InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Demon of Another Color ❯ The Rare Demoness ( Chapter 1 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha. Sessy, however.... *devilish grin as she tugs chain*. In my dreams... um....Astarte is mine!

Chapter 1: New demon on the block

"Heh heh heh... Sesshoumaru, I'd like you to meet my newest addition." Naraku's voice slithered about the air. His hand extended from his baboon pelt and pulled open the latch to the crate beside him, which, until now, had been rattling and squealing with some sort of creature.

Sesshoumaru could scent a demon from within it. Or a demoness, rather. The scent was strange though, one he did not recognize. He couldn't care less about what it was, it would be just as easy to slice through it and finally kill Naraku.

Sesshoumaru had been hunting Naraku down since their last battle at Naraku's castle. The lord inu-youkai was only wasting his time and breath chasing the bastard down because he had a grudge to carry out. No one made a fool of Sesshoumaru, and the Lord or the Western Lands had a vengence to fulfill after nearly being absorbed into the villian's body. And what was worse, the lord was more mortified when his ignorant half demon brother was the one to save him. Naraku would pay dearly.

"What's this?" Sesshoumaru's stone-cold face barely twitched, his liquid gold eyes glowered the box, "Another one of your offspring?"

The crate suddenly became abnormally quiet as the door swung open.

"No," Naraku smirked behind the baboon's face, "This one came with a price."

Naraku tugged what appeared to be a leather strap, a demoness leapt out from the shadows and landed almost inaudibly on the forest floor. She straightened up and held her chin high, defiantly, in the air. She was unlike any of the demons Sesshoumaru, or any other in the lands for that matter, had encountered. What stood out primarily was the demoness's apparel, or therefore lack of. A striking comparison to the modest kimonos most women wore, her clothing was more like black leather strapping. Fabric of deep purple, embroidered gold, covered up the bare necessities and connected to the leather straps. Her attire seemed very much similar to what an emperor's parade horse might be decorated with. Her skin was a deep olive, a strong difference to the snowy porcelain of most females, and her sheen skin tightly wrapped around her lean, toned, curvy body. Her waistlength hair was a rich chestnut, highlighted with gold here and there, and fell sloppily to one side of her head. Her ears were much like his own, pointed at the tips, yet her seemed to have a small degree of movement, as they twitched up almost unnoticably as his eyes bore into hers. Her brillant grey orbs flickered wildly from fear to anger. Tainting her face was what appeared to be...a bridle? Yes, a black leather piece that jammed a metal piece in her mouth and was held firmly to her head. A set of long reins connected her to Naraku's hands. Her demon sub-species suddenly became very obvious as a long, chestnut tail flicked from behind her, the end of it falling around her leg and rested near her foot.

"A horse demon." Sesshoumaru's calm voice sounded more like a statement than a question. As any half-wit knew, horse demons had long been thought extinct after suddenly disappearing several centuries ago. They were little thought of anymore, but seeing one here was somewhat awe-striking. Naraku gave a deviant chukle from under his pelt, giving some slack to the long rein he held.

"Attack."

The demoness visably stiffened, looking over Sesshoumaru. Much to his annoyance, here eyes held no fear right, only a fierce anger. Those grey luminaries broke from his glare and trailed to Naraku. With a defiant snort, she flicked her tail and stuck her nose in the air.

'So she's not obediant huh' Sesshoumaru thought to himself, smirking inwardly at the antihero's apparent lack of control over the female.

Beneath the pelt, Naraku's smirk vanished,"I said attack!" With the last word, he took one rein and gave it a hair-raising snatch, which not only sliced the bit into her tongue, but the leather rein smacked against the side of her face and neck and yanked her backwards. She promptly squealed and lashed out a faster-than-eye kick at him, narrowly missing due to her loss of balance.

"If that would have hit, you would have hell to deal with bitch." Naraku eyes practically glowed, "Now attack or I'll rip your face off." To prove his point he tightened the rein painfully before returning her minute freedom. The demoness looked back to Sesshoumaru, this time some fear glinting in her eyes. Blood was trickling from the corner of her mouth.

