In the Shadow of Destiny

by Firebird Phoenix

AU Evil has come to the once peaceful land of Mika, in search of a Prophecy. Conquering Mika and plunging it into Darkness, now the only hope rests with the child of the Prophecy to bring an end to the evil and return peace to her land. *NEW CHAPTER 13*

5. Chapter V

In the Shadow of Destiny

By

Firebird Phoenix

Chapter V

"Is something the matter, Mistress?" asked InuYasha, his tone was more subservient then when Kagome first met him; it tugged at Kagome's soft heart.

"This won't stop him, will it?" asked Kagome, never raising his head InuYasha answered.

"I'm sorry Mistress, I don't understand."

"Lord Akria, he'll find another demon to blame for his disfigurement, even though a demon didn't cause the scar." For a moment InuYasha forgot his place and looked up at Kagome, his eyes were filled with pain and confusion, though the moment quickly faded and he pulled his eyes away and stared back to the ground.

"Forgive me Mistress,"

"Someone has to stop Lord Akria, InuYasha, and sense I started this problem I should be the one to stop it. Please make camp near by I'll be back shortly." InuYasha watched Kagome head back down the road, toward the home of his former master.

"It couldn't be," InuYasha shook his head, dismissing that stray thought from his mind; he did as he was told andhe made a camp near a brook and waited for Kagome to return.

Kagome ran down the road, she didn't care if this stunt brought her unneeded attention from Kane's men she already used her power to help Tessa at the Inn, and besides she couldn't leave those poor demons in the hands of Lord Akria when she could stop him. Kagome stood in the courtyard again; a place she thought she'd never return to, she heard a large obnoxious laugh coming from the main garden, stuffing his face with grapes was Lord Akria, though he'd grown much fatter and bolder sense Kagome scared him., Hhe wore lavish red and golden robes,robes; he was surrounded by demon concubines, faking interest in him. Kagome walked over to Lord Akria, he smiled a twisted perverted smile as Kagome approached them.

"Look girls, someone has come to join our games." A young fox demon The women holding a large plate of various foods, chicken, many other greasy foods few healthy; she remained silent and looked up sorrowfully at Kagome. Kagome noticed how while Lord Akira wasn't looking the starved thin demon would slip a grape to eat, seeing the hunger in all the women's eyes only made Kagome even angrier.

"What's your name wench?" Lord Akria asked in an insufferable tone of voice,

"My name is Kagome, and I'm not here to join your twisted idea of fun." Lord Akria looked surprised at Kagome, and holding his large fat belly he laughed a large loud laugh spitting bits of food everywherefrom his mouth.

"This ones got spark, I like spark."

"You falsely blamed and tortured an innocent half demon for your scar. I don't see why it's not like it diminished your beauty, you're already ugly." Lord Akria grew very angry, and rolled his fat body off of the couch he was sitting on. His smile scowled, whippingwiping the grease and bits of food from his piggish eating habits, and pointed a greasy fat figure at Kagome

"Watch it wench, you're bordering on the edge of a beating." Threatened Lord Akria, Kagome smiled wickedly

"I think you're the one who should watch himself." Snapped Kagome in a dangerous growling tone, suddenly Kagome was overwhelmed by hungry cries of all the demons on this land and snapped Kagome her raged forced her to changed into the shape of a large wolf, the same shape she took when she first scared him, and the concubines ran for cover as Lord Akria stumbled back petrified.

"Wh-what are you?" stammered Lord Akria, before Kagome pounced on him, her sharp white teeth digging into the soft flesh of his throat, the concubines watched helpless and terrified as Kagome savagely attacked Lord Akria. Kagome stood on the lifeless body of Lord Akria, her jaws dripping in his blood, her paws soaking in his blood, she stepped off his body leaving behind bloodily paw prints as she walked, she howled a deep mournful howl as near by slaves ran to see what had taken place, Kagome looked over at the arriving slaves, though unsurprisingly none of them looked upset that Lord Akria was just murdered by a rabid wolf. She Kagome could sense the relief and joy the demons around her felt, giving her a sense that a small amount of justice had been done; she made a swift escape as the slaves and Hiroshi seen to the concubines.

