Anika
Chapter 24
Anika dressed in her finest kimono and exited her bedroom after she was looking presentable and her best. Touga and Saber where waiting for her out in the hallway. Saber's fur looked glossy and well groomed.
"Are you ready?" Touga smiled at Anika who looked nervous.
"It will be fine little one. I will be by your side the whole time." Saber rubbed her head on Anika's shoulder. Anika giggled as Saber had rubbed a particularly ticklish spot near her neck.
"Thank you Saber I feel much better already." Anika rubbed Saber behind her ears.
"Anika you and Saber will have to wait outside of the council room until everyone is seated and I will beckon you with my youkai when you and Saber can come in." Touga gave Anika a hug before he left her standing outside of the council room as he closed the door behind himself. After what seemed like years Anika finally felt her father beckoning her into the room.
"This is it Saber are you ready?" Anika looked at Saber who purred next to her. Taking a deep breath Anika slowly opened the door as she tried to calm her nerves. Once inside the room Anika waited until Saber was fully in the room before closing the door.
"Welcome Lady Tora of the South, Lord Akito of the North, Lady Maya of the West, and Lord Rizo of the East. I welcome you to this council meeting as my guests." Anika was standing in the middle of the circle the council members where seated in and she bowed to each of them in turn as she addressed them.
"Why are you so afraid of the man sitting next to your father little one?" Saber purred gently at Anika.
"That is Lord Rizo and he doesn't think I am worthy of this country, he thinks I am a weak half-breed." Anika whispered back to Saber as the council members talked amongst themselves.
"You are no such thing little one. I will face him you just leave it to me." Saber flexed her claws in eagerness.
"Anika the council members have come to an agreement that I should be the one to test your battle skills to see if you are truly ready to defend this country." Lord Rizo of the East stood as he spoke to Anika.
"Lord Rizo I would gladly take up your challenge but it seems that Saber has already beaten me to it." Anika could see the sneer on Lord Rizo's face as he spoke to her.
"Very well then cat I shall face off you first and then the girl." Lord Rizo unsheathed his sword as the council members moved their chairs back to make room. To everyone's surprise Saber had already attacked and had Lord Rizo pinned on the ground with a clawed paw at his throat before he could even take a step or make any move at all. With a deep snarl Lord Rizo admitted defeat as Saber let him up.
"It seems as though you have a good pet for a half-breed." Lord Rizo glared at Saber who acted disinterested flicking her tail as though nothing was said at all.
"With all due respect Lord Rizo, you are wrong in your assumptions and accusations. As father has surely told you, I am a full fledged demon, a dragolf from the continent of Africa. The female dragolfs are the strong and skilled warriors of my kind. And I am able to transform in to my true form." Anika held her head up high not letting Lord Rizo's words hurt her.
"It would be my pleasure to test your combat abilities." Lord Rizo sneered. He still considered the girl to be useless and weak. Touga growled menacingly, warning Lord Rizo not to step beyond the boundaries he had set.
"It's alright father. I accept his challenge. We both know he is sadly mistaken." Anika replied, challenging the cocky lizard Lord. This twit didn't know that Anika could send out a powerful, intimidating youkai. With a great roar Anika transformed into her demon form and as well as Lord Rizo who transformed into a large green scaly dragon. Snarling at one another Anika and Lord Rizo circled each other. Whipping her tail forward Anika managed to land a blow on Lord Rizo's right shoulder as he snarled in pain. Devin knew it would not take long for her venom to work its way through his veins and so she dodged his attacks wasting any time not even bothering to try to attack him back. Lord Rizo snarled in frustration when his movements became painful as if his joints had grains of sand between them.
"It hurts doesn't it?" Anika slinked around Lord Rizo as he couldn't keep up with her movements.
"What did you do?" Lord Rizo became a little worried that he was actually going to die.
"My tail spurs are coated in venom as well as my aura which bears down on your own." Anika emphasized her words by increasing the amount of youkai she let out and Lord Rizo snarled in pain as his body began to transform back without his command.
"Don't worry, you will not die but the side affects will wear off in a couple of hours or so." Anika also transformed seeing as the battle had come to a close.
"I believe that I speak for all of us when I say that Anika had passed her test with flying colors and she is welcomed to stay here for as long as she pleases." Lady Maya of the West spoke up and Touga gave his pup a proud smile. Anika rushed into her father's arms after all the Lords and Ladies had left.
"That was outstanding I could have not done a better job in humiliating Lord Rizo if I tried." Touga chuckled as well as Anika and Saber.
"I hear you did an outstanding job pup, well done." Sesshomaru praised his sister as he patted her on her head before resuming his daily schedule and studies.