InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Demon Slayer Sango ❯ Chapter 21 ( Chapter 21 )

Chapter 21

 

Hazy smoke blinded the youkai commander as he neared the ridge leading into the mountains. 'They have been at work...good,' thought Jitsuo. He stroked his scraggly beard and surveyed the situation. Groups of inu demons huddled around campfires, either gorging themselves on the latest plunder or receiving instruction from their commanders for the coming assault on the next village.

 

Since rejoining the main body of the rebel army, Noguro and Jitsuo had done their best to sustain a spirit of combat and bloodlust among the warriors by regularly delivering speeches aimed at inflaming a collective sense of injustice among the rebels. Jitsuo found an old tree stump on which to raise himself so that he could be seen by the crowds of youkai fighters. Noguro stood at his side, faithfully punctuating his master's words with a dramatic shake of the head or wave of his fist.

 

"Who gets the best land, my brothers? Is it you?"

 

"NO!!"

 

"That is right! Those lapdogs who kowtow to Sesshomaru have snapped up the best and most fertile lands for themselves-- at best they throw us the scraps or make us work their fields for them! Treating us as they would the worst human dregs! Will we continue to stand for this?!"

 

"NO!!"

 

"Will we take what is ours?!"

 

"YES!!"

 

"Will we destroy those dogs who stand in our way?!"

 

"YES!!"

 

And so on into the night. Raiding local storehouses, Jitsuo kept his men supplied with food and alcohol-- plundering had become a matter of course for the band of rogue demons. Settlements across the countryside, human and youkai shuddered hearing the shouts and speeches and raucous behavior emanating from the woods. All prayed to the gods for deliverance from the pillaging and destruction they had heard was the lot of other unfortunate villages.

 

"Jistuo-sama, we are near the mountain where the witch Koto lives," said Noguro.

 

"Yes. I suppose we must pay the old hag a visit...she has the weapon we need to defeat Sesshomaru once and for all."

 

"Will she give it to us, master? We don't have the child yet-- or Tensaiga."

 

"We will see. Come Noguro-- tell these dogs to camp for the night; tomorrow we take the next village. After that meet me at the base of the mountain."

 

"Yes, master."

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

"Sesshomaru-sama. The lances and swords are ready. They have been training diligently-- double shifts in some cases.

 

"Any drinking? Carousing?"

 

"The men have been sobered up, for the most part." This was no time for drunkenness among the soldiers. At times they were given to debauchery when not actively engaged in war-related pursuits, and Sesshomaru meant to head off any problems before they could take root. He now walked among the ranks of his warriors who were assembled in the fields beyond the palace, and he cast a sharp eye on those assembled. Serious business would soon ensue, for he would call on them once again to defend their homeland and heritage. The demon lord wanted to remind them what they were fighting for and also to invoke the memory of his late and beloved father, the dog demon Inutaisho. Standing before the grave-looking warriors, he spoke in a low but firm voice.

 

"Inuyoukai. Once again we are called to fight for what is ours, as we did after the death of Inu no Taisho. We are required to defend the Western lands, to maintain her integrity, to save her from ruin. As you know a group of traitorous dogs led by the cur Jitsuo has decided to seek war against this authority. He and his men intend to overthrow us, to destroy our home and our traditions and install their own selves at the head of our people." Grumbles of disapproval. He paced among them. "We will give them what they want, a fight, and we will prevail. Our task is to meet this threat directly and eliminate it. Destroy those who seek to end our way of life, the way of life of our fathers. Do as my father the commander Inutaisho would have bid you-- accept nothing less than victory." The mention of the late general's name made many stand straighter. The memory of such a powerful historical figure instilled an automatic sense of fighting pride in the assembled warriors.

 

"Go now, and know that the good will of our people follows you-- your mates, your children, your kinfolk." A brief pause. "And this Sesshomaru." He stepped back, and Ryuchi gave a signal. The collected hordes of warriors marched away to set off into the forest to meet the renegade inuyoukai in battle.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

They swept in from the left. Several dozen gruff, heavily armored youkai moved in tight formation to close steadily on the target village. Hand signals and brief grunts separated the group into smaller detachments and these then fanned out to surround the settlement.

