CHAPTER FIFTEEN
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The blade glittered as Naku tossed it hand over hand. Satisfied, he slid it into a sheath inside his clothing.
The memory of his meeting with Naraku wasn't a particularly pleasant one. Naku had something that an assassin always had to have -- cunning. And he knew Naraku's mind. The demon didn't plan to hand over the sacred jewel to anyone -- Naku had seen in it his face. He'll get me to kill his enemies, then try to destroy me, he thought.
Then he smirked. Not if I kill him first. String him along, take as much of his silver and jewel shards as I can. Make him think I'm a stupid little lackey who believes everything he's told. Then I'll dispose of him when things get too dangerous. I doubt that Kagura woman will get in my way. She hates him even more than I would....
He went over his weapons, selecting the best of them, then paused and listened. Kagome had stopped screaming at some point. He was sure she hadn't escaped -- the window was too small for a grown human to squeeze through, even in a thin girl like her. And the only other way out was straight through his rooms.
One thing to NOT bring: A bow and quiver of arrows. From what Naraku had told him, that girl could blast away anything she fired at if she got her hands on an arrow. Naku doubted that she could manage to escape him. But if she did, he didn't want her causing any problems. There was too much money riding on her.
He slid a small dark vial into his sleeve, then stopped again. Better make sure, he thought.
Naku ducked into the prison a moment later, and glanced at the cell. Kagome was curled up under the window, apparently asleep. Pretty little fool wore herself out, he thought. Well, she wouldn't get much sleep soon. He'd see to that, now that Inuyasha was coming for her.
Suddenly Kagome blinked and sat up. "Oh, it's you," she said sulkily.
"Were ya expecting someone else to turn up?" Naku smirked. "Your beloved Inuyasha, for example?"
Kagome just glared at him.
"I'm looking forward to fighting him," Naku continued. "It's always a challenge to go up against something powerful. Petty little lords and demon feuds get dull after awhile, even for money. It should be fun to kill off Inuyasha if he's half the demon people say he is."
"You won't kill him," Kagome said. "You could NEVER beat him!"
"Oh, and why's that? Because he's strong and powerful?"
"Yes!"
Naku's smirk spread. "Let me show you a little souvenir I took from one of my jobs. That was a hard one too, so I thought I deserved a reward." He stepped back out, then returned with something enormous dangling from one arm. It was a head, a long narrow head with a pair of long, pronged horns, a pointed snout with jagged teeth, and a pair of dead red eyes that seemed to stare straight at Kagome.
"It's a dragon's head," Naku said.
Kagome stared in shock.
"So," Naku said with a smile. "That should give you some idea of what Inuyasha's up against. Dragons are pretty strong and dangerous as well, aren't they, pretty maid?"
Kagome crept back against the wall. I... I don't like the way he's watching me, she thought. He's freaking me out....
Naku dropped the dragon's head, and dusted off his hands. Then, almost lazily, he flipped up the latch to the cell door, and stepped inside. Kagome tried to dart past him, only to fee his hand grab her hair and yank her up straight by it. "Yeeow!" she squeaked, trying to pull his hands off. "Let me go! LET ME GO! Inuyasha!"
Naku leaned closer, his face spreading into another smile. He pulled Kagome's hair back further, making her look at his eyes. They were glinting, as if he were enjoying himself. "Don't fight me," he said quietly. "And you won't get hurt at all."
TO BE CONTINUED
.
The blade glittered as Naku tossed it hand over hand. Satisfied, he slid it into a sheath inside his clothing.
The memory of his meeting with Naraku wasn't a particularly pleasant one. Naku had something that an assassin always had to have -- cunning. And he knew Naraku's mind. The demon didn't plan to hand over the sacred jewel to anyone -- Naku had seen in it his face. He'll get me to kill his enemies, then try to destroy me, he thought.
Then he smirked. Not if I kill him first. String him along, take as much of his silver and jewel shards as I can. Make him think I'm a stupid little lackey who believes everything he's told. Then I'll dispose of him when things get too dangerous. I doubt that Kagura woman will get in my way. She hates him even more than I would....
He went over his weapons, selecting the best of them, then paused and listened. Kagome had stopped screaming at some point. He was sure she hadn't escaped -- the window was too small for a grown human to squeeze through, even in a thin girl like her. And the only other way out was straight through his rooms.
One thing to NOT bring: A bow and quiver of arrows. From what Naraku had told him, that girl could blast away anything she fired at if she got her hands on an arrow. Naku doubted that she could manage to escape him. But if she did, he didn't want her causing any problems. There was too much money riding on her.
He slid a small dark vial into his sleeve, then stopped again. Better make sure, he thought.
Naku ducked into the prison a moment later, and glanced at the cell. Kagome was curled up under the window, apparently asleep. Pretty little fool wore herself out, he thought. Well, she wouldn't get much sleep soon. He'd see to that, now that Inuyasha was coming for her.
Suddenly Kagome blinked and sat up. "Oh, it's you," she said sulkily.
"Were ya expecting someone else to turn up?" Naku smirked. "Your beloved Inuyasha, for example?"
Kagome just glared at him.
"I'm looking forward to fighting him," Naku continued. "It's always a challenge to go up against something powerful. Petty little lords and demon feuds get dull after awhile, even for money. It should be fun to kill off Inuyasha if he's half the demon people say he is."
"You won't kill him," Kagome said. "You could NEVER beat him!"
"Oh, and why's that? Because he's strong and powerful?"
"Yes!"
Naku's smirk spread. "Let me show you a little souvenir I took from one of my jobs. That was a hard one too, so I thought I deserved a reward." He stepped back out, then returned with something enormous dangling from one arm. It was a head, a long narrow head with a pair of long, pronged horns, a pointed snout with jagged teeth, and a pair of dead red eyes that seemed to stare straight at Kagome.
"It's a dragon's head," Naku said.
Kagome stared in shock.
"So," Naku said with a smile. "That should give you some idea of what Inuyasha's up against. Dragons are pretty strong and dangerous as well, aren't they, pretty maid?"
Kagome crept back against the wall. I... I don't like the way he's watching me, she thought. He's freaking me out....
Naku dropped the dragon's head, and dusted off his hands. Then, almost lazily, he flipped up the latch to the cell door, and stepped inside. Kagome tried to dart past him, only to fee his hand grab her hair and yank her up straight by it. "Yeeow!" she squeaked, trying to pull his hands off. "Let me go! LET ME GO! Inuyasha!"
Naku leaned closer, his face spreading into another smile. He pulled Kagome's hair back further, making her look at his eyes. They were glinting, as if he were enjoying himself. "Don't fight me," he said quietly. "And you won't get hurt at all."
TO BE CONTINUED