The Dragon and the Fox Part 2

“There is absolutely nothing here......even the air is dead and stale.” Inuyasha said, curling his nose a bit.

“Is this caused by the temple itself? Or the beasts?”
“No one really knows.” Inuyasha said. “My old man told me about miaka and sesshoumarus experience here. “There is an old legend surrounding the temple and some think that it was Yamis artifact that caused this curse as retribution for being betrayed by sol and Luna. Other legends thing this was mixes doing himself to ward of thieves. Others say that the death in this land is cause by the original mixed dying in his beast form and that all the dead earth is wear he landed and decayed.”

Sabreal turned to him, “I find that last one highly unlikely.....he would have to be enormousness “

Asura would turn her nose up as well along with Inuyasha and would then look towards Sabreal, "considering how big Inu no Taisho's demon form can be....and he's also faced mountain sized demons....I think we have to safely assume...what ever is here...is much bigger than we think" she stated as she looked around at all the decay. "its like Raizen's Path....nothing but devastation" she said as she kicked at the dead earth.

Artemis felt a chill down her spine as she stepped onto the dead earth, nothing was here not even a pulse of life much less anything that dared to get closer. "I can sense it....the chaos that is just bubbling beneath the service."

"Well that would be exactly where we are headed" Ryoma said as he then proceeded forward "I dont sense any form of life anywhere around us. lesser demons wouldnt dare come this far. Some might have been killed instantly" he stated as they pressed forward "Raizen may destroy things, but he doesnt leave them this barren...the magic that is imbued in the very ground we walk upon is almost palpable"

"Yeah Mizen was huge...we are going to reach. A statue of him just before we reach the temple, and even then that doesnt truly show just how large and ferocious he truly was. Where do you think I get my temper from?" Yukine laughed "I can get quite large qhen I transform too, even bigger than my sister because of the reincarnate"

Sabreal looked at her then the massive expanse of them dead land and looked to Inuyasha who was smirking. “Remind me to never make you angry with me.” He said

Asura chuckled "don't make any female angry is what you should be saying. Yukine and I used to go head to head till our parents put a ban on that....now we can't even play card games together without my brother or her sister pulling us apart." she stated with a smirk towards the young feline.

Artemis listened to them all talking before she moved up towards Akuma as they got closer, "Will you be alright being able to find the claw? with the dragons you had at least some idea knowing they wouldn't fully hurt you....this is different I can feel nothing but the call of death here."

"Tempers did tend to flare up rather quickly. I guess that's what happens when two hot heads compete against each other" Yukine said before facing Sabreal "She's right ya know. Piss me off and I just may eat you alive. There's a reason my nickname in the Demon World is the Prodigal Princess" she said wagging her finger playfully at him though there seemed to be some terrifying hint of truth behind her voice and innocent demeanor

Akuma nodded his head "If everything goes according to plan, Yukine holds off the beasts, we track down the claw and blast our way out if need be......however things likely wont go as planned, we fend off the beasts and blast our way out. Either way we will be fine. Actually I'm glad you're here. In terms of raw power, you, Asura and Inuyasha's Wind Scar are the most destructive forces. That power may have to be used in case of an emergency"

Inuyasha drew his Tetsaiga and let it rest on his shoulder. “Ready for anything. Those beasts won’t know what hit ‘em.” He said with a smirk. “Remember that your brother couldn’t defeat them.”
“Yeah we’ll back then he didn’t have a weapon at all. It was because of this venture he received our fathers other fang, tessaiga. The sword of heven, able to save a hundred souls. Mine is the sword of earth. Able to slay a hundred demons in one blow. Then their is Sounga. The sword of hell, able to raise an a hundred dead.”

"Hmm fitting sword for the three realms" Artemis stated as she looked around, cracking her knuckles some as her wings slowly extended some. She then looked towards Ryoma then back to Akuma, "we shouldn't split up till we encounter the beast....then once we do we can get into our groups."

Asura nodded, "I agree it will be best if we stay together til we can encounter what ever is in there waiting...I say we send Ryoma in to piss it off first." she grinned her tail wiggling a bit.

