InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Phoenix Blade: Time Lapse ❯ Smoke Signals ( Chapter 76 )

Disclaimer: Don't own…don't sue. Tormenting them purely for my own sadistic pleasure. All characters and most situations owned by Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan Publishing, and VIZ is in the dog-pile somewhere, too.

 

A/N: Warning! There is a depiction of a sexual assault in this chapter. If you find that sort of fictional scenario disturbing, then skip the first quarter or so. The anime turns Mukotsu's attack on Kagome into a very inoffensive `bridal' sequence, but the manga version details how she is threatened, fondled, punched in the face, dragged by the hair and finally throttled. Also, the usual coarse language alert for a certain really upset hanyou.

 

Bouquets: To Forthright, Nokomarie the Snake, Ranuel, and Susanne TJ for their generous assistance in keeping the fic true to my particular twisted version of canon.

 

If you are interested, Kurosei is `dark star', Yoen means `burning embers', while Misora is `beautiful sky'. Bishoujo is a `beautiful girl'.

 

The Phoenix Blade: Time Lapse

Chapter 76: Smoke Signals

 

Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж

Sengoku Jidai

 

“I'm going to do a perimeter check; you stay here with the others.” Inuyasha waved off Kohire's offer to accompany him and continued, “While I'm gone, nobody goes anywhere alone… especially you, wench.”

 

Kagome looked up from where she was changing the dressing on Sango's arm and frowned a little until she saw the stubborn set of his jaw. Sighing quietly, she replied, “Yessir,” and tied off the bandage. “I think the same rule ought to apply to you, too,” she muttered.

 

“Keh. You heard that freak. He's only interested in my ass, not yours.” The hanyou curled his lip in distaste.

 

“Yes, Inuyasha… but Jakotsu seemed well-acquainted with the properties of that smoke,” Miroku murmured. “That means we are battling at least two of the Band of Seven.”

 

Inuyasha cast an eye over the two remaining guardsmen; they stiffened and inclined their heads. “It's still four against two, even with Sango's injury.” He strode across the small shrine and pressed a quick kiss to Kagome's forehead. “Be ready to leave when I return.” Then he was gone in a flash of red and silver.

 

Miroku took Sango's calloused hand in his much larger one and inspected Kagome's bandaging technique. “Nicely done, Kagome-sama,” he smiled before brushing his lips over his wife's knuckles. “Shall we pack up? Tsu-kun? Could you assist me with these saddlebags, please?”

 

Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж

 

“I wonder if Inuyasha found Jakotsu? I hope not… I don't want him to face that horrible blade alone,” Kagome mumbled, again searching for Inuyasha's aura in the growing light. Kumo nuzzled her cheek, twittering softly, and she reached up to scratch his chin. Out of the corner of her eye, she noted Miroku and the black tenbaryu apparently deep in conversation with Kirara as interpreter. Curious, she asked, “Kohire-kun? What is that tenbaryu's name?”

 

“Kurosei, my lady. He is exceptionally well-trained,” he answered.

 

“Another stallion, huh? How is that going to work?”

 

“He and Kumo will settle their differences, just as your mount did with this one,” the guardsman replied, giving Yoen an affectionate pat.

 

Kagome paused for a moment and looked over the tenbaryu gathered around the humans and inu-youkai. Kurosei's burly form, midnight-black hide and glowing red eyes gave him the sooty appearance of Kumo's nightmare shadow. Next to their restrained palette, Yoen and Misora were the equivalent of gaudy festival decorations. Yoen's brilliant red body, scorching-orange mane and tail, not to mention his bright yellow eyes, made him as subtle as a Ginza neon sign. However, despite his knock-your-eyes-out fiery colouring, he at least resembled a horse in his outward form; Tsu's Misora, on the other hand, looked as if she had recently risen from the sea.

 

She was the clear blue of a summer sky, but when the light hit her scales, branching coral-like patterns of deeper blues and greens were visible. Her long, scaly tail had a sharp fin-like protuberance at the end, and golden talons dug into the ground as she impatiently paced. A gleaming armoured body flowed smoothly into a sinuous neck, crowned with sculpted plates along its crest. Golden cat's-slit eyes were set into a whiskered draconic face framed by a webbed ruff that rose and fell in tune with her moods.

 

The ruff was half-cocked at this moment, because the mare had ceased pacing, snuck up behind Kumo, and was now mischievously nibbling on his long white tail. The grey stallion ignored her until she gave a firm yank, at which point he snorted and whipped the blue tenbaryu across the face with the offended appendage. Undeterred, Misora turned her attentions to Yoen and started in on his orange mane. He squawked and nipped her muzzle; there was a definite twinkle in Misora's eye as she ceased her attentions and wandered back to where Tsu was assisting Miroku while Sango watched, Kirara curled in her lap.

 

The black stallion trilled at her in greeting, but when she tried to drape her long neck across his withers, he gave an irritated huff and swung his haunches towards her. Misora danced out of the way, chirruping gleefully. Evidently feeling that her mission was complete, she turned to munching on the thistles crowding the foundation stones of the small shrine where they'd sheltered for the night, on the outskirts of a village. Kagome shook her head at the mare's antics.

 

“Misora's a bit of a handful,” she commented, stooping to shoulder a load of canteens.

 

“A pestilence, more like, but sweet-tempered all the same,” Kohire grinned, relieving her of most of the canteens. “I will accompany you to the well.”

 

“It's only over there,” she grumbled, gesturing to the distant structure visible at the top of the gently terraced field. “Hardly out of sight…”

 

“Nevertheless, Inuyasha-sama left very specific instructions and I, for one, do not intend to disobey them… especially since your weaponry is currently attached to Kumo's saddle,” Kohire retorted, and Kagome shot him a grouchy look.

 

“There are times when I wish I had another rosary,” she muttered, sotto voce, before saying aloud, “Then Kumo comes with me; you still have to finish packing your gear and you know Inuyasha will take a strip off of all of us if we aren't ready to go the second he returns.”

 

The guardsman looked back and forth between her, the tenbaryu and the distant well a couple of times, obviously calculating the distance and factoring in the increased risk, but he finally reluctantly nodded in agreement. Kagome bestowed on him a blinding smile, whisked the canteen straps out of his hand and caught hold of Kumo's bridle. “Back in a few minutes, so long as the ice on the water isn't too thick.” As she and Kumo climbed up the low, broad terraces, last night's heavy frost crunching loudly beneath their boots and hooves in the early winter dawn, she noticed that the village was unusually quiet. I wonder why there isn't any smoke coming out of the huts? People should be up and about by now, getting ready to tend the animals and harvest what's left of the crops. “Oh, no!” The reason for the morning's preternatural calm became abundantly apparent as they arrived by the well and could see into the village proper. The inhabitants were sprawled in attitudes of sudden death; Kagome recoiled, the canteens dropping from her nerveless fingers as she brought her hand up to her mouth.

 

A group of older men lay tumbled in a heap, farm implements haphazardly scattered. Close by lay a number of women, caught by death's grasping hands as they secured their kerchiefs and aprons. Kagome frantically scanned the scene, searching for some signs of life, to no avail. Kumo screamed a warning to their distant companions and caught hold of her sleeve with his teeth, urging her to mount, now… but her legs refused to move. She crashed to the ground; only Kumo's quick reflexes prevented her head from striking the stony earth.

 

“Geh-heh-heh… you cannot escape the poison of Mukotsu!”

 

As the cackling figure advanced, smoke pouring out of the bamboo tube he brandished, the massive tenbaryu crouched over her, brimstone-scented smoke wreathing his head. Kagome dizzily noted her sword swinging along his flank, tantalizingly out of reach.

 

“How sweet… your pet chooses a heroic death,” the strange little man chuckled, selecting another tube from the wickerwork basket on his back. Kumo's head lowered and snaked menacingly from side to side as a low-pitched noise rumbled out of his chest. He charged towards the poison-master, flames jetting from his fanged mouth… and took a blast of luridly-coloured smoke directly in the face. The stallion dropped like a stone, the precious weapons he carried now too far away to be of any help. Kagome's limbs felt like lead weights, but she rolled over and began dragging herself along the uneven ground towards Kumo's twitching carcass.

 

Fenik… could use a little help here!

I'm trying, Nixie, but that poison is messing with our connection! Can you visualize my dog form?

 

Kagome stopped moving and concentrated, watching the sword through darkening vision. A swirl of silver motes streamed out of the scabbard and coalesced into the furry head and shoulders of her ghostly protector, but that was as far as the apparition was able to materialize before the poison took a stronger hold and Fenik vanished.

 

“Geh-heh-heh… feisty little thing, aren't you?” Sandaled feet planted themselves directly in her path, and stubby fingers seized her chin. Her face was yanked upwards, giving her the first good look at this new enemy… although there wasn't much to see. His eyes above the concealing veil held an unpleasant glint; her skin crawled where he touched her. “I shall enjoy toying with you, bishoujo…”

 

“Unhand her!” Miroku roared from Kurosei's back, stabbing downwards with his staff in a move the little man easily evaded. Kagome blinked slowly at the sight of the furious monk astride the coal-black tenbaryu, resembling nothing less than an avenging war-god coming to earth. Miroku took several more swings at Mukotsu, which the small man agilely dodged, while Kirara hovered overhead as Sango organized the frantic guardsmen.

