(A/N): Short but progress.
Thank you for staying with me so far!
~Yasha's Sis
Chapter 31:
Espionage
In which the war drums beat...
"Oi! Tsubaki!"
Tsuki lifted her hand to wipe the sweat from her brow and turned to the Neko demon running up to her with a grin. Her opponent moaned pitifully and Tsuki spared a moment to offer the red haired youngling an arm as she fixed her gaze to the approaching female. "Keep working on your footwork, Kelis. The others pay more mind to their strength than their agility. Use that."
The boy grunted with a wheezed, "Hai."
Withholding a smirk, Tsuki let her arm fall as he moved away. A weak wave was spared to the Neko in the boy's hobbled retreat.
"Alls I ever see is you beating the snot outta whichever sorry sap nags for a spar." A chortle sounded. "You get off on brutalizing 'um?"
Tsuki's smile was slight. Stress relievers outside of violence were few and far between. She sure as shit wasn't going to let herself fall into a meditative state surrounded by enemies. "I do as asked, Jinbei. Yashihiru-san wished for an assessment of his troops." They're lacking. She doesn't say but Jinbei snorted as if she had.
"Good thing he asked you then. Don't have a merciful bone in your body."
You have no idea.
Laughing, the Inu hybrid gave a lazy stretch. "Mercy is meant for those who can afford it."
Jinbei flapped her hand flippantly. "Not a critique, hun. Just a truth. You've got a viciousness in you." The flash of teeth made Tsuki shift her weight self-consciously. "I sees it. Yashihiru sees it. We need more like you if we aim to win."
A part of Tsuki marveled at the continued plies to join them. Tsuki made it clear she was most likely going to return to her homeland without joining their cause. The truth, ironically, urged the higher ups to attend more attention on her. The resulting ease at which she was able to find and question the varying leaders in the ragtag group was disconcerting. It was as if they had no concept of security. Or they were that assured in their imminent success. It was… a little alarming.
Channeling Yanabi at her most annoying, Tsuki flicked her bone white hair and favored Jinbei with a secretive smile. "I've made no promises to stay, Jin. You know I must return home."
Frowning, Jinbei shook her head. "One day you'll give. He doesn't want ta let talent like yours slip away." Brightening, Jinbei snapped her fingers with a head jerk to the North. "Oi, Pei said there's another meeting in 20 mins and Yashihiru asked for you."
Tsuki arched a brow though a scowl wanted to cut its way across her face. She had two more weeks before her Inu form would change. Now was the time to begin easing herself away from them, not getting closer ties to the apparent leader of this little cell. "Did he say why?"
The orange furred demoness shrugged, opal eyes crinkled in amusement. "Does he need a reason?" At the white haired Inu's unimpressed gaze, the Neko sighed. "He wants you. Said as much when you choked out Menma. So'unga, chose 'um ta lead us cuz Yashihiru sees people. Sees what they can be. We just gotta do as told and right now that means comin' ta see him." She winked. "Inu done your kind wrong and Yashihiru's the one to make it right. You'll see."
Tsuki rolled her eyes, mind sharpening on the name again. So'unga. She'd heard it much over the time she'd spent training and hunting with these varied demons, and yet the demon never showed itself. "You're too easily sated, Jinbei. Destruction is a temporary vice. What comes after? What will we be once you've eradicated the clans that have directed Honshu for millennia?"
The demoness threw an arm over Tsuki's shoulders and leaned heavily to stage whisper: "And you're too damn mouthy for your own good, 'Baki. Always asking questions and showin' up the triad. I swear Menma plots your death every time you open your mouth."
Menma, Tsuki thought darkly, was a berserker who hated being questioned. The random 'accidents' that continued to occur in Tsuki's presence were enough to remind her to be cautious around said particular demon. That she was catching the attention of their leader for some obscure reason soured him moreso. It didn't matter ultimately. Menma was high on the totem pole but he wasn't Yashihiru and he wasn't one of the triad. She could alienate him as much as she wanted.
"He's welcome to try," She promised with a blood thirsty grin. Jinbei cackled at her side.
