Chapter 17

Shura paused mid stride when another faint tremor from the ground reverberated through her toe pads. The sudden halt caused the dragon ah-un to groan in discomfort for at present he was precariously balanced lengthwise across the span of her shoulders and quite sensitive to any disturbance of motion. Grunting, Shura hoisted the dragon up a bit for balance before calling across the peeked landscape to the nearly indistinguishable form of her father. Her cry did not go unheard, for an instant later Sesshomaru's milky white outline had gone from a mere speck on the horizon to a distinguishable presence.

"You'll never make any progress if you continue to rest so frequently." The great dog informed her as he continued to step closer. Now his golden eyes were visible through the misty north mountain air; annoyance and disappointment flickered heavily in them. The demoness let out a snort, her breath condensing into a small cloud of white.

"Its not that," Shura assured him as she shifted the dragon/weight resistance atop her shoulders again "I'm fine to keep going…but…" Another tremor, this one stronger; it made the hairs on Shura's paws stand upright.

"But what?" asked Sesshomaru, now aware of his child's unease.

"Don't you feel it?" there was a pause and in that time two more trembles rattled the surroundings ever so slightly. The dog lord raised a curious eyebrow when the faint disturbance came to his attention.

"It would seem we're not alone on this mountain." Sesshomaru concluded with a muffled note that carried both irritation and intrigue. Then the dog monarch raised his eyes upward, catching in his sight an appropriate lookout point. "Come," was all he said before scaling the height with a few effortless leaps. Shura followed her father's movements with her eyes, and after letting out an exasperated groan, proceeded upward as well. Her assent wasn't nearly as swift; with the dragon ah-un atop her shoulders she was unable to make the same flawless, successive leaps between the mountain wall's scant outcroppings as her kin. Still Shura managed to reach the top, and after a brief moment of painting to catch her breath, join Sesshomaru at the furthermost edge. From the vantage point both dog demons had a breathtaking view of the surrounding gray stone mountains. Though there was no snow at their current altitude, the chilled misty air was indication enough that such storms would greet them should they climb but a bit higher. Sesshomaru had his sights fixated on something, and as Shura too glared through the fog she eventually saw what that something was.

A massive trail of thick smoke was parading its way along a distant mountain…or so it appeared to be smoke. One sniff however revealed that the plume was not stirred ash…but instead a powered rock dust, like the kind so often created by landslides or simply when boulders are pulverized.

"Something's destroying the mountain," Shura concluded when the dust grains in the wind tickled her nose. In return Sesshomaru gave her an almost arrogant smirk.

"Not something Shura, someone," the dog lord paused and in that time his smirk turned unnervingly thoughtful. "More precisely, you're next opponent." To that the demoness's face fell.

"You're kidding…. you really expect me to kill something that powerful?"

"Think of it as your midterm examination." Responded the dog lord with the faintest note of amusement. Shura merely scowled at the joke. Then with a heavy sigh, she raised the twin-headed dragon on her shoulders gently to the ground.

"Very well father," the demoness at last agreed, "I will go at once." With that she was off in a blur of silver and white, her significantly lightened body moving with a noticeably improving amount of speed. Sesshomaru watched for a moment until his child was out of sight. Then taking hold of ah-un's reins he pulled himself atop the creatures back and gestured him forward. He would watch Shura's progress from a distance, and provide assistance should the need arise.

Both Matyeo and Inuyasha heard the creature pounding behind them ready a paw for striking but neither of them had any further time to react…it came that swiftly. A massive padded paw walloped both the sprinting half-demon, and the airborne dragon and pelted them hard into the nearest cliff face. The force of the strike caused the two demons to leave rather deep indentations in the mountainside before gravity took effect and sent each of them plummeting back to earth. Inuyasha, not having to fall very far, reached it first, landing heavily on his stomach. He was followed immediately by Matyeo, whose mid-flight pummeling not only left him with a greater distance, but a near identical landing space.

