CHAPTER EIGHT
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A cold wind was keening outside the window. A man rose from his mat on the floor, and firmly shut the screen.
At first glance, he looked like a handsome young man of about twenty-five. His strong features and shaggy dark hair were half-hidden by a hood edged with kitsune fur. His dark eyes were what marred his appearance. They were cold and still, the eyes of a man five times his age, who had lived through far more suffering.
"Somebody please help! Where are you, you jerk! I know you're listening to everything I say, so come and tell me to my face! INUYASHA, HELP!"
That girl had been screaming for almost three hours now. Not that it mattered. Naku had chosen this spot for his home simply because he wanted to be alone, undisturbed by other humans, so he could do his work in peace. The only demons in the area knew better than he disturb him.
She had spirit, he had to admit that much. But guts wouldn't get her out of her present predicament.
"Someone help! HELP ME! INUYASHA!"
Naku stood up and looked over the assortment of jagged blades on his table. Carved from the bones of demons he had slain, and edged with their teeth. Nice sharp weaponry -- and they could kill demons as well as humans. His well-worn sword lay beside them. Not bad, he thought. But when Inuyasha comes, I'll need something a little stronger. He may be half human, but he sounds pretty tough.
He smirked. He's probably figured out by now that Kagome didn't actually leave him. Not by her own will, that is. But I have plenty of time left -- the fool doesn't know where to even start finding me.
He had been told where he could find Kagome, the girl who was somehow able to see Shikon shards. Apparently she sometimes left Inuyasha, Sango and Miroku, and vanished for a few days at a time. It was child's play to kidnap her then.
He had seen her first at that rotten old dry well in the middle of a forest. Exactly how she came out of an empty well wasn't clear to Naku -- but then again, he didn't care. It wasn't his job to be curious. He had waited in the bushes until Kagome was out of the well, and standing on her own feet.
Then he had thrown the tiny poisoned dart, striking the back of her neck. The venom had worked immediately -- the girl dropped to the ground, half-conscious and unable to resist him when he came for her. He had walked over, seeing Kagome's blank eyes and face, and ordered her to write a note to Inuyasha. She had done so, her mind and will fogged by the drugs. Then he had torn the Shikon shards out of her pocket, wrapped them in the note, and left it for the half-demon to find.
Naku smiled slightly. Shikon jewel shards. Funny little things. While all demons and most humans would sell their wretched, blackened souls for a shard, he cared little for them. If he got the chance, he would take one -- but he wasn't going to go looking for them or anything.
Then he had picked Kagome up and carried her back to the horse he had stolen. She'd stayed in her drugged stupor all through the ride back to his hidden home; he had given her a few more doses, just in case. Then he had dumped her in a cell, locked it, and waited for her to wake up.
"INUYASHA! Someone get me out of here!"
She's a pretty little thing, he thought, flipping a blade over in his hands. I might've had some fun with her, if I hadn't been told to make sure she didn't have the slightest chance of escaping. Ah well...
Well, that half-demon boy -- Inuyasha was his name -- would probably be tearing up the countryside looking for her. He apparently wasn't Kagome's lover, although he sure acted like it. If Naku was unlucky, the dog-boy wouldn't figure out what had happened, and just creep into a cave somewhere and lick his wounds.
"Not that it changes what'll happen," Naku said quietly. "I'll get him sooner or later, either way. It's just easier if he comes to me."
After all, that was his mission. It was what he was being paid for.
TO BE CONTINUED
.
A cold wind was keening outside the window. A man rose from his mat on the floor, and firmly shut the screen.
At first glance, he looked like a handsome young man of about twenty-five. His strong features and shaggy dark hair were half-hidden by a hood edged with kitsune fur. His dark eyes were what marred his appearance. They were cold and still, the eyes of a man five times his age, who had lived through far more suffering.
"Somebody please help! Where are you, you jerk! I know you're listening to everything I say, so come and tell me to my face! INUYASHA, HELP!"
That girl had been screaming for almost three hours now. Not that it mattered. Naku had chosen this spot for his home simply because he wanted to be alone, undisturbed by other humans, so he could do his work in peace. The only demons in the area knew better than he disturb him.
She had spirit, he had to admit that much. But guts wouldn't get her out of her present predicament.
"Someone help! HELP ME! INUYASHA!"
Naku stood up and looked over the assortment of jagged blades on his table. Carved from the bones of demons he had slain, and edged with their teeth. Nice sharp weaponry -- and they could kill demons as well as humans. His well-worn sword lay beside them. Not bad, he thought. But when Inuyasha comes, I'll need something a little stronger. He may be half human, but he sounds pretty tough.
He smirked. He's probably figured out by now that Kagome didn't actually leave him. Not by her own will, that is. But I have plenty of time left -- the fool doesn't know where to even start finding me.
He had been told where he could find Kagome, the girl who was somehow able to see Shikon shards. Apparently she sometimes left Inuyasha, Sango and Miroku, and vanished for a few days at a time. It was child's play to kidnap her then.
He had seen her first at that rotten old dry well in the middle of a forest. Exactly how she came out of an empty well wasn't clear to Naku -- but then again, he didn't care. It wasn't his job to be curious. He had waited in the bushes until Kagome was out of the well, and standing on her own feet.
Then he had thrown the tiny poisoned dart, striking the back of her neck. The venom had worked immediately -- the girl dropped to the ground, half-conscious and unable to resist him when he came for her. He had walked over, seeing Kagome's blank eyes and face, and ordered her to write a note to Inuyasha. She had done so, her mind and will fogged by the drugs. Then he had torn the Shikon shards out of her pocket, wrapped them in the note, and left it for the half-demon to find.
Naku smiled slightly. Shikon jewel shards. Funny little things. While all demons and most humans would sell their wretched, blackened souls for a shard, he cared little for them. If he got the chance, he would take one -- but he wasn't going to go looking for them or anything.
Then he had picked Kagome up and carried her back to the horse he had stolen. She'd stayed in her drugged stupor all through the ride back to his hidden home; he had given her a few more doses, just in case. Then he had dumped her in a cell, locked it, and waited for her to wake up.
"INUYASHA! Someone get me out of here!"
She's a pretty little thing, he thought, flipping a blade over in his hands. I might've had some fun with her, if I hadn't been told to make sure she didn't have the slightest chance of escaping. Ah well...
Well, that half-demon boy -- Inuyasha was his name -- would probably be tearing up the countryside looking for her. He apparently wasn't Kagome's lover, although he sure acted like it. If Naku was unlucky, the dog-boy wouldn't figure out what had happened, and just creep into a cave somewhere and lick his wounds.
"Not that it changes what'll happen," Naku said quietly. "I'll get him sooner or later, either way. It's just easier if he comes to me."
After all, that was his mission. It was what he was being paid for.
TO BE CONTINUED