Hello all! Here's the start of Act 2. A little longer chapter for you guys :)
Thanks for all the reviews and follows! I'll try updating again soon, but let me know what you think ~
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The wind blew a chill through the three mounted soldiers. The commander Umi was in front while his soldiers were close behind.
Their Lord was leading, flying above them on his demon A-Un. Jaken was holding on to his Lords mokomoko, holding his staff with his other small arm.
The soldiers horses were at a steady canter as dawn was approaching. Behind them, Kuro, the black stallion, followed closely with his master mounted, the priestess Rin. She was in her emerald miko robes, but dark metal armor covered her shoulders and chest. Her hair was tied behind her , but she looked dangerously stunning in her armored garb.
She held her long bow close to her as her quiver buckled behind her back. Rin could feel a dark aura nearby; she shook away the fear and focused on the reins.
It had been almost six days since the banquet. Lord Sesshomaru and Lord Hisato had sent word to one another in order to eliminate the undead that were appearing beyond the valley as quickly as possible.
The Dog demon had requested a small party to accompany him; lord Hisato and his group would meet them at the edge of his territory before dawn.
These undead fiends would be no match for Lord Sesshomaru, that was clear. He could have gone alone and vanquished them in one blow. But this was unknown territory, and Rin had been correct.
There could be someone pulling the strings, and the puppeteer must be dealt with.
They did not know what they were facing exactly; Lord Hisato had witnessed a few when the creatures had attacked his guards. Possessed and rabid, but not impossible to defeat.
However...
As they approached the rendezvous point before the valley, Rin could feel the hairs on her skin rising. There was something amiss, and she did not like it. There was no point in worrying the soldiers and her Lord , but she kept on high alert.
The valley looked dark in the early hours of the morning. The rice fields sparkled beneath the few stars that were still left in the sky. It all seemed peaceful, but Rin knew better. The aura was getting stronger and closer.
A-Un landed roughly on the stone path , Lord Sesshomaru softly dismounting the two-headed demon. Jaken tried to dismount his Lords mokomoko but fell flat on his face. The soldiers halted and waited in silence.
"It is almost dawn...", Umi declared ominously.
"My Lord, these foolish creatures shouldn't be too much of a challenge, I assure you. You'll be able to kill them soon enough!", Jaken stated proudly.
"Master Jaken, we have to see what we're up against. Something's just not...well..", Rin was about to speak but thought otherwise.
At this, Lord Sesshomaru turned around, facing her. All eyes were on her.
"Continue, Rin."
Her throat was dry, but she swallowed.
"I just mean, we don't want to get too confident. Nothing good comes out of it."
Lord Sesshomaru didn't take his eyes off the young woman. His armor shined under the bit of night light, and his hair seemed to glow beautifully. His lips were closed tightly.
"Oh child, you're worrying too much! There's nothing Lord Sesshomaru cannot kill!" Jaken proclaimed obnoxiously.
Rin was growing frustrated. She subconsciously patted Kuros mane, as she tried defending herself.
"That's not what I meant-"
At this, she stopped suddenly. A demonic aura was approaching them, a familiar one.
Her head bolted to the east. Lord Sesshomaru followed her gaze as his eyes descended upon Lord Hisato, riding his destrier and two demons close behind him.
Rin couldn't help be shocked as he saw that the Lord wore no armor except his two swords to his side. His hair was tied behind him in a disheveled braid, and she felt his violet eyes on her.
He smiled respectfully, and greeted the party.
"Lord Sesshomaru and all, I bid you a good morning. Let us hope it stays that way after our mission," he declared, his horse walking into the middle of the path. His soldiers, two lizard demons, bowed in unison.
"My soldiers, Akimoto and Suri. They will be helping us defeat this creatures, for they were the ones who tackled them the first time with me."
Lord Sesshomaru nodded in acknowledgment. Rin recognized the demons from the banquet. They were quiet but seemed powerful on their own.
"I can sense an aura. Are we near the area?" Lord Sesshomaru asked calmly.
Hisato smelled the air, looking up towards the sky.
"Beyond the clearing, passing the valley. There is an old well. Perhaps that is the source, but the Lady Rin will have to confirm this."
The young woman jumped at attention at the mention of her name. Lord Hisato looked at her; she nodded, knowing her role. She was ready.
"Let us make haste then."
Lord Sesshomaru declared, jumping into the air and whisking away into the early morning. Jaken mounted A-Un quickly and flew behind him.
Umi and the soldiers pulled on their horses reins and began galloping along the path. Lord Hisato and his men followed close alongside the men.
Kuros gallop was steady as Rin held on tightly. The cold air hit her face and the adrenaline was coursing through her blood with a heavy pulse. She felt it through her temple, and her hair was sticking to her neck in a cold sweat.
Yes, she was ready. But she also did not like the unknown.
A hint of the sunrise touched the low trees around them. They rode for a while, the stars disappearing above them.
They were in the valley, far from the Dog Demons domain.
