InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Risen in Patria ❯ A Spider's Venom ( Chapter 4 )

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

Risen in Patria

Summary: Years ago, a great war left the lands scarred, with demons and humans hateful of each other.  Now, the fallen lord Inuyasha has been turned into his own worst nightmare, but he finds his strength in the wild, beautiful Kagome Higurashi.  Together, the two must decipher the kingdom’s history to prevent a ruthless tyrant from destroying their homes and lives.

Warnings: Violence and gore, language, OOC, mild sexual content, implied sexual relationships, implied rape

Miscellanies:

Word Count – 9538
Post Date – June 3, 2012

A Spider’s Venom

Sango wanted to get out of this stuffy carriage as soon as possible.  She was never the type that could sit in such a tight, confined space for long and it was driving her crazy.  Knocking lightly on the thin wooden screen behind her, she asked impatiently, “How much longer until we get there?”

“Quiet, wench.  We’ll get there when we get there,” the guard responded harshly.  He didn’t even understand why they had to escort the stupid servant girl anyway.  This was a business trip, not a vacation for the whores of Lords, but he knew better than to comment on it aloud.

She scowled.  Yet another reason to hate the incompetent people transporting them to the main Higurashi estate, the first being that they kept her and Miroku in separate carriages.

‘As if everyone and their mothers didn’t already know we were sleeping with each other,” she thought with a roll of her eyes.  ‘It wouldn’t be proper!’ Sango mockingly mouthed what they said to her, perfectly affecting their shocked and indignant expressions.  

She smiled slightly at her silliness. Though there was no one there to laugh at her antics, she knew that Miroku would have found it funny.  He was a sweet and funny guy, completely unlike the prince – now Taisho.  She frowned deeply at the thought of the Taisho having gone missing.  Had something gone wrong?  She hadn’t been contacted by anyone outside of the castle for weeks, and it was unnerving.

Sighing to herself, she banished thoughts of spoilt rulers, sweet lovers and bumpy trips and tried to focus on simply relaxing for the rest of the trip.  The sounds of nature felt like home to her, though that was the only real bonus of this trip so far.  ‘What was I thinking, deciding to come along?’ she asked herself, but she already had the answer to that.  Miroku, despite being excessively perverted and used to getting his way - she attributed that to his friendship with the Taisho - was a genuinely kind person.  When he spoke to her, he spoke of peace for all the people, and for an end to the fighting.  That was what she wanted more than anything else, Sango thought.  Miroku would have made a far better ruler than the current foolish, violent man.

Suddenly, the carriage pulled to a stop, and Sango rested her ear against the wooden door to hear what was happening outside.  Her brows furrowed in suspicion when she caught harsh words exchanged outside.  It wasn’t uncommon for travelers to come across the occasional group of bandits, and Sango suspected that might have been the case here.  She squinted against the decorated wooden door.  From within the carriage, she could make out three figures ahead, the three head guards.  Even further ahead, a blur of figures appeared, lining the edges of the forest road.  ‘Something’s definitely wrong.’  Lightly fingering the dagger hidden in the thick folds of her winter dress, she drew comfort from the familiar feel of deadly metal in her hands.

The shine of steel and swords among the shadowed figures ahead suggested that these visitors brought no friendly tidings, and her grip on the dagger’s handle tightened in response.  Sango knew fighting would give her away, but she couldn’t deny her excitement at the mere thought of handling a blade again, however small, and of letting it guide her hand through flesh.

A lone man stepped out of the shadowed men towards the court travelers and the guards, his face hidden in a sinister, black and white mask.  Sango kept a careful eye on the carriage ahead of her for a sign of Miroku.  Whether he simply trusted the guards to take care of the problem or he was too frightened to reveal himself, she didn’t care, as long as the fake Lord stayed put.  His hands were too soft to handle a weapon, she thought.

“We don’t care who you are.  This is the royal guard.  Move or we will cut you down, in the name of the Taisho,” she head a guard at the front threaten, as he angled his spear slightly towards the group.

The face behind the mask laughed, a deep laugh that sent tremors up even Sango’s spine.  As she looked at it more carefully, she couldn’t let go of the feeling that there was a demonic presence looming around him.  

“The royal guard.  Ah, the gods favor me today.” The masked figure waved his force forward and Sango counted a good twenty men.  

They had fewer men, Sango thought thankfully, but seeing two masked faces in the crowd made her more anxious than she was willing to admit.  

The mercenaries of old times, her ancestors, used to wear masks for the slaughter.  ‘To protect their souls,’ she remembered from her father’s old tales.  “Silent men” were their names.  Up until her father’s generation, it was tradition to have their tongues ripped out by adulthood, “to prevent their dying screams,” her father had explained.  The silent men were outlawed long ago, in the days of the old Taisho, but the sinking feeling in her stomach grew uncontrollably.

She watched carefully, adrenaline and blood pumping fiercely through her veins, as the guards readied their weapons.  She could sense the smile behind the masked leader’s face.  He raised an arm, stopping the demons, and added, “The spider sends his deepest regrets,” before waving forth his hand.  At that, the battle began and Sango moved to action.  As she thrust open the door, she saw men from both sides rush forward like two waves colliding, but what nearly stopped her heart were the two men, one masked, one unmasked, that easily cut their way through to Miroku’s carriage.

Driven by an unnamable force, she ran with all her might towards the carriage.  The unmasked man caught sight of her, seemed to roll his eyes and turned to take care of her.  ‘Poor sucker,’ Sango thought, smirking internally.  Surprise was always the best advantage.  Easily ducking under his sword’s blow, she grasped the dagger, ripped it out of her dress, and cut his stomach open in one swipe, spilling the man’s innards at her feet.

“Sorry.” she said with a light smirk, as the shocked man fell lifelessly to the dirt road.  She quickly picked up his sword, testing its weight as she turned to the masked man.  She heard Miroku’s sharp gasp from the carriage, having clearly seen what she had just done, but kept from turning to check on him.  Soaking in the sound of death and violent cries around her, she made her move toward the silent man.

Each blow tested his responses, feeling for weak spots.  She danced around his blade, a light “Zugaikotsu” sword forged from demon skulls.  His weapon gave him away as a silent man immediately, and Sango intended to use this to her advantage.  ‘At least it seems we’re on equal footing, trained in the same art.’ She thought.  

