Summary: Are the existence of Elves so unthinkable? Inside Nyratar, the well concealed, ‘secret’ Elven homeland in the Sea of Japan is being haunted by an evil enmity after the death of Naraku. Sesshoumaru and Kagome must journey deep into the mystical land to aid the Elves in peril.
Setting: Canon
(Spoilers) This story starts off in the last chapter of the Manga.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything copyrighted by the creators of Inuyasha, but this story’s plot and its original characters are mine! Disclaimer applies to all chapters!
Warning: This story will contain mild, hinted Mature content and vulgar language from time to time! Please do not read if you will take offense to crude content, or if you're under the age of 18!
The Quest of Nyratar
Message of Nyratar
“Arigatou Sesshoumaru-sama!” The young girl marveled over the kimono in her lap. It was growing warmer by each day in Feudal Japan, it wasn’t rare to see the Prince of the Western land gift his ward with suitable kimonos for the weather to come. The ward known as Rin had grown slightly taller since the Prince left her in Kaede’s custody when he detected a hint of miko power within her.
“How is her training fairing, Miko-san?” He asked a simple question with no hint of emotion—as he always did while talking to those beneath him. He didn’t mind giving the elderly miko an honorific simply because she was Rin’s mentor, and that they were only in the company of Rin.
“As it should be, Sesshoumaru-sama. Though the little one’s power is as dilute as mine, she has more control over it than I had when I was her age.” Kaede hunched over the pot that homed an odd concoction. “Of course, both her power and mine combined are no match for Kagome-san’s power.”
Sesshoumaru’s tipped ear twitched in recognition at the mention of a familiar name. “Kagome?” Hadn’t she slipped back into her own time like Myoga has told him, or has the old flea drank too much of the halfbreed’s blood and muddled his senses?
“Aye, Kagome-san has returned to us after three years of exile from this world. It’s a miracle to say the least. We all had thought her duty to this world was finished, she would return to her time—permanently.” The elderly miko scooped the odd smelling concoction with a wooden ladle and poured it in a waiting bowl. “But here she is, live and well. She has become quite a miko.”
“Hn,” Sesshoumaru drowned out Kaede’s compliments over the time traveling miko and sank inside his own thoughts. ‘Is that female in this world for another mission?’ After the death of Naraku, all has been well. The human villages were flourishing despite the attacks of rouge and enraged lesser youkai. His lips thinned slightly as a certain memory flashed before his eyes. ‘Could it be?’ Was the return of this miko tied to the issue that was brought before him just days earlier? Was it possible the she is connected with the secret island not too far from Japan? ‘Impossible. No human has left that island once they stepped foot into it.’ Then again, it wasn’t as ludicrous as it sounded—she was a time traveling miko after all. He narrowed his eyes ever so slightly—unnoticeable by the human eye.
“This Sesshoumaru shall go,” he nodded farewell to his ward and ignored the departing words of the elderly miko. He needed to return to his palace immediately, if the girl was back in his world for a purpose, he had a hunch of what she was destined to do. Not far from the elderly miko’s hut, just over the hill laid Jaken, his retainer. It wasn’t as if he took very long to deliver the gift to Rin and yet Jaken had his head leaning against his staff fast asleep. “Jaken,” he said in his cool tone. He never raised his voice—for anyone or anything. He propped his feet on top of his retainer’s snoring head and applied slight pressure.
Jaken snapped his eyes open and swung his magical staff wildly about. “What’s the big idea?! When I tell Sesshoumaru-sama what you’re doing to his loyal retainer, you will regret it!” He snapped unknowingly at his assaulter. The old toad puffed his chest with pride and lifted his head as much as he could while being stepped on to meet eyes of his prince.
“Se-Sesshoumaru-sama!” He exclaimed. His face paled considerably—drained to a sickening shade of green. “Forgive me Sesshoumaru-sama! This lowly one deserves punishment for wh-” Jaken was unable to finish his groveling to his Prince. Sesshoumaru brushed past him and prepared to leap into the direction of his palace. “W-wait for me!” Jaken hopped into the air after his lord and stretched his little arms to grab the retreating mokomoko that hung snugly over Sesshoumaru’s shoulder.
Jaken clung onto the furry appendage with his life— as well as his webbed fingers can let him hold onto. It was times like these that reminded Jaken of the journey he, Rin and Sesshoumaru shared. Naraku’s death brought upon a certain loneliness when Sesshoumaru decided to leave Rin to Kaede. ‘Hmmph,’ Jaken hummed against the fur of the mokomoko. He misses Rin, and dare he say it, he missed the time where he had to chase her in circles or let her place a flower crown on his head. Those days were long gone now, and yes—he missed it dearly.
