Chapter 7: The Storm Unleashed

"Humans are the simplest opponents to dispose of," Sesshomaru said with composure. "They are dimwitted, cowardly, and all too predictable."

He was standing at the banks of a stream, golden eyes watching Rin and Jaken wade through the water as they attempted to catch fish for the evening meal. Tora stood to his left, quietly listening to his words.

They had been traveling around the countryside for two months. The daiyōkai hardly spoke to her directly and would often disappear for a day or two at a time. Occasionally, he would request her to follow him and they would spar a little distance away from Rin. Other than their first match, Tora never managed to touch the daiyōkai, but even so, she felt that her speed and control had improved greatly.

"Even when in great numbers, they are little more than a nuisance," he continued. "Because you lack the ability to kill from a distance, you must rely on your speed."

"Yes, my lord."

"Oni possess brute strength, but they are stupid. Given the proper motivation, they practically destroy themselves."

"Yes, my lord."

"Yōkai are another matter. Their speed, strength, and stamina are equal or greater than your own. In such a fight, allow your instincts to guide you and use your senses to read your opponent's next move.

"If you hesitate, you will die. If you allow them to provoke you, you will die. If you underestimate their power, you will die. Not all confrontations should be engaged. Learn quickly which to accept and which to avoid, or you will die."

"Yes, my lord."

The diayōkai shifted his gaze towards Tora, studying her calm expression.

Hanyō or not, she was a strong fighter, quick learner, and could possibly be of some use. Even though her blood was tainted by her human heritage, she did have one endearing quality: like Rin, she obeyed every command he gave without hesitation. If she proved herself worthy, he might even send her to deal with the more bothersome tasks that would undoubtedly arise.

Besides Jaken, Sesshomaru had barely given any thought to retaining subordinates. Having to consider others into one's calculations was an annoyance he preferred to avoid. Yet his father, Inu no Taisho, had had an entire army of yōkai under his command, most of which were still loyal to the Inu clan. Any number of them would submissively come if he ordered since they viewed Sesshomaru as their leader despite his apparent lack of interest.

Nevertheless, he was standing there contemplating the usefulness of a deplorable half-breed. At least, she was not irritating, and should something happen, she was expendable.

His golden eyes watched as the wind caught Tora's shoulder-length hair and blew it back from her face. Composed as always with just a shadow of determination in the set of her jaw. Quiet confidence in the way she stood, with her hand casually resting on the hilt of her katana. Just a trace of yōki beneath the mixture of human scents and flowers fragrances.

He would reserve his final judgment on the matter until later. First, he had a mission for her.

The thick gray clouds were rapidly approaching, and the last thing Tora needed was for a thunderstorm. She moved through the trees quietly, pausing now and then to study her surroundings. A bird's shrill cry. A shallow indentation in the soft earth. A dank smell on the wind. A broken twig. A whiff of something earthy...

There. She caught the scent and focused, narrowing in on it as the daiyōkai had taught her. She recognized this smell from the valley where the yōkai had been utterly torn to pieces. And surrounding this scent was a strange mixture of others. She broadened her senses and carefully separated the smells. There were six.

Tora's eyes narrowed.

They had passed through here no more than an hour ago, but from the lingering of the smells, she could tell that they were not traveling quickly.

Her hand tightened around her katana. She would have to backtrack and go around them. It would take some time, but if it would avoid a confrontation with the strangers, then a little extra time would be worth it. However, if the owner of this smell was as powerful as he seemed, they might already had been alerted to her presence.

She moved back through the woods in the direction that she had come, cautious not to disturb anything nor leave any trace of her presence. She had a job to complete, and she definitely did not need any interference.

The sky was darkening as the storm came ever closer, and the temperature had also dropped. Against the cool air, scents became more crisp and easier to distinguish, but the wind had shifted. Tora was now moving upwind, her own scent being carried back towards the strangers.

Of all of the times for a storm.

She changed directions and cut through the woods heading east. Her ears had picked up the sound of a stream, and she could use it to mask her presence. If it was not too late.

Tora cautiously approached the edge of the trees and peered out at the stream. She scanned the entire area quickly but sensed nothing. Easing out of the shadows, she kept one hand on her katana.

Wild. Earthy. Faint footfalls. Fabric rustling. Danger.

She turned her head just as something came barreling out of the trees a stone's throw away. It was the owner of the powerful scent, and he seemed to ooze with power. A yōkai? No, despite the ears protruding from his white hair, there was a distinct human smell about him.

Her eyes narrowed. She should have been able to sense him before he came so close. He was fast.

"Who are you?" he demanded. She caught the mixture of annoyance and disappointment in his voice. "What are you doing, creeping around in the woods?"

Tora did not answer as she studied him closer. He stood with one clawed hand gripping the hilt of an old sword and the other curled at his side, lips pulled back in a snarl. If he was here, then his companions would not be far behind.

"Are you going to answer already?"

"I have no business with you," Tora said with indifference.