 

“Kohire-kun, stop shredding that saddle-cloth and go find Inuyasha,” she ordered. “Tsu-kun, look for Sesshomaru-sama and inform him of what has happened.” She glanced down at the too-still grey stallion and his rider. “We may have need of Tenseiga.”

 

“My lady! Is this wise, to divide our forces? This is an unknown enemy!” Tsu objected.

 

“He's likely part of the Band of Seven, which means Naraku is involved,” the slayer said briskly. “It's far more important to retrieve Inuyasha and alert Sesshomaru-sama… now go!” The guardsmen hesitated, plainly unhappy about their orders, until Sango made as if to swing the Hiraikotsu to speed them on their way.

 

Down below, Miroku and Kurosei tried to draw Mukotsu away from Kagome; the girl could only watch through darkening eyes, too numb to even mourn Kumo's passing. The poison-master cackled gleefully and shuffled a few paces towards the monk and his mount, then unleashed a powerful blast that arced like a cannon shell before exploding and laying down a thick smokescreen that seemed to dissolve the very air.

 

“That ought to keep them at bay, bishoujo; now we can have our fun uninterrupted…” Displaying surprising strength, the small man easily dragged Kagome up over his shoulder and began carrying her away, letting off another smoke shell every once in a while to cover their retreat. The young woman lifted her head, blearily searching for her friends, but there was nothing visible beyond the billowing poison. This could get ugly…

 

Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж

 

“What do you think, bishoujo? How do you like our love nest?” Mukotsu dumped Kagome off his shoulder onto the reed mat covering the dirt floor of the small hut. She hit the ground heavily, unable to break her own fall, striking her head on the corner of the wood-framed fire pit. Something wet began to trickle down her scalp as she attempted to assess her situation while her captor busied himself setting aside his basket of poisons.

 

Damn, damned, damnable… the fucking bastard! Her eye was caught by a pile of straw sandals just off the edge of the mat, and then she noticed the owners of those sandals, thrown into a huddled mass against one wall of the hut. The stink of the poison in her nostrils wasn't quite enough to mask the fecal odours of death, and she flinched away from the blank, staring eyes of a young child just as her chin was again seized in clammy fingers.

 

“Geh-heh-heh… alone at last. The poison smoke will keep away your comrades until I've had my fill of you, and by then it will be too late,” he leered as he removed his veil. “My face will be the last thing you see before you enter the hell-gates…” Kagome blinked at his distinctly frog-like appearance, featuring large bulging eyes, a snub nose and a wide, coarse mouth, while fighting down her revulsion at his intentions. The shard… where's his shard? As he untied and discarded her sash, then reached for the buckles securing her dragon-hide tunic, she detected the tainted gleam buried in his throat. She realized she was clenching her fists as Mukotsu fumbled with the stiff closures. I can move a little… my body is being cleansed of the poison!

 

Fenik?

I'm doing my best, sweetheart. This stuff is nasty.

Purify his shard, Kagome!

Good thinking, Midoriko!

 

She concentrated and threw a spiritual barrier into Mukotsu's face, hoping that it would kill the revenant. The Jewel shard glowed pink as it came into contact with her purifying energy, but it made not a whit of difference in her attacker's intent. Crap! Frustrated, Kagome lashed out with her demonic power, but that didn't even slow him down.

 

This is unexpected; the purity of the shard has no effect on its ability to sustain life!

Then I couldn't have killed Kohaku by purifying his shard the last time we fought…

Naraku's chosen the perfect henchmen, dammit! The only way to kill any of the bastards is to remove their shards… hey, Nixie… look over there…

 

Kagome allowed her head to roll to the side and found herself staring at a pair of iron chopsticks jammed into the embers of the fire pit. Crude but effective…

 

“Who made these infernal contraptions?” Mukotsu exploded, just before he successfully popped the first buckle. Chortling, he made quick work of the remaining closures and spread open the front of her tunic, only to be confronted by the even more formidable buckles locking her body armour into place. “It's almost as if someone knew your virtue would be in danger,” he muttered, sourly noting that the clasp of her trousers was unattainable until the armour was removed.

 

Kagome's lips twitched as Fenik snickered inside her head. Maybe, just maybe Yashita, Shimano and Sessaki conspired to alter the flow of time by making it impossible for Mukotsu to ravish me. Either that, or he didn't get very far because of my equipment!

 

Obviously frustrated with this new impediment to his lecherous intent, Mukotsu sat back on his heels and cocked his head as he considered his next move. The young woman was horrified when he leaned over and palmed her crotch, attempting to drive his stubby fingers into her through the thick leather. Once her mind stopped screaming, and Fenik stopped growling, she blessed her serendipitous decision that morning to wear the dragon-hide trousers instead of her fire-rat hakama, because the heavy hide had zero `give'. Her tormentor gave an irritated huff as he failed to achieve his goal, and then he was distracted from further attempts by voices from outside penetrating the walls of the hut. Turning away from her, he sidled over to listen intently. Taking the opportunity, Kagome reached towards the fire-pit as quickly and quietly as her deadened limbs would allow.

 

“They are persistent, these friends of yours… discussing how best to rescue you,” he finally chuckled, waddling back towards his captive audience with a most unpleasant leer. “They will be too late, in any case. Now, my bishoujo, I'll give you some sweet, sweet memories to take you to the grave…” Kagome's mind froze up when he casually spread her legs and laid down on top of her, then began grinding himself against her crotch as he again tackled the buckles on her body armour.

 

Stay still, Higurashi… don't tip him off that you can move… don't… oh, gods! She couldn't quite hide her revulsion as Mukotsu grunted and drooled, his efforts to strip her becoming less and less coordinated as the bulge in his fundoshi took over his mental processes. He gave up on the buckles and instead roughly squeezed her breasts through the heavy ballistics cloth; Kagome gritted her teeth and summoned every ounce of her strength, willing her muscles to move quickly as she flamed the iron chopsticks hidden beneath her sleeve, swung herself upward and drove them deeply into his flesh. Aw, shit! Too low!

 

Mukotsu peered in a near-sighted manner down at the thin metal rods protruding from his chest before releasing her abused breasts. Blood briefly sprayed as he yanked the chopsticks free; Kagome felt several droplets patter against her cheek as Mukotsu reared up onto his knees and tossed the makeshift weapons aside, his flesh rapidly reforming. His already ugly face distorted into something truly hideous as he pulled back his arm and smashed his fist into her cheek.

 

Unable to dodge the blow, Kagome thought she felt something `crack' in her cheekbone as stars cycled around her vision, but she didn't have time to dwell on the injury when he hauled her half-upright by the collar of her armour and viciously backhanded her across the face. He stood up, pulling her with him, and punched her in the stomach before throwing her across the room where she thumped into the far wall. “You little bitch… how dare you fight back!” he snarled, cracking his knuckles.

 

Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж

 

“Sesshomaru-sama!” The taiyoukai slowly turned in the saddle, his yellow eyes greeting the sweating guardsman with a distinctly cool look.

 

“Report.”

 

Tsu bowed deeply over Misora's neck, wiping his brow and thanking his lucky stars he'd caught the faintest whiff of Sesshomaru's scent as he'd barrelled through a simple search pattern. “We were ambushed by Naraku's forces and Kagome-sama has been captured, my lord.”

 

“Where?”

 

Tsu reined Misora around and pointed towards the far-off mountain range, pale grey in the distance. He hastily grappled a hand-hold on her ridged neck plates as the tenbaryu was sent spinning by the shockwave of the taiyoukai's departure. They both stared after the glowing ball of light as it arrowed towards the horizon, then as one shook themselves before setting off in his wake, with the rest of Sesshomaru's patrol in hot pursuit.

 

Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж

Half a league away…

 

Inuyasha crouched, rubbing the embers of the campfire through his fingers. Almost completely cold… they left hours ago. It shouldn't be too hard to track that asshole Jakotsu from here since he reeks of death and his buddy smells like the poison smoke we faced yesterday. Rising to his feet, wiping the ashes off on his hakama, he began working outward in concentric circles, sniffing carefully until he determined the direction the swordsman and his associate had taken. The hanyou began to chase down the scent trail, and his sense of unease grew with every step. Shit! They're heading towards the village! Dammit!

 

“Inuyasha-sama!” He skidded to a stop, looking up as Yoen dropped out of the sky; Kohire's eyes were as wild as his mount's. “Hurry! Kagome-sama… we were attacked…” he gasped out.

 

“Fuckers!” Inuyasha snarled, his stripes widening and his eyes glowing an unearthly red so quickly that the tenbaryu and its rider recoiled. He was gone an instant after that, wildly shaking trees and foliage the mark of his passing as he tore back towards the village.

