EIGHTH BLOOD

Chapter 95: The bowl hypothesis

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It was well into the night by the time they entered the grounds of the Western Stronghold. Kagome and the others had eradicated any soldiers that had been left behind to guard the place, so they were able to pass through the main gates without any issues. Octavia heeded Sesshoumaru's request and stayed close to him as they trekked along the path, routinely striding over decomposing bodies. The stench of death was everywhere. She held her breath to create a sense of reprieve, but she only succeeded in making her lungs burn from overexertion. She had already lost all feeling in her legs and was struggling to keep her eyes open. If it weren't for Sesshoumaru feeding her a steady stream of youki, she would have collapsed hours ago.

Never let them see you falter. Not even for a second.

Her movements were slow and robotic, but she maintained a brave face as she followed him into the stronghold. Each staircase they climbed was complete and utter torture. Sweat poured down her face, making her eyes sting and her breath taste sour. Her muscles cried out in protest as she pushed them beyond the point of no return. She ignored their pathetic quibbles and soldiered on. She hadn't made it this far to give up at the very last second. She could do this.

As if sensing her internal strife, Sesshoumaru slowed his pace to a crawl so that she could catch up, then placed his hand on her shoulder.

"I can do it," she insisted, pushing his hand away. "Just give me a minute . . ."

"It's all right," he said gently, reaching for her again. "We're the only ones here. Trust me."

To her horror, her knees suddenly gave out and she lost her balance, but as always, Sesshoumaru was there to catch her. Her eyelids drooped as he lifted her into his arms and supported her head against his unarmoured shoulder. Fighting to stay awake, she curled her fingers around one of the spikes on his breastplate and pricked the heel of her hand on the sharp tip. The abrupt jolt of pain alleviated her drowsiness and made her eyes fly open with newfound clarity.

"Don't do that," he scolded, then covered her hand with his to prevent her from doing it again.

She felt like she was floating as he brought her to a room she didn't recognise. He opened the door with his foot and closed it behind them, then advanced towards a large wooden divider that partitioned the room into separate smaller areas. The walls were a deep shade of blue, complimenting the mostly grey and black decor, and the ceiling was lined with rows of spherical paper lanterns. The colour palette reminded her of his mother's shiro in Moon Country.

"Where are we?"

"My private quarters," he answered. "No one will look for you here." He set her down on what was quite possibly the softest mattress in the whole world. The urge to sleep intensified as he reached behind her and fluffed the already perfect pillows. "Wait here," he said, then turned to leave.

Her hand shot out and grabbed his sleeve. "Where are you going?"

The corners of his mouth inched upwards ever so slightly. "Isn't it obvious?" he asked.

She shook her head.

"Your face requires immediate attention."

Octavia blinked. She had forgotten all about that. Now that he'd mentioned it, she could feel the usurper's blood caked onto her skin, drawn tight across her nose and cheekbones. It seemed so unimportant considering everything else that had happened recently.

Sesshoumaru disappeared into the washroom for a few moments before re-emerging with a small metal basin and a flannel draped neatly over the edge. Her eyes tracked his movements obsessively, watching as he submerged the flannel underwater and wrung out any excess liquid. She felt her pulse quicken as he used one hand to lift her chin whilst the other guided the flannel across the plains of her face, wiping away the blood and grime that had accumulated there.

"You're so kind," she whispered, unintentionally vocalising the stray thought.

He chuckled. "You misinterpret my actions."

"How can this be construed as anything but kindness?"

"It was not kindness that motivated me to do this. I simply did not wish for you to get blood all over my sheets."

She laughed at him. "Is that so? Well, in that case, compliment revoked."

Her heart grew to twice its original size as he gripped her chin a little tighter. He took his time dragging the flannel across her cheeks, as if savouring the process instead of trying to get it done as quickly and efficiently as possible. His tender ministrations reminded her of his previous attentions after she'd been injured whilst driving away the bandits. He hadn't particularly cared for her at the time, but his application of the ketsueki no kabe's leaves had been undeniably gentle.

