Death, Greed, and Love
Chapter 28: Crimson River
Kagura glared at a point just beyond the tip of her enlarged feather. Around her the wind pulled at her hair, but she paid it no attention. The coastline of Shikon City was quickly coming into view.
Her crimson eyes glanced down at the scorched kimono sleeves, causing her lips to twist to form a look of distaste. She really should have seen this coming. She should have known that one of Naraku's allies would try to kill her after word of her betrayal had reached their ears.
The Isles of Geransh had been her last stop before heading back to Veshrane. Geransh was also a place that was very popular for their fire festivals. The reigning lord, once a general under Naraku, had insisted on holding one of these festivals to honor both her and Naraku.
Kagura had protested at first, explaining that Naraku needed back up by sun down. However, the Lord of Geransh had countered this by explaining that he would send his ships out immediately. So why the soldiers of these isles set out to sea towards Veshrane, the wind youkai had to fight off the flames that assassins had sent her way during the festival.
In the end, Kagura had been unable to determine the exact whereabouts of the assassins, and, due to her already frayed emotions had, ended up destroying nearly every man, woman, and child that had attended the festival. It was the first murder that Kagura had committed in where she felt no remorse for her actions. After all, the deaths of nearly fifty innocents paled in comparison to the suffering that the raven-haired youkai had gone through for the past seven years.
In the end everything worked out to her advantage. The advisors to the lord of Geransh apologized many times for accusing one of Naraku's right hand youkai of treason. It was very fortunate for Kagura that only the lord of Geransh had been aware of her betrayal, but he had been in a rather unfortunate accident during the festival.
So now she was heading back to Veshrane. Kagura removed her gaze from the slowly approaching coastline to glare down at the iron bracelet around her wrist. The crystallized youki that Naraku had embedded in it would kill her if she ever tried to help the Rebels again. The darkness of her glare faltered only for a moment when Kagura briefly wondered when she would be free of this torture.
The wind youkai had no way of knowing what was taking place in the royal palace at that very moment. She had no idea that the Rebellion had reached its peak, and that the outcome of the battle would dictate the way she would live out the rest of her life. Whether she would live every moment in fear - a captive, or as a free youkai trying to purge herself of all of the crimes that she committed under Naraku's leadership, the outcome of the Final Battle would decide it all. Kagura had no way of knowing that within moments upon arriving at the palace that her heart would be broken for a second time.
~~~~
Sesshoumaru paused for a moment to try and sniff out his brother's scent. This, the inu youkai had quickly discovered, was turning out to be a rather daunting task.
Ever since the battle had started Sesshoumaru had found himself unable to leave the destroyed area that used to surround the main gate. He was being attacked relentlessly by rouge wolf youkai and a human every now and then.
It wasn't that the youkai or the humans were particularly difficult to fight, it was just the sheer number of them. Sesshoumaru quickly jumped to side to avoid a pair of claws. This was getting ridiculous. The air was so thick with the scent of blood that it was nearly sickening and made it practically impossible to discern individual scents. The silver-haired youkai ground his teeth together as he ran his claws through yet, another, wolf youkai.
For a brief second he looked down at the blood dripping from his hand. The youkai, which now lay at his feet, twitched once before going still. This wolf youkai was quickly replaced by another, however.
Sesshoumaru raised one arm up and back before moving to swipe downwards. As he did so, his elbow briefly touched the edge of his katana. Everything would be so much easier if he could just use the Toukijin! If only he wasn't surrounded by so many humans! It was nearly next to impossible in trying to discern whether or not they were friend or foe.
A rare surge of irritation danced across the edge of the inu youkai's nerves. Despite his recent decision to allow his brother's darker side to flow free if the time arose Sesshoumaru still needed to be by his side to refrain Inuyasha from doing anything that the hanyou would later regret. A low growl surged from the Rebel leader, hardly audible because of all of the fighting, but it was still loud enough to reach the keen hearing of nearby youkai. Allies stopped in mid-battle startled, some barely able to miss on-coming attacks, but the rouge wolf youkai took it as a challenge, not hesitating to attack the challenger in swarms.
