Chapter 37

Author's Note: Woo Hoo New Chapter. It's summer so I'm back to my awful sleep schedule and figured I may as well write I can't sleep anyway. This chapter took on a life of its own. I apologize for some gruesome death scenes only because i didn't mark them. I'd say you could skip the chapter but then you'd be missing out on some important info ;). Alright have fun. I don't own Inuyasha yada yada yada.

Kagome's gaze drifted across the battlefield. The carnage was overwhelming. Bodies lay strewn throughout the castle grounds. A river of blood flowed down the steps and through the courtyard. The dead numbered in the hundreds if not thousands. The corpses that were intact were the lucky ones and they were few. Cries from a few still clinging to the last threads of life could be heard in the otherwise tense silence. A sliver of pity crept into Kagome's heart at the thought of the fallen warriors who's bodies had disintegrated instantly in the wake of stronger attacks from both sides.

Sesshomaru's growl of rage caused Kagome's focus to shift to the 6 remaining lords 4 of which were frozen in terror. Minerva sent a disgusted look at the pathetic cowards who dared call themselves lords. Lord Lupus, the wolf demon stalked behind the traitors waiting to pick off any who deemed it a good idea to try to run. The pathetic excuse for demons quaked in their boots as they waited for the inevitable wrath of the enraged Inu. Lord Sirus gulped as Sesshomaru's eyes landed on him.

"Guards, seize the bird!" Sesshomaru commanded. "I don't want him to get any ideas about flying away. I would hate for him to miss this." A cruel smirk stretched across Sesshomoru's normally stoic facade as he flexed his claws in anticipation. The guards grabbed the hawk lord just as he was about to take off. Lord Marek the Ogre, Lady Ashlyn the Salamander, and the vampire Lord Alucard's terrified eyes landed on Lord Sesshomaru. A whimper fell from the lips of Lady Ashlyn as Sesshomaru approached. In one quick motion Sesshomaru unsheathed his sword and her head bounced down the castle steps. Without losing a beat Sesshomaru disemboweled the ogre. Marek watched in horror as his large organs spilled from his severed gut. Try as he might to return them to their original locations his efforts were in vain as they slipped through his fingers and fell onto the ground mingling with the blood and limbs from his fellow lord. Before Marek hit the ground Sesshomaru gracefully stepped behind Lord Alucard, pulled his long black hair to expose his neck and proceeded to decapitate the demon. Alucard's body fell to its knees leaving behind his head dangling from Sesshomaru's firm grip.

Turning to face his final victim Sesshomaru held up the vampire's swinging head so that the hawk could have a 'bird's eye view' of what awaited him. Sesshomaru sheathed his sword as he moved forward until he was a yard away from the quivering Lord. "This is the fate of anyone foolish enough to threaten my mate, This Sesshomaru, or the lands of the West!" Sesshomaru snarled his face inches from Sirus. "Not only did you and your fellows threaten my mate and my lands, you proved to be indecisive cowards in the face of true chaos. Had you chosen to fight with Lord Ko I may have granted you the same mercy as that worm. As I stand here all I see is filth that is unfit to take another breath let alone lead a household let alone a territory. Therefore it is my pleasure to rid you of these responsibilities." With those final words Sesshomaru punched his fist into Sirus' chest and with a bone-chilling crack pulled out his ribcage. As the terror faded from the hawk's eyes and he slumped in the guards grasp Sesshomaru placed the ribcage on the corpse's head like a hat.

Kagome hardly batted an eye at the grotesque executions that her mate performed in front of her. There was nothing that she could have said to stop the massacre and she hadn't wanted to. Some part of her worried over the apathy she was displaying for the situation. Although her style of execution would not have had the overwhelming presence that Sesshomaru's had she would have gladly dispatched the vermin herself.

As Sesshomaru turned away from the mess he had made Kagome opened her arms to accept him. Before he could make a move She reached up and forcefully brought his head down to meet her lips. Taking her opportunity she plunged her tongue into his mouth tasting the blood on his lips as she battled with his eager tongue. The exertion of the battle and the perfect display of her mate's masculine power had put Kagome in an overly aroused state. To her shock she found the whole life and death situation extremely erotic.

Someone cleared their throat just behind the couple causing them to separate. Sesshomaru smirked as Kagome blushed at their current predicament. She began to feel guilty for making out with her mate in the middle of a battlefield. So many had died and they deserved her respect. Sesshomaru leaned down and nibbled on her ear taking her mind of their current location. "Don't worry Mate," he whispered. "I fully intend to follow through with my promise." He winked as he moved away to speak with Minerva and Lupus as Kagome's blush deepened remembering Sesshomaru's blatant announcement that he was going to rip off her armor before she had the chance to get comfortable.

Minerva smirked at the Miko's blushing form ten paces behind her mate. Sadly Sesshomaru's promise would have to wait. They had work to do and it didn't just include clean up. There was the small matter that in the span of this battle 6 of the 10 lords were dead and one was heading toward a prison where he would never see the light of day again. Their territories must be divided swiftly before any economic damage could be done. Not to mention Lord Garret and Lord Mushi deserved proper burials in their own territories. They had fought valiantly on Lord Sesshomaru's side in the battle.

