OtherWorld 01
Chapter 6: Sesshomaru
They were a happy family, perhaps not the ordinary way you think of a family, but this was the way of the Princesses: Princess Aara, Youko Kurama and Hiei. She adored her two lovers and Youko Kurama and Hiei had become best of friends. It was a fairly peaceful time in Otherworld. The mages, Kaiba and Bakura, kept most of the Demons under control with their wards, and the denizens of Otherworld enjoyed prosperity with good crops and very few deaths at the hands of marauding Demons.
During that time and against her wishes, Hiei had added to his power. He had put a Jagan eye into his forehead that enabled him to call forth Demon fire and, working with Bakura, he now had the power of the Dragon of the Darkness Flame.
When dormant, it took the form of a black dragon tattoo on his right arm which he kept covered in warded bandages. Let loose, it was a Demon which took the form of a dragon and came from the deepest pits of hell. It took its victims back to that very hell with it. Hiei could barely control it and sometimes it left his arm badly burnt. But he was now a power to be reckoned with.
Princess Aara knew that the peace would not last; some Demon would arise as it had many times before and try to take over Otherworld. With Otherworld under its command, the Demon and its followers would have almost free access to the other worlds, especially the vulnerable Human World. Her sisters were constantly reminding her that she only had two males to protect the most vital part of their world. And this time they even had a suggestion.
The alliance that her eldest sister, Arina, had made with the Western Lands of Demon World was with a powerful Dog Demon named Inutaishou. He had recently been killed in a terrible battle with a Demon dragon, named Ryuukoysusei. Inutaishou managed to seal the dragon with one of his claws but died soon after from his wounds. The dragon remained pinned to a mountain, sealed to sleep forever unless the claw was removed.
The son of Inutaishou was now ruler of the Western Lands and if Aara could bind a powerful Demon like him, it would be much to the benefit of Otherworld. The son was a very powerful Demon named Sesshomaru. The Princess sent emissaries to the Western Lands to ask for an audience with Sesshomaru. She did not expect a powerful lord like him to come to her, so she suggested a mid-point meeting place, still in Otherworld, but close to the border of the Western Lands. Kagero, a manor lord, had lands next to the Western border which would be perfect.
Youko Kurama insisted that one of the mages go with them to the meeting. The stronger of the two, the Demon Mage Bakura, reluctantly went with them, dressed head to foot in black robes. Only his face showed when he lifted his head, but even that was in such deep shadows so you couldn’t see what he looked like. The Princess knew why – it was not to intimidate, but to hide.
Bakura was ashamed of his looks. He had pale blue skin with black Demon markings on his face and body. His eyes were terrifying to those who saw him – large blood red eyes surrounded by yellow. She wished that he would accept the way he looked but knew that he probably never would. But with Bakura along to protect them, they would be very safe.
She had never seen a Dog Demon before and spent the journey trying to guess what he might look like. She wondered if he would have ears and a tail like Youko Kurama.
The Lord of the Manor, Kagero, welcomed his Princess and took them to lavish rooms. There was a dinner planned for this evening and there they would meet Sesshomaru. She dressed in rich dark golden velvet, which brought out the gold of her eyes and went well with her hair. A simple golden circlet went across her forehead. At dinner time, she went to the hall, Youko Kurama on her right and Hiei on her left. As expected, Bakura had refused to leave his rooms.
She walked into the dining hall surprised to see it filled with people. All the important people for miles around had come – to see their ruler and protector. Kagero greeted her at the door and escorted her to a seat at the head of the table. Youko Kurama and Hiei were seated on either side of their Princess. At the other end of the table was a young man dressed in white silk and fur with long white hair. He was unbelievably beautiful. Was this Sesshomaru?
It wasn’t until the end of the dinner, after most of the other guests had left, that she got to meet the Dog Demon Lord face to face. The beautiful Demon was indeed Sesshomaru. His eyes were golden, very much like Youko Kurama’s, and he had purple Demon markings on the sides of his face and at his wrists. In the middle of his forehead, he had a blue crescent moon. She was almost disappointed that he didn’t have dog ears, but regular ears, pointed at the tips, and he did not have a tail. That magnificent white hair fell unbound to his knees like a sheet of pure snow. He stood tall and straight, with a regal bearing. His voice was soft, yet deep, and his speech was formal and polite.
Princess Aara was amazed by his beauty. Youko Kurama and some of the other males of her sisters were beautiful, but none had the perfection of Sesshomaru. If were not for the sharp claws at the end of his long slender fingers and the hint of fangs in his mouth, she would have never guessed that he was a Demon. She looked forward to getting to know him better. Reluctantly, she said her goodnights, with the promise of going for a walk with him tomorrow. She couldn't wait!
The morning went by at a snail's pace for the Princess while she waited the time for her walk with the Demon Lord. She was excited by the prospect of binding a male so perfect to her. She would be the envy of her sisters, who were constantly teasing her about Hiei. She resented their teasing, for she thought Hiei was adorable! But a male like Sesshomaru would stop their mockery forever!
Together they walked through the gardens and out into the surrounding hills. Sesshomaru was strong enough to protect her from anything. His powers were formidable and included an energy whip and poison claws, not to mention his skill with the sword he carried. And he could change into a full Youkai, a huge dog-like Demon with poison fangs. She wasn't actually looking forward to see that version of him; she much preferred the soft spoken, elegant man who walked beside her. The decision was hers. Sesshomaru already knew the reason of this meeting, and the fact that he attended meant that he was agreeable to the binding. She wasn't sure why she was waiting. A part of her wanted to ask him to be hers immediately, but another part of her counseled caution. And there was a small part of her that just wanted to rip his clothes off and bind him right then and there. She blushed at that thought and he raised an eyebrow at her blush, but made no comment.
She noticed that he carried two swords and asked the difference between them.
"One of them is useless, but my father gave it to me, so I carry it."
"Why is it useless?" she asked.
"It is Tenseiga. It cannot kill." he replied. Then continued when he saw her questioning look, "It is a sword of healing. Useless! To my Hanyou half-brother he gave the good sword, Tetsusaiga. That sword can kill a hundred Demons in one stroke. To me, he gave this worthless thing."
She heard the bitterness in his voice. He was jealous! Why had Inutaishou given the killing sword to the younger brother, the half-Demon? Suddenly, she realized the reason. She stopped and touched his arm lightly. "Your father must have loved you very much to give you the sword of healing -- of love. He realized that you didn't need the stronger sword because of your own strength. He gave the stronger sword to your weaker brother. He showed his love through his gift."
Sesshomaru looked at her in disbelief. What an arrogant woman! Thinking to know his own father's mind. And what good was a sword like Tenseiga? Why would he want to heal? What did she know about his life, about the pain is his heart when his father willed Tetsusaiga to his weak half-human brother and not to him. The Tetsusaiga was his birthright!
Princess Aara saw the look on his face, and felt the coldness of his heart for the first time. She said no more. She resumed walking and he followed at her side, both of them in silence.
"His heart is ice," she thought. "I do not think even I will be able to warm it." And she was sad because she knew now that she would never take him as one of her males. His beauty was cold, not warm. She only hoped that her refusal would not break the alliance. Her sisters would never forgive her if it did. But, although the Western Lands were an important ally, she would never take this cold-hearted Demon to her bed. She only hoped that one day warmth would touch his heart and he would learn to love.