Hey everyone!
Heres chapter three, hope you all enjoy. Be sure to review!
-Ladyymermaid
Chapter 3
After the events of last night, I woke up and found myself still sitting outside with the rest of the members. Bankotsu was off somewhere, while Renkotsu was working on Ginkotsu. Suikotsu and Jakotsu we're beside me sleeping. I looked around the camp site, something was off. Their belongings that we're once thrown around everywhere we're missing. Maybe we're leaving, I thought with a smile on my face. Everyone is busy, or sleeping and we're outside. No one would know if I'd make a run for it. I looked around for my backpack and saw that it was right next to Suikotsu.
I hope he's a heavy sleeper, I stood up and tip toed around him grabbing my backpack as quietly as I could before tiptoeing away from him. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and walked away quickly, about half way away toward the forest I turned around to see if anyone had noticed me walking away.
BAM!
I had hit something, I turned my head and before me stood a very angry Bankotsu. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" He put his face in mine.
Panicking, I came up with the best excuse I could think of. "I have to pee." I muttered as I mentally slapped myself for saying something so idiotic.
"With your backpack?" he asked grabbing it from me. "In the wrong direction?"
"Yup," I laughed shakily. "I forgot where we usually go."
"I see," he began to circle around me, eyeing me like some kind of prey. "You see Suikotsu," he turned me around and pointed to his sleeping form.
"Yes," I said unsure what he was going at.
"Well, he's been begging me to let him have you." He smiled evilly towards me. "I told him he couldn't but if you run off, I'll be sure to send him after you and without me watching him theres no telling what he would do to you. Unless of course, you prefer Renkotsu to go after you, then you'll know what he'd do."
I gulped at the thought of Renkotsu spewing fire toward me and killing me, and I shivered at the image of Suikotsu rubbing his clawed hands on my body. Both endings were not pleasant ones.
"Would you want that to happen?" he lowed his head so it was resting on my shoulder, his hot breath tickling my ear, causing me to shiver.
"No, I wouldn't want that to happen." I thought, before I realized something. "I know you wouldn't send Renkotsu after me, he'd kill me and that would end your contact with Naraku. I'm not sure he'd be too happy about Suikotsu having his way with me either." I looked at him, trying to hide the smirk on my face. "It would be you or Jakotsu what would have to capture me, and either way none of you could really hurt me..it would cost you you're life."
He stared at me wide-eyed for a moment, surprised that I had caught on to his bluff. He composed himself and pulled me to him, "I'm sure that whatever Naraku has in store for you will be way worse than my brother having his way with you."
I gulped, that was true. No matter how much I used Naraku's wrath as an advantage there was no telling what he had planned for me.
"Even if you did escape, Naraku would just go after you. It would seem you're a very important piece of his game."
I glared at Bankotsu, my pathetic attempt to escape and any future attempts had been demolished. It wasn't them I feared. No, I feared something much more terrifying. I feared the wrath of an angry hanyou who would stop at nothing to make sure I was dragged into his pathetic game. A game that I surely would not win.
He pushed me roughly, causing me to fall on the ground before he put his dirty foot on my face, "you'll listen to what I say, now go back to everyone and clean up."
What the hell is wrong with him? I stood up and brushed the dirt off my clothing and face. Glaring at him as I walked toward Jakotsu and Suikotsu. Bankotsu followed behind me, making sure I didn't wander off again.
"Oi! Jak and Sui, wake the fuck up." A very cranky Bankotsu had announced.
"Yeah, yeah," Jakotsu sat up, immediately fixing his messy hair.
"We leavin' big brother? Suikotsu sat up yawning as he did so.
Bankotsu simply nodded his head and walked away, bumping into me in the process.
"What the hell is his problem?" I glared at him as he waled away.
Jakotsu smiled at me, "he likes you and he doesn't know how to handle it."
"If he likes me he shows it by acting like a seven year old," I sighed.
"Well, he doesn't know if he should bend you over and take you or kiss you passionately." Jakotsu smirked at me.
"Jakotsu," I looked at him, trying to make the sternest face I could muster. "Don't tell me things like that."
"Aw, why not?" He stood up walking over to me.
"It's weird," was the best excuse I could come up with.
"If big brother doesn't claim you," Suikotsu said walking over to me. "I surely will."
"Yeah…no thanks," I moved behind Jakotsu hoping he would protect me from the very perverted and scary Suikotsu.
Jakotsu simply laughed and began collecting things that were his, and I followed. If anything, I made sure no matter where we went I was with Jakotsu, the irony of it was was that he hated women, and here I was using him as protection from the merciless men.
We all piled on Ginkotsu and left. We didn't arrive to our next destination till nightfall and I was relieved to be off the moving robotic man. While hopping off Ginkotsu I listened to Bankotsu who was giving out instructions for each of us. He listed off everyone then looked to me, "can I trust you to collect fire wood?" His eyes narrowed.
I nodded my head, "I won't run off, not at this time. Theres demons everywhere."
He glared at me for a moment before sending me off to collect the wood.
I walked close to the edge of the clearing. I was far enough to hear the men, but not see them. I collected some large sticks, small sticks and some in between. Picking up some leaves to add to lighting the fire, remembering seeing InuYasha teaching me to add other things than just sticks to make the fire last. While I was picking up the leaves I heard movement. I stood still, steadying my breathing. The movement kept getting closer and closer, "Jakotsu?" I whispered but got not response.
Then a shadow appeared. The figure was tall and slender, I squinted my eyes to get a better look and saw a tail swinging back and forth. A cat? I took a step back as the cat began to get lower to the ground, taking a step forward the cat demon slipped and fell. I tried my best to hold in my laugh from the 'sneaky' cat, but I couldn't hold it in any longer and just began to laugh uncontrollably.
