InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Limerance ❯ The Test ( Chapter 6 )

Notes:

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and followed the story so far!

I'm happy to read each message and feel that you guys are enjoying the story.

 

I wanted to bring your attention to the fact that I have upped the rating from M to MA.

I feel that this new rating will best cover the material that is coming up in future chapters of this piece.

Thank you for understanding!

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Limerance

Chapter 5 - The Test

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“Please don't go, Kagome…”

Inuyasha's plea hung in the air for a few moments before Midori registered that he was addressing her. She frowned.

“Kagome?” She tested out the name. There was something nostalgic about it. Her heart fluttered excitedly. Briefly, she considered moving closer to him, almost as though she thought that by being closer, she would understand what he meant. “Is that…my name?” she inquired, her eyes wide with wonder. “Do you know me?”

Inuyasha looked shell-shocked. “What are you talking about? Don't you remember me, Kagome?”

Kagome…

Kagome…

She couldn't deny that the name sent waves of familiarity through her mind.

You came for me, Inuyasha… a voice from long ago whispered in her thoughts. She didn't know it, or where it came from, but her heart told her that she'd known this demon in the past.

“Inu…yasha?” Just like with her own name, she tried to say his. It was sweet and redolent. Her lips formed the word so easily, as though they were used to the feel and texture of it.  Just like with Sesshoumaru's name, she knew without a doubt that she had known it before. At her calling, the demon looked hopeful and renewed his efforts of trying to free himself from her incantation.

“Let me up, Kagome, so I can help you!”

How could she, when she didn't even know what she had done to restrain him in the first place? She started to think of ways to free him when Sesshoumaru's anger hit her like a hurricane. She turned to see him also struggling to be free. Although he didn't display any outward agitation, she could feel that he was livid. Whatever spell she'd been under was broken. Almost immediately, her eyes went cold.

She suddenly recalled how Akiko had warned her about demons and their trickery. They knew about the darkness in people's hearts, and they often used that darkness against them. Just like those stories, the demon was trying to trick her now. That name was probably something it had just made up to fool her. It must have sensed how much she longed for a past and was taking advantage of her wishes. Well, she wasn't about to let him have his way. Tightening her grip on her bow, she steeled her resolve, turned around, and - with one last regretful look at Sesshoumaru - ran.

Inuyasha couldn't believe it. By the looks of things, Kagome didn't remember him. Or simply didn't want to. Just before she left, her eyes had been so cold. He'd never seen an expression like that on her face, even during their most terrible fights. It was like she was rejecting him completely.

“Damn it,” he growled. That was impossible. His Kagome would never have done that! He looked sideways at the place where Sesshoumaru was still rooted in place. That was another surprise. How had Kagome managed to restrain him? Inuyasha may not have borne any sort of love or respect for his brother, but he could acknowledge that he was very powerful.

He sneered. “Looks like your plan didn't work, Sesshoumaru!” he called out. As usual, his brother said nothing. “Bet you didn't expect for her to turn on you!” As he fought to free himself from Kagome's spell, Inuyasha continued to bark out insults. If the spell could hold him for this long, then something drastic must have changed about Kagome. Her power must have grown. Usually, her “sits” only lasted a few minutes. “Not only that, but she pinned you down, too! You've gotten soft!”

“You are not in any position to be saying that, mutt,” Sesshoumaru finally replied. Although the half-demon's attempts to get a rise out of him shouldn't have worked, he was distracted by the recent events. Something in the air snapped, along with whatever bonds were holding him in place. His half-brother was still subdued. It was just as well. He had business to settle with the priestess, and he had a feeling that his brother would try to interfere if he could.

“Where are you going, Sesshoumaru?” Inuyasha shouted again, still flailing. “Get back here, you bastard! What are you going to do to her?!”  

“Whatever is necessary,” he said quietly before taking to the air.

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As she re-entered the woods, Midori lamented the loss of her satchel and considered going back for it. However, her instincts told her that doing such a thing would be absolute folly.

I'm running around nearly naked and completely defenseless! She argued with herself.

I need something to wear or I'm going to freeze to death.

The way she saw it, she had two options - either die from exposure to the elements, or die from exposure to two very angry demons. As it was, Midori harbored a greater fear of the two monsters. Having her flesh and soul shredded and devoured were two things that she would rather have avoided, even if it meant a chance of succumbing to the cold. At least, if she got far enough away from them, she could find a village and seek out assistance. If she risked going back for her satchel, her death was nearly certain.

