Disclaimer: (pron.; ds-klmr.) 1.defined, in English1.2, as a statement made to save one's own ass from legal issues. 2. law: 'I own nothing'.
Ch (10): Of Pirates and Pistols
Kagome was awake first, looking out at the gray sky seen through the windows. There was a dark mass out there, land of some sort. Not particularly inviting, but beautiful in its own dark, eerie way.
Mist curled off the water, and Elizabeth woke as well.
"You know, now that I think about it, it wasn't all that good of an idea to give my name as Turner."
"You don't know that. They might just have kidnapped you for ransom anyways if they knew you were the governors daughter." Kagome grimaced, and turned away from the window. "Look at me. They think I know how to break the curse."
Elizabeth looked at her sharply. She hadn't told the other girl who she was, but obviously she'd figured it out. Ah well. If Kagome had trusted her enough last night to tell her even a little of what she'd done in the past few years, then she'd just have to trust her now.
The door opened, and a pirate came in.
"Time to go, Poppet." Kagome pulled her backpack onto her shoulder with the ease of long practice, and followed Elizabeth out.
'It's a good thing I don't pack as much for weekends on the feudal era as I used to for longer stays, or they might get suspicious of the size!' Kagome grinned, thinking fondly of all the places she'd gone with her backpack. It was an old friend by now.
Barbossa stood outside, necklace in hand. Once Elizabeth's hands were tied, and Kagome's, he slipped the medallion over Elisabeth's head, letting it shine openly against the dress she wore.
Barbossa looked with amusement at the backpack Kagome still had on.
"Carry it if you want…but this island be uninhabited, and you've seen for yourself how inviting it is. No trouble now, or we leave you!"
'Rats.' If the island were uninhabited then she couldn't escape. Or rather, she could, but what would be the point?
"Well then, if you expect no trouble, why not untie me?" Elisabeth looked sharply at Barbossa.
"I don't trust you after last night." Barbossa turned on his heel, leaving both women simmering. These pirates had kidnapped them, tied them up, and who knew what they planned after they found out Elizabeth wasn't a Turner? Kagome fumed in silence as the little cutters carried the vast majority of the crew ashore, into dimly lit caves
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The interceptor slowly nosed her way into a damp, misty lagoon. The mist echoed in odd ways, and the black, forbidding rock walls added to the general feeling of unease. Miroku jumped as the ships keel grated against something, sending barely audible waves through the deck.
Mr. Cottons parrot sat, perched in the rigging "Dead men tell no tales." He croaked into the soggy morning. Inuyasha scowled at the parrot. If it had to talk, couldn't it say something better?
Gibbs stared over the side at the old, rotted shells of ships lying in the water for eternity. "Puts a chill in the bones how many honest sailors have been claimed by this passage." He said, softly, shivering.
Will watched as Jack checked his 'broken' compass again, before flicking it shut. The whole compass thing was a mystery to him. "How is it that Jack came by that compass?" he asked Gibbs, turning his head.
Sesshoumaru, standing a short distance away, listened closely. He had wanted to know how they were steering himself, and information was always useful. Especially when he knew so little of where he was in space and time…
Gibbs turned to Will "Not a lot's known about Jack Sparrow before he showed up in Tortuga with a mind to go after the treasure of the Isla de Muerta. That was before I met him, back when he was Captain of the Black Pearl."
Will looked at Gibbs sharply "What? He failed to mention that."
Sesshoumaru's face didn't change, but inside, he wondered. The human had told them Barbossa had stolen his ship, implying he'd been the captain, but why not share the information? What reasons did he have?
Gibbs continued, voice low, but not too low for the silent Taiyoukai to hear "Well, he plays things closer to the vest now. And a hard-learned lesson it was. See three days out on the venture the first mate comes to him and says everything's an equal share. That should mean the location of the treasure, too, so Jack gives up the bearings. That night there was a mutiny. They marooned Jack on an island and left him to die but not before he'd gone mad with the heat."
"Ah. So that's the reason for all the…" Will gestured wildly with his hands, doing a fair imitation of the eccentric Sparrow.
Sesshoumaru watched, interested, as he spotted Jack creeping closer, obviously intending to listen in as well on their conversation.
"Reason's got nothing to do with it." Gibbs replied, before going on "Now Will, when a man is marooned he is a given a pistol with a single shot – one shot. Well it won't do much good hunting or to be rescued. But after three weeks of a starvin' belly and thirst, that pistol will start to look real friendly." He formed a gun with his fingers, and held it to the side of his head meaningfully "But Jack – he escaped the island, and he still has that one shot. Oh, but he won't use it, though, save for one man. His mutinous first mate."
