Author's Note: Sup everyone!
Now I know what some of you, people who've been following or just now learning about me, may be thinking: What's this crap all about?
Well, I have a few other stories that I've been meaning to get to, but this was something I've had on the back burner for a while. I've always been a fan of Inuyasha, probably because the dark gritty nature of the first few seasons of the anime caught my interest back in the day.
After a long while of thinking things over and reading several fan-fictions about it after all these years of being with the franchise, I was like, 'You know what? I think it's time to do something I haven't seen anyone else do.'
I found that I'm the kind of person that likes to inject new things into a universe I like, so I thought for this one, I may introduce a character I've been working on for a while, and no he isn't human, and neither is he going to be paired in a couple with anyone, OC or otherwise. If you can figure out what he is just by the summary you either read or didn't, and/or by the way I will describe him in this first chapter...you might like the possibilities.
As I said in the summary, I haven't decided on the pairings...but I'm kinda leaning on making this almost central on Sesshomaru. Maybe. And maybe...he might end up finding an attraction to a certain Princess WAY into the story...or our favorite demon-slayer...hmm, I'm kinda leaning towards the slayer...heh.
Ahaha, anyway folks, read on, and I'll have more to tell ya at the end of the chapter.
Enjoy!
I hope. :3
Iron-Crushing Fang
The Red Mountain
Chapter One
The Vision
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"Hmm..."
As the night continued to come full circle, a certain half-blood continued to watch the star-filled sky. "..." Though not much time had passed since the journey began, Inuyasha had somehow managed to surround himself with more people than he thought would ever be possible. His Iron-Yellow eyes scanned over the few of them with a slightly admiring gaze. Of course, the first one he met, Kagome, was there huddled in what she called a 'sleeping bag' with the runt of the group and second discovered ally: little Shippo. Travelling a little further, he saw Sango, the now last of the Demon Slayers, and her partner Kirara. When Inuyasha first learned of their relationship, he had been very glad that demons and humans could actually co-exist in such a way. Lastly, there was the Amorous Monk known only as Miroku. {Hn, fucking creepazoid.} And while Inuyasha thought of the Monk as a pain in the bum, he was willing to acknowledge the fact that the young man at least had his morals in the right place and added to the team.
"Something on your mind Inuyasha?" The elderly Totosai asked in his normal, nonchalant tone. "What's it to yah old geezer?" Inuyasha now seemed rather irritated, seeing as the new face they had recently met had decided to speak to him. Yes the older demon at least knew his stuff when it came to Tessaiga, but the half-blood still didn't give much of a damn, perhaps because he was quick to be irritated with anyone, even more-so when it came to a rather belligerent character like the old sword-smith.
Whether the bug-eyed demon knew that or not was anyone's guess. "Well, you know, ain't no sense sitting around not talking about anything. 'Specially since Sesshomaru is still out there." The half-blood rolled his eyes at the old man's words. "Like I give a flying fuck. If Mr. High And Mighty decides to come back I'll make sure to put him back in his place." For what it was worth, perhaps Inuyasha was right to be confident, but Totosai knew better. "Dontcha remember what I told yah the other day? I said that Sesshomaru would be stronger now that he understands what you've learned." The elder sighed in exasperation, continuing on with his observation. "In fact, Sesshomaru already has the strength to kill you whenever he wants. That, and speed are all he needs to put ya down Inuyasha. I'm more surprised by the fact that he's been taking it rather easy on you."
{Here we go...} The half-breed growled in annoyance. "Just what the hell do you think you're trying to sell me dammit." With the question finally asked, Totosai now knew he had something to explain to him. "Haven't you wondered at least once why Sesshomaru hasn't pierced or hacked ya to pieces just by running circles around ya?" When it was obvious Inuyasha was waiting for him to continue, he did so. "As you probably can tell already, Sesshomaru has speed and power over you. All it takes is one of his arms to defeat you. Time and again he's been able to stop you from swinging Tessaiga, even zooming straight to you before you can even finish saying a single word."
"..."
The old man had a point. In every battle they've had so far, The Killing Perfection dominated Inuyasha each and every single time. The reasons the Great Demon had 'lost' those few times was because he simply underestimated Inuyasha or his allies. Even Totosai himself had gotten everyone out of trouble by using at least one technique that took Sesshomaru by surprise and forced the Greater Demon to fall back slightly, only to realize a diversion had just been placed between him and his prey.
And as Inuyasha pondered it further, he realized that the only reason Sesshomaru lost his left arm was because of the power of Tessaiga, not the half-blood himself. Inuyasha on his own would never have been able to rip the limb off by himself. He frowned but huffed at the same time. "Alright, so maybe you're right. That don't change the fact that I've beat'im every time."
"Not exactly Master Inuyasha."
Before either Totosai or Inuyasha could say anything more, the latter immediately felt something prick his neck. "Ouch!"
With a quick slap, the half-blood squished whatever it was that had just bitten him, and when he looked at his hand, he realized who had done it, much to his annoyance. "Oh, it's you Myoga." He remarked with a scowl.
"Ggghhh...uhhhh..."
Totosai leaned forward and watched as the small flea puffed himself up back into shape. "Oh, hello Myoga. Fancy meeting you in these parts."
