Ch 2: Within Temptation
Inuyasha tore through the legions of insect-like creatures, but with each new wave they seemed to get stronger and stronger, their talons grew longer and sharper, and their carapaces grew harder.
"Man, how many of these things are there? Hey, Eric, if you're so damn powerful why don't you help us out?" Inuyasha yelled.
"I apologize, but the presence of those small, crystalline green slivers nullifies any spell I cast on them.
"So then you're useless," he shot back.
"I didn't say that. Just make sure I don't get stabbed in the back while I do this." Eric said. He knelt to the ground, placed his hand on the dirt, and shut his eyes. A warm glow descended from the sky and covered Eric. He looked up, and at all the slivers. A wide grin spread across his face as the light intensified, and the slivers vanished.
"I thought you said your magic would have no effect on them?" Kagome asked,
"I used a sorcery called Dimensional Breach. By not directly targeting the slivers, I was able to bypass their defenses." He replied.
"Whatever, I'm hungry." Inuyasha said as he walked off. The others followed. Eric looked off into the woods.
"They're as powerful as I heard. It would be prudent of me to bide my time." A sliver re-appeared, Eric chuckled, and walked off.
***
After they ate, it was back on the trail. Myoga and Kagome convinced Inuyasha to let Eric travel with them. Night fell, and they stopped near a large tree to rest. Eric used a Fireball spell the light a fire. Then went off on his own. Kagome followed him later.
"I don't trust that guy." Inuyasha said when she was gone.
"Jealous?" Miroku asked.
"No! It's that..."
"He seems almost too perfect?" Shippou added. "I know what you mean. He gives me the creeps."
"I hate to admit it, but me too," Miroku answered. "What about you, Sango?"
Sango stared into space. "I don't know. One side seems to be in agreement, but another wants me to say no."
Kagome caught up with Eric near a stream. He stood, looking at it, in quiet contemplation. "What's the matter?" she asked.
"Nothing. It's just a shame, really," he answered.
"What's a shame?" Kagome inquired.
"That a beautiful young woman such as yourself must forever live in her shadow."
"Wha...What do you mean?"
"Don't fool yourself. You're nothing to him. If Kikyo, the old Kikyo, came back right now, he'd leave you in an instant. You're nothing but a convenient replacement to him."
"How can you say that?!" Kagome yelled irritated.
"I'm just trying to keep you from getting hurt. After all, I'm not telling you anything you don't already know." Eric said as he walked away. Kagome pause, looking at him, then turned as tears filled her eyes.
Eric made his way back to camp. He spotted Inuyasha in a tree, Miroku asleep, and Sango a ways away looking at the stars. He approached Sango, and sat down near her.
"Penny for your thoughts," he said in his normal, reassuring tone.
"It's nothing, just insomnia," She answered.
"I'm sure it's more than that," Eric replied.
"What do you know?" Sango said with more than a little anger.
"Quite a bit. For example, I know of that lecher's constant attempts at you. You'd think a woman as strong and proud as you would have made sure such attempts would only happened the first time. I'm sure you have better things to do than suffer the lusts of that fool."
"It's not like that at all." Sango said, with less assurance than normal.
"And how do you know that for certain? Suppose his 'sensitivity' is just another attempt to defile you? Hey, I'm just trying to keep you from getting hurt. After all, I'm not telling you anything you don't already know." Eric got up and walked away, leaving Sango in even deeper thought than before. He walked out into the woods, with a broad grin across his face.
***
Inuyasha leapt at the giant Youkai with an ear-piercing cry. Eric followed wielding the Sword of the Chosen and the Sword of the Ages. The demon swat Inuyasha away, but Eric's blades cut deep, causing it to shirk away.
"This thing isn't going down easy," Inuyasha said "Quick, everybody, on him! We'll take him down from all sides." Inuyasha, Miroku, Shippou, and Eric charged, but Kagome and Sango stood back.
"What are they doing? I told them to...agh!" Inuyasha said as the demon threw him to the ground. Miroku looked over nervously.
"Hold back, I'll deal with it!" Eric yelled as he unsummoned the Sword of the Ages and summoned the Storm Seeker. The skies darkened, and incantations spilled forth from his mouth. Everyone looked on in awe as lightning struck the blade, and with one swipe the demon was vaporized, leaving a shard of the Shikon behind. Eric picked it up, as well a second no one seemed to notice.
"What were you two doing? We could have been killed back there!" Inuyasha yelled at the women. They said nothing.
"Give them a break, our foe was a fearsome one." Eric said as he tossed one of the shards to Kagome.
"That's no excuse..." Inuyasha began.
"Excuses? You know all about those, don't you?" Kagome yelled. Eric just walked away as Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, and Miroku erupted in argument.
