CHAPTER EIGHT
*
"Sango, look out!"
Miroku's warning came just as a branch almost hit Sango's head. The demon-slayer ducked down, staring through Kirara's ears. The fire-cat was racing faster than ever before, as if demons were chasing her rather than the other way around. And their quarry was just darting out of sight between the trees...
Miroku caught a glimpse of a shimmery, pale object that seemed to be trailing long white streams behind it. It didn't look like any demon he had ever heard of -- but then, he couldn't see it clearly. It bobbed just out of sight, going just a little faster than Kirara could.
"That's what I saw!" Shippo cried.
"What?" Miroku called.
The kitsune clung to his shoulder. "That silk tadpole thing! That's it! That's the thing I saw!"
"Well, we're not going to let it get away!" Sango shouted. "If we can get a little closer, I'll cut it down!"
Miroku squinted against the wind, and hung on to Sango's slender waist. Normally he held on for pleasure rather than security, but he feared that he would fall off if he didn't keep himself close. Shippo, clinging to his robes, was being blown almost straight backwards.
"Kirara, can you go a little faster?" Sango asked.
Kirara did her best to oblige. But the sturdy fire-cat appeared to be reaching her limits. Miroku could feel her panting as she raced through the treetops. The white, shimmering orb was just darting out of sight -- always just a little too far away.
Sango uttered a cry and threw her boomerang.
It hurtled through the air at the demon -- through the demon -- and vanished into the trunk of an enormous, towering tree.
"What the..." Sango said, shocked.
"Look out!" Miroku grabbed Sango and pushed her down as her boomerang shot back at them, and nearly took off the girl's head.
"What happened?" Shippo said.
Kirara slowed and stopped, breathing hard. The demon was gone without a trace. And so was the tree that Sango's boomerang had gone right through before returning to her. Miroku glanced back at the fallen weapon, which had gotten stuck in some brambles.
"What happened?" Shippo repeated.
"Was that tree just an illusion?" Sango said.
"Probably," Miroku said grimly. "And if so, we may have been chasing something that was all smoke and mirrors, without any true substance. The real demon has probably made his getaway already."
Sango looked discouraged. Then she glanced around. "Where are Inuyasha and Kagome?" she asked.
"They were ahead of us," Miroku said pensively. "I thought that Inuyasha had merely gone faster and pursued the demon... but apparently he didn't." A look of alarm came onto his handsome features. "If that's so, then he and Kagome may have been lured off the path by a similar demonic apparition."
"Should we go look for them?" Sango asked.
"No. If we all separate, we'll only get lost. Besides, Kirara is exhausted." The fire-cat had shrunk down to her smaller form, and was sitting sleepily on Sango's shoulder. "Please take Shippo off to the edge of the forest and make camp. I'll look for Kagome and Inuyasha."
"But Miroku, isn't it dangerous?" Shippo asked, concerned.
"Probably." Miroku smiled slightly. He raised his gloved right hand. "But I still have this. It ought to be enough."
Sango looked concerned still. "I... be careful," she said quietly.
Miroku felt touched by her concern for him, even though he doubted he would be in any serious danger. He took the opportunity to give her a quick pat on the backside.
A few minutes later, with a fresh handprint on his face, he stepped off the forest path. A chill went through him as the sunlight seemed to be blotted out by the trees. Miroku didn't think of himself as an easily frightened man, but the cold, unnatural feel of this place was fairly unpleasant.
"Kagome?" he called. "Inuyasha? KAGOME? INUYASHA!"
After he had been walking for a long time, he heard a faint rustling sound, and what sounded like weeping. "Kagome? Inuyasha?" he shouted. But he tugged off the rosary on his wrist. Just in case.
"It's me," came Kagome's faint voice. "I'm over here."
Miroku quickly went around the large tree in his way. Kagome was kneeling near the bottom of it, with her arms wrapped around herself. Inuyasha was lying against the roots in front of her. He looked as if he were only asleep, but there was a pallor to his face that made Miroku uneasy.
"Kagome..." Miroku said. "What happened to Inuyasha?"
Kagome looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "Inuyasha... he's dead."