"Hnngh, yes, Totosai, hnn, great to see you to. Anyway Inuyasha, did you manage to hear what I said?"
The half-blood watched as the tiny creature jumped off his hand and took his own spot near the fire. "Loud and clear. Yeah I know, Sesshomaru's a lot stronger and faster than I am. Plus he's a fully trained and full blooded demon. Mixed in with the fact that he has several different powers afforded him because of those facts, yeah, I see where you guys are going." He began, popping his neck and readjusting his posture. He glanced lazily to the side, knowing that one of the others had just awoken, judging from the change in her breathing, though he had just barely noticed.
"Well..." Totosai began once again, though with a look of surprise. "That's uh, that's actually exactly what I was gonna tell ya. You know Myoga, Inuyasha's a lot smarter than he looks."
A tick mark appeared on the Hanyo's forehead. Before he decided to bop the elder demon on the head however, he and the other two heard a sharp intake of breath.
"It ain't exactly morning sleepyhead. Sorry if we woke you."
The other two followed Inuyasha's gaze and watched.
Sango had just woken up.
"Hmm..." She quietly hummed tiredly, eyes still closed and shifting in her spot. "Nnnnn...no...you're fine...I just had a really strange dream." Eyes slowly opening, the girl blinked twice, and then, she began to sit up, all the while delicately running her hand through her hair.
"Yeah well sorry anyway. You hungry or anything?"
The winds slightly billowed as the stars continued to sparkle, and the full moon continued to shine down and illuminate everything, even the mountains to the northeast. "Maybe..." The Demon Slayer finally rubbed her eyes and yawned, holding her hand in front of her mouth. How odd, she thought. She had never once been subjected to something so...unusual. {That was much more vivid than I would have liked...and for some reason I feel like I've seen something like that somewhere...}
The other three were a little concerned now, not exactly liking how Sango's aura seemed to be that of anxiousness and...just barely a small bit of fear.
"Are you alright Sango? You look as if you just entered the demon's den." Myoga jumped to the other side of the fire, allowing her to see his tiny form.
The other two waited for a response.
For the short time that Inuyasha's group had been together, not once had Sango been one to be nervous about anything. She had only been made out to be someone that had a stone-hard will, and for a human, she had physical strength great enough to actually damage Inuyasha, were she to hit him dead on with the Hiraikotsu.
For her to be in the rather tumultuous state, she must have had a very terrible nightmare to have even be affected, though Inuyasha could smell that her negative state was only minimal. Sure she didn't feel right, but whatever just transpired in the dream world wasn't enough to make her a mess.
She was just that tough.
"...hmm..." The girl was a little hesitant. In her experience, dreams were just dreams. There was never anything to take into consideration, perhaps because of the simple fact that the illusions of the mind were always a jumbled mess, never being discernible once the person experiencing it would awaken from sleep.
Why was it then, that this particular experience carried so much depth that even though she couldn't remember it all...some events within the dream had been able to bring her to a state of apprehension?
{I suppose it wouldn't hurt...perhaps Myoga or Totosai would know what it's all about, given the fact that they've been around for hundreds of years.}
Moving away from her things and making it so Kirara wouldn't wake, she quietly moved and took a spot next to the fire. "I'm not one to make assumptions from nothing, but considering the fact that Naraku was a key factor in this nightmare, I think I should share it with you."
The other three tensed immediately, and Inuyasha jumped to his feet purely by instinct. "What?!" He hissed quietly, completely taken off guard. "I was under the impression that dreams of others weren't something that you took so seriously Master Inuyasha." Myoga looked at him strangely, because even if Naraku was the reason for Sango's unease, surely a young spirit like Inuyasha did not give two fucks about what dreams could possibly bring to the real world.
"It's Naraku we're talking about here. Anything involving that bastard is dangerous. Alright Sango, tell us what happened."
For a moment, only the crackling of the burning wood was heard.
"I can't remember all of it...but the main things are there." The young slayer sighed, bringing all of her voluminous hair to the front of her left shoulder and twiddling with it as she thought of how to put it all into words. "At first, it was just the white bamboo we all know running through some sort of dark and dead forest...coincidentally, it looked like the barren terrain of the valley inside of the Red Mountains."
"Hmm, so then you may already have something we can extrapolate from. The Red Mountains are not very far away from here."
Inuyasha glared at Myoga for interrupting.
"Anyway..." Sango continued. "...That was one thing. The next was some sort of large animistic demon we were fighting. I can't exactly remember what kind it was, but I knew it could talk, so I would say that so far, if my dream is actually some sort of premonition, it looks like Naraku's planning to get another or more demon's to fight us. The area this was happening at seemed to be against some sort of large stone structure, built into the mountainside. It wasn't a building so much as it was a large structural carving that looked like an entrance to a very...foreign looking castle or...temple, like something from another culture entirely..."
Totosai raised an eyebrow, though his huge round eyes made that hard to notice. {That actually sounds familiar.}
Myoga seemed to be more tense than usual.
Inuyasha was much too focused on Sango's story to notice the other two.
It was then that the young woman's aura dampened, remembering why she had been so anxious from the start.
