The Fox Tribe Palace Day 2
In the early golden dawn, Diaozuan laid the two kits down for a nap. The white female Aki stretched a bit before settling close to its brother. That black male's tail wrapped securely around its sister, keeping the white one warm. Daiki's iridescent markings shone in the light.
Diaozuan petted them almost absent-mindedly for some time. Enjoying the silence of the cool dawn and ignoring the many flaming plumes from the window that showed just how much destruction had already occurred. He would be down there soon enough.
For now he could enjoy the few carnal things. The feeling of the silken fur under his claws. The sounds of his kit's short, slow breathing as their ribs rose and fell. The way the light bounced off Daiki's markings in a hundred different ways, giving his stripes shades of green , purple, and blue depending on how his cheek moved.
Diaozuan blinked, his eyes squinting a bit as he looked outside.
Wait a minute.
Where was-?
Almost as soon as the thought occurred to him, he heard a tremendous roar and went to the window.
Somehow, inexplicably, the barrier had disappeared. There was no faint purple glitter to the air.
Immediately, an arrow embedded itself about five feet from his head into the rocky surface. Shards of the purple-blue rock that the Palace was built from shattered and fell to the ground. Diaozuan shut the windows, pulling closed the shutters and scooping up the kits.
"Chihiro." He pulled their female guard aside, handing her the pup and kit very gently, who were whining and mewling. Not liking that they were being jostled so much.
"Take Aki and Daiki somewhere safe. And whatever you do, do not let Hibiki near them, no matter what father says. I do not trust her." He said, his purple eyes blazing with fire as he met her gaze. She nodded, one arm covering the kits.
"I will defend them with my life my lord. I swear." She whispered, giving him a low nod. He hesitated for a moment, dread in his belly. He was torn between the allegiance he owed to the battlefield and the desire to stay with the kits. There were many thoughts racing through his mind. How in the hell had their barrier failed? The yokai controlling the barrier were deep inside the Palace, safe and sound.
But then again… if Ryuu managed to siege the castle successfully, it wouldn't matter if he stayed with the kits or not. They would be crushed along with everything else.
He disappeared in a burst of black and purple flame.
Once on the battlefield, it became apparent what the problem was. With the barrier down, Ryuu and his other second-in-commands were busy using their firepower to melt everything in their path. There were a great many of them, enough to make Diaozuan nervous- their great long necks swayed as their heads moved back and forth, belching out many different colors of terrible flames.
Sadao as well as his other fox yokai were doing their best to hold their own, but fire against fire had never exactly been their strength.
"Father!" Diaozuan called, quickly taking on his fox demon form and joining the ranks. He grabbed the snout of the black dragon nearest to him, holding it tightly shut as Sadao and a few of his mates quickly disemboweled the shrieking dragon.
It was so unbelievably hot. Everywhere he placed his pawed feet, they burned from the fire of the dragons. The stone itself melting under his weight. Steaming and blurring his vision.
"Diaozuan! Go back!" Sadao said, yelping and dodging a pillar of yellow flames as it filled the area where he had just been standing. He grabbed the dragon by the throat, thrashing it about like a dog toy, only to yelp in pain as one of the other dragon's grabbed onto him in return.
Diaozuan snarled and bristled, " What? But-" biting the snout of the dragon that held his father.
It was clear father and the others needed help! Why-?
Sadao grunted and twisted. His mate, a beautiful grey fox jumped atop Sadao, scratching out the eye of the dragon who'd been holding him. It staggered back before she managed to get both eyes, and she managed to nudge herself and Sadao behind one of the walls as a second pillar of flame came billowing towards them. She panted,
"Diaozuan- we've been betrayed. The wolves are inside the walls, don't you understand! They shut down the barrier on purpose!"
He stood in numb shock for a half second before it really hit him.
Chihiro.
The pups.
He was gone. Running through the Palace, searching for Chihiro, following her scent, panicking when its pattern became strangely irregular and lead him off into a side storage room that was scarcely used.
