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Fair warnings: there will be violence, just a tiny, itsy bit of violence. :)
Disclaimer: I only lay claim to myself and at least two demented fairies
Chapter 14urteen: Caught in the Spiders Web
They followed closely behind the white feather as it sped toward the mountain. What appeared to be a heavy cloud bank glowed purple in their eyes, Naraku's barrier, as strong and as poisonous as it had ever been. A large crescent shape split the barrier wide as they neared it to admit the one who had been summoned. The travelers disappeared into its depts, one by one. The woman on the feather, then the inuyokai's cloud and the two headed dragon, lastly the fire neko dove in just before the seams closed upon them. Not a sound came through, only silence as the sky darkened and cold wind stirred as if searching for something precious lost to it.
Kaugra crouched down before him, pressing her back into the wall, hoping by some miracle it would swallow her whole. Blood red eyes glowed as he smirked, holding a darkened mass out toward her. "You did well, Kaugra." He said pleasantly, "you even managed to rope Sesshomaru in your poor plight. I had not anticipated him, but no matter. Your brethren have him in the court yard and should be entertained until I can deal with the matter. Here is your reward." Blinding streaks of pain sored through her as his claws dug into her heart, releasing miasma into the open wounds. He then thrust it into her chest, the laceration closing around the tainted flesh. Her body frozen, then violently seized as he walked away. The shadows gathered around him, his taunting laughter filling her head as she faded into the darkness.
Shadows rose from the twisted remains of the courtyard garden. Ten of Naraku's newest creations stood with hundreds of yokai behind them. Purple flames of miasma surrounded them, reflecting madness within their matching red eyes. "Look, brother," two of them spoke together, their matching teal hair clashing with the black of their robes, "there is an extra."
"Yes." Two more hissed, "the famed lord of the west was caught in our trap meant for the monk and slayer," their giggle was high and shrill.
"No matter. Our master said to drain the life of those led here." Matching grins spread across ten eager faces.
Sesshomaru stared back with cold golden eyes. It was not surprising to him, he had expected a trap. Only a stupid foe would not monitor one he knew to be rebellious. To use that to an advantage was only natural to one who thought himself brilliant and untouchable. His mistake was letting Sesshomaru in, there would be no running now. Scanning the court yard impassively, he inwardly grinned. The spider had underestimated him. The slayer and the monk landed behind him. "Do not interfere." He told them, the command in his voice unmistakable.
They shared a glance between them and Miroku nodded to him. "If that's how you want it. We will go find the others." They lifted off again, the flames from Kirara fading from sight as the ten closed in on lord Sesshomaru.
Inuyasha woke quickly, his body bound in a strange white, thin rope that clung no matter how he pulled against it. He had blacked out nearly as soon as they had entered the barrier, a stout wind flavored with a very strong stench seemed to aim just for him, knocking from the cloud he had been riding on. He strangely seemed to recall his half-brother trying to catch him before he fell into the dark mist below them, but it must have been a mistake of his clouded senses. There is no way his high and mighty would have bothered with his lowly half breed brother, surely. Pulling his thoughts together, he searched the room where he was propped up against a wall like forgotten baggage. He struggled to free himself, finding his claws could pierce through the white clinging mess, but only a very damn little at a time.
"Like it?" Naraku's face lit up in the slight yellow of a candles flame, "it is my spiders silk, very strong. It is perfect for holding vermin like you." He walked up to him, his sick twisted smile grating on Inuyasha. "It is only temporary until I can catch your priestess. I had special chains made for the two of you, a gift for my Kagome. The moment one moves it causes spikes made with my miasma to dig into the other, but is seems the two narrowly avoided the trap I had set for them."
"What the hell do you mean your Kagome?!" Inuyasha raged, nearly cutting into his palms, attempting to cut through the sticky mess quickly. "She ain't never been yours, creepy bastard!"
Naraku laughed, a dark light flashing in his eyes for a moment. "I suppose you think that she is yours because she allowed you to mate her, but the only reason she did was to erase my touch and we both know it. She belongs to the jewel and that belongs to me."
Inuyasha calmed himself, somewhat. "You have it ass backwards, idoit. The jewel belongs to Kagome and she belongs to herself. She chose me, from nearly the moment she set foot in this world, just as she chose Kikyo. Don't suck her into your sick delusions." He bit out between his fangs.
Naraku's eyes narrowed, hatred blooming in his eyes. He wanted to hurt the inu, cut him, bleed him, break him, but it had to wait. Kagome must see his downfall with her own eyes. Inuyasha and Kikyo were tools to break in the priestess, nothing else. He turned away from him, getting himself under control. "We shall see at whose side she sits when all is said and done. After all, you will be there to witness every second I take in making her mine." He chuckled as he walked from the room. Soon, he would have her again, very soon.
The darkness split like a wound in the flesh. Kagome's senses went wild as the opening sealed behind them. She felt Inuyasha fall, Kikyo gasping behind her. She felt when Kirara was pulled off course, heading behind the western lord. There was a huge aura in the court yard she had caught a glimpse of before they too were redirected by some unknown force. Sesshomaru went there of his own accord, nothing directing him as they were being done. Ah Um fought against the pull, heading straight for the ground instead. Hordes of lesser yokai rose up, trying their best to unseat the women.
The dragon would now and forever be a hero in Kagome's eyes. He avoided most of them, allowing the priestess to fire arrows from his back, joining with his own yellow flames so that they made it safely to the dark, barren terrain that was once a thriving town on the outskirts of the castle. Perched on one crumbling guard wall was a ginormous black spider, its many glowing orange eyes fixed on them. Upon its back, a familiar shape lay, eye catching in bright red.
The women slid off the dragons back. Kikyo stroked one of its scaly noses in thanks, Kagome drawing close to her side, bow ready in her hand. She leaned close and whispered loudly, "Hay, look. Naraku sent his mommy to invite us to play." She giggled.
Kikyo squeezed her fingers, knowing that humor was Kagome's way of hiding her trepidation. Yes, she was bound and determined to bring Naraku down, but facing him still worried her, the fear of being at his mercy still lurking in her heart. "Let us go accept it then." She said, placing her bow on her shoulder and walking forward, Kagome beside her.
Bump. Warmth crept through her veins, branching out like lava following dry river beds. Bump, bump. The sound reverberated through her chest, a glimmer shining in her light red eyes as the world on fire came screaming back to her, a flash of blue eyes and a bright smile leading her on. Bump, bump, bump…..
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