Chapter 15
The morning came quickly and as usual Shura was up before dawn making perpetrations for Miroku's treatment. By the time Inuyasha and the others finally awoke, Shura had already finished her medical arrangements and her chores around the inn. All in all everyone was relaxed and well rested, all that is except for Miroku; he hadn't slept a wink.
After a light breakfast the group of six gathered at the instructed area and waited anxiously for Shura to arrive and begin the procedure. The healer had consented that Miroku's friends could watch and provide moral support but only if they remained at a distance.
When Shura arrived she bid Miroku to come forward and sit near her. Miroku obeyed and took a seat on the floor. He then pulled up his sleeve and extended his right arm. The demon healer narrowed her eyes as she rested the monk's wrist in her hand. The injury he bore was emitting a strange dark energy. Shura could feel it pulse with Miroku's every breath. Shura flexed her pointer and middle fingers in unison to get the toxins flowing to her nails. Simply sensing Miroku's wound was not enough; she would need to see it before attempting anything further. And the only way to safely observe the monk's wind tunnel was to dull its power with poison.
"Ouch!" Miroku gasped when Shura jabbed her two nails swiftly into his wrist. The monk's face went pale when he realized Shura had just poisoned him.
"It's alright." Shura crooned calmly as she started to loosen the protective covering over his hand and wrist "I have complete control over the toxins I've put in you. They will not harm you, only subdue your wind tunnels power." Miroku winced as he felt his arm go suddenly numb. He hoped for his sake Shura was right. As Shura tugged gently at the glove on his wrist, Miroku became suddenly frightened. What if her poison didn't work! They, and everything around them would be pulled into the wind tunnel! The monk let out a shrill, panicked cry, as the horrible images that flashed in his mind seemed to unfold around him.
"No don't!" he yelled as Shura pulled the glove free. Miroku closed his eyes tightly and waited for the blast of wind that would end everything.
"Calm down, you're doing fine." Shura's comment jolted the monk back into reality. When he finally did open his eyes, Miroku was stunned to see Shura holding his bare wrist. The dark, swirling, void in his palm was in plain view.
Shura inspected the monk's hand carefully. Uncovered and exposed the gaping hole in Miroku's hand radiated even more raw dark energy. Out of all the cases she'd seen, this wound was by far the most unique and the most powerful. Shura drew in a deep breath as an uneasy feeling started to form in her stomach. "I've never seen magic used like this," she whispered "Whoever gave you this must have been very powerful and very dangerous." Miroku fidgeted nervously. Shura's change in tone was not reassuring.
"Can you mend it?" he asked timidly. The demon healer remained silent for a few moments as she mentally gauged the energy begin emitted from Miroku's wound, and how much she would need to combat it. Against a curse this strong, it would take more then simple herbs and enchanted instruments….it would take sorcery.
"I will try." Shura answered. The demoness closed her eyes and hushed the room as she suspended her free hand over Miroku's wind tunnel. She would have to use the strongest spell she knew to attempt this procedure, and for that she needed intense concentration. As Shura began to quietly recite the incantation, she could feel the dark energy begin to pulse faster. She concentrated harder, forcing her magic deep into Miroku's wind tunnel and willing it to close. But just as her power intensified, so did the darkness. Shura could feel the sickening black energy clash against her own.
For half an hour the struggle raged on. In that time with strength of will Shura had gradually gained the upper hand. She had nearly sealed the monk's wind tunnel when suddenly a jolt of dark magic stopped her cold…. Everything went black for an instant and when Shura opened her eyes she found herself tumbling through an immense swirling vortex of wind and energy. In the climax of her spell, the blackness had forced her mind from her body and now it was trying to conquer her. Shura steadied herself and hovered through the stormy atmosphere. She could sense the way out and she needed to get there fast, otherwise she would be trapped there for eternity. Tapping into her magic the demon propelled herself forward towards the exit.
Shura looked behind her shoulder when she caught a glimpse of a strange white, furry creature darting in and out of the vortex. Whatever it was it moved with incredible speed. Shura forced herself onward. Though the creature was most likely the creator of the dark magic, she didn't have the time or energy to find out. The exit was just ahead of her, a few more seconds and she'd be free…
Suddenly the white creature emerged from the vortex below and stood directly in Shura's path. The demon healer swerved roughly to the side to try and avoid the baboon like animal, but to no avail. As the two collided shoulders Shura felt herself tense with a sudden gripping fear. This creature was radiating enormous amounts of power, and the evil energy that surrounded his being was the same dark magic that infested Miroku's hand. Never before had she sensed so much power in any one demon. Not even her father or the dragon lord Matyeo had such immeasurable strength.
Shura gasped as her mind was thrust back into her body. When she opened her eyes her gaze fell on a deeply frightened Miroku.
"Are…are you okay?" the monk was asking. Shura leaned over and tried desperately to regain her breath. Her "battle of the minds" had left the demoness's body starved for oxygen.
"I'll…. be…. fine…" she finally managed to answer between gasps. By then her group of observers had become concerned and had formed a circle around her and the monk. When she finally got her wind back, Shura forced eye contact with Miroku. Though his hand was now a minor concern to her considering the demon she had just encountered, and explanation as to why her treatment failed was still in order.
"Miroku…I'm so sorry. I tried my best, but the magic used on your hand is far beyond my skills to cure." Surprisingly, Miroku didn't seem to upset. He simply pulled back on his glove and gave a polite bow.
"I understand. Thank you for your efforts." Shura lowered her eyes. Why he was thanking her for failure she didn't know. Slowly the demon healer got up and helped Miroku to his feet.
"I would advise you wait until tomorrow to continue your travels Miroku," she informed him, "until the poison restricting your wind tunnel wears off. If all goes well, you should be fully restored by dawn" The monk nodded his understanding, as did the others. Then after apologizing for a second time, Shura headed sluggishly to her room.
With her energy reserves on practically nothing, the demon healer was once again desperate for sleep.
In a few moments Shura had dragged herself into her bedroom and flopped into bed. As she started to lie down on her side, Shura felt a tremendous stab of pain in her shoulder. It was in the exact spot she had struck the demon creature when their minds collided. It was if the dark magic was trying to contaminate her blood…. Shura blacked out, but was aroused a moment later when she felt a warm pulse around her neck. As her mind drifted gradually in and out of consciousness she could sense a radiant energy coming from the rainbow gem on her pendent. With each energy surge it emitted, the fainter the dark magic became. When she came too there was no trace of the black energy or the pain that accompanied it.
Relaxing her body, Shura paid little attention to the force that had driven the agony from her. Instead her mind rested only on the source of the dark energy. Try as she might, Shura couldn't stop thinking about the demon she had encountered. If even a brush with his dark spirit had potentially fatal consequences, how could such a force ever be defeated?
What Shura didn't know was that elsewhere in his castle; Naraku was thinking the same thing about her. Gripping his shoulder tightly, Naraku narrowed his cold red eyes. Though he could sense most of her power was dormant Naraku decided he could not allow such demon to threaten his rule. It didn't matter if she was an enemy or an ally, the girl would have to be destroyed. But how to go about it?
Naraku drummed his fingers lightly on the floor. Despite his greatest efforts he couldn't come up with a battle plan. A nagging thought kept distracting him. When their minds collided, though he was sure the intruding demon was a stranger, her appearance and aura seemed vaguely familiar somehow. Naraku stood and traveled over to the window and shifted his glance outside. In his palace courtyard two mangy stray dogs were tugging at a scrap of food. The beasts reminded him of the dog demon he had corresponded with a while back. Naraku scratched lightly under his chin. As he recalled, Sesshomaru, he believed that was his name, had been quite powerful and extremely confident…
"Of course!" Naraku whispered when the similarities dawned on him "Who else would be so bold to try and conquer me… then the dog demon's heir." The demon turned away from the window and started towards the door. A clever plan had started to form in his mind, a way to eliminate the female threat and keep himself out of harms way.
Naraku continued forward, a blazing jewel shard tucked securely in his hand. Sesshomaru had made an excellent pawn with the aid of the Shikon jewel before, but his independence had been a problem. Naraku pursed his lips together forming a sly smile. This time that wouldn't happen.
"Sesshomaru…" Naraku spoke quietly on the wind "Its time I made good on my promise." Now clear of his hideaway, Naraku darned himself in his cloak of white fur and hovered into the sky. Even from where he was he could sense the demon lords energy, and that was the direction he now flew. "I'm calling on you again."
Sesshomaru glanced over his shoulder in annoyance as he slowed the pace of his flying dragon servant. Someone was following him. With a gentle tug on the rains Sesshomaru lowered the twin headed lizard beast to the ground. Once there he immediately dismounted and scanned the area for any other signs of life. His keen senses detected nothing abnormal. Whoever had been following him must have lost interest or more likely figured out he or she were no match for his power.
Jaken, who had spent the last two hours clinging desperately to the dragon mount's tail after he had fallen out of the saddle, flopped to the ground in exhaustion.
"Whew…finally…I never thought we'd get here…" the little demon began. He stopped short when he found himself surrounded on all sides by unfamiliar forest. "Wha…. where are we? This is not your territory…why have we come here Lord Sesshomaru?" The white haired demon ignored his accomplice for the time being and walked steadily forward until he came to his intended destination; a wide, grassy clearing at the edge of the forest.
Stepping free from the foliage Sesshomaru turned an annoyed gaze on his smaller companion who was trying to keep up.
"Jaken," the demon lord's stern tone made Jaken freeze in his tracks.
"Beyond this stretch of forest is the village where Shura is being kept." Sesshomaru raised his arm and motioned it in the direction he was referring to. "I want you to go there and deliver a message to her." Jaken nodded his understanding. Even though he wasn't to keen on walking the entire way there, refusing a direct order from his master was not an option. The demon lord continued. "Tell Shura to meet me here at sundown." Jaken stepped nervously forward. Sesshomaru seemed awfully confident that Shura would obey. Perhaps he didn't remember her independent streak.
"What if she refuses sire? What should I do then?" Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes.
"Shura will come. Weather it is easy or hard is her decision to make," Jaken gulped but said nothing else as he pulled himself onto his master's dragon and sped off in the village's direction.
Sesshomaru watched with satisfaction as they left. He had made a promise to Shura, and he intended to keep it…one way or another.
A twig snapped, catching the demon lord's attention. It was his pursuer from earlier. Apparently they hadn't given up so easily, a big mistake. Sesshomaru drew out his glowing whip, and listened as they continued to approach from behind. Whirling around Sesshomaru lashed out at the unknown attacker.
His strike missed. Before Sesshomaru could make another move a vaguely familiar white creature flew at him and shot a blazing red object into his arm…