InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Mating Season ❯ A Brief Briefing ( Chapter 46 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: SplendentGoddess 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama / Adventure | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.15.2006 | Updated On: 07.31.2008 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.5K | Visits: 10.7K | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama / Adventure | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.15.2006 | Updated On: 07.31.2008 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.5K | Visits: 10.7K | Status: Completed
Blanket Disclaimer:
Inuyasha, and the characters therein, are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I am in no way affiliated with Takahashi, or VIZ Productions.
========================
Chapter 46 - A Brief Briefing
“This is unacceptable!”
“Calm down…” Tsukie hissed, quite literally, but her mate was in one of his moods again.
“I will not calm down.” he spat in retaliation. “We venture here, on official business, and he just disappears in the middle of the night?”
“Official business?” she echoed, eyebrow raised, “You’re just hear to smell out their weaknesses.” she whispered.
“That is official business.” he whispered in turn, having learned long ago to never underestimate an inu’s hearing.
“Business of the Eastern Lands, perhaps…” she conceded grumpily, adding “For which I hold no desire in which to partake.”
“Woman-” he hissed, but his tirade was cut short when a gentle knock sounded on their doorframe.
“Yes?” Tsukie voiced, unaffected by her mate’s attitude.
The door opened then, to reveal none other than Kagura, a crooked smile plastered playfully across her face as she teased “Hope I’m not interrupting anything.”
Daikomaru kicked himself at having missed Kagura’s approach. That’s what he gots for distracting himself, he sighed.
“Not at all.” he answered politely, his fake smile once again in place. Tsukie merely rolled her eyes.
“Any word from Lord Sesshoumaru?” she asked, attempting to sound polite, and concerned.
“Actually, yes…” Kagura started, trying desperately to hide her smile of amusement, “He just passed through the gates a moment ago.” she continued. “Apparently, he reconsidered the importance of your desire to meet with his half-brother, for he went and retrieved him, along with his mate and their foster pup.”
Kagura had yet to be informed of the details of last night’s disturbance, only so far being aware, as she previously had been, that last night was Inuyasha’s human night. How or why her mate managed to convince them all to return, she wasn’t yet aware of, but she was certain that things were quickly going to get more entertaining around the castle.
Lord Daikomaru’s eyes lit up with that new information, and suddenly all was forgiven.
“This is excellent news!” he exclaimed with genuine enthusiasm. “Come Tsukie.” he ordered softly, as he strolled past Kagura in the doorway, entering the hall. The two women’s eyes met briefly as Tsukie followed her mate; Kagura wasn’t sure what she saw in there, but she knew it wasn’t the malice she sensed from the Eastern Lord.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As Sesshoumaru and party entered the grounds to his estate, cries of either “Lord Sesshoumaru!” or “Sesshoumaru-sama!” could be heard throughout the entire garden. Rin ran up playfully to greet him, as she often did, a refreshing contrast to Jaken, who was currently bowing at his feet, muttering his utmost sincere concerns and relief regarding his safety. As if anything could have happened to him. Rin, on the other hand, showed him the flower bracelet she’d made that morning, while voicing “Rin is glad you have returned…My Lord.” remembering to keep it formal while their guests were there. He nodded slightly in his approval of both her greeting, as well as her display of botany skills, as she then proceeded to present Shippo with the gift himself. The kitsune child blushed, but accepted the bracelet.
Several inu members of staff approached them by that time, including Kososhi, who bowed low in respect before stating “Lord Inuyasha, Lady Kagome, I offer my apologies for dinner.”
“Hey, don’t worry about it.” Inuyasha brushed off, adding “I don’t expect you guys to like us. At least you were honest about it.”
“I was drunk.” he mumbled while bowing once more. Once he stood upright, he motioned towards one of the side entrances to the castle, and instructed “Follow me please, a quick briefing is in order prior to your meeting with Lord Daikomaru.”