It all happened in a single moment, almost too fast for even Sesshoumaru to comprehend. As the mass of wolf youkai charged towards him, the silver-haired youkai flicked his right hand - preparing to use a weapon that used up to much energy and youki to be used regularly, the Kashete Inu Whip. It was a weapon that was only passed down to the inheritor of the Kashete Territories; it had been forged by the immortal blacksmith, Toutousai, and injected into the blood of the first Kashete Lord. Only the first born child of the blood could inherit it. A wolf youkai from the side momentarily distracted him from the main group.
The whip tore through the youkai's flesh, causing blood to fly and spatter the armor of nearby fighters. It tore through the skin in a jagged, upwards direction - piercing through the stomach and tearing up through the left ribcage, piercing a lung, before it cut cleanly through the bone of his arm.
The detached limb fell to the blood soaked ground, it's owner collapsing beside it. The wolf youkai closed his clawed hand around the stump where his arm had been, trying to voice the red-hot pain that almost seemed to pierce his very soul but only succeeding in coughing up blood. Sesshoumaru had only just started to turn and focus on the attacking herd of youkai when a huge, explosion-like shockwave crashed into him, sending the inu youkai staggering back a few steps. Another scream filled the air and the scent of singed flesh reached the silver-haired youkai's nose. His amber eyes quickly searched through a silvery mist that hung in the aftermath of the shockwave. Sesshoumaru's eyes went wide as the mist slowly drew closer to the soggy ground. Beyond the rebel leader saw nothing. The hoard of youkai that had been charging him, each thirsty to be the one to lay the claim of the kill, seemed to have disappeared. In their place was a single arrow, firmly embedded in the ground, glowing a slight violet hue. The inu youkai had to blink several times to fully comprehend what had just happened. Something in the shockwave seemed to have muddled his brain....
There was a soft thud next to him, very similar to the sound that he would make as a pup when he would jump to the ground from one of the trees that had littered the Kashete Grounds. Amber eyes shifted to the side, catching the profile of Yura, dressed in the garb of the Skull Assassins. Her expression was neutral and Sesshoumaru followed her dark eyes, decorated with flecks of crimson, as they studied a Veshranean soldier.
The young man spasmed on the ground, his face contorted in pain, clutching at his leg. Sesshoumaru quickly realized that the scent of singed flesh was coming from this human. Yura flexed her fingers on the base of the skull that lay nestled between her two hands. Two strands of hair shot out from the empty holes of the skull's eyes and attacked the human. Within moment the hair looped itself around the spasming human's neck. Her right index finger lightly touched the bleached bone of her skull. The loose loops of hair instantly tightened, digging deep into the flesh of the Veshranean soldier. A strangled gasp was the only sound that the soldier uttered as blood sluggishly dripped past the cleanly cut flesh, as the head was sliced off of the neck.
"Honestly," Yura muttered, "what a sloppy shot that miko is." The Skull Assassin's crimson flecked eyes shifted over to Sesshoumaru. The tips of her lips quirked up into a dry, but thin, smile. "Shouldn't you be somewhere else?" she asked as she raised her skull slightly before her as a mix of humans and youkai rushed towards the two.
Razor-sharp hair, that glowed a bright crimson as it raced towards Naraku's allies, shot out of the skull gaping mouth, it's hole-like eyes, and even the slanted opening s under its nose. The skull in Yura's hand vibrated and the dark nature of the Skull Assassin's weapon broke free, seeping into the pores of Yura's skin, and flowing into the hairs - urging them faster. A strange essence (an essence that no living Skull Assassin had yet to understand) flowed through the skull's bone marrow filling it with a desperate greed and desire to slice through the soft flesh of the living and to feel the warm blood absorbing into the hair.
