EIGHTH BLOOD
Chapter 59: Dream Eater
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Sesshoumaru followed the bear hanyou's scent to a large hollow log that had been turned on its side.
Nagisa stifled a sob at the sight of the infants standing in front of the log. They practically launched themselves at her, tackling her to the ground, whilst Sesshoumaru watched from the sidelines with a vacant expression. Eventually, Nagisa drew back and searched them for injuries.
"Did they hurt you?" she asked, her voice thick with emotion.
They shook their heads. "No," a young cat hanyou answered. "They didn't touch us."
"Where's Haru-chan?"
"He went in there," said another, pointing at the log.
Frowning, Nagisa peered inside. "I can't see him. Did you check the other end?"
They nodded. "He never came out."
"Step aside," Sesshoumaru ordered. They complied and he crouched in the entrance, gazing into the darkness. The air inside was strange and distorted, like he was looking through a wall of ice. His eyes narrowed. "Wait here."
He entered the log and made his way towards the spot that was rippling. As soon as he got close enough, he reached out with his hand, only to witness it vanish into an invisible fissure. Startled, he snatched his hand back and assessed it for damage, but his skin was unblemished.
Nagisa's voice echoed through the log. "Did you find anything?"
Yes.
"Whatever happens, don't follow me," he said. "I will return with the boy."
He didn't stick around to hear her response. Flexing his fingers, he took a step forward and disappeared. The arched wooden ceiling above him quickly morphed into a dark blue sky full of shimmering lights. Refusing to let the abrupt change in scenery faze him, he kept walking.
Soon, he passed through another doorway and found himself back in the woods. Turning around, he saw that the log behind him was the same, but Nagisa and the infants weren't there. He couldn't even smell them. However, he could smell—
"You are too hasty."
"With all due respect, Father, I almost had it that time."
Sesshoumaru's eyes shot fully open.
His father plucked the training blade out of his younger self's grip and shook his head in disappointment. "Almosts are no good when your life is on the line, my son. A warrior must be absolute on the battlefield. You told me you were ready."
"I am!" he snapped. "Now return my sword."
"This is not a sword. It is little more than a stick. If you wish to train with real swords, you must master these techniques first. Now, try again."
Sesshoumaru watched himself frown and resume his fighting stance. He hadn't realised how small he used to be. Without the ancestral pelt, he looked especially tiny. He wouldn't be deemed worthy of it for at least another fifty years. His father gave him back the training blade and told him to perform the technique again. Sesshoumaru balled his fists in anticipation as his younger self closed his eyes and took a deep breath. As usual, his father offered no encouragement.
A rustling in the bushes tore Sesshoumaru's attention away from his past, reminding him of his goal. He reached into the azaleas and parted them, exposing the bear hanyou's teary face. The boy froze – obviously terrified – before recognition crept into his features.
"I remember you," he whispered. "You were with the star mage."
Sesshoumaru tried not to cringe at the mention of her.
"I've come to take you home," he said.
"That's kind of you, but my home doesn't exist anymore. It was destroyed."
"Regardless, your friends are waiting for you. Nagisa, too."
Hope sparked in his eyes. "Nagi-san's here?"
"No, but she isn't far. Come with me and I will take you to her."
The hanyou crawled out of his hiding place and the two of them headed back towards the log. Sesshoumaru paused in the entrance and looked back over his shoulder at his father, feeling his hand inch towards the Tenseiga's hilt.
As if by magic, his father stopped speaking and inclined his head towards the gathering of trees hiding his son's future self. His father seemed especially perturbed – no doubt because of the scent – and reached for his sword. The Tessaiga didn't exist yet, so it was an ordinary blade, but it was just as dangerous in his father's hands.
Sesshoumaru scooped the hanyou into his arms and dashed into the log.
"What is it, Father?" his younger self asked after they were gone.
The older Daiyoukai relaxed his posture. "It's nothing. Continue."
The hanyou shivered in Sesshoumaru's arms. He'd taken one look at the peculiar realm that separated the two forests and quickly hidden his face in Sesshoumaru's pelt.
He was lighter than Rin, but his presence weighed heavily on Sesshoumaru's conscience. Inuyasha had been this small once. How hard would it have been for him to pick him up and take him somewhere safe? If he had, their paths might have never crossed again. It wasn't Izayoi's fault that her son had been left to fend for himself, and it wasn't their father's, either.
It was his.
"Don't be afraid," he said.