He guarded his head so well that she was getting frustrated trying to sever it from his shoulders.  ‘Every man has a weakness.’ She dodged one of his swings again, bringing her hands near his legs and stomach.  Having anticipated another strike, the man moved to block her sword, but Sango used that distraction to plunge her dagger into his groin, cutting down everything in its path.  He collapsed, a silent scream forcing its way out of his mouth behind the mask, and she quickly slit his throat to end his agony.

His dying eyes flashed before her, and Sango shared a moment of recognition before swiftly turning to drag Miroku out of the carriage.

“S-Sango!  Oh gods!  Are you alright?!  What was that?!  I-...y-you...how did you...what in the world is going on?!”  Miroku screamed, panicked and close to hyperventilating.  He went with her unyieldingly as she yanked him out.  A quick look around them showed that most of the men from both sides were dead, with maybe five or six good men fighting on each side.  Neither of the silent men remained, the other having died taking down five or six of the royal guard.

To the side, the leader stood watching, untouched and almost...bored by the proceedings.

“Hmm...slayer.  I believe I’m not to kill you.  You’re decent, I give you that.  But nothing special really.  I do wonder...why you must be kept alive unless you are just another fly caught in this endless web?” The black and white mask cocked to the side as if confused. “Well, you can’t be that important.  I hope you and -” Sango heard the face behind the mask take a sniff.  “…your whore of a Lord give me good sport,” was his warning before he cut his way through the remaining fighters, indiscriminately killing his own fighters and the royal guard.

Roughly throwing Miroku to the side and ignoring his pained grunt, she immediately raised her borrowed blade to meet his.  His one armed swing was more powerful than anything she had ever blocked, and Sango used all her might, straining every muscle in her body, merely preventing herself from being sliced in half by his attack.

The mask chuckled, the laughter echoing ominously behind the clay wall.  “You smell good, you know that?  I can see why the Lord over there spends so much time fucking you.”  Sango growled up at him, still unable to push back his sword, and their metals screeched against one another in their suffering.  “I might even honor the both of you by fucking your corpses when I’m done,” he whispered maliciously to her, striking blue eyes glinting amusedly down.  

Feeling her leg muscles straining beneath her, Sango decided to switch tactics and relented under his sword, quickly darting to the left to avoid the slice.  ‘Calm.  Fight with a calm head.’ She mentally chanted, refusing to grant his taunts with an answer.  She caught Miroku struggling with a stray fighter to the side, but could only pray that he or one of the few remaining guards could get themselves out of their alive.

As soon as she was out of his grasp, the masked man attacked her again with inhuman speed.  Sango barely escaped death and certain mutilation.  He came again and again, laughing as he relentlessly chased her down.  ‘What the hell is this guy?!  How is he moving so goddamned fast?!’  She thought breathlessly, narrowly evading him each time.  Her suspicions of his youkai nature were growing.  How else could he swing so hard?  Move so quickly he was damn near imperceptible?  She had been one of her clan’s greatest fighters, but against him, she was sure her life would end today.

A pained cry drew both of their attentions to Miroku as he clutched his bleeding shoulder with his hand.  He’d apparently stabbed the man fighting him, but had been injured in the process.  “Miroku!”  Sango called out, running to his side with incredible speed.

“Nuh-uh-uh, my little slayer.” The masked man moved faster, placing himself between Sango and Miroku.  “How curious you humans are.  Do masters normally mean so much to their whores?  Or is it just you?”

Sango swung furiously at him, enraged at the sight of Miroku bleeding on the ground, but he blocked her easily and turned to grab Miroku.  The sharp blade was poised at Miroku’s throat before she could even react, and both she and Miroku froze in terror.  

“You move, he dies.” The man taunted fearlessly.

“S-Sango,” Miroku grunted out, blood dripping down his arm.

‘Crap.  How do I get him out of this?’ Sango’s thoughts ran furiously.  Time slowed to a million beats per second as she carefully assessed the situation.  When he grabbed Miroku’s injured arm, Sango tightened her grip on the sword, but he pressed his own sword into Miroku’s throat, creating a red sliver of pain.  With a haunting laugh, the masked man sunk his teeth into Miroku’s arm, eliciting a strangled scream from his limp hostage.  Sango watched his pain helplessly, every moment of his suffering tormenting her.

A sudden blade of light shooting down from above the trees sent the three into chaos.  The masked man dropped Miroku and dodged the blow, growling at the intruder.  A hundred more blades of light shot down from the skies, destroying everything in their path, though Sango noticed that they were mostly aimed at the masked man.  When one of them cut down the man, Sango took the opportunity to grab the faint Miroku and carried him as far from the scene of battle as she could.

She ran desperately into the forest, but not before catching sight of the feather floating beyond the trees.  ‘The wind witch?  What is she doing here and why...?’  Miroku’s groan forced her out of her thoughts and after a glance told her that there didn’t seem to be any other survivors, she carried her injured lover into the trees.

After half an hour of searching, Sango finally spotted what looked like a safe and abandoned den.  Exhaustedly dragging a pale and weakened Miroku in, she set to work bandaging his injuries, all the while thoughts of spiders and demons and wind witches haunted her mind.

Crack.  Split.  Plop.  Crack.  Split.  Plop.  

The rhythm of breaking open eggs calmed Inuyasha as he and Kagome prepared breakfast at the crack of dawn.  She was humming softly to herself, seemingly caught up in her own world, but Inuyasha’s thoughts were tangled and tied in knots.  He’d returned to her arms the night before, but it had been bittersweet.  

‘Would you forgive me if you knew what I had truly done, Kagome?’  

The two days he had spent in the forest had been long, miserable days.  The night’s events replayed over and over in his head, burning those images on his retinas, and when his body betrayed him, arousing at the memory, he never felt more disgusting – more like the beast he had been calling himself.

He hadn’t even realized how much her scent warmed him in the night until the first night away.  ‘I couldn’t catch a wink of sleep without her.’ And he was hesitant to succumb to her plea that he stay last night, but in the end, he gave in willingly to what the both of them desired.  Her arms around him had been the safest place on earth, where his guilt and pain and misery melted away.  ‘I needed that.  Does that make me a bad person?  Taking advantage of her that way?’

