CHAPTER FOUR
*
Kaede's quiet voice seemed to fill the room, then fell silent. Kagome had no idea what the Bloodfang was, but the way the old woman had said it made her feel cold. Inuyasha sat up quickly and scooted away from Kaede. "What's that?" he asked.
Myoga popped out of Shippo's tail and began bouncing agitatedly around Kagome. "Oh dear me, oh dear me," he fretted. "The Bloodfang -- I hoped never to hear that again -- and I was just getting hungry. If I had tried -"
"You would've gotten squashed like every other time," Inuyasha snapped.
"Lord Inuyasha-"
"The Bloodfang," Miroku said slowly. "I've heard something of it -- but not very much."
"That is hardly surprising," Kaede said. "Few humans know aught of the Bloodfang. But its mark is on Inuyasha's back." She pointed between Inuyasha's shoulders. Kagome could see a thin red line running down his back.
"What is this... Bloodfang you keep talking about?" Kagome interjected.
"It is the scourge of all demons." Myoga stopped bouncing and seated himself on Kagome's knee. "A terrifying sickness that once ravaged half the demons in this land."
Kagome's breath caught.
"What I know is mostly what I was taught, when I was but a girl," Kaede said soberly. "I know that the Bloodfang is not merely a sickness, but a curse."
"I've heard that story too," Miroku said. "They say that a monk with great spiritual powers created the Bloodfang, as a form of vengeance. While he was on a pilgrimage, several snake demons attacked his home and devoured his family. He returned several days later to find his children dead, poisoned and half-eaten.
"In his grief, he sought revenge for their deaths. He hunted down the snake demons who had killed them, and cursed the demons with the Bloodfang. It's a sickness that destroys as many demons as possible, no matter what kind of demon the victim is -- fox, flea, dog or any other kind. It didn't kill all of them -- perhaps half of the demons it infected. And it showed up in a blood-red mark like a serpent's fang on the victim's back.
"Eventually the disease died out, partly because the carcasses of the infected demons were burned or thrown into the sea. I thought it was something of the past. Certainly I haven't heard of anyone having it for a very long time."
"That's terrible!" Kagome said. "Just because he was angry at a few demons..."
"Aye, twas evil," Kaede said. "Yet those with power often do not use it wisely.
Miroku glanced over at Inuyasha. "As far as I know, the Bloodfang was spread when one demon touched another. When you were clawed by that bear, it must have given the Bloodfang to you before it died..."
"Correct," Myoga announced. "Which means that if I, Shippo or Kirara had touched Lord Inuyasha... which, thankfully, we did not-"
Inuyasha sat up sharply. "What about Kagome? She was scratched too. Does she have the Bloodfang too?"
"Be still, Inuyasha," Kaede said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Ye clearly know little of the Bloodfang if ye think that Kagome is endangered. True, she was touched by the same claws that infected ye. But she is human. And the nature of the Bloodfang was that it would not harm any human -- only demons. That is why ye have a raw wound on your shoulder, while her leg is healing."
Kagome kept her eyes on Inuyasha. A cold, sick feeling had crept into her stomach as the news sank in. The half-demon was crouched by the fireside, his eyes fixed on the flames. He was pretending not to listen, but Kagome knew he was listening to every word.
"Inuyasha is only half demon," Sango said quickly. "Could that help?"
"I'm afraid not," Myoga said. He bowed his tiny head. "The Bloodfang killed approximately half of the demons it infected. But Lord Inuyasha... you should know that no half-demon survived."
Inuyasha stared at Myoga for a moment, and Kagome thought she saw a flash of fear in his eyes. Then he forced a smirk and said, "Hah. I guess there's gotta be a first time for everything."
"Be not too confident, Inuyasha," Kaede said quietly. "This is no light matter, nor is it a matter of strength alone."
Shippo had dropped his bowl of rice, and had been listening intently to the conversation. The others had almost forgotten that he was there. Now he leaped toward Inuyasha.
"Shippo, no!" Miroku lunged forward and caught the tiny fox by his tail.
"Lemme go!" Shippo wailed, struggling.
"Shippo, you can't touch Inuyasha. If you do, you'll have the Bloodfang as well."
Shippo wiped at his eyes. "But-but..."
Kagome gathered Shippo in a hug. "What's gonna happen to Inuyasha?" he said, clinging to her. "He's not gonna die, is he?"
"There's no way I'll give in to some doddering monk's curse without a fight," Inuyasha said in a low voice, standing up quickly. "Don't you worry, Shippo. Just wait and see."
But Kaede's face was grave. "Mayhap ye have strength enough to resist the Bloodfang, Inuyasha. If any half-demon might, I think ye might. And we shall all do what we can to help ye."
