I'll Keep going then

Whispers of that Nameless Fear

Chapter Three

     Inu-Yasha was cast down into the darkness of the forest like a dirty old rag, landing within the thinned underbrush with a heavy thud, far from the safety of the village.  The vile Oni circled above within wingless flight, slithering through the night, his slopping tongue running over his scaly lips buzzing with pleasure.

     "Mmmmhmmm, delicious." He mused, landing lightly next to the beaten hanyou, his claws driving themselves into the soft earth.  Worn and alive by barely a flicker of light, Enzuno relished every moment of his prey clinging to life before him.  He was in control.  It was him who decided the hanyou's fate, even though it was decided previously by his lord and master, he would be the one delivering it.  "Your energies do me well hanyou." He sneered.  "A true demon would have filled my belly and survived . . ." lifting him up, Enzuno let his draining powers conduct through his body.  "You are destined to die!"

     An arrow zipped past the demon's nose, missing him by a mere hairs width.  Disgusted, he threw the boy to the ground and turned, baring his gruesome fangs.

     "Whooooo dares . . . a human . . ."

     Another arrow clanked against his hide, slipping between two large flank scales and sending a shock of pain through the selfish beasts body.  Enzuno howled in agony and skittered off into the forest at the mere shock . . .

     "K . . . Kagome . . ." Inu-Yasha gave a weak gasp and tried to force himself up only to fall from his weakened limbs.  "Y . . . you're . . ."

     She stumbled forward and fell to her knees at the hanyou's side, taking a blood stained cloth from her pocket and trying in vain to stop up his wounds.  "I'm so sorry." She tried hard not to cry and yet it was near impossible as the tears fell.  "I'm sooo sooo sorry."

     Inu-Yasha grimaced at her touch and then relaxed at her warmth.  Never had he felt weaker, his entire body ached with unimaginable pain as the strength the beast had drawn was from his soul . . . his demon powers.  He was now no stronger than a newborn, weaker than that, his wounds throbbed and ripped through his entire body, taking the very breath from his lungs.  Trembling, he reached out for Kagome, gently stroking her pale cheek, leaving a streak of crimson there that smeared as she continued to cry.  "P . . . please . . . d . . . don't cry."

     "You're hurt." She whimpered, her own hands shook and the color of her skin seemed to recede by many shades. 

     "Muh . . . Me?  But . . . but y . . . you're hurt!" the hanyou gasped, his hand traveling to the girls side where her clothes were soaked through and the wounds were open and bleeding fresh and dark.  "It's . . . it's really . . . d . . . deep."

     "I'm al . . . right." She forced a weak smile.  "I'm so sorry . . ."

He held weak fingers to her lips to silence the next words from her mouth.  "We have t .  . to get b . . . back to the vi . . .vi . . ." Inu-Yasha struggled to get to his feet, but found no strength to do it.  Kagome pushed herself onto her feet and tried to help him, but she was too weak to carry him and fell back to her knees, barely holding herself up by her hands.  One hand was still on Inu-Yasha who fell doubled over, gasping with exhaustion.  "I . . . I hate this . . . that . . . that monster'll b . . . be back any minute."

     "That thing . . . was sent by Naraku?" Kagome asked with barely a whisper.

     Inu-Yasha managed a nod.  "We're . . . we're not gonna . . . make it if we . . . can't get out of . . . h . . .here."  Again, he forced himself to his feet and struggled to remain so, taking a short and tired step before falling back to the moist ground.  "D . . . dammit!"

     Kagome trembled and fell on her side, too weak to hold herself up and gasping for a full breath.  Inu-Yasha turned to her, his heart ricocheting and his chest tight with utter fear as she struggled to cling to consciousness.  "Kagome, no!"

     Her eye's fluttered sleepily.  "I'm sorry I let you down."

     "Kagome . . ." Inu-Yasha held her head in his hands.  "Kagome, no."

     "I really thought that little girl . . . was your . . . was your sister."

     "Kagome!"

     The girl passed out into a fitful sleep, Inu-Yasha tried to wake her, but quickly felt his consciousness slipping into the darkness.  He began to grow numb as he watched Kagome's beauty blur and finally fade.  Sango crossed his mind, wondering how she fared and if she was alright.  Hopefully someone found her . . . Miroku perhaps. 

     Inu-Yasha gasped and finally collapsed over Kagome's broken body, a trickle of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth. 

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     Sango awoke from her injured sleep with a start, soaked in her own sweat and blood and still in the forest where she had been left.  Sputtering through the blood that had collected in her mouth, she forced herself to stand, but found it difficult. 

     "Inu . . . Inu-Yasha?" she hopefully called out.  "Kagome?"

     There was no answer.  Kilala trotted up next to her master with a gentle mew and sniffed her over.  The cat demon was also injured, a few gashes marred her tan side, but she acted as if it did not bother her.  Kilala was a very resilient creature, Sango noted, trying to push herself up again.

     No use.

     "Sango?" a distant male voice called out.

     She paused for a moment, frozen in sudden fear before realizing who it was.  "Miroku?"

     The monk burst through the leaves and fell to her side in relief.  He threw his staff to the ground, "Oh thank the heavens that you are alright!  I sensed a dark presence and rushed back to the village as quickly as I could!"

     "I. . . Inu . . ." she tried, coughing, blood trickling from her mouth and dripping from her hands.

     "Shush!" Miroku ordered, pulling her to her feet with tender kindness.  No perversion involved.  "Let us return to Kaede's hut . . ."

     He's really worried, Sango thought sleepily to herself.  "Inu . . . Inu-Yasha and Kagome are . . ."

     "I already know." The monk stated plainly.  "Silence yourself, don't waste your strength."

---I know that's a little shorter than the others but I figured it was a good place to stop grin.  Poor Inu-Yasha and Kagome, alone and defenseless in the woods . . .  wonder what'll happen to them?