I know, once a month updates suck. I have a lot of work to get done in my classes. Two 15 page papers for just one class, I mean sheesh. I think I might put my other story on hiatus until this one is done, then get back to it. If you are reading both of my stories, please tell me which one I should keep writing. If I only have one story rattling around in my brain I'm more likely to write it faster. Plus I have an idea for an AU fic I want to start! ^_^
Once the beating of the bird's gigantic wings had become rhythmic, and the flight level, Kagome adjusted to the feeling of flight. Before long she was even enjoying it, from the wind whipping through her hair to the brisk scents of the mountain. She stared down at the craggy landscape with wonder, taking in the rushing rivers and majestic valleys. The enormous height probably should be scaring her, but the beauty of the land below took all concerns away.
Mame flew gracefully into a small embankment of clouds, and Kagome realized the bird was beginning to descend. She tried to peer down, but could see nothing through the dense cloud cover.
Then they erupted from the clouds, and Kagome was startled to see an enormous palace below, surrounded by lush gardens. In the middle of such a rugged landscape, the palace seemed to be a carefully placed jewel.
"There is the castle of Lord Haburi. He is anxiously awaiting you," Ryu called over his shoulder. Kagome chewed on her lower lip a bit, wondering at her new situation. Her instincts were beginning to take over once more, and she felt the panic rising. It was as if a voice were screaming at her to fight with all her ferocity, and then flee as fast as her legs would carry her.
It was all she could do to force these feelings aside.
Mame finished his descent and the landing was surprisingly gentle. He lowered himself down and Ryu helped Kagome off his back.
"Thank you, Mame," Ryu said to the bird, and gave a short bow.
"Thank you," Kagome echoed, and smiled at the creature. Mame clucked happily in response.
"This way, Kagome," Ryu said and gestured for Kagome to follow him.
They had landed before the great entrance, a pair of massive wooden doors, shiny with polish. A gentle push upon golden handles by Ryu and the doors swung open. Kagome entered slowly, warily. Her senses were more alert than they had ever been before, and she found herself counting her quickening heartbeat. She took in the large entrance hall with a nervous eye.
Thick carpets of a deep green hue covered the flooring from one wall to the next, where intricately woven tapestries hung. Where the carpets ended, shining marble flooring began. The tapestries hung everywhere, and they all portrayed sleek tigers, both orange and white striped. They seemed eerily familiar, and Kagome found herself wondering if they were portraits.
She realized that Ryu was looking over his shoulder at her, waiting patiently as she took in her luxurious surroundings. She shook her head slightly, and then followed. The pair walked through hallway after hallway, and soon Kagome felt more than certain that she was lost. The place seemed so quiet, and the feeling of loneliness was palpable.
Finally they stood before a great door, and Ryu paused to tap gently upon it.
"Come." The voice came from within.
Ryu opened the door, which made no sound upon its hinges as it swung inward. He gestured for Kagome to enter first, and she did.
Pale, yellowish-green eyes greeted her and had her immediately riveted to the spot. A handsome man that appeared to be both young and ancient at the same time stared at her, his gaze intense. Ryu stood back respectfully, having not yet been dismissed. He watched Kagome nervously, fearing her instincts would take over and control her as they had before. But as the two tiger demons looked at one another, the fox demon dared not speak.
"You are very beautiful," Haburi said finally, and walked close to Kagome, who still had yet to move.
A hand reached out to gently touch a lock of raven black hair, and Kagome did not flinch away.
"You were promised to me long, long ago, my lady. I have waited for you." Haburi watched as Kagome's eyes widened.
"So you know who I am? Tell me," Kagome whispered as she continued to be lost in the eyes of the tiger.
