Knife
Clunk. Clunk. Clunk.
Kagome snapped out of sleep at the loud sound just in time to see her window explode in a fury of wood shards. A large figure crouched down on the rooftop, dim moonlight dancing off of them. Without hesitating Kagome rolled to her right where she had taken her armor off, scrambling to find the dagger she foolishly left aside. She stood up wielding the knife in front of her in a defensive stance, her feet sliding across the wood to brace herself if the creature attacked.
The humanoid youkai stood up to its full height, and it became clear it was a female snake. A black cloak obscured most of her body, but what wasn't hidden was the scales that trailed her arms and legs. Her eyes were a pale yellow, with a black narrow pupil, and they seemed to almost glow in the moonlight.
"Oh...what do we have here?" The snake's feminine voice filled the room. Her tongue darted from between her teeth as she casually stepped through the wood shards and entered the room.
"Just leave, and I won't hurt you." Kagome said firmly.
"Now where would be the fun in that? I had-"
Kagome took the advantage of the moment and lunged at the youkai, grabbing a hold of her cloak and stabbing as hard as she could with the dagger.
"ACK! FUCK!" The female snake cried out, once the shock of Kagome's attack wore off. Kagome threw herself away from her attacker, just in time to miss her snapping fangs.
Kagome readjusted her grip, flipping the knife around to a reverse position, feeling the trickle of blood that was not her own slide down the side of her arm.
The snake had backed up toward the window, giving Kagome a better view of her wound. Sango had taught her that an element of surprise was an advantage, and that youkai almost always underestimated humans. That had worked in her favor, but the snake would not be so careless to let it happen again.
Kagome needed to get to her sword or bow, which lay across the room. She didn't dare look in their direction; otherwise the snake would catch on and probably catch her before she had a chance to get to them. Hand to hand combat was not her forte, and especially not ideal with dealing with snake youkai, but she wasn't going to let herself become a victim that easily.
The snake darted forward, faster than her eyes could follow, grabbing her and throwing her into the wall. Kagome smashed through the thin paper screens, rolling across the floor with her arms protecting her face the way she had learned.
The snake bent over at the waist, gasping, holding a hand to her chest. Her narrow eyes were wide with panic.
"What the fuck did you do to me?" The youkai hissed as her blood dripped to the floor, filling the room with a copper smell.
Kagome knew she would hurt later, but too much adrenaline was pumping through her to feel it. She searched the floor for her dagger, finding it and leaping to her feet, taking her defensive stance again.
"I burned you with reiki, otherwise this dagger would have never made it past your scales."
"You're a miko?!" She spit blood on the floor. "I'm not going to heal, am I?"
"No."
"It'sss not worth it." Her tongue hissed out of her mouth.
"What isn't?" Kagome asked gripping her dagger tighter.
The snake held a hand to her bleeding chest, letting out a wet cough. She turned away from Kagome, jumping back out the mangled window.
Kagome stared in disbelief. What was that about?
As if the tension wore off, she began to hear the shouting and commotion outside. Stepping over the ruined debris of the wall, she crossed the room to her weapons, quickly taking her sword and sliding it into the thin band around her waist keeping her yukata together. With practiced ease, she slung her quiver across her back. Confidence filled her as she picked up her bow.
Edging toward the window, she leaned her back against the wall, and peered out.
A few drops of blood were the only thing left of the snake youkai that had attacked her, but Kagome realized that the streets were full of more of the snake youkai. Merchants were armed and fighting back against them, and it looked like they were doing a good job so far. Looking down at the crowd, she couldn't spot Sesshoumaru. Her senses were not much help. All she could feel was a swarming mass of youki, sharp in the air like electricity.
She pulled a few arrows out of her quiver and notched one back with her bow. Looking down at the writhing mass of bodies, she picked out a few snakes and took aim.
The first enemy she hit took an arrow to the neck before collapsing. She leaned back inside the room, out of sight, before firing another arrow. The more she killed, the more likely someone would take notice.
It didn't take long. By the time she pulled back her last arrow, she saw a snake look up towards her. He gestured to someone beside him, who in turned looked up at her.
The large hulking youkai started advancing towards the main building. Kagome drew her last arrow back, and let it fly.
The snake caught the arrow out the air before it could kill him. It wasn't without damage though. He snarled and tossed the arrow down, realizing that it had burned several of his fingers off.
Now he looked up at her with murderous intent in his eyes.
Kagome flattened herself against the wall inside her room. Damn it! He's coming after me!
She took a risk and peered back out the hole in the wall. The snake was gone! She frantically searched the fighting masses, but to no avail.
The flimsy sliding door to her room burst inward with a spray of splintered wood. Kagome whipped back around to see the massive snake youkai making his way through what was left of the inner wall. She could just make out the white of his fangs and the flick of his tongue.
Kagome could feel him amassing his youki, before it seeped away from him in the form of small, brightly colored snakes as he made a dash for her at the opposite wall.
Looping her bow around her body, she immediately jumped out of the hole the previous youkai left behind, landing on the roof with a stumble. Luckily for her, she was on the second floor, and there was about five feet of slanted tiled roofing she could walk across. If she hurried, she might make it to another room.
