Inheritance by Serie
One
Author’s Note: Hello! My name is Serie and this is my Sesshoumaru/ Kagome Fanfiction, please know that I do not own any of the characters. Rumiko Takahashi is a genius and I am a fan of her fantastic Anime/Manga. That being said, this story is for entertainment purposes, and I will thoroughly enjoy putting some of her characters through the wringer. Please note this is a fan fiction I worked very hard to write, I would appreciate it if this is not posted on different sites by anyone other than myself.
Summary:
The Daiyoukai of the Northern lands has passed away suddenly, leaving behind a young heir to rule in his place. The ruthless demon lords of the North are rebelling and demand a stronger leader be put in Sota's place. To satisfy his thirst for power, the legendary General Naraku rises to the occasion and plants himself as Prime Minister. Alarmed, Princess Kagome rallies the people to help her displace him but fails as Naraku extinguishes her rebellion in one blow. Kagome is forced into hiding while Sota is kept hostage in the royal palace. Desperate to help her brother, Kagome forges an alliance through marriage with the formidable Lord Sesshomaru of the Western Lands. She hopes to find a strong ally in the enemy of her enemy.
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One
Japan Summer- 1468 A.D.
The tassels on the royal palanquin danced erratically as the four pole bearers made their way towards the forest. Ominous storm clouds loomed overhead, shielding them from curious eyes. Nearing the reach of the trees, the men increased their pace. The border that separated the Northern and Western lands stood less than an hours horse ride away. As the darkness of the forest enveloped them, her back stiffened with apprehension. The air that seeped in through the paper walls was wrong.. the crisp earthiness of leaves was tainted with determined hunger. An unrelenting thirst for blood oozed from the branches. Pulling the silk curtain back, a smooth hand signaled impatiently for a halt.
Immediately, the men stopped and placed the vessel gently down on the narrow dirt path; their thudding hearts filled the eerie stillness. A hooded lady in waiting appeared by the window, her head bent respectfully. Kagome’s attendants held their breath as the sound of ruffling silk answered their burning curiousity.
“Prepare yourselves.” The small party of five brandished their weapons and shifted into a defensive formation surrounding their mistress.
A mischievous wind stirred up loose leaves prompting them to dance in the clearing. Just beyond the treeline the sounds of men touching down onto the ground could be heard. They were surrounded. Kagome’s attendants stood ready as they waited for the enemy to advance into the filtered moonlight. An arrogant cough echoed through the darkness as an armor clad man stepped into view. The dry dirt grinded unpleasantly beneath his shiny boots. Like their master, these boots had not seen much of battle. Shin was the second son of a rich aristocrat; his place in the army had been bought through bribery.
For most men, the soldiers short haircut improved their attractiveness, women often swooned at the pristine uniform and fresh faces. Unfortunately for Shin, it did nothing but illuminate his flaws. A large flat nose sat in the middle of his face seemingly supported by a wide pair of thin lips. Acne scars littered his greasy forehead which contrasted unpleasantly to his painfully tight knot of hair. His clan boasted if their “clean” and superior bloodlines, but years of inbreeding resulted in all their sons to having dim wits and horrid faces.
Like the coward that he was, Shin planted himself at the edge of the clearing before them. His wide build and spoiled scowl made him seem more fierce than he actually was.
“Lady Kagome, Lord Naraku requests your presence at the Royal Palace. We are here to ensure your safety.” The palanquin stood in stoney silence. He stood impatiently, the steady sigh of falling leaves mocked his serious expression. Nervously, he placed a girlish hand on the sheathed sword at his side, “If we cannot escort you peacefully, we will use force.” Her guards tightened their formation slightly at his threat.
A drop of sweat descended from the Shin’s hairline, he nodded once to his men and chaos broke. A dozen bodies rushed towards the vessel that held the princess, the unnatural sound of metal grinding against metal echoed for all to hear. Kagome’s guards were able to push back many of the advancing soldiers. They held up under the pressure well, but even the most skilled warrior would grow tired. Time was against them; certain death stood at the sidelines waiting to claim its prey.
Shin stood back and smiled, his ego swelled considerably; he had finally bested her. Soon the Northern Lands would know Lady Kagome was a traitor. She, who was so beloved by the people, had betrayed her only brother and his government. Parading her through the streets of the capital in chains would certainly be the highlight of his career.
