Demon Slayer Sango

Author's Note: In this story I put Sango at about twenty-two years of age. Inuyasha and Miroku are both around twenty-three, and Kagome is nineteen. Although far older in numerical years, the taiyoukai Sesshomaru appears twenty-eight or so.

Author's Note #2: Is anybody reading this thing? I'm starting to think it has huge problems. Do post a review and let me know what you think.


Chapter 6

After a leisurely bath in hot water scented with jasmine flowers and gardenia Sango dressed carefully in a delicate robe of pale green silk and darker green sash. Beautiful sandals made of polished wood and rich velvet now adorned her feet, and her abundant hair floated over her shoulders, having been brushed out in a glossy black fall. She felt like a princess. A knock at the door halted her daydreaming.

"Exterminator-san, we must leave now," said a voice through the door. Sango opened it to reveal Yoshiro, the messenger who had been sent to retrieve her from Kaede's village. His eyes widened slightly as he recognized her. 'Surely this couldn't be the same human female from before-- is it?' He blinked.

"Yoshiro. Yes, I'm ready. What does his lord and master want anyway?" she asked in an irreverent tone. What indeed. She half hoped the stiff youkai would simply forget her presence in his home and let her go after looking up to see she had been there a while.

"I don't know the answer to that, exterminator. You will find that one does not question the master here. We only obey." As he escorted her through the halls of the palace Sango took in the sight of large reception rooms and elaborate ceremonial chambers. Fancily dressed youkai she took to be court attendants and a few servants passed by, all eyeing her suspiciously. She wasn't surprised that humans were barely tolerated in a place like this.

She followed Yoshiro up a flight of wooden stairs and into another wide corridor. The surroundings now took on an even more distinctly more regal air if that were possible. Delicate parchments filled with odd looking text occasionally graced ancient walls. Marble sculptures and luscious plant life set in beautifully decorated pots lent a grace to the long corridors. There were pillars with odd carvings and vases made of precious metals, all these things obviously placed to impress the visitor.

Eventually they reached a set of elegantly carved wide double doors trimmed in gilt. 'This must be the library,' thought Sango.

"I will announce you. Wait here," said Yoshiro. He disappeared behind the large doors. Sango looked around and felt butterflies in her stomach. It had not been clear to her how important a figure Sesshomaru really was until now. It wasn't so much the riches of this castle-- they were impressive but still only a material manifestation of power. What struck her most were the reverent attitudes about him from the youkai under his roof. So far every demon she'd encountered regarded him with profound respect, and spoke of their lord in hushed, reverent tones. It went beyond mere etiquette. What kind of demon was Sesshomaru to inspire such deep loyalty?

"Exterminator. My lord will see you now."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Now Jitsuo-sama?" asked Noguro.

"We must wait. There are too many of those blasted human vermin about. We may have to wait a few days yet." Jitsuo peered menacingly from his hiding place. The gruff, thickly muscled inu demon spat on the ground as his henchman Noguro continued to observe Kaede's village from afar. The plan was to kidnap the whelp of the hanyou Inuyasha.

Jitsuo saw that the time to strike against the arrogant taiyoukai Sesshomaru drew near. This pup, a blood relation of the demon lord, would be an important part of the plan. He rubbed the scar on his face that had been inflicted on him several years ago after he and his youkai warriors destroyed a weaker inu settlement that dared to steal from his storehouses. He had been within his rights and yet the tyrant Sesshomaru had taken violent action against him. Jitsuo hadn't forgotten the looks on the faces of his captains after his beating and disfigurement. Oh yes the arrogant cur would pay for that, and pay dearly.

"Jitsuo-sama, what if the central authority discovers our plan? Surely it is already aware of the growth of our army--"

"Fool. Let me worry about that. Focus on getting the hanyou whelp. Then we will strike."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sesshomaru faced a wall filled with parchment and linen scrolls laid out systematically on numerous wooden shelves. Remaining silent he did not acknowledge Sango's presence for several moments. Watching as the youkai studied intently a document he now held in elegant hands, Sango began to wonder if he knew she was in the room. Finally the imposing demon spoke in a calm and distinct voice. Still he did not turn and seemed to speak to the scrolls in front of him.

