InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Curse of the Demon King and the Zetsumei no Tasogare ❯ Pursuit and an Unexpected Kindness ( Chapter 2 )

Inuyasha was angry, both at himself for failing and at the cat demon for taking Kagome away from him. He knelt down, his nose twitching as he tried to pick up their scent. There, it was very faint, but he could smell Kagome's perfume.

 

“This way,” he said before continuing through the woods. Miroku, Sango and Shippo hastened to follow, the half demon starting to outpace them.

 

“Wow, I've never seen Inuyasha this determined before,” Shippo said in awe. Sango nodded in agreement.

 

“Yes, I guess he must be really worried about Kagome,” she said quietly. “But if we don't hurry he'll get ahead of us. Kirara!” The two-tailed cat demon leapt down from her shoulder, fire engulfing her as she transformed. Kirara had two forms, one was small and cute, and the other was far larger and much more deadly. Sango leapt on to her back, Miroku and Shippo quickly following suit. The two-tailed cat gave a roar and leapt skyward, seemingly running though the air in order to keep pace with Inuyasha. Something was bothering the demon slayer, a question that needed answering. “Miroku, how could a demon survive the power of Kagome's sacred arrow?” The monk thought about that for a moment.

 

“The demon would have to be very powerful indeed,” he replied soberly. “Unless of course, it was not a demon at all. Then it would just be like any other arrow to it.” Sango glanced back at him.

 

“What are you saying?” There was a pause.

 

“I'm just saying that only someone with sacred power in their veins could survive a strike form one of Kagome's sacred arrows.” And that was all he would say on the subject. She hated it when Miroku became all cryptic on her like that.

 

“Come on people! Pick up the pace!” They heard Inuyasha call from below them. “We need to keep moving if we're going to catch them!” Sango shook her head.

 

“Come on, Kirara!” She cried, giving chase.

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“You're not a full blooded demon, are you?” Kagome asked, though it sounded more like a statement than a question. The ninja named Kamitsu paused in his efforts to remove her arrow from his back.

 

“No, I'm a half demon just like dog face,” he replied before returning to his work. She took a step towards him.

 

“You know,” she began carefully, “I could help you get that out.” He gave a short, humorless laugh.

 

“So you can drive it in further?” He asked incredulously. “I think I'll pass.” Kagome put her hands on her hips.

 

“Well, you're not doing a very good job removing it yourself,” she pointed out. He struggled with it for another moment before finally giving up.

 

“Fine, you try it,” he said to her finally. She came up behind him, inspecting the wound.

 

“I'm going to need something to cut it out with,” she told him hesitantly. He glanced back at her for a moment before finally retrieving a dagger from his right boot. He grudgingly handed it to her, evidently not trusting her. She couldn't exactly blame him, it was her arrow in his back after all. She began to work at it, causing him to grunt in obvious discomfort. “Sorry, I'll have the arrow out in a second.” He shifted slightly on the rock he was sitting on, wanting it over with. After a few more moments, she had it out and was currently trying to dress the wound. “Look, I need you to take the shirt and vest off.” He glanced back at her suspiciously.

 

“Why?” He asked her bluntly, causing her to sigh slightly.

 

“So I can dress the wound,” she told him. He hesitated a moment, then took off his vest and the longer sleeved shirt underneath. Kagome gasped. His back was covered in scars of all kinds, telling a tale of a hard life.

 

“What's wrong? Are you going to do it or not?” She hesitated for just a moment, then proceeded to clean and dress the arrow wound. Just another scar he could add to his collection. After she was finished, he stood and proceeded to get his things back on. Beyond the vest, shirt, pants and leather boots, Kamitsu wore a set of leather gauntlets and a functional belt. After strapping back on his taitou, he started off again. They had only just cleared the forest when he had stopped. Set before them was a rolling field of tall grass, and in the distance was the Kanto mountain range. It was a beautiful sight, but Kagome wasn't really in the mood to enjoy it. For just a moment, she wished she had driven the arrow deeper in to Kamitsu's back, but that thought was quickly squashed as she realized what that would mean. There was no way she could do something like that. She had a feeling, however, that her captor would have no such qualms.

 

“Well, come on let's go!” Kamitsu called back to her from further up ahead. She considered running, but thought better of it when she recalled how fast the half demon could move. With a resigned sigh, Kagome began to follow him towards where ever he was taking her.

 

Inuyasha stopped, his sensitive nose twitching as he tried to follow Kagome's scent. The ninja was good, having doubled back and gone in another direction several times to confuse any pursuers. But, Inuyasha was not one to give up that easily. Miroku, Sango and Shippo followed close behind him, careful not to get in his way. Sango's expression turned grim as she thought about what might happen to Kagome. Kirara, sensing her distress, nudged Sango's hand with her massive, furry head and gave a purr of encouragement. Sango smiled down at her, scratching her behind the ear. Kirara was currently in her demon form, bringing her nearly up to Sango's shoulders in height. The two tail had been with her since before she had met Inuyasha and the others, her constant friend and companion through the years. Inuyasha turned south, evidently having picked up the trail again. Sango could tell that Miroku and Shippo were worried as well, the group having formed a bond of close friendship during their search for the shards of the sacred Shikon jewel and their constant hunt for Naraku. Sango grew angry even thinking about Naraku, an evil demon also searching for the jewel shards. She hitched up her Hiraikotsu and drove the thought of Naraku from her mind. She would need a clear head for the fight that she was sure lay ahead of them.

 

“We'll stop there for the night,” Kamitsu stated, indicating a rather large boulder just ahead of them. The sun had almost set and Kagome was feeling tired, so she wasn't about to argue. Upon reaching it, she leaned against the rock and sat down, drawing her knees up to her chest. She shivered, the night air cold against her skin. She felt something being draped over her shoulders, causing her to look up. Kamitsu had taken off his vest and was currently trying to get her to slip it on. “Here,” he told her, helping her put it on, “I just remembered how frail you humans are when it comes to cold weather.” When it was on, Kagome was surprised at how heavy, and warm, the material was.

 

“But, what about you?” She asked, causing Kamitsu to chuckle slightly.

 

“Don't worry about me,” he told her reassuringly, “my father's people are able to survive in much colder weather than this, and fortunately it is a trait he passed on to me.” The vest was just big enough for her to wrap herself up in it, the smell of spices, like paprika or cinnamon, filling her senses.

 

“So, your father is a demon?” She asked as Kamitsu sat down a few feet away. The half demon's eyes reflected the fading light, just like a cat's eyes.

“Yes, he was,” he replied after a moment. “He served my lord as both bodyguard and assassin for many years.” He gazed off into the distance. “Until he died doing just that.” Kagome was suddenly sorry she had asked. “Now, get some sleep. We have more traveling to do in the morning.”