Inuyasha had never been the type of person to question his character or his morals.  A Taisho was always right.  What he did was the will of the gods, his tutors had told him as a child, but he couldn’t get her anger out of his head.  She’d spoken about him, the Taisho, with such hatred that he didn’t know what to do.  ‘Do other people think that way about me too?’  His throat tightened at the thought that the very people who smiled and encouraged him secretly hated him.  For nearly a year, he was convinced that Kagome Higurashi would be the Taisho’s - his - wife.  He never once guessed how she really felt about him.  Well, he’d wanted an inside look, and he’d gotten one, he thought wryly.

Part of him had wanted to scream at her that she was wrong.  He wasn’t a terrible person!  A harsh ruler, perhaps, but he had to be! And he certainly wasn’t to blame for what happened to her family!  He’d only been a teenager...doing what he thought was the right thing.  

The other part of him wanted to flee...from the memories...the guilt...everything.  It knew that he had done terrible things and that his latest crime was only another to add to his list.  ‘I...r-ra...’ Even in his own head, Inuyasha couldn’t get the word out, his crime.  How did he expect himself to confess it to her aloud?

Kagome’s voice pulled him from his pained thoughts.  “Inuyasha, are you alright?”  Her worried brown eyes danced with his from across the room.

“Oh...Yeah.  I’m fine.” He replied.

She put down her dish and closed the distance between them.  “Is this about last night?”  Boldly, Kagome reached for his hand, taking the egg from his grip.  “Inuyasha, I told you I forgave you.  I don’t know why you ran away, but you came back and apologized.”

Inuyasha cringed, and it must have shown on his face because Kagome let his hand drop from hers, hurt by his response.  He instinctively reached out and grabbed her hand, reassuring her.  

“It’s...not that,” he got out.  ‘I have to tell her now.  Before it’s too late.  She’ll hate me forever if she finds out later.’  He thought, but the words weren’t coming out of his mouth no matter how he tried.

His internal struggle evident on his face, Kagome squeezed his hand, feeling that he needed her support.  She was a bit perplexed at exactly what was bothering the hanyou, since things had seemed to go so well last night.  

Maybe, he was regretting coming back...“Inuyasha, why did you run away?” She asked in a whisper, almost afraid of his answer.  She had feared that he was disgusted with her, with her impurity.  Normally, she wouldn’t give a rat’s ass about what other people thought of “purity,” but the idea that Inuyasha found her reviling made her chest ache painfully.

‘Tell her.  Tell her the truth!’ Inuyasha knew this was the moment and clenched his eyes shut in preparation.  He wanted so badly to purge himself of the crime.  It would be a blatant lie to say he didn’t want her forgiveness.  In his dreams, she forgave him, she loved him, and she held him in her arms every night with his conscience cleared.  ‘Do I deserve that?’  Inuyasha growled in frustration.  He’d never had to think about “deserving” things as a Taisho.  A ruler deserved everything.  ‘Maybe that’s the problem...’ he acknowledged.  His week or so with Kagome had given him the truth, more truth than all his advisors combined had given him in a lifetime.  He had never needed someone the way he needed Kagome now.

“I...” he started, but the words choked in his throat.  He tried to picture her shocked and hurt face, despising him for his betrayal.  Would he be able to take that?  As a Taisho, he had his pride and power to hide behind when facing those who opposed him.  He could have them killed with a snap of his fingers.  He was invincible, untouchable.  But here...here in the North, with only Kagome by his side, he had nowhere to hide.  Her words had the power to touch him, destroy him or sooth him as she willed, and he simply couldn’t face her hatred when he told her.  “I...just got so angry.” He finally said, cursing himself for lying to her face.  “I couldn’t stand that someone had...”  The word caught in his throat again and Inuyasha looked down in shame.  “I’m sorry.”

Relieved, Kagome smiled at him.  “Thanks, Inuyasha.”  He looked up in shock at her thanks.  What in the world was she thanking him for?  “...for caring.”  She tiptoed and hugged him around his neck.  Unable to stop himself, Inuyasha reciprocated and wrapped his arms around her.  Though he still couldn’t bring himself to tell her the truth, she was right.  He did care about her.  While he had only wanted her for her beauty just a few weeks ago, now he could see how much more there was to her.

As her scent caressed his nose, he rumbled contentedly and closed his eyes peacefully.  There really was no better place than in her arms, he thought.  Life was funny, he decided.  When he wanted her as the most powerful man in the land, she had scorned him, but when he held her as...as no more than a beast, she willingly brought him closer.  

Regretfully, Kagome released him and stepped back.  His arms reluctantly loosened around her, the demon in him whining for more time in her embrace.  They stared at each other for a long moment, golden amber kissing rich brown eyes, before Kagome laughed happily and turned away.

‘Inuyasha really is something different,’ she thought.  The inu-hanyou had been steadily creating a spot for himself in her heart since she met him, and the way he looked at her, held her, drew her in faster than she could understand.  Had this been ten or fifteen years ago, she would have been whipped for even talking to him.  The divide between humans and demons was that severe after the Great War.  But now, now she dared to think about the silver-haired hanyou staying longer with her.  There was no one to control them, and the Higurashi family no longer held enough power for their marriages to make a significant difference to the political games of the high lords.  The only reason why men asked for her hand in marriage these days was for her face, and she wasn’t about to marry for something so superficial.  ‘I want someone to care about and someone who cares about me, too.’ She thought with a peak at the hanyou to her left.

They returned to their previous tasks for a few minutes, working in a comfortable silence.  Inuyasha avoided thinking too much about what to do as he didn’t want to be put in a bad mood, and simply let himself bask in her scent and her kindness.

“I’m heading north today to get some more medicines.” Kagome broke the silence.  “Would you like to accompany me?”

“Why are you heading north?  Can’t you just get medicine from one of the towns nearby?” It didn’t sit well with him to have her go up north.

“I have a friend who grows the herbs I need up north.  Most of the medicine here won’t work as well for demons, and I’m running low on those.”  Kagome explained.

Inuyasha read between the lines easily enough.  “Oh...Sorry about that.”

“No!  Inuyasha, you don’t have to be sorry!”  Kagome laughed and threw her head back.  Inuyasha found himself entranced by the smooth curve of her neck, the way her unbound hair danced on her back.  “What else is demon medicine for other than to help out people like you?”  She reached forward to tweak his ear lightly.  “I just need some more, for emergencies.  Plus, I haven’t seen my friend in a while.  I think you’ll really like him.”  She finished with a strangely secretive smile.

