InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Darkangel ❯ The Aroma of Vengeance ( Chapter 2 )

AN: Yay! Finals are over!! Now I can write! And also, thank you for your wonderful reviews. Makes my ego happy which makes me happy. ^^

Disclaimer: Don't own it...and most likely never will...

"I chose her as my bride. It is a great honor."

"It is death."

The Darkangel

By: Renko-chan

Chapter 2

* * *

"Who will kill the vampyre?" said Kagome, softly. The vigorous sound of her voice surprised her. She was kneeling beside the wide, low windows of the empty chamber. It was night outside, dark and still. Her mouth tasted bitter.

She remembered many hours after the sun had set, and seeing old Kaede along with some other servant women murmuring over her or moving quietly about the darkened chamber. Kaede had laid a cool, damp gauzecloth on her forehead as long hours passed. And then, she remembered Renko's mother, the syndic's wife, bursting suddenly into the room. All the servant women falling back deferentially and uncertainly before their mistress, who came to stand over Kagome, white-faced and screaming.

"So she's awake, now, huh? Why wasn't I told? My daughter is dead now because of you, you worthless bitch!"

The woman's hair was disheveled, her thin cheeks tear-streaked, and her kimono rent with mourning. Her dace above Kagome looked like Renko's, only older. She held one long finger at Kagome. "Why couldn't you protect my daughter? You should've given your life for your mistress." Renko's mother's chest heaved in a sob. "Why couldn't the vampyre take you instead of Renko?!"

And then a sharp crack of the woman's hand against Kagome's cheek erupted, so sudden that tears sprang from her eyes. There were startled murmurs from the servants, and the syndic hurried into the chamber, pulling his wife away. "Come off, my dear. You shouldn't make such displays of grief. You demean yourself in front of mere serving-women..."

Then Kaede's great bulk bend over Kagome and fingered her stinging cheek gently with murmurs of "There, there, child."

Kagome beside the window stared out into the night. Since her recovery, she had kept away from Renko's mother as far as she could. She then thought of Renko, the mistress she had served almost since before she could walk. She recalled it vividly.

The aristocrat's young daughter pointing her out to her father at the slave fair twelve years ago, begging him to buy that one, that one. Renko, who had been her constant companion since - more friend than mistress, though a proud and a high-handed friend. Her only friend.

Kagome signed bitterly. Now everything had changed. With his daughter dead, the syndic would be planning to sell Kagome soon - she had heard the servants' whispering in the halls - his wife demanded it. Kagome thought of the slave fairs in Osaka: bids and shackles, confinements, blows. Here in the syndic's house, Renko had always protected her.

Kagome pulled her tangled thoughts away from selling and slavery, and tried to think of other things. The village poets and minstrels were already beginning to sing of the syndic's unfortunate daughter, kidnapped to be the vampyre's bride. Yet with all their singing and moaning in all the fortnight since, not one of Renko's friends or family had stirred a step to climb the steeps again and confront her murderer.That is not justice, Kagome raged silently in despair.

Holding the icarus' great black feather up before her face, she opened her eyes and stared at it. Its dull darkness absorbed and nullified the white lamplight.

"Someone must kill the vampyre," she breathed, as to the feather, "so that Renko is avenged."

"There is no vampyre," said Chiyako gently, her only friend in the small empty room. She sat behind Kagome, combing her hair - carefully in back where her head was still tender.

"Then what is this?" demanded Kagome, twisting around. Her hair caught in the teeth of the comb and pulled sharply. Catching Chiyako's hand in hers, she ran the old woman's long, leathery fingers over the feather.

"I don't know," hissed Chiyako, quietly. Her voice was always soft and hiss-like, nothing like Kaede;s deep-sounding tones.

"You don't know?" insisted Kagome. "What does it feel like?"

[AN: Chiyako's blind. I think.]

Chiyako signed and groped for the comb hanging tangled in Kagome's hair. "True, Kagome, it does resemble a feather - but it cannot be. Perhaps it's a leaf or a flower of some mountain plant no one has ever seen before..."

"Chiyako!" cried Kagome.

Chiyako stared straight ahead and said softly, "There are no birds even half as large. Birds have rose, or pale blue, or subtle green feathers. Yet you say this thing is black. There are no black birds."

"It isn't from a bird," said Kagome evenly.

"There are no vampyres," Chiyako said with infinite patience and firmness, "just as there are no mudlicks or water witches."

