The Isle of Virote
Chapter Four
The Alley At Night
She held breath, her heart shuddering in her chest. Her stomach was on the ground, and the thick foliage covered her ebony hair. The tunic and loose skirt she wore were a dark green, the color of pea soup and helped her to blend in well with the large leaves.
Naraku thundered passed her on his horse, his face dark with rage. Two of his guards had barely passed her when the dark-haired spy reined in his horse. His beady eyes roamed over their surrounding and Kagome fought hard to control her trembling and to hold her breath.
His eyes strayed over the foliage and fear clawed at her heart when she saw the crimson specs that burned in the depths.
"There." His voice was smooth as he observed the plant she hid under. "There is something there. Something that is…" His lips curved into a cruel smirk. "Frightened."
A tear slipped down her cheek and once again she felt the memories consume her.
One of the men dismounted and approached her hiding spot.
Suddenly her head felt light and her lungs threatened to burst as she struggled to keep her breath near silent. A scream nearly ripped from her throat when she felt something soft and warm land her back, causing the leaves to rustle.
Naraku smirked in a way that had her stomach clenching.
The rabbit nosed her clothing briefly as Kagome looked back at it, her blue eyes wide. Suddenly it tensed, it's entire body going rigid with a fear that mimicked her own. There was another rustling and one of the guardsmen withdrew his sword.
Something cold and smooth slid over her legs, resting on her shins.
Kagome allowed herself the smallest of rushed breathes when the rabbit darted out through the foliage, followed quickly by whatever had been resting on her legs.
The guard jumped back in surprise, almost a little put out to see the thing that had been radiating fear was just an insignificant animal. The long-eared desert rabbit froze at the sight of the humans, uncertain of what to do, what action to take. The guard's eyes flicked back to the foliage to see a snake with motley-colored scales coiling up into a tight 'S'. There was a hiss from the reptile, and the rabbit bolted in response.
The poor thing didn't even have a chance.
The constricter's scales gleamed copper under the moonlight , and blood sprayed on the ground as the serpent's fangs dug into a vein. The snake's body shifted slightly as it squeezed the mammal tighter. The rabbit's legs twitched once, twice, before finally going still.
"Gather them up." Naraku nodded at the two animals. There was something infathomably cruel about the look on his face.
The guards exchanged uncertain looks before a burlsack was thrown to the dismounted man. Warily, he made his way to the snake. The snake, having noticed the presence of humans, hissed threateningly. Another guard dismounted to hold the bag while the first guard guided the irritated snake and it's prey into the bag.
"Now," This time it was Naraku himself who dismounted from his horse, "I believe the Shikon is hiding from me."
A tear slipped down her cheek and Kagome dug her fingers deep into the dirt, clinging to the ground, praying for salvation.
Please! Someone…
Naraku slowly approached, his inky hair loose over his dark tunic. He looked every bit as deadly as the snake had only moments ago.
Were the fangs that peeked out from under his smirking lips just her imagination?
"Ho! What's all this racket?"
Naraku stepped back to his horse and the guard had just heaved the bag containing the snake onto his mount when one of the city guards came out, his eyes suspicious as he came across the small group.
Kagome's body sagged in relief.
"Who are you? What's in that bag?"
"I am but the merchant of a lord of one of the eastern Providences, Captain. My men just found the most amazing snake. My lord will want it for his collection."
If the Captain noted the sneer that was interlaced in Naraku's tone he ignored it.
"Do you have an inn you are staying at. It is past curfew and the gates are closed for the night."
"Yes, Captain. We were just heading towards it. I am sorry if we—"
"Stop your groveling, merchant." The Captain snapped. "You made quit a noise and are interrupting the sleep of the citizens. Get your asses to your inn and stay there. I don't want to see you or your men wandering my city after curfew ever again."
Naraku looked scandalized. Obviously, the city guard had seen through his polite façade.
"Which inn are you staying at?"
"The Vlotery; by the palace."
The Captain grimaced at the name of one of the most expensive inns in the city that was rumored to double as a brothel for the rich.
"Let me escort you back then, gentlemen."