A tear slipped down Minerva's cheek as she remembered being caught in the heat of battle locked in a stalemate with Ko's minotaur-like minions. She had thought she had the upper hand on the pair when a third came barreling at her out of nowhere. Lord Garret had leaped in front of the charge pushing her aside in the process. The Minotaur's horns gored into Garret's soft flesh as the tiger demon sunk his short sword through the beast's skull killing him instantly. Throwing daggers at the remaining two great bulls Garret fell to the ground. Minerva had rushed to his side but his wounds were too great. With the last of his strength Garret had leaned forward and Kissed Minerva. "I should have made you my mate while I had the chance," Garret had whispered smirking through the pain.

"You Idiot!" Minerva Screamed. "Why'd you do that I saw him coming I could have moved."

Garret coughed up blood, "I wasn't going to take that chance with the mother of my cub." He placed a shaking hand on Minerva's flat stomach. Within a week she would begin to show. Using his last breath Garret forced his remaining aura through his hand blessing the growing baby in Minerva's womb.

"NO!" Minerva cried as she clutched Garret's lifeless body to her chest. Tears poured from her eyes as she lamented the loss of her lover. Struggling to regain composure Minerva rose to her feet. With a divine furry and a gut wrenching cry she leapt back into the fray. Lord Mushi made his way to her side and fought with her until a stray arrow pierced his heart and he fell.

As Minerva lost two of her closest friends Lord Lupus reveled in the carnage. Having abandoned his weapons and taken the form of a giant wolf the young lord barreled through the enemy snapping at anything that moved in a threatening manner toward him or Sesshomaru's allies. A few arrows stuck out of his thick hide but none of them did any real damage thanks to his thick grey coat. When the battle had ended he took a few bites from the tastier looking enemy demons and licked his chops as he moved to round up the remaining traitors starting with his fellow lords.

"Lord Sesshomaru," Lupus Said as he shifted back into his humanoid form. "We have matters that are going to take some time to discuss and carry out. It may be in your mate's best interest, and that of your child, for her to rest until we are finished. I understand pregnant humans have the tendency to be more fragile than normal."

Sesshomaru growled at Lord Lupus' insinuation that his mate was in any way weak. "Lord Lupus, you would be wise to mind your place. I have killed enough lords today." Sesshomaru's voice dripped with acid as he pushed out each word.

"Forgive me Lord Sesshomaru." Lupus said as he exposed his neck to the Inu Youkai. "I did not mean to step on your toes. I merely wished to point out the exhausted state that your mate seems to be in and that Minerva and I will be monopolizing your time for the next several hours if not days until the situation we find ourselves in can be dealt with. In the mean time it is essential that you see she is taken care of now so you will not be distracted."

Damn it, the wolf made sense which meant Sesshomaru and Kagome would have to put off their Sexual needs until a more opportune time.

"May I make a suggestion," Minerva chimed in. "Let's make sure our fallen comrades are taken care of and properly buried first and then take some time to ourselves to grieve and release some tension. We all need some time to recuperate and I'm sure Lord Sesshomaru would not object to us imposing on his hospitality for a few extra nights until the politics are straightened out." She winked at Sesshomaru and he understood that she was trying to give him time to meet ALL of his mate's needs.

"I guess that is acceptable," Lupus replied. "Let's begin assigning clean up assignments to the guards and surviving soldiers." The three remaining lords spread out and began shouting orders to start organizing the dead. Enemy soldiers were to be piled up and burned where allies were to be identified as best as they could and organized so their remains could be sent to their families. The fallen cowards were burned with the enemies. Lord Garret and Lord Mushi were given the highest honors as their bodies were prepared to be sent home.

The sun began to set as the last body was identified. The guards had their orders to begin taking the bodies to their respective families for funeral rights and burial. Tears slipped from Kagome's eyes as she watched the deathly procession of corpses being carried home for the last time. If Sesshomaru had still had Tenseiga the casualties could have been less than a third of the men and women being carried off. Unfortunately the power to revive the dead laid with Inuyasha 500 years in the future. There was no point dwelling on this the battle was done and it was time for these souls to rest in peace.

Author's note:

Me: Sesshomaru you need a bath you're covered in blood.

Sess: It's Fake. Wanna taste it?

Me: Ewww. No! Why would I wanna taste blood? or... fake blood?

Sess: *sticks a finger in his mouth. mmmmmm tastes like peanut butter.

Me: O.o Really?

Sess: Yeah here try some. *sticks finger in Alyse's mouth

Me: Hey what's the big Idea? I said I didn't want to try it! mmmm it does taste like Peanut butter

Sess: ROFL

Me: *Licks Sesshomaru's cheek to get him to stop laughing

Sess: *Sit's shocked that Alyse made the fist move

Me: Another plan perfectly executed :D

Sess: I'll show you a plan perfectly executed. *Cracks fingers, Run!

Me: EEEEEEPPPPPPPPP. *pants I really need someone to stop me form messing with Sesshomaru.

Cassie: What am I? Invisible!? I told you not to run away with your imagination!