FicWad

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and associated characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.

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Chapter 15

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Kagome was concerned as she watched Kitamura tap the number into his cell phone; his face was ashen and sweaty, and he still hadn't recovered his breath. She wondered if he needed a doctor. The strain of all this might be too much for him. Maybe she could get him to sit down in the shrine office, and they could call from there...but no, his phone was connecting after all-



Abruptly she felt the atmosphere change, like the gust of wind preceding a storm, and she froze, everything else fading into the background. It felt as if...something, a hostile, malicious presence, was slowly sweeping by, only the barest edge touching, lazily circling. And while it only brushed by her now, the next time she would feel the sudden bite of fangs, tearing her flesh, killing her... She shuddered as a chill raised the hairs on the back of her neck. In the wake of that frisson was a torrent of fear, not her own-and the crawling certainty that there was something very, very wrong with Michiko.



She came back to herself, shook her head to clear it, but the sense of urgency and desperation remained. Kitamura was staring at his phone, puzzled. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Inuyasha and Yasei, both looking tense. Did they feel it too? Inbe was watching Kitamura curiously. "Inbe-ojiisan." She edged closer to him, speaking softly. "There's something wrong with Michiko. We have to go. Now."



"Eh?" He glanced at her, eyebrows raised, and she noticed that Yasei had moved toward him on the other side. The young kitsune hissed in his ear urgently, and the priest's expression changed, from mild surprise to shock and dismay. What had Yasei seen or sensed? Or Inuyasha? She looked over at him; he was staring at her now. Their eyes met, and he nodded. It definitely wasn't just me...



In the background she could hear Jii-chan trying to help Kitamura with his uncooperative phone. "I have some tools in the shed, Kitamura-san...a couple of whacks with a hammer might get it going..."



Inbe straightened, his face grim, as Yasei finished his whispered conference, the kitsune bouncing with nervous energy and obvious anxiety. "Well, that does it. We'll go as soon as you're ready, Kagome. Kitamura-san, some directions, please?"



"You're going now?" Forgetting his phone, Kitamura jumped to his feet, inexpressible relief on his face. "The place is in the mountains near Ome, in Saitama. The closest village is Kiwazasu..." He drew out some papers, one of which turned out to be a highway map, and a pencil. "It will take some time to get there..."



Kagome didn't stay to listen further. She was sprinting for the well-house, and her bow. As she ran she tried not to feel discouraged, but she knew that Ome was quite far away indeed. She despaired of getting there in time. She still felt that current of fear, and somehow knew it to be Michiko's; it tapped against the edge of her mind like the fluttering of a moth against a windowpane, desperately trying to escape...



"You heard it too?"



Inuyasha was pacing her easily; she darted a puzzled glance at him as they reached the well house. "Heard what?"



"That youkai bitch from the hospital...the voice came out of the phone thing."



"What?" Kagome skidded to a stop and stared at him. "You mean, just now? I didn't hear anything!"



He stared back at her. "Then what the hell lit the fire under your ass?"



"A-a feeling." She shuddered again in memory. "Something dangerous, coming close. That Michiko's in trouble and there's no time to lose."



He snorted. "Dammit, then what the hell are you standing here for? Get your damn arrows and let's go. You're not going without them." He glowered at her.



She grinned, and turned to hurry down the steps of the well house. She grabbed up her bow and quiver, checking the number of arrows and hoping they would be enough.



They ran back to the front entrance of the shrine. She tried to think if she had forgotten anything. It felt so odd, to go out after a dangerous youkai without the support of their other friends, but she felt steadied by Inuyasha's presence. Glancing over, she saw that his expression was set, as usual, in irritation, but even that was reassuring, and she smiled to herself.



They reached the stairs, where Jii-chan awaited them. There was no sign of Kitamura, and Kagome hoped that he had been taken somewhere he could rest. Mama was down at the bottom, assisting Inbe to descend the last few steps; Souta was with them, bouncing in excitement.



"Kagome, I have some ofuda I want you to take. The designs have been passed down through many generations in our family, and should be of use to you." Jii-chan withdrew the paper seals from his kimono and held them out to her. "I made them myself, of course," he added proudly. Inuyasha tapped his foot impatiently and sighed loudly.



She looked around anxiously as she accepted the ofuda. "Where did Yasei go? We've got to hurry if we're going to catch the next train out..." And how are we going to be able to hurry while we have Inbe-ojiisan with us-



"Oh, you won't have to take the train," Jii-chan said blithely. "Inbe has a car. That's where that young assistant of his has gone, he's bringing it around front right now."



