Author's Notes:
. Hey, guys! Thank you for being so patient with me. A lot has been going to lately. I've been busy every weekend this summer. Unusual, I know. Lol. But I have finally finished this chapter for you wonderful readers. I hope to read your reviews soon. Enjoy!
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Chapter 21
"Ah," Kaida hisses out in pain, jerking her arm away in reaction to the sudden, sharp sting in the palm of her hand.
"Just as I suspected," Sesshomaru murmured to himself. His nose twitches in discomfort, but within mere seconds, his expression clears to its usual emotionless mask.
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Kaida asks, holding her hand at her chest protectively.
Without answering, the demon turns away and begins to casually walk away, only to be stopped by the woman's persistence.
"Hey! Don't act like I'm not here. I want an answer," she demands.
Glaring over his shoulder, Sesshomaru responds with irritation, "It's not important."
"Damn it, Sesshomaru! It's obviously something having to do with me. Otherwise, you would not have reopened the wound." Kaida argues.
Growing annoyed with the woman, he averts his eyes from her and continues to walk down the path towards camp, "Let's go. Rin is waiting for your return."
Grr! Stubborn bastard, Kaida clenches her fist. How hard is it to give me one straightforward answer? Remaining where she stands, her feet firmly in place, she mumbles through tightly, clenched teeth, "No."
Sesshomaru stops, peeking over his shoulder at her defiance, but says nothing.
"I'm not going anywhere until you answer me… It has been a week since we left the village and the whole time, you act as though I'm not even here. But yet, Jaken acts like some kind of watchdog, on keeping a close eye on me, because you ordered him to. So what I want to know is why. Why would a demon like you be so interested in keeping a human like myself around, yet turn around and treat me as some insignificant being?"
They stand there, staring each other down. Kaida's determination harding her soft features; Sesshomaru's demeanor remains calm, hiding any true emotions that he is feeling.
"Just tell me the truth," she finally sighs, dropping her eyes while marching to him. When she approaches his side, she adds, "I at least deserve that much."
A low growl rumbles in the demon's throat, so low that Kaida almost didn't catch it. Why are you humans so stubborn? Sesshomaru wonders while recalling all the times he had encountered Inuyasha and his friends over the last few years - always refusing to back down. "Every time that you are injured and there is blood, a spark of energy is released," he finally explains. "I've never come across anything like it. Human blood doesn't normally react in that way."
An eyebrow raises in confusion as Kaida questions further, "Are you trying to say that I'm not human?"
"Don't be foolish," he scoffs. "You are very human. The power you possess is the source. It's as if it has a mind of its own."
"Oh really?" she inquires, unsure if she follows his explanation. "What makes you think that?"
Before Sesshomaru is able to respond with his answer, the sound of wings flapping catches their attention while a large, black bird lands on a bough beside them.
"The Northern Mountains are just a day's walk away. If you leave by sunrise, you should arrive at the base of the mountains just before nightfall… Am I interrupting something?" Kangee says, looking back and forth between Kaida and Sesshomaru.
She starts to answer yes, but the demon cut her off. "We are done here," he retorts, finally determined to get to camp.
Kaida lets out a frustrated grunt while glaring daggers into his back. He didn't even answer the question, she complains to herself.
Kangee hurries to speak before Sesshomaru gets too far away. "While scoping out the distance of the land, I had noticed something ominous." The silver-haired demon stops for a moment to continue listening. The raven adds, "Many people, as well as demons, have lost their minds and have been attacking others at random, even their own kind. If my suspicions are correct, I'd say they were being controlled by Shoumetsu's parasites."
Kaida gasps, Parasites? That must be what was controlling those men who attacked Lady Hina's village.
"That is of no concern to me," Sesshomaru scowls.
Kangee replies, "That may be so, but heed my warning: Those creatures can enter one's body through a simple cut. Then, they begin to devour their host from the inside and take control of their mind until their body becomes nothing but an empty shell." Seeing recognition on Sesshomaru's face when his brows came together, Kangee continues, "You've already encountered some before, haven't you?"
"I will kill anyone who gets in my way, for I am Sesshomaru," he says, cutting his eyes at the bird before turning away. "Hurry up, Kaida. We leave at daybreak."
"I get the feeling that Sesshomaru does not trust me very well," Kangee's voice echoes in Kaida's mind.
She whispers thoughtfully, "I wonder why…"
Arriving at the campsite, the group is greeted by Un's head raising up sleepily to observe who's approaching. Ah-Un and Rin lay a short distance from the burning fire, Ah and the young girl passed out with the heat radiating warmth onto their bodies like a blanket. Jaken lays sprawled out over a sheet with a stone block on one side and Kaida's sword and scabbard on the other.