"This is where everything get's...a little crazy. All I remember is that the structure was large enough to fit a large crowd, with pillars holding up the ceiling and sticking out of the mountainside...but there was something at the end of the structure, along the wall." She shuddered, remembering the overwhelming presence of whatever she had seen. "It was a large...crystalline monolith. And when I say large, I mean it was absolutely massive. You could probably fit several centipede demon's inside of it."
That's when Inuyasha finally said something. "So basically it's big enough to fit my brother in his real form in there and have plenty of leg space."
Only Sango didn't actually know what he meant, but the other two knew exactly how it would look like, if she were to give more details.
"Um, I suppose...I wasn't aware that Sesshomaru had more than one form..." Such a fact made Sango think as she minutely remembered the powerful and elder brother of Inuyasha, but she quickly dispelled the image of the daiyokai and got back to her dream. "As I was saying...this monolith was made purely of Ruby...or red gemstone...but, it wasn't the structure, the monolith, or even the dead forest around that scared me...it was whatever was inside the monolith."
She made herself more comfortable, and for a moment, she turned her chocolate colored eyes to the star-filled sky. "Naraku was doing something. He was in front of some sort of stone podium, and his arms were in the air, as if he were performing a spell."
"..."
"..."
"..."
This was becoming a little too weird. For whatever the reason, everyone was getting a foreboding feeling as Sango continued.
"Along the way, that same animal-like demon showed up. Oh! Now that that I remember, it might have been some sort of humanoid fish, with a lot of teeth. As the dream went on, I kept hearing something, a heartbeat."
Totosai and Myoga sat straight at attention. Inuyasha looked at them strangely but said nothing.
For the first time, Sango shuddered. "Now I remember why I woke up..." The other three were immediately surprised to sense the fear in her aura, and were even more baffled when a single tear came out of her left eye. "Some of it I can't remember through that short expanse of time...but by the end of the dream, I was on the stone floor in the center of the structure. Naraku was far back at the entrance where the podium was and for whatever the reason, I was full of cuts, I was bleeding everywhere, and I could barely move. That's when everything took a turn for the worse."
She held her hand over her mouth, having difficulty bearing the weight of the nightmare and yet furious that she was so affected. "The monolith had begun to pulse, and the heartbeats continued. After a certain amount of time of trying to find something I could use to even get up, Naraku yelled something I couldn't comprehend at the moment, and the monolith exploded into dust and shattered gemstone."
Inuyasha's eyes trailed to the others, realizing that they had awoken not long after Sango had. {Looks like they've heard everything so far.}
"When it was all said and done, I just remembered seeing black trees with red leaves, all across the valley of the Red Mountains. Then, I saw a white light in the middle of the tainted landscape of the valley, in the direct center of the massive lake...but then my vision cleared, and I realized that the red dust or smoke that came from the monolith was surrounding me...and there was something inside of it as well."
Inuyasha felt he already had it figured it out, and huffed. However, instead of saying something that would make him sound like a dick, he decided to word his thoughts with manners. "So, you're saying Naraku pretty much woke up some sort of long hibernating demon?"
Sango's reaction caught him off guard. She had a pleading expression and her eyes once more shimmered with moisture. "No." She replied quietly. "I...I don't know what I was seeing...there was just too much dust...I just heard a low bellow...but...it didn't sound like something from a demon. It sounded like a very large, nature-born animal. An Alpha-Predator."
At this, neither Totosai nor Myoga had any doubts of what they were hearing about.
"'Alpha-Predator?'" Miroku finally asked, sitting up from his spot groggily.
Kirara immediately jumped into Sango's lap to console her.
"The fuck is an Alpha-Predator?" Of course the suspense was very much reeling in the ever boisterous half-blood.
"An Alpha-Predator is an animal that is at the top of the food chain in it's given environment." Kagome as well got up from her spot and decided to sit next to her female friend. "At least that's the term to describe it in my time."
"Few creatures outside of demons have ever obtained such status, dragons being one of them. Well actually, I have never heard of any other creature obtaining such a title. A creature with high intelligence or great demons such as Lord Sesshomaru are usually only known by what they are, in Sesshomaru's case, 'Daiyokai' is fitting enough. Creatures with lesser than or equal intelligence to that of a human, yet dwarf all others around them can obtain the title of 'Alpha-Predator.' The term can be given to any higher beast whether it be a dragon or not, though I cannot say I've heard of a creature other than Ryūkotsusei who had earned that right. Have you Totosai?"
The blacksmith held a finger up and opened his mouth in preparation to say something, but Inuyasha beat him to it.
"Ryūkotsusei?" He asked.
"He was an enemy of your father long ago Inuyasha."
Once more, and in the same fashion, Totosai was about to say something, but once again, someone beat him to it.
"Let me finish please." Sango lightly dabbed at her moistened eyes and shook her head, sniffling once. The others took the hint and waited, though Totosai hung his head.
"...hhhh..."
The others waited, more than concerned that Sango was actually as distraught as she was.
Clearing her throat and looking at the fire solemnly, she continued. "I don't know if it was because I knew I was dying from my wounds, or that I had apparently been helpless against whatever plot Naraku had just used me in...but when I realized I was in the presence of something I knew I couldn't defend myself against...I lost all hope. When I finally decided to try and look up, I saw it."
