InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Silver turns to Red ❯ Chapter 5 - Fukai Mori ( Chapter 5 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha that privilege belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. I do however own Tara O'Connor and her dog Bran.

 

 

A thousand apologies my faithful readers for being so late in updating. It was a combination of slight writer's block, natural procrastination, trying over several days to figure out the overall plot of the entire story and then simply figuring out the plot of this one chapter - not to mention having to edit and revise it about 10 times before it was perfect enough for you wonderful people to read.

 

 

Chapter 5 -Fukai Mori

 

 

 

Leaping down the mountainside, his hair streams behind him like the silver tail of a comet, bounding from hilltop to hilltop, `til at last, he reaches the dense row of fir trees, surrounding the Blue Lake. He easily maneuvers past the living barrier, with nary a mark from the sharp foliage. Like a pale ghost, he silently emerges from the dark green wall, to look down upon the sight of an incredibly wide mountain lake. Obviously something, very large must have crashed into the earth in the far distant past, creating the deep crater where the lake now resides. Its usual crystal blue appearance is absent as it now reflects the grey storm clouds above. A cool breeze lightly brushes the watery surface, creating gentle swells that ripple outward to lap against the iced edge of the lake.

 

The lord takes a moment to sniff the air, searching for Rin's scent. Once he's found it, he follows the path she took in making sure her animal friends would survive the coming storm. He walks for several paces, before venturing back into the forest, and sees where she placed an extra covering of greenery around a wolf family's den. His eyes soften minutely, as he ponders his amazing little girl, who goes out of her way to take care of those who had hurt her in the past. He quickly moves forward several yards, to stop at the base of a large tree where a light dusting of snow shows the numerous crisscrossed markings of many tiny bird's feet. `Rin must have taken some seeds from the store room to feed the birds,' he silently muses. Staring at them for another moment reveals the deeper impression of a snow monkey's footprints. Taking a wider look around again he spies Rin's footprints no more than a foot away from where the snow monkey stood. `Did she actually feed the monkey from her hand?' He shakes his head at this unbelievable image, though he knows, with first hand knowledge, how remarkable an ability she has to pacify wild animals, practically making friends with every creature she meets. His face relaxes, just a little bit, as he remembers how she tried to take care of him, while he recuperated after being severely wounded from a battle with his half-brother. `She was so young when we first met, I believe she viewed me more as one of her wounded animals than as a dangerous youkai.' A loud `rustle' high above his head, intrudes upon his thoughts, just as a pile of snow falls to the ground, landing at his feet. Looking up, he sees a pair of snow monkeys, a mother carrying a young one on her back, leaping from branch to branch, confirming his earlier observations.

 

He continues onward in his search, following Rin's scent further into the dense forest. The broad evergreens, heavily dusted with a thick layer of snow, appear magnificent in the waning light. He only takes a moment to notice how she covered a tanuki's (raccoon dog) den with greenery, just like she did for the wolves. He has traveled almost a quarter of the way around the lake when a strong wind blows in from the other side, carrying with it the acrid scent of burned flesh, accompanied by the stench of a familiar enemy. His tall frame stills as his heart falters for a split second, recognizing another clue in the wind - the sharp aroma of Rin's fear. His eyes flash red, as his inner beast suddenly awakens. With a vicious growl he races southeast, using his fantastic speed, toward the disturbing smells.

 

Upon reaching the other side of the lake, he sees the earth and trees charred from the dragon's heated breath. Narrowing his eyes, he steps toward the blackened sand, `I only smell Ah-Un's burned flesh, not hers…good! Ah-Un must have protected her, but received severe burns in the process.' Breathing in, he can practically taste Rin's panic, causing him to expose his deadly fangs as his outraged beast snarls and batters violently against its mental cage. Taking a moment to collect his thoughts, he studies the different smells, determining that they were attacked only a few hours ago. He noticeably flares his nostrils, trying to pinpoint Rin's last location. `I can still smell her fear, faintly permeating the air high above my head…she's obviously riding Ah-Un to escape the dragon' he quickly deduces. This is further proven by the deep grooves, scarring the earth where Ah-Un's claws propelled him and Rin into the air; and the undisturbed snow that has begun to fill-in the tracks proves that they left hours ago.