She carefully picks up the sword, trying not to disturb the sleeping demon, and examines the blade. "Impressive. Jaken did an amazing job sharpening my sword," Kaida gasps in awe. She takes her finger and barely touches the edge of the sharp metal. Instantly, blood pools along the tip of her thumb where she hardly felt the blade. Looking up at Sesshomaru, her cheeks flush. He is giving her an icy glare, obviously aware of what she just did.
Looking away, she tries to stifle a yawn while finding a place to sleep, herself. There is an open spot in the large gap between Rin and Jaken, so she decides to lay on the grass there and relax, hoping sleep will overtake her soon. It had been a long day and it didn't help running into that old witch and that group of demons earlier. After laying down, she can really feel the effect it had on her. Her body feels heavy and exhausted. She can't remember the last time she felt this tired. Even after everything she has been through, she at least felt a little restless. It almost feels nice, her eyes flutter, unable to decide whether to give in or give up.
On the opposite side of the campfire, Sesshomaru sits down against a tree behind Ah-Un and closes his eyes, listening to all the surrounding sounds singing in the night. He hears a flapping up in the trees and glances up - it's the raven associated with the human woman. What is this bird's purpose and why do I get the feeling that he's more than he appears…
The raven's dark eyes flash into Sesshomaru's directly, a glint of red quickly reflecting off of them during that sudden moment.
Peculiar… The dog demon narrows his eyes, distrusting of the bird's intentions. For now, I shall keep a close eye on the bird. I'm curious to see how this turns out.
The land passes rapidly far beneath the group. Kaida and Rin ride together upon Ah-Un's back while Jaken clings onto Sesshomaru's pelted boa, making haste due to the overcasting storm. The strong wind grows colder the farther north they travel and the heavy clouds become thicker.
"We are approaching the mountains," Kangee's voice calls out.
The bird is barely visible up ahead, pushing forward against the harsh weather.
"Kaida, I'm cold," Rin shivers while trying to shield her face from the strong gusts of air.
Kaida leans closer to the child, hoping that what little body heat she had to offer will keep the poor girl from freezing.
Sesshomaru glances back to the girls riding on the two-headed dragon. Their hair is whipping in the wind, their bodies huddled together for warmth. He shifts his eyes to his other companion. Jaken, smothering himself into the Momoko, is shaking as well, the bursts of cold threatening to send the little demon flying.
Making a quick decision to land, Sesshomaru leads Ah-Un down to the base of the mountains a short distance from a decent sized village. Upon arriving on the surface of the snow covered ground, the strength of the wind is much lighter.
Kaida climbs off of the dragon and when her bare feet touch the freezing cold fluff, she instantly regrets her decision. "Why is it so cold here?" she wonders, speaking through chattering teeth while hugging herself for warmth. "Besides, snow usually doesn't come at this time of year."
Sesshomaru, scanning the area, notices a dark opening at the base of the mountain. "We should take shelter for the time being," he says, trailing to what appears to be a cave.
The others follow, except for Kaida. "Wait," she finally speaks, still hugging herself to keep warm. "There's a village close by. I don't know about you, but Rin and I need warmer clothes, as well as shoes."
"Go," is all the silver-haired demon replies while walking away. Rin appeared to struggle on deciding whether to accompany Kaida or stay with her lord, but without looking Sesshomaru tells the young girl, "Do as you wish."
Her breath catches in her throat for a second, but Rin gives a quick nod and hops off of Ah-Un's back, then hurries to Kaida's side.
"You humans are so frail. Always needing extra clothing anytime it gets a little cold outside," Jaken comments while trying not to show that he was freezing, as well.
"You're one to talk," Kaida mumbles in response to the imp's shaking.
"What did you say?!" the little demon demands dramatically.
Rin sighs, "Oh, Master Jaken."
As he continues to make a fool of himself, Sesshomaru approaches the cave's opening. When the imp notices that his Lord is walking away, he quickly forgets what he was complaining about and follows the dog demon into the mysterious abyss of the mountain.
A gust of wind hits the girls with a blast of cold air. Kaida shivers, "Come on, Rin. Let's hurry."
The child nods and lets her companion lead the way to the village.
"Thank you," Kaida bows graciously after handing over some of her money to an old saleswoman and receiving a bundle blankets, as well as two pairs of snowshoes for her and Rin. The girls start to head back with their supplies, wanting shelter from the cold wind, but a murmuring between two villagers catches Kaida's attention.
Two men stand beside a small house, snow and ice collecting on their thick clothing. "When do you think this blizzard is going to end?" One of them groans.
The other, smaller man sighs, heavily. "Hopefully soon. We can't really get any work done if the weather is going to be this bad. Besides, snow doesn't usually fall until the middle of winter."
"Yeah. And it was hot almost two weeks ago…"
"Do you think She may be the reason this is happening?" The skinnier companion suggests, suddenly.
