Inferno

Rōyakan ran, intent on the task he had been given. Find the red haired kitsune for Sesshoumaru sama. Sure it had been Kagome that had given him the orders, but he knew that if he succeeded Sesshoumaru would be pleased. Branches ran across his skin, as he weaved in and out of trees inhaling the scents of the forest. He paused in his step, catching a discerning smell. Rōyakan lowered his nose to the ground and inhaled. Kitsune had been through here, as well as other youkai. In fact...

"Pssst." It was a sharp sound that broke the forests' silence. Rōyakan glanced up, curious of the source.

"Oi, Rōyakan-sama. Are you here to help?"

"Perhaps." Rōyakan stretched his neck from side to side, sending out a crackle from his bones popping. His big round eyes focused on the male kitsune who dropped down out of the tree, now approaching him.

"We could use your help, Guardian of the Forest." The kitsune looked rough. He was covered in mud and his clothing was tattered. His skin was drawn tight over his cheekbones, showing the signs of little food and little sleep.

"The snakes have been through here, haven't they?" Rōyakan asked.

"Yes. Those fucking scoundrels took over our village." The kitsune's fists tightened at his side and his eyes flashed with youkai energy.

"Where are the rest of you?" Rōyakan looked to the trees to see if he could spot others hiding away.

The kitsune turned his head away, eyes narrowing as if the question pained him. Ah, so they're all still in hiding, but they lost the numbers they once had.

I was sent by Sesshoumaru-sama to find a lost kitsune." He said in a gentle tone and a little louder in case others were in earshot. "I'm not here to hurt anyone."

The kitsune nodded at him, then motioned for him to follow. Rōyakan followed the kitsune, and after a few minutes the kitsune turned to him, and blew white power in his face.

"ACK! What the hell!?" Rōyakan cried out as he rubbed his big paws over his face, spreading the white powder even more than had been originally intended.

"Don't be a baby. It's to cover your stink. I will take you where you need to go, but you are leaving a trail for them to follow. Why not disguise your scent?" The kitsune grumbled.

Rōyakan blinked the magic power out of his blue eyes. "I didn't think snake youkai would be able to track us so easily..."

"Of course they can, you fool. Why else are we hiding?!"

His ears flatten against his head at the chastising. Why did he have to mess everything up?

The kitsune turned and began leading him back through the woods again.

After a while of cautious travel, they stopped in front of two large magnolia trees that had as time had gone on, had woven their branches together. Between the trees was an arch created by their combined trunks.

The kitsune bowed before the trees and took out a small gold coin. The natural arch between the magnolias glowed white.

"This way." He motioned, as he stepped into the light. Rōyakan glanced around feeling uneasy, before he stepped through the portal. When the light cleared from his vision, he was held at sword point.

"What is your business here!?" A tanuki youkai stood before him, his clothing tattered just like the kitsune's, pressing his sword closer to Rōyakan's neck.

Rōyakan held up his paws. "I come here in peace. I was sent by our Lord Sesshoumaru to find a lost kitsune child named Shippo. Is he here?"

The youkai merchants surrounding him began to bicker amongst themselves.

"Who?"
"Kill him! He could be a spy!"

"How can we trust him?"

"Minato, you idiot! Why did you lead him here?"

"SILENCE!" A deep booming voice rang out. Everyone stepped back to allow an old youkai through. "Put your swords down you fools."

Rōyakan couldn't exactly put his hand on why kind of youkai the old man was, but he looked like a well armored rat.

"It is good to see you, Rōyakan-san." The old man said gently.

The big wolf stared at him for a moment, before recognition hit him.

"Osamu-sama!" Rōyakan swooped down and picked him up, crushing him in a hug. The youkai used to be an ally of his. For many years, they defended their territory together.

The old youkai beat against him. "Put me down, you oaf!"

Rōyakan set him down, his wide mouth beaming a toothy smile.

"It has been years since I have seen you! I didn't even recognize you."

Osamu gave a gruff laugh. "We've done a lot to disguise our scent. Not to mention, I'm covered in armor. Have you come to give us aid?"

Rōyakan looked around at his surroundings. It looked like the woods, but...everything was off. Unnatural. He couldn't feel the wind, or smell the earth. The shining light that illuminated the area didn't have a point of origin.

"First...explain to me what is going on. What is this place?"

