Chapter Two: The Fox and The Wolf Whose Claws Burn Bright
"Because one's eyes are so accustomed to perfection, flaws that become visible seem to leave an aspiration for the unknown."
Word spread fast, not only in the demon communities but the hanyou ones as well. The poorer human's no doubt already were aware. But so did the nobles who preceded into everyone else's business. Not that he cared much…soon, it approached the ears of a notoriously known demon. The leaves themselves seemed to billow wildly almost to emphasize the words on the wind and the coming news.
Twitch…twitch twitch.
"Keh! Pathetic…those demons just want to lure Abi-hime right to my borders. What the hell are they up too!" Many a nine tails twitching again, scowling dark brows lowered to reveal a very seriously carved face, curling red locks of rich honey and orange paraded about strongly chiseled cheekbones and high steel clamped jaws. "And Kouga…that mangy wolf…" A rather uncaused looking fox demon stood fuming, his slit eyes of emerald green glowed as the mid-day sun streaked through the skies. It seemed as if it were being cradled in the clouds. Their opaque visage soon desaturated to clusters of muted color. 'There was nothing as beautiful and peaceful as this sunset…but this desolate apocalypse is far from heaven and more like closer to hell.' The fox demon's musings were pushed aside as he shuffled beneath a golden pelt draped over both shoulders that cascaded in golden platinum curls below his fox-like heels. He had never finished his brooding on events gone by for the fox demon was interrupted by a great gust of wind. The towering collision of sediments and debris clashed violently and diminished. Kouga landed viciously onto the earth, clothed in stolen pelts of wolf hide, a white tiger's stripped pelt pulled over his left shoulder and across diagonally over his right hip making him look more prince like than usual...
"Where did you get that tiger's pelt? Wait…never mind don't answer that. Let me guess…you stole it just like you did the katana?" Shippou's hard voice grated on him with a hint of suspicion laced into it.
The usual smirk came over Kouga's face as he chuckled and gave his fellow canine cousin a wicked grin. "Hey bush tail," Slapping him on the back, he then directed his attention to the cliff edge. "What was that about a mangy wolf eh?" Kouga gave a cocky grin and glared over the fellow canine demon's shoulder. Shippou sighed and raised two very hardened yet powerful clawed hands to his temples and rubbed them in frustration. Shippou could already feel a heated argument broiling beneath the surface. "Get lost, feces butt!" he snarled, Kouga then made a face he was absolutely appalled. When the fox demon of course had finally grown tired of being in the wolf's presence he then excused himself, but Kouga then started the fight now, it was no turning back now lest one's pride be scared. Kouga then brushed past Shippou, but not before slamming his shoulder into his; only to receive a cruel list of profound languages under his breath. "Well someone certainly picked up mutt face's attitude." Kouga drawled absent-mindedly. Shippou paused mid step and glared over his shoulder, his emerald green optics now flooded with a crimson color. Dark golden-orange stripes streaking their way raggedly over his high cheek bones.
"What was that you dirty wolf?"
"Looking for a fight strawberry blonde fox hound!"
"Go sniff someone else's butt!"
"Oh yeah that not what your mother said last night!"
"Don't you dare talk about my mother!"
"Mangy wolf!"
"bush tailed kitsune!"
"Feces eating jerk!"
"Rabies carrier!"
"Crotch licker!"
"Your father!"
"Your mother, wolf!"
"Bite me!"
Soon before the argument could ensue they were interrupted by the form of a youth coming through the smog before them. The fox demon pushed his clawed hands forwards over Kouga's mouth only to receive muffled out swears that were issued as he refused to shut up. "Shhh! Quiet you idiot. Someone's coming!" Shippou hissed, he pulled up his claws, they cracked slightly making the sound more sickening in the deathly still silence.
Kouga's eyes widened. "Shippou, the veil protects us from being seen by humans! How is that fucking possible!" He growled, Shippou shook his head. "Well the veil must be weakening…I've heard rumors of late, some humans are starting to remember. They have a sight, the sight that sees through the veil and into our world. If the nobles become aware of this…bad things could happen. There's only one human who's been allowed to exist in our world beyond the veil that is Kagome." Kouga nodded quietly.
