WARNING: THIS IS CHAPTER CONTAINS FLASHBACKS.
Wait a minute that sounds ominous doesn't it? What I meant is that it has some (as in not a lot) graphic details of violence. (Me, personally wouldn't think they'd be graphic but someone else might. Gotta cover my behind you know.) Yes, I'm finally going to reintroduce the riverside battle! Oh man, did I just give it all away? N E WAYS on with the story…..
Damn, there's no way I can move fast enough to avoid too many of those arrows! The demon crouched trying to figure a way out. Kikyo stood watching to see if it was indeed going to try and run away. Not that it would get very far. He opened his mouth and answered her question; he needed to buy his time.
"I was not going to the village. I was at the river, looking for food. You and a wolf demon attacked me. I was only defending myself."
She continued watching him, waiting for him to continue. When he didn't she prodded, "Why were you near the village to begin with? There are plenty of other places you could have found food." Her eyes seemed to scrutinize him harder as if knowing he was going to lie, and was looking for the small telltale signs in his face.
"I told you I was after food."
"Were you trying to hunt one of the villagers than?"
"No."
"Then answer my question."
His own eyes began to study her. She didn't deny it was her that attacked him. He sensed she wasn't the same person. Maybe from the same house, but not the same person. He debated whether to tell her more, but she did say she knew he carried a jewel shard. And she hadn't made any further attempt to retrieve it. He was getting confused. What did she really want from him?
" I can tell you aren't human, even if it is faint you still smell like fresh death. Why are you so interested in why I was near the village?" He returned her question back to her. Her eyes narrowed and it caused her face to take on a more sinister façade. Her hand pulled more tightly on the arrow.
"You will answer me or you will die. I do not need to take the jewel from you to purify it. I can do it from here and purify you as well in the process."
So he hit a sore spot and in the course made her more eager to kill him. He wasn't THAT interested in having his query answered. " I only went near the village because I knew other demons wouldn't go that close to it. Those fucking humans can be damn persistent when it comes to hunting down any demons that attack them. You have to admit it would real tempting to go take out a few of them." he said with humor coloring his voice.
The arrow coming towards him wasn't completely unexpected. He did however, manage to dodge it. She wasn't human anymore, but once she had been. And in that past life she was a miko. It was in her to defend her people with her magic. She probably died doing just that, and even revived, that seemed to be her driving force. He laughed at her, and she notched another arrow in response.
"You still defend them. I'm surprised. Tell me, did the welcome home go as you hoped it would? Did they go to you with open arms when you went back to them? Or did they try and purify YOU as thanks?" His laughter rising in volume and hysteria. It reminded her of Naraku. Her rage climbed a level it hadn't done before. There wasn't enough of her left before to be able to reach those peaks. Now there was, and rage gave its own form of strength. She had wasted enough time on this demon.
He must have noticed the change in her; maybe it was in her scent. She had a new form of that now as well. Whatever the case he knew it was his death being reflected in her eyes. The arrow was only moments from leaving her hand.
"So what part of you did she steal?" he said quickly trying to lengthen his time in this world. It caught her off-guard. Her fingers were itching to let the arrow go. How did he figure it out? How would he have even known? The arrow was no longer facing him and he felt relief at it. She slowly blinked her eyes. This was unwise to do so in the presence of something with the power to kill you. But she needed to get control of herself. " What do you mean?" and her voice gave nothing away.
" I know that if it hadn't been for the jewel shard, that hanyo would have killed me back at the river. I couldn't fight both him and the wolf and still keep track of the other miko. I may be a demon but even I still have limits." He didn't sound tired exactly. Disappointed maybe? "I know now, the Shikon shards only increase powers you already have. They don't give you new ones." Now the disillusion was clearly heard in his voice. "She wasn't going to kill me at first. She said something about only getting the jewel. It made me hesitate, like you're doing now." Her eyes took a bored look. But she did want him to finish his little tale.
He told her of the battle. If it would've been just the miko and the wolf he could have killed them both eventually. But when the hanyo came, he was cornered. He could dodge the hanyo's sword easily enough, but the wolf had a lot of speed on his side. It took a lot more effort to stay away from him. So he did what he could, casting a variety of illusions, he sent them at the wolf. The hanyo went after the illusions as well, and this gave him the opportunity to take out the miko. If she were able to purify him, it wouldn't really matter what the other two demons did to him. Wounds from them he could heal, wounds from her, he doubted.
He should have only grabbed her with his hands; he should have made it so his claws wouldn't sink into her flesh. But the bloodlust all demons had began to surface. She was going to kill him, why shouldn't he try and return the favor? He only had moments to finish her before the other two realized what they were attacking wasn't real. Illusions may look like they bleed, but without actual form, their blood wouldn't give off the scent of blood. He ran his claws through her, up her body, over and over. She tried to scream and he thrust his claws deeper into her chest, making her choke on her own blood.
He was digging up in her, the feel of her lungs shredding against his fingertips made his body shudder. Not with revulsion, with anticipation. If he could somehow get the two of them away he could slowly enjoy eating her flesh. Tasting it like a well-prepared meal. Already his mind was losing focus, there was still two others trying to kill him. He yanked his hand back and what was left of her shirt was reduced to tatters. He couldn't smell the wolf or the hanyo over the aroma of the miko's blood. But it didn't really matter. He concentrated as hard as he could and cast a barrier. This would buy him a few more minutes.
He lowered hand and sunk those claws into the back of her legs, cutting muscle and tendon alike, until he reached the bone. Then he slowly scrapped against it, carefully withdrawing his hand. As if he was afraid of dropping the small clippings of marrow. He brought these up to his lips, and his hand hovered there until he caught the miko's gaze.