"What happened?" Hiroshi asked, the women looked at each other then back at Hiroshi,

"This rabid wolf coames out of no where and attacked the Master; before we could do anything the Master was dead." Said the a young fox demon holding the plate of foodwoman

"Stupid wench," growled Hiroshi, the fox demon flinched back out of habit, terrified Hiroshi would beat her.

'This was no random attack that was the same wolf that scared Lord Akria nineteen years ago.' Thought Hiroshi;, nineteen years ago when Hiroshi left with Lord Akria to recapture InuYasha, he was nothing more then an unimportant slave but after he saved Lord Akria life, Lord Akria rewarded him by making him first slave, the highest position that a slave can receive, and his position meant he had bonded freedom, which meant he now had most of his freedom, he was able to have his own money and Lord Akria now paid him for his serves but he was still owned by Lord Akria.

"Clean up Lord Akria, and go fetch the gravedigger." Ordered Hiroshi, the slaves quickly scrambled to fetch the gravedigger and clean Lord Akria for his burial; under Mika law if a master died with out any living relatives then the slaves owned by the deceased were set free. But if a demon were set free they would retain their Mark of Subjugation only the crest of their former master would be removed, thus ensuring the freed demon wouldn't harm any human.

"Poor InuYasha, being bought only to have Master Akria, die a few hours later." Said a young lynx slave,

"It was no random act, the woman who bought InuYasha, came back, she said Lord Akria blamed him for something he didn't do, and then she changed into a wolf and killed the master." One of the girls whispered,

"Hush, you don't want Hiroshi to know what really happened do you." Said another,

Kagome ran threw the forest, still in wolf form she couldn't believe what she had just done, one moment she was confronting Lord Akria, then the next she lost control and animal instinct took over. Kagome had murdered a man in cold blood, never once growing up did she ever lose control so badly. Kagome found herself on the bank of a stream, wanting desperately to get rid of the revolting feeling blood off her body, Kagome leapt into the frigid water swimming in circles for twenty minuets before getting out, it was starting to get dark when Kagome changed back to normal, happy that all the blood was washed away. It wasn't hard to find the camp InuYasha had set up, she could see the smoke from the fire all the way down the stream. InuYasha stood up from the log he was sitting at when Kagome arrived at the site he made.

"Sit down InuYasha," Kagome warmed herself next to the fire she didn't even noticed as InuYasha moved himself away from the fire to sit in the shadows, the moon hung high in the air before she even snapped out of her trance.

"InuYasha why are you sitting in the shadows, its cold over there," Asked Kagome, she could only make out the outline on his body, though his golden eyes shimmered like an animals when you cast light on them.

"Its not allowed for a slave to be near the fire with his master." Kagome blinked and sighed deeply

"Come worm yourself by the fire." Offered Kagome

"Forgive me Mistress, but the world between slave and master doesn't work that way." Kagome smiled staring into the flames

"Well InuYasha the world isn't here, it's just you and me in this forest;, now come warm yourself." Kagome could sense InuYasha's emotions shift from distant and cold to, confused and happy, InuYasha slowly moved closer to the fire he tried not to look at her but he would when he wasn't paying attention.

"I'm not your master InuYasha," InuYasha lost his balance taken off guard by Kagome, he looked at her as if she was joking, he narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously.

"Kagome," Kagome looked up from the fire and smiled

"I'm sorry you were put threw so much pain because of me." She said quietly, before InuYasha could answer a group of soldiers approached them, Kagome swallowed hard, she was petrified that the solders were from the castle and had figured out she escaped.

"We're on the hunt for a rabid wolf that killed Lord Akria, you should get back to town and take shelter in the inn, and we wouldn't want a pretty young woman like you getting hurt." Said a human guard, it was then that Kagome noticed all the guards were human, not a single Drakmen among them, Kagome's pounding heart calmed, and she smiled.