Inuyasha watched her cheeriness suspiciously.  Male friend?  He bristled at the thought of Kagome with another male and found himself releasing a growl subconsciously.  Kagome turned to him, startled by his growl, and he immediately stopped at her puzzled look.  “Clearing my throat...” he explained feebly at the question on her face.

“Alright...well if you want to come along, you’re welcome to.  I just figured you’re probably bored out of your mind doing nothing all day.”

Inuyasha wasn’t about to let Kagome go traipsing around alone in the forest, especially if she was visiting a man.  “I’ll go with you.” He declared, feeling somewhat valiant.  Perhaps he couldn’t admit yet what he’d done, but he’d at least put to use his demon strengths by protecting the girl if she was venturing into demon-infested territory.

“Great!  We should leave in about twenty minutes, after breakfast.”

Inuyasha nodded and the two quickly finished preparing and eating breakfast.  As they stepped out of the quiet home, Kagome strapped on a knapsack and her bow and quiver of arrows to her back.  At Inuyasha’s shocked face, she laughed.  “I’ve made this trip enough times to know that it’s dangerous.  I’m not foolish enough to go in unprotected.”  She shut the door behind them, locking the entrance, and led him to the mouth of the forest.

They began their journey down a well-trodden path, and Inuyasha noticed that he couldn’t sense or smell any other demons around.  Their walk was peaceful and uninterrupted.  Inuyasha mused to Kagome, “I don’t know why, but I always imagined traveling in the forests to be a lot more...dangerous.”

“It used to be.  You’re probably used to demon and human conflicts wherever you’re from.”  Kagome’s comment reminded him of his cover story.  “Like I said, I make this trip quite a few times a year, and I’ve been coming here for nearly a decade.  My friend is actually a large reason I’m still alive today, so I visit him whenever I can.”  

Inuyasha’s stomach churned uncomfortably at the admiration in his voice.  Was this...jealousy?  He had tried to detach himself from Kagome in his guilt, but everything she did since meeting him only drew him closer, and now he could hardly stand to hear her even talk about another man.  

Oblivious to his discomfort, Kagome explained, “I scared off most of the hostile demons a while ago, so I haven’t been bothered on a trip for a long time.”

Inuyasha nodded in understanding and enjoyed the peaceful silence for the remainder of the walk.  He noticed the trees beginning to thin and soon Kagome led him to a small, open field with plants and herbs of all kind sprouting in the neat rows of dirt.  The sun’s rays gleamed against the silky dirt and Inuyasha found himself marveling at the beauty of this little farm.

“Come on.”  Kagome grabbed his hand and dragged him toward a small hut near the center of the field.  “I want you to meet my friend.”

Before they even made it onto the farmland, Inuyasha felt the ground begin to rumble and shake.  “Kagome!  Don’t move!”  He hurriedly yelled out, pulling her behind him.  He crouched, ready to fight whatever was threatening them, when a gargantuan figure emerged from the hut.  Its arms spread wide and an enormous smile on its face as it ran and jumped towards them, rocking the earth dangerously with every step.

“Kagome!!” It cried out gleefully, but a fierce growl from Inuyasha stopped it in its tracks.  Inuyasha watched him cower, transforming from happy to terrified in moments at his glare.  Kagome swiftly put her hand on his shoulder and pulled him back.

“Inuyasha, it’s okay!”  She stepped in front of him, and the beast’s eyes lit up again at the sight of her face.  “This is Jinenji.  He’s not going to hurt us.”  When Inuyasha relaxed slightly at her words, she turned to face the frightened giant, who had curled into a half-crouch.

“Hi Jinenji,” she walked up to Jinenji and rubbed his back comfortingly.  Jinenji, while terrifyingly large, was also the gentlest and sweetest man she knew, and as soon as he felt her touch, his cheerful smile returned.  He excitedly swept her up into a huge and powerful hug and Kagome laughed along with him.  Inuyasha watched alertly as the creature swung her around, prepared to attack should the demon decide to turn hostile.  When Jinenji finally let Kagome return to the earth, she introduced the two of them.  “Jinenji, this is Inuyasha.  Inuyasha, Jinenji.”

Inuyasha took his time sizing up the demon, taking in his bulging arms and legs, the scars striped across his skin, and finally, his enormous, clear blue eyes.  ‘The hell?  I didn’t know her ‘friend’ was a demon.  And just what kind of demon is he...?’  Despite his time with Kagome, he still felt an initial suspicion towards demons, and though Kagome clearly didn’t fear this one, he wasn’t about to let down his guard.  ‘Plus, those scars are from fights.  He could be dangerous.’

Jinenji blinked slowly and shyly hid behind Kagome.  Inuyasha would have laughed at the comical sight of the massive demon hiding behind such a small human girl if he weren’t so focused on sorting out all the smells and sights that accompanied the demon.  “Hi,” the demon spoke softly, as if speaking louder would provoke Inuyasha.

Seeing Kagome’s optimistic face got Inuyasha to respond to Jinenji’s shy greeting.  “Hello...”

“See?  That wasn’t so bad.”  Kagome looked up at Jinenji with her pretty browns and smiled encouragingly.  Jinenji’s face lit up, coloring a deep tomato-red at her smile, and Inuyasha’s stomach turned uncomfortably again.

‘Is Kagome...involved with this guy or something?’ He had to hold back his disgust at even the thought of this Jinenji desiring Kagome.  ‘Beasts shouldn’t want to be with humans that way.’  A voice in his reminded him that he wanted Kagome too, even as a hanyou, but he quickly stifled it by reasoning that he wasn’t really a demon, only a human temporarily cursed as one.

“Come on.  Let’s go inside.”  Kagome finally spoke, breaking him out of his thoughts.  Jinenji’s soft blue eyes shifted from his, and he tenderly picked Kagome up, walking them into the hut.

Inuyasha tried to tell himself that he disliked how familiar the two acted with each other because he didn’t think humans should be so close to demons, but a part of him knew it was something else.  It would be a blatant lie to say he didn’t to hold Kagome that way but he feared her disgust, and he hated that this demon had the guts to do what he hadn’t.  Silently grumbling behind the cozy pair, Inuyasha followed Jinenji into his home.

