Not A Simple thief by yuki_kaza

Calm Before the Storm

Tension mounted as the time progress on.

The seed of despair prospered within the depth of every soul.

Demons and humans alike dreaded the grim future;

for no one is certain what tomorrow might bring.

All this tension, despair, dread and uncertainty stared when the old, peaceful lord of the south was overthrown, and the new, ambitious lord came in to power. Being the ambitious demon he is, the new lord was not satisfied with only the southern land under his control. With the support of his sister, the lady of the East, he seeks to conquer all of Japan. The other lord, of course, was outraged by this. Many had already formed alliances with the western lord, Sesshomaru who was perhaps the only demon with enough power to stop the advances of the southern and eastern army.

Chapter One

"My lord, I bring you grievous news" the messenger whispered, so that only his lord may hear.

Sesshomaru brought his attention to the man standing before him. His eyes narrowed in irritation. "Now is not the time, leave." Without a second glace, he turned back to the meeting with the other lords.

"Thousand apologies my lord, but I am afraid that the news is urgent." Oh, how the demon wish to leave the room this instant, for no one in their right mind would want to feel the wrath of their lord.

"Speak."

Taking a moment to put the thoughts into word, the demon informed Sesshomaru, "this morning, before dawn, the Suwo province was invaded. Lord Mori's army was ambushed and there has not been word since."

The room was silent. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the best line of defense in the west is now gone. The silence didn't last, a moment later, several discussion broke out. One in particular interested Sesshomaru.

"With the East and the South join forces, the future doesn't look too bright."

"At least we stand a chance before, but now with Mori gone..."

"What of the North? Surely they will to do something. They can't just sit there and watch us fight to our death."

"What did you expect? The north had isolated themselves on Hokkaido ever since the old Hagurashi died. With their new lord still young, there is no way they will enter a war."

"I say that they are nothing but cowards."

"Enough." Sesshomaru didn't have to rise his voice, for despite the presence of the Elders, he was the most powerful of them all. There is none that could question his control, and many even feared him. "There is no room for panic or fear," he continued. "Our fate lies in our own hands. It is no use seeking others for help. From now on we have to be on our best of defenses. If any one of you has noticed anything that might indicate the next attack, send words to me and your neighboring provinces immediately. Lord Yukjda and Lord Amako send your troops to defend Choshu, Iwami and Bingo. We cannot afford to lose more ground to the South."

"Hai." The other lords replied in union.

Just as Sesshomaru was about to end the meeting, Jaken busted in, going as fast as his short legs could carry him to the feet of his lord.

"My lord, my lord," he panted. "I bring you message from the North."

Murmurs started once again as Sesshomaru read over the letter. "This letter was signed over 6 days ago. Tell me why that is."

"The messenger was delayed due to the weather, my lord." Jaken trembled as he informed Sesshomaru.

Accepting the answer, Sesshomaru addressed the other lords under his rule. "It seems that I will be receiving a visitor from the North shortly, so this meeting will end right here. You are all dismissed." Without a second glance, Sesshomaru exited the room with Jaken behind his heels.

The rumors spread faster than wild fire. Everyone, from lowly servants to daimyo lords, had heard the mysterious visitor that's coming. All who have a mind would have a question, "Who is Lord Sesshomaru expecting from the northern kingdom?"

It's common knowledge that the Lord of the North was still young and only ruled with the help of his mother. So the possibility of them coming is close to zero. The Lord's older sister, the hime of the North was said to be of age, but she rarely comes into the world of politics. In fact, she has yet to be mated, despite how many suitors she have.

The first meeting between two possible allies during a war was perhaps the most important meeting through the course of the alliance. If this meeting was to go successfully, then the North will join forced with the West, which is for the best for both side. If it is to fail, however... Well, let's just say that the survival of the two kingdoms would be put on the edge of a cleft.

A/N: well this chapter is pretty short, but it's something. Write a review and tell me what you think.