InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Chained ❯ Fire and Trust ( Chapter 49 )

A\N: This chapter was came out nothing like what I wanted or expected. It was supposed to focus on Amaya a bit and maybe Miroku, but instead it went in the direction of two entirely new characters! Thus the plot is thickening even more against my will, and I really gotta stop this, cause I’ve already got so many things to deal with in this story... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!

...

*Takes a deep breath*

Okay, I’m better now. ^_^

-candace - Lol, you know me too well don’t ya? There’s actually a number of different ways I could go about getting them out and the captured again or something. The question is will I? ^_^ Guess we’ll just have to wait and see! ^_^

-Lady Orange - Well that’s what I’m trying to get across, but there’ve been a few people commenting that I make them come off as gay. Lol, still it’s nice to know that some people get it. ^_^

Haven’t done this in a while, so, just to be on the safe side:

I DON’T OWN INUYASHA OR ANY OF THE OTHER CHARACTERS FROM OR ASSOCIATED WITH THE ANIME\MANGA\MOVIES AND MAKE NO MONEY OFF OF THEM. All the OC’s are mine though, so I do lay claim to them, but again I make no money off of them. This applies to the entirety of the story. ^_^

Well, that’s it for now-- Hope everyone enjoys this chapter despite the confusion of it...   ~*~   Fire and Trust

Amaya bit her lip in agitation.

Something wasn’t right.

This was going way to easy.

Then again, getting Kohaku out had been easy enough as well, she supposed, so why should this be any different?

Still, she didn’t like it.

Naraku was cunning usually-- he should have had some sort of security besides the bumbling idiot demon guards.

Pulling the dark cloak more tightly about her, she carefully hoisted the monk into a more convenient position in her grasp (thankful once again that her powers offered her not only mental but physical strength as well, because the guy was not nearly as light as Kohaku had been) she slipped out through the courtyard and off toward the rocky outcrops of cliffs that surrounded the castle.

Miroku let out a weak grunt and Amaya narrowed her eyes sharply at him (not that he could see it, since she had placed a sleeping spell upon him to ease the pain that would come with the movement).

She frowned as she blinked against the darkness of the surrounding night that even her eyes couldn’t pierce and lowered the hood of her cloak, brushing back one of the sleeves so she could draw out her tiny charm of light around her neck that would allow her to actually see where in all the seven hells she was.

They were hidden by cliffs now, but Amaya did not allow the light to shine too brightly-- they were still too close to Naraku’s castle to risk it, and she did not want to be caught like this (although, thanks to the cloak, to any outside whom might have seen her, she looked like nothing more than a head and a hand surrounded by a sphere of light in the night).

She heard the small grunting noise to her left, and spun quickly around to face it (a difficult task while still carrying Miroku) before letting out a slightly annoyed but relieved sigh when she spotted the two-headed dragon that was Ah-Un.

Sesshomaru was already proving himself useful in the battle by letting her use Ah-Un since the horse youkai could not always be present-- the stallion had to protect his herd after all, not to mention trying to rally some of the other herds from farther away that would no doubt prove useful in upcoming battles.

‘A battle can be won or lost-- it all depends on who is fighting it and how they plan to win.’ Her old sensei’s voice rang in her head, and she snorted even though she knew the wisdom in the words.

If two armies of equal strength and number face one another off, one could easily be put at a great disadvantage if the other had even only a few mounts while they had none.

And, since horse-youkai rarely let themselves be rid, chances are Naraku would have to use regular horses instead (or jewel shards). But then again, Naraku would probably recruit things like winged-dragons as steeds instead, so that hardly mattered.

Quickly she made her way over to the two headed dragon, sliding her cloak of invisibility off as she eased Miroku up onto the dragon’s back, letting it fall to the ground in a whisper like a silken shadow where it all but disappeared into the night.

Un turned to look at her and Miroku and let out a small groaning noise.

‘That’s all there is for now.’ She said, slowly beginning to understand the youkai’s strange tongue. ‘I will have to get the other’s out sometime later.’

‘Does that mean that we can go?’ A female horse youkai with large sapphire eyes and a black coat with (of all things) a blue mane and tail asked as she stepped forth from the shadows. Amaya had encountered her a few times on her visits to the fire-youkai herd and had come to the conclusion that she was one of the highest ranked females of the group.

‘Not yet, Kazkaen.’ She thought back to the youkai a slightly smaller stallion youkai stepped up behind her, his coat as well a black midnight, but his mane and tail were deep orange and his eyes shined red like Kagura’s.

‘How long until we can leave?’ He asked, his tone not unlike that that Inuyasha’s sometimes took on and Amaya cocked an eyebrow at him. ‘I still have to fetch the small neko and kitsune, and then you can take them to Lord Sesshomaru. However, I’m afraid I will need both of you, sine I plan to visit the Lord as well.’

The two looked at each other, their breath hot enough to fog even on this fairly warm night, speaking to one another in their own language that Amaya did not understand.

By the looks of things, the young stallion was not happy with what the mare was saying.