Slowly the form continued on its way. Walking towards him like a ghastly shade the form gazed blankly past him and continued to walk forth, it seemed to Shippou that the veil's barrier was slightly weakening her "vision" to see into the veil, so her form looked ghastly and she could barely see them. Shippou could clearly make out that it was female. He took a step forth and then it seemed as if the breath he were to exhale caught in his throat.
A naked female fell forth and fell into his arms. She had long wavy curled tresses of dark ebon; there were traces of emeralds and hued aquamarines. Her face was well defined and pointed at the chin. The only thing that was more distracting was that she was completely unclothed. Shippou had to let go of Kouga so that he could catch the young slip of a woman-child as she stumbled into his arms.
Kouga leaned over his shoulders, his cheeks stained with a ruby blush at the current scene unfolding before his eyes. "It's a woman…" Kouga murmured deafly. Shippou looked over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow. "No Shit! Of course it's a woman. The thing I'm shocked about is how a naked girl got this far to a place like this!" Then, as Kouga continued to gawk unceremoniously he fixed him with a blank glare. "Besides…aren't you mated to Ayame?" Kouga nodded in agreement…all the while keeping an intent gaze of the unconscious woman's posterior. "She has a nice ass I'll give her that much." Kouga grinned nodding. "Shut your fucking mouth wolf breath, haven't you ever heard of modesty?" Shippou undid the red fur cloak from his shoulders. She had the look of a pixie, with fine elegant raven black hair that shimmered dark purple in the sunlight, and when she finally had opened her eyes…they saw into him. Laughing eyes the color of heather.
Draping the woman-child in it he picked her up in his arms and clutched her safely in his embrace. The girl slowly stirred and whimpered in protest, as she awoke moments later in a grassy field. She stared into two pairs of eyes, one a sky blue and the other an emerald green. The young woman sat up and stared forlornly over a smoldering camp fire.
"Good…your awake." A deep rumbling voice that sounded like milk and honey personified drifted her way, sending a course shiver up her spine. And it wasn't from the cold. The girl stirred once more, finding her nude form clothed in a robe of rich turquoise and draped in two downy fur pelts of auburn and gold. Her cheeks immediately flushed a bright shade of rose as she looked at the fox demon who sat from the campfire across her vision. There were no words to describe his handsome features only that they were beautiful, very boyish but in an almost immortal child-like way.
He had long unruly pure red tresses streaking with golden strands running through it that fell gracefully over his shoulders and hung in a high top knot ponytail; He wore no garments over his upper torso, and looking down she rationalized she was the one donning them at the very moment to protect her modesty. He only had about his waist a very long silk sash that was worn something like a skirt, but obviously split into separate leggings for him to stride easily with grace. Richly made robes of pure gold silk with patterns of fiery red maple leaves and blushing orange phoenix plumes. Around his neck, a golden collar studded with rubies and tiger's eye laid; twenty phoenix tails fell elegantly across his chest.
He didn't look like a lord or noble but no doubt he had worked his way up to his personified status.
The girl in pure awe and fascination just gawked, and then remembering herself became frightened that he might reprimand her, she scuttled half way under the safe confines of warm downy fur and peered out to glance at him from the cover. He did not move but only sat up and sighed as he looked in her direction. He looked her over, she was just a slip of a woman-child, seventeen…eighteen in the least he presumed.
"Who are you?" His deep voice rumbled out of his chest casually, as if talking to an old friend long forgotten. The girl flushed deeper and looked rather flustered. "My name if Yuuki." Her voice was fragile, almost shy. What kind of demon asked what your name was! Any who she definitely was nowhere in the town square, she had been running after two bandits, one a lanky skinny woman named Mizu and a rather large man named Gen tried to ambush her, the man Gen had tried to rape her while Mizu had tried to slit her throat, she was a run away noble so her fine clothes and adornments had intrigued the bandits to no end. Running for dear life she pleaded to Kami to save her life, next thing she knew she was wandering into a smog covered road. Obviously having no clue to where she was headed but just glad she was safe.