"Kami, 'Baki, this tour would have been so dull without you. Tell me your staying another moon!"
Carefully shrugging the taller demoness off, Tsuki shook her head. "You know I can't. I have a brother to return to."
If she didn't have a time limit, she might have been tempted. Being here, as much of a farce her feigned interest to avenge her extinct clan was, soothed the distant corner of her mind that always wondered what it would be like to just be whole: to be full Inu or full Ookami. No one sneering at her for being a halfbreed. No one watching her with apprehension or disgust due to her birth. Any enmity she gained in this stronghold was due to her own, deliberate, actions and that knowledge was freeing.
She wouldn't have minded staying a while longer to continue gathering data and living free of her usual judgement.
But that was a fantasy and Tsuki knew better than to pretend. Jinbei was a wonderful companion for her carefree nature and raunchy humor but the neko believed in destroying the established hierarchy. She wanted to see the Kingdoms burn and, for that, she and Tsuki could never be friends. Not truly.
If Tsuki didn't love the others as much as she did, she may have even felt indifferent to the outcome of such a battle between this rebel group, growing alarmingly quickly, and the rest of Honshu. But she did, and she would not see her home, her kin, hurt for someone's desire for chaos.
Jinbei had real reasons to despise the Eastern Kingdom, many here did in regard to the Kingdoms as a whole, but the solution was not total destruction. Change did not necessarily demand demolishing the system at hand. As Tsuki played devil's advocate to learn why so many of those here felt anarchy was the answer to their past pains, she found they could not, would not, temper their hate.
Hate is an ugly, consuming thing and she mentally thanks Saisei everyday for coming into her life and softening the hate in her heart. She tucks memories of Sesshomaru close so she will never forget how little distance she came to be like these demons: near mindless once their hate was roused.
It was sobering and sad and well worth hardening her resolve.
She was betraying the trust they placed in her, Tsuki knew and despised the necessity, but she would do her duty. She always did.
Rocking on the balls of her feet for a moment, Tsuki dipped her head in acquiescence. "Fine. Lead the way, Jinbei." Slanting a teasing look to her left Tsuki continued. "I'll tell Yashihiru-san my thanks for the enlightening stay while I'm there."
"Tsubaki." A voice called, raising Tsuki's hackles before Jinbei could retort.
Mimicking Kiraiya at her best, Tsuki cooled her expression into a mask of disinterest much to Jinbei's constant delight. Flat, azure eyes shifted to the ryu demon stalking towards their path. Golden, vertically slit pupils watched her with a vaguely displeased glare but the demon's face was still otherwise.
Genryu of the dragon clans. One of the traid and a demon powerful enough to be general to this haphazard army. Tsuki eyed his burnt orange armor with carefully hidden alarm. There was no raid scheduled for today.
"Genryu." She acknowledged, cool and unbothered as one who considered all around them lesser would be. The demon's youki twitched in annoyance. "To what do I owe this… honor?"
It bucked again, more obviously, and Jinbei's shivered in amusement she could not voice aloud.
He inclined his head. Short, sakura pale locks shifted as he turned towards the war room's direction. "Despite my advice to the contrary, Yashihiru will not proceed with the meeting until your arrival."
Tsuki debated on needling him further with the obvious air of resentment around him but Jinbei spoke up with a drawl. "I was told to bring her. S'why I'm here. Wouldn't think Yashihiru would sent one a' the triad as a gopher."
Tsuki arched a brow at the disgruntled Ryu to the point.
"My presence is not for you to question." He snapped back. "Why Yashihiru allows a cur like you free reign of you mouth is beyond me."
Jinbei hissed, tail lashing in outrage.
"Enough." Tsuki said, hand dropping on the neko's shoulder to emphasize the point. "Your presence is unnecessary, Genryu. We are already on our way."
He sneered. "I decided you could do with more prompting. Yashihiru allows your flippancy only because you've managed to turn the weaker recruits into something assembling a ground force." His lips twisted into a nasty smile. "I on the other hand, will allow no such tardiness. You will be dead before you shame our cause more."
