InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Shard ❯ The Stage is Set ( Chapter 1 )

Jaken grumbled as he dragged the carcass of the youkai slayer out of Sesshoumaru's castle, true it had been the little youkai's fault that the slayer had slipped into the castle, but forcing him to drag the man, six times his size out on his own was a little harsh. Of course Sesshoumaru could have killed him for such a slip but having been so loyal for so long had earned Jaken some room for error. He grumbled as he dragged the body out and tossed it down the cliff. He was about to leave when he noticed that the wolves that usually jumped on such garbage did not come running…Jaken began to back up into the castle. The wolves only fled when Sesshoumaru was nearby and Jaken had seen he lord preparing for a bath. That meant that there was an equally bad youkai nearby. The little cretin was almost to the door when he hit leg of someone. He froze the scent of a youkai, a strong youkai, and probably not a happy youkai.

"What have we here?" a gurgling voice asked and Jaken slowly began to turn his head to see an outfit that looked similar to the one donned by the slayer he had just disposed of. "The little toad of that irritating inu, I wonder…how much does your master value your life?" The head of the youkai was not that of a human as the body was, the head was that of a black wolf with glowing red eyes.

"I am nothing," Jaken whimpered as he turned to face the youkai in slayer clothing. It smiled as it caught the front of his robes and he could see the claws on the humanoid fingers were black.

"I don't know about that," it said as he brought him up so they were face to face. "I'm sure Sesshoumaru would dislike it if I disposed of you. But I'm not here for that at the moment, take me to your lord now." Jaken nearly wet himself as he was dropped and he quickly entered the castle followed by the youkai. It walked behind him looking at the walls and chuckling.

"This way please," he whimpered and he took note that the body had changed a little more a large black tail had emerged from its back and he could make out a crescent moon on its forehead, much like his master's. Jaken pushed the door to his master's bath open and entered on all fours.

"My Lord, you have a visitor," he whispered as the youkai entered and chuckled as Sesshoumaru started to get up from his bath.

"Don't get up Sess, I'm not going to be here long," the youkai said as it kicked Jaken into a nearby wall. It narrowed its eyes as it saw his missing arm. "DAMN IT!!" It was not happy as it glared at him, teethed bared to the point where its black gums could be seen. "Then it's true and Inu Yasha does possess Tetsusaiga!" Sesshoumaru glared at the youkai and he snarled.

"What of it?" he snapped as he held back the urge to go to his true form and the strange youkai hissed as it paced the doorway.

"You fool, that hanyou now holds the most powerful sword ever forged and you lost your damn arm!" it snapped back as it walked over to the edge of the bath. "He's trying to get that crystal and I know he's collecting shards!" It was then that Sesshoumaru noticed the shard on the throat of the youkai's neck.

"Ah, you fear your head," he smirked and the youkai chuckled.

"Fool, with that sword and that crystal he could reduce us all into humans!" the youkai growled as it turned and exited. "My advice to you is find your hanyou brother and kill him. I know I will be hunting him down." With that the youkai was gone and Sesshoumaru took in what had been said.

"Reduced to a pathetic human," he growled as he transformed. `NEVER!'

***

"How did the raid go?" the slayer leader asked as the four ragged slayers returned.

"Not well, we lost Ruga," a young woman wept as she helped the other girl walk into the camp. A young man with a high collar on his armor stood quietly as he dropped his spear.

"We need help…there is a chance….a hanyou and miko. Sesshoumaru owes his life to them…if we can destroy them he will die too," he whispered and the other three looked at him in shock. He looked at the weeping girl and she stared at him with wide eyes.

"Killing human life is against the code," the slayer leader said as he looked at the ragged group.

"It's the only way to destroy Sesshoumaru," the young man said and the girl turned away to help the other girl with her wounds. He smirked as he looked at the leader. "And I will have vengeance for Ruga's life."

***

The youkai smirked as it broke away from the slayer camp and jumped across the river, it has arranged its own death, a human body would be found unrecognizably mauled by a wolf. It licked its claws clean of the blood as it began to travel. With that group of slayers out looking for the half-breed and his bitch it would have another several sets of eyes out looking for them. Hopefully Sesshoumaru was also out looking for his brother, now all it had to do was find that idiot.

***

Kouga growled as he looked up from the stream and saw the figure, it was dressed in the garb of a slayer but it was clearly youkai.

"Who are you and why do you dare to come to my forest!" he growled and the wolf-headed youkai snickered as it leapt over the stream so it was standing next to him.

"I am of no concern especially when I bring news to you," it said as it walked around him and he stared at it suspiciously.

"What do you want for this news?" he growled and the youkai chuckled.

"I want something that you want," it said as it looked at his wolf pack.

"And what is that?" Kouga growled and the youkai smiled at him.

"Inu Yasha destroyed as well as his little miko friend," it said as it leaped over the stream again. "He is going to destroy you after he gets the crystal and I don't think you want that," it said as it wagged its black tail.

"He wouldn't!" Kouga growled and the youkai nodded.

"Oh but he would, I would suggest you get him before he completes the crystal just as I will," the youkai was gone and Kouga growled as he set off.

***

"Jeeze, Kagome, that's like the fiftieth time you've sneezed…do you have a cold or something??" Inu Yasha asked as he build up the fire and Kagome shrugged.

"I swear it's almost like that old wives' tale about when people are talking about you," she said as she began to prepare dinner for the small band. Sango and Shippo were off gathering firewood and Miroku was trading in the nearby town and would be back at any moment.

***

Mikazuka smiled watching Kouga's group moving out, Sesshoumaru was gone from his castle, and the slayers were gone from their camp. All the pawns were on the board. Now to sit back and wait for the crystal to fall out of Inu Yasha's hands.

Mikazuka let out a howl and jumped off.