InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ You Darkness... ❯ Chapter 24 - The Taste of Fear ( Chapter 24 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

You Darkness
by Vyncent


**This story contains violence, sexual content and rape! Some of the contents of this story are graphic. You are WARNED**

Disclaimer: I do now own Inuyasha, nor any of the associated characters. But it ain't because I don't want or wish to do so.


Chapter 24 - The Taste of Fear


From the darkest of shadows beyond their small lighted haven, an unexpected sound seemed to fill the room. It vaguely sounded like some kind of a laugh, but it was not like any laugh that they had ever heard before. It was almost demonic in sound, and chilled them to the bone and had them frozen in place for long moments that crawled like slugs in the dirt.

"Ggrrrrr hmm hmm hmm hmm! So you find pleasure in the pain of the innocent, do you?" asked the disembodied voice. At those words both males jumped up from the joshi they had been harming, and stepped back, not even concerned for their state of undress.

Taking heart, and trying not to look like the coward he truly was, the first male found his voice, "Yeah! What of it?"

"Ggrrrrr hmm hmm hmm hmm! I see your blood play. Do you not find that the fear makes it taste sweeter?" came the voice again, ignoring the males question.

"What do you mean, sweeter?" the ningen asked. "It is not like I eat these things."

"Oh, but you do taste of their blood, do you not? Of course, I am surprised that you limit yourself to the weak and the innocent. But then, you are not strong enough to seek out the stronger, sweeter, more challenging blood," the voice almost seemed to whisper throughout the room. It seemed that it floated on the air itself, and there was no other sound to track where it came from. What seemed the source one moment, would change to another source in such a short time that it was not humanly possible for anyone to move that fast.

"Ggrrrrr hmm hmm hmm hmm! Of course, a coward such as you, would not know of the truly sweetest blood. You are not even good at being these 'Nightwalkers' you so proudly trying claim as your identity." the voice laughed from the darkness.

"How dare you call me coward," yelled the first male. The second was not saying anything, just standing there trying to hide his fear and not quite sure what to do.

"If you were truly of the Night, as you claim, you would know how to become one with it," spoke the voice. "You would learn what a friend and a foe it can truly be. But you are not smart enough, or brave enough to learn such."

Suddenly out of nowhere, the second male found himself slammed to the floor, a slash across his chest burning like someone had pour acid into his veins. He screamed in terror as the pain increased and clawed at the gash as though trying to scrape off whatever was causing the pain. Neither saw what had caused the injury. There was no flash of movement, no creak of wood, no sound of steps, just a barely felt brush of air, and then nothing.

The male's screams died down, and when they did, the voice once again seemed to fill the room from nowhere.

"Ahhhhhhh! Yes, so very sweet. That is ever so much better than those you...'toy'...with. Ggrrrrr hmm hmm hmm hmm!" it said.

"Explain," said the first male, seeming to consider the words, much to the horror of the male on the floor.

"Ggrrrrr hmm hmm hmm hmm! Ah! So you are interested then? You grow tired of frightening weak, and powerless joshi. Perhaps it is time for you to consider stronger, more powerful prey," the voice, still hardly more than a whisper, but one that filled every corner of the room, enticed and on some level seemed to intrigue the less than sane first male. It completely missed his less than stable mind that the room he was in, had no shadows, no closets, no hidden spaces. So how was this voice filling the room, and seeming to come from everywhere and yet nowhere?

"Prey? Power....? Sweeter taste...?" came the response. Obviously the male was fixating of the parts of his desires that drew him the most. Though a mere ningen, he was surprisingly primal, and feeding that nature was simple, especially for one who was a part of Nature to begin with. The 'game' continued, although only one of the participants truly understood, and gave a smile that had it been seen, would have made the blood in the veins, of either male freeze into solid ice at the sight.

"Ggrrrrr hmm hmm hmm hmm! Yyyeeeesssss! Mmmmm! Can you not smell how much sweeter your 'friend's' blood is already? Do you not feel the fear pouring off of him in waves, sending delightful tingles up and down your spine? Does this not arouse you even now?" the voice teased. And indeed the male was being aroused by his 'friend's' fear filled screams. Though not as loud as they had been, the poison now flowing through his veins, still kept him writhing on the floor and though his throat was obviously damaged by the screaming, he continued to scream nonetheless.