"Damn it," a female voice met my ears. "I'll never be able to perfect that damn attack pose."
I looked at the shadow get up from the ground and step into better light so I could see her. It wasn't any ordinary feline, she was a panther demon. Clad in all black fur with chestnut colored hair and green eyes, she flashed a sharp toothed grin at me. "Are you going to attack me?" I said getting into a defensive stance, despite not having my sword on me.
"No," she shook her head blushing from embarrassment because of her failed attack.
"Do you have a name?" I asked, still on the defensive.
She nodded her head and smiled warmly, "Bethany."
"Ember," I replied. We stared at each other for a moment and realized neither one of us was a threat to one another.
"Collecting fire wood?" she motioned to the wood in my hands.
"Yes," I simply said. What does that have to do with anything? "You're half demon," I said bluntly.
"How can you tell?" She gasped at me.
"My friend is half demon, and you can tell from your eyes." I said, shrugging my shoulders.
She stared at me for a second, her eyes looking like she was expecting me to say something rude, shun her, make her leave.
"So which of your parents is human?" I asked, genuinely curious.
She eyed me, "father."
" Wow! That's just so amazing!" I said, smiling widely. "I wonder what it would be like to be half human and half demon. I'll have to ask InuYasha the next time I see him, hopefully he doesn't get mad that I ask him he's such a hothead. So tell me more about you and I'll answer anything you want to know. Like do you have any siblings?"
"No, I have no brothers or sisters. It's just me and my father, well it was just me and my father." her eyes became full of sadness, but was quickly replaced with anger. "I'm searching for Kouga of the wolf demon tribe, it his fault my father is dead. A few months ago, he sent his wolves to feed on my village while I was out hunting for food. Since my father and I had hardly any money thats how we ate each night. I have to first find my mother so I can learn how to fight properly and then I will face Kouga and kill him, avenging my fathers death."
"Oh wow, that must be pretty hard." I said. Wait a minute, I know Kouga! He's the wolf thats in love with Kagome.
"Yes it sort of is, I loved my father dearly. The day I found him dead and discovered it was wolves I vowed to avenge my father if its the last thing I do."
"How do you know it was this Kouga wolf guy," I said clearly sounding like an idiot.
"His wolf demon tribe is the only one in the area."
"Well I wish you luck." I said feeling sorry for the poor girl, but being sure not to mention that I knew the wolf she was after. There is no way she's looking for the same guy, Kagome would never allow one of her friends to kill people.
"Thanks. So what is a girl, a human girl, doing all alone in a forest where demons can be lurking?"
"Well technically, I'm not alone. Unfortunately, I'm traveling with the Band of Seven and were staying in the village just two or three minutes away."
"The infamous Band of Seven," she mumbled. "I had heard rumors of their revival, I just didn't believe it."
I nodded my head, once again reminded that these men were killers.
"Why are you traveling with them?"
"Well you see," I started. "There's this evil demon named Naraku and he sent the band of seven to bing me to him for reasons I'm not completely sure of, no one will fucking tell me!" I yelled, annoyed and hoping Naraku's poisonous insects could hear me.
"Jeez," she muttered sniffing the air. "Hold on looks like its one of the band of seven" she said.
"Hide," I said.
"Why?"
"Just do it, they might kill you." I said pushing her behind a tree. She nodded in agreement and hid up in the trees. I looked to see who was coming and it was Bankotsu.
"Ember," I heard Bankotsu's voice and I bent down, continuing to collect sticks.
I looked up at Bankotsu and say him there smiling at me, "Bankotsu." I said back.
"So that was a pretty fun game we were playing last night, huh?" He said, his attitude completely changing from earlier this morning.
" Um, yeah, I guess." I shrugged my shoulders eyeing him cautiously . "So did you like come looking for me or something?"
" Yes, I had to make sure you didn't run off. Also, I need to talk to you about something, something important."
" What does it have to deal with?" I looked up at him.
" Naraku." He said plainly.
I raised my eyebrow and motioned for him to continue, "go on."
"Well, his Saimyosho came by and they told me why Naraku wants you." My face flushed listening to him, afraid of what he was going to say. "Naraku wants you to be his mate. He said it was a life long thing. I don't know if you know more about it than I do but I'm sure he will explain it to you when you get there."
I exhaled slowly, dropping all the sticks I had just collected. I felt sick, and got down to my knees. Recalling what I had heard Kaede say about demons and mating, they mated for life. I felt myself begin to shiver, thinking about his creepy hands touching me. I'd take Suikotsu over Naraku any day.
" Em, you okay?" he asked, while walking close to me.
I shook my head no. He got down on his knees and lifted my chin only to see that I was crying. I looked into his eyes and let out a huge sob, why me? It makes no sense why he would waste his time on a human like me, why couldn't he have picked someone else.
"B- Bankotsu." I stuttered, putting all my weight on him, trusting him for this moment.
"Shh," he cooed. Rubbing my back and muttering that it was all going to be okay, even though his words were lies.
Hearing me crying, Bethany jumped down from he hiding spot, "did I hear him correctly?" Bankotsu picked up his Banyruu and got all in defensive mode.
"Wait Bankotsu don't kill her," I said while throwing my arms up to stop him. "She's my, uhh, friend."
Bankotsu put his oversized halberd down and sighed, "damn it I was really aching to kill something right now." He eyed Bethany, who said her goodbyes and took off before Bankotsu changed his mind about not killing her. "Oh well I guess, I'll have to settle on killing you Em." He said jokingly and throwing me over his shoulder while walking towards our camp site, picking up the sticks I had dropped.