"When we lose the extension of self we replace it with something fitting; a new sword to compensate the loss of the old."
:: CHAPTER 2 [Enlisting The Mighty Forge Master] ::
The big dog demon soared across the sky, his pawed feet stroking the air with each pump he delivered, sending him closer and closer to his destination; Totosai's home. Toga could smell the old yokai without paying much mind to the skull-boned home that Totosai must have taken residence in. He also smelled the bull.. His dog senses kicked in as he pushed himself even faster, the wind pelting against his snout, his fur, his companion who was still tucked into his furry neck.
Almost there.. The scent was getting stronger and soon enough his massive paws slammed into the ground, his abrupt landing jostling his companion and accidentally throwing him off onto a rock. The dragon grunted before getting himself up, dusting off rock as he scanned the area.
"This place doesn't seem very.. livable.." Laviel muttered as Toga's muzzle lifted, inhaling deeply of the scent.
Totosai.. The demon's mind whirled before he allowed his form to peel away, shrinking into that of his humanoid form.. which didn't look as if it had aged in all that time gone. He shook himself to settle his transformation before turning, his eyes instantly locking on the kicking legs jutting out from a patch of mud. It seemed in their haste they had startled the old forge master and his bull had bucked him off into the mud and he was now struggling.
"Oh!" Toga said sharply, instantly at the man's side before tugging him out, fixing him right side up and setting him down ever so gently onto the rock. "Totosai!" The man crowed with an utmost soft smile before slowly blinking his eyes. "I hope I'm not here at a bad time, I.. I know I've been gone, I mean I was dead after all.. but I'm back!"
Laviel watched the two with an arched brow, confusion on his face from where he had not even moved, observing them carefully.
Totosai himself seemed to be rather.. unsure what he was seeing. A phantom? An undead? That cannot be him.. it must be an imposter! And one who knows where I live! This can't be good! The forge master's mind grumbled to himself.
He sat on the rock very quietly for a while as he stared at the demon before him that was supposed to be dead and had been dead for many years. He tilted his head, squinted and examined the seemingly reborn dog. This version of his fallen friend did not have his ever-present cursed blade So'unga..
"Hmm..." Totosai said, trailing off as he put his hand on his chin. "I suppose it really is you."
Totosai's staring unnerved him, Toga's head tilting in response as he studied his friend of old. "Who else would I be?" He was unaware of imposters that could be created or the likes of recent struggles.
Totosai then hit the yokai over the head with his hammer. "Why have you returned?! Are you here to haunt me? I made the swords you asked for, so leave me alone, restless spirit!"
"YOW!" The former Inu no Taisho rubbed his head after being hit, scowling with one eye closed as if by response. "What the hell was that for?" When his mouth parted his fangs momentarily flashed before his instincts took a back seat. Restless spirit? "Like I was just saying! I was dead but somehow I'm back. I'm not a spirit, I'm real. I have a heartbeat, my soul, a physical body." He said haughtily, folding his arms as he half turned away.
After the spirit of Toga did not react to the hammer on his head by disappearing, Totosai made the conclusion that perhaps this was not a spirit and the real thing. And then the realization hit him all at once and so he jumped at Toga, eyes weeping comically as he hugged the old dog demon like a father would a son he had not seen in some time. "You really are alive! It has been so long since I last saw you! It is quite the miracle!"
Toga scowled and returned the hug before carefully peeling the old man off him and pushing him away.
Totosai wiped his eyes, remarking in his deadpan way, "Just don't tell that old flea Myoga or else he'll drink so deep and greedily of your blood when he meets you again he'll lose his survival instinct and get eaten by a bird, ha!" He barked in laughter at his own snide joke and then turned his attention to the dragon behind Toga, saying mockingly, "Who's this?"
"Laviel here-" He turned as well to glance to the quiet young heir loitering nearby. "-is someone I must help.. he is the last of the Esperica Dragons, the heir. Speaking of Myoga; you are the only one that can know, I must stay in the shadows. There is the matter of my supposed corpse being a thing in the world between so for now I must let my children think I am among the dead. I do not yet know why I am among the living though I am sure the reason will reveal itself with time. I came to you with a request."
The old swordsmith listened carefully to the words of the dog general. He understood the wish for secrecy. Though it may have seemed a happy reunion, no doubt both Sesshomaru and Inu-what's-his-name would have trouble dealing with the revival of their father. The very swords which had been bequeathed to them were as a last wish of his and the independent path each was supposed to take was their own. If Toga returned, then all would be thrown out of balance, and the sons could react badly. "Oh? What for?" A request?
"I came to request you make a new sword from a fang of mine. I no longer have possession of the two you made me, I believe my children have them. Since I now lack So'unga I need a new sword to wield. Will you help me build one, something fitting? I am sorry to bother you with such a request but the Tenseiga and the Tessaiga were appropriately passed to my children after my death and I cannot continue to wield So'unga and as such I need a replacement and I trust your craftsmanship."
