Chapter 5 Battle of the Dragons

Chapter 5 Battle with the Dragons

First I would like to thank my friend Cynthia for helping me on the last chapter. She gave me some good advice

Second, I'd like to thank all who have read the story and reviewed it. Thanks for the encouragement!

The afternoon sun was slowly disappearing behind the trees as Sesshoumaru made his way through the forest. All of his senses were alert to any unusual activity. At any moment he might come across the dragons. While in the densest part of the forest, Sesshoumaru faintly heard the sound of large wings. He kept to the thickest stands of trees, but rest of the journey was without incident.

Sesshoumaru knew he was in the general area where the dragon King's clan lived when he heard the roar of a waterfall. Without warning, the forest abruptly ended in a large sun dappled clearing. At one end of the clearing was a large waterfall, ending in a beautiful clear pool. Waiting next to the pool was the Dragon King.

Sesshoumaru walked up to the dragon and gave a respect bow. He pulled out the map. "We have evidence of an invasion." He spread the map out on a large rock and showed the Dragon King what they'd found.

"It is as we surmised," the Dragon King hissed. "What are your plans?"

"We plan on stopping them."

The Dragon King nodded his head once. "Come." He led Sesshoumaru around the pool, to the back of the waterfall. There was an opening in the rock that led to a large cave.

In the cool dark interior, Sesshoumaru found himself surrounded by dragons. He estimated at least 40 dragons lived in the cave. Oriental dragons tend to be shy nocturnal creatures, preferring to avoid encounters with others. Still, Sesshoumaru was surprised to find so many living near his home without his being aware of them.

"We are being invaded," the Dragon King hissed. Lots of angry hissing followed his statement. "Listen well, my people. We go with Sesshoumaru-sama to stop the invasion." He waited for his people to quiet down. "Let us go." He led the large group outside. All capable dragons were going. There were a total of 48 dragons, of various sizes and colors. Five were staying to protect the eggs nestled deep with in the cave.

So 43 dragons and one youkai set out to join forces with the others to stop the invaders.

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As the center of the village brightened with the rising sun, Kagome realized no one had eaten.

"Let's continue this over breakfast." She turned and made her way back to the house, expecting everyone to follow.

"Sounds like a good idea," Sango agreed. Hana nodded, as did Rin. The three of them followed Kagome.

"Might as well," InuYasha said. The three men left, leaving Jaken with Ah-un. Jaken settled Ah-un in the field and hurried back to join the rest.

The others were sitting around the fire pit, talking. Sango had asked Hana about her search.

Hana tells them how she met Hi'Iki and the events that followed.

"I was taught that humans and youkai don't get along. So I became a youkai slayer in the belief it was the right thing to do. Yet here, not only do they get along, they're willing to work together." Hana shook her head.

"It's because we've learned that not all youkai hate humans." Miroku explained.

"It's just not what I expected, and takes some getting used to."

"How do you know Sesshoumaru?" InuYasha asked Hi'Iki. He didn't know anything about Sesshoumaru's past, and this might be a way to learn about his brother.

"I was an orphan. Sesshoumaru's parents raised me until we found my Uncle. Sesshoumaru and I became good friends." Hi'Iki paused. "He hasn't changed much, although, I was surprised to find Rin staying with him."

"Yeah, he hates humans," InuYasha said.

"Not all humans," Rin disagreed.

"It's not that he hates humans so much as he doesn't trust them." Hana said. "I didn't sense any form of malice from him. But I don't think he completely trusted me."

"He did hate humans at one time," Miroku said thoughtfully. "But I think Rin's influence changed that."

Hi'Iki smiled at Rin. "Rin's been a good influence on Sesshoumaru."

Their conversation came to an abrupt end.

"Kagome! InuYasha! Something's going on at the well!"

A small kitsune youkai came bounding through the door.

"What's going on Shippou?" Kagome asked.

"Come on!" Shippou ran back out without waiting.

Grabbing her bow and arrows, Kagome was the first out the door, InuYasha right behind. Sango and Miroku stopped to get their weapons. Kirara jumped on Sango's shoulder as Hana and Hi'Iki followed them.

The sight at the well was one they weren't expecting.

Dozens of Oriental dragons were circling around a large unknown dragon. The dragon flapped its wings and several Oriental dragons attacked. They latched onto the dragon, making it rear up to try and throw them off. A smaller figure darted in and attacked with a sword. The dragon screamed and tried to get away from what appeared to be lightning, but it was useless. The effect continued until the dragon simply fell apart.

