Chapter 10

Inuyasha ran around the trees rather silently, his quick feet making it feel like they were flying through a barren land rather than a dense forest. For most of the time Kagome had kept her head resting against his back, her cheek pressed against his curtain of soft silvery hair, her arms continuing their hold over his shoulders.

Inuyasha felt at ease and allowed himself a soft smile as the tired girl he carried yawned. He felt the tug of exhaustion too; the range of emotions that he felt these last days, especially these last few hours, took its toll on the strong young man. But he couldn't rest… He slowed down enough for Kagome to hear his voice.

"You better not fall asleep back there," Inuyasha warned lightly. "We're almost clear of the forest, but we still need to keep moving. This isn't the best place to be at night, trust me." A memory of being chased to a cliff by two hungry demons came to mind. As a child it had been a frightening experience, but now he had no doubt he would be able to take them. Yet he'd rather not involve Kagome in any more demon confrontations than was required of their quest. Even helping that Kou fellow a couple days ago had left Inuyasha uneasy, but his pride and a need for information urged him to do it anyway. Information was needed and that was the only way to get it. Threatening the wimpy human into telling him wasn't something Kagome would condone.

Kagome let out another loud and long yawn.

"Wonder if being drunk is anything like being drowsy," the girl mused out loud.

Inuyasha let out an amused laugh as he remembered a certain incident. "You've been drunk before, don't you remember?"

She shook her head. "No, I don't," she answered honestly.

"Well, I remember it. You were singing some annoying song into your hairbrush and then you ended up 'sitting' me over and over again," Inuyasha winced at the memory. The whole front of his body was sore for a good day or so afterwards.

"I did?" Kagome asked innocently. "Wow… did I at least say sorry?"

"Keh! You brushed it aside back then, must've thought I deserved it. But drunken Sango came on to me back then, not the other way around."

Kagome's eyes went wide, Inuyasha's words sobering her up from her drowsiness quickly.

"Besides…" he started, but paused.

"Besides… what?" Kagome prompted.

Breathing out through his nose, he realized it was impossible to explain without his skin blushing. And she wouldn't drop the subject even if he stayed quiet. "There's only one person I'd want that kind of attention from."

Understanding fluttered in Kagome's chest.

"I feel the same way, you know," she returned softly, bringing about a smirk on the other's lips.

"I'll let the wimpy wolf know his place next time he shows his ugly mug." Inuyasha grinned at the recent memory of Koga choking on nothing but air.

Same Inuyasha… she thought with a slight shake of her head. Koga was probably more than aware of the situation by now.

Her eyes were starting to become heavy again and so she gave in, knowing it was futile to resist against such exhaustion. Besides, all she could see were slightly varying shades of shadow in the darkness that had fallen. Nighttime was for sleeping, she hazily admitted.

The strong arms gripping her legs tightened their hold. Inuyasha broke his steady pace with an abrupt stop. The sudden change drew Kagome's eyes to open and glance around blearily.

"Inuyasha, what is-," she started, but he quieted her with a low "shh". With every second Kagome became more aware of a growing pressure in the air from somewhere up the path they were on. She understood immediately what had alarmed the half-demon…

There was a fairly potent charge of demonic energy heading their way.

Inuyasha jumped quickly to the right, landing beside a large tree where he eased Kagome down.

"Stay here," he whispered seriously leaving no room for argument. He thought she'd probably get hurt if she tried helping. It's not as if I can't handle these guys myself, anyway, he concluded as he walked back onto the path to wait for whatever was coming. Kagome grabbed an arrow and was already touching it to the bow string, ready to jump in.

With a short sniff, Inuyasha recognized a somewhat familiar human scent among the group approaching, some lesser demons mixed in with among the humans. His hands had already pulled Tetsusaiga from its sheath, the flames of torches glinting off the transformed fang.

Inuyasha glared at the group, their raised hands clinging spears, swords and other weapons. His sharp eyes were able to take in their hostile expressions even without their torchlight shinning dully off their pallid, unfocused eyes. But there was one young man whose swollen face was downcast, his limp body held up by his arms near the front of the mob. Inuyasha's stomach felt a little heavy as he recognized who it was.

"They didn't believe me…" Kou choked out. "I tried to lead them away, but they weren't fooled. The headmaster is…is a…" Blood trickled down to his chin as he coughed.

"I can smell what he is." Inuyasha huffed out a breath of frustration. He knew coming back to the Western Lands had its peril, but he hated it when others were dragged into it. He concluded that if he hadn't returned, this wouldn't have happened to Kou.