The old youkai pulled at long fur on his face. "Yes, yes. This is the between. It is a temporary space made by us with magic, and some help from the trees. This is the village's safe spot. If we are attacked, we can regroup here. There are a lot of young families and merchants in our town that are tired of war, but that does not mean we are afraid of protecting what is ours. We are ready to attack. The right opportunity just needs to present itself."

"I see...I will help as much as I can. I have been sent my Sesshoumaru-sama to find a kitsune child named Shippo. Have you heard of him?"

Osamu shook his head. "No, I have not heard of him. However, we do have a few missing children. If you happen to find them, please get them to safety."

Disappointment filled Rōyakan. He thought for sure that Shippo would have been with the other villagers.

"I will do what I can."

"Is our Lord heading this way?" Osamu asked.

"Yes, he will meet me in your village. The western army is crossing the land, pushing the snakes out of our territory."

Osamu clenched his fist. "Then we will wait for his signal. We will join him in his attack."

Rōyakan patted on the back. "May victory be yours, my friend."

"Hm. Same to you."

The wolf turned to leave, but found no door or archway.

"Ah...how do I get out of here?"

Osamu's eyes lit up. "Oh yes yes. Here." He reached into his chest armor and pulled out a gold coin. This will open the gate for you."

Rōyakan took the coin and studied it. It was just a simple coin; nothing to indicate that it was a magical item. "Thank you."

Clutching the coin in his paw, the shinning door became visible once more.

He took one last look at the villagers. Aside from some elders and children, everyone wore armor. Men and women alike stood ready to retake their home.

Rōyakan stepped through the portal, and his senses were filled the smells of life.

He shook himself. The fur not covered with armor fluffed out with his movements. He didn't like the feel of the between.

"Oooooooo..." Wolves howled in the distance.

His ears twitched. His wolves were calling him. They had found something.

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Kenta collapsed by the side of well-worn road. He coughed and spit dirt out of his mouth. He had dug all night to get far enough away from the snake encampment to be safe. Every inch of his small body hurt.

He closed his eyes for a moment.

A cold wet nose touched his face.

"Argh!" He cried out scrambling away. Three wolves stared at him blankly. It was obvious by their odd number of eyes that they were not normal wolves.

"Go away!" Kenta staggered up, swaying on exhausted legs. Starting out as a slow jog, he began to run away. Looking back, he saw that they wolves slowly trotted behind him.

"Oi! Stop, kid!" Someone shouted.

Kenta looked back again, a look of confusion on his face. Did the wolves just talk to him?

"OMPH!" The boy collided into a large mass.

"Come on, now. Are you alright?"

Rōyakan knelt down and scooped up the boy. He was covered in dirt, not one part of him was clean. Had he been buried?

Kenta threw his arms around, wailing. "LET ME GO! DON'T KILL ME!" Tears streamed down his face.

"Calm down! I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm Rōyakan. Are you Shippo?"

The child stilled in his grasp. "No, my name is Kenta." He turned his head to look up at the big wolf. "You know Shippo?"

Rōyakan's ears flatted against his head. "Ah, well yes. I am looking for him. Have you seen him?"

The boy grabbed a hold of his robes, "Please, help my friends. It's all my fault!"

"Wait, what? Tell me what happened."

"Snakes invaded our village, and a couple of us got separated. Shippo saved us, and kept us hidden, until I was an idiot and got us caught!" Tears began to flow down the small kitsune's face, leaving streaks down his face. "The snakes threw them in a pit! They helped me escape so I could get help. Have you seen a miko with an inuyoukai? He said I should find them!" Kenta rambled.

"Yes, I have. They are headed this way. Where are they being held captive?"

"The snakes have a camp set up just past our village. They're in a pit near the edge of forest."

Rōyakan rejoiced. Finally, he would prove to Sesshoumaru his usefulness. The big wolf smiled at the kitsune.

"Thank you, Kenta. I will go get help, but first let me take you back to your family."

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"Hey, little shit! You still alive down there?"

Shippo looked up, shielding his eyes from the bright morning sun. Two snakes leered over the pit; their tongues flitting out of their mouths. Asako held her sleeping brother tight.

"Which little shit are you referring to?" Shippo asked them.

The two snakes looked at each other before hopping down into the pit. Asako backed away frightened, and Shippo moved to stand in front of her.

Each snake grabbed one of Shippo's arms.

"Hey, what's with the other one?" They said glancing at the lump under Shippo's kimono.

"He..he's sick." Asako said softly.

The snakes shrugged. "Captain Sen has returned, and he wishes to see you."

