Ch 3: Darkest before the Dawn

Eric walked out of the woods, with Shippou close behind. He spotted Kagome and Sango sitting a fair distance away from Inuyasha and Miroku. He looked back, and whispered to Shippou "Time to play my role."

He sat near the women, and drew close to Kagome. "I do not mean to pry, but what happened?"

"Nothing." Kagome answered coldly. Eric had to do his best to hide the laughter swelling inside him. He shot a grin towards Shippou, still bound by his spell.

"Curse him!" Shippou thought. "If only I knew what his Word of Binding was! I need to warn them, but how?" Shippou looked at the dirt. He knelt down, and began writing. As soon as he started, a small wind gust erased it. He looked at Eric and growled. Eric chuckled.

"Now, now, my dear Kitsune, it is not yet time to play that round," he said inside Shippou mind.

"Curse you, I'll find a way!" Shippou replied over the psychic channel.

Eric stood and overlooked the separated group. "I'm going into town for food and supplies," He said.

Shippou sat against a tree. "I have to figure out what that word is, but how? It would have to be something that wouldn't be said in everyday conversation, and something he said during our conversation in the woods. Gah! I should have been paying attention!"

As Shippou tormented over his predicament, Sango rose from her seat and sat beside him. "You suspect it too, don't you?"

"Huh?" Shippou asked.

"Eric. There's something wrong about him. I feel it too, in my gut. So does Miroku, but I'm afraid Kagome is too far under his spell, and Inuyasha's too headstrong to be trusted. We're playing along right now, until we can tell what his game is."

Shippou smiled to know he wasn't alone. But he knew what Eric's game was. Eric had bragged about it in the forest. He would use the slivers to gain a foothold in this world, and then steal the Shikon to power up his minions. If he could figure out what that accursed word was, he could bring an end to this! Such knowledge infuriated the young Kitsune, but, as Sango warned, he kept his silence.

***

As soon as he was out of sight of Inuyasha, Eric opened a portal. He stepped inside, and re-emerged near Naraku's castle. He walked up to the front steps, and waved his hand, causing the door to fly off. Inside sat Naraku himself, and behind him were Juuromaru and Kageromaru, Kohaku, and Kagura.

"Did you think such and attack would be that easy?" Naraku said. Eric looked behind him, at a legion of demons. The enigmatic planeswalker merely laughed and raised his arm.

"To me, my Crimson Hellkite!" At his behest, and dragon made purely of flames rose from the ground. It let out a fearsome cry that froze the blood of all those who witnessed it. With a mere swing of its head, it incinerated all Naraku's demons, and then landed behind its master.

"Now, let us get down to business, Naraku. I want this piece of property. You're going to give it to me."

"Now why would I do a thing like that?" he said, releasing his poison gas into the air. Eric laughed again.

"You're attempt to keep me at bay are amusing, but I'm afraid time is short, I need Tranquility," he said. Once again he raised his arm. A wind swept through, blowing away the gas. Juuromaru tried to jump Eric, but a headbut from the hellkite sent him sprawling. Naraku looked around. Kohaku was bound in his own chains, and Kagura was paralyzed with fear. Naraku began to sweat.

"Now, it's my turn," Eric said with a grin.

His Crimson Hellikite vanished, replaced instead with a small Wind Spirit. The Wind Spirit held her arms out, and winds stronger than any man or demon had seen before forced Naraku and his minions out the back of his palace, and miles away. Only Kagura managed to withstand the winds. Eric smiled.

"Well, now. I'll be merciful and offer you a choice. Serve me, of suffer the fate of your old master," he told her. Kagura stared blankly for a moment, then bowed before Eric. "A wise choice, but I'm afraid you are currently too weak to be of any use to me, but I'll find a way." He grabbed her by the throat and threw her to the ground, then jumped on top of her. She screamed as if her soul was being ripped asunder.

***

Eric walked up to where he left Kagome and the others, carrying a bundle over his shoulder. Kagome looked up at him.

"There's a scratch on your face! Are you hurt?" she asked.

"No, um, there were some demons on the way there, attacking some children. Nothing I couldn't handle, though," he replied.

"Yeah, right. I'd believe that like I'd believe Inuyasha if he said he'd open an orphanage," Shippou thought. "I'm going to take a walk," he said.

Shippou made his way to a creek. He walked out over a bridge and looked into the water. "I know Eric's up to no good, but if I can't tell anyone...what am I going to do?"

Shippou sat down and began to cry. "There has to be a way, there just has to be. But Eric's spell for..." Shippou's eyes brightened. "That's it! Forbid! That's the Word of Binding!"

Shippou stood to his feet and shouted, "FORBID!" He laughed. "Eric's the bad guy! I said it! The spell is lifted!" He began to run to the others, but paused. "But how am I going to prove it?" he thought. He looked frantically around. "I'll just have to take that chance!"

Shippou ran to where his friends were. Kagome was treating Eric's scratch. Sango was sitting nearby, and Miroku and Inuyasha were a ways from them. Shippou pointed a finger straight at Eric. He looked at him with hate filled eyes.

"You. You're the one at fault here! You're the one who brought the slivers here, and the one who put me, Sango, Kagome under a spell!"

Eric chuckled. "And why would I do a thing like that?"

"You want to infest this world with those slivers, and other creatures, and turn it into a realm of magic under your rule!" Shippou yelled.

"And do you have proof?" Eric asked.

"He doesn't need any." Sango said as she drew her Hiraikotsu. Miroku stood as well and began to unwrap his wind tunnel.

"Sango and I suspected you were up to something. I first sensed your magic around Sango and Kagome. Then all this happened. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that something was wrong here. Now Shippou's confirmed it," Miroku stated.

Eric laughed, and then rose from Kagome's care. "So, you've figured all that out. A pity it isn't the half of it."

"Your plans will never come to pass!" Inuyasha said with a growl, "I don't know everything that's going on, but it doesn't matter!" Inuyasha leapt at Eric with a swipe of Tetsusaiga. Eric raised his arm, and caught the sword in one hand. He threw Inuyasha through a nearby tree.

Eric raised both arms to the sky. A bolt of thunder delivered the Stormseeker to him, while the Sword of Ages formed from pure light. The forest wrapped around him, forming an Armor of Thorns on his body.

"You are all welcome to try and stop me," he said with a confident smirk, "but in the end, all you can do is try, and fail!

...............To be continued!

Next: Eric clashes with Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sango! Can they possibly hope to stand against the unparalleled might of a planeswalker? And whose side is Kagome on?