Title: Inu Tarzan
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and all credit for the anime should be directed to the Inuyasha corp. I also do not own Tarzan or anything related to the name, characters or storyline.
Music: The song I have selected for this chapter is: "Mark Mancina – Sabor Stocking" and "Tarzan Complete Score – Taran vs Sabor." You are welcome to listen along if you want. It is not required to follow along with the story. When you see these marks (***) that means to begin to play the selected song. When you see these marks (xxx) this means to stop playing the music. It is important to pay attention to these markings, as there is often more than one song per chapter. I do not have credit for these recordings or channels.
Rated: M – Mature language, violence, and adult content in various chapters.
Inu Tarzan: Dark Shadows
It's been over a month since Kagome last saw Inu-Tarzan by the river. She knew he was nearby with how protective he'd been during their past encounters together. She just didn't understand why he was hiding from her now. Was he embarrassed about their time together? Didn't he say he would come back? Maybe she'd misunderstood him or perhaps he didn't understand what she'd meant? What if something terrible happen to him! Would she ever see him again? Once she thought she'd caught a glimpse of his silver hair soaring through the treetops. By the time she raced to the spot she thought she saw him at he'd already vanished. It made her sad that he was being so distant with her but could understand not wanting to be close to their guns and machetes.
With his dog-like ears she was certain he'd at least heard their nasty bang. With as curious as he was she didn't doubt he'd most likely witness at least one death if not found the blood left from the gun's deadly bite. His absence was most likely to protect himself. She liked to think that was the reason anyway. She didn't blame him for being cautious. He was fast, but not fast enough to avoid a bullet. Knowing this didn't make her time away from him any less painful. Over the month they'd been apart she'd come to terms with admitting she liked him... maybe more than a friend. She liked his comfort he gave her and his tender touches. She knew she was being selfish in wanting to experience the warmth of his embrace and the burning touch of his lips caressing against her skin.
He was oblivious to her predicament and it was unfair in using his body to fulfill her physical needs. She was going to leave him in a few short months. She'd only be taking advantage of him and that was unacceptable. Knowing this didn't help her wavering emotions. How was she going to last being away from him the rest of her life when she was already missing him? The more she spent in the jungle the more she came to love it. Everything was so fresh and alive. The air and water was pure of any impurities and the fruits and vegetables they harvested were delicious. She missed the luxury of restaurants and fine dinning but she could live off those natural nourishments for the rest of her life no problem.
It irritated her that the men weren't being any less barbaric in hunting. Every last beast they'd killed had been skinned and cleaned. The mountains of furs, leathers, skins and pelts could easily fill an entire shipping container by now and they still had four and a half months left. Knowing that more innocent deaths were to come make her skin crawl and her stomach twist. She knew many of those skins would be worth a fortune but she could have cared less. They had once belonged to a living, breathing, feeling thing and now they would be decorations on a wall or a dirty rug in someone's home. She understood hunting and gathering for survival but this was well beyond those boundaries.
They weren't hunting for food any longer. They were poaching and hunting for sport. Using their guns and traps had long lost their purpose in protection and were now being wasteful and harmful to the environment. The men's heartless actions were disgraceful in her eyes and she regretted with every fiber of her being in bringing them along; including Mr. Hojo. Having originally joined the hunting parties to bring back food he became friends with many of the men; specifically two named Snipes and Jones. Jones had taught him how to use a gun and Snipes taught him how to skin his victims. She always felt like there wasn't something right with Mr. Hojo.
Having witnessed his transformation into a cold, heartless killer she now knew the hidden darkness within his soul. He enjoyed killing and watching the light leave their eyes. He shot for sport and laughed along with his new friends when his prey struggled to escape from death. She and her grandpa had witnessed this far too many times during their trips through the jungle. It was quiet obvious of his enjoyment in shooting. On one such occasion he shot a beautiful white crane out of the air just to see if he could hit it. She had tried to stop him but his gun met its mark anyway. It was like watching an angel fall from heaven with its white feathers fluttering as it tried to fly. She could still hear the sickening thud of its body hitting the ground and the piercing screech from agonizing pain as it died.