Together they hauled Shippo out of the pit. Wasting no time, they dragged him in the direction of the tents.

Shippo did his best to scope out the area. Nothing had changed, really. All of the supplies were still stacked in the same spot, and soldiers milled about as they did before. He was hoping to see anything that would give him a way out.

"I don't give a fuck what you think! We have to stop them here. I refuse to retreat!" A gruff voice shouted from inside the largest tent.

The two snakes paused for a moment, holding Shippo awkwardly. The reason for their hesitance was obvious.

The yelling paused for a moment and the tent door peeled back to reveal Captain Sen.

Shippo tried his best not to be intimidated by the hulking figure. The captain was bald with a scale pattern going up his forehead and across his skull. He wore form fitting armor that had splashes of brown and green. This youkai used stealth to attack his enemies, rather than face them openly in battle.

When the captain's gold narrow eyes focused on him, he felt dread sink into his core.

"This is the kitsune who managed to steal from us?!" He shouted. "I left you alone for two weeks, and a child robbed you blind!?"

All the other soldiers became very still, as if they were afraid to move and attract his attention.

"Where are the others?" The captain demanded.

Shippo furrowed his brows. "In the pit, where you left us."

The captain hissed and back handed him. Shippo forgot how to breathe for a moment, until his sight came back into focus.

"Where are they?" Sen demanded.

"I..I don't know who you are talking about." Shippo stuttered as his face began to swell.

"Bullshit!"

"I really don't have any idea who are you talking about." He tried to explain.

Captain Sen shook with fury. "Take him to the forest and chain him. I will have him tell me."

Shippo knew that the captain really meant to torture him. "No! Wait! We have had no contact with any others! I speak the truth!"

Heavy manacles were placed around his wrists and ankles. Chains pulled his body down, as the two snakes picked him up and carried him past the tree line.

Once out of sight of the tents, the two snakes dropped him to the ground. Using large streaks they nailed his chains to the ground, leaving him enough room to kneel. Shippo pulled uselessly at his chains.

"Now, now, I can't have you going anywhere just yet." The captain appeared, his mouth twisted in a crazed grin. "Leave us. I'm going to interrogate the prisoner now."

The two snake soldiers saluted their captain, hurrying off back towards camp.

"Look, I don't know anything." Shippo said glaring at the snake, fighting to stay strong even though the side of his face felt as if it were on fire.

"Four children from Shirakawa are caught stealing from the enemy's food reserves, and you say you don't know anything about the rest of the villagers?" The captain laughed. "You really must think I'm an idiot."

"No!" Shippo shouted, jerking against his chains.

"I doubt that. The villagers are out there somewhere. Where is their hiding spot?"

Shippo slumped forward. "I give up. They're hiding to the east, where the line of boulders meets the river."

The captain snarled and grabbed Shippo's hair, yanking his neck back.

"LIES! I will slit your throat and watch as you gargle your last breath!"

"You haven't been able to tell the difference between my truths and my lies, so how do you know they aren't there?" Shippo asked, not falling for his bluff. The captain wanted him alive.

"Insulting me gets you nowhere!" Captain Sen hissed against his face. He abruptly let go of Shippo's hair, only to grab his arm. "Insolent whelp! You need to be taught some discipline." With a swift action, he broke Shippo's arm.

Shippo screamed in pain. His arm went limp against his side, followed by a jolt of excruciating pain. He winced at the sight of his bloody bone sticking out of his forearm. Tears of pain trickled out of the corners of his eyes as he kept his teeth gritted, doing his best to stay strong and in control of his anger.

Captain Sen leaned in close to his face. "Now, you're going to tell me what I want to hear, or I'm to torture the human girl, and I know she won't last. I'll waste no time killing the younger kitsune, and I'll save the little hanyou for a snack."

"Fuck you!" Shippo spat, his anger getting the best of him. He watched his glob of saliva slide down the Captain's face.

The snake struck fast, and Shippo pulled his weight to one side in an effort to dodge the attack. It didn't seem to matter. Blood poured down the gash on his chest, soaking his clothing. He was lucky it had not been his throat. I'm not going to last much longer with this guy unless I do something!

"Tell me!" Sen shouted.

Shippo knelt slumped over; his blood dripped to the ground. His lips moved, murmuring.

"What was that?" Sen asked standing over him.

"I said.." Shippo looked up at the snake. "I said, I'm going to kill you."

Sen stared at him for moment before tilting his head back, laughing.

"What are you going to do while trapped? Don't you realize even the chains are enchanted?"

