InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Bloodlust ❯ Awakening Sword ( Chapter 27 )

Sesshomaru woke slowly, the grogginess in his senses still leaving him aware of the fact that an entire day had passed him by as he slept on the cold stone floor of the chamber, noticing that the cascade of energy in the room had restored itself. The slashes on his arm had healed, and he stood quickly, forcing the thrust of youkai back inside the chamber by sheer force of will as he left it. Quickly, cursing the necessities which had lost him a day of preparation, he dressed in his usual haori and hakama, and saw that already youkai had begun to flood onto the once empty space before the castle gates, the scent and power of so many youkai impossible to hide or ignore. He buckled on his armor for the first time in months, and noticed that the once familiar weight hanging off his shoulders sat as uncomfortably as the first time he had worn it. Tensaiga and Toukijin settled into place against his body, and he strode out of the castle and out to stand in front of the gates.

A shudder ran through the collection of youkai, the night catching them unprepared for his presence. What appeared to be a generous sixth of the Army of the Western Lands was camped in front of his castle gates, and he could see in the center of the milling youkai a single standard bearing the white InuYoukai crest, marking where Akira had made his camp. Sesshomaru strode quickly through the mass of youkai, and found that around Akira it became like the eye of the storm. He saw at once that he had made the proper choice in appointing the InuYoukai his commander. There was an air of quiet efficiency surrounding words and motion, and Sesshomaru saw that already the new commander was hard at work organizing the youkai army on his doorstep into a cohesive fighting force.

The tension level rose perceptibly as he strode through the camp, and it was not long before he managed to encounter one of Akira's sub commanders, who ran off to inform his superior. A flicker of annoyance thickened a growl in his throat, but Sesshomaru pushed it down, admitting to himself that while they were trained to fight one-on-one combat, organizational skills were not a priority for most of the youkai around him. No war had been fought of this magnitude for centuries - he could not expect them to understand all that was required of them at once.

Sesshomaru found Akira chastising a group of youkai, and waited casually out of sight until he was through.

"Interesting manner of discipline, Akira. I do not have a similar patience for error."

The young commander took the compliment gravely, and gestured around him at the motions of youkai who had been assigned to make the camp look more like the headquarters for an army, and less like the battlefield after the war.

"I was tempted to be harsher on them, but very of them have experience in any sort of combat other than what one comes across in day to day living."

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow.

"They are very much a peace-time group - but the instinct for battle is there - they will know the essentials of what to do."

His eyes glinted wickedly, and he let enough volume and venom drip into his voice so that he was easily heard by the youkai around them, half of whom seemed unsure as to whether they should fall on their faces and beg for mercy or run away.

"I must meet with the other lords to form strategy for our offense. When I return in three days time, if this…army…is not an army, I will see to its training - personally."

The look in his eyes and the unsubtle clenching of his claws brought quiet down across the entire encampment, and Akira was the only one left grinning, knowing full well that the intention of Sesshomaru's words had been recognized. Akira noticed at once that the pace of motion around them picked up slowly, a military precision growing in Sesshomaru's presence. Surprisingly, the demon lord frowned, watching the impetus of fear go to work among his soldiers.

"They are afraid of me now. That is unfortunate."

Akira followed Sesshomaru into the makeshift tenet that contained a series of maps and strategic counts, and looked at the Taiyoukai frankly.

"Forgive me if I assume too much, Lord Sesshomaru, but to the casual observer it has always been seen that you prefer for others to fear you, rather than otherwise. Yet your reaction to the terror of your soldiers was less than positive. Has something changed?"

Sesshomaru stared directly into the youkai commanders eyes, and was pleased to note no change in his scent.

"Good. You do not fear me. You are correct in you assumptions, as well as your observations. My mate has changed somewhat my…outlook on life - fear is not always the best of reactions."

He frowned.

