CHAPTER SIX
*
Suddenly Sango saw him through the mists. Kirara had started growling and bristling as she raced along the mountain cliffsides. The demon-slayer had scanned the crevices and ledges for any sign of Inuyasha or Kagome -- and then she had seen him, on a wide ledge close to the ground. Then she smelled blood.
Oh no, she thought. He couldn't have... not to Kagome...
She could only see his silver hair and red clothing, not his face. Then the mists parted and she saw him clearing, huddled over against the rock face. He was licking drops of blood from his too-long claws. A rumbling growl rose from his throat -- and then he grinned at them.
"INUYASHA!" Sango shouted.
He sprang toward them. Sango felt his claws slashing toward her, and she barely ducked out of the way. Kirara growled and landed on the ledge Inuyasha had just jumped from. The snarling demon swooped past her, then turned and glare down at her. There was no trace of the Inuyasha she knew in those glaring red eyes.
That blood... if he hurt Kagome... Sango thought.
As Inuyasha came down toward her again, she raised her boomerang and threw it. It sliced through the air at Inuyasha... who somehow dodged it. He smashed his fist against the flat side of it, sending it careening down into the mud. "Don't think that's all it takes to beat me," he growled, smiling at Sango again.
Sango felt a chill. She didn't know if Inuyasha had hurt or killed Kagome, but she was sure he was trying to kill HER. And he was a formidable enough opponent as a half-demon, able to take horrible injuries and come back fighting. As a berserk full-demon, he was nearly impossible to defeat. And now she was without her boomerang as well.
If I don't get away from him quickly, I'm dead, she thought.
As Inuyasha took another swipe at her, Sango drew a short sword and slashed at him. She only gave him a thin cut on the cheek. His red eyes blazed with rage; he slashed down at Kirara's flank. The fire-cat yowled and raced away, with blood streaming from the wound in her leg.
Sango raised her sword, ready to strike again. But Inuyasha had faded into the mists -- something had distracted his attention, and given her the time she needed to escape.
Kirara transformed, turning into a small, innocent-looking demon cat. She mewed softly, licking at her injured leg. Sango gathered her friend in her arms, feeling more miserable than ever. Kirara was injured, she had lost her weapon... and Kagome might be dead at Inuyasha's hands.
Then the demon-slayer froze. A dark shadow passed over them.
*
"I can't see where I'm going," Shippo complained. "All this mist! How are we supposed to find Kagome and Inuyasha if we can't see?"
Miroku sighed. He had just been wondering that himself. "We don't actually have a very good chance of finding them down here," he said quietly. "But it's better than nothing -- and with Sango riding Kirara up there, we have a slightly better chance than if we were all together."
Shippo tripped along beside Miroku in silence for awhile. Then the little fox said quietly, "Miroku... do you think Inuyasha will hurt Kagome?"
Miroku was tempted to tell Shippo a comforting lie. But he reluctantly said, "I honestly don't know, Shippo. Inuyasha himself may not know..."
They lapsed back into silence, wandering through the heavy fog. The trees were only vague shapes in the mist, and the mountain was a fading slab of darkness looming over them. Miroku was starting to feel deeply depressed by the place, and the misfortunes that had visited them there. Then a flicker of movement caught his eyes. "Quickly, behind the rocks!" he whispered.
When he and Shippo were safely hidden behind a boulder, he peered out. Whatever was out there, it wasn't Kagome or Inuyasha -- the robed figure was walking slowly, hunched over. Shippo squinted at it, then shrugged. "It's just some old lady," he said.
Miroku shook his head. "Maybe, maybe... but I don't think that's all there is."
TO BE CONTINUED
*
Suddenly Sango saw him through the mists. Kirara had started growling and bristling as she raced along the mountain cliffsides. The demon-slayer had scanned the crevices and ledges for any sign of Inuyasha or Kagome -- and then she had seen him, on a wide ledge close to the ground. Then she smelled blood.
Oh no, she thought. He couldn't have... not to Kagome...
She could only see his silver hair and red clothing, not his face. Then the mists parted and she saw him clearing, huddled over against the rock face. He was licking drops of blood from his too-long claws. A rumbling growl rose from his throat -- and then he grinned at them.
"INUYASHA!" Sango shouted.
He sprang toward them. Sango felt his claws slashing toward her, and she barely ducked out of the way. Kirara growled and landed on the ledge Inuyasha had just jumped from. The snarling demon swooped past her, then turned and glare down at her. There was no trace of the Inuyasha she knew in those glaring red eyes.
That blood... if he hurt Kagome... Sango thought.
As Inuyasha came down toward her again, she raised her boomerang and threw it. It sliced through the air at Inuyasha... who somehow dodged it. He smashed his fist against the flat side of it, sending it careening down into the mud. "Don't think that's all it takes to beat me," he growled, smiling at Sango again.
Sango felt a chill. She didn't know if Inuyasha had hurt or killed Kagome, but she was sure he was trying to kill HER. And he was a formidable enough opponent as a half-demon, able to take horrible injuries and come back fighting. As a berserk full-demon, he was nearly impossible to defeat. And now she was without her boomerang as well.
If I don't get away from him quickly, I'm dead, she thought.
As Inuyasha took another swipe at her, Sango drew a short sword and slashed at him. She only gave him a thin cut on the cheek. His red eyes blazed with rage; he slashed down at Kirara's flank. The fire-cat yowled and raced away, with blood streaming from the wound in her leg.
Sango raised her sword, ready to strike again. But Inuyasha had faded into the mists -- something had distracted his attention, and given her the time she needed to escape.
Kirara transformed, turning into a small, innocent-looking demon cat. She mewed softly, licking at her injured leg. Sango gathered her friend in her arms, feeling more miserable than ever. Kirara was injured, she had lost her weapon... and Kagome might be dead at Inuyasha's hands.
Then the demon-slayer froze. A dark shadow passed over them.
*
"I can't see where I'm going," Shippo complained. "All this mist! How are we supposed to find Kagome and Inuyasha if we can't see?"
Miroku sighed. He had just been wondering that himself. "We don't actually have a very good chance of finding them down here," he said quietly. "But it's better than nothing -- and with Sango riding Kirara up there, we have a slightly better chance than if we were all together."
Shippo tripped along beside Miroku in silence for awhile. Then the little fox said quietly, "Miroku... do you think Inuyasha will hurt Kagome?"
Miroku was tempted to tell Shippo a comforting lie. But he reluctantly said, "I honestly don't know, Shippo. Inuyasha himself may not know..."
They lapsed back into silence, wandering through the heavy fog. The trees were only vague shapes in the mist, and the mountain was a fading slab of darkness looming over them. Miroku was starting to feel deeply depressed by the place, and the misfortunes that had visited them there. Then a flicker of movement caught his eyes. "Quickly, behind the rocks!" he whispered.
When he and Shippo were safely hidden behind a boulder, he peered out. Whatever was out there, it wasn't Kagome or Inuyasha -- the robed figure was walking slowly, hunched over. Shippo squinted at it, then shrugged. "It's just some old lady," he said.
Miroku shook his head. "Maybe, maybe... but I don't think that's all there is."
TO BE CONTINUED