InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Cursed Blood ❯ Golden Triangle ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter 2

 

The Inn wasn't as far as the Lady Myato had made it seem, but then again he was a demon and an hour for a human took him less than five minutes. He had leapt across the roof tops trying to keep his demon self hidden a little longer. He had kept low knowing that humans didn't usually look up, but he didn't want to take the chance of the unusual.

He had dropped down in a back alley of the inn hoping that no bums were using it as a camp out. When he confirmed that no one had noticed him, he slipped out from the shadows of the building and into the sunlight. He looked up at the wooden sign that labeled the building the Red Layered Inn. It looked rather shoddy to be what he would call an inn. It looked more like a brothel. Inuyasha shrugged and stepped through the door.

It was dark inside and smelled of stale beer and smoke. He could also smell the leftovers of quick sex and feeble arousals. Inuyasha sneered. It wasn't a brothel house but it was pretty damn close. Probably the only difference was the women were cheaper here.

The lobby was more like a tavern with small circular tables littering the floor and a bar counter with stools in the back. There were identical stairways on the left and right of the front door that led to a second floor. There was an open walkway that encircled the room. Doors were placed every ten feet making for very small rooms beyond those doors. There were a few doors on the main level. Inuyasha could tell one was the men's room (he didn't see a ladies room) and he could smell a kitchen beyond another door. He figured by the stench coming from two of the doors that they were the same deal as the top floor but the last door smelled cleaner. He figured the people who worked there lived and recouped beyond that door.

There were men sitting randomly around the room and one man at the bar. Women of varying beauty degrees were mingling here and there trying to get the guys to go to a room with them. He didn't see anyone with an obvious curse hanging over them so he listened to the rooms around him. His sensitive ears told him that several of the rooms were occupied. Only one had just started and two were almost done, the rest were going to be gone for a while yet. Inuyasha sneered and walked to the bar. He sat a few stools away from the man who was slumped at the bar. Inuyasha ordered a beer and waited for a clue to who this cursed one was to appear. Thirty minutes and 3 beers later, a man with a big contented smile sat a seat away from Inuyasha.

“Hey, Toshi, get me a beer would ya?” Toshi the bartender smiled.

“No problem, how was your time with Hikari?” The man smiled wistfully.

“Ah, the lovely Hikari. She was magnificent, as always.” The man chuckled, “But I fear that my dear Sayuri is a bit annoyed that I chose Hikari instead of her.” Toshi laughed.

“Miroku, you sly bastard. You want those two to fight over you!” Miroku shrugged.

“What can I say? The ladies love me!” the two men laughed. Inuyasha was mentally killing the two men for being so, so, crude. He hoped that he would find the man with the curse so he could get the hell out of this stinking rat hole. Toshi laughed at some dirty thing that Miroku had said to him. Inuyasha studied the man. Miroku was almost if not as tall as himself. He had dark hair with a tiny pony-tail in the back. His dark eyes smiled in a way that Inuyasha could only describe as perverted. The man's black and purple robe that looked suspiciously like the robes of a Buddhist monk draped lazily around his elbows and feet. He had a golden staff with a ring on top and several other rings connected to the bigger one. Miroku's right hand had a purple cloth wrapped around it with prayer beads securing the cloth. `What the hell?' Inuyasha thought. He sniffed in Miroku's direction. There was a faint but strange smell that came from him. `fuck.'

“Hey, you!” Inuyasha called to the man a few stools down. Miroku looked innocently at Inuyasha and pointed at himself.

“Me, sir?”

“Yeah, you. What the hells up with your hand?” Yeah, he knew he was going about this the wrong way, but how else do you ask if they're some cursed freak? Miroku sighed.

“It's a long and sorrowful tale my friend, I shall not bore you with it.” With that he turned back to the bartender. Toshi shook his head then looked over Miroku's shoulder and smiled warmly.

“Hello, Sayuri.”

“Hello Toshi,” the girl purred in reply. She draped her arms around Miroku's shoulder, “Hi there, Miroku.” Miroku smiled smugly.

“Why hello Sayuri, I didn't know you were working today!” Sayuri pouted and batted her eyes.

“How can you be so cruel, Miroku! And after all the good times we had!” Miroku looked at her with concern.

