"Hey, Lord Sesshomaru, where are we off to exactly?" Sanraku asked, crunching his sharp teeth into an apple.
"A better question is why the bird's tagging along," Reijiro remarked, stuffing a hand in his pocket.
"I'm on holiday!" the Green Pheasant replied.
"Bothering Lord Sesshomaru is not a vacation!" Jaken argued.
"This is a most educational experience for the kids and a curious inu soldier," the Green Pheasant responded, smiling brightly with his eyes. "I simply had to tag along. After all, the children like the evil talking dog's grandfather. I've a potential babysitter!"
"Elder Hikozaemon II is a very important man! HE DOESN'T HAVE TIME TO WATCH CHICKS OR EGGS!" Jaken argued, head inflating double its normal size to fuss.
"Listen, man, my wedding anniversary is in a couple of weeks. LET ME HAVE THIS!" the Green Pheasant retorted, fluffing up to appear bigger.
"Damn..." Reijiro commented, impressed but not showing it. "Bird's a busy man. Guy after my whole heart."
Sesshomaru took in a deep breath as he was being followed by his... men and their steeds. Seeing a group of dragons following the small troop was one thing. Having the Green Pheasant and a few of his children following him via Meioshi's floating nest... was something else. Why? Why did this bird insist on being around him? Why did he have to like his grandfather? Speaking of which, why did his grandfather want to meet with him at the Harpy's Wildflower Tavern? How'd he even know about it? He knew Iwamura's pub was financially successful and catered to many people. He wasn't the sole patron of the establishment, but... his grandfather hardly ever left home as far as he knew.
Is there... have you been watching over me this whole time, Jikomo? Why didn't you make your presence known before? Sesshomaru thought.
Reijiro let out a whistle when the yoki wall disappeared upon their arrival and they were met with the beautiful tavern now open for business as always. The dark inu soldier said, "Now that is a pub."
"I am so not dressed right for this," Sanraku complained, taking another bite out of his apple. "Lord Sesshomaru, is this place for strictly nobles? Looks kinda fancy."
"The only person who is fancy or noble in this establishment is Sugawara. That dandy's just a good cook," Sesshomaru answered, leading the way inside. "Your attire is fine. Let's go."
Catching his grandfather's scent in the secluded room he started occupying, Sesshomaru led the men straight to him. Ah-Un and Sanraku's wyvern took to grazing in the small garden on the side. They were visible to the group as they could be seen in the window. Hikozaemon II was seated quietly in front of the boys, inviting them to sit. His attire was similar to when he came to Heiwa for Meioshi's supposed funeral. Instead of the black kimono or even the elder's uniform, he was wearing his trademark indigo cloak, which Sesshomaru mentally insisted on getting for himself one day, a gold medallion that matched his brooches, and bits of iron lamellar armor decorated his shoulders, forearms and chest. If he wasn't a general or king in his youth, it would have been hard to tell. Sesshomaru could only assume that his beloved grandfather really was a decently ranked officer in his past, and he could now see why many mistook him for such a thing. If the Green Pheasant was right about the significance of the Chimei Tiangou and the creation of the Okuri-inu, then perhaps Sesshomaru and other young inu like himself were cheated out of a chunk of their own history. The air felt heavy in Hikozaemon II's presence. They hesitated in sitting before him... with exception to the Green Pheasant.
"Don't mind if I do," the bird said, nesting in a pillow with his few children snuggling under his wings.
"What manner of business requires my attention?" Sesshomaru asked professionally.
"I felt it best if you and the boys there met a retired member of the Okuri-inu," Hikozaemon II replied curtly. "You, young prince, are the last active member of the disbanded troop per my request when you completed your first hunt and accepted adult responsibilities during your ceremony. Due to your success in eliminating particular threats to the House of Inu solitarily, your title as an assassin was tacked onto your name and both I and the general have been keeping an eye on you since your initiation into the political world. While the general has his doubts about you, per your father's instructions in his will to ensure you take the throne when all believe you are ready, the past events involving the prophecy beasts has caught my interest. I wish to test your leadership skills on a separate campaign from the House of Inu. Though we are supposed to meet with Teinosuke at Fort Sutabei, I require other proof. This is rather sudden, and I will understand if you feel you are not prepared for such a task, but this is something I have wanted to do for some time. I will accept no further delays from the court. Much time was taken away from us to fully consider a reinstatement."
"Reinstatement?" Sesshomaru questioned.
Hikozaemon II smirked before asking, "How would you feel about a new title, my young one? If you accept this small mission, I will consider presenting the elders a proposition in restoring the Okuri-inu... and making you its leader."
"What?" Jaken asked in place of his lord, who was currently wide-eyed.
Reijiro didn't know what that meant, though, so he leaned over to whisper to his brother and asked, "The hell's an Okuri-inu?"
"I have no idea," Sanraku answered, shaking his head.
"To put it quite simply," the Green Pheasant explained, "your elder there is going to try to convince the others to let your Sesshomaru be the leader of a group of assassins. His new members and soldiers will be the both of you from the sounds of it."