"Thank you for saving me," she murmured.

"It's usually the other way around, isn't it?"

She smiled. "I don't know. I think we're pretty even now."

He dropped the flannel into the metal basin, then carefully placed that on the floor beside the bed.

Octavia yawned loudly. She had never been so exhausted in her entire life. Sesshoumaru dried his palms on the bedding and gathered her hands in his. The sensation of his thumbs sweeping over her knuckles was immensely soothing.

"Sleep," he commanded softly. "You're safe here."

"Will you stay with me?" she asked groggily. "Just until I fall asleep?"

He leaned in and pressed his lips to her forehead. "Yes," he said as he drew back and met her foggy gaze. "Now sleep, you stubborn woman."

Chuckling, she gave her eyelids permission to close and exhaled through her nose slowly.

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Sesshoumaru kept his word and stayed until her breathing transitioned into a steady rhythm. Only then did he begrudgingly untangle his fingers from hers and rise from his seat on the edge of the bed. He didn't allow himself to look back as he marched towards the door.

His feet carried him all the way to the Great Hall, which now doubled as an overspill for the sickbay. The floor was covered in various quilts and fabrics that had been gathered at the miko's behest, all of which were being used to accommodate those that had been wounded during the battle. It was odd to see a human barking orders at seasoned war generals, but none of them dared to rebuke her after witnessing her powers in action. Not that he could blame them. Kagome's spiritual abilities had grown exponentially since Naraku's defeat, and he doubted that even he would be able to survive a concentrated blast of reiki from her now.

"Inuyasha, why are you still standing there when I specifically asked you to go and get more blankets?" she snapped, making the hanyou's ears droop submissively. "What are you waiting for? A written set of instructions? Go!"

Sesshoumaru fought the urge to snicker as Inuyasha scurried off to salvage what she'd asked for.

"Miko."

She turned and met his neutral gaze. "Sesshoumaru," she said, her eyebrows subtly lifting in surprise. "Long time no see, huh? What can I do for you?"

"I seek to find Rin and Jaken," he answered, feeling like a guest in his own home.

"Sure. Jaken's over there. I sent Rin-chan on a hunt for alcohol, but she should be back any minute."

"Alcohol? For what purpose?"

"To sterilise wounds, duh. What did you think I wanted it for? I can hardly afford to get drunk at a time like this. Pull your big dumb head out of the gutter before it gets stuck in there."

His brow furrowed. Was all future slang so utterly nonsensical? "Mind yourself, miko," he warned. "Inuyasha may tolerate your flippant ways, but pure-blooded demons will not be so lenient."

She shrugged nonchalantly. "Nobody's had a problem with it so far. But if they do, I'm more than happy to show them who's boss."

Sesshoumaru considered her words. "Hn. I will bear that in mind when antagonising you."

"You should." He turned to begin the process of locating his retainer, only to be stopped by the miko attempting to interrogate him. "Where's Octavia-chan?" She didn't bother trying to hide the accusation in her voice.

"Resting," he replied. "She overexerted herself. Her powers need time to recuperate."

Her nostrils flared ominously. "If I find out you've lied to me, there'll be a nice little bed for you next to Jaken's."

"I take it you'll be the one responsible for putting me there?"

"If need be."

A smirk pulled at his lips. "Very well. Thank you for your help . . . little sister."

She didn't contest his use of the moniker as he walked away.

Jaken was asleep when he found him. He contemplated waking him, until he saw the array of cuts and bruises that marred the imp's moderately swollen face. Sesshoumaru crouched beside the little makeshift cot and stared down at his retainer passively. The way that the imp's body was angled was indicative of an injured spine, but Sesshoumaru couldn't be certain of its severity unless he checked for himself. Not wishing to cause Jaken any further pain, he refrained from disturbing him and waited for him to awaken naturally.

The smell of lilacs floated into his nostrils, urging him to lift his head and seek its source. He'd recognise that scent anywhere.