From far beyond, he heard Sesshomaru's voice.
Diaozuan, what's wrong?
He tried to slam the door open, but it was blocked halfway by something on the floor.
I-
He paused, then blocked his mate out. He promised himself he'd only call Sesshomaru if it was necessary, and right now-.
A body.
A body was blocking the door.
Still warm and soft, a little give still in it as he shut the door with his heel and drew his sword in the darkness. He would make sure to give Chihiro a proper burial later. The blade slid out with a low hissing sound as he let his eyes adjust to the grey darkness.
She was crouched in a corner , and he could see the gleam of a small dagger.
He was on her in terrifying silence. Temporarily, Diaozuan forgot the concept of mercy- and from the outside, you could hear a brief scuffle and a few boxes being knocked around, spare scrolls and pots of ink smashing and rolling in their lazy circles.
And then a terrible pause once more as he caught her head in his hand . She was an owl yokai – very light-boned, silent. The preferred breed of yokai for assassins and traitors.
He met her yellow eyes before bringing her head against the stone wall of the room, over and over, until there was nothing left but a kind of mush in his right hand.
He let the body drop as his hand trembled.
From his belly, the dagger gleamed. He pulled it out with a pained grunt and sniffed the tip. Poison, of course.
He dropped it to the ground. Claws giving a little flex as he forced himself to calm down and walk over to the box where his kits were. Ignoring the scent of death on them, he carried them in his right arm as he went to find the rest of the traitors.
The barrier yokai were always kept in the most secure area of the Palace- down in a fake cellar that only Sadao and a few others knew about. He could hear them carrying on down there. It sounded like a grand old party.
He kicked the door open with one foot, setting the bundle gently aside for now.
What once had been a room of trusted friends and associates- foxes that he himself considered close to his own heart; had turned hostile. They'd even snuck in a few of their cat friends to celebrate the inevitable fall of the fox tribe.
Abruptly the room lapsed into uncomfortable silence. Clearly, they didn't think Sadao would be on to this- at least not this soon.
" Ari, do you remember what I told you about your friends, five years past? After being hired?" Diaozuan said calmly, running a hand over his sword. It became sheathed in beautiful purple flames, responding to the emotions of its master.
She swallowed, looking around at her friends. All of the sudden she didn't feel comfortable relaying the promise. The one she'd conveniently forgotten to tell to the others she'd managed to sneak in on her own recommendation.
Her friends and associated looked at her nervously. He set the tip of his blade at her neck, and she quickly sputtered, "You said, uh… That you were hiring us on faith. And if we ever betrayed that-"
Diaozuan snarled, his lip lifting and showing a wet canine that glistened. Pressing in the tip so that a trickle of blood leaked from her. She yelped in pain and he murmured impassively, "No editing please dear. I'm sure this crowd has heard worse."
She whimpered, " That if we ever fucked with you, you'd kill us all."
"That's right sweetheart." He said with a smile that did not reach his eyes. The cat yokai closest to him charged him with an angry yowl. Their swords clashed, and Diao pushed him backwards over the table with a foot, the oak splitting under the weight with a dull groan.
As several ran toward Diaozuan, the others trying to flee out the back door, they suddenly fell to their knees.
Grasping their chests in surprise and pain at the flicker that was beginning there.
Like… heartburn? No…
Foxfire.
The word did not escape his lips yet those around him, one by one, were bursting into beautiful purple flames. Diaozuan gathered up the bundle once more and settled comfortable in one of the chairs, gritting his teeth a bit in concentration. Yokai bodies weren't great kindling but he'd be damned if he wasn't going to make a bit of a spectacle.
If he wasn't going to make it very clear what happened to those who harmed him and his kin.
It was getting so hot in the room that the air itself was rather hazy. And if you looked closely, you could see tears dripping freely as he hadn't yet had the chance to mourn the dead kits in his right arm.
He closed his eyes and reached out with his mind. Could he restore the barrier by himself? He certainly was going to try as long as Ryuu hadn't managed to get too close.
