Chapter 3
Dead man knocking at my door
How long had it been since she had eaten? She couldn't remember. She was starving, even ravenous perhaps, but Kikyou had not been able to eat due to a heavy sense of foreboding that she had been experiencing all day. It had caused the loss of her appetite, and she knew that she was worrying Kaede. She couldn't help it. She sensed that a long line of unfortunate happennings was about to begin. She could not explain why or how, but the sensation could be felt in her bones. She sighed and declined the fourth attempt that her little sister had made all day to try and get her to eat something. The smell of food was making her slightly queezy. The girl set down her tray and regarded her with concerned eyes, wrinkles were formed upon her brow from the position of her eye brows and her small mouth was set in a half-pout as she looked at the raven haired young woman. She simply stared back at her, brown eyes unwavering as she met the other's, so much like hers, and yet the face they appeared in so infinitely different. She wasn't homely, Kaede was far from that extreme, but her looks were not to die for. If she did not settle on the same life that she herself had, then perhaps she would be lucky enough to attract one of the more handsome village boys.
"Onee-chan you must eat something." She conceded finally, giving in to what must have been an intolerable silence for her. She shook her head.
"I am not hungry today Kaede, you eat something, you'll worry yourself sick if you keep trying to feed me." She told her. The girl bowed her head in defeat.
"I don't think that it is very healthy for you though." She answered as she sat down and started eating what had originally been meant for her. She sighed once more and looked out the solitary window that they had in their small-one roomed-hut. The sky was a clear blue, her mood should've been good, considering the day, but it was not. A shiver ran up her spine and she stood, heading toward the door.
"Where are you going Onee-chan?" Kaede asked, half standing herself. She motioned for her to sit once more.
"I think I will take a walk, I won't be long ." She told her. The girl nodded and setteled herself once more before Kikyou pushed aside the grass curtain and walked out into the brightly lit sunshine. Despite her light words to her little sister, she took a bow with her. She felt safer that way, it gave her a little more security than she would've had should she have left without it. Some of the priestess nodded to her as she walked down the path and she nodded back, one of them was Ayame. The moment that she had come out of her hut once more after she had escaped her encounter with the demon, slaying him in her wake, the others that had been with her whom she had presumed dead had flocked to her with questions. That right then reminded her of the demons words as she had spoken to him from across the fire the day that he had kidnapped her. I didn't mean to kill that little girl. She had been shocked to hear him say it, and it still disturbed her. He had was a killer, and mindless, cold blooded, killer that didn't deserve life, and so she taken it. But still she felt that she had taken the life of an innocent. She shook the thoughts away. He had deserved that and worse and that was the end of it. Her mind raced as she moved placidly around, not giving away her mood and mind set. It was something ingraned in the minds of priestesses when they first started their trainning and she had perfected the technique and made it an art. She was able to call on the reserve at any time, her face could become as smooth and unreadable as glass. That was the way that she had always been, and she was proud of it, just as she was proud of the knowledge that she came from a long and powerful line of mikos. She was even remotely related to the priestess Midoriko, whom had been the maker of the jewel of four souls that she now held in her posession. As the legened went, just before she died not more than three years before, it had burst forth from her heart, combining both her powers and that of a thousand demons into one solitary cool violet gem. She took the thing out of the front of her kimono and looked at it for a few moments, running a finger over its smooth and polished surface. She jewel never seemed to dirty either. It was a pure looking thing, and did not seem to carry any of the evil that was said to reside within it at all. She sighed and put it away once more. She fancied things too much, always mulling things over in her mind. It never seemed to be at rest. She looked up at her surroundings and found that she had wandered farther away from the viallage than had been intended. She sighed in annoyance and started back in the other direction. She mused too much in deed, she had been so enwrapped within her own thoughts that she had failed to notice where she was headed. Walking briskly she saw the viallage down the hill and sighed in reliefe. Not so far afterall. There were shouts coming from the small cluster of huts and fields and she frowned. Then there were screams and she ran down the hill without hesitation. You even felt it! How could you have not seen this coming! She berated herself. She pulled out an arrow and knocked it to her bow, drawing near to the first house. Her breath caught and she halted in her steps. He was supposed to be dead. He had a young man by the scruff of the neck, he was held in mid-air and he was gasping for breath. She remembered the crushing grip on her own throat and her hand went subconsciously to her pale neck where there had been bruises not a few days before. She didn't hesitate anymore and she took aim, not announcing herself. The bow twanged and the arrow sung through the air toward him, full of purifying energy. She didn't know how he had survived the first, but he would not get away this day alive. His ears twitched toward the sound and he quickly dropped the man, jumping out of the way so that the arrow missed. She made a sound of annoyance and knocked another to the bow, ready to shoot once more. He was too quick, she never had a chance to react before he was on her. He came up from behind and wrapped his arm around her upper body, two claws in the killing position, ready to slit her throat. She thought that she was dead right then and she felt her body go numb with fear. This was the end then, and she was right all along, he was an unconcienced killer. What happened next was not what she had expected. He let her go and she fell none too gracefully to the ground. She picked herself up and gave him a look that could kill. He returned the glare with equal benevolence and then turned to look at what he had in his hand. She gasped when she realized that it was the Shikon no tama and her hand went to her throat where it usually would've resided. He didn't say anything, he just smirked and took off.
