[Eternal] Rescue Mission
Title: Rescue Mission
Author: Griddlebone (eggplantlady)
Word Count: 690
Rating: K+
Summary: The Inu-Tachi find something unexpected after Rifting into enemy territory.
Warnings: Crossover (InuYasha/Aion)
Notes: Part of Eternal.
The more she did it, the more comfortable Sango became with the idea of Rifting. That is, to pass through the Rift portals and cross to the other side... to the severed world of Asmodae.
It was dark there, and cold. The Asmodians had not been so blessed as the Elyos when Atreia was destroyed. While the Elyos lived in light and warmth, the Asmodians were condemned to eternal twilight. Sango felt lucky to have been born in Elysea, for all that her homeland was fast becoming a desert.
Far better a desert than the wastes of Beluslan.
"Our friends seem to be getting sick of the ice," Miroku commented wryly, drawing Sango out of her own thoughts.
"Yes," she agreed, smiling a little at the way Inuyasha complained. It was cold enough in Beluslan today to make even a half-Asmodian shiver, she thought. Pitching her voice louder, she called out over the howling wind, "Do you see anything?"
"Not so loud," Inuyasha admonished. "Do you want someone to hear you?"
If not for her own knowledge of the arts of stealth, Sango might have protested that there was no one for kilometers around. Instead, she kept her mouth shut. He was right. The enemy could be anywhere. Although, if they were, he probably would have smelled them by now.
She gave the sign for her third eye, which would enable her to see through even magical stealth. "There is no one," she said quietly. "Let's get going."
The quartet of warriors set off, slinking across the land. They moved quickly, so as not to draw undue attention.
Everywhere was the ice, shining even in the darkness. There was no sign of life. At least, not of the dangerous variety.
It was not long before they passed out of the small area that passed for familiar territory for Sango. She had come through this Rift once before, but had been ill equipped to travel far. But now, in a group, not simply hot on the tail of a fleeing Asmodian, things were different.
Sango followed the others, keeping one eye on Inuyasha and the other on her surroundings. She had to memorize the landscape now, and not just to keep a look out for Asmodian warriors. Knowing the lay of the land might mean the difference between life and death later.
"How far to the goal?" Kagome asked.
"Not far now," Inuyasha told her. "Didn't you mark it on your map?"
"I hardly ever come to Beluslan," she protested.
It took Sango a moment to realize that Miroku was lagging behind. For a moment she was torn, then she went back to stand with him. "What is it?"
"Something isn't right here."
By then, Inuyasha had noticed as well, and had come back with Kagome. "What's the matter?" he demanded.
"Down there," the Sorcerer said, pointing into a nearby ravine. "I sense something unusual."
Kagome closed her eyes and concentrated. "He's right. I feel it, too. There's a lot of aetheric energy down there. That's weird. There shouldn't be something like this so far from a settlement. The Asmodians would be making use of it, if this were a natural formation."
"Feh. It's not our goal. We're supposed to be meeting up with -" He cut himself off and glared. Kagome had already started down the slope.
Sango and Miroku stopped to give him wry glances before heading after Kagome. Grumbling all the while, he followed them.
By the time they reached the bottom, he had taken the lead. All four Daevas on high alert, the group made its way cautiously along the bottom of the ravine. As they rounded a corner, the sight that awaited them threatened to change the purpose of their mission altogether.
Nestled amid the rocks was a cage, charged through with enough aetheric energy to trap even a Daeva. There was a figure inside of the cage, a woman. And with her fair skin and human features, she was clearly Elysean.
"Looks like this just turned into a rescue mission," Inuyasha said, drawing his sword.