A warming breeze coaxed his amphibian skin and he couldn’t help but stroke his cheek against the soft fur of the mokomoko. “Milord, your leaping has become considerably fluid like!” He boasted for his prince. “After all, there are no Youkai in this world that can match your power and grace! Isn’t that right Sesshoumaru-sama?”
Sesshoumaru’s eye twitched when he caught a glance of his retainer rubbing his skin on his mokomoko. He let a low growl ripple through his throat. If it weren’t for the urgency to return to his home, he would’ve kicked the toad to the East Sea of China. He couldn’t afford to wait weeks for Jaken to return, despite his squawking voice and annoying grovels to his being, Jaken had earned his name of retaining information and important events of the past. “Jaken,” his breath retained its composition and coolness despite him leaping great distances to the West.
“Hai, milord?”
“What of the message that was presented to this Sesshoumaru?”
Jaken looked up to meet the back of his Prince’s silver mane covered head. “Message, Sesshoumaru-sama?” Still lost in the fluffiness and softness of Sesshoumaru’s mokomoko, Jaken dreamily answered. “I haven’t read the message, milord. I do find it suspicious that the messenger had the emblem of the elves.” He paid the current issue at hand no attention but took in the joy of stroking the ivory fur of his lord.
Sesshoumaru clenched his jaw tightly, the muscles there probed with tension. Jaken was a fool. If others had heard him speak of elves, the secret will be revealed. And a secret is not a secret if many know of it, right? “Cease your groping you insolent toad or this Sesshoumaru will separate your p-” He was unable to finish his threat to his retainer with him squawking out.
“Sesshoumaru-sama, look! It’s Kagome, she has returned!”
The Prince tilted his head to the left until he caught sight of the raven hair miko from the corner of his eye. He was too wrapped in brewing up ways to torture Jaken for inadequately stroking his mokomoko for a brief moment to check on their surroundings. It didn’t surprise him to find miko and the hanyou somewhere near the village—it was where they rested after all. His molten gold eyes laid upon Kagome’s smiling face, and trailed his eyes to her attire. He questioned whether or not the traditional miko garment was suitable on her. The white hakui* hung loosely over her torso, her fire red hakama sealed his eyes from her lean legs. He preferred her outrageous ‘high school uniform’ he remembered she called it. Though it may be scanty looking, it served her well to leave an impression deep within his head.
“Sesshoumaru-nii-san!” Kagome called out with a grin.
Sesshoumaru’s eye twitched involuntarily. ‘… nii-san? Has the female mated with the halfbreed?’ He took a sniff of the air surrounding them. The scent of lavender and sweet chrysanthemum filled his senses—he relished the intoxicating aroma unknowingly. It was odd that he hadn’t thought much of her scent when she pulled Tetsaiga from his father’s grave, or when she delivered the final blow to end Naraku’s existence until today. Finding her scent clean of lingering traces of semen, or any scent that betrayed her innocence, he relaxed—only by the tiniest fraction. He decided to ignore the glare of his half brother and the wide grin of the miko and continued his path to his home.
Sesshoumaru couldn’t help but smirk mildly in agreement when he heard Inuyasha comment on Kagome’s little outburst. ‘That has a nasty ring to it,’ Sesshoumaru repeated in the protected confines of his head. His smirk grew wider, ‘Indeed.’ Deciding it was unnecessary to waste precious moments thinking of the hanyou and the miko, he mentally shrugged the thought off and increased his pace.
~~~~~~~
‘Odd,’ the Ice Prince thought to himself. He has traveled a long distance until a troubling thought brought it to his attention. ‘Why should it be any concern of mine if the halfbreed’s wench is innocent?’ The wind whipped through his silver mane—making splashes of silver strand glimmer under the rising moon in the darkening sky. He summoned his youkai cloud when the gentle slopes of small hills grew steeper with each passing second. Running through those slopes would be a greater waste of time than to summon his cloud and glide through the sky.
“Hn…,” Sesshoumaru nearly scoffed when he thought of the miko’s eyes when he saw a certain shade of sapphire in the starry night. ‘Why is she intruding my peace?’ It wasn’t as if he hadn’t seen her before. He had saved her on more than one occasion, granted he had seen her nude from a far distance but he is uncertain why she has a larger impact on him now than before.
“Ah sire, we’re home!” Jaken brightened up immediately when he saw the white marble walls of the Western Palace.
The structure was built to function as a fortress, equipped with weapons for heavy damage and yet it held an air of beauty and grace—much like the Lords of the palace. It was Sesshoumaru’s grandfather, as a young youkai, who ventured out into further West and was fascinated when he discovered such fortress-like infrastructure fit for kings. Upon his return to the Western Land, his grandfather became the Great Lord Haruki and ordered the mass construction of the Western Palace, the walls made of polished white marble, windows framed with the purest of glass and steel with large balconies supported by marble pillars, the roof plated with melded plates of copper adorned with golden statues of InuYoukai in their purest form.
