A tense meeting was about to take place just outside the Southern capital, a grand pavilion erected as neutral ground amidst the battle torn landscape. Lords Haruto and Sesshoumaru had arrived first, accompanied by General Katsu and Inuyasha. The air was thick with trepidation, a palpable tension lingering as they awaited their adversaries.
From the opposite direction, Lord Raika made his appearance, his once impressive presence now greatly diminished. His daughter, Lady Dokugiri, walked beside him with an almost ethereal grace. Sesshoumaru's keen eyes took in Raika's deterioration: he was thinner and somehow shorter, his once vibrant scarlet hair now a dull, pin-straight shadow of its former glory. The dragon lord looked every bit a demon who had lost much and was losing more each day.
In stark contrast, Lady Dokugiri appeared almost to float beside him, her expression serene and oddly joyous for someone supposedly losing a war. Her radiant presence was both disconcerting and unusual.
As the lords took their places under the canvas, the weight of their respective positions hung heavily in the air. Raika, despite his frail state, tried to project an air of confidence, his voice carrying a forced bravado.
"Greetings, Lord Sesshoumaru, Lord Haruto," Raika began, his voice attempting to carry the authority it once held effortlessly. "We are here today to discuss a truce, a possibility for peace amidst this endless conflict." His feeble hand gestured to the destruction around them.
Sesshoumaru's golden eyes narrowed slightly. "Speak your terms, Lord Raika," he replied coolly, his voice like ice.
The dragon's lips curled into a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I once again offer my daughter, Lady Dokugiri, as a mate for you, Sesshoumaru. A union between our houses could bring an end to this strife."
Sesshoumaru's response was immediate, his tone unyielding. "This One refuses."
The pavilion fell silent for a moment, the tension escalating. Raika's crimson eyes flashed with a mixture of disbelief and disgust. "You would still refuse a noble demoness, Lord Sesshoumaru?"
Sesshoumaru's gaze was unwavering. "Yes."
Raika's face contorted with barely concealed anger. "So it's true then," he spat. "You would rather keep a human priestess in your bed than a high-born demoness like my daughter!"
A ripple of shock passed through those assembled. Inuyasha clenched his fists, his eyes darting towards Sesshoumaru, whose face remained stoic but was unable to stop his claws from piercing his palm. As the faint scent of his blood swirled in the air, Lady Dokugiri's smile never wavered, though a flicker of something—perhaps disdain or secret satisfaction—danced in her eyes.
Lady Dokugiri always got what she wanted. When her father first proposed the idea of mating with Shinobu, the heir to the Northern palace, she had been excited. Her excitement, however, quickly turned to disappointment upon meeting him. The young bear demon, despite his striking appearance—long hair black as midnight, obsidian eyes, a tall but slender stature, and a face as beautiful as Aphrodite—was painfully shy and shared his father's love for gossip. He rarely left the confines of the Northern palace, preferring the company of books and servants to the harsh realities of politics and war. For Dokugiri, his physical beauty was irrelevant. All she cared about was power.
Initially, Dokugiri thought she could use his timid nature to her advantage, manipulating him to do her bidding. She envisioned herself ruling the North once Lord Haruto was out of the picture. He could barely look at her, his nervousness rendering any meaningful interaction difficult. Realizing that without his cooperation, completing a mating would be near impossible, Dokugiri's dissatisfaction grew.
Determined not to be thwarted, she concocted a story about overhearing Lord Haruto's advisors plotting to claim territory that belonged to the South through the mating agreement. This fabrication ignited tensions, leading to chaos and distrust. When her father learned that Lord Haruto had enlisted Lord Sesshoumaru to fight alongside the East, he hastily arranged a meeting to negotiate peace. It was Dokugiri who suggested the idea of a mating alliance between their houses, seeing it as a way to still get what she desired, a mate worthy of her. She had never met Sesshoumaru but had heard the stories of his power and conquests.
Their first meeting several years ago left a lasting impression on her. It was on that hilltop standing beside her father that she had laid eyes on Sesshoumaru for the first time. His presence was commanding, his aura exuding a cold, effortless strength. At that moment, she decided she must have him. His rejection of the mating proposal was merely a bump in her plan.
As time went on, Lord Raika began to contemplate ending the war, prompted by ongoing investigations into the land dispute. This only made Dokugiri grow increasingly desperate to maintain power over the situation. Drawing inspiration from ancient texts on Roman battles, she concocted her own blend of Mad Honey, surreptitiously adding it to her father's daily tea. Gradually, the potent concoction drove him toward madness, ensuring her continued control over him.
Soon, she dispatched her own network of spies to gather intelligence from the Western Shiro. Every whispered conversation, every clandestine meeting, was meticulously recorded and analyzed. She needed to find a way to gain leverage over Lord Sesshoumaru, ensuring he could not deny her a second time.
