Update (November 2020): Chapter edited and lengthened!
Chapter 38: A Modern Red Riding Hood Snatched by Edo's Big Bad Wolf
Quick Recap:
The journey for the shards of the Shikon-no-Tama and Naraku continues steadily along, and our band of adventurers grows with the additions of Shippō, a young fox demon who previously played a trickster robber, Miroku, an itinerant monk cursed with the fatal Wind Tunnel, and Sango, a demon slayer whose entire hidden village was needlessly slaughtered by a demon horde, leaving her, her possessed younger brother Kohaku and her twin-tail cat companion Kilala the sole survivors.
Fake Water Gods, worm charmers, taunting memories, a misunderstood half-demon giant and the misguided actions of an undead priestess. These are but a few of the events experienced by this misfit group...And let's not forget of course the more recent encounter with Tōtōsai, a demon blacksmith responsible for forging the infamous Tessaiga, and its counterpart, Tenseiga.
After yet another battle between the dog demon half-brothers, ending with Inuyasha successfully tapping into the Wind Scar, and Sesshōmaru being forced away by the power of his inherited blade, situations change for the grimmer when Rin - a young orphan living a rather melancholy existence - is viciously killed in a wolf raid. Thankfully, the older son of the Great Dog Demon is compelled by Tenseiga to resurrect her spirit, giving the little human a second chance at life...
Meanwhile, her old home is torn to shreds - figuratively and literally - by the wild canines led by the unnamed wolf demon, and the gruesome scene would soon be discovered by our protagonists when they follow a trail towards another shard of the fabled Jewel of Four Souls.
Now...
The wolf demon finally breaks the staring contest between himself and the souls over yonder, turning his eyes down at his fallen comrades and feeling his anger grow.
"How dare you. (Looks up) Why did you slaughter my wolves?"
Coraline moves closer to her companion to warn him of the power the other demon carries.
"Be caref'l, Inuyasha. This man has three shar-"
He interrupts her to address the wolf demon.
"So you're the one controlling this bloodthirsty pack!"
"And you're their executioner? Damn you all for murdering my underlings. You will pay with your lives."
"Go ahead and try it! How many innocent people have you and your mongrels killed? You reek of human blood."
The leader replies casually,
"They needed to eat. Got a problem with that, mutt-face?"
Inuyasha sputters,
"Di-Did you just call me a mutt?!"
"No, you're right, that would be an insult to canines. You smell much worse!"
"(Bitter smirk) Keh, don't like my smell? (Frown) Then how 'bout I solve your problem by slicin' off your nose and stabbin' some air into your belly!"
On that note, Inuyasha leaps forward to make the first attack, pulling out his Tessaiga with the intention of cutting down his new opponent any way he can...However, the wolf demon proved to be speedier than past enemies, and leaps into the air before spinning back down in a whirlwind, landing a kick to the half-demon's face!
(WHAP)
"Gyaaah!"
Inuyasha slides backwards, leaving Miroku and Sango amazed by the wolf demon's skill.
"Unreal!"
"He's fast..."
Coraline once again tries to warn her friend of the hidden power, and manages to get the full message out.
"Inuyasha, be car'ful! This man has th' power of the Shikon-no-Tama in 'is legs and right arm!"
The wolf demon looks back at her in surprise.
She can tell...!
Meanwhile, Inuyasha mumbles as he rose to a stand,
"Why didn't you say so earlier," then calls to his opponent,
"I thought you were actin' tough, but it's only 'cause you have jewel shards. You don't got any power on your own, do ya?"
"Kuh, well you gotta know how to use that power, you whinin' whelp!"
"If only you can fight as fast as you can talk, then we can get somewhere."
"Shut up, ya albino runt!"
"You outta be put down for rabies!"
Miroku comments,
"They seem well-matched for foul behaviour..."
"...He's, a wolf demon."
He turns to the slayer and asks,
"You've encountered them before?"
The wolf demon then introduces himself, albeit threateningly.
"I'm Kōga, the new leader of the Wolf Demon Tribe, and your destroyer!"
As the wolf and dog continue their battle, Sango dispels her knowledge about the tribe in question to the monk.
"I've heard about them from other demon slayers. They're demons who control wolves. Although they appear human, they're no different than the wolves they command."
