InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The 2 Great Swords ❯ The Village ( Chapter 18 )

The group, now missing Inuyasha and Shippo, entered the village from which the two men had come running in terror from. At first glance it was an ordinary town with people in the streets minding their own business.

 

One thing was off though; all the people looked up and stared at them as they entered. To say the least it was unnerving. As the eyes scanned the three, their gazes remained devoid of feeling. After a short time, they all looked back to what they were doing in complete unison.

 

“Well if these people are any indication I'd say we found something promising.” Miroku muttered to the two girls behind him.

 

“Yes, it looks like they're possessed or something the way they move.” Sango whispered back. “I've seen it before but never on this large a scale.”

 

The hairs on Kagome's neck stood up as the atmosphere of the village surrounded her. “I assume you can feel it too, Kagome?” Miroku asked. “That is what those with spiritual powers feel when we enter an evil or possessed place.”

 

She smiled sweetly, “Yet I've never felt this in any of the inns we've been too…” She said keeping her tone neutral. Miroku cleared his throat and refrained from comment. The more she walked, the more she wished that Inuyasha was nearby.

 

They had decided that he should watch from a distance because if in fact this was a dwelling of priestesses and others with spiritual powers, they wouldn't be too happy with Inuyasha or Shippo.

 

It was some consolation he was near enough to know if anything happened but not nearly enough to help her nerves. “Hello guests!” A man's voice called out to greet them. She looked up to see a group of four people approach them. “What brings you here?” The one in front asked.

 

Miroku answered, “My good sir, we are but simple travelers on our way through this area and we had hoped we could find lodgings for the night.” The man who appeared to be a leader of the other three smiled kindly.

 

“Of course, we would be happy to cater to travelers. Please make yourself at home here for as long as you are here.” He smiled widely. Sango narrowed her eyes slightly at his smile. He was too cheerful for her liking.

 

“Come,” A second man said, “I shall lead you to our best source of rooms for the night.” The group nodded and followed the man.

 

`Something's definitely off here…' Kagome thought. She unconsciously looked back at the trees scanning for Inuyasha. `Stop that! He's nearby why are you so worried if he's not here anyways?' She scolded herself. They continued on to what looked to be an inn.

 

 

“Are they going to be ok Inuyasha?” Shippo asked from where Inuyasha had decided would be a good lookout perch up in the trees. Too bad he didn't feel like being a lookout.

 

“Keh! They'll be fine.” He said from his position against the tree where he was lounging. “I'd know if something was wrong.” He said unconcerned.

 

“Still aren't you a little worried?” Shippo asked keeping his eyes trained on his friends.

 

“Miroku and Sango can take care of any problems long enough for me to get there.” Inuyasha said without a care.

 

“What about Kagome?” Shippo asked with fear lacing his tone.

 

“Dunno. She ain't stupid so I guess she'll be fine if she stays by the other two.” He said.

 

“I hope so…” Shippo said looking back at the group as they entered a building looking to be an inn.

 

“Come on time to move, we can't see them from here.” Inuyasha said getting up and taking off through the trees. Shippo followed as best he could but lagged behind a little.

 

Inuyasha stopped at a strange sight. There were some people crouched down with their heads bowed as if they were praying, except they weren't moving. At all. From the smell, they wouldn't be moving ever again.

 

A little bit of unease gripped him. `Damn it! I should be down with them if there's things like this.' He kicked the tree as Shippo caught up.

 

“Inuyasha what's wrong?” Shippo asked and followed his line of vision to see the people on the ground. “Are they dead?” He asked his voice shaking.

 

“Stop being such a wuss! You're a demon remember? Come on.” He took off through the trees hoping the kit wouldn't sense his own unease. At last they stopped where he could see the group through a window.

 

“Hey runt! Get down there to fill them in!” Shippo nodded before leaping off the tree branch transforming himself into a squirrel on the way down.

 

 

“Please make yourself at home.” The attendant of the inn said to the group as they reached their room. “If there's anything you want please feel free to ask.” He bowed and turned to leave. “Oh right. You are free to look around the village but please refrain from going towards the mountains. Thank-you”

 

As soon as the attendant left the group exchanged glances. “I swear if one more person tells me to make myself at home I'll make them regret it!” Sango said shaking with anger.

 

“Mountains… Looks like we may have found something promising.” Miroku said. “Perhaps we should have Inuyasha check it out.” The other two nodded their agreement.

 

Kagome turned around in time to see a squirrel bound on to the windowsill and stare expectantly at Kagome. “Hello there! You looking for some nuts?” The squirrel shot her a dark look and she giggled.

 

She knew who it was. They had developed a warning system using Shippo's ability to disguise himself. He would take the form of a squirrel to pass on information between the separated group. If, however, he took the form of a bird then there was trouble.

 

“Not funny Kagome.” Shippo said in his squirrel form. “I came to tell you we found something weird up by the mountains.”

 

“What do you mean weird?” Sango asked thinking how they had been warned from approaching them.

 

“Well there was a whole bunch of people bowing and praying except… they were dead.”

 

“Dead?” Kagome echoed and Shippo nodded.

 

“Hmm… this is troublesome.” Miroku said scratching his chin thoughtfully. “Ask Inuyasha to get a closer look. Other than that, good work Shippo! We'll try to gather information here, you and Inuyasha go look around up there.” Shippo nodded and scampered back.

 

 

Inuyasha watched as the squirrel scampered back up the tree and turn back into a fox. “They said to check out the mountain.” He reported.

 

“Keh! Could've figured that myself.” Inuyasha said. “You watch them just in case something happens, got it?” Shippo nodded and Inuyasha leapt off back in the direction of the corpses.

 

When he got there they hadn't moved. Seeing no one else in sight, he dropped down to investigate. The bodies had no physical marks; they looked like they just died in their sleep. Only problem was there was no smell of disease on them. He looked up in the direction they were praying in and saw nothing.

 

He leapt back into the trees and moved closer to the mountainside to look for the tunnel he had thought existed. He saw a couple of people meditating a few feet apart with their backs to the mountain. He hid himself as he smelled two people approaching.

 

Said people emerged from the trees. “Shift change.” One said, the other two nodded, rose and left without a word. However, Inuyasha's gaze was fixed on the mountain. As soon as the two had risen a small tunnel came into view but disappeared once again as the other two sat down.

 

`Well there's our way in.' He thought grinning. He turned to leave but stopped as he saw a group of people move in to remove the corpses he had found. As soon as they were gone more people came to take their place in the same position.

 

They knelt down in the same praying position as a figure dressed in white stood at the head. “Faithful servants of the Great God!” He boomed. “Receive your reward for your service! Become one with the Great Divine!”

 

Inuyasha recoiled slightly as he watched the man's belly open up and release a giant snake-like thing. It rose in the air and made a terrible ear-splitting noise before inhaling deeply. All at once the assembled people froze as whitish lights rose from their bodies and flew towards the snake-thing, which ate them greedily.

 

Inuyasha watched as the snake-thing then returned to the man's body and the hole in his stomach closed up seamlessly. He chuckled a bit before leaving the newly dead group. Inuyasha cursed under his breath as he turned to leave. They had to get out of here! That was no holy power he saw…