Kagome turned her head away and held her tongue. Chiyako had been always been this way as long as she had known her. Sometimes she wore an eerie look that told she was in the mood for tales; and sometimes, her eyes would seem to clear up a bit, and she would scoffed at the, all as nothing but lunacy.

Now Kagome wished Chiyako had not found her. She wanted to be by this window, alone in her thoughts. She felt Chiyako beginning to run through her fine black hair again.

"The air is thin up high on the steeps," she said. "Fatigue can trick your eyes. Perhaps there was a landslide, and Renko-sama fell - I don't know." The comb pricked and pulled at Kagome's scalp. Chiyako sighed. "You mustn't feel bad, my dear Kagome. I know it wasn't your fault."

Kagome stiffened and stared at her. Chiyako seemed to be listening, but Kagome saw no one in the room,

The old woman spoke softly, "Renko-sama was not the easiest lady to serve." Chiyako pulled a few of Kagome's hairs from the comb. "But she admired you in a way - did you know that? How you took her mother's every blow never without a sound. But the other younger servants would fly into sobs of tears every time they were slapped..." Chiyako fluttered her fingers to let the freed hairs fall. "She admired you every much. Did you sense that, your mistress's admiration?

"What do you mean?" demanded Kagome. Chiyako's words astonished her. Renko admired her? - a lowly servant girl? Impossible. "I loved Renko, like a sister."

"Don't say anything to me," hissed Chiyako softly, "or I won't say anymore." She found Kagome's chin with her hand and turned it away to face straight ahead. She spoke almost beneath her breath. "Everyone believes you, you know - but they hold their tongue. The syndic believes you or he'd have beaten you for the truth."

Kagome felt the comb part her hair.

"They went up into the steeps with candles - have you heard? - looking for the place. They didn't find anything, though - no wonder. You can't see a thing by earthlight and candles." The comb tugged at a tangle in Kagome's hair. "They did find a few more of those leaves - feathers, or whatever they were. You were smart to strew them about. The body will have fallen all to ash by the time the sun's up."

Chiyako's voice had hushed to a mutter. She laughed quietly.

"You're much cleverer than I took you for. And there much be a great deal of spirit more in you than you've ever shown. Tell me, did you plan it, or just seize the opportunity? At sunrise, you can take me up and we'll hunt for the bones."

Kagome stared at her. Her throat went tight. All of a sudden, she wanted Kaede. She wished Chiyako had never come. "You'll find no bones," she choked. "The only bones you'll find are of things that have died long years ago."

Chiyako continued combing her hair, unconcerned. "You don't need to be afraid," she said. "You can trust me." Her voice was full of pity. "I know the circumstances - the altitude, a sip of horn liquor: those circumstances can make anyone a little mad."

Kagome jerked away from her. "I didn't" she said. "You think I killed Renko, and I didn't. A vampyre came and carried her away."

Chiyako shook her head. "There is no vampyre, dear Kagome."

"There is!" cried Kagome through clenched teeth. Furious rage welled in her against the icarus, against Renko's faithless family and friends, against Chiyako and her soft, slippery words. The feather crumpled in her hand. "There is."

"No, there isn't," said Chiyako firmly. "Now let me comb your hair."

"No," whispered Kagome as she backed away.

"Everything is alright," crooned Chiyako with compassion. "I understand how you must feel. Haven't I told you? I killed someone dear to me once, too."

Kagome looked at Chiyako with the same horror that she had felt up on the mountain, and remembered one of the ghastly tales Chiyako had once told her, all alone, in secret. It was nothing like the silly, soothing old nurse tales of Kaede's. It wasn't even like the other tales Chiyako herself had ever told. For that story, she had sworn utterly, had really happened - and to her.

Chiyako sat, comb in hand, near where Kagome stood, and gazed at nothing, her eyes bright and filmed over, blind. Kagome shuddered and shrank away from her.

"What's wrong?" asked Chiyako, turning her high-held head a trace. "Come here, my dearest."

"No," Kagome whispered, falling back another step.

The madwoman reached for her. "Come here, I want to comb your hair."

"No!" cried Kagome and she fled out of the room.The black feather fell from her hand as she ran out. She scrambled out of the room, unheeding the angry shouts that followed her.

She found Kaede in the spinning room, hunched over in one corner, nodding off to sleep. Her spindle lay fallen over on the floor, its fine wool thread began to unravel as her fingers relaxed. The other women spun and chatted, ignoring the old nurse.

"Kaede-baachan," cried Kagome, falling down beside her. "Kaede-baachan."

