Chapter 12

Feral

Kagome felt nervous as the little group returned to the garden. What kind of story does Namida want to tell us? she wondered.

The sun had set and the evening stars started to come out. Lanterns in the garden sprung to life as they passed, illuminating their way. Inuyasha muttered and grumbled, refusing to take a seat on one of the stone benches. Shippo stifled a yawn.

Namida walked into the ampitheater, her blue and silver kimono rustling as she took a seat on the teaching bench facing them. Her blue eyes seemed distant, turned inward. She seemed... reluctant to begin.

The silence stretched uncomfortably. Finally, Inuyasha snapped, "Well? What did you bring us out here for? Tell the damn story already!"

Namida blinked, brought back to the present. "My apologies," she said, casting her eyes downward. For a moment, she looked very young and vulnerable. "This... is not an easy tale for me to share. But I feel that you should not leave with it untold." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Lady Namida! Lady Namida!"

Her eyes flew open at the panicked cry. Kagome and the others turned and saw Tanshin and Kaze running towards them.

"Children," said Namida, a hint of disproval in her voice, "what is going on? I said we were not to be disturbed."

"It's Akaaka!" Kaze cried, wringing her hands. "She's gone!"


A quick meeting with the other panicked hanyou children confirmed Kaze's report. "We've been searching the place since noon," said Nodoka. "If she was anywhere in Seidou, we would have found her by now."

"She has to be outside the walls," Ookami agreed. "Her scent trail leads out."

"But why?" asked Hayai.

"An excellent question," Namida replied, "but one that must remain unanswered for now. Rosuto, Nodoka, Ookami, and Sasuga, please come with me. Hayai, you are in charge of the others until we return." She looked at the remaining children, and said, "Listen and obey Hayai." Eyes wide, the hanyou nodded. Hayai ushered the children back into the House. Sasuga and Ookami looked pleased to be going outside the walls, but Nodoka and Rosuto were grim-faced.

"We'll come too," said Kagome.

"That isn't necessary."

"Look, the more people you have searching the better our chances are of finding Akaaka," Kagome insisted.

"Are you sure about this, Kagome?" Sango asked in an undertone.

Kagome met Namida's blue gaze without flinching. "Positive."

The half-demoness hesitated a moment longer, then nodded. "Very well. Wait here a moment. You four," she said to the hanyou, "arm yourselves." She swept back into the House, and returned a few minutes later with a small hinged box, like the ones ladies would use to keep combs and jewelry. She opened it and Kagome gasped. Inside were several glowing blue keibi stones like the ones Kaze and Tanshin had. Namida held up a stone in front of Kagome. It pulsed for a moment, and then the light dimmed.

"Here," said Namida. She did the same for Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo. "These stones are now keyed to you," she said. "They will allow you to pass through Seidou's defenses unharmed. But if anyone else takes it from you, it will be nothing more than a pretty stone." When she reached Kirara, Namida sketched a symbol in the air. The glowing blue glyph hovering before the demon cat, and then seemed to be absorbed into her forehead. Of course, Kagome thought. Kirara doesn't have hands or pockets to carry a stone.

"Shippo," said Namida, "would you stay here and guard the rest of the children? I do not wish them to be defenseless. And your fox tricks may distract them from this... dilema."

The little fox demon puffed out his chest and stood as tall as he could. "You can count on me!" he said, and marched into the House. Namida waited until he was inside, then turned back to the others. The four hanyou had returned, weapons in hand. Nodoka held a naginata, Sasuga a set of kunai, shuriken, and a tanto, and Ookami a pair of tantos. Rosuto kept his good hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Let's go," said Namida, her voice a chill wind in the evening.


Akaaka must have used another, hidden path to leave Seidou without activating the moonlight bridge. But wherever that path was, Namida did not seem ready to show them yet. Sasuga and Ookami used their keibi stones as anchors for the bridge while Namida led the way across. But this bridge deposited them on a different part of the lakeshore, one closer to the great waterfalls that poured down from the cliffs that held Seidou.

Once on the ground, Ookami and Rosuto sniffed the air. The latter sneezed and shook his head. "There's too much moisture in the air here," he said. "I can't get a scent." He looked at Ookami and nodded. "This is your territory, Ookami."