...And speaking of wolves, the ones controlled by Kōga were beginning to creep up towards the others, an action Shippō would fearfully point out.
"Awaaah, they're closing in!"
"...Kilala."
The cat demon bounds up in front, and she lets out a growl with her fur standing on end, before transforming into her true demon form! Not wanting to take their chances with the more powerful entity, the wolves quickly run away from the area...Shippō watches them go from atop Kilala's shoulders.
"They ran off with their tails between their legs! Now the rest is up to Inuyasha."
Getting back to the said half-dog demon, he tries again to land a blow with Tessaiga, but misses, and gets pushed back by another one of Kōga's kicks...The former then pushes the latter into the air with his own legs, forcing the next blow from Kōga to destroy a hut instead.
(Crash...)
The wolf demon was of course unfazed, and as the wooden planks fall around him, he smirks and jeers,
"Tch, what a joke. You can barely manage to keep up on the defensive, let alone attack."
Inuyasha only grunts, before looking down at his sword in thought.
This would be the perfect time to test out the Wind Scar...
"I'll blast it on this mangy wolf."
So as Kōga begins dashing forward with tremendous speed and power, Inuyasha raises his blade with all the confidence he could muster.
"Hraaaahhhhh!"
When the flow of dark energy collided with the wind, it created the fissure. I can pick up its scent; I can see the Wind Scar!
Let the true power of the Tessaiga be known!
"...Uh!"
"Tessaiga!"
...But before a deciding blow could be given, Kōga freezes, his senses picking up the change in energy.
"Something's wrong!"
"Huh?"
The wolf demon would then retreat backwards, landing atop a roof before calling out to his fellow wolves,
"Let's retreat! This is too dangerous!"
With that, he takes off using his enhanced speed, his pack following none too far behind him...
"Did he, just run away?"
Sango replies to the perplexed half-demon,
"He did," and Coraline adds,
"Guess 'e decided to wave th' white flag..."
...Or maybe...Could that wolf sense Tessaiga's power?
Miroku wonders similarly, walking over to the silverette as the Tessaiga reverts back to its dormant form.
"Inuyasha, were you about to use the Wind Scar in battle with him?"
"(Sheathes sword) Yeah, but the coward upped and ran away. I guess he was all talk and no action."
"Makes me wonder..."
"Whaddo you mean?"
"Well, I wonder if Kōga sensed the power of Tessaiga before it would hit him? Maybe his instincts warned him he was in danger."
Sango then says,
"Well if that's the case, then it's not just brute strength we're up against."
...
...
The sky soon lets go of its blue hues and gives way to the reds, oranges and purples of the coming twilight, and our group will have finished laying the dead villagers to rest...
"Well, I think that was the last of them."
Inuyasha complains to Miroku as he props up the shovel found in one of the huts,
"Man, all we seem to be doin' lately is burying people. I'm becoming a professional gravedigger expect nobody's payin' me. I can't believe I got suckered into doin' another good Samaritan act..."
"It seems like every time we travel in the direction which Coraline senses the Shikon-no-Tama shards, we come across another village that's been completely annihilated."
Miroku then kneels in front of one grave and sends his prayers while adding,
"Battling to claim the Shikon-no-Tama shards has brought nothing but tragedy, and countless innocent villagers have lost their lives because of it."
"...So what?"
"So, what? So while I believe it is a worthwhile venture to take possession of the jewel shards before Naraku or before any other demon can, I cannot approve of your seeking the shards in order to become a full-fledged demon...That is all I'm saying."
"Kuh, don't start that up again. You're not winnin' points for persistence. I'm gonna become a full-fledged demon no matter what anybody says, so quit trying to stop me!"
With that, Inuyasha walks away, leaving the monk alone in the new graveyard with his thoughts.
...The power of the Shikon-no-Tama can be used for good or for evil, but think things through carefully, Inuyasha.
In all of our travels together, have you ever heard of anyone finding happiness while holding the Shikon-no-Tama?
No good will come from it. It is a power fueled through darkness, and blood...
After another hour, a hut would be cleared out to be used as a temporary shelter for the night...Coraline and Shippō are seen gathering up some logs of wood for the fire crackling inside, while also discussing the tribe named by the demon Kōga before he retreated.