TO BE CONTINUED
*
"Sango, look out!"
Miroku's warning came just as a branch almost hit Sango's head. The demon-slayer ducked down, staring through Kirara's ears. The fire-cat was racing faster than ever before, as if demons were chasing her rather than the other way around. And their quarry was just darting out of sight between the trees...
Miroku caught a glimpse of a shimmery, pale object that seemed to be trailing long white streams behind it. It didn't look like any demon he had ever heard of -- but then, he couldn't see it clearly. It bobbed just out of sight, going just a little faster than Kirara could.
"That's what I saw!" Shippo cried.
"What?" Miroku called.
The kitsune clung to his shoulder. "That silk tadpole thing! That's it! That's the thing I saw!"
"Well, we're not going to let it get away!" Sango shouted. "If we can get a little closer, I'll cut it down!"
Miroku squinted against the wind, and hung on to Sango's slender waist. Normally he held on for pleasure rather than security, but he feared that he would fall off if he didn't keep himself close. Shippo, clinging to his robes, was being blown almost straight backwards.
"Kirara, can you go a little faster?" Sango asked.
Kirara did her best to oblige. But the sturdy fire-cat appeared to be reaching her limits. Miroku could feel her panting as she raced through the treetops. The white, shimmering orb was just darting out of sight -- always just a little too far away.
Sango uttered a cry and threw her boomerang.
It hurtled through the air at the demon -- through the demon -- and vanished into the trunk of an enormous, towering tree.
"What the..." Sango said, shocked.
"Look out!" Miroku grabbed Sango and pushed her down as her boomerang shot back at them, and nearly took off the girl's head.
"What happened?" Shippo said.
Kirara slowed and stopped, breathing hard. The demon was gone without a trace. And so was the tree that Sango's boomerang had gone right through before returning to her. Miroku glanced back at the fallen weapon, which had gotten stuck in some brambles.
"What happened?" Shippo repeated.
"Was that tree just an illusion?" Sango said.
"Probably," Miroku said grimly. "And if so, we may have been chasing something that was all smoke and mirrors, without any true substance. The real demon has probably made his getaway already."
Sango looked discouraged. Then she glanced around. "Where are Inuyasha and Kagome?" she asked.
"They were ahead of us," Miroku said pensively. "I thought that Inuyasha had merely gone faster and pursued the demon... but apparently he didn't." A look of alarm came onto his handsome features. "If that's so, then he and Kagome may have been lured off the path by a similar demonic apparition."
"Should we go look for them?" Sango asked.
"No. If we all separate, we'll only get lost. Besides, Kirara is exhausted." The fire-cat had shrunk down to her smaller form, and was sitting sleepily on Sango's shoulder. "Please take Shippo off to the edge of the forest and make camp. I'll look for Kagome and Inuyasha."
"But Miroku, isn't it dangerous?" Shippo asked, concerned.
"Probably." Miroku smiled slightly. He raised his gloved right hand. "But I still have this. It ought to be enough."
Sango looked concerned still. "I... be careful," she said quietly.
Miroku felt touched by her concern for him, even though he doubted he would be in any serious danger. He took the opportunity to give her a quick pat on the backside.
A few minutes later, with a fresh handprint on his face, he stepped off the forest path. A chill went through him as the sunlight seemed to be blotted out by the trees. Miroku didn't think of himself as an easily frightened man, but the cold, unnatural feel of this place was fairly unpleasant.
"Kagome?" he called. "Inuyasha? KAGOME? INUYASHA!"
After he had been walking for a long time, he heard a faint rustling sound, and what sounded like weeping. "Kagome? Inuyasha?" he shouted. But he tugged off the rosary on his wrist. Just in case.
"It's me," came Kagome's faint voice. "I'm over here."
Miroku quickly went around the large tree in his way. Kagome was kneeling near the bottom of it, with her arms wrapped around herself. Inuyasha was lying against the roots in front of her. He looked as if he were only asleep, but there was a pallor to his face that made Miroku uneasy.
"Kagome..." Miroku said. "What happened to Inuyasha?"
Kagome looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "Inuyasha... he's dead."
TO BE CONTINUED