XXXV
Dies Irae
As Kagome wishes, so does she become. As she wishes, so does she gain – though she does not know it, does not feel anything withing her changing to accommodate a new talent.
A momentary flicker of light encompasses her, that is all, bright enough to leave her blinking but not strong enough to make her worry. Kouga sees it too, but thinks nothing of it – she is miko, after all. He feels a faintly drained in the next instant, but he attributes the feeling to the pressure of Kagome's power and dismisses the thought. In five minutes he is his usual self again, and they are drawing close to the place where they will make their stand.
His steps are seamless; he increases his speed only a little bit, and moves out further in front of the line of wolves he has brought with him. The hope of secrecy is only a tiny hope; if these harpies have any warning system, even a single one among them paying attention, then even if the scent of wolf doesn't give their approach away the rising tide of youki flowing into the Ou Mountains will.
Kagome's fingers tighten on his shoulders as he runs. There is no scent nor sound nor sight of their opponents, not a tingle of youki or a flicker of dark omen in the sky. When the battle finally comes, it is sudden, all-encompassing, without transition. The wings beat down out of the sky and dive-bomb the line of wolves stretched across the wood. A screech of fury in a hundred voices comes riding down the wind, and Kouga turns so abruptly to avoid the claws of one harpy, reaching for the precious woman on his back, that she nearly goes flying.
A great howl goes up from the wolves behind him, led by Ginta and Hakkaku. The sound sends a tingling chill running down Kagome's spine, and she turns to watch as Kouga stops and scans the sky for his own particular foe. The two beta wolves divide the rest of their force between themselves. Wolves leap high in the air and come down on their prey in mid-air, or drive the diving birds aside into the waiting fangs of their comrades.
Kagome's eyes flash over red-muzzled wolves eye deep in feathered flesh; headless torsos that roll out of the sky and thud dead to the ground; blood streaked fur, grey and white and black and brown; wolves that leap up with a flash of shining fangs to snap at a foe hovering just near enough to torment, but not near enough to be grabbed.
Kouga's eyes are sharper, more tuned to the madness of battle, but Kagome doesn't need to know what she is looking for, doesn't need the face of her foe or even a sense of strong youki to find the one she seeks. Her eyes pick out not the dual nature of the leader twins, or the screaming fury that is brighter on those twin faces than all the others combined. Instead she sees the bright pink flare of the shikon no tama, and flings her arm out and up, pointing.
"Kouga! There! I see the shard – the leader's there!"
He turns, and his eyes follow her pointing finger; he can't see the shard like she can, but his eyes are youkai-keen and he picks out the doubled figure of Jigoku and Jaaku where they hover in the air, beating their wings against the wind and sending forward waves of harpies against his pack.
Kouga leaps forward, gaining speed, his eyes on his quarry.
"Where's the shard, Kagome? Where in the body?"
She squints, and he feels her grip on his shoulders tighten as she pushes herself up a little on his back and leans forward.
"In the bird half! In the bird half, in the mouth! I think they swallowed it -"
Kouga snarls and then comes to a complete halt. He crouches, and Kagome hops off of his back and stand to one side. Immediately, six wolves detach themselves from the main body of the fighting pack and come to stand around her, growling, a protective detail with standing orders from Kouga to ensure she lives – even at the cost of their own lives.
They know only that her skills and talents make her special; that she has saved one of theirs from a certain death, and that this is the second time she will join in the fight of the pack against these harpies, their most recent enemy.
"Stay here, Kagome. If you can shoot those arrows – if you can purify some of these things – I won't complain, but make sure you stay safe, got it? No one but you can see the shikon shards, and no one but you is my precious woman."
He grins at her, and then he is off, running at the speed only he can achieve, leaping up into the air with singular focus and all his energy directed toward the kill.
A/N: Another chapter makes its appearance! Once again a few hours later than I planned – I seem to be doomed with this – but fear not! This is yesterday's chapter, and today's is being written even as I type this author's note and post! So! Be of good cheer! The chapter title, "Dies Irae" translates to "day of wrath" - a day that will continue in the next chapter, as Kouga and his pack do their best...and Kagome too! My thanks go to all my reviewers, of course, and keep an eye out for another update this morning, probably within the next two or three hours!
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