A/N: Okay, due to my lack of email checking this chapter has been posted after 11 reviews. However, it has been uploaded in two days! Pity though, 48 people have me on author alert.Must be the forgotten freedom crew shrug.
Random Review Questions (Where I'll answer questions without having to reply to all the reveiews)
Yes, I've read Eragon by Christopher Paulini as well as Dragon Riders of Pern(Anne McCaffrey), Dragon's Blood, Heart's Blood, A sending of Dragons (Forgotten Author), Joust, and Alta (By Mercedes Lackey. Dragon fans, read them all!
Um... Puppetcat, I can't understand your review very well, I'm not too good at spanish, but thanks for reviewing anyways!
.:Curse of Dragons:.
.:By: Maiden of the Seven Stars:.
.:Chapter 6: Of Escape and Loss:.
"Good shot, Kagome, I think you've got it!" Shippo cried happily from behind he as she loosed another arrow. It streaked down the range, hitting one of the outer rings of the target with a satisfying thunk.
"I did it, Shippo, I did it!" She cried as well, grabbing the Kitsune's hands and dancing happily. She had been counting on the fact that she might master the bow, and now she had done it. It felt very good to be ready to take her plan into action; she was itching for escape.
Shippo ran off to file her report and she drew her arrow again, but this time she shifted her aim to a large block of straw down the range. She focused along the arrow's shaft, willing the arrow's tip to fly true, and released.
As expected, a bright pink-violet flare of sacred power appeared around the arrow, carving a streak through the air as the arrow flew true, striking the straw with a whoosh.
"Well, you were close." Shippo chirped as he saw where her arrow had imbedded itself. "I think you're doing good enough, I'm asking that you can practice shooting from dragon back, the Silver's flight exercises have been going well, I'm told. You should be fine." He said before waving and dashing off.
She headed for dinner, her stomach rumbling, her heart leaping in delight. She couldn't believe her luck and thanked the gods that Shippo had thought she was ready.
Rin was already at their table by the time she sat down, her meal of rice and a lump of meat and veggies still steaming while the other girl's was nearly gone.
"I heard you're going to try shooting arrows from Inuyasha's back!" Rin said brightly, and she nodded, her mouth full.
"Oh that's great news, I'll make sure to watch!" Rin continued, but Kagome stopped chewing, her appetite gone.
"Oh no, you don't have too, Rin. I'm sure Mayrei will take up all your time now that she gone into heat." She said quickly, trying her best to dissuade the girl, but Rin would not be dissuaded.
"Don't worry, I'll keep myself out of your clumsy range, and Mayrei has been taken off my hands for the moment, so I'll be free." The other girl bubbled. "I wouldn't miss this for the world!"
"But Rin, surely they won't let you, you might agitate Inuyasha!" Kagome protested and Rin frowned.
"Kagome, I think I'm hearing this wrong, but you're trying to keep me from going, aren't you?" The girl accused.
"It's not what you think!" She stammered, quickly.
"Kagome, is there something you aren't telling me?" Rin asked again, hurt.
"No, I've told you everything… I'm just really nervous—I'll be riding without guide reins!" She said, faking confession, but Rin's expression immediately lit up.
"Oh that's easy, I've even done it once when Mayrei's handler sprained a wrist! Guide with you legs, you've worked with knee commands right?" The girl bubbled.
Kagome gulped, in relief, and dove into the conversation.
"No, I've been riding with the restraining straps, he won't respond!" She moaned, realizing she wasn't going to be using them and factoring that in for the first time, and Rin quickly began to reassure her.
Half and hour later, her belly full and her mind somewhat relieved, Kagome got up to get Inuyasha his own dinner, which she had delayed. Thank god he wasn't a normal dragon, else he'd devour her the moment she walked back through that door.
She turned down the hall to the feeding room, waving goodnight to Rin.
"Meet you at the flight pen!" The girl called, racing off before Kagome could respond.
"No…." She moaned, "Don't let her go." She prayed, heading for the feeding room.
