The Portal

Chapter 33 – Seth Attacks

“Get Anubis out here NOW!!” Sesshomaru roared in the face of the shivering inu boy. He watched as the boy ran off at top speed to retrieve his master.

In a moment Anubis appeared, followed by Lady Nebthet, Lord Hapy and Lady Ma’at. “What is the meaning of this Sesshomaru?” Anubis growled.

“Kagome has been abducted! I will have blood for this. Naraku will die on this day!” Sesshomaru snarled as he paced the floor with angry steps.

Anubis’ heart picked up its pace. Kagome was in danger? “Naraku? Your companion?”

“My darkest enemy! His lust for Kagome and her jewel carries on even to this foreign place,” the taiyoukai said with barely controlled fury.

“Do you know where he has taken her?” Lady Nebthet asked from just behind Anubis.

“I know not. I followed her trail to the market place, then down an alley. There was a struggle. She and her pet killed two, maybe three male youkai. There was some sort of foul gas used. It reeked of Naraku. From there her scent was gone, as well as those of her captors. I have no idea where she could be,” Sesshomaru growled then slammed his fist down crushing an ornate table into splinters.

“I will send out a search party at once. We will find her!” Anubis growled.

Anubis sent a guard to collect his captain and a party of inu trackers. He told them to meet him by the gardens. They would scout the marketplace to see if any clues could be found.

Soon the inu Lords and Ladies swept out of the temple to meet the captain of the guard and his men. When they arrived at the gardens they encountered something very unexpected.

Lord Seth, the falcon King stood arrogantly behind the temple gardens. The captain of the guard and four inu trackers lay dead at his feet. Blood dripped from his talons as he smirked at their stunned faces.

“Brother! What reasoning has brought about this attack on my house!” Anubis demanded as he and Hapy stepped forward.

“Your betrayal to your blood, dear brother. You would protect a mere mortal woman, who had the audacity to attack this Lord Seth!” He turned from Anubis and focused narrowed eyes on Lord Sesshomaru. “You! Sesshomaru! Your filthy ningen bitch isn’t here to save you this time. I will bring your death on this day!”

Sesshomaru stood proud and tall. The slight breeze danced through his long silken hair. He was the picture of calm on the exterior, but underneath the stoic mask of indifference was a raging beast that was putting the pieces of a devious puzzle together. The bastard knew that Kagome had been taken. That could only mean one thing.

Seth was in league with Naraku.

He would also die for his crimes. It mattered not who died first, Seth or Naraku. He would kill them both.

Everything around him faded away. Many years of battle and rigorous training by the best warriors on Earth taught him the keys to winning a battle. First step... All focus goes to the enemy at hand.

Anubis turned to his mother, “This is going to be a deadly battle. I would suggest we all clear the area.” After he had his mother safely clear of the ensuing battle, Anubis turned his attention back to the warriors, who were now pacing around in battle stance. Sesshomaru had drawn his blade and Seth had transformed halfway, bringing out his wings as well as his taloned feet.

Anubis had watched Seth in battle many times and knew most of his tricks. He was an expert at manipulating his body for extricating the weapons at hand as they were needed. He had no use for a sword, as his body was equipped with more than enough blades to defeat an enemy.

Sesshomaru, however, had only fought one battle that he had been witness to, and that incident had the white inu at a disadvantage. His mind was on Kagome’s safety, and he did not know why Seth had chosen him as an enemy. Today, things were different. Kagome was not near, and Seth had wronged Sesshomaru in the worst of ways. Anubis sighed in frustration. It appeared his beautiful garden may need to be re-planted after this was over.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eye on the enemy, gauging his weaknesses. The bird had one major advantage over him. Those damnable wings.

Seth took flight. The powerful beat of his monstrous wings kicked the wind and sand up around his opponent. First priority would be to disarm the inu. That blade carried a powerful attack.

Anubis watched as the two lunged for each other. Sesshomaru’s blade crashed against Seth's talons, which effectively blocked the deadly swipe. Seth flew back, using his wings stirring of sand to interfere with Sesshomaru’s eyesight. The wound Seth carried appeared to be completely healed, and Anubis cursed at that knowledge. His healers had not informed him of his brother’s return to full health. Later he would have to discipline them for their disobedience.

Sesshomaru barely dodged the next swipe of the taloned feet above him, which drew a thin line of blood from his neck. It angered him that the foul bird dared to touch him. He was growing tired of his insolence. He released a powerful blast from Tokijin, which singed the birds wing, but his speed saved him from the direct blast.

Seth swooped down on the dog once again, allowing Sesshomaru no time to send him another blast from the sword. The inu parried and blocked the attack, but Seth managed to wrap his talon around the sword. A powerful jerk and beat of his wings, disarmed the pathetic fool.