Shippo focused on the captain's disgusting face and taunting laugh. His youki rose around him, covering him, filling him with power. His uninjured hand clenched against his restraints. He released his youki at once. "Fox Inferno!"

"You think that's enough to harm me!?" Sen shouted and wrapped his hand around Shippo's throat.

Green fox fire rose up from Shippo's body, spreading down the arms of the snake. The captain jerked away from his prisoner, desperately trying to put the fire out on his arms. But it was to no avail, the fire spread across his body, burning him as if he were something as simple as a kindling.

The green fire grew in a tall pillar surrounding Shippo, enveloping everything around them in a green glow. Everything it touched caught fire. The fire swirled together and took the form of a giant fox. Shippo screamed, letting out all his rage and youki. The swirling green fire fox leapt forward, catching the Captain's head between his teeth and swallowing.

Shirakawa was no longer the trading hub for merchants it once was. Kagome didn't know exactly what to expect upon arrival, but she wasn't expecting to see a well established town so...destroyed. It was obvious that everyone left in a panic: merchant tables and stalls were knocked over, rotting food and goods littered the ground, buildings and houses were charred black and in ruin... It was unsettling how quiet it was. Sesshoumaru remained silent at her side as they walked down the road together. Kagome was afraid to speak because it would seem so deafening against the silence of what used to be a town full of the sounds of life.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" A gruff voice called out. Kagome turned to see a giant wolf bounding down the empty dirt street. Sesshoumaru's eyebrow rose. In question or annoyance, she couldn't tell.

Rōyakan slid to a stop in front of them. "My Lord!" He gasped bending over to bow. "I know where he is!"

"You found Shippo?" Kagome asked grasping his sleeve. "Rōyakan-san, is Shippo alright!?"

"If you know where he is, why didn't you get him?" Sesshoumaru asked.

Rōyakan's ears flattened against his head. He had been afraid of such a question.

"He is being held in the snake camp just south of here. I was told he is being held prisoner in a pit. Unfortunately, there are too many soldiers to fight my way through."

"Thank you, Rōyakan. We'll handl-" Kagome stopped when Sesshoumaru suddenly grabbed her arm. Both Sesshoumaru and Rōyakan had their heads tilted up sniffing the air.

Rōyakan's big playful eyes became serious. "Is the village on fire?" He wondered out loud.

"No. It's too far away. It's not normal smoke. Can you not smell the tinge of magic to it?" Sesshoumaru asked.

Kagome looked between them confused. "Do you mean to say...you're smelling fox fire?"

"Hn."

Rōyakan cursed. "Those idiot villagers should have waited!"

They both looked at him sharply. "What?"

"It must be the villagers attacking the enemy camp. They said they were waiting on your arrival to attack." Rōyakan explained.

"The villagers are still alive?" Kagome asked, suddenly filled with hope that the situation wasn't as bad as it had first seemed.

Rōyakan nodded. "Yes, they had taken refuge in an enchanted place not far from here."

Kagome turned to Sesshoumaru. "We have to go help them and save Shippo! If only there was a faster way to get there..."

Rōyakan smirked at Sesshoumaru. "I will meet you on the battlefield, my Lord."

Sesshoumaru wrapped his arm around Kagome, picking her up. "Do not scream."

Her brows furrowed in concern. "What? What's going on?"

Light exploded around her and she immediately closed her eyes. Sesshoumaru had jumped into the air and...she didn't know. She couldn't see him in the blinding light. She could feel his youki though. It surrounded her, and hummed with energy. She felt weightless, floating through in air tethered only to Sesshoumaru's grip around her.

With a snap, the light dissipated, revealing the forest again and Sesshoumaru giving her an assessing look. Other than feeling a bit disoriented, like she had been on a roller coaster, Kagome patted his arm letting him know she was , Sesshoumaru loosened his grip, lowering her back on the ground.

"What. was. that?" She asked him.

"It is a method of traveling faster." He replied staring across the open field towards a forest tree line. Smoke filled the area, clouding the sky.

"Why didn't you do that earlier?" She demanded, but her thoughts fled her as she took in the surrounding area. She could see the snake camp further west across the field and it too was on fire. She could see the tents glowing with a green fire, and the panicking soldiers running around trying to put a stop to it.

"Shippo's supposed to be in there?" She asked fearfully.

"Stay here. I will bring him to you." Sesshoumaru commanded.

