InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Prophecy ❯ In Other News... ( Chapter 39 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: mshutts 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Psychological / Hentai | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 03.31.2006 | Updated On: 12.21.2006 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.0K | Visits: 2.5K | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Psychological / Hentai | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 03.31.2006 | Updated On: 12.21.2006 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.0K | Visits: 2.5K | Status: Work In Progress
The Prophecy
By: mshutts
WARNING: incest
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any other characters here-in, except Sturaki and Lord Kurasko
A/N: This chapter has a little Inuyasha/Sesshoumaru but is mostly about all the other people we haven’t heard from recently.
A/N 2: For those of you who are still confused, the interlude was from the perspective of the new foe Lord Kurasko mentioned to Sesshoumaru in Chapter 27 and what was told to Inuyasha by Sturaki in Chapter 30.
* * * * *
Chapter 38: In Other News...
Inuyasha did not wake up the next day or even the next. The healer returned to check on him and his mate every day, but there was nothing she could do. She had indeed found a wolf demon healer who had been alive and even witnessed some of these male wolves giving birth.
As soon as she had found out about this youkai, she had sent urgent word through one of Lord Sesshoumaru’s messengers, but she was still waiting to hear back from them. Hopefully the youkai would be willing to come to her aid. She was at a loss as to what to do and while she understood the need for her lord to send his youki into his young mate, she did not like the effect it was having on the elder youkai.
Lord Sesshoumaru’s own youki was becoming noticeably weaker as time went by but, with the exception of making him leave, there was not much she could do on that issue. She could not force him to depart for several reasons. One of which was his own determination to help his mate. Another was that it would put Lord Inuyasha at a great risk of dying if he were to be separated from the constant stream.
As it was, the only thing she could do for them was attempt to break her lord out of his trancelike state every so often to eat. But, as the days went by, and he became more and more engrossed in his mate’s youki, even this was becoming almost impossible. The last time she had gotten him to eat, he had not even completely come out of the meditation.
But, for all that he was doing, his mate did not appear to be much better than he had been in the first place. She sighed. If this wolf demon healer could not help her lord and his mate, she was out of options.
The Eastern Lands
Meanwhile Lord Kurasko was returning home with a grin on his face. The great Lord Sesshoumaru had finally found a mate and a half-demon one at that. Every time the thought crossed his mind, he let out another laugh. It was the most hilarious thing he had ever heard of in his entire life.
After all, Lord Sesshoumaru had spent a good bit of time making damn sure that no one thought he held his father's more… interesting views in regards to humans and half-demons. He had even gone so far as to hold executions of demons that did not agree with him after his father's death. But this, taking a hanyou mate, this was amusing.
Not that he could blame the youkai lord. That was one of the single most enchanting individuals he had ever met. And that, coupled with the sheer power in his youki, was more than enough to make that hanyou a desirable catch. If he had not been Lord Sesshoumaru's younger brother and thus, had a previous claim on him already, Kurasko would not have thought twice about fighting the demon lord for him.
He just knew that the little spitfire he had tried to make his own would put the unstoppable western lord in his place. Oh, this was something he would relish. He was positive the next meeting between the lords and their mates was going to be the most interesting he had ever attended.
As he entered his palace, he ignored the shocked looks that were on his servant's faces. They were no doubt wondering why in the world he was smiling with all the problems that were currently haunting his doorstep. He did nothing to allay their concerns, for, while he was not as aloof as many of the demon lords, he was still above explaining himself to mere servants.
Walking down his halls, he was met by one of his advisors. He saw the optimistic look on the higher level demon's face and momentarily felt bad that he did not really have good news. He knew that his current look would be interpreted as being that he had found an ally in Lord Sesshoumaru, while that was not the case.
Sorry to disappoint the poor man who had been given more and more difficulties as time passed due to this latest incursion, he allowed the grin to fall from his face. He answered the inquiring look without forcing the man to ask. Although he supposed that the very fact that Lord Sesshoumaru had agreed to look into it should be considered good news, he also knew it was unlikely that the dog demon would decide to assist.
He watched the hopeful look fall from his fellow youkai's face as he continued to walk down the hall to his study. The amusement he had felt over Lord Sesshoumaru having found his half-demon mate was quickly dissipating as he drew closer to the room. He knew what awaited him there. Stacks and stacks of maps and reports from his forces who were following this monster.
