Chapter Two . . .
Two weeks pass, at the most, when two figures, separated from their group of travelers, find themselves heading towards the thick, jungle-like forest that borders the Cat's Land from the rest of the country. Steadily have they been moving southwards, seeking fragments of the Shikon Jewel, and now, Kagome and Inu Yasha have separated from the others, not meaning to, and look up, seeing what lays before them.
"What is that place?" Kagome asks Inu Yasha. She hides herself a bit behind him, un sure of the forest looming up ahead of them.
"This is where the Cat Demons dwell," Inu Yasha says, "My kind and theirs have always been in war against each other. Some battle over supreme ruler ship, I guess. Well . . . it doesn't concern me that much. I'm only half, you know. Just a stupid half breed."
"Don't beat yourself up over it," Kagome said. "It's a strange looking place . . . let's go. We've lost the others. Let's go find Miroku and Sango."
"Alright . . . huh?" he stopped, where Kagome was trying to turn him around. He sniffed the air, then fell on his knees and began to follow a scent he had picked up. Kagome followed until they reached a small puddle of blood.
"Ick," she said, "let's go, Inu Yasha."
"It's Sesshomaru," Inu Yasha grunted. "Finally down, eh, brother? Thought you'd have a peaceful rest of death in that forest away from the rest of world, huh? Well, that's not good enough for me. I want to see you bleed."
"Sesshomaru?" Kagome pondered, as Inu Yasha headed into the forest. Kagome followed. "But . . . who would attack him?"
"That's what we're about to find out," Inu Yasha said, as Kagome quickly came to his side. The jungle looked threatening and dark from the outside, but it was quite beautiful inside. The sound of nature were thick, and flowery vines hung in masses from the close trees that reached high above their heads.
Inu Yasha followed the trail of blood, until it came to a bit of a grassy clearing, and a giant puddle lay before them. Kagome shuddered.
"I'm not liking this at all," she said, "can't we go?"
"Where's his body?" Inu Yasha mused out loud. His ears picked up something moving ahead of them, and he walked out into the forest. Deeper they went, until they ran into a young woman, with thick gold blonde hair, and a black tail poking out of the back of her robes. She had her back to them, bending over, picking what looked like berries off a vine.
"Hey," Inu Yasha said, and the woman straightened up, then bent over, looking up at the two from behind her legs.
Inu Yasha stared confusedly at the strange woman before him. "Uh . . . you're Cat Demon, aren't you?"
"I am," came her squeaky voice. She straightened up and turned to face the two. "What do you want?" she sniffed the air, and leapt back a foot. "You . . . what are you doing in my part of the world?"
"Looking for someone," he said.
"Are you . . . ?"
"Yeah," Inu Yasha said, angrily, "I'm a Dog Demon, so what? Listen, have you seen any Dog Demon here, besides me, probably heavily injured and about to die?"
"Oh," the woman squeaked. "You know Sesshomaru?"
Inu Yasha stared in wild bewilderment. "What?! Do I know him? You mean, you know him?"
"He was bleeding," she said, "so I took him in to my home. To take care of him, of course. He's such a nice demon."
"Nice demon?" Kagome stammered. "Uh . . . I think we might be talking about a different Sesshomaru here. The one we know is a jerk, trying to kill Inu Yasha and all."
"Oh," the woman said, "okay . . . would you like to come to my home any way? I rarely get visitors, you know . . ."
"Sure," Kagome said, as Inu Yasha grunted out, "I want to see this Sesshomaru of yours. There can't be two of them. Was he missing his left arm?"
"Yes, he was," the woman replied, jumping a little. "Poor thing!"
"Poor thing?!" Inu Yasha said, "oh, give me a break."
"You musn't be so upset at him," she said, "he's been very badly injured, and full of venom he was, yes. How do you know him, by the way?"
"He's my brother," Inu Yasha grunted. "Older."
"Oh, I thought you might be brothers," the woman squealed, jumping up and down. "You look a bit like him, you know?"
"N-no I don't!" Inu Yasha protested, and Kagome put a hand on his shoulder to clam him.
"Why don't we go to your home, Miss ah . . ."
"Marani," she squeaked. "Call me Marani."
