InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Winds ❯ Of Wind and Fire ( Chapter 17 )

Chapter 16

Wind and Fire

 

Miroku crossed the last hundred yards in front of the burning village carefully; ash was whipping around in the air, and the heat was intense. Houses spread down in front of him and off to the left, but the screams were fewer and fainter now, as if they were being made with less strength.

Or less hope.

He grimaced, felt the urge to run pumping in his blood, trying to move his feet, but he had learned time and again that recklessness would save no one. Miroku took a deep breath and almost choked on the stench in the air, smells that had told him, even at a distance, what was happening.

Straw, wood, cloth, flesh...burning, all burning.

He closed his ears to the sounds of death, the sound of the licking flames, and tried to feel his way towards a youkai presence. It was strong, but indirect; the messages of his mundane senses were overwhelming the dark, delicate tug of evil. He took wary steps, up into the very edge of what had once been a marketplace. Charred and smashed fruit. overturned carts and broken bodies littered the square. There was movement in the shadows, and he turned abruptly towards it. Eyes glittered in the shadows; three pairs of eyes.

Is that - no!

Fire came at him from three directions at once, but they were all different directions than the one he was looking. Sheer luck saved him, and he dove out of the way of a terrible scorching as two of the bright bursts of flame struck each other and backfired - literally.

No wonder this village is an inferno. If I'm not careful, I'll end up roasted!

Thoughts racing, he leapt to one side, avoiding the third line of fire, more accurate than the others and on a direct line with his head. He rolled to a stop at the feet of a girl, not more than thirteen or fourteen, whose hands were both held tightly by the hands of two much smaller children. He almost laughed - these were his demons in the shadows? Stupid!

"Run! What are you thinking? Don't just stand there!"

Stumbling in his haste, Miroku hauled himself back to his feet and shoved the girls towards the place of least destruction. Wide-eyed with terror, the oldest girl stared at him for a moment over her shoulder, and then sped away in the direction he had pushed her. A presence loomed behind Miroku as they dashed out of sight, and he whipped around, but not fast enough. A sharp pain ran across the fleshy part of his shoulder, and

he let out a sharp breath.

Quickly, he bounced back away from his newest attacker, reaching around to feel for the damage. His fingers encountered warm wet, and a tear in his robes; it was a flesh wound, only, painful but not debilitating.

I can't use the Kazaana here. Anyone left alive - they wouldn't be for long. And with all that fire - it's dangerous for me, too.

Mind made up, he staggered back a little, as if badly wounded, and listened to the sound of approaching footsteps and demonic laughter.

One - two - three...

Suddenly, there were ofuda sailing through the air, almost invisible as they were whipped from his sleeve. Weak posture gone, he leapt three feet straight up, the ofuda flying in the air before him. The demons, all three of them, were gaping at him with wide eyes and stupid expressions. His staff-head smote straight into the center of the middle ofuda and slammed straight down, piercing the head of the smallest demon - and then there was smoke, a vaporizing lizard-shape with its death howl trapped behind surprised fangs. Miroku's feet touched the ground for a moment and then he leapt backwards, away from another burst of fire aimed in his direction.

He held a sleeve over his face, squinting through the smoke and dust, and then turned sharply; he could hear the fleeing footsteps, but not see clearly.

There!

He could see them through the smoke, then, the two remaining demons. The smaller one, still larger than a man, stood slightly behind the hulking arm of the other, a giant oni with fire around its fangs. Wind cleared the space between them, and he saw the smaller one opening its mouth, breathing in - there was fire in its throat, and Miroku saw what was coming, and leapt away. The larger youkai whipped its tail, flailing at him as he tried to come near; it had a dragon's feet, a dragon's tail, but the rest of the body was more humanoid.

Oni if ever I saw one. And these demons - they're so strong!

There was no other way; he would have to be very careful with the timing of his Kazaana if he wanted to protect what was left of this village and its people. Decision made, he turned on his heel and ran back the way he had come. With a roar and a howl, he heard the youkai give chase. The big oni was faster than he had thought possible; its lumbering footsteps, shaking the ground behind him. Its tail was the greatest danger at the moment. Miroku risked a glance over his shoulder, saw how close the thing had come to him and put on an extra burst of speed. The second, smaller demon was not in his sight, but he counted that as a momentary blessing.

One at a time!

At the edge of the village, just as he was turning to confront the oni, Kazaana uncovered, winds howling, he felt a breeze that was not of his own making and ducked, barely in time. There was a whistling sound as that tail passed over his head; he saw his own blood glistening on it and felt his shoulder throb in sympathy. The wind screamed and howled; so did the demon, but despite grasping at everything in its path, even the straggling, scorched blades of grass.