What he had told the inuyoukai was true. Things were going from bad to worse, but at the same time, he had downplayed the situation. He doubted the youkai lord had realized just how dire the circumstances really were. He had told him it was higher level demons who were being killed, but had not mentioned that many of them were ones that were held in high esteem for their fighting prowess. Quite a few had been masters and many had still been in the prime of their lives.
Prior to going to Lord Sesshoumaru for help, he had tried just about everything else he could think of. There were currently priestesses and monks traveling with his armies in an attempt to garner more information on their foe or possibly come up with a way to fight back, but so far there was nothing panning out on that front.
All his armies seemed to do was get there in time to bury the bodies. He idly wondered why his forces had not been attacked yet, but supposed that it might be due to sheer numbers. Why attack a large group of youkai armed to the teeth when there was much easier prey close by? Which led to another question of why the youkai were being attacked in the first place. Nothing was missing that they could tell, but there had to be a reason. This could not be happening without a purpose.
He gloomily glanced through the papers on his desk, there had been a dozen more deaths since he had left. Things could not continue in this manner. With a sigh, he settled back down to his desk to continue his work.
Kaede’s Village
The days following Inuyasha's departure and Kagome's return to her era passed slowly for the rest of the group. At first, they were merely happy for the reprieve. With the two highest strung members of their party not present, their entire attitude shifted. There was a peace in the air that they were loathe to question.
Even Shippo's insistence that Inuyasha was under a spell with his elder brother and had gone to find a way to break it had not bothered the calm. They had learned early on not to take any of the kitsune's tales too seriously. After all, Shippo was very young and prone to creating elaborate stories. Besides, if what he said was actually the case, there was little they could do about it now. Inuyasha had already left.
The entire rest of the group took this silence as a god-send. There was no yelling across the village, no demands that they leave right now, no complaining about when Kagome would return. It was merely day after day of lazing around, sharpening and polishing weapons that had been left too long in disrepair for want of time, and watching Shippo chase Kirara around in a loose game of tag.
But, as often happens when a calm is enforced on a normally active group, they began to get restless. After a few days, it was no longer a welcome reprieve, but an unbearable monotony. They found themselves wishing for the hunt, the all consuming quest, even the arguments and whining.
In an effort to allay the growing discontent in her young houseguests, Kaede had taken it upon herself to assign each of them tasks to help out around the village. While it did much in the way of helping them work off their excess energy, it did nothing to cure the wanderlust that had begun to overtake them once again.
They had been traveling in the company of the inuhanyou and priestess for entirely too long. It was utterly ridiculous that only a few days remaining in one spot would lead them to such extremes, as they should have welcomed the break. However, Kaede merely smiled at their fidgeting. No matter how they wished to deny it, theirs was truly a group that thrived on travel.
So it was that when Kagome returned from her time, it was to a group that was not in especially good spirits. Coming back to Kaede’s home just in time for the evening meal, she had immediately noted the impatience present and the notable absence of the inuhanyou she loved so much. Wondering at his whereabouts, she asked, “Where’s Inuyasha?”
She saw Shippo immediately jump to the fore, crying, “I know! I know!” while the others exchanged glances.
She waited patiently for Shippo to continue talking, but he had apparently gotten so excited with being the one that knew that he had forgotten what it was that he knew. So, Kagome asked again, “Where’s Inuyasha, Shippo?”
“He’s with Sesshoumaru,” the kitsune answered matter-of-factly, looking quite pleased with himself.
At the sound of his half-brother’s name, Kagome felt a chill go up her spine. If Inuyasha was with his elder brother, he was most likely in great danger. She could feel her heart begin to beat faster in concern. She tried to keep the panic from her voice as she inquired, “Why is he with Sesshoumaru, Shippo?”
Happy to be in his story-telling mode, Shippo sat down and explained what had happened to his captive audience, only one of whom was paying any serious attention to his tale. “After you left, I went to find Inuyasha. He can get into trouble by himself, you know.
“After I found him, Sesshoumaru showed up but they weren’t fighting or anything. They were just talking and when I asked about it, Inuyasha said that they had business to take care of, whatever that means.
“Then, Sesshoumaru got really mad at Inuyasha and tried to choke him, but Inuyasha got him to stop. Then dog boy dropped me off here and said he would be back when they were done finding the cure for the spell.” The kitsune nodded his head sagely, but Kagome still didn’t completely understand. What spell?