The marble was cut and smoothed with methods Lord Haruki has picked up from the Ancient Egyptians, and skillfully embossed with elaborate designs of Japanese Koi, the symbolic crescent moon above the main entrance, and of InuYoukai’s pure form in various poses. It was no doubt the Western Palace was a sight to behold. In the morning, the sun’s bright light reflects off the white marble walls and into places where vegetation hungrily drank in the warmth. At night, the ethereal glow of the moon bounced off the walls of the palace and lit up many pathways for travelers. It after the construction of the palace where the Western villages bloomed around the palace. They engulfed themselves in the morning warmth, and rejoiced under the moon’s ethereal light.
As if the marble walls of the Western Palace weren’t enough, Lord Haruki gave specific orders to design the interior as well. Hallway walls, floor and ceiling were paved with ceramic tiles with exquisite designs, while some rooms were customized with a tradition tatami mats and marble paneling of various colors. Rich velvet curtains with golden thread ropes adorned every window, furniture were crafted in a unique style blended with various cultures the Lord Haruki has picked up. Beds especially, were futons stuffed with soft cotton and plucked feathers and laid on top of a well carved headbordless bed frame of various sort of stones and wood—with carvings of a story on three sides of base, the fourth side resting against the wall. It was without a doubt, the structural upkeep of this grand palace needed a well organized system of palace servants.
Those very servants scurried out of the main entrance and formed two straight lines along the stone path leading to the doorway. They kept their heads downcasted and bowed lowly as their Prince gracefully walked past after he dissolved his cloud. Of course, not all the servants were present, only the ones that manned the front gardens and gates were expected to.
“Welcome home milord,” Kinu, a well trusted and seasoned General of Sesshoumaru’s army greeted the returning Prince.
Seshoumaru nodded at his general, as well as a close ally of him and his deceased father. “I trust all has gone well in my absence?”
Kinu, also an InuYoukai, but from the Northern Mountains nodded. “On our patrols we have had small encounters with roguebands, but they were of no issue.”
“It is odd to have you greet me on my return, Kinu.”
“The soldiers are training under Ishi and Yashin, and I have nothing to do but to pester and torment our little servants,” Kinu casually replied and grinned hotly at a passing young fox youkai. He trained under the great InuTaishou when he was a pup, but long before Sesshoumaru was born—his loyalty to the InuYoukai of the Moon were unquestionable and unmatched.
“It is time for you to get a mate and settle, Kinu. You are running out of time,” Sesshoumaru pushed the mahogany carved doors into his large study on the third floor of the grand palace. Scrolls were piled neatly on top of each other on sturdy shelves, some were binded vertically like books. He made his way over to a wooden platform with cushions and a rug beneath a table that was no higher than a foot. He settled into his seat behind the table with great ease, it was his rightful place as Crowned Prince of the deceased lord.
“Speak for yourself Sesshoumaru. It is time for you to mate and ascend the throne you rightfully deserve,” Kinu rested on a cushion not far off the platform where Sesshoumaru sat with his legs folded neatly.
Sesshoumaru grinned lightly, “You are far older than I am.” Kinu was the only creature that walks this world, besides Rin, who he genuinely cared for. He was present during Sesshoumaru’s birth to this world and his loyalty was set in stone when the two became like brothers.
“You just wait. When I’m mated, I will ask you this damn question until you want to rip my head off,” Kinu grumbled and propped his chin onto his palm that rested on top of a bent knee.
“If… you will be mated is the corrected phrase,” Sesshoumaru casted a small chuckle to his dear friend and skimmed through the scrolls piling atop the table. Paper work was his least favorite thing to do, if he has a favorite thing to do that is. But it was necessary for the peace of Japan. The death of Naraku has brought peace upon the North, West and Eastern land, and it was crucial that this dubious peace was kept. He did enjoy the moments of battle, the metallic scent of blood spilling into the air as much as the next blood thirsty youkai, but another crisis is upon them.
A familiar, opened scroll caught his eye. ‘The elves’ message…’ He wearily unrolled the paper and reread its contents.
‘Prince Sesshoumaru, there is a certain unrest on our Island. We, the Elves of Nyratar request immediate assistance from the Clan of the Moon. Our prophets tell us you will acquire the assistance of a human with a past of betrayal and of a heart of light. The concealing spell of our barrier will open to you and the female within the fortnight of this message. The situation is dire, your assistance will be a great asset in the upcoming battle. First night of the Spring’s full moon.’
