Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Irony ❯ The Taste of Blood ( Chapter 4 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Irony

&n bsp; Chapter Four

The Taste of Blood

The water shimmered silver as the light of a half moon struck it on its' slow moving surface. A balmy summer breeze ruffled the green leaves on the spindly trees. Crickets chipped a comforting lullaby, quietly singing each other to sleep. Sitting on top of a large smooth rock I watched this quiet world through heavy eyes. This place is peaceful, a wonderful change of pace to the chaos that our small band of travelers has had to endure these last few days.

Sighing I laid back on the rock but my body was too long so my head was dangling over the edge of the rock with my dark hair spilling onto the ground. With my head now tilted back I could clearly see the stars. They were so bright and mysterious, having lived in parts of Tokyo all of my life I have never seen the night sky without a film of smog that came natural from life in a big city; but here I can clearly see each diamond point. Closing my eyes I try to sleep but after being a demon for almost a week I have learned that sleep is not really necessary, even though Inuyasha seems to be asleep sometimes, but it is nice to just cleanse my mind and not think about anything. Behind my closed eye lids my mind replays all of the events that have occurred in less than three days.

On the morning after I had easily accepted Kaede's request to guard Kagome and the jewel only find that I was to receive a crash course in Kagome- saving 101 because later that day Kagome was kidnapped by two bandits. I had to track her down but once I found her I also found the demon crow that was using the bandit boss as a host...

`Oh my go...' before I could even finish that sentence the giant crow flew out of the man's gut and landed on the ground. With a golden gleam in his eye he opened his beak and swallowed the abandoned jewel.

I moved to catch the bird in mid flight but it quickly slipped through my fingers and went out the window. It was at this moment that Inuyahsa arrived to save Kagome from the bandits.

“What do you mean it ate the jewel?!” Inu howled at me.

My ears shrank back from the sound, “Yes. Look its' no big deal, we'll just find the crow, you can slice and dice it open and we, or rather Kagome, can retrieve the jewel from inside of it.”

“Ewww! I am not digging through some dead crow's stomach just to get the jewel back.” Kagome protested.

Despite Kagome's protest we left the hideout of the bandits to chase down the crow demon. I left Inuyasha in the dust only to grind to a stop just before I could fall over the riverbank. Soaring high above the bank was the enormous three eyed crow demon.

I wanted to take a swing at the beast but knowing that I can't jump very high, let alone high enough to knock down that over grown buzzard I waited for Inuyasha to come. Sure enough he came bursting through a clump of trees with Kagome, whom had stolen a bow and a quiver of arrows from one of the bandits, on his back. With her bow raised to aim at the bird I held my breath, crossing my clawed fingers as she placed an arrow on the bow, set her sights and let go of the string.

The arrow jetted through the hair, flying higher and higher reaching the unsuspecting crow....and then dropping within inches of missing its' target.

I turned my head to snarl; well if she can't get it then it is up to me. I back tracked till my back brushed against the branch of a tree. I took in a deep breath before I willed my body to run as fast as it could. My feet all but flew above the ground as I neared the edge of the steep riverbank, without even stopping I actually did fly...for about two minutes, then I began to sink like a rock...or Kagome's arrow, take your pick. One thing I may have not stayed in the air long but I did gain a lot of ground... or rather air so I knew that if I hit the rushing water below me it was going to hurt...that and I might get swept away with the current.

Closing my eyes I prayed to Kami-sama as I never had before.

`Please, please I don't want to die by drowning in the body of a fox demon. Please I want to be able to go back home... I want to...”

My prayers were answered by certainly not in the way I was expecting.

My body suddenly stopped...right in mid air.

I tentatively opened my eyes only to close them tight again as I first caught sight of the strange transformation that was taking place over my body.

My clawed hands were beginning to grow black fur and were bulking up as well as growing longer. Even with my eyes closed I could literally hear bone crunching and lengthening; my skin was quickly being replaced by ebony hair, my tail had split from being one fluffy single appendage into nine slender tails.

