InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Pride (In the Name of Love) ❯ Chapter 9

Pride (In the Name of Love) 9 / ??
Written by Jezz-Ra
Warnings - Not all warnings apply to all chapters. Yaoi, Het, Rape, Lemon, Violence, Language, Torture, Angst, Incest, Dark (at times). It's a massive story, folks, it's got a little bit of everything.
Disclaimer - I don't own Inuyasha, don't make money off it. Wish I did.

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// blah // indicates thoughts.

A/N - Just have to make a point here...I couldn't ultimately fix Sesshy and make all the torment worthwhile if I didn't break him first. ^^ The price of my love is a terrible thing for my favorite characters to bear.

Also - unless I am mistaken...the character that is introduced in this chapter? All spelling mistakes in his speech are intentional.
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Inuyasha was nearly asleep when he heard a noise. He instantly became alert, his ears twitching in different directions to try and locate the source of the sound. It seemed to have come from...above him?!

Before the hanyou could react, a figure dropped down on the limb in front of him, crouching easily on the narrow surface. It appeared to be some sort of raven youkai. A pair of feathery black wings were spread slightly to help him hold his balance. His skin was white and pale, and long ebony hair flowed down his back. The front part was pulled back into a ponytail, which was further divided into several bead-studded braids. His eyes were a sharp yellow, although they lacked the golden hue of Inuyasha's or Sesshoumaru's. Tattered black clothing of no definable style covered the raven's limbs. A mischievous smile graced his high-boned, narrow face. "Greetings. Vhat brings you to my tree? I have vatched you for a vhile."

Inuyasha flattened his ears back in suspicion and annoyance, although the raven made no move to harm him. The creature's odd, thick accent made it difficult for Inuyasha to understand him at first. "I didn't realize this tree was taken."

The raven youkai chuckled and leaned forward, long and slender black talons digging into the branch. He squinted slightly and ran his eyes over Inuyasha. "A hanyou monk?...Now I really HAVE seen everyting..."Inuyasha blinked, his hand still clutching Tetsusaiga's hilt. "Monk? What the hell you talkin about, bird-brain?"

The raven chuckled. "Zairex. My name is Zairex. And I can feel it on you...no...vait...on zometing you vear. A hanyou vearing zometing blessed by a monk, den? Ztill very ztrange to dis bird."

Inuyasha reflexively clutched the beads Miroku had given him, noting Sairex's eyes follow the movement. "Er...yeah. I have a monk friend. Look, what is it you want? Where are we?"Sairex stood and walked along the length of the limb easily before finding a comfortable spot to perch. "Vhere are ve? Dis be da Black Circle." Sairex chuckled. Noting Inuyasha's blank expression, he blinked. "I'll make you a deal, yes?""Depends..." Inuyasha murmured warily.

"Zpiritual magic, it be very rare and valuable 'ere. You give me da beads and I vill tell you anyting you vish to know.""Depends on the quality of your information, bird. If you can tell me somethin' that'll help me AND show me the way out of here, I'll let you have the beads." Inuyasha figured it was rather a good deal - the beads weren't exceptional in any way, and he had his own personal monk to make more.

"Dis is good, yes. I vill tell you all you vish. You do not know of da Black Circle, do you?"

Inuyasha shook his head.

"Zome zay dat da Circle be da outermost ring of' Hell. Dis...is not exactly true. Da Circle, it be more of...vell. It's a vorld dat exists between life and death, but is not part of either. It mirrors da vorld you know. Zee dat over dere? Rock. In your vorld, also a rock, in da same place. Tree here, tree dere. You zee, yes?"Inuyasha nodded. "Yeah, I got it. So is there some sort of shadow-me running around?" Inuyasha's ears flattened at the thought - he didn't want a shadow-self running about.

Sairex shook his head. "No, no...a zoul can only exist in one place. It be alive, it be dead, or it be elsevhere. Like here. Dere are both here, but more dead dan alive. And more dan a few dat are neither."

Inuyasha paused, digesting this. It was a strange concept. "Ok, I guess...so what can you tell me about the big dragon-looking bastard that lives in that fortress a few miles back?"

Sairex arched an eyebrow. "Zetsukosei? Mmm. Very long ago, in ancient times, Zetsukosei vas a royal dragon youkai. He vas very ztrong and powerful. He got involved in a civil var vith his people and it killed him..but it vas part of his plan. He had zpells in place. He made himzelf a phylactery.."
"A what?" Inuyasha interrupted.

"Phylactery. I didn't make up da vord. Anyvay. Zetsukosei vas made into a lich. Powerful undead, very zmart, lots of ztrong magic."

"...sure. So how do I kill him?"Sairex chuckled. "Kill 'im? Mm, mm...he's already dead. Dat's vhy you can't hurt him, vhy no one can defeat him. But if you find his phylactery and destroy it...den he can be killed."

"So I just have to smash something and we're good? Sounds pretty easy. Why is he still here?""No one knows vhat his phylactery is, or vhere. Not to mention his army. And no one knows vhat his phylactery looks like or vhere it could be."

"So he can just willingly hop to the world of the living any time he likes?""Yes. He can make a portal and leaves behind demon vorms. They eat da energy and eventually deztroy da portal.""Ah...yeah, saw some of those. So how is it you know so much?"

Sairex grinned a bit. "I've been a zpy for a very long time. I vork for many lords, for da highest price.""And how do enchanted prayer beads help you?""Ah...spiritual magic means little to me..." Sairex chuckled gleefully. "But dere are lords dat try to learn Zetsukosei's magics an' pay very highly for such trinkets to ztudy. Nothing of dis zort can be made 'ere, and dey can't hop betveen vorlds like Zetsukosei can."

"...So he's really not bullshitting? He really DOES have power over life and death and souls and stuff?"Sairex shrugged slightly. "Yes, but to a point...he may fancy himself one, but Zetsukosei is no god."

"You said you'd show me how to get home."

"If by home, you mean the vorld of da living, den yes. I can zhow you dis. Come, come." The raven youkai half flew, half leapt up the tree. Inuyasha followed suit. The tree gave a surprisingly good view of the land.

Sairex pointed off in the distance. "Hanyou, you zee? Da river dere?"Inuyasha nodded. "Yes. "

"Da river, it flow zouth. Da head o' da river be a vaterfall pool. Zimilar in your vorld, yes?"

Inuyasha nodded eagerly - he knew EXACTLY where in his world that particular river was. "Yep."

"In your vorld, da vaterfall pool crosses a very ztrong ley-line...magic in da earth. It be a ...focal point. Many energies cross dere, an' da border betveen da vorlds is very thin. Dive deep, deep down into da pool, you'll find your vay to your vorld vhen you zurface."

"Does it work in reverse?" Inuyasha had to ask.

"Yes."

Inuyasha nodded and then plucked off the string of beads, handing them over to the eager raven youkai and holding out his hand. The raven examined his hand, then shook it firmly with a wide grin.

"You make me a rich bird," he chuckled.

"Well, thank you for your help. I have to go rescue my brother from that asshole now..."

"Zetsukosei...has your brother?" Sairex's expression grew grim.

Inuyasha's expression was grim. "It doesn't matter, I'm going to get him back."

"Den I vish you da best o' luck, my friend."

Inuyasha nodded, and with one final farewell, took off sprinting for the waterfall pool. He would need a few things before he attempted to rescue Sesshoumaru.