Intro
Wow. I really, REALLY slacked on getting this chapter started. I guess I just sorta wanted to take a break from it. Been a bit stress-filled lately...for no particular reason. This one *might* be kinda short though. Anyhow, onward to writing.
Chapter 9
***Part 1: Arrival***
Three days of walking since Inuyasha had escaped from Barbarossa's dungeon, the group was almost at Sesshomaru's supposed fortification. They had been walking almost nonstop, with little, if any, time for rest.
"Come on, Sesshomaru. Barbarossa is long gone...even I'm getting tired. Let's take a rest, all right?" Inuyasha grumbled to his elder sibling, mainly out of concern for the others.
Sesshomaru growled lightly and turned to them. "Fine, but be hasty. We have no time to lose before Barbarossa tries something. We need to reach safe grounds soon." He cracked his neck lightly and sat down on a nearby log, as the others soon followed suit, sitting on whatever they could find to be at least moderately comfortable.
Five minutes passed before Sesshomaru started getting restless. "Come on...we need to get moving. We are less than half a days time away, as long as we don't keep making this little pit stops..." He stood up, ready to resume the travels once more.
Sango stood and nodded some. "I agree....we cannot afford to be attacked out here. Let us be off..." She looked to the others, hoping for their agreement.
"Yeah....let's go..." Kagome stood up also, which immediately gained Inuyasha's vote to get moving. Miroku and Shippo were ready to go as well.
"Fine." Sesshomaru started. "Let us be off..." He looks both directions for a moment, making sure that they were still alone, and started down the trail with the rest of them.
The rest of the walk was dead silent. Nary a sentence or whisper was exchanged between them, trying not to bother Sesshomaru. They had made a powerful ally from him, and were in no need of having him an enemy once more.
In the dead of night, two torch lights up ahead were a great relief to the pitch black of the forest they were traveling in. Before then, they could see nothing, depending on Sesshomaru's direction sense to guide them.
"Is this your home, Sesshomaru?" Miroku took a step forward, looking to the gates that the torches stood by, and then to Sesshomaru.
"Home? No, I have no home, so to speak, though this is indeed my dwelling. We will be safe here." He nodded lightly and walked up to the gates, which two large, muscular demons opened up for him. The others were soon to follow.
After five minutes or so of walking through the lush courtyard, they arrived at two large wooden double doors. Sesshomaru looked up to them as they opened up, as if by some magickal or psychic ability of Sesshomaru's commanded them to open.
"Come...." Sesshomaru walked inside his keep as the others closely followed behind. "Make yourselves...." He grumbled lightly, under his breath. "at home..." He muttered under his breath lightly and walked into another room, shutting the door behind him. Light conversation could still be heard.
The five friends nodded to Sesshomaru and walked into what seemed to be a waiting room. They sat down in assorted couches and chairs.
Miroku looked over his shoulder slightly, holding tight onto his staff, ready for some kind of ambush. "Despite it's docile appearance, this place gives me the chills..."
"I agree..." Sango began, looking over her shoulder also. "I don't want to be here any longer than I have to...but it's the only semi-safe place we have, so, we'll have to deal with it, right?"
Before anyone could respond, Sesshomaru stepped into the room and looked around at them. "Jaken tells me that we have a number of soldiers at my beck and call. If the growth continues as such, we will have a large enough force to try and battle Barbarossa within three or four days."
Inuyasha halfway stood up, a bit concerned. "Hey...that was awfully quick, wasn't it?" There was a thick distrust on his voice.
"I told you I am well known, brother. Demons flock to me if I am in need...we will be fine. I suggest you prepare yourself. We are in for a most...interesting battle."
***Part 2: Discovery***
The Gram floated silently at the very edge of the doorway leading outside, awaiting it's masters return. It knew not fear, so, it would have no difficulty telling it's master about the traitor and the escapee. It would also have no trouble explaining that it couldn't stop either one.
After a half hour, Barbarossa had made his way up the warmed pathway and stood before the opened gates. He looked to the ground where footprints were, and then to the Gram.
"Gram...what happened here?" Barbarossa spoke with a cold indifference.
"Mmmaaasssttteeerrr...Ssseeesssssshhhooommmaaarrruuu rrreeellleeeaaassseeeddd Iiinnnuuuyyyaaassshhhaaa aaannnddd eeessscccaaapppeeeddd wwwiiittthhh hhhiiimmm."