The bear hanyou lifted his head and stared at Sesshoumaru's blank expression. "That's what the man who killed Taro-san said," he whispered, voice cracking at the end. "I guess they got what they wanted, huh?"
"What do you mean?"
"He said they'd let us go if you gave them the star mage."
"I did no such thing. She left of her own accord—"
Sesshoumaru stopped walking. His heart beat faster as the spot she'd kissed tingled. No. How had it taken him so long to realise?
The hanyou looked at him strangely. "Do you love her?"
He stiffened. "Don't be absurd."
"What does absurd mean?"
"Illogical. Nonsensical. Silly."
He resumed walking.
"Is it because she's human?" the hanyou asked after a brief pause.
". . . No."
"Then why?"
"She betrayed me." No, she didn't. "She ought to have confided in me."
"Did you tell her that?"
Sesshoumaru sighed through his nose. "No."
"Maybe she feels let down, too."
He hadn't considered that. As always, he'd assumed the worst. He should have had more faith in her. If she'd handed herself over in exchange for the infants, there was a chance that she didn't want to be there. Wherever 'there' was.
"After the island, where did they take you?"
"I don't know, but it was hot and sandy."
"Did they say why they wanted her?"
The hanyou shook his head. "No, but the man who killed Taro-san . . . He's like her."
"How so?"
"His magic was the same. He stole Nagi-san's youki and used it against her. She couldn't do anything. I thought he was going to kill her, too."
Things were starting to make sense. This mage had needed someone to instil fear in Octavia's heart, and Nagisa had succeeded in doing just that. It was clever of him to prey on her humanity. He must have known that Sesshoumaru would never agree to such terms, so he'd targeted her instead. But why hadn't she said anything? He should have asked. He should have—
The hanyou sobbed into his pelt. Sesshoumaru let him. Even as he stepped into the doorway that led to the present, his mind remained in the past.
He wasn't a good man. He'd scorned his mother for a mistake that wasn't her fault, and he'd been content to let his brother starve. Was it too late to make amends? Maybe she feels let down, too. That wasn't anything new, though. He let everyone down. Why should it be any different for her?
When they returned, Sesshoumaru passed the hanyou to Nagisa and watched as she hugged him tightly. She stroked his hair and pressed a kiss to his temple, whispering comforting words in his ear. She caught Sesshoumaru's eye afterwards and mouthed a thank you. He nodded mutely.
As they made their way back to the stronghold, Sesshoumaru began to devise a plan to find Octavia.
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Far away, Octavia awoke in a bed at the top of the kasbah's tallest tower.
She was still wearing her clothes from the day before, but there were fresh ones draped over a chair beside the bed. They consisted of a long amber dress with chiffon sleeves and a train, gold slippers, and a circlet. She turned the room upside down for an alternative to wear, but there was nothing else. Sighing, she changed into the dress and slid her feet into the slippers, opting to leave the circlet untouched.
She tried the door, only to find that it was locked from the outside.
"What the fu—"
"Good morning!"
She whirled around and spotted Augustus's face in the window. There was no glass, so he was resting his arms on the windowsill. Octavia crossed the room and peered past him to see how he was standing there. There was a ledge beneath her window that led to a smaller tower.
"You could've just used the door," she said.
His laugh sounded breathless. "This is much more exciting. You look great, by the way."
"I look ridiculous. Can't I wear something else?"
"But then we wouldn't match."
She glanced down at his amber jacket, which was buttoned shut and embroidered at the collar with gold thread. Tiny interconnecting suns adorned his sleeves, and he was wearing an identical gilded circlet to the one she'd neglected to pick up.
"What do you want to do first?" he asked.
"Getting out of this room sounds like a good place to start."
He offered her his hand. "Your wish is my command."
She hesitated. "Is taking the stairs not an option?"
"This way is better. Trust me."
Giving in, she slid her hand into his and let him help her over the windowsill.
Despite the altitude, it was just as hot as it was on the ground, and the breeze was very faint. They made their way along the ledge to the smaller tower, but instead of going in, Augustus veered left and led her farther up the roof. The sun blazed down on her neck.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"I'm going to show you how to use a mark," he replied.
"Do we have to do it up here?"
She suddenly remembered him spelling her to sleep.
What else was he capable of?
". . . What are you gonna do to me this time?" she asked quietly.
He paused on the incline. When he turned around, his eyes were warm and reassuring. "I'm not going to hurt you, Octavia," he promised. "Please, believe me. And yes, this is the best place to do it. You'll understand when I show you. Come on. We're almost at the top."
