Chronicles of the West

Chapter Fifty Nine

He stared at the creature before him, his creation. Alastair was pleased with the materials Amari had brought back. With careful movements, he extracted the tiny slivers of flesh from beneath the curved claws and worked at the tacky blood. With these, he was one step closer.

Unable to sleep, he'd turned to his demon side and voiced his questions aloud. The poor beast locked to him on a cellular level had replied that the answers were far closer than he'd imagined. Alastair had taken up, of all things, studies on scripture.

There were hints that when read in the correct order hinted at leads in new directions. His answer was there. In the outer darkness. A void where the souls of others were locked away. By thinning the veil between worlds he would have the final ingredient needed. The masterpiece of his efforts.

Amari watched his captor and creator with blank eyes, inside he was seething. He was a puppet, a pawn and very few things could change that. He knew that more transmutations were in store for him. What would he end up as?

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Aislin sat quietly, helping Kagura sort through the many leaves and blossoms they had gathered. Kagura was telling her which herbs were helpful and how they were. The lavender eyed woman listened with half interest, her mind in turmoil.

The wolf prince had arrived in the western palace, and though she'd not spoken to him, she sensed a deep anger in him. She'd remained close to Inuyasha during that time. He was somehow more approachable than her stoic guardian.

She'd been fitted with kimono's and hakamas. Just as Silvana and Daishi had. They were ready to meet the youkai court. Word had been sent in the four cardinal directions that a gathering was to take place in the halls of the west. Sesshoumaru would hold his battle council and present the females.

They deserved a more social setting he knew, but time was not something they had to spare. Alastair could act at any time. His guard remained tense and alert, and he'd set a grueling patrol schedule, half hoping the fiend would surface.

He had been watching Aislin and Kagura for over an hour. The unease of the human floating upwards on the breeze to tease at his elegant nostrils. Another scent was there as well, that of the wolf. As if one hanging around wasn't bad enough. At least Madu didn't reek. Much.

His golden eyes swept over the females below him. Kagura laughed lightly over something Aislin had said. The sound light and tinkling and Sesshoumaru imagined for a moment that he heard the wind witch in those merry peals.

His senses picked up the approach of two powerful demons. Toga and Taisha. He barked an order to his captains and soon after, the oni mounts landed with heavy steps in his courtyard. They had apparently returned from patrol unscathed.

Green eyes lifted to the battlements and locked with gold. Taisha shook her head slightly. Nothing. They'd found nothing of use. It was only a matter of time. He would content himself with that for now. Satoru and Victor were pouring over their texts, piecing the puzzle together.

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"I can't believe this" Madu complained, staring at the wolfess before him. She growled softly, "So you mean you can't hunt either?". Elda huffed, her many shortcomings manifesting themselves before her very eyes. Her life was one of ease, as a noble demon she was not required to see to such things on her own. Why the hell didn't HE understand that?

Madu frowned looking at the sky, "Fine" he grunted, "Stay here and don't move". Elda watched as he sprinted into the trees. All alone. In a strange forest, with injured wolves. Isn't that where every girl wanted to be? Minutes passed in slow repetition, forming an hour, two. Where was he anyway?

The wolf prince was returning, a fat boar slung over his shoulder carelessly. It would be enough of the group. He felt the air shift around him, something was wrong. The breeze shifted again and brought to his keen nose, the scent of blood. Her blood.

Elda slashed at her attacker, but the thing was hardly whole. Vapor one minute, solid the next. She fought hard, and gained no ground. Those wolves that could fight were taking injuries again. The desperation of her situation began to sink in. Was she…going to…die?

"Hang on!" called a firm voice and she blinked up to see Madu land between her and the thing that had come to their resting area. Katana out, he slashed and leapt and lunged and retreated. Wisps of air slid over his arm and shoulder, before taking solid form and fangs dug into his tanned flesh.

He snarled and rolled closer to the beast, his blade curving inward to find the heart. Long, bloody minutes later, it was over. Madu rose to his feet as the dark swirls of vapor were blown away. His arm was heavy and torn. He eyed the damage, nothing too serious.

Turquoise eyes moved to Elda, she was leaning heavily on a tree. She was panting and he noticed the dark puddle beneath her feet. "How bad it is?" he asked her. It didn't look good from where he stood. Her eyes moved to his and she shifted slightly. The left side of her clothing was red and torn.

She was ashamed of herself. For not being stronger, for not fighting harder. Tears gathered along her lashes but she would not let herself cry. She didn't deserve that release of pain. Not when her lesser creatures lay whining and whimpering on the ground around her.

