Chronicles of the West

Chapter Forty Six

Sesshoumaru sat in his study, going over the reports from his scouts. Things were quiet, as usual in the west. He sighed, he would love a good fight…with someone other than Inuyasha or his own wife. While they were more than capable of keeping his skills impeccably sharp…. Well he couldn't kill them.

A sudden flare of energy tugged at his senses and drew his golden eyes to the window. Something was out there. Something unnatural. What could it be? "Jujoji" he barked at his waiting captain, the inu bowed low, "My lord?". Sesshoumaru kept his eyes on the darkening glass, "Prepare AhUn for my immediate departure" he ordered.

He was striding through the halls, latching his armor into place when his wife rounded the corner almost colliding with his spiked chest. He held her safely away from him. Her green eyes widened at the sudden meeting before narrowing as she took in his garb.

Two swords tucked in his obi, his eyes all but gleaming in anticipation. "Sesshoumaru?" she asked softly. He met her gaze silently. She stepped back from him, "What are you doing? Where are you going?" she asked, for he'd not taken both swords with him for some time. Tokijin no longer a sword of daily use.

"There is something I must see to" he told her finally. She blinked, his words sinking in. "An enemy" she whispered. Her mate arched a brow, "Clearly not an ally" he pointed out. She nodded, "Let me change" she said simply.

Ayeka turned to fetch her own armor and weapons but his large clawed hand snaked out and caught her, "No" he said. She blinked at his hand and then at his expression, which was nearly non-existent. "No?".

He growled softly to her, "I am the lord, and the fighter" he said. She stared at him, "I have always fought beside you" she whispered. He nodded, "And it was my desire to give you a life different from that. Be content to wait for my return" he told her.

He dared not mention that he'd felt the flare of power that felt like Ryu. If she knew her pups were possibly involved there would be no chance of keeping her safe within the walls. Whatever this was, it was powerful and driven. He'd not encountered such deep darkness for many long years now.

"Ayeka, I cannot take all the best fighters with me. We have little ones here that depend on the strengths of those I am leaving" he told her, "This might very well be a plot to draw me away from the palace, a coup for the west". Possible but unlikely.

She sighed, "Fine" she agreed, "But so help me Sesshoumaru, when you come home I want to know everything. Even the things you aren't telling me now" she told him. Damn his wife for reading him so well anyway. "I'll consider it" he told her as he swept passed her.

He had just taken a hold of the leather reins when the snort of another oni mount drew his attention. Glancing over his shoulder he saw Inuyasha step into view, "Hear we're goin to a party" he said lightly. Sesshoumaru shook his head, sensing his wife was nowhere near, "Ryu is out there, and he's turned".

Inuyasha leapt onto the mount, "Better hurry then". In a flash of green scales and silver hair, the brothers were airborne. "I felt the surge of power" Inuyasha told him, "Kagome about passed out from it. It's not human, not demon, but she said it wasn't good".

Sesshoumaru nodded, "The energy is twisted. The last time I sensed anything remotely resembling it was that filthy made hanyou" he added. Inuyasha's ears swiveled, "Naraku?" he asked. Sesshoumaru grunted, "About a hundred times stronger. I sense an element of humanity within it, but it's very slight".

Inuyasha growled, "Guess we'll find out when we get there". There was nothing else to say as they tracked the unseen enemy by the tickling against their auras. So much for wishing for a diversion from peace. They should have known that wishes are not things to trifle with.

Does Ayeka know about the pup?" he asked. Sesshoumaru shook his head, "I felt it best not to mention that" he replied. Inuyasha let out a low whistle, drawing his brother's attention, "She's gonna kick your ass, you know that right?" he asked. Sesshoumaru grunted and leaned low over AhUn's neck as the beast picked up speed.

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Toga looked over the tired group around him. Ryu and Silvana had returned several hours after the fight. They were on the mend, in a variety of ways it appeared. Aislin hadn't woken yet and he was concerned for that. Humans were so fragile.

They had to find some sort of shelter, for a storm was moving in fast. That and he didn't put it past Alastair to try again. "Bastard" he muttered to himself. Ryu's ears flickered, "Hey now, no name calling. I didn't hurt anyone" he said irritably.

Toga shot him a look that might have felled a lesser creature, "Not you, you dolt" he grumbled, "That alchemy using freak". The others nodded in silent agreement. They were inviting attack by their lack of movement. But Alastair could and no doubt would find them no matter where they went.

The only option was to keep moving and provide a more difficult target. Another attack like that invited catastrophe. If the enemy didn't get them, Ryu just might. Toga really didn't want to have to kill his own flesh and blood. Kurama seemed to intercept his thoughts, "You need your father" he said in a low voice.

Toga cut his eyes to the side to look at the silver fox, "We are a hell of a long way from the palace" he noted, "And the attack might come at any time". Kurama nodded, "It's unlikely that your father would have missed such a flare of energy" he said calmly.

"There are few things as powerful as that, and your father would want to investigate it's source. Besides that, he would have felt the danger to his child under the circumstances. I think it best if we keep moving, he's bound to find us".

Toga knew that it would require the efforts of more than himself and his current group to vanquish Alastair. "I wonder" he said quietly, looking back to Aislin, "If he found Victor yet?". Shippo snorted, "Ha! You think Satoru would have left him alive to come after us?" he asked. Toga blinked, the fox had a point.

Shippo didn't say it aloud but his heart called silently to Inuyasha. He knew his adopted father and his uncle could beat whatever was thrown at them. They'd beaten Naraku hadn't they? He wasn't weak and neither were his companions but they had never encountered anything like that before and his memories of the dark hanyou made him shudder to this day.
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Alastair sat back and smiled. His plan was working so well. The rumors were true, the land of Japan had the most powerful demons known. All within the same bloodline too. And to think, two of them had slipped through his fingers.

He'd discovered the origin of the dog and his hanyou brother too late but that was a mistake he meant to remedy soon enough. He'd listened to the many whispers of the powerful dog demon that ruled over the west. The strongest, most perfect demon. Sesshoumaru-sama. He smirked into his hourglass, after all in this land an attack on the sons represented an attack on the father and it was the father he wanted.

He smiled as he sent word to release more of his misgotten minions. A demon to rival the powers of the gods themselves. That would do nicely for himself. The rest, well, they would make pretty playthings and excellent fighters. The fundamental beings for his perfect world. He'd found that by hacking bits off of demons, he could create similar creatures. He and Victor had been on the wrong path.