InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Windows on the West ❯ A Question of Trust ( Chapter 49 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer:  I do not own the characters of Inuyasha.

~oOo~

Sesshoumaru paused in his step as a heated scent came to his nose, and an expression of satisfaction crossed his face for a moment.  They were nearing their destination.

The Mountains of Fire.  

Home to the gates to the netherworld, apparently, they also housed another place – a place, if Bokuseno and his father were to be believed, that held arcane knowledge.  It was that he was after this time, not the gates.

With that in mind, he let his aura swell, looking with every sense he possessed for the place he needed to find.  He said I would know it, that it would be evident.  But what am I looking for?  he wondered idly as his senses swept across the mountain range that sat before him.  

Between one second and the next, he had his answer.

There!  An aura of power sat over one small area, and it was apparent that Bokuseno had been correct – you couldn't miss it.  However, that also brought to mind...

“But I give you warning.  Do not take your pack with you into that place.  Leave them on the outside.”

He had not forgotten Bokuseno's words.

With that in mind, he began looking for a place to leave his little pack – a good, safe, defensible place for them to stay in while he was gone.  He found just such a place in the foothills.

Surrounded on three sides by steep cliffs, there was a small stream for water, with shade in abundance, and with strict instructions to both Kagome, and Jaken, he turned his attention to the place he needed to go... and what he might find once he arrived.

~oOo~

Landing lightly before the entrance to the portion of the mountain he needed to enter, Sesshoumaru silently considered the shimmering barrier that stood between he and his goal with intensity.  It was quite powerful, and he could certainly understand why – it would be dangerous in the extreme for just anyone to be able to reach what supposedly lay in this cavern.

Knowledge.

It is a good thing that Naraku never entered this place, he thought to himself.  He was enough trouble just with the Shikon no Tama.

But that still left him with a problem – how to get himself inside to gain the knowledge that he needed.

One of many, it would seem, he acknowledged wryly.  For once I am inside, I still must find what I need.  And there is no telling if anyone dwells within.  I must be cautious.

His thoughts were interrupted by a pulse from Tenseiga, and he looked down, surprised.  Tenseiga?  You wish to be drawn?  He was about to wonder why, and then considered that the sword had functioned as a key into the underworld – perhaps it was the same thing in this situation?  Without further thought, he drew the sword, and as it cleared its sheath, it pulsed – as did the barrier before him.

It did that several times, almost as though it were communicating with the barrier, to Sesshoumaru's instant fascination, and then with nary a flicker, the sword fell silent, and the barrier parted, opening enough to allow him to walk through.

Weighing what had just happened, he sheathed the sword once more, idly thinking that Tenseiga had turned out to be far more use than he had ever believed it would be.  He was once more glad that he had received it, rather than Tessaiga.  He was completely certain that Tessaiga would not have functioned as Tenseiga had.

After a moment's silent consideration, Sesshoumaru stepped through the opening in the barrier, and did not turn back, even when he felt the shield close behind him.  He was completely confident that Tenseiga would open it again for him to leave when it was necessary.

The cave, or rather, passageway, he had entered, led straight ahead into the darkness, and flaring his youki just a bit, he began to glow softly, giving himself just enough light to be able to make out his surroundings.

The passage he was in led straight, with no others branching out from it, and seemed to head deeper into the mountain for some ways, as he could see no sign of anything ahead except the oddly smooth stone of the hall.  He hoped it wouldn't be a long journey to his destination – he liked not being separated from his pack, and did not want to be away from them for too long.

He walked for a good fifteen minutes before he began to see a light glow in the distance ahead, and he quickened his pace, eager to arrive at his destination, and begin his search for what he needed.

The light brightened to an almost painful degree for a moment as he stepped out of the passageway and into a huge cavern, and it took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the light, but when they did...

He was astounded.

The cavern was vast, and riddled with nooks covering almost every available inch of space, from the ground level to the very top of the cave, and every nook was stuffed with scrolls.  It would literally take years to go through every available scroll – hundreds of years.

How does this help me?  I am not willing to wait so many years to find what I need...

So deep in his dismayed thoughts, he was, that he almost didn't react in time to the attack that came against him, just getting Bakusaiga out and catching his opponents blade on his own in time.