Eyes of gold snapped wide open; I was looking at the world in a completely different light. Below me I could see the rushing river but was unconcerned that I was free falling towards it. Villagers had crowed the edge of the river watching Inuyasha and Kagome fighting the crow demon, they were faceless worthless creatures to me, not even fit to be eaten. My nose flared as I smelled blood, my mouth curled into a wide fang filled grin.

Defying gravity without even blinking I raced towards the crow, my jaws open wide I tore into its' body with my fangs.

The three eyed crow squawked and tried to flap away but I keep a very firm grip on it as we both fell into the river. Cold water swirled around me trying to carry me away but I was stronger than the current; dragging my prize along with me I treaded water trying to reach the shore.

“Shoot it now while the fox has it in her mouth!” I heard someone yell.

The loud noise caused my long triangle ears to flatten against my skull, first order of business “play” with the crow then find the person who yelled and disembowel them. Suddenly I felt something nick the side of my nose and then embed itself into the crow. The beast gave a strangled cry as the arrow pierced it and caused it to explode into thousands of sparkling pieces. Standing on the edge of the riverbank with my mouth empty of my dinner I growled low in my throat as I tried to trace the path where the arrow had come from.

I'll find the person who had to audacity to ruin my dinner; I'll find them and tear them to shreds, so many pieces that even the vultures can't devour their corpse.

Lifting my head I hear soft footsteps and then someone calling out.

“Ami-san that was amazing! How did you...”

I smelled the stench of a human...no not stench this was different from the other humans, something pure and powerful...something that was a threat to me.

Turning I found the source of the scent, she was sliding off of the back of a half-demon, in her hands was a bow and a set of arrows. I could smell the power radiating off of her and it frightened me since I was weak in my own right.

Slowly I backed up, my mouth pulled back to show my teeth as my chest rumbled with growls. What did it matter if she had power? She was still a human, so easily breakable that it was almost tragic. I could easily snap her neck before she could lift an arrow from it's' quiver.

She foolishly came closer only to stop. Misty gray-blue eyes widen in fear as I lumbered towards her. She turned and ran. A very fatal mistake on her part.

Without a thought I leaned back on my haunches and then moved forward with a mighty lunge. It didn't take much effort to catch up with her, all I needed to do was open my jaws and clamp them down at her and she would have breathed her last...that is if there hadn't been that annoying half demon.

“Hey you dumb fox! You're supposed to be protecting the girl, not eat her!” he yelled as he dove at my neck with his claws. Skin rippled under his swipe, blood rained on the ground as it spread through my dark fur. Growling I whipped my head around to grab him by the shoulder with my teeth. Tossing my head I clamped down hard on his right shoulder before I slung him against a tree.

“Inuyasha!” the girl cried out as she raced to reach the hanyou. Stupid human, he will likely live without so much as a scar while you on the other hand are dying on your feet.

The hanyou opened his eyes, he first looked at the girl, his face turning into a grimace but then he saw me coming up behind her.

“Inuyasha are you alright?”

“Get out of the way stupid!” Inuyasha screamed at the girl just at the moment as I leaped forward to catch her.

The girl screamed and ducked out of the way. A tree toppled from my strike that was meant for the human. I glared down at the hanyou, stupid half- breed, he is in my way. What does he want with this human anyway; you would think that he would at least have some dignity with the company he keeps since he himself is a despised species.

Raising a clawed hand I moved to wipe him out of existence until I felt something pierce me right between the eyes in the middle of my nose. Pain beyond imagination tore through me as the wound caused by a purified arrow, the pain came from the white magic battling against my demon body. My vision swam and my feet grew unsteady as I tried to run before they could defeat me. It would be a humiliation beyond comprehension if I allowed myself to be defeated by a human and a half breed. But my legs didn't want to cooperate and before I could protest I collapsed to the ground.

I woke up hours later, the sun had already set and the night sky was covered with bright stars to contrast the inky blank space. I tried to sit up only to have my head scream in protest. My eyes were burning causing me to lose my eye sight leaving me blind for a few terrible moments. I cried out from the pain, it felt like I was dying. And to make matters worse a cold cloth was draped over my face making the burn sting as it cooled.