"Huntress. You have defied me. This is unsatisfactory." Sango froze. Oh no. Not this again. "You will soon learn that when I give an order it must be obeyed."

"Lord Sesshomaru, I had to stay with Kagome. She was in labor-- I had to be sure she would be well, and the child..." Sango defended herself quietly but without meekness. She had a good reason for 'defying' him. 'How petty can he be,' she thought angrily.

Finally Sesshomaru turned to face her intending to continue his speech. "I am not interested in your--" the words died in his throat. Before him stood what appeared to be a most exquisite specimen of feminine beauty.

Allowing keen eyes to slowly travel up and down he took in the gentle contours of her figure. Feminine curves enticingly filled out a well-fitting robe leading the demon to wonder if her body was as soft and delicious as it looked. Flawless pale honey colored skin glowed fresh and smooth in the subdued light, and her luxurious hair framed gorgeous, velvety eyes. In this moment the taiyoukai thought her possibly one of the most charming females he had ever encountered, demon or human. To that point he had only seen the exterminator garbed either in an unflattering taijiya costume or an old worn yukata. This was quite an improvement.

For her part Sango wondered at his sudden interest in her appearance. Wasn't he about to ream her for 'disobeying' him? Distracted herself now, Sango realized that up close he was incredibly good-looking. She noted with approval the fineness of his angular features, the smoothness of his pale skin and the broadness of his shoulders. The way he now studied her face caused a shiver to race up her spine as his golden eyes claimed her.

"Your garments flatter you huntress." Sango could swear she detected kindness in both his voice and searching eyes. The demon lord then did something that made her nearly gasp in surprise. He smiled. Sango blushed, grinning gently in return. She took note of beautiful straight white teeth and a hint of fangs. 'Amazing.'

"Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru. Lady Hisako left them for me..."

"Is the wound troubling you still?" he asked gently, taking another step forward. "Do you need it attended?"

'Gods he is beautiful...Hmmm? He must mean my leg...' She shook her head. "No. It doesn't bother me at all. I am well." Suddenly shy, she looked away and took an unsteady breath. Her heart raced. 'What is this? Am I going insane? This is a demon!'

Sesshomaru spoke in a near whisper and was now so close that she could feel the sleeve of his robe brushing against her. Never touched intimately by a man, Sango had little experience with the business of attraction, 'if that is what is going on,' she thought to herself. Frankly after Miroku she believed the likelihood of ever dealing with such situations again to be slim.

"You are very beautiful Sango, but I sense you don't believe it..." A fine elegant hand reached up, and the demon lord lightly brushed her cheek with his fingertips. "Yes, very pleasing...quite lovely." Sango could feel the warmth of his breath on her face. It was sweet. A distinct tingle flowed from her toes up her legs. It flooded into her back and raced up to her cheeks. Trembling, Sango studied his face. His smile now disappeared but those intense golden eyes were filled with...approval? Tenderness? How could a demon who inspired such fear in others be so gentle?

And he had spoken her familiar name. She liked the way he said it...low and with a kind of reverence. His soft, gentle touch thrilled her. She closed her eyes to savor the moment. No one had ever made her feel this way, and with just a few words and a slight caress.

After a while her hand went to his, and she stroked the back of his palm. The staid demon suddenly felt a burning need within him begin to take shape. 'What would it be like to taste this woman, to explore her,' he wondered. Her scent intoxicated him. He detected delicate flowers mixed with-- yes, arousal. Clasping her hand briefly Sesshomaru then pulled away, resisting the urge to kiss her in passion.

Shaking himself mentally the demon lord tried to come back to his senses. Although an attractive female, he reminded himself the huntress was nonetheless human. 'Unacceptable Sesshomaru,' he thought, 'allowing a human female to lead you to this state.' He could imagine Inutaisho laughing at him from beyond the grave and berated himself. Humans were inferior creatures. They were not to be entertained, much less consorted with in the way some part of him deep down wanted with this female. He would not allow himself to make the same mistake his father had. He had more self control. 'What has got into me?'

Stepping back, he suddenly remembered the reason for her presence. Pushing away the insistent and bewildering sensations that now wracked his being he spoke firmly. "Huntress, you are a demon fighter, are you not? I have a particularly troublesome bear youkai imprisoned behind the fortress. You are to destroy it. I trust you have brought your-- weapon with you?"