Outside, Ryuu could sense Diaozuan's terrible power.
And it made him afraid. That could not be tolerated.
Shoving the rest of the foxes aside, Ryuu managed to get past the main line. Spewing fire as he went and yelping as he was burned by foxfire. Searching for the source of that purple fire that had taken out his allies far too soon. He burst through the main hall, dug down through the basement with his claws.
Ripping out the ceiling of the basement area and roaring in anger when he found Diaozuan calmly sitting. The bodies of those allies he'd snuck in so carefully smouldering peacefully at his feet.
"You."
Ryuu roared, showing rows and rows of silver teeth, streaked with the red blood of many foxes.
Diaozuan barely reacted- a pretty purple barrier glittering around him in a smooth ball. Bits of the ceiling and flecks of Ryuu's spit sliding off the sides.
He simply coughed and met Ryuu's gaze, frowning when he saw little flecks of his own blood in his palm. The poison was already starting to effect him.
The fox's reaction simultaneously made Ryuu furious but a tad uneasy at the same time. As he opened his jaw to spew flames he saw Diaozuan's hand lift.
He started to choke.
The cords that made the dragon's able to spew fire- the mixing of those two liquids. The fox was… messing with them.
Along Ryuu's neck, his scales started to discolor. The cords in his neck feeling hot and tight and the liquids inside starting to boil. Even as he tried to release flames, nothing but a tiny spark of flame came from his mouth. Yet his neck – Ryuu started to panic when he realized what the fox was doing.
Yet even as he fought the effect he saw a tiny window of opportunity. The fox's barrier flickered briefly. Ryuu leaned back, picking up a roman column of that purple-blue stone that the Palace was made of and slammed it down on top of Diaozuan. The force of it pushing his barrier deeper into the sub floor.
It took all the concentration Diaozuan had to keep the barrier stable enough to withstand the force.
With eye contact broken, Diaozuan's hold on the dragon wavered.
Ryuu quickly melted the rock to magma, the solid rock liquifying all around Diaozuan's purple barrier and trapping him deep underground. Then, he let it cool, fighting the other foxes that by now had caught up with him until the magma solidified. As it did, he felt a sense of relief.
It was the first time in the dragon's life that he feared for his life.
He turned around and threw himself back into the heat of battle. Soon, he'd be leaving most of his generals to take care of what was left of the Palace while he went to attack the Foo-Dog tribe.
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The Foo-Dog Palace, Day 2
As Sesshomaru blocked another blow, he was starting to panic.
Diaozuan was blocking him out, but it was pretty clear that something was happening at the fox tribe palace.
But as much as he pushed to get through Diaozuan's barriers, he couldn't quite get past enough to see. But he certainly could feel his mate's emotions: anger and terror and pain. Something terrible had happened- Diaozuan was still alive, he could still feel the fox's life essence through their bond, but.
Something was terribly wrong.
Inuyasha.
He called to her, via their connection. She was still very much alive, full of anger on the other side of the fight
What is it-
He felt her tone soften when she sensed his panic. Heart racing, head aching with each pulse of his heart. She'd needed draining from the miasma about three times per day to keep her going and it was beginning to take a toll on Sesshomaru no matter how he tried to hide it.
It's Diaozuan. I must leave.
Sesshomaru insisted, his insides tying themselves into knots. He didn't want to , but something had happened, something terrible, something to do with the pups, and he couldn't just stay here.
Wait- That's probably exactly what Ryuu's planning. If you leave-.
Inuyasha hesitated grudgingly. Sesshomaru leaving would leave them all vulnerable. She added hastily-
Is he dying? What's going on?
There was a frustrated growl from Sesshomaru. No… but an incident occurred. I feel his terror and anger. I think the kits are – I don't know. There's something wrong. He won't let me in.
There was a tense pause from Inuyasha.
Sesshomaru- we can't do this without you. As long as you can sense Diaozuan and the kits are still alive, I – we need you here more.
