InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Right Way ❯ The Shadow Of Undeath ( Chapter 2 )

The Right Way -The Shadow Of Undeath

A dark fog rose from the ground. Silhouettes loomed in the darkness, while shadows flew through the foggy sky. The call of ravens could be heard throughout the air. It always seemed to be night here. A flash of lightening tore from the black clouds and through the sky. Unearthly howls and yawns could be heard in the background. The ground and air seemed unnaturally cold, and chilled the demon skin of Sesshomaru, down to the bone. Sesshomaru walked along what had once been a beautiful path, filled lined with trees and flowers. As he rounded the last bend, and came to the open gate of the castle, he could overlook what had once been a bright and abundant town, teaming with life, down below him. Instead it was now abandoned, nothing more than an old decrepit ghost town.

This whole place was Inuyasha's inheritance, but Inuyasha never had used the castle, most likely because he didn't know of its existence. Sesshomaru was told by his father not to tell Inuyasha about the castle or the town until he thought the time right, and that Sesshomaru was never to enter it, just watch over it, until as his father cryptically put it, “changed”. For several decades now Sesshomaru had watched over the castle and village with a careful eye. Over the many years however, tales of the town and castle being haunted started to circulate, as a dark aura started to cover the land. Eventually the townspeople started to leave, and the whole place soon became deserted. Once it had been completely vacated, the land seemed to die, and slowly it began to turn into its current and rather “unnatural” state. He had left Rin and Jaken behind; he wanted to scout this place alone. Whatever was happening here wreaked of an unnatural magic.

Sesshomaru did not like the fact that over the years the once beautiful and ornate castle, fashioned, designed, and built by the greatest architects of the time, was now turning into what looked like a fortress adorned with skulls as towers. The castle at one time, had been bright, and was a landmark of beauty. But it now seemed tainted, smeared black, by some unnatural force. Once beautiful grey stone walls, seemed to be the color of onyx, and the once beautiful, and well maintained gardens and trees of the large outer courtyard, now lay dead and withered.

However behind the blackened walls, atop the highest tower, a lone light shone through the solitary castle window openings. Inside sat a man who looked to be in the prime of his youth, yet his eyes showed age. Without a sound, a form shrouded in a black tattered hooded robe appeared behind the man.

“Master, I bring news of an intruder to you.” The shrouded one said.

A nod was the man's only reply, his eyes gazing deeply into a large glass ball. The image inside was portrayed upon a grey mist, and through it could be seen Sesshomaru, sneaking around.

“Shall I take care of the intruder master?” The shrouded one asked.

The man's black leather gloved hands joined together, the tips of his fingers the only parts touching. He thought momentarily before replying, “No, I will handle this intruder personally.” He said.

“Yes Master.” Replied the shrouded figure.

“After you have done so Lochai, start preparation for some of the living quarters, to garrison living guests. They will arrive within the week. But first, go now and prepare the chamber of illusion for me, I have need of it soon.”

“Yes Master. Is there anything else?” Lochai asked.

“No.”

Lochai bowed, as he floated backwards and began to disappear back into nothingness.

The man's jade green eyes bore heavily into the looking glass, before it disappeared into the floor. “So, he has come at last.” He said as black metal armor with a large demonic skull, with its mouth open, sat in the center of the chest plate started to fit and tie itself onto Sandro. Two medium sized katana's settled on the man's back tying themselves on. Then one normal sized katana tied itself to the man's right hip, and another appeared and tied itself to his opposite hip. A tiny black ball, flickering with black shadows, levitated in the mouth of the chest piece, while the eyes started to burn a crimson red.

The man then teleported himself into the chamber of illusion, it was empty, while large arcane symbols and glyphs adorned the walls, ceiling and floor. They all started to begin to glow with different colors, as the man began to levitate in the middle of the room. A high wind stirred in the room, endless amounts of a bluish fog started to appear in the room, circling and clinging to the walls as winds from nowhere began to blow it along, faster and faster. Then an image of Sesshomaru moving around appeared within the fog. A grim face of determination was shown on Sesshomaru's face, he showed no fear. As Sesshomaru walked along he started to move off the cobblestone path, and towards the cover of dead trees.