Her head spinning, Sango marveled at the demon's ability to mentally shift focus so quickly. Had she just experienced what she thought she had? Hadn't something significant just passed between her and the now cold demon lord? Yes of course it had. Hadn't it? Maybe she misread him. Could it be that he wasn't drawn to her in some way? No-- he was. It was as plain as day even now, even as he struggled to regain the cold neutral mask that was his regular expression. Sango shook her head slightly and pulled herself together to focus on what he was now saying to her.

"Hiraikotsu? Yes of course. But why do you need me to kill this creature? Surely the youkai around here are powerful enough to do the job."

"I don't need anything from you, human." The door that had opened before to reveal a milder side of the youkai lord was now firmly closed. He spoke in a clipped, unemotional monotone. "Many of our warriors have tried to kill it conventionally but have failed. It is a particularly nasty specimen. You will take care of the situation as punishment for defying me. Some observers may be present. You must do this in the morning three days from now. In the meantime you will attend Rin. Now leave me. Yoshiro!"

Sango spoke up, puzzled. "But Sesshomaru-sama, you said it was imprisoned. How difficult can it be for you--"

"Unsatisfactory. You do not question, human. You will do as you are told. I have decided it will be your punishment for disobeying my earlier summons, " he repeated.

"You called my lord?" The tall inu messenger reappeared.

"Escort the exterminator back to her rooms. Leave me now, I have much to do here." He dismissed them with a wave of an elegant clawed hand and turned away. Yoshiro took Sango gently by her arm. She resisted and stood her ground.

"I am not some tool for your amusement, Sesshomaru. You mean to make a spectacle of me, don't you?" She hissed in anger. "You could easily destroy the creature yourself-- you just want to make a display of me! I won't play your games!" Sango was furious as it sunk in what exactly the arrogant demon meant to do. She imagined a stage surrounded by benches, an audience full of sneering youkai watching the stupid human woman who claimed to be a demon fighter. They meant to see her torn apart by some ferocious bear youkai!

"Enough!" bellowed Sesshomaru. How dare she shout at him as if he were a common dog! The insolent wench! He could strike her dead as she stood, didn't she realize that? Noting the banked fury in his eyes Sango said no more but fumed and allowed herself to be led away by Yoshiro, comprehending that there would be no arguing with this demon for the time being.

Secretly it excited him that the spirited huntress displayed so much fury and resistance. By contrast inu demonesses were normally submissive, especially to him as the alpha inuyoukai in the land. If he said something was required, a demoness obeyed instantly. This was something instilled from the time of their whelping and it served a purpose. This human seemed not to know the meaning of the concept of submission. It intrigued him and fed his imagination. He allowed the memory to creep back into his consciousness-- an intoxicating scent of feminine arousal, so delicious. It had stimulated him as he caressed her silky, smooth skin.

Sesshomaru had a problem. The Lord of the Western lands was not supposed to be able to stand humans, let alone feel attraction for one of them. And a demon killer at that! Surely it was just some odd physical curiosity, he reasoned. Presently unable to resolve the situation he turned to face the documents awaiting his attention and sat behind his desk. On top was a plan for the upcoming feast of the full moon, scheduled to take place in some six weeks.

An important symbol to the inuyoukai, the full moon served as an ancient device of worship. The court honored every fourth one with a reverent display of feasting and ceremony. Inuyoukai from all over the territory would come to the palace to share in the festivities.

It suddenly occurred to Sesshomaru that this was the event he had chosen to begin his search for a mate. He needed to read the background summaries of the various eligible demonesses who would be attending the feast compiled for him by his staff, but saw that it would take a long time indeed. And then there waited the troublesome business of the southeastern border. He'd need to call a conference of advisors. Sighing, the demon lord buried himself in his work.


~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Inuyasha will you hold Takeo for me while I go to the stream to get water? I could use the exercise..." She lifted the baby from his cradle.

"How long will you be gone?" The hanyou accepted his son but glanced nervously at Kagome. He hadn't yet kept him on his own for any length of time, and wasn't sure what to do if something went wrong. Two weeks had passed since little Takeo had been born. In that time his blotchy skin had cleared to a shade of pale porcelain and his crown of white hair had become slightly fuller. He had long, straight limbs and already the makings of tiny claws. Deep, dark eyes looked out on the world with an open, quiet expression. His looks were striking and promised to become even more arresting with time. Inuyasha and Kagome were fiercely proud of him.