Yura let out a strange sound, something that sounded a lot like an irritated sigh, between gritted teeth. Moving quickly, she grabbed a rounded comb made of unpolished ruby. The soft rays of the sun hit the stone so that the red color glittered like the freshly spilt blood darkened the lush grass that thrived within the, now, crumbling palace walls.
The hand that gripped the skull shifted and the arm attached to it pulled back, making it easier for Yura to move the comb through the hair. The comb glowed darkly, the color leeching out of the stone, as it slid through the hair. Tiny, hot licks of flame appeared from the tips of the comb flinging down and off of the deadly hair. It flew through the air until touched the flesh of its target, burning it to nothing within seconds. Yura quickly slammed the comb between the chipped teeth of the skull's mouth before half-slumping to the ground, drained from her exertions.
Sesshoumaru only cast Yura a brief look. His face etched into a look that was a cross between skepticism and worry. In all truth, the inu youkai hadn't been too sure about letting her fight. After all, the only helpful ability that she had displayed in the past was being be able to arrange it so that spies could infiltrate Naraku's forces, no matter where he was, undetected. However, like most of the rebels her life had been affected by Naraku's actions. In Yura's case it was her dreams and hopes that had been destroyed.
It happened shortly after she had completed her training as a Skull Assassin. The first assignment was always the most important. It determined how far an Assassin would go. Yura had failed her first assassination attempt and, to make matters worse, had been caught and lived.
From the first day of their training Skull Assassins are trained to never be caught, and ordered to kill themselves if such an incident was ever to occur. For her family, Yura had survived and was ultimately cast from the Skull Assassins. They stripped her of all of her dignity, allowing her only to keep the bond that she had formed with the dark spirit that dwelled within her skull weapon and her fire combs. The youkai had returned home only to find her village in shambles, most of the homes had been burnt to the ground.
The corpses of the livestock and children had littered the ground. Sesshoumaru could still remember the cold horror that had been evident in her voice and the need for revenge that swam in her crimson flecked eyes when he had met her that day. That was why he hadn't turned her away. That was why, despite the unstable reputation that surrounded the Skull Assassin legacy like a cloud, he allowed her to fight today.
The screams of Yura's victims slowly died. She cast a glance over at Sesshoumaru.
"Go," she rasped, as the last of the rebels surged through the broken walls and into battle.
Sesshoumaru nodded numbly. He truly hadn't known that Yura was such a skilled fighter. Suspicion and worry had prevented him from using her in battle, even after her loyalty was proven. Now, even as he sniffed out Naraku's scent and headed towards the northern end of the CourtYard, the silver-haired youkai couldn't help but wonder if that was a mistake that had resulted in such a long and bloody war.
~~~~
Inuyasha's chest vibrated with a violent growl as he picked out Naraku's scent among the youkai and humans that surrounded him. For a brief moment his eyes bled a vivid crimson as a hot anger sung in his blood. A human that had started to rush him paused in mid-strike at the sight of Inuyasha's eyes as they changed back to a rusty amber.
The inu hanyou quickly sheathed Tessaiga, and drew his left arm back, cracking his knuckles. The sound of a low horn bellowing reached Inuyasha's ears, causing them to twitch in agitation, and out of the corner of his eyes he noted that a few of the Veshranean soldiers withdrew, along with several youkai. The human that had started to attack him was the only that couldn't react.
The broad blade of the soldier's sword swung down in a clumsy arc and his eyes went liquid at the sound of the horn. It sank into the dry mud with a thud. The human let go of the sword, knowing what was coming and chilled to the bone that he wouldn't be able to get a way in time. He didn't try to lift up his sword. He just let go, staggering slightly as he turned to run.
He didn't have a chance. It didn't matter whose hand it was by; the soldier was destined to die that day. The soldiers of Veshrane never knew of what powers that the Rebels could call upon - or those of their king for that matter. Many humans would die, but this one soldier just had been lucky enough to die sooner then most, but later then a few.
Inuyasha, for his part, had merely watched the human when the blade had hit the ground, his lips quirking into a little smirk - his blood seeming to cool as his eyes flashed a more golden amber. He moved to attack the human, intent on putting the pathetic human out of his embarrassing misery.
