InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Loss of Self, Discovery of Truth ❯ Degradation ( Chapter 4 )

Loss of Self, Discovery of Truth: Chapter 4

It took all of the considerable willpower he possessed not to make any comments. He sniffed dispassionately, noting that he could faintly detect a slightly sulfuric scent emanating from the fire cat demon.

His hand was clenched in the thick white fur on Kirara's neck. It was the only thing really keeping him balanced that and the vice-like grip of his legs around the cat's flanks. The female arms holding him around the waist for balance were not helping him in the slightest.

“Miko, release me. I do not need you touching me,” Sesshoumaru demanded, careful to keep his voice neutral and bored and not show any of the annoyance he felt. Just because he lost his demon abilities and was nearly beaten to death didn't mean he couldn't hold onto the fire cat by himself.

“Right,” Kagome agreed as she released the former demon lord in front of her. She smirked when she noticed he nearly lost his balance and then secured her arms securely around him once more. “There isn't exactly a lot of room on Kirara and your muscles are still pretty weak from your attack.”

“I don't see why it is you that has to be behind me,” Sesshoumaru mumbled under his breath but not quite soft enough that Kagome's ears couldn't pick up his words.

“Would you rather Miroku sit behind you?” Kagome asked sweetly. Sesshoumaru peered over his shoulder to see the priest in question. He didn't like the way his hands were on Kagome's hips, but he would prefer them there than on his person.

Sesshoumaru returned his attention to the front and ignored the humans behind him. If he had still been in his demon form he would have healed days ago. He squinted his inferior eyes and noted that even with his diminished vision the world was still magnificent at great heights. With a weary sigh he closed his eyes to enjoy the feel of the wind upon his mortal flesh.

Never before had the bitter chill of the high altitude affected him. It was fascinating. Flying was one of his favorite past times, though he had been doing little of it as of late with both Rin and Jakken traveling with him. His loyal beast of burden, recently dubbed Ah-Un, could fly, but it was better to travel on a cloud of red ki than riding an animal.

The fact that his sensation of flying was upon the back of a giant cat only bothered him a little. It was simply the principle of the matter. A dog demon should not be riding upon a cat demon. But then, it could also be construed that the cat was being subservient to the dog, and that line of reasoning made the situation acceptable.

Fortunately, the ride upon the fire cat didn't take forever, as Sesshoumaru had grown to fear as a possibility. He was feeling chilled from being at such a high altitude with the wind tearing at him.

Kirara began her decent, relieved that she would soon no longer bear the load of her current passengers. Sesshoumaru was far from impressed as he surveyed the village that his younger half-brother chose to make his home. It really shouldn't have surprised him that he would select a peasant village.

“What is going on?” Sango called as her pet landed at her feet. She gave Kirara an absent pat on the head. Her eyes focused on the stranger sitting in the lead of her two friends. She then looked at Kagome who was helping the strange man down. Finally, her dark eyes rested on Miroku.

Sango stalked towards her favorite perverted priest and yanked hard on his stubby pony tail. “Explain.”

Miroku smiled charmingly, and was satisfied when Sango's scowl disappeared briefly. “Let's go into Lady Kaede's hut and discuss this in private.” His hand had moved unobtrusively towards Sango's derrière. It was stopped abruptly with a firm grip at his wrist and a warning look from the demon huntress.

Kagome turned to roll her eyes at Miroku and his predictability. She then wrapped her arm around Sesshoumaru's waist to help him stand. He snarled at her and separated himself from her, swaying a bit, but soon finding his center of balance.

Suddenly, a blur of bright red and green rushed towards the group shouting a single word.

“Kagome!”

Kagome burst out in a gleeful laugh as she caught the jubilant kitsune in her arms. She cradled him against her chest in a fierce hug. “Did you miss me?” Shippo asked, eyes big and green and searching her blue ones.

“Of course I did,” Kagome answered with a brilliant smile.

Sesshoumaru observed the little reunion with mild interest. He had forgotten that his brother traveled with an orphaned fox. He appraised the young demon. If there was one thing Sesshoumaru respected it was loyalty. Why else would he allow Jakken to follow him around?

“Who's he?” Shippo asked, jerking his chin towards the tall man with the blondish hair as they began to head towards Kaede's hut.

Sesshoumaru glared at the demon child in the arms of the young woman walking beside him.

