InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Story of Two Sisters ❯ Learning the way of the new land ( Chapter 5 )

Curiosity had always won the better of Akira every since she was very young. She tip toed through the forest keeping a short distance between her and the group of people she had encountered earlier. She watched from the shadows as they talked, ate, and soon after went to sleep. She too was getting tired and climbed up into a tree to sleep. Soon after settling as comfortably as one could be on a tree branch she heard footsteps below her.

“I know you're here.” InuYasha growled. “Come out now.”

She jumped down from the tree limb above his head and landed lightly standing face to face with the demon dog. She lightly, soundlessly walked around him watching his every movement. “Your scent is unlike anything I have ever found on a demon before.” She stopped staring him face to face.

“What do you want?” he snarled. “Why are you following us?”

“Curious.” She replied. “Who is that human girl that travels with you? And why? I could understand having a demon slayer or even a monk, but she is different somehow…..”

InuYasha glared back at her. “She's a priestess as if it were any of you business.”

“A priestess…” Akira paused. “I think there is more than that.”

“Why this particular interest in Kagome?” InuYasha barked.

“Ah,” Akira grinned slyly. “She is special to you. Your mate perhaps?”

“No!” InuYasha was quickly to answer, but Akira knew better, the tone of his voice and the quickness of his answer told her different.

“I will leave you and your friends to be,” she said. “I meant you know harm.” With that she jumped into the tress and leapt from limb to limb until she was well out of his sight.

The next morning Kagome recommended they return to Kiade's village. It had been a month and they had found no sign of Naraku. Their best guess was he had taken gone into hiding once again. The group had been tracking him for years and the only jewel shards that he did not have in his possession where the one in Kohaku's back, the two in Koga's legs, and the two that Kagome had in the small glass bottle she wore around her neck.

As they made their way southward Kagome spoke up, “Who do you think that demon was we saw yesterday? She spoke as if she wasn't from these parts.”

“Whoever or where ever she was from, she is a warrior.” Sango said. “You can tell that by her armor and the way she was dressed.”

“Yes. There had to be more thieves than those she had slain. She must have been a skilled fighter to have taken them all on.” Miroku added.

InuYasha remained quiet and would only glance back once in a while glaring at them as if they were wasting precious air by discussing it.

“InuYasha what do you think?” Kagome asked noticing a look she got from him.

He shook his head and continued walking on ahead of the others.

When they arrived in the village Kiade greeted them. With everyone inside the hut she began to warn them of news that had traveled quickly over the land about a stranger they may come across in their travels.

“It is told that on an island in the vast ocean there are two clans of cat demons that have been waging war on and off for the last 500 years. No one knows exactly how it started, but peace was within their grasp only a few short months ago.” Kiade went on as the others listen attentively. “It is said that the great black panther lord was kill and his two daughters assumed his thrown. The older of them was to remain ruler of the lands, while the other was to be traded off to the rival tiger clan as a peace offering. But the younger sister ran away as soon as night fell. It is believed the older sister is somewhere in these lands searching for her younger sibling. I have heard it told that the tiger clan all but wiped out the panther clan.”

“Keh! What does this have to do with us old woman?” InuYasha growled.

“InuYasha both of these sisters are very powerful and I am sure they have been trained to fight very well since they are royalty.” Kiade answered.

“How did you hear about this?” Miroku asked.

“Mioga came this way searching for you. He told me what he had heard further south in his travels.” She replied.

“I think we have already met one of the sisters.” Kagome said.

“Oh?” Kiade said curiously.

Kagome continued to explain what they had come across the day before.

“That must have been the younger sister.” A small male voice spoke up.

“Mioga-jiji!” Kagome exclaimed. “It's good to see you again.”

“How do you know it was the younger and not the older sister?” Sango asked.

“Had it been the older sister she would have attacked you.” Mioga said.

“You think I would let some cat demon defeat me!” InuYasha barked.

“Master InuYasha you have become very powerful, and very skilled in using the Tetsaiga. But the only one who surpassed the elder sister in power was her father!” He tried reasoned with InuYasha.

 

***

 

Meanwhile in another part of the forest Elandra had traveled to the larger island searching for her sister. She barely managed to escape the grasp of the tiger clan. Their leader had remained true to his word and on the third day after Akira had been missing declared war against the clan. The panther clan had fought the noble fight but was soon over powered and those that survived fled for their lives. Though the older sister was skilled in battle but it had been her late father that lead their people into war centuries before against the tiger clan. Her inexperience had cost her and her people dearly.

Farther north the younger sister was unaware of what had happened to her people, or her sisters' effort to search for her. She wondered into the northern hills close to a sacred mountain. She sat by a stream collecting water and washing her face when she felt the presence of another demon. She looked up to see a man with long black hair and red eyes staring down at her. He was dressed in dark blue with a purple vest but he was not armed. To his left stood a small girl, dressed in white with white hair, she held a small mirror in her hands at her chest. On his right stood a woman, she was dressed in a red and white kimono holding a closed fan in her left hand at her side.

“Who are you?” Akira asked looking up at them.

“Forgive me if I startled you.” The man spoke in a deep voice. “I'm Naraku.”

`Naraku! I've heard about this half demon.' Akira thought to herself as she lowered her hand slowly to the hilt of her sword. She watched him closely as he walked across stones in the stream towards her. Cautiously she rose to her feet and eyed him with her blue eyes.

“It seems you are a very powerful demon and a very skilled warrior.” He smiled evilly. “I have heard of you and your troubles…perhaps I could make a deal with you.”

She stood still listening. She could sense he had a great deal of power.

“I have been searching for a warrior powerful enough and skilled enough to help me with a thorn in my side.” He stood face to face staring her in the eye. “There is a half demon they call InuYasha. If you kill him for me I will in return give you refuge. I know you have been hiding in this land fleeing from someone or something. What that maybe is no concern to me, but if you do as I ask you. You will no longer have to hide. You will no longer have to live as a wild animal.”

She stood there letting his words sink into her mind. Although this new life had taken its toll on her, a dramatic change from living in the mansion back home, she was enraged that he had the nerve to approach her in such a way. “How dare you!” she hissed drawing her sword. “How dare you bargain with me as if I was a low life mercenary!”

Naraku leapt back across the stream with ease to stand once again between Kagura and Kanna. “It was an offer princess.” He laughed. “I will give you time to think about my offer.” And the three of them disappeared in a black smoke.

She decided to turn around and head back south. Perhaps it would be safer for her there. Apparently these lands in the north belong to Naraku and she was not the kind to get caught up in others affairs.