Keep Away

Chapter 2,
Forever Night

Kagome opened her eyes after what felt like an eternity and looked around futilely, wherever she was is was infinitely too dark to see anything. "What happened?" She thought as her head was bombarded with memories of the only thing she had ever known being torn away from her. She strangely wondered if her father was alright, picturing him curled up on her bedroom floor, his face bloody with scratches and his hair lying in clumps around him. The monster hadn't touched him but he was dead. It was so realistic in her mind she almost threw up. Choking on a sob instead, she urged herself not to scream or cry. Desperately she peered around the dark enclosure; she didn't hear anything so she assumed she was alone. After all alone was all she had ever known, and she knew it well. Kagomedecided it was best not to stay where she was so she began to crawl, feeling the floor and groping for an exit. "What the-?" Kagomewobbled as the floor swayed unsteadily below her. She tapped it and listened to the distinct metallic noise it produced. She shimmied forward, careful not to tip whatever she was on top off. She didn't get far before feeling a large vertical metal bar, it was surprisingly cold and Kagomewithdrew her hand instantly surprised, she moved a little to the left and felt again...another bar! Kagomebegan to panic realizing what was going on around her, she was in a cage! But why was the floor moving? Was the cage hanging somehow? What type of cage hung..? She let out a small gasp remembering the giant feathered monster that had taken her from her father. A bird cage! Kagomewithdrew her arms and legs curling into a ball, how could this be happening? How could that thing be real? This was all impossible! It had to be a bad dream! Her father's words echoed back to her...

" Kagome, we live in a time where legends exist. The unknown and dangerous are lurking all around us every day!" "These...monsters...demons..they want to steal you away...away from me.."

And they had. She remembered her father telling her they wanted her because she was something special, "But what?" Kagomewhimpered to herself. "Why me...?"

"Ah Priestessss...you are awake now, yes?" The word priestess ran over his tongue like something delicious he wanted to savour. Kagomeslid away from the voice, coming from just outside the bars she had been touching moments ago.

"W-who's there?" she whispered terrified of the answer she already knew.

"It is I, your saviour, your liberator, your massster." Kagometried to steady herself as the cage tipped ever so slightly and the sound of a metal door creaked open.

"S-stay away..!" Kagome pushed herself up against the opposite side of the cage so hard the bars were making light indents in her back.

"Shhhh...silence." The raspy voice came again as Kagomefelt the cage floor tremble with his every step closer. "You smell so...delicious." Kagomeshut her eyes tight as she felt a familiar claw grasp her arm.

"D-don't..." she pleaded pathetically. He was more than three times the size of her father, if she was helpless to him how could she ever even imagine escaping this monstrosity?

"Do not worry PriestessssI do not want to hurt you, come to me." His voice was surprisingly gentle and Kagomefelt his other feathered arms beckoning to her.

"I'm afraid..." Kagome told the truth meekly standing up and taking a step forward. He had saved her right? From her father..? Was he, despite his looks, as he had said...her saviour?

"Come, I will show you that there is nothing to be afraid of." She felt herself move forward a few more steps and its wings enclose around her. They were soft and comforting, in the dark where she could not see its face it seemed almost like a warm embrace. Were it not for the dreadfully cold feeling they emanated, death. "Priestesss...?" she was so close to him she could feel his breath on her neck, it smelt rancid.

"Y-yes?"

"You are very foolish." The words echoed in Kagome'shead as she felt the monster's wings and arm's restrict around her small body.

"Oww...!" Kagome wriggled and squirmed trapped in his arms. His wings suffocating her, she kicked her legs futilely.

"Magnificent! The harder I hold you...the more I posses you.. the stronger I feel!" The creature shuddered with sheer pleasure. "You're divine, so pretty." Kagomefelt the horrid claw stroke clumsily across her cheek, she couldn't breathe. "Please..." she thought over and over again, her vision beginning to blur. Not that it mattered, the horrid thing holding her was black on black. Even if she could move there was no where she could run to in this place of forever night. A stabbing pain in her right arm and the word "Priestesss..." were the last things Kagomecould remember before blacking out.

