Disclaimer: Willing to offer bribes to own Sesshomaru
Bassarious watched Sesshomaru with eyes as sharp as a hawk's. He knew the inuyoukai was a flawless fighter who had yet to be trully defeated. The bastard dog demon had yet to draw either of his swords. Those famed cold and unreadable eyes seemed to be studying Bassarious, watching how he moved, how he held his own sword. While others might find Sesshomaru's gaze unsettling it didn't phase the human lord for a moment. For too long, Bassarious had hated and reviled the Lord of the Western lands and he would savor every moment of making the bastard sweat.
"I suppose you think if you can defeat me, dog, that you and the girl will go off and live happily ever after. Tsk, tsk tsk," Bassarious smirked, "I thought you outgrew fairy tales when you stopped suckling on your mother's teets."
Rin knew the game the Northern lord was playing and still she was shocked. Clearly nothing was off limits to be used against Lord Sesshomaru in the attempt to provoke him to strike. She watched as Bassarious walked a slow circle around his nemesis. Surely he wouldn't be so cowardly as the stab Lord Sesshomaru in the back! To his credit, the inuyoukai lord remained still, a smirk playing over his lips.
"You concern yourself too much with a future you shall not live to see, mortal."
In the blink of an eye Sesshomaru had unsheated Toukijin and rounded on the Lord Bassarious. As the swords met the clash was drowned out by the roar of dragon unleashing another ball of fire into ground. Rin ducked behind Ishikawa's shoulder, the blinding flash of the fire lighting up the sky like the noontime sun. Only when the light dimmed did she open her eyes and see Lord Sesshomaru's Toukijin locked with Lord Bassarious' own weapon. Her heart lept into her throat as the human shoved with all his might, sending the inuyoukai jumping back to avoid the deadly slash of his blade. Now she remembered why she always ran and hid when her lord battled other demons. She couldn't bear the sight and sounds of fighting.
"Surely you realize the days of your kind are numbered, Sesshomaru! Soon you and those like you will be kept as pets! An amusement for humans like myself!" Bassarious hissed, driving the dog demon back with an unending rein of blows that would have numbed a mortal's sword arm.
"My kind were there to see the conception and birth of your kind, human. I prefer to think of it as a failed experiment." Sesshomaru replied, blocking each strike and taking calm, measured steps back.
Bassarious thrust his blade towards the dog demon's belly but Sesshomaru saw his intent and was able to dodge the strike. Spinning away from the razor sharp edge of the blade, he charged Bassarious, slamming the blade of Toukijin downwards. The hilt of the fang caught Bassarious' own hilt and Sesshomaru drove the locked blades downwards, the tips digging into the scorched dirt. Standing face-to-face with each other, so close their angered breaths mixed, Sesshomaru's cold amber eyes pierced Bassarious' fiery blue ones.
"In the end, dog, you will perish!"
"Someday I shall die but not at the hands of a mortal."
Sesshomaru forced Bassarious' sword upwards with his own, the locked blades slicing through the air now thick with smoke from the fires. As the hilts parted, the human once more studied his opponent, stepping back out of the reach of Toukijin. There had to be an opening in Sesshomaru's style of fighting. The winds from the wings of the dragons swooping and flying overhead stirred the flames in the grass. Soon the entire landscape would be ablaze. Bassarious was determined to leave the dog demon weakened and dying, to burn in this world and again in hell. With an icy smile he stepped forward again, tapping the flat of his blade against Toukijin in a mocking rhythm. Sesshomaru merely continued to stare into his eyes in chilling silence.
"What is he doing," Rin whispered, "Why does he not strike down Bassarious and end this?"
"Because he is a human." Ishikawa answered, his eyes never straying from the battle before him.
Rin glanced up at the dragon demon lord in confusion. Her lord was willing to spare an enemy who wished him dead simply because he was human? Impossible. She could still hear Lord Sesshomaru's hatred of humans as he spoke to Bassarious. As Rin opened her mouth to speak Sesshomaru knocked the annoying blade away and slashed Toukijin downwards, the tip of the blade slicing across Bassarious' upper arm. At first it appeared as if he had missed but then a band of blood seeped through the material of Bassarious' shirt. He never even glanced down at the wound. The dog was not striking as fast and as reckless as he might have liked. Just for a split second Bassarious wanted to see Sesshomaru's control snap!
"You better get over your sudden aversion to killing humans, dog, because unfortunately for you, I have no affinity for animals!"
Jaken was prepared to scream a warning to his lord but it wasn't necessary. Sesshomaru knew Bassarious' intent and deftly sprang back, out of the path of the weapon arcing down towards his head. Crouching down, the dog demon lord smirked as he held Toukijin before him. Bassarious lunged forward once again, swinging his sword at the hated weak demon fang and sending a boneshattering vibration down its length. Sesshomaru held fast to the sword, knowing the blade would hold since it had come from the mouth of the demon who shattered the famed Tetsusaiga. Rin saw her lord in a vulnerable position and knew Bassarious would take full advantage. As he lifted his sword in both hands, Bassarious sneered. He would pin the bastard to the ground and then take his head as a trophy! The blade began its decent and Rin screamed, shoving her way out from behind Ishikawa who tried desperately to grab her and stop her. In a blur of movement, Sesshomaru dropped Toukijin and fell on his now free hand, using it for balance. Unable to step back, Bassarious could not avoid the dog demon's leg as it swept out, knocking his own feet from beneath him and sending him sprawling back into the dirt.
