Inuyasha crouched beside the sleeping girl, tapping the back of his index finger on her thigh to wake her. The sun was rising. It had already peeked over the mountains, pushing away the shadows of night as fresh shades of pink and yellow welcomed in the new day. He could have let her sleep a little longer; he was sure she needed all the rest she could get to recover from what she'd been through, but he was bored, ready to go, and he'd already done more than enough for her as it was. Which meant, she needed to get up.
"Hey," His voice was husky while he tapped her leg again, this time with the entire backside of his hand. Kagome didn't stir, her deep, rhythmic breathing remaining the same. She was sleeping on her side, her hands tucked just before her mouth, and raven hair waving over her cheeks. If she was normally this deep of a sleeper, she'd better learn to pray before she dozed off at night. If she didn't wake up at the slightest off sound, the crack of a twig, the whisper of sneaky bandits planning a surprise attack, she was screwed.
"Wake up." Inuyasha tried again, applying a little more force into his tap that time. She moved her leg the slightest amount in response, but she didn't rouse. The hanyou shook his head, setting a knee down as he comfortable kneeled to get a little closer.
In the morning light, her fair skin was accented with little hints of peach, her nose and the bits of cheek he could see blushed delicately. To himself, he wouldn't deny she was sort of cute, and there was even a somewhat eager part of him that wanted to see what she looked like unharmed and undeniably happy. Would her cheeks tint deeper? Was her laughter contagious? Was her real voice soothing, or was it high-pitched and girly? Additionally, did she freckle in the summer? Were her shoulders sprinkled with those little, brown blemishes that would attract eyes and lips? Did she speak with her irises and the twitch of her brow, or was she expressive all over? Did she look as good in a gown as she did in pants? His mind was wandering now, going way too far, so Inuyasha snuffed out the remainder of his curiosity. None of those answers mattered. He didn't actually care to know.
Though, beyond his control, he found his hand drifting toward her face, carefully and gently pushing the strands of rogue hairs away from her cheeks. Her hair was soft and just the graze of his middle finger had him wanting to run them all through her locks. Again, too far. Coming to his senses, Inuyasha stopped himself before tucking the strands behind her ear, settling on letting them rest along her jaw. If she'd woken up while he was touching her, it could have easily turned into an uncomfortable situation for the both of them.
Tired of being gentle, and wanting to end the waiting he'd been doing, Inuyasha pinpointed a common ticklish spot on the girl's ribs. With his thumb and index, he gave a rough squeeze to the area that would be felt even through her brown bodice. Just as the girl heavily flinched, gasping hard and eyes shooting open, he bounced back some to avoid any absentminded reflexes she may have had.
Brown eyes stared at him confused, shifting into a rotten glare as he assumed she'd realized what he'd done. It was impossible to swallow his amusement, chuckling at her grumpy expression as she slowly pushed herself to sit up.
"Why?" She asked.
"You weren't waking up." Inuyasha shrugged, standing and walking away to kick out whatever embers still lived in the small pit he'd created the night before.
Kagome kind of sunk into herself while she blinked the sleep from her eyes. The crisp, fresh air of the morning was cold on the tip of her nose, her exposed chest, and even the flesh beneath the thin shirt she wore. She realized then that she was no longer covered by Inuyasha's garment, and the chill was able to get to her that way. Even as she looked around her to see if she'd accidentally pushed it off in her sleep, she didn't see it. He must have already taken it back before waking her. Maybe it was done in one of his attempts to rouse her. Maybe he'd never intended for her to know he'd covered her with it in the first place. Either way, she chose not to bring it up. The rising sun would bring warmth, and she'd be adjusted to the atmosphere in no time.
"How long have you been up?" Kagome asked conversationally, standing on her feet and taking a huge stretch. Her arms reached over her head and her feet pushed to the tips of her toes, her body creating space in all the tense areas that it needed.
"Didn't sleep." He stated, grabbing the medical kit she'd never collected and tossing it on top of her bag.
"Why not? Aren't you tired?"
He sort of scoffed, making sure all of his shit was together before throwing the straps of his bag over his shoulders. "I don't need as much sleep as humans do."
"Right, right." Kagome bobbed her head, absorbing the information. "But, you are half human, are you not?"
"Your point?"
"You need some sleep, right?"
"Occasionally, yes." Inuyasha answered, a little annoyed by her excessive questioning. "Last night was not one of those times."
Kagome nibbled on her lip slightly, shrugging her brows in meager recognition. She took his cue and began getting ready to head off, kneeling beside her bag and shoving the medical box inside. She reached for her canteen, opening it up to take a swig, the water cold and shocking in her mouth but still refreshing. Then, she shoved it into the side of her bag where she'd initially made its home.
"Your voice sounds better today." Inuyasha nonchalantly commented, securing Tessaiga on his hip after readjusting everything on him.
Kagome hadn't even noticed she was speaking smoother than she had been yesterday. It still wasn't back to normal, per se, but she was hoping that was due to typical, morning grogginess. Then again, it'd be remarkable if she'd fully recovered within the span of a day. Either way, she felt it was nice of him to notice. She pulled the drawstring tight on her bag, then got the straps comfortably set over her shoulders. "Oh, I guess you're right. How are my bruises looking?"
"Gross." He chuckled. "Your neck isn't looking too pretty, but it'll fade in another day or two. It wasn't horrible to begin with, so you'll be fine."
"Good to know." She giggled. "I haven't really gotten to look at myself. I wasn't paying attention to it when I'd had the chance, so I really don't know what I look like right now."
"You look like you're covered in dirt and there's a leaf in your hair." Inuyasha said, cocking a brow in amusement. The girl's eyes widened in embarrassment as she glanced down at her hips, noticing the loose dirt clinging to her dark pants. Quickly, she dusted herself off, slapping her hand along her calf, her thigh, her hip, butt, waist, and arm to clean herself off. Then, she brought her thick hair forward, finding the dry, breaking leaf and pulling all the pieces of it out.
"How'd that even happen?" She grimaced, referring to the leaf. She'd been on her bag the whole night. Of course, she'd look like a total freaking mess in front of him. The last thing she wanted was to give him more ammunition to make fun of her before they parted. She preferred his nice side, and it was humiliating that she would walk right into any opportunities for him to tease her.
"Have you ever been on your own before, kid?" The half demon asked. The girl had grabbed her bow and arrows, securing the quiver over her right shoulder properly, and making sure her arrows were accessible as she reached back for them.
"Completely? No." Kagome admitted, opting to hold onto her bow for the time being. "One time, my cousin and I ventured a little too far into the woods while training and got turned around. Had to camp out for the night and wait for the sun to rise so we could actually see any landmarks we recognized to get home. I know it doesn't seem like much. Believe me, I'm aware the situation was extremely different than what I'm doing now, but it was something of a wake up call of how observant and cognizant you need to be when you're alone in a dangerous, foreign area."
"No kidding." Inuyasha remarked, shrugging his brows. "Are you normally a deep sleeper?"
"No, not really. I usually wake up from any sound."
It was sort of a relief to hear that. Inuyasha was more than willing to give her the benefit of the doubt for this morning. She'd had a rough past couple of days, so it was only natural that she'd be undoubtedly exhausted. Her body was probably demanding the rest by holding her captive in the unconscious state she was in.