Shaking his mane in agitation, the stallion put his ears back and drew away from the mare, whose mane glowed slightly brighter in annoyance as she turned to look back at Amaya.

‘You’ll have to forgive my son-- he is more than a little impatient sometimes.’

Amaya cocked an eyebrow. ‘He is your son?’ She asked, and Kazkaen shook her mane in assent. Amaya frowned and looked after the stallion, who was currently hiding somewhere in the shadows where she could not see him.

‘But I thought you were mate to the lead stallion.’ She said, turning back toward Kazkaen. ‘He looks nothing like him.’

Kazkaen snorted. ‘I am mate to no one. Gouka is a fine leader, but I have already had a mate in my life and I shall not take one again.’

Amaya frowned at her. ‘I was not aware that horses mated for life.’ She said.

Kazkaen snorted again. ‘Normal horses don’t always. But most youkai, no matter the breed, take on mates for life. We are one of those youkai. However, after Arron was born his father was killed. I shall not mate again.’

Amaya, after taking a minute and figuring out that Arron must be the young stallion looming somewhere behind his mother, asked the only question that really remained unanswered, not entirely sure why she was so curios in the first place.

‘Who was your mate?’

Kazkaen lifted her head slightly, her presence taking on a slightly haughty air as she flicked her tail and proudly said ‘His name was Araji.’

Amaya’s eyes instantly widened in surprise. ‘The Araji?’ She asked ‘The horse youkai that defeated the serpent-youkai Lord?’ She asked. After all, it could be wrong. There were a few horse youkai named Araji. However, the one she spoke of was far stronger than those ones, and was usually dubbed Kaji no Koden by all who spoke of him.

And, of course, it was an ancient tale of the fire youkai that had taken on the mighty snake demon and destroyed him-- the youkai that had set the very clouds afire when he raced through the skies, and who had mysteriously disappeared several years ago. The one who Naraku had raved about his powers repeatedly and spoke of exactly how useful such a youkai could be to him.

‘The very same.’ Kazkaen said proudly, lifting her head even higher, her eyes sparkling like emerald flames. ‘Unfortunately he is dead now, but he was strong in his time and produced a strong son to carry on his legend.’ She said, gesturing back toward her son.

Amaya frowned as something (presumably Arron) shifted in the shadows, and stared at the ground thoughtfully for a moment.

However, Ah and Un were growing impatient, and they grunted next to her, jolting her back from her thoughts.

Nodding her head to them that they could leave, they watched the two-headed reptile haul back and the shoot off into the air, leaving small imprints in the ground where his feet and pushed in when he had taken off.

Amaya watched him out of sight before turning back toward the youkai, her face reverting back to serious once again.

‘I must go.’ She said aloud, moving back and quickly grabbing her cloak. ‘I will bring the kitsune and neko to you. Wait for me until I come back.’ She said, before pulling the cloak around her shoulders and melting once again to become part of the night.

The two youkai blinked at her sudden retreat and then Arron snorted slightly in anger.

‘Why’d you tell her that, mother?’ He asked in annoyance, and Kazkaen looked back at him. ‘Why should I not have? Are you so ashamed of your father’s history?’

Arron (lacking the ability to narrow them) made his eyes kindle brightly with anger. ’That’s not it and you know it! How do you know if we can trust this ningen sorceress?’ He asked accusingly. Kazkaen was silent for a moment before saying softly ’Gouka trusts her--’

‘But he was also captured by her! His judgement is not at it’s best at the moment, as you well know. She is still a human after all. Do you think she will not tell someone what you have said? And then what? What will we do when other discover us? Do you truly think we can trust all these humans?’

Kazkaen remained silent for a moment, staring calmly at her angry son.

‘That is a risk I am willing to take.’ She said. Arron stared at her a moment, and then snorted in disbelief, turning his back on his mother and walking into the shadows. ’You will have to trust someone eventually, Arron. You can’t be bitter toward everyone forever.’

Her only answer was silence. ~*~

Glossary

Youkai - Demon

Kazkaen - Wind Blaze (OC)

Neko - Cat

Kitsune - Fox

Gouka - Hellfire (I don’t know if I made it clear, but he’s the stallion who’s normally helping Amaya) (OC)

Arron - Wild Theory (OC)

Araji - Wild Fire (OC -- and we probably won’t hear much more about him. Just a passing character.)

Kaji no Koden - I’m not sure if I got it right, but I think this means Fire of Legend. ^_^

Ningen - Human ~*~

My apologies to anyone who found this chapter confusing-- I’m not trying to do it! I honestly had no control over this chapter, so I just hope you could figure it out... Please, any questions don’t be afraid to ask... I don’t think I managed a coherent sentence throughout this entire chapter, so it’s more than understandable.

I was actually a little iffy about keeping this chapter the way it is considering how many open questions it could lead to when it really doesn’t have such a big impact on the story at all...

Oh! And Next chapter should probably have Miroku and Inuyasha (though I’m not sure how much communication there’ll actually be, considering how weak Miroku still is...)