I do not own Inuyasha!

Please read and review!

The story will take on a dramatic twist soon, remember readers the story is a dark drama and it will be long. You've been warned!

The crimson sunset was magnificent with its brilliant shades of orange and red, almost the color of the blood they planned to spill. Its visionary beauty was all consuming weaving a spell that had the ability to draw you in; it was as if you could reach out and touch it. It was the perfect evening for a secret meeting, the sun had finally set, and only a few wispy clouds dragged across the moon, shadowing it, and then freeing it as it passes by.

Lady Harumi stood on one of the balconies overlooking the land below and watched as a carriage drawn by two magnificent demon horses flew in her direction, and then landed on the portico behind her. Following closely on its heels were the powerful and imposing flapping of dragon wings which were made even more terrifying by the terrible screeching the creature created from way down inside its bowels.

Its humongous wing span stretched to almost half the diameter of the semi-circular balcony as it perched and slowed its movements. It was a horrendous and beautiful sight to behold as the dragon's body shivered while its youki receded, and in its place stood lord Ryoma, dragon ruler of the northern mountains plains, grandson of the last great dragon Ryukotsusei.

One by one the members of the council whom had sworn their allegiance to the former mate of the late Inu No Taishio disembarked from the carriage and bowed at her feet, only the dragon remained as he stood on the balcony and watched the proceedings keenly and quietly.

He was a beautiful being now transformed in his humanoid form. Hair as black as tar covered his head reaching his waist flowed naturally unbound. He was as tall as Sesshomaru with just a little more bulk, eyes the color of quick silver with a smidgen of blue mixed in sat perfectly in almond shape sockets black slits down the middle of his irises.

He was as pale as the moon with a luminous glow, flawless as polished limestone; long sooty eyelashes and black eyebrows stood out prominently on his white face, a beautiful contrast of colors allowing the scaly dark silver markings on either side of his cheeks to stand out strongly. He was dressed as a warrior with colors as dark his nature, black.

The seemingly calm, regal and sophisticated Lady Harumi approached her subjects starting with her most trusted and loyal friend, lord Miffon.

"You may stand," she said. Immediately he got up and met her gaze. "I trust all is well?" She asked him pleasantly and he responded in kind.

"I couldn't be better," and with that she moved along and approached lords Noriaki, Hayate, Tenma, Yamato and elder Hajime with the same courtesy.

When the salutations were out of way, two servants, one male and one female escorted the guests inside to the dining area where a feast fit for kings was set up; they were guided to their seats around the long dining table.

Directing her attentions to the dragon after the other guests went inside leaving them alone, she addressed him casually. "You are a sight to behold, why so distant?"

He gave her a half smile as he jumped from the balcony's ledge and approached her. "I am the same as I have always been. Nothing has changed from the time that I saw you last over six months ago," he responded indifferently and with a shrug.

The demoness frowned. "Well, you have to admit, I wasn't expecting you here today."

He chuckled halfheartedly and responded. "You owe me and I am here to collect. And I am sure that you haven't forgotten our deal…The little matter of my blood."

Lady Harumi's gaze narrowed in consternation. "I owe you nothing; payment was never an issue neither was it discussed between you and me."

"Ha-ha," he laughed out long, and after awhile he gazed at her in amusement. "I am positive that you remember me telling you that I would be seeing you before the year was out."

A look of total dissatisfaction blanketed her face and then she growled out her displeasure. "What is it that you require?"

"I heard talk of your little meeting and I am very interested, maybe I will tell you what I want when it is over," he said and walked away smugly. His strides took him to the banquet hall, leaving a very upset lady Harumi alone on the balcony.

She was almost at the door of the meeting before she wrenched her mind back to the present; it was previously filled up with anxiety caused by the dragon's unannounced and unwanted presence. Nevertheless, she was one that was schooled in the art of being placid when it became necessary, and with that thought in mind her features lightened while she pushed the double door of the hall open, smiling as she entered and then sat.

The air permeated with the spiciness and aromatic flavors of the chef's brilliant preparations, equally the wine which was in abundance and drunken heartily by the men.