Kaede sputtered and half-woke, sat a moment blinking. She then reached her arm to enfold the frightened girl. "Hm, what's wrong, little Kagome?" she murmured. "More nightmares?"

"It was Chiyako," Kagome cried. "She thinks...She said..."

Kaede woke a little more, and gave a snort of disapproval. "Chiyako, eh? You stay away from her, child - that old tale-twister."

Kagome buried her face into Kaede's soft shoulder and sobbed. "I kill the vampyre," she choked, longing for Renko's company and hating her murderer. "I will kill him."

Her whole body shook. She thought again of the syndic's wife: "Why couldn't the vampyre take you instead of Renko?!" Now Chiyako's words had made her feel more deeply that it was her fault.

The old nurse smiled gently, patted and stroked her hair for a while. Gradually, Kagome's sobs quieted. She clung to Kaede and felt no consolation. The old nurse settled herself a bit more comfortably. She sighed and drifted off into sleep again. The women spun on, unconcerned.

* * *

The climb up the cliffs was steep and Kagome was out of breath, for she was in a hurry. The sun had been barely peering over the horizon when she had slipped away from the other servants at their morning prayers in the courtyard of the syndic's house. They were praying to the Unknown-Nameless Ones. They was the first to fall from the sky in fire to quicken the then dead world into life. Little was known of them and little was spoken of them.

Kagome quickened her pace along the rough mountain trail. No one had seen her leave the village. She only carried a long knife she had stolen from the kitchens and a small sack of provisions. She did not know how long she was going to wait, but she was going to wait unitl the icarus came, or until the food ran out, or until she died. He'll come for sure, she thought, if only I wait long enough. He must come.

Kagome's head was spinning with haste. The dark vast sky loomed above, empty but for stars. She gasped for breathand realized that tears were streaking her cheeks. Her jaw ached from having been clenched a long time, hard.

She scrubbed at the tears angrily and shoved away from the cliffside against which she had rested on. She hurried up the path.

"I'm coward enough without having to cry," she muttered as she gripped the long-knife tighter in her hand. But let him come, she prayed, silent again. Only let him come.

The sun was starting to rise when Kagome had reached the summit. The air was thin and cold and there was no wind. She put her provisions down and sat on the hard rock. Slowly, the sun rose higher into the sky as Kagome started to eat some food and drink water from her flask. Her legs started to stiffen and ache yet she waited.

The sun was sixteen hours into the sky, and yet no one had appeared. Kagome drank the last of the water and threw the flask away. Hours later, Kagome ate the last of her provisions. Now her mouth felt tight and dusty since she was still hungry. Then when the sun was halfway to its zenith, the vampyre came.

He came from the northwest, as before, but this time she saw from a long way off. At first she thought it was just the hunger making her hallucinate. He came rapidly as before. Kagome stood up, shaking a litte. For a moment, she was seized with the desire to run, hide, and escape before he could see her. But there was no mistaking that he had seen her, now that she was standing.

She held her knife up in front of her in both of her hands. He alighted on the cliff's edge, only steps away from her. She felt the wind of his alighting and shuddered, but stood her ground. His wings stilled yet stayed spread. He draped and folded them about him in a way that she could see little of his body and nothing of his face.

"So, you've been waiting me," he said. His voice was startingly quiet, clear, even beautiful - like a deep full-ringing bell despite the pompous and arrogance in his tone. The thinness of the air did not seem to affect his voice at all.

"Hai," said Kagome, and her voice sounded nothing but like a muted squeak. She gathered herself. "Hai, I've been waiting for you," she cried out boldly, but could barely hear the words herself.

"I knew that you would be here when I returned," said the darkangel arrogantly.

"Then you would've known better not to have returned," she shouted, harshly. She started to wonder how hideous the darkangel would look like behind all those wings.

"So, you want to kill me?" his voice asked calmy. His wings rustled, but did not part.

Hatred started to build up in Kagome as she cried, "Yes. You have taken Renko, and I will kill you for that."

"I chose her as my bride," he said pompously. "It is a great honor."

"It is death." Kagome spat, rage choking her.

She heard the vampyre sigh behind his wings. "After a fashion, I suppose, there is a small price to pay."

"And how many have you wrung the price from, vampyre?" she demanded. "How many maidens have you kidnapped for brides?"

Silence followed for a moment, as if the darkangel was thinking.

"I think I have thirteen brides in as those many years," he said, then laughed. "I am a pretty young vampyre."

Kagome gripped the haft of her long-blade tighter in outrage and started towards him.