It was useless; Miroku had seen it a thousand times before and it was always useless. As he was thinking that, watching the windy void swallow the beast, he felt a sharp pain in his temple and found himself flying sideways, half-dazed, feeling a warm trickle begin and flow down over his eyebrow. His fingers reached out instinctively, and then he saw the Kazaana begin to affect the trees, the flame-folded houses and their shuddering frames.

Damn!

He closed his fingers, and the wind died just as he hit the ground, bounced, and rolled.

“Ahh...”

Blood was blinding one eye; his ribs ached and he was lucky his back was not broken. He was angry at himself, for not thinking of that other youkai until too late. He thought he knew the reason, too. It had been too long since he had been forced to fight alone - to truly take care of himself.

I've been slacking! I depend on Inuyasha too much!

The wound in his shoulder stung, and his forehead was bleeding freely, but both cuts were shallow; he had been lucky.

Too late for this village, though.

Smoldering ruins surrounded him; some of the fire had been put out by the force of his Kazaana but where it had not reached the flames still beat hungrily. Walls and sections of thatching were burning in a black smudge of smoke beneath which the red-orange flames were barely visible. The girls he had pushed out of the way before were nowhere in sight, and neither was any other living creature. Behind him, he could hear the moans of the oni as it tried to pull itself up, and the hiss of the other youkai, the dragging sounds of its arms on the ground. Quickly, he planted his feet and faced the two of them. They were circling warily, trying to surround him, but he was more careful still. The moment their paths crossed in front of him, he unleashed the howling wind.

With a cry that echoed across the ash-choked village, the pair of youkai were pulled down into the darkness. As they vanished, Miroku whipped the sacred beads over his hand with speed made of long practice, and allowed himself a heavy, pained breath. With slow steps, he made his way across the burnt ground and picked up his staff from where it had fallen when he was thrown.

Suddenly, without any warning whatsoever, there was a gust of wind behind him, and he turned. Ashes and embers blew up at him, and he shielded his face with his sleeve.

"Kagura!"

The word was out of his mouth before he could even bear the swirling ash long enough to look up at her. She looked around them for a moment, and then caught him up in her gaze.

"I thought you would have come here days ago; what happened? You were not in time to save them, Miroku."

"You knew this would happen?"

His eyes were bright with sudden anger; he had become used to her, to her presence and her advice, her innocuousness - but she was not innocuous.

I needed to be reminded that I am alone here, that Inuyasha isn't going to come and save me. I needed this reminder too!

Miroku took quick steps towards her, but she evaded him with all-too-apparent ease.

"I did not know - but there were humans here, and this place is in the path of a great migration of youkai, coming from the south. You do remember what I told you?"

The words echoed through his head, just as they had at his first breath of ashes.

'Other demons enjoy the flavor of human flesh too much...'

He turned, and she circled him, watching, her face amused behind her half-open fan. Wind rustled the ash at their feet, the brown, singed grass.

"Why didn't you do anything, Kagura?! It was in your power-"

"Do anything? What would you want me to do, Miroku? Should I hover over every human village and swat at youkai as you might swat at flies? I cannot protect all of them; neither can you! So why should I protect any of them?"

Miroku stopped dead, his eyes wide and hurt. Could she really be this naive, this....innocent? The thought of innocence, and Kagura, was both ridiculous and somehow attractive.

"At least - at least I try! Some lives will be saved; don't you think that's worthwhile? I know that it is. I know it! So -"

There was a strange expression on Kagura's face, but he couldn't be bothered trying to take it apart; he stopped himself, and shook his head, and then stopped that too. His head hurt; there was a warm, wet flow down the side of his face, sticky on his eyelashes. He closed his eyes for a moment, and then opened them abruptly. She was close to him, far too close; with swift, flowing movements, she had come within an inch of his face.

"I did not intend harm, Miroku. I sent you to save them, didn't I?"

"But -"

His protest was silenced before it even began. He found himself unable to break her gaze, the bright glow of those red eyes.

"This concern you have, I don't understand it. You don't know these people, so how could you feel grief for them? For their...loss?" "

She repeated herself, shaking her head just a little.

"I don't understand it."

Miroku swallowed suddenly, heavily; the movement of her head made him realize how close they actually were. His lips were damp with the warmth of their mingled breath. If she moved any closer -

As if she had been reading his thoughts, she leaned forward very swiftly. Her tongue reached out and touched his temple, warm, tasting. Fascinated, he watched her profile as she moved away from him, the flicker of her tongue out over her lips, the curl of those lips - he almost shook his head again, but remembered in time.

