Demons Eyes

Chapter 36

Sesshomaru had failed to return as evening approached, and the sky began to grow dark and heavy with rain. As the light precipitation began to fall, Noro and the others hid in the dense forest, and they ate a cold dinner, contrary to Jakens inclinations. With Naraku nearby, a fire would only attract unwanted attention.

With the threat of enemies looming, and the overpowered dai-yokai having yet to return, Noro took it upon herself to keep watch, staying awake long after everyone else had fallen asleep, with a hand laying ready on her Hageshi Taiyo. She glared at the threatening mountains, their dark ridges peeking in between the trees to the north. The air was ominous, and Noros hair was on end, a cold breeze prickling the back of her neck.

The aura of the mountains was uncomfortably sinister, Noro comparing the sensation to when she would walk straight into spiderwebs, and the strands refused to brush off. She held her weapons closer. Whatever resided in those peaks, whether Naraku or not; it should not exist.

🍂🍂🍂

Noro was still keeping watch when Jaken and Rin awoke the next morning, with a grim expression settled like snow across her face.

She had barely even blinked during the night, the circles under her brown eyes evidence to her exhaustion. But Rin was well rested, and the woman wearily followed the young child around as they took a walk near the shadow of the mountain.

"Lady Noro," Rin said excitedly, "look what I found!"

She held up a bunch of wildflowers.

"Pretty," said Noro absentmindedly, her eyes drawn towards the direction that their as of yet absentee demon lord had taken the previous day.

Sesshomaru had yet to return, and although his skipping out at random times for a few days was not altogether uncommon, the fact that the bastard spider or one of his flunkies was nearby worried the woman. As much as she hated to admit, she wasn't that strong, and she wasn't sure that she would be able to take down one of Naraku offspring on her own if the situation called for it, even with the new weapons and training. Begrudgingly, she felt safer when the callous dog demon was nearby.

Then something she saw drew her mind from her thoughts.

"Hey Jaken? There's a cloud forming in the east, and it doesn't look like smoke."

The imp squinted towards the direction she pointed. Though his eyesight would still pale in comparison to Sesshomaru's, Jakens could still see much better than Noro or Rin. The imp gulped before answering.

"I think that's a cloud of poison," he answered, wide-eyed. "Ooh, I hope that Lord Sesshomaru is ok!"

"I'm sure he is," Noro assured him, and glanced over at Rin. The young girl was staring into the forest. "Rin, what is it? Do you see something?"

The child blinked, and turned back towards the woman. "Oh, it's nothing Lady Noro. Though Lord Sesshomaru hasn't returned yet. I wish that he had taken us with him."

Noro smiled and patted her head. "It's ok Rin. We're safer here, and I'm sure that he'll be back soon."

Then she felt a chill run down her spine. Glancing at the trees around them, she saw nothing, and she scratched her neck absentmindedly.