War for the World by Lisa

War on the Horizon

                Sesshomaru sat in the meeting with Saito and Hiroki.  He hated to admit that he had been out maneuvered, especially by someone like Hideki, but that seemed to be the shape of things.  Hideki was the Taiyoukai of the South.  He was a powerful neko with a hate for Sesshomaru that bordered on obsessive.  Everything Sesshomaru did was scrutinized for weaknesses and ulterior motives.  Sesshomaru had not gone out of his way to pacify his neighbor, but he had not tried to antagonize him either.  The source of the dispute went back to his father, Inutaisho, who had conquered large swaths of the Southern Lands and incorporated them into the Western Lands.

                If Sesshomaru had thought returning the lands would solve anything, he would have.  Unfortunately Asano, Taiyoukai of the East, had tried that only a few weeks before.  Hideki had systematically slaughtered every man, woman, and child, youkai or ningen that had settled on the disputed land.  Sesshomaru could not allow the people currently under his protection to suffer the same fate.  Asano had been properly horrified and sent in his army to try to stop the murders, but Hideki had spent many years growing his forces, and Asano’s men were crushed.  Only the Army of the West had stopped Hideki was conquering all of the Eastern Lands.

                It was because of that blocking action that he was in this meeting now with his two most trusted generals.  Hideki had used the action as an excuse to declare war on Sesshomaru.  He had given him four months to respond before he would face the bulk of the Southern army.  Normally Sesshomaru would not be worried.  The Western armies were always fit for battle.  The problem was that the Southern army had them beat on sheer numbers.  In the skirmish on the Eastern border, Sesshomaru had been shocked at the masses of neko he was facing.

                Saito was his most brilliant tactician.  The elder of the brothers, he had inherited his mother’s sharp mind and keen eye for detail.  Hiroki was almost twice his brother’s size.  He was built for battle and could even make Sesshomaru work for a victory.  What had surprised everyone about Sesshomaru’s choice in generals was that they were both neko.  Sesshomaru harbored no ill will toward neko in general.  Saito and Hiroki had come to his kingdom long ago seeking asylum.  He had done more than grant it, he had welcomed them.  They were no more than children at the time, but Sesshomaru had seen the potential and nurtured their respective talents to the point where he now considered them both indispensable.

                Saito was frowning over the reports on the Southern army.  “Sesshomaru-sama, I do not believe we can defeat this force in head on combat.  Not without aid.”

                “Asano-sama is in no position to help us.  Chouko-sama does not consider it her problem.”

                “Then perhaps we should enlist the aid of the ningen Lords.”

                Sesshomaru hated that idea, but he knew he needed the numbers to bolster his ranks.  “They will not answer my call.”

                “No, not yours, but if one of them could be swayed, the others would follow.”

                He was silent for a long moment before he nodded.  “Find one to approach.”

                “There is another matter as well.  The issue of your half-brother.  The Tetsusaiga would be very useful in this battle.”

                Both generals winced at Sesshomaru’s growl.  Asking the ningen Lords was bad enough, but enlisting Inuyasha, was something he was almost unwilling to contemplate.  Almost.  The truth was he needed his half-brother.  With a sigh he nodded.

                “You will want his mate as well.  She is a miko of great power named Kagome-sama.  She will be able to rally the ningen Lords for us.”

                Saito nodded.  “I will leave immediately to speak to them.”

                They both bowed themselves out of the room.  Sesshomaru was in a truly foul mood now.  He would have to pander to ningen and host Inuyasha, all in the same week.  It was almost more than he could stand.  He growled softly as someone entered his study unannounced.

                “Sesshomaru-sama?”

                He looked up and felt the tension drain out of him.  “Rin-chan.”

                “I wanted to go to the market.”

                He looked at his little girl.  She was twelve now, beginning to blossom, and the men in the market were starting to notice her.  He wondered just how much longer it would be before someone got up the nerve to ask him to court her.  Another year perhaps, but not much more than that.

                “You may go, but you must take a guard with you.”

                “Why?”

                “Because the South has declared war on us, Rin-chan.  I do not want them thinking they can hurt you in order to hurt me.”

                “Oh.”

                She turned and left without her usual goodbye.  Sesshomaru couldn’t help but wonder what had happened to the carefree child of only a few years ago.  She was getting more sullen and moody.  He supposed that most females went through that stage.  Perhaps with Kagome here, she could talk to Rin.  That was assuming Inuyasha even let her come.