Revelations

Chapter 4: The sun is the same in the relative way, but you’re older

Looking up, yellow eyes stared into the clear sky...the sun finding its way back to its nocturnal home...the horizon.

Sesshomaru walked a path he had many times, every step bringing back the memories of battles past, his quest for tessaiga, the hunt for Naraku...Kagura...yes, it had been many moons since he returned to his home.

Jaken’s croaking voice could be heard as he attempted-in vain-to put a restless Rin to sleep, birds sang their final songs as they prepared for the setting sun.

Yellow eyes looked beyond trees, beyond mountains, far into the distance where his thoughts lay. He remembered the day, the day he fought along side his father, the day all hope seemed lost.

The battle today had been a cold reminder of that past...

The beast was vanquished with minimal effort on his part…obviously, but its cursed form still haunted the inu-lord’s mind. Its skeletal body, its face of bones, its hollow eyes...

‘Why...why is it here’

But he knew the reason...the beast’s simple words had been enough to give him the answer

‘Mal annfurtun?’

But how, how could the beast-a demon of his own past-return to him once again? Had not the necessary steps been taken?

Without even the slightest of nods he greeted the guards of the mighty castle. Inside, Ah Un was taken by the handlers towards the stable and Sesshomaru himself-an act so completely out of character it shocked many of the servants near death-carried a now sleeping Rin to one of the rooms.

Without pausing to be wished good night by Jaken he retired to his quarters; a room that had been tended to every day even though it had been months since it was last used.

He stared out the balcony beyond his room…out towards the lush forests of that were the borders of his lands. Far in the distance he saw the moon, freeing itself from the shadow of the world.

The memories of the old battle coming back to him, Sesshomaru felt things he had only once before. There, standing on the highest porch of his mighty castle looking upon the world, the almighty Sesshomaru felt…insignificance. He was reminded of the greatness of the world…that life existed beyond himself. Life that had grown, that life had fought and won to ensure its survival.

He felt the coming doom, for no doubt it would come…the signs clear.

For the first time in two centuries, Sesshomaru felt for the world…

***

The silence was…well, as he would have put it; it was very silent in deed. They all stared at him as if he had some kind of disease.

Kagome weakly smiled at him and let out a long ‘soooo’ in hopes to break the ice

But she knew nothing short of the Titanic was going to be able to break this strangle hold.

“Um…Inuyasha w-why don’t you get a fire going, we can have ramen for dinner”

Perhaps a full stomach might help in lightening the mood.

“B-but Kagome”

“Inuyasha”

Kagome left no doubt in the hanyo’s mind as to what non-compliance of any sort would result in.

Inuyasha gathered some wood and began trying to get a fire started, this caught the attention of the man at last.

“Oh no need for that my odd friend”

With furrowed brow and muttering lips Valcos snapped his fingers…

BOOM

Inuyasha was sent flying back as a small fire erupted from the pile of wood. Everyone gazed in astonishment as Valcos rose.

“Sorry about that, I’m still a little rusty you know. Well any way, hold on and ill get us some real food.”

With that he whisked himself away, into the forest in search of who knew what.

“Why that…I’ll rip his face off!!”

Full of determination Inuyasha wiped the soot off his face and charged towards Valcos’s last known location, but he never got there…

“Sit boy”

WHACK

Inuyasha was left tasting earth once again.

“K-Kagome…why…”

In the mean time Miroku Sango Kirara and Shippo were busy inspecting the newly made fire.

“Oww!! Yikes it’s fire all right”

Shippo’s methods-though crude-were very effective.

At that moment Valcos burst through the trees, a large carcass dragging behind.

“Come now, it is but fire” he said looking at the others who-admitted-looked rather odd closely inspecting a flame.

“Look I bring a boar. Roast this one and it’s a feast we’ll have. Grimace if you must at its raw form. But ohhh will your mouth water when you taste its flesh.”

And with that Valcos stuck a branch through the beast and set it up for roasting.

As he slowly rotated the boar above the fire-lost in his own imagination-he noticed that the others were watching him…rather closely.

“Um, is there something the matter? My coat’s not stained is it-”

It was Miroku who finally spoke.

“Its nothing…erm its just, what you did back there…with the fire that is. Well we’ve never seen something like that from a human before.”

Valcos looked dumbly at the fire, then back at the monk.

“What you mean this. Oh this is nothing, I mean, any one can do it. All y-”

It was then that Valcos noticed that he had captured the full attention of the entire group…even that unruly half demon. So naturally, he decided to go into the full story.

“Well as you all know, I’m some two hundred and sixty years old. That’s a fare amount of years, but mind you I’m still completely human. But see I come from a world that has long died so…I guess its natural for you guys not to know what just happened.”

Valcos now bent down and began rummaging through the small leather bag he carried around with him.

“See all the way back then, the world was a completely different place from what it was now. Now where did I put that…”

Valcos trailed off as the others gathered a little closer to see the contents of his bag.

“Wow those are a lot of scrolls”

Miroku seemed keen to learn about this past that Valcos spoke of.

