Tapestry

by Shinjite Florana

Dragonflies, the smell of smoke, toes red with frostbite, and molten gold eyes. The story of Izayoi's life, starting from the catalyst of everything, Demon Lord of the Western Lands, Inu no Taishō. A fanfic 4 years in the making.

1. Preface

Tapestry: Preface

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A mountain of bloodied fur rose before him. From it pierced eyes of the same sanguine color—fixated, bulging, maddened.

There was wind, but he could not feel it against his skin. The only sound he could hear was the labored breathing of the monstrous figure, the only smell was the rancid warmth expelled from its great lungs.

Its wide mouth tore across its snout, close enough to moisten the air around him with each heaving breath. A mixture of saliva and blood collected at the edges of its vast maw before dripping in great oozing globs to the ground.

"You can't even change your form, can you?"

The monster continued to stare at him, eyes seeing a kaleidoscope view of the world, twisted and deceptively appealing.

"You can't even speak."

The huge beast stretched it jaw wide, lowering its head to engulf the form before it. The movement revealed an angry red line encircling the creature's neck, as if the head of the mighty beast had once been severed.

The moon hung low in the sky, immense and red, tingeing the night's murder with heavenly highlights. And so fell the last Inugami of the Hayashi clan.