InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Darkangel ❯ Narrow Escape ( Chapter 8 )

Shaz: Thank you so much for your advice! I am sort of following the book because it's what's developing my original idea for this story. But how the characters will be introduced are most likely to be original. And thank you for putting my story under your favorites. ^^

Eden: Nah, you can use the song miko idea. I don't mind. As long as you give me credit for it and all. Thanks for asking permission though. ^^ I don't like people who steal original ideas and claim them as their own. Oh, and do tell me when you mention anything about a song miko. I'm interested in what you're going to use it for.

Dark Dragons of the Seven Hells: Quintet, eh? That's interesting. Well then, I'll keep using that word until someone tells me I'm using it wrong. ^^ For this Darkangel part, I think there're be 14 chappies in all. Er, well, I think.

Rei-Ayanami: *pat pat* It's okay. As long as you reviewed, I'm content. ^^

By the way, does anyone know what a Sou is?

The journey was long but her boat was fast for its small size. The river veered right and left and ran down through an endless series of chambers. Some were huge and wide while others were more like tunnels than chambers.

There was one with an opening in the wall through which she could see the stars. In the stars' pale light and the warm glow of the river, Kagome realized it was the haven of the bats. They flew in and out of the opening like silver moths. Many of them clung to the walls and ceilings like a mass of withered leaves. Their twittering was high, wild, and airy thin. When they saw her, some flew down and nip her playfully. Some even stopped to nuzzle her before flying off again. Kagome laughed and was surprised how deep and thick her voice sounded next to theirs.

[AN: Take note that the parts with the bats will be important in the far future. Don't ask why. Just remember about the bats.]

After dozing off, Kagome awoke to find herself in the biggest chamber she had ever seen. The air itself was filled with fireflies that hovered in the dark like candle flames. The stream ran nearly flat here. It was the when Kagome realized that she was no longer running under the mountains; she was under the plains.

Kagome dozed off again while watching the fireflies. When she woke up, she found herself looking at the blue night sky, illuminated with stars. She then noticed that she was no longer moving. Her little vessel was on the river's shore, waiting for her to get off.

Once she got out of the boat, it bounded away from her. Kagome then remembered that she was suppose to abandon the little vessel anyways, now that she'd reached the plain. She checked to see her small velvet bag and saw that it was firmly tied to her obi, then scrambled up the bank.

Once she reached the top of the bank, she turned to look back at the stream for one last view of the Wind on Water. But there was no sign of her. She saw only a great heron flying low over the running river. The bird was very white, whiter than pure snow. It beat its wings twice before rising out of the gorge and into the night sky. Kagome watched it sail away over the plain.

The wind blew over Avaric, bowing the grass and lifting Kagome's fine hair. She laughed, relieved and unstressed. She had not realized how much the vampyre's castle had oppressed her until now that she was free of it. Looking back, she saw it only as a tiny point on the far horizon. Then she turned around and set off across the plain.

The journey was long. She'd walk long hours through the high, gray-green grass. The wind on the plain was warm and welcoming.

As she moved on across the plain, the soil grew looser and drier and the grass stood shorter and sparser. When the sun rose over the western mountains, Kagome found herself at the edge of the grassland and at the beginning of the dunes.

She set off at once across the sand, which was white with a pale orange cast to it. She had not been traveling long after sunrise, not had she gotten very far into the desert when she heard a shout far in the distance behind her.

She paused, startled. She half-turned, puzzled, almost elated at the thought of meeting someone or anyone. Then she saw him; the soft sand crumbled from beneath her feet. The darkangel was flying towards her.

She had no intention of hiding( it wasn't like there was a place to hide) nor of facing him. She realized that if she were to save the wraiths, she could not let him take her. The whole of the duarough's plan now rested on her as well. Kagome turned and ran.

The dunes sped past and her breath was running short. Her heart was racing and her legs were tiring. Then she gasped when she felt the wind of the darkangel's wings on her back. She knew that she was in the air above her and was just behind her.

