-1A/N: Shh! Okay, so technically, I'm grounded from the computer, but what they don't know, won't hurt me! Word of advice, don't back-talk your mother, even if you're right.
Chapter 8
The east coast was bright and beautiful-untouched white sand, colorful seashells dotting the shoreline, and cold, crisp waves foaming on the water. The beauty was only minutely noticed by Sesshomaru. He was searching for a mountain off the coast and none of the locals had ever seen, or even heard of it before.
The dog demon walked in the cold, wet sand, looking out towards the ocean. He couldn't believe- no, he didn't want to believe that he had traveled all this distance to discover his destination, Mount Efil-Denahetaed, did not exist.
Turn his sight back inland, a rock formation in the distance caught his attention. The wind had chiseled away at the tall standing rock, leaving only two sheer sides and a hole through the middle, looking strangely like a gateway!
Sesshomaru approached the structure, now intently using every sense granted him by his demonic blood. He found that this area of ocean had no scent. The surrounding area smelled of moist salt and fish, yet here, nothing. "A barrier," thought the dog demon.
He now studied the stone structure. It stood like two pillars and a mantel piece, perhaps creating a door into the protected bit of ocean Sesshomaru hoped was the mountain. "But how to activate it?" growled Sesshomaru to himself. The dog demon's gaze shifted to the top of the "gate." there, on the mantel and weathered so much by the elements that Sesshomaru could barely read, "Entrance to the path to the top of the mountain. Speak path's name to enter."
"Niotami Rofstran," pronounced Sesshomaru confidently. The shielding barrier melted away, revealing a long narrow path over the ocean water leading to a green mountain on the horizon. Sesshomaru followed the path, stepping through the gateway.
O0o.o0O
Kagura was the last of Naraku's servants to arrive at Naraku's castle. Kohaku mindlessly guarded Naraku's door, his mind and free will belonging to Naraku. He had no sense of self, everything that he had been was blocked by the shikon jewel shard's power, embedded in his back and keeping him alive.
"Where's Naraku?" Kagura asked the boy. He didn't so much as blink.
"He is waiting for you," said someone behind the wind sorceress. Kagura turned to see Kanna slowly approaching the door, sill holding the broken mirror. Kagura silently wondered if the mirror was actually attached to the entirely white little girl emanating a false sense of innocence.
The door to Naraku's room slid open silently and Kagura entered the room, followed by Kanna. Naraku was in the room, or at least part of him was. The entire left side of his stomach just below the shikon jewel had been purified, leaving him unable to regenerate properly. The rest of his body seemed to float around inside his barrier, now erected to keep himself intact.
"Kagura, you take joy in seeing me in this state." It wasn't a question, just a harsh statement by the evil half-demon before her. Kagura stayed silent, knowing he could probably read her mind anyway.
"That priestess has grown powerful, powerful enough to see past even my barriers. She will lead Inuyasha and his gang to this castle." Naraku seemed to be talking more to himself than to those gathered.
Kagura saw a gleam of hope. If she could convince Naraku to let her kill the priestess, then she could instead insure she reached Naraku's castle and finished Naraku for good. She put on a face that she hoped seemed to be apologetic and suggested, "Then I will go and kill her before she reaches the castle, my lord."
Naraku's eyes narrowed dangerously, "Do not waste your breath with such a sugestion. You wish to see me dead ad this priestess has the power to purify me. You wouldn't even stand a chance against her, even if you were serious. No, I will send someone I trust more than you."
"Kanna? What can se do without her mirror?" asked Kagura, fishing for information to pass onto the Priestess Kagome.
"No, Kagura, I have a special job in mind for both you and Kanna." Naraku smiled evilly. Kagura face drained of all color as she forecasted her own demise from that evil smile.
"I will send someone Inuyasha and his gang are looking for," continued Naraku, "someone they will accept into their group without hesitation- the demon slayer's missing brother, Kohaku. As for you two, your usefulness outside my body has come to an end. I will absorb you and make my body whole again."
Kagura tensed and opened her fan to protect herself, but one of Naraku's tentacles ripped through it and continued to extend until it had wrapped itself around the wind sorceress, crushing the breath out of her. Kanna didn't resist as she had always had the morbid acceptance that she was no more than one of Naraku's tools. The small white girl allowed the tentacles to wrap around her, encasing her and then bringing her into Naraku's body. Kagura shared the same fate a few moments later and Naraku's next step was one of a whole, complete body. He examined his newly regenerated side in approval before sliding his door open and addressing Kohaku, "Kohaku, how would you loke to visit your dearly beloved sister?"
O0o.o0O
Sesshomaru was reaching the end of the path over the water and the mountain loomed before him. An old man sat upon a flat stone, his eyes closed in a meditative stance. He was an odd looking man: extremely pale skin, yet everything else was green- kimono, sandals, markings on his face and wrists, even the few hairs left on his balding head were a faded pale green.
As the dog demon approached, the man opened his eyes which Sesshomaru was not surprised to see were a dark forest green. As demonic as this man appeared, his ears were rounded in a humanoid fashion.
