Bloodshed: The Last Dog Demon
Chapter I
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Sesshomaru stood above the high cliff, where his father had once stood, and looked over the horizon. The wind seemed to pick up as he stood there, allowing his long silver hair to flow about beautifully. He didn't mind the wind at all, since he was more concerned about what was coming towards him miles away.
Dogs, or dog demons, were storming their way down the long path, howling as they went, seeming more like wolves than dogs in their numbers.
"Heh." Sesshomaru stroked his long hair back and gave a mysterious smile, "So... You really did come."
The moonlight glowed about him as the black clouds parted, shadowing his face with such danger that seemed to always be hidden under his prince-like face. He spoke, "Should I... transform, as well?" he stepped to the edge of the cliff.
They were close.
The dog demons raced around in the snow before reaching the ocean shore where Sesshomaru stood staring down at them. The leader, who wore many purple-blue markings and beautiful stripes about his fur, stopped. His pack stopped as well, letting out threatening growls to Sesshomaru. The leader approached.
"Lord Sesshomaru," he acknowledged, "What a wonderful suprise. I was expecting your father." the silver dog demon smugly spoke. "It's so hard to seek the Lord of the Western Lands with his son roaming around with the same scent."
Sesshomaru glared.
The dog demons laughed at their leader's side. "So... where is your father-"
"He's not here." Sesshomaru said coldly. "He left hours ago and, unfortunately, he's been killed."
Sesshomaru spoke his words as if they were only simple facts of information, no sorrow or regret was heard. The dog demons standing before him ceased their laughter. They were aware of their fear for Sesshomaru. An unfeeling demon, perhaps.
"Ah," the dog demon with the stripes was close, but kept his distance, "How sad. It was just... what we were hoping to hear."
Sesshomaru raised his face high, "You say that, and you did not mourn his death? Did you not properly send him a farewell?"
"Isn't that your job as his son?" called out an older female dog demon.
Sesshomaru smirked, "Mourn my father? He did not wish for me to. Nor did he wish the same for my mother. I'm sad to say that we are to feel nothing after his death at his request."
The leader chuckled before crouching into a position, warning he was going to attack. "And how is Lady Shirakume?" he asked in a purr. Sesshomaru glared.
"What's the matter, Lord Sesshomaru? Afraid I may steal your mother away? Heh. I'm sure she wouldn't care since her mate was stolen by a human female."
Sesshomaru closed his eyes and smiled, "How very kind of you to care for someone with no heart at all. But you're clearly wasting my time. You have a reason for approaching the son of the Great Dog Demon."
The leader swallowed back his anger and stood up, "We've come to retrieve your father's land. Along with his swords, we hope to recreate this race your father had long controlled."
The dog demons roared proudly as Sesshomaru roamed his amber eyes over them. They weren't a small pack but there weren't many. They obviously came to kill him, and take his father's will. Whatever the case, he would not allow it.
"So... the rumours were true." Sesshomaru crossed his arms, "My father's most loyal pack, his followers, have really come to steal everything he once owned."
The leader's smile faded. He barked, "Have you come to stop us?! You're just one demon." he smirked.
"Heh. I'm not going to stand around and let you go by and take everything my father owns, now can I?" Sesshomaru stepped aside, "Although, I'd like to see you all try it."
The pack backed up in annoyence, glaring upwards in anger. They all roared up at him at the same time.
"You really think we're that weak?!"
"The son of the Great Dog demon, hah! Just because he was born with his blood!"
"Without any weapons, you're just weak!"
"Killing your own kind is unacceptable! You'd be born of bad blood!"
"It's not your nature!"
"The Prince of the Western Lands is all you'll ever be!"
All the insults reached Sesshomaru's ears, shutting his eyes and opening them to reveal his blazing red eyes. An aura shot about him, "Unlikely." he said; evolving from his human-like form.
The dog demons braced back to see how large Sesshomaru's true form really was. But compared with their leader's, he wasn't so large. For a moment, he could've been mistaken for the Great Dog Demon himself.
He let out a roar before leaping over the cliff to clash against their leader. Everyone followed after, barking and biting at Sesshomaru viciously.
"You'll never be your father, Sesshomaru!" a female dog demon laughed, biting at his tail. Sesshomaru kicked her hard on the muzzle and twirled around to stab his fangs into her neck. She thrashed about in the snow, screaming and insulting him. The dogs backed away, fearing the gore Sesshomaru was revealing to them if they got any closer.
