Disgusted, ashamed, at his wit's end. The feel of her body was arctic like the ethereal glow of her blue eyes and icy breath escaping her baby pink lips and bloody fangs. He and his group were under the roof of a traitor and no one knew! Paralyzed and weak, Takamuku (once known as a first-class soldier to the House of Inu) was now at the mercy of an unknown seductress who was using his body to the fullest and draining the life out of him simultaneously. If he didn't warn the men, his demise would certainly bring shame to the House of Inu and his family. He would be a disgrace to the military ranks for letting anything happen to Lord Sesshomaru. Unable to stop this woman from taking his body for her pleasure, he could only gasp and let out gurgles for every bite and suckle she placed on his chest or neck. He had resisted for as long as he could, but he was losing more and more yoki energy, sanity, dignity, and life in this fight. Takamuku's only regret now was not following his instincts before.
At first, he was reluctant to engage in any of the sexual activities in Shinju o Tateru since he was worried about Lord Sesshomaru, but Norihisa had convinced him to try his luck with the local women since his lordship was in the company of someone else. Not believing the ambassador, Takamuku went out to prove that Sesshomaru was too noble and too proud to be in the company of a joro the following morning after he left the manor. Offering to go with him, Norihisa escorted Takamuku through town and they met people of different trades and salaries along the way. It was an interesting and pleasant experience, but they didn't see Lord Sesshomaru in town. Instead, they saw him along the outskirts and walking with a rather quirky woman.
That was all Takamuku needed to see. If a quirky joro was able to make a man out of Sesshomaru, then he could indulge himself the way Ambassador Norihisa was doing. Takamuku felt he was rarely of use in guarding the House of Inu since the young lord was usually sent out to handle powerful adversaries instead of the guard, and, without the situation in the Mujina Woodlands, things were beginning to quiet down among the demons. There would always be restless tribes trying to challenge each other, but the House of Inu was one of the strongest forces in all the territories. While he had the opportunity at his feet, Takamuku allowed himself "the pleasure of life." Even he had to admit that some of the half-demon women in the village were quite beautiful. They didn't chase him around for his money either. It was almost as if they knew he would eventually take an interest. One young lady, in particular, caught his attention. She had light green hair in an elaborate bun and eyes of lavender shades colored with bright orange along the lids. Her kimono was a blend of sheer and silk fabrics. Her lips were colored red but had gold powder on them, accentuating the lines in her lips. Honestly, his night spent with her was quite magical, and he learned the following morning that Lord Sesshomaru didn't return for an update from Norihisa.
Investigating his whereabouts and confirming things for himself, Takamuku went searching for Sesshomaru on his own. The western lord and his imp did go to the Mujina Woodlands for more clues, but they returned to a building along the outskirts of town. Surprised to see them, the hazel-eyed joro came out of the building with some children and young adults in tow. They spoke for a length of time then his lordship was escorted someplace else. A young boy seemed to take a liking to Sesshomaru and made him follow the joro. Takamuku didn't know what to think of it all. He was there when Lord Sesshomaru refused to participate in the mizu-age and the omiai. It's what made everyone believe that Sesshomaru had the true potential to change the customs within the House of Inu for the greater good. The progressiveness of his modern ideals and firmness in his decisions fueled his ambitions and inspired admiration among the troops, but the hands of change were shackled by traditional oppression and Sesshomaru had to undergo a series of trials from his late father. Watching Sesshomaru leave with the quirky joro made him go into the woodlands to try to help his lord. That's how he met her.
Norihisa introduced him to a comrade of his. She was beautiful with eyes the color of shadows in the snow and a lovely set of heart-shaped lips. Quite taken with her sensual form of dress and voice, Takamuku followed them through town. The first-class soldier didn't expect to reunite with the green-haired half-demon woman again or be treated to the company of the two women. He understood the appeal of the okiya village that night, but he still worried about Lord Sesshomaru's safety with that quirky joro and those children. It wasn't until that following morning that he realized that Norihisa was a traitor. The half-demon woman he had come to like spending the night with was dead beside him. An odd, white mask was placed on her and her body was covered in shadow. The blue-eyed woman kept him a prisoner since.
Takamuku supposed he did have one more regret. He never got to tell Sesshomaru that he believed in him - that he wanted to see how he would change the House of Inu and its influence on the world. He was young and fiery. The world didn't need another war machine. It needed some refining and some changes. He couldn't breathe. His throat was freezing up. She was riding him more aggressively. He should have followed Lord Sesshomaru on his own instead of with Norihisa. He should have asked about the quirky joro and all those kids on his own. They didn't smell like him, and he couldn't recall what the quirky joro smelled like. She didn't have a distinguishable scent. Either way, those kids didn't seem to be theirs. What was their relationship? He had to warn Sesshomaru about Norihisa. He had to protect him. He was trained to serve him. He was with him when Sesshomaru led the army against the Panther Tribe. He had to fight it! Warmth was returning to his body a bit, his eyes went blood red to signify his transformation, and he let out a boisterous roar before shoving the seductress off him and using the last bits of energy he had left to go to Sesshomaru. He didn't see Norihisa tending to the blue-eyed woman. He didn't hear her laughing darkly. He didn't even see them disappear in a flurry of snow and wind with the green-haired woman now standing beside them...