Well, the lack of reviews certainly sucks, but it's not that big of a deal…I just hope that the people reading the story are enjoying it. But reviews allow me to improve my writing (the ones with constructive criticisms at least…).
Meh, what's done is done. Time to start this baby up!
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha even though it's widely known that all of us fan girls are plotting to steal him from Rumiko Takahashi any day now. Still, I don't own him.
Chapter the Fourth
Trapped for One Year
Miroku stepped in as defense for Kagome, "Inuyasha be reasonable."
"Inuyasha please," Sango begged, worried for Kagome's safety, "Just let her go free."
"You make it sound like I take prisoners daily." Inuyasha snorted.
Kagome seemed to get a 'those three used to be friends' vibe. They were just so straightforward and – relatively at the least – comfortable around him.
Sango and Miroku raised a few more protests. Inuyasha's eyebrow seemed to tick in frustration.
"No. The wench is staying here," Inuyasha looked at Kagome. For the first time, he looked over her.
And a face from a horrible memory popped into his head.
"You bitch," He growled, "You look…and you smell like that woman…like that wench Kikyo. You say you're a priestess correct?" Inuyasha's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.
Kagome gulped and hesitantly nodded.
"Then you are Kikyo," Inuyasha cracked his knuckles, "Why don't you take the spell off then? You stupid bitch!" He lunged for Kagome.
Sango and Miroku took hold of his arms, stopping him from ripping Kagome apart.
"Lord Inuyasha," Miroku struggled, "Calm down. It's not her. Look closely,"
Inuyasha stopped, his eyes still blood thirsty, and sniffed the air. His eyes seemed to lose that look and gain a snooty, annoyed gleam. His whole body screamed I-hate-you, "It's not her."
"No…really?" Kagome was bursting at the seams with anger and shock. Fear must've forced her to start getting sarcastic at him, "In case you didn't notice, I'm not this Kikyo woman you so obviously despise. My name is Kagome! Ka-go-me! Get it?"
Inuyasha shrugged Miroku and Sango off of him, "Well in case you didn't notice," He snapped back, "You look and smell almost identical to her, except you just have the reek of commoner on top of that. She smelled regal."
Kagome's eyes lit up with a fiery anger, "Commoner? You know what? I'm sick of everyone bugging me just because I'm not some prissy little girl like everyone else! Will you give me a rest? I couldn't care less if you're some demon! You act more like some snobby rich human to me!"
"That's because he's a prince," Shippo told Kagome quietly.
As if on queue, the front door was opened and shut and Koga was immediately among them, "Hey, what did I miss?"
Inuyasha snorted and crossed his arms like a child, "We have an annoying little visitor."
Koga stared at Inuyasha in shock, "You've left your room? You don't usually leave until sun down…" Koga trailed off and spotted Kagome. His eyes lit up, "Wow, you just can't get enough of me can you? You had to come all the way to the castle just to make sure you could see me again."
Kagome felt a rising 'as if', but bit it down. She didn't need another demon with sharp claws disliking her.
"I can take her to the next village," Koga offered, "It's where she wanted to go anyways."
"No," Inuyasha stated firmly.
Kagome stomped her foot, "Yes. I am leaving."
Inuyasha swiftly was upon her. His face was inches from hers, his eyes boring holes through her head, "No. You stay here in this castle."
Kagome gulped, unable to say anything in reply. She knew that she was shaking, and he gave a satisfied smirk before ushering out his next demand.
"Just get her the hell out of my sight," Inuyasha ordered to Sango and Miroku, "I don't care where you put her. Let her rot in the dungeons for all I care, but that woman isn't leaving this castle." He turned tail and began to walk away.
"I have to leave at some point!" Kagome screeched at his retreating form.
"Fine," Inuyasha told her, a righteous smirk on his face, "You have to stay for one entire year. If you show no signs of possible betrayal to our secret, I'll let you free."
Kagome gaped at him. A year? An entire year? That was…that was horrible! She couldn't be forced to live in a castle with that arrogant jerk!
Sango immediately went to Kagome after Inuyasha left, "Well," She tried to joke, "You did say you wanted to know who that 'other person' was."
"Now I wish I hadn't said it." Kagome moaned. Suddenly a question came to mind, "Hey Sango?"
"Yes?"
"What did he mean by 'taking the spell off'? I mean…why did he say that when I thought I was that Kikyo woman?"
Sango began to look uncomfortable.
Koga cleared his throat, "I have to go see Ayame." He sped off.
"Did I say something?"
