Conundrum by Luna C.

Black Kettle

A/N: A lengthy chapter for my dear readers! If there are some mistakes, please forgive me! Anyways enjoy!

Valentine’s Day Countdown Challenge

Prompt: Tomo-choco

Word Count: 1,525

-Black Kettle-

Due to Sesshomaru’s inability to remain any longer in the large cave, Nobuharu wrote down a list of ingredients needed to perform a reversal spell. Some of the items listed were somewhat difficult to find, and the cheeky wizard chortled mischievously when Kagome read some of them. With a wave from Nobuharu, the duo set out to gather the required items. 

Thirty minutes into the small quest, Kagome started humming, an upbeat tune that had Sesshomaru frowning and sorely reminded of Rin’s whimsical presence. It continued endlessly, until they reached the first ingredient high above the canopies. Looking at the list, they needed several berries, but it doesn’t specify the exact quantity.

A violent shudder ran through her spine when she felt the demonic aura of Sesshomaru’s fluctuate and accumulate near the soles of his feet. A second later, a swirling reddish mass appeared and took shape of a cloud, lifting him to the branches and with a swipe of his claws, he severed the stems causing clusters of berries to fall in fours. Kagome eeped, narrowly dodging the oncoming berries, lest she wanted to be knocked unconscious and make Sesshomaru tolerate her even less by carrying her limp body back to the wizard. She could already picture his reaction, the fierce scowl and the murderous glare shot towards her way. The raining berries stopped, indicating it was safe enough to venture about. Kagome scurried around, looking at the condition of the berries as the wizard stated they needed to be in decent shape without the juices spilling and little to no bruising of the skins. Exclaiming enthusiastically, she waited till Sesshomaru approached her, dragging and hefting the large cluster away from the others.

From the list, it would require them to make several journeys back and forth, but fortunately the ingredients they needed were in the surrounding areas. By dusk, they would have the first stage ready and it would be a step closer to acquiring their true forms.

After dropping of the berries off in the wizard’s hands, the duo advanced to the outskirts of the clearing where the cave remained situated.  Midday and Kagome opened her mouth. “So Sesshomaru, why is it difficult for you to speak to me?” She waited patiently for his response, but had a small feeing that he wasn’t going to grace her question with an answer.

“Why must I lower myself into speaking with Inuyasha’s wench.”

Kagome scowl, “Why does everybody calls me a wench, I’m not a prostitute or a servant.”

“You’re previous attire stated otherwise.”

Viciously uprooting plants, it didn’t take long for her to feel a certain way; a little elated that she managed to make Sesshomaru talk without the customary one-word responses and a little hotheaded at what he viewed her as. “They’re just clothes, they don’t mean anything.”

“Strange clothes, vastly different from the norm.” Sesshomaru was a bit curious about the petite human, her mannerisms and clothing has always sparked the rare feeling, more so when she survived his poison in his father’s tomb. She didn’t seem to have the submissive nature of females and asserts herself effortlessly in the half-demon’s pack, gaining the position as alpha female in the eyes of her companions and outsiders.

Kagome chewed her bottom lip, “It’s normal in my village.” She weakly evaded the inquisitive prodding of the demon lord, but knew this wasn’t going to be the last time he would question her.

“You have the appearance of other humans here with the exception of your eyes; however this Sesshomaru has not heard of any villages that don their females in revealing garments.” 

That’s because those outfits aren’t made until five hundred years into the future. She kept that to herself, “Maybe you haven’t done much traveling.”

“Or perhaps you are harlot.”

Normally, a female doesn’t like to be called a whore, especially from a male, it demeans them in a disrespectful way because once someone labeled one as such, it gets stuck. “I’m not a harlot, so stop calling me degrading names, you ignorant dog!” Maybe she shouldn’t have yelled and maybe she shouldn’t have called him ignorant or a dog. A shiver trickled her spine, her hair blowing when the presence of deadly claws lounged itself against her neck.

