Ain-pay Ore-scay by LM Bluejay

Valetudinarian

Valetudinarian

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Red stalked through the palace halls with a scowl. Servants dashed about avoiding his every step and turn. His mood post visiting the Western Lady had rarely ever been pleasant. A daily occurrence that all who inhabited the palace knew very well. Today, however, was one of those rare days when he hadn’t left her angry. But the feeling left him at a total loss and drove him up a wall.

With no particular direction in mind, he let his body move him whichever way. Everything around was tuned out. Only her mischievous smile remained.

“I just can’t help but feel that I’m missing something important.” His head began to pound as his mind obsessed with proving her guilt. “Even if it’s just staring out a window, I know, she just has to be up to no good…right?”

Red was just about to question his logic when his feet suddenly came to a halt. Finally taking in his surroundings he instantly recognized the dark corner. It was the corridor that led down to the basement which turned into a cold stone cavern hidden way beneath the palace. It once served the purpose of holding the most heinous of criminals and traitors of the like. But now during a time of peace the current Lady had transformed it into a torturous fun house for her and her partner.

It was rumored that Lady Rin’s longtime companion was once the great dog demon warrior of the West. But all that remained of him now was a sickly submissive shell. And the details of their past relationship was buried deep and tucked under the thickest of veils. But from what Red was able to gather when Rin rose into power the demon’s health mysteriously dropped.

He was about to head back in the other direction when a loud clank rung from the cavern’s walls. Following the metallic sound the scent of spilt rosemary hit his nose and then he heard a high pitched screech. Swiftly reaching the cavern’s heart where Red found a scrawny servant lay sprawled in fear across the floor. His eyes darted around the dark room until he spotted the source of the problem. The cage that housed Rin’s demon was left wide open. Its resident was missing; Sesshomaru was gone.

Red snatched the servant up. Pointed claws dug into the male’s throat. “What happened to the valetudinarian? And you had better start talking quick.” His free hand grew a ghastly green glow which he quickly edged near the retainer’s head.

“P-please d-don’t kill me!” the imp cried. “H-he was g-gone when I f-first started m-my shift!”

Red threw him to the ground. “What!?”

The servant scrambled to his knees and bowed. His body shook profusely. His eyes remained tightly shut. “I-it is as I say M-master Red! I w-was ordered to c-come clean the room.  B-by the t-time I got here…t-the old m-man was n-nowhere to be seen!”

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Words: 490