"I'm going in first because Im the leader." Ryoma said dryly behind him without turning around "Your parents all deemed me responsible for your well being."he commented "And that was the plan all along. No disengaging from the group until we are sure Yukine has the beasts somewhat under control. We dont want any freak accidents happening. As long as you all know your roles everything should be fine"

"Inuyasha you do have a brain, you impress me sometimes you know that?" Yukine said after Inuyasha's explaination "Maybe one day they'll make a Prince out of you yet"

The group would spend the rest of the night discussing plans and what needed to be done, as the morning sun began to rise so did they as they headed towards the temple. The imposing building that had seen better times loomed ahead and in front of it a large statue showing a ferce creature with whicked claws and fangs, “is that the beast?” Artemis asked though it was a small scale of it looking st it was not settling. “Ya...though this served as a warning...looks like that has stopped looters...” Asura said as she nudged a skull with her foot.

Inuyasha smirked. “Don’t get your hopes up just yet.” He said with a chuckle. Sabreal shook his head with a smirk till they came to the statue and took in the likeness of Mizen and felt awe and shock at the sight of the beast. “Damn.....”
Inuyasha snorted, “told you.” He teased as they moved toward the temple that gave off the air of warning and threat of death.

Yukine approached the statue and gave a deep bow "May your warmth and light guide us through your temple, and may your eternal sleepcbe peaceful" she said before rejoining the others

"Alright here we go. Stick to the plan, and we should make it out of here alive...or at least in one piece"he said as he pulled out a dark crystal he was wearing around his neck that would activate the other crystals as they passed by them linking this place and its energies to Magi as requested "Yukine, light please" he stated as she blew into her hands as orbs of light scattered around the group illuminating their path. A deep rumbling could be felt from the walls and the ground, a sign beasts lay dormant in wait for them

Asura would crack her knuckles as she licked her lips in excitement, after all the threat of death she had never really experienced it before as it made her blood kick into over drive. She smirked happily, "this is exciting..." she stated clearly already ready for something, Artemis felt the dark energies surrounding them and soon as they passed they would watch as the crystal around Ryoma's neck reacted as at least three started to pulse and glow to life. "Looks like the crystals are working now....though I'm not sure I want to know what that wizard plans on doing with the energy here."

“Maybe ask them.” Inuyasha said as he pointed to the ancient looking bones that scattered amounts the halls. “They look really chatty.” He said as he kept an eye and ear open for any trouble.

Sabreal summons his blades, the dark blue flame casting an eerie glow among the purple light from the crystals. He stopped when he felt his foot connect with something and looked down. At his foot was a part of a torn satchel, leather was rotted away and stained with very dry and old blood, but a crest etched into it was clear as day, “yukine. This must have been your sisters. We must be near where she and sesshomaru encounterd the beasts.”

Yukine paused as she knelt down picking up the bag sniffing it and nodding "Yeah this is Miaka's alright...and that's her blood..."she said with a frown before she looked up as her eyes flashed a bright ember "They know we are here....they know I'm here....they watch from the shadows....I think they are too scared to attack outright though knowing I'm Mizen's heir...or well half of it anyway"she said as she put the bag under her arm "Stick together....stray too far into the darkness and they might lash out."

Ryoma side eyed Asura "Keep your wits about you"he warned the group as he held out his hands casting out shadows which instantly returned to him rebounding off of some unseen force *She was right, the shadows don't obey me in this temple* he thought to himself as he then proceeded to continue forward steeling himself for what may be coming their way

Asura moved further in her eyes scanning watching the shadows as best she could but even her keen sight couldn't cut through it, she would hold up her hand before taking a deep breath as she blew air across her palm as a few little black and blue flames spread out further into the shadows barely cutting into the inky blackness. "damn...just how much energy is in this place..." she questioned, though the smile never left her lips as Akuma could even feel his sisters aura rising as her tails even started to puff out in excitement.

"just keep at the ready....what ever is here...its waiting for us to let our guard down." Artemis stated watching her hand on her sword waiting to draw it. "Yukine...its waiting for you to be open...I can sense it stalking us."

“If makes sense they would not outright attack....you have the half of the soul that is Mizens fire where your father has the calm half.” Sabreal said, though feeling the beasts close by put him on edge a bit.

"That is true....I'm there biggest threat here. My father said he had an issue controlling the beasts, but it is likely because he contains the weaker half of his soul." Yukine stated giving a small shutter hearing another rumbling in the darkness "This is terrifying though...knowing that we are already being hunted."