The small group nodded towards the liaison and followed him through the side entrance, which lead straight to a study chamber. Kososhi was as surprised as anyone else to see that Lord Sesshoumaru had returned that morning with Inuyasha and company in tow, but prior to the hanyou’s hasty departure, he had been assigned the task of briefing the small family regarding their current guests. Punishment for his outburst? Originally, during the planned briefing, Sesshoumaru would have been present as well to offer any answers to questions the trio may have had concerning the Tiger Lord, but that was no longer an option, as their guest was already present, and the rundown had to be quick and discreet. As soon as Kososhi had been made aware of their arrival, he’d jumped into action.
They were given an edited history lesson for the past between the Western and Eastern clans, and were told How the Inu no Taisho and Tora no Taisho had battled, though the end result was a draw, which lead to the eventual “treaty” that was still in standing. It had always been suspected that Lord Daikomaru was merely biding his time, though, especially since their father had passed. He likely knew, before hand, that should a full-blown war ever commence, that with his son Sesshoumaru at his side, the Great Dog General was twice as powerful in a frontal assault. Lord Daikomaru possessed no heir, even to that day. After the Inu no Taisho’s passing, though, it was widely believed throughout the West that war was immanent, though no official challenge had yet to be made. Petty battles in the East occupied much of Daikomaru’s time, as his realm was simply not as stable as the West, and though a peace treaty was somewhat in effect between the two compass lands, that agreement did not extend to the point of offering assistance in each other’s affairs. They had agreed to leave each other alone, and leave each other alone they did. The forces of the West were very strong, at least, until the Panther attacked. Lord Sesshoumaru knew the two neko clans were not directly involved with one another, but yet, the timing could likely not have been more fortunate for the East. With the West severely weakened, Lord Daikomaru began making “appearances” to offer his “assistance” where he deemed necessary. Of course, all such offered assistance was immediately refused. Lord Sesshoumaru was not about to find himself later required to come to the aid of the East as a result. Daikomaru, for his part, had begun what many called his “Befriend the West” campaign, as the remaining Western staff playfully referred to it. No one knew the logic behind his actions, but the venom behind his smile was not easily missed. One could only assume that he hoped an eventual attack would catch the West off guard, had they been under the assumption that his friendly demeanor was genuine. In the mean time, it appeared as though he was continuing to bide his time, while slowly rebuilding his own armies, which he himself had lost a great number of over the years of instability in the East. While he did not yet feel confident enough to attack, it was believed that Daikomaru’s intent on keeping open relations was, in part, a means of reconnaissance. That assumption was proven accurate only recently, when his far too swiftly acquired knowledge regarding Inuyasha’s status revealed the fact that he had at least one informant living in the castle. It was believed that the spy had been working alone, however, because though there were other members of neko tribes still present in the West, after Neisho’s display at dinner, several individuals had come forward to reaffirm their unwavering loyalty to the current Inu no Taisho. Sesshoumaru felt fairly confident that no others would betray him. Now, all that was left to do was to disprove Daikomaru’s belief that the West had been weakened further as a result of his mating, and Inuyasha’s joined rule.
They were told, quite bluntly, to simply be themselves…to a point, that was. Inuyasha should demonstrate that he had the ability to show proper respect where respect was due, but he was in no way, shape, or form, ordered to lower himself to his betters. Inuyasha was quite literally Daikomaru’s equal, and he was to act accordingly. He was told simply to watch certain behaviorisms that could be considered wild and undignified of a Lord, such as his brass language. Though in truth, that was something he was already finding much easier to control over the last year since his bonding with Kagome, he couldn’t help but to answer with a “Fuck off” after being told not to cuss. The tension melted from the room when everyone heard Kososhi’s laughter. While commending the hanyou for his distinctive personality, Kososhi still proceeded to warn Inuyasha that Daikomaru would likely attempt to goad him into an argument. Losing one’s temper too easily would be viewed as a sign of weakness. To that statement, Inuyasha reluctantly nodded his understanding.