She picked up her dress and followed him. The pinnacle of the kasbah was flat, making it easy to walk across. Augustus stopped at the other end and made space for Octavia beside him. They had a clear view of the desert from this section of the roof, which looked impressive with the sun beating down and cooking the sand. Octavia wiped her face with her sleeve.
"The Dressmaker told me you drew a mark in your sleep once."
Octavia's eyes widened slightly. "She's here?"
Augustus nodded. "Which one was it?"
"Bokuseno said it was called 'shield'."
"Interesting. That's muscle memory for you."
The head forgets, but the hands do not.
"I'm going to teach you a new one today. It's one of the elemental marks, so it takes a while to perfect, but I think it'll suit you. This is the mark for 'earth'." He drew another symbol in the air with his index finger. It shone brightly before fading into the distance. "Watch the horizon."
Octavia stared at the distant sand dunes and gasped as they started to move. They rolled about like waves, kicking up a sandstorm, which Augustus seized control of. He rotated his wrist and morphed the particles into shapes. He created the silhouettes of a tiger, an elephant, a whale suspended in the air, and finally, a Chinese dragon that flew straight for the kasbah.
Octavia shielded her eyes from the sand, but the particles broke apart before they could touch the structure. She lowered her hands and watched the sand fall with her mouth agape.
Augustus laughed at the thunderstruck look on her face.
"How did you do that?"
"Sand used to be rocks, and rocks are earth. I just told them what to do."
"That's amazing."
"I know, right?" He smiled and reached for her hand. "You have no idea how happy I am to have someone to share this with. I always hoped we'd meet again someday."
She felt guilty for giving him false hope, but an opportunity had presented itself to her, and she wasn't about to let it get away. If she learned enough mitama marks, her chances of escaping would greatly increase. Sesshoumaru might never forgive her, but she could try to explain. She could make him understand why she'd done it. She owed him that much, at least.
Augustus dropped her hand and looked away shyly.
She flashed him the most authentic smile she could muster and readied her index finger. "What did it look like again?"
He pushed her hand down gently. "You'll want to use an instrument until you get the hang of it."
"Instrument?"
"Something to draw the marks with. The Dressmaker has her hairpin. It helps if it's something personal. Like that knife under your dress."
She tensed. "What knife?"
"The one containing the demon's tooth," he replied.
Of course the Dressmaker had gone and blabbed.
"Can I see it?"
Octavia hoisted up her dress and unsheathed the dagger, sliding it into Augustus's palm. He stroked the crystal with his thumb.
"Do you know what this is?" he asked.
"I know that it used to be Midoriko's," she replied. "It lets you steal other people's dreams."
"It does more than that. The Dream Eater has the power to pierce through dimensions. It can also be used to close existing cuts. However, the blade has grown too dull to make new ones. Milk teeth aren't exactly sharp. It has a new purpose now. I'm not sure what, though."
"What does opening and closing portals have to do with dreams?"
"All dreams are rumoured to exist in an unknown dimension in the cosmos. Only the dream butterflies know where it is. The dagger allows you to travel to that dimension and bear witness to dreams that aren't your own. When Midoriko died, her soul fused with her opponent's and was sucked into a nightmare created by the dagger. The nightmare manifested physically as the Shikon no Tama. When it was destroyed, the nightmare ended, and the trapped souls were freed."
Octavia regarded the dagger with caution. "I don't want my soul to wind up trapped in a nightmare."
"It won't. Only Erem's Vessel is immune to the risks of using the dagger."
Vessel?
Augustus returned the dagger.
"How will it help me make mitama marks?" she asked.
"You're an artist, right?"
She nodded.
"Think of it as a paintbrush."
The Reikon Blade shimmered in the sunlight. Augustus showed her how to draw 'earth' and watched as she etched the mark into the air in front of her with the tip of the dagger. The sand below swirled. Octavia closed her eyes and tried to create the shape of a large dog. She was going to do everything in her power to get back to the Sengoku period, even if it killed her.
Her home was waiting for her.
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Author's Corner
Our girl has a plan! Fingers crossed it doesn't backfire! Will Sesshoumaru get his shit together and go searching for her? Only time will tell!
As always, I'd like to say a huge thank you to my regulars, as well as give a special mention to new reader zmey9265, who left a lovely review on the last chapter. I hope you all enjoyed this one. Let me know what you thought in a comment and stay safe everyone.