"So Shippō, wha're your insights regardin' the Wolf Demon Tribe? Have you encountered them before?"
"Oh yeah. They live in packs up in the mountains, and they think they're superior demons. They bully other demons off their land, and claim it as their own territory...Smaller demons like me were driven out, and had to find shelter elsewhere because the Wolf Demon Tribe took possession of the mountains, and they guard then ruthlessly."
The taller redhead nods with curiousity shining in her eyes, along with another emotion that could not be identified.
"Fascinating...What abou' that Kōga figure? Is he a familiar face?"
"Hah, there are so many branches of the Wolf Demon Tribe. Kōga bragged to us that he was their new leader, so, maybe he caused an upstart and took control of one of the packs by using the power of the jewel shards."
"Hmm, tha' would make sense. He did come off as havin' a rather boastful personality. (...Smile) Thanks for clearin' that up, Shippō. You're pretty knowle'g'ble for someone so young."
The fox demon blushes a bit and replies with a modest smile,
"Heh, thanks."
They enter the hut as Sango finishes stoking the fire in the hearth.
"We brought more fire wood."
"Thank you. We have plenty of firewood for the time being. (Rise) You can put it over there, Coraline. By the way, have you seen Kilala anywhere?"
"Hm? Kilala?...I think I saw her headin' somewhere with Inuyasha a little bit ago...Though I'm not exactly sure why..."
"With him again? She's been following him around constantly lately. I wonder why?"
Inuyasha's POV
Alright, time for another round of practice.
I lead Kilala to an area far enough away from the village so that we could practice the Wind Scar again, something we've begun doing for the last few days since that clash I had with Sesshōmaru. We're now standing a good distance away from eachother, and I pull out Tessaiga at ready...Yet, I couldn't help but think of Miroku's words from earlier this evening.
(Flash)
"...I cannot approve of your seeking the shards in order to become a full-fledged demon...That is all I'm saying."
(Flash)
I shake my head, focusing back on reality.
"Rgh, damn it, come on, concentrate..."
...Tessaiga shifts into its true form, and I shut my eyes as I lift it over my head, sensing for the changes in the air.
"Alright...I can see it: the whirlpool of dark energy...The flow of the dark energy collides and creates the Wind Scar. If I thrust directly at the Wind Scar, I can defeat my enemy with its true power."
...And that's all we really do. I figured it'd be better to focus on training my senses first to detect the Wind Scar, and once I master that, executing the attack will be that much easier...Anyway, I lower my sword and step over to praise the cat demon for her efforts.
"Ha, how 'bout that, Kilala? Perfect form. (Pats her back) It's been great using you for my training with the Tessaiga."
'Course, I gotta be careful not to accidentally unleash it on her. Sango'll give me hell and then some if I hurt her partner in any way, even if unintentionally...
I then pick up on the scent of food cooking back down below.
"I smell dinner. Let's go back and eat."
...But as we begin walking back to the village where Coraline and the others would be, I sense Kilala pausing a moment.
Hm?...Does she sense something?
My own senses weren't picking up anything hostile, so I call her to attention.
"Kilala! What're you waiting for? Come on, it's chow time!"
A few seconds later, she comes up beside me, and we continue down...Though looking back on this moment much later, I'd realize how much further I had to go in terms of detecting danger.
No POV
...Zooming back up the hill and into the treeline, we see what the cat demon had and the dog hadn't: a few of those wolves from Kōga's pack...Seeing all they needed to, they turn and bound back for the mountains where their leader would be waiting...They reach the nearest cliff by daybreak, and report to the waiting demon about what they witnessed.
"...I knew it. That sword of his uses some kind-a weird magic. Damn it, my fur's still standing on end thinkin' about it!"
Stifling his shudders, Kōga then smirks and says to himself,
"But at least I know what to do next."
His thoughts turn to Coraline:
That girl has the power to see the Shikon-no-Tama shards...
I could put her skills to some very good use.
About an hour or two later, down below and further into the mountain valley, we find Inuyasha and company on a new mission to track down the wolf demon and procure his jewel shards, somehow. The half-demon is seen several feet ahead of his comrades, nose to the ground as he hones in on the particular scent trail.
"(Sniff, sniff-sniff...) Alright: I've picked up the scent of the wolves. I'll be able to lead us right to them, no problem!"
