Dying to Live
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.
Notes: Hello, all. So a few updates on some changes I made to the fic: Those of you who have been reading the story so far will notice that this is the second time I've posted a "Chapter 10." That is because I sat down to look at where I was in the story and decided that I didn't like the flow of the most recent two chapters because of the way divided them. Therefore, I basically cut the original "Chapter 10" in half and put the scene of Rin and Sesshomaru at the stables at the end of "Chapter 9" where I had once envisioned it being in my mind. Now, this new "Chapter 10" starts off with the same entrance of our newest character, Anurak, followed by new material, which is marked with a (*) at the beginning of the paragraph so continuing readers can find it easily. Sorry for the hassle!
The only other change that was made beyond that is that at the beginning of "Chapter 1" where I have provided a "Part I" subtitle and a quote.
:::
Anurak was still relatively new to Japan. To most of us at first glance, he might have seemed like any young traveler striking out in the world, spreading his wings for the first time, a common thing. This was all true, except that Anurak was hardly young or particularly ordinary by most standards, because he was not human but hanyou. Regardless, two years prior, when he had just turned 62 years old, the opportunity came up for him to set out from his homeland for the first time.
So that was how Anurak the hanyou came to find himself somewhere on Honshu, the central island of Japan, watching a cave carved into the side of a cliff and contemplating what would be perhaps the most ill-thought out, boldest thing he had ever done in his life.
It all started about three weeks after he arrived in Japan via a rickety, red-sailed, Chinese fishing barge. He was pleased at last to be traveling away from the coast's salty, fishy odor and back into the forest where he felt more comfortable, when he almost walked right into the path of a massive, black-furred, dog demon. He was relieved as always that when he ducked back into hiding, the terrifying beast went right past him; it appeared that the gift of being a able to blend in with the smell of local flora that came with being part-forest nymph would serve him well in yet another strange land. It was a good thing too, as Anurak later observed that the dark, monstrous demon was apparently on a mission to maim, kill, and/or eat anything larger than a squirrel that came into its path. It was possibly the largest demon the foreign hanyou had ever seen, so it didn't surprise him at all that its hunt was so prolonged. He had decided to follow it, of course always at a safe distance, his desire to know more about demon life in the rest of the world one of the reasons he set out to travel in the first place. He had heard things from other creatures and demons along the way on the continent about the Japanese demons, but this dog demon had exceeded all expectations! He really wanted a chance to talk with some of the demons while he was here, but for the moment, he was willing to just settle on following this one.
Around dawn, he followed the demon back to its lair. The cave in the cliff side was where it apparently went inside to sleep until nightfall. Also tired from a night of wandering, Anurak climbed to the top of the tree he hid in and fell asleep basking in the heat of the sun.
With no specific agenda for his travels, Anurak remained in his treetop until sundown. When he awoke, he climbed down the branches a bit, curious to see if the demon would hunt again that night. Almost an hour passed and Anurak was just getting ready to move on, when he noticed movement. A silhouetted figure appeared at the mouth of the cave. It was far too small to be the dog demon. Once again intrigued, he endeavored to follow it. It ambled through the underbrush, shifting between crouched, animal-like movements and walking partially erect, at which point it was no taller than a human. Its shadowy body was strangely lumpy and moved unexpectedly, so that Anurak had no idea what kind of demon it could be.
Then, it entered a clearing. Cautious about staying out of sight, Anurak hung back in the dark brush, as it stood up, stepped into the opening, and pushed down the hood covering its head. The clouds rolled back from the moon, and then Anurak saw: a demoness wearing a burlap cloak belted at the waist with a cord of rice threshes. The cloak was coarse and absolutely filthy, as was the she-demon, but in her matted hair she wore one pure, white feather that shone in the moonlight.
Anurak was already holding his breath at the sight of this wild being, when she lifted one arm toward the feather. Her sleeve fell back revealing raw, bloody flesh. Anurak's stomach twisted as the wound gleamed, its unhealthy wetness caught in the lunar rays. A gasp escaped him, and automatically the she-demon turned in his direction, feather in mid grasp. Quickly, he shrunk back further into the juniper bush under which he hid. The demoness waited several minutes just peering into the trees before she turned to go, dropping the feather so it expanded and took her away into the sky. Anurak was terrified, but he also noticed two sets of things: two eyes like garnets and the dark bruises that surrounded them.
(*) Anurak's thoughts drifted back to him on the ledge. Yes, it was those startling rhinestone-like eyes that had captivated him all day and were probably about to get him killed too. That was because Anurak had decided that he was going to save her.
He realized all too well that there were already several inherent flaws in his plan. First among them that she might not need saving at all. In that case, any being tough enough to willingly cohabitate with that bloodthirsty dog demon was almost certainly tough enough to tear a half-forest nymph to shreds as well. Then, of course, there was the threat that even if he did successfully spirit the demoness away, the beast might eventually come looking for its companion…
However, Anurak had decided he couldn't just forget about the mysterious demoness with the dirty, battered face and striking eyes. An image of his mother standing knee deep in rice paddy water leapt into his mind. Her sleeves and pant legs were rolled up, and she was reaching down to tend the little plants. "Never walk away from someone who needs your help, Anurak. Each being is significant and deserves to be treated that way," she had taught him. That was how he had learned.
