Omg, busy busy busy. I do miss writing here now and then, though I am attempting to get my life back in one piece, trying to piece my business back together, been working on all sorts of things. Anyway hope everyone is alright on your sides of the net. Enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 24- Dinner Time

"Yesss, I'll give you ten ssecondss to run. Sstarting now." The serpent stated and Kagome just bolted toward where she felt Sesshomaru's energy. I'm going to die I'm going to die by a lousy big ugly snake! She jumped, jogged, ran, ducked, tucked around various obstacles that clogged her path. Her heart racing near feeling it would break from her chest as her legs ached, though her footing stumbled and she went tumbling down among the leaves and brush. She got back up in a hurry knowing her enemy was going to get her way sooner than she could ever escape. She blindly ran, not much paying attention about direction just to run, her instincts screaming for her to never stop, and then suddenly she came into contact with a solid object, her face implanted against a warm chest apparently. Kagome pulled back looking slightly up at a young Inu lord who only arched a slender brow at her. Kagome just squirmed and quickly side stepped him, then hid behind the male. 'He's trying to eat me!" Kagome leaned looking over Sesshomaru's shoulder looking in the direction she had come from pointing toward nothing in general.

As if Kagome didn't have enough problems as she somewhat leaned against Sesshomaru's back something pricked the edges of her senses from behind and before she could turn she was plowed into by none other than Kouga, and the whole trio complained in different ways, Kagome screaming, Kouga complaining about stupid humans and a none too happy young Inu growling as he was piled on, temporarily. They picked themselves up, all of them still complaining as a certain snake burst through the opening making them all freeze, and the snake went in for the kill, Kouga and Sesshomaru both split, leaving Kagome on the spot, the priestess went bug eyed and quickly dived away barely avoiding the strike. She sat up glaring at the two males. "You two are useless, how gentleman like to leave me to be a snake snack!" Sesshomaru moved rapidly near unseen but white blur as he came in range of her and grabbed a whining Kagome by the waist and out of range of another strike.

He set her next to her tree and turned to see Kouga jumping on the back of the said serpent, the young wolf demon made his way up close to the head, the snake none to happy swinging about trying to get him off. "Ya, ride'em down!" Kouga called out as he held on to the bucking snake. Sesshomaru shook his head at the sight before him, though the snake spotting him tried to take a bite out of Sesshomaru who avoided the attack with ease. "This is one bumpy ride!" Kouga was having hell it seemed holding on much longer and just as that thought was left the wolf went flying. "Woahhhhhhh." Into the distance he was lost through the trees leaving Sesshomaru staring down a none too appealing snake. Kagome had done slunk behind the tree, hiding out for the time being. The snake's attention returned to the Inu in full force strike, strike, strike, Sesshomaru moving double time to keep up. Kouga came running back into the scene. "Hey you damn snake, I am not done with your scaly butt yet!" Kouga charged in, claws at the ready , Kouga avoiding to left and right missing attempted bites.

Though once too slow the snake caught him within his mouth, Kouga barely avoiding poison fangs as he was then swallowed whole. Kagome brought her hand up and face palmed at seeing the wolf be eaten whole. "Sesshomaru do something!" Kagome squawked out feeling bad for Kouga hoping he wasn't dead now. Sesshomaru near wanted to roll his eyes, leaving that particular demon to be devoured sounded like a good idea to him. Though while the snake was busy basically licking his chops the Inu took the moment to charge and jump up with quick and calculated grace, his claws drawn and swiping at the demon serpent with speed, the attack hit true the snake releasing gurgled roar of sorts as Sesshomaru landed with his emotionless mask in place, his green poison dripping from his claws before forming his well known whip, and slicing the offending creature into several pieces. "Sesshomaru stop that, Kouga still could be alive in there you know, jeeze!" Though as if on cue, A mid piece of the snake began to move about and suddenly exploded into pieces and there stood a none too happy Kouga dripping in goo of a dead snake. "Oh so gross , for the love Kami…" The wolf ranting flinging his arms about trying to rid his form of the none too appealing substances.