"Kagura - "
His voice was soft, choked with confusion, tension - she was still far, far too close to him. She had only retreated to her previous distance, and when she spoke her lips were almost touching his lips, her breath hotter, the scent of it metallic, familiar.

Of course, the scent of my own blood would be familiar.

The thought produced a wry twist of his eyebrows, and she saw it and laughed. He had heard her laughter just once before, but the sound was comparable to only one other thing in his memory - the whisper of the wind that brought down the autumn leaves.

"You should take care of those wounds, Miroku. Wounds from youkai can be...irritating."

For a moment, like a shadowy overlay, Miroku saw her as she had been when he took her away from Kouga; the blood, and the agony, and the silence of her acceptance. His eyes went to the stitches in her kimono, the thread dark purple against the paler pink. Quite suddenly, without any warning whatsoever, he saw her in the torn silk as it had been before he stitched it, the pale skin showing -

He forced his eyes to refocus, but that was not immediately helpful.

Kagura, this is Kagura, and I am - totally losing it.

Miroku let out a noise somewhere between a sigh and a moan, pressed a hand against his temple, and sat down where he was standing. A little cloud of ash puffed out around his feet, and he nearly groaned when Kagura crouched down in front of him.

"You are nearly at the sea, Miroku. You have come almost halfway; does that please you?"

He lifted his eyes at that.

"Almost...halfway?"

He could count back in his head; how many days - no, weeks?

Three weeks, a little more - twenty-two days. Twenty-two days, I wonder what's been happening...to the others?

"Did you think this was going to be a quick journey, Miroku? If only you were a little more trusting."

There it was again! A tone in her voice, a lilt at the end of her words; an offer, maybe, or the hint of one.

"Is there something you want to say, Kagura? Now I'm the one who doesn't understand!"

There was just the faintest suggestion of challenge in his voice, and she could not help but smile at it. He caught only the edges, her face hidden suddenly behind her fan again, the corners of her eyes turning up, tightening, as he imagined her lips must be.

"Ah, understanding! Such a difficult thing, isn't it, Miroku? But your confusion does not taste as good as I thought it would, so I will give you an answer."
He could not see behind her fan, but he imagined her tongue touching her lips again. The place just beneath his eyebrow where her mouth had touched felt faintly warm.

"Kagura -"

He seemed to be limited to only her name; other sounds were incredibly difficult to put together into words. She was laughing at him, without any sound - he could see it in her eyes.

"You could come up with me, Miroku; you could fly on the breeze like the most delicate of feathers. But - you won't."

"I won't? Sounds like you want me to come up there with you, Kagura."

He was smiling, and she was suddenly taken aback by the slyness of that smile, the flirtatious edge to it.

"And what if I do?"

She was shocked at her own words, angry at them, even, but after the fact that did her no good. He tilted his head downward, and she saw the huff of breath that displaced his hair.

"Then I would have to say..."

He looked up at her, and this smile, this...this lecherous grin, was so completely unexpected that she took half a step backwards.

"I would have to say, I could never refuse the invitation of a lady."

"Ha!"

She managed the scornful burst of laughter, but only just. For a moment - only a single moment, a flash, an instant of stunned time, she had felt...a rush. Heard a sound. It pounded in her head, behind her eyelids, in her fingertips, and then it was gone.

What was - what was that? What was that?

Miroku saw only that it looked like she had stumbled, and thought that strange - whatever else she might be, Kagura was a creature of singular and imperturbable grace. After a moment, when she said nothing further, did not move, he raised an eyebrow, and gave half a shrug.

"Well, Kagura? Am I...going with you?"

A vibrant gust of wind answered him, as a single white feather fell from her fingers and expanded rapidly. She was turned away from him, while it gained its full size, and when she looked back at him her eyes had regained their usual sharpness, and an extra glitter.

"Step carefully, Miroku."

She settled into one end of the feather's long curve, and he walked gingerly to the other. His mind was on her words, but not on his feet; instead, his thoughts flashed over their conversation.

Step carefully, indeed.

He settled against the side of the white, soft surface carefully, and let out an inaudible sigh when it supported his weight. For something so insubstantial, it certainly had strength.

 

 

As the moon was setting, Inuyasha finally rose from where he had been sitting, hunched over in thought, all afternoon and evening on the roof of Kaede's home. He stretched stiff limbs, testing the scents in the air, the swirling night breeze. Kagome was not back yet; soon, he would go for her.

But before that -

He grimaced, shaking his head at just the thought. Swiftly, before he could convince himself otherwise, he leapt lightly off the edge of the roof. He took two swift steps inside, ignored the wolf's eyes on him, glinting from Kikyou's bedside, and crossed to Sango, sitting by her brother.

"Sango."

