Scroll 11: The New Demon Queen

"Ah, it's you," Shintaru replied, smiling up at her cheerfully. "I didn't expect to see you here, although I can't say I'm surprised."

Sango looked at them both. "You two know each other?"

Shintaru turned his blue gaze back to the taijiya and continued bandaging her arm. "We've met once before, not too long ago. Sango, then? You should take it easy with this arm of your's."

Sango nodded. "I thank you for helping to treat my wound. It would be nice to know your name."

The young man stood to his feet, his smile pleasant. "My name is Shintaru."

"Wait, so you're going around to random people and helping them?" Karoru asked.

Shintaru's smile broadened. "Of course. It's part of who I am. Now that I think about it, you never introduced yourself."

"Karoru," she replied passively.

Shintaru bowed good-naturedly. "Well then it's nice to meet you again, Karoru. Hey." He took a step forward as he noticed that scratch on her shoulder. "You're hurt."

Karoru stepped swiftly away from him. "I'm fine."

Shintaru blinked. "Are you always like that?"

"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about."

"Hmm." He said nothing, looking as if he was thinking deeply.

"How'd you get here in the first place? Karoru asked inquisitively.

Shintaru's smile returned to his face. "The lord's scouts took me to a secret entrance that lead inside the walls."

"Why don't the people here use that to escape?" Sango asked, rising to her feet.

"Too many people," Shintaru replied. "A few could be able to sneak out, but if everyone disappeared, the demons would go hunting." He folded his arms into his sleeves. "Plus, the lord would rather die than leave his castle."

Karoru looked away to observe the people around them. "Tch. Greedy leech."

Shintaru shrugged. "Could be. Or maybe because this castle's been his family's home for generations." No one said anything to a moment. Then, the young man turned to leave. "Well, I must get going now. Other people will be needing my assistance." He bowed to them both, smiling cheerfully, then went off.

Sango looked over at Karoru. "We should get back to the others. I'm afraid I'd caused a fuss with my leave."

Karoru said nothing.

The night was calm and peaceful, watched over by a glistening white moon and bright but cold stars. All that could be heard were the chirping of crickets and the occasional cough or sneeze of the sentries upon the walls. Tiny, blinking fireflies drifted back and forth over the gardens and lotus ponds, and the dark flash of a passing nocturnal bird could be seen. All that occupied the castle were sleeping silently. With a few exceptions, of course.

The young tiger demon moved swiftly through the grounds, winding through a maze of people, dodging the gardens and ponds. She landed with one graceful leap on the corner of the west and south wall. A few sentries nearby jumped in surprise, but they quickly moved respectfully—and a bit nervously—away. She paid no concern for them.

Karoru sighed deeply and gazed over the wall. She started. The lizard demons were lined up in three rows a few yards away from the wall, silent and vigilant, all bearing lethal weapons. She could feel countless eyes upon her as soon as she had appeared. That explained all the sentries. For a moment, she did nothing. Then, she turned and leapt back down to the ground. The young demon glanced around to see if anyone nearby had awakened. When she confirmed that no one had, she proceeded to the nearest pond and sat down upon the stone walkway that ringed it. A long pink lotus flower drifted slowly across the blue-green water, its fragile petals surprisingly in full bloom. Karoru gazed up at the glowing moon, wondering how that was possible.

"Can't sleep?"

She looked up to find Shintaru striding slowly to her side. She returned her gaze to the water and watched the young man's reflection as he came up to her.

"I am a tiger demon," she replied tonelessly. "We're nocturnal. I find it hard to sleep at night."

"It was easier when you traveled alone, wasn't it?' he asked.

"Far more. I had no one to slow me down."

"So then why do you stay with the half-demon and his friends?"

Karoru shrugged. "At first, I only wanted to find a way to steal their Jewel shards, but…I'm not sure I feel up to it anymore."

Shintaru smiled and sat himself down. "Not used to kindness?"

Karoru shot him a glare. "Why?"

He said nothing for a while, just sitting there, staring at the stars.

Karoru gazed down at the pond, thinking of how strange he was.

The silence was broken when he turned his dark blue eyes on her again and said, "You know, I've heard much about you. About a young tiger demon who did almost anything to find the Jewel shards. Powerful. Clever. You sounded like a fiend."

Karoru raised an eyesbrow. "And your point is?"

Shintaru smiled. "You're more like a stubborn cub."

The demon scowled. "I dare you to say that again!"

He chuckled. "Like I said!"

Karoru glared at him. "I'm still going to steal your Jewel shards!"

Shintaru brushed it aside, still smiling. "I know. It's okay."

Karoru blinked at him then rose to her feet. "You are weird." She turned to leave.

"Wait." The young warrior stood up and seemed to be listening for something. "Did you hear that?"

Karoru stilled and listened. A soft rustling sounded, then a cough. A pair of soft footsteps padded across the smooth-pebbled paths, followed by another cough. The tiger demon started in the direction of the sounds, wondering who was awake at this hour.

Shintaru hurriedly swiftly after her.

Karoru turned a corner of a garden and found herself face to face with the young taijiya She blinked in surprise. "Sango?"

The girl gazed up at her through strange eyes and said nothing. She didn't even seem to recognize the tiger demon.

Shintaru appeared at Karoru's side and started. "Sango, why are you up? You should be resting."

The taijiya continued to stare at them wordlessly.

"Something's wrong," Shintaru stated worriedly. "She seemed different."

Karoru nodded silently in agreement.

Sango's brown eyes held a yellow tint to them, and her skin was growing green. She had changed into her demon slaying clothes, and she held her hiraikotsu over her shoulder with an unnecessarily firm grip. She began coughing again.

Karoru took a step towards her, and she immediately struck at the demon with bared teeth, revealing a row of lethal fangs. The demon quickly jumped backwards to avoid the taijiya's lunge, then watched as Sango rushed to the nearest wall. Karoru and Shintaru hurriedly followed, but the two of them could do nothing to stop her from vaulting the entire wall in one bound to land amongst the lines of lizard demons. Nothing moved. Nothing was heard, not even the bewildered men atop the wall. The, a great, unified hiss sounded from outside the castle's only protection, as if the demons were cheering.

Karoru and Shintaru looked at each other.

"That scratch must have been affected by something," the latter said. "She's turning into one of them."

The tiger demon shook her head slowly. "This isn't good."

Miroku: Well that was an interesting twist. I wonder what they're going to do now.

Inuyasha: Feh. I hate having to deal with that kind of stuff. Sango's not that weak!

Hey, I'm the doing the best I can, okay? Give me a break! I do have a point to all this!

Inuyasha: Well it better be good.

-:sarcastically:- Gee. Thanks for the support, Inuyasha.