The moisture returned to her eyes. "I've fought many demons in my young life, seen things that would make the average grown man practically die from fear...but after what I saw, or lack thereof, fear gripped me almost as bad as it had when I lost my little brother."
Inuyasha's pensive stare along with the looks of concern from the others urged her to finish.
"At first, I just saw the shadow...but when I finally managed to look all the way up, the dust had turned obsidian black. A massive jaw came first. The bottom half was hidden by the sharp teeth of the upper half, and from there, I saw...the snout? Nose? Due to being in the black-ish red haze however, it made it hard for me to see the brow-line atop where the eyes would be. Whatever it was, it was reptilian in nature, and had a massive elongated skull. I would not, however, call it a dragon. Those creatures have a sleek elegance to them, and their bodies are serpentine...but this creature stood on two massive legs and was heavily muscled."
Totosai and Myoga exchanged glances, and a little sweat began to appear on their heads.
"This...beast, was very tall, but it was much more long from head to tail than it was tall from feet to the hip...it was one of the oddest shaped creatures I've ever seen. It's posture resembled that of a horse actually, but with only two legs and the center of it's being around said legs. To put this into perspective...my home back at the village is around thirty-six feet tall, and I remember it exactly...and if I were to have seen the beast stand next to it, the hip would be at the exact same height of the roof. It also had the smallest arm-to-body ratio I had ever seen, which was odd. They also only had two claws at the end of each appendage."
Being who he was and having faced the creatures he's faced, Inuyasha wasn't that surprised, but it got him thinking. {That's pretty huge... not that I haven't seen bigger.}
Any doubts he had, however, were put to the test.
"That's very large, but there are demons far taller and larger than that, some breeds of ogre demons being two hundred feet in height actually because of their humanoid shapes...but as is always the case, size isn't everything."
Kirara mewed, doing what she could to help ease Sango's worries.
"Never in my life have I felt such an overpowering presence. As soon as I was able to make out the beast's physical form, it bellowed again, released it's aura, and I literally became paralyzed...and then I saw it's eyes." The demon slayer gripped her hair and bit back her urge to react with sound from her voice-box.
"They were glowing a blazing orange, like molten lava. The way it was looking at me...I honestly couldn't tell what it intended. I knew I was much too small to provide proper sustenance to it, but I couldn't be sure. It was then I realized that it had large horns on it's head. Having been only a few feet away from it, it had to look straight down at me..."
She inhaled and exhaled as she told the last of her tale.
"Without warning, the creature snarled once, and roared towards the skies. At that instant, my perspective in the dream went over the entirety of the lands. I could see everything in edo, and I realized that the beast's roar, it's presence and it's power were being pushed so far that every creature for miles were becoming aware of the beast's coming. I couldn't help but think more-so how animals were better able to understand the situation than either humans or demons."
Her eyes shimmered as she finished. "As soon as the event concluded, I was back in my body...the beast reared it's head back and opened it's jaws. When it looked like it intended to eat me, I forced myself to wake up."
The only person who understood how strange this actually was, was Kagome, at least in terms of suspecting what the creature was. {If this was just a normal animal...not a demon...reptilian-like...then why or how can it have horns?} She had an idea as to what kind of animal it was, and it actually excited her. The 'having horns' part was extremely unusual, but in a time where demons existed, she knew that Sango's dream couldn't be so far-fetched. But, the simple fact that Sango was so heavily affected was enough to tell the miko and the others that if this creature did in fact exist...perhaps it would be best to track down it's would-be wake-up caller and stop him.
"Alright. Hold it." Inuyasha dramatically pointed at the two elder demons. "I ain't one to be superstitious or nothin' but I'm pretty sure that being who she is, Sango has something we should probably think over. The only reason I think that is cuz I can clearly tell you old geezers know something! SO SPILL IT!"
"Gah!" Both demons lifted up their hands in surprise.
Kagome meanwhile put an arm around Sango's shoulders, giving a small hug in order to help out Kirara. Obviously what the tajiya had just experienced was something with an incredible amount of weight. {This is what friends are for.} The young future-girl thought with a small smile. Sango herself continued to rub Kirara's little tummy.
"Yes," Miroku finally decided to speak again. "I also noticed how the two of you seem to understand the magnitude of Sango's dream. Perhaps you both could enlighten us?"
"Yeah, another story sounds pretty great!" On the inside, Shippo was more frightened than he cared to admit, but he kept a strong front so as not to let anyone know.
"..."
"...Uhhh..."
Both of the elders looked at each other nervously.
Totosai would begin when both looked at everyone else. "Well...not a lot of legends are told simply to be engaging. Many stories passed down from respected demons and humans all over are usually something one should always remember and respect. That also goes for the Legend of 'The Tyrant Lizard King', as spoken about first and foremost from your father, Inuyasha."
Of all the people to react with an incredible amount of shock, it would be Kagome, and for good reason. "No way!" She said, bringing her hands to her face and barely containing her excitement.
You could just see question marks appear over the cranium of everyone present. "What's with you?" Inuyasha asked with beady eyes.
