InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Taste Of Power ❯ Sorrell Returns ( Chapter 6 )

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any characters there in.

Chapter 6: Sorrell Returns

Kagome woke InuYasha for breakfast the next morning, a fact that InuYasha chose to ignore. It was decided that they would all travel in the direction that Kagome believed the jewel shard was and hopefully find the "dream youkia" as well.

The group followed as Kagome lead them slowly away from the village, acting a little like she was walking on thin ice.

The day wore on and they seemed no closer to either of their goals. And the speed of Kagome's search was infuriating even to the most patient of them.

"Can't you do any better than this bitch?" InuYasha yelled, as the afternoon grew old.

"Quiet!" Kagome shouted back, "I'm trying to concentrate."

InuYasha sighed, "Whatever wench, you concentrate. I'm taking a break." InuYasha sat down under a nearby tree and half closed his eyes.

Kagome closed her eyes and continued her slow forward movement, taking one step, then another, and another. Then she stopped. Her head tilted a little and she took a step back, then another. Slowly she backed over land she had crossed not long ago, past the lounging InuYasha. Far enough past him that he was forced to get up and follow or loose sight of her.

Once she reached a small clearing that they had past a few hours earlier she stopped again. Kagome turned and studied the meadow, the forest beyond and the mountain beyond that. This was the source.

"Kagome?" Miroku asked, "Have you located the shard?"

"Look." Kagome said, indicating the forest with her eyes.

Miroku, and the others, looked. At first he didn't see anything, then he realized it was… creepy. The energy of the forest was being used to form an energy "fog", and, like a thick fog that dampens and confuses sight and sound, it was dampening and confusing the flow of energy that tried to pass through it. Since it was not a proper "spirit shield", emanating from the energy of the forest itself instead of from the being that created it, it was not tainted with the energy of the caster. Because of this there was no "dark cloud" effect, and only a mild creepyness indicated that the creature behind the "fogs" formation was less than good.

"The shard is in that forest… on that mountain, somewhere." Kagome whispered.

"Then lets get in there! Come on!" InuYasha jumped in front of the miko and the monk.

Kagome shook her head, "I'm not making camp in that forest InuYasha, it's creepy."

"So?" InuYasha turned on her, "That's where the shard is, lets go get it!"

"No InuYasha," Kagome insisted, "there's only a few hours of sunlight left, I'm worn out and I'm not camping in there! If we hurry we can make it back to the village before the sun sets." Kagome turned around and headed through the trees that lay between the clearing and the village.

Sango, Shippo and Kirara followed after her. Miroku shrugged and joined the females. InuYasha crossed his arms and set his face firmly in a pout before following reluctantly behind them.

*

"We should reach the clearing by mid morning, if we start out at sunrise." Kagome said, figuring the time it had taken them to get back.

"We'd be there now if you hadn't gotten scared." InuYasha scowled over his dinner.

"Actually, I agree with Kagome, InuYasha." Miroku said, "It would be unwise to camp outside with an unknown youkia that attacks in dreams, especially since we have a sealed house only a few hours walk from the site."

"Feh."

"InuYasha," Kagome knelt beside him, "I just want to feel safe tonight. That forest really creeped me out. I don't think I could sleep in there, and we all have to be rested to fight whatever has the shard."

"I protect you Kagome." InuYasha said to her softly.

"I know." Kagome smiled, then yawned, "It's about that time again, huh?" she looked at him shyly.

"Yeah." InuYasha leaned towards her, wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her against him. The moment their lips touched, the energy flow spiked once again. From InuYasha to Kagome, from Kagome to… elsewhere.

Feeling light-headed, they deepened their kiss. Kagome ran her hands through his hair and nibbled at his lips hungrily. InuYasha licked at her lips and she took the opportunity to capture his tongue.

One of his hands traveled down from her waist to her thigh just bellow her skirt and squeezed lightly. They let their hands wander and their lungs starve in a frantic attempt to consume each other, and still it wasn't enough.

Eventually survival won out and they were forced to retreat for air. It was then that Kagome remembered the others in the room. Sheepishly she turned her head to face them. InuYasha just bowed his head to her shoulder, panting.

Sango hadn't meant to watch, but once she had Shippo's eyes covered she had cast a glance at them. They had become so passionate so quickly that she had become transfixed, a small blush creeping across her face. Now that Kagome sat there looking at her so… innocently, she felt… guilty.