Gritting her teeth, she tried to ignore the pinpricks of wood, dead leaves, and crushed pine cones sticking into the soles of her feet as she made her way through the forest. At least running was keeping her warm - for now. It wouldn't be long before she needed to stop and rest. Fear drove her forward. She looked back over her shoulder every once in a while, expecting to see the two monsters breathing down her neck. Every time she turned, however, there was only silence. By whatever miracle, the spell she'd unconsciously cast on them had to be holding them down - or, at least, giving her enough time to put a solid amount of distance between them. Surely they couldn't follow her trail this far.

When she'd encountered the demons, the sun had been on the way to setting. Now, it was finally night. The moon stole whatever warmth that sun had given freely. It was freezing, and even though her yukata was mostly dry now, Midori still shivered. The wind was relentless; it seemed to seek her out no matter where she hid. Eventually, the shivers grew so strong that she couldn't run any more. She looked around and saw a large rock formation overgrown by tree roots. The hole inside it looked round enough to accommodate her small size and had three solid outcroppings that would shield her from the wind. For now, it looked like the greatest of salvations, and she ran to it with a relieved stride.

Even though she was short and petite, she still had to curl up in a tight ball to fit inside the formation. Her bow was abandoned just outside. Her teeth chattered, and she finally noticed what she'd been able to repress ever since her terrible encounter.

Her injuries.

They hurt terribly.

Silently, she tried to catalogue the many cuts and bruises, trying to plan out what would cause the most problems for her. The bruises were not troublesome; the majority of the cuts could be ignored. Her knees and shoulder were skinned from falling, but it was the burns on her body and lacerations on her feet that would hinder her the most. Her feet throbbed as soon as she relieved them of her weight, making her wonder just how painful it would be to stand up again. The skin there was raw; the wounds desperately needed to be cleaned. Her hair was mussed; some portions of it were much shorter than others. Most of its length had been singed off by the demon's acid; there was no time to mourn the loss. The places where the demon's miasma whip had held her bore horrible burns. The skin was red, torn, and disfigured. There were lines of it in places around her shoulders, hips, and legs. As she leaned back against the rocks, she winced.

My back too...

There was nothing she could do about it right now, though. As far as she knew, her healing powers had only ever worked on others. She had never attempted to heal herself before, and even if she could have tried, she was so exhausted that her powers were utterly useless. Midori tried to focus on getting some sleep, for she knew that she couldn't keep going without rest. If she had any hope of surviving and making it to the next village, she needed to sleep and restore what energy she could.

While she slept, the wind gathered in speed and strength. Against all her hopes, the skies turned grey and spewed forth endless torrents of water. Thunder split the air with flashes of white and violet. Midori was so exhausted that she didn't even stir when the rain poured over the rocks and flooded the base of her small cavern. She had succumbed to the pain of her wounds and the drain upon her spiritual powers; not even the crashing sounds of the storm were able to penetrate her solid slumber. So far gone was she, that she didn't even stir when a lightning bolt stabbed the trees surrounding her shelter. The wood, although wet, quickly caught fire.

That was how Sesshoumaru found her.

Although she had covered an impressive amount of distance from the original site of their battle, she was only human and therefore had no chance of evading him. The blood from her injuries left imprints on the foliage. He had easily followed her at a slower pace, giving himself time to think about what would happen when he saw her again.

Restrain!

His fists clenched. He couldn't recall the experience without feeling a deep-seated anger. What had happened had to be a fluke. The amount of energy and will it would have taken to hold him like that had to belong to a being of supreme power. Certainly, the pathetic, shivering, and oblivious woman that was collapsed before him was not able to house such a strength. Silently, he watched as the fire from the storm spread, moving closer and closer to the woman's shelter.

It was a fluke.

It had to have been.

But what if it wasn't?

The prospect of such a thing was unsettling. As he glared at her and approached the rocks, something caught his gaze. It was a small spot of light, glowing brightly on the woman's chest. The material of her clothing had become almost perfectly transparent as it soaked up water, and he easily saw the source of the light. It was a marking shaped like an upside down crescent moon. His chest suddenly felt hot, and - with a nauseating trepidation - he saw that an exact replica of the symbol was glowing in the same spot on his own chest.

His gut churned. As much as he hated to believe it, he had to accept the possibility that the woman had somehow cast a curse or a spell on him. He'd seen plenty of demons cursed by priestesses. Weather the curse hurt them, killed them, or enslaved them, the story always ended badly for the victims. However, more disturbing than the thought of being put into such a position by a human was the thought that humans thought highly enough of themselves to cast such curses in the first place. The times were changing quickly. Where demons had once been feared and respected, now they were treated with disregard and irreverence.

