InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Knight ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
I refuse to stake any claim to the property of Rumiko Takahashi…I have too much respect for her work to do that, if it weren't for her…I would not be writing this.
Chapter 3
It had been about two lunar cycles since she had left the boarding house and started her journey with the rag tag group. It didn't take her very long to notice that Miroku was a straight out pervert, Inuyasha, was a fractious curmudgeon, Kirara was a source of solace and Sango was a lonely girl traveling with two men and needed another girl other than Kirara to talk to.
Shippo had gotten along with them fairly enough, though he and Inuyasha fought like siblings and it amused her to no end, though someone had to intervene when Inuyasha began cursing and threatening Shippo.
During the time, they had returned to the boarding house once, to drop some shards of the sacred jewel that they had gathered. It was then that Kaede had seen the full effect of Inuyasha's temper, and gave Kagome a subduing necklace for the irate hanyou.
To say Inuyasha hated it would be a dire understatement. The half demon detested it and he also had a miniscule amount of loathing for the `witch who put it on him', A.K.A Kaede. She didn't mind one bit.
Also during the short time, Kagome had found out why they were each searching for the vile hanyou Naraku; Sango was avenging the death of her kin and the enslavement of her brother Kohaku, by Naraku, Miroku was looking to rid a family curse made by Naraku that tied into the lifespan of the disgusting half-breed, and Inuyasha was looking to avenge the death of his past love, a miko Kagome had heard about, a miko she looked similar to, the undead miko Kikyo.
Something else she had seen/found out whilst on her travels with the group was that Inuyasha had an older half-brother. The demon, Sesshoumaru, was formidable foe, and the current feared youkai ruler of the flourishing Western Territories. He held a cold aura and looked down upon humans.
He comes at irregular intervals to fight Inuyasha for his legendary sword the Tetsusiaga. Sesshoumaru wants said sword claiming it to be *his birthright from their great and terrible deceased father. But the thing was, that Sesshoumaru couldn't touch the sword, and it was used to also keep Inuyasha's demon blood under control along with protecting humans, beings the great prince despised with a passion, so it couldn't have been handed down to the prince, he would simply have no use for it.
Kagome sighed and slumped in her lotus position, she just had too much on her mind to really meditate anymore, and it was really a trial. Currently they were all sitting around a roaring campfire, Miroku was meditating, Sango was waxing her beloved but way oversized weapon, Shippo and Kirara were sleeping and Inuyasha was sitting in a tree watching over them all.
Well that was until he sniffed audibly, that's when they knew something was amiss.
“What do you smell Inuyasha?” Miroku asked gathering his monk's staff and standing.
“Sesshoumaru” was all the hanyou said before leaping off leaving the group. Sango looked over at Kagome and Miroku, the monk nodded and they all leaped up and ran off in the general direction that the hanyou did.
They had come across what, to them, had become a very familiar scene, Sesshoumaru had Inuyasha locked in some painful submission-looking hold and Inuyasha was bleeding from some wound or the other. It was quite boring now really.
Kagome sighed in frustration and readied her bow and arrow, she took aim and was about to fire, but a cold voice halted her,
“If I were you miko, I wouldn't interfere” it was Sesshoumaru who had prompted her. She blinked and realized just what he had meant. The western prince had the upper hand in the situation, with being the stronger of the two and the faster, had she fired her arrow, he would had shifted so that Inuyasha was the one hit.
With a small scowl she lowered her weapon and watched in agitation. She had stood up to Sesshoumaru on more than one occasion before; she had even gone as far as to fire at him and destroy is armour. Of course, he had tried to kill her after that, but he had not succeeded.
She now knew that she irked the young lord to no end. That was something she was quite proud of actually, though she wasn't sure why.
The battle ended a few minutes after that moment, with Inuyasha somehow, by some miracle, besting his older brother. The three got the half dead half demon back towards the camp where Kagome took care of his wounds.
It had really become a rather boring chore.
After that, they all sat around the fire waiting for their dinner to be ready, Shippo and Kirara had woken up with growling stomachs that demanded attention, and so Kagome had begun a small meal.
“Is it done yet?” was the cry/whine of the healing half demon.
“Yes Inuyasha it is,” Kagome answered exasperatedly with a roll of her mysterious azure orbs. She plucked a fish out of the fire and handed it to the impatient boy who practically inhaled it. The rest of the group watched the gluttonous display before snapping themselves out of their stupors and eating their own.
