The Horrid Cries of the Nothing Woman

Chapter Six

     It was morning in Kaede's village, yet no one in the traumatized group seemed to notice for they finally slept soundly.  Inu-Yasha leaned against the wall with his sword resting in the crutch of his arm, his eyes half open to the world as he watched Kagome resting peacefully at his feet.  Still pale.  Still sick looking.  He fought sleep to watch her, to make sure this 'Athema-whatever' didn't come back to get her. 

     What did it want with her?

     Why did she get sick?

     At least he knew one thing for certain – it wasn't Kikyou's doing.

     It didn't seem like it.

     Miroku had been the one that mentioned the thing Athema, the hanyou sensed the fear he had for it.  The tingle of uncertainty in his voice when it was mentioned, his concern for the girls, and it wasn't his usual perversion . . .  Inu-Yasha began to ponder it, glaring at the sleeping monk sitting in the corner next to Sango . . . something that so frightened the monks at his monastery that they shut the doors to the world?  Inu-Yasha hugged the silent sword tighter against him, whatever it was he would make sure it would never harm Kagome or another soul ever again . . .

     Never . . .

     But the approaching night . . .

     And then there was that strange woman . . . 

     There was a shout from within the quiet village, a frantic male voice calling out warnings and incoherent jabber, running towards Kaede's hut . . . blood dripping from his body . . .

     Old Priestess Kaede climbed to her feet with worry to greet the man that fell upon the stoop in a fit of tears.  "What is it?  What is your troubles?"

     "D . . . dead!  The entire village!  My families village!  D . . . dead!" he wailed, gripping his face within his hands, he held a bloodied mess of cloth.  "My son!  And his wife!  Dead!"

     Kaede frowned and glanced to Inu-Yasha who had leaped right at her side even before the man had arrived.  "This does not bode well.  That village was near a mile from here."

     The hanyou tensed.  "You mean . . . it's getting closer?"

     The man cried on his knees.  "What do I do, Lady Kaede?  What must I do?"
     "Is there anything left of those slain,  Suhim?"

     "N . . . no, Lady Kaede." He whimpered.  "Just mangled bodies . . ."

      Inu-Yasha could smell the blood on the man and took a protective step back into the shadows of the hut where Miroku and Sango watched them in silent worry.  Though the two said nothing, the hanyou knew what they were thinking. 

     "Take a couple of men from the village then and go bury thy dead." The Priestess ordered softly.  "Do this now before it gets any darker.  Make certain that ye are armed and ready for anything that might attack."

     The man shivered.  "Are you sure . . ."

     "I will go with them," Miroku announced boldly, gripping his staff tightly in his hands.  He was uncertain of himself, Inu-Yasha could tell, but he was definitely not confused about going in the first place.  "I will help bury the dead."

     Kaede sighed.  "Very well." She glanced to Inu-Yasha.  "I do not suppose that you . . ."

     The hanyou growled, crossing his arms in front of his chest and turning away from the bloody man.  "Hell no, I'm stayin here!  You need me here, ya old hag!"

     "I will not argue with thee, Inu-Yasha." She resigned without any further words before turning back to Miroku.  "Make thee sure that ye have returned here by sunset.  Or may I remind you of what lurks in yonder woods."

     Miroku bowed with his hand vertical in front of his face in a prayer.  "We will return when the deed is done, Lady Kaede.  I would stay other than it is my duty to see the dead off peacefully to the Spirit World."

     The Priestess nodded and watched them go into the village.  Inu-Yasha grumbled something inaudible to her from behind and went back to sit back down next to Kagome, his arms stubbornly crossed in front of his chest.

     "Hey, Inu-Yasha?" Shippou hopped over next to the hanyou, whispering.  "Isn't tonight the new moon?"

     Inu-Yasha did not answer . . .

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     Miroku and the others arrived at the village, aghast at the blood that had been spilled upon the ground . . . the bodies that lay torn and decimated . . . even some of the war hardened men began to tear . . .

     It was all too frightening . . .

     The evil presence of the Athema was all too powerful . . . hunting . . . lurking . . . laughing at them from its hiding place . . .

     The nothing spirit grinned at them from within the shadows of his hells . . .

     From the lowest, darkest places within the earth and the spirit world. 

     The sun began to lower in the horizon by the time half of whatever was left and recognizable as human remains were buried and properly marked and Miroku began to grow wary.

     He felt the Athema watching them . . .

     The cold chill against his back . . .

     The tickling of fear brushing up against his body . . .

      He clenched his staff tighter, trying to ignore the fear . . . the charms began to chime in an encroaching wind . . .

     A moonless night was upon them, he realized . . .

     His eyes snapped open . . .

     The beast was heading towards their village!!!