InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Price of Vengeance ❯ Chapter Thirty-Seven: Taunt ( Chapter 38 )

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own any of Rumiko Takahashi's characters or stories. This story is for private entertainment purposes only.

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews and helpful suggestions! Continued thanks to Vyncent, Amy F., Jazngurl, Wicca, and all the other inspiring reviews and ideas. Hope you like the bit of twist off of the anime... O.O

WARNING: DARK IMAGERY/LANGUAGE IN THIS CHAPTER! (Word edit on ff.net)

Chapter Thirty-Seven (Taunt)

Her whole body was one weary ache of exhaustion, and still they pressed on. She could tell that the wolves around them were slowing, their panting tongues hanging out and their pace falling behind. Their two-legged youkai brethren weren't doing much better. Most of them were stumbling along, and Ginta, who was closest to her and slightly behind, was almost asleep on his feet. He kept jerking his black-touched grey head up, as if he was awakening suddenly from a mind-numbing dream, and then his head would sag back down to stare resignedly at his trudging feet.

Kagura refused to voice her own fatigue. She was still feeling some of the effects of Hideki's powerful "numbing juice" and her head felt as if it was stuffed with cotton from ear to ear. Normally sharp with her wits, she didn't like this dull feeling, and was now too tired to care.

*That damn wolf will drive us on until we fall down dead.* She directed that bitter thought toward Koga, who she could not see. The stupid mongrel had barreled far ahead of the faltering pack, his Jewel-enhanced legs bursting with speed...

Too bad the Jewel shards didn't enhance his brain...

Kagura growled softly, her red eyes flashing for a bit as her aching shoulders twitched. She would show the damn wolf that she could keep up with him.

*Stupid dog.*

It was the worst insult she could think of, calling that mangy slave-driver a dog. Wolves had such testy tempers, and such empty vanity. They prided themselves on being more than just dogs, even though inu youkai were one of the first in power and strength.

Wolfish strength relied more on their numbers, while inu strength rested more on the individual...

She was too tired to think about all that nonsense right now.

She blinked in numbed surprise as an arrow sped out of the creeping shadows of the trees.

*What?*

Eyes widening, she flinched away as a wolf yelped piteously behind her.

A mingled roar rose from the forest on either side of them, and Kagura was nearly flattened into the ground as a wolf-brother pushed her under him, protecting her from the sudden hail of arrows that followed the first one's flight. Growls and snarls erupted from the startled, defensive wolf pack, and her sensitive ears picked up faint shouts coming out of the dull clamor as spear shaft and katana rang against shield and sword in a crazy din of screams and yowling accusations that filled the dust-swirled air around her.

"Get them! Stinking wolves!"

"Die, beast! Die like the animals you are!"

"Ningen! Show yourself, coward!"

"You killed my family! Revenge for---"

"Get the bitch! She could be breeding more of them!"

"She'll die like my wife died, you stinking wolves that killed her!"

"Die, bandit! Traitor!"

"Youkai spawn!"

"Ningen trash!"

Cries and screams, yips and yowls mixed in all around her, and she struggled to get out from beneath the heavy body of the stinking ookami youkai that covered her.

"Get off of me, cur!" She hissed into a twitching ear.

A dirt-streaked grey head turned to her, and Ginta's wide eyes were blinking the swirling dust of battle away as he blushed at their close contact. "S'Sorry, m'lady!" He said with a weary slur to his words. "Had to cover ya." His eyes closed as his face drained of color. Kagura's nostrils widened as she traced the sharply metallic scent of fresh blood, much too close for comfort.

Ginta was hurt...

She snarled, something snapping inside of her. The stupid wolf! He had thrown himself on top of her, protecting her from the arrows that had been sent her way by stinking ningen bandits who dared to attack HER.

Eyes glowing with the blood glint of dark rubies, she pushed Ginta off of her with sudden strength, turning him carefully so that she could study the arrow---no, arrows---that pierced his shoulder and leg. His spear was cracked in half beside him, and two wolves, their whining confusion stilled into tell-tale silence, lay sprawled and bloody not far away.

A slight scuff above had her rolling away at the last moment as a sword came crashing down in the dirt where she had lain beside Ginta a moment before.

"Die, youkai bitch!" The ningen snarled, his brown eyes wide with the battle-fever that gripped him. The sword rose again, and Kagura jumped to her feet, her eyes glowing darker with anger as her claws extended into sharp daggers.

Gone were her fan and her power over the winds, but still she was not a helpless human female, weak of claw and fang. She was youkai, and she would see him die under the rage of her blood.

She snarled, and leapt at him, claws reaching out and scraping across one unprotected cheek from forehead to chin. The man cried out in pain, dropping his sword to clutch at his ravaged face, the blood streaming down between his dirty fingers.