She watched as Shippo cocked his head to the side with a contemplative look, “It was really weird. They weren’t acting like they hated each other at all. And they were both so calm and serious about it the entire time.
“In fact, they were acting a little like how my mom and dad used to act. It was really scary. I hope they find a way to break that spell soon because seeing the two of them getting along is just a little too freaky, even for me.”
“You mean they weren’t fighting at all?” Kagome asked.
“Nope, they were getting along quite well, actually.”
“What do you mean they were acting like your mom and dad used to act?” asked Kaede. Shippo had not mentioned this detail in his previous recounting.
Shippo turned from Kagome to the rest of the group and realized that he now had their full concentration once again. Relishing the attention, he answered Kaede’s question. “After Sesshoumaru started to choke Inuyasha, Inuyasha stroked Sesshoumaru’s hair and Sesshoumaru calmed right down. He then pulled Inuyasha into his lap and held him.”
At the looks of disbelief, he continued, “Like I said, they were obviously under a spell. Of course, once I pointed it out, Sesshoumaru dropped Inuyasha out of the tree on his head…”
“Wait! When did they get in a tree?” asked Sango.
“Unusual spell that can be broken when the victim becomes aware of it,” Kaede murmured too lowly for the other humans to hear.
In answer to the question voiced by Sango, Shippo said, “After we left Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha was taking me back here, dog boy jumped into a tree. Sesshoumaru came up too.”
“But why?” questioned Miroku.
“Why what?”
“Why did Sesshoumaru follow you?”
“I already told you, Inuyasha had business with him. Besides, they needed to break the spell.”
Kagome, who had been listening to this go back and forth with more and more concern asked, “What kind of spell, Shippo?”
“I don’t know! Why are you asking me all these questions? I’m just a kid! All I know is what I told you!” Shippo yelled, getting more agitated with all the questions as time went by. He hadn’t understood what was going on at the time, there was no way he would be able to answer all their questions now.
Putting her efforts into calming the distressed kitsune, Kagome came to the conclusion that they needed to get to Inuyasha and fast. Even if it was not what Shippo thought it was, there was bound to be trouble if Sesshoumaru was involved.
As such, she demanded that they begin trying to find just where Inuyasha was immediately. The rest of the group did not bother to argue. She was already in her commanding mode and they had been itching for something to do since the night before. Besides, with the new information they had been given, they were now more concerned than they had been previously as well.
Following her lead, they once again made their way out into the forests, ignoring the signs that pointed to the beginning of mating season as only humans can. Sango, being a demon slayer, should have really remembered when mating season was, but she had been spending more time worrying about Miroku and his obsessions than she had watching for the signs this year.
Shippo or Kirara might have been able to tell them what time of year it was, but for the fact that Shippo was much too young to take a mate and Kirara could not speak their language. Kirara had, in fact, attempted to warn them against this trip, but it was taken as her leg still hurting from her previous injury and she had found herself being carried into the woods, wondering at the lack of observation present in humans.
As it was, Kirara was the only one present that could possibly help lead them to where they were going with Inuyasha no longer there and Shippo being as young and untrained as he was. And so, Kirara found herself keeping a lookout not only for the now-weak scent trails of the inuhanyou, but also for any other demons that might be in the area.
It was exhausting work to steer the rest of the group around and through all these possible threats, but with their pack leader absent, it was her job to do so. And so, following her direction, the rag-tag group trudged along, days behind their leader, even though they all knew there was no real hope of them ever catching up.
For days they traveled, following Kirara's lead, stopping at night to rest and continuing on with the morning light. It was a testament to Kirara's skill as a guide that they only ran into three lower level demons during their travel, all of which were exterminated with an efficiency bordering on routine.
Then, on the fourth day of walking, they reached a platform on the side of a mountain. They decided to stop there and rest for the night, exhausted from their travels, never realizing they were camped directly outside the home of the witch Sturaki.
* * * * *
I realize this chapter has a lot of information in it and is in a slightly different tone than the other chapters. However, it was more or less written as a bridge for background on what is going on elsewhere. (i.e. I didn't really think anyone wanted to read a bunch of chapters about a week of what was going on with the rest of the Inuyasha gang instead of getting back to Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha sooner. Besides, all the relevant things are there.)
