InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Feudal Era Fairytale ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 5 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Title: A Feudal Era Fairytale
Author: C-Chan2 aka Neptunesdemon
Archive: For this, none yet.
Category: Adventure, romance, drama, mention of Mpreg
Pairings: Sesshomaru/Miroku, Kouga/Inuyasha
Ratings: PG-13
Spoilers: None at all
Warnings: OOC, yaoi, AU
Author's Note: I should be writing my essay for school, but nope, I’m writing fanfiction. I hope you enjoy this chapter.
xoxoxox
Golden eyes slowly opened up to a blue sky and delicate brows frowned at the sight. Where was he that the sky was so blue? A bird sang in the branches above him and his eyes slowly looked to where the songbird twittered happily. Was he home?
He slowly sat up, his head a bit foggy, and looked about. He was in a sparse forest. He had no idea where this forest was located or how he had gotten there. All he remembered was hunger, bliss and then darkness. He tried to reach back further than that, but his mind was blank. It was almost as if he had no memories at all.
He let himself look around a bit more and casually looked behind him, to find a cave. A large yawning entrance into a depth of black so deep, his body trembled at the sight of it. What was in there? Had he come out from there?
He stood then, contemplating if he should go in and see if there were some clue as to what had happened to him, but his feet froze.
‘Stay away.’
A voice in his mind warned him and he stepped back to obey it.
‘Leave this place. Go and find him’
“Him?” He questioned out loud and for a moment, a shadow of an image in the shape of a person passed through his mind. Was that him? The one he should find?”
‘Edo. Go there.’
He didn’t know why, but he nodded and turned to leave, shocked but not distracted by the sound of sword fighting that was now echoing out of the caves. He was told to go, and though he had no idea by whom, he knew to follow the order. He turned and left then, feet moving of their own will and eyes set on the horizon, heading for Edo.
Edo.
Maybe it was where he would find his home.
xoxoxoxox
Miroku sighed again as he stopped his chanting, mind too distracted to focus. It had been hours and the Great Buddha offered no answers. Who now could he turn to?
Kichijoten, perhaps, but it seemed she had abandoned him and his family when they had needed her most. His mate and child were gone and he was here, stuck in a land where he would slowly age.
A thought crossed his mind, and he wondered if the spell was still intact. A couple of minutes later, he was standing in front of the open palace gates looking out at the world beyond and trying to remember what it was like out there. He had been behind these walls for so many years; it had become all he’d known.
He took a deep breath, suddenly yearning freedom and carefully pushed his hand out past the boarders of the gate. The air rippled with magic and Miroku was gasping. His eyes widened in horror as his hand rapidly aged, skin wrinkling and finger stiffening as joints swelled with age. He quickly pulled his hand back in, panting hard; his heart racing and his hand slowly reverted to its youthful presence.
Fukurokuju’s magic was still working and he was stuck here eternally. His heart filled with sorrow once again and he slowly sank to the ground, his legs weakening at the thought that it was now his fate to stay here and rot for years all by himself. It wasn’t fair.
The shuffling of the trees had him looking up and he blinked at the sight of a large turtle slowly moving out from behind the cover of the trees. Then a crane was calling and it walked out behind the turtle, its wings flapping for a moment before it was climbing atop the turtle’s back. He watched curiously for a moment before his body was overcome with relief at the sight of a shuffling old man. And not just any old man, either.
“Fukurokuju!”
At the call of his name, the old deity looked up and his brows rose at the sight of Miroku standing from the ground, looking back at him from the open gates but making sure to not venture past the border of the spell. He merely began to shuffle forward again, until he was walking past the palace gates and staring back at Miroku who seemed happy to see him.
My boy.” Fukurokuju said, his eyes looking Miroku over. “It’s been so long, I feared you would never wake. I am glad to see it took Kichijoten only one hundred and fifty years.”
Miroku’s body grew limp at that. One hundred and fifty years? Had he truly been asleep for so long?
“One hundred and. . .”
The words faded as Miroku tried to comprehend what he had been told. It had been a century and a half? Sesshomaru had been gone for so long and had not returned yet. Wherever he was he was alive, but who knew if he was all right, because he would never put off returning to Miroku and their son. Their son. . . Inuyasha was grown by now. Inuyasha had just hit half a century before he had been stolen away.