Rin stood a meagre thirty feet away, balancing four bottles of rubbing alcohol in her arms. The miko accepted them graciously, then pointed in his direction with a smile tickling her lips. Sesshoumaru rose to his feet as Rin's eyes found his, and the world seemed to stop when her face brightened in complete and utter joy.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" she cried happily, and for a moment, her form reverted back to the little girl from the forest, complete with tattered clothes and a face that was tarnished by bruises.

Rin bounded towards him like a young foal and wrapped her gangly arms around his waist. He surprised them both by returning her embrace with a ferocity that rivalled even hers. He crushed her against his chest and buried his face in her dark tresses, inhaling her familiar scent. She felt so small and fragile, yet her strength was undeniable.

"Are you hurt?" he asked, checking her for injuries.

She shook her head. "No. Are you?"

He followed her gaze to his blood-soaked haori, then to the singed flesh on his exposed forearms. "Worry not," he reassured her. "These are but scratches. They will heal in due time."

"That's good," she said. "I was worried they might leave scars. Not that there's anything wrong with that! I just thought that you'd . . ."

His eyes flashed. "It helped that the usurper wasn't at full strength when I faced him. In fact, his declining health contributed significantly to my success. You didn't have anything to do with that, did you, Rin?"

Her brow creased. "Who, me? I could never pull something like that off, Sesshoumaru-sama. Not in a million years. I'd probably just end up poisoning myself by mistake."

"Who said anything about poison?"

They were silent for a few seconds, then their mouths curved upwards into matching smirks. Tsunayoshi had tried to break her spirit, but what he hadn't known was that Rin's resolve could withstand just about anything.

"I couldn't just sit back and watch while you did all the work," she said bashfully. "After everything you've done for me, it was the least I could do. None of it would have been possible without Jaken-sama, Shippo-chan or Kohaku, though. Even Cyril-kun deliberately turned a blind eye towards what we were doing."

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed at the mention of the warlock's name. "What do you mean by that?"

"He could have easily ratted us out to Tsunayoshi," Rin replied. "But he didn't. When he caught Jaken-sama stealing from his herb garden, he basically encouraged us to go ahead with our little plan. Hell, I think he wanted us to do it. It makes sense when you remember that he was being blackmailed by Tsunayoshi, too."

"He was?"

She nodded.

"How do you know that?"

"I saw it in a dream."

Sesshoumaru stiffened. He had learned not to underestimate the power of dreams. Especially since certain ones had been known to come true as of late. If Nagisa had foreseen his and Octavia's arrival on the isle of Namida years before it happened, and Octavia had somehow witnessed a private conversation between his father and Nidawi that had taken place centuries ago, then who was to say that Rin hadn't been privy to something similar?

"What was he being blackmailed with?" Sesshoumaru queried.

Rin frowned, seemingly racking her brain for details. "I don't know the specifics, but Tsunayoshi mentioned some kind of enchantment. He said: 'you can either help me and have the curse removed, or refuse me and live out the rest of your days in anguish'."

A curse, hmm? How very peculiar. The warlock was currently on his way to the jail sector. As far as Sesshoumaru was aware, Cyril hadn't regained consciousness yet. He made a mental note to visit him as soon as he awakened.

"Did you happen to find out what the ngea hoped to gain by allying themselves with Tsunayoshi?" Sesshoumaru asked, changing the subject.

"The what?"

"The shadows," he clarified. "That is their name."

"Ngea . . ." she repeated, testing the name on her tongue. "That's weird. It sounds kind of familiar. Like I've heard it somewhere before. I can't remember where, though."

Her eyes flitted around the room, seemingly searching for something, whilst her fingers curled around the strange necklace she was wearing. It looked identical to the one Octavia wore, except the colours were inverted, and the chain was slightly thicker.

"Kagome-sama told me that she saw Octavia-san," Rin started. "She said she spoke to her. Is she—"

"She's here."

Rin's face lit up like a sun. "Where? Can I see her?"

"Soon," he promised. "She requires rest. You will see her once her strength has returned."

"That's okay. I'm just glad she's home."

My home is wherever you are.

"As am I," he replied earnestly.