Amongst the bloodshed, a lavender fox orb fell from the sky. Tapping the colorful roof of the palanquin lightly.. it exploded. A ring of bodies littered the ground, still and uncaring as purple flames licked their flesh. All that remained was Kagome’s five attendants, safely shielded by her fox barrier. As if pulled by strings, they fell back in unison behind the vessel; never turning their backs to the enemy.
Landing skillfully on her feet, Sango stood in the clearing with a smirk on her face. “Shin, still blindly following orders I see.” The light of the full moon illuminated her orange kimono brilliantly. The light layers fluttered prettily in the night...paying no attention to the tension in the air.
“Where is she? I know she’s nearby, that barrier can't be cast from far.” He growled, his face twitching in anger.
“You know I wonder…Why is it Naraku sent a man servant out to try and stop Kagome. You can’t seriously think he expected you to succeed.” Heat rushed to Shin’s face like a rash; he stuttered in an attempt at a comeback to her biting insult. Sango’s mocking laughter silenced him. She caressed her horaikotsu while her brown eyes scanned the area, “If you're so certain that she is here, come find her yourself.” Sango jerked her boomerang up and hurled it at Shin with deafening speed. He ducked to keep his head. Two sets of heavy thuds sounded closely behind him, the men had realized too late that her boomerang was no laughing matter. Looking up sharply, Shin felt his heart drop--the clearing was empty.
“AFTER THEM! BRING KAGOME BACK ALIVE, KILL THE OTHERS.” His men took off in pursuit, running blindly through the forest. Ancient branches shook and snapped as the men jumped from tree to tree...desperate for a glimpse of the fleeing Sango.
Her eyes searched the trees frantically; ‘Where is it?’ Panic filled her lungs as Kagome’s mark was nowhere to be seen. Shin’s soldiers were closing in behind her, ‘I can hold them off for.. maybe 30 minutes by myself… will it be enough?’ Her powerful legs carried her further into the silent forest, she ripped her kimono and chucked it to the right as hard as she could. ‘hopefully that will split them up.’ Enjoying the freedom that her form fitting armor gave, Sango picked up her pace.
To her relief, Kagome’s dagger hung at the base of a large tree in the distance. Hastily snatching it up, she grabbed onto a low branch and launched herself upwards into the tree. Hiding amongst dense branches she closed her eyes and exhaled. She had to mask her scent. Now.
Sango waited for the men to pass. A summer breeze played with the strands of her earthy brown hair; she channeled her efforts into staying undetected. The loud crunch of soldiers boots directly underneath caused her sensitive youkai ears to twitch. ‘30..29..28..27..26..’ Pausing, they sniffed around, occasionally peering wearily into the underbrush around them. Suddenly, a single soldier came crashing through the silence.
“Our unit found her kimono east of here. Let’s move out!” Fearing failure, the men immediately took off in pursuit.
Exhaling, her hand went to her armor clad chest, the steady beating of her heart was comforting. Sango turned her eyes to the heavens and studied the clouds with profound interest. Miroku’s handsome face crossed her mind, her lungs began to ache for air as worry choked her. ‘No. not now.. focus.’
Then, a feline shadow descended quickly from the clouds. As Kirara neared, Sango crouched down low on the branch, waiting. At the perfect moment, she sprung into the air. Extending her hand upwards, she grabbed onto kirara’s soft, golden fur; as the air whipped her cheeks Sango hoisted herself up onto her fire cat’s back.
“Kirara, did the others make it to the checkpoint?”
An affirmative growl came in response. “We must hurry to the border. I am uneasy.”
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Kagome watched from the seat of her dragon as the explosion blew through the trees. She waited until she could sense Sango had darted away into the trees. Beside her, Miroku busied himself with scanning the treeline while he mentally traced the invisible movements of Sango and the others. ‘They have to hurry... please god.. be fast enough’
Kagome hovered in the clouds, the steady beat of her dragon’s wings made her hesitate. Leaving Sango behind was a dangerous gamble.
“Kagome we must go, we don't have much time.” She nodded to Miroku slightly and spurred her mount forward. Wordlessly, they sped above the clouds toward the border. A jagged bolt of lightning ripped across the night sky behind them.
As they approached the western lands the oppressive layer of clouds began to give way to clearer night sky. For the hundredth time that night her mind briefly went to Sota, alone and isolated in the sprawling northern capital. ‘I cannot fail.’
Beside her, Miroku’s incantations increased in speed, staying invisible was now more important than ever; it took most of his concentration to hold the large camouflage spell around them.