The girl shook her head furiously and sat patiently like a good little student. "Please Totosai, go on!" She clapped her hands with a big smile and waited.
By this point, multiple question marks appeared above everybody else.
Rather than ask if she somehow knew what he was talking about, which was exactly what he wanted to do, Totosai opted to go on and tell the tale. "Yes, uh, well, about nine-hundred years ago, or something, seeing as it was before even Sesshomaru was born, Myoga, I and another friend Saya were out and about with Inuyasha's father. I believe it was a simple fishing trip. Boy was that dog very laid-back when he wasn't playing the part of ruler. He was more down to earth than any of you youngsters here."
Myoga chuckled and nodded his head in agreement.
Inuyasha perked up a bit, not knowing any details about his old man, but made no comment.
"Anyways, around noontime, all three of us were on the large boat the man had built himself. Of course all of us were just lounging around, waiting for the next big catch of the day, when the Master had just up and chuckled out of nowhere. At first I just asked him, 'feeling a little tipsy?' We had been drinking, but of course, strong beverages couldn't actually affect the man. No, he had just remembered a tale from the days when he himself was a youngster. The reason for that was because at the time, we were in fact within the valley of The Red Mountains. Back then however, everything was very much alive. And Sango..." He looked at her carefully, to which she paid more attention.
"Back in those days, all the trees had red leaves year-round. That, and they were known for their charcoal-black bark, sometimes shiny obsidian during the right weather conditions."
For a few moments, the crackling of the burning wood seemed more apparent as everyone digested what he had just said.
Once he let that sink in, he continued, noticing how much Sango had taken his story more seriously.
"You see, Inuyasha's grandfather was actually the one to have told the Master of the legend. It goes something like this..." Popping his back a few times and getting in a better seated position, he continued. "A very long time ago, long before humans and demons appeared on the face of the earth, there were a race of large, scaled creatures that ruled the earth for an inconceivably long amount of time, so long in fact, that the time from which they appeared to the time they died out, absolutely dwarfs the amount of time us demons and you humans have been strutting about."
Kagome's excitement seemed to grow as she took in that fact, having a feeling as to what he was talking about.
"They were said to have been magnificent creatures, adapting to any and all environments of the world and dominating any region they were found, including the oceans and the skies. One species of their kind however, appeared towards the end of the time from which they would reign. These creatures were carnivores. They existed along all the upper continents of the world, and they were some of the greatest of predators alongside few other land-dwelling carnivores. By our standards now, they were just simple and effective predators, far outshining any animal of today, though I would think higher demons could take them out. That is not the point however. The point..." He paused dramatically for effect.
"...Is that one, just one, was dramatically different from all the rest of it's kind. Some say that it happened at birth, some say creatures from beyond our world came to the earth and specifically experimented with this one...others say that the gods themselves tampered with this beast...but whatever the case, one thing is certain. When all these majestic animals died, it happened because of a massive rock the size of an island falling from the sky, hitting the earth with such speed and force that the resulting explosion and shock-wave damaged all of the earth badly enough that all large animals of that time period were lost forever. This beast however, was not. It survived through it. Somehow, this carnivore had changed so dramatically that it became known as the 'Alpha-Predator' of the entire world. With abilities you would only know to be wielded by supernatural entities, it continued to exist long after the rest of it's kind disappeared."
There was the magic word again.
By now, everyone had long since lost their sleepiness, and they eagerly waited for him to continue.
Totosai sighed.
"The age of this creature far exceeds that of any great demon to have existed thus far, considering the fact that it was born and has existed for so long,and somehow, it has continued to thrive, or so say the legends. Anyway, the reason we know of it now, is because since the dawn of demons and humans alike, this creature was said to have surfaced during tumultuous times."
For once in a long time, the old blacksmith became very serious.
"I don't know what it did for the time span before demons and humans existed, but once both species did appear, they sure got a wake up call. Some called it a literal force of nature. When wars would arise, depending on how terrible they were, this beast was said to appear each and every time, especially when a supposed enough amount of 'malice' appeared in a large space, overtaking whole colonies. Imagine entire armies of two opposing sides being absolutely decimated, be it humans or demons. Only the first greater demons are the ones said to have excellent memory of the beast, but how many of those witnesses still live today? Apparently, Inuyasha's grandfather once witnessed the beast, when he himself was just a boy."
The others blinked. "Damn. That was a long ass time ago then." Inuyasha muttered more to himself than the blacksmith.
"Precisely. In fact...his description of the beast was spot on with what Sango just described. Coupled with the fact that Sango apparently 'dreamed' of exactly how the landscape of the Red Mountains used to be, and the description of what Naraku was doing and where he was...then maybe, just maybe, 'The Tyrant Lizard King' may be returning after several thousands of years, long after the last 'historical' time he was sighted."
Myoga would speak next, nodding his head the whole while. "Yes, I agree. The one single factor that may very much determine this theory as fact, is what you stated to have heard, Sango."
Still rubbing the small Kirara's belly, Sango looked at Myoga placidly. "What's that?"
Totosai and Myoga exchanged glances once again. "'The Heartbeat.'"