"Alright, look," He began, crossing his arms over his chest as he fully faced her. "What I'm about to say isn't meant lightly. I fully think you're in way over your head, and one false move will cause you to drown, so listen to me carefully. If you're smart, you'll turn around. Go home, kid. You've got a family and friends, and your place is with them. If you still want to see this thing out, whoever you're looking for can wait until you've got a rounded and reliable party to back you up. I may not know the details of what you're planning, but given how much you have told me, doing this alone is a death wish, and you know it. Given the stubborn wench I've come to know in the last day, though, I'm willing to bet you're about to tell me that's not an option. Would I be out money this time around?"
"Not this time, no." Kagome shook her head, meeting his stare with matching fervency. No way was she about to turn around. No way was she about to call it quits just because he told her to, or even because this was difficult. No way. He didn't know what she was capable of, but despite the harsh and critical tone he spoke to her in, she could tell he was only looking out for her. It wasn't his place to tell her what to do, but she could see the compassion in the depths of it. "I'm not going home."
"Fine. It's your life; do with it what you will." He rolled his eyes. "Here's some advice: sleep with one eye open, always have your weapon at the ready, be quick, and whatever you do, don't go picking fights with people. I'm sure you're fully aware of this, but the world treats women a lot differently than it does men. As much as that would flare your instincts to demand equality, you need to be more cautious than righteous right now, understand? You've got tits, an ass, a nice body, and a pretty face. Men have eyes, cocks, no self control, and muscles to take whatever the fuck they want. Keep your head down, don't bring attention to yourself, and do whatever you need to do to stay out of trouble. Go find whoever it is you're looking for, and then go home. Do you hear me?"
Kagome gave him a nod of acknowledgment, but suddenly her nerves were disturbed. He was right; the world was a lot more unfair to women than to men. She could boast her ego all she wanted, declare that she stood a chance with her powers and experience, but the truth of it was, if she was outnumbered and caught off guard, Kagome could have a lot done to her that she wouldn't be able to stop. She was tough, yes. She wasn't entirely helpless, no. But, if something happened at the wrong time, in the wrong circumstance, so much could go awry. As blunt as Inuyasha had been, it was appreciated. There was no tip-toeing around the subject. Kagome was on her own, so she needed to bring her A-game.
"You were headed that way." Inuyasha pointed in the general direction in front of him. "It'd be smart to stay near a water source, or at least know where the nearest one is. You got good aim?"
That was one thing she could definitely pride herself on, and Kagome smiled into her nod. "Yes."
"Good. You'd be useless without it given the weapon you're holding. You can't afford niceties, so if someone threatens you, shoot 'em. You don't have to kill them, but if you nail them in the leg, they can't chase after you."
While Kagome knew the value of a life, and sometimes struggled with the general idea of ending one, she had killed before. Animals. Demons. She could do it without hesitation if hers or someone else's life was on the line. It wasn't something she enjoyed doing in the least, which was what divided good and evil, but some situations called for it, and if there was no room for stalling, then she'd shoot her enemy down. Kagome had been hardened to accept that when she was younger while she trained with her dad. He'd made it clear that if it was ever between your life or your enemy's, you have to do what you have to do. You can pay your respects after.
"Anything else?"
She genuinely wanted to know, Inuyasha could tell. Kagome was listening to everything he had to say, collecting the advice to keep it all in mind. He admired that about her. She could be annoying, but when something important was being said, she didn't let her ego take over like your average person would. She didn't claim that she knew it all, or give the irritating I can take care of myself speech. She was paying attention, and asking if he had anything more to give before they went their separate ways.
"Yeah." Inuyasha said, stepping closer to her. The girl neither flinched back, appeared uncomfortable, or moved away. She stood in place, her chin inching upward with his approach as her brown eyes stayed glued to his amber. Her natural scent was sweet, muddled by the earth and fire she'd laid so close to. There was less spice in what he picked up from her; more of a soothing, soft, floral aroma that attracted his attention. He'd intended to memorize it just in case, but even if he hadn't, his senses demanded more. He hadn't meant to become intoxicated by her pheromones. He merely wanted to remember who she was. Inuyasha was lucky he had a sharp mind, and it was easy to pull his head out of things and ground himself. He curled his fingers into fists, his claws slightly biting into his palms as he looked down at Kagome. Her face had colored more now that she was up and conscious, now that she'd rested, now that they stood so close, now that he'd given her the unwanted truth of what she could potentially encounter. Surprisingly, she didn't look scared, and only held a rational amount of concern, noticeable in the subtle way her lips had parted. This was the last thing he was going to say to her. And, it was the most important. "Don't let me find you dead anywhere. You'd better survive."
Kagome's heart gave a soft sputter and she wondered if he could hear it. They hardly knew each other, but his demand was so earnest. In that same regard, she was surprised by how much it had meant to her. She had no plans on dying before seeing her objective through, but a new fire was flickering to life in her abdomen. Now, it was like nothing was allowed to stand in her way. Inuyasha would never find her body; she wouldn't let him experience that. He may not know where she was going, or what she was aiming to do, but in the end, when it was all over, she hoped word would get out that she was partially responsible for Naraku's demise. She wanted him to know, however far off that may be from now, that she did it. And, she lived. Life for half demons would improve, and she wanted him to know that his impact was a part of that.
"I will." Kagome stated bravely, giving a single nod of her head.
"Alright. Get going." Inuyasha gestured with a small flick of his chin, amber eyes darting toward the direction she was to walk off in, and she graced him with a sweet smile. He felt warm in that moment, almost inclined to return the expression, but his straight face held as steady as it always had.
"I'd thank you for everything you've done, but you also kidnapped me." Kagome said, taking several steps back before turning on her heel to face the direction she wandered in. Her grin only grew wider when she looked over her shoulder at him, a soft giggle on her tongue. "So, we'll call it even. Bye, Inuyasha."
"Ingrate!" The hanyou shouted after her, half annoyed and half amused. Cheeky brat.
Kagome only laughed harder, continuing on her way through the trees.
He must have traveled off in the opposite direction, because it was only small moments later that she stopped sensing his demonic energy. Kagome optimized her heightened senses, immediately following through with the promises she'd made to tread carefully. Her powers weren't a curse out here, they were her friend. She didn't have to hold back for the sake of her village, her family, or the fear that someone would see her while she trained, because this was what she'd been training for. This was the exact moment she needed to release the restraints she'd consciously formed out of weariness of exposure. By no means would she be careless, but by no means would she hold herself back anymore. With the vivid look she'd gotten at Kikyo last night, she didn't have time for that.
Kagome had followed the river upstream for a few miles, stopping for a break as the sun was almost in the center of the sky. It was as good a time as any to reevaluate her plans. She went ahead and took off her belongings that weighed down her back, stretching her neck to the sides while she massaged the aching muscles of her shoulders. She reached into her bag and pulled out her water, chugging the contents of the bottle before sitting in the grass.
When she'd left home, and even before then, she'd always thought her first move would be to find Kikyo. Wherever Kikyo went was where she was supposed to go. Or, so she thought. That plan was now flushed. They couldn't find each other, it was too dangerous. So, now what? Was she meant to go straight for Naraku? Or, was she meant to find someone who could help her improve on her powers? If that was the case, maybe that someone would be able to help her unlock skillsets she didn't know she yet had. What were the odds of her stumbling across a well-educated conjurer, though? It wasn't like Kagome could just go around asking, and she'd only ever heard of two who could potentially help. Both were unreachable. Kikyo was one, but obviously that was a no-go. And, through her father - who'd heard this on one of his many adventures - she'd learned of a conjurer who was extremely powerful. Midoriko. It took some riddle solving, but with Miroku's help and a little bit of risky research, they figured out that Midoriko was a conjurer who lived before they were known as such. She was a priestess. She was never black-listed, and was looked up to for her strength and ability to contain evil demons. She faced a war, fought valiantly, and she lost - all well before Kagome was born. So, given that, Kagome was on her own.