The rag moved causing the burn to intensify. Whimpering I grasped the hand moving the cloth, a soft gasp was heard and I was pulled to my feet by another pair of hands.

“I knew you couldn't be trusted!” a boisterous voice snarled while the hands shook my slighter frame.

“Inuyasha put her down!” a voice I now recognized as Kagome.

The voice, now identified as Inuyasha sniffed, “Why should I? She was the one that tried to kill you when she is supposed to be protecting you from demons.”

“Inuyasha please stop, she's hurt and your shoulder is torn...”

“Feh I am fine but she won't be once I am done with her the traitorous bit...”

“Inuyasha, Sit!” Kagome snapped.

Bad move Kagome, because when Inu dropped to kiss the ground I fell with him only on top of him. Kagome helped me to my feet then breathed another “Sit”.

Turning to me she lifted her hands to my face, “I am so sorry but I had to do something or you would have killed Inuyasha.”

My eyes snapped open and I saw the world in a horrible clarity. I looked down at my hands they were covered with dried blood from the crow demon, my mouth tasted of copper from both the crow and Inuyasha. I felt my throat abruptly close then open trying, my own body trying to make me gag and rid itself of this tainted taste of blood. My breathing hitched as I looked up at Inuyasha, his right shoulder was all but dangling by a thread of muscle, his face menacing; the glare in his eyes practically screamed off all of the horrible ways he could think of to do to me for revenge. But the worst was the expression on Kagome's face; her blue-gray eyes were still soft with concern but I could see a dark cloud of fear trying to override the compassion. Oh Kami, I felt so utterly repulsive. My mouth tasted like dried blood and oddly enough sand; two pairs of eyes were gazing at me as if they were waiting, or fearing, what my next move would be.

I ran.

This was nothing like a human adrenaline induced flight, no whole trees and villages blurred past me as I tried to desperately escape the glances, the well deserved anger and the wounding sympathy. The sympathy is the emotion that killed me; Kagome is very much like Usagi...too much like her. Usagi would have easily forgiven me and then embraced me in a heartfelt hug almost as if she was trying to will all of my guilt out of my system. For that I loved Usagi like a sister, it is this same reason that I despised Kagome. I never had cruel intentions towards Usagi, well maybe a few times, but I never acted on them...I nearly killed Kagome and Inuyasha and she seemed to easily brush that away and act kind to me.

It was this acceptance, this kindness that made me feel more like a beast. Finally coming to a stop away from villages, in the middle of a patch of thick woods I screamed.

Falling to my knees I grasped a fistful of hair and cried out. No words just screaming that sounded more like mournful yips of pain, the cry of a fox. After exhausting my vocal cords I fell against the trunk of a tree, my eyes were still sore and swollen from the arrow aimed at my brow that the salty sting of tears increased the pain. But this is what I deserved right? So why not “indulge” in it. My left hand extracted its' claws and dug deep into the trunk of the sturdy tree trunk; with each sob I drew my claws into the tree peeling back bark like one would easily peel a banana. All I could think about was how many times I had failed. Oh sure everyone at school thinks that I am “Little Miss Perfect” but instead of the occasional B or, heaven forbid, a C on my marks I have failed people I care about. Usagi for example, if I hadn't decided to be noble, I could have stayed and fought. But now that I think about it I didn't sacrifice my life because I was noble, but because I was scared.

Our new enemy, she is stronger than any of us could have imagined. She was, or is, so cruel and heartless that she easily took the Star Seeds of the Outers without even blinking; in fact her heavy lidded eyes held a spark of glee as she watched them scatter into sparkles. I was scared, not of death but of failure, I was afraid of not being able to protect the Princess, of being weak. Amazing that the sacrifice to escape my fear only caused it to become a reality; adding salt to the wound I have failed in my promise to the old miko; oh no I went way beyond failing, I tried to kill her...I don't really feel very guilty for attacking Inuyasha though...oh come on as if you can honestly say that the jerk didn't have it coming to him?!

