Ch. 6
Plots
Disclaimer- As said before I don't own Inuyasha. But I do own the computer I post chappies on with.
Makaio and Kuri sat upon the floor no longer bound at the wrists and ankles. Kouga paced anxiously in front of them his head down and eyes boring holes in the floor. Two of Kouga's best men stood not far from their leader and the trespassers talking quietly about nothing. 'Should I go see Kagome and leave them here or stay to learn more about Tala?' Kouga thought as he paced. He was really beginning to have a breakdown. He clamped his hands onto his head pushing his headband over his bloodshot eyes.
"Kouga?" Kelum called from his post across the den. He looked around before running over. "Kouga, you need to rest and relax. Tala hasn't been up for four days. Go rest!" Kelum yelled at his stressed leader. He was correct Tala wasn't getting any better and Likio feared a foreign poison in her blood. The cuts along her body were slowly healing but when she began to thrash around due to her terrorized dreams, they would reopen.
Makaio and Kuri were still angry with Kouga denying them any information on Tala. But they didn't feel like arguing the issue as Ginta and Hakkaku were constantly on their case. Makaio watched from under his bangs as Kouga grudgingly gave into Kelum's request for him to go rest. Kouga's feet scuffed at the floor as he walked into his den and did not return. Makaio carefully looked at the busy guards and nudged Kuri. "What do you want Makaio?" Kuri asked aloud. One of the guards turned.
(Mind-link here ok people, so keep up. Remember "- is Makaio and '- is Kuri)
Makaio's voice flooded into Kuri's head. "Fool! Don't let them hear you!" Makaio used his head to gesture to the guards.
'Fine, now what do you want?' Kuri asked holding his pounding head in his hands.
"Kouga's gone! Now lets think of a way for us to earn his trust." Kuri smirked, his face hidden from the guards by his bangs.
'I might know a way to do just that,' Kuri grinned devilishly before lifting his head and winking at Makaio. 'All you need to do is keep that happy child stunt up a while longer, ok?' Makaio slowly nodded his face held a curious expression.
(End of mind link…. Hope you understood that.)
Likio's Den
Likio placed another herb back upon its rightful shelf. Now she was positive that a poison was robbing Tala of her strength and sanity. Not one of the medicinal herbs she had used had done any good for her. Tala continued to move around and growl in her sleep as if plagued by a horrific nightmare. Her body was slowly becoming unable to thrash about, her strength was becoming sapped and her body sore. Likio could do nothing but keep her from hurting herself further and try to find a herb capable of curing the toxins.
'I don't know if I can help her anymore.' Likio thought as she cleaned up a syrupy red fluid of the floor. Tala had thrashed about so much she had knocked over shelves of potions and herbs. Kelum had come in and helped clean up soiled potions and damaged herbs earlier but now they were all back on the cavern floor. When she had told him of her theory that a poison was in her body he had listed every herb he knew of that might help. But the more he listed the less confident they could save her he had become.
Likio reset up one of the shelves that had fallen over as Kouga walked into her den. "Isn't there anything you haven't tried?" He asked. Likio looked up at him. Her hair had been placed in a messy bun and her eyes were bloodshot. Her lips were cracked and bleeding and there were prominent circles around her eyes and wrinkles that looked carved into her forehead. Her age truly showed here. Kouga suddenly felt as strange new type of respect for her. Sure he had always respected her, she was wise and a matriarch in his pack, but this was different. She was half-asleep but she continued to try to help the young woman forgetting about her own needs, including bathing and eating by the look of it.
Likio sighed and shook her head, "If there is a cure for this toxin, I don't have it here," she said with a yawn. Kouga nodded his understanding.
"Likio, if we don't have the cure don't try to find it here. Go rest. I'll have someone bring you a meal in a bit," Kouga said this as her leader and not as a friendly suggestion. Likio looked skeptical at first before slowly picking herself up off the floor and hobbling out of the den.
Kouga finally came out of the small den, after entrusting Kelum to watch Tala while Likio rested. Ginta and Hakkaku's shift had ended while Kouga had been speaking to Likio and they had returned to watch their "guests". Kouga smirked as they sat behind them and mocked their every movement.
Kuri was rolling his head around to apparently get rid of a kink in his neck, ineffectively I might add. Hakkaku sat making stupid faces as he rolled his head around on his shoulders wildly. Makaio looked like he was counting rocks on the floor, his eyebrows twitched as he did so. Ginta kept repeating the same numbers over and over again in an attempt to throw Makio's concentration. Kouga couldn't help but laugh at their immaturity.
Makaio looked up from is trance when Kouga started laughing. He had been using rocks to represent landmarks form their territory to help with Kuri's plan.