So the hanyou puffed up his courage and crept down off the rocks. He had watched the dog demon stalk into the blackness of the forest several minutes before and had listened closely for any sign of its return. Deliberately, quietly, he tried to channel all the stealth of a sly kitsune demon. Still, he crossed the open space between the cliff-face and the cavernous opening with nervous rapidity. He clung to a small crevice by the mouth of the cave and pricked up his ears once more to make sure no one was coming. In one fluid motion, he dropped down into a tactical crouch and began his expedition into the stony cavity.
For several minutes he crept through dank darkness over cold, jagged rocks. It was far too dim to see properly, so the hanyou felt his way along the leftward wall of the cave as he moved. Thankfully the floor evened out for several paces, until he stumbled over something long, hard and dry. A hollow, percussive clatter echoed off the passage walls as the jostled object apparently knocked into others of its kind lying on the cave floor. Anurak cringed and waited for the sound to die away, replaced once more with silence. He sighed heavily, relieved that no response was triggered by the sound. He forced himself to relax enough to take one step forward, cautiously hoping to avoid more obstacles. He lowered his foot slowly and suddenly felt sick when his toes made contact with another of the same smooth, oblong objects. He traced the edge of it with his big toe and immediately recoiled as the image of what it was registered: bone. Losing his nerve and almost the contents of his stomach, the hanyou fell into the wall, his gaze darting here and there, as he wished in terror that he could throw off the impenetrable darkness like a too hot robe. Other living things had died in this cave. Any minute, I could die here too, his mind screamed.
That also meant that he idle in one place even less, though. He cast a longing look over his shoulder in the direction of the exit. With a will he didn't know he had, he suppressed the urge to retreat and told himself he had come too far to go back. Shaking wildly, he thrust his foot toward the floor once more. Sharp little bits of skeleton crunched between his toes, and his flight response became too much to bare. He jumped involuntarily and then barreled into the unseen, snapping and cracking with each clumsy stride. He was just picturing his own fleshless frame joining the collection beneath his feet when a glowing spot appeared to his right. Tripping loudly, he clawed his way along the wall, still dying a little bit with every crunch of the innumerable bones. The wall took a sudden jog as he approached the light, and he saw that the passageway now narrowed by half, creating an entrance way. Just out of sight there seemed to be another chamber lit with a fire, judging by the flickering, reflective quality of the light.
Holding his breath, Anurak slowly peeked around the edge of the stone. There in the center of the high-ceilinged chamber a fire burned, the blaze casting shadows around the cracks and spaces in the rocky walls. At last, he also had a visual of the sheer number of bones that littered the cave. They carpeted the floor in their dull, off-whiteness from wall-to-wall and right up to the edge of the fire, where the flames licked and blackened them with carbon. The room was a little warmer than it had been outside or in the passageway, but that was the only redeeming quality. A stale stench pervaded the place, serving as a further olfactory reminder that it was basically a huge tomb. Embers in the fire snapped, and already on edge, Anurak swung his attention in that direction. His sight focused beyond the lap of the flames though: there slumped a shrunken form with a weather-worn cangue collaring its neck. The right wrist was also encased in the cangue, while the other, left arm, the angry, red wound of which he recognized, hung free at the side of her body. It was beyond obvious that she not staying there of her own accord. Stumbling over a few skulls of deer and horses, Anurak drew closer to the crumpled being.
Carefully, he leaned forward, extending a reluctant hand to part the filthy hair that hung like a mop over her eyes. As he made contact, he flinched involuntarily, fearful that she would awaken and rip his arm off in hostility. Instead, thankfully unimpeded, he lifted the fringe to reveal the smudged and swollen visage he had reimagined so many times that evening. He knelt to get a better look at her face, trying to discern her true appearance. At the moment, with her features slack from unconsciousness, she looked so worn and vulnerable. Who was she really? Free of all the marring bruises, she might be quite stunning, he thought.
His heart nearly leapt into his throat, at the unexpected flicker of her eyelids. He continued to gently hold her bangs back, like one holding back a lace curtain in anticipation of seeing the rising sun. Her dark lashes slowly slid back, and he knelt lower again to look into the fiery gems he expected to see there. However, it was like the ocean had dashed out the sun or fog had smothered the morning light, for he now gazed instead into two emotionless, dull, grey orbs.
Too shocked, the hanyou forgot all caution, as he stared directly into her eyes. They had been deep red before. He had been sure of it, beyond a shadow of a doubt! Indeed, it was partially because of their startling shade that her stare had continued to pierce his heart all day. How now had they been drained of all color? Had someone blinded her in the last day?
It seemed to Anurak like he was just about a little too late in every way to save her. Aside from the possible blindness, wounds, and abusive bruises, she was malnourished and apparently mentally vacant tonight. Indeed, she might have been looking at him, at least in his general direction, but it was as if she wasn't seeing anything at all. Her half-opened eyes remained eerily unfocused, and her head lolled unchecked to one side. He couldn't believe the change in her since the previous evening and was just beginning to wonder if she was actually on the edge of death. Then, a conscious thought suddenly swam up from deep within her, briefly animating her. She swallowed dryly and for a second her jaw worked before she managed croak out a few jumbled words.