"Let's go." Abruptly Inuyasha grabbed her and hustled her down the stairs; she was able to briefly turn and wave goodbye to her grandfather as they clattered down headlong.



Down at the street Mama was saying a few words to Inbe. When they reached her she turned to Kagome, and smiled, a little tensely. "Be careful, dear. Both of you."



Inuyasha snorted at that. "Ah, don't worry. I'll keep her safe." Mama beamed at him, and he colored a bit, looking away.



At that moment a car pulled up to the curb, stopping with a screech of hastily-applied brakes and a cloud of diesel exhaust. Inbe winced, and all three of them coughed. It was an elderly Mercedes-Benz sedan, and Kagome could see Yasei at the wheel. He threw the emergency brake and got out, darting around to open the front passenger door for Inbe. "You can put your stuff in the trunk, it's unlocked," he said to Kagome brusquely as he assisted the old man into the seat. "Do we need to stop by the shrine, sir?" he asked Inbe, a bit more respectfully.



"No, Yasei. I have emergency implements in the trunk for this kind of circumstance. We can go straight to Ome from here, and then find Kiwazasu." He paused. "Though I do wish I had some sakaki branches."



"Those grow in our courtyard, Inbe-san--I'll get some!" Souta sprinted up the stairs.



"Are you sure you don't want to stop at home, sir?" asked Yasei doubtfully. "If it's just us..." His eyes flicked to Kagome and Inuyasha, and back to the priest, his lack of confidence in them obvious.



"We'll be fine," Inbe replied calmly. "And I asked Mrs. Higurashi if she would call the shrine for us and let them know where we are going." He nodded to Mama with a smile.



Kagome had moved around to the trunk and laid her bow and the quiver of arrows in it carefully. Inuyasha had walked around, surveying the vehicle doubtfully.



"We're going in this thing?" he sniffed.



"It's faster than the train," she said. "I hope. It does look like an older car."



He frowned at her. "Is it safe? I could take you-"



"It should be fine, Inuyasha. I think it will be the quickest way to get us all there." If it doesn't break down./ /"I hope we don't run into a lot of traffic."



Souta, running headlong down the steps with a fistful of sakaki branches, skidded to a stop at the bottom, panting. He handed the pile through the window to Inbe, who accepted them gratefully, and then the boy stepped back to stand next to his mother on the sidewalk. Kagome smiled at them went around to the back passenger side door and slid in.



"Do your best, Kagome!" Mama's eyes were suspiciously bright.



"Aw, Mama. She'll be fine with Inu no niisan!" Souta grinned up his hero, standing next to him. For Inuyasha had not followed Kagome into the car. He was frowning at her from the sidewalk, his arms crossed. She scooted over and patted the seat invitingly.



"Come on!" Yasei yelled. He and Inbe were in front and belted in; he gunned the engine impatiently, producing another cloud of exhaust. Inbe looked over at his driver reprovingly.



"Yasei, don't waste gas like that. It's not helping." He turned and spoke out the window to Inuyasha, who if anything looked even more stubborn, and was glaring angrily at the kitsune. "Inuyasha, please get in. We need to leave as quickly as possible to avoid rush hour traffic."



"Inuyasha, come on." Kagome said urgently. She reached out, grabbed his sleeve, and yanked. He was surprised enough to let her pull him forward. The kitsune snickered under his breath.



"Keh." Inuyasha gave the kitsune a final glare, and then climbed the rest of the way into the back seat, a bit awkwardly. Kagome reached across him to close the door, pressing against him as she did so; he grunted softly in surprise, and she looked up at him with a little grin. I'd better get his seatbelt too, she thought, but before she could even say anything the car jerked abruptly into motion, skittering sideways into traffic, and with a little shriek she slid into him, both of them pressed against the door.



"Hey, what the hell are you doing, asshole?" Inuyasha yelled. Yasei was weaving through traffic at a high rate of speed; Inuyasha grabbed her before she could slide away across the seat when Yasei abruptly turned a corner. She saw with a wince that he had dug his claws into the leather seat in a secure grip. Hope Inbe-ojiisan won't be mad about the damage. But then he lets Yasei drive this car...



The kitsune was grinning like a maniac. "We're in a hurry, aren't we? Just trying to get out of Tokyo as soon as possible."



"We won't get anywhere fast if the police stop you for speeding," Kagome gasped. "And you're going to break this old car, driving like that!"



"I'm going to fucking kill you if you don't stop this shit, fox!" Inuyasha looked ready to climb over the seat and throttle him.



