InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Nightwalker ❯ Enemy ( Chapter 6 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

By: ji-an

Oh! The bad guys are coming out to play! ^_^ Of course you already know about the un-named nightwalker king, and of the woman who used Kagome as bait. So here is another bad boy for you to play with and I have to say that this is my best villain yet!

Also, a few of you asked about what roles Sango and Miroku play. Don't worry, you'll see.

Plus there are a lot of things happening in this chapter. Hehe, also, Halloween is coming up! Happy Halloween!

Part Six: Enemy

If it were not for the shining silver moon in the sky, there would be no light on the windy, narrow and deserted alleyways she had been traveling through since sundown. It was cold, just the way she liked it, likes billions of tiny ice particles touching her burning skin. It was past midnight as she walked past another silent building.

Seven hours and still nothing, she was beginning to think that it would be another unproductive night. Sighing, she turned toward the moon, watching its crescent shape. A whoosh of wind swept through her, swirling around her hair. The next moment, she found herself pinned against the wall with a pair of emerald eyes, a darker shade than her own, watching her closely.

“Fancy meeting you here on such a glorious night.” He said smoothly, leaning in so his nose touched hers.

She struggled against the claws that were digging into her wrists as they were imprisoned above her head. “I suggest you step away a few paces before slit open your gut.” She warned.

He threw his head back, laughing. “Always the strong one, eh? Lilliana?”

“Narek.” She breathed. “If you want another scar, I'd be happy to oblige.” She growled.

Smirking, he released her and stepped away as she asked. “I'd only obey your commands if you decided to take my offer.” He said, watching her as she straightened, her light, grass colored eyes, watching him intently.

“No. I don't make deals with traitors and I'm not in the mood to get my hands dirty with infected blood. Crawl back to your bastard king.”

Narek eyed the younger nightwalker. “I would go just that, but I'd be happier if you came with me.”

“No. Back off.” She turned to leave.

“Don't you think humans are worthless space? Why should we run and hide while they control the world? Why don't you come with me Lilliana? Join me alongside the nightwalker king.”

Lilliana rounded on him, rushing forward with her claws ready to strike. He smiled and fluently jumped out of her way. “I won't betray my family like you did! Go to hell you bastard!” She snarled, glaring at him where he landed a distance away.

“Have you forgotten what the humans have don't to you? To me?” He said with dark, incensed eyes. Lilliana blanched at those words. “We have a right to take revenge.”

“I don't take revenge on those lower then me!” She hissed as she ran forward again, hooking her arm around his shoulder and effortlessly throwing him into the air. Smiling in his moment of freefall, he fixed himself and landed on the top of a building close by.

“If you insist on fighting me, then I'll give you a hint. The king will come a large sapphire fall at the time when night and day are equal. It's not too late, sweetheart, I will always be waiting for you on the right side.” With a smooth chuckle, Narek vanished into the night, leaving a livid and outraged Lilliana behind.

“I'll never join you.” She swore.

Kagome inhaled tiredly as she climbed the stairs to her home, the key twirling around her finger. “Well, `Boss,' I did as you asked. I'm home before sundown, and I stayed out of the shadows. I wonder how this will harm my social life? If I do get asked out by a non-jackass, I'm going to make sure I complain.” She muttered to herself as she reached her door, inserting her key, but pausing in reflection.

The man on the street that had seemed to give her extra attention, there was something unnerving about him. The way he seemed to appear out of nowhere, it made her feel suspicious. Was he a nightwalker too? She wasn't sure. Didn't they stay out of sight during the day? He had noticed the bite mark on Rika's neck. Had he seen hers too?

Kagome's head began buzzing as she pondered. Finally, her dizziness became a full-fledged headache. She opened her door, preparing to gratefully slump on her bed. The problem was, as she reached her room, someone was already there waiting for her.

“Took you long enough. I was beginning to wonder if you had forgotten how to unlock a door.” The stranger said, jumping off her bed.