Miroku had missed those years with him that every parent waited for. Losing his first tooth, his first hunt and his first love. He had missed it all if the boy was still alive. He had to be alive. If Sesshomaru had forgotten him, he needed something out of this He wanted his son back. He had to get his Inuyasha back.
“Fukurokuju-sama, I implore you.” Miroku started, the old man looking up at him curiously. “Please let me go out and search for my son and mate. I fear something may be wrong. With me alive, it means Sesshomaru is alive as well, but he has not yet returned. And my son, he was stolen from me all those years ago; I wish to look for him.”
“You are bound here, Miroku.” Fukurokuju reminded him. “You will age and die before you get to the border of the forest. I am sorry.”
“But, you must be able to help me.” Miroku insisted. “O wise, and benevolent one. I beg you, here on my knees, take pity on a foolish mortal.”
Fukurokuju watched as Miroku went to his knees bowing low to the ground in such a pleading manner that he felt sad for the man. He had lost so much and was now only wanting to right all that had gone wrong with a small amount of help from the gods. It was probably the least he could do.
With a nod Miroku couldn’t see, as his face was down and so low to the ground that he probably couldn’t see much else but the grass, Fukurokuju pulled out a small glass vial on the end of a silken rope. He then carefully and slowly bent forward, his hand scooping up a bit of dirt, which he deposited into the vial before closing it tightly with a cork.
“Rise, child, rise.” He insisted and Miroku slowly looked up, revealing a tear stained face. Fukurokuju gently smiled at him and helped him up, before he was holding out the dirt filled vial. “Here. Take this. With this you will not age as rapidly outside this land’s magic. However, you do not have long. You will have the only the time of the moon’s cycle before the magic of this vial wears off. If you are not back before then, you will die a death of old age. Do you understand?”
“Yes!” Miroku blurted out, his tears now happy and his voice grateful. “Thank you Fukurokuju-sama! Thank you so much!”
Fukurokuju gently rested a hand on Miroku’s head, before he was leading the human man to the edge of the palace gates. He felt Miroku tense as they drew closer, but the deity pulled him through and once they were out he heard Miroku release a heave of a sigh. Then violet eyes were looking back at the palace that had been both his home and prison for centuries and Miroku was speechless.
“A bit of food for your journey?”
At the question, Miroku looked down at the wrapped bundle the old deity handed him and he accepted it with a quiet thank you.
“How can I ever repay you?” The human man was asking him and Fukurokuju merely laughed softly before smiling warmly at him.
“The debts you humans owe us gods are already too high to add another.” He merely stated. “Go in peace; find your family and come back home.”
Miroku nodded, before he was bowing in gratitude and parting, and then he was turning to leave.
“Just a second.” He heard Fukurokuju call before he could get too far. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”
He turned back to find the old man holding his staff, the same one he had used during his pilgrimage to spread the word of the Great Buddha, the same journey that had him cross paths with Sesshomaru.  It had been quite a while since he had used it. He welcomed the old, familiar weight and feel of it as he took it in his hands, and he smiled slightly as he looked down at it.
Then Fukurokuju was taking his right hand and carefully wrapping prayer beads around it. Miroku watched down curiously, and when he looked up at the old deity, he was only given a smile.
“The Great Buddha has not abandoned you and though another god offers you his assistance, do not so easily forget him.”
Miroku looked down at the prayer beads before he was nodding quietly, bundle and staff carefully maneuvered so that he could clap his hands and quickly chant a prayer to the Great Buddha to guide him safely to his mate and child. Then he was opening his eyes only to find the Fukurokuju was riding off atop the large turtle from early, the crane stalking gracefully beside them.
“Farwell, Miroku.” The old deity said, before he was fading into nothingness. “I pray we meet again.”
“Thank you, Fukurokuju.” Miroku softly spoke, a small smile taking his face. “Farewell.”