"Hmmm....I figured Sesshomaru would do this at some time or another...I just didn't think it would be so soon. I place no blame on you, Gram. Let us assemble our forces. We shall crush them." Barbarossa nodded some and stepped into the keep, the doors shutting behind him.
He traveled down one of the many hallways with the Gram following at his side. "Tell me, Gram, did he retrieve the Tetsusaiga?"
"Yyyeeesss hhheee dddiiiddd, mmmaaasssttteeerrr. III aaapppooolllooogggiiizzzeee."
"It is quite all right. The sword is meaningless to me. You and the Laevateinn are far more powerful than the Tetsusaiga could ever be." Barbarossa spoke with a light chuckle in his voice. "About how long will it take for us to get the army to full strength?"
"Tttwwwooo fffuuullllll dddaaayyysss ssshhhooouuulllddd bbbeee eeennnooouuuggghhh."
Barbarossa grinned some as they entered the throne room. He drew the Laevateinn and set it next to his large throne, sitting down in it. "Excellent, Gram. We shall crush them both, two days hence."
A grin crossed his face as a shadowy figure caught the corner of his eye. He turned to it with a scowl. "What do YOU want?"
***Part 3: Ambush***
One day had passed, and Inuyasha was walking around in the courtyard of Sesshomaru's keep for a few hours, clearing his mind and preparing himself for the battle that was soon to come.
He sighed heavily and looked up at the night sky. "I've never felt like this before a fight....what the hell's going on with my mind...."
He paced around a bit, trying to calm down, unsure of why he was nervous in the first place. He sighed heavily, while walking towards the gate. "I'm gonna take a little walk...calm my mind...."
As Inuyasha neared the gate, the two guards opened it up before he even had to ask, for the recognized him as friend of their master. Inuyasha passed by them without word, as they closed the gate quickly behind.
"Do not stray far from the castle. This area is not our lords possession. Beasts will try to slay you." One of the demons spoke with little emotion, almost as if it was his job to say such, and not a friendly warning.
"I'll be fine..." Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders and kept walking down the road. The forest was only a little brighter than it was when they first arrived, so, Inuyasha would have a bit better of a chance to see where he was going.
He strolled around a small area of the forest a bit, rolling his shoulders a bit, trying to stop being so tense. The battle at hand was ravaging his mind with worry, something usually unknown to Inuyasha.
An odd scent caught Inuyasha's nose as he froze for a moment, with his hand immediately clasping the Tetsusaiga's handle. The trees far to the right of his shook lightly, which causes Inuyasha to dash off in that direction to find the cause of the movement.
The scent was strong in the air...the scent of a demon. Inuyasha had the Tetsusaiga half-drawn from it's sheath. He looked around for a moment, seeing things out of the corner of his eye, but they vanished when he turned towards them.
Inuyasha flew forward some fifty meters into a tree from an unseen attack. Picking himself up off the ground, leaning against a tree, he looked to where he once stood. A large, bluish-gray skinned demon with red eyes, large claws, and razor sharp teeth stood there, hunched slightly.
Coughing some, Inuyasha took a step towards the demon, drawing the Tetsusaiga. "Who are you! What do you want with me?" He shouted out, as he gritted his teeth some.
The beast growled some and then smirked, stepping forward. "I am Goshinki...and I have been sent to deal with you." He made a fist with his hand and then relaxed, chuckling to himself lightly.
"Are you one of my brothers goons? Did Barbarossa send you!?" Inuyasha took a battle stance, ready to do combat with what seemed to be a would-be assassin.
"Barbarossa?" It laughed some to itself, with a guttural tone. "I know no Barbarossa....no more talk. You die!"
With uncanny speed, leaving even afterimages, the large beast dashed before Inuyasha and backhanded him through a tree. The young half-demon rolled to his feet and dashed at Goshinki, swinging the Tetsusaiga with all his strength at him.
With the same uncanny speed displayed earlier, Goshinki moved to the side of the Tetsusaiga, and grabbed it, hurling it across the forest. Inuyasha watched as the Tetsusaiga flew from his hands, glimmering lightly in the moonlight into the grounds of Sesshomaru's keep. Even without his blade, Inuyasha refused to give up, clenching his fists, ready to do unarmed combat with Goshinki.
Inuyasha delivered lightning fast blows to the large beast, but served to be little more than an annoyance. Goshinki swooped one of his large arms done and grasped hold of Inuyasha, lifting him a few feet in the air. He began to crush the life out of him.
