InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Seal ❯ Loss of light... ( Chapter 10 )

Aloha!! (Yes I know I don't speak Hawaiian)

Hallo, og god kveld!! ( I do on the other hand speak Norwegian)

Another chapter up! Ooo, I never thought I'd EVER actually write this much, and still not much has happened (must be infuriating, ne?)

On the plus side, there is some action (well I would call it action, anyway) in this chapter, on the minus side it is a tiny bit shorter than normal, but that's because I actually hit a natural stop-spot. I'm actually a tad bit pleased about the way this chapter turned out, but I'll let the matter of judgement fall to you readers.

I might of made the rogues and monster a tad bit more vicious, when describing them, than in the manga, but… I felt it was necessary for the plot as they are different from the original, though you won't see that in this chapter (nah-nah!! Ducks behind desk)

Oh, and before I forget, some reviewers have commented on not knowing when they are speaking or thinking:

" "- speaking

' '-thinking

So I hope there won't be any more confusion concerning that item.

^-^

Now on with the show!!!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story (if I did I'd be rich, filthy stinkin rich. I'd be off to the Bahamas and… and… and I better come back down to earth as they aren't mine) ; Inuyasha and co all belong to Miss Rumiko Takahashi. Just having plain fun writing about them. ;-P

(I really should change this disclaimer shouldn't I?)

The Seal

Part 10: Loss of light…

She was so scared. Everything was burning, burning and it was her fault. It must be. It always was…

And she couldn't move, she was stuck there, blind and scared that someone might find her; and if someone didn't, what would happen then? Would she die, lost and forgotten? Lost in the inky darkness that was the beyond, merely a shadow of her former self?

The smock was thick, muffling the sounds surrounding her, but screams could be heard in the far distance. Like an echo bouncing off of fog. Screams of terror. Shrill and full of horror. Who's screams they were she did not know, but the gods have mercy upon them, that they should not suffer the agony of such scorching flames as she was…

She hated this!! All she could feel were strong emotions, and for a long time hate had been the only company she'd had, dominating her mind. She wanted to scream at the world that had done this to her. Claw at them until nothing was left, and all the pain was gone. Act as the very caged animal that she was, trapped. She hated them, hated the world, hated herself for letting it happen, HATED the fact that whatever else happened, she'd be all alone…

If it all ended, and the flames claimed her, at least she'd be finally at peace, no longer harming others.

As she watched the flames draw closer, sensing it more than seeing it, licking further across the floors, her only thoughts were: 'Please don't find me…'

***

It was the smack to the floor that woke her, jolting her awake, which was kinda funny as it should have knocked her out, not the other way around. Pinned to the wooden, more like rotting, floor, by two pairs of strong arms belonging to men she couldn't see, Kagome squinted at her surroundings.

It wasn't much to brag about. An abandoned shrine of some sort, apparently taken over by a band of dirty dishevelled rogues. The stench itself was enough to make most people faint, rotting furniture and sweating men's odour mixing among each other; stale air inside the rooms, which was quite the accomplishment considering that the building was packed with holes.

"Let me go!! Who are you guys?!" she whined at the assortment of ragged men spread around the frayed room, most of them simply ignoring her and others making her wish they were ignoring her.

"A girl!" a few of them cried out in delight, reaching out towards her before being smacked away by her captors. "She's for the boss!!" a scrawny, yet bigger than her, male growled at them while shoving her further into the floor boards making her grit her teeth from crying out in pain. He didn't hesitate to take a grope at the boss's girl himself.

"We bring the foreign vixen, just as you commanded, master!" smirked the former groper dragging her face up front, to more easily peer at. "Ha! And a right foolish garb her folk wrapped her in!" the other chortled, patting her behind.

Kicking and screaming, though it did no good, trying to wring herself from potential molester's, kept her from noticing him at first. Her captors words fell to deaf ears as she struggled to get out of their strong grip, her body and senses only attuned to two things: Getting away and protecting her jewel.