Miroku had no such feelings. He had become suspicious of Kagome's "goodnight kisses" last night, and now looked on with scientific separation. Mostly.

It was about then, after watching Sango turn away blushing, that Kagome first noticed the position she was in with InuYasha.

Besides his head resting in the crook of her neck as he continued to try to catch his breath, she had ended up in his lap, straddling his waist. One of his hands was still on the small of her back, but the other had moved up her thigh and under her skirt. She had one hand resting innocently enough on his shoulder, the other however had found it's way under his shirt to explore his bare chest beneath.

She crawled out of that situation so fast InuYasha almost fell forward on the floor.

"Uh, sorry everyone, I don't know…" Kagome backed up to her futon, "sorry, goodnight!" and she pulled the covers over her head.

"What?" Shippo chirped, "What happened? What did I miss? Why do you guys keep covering my eyes? I want to know what's going on!"

"As do I." Miroku stated evenly. He was studying the now deeply sleeping hanyou that leaned against the same wall where he had kissed Kagome.

"What are you talking about." Sango protested, "It was just another kiss you pervert."

"No, Sango." Miroku looked at her sternly, "That was not just another kiss. Men don't fall asleep like that after a kiss like that." He indicated the still fast asleep InuYasha. "And Kagome usually doesn't climb into his lap like that. Something is wrong here Sango, I think we should find out what it is before it goes any farther."

"Leave it alone Miroku," Sango pleaded quietly, "this is between the two of them. Let them figure it out."

Miroku considered Sango, "Perhaps."

*

"Wake up InuYasha! The sun is up and we have food." Kagome ended up having to shake him.

"What?" He rubbed his hand over his eyes, "Let's get moving then."

InuYasha ate his breakfast quickly and soon they were ready to leave again. But the head mans wife had different plans. She stopped them just outside of their room.

"Last night another village man was attacked." She said, "He can barely move. You told us you would protect us, you said that you would get rid of the youkia. Please stop the attacks."

"We're going into the mountains to find this youkia," Miroku assured her, "we will stop the attacks."

"You went into the mountains yesterday. We need to be safe now!" she insisted, "Please bless this village like you blessed this house. We can't afford to lose more men!"

"But-"

"Please houshi-sama."

Kagome sighed, "Miroku? Could you stay and help these people? We can handle this ourselves. It's only one shard."

Miroku paused and thought about it, he wanted to confront Kagome and InuYasha on their "goodnight kisses". "I'll catch with the rest of you tonight. There's something I wanted to talk with you about."

Kagome nodded, a bit confused before adding, "Can Shippo stay here too? To um… help?"

Miroku sighed but nodded again, obviously since they would be out one fighter, it would be best to leave the child where it was safe.

"Of course, Kagome. Come on Shippo, lets go." He then continued on his way. Shippo pouted, but went along with it.

Kagome, InuYasha, and Sango left the village along the path they had made yesterday and worked there was back to the clearing.

*

"See? That didn't take too long." Kagome said merrily, "Now we just have to search that creepy wood for that jewel shard and kill a youkia. Piece of cake."

"Feh." InuYasha replied.

Kagome shook her head and yawned as InuYasha took the lead again.

"I'm not sure we should be doing this without Miroku." Sango told Kagome.

"We'll be fine." Kagome smiled, "I have my arrows and InuYasha has his sword and you have… your arsenal."

She tried to sound upbeat but as soon as they crossed into the "fog" the eerieness enveloped them and brought an uncomfortable silence to the group.

The forest was thick, and dark, and silent as well. InuYasha happened on a thin trail that had a strange smell around it and decided to follow that farther up the mountain. Before too long they found another clearing in the woods, this one had short pale grass and some sickly, thorny shrubs scattered around it. A dark pall seemed to hang over the meadow and the forest beyond, but it was probably the storm that was gathering above them.

"What is this place?" Kagome shuddered.

InuYasha scowled, one hand on his sword, "Do you sense the shard Kagome?"

Kagome concentrated, " Up ahead, farther up the mountain."

"Let's go then." He started crossing the clearing when there was an unearthly shriek.

"What was that?" Kagome asked as she readied an arrow.

The others didn't respond, but readied their weapons as well.

A group of ten wraithlike youkia advanced on them from the shrubs, their mouths hung open as if they lacked the strength to close them, their eyes were baggy and their skin as gray and worn as the ragged sackcloth that covered their gaunt frames.

