Chapter Two
Her leg muscles burned with the lack of oxygen, her human body trying desperately to catch up with her deadly enemy. 'Why, oh why did I have to follow?' Kagome repeatedly scolded herself mentally, and though she could probably just stop and walk away from the situation, her good heart wouldn't allow it.
Kagome would never not help a person, showing that she was very unselfish and caring. 'But why did it have to be Sesshoumaru?' Suddenly, the world came back to reality as she crashed head-first into a strong and well-armored body, bouncing off as if she was a tennis ball against brick.
"Ow…" Kagome rubbed her now bruised rear, gently biting her bottom lip. Her lush brown eyes looked up, but the object she had run into was already gone. She did, however, catch the glint of white that flashed through the trees ahead of her. As she stood, another piercing scream echoed through the forest, giving her more reason to continue running.
'I'm running blind! I wish I knew what I was getting into,' Kagome thought as the stink of…she didn't know what, she only knew it wasn't refreshing, or non-toxic, at all. 'Okay, that's not helping!' She mentally scowled. She suddenly looked down at her left hand, sighing in relief when she realized that her bow was still within her grasp.
She slowly started to realize who, and what, she was following. The fact had not truly hit her before, her only thought was to save whoever was in trouble. In a twist, Kagome suddenly realized she was following Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha's cold hearted killing machine brother. That, she thought wearily, was just sad.
The branches snapped and whistled at her, zipping by her pale skin and tearing it lightly. Blood slowly trailed down her legs, the warm liquid nice to her chilled skin, yet sickening as well. The cold weather, of course, was not helping the situation either. It was unusually cold tonight, making it hard for her entire body. It bit the inside of her throat, burning her lungs and making her shiver violently to keep warm. The stench that came from the direction she was going in felt suffocating, she could almost taste it one her tongue.
It couldn't get any worse…Or so she thought.
His quick, demonic speed and hearing were leading him straight to Rin and would be even better if she continued to scream like she was. He didn't want that though, even if she was human. Strangely, her shrieks effected him in a completely different way. It was…dare say…some sense of fear or so it would seem.
It was not, though, like when he first witnessed his own brother's demonic transformation. No this was…more powerful, more urgent. It gave him odd strength, an unusual and quick state of panic and…he knew not how to explain it further. But it was getting worse as he got closer to Rin, and much to his irritation, the human wench was also still following.
Sesshoumaru knew because he had stopped for but a moment to see if she was as courageous as she seemed. She had run into him, Sesshoumaru, The Lord of The Western Lands. He would have, on a regular basis, attacked her, but he had not the time to waste nor the pleasure.
Leaping to a tree, he heard the last shriek he would allow Rin to voice. He would not allow his young ward's pain to greaten further, nor would he allow her screeching to hurt his ears any longer. He quickly hopped from branch to branch, following her human scent.
Each wooded limb would creek tightly under his weight, some would remain silent though if it was a larger branch or a newer and younger tree. His silent approach was not cut for the job. Rin was in trouble, he should have been there by now, but his pride had stopped him. Coming to another large branch, he slowed, tensing as he shot off the tree like an arrow from a bow, but faster and more deadly.
That was it, Kagome couldn't go any further. Sesshoumaru, much to her great dismay, was ten times faster than she was. It was pathetic to think that she, a mere mortal, could try to follow a demon, a demon 'Lord' at that. Also her enemy and Inuyasha's brother.
Yet she still trotted behind, willing herself to continue moving her legs. She was exhausted, hungry and cranky. That alone would have made her turn back. A slight tug in her being made her forget turning back, suddenly sensing what she had prayed was not around now.
A Shikon Shard.
Hearing faintly the dull rustling and crunching of bushes in her left ear, she turned her head to gaze cautiously at the forest beyond. Taking her bow and holding it up, she reached behind her to a feathered tip strapped to her back. Notching the arrow, she prepared to shoot anything that came in her line of sight.
If she hesitated, she knew it could be fatal, but the hope of it being Inuyasha made her extra cautious. Suddenly, as she continued to take small steps forward, she saw a man. Her exciting, brown eyes narrowed in suspicion.
The last time she had thought a person a human male, she ended up in something like a staring-contest with one of her enemies. A very murderous enemy. She didn't want to risk that again.
Being as silent as she could, she hid behind a tree, crouching low as she pulled back her taunt bow string. The…person…did not move, and it took not more than a second for Kagome to realize something.
He was extremely good looking.
Not as such as Sesshoumaru, though she wouldn't admit that aloud, but he was still beautiful. He wore a black kimono, just pure black. She could tell it was silk by the way it shinned with each movement his chest made when he breathed. His long, black hair was just as flawless as the black silk of his clothes, and Kagome couldn't help but gawk at his handsome face.
He had no claws from what it looked like, which was good, but she also noticed something else. Something white stuck out from his back, however, Kagome didn't know what it was nor had the time to.
She realized what he was looking at.
His heart suddenly lurched into his throat and he had to force it back down, proving to be quite weird. He was not used to such a feeling, such dread. Rin lay on the forest floor, the lush, damp grass slightly hiding her form. Whoever did this would pay, and dearly.