-
"Dinnertime, hold your horses." She called as she pulled open the door, shoved in the barrow, and pulled the stall door closed behind her.
Inuyasha had moved the barrow out of her way and she strode easily across the stall to practice with the bow and arrow, only to be stopped by a clash of fangs, hardly an arm's breadth from her head.
"Hey, watch it!" She snapped, only to be blown back by a blast of air from beating silver wings. She staggered and something whipped across her legs below her knees, nearly making them numb, and she spun her arms like a pinwheel for balance.
"Hey, cut that—Ahhhhhhhh!" She yelled as his tail flicked against the back of her ankles, successfully tripping her.
A moment later Inuyasha's snout was a hands breadth from her neck.
"Alright, I'm tired of this!" He rumbled, annoyed. "For the past three days you've been waltzing around, like you know everything! First of all, I hate it" He hissed, shaking his silver muzzle angrily, his scales bristling.
"Second, tell me exactly what it is you're planning, or I swear I'll throw you off my back!" He snarled, his lips rising and revealing his fangs, yet again.
She gasped, annoyed, but knowing she had been holding the knowledge over him all this time. She was surprised he had given her so long before pouncing on her like this.
"Alright, I'll tell, but let me up." She admitted but he growled.
"You'll stay right where you are!" He hissed and snapped, too close to her head for comfort.
"Alright!" She snapped, nearly growling herself, and he sorely wished she was still trembling in fear of him.
"Here's the plan, you probably won't like it." She said.
She told him, and he had to admit it was a good plan—
And he hated it.
-
"I swear, girl, this plan is stupid!" He hissed as they trudged down the hall. He had missed lunch, since the Lord Naraku, the piece of filth, had wanted him semi-aware in the flight, and without a full stomach to slow him down. Apparently the lord wanted a performance, he'd give him a grand show.
"We leave too much behind, and if they ever catch us we're chopped liver!" He hissed again, snapping at some invisible nuisance and Kagome sighed.
"Have any better ideas?" She tried to snap, but it came out as a disgruntled growl. She was nervous, he should be able to at least pick that up.
"I'm venting, and this plan is stupid." He growled and she gave him a quick kick in the foreleg.
"Stop hissing so much, they'll get suspicious." She whispered, trying to get him to shut up. The dragon didn't take the hint.
"Pah, you don't think it'll work either!" He rumbled in triumph and she yanked at the chain she held, stepping in front of him and glaring into his amber eyes.
"Listen, this plan may be stupid but we will destroy this compound and we will get out of here!" She snapped, and gave the dragon a conk on his silver nose, which probably hurt her more than him, but it got him to shut up.
She turned and went down the corridor the flight pen, Inuyasha, miffed, following like a good semi-drugged dragon.
Neither saw the pair of green eyes, glistening with tears, at about knee height turn and scamper off down the hall.
-
"Kagome, Kagome!" cried a voice and she turned from the harnessed Inuyasha to see Rin come running up to give her a hug.
"I'm so excited for you!" Rin chirped, squeezing her tight, and Kagome mimicked her enthusiasm though she knew this would be the last time they would see each other.
"I'm really nervous, what if I hit something important? Or bust a hole in the roof!" She cried and Rin stifled her giggles.
"You won't, now mount up!" The younger girl said, giving her hand a squeeze before backing off.
"Not going to get teary-eyed, now are you?" Inuyasha grumbled as soon as she was done. She gave his shoulder a slap.
"Shut-up!" She hissed in return but the silver dragon snapped.
"You got rid of the letter, I saw you, so I could throw you off my back as soon as I got free. You'd be good lunch, I'm getting hungry, so I'd suggest you shut your overactive mouth!" He rumbled, purposely not offering her a foreleg to help her mount. She ended up having to scramble up the harness, and before she could get settled he bucked once, nearly unseating her.
With a dragon grin, that was quickly wiped, Inuyasha settled and allowed the assistant, a different man, to hand Kagome the bow and quiver of arrows, which were strapped to the his harness.
