InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Tangled Ambitions ❯ Awakenings ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimer- I do not own InuYasha or any of the original characters; they are the property of the brilliant Rumiko Takahashi. This story is an individual creation for personal and shared enjoyment of true InuYasha fans that I hope is up to the quality of the real series. Constructive criticism is always welcome.

Chapter 4: Awakenings

A loud thud echoes through the darkness in her mind, `…?…' Indistinct voices ripple across her floating consciousness and draws her up…up… Her lashes lift - torchlight flickering bright and shadows moving chaotically - she closes out the dizzying madness, letting the sounds wash over her…not touching her.

"Akunin!" Came a light male voice, "Your back early."

A deep voice, "Hai Sakutaro-sama, I was most fortunate. Come and see."

The amusement in that voice causes her to flinch away, `…No…' More light against her eyelids, seen from within as a red glow. She keeps them tightly closed.

"But…What is this?"

"This," a dramatic pause, "Is a Hanyou!"

A gasp, "Hanyou?" The higher voice continues, "You mean…?"

"Yes. Half demon and half human," a hard edge enters the deep voice, "A true Freak." The deep voice becomes oily smooth, "And one, I'm sure, that will bring My Lord much entertainment."

A small note of suspicion colors the higher voice, "How much?"

A short pause, then the deep voice, "Three times the amount."

"Three? I don't know…I would have to receive permission for such a sum."

The deep voice becomes placating, "I quite understand, Sakutaro-sama. I would be content to wait for payment until you see his performance and realize his worth."

"Very well Akunin, but you better be right about this. My Lord tolerates failure badly."

"I promise you, you will not be disappointed. Has the smith finished the cage as I requested?"

"Yes, yes…he finished just this evening." Sakutaro sounded impatient, "You must know, it was quite a costly task. Iron is not cheap."

"I will reimburse you if My Lord is not satisfied."

Sakutaro makes an agreeing noise and then, "What about her? What is she?"

Akunin answers, "She…is mine."

`No…no…no…no!' The darkness welcomes her back into its warm embrace.

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The sun makes its appearance and the birds greet the morning among the treetops, gently disturbing the sleep of those below.

Sango sighs and burrows into the warmth she's leaning against, "Mmm…" She reaches up to pull the material hanging over her shoulder a little closer and sighs again…frowns, `…huh?' She cracks an eye open and looks at the black cloth in her hand - turns her head and sees purple - then up to Miroku's sleeping face, so close to her own.

Her eyes open wide and, tossing his arm off her shoulders, she jerks away feeling her face turn red. She hears him yawn and keeps her face turned away, hands covering her burning cheeks, `How…? Why…?' She looks everywhere but at him. `Did I…?'

"Ah, Sango." He yawns again, "Good Morning."

She hears him stand up and stretch and watches Kirara get up too with a groan. The cat pulls a huge feline stretch; claws spread and tearing up the dirt, mouth wide displaying an impressively lethal set of fangs.

Sango trails a hand along the cat's side as she prowls by her, then clasps her hands in her lap and looks down at them to hide her embarrassment as the Monk crosses in front of her. The bow and quiver of arrows capture her attention at the edge of her vision, reminding her of what she should be thinking about, and she sits up straighter, her blush fading.

The Taijiya stands, brushing the dirt off and reaching for her giant boomerang to sling it across her back. Bending over and picking up the bow and arrows she then holds them out to Miroku, "Houshi-sama," meeting his gaze unflinchingly.

He takes them from her and looks up at the light trickling through the leaves and nods at her, "Time to go."

Sango calls Kirara, signaling to the Cat-Youkai that they were ready to resume the trek.

Kirara twitches her tails and dips her head to follow the scent-trail on through the forest.

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After little over an hour of leaf covered roots trying to trip them and scrambling over a rather large fallen tree, they step out of the trees at the edge of a wide rolling plain of grass.

Sango stops and stares at the blindingly bright open space in disbelief. She turns that look on the Monk, who only shrugs at her and passes her to follow the tracking Kirara. She stares at his retreating back, wanting to be mad. Then rolls her eyes, sighs out her frustration and hurries to catch up.

The trail through the tall grass is much easier to follow, the broken plant-stalks creating a visible path and they decide to try and follow it from the air. From above, the trail snakes along, shadowed by the angle of the early morning sun, and they make much better time.

It isn't long though before the grass ends and they are back on foot.

