InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Sight Unseen ❯ One Step Forward, Two Steps Back ( Chapter 32 )

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

Thanks to Pyrinsomniac for pointing out a minor inconsistency... here's the chapter, fixed!


Again, real life intrudes on my writing. It's been, what, about 7 months? My muse continues to desert me for whatever reason-- probably stress. I can't sit and get it to flow as well as I could when I started writing. I do have little bits of the rest of the story written, which I am continuing to work from. Please continue to be patient with me. I really appreciate the reviews that come in every once in a while, reminding me that there are still people out there waiting to find out what happens next!

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Sight Unseen

Chapter 32: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back


"_What_ is going on here?"

Only half a dozen or so of the fifty winged demons brawling in front of the large wooden walls glanced up from their fighting in response to the angry voice that called to them.

Half a dozen or so winged demons were sent sprawling to the ground by hefty fists aimed for their jaws.

"I _said_, WHAT is going on here?"

Those left standing clutched their heads in pain as the question was underscored by a mental yell.

Before any of them could answer, part of the southern wall was torn away, a flash of red and silver landing in the midst of the former combatants.

Inuyasha slid to a halt, in one smooth motion drawing Tetsusaiga and brandishing it menacingly before him. Eyes narrowed, he surveyed his surroundings. Winged youkai stared at him from all directions. Some groaned from the ground where they had fallen. Many sported bruises and cuts, though not all of the wounds were visible under the grime that seemed to cover most of the demons.

Kagome's scent was faint under the stench of sweat, blood, and filth that filled the air.

"What's this?"

The unfamiliar gravelly voice drew Inuyasha's gaze to the center of the compound. His gaze darted up and down, left and right, as he attempted to pinpoint who it was that had spoken.

Although it had looked, from further off, as if the large tree behind the crude wooden structure standing before him was growing on the other side of the clearing, it actually housed a smaller hut, similar to those in the windwalker village, high up in the branches.

"So, the hanyou managed to make it past my army?"

Inuyasha glimpsed a faint red gleam among the leaves.

"Keh, what army?" the half-dog demon snorted, watching for any sign of movement up above. "You call this bunch of wimps an army?"

Several of the winged demons nearby bared their teeth and narrowed their eyes.

"You mock me, hanyou? You're sorely outnumbered, even with the humans you travel with. And my cousin there knows he is no match for me."

"Hah. Then why are you hiding up there?"

There was a slight rustling above, though it may have been nothing but the breeze blowing through the leaves. "Hiding? I am merely enjoying the shade."

"What a chicken." Inuyasha wouldn't have heard Shippo's low mutter to Miroku if his hearing hadn't been so keyed for any sign of Kagome. A slight smirk quirked his lips as he waited to see if the other demons had heard as well.

A few of the winged demon's gazes shifted further behind him, indicating they had. But the red-eyed youkai in the tree remained silent.

Inuyasha grew more impatient as the quiet stretched. He needed to find Kagome, not stand here chatting with the coward hiding among the branches.

"What say you, hanyou. Put away your sword and fight like a real youkai. We will have us a little test of strength. If you can defeat each of my strongest followers, I will let you and your party live to see tomorrow."

"Keh. What makes you think I need this sword to win?" Inuyasha called back, as usual unable to resist the challenge.

"So you agree then?"

"First tell me what you've done with Kagome!"

"I know nothing of this 'Kagome' you speak of. Perhaps you should take better care of things that are important to you. You never know, when they become lost, if you will ever see them again."

The demon's chuckling grated further on Inuyasha's already flaring temper. "If you can't tell me where she is, then there's no reason for me to let you live!" he growled, running towards the tree as he tensed for the flying leap that would take him straight into the higher branches.

As soon as he was off the ground, several winged youkai blocked his path.

"I suppose I should take that answer as a 'no', then, hanyou?" the voice mocked. "Too bad, I was looking forward to a little competition. But I suppose now _I_ have no reason to let any of you live, whether you win or lose."

"Damn it," Inuyasha muttered, swiping at the nearest demons as his momentum continued to carry him upwards. Of course, his claws missed their targets, which only frustrated him further. Though he knew his opponents could easily dodge the swing of his sword, he brandished Tetsusaiga in front of him, hoping to clear his way to the one in the tree.

The demons merely moved out of range, not completely to one side or the other.

Inuyasha knew it had been a futile move, but he was growing more impatient by the second. This wasn't getting him any closer to finding Kagome! He didn't need another fight that could allow her captor to take her elsewhere while he was otherwise occupied.

As if the speaker knew his thoughts, the demon hiding in the tree's voice once again carried through the air to his ears. "What's the matter, hanyou? I thought you could fight without that sword of yours? In fact, I think it hardly fair that you have a blade while the others have no weapon. You should let it go."

Pain shot through Inuyasha's arm, making him wince and clench his teeth. Nothing had touched him, yet it felt like many claws were digging deep into his skin. What on earth had happened?

In his distraction, he missed the youkai coming swiftly from behind. The demon slammed into him, knocking him in an arc down toward the earth.

He hit the dirt with a heavy thud.