Kagome grabbed his arm. "Oh no you don't! I'm going with you. What if he's hurt? He'll need me to heal him."

Sesshoumaru stepped closer to her. "The smoke will make you sick." He cupped her face with his hands. "Trust me to bring him to you."

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "All right. Go."

Sesshoumaru leaned down and swiftly kissed her before rushing across the field, straight into the burning camp.

A horn blew followed by the sound of war cries. Kagome turned in time to see a wave of armored youkai rush across the field and slam past the wooden walls of the camp.

Sesshoumaru ignored the merchant army; they could handle it. He scowled as he walked through the camp, completely ignored. Snakes there fleeing and rolling on the ground trying to put fires out. There was almost no honor in killing them. Almost.

He wouldn't bother with them, he had to find Shippo for Kagome. Following the spread of the fire damage, he could tell it came from the woods. He had yet to see any signs of prisoners, it was too chaotic. He dodged out of the way of a falling, charred tree still on fire, disappearing into the woods, following the scent of kitsune.

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Asako watched as her baby brother weakly crawled on the ground. Every now and then, he would put his chubby fingers in his mouth, and chew on the dirt that covered his hands. He was hungry and thirsty. They hadn't had food or water since they were thrown in the pit.

There had been no one to check on them since they took Shippo away. She hoped that he was still alive. And what happened to Kenta? Did he make it out alive? Did he find help?

"Fire!" Someone screamed.

Asako sat up straight, trying her best to listen.

"Quick get water! Put it out! It's spreading!"

"The woods are on fire!"

"Where is Captain Sen?!"

A deep booming horn blew far away. Screaming and yelling followed, by the clash of metal on metal.

Where they getting rescued!?

She shrank against the wall, staring up at the sky. Every once in a while a snake would pass by, but spare her no glance.

"Help! Somebody help us!" She cried out. Haro began to cry, looking up and clenching his fists together.

A deafening roar shook the ground. Asako covered her ears and sank against the wall. What was that!?

"Stop him!" She heard soldiers shout, followed by their screams. She tried her best to plug her ears against the screams of dying men, and the visceral sound of meat tearing apart.

Horrified, she crawled over and grabbed Haro and dragged him over to the small hole in the ground. She couldn't fit in the hole, but the baby could.

Haro screamed, flailing his arms, and she pulled back Shippo's robe and placed him in the hole, and covered it back up.

She stared up at the sky, hoping the battle would send soon. A dark shadow blocked out the sunlight. Asako closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around her knees. Something large jumped down into the pit, but she dared not open her eyes. Her whole body shook with fright as she did her best to press her back against the hole hiding her brother. If I'm going to die protecting Haro, then that is what I want, she thought, bracing herself for the inevitable doom.

"Asako." A deep voice rang clear over the sounds of screams and burning wood.

Her eyes flew open to see a large bulky man with bright yellow eyes. He towered over her, wearing thick armor and a long brown pelt of fur down his back. Asako's eyes watered as she threw herself against him, wrapping her arms as tightly as she could around him.

"DAD! You came to save us!" She managed to say between sobs of relief. He knelt down wrapped his arms around his daughter, tears in his eyes. After a moment he pulled away to look at her face, cupping her cheeks, wiping away her tears.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" He asked, rubbing his thumbs across her cheeks in attempt to clear some of the grime from her face..

"I'm fine. I'm not hurt," Asako replied, doing her best to dry the rest of her tears.

"Where is Haro?" He asked, knowing he could hear and smell the child. Asako lifted up the robe covering the hole, reaching in and lifting Haro out.

"Oh Haro..." Their father breathed out as he took the dirty malnourished child from his daughter. Haro squealed as his father clutched his child to his chest. Asako placed her arms around her father's neck, and clung to his back as he pulled them both of out the pit.

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Sesshoumaru followed the trail the fire left, leading him not far into the woods. Much to his irritation, his sense of smell was lacking because of all the smoke. He didn't make it far before he found the source of the fire. A young kitsune sat on his knees chained to the ground. A dead burning snake body smoldered but a few feet from him. The snake's skull lay separate from its body, burning, turning to ash.

A large kitsune made of fire stalked the area, circling the boy, it's flames hissing when Sesshoumaru drew closer.

"Put out the fire." Sesshoumaru commanded.

Shippo remained still with his head bowed and eyes wide open.

"Your enemy is slain. Let go of your youki." He tried again, his amber eyes not leaving the flame beast. Shippo gave no indication that he even heard him. He would have to try something else and quickly before the whole forest burned down.