After the three of them had squeezed themselves into the tiny and rather empty hut, Kagome settled on the ground between the two demons and began talking.  “Jinenji, I was hoping I could trade you for some medicines and herbs.”  She set down her backpack and pulled out small wooden containers of food.  “I prepared some of your favorites this morning.”  Smiling cheekily, she opened the containers and Jinenji clapped giddily.  Inuyasha could see a plethora of vegetables and fruits and tofus, reds and greens and violets and oranges arranged neatly.  The fruits were dipped in a number of sauces he was unfamiliar with, but Jinenji let out a shout of joy at the sight.  

“I have lots of stuff for you!” Jinenji rose up, though the ceiling of his hut only allowed him to crouch.  He shuffled over to a small cabinet, his shoulders barely fitting under the ceiling, and pulled out handfuls of herbs before handing them over to Kagome.

“Thanks, Jinenji!  These are great!”  Kagome grinned up at him.  “Though of course I know by now that you’re the best.”  Again, Jinenji flushed vibrant red under her praise, and Inuyasha felt a sting of jealousy at how friendly Kagome acted towards the giant.

“So...uh...are we leaving now?” He asked awkwardly, feeling uncomfortably vulnerable under the giant’s piercing blue eyes.  He didn’t enjoy seeing Kagome and the demon get all comfy with each other and would rather spend the rest of the day with just Kagome and himself.

“Don’t leave yet, Kagome!”  Jinenji turned watery eyes to Kagome.  “You haven’t come to play with me for so long!  Please stay!”  Jinenji’s bulbous eyes began to water tearfully, as he pleaded for his only friend to stay.  

Inuyasha watched the demon and found his disgust turning to pity.  ‘He seems so…lonely.’ Inuyasha thought.

“Inuyasha, do you mind if we stay a bit longer?” Kagome wanted to be there for Jinenji, but she didn’t want to upset or trouble her new friend either.

As much as he wanted to leave, Inuyasha couldn’t resist Kagome’s puppy eyes.  “Fine.” He grunted out, annoyed at how easily he gave in, but when her face lit up thankfully, he found himself glad that he had agreed to stay.

The demon picked Kagome up and carried her outside to play.  Inuyasha followed dutifully, watching carefully as Kagome and Jinenji tumbled and ran outside like toddlers.  He wanted to make sure that Kagome wouldn’t be injured by the giant, but as he watched them frolic, it became obvious that the gentle giant would sooner kill himself than let any hurt come to Kagome.  He made sure each fall landed on his back and touched her with the most tenderness Inuyasha had ever seen.

Watching them play brought on the strange urge to look at his own claws.  ‘Sharp, hard, deadly…’ he thought, but the same frightening claws on Jinenji’s hands would never harm Kagome.  Inuyasha knew that simply by watching them play and laugh in the field.  ‘Mine won’t bring Kagome harm either,’ He assured himself.  While he wasn’t pleased with his transformation and current form, he would put his abilities to use by keeping her safe.

He took a deep breath of the autumn air to calm himself, but it had the opposite effect as he caught something ominous in the air.  “Kagome!”  He yelled out, and she looked up in surprise.  “Get back here!”

She ran over immediately, the giant thumping along right behind her.  “What’s wrong, Inuyasha?”

“I can smell something weird in the air.  Demons, I think.”  Jinenji’s face turned to terror, but Kagome soothingly put hand on his back.  Inuyasha watched the interaction skeptically.  ‘Seriously…how has this guy managed to stay alive for so long, especially in the north?’  From what he knew, it was kill or be killed up here, and this guy looked so meek and timid, Inuyasha thought it a miracle he hadn’t died in childhood.

Kagome nodded at him and notched an arrow, holding it slackened in her hands.  “Go inside, Jinenji.”  When his frightened eyes teared up, she assured him.  “We’ll be fine, don’t worry.”  After he had safely made it inside the hut, Kagome turned to Inuyasha, eyes hard and ready for whatever was coming.  “I can sense them now. Three demons, I think.  Can you smell what kind they are?”

He raised his powerful nose to the air again but shook his head when he couldn’t pick up much more than his first sniff had told him.  Truthfully, he still needed to really learn to use his enhanced senses, and he had spent the past few weeks hating them instead of practicing them.  “Maybe you should go inside, too.  Just in case,” Inuyasha suggested, not wanting to put Kagome in danger.

“No way.  And leave you out here to fight them alone?”  Kagome gave him an incredulous look, as if questioning his sanity.  “Plus, maybe I can resolve this without fighting.”

“Keh!  Don’t be naïve.  Demons always want to fight.  They’re violent creatures,” Inuyasha scoffed.

Kagome rolled her eyes.  “Not all of them.  Have a little faith in your own species, will you?”

‘Half-species,’ Inuyasha thought with a frown.  He wasn’t fond of being reminded that he was still half-demon.

They could both sense the demons nearing Jinenji’s herb field, and their muscles tensed in preparation.  A lone figure walked out of the forested boundaries, purple silks and hair fluttering innocuously in the breeze.  Instinctively, Inuyasha released a growl to warn the demon from approaching.  While he could only see one demon, he could smell the others behind.

The figure stopped in his approach.  Kagome withheld a shiver at the demon.  Something about him didn’t seem right.  “I thought we smelled a filthy half-breed.” He spoke with a soft, rasping voice.

“Keh!  This one’s going to kill you unless you get out of here.” Inuyasha threatened, crouching low with his claws poised.  It was strange, fighting without a sword, but using his claws felt oddly natural.  Next to him, Kagome aimed her arrow, and he saw a pink purifying light glow in his periphery.

“Big talk for a little guy.”  The demon retorted calmly.  Right on cue, Inuyasha felt the ground shake even more violently than it did when Jinenji stomped, and a grotesque demon colored purple and green stepped out of the woods with a club the size of Jinenji’s hut.  “My friend here eats pathetic half-breeds like you for breakfast.”

“Well then,” Inuyasha’s leg muscles bunched up tightly, “I’ll make it my personal goal to save them!” In half a second, he leapt forward, claws poised to cut through the soft belly of the giant demon.  The mountainous creature barely had time to react before Inuyasha’s claws were buried in its guts, ripping through the tissue and organs in their path.  The monster let out a pained roar as Inuyasha tore him open, and in his next move, Inuyasha cut off its head, ending its misery.

