A/N: Chapter 3!!! I found a few errors in the last chapter, so I will try to do my best to keep out any in this one. This is an R rated fic due to Inu Yasha's language and Miroku's thoughts. You have been warned. Enjoy and please review! It encourages me to write the next chapter!
Disclaimer: The Inu tachi is owned by Rumiko Takahashi.
Recap:
A faint coppery odor that filled his mouth with a metallic taste tainted the air. His ears swiveled, straining to catch the barely audible cries carried on the wind. Inu Yasha leaped to his feet, one clawed hand resting nervously on the Tetsusaiga at his waist. A harsh growl that rumbled deep in his throat escaped him as he recognized the distant tortured screams of humans and the smell of blood.
"Get up!" He yelled to the others, "There's trouble."
Fallen"Youkai," Inu Yasha hissed as the smell of carnage grew thick. He covered his sensitive nose with the sleeve of his haori as he glanced up into the sky. Sango, Miroku, and Shippou were above him and Kagome following the same blood trail through the night.
"Are we close?" Kagome asked as she clung tighter to the hanyou's shoulders. Apprehension tugged at her. It always did when she knew they would be going into battle.
Inu Yasha nodded as he raced forward through the dense woods, the miko clinging to his back. He held her legs tighter than he usually would, still uncertain if she was fully recovered from the heat sickness that had claimed her the day before. She had protested that she could ride on Kirara with the others, but in a voice of finality that brooked no argument he had ordered her to stay with him. The others had been shocked at his fierceness toward Kagome. They were used to the constant arguing between their two friends, but they had never heard the inu youkai so forceful and angry with the girl from the future.
He skidded to a halt just outside the village. The giant fire cat landed soundlessly beside him. "The youkai scent is faint. Whatever it was, it's gone already."
"Aa." Miroku nodded. "I sense no youki in the area."
Allowing Kagome to climb off his back, he turned to her, "Stay close!" The young girl nodded.
Inu Yasha reached down to his hip sliding the Tetsusaiga from its scabbard. The transformed blade glowed eerily in the darkness surrounding the group. The miko slid her bow off her shoulder as she followed close to the hanyou, the tips of her arrows gleamed in the swords magical light. Sango walked behind Kagome, Kirara carrying Shippou on her back, beside her. The only sound heard was the soft tinkling of the rings on Miroku's staff as he headed up the rear. They all tensed as they entered the quiet streets of the village.
A harsh gasp broke the silence as Kagome's eyes met the scene before them. Villagers lay scattered across the ground. Their lifeless bodies were everywhere. She turned her head away, only to come face to face with the blank staring eyes of a young woman hanging out the window of a small hut. She screamed, her heart racing wildly in her chest. Kagome froze in her place, unable to take her eyes from the unseeing gaze of the villager. She screamed again as a hand grabbed her, pulling her back with a sharp yank.
"Kagome!" A harsh voice growled at her. "Kagome! Snap out of it!" Inu Yasha grabbed her shoulders and shook her lightly.
"I-I'm fine. Just…their all dead?" She looked searchingly at Inu Yasha, sorrow filling the hazel depths of her eyes.
"Check the huts, maybe someone survived who can tell us what happened." He grabbed Kagome's hand, leading her through the village. The girl looked wide-eyed at the bodies strewn about. Clutching tighter to Inu Yasha's hand she pressed closer to him. He suddenly released her hand, crouching down to carefully inspect one of the dead villagers. "The body's whole. I don't see any injuries, nothing, but there's blood." His face scrunched as he contemplated the puzzling fate of the man.
"You mean they just died?" She asked kneeling down beside him as she too began to examine the body. A creepy feeling overcame her as she noticed the man's black eyes staring into nothingness. Kagome rose quickly, shutting her eyes to block out the scene.
The dog demon turned his head watching her carefully. "You okay, Kagome?" Rising to his feet, he stood behind her his gaze resting on her lowered head.
"It's just so sad. I know we've seen villages like this before…but it's still hard to…Sango!" She suddenly gasped, her mind racing back to the massacre of the taijiya village.
