Recap:
"Kagome!" An exasperated voice yelled. InuYasha leaped far away from Kagome, his cheeks red. Kagome looked past him to see a distressed Aguri running to her quickly. He was out of breath and his normally sleek hair was out of its ponytail. "Kagome, have you seen Souta?"
Kagome looked at him, a bad feeling nestling deep in her stomach. "I left him in our room."
"He's not there," Aguri answered as he began to pace. "He's not anywhere." He stopped and Kagome paled. "I searched before coming here."
InuYasha sniffed the air before whispering, "Why can't I smell him in the palace?"
Not needing to hear anything else, Kagome took off running.
Chapter 11:
A nose twitched involuntarily as familiar scents suddenly disappeared.
A clawed hand ceased in its activities, the quill held tightly in its grip. Sesshomaru's eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly as Kagome's scent faded at an alarming rate. Placing the quill back in its hold, the Lord of the Western Lands got up from the cushion on the floor and covered the ink. He couldn't sense his brother either. Why had they left the palace? Sesshomaru thought of endless possibilities. As he descended the stairs, he released his senses to scent inside Kagome's room. The little boy is not here either… As he reached the floor, Sesshomaru ignored the onslaught of maids that chattered to attend to his needs. His attention was immediately diverted to a quivering scent not too far from him; a mix of anger and fear. Interested piqued, Sesshomaru began to tread lightly to the origin of the scent: Aguri. Suddenly, a more foul scent gripped his nostrils. Turning his head slightly, Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes.
"Naraku."
Said man grinned, his red eyes twinkling as he bowed lowly to the floor. Too disgusted to utter another word to him, Sesshomaru began to continue his way to the distressed crane demon. Unsurprisingly, Sesshomaru felt the dark aura following him. Did I tell him he could rise? He thought crossly. "What do you want now?"
"The presence of the Desired Jewel has faded," he rumbled slyly, his cunning eyes glistening eerily. Sesshomaru didn't cease in his stride. "I wonder why."
"Where is the human's brother?" Sesshomaru asked, pausing to turn slightly. Naraku grinned triumphantly and smoothed out his commoner's robes without haste. Sesshomaru wanted nothing more than to split Naraku in half from head to toe. Unfortunately, the ungrateful leech needed to stay alive and under his careful watch for the time being. "This Sesshomaru will kill you if you don't speak."
"Now the grand Lord of the Western Lands has taken to bluffing?" Naraku cackled, causing Sesshomaru's eyebrows to furrow with impatience. "How should I know where the girl's brother is?" he continued, false innocence oozing from his being.
"Naraku," Sesshomaru said in a tone that would send chills down anyone's spine. Naraku's grin slid off of his face and the half demon folded his arms with a vengeful look on his face.
"I might've talked to him a bit," he said seriously.
"What did you say?" Sesshomaru asked immediately.
As if Naraku's temporary seriousness evaporated, a lazy smile took over his lips as he shrugged nonchalantly.
"I also might've given him a lead as to where his parents are."
-/-~-/====++++
"So why was Aguri headed to your room anyway?"
"InuYasha!" Kagome yelled in exasperation, her cheeks flushed. "For the last time, I don't know!"
The cross hanyou's ears flicked stubbornly before he turned his head and refused to look at Kagome. Kagome sighed loudly and continued to trail after InuYasha. He was supposed to be focused on sniffing out her brother, not sticking his nose in her business! She had no idea why Souta left the palace grounds; he'd never even spoken about wanting to do so. Troubled, Kagome stared at InuYasha's red clad back and tried to seek solace in it. For some reason, however, the sight of him wasn't as comforting as usual. Instead, she focused on how his hair tousled in the gentle wind, and how it gleamed in the rare winter sunlight. As all of her attempts to calm down failed, Kagome studied her feet walk along the ground. She was scared.
If I lose the only family I have left… Kagome shivered. The thought was too daunting.
"Are you cold?"
Kagome stopped walking. She hadn't even realized InuYasha had stopped walking a while ago. She was now several paces ahead of him. She knew trying to hide the fact she was shivering was futile, so she nodded shyly. As expected, InuYasha threw an article of clothing at her and Kagome caught it readily. However, she tilted her head curiously as her hands touched the unfamiliar fabric. It was thick but somewhat elastic, and was especially warm. Looking at InuYasha questioningly, she curiously awaited an explanation.