Miroku stepped in, "Of course not Lady Kagome. It's just…the spell is a touchy subject for all of us…more so Inuyasha than Sango, Shippo, Ayame, Koga and I…but still. It's a story for another day. I'm sure you're famished. Would you care for something to eat?"
Kagome remembered her backpack, that she'd dropped on the floor, and that she had – in fact – not eaten at all yet. She shook her head, "No, I'm not hungry." Her stomach – being the tattletale that all stomachs are – let out a grumble.
She blushed, "Okay, maybe I'm a little hungry."
Sango laughed slightly, "Good. I'll take you there. Miroku, go get Koga to make something for Kagome."
"Please though," Kagome told him, "Don't go out of your way for me."
"Nonsense," Miroku grinned and turned to leave, "You're our guest."
Kagome laughed nervously at that one. Having to live with this crazy Inuyasha prince…it was going to be a nerve wracking time.
She had to escape sometime.
She would figure out a way….she's run when they'd least expect it.
Kagome looked over the three demons with her. They looked so…so human. Their mannerisms, their whole way of life screamed human.
But why?
Why were these demons different?
"Lady Kagome," Miroku began, moderately hesitant.
Kagome was shaken out of her reverie, "Yes?"
"I was just curious," Miroku's yellow eyes seemed to search her, "As to why a young priestess such as yourself would be out alone in such a dangerous forest."
Kagome wanted to burst into tears at that moment, for she knew that her entire family, not to mention Hojo, was out looking for her at that moment whilst she was – relatively at least – safe.
"I was on my way to the next village," Kagome told him carefully. At least that was part truth.
They didn't need to know that she was in fact running away from home. That would make her weak…and maybe, if they did want blood, prey. She was no one's prey!
Kagome stole a glance at Sango, whose face was calm and passive. Her eyes swam with anxiety. Her eyes did not match her face. That was a sign of her brooding over something. Something was troubling her.
Kagome's own eyes hardened. She would not let herself trust these people. All of her lessons, however few, taught her to be strong and cold in the face of demons.
But they were so human-like…
Sango had turned to face Kagome, "Is something wrong?"
Kagome was snapped out of her quarrelling thoughts. She waved her hands at Sango, "Oh no! I'm fine! Perfect!"
Sango stared at Kagome for a second longer, analyzing Kagome, scrutinizing her down to the last detail. Kagome felt as if this woman's gaze was peering into her very soul.
And it was downright creepy the way her eyes seemed stay fixed on Kagome's own.
Kagome averted her gaze, and Sango turned back to her task of leading Kagome.
"Kagome?" Shippo asked, "Are you sad?"
"No Shippo," Kagome told him, letting him hop off of her shoulder to walk, "I'm fine."
"Okay,"
Little kids…er…demons…were so gullible.
"Kagome we're here."
Kagome stopped, "Eh?"
"We're at the dining hall." Sango thrust open a large door and walked inside.
Kagome breathed out one word that surmised her feelings: "Wow."
The dining hall was huge. Not as big as the entrance hall, but huge all the same. The ceiling arced upwards, intricate paintings running up it. In the centre was a large crystal chandelier. The mahogany table stretched practically the distance of the entire room, and under it was a red and gold carpet with the insignia of proud lions patterned as a border.
The chairs were all beautiful, skillfully carved to be almost exact replicas of each other. There were two other chairs that were different though. They were at the centre of the table, side-by-side. The larger one was gold with purple seat cushioning. It had curving designs etched into the gold of the chair. The other was silver, the same patterns carved throughout except for its yellow cushioning.
Kagome couldn't imagine the room filled. It was amazing.
"How do you live here?" Kagome asked Sango.
Sango smiled, "We don't do anything in this room except clean it. It's for guests and royalty, not us. We have another hall that we eat in. Our…previous master had it beautifully created for us. We felt like royalty every day we ate there."
"But it's still not as grand as this place?"
Sango laughed, "Oh of course not!" She led Kagome to one of the wooden chairs, "But you get to eat here. Koga will bring you out some food. Can you stomach any soups?"
"It doesn't matter to me." Kagome replied, a little embarrassed to be getting such royal treatment.
"Then a soup it is." Sango told her, turning and entering a doorway positioned off in one corner.
Kagome turned to Miroku who was at that moment talking in a stern tone to Shippo, who had decided to bring a dead squirrel into the hallway with him.
"Where did that come from?" Miroku asked.
Shippo grinned happily, "It's from my stash."
Miroku seemed quite grossed out by this news, "How many dead things do you have in there?"