With a deep breath he was turning toward the forest and looking out for a sign in which direction to start. He figured the best thing to do was to head West and see if his mate was at the palace. And if he was, Sesshomaru would have a lot of explaining to do as to why it had been over a century since he had last returned home.
xoxoxox
Red eyes opened at the sound of the palace’s usual movement that happened so early in the morning and his brow quickly creased with rage. Inuyasha was going to pay.
He sat up to find not only his bed empty, but the room was devoid of any signs of the hanyou, including his shamisen and the sake set that had been by his bedside. That little heathen, that sly bitch; he had drugged him.
Naraku growled to himself as he flung back his sheets and stood from the bed, storming over to the window of his room they looked down into the main courtyard. As he pulled open the shutters, red eyes immediately centered on the silver-haired Half Demon that was taking lesson from his latest teachers. Women from a land even farther than the Mainland, from a land that had introduced the Great Buddha to all parts East. He watched as Inuyasha was taught the movements of an artistic dance and his rage calmed momentarily as he was stunned by the grace, the beauty of the Half Demon.
He wanted him. He wanted him now more than he had ever wanted the young thing before. But Inuyasha was clever, even more so than his submissive nature would have you believe. This was not the first time that the young slave had drugged Naraku, and it probably would not be the last. Naraku would let him keep running, because he liked to chase and when the time came. . .
Amber eyes were soon looking up at him and Naraku smiled. When he had finally trapped Inuyasha into a corner, when the Half Demon had nowhere else to run, Naraku would feast on his prey until he had had his fill. Then Inuyasha would be his and only his.
xoxoxox
Kouga objected loudly as he and the other newly matured wolves gathered around a game that involved betting pebbles and spinning a carved, wooden top with for sides. He had just lost his bet of five pebbles, as the top landed on the symbol that meant he lost what he had bet, and beside him Hakkaku groaned in disappointment.
“All in!” He shouted, determined to win back what he had lost, and threw his remaining pebbles in, the other wolves cheering him on.
In front of him, Ikijou grinned mischievously and Kouga merely narrowed his eyes on the other wolf. He had never intended to become rivals with Ikijou, but somehow as they had all grown older together, that’s how it happened.
“Match.” Ikijou stated his group of cohorts cheering him on. “You’re bet, Prince Kouga.”
Kouga sniffed haughtily and nodded to Ginta, the only juvenile amongst them and the one in charge of spinning the top. As the top began to spin, both wolves shouted out their bets.
“Aka!”
“Shiro!”
The surrounding wolves oohed and aahed at Ikijou’s choice to bet on white. It would supersede any previous winnings if white landed face up and though it were a small victory, it would give the larger wolf bragging rights that he was somewhat superior than the clan’s prince.
All eyes watched as the top continued spinning, waiting on bated breath for the results, all except Ikijou and Kouga. Their eyes were firmly planted on each other. That is until a howl in the distance had them all looking out into the distance.
The all slowly stood, looking out into the horizon in the North, faces that held joy suddenly riddled with worry, uncertainty and a touch of fear. Kouga’s heart was now beating rapidly for an entirely different reason and he looked to his cousin, whose own face was frowning in remorse. The howl came again and they knew.
The time had come.
Both cousins looked down at Ginta, who was still crouched to the ground but now looking up at Hakkaku sadly. The top at his feet had landed on red, just as Kouga had called, but his victory was hollow.
A third howl sounded, even closer, and then howls from the camp responded. It was time to head back to the tents; time to greet the returning males, prepare for their departure and say their goodbyes.
“We knew this day was coming.” Kouga announced, his voice fitted with the authority his title gave him. All the newly matured males looked back at him, a lot of faces unsure of what was to come. “It’s time . . . go and prepare yourselves, say goodbye to your loved ones. When dusk approaches, we’ll be sent out and may you all return when the year is done.”
With that he turned and began to walk away, but stopped as Ginta called out to him. The younger wolf slammed into in as he turned back to face him, hugging onto him tightly and Kouga wished he could smile and reassure the younger wolf that it would be alright. Hakkaku came soon; to gently pull his younger brother away and then he and Kouga were looking to each other sadly. They were soon hugging themselves and when it was over, they went their separate ways.
