InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Seemingly Insignificant ❯ The Poison Insect ( Chapter 2 )

2: The Poison Insect

 

Everything was movement.

 

Caught in the sea of moving and shifting yellow and black of my comrades, the buzz of hundreds of insect wings flapping noisily in the air, the golden sunshine shining pleasantly on our backs, and the dark green canopy of the forests seemingly rushing back below us, I thought.

 

Yes, thought.

 

I thought about the pitiful lives we poison insects had to lead; be at the beck and call of the evil Naraku- valued only for mere spying on enemies and the poison that simmered within our bodies. Most of us met with dishonourable deaths… were looked upon scandalously, as a sign of oncoming evil. I thought, and I despaired.

 

It hadn't been like this, before.

 

A crescendo in the buzz of wings indicated the nearing of our destination. My compound eyes surveyed the area below us, as did my comrades', the images that get embedded in our primitive neuro acid being transmitted magically to the enigmatic Kana's mirror, in turn viewed by Naraku.

 

Our visual range swept over the green lands, the golden fields, and the brown, worn specks that were huts to finally rest up on a small gathering of humans in the village square. Most of them were lying on makeshift mattresses, and a few other humans, mostly women, were going about them, like flies flitting above a grand feast, seemingly tending to their wounds. We hovered there patiently, waiting, until the person we were waiting for arrived, her black hair flying slightly in the light breeze, and a small kit of medicinal herbs in her pale hands. A gentle, concerned smile graced her lips as she made her way to the wounded men and their nurses.

 

A subtle change occurred in the frequency of the buzz of our wings, indicating a silent communication to each other that yes; this was the person we'd been asked to spy on.

 

The mysterious Priestess Kikiyo.

 

The head of our group flew closer to the scene; the rest of us, forming a vague arrow-head-like formation, followed. I decided to keep my thoughts to myself for the time being- a job was to be done; even the slightest distraction in my mind, primitive as it is, would be easily detected by the others, and I would be reprimanded. Travelling in groups was not always advantageous. But even reprimanding did not make much of a difference now, as it used to. There was no honour left to save; no magnificent society left to protect. As it was, each day was a battle for survival- nothing more, nothing less. And yet, when I hear the old veteran insects' stories, I can't help but wonder if somehow, those days would come back.

 

If I had the ability to do it, like I've seen so many humans do, I would've shook my head then. Wistful pondering was useless; a complete waste of time. I had a job to do now, and I must do it.

 

The priestess, after tending to the wounded, and explaining to the other women the correct usage of the herbs she had brought, got up, turning to leave. Soon she was back into the forest, walking alone along a dense path. We followed her.

 

Soon, she stopped, and turned sharply to directly face my swarm, her normally gentle eyes flashing. “Naraku,” she murmured darkly. “What is it that you want from me? Why do you keep spying on me?”

 

We just hovered unansweringly, having received no further instructions from the master.

 

Master… Master! How did we get ourselves into this pitiful state? Our arrogance? Our complacency? Did these facilitate us being overpowered so easily, letting our destinies be controlled by some maniacal evil fiend who never showed his true face out in the open and always bullied his `sub-ordinate' demons and puppets to do his dirty work for him?

The regret, anger and despair overwhelmed my weak insect soul, hitting me with the force of a tidal wave; affecting me so much that I swayed and teetered out of formation. An angry buzz sounded at my audacity and indiscipline.

 

I made my way almost tentatively back to my place in the swarm, embarrassed, but not before I caught a sudden smirk form on the face of the Undead Priestess. She held out a deceptively pale, delicate hand and an aura formed around me, thickening, preventing me from moving at all. I stayed suspended there, paralysed, at the command of yet another master. A confused wave of buzzing swept through my fellow insects before they suddenly turned and left with double the speed they had come.

 

I couldn't believe it: I had been abandoned by my very own brethren!

 

The priestess only smiled wider and made a beckoning motion with her fingers, as a result of which I was made to move closer to her. Trepidation radiated from every part of my limited emotional capacity. What was she going to do…?

 

“Golden Insect of Doom, is it not?” she said softly.

 

If I had not been paralysed, I would have started. How did she know about our true identity…? An identity lost to us forever, now, of course, but still…

 

“I know about you very well, you see,” she said. “Sixty years ago, when I was but a child, you insects were a formidable force- feared and respected by all. Now…” she shook her head, still smiling. “It never ceases to amaze me how much can change so drastically over the period of just a few decades- honour, position, riches, power…” Her face darkened suddenly. “Even love…”

 

My mind turned to within myself, recalling all that the veteran insects had told me. We insects, now known only as `Naraku's poison insects' were once the `Golden Insects of Doom.' We had, over uncounted generations, served under the greatest of demon lords, propagating their terrifyingly great presence over the land. We were well respected by our masters then, and our powers were allowed to grow to a certain extent. Most of all, the masters were happy with us and we were respected and feared by the people, for wherever was our presence, it meant that a visit from a demon lord over there was ominous. And of course, humans have never liked demon lords, for reasons well known.

We shone with an inner light, happy and arrogant about our seemingly comfortable position in the rocky wagon that was life in Feudal Japan. We were the Golden Insects of Doom- indestructible.

