CHAPTER SIXTEEN
.
"Sango, stop!" Miroku called.
The demon slayer slowed and stopped. She turned to face the monk behind her. "What is it?" she asked.
"Did you see that shadow in the sky?" Miroku asked.
Sango glanced up at the thick, murky clouds. "No... no, I wasn't... ah!" She gasped as something passed over them, like a fish swimming in muddy water. A chill went down her back. "It's one of them."
"Seems so," Miroku said grimly. He reached into his robe and pulled out a handful of spell scrolls.
"Do you think they're... keeping an eye on us?" Sango asked.
"Or on Shippo," Miroku said. "That's what particularly worries me." He glanced up at the thick clouds. "He's been gone for a very long time, and I'm just wondering if he's lost..."
Suddenly Sango stumbled and fell headfirst against Miroku's chest. She gave a little squeak of dismay. Miroku quickly grabbed her elbows and steadied her, ignoring the faint, curious mews from Kirara. "Are you all right, Sango?" he asked.
"Y-yes -- I stepped on a wet rock," Sango said. She looked rather flustered as she steadied herself on Miroku's arm. Almost out of habit, his hand began to settle down Sango's back, down to...
Suddenly something popped over him. Shippo landed lightly on his head, and peered upside-down at Miroku's eyes. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," the kitsune said calmly.
"What?" Sango asked.
"Nothing," Miroku said hastily, sticking his hands in his sleeves. "So, Shippo, what did you see up there? You were gone for a long time."
"Did you see Kagome or Inuyasha?" Sango added.
"I had to keep using foxfire to clear away the fog. Otherwise, I couldn't see a thing," Shippo said, sitting cross-legged on Miroku's head. "But I didn't see Kagome or Inuyasha. There was lots of fog under me though, but I bet I could've heard them if they had been nearby."
"That's true," Miroku said. He felt even more worried now; he didn't like the idea of Kagome wandering unprotected for who-knows-how-long, with a possibly murderous Inuyasha in the woods. "And what about those demons up in the clouds?"
"There are dozens of them. But none of them really bothered me."
Kirara suddenly hissed, her fur standing on end. "Miroku, look!" Sango said suddenly, pointing at the sky.
Where only a few dark shadows had been lurking before, now dozens were churning up the clouds. Miroku looked up, and gripped his staff tightly. "Sango, get ready," he said in a low voice. Sango unslung her boomerang, looking grim.
Shippo bounced down from Miroku's head. "W-what?" he stammered. "There weren't that many before!"
"There are now!" Miroku said. "Stay behind me, Shippo!"
As one of the winged demons swooped down from the sky, Miroku swung his staff in a wide arc, smashing into its throat. He managed to cut it with the jangling rings on the end, but almost wrenched his arm in the process. Damn! he thought, scanning the sky. Others were circling overhead -- and until he knew that the hag wasn't there, he couldn't use his wind tunnel.
.
"I don't know what you did to me to make me transform," Inuyasha growled, raising one clawed hand in a passive-aggressive gesture. "But you ain't gonna have a chance to do it again."
"Whatever are you talking about?" the old woman said. Her wrinkled face creased into a gap-toothed grin.
"Don't give me any of that crap!" Inuyasha snarled. "I heard all about your little tricks -- and I know you've done somethin' to me!"
The old woman stood up a little straighter, and her robe flapped open in the listless wind. Kagome gasped as she saw the clothing under it. She had seen that clothing before, on a different woman... "Inuyasha, be careful!" she said, running out to him. "She's a dark priestess..."
The old woman stared coldly at Kagome for a moment, almost as if the sight of the girl made her angry. Why's she LOOKING at me like that? Kagome thought, clutching at Inuyasha's sleeve.
"Heh," Inuyasha said, smirking. "So that explains how you've got enough power to harm me. Well, you won't be the first one I've fought, and that other one sure ain't around to tell her story anymore." He grimaced. "I just want to know one more thing. Why do you hate me, if I've never even met you before? I'm assuming that I never did, 'cause I don't remember anything about you, crone."
"You're right, halfbreed," the old woman sneered. "We have never met. But I am here on behalf of someone whose life you destroyed."
"Oh yeah, and who's that?" Inuyasha shouted.
The old woman's small eyes narrowed even further, and her robe swirled ominously around her. "I'm here... because of Kikyo."