"Kagome?" InuYasha barked.

"They don't have it!" Kagome yelled her answer, pulling her bow tight.

The youkia surrounded them, five on InuYasha, three on Sango and the last two on Kagome. Sango dispatched two with her boomerang right away, but the third one caught the weapon and tossed it into the woods.

InuYasha swung his sword heavily missing his attackers miserably.

Kagome managed to miss on her first shot and was forced to run away while attempting to ready another arrow. She saw Sango fighting one with her sword and having a little difficulty, these things moved slow but dodged fast. Kagome loosed her hard won arrow at Sango's attacker and hit her mark. The youkia exploded in a red light and sizzling chunks rained down on the battlefield.

`That's not right.' Kagome thought as the two creatures following her caught up.

Sango looked around when the youkia blew up, and saw Kagome standing near by with a startled look on her face and two youkia catching up to her. Sango jumped into action and managed to take one down before it reached Kagome, who dodged quickly. But the other one swung around to scratch Sango in the side, leaving four deep gashes before Kagome could stab it with a charged arrow.

Once again it exploded in a red light.

InuYasha was on the other side of the clearing during all this. He had to abandon his sword and resort to claws and fists. He seemed much slower than usual and by the time that Sango and Kagome were free from pursuers, InuYasha still had two working on him. The girls watched as he tiredly sliced up the last two creatures and sat down panting in the grass.

"InuYasha?' Kagome panted, "Are you alright?"

`What the hell is wrong with me?' InuYasha thought, looking at his hand, `I shouldn't be this tired.'

Kagome and Sango walked over to him, Kagome sat heavily next to him, "Were you wounded?" she asked again.

InuYasha shook his head, " No, what about you two?"

Kagome shook her head, "Sango?"

"I… I got scratched," she gasped, a numbness was crawling out from the wound, "I think I've been poisoned."

"You killed the snake bush." Sorrell appeared coming from the mountain, "Don't worry Sango, It will ware off, if nothing kills you while your defenseless. That's how the snake brush works, it scratches it's victims they fall and the youkia kills them and drags them back, feeding the bush that feeds them. They wouldn't have attacked them selves but they seem to have been very hungry."

"Who the hell are you?" InuYasha attempted to stand, but stumbled back to the ground.

Sorrell smiled at him, "I am Sorrell. You are InuYasha, I already know Kagome and Sango."

Sorrell walked up to the group panting on the ground and grabbed Kagome by her shirt collar. "Come along young one, it's about time you return to me, as it seems you have exhausted your source." She pulled Kagome a few feet from the others, back towards the mountain.

"Let go of her!" InuYasha yelled.

"You are in no position to tell me what to do, hanyou." Sorrell spat, "It's all your fault anyway."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" InuYasha tried once again to stand up with less success than before.

Sorrell dropped Kagome and turned on InuYasha her eyes flashing a putrid green, "you sit there on your branch, as content as a prince to let Kagome give you everything; her love, her energy, her life. And you took it all for granted.

"When you were injured she bandaged you. When you were insulted she defended you. When you were weak she held you up. When you were conflicted she calmed you. And how do you repay her kindness? You insult her, cuss at her and run off to give tender words and warm embraces to the fracture of a spirit.

"And she forgives you," Sorrell shook her head in disbelief, "she forgives your every insult, harsh word and thoughtless action and overlooks your transgressions just so she can be near you."

"She's the one-" InuYasha started weakly, his hand griping the hilt of his sword.

"And you allow her to," Sorrell hissed at him, "You allow her to stay. You always accept her kindness. You take her comfort. You let her think she has a chance with you, and then you step on her on your way to the other one. She's too good for you, half-breed. She'll be better off with me, and our little brother." Sorrell turned to face the forest and Kohaku walked forwards. "Please take our sister home, Kohaku."

"Kohaku!" Sango struggled against her own sluggish body to reach him.

"He doesn't have any memory's that don't involve me" Sorrell turned her now passive expression on Sango, "You are so blind Sango. You love your brother so much that you sacrificed your friend on the word of a youkia, you didn't even question my motives." Sorrell smirked evilly, "Why would I, with a youkia's life span, save a human to be my family?" then her expression softened, "But don't worry, Kohaku will live a long and happy life as one of us."

Sorrell turned from the paralyzed and crying Sango, and the cursing and once again struggling InuYasha and followed Kohaku and Kagome up the mountain to her cave.