 

Oh, how wrong we had been.

 

When our last demon lord died, leaving behind no heir to his legacy, or even the vaguest instructions about what we were to do, our usually strict, hierarchal insect society fell apart, and the many internal squabbles caused us to split, which nearly led to the extinction of our species. It seemed we were doomed to vanish without a trace of our greatness, when Naraku had appeared. He regrouped us again, gave us new purpose and identity, albeit it being not so great as our original one, and literally saved the Insects of Doom themselves from certain doom! We were obviously obliged to return Naraku the favour, and so, whether we liked our lowly job or not, we had to do it, as much out of gratefulness as to survive.

 

I was brought out of my reverie by a surprising proposition from the beautiful priestess.

“You can get your long-lost legacy back,” she said, sincerity shining in her brown eyes. “You don't have to serve the fiendish Naraku anymore, if only you would do as I say.”

 

Doubt shone within me. How could I trust her?

 

She must have obviously sensed my feelings, for she smiled a smile that could be approximated, by human terms, as reassuring. “Do not worry,” she said, her voice softer than ever. “I have the power to liberate you insects, but it is possible only if you perform a simple task for me- a task that is necessary for me to do whatever I have to do to grant your greatness back.”

 

I struggled to communicate with her, voice in my own primitive way my misgivings and hopes, but I was still paralysed. She suddenly raised her eyebrows apologetically, only then realising my predicament. With a wave of her hand, the restraining aura vanished, leaving my wings free to buzz. And buzz they did, voicing to her all that I felt: my wariness, helplessness, and the impossible, overpowering hope that overlooked any and every danger in the light of the possibility of a respectable life for us insects.

 

And… pride. How would it be if I were the one to lead my kind into their brilliant destinies, revive our old respect and honour! My comrades would feel sorry that they had ever abandoned, or tried to abandon me, their saviour! And how would it be if I were the cause for Naraku's demise!

 

I buzzed in assent against the priestess's palm, waiting for her instructions. I didn't know what she wanted me to do, or how it would bring about Naraku's destruction, but I had explicit faith in her.

 

She smiled and spoke. “Good. Let me tell you what you must do.” She took a deep breath, her eyes slightly distant. “There lives a young priestess, who looks much like me, camping not far from here- a girl you would've no doubt been asked to spy many times before, with her companions.”

 

A young priestess… yes, I knew her… and her companions, the half-demon, Inu Yasha, the monk, the demon slayer, the fox-demon and the fire-cat. A formidable group, they were. It seemed the monk was the only person who actually feared the poison insects' coming, for if he used his main weapon against us- the black void in his hand which sucked in everything, demons included- he would be poisoned to death by the venom that runs within our bodies.

 

But it is not like he hadn't other methods to defeat us, of course.

 

Question was, what did Priestess Kikiyo want me to do against them?

 

“I want you to poison her,” Kikiyo continued. “Inject all of your poison into her, if need be so. But she must die. That young priestess, who is reputed to be the so-called reincarnation of me, is the only hindrance to the full outlet of my true power. She must be killed, and I believe you can do it.”

 

Killed… Of course I could do it! A little discretion and a simple sting was all that was needed… for the freedom of my kind! I buzzed upward resolutely, ready to scout out the group and do my job, my mind full of optimism and hope. Little shivers of excitement attacked my little appendages and my antennae quivered. Just a small, previously insignificant insect- namely me- was going to change the entire course of history of Feudal Japan!

 

Kikiyo smiled, sensing my excitement and happiness. “Go, now, my dear insect,” she said. “Show that you are indeed the descendant of the great `Golden Insects of Doom'!”

 

That was the last bit of encouragement I needed, and I shot off, my compound eyes scouting very carefully the land below for any sign of the group. It was then I realised something: Naraku could see everything I could see! What if he had seen Kikiyo tell me her plan…? I soon shook off the thought. So what if he had seen? It wouldn't make any big difference, anyway. I had faith that, with that other priestess out of the way, Kikiyo would have enough power to defeat Naraku once and for all and liberate the insects.

That happy thought egging me on, I finally spotted them: they had just stopped to rest in a nearby clearing. The young fox-demon and the half-demon seemed to be arguing about something; the fire-cat had curled up and gone to sleep; the demon slayer was cleaning her big boomerang weapon and the young monk was meditating. The young priestess had her head down, seemingly going through the contents of her enormous bag.

 

Nobody was looking at her; this was my chance!

 

I shot toward her like an arrow, my sting ready to drive into her arm. I was just a few metres… now a few inches away… from achieving the exalted position of saviour of my entire species!

 

Just then, a hand, tipped with long claw-like nails rammed into me, crushing me against a near-by rock. “Damned insect,” the owner of the hand, the half-demon, said. I was completely squashed against the rock- life quickly ebbed out of me.

 

I could only feel regret and hurt… oh, if only I had been a little more discreet in my approach, I might've won freedom for my clan… a simple mistake- a mistake that doomed my entire species to forever following pitiful lives they led now. The last thing I heard was the agitated voice of the young priestess:

 

“Oh, yuck, Inu Yasha! You could've at least used my bug-spray!”