The dragon youkai partook of the feast but refused the wine. He was a fire breather, and liquor and fire just did not mix well going down his throat. Chatter and the sound of glasses clinking together in cheers along with the undignified sounds of slurping, chewing and swallowing saturated the atmosphere with its noisiness. Lady Harumi barely ate a morsel.

The candles burnt low and were replenished by the servants as the feast came to a conclusion and the table cleared of all encumbrances; the meeting was about to start. It wasn't formal because all present here were friends, except for the dragon, so there wasn't any need for anyone to stand while speaking.

Nevertheless, Lady Harumi stood looking grave and with her gaze narrowed she began. "It has come to my knowledge that my son has been freed of the parasite and spell,"

The sounds of shock could be heard by the harsh intake of breaths and gasps that went around the room.

"How can that be my lady, you assured us that he would never be able to escape the clutches of his mind's imprisonment?" Elder Hajime asked concerned and a little fearful, because he knew Sesshomaru from he was a child, and even then he was not someone to be trifled with.

She glanced sideways, met his gaze and then responded hotly. "The parasite I used to take his memories of that human bitch was flawless, but alas my son has developed a love for humans, and I had forgotten about that human child that he was so fond of…I cannot recall her name at this point in time, but my informants told me that he went in search of her descendants and found the priestess."

No one said another word for sometime as the potential consequences of their actions became known to them as they thought on their act of treason. Sesshomaru was vicious and he had the backings of his army, the power and might of his swords and that of his brother's, and not only that, he was highly skilled and a very tactical opponent. If he figured out thier schemes and attacked, he would be more than they could handle.

The silence was deafening and you could hear a pin drop.

"We have failed," the statement from lord Miffoon disrupted the dead calm and all eyes were now focused on him. He got up and faced lady Harumi and spoke candidly.

"When did you discover that the connection you had with the parasite was broken?"

The demoness's stare never wavered as she responded. "I realized that the connection I shared with the parasite from feeding it my youki was dispelled over a week ago,"

For an instant there was dead silence again, but as her words apparently sank in, raised voices of her comrades overflowed the room, all were in disbelief. Then the voice of reason spoke aloud.

"So Sesshomaru could be on his way here to slaughter us for our disloyalty and yet we were left in the dark to our dismal fates," and as lord Noriaki spoke those words he looked pointedly at their leader.

Her gaze remained perfectly level, as if she was responding to a dare. "Not a chance," she growled out crossly. "He isn't aware that I am conscious of the fact that he is himself once more, and my guess would be that he will wait to strike at the councilors meetings in a week's time."

Her seemingly effortless way calmed her counterparts, and now all they had to do was to come up with a plan; strategies that will counter Sesshomaru's own and defeat him.

The fight for their survival would not and could not be entrusted to a human, and if Sesshomaru sided with Kagome then he was their enemy. Because none here today had agreed explicitly on the policies that were implemented at the last meeting on the way to go forward.

The battle for supremacy would be decided and fought with swords, fists, cunning, bloodletting and finally the victor would reign supreme. Only the strongest would survive, and the weak would become subordinates.

The trip turned out to be spectacular, even though it was the last day that they would be together until they met up again in a week's time. Kagome and Sesshomaru had departed the following morning in a somber mood because what lies ahead was monstrous with its uncertainty and viciousness. Even now it was a lot to take in and they had to be very cautious, enemies and spies could be all around them and they might not even know.

He was pensive and a little worried for her. They had flown the majority of the journey and had about a day's walk left. He had insisted on leaving her in the South, the original home of his ancestors with a childhood friend whom he trusted with his life, until his plans came to fruition. Because he had a feeling that she was in grave danger, the lengths that were undertaken to hurt them both was disheartening and cruel.

They came to a stop for the evening by a body of water, and Kagome sat and rested her back against a tree and began rummaging through her bag for something to eat. She found some peaches, dried meat along with a piece of bread and munched on them.

Sesshomaru was some distance away looking out on the water, and as she looked at him he seemed relaxed for the moment. He wasn't often now, she knew, but the mood of the river seemed to have seeped into him. He was calm and his visage peaceful, and yet she knew that his mind was filled up with the immense weight of his troubles.

Tomorrow they would reach the mountains and the fight of their lives would begin shortly after that, but tonight they would make love and draw strength from each other.

"Sesshomaru, please come and sit with me," she said and smiled at him.