I will try and get more of Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru in the next chapter.
Thanks so much for reading and/or reviewing. I really appreciate it.
By: mshutts
WARNING: incest
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any other characters here-in, except Sturaki and Lord Kurasko
A/N: This chapter has a little Inuyasha/Sesshoumaru but is mostly about all the other people we haven’t heard from recently.
A/N 2: For those of you who are still confused, the interlude was from the perspective of the new foe Lord Kurasko mentioned to Sesshoumaru in Chapter 27 and what was told to Inuyasha by Sturaki in Chapter 30.
* * * * *
Chapter 38: In Other News...
Inuyasha did not wake up the next day or even the next. The healer returned to check on him and his mate every day, but there was nothing she could do. She had indeed found a wolf demon healer who had been alive and even witnessed some of these male wolves giving birth.
As soon as she had found out about this youkai, she had sent urgent word through one of Lord Sesshoumaru’s messengers, but she was still waiting to hear back from them. Hopefully the youkai would be willing to come to her aid. She was at a loss as to what to do and while she understood the need for her lord to send his youki into his young mate, she did not like the effect it was having on the elder youkai.
Lord Sesshoumaru’s own youki was becoming noticeably weaker as time went by but, with the exception of making him leave, there was not much she could do on that issue. She could not force him to depart for several reasons. One of which was his own determination to help his mate. Another was that it would put Lord Inuyasha at a great risk of dying if he were to be separated from the constant stream.
As it was, the only thing she could do for them was attempt to break her lord out of his trancelike state every so often to eat. But, as the days went by, and he became more and more engrossed in his mate’s youki, even this was becoming almost impossible. The last time she had gotten him to eat, he had not even completely come out of the meditation.
But, for all that he was doing, his mate did not appear to be much better than he had been in the first place. She sighed. If this wolf demon healer could not help her lord and his mate, she was out of options.
The Eastern Lands
Meanwhile Lord Kurasko was returning home with a grin on his face. The great Lord Sesshoumaru had finally found a mate and a half-demon one at that. Every time the thought crossed his mind, he let out another laugh. It was the most hilarious thing he had ever heard of in his entire life.
After all, Lord Sesshoumaru had spent a good bit of time making damn sure that no one thought he held his father's more… interesting views in regards to humans and half-demons. He had even gone so far as to hold executions of demons that did not agree with him after his father's death. But this, taking a hanyou mate, this was amusing.
Not that he could blame the youkai lord. That was one of the single most enchanting individuals he had ever met. And that, coupled with the sheer power in his youki, was more than enough to make that hanyou a desirable catch. If he had not been Lord Sesshoumaru's younger brother and thus, had a previous claim on him already, Kurasko would not have thought twice about fighting the demon lord for him.
He just knew that the little spitfire he had tried to make his own would put the unstoppable western lord in his place. Oh, this was something he would relish. He was positive the next meeting between the lords and their mates was going to be the most interesting he had ever attended.
As he entered his palace, he ignored the shocked looks that were on his servant's faces. They were no doubt wondering why in the world he was smiling with all the problems that were currently haunting his doorstep. He did nothing to allay their concerns, for, while he was not as aloof as many of the demon lords, he was still above explaining himself to mere servants.
Walking down his halls, he was met by one of his advisors. He saw the optimistic look on the higher level demon's face and momentarily felt bad that he did not really have good news. He knew that his current look would be interpreted as being that he had found an ally in Lord Sesshoumaru, while that was not the case.
Sorry to disappoint the poor man who had been given more and more difficulties as time passed due to this latest incursion, he allowed the grin to fall from his face. He answered the inquiring look without forcing the man to ask. Although he supposed that the very fact that Lord Sesshoumaru had agreed to look into it should be considered good news, he also knew it was unlikely that the dog demon would decide to assist.
He watched the hopeful look fall from his fellow youkai's face as he continued to walk down the hall to his study. The amusement he had felt over Lord Sesshoumaru having found his half-demon mate was quickly dissipating as he drew closer to the room. He knew what awaited him there. Stacks and stacks of maps and reports from his forces who were following this monster.
