OOC: First of all, let me thank my first reviewer for spotting the error made in the spelling of 'houshi'. I now know that it was spelled incorrectly in this chapter though, as I wrote the story, I spelled it correctly. The only concern I had was whether to spell it 'houshi' or 'hoshi' and different sites use both spellings. Ultimately, I decided on 'houshi' because, like SesshoUmaru, and TeTSUSaiga, it's more authentic. So, where does this all lead? When I ran spell check, I forgot to add 'houshi' to my Word dictionary and it turned everything to 'housie' (I don't even think that's a real word!). So, for future readers, it looks like everything is good now but that was the error. Thanks for pointing that out!
FYI: The outfit I describe in the story is on my avatar.
The quietness of the forest was interrupted by the sound of a loud chase. Men could be heard yelling to each other, letting their comrades know where their prey was. Up ahead, rapid footsteps trampled vegetation and small life forms in an effort to escape the antagonists persistently trailing behind.
"There she is!!" One of the villagers called out. "Bring the houshi!"
'Damn!' The woman cursed under her breath and slowed her running. "How many times do I have to tell you fools?!" She suddenly stopped, causing the mass that followed her to halt as well. "I am not a demon!!"
"Liar!" One of the elderly men stepped forward. He wore a dark blue kimono with a sash, which looked like burlap, tied from his left shoulder and back around his right side. In his hands were prayer beads – he was the houshi that had been summoned.
"Your worthless charms won't work on me, monk!" The woman called.
"I will seal the likes of you for centuries!" He moved his arms straight in front of him and gesticulated a prayer before clasping his hands, with the japa mala, in front of his chest.
"Damn!" She said and began running again.
"You all stay here!" The monk said, "This may become dangerous."
The chase began anew, disrupting the tranquility of the forest yet again. The woman wished she could take to the air but decided against it; she didn't want to give the villagers another reason to term her a youkai.
"Ahh, Kagome-sama, that was delicious as usual."
"Yeah, Kagome-sama, I love it when you bring your ninja food over from your world!"
"Arigato, Miroku! Arigato Shippou! I'm just happy you like it so much!"
"You even brought something for Kirara this time!"
"I didn't want to leave her out, Sango. I was worried she wouldn't eat it though."
"Keh! You're always worried for no reason!"
"Here we go again," Miroku sighed to Sango under his breath.
"I think he likes it when she's upset with him," Shippou interjected.
"It's easier than just saying how he really feels," Sango replied.
"What do you mean, Inuyasha?" Kagome finally asked.
"You know what I mean!" He said, finishing the last bit of Ramen noodles with a loud and wet slurp. "You like being worried." Inuyasha spoke as if he were sharing a matter of fact and remained in his casually reclined position on the forest floor.
"Is this your way of saying 'thank you'?" Kagome inquired, her anger rising.
"Thank you for what!?" Inuyasha countered as he chucked the empty cup into Kagome's backpack. The remainder of the liquid dripped from the container, staining the material of her bag. "The food you bring here is nice but always smells so…"
"Inuyasha! Don't!" Miroku warned, holding up a warning hand – it was too late.
"Inuyasha…" Kagome began, her tone menacingly quiet.
"Eh…what…?" Inuyasha answered warily. Worry was soon etched across his features.
"O-su-wa-." The hanyou flinched, waiting for her to finish the command that would activate the Beads of Subjugation around his neck. When they didn't come, he opened his amber eyes.
The group was staring off behind him. "Eh? What is it?" He asked as he slowly turned around.
Her hair was the truest black that the group had ever seen, inkier than the night sky they sat beneath. It fell beyond her knees in bone-straight locks that shone with a silky and healthy sheen boasting of fullness and depth. Her skin was alabaster and flawless; ethereal ivory that was a stark contrast to the deep purple, so dark it looked black, shinobi shozoko she wore. The collar stood straight up and had a partition that exposed her long neck, medium-sized buckles held it together. This top piece was connected to a V-shaped bustier that travelled from the side of breasts continuing between her legs and ending on her back just above her hips. More belt buckles wound around her bare sides holding the piece together. Coming from underneath the bustier were a fitted pair of thick pant-like leggings that hugged her legs, disappearing beneath knee high, flat boots. The boots had thick, leather armored shin guards and knee covers that extended up and out over her lower thigh. In the left boot was a long dagger.
Coming out from the top piece were sleeves that ended in gloves, covering her hands. Over that, beginning at her shoulder and ending just above her fingers in a silver tip, was more of the thick leather armor. Each of her knuckles were adorned with small and sharp silver spikes. Up along her left arm were a series of small wakizashi. Her right shoulder was covered with the only black metal armor she wore. It was oversized and held tight by more buckles. She carried a katana that gleamed with an odd, purplish metal color and had to be just under five feet long. Most unusual about the woman were her eyes – they were the lightest gray, so light that her entire eye seemed completely clear.
The woman looked as if she could do damage and lots of it.
In a flash, she began running again. She had just reached the edge of the forest, hoping for a small clearing but her small sigh of relief was extinguished when she saw a group of six enjoying a late meal. She had wanted to leap into the air but stopped. Again, she thought about not giving the villagers more of the proof they so desperately wanted to use against her.