“That will not help you.” A ghostly voice whispered through the air.

Sesshomaru stopped dead in his tracks. He looked around and smelled the air. Aside from the stench of death, he couldn't see, hear, or smell any life. Strangely though, he smelt something familiar, although he could not place the smell from anywhere in his memory.

“Do you have your father's sword Lord Sesshomaru?” The ghostly voice asked.

Sesshomaru stood still, not moving an inch.

“Do you have the Tenseiga with you?” The voice whispered.

“Where are you?” Sesshomaru asked into the stormy night sky.

“I am safe behind my castle walls, watching you.” The man said with a chuckle into the fog.

“What have you done to my father's castle?” Sesshomaru asked.

“I have turned it into a place of beauty, and also a place to suit my many needs.” Replied the man.

“No, you have defiled it with your corrupt magic, and in doing so, you have defiled a part of my kingdom. For these reasons, I will kill you in my father's castle tonight, and restore it to the place of beauty it had once been.”

“Do you not find this place beautiful?” asked the man, “Perhaps then this will change your mind…” with a snap of his fingers, the man commanded the power of illusion in the room to change the appearance of the land belonging to the town and castle.

Sesshomaru watched as the trees and flowers slowly seemed to grow back to life. The dirt under his feet became well trimmed grass, and the dark and storm cloud ridden night like sky, cleared and turned to day. The beams of sunlight now glowed on the castle, which had now taken its once original beautiful form. The town, although vacant of people, looked as if it had all just been built.

“Tell me do you find it beautiful now?” the man asked, his voice dripping with venomous sarcasm.

Even though everything looked like it originally had, the dark aura remained. “Crafting an illusion will not make your crimes disappear as well. Tell me your name, so I may know who did such a thing to my Fathers town and castle, before I kill him.”

“My lessers call me Master, while my equals and superiors call me Sandro.”

“Then this day, shall be the day you die, Sandro.”

“No my lord Sesshomaru, today will be a day where only two of my minions meet their untimely ends.”

From atop the castle wall a ghoul leapt down towards Sesshomaru, but Sesshomaru heard it before it had leaped at him. With a slice of his acidic claws, the ghoul fell to the ground. Just as soon as the ghoul had fallen to the ground, it got back up, the acid doing little damage to the long dead leathery skin.

“Your claws will be of little use here, the same shall be with your whip. Only your father's sword will help you here. You must draw the sword, or the ghoul will attack you like your brother did when he became a complete demon and fought you. Devoid of senses, morality, and pain, it will attack until you or it are in shreds.”

Sesshomaru begrudgingly withdrew the sword, but the second he did something odd happened, it glew white. The moment the sword was fully unsheathed a warm bright aura fell upon the area. The ghoul seemed hesitant upon attacking Sesshomaru again, but did so anyway. The sword's aura burned the ghoul like acid when it entered into the sword's aura, and with a quick slice, the ghoul was in half, smoldering away slowly as if lit by an inner fire.

“Ah yes there it is, the beautiful Tenseiga. Your Father, Totosai, and I worked for years to create that blade. It's good to see it still work just as well as when it was forged, but I wonder, is its wielder capable of handling it as well as its makers?” A low chuckle followed the remark. “Come into the castle my Lord Sesshomaru; let us see how skilled you are with your blade. If you survive my next minion, I will be more than delighted to test your ability to wield a sword myself.”

Sesshomaru opened the door to the castle. The walls were covered in murals of his father's image, and the battles that he had been in. However, foreign and oddly shaped symbols seemed to cover parts of the walls. Sesshomaru continued through the ornately decorated entrance, and into what appeared to be some sort of lobby. It was large and spacious, and also perfect for a fight.