 

His inner demon howls, demanding that he be set loose to adequately protect the pup from the vengeful enemy. His more rational side agrees with the beast therefore releases it, allowing it to take free rein of his mind as his body transforms into an extraordinarily large, white dog. He is easily twice the height of a horse and though obviously a dog, holds a feral quality usually reserved for wolves. The Lord still retains a commanding presence, that truly makes him appear otherworldly. Looking ahead, he sees stretching far into the distance, a trail of broken branches and scorched trees. Without wasting another second, he quickly gallops away through the thick forest, traveling southward, following the path of destruction.

 

 

**********

 

 

Hours have passed and night has fully descended upon the land and with it the temperature drops well below freezing. A great hound crests over a snowcapped hill amidst the swirling blizzard. Wading through knee deep snowdrifts, the wind whips past him, making his eyes painfully dry. He shivers slightly in the raging storm. `Rin will not survive long in this storm, now that she is alone. I found Ah-Un's body - or rather, what was left of it after that foul dragon vented his anger by thoroughly ripping him apart.' He lets out a frustrated howl as he once again tries to find his missing pup, but the ferocious blizzard has made it almost impossible to pinpoint Rin's location.

 

He takes a particularly hefty breath seeking to calm himself when he realizes that he is in his half-brother's forest. A small gleam of hope enters his eyes as he remembers something important his Father told him about long ago. `The Guardian's Heart, what the humans mistakenly call the Bone Eater's Well, is near here. It is an ancient place of protection and safety, and legend holds, it has a particular fondness for the royal family of the dog clan…I wonder if Ah-Un knew this and took her there? It is at least a destination worth trying.' Partly through scenting and partly from memory he makes his way through the dark trees, toward the ancient well. As he nears the edge of the clearing he is at last able to pick-up Rin's scent along with the faint traces of smoke. `She is very resourceful, this human of mine.' Taking another deep breath he detects another smell - that of a mature human female. `Perhaps this is not a bad occurrence since I do not detect Rin's fear on the wind. Whether it is the well or just coincidence, help has been offered and I thankfully welcome it.'

 

With renewed hope, he trudges through the packed snow until he enters the empty clearing, barely making out the dark silhouette of a primitive shelter, presumably covering the females. `It has snowed here more than in other areas I have searched. The snow is quite deep in the open field.' With an unexpected rush of exhilaration upon finding his lost pup he bounds through the snow, quickly reducing the distance between himself and his precious Rin. Crouching down and peering into the small opening at the side of the lean-to - he is barely able to push his snout into the hole. Taking a loud, deep whiff he determines that the occupants are still alive. He also observes that the older female has enfolded Rin in her lap and has them both wrapped warmly in her coat. Upon seeing the quickly dying flames of a fire, the huge dog hears a startled gasp and turns to see a now very alert young woman staring at him through piercing blue eyes.

 

When the pair of crimson canine eyes locks with the female's, her reaction startles them both. She bares her teeth and growls a fierce warning to stay away. The beast is taken aback by her bizarre behavior and wonders, `Why would a human react like a threatened inuyoukai female?' He then notices her slowly sneaking her arm behind her back as if reaching for a weapon, just as Rin peers over the edge of the coat crying joyfully, “Sesshoumaru-sama!” Wriggling free of the woman's embrace she crawls over and begins to lightly pet the great beast's muzzle, earning a pleased, yet sloppy, lick from her lord. The woman is absolutely stunned by the turn of events but soon recovers and respectfully bows her head, recognizing Rin's benefactor. He grunts curtly at her instantly accepting behavior as Rin crawls back into the warmth of the woman's body.