Sango wipes her forehead on her sleeve, `Who is this Bastard?' she wonders and keeps walking. Kirara stops and turns her head to look back at her human companions, "Merreow!"

Sango rushes past the Monk and stands by the Cat-Youkai to examine deep ruts in the soft dirt under a lone tree surrounded by tall brush. The hoof prints between the ruts are also well defined and she tells him, "Wagon tracks." She looks at Kirara and asks, "Does the trail end here?"

Kirara crosses the old trail and the whole area around the wheel marks then looks at her mistress and sneezes.

The Taijiya frowns, looking down at the ruts and Miroku asks her, "What's wrong?"

She sighs and explains, "Wagons don't leave much of a scent trail, they are always in the dirt so they smell like dirt. Horses aren't much better. If they get to a road where the visible traces disappear, any scent they might leave will be confused by all the scents left by other travelers of that road." She shades her eyes and looks up, `not quite mid-day.'

Sango drops her hand and takes a deep breath, "Let's go, Houshi-sama." She trots off in the lead this time with her eyes trained on the ground, listening to the jingle of the Monk's staff coming from behind.

Off in the distance she notices a line of trees ahead of them, and when they get close enough she can see the packed dirt of the road they border. She slows to a walk, watching the wheel tracks for any deviation and calls back over her shoulder, "I'm afraid he took that road up ahead."

Miroku comes even with her, "Then let us hope he turns before reaching it."

She looks at him and nods, "At least then we'll still have a direction."

The tracks head straight for the road but then angle to the right before disappearing at the edge of the hard packed earth. The two humans climb on Kirara's back and follow the road from above.

After an hour of this, Sango sees a house off the side of the road with a well in the yard, `Might be a good spot for a rest.' Her stomach growls and she covers it with a hand, glad that the rushing air was too loud for it to be heard.

She looks over her shoulder and points to the house. He nods and she directs Kirara to turn back a little ways before landing. Miroku slides off and asks, "Why did we land so far away?"

Sango opens her arms and Kirara, amid swirling flames, shrinks down to her small form and leaps into her mistress' arms, "So we don't alarm anyone inside."

Kirara gives a tiny "mew" and curls up to rest, cradled lovingly.

"Besides," she continues, "they live close to the road. They may have seen something."

He nods in agreement and gets a surprised look on his face at the loud growling coming form his stomach.

Sango giggles and turns to walk down the road, "and maybe we can ask for something to eat."

He can see by her shoulders shaking that she was still laughing at him, he sighs in dejection and follows…admiring her lovely backside. His hand twitches, `No…better not,' he tells himself. The enticing view worth the humiliation, `Maybe later.'

They approach the small house and Miroku knocks on the door, "Hello, is anyone here?"

An elderly woman's voice calls from the inside, "What do ye want?"

He puts on his most pleasant tone, "I am a traveling Monk. My companion and I are weary and would like to ask if we may quench out thirst at your well and perhaps rest for a bit in your pleasant company. We could share news and I could bless your fine home." He glances at the splintered weathering of the wood and shrugs.

The door cracks open and an eye peeks out to look at his Monk's robes. "Oh, Houshi-sama! Thank goodness," the door opens and a bent old woman leaning heavily on a walking stick steps out, smiling up at the charming Monk. "I was afraid that -" she looks at Sango, gives a horrendous screech and raises her stick, waiving it at the confused young woman. "Leave me be!"

Miroku moves quickly between the crazed old woman and Sango and tries to grab the jerking stick, "Madame! Please!" He dodges a swing and snatches it out of her arthritic grasp. "We mean you no harm!"

The old woman leans back against the doorframe, wheezing and her eyes open wide with fright, and screeches, "Liars! He's come back to kill me!"

Sango peeks around Miroku at the poor old thing and asks, "Who's come back, Oba-san?"

The old woman stops her caterwauling and peers back at her, "You're a woman!"

Sango steps out from behind Miroku and stares at the old woman after sharing a shrug with the Monk, "Hai, Oba-san. My name is Sango."

The old woman nods, still staring hard at her from head to toe and shaking her head, "Forgive old Noa, my eyes aren't what they used to be." She blinks and squints, pointing at Kirara still cradled in Sango's arms, "What be that? A babe?"

Sango's face turns bright red much to the amusement of the Monk. She shoots him a look, daring him to laugh, and holds out the cute kitty, "This is Kirara - my…cat."

