Nocturne - Chapter Fifty-Four: Outlier
Rated - M (for extremely suggestive adult themes, references to harsh violence, and coarse language)
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.
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Setsuna shrugged at her mother's question. "Rin had her baby, so she didn't need me anymore." Then, she eyed Kagome in a critical manner, "But I felt you did."
Kagome scrunched her brow and sucked in a breath, trying to gain her bearings, "She had her baby?"
The girl's eyes got big and reverted to the child she was. "Oh, yeah, it was really gross!" She made a disgusted face.
"You shouldn't have come alone," she berated. Anything could have happened, Kagome knew.
"I'm not alone," Setsuna insisted with her childlike sincerity and a shrug. A small nekomata appeared from behind a shrub with an inquisitive mew. "Rei accompanied me."
Summoned by the mention of its name, the nekomata trodded over and rubbed his body against Kagome as if trying to placate her. The little shit had been missing in action since the battle began, but his bloodsoaked fur insinuated he might have been otherwise occupied.
"It's a small comfort," Kagome admitted. Other chastisements ran through her mind, but there would be another time for that. Hopefully. "We must return to the village," she said with a shake of her head. "I need a weapon and to get you somewhere safe!" Sesshomaru could take care of Fan Tsenpo, but Kagome could not run around defenseless in the midst of this massacre.
The girl reached down to her side, loosened the ties, and brought up her small sword. "I have my claws, mother. You can use my blade." It was small
wakizashi that Sesshomaru had given her for practice. A real sword would have been much too large.
Kagome smiled softly, a mother's pride bloomed within, but she could not take her child's weapon. "I've no gift for swordplay, Setsuna. Though I appreciate the gesture." She'd never learned to use a sword-had no reason to. The bow had always been her go-to weapon and had never failed her in the past. Nevertheless, hindsight was begging to nag at her.
Setsuna seemed to catch wind of a foul smell and scrunched her nose. Her dark eyes looked Kagome up and down, noticing her mother's garb, among other things. Kagome bit her lip and fidgeted, adjusting the elaborate hankimono in an attempt to pull it down. The child could probably smell her shame but was still too young to understand what she was sensing.
She stood on wobbly legs, but the pain - the physical pain - had dissipated. They couldn't be too far from the village, and Rei was here now to aid with speed. He, at least, was useful for that.
The nekomata gave a mew, bobbing its head. He was engulfed in blue flames as he transformed into a snarling beast. Kneeling on his front legs, he allowed Kagome onto his back. Setsuna needed no such assistance, jumping on behind her mother with a graceful leap.
"To the village, Rei!" Kagome held on while Rei roared and bounded through the air, dodging trees and the like.
They had avoided the top of the forest tree canopy. That would have left them open to attack from any of their keen-eyed enemies. Coming in through the forest was the best way to avoid any surprises.
Reid stopped just inside the forest line, looking about for trouble. The clearing before the village was quiet except for the caw of carrion birds that circled lazily in the sky, awaiting their turn to feast upon the bodies that lay as they had died out in that field.
Kagome sucked in a breath to see the carnage. What had she expected? The taijiya and village militia were no match outright for an army of battle-hardened demi-yokai. Moreover, the new generation of slayers, trained as they were to combat yokai, typically only dealt with minor yokai and rarely in significant numbers.
There were only a couple of taijiya lying upon the field. Mostly villagers, armed with pitchforks and axes, had succumbed to the greater enemy here. But, much to her chagrin, Kagome saw no indication that any of the hanyo had fallen here.
A light touch on Kagome's shoulder caused her to jerk. "Sorry," Setsuna whispered, noticing her mother's startle. "They're close. I can hear them over there."
Kagome glanced at her daughter over her shoulder and followed where she pointed. "Quickly then. Before the battle spills back this way." Kagome slid from Rei's back and grabbed Setsuna by the waist to help her down. The girl didn't need help but accepted it regardless. Kagome grabbed her hand, covering in a vice-like grip that was powered by a mother's concern.
She sprinted through the clearing with Setsuna in tow, her head on a constant swivel. Rei had returned to his kitten-sized form, tailing after them.