He never had the chance.
The golden color that struggled to color the inu hanyou's rusty amber eyes almost completely disappeared as his youkai instincts suddenly heightened and his blood screamed out a warning. Not bothering to try to identify what he quickly recognized as a threat Inuyasha leaped to the side barely avoiding a long, green something that suddenly pierced through the Veshranean soldier. The scent of blood filled the air. Admist the bland metallic smell of human blood the silver-haired hanyou recognized the tartier scent of his own blood and raised a clawed hand to a stinging cheek.
Dark and liquid, a thin line of blood smeared his hand. More then a little shocked, Inuyasha raised his eyes to see what had attacked the soldier, who was dying a torturous death - coughing up blood as it poured from the wide hole in his stomach and filled his pierced lungs.
It was as thick as a sturdy tree branch, and the color of sun-baked grass. It wriggled, and Inuyasha suddenly felt a bit sick as he watched it withdraw from the Veshranean with a sickening 'plop'. It retracted, slick with blood, over debris until it disappeared beneath a pair of silk, black, hakama.
Even as his blood burned with rage and crimson flecks appeared within rusty amber orbs, Inuyasha couldn't but feeling quite ill. The Rebels had heard rumors of strange, thick tentacles that were abnormally fast, always appearing at whatever territory Naraku wished to conquer.
It was no rumor.
They were real, and to make matters worse they seemed to almost be a part of Naraku.
Inuyasha's horror was short lived, however. The familiar, taunting grin that always haunted his nightmares twisted onto the face of Naraku as he stood, silently. Again, the inu hanyou's blood burned hot and his lips curled, fangs pocking out under the pink flesh, and he let out a frightful roar.
"NARAKU!"
The barriers on his blood that the Tessaiga and the miko blood that he had inherited from his mother suddenly dissolved as he let his rage consume him. His amber eyes abruptly changed a vivid crimson, his irises turning a chilling blue, and Inuyasha charged forward. He no longer cared that he was acting half-mad. Only a simple thought was on his mind and it pushed him to run faster, the sleeves of his haori flapping.
Revenge.
Revenge for everything that he and the Rebel's had suffered. His parent's death. Having to live on the fringes of shadows while they continued to fight against Naraku. The lost of his home. All of these.... they were very personal for Inuyasha, and yet they paled greatly in comparison to the one thing that his youkai blood demanded that he get revenge on.
Kagome.
It wasn't just the death of their pup, or the wounds and abrasions that Naraku had inflicted upon her. With the death of her father any promising future that the young queen's once had was shattered within the blink of an eye.
It was one of the reasons why both Kikyou and Sesshoumaru had agreed on allowing the silver-haired hanyou to execute the strike that would eventually kill Naraku.
For a moment amber specs, no bigger then pin pricks, appeared within his irises as he briefly thought of her.
His human blood encouraged it; a small part of him knowing that if he charged his enemy recklessly, like he was now, with Tessaiga still sheathed that he would fail. However, his thoughts turn to that of all that his mate had suffered and yet Kagome had never had the power that was needed to fight back.
This brought forth-another wave of rage, and the color of Inuyasha's eyes shifted again: a consuming black, the shade of obsidian, and pupils contrasting sharply as they glittered a liquid gold. He attacked, silver hair whipping in the wind, as he slashed at Naraku the moment the other hanyou was in distance.
The Veshranean king hadn't moved an inch; just smirking as Inuyasha charged at him. His claws reached forward to slice through Naraku's flesh. The inu hanyou wasn't even attempting to reach for his sword. He wanted the bastard to suffer before Kikyou completely activated her spell. His claws caught the material of Naraku's silk sleeve, only lightly brushing against his skin, not enough to cause the damage to cool his boiling blood.
The beady-eyed Naraku drew back in response before glancing down at his arm impassively. A few pin picks of blood stained the light-colored silk. For all of the stoic expression that his face wore, Naraku was surprised that the inu hanyou had been able to cross such a distance with the sudden burst.
