InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Rulers of Four Directions ❯ Encounters ( Chapter 7 )

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters in this fan fiction are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. The original characters and plot are the property of Chiaztolite, who is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Summary of Previous Chapter: Sesshoumaru fought Lord Shogo, who told him that Bakusaiga was an incomplete sword because it had no ougi. Even after he lost the battle against his grandfather, he was adamant to have the lord cure Rin. Seeing how determined Sesshoumaru was, Lord Shogo finally agreed.

_________________________________________________________________ ___________________________

Rulers of Four Directions

Chapter 07: Encounters

 

 

“All of you may enter.”

As soon as Lord Shogo finished his words, he turned around and strode towards the entrance to the eastern palace. The heavy stone gate opened for him, the loud groaning noise of the doors accompanied his steps.

Sesshoumaru placed Bakusaiga back in its sheath, though his eyes never left Lord Shogo's back. The elder was powerful, as proven by the outcome of their recent battle. His concise movements proved he was a seasoned warrior. Not a single move was wasted, every strike seemed planned out as if he had read his opponent three steps ahead. And, one more thing the young Lord of the Western Lands realized as he watched the other lord with narrowed eyes... His opponent had obtained the victory without even releasing his ougi. Never mind that, the lord did not even release any significant youki.

Sesshoumaru could feel the itch inside him... It was the same itch he always felt whenever he found a strong foe, which unfortunately did not come very often. The Lord of the Eastern Lands was undoubtedly the strongest opponent he had ever fought. And he had always yearned to fight, and defeat, the most powerful yokai. And for now, Lord Shogo was that yokai.

This discovery made him think of his mother's suggestion to travel to the eastern lands. Under the pretence of helping him break the spell of Nemuri Hime, she had managed to get him to come all the way here. Was there a hidden motive for his mother's generosity? Was her goal for him to discover how powerful his grandfather was?

“Nii-sama...”

He froze when a soft female voice, calling her “older brother”, reached his ears. Yes... there was one more important finding. He shifted his gaze towards the owner of the voice, the female inu, supposedly his younger sister. But strangely, it was not him she referred to as “nii-sama”, “honourable older brother”, but one of the young noble inu. The one with long silver tresses, indigo crescent moon emblem on his forehead, and magenta face markings identical to his own. His forehead slightly frowned when he silently watched their exchange.

`What is the meaning of this?' He thought to himself.

“Shouri,” Lord Shogo's deep voice gained their attention. The lord looked straight at the young female inu who immediately approached him at the sound of her name.

`Shouri.' Sesshoumaru repeated the name inwardly. It was a good name. The literal meaning of the word itself was `victory', not a very common name for a female. Mostly because it was considered too masculine and ambitious to be a female name. But bearing in mind that she was the daughter of the former Inutaisho of the west, the granddaughter of the Lord of the Eastern Lands, such a name suited her. Whoever named her must have wished that she would be a victorious child in all aspects of life.

“Take the girl and give her the antidote to Nemuri Hime.” Lord Shogo told his granddaughter, who nodded and motioned the human boy to bring the sleeping girl over.

Rin's state had not change since they left on the journey to the east, though Sesshoumaru could tell her colours had grown more and more pale. She was still on top of Ah-Un's back, sleeping so soundly.

The inu princess took Rin's wrist in her hand as she examined the sleeping girl. She noticed the colours of the girl's cheek that appeared ashen, which she could not consider as a very good sign.

“How long has she been sleeping?” She asked.

“Three days, my Lady.” The human boy answered.

“Three days...”

She raised her eyes ever so slightly to meet her grandfather's. For a very brief moment, the two were locked in a gaze.

It was a barely noticeable exchange, yet it did not escape Sesshoumaru's attention. He could not tell the meaning of the gaze, and he had no desire to pursue the matter. Not yet. As long as there was still hope for Rin to recover, he would bet on that hope.

“Boy...” Shouri called Kohaku, earning the youth's attention. She gave him a quick gesture with her fingers. “Follow me.”

_________________________________________________________________ ___________________________

Sesshoumaru found himself housed in a spacious chamber, built and tastefully decorated according to traditional aesthetics. The tatami, the intricately knitted straw flooring, felt sturdy yet soft underneath his feet. Four bamboo shoji screens enclosed the chamber on all sides. When he slid one screen open, it exposed another spacious chamber more or less identical to the first. Straight ahead at the end of the second chamber, two sliding screens were parted to reveal a garden.