 

“I think I am relieved that he did not require a ride…” muttered Kohire and Yoen gave a shaky squeak of agreement as they set off in the hanyou's wake.

 

Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж

 

Kagome tried to focus her blurring eyesight as the poison-master stalked closer, attempting to formulate some way to survive Mukotsu's intentions until help arrived, but at that moment, the roof of the hut exploded as the Hiraikotsu smashed through the wooden tiles to `thunk' deeply into the earthen floor between them. The massive bone weapon was instantly followed by Sango, Kirara and Miroku; the monk was thoroughly dismayed by Kagome's battered countenance as he pulled her into his arms. She could barely move her jaw, but she managed to croak, “The shard is in his throat…”

 

Mukotsu perked up, and slapped himself in the forehead. “That's right! I intended to take your Shikon shards!”

 

Jerking Hiraikotsu out of the ground, Sango used it like a shield as she whipped out her sword. “Leave this filthy bastard to me!” she snarled, lunging forward with murderous intent. Mukotsu hadn't been sitting around idly waiting; violet-coloured smoke filled the hut. Sango smiled grimly under her face mask and kept advancing until her body abruptly felt impossibly weak and she collapsed under the weight of the Hiraikotsu.

 

“Geh-heh-heh… your filtering mask won't help you, slayer. This paralytic poison is absorbed through your skin and your eyes!” Mukotsu gloated, his bulbous eyes glinting with anticipation as his gaze roved over her curves, now within his reach. “I have immunity to my own poisons, unfortunately for you…” Kirara, who had been shielding Miroku and Kagome, yowled angrily and leapt for the revenant, her jaws wide open. The poison master frowned and pursed his lips, waiting until the fire-cat was within range before spitting a glob of saliva into Kirara's face.

 

When the poisonous slime struck her, the neko-youkai's entire body jolted and she literally fell out of the air, transforming into a kitten as she hit the ground with a dull thud. Miroku cried out, his anger muffled by the sleeve he had pressed tightly to his nose and mouth as he watched Mukotsu step over the ailing Kirara and stoop briefly to run his hands in a covetous manner over Sango's thighs and buttocks. The monk tried to move, but found himself unable to do much more than simply breathe.

 

Mukotsu left off groping Sango and waddled towards Miroku. The monk attempted to tighten his grip on Kagome, still huddled against his chest, but his arms were leaden weights when the poison-master contemptuously backhanded him across the face. Mukotsu twisted a handful of Kagome's hair and dragged her out of Miroku's limp embrace. Dropping her to the ground, he sneered, “I tried to make your last moments pleasant, bitch, but you spurned my good intentions… wait by the hell-gates for your friends, because they'll be joining you shortly.”

 

Barely conscious from the second dose of poison, Kagome's head lolled as Mukotsu wrapped his stubby little hands around her throat and began to squeeze. Blackness crept in along the edges of her vision; her eyes fluttered shut as she slid towards eternal darkness. Inu… yasha… There was a loud cracking sound accompanied by a surge of youki, which was immediately followed by the loosening of Mukotsu's grip; something wet spattered across her face as the coppery tang of blood filled her nose.

 

“Who the hell are you?” the poison-master demanded, completely ignoring the blood spraying out of his severed shoulder. “Our enemies are the wolf demons and Inuyasha's group!”

 

“Inuyasha's enemies are mine,” intoned an icily dangerous voice and Kagome opened her eyes to see Sesshomaru's towering figure framed by the jagged edges of the opening suddenly torn in the hut's wall. His yellow gaze flicked over the three downed humans, lingering longest on Kagome's bruised face and disarrayed clothing.

 

Mukotsu glared up at the taiyoukai as his face twisted into an expression of angry disbelief. “It's your death,” he hissed, then dove for his wickerwork basket. Sesshomaru didn't turn a hair as he was struck by the point-blank blast of bright red smoke, but instead of dissolving like the wreckage of the wooden wall surrounding him, he merely wrinkled his nose and reached for Tokijin. A lightening-fast slash, and the squat little poison-master fell apart in mid-expletive. His flesh sloughed off as the tiny Jewel shard came loose and tumbled to the dirt floor, sparkling darkly amongst the dust and tendrils of smoke.

 

Sesshomaru sheathed his blade, watching with interest as Mukotsu's flesh crumbled away from his settling bones. Kagome struggled to keep her eyes open as the taiyoukai paused to gently prod Kirara with his boot; the fire-cat cracked one dull red eye and mewed plaintively. Sesshomaru nodded in response to whatever the neko had said before crouching at the young woman's side. Steely yellow eyes intently examined the rapidly-developing marks purpling her throat and then narrowed dangerously at the condition of her bruised cheek. “Naraku will regret this,” he murmured, his tone sending chills down her spine.

 

“Kagome!” Inuyasha arrived in a blast of youki, his hair tossing wildly as he dove for his mate.

 

She managed a weak smile as he pulled her into his arms. “Miroku and Sango did their best… Sesshomaru-sama saved us…” she whispered before going limp, her head rolling alarmingly against his shoulder. The hanyou was plainly aghast at the injuries marking her face and neck, and then a low, dangerous growl rumbled out of his throat when he realized that she was covered in a scent that shouldn't have been there. As the sound deepened and became more feral, Sesshomaru let loose a warning growl of his own.

 

“Do not lose yourself, brother. The insult to your mate and your pack has been avenged with the death of this vermin,” he rumbled. Inuyasha buried his nose in Kagome's hair, trying to find her familiar scent as a safety valve for his raging youki, but all he could smell was her blood and the poison-master's particular stench of death, graveyard soil and the ingredients of his infernal trade. It was with a Herculean effort that he brought himself under control, when his entire being was baying for blood. Sesshomaru looked faintly pleased when Inuyasha's demonic aura retreated; the taiyoukai glanced up as jangling harnesses and astonished exclamations marked the arrival of their entourage outside the hut. “Where are the rest of your guards?” he asked.

 

Inuyasha's voice held a ragged edge and his golden eyes were rimmed in bright blue and scarlet. “Naraku has a new set of freaks called the Band of Seven running interference for him. One called Jakotsu massacred the guardsmen yesterday…”

 

Sesshomaru's hand cradled Tenseiga's hilt. “Location?”

 

“That one,” Inuyasha spat in the direction of Mukotsu's bones, “melted their bodies with a bank of corrosive poison. There's nothing left.”

 

The taiyoukai mentally counted up the losses among his troops for a moment before rising to his feet. “Move your pack to a place of safety…”

 

“Where the fuck are you going?” Inuyasha demanded, too upset to be deferential.

 

“To summon assistance,” Sesshomaru replied as he turned on his heel and strode from the smoking remains of the hut. As soon as he exited, Tsu and Kohire tumbled in. The two nervous guardsmen immediately prostrated themselves before Inuyasha, anticipating punishment.

 

“Why were they left unprotected?” he ground out, his elongated claws flexing against Kagome's leather-covered shoulder.

 

“My lord, Sango-sama ordered me to bring you back… I dared not defy her,” Kohire meekly answered.

 

“I was sent to find Sesshomaru-sama, my lord,” Tsu quickly added, “in case Tenseiga was needed.”

 

Inuyasha again caressed Kagome's cheek with the back of his claws. “Not yet…”

 

Outside, Sesshomaru finished addressing the ranks of kneeling guardsmen. “… time is of the essence; he has not yet sought the shelter of the fortress for the winter, but I suspect that the scent of so much inu-youkai blood will have caught his attention. Do not disappoint me.”

 

“No, sire!” The patrol leapt to their feet, saluted smartly and were mounted in a matter of moments; then they were gone into the leaden sky, scattering to the points of the compass in twos and threes.

 

Safely downwind of sensitive noses, Jakotsu peered through the foliage, watching the guardsmen take to the air on their strange creatures while nursing his wounded ego. My heart bleeds, Inuyasha… you stood me up for that snooty ponce? Two-timing dog! I wonder who prissy-sama is, though? I certainly don't recall anyone bearing his description among our targets… and I'd remember someone like that! The revenant scratched his chin, carefully studying Sesshomaru as the taiyoukai gazed into the sky. He took down Mukotsu without batting an eyelash, so definitely not someone to be challenged on a whim. I think I'd better slope off before I'm noticed… Ducking into the undergrowth, the flashily dressed swordsman raced off on a widely diverging path towards the distant forward base to make his report. This Jewel shard certainly helps with my speed and strength; I wonder how much stronger I'd be if I had two?

 

Sesshomaru watched the last of his men disappear into the clouds before turning his attention to a disconsolate tableau a short distance away, where Ah-Un, Yoen, Kurosei and Misora clustered with their heads bowed over Kumo's silent corpse. Jaken remained seated on Ah-Un's rump, his Staff of Two Heads propped against his shoulder as he contemplated the fallen stallion. The taiyoukai hesitated for only a moment before striding rapidly towards the mourning tenbaryu, his eyes narrowing as his hand closed around Tenseiga's hilt. Just as he reached them, there were dual brilliant flashes that momentarily brightened the dull morning light and then Sesshomaru swung lightly onto Ah-Un just as the twin-headed beast left the ground.