Jaken was showing signs of stirring. Rin rushed past him and knelt beside the imp's cot. His eyelids peeled open to reveal a pair of bloodshot eyes with dilated pupils.

Sesshoumaru's chest felt strangely warm as he watched them converse in hushed whispers. The sight reminded him of bygone days when their group had scoured the country in search of the fiend known as Naraku. All that was missing from the scene was Ah-Un. The dragon youkai had stayed behind at the campsite in order to protect the children and those who'd been deemed unfit to fight. Sesshoumaru had been a little taken aback by the beast's passionate stance on the matter, but he'd understood its motives. Ah-Un had always been fond of children.

"M-Milord!" Jaken gasped suddenly, then moved to sit up.

Sesshoumaru joined Rin on the floor and placed a hand on the imp's shoulder firmly. The gesture made Jaken's eyes widen and robbed him of breath. It was a perfectly reasonable reaction, mind you. Usually, Sesshoumaru only ever touched him when he needed to vent his frustrations. Jaken had been at the mercy of his temper for decades, and yet his devotion had never wavered. Sesshoumaru hadn't deserved his undying loyalty. In truth, he hadn't deserved anyone's.

"Forgive me," he said quietly. "I liberated you from one version of bondage only to thrust you into another. Before I coerced you into servitude, you were a leader in your own right. I should never have taken that away from you. If you wish to return to your tribe, I will not stop you."

Jaken looked horrified. "You didn't coerce me into anything!" he cried. "I left of my own volition! Before you showed up, milord, every day was exactly the same. I awoke in the same dreary ditch every morning, ate the same foods for supplements, endured the same boring conversations, and gave my tribesmen the same mind-numbing commands. Why would I ever go back to that?"

"Jaken-sama . . ." Rin mumbled, wide-eyed.

"Travelling with you wasn't always easy," Jaken continued. "And I suppose I did miss the responsibilities that came with being a leader, but each day brought with it a brand-new adventure. I saw new horizons, tasted new foods, slept in different places, and I didn't have to make all the decisions for a change! For the first time in my life, I felt free."

"You almost died because of me," Sesshoumaru reminded him harshly. "The Tenseiga can only revive a soul once. I wouldn't have been able to save you this time."

Jaken shrugged. "That's life. Not everyone inherits a magic sword from their sire that can resurrect the dead. Most people only get one chance, and when they die, they stay dead."

"It's true," agreed Rin. "We were fortunate enough to have been given a second shot at life. Or third, in my case. My parents and brothers weren't so lucky."

Life isn't supposed to be limitless.

Sesshoumaru removed his hand from Jaken's shoulder. "You truly have no qualms about turning your back on your old life?" he asked in disbelief.

The imp's eyes blazed with certainty. "My back was turned from the moment I laid eyes on you, milord."

"As was mine," Rin said with a smile.

Sesshoumaru's face softened as he looked upon his companions with new eyes. How many years had he wasted seeking validation from a ghost when the perfect alternative had been right in front of him all along? Because whilst Rin and Jaken weren't related to him by blood, they had done the one thing that his father hadn't been able to, which was love him unconditionally.

"In that case," he started, meeting Jaken's determined gaze. "I'm promoting you to the position of Chief Minister."

The imp's mouth fell open in shock. "C-Come again?"

"You are no longer a mere vassal of this one," elaborated Sesshoumaru. "Instead, you shall be in charge of a council that will act as personal advisors to the Lord of the Western Lands, whilst managing daily affairs such as legislations and taxes."

"But there is no such council!" Jaken squawked.

"Exactly. I, however, believe that we would greatly benefit from the existence of one. That is why I would like you to create one on my behalf. It is the perfect role for you, Jaken. You would regain the responsibilities you yearn for without sacrificing your freedom. What do you say?"

Jaken's eyes glistened with tears. "You are too kind, milord."

Sesshoumaru's mind inadvertently conjured up an image of Octavia lying fast asleep in his bed. "So I've been told."

"Jaken-sama, you have to say yes!" urged Rin. "Think of how popular you'll be! And not to mention rich!"