The woods enveloped the planeswalker as he walked deep inside. With all the commotion, no one would miss him. He took out the Shikon shard and mused to himself. "Already, the emotions they possess are being poisoned by me words. They argue over lies and half-truths, which means my spells are working perfectly."
A small sliver slithered out of the bushes. Eric held his palm out, and blew on the Shikon Shard. It shot towards the small creature, embedding itself inside. It squirmed and squealed, as its body grew in size and grotesqueness. Eric smirked.
"So, exposure to the Shikon causes rapid evolution in the slivers themselves. Once a simple Crystalline Sliver has grown to the strength of a muscle sliver, and the armor of a Plated Sliver. Most interesting..." The snap of a branch alerted Eric that he was not alone. He turned its attention to the source, the kitsune Shippou.
"It was you! You're the one making them argue!" He yelled.
"Even a planeswalker cannot take water from a stone. I merely fanned the flames that were already there."
"You liar, you made those slivers too, didn't you?"
"In a sense, yes. But you're going to keep quiet about that." Eric waved his hand and a black mist rose around Shippou.
Why should I...ack!" Shippou choked as the mist entered his mouth. He coughed and gagged as it swirled around him. He looked up at Eric. "What did you do to me, you...you...really nice and handsome man...that's not what I wanted to say!"
Eric smiled. "Of course not. A simple Word of Binding, and I forbid you to say anything I don't want you to say."
Shippou growled as two more slivers crawled from the bushes. "What information do you have on Sesshoumaru and Naraku?" Eric closed his eyes. "Ah, good. You may rejoin your brethren as they return from the Dimensional Breach. Now go!" The two slivers returned to the brush.
"Wondrous creatures, these slivers. They are epitome of evolution. Each one possesses a different ability, which it splices into the pool of its brood. The perfect race, each working with its brethren to make a legion of pure terror, it is truly poetic."
Shippou growled louder. Eric chuckled in amusement.
"You can hate me all you want, but when we get back to the others, you'll be bound by my spell. Just like Kagome and Sango, except they don't even know it. Amazing what one little sentence can do. It would be simpler to just destroy them outright, but I do so love games..."
"This is all a game to you?" Shippou yelled.
"But of course, little kitsune. Life, after all, is but a game. I've made my move, now it is time to watch theirs."
.............to be continued!
Next: Eric's manipulations threaten to tear apart the Inu-gang! Shippou knows the truth, but Eric's spells are keeping him silent! Can Shippou escape Eric's Word of Binding and warn his friends, or are they doomed to splinter apart?
Inuyasha tore through the legions of insect-like creatures, but with each new wave they seemed to get stronger and stronger, their talons grew longer and sharper, and their carapaces grew harder.
"Man, how many of these things are there? Hey, Eric, if you're so damn powerful why don't you help us out?" Inuyasha yelled.
"I apologize, but the presence of those small, crystalline green slivers nullifies any spell I cast on them.
"So then you're useless," he shot back.
"I didn't say that. Just make sure I don't get stabbed in the back while I do this." Eric said. He knelt to the ground, placed his hand on the dirt, and shut his eyes. A warm glow descended from the sky and covered Eric. He looked up, and at all the slivers. A wide grin spread across his face as the light intensified, and the slivers vanished.
"I thought you said your magic would have no effect on them?" Kagome asked,
"I used a sorcery called Dimensional Breach. By not directly targeting the slivers, I was able to bypass their defenses." He replied.
"Whatever, I'm hungry." Inuyasha said as he walked off. The others followed. Eric looked off into the woods.
"They're as powerful as I heard. It would be prudent of me to bide my time." A sliver re-appeared, Eric chuckled, and walked off.
***
After they ate, it was back on the trail. Myoga and Kagome convinced Inuyasha to let Eric travel with them. Night fell, and they stopped near a large tree to rest. Eric used a Fireball spell the light a fire. Then went off on his own. Kagome followed him later.
"I don't trust that guy." Inuyasha said when she was gone.
"Jealous?" Miroku asked.
"No! It's that..."
"He seems almost too perfect?" Shippou added. "I know what you mean. He gives me the creeps."
"I hate to admit it, but me too," Miroku answered. "What about you, Sango?"
Sango stared into space. "I don't know. One side seems to be in agreement, but another wants me to say no."
Kagome caught up with Eric near a stream. He stood, looking at it, in quiet contemplation. "What's the matter?" she asked.
"Nothing. It's just a shame, really," he answered.
"What's a shame?" Kagome inquired.
"That a beautiful young woman such as yourself must forever live in her shadow."
"Wha...What do you mean?"
"Don't fool yourself. You're nothing to him. If Kikyo, the old Kikyo, came back right now, he'd leave you in an instant. You're nothing but a convenient replacement to him."
"How can you say that?!" Kagome yelled irritated.
"I'm just trying to keep you from getting hurt. After all, I'm not telling you anything you don't already know." Eric said as he walked away. Kagome pause, looking at him, then turned as tears filled her eyes.