Shippo began to count on his fingers, "Three squirrels, a rat, a few mice I found in the cellar, a-"
Miroku covered the boy's mouth, "I want you to put all of your little dead things outside and never touch them again, got it?"
"But I…"
"Do you understand?"
Shippo sighed, "Yes sir." He trudged sadly out the door, dragging the little squirrel by its tail.
Miroku sighed, "How absurd…" He noticed Kagome, "Oh, Lady Kagome. Forgive me. I'll be leaving you in peace." He rushed through the door into what Kagome assumed must have been the kitchen.
"Uh…"
Why the heck had he been in such a hurry?
Kagome shrugged it off. Maybe it was just 'guest protocol' or something.
Although it seemed like they hadn't had guests in years.
Kagome looked around the room. A million paintings were hung on the walls. One especially large one caught Kagome's eye.
She slid out of her chair and quietly walked towards it. It was a portrait of two people. One was a man with long black hair and a proud face. He had smiling eyes and a mouth curved upwards into an amused smile. His arm was around a woman. The woman had flowing raven hair that framed her face, giving her pale skin a soft, almost ethereal glow. Her soft brown eyes seemed to stare right at Kagome with that same searching stare that Sango had. The couple in the portrait both had identical golden crowns on their heads.
Whoever had painted this was extremely talented.
Next to it was a painting of a boy. He was tall and fierce looking. His deep grey eyes bore no resemblance to the kind, soft eyes of the adults from the other portrait. He wore all black, similar to the outfit that Inuyasha wore. Except this boy was older…and human, still…
On the other side of the portrait of the couple there was a blank space. A dark patch on the wall suggested that there used to be another piece of art here. Except the space was the same size as the one of the boy. Maybe someone had taken it down…or it had gotten wrecked.
Kagome touched the dark patch with her fingers, letting them slide the perimeter of the space. Her thoughts were interrupted when the door Sango and Miroku had disappeared into burst open.
Kagome turned around to see Koga gently holding a silver tray. On it was a bowl of what Kagome assumed was soup, and beside it a smaller bowl of rice. There was a small cup of a deep purple liquid and some cutlery.
Koga placed the tray in front of a random seat and clapped his hands together in triumph, "Your meal is served," He stated in a goofy tone that must've been used to mock an older man with a deeper, accented voice.
Kagome giggled slightly at his jokes. She did not move, her fingers still touching the dark spot, "Koga?"
"Yes?"
"Did there used to be a picture here?" Kagome smacked the dark patch on the wall with her hand.
Koga nodded carefully, "Yes, there did used to be a picture there."
"Who was in the picture?" Kagome pestered further, "Was it someone who was connected to these two portraits?" Kagome indicated the one of the couple and the one of the stoic man.
Koga paused, looking down guiltily, "I-I can't say Kagome. Sorry, but…well…I just can't. We're not allowed to speak of anything to do with that."
"Anything to do with what…?" Kagome asked, trying to get him to finish.
"To do with the-"
Suddenly a girl popped into the room. She had fiery red hair and pupil-less blue eyes. She wore a maid's attire. She bounced in with vigor, making quite the entrance, "I heard we have a guest! Where is she?"
Kagome waved slightly, extremely embarrassed by all of the attention.
The girl raced towards Kagome with inhuman speed and shook her hand enthusiastically, "Hi! I'm Ayame! It's so great to finally have a visitor. Tell me, did you have a run-in with the Master?"
The Master…? Oh, she means Inuyasha… Kagome thought. She replied with a nod and a small grin.
This girl freaked her out with her bubbly attitude.
"I hope he wasn't too mean! I guess all of these years holed up have turned him into a meanie! Well, I apologize for him. I hope you enjoy your stay!" With that, Ayame bounded out of the room.
Koga laughed, "Well there's Ayame for you. Always rearing to go," He turned to leave, "Enjoy your food. Just ring for Sango or I and we'll get you to your sleeping quarters."
Kagome sighed.
Ayame was definitely a nut. Koga was a flirt. Miroku was a perverted monk. Sango was elusive. Inuyasha…was the biggest jerk ever.
Well…this was going to be a long year…
End of Chapter
There you go people! The fourth chapter. I hope you liked it! I know that this exuberance is getting annoying to all of you, but I don't like getting sarcastic and depressing during my stories…
Okay, so maybe I'll take sarcasm out of the NEVER DO list, because I'm usually pretty sarcastic…
Or maybe I'll just vent my sarcasm through Inuyasha in the story. That could work too!
Well, review!