“You trend on dangerous grounds…wench.” He whispered in her ear, his claws skimming slowly across her jugular, forcing her fear to jump to new heights while an unfamiliar feeling pooled within her lower abdomen in response to the warm breath that tickled her ear and the soft pads of his fingers. “I am not Inuyasha; I will kill you where you stand for your disrespect.”

“Then do it.” Maybe she shouldn’t have said that, but she had difficulty controlling her mouth when it came to oppressive pricks. Seconds passed and she hissed, a sting erupting at her collarbone. Sesshomaru turned away, lounging against a rock. “Ow! You hurt me!” She touched the shallow cut, another hiss emitting through her clenched teeth. But overall, she was still alive and it said a lot about the demon lord himself.

“Cease your obnoxious cries and finish gathering the herbs.” Kagome shot him a glare. Damn slave driver.

She wasn’t an herbalist, and when she walked back to Nobuharu, the wizard giggled at the collection, only picking out a tiny stem with budded blooms that released an aromatic fragrance underneath the other leafy plants. “I will need more of these.” He twirled the plant around his point finger and thumb. It took her almost an hour to find the tiny plants he needed as most were scattered aimlessly around the clearing. She grumbled to herself when Sesshomaru remained seated at the rock he occupied for the past two hours, not once moving from his post to assist her.  

“Aren’t you gonna help me?”

“Hn.” He made no move to leave his post, flicking his claws when the breeze fluttered by gently as his eyes stared past her. Kagome grumbled to herself, bundling the stack of herbs together before making the journey back to the wizard.

“Good, good, now there’s only one last ingredient to find,” He stated, “However, I must warn you it will be quite a walk away from here.” With a nod from the tiny human, Nobuharu gave her directions to reach the specific location. She sighed, her back aching from walking and hunching over, but she was glad that this was the last ingredient they would have to find.

“Sesshou—” The demon lord was already up and making across inverted roots and rocks to the destined location, leaving Kagome to stagger along.

Night has fallen when they returned, tiny particles sparkling off their forms in hues of iridescent gold and bright white. It was a difficult task, but clutched firmly in Kagome’s hand was a pile of glowing dust. Nobuharu greeted him from the brightly lit entrance, a smug look on his face when he caught a glimpse of the duo. “I imagine those fairies gave you a hard time, milord?”

Sesshomaru ignored his presence, and merely walked past him while Kagome was gathered in the wizard’s palms. Bringing her over to the large kettle, he gestured towards her to drop the powder in. Immediately a cloud of smoke was released from the bubbling liquid and the color changed to violet. Giving it a couple stirs, he nodded towards the duo. “Little human, do you want to try it?”

Kagome was a bit skeptical about the strange colored liquid. “Will it kill me?”

“I don’t think so, but it smells heavenly hmm?” He didn’t lie, and Kagome could smell the fragrance, making her mouth watered from the delicacy, the smoke slithering its way up her nose that caused a pleasant symphony to havoc her senses. The wizard plunged the ladle in, scooping up a bit of the liquid and bringing it to her. She dipped her finger in, eyeing the strange substance as it hardened as air came across it. Giving a tentative lick, an explosion of sensations tingled across her tongue, smothering the taste buds in reminisce of chocolaty goodness that was only available to the high court nobles of this era and plentifully in hers. Again she went for another scoop, greedily lapping the liquid with her cupped hands, drinking it like water before the wizard stopped her. “Anymore and you will be driven insane and will perish as it will dry your body into a useless husk.”

“Ahhh, this reminded me of Ayumi’s homemade chocolate she gives out on Valentine’s Day,” She muttered to herself, in complete bliss as she licked her hands, lapping up the dripping goo while her mouth was completely smeared with the purple liquid. “Wait…didn’t you say this won’t kill me?”

“I did, didn’t I?” Though inside he was confused on what Valentine’s Day was, Nobuharu tilted his head to the side, blinking his eyes innocently at her. “Okay, drink some more.”

“Enough, abstract yourself immediately from this foolish behavior Nobuharu, I do not need the human to die on my hands.”

“But milord, don’t you have only one hand?” Only a chilling glare answered him.

_____

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