Kagome's eyes started to burn as she stared at orange flames. Kohaku slept soundly, his navy cloak used as a blanket. Kagome clenched her jaw as she resisted the urge to holler at the top of her lungs. She knew that sundown was soon and Gramps still hasn't returned.
The girl thought she heard someone outside of the hut and dashed outdoor. The wind howled and Kagome's grey eyes squinted through the flakes of snow. No Gramps or Kirara. The teen felt her hot tears begin to welt in her eyes and lightly run down her rosy cheeks. She fell to her knees and clawed her fingers into the snow. Were they attacked? Was Gramps just too sick to be out there?
"Why didn't I try harder to stop him?" Kagome wepted as she slammed her hands deeper into the snow. , thump, thump, thump. Kagome's hands felt as if they were burning and they slowly became a deep red that matched her legs. Tears still flowed and she could've sworn that the tears were going to end up as little ice drops on her face.
Her hands covered her ears as she continued to hear the same footsteps that she did a short moment ago.
"Why is my mind playing tricks on me like this?" Kagome screamed inside of her head.
Every second felt agonisingly more slow than the last. Would she ever get to see her beloved Grandfather again? Would she really be left in this cruel village and crueller world alone? The thought alone of being in the village with no family member made her heart clench. Maybe she would be able to finish her training to be a priestess and do her practices in a new village.
Start a new life.
The idea of starting over in a new village didn't seem like a bad idea. No one would know her she could be whoever she wanted to be. She could find a nice man and bear his children. She could be an ordinary woman if she wished. Hell, she could have a new name if she wanted.
Kagome's hair began to feel heavy as the snow layered on top of her jet black hair. Her skin started to feel wet as the white flakes melted against her body heat right through her white kimono decorated with blue stencilled flowers.
"I atleast could have brought my cloak with me." Kagome muttered to herself as she thought about her forest green fabric that layed by the fire indoors. The girl drew small circles in the snow, unable to find the energy to get up and go back to retrieve her garment.
"Kagome?" The girl looked up this time seeing a shadow figure far off in the storm.
"Gramps?" Kagome screamed at first she tried to stand up but her legs clutched at the quick action. Instead she crawled as quickly as her body would take her towards the black figure. As she got closer, her hopes shrunk as none of the features of the figure matched her grandfather's.
"What are you doing?" Koga demanded as he took off his own black cloak and draped it over the shaky girl. Only response he got was the chatter of teeth.
"Fine, have it your way." Koga mumbled and picked up Kagome like a young child, he flinched as her ice cold cheek pressed against the crook of his neck. He wondered just how long the girl was outside in the storm. Was she crazy? It was one of the coldest nights of the year! Koga walked into the hut and sat as close to the fire as possible without burning himself or the girl in his lap.
The two of them just sat in silence, Kohaku still sound asleep across the way. Koga stared at Kagome by her eyes he could tell that she was thinking a mile a second. He felt relief as he seen that her rosy cheeks began to fade into it's natural blush. Her hair drenched with melted snow.
"As long as she's warm." Koga thought to himself, he knew that she would certainly have a cold within the next couple of days.
Koga eyed Kohaku across the fire as he slept peacefully. Koga knew that Kohaku spent a lot of time with Kagome and her grandfather. Koga was a couple years older than Kagome, he could remember everything from the time Kohaku's mother was pregnant to the day the boy was born. He remembered everything.
"I thought I heard Gramps return." Kagome's hoarse voice broke the silence and brought Koga out of his thoughts. Her eye's blank with emotion she stared right through everything, almost as if she looked into a different world. Kagome's bottom lip quivered as a single tear ran down her face.
"He's fine, Kagome. Relax." Koga's smooth voice attempted to coax the girl.
"And what if he's not, huh? Then what?" Kagome snapped and pivoted her body to face the boy. A fire burned in her eyes and it wasn't a reflection from the fire in front of them. Koga raised his hands in surrender. Kagome sighed, she knew that was an over reaction but she couldn't help it. Something felt so wrong and she hasn't been able to shake the feeling all day.
"If he's not... I am going to leave." Koga heard her say so very quietly he almost missed it. He was unsure if he was suppose to hear that or if it was just a thought accidently said outloud, either way he did not like what the girl was trying to say.
"What do you mean leave?" Koga asked her, the undertone of anger was present in his voice.
"The village. If Gramps is... If something happened to Gramps I am leaving the village as soon as my priestess training is over." Kagome explained her voice not much louder than it was before.
"That's your plan, eh? To just leave the village and everyone in it behind?" Koga asked the girl in his lap. Kagome felt as if he was challenging her.
"Yeah, so?" Kagome crossed her arms her eyebrows furrowed at the boy.
"Everybody." Koga repeated one last time the anger in his voice rose.
Her warm fantasy was over wealmed with the cold reality finally understanding what Koga was trying to tell her. The thought of a boy half a head shorter came into her mind. Would she really be able to leave Kohaku behind? The boy was already basically fatherless and along with Gramps being gone.
Kagome turned her body to look at the sleeping boy. She shook her head; She wouldn't leave her brother behind. The urge to cry came but this time she refused to let the tears fall. She will stay strong for her and Kohaku. If something were to happen to Gramps would have to be ready to be there for him. Gramps was just important to Kohaku as he was to Kagome.
