Grand Alliance by Walter205

The March Begins

"Hey Kagome, what do you think?" asked the wolf demon Koga as he sidled up next to her as she finished packing away her campsite supplies.

"About?" she questioned in reply without looking up from her duties. Really she had made it abundantly clear that she was not interested in his advances yet his stubbornness on the issue seemed to know no bounds.

"Our banner silly. They just finished the design this morning," the wolf tribe leader replied with a soft chuckle. Now the young miko in training looked up and her eyes widened slightly at the sight that beheld her. Unfurled was their new design, featuring first the emblem of the western lands, followed underneath by the more localized symbol of the demon wolf tribe, featuring a wolf's head backed by a mountain with claw marks in the lower left and right. She had to admit, it was both beautiful and intimidating at the same time.

"Wow, your banner will be the envy of the army, aside from the main force," Kagome replied as she grabbed her sack and hefted it up alongside her bow and quiver of arrows, her Kodachi already secured at her lower back.

"Heh, I'm glad you approve. Be careful out there," said Koga as they bid farewell, hopefully not for the last time. They didn't anticipate meeting the enemy until after a week's march but that didn't mean an ambush couldn't still occur.

Horns sounded through the fields of the Dogo Plain as banners were raised and formations assembled. With foreign invaders once more threatening Japans shores, this time aided by the treachery of the Northern Lords, the armies of the West, East, and South were mustering everything they had to make one final stand as a Grand Alliance.

"Are ye all packed and ready? The first day's trek shall be the most arduous and ve will have to train most of the troop put under our responsibility along the way," asked Kaede as her master came to stand next to her.

"Yes, I'm fully packed and ready to go," affirmed Kagome as she came to stand next to her master that was but ten years her senior in age.

"Then rally our guard and be ready to step in line," Kaede nodded to her. Kagome turned around and motioned to the companies of human archers and pikemen under the command of the two mikos.

"Miko Battalia Five, assemble into your assigned ranks and prepare to march!" Kagome yelled out in as much an authoritarian voice as she could muster, having to make herself sound angry just to get the job done. Really she hated sounding so bossy but when you had little choice in the situation...

Another set of horns sounded and everyone turned to watch the front of the procession proceed past, with General of the Grand Army and Lord of the Western Lands Inutashio ride past on his demon steed Whitefang, followed by his attendant miko on her horse, Midoriko.

To his right rode Sesshomaru, his firstborn and heir to the Western Lands, also holding the rank of General and in charge of the demon detachment at large, as well as the highest ranking officer in the army without an attending miko.

To his left was his illegitimate second son and half demon Inuyasha, holding the rank of Commander with his attendant miko Kikyo, who was herself the older sister of Kaede and had trained Kagome's master herself. A pang touched Kagome's heart as Inuyasha had caught her attention in the castle several days ago and the two of them had fooled and frolicked around a little, before she later caught him doing the same with Kikyo and learning that she was his actual love interest.

Ranks of Soldiers started filling in behind them on the road that would eventually arrive at Hakata Bay. Soon Kagome was marching step by step with Kaede as the 17,000 strong Western Army departed from its homeland for potentially the last time.