"Hey!" She screamed after him. He didn't react and she was quickly on her feet, following him and the Shikon no tama. This was not good.
Inuyasha entered the village without hesitation. This was the one, he knew it was, her scent was scattered all over it and he walked in, scowling at everyone that dared pass a glance his way. One man kept his gaze and he decided that he would be ample prey to taugnt and make a fool of. He stalked over to him, golden eyes level. He stopped within two inches of the man's face and glared down at him. He seemed to be slightly unnerved now as he averted his gaze momentarily before meeting golden orbs once more.
"Where is she?" Inuyasha growled. The man looked confused.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about." He stammered. His scowl deepend and he took the man by the scruff of the neck and shook him none too lightly.
"The priestess! Where is she?" He yelled. He was genuinely scared now, he knew. He could smell it on him.
"Th-there are many priestesses within this village, I need a name." He told him frantically.
"I don't know 'er name supid or else I'd be askin' by it!" He yelled. The man brought his tool up suddenly as if to strike him with it. He caught his wrist and pressed the pressure point, casuing him to drop the thing to the ground. He then proceded to lift the man into the air by the throat. They had attracted an audience by now, and some of the women screamed when he lifted the man, others were yelling at him. His ear flattened. He looked at some of them and they coward away, some of the women screamed once more. It was an annoying sound. He turned his attention back to his victim. He had been counting on the priestess to be there to witness his destroying the village, it would've given him much pleasure, but it didn't matter any more. He would just do it and be done. His ears flicked to the side at a new sound and he dropped him victim, jumping out of the way just in time for the arrow to fly passed where he had been standing not a minute before. He whipped his head aroundand saw the very person that he had been looking for. She knocked the bow once more and he moved before she could draw and shoot, jumping up over her head and landing behind her, grabbing her upper body to get her off balance. He concentrated on his claws and they grew to a dedly sharp tip and he prepared to plunge them into her throat instead of taking the whole village. He stopped, however, and thought better about what he had been close to doing. Instead he reached his hand into her kimono, drawing out the Shikon jewel as he danced away on light feet, letting her drop to the ground. She picked herself up right away, brushing off the dust and giving him a death glare. He glared back, it seemed to be a game that they played, each testing the limits of the other. He unclenched his fist and looked down at the smooth and polished surface of his prize, turning his gaze back to her and smirking. She seemed utterly dumbfounded and her hand flew to her neck. He didn't linger any longer for the other priestesses were emerging having heard all the fuss and he took off back into the forest that he had come from.
He could hear her distant footsteps as she chased after him and he cursed under his breath. Yeah he had expected her to follow him, but not this far and not for this long. He thought that she would've been out of breath long before now and that he would've been able to get far away and use his wish before she could ever find him. But she was persistent. A part of him, the human part he wagered, just wanted to stop and use her to his advantage, but he did not, he knew that shewas too dangerous for him, and besides, humans were disgusting. Weak and feeble to a fault. His own mother had been human yes, but that mattered little. She was the only one that had ever deserved kindness she was the only one that had ever accepted him for whom he was. There were even human women, he heard, with half-demon children that had killed them because of the taboo, and the disgrace that was brought on one's famliy. In both races, a half-demon's blood was considered dirty. He shook his head, clearing it of those thoughts and sped on. He assumed that he would have to keep going for a little bit, the womanwas close enough that he could hear her laboured breathing, soon her body would have to stop for rest or it would collapse from fatigue and the strain of constant running. He half-turned to see if she had come into view yet, and was startled to see her not more than a foot away from him.
"Kuso!" He grunted before turning aroud fully once more and picking up the pace, but it was too late, the fact that he had taken time to turn around and look had slowed him enough that she was able to jump him. They both went cascading to the ground, landing hard and skidding to a stop quite far from the capture point.
"Dammit! Let go of me woman!" He yelled. She struggled to keep a hold of him.
"N-no!" She managedto gasp it out between laboured breaths. He struggled harder and finally managed to kick her away.
"Ow!" She cried, taking his blow to her side, the wind rushing from her lungs as she did. She lay on the ground panting. Not sire what to do he stood looking at her for a few moments. Too long once again. She was back on her feet faster than he had thought possible and she lunged at him. He dodged backward and it was her turn to curse.
"Give it back!" She commanded, making a desperate movement to snatch the said item from his hand. He moved it away and she chased it around, jumping up in the air as he held it above her head. She looked like a desperate little child trying to get back a favorite toy. He had a flash-back of his own child hood as children played keep away with his favorite ball and then he smirked, glad to see that the tables were turned.
