CHAPTER TEN
*
Inuyasha's arm flew up and caught the demon's clawed fist, twisting it to the side. "Don't count me out just yet," he growled. He was still shielding Kagome with his body; she could feel blood seeping onto the front of her uniform. Those gashes were really bad -- the demon had tried to slash off her head, and had hit Inuyasha instead. She only hoped they weren't so bad that he couldn't fight...
Instead of being threatened, the demon grinned down at him. "I see you need more persuasion," it hissed.
Inuyasha dodged the first blow, but the second slashed the other side of his face. Grimacing, he slashed at the demon's exposed belly, only to suddenly get knocked down to his knees. As the demon aimed another blow at Kagome, Inuyasha threw himself in the way again -- and the claws slashed into his throat. The look of shock and pain on Inuyasha's face cut Kagome like a knife. "Stop it!" Kagome cried, overwhelmed with guilt.
The lizard demon just stared down at the bleeding, weakened Inuyasha. He was clinging to Kagome, struggling to get back to his feet, but the wound in his neck was slowing him down. "I think not," it rasped, clacking its claws.
Suddenly a thunderous roar blasted through the clearing. It made Kagome's hair almost stand on end; it wasn't just loud, it was also searingly ferocious. Suddenly claw marks slashed over the demon's chest, sending it staggering back in shock. And Inuyasha hadn't done it.
A dark shape hurtled out of the forest and landed lightly between Kagome and Inuyasha, and the lizard demon. It was Inuyasha's father, growling softly under his breath. "I give you this one chance to leave, beast," he rumbled.
"You dare to attack me?" the lizard hissed. But it looked scared -- at least, Kagome thought so. There was black blood dripping from the cuts in its chest.
A red glow came into the Dog-Lord's golden eyes. His claws cracked ominously. "I dare to do whatever I please," he said in a low voice.
I never thought I'd see somebody who made Inuyasha's full-demon form look cuddly, Kagome thought. She felt a shiver as he began to growl again, more loudly this time. Inuyasha was gripping her arm, but whether he was excited or freaked out, she couldn't tell. His bleeding, slashed-up face was completely unreadable.
The lizard demon hissed and crouched down, then sprang at the Dog-Lord with its claws extended. The Dog-Lord stood still, watching as his foe came closer. Then he leaped forward himself, slashing at the demon's long neck almost casually. The lizard uttered a rasping cry and fell to the ground, its scales shattered and bleeding. It made a hissing sound, creeping back across the ground.
The Dog-Lord growled loudly, and sprang forward, slashing it again... with only one hand. White light seemed to trail from his claws, cutting through the demon's armored body as if it were made of tissue paper. The lizard demon fell to the ground, with its head ripped to pieces. The knife-like claws that Inuyasha had not been able to break were cut through, as if they had been made out of dried clay. The Dog-Lord was left standing beside the body of his prey, absently wiping his bloodied claws on his too-small peasant clothes.
Kagome stared open-mouthed at Inuyasha's father. "Wow..." she whispered.
Inuyasha looked just as shocked.
The Dog-Lord wiped a bloody scale from his chin. He seemed to remember Kagome and Inuyasha then, and walked quickly over to them. And Inuyasha began struggling to his feet. "Inuyasha, don't!" Kagome said, tugging him back down. A fresh gush of blood ran down his wrist, onto her hand.
"Dammit," Inuyasha said through his teeth.
The Dog-Lord's golden eyes narrowed. "Don't move. I'll take you both myself."
"I can walk!" Inuyasha protested.
"I know you can. But you won't. Be still."
To Kagome's surprise, Inuyasha did as he was told. His father picked him up with one arm, curling it around his son's battered body. Then he scooped Kagome up with the other arm, and began running swiftly back through the forest. I like the way Inuyasha carries me a lot better, Kagome thought, her teeth rattling.
*
Inuyasha stayed quiet as Kagome bandaged his injuries. That damned lizard-demon had done a good job of slicing him up; he had still been bleeding when they returned to the camp. Even now, he felt wobbly and dizzy. He grimaced as she dribbled disinfectant on his back, but didn't show any signs of discomfort. He already looked weak enough in front of his father without being a baby about the pain.
"There you go," Kagome said. She tied off the bandage. "Those ought to close up in a day or two."
"Yeah." Inuyasha scratched the band-aid on his cheek. "Whatever."
"Are you okay?"
"Idiot."
"I meant, are you feeling okay?" Kagome tried again. "You've been really quiet ever since we got back."
Inuyasha avoided her eyes. I had my chance, he thought darkly. I tried to keep up with him. And I couldn't. Dammit, why did I have to lose THAT fight? He must think I'm a weakling... even with Tetsusaiga. And compared to him, that's just what I am. He looked down at his clawed fists. I lost to a demon right in front of him, and he had to jump in to save my butt. Yeah, I bet he's real proud of me now.
He glanced over his shoulder at the tall demon sitting under the tree. The Dog-Lord was staring off into space, as if lost in his own thoughts.
