InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ To Bind a Soul ❯ Unrealized Dangers ( Chapter 36 )

Chapter 36- Unrealized Dangers

"So let me get this straight," Kouga said for the third time. "These Fire Pit Snakes are after you, but you have no idea why?"

"Yes," Kagome nodded.

Lunch had been finished an hour ago and now they were sitting by the spring trying to explain the situation to Kouga, emphasis on trying.

"Oh, o-kay. So why are they attacking this area?" Kouga asked.

"I have a theory on that," announced Miroku.

"Oh?" muttered Inuyasha.

"Perhaps when their master sent them, it was in this area we had last resided in."

"It makes sense," agreed Kagome.

"It's a little far fetched if you asked me," replied Inuyasha. "But it does make sense."

"So what are we going to do about it?" asked Sango.

"Hunt them down and kill them all," Inuyasha replied simply.

"Don't you think we should come up with a plan? Do we even know where to find them?" said Kagome.

"I know where their nest is," admitted Kouga. "But I can't ask any of my wolves to follow. It's too dangerous and we are too few."

"Perhaps just a few could accompany us? I need someone to protect Kagome while I'm fighting," said Inuyasha.

"I'll ask two of my wolves, but no more," replied Kouga.

"I don't think we'll need to worry," Kagome assured everyone. "With Tetsusaiga's Kaze no Kizu and Miroku's Wind Tunnel, we'll have no problem defeating them."

Inuyasha snorted. "You sound confident."

"Do I have any reason not to be?"

Inuyasha snorted again. "Whatever bitch. Let's attack tomorrow morning. That will give us plenty of time to rest."

"Agreed," said Kouga.

"Fine. We need to get going now," replied Inuyasha, standing up.

"I'll come to you in the morning. Their nest is in the direction you came."

Inuyasha nodded and helped Kagome to her feet. "We'll see you then."

^_^

Everyone was silent on the way back to Morio's hut. The impending battle the next day was on everybody's mind, and not everyone had Kagome's confidence.

Inuyasha paused and sniffed the air. Smoke. "What is it?" asked Miroku when Inuyasha began to growl.

"Something's burning," he replied. "And I can smell someone's pain and distress. Come on, let's go."

The site that greeted them at Morio's hut was not something anyone expected.

The hut was on fire while Morio and his mother huddled outside in each other's arms. They were surrounded by a crowd of people cheering. Kagome had seen a site like this before, when she and Inuyasha had visited Jinenji, a gigantic hanyou that had lived with his mother on a farm tending medicinal herbs.

The monk Rinji was the first to notice the Pack's presence. "It's the demons!" he shouted.

The crowd of humans turned away from the burning hut. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Inuyasha yelled at them.

"You," Jomei stepped out of the crowd. "It is you who is responsible for those demons. You are a curse!"

The peasants behind him lifted what weapons they had and yelled their agreement. Morio snatched his mother's hand and dragged her around the crowd to Inuyasha. "Everything," he told the Inuhanyou, "Everything is gone."

Inuyasha nodded his head and motioned for Morio and his mother to move behind him. Kagome stepped up to take Inuyasha's hand. "We can try to outrun them," she whispered.

"I am no coward," Inuyasha replied evenly.

"But how are we to fight them? They are human."

Inuyasha looked down to Kagome. "I think maybe we should stop being so discriminate." He smiled a bit for show, raising his voice so all the peasants could hear him. "Perhaps we should not be so discriminate when it comes to the killing of demons and humans. I have killed many youkai for less then what they've done today."

Some of the villagers took a step back and held their breath. Inuyasha could smell the fear radiating off of them. "What are you planning to do?" Kagome asked, the tone too low for any human to hear.

"Just stay behind Miroku and Sango while I scare the shit out of them," he replied in an equally low voice.

Kagome smiled a bit before speaking again. "Some of them will attack us, you can't hold them all off without hurting them seriously. Miroku and Sango won't be able to hold them off either. There's too many."

"Well what do you propose?"

"Could you hold a spirit shield while fighting?" Kagome asked. Ever since the concealing spell Inuyasha had preformed, Kagome had been curious as to what other magic he could perform.

"Not large enough to hold all of you," he replied.

"But if you tapped into my miko energy it wouldn't be a problem," she said excitedly.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow but considered her plan. "Alright. But you have to promise to stay in the shield."

"Done."

Inuyasha smiled before taking a step back from the group and then raising the spell. Everyone gasped at the intensity of the miko energy.

"But how?" Sango was able to mutter.

Kagome smiled. "It was simple. All he had to do was tap into my miko energy, which we've done before, and use one of the spells he already knew. I have power but no control or knowledge of it. Inuyasha has knowledge and control, just not enough power for it to protect everyone."

"Very clever, Kagome-sama," Miroku commended her.

"Well thank you, Miroku-sama. I'm quite proud of myself."

Inuyasha snorted at the comment. "I'm the one that's fighting here," he shouted back at them.

"But Kagome-sama thought of it," Miroku replied.

"I'm the one holding the spell."

"But with Kagome-sama's miko energy."

"Monk, when I get done with these assholes, I'm gonna come over there and kick your ass."

Miroku laughed and shook his head. Inuyasha had already disabled half of the peasants of their weapons, many already scattering and heading back to the village. Soon it was only a handful of monks that remained ofuda in their hands.

"Let's see how you do with this," Jomei spat as he threw the ofuda at Inuyasha.

The Inuhanyou snorted when the ofuda stuck to his haori. There was a flicker of power and then it dissolved in a blue flame.

"What happened?" Jomei choked in awe.

Inuyasha laughed at the look on the monk's face. "Idiot. I'm mated to a miko. Her power can't hurt me, and mine can't hurt her. It just so happens that your energy is similar to hers, only much less powerful and pure. Come to think of it," Inuyasha tilted his head in thought. "You're not even a quarter as strong as Miroku. You're not powerful at all."

"How dare you!" shouted Jomei. "I come from a long line of powerful monks-"

"Well then it must be your own undoing," Miroku said.

"What?"

"A monk or miko's spiritual energy usually depends on the quality of their heart. There are exceptions, but the purer the heart, the more powerful the person."

"You being the exception?" Inuyasha joked.

"I have no idea what you mean," Miroku replied innocently, or as innocently as he could act.

"You've lost," Kagome shouted at the monks.

"Master Jomei?" said Rinji.

"Quickly, let's return to the monastery, we have no hope of winning today."

Inuyasha laughter echoed through the forest as the monks retreated. Kagome had to choke back the urge to giggle. "Mou, Inuyasha, you're making sound all mean," Kagome glared at him.

"It's not my fault you think it's funny the monks are running away with their tail between their legs," he replied.

"Yes it is. It's all your fault," Kagome replied stubbornly.

Inuyasha shook his head and gave Kagome a kiss on her forehead. "You can yell at me later. Right now we have to find a secure place to sleep for the night, and I'm not going to consider Kouga."

"There's a cave not far from here," Morio replied.

Inuyasha looked up and towards the boy. Morio was a sight for sore eyes. He was valiantly trying to keep his head up, his face smeared with tears and ashes. "We'll check it out. We still have half a day," Inuyasha replied.

"Don't worry about it," Kagome told Morio. "Everything will be okay."

"But our home-"

"Don't worry about it," Inuyasha cut him off. "If worst comes to worst Kaede-Baba can find you a place to live to the village."

"She's the miko in your village right?" Morio asked.

"Hai," Sango soothed him. "You'll be fine. Don't worry about it."