The man stood back and waved an affirmative and she gave Inuyasha's shoulder a quick kick, making him unfurl his wings and tense, ready to spring into the sky.
"Halt!" Roared a voice, just as Inuyasha began the important downbeats to get them into the sky.
Amber and brown eyes turned to the archway where a man, clothed in a robe of white baboon fur, was striding in, a young fox demon at his heels, his eyes brimming with tears.
"Shippo!" She cried out, but her words were lost amongst the others as they fell to their knees.
"Lord Naraku, may your rule last for eternity." They chanted, but Naraku had eyes only for the silver dragon, and the girl on his back.
She was familiar, far too familiar, and not just from their previous two encounters.
"They're going to try to escape?" He inquired the pathetic mound of fur at his heels. Shippo nodded.
"What did you say?" Naraku hissed, as the dragon began to gain altitude.
"They're planning to escape, and somehow destroy the compound." Shippo whispered, but the lord heard, and doubted the truth behind the kitsune's words.
His eyes locked on the girl's face, seeing it clearly despite the distance between them, and then it clicked, just as she raised the bow and arrow and sighted along the shaft.
Kikyo, the missing soul, and the needed girl… she had been here all along.
"Catch them, I want the girl alive!" He roared, and his personal guards flooded in, arrows knocked in moments and bowstrings tight and ready. Those without bows drew swords while the other dragongirl and the kistune recoiled in horror.
"I don't care what happens, I want the girl breathing!" He shouted and the archers fired, but the dragon was quicker, flapping into the sky, the once tightly bound collar falling limply to the ground, knocking one guard out with the force of that impact, and the arrows flew past the pair.
"Do not let them leave!" He bellowed, as the archers knocked more arrows to the string, but the roar of the silver dragon, which was not drugged after all, silenced his cry. The creature screamed in rage and defiance and swooped, his roar stunning the archers, and from his back the girl released her arrow.
She focused, willing her power into the bow, and released the bowstring. With a thwang the arrow flew, straight down and true, the violet-pink aura flaring with brilliance as the weapon descended, directly into the wood planking above the Lord Naraku's head.
Immediately the wood was set aflame, but the Lord Naraku dodged with ease, landing in a circle of straw, safe from the sacred flames that now spread through the compound's roof, the screams of dragons and humans alike never reaching his ears.
Naraku snapped his fingers and a much smaller girl appeared in front of him, holding a mirror, and as she shifted her hands the mirror began to glow.
With a gasp Kagome dropped her bow and fell limply forwards in the harness. It was cold, so cold, and she was suddenly so very tired. She fell into a faint, her eyes closing sightlessly. The last words she heard were a rumbling growl, echoing loudly in her head.
"Kagome…? Kagome!" The silver dragon roared as the brightly flaming compound disappeared below them.
"Kagome…!"
-
"Kanna." The serpentine voice ordered.
The girl stepped forwards, holding the mirror in her hands. Her small fingers shifted on the mirror's border then turned it counterclockwise. At once the dim room was filled with a silvery glow, glowing even brighter than the pit's slightly warm coals.
The figure on the bed did not stir, even as the shimmering silver soul detached itself from the mirror. For a moment the soul hung there, as if unsure, then floated towards the doorway, bobbling gently, but before either of the two could move an eerie ethereal screech followed.
From the figure on the bed of coals rose three serpentine creatures, each of silver blue. Their bodies were long and scaled, their tails glowing like a flying star's. Their heads were like a snake's, with large dragonfly wings attached, as well as six insect-like legs.
"Soul collectors." The lord remarked, slightly surprised, as the creatures drifted towards the soul.
They emitted that strange shriek again before one of them snatched the soul with its legs. All three flew towards the figure, surrounding it, and the middle one let the soul loose. It hovered for a moment then submerged into the maiden's body.
Two cold brown eyes flickered open, alive once more.
A/N: Someone guessed correctly about the escape plan, I must be less obvious. Oh, and 15 reviews next time. After that it will be 20.