The Bow that Breaks

I don't own Inuyasha

Chapter 13

The stain of the blade was crimson as another bear demon dropped at her feet. She'd lost count of the numerous demons she'd brought down in their attempt to take over this castle. Her sister's soldier's were doing well to hold their ground but the bears seemed to multiply. With every head that rolled, two more appeared but she would not let them render her weak. Another bear demon sought her out in his attack. Her claws' poison had yet to diminish and she knew it would never fail her. She cracked them at the ready, letting the poison gravitate to the tips of her claws before focusing her attack straight for the throat rendering another lifeless foe. Satomi heard her sister's snarl as she dealt death to another. Satomi was sure that this battle had brought out the most feral of both of them. They were supposed to be gentle, the mothers of their children, the caretakers, the nurturers not the warrior, not the soldiers who shed blood in their wake. Yet, here they were, the last defense a line drawn between life and death. Satomi kept her sister at her back as Atsana returned the favor. It was their best chance of keeping from being attacked from behind. Satomi watched the horizon hoping for some relief but her hopes stopped short only to see more of the bear soldiers coming their way.

…

Mai turned a distressed look to Tomiko as she desperately grabbed Sesshoumaru again before he reached the door. He struggled again to free himself from her growling and attempting to bite at her hands.

"What am I to do?!"

Tomiko shook her head as Koji sniffled and buried himself against her.

The four of them were surprised by the jarring of the walls around them. Tomiko and Mai assumed that some of the soldiers had shifted to their true forms too closely to the castle. Another quake of the walls around them brought down a few of the lanterns, a candle overturning and setting aflame one of the tapestries.

Sesshoumaru could hear Koji cry out, fearful of the noise and Tomiko's quick movement toward the door to send one of the soldiers to get water. The dim lighting of the room contrasted the flames as Sesshoumaru picked up the retreating scent of his mother as the door remained cracked and awaiting one of the soldiers' return as Mai and Tomiko attempted to contain the flame. His hand still lay in Mai's grasp but he was aware that her concern was with dousing the flame as the soldier returned with a bucket of water. Sesshoumaru caught his mother's scent, stronger this time as the door was fully open. Looking between Mai's hand and the door the choice was easy. He'd heard her cry out as he snatched his hand from hers. Sprinting toward the doorway he'd forgotten about the other soldier who appeared to stop him. He'd never be able to pass him. Without thinking twice Sesshoumaru shifted, the ceiling high enough to accommodate him but the confines of the walls only held until the frame of the doorway broke and the soldier scrambled to move to keep from being trampled.

He could hear the soldier screaming for him to stop as he closed the distance to the gate separating the safe room hall from the rest of the castle. He shifted again as he reached the gate. The bars were closely spaced but would not deter him from trying to get through. Sesshoumaru looked back at the soldier who was gaining ground before reaching through the bars. The fit was tight and for a moment he was afraid he was stuck. He fought back the fear as he wriggled and twisted to get himself through. He felt the soldier grab his foot as he fell to the other side.

"Prince Sesshoumaru…return to the safe room at once! Those are your mother's orders!"

"No! Let go!"

The soldier gritted his teeth in an effort to hold onto Sesshoumaru but was well aware of what the child was capable of. His fears were confirmed as Sesshoumaru looked him in the eyes, growled and raised his claws at the offending hand that grasped his ankle.

The soldier released him at the swipe of claws.

"You disobey your mother's orders!"

Sesshoumaru huffed at the soldier's words. As far as he was concerned, his mother was in danger.

Her scent led him down quiet halls. Further away he could hear the growls of soldiers, clashing swords, and roars of bear and dog demons in their true form. The smell of fire dulled his senses as he reached an exit. He peered out over the castle grounds swallowing at the sight of chaos, dead soldiers littering the field, battling the enemy, the blood stained ground leaving behind a memory of green grass and flowers. The earth shook under his feet as a bear demon in true form fell to the ground followed by the landing of one of the dog soldiers in form. He was unnoticed by the soldier as he tucked himself back into a corner before peaking again. He scanned the grounds but could not find his mother. She was further away than he had hoped.

…

Satomi growled her distaste as she choked one of the bear soldiers before throwing him into another as he attempted to attack her from behind. She scanned her surroundings in an attempt to find her sister but the second wave of bears had required them to distance themselves from each other in an attempt to cover greater area. She caught her breath as she wiped a bloodied hand against her dress and pulled the sword from the ground in time to take down another enemy. Her muscles ached and she could feel the tremble of fatigue. She shook it away as she heard her sister's scream. Running toward it she found Atsana under the paw of one of the bears attempting to fight her way out but unable to shift.