(Flash)
"No, you're right, that would be an insult to canines. You smell much worse!"
(Flash)
Just thinking about the insulting attitude of Kōga made Inuyasha bristle with a barely-contained rage.
"That cocky bastard; I can't believe that he call me a mutt...!"
...As he continues along, we fall back to Coraline's position, she walking up the mountain path with Shippō on her shoulder. Today, she's chosen muted moss green khaki pants, a camel brown tank top and her black combat boots, while her dark red hair is tied back in a low ponytail. They watch Inuyasha's actions for a moment, before the fox demon comments,
"I don't blame him for being upset over being called a mongrel, but when he's sniffing the ground, he sure looks like one."
"Auh! Shippō, that's rude."
No amount of scolding from the taller ginger would save the shorter from the silverette's wrath.
"I heard that, Shippō! Come here and say that, I dare ya!"
He ducks behind Coraline with a yelp and says with astonishment in his tone,
"He can hear me from that distance?! What a bloodhound! Talk about canine power."
"...Canines are carnivorous! Remember that, ya little runt!"
The young Croft facepalms and calls out in an annoyed tone,
"Boys, if we can foc's back on our curr'n' objective, please..."
While those three were traveling ground-level, Sango and Miroku were flying not too far behind on Kilala...
"Hm, do you fell that? There's something very ominous in the air."
The slayer nods at the monk's observation.
"So you sense something too? (Turn) Kilala's been very restless lately..."
"...I feel a very foreboding energy approaching. Seems different from the wolves."
"Do you think another demon is near?"
In accordance to such a possibility, the twin-tail's ears twitch, and she looks up to see an aviary shape passing overhead...Eventually, they catch up with Inuyasha, Coraline and Shippō.
"It's about time you guys arrived. Can ya fly any slower?"
Ignoring the half-demon's sarcastic greeting, Miroku asks him in a serious tone,
"Inuyasha, can you smell or hear anything unusual about this area?"
Still brooding over the fox demon's comments and yesterday's insult from Kōga, he barks back,
"Oh, so I'm your faithful terrier all of a sudden? Wondering if I sniffed out a scent or heard something with my little doggy ears? Damn, you guys piss me off, every single one of you!"
"Auh, relax! I'm simply asking of you sense another presence in the area like we do."
...Kilala suddenly lets out a growl and looks upward, and Sango follows her direct of sight.
"Look everybody, up there!"
"Hm?"
Peering their way...we spot a pack of wolves bounding down the side of the mountain...only to pounce at Inuyasha and send him over the cliff-side!
"Aaaarrrrhhhh!"
"Inuyasha!"
"...Sango!"
The monk hurries to block away a few charging wolves with his staff, and the slayer joins in on cracking down against of the canines that stayed to attack them with her giant boomerang...Poor Coraline could only watch with worry.
"Miroku, Sango...!"
Where th' hell are d'ese wolves coming from?
...Unless...Uh! That Kōga guy must've known we'd be after 'im!
Meanwhile, Inuyasha curses as he continues to fall downward,
"Damn these wolves! What's goin' on up there?!...Hm? Hey, what is that?"
Just when things couldn't get more chaotic, the silverette sees Kōga running up the side of the chasm!
"See ya later, mutt-face!"
Coraline rushes over to the side of the path to try and locate her half-demon friend.
"Inuyasha!"
(Whoosh)
"Agh!"
She's quickly forced to flinch back when the wolf demon leaps straight up in front of her...
Oh crap!
And before the redhead could even attempt to run or defend herself, Kōga goes in for the kill and snatches her up by her torso!
"Aaah! Hey!"
"Ha! Now she's mine!"
Miroku looms back with shock and worry:
"Coraline!"
He punches away another wolf and cries out for the girl again, but to no avail.
Coraline's POV
Aah, curse me luck! How do I get outta this one?!
That damn wolf demon Kōga is now carrying me away over his shoulder, taking us in the direction of the cliff edge...
"Wait, (...eyes bulge) oh hell no, y' can't be serious!"
He's gonna jump the chasm?!
"This cliff is nothin' to me: I got Shikon-no-Tama shards in my legs!"
I feel my voice get caught in my throat, too stunned to scream as he jumps from the edge and over to the other side!...Of course, he obviously couldn't jump high enough to reach the top, but we did make it to the chasm wall, barely.
