read a map? no way! (Sango/Bayushi/OPEN)

[InuYasha]

There was no way that he would have been able to have read that map that Anko girl had given he and Sango. He couldn't believe that she thought he knew how to get there by a map. No, InuYasha could never go and do something like that. It was just stupid. He knew his way to the north in general but he let Sango lead the way and direct him to where they should go.

"Hey Sango! We're almost there, right" he called back to her in question. Leaving Kagome behind wasn't his best idea on this journey but he had to. If the Shikon jewel shards and Naraku were involved, that would have to come first. The old hag at the village, Miroku, and Shippou could protect the girl. If they couldn't well then she could just go back to her own time and be safe there.

They were going through a forest that he didn't like much either. It gave him an errie feeling that just wouldn't go away. It seemed as if something horrible had happened in this place. He gave a "hmph" and crossed his arms in front of his chest as they went on. His golden gaze went back and forth to look at their surroundings every now and then. His white ears stayed pricked forward in an alert manner.

[rin]

Sango tried not to pay attention to the forest around her, the error feeling was enough. Sango sighed at the hanyou's impatianece. "yes inuyasha were here." she said as they made there way to the palace. She sighed once more at her companions lack of waiting on people skill. Rude as ever and just as loud. She knew shed be seeing the lord soon enough. The palace looked beautiful from what she could see so far. But being this close to her home made her want to do to things. Cry and put new flowers on each persons grave.

[InuYasha]

When they had finally reached the front of the castle, he wasn't all that impressed. Although, InuYasha had never really cared for these sort of things. He was fine just sleeping out in the wild where he belonged with the rest of his group. The inu hanyou rolled his eyes and called back, growing impatient as ever. "Hey Barusha people or whatever the hell you're called, we're here," he barked out. "I ain't got all day so hurry up and lets get this over with!" InuYasha cared nothing that the Bayushi had the northern lands or if anyone ruled any lands. It was just stupid in his mind.

[Anko Shosuro]

The wind moved through trees of the wood when a noise in one of the trees sounded through the area. It was the sound of metal on wood and in truth it was a battle mempo falling from one of the branches and into sight. The trees in the area under closer inspection bore the signs of ritual and their basis where growing over bones. The trees themselves were holding armor and weapons. They were in Traitor's Grove. A woman walked up to them and said, "Hail, Sango of the Taijiyu and Inuyasha of the Western Lands. I am Anko Shosuro, and I bed you greetings once more. I am to lead to through Traitor's Grove and to the Palace. Bare this warning, do not steal from the forest, the souls of our greatest traitors are bound forever in this place and they can get temperamental if you steal from them. Also, it is pronounced Bay-U-Shi. It would be wise to remember it before meet the Lord of the palace."

Once she said that, the woman, Anko, who had been the one to summon these two to the palace itself in the first place, turned and began to walk away, and it was clear that she intended them to follow her through the forest and to the palace so that she could introduce them to Lord Bayushi Shoju, as were his current orders to her.

[InuYasha]

InuYasha looked back at Anko again for their second meeting. He still didn't like the fact that he couldn't smell her. InuYasha glared blankly at the woman, still trying to figure her out. 'There's something wrong with her and I don't like it,' the inu hanyou thought to himself. He sniffed the air, trying to test out his sense of smell and picked up anything but her scent again. He could smell things from miles around with that nose of his but not this woman when she'd been only feet away from them. How annoying.

As Anko lectured on about the whole forest and Bayushi thing, he just rolled his eyes, not caring. InuYasha of the West. Hmph. He'd never given himself titles like that even though he was rightfully prince of the west, second-well third now in command since his father was alive. Not that he really paid any attention to the title. It was just there. As he followed her, he started to rant on and complain. "As if I'd take anything anyway. The only thing I want is jewel shards and information on Naraku." He was just so rude.

Thinking it over for a second, he'd decided that he'd now found something else to complain about to this woman that was taking them to the palace. "Why couldn't this lord guy have come to us anyway. I don't get why we have to waste our time coming all the way out here," he went on. "What's up with you anyway? I can't get a single scent off of you." His voice now harbored his curiosity but it also ensured that he demanded answers and wouldn't take no explanation as an answer to his questions.

[rin]

Sango heard her words and nodded " we won't steal from you we promise and thank you for you being so nice." she told the demon. Occ: crappy post

[Anko Shosuro]

As the three of them reached the doors to the palace, having walked the path up the plateau, she turned to Inuyasha and Sango and with a blank look on her face she said, "The answer is simple Inuyasha of the Western Lands, and that is that I have no scent. Beyond that I can not say. And as to why the lord himself has not come to meet you himself, he has other business to attend to, such as war, recent land acquisitions, and the such and will speak with you in his throne room."

