WolfGear Presents: Inuyasha: Red Soul
Chapter 21: The chaotic times: The age of Water
Pairing: Kagome X Sesshomaru OCXOC
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha and Holo from Spice and Wolf, or Okami
Oc's Shilo Kane, Shinjuku Kane, Shinto Kane, Ishimaru Kota, Black Soul,
Sesshomaru wandered along the misty path; his first challenge in his words was disappointing. The wounds inflicted by the Banshee long since healed. Was there anything the Okami could conjure that he could not defeat? He wondered coming up on the second gate. The Kanji read water. Sesshomaru entered without pause and then found himself completely submerged in the salty sea.
Controlling his panic Sesshomaru swam towards the surface. Sensing movement from blew he looked down as a massive shadow loomed beneath him. Drawing his sword Sesshomaru prepared to face the massive creature. A head of a gaint sea serpent emerged mouth full of razor sharp fangs, there was something unique about the beast, it had eight heads.
"MIZU Yamoto Orochi!" Sesshomaru slashed at the legendary water monster his movements sluggish and slow beneath the water's surface. The Orochi moved fluid and smooth cutting the water like a knife. His attack bounced off the monster's blue scales too weak to even faze the massive beast. In a matter of moments he was surrounded by the eight heads of the Orochi, and the next moment they attacked all at once. The sea turned red.
Kagome felt a shiver rundown her spine the air was turning cool and the trees had begun to lose their leaves. Worse of all was the wind that seemed to blow right through her despite the fur cloak she wore. She glared jealously at Shilo and Aisha who were using their tails for extra warmth, baby Sheila wrapped comfortably in her mother's bosom.
"Why don't I have a tail?" She wondered looking over at Sanko who had Kirara wrapped around her neck. Sanko shrugged at the question, letting the warmth of the fire cat fill her body.
"I would be happy to offer you Kirara if you wish Kagome. She is quiet warm." The hanyou offered. Kagome rubbed the twin tails fur which felt like ambers, warm and fuzzy, like her favorite blanket.
But she declined the offer. "Thank you Sanko, but you keep her, I'll manage."
"As you wish," Sanko rewrapped Kirara around her neck and continued on. The three girls Rin, Tophi and Jade raced back and forth between the adults squealing happy as they tried to catch the leaves. Tophi was having a hard time because she had to wear shoes do to the cold, so Rin tied a string around her wristed and pulled the blind wolf along, "They're energetic as always." Sanko smiled remembering her childhood.
Kagome smiled too, there was a feeling of happiness in bubbling in her chest watching the younger pups play. There was a shadow of a person in her mind, but she couldn't recall their face. Her eyes eventually fell on the new member of their group Lilith, wrapped up in a lot of furs and covering her face.
"Uh hello," Kagome greeted.
Lilith's mixed matched eyes peeked out of the shadow of her hood. "Good morning, Kagome-hime. I'll emit I was surprised to hear that Shilo has a daughter that is so grown already. You would have to about 1500-1600 years old, yet, when I met Shilo 400 years ago he said he had no pups. Do you come from a different mate other than Aisha?" The Egyptian questioned. Kagome flushed red at the accusation. She thought she was the love child of Shilo and some other demon?
Shilo coughed, "Nya Lilith, Kagome was adopted this past summer. I infused her with my Youkai, which is why she looks the way she does."
Lilith tilted her head curiously. "Infused your Youkai? You sure do have some strange abilities in these lands."
"Any stranger than those mutts you summon?" Shilo retorted, getting a smack on the back of his head by Aisha for being rude."
"Be nice," She hissed.
Lilith chuckled at the exchange. "It is fine Aisha-Chan. Shilo doesn't like my Jackal's because they kept eating his food when he was in my country. Thank you for the concern of my feelings."
"No problem, but you know." Aisha said taking a sniff of Lilith's scent. "You smell kind of strange if you don't mind my rudeness. I've never scented a demon quiet like you before."
"You must smell the desert; Shilo said the same thing when we first met." Lilith shrugged, she couldn't understand how demons smelt these things, but she's never noticed whatever it is.
Sanko leaned in and sniffed. "They're right. I didn't notice it before, but you smell familiar. Like… Kala!" She exclaimed matching the scents, it was thin, but they had similar scents. Shilo and Aisha both turned blinking at the Hanyou. How did she smell what they couldn't?
"Kala, that lion Youkai you fought?" Kagome questioned.
"Zolo's granddaughter, yeah that's her." Shilo confirmed. Zolo was one of the few Youkai to leave Japan and see the world. He wasn't sure which parts, but now the Tquip clan was a mixture of wolves and lions or at least some of them. Turns out wolves and lions don't create a hybrid, their either born a wolf or a lion. No one has been able to explain it. Does raise the question why a wolf and a tiger hybrid are possible though. "Well whatever the case Lilith it might be a good idea for you to talk to Old man Zolo, he might know who this Ro Tquip is, because I haven't ever heard of him." It was a troubling to think there was a third dragon forger that no one knew about.