(Crash)
"Gggrrh!"
...Is it over?
Opening my eyes, I'd immediately bulge them again when I see just how far up from the lower valley we really were.
Heav'ns t' Murgatroyd!
The fear of course is short-lived once I refocus on the one responsible for the crazy stunt, and I yell at him with scorn,
"What th'a hell's wrong with yea?! Are yeu trying t' get us killed?! (Squirm) Le' me go!"
"You're the one who's gonna die if I let go, so quit struggling and hang on!"
"Damn you...!"
Knowing that he was right, I stay still as he leaps up the rock face and onto solid ground...He finally stops when we reach the path of the other side of this chasm, and wastes no time to gloat on his success.
"Ha, that'll learn 'im. No one can keep up with my legs."
I retort bitterly,
"Well no duh: yeu have jewel shards embedded in your legs, genius. If anything, you're chea'in' nature by using them!"
"What did you just say?"
"What's yo'r gambit, anyway? What do you wan' with me? (Squirm) Better yet, pu' me down so I can bitch-slap yae for scarin' the crap outta me with that daredevil jump!"
I kick my legs as I try to get off his shoulder, but he just huffs and tightens his grip on me...
Suddenly, a huge shadow flew overhead us, causing me to freeze up.
"...Uh...Okay, I don't rememb'a birds being tha' big...Wait, (turn) don't tell me: d'ere's more than wolf demons like you in these mountains, isn't there?!"
It wouldn't even be two minutes before I get my answer, in the form of some rather large bird-like entities flying past us! They looked like two demons in one, the bottom representing a round ugly bird with sharp teeth, while the top half had blue-skinned upper bodies with talons for hands, pointed ears and long black hair on the female varieties.
"Wha' da hell are those, the ugly cousin of harpies?!"
"Dunno about harpies, but they're definitely not finches, I can tell you that much, and I bet they want dinner...See if any of them have a jewel shard. Can you tell?"
"What?"
"I know you have the power to see jewel shards. Do those demon birds have any?"
...Of bloody course. That's why 'e took me.
Barely biting down a groan of aggravation at my seemingly cursed fate as a GPS, I look up at the demons in question and use my special quirk.
"(Sheen...) Nothin's on me radar."
"Take a good look. Not even the ones over the cliff?"
"(Looks right) Nope."
"Fine then. I have no use for 'em."
I cringe from the pressure in his speed dash, and he calls tauntingly over his free shoulder,
"See ya, buzzard-brains! We're outta here!"
...
...
Eventually, we reach the hideaway of the Demon Wolf Tribe (or one of them at least), it being a large cave hidden behind a beautiful waterfall...
"Huh? Hey, it's Kōga! Kōga's come back!"
"Hey! Kōga!"
He slides into a stop and calls back,
"Hey guys, I'm back."
I look up once my nausea wavers, and see dozens of wolves and wolf demons scattered across the landscape...
Oooh yeah, this is definitely d'eir hideout...I better start comin' up with an escape plan, or I'm screwed!
Earlier, Inuyasha's POV
God dammit, I'm not gonna get bested by a bunch'a mangy wolves!
As I kept falling down to the river with the wolves, I shout irritably,
"Let go of me!"
...Oddly enough, they did as soon as I splashed into the water...I emerge with a slight sputter and curse,
"They're gonna pay for what they did...Huh?"
I spot those lousy canines standing on a nearby ledge, and they just stare at me for a second, before taking off...
"Where are they going?"
Eventually, Miroku came down to help me out of the river using his staff...
"Man, I really got washed downriver..."
The monk then says something that made my hair stand on end.
"It seems that Kōga's plan was to kidnap Coraline all along."
What?!
"She's gone?...That's why the wolves retreated: their master got what he wanted, so there was no use staying!"
"So it would appear."
...Coraline...
I then hear Kilala's growl, and turn to see her and Sango fly down towards us.
"Sango! Any sign of Coraline?"
They land on the ground as she replies to the monk,
"I almost caught up with them, but I ran into some heavy interference."
"With what?"
She takes us over to where she killed some freaky-looking bird demon...
"What're these things?"
"Are they birds?"
Sango answers both our questions:
"I dunno, but they weren't just ten or twenty of them. They covered the entire sky."
