When Memories Fade - Chapter 2
Well, I didn't realise there was a 'horizontal line' feature on the editor that this website has, so that makes my life easier instead of having to paste a million 'ooooo''s.
Thank you so much to the people that followed, favourited and reviewed on the first chapter! It was so wonderful to get positive feedback and I'm glad that those who have read seem to be enjoying it so far! Just as a note for this chapter: I'm basing the timeline of this story off of the assumption that Kagome is 500 years in the past from 2016...so basically they're in the 16th century. I expected everyone to just be sleeping on like rocks and shit but nope, I researched it and the rich people actually had actual, literal beds...and so of course Kouga would sleep like a king ;) I've read a lot of stories where Kouga just sleeps on furs, but if they actually had beds in the 16th century then why not give the man a bed! Also, though I'll probably stick to giving OC's Japanese names, I'm keeping the setting of this story geographically neutral as I don't feel like I know enough about Japan (and especially medieval Japan) to write a story based there. In all likelihood, since I'm Western the story will have Western influences too.
I got a couple of guest reviews that I can't reply to via PM so I'd like to take a moment to reply to here:
Review #1
Thank you so much! I agree that many stories jump straight in after the first chapter or so and Kouga suddenly goes from this dick who eats people and clearly has no regard for their lives to being super sweet...and to be honest that's basically what happens in the anime too, but it just isn't realistic to me and I love dark characters. If he does get softer as the story progresses, it definitely won't be soon...;) thanks again for your review and I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Review #2
So glad to hear that you think the story is well-written; that's important to me and it's encouraging to hear :) again, I agree with the whole evil-Kouga-thing! I'm glad that a lot of people including yourself seem to find it as strange that he suddenly does a complete turn around and loves humans like 2 seconds after he kidnaps (note *kidnaps*) Kagome! Part of the reason why I wanted to write this story is because I wanted to do a story that addressed the darker side of him! Also I'm with ya girl/guy, both Kagome AND Inuyasha get on my nerves with their bs. I think as a kid I used to like her too...now she and her stupid school uniform just piss me off XD thanks again so much, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!
And now...chapter 2!
To most, it would seem obvious that when you have been kidnapped by a powerful wolf demon and are being dragged deep into the recesses of his caves – alone – that it would be wise to shut the hell up and do as you're told. To most, turning around and slapping said demon the moment he lets go of your arm would be the opposite of a wise thing to do, and instead would be an obvious death sentence. Kagome Higurashi was not like most people.
But alas, here they were. She had slapped him, and now they both had to sit in it. Kouga surveyed her with cool eyes; he did not seem particularly perturbed by the slap, nor did he seem particularly angry, and Kagome couldn't decide if that was a good thing or not. Seconds dragged on and turned into minutes as he simply stared at her, perusing her being with his eyes silently. She began to feel awkward now; the situation had turned embarrassing rather than terrifying.
'No one will disturb us here.' He finally spoke, meeting her eyes once again with his.
'Oh…good?' Kagome was at a loss of what to say. Even just being around Kouga put her on edge, as he was so calm and stoic that she could never tell what he was thinking or what he was feeling – or if he even had feelings at all.
More silence.
'If you raise your hand to me again, I will kill you.' Kouga stated matter-of-factly. He was not looking at her now, clearly finding the barren cave walls more interesting and indeed more worthy of his attention than her.
His words sent chills down her spine, as Kagome had no doubt that he meant it. His face was impassive and detached, but the lack of emotion only unnerved her more; it made her feel as though she was nothing more than an insignificant speck of dust to him…which, she supposed, she probably was.
'Oh…okay.' She felt she had to say something. She always felt she had to say something. Maybe it would be better if from now on if she just said nothing.
'I take it that you know why you are here.' It was a statement rather than a question. Kagome could feel his eyes on her again, but her own remained decidedly fixed on the floor below as she did not have the courage to meet his gaze once more. She opened her mouth to speak, but then remembered her own musings from mere moments ago and decided against it. This seemed to please Kouga, as a low chuckle rumbled from his chest and she glanced upwards briefly to see a smirk that was halfway to a smile don his handsome face. And it was handsome, his face she meant, but she was very much aware that the face staring down at her could be cruel and punishing just as easily as it could be handsome, and she would not be fooled by a wolf dressed in sheep's clothing.
'It's rather strange that you're quiet now, considering I couldn't get you to shut up on the way here.' His eyes danced with what Kagome thought looked like amusement. It gave her a renewed sense of bravery.
