Making Gris Grus to hide the shards gives lesson one Grus Grus
"This is beautiful!" Kagome oohed and ahhed over her new bow, carved for her by the kind Kaede. " I can't believe she made a bow for me on such short notice. I can feel the power in it too, she really worked hard on this." It was a longer bow then she was used too, with kanji carved into the side. "She made it from the tree of ages, she said it possesses the strongest magic in this part of Nippon."
Brian smiled at her. "My master told me a little about that tree, apparently it has connections through time. It was actually one of the reasons I came to Kaede's village. If she and you couldn't help me the tree was my next guess for a solution." Happy for Kagome, she had really earned the new bow with how she fought Naraku on her own, Brian returned his attention to his little project.
"What are you working on?" Shippo leaped over to him, landing on his shoulder. He looked at the small pouch that Brian was tinkering with. "Is is magical?"
"It's a GrisGris pouch. In my country we have countless religions and cultures. One of them is Voodoo and Hoodoo, and they make these things called GrisGris pouches which have protective properties apparently. I thought if I could replicate the basics effects but with the magic I know here, I could make something to put sacred Jewel shards into so if we get more they can't be safely taken."
"That's a wonderful idea." That was Sango, who's eyes were wide. " I can't believe we never considered such a thing before. The jewel was out in the open, ready for anyone with any sensory powers to find it."
Even Miroku seemed impressed, rubbing his chin in consideration. "That is a good idea, it would be wise to remove all temptation towards the jewel, at least as much as we possibly can."
Kagome flushed a little, feeling a welling of shame wash through her. "I am sorry, I can't believe my jewel shards were taken."
"It wasn't your fault, we under estimated Naraku's power and frankly we were under prepared. That won't happen again, hence my GrisGris imitation. " Brian smiled at her, warm and kind and reassuring in a way that the others weren't.
"MOOOOOO!"
All conversation ceased and they looked for the source of the sound. Sango spoke up. " A cow?"
Shippo whipped his head around from his place on Brian's shoulders. "Where is it, I don't see any cattle around here?" The cow sounded once more and they looked up. " The sky?" Lighting shot to the earth, sending dust and power flying through the air. "What's going on."
When it all cleared they saw an old man, with a hammer, sitting on a three eyed cow. Kagome could sense clear demonic power from him, strong but subdued by what she assumed was his age for this was the first demon to actually look old. She drew her bow, pointing it at the man, shaking just a little. "Who are you, what do you want?" She felt proud of herself, standing up against the intruder instead of just turning to Inuyasha.
The man paid her no mind and turned to Inuyasha. " my name is Totosai. Draw your sword Inuyasha." He drew a massive hammer, swinging it from side to side. "I'm coming at you weither you draw it or not. HA!" Then the old man threw himself at Inuyasha, who drew his sword, only to be send sliding back as the old man's hammer slammed into the Tessagia.
"He thwarted the Tessagia using a hammer." Sango and Miroku said, stunned at once.
Brian growled. "Remember your forms Inuyasha, don't just swing blindly. He clearly knows how the sword words, that puts him at an advantage."
Kagome turned the arrow back onto the man. "One more move and I end you."
The man turned to her and frowned. " This is between me and the one wielding Tessagia, you have no place in this battle."
"He's right Kagome." Inuyasha barked out. "Back away."
'Stubborn fool, I should sit you right now...' But she didn't, backing up but keeping her arrow trained on the man called Totosai. " Brian do you know him?"
"A little, barely." He sighed. "I have heard, through my master, of a swordsmith named Totosai but that's it. Literally only a rumor about a smith named Totosai, no other details."
"That sword is singing like an old saw, dull resonance, this kid can't be the right one to use it." Totosai made a sighing sound before shaking his head.
Inuyasha, ever the impatient one, charged him. " Tell me who the hell you are!"
The old man then pulled out something old and brown, blocking the Tessagia without effort... after licking it with a long tongue.
"That's a piece of leather?" Brian and Sango said together, sharing a concerned look.
Kagome frowned. " Why didn't it go through?"
"The blade must be too dull... and I guess I can't see Inuyasha taking care of it." Sango said.
Then, as if to prove her point, Totosai rubbed the sword's edge with the leather. "You been too rough with her, this blade is all nicked up. Have you been chopping up trees?"
"What do you know about it, who are you?" Inuyasha barked out.
"That's enough, Totosai." The familiar voice of Myoga carried to Kagome's ears.
"Myoga?"
"""
"So your the smith that made this blade?" Brian asked the Swordsmith, keeping his hands close to his staff just in case.
The man in front of him nodded. "Precisely, I forged Tessagia from a fang Inuyasha's father gave it to me. Only certain circles of the finest blade swinging demons are acquainted with my work."
"Certain circles?" Inuyasha asked, confused.
" I think that's a polite way to say that he isn't very famous."
" I don't give a rats ass if your famous or not old man."
Totosai sighed. " I took a good look at the Tetsusaiga earlier. " He closed his eyes. "It was the sword of swords, forged by a master sword smith, but the sound of the steel is terribly dull. It's a very sad thing."
Inuyasha, with his natural level headedness, barked out. " If you're picking a fight, just say so."
Kagome turned to him disapprovingly. "Inuyasha!"
"Oh…it's useless. Myoga, the Tetsusaiga can't be used by someone so short-tempered and so eager to fight."
Myoga leaped onto Totosai's lap. " So rather than blinding relying on the Tetsusaiga's strength and fighting recklessly, better for Inuyasha to just give up the sword, huh?'
"Well, the sooner the better. I'll just break the Tetsusaiga in two now!"
