InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Hachinintai ❯ Chapter Five ( Chapter 5 )

Hachinintai

Band of Eight

 

By Anonymous Laughter

 

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters created by Rumiko Takahashi.

 

Chapter Five

 

“But I'm a doctor! I can't be a mercenary!” It was the evening following Suikotsu's inauguration into the team and he had finally discovered what the group's intentions were. Suikotsu was freaking out a bit after he finally grasped it. Bankotsu, being ever the blunt one had asked how well he'd do as a mercenary since he had the claw-blades.

 

“You can be our medic then, Suikotsu-sama,” Kagome said, trying to calm him down wile she glared disapprovingly at Bankotsu, “If one of us gets hurt we need someone to take care of us, right?”

 

“Well I suppose so…” he said.

 

“And you wouldn't want poor little Kagome to die of blood loss if someone cuts her open, right?” Bankotsu asked while Jakotsu pouted.

 

“You'd nurse me back to health too I hope.”

 

“I'd never let Kagome-chan die,” Suikotsu said protectively with a slight edge to his voice.

 

“Wait a minute, why am I always the `one who might die' in all of your examples, Bankotsu-kun?” Kagome asked, slightly put off.

 

“Because you're the most likely to die out of all of us,” he answered with a teasing grin. After the two argued for about five minutes over who would die first out of them the four decided to settle down for the night get to bed. After Kagome helped Suikotsu with making stew for dinner she played with Aza for awhile before trying to teach him to roll over. After two weeks of traveling with Bankotsu, Aza had learned his name and would sit if she asked. The sun had finally set and soon enough they were all sound asleep. Kagome began to dream.

 

“Mama! Where are you Mama!?” Kagome called out as she ran threw a dark forest, “I don't want to kill people Mama! I wanna go home!”

 

“What about your new friends?” her mother's voice came from all around, “What will happen to them if you leave?”

 

“But I wanna go home and see you again, Mama! But I don't want to leave Bankotsu alone! He's my friend! But Bankotsu wants me to kill people, Mama! I don't want to because killing people is bad and I don't wanna be bad!”

 

“You've been fine and calm since the beginning though. You have to survive, Kagome-chan,” the voice continued, “Sometimes you need to kill to survive.”

 

“I'm not calm about this Mama! Inside I'm scared but even though I'm friends with Bankotsu-kun if I tell him that I don't want to do this, or if I act like I'm scared he'll kill me and I'll never get home! Jakotsu-kun likes me now and if I leave he'll hate me again! Suikotsu-sama needs me Mama! I need to help his heart stay good or he'll end up sad! I don't WANT to kill ANYONE but I don't want my friends to DIE mama! What can I do!?” Kagome collapsed to the forest floor and wept bitterly.

 

“Kagome child,” the voice was different now, “You have such a pure soul to be able to love such unlovable people. There is a way to make everyone happy for the time being. You'll be able to go home and come back here. You'll be able to purify souls and send them to rest. You'll be able to help your friends if you let me help you.”

 

“How do I know I can trust you?” Kagome asked as a few more tears streamed down her face, “You made me think that you were my Mama.”

 

“That wasn't me. That was the dark one trying to egg you into either abandoning your friends or your soul. I am the pure one and it is your decision to trust me.”

 

There was silence for a minute before Kagome whispered, “I trust you.”

 

“Then you better wake up now or you and your friends will be devoured.”

 

Kagome jolted awake to the sound of Aza's loud growling. The puppy's fur was bristled and he looked positively feral as he gazed into the night. There was no fire to light the night but despite that she could see that all around her and her companions were hundreds of glowing red eyes and slithering bodies. “Wake up! Wake up there are creatures surrounding us!” she shouted causing the men in the group to jolt awake.

 

“Fuck that's a lot of demons!” Bankotsu cursed sleepily as he clumsily lifted his Banryu. His face turned from sleepy worry to wide awakened anger when he saw they had chewed and gnawed his weapon down to the handle, “You little bastards!”

 

“EEHK!” Jakotsu shrilled as a particularly slimy one touched his leg with the intent of crawling over towards Kagome, “These things are disgusting!”