‘That was almost too easy,’ He thought arrogantly.

He turned to face the other demon, senses on alert for the last one remaining somewhere beyond the forest border.  The other demon frowned slightly at the death of his companion.  “It’s really hard to find decent help these days,” He sighed tiredly.  Kagome breathed warily at the way he spoke.  The words didn’t seem right coming out of his mouth.  “At least I don’t have to pay him anymore.”

“Shut up, filth!” Inuyasha growled, preparing to launch once more.  He leapt at the demon, swinging his claws, but the demon easily dodged each of his attacks, moving far faster than the enormous giant.

Kagome watched them carefully, her arrow moving with the demon.  ‘I can’t get a shot in with him moving about like that!  I could hit Inuyasha on accident.’ She thought, frustrated at her current uselessness.  ‘I’ll just make sure that he doesn’t manage to hurt Inuyasha.’  So far, the demon only dodged Inuyasha’s attacks, never moving to attack himself.

Inuyasha and the demon were still engaged in a seemingly endless dance, and neither side was advancing.  Tuning out Inuyasha’s curses of frustration, Kagome narrowed her eyes worriedly as she began to sense the other demonic aura moving steadily towards them.

Her eyes darted along the borders of Jinenji’s farm.  ‘Where is it…?’  She could feel the aura just fine, but nothing was coming into sight.  Her heart tensed horribly as she sensed the aura tangling with Inuyasha’s.  ‘Where is he?!’

Pre-occupied with fighting the lavender-haired demon, Inuyasha had no way to prepare for the next attack.  From the ground behind him, all Kagome could see was a sharp flash of light shooting up at Inuyasha.  She immediately released an arrow in the direction of the light, but it was too late.  In the next second, she saw Inuyasha collapse to the ground, bent over his stomach, blood tingeing his red cloak.

“Inuyasha!”  She screamed in horror.  ‘What just happened?!’  Firing another purifying arrow at the visible demon, she ran over to her collapsed friend, readily shooting an arrow when the demon made its first move to strike.  “Inuyasha, what happened?  Are you okay?!”  There was still no sign of whatever demon had created the bright light, but Kagome could feel its aura clashing with her own.

“K-Kago…me…” Inuyasha whispered.  Kagome winced at the mouthful of blood that resulted from just the effort to speak.  

“Shh…I’ll keep you safe.” Using every bit of her strength, she grabbed onto Inuyasha and carried him towards Jinenji’s hut.  Her grip tightened on her bow as she hobbled over, prepared to erect a barrier around them should the demon attack, but the demon merely stood, half-lidded lavender eyes shining dimly at her.  Keeping both eyes fixed on his chilling face, Kagome called out for Jinenji.  Whatever created that flash of light was still hidden, and the sinking feeling in Kagome’s gut grew sickening as an ominous aura began to spread through her.  ‘What was that thing?’

“Kagome.” The demon breathed out coarsely.  “Is that what the half-breed called you?”

Kagome wasn’t dumb enough to reply.  She let Jinenji take Inuyasha to the side, praying that the sight of another hanyou wouldn’t further aggravate this demon.  Fortunately or unfortunately – she wasn’t sure – the lavender demon seemed completely focused on her.  “A Higurashi.” He stated knowingly.  “Higurashi, Defender of the North,” the demon said mockingly, and again Kagome had to withhold shivers at the way he said her family name.  Something about his mouth and his voice and that bright light was so wrong.  

His lips seemed to move…after the words left his mouth.

Stretching her aura the way her older sister Kikyo taught her, Kagome felt around for the second demon.  Keeping an eye on the lavender demon, though he didn’t seem in a rush to attack her at all, she could feel her aura narrowing in on a spot in the ground.  ‘What?  Is it a…gopher demon or something?’ She felt the adrenaline rushing through her veins and used it to focus on the origin of the second demon’s aura, but she was finding it impossible to separate it from the lavender demon’s.  ‘I’ve never felt two auras like this before.’ She thought warily.

“What do you want from us?” She asked, arrow notched warningly.

“At first, to rid the world of those unnatural monstrosities.”  He lifted a finger towards the two hanyou off to the side.  “Now, you have my full attention.”  

Kagome furrowed her brows.  The demon’s lips had stopped moving completely, so who was speaking?

“Well you can fix that attention elsewhere,” she barked back.  “You’ve got the wrong girl.”

She watched, more scared than she was willing to admit to herself, as the lavender-haired demon slowly shut his eyes and shook his head.  However, her attention was drawn away from him as she felt the second demon moving straight towards her.  She darted away, sensing him as best she could.

‘I can sense him better if I separate them!’ She realized and began running strategically away from both the hanyous and the other demon.  Strangely, the lavender-haired demon remained unmoving, as if waiting for something to happen.  Kagome didn’t have much time to ponder what his plan was since the demon currently chasing her down was a lot faster than she was.

For his part, Inuyasha was struggling to even sit up and watch, much less help Kagome.  ‘Fuck, what the hell attacked me?’ He thought, trying to clear the haze of pain.  Whatever it was had practically ripped a hole through him, and sharp agony shot through his whole body.

“Don’t move yet,” he heard Jinenji whisper.  Jinenji was carefully wrapping up his bloodied midsection, and Inuyasha cringed away at the sight of torn flesh and blood.

‘Did that attack actually…rip a hole through me?’ Inuyasha thought incredulously.  How was that even possible?  He didn’t even see anything attack him…and surely he would be dead.

He watched Kagome as best he could.  She darted left and right, avoiding some invisible creature, and if he didn’t feel like a train was currently running him over, he would have yelled out something along the lines of “What the hell are you doing?”  However, Kagome was clearly doing something – he didn’t know what it was, but for now he would just have faith that the girl hadn’t lost her mind – and that left the silent, unmoving demon for himself.

“Jinenji, are you almost done?” He asked, holding back a wince.

“You can’t be thinking about getting back up to fight?!  There is a hole in your body!” Jinenji cried out, his bulbous eyes bulging in shock.

“Well, fuck.  I can’t leave Kagome to fight both of them alone!”

When Jinenji secured his bandages, Inuyasha pulled himself off the ground, swaying unsteadily from the loss of blood.  He charged at the unmoving demon, swiping his claws fearlessly, but even with its eyes closed, the demon managed to dodge in time.