"So, these creatures explain the foreboding energy we sensed."
"I imagine these mountain peaks are their territory."
"If Sango found these flying demons a challenge, then we may have more than just the Wolf Demon Tribe to worry about..."
Damn it, first wolves, now crazy birds...?
Suddenly, I hear something pop, followed by a wailing sound that kind-a reminded me of the squirt...We turn around, spotting a mushroom as the source, which Miroku recognizes instantly.
"Those are Shippō's warning signs...!"
I add on,
"I noticed the little runt was missing. He must've been captured with Coraline."
"They're leading straight into those mountains."
(Pop, pop, pop...)
I began leading the charge down the trail left behind by that energetic fox demon.
"We've got no time to waste, let's go!"
Hang in there, Coraline. I'll save you!
Coraline's POV
Wolves, everywhere...Hoh-kay, deep breaths, girl.
Shortly after greeting his fellows, Kōga would begin leading me into the cave, keeping a good hold on my upper right arm so I couldn't run off...
"Hey, Kōga! Who's the woman?"
I frown in distaste at the lusty growls and menacing smiles, and try to focus more on the environment rather than its inhabitants.
This place kind-a reminds me of some images construct'd by Anthropologists of how our hum'n ancestors may have lived.
Animal furs, simple weap'nry...and skeletons every which way.
(Shudder) I can't even tell if th' bones are human, animal or demon...
I'm then shoved onto a pile of hay, and I scramble to my knees while glaring at them all with my own growl...
"Nice-lookin' prey there, Kōga. Can I have one of the legs?"
"I'm calling first dibs on the liver..."
I ball my fists on the defense at such blunt desires.
Crap! Don't tell me I gotta figh' my way past these hungry wolves!?
Lucky for me, Kōga had a different opinion.
"This woman is off-limits. I'll kill anyone who tries to take a bite."
They all cringe back with nervous expressions, obviously not wanting to challenge his authority...I then remind myself,
Oh yeah, tha's right: he captured me because o' my ability to sense the Shikon-no-Tama, so I wouldn' be good for anything if I was dead...
Well, whatever keeps me off the menu, I guess.
I then notice three of the regular wolves sniffing at Kōga's tail (which I can't say for certain is real or just a part of his loincloth)...He quickly catches onto the behaviour, and pulls it over to his side, revealing a dizzy Shippō!
"Oh yeah, him. I forgot he grabbed onto my tail when I captured the girl. I assumed he fell off..."
Shippō...!
"Guess he didn't. Here, have an appetizer."
He then tosses the lad to the ground, and dozens of wolves surround him!
"Uh-oh. Coraline, heeelp!"
...Seeing the frightened fox demon kit surrounded by those bloodthirsty creatures, I felt something in me snap.
"(Hard glare) Ó ifreann níl!"
I then did one of the bravest, albeit stupidest moves ever: I sprang to my feet, ran past Kōga into the circle of wolves, hoist Shippō into my right arm, and bring out my combat knife for my left in a threatening gesture!
"No' another step, y' flea-bitten bastards! All it'll take is one wrong move, and I'll star' killin' every last one of you wolves! I've done i' before and I can sure as hell do i' again!"
All of the demons widen their eyes at me, and one of Kōga's comrades turns to him and exclaims,
"She's bluffing! There's no way this girl's crazy enough to actually try and fight us, let alone the wolves!"
The less demonic of this pack start snarling at me, but I just growl back fearlessly in return before giving their leader my nastiest glare, my irises glowing the slightest for emphasis...An agonizingly slow minute passes, before he replies to his comrade,
"No...She's serious. I can tell."
"W-What?!"
Kōga then smirks at me and says,
"Well, you've got more guts than I thought..."
I don't reply back, opting to watch him silently as he move towards one of the wolves, seizing it around the middle.
"Come on, move! Whoa...You guys have packed on alot of weight again, you bunch of gluttons. You're not eating anything more for the next couple of days."
He tosses the creature aside, making a path for me back towards the haystack.
"There you go."
I bop my head at him, and sheathe my knife before moving slowly out of the circle, holding my little friend gently to my torso.
"It'll be okay now, Shippō..."
"Coraline...that was amazing what you did!...And a bit crazy..."