TO BE CONTINUED
*
Kaede's quiet voice seemed to fill the room, then fell silent. Kagome had no idea what the Bloodfang was, but the way the old woman had said it made her feel cold. Inuyasha sat up quickly and scooted away from Kaede. "What's that?" he asked.
Myoga popped out of Shippo's tail and began bouncing agitatedly around Kagome. "Oh dear me, oh dear me," he fretted. "The Bloodfang -- I hoped never to hear that again -- and I was just getting hungry. If I had tried -"
"You would've gotten squashed like every other time," Inuyasha snapped.
"Lord Inuyasha-"
"The Bloodfang," Miroku said slowly. "I've heard something of it -- but not very much."
"That is hardly surprising," Kaede said. "Few humans know aught of the Bloodfang. But its mark is on Inuyasha's back." She pointed between Inuyasha's shoulders. Kagome could see a thin red line running down his back.
"What is this... Bloodfang you keep talking about?" Kagome interjected.
"It is the scourge of all demons." Myoga stopped bouncing and seated himself on Kagome's knee. "A terrifying sickness that once ravaged half the demons in this land."
Kagome's breath caught.
"What I know is mostly what I was taught, when I was but a girl," Kaede said soberly. "I know that the Bloodfang is not merely a sickness, but a curse."
"I've heard that story too," Miroku said. "They say that a monk with great spiritual powers created the Bloodfang, as a form of vengeance. While he was on a pilgrimage, several snake demons attacked his home and devoured his family. He returned several days later to find his children dead, poisoned and half-eaten.
"In his grief, he sought revenge for their deaths. He hunted down the snake demons who had killed them, and cursed the demons with the Bloodfang. It's a sickness that destroys as many demons as possible, no matter what kind of demon the victim is -- fox, flea, dog or any other kind. It didn't kill all of them -- perhaps half of the demons it infected. And it showed up in a blood-red mark like a serpent's fang on the victim's back.
"Eventually the disease died out, partly because the carcasses of the infected demons were burned or thrown into the sea. I thought it was something of the past. Certainly I haven't heard of anyone having it for a very long time."
"That's terrible!" Kagome said. "Just because he was angry at a few demons..."
"Aye, twas evil," Kaede said. "Yet those with power often do not use it wisely.
Miroku glanced over at Inuyasha. "As far as I know, the Bloodfang was spread when one demon touched another. When you were clawed by that bear, it must have given the Bloodfang to you before it died..."
"Correct," Myoga announced. "Which means that if I, Shippo or Kirara had touched Lord Inuyasha... which, thankfully, we did not-"
Inuyasha sat up sharply. "What about Kagome? She was scratched too. Does she have the Bloodfang too?"
"Be still, Inuyasha," Kaede said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Ye clearly know little of the Bloodfang if ye think that Kagome is endangered. True, she was touched by the same claws that infected ye. But she is human. And the nature of the Bloodfang was that it would not harm any human -- only demons. That is why ye have a raw wound on your shoulder, while her leg is healing."
Kagome kept her eyes on Inuyasha. A cold, sick feeling had crept into her stomach as the news sank in. The half-demon was crouched by the fireside, his eyes fixed on the flames. He was pretending not to listen, but Kagome knew he was listening to every word.
"Inuyasha is only half demon," Sango said quickly. "Could that help?"
"I'm afraid not," Myoga said. He bowed his tiny head. "The Bloodfang killed approximately half of the demons it infected. But Lord Inuyasha... you should know that no half-demon survived."
Inuyasha stared at Myoga for a moment, and Kagome thought she saw a flash of fear in his eyes. Then he forced a smirk and said, "Hah. I guess there's gotta be a first time for everything."
"Be not too confident, Inuyasha," Kaede said quietly. "This is no light matter, nor is it a matter of strength alone."
Shippo had dropped his bowl of rice, and had been listening intently to the conversation. The others had almost forgotten that he was there. Now he leaped toward Inuyasha.
"Shippo, no!" Miroku lunged forward and caught the tiny fox by his tail.
"Lemme go!" Shippo wailed, struggling.
"Shippo, you can't touch Inuyasha. If you do, you'll have the Bloodfang as well."
Shippo wiped at his eyes. "But-but..."
Kagome gathered Shippo in a hug. "What's gonna happen to Inuyasha?" he said, clinging to her. "He's not gonna die, is he?"
"There's no way I'll give in to some doddering monk's curse without a fight," Inuyasha said in a low voice, standing up quickly. "Don't you worry, Shippo. Just wait and see."
But Kaede's face was grave. "Mayhap ye have strength enough to resist the Bloodfang, Inuyasha. If any half-demon might, I think ye might. And we shall all do what we can to help ye."
TO BE CONTINUED