Eastern Borders
Toga fearlessly led his demon army to battle to claim new land just on the outskirts of his territory. His fierce fangs tearing into the ground, uplifting countless bodies to the sky to have them shredded and devoured. This land knew blood, it lived off it. Plumes of smoke rose into the clear skies, darkening the field as he scoured the area for the enemy, and there they were. Just off into the West stood a small division of horse demons ready to charge into the fray. His fang in hand, clasping tightly to the bindings, he raised his sword and bellowed out his battle cry.
"WIND SCAR!"
The land shook, deep ravines marred the earth as both wind and electricity flowed through and bombarded the small army. His followers taking no heed to attack immediately, they waited for his command, just waiting for the earth to settle and see what was left behind.
"Master," a dark green imp warbled in his ear, disrupting the sight. "I bring news of the young pup..." holding a scroll in its small clammy hands, Toga reached for the parchment without wasting time and opened it to see what it spoke of his son. To his astonishment, his son and that priestess sealed the pact.
"Is this true?" Uncertain how to feel as he knew not that his son would actually go through with the deed itself, he knew better as the thought of that power slipped past his own fingers.
"Yes, master." The imp bowed its head low, giving no disrespect to the great lord. "My sources remain vigilant...they confirmed this in the high mountains of Katagi village, there, there is where they sealed it." A grotesque chortle came from the imp as it snickered about the news, but Toga thought differently. His son was now power bound to the priestess' power, just as he was to the priestess that passed.
"Have they reached the Northern temple?"
"No," remaining kowtowed and still snickering, Toga brushed the imp aside and took another look of the battlefield before him.
"This battle is won, order my troops to take the land and lay claim. Upon my return I expect absolute authority."
"Yes, master."
His fangs sheathed, Toga looked to the northern mountain regions and gave himself a small estimate when he would meet with them. Allowing perhaps three days of travel without stop he could cut the distance short, but to find the mount required would be the task at hand. Planning his route and seeing a figure in the distance, it was in his favor over the current situation.
A hell horse grazed the outskirts of battle, taking in the blood of the fallen and feasting upon their flesh. Prideful creatures they were, never allowing those beneath them to mount, until now. Toga's speed towards the horse was quick and flawless as he took the mares mane and pulled from a corpse. The mare bared its fangs, lighting the fire from his mane and kicking Toga away.
"You will obey..." releasing his demonic aura to subdue the creature and bend its will, the mare was fierce and did not go down willingly as he'd hoped but implored the challenge. "Kneel" his words absolute, the mare's eyes glazed over from his command and soothed within his grasp eventually. "That's better..." waiting for the mare to settle completely before taking stride, he allowed it to flourish on the corpses a while longer while staring at the Northern mountains.
To what are you planning, son? A mere human has seeped her claws into your soft soul so carelessly... his thoughts amiss, the sun was lowering, touching the hilltops, taking this time to make his departure he began his journey to search for Sesshomaru.
Come, come to the East where the trees bow down... come, come to the West where the sea rises and falls to sailor's unknown... Come, come to the North where the tundra covers the land and steals your soul... come, come to the South, bountiful and full of treasure's untold... Come... come...
It was a wayward memory thought long gone from his mind. The priestess that imbued him with vast power he sought filled his thoughts as time went and his view shifted to his past. His young, naive self, hungry for power no matter the cost.
[Still haunted with thoughts of me, Toga?]
Her words echoed deep within his mind, bringing her form.
"Dear sweet Toga," her wispy arms taking solid form as she wrapped herself around his neck. "You let your guard down...she has been claimed by your son ever so quickly." Snickering as she spoke, her fox ears perking up, he grunted in response. "Did you expect this? For the great Dog Demon to subside power is unheard of." Her mocking tone taking discomfort onto him, he pulled the mare's mane to halt and speak with the specter.
"You come to me and disrupt this one's mind. What brings you here?"
She grinned slyly as any fox would and covered half her face to hide any other features before twirling around playfully to sit on a log. "The girl is perfect, Toga. Her soul melded perfectly into my own, encompassing even more of the power I held! Your son felt it...he grasped only a small splinter of that power back at the temple...she drips in it, seeping deeper and deeper into the pool where it consumes even the greatest of foxes. My soul hardened her own and formed an unbeatable wall!" As though high on ecstasy, the fox was enamored over Clara and what had come from the ceremony. "Her form is beautiful Toga...white as a snake god and surpassing all those before me. Sesshomaru would have succumbed to her sooner or later, it was merely a matter of pride that stopped him."