Noa is almost nose to nose with Kirara and she smiles, "Oh my!" She reaches up with a gnarled hand to pet the sleek head, "How precious."

"Oba-san," Sango watches Noa admire the small cat and asks casually, "You never said; who is it your afraid will come back?"

"A very nasty man. Come by here yesterday and threatens old Noa, so I hid inside." She looks up at Sango and shakes a finger at her, "You be careful young woman! He's up to no good. You may be next." She pats Miroku's arm, "Mind your man, here! He'll protect you."

Sango blushes again and chokes back whatever she wanted to say and simply nods at the old woman, humoring her.

Miroku drapes an arm across the flustered Taijiya's shoulders, pulling her closer and smiling at Noa. "I will most certainly protect `my woman'," he declares, ignoring the heated glance from the ~woman~ in question. He drops his arm and bends down to the stooped old woman to hand her stick back and ask, "It would be helpful if you could describe this villain to us, so that we may be better prepared if we come across him."

"Ahh…" She rolls her rheumy eyes and nods, "Ugly man…scar on his cheek…I could see that clearly with the sun right on his face." She shudders, "Old Noa will have nightmares."

Sango leans forward, "But Oba-san, why did you think I was him?"

The old woman points at Sango's Taijiya clothing, "My dear…you're dressed just like him."

Sango straightens with shock on her face, "Nani?" Kirara gives out a protest of being squeezed to hard and jumps down.

Miroku lays a hand on Sango's arm, but she is staring at the old woman, her empty arms moving to hug her self around the middle, "Oba-san, you said he had a scar…?"

"Hai, a horrible wicked scar across here," she drags a withered finger down her left cheek to her upper lip, "it pulled his mouth up." She shakes her head, "Terribly ugly man, inside and out. Nasty business…stealing young women." She brandishes her cane, "If my sons had been here…" Her shoulders slump, "but they're long gone and old Noa is all alone."

She looks up at the nice young couple still standing outside, "Oh my, where are my manners. Come in and rest, eat something…" She smiles up at them and turns to her door, "I'll be glad of the company."

The Monk bows to her, "We would be most grateful."

The old woman enters, leaving the door open for them.

Miroku turns back to Sango, who still looks stunned with her glazed eyes and pale face. Kirara is rubbing on her ankles but she doesn't notice. `She almost looks afraid.'

He puts a hand on her shoulder giving it a gentle squeeze, "Sango?"

She focuses on his face, something unfathomable in her eyes, "No…not him," she whispers.

She grabs her other shoulder and turns her toward him, the look on her face beginning to worry him, "Who, Sango?"

Hatred suddenly blazes in her eyes and she grits her teeth and spits out, "Akunin!"

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The smell of fear was acrid to his sensitive nose, and combined with the pounding in his head, it made him want to retch. He pushed himself up onto his hands and knees and waited for his head to stop spinning, "Feh!"

His eyes open but could only see his own silvery-white hair hanging down, forming a curtain around his face. His ears twitch at the sound of someone approaching and he forces his head up to look in the direction of the footsteps. Heavy metal bars, horizontal and vertical, fill his view and his heart begins to race, `What the…?!'

He whips his head around to see that they completely surround him with a solid metal door on one side. Something like panic speeds his heartbeat even more.

"I knew you would be waking up about now," the voice was deeply male and very smug.

InuYasha spins on his knees to face the man with the scar smiling at him from outside the cage just out of reach. He leaps for the bars to try anyway, his arm thrust through a gap and claws slashing the air in front of the man. But he can't reach him and the Bastard just keeps smiling confidently.

The frustrated Hanyou grabs the bars and pulls hard on them in vain, then snarls at the man, "Temee! Who are you?!"

The twisted smile on the man's face broadens, "My name is Akunin." He takes a few steps to one side to admire the workmanship of the cage, the blazing golden eyes never leaving him, "And you are InuYasha, correct?"

The Hanyou's eyes narrow and he steps back, folding his clawed hands inside his wide sleeves, trying to calm himself enough to think.

Akunin smirks and continues, "I'll come right out and tell you. I don't care for your kind. Never have." He steps back to where he originally was, very aware of the baleful look he was receiving. "I wouldn't lower myself to talk to the likes of you now if there weren't things important to both of us to discuss." The contempt in his deep voice was obvious.

"Keh!" InuYasha revealed his own contemptuousness, "The only thing I have to say to you is; Drop Dead!"