"That's the robe of the fire rat," he answered the unspoken question. Walking towards her, he continued, "It was left to me by my father. I used to wear it as a child, but I haven't really worn it since I've assumed my position next to Sesshomaru." He shrugged. "It's not presentable."
Kagome looked down at the haori that seemed worn out but in pristine condition at the same time. She shrugged it on and was immediately encased in warmth. She happily grinned and said, "It's perfect!" InuYasha smiled as he registered the image of Kagome's flustered but happy face in his mind. She looked so precious in this moment as she innocently wore his clothing.
Blushing slightly, InuYasha scoffed before lifting his nose into the air. He couldn't smell the runt anywhere, which was unusual. It hadn't rained and even if Souta hadn't taken this route, there'd be a trace of his scent somewhere. "Kagome," he started, his tone questioning, "did Souta mention anything about leaving?"
Kagome furrowed her brows. "Well, he occasionally talks about meeting our parents but not wanting to leave you and Sesshomaru behind…" Kagome trailed off before a look of horror caused her eyes to widen.
Color drained from InuYasha's face. "You don't think he went to find your parents… do you?"
Kagome didn't even hear him. Breathing quickly, she buried her fingers in her hair and sank to the ground. InuYasha immediately rushed to her and wrapped his arms around her body. Kagome felt tears brimming in her eyes.
"Kagome, he couldn't have gotten far!" InuYasha comforted, his tone gentle yet firm. "Aguri alerted us as soon as he realized Souta wasn't in the palace. Souta is probably scared out of his mind right now and waiting for us to find him."
Kagome shook her head weakly. "If he's anything like me, he's going to keep going."
"Kagome, the kid has no sense of direction. He has no idea where he's headed, I promise." InuYasha squeezed her gently before resting his chin on her head. "Now come on, wench. Let's stop wasting time and find that runt so I can pound him." InuYasha removed himself from Kagome after a moment's hesitation and stood up with purpose. Focused, he tried once more to receive the faintest trace of Souta's scent. Disappointed when he couldn't smell anything, InuYasha prepared to break the news to Kagome. However, before he turned, a sharp scent heightened by fear assaulted his nostrils. It was painstakingly familiar, and that was all InuYasha needed to know. Quickly hoisting Kagome onto his back and ignoring her shriek of surprise, InuYasha took off and followed the scent closely.
-/-~-/====++++
"Hey! Let me go!" A boyish voice yelled, anger emitting from his tone. His hands clutched the metal bars of a wooden crate, his mouth wedged between the cold barricades. Gathering all the saliva in his mouth and whatever else he could bring up, the boy spat onto the horse pulling the crate along. The horse neighed in alarm, but the rider immediately calmed it down. A nasty glare was directed at the boy as the man riding the horse pulled down the mask covering his mouth.
"Would you shut your mouth?" he snapped, his dark eyes gleaming ominously. The boy huffed loudly and before he heartily ejected more saliva towards his captor. Leaning against a wall of the crate, the boy shifted his eyes to another occupant. Void of emotion, his companion was hugging his knees to his chest with his eyes emptily fixed on the floor of their prison.
"What's your name?" the boy asked, his orange eyes disinterested. The empty shell of a boy remained silent. "Oi," he said, his irritation growing. "Are you mute?"
"Souta," Souta answered, everything remaining frozen except his mouth.
"Why were you wandering around alone, Souta?" the boy inquired with a bit of a sneer.
Looking up, Souta's eyes recovered a bit of life. "I want to find my parents." He turned his head to the left and gazed out past the metal bars. A fond smile crept onto his lips. "They're still alive, I know it." A silence ensued before Souta looked back to the boy. "What's your name?"
The boy arrogantly lifted his nose in the air. "Dai." Before Souta could ask his next question, Dai answered it. "I got separated from my twin, Roku. He was with our friend, Ai." Dai gritted his teeth, his eyes darkening to match the shade of his deep orange hair. "I heard Ai scream. But before I could get to them, this idiot picked me up and chucked me into this damned crate." Dai's eyes snapped to the preoccupied man. "Oi! What the hell are you gonna do with us?"