'I thought you would want me to be quiet.' She mumbled, not quite brave enough to raise her voice to match his own.
'And you would be correct in thinking that.' Kagome flinched; his voice was harsh now. Trying to guess his intentions was exhausting task, as every time she thought she had figured him out his mood would change and she was left clueless yet again.
'Are you always this confusing?' She clamped her jaw shut quickly. Yet again, her mouth had spoken without the permission of her brain – she really would be lucky if she survived more than a day here. She couldn't deny however that she was curious; there was something about Kouga that intrigued her and she wanted to know more about him...evidently with no regard for any of the potential deadly consequences that would befall such curiosity.
Kouga was taken aback; this woman was a mystery to him. Usually humans all followed the same, predictable pattern. He took them, they cried, he threatened them, they shut up. With this woman however, none of his usual techniques worked - he had threatened her, and yet still she talked. He contemplated whether he should become physical with her, as he had no doubt that she would comply with his wishes then. He decided against this for now however, as he had a sometimes inconvenient habit of misjudging his own strength, and it would be rather troublesome for him if he accidentally broke her neck and she died. What use would she be of to him then?
'If I were you,' he had taken what seemed like an eternity to reply and his sudden admission startled her. Kouga could hear her heart thumping against her chest, like that of a cornered little rabbit trying to evade its death. 'I would spend less time thinking about me, and more time thinking about what you're going to do to show me that you're actually useful enough to be worth keeping alive.'
Suddenly, abruptly, he turned on his heels and left her, alone in an empty cave with no idea how to get back to the entrance cave with the other demons, and no idea if she even wanted to get back there at all.
Kagome assumed that it had been hours since Kouga had left her here, but it was hard to tell since there were no windows - or anything at all really that could indicate the precise passage of time – but it felt like hours, and Kagome felt hungry.
What was correct human-slave protocol in this situation? Should she leave the spot that she had been glued to for the past however long and attempt to find something to eat? Surely if she was to be a jewel detector for him, Kouga wouldn't want her to be hungry, right? On the other hand, she couldn't really imagine that skipping into the heart of a pack of hungry wolves and demanding food would go down very favourably for her. Her only other alternative was to sit here and starve to death…and at that moment in time it seemed like a better outcome than facing Kouga again.
The demon in question was alone, sitting in his personal chambers and contemplating his next step. He had left the human with no idea where she was or how to get back to the only part of the caves that were familiar to her. He had spent the time in between then and now delivering the message to the rest of his pack who were not present to hear his initial warning that she was off-limits, however he still felt a sense of unease. The place where she was currently residing was remote enough that it was doubtful whether anyone would even stumble across her until morning, but what if he was wrong? What if someone dared to defy him and brought any kind of permanent or deadly harm upon the girl? That wouldn't do just yet, and though he would of course return the favour tenfold, by then the damage would have been done and all that would be left would be the corpse of a human who was once vaguely useful to him.
He considered alternatives.
The only option that genuinely ensured her safety was to move her to his own private chambers, as nobody was allowed in there without his permission…and the only person that had his permission was himself.
He inadvertently crinkled his nose in disgust. The thought of sharing his private space with a human, especially when he had never done so with anyone else, irritated him beyond belief. He did not like interacting with humans and despite her (at times) amusing inability to refrain from vocalising everything, Kouga didn't have any particular desire to spend any more time with her than was necessary. He sighed and rubbed his hand along the tops of his thighs. There wasn't really any other option, and he would be damned if he let the effort that he had put into bringing her here and keeping her alive go to waste.
Still, rather than moving, he sighed glumly with contemplative uncertainty. On the surface of it, it seemed downright unbelievable that any of his pack would violate his orders, as everyone here knew the extent of Kouga's wrath. However, Kouga knew that it would be unwise to ignore their hatred for humans; it ran deep and it was thorny in nature. He would not be surprised if one of his pack killed her not out of defiance, but out of sheer loathing.
Kouga was strong, stronger than every other demon in his tribe, but it was his intelligence that had helped him to maintain his position as leader, and it was this that would make his pack thrive. Wolf demons were brash, it was in their nature and many found it difficult to separate emotion from logic, and any other member of his pack would have killed the girl on sight, regardless of her abilities. Wolf demons were creatures that first and foremost reacted on instinct, but Kouga was different in that he had managed – for the most part – to control his instincts; he listened to them, but he refused to be dominated by anything, not even himself. This is what allowed him to make smart decisions for the welfare of the pack, and it was also what kept the amount of uprisings and any attempts to de throne him to a minimum. Whether they liked it or not, his pack knew that there was nobody else that was capable of leading them quite like he was, and he would make sure that bringing this human into their home would not be a mistake.
