Author's Corner

Hi everyone! Sorry for the unexpected delay, I've been super busy with work and just life in general. I hope you all had a good time even if you don't celebrate it. I'm glad you're enjoying the story and I hope you all continue to as we push forwards!

Disclaimer: Surprise, I still don't own Inuyasha (why do we still have to write this is Anne Rice even still around?)

EIGHTH BLOOD

Chapter 28: The flying serpent

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The pair shared a puzzled look.

"Never heard of 'em," muttered Taro. "Sorry."

"I haven't either," said Nagisa.

"What about a woman called Asuka?" Octavia pressed. "She was wearing a martial arts uniform, and she had a rope infused with miko blood. Have you ever met anyone like that?"

They shook their heads.

Octavia's shoulders slumped in defeat. It was worth a try, she thought. Oh well.

Nagisa shot her an optimistic smile. "The High Priest might know something, though. He knows more about the outside world than anyone, excluding me, of course. I'm sure he'll be able to help you, Octavia. We'll take you to him if you like." Her eyes shifted to Sesshoumaru, who looked as bored as ever. "You ought to come, too," she told him. "You might learn something from him."

"I will not listen to the opinions of a heretic," he said flatly.

"Please come," Octavia whispered, making her eyes inflate. "I'll make it up to you."

She saw the gears turning inside his brain. Her lips curved into a smile when he eventually replied, "Very well. Since you grovelled."

Taro and Nagisa led them to a steep hill at the centre of the city. The wall of steps loomed over them like a giant, causing Octavia to re-evaluate her life choices. Sesshoumaru, on the other hand, seemed unbothered by the number of steps they had to climb. Not wanting to be one-upped by him, she pushed her body to the limit and matched his unforgiving pace.

When they reached the top where the island temple was, she was dripping with sweat.

Stopping to catch her breath, she gazed down at the city, which was partially obscured by clouds. The goddesses' towers were the only buildings tall enough to break through the cloud cover, reaching up towards the sky. She still couldn't see their pinnacles.

Something shifted beneath the clouds. Squinting her eyes, she saw a ribbon-like shape weaving in and out of them. Its long, serpentine body made an arch above the clouds before plunging back under. Octavia gasped softly as the creature sailed away gracefully.

Sesshoumaru came to stand beside her.

"Is this island some kind of hotspot for dragons?" she joked.

"It does seem that way," he agreed.

It was impossible not to notice the disdain in his voice.

"Do you not like them or something?"

"I wouldn't say I dislike them, but my mother has always been cautious of dragons that hail from the sky. She claims that they are omens of death."

Octavia smirked. "Do you always agree with what your mother says?"

He narrowed his eyes menacingly, but the corners of his mouth inched upwards, confirming that he was, in fact, amused.

"Is she superstitious or something?"

"Not particularly. She is fond of stories, though. There was one she used to tell me when I was still a child. It was about a mortal woman named Kiyohime who fell in love with a disinterested monk. After being rejected by him, she transformed into a hideous flying serpent and killed him in a fit of rage."

"Nice."

"I was surprised that my mother didn't side with Kiyohime. She is especially fond of stories that involve women getting revenge on their spouses. This one, however, couldn't sway her."

"Why not?"

"She said that love isn't to be trusted. Once scorned, Kiyohime forgot her love for the monk and slaughtered him."

"It sounds like it was more of an infatuation than love," remarked Octavia. "If she really loved him, she wouldn't have been able to hurt him. Even if he was a massive prick."

He chuckled unexpectedly.

"What's got you so tickled?" she asked.

"Your ideas are so very human," he replied.

"I'm right, though, aren't I? You know I am."

"On the contrary. In fact, I'm dubious that love even exists."

Her eyes softened and she turned away to face the endless expanse of clouds. "I can't imagine living like that," she said. "It must be awful being you. I don't know how you do it."

He didn't seem to know what to say to that.

Nagisa whistled loudly, summoning them into the temple. It was bigger than it looked on the outside. The walls were painted white, and the tatami mats were lavender, contrasting with the tall brass pillars that lined the walls leading up to the altar. Glancing up, Octavia saw that the ceiling was actually a giant painting. Four large spheres were at the centre of the piece, and they were surrounded by eight-pointed stars. The background was a dark blue, but there were flashes of light scattered throughout. The darkest part of the painting contained a pair of glowing orange eyes. Octavia quickly looked away, not liking how its gaze followed her.

The altar contained four brass statues with amethysts for eyes. She'd guessed their names before Nagisa spoke them aloud. "The God Stars," the demoness said with a bow. "Aramitama, Nigimitama, Kushimitama, and Sakimitama. But you already knew that, didn't you?"

Octavia locked eyes with the goddess of love and wondered if she'd overheard her conversation with Sesshoumaru. "They don't look like stars," she muttered.

"And I don't look like a dragon," Nagisa countered. "Appearances can be deceiving."

"Where is the heretic?" Sesshoumaru asked impatiently.

"Stop calling him that," chided Octavia.

Worry flashed across Taro's face when Nagisa cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled, "Hellooooo! Mamoru-sama! Are you in here!" Her voice echoed through the temple. Still, no priest appeared. "Have you finally gone deaf!" she shouted louder. "I know you're there! I can smell you! What are you even doing back there! Don't you want to meet the star mage!"

