InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Taste Of Power ❯ The Battle for Kagome ( Chapter 7 )

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

Chapter 7: The Battle for Kagome

"Drink your broth Kagome." Sorrell held up a small bowl of thin vegetable broth for Kagome.

Kagome crossed her arms and shook her head, "NO, leave me alone!"

She was reclining on a bed roll on a small shelf in the wall of Sorrell's cave with many "herb" pillows, filled with flowers and flea bane and the like, strewn around her in an attempt to make her comfortable. As well as aid her transformation.

Sorrell sighed and placed the bowl to the side, "It isn't for me really. I shouldn't care. You see, the less food you eat the faster you become like me. I only want this to be as easy on you as possible Kagome dear."

Kagome turned to Sorrell, "How… how did you know? That stuff about InuYasha and me, how did you know?"

Sorrell smiled at her soon to be sister, "I do not rush into anything Kagome, I can't waist energy. I can't use youki, like you have. I must use the meager power I can pull from human males. So I learned how to manipulate the energy of others using only a little of my own to start things out.

"You want to know how I knew? I saw you, naive and weak, and I knew I could help you, show you the your error in trusting and loving a male, like you do. But I had to know more, like, why did he not return your attentions? So I sought answers. There are witnesses that everyone over looks, and that hide for fear becoming lunch, they need not fear me and I have learned what they like, or want.

"The more I learned, the more determined I became to help you, and the more able I became to convince you."

Sorrell finished her speech and handed Kagome her broth again. This time she took it.

"It's not like that." Kagome said as she drank the cold tasteless broth, "Between InuYasha and me, it isn't that bad."

Sorrell shook her head, "It is the truth as I see it Kagome, I can not lie." Sorrell collected the empty bowl from her and started arranging the pillows around Kagome, "But things will get better, once the transformation is complete you will see men for what they really are. Pigs. Selfish consumers only good for the energy they can provide us."

"…If you feel this way, about men, then why take Kohaku?" Kagome asked, as she was settled into the bedding, "Why not set him free?"

"He is not yet a man Kagome," Sorrell answered, amused, "and has not yet developed their destructive habits. Once he is old enough, I will transform him into our male counterpart, and he will not be a human man. It may seem a strange family for me, but the conditions were right, and I had to distract that Hanyou thing so that he would think I would help him on his terms."

"Is he healed now?" Kagome asked, "Kohaku, I mean."

"We are still using your energy to finish him up, that's why you're so tired." Sorrell stood and walked to her spell, "It would be have been easier on us all if you had not broken your connection to InuYasha. My pets need more time to process the decaying snake bush and it's youkia, then if they had simply sucked the life out of them. He's sure to come after you soon. I had hoped to have more power behind me when that happens."

"He will come for me." Kagome said tiredly as she began to drift to sleep, "And he will save me."

Sorrell took the empty bowl from Kagome and smiled complacently at her, "We will see who will save you."

*

Miroku had found Sango and InuYasha just before sunset. Sango had still been crying, and was unable to move due to the poison in her veins. It had taken him quiet a while to get the story out of InuYasha. He was almost completely drained of energy and just kept yelling at Miroku to "get Kagome back NOW!"

Miroku knew better than to go into battle without knowing what he was up against; and when he found out that the creature called Sorrell was possibly as devious as Naraku himself, he knew they had to have their strength with them. Besides Miroku had no way of finding Sorrell's hide out in the confusing energy fog that she set up.

And then there was Sango's condition, and InuYasha's. He couldn't leave them like that, paralyzed and defenseless to any creature that might be looking for dinner.

So he brought them back to the village.

That was two days ago.

The villagers themselves were once again happy to support their group, since there were no more "attacks" and the village men were beginning to recover. InuYasha was a pain, as usual, and Sango rarely spoke. But they were both recovering.

"Why the hell aren't you out there looking for Kagome, buzo!" InuYasha yelled when Miroku brought some food to his warded recovery room.

Miroku sighed, "As soon as you are well, InuYasha, we will all return to the forest and rescue Kagome. Until then you must regain your strength."

InuYasha started to yell again but Miroku cut him off, "Your nose is the only chance we have of locating Kagome and the youkia." Miroku paused to think things through, "Sango appears to be much better, I believe that we can leave tomorrow."

"Let me out of here, Miroku!" InuYasha growled.

"Tomorrow, InuYasha." Miroku closed the door as he left.

When he entered Sango's room she was sitting up, staring at the opposite wall.

"Sango? Are you well?" Miroku asked, taking a seat next to her.

"Yes. I want to go get Kohaku and Kagome away from that woman." Sango continued to stare at the wall.

"I saw you practicing with Hiraikotsu today. If you feel up to it we will leave at first light." Miroku refrained from putting a comforting hand on her shoulder, "She doesn't want to hurt them Sango. She want's them alive and happy."

"She's a vile youkia, Miroku." Sango shook her head, "She's going to change them to be like her. We must save them."