The other male stood, sword locked with Bakusaiga, for several moments, letting Sesshoumaru get a good look at him, and then danced back, lowering his blade.

“Why have you invaded my home?”  the male asked harshly, eyes narrowed as he watched the daiyoukai.

Sesshoumaru stared at him silently for some few seconds, and then answered, saying flatly,  “I come seeking knowledge.  I have no designs on your home.”

“Knowledge... of what?”

“I seek knowledge on how to craft a spell of bonding,”  Sesshoumaru responded after a moment, idly palming Tenseiga's hilt.  He didn't miss the other male's eyes being drawn to the movement of his hand, or his surprise at seeing the sword.

“You carry Tenseiga,”  he said, slightly less hostility in his voice, but the question apparent.  

“I do.  It is the fang of my father, after all – who else would wield it after his death?”

The male's expression intensified, becoming curious rather than challenging, and he sheathed his sword.  “So... you are Sesshoumaru,”  he said.  “And you wish to find knowledge on crafting a spell of bonding.”

“Will you help me, or hinder me?”  Sesshoumaru questioned, not moving.

There was silence for a moment.  Then... “The question remains... what is it you wish to bind?  Depending on your answer, the information needed would be different.”

Considering his words, Sesshoumaru continued to watch the male for a few moments, then said,  “I will be taking a mate – I wish to bind myself to her.  A bond of... exclusivity, you might say.”

A surprised look passed across the other males face.  “It would seem you are very different than your father, then,”  he murmured, as Sesshoumaru simply inclined his head curtly.

“The name is Daichi.”  He studied the daiyoukai before him.  “What you seek lies on the third level, midway along the eastern wall,”  he finally said, and watched as Sesshoumaru instantly sheathed his sword and then turned and formed his cloud beneath his feet to reach the indicated area.  

It didn't take long for Sesshoumaru to find what he was looking for, and within a few hours time, he'd  learned what he needed to know, and, with another curt incline of his head to Daichi, but no words, he'd begun his journey back to the world above and his pack, his thoughts in a whirl.

Her blood, and my own... and a carefully crafted vow to shape the binding.  Simple enough... but will she be willing to give of her blood – especially as I cannot tell her why I need it?

He didn't know, and that had him nervous.  The true question was...

Just how much does she trust me?

There was no way around it, he would have to ask...

And hope for an acceptable answer.

~oOo~

Silence had fallen over the small camp later that night as the children had finally given in to the sandman, and the adults in camp lost in their own thoughts didn't hinder the quiet at all.

After a while, Sesshoumaru looked over at Kagome as she sat near the fire gazing into the flames, and decided that now was as good a time as any to find out the answer to his question.

“Kagome,”  he said softly, waiting for her to look up at him.  “I have a request.  It is... necessary... that I obtain a small amount of your blood.  But I cannot tell you what it is for at this time,”  he said, holding up a hand to forestall her words as she went to speak.  “I would not ask were it not important, you know this.  Do you trust me enough to give me what I ask, with no explanation forthcoming?”

She shook her head at him, a small smile on her face.  “You should have just let me speak a minute ago, Sesshoumaru,”  she said quietly.  “Of course I trust you – if you say you need it, then come and take it.”  She held out an arm, and Sesshoumaru, eyes shining brightly, shook his head.

“I do not need it right this moment.  I will come to you when it is time,”  he replied, content in her answer.  She did, indeed, trust him completely – and that was the most important thing.

“Will I find out someday what you needed it for?”  she asked, curiosity in her voice, and he inclined his head to her.

“Aa.  Soon, you will know.  It is only necessary that it be secret for now.”

She smiled at him.  “Okay,”  she said, then covered her mouth with a dainty hand as a yawn caught her by surprise.  “I guess it's time for bed,”  she chuckled as she moved to settle into her bedding.  “I'm more tired than I thought I was, I suppose.  Goodnight, Sesshoumaru.”

Goodnight, Kagome,”  he returned softly, watching quietly as she fell into sleep.

Yes... Bokuseno was quite correct.  I have chosen better than any in a thousand years...

Maybe even two thousand.


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