The Horrid Cries of the Nothing Woman
Chapter Nine
The sky was bold. Brilliant with the night.
Athema crept through its seductive darkness with its prey . . .
With its prisoner . . .
With the power . . .
Soon it would revive . . .
Soon it would rise to the throne of a god, the Seventh Hell would be no more the last, but the Eighth would come forth to the world . . .
Be the world . . .
It quivered with excitement . . . this strength that surged within the woman . . .
Within the Miko in its grasp . . .
Unconscious and her head bobbing to the side, it watched her intently as it made its way into the pitch of a cave, the mouth gaping like an ancient beast who's blood ran deep within the Athema's realm.
It would be here that it would prepare its meal.
Its final meal of mortal soul before it would rise above it all . . .
Before itself became more than just a wandering lord of darkness . . .
But something watched it . . .
It could feel eyes piercing through that concealing emptiness. . .
Through the night . . . into the creature . . .
A soul that echoed with howls . . .
Thoughts of attacking it crept into the Athema's mind . . . but it's not that kind of power it was seeking then . . .
It was revival . . .
It was life . . .
Power would come later . . .
Once it sucked the soul of the frail Miko . . . it would go after true power . . .
And nothing could stop it!
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"W . . . What happened to Kagome?" Inu-Yasha gasped as he awoke from sleep . . .
Still human . . .
Still weak . . .
It was the same horrible night he awoke to, he shuddered.
Miroku looked upon him pitifully with a glaze of despair Inu-Yasha had never seen. "Lady Kagome is gone." He said slowly, sadly. "Sango is hurt, badly. I am not sure she will survive this night."
Inu-Yasha forced his pain ridden body to sit up next to the Monk. "She's been through hell before, I'm sure she'll make it."
He was confident. Sure of it. Though Kagome was deep in his mind, consuming, the only thing he thought of . . . the only thing he felt hot tears in his human eyes over . . .
But he felt sorry for Sango. But he was sure . . . sure . . . that she would survive.
Kaede brought another warm cloth and a bowl to sit next to the downed demon exterminator. Her face was wrinkled and frightened, Inu-Yasha didn't have to be a demon to sense her pain . . . her worry . . .
He looked away with his arms across his chest as the Priestess applied herbs to the fallen warriors body. "So, old woman, do you know where that thing has taken Kagome?"
"No, I am afraid I do not know of it." She paused, frowning . . . feeling her age get to her. "But if we do not act upon it soon . . . she will die."
Inu-Yasha pushed himself to his feet. "Then I'm going after her now."
Miroku stood up, grabbing his sleeve. "No, not as a human. You would not survive against the Athema!"
"No, probably not!" he savagely glared into the Monks eyes. "But neither will Kagome if someone doesn't go after her!"
Miroku could not argue with those words and stepped back. "Then you must do what you must do."
"Before ye go wandering off to your death, perhaps you might ask that strange young woman what ye may be up against." Kaede picked up the bowl to get fresh herbs, turning away from the headstrong Inu-Yasha. "She has had experience in this . . . ye have not."
"Speaking of which, where is she?" the Monk interrupted.
Silence befell the hut as they realized Sheya was gone . . .
"She probably ran and hid when she felt that thing coming!" Inu-Yasha snarled, turning the rush out the door. "She's gonna pay if she deserted us!"
Miroku put a kind yet firm hand on his friend's angry shoulder, his face stern and fatherly. "It might not be a good idea charging after her as if you still had your claws and fangs . . ."
Inu-Yasha pushed him away. "I'll be half demon again soon anyway . . . who cares what happens to that girl! I'm more worried about Kagome!" he scowled, turning his eyes away from those of the Monks . . . "She's probably hiding somewhere anyway, she's probably fine!"
"Do not be so sure of yourself, Inu-Yasha," Kaede frowned, pulling some more bandages for Sango and finishing with her wounds. "Her soul had been one that was traumatized . . . so traumatized that even Kagome felt it . . ."
Miroku raised an eyebrow. "So, you felt it too?"
"Felt what?" Inu-Yasha shouted in frustration. "What? Felt what?"
"She had lost her child, correct?" Kaede began to explain sorrowfully, tying the last wrap to Sango's deadly lacerations.
"Then she may be in more trouble than we realize." The Monk's eyes widened. "We might lose her."
"Lose her? Feh, whatever. She's just a strange girl anyway!"
"Inu-Yasha! Those be harsh words from your mouth. That young lady's soul is falling into despair . . . into demon territory."
"You mean . . . into a . . . nothing woman?" Inu-Yasha finished, he grimaced as he remembered the last encounter with the strange demons . . .
"Is there any way to stop it?" Miroku questioned intently, tapping his staff on the wood floor to gain immediate attention.
"Damn it! If I wasn't a weak human I could sniff that girl out!" Inu-Yasha roared in anger, rushing to the door frantically and then turning back as if he could not remember where he was going. "What happens when she turns?"
"Her soul will die . . . thus it turns into a demon and . . . well . . ." Kaede sighed. "It might be already to late . . ."
"NO! She is the only one that can help us get Kagome back! I gotta know where she went!" Inu-Yasha rushed through the door of the hut, his heart pounding in his chest as he raced blindly into the darkness . . .
If he didn't find Sheya then he would most likely never be able to defeat the spirit Athema . . .
The Nothing Creature . . .
Without Sheya's help – all would be lost . . .
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