Madu approached her cautiously, she was shaking slightly. Upon closer inspection, he could see the long, wicked gash that ran from shoulder to hip. "Is this the only injury?" he asked her. She nodded, her face pale.

Madu eyed the fallen wolves. They needed help. Lifting his head, he let his voice ring through the trees. His own wolves were a few miles behind, likely on their way as it was. They would hear him and rush to his aid.

Elda slumped against him, and he caught her against him, careful not to touch her wound. Slowly, he lowered the both to the forest floor so that he could tend to her. "I'll need to clean it, seal it" he told her. Aqua eyes locked with her own moist ones, "For the love of…… don't cry now" he said.

Elda refused to obey him. If he hadn't come, she'd have died and all her wolves as well. Lurching upwards with a hiss of pain, she pressed herself against him, her arms tightening on him. Her body trembled and she sobbed quietly.

Madu sighed, wishing he was somewhere else, anywhere else. But then his arms enfolded her slim form. "Shhh, it's okay now" he soothed in a low voice, "Don't cry…. you….did well". The low rumble that picked up in his chest rippled through her. Soothing and quieting. Her scent was quite pleasant he decided, and groaned that he would even consider that.

When she was consoled, he laid her down and stood to move to the small stream. He'd torn a clean bit of her gown from her and soaked it in the cool liquid. With careful hands, he exposed the wound and let the water trickle across it, removing dirt, leaves, debris.

She was silent as he worked, her gaze fixed on him, which he found more than a little unnerving. "What?" he finally asked. She inhaled, "How bad is it?" she wanted to know. Madu told her bluntly, "Well you won't die and being demon it's not like it will keep you down for long. But it's not pretty and you need to make sure you don't open it once I seal it".

She nodded. He leaned closer to her and she watched him from the corner of her eye. "I have to seal it" he told her. His voice slightly rough. She closed her eyes, feeling the soft laps of his tongue against the deeper areas of the wound. His saliva stung slightly on contact but the healing powers were worth that small discomfort.

A few minutes later, he was done. She thanked him in hushed tones and he nodded. "My people are coming and I've no doubt the inu soldiers will have heard me as well. Sesshoumaru is not one to overlook anything in his domain" he told her. She was quiet, her energies replenishing themselves.

Madu kept her close to his body, letting the heat from himself soak into her cooler flesh. Her wolves whined softly to him and he rumbled to them. Hating to see them in pain. The wind ghosted over them and he caught the scent then, wolves and dogs. With a slight smirk, he lifted one brow, "About time".

Armed inu soldiers broke through the line to his left as his wolves and his friends appeared on his right. "Madu" came the gruff voice of Haruto, "What happened?". Madu looked at his comrade and sighed, "An attack, we need to get them to the western palace".

The inu captain Satoshi nodded, his eyes fell over the battered wolves. "'They don't look so good" he said softly. Madu met his yellow eyes. "We leave no one behind". Satoshi grunted and barked orders to his men. Lord Sesshoumaru and Lord Inuyasha would want to know everything.

The barrier protected the palace and those within in. If not for Lord Sesshoumaru's awesome powers they surely would have suffered severe attacks. Satoshi grimaced at the scent of blood, and his ears moved slightly, taking in the soft moans and whimpers of the wounded. He was certain that by dawn half of those wolves would depart this world.

Still, he would not leave them here like this. To die alone in a strange land. No, there was no honor in that and even his dread lords would not allow such a thing. More orders were issued, commands to hurry, commands to be gentle as possible. They suffered enough and though he had no wish to add to it, that was beyond avoidance.

A matter of minutes later, injured wolves were wrapped and draped over wolf and inu shoulders. "We have to move fast" Satoshi said, scenting the wind. He turned and moved towards Elda, but Madu gave him pause, by lifting her onto his back. "I got her, you need to be ready to fight" he said. Satoshi had noted the injury to Madu but said nothing.

"Kagura will see to it shortly" he said with a nod of his head, Madu glanced down at his arm and shrugged, resettling the female. "Hang on princess" he muttered. Elda nodded and tightened her grip on him as he raced after the inu's.

She was a soft weight against his back, his long hair flowing over her and she tucked her face closer to him. Drinking in the woodsy scent of the male beneath her. He'd saved her, and he'd not been willing to leave her wolves behind. Was he more than he seemed to be? Was he more than the bold and arrogant lord?

Soon enough the palace loomed before them, Sesshoumaru's barrier crackling as it allowed them passage. The sentries along the walls calling out for healers. Elda let her head fall and her eyes close. She was safe. For now. Toga would be there, and who knew what would happen next.

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