Kikyo had said she needed to use her powers to figure out where she was meant to go, so she focused. Kagome shut her eyes, taking a series of deep, meditative breaths as she thought of different routes she could potentially take. One involved searching for help, one involved wandering until everything fell into place on its own, and one involved going directly for Naraku. Nothing quite sat right with her; there were problems will all options. The first ran the risk of dead end after dead end. She didn't have a single lead to support her taking that path, and it wouldn't be an easy task to find one to get her going. The second was a little too hopeful and ran the risk of wasting precious time. Though, she would admit, the option inexplicably sat higher than all else. The last sounded borderline disastrous. She didn't feel ready for that challenge; not in the least. Even Kikyo had mentioned she had a lot to learn before she was ready to take Naraku on, so heading straight toward the monster was the most perilous choice she could make. If she went with the second, as blind as she'd feel on the route, she'd be able to train every step of the way. She'd shoot a hundred arrows before resting at night to make sure her aim always stayed deadly, she'd enhance her conjurer abilities in whatever manner she could, and eventually, she would find Kikyo and face Naraku by her side.
It worked best this way. Kagome didn't even know where Naraku was hiding, so no matter what, she was going to be blind for a while. Ultimately, she could say she was after him; his fall was the endgame. There was just a rather large gap between where she sat now and where she'd be when that day finally came. The gap, Kagome felt, was nothing but a mystery. It looked blank. It looked like a space of nothingness that her intuition only told her she'd understand once she inevitably walked through it. She could say the adventure began two days ago, but truthfully, she felt it was barely beginning now.
The world didn't seem any brighter now that she'd made a decision. Usually, it felt like a load off your chest or a defined moment of clarity shined like rays of light from the sun. This was nothing like that. Subsequently, her decision to figure it out as she went along, to trust the process so to say, was also a decision to remain in the dark until the unknown played out on its own volition. Although it was a clear day, Kagome looked at the world right now as if fog trickled over the forest floor, between exposed tree roots, and above the river in front of her. The metaphorical haze in her mind became physical as she let the anticipation of the unprecedented future overwhelm her. She allowed herself thirty more seconds to cope. Kagome acknowledged her anxiety, validated it, took three deep breaths that expanded her lungs to their fullest capacity, and then pushed herself to her feet. Sauntering over to the river bank, she lowered herself to her knees, taking an unclear gaze at her reflection in the slow-moving water.
As horribly frustrating as it was to not know what to do, to not know where she was going, to not know her next definitive move or even when things would fall into place, as horribly frustrating as it was to feel lost and like she held no control, Kagome could do nothing more in that moment but accept it. She went from having a plan to merely having a goal. How was it Kikyo seemed so sure while Kagome was nothing but confused? She felt so harshly ridiculed the night before that she couldn't help but be worried every step she was taking, or thought she was thinking, was wrong.
"If you're watching me, Kikyo, go away." Kagome murmured, glancing over both of her shoulders to see if she'd spot that white, serpent thing Kikyo admitted to using in order to spy on her. What was it called, a shinidamachu?
A mouthful, was what it was.
"You told me you can't help me," She continued, eyes scouring the trees across the river. "So you don't get to be upset with how things do play out. Go ahead and relay that message, floaty-snake-grave-robber. Let her know I don't want to hear it."
The interesting part was, though she didn't see the shinidamachu anywhere, Kagome didn't even feel ridiculous talking to herself at this point. There was still the possibility it was there, listening, and she'd said what she said.
Kagome gave a small, defeated shake of her head as her attention fell back to her blurred reflection. After a moment of trying to make out her features, she gave up. It didn't much matter what she looked like; there was nothing she could do about it. So, she went off of how she felt. Her skin was a little oily, and it wouldn't hurt any to freshen up. In fact, it would probably aid in revitalizing energy. A cool splash of water always helped.
Quickly, she went back over to her bag, seeking out the tie for her hair and pulling it back in a ponytail at the nape of her neck. Kagome yanked the sleeves of her shirt up as high as they would go, kneeling at the bank of the river and leaning forward. Cupping her hands, she dunked them into the cold water, bringing a generous amount up to run over her face. Over and over, Kagome repeated this, rinsing the oils from her skin, the dirt, the soot, the sweat. The chilling liquid dripped down her chin and neck, over her chest and into her shirt, drenching the top hem at her breasts but she didn't care. It felt too refreshing to stop in time to prevent the dampening of her clothes.
Kagome slowed, making sure not to abruptly stop her movements in an obvious manner, but a twinge in her senses made it difficult. She was being watched. She'd caught that subtle, spine-tingling feeling that traveled down her back like the legs of an unwelcome spider. For a moment, she wanted to write it off as the shinidamachu, but Kagome had a gut feeling the serpent was undetectable. It wasn't a demon, and it wasn't an earth-bound creature. Frankly, she didn't know its origins, but this was Kikyo. She kept a low profile, appeared to be a lone wolf sort of girl, and the last thing she'd do was use something obvious that anyone could trace back to her. No, these were eyes on Kagome. Eyes that refused to blink, eyes that violated boundaries.
She could feel demonic energy. Two maybe. One for sure. They weren't approaching, though. Kagome didn't feel their presence getting stronger; it was just there. Stable. There was distance dividing them. Were they literally just watching her? Maybe they were passing through, saw her washing up, and thought they'd get lucky enough to watch her strip down and bathe.
It took effort to bite back her groan as she rolled her eyes. Men.
It would be wise of her to get going. Lingering with them looming around was text book for trouble.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't the mischief-maker, Inuyasha."
"Oh god, is that what you guys are calling me?" The hanyou grimaced, turning to face the two idiots behind him. They'd been following him for a while now, so he was unsurprised when they finally popped out. It was honestly about fucking time. He was getting ready to expose them, himself.
"Among the other names we've given you."
"Are they as creative as 'mischief-maker'? I feel like I've earned myself a little more of a reputable nickname than that." Inuyasha dully stated.
"How about, half-breed bastard?"
"A little better."
"How about, dead?" The other suggested.
"Now, see, you lost me with that one. It doesn't make sense. I don't think you're grasping the concept of nicknames; they've gotta be relevant." Inuyasha pointed, giving the demon a wry grin.
"Believe me, it'll be relevant by the time we're done with you."
"Can you at least let me know who the fuck you are first? Manners, boys. Manners." He clicked his tongue. Steadily, Inuyasha's hand found the hilt of his sword, not yet unsheathing it, but firmly grasping in preparation. He'd honestly never seen these guys in his life, but they looked like bandits. Acted like bandits. Smelled like bandits. The scent of unmaintained body odor, sweat, dirt, their own semen staining their clothing because they've only got their hands to do the trick, and the meal they ate the night before. Inuyasha crinkled his poor nose. Yeah, definitely bandits.
"Remember Gatenmaru and Garamaru?"
"I'm sorry, are those foods or something?" The hanyou inquired, confused.
"He's playing dumb; don't take the bait. He just wants to piss us off." One said to the other, both of which appearing quite peeved for trying to ignore his question.
"I'm serious. I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Gatenmaru and Garamaru!"
"Wow. Now that you've said it a second time, it's all coming back to me." He stated sarcastically.
