CHAPTER FIFTEEN
x.
Inuyasha growled faintly as he smelled it -- so faint that a half-demon's senses couldn't pick it up. The blood was running hot through him, bringing a new strength and vigor to his body. He turned around, feeling a fanged grin spreading across his face. Thoughts sprang into his mind -- thoughts of death, of blood, of the hunger inside him that could not be sated...
Before he had been filled with fear and doubt. No longer. Now he was just relishing the thought of finding that elusive demon... finding it and tearing it to shreds. A blur caught the edge of his eye, and he leapt without looking first.
Something hammered into his chest, almost throwing him back, but the raging demon swatted away whatever had struck him. There was a shimmer in the air as the demon streaked away, alarmed by the sudden change in its supposed victim. Inuyasha leapt after it, snarling, "YOU WON'T ESCAPE ME!"
He smashed one of his fists into it, and smelled blood on the air. But as he struck again, he felt that the demon was gone.
His grin contorted into a grimace. It had gotten away... it had gotten away, and the hunger inside him was stronger than ever. His clawed fingers dug into his palms as he glared around himself, looking for that telltale ripple in the air, that musky scent. Nothing. Rage began to well up inside his chest, as he looked for something to kill.
Then he smelled a familiar scent, as several figures stepped out of the woods...
x.
The Dog-Lord stayed by himself, brooding.
It was weird, Kagome thought. He looked almost exactly like Inuyasha when he was troubled, crouching off in a corner with his golden eyes glaring at nothing. Only the lines in his face and the lack of dog ears showed the difference between him.
The Dog-Lord had come stomping in shortly after going after Inuyasha. And his stomping was enough to make the cave shake. Kagome had started to ask him where Inuyasha had gone, but Miroku had quietly shushed her. "If he has had a disagreement with his father," he said softly, "then I doubt he would want to face him just yet."
"But I want to know where he is. If Inuyasha's upset-"
"Wait for a little while. If he's upset, he might want to be alone."
Kagome grudgingly sat back and waited for Inuyasha's father to say something. But he just kept staring at the wall, watching the water dripping down watery cracks.
The Dog-Lord was absorbed in his own thoughts, thinking about the walking contradiction that his son had become. What had happened in the boy's life to make him want to become something other than what he was? The Dog-Lord himself had never felt such things. He could guess, based on what he had seen in others, but he struggled to imagine what had been done to his son.
If only he hadn't been wounded by that damn dragon... if only Inuyasha had been able to depend on him. The Dog-Lord's vague feelings of guilt were growing more intense, as he wondered what had made his son hate his human side so much -- the side that reminded the Dog-Lord of the boy's mother.
But he's too much like me, he thought. Too raw, blunt, brash. Even has a liking for human girls...
On the other side of the cave, Kagome felt creeped out. The Dog-Lord was just sitting there, staring off into space, with that grim look on his face. He hadn't said a word since he returned from his talk.
What was he thinking about? What had he and Inuyasha said to each other, if he was in such a bad mood and Inuyasha was off hiding by himself? She had to keep clamping down on the urge to rush out and find Inuyasha, knowing that Miroku was probably right. If he had ticked off his dad, he probably wanted to be alone.
But I still want to help him, she thought. His dad's approval is so important to him... I wonder if the Dog-Lord knows that...
Suddenly the Dog-Lord stiffened, looking up. The cave fell silent -- even Shippo was quiet.
"What's the matter?" Sango asked.
The enormous demon stood swiftly, and stared out of the cave mouth. Without a word, he ran out, with the three humans running behind him.
TO BE CONTINUED