The imp made a show of rubbing his chin contemplatively. "Well, when you put it like that . . ."

Sesshoumaru's eyes drifted towards the opposite end of the Great Hall, where a young man in scarlet robes was distributing blankets. The hanyou's ears twitched – as if feeling the weight of the Daiyoukai's intense gaze – and he reluctantly lifted his head. Sesshoumaru clenched his jaw as his half-brother stared at him from across the room with an unusual expression.

"Stay with Jaken," he told Rin, swiftly rising to his feet. "I won't be long."

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Inuyasha swallowed as Sesshoumaru crossed the room to get to him. He braced himself for the vicious onslaught of insults that would inevitably manifest once Sesshoumaru came within speaking range, but the Daiyoukai did no such thing. Instead, he merely paused and regarded his little brother cautiously, as if he were seeing him for the very first time.

Inuyasha fought the urge to squirm under the crippling weight of Sesshoumaru's gaze. "What the hell is your deal?" he snapped defensively. "I didn't drag myself all the way out here for a damn staring contest, asshole."

"Then why did you?"

Inuyasha balled his hands into fists. "I knew you were in trouble. I figured our old man would've wanted me to make sure you didn't get yourself killed."

"Who told you about the usurper? I don't recall sending for you, but someone clearly did."

"Are you for real? No one fucking sent for us. And we had no idea who that pathetic lowlife even was until Toran filled us in on what's been happening. We went into that portal totally blind. Excuse me for giving a shit about you. I should've just stayed at home—"

"What portal?"

Inuyasha blinked. "You know, those cracks that have been popping up all over the place? The ones that lead to other realities? Hell, they're everywhere! You must have seen some of 'em."

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened slightly. "You travelled through the schism."

"The what?"

"It is the space between worlds. You've passed through it before. Many times, in fact. It is my understanding that the Bone-Eater's Well acts as a bridge between your world and the miko's."

"What the . . . How the hell do you know that?"

"You are not the only one to have traversed the schism."

Inuyasha gaped at his brother in bewilderment.

"These cracks you speak of," continued Sesshoumaru. "How many are they?"

"Like a gazillion," replied Inuyasha. "Way too many to count. Musashi is overflowing with 'em."

Sesshoumaru's brow furrowed. "That is strange. Here, they are few and far between."

Inuyasha frowned. "That can't be right. Are you sure you haven't missed any? Why would there be so many in one place and not another—" He cut himself off. Realisation dawned on him as he mulled over what the overabundance of cracks meant for the province of Musashi.

"What is it?" Sesshoumaru probed.

"The Tree of Ages," he whispered. "I thought it was a coincidence, but maybe it isn't."

"Explain."

Inuyasha struggled to come up with a way to properly articulate his thoughts. In the end, he settled for a visual demonstration instead. He spotted a conveniently sized ceramic bowl on the ground and reached to pick it up. "Think of it this way. Our world is like this bowl."

"I fail to see how."

"Just shut up and listen for a second." Inuyasha patted the base of the bowl with his hand. "This side is us. We live here, in the sixteenth century, right? Well, so does Kagome, but she wasn't born here." He flipped the bowl over so that the hollowed-out inside was facing the ceiling. "This is where she came from. Same world, different times—both of which are separated by this crazy strong, impenetrable barrier. But here's the thing. It's not impenetrable."

To prove his point, he thrust a claw into the base of the bowl, creating a small round crater.

"One day, somebody pierces a hole in this barrier, and bam! Thanks to the Bone-Eater's Well, things can easily move between the two time periods. But this is where it gets really crazy." He removed his finger from the crater and tapped its jagged rim. "What happens when you smash a hole into something hard and brittle?"

"It loses its integrity," Sesshoumaru answered instantly.

"Exactly."

The Daiyoukai watched as Inuyasha forced his finger back into the crater and wiggled it around mercilessly. The clay around the crater soon crumbled, and a network of cracks splintered across the bowl's surface, spreading outwards to encompass the entirety of its base.