"Just for a few minutes. I need to stretch my back and my legs...he likes it when you hold him-- look he's smiling." Sure enough a toothless grin spread across the face of the tiny quarter demon as Inuyasha cradled him.

"Oh alright. But you'd better get back here before he needs changing. I ain't doing that."

Kagome laughed. "I said I'd only be gone a few minutes, Inuyasha. Relax." With that she slipped on her sandals and slipped out the front door of their cottage. "Come on, Shippo!" The kitsune bounded after her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Look! There is the priestess...should we go now," asked Noguro anxiously.

"Not yet. See, the pup isn't with her...the hanyou probably has it."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Kagome...I smell something strange," said Shippo.

"Like what?" asked Kagome as she bent over and scooped clean water into a wooden pail from the stream.

"Like demons..."

Kagome looked up and searched the area with her eyes. She didn't see anything out of place. "Well we can tell Inuyasha when we get back...he'll probably come out and take a look around."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You fool the kitsune brat nearly found us!" growled Jitsuo.

"The hanyou will find us when he comes..." replied Noguro.

"We have to leave for now. I won't have our plans destroyed. Not when we are so close..." The pair of stocky inuyoukai quickly retreated. Jitsuo was annoyed that their plan to kidnap Inuyasha's child had been delayed. 'But we will get the brat. We must.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Be careful Rin-chan! We don't know how deep the stream is!" Sango shouted at the little girl who now recklessly crept out into the rushing water to look at the numerous fish swimming by. For some reason Rin had got it into her head that one had to see a fish before it could be caught. Sango went after her.

"Come. We can just sit on the edge and throw our lines out. The fish will take the bait and then we just pull them in."

"Can't I just reach in and take one with my hands?" Her little brow furrowed and she bent at the waist to get a closer look.

Sango laughed. "You can try, but I believe you'll find it more difficult than you think." She laughed even harder as Rin plunged her little hands in the water to try and grasp one of the iridescent fish swimming below her and around her legs. Getting very wet and very frustrated, the little girl stood up again.

"Here, watch me." Sango took her handmade fishing pole fitted with thin twine and a little chunk of bait set on a hook at the end and thrust it outward so that it landed downstream. They waited a few minutes and then snap! The line went taught and Sango pulled out a wiggling, nice-sized fish, much to Rin's delight. The little girl clapped and watched as the older girl deftly pulled it in and strung it on a separate line.

"Okay, your turn Rin-chan!"

The day after her tense audience with Sesshomaru the demon slayer had risen early and changed back into her yukata. Rin had come to her room and asked to go fishing. Squealing happily when Sango agreed, the girl ran off to prepare for the trip. Deciding to make a day of it, the demon slayer gathered a blanket and other things they would need.

Now as she helped Rin to set a line so that she could catch her first fish, Sango reflected. This visit to the Inuyoukai Palace was becoming more than she had bargained for. Sure, spending time with Rin had been delightful so far. The little girl made her feel needed and admired, and she drank in the ebullient enthusiasm the child displayed for everything around her. But, Sango also had to fight a bear youkai. 'Crabby spiteful demon,' she grumbled to herself on remembering the perverse assignment she'd been given. Still fuming that Sesshomaru would make her do something he could easily take care of himself, she nonetheless had few doubts about her ability to defeat the creature. Bear youkai were big and loud and strong but famously stupid. She would simply press her advantage of swiftness and intelligence and dispatch it.

What really bothered her was the fact that the youkai lord appeared to see her as nothing more than an object to manipulate. Her feelings meant nothing, her dignity was worth nothing to him. Even more confusing was the fact that he did this after being tender with her, caressing her cheek and admitting he found her beautiful. If he felt that way then why did he want to turn her into a performing monkey? 'Creepy stupid youkai.' Sango had a feeling she would never figure him out.

"That's it Rin-chan! Now gently pull it towards you...that's it." She helped her pull in a small fish, but it might have been as big as a whale for the smile that spread over the little girl's face.

"I caught a fish!!!!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~