Chapter 27

Naraku stared ahead with cold defiance. Though Kagura had not witnessed his servant's last battle first hand, she did report her view of the aftermath following her return with the sacred jewel. Apparently Inuyasha's niece had yet again cheated death, and in a vengeful rage ripped Goshuri open from the inside out. She then turned traitor over the sacred jewel and after seizing hold of it gained a terribly evil aura. Had the young dragon lord not intervened when he did, so said Kagura, Inuyasha's psycho niece probably would have kept its power, and possibly even come after her and Naraku. Naturally, this news had not boded well with Naraku. Without even inquiring about the fate of either Inuyasha or Sesshomaru, which as he would come to realize much later Kagura deliberately didn't mention in her report, Naraku worked to decipher the silver-she-welp's bizarre twist in behavior. And following that of course, how he could use said behavior as a tool to inevitably destroy her. The solution he eventually found had come after several hours of puppeteering, sneaking, divulging, and bloodshed. But it was a plan well worth the effort.

Now the time had come for him to put his scheme to action. Naraku closed his eyes and a cold grimace formed across his lips. "I'm beginning to grow weary of you're resilience Shuramaru of the west," the demon muttered under his breath "for it is your shadow which prevents me from unleashing my wrath upon Inuyasha…" Tapping lightly into the sacred jewel he reached with his mind until he connected with his latest demon puppet. The mimic was standing just downwind of an enormous, and quite sinister looking black castle shrouded by a powerful, near invisible barrier. Now staring through his puppet's eyes Naraku could see the palace's occupants. Swarms of feminine, leather clad, raven-haired demons were moving about the area dutifully guarding entrances or patrolling the skies with the help of their large, ebony-feathered wings. It was perhaps, the closest any demon would dare to come to this formidable tribe of harpy-esque witches voluntarily …any demon that is except him and a much younger Sesshomaru.

"That is why," the demon continued on, more to himself then anyone else "I intend to fight that shadow…. with a shadow of my own." the thought was only fleeting, but at this proximity even the faintest mental stirring was enough to draw the witches' attention. Sure enough, seconds later, two armor clad sentries swooped down from the sky cornering the baboon pelted Naraku.

"Please, forgive the intrusion," Naraku began politely as you please "I meant no harm, but only wished to speak humbly with your queen." To this the guards exchanged momentary glances, but kept their staff-weapons poised.

"On what business?" one of the guards finally hissed with a note that made her question sound more like a threat.

"I've come across an important discovery, one that could prove quite beneficial to your clan." Again both guards exchanged glances. Suspicion and curiosity hung heavy in their sapphire eyes.

"We'll see," the second guard concluded aloud. Then with a faint, telepathic touch she reached for her queen. The connection was near instantaneous.

"What is it?" An angry mental note made the guard stiffen.

"My queen, a stranger has arrived who wishes to speak with you."

"Kill him."

"But Queen Mura, he claims to have knowledge that will help us." Insisted the guard. The protest, though relayed with caution, sparked Mura's mental ire.

"Is that so…well lets just see…" With that the witch queen's telepathic link left the guard and proceeded instead into Naraku's unguarded psyche.

"Search all you want," a mental note from the baboon-pelted demon brushed confidently against Mura's "I have nothing to hide." The act clearly caught the witch off guard, for her mental delving reached only the shallowest fragments of Naraku's mind.

"Naraku is it," the demon witch mused, "I've heard that name." Naraku seemed delighted.

"Then you know why I've come," he once again prodded mentally, but his effort was cut short as the witch queen severed the connection. For a moment all was quiet and only after Naraku spied the guards nodding to themselves did he realize his efforts had worked.

"Our queen has agreed to see you," a sentry at last informed while gesturing with her weapon. "We'll take you to her."

Naraku nodded his understanding and proceeded to follow the two guards as they started towards the expansive palace. The territory was huge by any demon's standards, but unlike so many other tribes this one had the numbers to match. At least a thousand black-wings perched atop the expansive castle's balconies with twice that number dwelling inside. And that was just those demons present. Hundreds more were out foraging the mountains and surrounding land for food and potential mates to help keep their numbers high.

Before long Naraku and the two guards reached the palace. Though they moved far to rapidly for the baboon-pelted demon to take in all the décor of the interior, from what he saw the castle'sinside was as dark and jagged as its exterior. The floors, walls and numerous round supportive pillars were composed entirely of flawless black and gray swirled marble giving the entire inside a shrouded appearance. The only light came complements of countless free-floating, baseball sized, orbs of energy fashioned by sorcery to mimic the soft glow of the moon.