Kagome's jaw dropped as the girl came into view. “Who are you?” She asked, slowly getting closer to the girl.

“Oh, right. Pleased to meet you, I'm Claire.” She said, holding out her hand. Kagome looked at it and her curiously. “I believe you're supposed to shake it?” She laughed a high, musical laugh. Tentatively, Kagome clasped the girl's hand, noticing how burning hot it was.

“So, you're a nightwalker too? But you look like a kid.” Kagome said as she let go of Claire's hand. Now this was a girl that screamed oddity. She was shorter than Kagome, but her legs were long. Her facial features were cute and petite. She was a bit flat and looked to be about fifteen but what grabbed Kagome's attention most were her clothes. While most of the nightwalkers she had seen had worn dark colors, elegantly dressed and smooth, this girl had a strange sense of fashion.

Over her chin-length blond hair, she wore a rainbow cap that was a bit too large. Her pink T-shirt had a yellow happy face on it and her neon, green shorts had another rainbow colored belt around their middle. She wore high black and white, stripped stockings, and tennis shoes along with orange fingerless, gloves. From what Kagome could see, there was an MP3 player in her pocket, and an earpiece in her right ear.

“Don't let my looks fool you. I'm around fifty.” She smiled at Kagome's wide-eyed expression.

“I'm here to take you to our home.” Claire said happily, showing Kagome her gleaming white teeth.

Kagome, recovering from the shock of learning Claire's age, returned with a question. “So nightwalkers do live a really long time?”

Claire nodded. “Yup. Though by their standards I'm still a child. I was only bitten in 1967.”

“How long has he been alive?” Kagome wondered out loud.

“You mean Inuyasha? I'll give you a hint.” Claire winked. “He's been alive since the time of intellectual revolutions.” Kagome could not derive any kind of answer from the riddle that was Claire's clue. She could guess that Inuyasha was a lot older than Claire, but the actual number was a bit vague and she'd be damned if she were to ask him how old he was.

“So…” She began, looking at Claire's patient, smiling face. This girl was strangely easy to talk to, despite the fact that she was a bloodsucker. “How are we going to get to your home?”

Claire tilted her head to the side, scratching the back to her head, her nervous expression making Kagome equally apprehensive. “You're not afraid of heights are you?” She asked. Kagome frowned. “A little.” She answered.

“Well,” Claire looked Kagome in the eye, “then I suggest that you close your eyes till we get there.”

“You didn't answer my question. Just how are we getting there?”

“Details, details! Don't worry about that, you'll be there before you know it. If there's anything you need to take from your place, you'd better take it now because I'm betting old Gloomy number two won't let you leave until sunrise.”

Kagome laughed. “So who's number one?” She asked, pretty certain who “number two” was.

Claire gave her a toothy grin. “I like you. Sesshoumaru is Gloomy number one. He came first.”

Kagome walked across the room, pulling a small bag out of her closet. “So he is the older brother. I was right.” She said, packing a pair of nightclothes into the small sack.

“Yup.” Claire answered as Kagome placed a few schoolbooks next to her clothes. “So do nightwalkers have packs? I always heard that vampires were loners. Yet all of you are together.” Kagome added another book.

“Not packs, families, but there is kind of an alpha male and female. They would be the heads of the families.”

Kagome couldn't help herself. “So who's the head of your family?”

“Sesshoumaru, of course.”

Hungry for information, Kagome asked, “So…what happens to nightwalkers in the sun?”

Claire remained quiet for a while before Kagome heard her approach. “He's right, you are very clever. Inuyasha told me not to tell you things like that. Sorry.”

“How come?” It was a blow, but she shrugged it off and pretended to place another flat book into her carrier. Claire was mute again and Kagome thought it was a bit too strange for an energetic girl like herself to be silent. Deciding to change the subject, Kagome asked, “So this nightwalker king guy, does he have a family?”

Claire perked up almost immediately. “Him? No.” She said with disgust. “He's more of a dictator among families. That bastard!”

