his intoxication

14

Dimitri Sokolov stared intently at the image of the house shimmering in the glass of his small scrying mirror, trying to memorize the patterns of the people living inside. This would most likely be the place he would make his strike, capturing the deceptively young woman who lived amongst a veritable swarm of dangerous beings who watched her like hawks. The man he'd sent before had been an utter and colossal failure. He could not risk such failure again. He'd been looking for these people for decades, and now that he'd found them, he would not let them slip through his fingers.

He had taken up the search when his master, Tarquin Lancaster, former leader of the Coven of Eternity, had been slain in his search to grant them true immortality. Tarquin had spent most of his life traveling the world looking for lost, forbidden magics to strengthen himself and those in his coven, which was made up of displaced witches and wizards that he'd gathered up and taught his collection of forbidden spells. Using dark magic he'd found in one far off land or another, he'd granted all of his followers with long lasting youth and vitality, but such magic had its limits. For centuries he'd followed the whispers of a remarkable object, a jewel of immense power, that would give them the energy they needed to sustain themselves infinitely. They would truly be immortal, and completely unstoppable. Tarquin had followed those whispers deep into the island country of Japan, to a large castle ruled by a demon of immeasurable strength. The Dog Lord had struck Tarquin down where he stood for merely inquiring about the location of the jewel, leaving Dimitri, his right hand man, to take up the reigns as de-facto leader of the Coven of Eternity until such a time that they could find the Jewel of Four Souls and restore their leader to life to lead them into the future and to their destinies.

They had been preparing for this for decades. They'd kept track of rumors of a young priestess who now guarded the jewel, and paid close attention to the talk of her strong and fierce protectors. They'd strengthened their ranks and sought more magics in their quest for this jewel. They'd even lowered themselves enough to add a Siphoner to their ranks. They would not fail.

He watched the glass of his mirror with a deadly, satisfied grin as a man with silver hair an animal ears stepped out of the front door and took a seat on the swing resting on the porch. He wondered if this was the dog demon who had taken their leader from them. If he played his cards right, he could have the jewel AND vengeance for his beloved master. It was only a matter of time.

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Kagome stepped out of her front door and gazed at Inuyasha, her oldest friend and companion, as he stared forlornly out over the yard from his slumped position on her porch swing. She approached him quietly, placing a hand on his shoulder and taking a seat next to him. He reached up and placed his hand on top of hers, and she leaned her cheek on top of their joined hands and sighed. He knew how to drive her crazier than any other person she'd ever known, but she loved him. He was her heart's family, her brother. And she hated to think he was sad and hurting.

"How are you Inuyasha?"

"I'm fine I guess."

"Inuyasha what happened? You guys seemed... well, fine I suppose. This just seems so out of nowhere..."

Inuyasha breathed in deeply, taking in the clean scent of crisp, fall air, the familiarity of the smell of old wood, and Kagome's own bright, comforting scent and holding it for a moment before releasing it all in a whoosh. He'd been thinking all night about his life and some of his more foolish choices, and he'd determined that from now on, he was going to look forward and do right by those who'd always done right by him. Starting with the loyal little miko who'd given him everything he had in the first place. He leaned his head against her's and thanked every kami he knew the name of for a friend like Kagome.