"Stop," he commanded, his voice was suddenly stern and firm. "You don't have to power, nor the will."

Then he opened his wings, and Kagome found that she could not move for wonder. Before her stood the most handsomest youth she had ever seen. His skin was pale and white as lighting, with a radiance that faintly lit the air. His eyes were clear and colorless as ice with hints of gold near the edges of the iris. His hair was long and silver white. And on his throat he wore a chain of fourteen links that hung little vials of lead.

He was smiling at her slightly, a cruel, cynical but beautiful smile. Kagome felt her knees buckle. The vampyre caught her has she fell and seized the knife from her. As he clasped her to him, Kagome gasped. His body was colder than shadow, so cold she felt the warmth of her own body running away unto his while his own cold invaded her. The air around him was bitter chill, and smelled heavy and sweet as licorice. She felt his great wings buffet around her suddenly, and realized they were flying.

"Where are you taking me?" she tried to say, but he was holding her too tightly for her to speak or even breathe. She felt the windless emptiness above the atmosphere and the darkangel's dozen wings straining in the void. We must be among the stars, she thought vaguely, before the chill and airless dark intruded on her thoughts, and she lost consciousness.

[AN: I was thinking of ending it here....but what the hell, let's just go on for a little more. ^^]

* * *

Her first awareness was of being able to breathe again. He had relaxed his grip. The atmosphere was still thin enough to make her gasp - but she could breathe. The darkangel's wings still beat about her as she sensed the buoyancy of flight. And she was still cold, very cold.

Then she felt them descending. She felt the rhythm of his wings change, and in the distance below, Kagome heard a thin wailing, almost screaming. It grew louder and more terrible as they drew closer to the ground. It became shriller and more raucous. Hoots, shrieks, and howls of hysterial laughter became clearer. The buffeting of his wing-beats grew so fierce that Kagome almost fainted again. The screaming swelled and rose. The icarus touched down and stilled his wings. He abruptly let go of Kagome and she dropped in a heap at his feet.

"Get up," he commanded.

Kagome raised her head and looked around her. They were in the front of a large tower, a tremendously high tower.

Gargoyles sat on the battlements - they were lean and were a hideous damp grey. The looked at her with hollow eyes and rattled their silver chains. They had wings of bats or wings of birds, most of them, and licked their beaks or teeth with forked and double tongues. Two paced restlessly before their platforms; others whined or picked their claws, or groomed their mangy fur or feathers, or lizard skin, or scales.

The nearest one snapped at Kagome. Startled, she drew away from them, pressing closer to the vampyre. He shoved her off towards the spiral steps that entered the tower.

"Come," he said. "They won't attack you as long as you are with me. So don't come here alone."

Kagome looked at him first, at his handsome bloodless face, his colorless eyes, and long silver hair. She had never seen any living being so fair as the darkangel. She glanced back at the starved, ragged gargoyles. They had a sharp stench to them, like rotted cheese, or buttermilk. Kagome couldn't think of any creature foul enough to compare with them.

The icarus paused at the steps. "Are you coming?"

Kagome turned back to him. "I am to be your bride." she said, unquestioning. The certainty of it overwhelmed her.

The darkangel looked at her and then laughed, a long mocking laugh that sent the gargoyles into a screaming, chattering frenzy. "You?" he laughed. "You be my bride? By the Fair Witch, no. You're way too ugly."

Kagome stayed silent for a long moment. "Then why did you bring me here?" she asked at last.

"You're going to be my wives' tirewoman," he said, then turned and began to ascend the stairs. Kagome got up to her feet but did not follow. The gargoyles shrieked ans strained at their shackles. The vampyre halted after a moment and turned to her again. "What's the matter with you, girl - are you coming?"

"I'm not going to be your bride." said Kagome.

The vampyre snorted and his lips curled with contempt. "And why on earth would I want you to be my bride? Surely you've seen that your looks are hardly worthy of me. Look at yourself - there is color to your skin, you can see the blood in your veins. You are scant and scrawny; your hair is a hideous black, and those fig-green eyes...there, have I said enough?"

Kagome looked at his flawless skin that had no trace of blue veins beneath. His hair was fine as filament and platinum fair. Her own hair and skin was dark by contrast. The icarus continued, "However, despite that you are hideous to look at, I have brought you here - you can spin and weave, can't you? You are to serve as my wives' tiring woman. Aren't you delighted?" When Kagome did not respond, the darkangel frowned and folded his arms. "Girl, I do not think you fully appreciate the honor I'm giving you."