He entered the second chamber and walked towards the parted screens to admire the garden. Though it was night, his superior vision could view the sight clearly as if it was day. Flickering lanterns adorned the garden, lighting the landscape with the help of the bright moon above. The garden was beautifully manicured; each tree, each rock, and even each little pebble seemed to have been thoughtfully placed. Every element contributed to the greater picture of tranquility. The sounds of trickling water from a nearby pond filled his ears, adding even more charm to the already charming place.

Sesshoumaru could certainly appreciate Lord Shogo's taste. The eastern palace was both rustic and elegant with an extremely refined aesthetic sense. He was an admirer of the solidity of the timber posts and beams supporting the vast roofs, the serenity of the expansive gardens that surrounded the entire palace, the grandeur of the lofty halls and passageways, and the authenticity and craftsmanship poured into every single detail. It was a truly beautiful palace; light and airy, yet grounded, regal and majestic. It was certainly an old fashioned place, but pleasantly so. He had to admit he felt more at home here than at the western palace where his mother now resided. He had always found his late father's palace, that castle in the sky, to be too cold, too stiff, too flashy, almost vulgar. He could not deny he preferred something more unpretentious, something that possessed understated elegance.

“...Excuse me for interrupting.”

He heard a voice coming from outside of the first chamber. Glancing over his shoulder, he could see the silhouette of the owner of the voice through the translucent sliding partitions. He witnessed the partitions slowly parting to reveal a male yokai.

A full head of silver hair indicated that the visitor was a full-blooded inuyokai. Judging from his modest attire, he was undoubtedly a servant. He was on his knees before the threshold of the chamber, his head lowered to the ground to express respect. When he raised his head, he had a jovial smile on his lips.

“It is my pleasure to finally meet you, Sesshoumaru-sama.” He spoke. “I have been assigned to serve you during your stay. My name is Rikio.”

With an indifferent gaze, Sesshoumaru watched the servant bowed once more before entering the chamber. The yokai lord continued observing the servant from the corner of his eye. He appeared to be quite young, perhaps two hundred years old or so. His silver hair was neatly tied behind his neck, the length fell halfway down his back. His slim figure, clad in matching dark indigo kimono and trouser, appeared almost woman-like. He was definitely not one to fight in battle fields. The colour of his face markings proved he was a native to the eastern lands. As he was not of noble blood, he did not possess the indigo crescent moon emblem on his forehead. His eyes sparkled with good nature as he, still on his knees, cheerfully stared at the silent lord.

It was quite a bold move for a servant to stare so openly at an honourable guest but strangely, Sesshoumaru did not find it offensive. Truth was, he found it quite refreshing - and perhaps even endearing - to be treated in such manner. Why? This Rikio creature seemed amiable, he concluded. Perhaps too amiable by a demon's standard. The young inu strongly reminded him of Rin. A male yokai version of Rin, that was, which perfectly explained why the yokai lord felt accustomed to this servant already.

“It is such an honour to be able to serve you, Sesshoumaru-sama.” Rikio said. “How is your Honourable Mother, Lady Isha? It has been many years since I saw her.”

Sesshoumaru turned around when he heard the unexpected mention of his mother.

“My mother?” He asked. “How are you acquainted with her?”

“Ah... forgive me for being unclear.” Rikio answered, sounding so bashful all of a sudden. “This happened many years ago... Both my parents were wanderers and we had been away from these lands since I was very young. After they died, Lady Isha was the one who found me and brought me back home.”

“I am greatly indebted to your mother, Sesshoumaru-sama.” He continued, lowering his head one more time. “Therefore, as a worthless token of my gratitude, please allow me to take care of you at least during your stay here.”

Sesshoumaru stared upon the bowed head for a moment of silence. He found the young inu to be genuine and the sentiment was worthy of acceptance.

“Tell me, Rikio.” He said, causing the servant to raise his head. “What do you know of the inu princess?”

“Ah... Shouri-sama?” Rikio paused to smile. “She is the beloved granddaughter of our lord and the younger sibling of his first grandson. In these lands, she is also known as `Higanbana no Kimi'.”

“Higanbana no Kimi?”

`The Lady of Red Spider Lily', he thought. The soubriquet was most likely a reference to the poisonous red string technique she demonstrated during their brief fight.

“It is the name Lord Shogo bestowed upon her immediately after she completed one of her sparring techniques. To us, it is a truly affectionate gesture as the lord has never given aliases to his other grandchildren.”