"I am the son of the Great Dog Demon!" Sesshomaru said proudly, tackling down two smaller dog demons.
From the large round of dogs stood their leader, watching them fight in the bloodshed as he waited. Just wait... They cannot kill him all together... he growled.
His silver fur ruffled, teeth sneered, and he licked his lips of his blood. The smell of Sesshomaru's blood was faint, but he didn't shed as much blood as the others, he made sure of any hidden attacks from behind.
The numbers grew short around Sesshomaru, and he knew he sent some dog demons running with severe wounds. They wouldn't live very long anyway.
"Give up," spoke a male dog, standing beside his sibiling as the remaining dogs circled Sesshomaru. He glared, but stood bravely in the center. "I refuse." he replied, licking his lips.
"Then I suppose you'll die trying!" the dog demon pounced on him as the others lashed out.
Sesshomaru froze, but he allowed them to have their bites before shooting out his strong red aura. Each and everyone of them found themselves flying in the air as something came driving into their stomaches. A bolt of lightening was seen, but through it was Sesshomaru in his half-form, glaring at them as he cut into their bodies easily.
"H-hey!" a dog demon whimpered. He struggled to do the same attack on Sesshomaru, but was a second too late as Sesshomaru forced his way through his body easily. He aimed himself down to their leader just as he finished with the others.
Their leader stepped back, crouched and ready. The numbers had gone down in a minute.
Sesshomaru landed in his true form, snarling out at the last dog demon of the pack. "Well, very impressive. But you cheated on that last part." the leader barked.
"Do you wish for a conversation or do you want to fight?" Sesshomaru asked, taking his time as they circled one another. They snapped their teeth at each other, "Does it not move you that you just finished off your own kind?"
"You and your pack are not part of my race."
"Oh? That's strange. I see you as the same!"
Without warning, the dog demon clawed out at Sesshomaru, sending them both tumbling over the blood covered snow. They roared before stabbing their fangs into one another. Smaller demons passing by witnessed the large dogs fighting and scampered away in fear. The mighty race of dog demons was to never be messed with. Breaking up a fight between dogs was also something to fear, especially if they were large!
When the leader had successfully bitten into Sesshomaru's shoulder, Sesshomaru scratched his paws onto him and tossed him off. The wound was not deep enough to weaken him, or kill him, but enough to have him pull back and relax. He needed a moment to heal, but the leader immediatly came climbing back onto him.
"What's the matter? Have you forgotten that I never back down during a fight?!"
Sesshomaru panted, but smiled wickedly before letting out a chuckle. "And have you forgotten... who is my father?" he quickly shoved himself forward and drove his fangs into the leader's neck. He pushed his free paw onto his chest and struck out his long claws, shoving them hard into the other dog demon.
The leader roared as the claws were driving deeper into his chest and closer to his heart. Sesshomaru released his poison saliva into his throat, allowing it to slip through and deep into the other demon's body. He pushed Sesshomaru away from him and began shivering on the ground. Sesshomaru stepped away and licked his wounds as he watched the other demon claw at anything close to him.
Fool... My poison will only kill you once it reaches the heart. There is not stopping it. he let out a purring growl, sneering with disappointment as the dog demon became delirious before him. He thrashed about in the snow until he slowly grew tired and lied twitching and panting. The dog demon glared up at Sesshomaru and spoke, "You... truly are... his son... aren't you?" he coughed.
Sesshomaru's eyes lowered as he approached. His tail twitched, "This Sesshomaru... does not like being referred as a low rank..."
"Hmph... I guess you taught us all a lesson..." he sniffed. "I guess you won over your father's land-"
"It belongs to my mother now. I show no interest in his lands. I wish only to carry his swords." Sesshomaru began sadly.
"Ah... wonderful you're still running after power..." he closed his eyes as his breathing grew slow. Finally, it stopped.
Sesshomaru whimpered low and transformed. The body of all the slaughtered dog demons had long faded in the wind. Their bones could not linger in the open anymore and only in his father's grave could they be found resting.
The dog demon transformed and found himself knelting before the dissolving body of the dog he had just killed. He looked up and ashamefully shut his eyes, standing to his feet with blood stained claws. The snow began to fall again, covering any evidence of his kind's blood.
He turned away, not glancing back to see what he had just done, then spoke "Farewell to you... uncle."