A Father's Embrace

Chapter Thirty-six

Battle

He had intently watched the quartet of humans leave the village early that morning. Always remaining downwind from them, for he suspected one of them to be a yokai in disguise, he followed behind them at a great distance. He knew that, at the very least, the monk and exterminator would be able to sense him should he dare wander too close. But that was not the reason why he kept his distance.

It was because of that cursed voice that continued to pop into his head.

How he hated that voice! Always so snide and condescending, always telling him what to do. Okay, so maybe not always. But it sure liked to control him whenever it came to his Kagome. He wanted her, needed her, so badly. To reclaim what was rightfully his. But whenever the temptation to go after her became too great, whenever he started to succumb to that baser instinct and desire to capture his mate and take her away where he could keep her solely to himself, that wretched voice seared through his head and that crippling pain ripped through his chest, paralyzing him into compliance. That voice was always scolding him like a poorly trained puppy.

He absolutely despised that horrible, sickening voice.

And he was completely helpless to rid himself of the menace. All he could do was obey. And that, he hated as well. For several days now, he had followed the rag-tag group of travelers, always watching the miko from a distance. If he were lucky, he'd catch a glimpse of her beauty, or he'd catch a whiff of her fresh, intoxicating aroma, a whiff that was separate and untainted by anyone else's scents. These little things enthralled him, drove him to continue following after her, despite the voice that prevented him from getting near her.

As the three humans and yokai in human disguise approached a steep cliff, he held back. They had stopped at the base of the rocky structure. Patiently, he waited for them to move onward. It was at that moment that he felt the sudden surge of yoki from their direction. Curious, he leapt to the high branch of a tree. Through the canopy, all he could see of them was an occasional speck of color as the wind shifted the branches of the trees. He released a small growl of frustration.

After a few moments, he felt the yoki flare a second time, though not as great as the first. What was going on down there? His Kagome was down there with that yokai. Who knew what it was doing to her! He was tempted to rush to the scene. A dull ache in the center of his chest forced him to reconsider. It was a silent reminder to comply to the voice's demands. A third and final flare of yoki grabbed his attention. And then, he could sense the yokai heading away from the cliffs, back towards the village from whence it came. But it was alone now. Where did his Kagome go?

He waited before he rushed to investigate, tracking the source of yoki as it moved through the forest several yards south of his position. Only when the yokai was gone, would he leap down from his perch and continue following his Kagome. He gritted his teeth in annoyance. That yokai seemed to be taking forever to leave! Lost in his own irritation, he failed to keep his own yoki in check. As his frustration grew, so too did his yoki.

The yokai below suddenly stopped.

Inuyasha could sense it reaching out with all its senses, trying to locate him. The hanyo smirked. So it was trying to find him, eh? His Kagome wasn't around anymore to accidentally notice his presence. Therefore, the voice couldn't discipline him if he decided to have some fun with this little yokai. He allowed his yoki to intensify. Waves of jyaki rolled off of him, engulfing the forest around him. There was no doubt that the yokai could sense him now.

When he felt the surge of panic from the yokai, he released a satisfied smirk. He felt it suddenly dart away, towards the southwest, across the river, away from the village. The hanyo was mildly amused. So it thought he was going to follow and thought to lead him away from the village? How naive! If he didn't have more important matters to attend to at the moment, he would have indulged the little pest with the game of chase. However, he still had his Kagome to retrieve. And once the voice gave him permission to do so, he would not miss the opportunity to take her.

With that yokai out of the way, Inuyasha leapt down from his perch and dashed towards the base of the cliff, eyes searching for his Kagome. When he arrived in the small clearing along the rocky wall, he froze. There was no one there! Where did his Kagome go? He immediately dropped down to his hands and feet, nose snuffing the ground. He tracked his Kagome's scent all the way to where the grassy ground met with the rocks of the cliff face. And then her scent stopped. It was as if she had walked right through stone!

He leapt to his feet with an angry growl. That yokai did something to his Kagome! He could sense a trace of yoki as it gently flowed from a large section of the wall, which just happened to be where Kagome's scent trail ended. He gritted his teeth. That yokai had done something to allow her to pass through the mountain. And he'd be hell bent if he couldn't follow her. Cracking his knuckles, he slashed out wildly at the rocks, leaving gouges in the surface. After several minutes of mindless slashing, he paused to assess the damage. The few scratches he created slowly healed themselves, fueled by the yoki within the granite structure.

