I was so excited about this coming part that I was nearly late for work this morning trying to scribble it all down on paper – hehe – and now I will decipher my own handwriting and put forth my ideas into legible writing for the eyes of my faithful readers excited grin.  Okay, enough of my gibberish – enjoy!  Please read and review!!

Whispers of that Nameless Fear

Chapter Six

     The night stretched on forever it seemed, the sky was so vast and clear that the pale moon filled the world with its heavenly light, washing across a vast plain of grass and the etchings of a black forest along the horizon.  And there, Sesshoumaru stood as a statue against it's light, his nose to the west blowing winds and his hair fluttering about him as if it had a will of its own.  His sleeves and tail followed in suite as he remained in silent thought, his eyes staring into the darkness of the East, he sneered.

     "W . . . what is it, Mi Lord?" Jakken stumbled next to his master, clutching the staff close to his chest.  "You sense something strange?"

     It was a long while before there was an answer, but he turned away from that eerie scent and back in the direction of his territory.  "Nothing that concerns us, Jakken."

     The toad shuddered. "A . . . aye, Mi Lord."

     In truth, the calm demon was worried, but only in the very slightest degree.  It was Naraku he sensed . . . his evil happenings were hard to miss.  But it was not Naraku alone he felt, whose evil deeds barely brushed the edge of his near non-existent conscience at times, but another warrior claiming power that sent a slight quiver of uncertainty through him.

     This one, Sesshoumaru knew, would be a problem if left managed by Naraku.

     He sensed the familiar powerful hint of jewel shards, but only barely.

     A whimper caught the demon lords ears as he looked down to his feet to find the tiny form of Rin, rubbing the sleep from her obviously frightened eyes, taking a careful step closer to him.  Sesshoumaru kept his expression neutral, "What are you doing awake?  You had just been sleeping . . ."

     "Rin felt bad things." She began slowly, staring off to the east.  "Sesshoumaru-sama worried too?"

     "No, lay back down and rest, Rin.  All is well here." He lied, patting the child on the head and giving her a gentle nudge back behind a thick scrub of brush where she had made bed for the night. 

     "M . . . Mi Lord?" Jakken began again, his voice shaking.  "Me thinks that you are not telling Jakken everything.  Even I, your humble servant, can feel . . ."

     Sesshoumaru whirled upon Jakken, his orange eyes flaring with impatience.  "I need not tell you everything." He flickered his claws and sent his servant stumbling backwards with merely a gesture.  "You will stay here and watch the girl."

      "And you, Mi Lord?"

     "I have unfinished business to attend to."

********************************

     The sun began to set over the ginger horizon, spreading crimson light over the land tinged with feathery orange and violet clouds that hung suspended in the darkening skies.  The forest turned as liquid ink as Inu-Yasha and Miroku watched silently through the open doorway of Kaede's hut, their jaws clenched with purpose. 

     Ayame picked herself up from the corner in which she had sat and rested and flexed her aching muscles and tight claws, flashing a glance past her brother.  "It is almost time." She spoke the frightening words that played on everyone's mind.  "That beast should be making his presence known here very soon."

     Inu-Yasha growled.  "He's out there alright, I can smell him."

     "Now, Inu-Yasha, you have to take it easy tonight or else you will . . ." Miroku began to lecture, but Inu-Yasha's glare tore his words apart.

     "I'll tell you when I've had enough, Monk!" he cracked his knuckles eagerly at his sides.  "Just let that thing come show itself!  I can take him!"

     "I . . . Inu-Yasha . . ." a tired voice crept from the shadows of the hut. 

      Kagome struggled to right herself where she had laid and yet barely found the strength to, though Inu-Yasha was right at her side, placing a comforting hand upon her shoulder to keep her still.  "What are you doing?"

     She smiled.  "You're okay . . . good.  I was wor . . ."

     Blushing, the hanyou in question turned his gaze back to the encroaching darkness.  "I'm always okay . . . you on the other hand . . ."