“Sesshoumaru,” Shippo whispered, recognizing the deadly, icy stare anywhere.

“Sesshoumaru!” Sango shouted immediately, reaching behind her back for the large boomerang weapon.

Miroku sighed, “Not so loud.” He reached to touch Sango's hand and remove it from her weapon. His good intentions were met with a sound slap to his right cheek. “I was just suggesting you not attract any more attention. This isn't exactly something we wish to advertise,” he replied annoyed as he rubbed his abused cheek.

Sango had the courtesy to blush as she realized her actions were drawing attention.

“Must the demon slayer travel with us?” Sesshoumaru demanded of Kagome as he glanced with irritation at the woman who shouted his identity.

Kagome was busy playing with Shippo's soft, fluffy tail. Sesshoumaru's question snapped her back to attention. Sesshoumaru raised a brow as he realized she had been playing with the fox demon's tail. The act made him miss his own fluffy white pelt.

Kaede met the travelers before Kagome could answer. She took stock of the tall, injured man standing with more arrogance than any she had seen before. “Come,” she commanded as she guided the way to her hut.

Once behind closed doors the questions began. “Who is ye friend, Kagome?” Kaede asked as she stirred the herbs at her fire. She looked up with her single dark eye to observe the young woman from the future.

Kagome watched Sesshoumaru from the corner of her eye. He was leaning heavily against the wall, not wanting to sit near the others. It was obvious that he was fatigued, but his pride would not allow him to show his pain. “He is Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands,” she answered.

Kaede nodded as she turned her attention back to stirring her herbs.

“He ran into a little trouble with one of Naraku's attachments,” Miroku elaborated.

“You don't say?” Shippo asked sarcastically from Kagome's lap, earning himself a bop on the head from Miroku who sat beside her.

Shippo scrunched up his nose as he rubbed his sore head and glowered at Miroku. “What was that for?”

Miroku shrugged, “Inuyasha wasn't here to do it.”

Sesshoumaru snorted at the comment, finding it mildly amusing.

“We're afraid that he may get an infection with his wounds. We treated him as best we could. I could go home and get some more supplies,” Kagome informed Kaede.

They missed the intrigued look Sesshoumaru shot towards them. He had heard rumors that his brother's human was from a distant land. It would certainly explain her clothing. He had not allowed himself to be overly concerned with the possibility; he was a busy demon lord after all.

“We still have a great many supplies from your last trip home,” Kaede answered dismissing the notion of time-traveling. She looked up towards Sesshoumaru and stopped stirring her herbs. “In this pot I have herbs that will sooth the weariness from your aching muscles.”

Sesshoumaru gave her a bland expression from his position leaning against the wall.

“You will need to soak your body in a mixture of these herbs and warm water,” Kaede continued.

Kagome and Miroku exchanged looks at that, and Miroku spoke. “Lady Kaede, do you propose we take him and the herbs to a hot springs?”

Kaede nodded at the question.

“No.”

“Did you say something?” Kaede asked the silent man leaning against her wall.

“No,” Sesshoumaru repeated.

“What do you mean no?” Kagome demanded as she rose to her feet and stepped towards the man with Shippo still in her arms.

Sesshoumaru looked down upon her both literally and figuratively. “Human, you may find the idea of bathing in a public pool acceptable but this Sesshoumaru does not.”

Kagome blinked at him. “You don't bathe?”

The look of disgust that crossed his face couldn't be stopped. “Of course I bathe, you insolent fool!” Sesshoumaru's voice was a low rumble of disdain at the idea. “I bathe in my private bath house, not outdoors like some commoner.”

“I see,” Miroku answered before Kagome could lose more of her temper. He moved to stand between the two. “I know of a rich merchant at the edge of town with a bath.”

“Do you suggest I use the bath of a human?”

“You're not exactly a demon yourself,” Shippo mumbled. Fire seemed to leap into Sesshoumaru's honey colored eyes, and he took an absent minded sweep of his hand towards the young demon before he caught his action and stopped in mid-swing.

“I'll just convince the merchant that he has an infestation of evil spirits. I'm sure I can gain access to the property for long enough for you to take a bath.” Miroku was already figuring his lines and was confident he could still pull a scam.

oooooOOOOOoooooOOOOOooooo

Inuyasha walked the halls of the Western Land's palace. It was strange to be in the home of his heritage and yet to be a stranger. It was also strange to be given such respect by so many servants simply because he carried his brother's seal.