"And why would a demon seek out the path of Niotami Rofstran?" the old man asked, pure joy in his voice and eager curiosity on his face. 'Maybe he doesn't get many visitors…' mused Sesshomaru.
However, aloud he only said, "My business is my own." Sesshomaru ignored the man, looking up to see how tall the mountain was: a good day's march for a human, just a literal hop, skip, and a jump for a demon such as Sesshomaru. Yet the old man intruded in Sesshomaru's calculations.
"You may keep your business your own," considered the old man, but then he suddenly turned serious, "if you decide to turn back now. However, if you wish to continue along the path, you must make your business mine, for I am the guardian of this path. Sasarg is my name and I control everything along this path. Now, tell me your business."
"If you truly control everything, guardian, then I should kill you right now so that I can forego the upcoming dangers and trials," said Sesshomaru, eyes flashing dangerously while he flexed his clawed hands visibly.
"I do control everything," repeated the guardian with no fear in his voice, "but how would you kill me in your state?" Sesshomaru was only confused for a second before a wind picked up and seemed to blow right through the dog demon's body. He watched, eyes wide in shock, as his claws became no more than short fingernails; his demonic marks disappeared from his wrists and his hands flew up to his ears only to find round human ones. He then pulled a clump of his hair forward and was shocked to find it was a light chestnut color instead of his silver. Had he been able to see his eyes, he would've seen them fade from his demonic gold to a murky brown.
"I'm…" whispered Sesshomaru, unable to complete his own sentence.
"…human. Now tell me your business for coming to this path," finished the old man.
"What are you?" asked Sesshomaru, eyes narrowed.
"I am…complicated. Neither demon nor human and I'm not in between. I am ancient, even beyond the elders' memories, and I possess archaic magic. I guard this path against those to weak of heart or mind to bare it. Do you wish to take the path or what else could be your business here?"
Sesshomaru could see no other choice but to answer this guardian. He had to get to the top of the mountain now to save his own demon powers with the drink as well as accomplish his original goal. "I am searching for the tree of Emoceba Anomede. I wish to make the Drink of Anomede."
It was the guardian's turn to be shocked. "It has been many a century since a traveler has found this path, much less known of the drink. I had begun to believe it had passed out of knowledge of the living world. What would you do with Drink of Anomede? Take it to increase your own powers? Answer truthfully if you ever want your demonic powers back."
"I will not use it to increase my own powers. I will only ever use my own strength, never that of trinkets, shards, or drinks. I shall never dishonor my father's blood with such a scheme."
"Why then?" asked the guardian leaning forward as if he were about to hear a really juicy secret.
"There is a…woman."
"A human woman?" gasped the man.
"She is," answered Sesshomaru shortly, that heat of blush coming to his cheeks in an ever increasing familiar way.
"How romantic…even if it is in vain. The drink will take too long to ferment. She will die before she is a demon." The guardian sighed, staring into open space as if he could see old memories before his eyes.
"Let me worry about that," replied Sesshomaru coldly, effectively snapping Sasarg out of his reverie.
"So you wish to continue?" asked the guardian joyfully, then, without giving Sesshomaru time to answer he said, "I give you permission to begin the path…and its tests. If you come out alive, you will be both stronger and wiser than one went in. If you do not make it, I shall toss you into the ocean as a burial."
"What are the tests?" asked Sesshomaru, not as confidently as before as he was now a human, not a powerful dog demon.
"They are different for each, based upon your faults. You have searched all your life for an ultimate battle so that you can achieve ultimate power. I have seen it in your soul. You have fought your brother over your father's sword and have always wished your father wouldn't have died, just because you wanted to face him in battle. Your greatest weakness is you focus too much on finding this ultimate power that you ignore the people around you. You care too much for your reputation and your abilities that you forget to truly live. I will not tell you how to live to life's fullest. You must discover that for yourself along the path to reach its end. Therefore, for your tests along this path, you will lose what abilities you have now. You will become powerless. Along the path are three posts. At each post, one of your abilities will be stolen away, just as your demonic powers were. Between these poles are dangers you must face. If you survive to the end of the path and find the top of the mountain, touch the tree of Emoceba Anomede and your abilities shall all be returned to you, even your demonic powers. You may choose to turn back from the path at any time, but know that if you turn back, you will not have any or your lost abilities returned. I will let you live, but you will never be able to rewalk the path. That is all I will say of your journey. You must discover the rest for yourself. Do you choose to take the path?"
"I shall never turn back," replied Sesshomaru, his familiar coldness returning to his voice.
"Then begin your journey…" said the guardian Sasarg, his body disintegrating, seeming to dissolve into grass blades swirling away in a sudden gust of wind.
O0o.end of chapter.o0O
A/N: That's all for today. I hope I haven't made it too confusing. The next chapter will probably answer a lot of questions you have about this Path of Niotami Rofstran. So, I'll see you next chapter…hopefully. Be sure to drop a line in the review box on your way out.
Tiki Rane Gobell