Inuyasha spat out bits of blood as he screamed out, struggling as hard as he could against Goshinki's obviously superior might. A light crack sounded as one of Inuyasha's ribs began to give way. Once again, he screamed out.
Goshinki, tired of Inuyasha's whining, threw him yet again across the forest, but was fast enough to be there, waiting to catch him. Goshinki slammed his palm down to the ground, catching Inuyasha in it and smashing him part way into the earth.
Inuyasha struggled to move as Goshinki jumped back a bit, awaiting his next move. Oddly enough, Inuyasha sat up, and slipped to his feet, looking down slightly, but still facing Goshinki.
"What is your next move, boy? What do you think you can do to me?" Goshinki laughed aloud and dashed at Inuyasha.
Goshinki's eyes snapped open is surprise as the now red-eyed Inuyasha ran towards him, ready to receive the charge. Goshinki, furious with this upstart, of sorts, swung a claw at him. Inuyasha leapt right over it and retaliated with a claw of his own, quickly and efficiently decapitating the once powerful demon.
Inuyasha dropped to the ground, perfectly in sync with Goshinki's body. The now red-eyed demon turned and looked at his kill, before falling backwards, passing out, his eyes turning slowly to yellow as he fell.
A bit later that night, one of Sesshomaru's guards Inuyasha, picking him up and bringing him back into the castle, dropping him on one of the couches.
Sesshomaru stepped into the room and took a look at the guard. "Good. You found him. Where was he?"
"I found him in the woods just outside the gates, alongside the decapitated body of a fairly large demon..." The demon spoke after dropping to a knee, bowing to his lord.
"I see...." Sesshomaru grinned some and walked over to the guard. "Show me this body. I may have use of it..."
The guard nodded and stood up, walking out of the castle with Sesshomaru to show him the body of Goshinki.
End of Chapter 9
Yeah, just kinda threw that last part on, it seems. Don't worry, it'll all work out in the end. Sorry for the month long no-update period. I just couldn't write. I tried, believe me. Anyhow, with Kerrie as my constant inspiration, I should have this all finished (like I promised to myself) by my birthday. Preferably sooner. Three more chapters to go. Fun fun indeed.
Wow. I really, REALLY slacked on getting this chapter started. I guess I just sorta wanted to take a break from it. Been a bit stress-filled lately...for no particular reason. This one *might* be kinda short though. Anyhow, onward to writing.
Chapter 9
***Part 1: Arrival***
Three days of walking since Inuyasha had escaped from Barbarossa's dungeon, the group was almost at Sesshomaru's supposed fortification. They had been walking almost nonstop, with little, if any, time for rest.
"Come on, Sesshomaru. Barbarossa is long gone...even I'm getting tired. Let's take a rest, all right?" Inuyasha grumbled to his elder sibling, mainly out of concern for the others.
Sesshomaru growled lightly and turned to them. "Fine, but be hasty. We have no time to lose before Barbarossa tries something. We need to reach safe grounds soon." He cracked his neck lightly and sat down on a nearby log, as the others soon followed suit, sitting on whatever they could find to be at least moderately comfortable.
Five minutes passed before Sesshomaru started getting restless. "Come on...we need to get moving. We are less than half a days time away, as long as we don't keep making this little pit stops..." He stood up, ready to resume the travels once more.
Sango stood and nodded some. "I agree....we cannot afford to be attacked out here. Let us be off..." She looked to the others, hoping for their agreement.
"Yeah....let's go..." Kagome stood up also, which immediately gained Inuyasha's vote to get moving. Miroku and Shippo were ready to go as well.
"Fine." Sesshomaru started. "Let us be off..." He looks both directions for a moment, making sure that they were still alone, and started down the trail with the rest of them.
The rest of the walk was dead silent. Nary a sentence or whisper was exchanged between them, trying not to bother Sesshomaru. They had made a powerful ally from him, and were in no need of having him an enemy once more.
In the dead of night, two torch lights up ahead were a great relief to the pitch black of the forest they were traveling in. Before then, they could see nothing, depending on Sesshomaru's direction sense to guide them.
"Is this your home, Sesshomaru?" Miroku took a step forward, looking to the gates that the torches stood by, and then to Sesshomaru.
"Home? No, I have no home, so to speak, though this is indeed my dwelling. We will be safe here." He nodded lightly and walked up to the gates, which two large, muscular demons opened up for him. The others were soon to follow.