This was the life he was supposed to have grown up in. Growing up with his mother after his father's untimely death, had been hard enough without being labeled as outcasts. He once idolized Sesshoumaru, even though he always knew his older brother treated him poorly.

He had thought it tough love and only later did he realize that his brother hated him for everything he represented. That's a hard lesson for a child to learn.

Sesshoumaru had the opportunity to know their father. So if either of them had the right to hold a grudge it should have been Inuyasha, the one who grew up as an outcast barely above the poverty line.

“Guards!” A croaky voice shouted in hysterics. “Dispose of the lowly hanyou!” Jakken shouted as soon as he noticed Inuyasha in the halls. He failed to notice the insignia.

Palace guards, dog demons of impressive build like Sesshoumaru, rushed out with weapons drawn. Much to Jakken's bafflement they fell to their knees before him in reverence.

Jakken sputtered at the sight while Inuyasha merely smirked. He lifted the insignia and enjoyed watching the bulbous yellow eyes nearly pop out of the disgusting toad face.

“Jakken, I need to speak with you,” Inuyasha explained. “In private,” he added. He felt like his head was going to explode as his ego continued to grow with all the respect he was being offered by the servants and guards of his brother's palace.

oooooOOOOOoooooOOOOOooooo

Sesshoumaru was feeling considerably better. The bath was refreshing, and the herbs almost made it not so miserable being human. His new companions, though he loathed referring to them as that, were all sleeping. He slipped away into the night to enjoy the view of the starry sky.

The night had always soothed him.

At the far edge of the village he heard a cry in the woods. It was a brief, shrill sound. It reminded him of a dying boar. Sesshoumaru was curious by nature, and he wasn't about to let the handicap of mortality cramp his style.

He didn't expect to see a dying man dressed in full samurai armor. The man looked over at Sesshoumaru, and pointed a trembling hand towards the nearby bushes. His other hand was held to his belly, losing the battle of holding in his internal organs. “The demon, beware the demon,” the samurai warned on a choking sob.

Sesshoumaru watched as the human warrior lay dying and glanced towards the bushes. He lacked his demon abilities but he was still perceptive enough to identify a low level demon. It seemed to be enlarged from its regular lizard body. No doubt it had a jewel shard in its possession.

With hardly a passing thought, Sesshoumaru took the sword that lay at the samurai's side. The man lay dying, but Sesshoumaru turned away from him and faced the bushes with the weapon at his ready.

The jewel shard enhanced demon leapt towards him and even with his weaker strength, Sesshoumaru's muscles grew taut, and as the lizard demon came at him with his teeth sharp and daunting he sliced him cleanly down the center.

He noticed the jewel shard gleaming in the darkness and balanced the sword across his shoulder as he picked up the shard. He watched the remains of the demon disintegrate into ash.

Mission accomplished, Sesshoumaru turned back to the samurai and kneeled beside his dying form. “Why is it you could not defeat the simple demon?” Sesshoumaru asked, slightly curious.

“I was sleeping; attacked me in my sleep,” the warrior answered weakly.

“I see,” Sesshoumaru replied, glancing back towards the ashy remains.

“Thank you,” the samurai told him on a shuddering breath as his life continued to exist.

The memory of another samurai's arm came to mind. Sesshoumaru remembered using the arm of a samurai and a jewel shard to attach it to his mutilated arm to hold the tetsusaiga. Perhaps it was an avenue he should try once more?

Even if it didn't last for long, it would serve as a temporary aid as he adjusted to life as a human. Besides, if he was stuck as an inferior human, he should at least be allowed to be a whole human. Besides the fates were practically begging him to take the arm.

He reached towards his ankle and pulled out a jeweled dagger. Earlier that night he had stolen it from the merchant's home. It was sad to be reduced to thievery, but he did need a weapon. The samurai's sword was decent, but the dagger was more his style.

Without an ounce of remorse, he severed the arm of the recently deceased human at approximately the same location as his own wound and using the jewel shard, attached it to his own bicep.

He briefly wondered about infection from the blood of the samurai but the magic of the jewel shard made that a moot point as he felt the sinews forming and sealing the appendage to what remained of his.

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