Toxins

Toxins

Chapter: 1 – Naraku Plots
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"Power, my son, is what we demons fight for. The honor of claiming the title 'Lord' is the greatest anyone can earn, power is what humans so desperately seek and half demon crave." said a large silver wolf like creature, his voice was deep and aged but full of wisdom.

The wolf turned it's massive head and looked down to the tiny pup that sat next to its hand like paw. The pup, no bigger than the wolf's paw, looked back at the larger canine in awe. Turning its head back to the sky the wolf continued to speak

"Power can do many things to a creature my pup. Honorable demons can become selfish and belligerent, caring mothers can become wicked and cruel, even brothers can become corrupt with the idea of betrayal... So my son, what does one do when they have acquired power?" at this the wolf again turned to the small pup and waited for an answer.

"Umm... They fight to protect it?" the pup guessed which made the wolf chuckle

"That is partly true, but don't you think protecting the pack is more important than protecting yourself alone?"

"But father you said the greatest honor a demon can earn is winning the title of Lord. Isn't protecting yourself also protecting the pack? I always hear the other elder members saying a weak lord is a weak pack" the pup said and again the wolf chuckled

"Yes my son a weak lord does indeed make a weak pack, but when that lord only cares for himself he loses the true meaning of being a lord. You should learn to listen as well; demons alone do not have lords. Many packs of humans have lords as do smaller packs of demons and half demons alike. But remember all beings of this world honor the Lords of the Land. Would you like to know what it means to be a lord Clouse?" The wolf asked the pup

"Yeah tell me father!"

"Being a lord means not only do you get to be the boss of everyone but you must also be their protector, their guide, and if necessary their father. With power comes responsibility and only you can chose what kind of lord you will be-"

A howl far off in the distance shattered the silence of cold night catching the attention of the silver wolf interrupting the pairs conversation. With a sigh the wolf stood from his sitting position and stood tall he did. Clouse, the pup, seemed twice as small when his father arose standing on two legs and not four. The massive wolf man like demon stood at ten feet while Clouse, still young, stood only at two feet.

"I'm glad we had this talk Clouse. Kenith has signaled that the enemy pack moving into our territory, go back to the den and watch over you sister; protect her with your life if you must. We will have to finish this discussion another night." his father said very seriously. Clouse nodded and turned around launching himself into the forest sprinting on all fours, he glanced back for a moment to catch his father jumping down from the hill they both were just on and thought 'Goodbye father'...
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Clouse sighed at the memory of his father. He sat on the very hill he and his father had spoke that night so long ago. The now grown wolf ran his hand like paw over the tall grass that now grew wildly over the hilltop.

"I can't believe it's been 75 years..." he looked up at the night sky and closed his eyes as a light breeze caressed the hillside.

Clouse's ears shot upward as a strange sound flooded his sensitive ears, his eyes shot open and he began sniffing at the air. The large demon quickly jumped back into a thicket of trees that lined the open space of the hillside.

Not too far off in the sky Clouse saw what appeared to be a shadowy face. Confused he sniffed in the shadows direction but picked up no demonic sent at all, but Clouse could feel the defiant presence of an extremely evil demonic aura coming from the shadows direction.

He watched the shadow pass but shortly after its passing two small bee like demons flew from the direction the shadow had come and quickly followed after the departed shadow. Clouse sniffed the air as the bee demons passed and could smell evil emitting from the two demons. This confused Clouse even more, never before in his life had a demon nor human given off the smell of evil or hatred like the two bee demons did, smells reminded the wolf of objects and creatures not emotions and intentions.

Confused yet interested by the demons and shadow that passed him Clouse decided to do the one thing he found right, follow them.
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Byakuya stood at the mouth of a cave. The cave was in the side of a jagged mountain. He looked around the area below which was at first a dead barren waste of rotted trees and a sea of rocks, but farther away from the mountain the land came back to life and was full of trees.

"Hey, Naraku he's not coming back" he called over his shoulder in the cave.

"The body he borrowed from me is dead in its entirety" Naraku's voice echoed from the entrance

"So that Magatsuhi guy is, too?" Byakuya called again

"He's not dead, plus...' I have a hunch about what Magatsuhi intends to do from here.'" Naraku said as a smile made its way to his expression. He called two Siamyoushou over to him and gave one a bundle of cloth. The two bugs buzzed quickly out of the cave and into the distance.

"I think it's time we check on our wolf Byakuya" Byakuya nodded then pulled his origami crane from his hair and threw it out the cave. He walked over to the mouth of the cave standing near the edge. He leaned forward falling off the cliff.

He reappeared on the now large paper bird. He floated gracefully away from the jagged mountain side with Naraku watching.