Chapter 1

Serpent's Revenge

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters cause if I did, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction:P

Hissing venomously, the beast surged through the forest, a sleek, serpentine arrow of raven-black scales, shimmering in the dull light of a full moon, which hung high in the flawless skies among an array of twinkling stars. It paused, its head slowly swaying back and forth like the measured, leisurely swings of a grandfather clock's pendulum, its tongue snaking out to taste and probe the airs for the scent of a certain half-demon, whom had earlier crushed every single egg in her clutch of fifteen with a massive sword. The beast's ruby eyes flickered only momentarily with a seething hatred before it reared higher, tongue stabbing out at the air much more rapidly. Upon its sleek forehead, a flash of light, bright and hot flickered and died away.

A noise, half way between a hiss and a snarl tore from the beasts throat, slashing the serenity of the night like a dagger. Power unlike any surged like waves upon the beach through its very veins, traveling through its blood with every erratic beat of its heart. The Jewel Shard imbedded in its temple pulsated in excitement, raising the snake-demon's ire to unpredictable heights. The thing reared, hood flared, thick, hollow fangs oozing toxic venom that drooled out of the sides of her gaping mouth. She snarled. The half-demon was near. She could taste it in the air: the sour spores of a dog-demon somewhere close at hand.

"Come out doggy. Letsss play." Her voice was a husky, grating whisper, like a hundred angry wasps trapped in a can. It was a voice that would have sent chills of cold fear down the spines of any lesser demons.

Her head probed into a bush, tongue flicking in and out spasmodically. The scent was stronger.

"You cannot hide for long, doggy. My fangsss will find you sssoon."

Oh how her jaw ached to release a stream of acid into the gut of that bastard half-demon that crushed her precious younglings. But now that she had the Jewel Shard, the puny thing couldn't stand a chance, big sword or not. She hissed sibilantly to herself, allowing her body to loosen, it's rippling muscles no longer tensed.

She swung her head to the full moon, a beacon of hope in the heavens above. A whirring noise from behind made her whip around to see a blur of red and white coming at her at a speed normally reserved for fighter jets and bullet trains. Her snout had already snapped back at an odd angle, the blur had rushed passed her, and her body was already crashing to the earth before she could even register the pain and shock shooting through her sleek form like a thunderbolt.

Vision bursting into colorful stars, the beast writhed blindly on the earth, acid spewing from its broken snout, its fevered movements causing clouds of dust to rise in plumes. The acid she was spitting began to eat away at everything; earth, rock, and wood alike mounting in the same nauseous, steamy miasma. After a little while, the demon's instinctive roiling ceased and she rose through the steam and choking dust like an almighty god of destruction, her muzzle warped to one side, an endless rivulet of blood oozing from it and down her chin. Standing before her mighty, writhing bulk, in spite of himself, stood the half-demon, looking as unfazed as one could possibly be.

She hissed in deep loathing, eyes narrowing to daggered slits, fangs bared in a sort of malicious smile. "Ssso puppy decccided to show yourssself, have you?"

Inuyasha smiled with a slight of cheeky daunt at the impassive beast, almost putting her off as his ears twitched keenly. "That's right, cobra. I'm back to finish the job." In a flash of metal, he drew his sword, a huge, curved thing, with a worn hilt topped with strange flowing fur. "You'll be joining your babies soon in hell."

The snake flinched. Inuyasha had clearly struck a nerve. It glared at him, crimson eyes unblinking. Her head began to sway again. Slow sinuous movements both relaxing and distracting. And the half-demon glared back, eyes boring coolly into hers.

"That'sss it, ssstare into my eyesss, become transssfixxed." She was hissing under her breath, using an old serpent trick that caused the unfortunate to go into a state of paralysis. In other words, she was trying to hypnotize him.

But Inuyasha stared back with just as much contempt, his exterior completely calm and subdued. His inside fighting against the mental snare this demon had cast upon him with all it possibly could. The half-demon matched her sway for sway, watching her every movement, and following it as though her was her shadow. It worked. Suddenly, the snake broke contact and faltered, hood lowering in confusion. Why wasn't it working? It worked for every other creature she'd dared to hypnotize. He was just too strong of will. Courage welled inside this boy like water in an underground spring. She had barely scratched the surface of his inner mind, and he had come out completely unscathed. She hissed to herself angrily.

