CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
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"Damn him!" Miroku said, clambering onto Kirara's back. "Why does he NEVER listen to me?"
"Because he's stubborn," Sango said. "And he's worried about Kagome, more than about himself. After him, Kirara!"
The demon-cat roared and raced away into the skies. But she wasn't as fast as Inuyasha, even in the air. Sango grimaced with frustration. We'll never catch up to him at this rate, she thought.
She knew that Inuyasha was very strong, and that this Naku was only a human. But something about it all felt... wrong to Sango. There was something that made her uneasy. Sure, Inuyasha could slay just about any demon -- but this Naku had already proven himself to be a formidable foe. He would have made a reknowned demon-slayer... except that a demon-slayer needed a heart as well. This bounty hunter seemed to have none.
For most humans, Sango wouldn't have worried. Inuyasha could subdue every human they had come across, except Miroku. With the void in his hand, he was something of an exception. But the bones in that pit had unnerved Sango. Inuyasha was powerful, but he was also hotheaded, brash... and despite what he liked to think, not invulnerable.
She wasn't sure exactly what was going on. But Sango didn't want Inuyasha facing this assassin alone....
.
"Kagome!"
Inuyasha's voice rang out over the forests, sending flocks of birds scattering into the sky. A streak of red shot past the trees, pausing on a rock ledge. "Kagome!" Inuyasha bellowed again, with a note of desperation in his voice.
He could smell her. She had walked this way -- no blood, so she wasn't wounded. Not in a way that made her bleed, anyhow. Inuyasha knew all too well that there were ways of wounding that didn't draw blood. He gritted his teeth, determined to get to her before this Naku guy could do anything to her. And he had been spending the past few days thinking up imaginative tortures for Naku, if anything had already happened to her...
One scratch. If she has one scratch, he thought.
"Kagome!" he shouted. He jumped from the ledge and raced through the forest, smelling the air. Then he saw her.
Kagome was sprawled under a tree, her face hidden by the grass. Her uniform was smudged with dirty and crumpled. And she looked as if she had been flung there carelessly, like a broken doll. Or a corpse.
Inuyasha's heart almost stopped. Kagome... don't be... he thought.
"Kagome!" he shouted, springing down to her side. He slid his arms under her back, and lifted her as gently as he could. "Kagome?"
The girl's eyes fluttered. "No... let me go..." she mumbled. "Don't hurt him..."
Drugged again, Inuyasha thought. He jostled her a little, whispering, "Kagome, it's me!"
Kagome's eyes slowly opened, as if she were afraid to see who was there. "Inuyasha?" she asked in disbelief. "Is that really you?"
Inuyasha stared. "Huh?"
And somehow, now Kagome was hugging him tightly. Inuyasha drew back a little, looking down at her head. Somehow he wasn't entirely sure where to put his hands. "I was so scared," Kagome mumbled into his chest. "I was afraid that you would think I'd really left you. That Naku -- he spent the whole time saying --"
"It don't matter now," Inuyasha said in a low voice. "Where is he?"
"Huh?"
"Naku!" Inuyasha gripped Kagome's shoulders. "You think I'm gonna let that bastard get away with kidnapping you? Just tell me where he went and I'll go bring you whatever's left of him!"
Kagome stared at him for a moment. Then an odd, frightened look came over her face. "Inuyasha, I don't want you to. Naku is--"
A branch cracked loudly.
Then Inuyasha stiffened. He let go of Kagome's arm and slowly turned around, with his hands on Tetsusaiga. In the shadows of the forest, a dark shape was walking slowly toward them. Kagome crept behind Inuyasha, clutching at his sleeve. The half-demon was openly growling now.
"Time to play," Naku said.
TO BE CONTINUED
.
"Damn him!" Miroku said, clambering onto Kirara's back. "Why does he NEVER listen to me?"
"Because he's stubborn," Sango said. "And he's worried about Kagome, more than about himself. After him, Kirara!"
The demon-cat roared and raced away into the skies. But she wasn't as fast as Inuyasha, even in the air. Sango grimaced with frustration. We'll never catch up to him at this rate, she thought.
She knew that Inuyasha was very strong, and that this Naku was only a human. But something about it all felt... wrong to Sango. There was something that made her uneasy. Sure, Inuyasha could slay just about any demon -- but this Naku had already proven himself to be a formidable foe. He would have made a reknowned demon-slayer... except that a demon-slayer needed a heart as well. This bounty hunter seemed to have none.
For most humans, Sango wouldn't have worried. Inuyasha could subdue every human they had come across, except Miroku. With the void in his hand, he was something of an exception. But the bones in that pit had unnerved Sango. Inuyasha was powerful, but he was also hotheaded, brash... and despite what he liked to think, not invulnerable.
She wasn't sure exactly what was going on. But Sango didn't want Inuyasha facing this assassin alone....
.
"Kagome!"
Inuyasha's voice rang out over the forests, sending flocks of birds scattering into the sky. A streak of red shot past the trees, pausing on a rock ledge. "Kagome!" Inuyasha bellowed again, with a note of desperation in his voice.
He could smell her. She had walked this way -- no blood, so she wasn't wounded. Not in a way that made her bleed, anyhow. Inuyasha knew all too well that there were ways of wounding that didn't draw blood. He gritted his teeth, determined to get to her before this Naku guy could do anything to her. And he had been spending the past few days thinking up imaginative tortures for Naku, if anything had already happened to her...
One scratch. If she has one scratch, he thought.
"Kagome!" he shouted. He jumped from the ledge and raced through the forest, smelling the air. Then he saw her.
Kagome was sprawled under a tree, her face hidden by the grass. Her uniform was smudged with dirty and crumpled. And she looked as if she had been flung there carelessly, like a broken doll. Or a corpse.
Inuyasha's heart almost stopped. Kagome... don't be... he thought.
"Kagome!" he shouted, springing down to her side. He slid his arms under her back, and lifted her as gently as he could. "Kagome?"
The girl's eyes fluttered. "No... let me go..." she mumbled. "Don't hurt him..."
Drugged again, Inuyasha thought. He jostled her a little, whispering, "Kagome, it's me!"
Kagome's eyes slowly opened, as if she were afraid to see who was there. "Inuyasha?" she asked in disbelief. "Is that really you?"
Inuyasha stared. "Huh?"
And somehow, now Kagome was hugging him tightly. Inuyasha drew back a little, looking down at her head. Somehow he wasn't entirely sure where to put his hands. "I was so scared," Kagome mumbled into his chest. "I was afraid that you would think I'd really left you. That Naku -- he spent the whole time saying --"
"It don't matter now," Inuyasha said in a low voice. "Where is he?"
"Huh?"
"Naku!" Inuyasha gripped Kagome's shoulders. "You think I'm gonna let that bastard get away with kidnapping you? Just tell me where he went and I'll go bring you whatever's left of him!"
Kagome stared at him for a moment. Then an odd, frightened look came over her face. "Inuyasha, I don't want you to. Naku is--"
A branch cracked loudly.
Then Inuyasha stiffened. He let go of Kagome's arm and slowly turned around, with his hands on Tetsusaiga. In the shadows of the forest, a dark shape was walking slowly toward them. Kagome crept behind Inuyasha, clutching at his sleeve. The half-demon was openly growling now.
"Time to play," Naku said.
TO BE CONTINUED