 

"Taijiya-sama, did you hear that?" asked one of the village farm wives.

 

"No, what do you mean?" She looked up. Sango was called to this village some half-a-day's march from her own that morning to investigate a possible infiltration of its storehouse by mysterious oni. Now she stood outside the headman's hut waiting to confer with the leader about the situation. Recognizing her armor, a farm wife had approached Sango after hearing crashing noises coming from the near bushes.

 

"I heard something-- maybe it was the oni!"

 

"I understood that they were probably trapped inside the storehouse-- Perhaps a more a thorough look around the village is needed...I will investigate, don't worry." She tried to calm the frantic looking woman.

 

"It might have it escaped! There is something out there, slayer!" Her eyes grew wide with terror as she stared. "Oh! Look--" The woman pointed to the near woods. Sango followed the direction of her gesture and gasped to suddenly see several very rough, very dangerous looking youkai fanning out around the perimeter of the village.

 

"Damn! Those are inu demons! Get to your houses!" shouted Sango, running to get Kirara. "Go Kirara! Get above them!"

 

Obeying her friend, the neko youkai rose high above the village with the taijiya on her back. Sango raised Hiraikotsu and took aim at the leading pack of demons who were just about to set fire to one of the huts in order to drive the occupants out and steal their belongings.

 

"Hiraikotsu!" She let it fly, and the giant boomerang took out two rebel youkai in a swift, hard blow. "Good Kirara!" Sango used her weapon again to attack another group who had come in and grabbed the children of one frantic woman, holding them hostage while their comrades emptied the family hut of belongings.

 

"Put them down!" Shouted Sango. She raised her weapon, pointing it at the gruff looking inuyoukai.

 

"What is this, a fighting girlie? You'd best mind yourself wench and get away."

 

"I said put them down!" She swung Hiraikotsu and knocked the sneering demon away from the frightened children who then ran to take shelter in their mother's arms.

 

"What the hell! You will pay for that you meddling wench!" growled the demon. Coming after her with spear raised, Sango defended the blow with her katana and stepped back.

 

"Leave these villagers alone! They have done nothing to earn your wrath!"

 

"Shut up wench! What business is it of yours! You will die today!" He lunged again, this time moving with lightning fast speed-- youkai were capable of physical feats that far surpassed the abilities of humans. Being an experienced youkai fighter, however, Sango was ready for him. She somersaulted out of his range, turned and thrust her katana at his midsection. It caught him and ripped a wound just below his armor beneath the arm. The inu warrior howled and collapsed. Sango turned to find the next source of danger.

 

Away on a ridge, two young men with bamboo sticks were attempting to fight off the deadly assault of five inu demons wielding swords and spears. Sango rushed to help, and swung Hiraikotsu to knock two of the youkai unconscious with one blow.

 

"Taijiya! Behind you!" Sango turned just in time to avoid the swooping cut of a sword that would have sliced her in two, hefted by a particularly large and rough looking demon. He sneered at her. Sango thought him familiar.

 

"Meddle in our affairs will you, demonslayer? You will pay with your life!"

 

"Leave these people alone," she half ordered, half begged. "They have done nothing to you...they just want to live peacefully, to gather their crops and raise their children. Why must you come and destroy them? Besides, I thought your feud was with Sesshomaru and the central authority. These people have done nothing to you..." A flash of recognition came to her mind. "Wait-- I remember you..." Sango recalled the ugly features of this particular demon. He had been there the night she escaped to Inuyasha's village from the inuyoukai palace-- this was one of the youkai who tried to steal Takeo. "Jitsuo!"

 

"I remember you as well, human... you are the wench who smells of that cur Sesshomaru..." Jitsuo wondered then as now what connection this female had to his arch enemy. He sniffed the air. Pregnant as well? Grimacing, he spat out "Here is his whore, then...Sesshomaru's bedwarmer...The bastard must have got over his distaste for human flesh."