Kagome heard the strain behind Kou's voice and found herself peeking around the tree, and the second she saw his condition she covered her mouth, muffling her gasp. A fire lit in her heart and her will to help pulled stirred her arms and legs into moving long before her mind caught on to what she was doing.

Inuyasha heard the crunch of leaves behind him and his jaw tightened. Of course she won't stay hidden. Kagome had taken a few steps, and from what he could see from the corner of his eye, she had an arrow aimed and ready to shoot. She certainly sensed the demon he smelled, the rancid scent of it turning his stomach.

His sensitive ears caught a low hissing noise from somewhere among the breathing of crowd of forty humans and minor demons gathered in front of him. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, searching through the crowd for the sound's origin, and then a chuckle laced with another hiss sounded as the group divided down the middle, making room. From the lack of reaction it seemed that either the humans didn't hear the low sound or they weren't surprised by it. Upon closer inspection, their eyes were hazy, clouded. Inuyasha noted they must be under someone's control.

"This is who you've had do your work, Kou." A man dressed in the fine silk robes of a nobleman strode up on a horse, his thin chalky lips curved in a mocking grin against equally pale skin. Dismounting, the man looked over Inuyasha with a haughty air about him. "If only he had brought you to me instead of those tasteless ogres…" he started, a lustful glean in his reddish orange eyes, his pupil elongating into a black slit just before he closed his eyes. "I would have preferred a delicious half-demon," he paused for a second and opened his eyes, and a forked tongue flicked out past his lips. "There's an even more delectable morsel I smell back there."

Inuyasha's hair prickled at the way the demon spoke of Kagome. His growing annoyance with this demon showed in his knuckles, white and throbbing as he gripped his sword tighter. Preparing to slash the demon to pieces, the half-demon heard a whistling pierce the air as an arrow shot past him, pinning one of the demon's feet to the ground. A loud hiss of pain followed, and the snake glared pointedly at the one who had shot him without warning. Even Inuyasha turned his surprised eyes to the right where Kagome stood, another arrow already aimed and ready in her hands.

"Don't waste our time. Release Kou and the others right now," Kagome demanded with voice rid of any hint of exhaustion, "or the next arrow goes between your eyes." Her tone was sure and confident, something Inuyasha concluded she picked up from hanging around him. The fair-haired young man felt his chest swell in pride and turned a confident grin to the grimacing faux headmaster.

"You don't scare me," the headmaster hissed, bending down to wrench the arrow from his foot. Gesturing toward the beaten man, he continued, "His parents made for such a satisfying meal, there's no way I'm letting him go. And I'll enjoy feasting on your flesh too, pretty girl."

Figuring he'd heard enough and that what little patience he had was long gone, Inuyasha jumped forward, striking down with enough force to carve a deep trench where the headmaster once was. Though able to avoid the initial strike, the headmaster was sent skidding several feet across the ground from the impact. Scrambling to his feet, he burst through his human skin the second Kagome's arrow pierced his human disguise. Landing nearby, the large 30 foot long, green scaled viper flicked of his tongue a couple of times and a handful of his human puppets charged after Inuyasha.

Using the dull edge of his sword, Inuyasha swung at the first ones to reach him and propelled them into some trees along the path.

Kagome pulled another arrow from her quiver. Since her eyes were somewhat limited, she focused her spiritual awareness trying to feel out where the serpent hid, but the noise of fast shuffling feet alerted her to an oncoming assault. She barely jumped out of the way as a spear struck the spot she'd just occupied. A flying demon shot through the air, trying to catch her unaware but she shot off her arrow in time, purifying it to nothing. When grabbing for another arrow, a guard managed to swipe at her, knocking her bow out of her hands and making her lose her balance and fall hard on her side. Three more guards were almost on top of her, sharp weapons ready to strike. Lifting her arms instinctively she held her breath and closed her eyes, anticipating nothing but piercing pain. The unexpected sensation of something soft brushed against her palms, and she opened her eyes to the swaying ends of Inuyasha's hair as he stood between her and the guards.

"Stay close to me!" he told her, urgency in his voice as he swung and knocked away her attackers. Nodding, Kagome got to her feet and collected her bow, keeping her back close to his as she faced the opposite way.