"What the hell-?" Inuyasha turned just as she reached the group. Thinking the woman was attacking, he quickly stood and drew his Tetsusaiga. "I don't know what you're here for-."
Inuyasha did not get to finish his sentence. The woman jumped up, using the fang as a springboard, before leaping onto his head and nimbly somersaulting to the ground behind him. The monk chasing her still had not caught up so she estimated she had a few moments to spare.
"You have Shikon shards!" She said, her voice firm and determined. "What are you doing with them?" Her eyes shifted from Kagome to Inuyasha to the forest and back again.
"We'll be askin' the questions around here!" Inuyasha answered. "After that little stunt you pulled…don't expect me to go easy!"
"Ha!" The woman exclaimed and doubled back towards Kagome. Suddenly a strong lightning bolt from the clear evening sky struck the ground just in front of the advancing Inuyasha, causing him to fall backwards and distracting the rest of the five. "You have demons in your bunch!! I can't let you keep the shards!"
She leapt into the air, seemingly aided by a gust of wind and landed with surprising softness next to Kagome. "I'll take these!" Kagome yelped as the bottle around her neck was roughly snatched away, the string that tied it there mercilessly digging into her skin before finally snapping. Another gale appeared and the woman disappeared into the night sky.
"Inuyasha! She has the shards!"
"Kesu!" Inuyasha spat and called to Kirara just as the monk who had been chasing the woman emerged from the thick forest. "You won't get away that easily!" He screamed, "Kirara, go!" The chase was on as Sango also jumped on with her Hiraikotsu in tow.
"Where is she?" The houshi asked, back on the ground. "Where did she run off to?" Shippou ran up to him.
"Were you chasing that woman just now? Did she take something of yours too?"
"She's not a thief," he answered, distaste coloring his features at the sight of the kitsune. "She's a demon.
Miroku stepped back in amazement. "I sensed no jyaki coming from her – are you sure of this?"
"She is a sly one indeed," the monk answered. "She has the ability to hide her demonic aura and does it well. She lived as one with my village until we learned that she was the cause of numerous mysterious and vicious deaths. We found the bones in her hut."
"She was eating people?" Kagome asked, her eyes wide with shock.
"We were surprised as well but it's true."
"Miroku…if she absorbs the shards…"
Miroku nodded, "Come on, Kagome, Shippou! We have to help!" He turned to the monk as Shippou transformed into a large, pink balloon. "We'll catch her for you!"
"I see her, Inuyasha! Up ahead!" Sango hefted her large boomerang and launched it at the fleeing woman, "HIRAIKOTSU!!!"
'Damn it all…' the woman thought, her mind unusually calm. She looked over her shoulder just in time to see the weapon zooming towards her head and stretched out a hand to it. The winds that carried her formed into an invisible force and she aimed it towards the boomerang causing it to switch directions.
"Inuyasha, watch out! Kirara!!" The fire-cat which had transformed into it true youkai form growled in surprise and dodged her mistress' weapon. Sango reached out and snagged it as it sailed by.
"How'd she do that?" Inuyasha asked and stood to his feet on Kirara's shoulders. "Whatever – take this: KAZE NO KIZU!!!" The Wind Scar shot out from Tetsusaiga searing a path in the sky towards the woman who flew on nothing but air. This time, she wasn't quick enough and dodged one second too late. "Got her!" Inuyasha called triumphantly, pumping his fist once. The woman gasped in pain and grabbed her unarmored shoulder. Eventually her flight slowed and she fell to the ground. Inuyasha, Sango, and Kirara followed suit at a more controlled pace.
The forest floor reverberated with her impact and she lay still but for a moment. It was, however, enough time for Inuyasha and company to land a few yards from her. The hanyou jumped off Kirara's back, landing in battle stance as the injured woman slowly rose.
"You gonna give us back the shards or do we hafta take 'em from you?" He asked menacingly. She gasped again, a sharp jolt of pain going through her, and her step faltered. A flash of anger caused her clear eyes to darken as she raised the hand not grasping her injury.
The ground began to rumble beneath her opponents' feet and suddenly exploded out, tossing them high into the air. Kirara recovered first, catching Sango who immediately launched her weapon, and then caught Inuyasha's hand.
The woman jumped up as Hiraikotsu approached and rode it as it began its return back to its owner. She pulled her own purple bladed katana and took a dangerous slice at Sango while simultaneously hopping off the boomerang. Sango narrowly avoided the attack as her fire cat lurched back from the Hiraikotsu; both of them fell to the ground. Inuyasha flipped back about to counter but was distracted by new arrivals.
"Sango!" Miroku called, having finally caught up to his companions. "Are you alright?"
"Kagome!" Inuyasha ran forward for another attack. "Where are the shards!?" Kagome leveled her gaze on the woman who was now preparing for the oncoming hanyou.
"They're…" she stopped short, her expression incredulous. "They're in her hand…? She's holding them?" She finished to herself.
"Fine!" He answered. "I'll take her hand along with the shards! KAZE NO KIZU!!".
(TBC...)
Remember the three R's: READ (immerse yourself in the story), REVIEW (comments and suggestions are welcome), RECOMMEND (to other readers)!!