Kagome, for her part, was warned of Daikomaru’s feigned indifference when it came to humans. While Sesshoumaru, until recently, openly detested the species, he did good to not interfere with the affairs of man one way or another. It was no concern of his if the humans on his land waged war on one another, or if a lower, beastly youkai, chose to feed upon them. He viewed such occurrences with a similar empathy one would show toward a koi pond under attack by a flock of crane. Such was life. While Kagome had been aware of his previous attitude, she found that she could at least respect his position. Choosing to simply “stay out of it” one way or another at least meant, he wasn’t one of those cruel, evil youkai, who deliberately went out of his way to prey upon humans. Sure, he would cut one down if it happened to be in his path, but more often, when he voiced “move aside” they would do so, in which case, he’d let them be. He didn’t go out of his way to kill humans if it was at all unnecessary. Neither did Daikomaru, honestly, however his true position on the subject was sketchy at best. While he claimed indifference, his underlying opinion on human status as a whole was somewhat altered from that of Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha’s brother believed humans to be weaker, useless even, but he at least understood the fundamental fact that they were “people” such as himself. He did not believe their father to have engaged in some form of bestiality with Inuyasha’s mother, regardless of the fact that most humans possessed similar views regarding Izayoi’s choise, being that he was an inu youkai, and all. But Daikomaru, no, the way Daikomaru talked about, and to humans, would suggest that he truly believed them to be the animals, the pets. He let the humans on his land do freely as they pleased, the same as Sesshoumaru, but he would often find himself observing them for hours in fascination, as though he were watching creatures in a zoo. It was even rumored that he had a handful of humans running around his own castle, though for what purpose, nobody could be sure. The fact that he had teased Sesshoumaru about acquiring Rin in the same fashion that one would use with their friend who had sworn they would never own a dog, who had just come home with a new puppy, suggested that he truly underestimated the natural intelligence that the species could possess. It was true that most humans were dumb, and most humans were weak, but some humans were very smart, and very strong, and like the Western Lord, Daikomaru would likely have to learn that fact the “hard” way.
Kagome was warned to not over react to Daikomaru’s taunting, for he would undoubtedly be able to sense her powers, and most likely he would secretly fear her, as a result. She was a very powerful, very dangerous animal, they informed her would be his view, though he would say no such thing aloud, of course. Kagome smiled briefly, fully confident in her ability to deal with the prick in a proper way. She’d dealt with smug assholes before, she thought with a shrug, so this clown would be no different. Kososhi informed Kagome that most of the Western staff viewed her as an equal among them, because of her abilities, which enabled her to be just as, if not more powerful, than most of the youkai present at the fortress. It did help matters, however, that Rin had already been living among them for three years, and anyone who truly had problems with humans was long gone as a result. Humbly, he apologized for his mouth once more, stating that he, himself, had been one of the last to conform. Kagome forgave him, returning a small bow politely, as she conceded that there most definitely were weak humans, just as there were weak youkai, but that she, herself, was not one of them, and snickering, she added that she was happy to inform Lord Daikomaru of that fact.
Little Shippo, after having listened as well to all that he would need to be aware of, was dismissed, and told to go play with Rin. Hopefully, he wouldn’t have a direct encounter with the Tora no Taisho, it didn’t seem relevant after all, but he had been present during the briefing just in case. Backpedaling out the way they came, Shippo emerged from the small side entrance, and was able to sniff out Rin fairly quickly, who happily went about showing him the additional flower charm she’d made in the last twenty minutes.
Elsewhere…there was another type of briefing taking place.