It would be wrong to suggest however that he was completely confident with this choice, as even he had some misgivings. There was just something about that little human girl that set his teeth on edge and made his instincts difficult to ignore; he felt he had to be guarded around her, as if she was a threat to him somehow. It was a laughable thought, but it was a feeling that he nevertheless somehow couldn't shake. Perhaps he was overthinking things, but when it came down to it he trusted his instincts, after all they were what had kept him alive so far.
He sighed, and then he stood. Resolving himself, Kouga marched towards the exit of his room, vexation nuzzling at his heels scornfully as he walked, beginning to contemplate the very real possibility that that stupid girl had wandered off rather than staying obediently where he had placed her. With any other human, this would not be a concern to him. With this girl however, he had every reason to be concerned.
More than hungry, Kagome was now starting to feel bored. She had seriously started to consider actually going into the heart of the wolf den, even if it did mean that they would kill her; at least that would give her something to do. She chuckled darkly at this, before heavy footsteps broke her out of her reverie.
Standing in front of her was Kouga, though rather than large and foreboding, he looked noticeably uncomfortable as he regarded her small form on the ground before him.
'Are…are you ok?' She asked tentatively, clearing her throat to allow herself more volume when she spoke. Kouga eyes widened, and then narrowed.
'Come with me.' He ignored her question when he spoke, and his tone was yet again forceful and intimidating. And annoying.
'No.' She rebutted, louder this time. The finality of her own voice surprised her; on the inside she was shaking. Kouga arched a single eyebrow, but did not vocalise his thoughts. His face had darkened, and that was really all that needed to be said. 'No' was clearly not an option here. She spoke again. 'I'm not coming with you.'
'Oh? And why is that?' Kouga's voice was low and threateningly even. He waited for her response.
'B-because-' She began to lose her nerve, but quickly regained it after remembering why she had taken a stand in the first place. She was pissed off. 'Because. You kidnap me, bring me here, parade me around in front of your 'pack' – who are all assholes might I add - you stick me here in this cave alone for hours, you don't tell me anything other than 'I'm the jewel detector', and then you come back at your leisure to yet again drag me off to God knows where without telling me a single thing. I've tried to be cooperative, I've tried to do what you've told me to do, now don't you think you at least owe me an explanation or something?' Her voice cracked at the end noticeably, a telltale sign that she was scared.
Instantly, Kouga's eyes flashed with anger.
'I owe you nothing.' he spat vehemently, his eyes burning holes into her startled face. 'I brought you here because I wanted to use your abilities to make my pack stronger, I don't care about you or about how you feel. Your only purpose is to do what I tell you, when I tell you. Do that and I might let you live. Disobey me again and I will ensure that you don't.'
'Really? Well in that case you might as well kill me now, because I can't see myself rolling over and just giving in to someone as repulsive as you. I am not a slave, and I am certainly not an object. My name is Kagome Higurashi, and yes I'm a human, but the fact that you're too stupid and too ignorant to get over your biases is not my concern!' By the end of her tirade, she had begun to scream her words at him as if trying to throw all of her worry, her fear and her embarrassment into him and out of herself. Her words bounced off of the cave walls shrilly as gasped for air, her body alight with the fire of rage. In that moment she had never been so angry with anybody in her entire life, and her words were not empty; she truly did not care if he killed her then and there. It would be a better fate than serving as Kouga's little lapdog anyway.
It was as though Kouga had regressed into a child at this point, he neither knew what words were, nor was he able to speak any. He just stared, looking deep into her eyes that seemed amber with fury; and she held his gaze. Not once did she look away, and he couldn't help but note with shock that he no longer saw fear in her eyes, only hatred.
'Well? Are you going to kill me, or should I save you the trouble and do it myself?' With that she bent down, deliberately picking up the sharpest rock she could find and motioned her hand down towards her wrist. She met Kouga's eyes again with her own, determined and without a single trace of fear.
If there was one thing that Kouga's childhood taught him, it was to never back down from a challenge. With that in mind he quickly regained his composure and shifted so that his weight rested on one side cockily as he folded his arms, and allowed a smirk to covet his lips greedily. He met Kagome's gaze lazily with heavy-lidded eyes and high eyebrows as if her actions were simultaneously amusing and boring to him. The woman was clearly more effort than she was worth, and if the silly girl slashed at her wrists until the cave floor ran scarlet with her blood, then it would be one less problem for him to deal with anyway.
This presented a problem for Kagome. In the spur of the moment she had decided upon an action that she had intended to be a purely symbolic act of defiance, an act which was meant to show Kouga that she was more than just a tool for him to use, and that she wouldn't be pushed around by him or by his pack. She had expected him to stop her, perhaps to cry out with some kind of instinctual panic that would later lead to an epiphany of sorts that acknowledged that deep down, he was a compassionate creature. He would then apologise to her, begging – no – grovelling at her feet for him to forgive her as he realised the error of his ways. Instead, he stood unmoving with one eyebrow cocked devilishly in a fashion that dared her to try it.
Several seconds passed in silence and her confidence faltered. Kouga used the opportunity to step forward and calmly remove the rock from her hand, dropping it. They stood there, face-to-face, listening to the loud click as the rock grazed against the cave floor.
'Well,' He spoke amusedly, expression sarcastic and gloating. 'That was quite a show. Just a little tip for next time though – if you wanna get under my skin then 'killing' yourself-' his tone became insufferably arrogant, '-isn't the way to go about it. You'd just be doing me a favour rather than sending me a message since it would save me the hassle of having to kill you myself.' His voice lowered now, and he leant forward so that his face was mere inches from her own. 'And if you think for one second that your death would be anything more to me than an inconvenient puddle to clean, then you severely overestimate your own worth, girl.'
His words stung cruelly and unexpectedly, and Kagome suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to cry. Her emotions fluctuated rapidly from anger and determination to hurt and embarrassment in an instant and her bottom lip began to tremble, despite her best efforts to thwart its treacherous attempts at displaying her emotions so openly for such a heartless bastard to see. So much for grovelling, then.
'I'm not going to kill you.' Kouga spoke abruptly and his voice took on a softer tone. 'Yet.' A flash of severity. For once, Kagome had nothing to say. He straightened and drew himself up to his full height, then reconsidered, wondering if that would intimidate her further as he observed the sheen of tears that glazed her eyes and the tremble of her lip. Uncertain, he sat. It pained him to do this, but if he was going to commit to using this girl then clearly he needed to use different tactics. He tried to remove all traces of arrogance and indifference from his face; despite his bravado, it had not taken him long to realise that for now at least it was better if she stayed alive, and willing to help. He had already begun to reconsider keeping her around after the Birds of Paradise had been dealt with, as he did not like having to go out of his way to get a human of all creatures to cooperate with him. But his pack needed this, needed her to help him destroy those wretched birds once and for all, and he would not let his ego deprive them of such a victory. Perhaps once the battle was won however, it would be for the best if he solved this little problem with his fangs - and if he couldn't stomach the whole meal then his pack would certainly help him to finish the job.
'Just listen before you speak for once.' He shot an amused glance her way before straightening his face back into a placid mask of composure. 'There is a reason I brought you here – yes for the jewel shards in general, but also to help with a more pressing matter. The Birds of Paradise, the birds I showed you earlier,' he gesticulated to the roof of the cave as if it were the sky and the birds were circling the air above him. 'They are an enemy of this tribe. We cannot hunt, or even leave the cave without fear of being killed by these pathetic creatures. Until a short time ago, we dominated this land and the Birds of Paradise were of no match for us, however one of them appears to have acquired a jewel shard, and as a result the birds are attacking everyday now, stronger than before and trying to wipe us out for good. I brought you here because I need your help to find the jewel shard and take them down.
'As for when I came here to get you just now, I was planning on taking you to my chambers where nobody other than myself is allowed. That way at least I know for sure that none of my pack will murder you in your sleep or whatever.' He smiled coyly at that, looking up at her face, which shone with surprise and interest, and a little bit of fear. 'Now that I've given you the explanation that you wanted…will you help us?'
Kagome blinked as her tears began to dissipate. 'I…yes. Yes, I'll help you.' Her voice was hoarse with unshed emotion, but the burning lump in her throat had begun to cool some, and she found herself shocked at the very notion Kouga actually asking for her help at all. Well played Kouga, this round was most certainly yours.
'Good.' Kouga attempted a reassuring smile. Kagome just thought that it looked scary. 'Shall we?'
Slightly bewildered, and suddenly feeling very emotionally tired, Kagome nodded meekly and yet again began to follow Kouga into the depths of the endless caves that he commanded.
It was a victory well-earned for Kouga, though his triumph was not at all unexpected for him. He was never one to back down from a challenge after all, and he had yet to find a game that he could not win.
It was only now, as she lay sleeping on his bed (something which Kouga very much begrudged) that he allowed himself to look at her, to truly look at her. Her breathing was deep and calm, and her hair fell haphazardly over her face as she slept. Her cheeks were tinted rose; they seemed to be permanently stained that way. Her body was lithe and curved elegantly from head-to-toe, and Kouga spared her an appreciative glance before snorted dismissively. She was fine for a human, but she paled in comparison to any female wolf-demon – and she looked weak. Wanting to waste no more time on thoughts of human women, he decided to concentrate more on her strangely exotic garb.
Her legs were covered in a material that was of a light azure colour and that looked soft to touch. It hugged her legs tightly, finishing at least an inch or two above the ankle and extending upwards to her mid-torso. He frowned. It was strange that she should wear such a tight fitting garment, when even to him it was common knowledge that such attire would never be accepted in any human villages, and it was stranger still that the clothing resembled trousers as was custom for men to wear. In her village were women too allowed to wear such masculine clothes? He had to admit though that despite its masculine connotations, the garment looked very feminine on her legs, and he found himself wondering if perhaps she wore such form-fitting attire because she was prostitute. He very much doubted this however, as from what he had seen even human prostitutes wore skirts or dresses.
Her torso was covered in a layer of dusty pink fabric that was bunched up at her elbows. It was loose in comparison to that which was covering her legs and had strange fastenings that held it together, spreading down the centre of material until it met the fabric that covered her lower body and disappeared underneath. Near the top of what Kouga assumed was some kind of shirt, a few of the fastenings were undone, allowing full view of her delicate décolletage and the very top of her chest. On her feet were stark white shoes, which covered her appendages entirely in the strangest of shapes.
He watched her sleep for the longest time, finding a disagreeable peace in the way in which her chest would rise and fall.
When Kagome awoke, she was alone. It was dark in the room, save for a few candles that flickered benignly as they illuminated the stone walls around her softly. She only vaguely remembered entering this room, so overcome with mental and emotional exhaustion that at the first sight of a bed she collapsed upon it and was asleep in seconds. Hastily drawing herself into a seated position, Kagome examined the bed curiously. She had expected perhaps a stone slab, covered with hay as bedding and a cloth laid precariously over the top to alleviate some of the itching as she had become accustomed to in the small human villages that she had visited, but instead she found herself marvelling at a huge four poster bed with extravagant curtains that hung from a wooden canopy above her head. The curtains were decorated with champagne coloured patterns that twisted and weaved their way around the fabric gracefully, and when she touched the curtains, they felt soft like silk. Pulling up the top layers of the bedding in awe, Kagome ran her hands along the unmistakeable feeling of straw that made up the contents of the bed sheet that served as the bottom layer of bed sheets. On top of that were two layers of what Kagome assumed were feathers wrapped in cloth, to provide maximum comfort. The pillows also seemed to be made from feathers, and though she preferred the modern convenience of a firmer pillow, she could not help but admit that the bed was a delight to lay her weary body upon. The bed was indeed grand and regal and fit for a king, literally. She suddenly grew very doubtful that Kouga had acquired it via any savoury means.
'I hope you found my bed to your liking,' Kouga began, voice emanating sardonically from some shadowed crevice of the room. Kagome jumped in startled surprise and whipped her head wildly around the room, finally pinpointing the origin of the voice through the darkness. She strained her still-adjusting eyes to see him, sitting rather agitatedly with one leg crossed over the other, with arms crossed and eyebrows crossed as well. Clearly Kouga was less than pleased with her impromptu commandeering of his bed. 'I stole it from a human once. A king or something apparently.' Ah. Kagome's suspicions were confirmed.
Kouga shifted slightly, almost imperceptibly as his agitation grew. 'I had intended for you to sleep on the floor, but you were asleep before I had even had the chance to speak a single word. I had to sleep in this chair.' She could hear the unmistakeable gritting of teeth in his voice. Clearly someone was not a big sharer.
'Well…at least it looks comfortable.' Kagome smiled politely; the chair was indeed large and padded and more than optimal as an alternative to the bed. Rather than assuage however, her comment seemed to displease Kouga further.
'If it were any other time I would have thrown you off of the bed myself, however you're going to need all the strength you have today,' he stopped speaking for a moment to smile widely, lips withdrawing to reveal the glint of long, sharp teeth. 'Because today is the day that you're going to help me destroy the Birds of Paradise.'
'Wha-today?! But I haven't even been here an entire day yet. Shouldn't we like, discuss strategies or something at least?' Kagome squeaked, horrified. Was she ready for this? She had barely begun contemplating her escape from this place and already he wanted her to go and fight some creepy-looking birds to the death?
'Ok then, let's disucss. Here's the plan: you detect the jewel shard, I kill the bird with the jewel shard and take it for myself, then me and my pack kill every last one of those damn birds while you hide in a corner trying not to get killed yourself.' Kouga stated matter-of-factly. Clearly there was no room for argument.
'But-but-' Kagome started nervously, desperately trying to think of anything that she could say that would delay him from taking on the birds today. She did not like her odds of survival if the only plan to ensure her safety consisted of 'hiding in a corner and trying not to get killed'.
'No. My pack are ready, and for your sake I hope you are too, because if you screw this up for me then you will have a far deadlier enemy than the Birds of Paradise to contend with, and unlike them I won't just eat you. I'll make it hurt.' It was only after Kouga had left the room, with instructions that he would return with food that Kagome realised that she was holding her breath, and she released it with a shaky exhale. She had to find a way to get out of this place.
Shivering in the abrasive cold, Kagome looked around at the fruits of what was at least partially her labour. The air was pregnant with the stench of blood, and the land below her feet drank the fluid thirstily as if it were nourishing rain falling from the heavens. There were corpses littered across the battlefield, motionless on the ground, leaning precariously over the sides of the cliffs, and even at her feet. Beside her was the mangled carcass of a wolf demon; he was young, and his eyes were open. Kagome fought the urge to heave as she turned her own eyes skyward to avoid his vacant stare. Technically the wolf pack had been victorious, but Kagome failed to see how this much death could possibly be classed as a triumph.
The 'plan' had been successful in the sense that Kagome had managed to hide sufficiently enough that she hadn't perished during the course of the battle. She tried not to dwell on the events that had unfolded, but every time she closed her eyes she couldn't help but feel the biting wind on her face as Kouga propelled them upwards, barking orders to his men beneath then and commanding that she find the shard. Once she had found it, fighting the bird had not been particularly easy, especially as the other Birds of Paradise were all too eager to sacrifice their lives to Kouga's unyielding claws for the sake of their leader.
It took Kouga less than seconds to realise the Birds of Paradise's battle strategy, and in a moment of what Kagome unconvincingly wanted to believe was genuine concern, Kouga left her in the care of his two second-in-commands – Hakkaku and Ginta. Suffice to say, neither were particularly thrilled with the prospect of having to look after a human, and the several gashes to Kagome's arms and shoulders demonstrated their lack of commitment to the task. They did, however, thaw slightly when Kagome – seeing that Ginta had been taken by one of the birds – frantically searched for a discarded bow and arrow before using her miko powers to cleave off one of the offending bird's wings, effectively saving Ginta's life. It fell to the ground and she watched it as it twitched.
Kouga's men fought bravely, even Kagome had to admit that, doing all that they could to lure the Birds of Paradise away from Kouga and towards them. They were brutal in their movements, and not particularly skilled. They attacked with sheer strength, they did not plan and they did not aim, they merely fought – and to Kagome's astonishment they were winning. There were of course losses, but the Birds of Paradise had no chance against the wolves, which was all the more surprising considering that their foes did plan ahead. All of their attacks were synchronised and they seemed to only move with purpose, whereas the wolves' ferocious onslaught appeared to be nothing more than a random and chaotic barrage of death.
In the end, the bird with the shard bit into Kouga's arm, tearing into his flesh with its oversized teeth and relinquishing him of his jewel shard with force. In return, Kouga ripped out the bird's jugular.
Both Kagome and the pack's eyes were on Kouga now, watching him as he searched around on the floor beneath for a few moments before raising a hand. There were two jewel shards grasped tightly between his tan fingers. He placed one back into his injured right arm nonchalantly before allowing the other to take residence in the uninjured left one.
Kagome had expected some kind of rousing battle speech that spoke of honour, and of victory. Instead, after the uproarious cries and cheers of the demons subsided, he turned to look at her from atop the tall, rocky mountain and, staring straight into her eyes stated:
'Well then. I guess this calls for a feast.'
And it's done! Hope everyone liked this chapter - I kind of tried to get through the stuff we've already seen in the anime/manga so I can get straight on to more original content. That will all be coming in the next chapter, so see you all next time!
