Chronicles of the West

Chapter Sixty Three
Satoru's effect on the youkai court was always the same. No matter how often he was around them, the fear never diminished. The demon that should not have been. His steps were deliberate and graceful, his features a smooth mask of indifference. So unlike his father.

Victor walked beside him, though they refrained from touching. Private matters were just that..private after all. The hushed silence fell over the many demons, eyes wary. He was like them, pure blood, but not like them, he could purify.

He hated court for this reason alone, he'd not hurt any of them, but nature demanded they fear him and keep their distance. Golden eyes swept over the group, before resting on his tall uncle. He inclined his head in greeting. The gesture was returned.

"Lord Satoru?" came a voice from the crowd, and he turned to find it. A beautiful young inu demoness separated herself from the tense throng and rushed towards him. Akashi. Satoru's eyes warmed slightly as she stopped before him. "I have missed you my lord" she told him brightly.

As a child she had spent many hours with the quiet demon. She never understood why others avoided him. He was always kind and read her the most wonderful stories. Satoru looked down at her black eyes, "You have been well?" he asked quietly. She nodded, "I am to marry" she blurted out happily.

Satoru's brow rose, "Is that so? Who is the male?" he asked. She blushed prettily, "Your father's own captain" she told him. Satoru's eyes moved to where Satoshi stood, a pleased expression on his face. Satoru brushed her unruly bangs from her eyes, "He will make fine husband for you" he replied, "I trust that you will tell your pups our stories?". She nodded.

Akashi made him promise to attend the mating ritual before she left him to return to Satoshi. Satoru recalled the gangly little girl who chased after him, she'd been a lonely child, the only pup. Without brothers or sisters to keep company with. Her father was one of Sesshoumaru's advisors and trusted friends. She'd been allowed to spend her free time with the children of the west. He'd always been her favorite.

Inuyasha was completely pissed off at the near deafening silence that followed his son's entrance. The scent of fear over the court and it was this small, satisfying fact that kept him from snarling aloud. The tense quiet broken only by the musical tones of Akashi's voice. Inuyasha understood how Satoru felt, he'd once been an outcast as well and like his son, only by fault of his birth.

Satoru spotted Daishi and Shippo across the room, and with a nod to Victor they moved towards them. Kurama joined them a few moments later. Slowly, the conversation returned to it's original volume, though people still gave him a wide berth. Kurama chuckled, "They are so tense around you Satoru. No wonder you prefer to live outside of Japan". The inu made a small dismissive gesture, "They are foolish" was all he said.

--------------------------------~

Alastair smiled down at the being lying on the table. So still, but for the soft steady beat of it's heart. His heart. Lingering splatters of blood adorned the floor, tables, walls, his person. Before him was perfection. Powerful and beautiful, his future embodied.

He'd watched the transformation transfixed. The screams of agony from the kitsune, the shrieks of the eagle, the whimpers of the many other creatures used echoed off the stone walls, bouncing back at him with near deafening force, until they had fallen eerily silent. Only the sound of his soft chanting had remained, a ghost of life in the shadowed room. The bodies on the table seemed to slowly liquefy and merge with one another, a painful twisting and shifting of joints and limbs. Wet pops and cracks rising into the air.

Then had come the swirling darkness, looking down on the twisted, half living creation. Alastair had forced himself not to look away from it's endless depth. Bright as the sun, yet offering no warmth lights moved within. 'Now' his demon half growled. Alastair lifted his hands towards the abyss of lights.

"Come to me vengeful soul, soul of anger and anguish. Come and I shall bestow upon you a body… I shall give you life to see the punishment of those who wronged you" he called out. Many lights surged forward but he eyed them all carefully. His demon sifted through them, until he found one that he felt was acceptable. 'This one knew them'.

Alastair chanted, his eyes wide, nearly crazed as he stared at the chosen soul. His words twisting it, filling it with dark and malicious intent. It might have been a friend to them, or a foe. It mattered not. It was an object now, thirsting the destruction of the powerful inu clan.

The void above him pulsed and swirled madly, the other souls trying to force themselves onto him, into him. He held them at bay with iron will and concentration. Slowly, he worked the soul into the mass of bloodied flesh before him. Then there was a brilliant burst of light and the void closed with bone chilling moans.

The mass of material began to thrash wildly on the table, blood was flung in all directions. The thing moaned and mewled. The sound of bones shattering and reforming into the chosen shape making Alastair feel slightly sick. "Live" he whispered, "Live and be my instrument, be the harbinger of the new world".

The mass stretched upwards and suddenly a wing shot from it. Followed by another until the being took form and sat in the bloodied afterbirth of it's creation. Alastair looked at his creation, shining with wet blood. It was tired and weak from it's fight to live.

He gently pushed it down on the table, mindful of the large wings. With gentle hands he began to clear the filth away from it. Then he gathered bathing supplies and gently washed the blood and tissue from it's body. Ivory flesh was revealed, flawless, smooth.

Long hours later, it, he was completely clean and resting. Silver hair had given way to pale gold. The wings no longer stained, were pure white. His features were elegant and powerful. He was the epitome of beauty. Alastair brushed the long hair from his eyes and his creation slowly lifted his lashes. Eyes of molten gold stared back at him.

"Something threatens me" came the deep smooth voice. Alastair watched as his 'child' rose from the table and strode the tall window. Strong arms flung it open and he was gone. Soaring through the air with great speed.

-------------------------~

Amari crept carefully through the halls. A plan forming in his mind, and though he knew it meant his death, for others it meant life. He raged against what he had been made and what was to come. Better to leave this world than live in what it would become.

He had to warn them, someone, anyone. He broke through the gates and took to the sky his intent to reach the west. They had a chance to stop this madness. He felt the surge of power behind him and pushed himself to go faster.

The border of the west came into view as the sun crept over the horizon. Almost there. Have to hurry. There would be patrols, he could tell them. Amari's eyes scanned the forest floor for sight of his quarry. The wind above him rushed violently and he cried out as one leathery wing was caught in a vicious grip.

He was flung upward and spun to see the new creation. Long golden hair streaming behind him, pale body new and alive, bare to the world. He was incredible. He was perfection in every sense of the word. His great white wings beating the air before tucking close to his back. Like an arrow, he plummeted at Amari, hitting him squarely and tearing at him with claws and fangs.

His hands pulsed with holy energy and though it wasn't very strong it was painful. He was going to die, Amari knew that. With a hard kick at his attacker, he forced his torn and bleeding wings to move and let himself rocket towards earth.

The creation was not about to let him escape however. He lunged and appeared beneath Amari, catching his form to his powerful chest. With a wicked grin he peered down at the struggling fox. "You are a child" he said. Amari stiffened, this thing could see him? The true Amari?

"Too bad little fox, I can't have you giving away my secret… not just yet" the creation purred. Amari felt blinding pain and then his throat filled with the salty metallic taste of his blood. He stared down at his chest and saw the pale, blood covered fist protruding from it.

The creation laughed lightly, "I will not be defeated" he said, and released Amari only to catch hold of his wings and rip them from his body. Flesh parted and bone snapped, and then Amari fell. His eyes drifting shut, his pain rising up. There would be no warning now. But at least he had died a creature of free will. That meant something didn't it?

The winged creation watched the broken body fall to earth. Scavengers could have him now, the voice was silent. With a small smirk, he turned and faced the dawn. Sunlight. How long had it been since he'd seen it, felt it? Locked in that endless wasteland of frozen darkness.

He looked down, noticing his nakedness, he need clothing. With graceful movements of his feathered wings, he flew higher out of sight and back towards the waiting Alastair. His maker, his visionary….his tool.