As Lord Daikomaru and his mate were left to themselves in the main common area, he mentally inventoried his acquired knowledge over the years of precisely whom he would be dealing with. Inuyasha, he knew, was the half-breed whelp of his fallen enemy. Though he had wanted the Western Lands for himself, he had to admit the old dog was strong. But he had to wonder just how strong he truly was, when he’d mated with that human creature, and sired one of those ‘hanyou’ things. But it was never the right time to make a move, his kingdom in shambles of sorts. Those reptiles had done a number on his lands, though his troops were victorious in the end. He was ever so pleased to learn that the panther youkai had attacked the West once more not long after. Though it weakened his own land, the Western Taiyoukai was also victorious in the end. Sesshoumaru was strong. Shaking his head, Daikomaru again had to wonder just how strong Sesshoumaru truly was, when he went and joined rule with his half human brother. Such a move could only show weakness. The time is now… he thought to himself, remembering how deliciously delighted he had been to hear the news. Inuyasha, yes, he had heard of him. Honestly, who hadn’t? Second son of the Great Dog General, hanyou, wielder of Tetsusaiga. He knew his group was responsible for the fall of Naraku, but he didn’t necessarily consider that as great a feat as many others did. How powerful could that hanyou truly have been, anyway, if he had sent his creation to his realm in plea of assistance?
The miko, on the other hand, he was silently worrying over. He had heard long ago of the group that traveled gathering shards of the Shikon jewel, and he had heard, and dismissed, the foolish rumors that said the miko had arrived there from another time. Obviously, she was a stranger to their land, but had likely come from either the continent, or perhaps even one of the smaller islands. She had defeated the dark hanyou, but…so what? So one weak creature managed to defeat another weak creature. It was not his concern, or at least, he hadn’t thought it was his concern, until he had received word from Neisho. He had received official word, as he was sure the other two compass lands had received as well, regarding Sesshoumaru’s mating, but intelligence had already informed him of Kagura’s presence in the West, so the news truthfully came as little surprise. It had surprised him, however, when his long-time informant had sulked through the castle doors, claiming he had been exiled from the West for his drunken mouth, and asking forgiveness in that he had now lost his position in the West as per his continual mission dictated. Daikomaru forgave Neisho, though, when he learned of the limited, yet invaluable information that he possessed. It was to be officially announced, but thanks to his spy he was the first to know of Inuyasha’s official joining as ruling partner. What Daikomaru also had not been aware of, was the apparent mating of said hanyou to the miko he had known traveled with him and his small pack. At first he had laughed at the news, but Neisho’s serious expression quickly quelled his humor, asking with a feeling of dread “What is it?”. It was then that Neisho continued to explain that the miko had not lost her powers as a result of the mating, but that somehow, she appeared even stronger that the previous rumors of her had suggested. He told Daikomaru of how she possessed the completed jewel, and that her aura was so powerful she could likely slay a swarm of hundreds of beastly youkai with a single arrow, just as Tetsusaiga could destroy hundreds of youkai with the Wind Scar.
As he recalled the concern in his informant’s voice, a small, cautious smile, slowly began to creep its way upon Daikomaru’s face, as his mate eyed him skeptically. “Do not fear.” he told her in a hushed whisper, to which she promptly rolled her eyes, for his concerns were not her own. “They may be strong, but we are stronger.” he insisted to no one but himself, as Tsukie was no longer paying him the slightest attention.
Tsukie did look up, however, when she suddenly smelled, and felt, the approach of Lord Sesshoumaru, along with whom she could only presume to be his brother and mate. Tsukie, unlike her mate, did not think lowly of humans, but rather, regarded them merely as other beings that also lived upon the Earth. A small growl could be heard burbling within the throat of her mate, but he stilled it as quickly as it’d started, before the proximity of those approaching would have permitted them to hear. What was wrong with him? Tsukie had never, in all the years she’d been with him, known him to lose the mask concealing his true emotions so easily. After another moment, though, she felt it herself. The jewel. It called to her just as surely as it called to any and all youkai present within the fortress, but like the others, she was no fool, and had no desire for today to be her last day among the living. It was rather a slap in the face, though, to be so close to so much power, yet unable to obtain it. It reminded her of her very existence each and every day, living so closely to freedom, yet unable to obtain that, as well. As they neared, she had to suppress her gasp; the miko was indeed powerful. Glancing sideways at her mate, Tsukie did gasp when she saw his eyes flash red, just for the quickest of instances, before he promptly composed himself once more, perfecting the illusion of aloofness mere moments before the trio rounded the corner.
