to her."
"I don't."
The man turned and stared at him. "I haven't seen a Daiyoukai in so long . . . Tell me, Son of Touga, do you taste as good as your ancestors?"
Sesshoumaru's brow was fraught with lines. "What are you?" he asked.
"We live in the darkness between worlds. We are as old as time itself. You know what we are."
"Then where is the harm in saying what I already know?"
The man's eyes flashed. "I'm not in the mood for chit-chat. Anyway, I'm afraid this is as far as you'll be going. You're not to interfere."
"And if I do?"
A wet, nasally laugh escaped from the man's throat. His pupils expanded and turned the whites of his eyes black. The Tenseiga rattled in its sheath as the man rose to his feet and released his wounded side, which had miraculously cured.
"You are nothing without your youki, Lord Sesshoumaru," the creature possessing him hissed.
Sesshoumaru snarled and cracked his knuckles.
"Let us have her and we won't harm a single hair on your head."
"Do you take me for a fool?"
"We don't intend to kill her."
"Your intentions with her mean nothing to me. You took something that belongs to me. I want it back."
"Sadly, that is out of my control. I wasn't the one who stole it."
"Don't lie to me. I saw you."
"That wasn't me." The man's lips curved into a smile. "I am one of thousands."
The Tenseiga was screaming to be freed. Sesshoumaru peered down at it and frowned. The sword could only cut beings that weren't from the realm of the living. If it was reacting so strongly, did that mean that the shadow and its brethren came from somewhere else? We live in the darkness between worlds. Whatever they were, they clearly weren't bound to this reality.
The shadow flew out of the man's body and lunged for him. Sesshoumaru yanked the Tenseiga out of its sheath and sliced the shadow in the belly. To his delight, it transformed into a puff of black smoke before disintegrating. It hadn't even crossed his mind that there could be more than one. This complicated things. If it was the human they wanted, why had they bothered with him at all?
He had to warn her. She might not believe him, but he had to try. Besides, if the creatures wanted her that badly, she was the fastest way to get his youki back. He could use her as a bargaining chip. It wasn't exactly honourable, but it was better than enduring her annoying presence as they travelled north to an island that most likely didn't exist.
A man's worth should be measured by what he accomplishes. And the goals he strives to attain. That's how you tell the strong ones apart from the weak.
If he surrendered her to the creatures in exchange for his youki, would it make him weak?
"Damn it," he muttered.
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It was getting darker.
Octavia tried to keep her wits about her, but the increasing paranoia made it difficult to focus. Every time she turned around to check that she wasn't being followed, she trusted her own senses less and less. She shouldn't have come alone. What had she been thinking?
"Lady Chiyo?" she called, hating how small her voice sounded. "Can you hear me?"
The silence only grew louder. Creeping through a dining room, she arrived at a door that had been left slightly ajar. Muffled sobs floated through the crack. Octavia slid the door open slowly and gazed into a small room that was presumably used for storage. A vaguely humanoid shape was hunched over in the corner, trembling violently.
". . . Lady Chiyo? Is that you?"
The figure lifted its head and sucked in a startled breath. A girl wrapped in expensive silks stared up at Octavia in disbelief. She couldn't be older than sixteen. Her long, ebony hair was messy and unbound, but the rest of her looked untouched.
"Who are you?" Lady Chiyo squeaked. "Have you come to take me somewhere safe?"
"My name's Octavia. And, yes, I have."
Lady Chiyo laid a hand over her heart and exhaled. "Thank the gods. Did you slay the youkai?"
"I didn't see one. Can you stand?"
"No. I twisted my ankle. I'm sorry to be a burden, but could you help me?"
"Of course." Octavia wound an arm around her waist and gently hoisted her up. The countless layers of kimono made her unexpectedly heavy. "Does it hurt? I'd carry you, but I'm not sure I can manage all those clothes. Unless you don't mind losing a few?"
"It's kind of you to offer, but I think I'll be all right."
The Reikon Blade felt hot in its holster. The heat penetrated the fabric of her trousers and scalded her skin. She grunted in pain and loosened her grip on Lady Chiyo, who shrieked and wrapped her arms around Octavia's neck. "Whoa! It's okay," she reassured her. "I just lost my balance."
The girl didn't let go.
"Lady Chiyo?"
She tightened her grip. "Calm yourself. I'm not going to hurt you, little star."
Octavia's stomach dropped. Lady Chiyo pulled back enough for Octavia to see her face, which chilled her to the bone. The girl's eyes were wholly black like a shark's. Octavia thrashed in her hold, trying to break free, but Lady Chiyo's arms were as strong as cast iron.
Octavia swung the knife around blindly, only for it to transform into a cloud of dark smoke. It had been a fake all along.