 

Slightly put out by Rin's disregard of his attention, he withdraws to further assess the situation. Determining that the shelter is too small for him to enter yet knowing that he can provide more heat than their puny fire, he knocks down the lean-to with a swift swipe of his forepaw. The young woman gives him an alarming, disbelieving glare as she curls more tightly around Rin - protecting her from the harsh winds. Before she truly starts to feel the cold, though, the great beast nudges its body between her back and the well, completely enveloping the two stranded humans. He lays his head next to Tara's side and drapes his bushy tail across them. They immediately feel an amazing amount of heat radiating from his body, warming them better than any furnace. The child trustingly falls asleep again as the tension slowly eases from the woman's taut body. Tara would be mortified if she realized that as she drifted to sleep herself she began to gently scratch behind the giant hound's ears, drawing a contented growl from the great beast. The gruff command to `go to sleep' only elicits a snort from her as she buries her face in his downy fur.

 

 

*********

 

 

`I can't believe I've been reduced to messenger bird', broods Bumox as he soars through the darkening sky. He curls his lips in disgust as he crests over the high peaks of the Dog Clan's winter home. He angrily reflects upon the dishonorable death of his father, Ryuukossei, at the paws of Toshiro, the late Lord of the Cur's Clan. He remembers watching his mother waste away from heartache after learning that her beloved would never return because he foolishly challenged the Dog Clan's leader. `I was just a hatchling when Toshiro ruined my family and thwarted the Dragon Clan's attempt to control the fertile Western Lands.' Drifting above the trees, he spots a small human girl and a young dragon, with the insignia of the Dog Clan upon his saddle, busily working by the lake. `Could the rumors be true? Does the feared Lord of the Western Lands indeed have an adopted human and a pet dragon? What an opportunity! I shall make him suffer as I have. Destroying someone he cares about is at least a start. This will prove that I should not be treated as a measly `carrier pigeon'. I am worth more than that, after all I am my father's son. he may have fallen in battle, but there is no denying he was a great warrior.' Swooping down toward the small child, he roars a terrible, raspy cry, “The Dog lord will rue the day he messed with my family!” The trees sway from the power of his descent and the earth quakes as he lands brutally upon the ground right in front of the terrified human. `She is too frighten to even move…it is pitiful how easily these humans can be killed.' Bumox rears his head back to unleash a raging inferno upon the petrified girl and as soon as the heated breath erupts from his throat his is surprised when the insufferable pet dragon leaps in front to shield her - taking the brunt of the scorching flames. With his seared flesh giving off steam in the cold air, he forces the human onto his back and quickly takes to the sky. `That disgusting excuse for a dragon…how dare he defy one of his own kind!' With an earth shattering screech he unfurls his wings, digs his claws into the ground and springs into the air to pursue his prey `until the ends of the earth if I have to.'

 

*********

 

Swooping through the air, Bumox trails the slowly dying dragon. `It won't be long now' he perceives as he tries to blast him again with a fireball. Just in time the dragon swoops down under the cover of the thick forest, backtracking somewhat behind Bumox. The adolescent dragon then sails upward, swerving to the far left. `So he decided to discard the human…it matters not, she will die soon enough' he thinks with a predatory gleam in his eyes. Pumping his wings faster he quickly overtakes the dying dragon and grabs him roughly between his powerful back claws, ripping his torso in half. He follows the corpse's downward spiral, crushing one of its heads as he lands hard on the ground. Swiveling toward the human's last known location, a cold, wet snowflake lands on his snout, right between his eyes. This single snowflake is soon followed by a score more causing the steely gray leviathan to visibly shiver. Growling in frustration, he notes the sun's waning position in the darkening sky, `Damn it! I'll never be able to out fly it now! I can tell from the quick shifting of the dark clouds that this storm is going to strike soon and when it does it will be ferocious. `I'll leave at dawn tomorrow, if the wind has died down enough to see. Surely my uncle would prefer I was safe, rather than have his missive delivered a few hours earlier.' With a disgruntled huff he glances at the human barely a mile away in a small clearing but decides not to waste his time, since the blizzard will quickly kill her for him. Rearing up on his hind legs to peer over the canopy of the trees, he sees, in the far distance, a small cave that will suffice for his temporary needs. With a great whoosh from his strong wings he sets out for the rocky haven to wait out the coming storm, satisfied with day's thrilling bonus.

