Chapter 93 - Swarm
Hours passed, Sesshomaru sat in the darkness and shadows of the forest, with Rin curled up at his side. His thoughts were completely suffused with the lingering vestiges of his dream… or vision… the illusion which had appeared before him. It had drawn intense feelings to the forefront of his mind. Ones that Sesshomaru didn't have any intention to acknowledge. Above all of those, an intense longing for a future had seized his heart. Not the future he had always envisioned… traveling and battling for dominance of this terrestrial world… no. Something, else. Something deeper, and more meaningful. A world built around… someone. The longing within him waged war against his rational thought, reminding him that humans and demons had no business living in the same world. As explicitly evidenced by the difficulty of InuYasha's life — neither humans or demons accepted his presence. The struggle waged on within Sesshomaru, as darkness moved toward dawn. The softness of the morning light, did nothing to soothe the anguish of his soul.
Rin began to rouse shortly after sunrise, her hands grasped the softness of his mokomoko, sending an entirely foreign sensation down Sesshomaru's spine. Unsettled, Sesshomaru shifted physically away from the contact, his mokomoko carefully disentangled from Rin and withdrew as he stood to his feet. Behind him, he heard Rin yawn and move to a sitting position.
Focusing his gaze on the overshadowing mountain, Sesshomaru looked up, eyeing the mist that filtered the morning light. Something feels different. His eyes narrowed as he reached out with all his senses. Visibly, tangibly, nothing appeared different… but he felt the change inside. The barrier has weakened… Naraku will make his move, soon. I will be ready when he finally reveals himself.
Dimly, in the background of his mind, Sesshomaru heard Jaken and Rin engaging in their teasing daily banter. All seemed to be back to normal again. Turning, Sesshomaru reached out for Tojikin and Tenseiga, quickly returning the two swords, to their place at his side in his obi.
"Jaken." Sesshomaru said without turning, he latched his armor into place across his chest. "We will be heading up to higher ground." A slight touch drew his attention, causing him to turn to glance down. Sesshomaru's gold eyes fell to Rin, who stood just behind him, she gently grasped the heavy length of his silver hair, un-trapping it from beneath his armor. When his eyes found her, that familiar sun bright smile broke across her soft face. She smoothed his silver locks, before turning and skipping over to A-un. His gaze followed her silently, until he realized that he had completely missed what Jaken had been saying. Turning, Sesshomaru eyed the imp, who stared up at him with buggy eyes, waiting for a response to whatever his question had been. "Let's go." Sesshomaru turned toward the mountain with no intention of asking Jaken to repeat his query.
Silence prevailed as the group carefully picked their way along the rocky path. The cliff he had selected was elevated from the forest floor, but slightly distant from the mountain itself. Once Naraku revealed himself and lowered the barrier, Sesshomaru would make his move. Carefully they picked their way along the sharp jutting rocks, until they came to a flat plane at the top of the mounded cliff. Close by, just on the other side of the forest they'd been resting in below, Mount Hakurei rose to dizzying heights. It seemed to disappear into the very clouds above. Even as he gazed at the mountain, Sesshomaru could have sworn he saw a shifting shimmer amidst the sacred mist that veiled the mountain.
Milliseconds later, a grating booming noise filled the air, and rocked the cliff beneath their very feet. Sensing the sudden demonic shift in the air, Sesshomaru stepped a fraction of an inch closer to where Rin stood just behind him. In the distance, the fog that shrouded the mountain vanished into the ether, revealing the majesty of the mountain itself. This is it. The sacred barrier has been removed. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed as he gazed intently, the changes to the mountain swift and undeniable. As quickly as the mist vanished, it was replaced with an eerie demonic haze. Purple and crimson, flowing from the very rock of the mountain itself. With the evil aura, writhing specks appeared to wiggle free from somewhere within the caverns of the mountain. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. They're demons… a swarm of thousands of demons escaping the mountain. The screaming of the beasts filled the air with a cacophony of noise that steadily drew nearer. There were so many demons, that it looked like a swarm of insects that had been released like a plague upon the land. Sesshomaru's lips pressed together in a hard line. If every demon attacked simultaneously, he would certainly survive… his companions may not. Unfortunately he was not omnipotent, and could not be in multiple places at one time. Where's InuYasha with his Tetsusaiga? Certainly his father's demon blade could destroy the majority of the swarm with a few blows.
"Lord Sesshomaru! Lord Sesshomaru! The mountain!" Jaken cried, jumping and pointing at the descending hoard with apparent terror.
Beside him, Rin observed the glowing demonic swarm with wide brown eyes. "Lord Sesshomaru… what is it?"
"Just as I thought." Naraku's scent - more powerful than before. Sesshomaru could feel the pulse of his own demonic energy swell within his chest, responding to the impending threat. The battle with Naraku would be soon. Briefly his gold gaze shifted to the girl at his side. She would draw more demons, with her sweet lilac scent. "Stay behind me, Rin. Don't draw their attention." She nodded and shifted back toward the cover of the nearest boulders.
The roar of the demons grew louder as they honed in on their target: Sesshomaru. Distantly, the yokai lord heard voices, simultaneously noting that the demons did not seem to be solely focused on him. The others must be near - Kagome and InuYasha. He huffed faintly. They aren't my concern.