Sesshoumaru's brow creased once again. "I believe I understand what you are alluding to with this peculiar demonstration, but what, pray tell, is your finger supposed to represent?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "The way I see it, there are two likely outcomes. Either the portals are breaking down from overuse, or the hole itself is getting bigger over time. Meaning—"

"Something is trying to force its way through," Sesshoumaru finished for him.

Inuyasha placed the now fractured bowl on the floor and waited for the Daiyoukai to weigh in on his theory.

"It is a compelling argument," he said finally. "However, it was the Tree of Ages that ushered you towards this conclusion, not the Bone-Eater's Well. You claim that the latter exists at the centre of the web when it is actually the former. And thus, your theory is made redundant."

"I don't see you coming up with anything better!"

"I was merely voicing my opinion on the matter at hand."

"Yeah, well, I was just trying to make sense of things. You don't need to be a dick about it." Crossing his arms, Inuyasha waited for Sesshoumaru to retaliate, but again, he barely reacted.

"Why did you really enter the portal?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"I told you. Father would have wanted me to—"

"You're lying. Tell me the truth, little brother."

Inuyasha gnashed his teeth together. "Why do you wanna know so badly?"

"So it was a lie."

"Okay, fine! Jeez. I was worried about you. Happy?"

An unidentifiable emotion passed through Sesshoumaru's eyes then, but it only stuck around for a couple of seconds. Inuyasha wondered what it could have been. "Your concerns were misplaced, little brother. It would take more than a vengeful hanyou to bring about my destruction."

"You ungrateful jerk—"

"If you would let me finish." Inuyasha begrudgingly held his tongue whilst the Daiyoukai finally spoke his mind. "Whilst I personally did not require your aid on this particular occasion, your group's contributions to the battle were . . . adequate. The miko eradicated many of our foes with her sacred arrows, and the Tessaiga's attacks were a welcome sight amongst all the bloodshed. Simply put, you have my thanks."

Inuyasha's eyes grew wide in shock. "You're thanking me? What the hell!"

"Would you rather I hadn't?"

"No, it's just . . . I don't think we've ever had a conversation last this long before! At least, not without us trying to kill each other. Why the sudden change of heart?"

Sesshoumaru seemed to be contemplating his next words carefully. "Your wife will be tired after completing her duties here," he said after a brief pause, changing the subject before Inuyasha could push for an answer. "I encourage you to remain in the stronghold until you are both sufficiently rested. The tanuki is welcome to do the same, provided that he promises not to transform into giant fruits whilst indoors. The cost of repairs is high enough already."

Inuyasha blinked slowly. "You're asking us to stay?"

"Not at all. I am simply pointing out that it would be in your best interests to. The celebrations will most likely commence tomorrow, and will undoubtedly last for at least a week. Unless the miko runs out of rubbing alcohol and decides to empty our vaults of sake."

Inuyasha couldn't believe what he was hearing.

The Daiyoukai's eyes narrowed. "You do not have to—"

"No, no, we'll stay. You're right, actually. I know Kagome will appreciate a hot bath and a meal before we leave. Hachi, too. I'll go and tell 'em now."

Sesshoumaru didn't utter another word as the hanyou walked away. Inuyasha had an overwhelmingly strong urge to look back, but repressed it in favour of increasing the distance between them to one that felt less unnatural. He and Sesshoumaru had never exchanged so many words before, and certainly never in a manner quite as civil as that. The Sesshoumaru he knew would have rather toppled over dead than express gratitude to a worthless half-breed. What in the world had come over him? Was he sick? He didn't look it, but Kagome had once told him that not all illnesses were tangible. According to her, there were illnesses of the mind—invisible to the naked eye, but still very much there. Her own father had ended up succumbing to one of these illnesses, so they were nothing to sneer at. Could Sesshoumaru have somehow contracted one?

There was no point wasting time wondering about it. All Inuyasha could do now was watch and observe. Whether he liked it or not, he was bound to find out sooner or later.

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Author's Corner

I guess Kagome has been teaching Inuyasha about Physics? Thanks for reading!