Back at his tent, his mother was sitting quietly on a log just outside of where they slept. She had been busy packing a bundle for Kouga, one that she had been packing and unpacking for days on end, waiting for the sign that today would be the day. She had heaved many sighs of relief when each day ended and Kouga was not lifting the pack onto his back, but today, that would be different.
In her hands she held her father’s armor, having pulled it out when she heard the call. She closed her eyes then, wanting to ward off feelings of sadness but tears skipped past her closed lids. Her pup would be gone for a year and she would not be allowed to find him or aid him in any way.
“No tears, my mate.”
The deep voice had her gasping and she quickly stood and turned to face the Wolf Demon that had so suddenly appeared.
“My love.” She greeted with a sad smile.
A demon with skin tanned dark by the sun, vibrant blue eyes and dark, ebony hair naturally dreaded walked closer and she opened her arms to greet him. She melted into his arms and he sighed contently, hugging her tighter and burying his nose into her hair. He had missed her. After Kouga’s birth, he and the other fathers had not been allowed to return to the pack until the sons had matured. It had been many years and here he was, again.
He pulled away gently, looking down at his mate’s sad face, and easily wiping away the tears from slightly tanned cheeks. He smiled at her and kissed the top of her head gently, but then something at the side of his vision caught his eye.
He turned then, his chest swelling with pride at the tall, handsome wolf demon that stared back at them in wonder.
Kouga wasn’t sure what he was feeling. He had never met his father before, though his mother assured him that the older demon had been here for a year with them after his birth. Kouga had no recollection of that and though he had been told they would meet again, he had never imagined that that would be true.
“Come, my prince.” Mother insisted gently, waving him closer and gesturing at the male demon beside her. “Come and meet your lord father.”
He did as was bid, blue eyes staring as he stopped in front of his father, before lowering to his knees and bowing low, right fist over his heart in the appropriate salute.
“My lord father, I welcome you home.”
“Rise, my son. Rise.” The Wolf Clan leader insisted and Kouga stood again, before he was swept up into a hug that had him suddenly bawling and clinging to the male. “It does my heart good to see you again; even if we will part again for another year.”
The two stayed embraced for quite some time before Kouga’s mother gentle coaxing found them all seated on a blanket and feasting on the large meal she had prepared. Kouga listened eagerly as his father recounted the tales of his years away from home and his mother smiled happily to see father and son so easily getting along.
Early afternoon was soon turning into early evening, and the mood grew somber. At the moment Kouga’s mother was sweeping ashes away from the fire pit inside of the tent, her gray eyes looking up at her family. Kouga was quietly sitting on the bedroll he had spent most of his life on in the camp and outside the Clan Leader was thanking the spirits of their ancestors for his safe return home and his son’s safe journey on his own.
When the tent flap opened, Kouga’s mother stopped suddenly and her hands dropped the straw broom, her eyes watering as her throat tightened. Kouga’s frightened blue eyes looked up at his father, whose face hid his true emotions under a stoic mask.
“It is time.” He announced, ignoring his weeping mate, who had turned away to try and hide that she was crying. He stepped closer to Kouga, who was now clutching the small pack he would be allowed to take with him, along with the armor of his mother’s father that he had been fitted with. “The others are beginning to gather. The Prince must be present; you are the first to leave.”
Kouga nodded numbly and took his father’s hand that offered to help him up. He was easily lifted and his father smiled sadly at him, before gently clapping him on his shoulder.
“My mate let us go.”
His mother reluctantly turned to them and quietly followed as his father began to lead the way. Kouga walked through camp watching sons obediently leave their mothers behind or had to be pulled against their will. Brothers promised sisters that they would return and then he came to Hakkaku’s tent. His older cousin was currently hugging onto a sobbing Ginta, who was begging him not to go.
It took Hakkaku and his mother to pry young Ginta off, the wolf crying out in objection. At least fifty years apart, but it was like they were twins about to be separated for the first time. Hakkaku’s father, his uncle from his mother’s side, was there and he gently guided his eldest son away, after Hakkaku accepted a small bundle and a parting embrace from his mother.
Their eyes met and Kouga could only nod at him, aware that Hakkaku openly let his tears fall. They had known nothing but this pack. Had never been separated from their pack mates but for some yards and now they would purposely traverse miles to separate from them. It was hard to accept, but they had to prove their worth to the pack. In a year, they would return, hopefully stronger and would be allowed to find mates or go out with the Clan Leader on quarterly patrols.