"Hmm, intriguing." commented Naraku as one of the orbs started to hover alongside his shoulder and better light his way. "One might think you witches feared the sun." The pair of guards turned up their noses.

"The darkness enhances our powers," one explained simply "and tonight is a new moon, so I suggest you monitor your remarks more carefully." the added warning came with a distinct mental poke that made Naraku grimace. Yes indeed, the blackwings were just as feisty as the rumors foretold: It was no wonder their branch was the largest of the dozen or so sub-species.

After a few moments the two sentries came upon a pair of ebony black doors decorated with elaborate, slate gray engravings of harpies. The guards didn't even need to knock, their mental vibrations had already reached Mura and so the doors opened at her psychic beckoning allowing the three to enter. Mura herself was seated atop a large decorated throne her wings draped casually over the armrests so that their tips reached the floor. Her body, pale as snow, was concealed in a skin tight, black leather tank top laced precariously along front and sides and an almost ridiculously short skirt. Under normal circumstances the two-piece set did a great deal to accent her lavish figure, however at present her right shoulder was tucked away in clean bandages, as was her neck. One cut remained visible on her cheek. Though a majority of it was covered over with an herbal sealant Naraku could see faint traces of raw, pink tissue around the parameter suggesting the ongoing work of an oddly familiar acidic residue.

"Leave us," ordered the witch queen when the three of them approached. The two guards were quick to obey and after a light bow they departed, closing the heavy doors behind them. Naraku out of politeness dipped to the ground in a respectful kneel, but apparently his etiquette was already less then desirable.

"You've got a lot of gull to speak to me through a mere puppet Naraku," grumbled the witch with irritation "I though you said you had nothing to hide." Naraku, not to be outdone in the realm of mind games was quick to retort.

"It seems we all have our ways of protecting our future…wouldn't you agree?" his reference was of course to Mura's ill-gotten canid heir a subject the witch queen clearly didn't appreciate.

"Watch yourself demon fodder," hissed the witch with a very real note of danger "unlike so many others I know where your real self resides… as well as your weaknesses." Naraku for his composure was more then a little surprised the witch queen had divulged so much without him realizing. No doubt she also learned of the sacred jewel shard he possessed and had full intentions of eventually taking it. But the demon kept his wits about him. As long as the witch remained his ally, he would have nothing to fear from her.

"That may be true," Naraku answered slyly "but tell me, is it my weaknesses you're really interested in?" The implication was subtle, but the witch picked up on it immediately.

"You speak of the western dog clan…"

"Of one particular member to be exact," Naraku went on with a silk-smooth edge "I believe you have ties with her." Now Mura was intrigued.

"Go on," she urged. The baboon-pelted demon gave a sly smile.

"It has come to my attention that she has been having some difficulties as of late. One might say, her darker side is beginning to show," the demon paused momentarily to delight in the eerily devious smile that had crept onto Mura's face. "You know of what I speak…" Naraku egged on with a hint of confidence. Mura's smirk broadened.

"I do indeed. The seal I placed at birth didn't fail as I had thought." Now it was Naraku who smirked.

"There's more,"

"Oh?"

"She has a human heart." The witch queen's piercing blue eyes widened and her jaw fell open slightly.

"A…human heart?" She repeated as if mulling over the fact. The idea was almost foreign, seeing as how the only commonality she shared with Sesshomaru was a hatred of humans; it was unbelievable that a child of theirs would be brought up thinking any different. It made her wonder…that perhaps the great dog wasn't as dutiful as he seemed to claim when it came to their whelp of a daughter. Not that such things really mattered now that Naraku had exposed the girl's Achilles heel.

"Exploit that queen Mura," Naraku went on "and she can still be curbed. You need only to strike with the right tools…and Shura of the west lands will become the powerful witchling heir you intended." Mura leaned back and cackled lightly. For being an assembly of random demon parts, this Naraku character had an outstanding mind. So manipulative and cunning…he thought like a witch.

"Thank you Naraku," the queen blackwing addressed down to the baboon-clad puppet "Your information was quite useful and for that reason I'll continue to tolerate your existence. However…" the witch's eyes suddenly flickered with power and with a graceful gesture of her staff she sent a wave of energy that evaporated Naraku's artificial vessel "continue to send pawns before me and I could change my mind."