The rest of the group chattered on asking Lilith many questions about the desert and the lands she seen on her journey to Japan. Meanwhile Shilo mulled over his plan to send fighters to Egypt, so far it would be Lilith, who had to go with to lead the group though the desert, Kagome and Sanko if Kagome can prevent anyone from dominating her in the mating ceremony, who else? Hans could go, but he also had other responsibilities. What about Ishimaru and Sesshomaru? With those two they would have all the fire power they would need just in case things got a little dicey, plus if they happen to run in to "Him". Well everything would be decided in good time, for now he would enjoy the peace.
On a beach a silver haired being laid in the sands. That being was Sesshomaru, who by a miracle had survived the Orochi's onslaught and drifted to shore, with some help of course. Kenshii Shinjuku looked down at the Inu curiously. He'd never might someone foolish enough to fight the Mizu Orochi alone and in its own territory, perhaps the fellow was driven to desperation because of the beast continuous attacks on the coastal villages.
Sesshomaru stirred, the sun was baking his skin and the coarse sand shifted beneath him digging into his wounds. He opened his eyes. Dark tan skin bright red hair like scarlet and deep blue eyes that reminded him of a certain wolf appeared in his vision, but the smell of fox lingered in the air. This was without a doubt the youkai that saved him from the Orochi. If not for the difference in scent and marking he would have thought it was Shilo.
"Well glad to see you alive, friend. You must be pretty crazy to go after the Orochi alone, name's Kenshii Shinjuku by the way." Kenshii said helping the Inu to his feet. "So who are you?"
"Where am I?" Sesshomaru demanded ignoring the question. Kenshii shrugged it off… for now.
"You're in the land of Kane on the western side of the great divide. Tell me are you from the land of Abel on the east side?" Kenshii inquired. Not many made it over the divide alive, the hundred miles of sea dividing the two land masses in this age of sea demons was almost impossible to cross.
"I'm from the western lands. I am Sesshomaru Kota, Second heir to the Kota clan and under the service of the Kane Clan." This was a strange place. Sesshomaru was scrambling his mind for his history lessons, trying to determine what time period the trial gate had sent him and for what purpose.
Kenshii scratched his head, "Never heard of any Kota clan. Wouldn't call those lasses who hold the name of Kane a clan, but you don't want to mess with them. Sides that no one knows where the Kane sister's live."
He vaguely remembered when the Kane clan only members were the three sisters. He was in the time before the founding of the clan, which was well over 20,000 years ago. That information didn't really help him but it was clear enough what this trial's tasks were.
"Where can I find the Mizu Orochi?" He asked Kenshii, who shook his head in despair.
"Should have just let the damn thing eat ya if you wanted to die, but fine do what you want, if you head in that direction there's a village about 50 miles to the west along the coast that pays tribute the Orochi, the beast should be making it's pass pretty soon. You can fight it there." Kenshii pointed in the direction of the village. "If by chance you win I'm sure the woman will be very grateful and if you fail they'll mark your name down with all the other fools. See ya Inu Baka." Kenshii taunted smacking away Sesshomaru's poison whip as he walked away. He looked at the small burn and laughed. "Yeah, you're going to die." And with that he disappeared. Disgruntled Sesshomaru starts towards the village.
Nearly two hours later Sesshomaru finally reaches the village, it was a very good sized settlement and from the looks of it there were roughly 20 to 25 huts and one large hut at the edge of the cliff; mostly likely the headman's hut. Along the coast were nine alters. The four on each side of the center alter reeked of blood and fear.
One thing he noticed is that there were no men in the village; just women and their daughters. He sniffed; there was no trace of any males except him, so how were they reproducing? In fact what were they? The village woman resembled humans, but they were clearly youkai, pointed ears, sea green eyes, and blue hair with some scales scattered on their skin. Most of them smelt of sea water, so they must be a type of water youkai.
A young woman wearing a blue shrine robe approached him. "Greeting stranger, I am Mizume, the Mizu Miko of this village. What is your business here?"
All of the women looked at him with expecting eyes. "I have come to slay the Mizu Orochi." He answered. The woman gasped and scattered safe for Mizume.
"I see, please follow me to the shrine." She led Sesshomaru towards the large hut, passing by a large stone with hundreds of names craved into its surface. Inside Mizume poured some tea and served it to Sesshomaru. "I'm glad our prayers have been answered and just before the time of offering. Tell me when will the others arrive?"
Sesshomaru raised his brow, "Others?"