Kagome stood up and brushed the dried leaves and twigs from her yukatta. She reached for her small pack and grabbed her bow and arrows, “I'm going for a bath,” she announced, glaring in Miroku's direction. He feigned innocence but said nothing.
“Can I come?” Shippo chirped, jumping up from his food
“Sure you can,” she said scooping him up into her arms.
“Be careful Kagome.” Sango warned before taking a bite out of her fish and watching her friend leave into the dense forest around them.
“Why do I have a feeling something is amiss?” Miroku asked looking at his companions, unbeknownst to him, they all felt the same way.
Kagome sat by the stream of cold water and stripped down. Shippo was already prancing about in the water as she stepped in. The water went up to her knees where she stepped, she at on the ledge and looked into the clear water.
A particularly chilly breeze blew by, sending goose bumps up her arm and a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach and the back of her mind. Shippo jumped into her lap for protection, Kagome deftly reached behind her for her bow and arrows.
“Do you feel that?” he asked her, there was a lingering malicious taint to the air around them.
“Yes, there is something here.” She answered calmly then something flew past their head and all they saw was darkness.
*** o0o
“Kagura!” came the call of a handsome daimyo. He sat on a sitting cushion in his darkened room watching the blood red barrier around his lair. His unusually crimson colored eyes glared at the doorway, waiting for the previously called servant to show face.
A woman with short black hair done in an elegant up do stepped in and bowed to her lord.
“Is the deed complete?” he asked, his dark velvety voice echoing in the room. He rested one clawed arm on his raised knee, red eyes boring into her.
“Not fully my lord,” she answered looking at him through her thin bangs, her own red eyes regarding him, coldly wishing him ill-will. “We have brought her”
“Good, Kikyo and yourself should deal with her,” he said as a sign of dismissal and turning away from her. The woman rigidly bowed and walked away. She walked down the narrow breezeway; it was dark and foreboding. Just the way her master liked it.
She exited the breezeway and stepped into the miasma-filled courtyard where three beings awaited. She walked closer to see the undead priestess speaking with the demon guard; the two paused in their conversation to look at her.
“Are we ready?” the priestess asked, dull brown eyes narrowing in malice towards the general direction of their master.
“Yes,” Kagura said unsheathing a dagger and handing it hilt first to the priestess. The guard held up the unconscious and naked miko so that they could begin the process.
At this, Kagome awoke and began thrashing in her captor's grip, she didn't want to be possessed by Naraku, she knew of the story of the tainted miko Kikyo who was captured by the dark hanyou and killed. Kikyo began slicing along the younger girl's arm, all the while chanting below her breath.
Kagome felt weak, like all of her energy was dwindling; she fell limp in the guard's arms as a brown light consumed her. Her pink energy ignited around her, like a flame in lighter fluid, before going out completely in a swirl of dust. The shallow carvings on the unconscious girl's arm instantly scarred over, leaving in its place a crooked shield.
Kagome came to a few minutes later. She looked at her surroundings, then at her captor. Her stormy gray eyes alight with confusion.
“Who are you?” she asked.
*** o0o
Naraku sat in his room chuckling; he had felt the sudden surge of power before it snuffed out altogether, perfect this was all going according to plan. He looked at the tainted shards in his grip, the first part of his plan had been relatively easy, and now that the priestess had no powers or memories, as it seemed, it would make the process even easier.
He dismissed his void demon and stood. He tucked the shard into a fold of his haori and left the room. He walked down the hall to the last room; there was some shuffling on the other side. He slid the shoji screen open.
Kagome froze as the door slid open. She was in the middle tying the obi on her furisode. She looked up to see a breathtaking man she had never seen before. He wore a plain blue haori with a gray hakama; he smirked at her and came into the room.
“Its good to see that you're up,” he greeted, his deep voice pleasing to her untrained ear.
“Thank you.” She said a bit awkwardly, bowing slightly
“Would you join me fore dinner Kagome?” he asked, she looked in her lap for a second contemplating it, she was hungry, she fiddled with her thumbs, it would seem he was the lord of the house so it would be ungrateful and disrespectful to decline the offer. With a small inaudible sigh, she looked up at him and nodded,
“But can Shippo come?” she asked hesitantly.