"So that's how it works. Not bad," Hi'Iki said as he walked over to Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru just looked at Hi'Iki and put his sword away.

Rin went straight to Sesshoumaru. "Are you okay, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

He gave her a curt nod, but kept his attention on Hi'Iki.

"Are they all that big?" Sango asked, watching as Miroku blessed what was left of the dragon.

"That's average size. It's just a scout." Hi'Iki looked the group over and noticed that Sesshoumaru and InuYasha kept slightly apart from each other.

"If that's average, how big can they get?" InuYasha wanted to know.

"Fighters are about twice that size."

"This isn't going to be easy," Miroku said.

"No, it isn't," Hi'Iki agreed. "We need a battle plan."

"'Know your enemy'," Sesshoumaru said. "Find out their strengths and weaknesses."

Hi'Iki nodded.

"You know one weakness," Hana said.

Everyone looked at Hi'Iki. He was the only "expert" on these dragons. Sitting on the edge of the well, he said, "As Hana stated I do know one weakness. I discovered it quite by accident while I was in Europe. A lone dragon attacked me, knocking me flat. I barely had time to grab my sword as it came at me. I jammed the sword into its belly, not expecting much, but it died instantly. When I examined it, I found a soft spot just below the breast bone, between the front legs. My sword went in there, slicing through the heart."

"Easy for you," hissed the Dragon King. "We do not have swords."

"Not as easy as it sounds." Hi'Iki commented. "You have to be right under the dragon."

He looked at the Oriental dragons. The horns on their heads were of varying sizes, depending on the size of the dragon. The Dragon King was the largest; his were well over four feet.

"If you get a chance, use your horns."

"But you have to be right under them," InuYasha reminded them.

"It is good to know this weakness," the Dragon King hissed. "If we get a chance, we will exploit it. What else?"

"First rule of battle," Sesshoumaru started to say.

"Pick your battleground," Hi'Iki finished.

"Not here," Kagome said. "It's too close to the village."

"Somewhere we know and have the advantage," Miroku agreed.

"South of here is a clearing, surrounded by forest." InuYasha thought a moment. "How do they maneuver in forests?"

"The big ones not well. The forest would protect us from aerial attacks." As he talked, Hi'Iki looked the group over. InuYasha, Kagome, Miroku, Sango and Shippou he correctly guessed had worked as a team before. Sesshoumaru he knew and trusted. Rin stood next to Sesshoumaru. 'If this weren't so serious,' Hi'Iki thought, 'I'd have fun making Sesshoumaru see what he has right next to him.'

The Oriental dragons were a clan and would support each other as well as anyone who was helping them. Hana he knew he could count on. All together, this group would make a formidable fighting force. "There is one thing though. The dragons are fire breathers and will burn any forest down."

"That could be a problem," Miroku observed.

"Someplace without trees then," InuYasha said.

"How about Onigumo's cave?" Kagome asked. "There are trees, but its all rock and there's water nearby in a meadow."

"Let's have a look."

Kagome led them to the place of Onigumo's cave. The cave was in a meadow at the edge of a small lake. Trees bordered the meadow in some places, mostly by the cave. It was far enough from the village that it was unlikely to be attacked, but close enough that it didn't take a long time to get there. Hi'Iki doubted they had much time.

"This is a good place," Hi'Iki confirmed after looking the place over. He sat near the cave, the Oriental dragons forming a loose circle around him. The rest of the group was inside the circle. Hi'Iki had everyone's attention.

"So now we get the dragons to come here."

"How do we do that?" Miroku asked.

"I go find them and get them to chase me here." Hi'Iki wasn't too fond of this idea, but it should work.

"Perhaps a few of us should go as well," the Dragon King hissed. "After all, it is us they are trying to wipe out."

Hi'Iki nodded. "We may have a problem with dragon magic." He turned to Shippou. "You use magic?"

Shippou nodded. "Kitsune magic. It's like playing tricks on people."

InuYasha snorted.

Ignoring InuYasha, Hi'Iki asked "Can you sense when someone else is using magic?"

"Sometimes. Depends on the magic used." While still young, Shippou had matured a little in the last 10 years. The battle ahead still frightened him but a little fear wouldn't stop him from helping his friends. "I'll do what I can," he promised.

"What kind of magic are we talking about?" Sango asked.

"Depends on type. These Northern Mountain Horned dragons have an ability to make something appear different than it should be. Like the centipede. Faster and more maneuverable. That was the magic."

