Author's Note: I just wanted to say Thank-You to everyone that has read this story!! This story received an unprecedented number of hits last chapter…somewhere in the ballpark of 200!! I guess that means you want me to continue ne? If so, will you leave me a review? ^_^ The lack of reviews is making me feel so unloved! T_T
And now, On to the Action!
Disclaimer: The standard disclaimer applies here. I am only manipulating the characters of Inuyasha to suit my needs and entertain you all!
Chapter Four: Into the Leopard's Den
After having the same dream yet again that night, Kagome was wide awake in her sleeping bag while her mind raced. Her eyelids were closed simply because she was beyond tired and they were so very hard to keep open. To an observer, she would have appeared asleep, but there was plenty of activity going on behind her closed eyelids.
To say that Kagome's dream that night had been a pleasant one would be nothing short of a bold faced lie. It seemed as though her dream was set on constant repeat mode, and Kagome was desperately searching for the stop button. Her dream kept playing over and over these past few nights, and would not permit her the pleasure of a full night's rest. Needless to say, our favorite young miko was quickly tiring of the game her mind insisted on playing with her. Even dream Kagome was getting irritated!
Whatever her psyche was trying to show her, she clearly was not grasping; had she caught on, surely the dream would have stopped right? But unfortunately for her, because she just did not understand, this skill was tormenting her mentally. If she was not dreaming about it, she was thinking about it during the day. Oftentimes, the scenes would flash before her eyes as if taunting her, in much the same manner as the water and fruit branches continue to tease Tantalus.
Consequently, while they traveled, she would pour over the facts and little information that she did have, and try to puzzle out their meanings. Was this skill symbolic of their quest? Or maybe about her life back home?
She could not help but admit that the similarities were uncanny. Day after day this dream plagued her and she was slow to make any progress. All she knew was that the skill involved miko barriers and manipulating them. She had help from Kaede, but it seemed that any progress she made was overshadowed by the fact that there was something else to learn and her task was far from complete.
In a sense, it was like their battle with Naraku. For years now, they had been fighting with the evil hanyou and trying to collect shards of the shikon no tama. However, the harder they searched for Naraku's hiding place, the more he barricaded himself and the farther away he got. Over the period of time that they had been hunting the hanyou, his skills at avoiding and hiding from them had only improved. Even a nose as honed as Inuyasha's was unable to detect the location of the hanyou they were seeking.
And, her mind couldn't help but add, that even Sesshoumaru, who possesses all the sharp senses of a full demon, was just as unsuccessful at locating the vermin known as Naraku.
Not to mention the fact that Naraku was constantly "out foxing" them at every turn. The most recent incarnation of Hakudoshi was proof enough. And, it seemed that for every shard they gained, something was waiting to steal their hard earned prize from them. Be it Naraku, one of his incarnations, or some other power hungry being, facts are facts; the group couldn't hold onto more than a few shards at a time, and the likelihood that they would complete the jewel of four souls was constantly slipping further and further out of their grasp.
Her dream was also like her life at home. Since middle school, she had to struggle to make sure that her grandfather's story and her own matched, lest she plant the seeds in someone's mind that one of the Higurashi's was not being completely honest. If that happened, the school would be sure to launch a full investigation, and there would be no telling what would happen with that.
Her schoolwork was a second battle. She would have to spend almost every free minute she had while at home playing catch-up with her work. However, no matter how hard she tried, she felt like she was slipping behind. Even with the agreement she and Inuyasha had this past semester, her education continued to suffer. Because concepts in high school build upon those learned and supposedly mastered in middle school, Kagome was on shaky ground at best. Her middle school years had been consumed with shard hunting as the primary objective, and her schoolwork was forced into taking a back seat.
Understandably, when it came time to apply certain concepts, she was at a loss. What further frustrated her was the fact that she required a private tutor a few days a week. Her tutor was fantastic, don't get her wrong, but needing someone to "fill in" her educational "gaps" was irritating at best. After all, no one likes to have their shortcomings pointed out to them. Additionally, it was annoying that the list of concepts she had not fully mastered only seemed to grow no matter how much she worked at it.