The battle continued to shake the forest as it dragged on, repetitious plans of attack were more exhausting than a simply difficult battle. As a witness to the late hour, the air began to thicken from the midnight mist descending into the forest. A layer of fog crawled along the ground and curled around the trees, filling the space around the group until not much could be seen even a few feet in front of them.

Great, Inuyasha thought, his expression serious. He breathed and sifted through the concoction of scents in the humidity trying to pinpoint the snake.

Inuyasha's thoughts were along the same line as Kagome's that moment. Their situation became more unnerving by the second, and the priestess started to feel a little of her confidence slip as her vision was stripped even further by the dense fog. Holding her bow to her chest with her right hand, she reached her left hand behind her.

Inuyasha felt Kagome's fingers search out for his, griping them the second they touched. Immediately he noticing that she was trembling.

She shouldn't need to be scared. He gritted his teeth. I'm getting you out of this, Kagome, trust me. Giving her hand a firm squeeze, Inuyasha pulled her closer to him before letting go. Nothing would get through to her, he decided, and his eyes narrowed as the forms of the guards slid through the fog looking for them. Once they were spotted, the guards rushed.

Kagome warded off the attacks as well as she could with her bow, but Inuyasha did most of the work, swinging back and forth in wide arcs around the both of them, their backs pressed together. He'd slice at the demons but held off when the humans approached. He didn't want to kill them, and he knew Kagome felt the same way, but the more they came after her the sooner she'd get injured or worse.

One such moment made him change strategy. His golden eyes were turned somewhere else the second it happened, but his nose picked it up immediately; Kagome's blood. There was a large guard towering over her, his thick arm holding a sword

Instinct moved him. His arm swiped at the guard, claws extended and slicing into the other's muscled shoulder. At the same time he stepped in front of her, one hand held her closer to his chest and bowed his body slightly over her, using his back as a shield and his hand firmly holding Tetsusaiga up behind her.

Kagome heard the clank of teeth clashing against the sword protecting her and the thud of other weapons striking flesh. She shuddered against his chest, closing her eyes as the hot breath of the snake wafted past the blade toward her.

The scraping of fangs against the lifted Tetsusaiga vibrated down through Inuyasha's arm. The snake's teeth were clamped onto Tetsusaiga, and the poison from the curved fangs ran down the blade toward Inuyasha's hand. Before he could lose his footing, he shoved the demon's head away, flicking the green liquid off the sword at the same time. There was a warm, stinging sensation on his back, but he ignored it as his eyes zeroed in on the snake. It recoiled back into the safety of the fog, poison oozing, dripping from his mouth and eating through the ground below.

"You okay?" Inuyasha asked as Kagome moved to his side, arming herself again.

"Don't worry, I'm fine." Kagome made an attempt to sound strong, but it was hard when even breathing hurt. She had no time to examine her wound, but she could feel her blood cool against her skin and soak her shirt, and the burning pain in her side wasn't easy to ignore, but she knew she needed to focus. Inuyasha heard the wavering in her voice and cursed silently.

More waves of puppets were sent forward. This time the possessed guards came at them more rapidly, not at all fazed by being knocked against the trees or slammed to the ground by Inuyasha. They'd get back up and strike at them again. The fire in the half-demon's chest grew as he felt his demon blood woke up, waiting on the edge to be given full control. But Inuyasha's rational mind fought it back, knowing that Kagome would likely be among the casualties if he gave in.

Self preservation was present, but motivated only to keep Kagome safe. Living made no sense without her, and this was truth was clear in his battle-sharp mind.

Another flurry of demons descended on them with the humans, jagged teeth gnashing among the smooth weapon blades. Inuyasha swept with this hand, his claws clearing the fog around them at the same sliced through five demons at once, but more followed. Inuyasha's second of distraction posed the perfect time for the snake to strike, his rancid mouth wide and ready to sink his teeth into the half-demon.

This was her chance. With the fog dispersed, Kagome pulled the string back and let her arrow fly… the instant it struck a loud cry pierced the night, drawing all eyes and attention. Just as suddenly as the large snake fell writhing to the floor, the possessed humans fell like sacks to the ground, their weapons clattering all around them.

Something had fallen near Inuyasha's feet and he took a step back once he identified it as the severed tongue of the viper demon.

Inuyasha did a good job at hiding how impressed he was with the girl and simply smirked at the demon who barely had enough strength to lift his head off the ground. "Missing a tooth and your tongue… you're not getting your last meal here." Swinging his sword, he took the viper's head clean off with one swipe. The lifeless body of the large snake just fell dead as did the clamor of the fight. All the torches went out once their bearers hit the ground.

