Chapter 14
Cursed
The next few days were definitely weird, the gang quiet, not knowing what really to say. Of course, after awhile, Kagome had brought it upon herself to start telling stories again, making some up from the top of her head. Thankfully, such a thing actually helped, and in no time, the inu tachi was back laughing and messing around like they used to, before their desires had overcome them, and before a certain pair had actually been caught in the act.
It was in the midst of a laughing session, where Kagome and Sango were giggling and elbowing each other playfully that Inuyasha's ears perked. Miroku sat off to the side, eyeing the girls carefully, no doubted to have noticed by now how Sango was avoiding him. He didn't expect that to happen, honestly. Hell, he'd taken her virginity, and he was the one left hanging? Needless to say, he was pouting slightly against the wall when he turned to notice the hanyou's change in attitude, the confused look upon his face as he inhaled the air around them quite deeply.
"What is it, Inuyasha?" He questioned, brows furrowing to match his friend's expression. The hanyou shifted, his muscles tensing, and soon he was off, Tessaiga gripped tightly within his palm. The blade had not yet transformed, but as soon as he put Kagome into his mind, thoughts about protecting her from the scent he was taking it, his sword began to grow into a fierce and powerful weapon.
"Inuyasha? What'd you smell?" Kagome questioned, cutting her laughter and games short to fumble after the hanyou, bow in hand and arrows slung onto her back. The rest of the gang followed after in a snap to aid their friend.
"Naraku." He stated firmly, a grim touch to his voice.
"It's about time!" Shippo shouted, but was quickly shushed by Inuyasha who was leading them slowly into the forest crowded behind the beach where the demon's scent leaked from. And normally, he would have bounded mindlessly towards the smell, but something crept into the back of his mind. Something told him that this wasn't quite right, and it was like he could smell the danger.
"Something's not ri-"
"What was that?" Sango cried out suddenly, interrupting Miroku before he could speak his foreshadowing words. Gooseflesh appeared along her arms and shoulders, and she gripped her boomerang weapon tightly against her in defense. It was clear to her now too- something wasn't right.
With a faint mewl, Kirara climbed atop Miroku's shoulder, giving the monk a soft nuzzle on the cheek and keeping a lookout from the height she was at now. The rest of them were glancing about, Kagome aiming her arrow into the darkness as Inuyasha's nostrils flared and ears flickered.
It was then that the flash of ebony hair and a purple robe began to spin around them. It was so fast, the smell of Naraku spilling off the object that zipped through the trees, too fast to spot and recognize. The hanyou would quickly losing patience, lashing out at the trees now, trying desperately to hit the glimpses of the man he hated so much. And who was to know if it was really him this time
"Damn it! It's like he's all around us!" Inuyasha shouted, pulling the sharp edge of his blade out of a tree trunk.
"Is it Naraku?" Kagome questioned, shooting a glowing arrow into the darkness in hopes of lighting it up a bit.
It was complete chaos, the gang feeling trapped and stranded, the purple flashes surrounding them, haunting them as if trying to tell them something they just weren't comprehending. And then it was over, the scent of Naraku fading off into the distance, and Inuyasha was quick to bound after it, the inu tachi following close behind.
They were alone again, the hanyou more frustrated than ever and whilst the rest of them stood in confusion and irritation of their own. But it was Miroku in particular who began to shiver, Kirara hissing upon his shoulder. He felt for a moment, like he had been cursed, a feeling he was very familiar with ever since the day he had been born. But this was different, and it didn't feel good at all.
A flash, so entirely fast that it was impossible to determine the color as it swept harshly against the monk. He felt his cheek burn unbearably, the weight of a little cat demon being swept brutally off his shoulder. Kirara squealed with pain as she was dumped onto the grass below, her little foot landing at an odd angle underneath her.
"Kirara!" Sango called, scooping up her loyal pet and holding it close to her bosom as it whimpered softly. The fall wasn't so high, but the blow had been harsh against her tiny form, and she hadn't the time to transform into something that could fight back. Now her paw stung as if it were stuck in a pot of hot coal, and Miroku was covering his bleeding face where the gash upon his cheekbone felt as if it had been sliced with a blade of acid.
Kagome tried her best to look at the wounds, but truthfully, as whispering began to haunt the forest that suddenly looked so eerie, they were all wondering just who would be next. Inuyasha gave an animalistic growl, watching his friends crowd about each other and wonder what the hell was going on.
"It's a warning. Let's get the hell outta here." The hanyou finally said, pushing his Tessaiga smoothly into its sheath. And as much as it tore him up inside to do so, he grabbed Kagome's arm and began to tread away from the dangerous scent of his greatest rival. Under any other circumstances, he would have stood his ground, refused to leave, demanded to fight. But he couldn't even see their attacker, and he wasn't going to risk them getting hurt right now.
So it wasn't long before all of them had escaped before they were drawn into yet another battle that they could not win. They were all distraught and a bit confused as they came back upon the beach they'd set camp on. It was funny how none of them save for Inuyasha found it weird that an unmapped ocean and it's shore just popped out of nowhere. But, it was Shippo who dropped down from his perch on Kagome's head to land upon the sand, and a frown suddenly laced his young lips.