It was through one of these covert operatives that Dokugiri unearthed a crucial piece of information, a certain human woman, a priestess, who held Sesshoumaru's unwavering attention. Intrigued by this unexpected and revolting revelation, Dokugiri saw an opportunity to manipulate the situation to her advantage. When put on the spot, there was no way a powerful demon like Lord Sesshoumaru could deny her for a pathetic human.
"This meeting," Sesshoumaru said slowly with a razor edge to his voice, "is about the future of your lands. If you have no better offer, then this discussion is over."
Sesshoumaru's eyes were like molten gold, barely containing the beast within him. His hellhound snapped its jaws and clawed at the cage of his composure, desperate for a taste of dragon blood. He could feel the raw power surging through him, demanding retribution for allowing another's eyes to look upon his priestess.
He glanced behind him and noted Inuyasha, who, for once, managed to keep his temper in check, though his agitation was evident in the way his ears twitched and his fists clenched in his lap. Beside the half-breed, General Katsu sat still as a statue, his unreadable expression betraying no hint of his thoughts or emotions.
To Sesshoumaru's left sat Lord Haruto, whose reaction was anything but composed. His eyes were wide, and his mouth hung open in shocked disbelief. Sesshoumaru made a mental note to deal with Haruto's lack of decorum once they were back at camp. The fool's open-mouthed astonishment was an embarrassment that would need addressing.
In one fluid motion, Sesshoumaru stood. He cast a final, disdainful glance at the sickly Lord Rakia and his daughter. With a swirl of his haori sleeves, Sesshoumaru turned and left the pavilion.
As he exited, the pavilion fell into a hushed silence, the weight of his malevolent presence lingering even after he had gone. Dokugiri watched him leave, a devious glint in her ruby eyes. She knew that her game was far from over. In fact, it had only just begun.
Hoping the long walk back to base camp would help calm his still raging beast, Sesshoumaru was left disappointed when a clawed hand grabbed his arm and stopped him.
"Tell me it was a lie. That the foolish dragon's claims about a human woman in your bed are baseless!" Haruto's voice trembled with fury and disbelief and his grip tightened. He couldn't fathom the idea that the great Lord Sesshomaru, who had always shown disdain for humans after his father, Lord Toga, had run off with a human princess, could be involved with one. Even the human child Sesshoumaru cared for had seemed more like a pet than anything else, right?
Sesshoumaru pulled his arm free from Haruto's grasp, his eyes cold and unyielding. "This is not the place for such a discussion," he replied. Without another word, he continued on his way.
The pause in his trek allowed Katsu and Inuyasha to catch up with them. Just as the three were about to resume their journey behind the dog demon, shouts and roars echoed from their camp. A strong gust of wind blew past them, whipping their hair and clothes before a large dust cloud formed, rapidly approaching.
"Oh no... not now," Inuyasha grumbled, taking a step behind Katsu and clutching his still-healing left arm.
When the dust settled and cleared, a lone figure stood before Sesshoumaru. The newcomer stepped forward, his sky blue eyes accessing the dog demon brothers with a challenging glint.
"I heard there was some dog asking about me, and the only mutt I know is you, Inuyasha!" Kouga's voice was loud and accusatory as he pointed a finger at the half-demon. "If you still got a problem with my claim on Kagome, then have the balls to face me! After I kick your ass, I'm going to track down my woman and take her back North with me."
The wolf demon placed his hands on his hips, his expression smug. The look of fear and the slight greenish tint that spread across Inuyasha's face made Kouga preen with glee.
Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed as he regarded Kouga. So this was the wolf prince who had been pursuing his priestess. As tempting as it was to let out his frustrations on the wolf, he had other matters to see to. "This is neither the time nor place for your petty squabbles, wolf," he stated, his voice low and dangerous. "Leave now."
Kouga's bravado wavered slightly under Sesshoumaru's icy glare, but he didn't back down. "I'm not leaving until this is settled," he declared, though his voice lacked some of its previous confidence. He had expected Inuyasha to begin throwing insults while waving his sword around, but nothing happened. The half-demon stayed back, seemingly trying to make himself as small as possible to avoid being noticed.
A charged energy crackled in the air, sending a shiver down Kouga's spine and making his tail stand on end. His focus was pulled back to the taller brother, noticing the crimson seeping into Sesshoumaru's eyes. The change was subtle but unmistakable—a clear warning that the dog demon was on the verge of unleashing his beast.
"What's the matter, Inuyasha? Too scared to face me yourself?" Kouga taunted, trying to regain some of his lost leverage.
"Not scared, wolf," Inuyasha growled, finally stepping forward. "Just smarter than you. Sesshoumaru's right. This isn't the time."
Another surge of power reverberated through the air. Sesshoumaru's voice dropped to a lethal whisper. "If you dare to claim what is ours again, we will skin you alive, devour your flesh , and gift your pelt to our mate."