InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Soulless Knight ❯ Chapter 6: Confessions ( Chapter 6 )

A/N: Yay, time for the next chapter, we're going to skip to Fluffy, cause you can never have too much fluffy time, lol.

 

Again, all Irish Gaelic will be underlined and translated at the end, thank you.

Disclaimer: Don't own, never will, that should be enough for y'all.

Soulless Knight

Chapter 6: Confessions

It had been a couple days since the episode at the hot spring. Sesshoumaru had managed to convince the young female drakon to wear a traveling kimono, and managed to get her to accompany them to his castle. The why, he was still not sure of his reasoning. He had not felt the strange aura since that day either, which was perfectly all right with him. Anyone who could catch him off guard like that did not sit right with him. He would not let it happen again. He would find this creature, be she human or demon, and make her see who was superior.

Sesshoumaru's attention then wandered to Mizu who was paler than normal. She was now staring off into the foliage with a distant look in her eyes as she leaned against Aun. He mentally cursed himself that if he had just paid more attention to his father's dealings with her parents. Or had he paid more attention when his father tried to school him in their culture. He might know what was wrong with her now and be able to help.

His musings were interrupted by a low grumble from across the campsite. He snapped his attention towards Rin, she giggled nervously and blushed. “Sorry my lord, I forgot to eat again.”

She then promptly jumped up, non to gracefully, and skipped over to Aun. She rummaged through one of his saddle bags before pulling out a small melon. Then using the small knife Sesshoumaru had given her for her eleventh summer, she cut the melon into small pieces. She then held one of the pieces out to Mizu “Would you like some?”

Mizu's eyes shifted to the fruit Rin offered her, then to Rin's face, “No thank you, fruit doesn't agree with us.” She then went back to staring off into the foliage. The same distant look returning to her eyes.

Rin looked a bit crest fallen, but soon shook it off and started eating her melon. Sesshoumaru stared at Mizu; there was something defiantly wrong with her. He'd be damned if he was going to be left in the dark. “Mizu?”

She shifted her unblinking gaze again, this time to the demon lord's stoic face. She still had a glazed over look to her eyes as if she wasn't really seeing him, even though she was looking straight into his golden eyes. She stared at him for a few moments, waiting, before giving up and turning her gaze back to the foliage for a third time.

Suddenly Sesshoumaru felt three aura's to his left, from what seemed like the air, coming closer. After a few moments, they had landed and stood a respectable distance away, almost as if they had been looking for him. Sesshoumaru mentally sighed and stood, “Jaken!”

Jaken eeped and bowed as Sesshoumaru left their camp site. He too had sensed the auras, but he was not expecting this from his lord. He stayed behind to watch the camp, as he knew his lord wanted him too.

Sesshoumaru walked out a ways to meet the intruders, all though his face never showed it, he was shocked to see two male demons and a female child... was she glowing? Her aura seemed to radiate off of her, and was strong for a child of her obvious age. Although she looked entirely human, he could smell the stench of a hanyou. He mentally shook himself and turned his attention to the strongest aura, the obvious leader of the group. Whose surface power almost seemed to match his own. Both males seemed to be wearing what looked like leather cloaks; but it didn't take him long to recognize them as wings. Wrapped delicately around their shoulders, leaving little of their bodies to view.

“Speak!” The single word dripped from Sesshoumaru's mouth in an elegant manner, but it was laced with his obvious distrust for the beings in front of him.

“Greetings my lord,” while the other two bowed low, the leader made a smaller bow of his head, showing his regal breading. “I am Glacialis; Prince of the Celtic Drakon tribe in Northern Ireland. This here is my niece, Rei-an,” he motioned to the young child, who simply smiled at the Inu lord. “And this is Talamh, her body guard,” he motioned to the drakon stranding behind them, who bowed again to the Inu lord.

Sesshoumaru studied all three with close scrutiny. His majestic features never wavering as he patiently waited for the winged drakon to continue. Something about the girl set him on edge as his eyes lingered on her, she was not normal, but he couldn't put his finger on how.

Glacialis broke the silence, “We have come to make a small but important request of you, my lord. It is concerning the young female drakon you have in your care. She must be returned, before it's too late.”

Sesshoumaru's gaze snapped back to Glacialis, a delicate eye brow lifting in a quizzically silent inquiry.

Glad that he now had the lord's attention, he continued. “She's not well, is she? I can feel her aura fluxing from here. She's already entered the change.”

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. He was not sure where this was going, but he was pretty sure he wasn't going to like it. “Explain!”

Glacialis did not let the tone in his voice escape his notice, “She is suffering from what our people call...” He paused, seeming to be searching for the right word. “fola dÚsachtach! It comes to all our kind when they reach a certain age. She has managed to forestall it longer than any I've know, though I'm not sure how.”