"Turn around," he snarled. "Turn around and face me!" Kagome did not listen and did not answer. She just kept on running.

He swooped. She fell to the sand and rolled. His wing tips brushed her cheek. Then he was gone, rising into the air for another pass. Kagome got to her feet and sprinted.

The vampyre swooped again but not low enough. Kagome ducked and ran on. The icarus gave a scream of rage, and rose into the air for another try. His scream was answered. From across the dunes, sounded a roar: rolling and thundering. Kagome spun around. Behind her on the crest of a dune stood a great beast. It was a lyon with a magnificent golden man. His body was an orange - gold; he shone like the sun.

The icarus screamed again in his rage and the lyon challenged him with a roar that shook the air. For a moment, Kagome thought they were going to fight. The darkangel hovered in the air just above the lyon who was crouched read to spring. Then suddenly, the icarus spun around and rushed headlong through the air towards Kagome. The lyon sprang in pursuit. Kagome started like a deer and ran for her life.

They were both behind her, and to Kagome's dismay, very close. She could the lyon's paws touching the sand, the vampyre's wings beating against the still air. They were closing on her rapidly. She caught the sound of their breathing - the darkangel's harsh and hoarse, the lyon's smooth and deep. She then realized that they would reach her at almost the same time. She would surely to torn apart between them. Then the darkangel caught her.

He caught her by the arm and hoisted her up into the air. His hand was so cold it burned. She looked into his eyes and they were colorless as egg-white, ferocious and full of madness. He bit her neck near the shoulder and Kagome screamed. The lyon sprang. His collision with the darkangel jolted her and staggered him in midair. The icarus shrieked and released her as the great cat raked his face.

Pressed between the two of them, she could not fall. Her right side froze and trembled against the darkangel's bloodless flesh, while her left side burned and writhed in the hear of the lyon's body. With his other paw, the great cat dragged four long gashes down the vampyre's shoulder. The icarus twisted away. The lyon dropped down to the ground with Kagome who lay stunned on the sand, looking above at the deep, bloodless wounds in the darkangel's face and shoulder.

Before the darkangel could recover, the lyon sprung between him and Kagome. The golden cat's huge head bent over her. She shut her eyes and prepared for pain. His mouth closed gently but firmly over her arm. Pulling her up, he half-shrugged, half-slung her over onto his back. He then bounded off into great strides across the dunes.

Kagome lay dazed. Her throat were the icarus had bitten her was burned painfully. She felt so winded that she could hardly breathe. She felt her arm held hard in the lyon's mouth. She felt the rush of wind along her body and the lyon's movements. His coat was soft and warm as sunlight and she sensed that beneath it his flesh was hotter still.

She saw the icarus in the sky behind them. He made no attempt to follow them but hovered in the air watching them and screaming in his fury. The rhythm of his churning, raven wings seemed altered somehow - rougher, oddly strained. He started to grow farther away with each bound the lyon took. at last she saw him turn and start a slow, limping flight back towards the castle.

Kagome then realized that she was bleeding from her throat. Blood streamed from the wound the vampyre had made. She felt cold and shivered. The wind was cooling and drying the blood on her kimono. Slowly, Kagome started to feel light-headed and then slipped into unconsciousness.

When she awoke, Kagome was lying on the sand. The sun was hot on her face and her throat ached. She heard a sound of splashing. She listened to it, not wanting to open her eyes. She was about to fall asleep when she felt her face sprinkled with drops of water. She opened her eyes and blinked. They lyon sat on the sand beside her, shaking water from one paw onto her face.

"Ah, you're awake, child," he said, withdrawing his great paw. His voice was very quiet and deep. "How do you feel? Can you stand?"

"I don't know," she answered. "I feel weak."

The lyon nodded. "That's expected. The bite of an icarus is not a pleasant thing. Try to sit up. We need to attend to that wound of yours."