Inuyasha, and the characters therein, are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I am in no way affiliated with Takahashi, or VIZ Productions.
========================
Chapter 46 - A Brief Briefing
“This is unacceptable!”
“Calm down…” Tsukie hissed, quite literally, but her mate was in one of his moods again.
“I will not calm down.” he spat in retaliation. “We venture here, on official business, and he just disappears in the middle of the night?”
“Official business?” she echoed, eyebrow raised, “You’re just hear to smell out their weaknesses.” she whispered.
“That is official business.” he whispered in turn, having learned long ago to never underestimate an inu’s hearing.
“Business of the Eastern Lands, perhaps…” she conceded grumpily, adding “For which I hold no desire in which to partake.”
“Woman-” he hissed, but his tirade was cut short when a gentle knock sounded on their doorframe.
“Yes?” Tsukie voiced, unaffected by her mate’s attitude.
The door opened then, to reveal none other than Kagura, a crooked smile plastered playfully across her face as she teased “Hope I’m not interrupting anything.”
Daikomaru kicked himself at having missed Kagura’s approach. That’s what he gots for distracting himself, he sighed.
“Not at all.” he answered politely, his fake smile once again in place. Tsukie merely rolled her eyes.
“Any word from Lord Sesshoumaru?” she asked, attempting to sound polite, and concerned.
“Actually, yes…” Kagura started, trying desperately to hide her smile of amusement, “He just passed through the gates a moment ago.” she continued. “Apparently, he reconsidered the importance of your desire to meet with his half-brother, for he went and retrieved him, along with his mate and their foster pup.”
Kagura had yet to be informed of the details of last night’s disturbance, only so far being aware, as she previously had been, that last night was Inuyasha’s human night. How or why her mate managed to convince them all to return, she wasn’t yet aware of, but she was certain that things were quickly going to get more entertaining around the castle.
Lord Daikomaru’s eyes lit up with that new information, and suddenly all was forgiven.
“This is excellent news!” he exclaimed with genuine enthusiasm. “Come Tsukie.” he ordered softly, as he strolled past Kagura in the doorway, entering the hall. The two women’s eyes met briefly as Tsukie followed her mate; Kagura wasn’t sure what she saw in there, but she knew it wasn’t the malice she sensed from the Eastern Lord.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As Sesshoumaru and party entered the grounds to his estate, cries of either “Lord Sesshoumaru!” or “Sesshoumaru-sama!” could be heard throughout the entire garden. Rin ran up playfully to greet him, as she often did, a refreshing contrast to Jaken, who was currently bowing at his feet, muttering his utmost sincere concerns and relief regarding his safety. As if anything could have happened to him. Rin, on the other hand, showed him the flower bracelet she’d made that morning, while voicing “Rin is glad you have returned…My Lord.” remembering to keep it formal while their guests were there. He nodded slightly in his approval of both her greeting, as well as her display of botany skills, as she then proceeded to present Shippo with the gift himself. The kitsune child blushed, but accepted the bracelet.
Several inu members of staff approached them by that time, including Kososhi, who bowed low in respect before stating “Lord Inuyasha, Lady Kagome, I offer my apologies for dinner.”
“Hey, don’t worry about it.” Inuyasha brushed off, adding “I don’t expect you guys to like us. At least you were honest about it.”
“I was drunk.” he mumbled while bowing once more. Once he stood upright, he motioned towards one of the side entrances to the castle, and instructed “Follow me please, a quick briefing is in order prior to your meeting with Lord Daikomaru.”
