Most of the ships have been hauled onto the beach. Hundreds of soldiers finish digging a long trench in the sand. Pikes are anchored and other fortifications constructed to protect the tents and ships from attack.
In the dying light, the wolves prepare their city for siege. Gray-bearded officers oversee the reinforcement of the main gates. soldiers haul thousands of arrows atop the city walls.
A massive congregation at the Temple of Zeus kneels before the Thunder God's statue while priests burn the bodies of fallen wolf soldiers on tall pypres. The widows keen.
The beach is lit by thousands of torches. The dog demons have transformed the serene beach into a well-fortified camp.
Priam stands by the room's open archway. Beyond the city he sees his beach occupied by the tremendous dog demon force. Koga ,miroku, and several of the wolves leading generals, aristocrats and priests sit around the long table. One of the generals, glaucus, pounds the table with his fist.
"If they want a war, we'll give them a war. I'd match the best of the wolf demons against the best of dog demons any day." velior a big-bellied nobleman, shakes his head
"The best ofthis landoutnumber the best of the dogs, two to one."
"So what do you suggest, we surrender the city, let the dogs slaughter our men and rape our wives?" Velior looks at miroku until the prince returns his gaze.
"I suggest diplomacy. The dog demon came here for one thing. Let's be honest, my friends. wolves are burning on the pyre right now because of one youthful indiscretion." Miroku looks away from Velior.
"Glaucus, you've fought with me for forty years. Can we win this war?"
"Our walls have never been breached. Our archers are the best in the world. And we have koga. His men would fight the shades of Tartarus if he commanded. We can win. Archeptolemus, High Priest of the wolves, wearing a long white robe embroidered with gold thread, now raises his voice.
"I spoke with two farmers today. They saw an eagle flying with a serpent clutched in its talons. This is a sign from Apollo. We will win a great victory tomorrow. The wolves are the eagle. The dogs…"
"Bird signs! You want to plan our strategy based on bird signs?" koga shouted
"koga. Show respect. When Archeptolemus prophesied four years of drought, we dug deeper wells. The drought came and we had water to drink. The high priest is a servant of the gods."
"And I'm a servant of the wolf tribe I've always honoured the gods, father. You know that. But today I fought with a dog demon who desecrated the statue of Apollo. Apollo didn't strike the man down. The gods won't fight this war for us."
"There won't be a war." themiroku said standing up "This is not a conflict of nations. It's a dispute between two men. And I don't want to see another wolf die because of me."
"miroku.." the king tired to speak but was cut off.
"Tomorrow morning I will challenge naraku for the right to sango. The winner will take her home. The loser will burn before nightfall. And with that miroku leaves the room. The others sit in stunned silence
"Does he have a chance?" Glacus Everyone looks at koga, who meditates before answering.
"I want our army outside the gate in the morning. The dog demon king won't let this war end with a duel."
Priam's gardens are wondrous, palm trees grow in the courtyard; flowered vines climb the walls; Aeolian harps chime in the breeze. Priam and miroku sitting on a bench, facing a statue of Aphrodite. The king holds a cloth-wrapped bundle in his lap.
"Father, I... I'm sorry for the pain I've caused you. I …"
"Do you love her?"
miroku looks up at the statue of Aphrodite
"You're a great king because you love your country so much. Every blade of grass, every grain of sand, every rock in the river …you love all of our land. That's the way I love sango." Priam nods and contemplates the goddess of beauty.
"I've fought many wars in my time. Some were fought for land, some for power, some for glory. I suppose fighting for love makes more sense than all the rest." miroku says nothing, but his father's words seem to relieve a great burden from his shoulders.
"But I won't be the one fighting." He hands miroku the bundle. miroku, curious, begins unwrapping the cloth. Finally the object is uncovered, a shining sword, expertly forged, inscribed with the seal of wolves.
"the sword of the wolves…"
"My father carried this sword, and his father before him, all the way back to the founding of our land. The history of our people was written with this sword. Carry it with you tomorrow." miroku holds the sword up and it glows in the moonlight
"The spirit of the wolves is in that sword. As long as a wolf demon carries it, our people have a future."
"koga sits on the bed beside ayame, who nurses their baby boy."
koga looks exhausted. He stares at his son.
"He has no idea what's happening."
"thank the gods."
"The man who through a spear at ginta outside Apollo's temple …I've never seen a spear thrown like that. An impossible throw." A long beat until Ayame breaks the silence.
"kagome was in Apollo's temple this morning." koga stares at ayame.
"Are you sure?" She nods, swallows hard, and closes her eyes. After a moment Ayame, his eyes full of sorrow, koga runs his hand through her long hair.
"I need to see my brother"
"don't go"
"I need to speak with him"
"I mean tomorrow. Don't go. You've fought enough. Let other men go out there."
"You think I want to fight, my love? I want to see my son grow tall. I want to see the girls chasing after him."
"Just like they chased his father?"
"He's much more handsome than I ever was."
For a moment they sit quietly, watching their son.
"I lost seven brothers in the Wars. You'd think I'd be good at losing by now. I can't lose you. I won't survive. koga stares at her before pulling her close and kissing her. Everything is in there kiss, their entire past. ayame finally lets him go and koga walks out the door.
As koga walks to miroku's room, he spies someone in a dark cloak sneaking down the candle-lit hallway… "an assassin?"
"Wait!" The cloaked figure looks back and then runs. koga chases. The fugitive runs through the archway at the end of the corridor and into the garden.
koga runs into the garden. He's far faster. He seizes his quarry and pulls aside the fugitive's cowl. It's sango.
"sango?" By the light of the moon he examines her face. The stress of recent weeks has taken its toll, but the shadows beneath her eyes make her face more compelling than ever. Embarrassed by the awkwardness of their position, koga stands and helps sango to her feet.
"what are you doing out?"
sango runs. koga catches her again after a few strides.
"let me go"
"Where?" sango struggles against koga's grip, but it's useless.
"Let me go!" sango, still struggling, begins to cry. koga pulls her to his chest. She cries for real now, violently sobbing, her mouth muffled against koga's body.
"shh shh"
"I saw them burn. I saw them burning on the pyres…It's my fault."
"no"
"It is. You know it is. All those widows. I still hear them screaming." sango takes a deep breath. She manages to control herself.
"Their husbands died because I'm here." koga can't deny this. sango pushes herself out of his grip.
"I'm going down to the ships."
"No. You're not."
"I'll give myself back to the dog king. He can do what he wants …kill me, make me his slave. Anything's better than this."
"It's too late for that. You think naraku cares about his brother's marriage? This is about power. Not love."
"miroku is going to fight in the morning." sango said looking at him.
"Yes"
"naraku will kill him" koga looks away, the words hurting him.
"I wont let it happen" sango said.
"It's his decision."
"No. No. I can't ask anyone to fight for me. I'm no longer queen." koga bows to sango and kisses her hand.
"You're a princess of the wolves. And my brother needs you tonight. Sango stares at koga in wonder. The words seem to bolster her spirit, and she smiles though her eyes are still wet. She nods, touches his arm and goes back to the palace.
thank u for the reviews ! im so happy !thank u so much!
well do u want more inuyasha? haha o and i know alot because i reaserch on it :D
well just another thanks for the reviews iam out! o and tell me if u want more haha
have u guys seen the notebook! i love that showtear im thinking of making a story on it! tell me what u think