The wolf hanyou bared his teeth and dropped to all fours, nose and tail twitching as he passed back and forth over the ground. Nodoka kept a white-knuckled grip on her naginata, while Namida kept a lookout around them. Sango offered to fly above the trees with Kirara to scout ahead, and Miroku offered to go with her. Namida nodded and, in a moment, Kirara shifted into her battle form and flew into the sky with the demon-slayer and the monk on her back. Inuyasha glowered, arms folded across his chest. Despite her bow and quiver of arrows, Kagome felt useless. Why did I insist on coming? she asked herself. I'm not half demon, so I can't find her scent. I don't have Sango's tracking skills. Unless Akaaka's really powerful or has a jewel shard, I won't be able to sense her...

Ookami raised his head. "I think she went in this direction," he said, "but I can't be sure. All of this water is annoying."

"But it also means no one can follow one of us back," Nodoka said a little sharply. Ookami stiffened, but flattened his ears and ducked his head a tiny bit at the chastisment.

"We'll break into pairs and fan out here," said Namida. "But don't stray far from each other. If you find Akaaka, do not approach her. One of you keep watch while the other comes and finds me. I will handle her. Ookami and Sasuga, take the right side. Rosuto, Nodoka, and Kagome, on the left. Inuyasha and I will take the central path were the scent is strongest."

"Don't order me around like one of your flunkies!" snapped Inuyasha. "Kagome stays with me."

Namida leveled her cool, calm gaze at Inuyasha. "And that is why you are coming with me. If you go with Kagome, you will spend too much time watching out for her instead of searching for Akaaka. Rosuto and Nodoka are excellent fighters; she will come to no harm." Inuyasha started to say something, but Namida's expression hardened and the temperature on the shore dropped as some of her aura leaked out. Inuyasha's mouth snapped shut, although he continued glaring at the half-demoness.

She ignored his glares and nodded to the others. Ookami and Sasuga disappeared into the undergrowth while Rosuto and Nodoka, with Kagome between them, filed into the forest.

Kagome tried to move as quietly as the hanyou, but it felt like every twig snapped under her feet and every stone was trying to trip her. There's a reason we try not to travel at night, she thought. What I wouldn't give for a flashlight!

Nodoka was in the lead while Rosuto brought up the rear of their little parade. They'd been searching for at least two hours with no sign of the missing fox hanyou. Neither Nodoka nor Rosuto seemed tired, but Kagome's feet hurt and her legs ached. Finally, Kagome stopped and sat down on a mossy log.

"Are you all right?" Rosuto asked in a low voice.

Nodoka, realizing that her companions had stopped, turned and retraced her steps to the log. "Is something wrong?" she asked, her voice equally low.

"I'm sorry," whispered Kagome. "I just need a quick break, that's all."

"Do you want to scout ahead a little, Nodoka?" asked Rosuto. "You're quieter than I am in the woods. I'll guard Kagome."

The water hanyou nodded her agreement and slipped into the undergrowth with barely a whisper of sound.

An awkward silence decended. Kagome shifted uncomfortably on the log. Akaaka told me to stay away from Rosuto... but I don't see how I can do that right now. Why am I worrying? Akaaka isn't here. But still...

"There's something bothering you," said Rosuto, breaking the silence.

"No, nothing at all, what makes you say that?" Kagome said quickly.

"You've been acting strangely since last evening," Rosuto insisted.

"How would you know? You've only known me for two days."

"You forget that I live with several girls," said Rosuto. "I can tell when a girl is uncomfortable. You're nervous around me. Did I say something that upset you? I didn't scare you, did I?"

He sounded so worried and contrite, and Kagome felt her face fluch with guilt. "Oh no, not at all!" she said. "You haven't done anything wrong. I just..." I can't tell him that Akaaka threatened me.

Rosuto cocked his head to one side, slivers of moonlight glinting on his white hair. Kagome was struck at how much he and Inuyasha looked alike. If Rosuto wore a red robe, grew his hair a little longer, and dyed the streak of black white, they could pass for brothers. But their personalities were very different. Inuyasha was loud, rude, impulsive, and usually clueless about how others felt while Rosuto was quiet, polite, deliberate, and thoughtful.

And yet she didn't feel attracted to Rosuto. He was very sweet... but he wasn't Inuyasha. Still, I owe Rosuto an explanation as to why I've been trying to avoid him. He really hasn't done anything wrong. Kagome took a deep breath. "Rosuto, I-"

"YOU!"