He attacked again and again, leaping at the demon, though his movements were severely retarded by his injury.  However, every time he jumped the demon reacted faster and faster.  ‘How the hell is he doing this with his eyes closed?!’  Inuyasha really hated feeling so damned clueless about what was going on.  What he hated even more, though, was how the demon evaded him effortlessly and made no move to attack him at all.

The lavender-haired demon seemed mostly concerned with dancing rapidly around him, and moving him around aimlessly.

He heard Kagome still scrambling around in the background, but she was moving farther and farther away.  ‘Where is she going?’  He risked a glance behind him, but she was already somewhere in the woods, out of his sight.  ‘Fuck!’  He decided the passive lavender-haired demon wasn’t of great concern at the moment and took off after Kagome, following her scent.

“Kagome!” He yelled in her direction.  Jumping into the thick of the forest, he immediately spotted her completely frozen in spot.  She turned wide eyes up at him as he yelled, “Kagome!  What are you doing?!”

“Inuyasha!” She whispered hurriedly to him.  “Don’t move!”

“What?  Why?  What – ”

She cut him off, quietly explaining, “I think it senses us through the vibrations in the ground.  It’s been wandering around rather aimlessly since I stopped.”

“It?” He wanted to sigh in frustration.  Nothing was making sense.

“The second demon…I can sense it in the ground, and I think it’s what attacked you and – oh!  What are you even doing running about?!”  She suddenly cried out, reminded that he had been injured.

“Well I had to take care of the other one!”

An abrupt shift in the winds brought the scent of that second demon to him again.  Kagome seemed to sense him too, and the both of them slowly turned their eyes to watch the intruder.  His glowing purple eyes stared at them, and Inuyasha felt the hairs on his arms and legs stand on end at the disconcerting stare.

“Inuyasha, what’s going on?  I thought you took care of this one.” Kagome spoke softly and didn’t dare chance a look at Inuyasha.  She couldn’t wrap her head around it, but there was something so frightening about this pair of demons.

“It’s eyes were closed…I don’t know why they’re open now,” Inuyasha said, baffled by what was happening.  Where was Miroku when he needed him?  Miroku was the thinker, he was the fighter.

An idea popped into Kagome’s mind just as she sensed a movement in the second demon.  ‘Run!’ She turned to scream at Inuyasha, but it was too late.

An immense light blinded her just as she heard a strangled scream from her friend.  “Inuyasha!” She cried out, running without hesitation to Inuyasha.  “Inuyasha!!”  The hanyou fell to the ground, shaking violently, an enormous cut carved across his chest.  “No…” she whispered, cradling him against her and desperately looking for the demon that had done this.  ‘This can’t be happening…not again!’  She yelled out for Jinenji and gingerly set Inuyasha’s head against the roots of a tree, furiously blinking away the sting of tears.

“Delicious.” Kagome heard a deep, rasping voice ring through the forest.  “Half-breed flesh is always so refreshing.” Her reddened eyes shot down to a small, wrinkly creature licking its bloodied pincers.  “Nice to finally see you, Kagome of the Higurashi clan.  I am Kageromaru and that is Juromaru, my eyes and ears.”

‘Their faces…they have the same face,’ Kagome thought as she looked between the two demons.  Ignoring the strange thought and standing up steadily, she notched an arrow at the slimy creature. “I’m going to kill you,” she swore with hatred lining her threat.  She forced her arms to stop shaking, whether from anger or shock.  The pasty demon gave her a hungry smirk, and she fired, the shining arrow missing the demon by a hair.  At her attack, Juromaru leapt at her, forcing her to redirect her aim.

Again and again she shot at the two demons, but Kageromaru was too fast and small, his slithering body weaving in and out of the earth, and Juromaru too strong.  A punch from the larger, powerful demon splintered the tree behind her as Kagome barely escaped her death.  Running for her life, she pushed herself deeper and deeper into the forest, away from Inuyasha.  Hoping with all her might that Jinenji could save the injured inu-hanyou, she focused on keeping herself alive.

Darkness.  He was swimming through the opaque, murky depths of pain, black fires burning through his veins.

‘Gods!  Ev-everything…hurts!’ He mentally screamed out as he felt foreign hands pressing down on him.  ‘Kagome!’ He cried out for her, but there was no response, no escape for him.  The flames danced on his chest, searing him beneath his skin, and Inuyasha futilely tried to retreat into himself.

His mind clouded with pain, an agonized groan caught in his chest.  Inuyasha could feel blood ooze out of his wounds, and tried to yell when he felt tiny spikes all over, pulling on the gash.  ‘Stop!  Agh!’ He wanted to cry out and rip those hands away, but his whole body was paralyzed.

“Inuyasha.” A voice – his own voice, but darker and coarser – whispered alluringly to him.  “Let me out, Inuyasha, and it will all go away.”  He could feel the promise in the voice, relief from the pain.  But something dangerous lingered in the shadows of his mind.

Should he do it, he wondered, just let go?  

The beating stings of his lacerations screamed at him, and Inuyasha tried to force the agony out with a yell, but again, nothing escaped his mouth but a wispy breath.

“Inuyasha, I can end this.”  The voice soothed him, cooing in his mind, and as pain lanced through his core violently, the exhausted hanyou finally relented and succumbed to the familiar voice.

Jinenji worked on Inuyasha’s wounds with the skill and familiarity that came with years of experience.  Gone was the frightened, timid giant; even with the gushing, terrible hole under his hands, his hands moved dexterously.

Knowing this was the most painful part, Jinenji watched carefully for Inuyasha’s reaction as he rubbed a healing salve into the open wound.  Inuyasha’s mouth opened, and Jinenji feared that he would scream, but only a near-silent breath left his lips.

‘Come on, Jinenji!  Kagome – and Inuyasha – are counting on you!’ He told himself, clear blue eyes fixed on the man’s chest.  The hanyou’s legs had begun to spasm and twitch.  ‘Halfway done…’ Jinenji turned around to grab the bandages he’d brought, and when he turned back, he fell backward in shock.

Inuyasha’s eyes had snapped open, giving a violent contrast between the blood-red pupils and haunting blue sclera.  A snarl escaped him, and Jinenji desperately scrambled away in fear when the transformed demon jumped up and raised a claw to cut him down.