Sesshoumaru frowned. Enchantment, spell, curse - whatever it was, he wanted it gone. Unfortunately, he needed the woman to be alive to make that happen. Annoyed and impatient, he easily pulled her out of the crevice she was hiding in and moved her away from the fire. He looked around - suddenly not sure what to do with her - and tossed her to the ground. Roughly, he prodded her with a foot, wanting to make as little contact as possible. Carrying her was a daunting prospect, as was touching her at all. The mark on her chest made him wary. He wasn't sure what it was capable of, and even though he knew that he could easily overpower her, he didn't want to take any further action before he could completely analyze the risks and benefits of the situation.

“Woman,” he said impatiently, still prodding her shoulder with his boot. “Wake up.” Lightning flashed, illuminating her face. She looked pale and drawn, almost grey. He could smell burned flesh, blood, and the scent of infection. If she continued as she was, she would most likely die in a day or two. Perhaps that was for the best. The curse would probably be removed with her death anyway.

Probably…

Somehow, that answer didn't make him feel any better. It fell too far from certainty and rested too close to ambiguity for comfort. He wanted absolute assurance that the curse would be removed. If she died and the curse stayed, there would be no way for him to ever erase the mark. An image of Tenseiga flashed in his mind. He knew that it had the power to revive the dead, but he had never tried to use it for that purpose before. Not to mention, the sword was unreliable. It obeyed him on a whim, and he wasn't willing to risk something important like this to a whim of an inanimate object.

Putting a hand to his forehead, he massaged his temple. The last thing he wanted to do was waste time on this when he had a rebellion to quell. He extended his mane and wrapped it around the woman's body, lifting her up against his side. From this position, he could easily feel the powerful shivers that raked her frame. It must have been the combination of the cold, her weakness, and the growing infection that was causing her to suffer. Fortunately, a few moments spent wrapped in his warm fur helped ease her discomfort. Soon enough, she calmed and relaxed in his hold, her breathing deepening as she fell into a healing slumber.

He wrinkled his nose in response to her scent. Somewhere, he would have to find a place for her to bathe - and soon. Hopefully, she would be awake by the time he found a source of water. If she wasn't, he would settle for simply dumping her in a river or a lake. The experience could be detrimental, but at least the smell would be gone.  In the meantime, he would continue his investigation of the current conflict. Staying here and waiting for her to awaken would be a waste of time. He would take her with him until she gave him what he needed. After that, he would decide her fate.

Taking note of the stars and their position, he set off in the general direction of the last known location of the rebel armies.

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 “Remember, don't touch the stone! Cut away the seals, but do not touch the stone itself!”

The temple was enormous, but it had been hidden well. It had taken the company of Jade Soldiers nearly a week to find. Even though they had followed Lord Rinnyo's visions exactly, they had still spent too much time wandering around in circles. The time spent, however, had been worth it. The stone was underground right where Lord Rinnyo had predicted it would be, and it was even protected with the same seals that he had seen in his vision. It was only a matter of time now before the power of the stone was in their Lord's possession.

Lord Rinnyo - the leader of the western rebellion - was a man of large stature. He towered over most of the soldiers and looked at least four times as fierce as the most experienced of warriors. Even his own followers feared him and took care never to look him in the eyes when they spoke. Some believed he was part demon, while some swore that he was descended from the Gods themselves. He was certainly cruel enough to prove either legend true. No man under his command felt at ease around him. The only person who was entirely calm in his presence was his highest and most favored general - Hosokawa Hiroto.

Hosokawa was a large and highly-respected family that was spread out over a wide area of the west. They held positions of warlords, nobles, and even vassals in the palace of the Emperor. It was also rumored that they were the center of the darkest intrigues that took place in government and politics. Seeing one of their numbers hold such a high position among the rebellion was unsettling for most of Lord Rinnyo's followers. It was said that where the Hosokawa appeared, demons and darkness usually followed.

Still, that did not stop the majority of the Jade Soldiers from feeling an honest respect for the man. He was an excellent warrior and a brilliant tactician, and he never hesitated to enter the battle with his own men if things became dire. The men he had fought with idolized him; they recounted tales of his bravery and heroism in decisive battles and passed them down to new recruits. Slowly but surely, Hosokawa Hiroto became a small legend of his own. That was precisely why Lord Rinnyo had trusted him with this dangerous and delicate task.

His mission was to seek out the ancient temple that his Lord had envisioned. It was rumored to house a stone of ancient power that would grant their leader the strength of a deity. Truthfully, Hiroto did not care what his reasons were. If his Lord gave him a command, he followed it without question. He was a man of absolute loyalty, and would follow his master to the ends of the earth if need be. In fact, it was this unwavering devotion that had earned him Rinnyo's unconditional faith and trust. As the last doors to the inner temple were breached to reveal the stone, Hiroto smiled. His Lord would be pleased.