"So they use others as a sort of distraction," Miroku said thoughtfully.

Hi'Iki nodded. "We'll have to keep an eye out for the unexpected." He looked at the Dragon King. "Who gets to go with me?"

The Dragon King hissed at the four largest dragons. The four dragons moved to stand beside their king. "We go."

"How are you going to find them?" Hana asked.

"We'll head in the direction of the mountains. Chances are the dragons will find us first." 'Not a very good prospect' Hi'Iki thought, 'especially since we can't smell them.'

They left the meadow to several "Good lucks" and "Be careful".

After they left, the Oriental dragons went looking for hiding places. They settled down in thick bushy areas. Their long thin bodies made it easy for them to hide and maneuver in the thick brush. When they stretched out on the ground they practically disappeared.

Sesshoumaru watched them disappear. He looked around for a good position to defend. The cave was up on a ledge. Above the cave were trees. Below the ledge was a large recess in the rock. This would be a good place to make a stand. He sat down, back to the recess. And waited.

The others had the same idea. They followed Sesshoumaru and found comfortable places to wait. InuYasha sat on the ledge, above Sesshoumaru. Everyone was quiet, preparing themselves for the battle to come.

It came in an unexpected form.

As the sun reached midpoint in the sky, Kodo and Podo became very agitated and flew out of the tree above the cave.

"I think the dragons are here," Hana whispered.

Sesshoumaru sprang up, as did InuYasha. They stood side by side, swords drawn.

The long grass waved as something large moved through it. About a dozen large centipedes soon came into view.

"Damn! I hate centipedes!" InuYasha exclaimed as he prepared himself for the attack.

"They're just centipedes," Sesshoumaru said, ready to attack.

"You didn't meet the last one."

The centipedes rushed in for the attack. They didn't get far. The Oriental dragons appeared from their hiding places and attacked the centipedes. The fight was brief, as the dragons made short work of the centipedes.

"What's with the centipedes," Kagome commented.

"The invading dragons using their magic," Miroku guessed.

"It's possible," Shippou agreed. "But I can't detect any magic. If that's their magic, I don't know how we'll counter it."

"But why such an easy fight?" InuYasha asked.

"Not as easy as it looked," hissed one of the dragons. "Had there been less of us, it would have been much more difficult."

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Hi'Iki was hanging onto the mane of the Dragon King. They were flying over forests towards the mountain where Hi'Iki had discovered the bedding site. The other four dragons flew in formation, one in front, one in back, and one on each side.

They had been flying for over an hour when the sound of wings drew their attention above them. They all looked up. At least 20 dragons were circling above them.

The five Oriental dragons dove for the trees. The European dragons dived after them. The dragon King and his companions swooped in and out of the trees, making themselves difficult targets.

"Don't make it too hard," Hi'Iki told the Dragon King. "We want them to follow."

The Dragon King smiled. "You wish to let them get closer?"

Hi'Iki flexed the fingers on one hand. Five black claws appeared. "Don't want them to think we're unsociable."

The Dragon King flew up, out of the trees, right into an unsuspecting dragon. Hi'Iki reached out with the clawed hand and swiped at the dragon. It seemed as if Hi'Iki missed. The dragon roared, spun around and let loose with a burst of flame. Hi'Iki and the Dragon King ducked back into the trees, avoiding the flames.

"You missed!?" The Dragon King was disappointed.

Hi'Iki flexed his finger again, the claws disappeared. "Nope."

Above, the dragon started screeching and writhing in the air. A minute later it fell from the sky, landing in a heap on the ground. It no longer moved.

The dragons became furious at death of one of their clan. Roaring angrily, they flew after the fleeing Oriental dragons.

"Forgive me for doubting you. What did you do?"

"My claws have poison in them. It dissolves the inside of the body."

As they raced back to the clearing, the Oriental dragons continued to weave in and out of the trees, every once in a while showing themselves to the invading dragons.

Two of the invading dragons swooped low, sending flames into the trees in an attempt to drive the others out. The Dragon King just managed to avoid a blast of flame. One of the other Oriental dragons flew up, into the two dragons. Claws and horns slashed. The Oriental dragon's slimmer body twisted around the two European dragons, causing them to stall. Torn and bloody, the three dragons became tangled and fell, crashing through the trees to the ground.

The Dragon King gave a low growl, but kept going. Hi'Iki looked back. He was upset that one of the Oriental dragons had died to protect them. He was more determined than ever to stop the invaders.