 

 

**********

 

 

The sun descends behind the tall snowcapped peaks, bathing the land in ominous shadows while the wind howls past the illuminated opening of the huge cavern. A low rumble echoes off the earthen walls as an enormous dragon paces back and forth. His dark blue scaly hide shimmers in the flickering torch light. He often fixes his stormy sea green eyes upon the entrance, obviously expecting an arrival at any moment. His wings twitch in irritation, drawing the eye toward his partially missing right wing, the only part remaining being a portion of the wing bone sprouting out of his right shoulder. Finally he hears the steady flapping of his nephew's wings followed shortly by the loud plod of feet as Bumox enters the lair with a pleased look about him. The tardy messenger swiftly shakes the snow from his body, in a very canine like manner, leaving a sopping wet pool of snow at his feet.

 

`What is that overgrown lizard so happy about?' the older dragon grumbles to himself while directing a reproachful glare towards the youngster.

 

“You're late, nephew. I hope it was a worthwhile venture that kept you from your appointed duties.” Sharply motioning for Bumox to walk beside him down the long corridor towards Lord Vadim's chambers.

 

“It was, Uncle Furunami.” He replies, puffing out his chest slightly in anticipation of the praise he expects to receive. “I came upon that mongrel lord's pet human with only that sorry excuse for a dragon as protection. I decided to administer a little payback for the destruction of my family by killing the human female. That stupid dragon actually tried to save her but in the end I ripped him apart. There wasn't enough time to dispatch the human too so I decided to let the storm kill her for me. I had to wait for the skies to clear before continuing on my mission.”

 

Suppressing a frustrated groan, Furunami replies firmly, “You really need to stop starting your own fires, Bumox. How many times have I told you that you don't have the requisite knowledge gained from experience to make such momentous decisions on your own.”

 

The young dragon deflates somewhat under the stern scolding, but foolishly defends his actions, “Uncle, I would think you'd be happy that I weathered the storm safely and was able to inflict damage upon the Sesshoumaru-sama. Everyone knows how much you loath the ruler of the Dog Clan for the loss of your wing when you challenged his right to rule the Western Lands.”

 

The old dragon abruptly stops in his tracks, scraping his claws harshly against the stony floor, and emitting a terrifyingly deep rumble as he slowly turns a steely eyed gaze toward the now cowering braggart. He speaks not a word, his message is quite clear to his young nephew that he will not hesitate to strike him down for mentioning the deformity that cost him his warrior position in the Clan.

 

“My apologies Furunami-san, I meant no insult”, whispers Bumox.

 

He reaches over and, with his foreclaw, plucks the tightly wound scroll from his imbecilic relative's leather carrier and swiftly departs, leaving the cringing fool almost piddling on the floor.

 

 

*********

 

 

`That damn fool never does know when to keep his mouth shut!' Furunami thinks angrily as he knocks upon the door of his lord's private chambers. Upon hearing the command to enter he steps in to the surprisingly simple office. It is perhaps the one truly secure place in a dwelling where sound carries throughout the many caves and caverns. Making secrecy extremely difficult. Therefore it is only here that either of them feel secure enough to discuss the plans for seizing the lands to the west.

 

Lord Vadim sits at a large rosewood desk near the hearth on the far side of his spacious room. Though having the slender build of the native dragons, his dark, cranberry red scales glisten in the light of the roaring fire. The flames reflect in his coal black eyes, giving him a fiercely intimidating appearance. Holding his massive wings elegantly to catch the warmth of the flames, he beckons Uncle Furunami to recline upon the large silky pillows strewn in front of his desk. With a final swish of the ink brush he sets aside the tedious duties he loathes and welcomes his oldest and most trusted advisor.

 

“Do you have the reply we've been anxiously awaiting, Uncle?” Vadim asks with a hopeful smile.