Myoga expected them to say something, but he realized they were silently questioning him instead, so he answered. "The legend of The Tyrant Lizard King has always made clear that in very certain situations or circumstances, with the factors and scenarios that would create something as important as a war, when the beast has his sights set on you, you will hear his coming. This trademark is the booming sound of his heart. Like the beginnings of a fire roaring to life, or the booming of thunder to signify the coming of the storm, the heartbeat of this Alpha-Predator is a warning sign. Whether it's intentional or not, I have no idea. Though I've never heard something like that, even in nigh-indestructible demons like Sesshomaru or the late General himself, the possibility is there, given how Legendary this beast is said to be."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Also as I should mention, just to be clear, The Red Mountains were said to be the territory of The Tyrant Lizard King when he first came to these lands. So, as you can guess Sango, you now have much reason to be either excited or afraid, because it was said that he was the reason the landscape was once the way it was." Totosai gave his last statement on the matter, before adding more wood to the fire.
For a little while, it grew quiet as everyone took the information in.
As it were, there was much to take in, perhaps even more-so for Sango. It wasn't every day that something of such high magnitude appeared in the dreams of anyone, but perhaps, given the history of Sango and her people, it's not inconceivable that something like this would occur. What is more surprising is that someone with spiritual powers, like Kagome or Kikyo have not had such an occurrence.
"So then..." Miroku drew everyone's attention. "Now that we have something of great importance on our hands...what exactly is our next course of action? Do we look for Naraku and try to stop him? I can understand that what Sango may have had was just a dream...but I would rather be safe and stop the coming of something that may be our undoing, rather then believe it as merely a coincidence that her mind somehow managed to illustrate things from the actual past."
"Like it matters anyway." Inuyasha stated with a huff. "I got the Tessaiga. I'll just hack the bastard to pieces if he comes knocking, or more likely, Sesshomaru might do him in if the bastard feels a territorial, high-powered animal decided to invade his turf, in other words The West. We ain't gonna be in trouble whether this 'legend' shows up or not."
"Inuyasha, while I can agree that this age-old beast wouldn't have much of a bone to pick with us, there is to consider the fact that this beast is also an animal. What makes you think he won't decide to eat us if we end up being close by? Being a predator, I don't think he'll differentiate between good or bad, if he's hungry enough. Besides that point, you ain't nowhere near enough to even be considered average with the use of the Tessaiga."
Inuyasha was already close to bopping the old sword-smith on the head. "You calling me weak?"
"No, I'm calling you way overconfident, blind, and just all-around arrogant in thinking you can beat down anyone or anything that happens to cross yer path. It just ain't healthy thinking ya know."
"Tch, whatever. All I care about is finding the jewel shards, so if Naraku does happen to be in the Red Mountains, then we can go after him. In the meantime, we'll just stay sharp and keep an eye out for random demons with the shards."
"Don't you think this is more of a choice for Sango to decide Inuyasha?" Kagome looked at him inquisitively, knowing she had a worthy point. At this point and time, the only plan everyone originally had going was to do exactly what Inuyasha had stated: Look for the jewel shards. Finding and destroying Naraku was also a key factor in that, so perhaps, letting Sango make a decision at least this one time should be fine, yeah?
"Mew."
Inuyasha eyed Kirara when she jumped off of Sango, walked up to him, sat on her butt and looked at him expectantly.
From there, the half-blood looked at the others and realized that only Sango wasn't looking at him as if expecting him to say yes. Rolling his eyes, he caved in and threw his hands up. "Fine, whatever, whatcha wanna do Sango?" Kirara immediately mewed in delight and jumped on him, licking his face in the process.
And then, there was a small waiting period. If it had been another person, they might have just ended up shrugging it off as mere coincidence, or perhaps they would have been too afraid to take action.
Sango was no coward. Any fear she had would only be the fear of losing someone. Perhaps she felt fear from this supposed legend merely because nightmares tend to make one completely vulnerable, in which case, she knew that now here in the real world, she was more than ready to face this new 'fear.' So, with not much to think over, she looked around at everyone before nodding to Inuyasha. "I think the best course of action would definitely be to head to the Red Mountains, at least for a day or two. Surely if my dream was anything to go by, then perhaps Naraku will eventually go snooping around over there. I'm sure your nose will catch him before he can make much progress. For some reason I want to go already, but if everyone wants to wait until tomorrow so we can gather supplies and food, I can wait."
"Damn." Inuyasha immediately remarked as he scratched his head. "I didn't think of doing that. That's pretty damn smart Sango. Alright. I'm ready whenever. I guess it's up to everyone else on when we leave. Who votes for tomorrow so we can get some shit together?"
It would be all but he and Sango, and Kirara who would raise their hands.
He shrugged. "Alright, I guess that settles that. Tomorrow we'll look for a village, then we'll go to one of the clean rivers to stock up on water and I'll get us a deer for food."
With the plan set in motion, everyone except the sword-smith, the flea, and the dog-boy went back to their sleeping spots.
As time went by, only one factor remained on Sango's mind. Having decided to lay upon the now transformed Kirara, she snuggled up against her best friend as the prominent thing in her mind came back. "..." Her chocolate colored eyes started to grow heavy, but as sleep began to take over, she just couldn't help but remember The Heartbeat of the Alpha-Predator... because even though it had been foreboding...it had also been...soothing?