Kagome's felt the concentrated demonic aura dissipate, but she couldn't relax just yet. Not only was it harder to see without any light, there were lingering hints of demonic power lurking in the fog. So the two of them waited, their ragged breaths and heartbeats the only noises registering to their ears that moment.

Panicked shrieks suddenly filled their ears, but they ended just as soon as they'd begun, the sharp cracks of a whip silencing the other noise instantly. Inuyasha squinted, seeing something beyond the fog that immediately had his jaw clench.

Even after all they'd just been through, Inuyasha's guttural growl raised the hair on Kagome's neck, and the instant she heard it she knew someone unwelcomed had entered the veil of fog nearby.

"You greet me with bared fangs, little brother?" a monotone voice spoke out, chilling the misty air even more than it was. A green, poisonous whip the width of a Kagome's bowstring retracted and disappeared into clawed hand.

"Miss me or something, Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha spat, equal malice evident in the glare he was sending the indifferent looking dog demon who had drawn close enough to be seen. "I know this isn't a friendly visit, so just tell me what you're doing here."

"Inuyasha, you disrespectful cretin," Jaken's crowed from behind his master's pant-leg, his Staff of Two Heads bobbing as he shook it. "If it weren't for him you'd be helpless against those demons you let slip."

Sesshomaru silenced his minion with nothing more than a scathing glare, sending the imp to cower behind a tree. "Jaken, where is Rin?" the demon lord asked, his voice smooth and cold as steal, his noble face impassive as always.

"She is safe with Ah-Un, me lord..." Jaken answered without thinking. But under the threat of his burning gaze the toad squawked apologies and ran off, apparently in trouble for not watching after the girl.

Kagome took this distraction to place a hand on her friend's arm, trying to calm him down. But there wasn't much that she could do to repair the relationship between the silver-haired brothers. And it wasn't as if Sesshomaru ever held back from antagonizing his brother. The tall demon seemed to love every second of it, but one couldn't tell from his stoic expression.

"I had heard of the filth trying to take over the land. You've killed the leader, but you were sloppy and left some demons alive. Ever the incompetent fool, I see." Sesshomaru said, provoking his little brother.

"Bastard, you can go to-" Inuyasha started, stepping forward about to raise Tetsusaiga. Kagome tugged hard on his arm, forcing his attention to her.

"We should get Kou out of here," she reasoned, trying to cut the confrontation short before it escalated further.

This was Inuyasha's first chance examining her since the fight began, and he saw glossy eyes, messy hair, and dirt and blood smudging her cream complexion. The lower right side of her shirt was dark with blood. She was tired, spent, and he needed to get her out of there and treated. His scowl softened and he agreed with a small nod. He sent another dirty look before sheathing his sword.

Kou was lying beside the unconscious guards that were holding him before. Lifting him up, Kagome helped him onto Inuyasha's back. Kagome walked a couple paces, expecting Inuyasha to join her.

"You're not walking." Inuyasha said, scooting Kou on his back to make room for Kagome to climb on too, and she got on without complaint.

The pitter patter of small feet proved Rin was nearby and she came into view skipping up to her caregiver, her toad babysitter huffing as he caught up. The child waved a small hand at Kagome just as soon as she saw her. The priestess smiled weakly, yet internally very happy that the little one had showed up. Sesshomaru wouldn't risk a fight when she was so near.

They past Sesshomaru silently, at first... Kagome wanted to say "sit" the second she heard Inuyasha clear his throat, but quickly rethought it.

"Next time keep a closer eye on your territory, oh great Lord of the Western Lands," Inuyasha threw over his shoulder.

Sesshomaru remained unaffected, or so it seemed. Inuyasha's ear twitched back toward the almost undetectable grind of clenched teeth.

On the half-demon's face spread a satisfied smirk before he took off in a run.

….

A/N: I'm so sorry for the long wait for the update! Life's been crazy… I've had a lot of things come up this couple months: birthdays every weekend, painting commissioned art pieces, organizing a camp retreat for the Risembool Rangers (yay Rangers!), trying to potty train my 2 year old, etc. I worked on this chapter little by little everyday since my last update and I'm glad to finally have it done, whew! =)

So, what did you guys think? Fight scenes are tough to write for me, so I found myself rather stuck on this. Anyhoo, review and let me know! As always, I love your comments and I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

Take care and God bless!

~The Honorable Gucci