Without another word, she turned and began to walk off. This was not a battle that would be wise to engage, and she sensed the approach of his companions. A fruity fragrance drifted towards her from the trees.

"Stop right there," he shouted. "You are not going anywhere until I get some answers."

"Inuyasha!" a woman's voice interrupted.

Tora refused to even look as three humans and two yōkai stepped out from the trees. Her skin prickled. Two of the humans, a miko and hōshi, had spiritual powers, and the third was dressed like a taijiya. The prickling sensation grew more intense, and her instincts suddenly took over. She leaped backwards as a blast of energy exploded in the exact place she had been. The water from the stream evaporated with an angry hissing sound and steam filled the air.

"Inuyasha, what are you doing?" the woman in the strange kimono exclaimed.

"I believe Inuyasha has finally lost his mind," the hōshi commented casually at the exact same time.

The one called Inuyasha straightened and brought his sword up to his shoulder. It no longer appeared small and old, and Tora could sense great power emanating from it.

"Feh. She has Sesshomaru's scent all over her," he growled. "Did he send you here to attack us? Or just to spy?"

"Sesshomaru," the three humans repeated in surprise.

The woman in the shockingly inappropriate kimono stepped forward. "Hey, just who are you anyway?"

This was not part of her mission. Sesshomaru had specifically ordered her to follow the scent of oni and lesser yōkai that he felt gathering to the northeast and eliminate them.

As Tora quickly scanned the six who stood before her, she noted that all except for the young kitsune were warriors. She knew she could easily defeat the miko, hōshi, and taijiya, but this Inuyasha made her uncomfortable. He was not a full yōkai, as there was definitely a human scent about him, but she still sensed that his strength was greater than her own.

If it came down to fighting, she would have to strike quickly before her opponents had time to prepare a defense. A full-fledged battle would take up too much time, and she would most definitely fail. The only other option was to disengage, and she had plenty of experience in that area from her wandering days, when samurai and emissaries of various daimyo would confront her and demand her assistance in one war or another.

She forced herself to relax and allowed her hand to move away from her katana.

"I said before, I have no business with you." Tora spoke calmly. "It appears we were simply traveling in the same direction."

"Oh, yeah? Then why did you suddenly run away?" Inuyasha demanded. His golden eyes flashed angrily.

"I do not have the time to spare conversing with strangers," Tora replied. "I have no interest in you."

"Then why is Sesshomaru's scent all over you?" His golden eyes flashed angrily as he asked this question.

"Inuyasha, she does not have a jewel shard," the miko whispered softly. Yet Tora's sharp ears were able to catch her words anyway.

"And I sense no..." the hōshi commented.

"I'm telling you, she is in league with Sesshomaru."

"That may as well be, but she has not attacked us."

The taijiya, one hand on the monstrous hiraikotsu strapped to her back,finally spoke. "I think she is a hanyō."

"A hanyō?" both the hōshi and miko exclaimed.

The hōshi suddenly nodded in agreement. "Yes, I do believe you are right, Sango. I do sense something. It is very faint, though."

"What would a hanyō being doing with Sesshomaru? He hates them!" the miko added with confusion written all over her face.

Tora sighed. "I dislike repeating myself."

Her irritation at being delayed threatened to break through her composure. She quickly suppressed it. Unconsciously, she began to trace the decorative grip swells of her katana with a finger, and a small smile suddenly appearing on her lips.

"I have no intention of fighting with any of you," she continued. "My business is elsewhere."

There was a dull rumble of thunder in the distance, and she could feel the vibrations through the ground. The storm was nearly upon them. She could waste no more time here. Narrowing her gaze, she turned and continued crossing the stream. She could feel their confusion, but she did not stop.

"Let her go, Inuyasha," she heard the hōshi say.

- - - - -

A raindrop.

Tora gazed down at valley nestled conveniently in the foothills of a mountain, far from human habitations. The air reeked of oni and yōkai. The foul odor was so thick that she could taste it on her tongue.

Another raindrop.

Unfortunately, only their smell had lingered in this place. The monsters themselves were gone. She shifted slightly and surveyed the ground with a careful eye. She needed to decipher the number of this group before everything was washed away in the impending downpour.

More raindrops.

There were too many scents blending together to get an accurate count so quickly. Ten. Twenty. Thirty.

Then the thick clouds above opened their stores, and a heavy rain pummeled the ground. Within seconds, the valley had been purified of the odors. Tora breathed deeply of the cold air. Her hair quickly became plastered to her face and neck, and her kimono grew heavy as it became saturated with water.

There had been an exceptionally large number of oni and yōkai congregating here, and nothing good could come of that. What had drawn them together? Where had they gone? What was their purpose?

Now with the full fury of the storm unleashed, there was little chance that she would be able to complete her mission. Still, she would do a precautionary sweep of the entire area. It was slim, but there was always the possibility the oni and yōkai left some clue behind or she might be able to sense their presence.

If she discovered nothing... She would have to return and inform the daiyōkai. He would not be pleased.