With a flare of his own yoki and a war-cry of frustration, he slashed one final time at the cliffs. This time, he felt something repel him. And he realized, it was a barrier of some sort. Something churned in his head. He should be able to break this barrier. He knew that. Once upon a time, he used to have the ability to do so. Out of reflex he reached his right hand down to his left hip. And grabbed air. His eyes were drawn to the empty spot on his hip.

There was something missing there. A weapon. A sword of some sort. But he shrugged it off. If he ever had such a weapon, it no longer mattered. He didn't have it now, so he obviously didn't need it. His attention returned to the cliffs before him. So he couldn't get through the barrier. However, he knew that there were other ways to get through the mountains. The river, about fifty feet or so south of his location, had cut a narrow path through the mighty cliffs. He was a hanyo. He could easily traverse where it was too dangerous for humans to go.

As he turned towards the river, a prick of yoki shot through his senses. He turned towards the northeast, looking up into the sky. In the air, he spotted a dark speck, and it was coming closer. He gritted his teeth as the speck quickly grew into a long, slender, red object. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Not because of fear, but because of what the creature was that descended upon him. He knew that it was a dragon of the thunder yokai. The thunder yokai tribe, though nearly extinct, were a formidable lot. And the dragons of their kind were just as dangerous as their masters.

Inuyasha crouched into a defensive stance, cracking his knuckles, preparing for battle. Using its massive wingspan, the dragon slowed it descent. As it flapped its giant wings of muscle and scales, dust and debris was kicked up all around the hanyo. Inuyasha used his sleeve to block out most of the dust. The dragon landed gently on the ground and folded its wings upon its back. As the dirt settled, Inuyasha lowered his arm from his face. He stared at the dragon with a scowl. The serpent calmly stared back at him, studying him, scrutinizing him.

And finally, the beast spoke. "You are not the one we seek."

Inuyasha glared at him silently. He briefly pondered who the other half of the 'we' that was spoken of, until he caught the scent of a human wafting from the direction of the dragon. It was a scent he recognized. One that had mingled with that of his Kagome for the past week.

"I can smell the scent of my master's mate here. Tell me, hanyo. Where has he gone?" the deep quality of Koryu's voice seemed to cause the leaves to tremble.

Inuyasha refused to answer. He would not be concerned with this dragon's search for some pathetic yokai's mate. All he cared about was his Kagome. And this dragon was preventing him from continuing on after her. He crouched down a bit lower, legs ready to spring at any moment. A faint growl emanated from his throat.

Koryu was quickly losing his patience. "Answer me, hanyo. Or I shall rid this world of your petty existance. Better yet, I'll allow my associate to handle you. How humiliating it would be for a creature of yokai blood to be slain by a mere mortal!"

Kazuki gritted his teeth. From his seat on Koryu's back, just above the spot where the dragon's wings connected with his shoulders, he was unable to see around the serpent's thick neck and large head. The hanyo, standing some fifty feet in front of Koryu, was completely out of sight to the exterminator. Though Kazuki was blind to the identity of Koryu's potential adversary, he could still sense the powerful yoki radiating from him. And he did not like what he felt. Not one bit. Silently, he wished for Koryu to quit running his mouth. The exterminator had no desire to partake in what would clearly be a one-sided battle.

Koryu waited for the hanyo to answer him. Instead, Inuyasha's lip curled into a psychotically amused sneer. And he calmly, but defiantly replied, "Kutabare."

The dragon's eyes flared at the hanyo's vulgarity. He gritted his teeth and expanded his wings. His entire body began to ebb with sparks of blue electricity, completely disregarding the fact that Kazuki still sat on his back. The teenage boy's eyes widened with fear as the dragon allowed himself to be engulfed in a storm of electricity. The exterminator hastily leapt from the dragon's back and rolled away from him. Climbing to his feet, he quickly headed for cover at the tree line. When he felt he was a safe distance away, he watched the impending encounter.

The atmosphere around Koryu cackled with angry ribbons of energy. The grasses surrounding the dragon burned and singed under the extreme heat created by the electricity in the air. As Kazuki watched Koryu's yoki build up, he could only be grateful that he was on the dragon's good list. Unfortunately, the hanyo opposite the dragon wasn't so lucky. The exterminator finally drew his eyes away from the serpent to fall upon the crouching form of the hanyo. The image was startling. Silver hair and canine ears. Could this be who he thought it was? Was it... was it Maiki's father? Inuyasha?

