Chapter 12:
Sesshomaru looked through the tree watching his surroundings, his pointed ears twitched.
At that same time, the bronze orb in Rin pocket made a small hum.
Rin stood and quickly grabbed it out. Once in her hand, she tapped it twice with her index finger.
The gargled voice of Captain Tagushi said, "General. A portal was activated, the traitor has come through badly injured and unconscious. Awaiting your orders."
Rin halted, "Which portal?"
"The one you had come through. Portal three."
"Bind her, I'm on the way." Rin ordered coldly.
Sesshomaru felt her anger radiating from her person. Her eyes turned black, and her teeth sharpened as she snapped the order through the odd glowing orb.
As she made a move to run, he caught her arm in a firm grip. Her vicious glare turned to him instantly before she tried uselessly to calm down.
"I am faster," he said bluntly.
Before she could say anything, Sesshomaru put his arms under her back and both knees. As soon as her feet left the ground, he took off into the air. Faster than Rin had ever gone. The thick forest below looked blurred as the wind wickedly blew against them.
Rin wrapped her arm around his neck and let out a small shriek, pinching her eyes together as they descended at a rapid rate of speed.
When she opened her eyes again, they were at the portal which now was closed.
When Rin felt his grip on her loosen, she slowly stepped down and released her death grip on his neck. Furiously thanking the ground for being there as she wobbled slightly into him to steady herself.
In front of them she saw a woman face down in the ground, thick ropes wrapped around her hands. Tagushi was not kind when he tied her up, the rope bit aggressively into the pale flesh of her wrists. Leaving noticeable indents that cut off the flow of blood to her hands.
Her mass of auburn curls darkened around her head where blood oozed from her wound, staining and matting it.
Although she remained unresponsive, Tagushi's stood over her sneering angrily down at her stilled form. His left foot digging into her spine ready to break it if she made the slightest twitch.
He spoke through gritted teeth, "Say the word General and I'll kill her now."
"No. We need to know what she's told them, cut her loose and wake her up." Rin spat, her eyes never leaving the woman body.
Sesshomaru remained a silent specter in the background. Watching silently as Tugashi's claws cut the rope, not caring that he sliced down her wrist as he did so, sat her up and smacked her across her bloodied face.
The woman's eyes opened; she looked around wildly but as her eyes landed on Rin she wore a begging look.
"General! Please they're coming, it wasn't me-" she tried to say.
Eerily her eyes rolled into the back of her head only showing the white side of her eyeball. Tagushi reached out to stop her, she flicked her wrist sending him spiraling several feet into the thick trees.
Before Rin could attacked an otherworldly voice called out, "Stop."
Rin froze as her blood ran cold at the sound.
The bloodied woman rose in an awkward fashion, first her legs made a move to get up, bending her body at the hips until a sickening 'crack' was heard. The upper half of her body still resting awkwardly on the ground soon snapped up to meet the rest of her body. It stared straight at Rin; a grin made its way onto its bloodied face so wide it ripped the skin in the corner of Nanami's lips.
"Hello, my little dangerous one." it taunted.
Rin's hands were clenched into fists, "Was my warning unclear?"
Rin took a step forward and the creature raised its hands halting her movements, the grin grew wider tearing more lines into the woman's cheeks.
Unbeknownst to them, Sesshomaru put an invisible barrier around Rin. Neither Rin nor that creature knew as far as Sesshomaru could tell.
'Interesting.' thought Sesshomaru.
"I did my dear General. I was so moved by it; I came to see you myself. One last time before I burn this world to the ground as you said you'd do to mine." it carried on, "Yet I am nothing if not fair. I've been watching you for quite some time, you are as impressive as you are beautiful. It'd be a shame for you to burn among the rubble"
It leered disgustingly over her frame before going back to meet Rin gaze, "So this is your warning. Surrender and bow, I might even allow you to rule with me."
"Fuck you" Rin looked livid, "you're a coward. Too weak to fight your own wars so you capture and break others to do your bidding for you. Stop possessing another's body and come here yourself."
The sickening grin vanished, and it glared at Rin, "How dare you! You were nothing, none of you were. I made you and you dare call me a coward!"
Before Rin could respond, it spoke again "You have three days. Three days before I kill everything you ever loved and burn this world to the ground."
Seconds later the woman's eyes rolled back into her head, her blue frightened eyes stared at Rin in panic as she clutched a hand over her mouth, felt the tears in her face.
"General I didn't betray you! The Lord caught me and tore into my mind! Please!" she begged with red tears mixing with the blue blood on her face.
Rin only stared at her with concern and confusion taking a few steps forward, "Nanami…"
Rin walked until she was arm's length from the trembling woman. Then her neck abruptly turned to the left so aggressively it snapped instantly, next she began falling.
Rin reached out and caught Nanami's ridged body before she could hit the ground, slowly falling to her knees tightly clutching the now dead woman in her lap.
Sesshomaru went to stand by her hunched form when a heartbreaking sob fell from Rin's lips.
Sesshomaru bent slowly and tore Rin's hands off the dead woman's body and dragged her to her feet. Tears ran down her face and she leaned her head onto his chest, still holding his hands in hers. They stayed this way for a long time as she cried.