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After things settled down, Kodo and Podo returned to their perch in the tree above the cave. Everyone gathered together after the centipede attack, except the Oriental dragons. Once again, they had disappeared.

"What's next?" InuYasha griped.

"I don't know, but I think we should use Kodo and Podo as our warning system. They seem to know when something's coming." Hana pointed out.

"They seem very observant," Miroku agreed.

Sesshoumaru climbed up on the ledge and looked around. The others followed, and they stood as a group in front of the cave, waiting for whatever came next.

Had anyone thought to look up, they would have seen a small speck circling high above them. After a few minutes the small speck flew away.

The waiting didn't last long.

Kodo and Podo erupted in a flurry of hissing and screeching, once again warning everyone that something was approaching.

This time it was a mixed group of youkai came diving down out of the sky at the group.

Sesshoumaru and InuYasha attacked at the same time. Sesshoumaru moved swiftly, dodging and spinning, placing precise blows with his sword. InuYasha used his usual frontal attack, although he didn't just rush in swinging. He judged his opponent and attacked accordingly.

As Miroku went after youkai with his staff, Sango followed on Kirara, using her Hiraikotsu. Kagome, Hana, Rin, Jaken and Shippou stayed together. Kagome and Hana did most of the fighting as Rin and Shippou's attacks weren't very effective. While Jaken was able to burn a couple, he wasn't fast enough to be much help. Fortunately, the Oriental dragons were effective in their attacks, and helped to keep the youkai away from the trio.

Sesshoumaru checked on Rin. He wasn't happy that she was there. He would have preferred she stay in the village. But her safety wasn't assured there either, and they needed all available fighters. He noted that the Oriental dragons were blocking any attempt by the youkai to get at Rin, so he concentrated on his own fight.

"Persistent snake," Sesshoumaru growled as he tried getting in a strike at a particularly elusive snake like youkai. It was the last one remaining.

"Just like the centipede," InuYasha said as he came in from one side. He swiped at it, distracting it long enough for Sesshoumaru to finally get a blow in. With the last attacker dead, Sesshoumaru stepped back to survey the damage.

"My Kazaana would have come in handy for that," Miroku said, as he joined the brothers.

"Yeah, but if you had the Kazaana, then we'd have Naraku to deal with as well as dragons," InuYasha reminded him.

"Yeah, that would be too much for you to handle," Miroku agreed.

"Keh! I can handle whatever comes my way!"

Kagome, Rin, Hana and Sango joined them. "Is anyone hurt?" Kagome asked.

"No, we're fine," Miroku answered for everyone.

High above them, and unobserved, the small speck was back, circling around. It stayed a few minutes, then disappeared.

Once again, all they could do was wait.

Kodo and Podo screeched and flew from the tree.

All at once the sky was filled with roaring dragons. They soared high, roaring and screeching. Then, as one, they flew in low, sending flames every which way. Nothing would remain hidden for long in the burning grass.

Two big dragons came in low, blasting fire into the trees.

The Dragon King burst out the trees, passed close to the cave and quickly swerved away.

Hi'Iki jumped off as the Dragon King swerved, rolled on the ground, and came up running. He bounded up the rocks to the cave, followed by two big cats. Kodo and Podo had transformed into their fighting forms, a black leopard and a white tiger.

The main group of attacking Northern Mountain Horned Dragons went after the Oriental dragons. A smaller group went after the people at the cave.

Instead of attacking, the largest of these dragons landed on the ground in front of the cave. It was coal black in color, red eyes and had a row of pale blue horns that ran from the back of the head down the back to the tail. It also had a pair of horns that swept back from the top of the head as well as a pair behind the eyes.

Hi'Iki stepped forward. This was the ruler of the Northern Mountain Horned Dragon Clan.

The dragon's angry eyes focused on Hi'Iki. "You have killed my people, interfered with my plans! This will not be tolerated!" hissed the dragon. "You will die!" The dragon roared, and launched himself into the air.

With his roar, the invading dragons attacked.

Notes:

I used an actual place in the series for the battleground.

I'm not sure of the exact attack of Sesshoumaru's Bakusaiga sword, but after looking at the manga again, it seems to be a sort of lightning attack. Even if only a part of the opponent is cut, the attack keeps going until the whole opponent is destroyed.

Cynthia is supposed to read the chapter and may add to or make changes. If she does, I'll update the chapter.

Chapter 6 is being worked on.

I am also doing some art work for the story. If interested in seeing the older art, check out my website.