CHAPTER FOUR
*
"Dammit, where did that girl go?" Inuyasha growled, glancing around.
Only a cold silence answered him. A breeze ruffled the leaves above his head, then died away with what sounded like a death rattle. Inuyasha tensed. There was something about this place that made him want to growl and slash something to bits. Now he knew what Kagome felt like -- there was something rotten about this place, and it worried him like a street mutt with a dry bone.
He glanced over his shoulder, at the broken bushes he had pushed out of his way. One minute Kagome had been right beside him. The next, he was clearing a path for someone who wasn't there. That made him even more uneasy. Kagome could be ditzy sometimes -- but she never wandered away in a dangerous place. From day one, she'd always stuck close by when there was a demon nearby.
His hands curled into fists. There's no possible way a demon could've taken her when she was standing right next to me, Inuyasha thought grimly. I would've smelled him, heard him -- something.
The growl in his throat began to grow as he raced through the woods. "Where are you?" he shouted. "Kagome? KAGOME?"
No answer. Just more wind over the treetops.
"Kagome, where are you?"
He heard a hawk cry in the distance... but nothing more.
Inuyasha sniffed the air and grimaced. He had gone far off the path; the scent of blood was far from him now. He was probably upwind of it, by this time. He smelled something else -- something that made his hackles rise. It was... almost familiar, but he couldn't place it. It smelled almost like the demon they had been chasing, but not quite...
Suddenly something rustled. Inuyasha tensed automatically, then went toward the bush. A few of the leaves moved.
"Kagome?" he called, taking a step forward. "Is that... hey, Kagome?"
Something small and yellow flew from one of the tree branches. Inuyasha drew Tetusaiga and slashed at it, severing the tree branch. It was a wasp. An enormous wasp. One of those rotten poisonous bugs belonging to Naraku. Inuyasha gritted his teeth and followed the insect as it sped through the woods. It darted under leaves, past the streams, almost outpacing him from time to time. "Tryin' to lose me, huh? Oh no you don't," Inuyasha whispered. He'd kill the wasp... once he knew where it was headed.
Now he regretted leaving the path and separating from Miroku and the others. It had been a stupid thing to do. Now he didn't have any backup. Once he had insisted that he needed nobody to watch his back, but Inuyasha knew better now. He could outfight almost anyone they came across, but it was good to have the assurance of Sango's boomerang or Miroku's wind tunnel if he were wounded...
Suddenly he stopped and launched himself into a tree. Hidden by the leaves, he peered down at the dark shape on the ground. The wasp darted away and toward the figure. It held out a hand, and the wasp landed lightly on its raised fingers. A low voice murmured something.
Inuyasha smirked. He knew that shape. If he were closer, and if the light were better, he would see a baboon mask that covered all but the wearer's mouth, and a heavy white pelt that concealed his loathsome body. Figures Naraku would be at the bottom of all this, he thought.
His hands tightened on Tetsusaiga.
Inuyasha couldn't smell Kagome anywhere near, and for that he was grateful. If she were near, it would mean that Naraku had captured her. Probably just lost or something, he thought. No... wait... I can smell her, but it's... muffled. Like there's something blocking the scent. What the hell is going on here?
His thoughts were broken by the loud buzz of Naraku's waps. And that cold, smooth voice said loudly, "You wish to ambush me, Inuyasha? You are welcome to try..."
"I never turn down an invitation." The Tetsusaiga transformed in Inuyasha's hand. He leaped down toward the robed figure, with his sword held high over his head. It might be Naraku, or it might be a puppet -- either way, that damn demon was going to rest in pieces.
Then a shock went through him. The vision of Naraku seemed to fade away, leaving a different form in its place. It was Kagome. He could smell her now. Her face was cold and angry, and she was holding her bow. There was an arrow ready to fire. And worst of all, she was aiming right at him...
It was a trick? Inuyasha thought, dazed. He jerked Tetsusaiga to the side, still lightly falling. "Kagome, don't!" he shouted.
And a streak of light shot from her bow.
