The girl stared at Ryu through wild eyes. Her fear was easy to detect by her scent and the way her eyes darted about, on the look out for danger. Her clothes were torn and hung off her in shreds, as if she had run through thick underbrush with no concern for thorns and branches. She was bleeding here and there, and a long mane of dark hair was tangled with leaves and grass. Her gentle face was stained by tears, which continued to fall from her bright green eyes. Ryu felt his heart ache for the girl with one glance. She was sitting with her back against the trunk of a tree, her hands and feet tied securely.


"You are joking, right?" Ryu tore his eyes from the girl and frowned at Arata. Arata sighed with annoyance. "Yes, Ryu. You were directed to come all this way to meet me, all for a laugh. Don't be an idiot." The crow on Arata's shoulder cawed as if laughing, its black eyes staring down at Ryu. Ryu scowled.


"I highly suggest you begin the journey back immediately. She shouldn't give you too much trouble. She's only a hanyou, and her mind is gone. I'll be going... Tell Lord Haburi my debt is now void. I am certain he will agree..." Arata's dark eyes clouded for a moment.


"Wonderful," Ryu grumbled. "I don't suppose you can tell me why this girl is so important?"


Arata scowled at the fox demon.


"No."


He promptly spread his massive wings and leapt into the air. He and his companion crow were gone within moments.


Ryu cursed under his breath, then returned his gaze to the girl in front of him. He took a hesitant step toward her, and she flinched backward. A low growl emanated from deep in her throat, and she flashed a set of fangs at him. Ryu considered the faint stripes upon her cheekbones, and realized she was of the tiger youkai persuasion. Only in the eyes of tiger demons had he ever seen green eyes with such a haunting quality. She must be related to Lord Haburi somehow, Ryu reasoned.


"I'm not going to hurt you. I want to help," Ryu said softly, and kneeled in front of the girl. With a snarl, she tore her arms from their binding and smashed her fists upon the top of Ryu's head. The world went dark, and he fell face forward into the dirt.


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


Inuyasha stared down at the spot he was sure Kagome had been not that long ago. Her scent was strong on the grass, and he could see that she had been lying there for some time. Her scent mingled with that of another demon, and then seemed to disappear. He kicked angrily at the grass, sending a spray of rock and dirt in his frustration. Then he noticed that the scent drifted up and into the air, and realized that she had been taken by a demon with the ability to fly. That explained the slight scent of crow.


His worry increased as he wondered why she had been taken. There was too much going on that he didn't understand, and it was infuriating. He didn't want to waste time going to find Miroku and the others; the demon with Kagome had already gotten a head start. With a grunt, Inuyasha jumped through the air and through the high branches of the trees, trying his best to track the scent of Kagome in the air. As he bounded from one tree to another, he sometimes lost the scent and had to backtrack. It was slow going, and it was all Inuyasha could do to not scream with frustration as in his mind he saw Kagome being taken farther and farther away.


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


Ryu ran with the natural agility of a fox demon, the trees racing by in a blur as his feet found secure paths where there was none. He had woken shortly after being knocked out by the damned hanyou, and was chasing after her with as much speed as he could muster. The thought of arriving in front of his master without the "package" was not pleasant. In fact, it was downright terrifying. Ryu knew with certainty that if he was unable to catch the girl and bring her to Lord Haburi he would not return to him at all.


Then he caught a glimpse of her, and froze. She was drinking from a stream, her motions slow. She paused to gaze down at her reflection in the water. Ryu held his breath as he prepared to jump out and grab her. The reflection rippled as a tear fell into the water with a soft drip. Ryu's anger dissipated slightly as he saw the torture the girl was going through. Her mind is gone... The words of Arata rang through his head. He could only wonder what was happening inside the young tiger hanyou.


Then she turned and stared at Ryu, finally detecting his presence. They stood still for a long moment, eyes locked. Then in a movement so rapid it was a blur, she attacked with claws extended and teeth bared. Ryu barely dodged in time to avoid being shredded, and backed away. His mind raced as he tried to decide what to do; he didn't want to injure her more than she already was. He didn't want to wind up shredded into pieces, either.


She was already attacking again, and Ryu was desperate. He used his fox powers and in the split second before she was upon him, he transformed into a net and wrapped himself around her. She screamed with anger and before she could try to tear her way out, Ryu had transformed back and his arms were securely wrapped around her. She hissed and spit while struggling to get free.


"I have a feeling this is going to be a long trip," Ryu grumbled as he struggled to hold her.


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


Yes, I'm still alive! I'm aiming for a once a week update on both my stories, once I get my wacky schedule figured out. Driving a hour to and back from college is a real pain. So is the flu. I swear, the second you send your kids to school, they come home sick and everyone in the house has to catch it. Or at least I do. Anyways, hope you liked the latest chapter, even if it came so late.