As she finished speaking she showed them into the palace, and as she lead them through the corridors two things would become clear, one is that the palace was as opulent and grandiose on the inside as it was on the outside, and second was that it was a labyrinth, and would be difficult to navigate the palace without a guide or a familiarity with the palace. After a few minutes Anko had lead them to two large doors lined with crystal and jade, the doors to the throne room.

Opening the doors she held them open so that Inuyasha and Anko could go through and she said, "Lord Bayuhi Shoju, Lord of the North, Master of Secrets, may I introduce you to Inuyasha of the Western Lands and Sango of the Taijiya." The man on the throne wore battle armor and had a cloth mask stretched across his face, behind the throne was a beatiful woman with a simple mask that accentuated her face and on the other side was a old robed man with half his face covered by a mask. In fact, everyone in the place wore a mask of one kind or another.

[InuYasha]

Someone without a scent. He found that just to hard to believe but decided not to question it any further. This woman wasn't going to tell him anyway. He was sure of that. She must have been using some sort of magic or something to hide her scent. That had to be it! Satisfied that he finally knew what was up with their 'guide' he looked around as they walked through the palace. The place was huge but he didn't think much of it compared to his father's castle. Even though Sesshoumaru had control over it now.

When Anko introduced them to the lord, he just looked up at Shoju Bayushi with a lack of interest on his face. He took a note of the masks that everyone wore and the two people that stood beside this guy. 'He doesn't look that tough,' the hanyou thought to himself. 'So much for a lord.' He smirked back at his own thought before turning those bright golden eyes to the new lord of the north again. "Look I ain't much of one for introductions so let's get straight to the point, alright," he said to Bayushi.

They may have heard that InuYasha wouldn't be on to just sit down and have tea to talk. He had places to go and demons to kill. "What do you want with Sango and what in the hell do you know about the jewel shards and Naraku?" He barked his words out disrespectfully because he was already rude and had no respect for anyone. Why not just go ahead and speak for him and the demon slayer? He knew Sango would be one to be respectful and crap. There was just no time for that right now. He was busy.

[rin]

Sango glared at her hanyou companion as he spoke rude and as always disrespectful. She sighed and hit his shoulder. hard. Inuyasha! She scolded him Forgive his rash and up most rude words, Lord Bayuhi Shoju, We are trying to find all of the shikon jewel shards, and Inuyasha-san is ready to go and find them. SHe gave a low and deep bow. SHe'd be respectful, Unlike Inuyasha. Sango noticed how pretty much everyone wore a mask, she did find that odd, but thought nothing of it.

[Bayushi Shoju]

Shoju looked upon the two that had come to his palace and especially with his arm still sore from his recent run in at the Taijiya village he was in no mood to indulge the simpering of some crass fool, no matter who he might be. The old man at his side leaned over and whispered something in his ear and it caused a slight smirk to cross his face for an instant, "It would seem that one of my advisors seems to think you should be muzzled. I happen to disagree, for now. The business we have to discuss is of far greater importance than your ego Inuyasha so it would be wise to hold your tongue. My lands are vast and expanding, thus it is possible that I have a shard. I might be willing to part with it, under a few conditions."

"The first is that you tell me what you intend to do with it once it is completed, as I have no wish to see the beasts bound within the Jewel freed. The second is that you tell me everything you know about this Naraku, with nothing left out, I will be able to tell if you attempt to deceive me. Finally, you Inuyasha will bend on one knee and formally ask for it." Once he had said that he turned his attention to Sango and looked her over, not in the way a man looks at a woman but in the way a predator looks at his prey.

As his appraising eye looked her over he spoke once again, "Sango of the Taijiya, your village is now mine by right of conquest. As the eldest surviving member of the ruling family you have a choice. Kneel in service to me and join my clan, or abandon any claims on your old home. If you choose to serve I will not force you to abandon your quest." The look on Shoju's face was like stone, it was as if he asked for something minor rather than what he just told to them.

[InuYasha]

A muzzle? Oh what in the hell was this man thinking?! Was he just that stupid? Where was Kagome when he needed her? She needed to get out of that stupid era of hers and come find the jewel shard for him. Then he would know if this just wasn't a waste of time and if this guy really did have a jewel shard. 'Looks like I'll have to take things into my own hands for now,' he thought back to himself. He didn't have the patience for this guys smart mouth and for this time wasted.

"Are you really that stupid, or are you possessed by a brainless demon," he barked back at the lord. It wouldn't be the first time. "You've got a lot of nerve thinking that I'd kneel down to you or that Sango would be your servant! You're nothing but a worthless piece of trash and I'll hack you to pieces!" His eyes narrowed as he placed a clawed hand on his Tetsusaiga and withdrew the blade. The rusty sword glowed and then expanded out, growing into a six food long sharp sword ready to cut down anything.