“You really hate this guy huh?”

Claire gave Kagome a hard, serious look, something that did not seem to go with her chipper features. “If he knew who he really is, what he's done, you'd hate him as equally as we do. Humans have every right to hate him. He's affected both species.”

“I see.” Kagome said, wheezing as she hulled her finished bag over her shoulder. Claire looked at her, shaking her head. “You really don't need that much stuff. I mean you are coming back at sunrise. You remind me of a certain someone Blue.”

Kagome frowned in confusion. “Who's Blue?”

“You! Silly! Can I ask you something: where did you get your eye-color? It's not everyday that you get a normal Japanese girl with blue eyes.”

“I don't know. I get that a lot.” Kagome smiled, shaking her head. Maybe not all nightwalkers were mean after all. Rukiya was pretty nice as well. Perhaps it was only the men that were so…“annoying” would be the polite term.

Kagome asked Claire to wait as she turned out of her bedroom to lock her front door and windows. When she got to her balcony, Claire stopped her, saying, “Keep the balcony open. That's our way out. Well, not that you've got everything, shall we?” She held out her hand and Kagome took it.

“You're not going to jump off of the balcony are you?” She asked, hoping she was wrong.

Claire flashed her a grin. “Keep your eyes closed.” With that, Claire hulled Kagome over her shoulder and flashed forward, jumping off the ledge of the balcony with Kagome screaming into her back. As quickly as she could, Kagome squeezed her eyes shut, feeling the wind whip against her face, but no longer feeling Claire's movements. It was as though she were zooming, smoothly across the air, both terrifying and thrilling at the same time.

Then, suddenly, she was set down so fast that she staggered for a moment before finding her center of gravity and stamping her feet firmly into the ground. “Are you okay?” Claire laughed next to her, holding her shoulder when she swayed a little. Kagome stood straight and breathing in deeply.

“I feel like I was on a roller coaster.” She grumbled, rubbing her head. Her headache had gotten worse.

“Sorry.” Claire mumbled. Kagome looked beyond her as her eyes widened. Behind Claire was the largest house she had ever seen. It was dark; no lights were lit in the windows, and it was just beyond a beautifully iron-molded, black gate, silhouetted in front of a deep, green forest. The house itself looked to be taken out a fairy tale book, except that it was in the shadows and slightly eerie in its presence as it glowed under the newly risen moon, yet it looked so warm and inviting. How was that?

“How far away are from the city?” Kagome asked, fairly certain that there were no rich forests in the city she lived in.

“Oh, a just a few miles.” Claire said in a singsong voice. “Welcome to our humble aboard. Oh that sounded so corny didn't it?” She laughed. “Bet it would be something that Rukiya would say.”

Kagome laughed with her, walking behind her as she opened the gates. “Is there anyone inside?”

“I think Rukiya and Lilliana are inside. Kagura is probably out.” She opened the door and Kagome walked inside, squinting to see the interior for it was dark as well.

“Note to self: buy a flash light.” She muttered.

“Sorry, but we like the dark. You can turn the lights on though.” Seconds later, a large chandelier lighted, and Kagome gasped as she stood in a marble and beautifully decorated foyer. “Wow.” She gulped.

“Bit flashy ain't it?” Claire rolled her eyes as she walked by. “Anyway,” She said, twirling around to Kagome, “you can go anywhere in this house. I'll turn all the lights on so you can see. Oh, before I forget, follow me.” She deftly led Kagome up a spiral, marble, staircase and through some long corridors before stopping in front of a mahogany door. “This is your room.” She said with a smile as she opened the door and turned the light on.

Kagome's eyes widened as she stepped into it. She had never stayed at a hotel before but if she did this would be the presidential suite. A chandelier at the top, a canopy bed, mahogany tables and drawers, and a balcony with glass doors. “Holy cow.”

“Well, I'll leave you now.” Claire said as she closed the door.