The small group nodded towards the liaison and followed him through the side entrance, which lead straight to a study chamber. Kososhi was as surprised as anyone else to see that Lord Sesshoumaru had returned that morning with Inuyasha and company in tow, but prior to the hanyou’s hasty departure, he had been assigned the task of briefing the small family regarding their current guests. Punishment for his outburst? Originally, during the planned briefing, Sesshoumaru would have been present as well to offer any answers to questions the trio may have had concerning the Tiger Lord, but that was no longer an option, as their guest was already present, and the rundown had to be quick and discreet. As soon as Kososhi had been made aware of their arrival, he’d jumped into action.
They were given an edited history lesson for the past between the Western and Eastern clans, and were told How the Inu no Taisho and Tora no Taisho had battled, though the end result was a draw, which lead to the eventual “treaty” that was still in standing. It had always been suspected that Lord Daikomaru was merely biding his time, though, especially since their father had passed. He likely knew, before hand, that should a full-blown war ever commence, that with his son Sesshoumaru at his side, the Great Dog General was twice as powerful in a frontal assault. Lord Daikomaru possessed no heir, even to that day. After the Inu no Taisho’s passing, though, it was widely believed throughout the West that war was immanent, though no official challenge had yet to be made. Petty battles in the East occupied much of Daikomaru’s time, as his realm was simply not as stable as the West, and though a peace treaty was somewhat in effect between the two compass lands, that agreement did not extend to the point of offering assistance in each other’s affairs. They had agreed to leave each other alone, and leave each other alone they did. The forces of the West were very strong, at least, until the Panther attacked. Lord Sesshoumaru knew the two neko clans were not directly involved with one another, but yet, the timing could likely not have been more fortunate for the East. With the West severely weakened, Lord Daikomaru began making “appearances” to offer his “assistance” where he deemed necessary. Of course, all such offered assistance was immediately refused. Lord Sesshoumaru was not about to find himself later required to come to the aid of the East as a result. Daikomaru, for his part, had begun what many called his “Befriend the West” campaign, as the remaining Western staff playfully referred to it. No one knew the logic behind his actions, but the venom behind his smile was not easily missed. One could only assume that he hoped an eventual attack would catch the West off guard, had they been under the assumption that his friendly demeanor was genuine. In the mean time, it appeared as though he was continuing to bide his time, while slowly rebuilding his own armies, which he himself had lost a great number of over the years of instability in the East. While he did not yet feel confident enough to attack, it was believed that Daikomaru’s intent on keeping open relations was, in part, a means of reconnaissance. That assumption was proven accurate only recently, when his far too swiftly acquired knowledge regarding Inuyasha’s status revealed the fact that he had at least one informant living in the castle. It was believed that the spy had been working alone, however, because though there were other members of neko tribes still present in the West, after Neisho’s display at dinner, several individuals had come forward to reaffirm their unwavering loyalty to the current Inu no Taisho. Sesshoumaru felt fairly confident that no others would betray him. Now, all that was left to do was to disprove Daikomaru’s belief that the West had been weakened further as a result of his mating, and Inuyasha’s joined rule.
They were told, quite bluntly, to simply be themselves…to a point, that was. Inuyasha should demonstrate that he had the ability to show proper respect where respect was due, but he was in no way, shape, or form, ordered to lower himself to his betters. Inuyasha was quite literally Daikomaru’s equal, and he was to act accordingly. He was told simply to watch certain behaviorisms that could be considered wild and undignified of a Lord, such as his brass language. Though in truth, that was something he was already finding much easier to control over the last year since his bonding with Kagome, he couldn’t help but to answer with a “Fuck off” after being told not to cuss. The tension melted from the room when everyone heard Kososhi’s laughter. While commending the hanyou for his distinctive personality, Kososhi still proceeded to warn Inuyasha that Daikomaru would likely attempt to goad him into an argument. Losing one’s temper too easily would be viewed as a sign of weakness. To that statement, Inuyasha reluctantly nodded his understanding.