"Just try and get it." He taughnted her. She jumped once more and he moved it out of range and then back into it as she came back down to the ground. She was leaning on him for support as she tried getting it without jumping and he felt the warmth of her body with an uneasing clarity. He moved away, daughnted by the sudden sensation. He didn't like it and he started to run again, this time purely out of fear for what he thought he was feeling. He could hear her distant shouts as she chased after him once more, but he had picked up the pace, he doubted that she would catch up anytime soon, if ever.
Kikyou kicked the dead leaves where he had been standing not moments before and then started to run again. Her undernourished body was strongly protesting the exhertion, but she ignored it. The only thing that was important was the retireval of that jewel. Her lungs were bursting for oxygen and every breath was like fire rushing down her parched throat. But she could not afford to stop. If she did, she would surely lose him, and if she did that, then there was no hope of ever getting the jewel back. She didn't know why he wanted it, but she could guess that it was probably so that he could become stronger than he already was. They finallt cleared the forest and she could see him bounding across the meadow that they had been in not more than two days prior. She did not stop to contemplate it but kept on going, mind ticking. Once she got the jewel back she wondered if she would be able to keep it. Her body was almost completely taxed and she knew that it was only still going on the neccessity to find he jewel and return it to her keeping. Passed that she didn't know whether it would be able to keep on this mindless running. Her stomach growled, she ignored it. She had to keep going there was no other option. She felt her feet stumbling and her adreneline lagging, but still she forced herself on. She would force herself to her last breath if she had to, so that no one could say that the priestess Kikyou had not done her best in trying to protect something so precious, and potentially dangerous. She had caught up again, his back was in plane slight and she almost laughed giddily. She sprang upon him and tackled him once again, this time going straight for the jewel. She didn't and she collided solidly with his chest, sendin them to the ground once more, her on top. She clutched the jewel in her small hand and held on for dear life, then exhaustion over took her and she simply lay there, unable to move any longer. She felt blood rushing to her head and she struggled to remain conscious. Her breathing was ragged and she felt like she would never get enough oxygen again as long as she lived. She felt his hand try to pry hers opened and she simply tightened her grip. It was solid and unmoveable and he cursed.
"Stupid bitch, get offa' me." He growled. She had no energy to even take offense to the insult and certainly not enough to oblidge the order. He made an annoyed sound deep in his chest and rolled her off. She fell limply to the ground next where he was and she could feel his eyes as he sat staring at her. Finally the darkness was starting to set in and she felt her mind slipping into oblivion. She was going to faint. She had never fainted before, it was a new sensation, and one that made her a little scared as it succmed her with no way to be reversed. She slipped into darkness.
Inuyasha saw her eyes roll up into the back of her head and swore once again. But, seeing his chance, he attempted prying her fingers opened once more. They still had the same death grip and there was nothing that he could do about it. He sighed in anger and agitation. Even in unconsciousness she was able to protect the stupid thing. It was no wonder that she had fainted, she had gone beyond her body's limits in her mad chasing of his person, plus it was a warm day. She had been chasing him for hours, he saw looking at the sky and seeing that it was stained firey colours as the sun began to set. It had been high noon when she had started chasing him. Even if she was less than likeable, he felt that he couldn't just leave her there, and there were more threatening demons than he that would smell the jewel and be immediately drawn to its power. He scooped her up in his arms, a task that was all together not that hard at all and he wondered at it. She was petite, but still lighter than she looked. He supposed it was because of the controlled eating that the priestesses practised. They were rumored to only have two meals a day and then nothing to drink but water in between. He didn't see how they did it, he never could, he was always ravenous by the time he reached any of his meals. There would be a town near by that he could get her a hut to stay in. Anyone would willingly open their home to a priestess, even if she was accompanied by a "demon." Humans seldome knew him for what he was, a hanyou of little power compared with his demon counter parts, meaning his father, that he had never met, and his half-brother whom had disowned him at a young age Sesshomaru. He didn't understand any of them, but he would rather be a demon than a human, he would rather not be helpless, as humans often were. He hated them. He broke through the woods and onto the road, his nose sniffing the air delecately as he walked. The smell of cooking fires was not too far in the distance and where there were cooking fires there was food andwarm beds. He preferred the outdoors, but his unexpected charge would probably do better inside of a home. The moment he walked into town he was given scared glances and many whispered amongst themselves. He sighed and glared at each of them in turn as he made his way down the road. He found a house that looked promising, mostly because of the mouth-watering scents that drifted through the door, and knocked awkwardly. A woman drew back the grass mat that covered it and jumped when she saw him.
"I found this in the forest." He told her gruffly. So what if it wans't the truth, she didn't need to know anyway. She looked shocked and she quickly called inside the house for a male, no doubt to carry the priestess in. He would not stay here, he decided, but he tried once more, unsuccessfully to pry her fingers open and retrieve the jewel before he finally gave up. The man, a youth that was probably no older than Inuyasha himself appeared and took her into his arms. Inuyashsa took off. Now to rob some fires and find a place to sleep.