     "I'm fine." Kagome tried to push herself up, but the weakness in her bones still plagued her.  "Is there anything I can do . . ."

     "Yeah, you can stay here and let me take care of everything."

     "But . . ."

     "But nothing.  You're gonna stay here." Inu-Yasha stated boldly, glancing back into Kagome's consuming gaze and falling victim to her smile.  His ears twitched longingly.  "I promise nothing bad will happen to you."

     Miroku suddenly reached for his staff, causing the rest of the group to leap to their feet at the ready.  "The sun has almost set."

     Sango stood up, her weapon within reach and the stern image of the warrior in her befell her slender face.  Kilala was just at her side, her saber fangs glinting in the waning light, heaving with the powers that mounted within her.

     Inu-Yasha grumbled within himself, a smirk spread across his face.  "Hah, let'im come!  I'm ready for'im!"

     "Um . . . Inu-Yasha . . ." Ayame's soft voice began to break the tension in the air.  "Perhaps you should listen to Miroku and stay . . ."

     But the words of warning and worry fell upon deaf ears as Inu-Yasha tore through the door and into the open fields before the forests' shadows to meet Enzuno before the last rays fell beyond the horizon to call him.  He had to be the first one to make the attack.  The only member of the group, he knew, strong enough to keep the monster at bay was himself.  And if he could keep Enzuno away from the hut, Kagome would be safe. 

     "Inu-Yasha!" Ayame roared from behind.  "You still need to rest!  You're still hurt!"

     The swift little hanyou child rushed along her elder brothers side with a sever look across her pale face, but he avoided her gaze.  "Shut up, I've been doin this longer than you have!"

     "Yes, but you're still weak and this is a very powerful . . ."

     "I said shut up!"

     Sango and Miroku fell far behind as Inu-Yasha pounded into the woods with Ayame just at his heels, trying to talk sense into him.  "Think about it!  Would it do Kagome any good if you end up dead?"

     "I said shut uuuup!" Inu-Yasha leaped high into the air through the low canopy of the trees and slammed back to the earth hidden within the shadows of the deeper forest, flushing his quarry out with a mighty rush of power.  "Come out and fight me, Enzuno!"

     Enzuno exploded with a pleasured grin across his long face exposing his vile fangs dripping with thick saliva as he rose high into the fading sky.  His claws flexed eagerly, the feathered black decoration that ran the entire length of his spine fluttered and rose in a sign of dominance . . . the last rays of light had yet to disappear over the horizon . . .

     Seven jewel shards glinted within the forehead scales of the mighty Enzuno . . .

     Inu-Yasha nearly faltered from shock at his glittering face.  "J . . . jewel shards . . ."

     Ayame frowned.  She was not entirely sure of the jewels significance, but did not allow that confusion to play over her face as she watched the beast meander through the air tauntingly.  The demons harsh, crimson gaze fell over her with a disturbing chill and yet still, she did not move.

     "Yooooou from befoooore." Enzuno hissed at the hanyou child.  "I can sense yoooour poooower."

     "Shut up, demon!" Inu-Yasha roared, thrusting himself into the air and unsheathing his mighty summoned blade.  "Tetsusiagaaaaaaaa!"

     A great flash of light ripped across the scaly hide of the monster with the horrible sound of nails upon a slate board and not a scratch made itself known upon his flawless body.  Inu-Yasha whirled around at the last moment to see the damage he had thought he had inflicted upon his target and felt his heart drop to find that he had done nothing.  Not even stunned, Enzuno lashed out upon him and send him crashing into a tree.

     "Ssssstill weeeak, are weeeee?" he hissed, cutting his words short as Ayame launched herself to attack.  "You too, I'll haaaaaave you to fiiiill myyyy beeeeeelly laaaaaater!!!"

      Ayame leaped away from the monsters claws that swatted at her through the air.  Easily she avoided them, vaulting upon the very trees of the forest that contained their battle and watching as they crashed back to the ground as the cruel claws struck them through instead of her. 