When she awoke the room was dimly lit with candles. It took her a minute to regain her bearings as she stood up unsteadily on the swaying floor. Why was the cage swaying so much? Swinging back and forth and back and forth... Kagomecollapsed backwards and threw up. It wasn't the cage that was swinging; it was her head, she was incredibly dizzy. Kagomelifted her hand noticing something wet on the floor, the floor wasn't wet before was it? Her head was swimming. She took three deep breaths trying to clear it, trying to figure out what had happened before she blacked out. Kagomeshifted her wait to her right arm attempting to get a better look at the dark liquid on the floor. She collapsed to the ground screaming in pain. The little girl hadn't noticed the pain before because her mind was numb, but as it cleared the searing sensation came back with her senses all too quickly. "Ahhh..." she cringed, feeling up her arm to the source of her agony. There was a deep cut on her upper arm, it didn't feel clean, like it was made from a knife. It felt jagged, like a claw. Kagomealmost passed out as she realized the liquid on the floor must be blood...herblood. But that wasn't all, there was something else mingled with the blood on her arm..."W-what the?" Kagomestuttered realizing what the other substance was, "Drool?" She heaved, almost vomiting again as she wiped the saliva off her hand. A fluttering noise snapped Kagomeout of her nausea and to attention.

"I almost couldn't stop..." his voice was mocking but underlined with terrible seriousness. "I wanted to tear you apart and eat you up." Kagomecouldn't stop shaking, it was like her body was freezing. "That's what we crow demons do you know, eat children." Before she knew it he was at the edge of the cage, his eyes never leaving hers. "But not you...no..your far better...just drinking your blood.." the crow seemed slightly insane, "...like..eating a thousand children.." Kagomeneeded to throw up again. "Ah no, no, no, no... I will never eat you...never eat you.." as he said this he reached his claw through the bars out towards her. Kagomedidn't move, she was completely frozen. "Ah good girl, mmm...yes." He floated around the cage, giant wings flowing around him like rivers of ink. "I am sparing you, sparing you to be my mate." Kagome'seyes filled with tears, she just wanted this to end. "You will grow, here in this cage. I will feed upon you and when the time is right, you will spawn my young." As he told Kagomehow her life would be he twirled in pleasure, "They will be so strong! Born of a priestess!"

"NO!" Kagome screamed at him, her voice amplified by the millions of echoes in the dark, empty room. The crow seemed to all but freeze completely, if it were not for his wings steadily beating to keep him airborne.

"What?" his eyes tinged a dangerous crimson red, "What did you just say?" Kagometried to keep her wits, she may only be eleven but she was smart. All those hours alone, left to her thoughts. She had had to teach herself many things in order to keep from going insane. She had noticed the way he had jolted to a stop at her words, if she had some sort of powerful allure to demons...maybe she had other powers as well. But she couldn't rely on them now if they actually did exist at all, if she didn't act carefully she could die.

"I said no...I will not grow in this cage."

"What do you mean priestess...?" his voice was dark and edgy and Kagomefelt his eyes burning into her.

"I mean..master.." Kagomehoped this would distract him slightly and it did, he preened in pleasure as the word left her rosy lips. "That human children cannot grow in cages, it stunts them."

The crow seemed to think deeply about this, "You mean....you will never reach the age to become my mate if you remain caged?" Kagomedidn't speak, letting him think this over more. She didn't want to lay it on too thick, and the thought of being this creature's mate made her too sick to open her mouth. "I see... humans are more like us bird demons than I had ever thought," he seemed pleased with himself, like he had come to some great conclusion, "We as well cannot remained caged." She sensed the time was right,

"So you will let me out?"

"...yes..." as he said this Kagomewatched with silent victory as he opened the cage door. She paused, what was she supposed to do now? Before she could come up with any other ideas the giant bird stepped into the cage and grabbed her arm. She almost burst into hysteric screams, "Let go let go!! My arm!!"