Kagome came then, beneath the hard gaze of his disapproving eyes - the menace of his brooding made her flinch - and together they climbed up the stairs to the door and into the castle.

* * *

The castle was large and empty. The vampyre led her from room to room, roomsthat contained nothing but an occasional piece of furniture, which was usually a carved alabaster couch beside a fine silk tapestry, perhaps, and that was all. The icarus looked around him with satisfaction while Kagome gazed around her with dismay.

"Yeah," he said, "They took most of the stuff when they left. This used to be a king's palace, did you know? But the king's son died young, and the king grew old without an heir. Then I came when the king was dying and the land had no one to defend it. So the queen took her people far to the east, across the sea and found a new kingdom. So this is my palace now."

Kagome followed the darkangel through the empty rooms and empty halls. "Do you have many servants?" she made bold to ask at last, now that she hardly feared him, only with a sense of vast insignificance.

"You're the only one," he answered, "I had another tiring maid before you, but she tried to run away. She didn't get far across the plain. I caught her by the hair and strangled her, then threw her to the gargoyles. If you try to leave here, I'll do the same to you."

Kagome nodded hesitantly. Then she murmured quietly, "Which one is my room, my lord?"

"Take any room," he told her, "Find one you like and take it."

"And where are your apartments?" she asked.

"I don't have any," he said, "There is only my bedchamber, there, and it is locked."

He gestured to the right. Through an arched doorway, Kagome caught only a glimpse of an ornately carved door, standing shut at the end of the hall, before the icarus turned down the hallway. Kagome had hurried to follow.

He nodded back over his shoulder toward his chamber door without turning. "I only sleep once a year."

He led her through corridors and stairways. They went through washing rooms, storage rooms, and kitchens that were completely empty.

"What will I eat?" asked Kagome, dismayed.

The vampyre shrugged. "Find your own food, the other ones always did. There's a garden - maybe you'll find something there. I only eat once every twelve months."

"On your wedding night," said Kagome.

The darkangel stood fiddling with the leaden chain around his neck. "I have shown you enough of the castle," he announced suddenly, "Now you meet my wives."

He led her up a winding stair, down a long narrow hall to a little door at the end. It opened to tiny, windowless room with thirteen emaciated women inside. Some stood in corners or crouched, leaning back against the walls. Some crawled slowly on their hands and knees. One sat and tore at her hair and sobbed. All screamed and cowered at the entrance of the vampyre.

"Yeah, they're a sight," he said to Kagome, "but they were all beautiful when I married them. I don't think the climate here agrees with them here. Wives," he said, "this is your new servant. Don't encourage her to run away, or I'll have to kill her as the last one."

The women looked at Kagome in caverns where their eyes would've been. Their starved cheeks were translucent in the lamplight, the skin of their faces were pulled so tight, Kagome could see the imprint of their teeth through their lips. Their arms looked like bird's legs - skin on bone with no flesh in between. They cringed; they trembled. One of them moaned, and her voice was hollow. All their hair were coarse and dry as blighted marshgrass. They are wraiths, not women, Kagome thought suddenly, The soulless and undying dead.

"You must spin for them," said the vampyre, "and weave - nothing heavy, you understand? They are very fragile. Wool or even silk weighs him down so they cannot walk., but must crawl on the floor like crippled beggars. I don't visit often. But when I do, I expect them to be presentable."

"Not wool or silk," said Kagome, watching the wraiths. "Then what will I weave?"

"Find it yourself. Maybe there's something in the garden." He half-turned away, as to leave.

"Which of them is Renko-sama?" said Kagome, her voice had fallen to a whisper as she realized one of these creatures must of once been her friend.

The darkangel shrugged. "You don't expect me to remember which one is which, do you?" Then he left her standing in the middle of the room.

Kagome ran after him. "Wait, where are you going?"

He turned and said impatiently. "Away from you. It's none of your business. You're a servant, and I've spent enough time with you."

"But...what if I need to find you?" stammered Kagome.

"Why would you?" said the vampyre. "None of your duties concern me."

"But...I'll be alone."

"Alone?" laughed the icarus. "You have thirteen mistresses." Then he turned and strode off down the hall, leaving Kagome in the room with no windows, and the wraiths.

>>>End of Chapter 2

AN: Okie, that's the end of chapter 2. ^^

Hopefully, I finish chapter 3 before school starts again.

Oh, and please tell me what you think, so please review.

~Renko-chan