CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
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That smoke! the Dog-Lord thought. The monastery... YOSHIKO!
Her name rang out in his head, making him freeze in place. Visions of her burning alive in the monastery flew through his mind. Suddenly a white streak passed by him, and Sesshomaru smashed away the demon that had been descending toward his father.
The Dog-Lord snapped out of his thoughts and swept away another shrieking spider. The monks must have gotten her out of the monastery before it burned, he thought desperately. Surely a pregnant woman would be the first one to be taken to safety...
He could not leave now. The demons were swarming over the mountaintop, and Sesshomaru was not strong enough to fend them all off at once. But he was, at least for an hour or so. He could do it, while his son... well, it had to be done, even if Sesshomaru would hate the errand.
"Sesshomaru!" he shouted.
The younger demon looked over his shoulder, his golden eyes flaring. "Father?"
"Go to the monastery. I want you to find Yoshiko and make sure she is safe," the Dog-Lord shouted. He swung the Tetsusaiga, smashing apart a wormlike demon's body. "Go now! I'll hold them at bay!"
He didn't see the dark look that crossed his son's face. But Sesshomaru turned to the valley and leaped off, slashing through the wall of demons as he soared down. He landed lightly on the ground, then raced into the woods, toward the smell of smoke and fire.
His face was impassive as he stopped near the monastery. It was in ruins -- the charred corpses of monks lay strewn around like broken toys. Flames were licking at the roof and walls of the monastery, and half the roof had caved in. Evidently a demon had destroyed it.
Sesshomaru allowed himself a moment of satisfaction. If Yoshiko had been in that building, then she was surely dead. Even some demons would be threatened by flames such as those. A human weakling would be lucky to have survived the first blast. He turned toward the mountain, preparing to return to his father.
And then a faint cry rang out.
Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. He slowly turned around, staring at the burning building. That cry had come from the monastery.
.
Yoshiko could barely breathe. Smoke was pouring around her, and ash was swirling up in the air around her. Coughing frantically, she was crawling across the burning floor, with the fire-rat cloak draped over her. A few burning pieces of wood had fallen, but they just slid off the cloak. She was desperately searching for a way out, but the fire had crept everywhere, consuming the walls, the doors, and the smoke covered whatever exits there might be.
Then the floor suddenly cracked under her hand. Sparks flew out, burning her fingers. Yoshiko squeaked and fell back, clutching her burned hand close to her chest. Tears rose in her eyes, but she was too panicked and frightened to cry.
"Can anyone hear?" she shouted. A fit of coughing seized her. "Anyone! Please help!"
The only answer was the dull, dry roar of the flames.
He's not coming, she thought despairingly, huddling inside the cloak. He's fighting that serpent lord -- he doesn't know what's happening to me. He won't know until it's too late....
She forced herself to crawl a little further -- and another pain suddenly gripped her belly. More tears came to Yoshiko's eyes as she huddled over on the floor. She was going to die in this burning monastery -- and so was her baby, who was so close to having his own life. She wouldn't have minded this so much, if only she could have seen her baby first...
If only the Dog-Lord could have seen it...
Suddenly there was a loud crashing sound, and a tall figure stepped from the flames. Yoshiko looked up, and her heart almost stopped. With his pale hair swirling in the fiery wind, it was Sesshomaru.
TO BE CONTINUED
.
That smoke! the Dog-Lord thought. The monastery... YOSHIKO!
Her name rang out in his head, making him freeze in place. Visions of her burning alive in the monastery flew through his mind. Suddenly a white streak passed by him, and Sesshomaru smashed away the demon that had been descending toward his father.
The Dog-Lord snapped out of his thoughts and swept away another shrieking spider. The monks must have gotten her out of the monastery before it burned, he thought desperately. Surely a pregnant woman would be the first one to be taken to safety...
He could not leave now. The demons were swarming over the mountaintop, and Sesshomaru was not strong enough to fend them all off at once. But he was, at least for an hour or so. He could do it, while his son... well, it had to be done, even if Sesshomaru would hate the errand.
"Sesshomaru!" he shouted.
The younger demon looked over his shoulder, his golden eyes flaring. "Father?"
"Go to the monastery. I want you to find Yoshiko and make sure she is safe," the Dog-Lord shouted. He swung the Tetsusaiga, smashing apart a wormlike demon's body. "Go now! I'll hold them at bay!"
He didn't see the dark look that crossed his son's face. But Sesshomaru turned to the valley and leaped off, slashing through the wall of demons as he soared down. He landed lightly on the ground, then raced into the woods, toward the smell of smoke and fire.
His face was impassive as he stopped near the monastery. It was in ruins -- the charred corpses of monks lay strewn around like broken toys. Flames were licking at the roof and walls of the monastery, and half the roof had caved in. Evidently a demon had destroyed it.
Sesshomaru allowed himself a moment of satisfaction. If Yoshiko had been in that building, then she was surely dead. Even some demons would be threatened by flames such as those. A human weakling would be lucky to have survived the first blast. He turned toward the mountain, preparing to return to his father.
And then a faint cry rang out.
Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. He slowly turned around, staring at the burning building. That cry had come from the monastery.
.
Yoshiko could barely breathe. Smoke was pouring around her, and ash was swirling up in the air around her. Coughing frantically, she was crawling across the burning floor, with the fire-rat cloak draped over her. A few burning pieces of wood had fallen, but they just slid off the cloak. She was desperately searching for a way out, but the fire had crept everywhere, consuming the walls, the doors, and the smoke covered whatever exits there might be.
Then the floor suddenly cracked under her hand. Sparks flew out, burning her fingers. Yoshiko squeaked and fell back, clutching her burned hand close to her chest. Tears rose in her eyes, but she was too panicked and frightened to cry.
"Can anyone hear?" she shouted. A fit of coughing seized her. "Anyone! Please help!"
The only answer was the dull, dry roar of the flames.
He's not coming, she thought despairingly, huddling inside the cloak. He's fighting that serpent lord -- he doesn't know what's happening to me. He won't know until it's too late....
She forced herself to crawl a little further -- and another pain suddenly gripped her belly. More tears came to Yoshiko's eyes as she huddled over on the floor. She was going to die in this burning monastery -- and so was her baby, who was so close to having his own life. She wouldn't have minded this so much, if only she could have seen her baby first...
If only the Dog-Lord could have seen it...
Suddenly there was a loud crashing sound, and a tall figure stepped from the flames. Yoshiko looked up, and her heart almost stopped. With his pale hair swirling in the fiery wind, it was Sesshomaru.
TO BE CONTINUED