Satomi quickly shifted as she attacked. This particular demon was stronger than the ones that she had faced. The markings along his shoulders and chest were familiar to her. As she continued to defend herself she realized why she knew them. This was the bear demon's general, Tsuyo. Satomi did her best not to panic. It didn't make sense that he was here. The general was the last line of defense. Satomi jumped back as he took another swipe at her. She tried not to let her thoughts cloud her judgment but she couldn't help but think that this was part of Taisho's plan. Was this the last of the bear demon's forces? Had Taisho needed a dead end and the few men that were left here to solidify the win? Even so, where were they?

"Your lord has fallen!"

Satomi was caught off guard as the bear general faced her down taking his time to round her, taunting.

"Your lies are fruitless. Taisho lives!"

"You're so confident in the dog demon, even when he allows his bitch to finish what he started?"

Satomi snarled at the attack.

"He knew I would be more than enough to finish you Tsuyo!"

"So convincing my lady. Just like your sister."

Satomi glanced Atsana, aware that her sister was alive but badly injured.

"My sister and I fight with honor, unlike you!"

"Honor will mean nothing when you're dead."

Tsuyo barreled into an attack. Satomi moved quickly to get out of his way but he was faster than his soldiers and more skilled as he rounded on her landing claws at her back. Finding her feet she attempted an attack at his throat but came up empty as he knocked her back. Digging her claws into the ground she stopped herself. Each of her attacks seemed lifeless against Tsuyo. The damage inflicted upon her body mounted as she continued to try make attempts. Each successful attack on Tsuyo seemed to leave her with twice the injury. Blood stained her fur as it dripped from a wound in her shoulder. She struggled to put weight through the arm but masked it to keep herself balanced against Tsuyo's next attack. Tsuyo's snarls became more menacing, threatening to rip her apart. Satomi looked for any weak points and she was finding none. He was built to sustain any damage that her fangs or claws could possibly render. Her thinner frame was meant for speed and at the moment she didn't even have that remaining. Satomi was out of time to think as Tsuyo forced her to defend herself head on, wrestling for a position that would keep her from trying to fight pound for pound. Satomi struggled to free herself, Tsuyo's weight crushing her slowly as she fell under his claws. She held off his multiple attempts to get her neck between his fangs and eventually he'd settled for clamping them into her already injured shoulder. Her roar didn't seem to match the internal scream that she was sure would have been heard for miles if she'd been in human form. The chaos around her became quiet, movements of soldiers turned to slow motion. She scanned her surroundings, trying to shake the dazed feeling but noticed the number of soldiers had increased, symbols and armor of the West multiplied and she prayed she wasn't dreaming.

"They're here. It's over Tsuyo! You've lost the war and this will be your grave."

Despite her pain, Satomi was satisfied with Tsuyo's realization that he himself would not leave this place alive. His confidence waning to panic. He would never know how close Taisho was to ending him now.

"Even so, I will take you with me!"

Satomi held her breath prepared to reach her end knowing that Sesshoumaru was safe. It was what she'd prepared herself...him, for. She closed her eyes unable to defend herself any longer as Tsuyo moved to end her life. She was startled by his roar of pain until she opened her eyes. Every emotion ran through her body as Sesshoumaru kept his fangs buried into the back of Tsuyo's neck. The pup was too small for him to reach, the poison making its way in through every avenue of claws and fangs but Sesshoumaru wouldn't have long before Tsuyo figured how to remove him and possibly kill him in the same move. Despite her body's protest, her emotions were enough to move her and Tsuyo's neck was exposed. She wasted no time letting the poison flow back into her claws and struck fast and deep leaving the bear general stunned and voiceless. Satomi shifted back to her human form as did Sesshoumaru and Tsuyo. Satomi fell to her knees struggling to keep Sesshoumaru from trying to defend her and keeping the sword at her hand in front of them. Tsuyo stumbled toward them, grasping at his neck in a half dead effort he pulled his own sword. The words he tried to speak were garbled as he raised it to bring down on them. At the last moment Satomi pulled Sesshoumaru to her to protect him, not from the sword but from the sight as the end of a blade pierced Tsuyo's abdomen, the sword turning immediately and cutting him into two distinct sections. Satomi's grasp loosened on Sesshoumaru as she momentarily locked eyes with Taisho before the world around her faded.

"Mama!"

A/N: Taking things day by day. Thank you for sticking with me and continuing to read and review. A little more to come. Peace, love, and happiness!