Her midnight eyes searched the open fields below them, Kagome did not trust the silence. A wave of her hand brought a protective shield around them. Almost transparent, the barrier surrounded them like a bubble. To an onlooker it would be almost invisible if not for a faint trace of lavender energy pulsing around the surface.
A single purifying arrow cut the air from below, striking her barrier with a fearless force shattering the protective barrier and Miroku's spell. Kagome sucked in air sharply as she looked down to see a group of priestesses on horseback. They emerged from beneath a gathering of trees, their white hakama’s burned like warning flames in the dark night. “Damn it..” Both winged mounts hissed their displeasure. Ignoring the pulls of their masters, the scaled pair began to fly erratically, weaving around steafy streams of deadly arrows.
“Priestesses. How sly of Take-- Miroku!” Her heart clenched as her new barrier was pierced and his dragon roared in pain. Horror seized her heart as Miroku spiraled down to the ground at a dangerous rate. Yanking her reins, Kagome dove in an attempt to catch him. The distance was too great for her to reach him in time. Out of desperation, she thrust her hand out to shield him before he made contact with the packed earth. He landed with a hollow thud. Slightly winded, he rolled over on his back and struggled for air. Urging her dragon forward, they landed roughly beside a dusty Miroku. He jumped to his feet deftly and took her extended hand. Before he was able to settle himself behind the saddle, her mount took off in a sprint. Jerking forward, Miroku tried to regain his balance. “Are you alright? We don’t have much time, I rather not be shot down like that a second time.”
“I’m fine, thank you. You should have left me,” Quickly feeling around his sleeves, Miroku produced a toy-like miniature of his weapon. Muttering a short word, the spear returned to it’s regular size in his firm grip.
“We’re friends, Don’t be ridiculous. While you’re back there, do something to slow them down..please.” The sound of horse hoofs was not far off; Kagome’s heart thudded uneasily. Taking on a group of human mikos right now wouldn't be wise. It would be too draining for just the two of them.
True to his calling as a strategist, Miroku had planned thoughtfully up to this point. The only thing that was overlooked were the priestesses. “Humans wouldn’t meddle in demonic affairs so easily.. why are they here? Miroku, do you think Naraku is bribing the mikos?”
Instead of answering Miroku sat behind her muttering again as his enchantments went off. A confident hand released dozens of black pellets into the parched grass. Smoke screen beads...his favorite. The slightest touch would trigger an explosion, releasing a billowing black smoke that would blind someone for two minutes. As a young demon this was his signature move to evade his tutors and servants. Lord Norin constantly complained about his lazy, womanizing son outside of the council halls. Kagome’s face broke into a weary smile at the thought. ‘How long has it been? It seems like another life now.’
Patting her dragon's neck, she turned them towards the mountains.
On the horizon the fires of a modest village caught her eye. It sat in an advantageous place, straddling the border between the Northern and Western lands. Inside the village walls lived a group of people governed, not by either reigning Daiyoukai, but by their own self interest. Power struggles amongst the lords meant little to them; the village elders always sided with the strongest demon... to guarantee their peaceful life. For a hundred years they have leeched off the lands of her ancestors and now it was time they gave back. Tonight, these humans will be her salvation. No one would expect a youkai princess to appear at a demon exterminator village.
Riding fiercely towards it, she could see the troops placed at the border. Two companies of fifty men stood in thorny silence while their horses snorted with impatience. The troop of fox demons kept a careful distance away from the slumbering village; sparking conflicted with the exterminators was no laughing matter.
“Just as we thought! Only 100 men!” Miroku’s delight was apparent, but it came too soon; they weren't out of danger yet.
Kagome couldn't sustain her camouflage spell any longer; keeping them hidden was too draining. With the soldiers no more than 150 meters to her left and the priestesses not far behind, she needed to conserve her strength for the fight. “Miroku, I'm dropping the barrier. Ready?”
“Ready.” She felt him tense behind her. Seconds after her barrier faded, the soldiers spotted them and immediately set off. They tried to intercept her but horses could not compare to the speed of a dragon. Beneath her the fire beast roared in pleasure, it’s claws itching to rip into horse flesh. Leaning forward, Kagome whispered reassurances to her excited dragon. “Stay true to the path, we are almost there.”