"That sure was weird, and… and why is this sand so hard?" He muttered, pushing his feet down into the bank of sand he stood on, thin orange brows furrowing above his teal eyes. It was Kagome who looked at him in confusion, repeating his description of the sand underneath her breath as she stooped down to touch the miniature grains. Sure enough, the terrain had become somewhat hard, almost like grainy stone, but still slightly cushioned underneath her touch as she pushed down.
"What the hell…" Inuyasha groaned, completely fed up with this entire thing. It was eerie and creepy and just not right. "Let's make camp somewhere else." He suggested huffily.
"No way! So the sand's a little firmer, and…" She trailed off gently, eyes narrowing over the beach. Wait a minute… now that she gave it a good look, there seemed to be little grains of black sand mixed in with the golden hue. "Look, I don't know about you, but I'm going to go for a swim. It was probably nothing but a stupid demon back there."
"If it was just a stupid demon, don't you think I would have killed it?" Inuyasha shot back in a temperamental way, giving her a glare and the lift of his brow. The schoolgirl sighed, moving across the beach to, first, tend to Miroku and Kirara, and then ready herself for a dip in the warm ocean water.
"Keep an eye out, Kagome!" Sango called over to her friend, biting sheepishly onto her lower lip and giggling as the miko called back in agreement. She felt so different now, so guilty and bashful that she'd given in to Miroku's seductive ways. She was no longer innocent or pure, no longer virginal. What made it all the worse was that her best friend didn't even know- only Inuyasha who had seen the aftermath of it, and the very monk that she engaged in the act with. Damn this. She was never going to do it again no matter… how… blissful it had felt to have Miroku kneading himself skillfully between her thighs.
And it was just then, when everything seemed to be calm, when Miroku had patched up his cheek and Kirara's foot, when Kagome was wading peacefully in the water, that Sango felt her stomach lurch. Her vision swayed, her internals feeling as though they were swaying as well as her throat tightened and her mouth filled with saliva that was soon followed by hot bile. She gagged, turning on her heels to run quickly for the edge of the forest to throw herself down and let the horrible body fluids run from her mouth.
Were they honestly cursed?
"Sango!" Miroku called out, but was entirely too frozen to the spot to move. He had heard what morning sicknesses meant from eyeing women bathing as they talked with their friends. He had heard how bodies would swell with the seed of someone's loins. Hell, he was far too afraid to move from his spoke and comfort her, even if Kirara had already limped her way over to comfort her master as she tossed out all she had eaten that day.
Inuyasha was halfway to the slayer, completely disgusted, of course, but at least going to question what had made her so suddenly sick. He'd almost opened his mouth to question if she was alright when the sound of Kagome's shrill scream shook his eardrums. He turned on his bare heels, amber eyes fixing upon the pale limbs sucked under the force of waves that crashed onto the hardened sand of the beach.
It was as if a storm had appeared over the ocean, the sky blackening just a bit, enough to cause the waves to toss around dangerously. They crashed brutally against the miko's thin body, it's salt water squeezing into her lungs until she could no longer breath as she was pushed under the surface. And she tried to call out for her precious hanyou, but the name didn't make it from her lips. Salt burned at her eyes and her raw throat, the current dragging her along the sand that rubbed at her flesh as if trying to rub her skin right off the bone. And it all happened so quickly from when she had been letting the waves lap gently around her hips to now, where she couldn't see or breathe.
And then she was feeling strong arms sling around her fighting body. Her head burst from the water that had been holding her captive, and she took in a strained breath through all the sea water. Clinging to her savoir, she coughed perhaps a few pieces of seaweed into his fire rat robe, and sighed with the feeling of life filtering back into her.
"You were supposed to keep a damn eye out, you fool!" Inuyasha snapped, holding her close and pulling the ebony hair from where it was plastered to her bright red cheeks. She coughed continuously, violently as Sango did the same in puking at the edge of the forest. And they both felt like they were simply dying, and Inuyasha was just wondering… who was next?
"Hey, hey, breathe." He dictated to Kagome, patting a clawed hand upon her back and giving her a stern, concerned glare. Miroku was calling from Sango's side to see if his miko friend was alright as he held the slayer's hair behind her head and tried his best to comfort her each time her stomach would heave. It was then that the rain began to pour, and the tachi poured inside the tents, Sango wiping her mouth and desperately avoiding Miroku, Kirara limping and whimpering, and Kagome still clinging tight to Inuyasha's chest, coughing, and unable to explain what had happened.
Damn it, Inuyasha thought as he helped wring the water from her hair and cover her soaked body with blankets and towels she's brought from home. What the hell was going on here? He'd almost lost her again, but not quite. And he had a sinking feeling there was worse to come. Speaking of which…
Where was Shippo?
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CandlelightQuill- Oh, I knoww. Inuyasha was probably kicking himself after that, wishing to be them. Oh well. Props to Miroku and Sango for finally getting down and dirty though, eh?
little-miss-inu- D'awww I missed you. I had a feeling I hadn't lost you yet, though! And, yes, those two are VERY dirty. It only gets worse. Oops, I let that one slip. X KEEP READING. And thanks for the mug of hug.
fruitsbasketfreak08- Yay! New reader! And, don't worry, I will continue it if it's the LAST thing I do. knocks on wood