I just half-smile at him, before turning to focus on Kōga with a neutral expression.
Well, that could'a gone sideways real fast...but it seems he noticed the seriousness in my eyes...
I still say he's a jerk, but a' least he's somewhat reasonable.
"Move! Move outta the way; we've got injured! Make room!"
"Huh?"
I then turn to see a couple wolf demons bring two of their comrades on wooden stretchers, one of which having lots of gauze wrapped around his upper body.
"What happened out there? Get 'im some water; come on, hurry up!"
I notice the second one had feathers in his hand.
...Oh no. It must've been those freaky bird demons from earli'a.
I wonder how long this tribe has been fighting them?
Kōga asks whom I'm sensing is one of his closer comrades,
"Was it them?"
"Yep. They attacked during the mid-day changing of the watch. Only these two managed to escape. Others fell to their death or were carried away."
Despite being held captive by these beasts, I couldn't help but frown sympathetically.
"Mm, how terrible..."
Kōga turns my way and gives me a briefing of what these demons were.
"You saw them earlier. They called themselves the Birds of Paradise, but they're our archenemies, so this is definitely their doing. They're brutal demons and we lost many to them. Without a warning, they swoop down silently and capture our comrades with their sharp, powerful claws."
"...I assume they're soon used as fodd'r?"
"Correct. We've come across their nests before and found them littered with hundreds of wolf bones."
He sits down on the haystack, and I ask him,
"You've been fighting th'm for'a long time now, haven' you? Are ye not a match for them even with those shards you possess?"
"That's just it: one of the Birds of Paradise possesses their own shard of the Shikon-no-Tama, and now he's even faster than we are. A few weeks ago, he came and killed fifty of our wolves in one fell swoop. It's gotta be the power of the Shikon-no-Tama...At this rate, I'm afraid our packs will be wiped out completely, so we need to restore the balance of power somehow."
"I see...This is where I come in: yeu took me so you can hav'a way of narrowing down which Bird of Paradise has the jewel shard."
"(Nod) You'll scout out the bird with the shard, and then we'll attack its nest and steal it from 'im, otherwise the fighting will continue to drag on and countless lives will be sacrificed senselessly...So, you gonna help us out or, what?"
I exhale a breath and reply,
"...Alrigh'. I'll lend a hand."
Not like I have any other options a' present. If I don't cooperate, I'll become their next meal. Plus, I gotta protect Shippō from becomin' wolf-bait too.
Until I can come up with'e plan to get us back to Inuyasha and the oth'rs alive, I'll jus' have to play nice...
Still, if any one of these canines makes any beelines to attack, (knuckle-crack) I won' show mercy.
Shippō's POV
While Coraline spoke with Kōga, I hop off her shoulder and stood behind her while quirking mentally,
String him along a little while longer, Coraline. The mushrooms are gonna lead Inuyasha and the others straight to us.
"Hey, what's this? Can you eat them?"
I look to the front of me, and yelp at the sight of a huge pile of my mushrooms atop a rock being inspected by one of the other wolf demons!
"These are gross! Don't pick 'em if ya can't eat 'em!"
Hhh! They picked all my mushrooms!
Oh great, now how are they gonna find us?!
Inuyasha's POV
We followed Shippō's mushroom trail further into the valley...but end up at a fork in the road.
"That was the last of the mushrooms..."
I complain,
"Aw man, which way they go? Shippō's stupid trail lead us to the middle of nowhere!"
Sango then says,
"The scent of wolves is all over this place, and I don't have Inuyasha's sense of smell."
Miroku then asks me,
"Tell me, is the scent overpowering or can you pick up Coraline's scent from here?"
Unfortunately, I couldn't find the girl's scent...but I did smell something else.
...Damn.
I stood up straight again, with Miroku asking,
"Inuyasha, what's wrong?"
"...It's not wolf or Coraline...but I'm startin' to smell bird, and lots of 'em."
We look up to the sky, and coming through the clouds were those ugly bird demons from before...
"I don't have time for you right now! I have to rescue Coraline, so get outta my way!"
(Leap)
"Iron Reaver, Soul Stealer!"
(SLASH)
As I cut through one, I look at the others with a growl while thinking to myself,
And after these birds are dealt with, that mangy wolf is next.
He's gonna pay for taking Coraline from me, just he waits!