InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Spring Fever ❯ A Broken Fever ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 3

 

A Broken Fever and Worsening Conditions

 

For the next three days Tenseiga chattered tirelessly at the daiy?kai's waist, anxiously awaiting the breeching of his breaking point in terms of patience. Several times now Rin has asked ridiculous questions, such as whether or not the Lord Sesshomaru had decided to shove mice into the sheath for its immense jostling. Jaken was hard pressed in his scolding to not chuckle ever so softly at the very thought.

 

Of course, even if the toad randomly fell over and gave his last croak of laughter, Sesshomaru wouldn't notice. He had other things plaguing his mind, literally, and how they got there was an injustice in and of itself. It was impossible for the retainer and human child to know that the sword's physical antics were only part of the package. Oh no, if hopping from a belt was all the fuss was about, then Sesshomaru would have no trouble in handling it. Apparently though, some visual aid was required. So much so at times that he lost sight of the path and had to stop walking, confusing his companions for the sudden delay. Well, let them be confused, he wasn't ready to walk into a few trees over it. For that reason alone, they had been now for two days resting in a field, their journey halted.

 

Rin of course loved it.

 

“Lord Sesshomaru!” Jaken cried in a pleading tone, running over to the slight hill where his lord stood, the tall green grass covering all but the squat demon's hat and the staff. He stabbed said weapon into the ground and scrambled up onto the two heads at the top, himself positively littered with flowers. “May I inquire as to when we can move on, my L-WOAH!!!”

 

“Master Jaken, you MUST see these!!” Rin giggled excitedly, staff in hand and toad demon bouncing at its top and away with his happy human captor.

 

Sesshomaru would have smirked at that if not for the unrighteous racket in his mind. He didn't even see the two just then. Sure he heard and smelled them, but Tenseiga was being an appropriate heirloom and reminder of his father; a royal pain.

 

Even with his eyes open he could see it. Not only the highly disturbing dream he had had nights ago, but also the scenes the sword decided to entertain him with. It depicted him being banished to the outskirts of his territories, a demon now possessing the Shikon no Tama and reining over his lands. Then that miko came, trying from an ignored distance to slay the evil with her spiritual powers, as she had done to Naraku, but her injury had yet to heal and her illness was still taking a high toll on her. She was too weak to lift her weapon, and completely useless. She disappeared then, the jewel becoming fully tainted and the lands becoming corrupt. Demons of lesser cause rose and tore through villages which had forgotten who ruled their lands, and shall never remember. The territory of the great dog demon, Lord of the West, shall be forgotten, and all other lands with it. The demons would consume all the humans but the lucky and powerful, and then consume one another, falling into a hungry chaos and merging around the jewel, finally becoming too large to sustain and seeping into the ground, awaiting the future to populate itself and to awaken the sole surviving demon known as Apocalypse once more.

 

Like that would ever happen...

 

Sesshomaru shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. The sword's fairytale was preposterous. After three days of watching it unravel over and over again Sesshomaru finally asked what the hell it wanted of him this time.

 

His vision instantly cleared, and he winced his eyes slightly at the 'sudden' exposure to light. Tenseiga was back to its original calling beat, attempting to tug its master along like a spoiled servant brat tugging a parent to the market.

 

“Jaken,” Sesshomaru addressed the toad demon a few minutes later, witnessing his seated, disgruntled pose as Rin merrily added a purple crown of flowers to his floral display. It was enough to jar the eyes.

 

The toad stood immediately and bowed, the new head garment falling. “Yes my Lord?”

 

“Watch over Rin.”

 

Jaken gave him a mortified expression, then hid it with a bow of the head. “Yes Lord Sesshomaru!”

 

“Rin,” Sesshomaru addressed next, watching as she gave her 'attentive' pose. “Play nicely.”

 

“Yes Lord Sesshomaru!” she replied in a chipper tone. A small cloud of despair settled over the toad demon. “Come on master Jaken! There were some REALLY pretty orange flowers up there a little ways!”

 

Jaken miserably followed, Ah and Un nibbling the flowers off of him as they tagged along.

 

Kohaku, having watched things from afar, passed silently by Sesshomaru, offered a quick bow, and jogged after them.

 

The sun had barely shifted when Sesshomaru arrived at the outskirts of the village. As he continued his approach on foot the scent of the young woman came to him and he glanced around. Where was she?

 

Surprisingly enough, he found himself looking down an old well for her. The hanyou had traveled with her to that point, and unless they grew wings and fluttered off they randomly disappeared.

 

“Interesting,” he said to himself, moving on. There was still the matter of the Jewel to attend to. Upon seeing the shabby house Sesshomaru let his energy flare, warning the monk and slayer within. They immediately responded and hurried out, faces contorted with suspicion and surprise. They were becoming entertaining to confuse, and he would have acknowledged it if not for his last four days of sword-induced aggravation.

 

“Oh,” the woman breathed, seeming relieved. How disrespectful. “I was thinking the demons were back.”

 

Sesshomaru's interest perked. Demons? And surely she meant low-level demons for not acknowledging him as one.

 

The monk let out a small chuckle, leaning against the wall. They certainly seemed more comfortably in his presence. He'd have to correct that.

 

“Where is the Jewel,” Sesshomaru demanded more than asked. That certainly cleared the familiarity from the air.

 

“You too?” the woman retaliated, her grip tightening. Did they really believe they stood the grace of a chance against him?

 

“Why?” the monk followed up.

 

Sesshomaru furrowed his brow slightly at them, making them shift to fight.

 

“Do not assume more than is allotted to you,” he snarled, his voice remaining a placid surface of unreadable ice. “If so desired, the Jewel would be in the possession of this Sesshomaru long before your parents were born.”

 

Their expressions cleared somewhat. Yes, Sesshomaru could be seen as a young man in his prime in human terms, but in reality he was born before the Jewel, and even then it held no interest to him; it could call and create all the allure it wanted, but he simply did not need it. He had everything he wanted, and if not, then he had all the power and time to get it. He didn't keep count, his age was of no interest of him after two hundred, but to come to a rough approximation he was seven hundred years old.

 

“Apologies,” the monk stated. “The Shikon has been heavily sought since it separated from Tetsusaiga, and with Kagome in her state she can't purify it.”

 

A mental flash of what he had seen for the last few days played in Sesshomaru's mind. “She remains ill?”

 

“Well, the fever broke,” the woman replied, boomerang hanging against her back, “but it took a lot out of her to counter the shouki from the bite. She just went back home to rest safely, and won't be back for a while.”

 

'A while' would simply not do, and Tenseiga supported the thought. And what was more secure at her home than in the village with her companions? He was ready to demand her location when it was suddenly given to him.

 

“Inuyasha!” the monk called in surprise.

 

“Sesshomaru!” the hanyou yelled, trying to hold the barely conscious girl on his back and draw his sword at the same time. He simply couldn't, which was a good thing.

 

“Inuyasha, why are you here?” the slayer asked.

 

“Why am I here?!” he replied incredulously, completely affronted. “Why is HE here!!”

 

The miko on his back remained still save for a small and weak grip on his shoulder, and he growled with frustration. “Fine! I'll be good until he attacks...”

 

Her hand loosened and she sighed. Sesshomaru could tell she was weak. He wouldn't be surprised if she had just fallen asleep right then. No, she couldn't handle a tainted Jewel. Not yet.

 

'Perfect,' he thought to himself sarcastically. 'Just perfect.'

 

Sesshomaru was invited to share an all-participant discomfort session in the small lodging, hearing why Inuyasha had come back. It was quite the tale, and had Sesshomaru's mind racing.