Sesshomaru watched every motion, every emotion, every nuance of his body language. This male was so very easy to read. This was so delightfully delicious, and what Sesshomaru had in store for this male, had he known, would have had the vile fiend writhing along side his 'friend' in equal if not more fear.

"Is he dying?" came the question, spoken almost casually by the male.

"Iie! Only wishing that he could. Ggrrrrr hmm hmm hmm hmm! But that would be the easy way out. Better to make him...'live'. The poison in his veins is already beginning to wear off. It will stop soon. But think of the pleasure of having such continue," the voice intrigued.

"Do not the weak and the innocent, usually last only a few days at best? Would it not be more delightful for your...'toys'...to last so much longer? Think of the fun, the pleasure, the sweet taste lasting for hours, days, even weeks longer. Does that not sound more....pleasureable?" said that ever so soft voice.

The second male, who had been so busy writhing and screaming on the floor, had missed most of the conversation. Otherwise, he might have continued to be scared and even considered trying to get out of there soon. But he was unaware of the matters going on around him, and once he could move without the burning pain running through his veins, he quickly got dressed and decided that since no one was in the room, who that voice belonged to, they had to be in the adjoining room.

With a serious case of misplaced confidence, he grabbed the rusty knife that had been discarded earlier, and disappeared into the dark. The dark where that voice came from. The dark to which that voice belonged.

All the first male heard, was his 'friend's' footsteps as they quickly carried him into the neighboring room. When they stopped, he figured that he had ceased walking to get his barings before continuing. But when he didn't hear them start up again, he began to worry. When he called out to him, and no one answered, his worry slowly became fear. He might be a 'Nightwalker', but he, himself had always feared the dark. He knew all too well that the dark could hide many things. Many things that even he used the darkness for.

"Ggrrrrr hmm hmm hmm hmm! You know, he was truly delightful. Too bad, you didn't get to see for yourself. But you see, I am not one for sharing my prey with others. I am sure that someone, such as yourself, can understand that," the voice almost cooed in delight. It still was nothing more than a whisper, and still it filled every corner of the room. A disembodied voice that seemed to come from everywhere, and yet from nowhere. It surrounded him, engulfed him, wrapped around his mind, creating images that he was reluctant to think about.

"What did you do to him?" the male asked.

"Why, now that would be telling, wouldn't it! Mmmmm! How sweet your fear is. Perhaps your blood is sweeter than your friend's was. Would you care to find out? Ggrrrrr hmm hmm hmm hmm!" that now chilling voice laughed. Even the laugh seemed to play one's nerves like the strings of a instrument. An instrument whose strings were drawn just a little too tightly, and threatened to snap at any moment. The male found himself shivering, and although it was not because he was cold, he quickly rushed to put on his pants. It was more an effort to regain himself, than anything. He had never been afraid before in his life, and he didn't like the taste of his own fear. He was the one who made others fear, not the other way around.

While all of this was transpiring, the joshi just lay where they had been left sobbing quietly. Their pain wracked bodies not allowing them to do much more. Despite that, they listened intently to the exchange. On one part they were just as afraid of the voice they could hear, as the male who stood in the room with them. But on another level, they seemed to understand that whoever this bodiless voice was, it was not here to harm them, but to help them.

"W-w-wha-t do-o yo-o-ou me-an by that," the male studdered out, hating himself for not being able to speak more firmly.

"Ggrrrrr hmm hmm hmm hmm! I can feel your fear. It festers and grows even as we speak. Mmmmmmmm! It is so delightful. It is so delicious! You will truly taste so...so sweet. I can hear your blood coarsing through your veins. Your heart is pounding. Pounding so hard that you must feel it. Like it is hammering against your ribs. Like if it doesn't stop soon, it will explode from the pressure." was the hideously whispered reply.

"I don't know w-w-w-what yo-o-ou are tal-l-l-king about," the male stammered out, just barely able to speak now.

"Are you about to soil yourself? Your friend did, just before he lost consciousness. The look on his face was priceless. I imagine yours will be, too. Ahhhhh! The sweet, enticing scent of fear. Even now it is pour off of you in waves. Much stronger and more delicious than your friend's was. Ggrrrrr hmm hmm hmm hmm! Come, won't you 'play' your little game with me?" asked the voice.

