Chapter 39 - Flame

Walking steadily forward, Sesshomaru wove between the wooden human huts, working his way toward the castle on the cliff above. As he rounded a corner, Toran was standing in the open square, waiting for him. Jaken came to stand at his master's side obediently. From the huts all around, cat demons poured out, coming to stand around him in a wide circle both on the ground and rooftops. Apparently, they believed they had him trapped.

"You summoned me to come, now let me see your so-called master."

"All in good time." Replied Toran lightly, her narrowed eyes focused on Sesshomaru. "Once the preparations are complete. In the meantime, won't you stay here with me?"

Bulging eyes narrowed in forthright anger, Jaken moved forward. "Let me take care of the wench, Lord Sesshomaru."

Despite his flaws, Jaken had experienced the same desertion by all of their comrades fifty years ago… perhaps the imp also carried lingering anger at the desertion and cowardice. Sesshomaru's eyes never left Toran, neither did he speak, but his silence was acquiescence for Jaken.

"Feel the power of the staff of two heads!" Jaken cried, slamming the staff on the ground. The male head, Kaguhana, opened its mouth and fire spewed forth in a torrential wave of heat.

Toran lifted her hand, a swirls of wind and ice leapt to her touch, flaring forth and meeting the fire head on. The two elements clashed, meeting in a flash of bright light.

"Be strong staff!" Jaken cried over the roar of wind and flame.

But it could not. The wind and ice overcame the flame and blew Jaken backward off his feet, sending him tumbling somewhere beyond Sesshomaru. As soon as it knew it had bested the flame, the torrent of ice formed into sharp spikes, aimed for the imp's death. Something, which Sesshomaru could not tolerate. Loosing Tokijin from his belt, Sesshomaru slashed at the spikes, deflecting the near-death blow. The sound of metal on ice rang through the air. Holding out her right hand, a bostaff of pure ice formed in Toran's grasp.

"I am indeed impressed, your weapon is formidable!" The demoness leapt into the air, raising the staff over her head and aimed a mighty blow toward the dog demon with a war cry. Sesshomaru lifted Tokijin, blocking Toran's powerful blow. Electricity flashed in bright lights and power, flaring in all directions.

"Ah the memories! It's exactly like the last time we fought." Toran said, her face smirking up at him between their crossed weapons. "But back then was a draw, this you won't be so lucky."

She was goading him, and he was well aware of it. Sesshomaru's gold eyes glowed in the light of the energy their weapons put off, anger simmering deep within. "I would hardly call it a draw. You simply retreated in defeat."

"Now, now… you're one to talk with all the men you lost."

The flare of anger again, he pushed her off and sent a bolt of energy toward Toran. She stepped leapt backward high into the air, causing the attack to miss and instead destroy one of the buildings behind her. Light as a snowflake she drifted down and landed on her toes.

"I wasn't nearly as determined back then, as I am right now." Toran taunted, the smile on her face never faltering. "Because now we have our master." The cats which had been holding in a circle around him, descended with a caterwaul that was grating to the yokai's ears.

Pointless words.

Sesshomaru did not even bother to reply. He lifted Tokijin, and brought it down, releasing energy. It gathered around him like a blue shield, before dispersing in all directions. The power of the blast tore up the ground, destroying everything in its path, the huts that the energy touched were instantly decimated.

Fifty years ago, the panther tribe which father fought, came back. The memory flashed before his eyes. Royakan and the other demons had been indebted to his father, for destroying the panther tribe leader eons before. They'd pledged themselves to Sesshomaru this time, when the cats had returned. Jaken, unbidden, had gone to ask InuYasha for his assistance. Something Sesshomaru would have said no to, had the imp asked. Instead, Jaken brought the news that InuYasha was incapacitated, left under a spell after having lost his heart to a mortal priestess. Fool that he was.

Royakan and his fathers other ally demons had sworn fealty to Sesshomaru, and promised to hold the front lines against the panther demon tribe. The battle had been immense. Destruction, battle cries, bodies of fallen demons covering the ground. Fire covered the land, making breathing difficult. Of course… Royakan and the other demons had failed. Sesshomaru had heard Royakan calling for everyone to retreat. They'd run, like the cowards they were. Pointless weak creatures. Leaving Sesshomaru to battle Toran and the hordes of cat demons, alone.

"Jaken." Sesshomaru turned, looking at the rubble all around him. Had the imp been caught in the blast from Tokijin? For a moment, he waited, looking around. As far as he could sense, there were no living creatures around. Toran and the cats had either been killed, or escaped. He sniffed the air, Toran was alive, he could smell her still, she was too clever to die before seeing her beloved master resurrected.

Hm.

Turning, Sesshomaru continued his path toward the castle. The moon was almost directly overhead by the time he reached the bridge that led to the castle gates. Without speaking, he withdrew Tokijin again. This would be where it began. Standing on the roof of the gates, was Karan, fire blazed around her in a torrent of heat.

"Hah. It's the older brother again." Karan called out, he presumed, to the others within the castle. Leaping into the air, her hands filled with liquid fire, which she launched toward Sesshomaru.

Fortunately, fate had not graced Karan with an abundance of intelligence. The yokai lord was able to block the fiery hail easily with Tokijin, by simply holding it aloft in a guard position. The feline raced across the rooftop, her body encased in flame.

"Fireball!" Karan cried, overconfidently, as she launched yet more liquid heat toward Sesshomaru.

Unimpressed, Sesshomaru watched the flames leaping toward him. Aiming Tokijin toward the onslaught, he loosed a blast of blue energy from the tip of the blade. The blue light cut through the fire as if it was nothing, then continued, aimed straight for Karan. It slammed her into the gatekeep wall behind, she cried out in pain, the energy sapping her strength. Then, limply, she fell into the moat of cold water under the bridge. The splash Sesshomaru heard of her body hitting the water was satisfying. The steam that rose from the moat, as her flames died, was even more so. Karan raised herself to her feet in the water, still steaming and glaring up at Sesshomaru.