“Wait. Where are you going?” Kagome asked her before she vanished through the doorway.

“I've got nightwalker business to take care of with Old Gloomy.”

Kagome crossed her arms. “So he's here?”

“No. We're going to go give my nephew a visit.” Claire winked and disappeared.

“Nephew?” Kagome repeated.

She leaned back on her chair, stretching her arms over her head before she went back to her computer screen. Her eyes were red, puffy as she had been in front of the screen for four hours running. Determined to find something, some clue or some pattern, she had had gone over the files again and again in a fruitless attempt to find answers. Pausing again, she sat back onto her chair, glaring at the error message that had just appeared.

“Another one.” She sighed. “I could really go for some coffee right about now.”

“Wish granted.” A smoother voice filled her ear before a warm mug was slid under her nose. Taking it, she took a nice long whiff before saying, “Thank you, Miroku.” The man named Miroku smiled sheepishly before settling himself into an empty seat at her side.

“Still not giving up are you?” He asked as she began typing again.

“No. There has to be something I missed.” She said as she opened a file. A large picture appeared, with a woman lying in an alleyway.

“You've been looking at these pictures all night. The only way we are going to find a nightwalker is if we run into one ourselves.”

“But there has to be some kind of pattern. Most of the deaths happened downtown. What if the people there are primary targets.” The woman replied.

“Sango,” Miroku shook his head, “I don't think you'll get anywhere.”

“What about those two girls you've identified? Do you know who they are yet?” Sango said as her eyes pinned to the computer.

“The first girl was Rika Izawa. She's a student. Blood type: AB. The bite mark on her neck was faded so she had been bitten a while ago. I didn't get any other data. The second girl was just bitten it seemed, the area around her neck was red. I'm still looking for more of her information.”

“How come they are still alive? Everyone with a mark on their neck has turned up dead.” Sango wondered.

“Maybe Richard's right. Maybe there are a pack of nightwalkers out there who don't kill their prey.”

“You know that's bullshit Miroku.” Sango huffed.

“I wouldn't be so sure. How long are you planning on staying here? Is this an excuse to avoid coming to dinner with me?” He said softly as he slid his arm around her shoulder. The woman flushed a bit but shrugged him off.

“I'm not avoiding anything.” She looked at him from the corner of her eye.

Miroku sighed. “Of course your not.”

A soft knock was heard on the door. Shortly afterward, a fatigued looking girl carrying a folder peaked her head inside. “Excuse me. Richard is calling for you two.”

“Tell him we'll be there right away.” Miroku said, flashing the girl a wink, earning him a glare from Sango and a smile from the girl before she left the room. Sango huffed, gathering her mug and turning her files in the computer off. She swept by Miroku without a word, yet anger was radiating on her. It was so strong that Miroku walked a few paces behind her.

“I was only being friendly.” Miroku glumly said in defense.

“Sure you were.” Sango hissed.

“You can be so cutthroat sometimes.” Miroku said sadly.

Knocking respectfully on the door, they waited for a sound to come in. Hearing it, Sango slowly opened the door and stepped in with Miroku following. It was a bright room, even with the large, glass window showing the dark sky outside. A desk was in the center, a man sitting in the chair behind it with his fingers crossed.

Grey lines had decorated the dark, brown, shaggy hair on his head. His face must have once been handsome, but it was clear that the lines of aging had saddened his looks. Nevertheless, Richard James was deeply handsome for his age. He gestured for Sango and Miroku to come in; they did as he asked, closing the door behind them and walking closer to his desk.

“You asked for us, Mr. James?” Sango asked politely, bowing in respect.

“Yes, sit down if you will.” Richard pointed toward the chairs in front of his chestnut color desk.

“I've looked into the information you've been gathering about those two girls.” Richard began as Sango and Miroku took their seats.

“Anything out of the ordinary?” Miroku asked.

“Based on what you've described, I have reason to believe that there are many more people in the city that have been bitten who still live.” Richard flipped through the files, throwing a girl's picture in front of the two.