Without warning, the darkness suddenly lifted. Maybe because it hadn't been darkness at all. Octavia felt her body falter as the 'darkness' split into a dozen indistinct shapes, each resembling the shadow that had attacked them in the gardens. They circled her like jaguars, but it wasn't them she was worried about. Lady Chiyo smiled and stroked her captured hair.
"What are you doing?" she whispered. "I thought you wanted us to go north to Namida."
"Is that what they're calling the place now? The last time we came to your dimension, you mortals called it the Gateway to Heaven. Outsiders believed that if you dug deep enough into the ice, you'd reach a portal that would take you to the Celestial Palace where the God Stars live."
"And did it? Was there really a portal?"
The shadow possessing Lady Chiyo laughed. "Silly girl. There are no God Stars. There is only one god, and his name is—"
The other shadows shrieked and fled through the gaps between the floorboards. Lady Chiyo snarled as Sesshoumaru entered the room with his sword drawn.
Octavia's heart did a somersault. "Where the fuck have you been!" she snapped, but her tone lacked any true malice.
"Dealing with vermin," he answered.
Lady Chiyo pressed her bony fingertips into the flesh of Octavia's throat. "Don't move," the creature inside her warned. "Mortal bodies are so very delicate. I'd hate to make a mess."
"I thought you wanted her alive."
"I thought you wanted to be rid of her, Daiyoukai."
His eyes narrowed. "I won't stand by and let you take her. Not when she's clearly so valuable to you." He pointed the Tenseiga at the shadow's human host and issued a cautionary growl, which made Octavia shiver. "Release her this instant. I won't ask you again."
The shadow stared at the sword. "Curse you," it hissed. "You weren't supposed to interfere."
"You shouldn't have invited me to the island if you didn't want me to get involved."
"I see that now. We didn't expect you to have such a powerful artefact in your possession." The shadow removed its hands from Octavia's neck and took a step back. "She was afraid in the end," it taunted, directing the information at Octavia. "The warlord's daughter, that is. She was proud, yet she wasn't above begging for her life. Her screams were like music."
Octavia shook with rage.
"You lie," Sesshoumaru rebuked. "The girl's heart still beats."
Lady Chiyo's grin vanished. "Quite the killjoy, aren't you?"
"Are you sure?" asked Octavia.
"Blood never lies. The one that led you here survived the possession. He was being used as a puppet, as well, and he didn't perish."
"Then it's not too late."
"For what?"
"To save her. That's why we came here, isn't it?"
"We? I never said that's what I was doing here, human."
"You also said you wouldn't bother rescuing me, yet here you are."
He couldn't come up with a clever response for that.
Octavia's eyes burned with determination. "Please. We can't just leave her."
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The memory of Rin's mangled corpse forced its way to the forefront of Sesshoumaru's mind. We can't just leave her. Was that why he'd done it? Out of pity? He made an effort not to think about that day – or the question that had been with him every waking moment since he'd saved her – but looking back, the answer had been so simple . . . He'd felt sorry for her. And she'd been kind to him. But most importantly, she'd been brave. Not just by bringing him food and water, but by enduring the struggles she faced on a day-to-day basis. Real bravery was hard to come by.
This woman was brave, too. She and Rin were similar in that regard.
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"Step aside," he told her.
Hesitating, she asked, "Why? What are you going to do?"
The creature inside Lady Chiyo laughed. "I believe he intends to liberate her from my control. How unorthodox. It appears that his kind do have hearts, after all."
Octavia's eyes widened.
"Go ahead," the shadow taunted. "Your sword might work on the others, but I'm safe inside this armour. You can't get to me without destroying her."
"I bet this can, though." Octavia pulled out the Reikon Blade and pointed it at Lady Chiyo. The purple crystal glowed brighter in the shadow's presence. Fear flickered in its jet-black eyes.
"The Dream Eater," it murmured softly. "It can't be."
Sesshoumaru used its surprise to his advantage and reached for his other sword. Instead of aiming for Lady Chiyo, he threw it several metres to her left. The sword pierced a clay pot in the corner, shattering it completely. The shadow screamed and flew out of Lady Chiyo's body. Octavia rushed forwards and caught her before she hit the ground. She watched the shadow gather up the pieces before escaping through a hole in the roof. Sesshoumaru's expression darkened as he strolled over to where the pot had been to retrieve his sword.
Before she could ask him what he'd done, she felt Lady Chiyo stirring in her arms. "What happened to me?" she slurred, pinching her aching temples. "The youkai . . ."
Octavia smiled and hugged her. "Is gone," she finished. "You're safe."
Exhausted, Lady Chiyo sank into her embrace.
Octavia glanced over at Sesshoumaru and felt her chest tighten.
"Sesshoumaru?" she called.
He met her gaze.
Her smile turned gentle. "Thank you."
"That is unnecessary."
"Oh, shut up."
Smirking, he slid both swords into their sheaths. "I would mind your manners from now on. If you aren't careful, the next time we encounter those creatures, I might just let them have you."
She laughed. "Yeah, right."
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