"Inuyasha? What is it?"
"You were right. I have to ask - him. Tell Kagome, if she comes back before I do."

He did not ask if she would be awake. She had been beside her brother every moment and he knew she was not sleeping, except for fitful catnaps. He also knew that she wouldn't tell him not to go - hells, she had suggested it in the first place! She would do as he asked.

"Be careful, Inuyasha."

That was all, her face serious in the darkness. He breathed deeply for one suspicious moment. The thought of his brother brought back the thought of what he had said about her.

Death. Huh.

But when he tested the air, divided its odors, he could not deny it - there was more than a little truth in his brother's words...in Kouga's confirmation.

I should ask Shippou what he thinks. Later, though. Now -

Inuyasha walked outside, and prowled to the outskirts of the village, channeling one of his least favorite scents.

Where are you, Sesshomaru? Where are you?

The scent trail was obvious once he found it and focused on it - and it led to a place he found very unlikely...very disturbing.

"The well!"

In his thoughts were suddenly many unlikely scenarios but they were all so terrible that he thought his heartbeat was going to shatter his ribcage from the mere idea. The potential - the well, utterly destroyed, Kagome, trapped on the other side - or worse, Kagome dead in the chaos, broken, his Kagome -

Kill him! I will kill him, tear apart his flesh from his bones, tear apart limbs and joints, more than just one arm, this time...this time...

Inuyasha shook his head sharply, twice, dislodging both the terrible thoughts and the terrible voice, the Inu. His smile was suddenly a slash across his face.

We share that desire, though. The demon inside me and I.

He could feel, not hear, the laughter of that demon at that thought. Through the moonset-darkness, he ran, and he greeted his brother with that smile, with the laughter of the Inu in his eyes.

"Sesshomaru! I need - I came - I came to ask you about this...army."

He watched a strange thing then; his brother, for the first time in his memory, took a step back from him and did not draw his sword. There was a calculating expression on his face, a question in it - and that was also a first, because Inuyasha only remembered his brother as having never shown any emotion at all...ever. Ever.

"Inuyasha - you are...you are aware? Of me - of yourself?"

It was such a strange question, so random, Inuyasha actually answered it without argument.

"Wha - of course I am! I'm talking to you, aren't I?"

"Yes. Is it your miko that has done this, Inuyasha? Is it...that woman?"

Inuyasha just looked at him, utterly confused, and as he did so the strangeness, the red-eyed laughter, faded out of his face. Sesshomaru was watching him closely - too closely, Inuyasha thought. It didn't help his thinking process.

"Done...what? Kagome hasn't done anything to me, she -"

Suddenly, saying her name, thinking so sharply of her, brought back his earlier fear.

"Why are you here, Sesshomaru?"

The question came out sharp, commanding.

"I was forced to remain nearby because of your indecisiveness, your stupidity. I am not here anymore than I am...anywhere."

Inuyasha eyed him suspiciously. There was, once again, no emotion in his voice, and his face was blank, impossible to read.

"Like I'd believe that! I won't let you near Kagome - "

"You think I want your miko?"

"I think you want to hurt her!"

"If I wanted to hurt her, I could have done so many times -"
"As if! You tried many times, but I protected her. I will always protect her. Waiting here won't do you any good - "
"Why would I wait here? Were you not listening, baka?"

Inuyasha's eyes were still darkly suspicious, but the thought had occurred to him that perhaps - just perhaps - his brother meant no more than he said. After all, it wouldn't even occur to the average person that a dry well in the middle of the forest might be any more than a dry well.

But if I say any more, he might get suspicious even if he knows nothing -

"Why are you here, Inuyasha?"

Imperious bastard!

"Didn't you hear me the first time? Going to make me repeat myself?"
"Yes. And yes."

In the dark, dark corners of his brother's mind, Inuyasha was sure that there was laughing going on - laughing at him.

Can't lose my temper - have to ask him -

"I came to ask you about this...army."

"Ask me. Meaning, you need my help."

Again, perfect, toneless voice. Again, Inuyasha heard nonexistent laughter, felt it beating him like a hammer.

"I - don't - I -"

Inuyasha sighed, slumped.

"Yes."

"Sit down."

At the simple words, so unexpected, Inuyasha almost fell.

"What?!"

"You do not understand?"

"You - you're going to help me?"

"It's either that, or kill you and lead them myself. I would rather not...be bothered."

Inuyasha blinked once, twice, and then sat. After all - what else was there to do? Just this once, he was willing to admit that he needed his brother. Almost lovingly, he caressed the hilt of his sword, and tetsusaiga felt warm under his hand. After they were done talking, everything could go back to the way it used to be.

Couldn't it?