"Well," his voice was cold with a hint of amusement as Inuyasha skidded to stop and whirled around snarling. "Rage certainly is a powerful thing hanyou. If you cling onto that then you might be able to gain a quarter of the strength that your brother has." There was a slight pause. "The worthier opponent.....you....you are just a waste of time."
The youkai blood in Inuyasha boiled hotter in response to Naraku's taunt. He started to move out of response to the instincts that were urging him onwards when his vision started to blur.
Confusion swamped the hanyou-turned- youkai's senses causing him to stop abruptly, digging his bare heals into the dirt, and look around wildly. Swirls of reds, yellows, and blues were all that his wild eyes could absorb. No distinct shapes. Nothing.
Inuyasha shook his head back and forth, causing his silver strands to sway wildly, in a disturbingly dog-like manner. All of a sudden, he was starting to feel very distorted, almost detached.
What the hell am I doing?
I'm going to rip that bastard to pieces!
Naraku regarded Inuyasha coolly as a visible shudder caused the hanyou to convulse.
Why?
Because he hurt my mate! I need to kill him now!
The dark hanyou fingered the rich purple velvet of his cloak as his thin lips started to twitch up into a dangerous smirk.
Why, why make it quick?
Shut up!
Only a scant few feet away Kouga eyed both hanyous warily, even while his ice blue eyes contracted with shock.
Shouldn't he suffer?
Shut up!!
It was working. The bastard's plan was actually working.
The miko's plan should be followed.
Shut up!!!
Naraku shifted back slightly, and raised his arm. It was almost too easy....to manipulate a hanyou with human blood. Although Inuyasha was ridiculously weak when compared to himself (after all the inu hanyou would never be able to morph his own limb into a weapon). However, this fight was going to be highly entertaining.
The miko's plan will make him suffer.
Shut up!!!!
Kouga shifted back nervously when a frightening change shifted through Naraku's youki. Only moments before it had seemed to envelope the pseudo hanyou like a bubble. Now it seemed to shrink, blank tendrils of youki visible as it wrapped around the clothing that covered Naraku's elbow, before it coiled and moved underneath the arm. Slowly it gained a solid and textured form. Then it shot out towards the convulsing Inuyasha.
Like Kagome has suffered.
SHUT UP!!!!!
~~~~
Sesshoumaru drew his hand back and slashed through the flesh of the youkai that stood before him. His face twisted in a grimace as his enemy hit the ground before he dashed in the direction that Inuyasha's scent - which seemed to have taken on a disturbingly bloody smell - was coming from.
It didn't matter how many times he fought in battles that involved Naraku; he would always end up feeling disgusted afterwards. That youkai he had just killed.....He still looked like a pup. Granted, he would have probably started to go through the beginning of the rituals that would eventually lead to mating, but the kid was still a pup. This was one of the many personal reasons why the inu youkai wanted to see Naraku destroyed. How many pups had he fought and killed in battle?
Sesshoumaru's dark amber eyes narrowed in angry concern. Asami would be giving birth soon, two months at the latest. He didn't want any pups of his ever thrust into a serious battle like this until they were ready.
He used to consider Inuyasha still a pup before they had come to Veshrane. It was one of the rules of the inu youkai clans. Males were always considered pups until they were mated. With females it was different - it was after the first kill, but female inu youkai matured faster then the males.
Now his little brother was growing up.
Inuyasha now had a mate that filled him with desire to defend and protect her. A desire that was so strong that Inuyasha was more then willing to sacrifice his very soul in order to succeed.
A desire that was so strong that it almost terrified his brother.
While Sesshoumaru would never confess - not even to Asami - on just how proud he was of his half-brother, still, he was almost scared of the recent youkai transformations that Inuyasha had under gone lately. It was something that he would never admit to anyone, not even his mate.
A howl of pain suddenly vibrated across the air, startling Sesshoumaru out of his thoughts.