"Arrrg!" groaned the half demon in agony when the dragon's stone heavy body landed forcefully on his back and knocked the wind clean out of his lungs. To winded to yell a protest the half demon made due with an elbow shove and harshly whispered "would you…get…off…. me…" The dragon rolled as fast as he was able, which was good, for no sooner had he done so one of the Yetti's three-foot long finger claws embedded itself in the exact spot where his head had been moments before. Inuyasha missed a similar skull cleaving by only inches and it set him into an angry retaliation.

"Iron rever soul stealer!" wheezed the half demon as he unleashed a claw assault of his own on the now precariously close Yeti. The strike tore into the creature's arm making it recoil backwards with a seething rage. Now Inuyasha was on his feet and trying with all his effort to get an appropriate aim so he might strike with Tetsusaiga. But the opportunity just wasn't there. As fast as he would maneuver to an opening, the enraged Yeti would keep striking with her claws, forcing him to evade each time.

The solution to this problem arose in the from of a massive rush of air. Matyeo, who had taken flight once more, seized control of the frosty north winds and was now pelting them down upon the white-furred enemy. The creature reaction was as hoped for, stopping her consistent paw swinging in favor of shielding her face and eyes. It was just the strike opportunity Inuyasha needed. Intensely the half demon raised the Tetsusaiga high above his head. The sword hummed in his hands as wind scar's vortex coiled around the blade. All that remained was for him to attack...

A roar of fury exploded from the Yeti and before Inuyasha could move she exploded from the driving winds that had kept her immobilized and lunged for the element's controller. The dragon reacted instantly, shying with surprisingly nimbleness away from the beasts crushing bite. However in the same instant the creature's fangs crunched heavily on empty air, one of her hand claws snagged the far edge of Matyeo's left wing while it flapped heavily to keep him aloft. The faint catch was all she needed.

With a massive lurch the Yeti slammed her paw downward taking the dragon with it until his body slammed heavily into the earth. The collision did more then knock Matyeo half senseless, for as the Yeti continued to drive her nails down into the earth they split through the snagged left wing, pinning the dragon like a displayed butterfly. Dazed and now unable to fly, Matyeo had no defense save for one…and he wasted little time.

With a heave of his sword Inuyasha sliced through the Yeti's hand, cleaving off the two clawed fingers that were pinning Matyeo. But that was as far as he could get before the creature landed him with her heavy back swing. The blow toppled Inuyasha's senses, made him dizzy, nuisance, faint… it was as if all solid ground had suddenly dropped out from under him…. and indeed it had. The half demon was falling.

"Inuyasha!" the faint squeak of Kagome's voice registered for only an instant but it was just the incentive Inuyasha needed to try and focus past the rushing wind in his ears, and the blurred shades of gray and blue that swirled around his body. He could see the cliff face, and the winding path he and his friends had been taking. Both were growing smaller with each passing second. Inuyasha could just barely make out the outlines of his companions, though they appeared little more then black specks. The half demon's insides lurched in horror as the sensory tidbits registered in his mind. That blasted Yeti had literally thrown him off the mountain! Another wave of dizziness struck him and for a moment the half demon was forced to clamp his eyes shut. Not even he could survive such an intense drop. Even if he were to hit another mountain, the force alone would shatter every bone in his body…

"Inuyasha!" the half demon's ears perked when for a second time a feminine voice reached them. For a fleeting moment he had registered the call as Kagome's…a last desperate cry of his most valued companion.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha screamed back with all his might. In these last priceless moments before his demise on the rocks he let pour from his mouth the one burning confession that was kept sealed away in the deepest recesses of his heart…. The wind tore away the three words before the half demon could even hear them, but he knew they had come.

"….Inuyasha…." another call. This time very much closer. The half demon's eyelids flickered. Strange…now that he listened, the tone wasn't quite the same as Kagome's. "Uncle Inuyasha!" Now the half demon's eyes flew open and his sight focused just in time to see a silver and white something brush past him. A firm hand seized his wrist, jolting his body to a stop and straining the muscles through his shoulders and torso as they stretched to obey the new pull. Already the half demon could see the mountain he had been thrown from moments before. The Yeti, still rampaging atop the narrow pathway was growing larger by the instant…and they were rocketing strait towards it.

