Chapter 2:

The Council

Note: Once again, Inu and Co. are not mine (though I'd kill for Sesshoumaru), but Sesshyo, Sia, and Hinosaiga are mine. Yo-Kay?

Inuyasha flew down the ravine toward the great peak, towering above him like a spike to heaven. Yeah, he was going to investigate the unknown demon to the South, but since he was here, he decided to go to the council. (Not that he wanted to, or anything, I mean, who would want to go talk to a bunch of stuck up demons like Sesshoumaru?) Speaking of Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha bet Tetsusaiga that he would be there, along with a bunch of other White Dogs, who would sit around commenting on how disgusting it was that a mere half-breed would dare intrude on such an important issue. That was one of the reasons he was in a bad mood; the other was following him, yelling at the top of her lungs for him to get the hell back here, that he had no right to go running off like this. Inuyasha could have easily outran Kagome, but it wasn't just Kagome, it was Kagome riding Kilala. The fire-cat demon may have belonged to Sango, but would obey Kagome without question.

Of course it still was a matter of choice. Kilala didn't have to obey; she chose to. Of course, in Inuyasha's opinion Kilala did it to spite him.

"Kagome! go back to camp!"

"No! SIT! (insert terrific crash here) Now tell me where you're going!"

"Wadda you care about it, wench?!"

"SIT,SIT,SIT!"(Insert three painful crashes here)

"Knock it off will you?!"

"I'll stop when you tell me where you're going! Don't make me say 'the word'!"

"I'm going down there!" Inuyasha yelled, pointing down the ravine.

Kagome glanced down the ravine, then did a double take.

"I sense four jewel shards!" she gasped.

"What?!"

"Four shards; down there in that valley!"

Inuyasha stared down into the gorge. He needed Kagome to find the shards, but there were fresh scents of at least ten Dog demons, one of which was Sesshoumaru, and another that had that same flowery smell, but slightly different. Bringing Kagome there would put her in danger, but he was going, no matter what, and he doubted Kagome would get left behind.

"Going down there will be dangerous, so you better do everything I tell you to do, the instant I say it; got it?!"

Hearing the intensity of his voice, Kagome agreed, and minus Kilala, proceeded down the side of the ravine.

As they got in sight of the entrance to the peak, Inuyasha became horribly aware that there was more than ten Dog demons here.

There were at least forty.

******

Sesshoumaru glanced over at his youngest brother who had stripped off his fang-studded armor, so he could carry Rin around on his shoulders.

He seemed perfectly delighted with the small child, smiling from ear to sharply pointed ear. His companion, a wolf demon, Sia, sat not far off, watching docilely. Sia was a lesser demon like Jaken, and did not have a human form. He couldn't even speak in a human tongue. He could be mistaken for a regular wolf if not for his great size and intelligence. Sesshoumaru growled softly at his brother. He could be even more ridiculous than Inuyasha at times, if that was possible. Still, he was a full demon. Inuyasha was just a pitiful Hanyou.

Sesshoumaru glanced down at Hinosaiga, lying on the ground by Sia.

The Western Lord had no interest in Hinosaiga, at least not as much interest as he had in Tetsusaiga. By replacing his lost arm with a non-demon arm, he could wield the Steel-Cleaving Fang, Tetsusaiga, and still be able to use its complete power. He could do no such thing with the black-bladed Soul-Reaper Fang.

To wield Hinosaiga's power one had to have Magic; not magic the demons used, called Youki; but a stronger magic, the kind of magic use by priests, priestesses, and the immortal Witches. His brothers wasn't that powerful, but it was there, thanks to his warrior/witch mother.

"Rin." Sesshoumaru said softly, nodding toward the entrance to the peak.

Rin turned to look at him. Sesshoumaru hadn't been around his brother in years, he would've lost trust in any other demon in that length of time; but he knew he could trust the Southern Lord with Rin while he was inside the Peak. There wasn't a single demon Sesshoumaru knew of that was as trustworthy and loyal as Sesshyo. Except Inuyasha. But he didn't count. He wasn't a demon; he was a Hanyou. Besides, Sesshyo was loyal to him; Inuyasha wasn't.

Rin glanced down at Sesshyo. He was nice, but Sesshoumaru was her master, her lord, her friend even, though Sesshoumaru would never admit to such a thing. She moved to get down, and Sesshyo disappointedly deposited her on the ground beside Sesshoumaru. "Not very smart, taking a human girl inside the Peak, Sess." Sesshyo said, cockily.

"That's none of your business. And I would prefer if you didn't call me that."

Sesshyo smiled evilly. "Fluffy-wuffy, Sessy-wessy, Sessy-shoumaru!"

Sesshoumaru snarled inwardly. He should've seen that coming...

Rin stalked over to Sesshyo and tugged on his pants leg. "Lord Sesshoumaru!"

The Southern Lord seemed rather surprised at such a small human telling him what to call his brother. Sesshyo turned to Sesshoumaru and bowed.

"Lord Sesshoumaru." he said sarcastically, walking off, laughing at the top of his lungs. He suddenly choked, looking up at he edge of the ravine.

"What is this? A council for the Dog Lords, or human women?" he said, pointing up at the human girl following a hanyou dressed in a baggy fire-rat kimono. Inuyasha glanced down a the slim demon who was eyeing him warily from the Peaks entrance. Kagome made a choked noise from behind him.

"Inuyasha, that's the demon that old man told us about! I can sense that he has at least four jewel fragments as well! But..."

"But what?" Inuyasha snapped.

"He's not tapping into the power of the jewels; they're just sitting in his pocket!"

"It'll just be easier to get 'em then."

The said demon had obviously gotten bored with looking, and was now making his way toward them. At first Kagome thought it was Sesshoumaru; he looked allot like Inuyasha's older brother, and he walked that same casual way, like he was just mildly curious of the strange beings he was making his way toward. But his perked dog-ears,tail, the fact that he actually had an expression on his face, cancelled out that idea. Inuyasha snarled. "Feh, wadda you want?"

The demon smiled. "Oh, nothing...just curious. Are you bringing that human for a mid-afternoon snack?"

"No!, I am not bringing her for a snack! Who the hell are you anyway?"

"I have half a mind not to answer with you asking in that disrespectful tone."

"It's not just his tone; he is disrespectful. A filthy mongrel, not worthy of his fathers sword." Sesshoumaru said, his lip curled in a sneer.

The unnamed demon smiled again. "Inuyasha... I recognize you now. A Hanyou that actually managed to stay alive till his coming of age... interesting.

"Oh yes, an answer to your question. I am Sesshyo, Lord of the Southern Lands.

Sesshoumaru's brother; I guess that makes you my brother as well. Isn't this a delightful reunion?"