"Invisible threads are the strongest ties."
~Friedrich Neitzshe
All's Fair in Love and War
Chapter 16: Poison
~Road to Hikari (Sango's POV)~
After an hour Inuyasha tells me that is time to start again. The horses have grazed and drank from a small stream. They are still tired, you can see it in their sluggish movements. I am exhausted, the worry pulls at me. I almost want the pursers to appear so I can forget everything in the thrill of the chase.
I mount the horse and kick its sides to catch up with Inuyasha. I know he is worried as well. He has no assurances that we can get away. I glance behind, it has become a habit these last few hours. I see nothing. The road is empty. Is Kagome not going to send anyone after us? Though I know it is stupid, I start to feel confident that we will get away.
~Road to Hikari (Miroku's POV)~
We have been traveling non-stop for seven hours. Every hour or so we stop at a village and change horses. We should catch up with Inuyasha and Sango soon. They have not had fresh horses and I hope they have stopped to rest.
Squinting ahead I can just make out two riders along the horizon. It must be Sango and Inuyasha. I signal the other riders to push their horses as hard as possible. I see Sango and Inuyasha turn their heads and spot us. They also push their horses faster. It has become a race, if they got over into enemy territory they win and I lose.
We start to gain. I can see Sango's hair trailing behind her. We come to a bend in the road, I keep close to the inner turn. I am almost close enough to reach out and touch Sango. I know we are coming close to the boarder. The other riders are still a few feet behind me. They didn't get as fast horses as I.
I press my horse faster, I ride head to head with Sango's horse. I can easily pull my horse into her path and cause her to fall. I think that would cause Inuyasha to stop as well. Something holds me back. I can't do it. I want to but I can't. I can see Sango's fearful eyes staring into mine waiting to see what I will do.
Suddenly she lashes out with her hand. It connects with my temple causing me to see through a red haze. I loose touch with everything and I only vaguely notice when I slide off my horse into the bushes. I lay there dazed. The rest of the riders gallop by. I wait for a sign that Sango and Inuyasha have been captured. I hear the slow clomping of the hooves of the returning riders. They-we-have failed. The hostages have escaped. I wonder what Kagome will do now.
~Hikari Fortress (Inuyasha's POV)~
We finally arrive at Hikari after many hours of riding. Sango and I found my father's army just inside the boarder of his lands. The general sent six armed guards to escort us to Hikari.
We ride through the open gates and into the courtyard. I see my father among many falsely smiling courtiers. He is dressed in velvet and silk. Every available inch is covered in jewels and gold to show off his status and wealth. Servants hold a red canopy over his head to keep off the refreshing cool mist in the air.
Sango and I dismount and a servant leads them away. We walk forward and bow in front of our father. He beckons and another servant comes forward with a silver tray with golden goblets full of wine.
"Welcome home. You have truly made me and the rest of Hikari proud by escaping."
He raises his goblet and everyone copies him. Then he drains all the wine and sets it back on they tray clumsily. I know this hasn't been his first drink.
His face flushes and he opens his mouth to say something. Nothing some out. A sheen of sweat breaks out on his forehead. He clutches his throat.
"It burns! It burns!" He croaks.
We all stand there motionless wondering what is going on. He collapses on the ground, rolled into a ball rocking side to side. I start to realize that he has been poisoned. I crouch down beside him and call for someone to get the King's doctor.
His face is becoming purple and he is choking up blood. I pull him on his side so he won't suffocate. He shakes violently for a few seconds and then he lies perfectly still. I put my hand on his lips. I feel no breath.
The doctor comes. He checks for breathing and a heartbeat. He looks grim. He takes me aside.
"He's dead. It looks like midnight-flower. It's a poison grown in the south. I do not know of any antidote that could have saved him."
I nod numbly. I always thought that I was indifferent towards my father. I have hated him and I have loved him. Lately I have just stopped caring. I am sad that he is dead. Strange, I never thought I would mourn the loss of my father for even a second. I walk back into the center of the crowd.
"He's dead." I state unemotionally. My cold mask is in place. It feels stiff from disuse.
A herald calls out into the silent courtyard. It echoes into the city and others pick it up and yell it further. Everyone knows.
"THE KING IS DEAD! LONG LIVE KING INUYASHA!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(sorry for the short chapter. I don't have enough time to add anymore.)
THANK YOUS: ShadowSpinner, Yuen, CorruptedAngel, Neko, Jazzy, Thesmartazngirl, hyperchica11 and AznGurl_89 for reviewing last chapter!