“There nothing much, mostly my own notes and some blank scrolls. I only carry the one book with me and that’s the very one I can’t seem to find.”

As he shifted his arms around three fine stakes fell from his sleeve.

Sango was unable to prevent herself from peering closer.

“These are nothing special, just precautions” he added giving Miroku a knowing glance as he flung two of the steel needles Sango’s way as he went back to rummaging.

The third he twiddled between the fingers of his free hand with eye catching, flawless dexterity.

“Aha!! Here it is”

With an almost childish excitement, Valcos removed a thin volume from the bag and handed it to Miroku.

“Well you guys can look through that while I continue my narration. You see there were many more types of creatures that roamed this world in my day”

The meaning of his words were made clear as Miroku began turning the pages, the entire group-having huddled around him-let out gasps of astonishment.

There in the book were sketches and writings on the most amazing array of creatures.

“Well as you can see the world of old was populated with some very…interesting creatures.”

And so they were, there in the book were descriptions of trolls, goblins, dwarves, elves and a whole bestiary of creatures that Kagome had only heard of in…well fairy tales.

“Creatures like Orcs, dwarves and elves rose above the petty squabbles of the other demons and established themselves as empires. The elves eventually became one of the most powerful forces on all of earth. Their armies were one of the strongest one could have ever seen.”

“The world remained free from their power only by virtue of their nature. This was because elves were peaceful creatures, their aim was only to protect their forests and to defend the world from tyranny, never did they dream of conquest.”

The group now looked in awe as they gazed upon the charcoal sketches of the elves. Their very images exuding grace, power…

“There were other demons. Not demons that you have today that are based on various animals, but demons unto their own. You know things like trolls, hydras you know…all that mythical stuff”

Miroku flipped back a few pages and saw all the demons Valcos spoke off.

“Back then, many of these lesser demons were considered game…like sport”

“Sport? What do you mean by that?”

Sango had never heard of demon hunting as a sport.

“Adventurous thrill seekers looked for ways to test their mettle, thus they went out and began hunting demons. Soon the occupation became quite…profitable”

“The main thing was that there was also a great amount of magic in the air. This is the main part, see back then everybody could do magic. Be it human, orc, demon whatever they could all do magic and a great amount of that to. Powerful and skilled humans were known as mages, wizards whatever you like. ”

“That’s so amazing” Kagome was up on her knees her hands clasped together and an odd sparkle in her eye garnering some curious glances from her fellow companions.

“But this of course leads us to a question whose answer is most disheartening.”

The group stared at Valcos for a moment. Unsure of what he meant…soon Miroku stumbled upon the answer, actually he stumbled upon the question.

“W-what happened to all of these creatures?”

Valcos looked at him with a saddened smile…

“As time went by, we humans became more and more insecure. We grew hostile to all others who had power. Thus you can guess what happened. Man led a bloody crusade against all that was magical in the world. They attacked the elves, orcs, everything. And so within a century all these magical creatures were wiped out. The elves alone had the power to withstand the human onslaught. But owing to their nature they chose to leave this earth on their own accord. Witch burnings you must have heard of all that. Humans began to shun their magical sides. Today simply by virtue of the isolation of this land the world trade that it has been able to remain…to a great extent free from much of the bloodshed.”

Kagome felt a tinge of pain as she stared back at the picture of the elves.

The mood was rather somber, slowly the entire group prepared for sleep. Valcos choose to sleep a little distance from the group-he didn’t admit it, but he had nowhere to go.

As the days past Valcos began to sleep closer and closer. At night he would entertain the group with all of his old adventures that captured the imaginations of all.

Two weeks past in this fashion, on the eve of the third week Valcos suddenly bid the others adieu. In the process he finally asked for all their names. As Kagome introduced them Valcos took their hands in return…each time offering a small apology to each as he met them (no doubt for their last meeting) .

But when he finally was introduced to Inuyasha, Valcos hesitated; his face turned a ghostly white. His eyes wide…

“Indeed…you are Inuyasha”

He inspected him for a while…then quickly changed the subject.

“S-so…erm…w-where are you going from here?”

“Were looking for Naraku. I told you about him”

Indeed she had. In fact last night Kagome had given Valcos her brief history in this world. It was something he heard then that had prompted him to leave. There were questions he needed answered.

“Well Naraku…yes well I’ve heard of him. He’s…well here take this”

Valcos handed them a small piece of parchment from his bag and with a smile and a wave he left, the group finally had a destination…

***
***

AN

OK big chapter up…the title is from a famous song…you all should be able to guess it. If not…SHIT.

It does have meaning…it’ll become clearer as the story progresses.

OOOh man I just watched ONE episode of trinity blood…its got me hooked. But I watched all 4 IY movies back to back…so I got my bearings again.


Looooooong chapter…after cutting a buch a shit out. It’ll make an appearance later on.

TO MY CRITICS

Ginny

Thank you again. You cant imagine where the unattended mind travelers when someone says ‘chocolaty goodness’ and *smirk* …just joking.

Sapphire Blade

Thanx 4 all the reviews…keepem comin.