“This was the girl, right?” He asked.

“Yes, that's her. Kagome Higurashi. Twenty. Blood Type O.” Miroku answered.

“That mark on her neck is really noticeable.” Sango observed.

“Exactly.” Richard breathed in. “Nightwalkers leave the least noticeable scars that show if they have touched a human. Why does this girl's mark stand out?”

Sango and Miroku shrugged. Research on nightwalkers was for one prohibited; it was far too dangerous. Second, it was nearly impossible to catch a nightwalker, or to interrogate them for their secrets. Nightwalkers were dedicated to loyalty and would rather perish then reveal their confidential information. The only way they could learn was to do a diagnosis on the victim's blood.

“Do you know something about this Richard?” Miroku asked.

“I have a feeling I do.”

Sango rose slightly in her seat. “What's your hypothesis?”

“If I am right…I would like to test out my theory. Would you patrol the city? I have a feeling that we may stumble onto something interesting.”

“Yes sir.” Sango and Miroku said together.

“He's late.” Claire said impatiently, tapping her foot. “I should smack him one for making me wait.”

Sighing, Claire looked around the empty street. No one was in sight. It seemed that the humans had taken extra care to be inside, thanks to their enemies lurking around the corners. It would make hunting rather difficult. “But not undoable.” Claire finished.

“What's not undoable?”

Claire whirled around, only to hear the deafening sound of fire before her shoulder exploded. Blood tickled its way down her side as she clutched the open wound with her hand, snarling and baring her fangs. “That's rather dirty.” She hissed, plunging her hand inside the wound.

Her adversaries gasped as she grinded her teeth in pain, pulling the bullet from her shoulder. The bloody bullet fell to the floor with a “clink.” Claire looked out at the humans who were, as she guessed, the “Dreaded Nightwalker Hunters.”

“I haven't attacked anyone, so why the sudden charge?” She growled. A woman walked closer, squinting as the wound on Claire's shoulder healed itself, fully closing. The only proof of there ever being an injury was the blood on her arm and side.

“What are you doing here?” The woman asked.

“Dude, I was only waiting for someone! You didn't have to go and shoot me! I haven't even bitten anyone yet!” She spat.

“Claire! Are you all right?” Rukiya appeared out of the darkness, holding the younger girl's shoulder.

“I'll live. What took you so long?” Claire raised an eyebrow. Rukiya smiled apologetically.

“Shooting an enemy while their guard's down. Isn't that taking it a bit too far?” The humans looked around for the new voice, but didn't have to search far as Inuyasha jumped down in front of Claire and Rukiya. He walked toward the three humans, eyes trailed from the woman to the two men.

“Stay where you are!” One of the men shouted.

“Don't give me your damn orders!” Inuyasha barked.

The woman marched up to him. “Why are you here?” She asked bravely.

“Actually, we were going to come and pay you a little visit. How nice that you came to us.” He answered sarcastically.

“We want to see Richard!” Claire shouted from the back.

The woman froze. “How do you know about-”

“Spare me! Just take us to your damn leader. I'm not a very patient person.” Inuyasha snarled. Rukiya caught his eye. Their contact sent some unspoken words to each other before Rukiya disappeared into the night. Claire walked up to Inuyasha, holding his shoulder.

“Hmm.” One of the human males came closer to the woman. Though he spoke in very hushed tones, both Claire and Inuyasha captured his speech, but they made no notion to show they did.

“Sango,” the man began, “perhaps this is that `something interesting' Richard mentioned. I think we should arrange a meeting since they seem so eager.”

“How can you say that Miroku?” The woman asked her partner. “What if they plan to cut off Richard's head?”

“Somehow I doubt that. We shot that one, yet she did not strike back. None of them attacked us or made a hostile move, granted they were pretty rude about their demands. Most of their kind does not stand for that.” Inuyasha growled. They were weighing on his tolerance. Finished with their deliberations, both Sango and Miroku faced them.