Kagome, for her part, was warned of Daikomaru’s feigned indifference when it came to humans. While Sesshoumaru, until recently, openly detested the species, he did good to not interfere with the affairs of man one way or another. It was no concern of his if the humans on his land waged war on one another, or if a lower, beastly youkai, chose to feed upon them. He viewed such occurrences with a similar empathy one would show toward a koi pond under attack by a flock of crane. Such was life. While Kagome had been aware of his previous attitude, she found that she could at least respect his position. Choosing to simply “stay out of it” one way or another at least meant, he wasn’t one of those cruel, evil youkai, who deliberately went out of his way to prey upon humans. Sure, he would cut one down if it happened to be in his path, but more often, when he voiced “move aside” they would do so, in which case, he’d let them be. He didn’t go out of his way to kill humans if it was at all unnecessary. Neither did Daikomaru, honestly, however his true position on the subject was sketchy at best. While he claimed indifference, his underlying opinion on human status as a whole was somewhat altered from that of Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha’s brother believed humans to be weaker, useless even, but he at least understood the fundamental fact that they were “people” such as himself. He did not believe their father to have engaged in some form of bestiality with Inuyasha’s mother, regardless of the fact that most humans possessed similar views regarding Izayoi’s choise, being that he was an inu youkai, and all. But Daikomaru, no, the way Daikomaru talked about, and to humans, would suggest that he truly believed them to be the animals, the pets. He let the humans on his land do freely as they pleased, the same as Sesshoumaru, but he would often find himself observing them for hours in fascination, as though he were watching creatures in a zoo. It was even rumored that he had a handful of humans running around his own castle, though for what purpose, nobody could be sure. The fact that he had teased Sesshoumaru about acquiring Rin in the same fashion that one would use with their friend who had sworn they would never own a dog, who had just come home with a new puppy, suggested that he truly underestimated the natural intelligence that the species could possess. It was true that most humans were dumb, and most humans were weak, but some humans were very smart, and very strong, and like the Western Lord, Daikomaru would likely have to learn that fact the “hard” way.
Kagome was warned to not over react to Daikomaru’s taunting, for he would undoubtedly be able to sense her powers, and most likely he would secretly fear her, as a result. She was a very powerful, very dangerous animal, they informed her would be his view, though he would say no such thing aloud, of course. Kagome smiled briefly, fully confident in her ability to deal with the prick in a proper way. She’d dealt with smug assholes before, she thought with a shrug, so this clown would be no different. Kososhi informed Kagome that most of the Western staff viewed her as an equal among them, because of her abilities, which enabled her to be just as, if not more powerful, than most of the youkai present at the fortress. It did help matters, however, that Rin had already been living among them for three years, and anyone who truly had problems with humans was long gone as a result. Humbly, he apologized for his mouth once more, stating that he, himself, had been one of the last to conform. Kagome forgave him, returning a small bow politely, as she conceded that there most definitely were weak humans, just as there were weak youkai, but that she, herself, was not one of them, and snickering, she added that she was happy to inform Lord Daikomaru of that fact.
Little Shippo, after having listened as well to all that he would need to be aware of, was dismissed, and told to go play with Rin. Hopefully, he wouldn’t have a direct encounter with the Tora no Taisho, it didn’t seem relevant after all, but he had been present during the briefing just in case. Backpedaling out the way they came, Shippo emerged from the small side entrance, and was able to sniff out Rin fairly quickly, who happily went about showing him the additional flower charm she’d made in the last twenty minutes.
Elsewhere…there was another type of briefing taking place.