"Inuyasha!" he heard Shippo call as he struggled for a few seconds to catch his breath. Almost too late, he noticed the three demons diving straight towards him. He quickly rolled to the side, bringing Tetsusaiga up to further block the blow from one of his opponents.

He slashed at the face of the next youkai, trying to gain some space and the chance to get to his feet.

"Hiraikotsu!" The telltale whooshing sound precluded the bone boomerang's flying mere inches from his face, driving the attacking demons up into the air. He wasted no time in jumping to his feet and backing away, risking a glance behind him to see where Miroku and Sango were.

Several other demons were heading for the two humans, seemingly having decided that Hiraikotsu's flight was an open declaration of war.

Inuyasha turned back towards his own opponents, waiting for them to land.

"Tsk, tsk, hanyou. Not only do you need the sword, but you need mere humans to fight your battles for you?"

Unfortunately for Inuyasha, the demon still hiding among the branches above seemed to know all the right, or wrong, buttons to push. "At least I'm not afraid to come down here and fight!" the hanyou called back, raising Tetsusaiga and charging the biggest of the three winged youkai who had attacked him.

Again the voiced called down, just as Inuyasha was once again swinging fruitlessly at his opponent. "Ah, but who says I'm afraid, hanyou? I'm merely saving the best for last!"

The arrogant cackling that followed had Inuyasha wanting to strangle the speaker. He settled for raking his claws down the side of the winged demon he was fighting, gaining a slight sense of satisfaction at finally managing to get in a good strike.

The youkai landed hard on the ground and stayed there, clutching the wounds in pain. With a slight grin, Inuyasha eyed his next targets and flexed his claws. He took the time to put Tetsusaiga back in its sheath while the other two of his three foes came at him from different directions.

At the loss of their friend, they were less confident, and more reckless. Their blows were easier to dodge and Inuyasha managed to put in a few good swipes of his own. One attacker was quickly on the ground, knocked to the dirt and unconscious by a well-placed kick. The other was dispatched shortly after when sharp claws caught the demon square in the face.

Inuyasha glanced around as no new youkai seemed to be bent on taking him down. A few of them were instead heading towards, or already engaged in battle with, his two human companions.

Sango appeared to be holding her own with Hiraikotsu, but Miroku was having a harder time dealing with his airborne attackers. The monk was charging one demon that had temporarily landed, while another came at him from behind. Just in time, he swung his staff, knocking both youkai to the ground, though they jumped to their feet seconds later and came at him again.

"Inuyasha!" Sango called over the sounds of battle as she noticed his lack of opposition. "Go find her! We'll hold them off!"

The hanyou hated to leave the two humans without his help. They could fight the demons off for a while, but would tire long before he would.

But he needed to find Kagome, and here was a chance...

Kagome's scent was so strong, he knew that she was there somewhere, hidden. It reassured him greatly that he still smelled none of her blood, but that did not mean she was not harmed.

"Go, Inuyasha!" the youkai exterminator called again, flinging Hiraikotsu at several demons intent on attacking Miroku.

The hanyou turned away, the sound of wind moving with the beat of wings alerting him to trouble nearby. He faced his newest opponents with determination in his eyes. He was not going to be caught wasting precious moments with any other youkai.

Inuyasha grabbed one demon's leg, swinging it around, and into the other winged demon who had approached, so that they both went flying in the opposite direction.

Any further attackers were delayed as they dodged their airborne companions.

Inuyasha took a moment to scent the air, then charged towards the wooden structure he'd noticed upon tearing through the fence surrounding the compound. Any demon that got in his way was tossed aside as he made a beeline for the opening that served as an entrance. Kagome was in there somewhere; he was sure of it.

One persistant winged youkai, bigger, and tougher-looking than all the rest, continued to attempt to block his path.

He swiped at the demon's tunic, missed, and turned around to follow its flight path. He made another grab for the cloth, this time catching it in his claws. The material easily ripped, and again was out of his reach.

The youkai came at him several times before he discovered a pattern to its defensive maneuvers. He grinned slightly, swiped with his claws, and jumped straight into the youkai's flight path as it dodged away. He lept high enough over the demon's head to catch great handfuls of feathers, and used his attacker's own momentum to somersault and fling it towards the hard earth.

'The bigger they are, the harder they fall,' he thought smugly as he landed near the doorway, glancing behind him to inspect his handiwork.

"Oh, no, hanyou. You're not going anywhere."

Inuyasha swung away from the demon he'd just knocked to the ground, amber eyes widening for a second before narrowing in anger.

"Shiori," he growled, teeth bared menacingly. "What have you done with Kagome?"

The dark-winged youkai that blocked his path into the wooden structure grinned smugly. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Inuyasha unsheathed Tetsusaiga and brandished it before him, causing Shiori to jump back a step. "I _said_, what the hell have you done with Kagome?"

"You'll find out, all in good time. But for now, you stay here."

He took a step forward, the tip of his sword gaining ground on Shiori's throat. "Get out of my way!"

"Temper, temper, hanyou," she mocked, bravely standing her ground.

"Damn it, move!" he yelled, whipping the sword around and charging.