Grabbing Toukijin once more, Sesshomaru dove to his feet as Bassarious rolled up onto his knees. Rin felt her knees go weak with relief. Bassarious, however, seemed unphased by the turning of the tables. Driving the tip of his sword into the ground before him, he grinned up at Sesshomaru. Ishikawa kept a hand on Rin's arm, unwilling to let her approach any further. All eyes were on the combatents, time seemed to stand still.
"I think something has you distracted, dog. You aren't fighting with your full potential. Allow me to remove the impediment!" Bassarious yelled, reaching down into his boot.
Ishikawa saw the glint of the dagger in the roaring flames. The damn human did not know when to cease! Jaken shouted to his lord to watch out as Bassarious' arm came up. It was clear who his target was and Ishikawa reacted without hesitation. He knew well enough the inuyoukai lord would condone his actions. After all, it was being done to save his mate. Grabbing Rin by both arms he shouted.
"TASHI!"
Instantly the dragon demon transformed into a full dragon and took to the air. Ishikawa spun with all his might and threw Rin, screaming in fright, upwards towards him. The dragon's claws caught the terrified girl and curled gently around her, careful not to do her harm. The dagger sailed through the air and fell harmlessly into the grass. The moment of distraction bought Bassarious the time he needed. Sesshomaru, his eyes locked on Rin as she had flown through the air out of harm's way, did not see the human lord clamor to his feet. With all so focused on keeping the girl from being slain, they had dropped their guard and failed the Lord of the Western Lands. Jaken was about to breath a sigh of relief when his eyes widened. Bassarious methodically drove his sword into Lord Sesshomaru's belly! The move came so swiftly he had no chance to block it. The blade pierced through him completely, the hilt of the sword digging into his sternum and all Sesshomaru could do was gasp.
From above, Rin had seen what had transpired. She could only watch in horror as her lord fell slowly to his knees. As if in slow motion she watched as Bassarious' blade withdrew from Sesshomaru's midsection. Jaken was screaming and dropped his staff, Ishikawa seemed to have turned to stone, too stunned to move. Tears burned Rin's eyes as Bassarious clasped his sword in both hands and chuckled, quirking an eyebrow at the proud dog demon.
"Don't worry, dog. I'll take good care of the girl."
As Bassarious swung back with the sword, ready to take his hated enemy's head, Rin screamed. The sound was so plaintive, so mournful it chilled his blood. The wind stirred once more and a thick cloud of smoke blocked Rin's line of vision as Bassarious' sword flew towards her beloved lord's throat and from below she heard Jaken's horrified shrieking. Somewhere, deep inside of her, Rin felt something inside of her shatter and she began to shake in the dragon's grip. NO! No it wasn't supposed to end this way! Lord Sesshomaru was invincable! He had never been defeated in a fight! Unwilling to let her see the bloody mess that undoubtedly waited below, Tashi flew higher into the sky and carried Rin away from the flames and fighting.
"NO! No, Tashi, go back! Go back, please!" Rin shouted, struggling in the great dragon's talons.
It almost appeared as if the dragon shook his head. Rin screamed in protest and beat on the creature's claws. She would slaughter Bassarious herself for what he had done! Human or not, he had destroyed her lord...killed the only person she had ever loved. As she squirmed Rin could feel the dragon's grip on her loosening. Trying to hold tight to her yet not crush her and carry her to safety all at the same time, Tashi was struggling.
"Let! Me! GO!" she yelled, shoving one of Tashi's powerful talons away and pitching forward.
The shift of her weight in his grip and the loss of one talon holding tight to her, Tashi lost his grip and Rin felt herself tumble free. Suddenly, the wind was rushing passed her and the earth was hurtling towards her. She hadn't realized just how high Tashi had flown and it soon registered that she wasn't a safe tumbling distance in the air. Clawing wildly at the air, Rin threw her head back and an earpiercing scream burst from her throat. She squeezed her eyes tightly closed, ready for the impact her body would make when it struck the earth. As swiftly as her fall had begun, it also quickly ended. The wind was driven from her lungs as her belly slammed into something solid and the direction of the rush of air around her changed. Dizzy from the fall, the sudden stop and the breath being stolen from her lungs, Rin lifted her head groggily and recognized Ah-Un's reigns drifting out beside the animal's necks. Knowing she was safe once again and that the faithful creature would return her to wherever her lord lay, Rin gave in to the blackness that overtook her vision and went limp across Ah-Un's back.
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Okay, battle scenes I suck big wind at writing, I'll tell ya that right now! lol Thank you for all the congrats and well wishes! And yes,I will continue this tale after the hornymoon! ; )