(A/N- Mature content and action scenes! Enjoy!)
Chapter 9-
Rin waded thigh-deep in a small pond, bathing herself, keeping close to the edge. From a distance, Lord Sesshomaru sat below a tree with his back rested against the trunk. He had one leg sprawled out before him and the other bent, one hand in his lap, the other touching the grass. Inspecting her body from afar, he could still surmise the subtle changes she had undergone. Certain features of her breasts had grown darker. Additionally, light streaks existed upon her chest and most notably near her abdomen.
Just then Jaken appeared a few feet away with sticks and leaves clinging to his apparel. Panting, he set his staff down. "Lord Sessho…." Jaken stopped immediately, upon hearing Rin's brief scream. She had been more caught off guard by him than her husband. The woman scrambled for the edge of the pond to cover herself the best she could.
"Jaken," Sesshomaru glanced at him from the corner of his eye. "This better be important."
The wide-eyed little demon gulped loudly, before scrambling back in the direction from which he came.
Sesshomaru remained at the base of the tree, now making eye contact with Rin. Curiously, he remarked, "Rin. I'm familiar with the marks of demons, but not the ones on your body."
Rin pulled the cloth away, inspecting herself as well. She then walked over to him, holding onto the cloth. Up close, she knelt down and took one of his hands, guiding his fingertips to her belly as if she were still pregnant. He felt the subtle variation in the striations, and inspected the ones upon her chest with his eyes as well. A tear then fell on the back of his hand, yet when he looked up, she was also smiling. "These are scars from motherhood. They will remain with me throughout my lifetime."
For Sesshomaru, it was such a new concept since demons did not experience scars as a result of their superhuman healing abilities. She went on to express her gratitude, "It helps me to be able to share this with you." He reflected upon how she carried her scars both mentally and physically with constant reminders. Rin stepped back and proceeded to clothe herself, tying her kimono in place at her waist. Lord Sesshomaru put his hand upon his bent knee, getting back on his feet as well.
A foul, putrid smell permeated the swamp, resembling a thick miasma. The nasty, contaminated water began to coalesce together, similar to clay turning to flesh, as figure began to take form. A demon with pale scaly skin, revealed himself. He had his long curly hair tied back. It was black and unkempt. His armor was red, black, and yellow.
Another demon woman stood near the edge with her arms down to her sides. She had her long hair in a braid, cascading over her shoulder. Her clothing appeared to be made out of burlap, tied around her waist with a rope as if she were wearing a sack. To any unsuspecting soul, she could've passed for a vagrant human, for her markings were minimal. She had two red marks on her wrists and bright red eyelids. "Lord Necromaru, the Dog Demon nears our gates."
"Lord Sesshomaru has strayed too far," he seemed perturbed, stepping onto solid ground. He had dark facial hair upon his jaw and upper lip. From his sheaths, he pulled forth two swords made from the fangs of a snake demon. They both glowed a deep red, dripping a poison material. The swamp grounds were unaffected, for any biological material that could've possibly existed had already rotted away. "Marukai, this shouldn't take long," he assured her, arching his right brow. His demon marks existed upon his cheeks in the form of faux red eyes, like an optical illusion. The woman maintained a deadpan stare, as if disinterested, or preoccupied with her own desires.
Laying down beside the fire, Rin watched the flames with heavy eyes, falling in and out of sleep. Jaken's snoring filled the air, for the little green demon was propped up against A-Un. Their heads were also rested upon the ground in a slumber. Suddenly, over the crackling of the fire, Rin shouted in pain, reaching for her ankle. "Rin, you yelled out just now!" Master Jaken's eyes snapped open. He scrambled for her as she pulled back the covers to inspect herself. However, there were no marks left, nor could she find anything out of the ordinary creeping around.
"Jaken." Her eyes began to haze over. "I hear them…" she stood. "They're crying for me. Setsuna, Towa…"
"What? I can't hear anything," Jaken listened intently in the moment of silence, even holding his clawed hand near his ear. "Rin, I…" he looked around to see she had already gotten quite the head start from him. "Rin! Stop! It's not safe out there!"
Ducking under low branches, jumping over roots, and running, Rin's legs carried her faster and faster the more she heard her children crying out to her, until she came to a clearing. Two infants sat back to pack, one with white hair and the other with dark hair, both with trace amounts of red strands. "Setsuna, Towa!" she wailed, falling to her knees and pulling them into her arms.
Jaken stepped into the clearing moments later to see the unfortunate sight before him. Rin clung to two burlap sacks full of what he assumed was rice or flower. She kissed them with tears pouring down her cheeks. "Mommy's here. Shh. Shh."
"Oh Rin…" Master Jaken took his hat off, placing it against his chest as if he were paying his respects.
In the moonlight, the two demons took the sky, preparing for battle. A thick miasma filled the air and the two snake fangs in Necromaru's hands dripped with a red, blood-like poison. "As is typical for dogs, you feel the need to mark your territory in areas you don't belong!"
"We had an arrangement." Lord Sesshomaru responded, wielding his Bakusaiga. "You knew this day would come." Necromaru charged forward, slamming his blades against the dog demon's. The venom sprayed from the swords collision like sparks, causing Sesshomaru's flesh to burn and decompose on contact. With his free hand, the dog demon's hand began to glow green and he reached for Necromaru's neck with his own poison claws. His long nails dug into his throat.
The snake demon then opened his mouth, revealing his forked tongue and spat a black tar-like substance in Sesshomaru's face. Sesshomaru swung his sword, still managing to disarm Nercomaru, despite his inability to see. He fell back, sheathing his Bakusaiga, then attempted to wipe the poison away with the sleeve of his kimono to no avail. Feeling backed into a corner, he began to transform.
"This is how real demons do battle!" Necromaru responded with a gravelly voice for his throat was still in the process of healing.
Towering over trees, Lord Sesshomaru bared his teeth in his dog form. He drooled deadly toxins from his mouth. His claws were extended into the earth, ready to provide him with stability and momentum. Unfortunately, his eyes were still inoperative, making him more reliant on his impeccable hearing. Opposite himself, Necromaru had taken the form a hideous black snake with red eyes and yellow markings. He matched the dog's size from head to tail when flat upon the ground. Rather than attacking head-on, he attempted to slither away into the woods for cover. With his left paw, Sesshomaru caught the end of his tail and bit into it. The serpent, turned and struck back at him with lightening speed, tearing into his shoulder.