“Very well, but we warn you. One false move and your bodies would be encased in bullets.” Sango threatened. Rolling his eye, Inuyasha placed his hands behind his back as they handcuffed him. He could easily break their bonds, but he needed their trust if he was to get his chance to chat with an old friend.

Sango and Miroku brought Inuyasha and Claire in front of Richard's office door. Both nightwalkers remained silent until their cuffs were removed. Sending Sango a glare, Claire opened the door, entering with Inuyasha following.

“Hello Rich.” She said as she entered. The man at the desk looked at her wearily.

“Nice to see you Claire.”

Claire placed her hands on her hips, scowling. “Is that anyway to treat your great aunt? Letting your officers shoot me before I even turn my back?”

“You're no aunt of mine and I'm sorry to say that the current situation has no room for sympathetic combat. Thirteen people were killed by your kind in the past week.”

“We had an agreement, Richard. You do not harm those in our family.” Inuyasha interrupted.

“How do I know that you haven't been the one's doing the murders?” The old man raised his brows.

“We don't kill our prey, you know that. You see, Rich, there's a bit of a battle going on. Call it a civil war if you want. It's not us killing. It's our enemies and their drones.” Claire spoke.

“Ah so there were drones in the city as well. I suspected as much.”

“Back to the point.” Inuyasha ground out. “We've kept our end of the bargain. We haven't killed anyone, so we'd appreciate it if your `hunters' would leave us be. Nightwalkers sort out nightwalker problems. I can't guarantee the safety of your employees if they insist on damn meddling!”

“And how many humans will die while you are sorting out this ethnic battle?” Richard countered. Inuyasha snorted.

“Alright Rich. Use your guys to protect the humans. They won't do any good to fight our enemies.” Claire advised.

Inuyasha walked up to the desk, opening his mouth to say something but he stopped. On the desk was a picture of a girl. Inuyasha stared at it, his blood boiling. Richard must have noticed his extra attention to the photograph because he next said, “Does this girl something to you Inuyasha.”

Inuyasha rearranged himself. “No. We didn't just come for this. I have something to ask, Richard.”

“Ask me so I can answer.” Richard regarded him suspiciously.

“We want historical documents that describe a certain object.”

The house was so quiet. She had never studied in such a mute environment; she had finished all her work in record time. Slightly bored after taking a bath and she wandered around the grand house for the umpteenth time.

Soon, a series of voices stopped her as she walked by a slightly ajar door. “Lilliana? What happened?” Rukiya's voice carried out of the room. It sounded as though the older woman ran up to steady the other girl.

“I…I'm fine. I'm just a little angry.” Lilliana responded breathlessly. “Rukiya, Narek is in the city.”

“Did he hurt you?” There was a furious edge in Rukiya's response.

“No. But he said something about the King's whereabouts.”

“Narek's not very trustworthy, Lilliana.”

“But it's the only lead we've got!”

Kagome heard Rukiya sigh. “What did he say?”

“ `The king will come a large sapphire fall at the time when night and day are equal.'”

“Night and day. That's the equinox. As for the fall…a waterfall?” Rukiya concluded.

Niagara Falls? Kagome thought. That was the only famous waterfall she could think of. Feeling slightly guilty of eavesdropping, Kagome settled to spending her time raiding the large library.

Reaching the destined room she looked out the window. It was a half moon outside. Beside the windowsill sat an ancient looking book that caught her eye. Walking up to it, she noticed that the brown leathering covering the book was worn. Dusting it off, she began flipping the pages.

“Find anything interesting?”

Kagome jumped, spinning to see Rukiya smile by the doorway. “You scared me.” She puffed.

“I'm sorry. If you want your peace far be it for me to disturb you.” Rukiya turned to leave.

“Wait!” Kagome called. Rukiya turned, brows raised.

“What's an…Asrealine Bloodstone?” Kagome asked; her finger on the page of the book where a dark gem was pictured.