 

“Yes, Sir; Bumox was successful in returning, though I apologize for his tardiness.”

 

Interrupting with a shrug of one of his wings, the red dragon reaches for the scroll. “What does my childish, bastard brother have to say about his late arrival?” The Lord asks resignedly.

 

“The storm is, of course, some of his excuse but he would have been here last night if he hadn't stopped to dole out a little revenge on my behalf I'm afraid.”

 

Letting out a longsuffering groan, Vadim states “What has he done now? If I have to get

him out of more trouble I'll be tempted to post him to permanent guard duty in the high tower. Send him in. I want to hear directly from the great bungler himself,” he orders.

 

With the defiant look and body language of a spoiled child, Bumox enters the inner chamber he has seldom seen. Giving his half-brother a sketchy salute the dark gray dragon stand, to attention, awaiting the expected lecture.

 

“At ease, Bumox. Tell me of this vengeance our uncle says you decided to act upon”, Lord Vadim asks in a deceptively calm voice.

 

Surprise flickers in the dull eyes, `I knew attacking our enemy's friends was a good idea.' With a cocky smile he launches into his epic battle with the cur's ferocious dragon and simpering human pet.

 

“…and then that foolish dragon dropped the screaming human and came at me with teeth barred and claws extended. I defended our family with bravery and honor. With one swipe of my claws I rent him in two. The storm overtook me during the fight so it wasn't until the next morning that I could search for the girl. It was then that I came upon the Great Dog himself. He was transformed into his huge, white canine form which made it difficult for me to see him against the snowy landscape. In fact, if it hadn't been for the fiery color of his female companion's hair, I may not have noticed them at all. The child and the woman rode on the beast's back. I deemed it more prudent to return with your message than battle the uncouth mutt.” He finishes his narration in a splendid flourish as his wildly gesticulating claws return to his side awaiting his lord's praise for his heroism.

 

Lord Vadim speaks in a cold commanding voice, annunciating each word without a trace of the anger boiling just under his skin. “So you decided to abandon your mission, attack an unarmed human child - who is under Sesshoumaru-sama's personal protection, and then proceeded to strike one of our own kind - subsequently causing his death.” Hardening his voice even more he asks, “Is this correct, brother?”

 

Bumox's blood begins to freeze as his brother tallies off each deed, he once again realizes that he will never be able to measure-up to his older half-brother, the supreme ruler of the Dragon Clan.

 

Yet his foolish pride refuses to allow him to admit defeat even when it is inevitable. Fumbling over his words he replies, “Ah….yeah?!” Turning to his uncle, “I thought you would appreciate what I did. There wasn't anybody around to ask and you're always telling me to think for myself.”

 

Not even able to look him in the eye, Furunami replies as if he were speaking to a three-year old hatchling and not a three hundred year old mature dragon, “You misunderstand…again, Bumox. I ask, why can't you think for yourself. I'm not actually telling you to do it.”

 

Vadim stops his brother before he makes the situation even worse for himself and truly gets on their uncle's bad side.

 

“Tell me about this woman you saw. I don't remember hearing anything about Sesshoumaru-sama consorting with a human female, except for his young ward that is. Perhaps she is the young one's nanny?” Vadim ponders aloud.

 

“She didn't look like any nanny I've known. She had long red hair and her clothes were like none a woman is allowed to wear. She had on men's pants and I believe she had a shield strapped to her back. That is not like a nanny, or any female we've ever encountered, right?”

 

Blowing out an exasperated breath, Vadim instructs his brother to return to his quarters with orders not to leave until further notice.

 

After sending Bumox away, Vadim settles back on the cushions lining the floor and reaches for the belatedly delivered message still resting upon the desk. He quickly unfurls it and reads the document. A puzzled look comes over his face. Upon completing the message he hands it over to his Lieutenant Counselor saying, “What do you make of this?”