"You aim for its heart while I take the head!" the half demon heard his niece command over the rushing air. As if by instinct the half demon nodded. The Tetsusaiga was still empowered in his other hand, but he didn't feel the weight. It was as if his fist had been permanently fused around the sword's handle.

With a mighty lurch Inuyasha was propelled forward into a dive. The air around him was practically screaming from the speed. Already his target was in range; its white furred, muscular, frame rippling with each movement it dared to make towards the scampering mortals that currently darted around its feet. Without thinking he hoisted the Tetsusaiga high above his head and seized hold with both hands. Then with a ripple of strength he drove the blade downward landing it hard against the tower of fur and muscle. The impact sent a ripple of resistance through the half demon's entire body, but still he pushed forward, driving the blade deep as he could.

The creature groaned heavily in return, rocking only slightly backwards as the half demon and his sword became buried in the rough on her chest. But she did not topple completely until a second blow landed directly between her glinting red eyes. That strike came from Shura.

Using clenched fists in place of a sword the she demon struck so hard into the creatures skull that the resulting shock nearly shattered the bones of her hands. But her effort did not go un-rewarded. Like a towering forest evergreen, the Yeti sagged backward, landing heavily along the rugged trail. After that, she did not move.

Content that the beast was no more Shura managed to fumble her way though the creatures vast tangles of hair until she found her uncle sprawled half dazed among the chest ruff, the Tetsusaiga still clenched in his hands. The sword, she noticed, wasn't buried quite as deep as she had expected thanks to the Yeti's unnaturally thick hide and muscular build. But the wound was still impressive. It bled a great deal once Inuyasha finally roused and recoiled his weapon.

"Are you okay uncle?" cooed Shura softly as she then helped Inuyasha steady himself. He managed a nod in return, a bit to frazzled apparently, to make up some stubborn remark of bravado. As the pair of demons stepped free from the furred lump now blocking the trail for incoming travelers they were greeted by three very relieved mortals and the same number of demons. Kagome nearly threw herself into Inuyasha's arms she was so relieved to see him alive and Shippo eagerly bounded to his shoulder. Sango and Miroku stood a bit further back, for each of them were helping to support the wounded dragon whom they had helped pry free from the ground.

"I don't know about you guys," voiced Inuyasha after a long while "but I think I've had enough travel for one day." his statement was a bit surprising, but at the same time no one was quick to object. With painfully slow steps the group of eight started along the path in the direction of a cave Matyeo had spotted earlier that afternoon. The space would make a fine shelter, at least until they regained their second wind.

Shura was the last to follow. As anxious as she was to see to everyone's recovery and eventually rejoin her father a nagging instinct held her back. Something didn't feel right.

"How utterly disappointing!" whined Jaken as he pulled his head free from the saddlebag Shura had stuffed him in earlier that morning so he might stop harping on her. "Your daughter enlisting the help of that pathetic half demon Inuyasha to take down such a simple foe!" The little imp looked hopefully up at his master, who was still sitting proudly atop Ah-un overlooking the battleground. It was his intention of course, to have Shura punished. After she crammed him into that tiny pouch he was no less anxious to see her disciplined. But to his dismay Sesshomaru didn't react at all to his harping. Instead the demon lord just kept staring at the fallen demon, as if agitated by something. Then it sounded; an unfriendly gurgling growl from deep within the fallen Yeti's throat. Sesshomaru could see the creature twitching, as if drawn back to life by its insatiable anger. The group of travelers noticed it too for they all froze and swiveled their glances back around with almost unnerved slowness.

In an instant Sesshomaru had launched himself from atop the dragon making a beeline towards the Yeti as it reared up and gave one final lunge at his daughter…