The Second Journey by Smortz

The Missing Treasure

Author's Note:

Hello, this is the first story I'm posting, although I've written a few. Also, if someone would want to edit these it'd be great. I often miss mistakes that I don't catch until the fourth time around.

Hope you enjoy it!

~Smortz

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I wish I did, but I don't. I do own a Sesshoumaruu plushy though, that sticks to my closet mirror....

Chapter 1

He hurt so bad. The bare soles of his feet were torn, the gashes filled with dirt and small rocks. He had forced himself to go this far, he needed to complete this journey. His people needed him to be successful. Tears gripped his eyes, but he would not let them fall. A lord does not show his pain.

It had been days since his full demon form had failed him. He had grown that weak, being outside his land and in his enemy's territory. He'd so forgotten the pain of his father's greatest enemy's power. The Great Dog had always been a fear of his people. If not the most feared, than the most hated.

His council, however, thought that the two sons could be the only way their people could survive this sickness. This youkai curse that had spread in the last four decades. The sickness that was slowly killing off their numbers.

The first two decades had been filled with foreign magicians and prophecies, but none had worked. Finally, the council had began to take drastic measures and reaching out to enemies. However, the long grudge would prevent them from returning to this land. The battle that had taken their leader, Ryukotsusei, had never been forgotten.

It had only been a few months ago, that they decided to call to their enemies to the east. The damned white dog demon that had warned them to never be caught in his land. They only had their ally, the dragon of the East, that had given them small amounts of information. They had given them hope when they had learned that the dog demon wields a new metal that could heal anything, even death.

The sound of a horn ripped through his sensitive ears, knocking him to the ground. He would've laughed at himself if he had the strength. However, none was left. He could smell the demons as they drew near, could see their blurred shapes as they stepped on his back with a possessive growl.

“Bring him inside to the healer,” the leader spoke, his voice raspy, “tell the Lord we have something he might be interested in.”

The guards huffed, but the leader sat with a disbelieving scowl on his face. It had been so many years, decades, since he had smelled that dragon's scent. He turned his back to the weakened body and began to walk towards the castle.

The large building was one of the most architecturally blessed structures in all of Japan. They had welcomed foreign kings that would rather be in here for one night than in any other castle for a year.

The statues of the dog sat on each side of the door for protection. The hall that greeted the front door led to the back kitchen and ballroom, then splitting off into two directions, and another story up. This three story building was lavish in even the smallest details.

He grinned as he walked up the stairs. It had better be a smile he gets from his Lord when he tells him of what his men had just caught. The hallway echoed with his large boots as he knocked on the door. A servant opened, the feline eyes staring up at him, “Yes?”

“Tell Lord Sesshoumaru that I must speak with him,” he whispered, not wanting to interrupt the dog demon and his guest.

It was the guest that spoke up on the other side of the door. “Oh? I smell something good, Sesshoumaru!” He exclaimed.

“Hn,” he heard his Lord hum out his disbelief before the servant opened the door all the way open and bowed respectfully when he entered.

“Mi'lord.” he cleared his throat, staring between the two powerful taiyoukai. The bird of the South was staring at him with flame filled eyes of amusement, and his own lord was looking bored as ever. “We have caught a youkai trespassing on the grounds,” he spoke sternly.

Sesshoumaru stared at him with no expression, “This is a small matter that you should be able to oversee.”

“I believe he is Ryukotsusei's offspring,” he forced out, no longer sure if a smile or growl would be met at the news. It was niether. Sesshoumaru's brow rose into his bangs and he nodded to the bird. “Suzaku, I will need to look into this, can I trust the servant to take you back to your quarters?” The lord asked while he walked towards the head of his guard.

The fiery bird's smirk grew and he nodded. “I will behave like the guest I am, Sesshoumaru. Take care of that vermin and I will see you at dinner,” he said with a grin.

Sesshoumaru left, his guard following behind him. “I have instructed my guards to take him to the healer,” he informed the lord.

Sesshoumaru weaved through the arched hallways. His heart was pumping with anger. He could already smell the rotten smell of the demon that had fatally injured his father. The fact that the son had even dared come back into his lands made Sesshoumaru want to kill him.

The door to the healer's almost flung off the hinges with the push Sesshoumaru gave it. “Where is he?” He asked, a growl forming on his words. The healer looked to him with her pearly eyes. The elemental spirit demon nodded before leading him to a body that laid exhausted on the patient bed.

“He's extremely tired, he's also suffered many wounds from battle,” she stammered out fearful for what was about to happen to her patient.

“Wake him up,” Sesshoumaru growled. Her eyes widened, the desire to resist for her patient's sake rose to the surface but she hid it. Quickly, she pressed her hand over the dragon's breast.

With a choked breath he startled awake, his eyes wide with fear as he stared into the sun colored eyes of the dog demon. “L-Lord Sesshoumaru, please do not kill me,” he pleaded, “I only wish to have a word.”

Sesshoumaru's lip shook as it curled against his teeth, the growl that let loose from him made the healer shudder. “What are you doing on my lands?” He asked, his voice vibrating off the walls.

“I-I understand we have yet met, and have hated each other since the Great Battle,” he got out weakly. It felt as if his throat were shattering with each word he forced up from it, “my people are suffering from a crime that has been done against us. I seek help.”

Sesshoumaru snarled, red bled into his eyes as he stared at the dragon youkai. This whelp would dare ask him for help after his own father murdered the Great Dog Demon? His nails grew and he lashed out, throwing a clay made cup against the wall, only to watch it shatter. The contents slowly cralwing down the wall.