So was her dream then telling her to give up? Or maybe keep fighting, even though victory was not certain at this point? Could there be something else she was overlooking?
Maybe her mind was teasing her that she would never be as good as Kikyou.
That had to be it! Sure, Kagome had some training and was a powerful miko in her own right. But when compared to Kikyou, her skills were but a pale imitation. Kikyou was this paragon that Kagome was forever striving to emulate. She often felt like a child when around the epitome of mikos; childish in a sense that while she had skills, hers were by far inferior. As great as she had become over the years, Kagome got the feeling that she would never be on Kikyou's level.
Consequently, she felt like a fifth grader in art class who was infinitely proud of the painting they had created, only to have their cheerful attitude ruined once they realized that their work was outclassed by that of their peers.
This line of thinking left her feeling empty and depressed, so she decided to try another avenue of thought.
Was this dream trying to give her a message about how to defeat Naraku once and for all? If so, how would a barrier constructed by an inexperienced young miko be able to destroy or at least contain such a vile creature? At her wits end, Kagome decided to end her question session before she caused herself to spiral out of control into a depressed state.
"There has to be something else that I am not seeing! What could it possibly be?" Kagome growled under her breath before emitting a frustrated sigh.
"Maybe if I play this dream over again in my mind's eye, I will find what I am looking for." she reasoned.
"The dream was like the others before it, but I did get a little bit more information. Maybe I overlooked a seemingly insignificant detail." Kagome thought.
"It's not like I am going to be able to sleep after having that dream again, and we're going to have to wake up soon anyway. The sun is just starting to rise over the mountains now and the sky is considerably lighter. I might as well use this time to think." With a final huff, Kagome snuggled into the depths of her sleeping bag so that she could replay her dream.
Kagome's Day Dream:
The dream started out exactly as the ones before it had with Kaede and Kagome in the field behind Kaede's garden. The two women were engaged in a lesson to teach Kagome how to cast barriers of different kinds.
"…and that child is how ye would cast a barrier around sound. With slight modification, even one's speech may become inaudible even to a demon's sharp ears." Kaede finished her demonstration with an explanation of what had just occurred.
"Now Kagome, ye may give the barrier a try."
'Here goes nothing!' Kagome thought before bowing her head and closing her eyes in concentration. Her hands came together with her palms and fingers in close contact, and her brow furrowed as her role in altering the barrier became more active.
As usual, a soft 'pop' could be heard. However, this time after the pop came a blinding white light and a much louder crackle of electricity. The next thing the dream Kagome became aware of was the fact that she was on her rear end and everything was oddly quiet. Kaede was nowhere to be seen.
"Wow! That's never happened before!" Kagome remarked as the pain in her backside was subsiding. "What was that?" She asked while seeking out her mentor. The reply came from inside the hut where the wise miko had retreated before the blast. As she spoke, Kaede was emerging from the hut.
"That Kagome was the barrier this old woman has been trying to teach ye. However, the both of us must work to help ye control it and even change it. That is enough for today. We shall resume our lesson tomorrow. Ye must rest and regenerate the spiritual power ye have depleted in today's exercise."
"So I did it?" Kagome asked unsure of herself.
"Yes ye certainly did. This old woman is very pleased with the progress ye have made."
"One more question. You said I need to learn to control it, which I definitely agree with, but what do you mean by change it?" Kagome questioned.
"This old woman merely meant that if ye so desire, other elements can be added to, taken away from, or modified slightly in any barrier or spell. Being able to master these two skills together is very important for all miko. The concepts ye will learn in future lessons can be applied to any barrier or spell that ye decide to cast and this old woman assures ye that this skill is absolutely essential."
"What kind of elements are we talking about? I don't get it! What do you mean by absolutely essential? Essential to what?" The dream Kagome asked clearly confused.
The only addition that Kagome could conjure up was the old miko's extended reply.