TO BE CONTINUED
.
"Sango, stop!" Miroku called.
The demon slayer slowed and stopped. She turned to face the monk behind her. "What is it?" she asked.
"Did you see that shadow in the sky?" Miroku asked.
Sango glanced up at the thick, murky clouds. "No... no, I wasn't... ah!" She gasped as something passed over them, like a fish swimming in muddy water. A chill went down her back. "It's one of them."
"Seems so," Miroku said grimly. He reached into his robe and pulled out a handful of spell scrolls.
"Do you think they're... keeping an eye on us?" Sango asked.
"Or on Shippo," Miroku said. "That's what particularly worries me." He glanced up at the thick clouds. "He's been gone for a very long time, and I'm just wondering if he's lost..."
Suddenly Sango stumbled and fell headfirst against Miroku's chest. She gave a little squeak of dismay. Miroku quickly grabbed her elbows and steadied her, ignoring the faint, curious mews from Kirara. "Are you all right, Sango?" he asked.
"Y-yes -- I stepped on a wet rock," Sango said. She looked rather flustered as she steadied herself on Miroku's arm. Almost out of habit, his hand began to settle down Sango's back, down to...
Suddenly something popped over him. Shippo landed lightly on his head, and peered upside-down at Miroku's eyes. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," the kitsune said calmly.
"What?" Sango asked.
"Nothing," Miroku said hastily, sticking his hands in his sleeves. "So, Shippo, what did you see up there? You were gone for a long time."
"Did you see Kagome or Inuyasha?" Sango added.
"I had to keep using foxfire to clear away the fog. Otherwise, I couldn't see a thing," Shippo said, sitting cross-legged on Miroku's head. "But I didn't see Kagome or Inuyasha. There was lots of fog under me though, but I bet I could've heard them if they had been nearby."
"That's true," Miroku said. He felt even more worried now; he didn't like the idea of Kagome wandering unprotected for who-knows-how-long, with a possibly murderous Inuyasha in the woods. "And what about those demons up in the clouds?"
"There are dozens of them. But none of them really bothered me."
Kirara suddenly hissed, her fur standing on end. "Miroku, look!" Sango said suddenly, pointing at the sky.
Where only a few dark shadows had been lurking before, now dozens were churning up the clouds. Miroku looked up, and gripped his staff tightly. "Sango, get ready," he said in a low voice. Sango unslung her boomerang, looking grim.
Shippo bounced down from Miroku's head. "W-what?" he stammered. "There weren't that many before!"
"There are now!" Miroku said. "Stay behind me, Shippo!"
As one of the winged demons swooped down from the sky, Miroku swung his staff in a wide arc, smashing into its throat. He managed to cut it with the jangling rings on the end, but almost wrenched his arm in the process. Damn! he thought, scanning the sky. Others were circling overhead -- and until he knew that the hag wasn't there, he couldn't use his wind tunnel.
.
"I don't know what you did to me to make me transform," Inuyasha growled, raising one clawed hand in a passive-aggressive gesture. "But you ain't gonna have a chance to do it again."
"Whatever are you talking about?" the old woman said. Her wrinkled face creased into a gap-toothed grin.
"Don't give me any of that crap!" Inuyasha snarled. "I heard all about your little tricks -- and I know you've done somethin' to me!"
The old woman stood up a little straighter, and her robe flapped open in the listless wind. Kagome gasped as she saw the clothing under it. She had seen that clothing before, on a different woman... "Inuyasha, be careful!" she said, running out to him. "She's a dark priestess..."
The old woman stared coldly at Kagome for a moment, almost as if the sight of the girl made her angry. Why's she LOOKING at me like that? Kagome thought, clutching at Inuyasha's sleeve.
"Heh," Inuyasha said, smirking. "So that explains how you've got enough power to harm me. Well, you won't be the first one I've fought, and that other one sure ain't around to tell her story anymore." He grimaced. "I just want to know one more thing. Why do you hate me, if I've never even met you before? I'm assuming that I never did, 'cause I don't remember anything about you, crone."
"You're right, halfbreed," the old woman sneered. "We have never met. But I am here on behalf of someone whose life you destroyed."
"Oh yeah, and who's that?" Inuyasha shouted.
The old woman's small eyes narrowed even further, and her robe swirled ominously around her. "I'm here... because of Kikyo."
TO BE CONTINUED