There had to be a bow in the training hall. Kohaku, the taijiya leader, had built the hall not long ago to accommodate the growing number of trainees. There were likely weapons there as well. Hopefully, a bow was among their numbers.
Thankfully the hall wasn't far and was easy to pick out, being the largest building in the village. Kagome was out of breath by the time they arrived, not from exertion but from the constant rise and fall of panic that gripped her. She had spotted a female hanyo stalking the road before the hall. The woman had a menacing look etched on her face as her searching eyes roved around looking for someone to toy with. Kagome had noticed her claws were drenched with blood, and the woman was looking for another victim to whet her appetite for gore.
There had to be people all around, hiding in their houses, all bunkering down in fear from this formidable enemy. Yet, the female seemed to be waiting for someone to come out.
Kagome worried that the female would catch her scent and come running. She couldn't risk anything happening to Setsuna. With quick thinking, she'd bent down and found a sizable stone on the ground, squeezing it in her palm for good measure. It would do.
The entrance to the hall was on the side of the road where the hanyo was stalking, and the female didn't seem as though she would leave the area any time soon. The nekomata bristled, his hackles up, and a soft cat-like moan floated through the air to indicate his aggravation. She glared down at Rei, willing him to hush. This was no time for him to be fierce. Not when it could place all of their lives at risk.
Kagome took the stone into her palm, and she looked down at her daughter. She glanced at her hand with the rock and then towards where the hanyo was on the other side of the building. Setsuna nodded her understanding.
Kagome edged to the end of the building and peered around, seeing the female standing and observing one of the houses. Maybe the hanyo was thinking about ripping it apart to find the people hiding within. Or perhaps she was waiting for a brave opponent to appear. Either way, Kagome wasn't planning on sticking around long enough to find out, even if she had a mind to let something like that happen in the first place.
Kagome took the rock and threw it with all her might as high and as far as possible. It landed with a noisy clatter, and the female swiveled and ran to investigate the noise, allowing Kagome the opportunity to sprint inside the hall with Setsuna without notice.
The female was distracted for the moment, but they still had to hurry. "Look for a bow and arrows," Kagome instructed. She felt a tug and realized she would need to release her grip on Setsuna's captured hand. She closed her eyes tightly and let go, watching as Setsuna set out to search for a weapon with Rei following her closely. It would be alright, she assured herself.
The hall was in disarray. The weapons had been picked clean, leaving little behind. The odds of finding a bow seemed slim. Kagome had felt the tinge of panic creep up. The thoughts of where else to look and how to get there unnoticed clawed at her, but there had to be something.
"Mother!" Setsuna whispered urgently.
Kagome was quietly looking through a mess of discarded weapons that had been deemed unusable by Kohaku and looked over to her daughter's beckoning. The girl wore a triumphant grin and held a bow aloft. Kagome felt relief flood through herself and mouthed "arrows" before continuing to search.
It would seem that all of the arrows worthy of use had been taken. All that was left had broken shafts, we're unfletched, or lacking arrowheads. Kagome grabbed up a couple without heads, deeming them useful enough to put a hole in the soft flesh of an enemy. It would hurt more if it punctured, but Kagome wasn't concerned with the hanyos' pain tolerance at this moment. This would have to do.
"What are we going to do now, Mother?" Setsuna asked. "Where is Father?"
Kagome grabbed the bow from Setsuna and then pulled the girl's kosode, nearly throwing her into the wall. She made a shushing motion with her finger and pointed to the entrance of the training hall where the female hanyo had come to investigate.
Dammit! She should not have loitered so long in the training hall. The female hanyo probably followed their scent after inspecting the noise from the rock she'd thrown and come up empty-handed. Maybe she should have sent Rei out to be a distraction. At least he could have led the female away, but Kagome hoped to utilize him later, so that wasn't an option at this point. The nekomata crouched at Setsuna's feet, his fur rising along his back like the cat he resembled.
Kagome was crouched low against the wall with Setsuna beside her. The young girl looked concerned but ready for battle. Her small hand gripped at the hilt of her wakizashi, prepared to attack this enemy. It was agonizing to think of her nearly six-year-old daughter attacking a full-grown opponent. The child was nothing like a five-year-old; she was much taller and appearing to be at least ten in age. Setsuna's mental faculties were sharp but still somewhat reminiscent of her age.