Something about the statement bothered her but Tsuki decided to let it go. "Fine." She shifted to Jinbei who was practically bristling with violence. "Mind grabbing Yumi on your way to the war room?" She knew Genryu was the opal eyed demoness's least favorite member of the triad and prolong proximity usually ended up with the neko beaten half to death for insubordination. Damn girl was gutsy, that was for sure, and Yashihiru would never allow their numbers to drop due to something an inconsequential as not getting along. Still didn't mean Tsuki was going to encourage the taller demoness's frankly moronic tendency to get in fights she couldn't win.
Jinbei opened her mouth to no doubt spew a litany of curses along the lines of 'I'm not leaving just because this pretentious asshole is here' but Genryu's response caught them both off guards.
"You would abandon the task set before you, girl?" He scoffed derisively, pushing Jinbei right back into a stupid level of aggression. "What am I saying? Of course you would. Your kind were extinguished because you lacked the intelligence to follow a simple order."
Tsuki sent him a sharp look. Why the hell was he being so aggressive? Deliberately egging Jinbei on when usually he grew board after one or two taunts. And never would he dare to bring up the Eastern Kingdom's execution of Jinbei's family for failing to hold the line during the Inu-Neko wars. It was unnecessarily cruel and exactly the sort of barb that cause Jinbei to lose sense of reason.
"You bastard!" Jinbei's snarl was proceeded by her throwing herself towards the ryu-demon with her claws extended.
"Jinbei!" Tsuki barked, darting in front of the neko and hauling her bodily to the floor. The neko may have been larger than her but in Tsuki's inu form her strength was deceptively monstrous. Her friend in perhaps another lifetime thrashed, sclera half covered in red and growing stronger by the second. "Fucking hell, he's baiting you. Jinbei, listen to-"
Her senses screamed and Tsuki felt the beginning bite of metal into her upper back before she was moving, twisting away from the blow and lashing out with her feet and a slash of youki to propel her attacker back and away.
Genryu landed lightly a distance away, blade drawn and expression annoyed. "Mongrel cat couldn't even distract you enough to finish this quickly. Worthless, cur."
Said cat was still howling for blood, mindlessness growing as Tsuki held her knee to the taller demoness's chest. Sapphire eyes, dark and unsurprised, focused on the traitorous bastard before her. "Guess you got tired of following orders too." As she spoke, the cat's claws dug into the meat of Tsuki's leg.
Genryu's lips curled. "What I tire of is you waltzing into our camp and claiming a place as if you were owed. You've done nothing to earn Yashihiru's regard and yet he listens to you. You a relic of a decimated breed. You're no better than that bitch below you, clawing to meet her end at her better's hand."
Well that was just rude. Annoyed at the situation and herself for being so damn stupid, the hanyou lifted her arm and bought it down hard on Jinbei's forehead. It took two hammer blows before the thrashing stopped and Tsuki made sure to keep eye contact on that other jackass as she worked to remove one problem from this growing clusterfuck of a situation.
Jinbei's moan of pain was welcomed.
Satisfied one end was silenced at least for now, Tsuki shifted off the neko's chest and rolled her damaged shoulder. "Always thought you'd at least have the balls to try and kill me face to face but you're the weakest of the triad, you have to win by cleverer methods."
Though not too clever is he thought she would allow herself to be killed by so cheap a method.
Predictably, he scowled. "Silence, wretch. Your death was just a matter of time. Continuing to deny our offers of alliance has only shown the triad you are vermin to be disposed of."
Her brows arched, surprised. "The others agree with you?" She'd done an admirable job of leaving them alone so they wouldn't find cause to kick her out before she wanted to leave.
Not that it mattered, now. This dumbass gave her the perfect excuse to haul ass and desert. She'd learned enough in her minimized timeline. She couldn't afford to linger, especially if these assholes were actively plotting her death.
"They will see the truth in time!' Genryu declared, shifting his grip on his weapon. "I need only bring your head to the council and all will be understood."
Her hand grasped the sword at her waist and she felt her mind chill dangerously. "Why do you bastards keep deluding yourselves into thinking anyone would agree with you after disregarding explicit orders? What happened to loyalty?"