"Let's go find the others." He hesitated a moment, his golden eyes still focused on the miko's form, before once again grasping her hand firmly and leading her back to where he had last seen their companions.
"They're all dead. We've searched all the huts and found no survivors." Miroku said as he approached the couple.
"This place is creepy." Shippou spoke from his perch on the hoshi's shoulder.
"Where's Sango-chan?" Kagome asked looking around for her friend.
"I'm here," said the demon hunter as she exited a hut near them, Kirara still in youkai form beside her.
"We'll stay here tonight. Miroku, help me move the bodies. We'll give them a proper burial in the morning."
The kitzune's eyes grew wide, "Y-You mean you wanna stay here with all these dead humans?" His small voice asked incredulously.
"They need a proper burial, Shippou, and it is too dark now to do a decent job." The monk looked up at the crescent moon.
"Come on, Kagome-chan. I found a hut that was empty. We can stay there."
Kagome smiled gratefully at her friend, "Come on Shippou-chan." As the fox child jumped onto her shoulder, she and Sango walked away toward a hut at the far end of the village.
Pushing back the bamboo flap they entered the small hut. Three futons lay on the floor, evidence that the village had been asleep when the attack came. Kagome dropped her backpack and looked around her. Cold ash sat inside a fire pit in the middle of the room. A large cooking pot sat off to one side. Shelves containing several pots and jars lined one wall. She walked over to them, examining the vessels and their contents.
"What is it, Kagome?" Shippou asked leaning over to get a better look at the wax sealed jar she held.
Breaking the seal, the strong aroma of crushed herbs filled the air. "This must have been the village healer's hut. These are all medicinal plants and herbs." The young miko picked up a bundle of dried flowers, their stiff leaves crunching under her gentle pressure.
Sango walked over to her friend. "Hmm…sage, a purification herb." She murmured at the bundled plants in Kagome's hand.
Kagome placed the plants back on the shelf. She walked over to a small pile of wood in a corner of the hut and stacked them in the fire pit. Digging into her bag, she produced a zip lock bag with matches. Kagome grabbed one, striking it against the side of the matchbox. She dropped the burning match into the fire pit, watching as the flames slowly began to lick at the wood.
Leaning her Hairikotsu against a wall, Sango plopped down on one of the unfurled futons. "It seems every village we come to lately is plagued by youkai."
"Since Naraku's disappearance, all the stronger demons are coming out of hiding, Like that oni ghost who tried to eat Miroku." Shippou curled up next to the now detransformed Kiarara. He yawned, flashing his sharp fangs.
"Go to sleep, Shippou-chan. We're going to all need sleep tonight." Kagome stifled her own yawn.
"Inu Yasha will want to track this youkai knowing him." Again the kitsune yawned, his lids drooping as he fell asleep.
"We can't let this thing destroy more villages. If Inu Yasha doesn't go after it, I will." Sango gritted her teeth, her eyes distant as she gazed at the low fire.
"You'll do what?" A voice growled as two figures came through the doorway.
"Are you planning on hunting this youkai down, Inu Yasha?" Sango asked as he sat down beside Kagome, Miroku taking a seat next to the taijiya.
His amber-gold eyes darkened. "Yeah." He snorted. "We're going after it. Now get some sleep. I have a feeling tomorrow's going to be a long day."
The taijiya lay down on her side tucking her arms under her head for pillowing. "Goodnight." She murmured closing her eyes tight, praying for peaceful sleep.
Miroku leaned against a wall opposite Sango. He rested his staff against his shoulder, "I have never seen death such as this, Inu Yasha. There is little blood and no wounds. Yet, the blood seemed as if it came from injury." He closed his eyes leaning his head against the wall.
"I've never heard of a demon who killed like this. But it was definitely a demon. I could smell its stench when we got here." Inu Yasha turned to the girl beside him as he caught her yawning through his peripheral vision, "Go to bed, Kagome."
"You need to rest, Kagome-sama, to allow your body to heal from your illness." Miroku said eyes still closed.
"Are you staying outside tonight, Inu Yasha?" Her eyes were downcast, but he heard the worry in her words.
He sighed heavily, "I'll stay here, if it'll make you feel better. Now go to sleep!"