From what Kagome could see from her vantage point behind the large leaves Naraku had a sour expression and his face and looked as if he wished that he had a woman by his side that could sweet talk the guard into a false sense of security so that he could be taken out.
"We don't want to trouble you."
"It's no trouble. Besides there are some rumors of some unsavory characters roaming these streets at night. We have yet to catch them and it wouldn't do for a visitor from a neighboring providence to be harmed while they enjoy our city's hospitality."
The look in Naraku's eyes was positively murderous.
"My men are perfectly capable of protecting me."
"I'm sure they are, but you never can tell who you'll come across on a night like tonight."
"But—"
"Please." The Captain smiled, revealing the gleaming, pointed fangs of a youkai. "I insist."
Kagome couldn't believe her luck. To think that someone would have been patrolling just as Naraku was about to find her!
She waited until the group of men headed in the direction of the palace. She cursed silently as she watched the city guard finally round the corner. She should have revealed herself; it didn't matter how close Naraku had been to her. She had the pouch with the royal crest of Hishell in it. She didn't know why it was so important that she had, but she trusted Kaede. Besides there had always been something, something about the name of that Providence that caused her heart to clench. It was at those times when she felt that she was forgetting something vitally important.
She wanted to remember. At times it even felt like a desperate need, but whenever she tried her head was filled with this painful throbbing. Something had happened in her past, something that Kaede had always refused to talk about, and Naraku's earlier attempts were starting to clear away the mists that shrouded the hidden memories.
Grunting, Kagome dug her hands into the dirt surrounding the cobbled streets and pulled herself out of her hiding place. A squeeck escaped her when her skirt snagged on a jagged rock and pulled her skirt down against her hips. Thankful that no one was around she scrambled to yank back up, her face red despite the fact that she was alone. It annoyed her greatly to discover that the rock had also stretched the waist of the skirt and she had quite a bit of difficult of tying it so that it was so loose around her waist.
She didn't her the rasp of leather heels against walk, or the crunch of gravel as two cut across the walkway to a nearby house when they noticed her.
She quickly brushed the dirt off of her worn clothes, and was starting to dig the dirt that had gotten wedged under her nails out when she noticed the strange insignia on the ring she always wore. How strange. She had never noticed that before. She raised her hand to inspect it closer, turning it so the gold would catch the soft moonlight.
She didn't her the soft sniggers of the approaching men as they nudged each other and pointed at her.
How strange. She narrowed her eyes as she twisted her hand to observe it from another angel. The insignia looked so much like the pictures she had seen of the royal crest of Hishell. Like the one that was contained in the sack that was still covered in her previous hiding spot.
"Well, well. What have we here?"
Kagome looked up and her eyes went wide at the site of two men, one tall and slim, the other made of burly, bunched muscle making their way towards her. The way they made their way to her reminded her to much of Naraku's earlier actions. She lowered her hand and tried to smile, trying to hold back the fear.
Yes, she really couldn't believe her luck.
"Good evening. Could you please help me get to the palace?" Kagome really didn't like the way they smirked at her.
"Why do you want to go there?"
"She wants to lay with one of the lords, I wager." The tall one grinned.
"With the hanyou? Or the youkai?"
"Hanyou, I reckon. No woman would dare go near Sesshoumaru-sama."
By now Kagome coud barely stop her body from quivering.
"Ah, look. She's trembling." The burly man gripped her shoulder painfully. "Got an itch you can't quite scratch, darling? Come on, I know just the place. "
"No-no, please."
"Now don't be like that." They started to guide her down the streets. "You'll like this place. The Vlotery."
She flinched when the tall one started to caress her hips.
"The women there are real friendly. Like to please people. You'll love it. I bet the boss wouldn't mind signing on a tender little thing such as yourself."
The burly man looked disappointed. "She's not for us?"
"You know the rules. Besides the boss might let us have a taste later on. After the Auction."
"You think she's a virgin."
"A delicate girl like this?" The tall man started to play with her hair. "I guarantee it."
Kagome flinched.
"Here that, chick'ee? Tomorrow night they're going to make you into a real woman."
No!
Out of the frying pan and into the fire, eh? Ok, to make up for the mess up with this weeks post next post will be two chapters of DGL, plus one from Isles.