"They're moth demons! Bandit leaders! You killed -"
"Oh!" Inuyasha loudly exclaimed, a light flicking on in his mind. "Those two brothers that liked to collect women. Yeah, they're dead."
"We know. We're here to avenge them." One growled.
The hanyou snorted some, his smirk only growing. "Seriously? It's been months."
"Doesn't matter how long it's been, you bastard! This has just given us ample timing to join forces and devise a plan."
"Join forces?"
"Yes."
"Like, one bitch boy's bandits working with the other's?"
"Yes." The demon seethed, hating the disrespectful remark but forcing himself not to comment on it and stay on topic.
"Hey, you guys remember they hated each other right?"
"What?"
"Yeah."
"No, they didn't."
"Which one did you work for?"
"Garamaru."
"Yeah, he hated Gatenmaru for working with humans. And, now you're working with humans." Again, Inuyasha clicked his tongue in mocking disappointment. "What would Garamaru say?"
The two demon bandits looked at one another bemusedly and seemingly at a loss for words. He could see it on their faces; they were realizing he was right and most likely remembered the way Garamaru talked shit about his brother. Inuyasha was in his presence for all of twenty minutes and heard it all, so it was impossible that the bandits beneath him wouldn't have. The bothers lived life apart, refusing to acknowledge the other's existence, but ironically enough, they died together. Metaphorically speaking, of course. They committed identical crimes, and were charged as two wanted entities in one package. From the reward he'd collected from that job alone, Inuyasha still had plenty of money left over.
"Too late now." One shrugged. "So, I guess it doesn't really matter. You murdered both of them and fucked us all over by doing so. A lot of people want your head."
"What, because you were solely co-dependent on a cheap demon? How is that my problem?"
"Because -"
"Rhetorical." Inuyasha held up a hand to stop them from talking. "I don't actually care. In fact, you should be thanking me. None of you are forced to call your masters 'daddy' while being used as a cock sleeve anymore."
"Why you son of a -"
"Careful now." The half demon smiled, arching a brow. Steadily, he pulled Tessaiga from its sheath, the sword transforming into its large and powerful state as each inch was freed. "You act too hastily and you wont be able to fight alongside your makeshift army. Then all your months of hard work will be down the drain. Wouldn't want that, now would we?"
"Figured it out, have you?" A demon smirked.
"Aside from the fact that you told me already, yeah. I can smell them all getting closer. Some are still lingering far away, waiting for a signal I presume. Were you trying to plan a surprise attack?"
"Surprise or not, we didn't much care. We knew you had some demon in you, so it'd be difficult to actually sneak up. But, we did know the best option was to overwhelm you."
"Because, you've got quite the number on your side." Inuyasha added, really taking in the scent of all he was up against. It wasn't just a dozen or two. It was more like seven or eight. There was no fucking way all these men worked for Garamaru and Gatenmaru. The two brothers were a lower tier of demon. They weren't wealthy, weren't necessarily powerful, and their biggest skill was deception. Gatenmaru took full advantage of his human dependents, manipulating them, even scaring some into loyalty. It didn't take a genius to determine that both demons made big promises to their groups; promises they didn't get the opportunity to cheat their way out of. Therefore, leading to the bandits feeling robbed and blaming Inuyasha. So, who made up the rest of their army?
"You've got a sharp nose."
"Who are the extras?"
"Like we said, we've joined forces."
The hanyou shook his head in disbelief. "This is just the combination of Gatenmaru's and Garamaru's men? No one else?"
"No one else."
"Seriously?"
"Garamaru had a huge following. I'm sure you didn't know that." The two goons looked a little too proud, but he couldn't much blame them. They really succeeded in throwing him for a loop.
"Wow. Ho-ly shit." Inuyasha remarked, pursing his lips. He was strong, but he was also one man. One man against about a hundred. This should be interesting.
Kagome pulled the tie from her hair, shoving it into her pocket while she continued walking, her raven waves freely flowing around her shoulders. She was growing irritated now, her huffs clenched in the back of her throat. The two demons were following her, their auras growing stronger as they stuck close so they wouldn't lose her. Yet, they never came out of hiding. She was hoping she would have lost them at the river, but they'd been following her for over thirty minutes now, and Kagome was over it. At one point, she'd gotten so distracted by their presence that she'd mindlessly found herself on the trail she'd come from, walking in the direction she'd left Inuyasha in for who knows how long.
Would it be picking a fight if she called them out? Would she be asking for trouble if she didn't continue to ignore it, or would she just be considered proactive? With their incessant stalking, Kagome was convinced they were bound to make an appearance sooner or later. Sooner rather than later would be favorable, though.
Her bow was still held tight in her hand, and she twitched her finger along the wood of the arch in debate. Should she raise it and instigate, or should she wait?
The choice was taken from her as she heard some rustling in a bush from behind. Kagome turned around to see the two demons sauntering forward, smiles worn on their aged faces. Actively, she showed no sign of disturbance, merely watching them with curious eyes.
"Hello, wench."
She hated being called that by sleazy, unwashed men. It felt more like they were referring to her as a sex object rather than a woman.
"Hello." Kagome greeted semi-pleasantly.
"What's a girl like you wandering the woods alone for? Don't ya know you could get lost?"
"Oh, no need to worry." She played off, her tone sweet as she waved away the fake concern they presented. "I know my way around these parts. I was just actually running an errand, and now I'm on my way home."
"What kind of errand?"
"My grandma makes fruit baskets. I was out delivering one for her."
"I've never known the fruit basket industry to be very dangerous." One called her bluff, gesturing to the bow in her hands and the arrows on her shoulder.
"Oh, this? You're right, it's not. I carry it just in case anything out of the norm ever arises. For instance, two strange men follow me in the woods for over a mile and start harassing me. Wouldn't want to be defenseless." She replied, appearing unfazed.
The two chuckled, their teeth sharp and stained. "Knew we were there, did you?"
"Your smell gave you away." She slighted.
"So did yours. See, we're on our way to see someone who we happen to know you're in cahoots with. Figure you might want to join in on the happy, little reunion we're about to have."
"What are you talking about?"
"Our good, old friend, Inuyasha."
"Who?" Crap. Crap, crap, crap. What sort of mess was she involved in now? That no good, dog-eared, ruffian, middle-aged-man-colored-hair, jerk. She's in his presence for a day and she's got men tracing her thanks to their obvious bad blood.
Kagome's poker face held steady while she swallowed her annoyance, brown eyes shifting back and forth to the demons standing just before her with an arm and a half's length to spare. She'd take a step back, but she'd already tried that. They were persistent in keeping her within reach, and merely closed the gap she'd created.
"Don't play coy. You've got his scent all over you." One grumbled.
That's right. Of course, she did. That's how they must have found her in the first place. He'd covered her in that red cloth last night while she slept, so it was only natural that his scent would linger. And, be identifiable by those with sharper senses. What she couldn't detect, the smell so subtle, they would with ease.
That didn't mean she was about to go easily.
"All over… What smell?"
"The smell of a half demon."
"Hm." Kagome hummed, acting intrigued. "Does it smell nice?"
"What?"
"Do I smell nice?"
"No!"
"What a rude thing to say." She criticized, appalled and shrinking back dramatically. It was a feeble attempt to create space, and thankfully, this time, they didn't think to close it again, falling for her dramatics. "To a lady, no less!"
"You ain't no lady."
"Oh? What am I, then?"
"A half-breed's whore. Which makes you filth." The smile the humanoid demon wore was wide and proud, gleaming with the afterglow of his insult.