She? Kaida wonders. Who might they be talking about? She takes a few steps forward.
The larger man's brows knit together, "Who? Are you talking about the Snow Woman, Hibiki?" His friend gives a slight nod, so he continues, "I doubt it. That's just a legend."
"No. She's very real, Isamu," Hibiki argues. "I've heard rumors that she's been spotted up high in the mountains."
"Oh yeah?" The large man says. "So, where do you hear them?"
"Excuse me?" Kaida interrupts, Rin standing by her side.
"Huh?" Isamu looks at her strangely, surprised that he hadn't noticed her approaching them. "What do you want?" He inquires in a gruff voice.
"I haven't seen you around here before," Hibiki comments, taking in the girls' appearance. "Is there something we can help you two with?"
Kaida nods, "Can you tell me about why it's snowing this early in the year?"
The two men look at each other. The smaller one begins first, "The Snow Woman is causing this. Someone must have angered her for some reason."
"Don't start with that bullshit, Hibiki. I'm telling you, she's just a legend," his companion says, shutting down the guy's philosophy.
"I'm sorry," Rin chimes in, "but legends stem from truths."
Isamu's eye twitches for a moment, but before he can respond, the young girl turns to his friend.
"Sir? You said that the Snow Woman is causing this storm. Do you know why?"
Hibiki scratches the back of his head, "Well, like I said, someone must have done something to anger her; but as far as what, I do not know."
Rin lets out a defeated sigh.
"But," the man drops his arm and continues, "I hear that she lives in the mountains."
Kaida asks, "Do you know where in the mountains?"
"Hmm…" the guy thinks aloud.
Isamu, feeling annoyed, tries to give his opinion. "Are you telling me that you are really falling for all that nonsense?"
Kaida responds, "And you aren't? The fall has only just started and just south of the mountains, it is still really warm. Something is obviously going on."
"Ah yes," Hibiki blurts out. "Mount Kirigamine."
Kaida steps forward with interest, "Can you direct me where that is?"
Sounding rather nervous, the man replies, "Uh, sure." As he raises his hand to gesture to the mountains peaks above, he is interrupted by his large friend.
"There's a trail hidden within the face of the mountain just outside of the village. Take that path and it should lead you straight to the summit of Kirigamine. She's been dormant for some time, now, so you shouldn't have any problems making it to the top," Isamu explains, matter-of-fact.
Thinking back to the dark cave outside of the village, Kaida wonders if that is the path the man is speaking of. She bows, "Thank you, sir."
The man shrugs grumpily in response to her gratitude. "Hmph, yeah. Good luck finding a myth," he mumbles.
Hibiki gives the girls an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry. Isamu isn't usually like this. It's just that we've been dealing with this weather for two weeks and we've lost the majority of our crops."
"Shut up," the broad man scowls.
Kaida shifts her eyes between the two men for a moment. "Thank you, again, sir," she bows once more, Rin following suit beside her. She turns to the young girl, both of them holding onto their bundles of supplies. "Come on," Kaida says.
The girl nods in response, then trails behind her comrade, heading outside of the village.
On the outskirts of the community, Kangee swoops to the ground in front of Kaida and Rin.
"Did you get everything you need?" The raven inquires, scanning over the girls now wearing thick boots and heavy, straw coats, as well as carrying a bundle each of food that has, so far, survived through the cold.
Kaida nods, "They were generous enough to give us enough food for the night."
"Yeah, but I feel sorry for them," Rin sighs. "They don't have much for the whole village to last for very much longer."
"Kangee," Kaida says, abruptly. "Myoga mentioned that there is someone in the mountains, Mount Kirigamine to be exact. Do you know who she is?" Determination fills her violet eyes as she gazes up to the snow covered mass of land, nearby.
The bird stands there in the soft, freezing fluff, thinking for a moment. He spreads his wings, flapping them enough to hover off of the ground to a neighboring wooden post. "I've never met her, but I've heard of her," the raven finally speaks.
"Can you tell me anything about this woman?"
The wind gusts, harshly, sending small flurries from the white floor into their faces and the girls' hair whips behind them.
Kaida looks down to the child, guilt striking her chest. "I'm sorry, Rin," she apologizes. "Let's get to the cave first."
"Okay," Rin agrees through chattering teeth.
The girls run to the mountain cave for shelter, Kangee close behind. The group encounters Jaken and Ah-Un just inside, several feet away from the entrance. The imp has a small fire lit up for warmth, illuminating the rocky interior of the cavern.
"It's about time the two of you returned," Jaken scolds. "Lord Sesshomaru is running out of patience."
Kaida rolls her eyes, mumbling, "Last I checked, neither of you are my father."
"Kaida," a calm, emotionless voice speaks out.