“I realize you would rather see me dead, but I warn you if I do not survive the trip back across the water, my people will create a war,” the dreagon forced out, he tried to sit up. The healer flew to his side, pushing him back down.

“Our heirloom has been stolen, it houses our meaning to life,” he explained, “without it, we have no meaning, even the Eastern Lord is trying to find it.”

The Eastern Lord knew about this? Sesshoumaru took a deep breath, he would need to calm down to handle this matter like a lord. He knew that the dragon's heirloom was the Dragon's Egg. It was rumored to grant immortality to the owner, without it, the years they had been granted would take its toll on their body slowly.

“Get some food in him,” he ordered to the healer, “bring him to the study within the hour.”

Without another word he left. The head of his guard behind him. “Go back on patrol, make sure he was the only one,” Sesshoumaru ordered. The guard nodded, going a different way as Sesshoumaru pushed the doors to his study open. Immediately he was tearing through the books that had been written during his father's reign.

The Egg, he remembered his father mentioning something about the dragon's treasure. His father knew that to have this egg would mean to have whatever territory the dragon's held. He had no idea whether his father had wanted to keep the egg for himself, or watch over it, but it had led to his demise.

He found the piece of parchment he wanted. He spread it over his desk, the same time he heard that damned bird open the door. “What do you need?” He asked, his chest rumbling. He hadn't wanted to be disturbed. Unfortunately, that bird liked to have his beak in everything.

“Ryukotsusei's son wants help?” He asked, looking at his nails as if he was a manipulating demoness. Sesshoumaru actually had to fight off the need to smirk at the comparison. The two had multiple similarities.

“He has yet to ask for what he needs,” Sesshoumaru returned. He didn't know how much the bird had heard, but he did not want to give out any free information.

It could be good for his reign if he was able to achieve the treasure and take over the dragon's territoy. It could be bad for him to make such powerful enemies. While he was able to kill one, his army may take an unecessary beating. Sighing, he sank in his chair and read over his father's accounts of Ryukotsusei's meetings.

“Will you give him it?” He asked. Sesshoumaru arched an eyebrow, watching the bird sit comfortably in his chair. “Your help?” He clarified.

Sesshoumaru hated showing emotions, but he desperately wanted to bash his head into the table. The bird had only stopped in for a short visit in order to ask for permission to hunt for a criminal on his lands. Now the bird had his beak in business that could start a war.

His eyes found what he was looking for. His father had mentioned that the Dragon's Egg was extremely fragile and had to be handled with special care. He read the words carefully. The golden orbs searching for any instruction. They found it.

The Egg must be cared for by one whose eyes are not of this time and hands that are rich with maternal love.

He growled absent-mindedly. His father loved to speak in riddles. Instantly, his mind went to work on deciphering it, even as he stared at the bird youkai in front of him. Suzaku, the damned man had stars in his name, “Do you request anything else? I have already given you permission to seek out the perpetrator,” Sesshoumaru proclaimed.

Suzaku nodded at the taiyoukai. He could see the irritation coming over the dog's face. He inwardly grinned to himself while standing out of the chair, “I will leave then.” He bent down to the servant at the door, “Tell the dragon lord that I will help, if the dog does not.”

Sesshoumaru's claws dug into the wood of his desk as the words made their way into his ears. So the bird would start his own fight with the House of the West?

Snatching the papers in his demonic hands, Sesshoumaru stared at the servant. “Make sure he leaves,” he ordered. The servant scurried after the pheonix at a sprint, the same time the healer, all but carrying the dragon lord, came in.

She sat him carefully in the chair, setting down a mug of what smelled like herbal tea on the desk. “Eyes not of this time, and hands of maternal love,” Sesshoumaru said the words carefully. His eyes watching the dragon's, waiting for any emotion to show.

“The Dragon Egg is extremely breakable, it is already a mystery on how it was stolen in the first place,” the son murmured, “I, Ryuichi, have already been shamed in allowing this to happen. I promise my lands to welcome you, Sesshoumaru, if you aid me in finding this.”

“How do you know it is in these lands?” Sesshoumaru asked carefully, saying nothing to what would be promised to him.

“It was last in the hands of the Eastern Dragon, on its way back into my lands when the transport was ambushed, and the Egg taken,” he explained, “I must get it back, or the world would be rid of dragons.”

Sesshoumaru's lips tightened. He almost welcomed the day when there would be no dragons. Unfortunately, that path was not in the near future. “What of the prophecy? Do you know of the demon to wield these powers? Eyes not of this time? Maternal love?” He asked.

The dragon shook his head, “It was never handled to begin with.”

Sesshoumaru arched his eyebrow, “Then how did you get the Egg to the House of the East?”

The youkai before him sighed, rubbing his hands over his eyes, “We have priestesses that are able to cast a spell to move it for us.”

Sesshomuru glared at him, “Then you have the culprit, they probably stole it.”

“No, they all died,” Ryuichi growled angrily, “all of them!”

Sesshoumaru stared at the words once more. “In return for helping you, I wish trade to and from your land, as well as a promise to never provoke a war with my army,” Sesshoumaru exclaimed. He couldn't let Suzaku take over the investigation and earn the same rewards Sesshoumaru was about to claim.

The dragon lord nodded, “I have terms as well. I return safely to my people with my title and Egg intact.” The dog demon nodded easily, such terms could be worked on.

"Healer, tell the servants to prepare a guest room for him,” Sesshoumaru instructed, nodding his head to the dragon, "we leave in two days to the House of the East.”