CHAPTER TWO
*
"And you're sure?" Miroku leaned forward, resting his chin on his covered hand. His eyes narrowed slightly as he thought over what had been said. The tree branches rustled and cast odd shadows on the monk's handsome face.
"It is," said the man in front of him. The battered farm worker was still shivering, as if he were unable to get past what had happened. A little blood was staining the bandages on his head, arms and chest, and his face was scored with little cuts and scrapes. Sitting at his feet was a rather mangy brown dog.
Kagome broke a bit of her sandwich off and let it fall to the ground. The dog gobbled it up gratefully, then licked her hand. "And so you didn't get a good look at the demon?" she asked, stroking the dog's ears.
"No," the farm worker said faintly. "I was workin' in the barn, see, and I heard the master and the other workers running around, calling that there was a dog demon in the woods beyond. Then-"
"Sounds like somebody I happen to know," said a loud voice from the trees. Inuyasha landed lightly on the ground, his arms folded into his sleeves. "And I know just what to do... what's HIS problem?"
The farm worker wailed and almost fell backwards off his rock. For a moment, a look of sheer terror came over his face. He scrabbled back against a tree as if he expected Inuyasha to rip him to shreds. Inuyasha frowned, looking puzzled. "I said, what's the problem?" he repeated loudly.
"I don't think volume is the answer, Inuyasha," Kagome said. She knelt down at the man's side and put a hand on his shoulder. He was still pale and sweating, but seemed to have recovered a little. "What's wrong?"
"It-it looked like him," the worker stammered.
"I thought you said you didn't get a good look at him," Inuyasha snapped.
"No... no, I didn't get a good look. But I saw him from a distance. See, I was behind the barn with one of the oxen. I heard the others shouting and the dog barking. And then suddenly the house and barn were... were ripped apart. Like they'd been torn to shreds. But he was only man-size, and I couldn't see how he could've done that. But -- but he did. And when I saw the master and the others were all dead, I ran as fast as I could into the woods to get some help. I thought maybe he wouldn't come after me..." The worker wiped his forehead and shivered.
"It seems that he didn't," Sango said calmly. "You mentioned that this dog-demon looked like Inuyasha. What could you see of him?"
"Well, I saw he wasn't wearin' any clothes," the worker said slowly. "Which seemed a mite odd -- most demons that walk and talk wear clothes like humans. And he had... had white hair, real long and heavy like his." He pointed at Inuyasha. "Apart from that, I really couldn't see much of him."
"So you didn't see his face clearly?" Miroku pressed.
"No, sir monk."
"Not his eyes, his hands, his posture?" Miroku said, frowning.
"Any details might help us to identify who this demon is and where we could find him," Sango added, kneeling down near the worker. "If you can remember anything about this demon, anything at all, we could-"
"Feh!" Inuyasha snorted. "Like we don't know who destroyed that farm. There's only one person I know who fits that description wandering around here." He cracked his knuckles. "I don't know why he's doing it, but I plan to wring it out of him."
"Wait a second," Miroku said, holding up his hand. "We need to be more sure, Inuyasha -- don't just jump to conclusions." He turned back to the worker. "Tell me, did this demon have anyone or anything accompanying him?"
"L-Like what?" the worker quavered. He seemed increasingly frightened of Inuyasha, as the young half-demon inspected his claws.
"Such as a small green demon, a toad or imp or something, with a tall staff," Miroku said, "or perhaps a small child. A little girl, as a matter of fact -- perhaps eight years old. Were either of them nearby, perhaps in the woods where the demon came from?"
"I-I don't know," the worker said, staring down at his knees. "I was in such a rush I didn't look back."
"You really ain't good for much, are you?" Inuyasha said loudly.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome snapped. "Be quiet! The poor man's in shock."
Inuyasha muttered "feh" under his breath and stared off into the distance. His golden eyes narrowed as he thought back to his past confrontations with his older half-brother. Miroku and Sango offered to escort the wrecked farm worker back to the village where he was staying, but Inuyasha purposefully kept himself apart.
I don't know what your little game is, he thought. But I'll find out soon enough.