"If you honestly have to sit there and ask me about Naraku, you're not useful to me in anyway. Even if you do have a jewel shard, I'll still take it. 'Cause one I complete the jewel I'm gonna become a full fledged demon and no one is gonna stand in my way!" His words held a fury in them, the growl in his throat growing louder by the second. "I've had enough of this now." With that, InuYasha took Tetsusaiaga with both hands, getting a tight grip on his blade. It was time to settle this.

As he usually did, the inu hanyou began to race towards the human lord. He had no problem taking a human life if he really needed to. Kagome wasn't here to tell him no. So he had no real sense to himself. InuYasha would just attack with a blind rage. As he ran, the beating if his feet got faster, catching up with their own rhythm. Yes, this was it. He'd take care of this guy and that stupid assistant of his too that said he should be muzzled. When he was sure he was close enough, he lashed out with the blade.

[rin]

Sango gasped at Inuyasha's words. She looked at him as he rushed at him, attacking. Sango went to block the Lord with er boomarang and yelled at her friend INuyasha! Calm Down! She tried to block the attack and tried to make him listen. She spoke to the lOrd Naraku. Desires the Shikon-no-Tama, a jewel that would be able to grant him near-invincibility should he acquire all the pieces of it, Naraku has caused many deaths and in out group especially. He's caused my villager's Death, Implanting mY brother with a jewel shard, so he dies if the shard is taken out. He's curse Monk Miroku's lininge of Men, with a black hole that will eventually suck his whole body up. And Inuyasha could tell you more, for that's all I know. Besides the fact he wants to become stronger, and has many other incarnations of himself. She keeled down to the lord I will serve you, but I will contiune on my quest to find all the jewel shards and kill Naraku! SHe annocued.

[Bayushi Shoju]

Shoju was about to order the deaths of both of them for Inuyasha's actions when Sango spoke in agreement to the deal Shoju made a quick motion with his hand indicating that non lethal means were to be used to deal with Inuyasha. The man to Shoju's right smirked and held out his hands in a ceremonial way and intoned, "May your follies of Karma crush you beneath its vengeance." And with that the spell was cast, and if Inuyasha's will was strong enough he could be unaffected, if it wasn't then his greatest shame and worst moment in his life would come crashing down upon him, crushing him in guilt and shame.

As for Shoju himself he made no attempt to get out of Inuyasha's way, confident in Junzo's spell working, and if it didn't then he had other plans, as this outcome was not an unforeseen outcome to this situation. Though if by some miracle Inuyasha did kill Shoju, well, then one of three people would take over and none of them would be pleased with Inuyasha or his allies. Shoju also spoke a few words to persuade Inuyasha in case the spell failed, "If I die, you will never find it, for it is not here."

[InuYasha]

Lucky for him, he'd been cast under these guilt and shame spells so often by Naraku and others that it didn't even phase him. Having faith in Kikyou, Kagome, Miroku, Sango, and maybe even Shippou was what had made his will strong. He'd no longer let the Kikyou matter get to him much anymore. He and Kikyou had come to peace with each other and settled their differences. Now their only target was Naraku who would be taken down by his own blade or claws. Although Kikyou threatened that she would be the one to take down Naraku.

"Sango," he yelled out when she had blocked his Tetsusaiga with the over sized boomerang of hers. "What in the yell do you think you're doing?!" He took a leap back so the Tetsusaiga would no longer collide with Sango's weapon. He didn't want his sword or her boomerang broken. Well, that was besides the fact that he had no intention with fighting with her. He'd done it once before when Naraky had set Sango against him and their friends, saying that he killed the demon slayer village. There was no point in fighting a friend.

He glared back up at Shoju Bayushi with those sunlit golden orbs that shared his hate towards this new man. "Don't start gettin' to full of yourself, old man," he called back. "Kagome could find the jewel shards in a heart beat no matter where they are!" Kagome. He hoped that she was alright. The last time they had spoken she'd fought with him over the whole comparing her to Kikyou thing. That was a mistake that he didn't care for that much. Although, he didn't allow these emotions to be expressed upon his features.

[rin]

Sango rose from kneeling and looked at Inuyasha Yes, That may be true Inuyasha. But don't you think It's wise to allow him to explain more. Kagome has things she needs to take care of and therefore cannot always be called upon to be a jewel detector. And I hope, one day you will relize this. She has a fmaily back home, another life.[b/] Sango sighed and looked at the silver haired Hanyou,. Hoping somthing would sink in to his hot-head of his.