Truth in Blood

Arrggghh.. my sister is visiting from the United States today. I have no time.. dies!!!!

Please read, enjoy and review.. Nano is driving me nuts!!!

Chapter 20 : Sanctuary??

The tree shook with the force of the attack. The mental energies of the Seraph blasted through the barrier of the Demon Lord, smashing it, dissolving the barrier, and exposing the three within. Sesshoumaru held the Hanyou who was jerked rudely from sleep. When the tree stopped shaking the Demon Lord released his still confused and disorientated charge. The danger however was quickly bringing the Hanyou to focus.

Sesshoumaru flashed into his armor and then flashed to the Kitsune awakening him. He did this first because Demon Lord figured that the Hanyou would be too concerned with the Kit’s safety to do anything foolish, like come between him and the Seraph.

Sesshoumaru flashed to the base of the tree, halting the advance of the irritating Seraph and two of his lackeys. “You are too late as usually, Seraph. By blood and right, I have initiated first claim rights and you have no place here.”

Kouga glared back, anger mounting. “I can smell what you did last night! Did you rape the boy, Sesshoumaru? Did you hurt him, while exercising your claim?”

“Careful, Seraph. You skirt the edge of true insult. He is mine by first claim right, he is MINE to protect, mine to hold. The implication that I hurt him by exercising my claim insults the boy and myself. The implication that you would usurp my right to protect him, is laughable.”

The two Lords glared at each other, their auras warring, but neither was willing to break the peace between their tow people.

The shaking of the tree, had jolted Inuyasha from sleep. A confusion of thoughts flooded him, as the Demon Lord was holding him. Like a deer caught in headlights Inuyasha did not move, he was still too overwhelmed to fight back, and he had not realized the shacking indicated that the tree had come under attack. Then he was free, and the Demon Lord flashed off. Inuyasha suddenly felt the aura of the Seraph outside and was going to leap down when Shippo called to him. Memory of the Demon Lord mildly poisoning Shippo rushed in, and immediately Inuyasha's priorities set itself.

Inuyasha turned to the Shippo, and before he could take a step, a small fox demon bullet hit him in the chest. Shippo clung tight to Inuyasha, tiny arms locking around Inuyasha's neck in a choking hug, the Kitsune's tiny body pressed tight to Inuyasha's bare chest.

“Nii-chan you are okay. You are really, really okay. Shippo was scared , so scared the monsters would kill you or the poison. But the Demon Lord he killed the monsters and cured you. So I showed him to the house to sleep.” Shippo's head popped up and he grasped Inuyasha's cheeks, “Nii-chan is better, yes? Please don't be angry with Shippo, Nii-chan. I had to bring the Demon Lord here, Nii-chan was sleeping funny and I was scared. Shippo, did the right thing , yes?” Shippo pressed his cheek to Inuyasha's as he finally took a breathe and gave Inuyasha's a chance to get a word in edge wise.

“Yes, I'm better, no, of course I am not angry with you... and..” Inuyasha hesitated, his voice box was closing on him, but he forced the words out, “.. you, you did the right thing.”

Shippo signed with relief, and relaxed, safe in his big brother's presence. “Nii-chan what happened to your clothes?” He asked innocently.

Inuyasha went a bright red, finally noticing he was naked. He rapped sharply on the kit's head, and quickly went put on his other set of clothes, trying to ignore the ragged pieces on the floor that was his last pair of pants. Shippo shifted to position to Inuyasha's shoulder while the Hanyou changed, stubbornly ignoring any attempt Inuyasha made to put him down. Not that Inuyasha tried very hard, truth be told, the small weight of the kit on his shoulder grounded Inuyasha, gave him a sense of normalcy that he desperately needed after last night.

“Get the stuff you need together, Shippo.” Inuyasha suddenly said, his mind quickly making plans. He knew that he could not change what happened the night before, it was over and done with. Shippo was safe and he had whored himself to ensure their safety. Inuyasha was squirming in himself, he honestly could have handled it better if he had been raped. That was the reality for street kids, his extra skills had saved him from that, but he been prepared for a brutal taking. What had happened last night was like nothing he in his darkest nightmares had imagined it to be.