The scroll was then marked with the seal of the elves. The content of the message was written in the ancient language of the Lynseta, language of the secret elves. All beings who knew of the Elves’ existence were required to learn their ancient language, as they have learned of others.
The realm of the elves were unknown to the world, except for a few Lords and Kings on Earth—and he was one of them. The InuYoukai of the Moon were allies of the Nyratar Elves for centuries, since the birth of the first of the Nyratar elves and of the youkai of the Moon. If the Nyratar Elves needed his assistance, he would be wise and offer his power to the best of his abilities—as was he was sure if he requested assistance, they will agree upon request.
The secret of the elves’ existence were critical to the growth of civilizations. The mainland Elves of Rtunara, living in secret in the North Sea of modern day Europe was the base of power for many smaller clans of Elves scattered around the world. The Elven society has the gift of Sight more accurate than Oracles, the gift of Healing—faster than the power of purebred Youkai, the gift of Agility that can rival Sesshoumaru’s, and finally the gift of Fertility that can impregnate a female with multiple sets of pure Elven infants and as well as growing vegetation out of season. If the world knew of their existence, there will be no telling of what can happen. It was without a doubt there will be power hungry fools itching to grasp this power within their hands.
Sesshoumaru sighed as he tipped the edge of the scroll over the candle’s flame on his desk and watched it catch on fire and placed it on a ceramic tray. The flames danced merrily around the scroll before consuming it completely and rendering it into black ash.
“Something troubling you?”
Sesshoumaru looked up to find Kinu still resting on the cushion with several scrolls scattered around him and his eyes twinkled in mild bewilderment. “I forgot you were here,” he turned his attention back to the black ash on the ceramic tray. “It seems I will have to leave once more.”
“On an errand again? How long this time?” Kinu’s tone was noticeably clearer and crisp. It was a miracle he took his work seriously in the absence of Sesshoumaru despite his flirtatious ways with the female servants.
“I must be in Nyratar within the new moon. I am unsure of the amount of time needed to resolve this situation.”
“Nyratar? What business do you have there? Are the Elves in trouble?”
Sesshoumaru nodded, “They require our assistance.” He didn’t mind telling Kinu, if he couldn’t trust him—then who can he trust? “The incompetent messenger took nearly eleven nights to send me this message,” he hissed in mild annoyance. “I only have three nights to retrieve the hanyou's miko to journey into Nyratar with this one. It is not enough time to convince the miko to come.”
“Miko?” Kinu piped up dramatically—his eyes widen and a grin was plastered on his handsome face. “What do you need a miko for? Is she pleasant on the eyes? Good figure? Nice a-.”
“Cease your rambunctious rambling Kinu. The miko clings onto the hanyou like no other. You stand no chance,” Sesshoumaru had to cut off his friend’s questions before they escalate to a new level, and at this moment he didn’t need to think how finely shaped her legs and ass are. ‘… Damn it.’
Kinu huffed and pouted, “How, exactly do you know for sure it’s your brother’s miko that you’re looking for?...” He paused for a brief moment to collect his thoughts “… and you do know I can be very persuasive.” He rolled off a sensual purr from deep within his throat.
Sesshoumaru scoffed at his absurd behavior and discarded his last question. “The letter stated that I will acquire the help of a human with a past of betrayal and a heart of light. It is without a doubt my blasted half brother has betrayed her on countless occasions when he ran off to find his dead lover. She is a fool to accept and forgive him—is that not a heart of light?”
“You got a point there…” Kinu eyed his Prince with a raised eyebrow. He looked quite doubtful for some odd reason. “Sesshoumaru?”
Sesshoumaru lifted his head to meet Kinu’s steel colored eyes.
“It’s the first time I heard you talk so much about anything… especially about a miko… a woman… with breasts an-” Kinu drawled out his description and was cut short with a slam of the study doors, and Sesshoumaru was gone. “That blasted dog…”
~~~~~~~
“Ridiculous fool,” Sesshoumaru closed the door of his private chambers on fourth floor of the Western Palace. ‘He mocks me for speaking of a female,’ he grumbled as he skillfully untied the straps to his armor. ‘This Sesshoumaru wouldn’t speak of her if it weren’t for the current situation at hand,’ he growled lowly in his chest and stepped into his private bath chamber. In the corner of a room rested a bed of heated coals on a metal pan, the bath itself was constructed to resemble a hotspring, while at the base laid a small opening to deposit coal to keep the water warm.
Sesshoumaru walked over to the bed of coals and grabbed a wooden ladle of cool water and pour it over the coal. Steam immediately invigorated the room—raising the temperature of the bath chamber considerably. He peeled off the remaining pieces of his damp attire and sank into the warm water of the bath. ‘The miko can wait until sunrise… I must rest in my own futon tonight.’