InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Escape ❯ Calling ( Chapter 16 )

Calling

She blinked and could see the cloudless blue sky. Stretching, she got up and rubbed her eyes.

Her dream left her strangely energetic, instead of tired. But her last words to Sesshoumaru

were still imprinted in her mind. *Are we still enemies? I can't figure it out, I know I can't

trust him right now. But in my dreams, I can't feel angry at him. These dreams are so strange,

what's causing them?* She got up to her feet and trudged to a nearby stream. *I'll figure it out

when I've got all the Shikon shards* Clearing her small campsite she got ready for another

journey to kami knew where. She stood still and ranged her senses far, and she could feel a

tug at her heart. It was a little closer this time, maybe a few hours walk. She was surprising

herself at her daily growing powers. A new sort of energy surged through her and she could

feel the shikons very clearly and could even estimate how far it was. Why was her power

growing? Was it the Shikon calling itself together? Something magical was at work, and

Kagome just wished she wasn't in the middle of it. Tightening her backpack straps she stepped

toward the southwest in search of another shard.

Sesshoumaru groaned, his neck was stiff from sleeping in a chair. The fire had gone out and

the windows were closed though he remembered opening them up. The servants weren't

allowed in his rooms unless he gave them permission. Did the wind close it? *Impossible, I

felt nothing in the wind, nothing magical.* Kagome's words on his father gave Sesshoumaru

peace when he would have normally been raging at another failed attempt at Tetsusaiga. But

now, he could rest. And do what? Most of his time had been spent trying to take Tetsusaiga.

He had spent so much time on revenge and hate, that he had never felt peace before.

Patrolling his lands perhaps? He could take Rin along since the youkai in his lands were no

match for his strength. And perhaps.....he could meet her again in the real world.

Kagome could feel it getting closer and closer and realized that the youkai had several shards.

*How am I going to beat something who has several shards? One enough is trouble.....might

as well try* This time she put a barrier beforehand to cover her scent and quietly strung her

bow. Getting closer she could see a sort of shrine with a......dead corpse? It was hideous, a

huge puke green demon with enormous arms and four horns. It was obviously dead but there

was a little tray with Shikon shards placed before it. She couldn't see anybody about, but she

had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. There were three shards on the tray, ready to take,

but why three for a dead corpse? She walked closer when all of a sudden she felt scores of

youkai coming near. She put an arrow in her bow and waited. It would be no use to run, they

were coming from all directions. And she could feel so many of them, how was she going to

defeat them? Her barrier might keep them at bay, but for how long? She ran to the shrine and

put a hand out to take the shards when her hand was deflected. *A barrier?* It was too late

dozens of youkai surrounded the shrine, all of them were like the corpse but half it's size.

"Little human, you come too close to our master."

"Perhaps we should eat her?"

"Sacrifice her to master."

"Not yet!" said a voice louder than the others. The youkai moved apart to let in a demon much

like the others but a head taller.

"She has Shikon shards on her neck, idiots. Well well well, a puny barrier. That won't protect

you deary."

"You underestimate the powers of a miko."

"Ah, yes, miko's are powerful, but we are the kekai clan. Our specialty is barriers. And brute

strength."

There was an evil glint in his eyes. And he began to mutter some words under his mouth, a

youkai language she couldn't understand. She could feel something pushing against her

barrier, she opened her soul a little more and pushed back. The head youkai gave a surprised

look.

"You pushed back. Impossible, no human miko can make a barrier that strong. Kinsmen,

attack her barrier and make it weaker."

The monsters gave a grin and started inching toward Kagome. They hit her barrier with their

giant arms, and though a blow or two wouldn't have made a difference, all the monster hitting

at it at the same time was taking it's toll. They ignored the burning in their hands even though

Kagome kept putting more power to it. Blow by blow her barrier was weakening and Kagome's

fear began to leak out. Their grins grew even wider when they felt her fear. They sucked it in

and pounded harder. And then the barrier gave away under their arms. Kagome loosed an

arrow which evaporated several youkai but there were too many. They grabbed her arms and

ripped the Shikon shard from her neck. The leader took it gently and placed it on the tray by

the shrine.

"And now, a sacrifice, and our master is raised after falling under the hands of that dog

youkai. Bring her to me."

The youkai dragged Kagome to the shrine and dumped her at the head youkai's feet. He

grabbed her hair and pulled her over to the corpse. Flashing her white neck at the dead

demon the head youkai flexed his sharp hands.

"You put up quite a fight, one of the best I've seen in a human. But, still, you are human and

nothing more."

Kagome raised up her strength and punched the youkai in the face. As he grabbed his face she

ran to her bow and arrows. She was able to loose one arrow before the demons grabbed her

again. The head youkai stomped over to her and hit her in the face. Angry at being hit by a

human he proceeded to kick her in the stomach several times. Kagome could feel the world

becoming white with pain. And then something whispered in her ear, the wind. And with it

was a voice that sounded so familiar. ~Call it, Kagome, call the Shikon to you.~ Kagome

looked up at the tray and closed her eyes, begging the Shikon to come to her. Then he

stopped hitting her, something else had caught his attention. The Shikon shards raced to her,

forming an impenetrable barrier. She could feel her world slipping away but before she

passed out, a white blur came into the clearing and she knew no more.

He raised his head. A large gathering of youkai. They never gathered together unless they

were up to mischief.

"Jaken, stay with Rin."

"Sesshoumaru-sama-"

But before he could argue his master was gone and Rin was tugging at his sleeve.

Sesshoumaru raced to the gathering of youkai, he could smell her. And the fear from her

scent was driving him to a speed that he thought he could never reach. When he came to the

clearing he saw her lying on the ground with a barrier surrounding her form. Without another

thought he used toukijin's energy to evaporate all the youkai into nothing. When they were

gone Sesshoumaru knelt by the barrier. Gently touching it, the barrier resisted for a second,

then gave away. There was a large bruise on her face and he suspected there were broken

bones as well. He picked her up as if she was precious glass and carefully flew to his home.