He had no reason to shoot it down and made no attempt to pick it up and take it back to camp to eat. He was just going to let it rot for scavengers to find. His excuse was they already had plenty of dried meat back at the camp to last them for weeks and plucking the feathers would be a pain. That had been the final straw for her grandpa. She'd never seen him so angry. To her relief her grandpa didn't call off their engagement right then and there. By the wicked twinkle lingering in the back of Mr. Hojo's eye she didn't doubt if she backed out now he might do something very foolish with that gun. Being so far away from home and away from witnesses he could easily take them out into while they were exploring the jungle and leave them there to die with a bullet to the head. No one would question him with his clean reputation of being proper gentlemen.
It was this realization that terrified her the most. He could easily get away with murder if they didn't play nice. She and her grandpa agreed it would be for the best not to announce her decision in withdrawing the engagement until they returned to London. Until then, they would continue their research and pray that Mr. Hojo nor any of their hired men got into any funny business. Thankfully Mr. Hojo had not caught onto their new plan and was acting like his usual happy go lucky self. At one time Mr. Hojo asked her to join him on a date along the beach. To her relief they hadn't gone far enough to be out of sight before they turned back around. She didn't want him doing anything foolish while alone and ruin her reputation as a lady. She had no intension in marrying him and that meant keeping her virginity intact.
He did try to steal a kiss from her but she moved her face to the side at the last second. She could tell he was upset in kissing her cheek by the slight frown on his lips and the way his hand tightened around her waist but she played it off with bashful eyelashes and blushing cheeks. Thankfully he bought her act and didn't push her for another one. At least he was a gentleman in that respect. It was times like that she wished for Inu-Tarzan's protection. During the daytime she knew he had to be close by but at nighttime, he disappeared. Was he watching over her even then? She wasn't sure. She liked to hope that he was.
Being by his side made her feel safe and the uncertainty of the jungle, Mr. Hojo and the hired sea men were beginning to grate on her nerves. She hadn't felt threatened from anyone per say but at times the men drank a little too much alcohol and having only a mesh tent separating her from their perverted thoughts was a little daunting at times. Sure, her grandpa was there but he was nowhere near strong enough to keep a drunken horny bastard from getting what he wanted. She just hoped wherever Inu-Tarzan was he'd be there in time to save her should she need him. Having packed her backpack for the day she pulled the straps over her shoulders and made her way out of the tent. Seeing her grandpa socializing with Mr. Hojo near the fire pit she made her way towards them.
(*** Mark Mancina – Sabor Stocking ***)
"Ready to go darling?" Mr. Hojo asked with a happy smile. He looked every bit an explorer dressed in his kaki gear with hiking boots, a sun hat atop his head and his gun slung over his shoulder. However she could see straight through his fake façade. He wasn't a researcher seeking to understand the environment. He was a hunter ready to kill another innocent life for entertainment. His fake smile was disgusting and she wanted to punch it right off of his damn face.
"Yes, but we need to swing by the river to fill up our canteens." Kagome said as she adjusted the bag on her back. "I have a feeling the heat isn't going to let up today and the extra water will be nice to have."
"Good idea child." Professor Porter agreed as he waved goodbye to the men around the fire. "Lead the way Mr. Hojo!"
"Yes, Sir!" Mr. Hojo smiled as he turned towards the jungle brush.
After their canteens were filled they journeyed up the beaten path they'd made the past four weeks and ventured deeper into the jungle. Deciding to take a different route than usual they traveled east along the river. Here they encountered a massive hillside with an open rock face. It would take them half the day to travel around and it was too slick to climb. With nowhere else to go they headed northeast along a rocky path to see what they could uncover. As they were slowly climbing over rock and bolder they heard movement behind them. When they looked over their shoulders they watched some smaller rocks trickle down the hillside behind them.
"Wh-what was that?" Kagome asked as the air around them grew thick with tension.
"I-I don't know." Mr. Hojo gulped as he whipped his gun from over his shoulder and began to scan around them for danger. "M-maybe it was just some loose stone that moved from where we walked?"
"No… we are not alone." Professor Porter said as he scanned the jungle around them. "Listen, the jungle's too quiet."
"G-grandpa?" Kagome whimpered when she saw a large dark shadow move in the treetops nearby.
"Sh…" her grandpa hushed quietly and motioned for Mr. Hojo to ready his gun. They remained perfectly still and tried to quiet their breathing so they could listen. They knew whatever was hunting them was using the stone wall at their backs to its advantage. They were the perfect prey. They were cornered, on rocky terrain and weren't quick on their feet. They were fucking sitting ducks.