By now the male could no longer take the pressure, the stress, the fear of the unknown that stood as one with the dark in front of him. A brief caress of air against his face, and he found himself feeling a small trickle of blood running down his arm. He looked to see a small puncture in his skin. He had not even felt it, although now that he saw it, it began to throb with pain. It was not much, at least not something that he could not handle, but the fact that it had occurred, and the cause being unknown, and no one being in the room that could have done this all added fuel to the steadily growing fear within.

"Come little pet! Come! Let us dance in the dark. Let me show you how wonderful it is to become one with the darkness. To let it know you. To let it feel you. To let is surround you. Oh, the delightful things that the darkness, where I come from, can do for you. Won't you join me? Or perhaps you are afraid!" mocked that voice.

For a moment the male froze. True he was afraid. He was scared to death, in fact. But to have it so blatantly voiced so others could hear, was just not acceptable. No one should hear of his weakness. His weakness was something that only he should know of, not everyone else. With that thought rooted in his sick little mind, the male blindly rushed out of the room. Whether it was to attack the source of that voice, or to run for his life, no one ever knew. All that was sure, was that for the girls, the nightmare had just ended.

Just as with the previous male, the sound of the leader's feet could be heard as they passed into the darkness. And just as with the previous male, this one's footsteps just stopped. There was no pause, there was no sound of someone being hit, or of a body hitting the floor. There was just silence. Silence that was deafening by itself.

With pain and fear filled eyes, the four conscious joshi turned to the dark doorway before them. They were not sure quite what to expect, but what they saw was most certainly not it. A figure of such ethereal beauty as to put the kami themselves to shame, stepped silently from the dark, as though the darkness was afraid to let him go. He didn't just walk into view, nor did he suddenly appear out of nowhere. He seemed to almost 'melt' into the light, just as they were sure he could as easily melt into the darkness.

The deep black of his clothing only lent his pale features a more angelic appearance. The unusual markings on his face, only enhanced his exotic appeal. They knew without the obvious differences that he was anything but ningen, but at that moment he could have been an alien just visiting from another world, and they would not have cared.

His stoic calm only soothed them, and helped them to cope with their ordeal, and his quiet demeanor made it easier for them to face their horrors bravely. He unbound and removed the gag from the unconscious onna first, and was just approaching the first of the conscious one's when he lifted his head with a sudden jerk looking into the darkened room from which he came.

The four joshi held their breath, afraid that something had happened to bring their nightmare back. But they sighed in relief when another being in some way resembling their rescuer entered the room.

"I see that you were successful in your 'hunt', brother," asked the newcomer.

"Hai, Inuyasha! It seems that your prey was here with mine. They were simple, however, some assistance is needed to help these joshi," stated the calm voice of their rescuer.

Inuyasha went to one of the nearby windows, forced it open, and leaned out. Much to the surprise of the four joshi, they could hear barking, and yipping. But they saw no dogs. Inuyasha then turned back into the room, and went over to one of the remaining four conscious joshi to remove her bindings.

"Careful little brother," said their rescuer. "They were being assaulted when I arrived. They will be particularly uncomfortable."

"Arigato, Sesshomaru. I will," said Inuyasha.

Moments later four enormous ookami entered the room, followed by an onna who stood strong and confident.

"I got your message, Inuyasha. Baku indicated that you and Sesshomaru-sama needed assistance. I see he was right," she said.

"Hai, Sango-san," said Inuyasha. "The one over there is unconscious and besides these, we have our prey in the next room. If you could take the joshi, we can get the males. I do not believe that they will be able to stand. Sesshomaru says they were being assaulted when he found them."

"Hai," said the woman, named Sango. "Kirara and I can take the unconscious one, and Baku, Nijika, Hideo, and Chiyuki can take the others."

Sango approached the onna that Sesshomaru had untied, "My name is Sango. We are here to rescue you. Can you tell me your name?"

"Hisayo," the onna rasped out. Her mouth dry, and her throat sore, it was almost a miracle that she could speak at all. Sango pulled a water skin from her hip, and gave the girl some water. It helped, and she nodded her gratitude.

Sango signalled a huge black ookami over to the side of the futon.

"This is Baku. He is a friend, and is going to help me get you out of here. Do not be afraid, he will not harm you. He needs to scent you. This lets him know who you are, and that you are one of those we are here to help," Sango explained. "I know that you can't stand, so Baku will carry you out of here. Do you think you can at least hold on for the short ride he will be giving you?"