 

“They want Kagome-chan,” Suikotsu said in alarm as he kicked away a hard-shelled beetle demon that had reached for his foot with the intent of chewing it off. It flew away into the darkness.

 

A loud booming voice shouted, “Move you underlings, the Jewel is mine!”

 

All the creature-demons hissed and growled in defiance and were blown back into the dark night by a mighty whirlwind. The quartet stood defiantly with their backs towards each other, looking into the darkness.

 

“Heheheh! Foolish humans! Do you really think you can stop me from taking the Jewel?” The clouds parted momentarily giving the group a good look at the demon in the full moonlight. It was a bat-demon with who had a handsome face that was twisted into an evil grin. His wings were black and shone like silk and his eyes were fogged over, indicating his blindness.

 

“It will be mine!” the demon gnashed his teeth and quickly flew towards Kagome.

 

“Don't you dare touch Kagome-chan!” Jakotsu said as he leapt in front of her. He took out his katana and brandished it at the demon, “I'll cut off those pretty wings of yours now, handsome.”

 

“Do you really thing a pathetic little boy like you can stop me?” the bat snarled as he swooped towards the cheeky fifteen-year-old. Jakotsu parried his attack but as the group was concentrating on the bat demon a speedy jackrabbit demon managed to zoom past them and he grabbed Kagome, whose resulting scream deafened her friends for about a minute. By the time they realized what happened Kagome had vanished from sight.

 

“I do not wish to hurt you, youngling, but I will if you do not forfeit the Jewel to me.”

 

“But I don't have any jewel! Take me back to my friends right now you stupid rabbit!”

 

The rabbit snarled and its eyes suddenly began to glow red with fury it took out a spear as he hissed, “You will suffer for your defiance!”

 

Kagome was thrown to the ground and looked up in horror at the rabbit that was inches away from impaling her before a giant hand grabbed the rabbit in midair. A giant ogre with lots of sharp teeth and beady eyes stuffed the rage-eyed demon into his mouth and chomped down, making Kagome feel relieved and sick at the same time.

 

“Rabbit flesh is such a satisfying taste,” the ogre grumbled as he licked his lips. Then he squinted and looked down to where Kagome was, “And what sort of demon are you?”

 

“I'm not a demon! I'm a girl! That stupid rabbit stole me away from my friends!” Kagome said, scared for her life. Would this ogre eat her?

 

“A little girl, eh?” the ogre asked, “I hate the taste of kid-flesh, personally. I'll take you back to your friends and with luck some stupid demon will attack and I'll have a second course.”

 

“Really? Oh thank you so much, sir,” Kagome said, gratefully, “Even if you are an ogre, you're the nicest one I've met.”

 

The ogre laughed long and loud enough that Kagome began to feel angry and humiliated, as he wiped tears of mirth from his eye he said, “Ogre? That's not what I am, little girl. I'm a human, just happen to come from foreign stock. Not sure which country though. I forgot my real name awhile ago but I call myself Kyoukotsu.”

 

Kagome laughed and said, “Maybe you should travel with me and my friends. Their names all end in `kotsu' too. My name is Kagome.”

 

The two walked in the darkness together for a little longer when Kagome hear her name, “Kagome!”

 

“I'm over here Bankotsu!”

 

When everyone reached her Kagome was startled when Bankotsu pulled her into a hug, “Kagome I was so worried about you!”

 

“I'm okay now, Bankotsu-kun. This is Kyoukotsu, he saved my life.”

 

“How did he do that?”

 

“He ate the demon that kidnapped me,”

 

Bankotsu straightened up and made himself look important. “As leader of this Band of Mercenaries I thank you and will allow you to join us if you wish.”

 

“I travel alone, kid,” Kyoukotsu began to say but the bat demon from earlier swooped down.

 

“GIVE ME THAT JEWEL!” Kagome screamed when she fell over but Kyoukotsu grabbed him out of the sky and ate him (to Suikotsu's open disgust) before saying.

 

“On second thought, you need someone around to control all these demons. I'll stick with you.”

 

END CHAPTER FIVE

 

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