InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Legend Known, With a Twist ❯ Desperation and Hope ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 2: Desperation and Hope

 

Inuyasha growls. He'd been in his chambers when he smelled something that made his lip curl in disgust and anger. The smell of a human. In his house. That added up to only one thing in his mind, a trespasser. He did not like trespassers. He follows his heightened sense of smell to the study, only to see his servants serving the trespasser, who was sitting in his chair! Inuyasha stalks forward like the feral animal he is meant to resemble, growling low all the way, almost smirking as he sees the old man's back stiffen and hears his heartbeat speed up exponentially. The man slowly turns around and goes white as Inuyasha's fur, which covers every inch of his body. Inuyasha snarls as the man stares, horrified, at him. Slowly he grounds out “What are you doing in my house?”

The man jumps before stuttering out “I…I'm sorry my lord.” he says, being sure to add an honorary title to keep from incurring his wrath, “bu…but it w…was late, th…the st…storm scared me h…horse and it threw…threw me. Th…then, I g…got chased here b…by wolves. I kn…knocked but n…no one answered. S…So I thought th…that the c…castle was a…abandoned. F…Forgive me f…for trespassing.” With that the old man bows as low as possible.

Inuyasha inwardly huffs a bit `Pathetic,' he thinks as he looks down at the quivering man. `He's not worth killing, but trespassing is trespassing. And I do not allow trespassers.' With that he growls “You are a very unlucky man. It just so happens that this castle has a tale that no one who enters ever leaves, and I can't make exceptions, no matter how pathetic the excuse.” he cracks his knuckles, making the man quake in terror all the more.

At this point the head servant, Miroku, a lantern who could never keep mind out of the gutter, steps out of his hiding place to address his master “Please my lord, don't…”

Inuyasha cuts him off, snarling, “What's this servant? Are you committing treason against me?”

The cowering servant blanches before firmly shaking his head “No my lord, I would never even dream of doing such a thing!”

“Then why do you speak for a man that I am against?”

Miroku looks slightly hesitant before replying “Your humble servant merely thought that your lordship would be interested to know that this old man has…well he has…” Miroku seems to have trouble with his conscious so Inuyasha helps out by roaring “What?! What could this man have that I could possibly be interested in?”

It does the trick as Miroku frightenedly calls out “…a granddaughter! Your humble servants were treating this man with kindness only in the hopes that he would bring back the girl!”

After it's out, Miroku's eyes rivet to the old man, who is still shaking, his eyes begging for forgiveness for the betrayal of trust. Inuyasha smirks, a single white fang shining as the fire in the fireplace gleams off it “Oh really? And you think that this `granddaughter' of his would please me?”

The old man, if it was physically possible, went whiter then ever and for the first time he speaks without stammering “Please my lord, leave Kagome out of this! My life is almost done, do what you want with me, but please! Don't hurt Kagome!”

At this Inuyasha grabs the back of the old man's cloak and wretches him up from his position on the ground so his face is inches from the old man's. “So, you would give your life to save her from harm?”

Without hesitation the old man nods and Inuyasha seems to think for a moment before saying “We shall see if she cares for you as much as your care for her.”

With that he turns and, followed at a distance by his servants, stomps to the dungeon. He throws the old man in a cell before slamming the door and turning to Miroku, pointing a wickedly clawed finger at him. “Write a letter telling this `Kagome' what has happened and be sure it is delivered to her.”

Miroku bows in agreement before Inuyasha passes him. As he leaves the dungeon, a thought passes through his mind the likes of which have never been seen by him before `Kagome…what a lovely name.' He closes the door before realizing what he had just thought and forcefully shakes it from his head. `She's probably a spoiled airhead that will either not come at all or send a servant to fetch him. Feh, women.' He thinks before returning to his quarters to await one of the two outcomes.

Miroku sighs before turning to the man now cowering in the musty cell, bowing slightly before saying “My apologies for betraying your trust sir. I did not mean to place your granddaughter in any danger, but I could not stand by and watch my lord take the life of an innocent man. If he had then he may have been truly doomed.”

The old man, seemingly resigning to his caged existence at least for the time being, raises an eyebrow as he leans against the bars “You mean you don't call that thing you call your lord doomed?”

Miroku sighs, “I know that it may seem that way, that he is eternally doomed to a life of wretched existence, but he is not. He still has a chance at happiness, though the light of that hope dwindles every day. But I and the others cling to it, for only after our master is happy shall we ever know joy again. You see…”

“That's enough Miroku! What right do you have to trod our secrets out in front of this trespasser like a show horse?”

Miroku turns to see a slender pendulum clock, made of purest ivory, come from the shadows, glaring at him, “Ah, Lady Sango, I was wondering when you'd make an appearance. The man isn't going anywhere, why not confide to him?”

The man looks confusedly down at him, “What do you mean `I'm not going anywhere'? Didn't your lord tell you to write to Kagome?”

Miroku turns to face the man again, “Why sir? I thought that you didn't want her harmed.”

The man pales “Would he really harm her? I have no doubt in my mind that he would have killed me, but Kagome is only a girl.”

Miroku shrugs, “I honestly don't know sir. You're the first person to set foot in this house in nine years. Though I must warn you that my lord is not very fond of the female of the species.”

The man deliberates for a moment before saying “Please sir, write the letter. Kagome will come for me, proving her loyalty and goodness, then, if your lord will not let us both go, then I will beg for him to let Kagome go. He has granted your request to keep me alive, hopefully he will grant mine so that she may live.”

Miroku bows slightly again before leaving, Sango close behind. “So, are you going to write it?” Sango asks.

Miroku nods, “Of course, the master commanded it, so I will do it. I merely wished the grandfather's perspective on the matter.”

Sango rolls her eyes “You and people's feelings, I swear. So, do you think she could be the one?”

Miroku sighs, “I hope so Sango. If not, I do not see any hope of rekindling the flame of hope that has sustained us.”