Walking across medieval roofing is not nearly as easy as ninjas in movies make it out to be, and especially not bare foot. With her first step she slid on the flimsy tiles, her arms flailing to remain stable. Clinging to the outside wall, she darted across the roof, and in no time, the snake joined her.
Sesshoumaru flung his whip about, striking enemies down as he dashed through the crowd. Kawabata, the leader of this merchant village, followed behind him as he cleared a path around the central building. The snakes had surrounded the village and all closed in at once, killing everyone they could as they advanced to the large mansion.
A foolish snake to his right lunged at him, hoping to spear him through. Sesshoumaru moved aside, dodging the sword, and grabbed the snake by the neck, and removed him of his throat. Blood splashed across his sleeve, but he paid it no mind. It irked him to refrain from drawing Bakusaiga. There were too many allies in one place, to chance killing them all with one swing. Even without his help, the snakes were falling back. Dead youkai littered the streets. Kawabata had done an excellent job preparing the village for warfare. His main concern now was the absence of nagas. From all the reports he read, invasions would usually start with snake youkai, followed by a naga leader or general. So far he had not seen any kind of leadership whether it be naga or snake. He needed to find the naga, and put an end to this.
He also had another reason for hurry. Kagome.
She was left sleeping unawares. Knowing her, she was finding trouble on her own.
The large, hulking youkai, leapt across the tiled roof with ease. He lunged for her, but missed, smashing through the roof. Broken shingles flew through the air, and the wooden foundation shook, causing her to slip and fall. Shingles became loose and slid in an avalanche around her. It was too late; she lost her grip, and slid off the side. Her right arm managed to snag the lip of the roof, catching her before she fell.
Kagome frantically threw her left arm around up trying to catch another hold. The snake stood above her laughing with a sickening hiss.
"Aww, couldn't get away? Let me help you." He knelt down, and grabbed her right arm, wrenching her hand from the roof.
"No!" Kagome cried out.
The snake lifted her up high in the air. The weight of her body, pulled painfully at her shoulder.
Kagome gasped in pain. The youkai had made a mistake though. Her left arm remained free. Her sword still remained at her waist, but on the left side, since she was right handed, which made drawing the sword difficult with her left hand. Sango, however, taught her to be prepared to fight confidently with either arm. She relaxed her left arm dropping it to her side. Her sword was turned upwards in the correct drawing position, however given that she needed to draw it with her left hand awkwardly, she turned the sword over. Grabbing it with her palm up, she wrenched her hips to the side as much as she could, helping to fully draw the sword.
"Huh?" The youkai asked before his eyes went wide with shock.
Kagome drew her left arm up and across her body, and plunged the sword into his throat.
The hulking snake made a move to grab her sword, but she focused her reiki into the blade, and within a moment the life faded from his eyes.
Her plan went surprisingly well, except for the part where the youkai was holding her off the roof, had now dropped her.
Panic stabbed her as she couldn't help but flail her arms and legs with nothing to stop her fall.
Please don't let me fall on someone's sword! Her eyes closed, and she prepared for the worst.
"Hmph!" She didn't hit the ground. She hit something though. Someone caught her?
She slowly opened one eye to see white fur...okay...sharp armor...alright...a frown...getting warmer...piercing amber eyes...bingo!
Her eyes flew open. "Sesshoumaru-sama!"
He looked down at her with veiled concern. "Are you alright?" His arms tightened around her.
He had arrived just in time to see her kill the youkai on the roof, before she fell. Fury burned through him. He didn't know if he was angry at himself for allowing danger to befall her, or if he just was tired of having to deal with snakes in general.
"My shoulder is gonna hurt tomorrow, but otherwise I'm fine."
"Hm." He set her down gently.
"What's going on?" Kagome asked watching the merchant warriors pick through the bodies for discarded weapons. She hastily rearranged her clothing, before sheathing her sword.
"The snakes are retreating. This Sesshoumaru is going to find their general."
Kagome nodded in agreement, folding her arms over her chest in attempt to stay warm in her light sleeping clothes.
"Kawabata!" Sesshoumaru barked.
An inu youkai crouched on the ground nearby, looked up. He pulled the sword from the dead man's waist. "Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama?"
"Personally see to it that she is taken care of."
He bowed. "Of course."
"Wait, Sesshou..." She started to say, but he was already gone. Is he ignoring her?
Kagome rubbed her hands over her face. Dropping her hands, she could see the curious look on Kawabata's face.
"If you don't mind, I'd like to return to my room to put some proper clothing on. After that, could you take me to the wounded?"
Kawabata eyed her for a moment as if trying to decide what to do. Kagome turned, walking barefoot on the dusty street. She figured it wouldn't be too hard to find her room again. It was the only one practically destroyed.
"Ah..." Kawabata started.
She stopped on the steps, looking back at him with a clear look of impatience.
"Well? Come on." She said.
He could only nod and follow her.
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Author's Note: Hey everyone! I am hoping to have the next chapter up in a few days. Please review and let me know what you think!
(Huge thanks to Saruwarui as always)