"However…it can be a good motivator, especially among soldiers. I do not want thme to fear me, but neither do I wish them to believe that their lack of discipline will be excused, and met by an equal lack of discipline. Therefore, I choose a small amount of fear now, that they will temper into respect after battle."

Akira accepted the psychology behind Sesshomaru's words, and his eyes brightened with new respect.

"I do not require battle to respect you, Lord Sesshomaru, but they will see that you do not lead them from safety, and that will count much with them."

Sesshomaru nodded.

"I made a wise choice. Your father served as a commander for my father in several skirmishes with the South - he was capable as well, from what I remember. What is your claim of kinship with the Lords of the West?"

Akira stood straighter, and his eyes filled with solemn pride.

"I am the second son of the Lord InuTaisho's second sister, by her first mate. IT was by this right of birth that I came to rule over this village, though I fell from the favor of my family when my mother took her second mate."

Sesshomaru was not surprised.

"We are closer related than I thought, cousin. What manner of youkai inhabit the village under your rule?"

Akira came down from attention, and ticked them off on his claws.

"There are a few InuYoukai, not as many as earlier days, but they are the ones that rank under me and perform the business of providing what is needed for the settlement. There is an assortment of others - a clan of snake youkai, a group of Oni who came each separately but have joined together, three clans of panther youkai, and some who wandered clanless and stayed to avoid the penalty of death for trespassers."

Sesshomaru was impressed with Akira's knowledge of his demesne, though he said nothing, and turned his thoughts to strategy.

"In numbers, the fighting strength of those under your rule and their training."

Akira caught the switch from casual questioning to strategic planning, and he answered with military smartness.

"Four hundreds and sixty, garrison trained. I chose not to leave a defensive force at the garrison village. The dragons are cowards and will attack in force - a few defenders in a lone village would mean nothing."

Sesshomaru nodded.

"Hopefully, others will make the same decision. Now, the number who can be expected from every settlement in my lands."

Akira unrolled a map marked in blue ink, and his fingers danced across an abacus.

"From the Northern border to the village of Mori, garrison trained youkai number five thousands. From the Southern border to the same village, garrison trained youkai number seven thousands. Of the Army of the West, numbered twelve thousands in total, thirteen hundreds have so far joined the original group that journeyed with me from my garrison village. Therefore, nearly eighteen hundreds are assembled here."

Sesshomaru nodded, and pointed to a spot on the map.

"The village of Mori is nearly in the direct center of my lands, it was wise to use it as the point for separation - but what is the approach for these two groups?"

Akira drew two long, curving lines across the parchment, and gestured to the space between them.

"The forces from the South are expected by sundown - runners reached us this morning. They are expecting a few stragglers, but that entire force will be ready for inspection and assembly by sunrise. The force coming from the North is more distant, and is expected to arrive by sunset tomorrow, but they will arrive in one group, according to the latest reports. By sunrise two days hence, you will have a fighting force of twelve thousands at your command."

"Good. See to it that some are selected for weapons distribution in the morning. At dawn there will be stocks of such laid down before the castle gates."

"Lord Akira!"

A runner ran straight into Sesshomaru, and fell backwards onto the floor, panting heavily and eyes widened in sheer terror when he recognized the face of the person he had run into .

"Lord Sesshomaru! Please forgive your humble servant, I was not aware you had entered the camp."

Sesshomaru waved him off.

"Coming with such speed, you must bring a message of urgency. What is the news?"

The youkai knelt haphazardly at Sesshomaru's feet, and the Taiyoukai noticed the same tell tale signs that had marked out Akira to his eyes, and he raised an eyebrow.

"One of yours, cousin?"

Akira nodded with pride.

"My youngest son, Histaru. Histaru, report!"

"Lord Sesshomaru, I was sent to watch in the East for the approach of Lord Atawai's forces, but the Lord of the East is nowhere to be seen."

Sesshomaru stared down at him.

"Then why have you returned?"

"The army of the dragon clans is on the move!"