“My dearest!” he proclaimed, “Forgive me, had I known you were here I would never have gone up those 17 steps without you, my lovely flower, at my arm.” Sayuri gave him a blush, one that Inuyasha figured she could call at will, then her eyes widened a little and she gave him a light tap on the cheek.

“What are you doing, grabbing me without even taking me upstairs? I know you were with Hikari instead of me,” she pouted, “And now you think you can get a free grab? I'm ashamed of you monk!”

“So you actually are a monk?!” Inuyasha blurted. Miroku narrowed his eyes as Inuyasha laughed at him.

“What's so funny?” Miroku asked nonchalantly. Inuyasha snickered.

“Nothing, I've just never seen such a perverted monk before.” Inuyasha had expected the monk to be angry but he merely shrugged.

“How can I resist grabbing an ass that is as wonderful as Sayuri's?” Miroku grabbed her hands and smiled up at her. She smiled seductively to him and leaned closer.

“Darling, Miroku. How you flatter me!” she laughed a low smoky purr then pulled away from Miroku, “If you truly wanted to flatter me you would have come straight to me, lover.” She shrugged gracefully, “Unfortunately now that you've ignored me I must retire for the night.” She smiled at Toshi and Inuyasha, “Goodnight, gentlemen. Goodnight, dear Monk.” She had put as much acid in the dear as she could, and seeing as she was the best in the Red Layered Inn, Miroku could almost feel his skin being melted off by her words. Miroku watched Sayuri walk away wistfully staring at her swaying hips. He turned to Inuyasha who was laughing hysterically at him.

“Now what's so funny?” Miroku asked. Inuyasha gasped for air.

“Man, she told you! Hahaha!” Inuyasha pounded the counter with his fist, “Being pushed around by a girl? Haha, you are so whipped by women!” Again, instead of getting angry the monk shrugged.

“What's your name, friend?” Miroku asked. Inuyasha smiled.

“I'll tell you if you tell me what's up with your hand. Why are there prayer beads around them?” Miroku sighed. He didn't really care that much about the strangers' name, but for some reason felt the need to tell him.

“There is this…thing in my hand. Without the cloth or beads this thing would suck everything around me into my hand. My family was cursed a long time ago by some demon family.” He looked up at Inuyasha shrugging, “My grandfather was a lech and ended up grabbing the wrong woman's, or should I say demon's, ass. The demon happened to be a shape shifter who my grandfather had been hunting to destroy. The demon was royally pissed, one that its disguise as the kings daughter was compromised and two because it had just been violated by the annoying monk that had been following him. The men of our family was cursed from then on, the eldest man getting a void in their hand. Both my grandfather and father were destroyed by it and unless I kill the one who did this to us, so will it take me.” Miroku looked up into Inuyasha's face and studied him, “I don't exactly know why I wanted to tell you the whole story, stranger but I have. I have told you more than my dearest friends know. Who are you and why was I compelled to tell you?” Inuyasha shrugged.

“My name is Inuyasha,” he said looking at Miroku, “I have been searching for something and was told to come here and find the man with the demon curse. I'm going to help you kill this demon that did this to you.” Miroku raised an eyebrow.

“Why? What are you looking for?” Inuyasha's eye ticked.

“It's none of your damn business monk!” he yelled. Inuyasha drew a hand through his hair trying to restrain his ever present anger, “What is the name of this demon of yours?”

“His name is Naraku.” Inuyasha looked up in surprise. `Naraku? Now where have I heard that name before?' Miroku looked at him strangely. “Do you know the name?” Inuyasha shook his head. “Huh, oh well. If you help me with this then I will help you as well. What is it you are looking for, or at least, what does it do?” Inuyasha snarled.

“It doesn't concern you monk!” Inuyasha didn't want the monk to know about the wish. The wish was his, and his alone. Miroku smiled knowingly.

“Ah, so I am not the only one infatuated with women, eh?” Inuyasha balked. Suddenly a flash of a bright smile and raven hair crossed his mind. `Where'd she come from?' Inuyasha could tell he was blushing.

“I'm right aren't I, Inuyasha?” Inuyasha's faced turned even more red, only this time from anger.

“You know nothing monk!” Inuyasha stood up and stormed to the door, “Be ready to leave this place in 2 hours time. I want to find this demon and kill it as soon as possible. I'll meet you at the western market by the Lady Myato's tent.” Miroku's eyes widened in surprise, but Inuyasha didn't notice as he had already left the dirty inn.