Now that Kouga was an adult, his father would return to the quarterly patrols. He had been away for so long; the duty had fallen to a Beta wolf to stand in his place. Kouga looked to his father, whose eyes were focused ahead as they headed for the edge of camp. He hoped he survived the year and returned to learn a lot more from this demon.
They soon reached two groups of Wolf Demons. The newly matured and their fathers, uncles or grown males that had adopted them as their own. Behind them stood the females and the young, all gathered to watch them go and give final farewells. Kouga followed his father to the front of them all and stopped as the man turned suddenly to him, drawing his sword and holding it out for him.
“It was my father’s.” Was all he said and Kouga easily took it, amazed at the weight and the way the steel glimmered in the evening sun. “Now it’s yours. I know you’ll do me proud, my son.”
Kouga nodded and looked back to his mother, who had fallen back with the other females, her gray eyes reddened and her tears still rolling down her cheeks. He walked back to her and gave her a hug, his heart breaking as she began sobbing. She had been so strong during the days coming up to this one, telling him not to fret, and now she wept. She could not be strong any longer now that he was actually leaving.
“Wait for me.” He whispered to her, pulling back to gently stroke her dark hair. “I’ll come back to you.”
She could only nod, trying her best to control her sobbing and he leaned in to kiss her forehead, before stepping back. Then he was by his father’s side again, unable to look the demon in the eye as they started to lead the rest out of camp and off into the wilderness. They would be accompanied until they were deep in the forest a few miles off. There they would be left and the older males would return to camp and then they would all go their separate ways. Kouga looked to Hakkaku, whose head was bowed and he wished he could travel together with is cousin. But this journey was about survival and self-reliance, he and Hakkaku would have to stay separated.
Two hours later, they were resting in a clearing deep into the dark woods and Kouga watched as his father was the last two of the older males to leave. With a nod, his father was gone, and Kouga sighed wearily as he looked about. Many sets of eyes suddenly held nothing but fear and uncertainty of what would happen next and Kouga wished he could reassure them.
“Well, we can stay the night here together and then go our separate ways in the morning.” He said, beginning to gather wood for a fire. “No sense in starting our own paths in the dark.”
He heard a scoff and he looked up to find none other than Ikijou.
“I don’t need the comfort of being together another night. I’ll start off now, if you don’t mind, my prince.”
“But Ikijou!” One of his cohorts started to object, but Kouga held up his hand to silence him.
“Let him go. He is free to do as he wishes. Out here, I am your equal and I do not give orders. It was merely a suggestion.”
He watched Ikijou turn and leave with a scoff, and then others trickled off. What was left was still the majority of them and he was glad when Hakkaku came to stand beside him. His cousin helped him build a fire and then they were all eating the last meal their mothers had prepared for them. When they were done, they called it an early night and settled down for sleep.
Kouga had intended to sleep separated from the rest, but soon Hakkaku was pressing in close from behind and he was secretly happy for the contact. More wolves joined them, until it was a small group of bodies sharing warmth and a last night of comfort. And they slept; or at least Kouga tried. The wind from the West brought familiar whispers and Kouga suddenly knew which way he would be heading first.
xoxoxox
He was lost. Or so he assumed. There was no way of finding his way back to . . . wherever he needed to get back to. He had tried asking several demons, but they all seemed afraid of him or too willing to fight. He had even received an offer to become the mate of a Dragon Demon. He had refused and it was not taken well. It was through that battle he realized he was a skilled fighter and he held more confidence as he traveled by himself.
His lonely travels brought him to a small village and he stopped on the outskirts to study it well. It seemed to be inhabited by small imps, simple demons that held very little power if any. Perhaps he could ask for refuge here. He had been traveling for a total of three days already, he needed food and he needed rest. The game in this area was scarce and what he did find wasn’t worth being called a meal.
As he drew closer, he was aware of the sudden commotion, and he stopped to watch as the small, green creatures seemed to be dragging one of their own into the center of the village. What on earth was happening?
