(A/N) Alright, I know I haven't updated in a while (Don't hate me!) Hope you like this one, were almost there!

NVP

Chapter 16

Back in the village, Sango and Miroku watched in stunned silence as the hunters returned. Tor'mac, the embodiment of pride and confidence, walked along smoothly with a bulging net slung over his shoulders. Shippo bounced along beside him babbling exitedly. When he noticed Sango and Miroku he bounded up to them to tell his tale.

"You guys! You won't believe it! I killed a demon all by myself!"

Miroku looked up at Tor'mac, who seemed to be waiting for the fox child to finish, then knelt down deciding to indulge him thinking that Tor'mac had likely helped.

"Good for you, Shippo." Miroku said, patting his head.

Shippo caught his condescending tone and ran back to Tor'mac with his hands held out. "No really. I did!"

Shippo returned carrying the skull of his kill, Sango picked it up.

"Good work Shippo," She said, a little surprise in her voice. Shippo grinned proudly.

Sango handed it back to him, noting something was different about him.

"Shippo, whats that on your back?"

Miroku noticed it now as well. Shippo pulled off the object in question and held it out. It was the dagger Tor'mac had given him, now with a sheath of bright green lizard skin. Miroku and Sango noted the empty sheath on Tor'mac's lef and made the connection. Sango pulled the sharp blade free and flipped it in her hand a few times. Then a few more times, in seemingly impossible arcs around her hand. Tor'mac held a silent admiration at her skill. When she finished she resheathed it and handed it back to Shippo, who now had a newfound respect for it.

"Be careful Shippo, it's a good blade," She said sternly.

Shippo nodded and slung the dagger back over his shoulder.

At that moment, Inuyasha and Kagome suddenly appeared over a rooftop to land in the middle of the group.

"Inuyasha, whats wrong?" Miroku asked, noting his angry expression.

"Naraku." He growled, out of breath.

Kagome moved around them and headed into Kaede's hut. She was inside, mixing a foul smelling blend of herbs Kagome guessed was for her healing remedies.

"How did ye fair?" Kaede asked, moving to stoke a fire.

Kagome said nothing, instead rummaged through her pack for the bundle containing Kikyo's ashes. She handed it to Kaede who opened it.

"I'm sorry," Kagome said softly.

Kaede offered a weak, unconvincing smile, "It is alright child, My sister is at peace once again. I..Need not know the details."

With that, Kaede wrapped the bundle up again and walked out of the hut. Kagome silently thanked her for not making her explain. She picked up her bow and arrows, then walked out to meet the others. Inuyasha had just finished explaining to the others about Kagura's visit. Sango and Tor'mac had both disappeared to get ready. Tor'mac had picked up on what was going on from the very little he could understand of their language. When they returned a few minutes later, Sango in her armor and Tor'mac with ALL of his weapons, the group departed following the directions they had been given.

They reached what was left of Tor'mac's ship later that afternoon. The remains of twisted and burnt material resembled the skeleton of some great beast more than a craft that had sailed the stars. From there, they headed west. Several hours later, Inuyasha began to pick up traces of miasma.

'He's close.'

The rest could sense it as well. It intensified with every step. No one said a word, not even Shippo. Within a few minutes the castle came into view, the thick miasma blocking out most of the remaining sunlight. They paused as they entered the front gate. The main building was settled atop a small hill, but several other entrances dotted its base.

"We should send a group in the back way to surprise him, that is if he hasn't seen us already." Miroku suggested.

"Right, Kirara, Tor'mac, and myself will head in over there," Sango said, donning her mask and pointing to a side entrance.

"Fine, then we'll go knock on the front door," Inuyasha said drawing his sword.

The two groups split up and headed for their agreed positions. When they reached the doorway, Sango tried to dart inside but Tor'mac held her back. Instead he went in first, glancing in every room they passed both looking for Naraku and some sign of Gor'lan.

By now, Gor'lan was surely dead. Tor'mac had no illusions about finding him alive. If he had lived, he would have escaped and at least tried to eliminate his captor. But Naraku lived, so his mei'hswei was surely that mattered now, was how. Tor'mac smiled inwardly, Gor'lan would have died spitting in the face of both Naraku and the Black Warrior.

As they moved through the labyrinth of hallways, a stench of decay slowly threatened to overpower the miasma. Tor'mac stopped in front of a large wooden door. The smell seemed to be eminating from inside. Kirara bristled and growled low. Tor'mac backed up and kicked through, knocking the entire door off its hinges and sending it flying to crash loudly into the far wall. Sango sighed at the loudness. So much for surprise. Tor'mac stepped in and surveyed the area. Sango followed close behind and gasped in horror. Tor'mac's movement slowed as he moved closer to the middle of the small room. Both his anger and outrage building with each step. He'd found his brother… Or rather what was left of him.

Gor'lan was dead, Tor'mac had expected this. But Gor'lan was much more than simply dead. His body was desecrated.

His face was cut in several places, showing the tissue beneath and even the skull. The expression of agony was still etched on his features. All four of his mandibles were bent outward much farther than they were meant to, forced until the bones had broken. His torso had been flayed just beneath the skin from his neck to his belly, the skin on either side of the cut pulled back and suspended from wicked hooks that hung from the low ceiling, revealing the muscle beneath. Dried blood saturated the table he was still chained to.

Tor'mac rested a clawed hand on the top of Gor'lan's head and lowered his gaze. A sign of respect. A quiet, mournful growl escaped him as he stood. Sango had left the room, fearing she'd be sick if she stayed. Tor'mac's growl intensified to one of rage and he puched the wall hard enough to crack the stone slightly. He drew Gor'lan's spear from his back and stormed out of the room quickly. By the time he passed Sango and Kirara he was running. He would finish his brother's hunt.

Sango followed Tor'mac's charge through the winding passages, moving higher all the time. Any subtlety that he had possessed was long gone now. He sounded more like an army moving through the castle. When he came to a door he didn't even slow down. He simply went through it. Sango was finding it difficult to keep up. She knew exactly how he felt though, and pitied almost anyone that got in his way.

Miroku, Shippo, Kagome, and Inuyasha entered the inner complex that made up the courtyard of the inner keep of the castle. Inuyasha glanced around warily, Naraku was close by…

"So the little wench survived? It's been far too long Kagome," Naraku's voice echoed from the dark entrance to the keep.

"Couldn't agree more, allow me to return the favor!" Kagome fired an arrow into the darkness.

Naraku moved into view, grinning wickedly, "Your aim has not improved, priestess."

"Shut up!" Inuyasha yelled, jumping into battle, "Wind Scar!!"

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