     Inu-Yasha rolled over in the dirt, his body aching all over, his limbs like rubber under him.  He hated that feeling, still his body pleaded with him not to move anymore, his wounds reopening and bleeding once again.  His actions were thus limited as he forced himself to his feet; the world seemed to whirl around him until he steadied himself again.  Ayame flew past him at a good clip, he noticed, barely an inch away with each leap from the deadly claws that pursued her . . .

     Miroku and Sango rushed to Inu-Yasha's side, the boomerang already twirling through the air to meet its target, but Miroku put a gentle hand on Sango's shoulder.  "That might not be very effective."

     She glared at him, and then at his steady hand.  "What do you mean?"

     "He's not exactly the same as he used to be.  Seven jewel shards . . ." he cringed.  "That is a lot . . ."

     "Feh, no kidding, Miroku.  Gee, glad to see that you're here to tell us all that!" Inu-Yasha grumbled sarcastically.

     Enzuno whirled to face them, knocking the weapon from the air and grinned as it fell back to the earth with a harmless clatter. 

     Inu-Yasha instinctively threw himself into his friends to avoid the deadly claws as they reached out for them.  The trees pummeled around them as the three were sent into the dirt and out of harms way, for the moment.

     Miroku pushed himself up from under Inu-Yasha.  "Did you see, though, that he was not afraid of the waning sunlight?"

     "But, there was so little of it . . ." Sango began.

     "Yes, but it was sunlight . . ." the Monk helped Sango to her feet and clutched his staff tight in his hands as he watched Ayame dance upon the branches and away from them, and Inu-Yasha close in pursuit of them.  "But there's something else about him now that's different . . ."

     Sango blinked hard, feeling her heart beat faster in her chest.  "What's different?"

     "I . . . I'm not sure . . ."

     Inu-Yasha roared into the air, sliding the sword down into the beast even though he knew it would be no use.  With those jewel shards imbedded in his forehead the already impenetrable beast was now invincible, and he was faster too . . .

     Much faster . . .

     Ayame stumbled on a shaky branch for a mere millisecond, but that was enough time for the claws to descend upon her with frightening purpose, tearing through the tree she stood upon as if it were a wisp of smoke.  Inu-Yasha watched in a choking gasp of fear as his sister fell aimlessly through the air, trying to right herself as the claws reached out for her once again . . .

     "Thaaaaaaat Souuuuuuul . . ." the demon hissed.  "I caaaaaaaaan feeeeel itttt!"

     Miroku ripped the Prayer Beads from his hand, ready to unleash the abyssal wind tunnel gaping through his very palm . . . but the rising sound of buzzing caused him to halt in fear and pull his hand close to his chest.  "Curse those Hell Wasps." He grumbled, glancing to melee undaunted, but without ideas.

     "Should have known with Naraku around." Sango sighed, thrusting her weapon through the air again.  She knew it would not work in harming Enzuno, but it could distract him, at least.

     Inu-Yasha rushed through the air and slammed his body head on into Ayame, knocking her from the reach of the beast and throwing himself into harms way.  Enzuno grasped his new prey with a suffocating fist and threw him into the ground with a laugh, hovering over Inu-Yasha, drooling great drops of hot, sticky spit over the muddying ground with relish. 

     Ayame hit the forest floor behind the beast with a shocking thud and rolled onto her feet.  Though surprised, her stone faced expression never changed as she crouched at the ready, watching her brother struggle in pain at the feet his executioner . . .

      "Iiiiiiiii'll take caaaare of you fiiiiiirst then, sinccccccce you are sooooo willing to diiiie." He promised.  "But that ssssssssoul in that pup over therrrrrre . . . mmmmmmmmm . . . It's juuuuuust waiting to come out!  Perhaps if I kill yooou . . ."

  *** Yawns too tired to write more tonight evil grin.  I'll put up the rest tomorrow.  I hope you are all liking this story – please read and review to let me know what you guys think.  Please Please Please Please Pweaaaase!!!  evil grin I wonder what Sesshy meant by unfinished business?? ***