Shippou's POV
'Yuuki…snow, what a suitable name for one so pale skinned, she looks so withdrawn. This mortal obviously had led a pampered life, she must be a noble. I don't see her flesh nor hands marred wounded nor scarred with markings. She's pretty…well as far as human standards go. I wonder how she got past Naraku's holy barrier…the veil must be weakened. I'll have to come up with a plan on how to keep her hidden from Abi hime's men and Naraku so that she can return to the human world…lest she be killed. And she keeps glaring at me! Damn it woman stop gawking…shit, why do I feel this heat so far below. Keep the kitsune restrained Shippou…I'm under control…I'm under control, I'm under control, I'm under control. There…all under control, damn she's still staring. Wait…is that arousal I smell! Oh god this human is becoming infatuated with me. Damn it all, it can't get any worse!.'
The group was interrupted, well hardly because of the hanging silence by Kouga's constant snarling. Then, at that very moment a path of thick and dense foliage was cleared as a rather over sized rat demon stalked forth. It had a bulbous belly and fierce bulging eyes that seemed to pop out of its sockets.
In tow were many of Abi-hime's foot soldiers. The over gluttonous rat demon stepped forth, his great yellowed eyes red with pure hatred and malice. " These plains of the north-east are now Abi-hime's territory in order of Onigumo…" Shippou slowly stood and gripped the sheathed blade upon his back and stood in a protective stance over Yuuki. "What if we don't want to." Shippou drawled, his face a blank stare, many demons often said he had Sesshomaru's narrow-minded detached attitude, Kouga merely called it a stage of adolescence. "Then die!" Like a snake, his pink tail coiled itself up, then without warning he lashed it out at Shippou first. His sharp fangs extended reaching out for their intended target. Shippou dodged and cleared room for Kouga's powerful drop kick, reeling to one side he drew his sword back and moved out of the way before the great rat striked again.
"Come on woman move!" Shippou half-heartedly growled, gripping the girl by her wrist he staggered to one side trying to avoid the pummeling halberds of Abi-hime's soldiers.
Meanwhile Kouga was having his own problems.
Kouga's POV
'Shit' that fat bastard just keeps coming. Damn fox, worrying about that mortal. No matter how much I try the rat is pretty quick for a butterball. Dammit all, I can't move. It seems that my joints in my ankles have dislocated and twisted in the other direction. Shit why do my legs have to fail me now! Hopefully the kitsune can come up with a plan.'
Shippou staggered from the halberd that had made a collision in his side hip, the pain was excruciating. His emerald eyes glowered a faint blood red. The fight had become deadly serious and he now eyed Kouga down for the count. Baring his fangs they etched from his jaws with a high pitched screech as his face took on a more animalistic appearance. His fangs extended past his lower lip, he had already placed the human girl behind him. Well…more like dropped her. Jyaki flaring like an emerald flame, his aura seeped off of him making him look more earthreal. Snarling, he brought his clawed hand upwards, Yuuki backpedaled away as she stared in slight awe and horrific admiration as the fox demon before her began to transform. His hair was released from its high ponytail and wavered about as if he had gone below the surface of a lake, deep low growls combined with his own demonic monotone echoed darkly amongst the heat of battle.
"Grrraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…" Shippou's deep voice took on a darker pitch as his growl extended, his emerald aura began swirling around him with golden wispy clouds and streams of blue flames.
The rat slowly turned around, its molding bitten pink tail slashed forwards and tried to trip him up, Shippou dodged and then recovered as his dark emerald aura looked as if he were dancing in green mists while he twirled his blade. The rat demon leapt back and opened its mouth, regurgitating hundreds of demons from his gullet. Shippou, with graceful twirls, slashes, swift parries, and lunges made short work of the lesser demons while charging forwards into the fray and getting ready to kill the rat youkia. The rat demon smiled a yellowing fanged grin and lashed out a tail, hoisting Shippou off the ground, holding him seven feet in the air. Not truly knowing Shippou's true intentions.
Kouga's POV
'Got damn it! What does that little fox runt think he's doing, charging head first into a fight like that, he's being way too showy and fancy with his sword work! Show off! Damn it, now he's got himself caught…wait a minute! He planned it all along! Way to go bush tail, that a boy. The kid's got brains I'll give em that much, letting himself get caught to get closer to the enemy.'