"Whatever your heart desires child! Ye may cast a barrier to prevent others from hearing ye. Or, ye may cast a barrier to protect those that ye wish to defend. Ye may even physically reach into barriers that others have already cast, then alter them to suit the needs that ye have at the time. The possibilities are limited only by one's imagination." Kaede regarded her with a warm but wise smile as she finished her speech. After a slight pause, the aged miko continued.
"But for right now child, it is important for ye to master this skill and learn to control it. The reason for the massive explosion from earlier is that ye have the spiritual power required, but the amount used was far too great for ye to control just yet. In later lessons, we will work together to help ye control both the flow and amount of spiritual energy used on smaller barriers. After that, this old woman will assist ye in creating and controlling larger barriers that ye can someday use to protect entire villages."
Again, the wise miko paused to allow the information to register in Kagome's mind, and to allow the young miko-in-training time to ask questions about the information heard thus far. When Kagome remained silent, Kaede began speaking once more.
"To answer the second question ye have asked, the skills combined will allow ye to fight and survive. This way, Kagome, ye can become a valuable asset in battle." With this, Kaede finished her speech with another smile.
Kagome couldn't help but sense there was more the kind miko wanted to say, so she paused to let her continue. When the silence remained, Kagome couldn't help but let her mind wander. She turned introspective in an instant.
"Kaede knows I think of myself as a hindrance in battle. I am always the one that the others have to protect. I would like very much to someday return the favor and protect my friends from harm. This barrier work she wishes me to learn seems like the way to achieve my goal."
Before dream Kagome knew it, Kaede gradually began to fade away into the void of the dream world as Kagome continued to think.
End Dream
"I know there's some subtle detail in there that I keep missing. Kaede-obaachan did mention that I had to control the amount of spiritual energy I put into the barrier I cast, that way it will be easier to control. Now that I have done it in my dreams, maybe I can start small and work my way up while I am awake and practicing. The only problem is How I am going to control the flow of my spiritual energy?"
"When I shoot my arrows, I never have to think about it as the amount I need flows into them. Maybe this barrier does that too? So just don't think about it and it will happen? No. That can't be right. I wasn't thinking about that in the dream and the barrier was out of control. Maybe I did not know what to expect or how much to use and that's why so much energy was put into the barrier? So maybe this time, now a little wiser, it will just happen?"
"Well, whatever the case, tomorrow, after we defeat this leopard youkai, I will have to get over my fear and try and create the barrier in the waking world. Maybe that's what I have to do. This dream is a lesson, and because I haven't mastered it yet, it will keep playing until I finally do. I think I've figured this puzzle out!" She couldn't help but allow a satisfied smirk from playing on her lips.
While all of this had been going on, Inuyasha was but a silent observer. Shining amber eyes glowed from behind a shield of green leaves as he watched Kagome. While he did want to go and make sure she was alright, he fought the urge until it relented and let him be. 'She has to work through this on her own, remember?' He berated himself.
However, he still couldn't help but worry about her and what it was that had her so unsettled these past few nights. His attention was constantly on the young miko and his inner battle continued until she was moving around the campsite in her usual morning routine. After all, the smell of food was more than enough to dispel his worries and divert his attention.
In the time just after sunrise, the group was awake and in the process of creating the morning meal. As it was daytime and staying hidden from the creatures of the forest was no longer a priority, the group allowed themselves the luxury of a campfire and a warm meal. And where there's a campfire and warm food, there's also ramen; and with ramen comes a happy hanyou.
The aforementioned hanyou was up a tree with his favorite food; no doubt in an attempt to enjoy it and ensure he got his fair share of the delectable noodles without being pestered by Shippou. He had long ago learned that sitting on the ground made him an easy target for the little fox.
Shippou's skills at sneaking up on him without drawing his attention until the last possible second had improved significantly since he had joined the group. Therefore, sitting up high in a tree with the trunk to his back was his best defense. Even when a being is trying to be quiet while climbing a tree, the tell-tale sounds of nails scraping bark was a dead give-away that could not be silenced. This meant that Shippou couldn't sneak up on the hanyou and Inuyasha would have enough of a lead to either hastily finish his meal or run with it before the kitsune youkai could catch him.