Though their movements were slowed Miroku, Sango and Matyeo eventually reached their destined shelter, a simple glade shrouded in concealing foliage. Shippo and Kirara were cheered by their return however the atmosphere didn't last long. Although Kagome's arrow-wound had already been tended the girl hadn't awoken or even moved during their absence. Her complexion had also taken on an unnerving grayish tint that made everyone worried that perhaps her injuries were worse then they suspected. But to what degree none of them could tell.

The sight would have distressed Inuyasha a great deal if he had strength enough to remain coherent. But after such a grueling battle, and with only a mortals healing ability until dawn, it was a strain for him mealy to keep his eyelids open. He couldn't even protest while Miroku worked to treat his injuries, a process that to Inuyasha felt as though the monk were provoking every single pain receptor he had.

Thankfully for the halfling, Matyeo sensed his agonized mental vibrations and soon after he finished getting Sesshomaru patched up and settled he soothed Inuyasha's mind into comfortable, if not euphoric state of analgesia with a telepathic nudge. Matyeo would have also granted a similar treatment of mental painkillers to Sesshomaru, but a light mind tap revealed that the dog lord not only had stimulated said treatment himself he was already in an extensive plane of sleep.

"Rest well master," Matyeo muttered quietly as he draped the dog lord's red and white kimono top gently over his shoulders and propped him against a boulder in a half-sit. "The less you move, the better." With that done Matyeo set his attentions to the western dog clan's final member presently laying at rest a few feet away from her father. For all his concern the dragon had been hesitant about treating Shura's wound himself, mainly because exposing its location would prove a bit more revealing then his princely morals would allow. So Matyeo trusted the task to Sango, who as it turned out, was actually refreshed by his shyness. Supposedly in the company of Miroku and Inuyasha, morality and manners were revealed infrequently at best.

In a half crawl the dragon inched his way over until he was almost next to Sango, but he didn't dare take his eyes from the ground until the girl concluded her bandaging.

"Her wounds are manageable," Sango informed Matyeo while she made the final tie "and from the looks of things her body is managing the poison." The girl's reassurance was welcoming for the dragon to hear, but nonetheless he decided to remain on the cautious side. Poisons were a tricky matter and it was always best to be prepared.

"Even still, I'm going in search of some herbs," the dragon informed rather casually, but he stopped short when a hint of concern flickered across Sango's face.

"You should at least let us treat your injuries first," advised the slayer as she took up a clean rag and refilled the basin she was using with fresh water. Matyeo wrinkled his nose in disgust but offered little resistance when Sango soaked the rag and dabbed at the wound on his face. Even though all trace of the cuts would more then likely be gone by the following day regardless of treatment Matyeo saw no harm in humoring the girl. If anything it would distract her from worrying about her other companions for a few more fleeting moments.

With gentle yet efficient strokes Sango made fast work of the face cut. Then after tugging a bit on the dragon's shirt collar to expose the gashes on his shoulders and torso the girl shifted her healing talents to the next one, a diagonal cut that stretched from collarbone to midsection.

"Wow," Sango commented suddenly, making Matyeo follow her stare out of reflex. The girl's eyes had fallen from the gash to a distinct pair of parallel scars that rested overtop his heart. "That must have been a bad wound." Matyeo ground his fangs together uncomfortably but said nothing. With any luck the topic would end there. "Its strange…" the girl continued oblivious to Matyeo's unease "my father told me that dragons aren't scarred by anything…except the fangs and claws of other dragons…"

"Your father told you correctly," Matyeo's reply was barely more then a whisper. By that point his throat had constricted and a cold lump of past remorse and anger started to form in the dragon's gut. Swiftly he reached up and seized Sango's wrist, effectively stopping her progress with his wound care. "I should go now, and gather the herbs before any of them wake," was all he said before rising and transforming to the point of being able to unfurl his wings. Then with a mighty flap he was airborne and moments later out of sight completely.

"Did I…just say something wrong?" questioned Sango quietly to Miroku, who had come within range to witness the last few moments of her conversation.

"It seems he must have had some unpleasant dealings in the past," commented the monk in return "dragons are rumored to be a rather barbaric and traitorous race when it comes to inheritance and succession, especially in royal families."

"I wonder what could have happened…" Sango's thoughtful reply was cut short when a faint rustle in the foliage sounded not far from where she and Miroku stood. Kirara had apparently heard it too, for she roused from her post near Kagome and Inuyasha in order to investigate. With sabor-fangs bared the empowered cat demon stalked into the foliage and moments later the intruder was flushed out into the open. Half expecting a rogue demon to suddenly come barreling from the undergrowth with Kirara on its heels, both Sango and Miroku were surprised when instead a mortal women, carrying an armload of herbs came into view, backing timidly away from the growling cat demon.