The man ignored him.
"Hey!" Dai screamed, his anger overflowing. Souta reached over and touched his shoulder gently. Dai faltered after seeing Souta's distressed expression. "Souta, don't you think we should find out what he's doing?"
"He might resort to violence if we keep annoying him," Souta warned, his voice shaking slightly. He knew he'd have to return to the palace in one piece if he didn't want Kagome to keep him locked up for the rest of his life. Kagome… he thought, his heart aching. He had left Sesshomaru's residence without thinking, without even considering how heartbroken his sister would be. I'll make it back, Kagome! He vowed. I'll be back with Mama and Papa!
As the long, bumpy ride continued, Souta and Dai exchanged small talk to find out more about the other. Dai was a half demon who used to live on Horai Island with others. Souta knew Dai was more troubled than he let on. Souta could feel his eyes drooping as the sun was setting. How long had they been contained? Suddenly, all movement ceased. Souta's eyes opened immediately and he blinked at the unfamiliar surroundings. Dai was on guard as he suspiciously looked at the man getting off his horse.
The man walked over to another man that was dressed in rags. He emitted dirtiness, his face unshaven and several teeth blackened.
The captor motioned to Souta and Dai in the wooden crate, his mouth moving smoothly. Souta tilted his head in confusion.
"What's he sa—"
Dai's eyes suddenly widened. Grabbing Souta's shoulders, he whispered urgently. "We've gotta get out of here, Souta!" Fear was openly shining in Dai's eyes and Souta knew then that the situation was serious. The captor was walking back to the crate, his hands rubbing together. Dai watched intently as the lock on the crate was disassembled. In unspoken agreement, Dai and Souta leaped out of the crate and feverishly ran away from the two men. An unsurprised grunt sounded behind them before men surrounded them at all angles. "Damn!" Dai cursed as Souta inched closer to him in fear.
Their captor watched the scene with his arms folded across his chest. A disgusting grin was plastered on his face. "I hope this has only served to increase their value," he prompted the man from earlier.
"Value?" Souta whispered in dread.
Dai angrily yelled, "Let us go!"
Instead of heeding Dai's request, the dirty man ordered his followers, "Get them!"
Immediately, footsteps raced as the men tried to get to Souta and Dai. Souta squeezed his eyes shut, tears brimming at the ducts. "I'm sorry, Kagome," he whined, a sob catching in his throat.
"Stop!" A voice yelled.
Before anyone could retaliate, a massive wind swept through the dark clearing. The men held on to whatever they could, fear on their faces. The horses lost control and barreled over the captor. Souta and Dai held onto each other for support. Almost as quickly as it had started, the wind ceased and a soft jingle sounded. Souta looked over to see a man with a serious expression walking over to them. His black hair was tied back into a small ponytail and his black and purple robes swished gently with each step. "How much?" he asked, looking down at the horribly injured man.
"I've already sold 'em," he spat out in detest.
The man answered, "Who do you think has more money? Me, a monk, or…?" He motioned to the men in obvious disgust.
Without a moment's hesitation, the man retaliated, "Pay up, then."
The monk reached a hand inside his robes before he whacked the man with the staff in his other hand. Turning around with haste, the monk grabbed the two boys' hands and they began to run. Confused, Souta looked up at the man.
"Weren't you going to buy us?"
"Does it look like I have money?" The monk said with a sheepish smile.
Dai remained silent.
Once they were out of breath, the three stopped running. None of the men had tried to chase them, anyway. The monk let go of their hands and walked over to a tree to sit and rest against it. Souta watched him in interest. He seemed to be the same age as InuYasha in human years. His eyes traveled downward to the monk's right hand which was clad in cloth and prayer beads. "Monk, do you know where we are?"
The eyes that had been closed opened at the question. "My name is Miroku," Miroku introduced himself. "It's a little hard to tell," he explained honestly, "I haven't been to these parts. But we're about four hours away from the Western Land border."
Souta fell to his knees in shock. "We're that far away?"
Dai looked up from the ground. "Do you know how to get back there?"