Thump thump...thump thump...
OOO
The Next Day...
The clouds would cover the sky in a light shade of gray today.
It was still early morning, but everyone was already awake. Plans were made, and the small group was moving.
Though neither Totosai or Myoga really wanted to be a part of the apparent inevitable, they were not dishonorable. They owed it to the late Great Dog Demon General to watch over Inuyasha and his friends, especially on a venture like this. More likely than not, they felt Naraku would eventually fall by the hands of the group, but if something such as an age-old myth described as an unstoppable force of nature did in fact arise, they needed to be there to make absolutely sure this wouldn't be the arrival of a new evil.
If it wasn't in fact evil, then perhaps, they may in fact gain an ally.
Only time would tell.
OOO
Elsewhere...
"..."
"...One...two...I see three fish Master Jaken!" A young girl whispered loudly as she and a small green imp stood in the small creek. "Huh? Where?!"
"..."
On the shoreline, propped up against a tree, an elegant figure was calmly watching the conversing two. "..." With eyes mirroring a cauldron of liquid gold, the figure known as the 'Killing Perfection,' or perhaps 'Destruction Of Life,' Sesshomaru, Lord of The Western Lands and first-born son of the late General, continued to observe his two wards, every once in a while surveying the skies. His sense of smell alone was enough to keep him up to date at all times on what was going on around them for miles.
"..."
Long had the past few days been, as travelling was all that they were really doing. However, being who he was, he was extremely patient, and so far, there was no direct goal he had as of yet. However, there was something of importance that he noticed some time ago, not long after he saved young Rin, in fact. {Centuries have passed since father's death...yet it seems something from our past has decided to reemerge.} His eyes watched as Jaken finally caught a rather large one, but from there, his eyes traveled to the northeast.
And there he saw the Red Mountains.
Or at least, they used to be red in color.
Although, that was not exactly why he decided to gaze in that particular direction.
"Way to go Master Jaken! That fish is huge!"
"Well you have to admit, I do seem to have the fisherman's luck!"
"..."
Though he often rarely slept due to his extraordinary stamina, there were still a few times when he would sleep in a sitting position while on guard, always when he knew there were no immediate threats around. Since his last encounter with Inuyasha, and nearly being destroyed by the Tessaiga's Windscar, Sesshomaru started to get some sort of...'vision.' This had never once occurred in the past, and as it stood, he was a very coherent and focused individual, so he knew that he was not growing ill in the mind by any means.
{Perhaps the myths of old do in fact have some amount of truth...the question that remains however, is why do I continually see a revitalized version of The Red Mountains and the valley within it? That terrain does not belong to any of the the other lords, or myself. It has continued to be neutral territory since the days of old. Even father saw it as a blessing during the times of war.} And then there was to consider the fact that virtually everything within The Red Mountains was no longer hospitable, at least for humans.
Centuries ago, due to recent wars, fires, battling demons and the use of deadly poisons by nearly all factions one could think of eventually turned the beautiful landscape into a barren, dead wasteland. Most humans that traveled through there for whatever forsaken reason were usually never heard from again. Sesshomaru was more than willing to believe that the more violent ones of demon-kind decided to use the deceased forest of the valley during the night, when prey was too desperate to go anywhere else to some foreign salvation.
Normally, none of the aforementioned facts would have been any concern for the current Lord of the West.
"Look Lord Sesshomaru! Jaken and I caught another huge one just for you!"
He turned his eyes momentarily to observe a catfish so large that it required Jaken to hold it. And, it was actually larger than the two of them. And of course, there was little Rin standing next to the small imp, her hands extended in 'glamorous' fashion and with a big smile in place.
He nodded once. "Jaken, two more. The first three for us, and the last one for the road."
The ever devoted follower heaved and launched his Lord's new meal next to the other one. "Yes, Milord."
"Shall I go and make my special berry sauce Lord Sesshomaru?"
"..." Sesshomaru was not one to give praise, but if he were to start doing so, he might begin with young Rin. Somehow, she continued to catch his attention every day in some way, usually by displaying a high intelligence when it came to problem solving or figuring things out in general. Only a few days ago, the girl had made it known that she knew how several different plants worked, and she knew how to utilize some forms of fruit for food. She had explained that she new how to take certain berries, crush them, and mix them to make a sort of sauce for food, mostly fish dinners. Due to her knowledge of that, he had actually sent Jaken to get cooking utensils for their travels, and special items like a sieve for the girl, so that she would be able to strain the flesh from berries if she wanted to keep only the juices.
The daiyokai himself had become fond of Rin's talent for using the resources of nature for such practical means, even if it was just to make a meal that much more delicious. Even Jaken stuffed his face many times when she would come up with something good. With a simple nod, Sesshomaru gave her the affirmative. "Do as you like." He watched her eyes light up, and gave her one last statement. "Take Ah-Un with you if you intend to go far."
Nodding with an even bigger smile, the girl went to the two-headed dragon and lead them by the reigns.
"..."
He watched her go.
She would be safe, he knew.