TO BE CONTINUED
*
"And you're sure?" Miroku leaned forward, resting his chin on his covered hand. His eyes narrowed slightly as he thought over what had been said. The tree branches rustled and cast odd shadows on the monk's handsome face.
"It is," said the man in front of him. The battered farm worker was still shivering, as if he were unable to get past what had happened. A little blood was staining the bandages on his head, arms and chest, and his face was scored with little cuts and scrapes. Sitting at his feet was a rather mangy brown dog.
Kagome broke a bit of her sandwich off and let it fall to the ground. The dog gobbled it up gratefully, then licked her hand. "And so you didn't get a good look at the demon?" she asked, stroking the dog's ears.
"No," the farm worker said faintly. "I was workin' in the barn, see, and I heard the master and the other workers running around, calling that there was a dog demon in the woods beyond. Then-"
"Sounds like somebody I happen to know," said a loud voice from the trees. Inuyasha landed lightly on the ground, his arms folded into his sleeves. "And I know just what to do... what's HIS problem?"
The farm worker wailed and almost fell backwards off his rock. For a moment, a look of sheer terror came over his face. He scrabbled back against a tree as if he expected Inuyasha to rip him to shreds. Inuyasha frowned, looking puzzled. "I said, what's the problem?" he repeated loudly.
"I don't think volume is the answer, Inuyasha," Kagome said. She knelt down at the man's side and put a hand on his shoulder. He was still pale and sweating, but seemed to have recovered a little. "What's wrong?"
"It-it looked like him," the worker stammered.
"I thought you said you didn't get a good look at him," Inuyasha snapped.
"No... no, I didn't get a good look. But I saw him from a distance. See, I was behind the barn with one of the oxen. I heard the others shouting and the dog barking. And then suddenly the house and barn were... were ripped apart. Like they'd been torn to shreds. But he was only man-size, and I couldn't see how he could've done that. But -- but he did. And when I saw the master and the others were all dead, I ran as fast as I could into the woods to get some help. I thought maybe he wouldn't come after me..." The worker wiped his forehead and shivered.
"It seems that he didn't," Sango said calmly. "You mentioned that this dog-demon looked like Inuyasha. What could you see of him?"
"Well, I saw he wasn't wearin' any clothes," the worker said slowly. "Which seemed a mite odd -- most demons that walk and talk wear clothes like humans. And he had... had white hair, real long and heavy like his." He pointed at Inuyasha. "Apart from that, I really couldn't see much of him."
"So you didn't see his face clearly?" Miroku pressed.
"No, sir monk."
"Not his eyes, his hands, his posture?" Miroku said, frowning.
"Any details might help us to identify who this demon is and where we could find him," Sango added, kneeling down near the worker. "If you can remember anything about this demon, anything at all, we could-"
"Feh!" Inuyasha snorted. "Like we don't know who destroyed that farm. There's only one person I know who fits that description wandering around here." He cracked his knuckles. "I don't know why he's doing it, but I plan to wring it out of him."
"Wait a second," Miroku said, holding up his hand. "We need to be more sure, Inuyasha -- don't just jump to conclusions." He turned back to the worker. "Tell me, did this demon have anyone or anything accompanying him?"
"L-Like what?" the worker quavered. He seemed increasingly frightened of Inuyasha, as the young half-demon inspected his claws.
"Such as a small green demon, a toad or imp or something, with a tall staff," Miroku said, "or perhaps a small child. A little girl, as a matter of fact -- perhaps eight years old. Were either of them nearby, perhaps in the woods where the demon came from?"
"I-I don't know," the worker said, staring down at his knees. "I was in such a rush I didn't look back."
"You really ain't good for much, are you?" Inuyasha said loudly.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome snapped. "Be quiet! The poor man's in shock."
Inuyasha muttered "feh" under his breath and stared off into the distance. His golden eyes narrowed as he thought back to his past confrontations with his older half-brother. Miroku and Sango offered to escort the wrecked farm worker back to the village where he was staying, but Inuyasha purposefully kept himself apart.
I don't know what your little game is, he thought. But I'll find out soon enough.
TO BE CONTINUED