Inuyasha bared his fangs in a grim smile. "Wow," he jested. "I guess I was wrong to estimate you as a worthy opponent."

A sudden surge of absolute rage pulsated through the giant snake. "Insolent bastard, half-breed!" she bellowed. Suddenly, her mind shot to her clutch, which she so tenderly watched over: guarding them from predators, other demons, and humans, now left for the insects and the crows. Blood rage filled the beast, and without thinking, her mind clouded by sorrow and rage, she roared her hatred and launched for him, crimson eyes blazing.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes and watched her come….and come….and come. Then, at the very last nanosecond, he leapt. As he went, he listened almost intently to the sickening yet satisfying crunch of bone hitting something solid, feeling neither remorse nor sorrow for what he had just done. The snake was a menace, as was every one of her wicked clutch. He did not normally slay the young of other demons. But he did what her thought was right. Landing in a nimble crouch, he paused, sword still held tightly as if his ruse hadn't work. But no noise reached his swiveling ears. The silence was rewarding.

Eyes dull and emotionless, he turned to view the expected sight. The snake lay motionless, except for the last twitches of its barbed, and most likely poisonous tail. Its face had collided with a huge boulder he'd been cleverly hiding by standing with his back to it. No longer distinguishable as a snake, its head was no more then a spatter of blood, brains, and splintered skull. Though gruesome, the sight did not deter Inuyasha the least bit. Growling triumphantly to himself, he crossed over to the corpse and bent to pick up the small glittering form of the Jewel Shard amid the mess. The smile on his lips tugged a little broader, must've been his lucky day.

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The young snake stirred restlessly within the inky blackness of his ever-tightening confines. Eyes opening, he glared around at his enclosure, twin beacons of crimson light. Hissing under his breath, he tried to move in the cramped little space, his bulk had either become too large for the only home he had ever known, or the place was becoming smaller.

A sour gurgling in the pit of his stomach made him wince. His food supply had dried up a while ago, the nourishing yolk which had fed him for so long now desiccated from existence, as he was surely soon to be. Another day without food would most definitely be his death.

"DAUTHUS."

The young serpent paused. The voice passed through his mind, like the hiss of another snake. Was there another? Somewhere outside this little nightmare he called home? The voice was almost motherly, soft, coaxing. The young snake felt at ease as the feeling of a kindly presence filled the very air around him.

"DAUTHUS," the influence hissed in his mind. "Dauthus my son, fulfill your destiny. Fulfill the dream."

The hunger that gnawed at his gut ceased, and all doubt broke from his head, shattering like glass. Was Dauthus his name? Was this mysterious influence speaking to him, urging him from the confines of this place for a reason beyond his current knowledge?

"DAUTHUS AVENGE ME!"

Out of the blue, the snakes eyes flashed, and his mouth yawned open to reveal syringe-like fangs. They cut into the layers of his limits, splicing open the walls that bound him to eternal darkness. Light flooded in beautiful light. It both blinded and excited him at the same time. In one slight, sinuous movement, he uncoiled the volumes of his body and slid out onto the soft, moist loam. Rich scent spores played upon his flickering tongue.

The sounds of the forest, once muffled, now were thick and loud in the young cobra's ear sits. But then, another, stranger scent touched his forked tongue. He slowly shifted his head and was left aghast by the sight.

All around him were the splintered shells of eggs just like his own, the unborn snakes within, too young to see the world lying amid the putrid ooze of yolk and blood. He could feel that other presence again, this time much closer then before. It was like this thing was inside of him, waiting to be released, a thing of anger and vengeance, a thing that made the rage build inside of him.

"Find the half-demon, Dauthus," the hiss, much more soft and comforting then before whispered. "Find him and seek revenge for me, for your brothers and sisters. Avenge me, Dauthus…..AVENGE ME!"

Suddenly, the juvenile serpent's seething body went lank, and he curled himself into a protective coil. His head sat atop of this coil, crimson eyes dull, almost lifeless. And even as the cobra's mind slipped into the sweet bliss of sleep, a tiny voice, his own maybe, slithered through his mind.

'Worry not, Mother. I Dauthus shall avenge your death. I Dauthus, shall slay the…half…'

And then he slept…..

Sooo, how's that fer a first chapter? There are more to come, I promise you, please Review, I'll except everything, yes, even flames…. v.v