InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Forbidden Love ❯ Chapter V ( Chapter 5 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: rockthedragon7 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 02.27.2005 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.4K | Visits: 311 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 02.27.2005 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.4K | Visits: 311 | Status: Completed
Chapter V
She wove her way through the busy throng of the village market eight days later, a basket of bread and vegetables against her hip, nodding polite ‘excuse me’s and ‘thank you’s to the myriad of men and women bustling about. Izayoi lifted the basket high over her head as a trio of rambunctious children raced past her, each brandishing a long stick fashioned as a ‘make believe’ katana. ‘Little samurai,’ she thought with a fond smile, bringing the basket down.
One arm unintentionally drove into a passing man’s ribs, and Izayoi gasped, pulling the basket off to the side. “Oh! Goodness, I’m so sorry...” Her apology trailed off, and she creased her brow, staring up at the tall, strange yet familiar man. He tipped back the wide hat that had been shadowing his face with one gloved finger, peering back at her with a pair of recognized golden eyes. Izayoi’s jaw hung slack with surprise, her brown orbs wide with wonder.
“Quite alright,” he said with a grin on his lips, his resonant voice gently shaking her from her stupor. He tapped his knuckles against the black material around his abdomen, and there was a rigid, hollow sound. “I wear armor.”
Izayoi was simply speechless. Was this not the very same demon lord that had rescued her from that horrid Kyouaku only a short eight days before? Why was he here? She wished to ask his name, and what his business was in the village, but she couldn’t find her voice.
Almost as if hearing her thoughts, the demon lord bowed slightly. “Sugimi,” he introduced.
Izayoi paused. He had only mentioned his first name. ‘His surname must be well-known,’ she thought to herself, ‘both among demons and humans.’
Sugimi straightened, and adjusted his hat. “Though your face does not, your name nearly escapes me. Izayoi, was it?” She nodded slowly, but stopped dead when she saw his hand tentatively move to the hilt of the katana at his left hip, and his other tip his hat lower on his head. Izayoi froze, questioning what she might have done to anger the demon lord, and fearful of what he would do.
“Hey!” came a gruff call from behind her, and she jumped in shock. Spinning around, Izayoi sighted a swaggering man with an awful gap-toothed smile looking at her. He marched up to her, the basket the only thing that kept him from moving closer. “You’re that old widow-man’s daughter, ain’t you?” He glanced up a Sugimi with a frown. “This guy bothering you?”
Izayoi started to reply with ‘no’, but the man was already pushing past her. He was right up in front of Sugimi, and he still had to look up at the demon lord. “What sort of matter you got with the pretty lady here? You hassling her?”
Sugimi hid his grimace, easily catching the thick scent of sake on the man’s breath. “I have done no wrong to her,” the demon lord said quietly, “unless seeking conversation with another is...”
The man cut Sugimi short. “Now, you listen here, you rogue! Go somewhere else to find your entertainment! The girl’s a gentlewoman, not a whore, you hear! Off you go, then!”
Izayoi wouldn’t take that sort of unfair accusation. “I beg your pardon. He’s not bothering me,” she began to protest, but the drunk wheeled on her, raising a threatening hand as if he meant to strike her.
Sugimi’s arm shot out, lightening quick, and his strong fingers caught the man’s wrist before he could even register the painful pressure on his arm. The drunk drew in a sharp breath, turning his furious eyes on his opponent, but his expression fast changed to a look of indescribable fear. There, from underneath the shadows of the hat, shone raging golden orbs and a wicked, fang-adorned frown - the face of a hunter, a beast...a demon. The now whimpering man, his eyes agape with dread, would have cried out as Sugimi’s unseen claws began to sink into his soft flesh if not for the demon lord’s authoritative palm closing around his mouth, and with a swift, powerful twist of Sugimi’s hand, the drunk’s wrist snapped in two. The man’s muffled howl of pain was stopped short when the demon lord leaned forward to whisper in the drunk’s horrified face. “Touch her, and I will take your hands. Think about touching her, and I will take your hands. One word to anyone...and I will personally take every limb one at a time.” With a final, almost nonexistent wrench of the terrified man’s already broken wrist, just enough to make him sob in torment, Sugimi released his grip and let the defeated man stumble away, clutching his arm.
Izayoi watched the demon lord with awe. There he went again. What had possessed this creature to protect her so? Why had he been so kind to her, and shown the drunk such mercy? Something inside told her that he would not even carry out his warning against the man. But Sugimi was a demon. Any other would have torn the drunken man to shreds on the spot and without hesitation, yet this unusually compassionate demon lord hadn’t even drawn blood.
