Trails of Pain and Love

Chapter 3



"Sango, you take the one on the left, I'll take the one on the right." said Miroku as he prepared his staff for battle. The first wolf was obliging him by leaning forward, his claws slashing through the air as he sought to take off the monk's head or slash his body into pieces.



"That leaves me with the pitiful demon in the centre." remarked Sesshomaru dryly as he prepared his claws, leaving his sword un-used in it's sheath. Clearly he thought that he could handle what appeared to be a weak enemy with his claws alone.



The first wolf attack Miroku, only to be beaten back with the monk's trusty staff. Having hit the creature several times over the head with his staff, he removed several sutra charms from his robes and threw them onto the demon. The wolf began to howl as blue flames leapt up to engulf him, and the wolf fell to the ground, covered in blue flames and not moving.



The second wolf attacked Sesshomaru head on, and the demon lord smirked at it's stupidity as he cleaved the wolf through with his claws, leaving three large gouges in it's chest and stomach area. The wolf collapsed to the ground in a heap and lay not moving as blood leaked from it's wounds to stain the grass.



The third wolf jumped up into the air for a descending attack against Sango, both of it's claws held out and wide, seeking to cleave the demon slayer in half in a descending attack. With a yell, the tajiya threw her bone boomerang weapon, and struck the creature in it's side. The creature fell to the ground, and was soon enveloped within a cloud of deadly poison powder. The wolf coughed once, then twice more before also collapsing.



"Hardly worth the bother." remarked Sesshomaru, as he looked at the bodies in disdain before flinging the blood off of his claws. He had started to turn and walked away when a voice stopped him in his tracks.



"I wouldn't celebrate just yet..." came the voice from the wolf that he himself had struck down. The man-wolf began getting to his feet, and as he did so his wounds began to heal at an astounding rate. In addition to him, the other two wolves were also getting back on their feet.



"Hmmm...." was all Sesshomaru had to offer in the way of words, but as far as thoughts went...'Perhaps these demons will present a good fight after all.'



* * *



"Ohhh....Inuyasha...how I miss you so..." sighed Kagome one last time, touching the tree in a sign of another farewell as she prepared to head back into town. It was getting late, and she didn't want to be outside of the castle walls where some demon hunting the shikon jewel could come after her.



Kagome stood and turned around, and immediatly jumped backwards into the tree.



There, standing in front of her, was what appeared to be a human male, swathed in robes and a hood, with a sinister looking grin plastered on his face.



"The pain of loss, so tragic is it not?" said the newcomer in a voice that bodered somewhere between sympathy and sarcasm.



"Who are you, what do you want?" challenged Kagome, her sudden fright being rapidly replaced with anger. How dare someone watch her and then mock her for her weeping!



"I want something, that belongs to you, although I doubt you know what it is." the newcomer was openly taunting her now.



"If it's the shikon shard that you want, you'll never get it, not so long as I'm alive!" Kagome bravely declared, fearing though that she had sealed her death sentence by saying so.



"By the way, my name is Amaru. Sorry for not introducing myself earlier. And It's not the shikon jewel that I want, it's you." he said, his taunting voice gone and replaced by one with a cold demeanour about it.



"M...me?" Kagome stammered, suddenly very confused and more than a little worried about the situation that she was in.



"Yes, little miko. I shall have your body, and your soul." he said, his teeth gleaming in the moonlight as he smiled from ear to ear.



"The hell you will." Kagome retorted in response. With the words finished, the battle could begin in earnest....