The Once and Future Taiyoukai By RosieB. (Inuyasha FanFic)

Chapter 17: The Plateau

ALL RIGHTS TO ROSIE B ON FANFICTION.NET Rosie B [https://www.fanfiction.net/u/38149/RosieB]

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Chapter 17: The Plateau

The Once and Future Taiyoukai

Chapter 17: The Plateau

She could not rest and she could not concentrate on her work. The chains – replacements for the ones he lost – fell from her fingers and she sat back against the wall. No one was here with her for once and she knew that she should take advantage of her rare moment alone.

But what would she do? There was no one to talk to, nothing to occupy herself with except the work she avoided. She certainly didn't want to think about anything more serious than the weather. She couldn't even move very easily, so ideas of slipping out of the bare hut were best left alone.

Her hand moved to her side, where she had been pierced by her own blade. Nameless was going to force her to go to the next battle despite the injury. She knew he wasn't taking his time preparing for it for her sake either; Sesshoumaru apparently had more spark than expected and Nameless wasn't going to take chances next time around. He had gathered those strange shards of Kagome's and he was collecting his most loyal of followers to be his army.

"Miko." One of the demons she so loathed stuck his piggish head through the door without even knocking. "My lord orders you to go to him."

Midoriko stood and brushed off her clothing, sweeping up the chains in one hand. The demons, those that followed Nameless with blind devotion, were always rude to her. She was only human, after all, even if she was elevated above them in Nameless's eyes. Perhaps it had nothing to do with rank, but only the fact that they knew she hated Nameless, although he could trust her implicitly.

He had them all, even her, under his thumb in one way or another. It disgusted her.

Still, she had to follow the offensive youkai to Nameless's quarters, a larger hut up the road from her sometimes prison. He had commandeered the village chief's home, of course. His bulky form had almost demanded it, although his agility was something to be marveled at and she was sure he could manage in a mouse's home. His kin were a different story, of course – great, lumbering monsters that spoke in words barely better than grunts.

She had to admit that Nameless had a charisma not shared by his brethren. That was why he could do this. That was how he had ensnared her.

More of the beasts stood beside Nameless's door, but she did not give them more than a glance as she walked through the door and into the front room, where Nameless waited. He was wearing the shards around his neck, in an opaque vial. Even the vague allusion to Kagome was enough to make her stomach flip uneasily. "How are you?" he asked. If it weren't for the smirk on his face, Midoriko would think he was being genuine.

"Fine," she replied shortly. "Did you need something?"

Nameless's smirk deepened at her insolent tone and she admonished herself. He always did like it when his prey fought back. "Are the chains done?" he asked, not reaching for them.

"No. It will just take a moment though." She closed her eyes for a brief moment and pink light flowed through the chains. She dropped them into the pouch he held out for them and scowled. "Is that all you called me for?"

"So cruel, Midoriko. You wound me with your very voice, your tone."

The priestess frowned. "I do no such thing."

"Ah, but we might be going to our deaths," Nameless murmured, his bulbous eyes not straying from her face for an instant. "Isn't it possible that I would want a kind word, a gentle touch, before facing the son of the West again?"