'One shot?' Sesshoumaru didn't care for the pistols displayed everywhere much. He'd decided that they were one invention he could do without. If they continued to become this prevalent in Japan, where he had first seen guns….well.
After all, they took no skill to master, like a bow, and were an easy way to kill. They didn't do much to him unless he was shot more than once, but they seemed…sneaky. Dishonorable. Typical that humans should invent them
"Barbossa." Stated Will, in a low voice.
Sesshoumaru paid close attention, putting aside the gun question.
"Aye."
"How did Jack get off the island?" asked Will, curious
Gibbs gave him a conspirital look "Well, I'll tell ye. He waded out into the shallows and there he waited three days and three nights till all manner of sea creature 'came and acclimated to his presence. And on the fourth morning, he roped himself a couple of sea turtles, lashed 'em together and made a raft."
Will looked flatly at Gibbs "He roped a couple of sea turtles?" he asked, incredulous.
"Aye, sea turtles." Said Gibbs blithely
"What did he use for rope?" Will asked, smiling
Jack, who had been standing, listening, jumped in as Gibbs faltered "Human hair…from my back." Will and Gibbs looked slowly at him, blinking.
'How long was he there?' Will narrowed his eyes at the captain.
"Let go of the anchor!" called Jack abruptly, turning away.
"Let go of the anchor, sir!" shouted the crew, as Inuyasha heaved the anchor over the side
Jack looked at his crew. "Young Mr. Turner, Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, and I are to go ashore."
"What about us?" asked Sango, looking at Jack. "We're worried about Kagome too!"
"I want stealth. That means fewer people." Called Jack over his shoulder as he walked to the boat.
Gibbs pulled Jack aside, whispering, thinking Will wouldn't hear "Captain! What if the worst should happen?" He failed to remember that mist carries words well, and didn't know of the hearing range both Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha possessed.
Jack looked at him "Keep to the code."
"Aye, the code." Gibbs shrugged, and walked past Sango and Miroku, who both looked unhappy with Jacks choice of companions.
"Well then why take Inuyasha?" muttered Miroku, annoyed. "He doesn't know the meaning of stealth!"
"I don't know. He must have had a reason." Sango looked at the island, musing, which was why she failed to see Miroku's hands go wandering. She did, however feel them.
Stupid monk…even though Naraku was dead, even though they had made promises…
"Baka!" she shouted, spinning and thwacking Miroku, hard. Miroku was knocked out, and was left on the deck as Sango went below. The crew stepped around him gingerly as they went about their work, a few taking mental notes never to get Sango mad.
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"And that's the other reason I didn't bring Miroku" Muttered Jack to himself as he heard the distant, but still clear, shout and ringing slap.
"He knows when to stop. Generally" Inuyasha wondered how hard Sango had hit the perverted monk this time.
"All I can say, is I hope he doesn't do anything to Elizabeth" Will glanced back a the boat grimly. He'd thought Jack was bad, but this 'monk' was worse! 'How he became a monk I will never know. He'd better not try anything with Elizabeth!'
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Barbossa directed the pirates holding Elizabeth over to the pile, while Kagome was left, half forgotten, on one side.
Pintel looked at the pile of gold "Ten years of hoarding swag."
"And now we finally get to spend it." Ragetti grinned gleefully, as he picked up a trunk and spilled out its contents. Both looked rather disappointed as clothes and two parasols rolled out, instead of the expected gold.
Kagome, watching, smiled a bit at their expressions, then went back to trying to find the shard in all that treasure. She could tell it was here, but looking for it in that pile in center, which is where it was, was going to be hard.
Pintel looked at Ragetti "Once we're quit of the curse, we'll be rich men. And you can buy an eye what actually fits and is made of glass.
"This one does splinter something terrible." Admitted Ragetti ruefully, rubbing at his wooden eye.
"Stop rubbing it." The Bo' sun walked by, rolling his eyes
"You two are to watch the other girl, got that?" he looked at the pile of clothes and the parasol Pintel had opened. "And stop fooling around"
"Aye" they agreed, moving over to Kagome. She glared at them. It was going to be impossible to go shard hunting with these two hung around her neck like so much dead weight.
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The boat Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, Will, and Jack entered a series of caves. Sesshoumaru looked, around, analyzing. Behind him Inuyasha grumbled, pulling strongly at the oars.