Without a sound being made, a leathery looking corpse wearing tattered sohei robes, and wielding a large naginata stepped into the room. It walked willingly towards and into the aura of the blade, but unlike the ghoul, its skin did not seem to burn. Instead it seemed calm, and poised for action.

After a brief standstill the undead sohei monk made the first strike at Sesshomaru. Its speed was incredible, even by Sesshomaru's standards. The naginata sliced downwards, but Sesshomaru knocked it away just in time to avoid fatal blow.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes; he would not be toyed with in such a fashion. At blinding speed Sesshomaru struck at the sohei, and the sohei struck back. The parry of blade and naginata lasted only for a few minutes, but in the end the sohei was too slow, and Sesshomaru cut the head of the sohei from its body.

Shocked Sesshomaru watched as the body regained its fighting stance and started to circle Sesshomaru. With lighting speed Sesshomaru stabbed the sohei through the chest. The sohei instead of reacting, just stood there and took the blow. The disembodied head started to laugh as it floated in mid-air and reattached itself to its body.

Sesshomaru was now back to square one, the sohei however was not. Throwing its naginata at Sesshomaru, it drew its tachi and started to attack Sesshomaru. The two blades struck furiously at one another as sparks from the two blades flew through the air. It was then that Sesshomaru saw it. The headband of the sohei had a small life demon in the middle of it.

As Sesshomaru and the sohei battled on, Sesshomaru started to move in closer. As the swords clanged together, the sohei never relented. Finally, to Sesshomaru's delight, the sohei left an opening. Charging forward, Sesshomaru leapt into the air spinning his sword around at just the right time to cut the demon on the sohei's headband. The second it was cut, the sohei stopped its movement and fell into a pile of sand.

Sesshomaru walked through the lobby, and opened a giant pair of doors. The doors revealed a massive grand hall. Images of his father were everywhere, while the throne resembled that of his father in dog form. Sudden applause could be heard as Sesshomaru looked for the source of it. It was Sandro, slowly floating down from the ceiling.

When he landed, Sandro was the first to speak, “Congratulations, I didn't think you would find the weakness of my second minion so quickly. I applaud your skill.”

“How did you know my father?” Sesshomaru asked, ignoring the remark.

“He and I went far, far back. He was a wise man, and a skilled fighter. You probably don't remember me because I only saw you once when you were born, and once more when I saw your baby brother. Tell me, why did you not take care of him when his mother died?”

“That is no concern of yours.” Sesshomaru spat back.

“Oh but it is, you see, when his mother died, I helped him survive. He never knew I was there, but I was. Instead of living cradled in a castle, he lived out in the wild. Tell me, when did you think the right time would be to tell him of his own castle?”

“What do you know of me and my brother?” Sesshomaru asked.

“I know many things, just like I know you are in more trouble than he is. Your kingdom is being put in peril by this Naraku that you and your brother both seek. Yet you fight Naraku alone, without your brother as an ally. An unwise decision, Naraku's power has grown steadily over the past few years hasn't it?”

Sesshomaru pointed his sword at Sandro, “Say what you will about my brother and my father if you must, but if you insult me or my kingdom, you will pay for doing so, with your life.” Sesshomaru said his eyes narrowed.

“I will say what I please, but be aware I may know more about your enemy than you do.” Sandro said.

“What do you know that I don't already?”

“I may know his location, how strong his army is, and whether or not he still has the jewel fragments he once did.”

“I don't care about the jewel.”

“You should, it's the only key to defeating him. And since you seem to be at more of a disadvantage, I would suggest you make me an ally.”

“I don't care about what it is you know, you are still marked for death in my eyes for what you have done to my father's castle, and village.”

“You still seem to misunderstand the concept that neither of us are going to die today. But while you seem skilled with a sword, your manners seem to be lacking, perhaps I should teach you about respect in our little spar.”

