EIGHTH BLOOD
Chapter 30: Parasite
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Sesshoumaru watched the sea dragon perform a lift, making Octavia laugh and extend her arms as she was spun around like a helicopter seed. He really ought to look away, but he simply couldn't bring himself to. Her green eyes sparkled as her feet touched the ground, and her rosy cheeks glowed. She smiled at the sea dragon and copied her steps.
Sesshoumaru's eyes followed her every move, noting the many blunders she made. Her complete and utter disregard for perfection should have made him turn his nose up in disgust, but the wildness of her flawed dancing appealed to some primal part of him. She moved with a savagery that he scarcely saw in young women such as herself, lacking all shame as she threw herself into the motions like a blaze tearing its way across the countryside. Perhaps it was a human trait.
Their eyes met unexpectedly, and the space between them no longer felt like enough. Her smile grew when she realised that he'd been looking at her. Not wishing to feed her ego, he kept his expression neutral, hoping she'd get the message and divert her attention back to the sea dragon. Fortunately, she did, but it didn't grant him the release he'd thought it would. If anything, her loss of interest only made him feel . . . What was that word she'd used in the boat?
Superfluous.
Frustrated, he used the opportunity to slip away from the crowd into an empty side street.
His feet carried him to the hill at the heart of the city. Instead of taking the steps, he spotted a large opening in the rock about fifty metres from the ground and leapt towards it. He landed on a rocky ledge preceding it and stared at the cave entrance before him. There was a path leading to it from the temple steps, although it was discreet and hidden.
The entrance to the cave was marked with strange symbols that reminded him of the ones etched into the torii they'd passed under yesterday. Two lit torches were fixed to the walls several feet into the cave, illuminating the space. He pulled one loose and used it to light his way.
His airwaves tightened as he travelled farther into the cave. The path started to decline, making it harder to traverse, but he pressed on.
His father would be disappointed in him if he knew that he was here.
I have no choice, he thought, frowning. Sometimes snooping was necessary. Unlike Octavia, he had no intention of waiting for the shadows to ambush them. He would much rather bring the fight to them. The Bakusaiga hummed in agreement, whereas the Tenseiga rebelled, rattling ferociously at his hip. His eyes narrowed as the sword told him to turn back.
"I give the orders," he told it firmly. "Not you."
He carried on despite the Tenseiga's distress.
The tunnel eventually fed into a much larger cavern with paintings on the walls. They appeared to be telling a story, but Sesshoumaru couldn't figure out what.
He studied the paintings carefully. Like the temple ceiling, there were eight-pointed stars present in almost every branch of the story. The part he was most drawn to was a dark mass with shadowy wings and orange eyes. He approached it cautiously, lifting the torch to cast more light over it. The animal it resembled most was a bird, but its long, taut face looked like it belonged to a wolf, although that could have been because of the art style. Nonetheless, the painting made him feel uneasy.
"Fascinating, isn't it?"
Sesshoumaru whirled around to face the owner of the voice, baffled that he hadn't heard them come in.
The High Priest raised his hands in surrender as the Daiyoukai reached for his weapon. "I didn't mean to startle you," he stammered. "I saw you at the entrance and decided to follow you."
"What is this place?"
"A crypt."
Sesshoumaru kept his hand on the Bakusaiga's hilt. "Whose crypt?"
"The answer is behind you. These walls tell the story of the Shadow's defeat. Look." The priest pointed to the painting Sesshoumaru had been examining and said, "After the God Stars finished creating the universe, they made four deities and put them in charge of different things. One controlled fate, one controlled time, whereas the other two controlled light and darkness respectively. However, one of them went rogue. The Shadow attempted to plunge the world into an endless night, endangering all that lived there."
The priest walked over to another painting, which depicted a creature not unlike the Shadow, but with golden wings and purple eyes.
"The God Stars ordered its twin to dispose of it, which it did. This hill is where the Shadow met its demise. After its death, the earth grew around it, creating the plateau where the temple was subsequently built. According to the scriptures, its body is still here, buried deep underground."
"And you believe that?"
"Of course. As High Priest, it is my duty to ensure that this crypt remains undisturbed."
"Why? What happens if it's disturbed?"
"The Shadow isn't all that's down here. When Sakimitama's tears fell, they did more than create this island. They filled a valley and turned it into a sacred spring that was rumoured to grant immortality to those who drank from it, granting them passage to the heavens. The five Shikon Goddesses – Ximaenah, Lusian, Rhoeminae, Ivannah, and Okteviah – were originally mortals who drank from the spring. When the Shadow died, its corpse poisoned the water and turned it black. A group of demons emerged from its deadly depths and vowed to avenge the god of darkness."
Sesshoumaru tightened his grip on the Bakusaiga's hilt. "Are you saying that—"
"Yes. That's what you've been seeing. They aren't shadows . . . They're vengeance."
He drew his sword and pointed it at the priest, whose eyes widened in surprise.
"What do you think you're doing? I'm—"
"A liar and a fraud," he finished for him. "I understand now. The task is complete. I've found your master. If you're to be believed, he's somewhere below us, waiting in the dark. Stop pretending you're the High Priest and show yourself. Or are you too much of a coward to face me?"
"Preposterous! You don't know what you're talking about."
Sesshoumaru didn't lower his sword. "There is one thing I still don't understand, though. What do you want with the human? She's innocent in this."
The priest's expression changed. Had Sesshoumaru been a lesser demon, he might have been afraid. "Her blood will bring him back to life," the creature inside of him answered. "He can only be saved by that which created him. His gods are long gone, but their power lives on in her."
"The human belongs to me. Touch her and I'll make you regret the day you crawled out of that corrupted spring, if it even happened that way."
"We would be doing you all a favour."
He paused. "Explain yourself."
"There is more to her than meets the eye. If she isn't dealt with, she will bring about your destruction. Don't you want to save your race from extinction? Because if she lives, the future from the prophecy will absolutely come to pass."
"Not necessarily. The future isn't set in stone. It can be changed."
"Not when there are multiple prophecies all predicting the same outcome. You cannot alter destiny, Lord Sesshoumaru."
He growled, but without his youki, he might as well have been a feral dog. The priest's eyes turned black, and he chuckled softly. Sesshoumaru thought about swapping the Bakusaiga for the Tenseiga, but the sword would be useless unless the shadow left its host.
"How long have you been possessing him?" he asked, curious if any of their interactions had been genuine.
"Since the moment he was born," the shadow answered. "The baby came too early. He would have died if not for me. I took his body as my reward for saving him. His mind faded long ago."
"And my youki?"
The shadow erupted with laughter.
Sesshoumaru glared. "I wasn't trying to be humorous."
"It has been with you all along, trapped behind bars . . ."
His eyes widened in realisation. No.
"Do you finally understand?"
"You lie. I would have felt it."
"There's no need to be embarrassed. The star didn't feel it, either."
He slashed at the priest with his sword. The creature's black eyes narrowed as one of its horns tumbled to the ground with a thud. Sesshoumaru watched it roll to the other side of the cavern before stopping in front of the painting depicting the god of light.
"You shouldn't have done that," the shadow whispered.
The torch went out and darkness flooded the cavern.
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