Mizume nodded. "Yes, are you not one of the eight warriors sent by Kane-sama? Surely you know it takes eight Daiyoukai to defeat an Orochi, one for each head to be precise."
He shook his head. "I am not one of these eight. I am here for different reasons, but the same goal to kill the Orochi. Why don't you tell me your connection to the Orochi?"
"Very well," Mizume sighed. "Years ago the women of this village were plagued by raiders. They would take our harvest and steal our young ones year after year. Till 2000 years ago we formed a pack with the Orochi. If we made offerings to him he would protect us, and we agreed. He drove away the raiders, but when the time of offering came he didn't want our grain. He wanted us. Eight of the nine alters you see one the beach are for the eight women who will be his meal and the ninth is for the woman who is to carry his seed. The women you see here today are all of the Mizu Orochi's descendants. He come every 200 hundred years to let the blood lines thin and then comes back. If the offspring is female it becomes what you see in front of you, if it is male however it becomes an Orochi and upon its birth the male offspring will eat through its mother's stomach, killing her and devouring her as its first meal."
"Why do you not just leave and move inland?" Sesshomaru asked. He didn't think anyone would want to live in such a way.
"We can't." Mizume said pulling at an invisible collar around her neck. "The Orochi placed this binding spell on all of us. We can't travel any further then our fields otherwise we'll be dragged to the sea and fed to the Orochi." It was a cruel fate, but one that was brought upon themselves.
Sesshomaru stared down the Mizu miko. "What is it that you're not telling me?" He accused. It was more of a feeling than anything else. Mizume clutched her robe and judging how quickly her heart rate increased he was right to assume there was something else.
"I… ah… I'm this this year's birthing maiden. I am to bare Orochi's offspring. He thinks my spiritual powers will make it more likely that a male is born." Mizume shuttered imaging the hell spawn eating through her stomach and devouring her, it's been haunting her dreams for months now.
He showed no emotion when he hear this, yet a pain filled his chest when he imagined the Miko's fate. If such a thing were happen too… no! It doesn't matter! He could not left those feeling of weakness show now or ever!
"Regardless of your situation, I must kill the Orochi; tell me when the offering ceremony is to begin."
With hope rising in her chest Mizume stared into the Inu's golden eyes, "Today at sunset." She said as he left the hut. He had little time to prepare, but this time the sea will run red with the Orochi's blood!
"Or yours," Kenshii smirked appearing by the Inu side.
"What are you doing here?" Sesshomaru growled flexing his claws.
Kenshii scratched his head. "What I am I doing here? Good question. Let's see… I'm taking in the beautiful sunset, checking out beautiful women, and making sure a certain Inu doesn't get killed despite him being a complete asshole and attacking me from behind."
He was the trial guide or whatever they were called, the person that guides you. Sesshomaru didn't know. He did know is that they were the only ones who knew that you weren't a part of their world. The question now was did he have any useful to say.
"You know you're very rude for someone who thinks himself the greatest Youkai in the land. I personally think you're an asshole. Don't worry your brother was the same say then he took the trial." Kenshii smirked. "Don't worry Ishimaru participated in different trail so you're not chasing his tail."
Sesshomaru scowled. "Is there a point to your ramblings, if not then I will be on my way." He said stalking of towards the shoreline, only to stop as Kenshii spoke again.
"There was a point to your first lesson Sesshomaru. You just haven't figured it out yet, or you just haven't bothered to think about it. These trials aren't just blood and gore, they make you think too. Make you realize your weaknesses."
"I Sesshomaru have no weakness." The Inu barked, eyes red as he inner beast stirred. Kenshii shook his head in disappointment.
"If you're going to be like that at least answer me this what are you fighting for? What are you trying to protect? Who are you trying to protect?" Silence filled air between the two Youkai as they stared at each other in a silent fight for dominance, till Sesshomaru turned away scoffing. "I Sesshomaru have no one to protect!" The Inu declared walking away.
Kenshii sighed. What was it with kits these days? Well he was honest in his answer at least. Kind of sad really to live life thinking you don't need anyone. Well not that it will matter once Orochi's picking Inu bones out of its teeth.
Sesshomaru stood at the shore sword drawn the wind blowing his silver hair everywhere. From the water eight geysers shot up spraying water everywhere as the Orochi's made its appearance. It looked at the Inu curiously. Another fool to dine on, it was amusing how many times those women brought some brave fool to try and free them. He wondered where they found them.
Drawing his sword Sesshomaru glared at the massive beast, only its heads were above water, the main body hidden beneath the waves. Lightning cracked on the edge of his blade and with a deadening howl he lunged at the beast.
WolfGear's den
I'm going to end it here. Sorry for being late. I mean to have this chapter out Sunday or Monday but I got delayed.