Kagome couldn't even attempt to hide her expression then. The corners of her mouth grew into a grin, eyes dropping to the ground, her head following suit as she shrugged her brows in contempt. The smallest chuckle escaped her teeth before she inhaled and looked back up at the men. She ran her fingers through her hair, not caring how her bangs may have ruffled messily when she pushed them from her face, and slowly, carefully, but also daringly, Kagome's fingers raked down the length of her waves until they met the nock of one of her arrows.
"Wow. Charming." She said, pulling the arrow from its quiver. Naturally, the demons took her as no threat. Much like every demon she'd ever faced, all they saw was a young girl with a weapon that would merely leave a flesh wound on them if it actually managed to hit. This worked in Kagome's favor. They could laugh all they wanted, mock her, point and guffaw, because that just meant they weren't lunging to stop her.
"So, this Inuyasha guy," Kagome spoke as their amusement began to subside. She hardly watched them, her attention minding their feet as she took her time aligning the nock with the string of her bow. The shaft of the arrow lightly tapped the grip above her hand while she got her fingers situated, knuckles clutching the nock just right. "What'd he do?"
"He messed with the wrong crowd, that's what." The one on her left stated, his tone telling her the smile still remained on his ugly face.
She finally glanced up, her weapon still held low. "Yeah, but what did he do?"
"He killed our leader, wench." The one on her right said, and she could tell he was the more serious of the two.
"Ah, gotcha." She nodded, sucking in her bottom lip. Must have been another bounty. Which meant Inuyasha was only doing his job and bringing down someone with proper justification. Of course, this was a guess, but it was an educated one. With the way the men before her looked and acted, they were up to no good and so their leader had to have been worse. She felt a little bad for mentally jumping on Inuyasha the way she initially had when she'd found out this was about him. Chances are, he didn't know they'd be out for blood, and he definitely couldn't have guessed that they'd involve her after one night's encounter. "What's that got to do with me, though?"
"Jesus, do we need to spell everything out for you? Are you stupid?"
"Quite the contrary. A stupid person wouldn't have known you were following them since the river, wouldn't have held a straight face while they lied, and wouldn't have already figured out that your boss probably deserved to die without you having to tell me who they were or what they'd done." She replied, stepping her right leg back as she leveled her weapon at them, the feather at the end of her arrow grazing her cheekbone lightly. "Yeah, I know who Inuyasha is, but your assumption is all wrong. I just met him yesterday, so nothing's on a personal level. So, go ahead. Tell me what this has to do with me."
"You're one bold bitch." The one on her left snarled, spittle flying out with his enunciation of the slur. "We're going to use you against him. As we speak, he's being attacked by our forces. We outnumber him greatly, so our victory is a given, but the motherfucker fights dirty with that sword of his. Bringing you along, using you as our pretty, little hostage will get him to forfeit, and make his death much quicker and easier."
Kagome scrunched her nose, shaking her head as she hummed a negate. "Nope. Sorry, bud. That wouldn't work at all. All I did was annoy the guy. The majority of the time I was with him, he had me tied up and held as his own hostage. Like I said, you've got it wrong; we aren't friends."
"I think we'll take our chances." The one on the right growled.
"Not interested. Being held hostage once is enough for me, thanks." She pulled the arrow back another centimeter, pointing it at him to prevent him from taking a step forward.
"The fuck do you think you're even gonna do with that?"
"Shoot you." Her tone was calm, steady, the residing scratch in it temporarily abating as she kept her voice low.
"And, then what? You should know that it would hardly leave a scratch, and the only reason you'd be able to hit us in the first place is because we're within five feet of you. We oughta kill you right here, right now for thinking you stand a chance. Who the fuck are you to raise a bow to us?" The demon on her left spoke, taking a large, threatening step inward, almost lunging. Kagome acted. It was a matter of time before something would happen, and she'd been counting down the seconds. The last thing she could afford to do right now was allow them to touch her. They do that, and she loses. They meant business, and she understood from the moment they stepped out of the bushes that they weren't going to just let her walk away.
A rush of energy bubbled to the surface of her core, expanding outward and gravitating toward the head of her arrow. She could see her own power shining around the sharp edges, the shaft, the feathers, glowing lavender where she focused her strength. In one quick move, Kagome redirected her aim and released her arrow, the head plunging into the demon's chest and disintegrating his body before he even had a chance to stumble backward. Her hand reached behind and grasped another arrow without missing a beat, aligning the nock with the string as she pulled it back and aimed at the demon to her right.
He was stunned, red eyes wide and angered. His lips, thin and cracked, were held open, choked sounds escaping his throat as he processed what had just happened.
"What's the matter?" Kagome asked, claiming his attention once more. "Never met a conjurer before?"
"You wench! I'm going to fucking kill you! No, better," He grinned viciously. "I'll hand deliver you to Naraku and watch him rip your head off!"
"No, you won't." She said clearly. The threat didn't faze her. His words were empty, and even if they weren't, she wasn't about to let him come near her. "You aren't going to touch me. What you are going to do is tell me about this attack on Inuyasha. Your buddy said you outnumbered him. By how much?"
"Fuck off, bitch!"
"Try again."
"Suck my dick!"
"You won't have one for long if you keep this up." Kagome swore, arching a brow and lowering her aim a few inches.
"You won't do shit to me!"
"Won't I? You saw what I just did to your friend."
"I'm much stronger than he was." He growled, hands furled into fists as he lowered slightly, almost in a crouch to leap at her.
Kagome made a loud warning sound, her knuckles tightening around the notch of her arrow as she pulled it back slightly. "Don't. Move. You've never met someone like me, so let me give you fair warning as to what I can do to you, exactly. I can make it quick, which I've already demonstrated. I can make it slow, which you don't want. Believe me. Or, I can use just enough power to torture you from the inside out. It'll be extremely painful, and you'll be begging for death. That's a relief I won't give to you until you answer me, though. So, which will it be? I'd choose wisely if I were you."
"What the fuck do you want!? An exact number!?"
"You got one?"
"No, you fucking cunt!"
"Give me a guess. Are we talking ten? Twenty?"
"Hah! Yeah, right! More like eighty or ninety!"
Kagome's brows twitched inward, lips curving in dismay. "That's a bit excessive to take on one man, don't you think?"
"Inuyasha not only killed our leader, but his brother as well, leaving both of their packs of men with nothing. Instead of going on with our lives and starting over, we decided to band together to get revenge first. Gatenmaru sickeningly worked exclusively with human bandits, and his reasonings were unknown to us, but be that as it may, they still had a healthy number of skilled fighters with the same thirst for vengeance. Not as much as we, the demons under Garamaru had. Garamaru was a powerful moth demon, one with a large and dedicated following. The vast majority of our forces come from my group and we'll undoubtedly prove to be lethal against that half breed."
"Wow. Inuyasha seriously pissed off almost a hundred people in one go? Not gonna lie, it's a little impressive. Where's this happening?"
"What do you care if you aren't friends? You gonna try to save him or something? You're not leaving this spot alive, and even if you manage to, he'll be dead by the time you get there."
"You've got a lot of confidence for looking the way you do, pal."
"What did you -"
"I may not know Inuyasha well, but I've got a huge feeling the worst thing your guys will manage to do to him is leave a scratch or two. You're the one who won't be around to see it out."
"No wonder Naraku wants your lot dead! You're a sick, twisted cunt! I've heard your kind is supposed to be peaceful and pure, and here you are threatening to kill me."