“Shippo?” he echoed, and then a little kitsune climbed timidly upon her shoulder from under her hair. “Yes Shippo can come,” he decided, besides there was nothing the little runt could do to stop his plans.
The two got up off of the floor and followed the beautiful man out of the room. The hallways were dark, filled with a presence that sent shivers down Kagome's spine. After a few minutes of walking, he led them into a small room with a low table.
He sat down at the head of the table on the sitting cushions present, Kagome sat on his left side, she had no right to side on his right for she was not his mate, or anyone of close relations.
A few servants came out with food and placed them in front of the three seated. Naraku began his meal first then followed Kagome and Shippo. The meal was passing by quickly with light conversation, but Kagome was not feeling well.
“Are you feeling alright?” Shippo asked her concern lacing his voice, Kagome could only shake her head, she didn't trust herself to speak. “Maybe you should lie down.” He continued.
“I'll have Kikyo administer some herbs for you,” Naraku offered, the small smirk not very visible on his visage.
“T-thank you.” Kagome muttered then stood up shakily and was helped from the room. Naraku smirked openly as he told Kagura her orders for the ex-miko. The transformation should go very smoothly, if not a little pain here or there.
*** o0o
“Where the hell is she?” Inuyasha raged; they had gone to the lake when they noticed the absence of the miko's aura. They had found only the clothes of their friends.
“What could have happened to her?” Sango asked; she was extremely worried for the miko, granted they all knew the girl was a good fighter, but she wasn't experienced. There had been no scents at the spring. It was like the two just disappeared into thin air and a cloak settled over.
“We have to find her.” Miroku concluded.
“Don't you think we know that?” Inuyasha yelled, glaring daggers at the calm monk. Inuyasha felt useless, like he had betrayed her, he had promised her and the council that he would see to her protection personally. And now she and the kit were gone and they had no clue as to where to look first.
“Pack up we leave within the hour.” He commanded, he was going to find her; he had to.
*** o0o
“What is this?” Kagome asked warily eyeing the foul substance Kikyo had presented her with under the pretence of `medicine'.
“It is to help you with your ailments.” Kikyo said once again patiently. She scooped up some of the rank poultice for Kagome to eat.
“No way, nothing that stinks so badly can be healthy.” She stuck by her philosophy. It just couldn't in anyway, shape, or form, make her feel better, if anything she thought Kikyo was trying to kill her.
“You have to eat it if you want to be well once again.” Kikyo sighed. She had not counted on the girl's lingering obstinacy. She needed to get her to at least swallow some of the potion for the transformation to begin, but the girl was as stubborn as an ox!
Shippo climbed on Kagome's shoulder, his eyes were all puffy and watery as if he had been crying, “Kagome I don't want you to be sick anymore,” he whined, she had already been in bed for a whole day because she was in pain and he didn't like it. Kikyo smirked lightly; the kit was helping her more than he knew.
“Oh alright…” Kagome sighed, she really didn't want to swallow that thing, it felt wrong, but if it would help then she'd have to, besides she didn't like seeing Shippo sad. She slowly opened her mouth, cringing as the scent caught her. Kikyo didn't waste any time in shoveling the chunky liquid down her throat. Kagome swallowed it, gagging halfway.
“Good now stay in bed you will need your rest.” The undead woman said before leaving the room. As the door closed, Kagome sat up in the bed and scowled at the kit.
“That tasted vile,” she whined then almost instantly doubled over in pain. Her fingers and toes felt like they were on fire, she gripped the bedding harshly as her gums burnt and a loud continuous high-pitched sound shot into her ears.
“Kagome are you alright?” she heard Shippo calling out to her. She gasped at the immense pain.
“Shippo-“ she got out, she could feel something smoldering within her, the pain intensifying by the second. She heard Shippo shriek before allowing the darkness to devour her.
*** o0o
Crummy chapter I know, but it told what needed to be told. So basically this was a filler. It was longer also; I've been trying my hand at that I hope it was good.
I thank my reviewers, I really love you guys, I smile every time I see a new review. Thank you all!! You make my workday bearable because I know that I have at least one review to go home to view.
Oh and just to clear this up, I am, along with what I believe to be a majority of the persons logged on to this site, a girl. I am 17 and I live in Jamaica with my family. I've been writing for at least three years now and I have a closet filled with books and loose leaves of stories and story ideas that I've had…I think that's all
I thank you again… toodles.