Mentally shaking himself, the inu youkai dodged an oncoming swipe of a sword, more then a little perturbed by the fact that he had hardly even noticed the oncoming attack.
"I don't have time for this!" He growled at the human, and in a sudden a burst of speed appeared behind the human, who, he noted, was wearing armor bearing the Kashentean crest.
The soldier paused, blinking in an almost comically way - head tilted, as he tried to discern where Sesshoumaru had disappeared to.
A white blur appeared behind him, and Sesshoumaru glared at the confused human through narrowed amber eyes before quickly clenching a hand into fist, and slamming it against the weak iron of the Kashentean's armor.
The young man let out a gasp and coughed up blood as he crashed to the ground. Glazed eyes, a shocking shade of blue, stared up at Sesshoumaru.
For a moment, silver-haired youkai just stared back impassively before turning around and rushing in the direction that Inuyasha's howl had come from. His claws dug into a large piece of marble, from one of the watchtowers, and used it as leverage to launch himself into the air. His amber orbs were sharp and narrowed as Sesshoumaru searched for and spotted both Naraku and Inuyasha.
Inuyasha had stumbled backwards and was gripping his shoulder, growling out a stream of curses, as Sesshoumaru landed soundlessly next to him.
He glanced down at Inuyasha looking for a sign of injury, his keen sense of smell locating the blood that was seeping from his brother before his eyes did. Several blotches, a deep ruby shade in color - some no bigger then pinpricks, stained the crimson haori.
The inu hanyou cast his brother an irritated glare, amber pupils glittering against large, black eyes.
Sesshoumaru's eyes widened a hair breath, the only indication that the inu youkai was surprised at his brother's change.
"Having trouble?" He finally asked, his tone neutral and calm. It was at total odds against the worries that flashed through the inu youkai's mind. Had Inuyasha reached a new stage in his youkai transformations? His youki certainly seemed to be more violent. Yet....Sesshoumaru quickly caught himself before the creasing of his brow indicated his confusion.
Despite the raw, untamed power that his youki was emitting, Inuyasha seemed to be lucid. It was almost as if he was controlling the powers that the hanyou had inherited from his father's taiyoukai blood, but….but something didn't seem right.
Inuyasha opened his mouth to speak, his voice a little hoarse from the constant growling, his eyes glazed and unconcentrating as he turned his head in Sesshoumaru's direction.
"I can't see."
A/N: Oh no! Why can't Inuyasha see, and in the midst of battle!? Tune in next……um……update. (Who knows when that will be?)
Anyway, sorry that it took so long to update. College finals are steadily approaching, and along with that comes many papers……and lack of motivation. I've already started writing the next chapter. It will be a bit of away time from the main battle – it's entitled 'The Lone Wolf'. (Some of you might be surprised on whom it's about.)
This story is swiftly drawing to a close! T.T WAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!! I don't want it to end.
Also, I would like to thank Skittles for helping me in coming up with a better name for this chapter then 'Foreshadowing'. You're always a beacon at the end of a dark tunnel, as far as inspiration is concerned. Thanx, hun!
Important Note:
Also, to all of you readers out there. My beta reader has decided to distance herself from the world of fandom. She says she'll still beta my fics, but it will take longer for her to get them back to me. So, because of that I'm on the look for a new beta (or two!). If anyone would like to volunteer, or knows someone who would be interested, please email me. Be warned, however. I am only looking for serious betas. I want critical responses and correction help with grammar and spelling. I always edit the chapter myself when it's fin, but it always helps to have a couple extra sets of eyes. For those that are interested, I will send you a preview of the new chapter as a test. I'm dead serious when I mean that I only want critical betas.Well, anyways, I'll say 'ja ne' for now, and I look forward to receiving emails or ims from readers who interested in becoming betas. I need a new one badly!
Also, (damn this is too long to be a simple a/n) chapter 29 will not be posted under Zel no Miko. My new pen name, instead, will be Javeska-chan. For those of you who have talked to me in the past this name should sound familiar.
Well……ja ne!
