InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Challenge Destiny Movie Madness: July - Thriller/Horror ❯ Cursed ( Chapter 10 )

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

Originally posted to Challenge Destiny on July 3, 2012 for Movie Madness July: Thriller/Horror.

Title: Cursed
Prompt Name/Prompt List/Ficlet # : The Last Unicorn – July - #10
Author: ananova
Rating: T
Genre: Admin's Genre- Thriller/Horror
Universe: Canon
Word Count: 700
Summary: Inuyasha and Kagome encounter a beautiful creature while investigating mysterious deaths at a village. The unicorn couldn't possibly be involved, could it?
Warnings: Minor Language

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Kagome stared at the majestic white creature. “Beautiful.”

Inuyasha silently agreed. He'd never seen anything like it.

The village headman followed their gaze and, as if a spell had been broken, the unicorn turned and fled. “Yes, they are magnificent creatures. They used to be very numerous around here.”

“Used to be?”

“They started disappearing, around the time our troubles started.” He sighed. “Come, let me show you where you'll be staying. You have no idea how much we appreciate you coming to look into these deaths.”

Inuyasha and Kagome exchanged a look. Could whatever was responsible for the tragic deaths also be responsible for the unicorns' disappearance?

Once alone, Kagome voiced her question.

“Don't know, maybe.” He frowned. “But I've never heard of anything attacking a unicorn before. They are such pure beings that killing them carries a great curse. Even the most vile of youkai would think twice before doing so.”

Their conversation was interrupted by screaming outside. Grabbed their weapons, they raced outside to find scared villagers surrounding a dead body. Kagome gasped, looking away.

Inuyasha frowned, carefully examining the body. It had been gored by something. His keen eyes narrowed on nearby hoof-prints. After the headman shooed everyone away and made arrangements for the body, Inuyasha pulled Kagome aside, explaining what he had seen.

“But what could do that?”

“As hard as it is to believe, I think that unicorn might be responsible.”

Her eyes widened. “But you said they were the lightest of creatures! Why would a unicorn attack a village?”

“Don't know, I've never heard of anything like this.” He shrugged. “Unless... you don't think it could be  possessed by a tainted shard?”

Kagome shook her head. “I haven't sensed any.”

More screams sounded outside. Another body was found. Inuyasha frowned as he took in the angry looks on some of the villagers' faces. To him, it was obvious that they knew something. “Come on,” he urged Kagome, deciding to follow the tracks and get to the bottom of things.

He frowned when the tracks ended abruptly at an old burned-out barn. “What?”

“Hey! What the hell are you doing out here?!”

They turned to see a few of the angry villagers. “Keh! I followed the tracks out here, trying to track  whatever's killing your fellow villagers.”

“Ain't nothing out here! All the attacks have been happening in the village! I suggest you concentrate your search there!”

Inuyasha growled, getting angry. But before he could say anything, something dark burst from the barn.

It was as black as a moonless night with blood-red eyes. But it's defining feature was not the horn on it's head but the fact that it was obviously dead, it's flesh rotted through with large gaps in its body. It was joined by several others, quickly tearing through the villagers before turning their attention to Inuyasha and Kagome.

They tensed, hands grasping their weapons when a white blur burst out of the woods, inserting itself between them and the creatures. The black creatures flared their nostrils before turning, heading toward the village.

The unicorn turned to them, shaking it's mane and heading back into the forest. Inuyasha's eyes widened in realization while Kagome remained confused. “It saved us?”

“Shit,” Inuyasha cursed. “Come on, we have to get out of here.” He threw her onto his back, racing into the forest after the unicorn.

“What? But the villagers! We have to help them!”

“It's too late for them. I told you about that curse that comes from killing something as pure as a unicorn. That's what those creatures were. That burnt-out barn? Their livestock must have died there so they began hunting the unicorns for food. Stupid idiots. Those creatures will kill everyone around until all involved are dead and they've been avenged. There's nothing we can do, the idiots are cursed.”

Later, they watched from a distance as the village burned and the creatures faded away. They turned to leave, not noticing the child standing in the trees outside the village, chewing on a strip of meat.