"Why do I have to row? Why not Will or Fluffy?"
Sesshoumaru looked slowly at Inuyasha, not saying anything. If his bothersome half-brother needed that explained again, he was dumber than he's initially thought. He made another mental not to kill Inuyasha….yet.
"Because you're strong, and you have both arms. It's hard to row with only one." Jack made a face, pulling on his own oars. If Inuyasha asked that one more time…!
Between the two of them they'd made record time. He made a mental note to get Inuyasha to row again on the way back. As long as you mentioned the fact two people rowing would get them there faster, and therefore to Kagome faster, Inuyasha was quite willing to row.
Will sat beside Sesshoumaru, looking over the side at the coins and golden glitter. He saw a skull, and looked up "What Code is Gibbs to keep to if the worst should happen?"
Jack pulled back on his oars "Pirate's Code. Any man that falls behind…is left behind."
"No heroes amongst thieves, eh?" Will raised an eyebrow critically.
Jack looked back calmly "You know, for having such a bleak outlook on pirates you're well on your way to becoming one. Sprung a man from jail, commandeered a ship of the Fleet, sailed with a buccaneer crew out of Tortuga" Both looked over the side at the golden bed below. "…and you're completely obsessed with treasure."
"Hey, I've done that, and I'm no pirate!" said Inuyasha.
"Possibly because to be a pirate, you need to know about sailing" said Jack, grimacing. How was it possible to be that incompetent with a rope? He needed to fix the rigging Inuyasha had slashed on their way from Port Royal. Soon.
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In the cavern, Kagome smiled as she sensed youkai approaching. That had to be Inuyasha, Jack, and Sesshoumaru, as she didn't think there'd be any other youkai about. She'd be gone from here soon…and if they were here, she could escape and have a way off the island.
Kagome pulled out her Swiss army knife, and started sawing at the coarse rope around her wrists, using a few choice words learned from long association with Inuyasha as the knife bit her finger, causing a few perfectly round drops to fall onto the cave floor.
Pintel and Ragetti, too focused on Barbossa gesturing from atop the pile of treasure, didn't notice Kagome slowly working her way free.
Kagome looked up at Barbossa, and beside him Elizabeth. 'I have to hurry' She started sawing faster, working quickly.
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Will looked at Will as the boat pulled up on the shore "That's not true. I am not obsessed with treasure."
Jack rolled his eyes, and gestured to them all to be quiet, creeping up towards a hole in the wall, to get a better look. "Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate."
Sesshoumaru closed his eyes. This human seemed to have problems with the word 'mate.'
Beside him, Inuyasha sniffed the air, gingerly. The smell of many pirates, and of what Jack had told him was rum, was strong, but..."Kagome" he whispered, looking around. He could tell she was here, somewhere.
He climbed up to where Jack was looking through a hole in the cave wall, Will beside him. Sesshoumaru paused, then followed, face cool as an ice sculpture and far less forgiving.
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Barbossa stood at the pinnacle of the treasure heap, looking happy, arms outstretched "Gentlemen, the time has come! Our salvation is nigh! Our torment is near at end!"
Kagome struggled with her ropes, then slid them off her arms. She crept up behind Ragetti and Pintel, and then, Swiss army knife in one hand, she tried purifying them, gently putting a hand on each shoulder and blasting them as much as she dared.
Both collapsed soundlessly, slightly stunned looking. Kagome felt like cheering, but managed to avoid the impulse. Her gamble had worked! She looked up at where Elizabeth stood, frightened, next to Barbossa.
Kagome slid around a rock pillar, and edged around to behind the treasure heap. Maybe if she shot Barbossa, then they both ran for it…Kagome carefully strung her bow, and held it ready, along with an arrow, in her hand, grimacing. All this damp couldn't be good for the string.
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Inuyasha looked down, and to the side. Kagome was there! She was tied up, behind two pirates. He smirked a little as he saw how unobservant they were. Neither noticed Kagome cutting away at the rope behind them. He looked up at Barbossa, and then went through a passage to where she was, quiet on his bare feet. Sesshoumaru sighed, then followed. It would be interesting to see if his brother got sat again.
Will frowned, and Jack made soundless, comical faces ranging from surprise, to outraged indigence, to anger. His fists clenched, and he gritted his teeth. "That stupid….arg! he's going to get us all caught!" he whispered, furious. Will smiled a little, then looked through the hole at the pirates.
