Inuyasha (manga and anime) are owned by Takahashi-san
The Journey Home – Chapter Thirty Six
The half moon shone down in the middle of the night, casting an eerie light amongst the trees and grassy fields. Hidden by the shadows, two sets of piercing amber coloured eyes flickered against the dim light, proof of whatever or whoever lay hidden in the forest, watching and waiting.
Inuyasha sat motionless on a branch overlooking the moonlit fields, waiting patiently for his next victim. There was news of a rampaging bear which had destroyed numerous villages and killed many an unlucky traveller. The hanyou figured that this normally harmless youkai had succumbed to the power of one of the jewel fragments, but he had wondered why and how the bear was able to possess such a piece.
He smiled cruelly, was someone trying to locate him?
It must be those houshi again. He had to remain alert, as the same group had been nothing but a nuisance ever since the day he had started collecting the jewel fragments again. Inuyasha would not allow the jewel to fall into their hands.
They are not worthy of the Shikon no Tama…
"Inuyasha-sama," a small voice shouted to him. "Inuyasha-sama, are you listening to me?"
Myoga sighed; it had become more difficult to gain his master's attention, as the hanyou had somehow fallen into a trance-like state, and whatever Myoga tried to do didn't seem to help him snap out of it. And the flea did not like the blackness that had seemed to creep into his eyes over the past few days.
He would have to do something about it.
"You never appreciate me Inuyasha-sama…" And off he went in tears, having already known that danger was coming. Myoga could not help running away from danger, what could he do in his tiny size?
"Something is coming." Sesshoumaru stated casually, watching the hanyou jump down gracefully from high up in the trees.
They both turned their heads as a fierce roar reverberated through the still night, and was rapidly coming closer towards them.
Inuyasha readied the weapon that was fastened to his obi. The monstrous bear charged at the hanyou with immense speed, aided by the fragment of the jewel. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, sensing for the jewel fragment, and found that it was implanted in the bear's forehead.
The youkai made a swipe with its large clawed paw, narrowly missing the hanyou as he jumped aside. The bear skidded to a halt, grass and dirt spraying in different directions caused by the impact. The youkai got ready to charge again, turning its whole body to face the hanyou, eyes glowing crimson and snarling with rage.
Inuyasha drew out his weapon, this time a tessen and gripped it like a club.
The bear growled viciously, with sharp fangs bared and mouth drooling with madness, and charged again with increased speed.
Inuyasha was ready, as he stepped back and connected the tessen to the back of the bear's head with a terrific whack.
The bear fell with a sickening thud.
Replacing the tessen with the dagger, he carefully cut out the offending jewel, leaving minimal traces of blood from his incision. The glow of the bear's eyes disappeared and returned to their usual soft brown, and Inuyasha left the youkai to rest in its slumber.
"I thought you were going to kill it." The tai-youkai commented while observing the unconscious bear.
However the hanyou did not answer and Sesshoumaru was beginning to suspect that either, Inuyasha was ignoring him, or that something else was going on. The tai-youkai nearly sighed. Even from when the day he was born, Inuyasha had always had the annoying habit of irritating him.
"Did you say something Sesshoumaru-san?" Inuyasha asked.
"I want to punch you on the mouth, otouto." He answered slightly exasperated.
As a reply, Inuyasha blinked his vacant eyes back at him.
He was about to say more, when Sesshoumaru's sensitive hearing picked up a faint whistling sound. He smirked as he raised his fist and struck Inuyasha's face with a powerful blow, throwing the hanyou off balance and into the nearby bushes.
It took a while for Inuyasha to recover from the punch. His hand reached up to feel the damage and he looked accusingly at his older brother. However Sesshoumaru's frosty amber gaze told him one thing: 'Run'.
Inuyasha picked himself up and silently thanked Sesshoumaru, still feeling slightly dizzy from the impact as he stumbled off.
The group of houshi had tracked the hanyou down to a field where the youkai bear was running in a mad rampaging state. They had hoped to trap the hanyou with one of their more powerful barriers. This time they would get him.
Their leader was known as Katashi, a tall, middle-aged man, who was dressed according to his status as a houshi. Being the eldest, he held years of wisdom, and was envied by all. It was an honour and privilege to become one of his apprentices, if one had the privilege. He knew all this and his stride showed it too. However this time he had to really prove to the others that he was still capable of handling dangerous youkai, hanyou no less.