Sesshoumaru's face was perfectly emotionless as he spoke almost lazily, "Naraku, not only do you set a weak body guard before me, but an uncontrolled one at that. You've lowered yourself past the worms."

Naraku was seething from under the white fur but said nothing for a minute. He gave the rein a firm tug, "Astarte, I will not repeat myself."

With a quiet snort, as one last antic of defiance before listening, the horse demon coiled her muscles. Sesshoumaru was not expecting what happened next. One moment she was poised in front of him, not but twenty strides away, the next she was a blur of movement and a shot of pain hit his right arm. He looked down casually to see a small gash cut through the sleeve of his kimono, border crimson with his blood. Sesshoumaru quickly looked up with narrowed eyes to the sound of a struggle. The demoness was on the left of Naraku now, her rump leaned back, her arms thrown forward for balanced. She was flinging her head side to side, fighting wildly against the reins Naraku was snatching and yanking. Sesshoumaru could clearly smell the blood trickling from her mouth. He had underestimated her, thinking uncontrolled under Naraku meant she was weak. It would be a shame really, to kill such a pretty, defiant little thing. He drew Toukijin; this Sesshoumaru wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

Naraku ceased his struggle with the reins, glaring daggers at his disobediant minion, "You had better stop fighting me and defend yourself." Before he even finished the sentence, a silver blur whipped past the demoness. She dodged to the side, narrowly missing a painful stab from the sword.

Sesshoumaru waited a moment, waited for her to move, but she only glared at him. 'Must not be the most intelligent of youkai if she can glare me in the eye.' The lord darted forward again, slashing Toukijin at her legs. She pounced gracefully high above them and Sesshoumaru was soon in the air as well, bearing his poisonous claws. The horse demon balleticly landed her feet on his shoulder, and just as he grabbed at her ankle, she sprang off of him and landed back on the ground. He landed shortly after, inhaling the scent of fear. Her eyes were brimming with tears and he could see she was slightly shaking. Somewhere in the background Naraku was raving at her to stop dodging, making his point clear with quick jerks on the reins.

'Why isn't she attacking? Surely she knows her death will come if she doesn't defend herself' Maybe she didn't wish to fight. She obviously hated Naraku with a passion. Sesshoumaru swiped at her again, only for her crazy quick reflexes to dodge him. Again, she simply stood there, gazing at him. A tear rolled down her cheek.

'She doesn't want to fight me.'

Sesshoumaru, with his deadliest speed, dashed towards her, calm faced and sword raised. This time she didn't move. Her orbs only gazed into his as a small whisper escaped her lips, "Please stop." The sword slashed down.

The demoness closed her eyes and stifened, waiting for a searing pain to end her humiliation. Instead, the pressure bounded to her stained mouth fell away and she felt the newly shortened reins fall to her back. She... was free.

As Toukijin completed the swipe, Sesshoumaru sliced it out to the side when hr landed, Naraku's head rolling from his shoulders. Dirt fell to the ground, a small golem puppet laying on top of it. 'Damn it! All that work for a damned nothing!'

Sesshoumaru regained his composure and turned to the horse demoness. She, in return, coiled her muscles to run away from him.

"Stop."

As with Rin, she suddenly froze and looked back at him. He quietly stepped over to her, those grey pools never leaving his stare, which was quickly annoying him. He stopped only inches from her strong frame, and slowly reached up to grasp the back of what was left of her bridle. As if she understood perfectly well, her forehead leaned in and allowed him to pull it from her. She spat a mouthful of blood and stepped back quickly. Sesshoumaru looked at the bridal dangling in his hand, focusing on the horrific metal bit which was laid with sharp spikes.

He glanced back up so see only the forest clearing around him; her bittersweet scent loitering in one direction. The lord carelessly flung the torn bridle to the side, deciding to return home to Rin and Jaken for now, with thoughts of a rare, fierce demoness lingering on his mind. There was something... unique about her.

Author's note: Yeah yeah not your everyday Inuyasha fanfic. Although there are MANY more chapters and the story gets MUCH better, I'm not going to waste my time and post them if no one likes the story so far. Why bother, ne? So purdy please express your thoughts, opinions, and suggestions in reviews so I may debate with the little lawn knome in my brain whether to contunue or not. Pwease? ^_^
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