"Wait, wait! What did you say?" Anurak panicked, putting an encouraging hand to her face before he watched her slip back under. However, he immediately realized that she hadn't understood a word he said, as he had forgotten to speak in Japanese.
Frustrated with himself, he timidly brushed her less banged-up cheek a few times with his fingertips, hoping she would reawaken, but it was to no avail. He then leaned back on his haunches and studied the heavy, padlocked cangue chaffing into her neck and wrist admitting to himself that there was no way he could easily carry her away wearing that unwieldy thing. Hopelessly, he looked around the cave a few times, as if the answer of what to do next would just jump out at him. Miraculously, it did: just about a foot within the fire, an unnaturally bright-hot ember caught his eye. The key! He wanted to jump up and scream. As it was, he slipped on the carpet of bones scrambling toward the blaze.
The key was just a little too far in for him to knock it out of the flames with just any of the bones. He'd have to find one long enough. For a few minutes, he kicked around some of the bones in search of one the right shape and length. As he looked around, he thought about how whoever or whatever had locked her up evidently had total confidence in the fact that she would be too weak to get up and get the key herself, even though it was in plain sight. This likewise indicated a firm belief that apparently no one cared enough about her to come looking for her either. Sick, he thought.
After a moment, he found what appeared to have been part of the rib cage of a large buck. The bone was the perfect shape, long and slender with a tapered curve at the end that looked like it would fit through the hole at the top of the key. He approached the fire and carefully lowered the curved end into the flames and successfully poked the tip through the key's hole. He gripped the bone tightly to avoid dropping it into the fire. This was wise, because just as he dragged the key to the fire's edge, a loud scuffling sound coming from the entrance of the cave nearly made Anurak jump a mile out of his skin.
Immediately, the hanyou just felt like dying on the spot. Without even seeing it, he knew it was the beast. He only had a matter of moments to act. He looked down at the key, still glowing red-hot at his feet.
Soon, the monster's dark frame abruptly filled the cave. From its massive fangs hung the limp body of an adult bear. The dog dropped the carcass between its feet and ravenously set upon it. Anurak felt as though he was going to pass out watching it noisily peel off hulking pieces of flesh that looked like his now scorched right palm. The pain was so terrible that he felt his sanity slowly fraying away. It had been everything he could do not to shriek and throw the key away as he had picked up the blazing thing and unlocked the cangue. He was now pressed against the wall with the prisoner slung over his back, his unburned left hand holding her arms together in front of his chest. The hanyou realized that he had stupidly just left the unlocked cangue lying flat and open on the ground. He hid barely in the shadows of a chink in the wall separated from the demon only by the fire. All the demon needed to do was look up from its feast for even one moment toward one of the two directions, and they'd be slaughtered in an instant.
At the moment, it was distracted, though, and Anurak needed to use that to their advantage. He supposed the only reason the thing hadn't smelled them yet was because it was so caught up with its most recent catch. The hanyou started to slide along the wall again, as soundlessly as possible on his tiptoes to avoid the bones along the way. Nervously, he took his first step into a patch of wavering light stretching out from the fire that fell against the wall.
A couple drops of perspiration hung distractingly off the tip of Anurak's nose; sweat positively painted his face from the pain and fear. If only his hand didn't feel like it was radiating the heat of twelve suns! His left hand, with which he was holding the prisoner's wrists together, was getting sweaty, and her skin was slipping gradually from his grip. Bouncing on the balls of feet, he tried to move her weight up on his back to improve his hold on her. However, he badly miscalculated and their combined weight started to cause him to tip over further into the splash of light. He swung his left foot forward, wishing he could just step down and stop their fall. He looked down and watched as his toes moved toward a particularly dry looking skeleton of something. Any moment, the snap of old collagen and protein would explode off the stone wall. In his brain, Anurak already saw the image of glistening fangs coming for him.
His panic made him feel like they were falling forward in slow motion. Toes touched bone. Brittleness gave way beneath the weight. However, the sound of it was not heard. Instead, the whining howl of multiple high-pitched, drawn-out canine cries flooded the enclosure, multiplying and washing over everything like waves. The hellish beast had only but a second to glance at Anurak kidnapping the prisoner before the skittering of dozens of claws against rock drowned out everything. Flashes of grey and brown fur flicked past Anurak, encircling the larger demon, which had gotten to its feet in a rage. A pack of wolves now stood snarling as one at the giant black dog. Anurak and the prisoner were all but forgotten as the wolves began to close in on it. Hurrying as fast as he could, Anurak ran into the dark passageway. Behind him the vicious barks of the wolves started to rip through the air followed by a different thunderous roar. Scuffling ensured. Against the wall, the weak light cast by the fire was snuffed out. Pained whines echoed after Anurak, as he spirited the prisoner to freedom out into the cool night.