She involuntarily freezes, her heart skipping a beat. How does he always do that? She criticizes, feeling irritated with herself. She cautiously turns to her right, barely seeing Sesshomaru standing in the shadows.
"Come with me," he orders before disappearing further into the darkness of the cave.
She glances back to Rin and Jaken, but they only shrug. They are just as uncertain as she is. Her cheeks, then, fill with heat from embarrassment when she shifts attention back to the spot Sesshomaru had stood. The demon had singled her out; but why?
Taking a deep breath, Kaida forces herself to move forward, seeking out the demon who requested her presence. The area Sesshomaru had disappeared from appears to be a narrow tunnel of some sort, trailing deeper into the mountains. Hm? She wonders. Why would he bring me through here? Without a good enough reason popping into her head, she decides to be patient and find out from him.
The light from the fire fades away the deeping she travels through the empty pathway. Soon, the glow goes out completely, leaving her alone in the darkness.
"Grr," Kaida groans. "Where the hell is he. And why the hell did he have me come through here...This would be so much easier if I had a torch," she complains. She trips on the uneven surface of the floor, but quickly catches herself on the stone wall to keep from falling. "Damn it," she whispers.
Steadying herself once more, Kaida stretches her arms out, grazing her fingertips across the rock to guide herself through the tunnel. "Where the hell did he go?" she mutters, feeling like a blind woman trying to find her way through the abyss of darkness. She tries to call out to him. "Sesshomaru?"
No answer.
Louder this time, a hint of uncertainty in her voice. "Sesshomaru?!"
In the distance, a glow peers through the blackness. A light shade of blue faintly illuminates the stone surfaces of the corridor.
"What is that light?" She wonders, accelerating her speed through the narrow path.
As the blue light grows brighter, the tunnel widens until she enters a large, decently lit cavern. Bright blue specks cover the ceiling and walls of the hollowed space. Streams of water trail throughout the floors, as well as small spaces all over the walls.
"Wow…" Kaida gasps in amazement. "It's so beautiful…" She slowly advances forward, entranced by the spectacle in front of her.
Suddenly, she walks into something. It's an arm. His arm. She glances over to her right, seeing Sesshomaru beside her. But his eyes are not on her. He's staring at the ground. She follows his gaze, curious about what he is looking at.
Nothing. There is nothing there. The surface of the floor is gone. Emptiness takes its place.
"You need to pay more attention to where you step," he remarks.
Feeling foolish, she nods in agreement. "Yeah… Right…"
Sesshomaru stalks forward, avoiding the gaping hole in the ground with ease. "Keep your guard up," he says, giving her a fleeting glance over his shoulder.
Kaida replies with a short, determined nod, following close behind her demon companion.
They enter new tunnels, danger around every corner. It seems as though the pathways were laced with traps itching to be sprung. When the tiniest hint of light gets extinguished, either there is a bottomless pit waiting to devour the intruders, or a demon lurks in the shadows, easily overpowered by Sesshomaru's merciless attitude. He hasn't shown any emotion the entire time, though he has to be getting annoyed by now; it's been an hour or so since they left the group at the entrance…
In the darkness, a hand clasps onto Kaida's shoulder, tugging her back. She yelps out, her voice cut off by another hand muffling her mouth. Unable to see Sesshomaru, she can't see if he is aware about the attacker or if he, in fact, is the culprit. She trusts him, but not completely. There are still doubts in her mind about trusting a demon, especially one who hides his emotions from the whole world.
Kaida tries to holler out again, attempting to thrust her elbow into her captor's gut. Without prevail, her elbow crashes into a hard plate of armor, instantly sending zaps of pain shooting throughout her arm. In that same moment, her back encases itself into someone else's body, their arms embracing her. Kaida tries to struggle, her heart racing.
A strange odor fills the air surrounding them; Kaida's feeble attempts to escape diminish as her body becomes weaker.
What… What is this? Her tiring mind asks. My body is growing numb… Sesshomaru!
Kaida's eyes widen, realizing that he is missing. Sesshomaru, where are you!?
A calming, confident voice whispers inside her mind. "Stay calm," it says. There is something familiar about it.
She stops struggling completely, her paralyzing body becomes fully relaxed.
A burst of cold hits Kaida's cheeks, sending chills through the rest of her body. She opens her eyes, "Where… Where am I?" Her sentence barely audible.
Kaida's hands are bound behind her back; two masked men, fully dressed in armor and heavy, pelted clothing, hold onto each of her biceps like she a dangerous prisoner.
A third person appears in front of them, an animal mask obscuring her face. She raises her hand to the base of the wolf like caricature, lifting it up onto the top of her head.
Her liquid, amber eyes stare coldly into Kaida's. "So we finally meet, Tsukino descendant."