 

Below the departing taiyoukai, Kumo rolled up onto his belly, shaking his great head in a confused manner as the other three tenbaryu trilled excitedly. He looked around dazedly before being nudged to his unsteady feet by Kurosei and Yoen, while Misora capered around them, carolling triumphantly. Inuyasha emerged from the destroyed hut, cradling Kagome against his chest; Kumo's head came up and the grey stallion lurched towards the hanyou, stretching out his neck and calling beseechingly. Behind Inuyasha, Tsu and Kohire looked at each other with identical frowns as Kumo tottered up and frantically snuffled his unconscious mistress.

 

“Wasn't he…?” Tsu ventured cautiously.

 

“He was,” Kohire confirmed.

 

“Then how…?”

 

“Tenseiga.”

 

“Damn! We missed it! Ieji-kun and Ita-kun have all the luck,” Tsu grumbled as he carefully shifted Sango and Kirara in his arms. Misora ceased gambolling as she approached and delicately sniffed his burden; she cocked her head quizzically, her ruff flaring widely around her head, as he laid the slayer and the neko on the ground in the fresher air.

 

“Will the houshi's tenbaryu allow us to tie Sango's weapon onto his back?” Inuyasha asked. “Kirara isn't in any shape to do the asking…”

 

“I'm sure that Kurosei will permit it, as Miroku-sama's staff will also be making the trip secured to his harness,” Tsu said. He caught Misora's whiskered muzzle in his hand. “Watch over these two, my girl, while we arrange things.” The blue mare chirped quietly and curled protectively around Sango and Kirara, the end of her tail tapping lightly on the ground as she rested her chin on her scaly forelegs, her golden eyes gleaming.

 

Kurosei nudged the unconscious monk, cooing softly while gently rubbing his leathery nose against Miroku's cheek. Tsu approached the black stallion, lugging Hiraikotsu over his back, and patiently waited while the red-eyed tenbaryu gave the weapon a thorough sniff before allowing it to be secured to his saddle straps.

 

As the trio readied their injured pack-mates for transport, the shard lay forgotten in the dust. Not by everyone, however. Inuyasha snapped to full attention at the familiar and hated hum, but with his arms full of Kagome, he could do nothing more than watch as a brightly-coloured insect buzzed through the hut's broken roof and made off with the shard.

 

“Inuyasha-sama? What is that creature?” Tsu asked guardedly, looking between the insect and the seething hanyou.

 

“A hell-wasp. Mark the scent and the direction, because it's taking that shard back to Naraku.” All three strained the limits of their eyesight until the creature disappeared into the distance.

 

“Ox-tiger, I reckon…” Kohire mumbled, edging away from the hanyou's flaring aura.

 

“Fucking asshole's practically drawing us a map to his front door, which means it's a trap,” Inuyasha snarled, grinding his fangs in frustration. “Fuck! This just keeps getting better and better!”

 

“We are ready to depart, Inuyasha-sama,” Tsu interrupted as he looped Kagome's red-and-gold sash around Fenik's hilt and tied it in a secure knot. “Misora and I will carry Sango-sama and Kirara-sama. Um… where will we take them for treatment?”

 

“We'll follow that damn insect's flight path until Sesshomaru's `assistance' arrives. If we go airborne, he'll find us more quickly.”

 

“The poison's spread will be slowed if they remain still,” added Kohire as he carefully lifted Miroku's limp form in preparation for mounting Yoen, and grunted with the effort. “Oof… this monk is heavier than he looks!”

 

Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж

 

“You could help me, Jakotsu…”

 

The swordsman ignored the request and continued to stab moodily at the ground with a sharpened twig. “I'm really upset, big brother! Inuyasha stood me up for some pretty boy, and I simply can't think about anything else!”

 

“Don't hurt yourself by thinking too hard,” muttered the other man as he turned over another spadeful of earth, then paused to wipe his brow, his shaven pate and vertical facial tattoos glistening with sweat.

 

“Aw, Renkotsu… don't be so cold-hearted! Mukotsu is dead and I'm distraught! You should be comforting me!” Jakotsu wailed.

 

“I should be telling you to knot your fundoshi yourself and deal with it, but I already know that's a forlorn hope,” Renkotsu sniffed, widening the hole with practiced ease and `accidentally' lofting a clump of dirt in Jakotsu's direction. “So, Mukotsu follows Kokotsu back to the grave… tell me what this `pretty boy' assassin looked like.”

 

Jakotsu made a show of pursing his freshly painted lips. “Tall, slender, silver-haired; beautiful really, with yellow eyes that could cut glass... and I wish I could've seen his undoubtedly tight little ass, because I'll bet there's an icicle stuck up it.”

 

“Jealous of the icicle?” Renkotsu sardonically inquired, as he pitched another spadeful a little too close to Jakotsu's foot.

 

“Naw. He isn't my type,” Jakotsu sighed, removing his sandal to bang the dirt out of the thongs. “I prefer scruffy bad boys like Inuyasha…”

 

“Translation: `pretty boy' was not only better-looking than you, but he would have kicked your ass back into the seventh hell if you'd challenged him,” the other man retorted. “You're smarter than you look, little brother.”

 

“Thanks, big brother,” Jakotsu smiled beatifically at Renkotsu, who rolled his eyes. The swordsman shifted, chewing his lip as he watched the other man continue to dig. “Don't you think there's an awful lot we're not being told? For instance, do you know anything about this Naraku fellow?”

 

“I only know what our eldest brother has told me, which is if we do Naraku's bidding, we will be permitted to keep these shards of the Shikon Jewel and our restored lives. Reason enough to kill his enemies and enjoy ourselves as much as possible while doing so,” Renkotsu shrugged. “Now, onto more urgent matters… Mukotsu's poisons are persistent in the body, so Inuyasha and his group will be vulnerable for some time yet...”

 

Jakotsu ignored the other man and pouted, digging his sandal into the softened earth. “When do I get to see my darling little hanyou again?” he demanded, interrupting Renkotsu in mid-sentence. “Tasting his sweet blood is about the only thing that will cheer me up!”

 

The bald man stifled an irritated curse and shot the swordsman a scathing look. “Ginkotsu has been dispatched for the sole purpose of herding Inuyasha and his group towards this temple; if you hurry with your appointed task, you may arrive back in time to deliver the killing blow,” he said smoothly, enjoying how Jakotsu immediately bristled.

 

“R-r-renkotsu! That's not FAIR! Inuyasha is MINE!” the swordsman howled, throwing himself face-down, kicking his feet and pounding the earth with his fists. Renkotsu made an exasperated noise and tossed a clod of dirt at Jakotsu, halting him in mid-tantrum.

 

“Dispatch your target and hurry back, or there won't be anything left for you to play with.”

 

Jakotsu suddenly rolled up onto his feet, his eyes glinting dangerously. “If you try to screw me out of my prey, I'll…”

 

“You'll what? Trust me, Jakotsu, screwing you is the furthest thing from my mind,” Renkotsu snorted while pulling himself out of the hole and dusting off his hands. Stooping to heave what appeared to be blackened, twisted chunks of charred wood into the hole, he grunted, “How hard can it be to kill one measly wolf demon?”

 

Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж

 

“Inuyasha-sama… Miroku-sama's condition is growing worse!” Kohire called as he brought Yoen even with Kumo.

 

The hanyou didn't spare the guardsman a glance because he was so focussed on Kagome's shallow breathing and slow heartbeat. “I know,” he growled. “Sesshomaru better make fucking good on his word, and soon…”

 

The wind shifted, and as one, seven heads swung towards the left. “Dammit… Kirara! Can you take Kagome?” Inuyasha yelled. The neko-youkai poked her head out from where she nestled in Sango's lap, held securely in Tsu's embrace. Kirara yowled and leapt out into midair, transforming on the fly into full battle mode. She came alongside the grey stallion, crowding right up against Kumo's side as Inuyasha transferred his precious cargo to her back. There was a shrill squawk, and Kurosei appeared on Kirara's flank, steadying the unconscious woman with his shoulder and muzzle as she was draped over the fire-cat's back. Inuyasha ran his claws through Kagome's hair, his youki building.

 

“Find a place to hide until Sesshomaru comes back… Kumo, take me down.” As they dropped away, Inuyasha unsheathed Tetsusaiga and leaned low over the stallion's neck. “Go with them and then come back to pick me up. I should have dealt with this guy by then.” When they were still twenty feet off the ground, the hanyou threw himself off the tenbaryu's back and somersaulted through the air to land in a crouch. Kumo circled once, emitted a short scream and soared into the sky.