His eyes widened. "Elizabeth"
In the center of the cavern, Barbossa was making a speech, even as Inuyasha crept towards where Kagome had been, followed by Sesshoumaru, while Kagome crept around the edge of the cavern to behind the treasure.
"For ten years we've been tested and tried, and each man jack of you here has proved his mettle a hundred times over and a hundred times again!" Barbossa shouted, and raised his fist in the air to the cheers of the crew, performing as much as reciting the speech.
In their corner, Ragetti and Pintel groaned, and started to stir. "Suffered, I have" moaned Ragetti softly, clutching at his head. What had that girl done to them?
"Punished, we were. The lot of us - disproportionate to our crimes! Here it is" Barbossa threw off the chest's lid, running his hands through the coins " …the cursed treasure of Cortés himself. Every last piece that went astray, we have returned…save for this." He pointed at the medallion around Elizabeth's neck.
'I have to hurry!' Kagome crawled forwards desperately, but she dared not move faster. If she did, it would attract attention… and besides, she didn't have a clear shot.
Inuyasha emerged behind Ragetti and Pintel, both unaware. He surveyed the sliced through rope, the small drop of blood on the ground, and the two pirates crouched on the ground looking woozy.
Inuyasha walked over, and slammed both their heads onto the cave floor again, then followed the scent of Kagome around the cavern, Sesshoumaru ghosting disdainfully along behind him.
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In the back of the cavern, Will was quite ready to leap into the center of the cavern and fight to Elizabeth's side. Jack put out his hand to stop him.
"Jack!"
Jack pulled him down. "Not you too. Not yet. We wait for the opportune moment."
"881 we found but despaired of ever finding the last." Barbossa's voice drifted in from the main cavern.
"When's that? When it's of greatest profit to you?" Will looked furious, and made as though to leap to Elisabeth's rescue again.
Jack looked at Will, holding out a hand to stop him. "May I ask you something? Have I ever given you reason not to trust me? Do us a favor – I know it's difficult for you, but please stay here and try not to do anything stupid." Jack crept forwards, the same way Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru had disappeared down towards the main cave.
"And who among us has paid the blood sacrifice owed to the heathen gods?"
"Us!" screamed the pirates
"And whose blood must yet be paid?"
"Hers!"
Barbossa bent down, forcing Elizabeth down too.
'No! Not yet!' Kagome scrambled forwards, remarkable still unseen. 'I'm not ready!'
"You know the first thing I'm goin' to do after the curse is lifted? Eat a whole bushel of apples," whispered Barbossa to Elizabeth. "Begun by blood…by blood undone."
Will came up behind Jack, oar in hand. He disturbed a coin, and Jack turned, just in time to have his head bashed with an oar. "Sorry, Jack . I'm not going to be your leverage." Will threw the oar down and hurried towards Elizabeth without a second thought for the pirate at the back of the cavern.
Barbossa drew out a knife, and slit Elizabeth's palm, pressing in the medallion and holding it over the chest. "That's it?" gasped Elizabeth, startled as the cut stung her hand.
"Waste not." Barbossa smiled as the medallion dropped into the chest. The entire crew present, save Ragetti and Pintel, who were out for the count, leaned forwards in anticipation.
Kagome sighed in relief. They had only cut her palm, not her throat. Then she looked around. She was close to where the treasure pile would conceal her from the eyes of the crew, and also close to where a passage sloped up from the water to…somewhere. Kagome edged towards that. What would happen when the pirates discovered Elizabeth wasn't who she claimed to be?
"Did it work?" asked Koehler anxiously, voicing the fears of the entire crew.
"I don't feel no different."
"How do we tell?"
Barbossa sighed, and in one quick movement drew his pistol, and fired.
Inuyasha pressed his ears to his head, grimacing as his head rang. Behind him, Sesshoumaru frowned slightly. Not only did he have better ears, he was closer. Sesshoumaru decided right then that any human with a gun was a bad combination, and that whoever invented the noisy things ought to have been shot.
"You're not dead."
"No." Then the pirate looked at Barbossa, suddenly indignant "He shot me!"
"It didn't work."
"The curse it still upon us!" Twigg wailed.
Will lingered in the entry of the passage behind the heap of loot. Kagome had her head turned away, watching Barbossa, and Inuyasha as he made his way towards her, Sesshoumaru following. Her gaze was fixed on Elizabeth and Barbossa. Will alternated between looking towards Elizabeth, and wondering if the pirate girl edging towards him would spot him, and give him away.