"Oh, I think you will want to hear what I have to say," he moves to rest his hand on one of the two swords he was wearing…

InuYasha puts his hand to where Tessaiga should be and his hatred of this loathsome man grew, "Bastard!!"

"What?" Akunin draws the chipped-looking blade and holds it up, "This worthless thing?" He laughs and InuYasha clenches his fists, `If only I could reach him…'

Akunin turns his head and calls out, "Kazuha!"

A man comes through the doorway at the end of the huge room, hurrying to Akunin's side and bowing, "Hai, Taijiya-san?"

Akunin pulls the sheath out of his belt, slides Tessaiga into it and hands it to the other man, all the while never taking his eyes off of the agitated Hanyou, reveling in each miniscule betraying flicker of emotion. "You may have this. A token of appreciation for your service."

Kazuha bows and takes the sword from him, "Arigato, Taijiya-san!" He bows again.

Akunin dismisses him and he leaves with his prize.

InuYasha watches all this with a sinking feeling deep in the pit of his stomach that had nothing to do with any lingering effects of his enforced sleep. `Shit! At least Kagome…' His eyes widen in shock and he turns back to face the scarred man. Stepping up to the bars he snarls, "Why do I smell Kagome on YOU?!?"

Akunin smiles at him, "Ah! You see, we do have something to discuss."

InuYasha grabs the bars wishing they were the man's neck instead and bares his fangs, "If you've harmed her…"

Akunin adopts an injured look, "Oh no…" then he smiles, "Not yet."

The Hanyou throws his weight against the bars, furiously enraged, "BASTARD!! Where IS she?!!"

Akunin puts up a halting hand, "Don't worry, she's perfectly safe…for now." He points his finger at the red-garbed creature, "And it all depends on you."

InuYasha feels the rage boiling up inside and takes several deep breaths to try and calm himself, `No, not now…I don't know where she is…I could -` The rage subsides, but only some. That snarling beast inside was just waiting for his control to slip. He lets go of the bars and crosses his arms to look semi-detachedly at his tormentor. "What do you want?"

Akunin laughs in amusement, "I want many things!" He sighs and looks directly at his captive, "What I want from you…is cooperation." He turns his back and walks toward the middle of the room, gesturing widely around him.

InuYasha glances at the other cages of various sizes, the larger ones on wheels, which line the huge room. Many of them were empty, but some held miserable lesser youkai; the source of the fear-stench.

"You see - I have a reputation to maintain, " Akunin catches his attention again, "As the greatest Demon Exterminator ever. I have been hired to capture Youkai, as many as I can, and I am paid well for it." He smiles his twisted smile again, "I would prefer to do the killing, but that's not what I'm paid for."

He walks back to the caged Hanyou, "The Lord of this palace quite enjoys bloodshed and violence, but only from a safe distance. So he has erected an arena designed for his amusements," he pauses and sneers, "and I provide the entertainment."

InuYasha's eyes have narrowed to slits, waiting for what he knows he isn't going to like. The muscles in his jaw clench tightly and he grits out, "And?"

Akunin looks at him with a smirk, "And - you will do the only thing your kind is good for…" he steps dangerously close to the cage to throw his taunt, "…Kill or be killed!"

InuYasha rushes at the bars, reaching for that hated face, but Akunin's reflexes move him swiftly out of harm's way, further frustrating the Hanyou.

Akunin grins at him, enjoying the thrill, "I'll give you that one for free." He pulls on his close-fitting sleeves, tugging them back into place. "But be warned, filthy Cur," he steps closer again, stopping just out of reach, "Your Kagome…it is Kagome isn't it?" He raises an eyebrow as InuYasha bares his teeth at him. "Hai…your Kagome's health depends upon your cooperation."

He reaches into one sleeve, pulls out a bit of green material and tosses it at the cage where a clawed hand quickly catches it. "You have three hours to decide." Akunin turns on his heel and strides out of the room, the youkai in their cages shrinking away as he passes.

InuYasha glares at him until he is out of sight then examines the torn piece of cloth, barely as long as his hand. He frowns and brings it up to his face, closing his eyes as he inhales deeply, "Kagome…"

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A servant tending the palace Gardens stops what he is doing and looks up at the strangely human howl echoing across the grounds, listening and feeling a chill run up his spine until it dies away. Glad of the midday sun warming his back, he shrugs and returns to his duties.

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