After five minutes or so of walking through the lush courtyard, they arrived at two large wooden double doors. Sesshomaru looked up to them as they opened up, as if by some magickal or psychic ability of Sesshomaru's commanded them to open.
"Come...." Sesshomaru walked inside his keep as the others closely followed behind. "Make yourselves...." He grumbled lightly, under his breath. "at home..." He muttered under his breath lightly and walked into another room, shutting the door behind him. Light conversation could still be heard.
The five friends nodded to Sesshomaru and walked into what seemed to be a waiting room. They sat down in assorted couches and chairs.
Miroku looked over his shoulder slightly, holding tight onto his staff, ready for some kind of ambush. "Despite it's docile appearance, this place gives me the chills..."
"I agree..." Sango began, looking over her shoulder also. "I don't want to be here any longer than I have to...but it's the only semi-safe place we have, so, we'll have to deal with it, right?"
Before anyone could respond, Sesshomaru stepped into the room and looked around at them. "Jaken tells me that we have a number of soldiers at my beck and call. If the growth continues as such, we will have a large enough force to try and battle Barbarossa within three or four days."
Inuyasha halfway stood up, a bit concerned. "Hey...that was awfully quick, wasn't it?" There was a thick distrust on his voice.
"I told you I am well known, brother. Demons flock to me if I am in need...we will be fine. I suggest you prepare yourself. We are in for a most...interesting battle."
***Part 2: Discovery***
The Gram floated silently at the very edge of the doorway leading outside, awaiting it's masters return. It knew not fear, so, it would have no difficulty telling it's master about the traitor and the escapee. It would also have no trouble explaining that it couldn't stop either one.
After a half hour, Barbarossa had made his way up the warmed pathway and stood before the opened gates. He looked to the ground where footprints were, and then to the Gram.
"Gram...what happened here?" Barbarossa spoke with a cold indifference.
"Mmmaaasssttteeerrr...Ssseeesssssshhhooommmaaarrruuu rrreeellleeeaaassseeeddd Iiinnnuuuyyyaaassshhhaaa aaannnddd eeessscccaaapppeeeddd wwwiiittthhh hhhiiimmm."
"Hmmm....I figured Sesshomaru would do this at some time or another...I just didn't think it would be so soon. I place no blame on you, Gram. Let us assemble our forces. We shall crush them." Barbarossa nodded some and stepped into the keep, the doors shutting behind him.
He traveled down one of the many hallways with the Gram following at his side. "Tell me, Gram, did he retrieve the Tetsusaiga?"
"Yyyeeesss hhheee dddiiiddd, mmmaaasssttteeerrr. III aaapppooolllooogggiiizzzeee."
"It is quite all right. The sword is meaningless to me. You and the Laevateinn are far more powerful than the Tetsusaiga could ever be." Barbarossa spoke with a light chuckle in his voice. "About how long will it take for us to get the army to full strength?"
"Tttwwwooo fffuuullllll dddaaayyysss ssshhhooouuulllddd bbbeee eeennnooouuuggghhh."
Barbarossa grinned some as they entered the throne room. He drew the Laevateinn and set it next to his large throne, sitting down in it. "Excellent, Gram. We shall crush them both, two days hence."
A grin crossed his face as a shadowy figure caught the corner of his eye. He turned to it with a scowl. "What do YOU want?"
***Part 3: Ambush***
One day had passed, and Inuyasha was walking around in the courtyard of Sesshomaru's keep for a few hours, clearing his mind and preparing himself for the battle that was soon to come.
He sighed heavily and looked up at the night sky. "I've never felt like this before a fight....what the hell's going on with my mind...."
He paced around a bit, trying to calm down, unsure of why he was nervous in the first place. He sighed heavily, while walking towards the gate. "I'm gonna take a little walk...calm my mind...."
As Inuyasha neared the gate, the two guards opened it up before he even had to ask, for the recognized him as friend of their master. Inuyasha passed by them without word, as they closed the gate quickly behind.
"Do not stray far from the castle. This area is not our lords possession. Beasts will try to slay you." One of the demons spoke with little emotion, almost as if it was his job to say such, and not a friendly warning.
"I'll be fine..." Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders and kept walking down the road. The forest was only a little brighter than it was when they first arrived, so, Inuyasha would have a bit better of a chance to see where he was going.