"Kirara!" Sango called, stopping her companion's pursuit on the poor woman. The cat demon obeyed, offering one final chuff before resuming her protective watch over Inuyasha and Kagome. The village woman meanwhile set a nervous eye on the cat demon's owner.

"I'm sorry…. " She stammered, "I didn't mean to intrude…"

"Think nothing of it!" interrupted Miroku almost out of reflex. "Tell me what's a pretty young woman like you doing all the way out here by yourself…" the monk started to inquire further in his typical manner, but he stopped short when the woman held out the herbs at arms length, exposing in the process that she was very soon going to be mothering someone else's child.

"I brought these," she informed timidly while gesturing in Shura's direction "for her. They're jade-roses," she went on nervously "I thought maybe they would help. It's the least I can do, after she saved my life back at the village." As she spoke the woman let her eyes trail slowly around the camp she had stumbled into. Not only was the group twice as large as she had guessed, so was the number of wounded.

"Your generosity is most appreciated," replied the monk, having temporarily abandoned all his flirtation protocol in favor of a more virtuous mindset "please come join us, you'll be safe here."

The village woman took a nervous step backwards. Tempting as the invitation was, and diverse as the group might have been she had already learned from harsh experience not to trust so quickly.

"No…I couldn't…" she started to protest, but her effort was retorted, this time not by the monk, but the demon slayer.

"Its not safe to go wondering around alone in the wild…" the girl advised truthfully with an undertone that clearly reiterated the monk's invitation. Not sure what else to do, the woman at last relented.

"Alright then," she said with a heavy sigh "I suppose I can't argue."

"Good." Miroku once again chimed in, his tone more relieved than anything. With that settled the villager started to work preparing and blending her herbs while Miroku went over the very extensive list of introductions. The woman, noticeably less anxious after hearing the group's unique dynamics, eventually introduced herself as Zala.

"Well its very nice to meet you Zala," Miroku replied gently in the hopes of further easing the villager's lingering nervousness. His coaxing seemed to work, for after letting her eyes sweep across the group once more she finally voiced her inner curiosity.

"Do you…always travel with so many demons?" Miroku gave a slight smile before answering.

"Well usually it's just Shippo and Kirara…and Inuyasha, whose only half demon. The three of them along with Sango, Kagome and myself are on a quest to find the fragments of sacred jewel and stop an evil demon named Naraku. It was one of his henchmen…" the monk added quietly "that attacked your home." the latter remark must have struck a painful note, but to Miroku's surprise instead of sadness, Zala's face hardened with anger.

"That village was not my home," was all she said, however it was obvious from her expression there were far deeper implications. But to what degree the monk couldn't imagine.

Sango meanwhile was not so much interested in the young woman's history, but rather the unique blend of herbs she was presently concocting. Being a demon slayer, Sango was well versed in demonic curative herbs, and if her memory served her right, jade-roses were one of the rarest; a plant coveted by demons and nearly impossible for mere humans to acquire.

"If you don't mind me asking," the slayer began "how did you manage to come across such rare herbs?" Sango gestured with her eyes to the pile of green blossoms that flawlessly mimicked the shape, color and texture as their name implied. Zala, bit her lip anxiously and after several moments finally answered in an uncomfortable whisper.

"My late husband…taught me how to grow them."

Sango's face softened almost immediately and a pang of guilt left her fumbling for a reply. Now things seemed to make sense, the reason Zala was so unnerved by strangers and without a home or family. She was a widow soon going to bear a demon's halfling babe, and neither mortal nor demon had since granted her any sliver of kindness or mercy.

"Where will you go now?" Miroku voiced quietly. Though unsure of what help he and Sango could presently offer, what with so many of their companions injured, the monk felt obligated to at least make an effort.

"I've heard rumors of a settlement high in the northern mountains," Zala answered after a moments hesitation "where demon's and humans dwell together in peace…and everyone is treated like family." The woman paused to stifle the movements of her baby with a gentle stroke "I hope for my child's sake I can somehow make it there."

Sango and Miroku nodded in unison, unsure of how else to respond. After the horrors they had witnessed, the chaos brought so unfairly to their lives, Zala's fairytale paradise seemed to them nothing more then an illusionary hope. But neither one had the heart to comment. Hope of a peaceful future…was a motivation neither of them could dismiss.