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Chapter Five
As the group neared their destination, Sesshomaru's castle, Inu Yasha's senses told him there was another demon near by, but he also sensed a human. A human at Sesshomaru's castle? But how? I know he has that human girl, Rin, but this is another human...
"Um, Inu Yasha?" Kagome spoke, nervousness lacing her voice.
He looked at her. "What is it?"
"I'm sensing a jewel shard... Um," she chuckled nervously, "back at the...village."
"You what?!" Inu Yasha turned to completely face Kagome as he grabbed her by her shoulders & held a tight grip on them. "We finally make it here & now you're sensing a jewel shard, all the way, back at the village?! Why didn't you say anything sooner?!"
"Because I didn't know the damn thing was all the way back that way. I figured the closer we go to Sesshomaru's castle, the stronger the feeling would get, but it's only getting weaker..."
"Dammit Kagome, why couldn't you say something sooner?!"
"I just told you." All Inu Yasha could do at this point was let out a deep growl that scared even Shippo. "I'm sorry Inu Yasha, I just thought-"
"No, you didn't think! Because if you did think, then we wouldn't have to go all the way back to the village."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Back at the village, they were faced with a large wolf demon that was being commanded by a smaller demon that appeared to be the size of Sesshomaru, but it was a woman. She spotted the band of friends & grinned. So these are the ones Lord Sesshomaru spoke of, she thought as she watched the girl ready her bow & arrow saying something about seeing the jewel shard.
On the ground, Miroku was ready to use his wind tunnel if it came to be needed. Shippo was on Kagome's shoulder & Inu Yasha had the Tetsusaiga in hand, ready for when Kagome could shoot out the jewel shard. Sango was out of her sight, on Kirara, ready to attack when the chance was given.
Takara quickly got her bow & arrow ready. When she saw Kagome's arrow take flight, she shot at it, hitting her mark & sending the other arrow to the ground. She put another arrow in & aimed at Kagome, ready to kill her as Sesshomaru had told her to do. But as she was about to let go, Inu Yasha stepped infront of Kagome, holding up the Tetsusaiga & Takara's eyes narrowed, recognizing the demon who destroyed her village. She aimed instead at Inu Yasha's chest, the string of the bow, making sounds warning of a snap before she let go & sent the arrow flying past the side of the Tetsusaiga, to Inu Yasha.
Inu Yasha fell to the ground like a rag doll as the arrow penetrated his kimono, burying itself in his chest, barely missing his heart. Takara knew a shot like this could've gone straight through him, but since she had been told only to kill Kagome, she aimed for where she knew his ribs were. The arrow, coated in Sesshomaru's poison from his claws, was now embedded in one of Inu Yasha's ribs, the poison eating away at the rib. As Inu Yasha rolled onto his back, holding his chest where the arrow was, Miroku knelt on the ground by him &, as gently as he could, pulled the arrow from his fallen friend.
Kagome looked up at the girl who had fired the arrow & screamed. "Why don't you come down here & fight instead of shooting some arrow at us?!"
Takara jumped from the roof of the home she had been perched on & landed infront of Kagome. "You call me down here, not even armed & expect to be able to fight me?" Takara laughed. "That's pretty funny."
"You must not be able to fight, if all you can do is shoot an arrow," Kagome scoffed.
"Speak for yourself, human. What have you done to fight so far? I'm standing right infront of you & your only half-decent help is laying on the ground dying from my Lord's poison."
"Your 'Lord'? He's dying? You've been sent here?"
"So many questions," Takara mused. "Yes my Lord & yes, he is dying."
"Who sent you?" Miroku asked, helping the semi-conscious Inu Yasha to his feet.
"Lord Sesshomaru. I was sent to kill only her, but," she looked to Inu Yasha, "I owed him one for destroying my village."
"What are you talking about?" Inu Yasha questioned, groaning slightly when a wave of pain shot through him. "I've never seen you before in my life."
"Yes you have," she replied. "Just not like this."
"Who are you?" Shippo demanded.
"My name is Takara. I come from the village Inu Yasha slaughtered during his murder spree."
"If he killed everyone in your village, how did you survive?" Miroku asked. "If I remember correctly, when we were leaving the village, it was in flames & reeked of blood." Miroku helped Inu Yasha to his feet & supported him as they all stared at the woman.
"I was hidden & I would've been engulfed in flames as well if my Lord hadn't shown up & taken me to his castle." Suddenly Inu Yasha fell back to the ground, crying out in pain as a wave of pain shot through his body.
"Inu Yasha!" Kagome cried, kneeling on the ground next to him.
"Lord Sesshomaru's poison is already eating at his rib cage so don't bother trying to save him. He'll be dead soon no matter what you do."
"Why did you do this?!" Kagome cried, trying to roll Inu Yasha onto his back, or at least his side.
"Because he murdered the only people who cared for me in my life. I'm only getting my revenge." As she said her last words, Inu Yasha's eyes closed, bringing a smile to her face as she made her way to the demon's shoulder. "I shall see you soon," Takara said as the demon turned & made it's way back to Sesshomaru's castle.
Miroku looked up at Sango. "Follow them then come back & let us know where they are!" he shouted. He watched as Sango turned Kirara in the direction the two demons & they followed after them.
Shippo stood by Miroku. "What do we do about Inu Yasha?"
"I don't know Shippo, but we need to find something soon."