She hurried over to one of the futons, throwing her sleeping bag over her for a blanket. "Goodnight." Knowing he would be near took her mind off the haunting memories of the dead villagers as she drifted to sleep.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Black eyes, cold and heartless-void of any emotion- stared at her as she stood pleading, "Kohaku?" She reached out to him, pain racking her injured body. The boy raised his sickle high, bringing it down in a quick sweeping motion. The chain attached to the deadly weapon clinked as the blade sliced through the air. She closed her eyes, cringing as she anticipated her death. Instead, cries echoed around her. Opening her eyes, she watched her father fall to the ground, the boy named Kohaku standing over his lifeless body. Scanning the faces before her, she watched helplessly as one by one her comrades, villagers, family fell at the boy's hand. Finally, he turned to her, sorrow shining in his black orbs as he readied the final blow to end her life. "Why, Kohaku?" She asked. "Why did you kill our father?"
Sango bolted upright, her breath harsh and ragged. She inhaled deeply, taking in large gulps of air. "Baku, eat my dreams." She pleaded silently as tears welled up in her eyes.
"Sango?" Inu Yasha had been watching her toss in restless slumber. Silently he walked over to the taijiya, squatting down beside her.
"Inu…Yasha? I'm fine, just a bad dream." Sango turned away from him. She swiped at her unshed tears, her eyes distant and unfocused.
"We'll get him back, Sango." He rested a hand on the girl's shoulder. She sighed gratefully, knowing what he spoke of. "He still has his own heart, no matter the control Naraku claims over him. If he didn't he would have killed Kagome and that human girl Sesshoumaru travels with. Tomorrow we go after this youkai, and then Naraku. Your family and village will be avenged, I promise."
The taijiya nodded once, "Arigato, Inu Yasha." He crept back to his place beside Kagome as Sango laid back down to face the wall, tears streaming down her face. Neither one of them noticed the sad violet eyes watching them from across the room. Eyes that burned with compassion for the demon huntress before once again closing in mock slumber.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The morning sun shone brightly down on the freshly dug graves. The soft breeze blew the purple and black robes of the hoshi as he kneeled before the last burial mound saying his final prayer for eternal rest. Sango stood at the edge of the newly formed cemetery. She pushed back the memory of the dream, of her own lost people, of her brother. Hugging the tiny yellow and black two-tailed neko in her arms, she waited for the monk to complete the ceremony to the dead.
"Which way?" Miroku asked as he approached his companions.
"Toward the mountains. That youkai's scent is still in the air, so it didn't go far. He crouched down as Kagome once again climbed onto his back, wrapping her arms around him for support.
"Kirara," Sango set the fire cat down and instantly she transformed into her youkai form. "Hoshi-sama, if you touch me once!" She reached behind her grabbing the edge of her large boomerang for emphasis.
"I will behave." He smiled, his face a mask of innocent deception.
"Come on, while I can still pick up its trail." Inu Yasha barked out before taking off.
With Shippou perched on her head, Sango and Miroku on her back, the giant cat leaped into the air following the red, white, and green blur of the hanyou and miko below.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
As they landed once again on the ground, Miroku turned to the taijiya, "This is the fifth time since we left the village Inu Yasha has stopped." He watched as the half demon sniffed the air, his canine ears twitching atop his head.
"Maybe he lost the scent." Shippou chimed in as he too sniffed into the wind. "Hey, I smell blood. Inu Yasha, do you smell it?"
"Of course I smell it, whelp! I've been smelling it!" He snapped at the kitsune, his amber eyes glaring in annoyance.
"What is it?" Kagome leaned over his shoulder to see into his face.
Avoiding eye contact with her and Sango he ground out, "Another village."
Kagome's eyes grew round. "Inu Yasha, I sense a Shikon no kakera. No! Two of them, and they're coming right at us!"
A/N: A small cliffhanger, but a cliffhanger nonetheless! Now for some FYI:
When Sango said, "Baku, eat my dreams." Baku is a good spirit in Japanese Mythology. If someone suffered a bad dream, they could call upon Baku to eat the bad dream. Baku could then be induced to turn the bad dream good.
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