Once his sentence was finished, Sesshomaru charged Sandro in a rage. “You will die now!”

“No I won't.” Was Sandro's reply as he dove out of the way of sword, drawing the two medium sized katana's from their sheaths. Immediately Sesshomaru dove again, trying to plunge his sword into his new foe. Dodging the blow, Sandro blocked the Tenseiga with one katana, while he threw the other and pierced Sesshomaru's left leg with it.

Sandro jumped back, and pulled out one of the katana's of normal size, while Sesshomaru pulled the sword from his leg. Seeing an opportunity Sandro threw the other medium sized katana at Sesshomaru, only to have Sesshomaru deflect it with the Tenseiga. Sandro drew his other katana and now charged Sesshomaru, who was waiting.

As they exchanged blows Sandro said, “You still don't seem to understand, that unless you know how to wield the true power of the Tenseiga, you will never win this fight.”

“I do not need any more power to defeat a small pest like you.”

After a long flurry of trading strikes with their swords, it seemed like neither opponent would win when suddenly Tenseiga broke both the katana's in a single and mighty blow. Leaping far back from Sesshomaru, Sandro held his hands in the air. “You win. I have no more weapons to fight you with.” He said plainly.

“And now you die.” Said Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru stepped in front of Sandro, and while preparing his sword to decapitate Sandro, he asked “Any final words pest?”

“Mercy?” said Sandro with a laugh.

“No.” said Sesshomaru as he started to swing Tenseiga. Just as the sword was about to chop clean through Sandro's neck, he disappeared.

“Running, a common trait of the coward. It is of no consequence for you will still die today.” exclaimed Sesshomaru.

Sandro reappeared behind Sesshomaru, grabbing the black ball that was in the center of his chest plate, suddenly turned into a naginata in his hand, “not running…” said Sandro, swinging the naginata up as he cut off Sesshomaru's arm; “just changing position.”

Sesshomaru let out a cry of pain at the loss of his only arm.

“And I would suppose giving you a small lesson in humility.”

Sesshomaru fell to his knees, keeled over in pain as blood spilled from his new arm stump. Sesshomaru, gritting his teeth, spoke saying “You disillusion yourself if you believe there is a lesson to be learned here.”

“Oh but there is a lesson to be learned, you see while I can reattach your arm for you I will not, instead I will do something different, and unexpected. I will give you two new arms, however, they will not be normal arms. Instead they will be arms made of special crystals. Crystals that should you decide to disobey the request I give you, will cause you to not only kill the girl you call Rin, but yourself as well.”

“Rin has no part in this.” Sesshomaru said still doubled over in pain.

Ignoring his comment Sandro continued, “However if you service me the request I will give you, I shall remove the new arms, and reattach two new arms, that will give you the ability to wield Tenseiga, to its full potential.”

Materializing from nothing, Lochai appeared, standing next to Sandro holding the two crystal arms.

“Do not defile me with your tainted magic, I will do whatever your request is, but I refuse to wear your cursed arms.”

“First, you have no choice in the matter of which set or arms you will wear, for you have no way to refuse them. Second my magic is not tainted, simply misunderstood.” Sandro said, returning the naginata back into a ball of black flame. “My request however is simple, find your brother and his companions, and return with them here, and you will receive the other set of arms.”

“I don't want any other arms than my own, at least grant me this one request.”

“Consider it granted.” Sandro said as he started to attach the new set of arms.

“There.” He said, after he finished attaching the second arm. “My servant Lochai will accompany you, so that should you fail in your task, he will return the arms and bring Jaken back with him.”

“Why would you want my servant?” Sesshomaru asked.

“Because he too like your father, is a friend of mine. I explain more upon your return, so go now Lochai and Lord Sesshomaru, retrieve your brother and his companions. Succeed and you shall be rewarded, fail, and you can consider Rin, and your life forfeit!”