Yasei chortled. "The cops won't even see us. I'm a kitsune, you know." He spun the steering wheel violently as he took another corner, tires squealing. He apparently never touched the brakes. At all. "And this car may be old, but it's in great shape. I could take this on the Autobahn with no problems!"



"Yasei is a little too fond of watching Formula One races on television, but he is a good driver. Please don't be alarmed," remarked Inbe from the front seat. "At this rate we will be able to get on the highway shortly and be able to make good time to Ome." He was examining the map that Kitamura had given him. "I'm afraid that it will be dark before we get to Mrs. Shibutoi's house, though. It's quite off the beaten path."



They were now on a straight road heading to the highway on-ramp, and picking up speed; Kagome took the opportunity to buckle herself in. She looked over at Inuyasha, still gripping the seat, and took his hand. "You okay?" she murmured.



He gave her a little glare. "Why the fuck wouldn't I be?" He was still gripping the seat with one hand, claws dug in, and he pressed hers with the other. He leaned back casually, even as the car skidded up the expressway ramp, bouncing roughly over some uneven pavement.



Once on the highway the ride smoothed out, despite Yasei weaving around the other cars on the road at high velocity. Kagome tried to relax, leaning back into the seat. She glanced at the scenery whizzing past, then looked toward the mountains looming in the distance. In the front seat, Inbe was still examining the map.



"How long will it take us to get there, Inbe-ojiisan?" she asked. The urgency she felt had not abated; it beat against her consciousness relentlessly.



Inbe looked back at her. "At the rate Yasei is going, probably about thirty minutes to Ome. But then we will need to drive into the mountains, and it appears that at least some of the roads up there are not paved." He pursed his lips worriedly. "And I hope we don't lose any time to getting lost."



"Just get close enough, and I'll be able to get the scent," said Inuyasha. His face was pressed against the window as he stared out at the metropolitan area they passed through, and she saw his nose wrinkle in disgust. "Assuming it stinks less in the mountains than it does here."



"Hey, that reminds me-you probably want the window open, don't you Inu-san?" Yasei smirked, and hit the button for the power window. The window closest to Inuyasha opened and immediately wind roared through the car, nearly snatching the map out of Inbe's hands. Inuyasha, his hair whipping around wildly, stuck his head out, his expression curious, before he recoiled, coughing.



"Close that! It fucking smells even worse here!" he snarled.



His demand was echoed by both Kagome and Inbe, protesting the blast of exhaust-laden air. Still smirking, Yasei closed the window.



"I thought dogs loved open car windows," he chortled. Kagome gave him an icy look as she tried to put her hair back in order, but gasped when Inuyasha gave him a whack on the back of his head.



"Ow!" the kitsune yelled, and the car swerved.



"I. Am not. A dog. Get it, you stupid fuck?" Inuyasha had hit him several more times before Kagome could grab his arm.



"Not while he's driving, Inuyasha!"



Yasei freed a hand to rub the lumps rising on his head, and scowled in the rear view mirror. "Yeah, not while I'm driving, shithead! You want to get us all killed?"



"Only one of us," Inuyasha grumbled, but settled back in the seat.



"All right, you two, that's enough," said Inbe mildly. "We need to think about fighting the creature possessing Michiko, not each other." He looked over his shoulder to the back seat. "Kagome, when I agreed to take on this case, I had thought it would be simple and straightforward. I've since begun to revise my assessment, but I need more information. I was hoping you could tell me what exactly happened at the hospital. Kitamura-san was not there, and what he could tell me seemed...garbled."



She slid a sideways look at Inuyasha. "I don't know how well I can explain it, but I'll try."



Tokyo receded in the distance as she recounted her first meeting with Michiko; how she had managed to shield the girl and herself against the creature possessing her, and its destructive reaction, as well as Inuyasha's part in repelling it, since the hanyou seemed content to let her talk. By the time they were nearing the exit to Ome, Inbe had extracted through skillful questioning more details of the incident than Kagome thought she remembered. He was particularly interested in the lines of power that she had severed with her shield.



"Interesting," he remarked. "That's something I've read about but not seen."



"Did I do it right?" Kagome blurted worriedly. "I hope this isn't all because I did something wrong."



"No, no," he soothed. "You did very well, Kagome. But I think that you were also fortunate that the link was weak, due to the demon being so far away. I think we will have to be very careful on its home ground."



"So what's the plan?" she asked.



"If we have time, we should find out more information about the house itself for clues as to what sort of monster is penned in it. Perhaps some locals can tell us its history, and we can devise a plan from there."