"HUH?" Reijiro and Sanraku questioned, mouth dropping. "We-we-we're going to be moved to an assassin group?"
"Only if the young prince accepts," Hikozaemon II clarified. "His fighting prowess is exceptional, and I have seen the two of you fight as well. You both excel at stealth combat. I believe restoration of my former troop is possible, and you could use this opportunity to establish connections beyond the House of Inu the way young Homugi has done as a rogue. The retired member of my troop had eyes on her for some time. During the invasion, which I am concerned about since you've produced no suspects and the killings of demons are still occurring, Homugi's performance was exceptional. I will be reliant on young Reijiro and young Sanraku in their surveillance of the situation relating to your tasks to the House of Inu and Homugi's new living situation. She is living a similar lifestyle and has a similar status as the retiree when she joined my troop. Should she show signs of improvement in her combat skills or other skills of interest, the retiree has agreed to train young Homugi in our ways."
"Homugi?" Reijiro questioned.
"Oh! That's that detective girl who used to live with Takamuku-sensei. We never got a chance to meet her," Sanraku explained, looking at his brother's face while doing so. "So, she's really out of the House of Inu as an indie fighter?"
"So the story goes," Hikozaemon II replied, leaning back to gage everybody's disposition. "Will you accept a few missions under the Okuri-inu, Lord Sesshomaru? You are more than welcome to decline if being the ruler of the House of Inu is of greater importance and interest to you."
"Why do you want to restore your troop? It disbanded for a reason, did it not? My father has been regarded as the most powerful demon alive while he was active. I would have assumed he would have used the finest soldiers during his reign. That includes the finest out of your troop. If you all were disbanded, despite the interbreeding or other military service, why try to come back?" Sesshomaru asked finally.
"I believe I can answer that one quite easily," a familiar voice said.
Impossible! Sesshomaru thought, stiffening immediately at the voice.
He, Reijiro, and Sanraku all snapped to turn around with widened eyes and wider mouths. Milady! Purple kimono removed and queen's jewelry gone, Milady stood before them in an Okuri-inu indigo overskirt, iron armor like Hikozaemon's but fitted to a woman's shape, leather boots similar in style to Sesshomaru's but wider at the toe with chain mail serving as a cushion between iron plates, and red accessories like ribbons, cords, and a sash tied over the skirt as a belt to decorate her attire. She did wear leather bits underneath her sheer gray kimono such as leggings and a cap on her head that was pinned to her hair with red hairpins, but she also had the trademark Okuri-inu brooch on her shoulders to pull them back and give her a stronger stance. The gold medallion she wore was a bit smaller than the Meido Stone and Hikozaemon II's medallion, signifying that she was of a lower rank than he was, but it was a trademark of the troop and she was a former member nonetheless.
"What is happening right now?" Sanraku demanded in Sesshomaru's place. He seemed to be growing into Jaken's position as the verbal expressor of Sesshomaru's thoughts.
Milady let out a laugh and asked, "You thought I was glued to that stiff old throne perhaps?"
Reijiro stuttered for a solid minute before he spoke, "W-wa-wait a minute! Time out! If you were an Okuri-inu, then the troop disbanded because - !"
"I'm not the entire troop, just a member of the group that retired to raise our little babes," Milady finished, making Sesshomaru growl and narrow his eyes a bit.
"Milady was one of our best female assassins," Hikozaemon II interrupted, smirking at his grandson's reaction to this truth about his family. "But she wouldn't have been much more than a nobleman's wife had she not gone rogue in her youth much like Homugi has done now. That pretty face has leveled many a royal court."
"Why Homugi?" Sesshomaru asked quietly. "There were other young girls who trained to be soldiers. Why her?"
"That is for me to know, little babe," Milady said, smiling brightly. "Regardless of what you decide to do, I will offer apprenticeship to her. She might make the best bounty hunter alive! A boost for female empowerment, I say!"
She's living with Meioshi right now! You can't see her! Sesshomaru thought, feeling a tidbit of panic rising in his chest.
"Besides, I'm supposed to be visiting little Hasumi," Milady said, eyes softening up. "She's being raised in a foster home so to speak."
"You've had a dislike for humans for as long as I can remember. You never even acknowledged Rin as more than my traveling companion. Going so far as to insinuate my saving her was for the sole purpose of eating her. Why do you care about this particular human girl more than any of the humans you've come across?" Sesshomaru asked, pissed at his mother's gentleness towards Hasumi.
