The Horrid Cries of the Nothing Woman
Chapter 17
Sheya trembled in the night air, her deep eyes staring into the darkness of the forest . . .
The unnatural night . . .
Afraid . . .
Clutching the dried, bloody rags, she was lost in her thoughts . . .
Of a smiling boy . . .
How much he had said he had loved his mommy . . .
His innocence lost . . .
So many times she watched Adahan slain before her eyes, the images streaming through her head and as much as she hated it . . . as much as it made her cry . . . as distraught and displaced as she truly was . . . she watched . . .
Silent in her tortures . . .
It was as if the events of the past few days . . . meeting the demon in the forest . . . feeling her soul tear from her body . . . and yet brought back . . .
Brought back . . . saved by a black-haired human . . .
For some reason, she could not place that human . . . nor did her thoughts wander back to him.
He seemed familiar . . . but she honestly didn't care . . .
He had tried to save her and for what? So she could linger in the horrors of life where her heart bled continuously?
But he saved her! No one had ever done that for her!
No one had ever cared for her like that!
If she had been taken by that strange demon in the form of her son then she would have been lost to him forever. No longer would she be anything that would travel to the Spirit World to be with him . . . he saved her more than anyone dare realize!
Even though she could feel that her soul was partially changed . . .
Very little . . .
But not completely . . .
And the kind words he spoke on the porch . . . yes . . . it was the same being . . .
The dog-creature was the black-haired human . . .
And the Athema lurked . . .
Ready to kill . . .
Feasting upon the souls of the living . . . and he sought that human-girl's soul! She could sense it . . . Those fools were stepping towards their deaths if not there already . . .
Those kind words . . .
He actually cared for what she was feeling . . .
About her loss . . .
She clenched the bloodied cloth tighter . . .
**********
Inu-Yasha felt weak. "Naraku!"
But he refused to let anyone see it.
Kagome was gone at his feet . . . and his sister . . .
He tightened his fists and trembled. "You bastard!"
"Oh, Inu-Yasha. You truly do look upset." Naraku grinned devilishly under his mask. "Sorry to see it. Tsk, tsk, and as a weakling human as well. Life is not kind to you right at the moment, is it?"
"You bastard! I'll show you not kind . . ." Inu-Yasha leaped into the air in a violent punch, but the baboon shifted to the side with his unnerving grace. He hit the ground with a sickening thud of gravel scraping against the earth.
"Not as quick in your humanity, are you?"
The hanyou-turned-human lifted himself from the rubble and brushed himself off. "What the hell are you up to, Naraku?"
Even though the answers are already obvious.
Right in front of his face, he could see it.
Leering at him.
Naraku gave a light sigh. "Up to? What does it look like I am trying to do, Inu-Yasha? Trying to bring all the wonderful powers of hell to the surface where everyone can taste the beauty."
The Athema glowed. "IS IT NOT A BEAUTIFUL THING. I WILL RULE THIS EARTH AND ALL OF YOU VILE CREATURES SHALL BOW TO ME."
Inu-Yasha sneered, eying Kagome's body angrily. "Oh really? Do you really think Naraku is gonna let that happen?" he paused for someone to respond . . .
"You are foolish, child." The baboon muttered dangerously.
"Naraku only cares for one, Naraku." Inu-Yasha leaned against the stone wall, staring at the ominous cloud hovering over Kagome's body, and then glaring at Naraku. "He's only using you . . . somehow . . . someway . . . he's only using you to get what he wants!"
The baboon lashed out from under his cloak with a rush of power, throwing Inu-Yasha back against the wall. "I cannot wait until I slay you, half-breed. It will be most thrilling."
Unseen hands tightened around Inu-Yasha's throat . . . he struggled, but he could not breathe . . .
He grabbed at it . . . but could not grasp what was holding his life . . .
"You will be a fine kill . . . and the Athema will do wonders with your pathetic soul!" he hissed.
Inu-Yasha felt his head swim with lack of air, his strength began to ebb . . .
The Athema hovered over him . . . waiting for his turn . . .
Suddenly, there was a howl as the weight was lifted from Inu-Yasha, dropping him to the ground with a terrible thud . . .
Ayame grappled onto Naraku's leg, driving her claws through the skin into his very flesh, tearing at him from where she lay on the ground like a dog refusing to let go of its prey . . . barely conscious but determined . . .
Naraku leaped back, dragging her with him, she left a trail of blood behind her as she clung, but with a swipe of his powers, the hanyou-child was thrown across the cave and away from him, slamming headfirst into a stone wall and crumpled to the ground in a lifeless heap . . .
"Pathetic!" the baboon clothed demon growled, more angry at the fact that he had been surprised than at her bravery against him. "She will die first . . ."
"NO . . . I GET HER SOUL!" the Athema bellowed, pushing Naraku back. "THE MIKO AND THE HALFDEMON GIRL WERE MINE IN THE BARGAIN, NARAKU!"
Shaken, yet never deterred, Narauku lowered his baboon head, no doubt grinning behind his mask. "Oh, but of course. How sorry I am that I stepped out of my place. I do apologize."
Inu-Yasha shook with anger as he tried his hardest to forget what he had just seen. "Are you two finished?"
"Oh, I am terribly sorry to forget about you, Inu-Yasha." Naraku sneered. "I am glad you are still conscious though . . . so that you may see your precious woman perish . . ."
"Why, Naraku? Why are you doing this? What did you hope to gain by releasing that thing?" Inu-Yasha roared, hoping to stall . . . hoping upon all hopes . . .
"Me? Release the Athema?" the baboon-cloaked demon cocked his white head. "What ever makes you think that it was I who had done so?"
"Oh, I don't know," Inu-Yasha shrugged sarcastically. "Maybe it's your track record?"
"Oh no, it was not I who had released him, though I did have the intent and assisted . . . it was some foolish human who had done so." He explained slowly. "I merely . . . helped . . ."
"Oh really?"
"Yes and . . ."
But Naraku was silenced . . .
All quieted as another approached the confrontation with a great hatred in her heart . . .
Clutching the bloodied rags of her son . . .
Inu-Yasha's eyes widened in horror as she approached, her eyes sparkling with anger. "Sheya!" he gasped as she stopped at the mouth of the cave.
*** OH MY – we're at the climax! Who really released the Athema? What is SHEYA doing there? She must be NUTS!!!!! AAAH! Oh – poor Kagome and Ayame! OH what's gonna happen? What's gonna happen? OH NO!!!!! OH – and as always – REVIEW!!! PLEASE REVIEW!!! I LOVE REVIEWS!!!! PLEASE REVIEW!!!! Thank you :O) ***