It was his own capitulation that caused him to squirm, he had enjoyed that, hell he had more more then enjoyed it, he had burned and he had climaxed more then once. And as much as he hated the idea, even now the remnants of the intense pleasure hummed in his veins. Shame, shock, pleasure, pain, lust and innumerable emotions warred inside him. The whole thing was too much, unbearable.

He took a deep breathe and locked it away in himself. Law of the streets, do what ever you have to in order to keep your loved ones safe and survive. Displaying the reliance of one who was used to getting knocked down and trodden on – and then forcing themselves to get up, stand tall and move forward, without losing himself in the need for vengeance; Inuyasha made plans.

They would leave, of course. Inuyasha could only think of one thing to do, they would head north. To the Tundra. The land was not welcoming to any Demon, Seraph or human. That was their best bet to keep out of the way of the beings who found his existence such a blight on the earth. He hesitated, Shippo was a child, he needed folk around him. Was he being selfish? Trying to keep the kit with him? Inuyasha knew he was being a fool, he would be signing the Kit's death warrant if he took him to the Tundra. Puppy ears flattened, he would leave the kit behind, and he would probably have to knock Shippo out to do it. Inuyasha straightened up, squared his shoulders.

He would make his way to the Tundra, and he would leave his little brother with people better suited to ensuring that Shippo grew up healthy. It took no more then a couple of seconds for those thoughts to run through Inuyasha's head, before the kit collected his backpack, the decision was made.

Carefully Inuyasha stepped out of the tree house, Shippo riding on his shoulder. Inuyasha knew the Seraph and the Demon Lord had been together, when he had felt their arrival he had assumed that the two were meeting up and then hopefully leaving. He had not expected to see the two of them facing off against each other Demon and Seraph energy clashing in confrontation. Their power was immense.

Inuyasha's was not prone to self delusion, and he recognized the two were much older and more experienced then him. His chances in single combat with either would have been equal to the chance Shippo had in single combat against him. None, zilch there was not a snowball's chance in hell, he could stand against either in battle. In a few hundred years – maybe – but now, he just did not have the training, skills or ability to win against them.

“Hanyou!” Sensing the boy's presence Kouga turned to the youth, calling out to him. Sesshoumaru turned as well. Both Shippo and Inuyasha drew a breath, the Lords facing them were a stark contrast to each other. Sesshoumaru was brandished Silver and blood red, his features strong and aristocratic, the veneer of icy calm, that Inuyasha knew hid a burning fire. Beside him The Seraph was beaten gold and dark wood. The Seraph's skin had a golden hue to it, his long black hair seemed to went to burst from the warrior knot on his head, a long wave cascaded down a shoulder. His wings were brown and gold, rising above his head and falling like a cloak to his ankles. Standing together they embodied the strength and beauty of both their people.

Given a choice the last thing Inuyasha would have wanted to do was draw the attention of either one of the two Lord. Same as he had with the stupid priestess, he seemed to be cursed with drawing the wrong kind of attention at exactly the wrong time. Inuyasha took a defensive stance, he growled at them both.

The silence was oppressive, the three males stared at each other, two not willing to give an inch and the third not willing to back down even with the odds stacked against him. Kouga's flunky's moved and Sesshoumaru's hand dropped to his sword, Kouga mimicked the action.

Inuyasha gulped, he had enough experience with turf wars on the streets to know that it was usually the poor smock who got caught between two rival gangs that got squashed. He started to inch to the left, it was his best bet to get away from the Lords.

Without turning Sesshoumaru said, “Inuyasha you will not move from that spot.”

Inuyasha growled, but it was Kouga who answered.

“It looks like the pup is ready to run.” he barked out.

“Hell yes!” Inuyasha said, “Look I don't know what beef you two have with each other, but its got nothing to do with me so leave me out of this.”