"Silence!" he brought the back of his other claw up against her face in one fast motion silencing her instantly. "You arm is fine! Look!!" He held her arm up to her face and Kagomealmost collapsed with shock, her arm was almost completely healed! Now that she thought about it, it had seemed somewhat closed up when she had first discovered it. There was so much she didn't understand! "See? You are not an ordinary human Priestess." As he said this he pulled her to the edge of the cage.

"No, no, no, no!!" Kagomebegan to scream again, was he going to pull her right off the cage? See if she had even more in common with the bird demon kind? "Stop!!" before she could scream another halting word he had easily pulled her straight off and she was falling. The ground was getting closer and closer, "Bad dream, bad dream!" Kagomethought ferociously tears forming in the corners of her eyes and sliding up off her cheeks only to soak into her dark, beautiful hair. Then she wasn't moving, she was floating through the air. Was she in heaven? If so it was very pleasant...except for that awful clawing feeling at her sides..what was that? She opened her eyes to see the dark rocky ground of a cave tunnel rushing below her. She dared only briefly to glance up and her stomach sank to see her awful captive there, carrying her by his talon-like feet. It hurt but she could barely feel it, her body was still numb and tingly from her fall. Unfortunately he wasn't going to let her die that easily... Suddenly a small light caught her attention, she wondered if it was the exit or just the entrance to another night mare. The light got closer and closer and she held her breath as they flew through...out into the fresh air and open meadows of a mountain side. She felt as if her heart would explode with hope, maybe she could escape this monster yet! Kagomegave a small yelp as he dropped her onto the lush green grass.

"Grow priestess...." the dark bird loomed giant and ominous above her.

"What...?" Kagomelooked at him puzzled; he didn't actually think taking her out of the cage and into nature would make her grow instantly...did he?! The crow demon ground his talons into the soft earth impatiently,

"You sad you needed to be out of a cage to grow, so why is it you are not growing?!"

"W-well you see..." Kagomecouldn't think of anything to tell this insane crow, he was going to figure out her bluff, hurt her and take her back to the bloody cage!

"Never mind! We must go!" suddenly the crow didn't seem so scary, his back was hunched slightly making him appear smaller and his wings were withdrawn closely behind his back in a protective way. He was glancing in the opposite direction of his mountains warily. She wondered why he seemed so spooked. "Come! Come to me!" He was moving towards her fast now and Kagomehad to act even faster if she ever wanted to see the light of day again. She got up quickly and began to sprint as fast as her little legs would carry her away from the creature and in the direction the he had been glancing so cautiously.

"NOOO!" the mighty black demon screeched barrelling towards her. Kagomehad instant flash backs to that day, had it only been a few days since she had been taken? It was like she was reliving it, only there was no one to help her. She was so tired, she felt her legs giving up on her. She could hear him coming up behind her, closer, closer, so loud, so terrifying. And then, nothing. Kagomewondered where he was, why he hadn't come for her yet. She summoned all her courage and turned around. All she could see was a broken lump of feathers on the ground. She didn't dare move closer to see if he was him and jumped as she felt a hand grasp her shoulder. Screaming she turned clumsily falling backwards.

"Stay back!" she yelled covering her head with her arms.

"Oh my dear..dear girl." The voice was warm and velvety. But Kagomedidn't trust anything anymore, nothing was as it seemed. "No harm will come of you, Priestess." Kagomedidn't want to hear this, it was all the same. Her father the crow demon, all the same! She shook her head, willing the man to disappear, but he didn't. Instead he picked her up and began carrying her. She barely breathed in his arms, he was so gentle, who was he? She opened her eyes, and met his. "Hello Priestess, I am Sesshomaru."

End of Chapter 2, Don't worry this isn't going to turn into a SesxKag fanfic. I'm purely on the Yashaside of that spectrum. In fact our favourite Hanyouis going to make his appearance FINALLY in chapter 3! So keep reading!

I'm not sure how well this story is going to settle with the people of FanFiction. I don't think I'm going to get a lot of positive feedback but hey, I hope I can find a few people up for a "different" kind of feudal fairy tale. I really appreciate comments, they help the story form. Let me know what you're thinking!