Shiori easily danced to the side, drawing his gaze away from the doorway, where three other demons moved in to block his path.

Inuyasha glanced back, ready to run for the opening, and cursed loudly. He turned back to Shiori, who stood a mere few feet away, though this time she was accompanied by the same male windwalker he'd just managed to get out of his way. Only he'd acquired a rather crudely made sword, more just a sharp, thin piece of metal than an actual crafted blade, somewhere during the past few moments.

"All in good time," Shiori murmured, arms folded across her chest. "For now, your opponent is Ookii."

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The faint, strained mind-voice initially surprised Kagome more than the words themselves. She sat still, brows furrowing. Had she actually heard someone speaking to her? Or was she imagining it, in the absence of other voices? Was it Maruku again? It didn't quite sound like him, and she hadn't heard from him in quite some time...

~Maruku?~ she tentatively questioned, knowing it would be pointless to speak aloud if it was the windwalker, as he would not be near enough to hear her.

~You have... met my brother, then, Priestess?~

Brother? It definitely was not Maruku's voice. But if it wasn't Maruku, then... "M-Morihiko?" Kagome squeaked as realization dawned, her voice sounding extremely loud in the quiet. She fell backwards, catching herself on her arms and vaguely registering a foreign grunt and a thump as the winged demon she'd been helping to support slid from his upright position.

~Yes, I am Morihiko.... and you, Priestess, are in need of your sight.~

Kagome wasn't quite sure how to respond to such a blunt statement. "Um, yes, I--"

~Tell me, what is your name?~

"K-Kagome," she stammered, thrown off by the interruption.

~And why are you here, Lady Kagome? This is not a matter which concerns humans.~

"I-- We--"

~There are more of you here? How did you come to be here? Has Ataru committed further crimes by breaking yet another law?~

Kagome backed away slightly at his increasingly hostile tone. "N-No," she croaked out, clearing her throat. "It wasn't Ataru that brought us here, it was--"

~Someone else has made contact with humans? The laws of our kind forbid it.~

"Then, right now--" Kagome started before gasping and breaking off her trail of thought. It wasn't Ataru, she thought, her mind racing, it was Lady Tamaeri, Morihiko's mate! If he was this angry at the possibility of a proven criminal ignoring the laws, how would he feel about her doing such a thing? And to top it all off, he was currently breaking the same rule himself!

~Forgive me, Priestess, but if it were not for the fact that I am trapped here, defenseless, without your aid, I would never consent to remain in your presence. Humans are known for--~

"Hey! Isn't that a little harsh?" Kagome suddenly yelled, sitting up on her knees and slamming her hands into the bare ground beneath her. "I don't want to be here any more than you do, but we were asked to come and rescue you! The least you could do is be grateful!"

The windwalker emmitted a snort that reminded her of Inuyasha. ~I will never be thankful for help from any human.~

"Arg!" Kagome growled, pounding her fists into the dirt once more in frustration. Lady Tamaeri hadn't said her mate was such a stubborn... stubborn male! "We don't have time for this. We either get you out of here, or we stay until one of them finds us! Which is it? We've been sent to do a job, and right now, my friends are out there, somewhere, trying to get here to rescue us both. If you don't like the fact that you have to put up with a human, then you can just... deal with it!"

Silence followed her outburst. It stretched for several strained minutes, her nerves becoming more on edge with each second that passed.

She was afraid the quiet meant he refused to go with her. She was even more afraid that it meant someone had found them and had managed to sneak in and knock him out while she'd been raging.

"Um, Lord Morihiko?" she began tentatively, and was about to go on when she heard his grudging reply.

~I will go with you, for now.~

"Good," Kagome murmured in response. She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. She needed to be able to think clearly, not let her frustration get the better of her, if she were going to get them both out safely.

She'd managed to lift the winged demon and drag him along before he'd awakened. With him conscious, and making some effort to move himself, getting him out of the building would be much easier.

"Now," Kagome began determinedly, "we need to get you on Kirara's back." She leaned up, feeling along the ground with fingers spread. "I don't know what kind of drugs can affect you demons, but you'll probably need--"

~I don't need the help of a human to pick myself off the ground, Priestess,~ Morihiko interrupted, resentment clear in his mental voice.

The tone reminded Kagome of Inuyasha and his usual tough act, and she responded in kind-- sitting back on her knees and folding her arms across her chest, simply waiting for him to acknowledge the fact that, at the moment, he wasn't at his full strength.

Kagome felt the slight air current as Kirara moved away from her and towards the stubborn windwalker. Some shuffling and scuffling followed in the quiet, as Morihiko seemingly attempted to pull himself off of the ground. He gave a couple of small groans of pain as he used muscles still weakened by whatever drug he'd been given.

A few moments passed before she heard a soft thud, and then the winged demon coughing from the dust kicked up from the floor.

~Perhaps this once... I will accept the aid of a human...~

Without a word, Kagome again searched along the ground, knowing he wasn't far from her. 'He's a little more gracious than Inuyasha, at least,' she thought with a small smile. 'Now if we can just get out of here without any other problems...'