“Please, I meant only to save our village, I did not think it would come with so high a price!”
The crowd locked him up in a stockade and the small imp struggled and tried to resist, but to no avail.
“You’ve cursed us, Jaken!” One in the crowd accused, another throwing a rock that hit the poor creature directly on the head.
This Jaken cried out in pain and was quickly bleeding, trying unsuccessfully as more rocks were thrown. He found he should not care or interfere, but he was soon walking closer and it was a small imp child in the back of the crowd that saw him first. It shrieked and alerted the rest, and they all began screaming and scrambling, and all he did was stop and watch them.
“Help me! Don’t leave me here!” Jaken begged, but he was ignored.
“Leave him!” Someone cried.
“Sacrifice him so that this demon will leave us in peace!”
And soon enough, it was just the imp and the large, strange demon left in the village square. Jaken whimpered as he looked up into a beautiful, but dangerously impassive face, his small body trembling. If this demon meant to eat him, he hoped he did it quickly and spared him the torture.
“They called you, Jaken, is that your name?”
The imp was nodding and the silver-haired demon walked closer, his hands reaching out and Jaken was wincing. He made a sound of surprise as suddenly he was free and his eyes slowly opened to peek up.
“What was your crime, Jaken?”
“I promised a larger demon half of our crops if he would protect us, but he was soon demanding more. When we refused he started to destroy our farms and livestock. The village was set on punishing me.”
“A demon?” He was asking, the imp nodding. “Such as myself?”
That earned an enthusiastic shake of his head.
“No, my lord. You are benevolent and thoughtful; this demon is cruel and evil. He is a lustful and disgusting creature; a Boar Demon that likes to eat human virgins and rape demon men to prove his prowess.”
Amber eyes looked back at the small imp curiously and his head tilted with a thought. If he rid the imps of this demon, he could most likely earn a night’s stay and food.
“I will fight this demon, Jaken.” He offered, the imp’s bug eyes bugging out further at his words. “In exchange I only ask for a bed and food. Will your villagers agree to that?”
“Perhaps. . .” He answered nervously. “Oh, but my lord, you are a prime target for this fiend. He will use his strength to subdue and violate you and then eat your flesh from your bones.”
“We will see.” Was all he said and then he sniffing the air. He would have asked for directions, but it was a Boar Demon he was seeking, the scent was hard to miss. “Alert your villagers and I will soon return.”
Jaken only watched him go off, a nervous whimper leaving his throat. Who in the world was this strange demon?
xoxoxox
His lip curled in a snarl as he entered the campground of the Boar Demon that had been terrorizing the imp village. It smelled worse than he was expecting. Besides the usual smell of boar there was the distinct smell of rotting flesh and the receding scent of sex. He nearly gagged at the sight of the naked demon, drunk and dead asleep and still trapped beneath his massive body a human girl. Her eyes were blankly staring like one who was dead and he hoped she had died well before the bastard had finished having his way with her.
He caught sight of more dead bodies, a few demon males, which fit Jaken’s tale well and even some human children. He growled low at that and the sound was loud enough to wake the Boar Demon with a loud snort. He muttered angrily as he woke, wild, drunken eyes looking around and he stopped in surprise to find a tall, beautiful, male Dog Demon in his wake. He chuckled lewdly as he started to pick himself up from the ground. Dog Demons were hard to come by and having one here now, he’d be damned if he didn’t get a taste while he still could.
“Well, well, well.” He blurted out, swaying on his feet as he stood, his large stomach thankfully hanging low enough to cover his genitals. It still had the other demon scowling in disgust and he merely chuckled. “What a pretty thing to have wandered in here.”
“I am here for your life, heathen.” The Dog Demon announced and the drunken boar’s forehead creased with a frown. “The village you threaten shall be harmed by you no longer.”
The large demon merely burst out in laughter, before he was reaching for a large double-headed axe, not even bothering to get dressed. This Dog Demon was puny. He would cut off his head and then violate his body when he was done.
“Come then, tiny one.” He taunted, chuckling as those sharp amber eyes narrowed. “Show me your skill.”