At first all she saw was a huge bulk in front of her, and for all she cared it could be a sack of rice. As she ran out of strength and energy, her struggling lessened, and she slowly became aware of a face on this huge form in front of her. Vacant eyes, bald head, scars littered across his skin, the "boss" lurched over her drooling, slobbering sakê that the rogues poured him all over the mouldy floor. Bending down over her admits several rude bodily noises, his putrid breath invading her lungs, he wheezed at her: "The jewel… Give me the jewel."

Cringing away from the vile man, his species being up for debate as he kept letting loose sounds that were disturbingly not human, Kagome could not help but bemoan her fate: God, she wished Inuyasha was here…

***

Inuyasha could be found at this point racing through the previously peaceful, but now filled with various curse-words scarring the living daylights out of any forest-dweller, forest named after him, hot on the trail of his quarry. Had Kagome known of the wicked thoughts circling round his mind, concerning her, the jewel, lots of rope, and a pit containing a selection of rabid beasts, and that was one of the milder case-scenarios, she might not have been so quick to wish him to the rescue.

Snorting as he picked up a whiff of her not-so-serene-anymore-but-rather-terrified smell, though it still smelt rather alluring, he sped up his trek through the forest in the direction the smell was coming from.

***

"The jewel of four souls… Shikon no Tama… *burp, wheeze*" 'Eeewe that's disgusting!' "…Give it to me!"

Renewing her struggling efforts, in the desperate need to get away from the… *sniff* …dead creature? Kagome's mind was overly loaded, occupied with keeping her jewel as far away from the horrid being and fighting the very strong urge to retch from the stench. Both were loosing battles…

Her continued efforts to free herself were repaid with a thorough shaking from her captors and another blow to the head, though she did not faint from this one, only turn more nauseous.

"The jewel…" the boss managed to growl out at her, making him seem even more threatening since he'd taken the effort to seem more coherent, "…where is it?!"

A mild gasp was all that left her lips before the bald rogue dived down towards her, patience having left him, wrenching her from his subordinates grasps. Hanging from his grip on her front shirt, she gurgled, unable to answer from slowly being strangled; her hands, first alternately spasming and flailing, gave up for now and settled, one hand gripping by instinct the source of her strangulation, trying to ease his hold on her, the other drawn to her neck, seeking to protect her charge and the reason for this assault.

The beady eyes of the huge hulk momentary lost their glazed cross-eyed expression, eyeing her instinctive reaction, making her realise her mistake. Tossing her to the side as his other hand swiped at the frail chain, the tall fat bulk of a human let out a sound of primal victory, a gloating grunt, his pig-like eyes focused solely on his prize.

The jewel, the source of so many a conflict, shone a solemn pink glow, as if aware of its shift of owner, as it was ripped away by its chain, before its pale light went spluttering out, dead, leaving only a cold grey murky orb of stone behind.

-

Praeceps:

Yeay!! A cliffhanger!!

Next chapter we get to see how Kagome actually handles fighting (if she canhandle it, or not), and where will Inuyasha be…? Will Kagome get the Shikon back? Will Inuyasha save the day? Will I ever reveal to the readers WHY the story is called 'The Seal'? (no)

On later reflections, it's sometime hard to give a chapter a title, but one tries…

Oh, and one more note: Technically I am an adult, but I still react like a child (threaten me and all you will get is spite in return) Otherwise all your reviews are amply welcome, and I relish in reading them (my mum complains that I relish a bit to much *grin*)

Oh! And any spelling mistakes can be blamed on incompetent English teachers, and/or my spell-check program, because I, myself, am PERFECT!!! ;-P (and when I say perfect, I MEAN perfect. My daddy said so ;-)

If you have any questions about the story that you find unclear, I will do my best to answer them, as long as I deem them of no harm to my present plot-line. I really appreciate all your ramblings (not in anyway meant as insulting, just clearing that up), and might use some for inspiration if permitted, but for now I have my own agenda.

Thanks to all you reviewers, I'll do my best not to disappoint you all.

^-^

Well that was all, for today at least, toodles!! ;-D