InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Free Wind ❯ Chapter Five ( Chapter 5 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

It was just a hint of smell. He had sought the scent so often in the past perhaps he was just imagining it. He stopped, lifting his head to the breeze to confirm that it was not real.

“Lord Sesshoumaru, are their villains on the path?” Jaken said nervously.

The scent was so familiar, but it was different. Something was missing from it, while a new layer had been added. Resigned, he knew he would investigate.

“Jaken, stay with Rin,” giving his servant no time to answer, he leapt through the tree’s.

It was late afternoon, and the sun had begun it’s fiery descent into the clouds in the west. Yet the scent he was picking up was dew, morning dew as it glinted on fragrant blossoms. Yes, he knew this scent. The darkness and rot that used to lace through it, though, that he could not detect. This gave him hope. Sesshoumaru ignored the unbidden emotions flooding through him. Ignored them and shoved them into his locked box even as he ran full speed.

He came upon the clearing just as the sun burst through the low clouds to shine it’s dying rays onto the large boulder. The scent, her scent, was strong here. He could also detect the weak smell of a human and a yokai.

Taiyokai, an inu as well, he thought. A new emotion burst into his chest, one he had felt only once before when his father had betrayed him. Why would she return only to seek out another demon? He brushed these thoughts aside, they would not do.

Is she trying to defeat me? Is this mysterious Taiyokai an enemy she has sought out to overthrow me? She must still be in league with Naraku. This has been to be one of the filthy hanyou’s plots to break me. He will not succeed. The anger soothed Sesshoumaru. Anger was an emotion he knew and understood, unlike the strange burning in his chest.

He strode into the cave. His eyes widened in shock before he wiped his expression clean once more. He had never been here before, but he had heard rumors. He was sure this was the cave where the shikon no tama was first forged.

The scent of the human and dog demon was stronger here. They were gone now, and only a corpse of a different demon was left, the scent of decay growing stronger by the moment.

He returned to the clearing, allowing her scent to bathe him. There was supposed to be a statue of the taijiya woman and the demon she had sealed in the cave. The story had spread across the land centuries ago, he was sure. Demons had attacked humans without mercy, trying to find where the legendary jewel had been hidden. His own father had gone to destroy the lesser youkai that had been attacking the human settlements. Of course, he had done so under the ruse he was searching for Sesshoumaru’s grandfather.

His grandfather. The scent of the demon had been vaguely familiar as well. Sesshoumaru quickly dismissed the thought before it could be formed. His grandfather had died centuries before. Killed protecting the humans he had loved more than his own kind. A mistake his father had repeated. He, Sesshoumaru, would not continue that legacy.

A scream shook Sesshoumaru from his reverie. Fear lanced through him. He knew that voice, it was Rin! Forgetting the past he launched himself to the spot where he had left his companions.

The scene that greeted him upon his return caused his blood to boil. His eyes bled crimson as his demon sought control. Jaken was in a heap at the bottom of a tree, thrown there when he had sought to protect Rin. The demon held the girl in his massive palm.

“You dare harm those under the protection of this Sesshoumaru?”

The beast turned toward the voice, it’s sharp teeth glistening as it grinned. What the beast had been before, Sesshoumaru could not tell, but the scent of Naraku was on it now. “You were saving this morsel for yourself then?” the demon said, running a claw along Rin’s jaw. The girl did not jerk away, even as blood welled to the surface where the claw had passed.

“Sesshoumaru-sama! I knew you would come!” She shouted joyfully. “Put me down! Sesshoumaru-same will kill you!” She began to beat on the demon ineffectually. Sesshoumaru ignored the pride he felt for the girl. He had always thought humans weak, but his Rin was always brave.

He launched himself at the demon, sending his whips from his fingertips across the legs of the beast. The demon lowered Rin, using her as a shield, but Sesshoumaru was faster. He would not use his poison until he had wrested the child from the beast first.

“Naraku informed me you had a weakness for the girl. I thought he must be mistaken, but I see he was not,” the demon cackled.

His hand went for Tokijin, momentarily forgetting the sword was no longer on his hip. His fingers closed on Tenseiga. He could not chance opening the meidou and losing Rin to hell. Why did these demons always have to talk while he was killing them? Did they think they could distract him? Laughable.

The demon licked the wound on Rin’s cheek. Sesshoumaru let his anger wash over him, beginning his transformation into his full form.

“If you enter your dog form I will kill the girl even as you kill me,” the demon sneered, squeezing Rin in his grasp. Sesshoumaru snarled, how dare Naraku’s pawn
Tell him what to do. Yet he knew the demon was right, and he was not ready to take that chance.

“Hiding behind a human girl is despicable,” he said.

The demon laughed, “Caring about the life of the wretch is more so.”

Sesshoumaru sought to distract the demon while looking for his opening, “To what purpose are you being Naraku’s serving boy, demon?”

The beast growled in rage, “I belong to no one! I am Fuzen, and I am more powerful than you are, dog!” In his anger he threw Rin aside.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. Time seemed to slow as his choices flashed before him, take this chance to deliver a killing blow to the demon, or catch Rin before she hit the ground in a fall that was sure to injure if not kill her.

Rin’s scream decided for him. He was not ready to lose the child yet. Turning in midair he eluded Fuzen’s grasp and had Rin in the safety of his arms. Before he could release her and dispose of the demon, Fuzen sent a mighty blow across Sesshoumaru’s back. He curled his body around the child as he crashed into a boulder head first. Blackness toyed at the edges of his vision as he felt his body begin to heal. He heard the demon moving toward him. It would be a moment before he could move, and he did not have a moment.

He must save Rin. He did not doubt he would survive this battle, but he would still lose if the child perished. His voice screamed silently in his head as he willed his body to move, “Save Rin!”

