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The Horrid Cries of the Nothing Woman
Chapter Five
Darkness swelled within the tiny village. Men milled about, tragically armed with wooden weapons in shivering hands, struggling to maintain composure in the frightening night. The cries of distant souls taken by the mysterious Athema haunted their very thoughts as they paced, their eyes filled to the brim with frightened tears and yet the showed nothing of the sort to any, even each other, though they each knew what his brother warrior felt.
A sheer wind rustled the leaves and hissed through the forest, the men jumped and readied themselves to the shadows and yet nothing approached . . .
Nothing emerged . . .
The tiny huts stood like dark beasts against the sliver of a silver moon, their windows gaping, their roofs pointed into the sky against an inky forest barrier. A few had a tiny candle lit, but only a meager few as the women and children within them huddled together in fear, shivering against the chill and crying for their lives.
The Athema was hunting them.
They could feel it. The iciness. The cold hand that tickled their spine, flickered against the back of their neck like a flame from the snowy gales of the northern lands . . .
The leader of the village tightened his grip on his staff, wishing upon all wishes that he had not been so foolish to trade their swords and many spears for a sizable monitary donation from a wandering rich man . . . he paled . . .
No amount of currency would spare their lives then . . .
It grew colder . . .
Forbidding . . .
Foreboding . . .
Something lurked within the underbrush of the forest . . . just beyond in the shadows of the nothingness . . . the men could feel it watching them . . .
They could feel it approaching like death itself with all the swiftness of a demon from the seven hells . . .
The men's screams were cut short with a gurgling gasp as they fell in a heap with only the expression of shock frozen across their faces . . .
*****************
Kagome's eyes snapped open.
Inu-Yasha was the first to leap to his feet and rushed to her side, nearly losing his balance and toppling over on top of her. "Kagome!" he grabbed up her hand in relief. "Kagome, thank goodness you're alright!"
"Kagome!" Shippou cried out, landing beside her with a terrific bounce, grabbing her around the middle. "Oh, Kagome! I was so worried about you!"
The young girl smiled weakly, still pale and cold. "Are you . . . guys o . . . okay?"
"Of course we're okay!" the kitsune pup grinned from ear to ear. ""We're just so glad you're okay! Right, Inu-Yasha?"
The hanyou turned to the others and then only nodded roughly. "Yeah, we're glad you're fine. Just don't go fainting on us again, okay."
But inside Inu-Yasha leaped for joy, she was not totally recovered but at least she was going to live.
Kaede approached her and placed a tender hand on her forehead. "Ye seem to be all better now, Kagome. What happened to ye? Do ye remember?"
She struggled to sit up. "Um . . . I . . . I don't really . . . know . . ."
"No! You need to lay down!" Inu-Yasha scolded, putting his hands on her shoulders and pushing her back down onto the clothes on which she lay. She looked up at him with concern, the others in the hut glared at him as well and he quickly pulled his hands away and snarled. "I don't want you dying on me or anything like that! That's all!"
Kagome frowned. "What happened to that girl?"
"How did you . . ." Sango began with a stutter. "Y . . . you had already passed out!"
"I . . . I don't really know." She admitted. "I just remember that strange girl . . . losing something that was a big part of them . . . like their soul or something . . ."
All eyes fell across the strange woman who shuddered in the far corner. "Adahan . . ."
"Adahan . . ." Kagome repeated slowly, thoughtfully. "Adahan . . ."
Inu-Yasha cocked his head. "You act as if you know what she's babbling about!"
"Adahan . . ." the woman continued, ignoring the others. "Adahan . . ."
"Adahan." Kagome responded, staring directly to the ceiling . . . through the ceiling with a glazed expression. "Adahan says that he misses you very much, Sheya . . . I miss you mommy . . ."
*******************
The Athema was pleased with itself. The souls of those killed within the tiny village strengthened him . . . gave him substance . . . gave him power . . .
He grew . . .
Swelled . . .
Existed . . .
The world would be his soon. His and his alone. The powers of the earth would flow within him . . . he would control it all . . .
Everything . . .
Anything would bow to him! Everything would worship him . . .
As soon as he filled his being with the magic that was just beyond his reach . . . that drifted just beyond his sight . . .
The magic dripping of young Miko . . .
And the Shards of the Shikon Jewel would make a nice appetizer, if he wished to waste his time in retrieving them . . .
The Miko would make a better meal . . .
The Athema grew in excitement.
Anticipation . . .
He was hungry . . .