“Are you alright?” Sugimi asked softly, shifting his hat atop his head so she could see his face.
Izayoi was baffled, but managed a stuttering, “Yes. I’m fine.”
Sugimi nodded, flashed her that suddenly magnificent smile, and tipped the hat over his eyes. “Well, I shall be off, then. It was enjoyable meeting you here.” He started away.
“Wait.” Izayoi caught his arm, and he calmly looked to her. “I’d like to see you again,” she hardly breathed after a moment, a blush creeping across her cheeks.
Sugimi’s lips turned up at the corners. “Perhaps some other time.” With that, he vanished into the crowd, leaving a sheepish Izayoi behind, standing there in the middle of the busy market with her basket against her hip, and that meek rosiness on her face. She felt like a fool. Bashfully, she lowered her gaze, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear, and starting home.
“Ah. There you are, Lord Sugimi,” came Myoga’s nasally voice, the flea leaping onto a knee-height stone as the demon lord approached. “You took longer than expected.”
Sugimi was now a safe distance from the village, and without the concern of being seen by any human. He swept off his hat, his long, silver hair tumbling down from its hiding place, and held it in one hand as he folded his arms across his chest. “My apologies, my friend. There were some difficulties.”
Myoga cocked his head to one side. “Difficulties, my lord?”
Sugimi looked down at his hat, feigning interest as his flipped it end over end between his hands. “I happened upon an acquaintance - the human girl from the forest, unless my eyes deceived me.” He glanced at the flea demon with a mocking grin. “Of course, I doubt that you remember her. You were cowering behind the bushes, if I recall.”
Myoga frowned at the ridiculing remark, but chose to ignore it. “I received a message from Master Sesshomaru, while you were out fraternizing. He sends word to you that he’s planning a visit to your castle home this day.”
Sugimi gave a displeased chuckle. “A little short of notice, isn’t he.” The demon lord set the hat back on his head with a glare. “I suppose we should be on our way then. There is no sense in being a poor host.” With a wave of his clawed hand, a smokey, blue cloud materialized beneath his feet, lifting him into the air. Myoga vaulted onto Sugimi’s shoulder, just as the magical fog carried the demon lord away on his firm command, leaving a tail of drifting silvery azure across the sky in its wake.
Converting /tmp/phpFRfnpY to /dev/stdout
She wove her way through the busy throng of the village market eight days later, a basket of bread and vegetables against her hip, nodding polite ‘excuse me’s and ‘thank you’s to the myriad of men and women bustling about. Izayoi lifted the basket high over her head as a trio of rambunctious children raced past her, each brandishing a long stick fashioned as a ‘make believe’ katana. ‘Little samurai,’ she thought with a fond smile, bringing the basket down.
One arm unintentionally drove into a passing man’s ribs, and Izayoi gasped, pulling the basket off to the side. “Oh! Goodness, I’m so sorry...” Her apology trailed off, and she creased her brow, staring up at the tall, strange yet familiar man. He tipped back the wide hat that had been shadowing his face with one gloved finger, peering back at her with a pair of recognized golden eyes. Izayoi’s jaw hung slack with surprise, her brown orbs wide with wonder.
“Quite alright,” he said with a grin on his lips, his resonant voice gently shaking her from her stupor. He tapped his knuckles against the black material around his abdomen, and there was a rigid, hollow sound. “I wear armor.”
Izayoi was simply speechless. Was this not the very same demon lord that had rescued her from that horrid Kyouaku only a short eight days before? Why was he here? She wished to ask his name, and what his business was in the village, but she couldn’t find her voice.
Almost as if hearing her thoughts, the demon lord bowed slightly. “Sugimi,” he introduced.
Izayoi paused. He had only mentioned his first name. ‘His surname must be well-known,’ she thought to herself, ‘both among demons and humans.’
Sugimi straightened, and adjusted his hat. “Though your face does not, your name nearly escapes me. Izayoi, was it?” She nodded slowly, but stopped dead when she saw his hand tentatively move to the hilt of the katana at his left hip, and his other tip his hat lower on his head. Izayoi froze, questioning what she might have done to anger the demon lord, and fearful of what he would do.
“Hey!” came a gruff call from behind her, and she jumped in shock. Spinning around, Izayoi sighted a swaggering man with an awful gap-toothed smile looking at her. He marched up to her, the basket the only thing that kept him from moving closer. “You’re that old widow-man’s daughter, ain’t you?” He glanced up a Sugimi with a frown. “This guy bothering you?”