Kouga tore his eyes from Sesshoumaru to gaze at the Hanyou. He had thought the youth was joking but he could see the seriousness in the gold eyes, the boy had no clue of his own appeal. He was damn cute.

“Sesshoumaru, what is your intention towards the Hanyou? You seem to have had your fun last night what are you going to do now?” Kouga asked, to his mind the Hanyou deserved to know wah t was going on.

“I have already made that clear to you Seraph, both the Hanyou and the Kitsune are mine, they will be accompanying me back to my palace. As is my right I claim them both.” Sesshoumaru said with his usual arrogance.

“You can be such a Prick, Sessh” Kouga said when he saw the shocked and panicked looks of both the boys that Sesshoumaru laid claim to. “Hanyou, under the laws of both our people, I cannot interfere outright, unless you reject the claim and ask for sanctuary among the people of your ancestors. By your mixed blood, you have enough Seraph blood that you may ask for asylum in the lands of the Seraph of you do not wish to go to the Land of the Demons. For all accounts you traveled though the lands of the Seraph in the past, you know our people and you know that the Seraph are no better and no worse then any other peoples. You can find safety and a home in our lands, and Sesshoumaru will not be able to deny the right of sanctury for one with Seraph blood.”

Inuyasha had quelled under the claim that the Demon Lord had made on him. The Demon Lord scared him in a way nothing else had done. To lose control the way he had was terrifying, he had an inkling of what he would be to the Lord and a chain of gold was as terrible as a chain of cold iron and steel. A cage of silk as stark and unwelcome as a cage of stone. To have some hope of escape was a relief that he was desperate to have.

Inuyasha was about to ask for asylum, when the Demon Lord cut him off. “Hanyou! Know that the offer of sanctuary is only an offer open to those with Seraph blood.... the little Kitsune riding on your shoulder has no such blood, and is subject to no such protection.” The Lord's voice was colder then ice, he had seen it, seen the wish of the Hanyou to escape him. How dare he! He belonged to Sesshoumaru! How dare he seek to break the bond that had been forged between them. The Hanyou would pay for this affront.

Inuyasha's head spun to Kouga, as Shippo whimpering continuously buried his self under Inuyasha's long hair. Shippo being young he had not understood everything being said but he understood enough. He understood that if Inuyasha went with the Seraph he would not be allowed to follow. And with the selfishness of the really young he wanted Inuyasha with him no matter what. Besides the demon Lord had not seem too bad to the little Kitsune, he had cured Inuyasha after all. Why didn't everyone seem to understand; Shippo NEEDED his Inu Nii-chan more then anyone or anything else in the whole wide world. Shippo's mom and dad had died long ago, and the little kit had not a single memory of them. His sharper memory was of fear, fear and running with his Granny Kaede, whom he had assumed to be his mother.

Shippo earliest memories were all of great fear, he remembered being in danger and being scared, even when Granny Kaede had held him, he had not felt safe. Maybe the little baby even then had sensed the frailness in the old bones and had know that they were not really safe. Not in the slightest. The earliest memory Shippo had free of fear, had been when he had seen those huge golden eyes, Before Inuyasha had picked him up, had held him, the first time he had seen the Inu Hanyou's eyes Shippo had felt safe. Before Inuyasha had done a thing, (to Shippo's knowledge) from seeing those eyes alone Shippo had know that he was safe, that he was cared for. Because of the age difference Shippo called Inu his Nii-chan but in truth Inu was the only real parent that the Kit had ever know. Father would have been a more appropriate term,one Shippo would have been more then happy to use, if he had not been certain Inu Nii-chan would have conked him one.

And the kit's love and adoration of Inu was the center of his young life. He could not imagine surviving without Inu Nii-chan there for him. There was no logic, no rationality, no sense to it. Why, and how the bonds between them had formed mattered not to the Kitsune, all that mattered was that without his Inuyasha no matter who else was there Shippo; who felt very, very young and very, very small, would never ever fell safe.

--tbc--

Am continuing to write right now!