Desperate to slow her, the soldiers attempted to shoot arrows in their general direction. With the embarrassing number that actually came within range of them, Kagome guessed this troop held new recruits. Guilt spread through her body at the thought of their deaths. “It’s a new unit..” The hollowness in Miroku’s voice mirrored her feelings.
A comforting hand pressed down on her right shoulder. Kagome wasn't alone in this, he too felt the weight of responsibility.‘These men have no reason to die tonight, damn Naraku and his greed.’ As they came closer, her sensitive ears could pick up warning calls from the watchtowers. Angry drum beats began ringing through the air; the human men were roused from their beds to fight.
Every second that ticked by the soldiers who once revered her... came nearer; their weapons ready for her blood. About 30 meters away from the gate, her dragon succumbed to a dragon's bone blade, which cut through it’s left wing and was embedded in the front leg. Kagome and Miroku were thrown forward. Flipping expertly, each landed solidly on their feet. Neither were prepared for the bloodshed that loomed over their heads, so they continued on foot. Miroku was ahead of her by a few strides, his long legs were a great advantage in this situation. Her long braid bounced furiously against the leather strap of her sheathed sword. Seeing Miroku’s spear balanced gracefully in his hands, Kagome groped for the weapon strapped to her back.
Finally able to catch up to them, four red faced officers blocked their path. While rest of the battalion struggled to arrive at the fight, Kagome took the opportunity to dismount the men before her. Thrusting her right hand out, a wave of blue fire erupted from her palm. As if hit by a wall, the horses were pushed back two meters leaving their riders to fall forward into the tall grass. Now on the same level as their opponents, Kagome and Miroku began systematically disarming them.
Alarmed, the rest of the clumsy unit leaped from their horses in an attempt to help their comrades. Miroku knocked them off their feet with his spear to buy a few seconds of time. Using her long sword Kagome blocked several side swipes at her body. More men joined the fray, fully surrounding them both. Arrows came from every direction, Kagome tried to block as best she could but the sheer number of soldiers was overwhelming. One arrow grazed her left arm leaving a thin cut where angry beads of blood appeared. Miroku shot her a worried look.
Too many his eyes seemed to say.
‘I will have to kill if I want to make it out of this…’ Her nails glowed and extended into claws as she threw a large fox orb at several men. The orb passed through their bodies silently, releasing their souls before returning back to her hand. At her back she could hear the sound of Miroku’s spear knocking into chest pieces and piercing limbs. Surveying the area around them, Miroku decided it was time to move. Immediately, he threw a line of smoke screen pellets at the men. Turning, he grabbed Kagome’s free hand and pulled her backwards. Using his spear he swiped in front of him to clear the path of blind soldiers. Kagome held her kimono sleeve in front of her nose, breathing in the smoke would render her useless. As they exited the billowing blackness, horaikotsu flew down from above. A series of thuds came as her weapon collided with six men.
“Sango!” Miroku's eyes flooded with relief. Jumping down from Kirara, Sango set to work.
“Your plan worked, the exterminators are coming on the other side of this smoke cloud to fight the men. GO! Quickly!” Sweat collected on Sango’s brow line as she caught horaikotsu and looked frantically for Kirara. Deep in the smoke cloud, Kirara’s growl shook the ground. With one leap the fire cat landed before her master; in her giant fangs laid a bleeding corpse. Waves of men fell to Sango’s deadly weapon, she aimed to knock them unconscious.. not kill. Exercising restraint while the adrenaline from battle pumped through her veins was proving to be excruciatingly difficult.
Through the chaos and confusion Kagome’s attendants found their way to Sango and stood to defend with her. As Kagome turned to run, the whistling sound of a purifying arrow caused her to pause. She watched in horror as it scrapped by her shoulder and struck Miroku in the back. He fell to his knees as the holy arrow seared his flesh. Sango screamed his name, panicking, she scrambled to reach him. Her love clouded her mind dangerously. Horaikotsu landed in the dirt behind her...leaving her defenseless, “Shit! KIRARA!” Hearing the panic in Sango’s voice Kirara leaped to her side; giving Sango time to recover her weapon and fighting mind.
“Sango! I will take care of him! Just go!”
Kneeling in the dirt, Kagome yanked the glowing arrow out of Miroku’s back before the effect spread any further. Even without the arrow, the purification continued to radiate towards the outer edges of his back. Desperate, Kagome pressed one of her small sleeping orbs into his body. “Please stay unconscious for this.” His breathing slowed as his body was lovingly forced into unconsciousness. Checking his pulse haphazardly, Kagome steeled herself to try and stop the miko’s poison. ‘I need to burn it off.’