"You are a weak creature. Ye has fought like a coward, I am disappointed for I was looking for more worthy adversary." The rat hissed, flicking his curled snake like tongue. Shippou's blood red eyes narrowed into deathly slits and glowered with the icy blue hue of dilated pupils.
"Your all talk." Shippou smirked and freed his clawed hand, its claws aglow with bright azure blue flames.
"Fox fire claw!" He plunged his claws forwards and let go and watched as the flames licked spiraling in dizzying clouds which flew rapidly through the air and become engulfed in a swirl of wind, cutting through the still night like a sharp dagger. Before the rat demon could even act, the claws pierced through his skull, shattering bone and brain inside; the force was so powerful that Shippou's claws came through the other end of the demon's skull forcing all the entrails to fly out.
The look on the demon's face before death was of a horrific surprise, darkness covered his eyes, as he would never rise again. Freeing his hand and flicking the blood so that his claws resumed their pink white coat, Shippou quickly ran towards Kouga's side and helped the Ookami stand.
"Not yet! Something's wrong, it's not right." Kouga narrowed his eyes, his arm over Shippou's lean powerful shoulders. Gazing about the clearing it seemed as if
Abi-hime's troops had deserted the area, all that was left was the rat demon's corpse which slowly began to move.
Suddenly the rat demon's body began to pulsate with an unnatural aura, the remains of it's brains and split skull began to revive and come back together. The human girl stood in shock and looked over at Kouga hoping that he would have an explanation. "I smelled something bad about him, whoever this Abi-hime chick is…she's sure stubborn as hell." Kouga muttered. The rat raised a deformed but newly made body and gave a hacking, coughing, laugh. "I am not finished yet. I shall have my revenge!" Lurching forth, head slacked slightly to one side and hung off the side of its spinal cord, it made a sickening sagging sound as it hung off wide shoulders.
"Ha!" Kouga did a full bodied turn and landed a fierce one legged kick to where Shippou's fox fire claw it had impacted. "Poison leaf dagger." Shippou hadn't even moved as it seemed, his form a streak of gold and crimson blurs. Both he and Kouga stood back to back and faced the exact opposite of one another. Both stood with an exaggerated slowness as their enemy stood between them. Kouga stood on one leg, his calve folded under so to not to add pressure to his broken ankle. He crossed his arms smugly. Shippou's poison leaves burned away in a haze of blue smoke. The rat demon gagged. "I don't…understand? How can a mangy wolf…and a lowly fox become so power-f-ful…forgive me…Abi-hime."
Suddenly the rat demon's face, his already gruesome features began to peel away like an acid eating at his flesh. Shippou looked away, his face resolute. The corpse of the rat began to cripple and go into steady convulsions before burning up into a twisting flame, its mummy looking like a charred piece of fire wood. Shippou knew how very gruesome his poison leaf dagger technique was, it was a worse fate than even death itself. He knew all too well the same expression that many beheld after his signature attack.
The human girl just stood there. The two demons' teamwork was superb. "Who are you…" The two canine demon's turned for they had yet to hear her speak till now. "I'm Kouga of the northern mountains." Kouga slumped onto the ground rubbing his injured foot, he then twisted the broken bones back into place so that it could regenerate. Shippou gave a smug look and rubbed a claw across his bare chest and then pulling the top knot loose so that his long tresses pooled in a red river across the grass. "Shippou, of the eastern fox tribe." He seemed more interested in the length of his hair at the moment.
The three did not have long for peace it seemed though. A glowing cloud of flames hovered over the horizon and straight towards their group, Shippou narrowed his eyes, this scent was so familiar. Koug winced standing forcefully onto his injured leg, fists clasped in utter alert to the on coming danger heading their way. Out of human instinct, Yuuki quickly scrambled up and hid behind the wolf demon and peering over his shoulder with unpronounced fear. The cloud decended, long raven hair billowing in the wind and those cold stark unassuming crimson eyes glaring with complete malice burning in them. Rough jagged armor constructed of bleached bone carved into the form of spread wings, ruby and gold tassels hanging from crimson folded robes and ebon sashes.
Those ruby lips parted into a cold smirk.
Shippou stared up at the raven haired woman, his emerald eyes narrowing into cat like slits. "Abi Hime!"