"Fool!" cried out Koryu's angry voice, booming even louder than before. "You should have answered me while you had the chance! Had you done so, I would have allowed you to live! For now I shall incinerate you! Not even your bones will remain!"

As Koryu gathered his pent-up energy into an attack, Inuyasha chuckled darkly. Despite the eminent danger, he appeared completely confident and calm, openly enjoying the secret reason for his mirth. The dragon slowly opened his mouth as a sphere of electrical energy gathered deep within his throat. An eerie blue glow illuminated his face. Still, Inuyasha was unafraid. Kazuki watched with a wary eye.

Koryu's attack was almost ready. He knew that all he had to do was strike the hanyo directly with his lightning attack and he would be paralyzed for several hours. Plenty of time to procure an answer from the difficult creature. Inuyasha cracked his knuckles, releasing another dark chuckle. Suddenly, the hanyo turned his own claws upon himself, embedding them deep within his gut. He barely even flinched at his own injury.

Kazuki's jaw fell open. Never had he seen anyone inflict injury upon him or herself, especially in the face of battle. Inuyasha tore his claws from his flesh, the length of each finger dripping with his own blood. Koryu continued to form his impending attack, all the while thinking the hanyo to be a foolish creature. He, too, had never seen such a bizarre act. But it mattered not what the hanyo did to himself. It would not change his fate. Or so Koryu believed.

With a final pulse of yoki, the dragon's attack was ready. Koryu expelled the bolts of electricity from his mouth in a fast, fluid blast. Faster than Kazuki could blink, the lightning had traversed the small clearing, smashing into the spot where Inuyasha stood. Smoke, dirt and dust was thrown up into the air in a blinding haze. Kazuki blinked his eyes. Was it over already?

Before the smog could clear, a blur of red and silver flew up from the top of the dust cloud. So fast, Kazuki nearly missed it. His eyes followed the blur into the sky where it reformed into the shape of the unscathed hanyo. A devious smirk was spread across his face. He drew his blood-soaked claws back and somehow the exterminator knew that Koryu was in serious trouble.

"HIJIN KETSUSO!" the hanyo's voice pierced the air as he brought his claws down towards the dragon.

The blood, combined with yoki, was flung from Inuyasha's claws, forming into crimson blades that bore down upon the serpent. Kazuki watched with wide eyes as the razor-sharp Blades of Blood whirled and sliced through the air. He pulled Akiwareru in front of him, prepared for when the attack engulfed the targeted dragon. A tug pulled Koryu's lips back into a secretive smile. He seemed unfazed by the attack raining down upon him.

A mere moment before the blades tore angrily into the awaiting dragon, Koryu's entire body was illuminated in a blue aura. A few of the blades struck the ground, kicking up dirt, obscuring the area once more. It was at that moment that a powerful flash of blue light was released from the dragon's body. Kazuki was momentarily blinded. Shielding himself behind his boomerang and a tree, he could only hear as the remaining blades of Inuyasha's attack slammed into their target, creating a terrible explosion. Bits of rock and chunks of grass pelted Akkiwareru.

Blinking his eyes open, Kazuki peered around his weapon to see if Koryu was okay. He squinted through the haze of dust as it settled. A small tickle of panic began to manifest in his gut. 'Where's Koryu? He couldn't have been completely obliterated by that attack!' His thoughts were cut short when his eyes were drawn to the silver-haired hanyo as he descended from the sky, landing not far from where he had stood moments ago.

Kazuki gritted his teeth as he watched the cocky beast licked the remaining bit of blood from his claws. 'That horrible beast! He looks... elated by what he just did! How can anyone take so much pleasure from ending another creature's life! He's... he's a monster. Whether or not he's Maiki's father, he must be stopped!' With a final resolution, the yokai exterminator gripped his weapon and darted out from the tree line to stand off against the hanyo. He may have been signing his own death certificate by daring to fight the creature, but he could not go on with a clear conscious if he had done nothing to stop this beast from killing others.

"Kazuki! Stay back!" Koryu's voice suddenly filtered through the air, causing the boy to freeze in his tracks.

He looked around, blinking owlishly, confused by the voice of the dragon who had met his fate only moments ago. Strangely, he could sense Koryu's yoki. And it was growing in strength!

"Get out of the way, taijiya," the dragon warned once more, "unless you wish to be accidentally struck by my next attack!"