He had started bursting out laughing, unaware that the Dog Demon was flexing his hand, claws extending. His guffaws soon turned into panicked gurgling as with lightning speed, razor sharp nails tore into his neck. His axe he dropped to grab his throat, holding tightly to try and stop the bleeding.
He looked in shock at the smaller demon and had to wonder just who this demon was. His questions would go unanswered as those same deadly claws were buried into his massive gut, shedding his insides and in an instant he was falling back dead.
The demon that now stood standing as the victor merely shook as much blood free from his hands as he was able and scoffed in distaste as he turned away. He made it back to the sight of a cowering Jaken surrounded again by the people of his village and he walked forward stealthily, merely listening and watching.
“Now you’ve gone and brought another demon to boss us around!” Someone screamed and Jaken cowered as a rock was thrown.
“We should just get rid of the likes of you! You’re nothing but trouble for this village! You’re too stupid to know not to meddle in affairs bigger than your worth!”
Jaken whimpered as he was pushed to the ground and the demon’s jaw tightened. The little imp had done what he had done out of the best intentions, and now his own people were turning on him. They were honor less and worthless in his eyes and he stepped forward, blocking anymore harm from Jaken with his own body.
“Look!” He announced loudly, holding up his bloodied hands. “I have slain the beast that terrorized you. Jaken employed my assistance and this is how you treat him? Have you no gratitude!”
They whimpered and backed away from him and a graying imp was brave enough to respond.
“And he’s brought you here now to terrorize us further!” He squawked loudly.
“You dare to sully my name!” He demanded and the group of imps cowered further.
“And what is your name!” The old one demanded. “Who do you think you are that we should care!”
“I AM. . . I am. . .I. . .” Who was he? His mind drew a blank and he frowned, deeply troubled. “I do not know.”
The old imp merely scoffed and the Dog Demon looked up at him before looking down at Jaken, who was now hiding behind him pathetically. He started to walk off, Jaken yelping as he was left out in the open.
“Come, Jaken.” He ordered, knowing the village meant him harm if he left the poor thing behind. “Let us leave this place behind.”
Jaken stared after the retreating demon before he was scurrying after him, not bothering to look back at the villagers he had once called his friends. When he caught up to the tall demon, he stared up at him in wonder, hoping that this was not a trick to get him where he could be eaten. They walked for quite a while, and when the sun set, Jaken helped build a fire and then they were sitting by it.
His savior was quiet, almost as if lost in his own mind and Jaken worried.
“Thank you, my lord, for saving me.” He quietly said, and the Dog Demon slowly looked at him. “I am forever in your debt. Please, allow me to become your humble servant.”
“That is not necessary.” Came the words and Jaken scrambled into a low kneeling position in front of the demon, face nearly touching the ground.
“Please, O Great Lord, I implore you!”
The Dog Demon growled and nudged him away with his foot, before he was merely making a sound of agreement.
“Thank you, my lord!” Jaken squeaked happily. “Please, allow me to know your name.”
“I do not have one.” Came the reply and Jaken frowned.
“Surely you do.” The imp insisted. “Everyone has a name.”
“I do not!” The demon yelled and Jaken whimpered.
“Then . . . what would my lord prefer that I call him?” The imp asked cautiously and the demon only sighed.
His eyes rose to the night sky and he wondered for a moment what had happened that he knew nothing of himself.
“Mumei.” He finally answered and Jaken could only blink. “You may call me, Mumei.”
“Very well, Mumei-dono.” Jaken said with a bow. “Shall I go and retrieve more firewood?”
“No, Jaken.” Mumei said, ambers eyes sliding closed and he was looking at the shadowed figured again. “Let’s just rest. In the morning, I have some shadows to chase.”
Jaken frowned at that but decided not to question further. Wishing his new master good night, he curled up close to the fire and fell asleep. As the imp started to lightly snore, Mumei opened his eyes and stared out into the darkness surrounding them. Somewhere out there was the “him” he was supposed to be looking for. He hoped he found him sometime soon. Perhaps then he would begin to remember again.
T.B.C
Aka = Red
Shiro = White
Mumei = Nameless
Well, what did you think? The story is slowly building I hope. I don’t want it to seem as if I’m rushing. Please, leave reviews. They are highly appreciated and thanks for reading.