CHAPTER TWELVE
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The lord walked into his darkened bedchamber, shaking all over. The room was dark, except for a shaft of moonlight that seeped between the window screens. He sank onto his bedding, and tried to calm himself down. It wasn't working at all.
If he learns that anyone knows that I called on him, he thought, Naku will kill me. What a fool I was to do business with that gods-forsaken assassin! And if those monks and demons find out...
He stiffened as something rustled in the room. And something passed through the moonlight. "W-who is it?" he stammered.
"Now, Sango!" a voice called from the darkness.
Suddenly he felt something powdery being flung in his face. His eyes watered as he fell backwards, coughing and spluttering. He tried to call for his guards, but the powder seeped into his throat and nose, making him cough even harder.
Suddenly strong arms were gripping him from behind, pinning his arms to his body, and pulling his head back. "H-help!" he croaked, struggling. But the arms gripping him only grew tighter. They were as strong and immovable as bands of steel.
A dark figure rose out of the corner. "Do you have him, Inuyasha?" a man's voice asked quietly.
"I have him," a hoarse voice at the lord's ear said. "Ain't giving me a lot of trouble either. Weakling."
The lord felt himself being jerked back further by the arm. "I-I don't know who you are," he managed to gasp. "But you are condemning yourselves by attacking me! But if you release me now... ack... I shall be merciful..."
"I don't think you will," the calm, quiet voice from the dark said. "You see, we know the truth about Naku. So you wouldn't dare to tell anyone about us."
"I-I don't know what you're talking about," the lord lied desperately.
"You'd better spill everything you know," the voice in his ear snarled. "Or else I'll break you in half, you sniveling bastard!"
"He's quite capable of doing it," the calm voice said, sounding amused.
Suddenly the lord recognized the calm voice coming from the darkness -- it was that young monk he had seen earlier in the day. The one with Naku's necklace. Horrified, the lord glanced down at the hand gripping his chest. The moonlight lit up the too-pale skin... and the pointed talons digging into his silken robe. A demon's hand.
The last thing the lord heard before darkness came over him was:
"Feh. The wimp's gone and fainted."
.
Naku frowned as he pulled off his fur-lined cloak. His iron necklace was gone -- it must have slipped off somewhere. But as he looked around, he couldn't find any trace of it. It must have fallen off in the roads somewhere, he thought.
His eyes widened. Kagome had struggled a little as he first had picked her up, and he remembered a slight tug at his throat. She must have broken the chain, he thought. Then he shrugged. It was only a pendant, after all -- and no one could trace it to him.
A gust of wind blew in the window, catching his attention.
"About time the witch showed up," he muttered. He shrugged on his cloak and walked over to a doorway carved into the wall.
As he walked down the narrow passageway, it grew smaller and smaller, until it was nothing but a crack in the rock face. With a grunt, Naku slipped through, and brushed the dust from his dark clothing.
A beautiful, cold-faced woman was standing nearby, waiting for him. As he walked toward her, she frowned and tucked a fan under her wide sleeve. She was dressed like a noble lady, but he knew all too well that he was far above her. She was nothing but a pawn.
"Come to check on me, Kagura?" Naku asked calmly.
TO BE CONTINUED
.
The lord walked into his darkened bedchamber, shaking all over. The room was dark, except for a shaft of moonlight that seeped between the window screens. He sank onto his bedding, and tried to calm himself down. It wasn't working at all.
If he learns that anyone knows that I called on him, he thought, Naku will kill me. What a fool I was to do business with that gods-forsaken assassin! And if those monks and demons find out...
He stiffened as something rustled in the room. And something passed through the moonlight. "W-who is it?" he stammered.
"Now, Sango!" a voice called from the darkness.
Suddenly he felt something powdery being flung in his face. His eyes watered as he fell backwards, coughing and spluttering. He tried to call for his guards, but the powder seeped into his throat and nose, making him cough even harder.
Suddenly strong arms were gripping him from behind, pinning his arms to his body, and pulling his head back. "H-help!" he croaked, struggling. But the arms gripping him only grew tighter. They were as strong and immovable as bands of steel.
A dark figure rose out of the corner. "Do you have him, Inuyasha?" a man's voice asked quietly.
"I have him," a hoarse voice at the lord's ear said. "Ain't giving me a lot of trouble either. Weakling."
The lord felt himself being jerked back further by the arm. "I-I don't know who you are," he managed to gasp. "But you are condemning yourselves by attacking me! But if you release me now... ack... I shall be merciful..."
"I don't think you will," the calm, quiet voice from the dark said. "You see, we know the truth about Naku. So you wouldn't dare to tell anyone about us."
"I-I don't know what you're talking about," the lord lied desperately.
"You'd better spill everything you know," the voice in his ear snarled. "Or else I'll break you in half, you sniveling bastard!"
"He's quite capable of doing it," the calm voice said, sounding amused.
Suddenly the lord recognized the calm voice coming from the darkness -- it was that young monk he had seen earlier in the day. The one with Naku's necklace. Horrified, the lord glanced down at the hand gripping his chest. The moonlight lit up the too-pale skin... and the pointed talons digging into his silken robe. A demon's hand.
The last thing the lord heard before darkness came over him was:
"Feh. The wimp's gone and fainted."
.
Naku frowned as he pulled off his fur-lined cloak. His iron necklace was gone -- it must have slipped off somewhere. But as he looked around, he couldn't find any trace of it. It must have fallen off in the roads somewhere, he thought.
His eyes widened. Kagome had struggled a little as he first had picked her up, and he remembered a slight tug at his throat. She must have broken the chain, he thought. Then he shrugged. It was only a pendant, after all -- and no one could trace it to him.
A gust of wind blew in the window, catching his attention.
"About time the witch showed up," he muttered. He shrugged on his cloak and walked over to a doorway carved into the wall.
As he walked down the narrow passageway, it grew smaller and smaller, until it was nothing but a crack in the rock face. With a grunt, Naku slipped through, and brushed the dust from his dark clothing.
A beautiful, cold-faced woman was standing nearby, waiting for him. As he walked toward her, she frowned and tucked a fan under her wide sleeve. She was dressed like a noble lady, but he knew all too well that he was far above her. She was nothing but a pawn.
"Come to check on me, Kagura?" Naku asked calmly.
TO BE CONTINUED