Nocturne - An Inuyasha Fanfic

Chapter Twenty-Six: To Answer A Summons

A/N: Hi. I apologize for misleading you, but nothing new here. I'm doing a large revision/edit of chapters in order to make them shorter and more palatable for readers. New chapters for those who are already tenured readers of Nocturne will begin at Chapter 53, which I may have up tomorrow after I do some revising/editing. Thanks for sticking with me!

Nocturne - Chapter Twenty-Six: To Answer A Summons

Rated - M (for suggestive adult themes, references to some violence, and coarse language)

o - o - o - o - o : Indicates scene or POV change

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

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The palace of Fan Tsenpo was ornate and quiet, eerily so. Sesshomaru arrived in a ball of light, taking the fastest method of travel he was capable of crossing the sea. The journey had taken days, and he had made it known that he was nearby, traveling the remainder of the way on his cloud of yoki. To be called to heel made him bristle with discomfort. He, the great Sesshomaru, was being summoned like some unblooded pup?

He took a breath and reminded himself why he had come. Sesshomaru knew that his actions would come to this. He only had himself to blame for the events that came to pass. To care for others was a weakness. He would need to follow this through promptly.

Sesshomaru walked the remainder of the way, preferring to seem unassuming rather than showcase his abilities. He knew what he was capable of, and that is all that mattered to him.

A lesser but significant yokai manned the gates to the inner perimeter. It writhed and coiled within the gatehouse. Upon noticing his arrival, it wordlessly opened the gates making a hissing noise. His appearance was anticipated, and no one stopped him or questioned him as he walked through the many courtyards and gardens leading to the inner palace.

The palace itself was large and flanked by other diminutive halls compared to the sprawling building before him. There were two lesser yokai standing at the door to the ceremonial hall. They pulled the doors open, a feat that would have taken several men with as large as the doors were.

The hall was long and lined with sizeable ceremonial tanggu drums handled by mortals. All were blinded, their heads wrapped to cover their sightless eyes. It almost escaped his notice that all were female. Once he stepped a foot into the hall, the sound of a mallet hitting a drum skin reverberated through the long hall. The sound echoed down the hall, and other drummers began to join in, adding to the effect and causing the walls and floors to vibrate with the deep, booming sound.

Sesshomaru proceeded down the hall, announced by the drums. The tanggu drums were an attempt to unnerve all who entered, a feat that may have proven successful against those weaker than himself.

He could now make out Fan Tsenpo flanked by his sister, Tsering Dawa. The pair looked resplendent in their finely made garb. Fan was a little too flamboyant for Sesshomaru's tastes, his armor gleaming in the light from a skillfully placed opening in the ceiling. He noticed that the space was covered by a nearly translucent material that allows light in. Upon further discreet investigation, he discerned that there were many windows covered with the same material. How odd the man was to decorate his palace with such foreign material.

Before he reached the foot of the dias, Fan stood from his throne chair and put his palm face out. Sesshomaru stopped and took in a breath. The drumming ceased instantly, and the sound faded out to be replaced with silence. Sesshomaru vaguely wondered how the mortals were signaled to cease. Perhaps it was timing, he speculated.