"Oh, shut it!" Kagome barked, growing fed up. Her body was warm, tingling, her spiritual power laying just beneath the surface as she kept the flames fanned and strong. She was righteous, and mad, and as the seconds ticked by, staring into the eyes of a monster who vowed not only to kill her but Inuyasha, her fingers began to shake. It wasn't of trepidation. No. It was because her might continued to build. While she felt completely in control, she'd also never felt so powerful. "The only sick and twisted one is Naraku! You want to validate his bloodlust while you were just saying you were going to kill me, too? Nice double standards, creep. Take a look at the world we're living in. There's no such thing as peace and purity anymore. People are constantly living in fear, hiding away, there's division, judgement, brutality, and an outrageous amount of darkness. In order to survive, you have to be adaptable, right? Killing you won't take anything from me, I can guarantee it."
He smiled sinisterly, licking his fangs. "If you're as adaptable as you say, find the hanyou by your goddamn self then."
"Fine. I will." Kagome said, releasing her arrow. The demon stood no chance in dodging, succumbing to her power and crumbling to a pile of ash.
She turned on her heel then, running down the path she'd been on, the path she'd traveled down since she'd left Inuyasha's side that morning. He went in the opposite direction, she could only guess. So, she hoped that if she just kept running, she'd eventually feel his aura and be able to use that as her guide.
A part of her questioned why it felt so imperative she run to him. Because, it did. He was part demon; he could handle his own. Against eighty or ninety, she wasn't sure, but that's where his demonic sword came to play. Right? Who had ever been up against such a large number and lived to tell about it, though? Perhaps that was it. It had to be. It was unnaturally unfair, and even if he didn't actually need her help, she couldn't swallow the lump in her throat caused by her concern. She had to see for herself. She had to see him walk away. She needed to make sure Inuyasha lived.
They weren't kidding when they'd mentioned their goal was to overwhelm Inuyasha. Had they been watching him from afar? Studying him? His techniques? Tessaiga, if used right, could demolish a hundred demons in one swing. The thing was, he had to actually be able to swing the fucking sword.
He'd gotten one good wind scar in before they closed in on him, making it damn near impossible to use it again. With how close they were, Inuyasha was only able to block with his blade, occasionally slicing someone down, basically reducing the Tessaiga to nothing more than a standard sword. He needed room to attack. He needed space to thrust the blade and conjure a pernicious assault. But, it was all he could do just to defend himself at the moment.
There were too fucking many, and Inuyasha was getting more pissed by the second. Tessaiga wasn't light by any means, but with his adrenaline levels kicking, he used it to block weapons with one hand while slashing bandits with the sharp claws of his other. He'd grab them by their throats and shove them away, usually into others so multiple fell back at a time. Inuyasha realized that he was subconsciously doing anything he could to create space. He was too reliant on Tessaiga's power, and it was only holding him back. It was going to be his downfall if he didn't think of something else.
Kagome had to stop. She had no choice. Her lungs were burning, aching for air, her legs begging for rest, and she clung to the bark of a tree as she tried to calm herself through her body's frantic attempt at supplying itself with oxygen. Sweat was dripping down the sides of her face, over the bridge of her nose, tickling on its path down, and even getting her arm to cooperate to use her sleeve to wipe the moisture on her brow away was difficult. She was trembling, and she didn't know why.
Maybe she'd gotten too far into her head, scaring herself into thinking Inuyasha wasn't going to be okay. Maybe her brain registered the sprinting she'd been doing as a sign to secrete epinephrine to keep her going, maybe even releasing a little too much. Kagome felt so hot, and she couldn't tell if it was from her spiritual power or the fact that she'd been running for who knows how long now. She wanted to say it was the latter - it made perfect sense - but she could feel her abilities just ready to spring free, so it really could have been both at play. Maybe that was why she quaked. Or, the incredible amount of demonic energy she felt from ahead was the cause. She'd been following it for a while, and it had become sickening.
It took moments, moments that consumed too much time on their own, until the rise and fall of her chest slowed to a more manageable rate. Her heart was thumping behind her ribcage, each pound felt and reverberating through her entire torso, but the blood being pumped no longer drowned through her ears. Now, what she heard were shouts and battle cries, curses and death threats, and the clashing sound of metal smacking metal. No wonder the energy was dense with malevolence. Kagome was closer than she'd thought. She was close to Inuyasha and a heavy, unwelcome feeling sank into her abdomen.
Mindful to stay alert just in case, Kagome pushed forward, her boots hitting the dirt as she ran in the direction her senses pulled her in, in the direction of the fight.
Tessaiga was knocked from Inuyasha's hand, de-transforming the instant it hit the ground. Fuck. This was bad. He dipped the fingers of his right hand into the cut on his left shoulder, making the wound bigger in the act but that was irrelevant. Inuyasha made sure his claws were doused before swiping at the bandits, blades forming from his blood to kill the bastards that leapt at him.
There were too many. It didn't matter if they were weak on their own, didn't matter if they were insignificant in size. There were too damn many at once. It was like a swarm of ants taking down a bee. Alone, they were negligible. Together, they were dangerous.
Inuyasha had taken down a good portion, but he was growing tired and they just kept coming at him. He had good hand-to-hand combat skills, but they had weapons to one-up him. He was good at dodging, but there wasn't much space to do so. He was bleeding, drenched in sweat, breathing erratically and trying not to let it show to avoid letting his enemies know he was weakening. Despite his disposition, it was impossible to miss the burning sensation within his chest. Not one of his lungs pleading for a break, but one of the blood within his veins. His demonic blood.
He was in mortal danger; he knew, his body knew, and his mind knew. The chemicals that made up Inuyasha were revving into high gear, and no matter how many times he swallowed, no matter how many times he willed the call to subside, no matter how many times he stepped away or pushed them back to make it seem like he had the high ground, there was no calming his instincts. His demonic blood was much like adrenaline, but more potent. Adrenaline was fight or flight, do whatever you must to survive. Inuyasha's demonic half was fight or kill, and it usually opted for the extremes.
He needed to get back to Tessaiga. He needed the hilt in his hands. The sword, the demonic source within it, helped keep his own demonic side at bay. It gave him security to subside his nature, it provided a sheath to conceal the evil he couldn't control. Willingly, he stepped back, keeping his golden eyes on the men ambushing him while making it seem like they were pushing him. He knew where his sword had fallen, so he stepped in that direction, punching, swiping his claws, and dodging blades all the way. He'd fallen short though, someone blocking his path. Without knowing, he'd been backed against a steep hill, and the back of his heel hit the slope, making him fall.
Kagome peeked around the edge of a tree trunk to spot a man several feet before her in waiting, watching the scene from the thickets. It was difficult to tell if there were any others in the same vicinity; her senses were a jumbled mess with how horridly thick the air was. It would be impossible to sneak around him, and given the circumstances, Kagome didn't have time to find an alternate route. As quietly as she possibly could, she stole an arrow from her quiver to align the nock with the string of her bow. It was hard enough to keep her heavy breathing silent, forcing her lungs to take slow and steady inhales through her nostrils no matter how much they demanded quick-paced air supply. The last thing she wanted was him hearing and jumping on her, or even alerting others nearby of her attendance.
It was a low move to kill from behind, to deny another the opportunity to defend themselves, but Kagome didn't have a choice. Even if she intentionally alerted him of her presence, she would only release her arrow the moment he spun to face her. It didn't matter right now. He was bad, he was one of the people threatening Inuyasha, and therefore, he had to go. Kagome pulled her arrow back incrementally to prevent the creak in her bow, and the moment she had enough tension built, she let go, the spiritual power she'd attached to her weapon obliterating her target the moment it hit.