(*** Tarzan Complete Score – Tarzan vs Sabor ***)
Just when they thought the beast had moved on a massive black panther jumped out of the bushes to their right. Unprepared for the side attack, Mr. Hojo's gun missed its mark and bit into the tree's bark just to the panther's right shoulder. The cat having dodged the bullet slammed into Mr. Hojo, knocking him to the ground. With the gun between them he was able to use it as a barrier and avoid its fangs from biting his face and its claws from digging into his arms.
That only lasted for so long though. With a sickening crack the panther's fangs snapped the wood along the gun's hilt. Just when the beast was about to make its final bite there was a mighty war cry from above. A man with silver hair and dog-ears swung out of the tree brush and kicked the cat on the ribs. The impact knocked the cat off of Mr. Hojo and into the rock wall beside them. It's shoulder took most of the hit and the cat growled out from the pain.
"INU-TARZAN!" Kagome cried out when he stepped between them and the cat.
"You mean he's real?!" Mr. Hojo squawked as he quickly scrambled to his feet and hid behind them.
"Of course he's real!" Kagome snapped as Inu-Tarzan growled and barked at the hissing cat.
"I-I thought he was a figment of your imagination!" Mr. Hojo said making Kagome growl.
"Why the hell would I make him up?!" Kagome yelled as the cat tried to find a gap in Inu-Tarzan's barrier.
"You were rather frazzled when you came back child." Professor Porter defended.
"Exactly! I thought this fellow was a girlish fantasy!" Mr. Hojo said just as the cat tried to lunge at Inu-Tarzan with its massive claws.
"Girlish fantasy?!" Kagome shrieked as she picked up a rock and readied to throw it at the cat. "I'll show you Mr. Hojo to never question me again about a girlish fantasy!"
"Stay back Kagome!" her grandpa commanded when she tried to strike at the cat. "Our gun is broken and we left the machetes back at camp. We are in no position to help Inu-Tarzan fight!"
"But Grandpa! We've got to do something?!" Kagome cried out just when the cat's eyes locked on hers.
Their menacing yellow had a black slit running down the center. They were wild and filled with unquenchable hunger. When the panther licked its lips and shown its mighty fangs at her, Kagome clung to her grandpa with renewed fear. To her relief Inu-Tarzan readied his stance to pounce just as the panther growled and hissed at him in challenge.
-s-
"Get out of the way Inu-Tarzan! This is my kill!" the panther growled as she slashed her claws at him in anger.
"Like I'd let your fat ass anywhere near my bitch Karan!" Inu-Tarzan snarled back with his fangs flashing in warning. "Now get lost before I skin yah and leave you to the birds!"
"Your bitch huh?" Karan purred, as she looked Kagome up and down while licking her lips. "How'd you manage to catch such a yummy piece of meat?"
"None of your damn business! Now get the hell out of here! You've threatened to kill my female and that breaks our peace treaty. This is your last chance to run. I won't warn yah again!" Inu-Tarzan threatened as he readied his blade to strike.
Hearing Kagome gasp in fear and curl into the older male's side Karan couldn't help but laugh. "I can smell the fear rolling off of her. To taste such blood... and to see you suffer! No, I will not back down. I want her even more!"
"You know better then to cross an inu and his mate! This means war!" Inu-Tarzan snarled and snapped his teeth at her.
"She's out of the peace grove you fool! If you wanted her to be safe you should have kept her at home!" Karan growled and readied to pounce. "Give me your worst half-breed! War or no war, the bitch is mine!"
[End Chapter 10]
Authors Note:
Karan: Karan is a panther demon from the Inuyasha Anime series. She is a member of the Panther Devas and is seen in episode 75.
This chapter was inspired by Sabor attacking the Gorillas. In the book Tarzan King of the Apes (don't own rights) Kerchak tries to kill Tarzan. Tarzan defeats Kerchak battled much like Tarzan does by battling Sabor in the movie and become king. In the movie (don't own rights) Tarzan kills Sabor and offers his body as a peace totum to his adopted father Kerchak.
I also wanted to add in the tension of Mr. Hojo developing more of Clayton's personality. I hope you enjoyed this short chapter. Don't worry, the next bit is soon to come.
Until then,
-TG1