That was foolish.

She had him, her teeth sinking into the jugular as her claws trapped him beneath her. His dying screams brought the attentions of his nearest companions, and she jumped away from him, spitting out the nasty taste of his dirty ningen blood as she crouched beside the fallen Ginta.

"Damn wolf bitch! You'll die for killing my brother!" One of the disgusting ningen screamed at her, his filthy, blood-streaked visage no different from any of the other ragged men with him. But the bandits were bent on vengeance, better rested, and far out-numbered the exhausted wolf pack. She could hear the battle raging on around her, but none were close enough to help, and she snarled her defiance as the six men who came to leer and shout back at her.

"Stupid slut! She could be the alpha mate, and could be carrying more of their filthy breed!" Another man spat at her, his blood-covered sword raised.

Rubies glowed and her lip curled in disdain. Stupid ningen trash, they would die for their impudence!

Ginta groaned and twitched beside her, and she cursed the Fates that would have him call attention to himself just then.

"Heh-heh!" One of the bandits grinned, showing blackened teeth. "Your arrows didn't kill him, Goro! Well, I can finish the job for you!" He raised his own bloodied katana.

Kagura snarled, making them all laugh, secure in the knowledge of their numbers and her lack of them. They still kept their distance, wary of her claws and fangs, but the one called Goro was raising his bow with a sneer, notching an arrow to the string and pointing it at Ginta's stirring frame.

"Lady..." Ginta whispered faintly, his voice hoarse with worry. "Be safe..." He closed his eyes as Kagura stiffened at the dirty trash's taunts.

"Lady! Hah!"

"See? She is the wolf bitch! He called to her!"

"He protected her, the stupid ookami!"

"Goro, hurry up and finish him, and then we can finish HER!"

The ningen pulled back his arrow, his beady little eyes narrowing over a mocking smirk. "Damn wolf will die for sure now!"

"Even you, Goro, can't miss at that distance!" One of the other men made a rude joke, and the others guffawed. The din of battle arose behind them, but seemed cut off and muted to a dull hum in the background as Kagura's world narrowed into these six taunting men and their crude delight at their quarry's apparent helplessness.

*I am YOUKAI!* She screamed in her mind as her eyes glowed with an inner scarlet fire, making the men flinch back in fear.

"Goro! Shoot her! That youkai bitch is up to something!"

The barbed arrow swung two inches to the right, to point itself right at her breast, and she snarled her defiance, the blood lust freed as her soul called out to the one thing that had always protected her, shielded her, formed her, made her...

*Wind!* Her mind screamed. *I am the WIND!*

And abruptly it was there...filling her soul with the rage of its forceful blast, burning inside of her body as her heart cried with joy at the sudden FILLING of it!

"WIND!" She screamed as both arms came up, hands extended and flattened to face the shouting trash who would dare to attack her and her brother youkai.

*~*~*~*~*

Suyo bowed to the Lord, his lightly pink eyes lowered. He felt the Taiyoukai's mild wave of curt acknowledgement, and fell to his knees on the stone floor of the Lord's sitting room.

His movement caught the inu Lord's immediate attention, and the spider youkai could feel the coldly golden eyes boring into him.

"What is this?" There was a faint, growling echo to the impatient voice that had never been there before. Something had changed the Lord, and it made the servant nervous, though none of his thoughts showed in his carefully controlled expression. The Taiyoukai did not tolerate emotional displays---and he did not tolerate delay.

"Forgive me, my lord." Suyo pressed his hands---all four of them---open-palmed to the floor, his dove-grey forehead lightly touching the stones in a sign of supplication.

The Taiyoukai growled.

Suyo forgot himself, and lifted his head in astonishment at the startling sound, noting the slightly red tinge to the golden glare.

The Lord's emotions were so close to the surface, he could almost sense them...

Hurriedly, he pressed his forehead once more to the floor, waiting the demonic wrath that would have been unleashed had any other Lord stood above him.

But the wrath did not come.

Instead, the detached voice of tight control was there. "Sit up."

Hastily, the oni youkai obeyed, sitting back on his heels, his eyes still downcast. He had not been given permission to raise them.

"Tell me what it is that I must forgive you for." The echo was back, under-lying the chilling tone, but it was fainter than before. Suyo admired the Taiyoukai's control even as he bowed his head once more.

"It was I, my lord, who sent the maid to your chamber. The one who so displeased you." He spared no words, admitting his folly. The female had been hysterical, her slow wits overcome by the terror of enraging her inu Lord.

The growl was back, and Suyo checked the reflexive flinch that would have ignited the demon's rage with untimely movement.

He waited with bent head for a long time, sensing that the Taiyoukai was wrestling with something unseen.

"I did not request companionship."

