InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Broken Dreams ❯ Stepping Out ( Chapter 13 )

Broken Dreams

 

Chapter 13

 

Stepping Out

 

Kagome closed her eyes and focused. She bit her lips and furrowed her brow as she tried harder to detect any sort of magic in the cave. But Youkai's wards held fast; she couldn't detect a thing. Youkai's youki, the jewel shards in her backpack, the ofuda on the cave walls, she couldn't sense any of it. Kagome had been trying all yesterday and all today to sense magic inside the cave, but to no avail.

 

Youkai had fallen asleep leaning against the wall opposite her a while ago. Kagome had been debating an alternate way of sensing magic in the cave, but it wasn't exactly safe. She was pretty sure that Youkai would let her, but he might ask why, and she wasn't prepared to answer. Figuring she wouldn't get a better chance, Kagome grabbed her crutch and pulled herself up. Sparing Youkai a glance, Kagome assumed he was asleep. She couldn't really tell if his eyes were open, but his chest was gently rising and falling.

 

Nodding, Kagome shuffled to the mouth of the cave. She gently pushed the fur covering back and stepped outside. Night consumed her, along with darkness as the fire in the cave became hidden behind the furs. One pleasant change was the weakened scent of the fire, and the herbs Youkai had burned. He was low, and was planning to look for more when the sun rose.

 

Kagome focused again. Several youkai were in the area, and their youki lit up easily to her senses. But the cave was a blank hole. As far as her senses were concerned, the cave was completely empty of anything remotely magical. Kagome took a few more steps from the cave, and turned to look at it. Or at least, where she thought it was. The night, combined with the furs covering the cave, hid the cave very well.

 

Kagome tried focusing again, and was met with failure. If she didn't know better, she'd swear the cave didn't exist. Figuring it was a lost cause, Kagome took the time to admire the fact she was outside. The bed she had been spending most her time in was behind the fire, and the noxious herbs Youkai burned didn't cast their odor near her. It was a cool night out, and Kagome smiled as a warm breeze gently ruffled her hair.

 

A low growl came from the bushes behind her, and Kagome went stiff. She slowly looked over her shoulder. A youki gently throbbed from the bushes. It wasn't a strong youkai, but more then capable of killing her. Kagome couldn't see the youkai in the darkness, but she could see a visible pair of yellow eyes. Kagome took a step back, and the youkai took a step forward, its head sticking out from the bushes and becoming illuminated by the moon. It was a neko-youkai, not that much unlike Kilala's larger form. But this one was pitch black, it's eyes glowing a bright yellow. Kagome gulped and looked for the entrance to the cave again. The cliff was dark, and she had a guess where the cave was, but if she was wrong…

 

Kagome took off at a run, sprinting for the `cave', her crutch falling behind her. The youkai snarled and leapt through the air. Kagome reached the supposed cave, and her hand slapped against cold stone. She panicked and ducked left as the youkai sliced its claws into the rock, leaving deep slashes. Kagome got five feet before her broken foot gave out and she fell to the ground. A savage claw came down on her wrist. Kagome turned her head and was met with a hot blast of wind as the creature lowered its fang to her head. Then there was a flash, and the youkai went flying to the right. Kagome rolled and stood up.

 

A few feet away, a yellow glow came from where the creature had been thrown onto it's side. A clawed hand reached for hers, and Kagome jumped.

 

“Kagome?” Youkai asked nervously. “Kagome, did it hurt you?” Kagome looked up at the kneeling form of the youkai. Kagome nodded and screamed as the youkai behind them climbed to its feet and leapt at them. Youkai spun around and held up an arm as a pair of razor-sharp fangs lowered towards him. The jaws sank into his arm, and Youkai screamed as the creature dug in. Youkai aimed a punch and slammed his fist into the youkai's head, dislodging it and rolling it to the side. Youkai picked up Kagome and stared as the beast started to get up again.

 

“Where's the cave?” Kagome asked. Youkai started to jog towards the cave, then a claw caught his ankle, and he went down, Kagome rolling a bit in front of him. Her hand brushed soft fur, and Kagome grabbed the bottom of the fur curtain. She hobbled inside the cave as best she could with her foot, and grabbed an arrow from her pack along with her bow. She ran back to the cave entrance and gasped at the scene of Youkai holding a pair of jaws from his throat, his claws wrapped around the fangs. Kagome briefly wondered why he was only grappling with the creature, but then she remembered that this was Youkai; he didn't want to kill the beast. Kagome strung the arrow and aimed. Biting her lip, she let loose.

 

The arrow sliced the air and buried itself in the haunches of the youkai, just above the hind leg. It reared back and snarled in pain as the purity arrow poured its power into it. Youkai knocked it back and stumbled to Kagome, limping slightly.

 

“You're hurt,” Kagome whispered. Youkai nodded. There were scratches on his ankle and deep teeth marks on his forearm.

 

“I'll be fine,” he said. He looked back at the youkai, who was writhing on the ground whimpering. “Good shot,” he commented.

 

“Will it live?” Kagome asked.

 

“It probably hurts a lot, but it will live. Come on, we should get out of sight. It may have a mate,” Youkai pulled Kagome's arm over his shoulders, and the two limped into the warmth of the campfire behind the fur curtain, the youkai's moans of pain growing dim as the creature followed suit and limped into the forest.

 

Youkai let Kagome fall onto the bed, and slumped onto the ground, pulling back his sleeve to look at the wounds on his arm. He grabbed a roll of bandages from beside Kagome's bed and rolled out a length. He ripped off the bandage and started wrapping it around his arm, holding the bandage in his teeth.

 

“Here,” Kagome said, pushing his hand away. Youkai was about to protest, but let it slide as Kagome started wrapping his arm. “Does it hurt much?” Kagome asked, looking up briefly from her work. Youkai shrugged slightly and waved his free hand at her.

 

“I've had worse,” he said wryly. Kagome glanced at his missing fingers and nodded. She finished wrapping and paused, wondering what to hold it with. Youkai reached down to his ankle and rubbed his fingers in the small bits of blood coming from his wound. He smeared the blood on the loose end of the bandage and pressed it against the rest, the blood holding it. “When it dries, it should hold fine,” he said, wiping off his hand. Kagome nodded.

 

“What about your ankle?” Kagome asked. Youkai looked down and shrugged again.

 

“It'll be fine by morning,” he said. He looked at the roll of bandages and sighed. “I'll have to go to the village sooner then I thought,” he murmured. He looked up at Kagome.

 

“Did you have anything to do tomorrow?” he asked.