Barbossa turned to Elizabeth, furious "You, maid! Your father, what was his name? Was your father William Turner?"
Elizabeth smiled "No."
"Where's his child? The child that sailed from England eight years ago, the child in whose veins flows the blood of William Turner. Where?" Barbossa yelled, backhanding her. Elizabeth fell, rolling down the treasure and coming to a stop right in front of the waters edge. Will started to raise a gold statue above his head to knock out the pirate girl, before Inuyasha leapt over and stopped him.
"Don't you dare hurt Kagome" he growled, Will's arm held firmly in his hand.
"That's Kagome? I though she was one of them…"
"I most definitely am not!" said Kagome softly, moving towards Elizabeth. Inuyasha let go of Will's arm, with a fierce warning look, and Will rushed over to Elizabeth.
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The Bo' sun looked furious. He was standing over Ragetti and Pintel, who were both slowly coming awake again. He directed the pirates behind him to scour the area for Kagome. "You two! Not only did you bring us the wrong person, you let the one escape! One little girl, tied up, and she not only gets loose, but knocks you both out! You're both pathetic excuses for pirates!"
Pintel groaned, holding his head "No! She had the medallion. She's the proper age!"
Ragetti backed him up "She said her name was Turner – you heard her! Ain't our fault the wench escaped!"
Neither mentioned they hadn't even been watching Kagome, hoping it would be forgotten. Unlikely, but they could hope.
The Bo' sun rolled his eyes in disgust.
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Will covered Elizabeth's mouth with his hand, and held his finger to his lips. Elizabeth snatched the medallion from beside her, and followed Will, Kagome, and Inuyasha up the tunnel, just as shouting erupted behind them
Sesshoumaru, looking bored, brought up the rear.
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"I think she lied to us." Ragetti added astutely, wincing and rubbing his shoulder. What had Kagome done to him? It felt like he'd been pumped full of lead…. The Bo' sun growled, and joined the search for Kagome.
Twigg looked at Barbossa "You brought us here for nothing."
Barbossa looked away from the group he was instructing to search for Kagome "I won't take questioning and no second guesses, not from the likes of you, Master Twigg."
"Who's to blame? Every decision you've made has led us from bad to worse!"
"It was you who sent Bootstrap to the depths!"
"And it's you who brought us here in the first place." The Bo' sun added. The pirates roared their disapproval.
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In the tunnel, a pirate appeared in front of Inuyasha. Before the pirate could cry out, Inuyasha had pinned him against the wall, crushing his throat. The pirate dropped, clutching his windpipe.
"They must have found out I escaped" said Kagome softly. "They'll be after Elizabeth soon too, if not already"
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Barbossa stood straight, hand on his sword "If any coward here dare challenge me, let him speak! Hmm?"
"I say, we cut her throat and spill all her blood, just in case!"
Barbossa looked down where Elizabeth had come to rest. The monkey was pointing at the bare rock where the medallion had been "The medallion! She's taken it! Get after her! You feckless pack of ingrates! Find her and our other escapee! Find them!"
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Inuyasha, Kagome, Will, Elizabeth, and Sesshoumaru crouched behind a rock formation, looking at the boats. There was a pirate between them and the way out, but no others in sight. For now.
By the time Inuyasha crossed the distance, the pirate would have shouted out. So Kagome carefully drew back her bow, still in hand from earlier, along with her arrow. One advantage of the bow over a pistol was complete, dead silence.
The pirate's back arched as the arrow pierced his neck, falling backwards onto the rock with a dull thump. Immediately everyone crossed to the boats. Will and Elizabeth got in first, Will picking up a pair of oars.
"Wait. Where's the other human?" Sesshoumaru frowned as he missed Jack. Not that he cared, but if something had happened to him, then that same something could happen to them.
"He fell behind."
"What? We left him with you!" Inuyasha growled angrily. "What happened?"
"You mean Jack? What happened to Jack?" Kagome worried her lip. She wouldn't leave anyone behind.. "Go find him Inuyasha!"
"I'm not leaving you alone! Whenever I do you get in trouble!" Inuyasha crossed his arms. His face took on a stubborn look, and Kagome sighed as she realized he wouldn't budge.
"Fine. Sesshoumaru, you're just as fast. You go!"
Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. If Inuyasha wasn't here, or if he didn't have this damn necklace, or, most important, if he hadn't given his word to help, he could have easily showed the miko the mistake of thinking she could order him around.
"What are you waiting for? You're wasting time! I'll say it!"