"Of course Sango," Miroku said, "but, you must rest if we hope to rescue them." He motioned to her futon.

"Your right." Sango sighed, then said, "You can go to your side of the room now."

"Ah Sango! I had every intention to sleep on my side of the room." Miroku put on his "innocent" face and moved to his side to rest for the upcoming day. At least Sango had regained her spirit. If only the same could be said for InuYasha.

*

Sorrell sang a song in her language while she and Kohaku picked herbs for Kagome's broth. The sun shone beautifully through the leaves of the canopy of the forest where it bordered what was once the Snake bush meadow, casting a healthy green sheen to the air below. It reminded Sorrell of her home in the swamp, but without the decay. Soon she would return there, with her new family.

Her home, she smiled into the sun, its light warmed her face. Her home, where the air was thick with life and death, birth and decay. And the energy produced by these acts hung so heavily in the air you could reach out and touch it; you could taste it when you breathed. If only she could consume it, she sighed.

Kohaku ran ahead through the high grass of the meadow, laughing at the bugs that fled from him.

Sorrell called out to him, "Kohaku, stay on this side, and gather the herbs to help sister Kagome. You can play later."

Kohaku nodded and returned to Sorrell's side, "I'm sorry, sister Sorrell, it's just so beautiful today."

"I know." Sorrell began to sing her song of harvest again. She had no doubt that InuYasha, Sango, and that annoying monk would come looking for her, to "rescue" her family.

Sorrell scowled, it was good that the monk had not come with them that day, after all she had no hold on him, and he would have protected the others. But now her source was blocked and she would have to make do with the stockpile of energy that she had on hand. And her pets were too weak; she would have to give up some of her precious excess energy for them to do what she wanted. Hopefully they would come soon, while they were still suffering from the last attack.

InuYasha, Sango, Miroku and even Shippo appeared on the opposite side of the meadow, almost as if summoned by her thoughts. There was a brief surprised pause while both groups realized the other was there.

"Where's Kagome?" InuYasha yelled as he drew and transformed his sword.

"Safe." Sorrell said evenly, "Kohaku, stand back."

Kohaku ran to the trees on Sorrell's side of the meadow and crouched to watch the battle.

"Kohaku!" Sango shouted at her younger brother.

"He does not know you." Sorrell stood, stoic and straight, her arms at her sides, while the others crouched for battle.

"Give them back to us you bitch!" InuYasha snarled.

"You're empty, InuYasha." Sorrell smirked, "You don't stand a chance."

Sango could take it no longer, she had to kill this woman and get her brother back. She threw Hiraikotsu at Sorrell with as much force as she could, "Shut up!" she yelled.

Sorrell brought up an energy shield just in time to repel Sango's attack and cause the weapon to veer wildly back at her. Sango was unable to catch or dodge it and powerfully hit, she fell to the ground and the air was knocked out of her.

`Shit.' Sorrell thought, `That took more energy than I thought. I must activate my pets sooner then I wanted.' She watched quietly as Shippo was dragged down by her vampire vines.

She smiled when she addressed the rest, "Is that it? Is that all you can do children?"

InuYasha growled. Sango should have waited, he's the impulsive one that they back up. He hadn't been prepared for Sango's reaction to Sorrell. He lunged weakly at Sorrell, swinging his sword clumsily.

Sorrell actually laughed at InuYasha as she caused energy to explode right in front of her just before his sword hit. This burned his hands and pushed her out of the way in time to escape unhurt.

Sorrell was no warrior. In fact she went through a lot of trouble to avoid fighting. All she had was her tricks with energy. And her necessarily showy displays cost her dearly. She would need to feed after this.

As Sorrell watched InuYasha struggle to ready another attack, Miroku threw his purifying papers at her. She managed to dodge most of them, but one managed to burn her arm badly.

Sorrell pulled tendrils of energy around her enemies, calling her vampire vines to them.

Sango had recovered by this point and the three of them were getting ready for a joint attack, when a host of thorny vines wrapped around their arms, legs, waists, and necks pulling them on their backs in the high grass of the meadow. The thorns dug into their skin as the vines slowly tightened around their necks.

Sorrell stood still for a moment, panting. From her vantagepoint she could not InuYasha or his friends. She frowned; she wanted to see his face when she taunted him with his failure.

"My pets can not sap the life out of humans." She explained, as she caught her breath "They feed on youki. So, as long as you do not agitate them into choking you to death, even you InuYasha, hanyou, will survive until they lose interest and release you…. I can not say the same for your kitsune. Ah, well, such is life. By the time you get free Kagome will beyond your "help". Kohaku come, we must return to our sister." Sorrell turned and watched as her "little brother" ran up to her.

"I remembered the herbs, sister Sorrell." He said happily.

Sorrell said in a low voice, "Quiet Kohaku, something wicked this way comes."

Soon a figure covered in a baboon cloak walked into the field perpendicular to the battle scene.

"Naraku." Sorrell said unaffectedly, "You're early."