"Your concern is appreciated, but unnecessarily as you can see I am well protected from any wild animal." Said Kagome, gesturing over to InuYasha, the guard eyed up InuYasha

"That would explain why you let a filthy demon sit near you." Kagome narrowed her eyes angrily but kept her temper, suddenly a load ferocious roar erupted from Kane's distant castle, Kagome heart jumped into her throat as she saw the massive red dragon slowly raising out of Kane's castle.

"Something must have happened at the castle sir." Said one of the guards

"We must report back to the castle immediately." The guards left Kagome and InuYasha, Kagome starred at the massive Dragon sitting atop the towers in Kane's Castle, InuYasha watched Kagome already pale skin grow even paler, and pure fear move over her expression.

"Kagome?" asked InuYasha concerned he reached out to touch her, she snapped her head over and looked at him her eyes filled with fears and pure unadulterated fear, something InuYasha has seen many times before in the eyes of slaves taken to be beaten or sold away from their families.

"I have to leave, I'm sorry I brought you into my mess InuYasha?." Kagome had run out of time, Kane has returned and will surely send his Huntsmen to find her. Kane's most Elite Soldiers, experts in tracking, and the best marksmen; the Huntsmen are a group of ten soldiers who can track anything and anyone even Kagome. The Huntsmen weren't Drakmen like most of his soldiers, they were human, it's rumored they were mercenaries before they joined Kane's army ruthless killers trained by a King of a distant land for his personally use. But the Huntsmen became too bloodthirsty, and started to ignore the orders of their King, thinking him to be too soft heart and not worthily of their loyalty. The King feared their strength to order their execution would be signing his death warrant, and did the only thing he could he banished them and was murdered shortly after, so the rumors go.

How did Kane learn she was gone, it couldn't have been three days already he should still be on his trip and not return until tomorrow unless he came back early, Kagome turned her head to InuYasha, her eyes filled with tears, InuYasha taken abackwas confused by her sudden fear, and was determined to stop at nothing to ensure she didn't fall pray to itchange in attitude. But he was still only her demon slave and he couldn't offer much help, even though he wanted to protect her he wasn't sure how to..

"Kagome…" InuYasha didn't know what to say, Kagome was his master, if any of Kane's guard caught him without her or a paper explaining why he's not under her service he will be taken to the prison and tortured as a runaway slave and resold.

"I'm glad I was able to meet you again InuYasha, but trust me it would be safer for you if you forgot you ever met me." Kagome backed away from InuYasha smiling sadly,

"Good bye InuYasha," To InuYasha's his utter amazement Kagome changed into a beautiful black stallion right before InuYasha's his eyes and ran into the dark woods. InuYasha starred stupidly down the path Kagome took, InuYashahe had always knew there was something different about Kagome, that she wasn't human, but never in his wildest dreams did he imagine her as the legendary shape-shifter. Now it made sense why she was so frightened of the dragon and Kane's guards, the rumors were true, that Kane had an Oracle locked up in a tower in his castle, InuYasha never believed it because everyone knew the Oracle's were extinct.

Hurt and betrayed InuYasha sat back next to the fire, Kagome had never told him she was an Oracle if she wanted to fight this enemy alone then let her; it was no skin of his back. The one person he believed never to have lied to him was proven a liar, his only strength for the last nineteen years, that someone thought of him as more then a piece of property, was all a lie. Fighting back fears InuYasha sat back next to the fire and let Kagome run out of his life.

Several hours later InuYasha lounged next to the fire his earlier commitment to let Kagome run out of his life forever seemed harder to keep then he first thought, InuYasha caught himself wondering what was happening to her and worrying if she was alright.

"Come out of the bushes, Suki." Said InuYasha a young Lynx demon from Lord Akria castle stepped out along with four other demon slaves.

"Did you finely run away, you know what Lord Akria will do when he catches you?" Said InuYasha trying to act unconcerned; truthfully he was hoping it was Kagome who returned for him.