Strangely and quickly, a thick fog started covering the path ahead. The sunlight stayed low as the fog became thicker and thicker.
Lord Sesshomaru landed in a clearing, looking back to see his men and Lord Hisato behind him.
"Stay together."
He commanded, as the fog grew around them.
Rin could sense danger. The air might have been thick, but the aura was ever more clearer. It was difficult to see beyond Lord Sesshomarus and Lord Hisatos demonic energies, but she focused on a particular malevolent aura. It was ever so near.
Lord Sesshomaru took out his Tokijin; his men followed suit, dismounting and unsheathing their weapons. The horses were already getting fidgety at the loss of vision. A-Un was on high alert while Jaken prepared his staff.
Rin dismounted quickly, ushering Kuro out of the fog. She loaded her bow with a fresh arrow, pointing down to the ground. She closed her eyes, pinpointing the aura as the party walked onward.
Yes, ever so close.
And there, in the center, was an old, dry well. It must have been abandoned for decades, for lichen and ivy covered it entirely.
"There, my Lord. The well. Be caref-"
But Lord Hisatos words were cut short as a black light emanated from the well. A cracking sound echoed in the area as decrepit hands crawled from the hole.
Three creatures crawled from the well, covered in blood and dirt. Their eyes were the color of fire as their mouths were open in ugly, painful scowls. One of them must have been a human , but the other two were demons, fangs and pointed ears covered in a black substance. They grew in stature, three times the size of a human.
Rin looked upon then and sensed both pain and humiliation from their souls. It was trapped and they were begging for release.
But they could not not act upon their wishes, for someone was controlling them from afar.
It hurt her to see such terrible creatures, knowing there was a soul inside.
The three creatures attacked.
The largest of the undead went straight towards Sesshomaru, while the other two tackled his solders and Lord Hisato.
The largest creature tackled the Dog Demon without a breath, hacking at Tokijin; the Lord blocked every blow successfully, but they were increasing in speed.
He jumped a few feet back, his light whip emanating from his fingers. It hooked into the creatures flesh, tearing it torso in two.
But the creatures chest found its lower half and was reconstructed in seconds. Lord Sesshomarus brow twitched in annoyance.
The other two demons charged at the soldiers. The two clawed their way into the group, hitting Umi head on. But he blocked with his sword, counterattacking and stabbing the demons hand.
The other demon attacked Lord Hisato, trying to plunge his fangs into the lords arm.
Yet, he missed, as the Lord shifted calmly, his thin sword behind him in a block. It shifted in his hands to cut the demons leg.
Blood was everywhere and the stench was painfully thick.
The fog too had gotten so thick that the undead began using it as an advantage. They disappeared for a second, regenerating quickly.
"Stay alert! Focus!"
Umi called out to his men. Lord Sesshomaru stayed on guard; this was becoming a nuisance.
They could not see a thing.
But Rin was thinking.
She stood back, her eyes closed. Her lips parted as she felt the different auras surrounding her. She felt as if she was choking, so much power around her.
And then it was there, like a bolt of lightning.
The creatures were behind the fog, completely healed and about to pounce.
The priestess channeled her strength into the arrow, holding it against the bowstring. A faint green light was coming from the sharp point.
Her eyes opened, releasing the arrow, fog disappearing as the arrow cleansed the air and hit its mark.
A screech echoed loudly.
The small demon fell to the ground as the air became clearer. She looked on as she saw the small bright soul float into the sky, soft and gentle like a stream.
But this wasn't over. The large demon was now walking towards the group, now quadruple in size.
The other demon had shifted its hands into larger claws, and it's back was growing spikes in defense.
The soldiers tackled it straight on, swords hitting flesh.
The creature regenerated almost instantly, pushing against Umi and the soldiers. A claw hit one of the soldiers, Rikutso, on his arm.
He screamed in pain, backing away and attempting to block his blows. Umi then threw a dagger into its eye; it halted it for a moment, as the soldiers protected one another.
Jaken then used his staff to burn the creature; Rin hated the sound of its screams.
Lord Hisato's soldiers attacked, a strong wave hacking at the demon. One of the men charged with Umi and cut the demons right arm off.
Lord Hisato ran swiftly toward the large demon, eyeing it with an aggressiveness Rin found terrifying. He lunged at the huge demon with his thin long katana, but at the last second, shifted and was behind it. He plunged his blade into its back, and backed away quickly.
Lord Sesshomaru used his weapon to cut the demons right leg, hindering it helpless for a few seconds.
Rin saw her moment.
She ran quickly, loading her weapon and focusing her spirit into it. The priestess wouldn't miss this chance.
She saw it's chest, bearing out a cry. There! She could see it's soul, large and crying out for help.
The young woman was before him now. She released her arrow, a bolt of green flying into the demon. A scream of pain, and then silence.
The demon tore in two as it's body crumbled into the ground. A bright large soul floated from it and flew into the fog, the light shining like fire as it slowly left them.
Rin felt herself praying for their souls, hoping they found the afterlife and could be at peace.