"Try not to focus on it and keep your eyes peeled. Im sure they are simply waiting for the proper moment to reveal their presence entirely" Ryoma stated

Akuma frowned as he had his hand on the shaft of his spear as he concentrated on any sounds or movements in the dark "I think there are only two of them....I can hear footprints...two sets of them...coming from different.....they're boxing us in."

Asura would smirk as she would roll her shoulders some, "then perhaps we should show them that we aren't prey" She stated her tongue running over her lips as Akuma could notice a change in his sister...her demon was starting to show its head rather than her. Was it because of the energy levels in here that spurred the dark halves to awaken more? Her eyes even seemed to faintly glow a red hue to them as she scanned the area.

“Sabreal raised his swords at the ready, “Inuyasha, do you a scent on the relic yet?”
“Yeah I think I do. Coming from the next right.”

“Ruins, let’s make a path for the twins and Inuyasha to get through. Keeep the beasts focused on u.

Akuma reached over putting his hand on his sister's shoulder "Hey, relax. Make sure we are sticking to the plan" he said still eyeing her carefully

"Uh guys....time to put that plan into action" Yukine said as her eyes glowered in the darkness once again before she suddenly held out her hands as a bright light shot out as a loud roar was heard a a terrifying beast emerged from the darkness behind them. Large and menacing it slowly crept forward snapping its jaws at Yukine as the temper of her beast began to rise in challenge "Down!" She commanded in a booming voice as the light from her hands engulfed the beast forcing it into submission though it struggled and roared attempting to break free of her control

Asura glanced back at her brother as she grumbled "ya ya...we find the claw....they get to fight..." she grumbled and Artemis would smirk before she would speak "best get moving then...we got a beast to tame" she drew her sword as it pulsed with both holy and dark energy. Asura glared "lucky..." she whinned but while they dealt with the beast the trio of Inuyasha, Akuma and Asura darted down another way following after Inuyasha as he snifed out the relic.

“Get going.” Sabreal told the group that would retrieve the relic. “Well done yukine” He said seconds before the next one emerged and swung for them, but he crossed his blades in front of her and blocked the blow with the fire from his blades

Yukine turned her body to stand between both beasts as her eyes turned red and her teeth and claws elongated as a mane of fire surrounded her body "BOW!" roared a demonic voice from the small demoness as the light from her fingertips ignited into fiery ropes that grabbed the beasts and chained them to the ground as they bucked against them as Yukine struggled under the crushing weight of her own youkai's raw power

"Quickly, while she has them pinned, strike them as hard as you can. We must buy Inuyasha and the twins as much time as we can!"Ryoma commanded to the group as he fanned his tails out as a dark portal appeared before thousands of daggers and knives began powering out cascading down directly onto the two beasts

Akuma kept an eye opened for anything before he suddenly paused "I can feel it resonate"he said as the Dragon amulet he wore on his neck began to grow warm "This way!" Akuma said hitting the next corridor before coming to a stop. In the center of the room was a pedestal much like the one in the Caverns. However instead of an amulet, a wand, long and narrow, and resting atop it, an amber gem surrounded by the golden claw of a cat. Just in front of the claw however, was a stone golem with two blades crossed in its arms.

"I bet the minute we grab that claw, the golem is going to come alive....and the beasts are going to go mad." Akuma deduced "We're gonna have to grab this and go back for the others, we dont have time for a fight" he said mostly aimed towards his sister though knew Inuyasha was also prone to think with his sword first.

Artemis would stand at the ready watching the beast starting to struggle beneath her grasp on it, she would then take a deep breath as she would sheath her sword and would let her wings extend. She would mutter something beneath her breath till they watched as a light filled barrier began to wrap around the beast, keeping it pinned beneath Yukine's hold. As the chat ended Artemis spoke, "i can hold it down so long as we keep it this way....it should by the others time."

Asura looked at the golom and cursed slightly before she nodded, "Alright, Akuma your the fastest one here you take the claw....Inuyasha and I will both attack the golom right when it moves hopefully stunning it long enough for us to get free. No matter what YOU keep moving got it?" Asura said sternly towards her twin brother.