"Actually InuYasha, we don't have too worry about Lord Akria anymore, Lord Akria is dead, your new master killed him, we came here looking for her to thank her and warn her." Said Suki

"What do you mean she killed him?" InuYasha asked sitting up from him comfortable spot

"She came back, and confronted Lord Akria, saying he was punishing you for something you didn't do, and then she changed into a large wolf and killed him. But now Kane's guards are looking for her, they say she escaped from his castle they are offering a 100,000 gold pieces for her capture alive." InuYasha got up and put out the fire,

"What are you doing InuYasha?" Asked Suki

"I have to help Kagome." Said InuYasha, without thinking he running after her, hitting himself for being so stupid that Kagome willing abandoned him. Of course she wouldn't abandon him willingly; she was too kind hearted for something so cruel.

"InuYasha if Kane's men catch you with her, they'll kill you." Suki called after him, but InuYasha didn't care he had to save Kagome no matter the cost that's all that mattered.

'Hold on Kagome, I'm coming.' Thought InuYasha, he tracked her scent, an odd mixture of horse and human, Kagome had gained quite a distance on him; he would have to run nonstop if he was going to catch up with her.

Kagome ran as far and as fast as she could, without even realizing it she returned to her former home, the Hidden Town of the Oracles, she changed back to her human form at the boundaries of her former home, she glared with pure hatred at the abandoned homes she walked into the town square, the town was decaying, destroyed by the elements, looted several years ago by Kane's men, and any bandit that happened to find it, the log that held her prisoner for Kane had been toppled over, rotted away by the elements. Kagome didn't want to be here, it brought back to many painful memories but she had already changed five times once more and she'll pass out, not in a very good position to fight off Kane's men, she would have too stay here until she got some of her strength back. Suddenly Kagome felt another presence in the village, several of them surrounding her.

'Kane's solders they found me.' Thought Kagome terrified, slowly she started backing away, a dozen men stepped out of the alleyways between the homes, but they weren't dressed as solders, they had griffin crest on their shields, the crest of the former king of Mika, the King, Kane decapitated after he conquered his land. Kagome slowly continued to back away from them, she knew these men belonged to the Rebellion, the same rebellion she helped destroy, if they found out who she was they would surely kill her or use her to destroy Kane. Kagome turned on her heels and ran into the Dark Forest taking her chances that she might escape them.

"Don't let her escape." Kagome heard one of them call, if she changed into a stallion again to escape them she would get a little ways before passing out, the larger the animal form she takes the more energy she uses and the faster she'll pass out. Kagome ran into the shadowy forest she could hear the galloping of the horses gaining on her. She looked back her eyes terrified, her screams caught in her throat as she saw the riders chasing after her.

"I won't be a tool ever again." Taking her chances Kagome changed leapt off an uprooted root and changed into a small sparrow, hoping that she won't pass out before she escapes, she heard the horses cry as their riders pulled on the rains to stop them. Kagome flapped her small wings with all her might trying to get as far as possible before her dwindling energy reached its limit and she past out.

'Come on just hang in there a little longer.' She thought, her transformation only stunned the riders for a few moments now they were more determined to capture her, thought she couldn't see them she could hear the horses. Kagome was so exhausted she couldn't fly anymore; she crash landed changing back into her human form at the edge of a waterfall with jagged rocks at the bottom, Kagome looked down at the bottom as the rider caught up with her, they dismounted their horses, unsheathing their swords and pulled robe out of their saddlebags' to bind her with. Using whatever strength she might wield Kagome stood up, taking one last look at the bottom of the waterfall Kagome held out her arms and let her self fall. Kagome felt the cool wind blow past her body as she fell, head first to her untimely death.

"At least I'll die free." Said Kagome, the frigid waterfall spay gave her a feeling of ultimate joy, for three years she wanted to feel the cold waters of her home once again, before she died and now she'll die happy knowing Kane or anyone else can't use her powers for evil.

"Kagome!" Kagome's eyes shot open as she heard the familiar voice calling her name, by a pure miracle her life was spared by the arms of InuYasha leaping to catch her and carrying her safely to the shoreline.

"InuYasha," she breathed in amazement, InuYasha put her down and looked back at the shocked rider at the top of the waterfall, for the first time Kagome couldn't sense his emotions, but his eyes were so strait forward as long as she was with him, she knew he would never let anyone harm her.

End Chapter