Maybe I should just stay here until some sort of demon decides to take pity on me and eat me or something. Oh by the way this leads us to up to the present moment ladies and gentlemen. Having made up my resolve of not returning to Inuyasha and Kagome I laid out blissfully underneath a starry sky. My eyelids wanted to desperately to close but even though I haven't been a demon for long I knew that I couldn't just sleep in the open...that would leave me open for attack even if I am just fringing sleep. Effortlessly I climbed up into the upper most branches, securing myself between two strong branches and trying not to think about this is how Inuyasha normally “slept”.

Like I said before, my body really doesn't need to sleep but since my body is already achieving inhuman feat I would like to at least pretend that I can sleep. So you could say that I was a little bit more than pissed when I was rudely “awoken” by someone bashing a walking stick against my tree.

Turning my head I glare down at the small ugly toad like creature glaring up at me; an ancient wooden staff with two shrunken heads, one was an old human male and the other was a young human female with long black hair.

“Kitsune, who do you, think you are trespassing on my Lord's lands?” the troll toady thing shrilly asked.

Yawning and stretching out my arms and legs I calmly replied, “Sleeping is that against your master's laws or something Toady.” I finished adding on the nickname that I had given the amphibious demon.

“It is if you are a don't have permission from my lord to enter his lands you insolent bitch...”

Bolting down from the tree I tightened my hand on the throat of the demon before he could finish his sentence. Raising my left hand I showed him my claws that were still stained a dull brown from the blood from yesterday's fiasco.

“Unless I am not mistaken Toady, I am at an advantage so unless you want to see how many different ways I can slice and dice you I would advise you to show me a bit more respect.”

The toad gasped in my grasp, “I shall show no demon respect other than my Lord Se...”

I rolled my eyes, “Oh put a sock in it already Toady. First off I really don't care who your master is and secondly I'll...”

“Put down my servant,” a chillingly cold and unmoving voice suddenly spoke.

I looked down at Toad Man, that voice defiantly didn't come from him. I turned my head to find the most fascinating and beautiful sight. My hand, and jaw, went instantly slack as my eyes drank in the demon standing just a few feet away from me. Now I have seen, mostly fought, many pretty boys in my time but this guy must have been the reigning king of the Bishounen. The toad demon now released from my grasp raced up the small hill that his master was standing on, with staff in hand the toad fell prostrate at the demons feet...honestly I was thinking that the toad demon had the right idea because my knees were already starting to grow weak.

The first thing that I notice this his hair was a bit shorter in length and was as white as my hair was dark ebony; his clothing of silks and linen suggested that he was at least deserving of the title “Lord” in wealthy. A beautiful smooth that looked almost feminine if it wasn't for the tale- telling angular hints that suggested the gender of it's' owner; a large crescent moon was embossed on his forehead, twin stripes of bold blue marked the side of his face. Dark golden eyes stared at me impassively while I studied him with avid interest. Normally I don't notice guys, well of course unless they are handsome enough to warrant notice, yes I am very shallow minded thank you for noticing; but even those types of guys would seem very homely when compared to this demon. And even my very description doesn't do him justice.

He looked like a Greek god, no more like a statue because for the entire time that I examined him he remained still, no emotion playing on his face or even a flicker of his eyes. Beautiful yet unmoving...not worth my time I would normally think but something about him refused to let me go. Curiosity, yes, Attraction, yes...but avid interest...no. Turning on my heel I tried to will myself to walk away but my feet received to budge. God, move you stupid legs! Come on it's not like you just forgot to work over night.

“Strange,” I heard him comment although his tone didn't sound the least intrigued or even surprised.

Turning my head, despite knowing that it would be my undoing, but I couldn't help by reply.

“What is strange?” I inquired softly.

“You are a full blooded demon and yet you smell of a human,” the “lord” replied in a non-pulsed tone, despite his stone like façade I felt my blood chill. Something told me that his observation would be my undoing more than his beautiful face.