CHAPTER THIRTY SIX

Sesshomaru

Lightning struck the sky like a whip. It lit it up for only a moment, a loud crack sounding shortly afterwards. Violent rains drummed against my skin, a wet chill working its way throughout my body.

"Aye, Milord! Where are you headed in such dreary weather?"

Foreboding winds crashed the waves against the shore while yet another nightmarish bolt split the swirling tundra of clouds above me. The waves slashed against the shore, loud static washing out the sounds of Jaken's inquiries.

The imp's small body tensed as I strode past him. Perhaps the weather proved intimidating to him, but it wasn't to me in the slightest.

"Nowhere," I responded simply. Jaken snorted.

"Come now, Milord! You're headed for the woods. You honestly can't- ooohhh... So I see. You're visiting Lady Mikage, aren't you?"

Ignoring the question, I continued. I had no intention of "visiting" her. A mere check-in was what it was. Nothing more, nothing less. But still, already, Jaken was testing my patience. Just as Jaken fell over in a start from a distant rumble, I closed my eyes.

"You are supposed to be watching Rin, are you not?"

Though I had kept my gaze beyond the imp, I could imagine him doing a pensive thumb-twiddling vividly in my mind. Unfortunate. His annoying, rugged and high-pitched voice just had to form an objection.

"E-er, yes. Of course. But-"

I interrupted.

"Go do that, then."

Fed up with his incessant haranguing, I picked up my pace. The breeze laden with water quickened as my feet lifted off the ground. I felt my body tilt forward into a natural, more comfortable position, arms deciding to stay at my sides. I had taken flight.

"Bye bye, Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin cried, voice chipper as she waved.

Hearing nothing else afterwards besides the crackle of the storm, I looked forwards. Mikage's scent was still fresh. As always, pungent to my nose, somehow light, even when thick with that sap, honey. Just smelling it reminded me of those white blooms, oozing from the bottoms with the golden substance. Little round balls perched upon the very pinnacle of thin hairs protruding from the center, producing that sugary aroma every spring. And then the cherry blossoms. Complimenting the sweetness with a tad bit of tang. That was the scent I was following. Yet... As I continued, it only seemed to distance itself...

…

I felt my teeth grit, hard ivory crunching.

Why was it that no matter how hard I tried to forget her problems, her dilemmas, her- she just kept coming back? She was such a fool, and yet, here I was again, chasing after her.

Damn...

My thoughts hissed, containing the same rage as an angered mamushi snake. They dripped with venom at the realization that I could be feeling sympathy for that bittersweet lie of a demon. And for what purpose? To end up slaying her in a conquest for an empire later on? I had been so forgiving of her as a child- that particularly repulsed me.

My sight was becoming increasingly distorted as rain raged past my eyes. My ears could only hear the constant, monotone rush of the storm. And my scenting was becoming more and more lame by every passing moment. At this point, continuation of the outlandish quest would seem ridiculous to me in any normal circumstance. Yet, the last time I had seen her, she had been on the verge of death.

And here it came.

The trail I had left behind in my previous escape was approaching. Ahead, trees still standing were threadbare, leaves and twigs missing entirely. Ash, becoming wet from the precipitation, was becoming more mud-like, dripping from the incinerated bark like a plague. The grass was completely ebony, thick and polluted. It was absolutely revolting to look at- nonetheless travel through.

The sky rumbled menacingly overhead, again making the forest surrounding me luminous for a brief passing of time. By this point, there was nothing- utterly nothing wafting into my nose. Not Mikage's scent, neither Jaken's, nor Rin's, or for that matter, anything. Notwithstanding, the area before me was slightly placeable. Even through all of the soot and black.

Scorch marks stained the trees. Some of them leaned upon each other, roots torn up from the antecedently solid ground. Unlike them, though, some still remained planted within the marred ground. Rain water puddled at the foot of a rather large one. When the drops sliced into the pool, some residue sprang up to meet the incoming ones. The wind continued to slap against my cheeks.