Sword.. the word resonated with Laviel as the male turned fully away, staring into the sky, a memory tickling his senses. He had a sword once.. what had become of it? He needed to find it..
When Toga asked him about a sword, he did get more serious, however, putting a hand on his chin and stroking his beard. He leaned his hammer up against his shoulder and sat on a rock near the entrance to his home. Of course he would create another sword for the dog general but what kind?
"A new sword.. from your fang. Yes, I can see. And I definitely see why you wouldn't want to wield that nefarious thing. It reeks of evil. But a sword.. it is strange to take another request from the dog general. When last we had met, you had picked up the Tenseiga, and then had gone to your doom against that dragon and the samurai. Now here you are again.." Totosai paused, considering his words. "I will gladly create another sword from the power of your fang. Crafting something from a base so brilliant as yours is a pleasure for me. But I must know the abilities of this new sword. The Tenseiga was a challenging and difficult sword to build already, requiring significant materials from the underworld. It strained even my capabilities. So what do you seek now, dog general? A sword of pure power? Or something else?"
"If things pan out in a way that grants them growth and acceptance only then will I reveal my presence. Not a minute sooner if I can prevent it." Toga said seriously in reference to his children, his brows furrowed, eyes shimmering with some unfathomable emotion.
He sighed, closing his eyes for a few minutes as he considered his own words of this conversation.. His eyes opened and he held a sort of determination now as he lifted them to Totosai.
Laviel folded his arms, looking away to avoid the awkwardness of Totosai's occasional glance at him in for the moment however, his jaw clenching.
"I was giving thought to being more like Tessaiga." Toga said, drawing the attention back to the sword. "Power based. But I want an electrical aspect to it primarily, much like how the Tessaiga can perform the Backlash Wave. I can gather whatever materials you require. I do want the sword to be around the same size as the Tessaiga, black hilt wrapping. I have a gem I want to use at the tip of the hilt." He was eager for a new sword, something to better protect himself while also feeling comfort in the swing of a blade.
Totosai did not know what to say to the loitering quiet Esperica Dragon so he did not say anything, instead focusing his attention on Toga's request. A powerful sword with an electrical aspect to it.. hmm. The Thunder Brothers, it was said, had perished, so drawing power from their artifacts was unlikely, even leaving aside they would not consent to it willingly.
There was another option, but it was exceedingly dangerous.
"You must go find the dragon ShanTil of the Southern Sky, perhaps the old electric dragon would be willing to give you a dragon scale. That would certainly have enough electrical energy. If not, well.. try not to die to an offspring of the dragon that killed you in the first place, ha!"
Totosai counted on his fingers. "If you get me that scale then it should not take more than a week to complete the sword. If not, we can look elsewhere, perhaps to some of the Raijin that occupy the clouds of Tsushima. You may recall a number of them aided you in your battle against the Daiyokai Menomaru when he invaded all those years ago. Perhaps they would be willing to spare a part of their power, though the sword would be weaker."
At the mention of ShanTil being related to Ryukotsusei Toga's entire face clouded over with a momentary snarl, teeth bared to flash fangs, his lip twitching at the mere thought of that damned dragon. "ShanTil.. his child you say. If it's a scale you need I will fetch one. But first let me give you my fang." Toga took many steps back, closing his eyes as he felt a rush inside of him. With a burst of wind his form shimmered, melting away into smoke and fur as he shifted. His dog form was quite large and he stretched his body, his ears pointed up as he was alert.
He drew back his head before slamming a tooth into the rock. He snarled as he dug the right deeper, wiggling his head to wedge it into the rock at just the right angle. He steeled himself but he bent his head, slammed his paw against it and jerked, feeling the bone snap from the angling, force and precise aim.
He lifted his head before feeling his body melt away to his humanoid form, gesturing to the broken fang a few feet from them. "Use this when you craft. I will go to the Southern Sky domain; Laviel are you coming?" He glanced at the dragon, who was blinking at what he had just witnessed before the dragon nodded.
"If I can be of assistance then sure." Laviel replied with a frown on his face.
"We'll try the dragon's brat first, see what luck we'll have with a scale. I want it to be as strong as it can be. While I'm out I'll get the Adamant gem as well for the hilt." Toga nodded his head as a plan was set in motion. They would head south and find the son of his enemy and either convince them to part with a scale or steal one. Whatever it took to get a new sword he could wield properly. "Thanks Totosai. If there's anything else we'll need I can get it when I return with the scale."
"Well alright, just take care of yourself! It wouldn't do for you to die again! And don't do anything foolish! You know your own strength, but without Tessaiga and Tenseiga you do not have as many options in battle as you once did!"
Totosai waved at the old dog general as he departed before releasing a great, tired sigh.