First Encounter

Sesshoumaru rubbed his fingertips together against the increasing vibrations as he neared the cave by the bay. No birds sang here today, no creatures scuttled along the sand or through the underbrush of the nearby forest. Only the bay spoke to him in a gentle hush of waves along the beach, its fresh scent cool and crisp. Death permeated this place, but it was a false death, and it grated against his senses as he examined the area.

"Mmmilord…" Jaken groaned. "Pleeease, waaait…!"

Sesshoumaru glanced back to find the imp quite a distance behind him, stumbling and dragging the Nintoujou. With each step, each huff and puff, Jaken slumped more and more, until he was barely able to drag himself across the ground.

This must what Inuyasha described. Interesting. This Sesshoumaru feels no such effect.

The daiyoukai strode over to his vassal, plucked him up by the back of his hakama, and walked him away from the bay. Slowly, Jaken stirred again.

"Wha…what happened?" the imp groaned, rubbing his head. "I have the worst headache right now."

For a moment, Jaken wondered if his master had struck him again for some reason, but there was no bruise or welt anywhere to be found.

"Remain here," Sesshoumaru said.

As he began toward the coast again, Jaken put it together. He tumbled down through the branches as he scrambled after his master.

"W-wait! Please, Lord Sesshoumaru! Do not go there! It is dangerous!" When Sesshoumaru ignored him, Jaken scampered after him. "My lord!"

The daiyoukai lord paused and blinked dispassionately down at the tiny creature prostrated at his feet.

"Please, I am begging you, sire! There is something evil there! N-not that you aren't evil," he sputtered, "in the best ways, I mean, of course, if that's what you want to-"

"Jaken!"

He immediately fell silent. Again, Sesshoumaru plucked him up by the back of his hakama and held him at eye-height.

"Stay."

Without another word, Sesshoumaru hurled Jaken back to the tree and resumed his course. Jaken's pleas were drowned out by the waves as Sesshoumaru scanned the coast. A few boulders and weeds growing up from the sand decorated one section of the beach. The other sported a bit more greenery and a small crag jutting out of the ground on its own. Odd. He approached carefully. On his hips, Bakusaiga and Tenseiga shivered.

The buzzing in his fingertips spread up his hands, tickled his nose, and irritated his lips. He tried to shake off the sensations as he examined the tracks leading through the grass and into the entrance that had been carved into the crag.

'Boots and sandals, though, likely not human. Most are not so light-of-foot as these tracks suggest. He blinked into the dark of the entrance. Strange… There is no scent. And no saltwater to dampen my senses.'

Sesshoumaru could just make out sounds of creatures in whatever lay below. He placed a calming hand on Bakusaiga, who protested as he pressed cautiously into the darkness. Down, down, down the path went in a spiral. Sesshoumaru felt resistance around another bend. A barrier? It was not enough to deter him, but his swords protested all the more when he stepped through. A bit further down and Sesshoumaru fought back a yawn.

…Yawn? Yawn?! Since when did he feel fatigued enough to yawn?

His instincts roiled. This place was wrong. He needed to leave. No. He needed to investigate. He focused on the light coming from around another bend and perked his ears for the sounds within. They were faint, but distinct. Stone-working; water; fire.

"Shame it didn't last longer," he thought he heard someone say. It was like trying to listen through water.

"Yes, but the remains will be just as useful. Here."

Sesshoumaru focused, tried to shake his head clear, but to no avail. His jyaki, his, youki, his swords and senses; all were muted, and he did not care for it. He had no choice, however. He continued cautiously. Along the walls, he found a strange script etched into the stone, glowing with infused power. Sesshoumaru flexed his claws into readiness as he came to crest a shallow slope and peered into the cavern below and beyond.

The floor plummeted several feet down to form a sort of bowl in the dirt, the ceiling vaulting up in an inelegant arch, almost like a bubble. A rudimentary metal forge was set up against one of the walls, the smoke from it gathering along the pitted ceiling. Arranged in a semi-circle around the forge were several vats, large vessels, and tubs filled with various liquids, powders, and ground herbs. One of the vats was filled to the brim with liquid, and within, Sesshoumaru could make out the distinct outline of a humanoid body.

Scritch scritch scritch scrraaaaape.

Sesshoumaru watched the three creatures standing around a worktable with a collection of common stone burial urns. They looked human, but again, his senses failed him, and there was too much jyaki here for him to make a determination.