 

Inuyasha's eyes bled red, his fangs lengthening and stripes darkening as he used his youki to pick up strange whistling, clicking and clanking sounds moving through the woods in his direction. Pivoting on the balls of his feet, ears flickering, the hanyou brought Tetsusaiga up into a guard position, his narrowed eyes seeking the location of his new opponent. He'd just locked in on a strange, hulking shape when the cracking, tearing sounds of tortured wood ripped through the air.

 

Baring his fangs, he braced himself as whizzing death streaked towards him just before the Tetsusaiga flashed and his ears flattened against the high-pitched screech marking the collision of edged metal. As the missiles ricocheted in various directions, they seemed to stall in mid-air, giving Inuyasha a glimpse of the brutal serrated edges on the strange circular blades just before they recoiled back through the path of destruction. “What the fuck am I facing now?” he snarled, his aura burning bright red with frustration.

 

“Innnuuuyaaashaaa…” drawled an echoing, metallic voice that put the hanyou's hackles up. There was an odd hissing noise as an awkward shape stumped into view, bringing with it the acrid stink of heated metal, gunpowder, and something else terribly familiar that was last detected on Kagome's abused body.

 

“Keh… another one of the Seven,” the hanyou growled, his lip curling. “You stink of death and graveyard soil.”

 

“Gershhh… Ginnnkotsuuu am I,” groaned the metal construct as it stepped farther into view, creaking ominously. Inuyasha frowned. His opponent appeared to be held together purely by his body armour, which featured heavily spiked shoulder guards and an assortment of edged weaponry poking out on odd angles. One hand had been replaced by a reinforced metal cuff sprouting a massive fluted spear-tip, and the returned saw blades were visible above his misshapen head, next to an intricately-tooled gun barrel protruding over his shoulder. Flaming red hair was restrained by a narrow band; the hanyou stared at the inhuman face below. One eye was covered by a leather patch that appeared to have been sewn directly into his flesh, and his ears were replaced by circular rope twists that held his metal jaws in place and allowed them to open and close.

 

Hefting Tetsusaiga and highly conscious of Kagome's slowed heartbeat in his chest, Inuyasha studied the walking scrap-yard and shrugged. “I have some questions, but I don't have time to ask them, so I'm just gonna take you down!”

 

“Mmmisssed your companionnns, I haaave… you will die fffirssst!” Ginkotsu yanked one of two long tassels protruding from a boss on his chest and the saw blades began to spin in their cradle, reaching maximum velocity before flashing towards the hanyou. He waited, tensing, before batting them away and watched in puzzlement as the whining discs returned to their owner as if prescient as to his position. Shaking off an ominous feeling, he called up the power of his sword until the enchanted fang was twined in rapidly-twisting white vapours.

 

“My turn! Wind Sc-!” he shouted, raising Tetsusaiga over his head, but Ginkotsu beat him to the punch. Inuyasha was completely exposed to the whizzing blades in his attack position, but they didn't chew through his body; instead they whirled around his upraised sword and arms as well as his legs, opening up shallow flesh wounds where they sliced through his fire-rat. Dumbfounded, the hanyou realized why the weapons appeared so obedient; he was entangled by finely braided steel wires attached to the blades. Shit! If he retracts these, I'll be sliced to ribbons!

 

Luckily for the pinioned hanyou, Ginkotsu didn't seem to appreciate the opportunity that had just been handed to him. “Mmmy brotherrr told me to rrrestrain your sword…” he gloated. “Nnnow die!” He hunched forward and yanked the other tassel dangling from his chest; the muzzle of the gun spat sparks just before a shell exploded at Inuyasha's feet, throwing up a screen of dust and earth. The wires went slack and the iron giant grunted, “Gershhh… nnnot much of annnopponent…” as he began reeling in the cables.

 

“Oi! Not much, huh? How about this? Wind Scar!” Ginkotsu looked up as the bloodied hanyou flew towards him, and reacted by pulling the second tassel again; the gun went off at point blank range… but it was like a puff of air blown into a tempest. The raking claws of energy carved a deep gash into the earth, starting a localized landslide that sucked Ginkotsu into the fissure as the ground crumbled away beneath his metal feet.

 

Inuyasha landed upslope of the destruction, watching for any signs of life in the settling dirt before sheathing Tetsusaiga. I should dig for the bastard's Shikon shard, but I don't have time right now. I'll come back for it later… where the hell is Kumo? As if in answer, the grey tenbaryu dropped out of the sky to hover beside him. Kumo anxiously sniffed Inuyasha all over, making low noises in the back of his throat. The hanyou gently tugged on the stallion's white forelock. “I'm fine, brimstone-breath,” he said quietly, affection softening his tone. “Let's get the hell out of here.” Leaping into the saddle, he'd barely seated himself when the tenbaryu gathered his muscles and launched vertically into the air. Once at altitude, Kumo levelled out and sped towards a distant mountaintop.

 

The dust was still lazily drifting in the air currents when movement from below ground first caused little rivulets of dirt to trickle down the disturbed slope, quickly followed by earthen geysers flinging debris high into the air as Ginkotsu used his gun to blast himself free from his entombment. “Gershhh… rounnnd one…” he grunted as he began climbing awkwardly out of the hole, his clumsy movements hampered by his damaged limbs.

 

Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж

 

“Our thanks, abbot-sama, for extending us the protection of your temple,” Tsu intoned politely enough, even though most of his attention was focussed through the open doorway of the pavilion. Kirara was still not at her best from the dose of poison and had tired herself out by carrying Kagome; she'd curled up next to Sango's shoulder after the slayer was laid out on the pallet and covered by a quilt. Kohire loosened the slayer's collar, then made sure Miroku was comfortably arranged before again fussing with Kagome's blankets.

 

The shaven-pated senior monk raised his hands in a deprecatory gesture. “It is no trouble at all, youkai-san. We are a haven for those in need, no matter their situation.”

 

Kohire came out to join them in the pale sunshine washing the veranda and bowed to the golden-robed abbot. “They are as comfortable as we can make them; it is up to Sesshomaru-sama now.”

 

“Who, may I ask, is this `Sesshomaru-sama'?”

 

“The Lord of the Western Lands,” Tsu stiffly replied, as the abbot's tone was perhaps a bit too casual for mouthing the taiyoukai's name.

 

“Ah. I meant no disrespect to your lord,” the abbot replied smoothly. “Could you give me some idea of Sesshomaru-sama's appearance if I perchance should have the honour of meeting him? His hair and eye colour, for instance?”

 

“Our lord is tall, of slender stature and a commanding presence, with long silver hair and fierce yellow eyes. However, if you ever were to find yourself in his vicinity, you would be wise to greet him with your forehead pressed to the ground, abbot-sama.”

 

Kohire hid a smirk behind his hand. “You do Jaken-sama proud, Tsu-kun….”

 

The abbot noted Tsu's baleful look and addressed his next request to Kohire. “If I may risk imposing further on your good will, may I inquire as to your knowledge of a being called `Naraku'?”

 

The guardsmen glanced at each other before Kohire warily asked, “How do you know that name, abbot-sama?”

 

The human sighed and gestured towards recently broken ground on the far side of the courtyard. “My brethren were massacred while I was away; the rumours spoke of a group of ferocious bandits called the Band of Seven who are alleged to take their orders from this `Naraku' fellow.”

 

Tsu nodded, somewhat mollified. “We can attest to the vicious nature of the Band of Seven, but you will have to ask Inuyasha-sama about Naraku.”

 

The abbot bowed gracefully. “I will school my curiosity until then; thank you, youkai-san. I will pray for the rapid recovery of your charges in the meantime.” As he descended the staircase, he listened to the guardsmen muttering between themselves while cocking an eyebrow at the unusual beasts loitering in the courtyard, which were also standing with their heads together and twittering quietly. Damn! I'll have to keep them alive until Inuyasha arrives if I hope to learn anything about Naraku! I hope his nose is as easy to fool… I honestly don't know how he can smell anything, what with the vile odour of those creatures' dung!

 

Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж

 

“Circle a little lower, please…” The raven cawed once, the harsh sound echoing off the tumbled rocks, before angling its wings to drop another dozen feet in altitude. Its passenger clung firmly to the feathers covering the leading edge of its wing with four of his chubby little hands and used the other two to shade his eyes from the rush of wind as he studied the newly-blasted ravine carved through the landscape. That definitely has the look of being caused by the `Wind Scar', but why is he so far north? He was injured here, but I couldn't find any trace of the inu-youkai blood I smelt yesterday…this looks too dangerous. I think it's time I made my way back to the fortress for the winter!

 

“Well, well, well… if it isn't Myoga-jiji!”

 

The flea-demon's world was abruptly turned upside down as the raven was suddenly tipped onto its back and shaken, and he found himself pinched between the claws of a toothy inu-youkai wearing the uniform of the Western Fortress. “Look, Shin… we hit the jackpot!” his captor grinned, holding up the bewildered youkai for the inspection of the other guardsman as he released the angry raven.

 

“Unhand me, you disrespectful fool! Sesshomaru-sama will have your pelts for this outrage!” Myoga spluttered, doing his best to draw himself up even though he was dangling upside down.