"If it means leaving this hellish nightmare," Hisayo whispered, tears of relief and pain pouring down her face, "I would crawl if I had to."

"Well, by kami's graces you won't have to do that," Sango smiled encouragement. "Let me help you up on Baku."

Inuyasha did the same for the other conscious onna, whose name turned out to be Juria. She like Hisayo would endure whatever it took to get out of that hell. Sesshomaru aided one of the remaining two joshi onto Nijika's back. By this time, it was apparent to the joshi that the ookami were there to help and not to be feared. By this time, Sango had finished with Hisayo and Baku, and went to assist the last onna with Hideo.

As they were being moved, it became apparent how badly hurt they were. Aside from the blood of all the cuts, there were broken ribs, a shattered shoulder blade, a broken arm, and between them three broken legs. This all aside from the many other injuries suffered by all of the joshi.

With the ookami baring the conscious joshi on their backs, Sango turned to collect the unconscious onna, only to find Sesshomaru already holding the girl. Sango just nodded and led the way out of the building. Kirara was waiting outside the door, and once Sango was mounted for the ride back to the clearing, Sesshomaru handed his burden to her.

With the two ookami following close behind, Kirara proceeded to the meeting place. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru returned to collect their prey, and soon followed. They arrived only moments behind Sango.

Kouga had returned from the shrine bringing Hidenori with him. Hidenori turned green at the sight that met his eyes, when he saw all of the injured and abused joshi that the pack had rescued. When he saw Inuyasha, and Sesshomaru return with the last of the 'Nightwalkers', he quickly called his brother and told him where to find the group.

It only took him about 15 minutes to arrive and when the young police officer saw the sight before him, he was in total awe. All of the 'Nightwalkers' that the police and authorities had been trying to capture for so long, lay on the ground in various states of consciousness, all taken alive and relatively unharmed. But what astonished him even more, was off to the side. Carefully being tended to, by what appeared to be a monk and a small child, were twenty six known to be missing joshi that the police had been looking for more than three weeks.

Before he could ask where his niece was, his brother approached him, "Taisei, before you call in the rest of your forces, and the medical teams, I must ask a favor of you on this."

"You are about to hand me the honour of a lifetime. I owe you more than I could ever repay for this. You have but to ask," Taisei said.

Taisei did not believe that he could be anymore amazed than he was at that moment, however, he was proven wrong moments later. Out of the darkness, as though born of the very shadows themselves a number of figures seemed to materialize.

There were two obvious ningens. One male, the monk he had seen as he arrived, and a female, carrying upon her back the largest boomerang that he had ever seen. He was amazed that she could even carry it, yet she seemed to do so with practiced ease and grace. The small 'child' that he had seen with the monk, who upon closer inspection seemed to have a tail, pointed ears, and were those fangs hanging over his lip? Five obviously wild and enormous ookami, also joined the growing group.

Then a huge 'neko', with twin tails, twelve inch deadly looking fangs, feet and tails ablaze, fairly blazed forward to be seen. But the figures that appeared next were the ones that he knew he would never forget for as long as he lived. Two appeared to almost be what the youth of today called 'punks', but at a second glance Taisei could see that they were much more than that. As the child, they both had fangs, and pointed ears, and their hands ended in what he was sure were deadly, razor sharp claws.

A third had a more regal baring, as those used to being in command. His raven locks, pointed ears, and dark blue eyes lent an air of the wild about him, and Taisei was sure he was a most formidable warrior. He too, appeared to boast fangs, and claws.

The fourth figure to be released by the dark, had long silver tresses that almost glowed in the moonlight. As the others, he had the fangs, and claws, but most strikingly, he had what looked to be the ears of an inu upon his head. Standing next to him, was the most impressive being of the group. His ethereal beauty enough to be the envy of any onna, but his baring bespoke not only royalty, but a masculinity that brooked no question. The cold look in his eyes, enough to make Taisei shiver to just look at them.

"Taisei, these are the people who rescued all of the onna, and captured the 'Nightwalkers'," his brother informed him. "It took them little more than two and a half hours to do so. Ayumi is not here, but she is safe. When you are ready to take her testimony, call me. I will be with her and Mayuki at the Higurashi Shrine."