Once more, his eyes turned to the Red Mountains. He certainly had much to consider, considering the fact that since yesterday, he had locked on to the scent of a familiar thorn in his side. {Perhaps I will go inspect and observe the current machinations of that pitiful Naraku later today...while I have no interest in The Red Mountains, the fact remains that it was once a place my father could call a second home. If that lurid pathetic mutant has decided to further taint the area with his presence, I will simply have to end him sooner than later.}
With that decision made, Sesshomaru made himself further comfortable, and awaited the return of young Rin.
OOO
Some Several Miles Away...Later On In The Day...
None were more concerned about this new trip than Sango.
Much of the day had passed, and all of it had been uneventful. Simple chit-chat had taken place as they all traveled at a calm and steady pace. It wasn't as if they were in some sort of hurry. {It's probably nothing...I don't even entirely understand what exactly had gone on in my dream. Everyone else is in a good mood...I should feel happy that my friends are so confident in keeping me well that they aren't even worrying about what might happen...} She allowed a small smile to grace her lips. {Everything will be fine.}
"...and I already said that that spicy ramen ain't exactly my favorite ya know!"
"Well it's not like I'm bringing food just for you, you jerk!"
And of course, Inuyasha and Kagome were bickering again, due to the half-blood himself.
"Perhaps we should find something else to dwell upon, my friends." Miroku decided to intervene, although he wasn't against seeing Inuyasha get 'sat.' And before the others could ask, he continued to speak. "Such as perhaps, the history of the place we are going...now that we have made it."
Sango herself hadn't actually realized how far they had gotten until now, right as Miroku pointed it out. The trees of the environment had been slowly disappearing until the elevation grew high enough that they could look back and see all of the land that they usually traveled. The young woman looked around, then in the direction they were going. It would only be several steps before they made it over the lip of the valley within.
"Come on guys, I wanna see what all the fuss...is...about?" Shippo stopped dead in his tracks when he made it to the top, beating everyone there.
Inuyasha had smelled it long in advance. "Shoulda payed more attention kid...it ain't a pretty sight is it?"
Totosai and Myoga already knew how awful the landscape had become, but it was a whole other story for everyone else.
"By the gods..." Sango looked on, unable to shake the horrible feeling that came over her.
"Such a tragedy...I have always hated it when nature is ravaged..." And by all that he stood for, Miroku would make sure all the unfortunate souls lost in this valley would have a proper burial.
"So this is the valley of The Red Mountains? This...this is just so sad."
"..."
"..."
"..."
As far as the eye could see, nothing but rotten trees stretched far and wide. There wasn't a living thing around for miles.
Myoga jumped onto Sango's shoulder. "In terms of overall size, this valley is around forty-six miles long and sixteen miles wide. A perfect sized territory for something as menacing as a daiyokai or an Alpha-Predator. As you all can see, this is no longer hospitable land for any human. Although there are caves in the mountains, and there is plenty of wood for fire as you can tell. Thanks to Inuyasha's foresight, we have no need to go searching in vain for a meal. One deer is enough to keep us fed for the few days we will be here. And thanks to Kagome, we'll have enough water also."
Both individuals felt a small sense of pride. Inuyasha had bagged all the meat and organs, and Kagome had brought two coolers from the future. One had bags of chilled meat, and the other had chilled water bottles. After a while of having to search far and wide for this or that, Kagome had had enough, and with Inuyasha's help, she brought just the right things they could use in a practical way here in the Feudal Era. And since they intended to say in one spot for a while, all the better.
"And as much as I would like to go floundering around in search of the supposed resting place of our soon-to-be host, I think it would be better to set up camp." Totosai smacked Mo-Mo's hip once, and the bull took the hint, walking in the direction he knew his master wanted. "Unless I'm mistaken, there is a cave not that far away that I remember using once a long time ago. It's getting dark, so unless ya'll wanna sleep in a creepy dark forest, follow me."
"Well that wasn't exactly the plan Totosai. Remember it was Sango's idea to just keep an eye out for Naraku out here, remember?" Myoga inquired.
"Oh, that's right. I forgot. Oh well, no sense in walking to our dooms anyway. Survival of the Fittest is a harsh mistress in the guise of nature."
"Whatever that means." Inuyasha looked at the old blacksmith with a scrutinizing gaze.
lll
Author's Note: Kind of an abrupt end but I imagined it in a way that an anime episode could end, though this chapter was more centered on letting information flow and allowing the characters that'll have the most interactions with this new 'force' to be shown.
So, have you figured out what this new creature is?
If not than you must know nothing of paleontology...of course I could give a hint but I'm interested to see what anyone will say. :D
A lot of what this story will deal with is, as of right now, how each character thinks and feels.
For example, Sesshomaru: He's a Lord, yet a demon with dog-blood. That factor is used by LOTS of people to determine how they allow people to read their stories and interpret how he operates, such as his instincts being pit against his mind and will...such as when people write about how his 'primal' urges always need to be controlled by the sophisticated side of his personality.
So, stuff like that is what I'll focus on.
I also do genuinely want to have a couple or two, but romance isn't something I'll entirely focus on, but it'll still be there.
If anyone here likes what they're seeing, and DO want to give their input on what they like and how it could work with what I've currently laid out here...feel free to speak your mind.
Laterz. :D