"Oh yes… I suppose it is only fair for me to tell you of your heritage, and how it came to be that you were promised to me… Some time ago, my clan warred with that of your father's, Chikara. His father, your grandfather, promised the first born daughter of Chikara to me, in order to bring peace to the clans. I knew that Chikara's clan had the strongest blood of any tiger demon family in existence, and waited patiently for a daughter to be born and to come to age. Unfortunately, Chikara chose a human mate, dulling the strength of your blood greatly, besides the fact that he had no intention of ever handing a daughter over to me. The demon court did not take well to this, and had planned to kill his mate as a show of their displeasure. From what I have heard, she somehow escaped, and Chikara tracked those responsible and tore them into small shreds. He never took another mate after that, but I decided to wait. To produce an heir with the line of Chikara's family is too great an opportunity to just dismiss, you see. And now you are here, and fully mature. Fifty years has been an acceptable wait for you. So you see, you belong to me, and have since the day you were conceived…" Haburi trailed off, a smile stretching across his face.
Kagome was speechless. She had no intention of belonging to anyone, least of all a demon who wanted her to bear his child. She had memories to recover. A sudden image of yellow eyes filled her mind, but they were not those of Haburi. Her mind tried to cling to the image.
"Ryu, you have done well. Take her to a room where she can bathe and eat, and provide her with some proper clothes." Haburi nodded a dismissal, and Ryu quickly obeyed. Kagome was in too much shock to struggle.
When they were outside the door, Kagome turned eyes smoldering with anger upon the fox demon.
"You lied to me," she said in a soft growl. Ryu lowered his head. "He does not intend to harm you. He will provide an excellent life for you. I did not lie," he said, yet his voice shook ever so slightly.
"I belong to nobody," Kagome said and shoved past him, breaking out into a run.
Ryu simply stood and watched, well aware that there was no escaping. Escaping the beautiful prison he had thrown her in. He bowed his head, fists clenched.
"So what do you think?" Sango stared up at the vast, formidable mountain cliff blocking their path. A chill seemed to wind its way across the jagged rock and left her shivering. Miroku noticed it, and placed a hand on her shoulder. Sango looked at him with mild surprise.
"What do you mean, what do I think? I think let's get going. I'm not letting a hunk of rock stop me," Inuyasha growled. "Kagome's scent leads up and over this wall. There's no thinking about it," he said.
"You really care for her, Inuyasha," Sango said with a smile.
"Eh?! Don't say something stupid!" Inuyasha stammered, and jumped up and through the air. Sango caught a glimpse of a blush across his features before he escaped her gaze.
Then she looked at the monk and noticed his hand creeping downward.
"Ah.. hehehe," he said, caught before the act. He put on the most innocent look he could muster, but somehow it was not innocent enough. She walloped him upside the head before calling for Kirara, and was quickly soaring into the air in Inuyasha's wake. Shippou rolled his eyes from his perch on Sango's shoulder. He'll never give it up…
"It has a life all its own, I swear," Miroku said, rubbing at the lump forming on his head. He rose to his feet and noticed that the others were already high above. "Hey wait for me!"
Kagome ran through the halls of the palace, her blood rumbling dangerously throughout her body.
Kagome!
She could almost hear the voice from her dreams, and the sincere concern in its tone… If only she could bring a face to those eyes, she would be able to remember herself.
She found herself in a grand room, in which a majestic fountain dominated the center. It featured tiger cubs at play, with water spraying joyfully all about them and into the pool of water below. Kagome stopped to look into the water of the fountain, and stared down at the reflection rippling in the clear water. She bared sharp fangs and slashed viciously at the water before falling to her knees. The anger disappeared and was replaced by utter anguish. She sobbed into her clawed hands, and wished only for a clear mind.
Ryu stood back and watched her cry, and the guilt he felt was overwhelming. He sat on the bench nearby and let her be.
The climb was just as difficult as it had appeared it would be. Kirara had to pause and rest at regular intervals, and finally had to stop carrying Sango and Miroku. The sheer cliff had few handholds, and eventually the group had to rely primarily on Inuyasha helping them up. Shippou had the easiest time, in his ridiculous balloon form. After a day of climbing, even Inuyasha and his hanyou strength were beginning to tire. The cliffs seemed to go on endlessly…
Sango grunted as she reached up toward a small rock ledge above, all her muscles straining… Sweat poured down her face, and she could feel the heavy weight of Hiraikotsu against her weary shoulders. She was almost there… Miroku was sitting on the ledge, arm stretched out to help her up.
