"Don't think you can escape me, half demon"
Through the tree line burst the pursuing ogre, his size greater than any tree in the forest, a color close to that of a mountain side. Anything barring its path, be it alive or inanimate, was crushed underfoot as if nothing more han soft berries.
"Catch me if you can, ugly!" the focus of his anger, Tsuki, called back tauntingly. Her red demon rats' clothing flapped wildly at her sleeves as she tore through the unsuspecting forest.
Miffed, the ogre growled defensivly, "My mother always told me I was handsome," he sniffed.
Tsuki rolled her eyes. What a sap.
She was coming upon a thick tree now, and, with a sneer, she leapt high on its trunk before launching herself off towards the demon's head. "Take this! Iron Reaver Soul-Stealer!" The inhumanly sharp talons tipping the ends of her fingers resonaed with a yellow glow, and with a single swipe of these claws the ogre's head lolled off.
Landing expertly nearby, Tsuki stood with grim satisfaction. "You don't mess with a half demon," she hissed, long white hair tugging around her black pair of dog ears as the wind picked up. She licked clean the side of her hand, then disappeared into the forest around her.
"SIT"
Inuyasha's face plummeted into the ground, the rosary beads around his neck glowing bright white.
"He'll never learn, will he?" Miroku shook his head solemnly.
"Shut up, Monk," Inuyasha growled through the dirt.
"Hurry up or I'll leave you all behind!" Kagome called angrily over her shoulder. She was already a few meters ahead, leading her bicycle with white knuckles. That Inuyasha! What nerve he had! Why she ought to..! But no, she wouldn't, she admitted to herself with a sigh. And that's when she crested the hill.
As Kagome's scream echoed out, it brought Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sango running a full alert.
"Kagome, what--" began the half demon, but he stopped in surprise as he too came to the top of the hill.
Smack dab in the center of the path sat what looked to have originally been the head of some very large ogre. Its detatched body lie nearby in a pool of slowly drying blood.
Miroku studied the head carefully. "Something powerful must have come by here to accomplish something like this," he said.
Shippo replied with a shiver, "Or something scary"
"C'mon, Shippo, don't be such a wimp." Inuyasha took in a deep breath, taking in the scent of the body for anything recognisable.
He froze. He knew one of these scents, all right. And it wasn't too thrilling.
Sango noticed his strange reaction. "What is it, Inuyasha"
"N-nothing"
Miroku noticed as well. "Are you sure?" he asked, a teasing tone tickling his words.
"Y-yeah. Course I'm sure"
"I dunno, Inuyasha, Shippo put in. "You really don't look like it's nothing"
Snapping, the dog half demon exclaimed, "I said it's NOTHING, alright? Now leave me alone!" Looking more han peeved, he strutted away with an air of stubborness.
Sango, Miroku, and Shippo sighed.
He knew he smelt it, he knew it was there, and he knew that he wanted absolutely nothing to do with it.
Rin stared at him as he wrinkled his nose. "What is it, Lord Sesshomaru"
"Quiet, you!" Jaken barked at once. "Don't stick your nose in M'Lord's business"
"But I'm worried, Master Jaken. He looks to not be enjoying something"
"Like I said, Rin, that's none of your business"
The bickering brought Sesshomaru back again, and finally he replied to Rin's inquiries. "It's nothing of signifigance," he said. "Let's keep going"
But before he could start forward again a strange phenomenon appeared overhead; a large stream of demons rushed across the sky, destination undetermined.
Sesshomaru immedialy recognized the signs. "Naraku."