TO BE CONTINUED
*
"Dammit, where did that girl go?" Inuyasha growled, glancing around.
Only a cold silence answered him. A breeze ruffled the leaves above his head, then died away with what sounded like a death rattle. Inuyasha tensed. There was something about this place that made him want to growl and slash something to bits. Now he knew what Kagome felt like -- there was something rotten about this place, and it worried him like a street mutt with a dry bone.
He glanced over his shoulder, at the broken bushes he had pushed out of his way. One minute Kagome had been right beside him. The next, he was clearing a path for someone who wasn't there. That made him even more uneasy. Kagome could be ditzy sometimes -- but she never wandered away in a dangerous place. From day one, she'd always stuck close by when there was a demon nearby.
His hands curled into fists. There's no possible way a demon could've taken her when she was standing right next to me, Inuyasha thought grimly. I would've smelled him, heard him -- something.
The growl in his throat began to grow as he raced through the woods. "Where are you?" he shouted. "Kagome? KAGOME?"
No answer. Just more wind over the treetops.
"Kagome, where are you?"
He heard a hawk cry in the distance... but nothing more.
Inuyasha sniffed the air and grimaced. He had gone far off the path; the scent of blood was far from him now. He was probably upwind of it, by this time. He smelled something else -- something that made his hackles rise. It was... almost familiar, but he couldn't place it. It smelled almost like the demon they had been chasing, but not quite...
Suddenly something rustled. Inuyasha tensed automatically, then went toward the bush. A few of the leaves moved.
"Kagome?" he called, taking a step forward. "Is that... hey, Kagome?"
Something small and yellow flew from one of the tree branches. Inuyasha drew Tetusaiga and slashed at it, severing the tree branch. It was a wasp. An enormous wasp. One of those rotten poisonous bugs belonging to Naraku. Inuyasha gritted his teeth and followed the insect as it sped through the woods. It darted under leaves, past the streams, almost outpacing him from time to time. "Tryin' to lose me, huh? Oh no you don't," Inuyasha whispered. He'd kill the wasp... once he knew where it was headed.
Now he regretted leaving the path and separating from Miroku and the others. It had been a stupid thing to do. Now he didn't have any backup. Once he had insisted that he needed nobody to watch his back, but Inuyasha knew better now. He could outfight almost anyone they came across, but it was good to have the assurance of Sango's boomerang or Miroku's wind tunnel if he were wounded...
Suddenly he stopped and launched himself into a tree. Hidden by the leaves, he peered down at the dark shape on the ground. The wasp darted away and toward the figure. It held out a hand, and the wasp landed lightly on its raised fingers. A low voice murmured something.
Inuyasha smirked. He knew that shape. If he were closer, and if the light were better, he would see a baboon mask that covered all but the wearer's mouth, and a heavy white pelt that concealed his loathsome body. Figures Naraku would be at the bottom of all this, he thought.
His hands tightened on Tetsusaiga.
Inuyasha couldn't smell Kagome anywhere near, and for that he was grateful. If she were near, it would mean that Naraku had captured her. Probably just lost or something, he thought. No... wait... I can smell her, but it's... muffled. Like there's something blocking the scent. What the hell is going on here?
His thoughts were broken by the loud buzz of Naraku's waps. And that cold, smooth voice said loudly, "You wish to ambush me, Inuyasha? You are welcome to try..."
"I never turn down an invitation." The Tetsusaiga transformed in Inuyasha's hand. He leaped down toward the robed figure, with his sword held high over his head. It might be Naraku, or it might be a puppet -- either way, that damn demon was going to rest in pieces.
Then a shock went through him. The vision of Naraku seemed to fade away, leaving a different form in its place. It was Kagome. He could smell her now. Her face was cold and angry, and she was holding her bow. There was an arrow ready to fire. And worst of all, she was aiming right at him...
It was a trick? Inuyasha thought, dazed. He jerked Tetsusaiga to the side, still lightly falling. "Kagome, don't!" he shouted.
And a streak of light shot from her bow.
TO BE CONTINUED