Perhaps I was heading her way out of mere boredom? When Naraku was alive, I was able to seek him out, wondering what new strength he had in store for me to conquer. Yet now, there was nothing for me to challenge. No new, overwhelming foes, no enthralling demon that requested my rivalry. Nothing. Even that pathetic hanyou that wielded my father's sword, did not make an effort to expand its power. Yet I knew the fact that I, Sesshomaru, was seeking out a diffident yokai was absolutely disdainful.

All these thoughts whizzing around within my mind had forced me into a cantankerous mood. I felt the bridge of my nose wrinkle in frustration, my brow of thin skin crinkling. What was I after? Even now, I didn't know. To me, it seemed that I had just gone in search of her for inadvertent reasons.

Rain cascaded onto my skull, easily driving through the thick layer of silver attached to my scalp. The already blackened fabric of my clothing, torn by years of wear and battle which had weakened it, and the fire which had finally ripped it, was beginning to get soaked through. So much so, that the soot that had collected on its canvas-like cloth had begun straining off like sludge. I felt my lips curl back in utter distaste, feeling their sharp tips brush daintily against my flesh. The fur draped over my shoulder resembled more of a slug now, all of its previously downy feel thick with downpour.

Before me, I saw a slight change of the light. What had once been utter darkness, sullen and grey, a bit of a lighter smoky color had surfaced. To my slight surprise, the trees had become further apart, revealing what appeared to be flat ground ahead. However, with the revealing of this, an unsettling smell drifted to my nose. What disturbed me was not the scent of it, but the realization that it wasn't too far away, and how faded the scent was to me. However the odor was indeed familiar to me. The disgusting scent of those cretins, reeking horribly of corpses, rotting flesh and burial sites. A musty stench lingered over it all. My stomach lurched at its reek, forcing me to abruptly choke down a gag.

For this was none other than Jakotsu of the Band of Seven; the group of mercenaries that committed treason and were beheaded. They had been resurrected in the past by that demon from Hell, and now were somehow reanimated yet again.

I examined the ground as my feet pressed against it. Below my soles, lay the matted grass, burdened by a deep, scarlet substance. Upon close examination, a dark comprehension fell upon me, darkened by the black of the ashes, and the rain itself.

Was she... dead?

"What's the matter? A little blood catch 'ya off guard, Sesshomaru?" dared a slyly feminine voice. As I regained my full height, what came into my view was him. His lips were drawn up into a smirk, dark, black eyes secretively plotting. He had a certain conning nature lying upon his evident cheekbones- which were also slightly atilt with his, as aforementioned, smirk.

I gave him no liberty of hearing my answer. All I did was stare, searching for the sinister plot he had hidden beneath that deceiving, frail appearance of his. Of course, I, Sesshomaru, had no trouble of giving him difficulty. He wouldn't get anywhere past me. Yet, I searched. And when the pale hand of his held a bloodied piece of cloth before me, all I could do was grit my teeth. Beneath all of the crimson, was the deep lime color- undeniably a torn fragment of her clothes.

"So, tell me. What did this girl hold in store for you, anyway?" His smirk twisted into an open-mouthed grin as he returned his sight to me. "Because as far as I can tell, your love mind is pretty myopic. Maybe you don't even have one. But by that look you're giving me, she must be something. So spit it out, huh?"

Inhaling lightly through my nose, I instantly shifted my expression. I felt my lips loosen, my eyes open just a bit more. And so I stared.

How dishonorable. Taking advantage of something who had no opportunity to retaliate. There was no challenge, no probity anywhere within such an act. This... Jakotsu... Had taken the life of a live, breathing being. An ability he should have lost long ago. And yet here he was before me, dangling that blood-soaked mess of fabric, expecting me to show some reaction.

"I could care less. However, I have no intention of allowing you to escape unscathed, dead man."

Jakotsu shook his head, shrugging thin shoulders.

"Bring it on then."