As Lord Daikomaru and his mate were left to themselves in the main common area, he mentally inventoried his acquired knowledge over the years of precisely whom he would be dealing with. Inuyasha, he knew, was the half-breed whelp of his fallen enemy. Though he had wanted the Western Lands for himself, he had to admit the old dog was strong. But he had to wonder just how strong he truly was, when he’d mated with that human creature, and sired one of those ‘hanyou’ things. But it was never the right time to make a move, his kingdom in shambles of sorts. Those reptiles had done a number on his lands, though his troops were victorious in the end. He was ever so pleased to learn that the panther youkai had attacked the West once more not long after. Though it weakened his own land, the Western Taiyoukai was also victorious in the end. Sesshoumaru was strong. Shaking his head, Daikomaru again had to wonder just how strong Sesshoumaru truly was, when he went and joined rule with his half human brother. Such a move could only show weakness. The time is now… he thought to himself, remembering how deliciously delighted he had been to hear the news. Inuyasha, yes, he had heard of him. Honestly, who hadn’t? Second son of the Great Dog General, hanyou, wielder of Tetsusaiga. He knew his group was responsible for the fall of Naraku, but he didn’t necessarily consider that as great a feat as many others did. How powerful could that hanyou truly have been, anyway, if he had sent his creation to his realm in plea of assistance?
The miko, on the other hand, he was silently worrying over. He had heard long ago of the group that traveled gathering shards of the Shikon jewel, and he had heard, and dismissed, the foolish rumors that said the miko had arrived there from another time. Obviously, she was a stranger to their land, but had likely come from either the continent, or perhaps even one of the smaller islands. She had defeated the dark hanyou, but…so what? So one weak creature managed to defeat another weak creature. It was not his concern, or at least, he hadn’t thought it was his concern, until he had received word from Neisho. He had received official word, as he was sure the other two compass lands had received as well, regarding Sesshoumaru’s mating, but intelligence had already informed him of Kagura’s presence in the West, so the news truthfully came as little surprise. It had surprised him, however, when his long-time informant had sulked through the castle doors, claiming he had been exiled from the West for his drunken mouth, and asking forgiveness in that he had now lost his position in the West as per his continual mission dictated. Daikomaru forgave Neisho, though, when he learned of the limited, yet invaluable information that he possessed. It was to be officially announced, but thanks to his spy he was the first to know of Inuyasha’s official joining as ruling partner. What Daikomaru also had not been aware of, was the apparent mating of said hanyou to the miko he had known traveled with him and his small pack. At first he had laughed at the news, but Neisho’s serious expression quickly quelled his humor, asking with a feeling of dread “What is it?”. It was then that Neisho continued to explain that the miko had not lost her powers as a result of the mating, but that somehow, she appeared even stronger that the previous rumors of her had suggested. He told Daikomaru of how she possessed the completed jewel, and that her aura was so powerful she could likely slay a swarm of hundreds of beastly youkai with a single arrow, just as Tetsusaiga could destroy hundreds of youkai with the Wind Scar.
As he recalled the concern in his informant’s voice, a small, cautious smile, slowly began to creep its way upon Daikomaru’s face, as his mate eyed him skeptically. “Do not fear.” he told her in a hushed whisper, to which she promptly rolled her eyes, for his concerns were not her own. “They may be strong, but we are stronger.” he insisted to no one but himself, as Tsukie was no longer paying him the slightest attention.
Tsukie did look up, however, when she suddenly smelled, and felt, the approach of Lord Sesshoumaru, along with whom she could only presume to be his brother and mate. Tsukie, unlike her mate, did not think lowly of humans, but rather, regarded them merely as other beings that also lived upon the Earth. A small growl could be heard burbling within the throat of her mate, but he stilled it as quickly as it’d started, before the proximity of those approaching would have permitted them to hear. What was wrong with him? Tsukie had never, in all the years she’d been with him, known him to lose the mask concealing his true emotions so easily. After another moment, though, she felt it herself. The jewel. It called to her just as surely as it called to any and all youkai present within the fortress, but like the others, she was no fool, and had no desire for today to be her last day among the living. It was rather a slap in the face, though, to be so close to so much power, yet unable to obtain it. It reminded her of her very existence each and every day, living so closely to freedom, yet unable to obtain that, as well. As they neared, she had to suppress her gasp; the miko was indeed powerful. Glancing sideways at her mate, Tsukie did gasp when she saw his eyes flash red, just for the quickest of instances, before he promptly composed himself once more, perfecting the illusion of aloofness mere moments before the trio rounded the corner.