Eric made his way back to camp. He spotted Inuyasha in a tree, Miroku asleep, and Sango a ways away looking at the stars. He approached Sango, and sat down near her.
"Penny for your thoughts," he said in his normal, reassuring tone.
"It's nothing, just insomnia," She answered.
"I'm sure it's more than that," Eric replied.
"What do you know?" Sango said with more than a little anger.
"Quite a bit. For example, I know of that lecher's constant attempts at you. You'd think a woman as strong and proud as you would have made sure such attempts would only happened the first time. I'm sure you have better things to do than suffer the lusts of that fool."
"It's not like that at all." Sango said, with less assurance than normal.
"And how do you know that for certain? Suppose his 'sensitivity' is just another attempt to defile you? Hey, I'm just trying to keep you from getting hurt. After all, I'm not telling you anything you don't already know." Eric got up and walked away, leaving Sango in even deeper thought than before. He walked out into the woods, with a broad grin across his face.
***
Inuyasha leapt at the giant Youkai with an ear-piercing cry. Eric followed wielding the Sword of the Chosen and the Sword of the Ages. The demon swat Inuyasha away, but Eric's blades cut deep, causing it to shirk away.
"This thing isn't going down easy," Inuyasha said "Quick, everybody, on him! We'll take him down from all sides." Inuyasha, Miroku, Shippou, and Eric charged, but Kagome and Sango stood back.
"What are they doing? I told them to...agh!" Inuyasha said as the demon threw him to the ground. Miroku looked over nervously.
"Hold back, I'll deal with it!" Eric yelled as he unsummoned the Sword of the Ages and summoned the Storm Seeker. The skies darkened, and incantations spilled forth from his mouth. Everyone looked on in awe as lightning struck the blade, and with one swipe the demon was vaporized, leaving a shard of the Shikon behind. Eric picked it up, as well a second no one seemed to notice.
"What were you two doing? We could have been killed back there!" Inuyasha yelled at the women. They said nothing.
"Give them a break, our foe was a fearsome one." Eric said as he tossed one of the shards to Kagome.
"That's no excuse..." Inuyasha began.
"Excuses? You know all about those, don't you?" Kagome yelled. Eric just walked away as Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, and Miroku erupted in argument.
The woods enveloped the planeswalker as he walked deep inside. With all the commotion, no one would miss him. He took out the Shikon shard and mused to himself. "Already, the emotions they possess are being poisoned by me words. They argue over lies and half-truths, which means my spells are working perfectly."
A small sliver slithered out of the bushes. Eric held his palm out, and blew on the Shikon Shard. It shot towards the small creature, embedding itself inside. It squirmed and squealed, as its body grew in size and grotesqueness. Eric smirked.
"So, exposure to the Shikon causes rapid evolution in the slivers themselves. Once a simple Crystalline Sliver has grown to the strength of a muscle sliver, and the armor of a Plated Sliver. Most interesting..." The snap of a branch alerted Eric that he was not alone. He turned its attention to the source, the kitsune Shippou.
"It was you! You're the one making them argue!" He yelled.
"Even a planeswalker cannot take water from a stone. I merely fanned the flames that were already there."
"You liar, you made those slivers too, didn't you?"
"In a sense, yes. But you're going to keep quiet about that." Eric waved his hand and a black mist rose around Shippou.
Why should I...ack!" Shippou choked as the mist entered his mouth. He coughed and gagged as it swirled around him. He looked up at Eric. "What did you do to me, you...you...really nice and handsome man...that's not what I wanted to say!"
Eric smiled. "Of course not. A simple Word of Binding, and I forbid you to say anything I don't want you to say."
Shippou growled as two more slivers crawled from the bushes. "What information do you have on Sesshoumaru and Naraku?" Eric closed his eyes. "Ah, good. You may rejoin your brethren as they return from the Dimensional Breach. Now go!" The two slivers returned to the brush.
"Wondrous creatures, these slivers. They are epitome of evolution. Each one possesses a different ability, which it splices into the pool of its brood. The perfect race, each working with its brethren to make a legion of pure terror, it is truly poetic."
Shippou growled louder. Eric chuckled in amusement.
"You can hate me all you want, but when we get back to the others, you'll be bound by my spell. Just like Kagome and Sango, except they don't even know it. Amazing what one little sentence can do. It would be simpler to just destroy them outright, but I do so love games..."
"This is all a game to you?" Shippou yelled.
"But of course, little kitsune. Life, after all, is but a game. I've made my move, now it is time to watch theirs."
.............to be continued!
Next: Eric's manipulations threaten to tear apart the Inu-gang! Shippou knows the truth, but Eric's spells are keeping him silent! Can Shippou escape Eric's Word of Binding and warn his friends, or are they doomed to splinter apart?