Katashi snorted, this hanyou was proving very difficult to catch. Somehow he was always able to elude him. He could only conclude that this creature was using the power of the Shikon no Tama to increase his own demonic power. No beast was pure enough to use the jewel in that manner. Once he killed that hanyou, he would take the jewel for himself.
Only a pure human such as himself was capable of handling such a jewel.
In the distance he could see a tall figure with long white hair that flowed like silk. Katashi smiled rather unkindly. It was that hanyou; he knew it in his blood, after so long he was finally able to get rid of that nuisance.
His followers had also seen the hanyou's presence, yet they felt their footsteps becoming less determined as they came closer.
They all glanced towards their leader for guidance, to which he just marched on straight ahead, ready and unwavering with his task. Everyone readied their ofuda and prayer beads and without hesitation, they swiftly surrounded the beast, poised to attack when necessary.
The hanyou did not move.
Katashi smirked; he knew that this hanyou had always kept his face hidden from view, so Katashi was not exactly sure what he looked like, but this time his luck had run out. Now he was going to face his true appearance.
"Hanyou," he commanded, "it looks like we will finally kill you."
The hanyou slowly turned around, deliberately showing the houshi his face and his piercing golden eyes. The younger houshi immediately felt a shiver of pure fear and they shakily stood back.
"Stand your ground everyone. He is not to be feared. He is just a hanyou." Katashi commanded again fingering his ofuda for the purifying presence.
Delicately running a hand through his hair, the 'hanyou' smiled, a rare smile, a smile that was cruel and intimidating.
It was the kind of smile Jaken feared the most.
Katashi's followers shakily stood back further still as their prisoner continued to smile in a rather disturbing manner. But he still had not spoken a word, instead he raised his clawed hand, his fingertips glowing green.
One of the younger apprentices said quite shakily, "His a-aura is different. He can't be the hanyou."
"Silence, he is the hanyou! Create the barrier! I will not be tricked by him again." Katashi shouted.
The houshi grabbed their ofuda and chanted a spell, encircling the victim in a strange blue light.
He did not flinch; instead his chilling voice seemed to echo in the night:
"You dare to purify this Sesshoumaru?"
The winds picked up rapidly as he spoke, his youki energies swirling and lashing out around the houshi. However the barrier did not waver.
The tai-youkai's eyes turned a vicious red as he prepared to flick his wrist and unleash the venomous doukasou to dispose the pitiful humans.
Then unexpectedly, a massive explosion erupted not too far away, causing immediate panic and confusion amongst the houshi. Another explosion was heard and the barrier spell was instantaneously broken as the younger houshi fled the scene in comical disorder.
Sesshoumaru decided it was best to quietly leave and he disappeared into the shadows, leaving Katashi to unsuccessfully call back his followers. He watched from the darkness as the leader left in temporary defeat, nevertheless he knew that this group were not to be taken lightly.
Humans were always such a nuisance.
A pure white shape darted effortlessly through the forest and across the open fields, quick and ghost-like. It continued to run with swiftness, jumping high narrowly missing the farmers who had woken up early to tend the rice paddies. The farmers stared wide-eyed at the rapidly disappearing ghost. They shook their heads, wondering if it had been an overdose of sake.
Another part of the forest soon came up in the horizon and the white figure felt a wave of anticipation. However it glided to a halt, testing the air, feeling for any suspicious auras and scents. The face of the figure smiled, it could sense the presence of jewel shards coming closer.
Kouga, with his usual quick speed was running as usual across the open fields. It was a random direction, he thought, but he hadn't heard any rumours about the elusive houshi or any news about the Shikon no Tama. It was more difficult than trying to find Naraku, if he was still alive. But there was no news of him either.
Kouga swore in irritation, why did things never go in his favour?
The ookami reached the fields where the tall grasses and flowers grew and with one bound, he jumped across the long grass and continued to run. Picking up speed he sprinted along and he almost didn't pick up an unusual scent, almost. He immediately stopped in his tracks and breathed in deeply, hoping to catch this particular scent. Kouga scrunched his nose in disgust. He wasn't quite sure what this scent was. It had the foul scent of incense. It was strange and oddly familiar and he looked around for any sudden movements.
Nothing…
Kouga shook his head and tried again, only failing to determine what kind of scent it was. Whatever it was, Kouga found that it had no importance to him. He pushed himself forward creating another whirlwind that violently pushed the grasses apart, and off he went.
The figure hiding in the grass left as well, unnoticed.
Author's notes -
tessen - fan made of wood or metal that may be used as a weapon (like Kagura)
otouto - younger brother
youki - youkai energy
I'm so sorry for the delay everyone.
Until next time...