However, this fear was unwarranted as the young kitsune had his own cup of ramen and was quite comfortable sitting on Kagome's lap as she conversed with the rest of the group. Of course the reward of pocky after breakfast helped to ensure that the kitsune was on his best behavior.
Kagome found it much easier for everyone if she kept Inuyasha and Shippou separate at meal times. Inuyasha did not get so upset, poor little Shippou did not receive numerous blows to the head for his cute but irritating antics, and Kagome was not stuck in the middle debating whether to discipline Shippou or 'Sit' Inuyasha; the situation was therefore agreeable to everyone.
As for the conversation between the humans that morning, the primary focus was on strategies for taking down the youkai. Sango was consulted for her expert advice. Having a neko youkai for a companion and having fought several leopard type youkai in her earlier demon slaying days did make her an expert on the subject after all. Besides, any input Kirara added had to be interpreted, and only Sango could fully decipher her friend's various forms of communication.
Sango's advice was therefore crucial for a successful outcome. As of late, the group had been talking about strategy more often before battles as they had learned from their encounter with the badger youkai that doing their research paid off huge dividends. No one sustained injuries, they were successful, and they avoided detection from other demons in the area.
After a bit of discussion, the group reached a similar conclusion that Inuyasha had come to almost a day earlier; this fight would once again fall primarily to Inuyasha. Miroku realized his wind tunnel would be of minimal aid. Kagome recognized her arrows would be useless, and Sango admitted that Hiraikotsu would also be ineffective. So once again, they were there to play back-up should Inuyasha need it.
And that was when Kagome got an idea. "Hey Sango! Do you think catnip would be effective against this youkai? I mean, Kirara seems to love it and is certainly more than distracted when it is around. Is the same true for leopard youkai?"
"Honestly Kagome, we have tried it on them, but for some reason or other it only affects them for a minute, maybe two at most. And, there have been cases where the herb is completely ineffective." Sango added.
"Well that makes sense. I guess that once the cat gets used to it, the brain no longer registers it as a novel stimulus and the response ceases. For a cat that relies heavily on its sense of smell, filtering out and ignoring scents that are not a threat or related to food would be pretty important." Kagome thoughtfully added.
As if struck by something, Sango jumped before she hastily added in a piece of vital information.
"I just remembered a case my father once told me about. A few men from another Taijiya village farther to the north of mine were out hunting a tiger youkai. This case occurred a few years before I was born, but I think I remember the details well enough from the story my father told me, to tell you about it. What I remember most is that these demon slayers decided to use valerian, which is similar to catnip, on the creature, which unfortunately had disastrous results." Sango paused for a moment to collect the rest of her story and put it into words. After a brief pause, she continued again.
"The only survivor of the hunt told a grisly tale. He mentioned that in the first minute, the plant seemed to catch the attention of the big cat and turn it into a playful and purring mass of fur. However, this wore off just as the men were closing in for the attack. Their maneuvering was still underway when the tides turned against them. The man stated that he did not know what triggered it, but suddenly the tiger stopped playing and instead became enraged and extremely aggressive. It first targeted the taijiya who had carried the herb. When it had the slayer in its jaws, it swiftly retreated into the tree line."
Unsure as to whether or not she should continue the tale, Sango looked to both Kagome and Miroku for any indication. Kagome was giving her a sympathetic look while Miroku seemed to be thinking. Most likely he was hoping the victim had not suffered and that the man's body was given a proper burial.
Finding that no one was asking her to stop, Sango continued her story.
"Following tiger behavior, this tiger remained extremely aggressive as it guarded the victim. A few of the less experienced demon slayers rushed to save their comrade not realizing that nothing could be done. Even working together, they were unable to defeat the tiger, and lost their lives as well. My memory of the tale gets less detailed from here I am afraid." Sango hesitantly remarked.
"What else happened? Were the demon slayers successful at killing the tiger?" Kagome asked because she sensed that her friend needed some feedback to show that her audience was still listening.
Sango took that as consent to finish her story.