Kagome bit her lip, and leaned forward, placing her hand on the back of his seat. "But, Inbe-ojiisan. I don't think we have the time. Every minute feels worse and worse." It feels like despair, and she's so scared... "Why do I feel like this?" Beside her, Inuyasha frowned, clenching his fists, but said nothing.



Inbe said seriously, "I'm not sure, Kagome. Probably you formed a connection with Michiko when you helped her the first time." He patted her hand reassuringly. "I know time is precious, my dear. We'll get to her as fast as we can."



They were pulling off the expressway into Ome, and Kagome peered out the window. She had never been out here before...at least not in this time. The town was nestled in the foothills of the mountains; the sun had already set behind them, and the sky was darkening. Yasei sped somehow through streets crowded with traffic, and at Inbe's direction began climbing a winding road up.



The entire way from the shrine they had driven through the unbroken development of the Kanto Plain, all part of the greater Tokyo metropolitan area. Only now did the houses become farther and farther apart as they climbed up into the forested heights, which seemed dark and uncanny in the gloaming.



Kagome fidgeted in her seat as time ticked by; she knew from a brief look at the map that they would be wending their way across the folds of the mountain range and they had a ways to go yet. Yasei had actually slowed down, but there was no help for it. The road here was narrow as it ran along a ridge; in the fading light she could see a sheer dropoff below them, and shuddered. Inuyasha had figured out how to get the window down himself and sniffed the much cleaner mountain air, eyes narrowed with concentration.



A long time after the last house had gone by, they reached the end of the paved part of the road. It ended at a small roadside shrine that showed little sign of activity. "Inbe-sama? Do you know where we are?" Yasei asked. He had stopped the car as he regarded the dirt road ahead of them doubtfully. It was unmarked and apparently deserted. Ancient cedars crowded close to the verge, their overhanging branches blocking what little light there still was. Early evening mist was beginning to appear, floating in patches across the road ahead



Inbe was now studying the map by the light of a small flashlight. "I think so. Keep following the road." Yasei went forward, slowly, but picked up some speed when the road appeared to be fairly smooth and well maintained. He had to slow only for sharp switchbacks as they ascended higher.



They drove on for a while without seeing any sign of habitation. The light had entirely disappeared; Kagome worried that they might miss the house. All she could see were the trunks of trees, and the darkness beyond.



But as they turned yet another blind corner, they were all surprised to see a figure, outlined by the headlights, trudging by the side of the road up ahead. Inbe sat up straight.



"Pull up to him, please. Hopefully he will know the place we are looking for."



Kagome could see that the figure appeared to be a man, wearing what appeared to be robes of some kind. "Who do you think he could be?" she asked.



"A yamabushi, from the looks of it," Inbe replied, his eyes intent on the man. "It would make sense on a wild mountain like this."



They pulled up to the figure, still walking forward with no sign that it had noticed the car, and Inbe leaned out the window. "Excuse me," he said politely.



The man stopped, turning his head slowly to look first at Inbe, then at each individual in the car. He said nothing, and Kagome was struck by his odd appearance. Swathed in loose robes, he appeared slightly hunched, but his face was even stranger. Even in the cool white glow of the dome light inside the car, his face appeared flushed and red, but he didn't appear exerted. His nose was oddly long; he stared down along its length at them with black eyes that glittered in the light.



"We are looking for a residence that is somewhere near here," said Inbe, staring up at the man keenly. "It was purchased recently by a family named Shibutoi. Do you know of it?"



He said nothing, and merely stared at Inbe, his face blank. The moment stretched. Inuyasha, irritated with the delay, leaned forward. "Oi!" he barked. "You deaf or something? He asked you a question." Still no response, but Kagome thought she detected a change in expression on that strange face. Amusement? Or anger?



"Please, sir," Kagome blurted. The face pointed at her. "We need to find it. A very old house. Someone there is in trouble and we have to get to her quickly."



The man gave her a measuring stare, his face clear of all expression once again. He finally spoke.



"Go ask at the temple." His voice sounded harsh and rasping. "It is not far." He pointed further up the road, but the only thing visible in the reach of the headlights was a steep incline through the forest. Abruptly he turned, and left the road, walking into the woods. In a heartbeat there was no sign of him among the dark tree trunks.



"What a weirdo." Yasei was frowning.



"Hm." Inbe was looking at where the man had disappeared. "I don't suppose we could have expected much." He shook his head, then turned to Yasei. "There is a temple marked on the map, so I have a good idea of where we are, now. Go ahead, we shouldn't be far."