~Friedrich Neitzshe
All's Fair in Love and War
Chapter 16: Poison
~Road to Hikari (Sango's POV)~
After an hour Inuyasha tells me that is time to start again. The horses have grazed and drank from a small stream. They are still tired, you can see it in their sluggish movements. I am exhausted, the worry pulls at me. I almost want the pursers to appear so I can forget everything in the thrill of the chase.
I mount the horse and kick its sides to catch up with Inuyasha. I know he is worried as well. He has no assurances that we can get away. I glance behind, it has become a habit these last few hours. I see nothing. The road is empty. Is Kagome not going to send anyone after us? Though I know it is stupid, I start to feel confident that we will get away.
~Road to Hikari (Miroku's POV)~
We have been traveling non-stop for seven hours. Every hour or so we stop at a village and change horses. We should catch up with Inuyasha and Sango soon. They have not had fresh horses and I hope they have stopped to rest.
Squinting ahead I can just make out two riders along the horizon. It must be Sango and Inuyasha. I signal the other riders to push their horses as hard as possible. I see Sango and Inuyasha turn their heads and spot us. They also push their horses faster. It has become a race, if they got over into enemy territory they win and I lose.
We start to gain. I can see Sango's hair trailing behind her. We come to a bend in the road, I keep close to the inner turn. I am almost close enough to reach out and touch Sango. I know we are coming close to the boarder. The other riders are still a few feet behind me. They didn't get as fast horses as I.
I press my horse faster, I ride head to head with Sango's horse. I can easily pull my horse into her path and cause her to fall. I think that would cause Inuyasha to stop as well. Something holds me back. I can't do it. I want to but I can't. I can see Sango's fearful eyes staring into mine waiting to see what I will do.
Suddenly she lashes out with her hand. It connects with my temple causing me to see through a red haze. I loose touch with everything and I only vaguely notice when I slide off my horse into the bushes. I lay there dazed. The rest of the riders gallop by. I wait for a sign that Sango and Inuyasha have been captured. I hear the slow clomping of the hooves of the returning riders. They-we-have failed. The hostages have escaped. I wonder what Kagome will do now.
~Hikari Fortress (Inuyasha's POV)~
We finally arrive at Hikari after many hours of riding. Sango and I found my father's army just inside the boarder of his lands. The general sent six armed guards to escort us to Hikari.
We ride through the open gates and into the courtyard. I see my father among many falsely smiling courtiers. He is dressed in velvet and silk. Every available inch is covered in jewels and gold to show off his status and wealth. Servants hold a red canopy over his head to keep off the refreshing cool mist in the air.
Sango and I dismount and a servant leads them away. We walk forward and bow in front of our father. He beckons and another servant comes forward with a silver tray with golden goblets full of wine.
"Welcome home. You have truly made me and the rest of Hikari proud by escaping."
He raises his goblet and everyone copies him. Then he drains all the wine and sets it back on they tray clumsily. I know this hasn't been his first drink.
His face flushes and he opens his mouth to say something. Nothing some out. A sheen of sweat breaks out on his forehead. He clutches his throat.
"It burns! It burns!" He croaks.
We all stand there motionless wondering what is going on. He collapses on the ground, rolled into a ball rocking side to side. I start to realize that he has been poisoned. I crouch down beside him and call for someone to get the King's doctor.
His face is becoming purple and he is choking up blood. I pull him on his side so he won't suffocate. He shakes violently for a few seconds and then he lies perfectly still. I put my hand on his lips. I feel no breath.
The doctor comes. He checks for breathing and a heartbeat. He looks grim. He takes me aside.
"He's dead. It looks like midnight-flower. It's a poison grown in the south. I do not know of any antidote that could have saved him."
I nod numbly. I always thought that I was indifferent towards my father. I have hated him and I have loved him. Lately I have just stopped caring. I am sad that he is dead. Strange, I never thought I would mourn the loss of my father for even a second. I walk back into the center of the crowd.
"He's dead." I state unemotionally. My cold mask is in place. It feels stiff from disuse.
A herald calls out into the silent courtyard. It echoes into the city and others pick it up and yell it further. Everyone knows.
"THE KING IS DEAD! LONG LIVE KING INUYASHA!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(sorry for the short chapter. I don't have enough time to add anymore.)
THANK YOUS: ShadowSpinner, Yuen, CorruptedAngel, Neko, Jazzy, Thesmartazngirl, hyperchica11 and AznGurl_89 for reviewing last chapter!