"And you tried to kill me!" Kouga shouted across the clearing pointing an accusing figure at the Inu who just some what glared at him in response. "I ought to beat you into the dirt you damn dog." Kouga continued to try and rid his form of the disgusting reptile guts and such. Kagome watched the whole thing in exasperation, Sesshomaru took a deep breath before addressing the wolf. "You are still alive are you not? If I attempted to kill you, you would be dead, wolf." Kouga sputtered out approaching Sesshomaru with little grace. Kagome quickly stepped up to stop a confrontation. "You two don't start, Kouga he didn't try to kill you, Sesshomaru was simply killing the snake. We don't need to fight you guys, we have to keep going, we don't have time for this." The males just glared at each other and Kouga turned a way with a huff. "Whatever." The wolf stalked away none too happy. Kagome sighed though she soon found Sesshomaru staring at her idly. "What?" Kagome blinked questioning his look. "What happened after the waterfall?" He questioned her casually.

Kagome explained as far as she could remember up to meeting the snake. "We should catch up to Kouga and get going, still long way to go." She stated flatly and walked in the direction Kouga had went, Sesshomaru idly walking behind her with little interest in the wolf being located again or not. His stride soon caught up with the female as he spoke evenly. "About another three days, we will be at the Northern boarders. I'd recommend you stay close, otherwise I can't promise your safety." Kagome glanced to him casually. "I never asked for your protection Lord Sesshomaru, I had wanted to go all on my own, and then you stalked me and then your little wolf pal up there, got stuck with us, and now we are all stuck together, myself for trying to get home and you two honor bound." She shook her head. "Whole thing is ridiculous, and so is my luck." She grumbled before falling silent.

Sesshomaru eyed her idly before mentally sighing, the female was so much trouble, though she had peaked his interest the time he had been spending with her, she'd often let her mouth run away with her at night, telling him of her family other friends, though not giving much away. Even the way she talked of her own land sounded odd. Though she was educated, he had learned the female could read and even write, and even basic mathematics, it astounded him to some point that she was fairly well educated it seemed. "How far beyond the boarder?" Her words brought him back to the present as he glanced at her once more. "Depending upon the trouble we run into, anywhere from two to five days as long as nothing drastic happens between everything, though knowing how you just seem to lure all sorts of creatures to you, I'd make it at least three." Sesshomaru furrowed his brow slightly, a gesture so not Sesshomaru like to Kagome, especially his future self.

"I do not lure trouble to myself, it just seems I always run into it…unfortunately…" Kagome frowned as she looked ahead once more, still not spotting the wolf demon she had been trailing from the patches of slimy debris he had been leaving behind himself. Life is definitely unfair. She mentally groaned as the approached the waterfall they had been at before, that is where Kouga was none too quietly releasing strings of curses and insults as he scrubbed himself. Just one more week… Kagome mentally told herself as she watched Kouga none too thrilled about this whole situation as usual. "I swear dog breath, just wait I will get you back for this." Kouga glared at Sesshomaru as he came into sight. "You and your girl friend there become one pain in the ass." Kagome brought her hand to her face in embarrassment from his comment before speaking. "We are in no relationship Kouga and you dang well know that so stop stirring up trouble. The faster we move the faster we can get to where we are going and spilt back up, all be on our merry ways, Kay? Now hush up before I zap you, I am sick of you two squabbling over everything that happens. We have tasks to complete stuff down your differences work together so it can be over and done with. GEEZE!" She stomped off none too happy leaving one half gaping wolf and a stotic Sesshomaru as normal, though he still stared as she strolled away. It is going to be a long week… He mentally sighed.

Kouga stumbled out of the water none too gracefully and shook off like a typical canine. "Welp, she is right ya know? Quicker we get there quicker we separate and can get back to our lives." Kouga simply states and rung out his braided hair with a sigh. Sesshomaru fairly ignored him and started to walk after Kagome. "SEE, SEE that attitude right there which is what starts half of our fights DOG, stop acting so high and fucking mighty!We are both demon lords, both heirs, both fairly strong, and we both bleed, just get over it and move on." Kouga gave a huff as he trudged along behind the other male none too happy.