She turned around and saw the soldiers triumphant in their battle.
The third and last demon was unconscious and wounded on the ground.
Rin walked towards the dying creature, heart thumping painfully against her chest. Lord Sesshomaru sheathed his sword, and his soldiers followed suit.
He followed the priestess with his golden eyes. He stayed close to her, making sure she was guarded.
She knelt down beside the undead. Her hand touched the large bloody chest, hearing the cry of the soul. As best as she could, she focused her energy into its center, releasing a bright green light into its chest.
The creature cried out but fell silent short after. The body crumbled as the glowing soul rose into the air.
Rin smiled sadly, helping the soul reach the heavens with a faint touch of her palm.
Behind her the few soldiers celebrated their triumph. They helped Rikutso to his feet.
Lord Hisato sheathed his sword.
"Those were much stronger than the ones we faced. Makes me wonder how strong they could potentially get," he stated.
Lord Sesshomaru looked down at the remnants of flesh and dirt in slight disgust. The thought of someone making such creatures and using them to their advantage was utterly pathetic.
"Careful of your footwear, my Lord. You don't want it to taint you! ", Jaken exclaimed.
Rin's mind was elsewhere, however.
She walked onward, the fog still thick. She found the abandoned well, feeling it's ivy along its stones.
It felt ice cold, but worse than that, it was radiating a pulsing aura. She closed her eyes, visualizing it.
Yes, a dark, almost black aura. It was both terrible and left her awestruck. It reminded her of something familiar, an aura she had sensed before.
An echo of a laugh. A smirk with perfect pointed teeth. She could see it , and it was as if he was before her.
Eyes as dark as the night, hints of speckled red.
She flinched as she withdrew her hand but it had caught her. She opened her eyes to see a black shadow crawling out of the well. It glowed charred red, and it pulsated terrible demonic energy.
"Rin!"
She could hear her name, faintly through the fog. Why did it sound so far yet being so close?
The shadow latched on to the priestess' arm with an unworldly grip. She tried screaming but no sound came from her lips. She tried radiating her energy to try and cut the force but it was as if it was draining her spirit.
Everything was growing dark around her.
Her mind was being invaded by terrible, dark eyes.
Her arm burned as if it was being consumed by fire.
And suddenly, she was falling, her bow had left her and her arrows were gone.
She expected hard ground, but found herself in warm arms, holding her tightly against his broad chest.
Her lips had gone dry; the pain was unlike anything she had ever felt in her life.
She opened her eyes , barely being able to keep them open. Lord Sesshomarus eyes were clad in worry, lips speaking her name.
Rin fainted in his arms, the darkness covering her completely.
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...
There was a faint blue light in a very dark place. And there was a vivid echo.
Someone was calling her name but she couldn't answer. The blue spread to red to green, color around pure black sky.
Stars? Souls? She could not tell.
She was floating in warmth, and she loved it.
Rin was someplace she knew but she could not name. There was a pain in her arm but the throbbing felt far away.
Sounds, noises, and her voice was silent.
Guards had been stationed at her quarters, issued never to leave. Yunai and Kei had changed her clothing, dressed her wound, and laid her to sleep on her mat. The priestess hadn't awoken since the Lord had brought her.
She slept the entire day, while countless servants came by with water, cold pads, and ointments. Yunai tried her best to heal her and her injury, a scarlet burn from her wrist to her forearm.
Yet, the priestess had fallen into a fever. She slept on.
One demon had not moved from her side.
Lord Sesshomaru, arms crossed before him, sat beside the young woman.
She was nestled into her bed, small beads of sweat on her forehead. Her cheeks flushed bright red, hair tousled around her like brown currents.
His countenance was unreadable but his eyes did not lie. The Dog demon looked upon the woman, moving every so hour to change her cold pad.
It was late in the night and the air had grown a bitter cold. A fire had been made to keep her room a comfortable temperature, yet the blankets
covering the priestess were thin and light. The castle was quiet and most were asleep.
Except for Lord Sesshomaru.
His thoughts were occupied of her.
He could see her eyes in her mind, a beautiful, chestnut color, almost hazel in the light . And then she was smiling.
A thought stopped him altogether.
What if he didn't see her smile again?
But he brushed that thought away. She was strong. And she would awaken.
Was this his fault? He had always protected her.
Yet, why had he failed? Had he let her stray too far away from his gaze?
Suddenly, his ears caught a movement. Rin shifted in her sleep, lips parted. Her brows furrowed and her head turned towards him. Her eyes were shut and twitched in pain.
His hand moved without a thought. It touched her head , feeling the heat. His chest felt heavy.
And he found himself touching her hand as gently as he could. Sesshomaru smelled her scent, the smell of morning dew and honey.
He realized he needed her to wake, he needed to hear her laugh, and needed to hear her voice again.
The Great Dog demon brought her small hand to his lips.
"Rin..."
His brows furrowed in worry, as he knelt closer to her.
"Could back to me."