Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, Sango, Shippou, or Kirara. I own Hreru. sigh Wish I owned them all.

-=-=-=-7. Discovering a Problem-=-=-=-

"The others should be around here somewhere." Kagome walked between the both of them, Inuyasha leading the way.

"If you would've waited, Kagome. Instead of rushing off maybe they would be with us right now!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Oo, Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed, smacking him in the back of the head.

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR!?!"

"QUIET!" Hreru roared. Inuyasha and Kagome were blinking at him. "Your friends are ahead." He pointed.

Kagome and Inuyasha looked and sure enough, their friends were coming down the trail.

"Must the both of you ar-" Miroku noticed Hreru as he walked up. "Who's this now?"

Hreru said nothing, simply looking over each of them suspiciously.

"His name is Hreru." Kagome replied, glaring at Inuyasha. "Demon."

"He was about to kill a woman." Inuyasha sneered.

"No he wasn't, Inuyasha!" Kagome whacked him again, causing a second lump on his head to form on the first. "She was attacking him."

"How do you know!? We rushed in right when he was about to attack her!"

"I just know!"

Shippou was already at the Wolf Demon's feet, his neck strained upwards grinning at him. "He seems like a good guy. Kagome's right!" He nodded. "Besides, if he was bad Kirara would be growling at him." Everyone looked for Kirara, only to be found sitting on Hreru's shoulder nuzzling his cheek.

"He's fine by me." Sango smiled. "I'm Sango."

"I am Miroku." The Monk bowed.

"I'm Shippou. Nice to meet you. And that's Kirara."

Hreru nodded. "It's nice to meet you too." He said, but he didn't really mean it. Having this many humans about was as low as any Demon would dare let himself go.

"He's injured." Sango eyed his wound.

Inuyasha's back was turned. "The bastard pulled a sword out of his hand."

"A sword?"

"From his hand." Miroku added, stroking his chin.

"It's not that surprising to you is it?" Hreru grinned. "After being out here for such a long time, you're bound to see odd things."

"Yes, but. It's just that-"

Hreru walked past them, them glanced over his shoulder. "Enough with the questions. Let's go." And he continued on.

"Inuyasha. Why do you have to be so mean." Kagome was beside him, the both of them being the last in the line.

"He reminds me of my brother."

"Sesshoumaru? Inuyasha! There's a major difference between them. At least Hreru's not trying to bite your head off."

Hreru was listening to their conversation, secretly smirking. 'You know nothing about me'. He thought, gripping the hilt of Kassatsu.

Lights were faint ahead, but there was definitely a village at the end of the trail. Miroku, Sango, and Kirara ran on ahead.

Hreru glanced back at Kagome and Inuyasha for explanation, but they only replied with a frustrated sigh.

With Shippou on his shoulder, Hreru stepped into the village. A stench of rotting carcass hit him in the nose. Something had already gone through this village long before they had gotten there.

"What in the hell?" Inuyasha yelled, quickly covering his nose with his sleeve.

"Wolves." Hreru answered, sniffing the air. "Two days."

"Two days ago?" Kagome gasped. "There's no way!"

"It's true." Hreru bent down and flipped over a fallen board where ashes rustled. The entire village had been destroyed, yet no bodies were found. Collasped huts continued to burn wildly as though something were still lingering here.

Miroku and Sango appeared. "It's strange that the smell of death remains here. We looked everywhere and not a single body lies." Said Miroku.

"There wouldn't be any bodies." Hreru stood. "This is the work of my father. His pack ravages random villages searching for a pink jewel. My father swallows the bodies of the deseased in hoping that they will make him stay together. Without the bodies, he would surely fall apart."

"That's disgusting." Sango stared at the ground. "This pink jewel. Could he mean the Shikon Jewel shards?"

"What are these 'Shikon Jewel shards'?"

"Oh my." Sango sighed. "You're one of the few demons who doesn't know what they are."

"Let us find a place that isn't torn down and we'll exchange stories." Miroko smiled.

Everyone agreed and they headed off to check out the rest of the village.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Enchained: Not a very important chapter, but it's when everyone meets.

Why would Ephrine need the Shikon Jewel shards? If the village was slain where are all the bodies and why does a stench still remain? Find out in the next chapter!