Red lay everywhere. It covered the grass, the rocks, the trunks of the trees and most importantly, Rin herself. But, something was missing. Usually blood had an iron taste and smell to it, but yet it had no scent. Taking two clawed fingers, he reached over to the tree he stood by, swiping a sample of the stain Rin seemed to have caused.
He stared at the scarlet on his fingers, feeling repulsed. Well, it certainly looked like blood. He brought it closer to his face, taking unnoticeable sniffs quickly. Still it held no scent. He tensed, bringing his fingers even closer. He felt disturbed by what he was about to do, but his pride kicked in.
His tongue suddenly darted out, licking the substance off his fingers. If his ego would allow it, he would have scrunched his face in great distaste at having liked his own ward's blood. But she was human, and he should have cared less for one. It was just a matter of humanity, nothing more. He had to remind himself not to care though.
He had other problems.
Before she even blinked, the man before her was gone from her sight. Just vanished, no little poof of magic, no whoosh of wind, no sound at all, he was just gone. Still crouching, she moved forward to investigate what she could barely see. Soon it was all she could see.
Blood was everywhere she looked in the clearing, her shocked eyes landing on a still form in the middle of it all. She gasped loudly. She nearly threw up what she had had for dinner, but tried to hold her stomach. She was frozen in terror.
Sesshoumaru's cold eyes flicked over to the girl in the bushes not far from him. He suppressed a growl. The girl had not given up and she had even dared to make it this far. He slightly was surprised by the girl, thinking the pathetic human would turn and forget about another who might need help.
She had proved him wrong. How quaint.
His eyes widened a sliver of an inch as the mortal suddenly stood, preparing to run to the fallen little girl from what he could tell. If what he had discovered was true, she would completely ruin his plans. She and Rin would both be endangered, not that he was concerned about his brother's wench.
Kagome's eyes widened drastically when a white, striped hand clamped over her mouth. She started struggling fiercely against the person, noticing wearily that he did not use his other hand. She froze.
It clicked. 'Sesshoumaru.'
"Remain still, human. This does not concern you," he said harshly. Kagome tensed visibly against him, surprised he would actually touch her. She nodded against his bone crushing grip. He released her, stepping away quickly.
His eyes narrowed and his nose slightly wrinkled in dislike. The frown he had also displayed his great irritation, though most of his face betrayed nothing, she could still see it. Kagome wasn't stupid, though she tended to be sometimes.
He held up his only hand to his face, Kagome noticing the stain of old blood on the tips of them. It slowly started to glow a yellowish green, making her step back from the demon. She watched his face for any portray or hint of what he was going to do. His eyes remained locked on the still little girl, and his hand suddenly flicked toward her. Kagome shrieked when she realized what he was doing.
"NO! Stop!" She sprang toward him, his eyes shifting like lightning to look at her in smothered anger. She tackled his side, expecting an arm. He had no left arm, she remembered at the last moment, pushing him with the force of her momentum.
He held strong, locking his muscles and remaining upright, glaring at her with a murderous intent. Her face flushed as she looked up at him, her fear evident in every fiber of her being. He growled at her, the girl instantly letting him go.
"Woman, if you want to remain alive," he said in a chillingly calm voice. "You will not touch me again." She nodded fast, taking a step back to put more distance between them. His deep, amber eyes glowed mysteriously as he watched her fidget with her hands from the corner of his eye.
"S-Sorry…" He turned to look at Rin once more. "Wait!" He paused, sending a menacing look at the human. If she interrupted him again, she would die. He waited, his eyes narrowed. "What are you doing?" She asked simply, looking nervous.
"That is not your concern hu-"
"I'm making it my concern!" His eyes darkened in anger. The human was surely going to die if she continued this. "What are you doing," she asked more sternly. His eyes gazed ahead, his head not having moved to look at her. 'Pathetic,' he thought with a sneer.
"It needn't be said, human." Suddenly, he heard the sound of a bow string being drawn, tensing as he actually turned to look at Inuyasha's wench. The arrow was aimed right at him, and he growled at her.
"Miko what-" The arrow whizzed by his head, his hair blowing from the slight wind it had created. A very thin line of blood formed on his left cheek, his eyes flashing with an emotion. The sun kissed orbs opened slightly more, realizing she had not been aiming for him at all.
Breath shakily blew on his neck, its hand placed tightly on his right shoulder, a demon falling to the ground right behind him. How could he have not noticed? How could it have gotten so close to him? The fabric of his normal kimono was ripped by its claws when it fell.
He turned his head to gaze thoughtfully down at it, the arrow piercing through the demon's skull. He was suddenly alert, tensing into a battle stance as he became aware of everything around him. His claws flexed with hidden intentions, turning to the forest as Kagome had done to fight of the sudden group of demons.
Note: Sorry it took me so long guys. Thanks for the reviews, keep it up!!!! I no, nothing has really happened, but instead of having you wait I decided to try to hold it out so I could get more ideas while you guys didn't yell at me. It works, I guess. Anyway, REVIEW!!!!