She stole his place then, running forward to spot the disastrous scene ahead. From her angle, she could see the side of Inuyasha as he was pushed back against the incline of the small hill, stumbling down onto his bottom and forced to block, roll to dodge, and kick troops away from him. He was unarmed. His life was in danger.
It was like something took control of Kagome then. There was no time to think, so she didn't. There was no time to tell her body how to act, so she let it do it on its own. There was no time to try to understand the sensation that coursed beneath her skin, so she didn't bother, allowing it to consume her entirely. Over and over, all she could hear from within was the shout, the urge, the absolute demand to save Inuyasha. It was her own voice, and it was loud, clear, strong, and authoritative in its will as it declared "He won't die!"
Kagome ran from her spot, following the curve in the mound as she raced to get to the area above where Inuyasha was trapped. Along the way, she prepared an arrow against her bow, her weapon at the ready until she came to a break in the trees. So many were attacking the hanyou below her, so many were furious with how he kept managing to fight them off, surviving when they so badly wanted him dead. The atmosphere was riddled with horrible, intense energy, and it just kept getting worse. Her stomach was leadened, a mass clumped in the very center of Kagome's throat, and she wondered if it was the result of all the catastrophic vitality, or if there was something else. Something worse.
Inuyasha's yell, his growl, the sound released from his throat - one of pain - brought Kagome's attention right back where it belonged. Nothing else mattered. There was no discovery that needed to be had; nothing needed an explanation right now. Her anger, determination, empowered the heat within her veins. Once again, she could feel her heart pounding against her chest, seemingly growing heavier by the second, especially as she raised her bow and pulled her arrow back to graze the side of her cheek. For the moment, she held her breath. A rush of power flooded over every inch of her flesh, tingling, prickling, but she stood steady. Her instincts took over, and she didn't aim at one single combatant. No, she aimed as if her arrow was about to sweep the field and erase every villain from sight. Pulling the string back another inch, making it incredibly taught, she waited just one more moment, giving ample time for her power to saturate. With an exhale, Kagome released, the light she created, the evidence of her power that only she could see, flying outward as the head of her arrow sliced through the current of air, purifying the evil, killing Inuyasha's enemies, and freeing him from his perilous assault.
Inuyasha was about ready to give up the fight against his demonic side. He couldn't reach his sword, and his left arm was bleeding heavily, the pain of his wounds only assisting the energetic approach of the half of him he had little-to-no control over. The bandits were infuriatingly relentless, and though his plan was to wipe them out either way, his demon side left no room for survivors. Those who waved their white flag and ran for safety wouldn't be able to get away, and that was the unforgiving part that Inuyasha fought back. It was brutality at its core, and he fucking despised it, but if it was the only way he was bound to survive, then fuck this shit.
His body was burning, his fingers shaking, and his growls were growing deeper. His kicks were becoming stronger, and a voice in his ear told him to use his claws to rip their tracheas out. Inuyasha threw in the towel, releasing whatever control he had remaining, his instincts sharpening even though everything was going dark. He, his true self, wouldn't be conscious for what was about to happen.
Just before he slipped, a shift in the atmosphere slowed everything down. Something whizzed by, the sound effect loud in his ears as it shot through the field, a formidable shock clearing the offenders all around. All of a sudden, Inuyasha's attack had completely halted. There was no one in front of him, at his sides, in the distance, coming forward. He'd watched them all decompose before his eyes, from nearest to furthest as the arrow pierced the ground at an angle quite a ways ahead. No longer did he feel weighted with the horrible shift of his indocile half. It had suppressed, and not even he had felt the clean dissipation of its need for bloodshed.
What the fuck just happened?
He'd never seen this before. The only time he'd ever witnessed a field wiped clean was with incredibly powerful attacks only demons were capable of, and even that was a rare occurrence. This wasn't the result of a demon, though. No. It was light and relieving. It was strong and just. It was purifying. Inuyasha had only ever heard of this sort of thing; he never thought he'd actually be present in this sort of circumstance. This had to be…
This had to be the work of a conjurer.
Quickly, the hanyou twisted around in his seat to see who'd invoked such incredible magic. A woman stood directly above him at the top of the incline, her black hair long and wavy, bangs curling and sticking to her forehead and temples from the sweat that dripped down her face and from her chin, dotting her chest that rose and fell with her heavy breaths. Her bow was still raised, the hand that'd released the arrow hovering beside her head as if she'd let it go a split second ago. Her eyes, deep with courage and perseverance, were aimed ahead of her, over his head, staring at the arrow she'd stabbed the earth with, and her pink lips sat parted, opened for the air her lungs pleaded for. Inuyasha could see it on her face. He could see her processing what had just happened, where she was, what she'd produced as her brows relaxed, her expression shifting into one of shock. Her arms progressively lowered, eyes darting around the now-empty premises before landing on him just as he spoke.
"Kagome?"
What had she done? How had she done it? The revelation of her capabilities was both astonishing and frightening. Never in her life had she generated so much spiritual power, and she wondered if she'd always been able to do something this amazing or if it only came forth because of her pressing fear that Inuyasha was going to be killed. Seconds later, it all came crashing down, short-lived. Screw wonderment and disbelief. Kagome had just committed a conjurer's act in front of someone; an incredibly strong demonstration of what she could do, at that. No one was ever supposed to see that sort of thing. Not unless they were well-trusted, or were on the other end of her attack. There was no way around it, she understood this, but that didn't keep the guilt and panic from sinking deep into her core. She'd simultaneously succeeded and fucked up. Big time.
Kagome stared at the awe-struck half demon, still on the ground, amber eyes wide as they gazed up at her. She needed to leave while he was frozen. She saved his life, and that was all she'd come to do. For all she knew, he could turn on her at any second. He may not be on Naraku's side, but that didn't mean conjurer's didn't have a bad reputation as it stood. It was why they went through so many titles through the decades; it was the spun tales of the ignorant who didn't understand. He could kill her. He could turn her in. He could do a dozen things that Kagome couldn't even begin to fathom right now. This was what she'd learned to fear; an outsider finding out what she was. Suddenly, she felt so terrified of the circumstances at hand that she felt painfully nauseous. Her legs felt wobbly, her fingers were trembling, a flash of warmth rode over her flesh, and it seemed she'd begun perspiring even more than before. Kagome hadn't thought as far ahead as she wished she had. Her plan stopped at saving Inuyasha when it should have stopped at staying hidden so he'd never turn around to see her.
She swallowed thickly to push down her sickness, stepping back and stiffening her muscles to force them to cooperate properly. Inuyasha didn't move, and with each step backward she took, she sent out silent gratitude. But, she stopped, a heavy and menacing aura approaching from the far right tree line.
There were more.
Kagome hadn't pieced together that if one man was standing on the sidelines watching, waiting, there were most definitely more planning on eventually jumping out. There were more men, there was more evil, coming forward. Had they seen? Did they know, too? She had to go. No more slow movements; they needed to get the hell out of there. Separately.
"Th-there's more." She spoke brokenly. "Inuyasha, get up. There's more. You need to go."
The hanyou spun around to face the exact direction she felt them coming from. His ears twitched, swiveling, no doubt hearing them as he hastily lunged to the side for his sword. Kagome took the opportunity then to take off, spinning around on her heel without saying another word and sprinting as fast as she could.