"You speak as though you tempted them both," his voice carried through the forest, scurrying the lesser animals from their nests.
"I have been tempting...oh yes...releasing small doses of passionate flame to coerce him towards her. Stealing her morality time and time again to rid the mortal self. The task was vexing, but the fruits of my meddling has been a sweet victory." A conniving smile fit for her form, she stood on the log and walked around before Toga reared the mare to continue the journey North. "Do you still seek your son, knowing the outcome?"
"This one will see if the bonds are truly met...one cannot know for sure until present."
"Such a good father you are...doting your son," her whimsical figure vanished before appearing before his face once more. "When you see them, perhaps you will see an underlying truth?"
Saying nothing more and completely gone, Toga heeded her words with careful speculation before kicking the mare forward. Rivers streamed past quickly while the forest became a blur, the mare was traveling through a slip between the mundane and Gehenna, increasing speed and making time flow differently each time they passed through. It was unprecedented, but his timing that this trip would make had veered off-course, he would arrive at Katagi village in less than a day if the mare holds up.
Nothing has changed in Katagi village even after 30 years of his coming. When a young pup traveling alongside his own father he would question why demons left this village thrive. Now it bore a small community, experts in the ways of the high winds and chilling atmosphere. Binding the mare to him as not to have it flee, it slipped into a guise that of a normal human horse while he did the same and walked into the small village.
"Evening traveler," a woman greeted. Her ragged clothes saying enough to show her status, it took all that Toga had not to bare his disgust.
"I seek shelter for the night...is there lodging?"
"Yes," she dusted her hands on her clothing, making him shudder to the filth. "Kisaragi Jen will provide you a room for the night to pass the storm. Must be travelling season for young ones lately."
"Oh," he questioned and she smiled.
"Not long ago, perhaps 2 days, a young couple came through here and got shelter from the storm. They were young, but the man she was with was quite handsome." Blushing to the memory of his son and resisting the urge to lop off her head, he withheld graciously.
"Did you inquire a name," speaking with such a mortal woman disgusted him, but the knowledge to know if it was his son made him bear it.
"No, no name. Though it was a terrifying night when they stayed. A sound of some large beast woke the whole village up! We thought them demons that slipped in." Her expression still holding ample truth to her belief, Toga sneered at the thought they would conjugate here of all places. "Please, allow me to take your horse to the pen."
"That's quite alright," stopping her from touching the mare, nearly catching that her hand would be eaten, she instead led the way.
A small hovel of a home, tattered roof and a small well, Toga begrudgingly was led to the accommodations and found a small human male sitting at his table.
"Kisaragi-san, this man would like shelter for the night."
"Oh," his voice worn and tethered, he moved slowly from the table to come towards them. "Another traveler passing through then?" His eyes drooped with age but opened wide when he stared at Toga. "You look just like him...the young man that came through..." the smell of fear emanating from the man, it was evident the human still believed he housed a demon. Knowing not what his son would have spoken to rid the suspicion, Toga knelt down to this small man and met him at eye level.
"Perhaps you saw my son and his companion? I sent them ahead while I finished work." Creating an excuse to calm the man down, the smell of fear still lingered and the man did not reveal his current fear to the young woman.
"Yes...maybe so..." the man was wary as he looked another direction and showcased the room Toga would be staying in. Before being near the room he could smell them. Lust and power overwhelming one's senses to make any lesser demons fall victim to the arousal it left behind. This was a carnivorous desire. Eager and filled with temptation both had built up. Toga scrunched his nose without thinking before the man saw his expression and replaced his façade.
"Make yourself comfortable..." the man left Toga be and went back to his table.
[Clearly I was mistaken of thesituation...] the smell overwhelming, Toga opened the window to ease the infuriating smell of his son and Clara's musk. Though the power of the foxfire still lingered in the air even after they've been gone for a couple days. [Once I find them, this one will be sure to see that the foxfire is truly under one's control...or the slyfox]