 

Furunami quickly reads the message and with a rather blank expression on his shadowed face speaks, “It seems we are needed. The demands from Naraku do not appear difficult, but I would advise you to study his request thoroughly. I cannot see how the capture of a mere mortal would be worth the aid he is promising to us. And what is the significance of this poem?” He stares into the fire with a far away expression to his eyes. “It reminds me of a story I heard as a young dragon. But I know there is more to it than just this one verse.” Furunami places the scroll on the desk and sits down. The scroll unwinds slightly revealing a small cryptic verse:

 

With Royal Hounds abides

the flame of tomorrow.

Her touch is supreme,

ere the ancient stone awakens.

 

“You do realize, Counselor, that the woman our dimwitted kinsman saw could very well fit this description.” Pausing for a moment he pointedly asks, “You believe there is more to this prophecy?”

 

“My brain is telling me that I have heard this tale before and I think it was much longer. Of course at my age, I could be mistaken, Sir.”

 

Vadim looks at him disbelievingly and then begins to chuckle lightly saying, “So the impossible has occurred. You have actually forgotten something - and a potentially important something at that. Hopefully this poem has been recorded. I will look in the library. I haven't been in the ancient manuscripts section since the days with my old tyrant of a tutor.”

 

“Would you like some company?” subtly queries the old dragon.

 

As they walk towards the ancient library, Furunami reasons quietly to himself, `I need to find that poem. I know there is more to it and I feel it is very important. This could work to my advantage. One never knows when an opportunity arises that will be useful in my plan to destroy the Dog Lord.'

 

The walk to the chamber containing the Dragon Kingdom's ancient history is so well prized that it is held in the Royal Family's own private quarters. There is always a fire burning to keep the dampness from destroying the fragile treasures. A guard is posted as well, for more immediate protection and supervision. Receiving his customary salute from the guard, Lord Vadim begins staring at the vast array of stored information lining the innumerable shelves and cupboards.

 

“Where are we to begin, Furunami? I admit I'm a bit overwhelmed.”

 

“I can see us searching for weeks in this maze,” he calmly answers.

 

Hearing the lack of interest in his Uncle's voice the young Lord gives his old advisor a penetrating look, and quietly questions, “Do you have any suggestions? Do you remember who may have told you or better yet do you know who wrote this poem? If we know who composed it than we can go to where his books are kept.”

 

Deciding not to share information until he investigates further, yet not wanting to be caught in a lie, the embittered councilor answers only one query. “I don't remember where I heard the legend or who told it to me. I'm sorry I can't help you in that way. Let me think on it for a while my Lord. Maybe it will come back to me.”

 

With a small sigh, the Red Dragon gracefully steps toward a row of manuscripts he believes to be the oldest, but soon after studying a few random scrolls he gives up with a disgusted huff.

 

“It is absolutely futile for me to waste my time perusing book randomly in the hope of finding one tiny poem. I will call upon the Head Librarian in the morning for his expertise in this matter.” Turning abruptly from the bookcase he steps purposefully towards his dependable, old advisor speaking in an authoritative voice, “You are correct, Furunami, there is most certainly more to Naraku's offer than this simple task, and I mean to find that out before I make an alliance with him.”

 

Giving the guard a friendly nod, Vadim invites Furunami to share the evening meal with him as they return to the mundane routine of the day.

 

 

************

 

 

Late that night Furunami returns to the library. A different guard is at post to open the door for the Lieutenant Counselor. He promptly strolls up to a particularly old chest. Inside is a thin, brittle ancient scroll which he removes with expert care. Delicately unwinding the rare yellowed paper he scans it hastily and with an evil gleam warming his sinister green eyes, stuffs it into a hidden pocket and quietly exits the room, leaving the guard to wonder what could be so important in the middle of the night. Whatever it is, it surly didn't take long and if the skills he has developed over the years in the Lord's service are not failing him, there was an air of subterfuge surrounding the Lt. Counselor. `I wonder if I should report this to my supervisor,' he ponders apprehensively.

 

 

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I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did and I'll see y'all in 2 weeks with the next chapter. R&R please!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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