He strolled around a small area of the forest a bit, rolling his shoulders a bit, trying to stop being so tense. The battle at hand was ravaging his mind with worry, something usually unknown to Inuyasha.
An odd scent caught Inuyasha's nose as he froze for a moment, with his hand immediately clasping the Tetsusaiga's handle. The trees far to the right of his shook lightly, which causes Inuyasha to dash off in that direction to find the cause of the movement.
The scent was strong in the air...the scent of a demon. Inuyasha had the Tetsusaiga half-drawn from it's sheath. He looked around for a moment, seeing things out of the corner of his eye, but they vanished when he turned towards them.
Inuyasha flew forward some fifty meters into a tree from an unseen attack. Picking himself up off the ground, leaning against a tree, he looked to where he once stood. A large, bluish-gray skinned demon with red eyes, large claws, and razor sharp teeth stood there, hunched slightly.
Coughing some, Inuyasha took a step towards the demon, drawing the Tetsusaiga. "Who are you! What do you want with me?" He shouted out, as he gritted his teeth some.
The beast growled some and then smirked, stepping forward. "I am Goshinki...and I have been sent to deal with you." He made a fist with his hand and then relaxed, chuckling to himself lightly.
"Are you one of my brothers goons? Did Barbarossa send you!?" Inuyasha took a battle stance, ready to do combat with what seemed to be a would-be assassin.
"Barbarossa?" It laughed some to itself, with a guttural tone. "I know no Barbarossa....no more talk. You die!"
With uncanny speed, leaving even afterimages, the large beast dashed before Inuyasha and backhanded him through a tree. The young half-demon rolled to his feet and dashed at Goshinki, swinging the Tetsusaiga with all his strength at him.
With the same uncanny speed displayed earlier, Goshinki moved to the side of the Tetsusaiga, and grabbed it, hurling it across the forest. Inuyasha watched as the Tetsusaiga flew from his hands, glimmering lightly in the moonlight into the grounds of Sesshomaru's keep. Even without his blade, Inuyasha refused to give up, clenching his fists, ready to do unarmed combat with Goshinki.
Inuyasha delivered lightning fast blows to the large beast, but served to be little more than an annoyance. Goshinki swooped one of his large arms done and grasped hold of Inuyasha, lifting him a few feet in the air. He began to crush the life out of him.
Inuyasha spat out bits of blood as he screamed out, struggling as hard as he could against Goshinki's obviously superior might. A light crack sounded as one of Inuyasha's ribs began to give way. Once again, he screamed out.
Goshinki, tired of Inuyasha's whining, threw him yet again across the forest, but was fast enough to be there, waiting to catch him. Goshinki slammed his palm down to the ground, catching Inuyasha in it and smashing him part way into the earth.
Inuyasha struggled to move as Goshinki jumped back a bit, awaiting his next move. Oddly enough, Inuyasha sat up, and slipped to his feet, looking down slightly, but still facing Goshinki.
"What is your next move, boy? What do you think you can do to me?" Goshinki laughed aloud and dashed at Inuyasha.
Goshinki's eyes snapped open is surprise as the now red-eyed Inuyasha ran towards him, ready to receive the charge. Goshinki, furious with this upstart, of sorts, swung a claw at him. Inuyasha leapt right over it and retaliated with a claw of his own, quickly and efficiently decapitating the once powerful demon.
Inuyasha dropped to the ground, perfectly in sync with Goshinki's body. The now red-eyed demon turned and looked at his kill, before falling backwards, passing out, his eyes turning slowly to yellow as he fell.
A bit later that night, one of Sesshomaru's guards Inuyasha, picking him up and bringing him back into the castle, dropping him on one of the couches.
Sesshomaru stepped into the room and took a look at the guard. "Good. You found him. Where was he?"
"I found him in the woods just outside the gates, alongside the decapitated body of a fairly large demon..." The demon spoke after dropping to a knee, bowing to his lord.
"I see...." Sesshomaru grinned some and walked over to the guard. "Show me this body. I may have use of it..."
The guard nodded and stood up, walking out of the castle with Sesshomaru to show him the body of Goshinki.
End of Chapter 9
Yeah, just kinda threw that last part on, it seems. Don't worry, it'll all work out in the end. Sorry for the month long no-update period. I just couldn't write. I tried, believe me. Anyhow, with Kerrie as my constant inspiration, I should have this all finished (like I promised to myself) by my birthday. Preferably sooner. Three more chapters to go. Fun fun indeed.