 

Ignoring his insults, she spoke slowly, menacingly. "He will kill you, Jitsuo. If I don't do it first..."

 

"Bwah! I'd like to see you try it, little girl. No one will keep us from our goal. The tyrant will fall and we will take what is rightfully ours. Not even you can stop that with your formidable human strength, my dear." He spoke sarcastically and slung his sword down at his side, making a distinct show of disrespect for the opponent standing before him. Looking her up and down in a predatory gaze that spoke of unfulfilled hunger, he spoke in an oily, raspy voice. "Hmmm, that dog does have good taste, I must give him that. You are a fetching little piece of human ass aren't you? I wouldn't mind having a taste myself..." He licked his lips. Sango felt her skin crawl and wanted to wretch, but instead raised her katana in a defensive stance.

 

"Get out of here, Jitsuo. Leave these people alone. Take your men and go."

 

"You will make me do that, whore of a demon? I'd like to see you try." He chuckled and waited. Sango took a deep breath. 'What else can I do? I can't let him ravage these people...I have to do something!' She looked around. Kirara was out of sight, and about six rebel inu began to surround her. Before they could close in she swung at Jitsuo who easily evaded the attack. He countered with a savage blow to her temple with his fist. The last thing Sango remembered was seeing Kirara rushing away. 'Yes, Kirara. Tell him. Tell him there is trouble.' Then the world went black.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

"What have you for me, inu demon?" asked Koto. The craggly old form of the ancient witch sat huddled in blankets as she rested before a blazing fire inside her cave. Jitsuo and Noguro came forward, eager to claim that which would ensure their victory. Whispy hair stuck in clumps to her face, and her skin resembled the gray, weatherbeaten bark of an aged tree trunk.

 

"We will have much for you, old hag. Just give us the weapon."

 

The old woman laughed derisively. "You think me a fool? I will give you nothing until I have the child and Tensaiga...have you the pup of the hanyou? Or the healing sword?"

 

Jitsuo had been expecting this. "Crone, we cannot give you the sword until we kill Sesshomaru. We need the weapon in order to do defeat him."

 

The witch looked up from her mass of blankets and stared with a rheumy eye at the youkai in front of her. "Do you know what that son of a dog did to me? Inutaisho? He shut me away in this mountain...to rot for eternity...He left me to suffer here alone!"

 

"What are you ranting about, old hag?"

 

She leaned forward. "You want to defeat the son. The current Lord of the West. I want to help you. But I cannot do it for free. I require payment."

 

"Do you want gold, witch? Grain?"

 

"Don't take me for a typical greedy mortal. What I want gives life. I want Tensaiga. And I want his blood. I want the child."

 

"We have something else...a female."

 

"Bah! What need have I for a woman? She is not of the bloodline of Inutaisho."

 

"No, but her pup will be...she is with child."

 

"She is pupped?" The old woman perked up noticeably. Jitsuo and Noguro exchanged glances and nodded at the old woman. "Is she his mate?" The pair shrugged.

 

"If she is his mate and Sesshomaru finds that you have her, your lives will be worth nothing."

 

"Another reason why we need the weapon. Look hag, we both want this son of a cur dead. Give us the weapon so you can get what you want! Give it to us!" He growled and took a step forward.

 

"Come any closer and you will be purified." To demonstrate her threat, the old witch held up a hand. A transparent barrier seemed to fall into place and Jitsuo and Noguro felt a strange nausea begin to overtake them, the effects of the purification spell.

"Bring this female to me. I want to inspect her. If she is as you say, pupped with the bloodline of Inutaisho-- then perhaps there will be a way."

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Sango awoke to a pounding in her head. It was dark wherever they had placed her, and she had to squint. Her arms felt heavy. She tried to move them but grimaced to find them bound tightly together in front of her body. The inu demons had sat her up against a stone wall, her ankles also bound with rope. In the dim light she could just barely make out far off in the distance what appeared to be an opening leading to the forest-- she was inside some type of cave.