"I knew Hasumi's parents quite intimately," Milady answered, smiling sadly. "They were our friends. We shared much in common. Yonamine, Hasumi's mother, was like me. Raised by a noble, sneaking off to play, training to become a warrior, fighting against particular traditions and customs. She was a real wife to Manzo. She loved him. She didn't want anyone else but him. I respected such strength and loyalty. She was the kind of wife I aspired to be. I didn't love Toga like that at first. Haha! I rejected him a lot in our earlier days! But... he grew on me. That charm of his... was a medicine that my soul needed. Being a rogue... just didn't make sense anymore once we started to court each other. Your imp asked me once if I had loved your father. I didn't have an answer for that question because what we had couldn't be boiled down to a singular word. I fought for him and beside him. I may not have wanted to be his loyal partner or his betrothed, but I did become his loyal soldier. I think... when I started to fear my missions... is when I knew I was in trouble. I was afraid there would come a day when I wouldn't come back - a day when I wouldn't see him anymore. He might have been the one to close my eyes or burn my remains. Knowing that didn't put me at ease. When he finally wore me down with his advances, that was it. I claimed retirement. Father there adopted me as his daughter by blade and by marriage - late as it was. You were on the way, so we worked regular jobs to sustain our life with you, little babe. Manzo and Yonamine lived in isolation because it was illegal for them to marry. Though it wasn't illegal for me and your father, our union was rejected by my father and the king before your father, who took an exception to your grandfather. I still don't know why he was so jealous of you, father."
"When you figure it out, let me know..." Hikozaemon II grumbled, taking a sip of his drink the bartender provided for him. The taste was impressive.
"Regardless, our union was not well-liked. We lived in isolation for a while just like they did. Your grandfather was the first to find us and bring us home. Once you were born, our family became stronger. We had our wedding... at your father's tomb. That's why I chose to build it there. Our officiant was that ball-less bull, Shishido! It was a small affair, but it was perfect for us. Only the people who mattered attended. For Manzo and Yonamine, the same thing happened. They fought hard for the right to marry. No one was there when they said their vows to each other or when Yonamine was pregnant with Hasumi. Just like us, Yonamine's father came to bring them home. They had a proper wedding while Yonamine was swollen with child! My feet hurt too bad to do that! They don't tell you much about the foot pain when you're pregnant! It was awful! And your kicks? Whoo! You were a fighter even in my belly!" Milady said, laughing at the memory. "We were there with them throughout it all, though. We told them what we did when it was us. They thrived on our knowledge. When Hasumi was born, we let you play with her. You were still a baby yourself at the time. We age quite slowly in comparison to the humans. Hasumi practiced babysitting with you so she'd be ready for Yonamine's second child. My sister of wifehood... died before she could give birth. That bastard, Azumamaro, killed them! All we could do was protect that little girl and her grandfather. I put them both in a deep sleep while Toga sealed that evil spawn until we could find a way to permanently kill him. He... died before we could do that. He forgot about it... The reason that I care about that little girl is because you and her symbolized peace between demons and humans. That such a thing was achievable. I don't hate all humans. You taught me how to stop hating them, little babe. Your innocent need to play and to socialize helped me overcome that hatred. That's how I became friends to Manzo and Yonamine. What I hated... well, that's something you're just not going to understand. You'd have to be a woman to get it."
"Pardon me for asking this, but... why didn't the rest of your troop stay in active duty while Lord Toga was alive? Was it just because of the kids?" Sanraku asked politely.
"For the women, yes. Toga chose to disband the Okuri-inu officially, however. I never learned why. I didn't know he had done that right around the time my little babe started going to school. I would have never agreed to that!" Milady said.
"None of us would have if he had been forthright about it," Hikozaemon II added. "But he did this in secret. It was only when I had been elected as elder that I learned of this truth. When my former home had been emptied, there was nothing more I could say or do other than try to preserve the important bits of it. The pagoda, or main headquarters, was all that I could save. The treasury is properly guarded by a shield, and the rest is merely sealed away in obscurity with old magic."
"Do you...?" Reijiro started, trying to find his words. "Were you guys involved in the escort mission with the inu along the countryside? The gates were closed and separated us from the humans some years ago. I don't remember seeing your brooches, but there were soldiers who moved in the night to close off contact with the outside world. We lived in seclusion since then."
"I believe only two of the Okuri-inu were involved in that mission. They were investigating for entry points that could have been used by humans. Whatever they found was destroyed immediately and reported. They found quite a few, hence the seclusion," Hikozaemon II answered.
"I accept your mission," Sesshomaru and Reijiro said in unison, gasping at each other's response before looking at each other.
"You will?" Sanraku and Jaken asked in unison, repeating the same actions as the other two.
Sanraku laughed before saying, "Wow! So, do we get the cool cloaks?"
"Only certain ranks get the cloak," Milady answered. "That includes the armor and ribbons you see. Why do you want to join us, though, little babe?"
"You are the lord of the western lands, are you not? Give yourself a chance to be that... taisho... I believe a good king never loses sight of those who are closest and most important to him," Meioshi once said.
"... To give myself a second chance at life," Sesshomaru said quietly, not realizing that Reijiro had a similar thought. "I don't know why you all have been hiding such information, but... I cannot regard this as simply coincidence that you're bringing this to my attention now. I still need to find your Meido Stone. I hadn't forgotten about that. In truth, part of the reason why I want to find it is to have some form of closure. Father's remains have been seen for me. He is gone. His shadow is what I need to leave my soul. There's no medicine for that."
Only a light can hold the shadows back... Sesshomaru thought. My light... finding it... will start here...
"Do you want your Tenseiga back for this?" Milady asked.
"Not presently," Sesshomaru said bitterly. "What is this mission?"
"How do you feel about jewel heists?" Milady asked, smirking devilishly.