Rikio stared at the silent yokai lord with a pair of curious eyes. The servant tilted his head to the side, appearing as if he was in a deep thought.

“...Could it be...” He started to speak. “Sesshoumaru-sama, did you purposely come to the eastern lands to be Shouri-sama's consort?”

“What?”

A question sternly asked with narrowed eyes alarmed the servant, prompting him to realize he had enquired a subject that was too personal, if not impertinent. At once, he pressed his forehead against the floor.

“Forgive my rudeness. I did not mean to...”

“Rikio,” The yokai lord cut his apologies short. “Why have you concluded this Sesshoumaru came for such a purpose?”

“Ah, It's because...” The young servant slowly raised his head. He seemed reluctant to answer the question yet after some moments of awkward silence, he proceeded.

“Lately, some nobles here have been urging our lord to accept a mate for Shouri-sama. This has somehow caused many yokai from all over to come to our land, hoping to court her, though not many could reach the palace gate because of the illusion.”

Interesting.

“And what of the short-haired male inuyokai with red markings?” Sesshoumaru enquired.

“Zoichi-sama? He is one of Lord Shogo's grandsons, just like yourself.”

Sesshoumaru's eyebrows stitched together when Rikio gave the answer.

“How could that be?” He pondered aloud. “He does not possess the crescent moon emblem and the colour of his markings is not of an eastern creature.”

Rikio's lips curved into a smile when he heard the question.

“Naturally.” He said. “That is because Zoichi-sama is a pure-blooded inuyokai from the southern clan.”

The furrow on Sesshoumaru's forehead deepened. The finding was certainly interesting and without a doubt, it intrigued him. Not much was known about the southern inu clan, and not much information could be found on the pages of old scrolls either. As far as he knew, they had been extinct for a few hundred years. He never expected to find one descendent left alive, not to mention one posing as a member of the eastern clan. Still, why and how the southern inu was now known Lord Shogo's grandson remained a mystery.

An unexpected aura appeared outside the chamber, gaining the pondering yokai lord's attention. Though the aura was extremely subtle, there was no doubt it was deliberately exerted so the owner could make his presence known.

Sesshoumaru strode towards the entrance to his chamber and slid the partitions open. He found his visitor, standing in plain sight across his chamber. The visitor had his back towards him yet there was no mistaking who he was. It was the long haired inuyokai with crescent moon emblem, one whom Rikio referred to as the first grandson of the Lord of the Eastern Lands.

The inuyokai was standing in the hallway outside of the chamber, his elbows was rested atop the elaborately carved wooden railing that separated the passageway and the garden across it. There was no animosity in his relaxed stance, indicating he was not there to pick a fight. How long he had been standing there and how much of the conversation he had heard, Sesshoumaru could not tell.

Slowly, the visiting yokai turned around. As he leaned his back against the railing, the corners of his lips slowly curled into a smile. His stature was tall and slim, although he appeared to be sturdily built. His bone structure was refined, granting him an elegant appearance and a face that was pleasing to the eye. He had discarded the armour he wore when they first met, and was now clad in deep cerulean blue attire. His clothing appeared somewhat foreign: two layers of hip-length kimono-like top covering his upper body, and a slim-fitting hakama trouser tucked underneath a pair of black knee-high boots. His layered top did not have the usual loose, billowy sleeves of a common kimono. The first layer, in pure white, had much fitted sleeves which length covered his wrists. The second layer, in cerulean blue colour, seemed like a short kimono top with its arms chopped off, forming a short-sleeved vest. He had a yellow sash tied around his waist, though it fastened no sword.

Sesshoumaru found the absence of the sword to be quite disturbing. For a mature, not to mention noble, yokai to discard his sword was rather unusual. Yet, the yokai lord sensed something intriguing about this one. The aura he sensed earlier from within the chamber was so vague that a demon of lesser calibre would surely be oblivious to it. It was not an easy thing to do, to suppress one's own demonic energy that it became almost imperceptible, if not disappear completely. Such a technique required an enormous control of youki and needless to say, not just anyone could perform it.

“Yo.” The eastern inuyokai's greeting was beyond casual.

Sesshoumaru, instead of returning the gesture, chose to wait for the inu to explain himself.

“Lord Shogo has requested your presence.” The inu said kindly. “He sent me to escort you to the main hall.”

