Leaving Home

1403 early-Muromachi Period, Spring

Sesshoumaru was in a foul mood this day, lacking even the modicum of patience he sometimes had. It seemed no matter where he went or how he toiled, he continued to come across those who did not yet know his name or reputation, and thus refused to heed his commands. Always, they argued, always remaining in his way. All he wanted was to pass unobstructed, but he was just as happy to put them in their place when they did not remove themselves from his path. As he observed the raging battle before him on his way to the eastern mountains of Musashi, it seemed he would find only more hindrance, and he flexed his claws in eager anticipation.

He paid no mind to the masses of imps in battle against their larger foes, neither did he care that the demon now before him was about to make a meal out of one of them. All he cared was that it was in his way, and in one manner or another he would make it move.

"You're in my way. Step aside." He commanded.

The demon turned its horrid face to him, fangs dripping with saliva as it screamed back at him, ignorant of the being it now threatened. Sesshoumaru found he had no patience to toy with this ignorant creature.

"I said you're in my way, understand?"

He snarled and snapped his whip to life, easily dismembering the ugly thing. His gave into his bloodlust, venting all his pent-up rage on the rest of the demon hoard, all of them simple, pathetic, weak.

The imp, now free, scrambled out of his way as Sesshoumaru resumed his course, shouting at his fellows to clear a path for demon lord. They complied quickly, heads pressed to the ground in reverence as he passed them in silent calm. Behind him, the imps chattered in anger and despair, and he paid little mind to the tiny footsteps that rushed to meet and surpass him.

The tiny imp with the brown robes that had almost been eaten prostrated himself on the side of the path ahead as Sesshoumaru approached.

"Forgive me for following you," he began, still awe-stricken, "It may not have been your intention, but you saved my life! It would be an honor to become your servant."

Sesshoumaru simply continued on, unimpressed by the display.

"Wait, please! A moment of your time!"

The imp once again scrambled to catch up, continuing to beg Sesshoumaru for even a moment's consideration, eventually falling silent when Sesshoumaru did not respond.

'Tenacious thing. So small and fragile, though perhaps he could be of some use. I shall give him a test.'

They walked in silence until, finally, they arrived at the base of the mountains. Sesshoumaru's nose easily found the scent of the river and he followed it to the waterfall where he'd hidden the item he'd come to fetch. The imp once again groveled behind him, waiting as Sesshoumaru drew the nintoujou from its crevice.

He glanced back, considering the creature for once again before tossing the staff to him.

"Here."

The imp looked up just in time to catch it, giving it a quick inspection before thanking him.

"Uh. What is it?"

Sesshoumaru didn't felt any need to explain the details just yet. He would admit, however, that he was somewhat pleased with the imp's countenance, how he seemed to understand his place and station already, and willingly submitted himself to it. The change was more than welcomed, Sesshoumaru decided he would at least give the creature a chance.

"I will entrust this to you if you are able to use it."

The imp gasped with awe, holding the staff in humble reverence.

"I am most honored! Please, tell me your name, milord, I must know it!"

He considered the imp coldly for a moment. Did he even deserve to know his name yet? Either way, he supposed he should give the creature something to call him.

"Sesshoumaru."

"Se…shoumaru?"

The imp tried the name on his tongue. Sesshoumaru simply nodded and turned from the fall, paying the imp little mind as he made for his next target. The pattering of tiny feet behind him told Sesshoumaru he was following right along. He would have to become accustomed to this again, the constant presence, but supposed the creature was so insignificant that it would cause him little if any irritation.

Sesshoumaru had never been more mistaken.

***

1404 early-Muromachi Period, Summer

Kuroihi's two-month-long travel south across the great island crescent of Honshu had been, to say the least, perilous. If one thought the demon's squabbles were something to avoid, then they had yet to witness the true might of what humans were capable of in large numbers as she had. It was disgusting, really, all senseless waste and destruction on a petty whim.

She'd never really understood humans, even though she spent had her days of weakness in their villages for a time. Even then, she avoided them if she could, for they were always so fickle and quick to anger and conflict. No, Kuroihi much preferred demons. At least they had an understandable code of behavior.

Slowly, she followed along the coasts, eventually making her way across to the smaller island of Kyushu. The further south she went, the stranger the language became, it seemed, and by the time she made it to the western shores, there were too many dialects for her to keep up with. She recognized the sounds of the language Shoucheng had spoken, however-she would never forget it-, and somehow, eventually, found someone willing to teach her the tongue and bits of the culture.

It would take her almost two years to master the Chinese dialect of Wu enough to feel confidant stepping on that boat. She wouldn't fair well outside the province surrounding Shanghai, but she was sure she'd find what she sought within its borders. With a great apprehension, she bade farewell to her homeland for the time being, praying to the ancestor gods that she might return one day, alive and victorious.

The ride to Shanghai was a nightmare, but they made it. As her feet touched solid ground once more, Kuroihi swore she would only ever take one more boat ride in her life, and it would be the one back home to her sacred island. Unlike the port she'd left in Japan, the city she now found herself in was so diverting and overflowing with new sounds, scents, and sights, that she was certain she would have been overwhelmed if not for her guide. He took her as far as the countryside, claimed his payment, and was gone.

She blinked up at the Chinese sky, finding it somehow a different shade of blue than she was used to, and she wasn't sure whether it actually was a different color or if she was simply imagining it. Everything here was so different, and yet familiar at the same time. It was unsettling.

As she wandered, Kuroihi was comforted to find that the demons here weren't that much different than the ones back home, though they seemed to have the disturbing habit of appearing human-like more often than not. She was used to such forms being indicative of a greater power than those that took more beast-like forms, but that didn't seem to be the case here, and she oftentimes found herself quite perplexed by what she found.

Finally, she stumbled upon a small group she thought she could make some sort of connection with. Water sprites were usually quiet and knowledgeable, right?

She approached slowly, making her presence known to them while still at a polite distance.

"Please, excuse me. I was hoping you could point me in a direction. You see, I'm looking for someone."

Their glassy eyes all fixed on her, clearly as intrigued by her appearance as she was by theirs, all lengths of scaly tails and fins. Her ears flicked, uneasy.

One of them tilted her head almost completely on its side in a questioning manner, and Kuroihi took it as a queue to ask. Even as she did, she began to feel a foreboding.

"I'm looking for a demon referred to as 'father', master over the demons that control black fire."

A murmuration rippled across the group along with the fish in the water below as they each turned to the other to whisper, their eyes glinting in a way Kuroihi did not like as they turned back to her, their shapes morphing in fangs and claws and whip-like appendages.

Kuroihi just sighed as she drew her tonfa.

'Goddamned fish…'

***

Sesshoumaru's brow twitched as the imp blathered on behind him. It was enough to suffer the scent of the sea without also having his ears berated by the most irrelevant things. Finally, he had enough.

"Jaken." He barked.

The imp turned an oblivious smile up at his master. "Yes, milord?"

"If you do not silence your senseless prattling, I will silence you permanently."

The imp blinked, trying to decide if Sesshoumaru was serious. "M-my apologies, milord. Is there something you would prefer your humble vassal talk about? I am knowledgeable of many things from rumors of the land to various demon tribes and powers, -oh!-, I am also well versed in-"

"Jaken!"

Sesshoumaru growled, turning to fix the tiny creature with a lethal and chilling stare.

Somehow, the creature seemed to lose its voice, which was just fine for Sesshoumaru. Perhaps now he could manage to hear himself think.

There was silence, both in his head and from the imp.

He ground his teeth as he found he'd completely lost his train of thought.