Inuyasha stood up and shoved the Tessagia into Totosai's mouth. The threat was clear. "This is my sword, you may have made it but it's mine now."
"Oh, I won't break it. Sorry about that."
Inuyasha drew back the sword.
Myoga turned to his old friend. " Stop hedging. What are you going to do?"
Totosai, with not an ounce of stealth, stage whispered. " At night, when everyone has settled down, I will quietly steal it away." Only to have the sword in his mouth once more.
Brian laughed. "You might want to quit with those threats, he doesn't respond well to threats. He will kill you and I will help hide the body." Totosai actually paled at that threat, making Brian laugh all the harder.
The little flea jumped towards Inuyasha. "Master, you only managed to unleash the true power of the sword once. Totosai knows the answer to the Mystery, don't you want the true power of the Tessagia once more?"
With his characteristic arrogance, Inuyasha threw the sword over his shoulder. " What mystery?! I'll get the hang of it in time."
The sword smith seemed unamused. " You are collecting fragments of the Sacred Jewel. Some time has passed since the fragments were scattered. There may even be a demon who already possesses two or three fragments. In order to destroy a demon whose strength is enhanced, don't you want the Tetsusaiga to be awakened to its true potential?"
Miroku, who had been silent, leaned forward. " Inuyasha, he has a point."
Sango nodded. "I think you should listen to him."
"Alright." The Dog demon barked. " So what'm I supposed to do, Totosai?
"Someone seeks my life!" The smith said. " There is a fool who has ordered me to forge a sword to rival the power of the Tetsusaiga…else he will kill me. Show me that you can protect me from him." And with those words fear shot down Brian's spine.
Inuyasha grabbed the man's face, shaking it harshly. "Why don't you say "please"."
Myoga sounded offended. "I never heard of that! Describe this person."
"He has white hair and wears furry, warm-looking clothing."
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "What?! Another old geezer?"
The old man blew a raspberry at Inuyasha. "Wrong!
Wait a minute…:"Kagome stopped everyone, and they turned to her, seeing a look of shock and horror cross her face. " If he's dressed like that…and not old…and he wants a sword stronger than the Tetsusaiga…Could he be…?!"
The old man looked skyward. " He's here!"
A light glimmered in the sky and then a beautiful man appeared, garbed as Totosai had said, riding on a two-head reptilian horse.
Inuyasha called out with a growl. " Sesshomaru!"
"Who is he?" Brian asked.
It was Miroku who answered. "Inuyasha's older brother."
Kagome gasped. "So he is the one who's after you!"
Totosai exclaimed." Exactly! It's that Sesshomaru!" Then he hid behind Inuyasha like a coward.
Everyone prepared themselves, Kagome locked on with her bow, Brian readied his staff, and Miroku got ready with his own staff.
Seshomaru spoke, his voice smooth and velvety and cold. "Inuyasha…why do you plot with Totosai?"
Totosai popped his head out. " Isn't it obvious? To punish you!"
"Oh, Totosai…I see you are rushing headlong into death.
The old man hid behind Inuyasha once more. "Oh no…I just thought after you beat Inuyasha, maybe I can make you a new sword…"
The half demon turned to face Totosai angrily. " What?"
"Just a thought…"
Kagone angrily barked out. "Hey! What you said earlier is the exact opposite!"
"Huh? Is that so?"
The regal full blooded demon, who's power Brian could only now barely grasp due to it's vastness, spoke once more. "Totosai, do not forget what you just said." Then he flew off of his horse, gracefully. "You heard him, Inuyasha. You can die for the sake of my new sword."
The entire group backed off from the attacking demons, with Miroku calling out. " Kagome, hurry and get away!"
Brian ignored everything else and focused fully on Inuyasha, calling out. "Remember your stance and steps, you can win!"
His friend growled out, literally, but fell into a perfect stance just in time to dodge a whip of demonic energy that came slicing through the ground next to him. With a graceful twist of his hands, Inuyasha sliced through the whip and used the motion to slice at his older brother, managing to cut through the weird armor piece on his left shoulder. Anger exploded in the regal demon's face, as did hate.
"You've improved, but your still too slow." The man flew up, and rushed down with claws extended, slamming into the Tessagia, releasing cloud of demonic poison. Inuyasha choked out as the poison filled the air, managing to dodge his brother's speedy punch and retaliate by grabbing the front of his brother's kimono and toss him away. The man just flipped with the motion, but there was an edge of impressedness in his expression.
Brian was proud personally, seeing how much Inuyasha had improved with just a few days of training. He really was an incredible student when properly motivated.
"Huh, he does have some skill but has he actually managed to unlock the Tessagia's full power?" Totosai, who was now next to Brian, asked.
Myoga answered. "Well, just once."
Seshomaru's voice drew them back to the fight. " Totosai…do you not feel sad for the Tetsusaiga? The famous sword is no better than a piece of log. All Inuyasha does is swing it around, even if he has improved marginally. Depending on its user, a sword can live or die.
Totosai sighed. "A wise observation… my opinions precisely."
Kagome barked at him. " Don't agree!"
Inuyasha finally had enough and started to growl out. "You damn bastard, I'll show you swinging around." He thrust the sword forward, in a maneuver that just didn't fit the massive blade, getting his hand caught by his brother who started to burn away his skin with a dose of poison.
"Well…Totosai, do you still refuse to make me a sword?"
The entire group froze, wondering just what they would do now...
Chapter end, tell me what you think in the reviews.
I didn't forget this story!
Love, your Ninja Overlord,
Mika.