TO BE CONTINUED
*
Inuyasha's arm flew up and caught the demon's clawed fist, twisting it to the side. "Don't count me out just yet," he growled. He was still shielding Kagome with his body; she could feel blood seeping onto the front of her uniform. Those gashes were really bad -- the demon had tried to slash off her head, and had hit Inuyasha instead. She only hoped they weren't so bad that he couldn't fight...
Instead of being threatened, the demon grinned down at him. "I see you need more persuasion," it hissed.
Inuyasha dodged the first blow, but the second slashed the other side of his face. Grimacing, he slashed at the demon's exposed belly, only to suddenly get knocked down to his knees. As the demon aimed another blow at Kagome, Inuyasha threw himself in the way again -- and the claws slashed into his throat. The look of shock and pain on Inuyasha's face cut Kagome like a knife. "Stop it!" Kagome cried, overwhelmed with guilt.
The lizard demon just stared down at the bleeding, weakened Inuyasha. He was clinging to Kagome, struggling to get back to his feet, but the wound in his neck was slowing him down. "I think not," it rasped, clacking its claws.
Suddenly a thunderous roar blasted through the clearing. It made Kagome's hair almost stand on end; it wasn't just loud, it was also searingly ferocious. Suddenly claw marks slashed over the demon's chest, sending it staggering back in shock. And Inuyasha hadn't done it.
A dark shape hurtled out of the forest and landed lightly between Kagome and Inuyasha, and the lizard demon. It was Inuyasha's father, growling softly under his breath. "I give you this one chance to leave, beast," he rumbled.
"You dare to attack me?" the lizard hissed. But it looked scared -- at least, Kagome thought so. There was black blood dripping from the cuts in its chest.
A red glow came into the Dog-Lord's golden eyes. His claws cracked ominously. "I dare to do whatever I please," he said in a low voice.
I never thought I'd see somebody who made Inuyasha's full-demon form look cuddly, Kagome thought. She felt a shiver as he began to growl again, more loudly this time. Inuyasha was gripping her arm, but whether he was excited or freaked out, she couldn't tell. His bleeding, slashed-up face was completely unreadable.
The lizard demon hissed and crouched down, then sprang at the Dog-Lord with its claws extended. The Dog-Lord stood still, watching as his foe came closer. Then he leaped forward himself, slashing at the demon's long neck almost casually. The lizard uttered a rasping cry and fell to the ground, its scales shattered and bleeding. It made a hissing sound, creeping back across the ground.
The Dog-Lord growled loudly, and sprang forward, slashing it again... with only one hand. White light seemed to trail from his claws, cutting through the demon's armored body as if it were made of tissue paper. The lizard demon fell to the ground, with its head ripped to pieces. The knife-like claws that Inuyasha had not been able to break were cut through, as if they had been made out of dried clay. The Dog-Lord was left standing beside the body of his prey, absently wiping his bloodied claws on his too-small peasant clothes.
Kagome stared open-mouthed at Inuyasha's father. "Wow..." she whispered.
Inuyasha looked just as shocked.
The Dog-Lord wiped a bloody scale from his chin. He seemed to remember Kagome and Inuyasha then, and walked quickly over to them. And Inuyasha began struggling to his feet. "Inuyasha, don't!" Kagome said, tugging him back down. A fresh gush of blood ran down his wrist, onto her hand.
"Dammit," Inuyasha said through his teeth.
The Dog-Lord's golden eyes narrowed. "Don't move. I'll take you both myself."
"I can walk!" Inuyasha protested.
"I know you can. But you won't. Be still."
To Kagome's surprise, Inuyasha did as he was told. His father picked him up with one arm, curling it around his son's battered body. Then he scooped Kagome up with the other arm, and began running swiftly back through the forest. I like the way Inuyasha carries me a lot better, Kagome thought, her teeth rattling.
*
Inuyasha stayed quiet as Kagome bandaged his injuries. That damned lizard-demon had done a good job of slicing him up; he had still been bleeding when they returned to the camp. Even now, he felt wobbly and dizzy. He grimaced as she dribbled disinfectant on his back, but didn't show any signs of discomfort. He already looked weak enough in front of his father without being a baby about the pain.
"There you go," Kagome said. She tied off the bandage. "Those ought to close up in a day or two."
"Yeah." Inuyasha scratched the band-aid on his cheek. "Whatever."
"Are you okay?"
"Idiot."
"I meant, are you feeling okay?" Kagome tried again. "You've been really quiet ever since we got back."
Inuyasha avoided her eyes. I had my chance, he thought darkly. I tried to keep up with him. And I couldn't. Dammit, why did I have to lose THAT fight? He must think I'm a weakling... even with Tetsusaiga. And compared to him, that's just what I am. He looked down at his clawed fists. I lost to a demon right in front of him, and he had to jump in to save my butt. Yeah, I bet he's real proud of me now.
He glanced over his shoulder at the tall demon sitting under the tree. The Dog-Lord was staring off into space, as if lost in his own thoughts.
TO BE CONTINUED