Kagome knew this would be up to her. Her back was pressed against the wall, and she could feel footsteps reverberating through the wooden floor planks. The female could not see Kagome nor Setsuna yet, but the pair would be visible once she got closer.
Kagome readied the bow. It was already strung by some merciful form of luck, discarded for whatever reason, perhaps fate. The arrow she had was a separate issue. The balance was off since it lacked a head, but she would need to make due.
"I can smell you and your brat, mortal woman!" The hanyo's raspy voice called. "Come out and play."
Kagome didn't know about playing, but she would definitely come out. She stood and leveled the arrow, the fletching tickling her cheek. Her eyes glowed white as holy power flowed through her and into the arrow, thankfully within reach at this moment. "Play with this!" She yelled, losing the shaft and watching it fly into the female's shoulder.
The hanyo had attempted to stop the shot, but it went through her and erupted into a white light that consumed the female into a writhing scream of agony upon the floor.
Kagome grabbed up Setsuna's hand again as the girl gawked at the sight, her jaw agape. She pulled her around the dying hanyo that twitched and moaned as they passed out the door to the empty road of the village.
"That was gruesome!" Setsuna admitted. "Can I do that?"
Kagome gaped at her child's fascination with battle but chalked it up to Sesshomaru's teachings. "Yes, I think you can with practice." She rechecked their surroundings and took a steadying breath. "Now, Rei will get you away from here."
Setsuna looked appalled. "No! I want to help!"
"You will be helping by staying safe!" She urged, her words angry. "I need to go back to your father, and-and I cannot concentrate if I am constantly worried about you."
The girl wasn't having it. She balled her hands into fists. "No, I can help."
Kagome grabbed Setsuna, cupping her face with gentle hands. She looked down into those petulant blue eyes. "You are helping by being safe. Your father would never forgive me for letting anything happen to you." She hoped that using Setsuna's admiration and love for Sesshomaru may persuade her to listen.
The girl had a frown, the corners of her mouth downturn into an uncharacteristic look. Tears were in her eyes. "Don't be silly. He is never mad at you."
"Then he would be mad at you for disobeying."
The girl's eyes widened at the prospect. Kagome had found her weakness, fear of her father's disapproval as if the girl had ever once been subjected to that. Sesshomaru may be a little brusque, but he was never outright dismissive to his daughter. She turned her head - pulling herself from Kagome's hands - and looked away from her under brow in a sullen manner but said nothing more.
Kagome beckoned for Rei to come close. "Good girl," She said to the child once it seemed she had acquiesced.
Rei transformed and waited for further instructions. Kagome made certain Setsuna was seated upon the nekomata back. "Go swiftly. Don't stop for anyone."
Setsuna didn't look fearful. Instead, she looked angry but had chosen silence rather than beg to accompany Kagome.
Rei took off quickly, lifting into the air to climb into the winds where the attack risk was negligible. Kagome clutched at her chest, watching her child disappear into the sky, and whispered a silent prayer. The thought of Fan or any of his goons getting ahold of her darling child sent chills through her. She could only imagine what the sick bastard would do to Setsuna, even more after what he'd already done to her. Her knees trembled at the memory, but she pushed it away for now and ran.
Her steps wobbled as she dashed to the perimeter of the village, not because she was weak or tired or afraid but because the ground trembled from an impact. A silence hushed over the area, all signs of skirmish forgotten for a moment. Even the carrion birds overhead had disappeared.
Kagome felt her heart sink. There was still a battle, but it was a battle of Titans more likely. Her direction shifted, turning on her heel to rush to the new location. She knew that this was where she was needed, and she would put an arrow into the bastard's chest once and for all.
A/N: Well, I mean...this chapter may be considered filler but it is leading in the direction we need to go. I mean, Kag is pretty capable but she can't conjure up weapons out of thin air ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The next chapter is intense, I think. I'll try to post it next Friday or maybe earlier. Who knows.
As always, thanks for the kind words and support from readers!