What he had told the inuyoukai was true. Things were going from bad to worse, but at the same time, he had downplayed the situation. He doubted the youkai lord had realized just how dire the circumstances really were. He had told him it was higher level demons who were being killed, but had not mentioned that many of them were ones that were held in high esteem for their fighting prowess. Quite a few had been masters and many had still been in the prime of their lives.
Prior to going to Lord Sesshoumaru for help, he had tried just about everything else he could think of. There were currently priestesses and monks traveling with his armies in an attempt to garner more information on their foe or possibly come up with a way to fight back, but so far there was nothing panning out on that front.
All his armies seemed to do was get there in time to bury the bodies. He idly wondered why his forces had not been attacked yet, but supposed that it might be due to sheer numbers. Why attack a large group of youkai armed to the teeth when there was much easier prey close by? Which led to another question of why the youkai were being attacked in the first place. Nothing was missing that they could tell, but there had to be a reason. This could not be happening without a purpose.
He gloomily glanced through the papers on his desk, there had been a dozen more deaths since he had left. Things could not continue in this manner. With a sigh, he settled back down to his desk to continue his work.
Kaede’s Village
The days following Inuyasha's departure and Kagome's return to her era passed slowly for the rest of the group. At first, they were merely happy for the reprieve. With the two highest strung members of their party not present, their entire attitude shifted. There was a peace in the air that they were loathe to question.
Even Shippo's insistence that Inuyasha was under a spell with his elder brother and had gone to find a way to break it had not bothered the calm. They had learned early on not to take any of the kitsune's tales too seriously. After all, Shippo was very young and prone to creating elaborate stories. Besides, if what he said was actually the case, there was little they could do about it now. Inuyasha had already left.
The entire rest of the group took this silence as a god-send. There was no yelling across the village, no demands that they leave right now, no complaining about when Kagome would return. It was merely day after day of lazing around, sharpening and polishing weapons that had been left too long in disrepair for want of time, and watching Shippo chase Kirara around in a loose game of tag.
But, as often happens when a calm is enforced on a normally active group, they began to get restless. After a few days, it was no longer a welcome reprieve, but an unbearable monotony. They found themselves wishing for the hunt, the all consuming quest, even the arguments and whining.
In an effort to allay the growing discontent in her young houseguests, Kaede had taken it upon herself to assign each of them tasks to help out around the village. While it did much in the way of helping them work off their excess energy, it did nothing to cure the wanderlust that had begun to overtake them once again.
They had been traveling in the company of the inuhanyou and priestess for entirely too long. It was utterly ridiculous that only a few days remaining in one spot would lead them to such extremes, as they should have welcomed the break. However, Kaede merely smiled at their fidgeting. No matter how they wished to deny it, theirs was truly a group that thrived on travel.
So it was that when Kagome returned from her time, it was to a group that was not in especially good spirits. Coming back to Kaede’s home just in time for the evening meal, she had immediately noted the impatience present and the notable absence of the inuhanyou she loved so much. Wondering at his whereabouts, she asked, “Where’s Inuyasha?”
She saw Shippo immediately jump to the fore, crying, “I know! I know!” while the others exchanged glances.
She waited patiently for Shippo to continue talking, but he had apparently gotten so excited with being the one that knew that he had forgotten what it was that he knew. So, Kagome asked again, “Where’s Inuyasha, Shippo?”
“He’s with Sesshoumaru,” the kitsune answered matter-of-factly, looking quite pleased with himself.
At the sound of his half-brother’s name, Kagome felt a chill go up her spine. If Inuyasha was with his elder brother, he was most likely in great danger. She could feel her heart begin to beat faster in concern. She tried to keep the panic from her voice as she inquired, “Why is he with Sesshoumaru, Shippo?”
Happy to be in his story-telling mode, Shippo sat down and explained what had happened to his captive audience, only one of whom was paying any serious attention to his tale. “After you left, I went to find Inuyasha. He can get into trouble by himself, you know.
“After I found him, Sesshoumaru showed up but they weren’t fighting or anything. They were just talking and when I asked about it, Inuyasha said that they had business to take care of, whatever that means.
“Then, Sesshoumaru got really mad at Inuyasha and tried to choke him, but Inuyasha got him to stop. Then dog boy dropped me off here and said he would be back when they were done finding the cure for the spell.” The kitsune nodded his head sagely, but Kagome still didn’t completely understand. What spell?