“I-Inuy-yasha?” He tried asking as calmly as he could.

Inuyasha took a long sniff of the giant, growling furiously as he caught his mate’s scent entwined with the giant’s.  The beast would die for touching what was his, the demon decided.

With Inuyasha’s lengthened claws glinting deadly in the spots of sunlight, Jinenji swore his life would end right then and there.  However, in the millisecond before the infuriated demon struck, one of his ears twitched at some sound imperceptible to Jinenji, and Inuyasha immediately ran off into the forest without another glance at the giant.

Speeding through the forest without a care about his throbbing wounds, the bloodthirsty Inuyasha spotted a scene that had his fiery blood burning.  A demon was holding his mate to the ground, a hand wrapped around her throat.  Faster than anyone could respond, he cut through the trees, and in one swing of his claws, ripped in half the demon that dared harm her.

He heard two cries, one of relief from his mate and the other of pain from a small, wrinkled creature on the floor.

“Y-you…You should be dead,” it rasped out, crumbling in on itself from pain.  Without bothering to respond, Inuyasha leapt forward, fiercely ripping his claws through the small creature, savoring the feeling of flesh tearing in his hands.

With both of his opponents dead, the demon Inuyasha turned slowly to face the woman on the floor, her hands still tenderly cradling her bruised neck.  Seeing the proof of his own failure to protect her, he snarled furiously.

“I-Inuyasha?  Is t-that you?” Kagome whispered, part of her terrified by what appeared to be a crazed version of her Inuyasha.  

Inuyasha eyed the woman, not showing any recognition that she had spoken at all, and slowly stalked towards her.  He had the strange sensation of a string tightening inside him, something that hadn’t been there before, but the demon pushed it out of mind.  

Picking the girl up gently from the floor, he gave long, languid licks to her neck as an apology, his own blood thickening heatedly at her taste and a predatory growl escaping him.  The string wrapped painfully around him tighter and tighter with every lick, but the demon ignored the discomfort in favor of sampling the delectable girl in his arms.  

The feeling of being watched suddenly overwhelmed him, and Inuyasha immediately set the girl on the ground, sniffing for any intruders.  There was no one.  The half-demon from before was clearly smart enough not to follow.  However, he could feel the string constricting around him, clouding his mind with the discomfort and pain.  

This felt…it felt familiar…like the night of his coronation, the hanyou inside him thought, panicked and thrashing wildly within him.  Forcing the weak hanyou from his mind, the demon Inuyasha picked the shivering girl up once more.  He had won this battle for the hanyou, and now he would get his turn with his mate.

Light fear tinged his mate’s scent, and the demon Inuyasha gently nipped her neck in warning.  He didn’t want the smell of fear polluting her scent while they rutted, and his mate had nothing to fear now.

“Inuyasha?  What are you doing?” Kagome asked, her voice still barely above a whisper, though her fear of him quickly dissipated when it became apparent he meant her no harm.

Her voice drew his attention back to her pink lips, and Inuyasha slammed his own lips against hers, devouring her in his dominating kiss.  He swallowed her gasp and parted her lips with his tongue, drawing hers out to tangle with his.

Kagome could hardly believe this was happening.  She’d be lying if she said kissing Inuyasha hadn’t crossed her mind, but she wouldn’t have dreamed it would be like this, with the crazed demon version of Inuyasha.  A voice inside her cried out in rebellion, insisting that regardless of the way he looked, this wasn’t really Inuyasha, but the majority of her conscience was perfectly fine with melting against this powerful, muscled demon, letting him touch her, dominate her.  Where were her morals, her mind asked frantically, but for some reason, every other part of her accepted what he was doing to her.  He wouldn’t hurt her, she knew.  Even as a demon, his arms were the safest place she could be.

“Inuyasha…” A light moan left her throat without her permission as his clawed hand squeezed her butt, hoisting her up higher.

Inuyasha pushed her against a tree, eagerly nudging a knee between her clothed legs to feel her heat against his thigh, and growled in need as her honeyed scent wafted up to his nose.

“Bitch.” He growled out.

The moment the word left his lips, the two gasped, Inuyasha tearing away from her as a shock ran through his system.  For Kagome, the word brought back a terrifying memory.  She could see the Taisho above her again, his arms shoving her down on her bed, his violet eyes shining threateningly, and she shivered at the image.

However, Inuyasha’s reaction quickly drew her out of the memory.  He was panting heavily, a pained grimace on his face.

Her first thought was his wounds.  ‘They’re still bleeding!’ She thought in fear, but that idea didn’t hold much water when Inuyasha grasped his head in pain.

Inuyasha could feel the string binding him tighter, strangling him from the inside.  The demon roared furiously as the ache and need for air overcame him, forcing him to take gasping breaths.

Kagome ran to his side, letting her aura prod his gently to figure out what was hurting him.  She could sense the demonic shift in his youki, but that wasn’t all.  It felt like there was something else…someone else inside him.

“Inuyasha?  What’s wrong?” Kagome’s voice floated in his head, but the pounding wouldn’t stop.  Ripping himself from her grasp, he tried to force out whatever was constricting him.

“Kill her, Inuyasha.” A sinister voice rang through his body.  “Kill her.” It demanded again and again.  

Inuyasha saw Kagome in his blurred gaze and tried to warn her as he felt the voice pervade his mind, controlling his arm and positioning them above her with the intent to kill.  “K-Kag..ome, g-get… aw…” His words came out strained and nearly impossible to decipher, but understanding registered in her eyes just as his claws fell.

Author’s Note:

Apologies for the slightly longer wait. I hope this longer chapter makes up for it! Honestly, I dreaded writing this chapter because there are two fight scenes and I absolutely HATE writing fight scenes. Ugh. They are terribly boring to write and, as a result, I always think they come across as boring to readers. Hopefully they weren't too boring/hard for you to read.

As always, thank you to those who reviewed (and thanks for the favs/story alerts as well). The next update will probably be a bit longer from now, because I've got a busy few weeks coming up.

Note: I did change the summary of the story to be a bit more descriptive, and the full summary is at the start of each chapter.

Also, special thanks to Ceres-chan07 for the awesome review and for the messages! I probably would have taken…like two more weeks on this, but writing to you was hugely motivating.

Thanks for reading, and please leave a review if you feel so inclined! =)