"It's not working right, I tell you," one said, jabbing his tool at one of the urns.

"No, it's working just fine," said another, worried.

"Can't be. There's nothing that powerful in this region. We checked."

"Give it here," said a third.

The man examined the urn, turning it this way and that, and Sesshoumaru caught sight of a symbol etched into the stone. It was glowing, a bright noxious green. He scowled.

'I see now. It is as Inuyasha described, then. They do not simply drain energy, they store it. That container is filled with this Sesshoumaru's jyaki.'

"What's going on?"

"I've never seen one glow this brightly."

"It's full already?"

"Impossible!"

'It's mine. They took what is mine! Bastards!!'

"What-"

The urn shattered, dousing the man in a venomous green cloud. He screamed.

"Toshi?!"

"My hands-!" The man sobbed in agony. "My hands!"

The man collapsed, his companions recoiling as flesh and bone melted away. Emerald lightening snapped along his arms, thrashing and coiling until he was consumed. In mere moments, there was nothing left. The air crackled and roiled, and the remaining pair followed its path as it rushed up, up, up. Sesshoumaru shivered as his power returned. He cracked his neck and scowled down at the pair.

"Oh…oh no. Gods, no! It was his!"

The daiyoukai stretched his claws as he alighted down. A few of the other urns began to glow, sapping at his energy like before. There was no time to waste. He smashed them all in two swipes and turned on the humans. The man, he shredded with ease. A sweet scent filled the air suddenly, dizzying and beguiling. The woman flicked her hands, sending out a storm of petals and a fresh wave of the smell. He balled his fist at the last second, knocking her out cold.

'It seems this one somehow absorbed Shunran's powers. Interesting. She will be useful.'

He left her there, unconscious and bleeding, and examined the rest of the cavern. There was everything here, he suspected, to make more of those urns. This place needed to be cleansed. Nothing could remain behind that might enable others to take up the work these three wretches had started. First, however, he overturned the vat that still held a body.

There was nothing special about the liquid that spilled out, so far as he could tell. It wasn't caustic, at least. The body was emaciated and yet also bloated from the water. Long, auburn hair clung to the mottled skin and lime green kimono. He glanced from the body to the unconscious woman and back again.

'It seems this Sesshoumaru could return to Touran with more than just the wench who stole her sister's powers…'

He rested a hand on Tenseiga as he considered.

***

Jaken huffed and heaved, dragging the still-unconscious human behind his master along with the bundle on his back. The air turned frigid again as Touran came to meet them.

"Still alive I see," she smirked for a moment. "What did you find?"

Sesshoumaru glanced behind him. Touran froze as the auburn-haired female danced around him and rushed toward her.

"Touran!"

"Sh-shunran?!"

Sesshoumaru waited as the sisters embraced, Touran fretting over her sister.

"We thought you were dead!"

"She was dead!" Jaken panted, catching his breath. "You should be grateful for Lord Sesshoumaru's generosity toward one such as you!"

"Generosity?" Touran blinked. "You…saved her?"

Sesshoumaru tucked his arms into his sleeves and said nothing.

"Of course, it was him! Who else could possibly hold such power over life and death?" the imp waved the Nintoujou admonishingly.

Touran's relief turned sharp, and she released Shunran to stand proudly beside her.

"I suppose that means I am in your debt now," she said, chewing on the words.

Again, Sesshoumaru was silent. He pulled a scroll from the folds of his kimono and offered it. Touran looked it over and frowned.

"A map?"

"I suspect the other locations marked on it contain workshops such as the one I discovered near the bay."

"I see. And, that one?" she asked, indicating the unconscious woman.

"Remnants. I leave her to you."

Sensing his master's intention, Jaken clamped onto the flowing mokomoko.

"Now, hang on!" Touran cried.

Sesshoumaru paused mid-air and blinked down at her.

"You're just going to leave like that?" His silence spurned her on. "What about the other locations? This isn't finished, Sesshoumaru!"

"Our agreement stands, Lady Touran," Sesshoumaru simpered. "These lands belong to you."

"You cold-hearted bastard," she snarled.

Sesshoumaru allowed himself a small smile as he melted into the sky. He still had the map memorized from watching Jaken copy it. A quick glance at the faded moon in the distance told him he still had time. He angled North, knowing exactly where he needed to go next.