The Gladiator by Liv

Prequel

The golden eyes of the young prince looked out into the peaceful forest of the Western lands, the moonlight blocked by the dark clouds covering the night sky. Sesshomaru didn’t know why, but there was an uneasy feeling in the air tonight. He was still a young pup, but his father had trained him and taught him to trust his instincts, and at this moment, his instincts were screaming that something terrible was about to happen.

A bloodcurdling scream pierced through the castle. Turning his head towards his chamber door, Sesshomaru could hear an unknown force bursting through the castle door, his servants screaming and the sound of metal and claws piercing through flesh. It was not long before the smell of blood filled the air. Grabbing his sword from his bedside, Sesshomaru came out of his chambers and his eyes widened at the sight of the slaughter taking place in the castle.

There were countless enemy soldiers in bronze armor cutting down anyone in their path. Sesshomaru soon found his father in the grand hall, fighting bravely against many soldiers who came at him from all directions, stabbing and slashing at him in any way they could. Gripping his own sword, Sesshomaru was ready to charge and fight along side his father, but arms quickly grabbed him, pulling him back until his sword fell to the floor. Baring his fangs, Sesshomaru struggled against his unknown captor until he looked up and saw that he was in his mother’s trembling arms.

“Mother…” the words barely left Sesshomaru’s lips before his mother suddenly spun him around with her on top of his small body, letting out a pained gasp.

With wide eyes, Sesshomaru looked down to see the tip of a blade coming out of his mother’s chest, blood spilling all over him.

With his mother’s long silver hair covering him, he was kept hidden from the enemy, but Sesshomaru’s sharp eyes were still able to see the face of his mother’s murderer.

He was the leader of this massacre, a high-ranking warrior who wore golden armor with a great eagle engraved on his chest plate and deep crimson cloak draped across his chest. He was a young man with long, wavy brown hair, dark sinister eyes and a cruel smirk on his face.

“Lord Naraku, we detained the lord of this land,” one of the soldiers called out.

When the one called Naraku turned his head, Sesshomaru lifted himself up slightly to see his father mortally wounded, on his knees breathing heavily.

Naraku approached his father with his sword pointed directly to his throat with a merciless smile. “The proud and mighty InuTaisho brought down to his knees on the blood of his family and people. Tell me my lord, how does it feel to fall from grace?”

Bloodied and wounded, InuTaisho looked up at his enemy with strong and fearless golden eyes. “Filth such as you could never know the honor and glory of grace. You may kill me, but mark my words, your actions this night will not go unpunished.”

Naraku gave a dark chuckle. “Bold words. I would expect no less from the once-mighty lord of the Western lands. However, you are right about one thing,” Naraku raised his sword above his head. “I will kill you.”

InuTaisho glared at his enemy before turning his gaze towards his fallen mate. It was then that he clashed eyes with his son, still alive, hidden underneath his mother’s body.

Sesshomaru’s eyes went wide with terror as he met his father’s gaze. His father gave a small comforting smile to his son before Naraku’s blade came down and beheaded the Lord of the Western lands.

Sesshomaru’s entire body froze; his golden eyes wide with shock as he saw the severed head of his father roll on the floor to his murderer’s boots. Sesshomaru saw the ruthless and satisfied smirk on the one called Naraku’s face as he cleaned his parents’ blood from his sword with his crimson cloak.

“Stack the bodies and help yourselves to the spoils of tonight’s victory!” Naraku exclaimed.

Suddenly, the body of Sesshomaru’s mother was lifted off of him. Suppressing the deep desire to attack his family’s murderer, Sesshomaru closed his eyes and forced his blood-soaked body to remain limp as he was picked up by the soldiers and stacked onto a pile of bodies. It was torture. Sesshomaru soon was buried under a heavy pile of the bodies of his family and servants, and was forced to endure the mocking laughter of his enemies tearing through his family’s castle, stealing and destroying anything they could find throughout the entire night.

Sesshomaru wasn’t sure how long it had been until the soldiers finally left, but the sun was starting to rise. Though exhausted and filled with grief, Sesshomaru summoned whatever strength he could to dig his way out of the pile of corpses only to be met with the terrible sight of his family’s castle stripped bare, stained with blood and fire, and even more horrific…his father’s head on a pike just outside the castle door for all to see.

Unsure of whether Naraku and his men would return, Sesshomaru took a final look upon the lifeless body of his mother before running into the Western forest.

Sesshomaru ran as far as his legs could carry him, but he was exhausted and starved. It was not long before he collapsed. Heavy rain began to fall and poured down onto Sessomaru’s trembling body. He would not cry, but he could feel his heart breaking within his chest at the loss of his home, his people and his family.

Curling into a small ball underneath a large tree, Sesshomaru succumbed to his exhaustion and slipped into a dreamless sleep.

It was hours later before Sesshomaru felt himself being dragged and forced up by rough hands. There were two large men, inspecting him, checking his hands and legs. When one of the men went to inspect his teeth, Sesshomaru bit his finger, his sharp fang drawing blood. Angered by his defiance, the man struck Sesshomaru hard on the side of his head, knocking him unconscious.

It wouldn’t be long before Sesshomaru awoke to discover he had been taken by slave-traders and his entire life would be forever changed.

This is my first attempt writing a fanfiction with our favorite couple. Let me know what you think but I hope y'all enjoyed!

I do NOT own Inuyasha or any of the characters.