She screamed as the ledge beneath her suddenly gave way, and she began to fall.
"SANGO!" Miroku's hand raced out and caught her wrist. He began to fall forward, and got a grip just in time. He pulled back with all his strength. Sango's hand began to slip from his grasp. "You're going to fall too! Just let me go!" Sango cried, surprised at the fear she felt for Miroku's safety. Miroku scowled deeply, with an irritation Sango hadn't seen before.
"I would rather fall with you," he yelled, and doubled his efforts. Sango just stared at him.
Inuyasha was farther up with Shippou and Kirara… He couldn't let her go… Miroku's muscles burned as he strained mightily. Somehow he managed to lower his body, and use his other hand to clasp Sango. Slowly, arduously, the monk managed to pull Sango up and onto the ledge.
They sat there for a long moment, gasping for breath. Before she knew what she was doing, Sango had fallen into Miroku's arms, tears blurring her vision.
Miroku held her tightly, and their hearts pounded in unison. Miroku's hand came down, but instead of reaching for her always squeezable posterior, he placed it on the small of her back and hugged her tightly. Sango pulled away enough to look up at him, the words he had yelled echoing through her mind. He was staring at her, and the intensity of that stare left her breathless.
"Hey! Are you okay!" Inuyasha came skidding down to them, concern in his eyes. Sango jumped, and the moment between her and Miroku was abruptly ended. A blush still present upon her face, Sango had grabbed a water flask and pretended nothing had happened. She did not see the flash of sadness that Miroku held upon his face, if only for a moment.
Kagome stood before the long mirror, adorned in a silken kimono of a soft cerulean. Hand-stitched birds were weaved intricately onto the fabric. Kagome's long black hair had been growing fast over the past few days, and it now flowed to her ankles. Deep green eyes stared back at her from inside the mirror, between the black stripes resting upon her cheekbones. The visage was not familiar in the least… But that should not be surprising. Right?
The servant girl who had helped Kagome bathe and dress now gently pulled her from the room, and guided her down the hall. The sodium light of the gas lamps gave the halls an eerie glow, and cast flickering shadows against the wall.
Kagome thought of her rage last night, and the ensuing grief she had felt. After she had risen from her spot by the fountain, she had once more torn through the palace, desperately looking for a way out. She had been unable to even get out into the gardens. As the sun had begun to make its way back over the horizon, she had finally followed Ryu to a room, where she had collapsed into an exhausted sleep. No dreams had plagued her that night, yet she awoke with the certainty that someone had once more been calling her name.
Now she was being taken to Haburi once more, and she was gathering her thoughts on how to confront him. Her slippers padded silently on the carpeted flooring, and she held her sleeved arms before her. Head held high, she entered the door opened for her.
…and found herself in the embrace of the same tiger demon she was ready to tear to pieces. She growled, the sound emanating from deep within. Her eyes began to blaze.
"You need to realize now that you can't leave. You will have a very long life here, with me. I will provide everything you could possibly need…" Haburi's breath passed hotly across her neck, which the low-cut kimono left bare. His hands brushed through her hair, and Kagome's eyes narrowed when she felt him placing a kiss upon her collarbone. Her head began to pound, and all was lost in a swirl of madness………………………..
"My Lord, I told you! She can't control her rage. She needs help…" Ryu's words were desperate, and came from the doorway. He stared, appalled at the scene before him. Kagome had attacked, tearing into Haburi's shoulder and ripping a chunk of flesh from the bone. Haburi threw her from him, and she landed gracefully upon her hands and feet, eyes glaring hatefully about. They were the same eyes Ryu had seen before, full of a terrible mixture of fear and anger.
Kagome spat out a mouthful of Haburi's blood, and lunged for the fox demon. He spun easily on one foot and she crashed into the window behind him… The glass shattered and she fell headlong toward the gardens below.
"Kagome!," Ryu yelled, and hurried to follow.
Yeah, I know, I suck… Hope it was long enough. I will try to update this weekend, and reviews are a great incentive. *wink wink nudge*