The exterminator snapped his head towards the direction of Koryu's voice, straight up in the sky. Only, he didn't see the red-colored dragon like he had expected to. Instead, a large, ominous storm cloud hung in the air just above the clearing. Kazuki was dumbfounded. How does a massive dragon change into a massive cloud? As the cloud that was Koryu charged up with more electrical energy, preparing for a second attack, the boy realized that now was no time to be questioning the abilities of powerful yokai.

The cloud overhead crackled with neon-blue sparks as the exterminator ducked for cover. He was easily able to determine that Koryu had been holding back on his first attack. He could sense that this one was far stronger. Back under the safety of the trees, Kazuki turned to watch Inuyasha. The hanyo's eyes were glued to the looming cloud. A confused expression flitted over his face, but it lasted less than a moment before the hanyo gauged his second attack. He brought his claws back once more as they glowed with the golden color of his yoki.

"SENKON TESSOU!"

He slashed his claws through the air, releasing long, razor sharp tendrils of yoki. All four ribbons of energy met their mark, lashing through Koryu. To Inuyasha's utter frustration, the attack had no effect. He growled fiercely.

Koryu chuckled lightly. "Foolish hanyo, you cannot hurt me while I'm in this form."

Inuyasha clenched his jaw with anger. He leapt at the dragon-turned-storm-cloud with outstretched claws glowing with yoki. The hanyo lashed at the puffy mass. As he swiped at Koryu, his claws collided with a mass of electrical energy, blasting him back and away from the yokai. Gravity reclaimed its grasp on the would-be attacker and pulled him back towards the ground. Flipping backwards, Inuyasha landed on his haunches, kicking up a bit of dirt as he made contact with the soil, and glared spitefully at the cloud.

If Koryu were capable of grinning in his current form, an ear-to-ear smile would have been plastered on his face. "I told you once, you simple creature; you cannot harm me in his form. But I have grown quite bored with you, so I think I shall end this trivial encounter."

Before the yokai could release his attack, Inuyasha lunged at him, determined to kill his opponent. With claws ready to render flesh from bone, claws thirsty for blood, he snarled ferociously as he soared through the air. His eyes were determined... angry... half-crazed even.

But he never made it to his target.

As Inuyasha sped through the air, barreling towards the yokai, he allowed himself to become vulnerable to attack. In midair, he was unable to halt or change course should Koryu strike.

And strike, Koryu did.

The massive cloud expelled a wicked surge of electricity which smashed into Inuyasha head on. He was helpless to dodge or avoid the attack. He barely had more than a moment to see it coming before it assaulted him, for that matter. Inuyasha's entire body was engulfed in the bright blue lightning. The hanyo released a chortled scream of rage and pain. The energy of Koryu's attack was so blinding, that Inuyasha's form disappeared within it.

Kazuki was forced to shield his eyes from the attack. Squinting his eyes, he turned slightly away, bringing up his free hand to block out the overwhelming light. After a few long, hair raising moments, the energy began to diminish. Kazuki dared to look back at the battlefield just as the last of the energy dwindled. The first thing he immediately noticed, was that Inuyasha was gone. He scanned the area, searching for signs of him or his body.

There was nothing.

Had the hanyo been completely obliterated? Did Koryu really kill him? If so, how was he going to find out if that really was Maiki's father? And if he was, how would he break the news to her... and Kagome?

The surrounding trees that had been unfortunate enough to be in the wake of the attack were now charred and smoking.

Koryu's voice sliced through the exterminator's silent ponderings. "Let's go, taijiya. The hanyo shall not be bothering us any longer."

Kazuki turned towards the yokai, now back in his dragon form and nodded. He cautiously paced towards the dragon, a bit weary after his display of power. Yes, Kazuki was quite glad that he was not on the dragon's bad side. After fastening Akkiwareru to his back, he reached up along Koryu's side, searching for a grip to hoist himself back onto his back. Before he could do so, a slight twinge of yoki perforated his senses, accompanied by the sound of a rustling thicket.

The slayer turned towards the source of the noise and yoki, grabbing hold of his boomerang with his right hand. The hanyo was back already? After that attack? However, he much slower this time. Kazuki was completely prepared for when the hanyo would break through the tree line in an enraged assault.

So it was with complete understanding that the exterminator was taken completely by surprise when the hanyo did not reveal himself, but instead, a familiar face. Kazuki blinked, not certain if he were seeing things correctly. Before him stood the image of someone he had not seen in four years.

"Shippo-aniki," he muttered under his breath. Koryu didn't miss the honorific, and filed the information away.