Sesshoumaru darted close to Shippo and before the fire kitsune could react, punched the boy across the face, knocking him out. Within a moment, the fire kitsune dissipated into nothing. The lingering magical fire in the forest slowly flickering out.

He knelt down to get a closer look at the boy. The chains must have been enchanted to hold him in place while the snake tortured him. Shippo's arm was a broken mess. He would definitely need Kagome to heal him. Sesshoumaru flexed his youki on the chains in an effort to break them. As soon as his youki left, the chains lit up with electricity, sending shocks up the boy's body. Sesshoumaru could break the chains, but it would cause more damage than needed. Instead, he pulled at the chain until the stakes came out, freeing Shippo at least for now. Gently, Sesshoumaru picked up the unconscious child and put him over his shoulder, chains and all, and began walking back towards Kagome's scent.

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Kagome kept her eyes on the burning village. From where Sesshoumaru had left her, she could just see the front of the camp. Hundreds of youkai battled amongst the flames, but it was clear whose side was winning. Whomever set fire to the camp, had done the merchants a favor. The snakes were unprepared to put out the fires, and in the midst of the chaos, the merchant army rolled in and easily destroyed them. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught movement towards her left. A fleeing snake youkai rushed at her; his eyes wide with fury, his clothing glowing green from fox fire.

With one fluid motion, she pulled an arrow from her quiver, and notched it back. The arrow struck the snake in the chest, stopping him in his tracks. He pitched forward, and fell face first into the dirt. The flames on his body dissipated after a moment.

Kagome turned her attention back to the village to find that the roaring green flames had gone out. A loud roar of cheers came from the villagers as they celebrated their victory.

Her eyes scanned the area, looking for any sign of Sesshoumaru. Worry ate at her until she saw the daiyoukai emerge from the smoldering forest. He strode across the field, bypassing the camp completely. Kagome jogged towards him, leaping over the dead snake as she went.

Her stomach dropped when she saw the limp body slung over his shoulder.

"Shippo!" She shouted as she flat out began running to him. Sesshoumaru stopped to kneel, and place the child on the ground.

Kagome slid on knees when she got to them.

"What happened?" She asked as touched his bruised face.

Sesshoumaru didn't exactly know how to answer that question. He didn't entirely know what happened. They would have to ask the child. She would be upset once he told her what he knew, and she would also be upset if he didn't tell her the truth.

"It is safe to assume they were torturing him." He explained.

Tears filled her eyes as she saw his broken arm. She needed to heal him, but first the chains needed to go.

"Could you break these chains?"

Sesshoumaru knelt next to her. "They are enchanted. I could not remove them without causing further injury."

Kagome lifted one of the heavy chains, and focused her reiki on them. Some intricate spell weaving had gone into these chains, but it was nothing her reiki could not unravel.

Once the chains around Shippo's wrists had been removed, Kagome set his arm, and began the healing process. Gentle reiki curled around his body healing it.

"Did you see who set the fire?" Kagome asked brushing the hair from Shippo's face.

"He did." Sesshoumaru said eyeing the unconscious kitsune.

Kagome looked over at him astonished. "What?"

"He killed his attacker by manifesting his youki into a tangible representation of his true self. He shows incredible strength, but he is too young. He had no control over his youki once he summoned it."

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A boot stomped on the charred remains of Captain Sen's head. What a fool.

Goji stared at the stakes left on the ground where the captive kitsune should be. This was all that dog demon's fault. He could just barely smell his stench over the smell of burnt...everything.

He went over to body of his captain. Luckily, the poor bastard's head took the brunt of the fire. His clothing was only mildly burned. He roughly dug around in Sen's clothing until he found what he came for. He pulled a small green amulet out, and held it up to his face.

A slow grin spread over Goji's red, scarred face. He would get his revenge.

His Lord would be so pleased.

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Author's Note: This is the chapter that never ends. It goes on and on my friends...

I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. I really wanted to get moving forward with the story line. Just a refresher in case anyone forgot who Goji is: He's the asshole snake who picked on Shippo and found Kenta.

I also wanted to give a HUGE HUGGGGGGEEEEEEEEE Thank You to all my reviewers who left me such kind comments after my last update. I was having a hard time writing (FOR THREE MONTHS OMG) and I just had to kind of push through it. It really meant a lot to me that people took the time to say that they were excited to see a new chapter. It gives me all kinds of confidence to keep writing.

I should have another chapter up soon!