Suyo bowed, forehead touching the stones again. "I acted on my own, my lord. Forgive this one's impetuous decision. I knew that you had not been with such companionship for some time, and took it upon myself to send Akemi to your rooms."

The Lord contemplated his servant for a long time. Suyo awaited his punishment with unending patience. He had been trained well.

"I will forgive it, this once."

*What?* Suyo raised his head again in disbelief, unable to hide the brief flash of surprise in his eyes. Fingers curled momentarily, before he deliberately loosened the taut muscles.

Any other Lord would have had him beheaded.

Red flashed through the glowing eyes, and Suyo did flinch this time, as the Lord allowed the merest hint of his raging inu nature surface. "Never again. Understood?"

"Yes, my lord." Suyo pressed his head once more to the cool stones.

Another silent regard, and then the Lord said abruptly, "Stand."

The oni youkai hastened to obey, scrambling to his feet and poised at attention. The matter had been brought, forgiven, and dismissed. It would not be mentioned again---as he was not foolish enough to ever generate a similar situation that would cause the Lord's just wrath to fall upon his head.

SesshouMaru turned his back, his gaze intent on something invisible to the waiting servant. The Taiyoukai appeared withdrawn and introspective, and Suyo respected the Lord's silence.

Abruptly, SesshouMaru turned back around, as if coming to a decision. "I will be away for an unknown length of time. I seek knowledge, and I must visit an old friend of my father's, Beksenou. I know not whether I will return after that. I am leaving you in nominal charge. I trust you will not do anything that would displease me in my absence."

The faint sarcasm of that remark actually reassured Suyo more than anything else. The Taiyoukai was not so changed as to forget the subtleties.

"As you will, my lord." Suyo bowed, stiff with formality.

"I have assigned Jaken the task of seeing to Rin. She is his responsibility, but I also demand that you see to her comforts. She will not be happy that I am not taking her on this journey."

"Of course, my lord." Slight amusement flashed through the pale eyes, as the oni assimilated that particular bit of news. The impish First Advisor would not at best be pleased by this sudden demotion of his duties. But, perhaps, it was not a demotion. The little ningen girl was held high in the Lord's regard, and her safety and comfort were one thing he was adamant upon. Possibly the Taiyoukai was giving the imp more credit than was his due, and trusting the ingratiating advisor with something that had become precious to him.

Jaken, of course, would not recognize that honor.

"I will depart within the hour. You are dismissed." The Taiyoukai turned away from his servant, and Suyo's bow was ignored. On silent feet, he departed the Lord's rooms, his active mind circling with renewed questions.

*~*~*~*~*

Surveying the destruction around him, the hanyou chuckled. It was a dark, velvety chuckle, the pure delight in others' pain holding the hint of madness.

That madness swirled around him, in him, through him...the insidious purple-edged blackness eating away at his very soul...

Abruptly, the laughter was cut off.

The madness would not claim him now.

Not ever.

Striding over to the decapitated head of the mind-reading demon once called Goshinki, and now called nothing but (dark chuckle) carrion-bait, a hand withdrew from the concealing white fur of the baboon, and he traced the line of the staring red eyes, now vacant of any sign of life or recognition.

*Goshinki...*

The call was dark, as insidious as the madness...

Death did have a name.

One hand smoothed over the cold face, petting it like the finest of silks, the other curved around the fuchsia-streaked bauble he held tightly in his claws.

*Goshinki...*

A faint spark flashed through the dull, red eyes.

*Awaken, my son...*

He took a twisted pleasure in that. His son...

He clasped the Jewel tighter, willing it to help him call the spirit back into the body...what was left of the body...

Another flash, and he whipped his hand back as razor-sharp teeth snapped at him.

"Goshinki."

"Naraku." The voice was wispy, the chilling ice of the dead reborn. Teeth gleamed---the prize, the prize he sought. Goshinki's teeth had bitten through the Tetsusaiga, breaking it.

What a fine sword they would make.

His incarnation snarled, a faint breath of a snarl. The demon was pathetic.

"You will not suffer long, my son." The dark grin was hidden behind the curling mockery of the baboon's mask. Blue-lined red eyes narrowed and bled with their own fire. The Shikon no Tama glowed with a beautifully malevolent light, and his other hand passed over the demon's living skull. "Sleep, my son..."

The cruel smile was hidden behind the taunting mask.

*For now.*

The incarnation's eyes closed, slowly, as he fought the will of his Master, his maker.

Once the angry youkai was subdued into unconscious sleep, Naraku summoned the poisonous miasma, purple and black vapor swirling like the madness that echoed, waiting, in his mind, and surrounded them both in their protective embrace.

"Come, my son." He chuckled again. "We must go see a sword-smith named Kaijinbo."