A muffled crash sounded from below the altar. Soon afterwards, one of the mats popped out of the floor and a figure emerged from what was presumably the temple's basement. He had a bull's head and a human torso. His legs, however, belonged to a lion, and he had colossal paws for feet. He climbed out of the hole and smoothed the wrinkles in his robes, before homing in on Octavia.

"By the God Stars," he murmured. "Is this a trick, Nagisa-kun?"

"What do you think?" she said with a grin.

The High Priest laughed. "I don't believe it . . . A real star mage. It's been so long."

Octavia waved at him awkwardly. "Hi. I'm Octavia. This is Sesshoumaru. He's a—"

"Daiyoukai? Yes, I'm well aware. It's an honour to meet you both."

He bowed his head, inadvertently pointing his horns at her. She dodged and mirrored the gesture, whereas Sesshoumaru simply offered the priest a subtle nod. It was better than nothing.

"Let us take a walk in the garden," Mamoru proposed excitedly. "We have much to discuss."

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The garden mostly consisted of little white stones. A couple of monks were raking them into patterns. Octavia smiled at them as she passed, prompting them to whisper unintelligibly to each other, their duties temporarily forgotten. Mamoru had asked to speak to her in private, so it was just the two of them. Sesshoumaru had protested at first, but Nagisa had managed to convince him that the High Priest meant her no harm. Needless to say, he was slightly on edge, but he had every right to be. For all they knew, the shadows were possessing everyone.

Mamoru brought her to a small pond full of carp and gestured to the bench beside it.

"I know about your predicament," he said once they were seated.

Her brows lifted in surprise. "You do?"

"I can't imagine losing my youki. He must be very upset." The High Priest must have sensed her reluctance because he looked her in the eye and said, "You don't have to be afraid of me, little one. I can only imagine the horrors you must have faced getting here, but you're safe now."

If you wish to reclaim what you have lost, you must seek out my master.

"No, we're not."

"What makes you say that?"

"The creature that did this to us . . . It wanted us to come here. It needs something from us. Or maybe it's just me. I don't know . . . We don't even know what they are."

"What did they look like?"

"Shadows," she answered quietly. "Living shadows."

Mamoru hummed contemplatively. "Shadows, you say? It might be a coincidence, but there was once an evil god known only as the Shadow. It was vanquished long ago by a being of pure light. Supposedly, the Shadow was buried inside the hill this temple was built on. Its likeness is depicted on the ceiling behind the God Stars and their children."

Octavia shivered, remembering its piercing orange eyes.

"What do you think we should do?" she asked. "We can't stay like this. Please help us."

"I wish I could. Unfortunately, I can't think of a solution to your problem, little one. But you're welcome to stay here for as long as you like. It's the least we can do."

Despair coiled around her heart like a snake. "What about Sesshoumaru? There must be something you can do. Can't youki be replaced? He only got caught up in all of this because of me. Our meeting was a fluke. He has nothing to do with the prophecy."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that."

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Don't you think it's strange that you just so happened to cross paths with one of the most powerful demons in the country?"

"Not really."

Mamoru clearly thought otherwise. "Everything happens for a reason. There's a theory that our souls are bound to others long before we're born, and when we're reincarnated, they're instinctively drawn to those people, despite being in new bodies."

"So, you're saying we're soulmates?"

"That's not what I said. It doesn't have to be romantic. The idea is that when strong bonds are formed between people, those bonds persevere. It doesn't matter whether it's between families, lovers, or enemies. If the bond is powerful enough, it can last until the end of time."

Whilst Octavia appreciated the sentiment, she'd never really believed in destiny.

He had a point, though. Of all the people she could have run into, it was weird that it had been Sesshoumaru and his companions. If she'd taken a different path through the forest that night, would things have gone differently? Or would they have found each other, anyway? They might not have been in the mess they were in now if she'd never stumbled upon their campsite. Or maybe she'd be in an even worse mess. The shadows might very well have come for her sooner if Sesshoumaru hadn't been in the picture.

Mamoru placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled reassuringly. "I will pray to Kushimitama for guidance," he told her. "You ought to, as well. They're your gods, after all."

She nodded absently.

"Is there anything else you wish to ask me?"

"There is, actually. Have you ever heard of the Iwa Faction?"

He shook his head. "I haven't. What is it?"

"I don't know. We had a run-in with their second-in-command a few days ago." Her voice cracked when she added, "I really beat the shit out of her."

"Do you feel guilty?"

"A bit. I was so angry, though."

His eyes flashed. "Did she deserve it?"

"Does it matter? Even if she did deserve it, aren't we encouraged to forgive? To turn the other cheek and all that?"

"Not necessarily. Sometimes, revenge is warranted."

She thought of Kiyohime and smirked. "I think my old R.E. teacher would disagree."

"People are entitled to their opinions. In the end, it is our actions that reveal our true selves, not our thoughts and morals. Take Lord Sesshoumaru, for instance. He claims that he doesn't care what becomes of you, but his actions prove otherwise. Deep down, his soul remembers yours."

The motive behind the action is irrelevant. The action itself is what truly matters.

She touched the part of her jaw where Sesshoumaru's fingers had grazed and wondered if she'd been too quick to dismiss the mysterious force known as fate.

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Author's Corner

Bit of a cruel coincidence that his dad was killed by a dragon when he already saw them as a bad omen.

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