She watched as Shippo cocked his head to the side with a contemplative look, “It was really weird. They weren’t acting like they hated each other at all. And they were both so calm and serious about it the entire time.
“In fact, they were acting a little like how my mom and dad used to act. It was really scary. I hope they find a way to break that spell soon because seeing the two of them getting along is just a little too freaky, even for me.”
“You mean they weren’t fighting at all?” Kagome asked.
“Nope, they were getting along quite well, actually.”
“What do you mean they were acting like your mom and dad used to act?” asked Kaede. Shippo had not mentioned this detail in his previous recounting.
Shippo turned from Kagome to the rest of the group and realized that he now had their full concentration once again. Relishing the attention, he answered Kaede’s question. “After Sesshoumaru started to choke Inuyasha, Inuyasha stroked Sesshoumaru’s hair and Sesshoumaru calmed right down. He then pulled Inuyasha into his lap and held him.”
At the looks of disbelief, he continued, “Like I said, they were obviously under a spell. Of course, once I pointed it out, Sesshoumaru dropped Inuyasha out of the tree on his head…”
“Wait! When did they get in a tree?” asked Sango.
“Unusual spell that can be broken when the victim becomes aware of it,” Kaede murmured too lowly for the other humans to hear.
In answer to the question voiced by Sango, Shippo said, “After we left Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha was taking me back here, dog boy jumped into a tree. Sesshoumaru came up too.”
“But why?” questioned Miroku.
“Why what?”
“Why did Sesshoumaru follow you?”
“I already told you, Inuyasha had business with him. Besides, they needed to break the spell.”
Kagome, who had been listening to this go back and forth with more and more concern asked, “What kind of spell, Shippo?”
“I don’t know! Why are you asking me all these questions? I’m just a kid! All I know is what I told you!” Shippo yelled, getting more agitated with all the questions as time went by. He hadn’t understood what was going on at the time, there was no way he would be able to answer all their questions now.
Putting her efforts into calming the distressed kitsune, Kagome came to the conclusion that they needed to get to Inuyasha and fast. Even if it was not what Shippo thought it was, there was bound to be trouble if Sesshoumaru was involved.
As such, she demanded that they begin trying to find just where Inuyasha was immediately. The rest of the group did not bother to argue. She was already in her commanding mode and they had been itching for something to do since the night before. Besides, with the new information they had been given, they were now more concerned than they had been previously as well.
Following her lead, they once again made their way out into the forests, ignoring the signs that pointed to the beginning of mating season as only humans can. Sango, being a demon slayer, should have really remembered when mating season was, but she had been spending more time worrying about Miroku and his obsessions than she had watching for the signs this year.
Shippo or Kirara might have been able to tell them what time of year it was, but for the fact that Shippo was much too young to take a mate and Kirara could not speak their language. Kirara had, in fact, attempted to warn them against this trip, but it was taken as her leg still hurting from her previous injury and she had found herself being carried into the woods, wondering at the lack of observation present in humans.
As it was, Kirara was the only one present that could possibly help lead them to where they were going with Inuyasha no longer there and Shippo being as young and untrained as he was. And so, Kirara found herself keeping a lookout not only for the now-weak scent trails of the inuhanyou, but also for any other demons that might be in the area.
It was exhausting work to steer the rest of the group around and through all these possible threats, but with their pack leader absent, it was her job to do so. And so, following her direction, the rag-tag group trudged along, days behind their leader, even though they all knew there was no real hope of them ever catching up.
For days they traveled, following Kirara's lead, stopping at night to rest and continuing on with the morning light. It was a testament to Kirara's skill as a guide that they only ran into three lower level demons during their travel, all of which were exterminated with an efficiency bordering on routine.
Then, on the fourth day of walking, they reached a platform on the side of a mountain. They decided to stop there and rest for the night, exhausted from their travels, never realizing they were camped directly outside the home of the witch Sturaki.
* * * * *
I realize this chapter has a lot of information in it and is in a slightly different tone than the other chapters. However, it was more or less written as a bridge for background on what is going on elsewhere. (i.e. I didn't really think anyone wanted to read a bunch of chapters about a week of what was going on with the rest of the Inuyasha gang instead of getting back to Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha sooner. Besides, all the relevant things are there.)
I will try and get more of Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru in the next chapter.
Thanks so much for reading and/or reviewing. I really appreciate it.