Inuyasha grabbed Tessaiga and pushed to his feet in the same motion. He had no plans to stick around for another ambush. Fuck that. Not with his condition. But, as he turned around to tell Kagome to run, she was already gone. He didn't have to question why, it was written all over her face. She wasn't just running from the incoming attack, Kagome was running from him.
"Wait! Kagome!" He called, thrusting Tessaiga back into its sheath just as the next wave of bandits appeared, charging forward. Inuyasha pushed himself up the incline, catching her scent and racing after it to catch up. Better than anyone, he understood why she took off. He could help, though. Chances were, the bandits had seen, and he needed to get her far away from here. He wasn't going to let them have her. "Stop!"
Kagome tried to run faster, her throat and lungs burning, her muscles aching, but she fought through it, pleading with her body to help her get away. It felt like she was weakening, slowing, and Kagome took to outwardly begging for her legs to keep going, repeating "please" over and over until tears burned at her eyes. She was so ungodly scared of what could happen, everything seeming so deleterious and life-threatening at that moment.
The heavy thump of footsteps were behind her, closing in, and Kagome barely had an opportunity to push herself passed her limits before a large, hot hand closed around her wrists, pulling her to slow but then jerking her in a different direction just as she inadvertently yelped, almost making her choke when she gasped at the same time. Inuyasha held onto her tightly, his grip almost bruising while he ran directly in front of her, guiding her, and then abruptly, he stopped, pushing Kagome flat against a tree and pressing his body against hers.
His calloused hand covered her mouth, glowing eyes meeting her own. They were inches apart, the rise and fall of his chest pressing against her own, clashing with the rhythm her lungs held. Kagome didn't know what was going on or what he was doing, but just as she tried to push him away from her, Inuyasha pressed further inward, his hold on her mouth firming.
She felt it then, the incoming swarm of people. Kagome could hear their thudding footsteps hurdling their way, and immediately she stopped fighting the hanyou, her fingers clutching onto the fabric of his black shirt, quaking, keeping him on top of her. Her nausea never subsided, only growing worse with each passing moment, and she swallowed profusely, over and over, willing her stomach to calm but it wouldn't listen. She held her breath as he pushed impossibly closer, and she shut her eyes tight. Inuyasha's face was directly next to her own, his head bent slightly to match her height. She could feel his sweat drip onto her clavicle, his hot breath on her ear before he sucked in and held it at the very moment the assailants closed in and raced right by them.
Each beat of their boots on the earth had Kagome's heart thrusting against her ribcage painfully. She never released her hold on Inuyasha, her searing tears gliding over her cheeks and then pooling at the top of his hand, spilling over his fingers. She counted the seconds that passed, allowing herself to breathe but only very, very steadily so that she could continue to swallow and push down the bile that felt to be rising through her esophagus.
Gradually, it grew quiet. Inuyasha let it sit for a moment, thankful the majority of those that passed seemed to be human. The demons, these kinds at least, didn't appear to have sharp senses. That, or they didn't rely on them like the wiser did, bringing them to completely miss the two they ran right past. No one stopped, no one realized they were there, and even afterward, which was what he was waiting for, no one turned around.
He eased off of Kagome, though he kept his hand on her mouth. She was terrified, shaking against him, and the last thing he wanted her to do was yell or scream. As he gave her space, Inuyasha glanced down at her, watching her brown eyes blink open. She returned his stare, and she seemed to be calming, but it shifted so quickly when her eyes widened and the hands she'd braced against his chest released his shirt to frantically push him away. He sensed her panic, saw her panic, and the hanyou released her and jumped back just as Kagome folded forward and vomited.
The girl was choking on her sobs, trembling, and she dropped to her hands and knees as her stomach heaved. She'd felt burning hot when his cheek was to her temple, but he hadn't thought anything of it. There was no time. There still wasn't. They were sitting ducks and he needed to get her out of here. Before that, Kagome needed to get this out of her system. Calmly, Inuyasha knelt beside her, moving cautiously when she flinched to pull her hair behind her shoulders and hold it out of her way. He slipped his palm beneath her bag, rubbing her back slowly, soothingly. Her whole body was racked with hiccups and quakes, her flesh scalding even through her shirt and bodice. What the fuck had happened to her?
"Please - please don't…" Were the only words she managed to cry out. She'd finished puking; it had been minutes since her stomach clenched violently, but she was a defeated, sickened mess.
"Please don't, what?" Inuyasha asked, mindfully keeping his tone quiet. She sobbed hard, wiping her mouth with her sleeve and sitting back on her legs where he released her hair. He'd caught a peek at her paled face before she shook her head and looked away from him, unable to speak clearly so she didn't even try. She was scared and weak, and he knew, he just fucking knew that this all had to do with who she was. He had very limited knowledge on conjurers, but even when he pinned her yesterday she didn't look nearly this afraid. Her secret was still safe then.
"Kagome, I'm not going to hurt you. Look at me." Inuyasha waited a moment for her to respond, pulling his hand from her back. When she made no motion to comply, he gently grabbed her forearm but took a more serious tone when he repeated himself. "Look at me."
Slowly, she shifted his way, holding her sleeve in front of her mouth. He couldn't tell if it was an anxious quirk or if she didn't want to take chances of him seeing any of her illness she may have missed cleaning. He could comprehend both. At this point though, it wasn't important. He reached over and pushed the hand away, gesturing to her that she had nothing to worry about. And, she didn't. She was clean. But, she seemed even paler, and he was sincerely concerned. Her eyes, though bloodshot, were large, sad, and swollen. Her lips were curved in a quivering frown, and her cheeks were clammy with sweat.
"I am not going to hurt you. I swear. You're safe, Kagome. We need to get going so we can keep it that way, though." He pushed the straps of his bag off of his shoulders, discarding it to the side. "Come on, get on my back."
"What?" Kagome mouthed, her voice failing her in her state. She didn't know how to read Inuyasha right now. Her head was pounding, her body wouldn't stop shaking, her throat was burning, and she felt dizzy. She still needed to try and understand what was happening, though.
The hanyou reached over to her, softly pushing sweat-soaked strands of hair behind her ear. "I need you to trust me. Okay? I know you're scared, but I've got you. Nothing bad is going to happen. I know someone who can help us both. I'm going to take you to her."
Unintentionally, Kagome held out her pinky to him. A pinky promise. Of all times, of all people, she was requesting a pinky promise, as if it would actually keep her life in tact. It was habit. He wouldn't understand, and she shouldn't expect him to.
To her surprise, Inuyasha tangled her pinky with his, showing minimal hesitation to give her what she wanted. With that same grip, he pulled her closer, silently telling her to climb on his back.
"Did - did you want me to hold your bag?"
"No," He replied, though her inquiry reminded him to think of one thing he'd have been pissed to leave behind. He pulled the drawstring of his bag open, pulling out the folded, red robe that used to belong to his father. He stood, walking to the backside of Kagome to pull her drawstring open and shove it in her own bag before securing it shut. "I don't need anything else from it."
"Are you sure?" She asked as he crouched before her again.
"Promise. Climb on. We gotta go."
She did as he asked, tensing her muscles again to make them cooperate, though her vertigo made it difficult just to position herself on his back. Even though she didn't feel completely settled, Inuyasha took over for the rest, firmly clutching the backs of her thighs and standing. With a little jostle, he hiked her up to position her perfectly, the backs of his hands finding each other beneath her bottom so she was secured.
"If you feel sick again at any point, let me know and I'll stop immediately. Otherwise, hang on tight."