 

'Dammit. What have I got myself into this time?. I hope the villagers weren't all killed. The poor children.' Sango shook her head. They always suffered the most. When parents died children usually had to fend for themselves, and if they did not starve to death many often ended up living lives of crime or prostitution. She realized with sadness the likelihood was slim that any adults survived the onslaught of the vicious rebels that morning. 'The central authority should be acting against this threat. Sesshomaru and his generals must know this is going on...' Sango wondered if Kirara had been successful in reaching the palace. Perhaps Sesshomaru was now aware of the degree of danger not only to her but also to himself and his lands. 'Gods I hope he knows,' she prayed.

 

"Taijiya. The witch wants to see you," grumbled Jitsuo who suddenly appeared from the shadows. Sango winced as he grabbed her arm and wrenched her into a standing position. Her stomach turned as she caught him leering at her body. "Mmmmm, you like demons, do you girl? I'll give you a better time than that cold bastard ever could..." He took his katana and sliced at the ropes binding her ankles so she could walk.

 

Sango twisted in his grasp. "Don't you touch me. I'll kill you. Or Sesshomaru will."

 

"Shut up and start walking." He shoved her forward. "I think I will have to teach you a lesson before all this is over. You will be a well-behaved little bitch by the time I am through with you, human whore. Do you know what I want to do?" He sidled up to her, uncomfortably close and half-whispered in her ear. Noguro cackled behind them. "I want to fuck the memory of that cur right out of your pretty little head...I'll do it too, bitch." he laughed snidely. Sango wanted to vomit. Eventually she stumbled into the presence of an ancient priestess and the in the light in the cave became brighter. The old hag was covered in a mass of dark, dirty looking coverings that looked like blankets. Sango cringed.

 

"Is this the wench," mumbled Koto. She looked up from her pile to see a wild-eyed Sango staring back, defiant. "Come closer girl." Sango did not stir and Jitsuo shoved her forward. A withered hand reached up to test the solidity of the figure in front of her. Drawing back, she closed her eyes to speak. "Yes...this one has been bedded by the Lord of the West. The blood of Inutaisho flows in her. She is pupped." Sango thought she could see a gleam in the old witch's rheumy eye and then felt her blood run cold when the old woman produced what looked like an enormous dagger-- a long, pointed steel blade glinting bright in the firelight.

 

"You will not take my baby! NO!!! I won't let you!!" Sango writhed under her bindings. It became clear what Jitsuo planned to do. He wanted to sell her unborn child to this old witch in return for help in destroying Sesshomaru.

 

"Well, do we have a deal?" he asked while ignoring Sango's cries.

 

"Hmph."

 

"What does that mean, crone." he said anxiously. Sango could not take her eyes off the dagger. The old woman began to transfer it back and forth between her wizened old hands.

 

"We will in eight months time...the pup isn't close to being whelped yet...either get me the child of the hanyou now or wait until this one is born. In the meantime, take this--" she tossed the dagger to Jistuo who grasped it by the blade. "It will assist you in your task. It was forged here in this mountain and will kill with one thrust. Even youkai are not immune to its deadly qualities."

 

"This is not the true weapon, hag!"

 

"Until I have what I want you can rot in hell!"

 

"Come on wench!" Jitsuo suddenly grabbed Sango by the arm and half dragged her from Koto. He spat over his shoulder at the old woman. "Until we get the weapon you will get nothing you rotten old crone! This bitch is mine, and I'm taking the dagger!" he sneered, slipping it inside his armor.

 

"Give me the blood of Inutaisho!" shouted the woman. She began to cackle, laughing maniacally as the pair retreated down another chamber in the cave. "Death to Inutaisho!!!" Sango winced in pain as her bindings cut into her flesh. He pulled her roughly along the passageway and then threw her to the ground, binding her ankles again. "Stay here bitch," he said and walked away with Norguro. Sango closed her eyes and pleaded. 'Sesshomaru! Where are you?...Gods rescue me!'