Chapter Three

Kaede came from the hut, looking as the band of travelers appeared. Her worry grew when she saw a certain red-clad half demon lying on Kirara's back. Since she couldn't see any signs of protest of foul words coming from his mouth because of this treatment, she assumed he was unconscious. His hair obscured his face, shadowing it in the already shrinking light.

Kagome was running towards her, the others soon following her lead. Kirara came swooping down, making the old priestess take a step back, leaving the large demon plenty of room to land without joustling Inuyasha. She wouldn't want the half-demon falling now, would she?

"Kaede!" Kagome panted, placing hands on her knees as she bent down, slightly red faced from the run with the heavy backpack strapped to her shoulders. Sango and Miroku came, Shippo perched on the monk's shoulder to ease Kagome's heavy burden.

"Kagome," Kaede greeted, nodding her head at the others direction as a silent greeting as well. Turning, she gestured them into her hut. Kirara, too large to fit into the hut in her original form, allowed Kagome and Miroku to take Inuyasha off her back and transform back into her smaller form.

"What is wrong with him?" Kaede said, looking at Inuyasha with her wise old eye after they were all settled down. Inuyasha lay where he was, still and unresponsive on the mat they had placed him on. Kagome stayed vigil at his side, a cool cloth already in her hand. She dabbed it at Inuyasha's now slightly feverish forehead. Her chocolate eyes were darkened with worry over her companion.

"We don't know," Miroku started though the question was directed more at Kagome, who tended to know more about Inuyasha than the others, "We found him in the woods like this."

Sango spoke this time, adding more to what Miroku had started, "We encountered a demon." Kaede looked away from Inuyasha to met her solemn gaze now, "It managed to lay a blow on Inuyasha."

"Where?"

"It bit his neck." Everyone looked at Kagome—hiding their surprise at hearing her speak. She had been silent from when they arrived to now other than the greeting to the priestess.

Kaede got up, feeling the old ache in her bones as she made her way to where the half demon was. With Kagome's help, she propped the boy up so she could remove the fire rat cloth from his torso.

"We bandaged it before we started traveling again." Kagome said, peeling back the cloth and tape she had used to hold it in place.

Kaede made a small noise in her throat, not pleased by the sight one bit. Kagome heard the sound and looked up at her, lowering her gaze when Kaede ignored her questioning gaze.

Spidery red lines made their way from the wound, tracing their way from the wound up and down Inuyasha's neck.

"It doesn't look good."

The fire crackled, making up for the groups silence.

Kagome's voice broke the silence first, sounding small in the eerily quiet shelter. "What's wrong with him?" She looked at the older woman, as did the others. Kagome herself had an idea, but hoped it wasn't true. Memories of when she first discovered Inuyasha's secret of the night of the new moon plauged her mind.

She wrapped her hand around Inuyasha's, lightly clenching it into her own. 'I'll be strong for you, Inuyasha,' she silently promised, the last part barely more than a whisper in her mind, 'because you always are for me…'

"What type of demon?"

Kagome knew where this was going. She stiffened in her spot.

"A spider demon."

Shippo was beside her, trying to comfort her as best as he could. He kept throwing worried glances at Inuyasha—all of them were. Kagome wondered if the little fox kit remembered what happened that night; how close they were to losing Inuyasha that long night.

"He's got spider venom in his veins." Kaede looked at Kagome, "Be careful not to move him." It'll spread the venom faster. Myoga had mentioned the same words.

"Is it possible for Myoga to suck the venom from his veins?" Sango paused for a moment in thought, frowning, "Why is the venom causing this much damage? Usually other demons, half breeds as well, have enough strength to fight off foreign substances, demon venom included."

Kagome looked up, "Inuyasha got bitten by a spider demon before, when he was human." Her hand tightened around Inuyasha's again, seeking comfort in his presence. "He fought it better after Myoga sucked out the venom. But…he was all better when he was a demon again. I don't think that it would have affected him otherwise."

Miroku seemed deep in thought and spoke his thoughts in the open, "Perhaps this demon was a weak one?"

Kagome opened her mouth to respond to Miroku's comment, saying that might be a possibility, but the older woman beat her to it. "Did this demon," Kaede interrupted, "happen to call itself a name?" 'Perhaps there are clues as to why this certain venom is hurting Inuyasha…'

Shippo piped up, "Something Spider King, I think."

Kaede frowned, "Sango, did this demon look familiar or remind you of something?"

The demon slayer looked down at her hands, deep in thought before looking up. "There is a legend from the western mountains that there are certain spider demons that's venom allows them to kill the soul of their opponent or prey."

"Sango?" Miroku looked at the woman who, in turn, looked back at him with worry in her eyes.

"I think that the venom is slowly killing Inuyasha's soul." Kagome looked at her with wide, teary eyes.

"We have to get it out of him!" She cried, looking down at the inflammed bite.

"Myoga is too far away. It would take too long to travel…" Miroku clenched his staff. "Is there anything we can do?" His question was directed at Kaede, who might know of herbs to help slow the poisons course, and to Sango, who knew of the demons.

Neither replied.

"I'll suck the venom from Inuyasha!" Kagome leaned down, Sango jerking her to a halt.

"You may do more harm than good. The wound could get even more infected, and you could also possibly die!"

"Kagome, I don't think Inuyasha would want you risking your life to save his…" Miroku added lightly, trying to calm the distraught girl. He earned the heat of Kagome's glare.

"Well," she coldly replied, tears making her sight blurry, "He'd do the same for me—and probably for the rest of you!"

Sango looked at her sadly, "Kagome…" she touched the girls arm lightly, "If the blood of a relative is administered into the body, it can help draw the power of the blood owner to help fight the venom."

Kagome's eyes widened with shock and hope; Inuyasha had only one living relative. "Sesshomaru…"

TBC