Sesshoumaru voiced no objection to the invitation. Without a word, he followed his escort along the passageway in the palace. As they walked one in front of the other, he scanned his surrounding, taking in the airiness of the open passageway with the garden on his left and rows of translucent shoji screens on his right. Flickering lanterns, placed at equal distance on each side of the passage, illuminated their way. He could see the soaring stone wall surrounding the palace complex in the distance. He had learnt that although the main gate was generally referred to as the gate to the eastern palace, in reality one must pass through a village before he reached the guarded entrance of the noble residence. Unlike in the western lands where human villages were abundant, that village beyond the main gate was inhabited only by yokai. Most inhabitants were the native dog demons of eastern lands, though some demons of other race also existed in much smaller number.

As Sesshoumaru passed through the village earlier, he was in silent awe. Never before had he seen so many pure-blooded inuyokai gathered in one place, living peacefully as they seemed. They watched him and his pack trod the path, some with curiosity and some with fear. They had obviously lived sheltered lives and had not seen many strangers entered their home. Some of them also appeared quite disturbed to find two humans in his pack. But it was fear they held in their eyes, not the usual condescending and feral look a demon would bestow upon a human.

`How could demons fear humans?' He still could not find an answer to the question.

“Forgive my rudeness. I shall not give you my name just yet.” The male walking before him suddenly said, glancing over the shoulder. “I believe Lord Shogo would like to claim the pleasure of introducing us properly.”

“... I take no offense in such matter.” Sesshoumaru answered in his usual indifferent tone.

Though the name was unknown, it was clear to him who this male was. The first grandson of Lord of the Eastern Lands; his cousin. God forbid, his older cousin. And to make matters worse, one who had been posing as him, as Shouri's older brother.

“I believe you find your chamber acceptable?” The imposter asked.

“Indeed.” His answer was curt and concise.

“You must forgive us. As we do not have visitors very often, our hospitality is perhaps a little rusty.” His cousin said with a chuckle.

“... Your hospitality has not gone unnoticed.”

For a moment, they walked in silence. Sesshoumaru took the opportunity to observe his cousin from the rear. They both stood at about the same height. Now that they were at close distance, he could accurately compare the length of their hair. The eastern inu's hair was very slightly longer than his, answering any questions about age superiority between the two of them. He was indeed the younger, which was an unwelcomed discovery. But he knew better than to fret about truth that could not be reversed.

Sesshoumaru kept his eyes glued to his cousin's back. There was undeniable elegance in the male's gait, in the confidence of those steps. The yokai lord arched his eyebrows when he unexpectedly felt that itch again, that desire to fight a strong opponent. He wondered what it would be like to clash swords with this dog demon before him.

The thought lasted only for an incredibly brief moment, yet it caused his youki to flare slightly. The sudden surge of demonic energy alarmed the object of his gaze. At once, his cousin stopped and glanced over the shoulder, staring at him with a pair of suspicious golden eyes. Sesshoumaru arched one eyebrow when their eyes met. The moment had passed and his killing intention had vanished, leaving the air undisturbed as it was.

However, the yokai lord had to commend the sharpness of his cousin's intuition. His youki flared only vaguely and lasted for merely a few seconds, yet this eastern creature managed to detect it with utmost precision. If it had been another creature with lesser abilities, the brief flicker of youki would have gone unnoticed. Such a quality truly was befitting for the first grandson of Lord Shogo.

They continued walking without a word spoken. Sesshoumaru shifted his attention to his surroundings. They had been treading the corridors for quite a while now, passing countless chambers and moving from one passageway to the next. But wherever they were, the garden was always in sight. Every so often, he would find clusters of red spider lilies adorning the landscape, tall and crimson. No doubt, they were tributes to the inu princess, `Higanbana no Kimi'.

“Your wards have been taken care of.” His cousin informed him to break the silence. “Shouri is currently treating the human girl. Please rest assure, as her skills are excellent.”

“... I have not made any assumptions.” He briefly responded, starting to feel a little irritated with the obvious attempts to get him engaged in useless dialogue.

Again, they both strode in silence.

“Do you find this conversation awkward, just as I do?” His cousin asked.

Sesshoumaru sighed inwardly, feeling his impatience creeping in further. The reason why this creature tried so hard to strike a conversation was truly beyond him. He much preferred a silent journey.

“I find conversations, in general, are a waste of time.” He stated coldly as his last attempt to end the so-called conversation.

“Oh, is that so?”

If there was a flash of humour in his cousin's response, Sesshoumaru chose to ignore it. They finally stopped in front of an enclosed chamber at the end of a corridor. He could see flickers of candlelight through the translucent paper of the sliding partition.

“We're here.”

 

-To be continued-