("- is Makaio and '- is Kuri)
"Kuri!" Makaio shouted through the mind-link. It was so sudden Kuri almost jumped.
'What now?' Kuri asked popping his neck and giving a satisfied sigh.
"Kouga has returned," Makaio said in a know-it-all tone.
'So I noticed. He stinks. When's the last time he bathed?' Makaio could almost hear the smirk on Kuri's face.
"Have you been able to get a hold of Matsu yet?"
'No, your stupid brother is either unconscious or dead. I'm hoping for the later,' Kuri said grinning.
"He's your brother too. Just as I am. Let's hope he's not dead, we might need his help to get out of here."
A loud clap of thunder interrupted their conversation. Not two seconds later, the light drizzle that had been going on outside became a downpour. The smell of wet wolves stunk up the den as they ran inside from the rain. All of the guards ran from their posts to the one's just outside the den. The one's sheltered by the cliffs next to the waterfall.
'I just can't help but think he's somewhere ignoring us, the flirt,' Kuri whispered before closing off their link.
Kouga had run to the entrance to make sure everyone got inside safely, sure enough they all made it inside. Thunder cracked as lightning streaked across the sky. Some of the younger wolves cowered behind their courageous leader. A few pack members yelled at them for their silly fears of the storm.
"Leave them alone. They just don't like the lightning. Besides I'm sure if we wanted we could ask Likio and at one point you probably didn't like storms either," Kouga smirked at the idea of asking Likio such an odd question. Kouga walked back toward his comrades who were still mocking their "guests".
"Hey, cut it out you two." Ginta and Hakkaku looked up. "We've going to go see Kagome once the storm clears up. Until then I want you to get some food to Likio. She needs anything she can get," Kouga stated. Ginta and Hakkaku nodded before scrambling to their feet and running off.
Kouga looked down at Makaio and Kuri. They were sprawled out on the pallet of furs they had been given to sleep on. Both had their eyes closed and their faces were relaxed.
"Need something?" Makaio chirped after a while. Kuri smirked to himself as he heard Kouga gasp.
"No… not really," Kouga muttered kicking a rock on the floor.
"Okie dokie then," Makaio said flopping over onto his stomach. Kuri twitched at the childish response. Kouga turned to leave.
"Hey, Kouga," Kuri called after him. Kouga stopped but didn't turn. "Have you heard anything on Tala?"
"No, not recently," Kouga whispered. The thunder echoed through the den as lit it up.
Kuri covered his eyes as the lighting lit up the den and the insides of his eyelids.
"Is she safe?" Kuri asked concern dripping in his voice. Makaio sat up his eyes sparkling with interest. The concern in Kuri's voice was almost over done. Kouga turned.
"I don't really know what to say to that. Safe from outside harm I can assure you. Safe from herself is something I can't say for sure," Kouga said looking toward the waterfall that sheltered them from the harsh conditions outside. Makaio's face dropped and Kuri tried to hide the smirk that kept trying to play on his face. Outside the thunder clapped continuously.
"What do you mean?" Makaio asked looking as if he was near tears. Kouga turned to face the two.
"Likio our den healer fears a foreign poison in Tala's veins," Kouga said gently looking from Makaio to Kuri. Kuri's face was to the floor as he tried not to laugh. The downpour outside became louder as the storm grew continually worse.
"If our healer was still living he could have cured her," Makaio whispered to no one unparticular. Kuri finally looked up and nodded.
"We're doing all we can to find a cure, but I can't promise anything," Kouga said before turning to leave. Makaio nodded and flopped back down onto the pallet. Kouga returned to his den. He held his head low and his ponytail that was usually held high on his head was falling in careless locks around his shoulders.
Ginta and Hakkaku watched from the entrance of Likio's den as their leader dragged himself into his den. They looked to each other unaware of what to say. They shrugged and went off to do yet another night shift.
Ok one more mind-link and were done with the chapter!
("- is Makaio and '- is Kuri)
"Sounds like your poison is taking its toll on Tala," Makaio whispered onto Kuri's head.
'Well my poison talons are rather dangerous,' Kuri said flexing his hands and looking at the tips of his claws, they glowed red as he did so.
"So I've experienced. But it won't kill her. She'll live through it, you know that. We need to get her alone and finish the job. But Kouga has guards all over the place."
Kuri turned onto his side to look at his blonde brother. 'Then we'll gain his trust and be those guards.'
Makaio smirked. "If you say so, if you say so," he said before cutting off the link as he fell into a dreamless sleep.
Lupe- Ok there's the next chapter to the story. I hope you all enjoy it. I decided to update this before I left for camp. Please review if you read this so I know how many of you enjoy my work.
