I have no claim on any characters from Inuyasha they all belong to Ms. Takahashi (the master) however there are a few characters that are all mine. That you to all who have stuck with me so far I promise the end is near.

Chapter 29

Soltice

The days grew warmer as summer approached. Sesshomaru attacked building up his arm with a complete single mindedness. Catherine would find him in the garden working with a heavy blunt piece of iron swinging and leaping with it as if it were a sword. His own sword of course was too dangerous to practice with so close to living creatures but at night he would disappear to find a secluded spot to practice where the power and magic could do no harm. Catherine would wake up to find him gone from their bed. She would lie awake knowing that something was going on but also knowing she could not ask him or probe his mind to find out what. She was just going to have to wait until he was ready to tell her. Waiting was not one of her virtues and this whole state of affairs was driving her crazy. Still, the sight of him stripped to the waist, his beautiful body working hard at exercise made her heart sing. Perhaps she could wait.

Sesshomaru had slid very quickly and easily into the role of Lord of the Manor. The servants who had come to Catherine for orders and instruction suddenly and very naturally came to him. This annoyed Catherine quite a bit. After all, up to now she had run things very well and the palace originally was supposed to be hers. This was, though, a patriarchal society and there was nothing she could do about it. When he left for whatever he was planning, things would go back to the way they had been. With all her heart she did not wish him to go. She would sacrifice her control gladly if he would just stay with her. She had such a bad feeling, apprehensive, like a storm gathering.

It was a hot night when the full moon seemed to glow red in the sky. Despite the heat they had made love passionately. Again Catherine felt desperation in his embraces as if he felt he was holding her for the last time. They lay quietly in the dark for a while neither speaking. Finally Sesshomaru spoke.

"I must leave early in the morning. I have an important mission, if all goes well I will not be too long away," he said.

Catherine lay quietly next to him wondering if she should ask where he was going, what he needed to do.

"I sensed that something was going on with you these past months," she said. "Can't you tell me anything?"

"I would rather not, it does not concern you," he said.

"Yes it does," Sesshomaru was a terrible liar you could see through him in a minute. Thank goodness he rarely tried to tell an untruth.

Sesshomaru chuckled despite the gravity of the situation. Alright, but I would rather not worry you.

"Not knowing will worry me more than anything you could tell me."

Sesshomaru was silent.

Catherine was so exasperated she wanted to scream. It would be so easy to probe his mind. Maybe if she was careful he wouldn't even notice. No, Sesshomaru was amazingly powerful. He would know if she tried and that might cause bad feelings as he headed for what was probably a dangerous situation.

"Why can't you tell me," she said finally? "If this concerns me don't you think I should know? Perhaps I can help. Perhaps I should come with you. I could be of great help to you, have you forgotten I am very powerful too. Perhaps we should face this challenge together!"

"No!" he rolled around and grabbed her arms hard. "You must promise me this! You must promise that you do not try to follow me when I go! You must stay here with Rin and care for her!" He relaxed his grip on her arms. "Please, you must promise me this!"

"I-I promise," said Catherine a bit shocked by this turn of events.

"There is something else you must do for me. If I am gone for more than a week you must take Rin and go to Avalon! You will be safe there I am sure. Go very quickly if that happens; take Ah-Un and even Jaken if he will go. If I can I will find you there."

"Avalon is a moving island shrouded in mist. You may not be able to find us," said Catherine tears coming to her eyes.

He folded his arms gently around her, "don't worry," he said, "I'll find you. It is important that you are safe. Hopefully it will not come to that. I should be able to dispatch this problem quickly."

The next morning Catherine stood with Sesshomaru on the cliff outside the palace watching the sun rise over the sea. Rin came running up to them.

"My Lord," she said! "I didn't want you to leave without saying goodbye!"

"I will hopefully not be long Rin. See that you obey Catherine. Do as she says no matter what!"

"Yes my Lord," said Rin in a small voice.

Sesshomaru stood at the edge of the cliff. He formed a ball of energy and seemed to just step into it. It sped away quickly across the sea. Catherine put her arm around Rin's shoulders as they watched the ball quickly disappear from sight.

Far from the palace deep in the mountains in a place called Darkside a little old wizard stood in his room contemplating a large wormlike creature caught in a cage.

"You are wrapped deep in dark sorcery my friend," he said, "One spell overlapped on another. Obviously Naraku did not want this spell broken. He is a sly one. Let us see if I can unlock each of these spells."

Iwamatzu began writing spells on the floor around the cage as he chanted. He dipped a cupful of the potion he was boiling in a large cauldron this he threw directly on the creature as he repeated and incantation. The creature screamed and writhed shaking the steel bars almost to the breaking point.

"Only a little more," said the wizened gnome as he took a sparkling powder letting it stream from his hand as he circled the cage.

He took a handful of the powder and throwing at the creature again repeated the incantation. This time the creature seemed to shift and flicker until lying on the floor of the cage was a large demon with one glowing red eye the other closed obviously damaged. He raised his head weakly to look at Iwamatzu.

"I don't know how long this will last I fear," said Iwamatzu. "Whatever spell brought you to this it is very twisted."

"I understand," said the Demon. "I was under a control but I knew what I was doing I just couldn't stop it. You must tell the Demon I was with, everything I told him, it was a lie. Naraku left my country a while ago. He pulled power from our vortex and left! He put me under his control to divert the Demon Sesshomaru so he would be far from this country."

"Why would he do that?" asked Iwamatzu.

"I do not know nor do I know where he is. I do know it is a place of great power and it is in this country."

"I see," said Iwamatsu, "can you tell me……"

At that moment the Demon screamed as he burst into flame. Within a minute nothing was left but ash.

Iwamatzu shook his head, "what a pity," he said, "I will have to locate Sesshomaru and tell him, I hope it is not too late."

Up in the Demon market a little red dragon was enjoying the spoils of his job for Sesshomaru. True to his word Sesshomaru had paid him very well. He was now starting to enjoy what good life a little dragon like him could enjoy. He sat in a fine restaurant that usually would not cater to little red dragons enjoying a lavish meal with his friends. All of a sudden a plump little dragon flew in to his table.

"Hey Ti-en you have a job!" he said.

"Why are you disturbing me here?" said the little dragon. "You know I am retired!"

"The patron said you must take this job!"

"Is it Sesshomaru," asked the dragon suddenly concerned?

"No, he is a wizard in Darkside. He said you must come right away!"

"Send someone else! I'd never go to Darkside, even when I was working."

"Yeah, well, he said if you were reluctant to tell you this. The information you gave Sesshomaru was a trap. If you don't put this right Sesshomaru will probably tear you to shreds or worse slowly."

"Oh dear," said the little dragon, "I fear my friends I must go please enjoy the meal it is all paid for. I hope to join you again for a joyful evening." With that he took the paper from the little fat dragon and hurried to the address printed on it.

"Darkside," he thought, "of all places!"