Throwing her sense of modesty into the wind, she ripped the clothing off his back. Youki pooled in her hands as she conjured a black flame, sliding her smooth hands onto the burning hot skin, she transferred her fox fire quickly. Thick, sun tanned skin curled up and peeled back to reveal angry red flesh. Controlling her fire carefully, Kagome continued until the white death was gone. After several minutes of desperate concentration... he was safe. She pressed another sleeping orb into his shoulder to keep him from waking to this pain.
Relieved, she looked up to find Sango being overpowered by three soldiers. Grabbing her sword, she took aim and flung it straight ahead. The blade sliced cleanly into a soldier’s body, he fell to the earth at Sango’s feet, a look of permanent surprised stamped onto his face. Her best friend turned around to smile in gratitude.
In the distance the priestesses had arrived and found a common cause with the exterminators. Purifying arrows silenced dozens of soldiers with no hesitation. The number of demons left in the field was quickly dwindling. Soon, the only targets left would be Kagome and her people. Already, two of her guards had been purified to death.
Seeing their bodies filled her with dark determination. Without another thought Kagome shielded Miroku with her barrier and sprinted for a lifeless archer near by. He surrendered his bow without much fight. She revelled in the familiar resistance of the strings as she shot three spirit arrows into the air. They met their targets swiftly. Her steady hands took down five more of the human mikos. Anger leaked into her eyes as her grief turned to a soul devouring fury, her youkai blood sang with every victim she claimed.
The remaining human women charged at her with their glowing weapons recklessly. Vengeance shined in their eyes as they demanded her blood. Swinging the bow to her back, she pushed both of her hands forward sending an explosive fox orb at them. Successfully knocking them backwards, Kagome turned to find Miroku and Sango. Instead she locked eyes with a grim faced demon exterminator. Blood splatters marred his broad face, his empty eyes narrowed slightly as he studied his prey. Taking off suddenly he charged towards her, his scythes ready to behead this demoness before him.
Ready to put an end to this fight, Kagome conjured an inky purple fox orb in her hands. Winding back her left arm she prepared to cast it until her opponent came skidding to a stop. The exterminators eyes widened at something behind her.
“Enough.” One single word was able to halt the entire battle.
The exterminators froze, some bowed while others stood stock still. Their faces held confusion, the conflict of bowing to a demon lord showed clearly on their faces. Kagome turned sharply, her braid whipped the side of her neck as she stared. His dark boots made contact with the earth elegantly, Sesshomaru stood on the blood soaked field as if it was nothing. In his hand was Toukijin, swirling with dark intentions.
“Lady Kagome, I have come to bring you to the Western Lands.” His icy voice held a finality to it that she wasn't accustomed to hearing. Taking in a shaky breath, she dissolved her fox orb. A moment passed as she stood there studying the stoic face of her future husband. His amber eyes laid on her face indifferently.
“Thank you my lord for escorting me. It's been a long journey.”
Slowly, she stepped over the cold corpses and dropped the dirt caked bow that hung at her back. From the trees, perfect rows of hundreds of Inu troops emerged. Silence pressed heavily into the bloodied soldiers and Mikos, forcing them to reevaluate their situation. Realizing that Kagome was someone of great importance, the head of the exterminators called a retreat. Their business of defending their land was finished. Without a second thought, the human men left the priestesses to bury their dead.
She stopped before him, the words she wanted to say died in her throat.
“Jaken.” A small toad demon appeared from the tall grass at Sesshoumaru’s side, fumbling with his ridiculous two headed staff.
“Y-yes, my lord.”
“See to it that Lady Kagome’s attendants are well taken care of.”
“Of course, My lord! B-but how do I tell the difference between her attendants and the soldiers?”
Ignoring the toad, he extended a striped hand to her, his gaze never wavering. Kagome accepted and stepped closer. Shrugging off his mokomoko-sama, he wrapped it around his betrothed. Wordlessly, Sesshomaru summoned his demon cloud beneath them. A gasp of surprise escaped her lips as they began to rise into the air; his firm hand pressed into her shoulder to steady her.
For the first time in months... Kagome breathed easy.
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Thank you so much for reading my first chapter! I hope you enjoyed it! Please leave reviews so I can continue to learn and improve my works! :)
Serie