Dead silence fell over the makeshift camp, and those ears which were to far away to hear what had been said even as youkai were soon informed in hushed whispers by their comrades. Sesshomaru's eyes burned, and Akira took a step backwards, respectfully acknowledging a warning to others near that danger was coming. Sesshomaru spoke, quiet and controlled, his a voice a hissing whisper, shutting out the youkai who stood outside from hearing the remained of Histaru's report.

"Army of dragon youkai? What foolishness is this?"

Young though he was, Histaru stood to confront the Taiyoukai on more equal footing, his father's courage evident in his stance.

"I have seen them with my own eyes, Lord Sesshomaru, and they are not just dragon youkai. They are commanded by dragons, but others have joined them. I would estimate their strength at this moment at twenty five thousands. There were not so strong when I left, but more were gathering. It is possible that Lord Atawai has been delayed in his lands because of the size of this force."

He knelt again, and Sesshomaru observed him shrewdly, coming to a quick decision.

"If that force approaches from the East, they will cut off that half of my forces which are approaching from the North. Atawai may be delayed, or he may have been destroyed, but we must leave him out of our calculations for the moment. The strategy meeting with the other lords will have to take place without me; this is more important. Kouga and six thousands of wolf youkai approach from the South - that scent is unmistakable. I will converse with him, and then I will go myself to command the force in the North. Akira, it is likely that the army of dragons will arrive here first, in an attempt to destroy the Western army. It is a war dictated by council, but I am the enemy they are after. With the addition of Kouga's forces, you will be able to hold them long enough for me to break through their line from behind."

Akira nodded once, quickly, and Sesshomaru sped off to find Kouga. The wolf prince ran at the head of his troops, a motley collection of wolf youkai, bristling with weaponry and with battle light in their eyes. Kouga saw Sesshomaru standing alone in front of their swift moving column, and stopped the youkai behind him with a gesture, moving forward to approach Sesshomaru alone.

"Lord Sesshomaru. I was not expecting you to meet us. I am…honored by the reception."

A low growl escaped Sesshomaru's control, and he gestured curtly. Kouga followed him away from the curiously listening ears of his clan, wary of the Taiyoukai's intentions.

"Kouga."

"Sesshomaru."

"I will make this brief. In approximately three days, sooner if they move quickly and do not rest nights, an army of twenty five thousands under the control of the dragon lords will attack here. By sunrise two days from now seven thousands of my force will be gathered here; a further half of my army is caught on the other side of the dragon army. The addition of your forces makes defense of this place feasible."

Kouga absorbed this information in a minor state of shock, and visualized the approach to the castle of the West.

"Wait a minute; what about Atawai? You are reckoning without the armies of the Eastern Lands."

"With good reason. We have had runners posted since the first troops arrived - all that appeared in the East was the dragon's army. If Atawai has not been destroyed, he is completely cut off from us, along with half of my army. If Kinawai doesn't hurry, he will be cut off as well. My intention is to go myself to take command of the remaining half of my army, and join with Atawai and Kinawai, if they are there. Either way, I will arrange an offensive to break their line, and join the two halves of my army. Is this acceptable?"

"Yes. What arrangements have you made for the portion of your youkai that will remain here?"

"Akira is my commander, he has full control of them. If you wish to plan strategy, it is he you should talk to."

He moved as if to leave, but Kouga called after him.

"Sesshomaru, is Kagome safe?"

The demon lord growled deeply, but Kouga ignored it, clenching his fists.

"Kagome, Sesshomaru. Is she safe?"

"She is. I would not allow her near such a battle as this."

Kouga could tell from his tone that asking where she was would be pointless, but he decided then and there that certain things had changed, and he might as well accept them.

"Go to her, Sesshomaru, wherever she is. It will be some time before you are able to see her again and she would want to know what you are doing."

His eyes burned brightly, and Sesshomaru noticed this, nodding.

"I will go to her, you are correct in her wishes. Inform Akira that I will have joined the other half of the army within three days time."

Kouga nodded, but Sesshomaru was already gone.