 

“Now, now, Myoga-jiji. You should know better than to curse your food source,” the inu-youkai chided, dropping the tiny demon into his palm. “As it happens, it is Sesshomaru-sama who requests your presence, and we are pleased to escort you to him.”

 

Myoga left off rubbing his head to give the guardsman a speculative look. “If I agree to accompany you, then I'll need a little snack… just to keep up my strength, you know…”

 

“Not this time, Myoga-jiji,” leered his captor before he closed his fist around the grumbling youkai. “Our orders are to bring you back thoroughly starved; Inuyasha-sama has need of you.”

 

“Inuyasha-sama?” came a muffled, slightly panicked voice. “Oh, dear…”

 

Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж

 

“A Buddhist temple? Are you sure, Kumo?” the hanyou demanded, looking over the tiled roofs clustered on the mountaintop as they descended from the clouds. The tenbaryu trilled an affirmative, and then they landed in the courtyard to the enthusiastic greetings of the other members of the herd. Inuyasha sniffed carefully before dismounting. Death and grave soil… but the smell is different. These victims were burned.

 

“Inuyasha-sama? I have been expecting you.”

 

The hanyou spun around, his hand going to Tetsusaiga's hilt, but before him he found a perfectly ordinary human wearing the robes of an abbot. The man politely bowed and didn't comment as Inuyasha inhaled deeply before relaxing his stance ever so slightly. “Your guardsmen await you with your injured comrades in the main pavilion,” he said, gesturing to the staircase behind the hanyou. Without further ado, Inuyasha turned and crested the flight in a single bound, yanking open the shoji to enter the wooden-floored hall.

 

Tsu and Kohire immediately stopped tending to the injured humans and bowed, but Inuyasha's attention was completely absorbed by Kagome. He knelt beside her and pressed his hand against her damp forehead while watching the almost imperceptible rise and fall of her chest. “How are the others?” he asked, glancing at the monk and the slayer.

 

“The poison is still working its way through their systems, my lord. I hope Sesshomaru-sama returns soon…”

 

Inuyasha bent and pressed a gentle kiss to Kagome's bruised cheek. “So do I… what do you want?” he snapped, as a bulky shadow fell across the woman's face from the direction of the open doorway.

 

The abbot bowed. “I understand that you have fought the Band of Seven, my lord, and that you are fleeing from them…”

 

The hanyou snorted, “Get it straight, monk… they're running from us!” as he shifted so that he faced the man. “We don't plan to be here very long, so you don't have to worry about them showing up.”

 

“Actually, I suspect the Band may have already struck this temple,” said the abbot calmly. “As I explained to your guardsmen, my fellow monks were burned to death in my absence and the word is that the ghosts of the Seven are among us once again.”

 

Inuyasha raked the monk with a derisive look. “I suppose you think you could seal them again, right?”

 

“If I can, I will pacify their angry spirits,” he responded blandly.

 

“Forget it; they're out of your league. You'd end up joining your monks in hell.”

 

“I thank you for your concern, Inuyasha-sama. However, if I may beg your forbearance a little longer, would you be so kind as to tell me about this `Naraku' person?”

 

“How do you know that name?” the hanyou demanded; the abbot made a placating gesture.

 

“It has been bandied about in connection with the Seven, my lord,” he said smoothly, but he noted how Inuyasha's eyes sharpened as he was again assessed. He obviously passed muster, because the hanyou spoke.

 

“What do you want to know?”

 

The abbot seated himself a respectful distance away. “What sort of being is he, that he can raise the dead?”

 

Inuyasha thought for a few minutes before slowly replying, “Naraku is a type of demon…”

 

“A `type of demon'…?”

 

“He has the ability to regenerate himself, and is more than likely holed up somewhere creating a new, more powerful form. The Band of Seven are suckers, really; once their usefulness is over, he'll send them straight back to hell.”

 

The abbot looked politely interested in this information, and appeared poised to ask more, when there was a whistling sound just before the `crump' of an explosion shook the building. Inuyasha and the guardsmen shot to their feet and flew out onto the veranda, their nostrils flaring.

 

“Goddamfuckingsonofafuckingbitch!” the hanyou roared. “Ginkotsu survived and followed me!” He turned on Kohire and Tsu, his eyes flashing red. “You two, prepare to evacuate… monk, you'd better find somewhere to hide!” he bellowed before diving off the veranda and racing along the ridgepoles of outbuildings towards the smoking gatehouse whose tiled roof now slanted crazily towards the ground.

 

Kohire and Tsu sprinted back into the pavilion, past the remarkably unruffled abbot who tucked his hands into his sleeves and watched their hurried preparations with a slight smile. He waited until their backs were turned before pulling small paper-wrapped packages from his robes and throwing them as hard as he could against the floorboards. The bombs exploded, instantly filling the room with blinding smoke and noxious gas; the abbot pressed his sleeve to his nose as he backed out of the building, listening to the frantic curses as the guardsmen flailed just before thudding heavily to the floor as they succumbed to the stench.

 

Sliding the shoji closed to keep the gases inside, Renkotsu carefully wiped his face with the abbot's silken sleeve, removing the rice-flour paste he had used to disguise his facial tattoos. Damn Ginkotsu anyways! I didn't learn nearly enough about Naraku; all I know for sure is he's likely to double-cross us in the end… I'll wait for a few minutes before retrieving the woman's Shikon shards, since it appears Mukotsu died before he managed to either have his way with her or locate them. He stretched, eyeing the herd of tenbaryu clustered at the bottom of the stairs who were regarding him with suspicion. What to do about these creatures? I could kill them right now, I suppose… eh, once their masters are dead, they'll wander off…

 

Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж

 

Ginkotsu dragged his ruined body up the flight of stairs, the loose pieces of metal and chains that had formed his rebuilt arm clanking and clattering on the stone risers, blood and bolts sloshing in the empty housing on his back. He chuckled deep in his throat as he pulled himself up another few stairs, as if relishing a great joke. “Gershhh… Inuyasha…”

 

“Still looking for a fight, you walking trash heap?” the hanyou shouted as he crested the ruined gatehouse, Tetsusaiga blossoming in his hand. The metal construct chortled again and swung his arm, sending the fluted spear-tip hurtling upwards, only to have it sliced free of its retrieval chain by a well-timed swipe of the huge blade. “Nice try, fucker! Was that your best shot?”

 

Ginkotsu's one eye narrowed as he gauged the distance just before his huge shoulder guards cracked open, revealing banks of spindles. Inuyasha's ears flattened as the air was filled with a high-pitched whining sound; he was a split-second too slow in dodging the fusillade of small, nearly invisible sharply-pointed weights that targeted his limbs. This time, however, he had a better range of motion as the wires failed to completely restrain him, and he took full advantage of it. “Commme heeere, little doggy…” Ginkotsu crooned as the spindles began rewinding, forcing the hanyou towards him, one stair at a time.

 

“Fuck off, asshole! You're even stupider than you look if you think you've caught me with the same fucking trick!” Inuyasha launched off the stairs and dove towards Ginkotsu, the Tetsusaiga raised. He brought the blade down on the metal warrior's shoulder joint, severing the mechanical arm and sending it crashing over the steps. A quick swipe and the confining wires fell away before he was pulled any closer to Ginkotsu, who tottered for a moment before following his appendage to land in a clanking, clattering heap at the bottom of the staircase. “Serves you right, fucker…” the hanyou snarled, resting Tetsusaiga against his shoulder… just before he detected the acrid scent of smoke. What the hell?

 

Spinning around and fairly flying back up the stairs, Inuyasha stopped dead just before the top, his hair sweeping forward as he registered the figure blocking his way. Blinking, he stared at the familiar robes of the abbot who had given his pack shelter, but the man's vivid facial tattoos were what gave him pause. “I was slightly remiss in our previous introductions, Inuyasha… I am Renkotsu of the Seven.”

 

“What? That's impossible! You…” spluttered the hanyou, momentarily side-tracked from his goal of reaching his pack sooner rather than later.

 

“Smell alive, instead of grave soil and death? Look around you; this is a temple, so the grounds are permeated with the scent of death from all the hallowed burials.” He fingered the collar of the rich yellow silk robe, his eyes sparkling with malice. “I also donned the clothing of a recently deceased human, so his smell became mine.”

 

“Where are this temple's residents?” Inuyasha hissed, cracking his knuckles.

 

“They were massacred… burned to death, to be specific… just as the `rumours' stated,” Renkotsu smirked.

 

The hanyou gathered himself to spring just as the distinct crackle of wood being eaten by flames reached his ears. “You fucking bastard! You set the pavilion on fire!” he shouted, bile rising in his throat.

 

“I'm doing your companions a favour; they'll die quickly rather than slowly from Mukotsu's poison,” replied Renkotsu, enjoying every anguished nuance of his opponent's expression.