Midoriko had passed out and Inuwarai fell to his knees. It took Kagura a moment to realize her companions had fallen behind. When she had returned to them, Midoriko was stirring, a hand to her chest as Inuwarai pulled himself to his feet. “What happened?” Kagura demanded.

“I felt as though I was being pulled and stretched,” Midoriko gasped as Inuwarai helped her up.

“It was a summon I could not refuse. I tried to fight it, and lost my strength for a moment,” he elaborated. Midoriko nodded her head.

A summons? Kagura thought. What would be summoning them? As far as she knew, she was the only one aware that they had recently returned to the land of the living. Only one thing would have the ability to summon her friends, and that would be the parts of their souls still in the jewel. Comprehension lit on her face.

Inuwarai gave her a hard look, “What are you thinking, witch?”

Kagura returned his gaze, “A jewel shard must be close. We should follow it.”

They had spent the afternoon trailing the shard. Neither the human nor the dog seemed to be suffering any more weakness now that they were in pursuit of the jewel. “I hear fighting ahead,” Inuwarai yelled, picking up Midoriko and speeding ahead.

They stopped just out of sight of the sounds of battle. Inuwarai was just beginning to inch ahead a see what awaited them when a gust of wind burst through the leaves and hit Kagura in the chest. Sesshoumaru! she thought, the wind finally bringing her the information she had sought. Why now, though, she thought, Why now unless… “Sesshoumaru!” She screamed, turning into the free wind a whipping towards the battle.

They arrived just as Sesshoumaru crashed into the rock, his head nearly caved in. “I see the jewel!” Midoriko yelled, drawing her katana.

Kagura stared at the demon she had been longing to see laying a few yards from her gravely injured, So brief, humans and demons are so brief compared to the wind, her mind swirled. Not Sesshoumaru, she thought angrily.

Inuwarai rushed forward beside Midoriko, his yari ready. He drove it into the side of the youkai that was advancing on his grandson. “I will lose no more children!” he bellowed as his fang found its mark.

Suddenly Midoriko spun towards the shaking Sesshoumaru, and she knew he had called to her. “Save Rin,” yet he had not spoken. Placing herself between him and the demon she raised her katana, ready to sacrifice her own life for that unspoken plea though she knew not what it meant.

Sesshoumaru willed is body to heal. The scent of the human attacked him, this was the one he had smelled mingled with her scent. Was she here? Was she seeing him in this unacceptable moment of weakness? He forced his body to heal, forced his head up, scanning for her. He could smell her, morning dew laced with the tang of blood and brimstone. The miko was right, she had lived.

With a roar he rose, the abrasions on him instantly healing. She lived, she lived, she lived ran through his head as he thrust Rin into the human warriors arms. Where is she? Why can’t I see her?

“No!” The human’s scream brought Sesshoumaru back to the battle about him. He saw Fuzen brush a spear from his side as though it were no more than a thorn. The beast turned, growling at a figure that lashed out with claws.

It can’t be… Sesshoumaru thought, as the taiyokai he had scented earlier was knocked away by Fuzen. Pushing the woman beside toward safety, he snarled, “Let no harm come to the child.” He threw himself back into the fray.

He drew tenseiga, ready now to launch his incomplete meidou towards the oni. The strange taiyokai crashed into him, knocking him aside. Sesshoumaru fought to free himself. “Release this Sesshoumaru unless you wish to be sent to hell as well,” he sneered.

The Taiyokai grinned at him, “Glad to see you again, too!” He didn’t release Sesshoumaru, “Watch, pup!” he demanded instead.

Cyclones tore towards Fuzen. The demon’s eyes widened in surprise. So did Sesshoumaru’s. I see her, she is real. I see her! He thought.

Fuzen saw her too. With a snarl he reached for this new pest. His orders were clear. Kill Sesshoumaru and he could keep the shard. He had not been told of these others.

Sesshoumaru ripped himself from the taiyokai’s grasp. I will not lose her again! He threw himself into Kagura just as Fuzen’s hand grasped her. As the demons hand made contact with Sesshoumaru a blue light flashed, surrounding the beast and sending up the sickly smell of burning flesh. The demon howled in rage and pain, launching himself away and crashing through the woods.

“I didn’t know you cared, Sesshoumaru,” Kagura said, cocking her eyebrow.

Sesshoumaru gazed at her, drinking in the fact the she was truly alive. He pulled away, “Make yourself decent, wench.”

Kagura angrily pulled up her kimono where it had fallen from her shoulder while she was saving his life. How dare he! she thought venomously.

“She’s injured!” Midoriko yelled to her friends. The small child had a nasty gash on her face and she was pretty sure her wrist was broken. Sesshoumaru glanced where the demon had fled, ignoring his urge to follow. Rin needed him. He sighed and turned to the woman. “You will heal her,” he stated.

“Of course!” She was a miko and not just a taijiya, but her studies in medicine were not developed. Yet she understood the injuries of battle and Rin’s were within her power to heal.

He scowled at the grinning face of his grandfather. How that damn old man had survived was beyond him, but he meant to find out. First though, the demoness…

“Sesshoumaru-sama?” Rin whispered.

Sesshoumaru turned to Rin, unable to completely mask his concern. “I am here Rin. Rest,” he said softly. He could hear Jaken groaning from the place where he still lay. He felt little concern for the imp, he would heal without aid. His concern was for Rin. He tried to ignore the fact that the wind demoness had come to stand next to him. He had finally found her, but what the hell was he supposed to do now?

“Damn it, Sesshoumaru, what was that?” Kagura demanded.

Ignoring her, Sesshoumaru turned his gaze to the rising moon, carefully locking the box he carried inside.