"No one is to know of these people. No one is to know how this mission of mercy came about. Nothing is to point to the shrine in anyway at all. I am told that there will be 'repercussions' if such were by any chance to occur," said Hidenori.

Taisei turned to the group that had accomplished so much in so short a time, "You do not wish to be recognized for this great and honourable deed?"

The dog eared figure stepped forward, "Iie! We have accomplished what we set out to do, however, we do have certain conditions that will be met."

The tall figure that had stood beside the dog eared one, stepped forward himself and spoke, his eyes never leaving Taisei's, "We did this for reasons of our own choosing. Those reasons are not of your concern. Just know that there were more victims than you are aware of, they are safe now and will remain so. However, we have been made aware that your kind have been known to have difficulty in seeing that such as these," Sesshomaru pointed to the captured males, "are made to pay for such crimes as these are known to have committed."

"Therefore, ningen, understand," the Great Taiyoukai continued. " We will meet out their punishment. With one exception, none will be physically harmed, nor will any of them die by our hands." As Sesshomaru spoke, Ginta, who had earlier asked permission to be the one to give the potion to their prey, walked over to the males where they sat in silence, all bound with the very wires that they had used on their victims. The only one who was not yet given the potion, was the male whom Sesshomaru had laid claim as his.

"For the crimes that these vile things committed against one of our own, we choose their sentence. For the rest of their days, they will relive the horrors that they brought to one of ours. Her nightmares will be their own, her pain will fill their nights, her horror will become theirs, and they will find no peace. In sleep they will suffer, and wakefulness, they will long for rest. But they will never find it," spoke the stoic, figure in a voice that almost dripped ice.

"The one exception, is the leader of this pack of horrors. Know that there is more information as to what and who he once was, in the house where he was found. By his own words, you will find many of your answers in the lower floors of that building. Your brother knows the place. As payment to us, for this information, and these criminals that we hand over to you now, the leader is MINE! He is coming with us, and no one can, or will stop us," Sesshomaru said with a finality that brooked no argument.

"But, you are not planning to kill him are you?" asked Taisei.

"He will not die by our hands," said the tall figure.

"Who are you all that you would do such as this?" asked Taisei.

"No one you know or need to know. But if you must, think of us as those who truly know what it means to be one with the night. We truly are 'Nightwalkers'," said the dog eared one.

With those words, the tall 'man', walked over to the group of males. He picked up what Taisei could only assume was the leader of the 'Nightwalkers', and with the ookami, the fire neko, the man, woman, and the others, they all melted into the night, like they were truly part of the darkness and shadows.

Taisei turned to speak to his brother, only to find that he too was gone. Picking up his radio, he called in his partner, and requested medical teams for twenty-six injured women, and two deceased. He also requested a forensics team for the eight buildings that his brother had told him of, with express instructions to pay attention to the basements of all the buildings involved. It was looking to be a long and mysterious night, but a miraclous one nevertheless.


Dictionary


Baka - Idiot
Chikushou - Damn
Daitoku - Priest
Fukurou - Owl
Hanyou - Half Demon
Higurashi-daitoku - Roughly: Priest Higurashi...I have chosen to use this instead of a name, as no name is ever cited in either the anime or the manga. Kagome's grandfather, and name used by those not of the family.
Higurashi-nisou - Roughly: Priestess Higurashi...I have chosen to use this instead of a name, as no name is ever cited in either the anime or the manga. Kagome's mother, and name used by those not of the family.
Hinba - Mare
Houshi - Monk
Inu - Dog
Joshi - Women
Kinmouno shishi - Golden-haired Lion
Kitsune - Fox Demon
Kobura - Cobra
Koruto - Colt
Miko - Shrine Maiden
Neko - Cat
Nisou - Priestess
Ojii-san - Grandfather
Ojika - Stag
Okaa-san - Mother
Onna - Woman
Ookami - Wolf
Osuuma - Stallion
Oushi - Bull
Red Dragon - Ru-doragon
Sama - Lady or Lord - respectively
Shika - Deer
Shikon no Kakera - Shikon Shards
Shikon no Tama - Jewel of Four Souls
Shishi - Lion
Taijiya - Demon Exterminator
Taiyoukai - Demon Lord
Youkai - Demon


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