Kagome pulled herself upright into a sitting position. For a moment, the sky tilted crazily and threatened to fall. She rested her head on her knees to ceased the dizziness. Now Kagome began to wonder whether she was really not dead. The lyon that had rescued her from the vampyre was speaking with a human manner and voice.

Knowing that there was water nearby, Kagome reached out with her hand and felt the wet sand, then water. She cupped some water into her hand and brought it up her lips to drink. But swallowing was difficult and painful. She bathed her neck; the wound burned at the touch of the water, but she felt the pain ease.

She drank again. The water was warm and faint blue-green in color.

"There," said the lyon. "Does that ease the pain?"

Kagome started. He sat so unobtrusively that she had almost forgotten him. "Yes," she said weakly. "It helps a lot."

"Strain some of the plants out of the water with your hand and plaster him to the wound," he instructed. "They will help more than the water will."

Kagome looked and saw small floating plants in the small water hole. She did what the lyon instructed. The little flecks of green were surprisingly pungent and when she pressed them to her neck, their oily coating seeped into the wound with soothing warmth. Gradually, the cold numbing ache began to fade. After a while, she realized that she was hungry and reached for her pouch. She remembered the lyon suddenly and glanced at him.

"Are you hungry?" she inquired timidly. "Would you like something to eat?" Despite his reserved and gentle manner, Kagome still felt the lingering fear of being leapt upon and devoured.

The lyon bowed his head with consummate grace and replied, "I should be honored."

She fumbled in the little bag and pulled out a boiled crayfish. She held it out to him, half-afraid that she would snap it up in his great jaws and her hand with it. Instead, he bent his head and took it carefully. Then he placed the crayfish between his paws and proceeded to peel it with such delicacy and dignity she could hardly believe. She felt foolish and ill-mannered nibbling on the small globe of cheese she had taken for herself.

"Would you like something else?" she asked once he was finished.

"No, thank you," he said graciously. "You must save the rest for yourself."

Kagome then realized that he had taken her first offer out of courtesy, not from hunger. At least, he wasn't ravenous. She nibbled her cheese and felt very worn.

"Why did you save me from the vampyre?" she asked.

"It's my duty to protect all creatures within my borders," the great cat replied. "And I don't exactly like the icari."

"But I never saw you coming," said Kagome. "Were you nearby the whole time?"

"Oh, no. I had to cover a long distance to find you."

"To find me?" Her head felt heavy and rest in on her hand. "You knew I was coming?"

The lyon nodded. "A white heron told me you would be crossing my south border before dawn I was patrolling for some hours before I spotted you."

"A white heron," breathed Kagome, "Wind on Water"

"Maybe that's what she used to be called. But when she came to me, she said her name was Wing on Wind." Kagome said nothing. Her eyelids were drooping. She felt restless and uneasy all at the same time. The sky tilted slowly off to the left.

"Lie back on the sand," the lyon said. His voice sounded far away. "You are fainting."

Kagome lay back on the sand. "I have to find the starhorse," she murmured.

"I know your quest," he said. "The white heron told me. But you lost a lot of blood and you will need a while to heal. I will give you to the hands of the desert folk, who will tend you until you are fit to travel again."

Kagome shook her head and muttered inarticulate words. She didn't want to wait. There wasn't enough time. It wouldn't be long before the vampyre took another bride - his final bride. She had to find the starhorse and return with him to Myouga before that.

But she found herself too weak to make any more protests to the lyon. Her eyes slid shut and she slipped into a doze. Later she half-awoke. She saw a long train of people with walking sticks and horses. Their leader, a tall woman, was conferring with the lyon. Kagome couldn't hear what they were saying but every once in a while they would glance back at her.

The lyon and the woman parted. Kagome watched the lyon disappear over the dunes. Then, she felt herself gently lifted and carefully bore away.

End of Chapter 8

AN: Sorry for taking so long to update.

I've finally decided though. I'm going to try to update once a week. Updates won't be exactly a week apart though. They might be early or later. But hopefully they'll be updates once a week.

Next Chapter: "Healing"