Sesshomaru smirked at the falcon. “Do you think that is my only weapon, Lord Seth? You are wrong! Meet my Dakkasou (poison flower claws)!” He sneered with a deadly tone of ice. He lunged with his demonic speed and slashed his claws across the falcon’s chest leaving acidic poison in the wounds. Seth released a pain filled screech, and looked down at his sizzling flesh. He narrowed his eyes and transformed once more, bringing forth his powerfully deadly beak.

Seth swooped down once more on Sesshomaru who used his speed to avoid the attack. He then flung his lightning whip at the bird, sending him crashing into gardens, destroying the carefully laid stones. Beautiful tropical flowers flew about in a flurry of feathers, dirt and water. Seth pushed a fallen tree from his chest and stood up. His eyes were red and he was visibly furious. He ruffled his feather’s shaking loose the debris, glanced upward and then took flight once more.

Sesshomaru was beginning to lose his patience with the bird. He was holding up his search for Kagome, and the thought of Naraku having her in his clutches was eating at his gut. He had tried to take out the damnable falcon’s wing, but he kept blocking with his taloned claws. Now, in his fury, Seth had changed to his true form, and his size had doubled. The beating of his impressive wingspan was enough to almost topple him over, as the bird hovered above, preparing for another attack.

“I grow weary of this game, falcon!” Sesshomaru growled. His voice began to change, taking on a thick rumble, as his golden eyes began to bleed red. “ It is time to end this!”

Sesshomaru’s aura pulsed through the air with ominous force. Everyone watching, including Seth gasped at the awesome power of the jaki that this demon kept subdued within him. Its release was surprising to all who was witness, as they unconsciously took a step back away from the taiyoukai.

His form rose from the ground and his long pristine white hair danced furiously around his body. His features changed before their eyes, as his fangs grew to new lengths. Suddenly a blast of light blinded them all as it shot about the gardens with a fury. It crashed to the ground sending dirt and rock flying everywhere.

When everyone opened their eyes, Sesshomaru stood before them in this original form. The back of the inu was almost as high as the pyramid behind them. He raised his head and released a roar that shook the ground. From his mouth flowed a steady stream acid, which released an abundance of toxic gases into the air.

The human slaves, as well as many watching inuyoukai turned from the sight in terror, running away from the transformed taiyoukai.

Seth released a wave of jaki from his talons toward his enemy. His heart sank when he was faced with the full form of Lord Sesshomaru. The bastard was of incomparable stature. How he managed to control that amount of power in his human form was unbelievable. Seth had never encountered a demon who held this much strength. Even Anubis, in his true form, did not match the size of this monstrous white dog. How could he hope to defeat this beast? His attacks were not even making a dent!

Sesshomaru snarled and threw his great head around in anger. The bird dipped to send out another wave of jaki, but with unexpected speed for a creature of such proportion, Sesshomaru leapt upwards, successfully ensnaring the falcon between his fangs. The acid in the inu’s saliva was rapidly burning through the falcons’ feathers, and he released a tormented screech of pain, just before Sesshomaru crunched down hard. The sounds of snapping bone and spliting flesh filled the ears of all who watched the final moments of the Great Lord Seth.

~~~***~~~

“Hello? Is anyone there?” Kagome called out in the darkness. She had been in this place for a very long time, with no food, and she refused to drink the filthy water that Naraku had brought in a bucket. He had taken her portion of the jewel before he left, then she had spent the next several hours tracing her hands over every rock within reach looking for a weakness, but had found none. She was beginning to get very worried about her situation. What if Sesshomaru could not find her?

“Hello? Please! I know someone is there!” Kagome called out once more. The cell at the other end of the dungeon was well lit, and she thought she could see the shadow of movement occasionally. She couldn’t be sure if it was just the light playing tricks on her eyes, or a real person. She felt very alone, and so far her only comfort was Tala, who was just as trapped as she was. Suddenly, she heard a soft voice.

“You are not alone. I share your despair, young one.”

Kagome released a breath that she had not been aware that she was holding. “My name is Kagome. Who are you?”

She heard light laughter coming from the cell. The person was obviously a female, and her voice was like music to the ear when she replied, “I am nothing. I am no one, but this was not always so.”

“What is your name?” Kagome asked curiously.

“Does it matter? My name means nothing. It could not keep me from this wretched fate,” the woman replied.

“How long have you been here? Did Naraku capture you as well?” Kagome asked.

“I have only recently become acquainted with Lord Naraku. He has had nothing to do with my imprisonment, for I have been here nigh three hundred years,” the woman replied sadly.

‘For three hundred years! She must be youkai,’ Kagome thought. “Please tell me your name. I just wish to know what to call you.” Kagome pleaded.

“So be it then. I am Isis, mother to Seth, Lord of the Falcon Kingdom.”