It was Akkitou, bitter and angry, all over again. It was Toshi: hungry and desperate and tired of listening to the one he deemed his liege. Why the fuck couldn't anyone listen?
"You wouldn't know the meaning of loyalty! Your people left you to die!"
Tsuki laughed, a mean, spiteful thing. "Oh," she said, voice light and expression awful. "You don't know the half of it."
"Wasss goin'on?" Jinbei slurred, cradling her head in the corner of Tsuki's sight.
"Your death!" Genryu shouted, spearing forward towards the dazed neko. Tsuki sucked her teeth in annoyance. A part of her almost wanted to let Jinbei die for all the headache the damn girl gave her but having a witness would be more important than sating the petty urge to watch her reap her own consequences.
Genryu snarled as their blades locked, Tsuki sliding hers down to his guard and turning it away. "Jinbei, pay attention," She ordered, flashing forward as Genryu made a wide swing to hack into her side. He was strong, stronger than her, but his swordsmanship sucked ass and he would have done better transforming into his full demon form and attempting to take her head. Tsuki grunted as their swords met again, her feet digging into the soft soil below them.
"Tsubaki?" Jinbei questioned, eyes wide. Even concussed, she could probably tell neither of them were playing around.
Tsuki dared to spare her a smirk, aggravating Genryu enough to charge her. The hanyou simply moved out of the way. "Pay attention. I want you to bring this sorry bastard's head to Yashihiru with a note of what happens when someone tries to stab me in the back."
Genryu's sword flashed manically. "It is I who will deliver your head, bitch."
"You're leaving?" Jinbei asked muzzily.
Fuck, Tsuki probably hit her too hard. The message was going to get screwed up one way or another. Fine.
"Tell Yashihiru thanks, but no thanks." Tsuki said instead of dwelling on the disappointed mewl that came from the neko's throat. "I've been betrayed enough for one lifetime."
The hanyou had to twist drastically to avoid a stab at her midsection and decided to focus on the fight at hand. Jinbei would remember the message or wouldn't. Tsuki would be hunted as a traitor or left alone. It didn't matter as long as this bastard died by her hand.
It was time to go home.
*~Snowfall~*
"My lord!"
Th Inu no Taisho lifted his head from eyeing his newly acquired blade to view the distressed jackal hurrying into his office. The demon gasped, face pale as InuTaisho lifted Tessaiga. He ignored its thrum of anticipation as he set it on his hip. "What is it, Omi?"
"My Lord," He stuttered, gaze flicking about anxiously. Inutaisho gave him an annoyed glance of which it's potency was lost because the idiot couldn't hold his gaze. "My lord the Western Lady h-has departed."
Patience hold true. Do not kill your help, a Yanabi like voice urged. The inuyoukai took a long breath through his nose. "I do not see the need for distress."
"She- she is headed for the young Lord's camp. There was-"
"What?" Why would she do that? Sesshomaru needed the time to grow.
And she accuses me of coddling him.
"There was an attack," the jackal squeaked out, wilting when harsh yellow eyes narrowed on him in deadly focus.
His voice was silky as he asked, "When was there an attack?"
The jackal whined, causing the Inu Lord to belatedly realize he was flooding the room in cloying youki. "Nearly a week ago, my lord. The- the enemy destroyed all manner of messenger birds and killed most of the runners."
WHAT?!
"My son-" His jaw clenched, biting back the question. Sesshomaru was alive. Someone had made it through else his mother would not have known to leave. He shook his head. Sesshomaru's mother would liberate the camp if it were overrun and hunt down whoever dared harm her son. She was vicious and territorial. He wanted her for that alone all those centuries ago and his conviction that she would see this through was not in question.
The Inu no Taisho felt a moment of regret.
With this, the West would no longer be passive in these skirmishes. They would hunt.
And they would kill anything in their way.
"Go," Inu no Taisho said, voice iron given sound. "Call the clans. War will be the instrument to inform those who would seek to harm us that death is their only reward for their arrogance."
(A/N): Thoughts? Comments? Concerns?
Had some fun with a few lines haha.
Next chapter: Snippets of War
Thanks for staying with me!
~Yasha's Sis