Sesshoumaru pondered over this new information. Although he was not sure what fola dÚsachtach meant, he was sure it did not bode well for Mizu. He needed clarification though, and he was determined to get some before letting these three anywhere near his newest charge, “And this means what, exactly?”

Glacialis sighed, he hated having to betray clan secrets, but it was evident that this was a necessity in this case. “It means she needs to come with us, to perform the ritual, or she will become wild and savage.” He hated also having to be so blunt, but he was sure Sesshoumaru would accept nothing less.

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed dangerously, he was getting tired of this game, and he hated to repeat himself. “Explain!” His voice dripped with his obvious irritation, and was laced with a patient annoyance.

Rei-an flinched slightly, but Glacialis did not waver, he only looked at the Inu lord with an impassive expression. “It is a bonding ritual, meant to insure the survival of our race, and the dragons from which we descended. During this ritual, she must choose a hatchling as a dragon companion, and they must bond by drinking each other's blood. It can sometimes be postponed for a lunar cycle, if she was to go on a steady diet of blood, but without knowing exactly when her symptoms started, I would rather not take that chance.”

Sesshoumaru's face retained his normal stoic features once again, as he pondered over these new and dangerous facts. “How long?” He finally asked as he met the drakon's gaze once again.

“Till the next new moon,” Glacialis stated without hesitation.

He searched the faces of all three, the little girl still having that sickly sweet smile plastered on hers, before finally speaking again. “Very well,” he decided. “But the final choice will be hers, I will not...” Before he could finish speaking though, an ear piercing scream echoed through the forest, from the direction of his camp. “Rin.”

He sped off for the camp site at top speed, noticing that Glacialis was right behind him, and matching his speed with no effort. They both reached camp in a matter of seconds, and the site that met them almost made Sesshoumaru's eyes bleed red.

Standing in an offensive stance, the whites of her eyes glowing a deep blue, Mizu was staring down Jaken, whose staff was at the ready. Aun was standing behind him guarding Rin, who was curled on the ground in the fetal position, cradling her badly bleeding arm and crying. Blood was dripping from Mizu's extended claws, the same glazed over look from before still clouding her eyes.

“B-back you foul b-beast, I'm w-warning you.” Jaken stammered, pointing his staff at the girl. Mizu simply let out a menacing lizard like hiss through clenched fangs. Taking a step forward as she did so, causing Jaken to take a step back.

Glacialis then stepped forward, “Enough, young one, stand down!” The command in his voice was bluntly obvious, but did no more than cause Mizu to turn and hiss at him instead, taking a threatening step towards him.

At that moment the other drakon arrived carrying the little girl. Sesshoumaru heard her whisper something to her bodyguard, in their strange language, as he set her down. Talamh looked to Glacialis, who grunted his agreement, then turned to face Mizu. Talamh's green wings unfurled from around his shoulders and began to shimmer slightly, his aura spiked and he slammed his hand into the ground, clawed fingers first, as if it was nothing more than water.

Mizu hissed at him, but was too late to do anything more, as four rock solid walls sprang up around her in a tipi formation, leaving a small hole at the top for air. Mizu let off a furious roar, which echoed off the trees, trying in vain to break through the walls.

Rei-an turned to face Glacialis, “I will have to bring Okaasan here; she will listen to no one else at this point.”

Glacialis nodded, “Fine, I need to be getting back to my charges, leave Talamh here.” He then turned to Sesshoumaru, “Do you have any issues with this?”

Sesshoumaru glanced between the three again, then on his companions, his eyes lingering on Rin's bloody arm. “None.”

Glacialis turned to Rei-an, “Then be quick about it,” He then shot up into the sky, almost faster than Sesshoumaru could follow with his eyes, before flying off to the east.

Sesshoumaru turned his attention back to the little girl when he heard his name. She was speaking in her language to Talamh, who then nodded and sat near the rock cage he had created.

She looked back to Sesshoumaru with a smile, “Talamh does not speak, or understand much Japanese, but he should still cause no issues. I shall be back just as soon as I can, please do not release her.” Rei-an pleaded.

Sesshoumaru nodded, “Very well.”

He then watched as she clasped her hands together. Then closing her eyes she began chanting in an odd language that sent chills down his spin. There was suddenly a bright flash of light that caused him to close his eyes. When the light disappeared, he opened his eyes again and the little girl was nowhere in sight. He grunted and turned towards Rin to inspect her wound. Crouched down in front of Rin, Sesshoumaru held out his hand palm up, waiting patiently.

Rin whimpered slightly and stretched her still bleeding arm out to her lord. Wincing immensely as his nimble fingers wrapped around her slender wrist. She successfully managing to hold back the sob that seemed lodged in her throat, but not the tears that streamed freely down her face.

As Sesshoumaru examined her arm, he noticed that the wound was not as deep as it had seemed by first glance, and the bleeding had slowed appreciably. Jaken had brought him a damp cloth by this point, and he started to wipe the wound clean.