The Daiyokai hissed, his sword going vertically right through one of the dragon soldiers, cutting him in half. He knew that Inuyasha was probably right- that if the 'silver dragon' was to come on the third day, he'd better well be there to meet him. But he was scared. Scared to lose Diaozuan, and worried for the kits. Though the fox was doing his best to keep him out he knew that whatever had happened had something to do with them.
Not to mention, angry that he was being drained of his strength. Forced to fight in this damn miasma. He could just draw the armies back as one of course, giving he and Inuyasha the opportunity to eradicate them all- but.
If he did that- he glanced up at the wall. The glittering golden barrier just behind it that protected the pups, the injured and weak, everyone in the Palace. Moving Sesshomaru's army back behind the wall and out of his way would take time. Just enough time for the dragon yokai to get those siege towers close to the wall and shatter the barrier… No, he couldn't risk it.
He, Inuyasha, and everyone else here were sitting ducks. No matter how quickly he and Inuyasha were thinning the miasma they were sitting ducks until Ryuu made his appearance. Once their leader was dead, the army and the puppets would disappear.
Sesshomaru took a deep breath, whirling to face another enemy as his father's words echoed in his head.
Take that fear and invert it. For what is the opposite of fear?
A splash of royal blue blood decorated Sesshomaru's face, his teeth bared and his nose wrinkled in anger.
Courage, Sesshomaru. Courage for our family.
After a tense moment if indecision he sent Inuyasha a simple: I will stay. For now.
Even as that white needle of fear settled in his chest. He would have to trust Diaozuan blindly- trust that he was blocking out his mate for a good reason. And pay close attention to the fox's vitals to make sure that he would be all right. Still, it did nothing to settle his nerves.
It was his job to be there for his mate.
And the fact he couldn't at the moment set the marking on his chest aflame with guilt and worry.
Please be safe. Please be all right, Diaozuan.
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Shippou watched the battle in horror. He'd arrived in time to see the preparation of battle. In fact, his little camp was just on the outskirts of the forest- he'd had to climb up into the trees to avoid getting caught by the dragon yokai. He was surprised they hadn't seen him… but then again even if they had, perhaps they didn't care.
After all, he was only one tiny fox yokai. What could he do against an army like this?
He couldn't help but feel the same way. He hadn't gotten to the Foo-Dog Palace in time. Initially he'd headed out towards the fox tribe- he knew Sesshomaru had a mate over there, and figured maybe if he played his cards right they'd let him stay. But when he saw the armies headed out that way, he headed the opposite direction. Only of course, to find armies here as well.
He helped when he could- he'd already taken out about twenty by himself thanks to a mix of illusions and tricks. Even so, he hadn't gotten anywhere near the wall… or Inuyasha and Sesshomaru for that matter. It was easy enough to figure out where they were at any given time- the arks of Inuyasha's Wind Scar and Bakusaiga were quite clear.
Something was wrong, though. Shippou hadn't seen the dragon leader yet. Sure, he'd seen generals, but he hadn't actually seen Ryuu himself.
It was a pretty dishonorable thing, sending out your warriors to fight without being there in the blood and muck with them. But then again, both armies he'd seen had been marked with the sign of the dragon. Perhaps he'd had to choose one over the other for some reason.
Quietly, Shippou nocked an arrow. Aimed. And shot.
Thunk.
Another dragon yokai fell to the ground, while his companion snarled and whirled, searching the trees. But Shippou was pretty good at hiding himself if he wanted to. His fur matched the bark of the trees almost perfectly. And he'd chosen dark greens for his kimono for a reason.
He stayed still, and quiet. The dragon yokai shot a few furious arrows near him, and he felt them thunk into the bark of the tree, but both were at least three feet off.
He stayed still and quiet, and prayed silently that Inuyasha and Sesshomaru would win. He would do everything he could to help them, but ultimately the fate of their tribe was up to them.
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EatEmUp: Thanks for the check in. Been having a writers block, but here's what I have so far.
Smiles: Thank you ! Hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Kibou32:Thank this chapter was so short but its all I have right now.