Chapter 28: Day After


As the morning sun rose over the eastern mountains the once green and fertile valley was bathed in a sea of red. Both human and youkai blood flowed and covered the ground in small streams. Large mountainous wolves payed strewn about dead, some still dying. Young and old. Male and female. All had fought to their dying breath. Red eyes of a black furred wolf looked upon the once glorious village. His back filled with arrows, feet cut from under him. Snarling he looked on as his enemy came for him. A single arrow hit him between the eyes snuffing the life out.

The leader of the army smiled as he looked at the carnage that had occurred. Inhaling the scent of blood he began to chuckle then out right laugh. Wolf youkai. He snorted. They were nothing against my armies. He watched his lieutenant approach him. "Report." He snarled at the small man.

"The enemy is defeated." The man said his red hair blowing behind him. "However the men in the forests have not reported in. I've sent a footman to find out what's happened."

The leader lifted his arms up, removing the helmet from his head he looked at the man below him. Eyes like fire, with black raven hair to his shoulders; the leader smirked at the look of fear in the man's eyes. "Fear not, for I, Hemashi, will not be killing you today." He spoke as he looked at the field of blood. "Skin the wolves and cut the meat. We shall feast tonight on our enemies flesh and be warmed by their fur for tomorrow we march towards the Western Lands to take back from the Inu what belongs to us humans." Pulling the reigns of his horse he turned back towards their camp.

The lone footman ran through the forest looking for his comrades. As he came to a stream he looked across and saw dead horses everywhere. They, however, were not alone as he spotted greying wolves amongst the dead. He smirked. We won. He thought but began to frown as he noticed that all these wolves were older. Where are the young, the breeding females and their pups? He wondered, however he didn't have to wonder long as one of the older wolves wasn't as dead as he looked.

Grandfather was what he was called due to him being both the eldest Southern wolf leader and Koga's father's father. He had been here only because his grandson was close to having his first child and his first great-grandchild. He had wanted...no...demanded that he'd be the one to organize the attacks that would allow the younger generation to escape with their leaders mate with them. His grandson Koga was a wonderful leader and he truly believed the boy had a chance at being something to akin of greatness, but it would take years for this to occur.

The battle had been harder than his old bones could handle. Most like himself had died, but as the suns rays hit his body he felt a renewed strength enter him. He saw the young human male assessing what had occurred and with his back to him he sprung to action. Blood sprayed everywhere as the humans head was ripped from his body. Grandfather stood triumphantly over his victim, however because of his years he knew it would be stupid to stay here much longer. Running through the deeper parts of the forest he found his grandson hunched over two bodies. The boy was in his humanoid form, as were the bodies. He turned at the sudden noise and froze when he saw his grandfather hurt and looking haggard. "What has happened?" The old one asked.

"They're spent." He said looking behind him at his two best friends. "The battle is lost, but the war is just beginning." His grandfather nodded at his words.

Looking behind himself and then back at Koga, he spoke. "Put them on my back. We'll catch up with the others."

"I'm not going with you grandfather." He stated as he threw both his friends on the old ones back. "You sure they're not too heavy?"

"Where are you going?" His grandfather asked as he rolled his eyes at Koga's second question and ignored it.

"To see a friend." He paused as he looked at his friends. They would be unconscious for awhile. "I've heard she's in the west. Go to Edo, there's a hanyou named Inuyasha there. The pack should be safe there. They know not to attack the humans in that village."

"Not attack-" his grandfather began angrily.

"Not those humans!" He snarled his beast close to the surface.

His grandfather backed away as he felt the expansion of youki. It was powerful and daunting. It made one weak and wanting to please the being it came from. His eyes widened and joy was filling him. "As you wish." He spoke quietly not wanting to anger the beast in front of him.

Koga turned to leave. "When the waken tell then I went to talk to our sister in the west." with that he was gone in a whirlwind.

Grandfather smirked. He's gaining power. He smiled as his legs pushed against the ground as he ran to catch up with the rest of the pack. He'll definitely be the first of our family to reach Daiyoukai level. He smiled inwardly. The boy is so hardheaded he probably doesn't even realize he's gaining in power. He snickered. So much like his father. He lowered his nose to the ground and headed down the path that the pack had taken. His eyes brightened as he saw the carts carrying the pups and their mothers. Passing one cart he arched his back and kicked both Ginta and Hakkaku off and onto the cart that had the furs on it. They landed none gracefully, but unharmed as he ran forward to the lead cart where a pregnant Ayame was waiting for word of her mate.


Kagome was humming a happy turn as she walked through the nearly empty halls of the shiro when she spotted a white fox limping as she worked. She frowned. Why was this servant limping? Who has hurt her? Her frown deepened as she walked up to the woman. "Excuse me?" The woman froze from dusting the woodwork on the walls. Turning she bowed towards Kagome. "How did you come to gain that limp?" She asked as she lifted the servants face and gasped when she saw the bruises on her face and the cut above her eye and lip. "Who did this?" Her voice was demanding as a growl was wanting to come up from her throat.

"I gained my wounds from disrespecting the Lords pack and attacking them." She whimpered as she looked down. "I am a shame now."

Kagome put her words and what happened in the tent the day before and remembered the cowering fox. "You attacked my son and brother who held the infant son of my sister by heart." Her eyes burned with fire. Taking a deep breath she counted to ten, then breathing through her nose which flared with each breath she spoke. "You've become my slave, correct?"

"Yes, mi'lady." The fox seethed. Her tail flared as it twitched with annoyance.

Squaring her shoulders she looked at the white fox. "What's your name?"

"Xue Fang." She growled as the human.

Kagome smiled. "The meaning of your name is Fragrant Snow and it's origin is Chinese." The fox looked shocked. "Now you're going to follow me." with that Kagome smiled and walked away with the fox quietly following her. She had plans for this fox. Many plans.


M-Angel: Well that was fun. ^_^