A deep growl echoed through the hut and Kagome looked at Koga, the look on his face told her that he heard it too. The girl leaped from the boy's lap, grabbed her green cload on the way and shot out of the hut. In front of her was Kirara. Only Kirara.
"Kirara!" Kagome wrapped her arms around the big cat's neck. The girl looked around to see if she would be able to see Gramps but he was no where to be seen.
"Gramps?" Kagome asked the twin tailed cat, the cat's eyes were glossed with sorrow as if she was apologising to the girl. Kagome felt a lump in her throat afraid of what she was about to ask next.
"Is...He dead?" The large cat shook it's head no and for the first time that dead Kagome felt as if she could breathe before that same breath was taken away from her.
"Where is he? Can you take me to him?" Kagome pleaded. Kirara nodded her head along with a quick growl. The teen climbed ontop of the demon cat. Kagome was about to command Kirara to go until she felt a tug on her arm.
"Kagome, at least let me go with you." Koga spoke in a low voice.
Kagome shook her head and tugged her arm out of his grasp.
"Koga, please. I need to go on my own and I need you to stay here with Kohaku. I've read about this legend. I'll be okay." Kagome tried to explain as quickly as she could so her and Kirara could get to Gramps.
To Kagome's surprise, Koga stepped back getting out of the way of the girls.
"I promise to watch Kohaku with my life you have my word." Koga swore and Kagome nodded in agreement before she tapped Kirara lightly on the side to signal her to go forward.
"Hang in there Gramps."
The snow crunched under Kagome's feet as she jumped off the two-tailed feline's back. The forest grew dark and she felt her heart beginning to race with hope that Gramps was okay.
"Which way did he go?" Kagome asked Kirara. The girl followed the cat deeper into the dark void of the forest. The sun hidden behind the clouds made it appear later than it really was and for Kagome, it unfortunately meant it was also colder.
The sound of silence was cut with the faint sound of Kirara and Kagome walking on the crisp white snow along with the slight whistle of the wind.
"I feel something... Evil."
Kagome thought to herself the demonic presence sent a stronger shiver up her back than the bitter weather. Kagome felt a strong heat by her face as she almost bumped into Kirara her flaming twin-tails only a couple inches from her face.
"My eyebrows almost got burnt off!"
Kirara snarled revealing her big and sharp fangs that could put a dent in a diamond. Her front right paw scooping the snow behind her like a bull ready to charge.
"Kirara?" Kagome looked forward not understanding what was setting off the kind-hearted demon. Was it the same evil aura that she was feeling? Both stood completely still in the forest. The sound of Kirara vibrating was dominate before Kagome heard it.
At first the sound was faint and easy to miss but it grew louder with every second. Footsteps. Kagome gripped onto the fur on Kirara's back, her left hand gripped her hooded kimono together. The girl stood frozen in place with the mix of fear and the constant drop of temperature.
Soon a flash of silver descended from the trees ahead. The silhouette of a man manifested. Kagome had to squint through the dim brightness of the very limited sunlight that remained in attempt to see any details of the man. The only things she could point out was his unmistakable long silver hair and a giant fur boa on his right shoulder that reminded Kagome of a fuzzy caterpillar she seen once.
"Who are you?" Kagome yelled out to the man who was no more than twenty feet away from herself and her two-tailed companion. He simply flipped some hair off of his left shoulder, ignoring the girl's question all together.
"I suggest you leave these grounds immediately." Kagome's breath shortened at the sound of his voice. Beneath the soft sound there was sinister and almost vile tone that made her heart quicken it's pace. What about this man had her impulse to run away like a bat out of hell?
In the blink of an eye the man was less than ten feet away from Kagome and Kirara. Kirara ready to pounce at any given moment and Kagome was able to see more characteristics of him. The first thing that caught her attention was a marking of a crescent moon in the middle of his forehead along with two red markings on each side of his cheeks that resembled wounds of an animal attack. Next Kagome was able to notice his ember eyes that shined beautifully in the remaining light of the sunset.
"What are you!" Kagome demanded when she saw one of his pointed demon ears. Did he belong to the Lunar clan? She thought her eyes locked at the lilac moon.
"Impossible! They haven't been seen in generations."
Kagome regretted not accepting Koga's offer to come along earlier but she like her Gramps was too stubborn. Thinking about her current situation she was most certainly stuck. She had no weapons on hand and the man in front of her had two swords along with sharpened claws that no doubt could have slice her into chunks with almost no effort.
"You must be searching for the old man. Your scent reeks of his." The look of amusement fell on his face as sheer horror reflected onto Kagome's. He could smell her scent from feet away? He knew the scent of Gramps?
He knew the scent of Gramps.
"What do you have done with him!" Kagome screeched the same moment Kirara fled in attack her sharp claws and fangs ready to insert into his flesh. There was a flash of neon green. A single cry was heard from Kirara simultaneously with the crack of a whip.
"Kirara!" Kagome watched as the twin tailed shrunk into the form of a small kitten and ran to her without a second thought. Once she reached Kirara she craddled the injured kitten close to her chest inside of her kimono.
The man still just stood in the same spot he was a moment ago. There was a long string radiating a toxic green hung from his claws as if it was an extention of them. The green string melted whatever snow it came in contact with.
"Please. Just tell me if my grandfather is alive." Kagome pleaded tears swelled in her eyes as she spoke to the demon. The thought of her grandfather being murdered so easily by the powerful stranger terrified her.
"He is alive. For now."