Rin tried not to move as he cleaned the wound, but it hurt so badly. She could not help but flinch whenever he touched it, and started crying quietly again, closing her eyes tightly to block out the sight.

From across the camp site, Talamh spoke something in his odd language, “Tá mé rud éigin a éascaíocht a pian, más mian leat é, a Thiarna Sesshoumaru?”

Sesshoumaru stopped what he was doing and looked at the drakon, eyebrow raised.

Talamh sighed slightly and stood, reaching into a pouch on his belt, and pulled out a small blue glass vial. He held it out to Sesshoumaru and spoke again, this time in broken Japanese, “Here, no pain, fast.”

Sesshoumaru looked between him and the glass vial skeptically, then back at Rin's face. He could see and smell the tears still leaking from her eyes as she looked at the drakon, he mentally sighed and looked back to Talamh. “Very well,” he nodded.

Talamh nodded, walked over, and knelt next to Rin. He removed the cap from the blue vial, immediately even Rin's weak human nose was assaulted by a very pungent odor.

Sesshoumaru immediately jumped up and away from the smell, resisting the urge to cover his sensitive nose. “What is in that?” He demanded, eying the drakon wearily.

Talamh furrowed his brow in thought, “Plant no growing here, it...” He sighed in frustration, he was not used to being unable to communicate. His brow furrowed further as he thought his words out carefully, “Smell bad, Hai. Work fast, Hai. No pain, make go away.” He looked between Sesshoumaru and Rin, waiting to see if they understood.

Sesshoumaru looked down at Rin and nodded, “It is your choice, do as you will.” He moved slightly as he said this, making sure he was upwind from the offending odor.

Rin looked at the blue vial, worrying her lip slightly. As if in response to her dilemma, he arm throbbed slightly and she whimpered. “Okay,” she nodded and held her arm out to Talamh.

Talamh smiled sweetly at her and gently grasped her wrist, making sure not to cause and further pain. He placed the vial on the ground between them and scooped out a small amount of yellowish gel, “No move, might itch...” He paused, realizing he had said the wrong word, he sighed again and looked apologetically at Rin.

Rin, forgetting her pain for a moment, clasp her other hand over her mouth and tried to stifle her laughter. She managed to hold it back enough to remove her hand, grinning at the drakon she offered, “You mean sting? It might sting?”

Talamh looked rather elated at this as he smiled back at her, “Hai, it... might... sting.” He repeated each word carefully, sounding out the syllables, seemingly committing them to memory.

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow, he was rather impressed, the drakon seemed to be a fast learner.

Talamh proceeded to gently apply the gel to Rin's wound, noticing that she only flinched once or twice. When he had finished, he pulled a small cloth from his pouch and wiped the remaining gel from his fingers, then wrapped the same cloth around her arm to cover the wound. “Ansiúd,” He stated as he finished. He recapped the blue vial and placed it back in his pouch, then he smiled and stood.

Sesshoumaru crouched down next to Rin again to inspect her arm, noting also that the smell of the strange gel had somewhat dissipated. He nodded his approval, “You should get some rest now, Rin.”

It was more of a command then a suggestion, but Rin nodded anyway. She turned to thank Talamh, only to find he had returned to his previous place and looked to be asleep. Still she whispered, “Arigato, Talamh-sama.” She thought she saw the hint of a smile, but dismissed it. She then curled up between Aun's front legs, hugging close to him as he wrapped one head around her like a blanket, both sets of eyes never leaving the rock cage that held the now silent Mizu.

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Glacialis flew back towards where he had left Kagome and the others, as fast as his wings would carry him; he had an ominous feeling that just would not go away. He flew at top speed for about an hour, like a rocket across the sky, before coming to a cold stop only about a mile from their camp.

He sensed about a dozen strange demonic auras coming from camp, but nowhere could he sense Kagome's aura, only that of her friends. Kouga, Ginta, Hakkaku and Kirara's auras were weaker than normal, probably unconscious. The two human's and the kitsune were in such a state of fear, he could smell it from here.

His eyes began to glow a bright ice blue as he realized what happened, “That Bitch!” He suddenly shot off towards camp again, faster than before, now that he was fueled by his rage. As he took off, he let out a tremendous roar that seemed to reverberate and echo in the air around him, his aura creating instant icicles on the nearby tree branches.

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A/N: OK, as promised, here are the translations.

fola dÚsachtach= blood insane

Tá mé rud éigin a éascaíocht a pian, más mian leat é, a Thiarna Sesshoumaru?= I have something to ease herpain, if you want it, Lord Sesshoumaru?

Sorry this took so long, I had issues keeping Sesshoumaru in character again, hehe. I hope you enjoy it anyway, I will try and get chapter 7 out sooner, R&R.