Miroku tapped his chin. "Actually, I do!" Sticking two fingers in his mouth, he let out a clear whistle. A few moments passed before a faint rustling of leaves sounded. A tanuki dressed in strange clothes tumbled out of the undergrowth. He bowed in front of Miroku and said,
"How can I be of aid, Miroku-sama?"
Miroku grabbed his staff and tapped the tanuki on his head repeatedly, "Where were you when I needed you?" He asked, a strained smile on his face. "Huh, Hachi?"
Hachi bowed even lower and stuttered, "I-I got a bit distracted."
Sighing, Miroku threw his staff aside and said, "Well, I've got another task for you, Hachi." Motioning to the two distraught boys, he asked, "Can you return these two boys to the Western border?"
Hachi looked up before nodding vigorously. "Of course, Miroku-sama!" Miroku smiled but Hachi continued, "How will I be compensated?" Miroku's smile dropped.
"Sometimes we're too alike it annoys me," Miroku answered, vein popping. "I'll compensate you when you return."
Souta furrowed his brows. He didn't want to just leave Miroku by himself. What if the men regained their strength and sought after him? No doubt they'd be prepared for his wind attack again, and Souta doubted that his staff could overpower multiple men. "Come with us," he demanded.
Miroku shook his head. "No need."
"Would you just come with us?!" Dai yelled, his face flustered, causing everyone to turn toward him in surprise. "Don't be stupid!"
And so, the three mounted Hachi after he'd transformed and the tanuki guided them effortlessly in the sky. The three passengers talked easily to one another, though Dai was a bit reluctant. Miroku revealed himself to be a Buddhist monk who made his living by traveling and performing exorcisms. However, he was hardly ever paid money: he was paid with lodging and/or beautiful women to spend the night with.
"If I receive money," he explained, "it's from the items I've stolen and sold for a profit."
Instead of getting suspicious, Souta merely nodded in understanding. "There are different kinds of monks, I suppose."
Deep into the night, Souta felt his eyes drooping and instinctively rested against Miroku. Dai remained awake, not feeling tired in the slightest. Souta was close to dozing off before he felt a familiar presence. Opening his eyes, he waited until his blurry vision focused. A glimpse of red was leaping from tree to tree. Souta squinted before a flash of silver accompanied the red. Overjoyed, Souta leapt up and called, "InuYasha!"
Miroku followed Souta's gaze and watched as someone stopped and stared. Instantly, the figure got closer at an alarming rate. As he was almost in front of them, Miroku noted the determined golden eyes that seemed slightly tired. InuYasha landed on Hachi lightly and stared at Souta, not even noticing how Souta had began crying.
"You idiot!" InuYasha screamed as he pulled Souta into a hug.
Miroku smiled at the heartwarming scene. "InuYasha," he started, the name feeling weird on his tongue, "allow Hachi to drop you and Souta off to where you stay. I can see how tired you are."
InuYasha nodded his consent, his hand rubbing Souta's back as the child cried. He informed Miroku of where he was currently resting, who in turn told Hachi. Moments later, Hachi lowered them to a campsite with an extinguished fire, and a sleeping form encased in red. Souta let go of InuYasha and ran over to his sister.
"Kagome," the gurgled cry sounded, and Kagome was awake instantly.
"Souta!" she shrieked, rubbing her eyes. Blinking, she whispered, "Are you really here?" She buried her face into her hands. "Don't run away again!"
InuYasha nodded his thanks to Miroku and Hachi. Dai watched Souta with an unreadable expression.
Kagome sniffled and looked up to Miroku. "Thank you so much."
Miroku answered, "Not a problem."
"Please rest here for the night," Kagome offered. "You must be too tired to travel back to where you were."
Miroku looked over to Dai. "Is that okay? Hachi can drop you off tomorrow."
Dai shrugged before getting more comfortable on the transformed tanuki. Miroku followed suit and fell asleep immediately. Kagome and Souta had drifted into a tear-stained doze while InuYasha and Dai remained wide awake.
A/N: I'm sorry for the long wait! Seriously, I sincerely apologize. School was hectic as it ended, and it's been almost a week since it let out. But writer's block was prevalent throughout this whole chapter because I'm really trying to focus the plot on Kagome's jewel but maintain romance at the same time. Since I have nothing to do now, I'll try to have a schedule again. Thanks for reading and PLEASE review! It motivates me more than you think!