Izayoi started to reply with ‘no’, but the man was already pushing past her. He was right up in front of Sugimi, and he still had to look up at the demon lord. “What sort of matter you got with the pretty lady here? You hassling her?”
Sugimi hid his grimace, easily catching the thick scent of sake on the man’s breath. “I have done no wrong to her,” the demon lord said quietly, “unless seeking conversation with another is...”
The man cut Sugimi short. “Now, you listen here, you rogue! Go somewhere else to find your entertainment! The girl’s a gentlewoman, not a whore, you hear! Off you go, then!”
Izayoi wouldn’t take that sort of unfair accusation. “I beg your pardon. He’s not bothering me,” she began to protest, but the drunk wheeled on her, raising a threatening hand as if he meant to strike her.
Sugimi’s arm shot out, lightening quick, and his strong fingers caught the man’s wrist before he could even register the painful pressure on his arm. The drunk drew in a sharp breath, turning his furious eyes on his opponent, but his expression fast changed to a look of indescribable fear. There, from underneath the shadows of the hat, shone raging golden orbs and a wicked, fang-adorned frown - the face of a hunter, a beast...a demon. The now whimpering man, his eyes agape with dread, would have cried out as Sugimi’s unseen claws began to sink into his soft flesh if not for the demon lord’s authoritative palm closing around his mouth, and with a swift, powerful twist of Sugimi’s hand, the drunk’s wrist snapped in two. The man’s muffled howl of pain was stopped short when the demon lord leaned forward to whisper in the drunk’s horrified face. “Touch her, and I will take your hands. Think about touching her, and I will take your hands. One word to anyone...and I will personally take every limb one at a time.” With a final, almost nonexistent wrench of the terrified man’s already broken wrist, just enough to make him sob in torment, Sugimi released his grip and let the defeated man stumble away, clutching his arm.
Izayoi watched the demon lord with awe. There he went again. What had possessed this creature to protect her so? Why had he been so kind to her, and shown the drunk such mercy? Something inside told her that he would not even carry out his warning against the man. But Sugimi was a demon. Any other would have torn the drunken man to shreds on the spot and without hesitation, yet this unusually compassionate demon lord hadn’t even drawn blood.
“Are you alright?” Sugimi asked softly, shifting his hat atop his head so she could see his face.
Izayoi was baffled, but managed a stuttering, “Yes. I’m fine.”
Sugimi nodded, flashed her that suddenly magnificent smile, and tipped the hat over his eyes. “Well, I shall be off, then. It was enjoyable meeting you here.” He started away.
“Wait.” Izayoi caught his arm, and he calmly looked to her. “I’d like to see you again,” she hardly breathed after a moment, a blush creeping across her cheeks.
Sugimi’s lips turned up at the corners. “Perhaps some other time.” With that, he vanished into the crowd, leaving a sheepish Izayoi behind, standing there in the middle of the busy market with her basket against her hip, and that meek rosiness on her face. She felt like a fool. Bashfully, she lowered her gaze, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear, and starting home.
“Ah. There you are, Lord Sugimi,” came Myoga’s nasally voice, the flea leaping onto a knee-height stone as the demon lord approached. “You took longer than expected.”
Sugimi was now a safe distance from the village, and without the concern of being seen by any human. He swept off his hat, his long, silver hair tumbling down from its hiding place, and held it in one hand as he folded his arms across his chest. “My apologies, my friend. There were some difficulties.”
Myoga cocked his head to one side. “Difficulties, my lord?”
Sugimi looked down at his hat, feigning interest as his flipped it end over end between his hands. “I happened upon an acquaintance - the human girl from the forest, unless my eyes deceived me.” He glanced at the flea demon with a mocking grin. “Of course, I doubt that you remember her. You were cowering behind the bushes, if I recall.”
Myoga frowned at the ridiculing remark, but chose to ignore it. “I received a message from Master Sesshomaru, while you were out fraternizing. He sends word to you that he’s planning a visit to your castle home this day.”
Sugimi gave a displeased chuckle. “A little short of notice, isn’t he.” The demon lord set the hat back on his head with a glare. “I suppose we should be on our way then. There is no sense in being a poor host.” With a wave of his clawed hand, a smokey, blue cloud materialized beneath his feet, lifting him into the air. Myoga vaulted onto Sugimi’s shoulder, just as the magical fog carried the demon lord away on his firm command, leaving a tail of drifting silvery azure across the sky in its wake.
Converting /tmp/phpFRfnpY to /dev/stdout