The kitsune stared directly at the dragon, seeming to ignore the exterminator. Shippo seemed in a daze. Alarmed. Shocked. Worried. And Kazuki knew he had every right to be. If the fox knew any better, he'd flee. Kazuki knew that if anyone knew about the fox's adulterous deeds better than anyone else, it was the yokai standing in front of him now. And Shippo should also be aware that the punishment for him crimes could, and probably would, equal his death.

But the fox yokai seemed unafraid, despite the panicked expression on his face. He stepped closer to the dragon and exterminator. Koryu sneered at the kitsune.

"Shippo--"

"Take me back," the fox interrupted, startling the dragon.

"What?"

"Soten is in trouble. Take me to her. Now!"

Koryu scowled, unhappy with the kitsune's demanding voice. "I'll grant your request," he sneered, "but only because Soten-sama is in trouble. Keep in mind, Shippo, that I no longer swear any allegiance to you."

Shippo furrowed his brow. "Understood. Now take me there."

The dragon nodded. The fox strode over to him, passing by Kazuki with no more than a glance. Shippo easily leapt onto Koryu's back with a determined look on his face. He looked down to the exterminator with seemingly distant eyes.

And the fox acknowledged him for the first time. "Are you coming or not, Kazuki-ototo?"

The slayer snapped out of his stupor at the sound of his name. With a brief nod, he reached his hand up, taking hold of the hand Shippo had offered him. With a swift yank, Kazuki was settled on Koryu's back. Less than a moment later, the dragon had taken to the skies, flying as quickly as possible towards his mistress's estate.

Elsewhere, a beaten and battered Inuyasha lay crumpled in the thick underbrush of the forest. His flesh was raw and burned, searing with pain. If not for his fire-rat clothing, he may have been incinerated. Slowly, he opened his eyes, rising out of his momentary concussion. He struggled to roll over onto his stomach, using all his might to push himself to his hands and knees. He coughed raggedly. It felt as if even his lungs were on fire.

'And what have we learned from all this, Inuyasha?'

The hanyo gritted his teeth. It was that voice again! "Shut up," he wheezed.

'Perhaps you ought to be thanking me.'

Inuyasha didn't answer. Instead, he struggled to his feet, staggering as he did so. He took a look around, sniffing the air. His eyes landed on the long skid mark in the ground and the snapped branches of trees, the evidence of being hurtled through the foliage like a ceramic cup being raked against prison bars. Despite his wounded pride and body, he grinned maliciously. 'That insolent bastard... He thinks he won, eh? Keh! I'll show him...'

A horrific pain suddenly wrenched through his chest, sending the already crippled hanyo to the ground. He writhed on the forest floor, clutching at his singed clothing, gritting his teeth in agony. After a few moments, the pain ebbed, but only slightly.

'Are you going to behave, Inuyasha? Or shall I continue your punishment?'

The hanyo choked. "S-stop..."

The voice chuckled. If it had a face, Inuyasha would swear that it was smiling at him. The pain faded altogether.

'Don't be so foolish, Inuyasha. You cannot fight that dragon using only brute force. All you would succeed in doing is allowing yourself to be killed while attempting to strike that which you cannot even touch. You would only make yourself vulnerable and you would easily be destroyed. Let your petty squabble with him go. You have more important things to do at this moment, like catching up to the miko.'

Inuyasha didn't reply. Yes, he badly wanted his Kagome. But the voice was so confusing, so irritating. It tells him to follow his Kagome, but never go too near to her. If the voice didn't have such a strong way of controlling him, he'd tell that voice where it could go.

'What are you waiting for, Inuyasha? If you don't hurry, you'll miss your opportunity...'

"Keh!" The hanyo was far from listening to the teasing, cryptic words of the voice.

"Tomorrow, Inuyasha. Tomorrow is the day you'll get your miko."

The hanyo's spirits lifted ever-so-slightly. Would he really get to have his Kagome? Or was this just some trick that the voice was playing on him? Deciding that even if it was just a ruse, the risk at passing up the opportunity was just too great. He staggered to his feet and turned to the south, towards the river. His wounds were already beginning to heal. And once he had enough strength, he'd traverse the rapids that would take him to the other side of the mountains.

kutabare - fuck you (in Eastern regions of Japan)

I chose to use Japanese for this simply because it sounded better. ;p Eh... I hope I'm not being a bad influence by "teaching" this word to anyone...

ototo - little brother