Disclaimer: This story is based on "Inuyasha," copyrighted by Rumiko Takahashi. No infringement of copyright intended or implied.
War Leader
He was bred and born a killer. Even his name reflected his reality. He delivered death, brutal and quick, whether with poison claws or simple, unstoppable strength. And he felt—nothing: neither compassion nor satisfaction. If the living were in his way, and lesser, then it died if it could not dodge or give way.
Yet, he did not understand 'war.' Why would lesser beings gather in large groups, to do the bidding of leaders, to fight each other and die? What could they gain? And where were the honor and pride, in sending out others to do your killing? If you were not strong enough to stop or slay those who opposed you, then die, or give way.
And yet, this rabble of youkai that surrounded him that were sleeping or eating or watching, as they waited for the panther clan to appear: they looked to him to lead. To lead them against the clan that wanted him dead.
Why? Why make it their fight? So what, if they had fought alongside his father all those years before? So what, if they felt that his father had saved them? They wanted to fight, for a memory?
It made no sense.
He would leave, if he could. He was uninterested in being their war leader.
But, it seemed, he had no choice.
Thank-you, father.
Author's Note: I've been working on writing 50,000 words for the serial "Blood Unbound" as part of the NationalNovelWritingMonth challenge (NaNoWriMo .org). This is part of one of the chapters, but stands well enough on its own, and so I used it for the prompt "Brutal", for the Issekiwa LiveJournal community. It was originally posted on November 5th, 2011, and won the contest. (11/27/2011).