Two weeks pass, at the most, when two figures, separated from their group of travelers, find themselves heading towards the thick, jungle-like forest that borders the Cat's Land from the rest of the country. Steadily have they been moving southwards, seeking fragments of the Shikon Jewel, and now, Kagome and Inu Yasha have separated from the others, not meaning to, and look up, seeing what lays before them.
"What is that place?" Kagome asks Inu Yasha. She hides herself a bit behind him, un sure of the forest looming up ahead of them.
"This is where the Cat Demons dwell," Inu Yasha says, "My kind and theirs have always been in war against each other. Some battle over supreme ruler ship, I guess. Well . . . it doesn't concern me that much. I'm only half, you know. Just a stupid half breed."
"Don't beat yourself up over it," Kagome said. "It's a strange looking place . . . let's go. We've lost the others. Let's go find Miroku and Sango."
"Alright . . . huh?" he stopped, where Kagome was trying to turn him around. He sniffed the air, then fell on his knees and began to follow a scent he had picked up. Kagome followed until they reached a small puddle of blood.
"Ick," she said, "let's go, Inu Yasha."
"It's Sesshomaru," Inu Yasha grunted. "Finally down, eh, brother? Thought you'd have a peaceful rest of death in that forest away from the rest of world, huh? Well, that's not good enough for me. I want to see you bleed."
"Sesshomaru?" Kagome pondered, as Inu Yasha headed into the forest. Kagome followed. "But . . . who would attack him?"
"That's what we're about to find out," Inu Yasha said, as Kagome quickly came to his side. The jungle looked threatening and dark from the outside, but it was quite beautiful inside. The sound of nature were thick, and flowery vines hung in masses from the close trees that reached high above their heads.
Inu Yasha followed the trail of blood, until it came to a bit of a grassy clearing, and a giant puddle lay before them. Kagome shuddered.
"I'm not liking this at all," she said, "can't we go?"
"Where's his body?" Inu Yasha mused out loud. His ears picked up something moving ahead of them, and he walked out into the forest. Deeper they went, until they ran into a young woman, with thick gold blonde hair, and a black tail poking out of the back of her robes. She had her back to them, bending over, picking what looked like berries off a vine.
"Hey," Inu Yasha said, and the woman straightened up, then bent over, looking up at the two from behind her legs.
Inu Yasha stared confusedly at the strange woman before him. "Uh . . . you're Cat Demon, aren't you?"
"I am," came her squeaky voice. She straightened up and turned to face the two. "What do you want?" she sniffed the air, and leapt back a foot. "You . . . what are you doing in my part of the world?"
"Looking for someone," he said.
"Are you . . . ?"
"Yeah," Inu Yasha said, angrily, "I'm a Dog Demon, so what? Listen, have you seen any Dog Demon here, besides me, probably heavily injured and about to die?"
"Oh," the woman squeaked. "You know Sesshomaru?"
Inu Yasha stared in wild bewilderment. "What?! Do I know him? You mean, you know him?"
"He was bleeding," she said, "so I took him in to my home. To take care of him, of course. He's such a nice demon."
"Nice demon?" Kagome stammered. "Uh . . . I think we might be talking about a different Sesshomaru here. The one we know is a jerk, trying to kill Inu Yasha and all."
"Oh," the woman said, "okay . . . would you like to come to my home any way? I rarely get visitors, you know . . ."
"Sure," Kagome said, as Inu Yasha grunted out, "I want to see this Sesshomaru of yours. There can't be two of them. Was he missing his left arm?"
"Yes, he was," the woman replied, jumping a little. "Poor thing!"
"Poor thing?!" Inu Yasha said, "oh, give me a break."
"You musn't be so upset at him," she said, "he's been very badly injured, and full of venom he was, yes. How do you know him, by the way?"
"He's my brother," Inu Yasha grunted. "Older."
"Oh, I thought you might be brothers," the woman squealed, jumping up and down. "You look a bit like him, you know?"
"N-no I don't!" Inu Yasha protested, and Kagome put a hand on his shoulder to clam him.
"Why don't we go to your home, Miss ah . . ."
"Marani," she squeaked. "Call me Marani."