CHAPTER THIRTEEN
*
This is serious, Kagome thought. If we can't go faster we're both gonna get eaten...
For the moment, the only sound in the dark woods was the wind rustling the trees, and Inuyasha's labored breathing. He was starting to stand on his own feet more steadily, but he still was using Tetsusaiga as a cane and was holding tightly to Kagome's shoulders. He tried not to look too tired out, but forcing his weakened body was showing its strain. Even in the near-darkness, Kagome could see sweat on his face.
"Are you okay?" Kagome asked again.
"I won't be 'okay' until sunrise," Inuyasha grunted. "Just keep going..."
The sound of the snake slipping through the bushes had started again, on and off. He seemed to be having trouble finding them in the dark. Kagome didn't remember much from her classes about snakes. Could they see in the dark? Then again, she had blinded it in one eye with Tetsusaiga. Maybe the pain was slowing it down.
She felt Inuyasha's body tense every time they heard that telltale rustling, swishing sound. Then both of them practically dropped to the ground, huddling down in the long grass. They barely dared to breathe for fear the snake would hear them. When the sounds faded away, the two staggered off into the woods again.
"Are you sure this is the right way?" Inuyasha whispered.
"Yeah... kinda," Kagome said nervously. "It all looks different at night. And don't you dare suggest again that I go without you."
"Feh," was all Inuyasha would say.
She put her hand over his as they stumbled through a dry streambed. His fingers clung tightly to hers. They felt a little different -- not just because his claws were gone. It was like his skin got a little rougher and more... human. Not to mention that he almost never held her hand when he was a demon.
As they came to the edge of the forest, Kagome shivered. They were standing on a wide, sweeping stone plateau, overlooking a sprawling mess of trees, rivers, hills scarred by demon attacks in the past. There was no sign of the village, and Kagome knew they were still a long distance from it. But, beyond the forest...
"Inuyasha, look!" she cried. "The sun's going to rise."
Inuyasha looked up listlessly. There was a pale glimmer on the very edge of the horizon. "That? Kagome, it could be an hour or more until the sun actually comes up..."
"I know, but that's better than nothing." Kagome tried to sound chipper. "How are you feeling, Inuyasha?"
"Like hell."
"That bad?"
"Those herbs of yours drew out most of the venom, but I've still got some of it in me, and it won't go away until well after sunrise. Dammit," Inuyasha grunted, straightening up. "If only... I could use Tetsusaiga when I'm like this."
"It would do you little good, puppy," hissed a soft voice.
Inuyasha turned around so quickly that he almost fell over. Kagome grabbed his arm to steady him. A pair of glowing eyes were slowly swaying back and forth in the darkness, and a long, dark, thin shape took form around them. Blood was still dripping from the snake's ruined eye and mangled mouth, but it was still moving, still deadly.
"I don't know how you lived through my venom," it hissed painfully. "But it doesn't matter. You are human until the sun appears, and this time I shall not toy with you before devouring you..."
"Too bad you didn't kill me the first time," Inuyasha said, unsheathing his sword. "Because you won't get a second chance, worm."
TO BE CONTINUED
*
This is serious, Kagome thought. If we can't go faster we're both gonna get eaten...
For the moment, the only sound in the dark woods was the wind rustling the trees, and Inuyasha's labored breathing. He was starting to stand on his own feet more steadily, but he still was using Tetsusaiga as a cane and was holding tightly to Kagome's shoulders. He tried not to look too tired out, but forcing his weakened body was showing its strain. Even in the near-darkness, Kagome could see sweat on his face.
"Are you okay?" Kagome asked again.
"I won't be 'okay' until sunrise," Inuyasha grunted. "Just keep going..."
The sound of the snake slipping through the bushes had started again, on and off. He seemed to be having trouble finding them in the dark. Kagome didn't remember much from her classes about snakes. Could they see in the dark? Then again, she had blinded it in one eye with Tetsusaiga. Maybe the pain was slowing it down.
She felt Inuyasha's body tense every time they heard that telltale rustling, swishing sound. Then both of them practically dropped to the ground, huddling down in the long grass. They barely dared to breathe for fear the snake would hear them. When the sounds faded away, the two staggered off into the woods again.
"Are you sure this is the right way?" Inuyasha whispered.
"Yeah... kinda," Kagome said nervously. "It all looks different at night. And don't you dare suggest again that I go without you."
"Feh," was all Inuyasha would say.
She put her hand over his as they stumbled through a dry streambed. His fingers clung tightly to hers. They felt a little different -- not just because his claws were gone. It was like his skin got a little rougher and more... human. Not to mention that he almost never held her hand when he was a demon.
As they came to the edge of the forest, Kagome shivered. They were standing on a wide, sweeping stone plateau, overlooking a sprawling mess of trees, rivers, hills scarred by demon attacks in the past. There was no sign of the village, and Kagome knew they were still a long distance from it. But, beyond the forest...
"Inuyasha, look!" she cried. "The sun's going to rise."
Inuyasha looked up listlessly. There was a pale glimmer on the very edge of the horizon. "That? Kagome, it could be an hour or more until the sun actually comes up..."
"I know, but that's better than nothing." Kagome tried to sound chipper. "How are you feeling, Inuyasha?"
"Like hell."
"That bad?"
"Those herbs of yours drew out most of the venom, but I've still got some of it in me, and it won't go away until well after sunrise. Dammit," Inuyasha grunted, straightening up. "If only... I could use Tetsusaiga when I'm like this."
"It would do you little good, puppy," hissed a soft voice.
Inuyasha turned around so quickly that he almost fell over. Kagome grabbed his arm to steady him. A pair of glowing eyes were slowly swaying back and forth in the darkness, and a long, dark, thin shape took form around them. Blood was still dripping from the snake's ruined eye and mangled mouth, but it was still moving, still deadly.
"I don't know how you lived through my venom," it hissed painfully. "But it doesn't matter. You are human until the sun appears, and this time I shall not toy with you before devouring you..."
"Too bad you didn't kill me the first time," Inuyasha said, unsheathing his sword. "Because you won't get a second chance, worm."
TO BE CONTINUED