Sesshoumaru sighed, and took off, a white blur. Since it was either waste time finding the human, or waste time plastered to the ground, he'd take looking for the human.
He carefully went back to where they had come ashore, meeting no pirates. But, he smelled Jack close by, as well as a few pirates, and headed down the tunnel.
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At the cutter, Kagome carefully took all the oars from the other boats, and piled them in their boat, before sitting down. She didn't say anything to Will, not after herding a muttered story about the would be rescuer hitting Jack on the head with an oar.
Will started fidgeting on their cutter as the noise of a crowd of pirates got louder.
"We have to leave soon! They'll be here, and we'll all be caught!" Will whispered harshly. Elizabeth nodded, not saying anything. Who was Jack again…oh yes. The other pirate. Why was he here?
"What about Jack and Sesshoumaru?" Kagome glanced anxiously up the passage.
"Feh." He couldn't care less if his brother got left behind! Inuyasha crossed his arms, and waited in the boat. They could leave, right now… if Kagome wasn't so stubborn, and if Will the idiot hadn't hit Jack in the head…
Two pirates burst into the chamber behind Inuyasha. One went for him with his sword drawn, screaming "I've found them! They're by the boats!" The second held back, going for his pistol. Inuyasha dodged the pirates first swing, not bothering to draw his sword. The pirate was a clumsy, slow opponent, and besides, Tetsusaiga wouldn't be used against humans.
He brought down his hand, tearing through the first pirate with ease. "Iron Reaver soul stealer!" The pirate disintegrated, and Elizabeth gulped. Kagome hadn't been exaggerating, or telling lies. It just hadn't hit her till now.
CRACK! CRACK!
Another pirate had come, others not far behind.
The first pirate, and the pirate who had held back instead of attacking with his sword, opting for his pistol instead, had both shot at Inuyasha. One had missed, lead bullet ratcheting off the cave wall, but the other hadn't. He'd hit Inuyasha in the arm, just below the shoulder. Inuyasha's other hand went to his shoulder, blood seeping from around his fingers.
He brought it down, claws stained red. "Claws of blood!"
Another pirate bit the dust, but 4 more sprang up in his place, pistols blazing. Several shot at the boat, missing, while another hit Inuyasha again in the side.
"Inuyasha!" shouted Kagome, drawing back her bow and shooting at the pirates now swarming at the cave mouth. The arrow streaked forwards, pinning two pirates to the wall, but more kept coming, boiling like a nest of enrages ants.
And the ones that they had already dealt with were still coming!
The one Inuyasha had slashed to pieces was trying to come together, pieces groping around for their fingers and arms groping for mutilated torso. The corsairs pinned by the arrow were sliding it out, faces contorted in pain and hate, brushing off the purple static clinging to them with yells of distaste, and promises of revenge.
Will was shouting, yelling they had to get out of there. More pirates would come, and they needed to go now!
"If you want to stay and get shot at, you go ahead, but I'm getting out of here with Elizabeth!" He picked up the oars, shaking a pirate off the end with a muffled curse.. Kagome shot another arrow, ducking as a bullet clipped the side of the boat.
"We have to wait for Jack!"
More gunshots erupted, and Inuyasha swore vigorously as a bullet tore straight through his calf muscle. Several pirates charged him with their swords drawn, screaming for his blood
"Jack and Sesshoumaru will have to take care of themselves." Will dug the oars into the water meaningfully. "Inuyasha's already been shot, and I'm going now!" He started rowing furiously away from the cavern.
"Inuyasha! Come on!" Much as she hated leaving, Will had a point. Besides, Sesshoumaru and Jack could take care of themselves…she hoped. Inuyasha turned, and took a running jump for the boat. He landed, swearing, in the cutter, the momentum moving it forwards a little.
He hated running from a fight like this, but Kagome came first. Inuyasha picked up an oar, and set it to the water, teeth gritted in pain as his shoulder protested the movement.
Kagome and Elizabeth each had an oar, and they worked together. Will pulled on a set of oars in the stern of the boat. Between the four of them, the little cutter fairly flew out of the cave, Inuyasha muttering under his breath about the stupidity of whoever had invented guns, wincing as his shoulder ached.
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My homepage 'Dark Gardens', contains a large amount of writing, (original and fanfiction), and an art section. Come visit! (FF .net won't allow underscores to be posted in a ch, so you'll have to visit my profile for the site link.)
D. B. Sidhe/Lumbe
Originally Posted: August 11 2004
Revised: July 1 2006
