Precious Lies
Chapter 1: Storms Will Race In
Disclaimer: I don’t own InuYasha or the characters. They belong to their creator Rumiko Takahashi. It was created purely for enjoyment and is not being used to make any money.
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It was all new to him. Every painful, torturous sensation was a completly foreign despite his centuries of experiences. Oh he had felt pain before, deep soul reaching, agonized pain but never so constant or as complete as he had suffered this day. Past pain had been due to injuries received in battle and they were often quickly ignored or recovered as his immortal body healed.
Now he was learning new pains, each with their own torturous flavor that ran poisonously threw his nerves into his brain. Pure, heavy leaden exhaustion weighed down his limbs; his muscles protesting each movement, each step as he dragged his shuddering body forward. The uncontrollable spasms that racked his form were both painful and disconcerting. He couldn’t understand their meaning or purpose but he knew a body shouldn’t shudder as his was.
Freezing rain pelted the naked flesh of his back, seeming to slice into his skin like frozen blades. He had never imagined that cold could burn. Each droplet stung against his skin and he felt the knifing cold all the way deep into his bones.
His strength suddenly flagged and he staggered, falling into a tree. The rough bark tore at his flesh, scrapping it open to release a new flare of unexpected pain into his already overwhelmed senses. His trembling knees gave out and he slid down the wood to the forest floor. Panting softly, he rested his head wearily against the damaging bark.
The pain in his stomach increased in a sudden echoing flare to draw his attention to the cramping of his muscles. It felt as if some beast where inside him gnawing at his entrails. A new tremor rocked his body and he surrendered to the desire to release a small, pathetic sound announcing his pain, the pitiful whimpering groan escaped his throat as he drew his knees to his chest.
He tilted his head back and took one last desperate sniff of the cold, bitter air only to have to repress the flare of panic that raced through his entire being. There was nothing. He could not smell the rich, earthy scent of the forest, the sharp icy smell of the rain hanging in the air; he couldn’t even taste the tangy, metallic scent of the blood that was running down his shoulder. Without his sense of smell he was wandering blind. Swallowing his pride he was forced to except the fact that he was indeed completely lost.
Moving his hand to the markings on his chest he snarled in feral rage. He would not let this curse defeat him. He was Sesshoumaru, the great taiyoukai, Lord of the west. He would NOT die in the body of a mortal human. He would not allow such shame. He would not fail even if the only thing he had the strength left to do was to battle to keep from falling into the oblivion of unconsciousness.
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“And they all lived happily ever after.” Kagome’s soft voice whispered in the dimly lit room. Closing the book of fairytales she lay it down on the floor beside her futon. A soft smile tugging at the corner of her lips as she looked down at the two little bundles tucked tightly to each of her sides.
It was moments like this, snuggled in the cozy warmth of blankets with her small makeshift family that she felt truly content. She felt that all she had been through, all she had sacrificed had been worth it for the life she now had. It was true that the small kitsune boy and the human girl that clung to her in their peaceful slumber where not her own children but that hadn’t mattered at all to the three of them.
They had needed each other, and threough the strangest twists of fate they had come together to form bonds that could not be broken. As she smoothed a lock of dark hair ou of Rin’s face she thought of the life she once believed she wanted and almost laughed. Fate was an odd and fickle thing but Kagome was glad for that now. Kissing each slumbering child’s forehead before pulling the blankets up around them she laid her head down letting her eyes slowly fall closed. The soft rhythm of the early spring rain beat a gentle lullaby on the roof of Kaede’s hut, lulling her into a comfortable doze just on the brink of pleasant unconsciousness.
Just as she sank into the delightfully welcome embrace of contented sleep a loud knocking rocked the door to the hut. Her body flinched violently out of her half conscious state, muscles jolting as she sat upright. Small half-asleep whimpers of protest came from the little bundles snuggled tightly against her. She whispered soothingly to them as she wiggled out of her blankets drawn to the desperate banging on the door.
“Miko Kaede?! Lady Kagome?!” a man’s pleading shout interrupted the pounding. The voice was strained with worry a sound that immediately set Kagome’s nerves on edge.
Stumbling to the door before Kaede could even rouse her old creaking body from her futon, Kagome yanked it open not knowing what tragedy to expect this late in the night. Her eyes widen at the sight of three men standing on her doorstep, one hanging limp from the shoulders of the other two. An eerie dark cold flowed over her coming from more than the icy rain outside. Something dark and sinister radiated off the unconscious man, the dark tendrils of an evil aura lashed across her spiritual senses.
Kagome stepped aside, despite the foreboding that hung like a stone in her gut, allowing the two men to drag their burden into the warm dry hut. All three men were soaked to the bone and shivering from the fridgid rain.
“We found him in the forest, naked and unconscious.” One of the men somehow got out through chattering teeth. He blushed under his wet bangs obviously uncomfortable to be standing before Kagome bare-chested. His kimono had been gallantly sacrificed to cover the injured man haning limply at his side. “He must have been waylaid by bandits.”
As soon as their burden was lowered to the floor they stepped back to allow the two women to inspect the fallen man. He was deathly pale, his skin was almost white looking stark against his dark hair. Slow, rasping breaths escaped his blue lips each on sounding painfully forced. His long black hair was tangled and matted with mud and twigs. Kaede reached her hand out and placed it against a pale muddy cheek; the grave look in her eyes told Kagome everything she needed to know.
Her years of trial and tribulations finally showed their rewards in moments like these as the young miko sprung into action. She had faced death in the form of both injuries and disease time and again. With almost no though she moved about the hut seeing to what would be needed for the long night ahead.
Behind her Kaede clucked her tongue and Kagome cringed. The man must be very sick for even the old miko to be so concerned. It was going to be a very long, dark night. And Kagome wasn’t sure how bright the morning was going to be.
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To be continued..
A/N: The first chapter to my first serious series. I hope you enjoy it. ^_^
Thanks again to my wounderful beta Crescent Dreams
Terms:
Miko – priestess
Taiyoukai –great demon
Kitsune - fox