 

Tetsusaiga flashed in the pale light as Inuyasha bared his fangs. “Out of my way, asshole!” He was in mid-air just as an explosion from behind sent something large and metallic whistling past his head; when he ducked reflexively, his sword was nearly wrenched from his hands. Fighting to regain his balance, he glanced up to see a heavy chain wrapped around Tetsusaiga's blade and barely dodged the attached axe-head swinging wildly towards him.

 

The chain snapped tight, yanking his arms up over his head, but before he tumbled backwards, he was jerked forwards by yet more finely braided steel wires wrapping tightly around his torso. Dammit! I'm getting sick of this shit…! Wha...? FUCK! Renkotsu spat liquid onto the wires he held clenched in his gauntleted fist, and flames roared down the thin cables to engulf the hanyou in searing pain.

 

Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж

 

The roof tiles were on fire before the tenbaryu made their move; they had scattered out of range of Renkotsu's personal flame-thrower, watching with vocal dismay as he methodically set fire to the venerable wooden building. Once he left the scene, whistling nonchalantly as he slung the jug of accelerant over his shoulder, Misora took charge and quickly organized the other three with her frantic screeches. Yoen and Kurosei swooped around the exterior of the building, ripping open the shoji with their clawed hooves to vent the poisonous gases and smoke, while Misora darted into the now open-sided pavilion and positioned herself over the row of unconscious humans, her armoured body impervious to raining embers. While Kumo risked catching his mane and tale on fire trying to awaken Kagome, Yoen and Kurosei swept in, grabbed Tsu and Kohire by the collars of their dragon-hide uniforms and dragged them onto the veranda.

 

“Uhhh… what happened…?” groaned the fair-haired guardsman, rubbing his hand over his eyes. Tsu rolled onto his back, blinking blearily at the roof before he registered the tongues of flame licking along the rafters. “Shit! Kohire! Ugh! Gods, Kurosei… what did you eat last night?” The guardsman distractedly swatted at the stallion's muzzle as his face was again swiped by a long black tongue. Looking around to orient himself, he crawled rapidly towards Kohire and roughly shook the unconscious demon. “Wake up, Ko-kun! We have to get the others out of here before the roof comes down!” The other inu-youkai let out a long, low whine before beginning a coughing fit that sounded like his lungs were trying to escape his chest.

 

Leaving Kohire to catch his breath, Tsu scrambled back into the building to where Misora was hunched over the pallets, her head and tail curled back on herself in an effort to protect more of the three silent bodies. “Kumo! Grab Kagome-sama's pallet and drag it outside! Kurosei! Look to Miroku-sama!” He dove for Sango and scooped both her and Kirara up in his arms, then turned and bolted for safety. Clearing the staircase in one jump, he laid the slayer and the fire-cat on the ground before leaping back up to retrieve Kagome from under Kumo's nose; the grey stallion shrieked and followed him down to the courtyard. By this time, Kohire was trying to rescue Miroku while Yoen and Kurosei hovered anxiously, even though the guardsman's eyes were still streaming. Tsu growled in exasperation, tossed his gasping colleague onto Kurosei's back, slung the monk over his shoulder and grabbed hold of Misora's sculpted neck plates as the tenbaryu launched herself into the clear. Behind them, an avalanche of charred roof tiles smashed a gaping hole in the wooden planking as the weakened rafters gave way.

 

Laying Miroku down next to Sango, Tsu frantically checked his charges' condition while the tenbaryu crowded close. Unable to detect breathing by holding his hand in front of the monk's face, he pressed his ear to Miroku's chest. “Tsu-kun…? Is he…?” Kohire asked, his voice raw from his coughing fit.

 

Tsu waited until he had checked all three, and soothed a discomfited Kirara by pulling the neko into his arms and gently petting her before answering, “They're all still alive, but just barely. Kagome-sama's heartbeat is the strongest of all, probably because of the mate bond she shares with Inuyasha-sama, but even he won't be able to sustain her for long unless help arrives soon.”

 

“Should we move them away from here?”

 

“Yes; let's get them to safety and then I will return to assist Inuyasha-sama while you stand guard over them… if you're up to it, that is.” Tsu cocked an eyebrow as Kohire produced another spectacular coughing fit, but the other guardsman nodded gamely, wheezing, as he propped himself up against Yoen's flank.

 

Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж

 

“Koga! Koga! Wait up a minute! Do you smell that?” Hakkaku shouted, as the wolf prince jumped over a fallen log several dozen feet ahead.

 

“Something's burning; should we go have a look? It might be Naraku!” Ginta added, secretly hoping for a respite from the blistering pace Koga had set since leaving Ayame and the rest of their new pack.

 

“Maybe… but there's something else I want to check out first! This way!” He disappeared into a whirlwind and quickly vanished from their sight; the two wolf demons groaned and reluctantly increased their speed, but they hadn't gone far when Koga suddenly shot backwards and they had to put on the brakes to avoid being run over.

 

“What the…? Well, isn't this one, uh, interesting,” Ginta muttered, squinting past the wolf prince's shoulder to inspect a very feminine swordsman standing on a slight rise, a massive blade resting on one shoulder.

 

“Excuse me, but are you Koga of the Eastern wolf demon clan?” called a rather high-pitched voice, and all three demons inhaled deeply to do a gender-check. A deep growl instantly rolled out of Koga's chest, and his two lieutenants edged away as they, too, recognized the distinctive scent of death and grave soil. “I'm Jakotsu, and I'll be your executioner today…”

 

“You smell the same as that fucker Kokotsu!” the wolf prince shouted, baring his fangs. “If you want revenge, I'm all over it!”

 

Instead of replying, the swordsman gave Koga a thorough once-over, tilting his head on the side as he scrutinized him from head to toe. “Great legs… and that fur kilt is simply adorable! The headband is a nice touch; you're pretty cute, wolf-boy, but unfortunately, I have to kill you quickly so I can get back to my true love.”

 

“What is this asshole going on about?” Koga muttered over his shoulder.

 

Hakkaku nervously replied, “I haven't the faintest idea, chief… look out!” He and Ginta scooted backwards as Koga went airborne to avoid what appeared to be a snaking length of steel that suddenly leapt out of the swordsman's hand.

 

“Look… I'm in a hurry, so don't be difficult,” called Jakotsu as the strange sword seemed to retract in a layered fashion before flashing back out. “If I don't get back in time, Inuyasha won't wait… and if he dies before I can kill him, I'll never forgive you!”

 

“What the fuck are you babbling?” Koga demanded, dodging the strike with difficulty as the flexible steel coiled and slashed around him. “What's happened to that mangy mutt?”

 

Jakotsu instantly paused, his eyes gone hard. “Why? What's Inuyasha to you?” he asked suspiciously.

 

“I don't give a rat's ass about that piece of dog-shit, but I do care about the girl he had with him! I'll rip you to fucking pieces if something's happened to her!”

 

His opponent sighed and whipped the twisting blade towards Koga, gouging a deep trench where the wolf demon had been standing only a moment before. “Would you hold still already? That little bitch is long since dead…”

 

“Damn you straight to the seventh hell!” Koga shouted, his aura flaring as he threw himself at Jakotsu, who responded by whirling the sword into a flashing net… but not quite fast enough to block the enraged demon. The revenant barely avoided Koga's claws by throwing himself backwards and followed that up with a vicious swipe which should have sliced the youkai in two, but Koga launched himself straight up and landed well out of range.

 

He's good… he'd be fun to slice up, if I could devote the proper amount of time to him, but Renkotsu really can't be trusted to keep his word when he gets into one of his moods… “Hey! Where do you think you're going? I'm not done with you, wolf-boy!” Jakotsu screeched as Koga sped away.

 

“I'll be back for you, fucker… make no mistake! If Kagome's hurt, your ass is mine!” the wolf prince snarled before tearing off in the direction of the smell of burning wood, closely followed by a worried Ginta and Hakkaku.

 

“Grrr… dammit! Now I'll be in trouble with Renkotsu for failing in my mission! It'll be just like him to take Inuyasha away from me again in punishment…” Jakotsu grumbled as he sheathed his blade and jogged back towards the temple in the wake of the wolf demons.

 

Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж

 

“Gershhh… Inuuuyasha…” Ginkotsu leered up at the hanyou, caught by chains and wires and wreathed in leaping flames. He brought up his truncated metal arm and whacked his breastplate; a section of the plating dropped open and high-pitched shrieking announced the appearance of a telescoping conical drill-like blade. He yanked, hard, on the chain wrapped around the Tetsusaiga just as Renkotsu released the handful of flaming steel wires, and Inuyasha fell backwards towards the whirling steel drill. “Nowww I havvve you!”

 

Instead of allowing gravity to assist with impaling him on Ginkotsu's weapon, Inuyasha managed to get a toehold on one of the stairs and used it to change his trajectory. Twisting violently in mid-air, the hanyou's lips curled back over his fangs as he brought the Tetsusaiga around in a sweeping blow. The steel warrior literally came apart at the joints from the power of the deadly strike as the parts of his body bounced down the staircase, scattering nuts, bolts and gears far and wide.