Kagome flinched at the raw hatred in that voice. Akaaka stood a few strides away, eyes burning, every line of her body taunt with fury. Her demonic aura raged around her, almost visible with its intensity.

"I TOLD YOU TO STAY AWAY FROM HIM!" Akaaka bared her teeth, tail bristling, fingers curled into fists. Is it just me, or are her fangs and claws getting longer? a tiny portion of Kagome's mind wondered.

Rosuto took a step forward. "Akaaka, wait-"

With a shriek, the fox hanyou launched herself at Kagome.

She's fast! Kagome barely managed to fling herself out of the way. She heard Akaaka's claws splinter the log behind her. Kagome scrambled to her feet, trying to put some distance between herself and the enraged hanyou. But the forest was working against her. A root caught her ankle. Kagome hit the ground hard, her breath whooshing out of her. For a panicked second, she couldn't breathe.

Move move move! Kagome screamed silently at her body. She rolled and looked behind her.

Rosuto had caught Akaaka's wrists and was trying to hold the fox hanyou back. Akaaka's aura filled the air, scorching it with heat. And she had... changed. Her body was bigger, longer, and more fox-like. Her skin had darkened in color to a red-orange, and fur was starting to spread down her back. But it was Akaaka's eyes that made Kagome cry out in fear. There was nothing human in those burning green orbs, only a mindless rage.

Kagome's scream made the fox hanyou give a strange, piercing shriek in return, and then she sank her teeth into Rosuto's good arm. He cried out in pain and buckled as his already-injured shoulder gave out. Akaaka paid him no heed and pushed past towards her prey. There was no way Kagome could fire an arrow in time to defend herself, and she knew she was too slow to get away. She squeezed her eyes shut. Inuyasha!

"Wind Scar!"

A blast of energy and wind knocked Akaaka away from Kagome. Inuyasha stood nearby, Tetsaiga at the ready. Tears of relief filled Kagome's eyes. "Inuyasha!"

"Stay down, Kagome!" he shouted back. He glared at Akaaka, who was climbing to her feet. The Wind Scar shredded the trees in its path and carved a groove in the earth where it passed. But Akaaka got up with only minor cuts. Her pupiless green eyes fixed on Inuyasha, and she sprang towards him.

"You want a piece of me?" Inuyasha yelled, hefting the Tetsaiga.

But before he could make a second attack, a blur of blue and white flashed by. Namida. She darted between Inuyasha and Akaaka. The fox hanyou managed one swipe of her claws before Namida jabbed her pressure points, immobilizing and knocking her unconscious. Akaaka dropped to the ground and the intense, burning aura vanished.

Kirara swooped out of the sky, allowing Sango and Miroku to jump down next to Kagome as the other hanyou came out of the surrounding underbrush. "Are you all right?" asked Sango.

"Y-Yeah. I think so." They helped her to her feet, and Kagome found that she couldn't stop shaking.

"This is why I didn't want you going off without me!" Inuyasha growled as he stomped over. "You always get yourself in trouble."

"I-I'm s-sorry," Kagome said, her voice trembling. She felt tears form in her eyes. No, I can't cry now!

Inuyasha blinked, apparently realizing how scared Kagome was, and had the decency to look abashed. "Just... don't do it again," he mumbled.

Miroku turned towards Namida. "What happened?" he asked. "Akaaka's aura... it changed."

Namida scooped up Akaaka's limp form in her arms. The fox hanyou looked normal again, but Namida's mouth was set in a grim line. "She went feral," she said.

"Feral?" Miroku repeated.

It was Rosuto who answered. "She started transforming," he said. "Into a full demon." Sasuga and Ookami helped him sit up while Nodoka pressed a make-shift bandage over his wound. "When a hanyou does that... we say they've gone feral."

"In such a state, we are unable to reason or to be reasoned with," said Namida. "We obey only the bloodlust, the desire to kill." Pain flickered across her face. "It is a danger all hanyou must live with. The price of our demonic heritage." She looked at Kagome, concern in her eyes. "I am truely sorry, Kagome. If I had known Akaaka would do this, I never would have brought you will us."

Kagome bobbed her head in acknowledgement; she didn't trust herself to speak.

Namida nodded back, and said, "We must return to Seidou. It is not safe here."

But will it be any safer inside Seidou? Kagome thought. She looked at Akaaka's unconscious form a shuddered. Will we be safe around her?