"The rest of the party hung back to wait for many hours before the tiger emerged from the forest again. The remaining taijiya fought it for several more hours before they were victorious. Two more taijiya were killed in the battle, and three more succumbed to their injuries while traveling back to their village." Sango trailed off in terms of volume as she concluded her tale. When it was finished, she looked down at the hands that had somehow folded themselves together atop her lap during her story.
Once the tale had concluded, the group was silent for a time. During this period of silence, Kagome thought on what she had been told. She realized why the taijiya had succumbed to their injuries.
'The demon slayers that were injured were most likely patched up in a nearby village. But cat's mouths are laden with numerous strains of bacteria. When the cat bites someone, their teeth act like hypodermic needles that inject the bacteria into the wound they create. Those men most likely died from septicemia while they were returning to their village. It's so sad that they survived the battle only to die from a raging bacterial infection. If they had antibiotics here those warriors would have made a full recovery.' A frown marred her features as she thought about this. The others in the group were silent as well, more than likely absorbed in their own thoughts.
Kagome was first to break the silence. "That's a terrible story. I am sorry that it happened and that you had to suffer while telling it to us. But I am glad that you did. We can learn from their mistakes and avoid making them. I did bring some catnip from home, and even though I have some in my bag right now, I promise not to use it in this fight."
"Better yet Kagome-sama, you should consider leaving it behind in the off chance that this leopard youkai gets into your back-pack. From the story, it doesn't sound wise to have it anywhere near this cat." Miroku added.
"Sounds like a good idea to me." Kagome stated. "As soon as we get going, I will find a place and bury it."
Miroku then decided to ask Sango a question. "Sango, you mentioned that the taijiya were successful. While I want to avoid the details, do you think we would have an easier time fighting this youkai when it has a full stomach?"
Inuyasha quickly piped up. "I sure as hell am not feeding this cat! Besides, it already ate last night. I doubt it will be hungry for anything else anytime soon. Let's get going already!" He ended with an irritable growl as well as a stern expression in an attempt to hurry the group along.
With that statement, the group packed up their things with practiced ease, and got ready to head out. Kagome made a final sweep to make sure that they had not left anything behind and chose a spot to bury the catnip. She enlisted Inuyasha's digging skills to aid her in this task. When the herb was safely beneath six inches of dirt, the group began the short trek to the village.
Needless to say, after a meal of ramen and on the way to a battle he was sure to enjoy, Inuyasha's spirits were quite high. Not even the looming threat of being human that night could put a damper on his good mood.
'Out of sight, out of mind as the saying goes.' He mused.
By mid-morning, the village was only yards away. For all appearances, it was a ghost town. There were no animals moving about, no children playing, and no adults going about their daily tasks.
"Hello?" Kagome ventured. "Is anyone still here?"
After a few more tries, Kagome decided to give up.
"I don't think we are going to find anyone here Kagome. It looks like the villagers set their animals loose and escaped with what they could." Sango informed her friend.
When Kagome took another look, Sango's story made sense. The gates on all the fences were wide open and the doors to the chicken houses were ajar. Reed mats that hung over doorways were partially if not completely ripped from where they hung. And most of the huts had various possessions left; mostly large furniture and luxury items. It was clear that great haste was made to escape the village.
"From the looks of it, this is a small farming village. They most likely lacked the training and ability to fight this demon off so they fled." Miroku supplied.
"Will you guys quit exploring already? We have a job to do! The sooner we kill this thing, the sooner we can get on the trail of the next shards."
'And the sooner that the villagers can be informed that their town is now safe to inhabit once again. Hopefully not too much of their growing season has been lost or they will suffer this winter.' Kagome thought.
As they moved towards the foothills of the mountains, the conversation remained on the village and their plight.
"I wonder what would have caused them to flee now?" Kagome questioned.
"What do you mean?" Sango asked clearly confused.
"Well, for a demon to get to that size, it must be quite old. Leopards are solitary cats and typically establish home territories at a young age. Throughout their lives, they will fight to keep their territory. So, this cat has been here for years at the very least. I wonder why it just recently started attacking the villagers?" Kagome continued.
"It's possible that the leopard exhausted its food supply up in the mountains and has to resort to killing farm animals to sustain itself." Sango responded.
"Maybe it's injured." Kagome added thoughtfully.
"Good point. Usually when an animal has a significant injury, it compromises its ability to hunt its natural prey so it has to resort to easier animals if it wants to stay alive." Sango mentioned.
"Then we all have to be extremely careful with this cat. Injured animals are typically on the defensive and are more aggressive than normal. If this situation was not good before this information, it's only gotten exponentially worse. We're all in danger here." Miroku chimed in.
"Oh quit whining already!" Inuyasha barked at the monk. "I've got this covered. You humans just stay back and keep out of my way. This should be over soon." the hanyou confidently boasted.
With that, Inuyasha turned towards the mountain and the battle that was sure to follow shortly after his arrival.
Concerned, Kagome caught his attention. "Inuyasha! Be careful! Feline youkai are ambush predators!"
Ignoring the remainder of the group, Inuyasha addressed her. "Thanks Kagome. I'll be fine. You stay here with Miroku and Sango." His voice was soft as were his eyes as he spoke to her.
Then, turning towards the monk and taijiya he spoke in a louder tone. "Keep an eye on her. Kirara, if things get bad, I expect you to get Kagome out of here."
With that, he turned his attention back onto the mountains and sprinted off to face the latest opponent.
MEANWHILE…with the Leopard Youkai
Unbeknownst to the Inu-gumi, the entire time they were in the village, they were being stalked by the very cat they sought. Clearly, the campfire the group had used this morning, as well as the noise from their conversation as they traveled, had reached the sensitive ears of the yukihyou long before their arrival. This noise alerted the cat of their impending approach and provided the cat with ample time to maneuver itself into position for an attack.
This creature was talented indeed for it remained upwind of the hanyou and demons of the group, and was fast enough to avoid being seen by any of the members. And, this yukihyou had the ability to mask the several shikon shards it possessed so that even Kagome could not detect them.
Calculating silver-blue eyes tracked the group's every move, determining each member's strengths and weaknesses. Currently, the cat was on a roof top a few huts behind the group. Even though the yukihyou was crouched down low, pressed tightly to the contours of the structure, it was able to see everything and would be ready to pounce at a moment's notice. Its tail flicked back and forth in slow, sweeping, and rhythmical motions that indicated the beginnings of feline agitation. When it saw the hanyou swiftly approaching the heart of its territory, the neko youkai silently darted off into the woods where one of the many entrances to its den was located.
BACK with the Inuyasha and company:
Clearly expecting the creature to manifest before his eyes the moment he set foot on the mountain, Inuyasha was sorely disappointed when such was not the case. Hoping that provoking the being with words would elicit the desired response, Inuyasha loudly taunted the creature.
"Hey! You mangy flea-infested house-cat! I know you're up there! Stop being such a wuss and show yourself!" He bellowed at the creature. He gave the being a few moments to appear before he bellowed at it again.
"Or maybe you're too busy grooming yourself! What a prissy cat you are! It isn't going to help you any, fur-ball."
When no response from the enemy was forthcoming, he tried again. "You're not busy hacking up a hairball are you?" He laughed at his joke.
Not perturbed in the least, the yukihyou remained hidden. Clearly, this fight would be on his terms or no terms at all. For those who know feline behavior, such was the expected response.
Cats do what they want, when they want, and on their terms. And everything they do, they must first deem worthy or at least in some way in their best interest to do.
Focusing his energy on his favorite technique, the cat simply waited for the response it knew would follow.
Said expected response being that the hanyou would try to "sniff" him out. Nose to the ground, our favorite hanyou began tracking his enemy. That was when he heard it.
A soft warning growl came from his right. Tensing in anticipation for battle, Inuyasha was understandably shocked when nothing happened.
Then, the sound came again. This time the growl emanated from farther away and more to the hanyou's left. Again, the hanyou turned to face his enemy, only to find none.
'This bastard's playing games with me!' Inuyasha thought angrily. However, his dissatisfaction never showed on his features.
'If it's a game he wants, then he's gonna' get one he'll never forget!' He silently vowed.
Shortly after the second warning was not taken heed of, a series of louder, more threatening growls began. Clearly, the youkai wanted the hanyou to leave his territory.
'Shit. I can't tell where this thing really is! The sound's coming from everywhere and then echoing off the cliff. How many of them are there? Or is this thing so fast that it seems like it's everywhere?' Inuyasha thought, beginning to get worried. He turned in circles, trying to figure out where his enemy could be.
The cat observed what was happening with a smug sense of satisfaction. With the hanyou confused, the cat decided to move into the second phase of his attack strategy.
From the corner of his left eye, and in his peripheral vision, Inuyasha caught a quick glimpse of the yukihyou. The being was soundlessly running in circles around the hanyou from what he could gather. The growling was almost constant now and was sufficiently loud enough to overpower any other sound that the cat would make while it was moving.
Heading in an opposite direction this time, the cat appeared in Inuyasha's peripheral vision of his right eye. The inu-hanyou kept catching glimpses of his enemy, but each time, the cat was moving in opposite directions.
'Ok. He's circling me now and reversing direction. Maybe there's more than one?' He thought.
But before he could make any move, the yukihyou beat him to it. From behind a rock from an alarmingly close distance, the leopard youkai lunged at him. The threat before the hanyou was quite formidable. The cat was indeed larger than Kirara and all its claws were unsheathed. Long canines were exposed as the cat snarled at him. Not having time to draw and transform Tetsusaiga, the hanyou had to rely on his claws.
"Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" Inuyasha shouted as he brought his claws down on his enemy. The snow leopard youkai gracefully arced mid-air and avoided the hanyou's strike. Taking advantage of the fact that his opponent was off balance, the youkai bit the hanyou's right arm, gashed his abdomen, and sunk his teeth into his enemy's left shoulder. Just as the pain registered, the youkai had disappeared from view.
Staggering back, the hanyou was clearly confused. 'This thing bit my arm and my opposite shoulder! How the Hell did that happen!?!' He thought while jumping back a safe distance from where he had just been attacked, and in the opposite direction from where the youkai disappeared to.
What Inuyasha failed to realize is that there was more than one opponent. The first cat had been a distraction whose goal was to allow a second youkai to attack the hanyou from behind. Hence three separate injuries were inflicted in a single attack.
Gripping his shoulder in pain and an attempt to slow the bleeding, Inuyasha scanned his surroundings for the cat.
"Giving up already?" Inuyasha confidently shouted at his opponent.
Turning around, Inuyasha finally got a full view of his enemy. The being was perched upon a rock about fifty feet above him. The silver-blue eyes were trained solely on the hanyou as the creature appeared to be looking down on the hanyou, in more ways than one.
The noble creature was solidly built with powerful limbs and a strong tail. It appeared to be a good three feet taller at the shoulder than Kirara in her transformed state, and its canines were also longer and thicker than his feline pack member. There was no doubting the raw power this snow leopard youkai contained.
The large forelimbs were extremely powerful and more than capable of delivering a fatal blow. Their power was augmented by six inch razor sharp claws that could cut through bone in a single swipe. The hind limbs were even more muscular than the front legs, for the purpose of propelling the animal in large, powerful leaps.
Its large tail was most likely also muscular for a reason too; more than likely it was used for balance, and Inuyasha thought it could also be used as a weapon; much like his brother's. Thick muscle extended from the cat's cranium all the way down to its large jaws, lending the leopard incredible jaw strength. The being's eyes were set high on its head, allowing it to hide from view but still be able to monitor the situation.
Its silver coat with black open rosettes provided it the perfect camouflage for its surroundings. Combine this with padding and fur between the animal's digits that make its movements silent, and it became the perfect predator. Clearly, this cat was well suited for its environment and used this to its advantage while hunting and while in battle.
But our favorite inu-hanyou did not have long to take in his opponent's appearance; for while he was studying the leopard youkai above him, he had unwittingly fallen into yet another trap that was set up for him. Inuyasha had drawn his sword and transformed it in preparation for battle. As he was crouching down with the intent of leaping after his opponent, the attack came.
Two more youkai crept up behind the unsuspecting hanyou as he was focused on the one above him. One quickly rushed at him while the other continued at a lazy predatory stalk. The one that rushed him was detected at almost the last possible second.
Inuyasha thought quickly and attacked. "Blades of Blood!" He yelled as he drenched his claws in his own blood and brought them down on the youkai.
This leopard was not expecting the move and therefore could not react fast enough to dodge. Consequently, two of Inuyasha's claws connected and the creature ended up with a nasty laceration from its shoulder to its flank on its left side.
The injured cat howled in pain before growling and circling the hanyou. Its sacrifice was not in vain though.
The cat that had accompanied the first had enough time to get onto a ledge above the hanyou. While its sibling kept the hanyou occupied, the second leapt at Inuyasha. The hanyou was unexpectedly thrown off balance before pain gripped his left leg.
This second cat had jumped from the ledge at Inuyasha, used the hanyou's back as a spring board, and then used the cliff behind him to push off of. All this work landed the felid at the stumbling hanyou's left side and in the perfect position to bite his thigh. As Inuyasha regained his balance, the cat released him. But that wasn't before it got a lucky swipe in at the hanyou's left side with its rear claws.
Both his attackers then retreated into the rocks once more. The second cat's prolonged attack more than likely bought the first cat enough time to escape.
Bleeding rather heavily from several deep injuries now, the hanyou sunk into the shallow cave that was close by to plan out his next move.
After only a moment, the felid came into Inuyasha's line of sight again. Instead of attacking the hanyou though, the cat simply laid down and stared at him. As soon as the creature was settled, it began purring, as if satisfied with itself and mocking the hanyou at the same time. The cat's tail moved in a steady up and down pattern with the tip of the tail flicking up and down in between the movements made by the entire tail.
Inuyasha openly stared at the cat's eyes. The yukihyou's pupils were more round instead of the slitted pupils that most neko youkai have. The way they glowed in the late afternoon sunshine was mesmerizing and the hanyou found himself unable to look away.
'Who's giving up now hanyou?' Inuyasha heard in his mind.
Believing it was an auditory hallucination brought on by blood loss, the hanyou merely ignored it. He was able to break eye contact, and shake off the effects of the youkai's technique. Gaining his footing and preparing for battle again, he began taunting the felid once more.
"Do you give up or are you ready for round two?" He confidently bellowed.
"This time, I know all your tricks. You won't fool me a second time!" Inuyasha continued.
'Knowing some of my tricks is only a quarter of the battle, hanyou. This old cat still has plenty of surprises.' The neko youkai told Inuyasha mentally.
"You done talking yet? Let's do this!" Inuyasha retorted.
And just like that, round two commenced. Inuyasha raised Tetsusaiga and tore up the ledge where the neko youkai was standing with one stroke of the Wind Scar.
When the rubble and dust settled, his opponent was nowhere to be seen.
Thinking he had won, Inuyasha smirked and re-sheathed Tetsusaiga.
"Hmm. I must have completely obliterated him with the Wind Scar. That was easy. And I thought he had so many more tricks up his sleeves. Ha! What tricks? Sure as hell didn't save his skin!" The inu-hanyou mocked.
He then began the process of reassuring himself that his foe had been defeated.
'Well, I don't see it, and I don't smell it. So, I think it's relatively safe now. I should get Kagome up here to find any shards that may be here.'
With that, the hanyou called down to his companions for Kirara to bring Kagome up to him.
And that is when the fun began.
Author's Notes: I know, it's an evil cliff-hanger. However, this chapter is already super long and this seems like a good place to end it.
Will you leave me a review and let me know what you think of this chapter…or what you think will happen in the next one? I can honestly say that reviews will help me update faster!! Thanks!
Until next time!
LadySword04