 

Shaking his sword free of the chain and its axe-head, Inuyasha turned and looked up at Renkotsu… only to see a huge cloud of ominous smoke billowing up into the afternoon sky over his opponent's bald head. Kagome! A red and silver blur blew past Renkotsu, the wind of the hanyou's passage whipping the rich golden robes.

 

“In too much of a hurry to dig their graves? His downfall will be in leaving us alive...” Renkotsu unhurriedly descended the stairs to where the pieces of Ginkotsu lay scattered. A loud buzzing was heard, and a cloud of insects appeared. They hovered uncertainly over the clumps of metal and flesh before targeting the iron warrior's head. As one, several of them took hold of the bright red hair while others grasped the pieces of armour binding him together and lifted the gory trophy into the air.

 

Ginkotsu's single eye opened and he chuckled, “Gershhh… to the forrrge?”

 

“Yes, brother… back to the drawing board. I'll wait for Jakotsu and meet you there, all right? We'll have you back together again in no time,” Renkotsu promised as he waved off the straining insects. Fishing inside his borrowed robes, he contemplated the bag of softly-glowing Jewel shards he'd extracted from the young woman's strange body armour. Straightening the neckline, he headed off into the forest at a leisurely pace, rolling the shards between his fingers. Naraku can't be trusted; that much I am sure of. However, with these extra Shikon shards, he will find me a difficult opponent… as will my elder brother. I have no intention of dying again; not until I've thoroughly enjoyed myself!

 

Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж

 

Oh, man… not again…how long is it going to take me to recover this time?

 

Kagome slowly swam back from complete darkness into shades of grey as she became aware of her surroundings. There was a heartbeat next to her ear that matched her own, and she was cradled against a firm chest that vibrated from a low rumble as Inuyasha spoke to someone over her head. He came for us…he's all right. Thank the gods. The throbbing of her other cheek gained in intensity with each moment and it became rapidly apparent that she was going to be sporting a spectacular black eye courtesy of Mukotsu. Just peachy… eeyew! What is that horrible smell? “I-Inu-yasha…?”

 

Dark amber filled her visual field as she risked opening her eyes and gentle claws stroked her hair away from her face. “Koishii… you finally woke up,” he whispered, his voice cracking.

 

She smiled wanly, then winced as Inuyasha shifted her higher in his arms. “Uhhh… careful… I'm feeling pretty dizzy…”

 

“Not surprising, Kagome-sama, as I had to suck out a fair bit of your blood in order to remove as much of the toxins as possible,” said a slightly slurred, but otherwise very business-like voice.

 

“M-Myoga-san?” she asked in disbelief, blinking slowly as she tried to locate the tiny youkai.

 

The flea-demon, who looked alarmingly huge to her blurring vision, executed a formal bow from his spot beside her knee. “I am honoured to be of service, my lady. However, if you will excuse me, I must see to your companions.” He lurched away; Kagome carefully turned her head to watch as Myoga latched onto Miroku's neck and rapidly inflated to the same size as Shippo. Just like when he saved Inuyasha from that spider-demon all those months ago…

 

Miroku sighed heavily, and his hand came up to caress the back of Myoga's head. “Gently, my love… not so hard… my, you're frisky today…” he murmured. Kagome managed a weak chuckle as the monk's eyes blinked slowly open; he stared blindly up at the sky for a few moments until he frowned and turned his head to find himself eyeball-to-bulbous-eyeball with the engorged flea demon. “Myoga-san?”

 

The youkai retracted his feeding tube and leered drunkenly down at the monk. “Welcome back to the land of the living, Miroku-sama! You may wish to save your kisses for your fair lady, however…” As Miroku hastily turned his head away, searching for Sango, Myoga wobbled upright and toddled off with as much dignity as an inebriated flea demon could muster towards a steaming cauldron on the far side of the clearing being tended by two of Sesshomaru's guardsmen with cloth tightly wrapped around the lower halves of their faces.

 

Miroku propped himself up on one elbow and reached over to cup Sango's cheek. “Open your eyes, dearest… please,” he murmured, running his thumb along her cheekbone. The slayer's dark lashes flickered several times before they lifted, then she tilted her head towards her husband.

 

“Miroku…” His name came out as a sigh, and he smiled warmly down at her.

 

“My love,” he whispered before kissing her tenderly. They lay still for a few moments, simply nuzzling each other's cheeks, until Miroku struggled into a sitting position. When he attempted to bring Sango into his lap, helping hands smoothed the transfer. “Thank you, Tsu-kun,” Miroku said, inclining his head to the inu-youkai.

 

“I am glad of your recovery,” the guardsman replied gravely before handing over two bamboo canteens. Turning, he extended another one to Kagome. “This will speed your return to health, my lady. Your lost blood must be replaced quickly in case we come under attack again.”

 

Kagome nearly dropped the container with her numb hands; Inuyasha wrapped his long fingers around hers and reinforced her grip. It took ten days for full recovery the last time; we don't have the luxury of time, or the security of the fortress to wait for nature to take its course… “Oh, gods! This stuff reeks!” she exclaimed, and turned her face away into Inuyasha's chest. “What the hell is it?”

 

“Myoga-san's special antidote,” Tsu said, patiently waiting for them all to begin drinking; he had several more canteens at the ready. “I'm afraid it cannot be helped…”

 

Kagome took another sniff and executed a full-body shudder before recoiling. “I-I can't… I'll vomit if I drink that…” she gasped, trying to push away the container, but Inuyasha's grip tightened to the point of pain, and a deep-throated growl made her jump. Startled, she looked up at the hanyou; his eyes were bleeding scarlet as he barked sharply in her face.

 

Do as he says, Nixie… it'll help me burn this shit out of your system that much faster.

You're not the one who has to taste it, bob-cat boy!

And I am very thankful for small mercies… get on with it.

 

“I have water as a chaser, my lady,” the guardsman murmured apologetically, offering a second canteen.

 

“If you hold your nose, Kagome-sama, the foul taste is noticeably blunted,” Miroku suggested, following his own advice to down several long gulps while Sango followed suit. The queasy girl watched them swallow, cringing sympathetically, but it took another commanding growl from the hanyou before she could steel herself to obey.

 

It was worse than she imagined; her stomach revolted almost instantly, but she forced down her rising gorge to endure the metallic liquid. Swallowing hard, she desperately waved for a water bottle and gulped a refreshing draught to clear the bitter aftertaste from her mouth. Panting with the effort, cold sweat beading on her skin, she repeated the process to drain the canteen and then collapsed against Inuyasha's chest, her stomach roiling.

 

“A-are you sure this antidote has been approved for human use?” she muttered, wiping her mouth with trembling fingers, only to have another canteen of noxious liquid shoved under her nose. “You sadistic bastard…!” she whimpered.

 

“Suck it up, wench,” Inuyasha growled. “Sesshomaru's cranky enough from the delay as it is, so don't make him wait any longer than necessary.” Pulling a face, she forced herself to drink the contents of the second canteen in one go, then followed that with half a canteen of water. Kagome closed her eyes, trying to keep her stomach calm through sheer force of will, until a strangled exclamation of dismay caused her to look at Sango.

 

The slayer was staring across the clearing as two guardsmen dumped the contents of a linen sack onto the ground, depositing a pile of recently-deceased serpents next to the crackling fire-pit. One of the masked youkai began methodically beheading the snakes with his claws and draining the blood into the simmering cauldron while his compatriot added various roots and fungi. All three humans instantly clapped their hands over their mouths as they choked back down their churning stomach contents. “I truly wish I had not witnessed that,” Miroku muttered through clenched teeth. “Buddha save me from requiring Myoga-san's apothecary skills ever again!”

 

Kagome tried to find the breath to agree with him, but at that very moment, startled guardsmen leapt out of the way of a Shard-powered whirlwind barrelling through the temporary encampment. Damn, damned, damnable… can today possibly get any worse? She caught Inuyasha by surprise as she scrambled out of his lap and shoved herself to her feet, remaining standing only through pure determination as her whipping hair threatened to pull her over.

 

“Kagome!” Koga shouted as he grabbed the young woman by the shoulders and pulled her towards him, frantically sniffing her skin. “That painted weirdo said you were dead!”

 

“I'm not… but you might be,” she gritted out through clenched teeth, then threw him off-balance by slinging one arm around his neck and pushing him beneath her, effectively shielding Koga with her falling body. “Get down!”

 

“Wh-why…?” the stunned wolf youkai managed to choke out, his face driven into the earth. He had his answer a split-second after that, as a massive transformed blade slammed into the ground a hairs-breadth from his legs, while a lash of green-toned energy snapped just overhead, singeing the very air. “What the fuck…? What the hell's going on?” he demanded just before they were buffeted by waves of ferociously angry youki that made his hair stand on end and the girl draped over him cry out in protest.

 

Kagome winced, sagging a little from the pain before rallying enough to retort, “Wolfling, have I ever told you that your timing really sucks?”

 

Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж