CHAPTER THREE
*
Kagome gasped as Inuyasha raised his head. He was staring straight at her with those blood-red eyes, as if he had never seen her before. And now she could see that his fangs had lengthened over his lips, and his claws were almost as long as her fingers.
How did this happen? He's got the Tetsusaiga! Kagome thought. Something's gone wrong...
"Kagome!" Miroku shouted. "Stay away from him. Get behind me!"
"Kagome!" wailed Shippo.
Kagome wanted nothing more than to do what Miroku said. But when she started to move back, Inuyasha snarled viciously and started toward her. Automatically she froze, hoping he would leave her alone. Certainly she couldn't outrun him or outfight him...
"No!" Miroku shouted. Quickly he swung his staff at Inuyasha's throat -- only to have the demon catch it with one hand. The rings on it jangled in the silence -- then Inuyasha tore it away and smashed Miroku to the ground with it. Shippo and Sango ran to the fallen monk.
"Miroku, are you all-" Kagome started to say.
But then the violent, full-demon Inuyasha grabbed her. As the others watched in horror, he held her tightly against his chest. Without a moment's pause, he leaped up into the fog, up the sheer cliffside, with Kagome held tightly in his arms. Miroku opened his eyes again just in time to see the dark shapes vanish above them.
"KAGOME!" Shippo shouted. He ran to the bottom of the cliff as fast as he could.
"Kirara! Follow them and try to get her back!" Sango commanded.
The fire-cat roared and ran up into the sky, also vanishing into the fog.
Miroku wiped some blood from his forehead. His vision was blurry and he felt dizzy, but he could stand... slowly. "Be careful," Sango said, supporting him. "He hit you pretty hard."
"I know," Miroku said slowly. "But I'm not the one you should be concerned about."
*
Kagome shrieked as she and Inuyasha soared up the cliffside. He was holding her so tightly that her ribs felt as if they were cracking. His wicked-looking claws were digging into her back. After a moment she stopped struggling. If she managed to get away from him now, she would only end up smashed to pieces at the bottom of the cliff...
What's he going to do to me? she thought.
Inuyasha landed heavily on a ledge, paused for a moment, then leapt up again.
Kagome could feel something bumping against her hip. It was Tetsusaiga. Inuyasha's powerful sword wasn't just a weapon -- it was supposed to keep his demon blood from overwhelming his half-human body and driving him crazy. When it had been broken by the ogre Goshinki, he had transformed into a death-hungry full-demon with even greater strength. Only Kagome's "sit" had saved him. He had transformed a few times more after that, once slaughtering a bunch of bandits, and every time he had acted crazier and more bloodthirsty.
Kagome shivered and squeezed her eyes shut. That first time, he had warned her to stay away because he didn't know what he might do to her. But this time... what was he going to do? "Inuyasha, please let me go," she whispered.
He just growled.
Finally Kagome saw something through the fog -- a dark hole in the cliffside. The demon Inuyasha landed right outside it, and practically shoved her into the small cave. Kagome crawled on her hands and knees, with him giving her sharp pushes on her bottom to make her go faster. She crept to the far end of the wide, round cave, and tried to make herself as small as possible.
Inuyasha crept in as well. Her heart began to pound as he stopped and just stared at her with his scarlet eyes. Blocking the exit from the cave.
TO BE CONTINUED
*
Kagome gasped as Inuyasha raised his head. He was staring straight at her with those blood-red eyes, as if he had never seen her before. And now she could see that his fangs had lengthened over his lips, and his claws were almost as long as her fingers.
How did this happen? He's got the Tetsusaiga! Kagome thought. Something's gone wrong...
"Kagome!" Miroku shouted. "Stay away from him. Get behind me!"
"Kagome!" wailed Shippo.
Kagome wanted nothing more than to do what Miroku said. But when she started to move back, Inuyasha snarled viciously and started toward her. Automatically she froze, hoping he would leave her alone. Certainly she couldn't outrun him or outfight him...
"No!" Miroku shouted. Quickly he swung his staff at Inuyasha's throat -- only to have the demon catch it with one hand. The rings on it jangled in the silence -- then Inuyasha tore it away and smashed Miroku to the ground with it. Shippo and Sango ran to the fallen monk.
"Miroku, are you all-" Kagome started to say.
But then the violent, full-demon Inuyasha grabbed her. As the others watched in horror, he held her tightly against his chest. Without a moment's pause, he leaped up into the fog, up the sheer cliffside, with Kagome held tightly in his arms. Miroku opened his eyes again just in time to see the dark shapes vanish above them.
"KAGOME!" Shippo shouted. He ran to the bottom of the cliff as fast as he could.
"Kirara! Follow them and try to get her back!" Sango commanded.
The fire-cat roared and ran up into the sky, also vanishing into the fog.
Miroku wiped some blood from his forehead. His vision was blurry and he felt dizzy, but he could stand... slowly. "Be careful," Sango said, supporting him. "He hit you pretty hard."
"I know," Miroku said slowly. "But I'm not the one you should be concerned about."
*
Kagome shrieked as she and Inuyasha soared up the cliffside. He was holding her so tightly that her ribs felt as if they were cracking. His wicked-looking claws were digging into her back. After a moment she stopped struggling. If she managed to get away from him now, she would only end up smashed to pieces at the bottom of the cliff...
What's he going to do to me? she thought.
Inuyasha landed heavily on a ledge, paused for a moment, then leapt up again.
Kagome could feel something bumping against her hip. It was Tetsusaiga. Inuyasha's powerful sword wasn't just a weapon -- it was supposed to keep his demon blood from overwhelming his half-human body and driving him crazy. When it had been broken by the ogre Goshinki, he had transformed into a death-hungry full-demon with even greater strength. Only Kagome's "sit" had saved him. He had transformed a few times more after that, once slaughtering a bunch of bandits, and every time he had acted crazier and more bloodthirsty.
Kagome shivered and squeezed her eyes shut. That first time, he had warned her to stay away because he didn't know what he might do to her. But this time... what was he going to do? "Inuyasha, please let me go," she whispered.
He just growled.
Finally Kagome saw something through the fog -- a dark hole in the cliffside. The demon Inuyasha landed right outside it, and practically shoved her into the small cave. Kagome crawled on her hands and knees, with him giving her sharp pushes on her bottom to make her go faster. She crept to the far end of the wide, round cave, and tried to make herself as small as possible.
Inuyasha crept in as well. Her heart began to pound as he stopped and just stared at her with his scarlet eyes. Blocking the exit from the cave.
TO BE CONTINUED