She wasn't dead yet but she would be soon enough. Terror and pain were both plainly obvious in her eyes, she was still aware of what was happening to her. Good. He thought. His lips parted and his tongue lapped the marrow shards dripping her blood, up to his mouth. It was like tasting heaven, a demons version of it, sweet and tangy mixed together capable of leaving one so intoxicated with its flavor.
Liquor-filled chocolates.
What? The thought caught him unawares.
Liquor-filled chocolates. Sweet on the outside and strong enough to get you drunk before you know it on what's inside.
Where were these thoughts coming from? He never heard of this cho-co-late stuff before. He eyes slowly focused on hers and when they did he saw his mistake. She realized he was going to eat her. Death was the only thing she had to look forward to, and even as her lungs filled with her blood, it wasn't going to be a fast enough death for her. She thrust her untrained miko powers into him. And they seared him, setting his mind aflame. He screamed in agony, much like she wanted to. He jabbed his claws into her. Her jaw lowered and her mouth opened to scream, bubbles consisting of blood collected and burst in her open mouth. He fell to his knees, her body's weight pulling them forward.
Her world was growing hazier. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't feel her lower body at all. Her head was too heavy to hold upright, it rolled back. Her eyes closing in reaction. NO! She pushed her powers into him again, this time searching for the Shikon jewel shard. Her powers found it, and she sucked at its core much like the demon had on her bone fragments. But the jewel was tainted, so the power she pull was also tainted.
Use his demon strength. So close to death she didn't question, she did as she was told. She yanked on his demon body's ability to heal, and it slowed death's dissent. He screamed again and the barrier wavered.
She still couldn't breathe, her lungs were too trashed. So she used his. He tried to stop her and found himself unable. She seared his mind again, it was as if her fingers where leaving scalding hot grooves into his brain. He tried to push away from her. This time she held to him. He was able to ram one of his claws into her neck, the other only across her face. Her hold on him loosened. He was going to rip out her throat!
Two pair of claws dug into his body. One almost completely ripping his arm from his body. The other seceding in shredding one of his legs. Well at least she can't use her miko powers now. She'll still die, so I guess it's okay. He looked into her eyes one last time before the wolf and the hanyo managed to separate them.
No, you haven't killed us. Her eyes held the defiance her voice could not give. The shards aura began to change and lighten. She was somehow purifying it inside his body! We are stronger than you could have ever been. And we will use what we must of you to survive this. You have not won anything!
Faintly he heard the hanyo yell at the wolf demon to take the miko, Kagome, he called her, to the village. He weakly turned to face the half-breed. Well, he reasoned if she could use me to live I should be able to use her as well. He felt a strong power coming towards him, placing a illusion in his place, he cast one final spell transporting him away from the riverside. His body couldn't last long trying to heal so much damage. He transformed into the animal form of his power. I thought the shards are suppose to make you stronger, was his last thought before the black came and ate up his mind.
Kikyo was still there listening to him speak. A very small trembling was going in waves through her body. He probably couldn't see it, he was still lost in his own memories. She knew what he was going to say from the moment he first stuck his claws into her reincarnation. She was reliving it as well. She was seeing it through her reincarnation's eyes, feeling Kagome's emotions. This filled her with disgust.
"You have answered my questions. I will not kill you now, cross my path again, and I shall." She turned and walked away. Leaving behind her a demon who finally realized he'd been mystically raped.
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Kouga walked up the path leading to the wolf's den. Searching the area around him, he felt his anger began to rise. The demons that were supposed to be keeping watch were no where to be found. A very deep growl came from his throat. Four true wolves came up to him, tails between their legs, ears flat and back in submission. He barked at them to take up the guard post for now. They quickly complied.
He entered the cave and all activity ceased. "Where are the guards?" he asked in a deceptively calm voice. Everyone in the room flinched. They looked to one another, who was supposed to be on watch? "Ginta, Hakaku!" he hollered. The two demons slowly approached him.
"Yeah Kouga?" Hakaku asked.
"Go make sure that guards are still on duty on the rest of the mountain. Be back before sunset." Sweat dropped down Hakaku's face. But he left more than a little relieved he wasn't going to feel Kouga's wrath. Ginta looked expectedly at him.
"Where are the two wolves I sent to watch the well?" Kouga asked. The wolves in question came forward. Bodies in complete submission to him on the ground. He stood watching them as if he wasn't quite sure on what to do with them. "You two seemed to be the only ones doing as they were told." The entire lair flinched again and small whines could be heard here and there. Someone was going to die, they all knew it.
"I'll remove the form sealing spell. That should be reward enough." The smaller of the two's tail began to wag back and forth. He was happy to get rid of the spell and made no effort to hide it. Kouga looked to Ginta once more.
"Find out who was left on duty."
"Sure thing Kouga." was Ginta's reply.
Wolves and demons alike moved out of his way as he went further into the den. He didn't have time to deal with this shit! He would leave the two wolves in charge after he gave them their demon form. They would follow his orders to the letter. Even if it was to keep from being sealed again. "Kouga, are you going to kill them?" Ginta approached warily.
The wolf demon raised his head to Ginta, and the answer was plain to see. They were going to die. "I can't leave the pack unguarded. Whoever abandoned their post put the pack in danger. So they die. I'm leaving those two in charge. We leave as soon as Hakaku returns." he nodded his head in the direction of the two wolves. Kouga began preparations to remove the seals. Kagome would return tomorrow. He had to hurry if he was going to be there waiting for her.
Wow is it just me or this chapter seemed to be filled with alot of agression? I thought the story was getting just a little bit sappy too. Had to crate balance here. Well I hope I didn't throw too many of you off. Thanks again for the reviews, I treasure them.