“Lord Hiroto!” one of the soldiers called, running over and falling to his knees before him. The general motioned for him to rise. But, even though the man got to his feet, he kept his head down respectfully. “The inner seals are ready to be removed.”

Hiroto nodded. “Bring the priestess,” he commanded. There was a commotion at the entrance. Four men dragged a young girl inside the temple, leading her towards the stone. Her hands were bound by thick rope, and a chain hung from her neck. She struggled against the soldiers' tight hold on her.

“Please! Please don't make me do this!” Her black hair was disheveled; her garments were rumpled and dirty. She had obviously been restrained while trying to escape. It was a pathetic sight. Hiroto looked around thoughtfully, carefully taking in the way some of the soldiers were looking away. The majority of them obviously pitied her. If something wasn't done, they could begin to doubt their mission. Full of resolve, he signaled for the soldiers to stop and walked to her, tilting up her chin so she could see him.

“You are the priestess Midori, correct?” She hesitated for a moment, but nodded. The action made the tears in her eyes spill over to streak down her cheeks. They made tracks through the light spots of dirt on her skin. “You came to us, remember?”

Again, she nodded. “Yes! But I…”

“If you are who you say, then this stone will not harm you. If you are who you say, then you will be gifted with a marvelous power - a power that you will use in the service of Lord Rinnyo to help him reclaim the lands that are his by right.”

She shuddered at his cold words and sobbed. “Please! Please listen to me! I…I…” She bit her lip, and Hiroto smiled. It wasn't a smile of cruelty. It wasn't intended to gloat or humiliate. It was devoid of anything - an empty gesture, but an effective one. The girl looked terrified at the finality in that smile.

“You lied, then?”

She looked down. Her bangs fell forward to cover her eyes. Another nod. “I did, but I…”   

Hiroto interrupted her, raising his arm to gesture to his soldiers. “Look here, men!” His voice echoed against the high ceiling of the chamber, adding strength and emphasis to his words. All the soldiers stood at immediate attention. “This woman came to our Lord, falsely claiming to be the legendary priestess Midori. She has betrayed Lord Rinnyo's trust and, therefore, has betrayed us as well. Do not pity her! Do not allow yourselves to feel shame or regret at what happens here today. This charlatan is not worthy of such thoughts. The stone will judge her; the stone will choose her fate!” He pulled her out of the soldier's grip and roughly pushed her towards the artifact, his hand gripping her by the collar of her chain. “If the deity within the stone finds her worthy, she will touch it and not be harmed. But, if the deity finds her sins to be too great, she will suffer the same fate as any other person unworthy of the power!”

The girl was shaking now. She tried to turn around to look at him, but he would not allow it. Finally, she cried. “Please! I did this for my family! Lord Rinnyo promised to take care of my family!”

“Silence, snake!” one of the soldiers shouted.

“Touch the stone!” a few others yelled. As Hiroto shoved her farther towards the artifact, her sobs grew in volume. When she was within reach of it, she shook her head, chanting a quiet denial under her breath. Hiroto leaned forward and whispered in her ear.

“Touch the stone, or I will burn you alive for treason.”

The girl cried out in terror, but reached forward and touched the surface of the artifact.

Silence.

For a moment, the girl looked hopeful. She was confused, scared, relieved, and elated all at once. However, just as she began to thank her gods for sparing her life, the air hummed with energy.

There was an explosion.

White light filled the room.

Everyone was knocked back except for Hiroto, who stood his ground by sheer will. As the blinding whiteness faded, he saw the girl's body lying on the floor, her face contorted in fear. Her palms were burned, the skin there raw and blistering. It almost looked like she had touched a living flame. Although her hands had taken the brunt of the damage, the skin all the way up to her elbows was cracked and peeling. The energy had even eaten through her thick sleeves.

Another failure… Hiroto thought with disappointment. Lord Rinnyo would not be pleased. He heard groaning behind him. It took some time, but the soldiers stood up and regained their senses. Hiroto, dressed in his red and black dragon-scale armor, looked - to them - like a god himself. The fact that he hadn't been overwhelmed by the light was not missed by anyone. One by one, each soldier felt a stirring of awe and admiration for the general. If they had any doubts about his strength and leadership, they were all swept away in that moment. 

The soldiers who had been holding the girl kneeled.

“My Lord…what do we do now?”

“Failure cannot be tolerated," he replied loud enough for everyone to hear. "Find those who brought the girl to Lord Rinnyo and execute them. Do not allow them the honor of Seppuku; they do not deserve it for disappointing our Lord.” He pointed to the girl's body. “Get this thing out of here. Our search continues.”