The road twisted around several more bends, becoming rougher and bumpy with tree roots and rocks, but still navigable. Shortly they saw some light glimmering through the trees, and then a building appeared ahead of them.



It was a small, slightly shabby Buddhist temple. They pulled up to the gate, parked and got out; Yasei left the headlights on, as the illumination from the temple was feeble. Kagome scanned the temple grounds uncertainly as she stepped from the car. It looked deserted, and creepy in the dark. It was utterly quiet here, but for the sound of the wind soughing in the branches. No sounds of life at all. She noticed a small cemetery to one side, wisps of fog threading through the stones, and shivered.



Inbe was ahead of them; he walked through the gate to the entrance to the temple, calling out to see if anyone was there. He knocked on the front door with his cane, and called several more times. On his last call the door opened, and a short, round monk appeared. He looked rumpled, as though he had been sleeping in those robes. His face, initially irritated, gave way to surprise when he saw Inbe, and the monk bowed respectfully.



"Sorry for the delay. Temple visiting hours are between dawn and dusk...but if you're travelers needing help-" he said, squinting at them in the glare of the headlights.



"We are not here to visit the temple," said Inbe. "I am sorry to disturb you, but we have an urgent errand and need some information and perhaps assistance. We are trying to find the Shibutoi residence. It's an emergency."



"The Shibutoi residence? You mean the old manor?" The monk paled, startled. "The place is cursed!"



"So we've heard." Inbe smiled slightly.



The monk scrubbed his face with his hands, as though to wake himself up, and walked out towards the car, Inbe following. Once out of the direct glare of the headlights he peered at the three others, his face anxious.



"That place is dangerous. Very, very dangerous." He looked back at Inbe. "Are you sure you want to go there?"



"Of course we want to go there! Why the hell else would he ask you?" Inuyasha snorted. Kagome saw him sniff, suddenly distracted, and he looked off further down the road.



"I have been asked to perform an exorcism at the house," Inbe went on, eyeing the monk narrowly. "Can you tell me where it is, and something of what we might expect there?"



"An exorcism." The monk twisted his hands together nervously. "Be very careful, priest. It's no ordinary youkai sealed in that place."



"Well, spit it out. What the hell is it?" Inuyasha asked irritably.



"A very strong youkai," said the monk. He was sweating now. "A powerful demon that was sealed there hundreds of years ago. Many monks died before it was defeated. This temple was established here to help maintain the seal, and that is what we have done. For centuries the monks stationed here have maintained and strengthened the shields to keep it in. Or we have, until recently."



Inbe moved to a bench near the cemetery, sitting with a grunt. "What happened recently?"



The monk edged closer, still wringing his hands and regarding Inbe worriedly. "I don't know how the title to the property came to be available, apparently some mixup in the district office or the capital. But then again, I don't know why someone would want to buy it!" He flicked a glance at the rest of them before looking back at Inbe, regarding him from the bench. "That Shibutoi woman was warned by everyone around here, but she still insisted on moving in." He shook his head. "So foolish."



"Where is the house?" asked Kagome, clenching her hands in impatience. They must be close...Michiko's fear was nearly palpable. They needed to go on!



"If you keep following the road, it will go over the ridge directly to the house. It overlooks the next valley," he said, pointing up the road. He turned back to Inbe. "As for what you might expect, well. It's hard to say now. Ever since that woman bought it she has refused any of us entry. I haven't been able to get in to apply fresh ofuda in weeks." He gave them all a wild look. "What's happening there now? Who called you here?"



"Tell me more about the youkai," asked Inbe, his voice calm and even.



The monk let out a breath. "The story is that a great monk and his followers fought a great battle against a powerful demon that they had trapped within the house. It was a stronghold then, not really a house; the youkai had killed the lord and all his retainers. The monks managed to seal it there, in one of the walls, at the cost of all their lives. This cemetery is their memorial," he said, pointing in the direction of the graves.



"And what do you think is happening in there?" Inbe asked.



"I don't know." The monk shivered. "I just hope that crazy woman hasn't tried to remove the seals!"



Inbe looked at the rest of them. "It's not much to go on, but I think we cannot take any more time." He looked back at the monk. "Would you accompany us? Perhaps Shibutoi-san will allow you access now."



The monk retreated a step. "Uh, no. I will need to make a, a phone call or two. Maybe I can follow later."



Inbe cocked an eyebrow at him. "Are you sure? We can give you a ride over..."



"No, uh, it's a short walk!" He backed up, then turned and hurried for the temple. He called over his shoulder, "Good luck!" before disappearing inside. They heard what sounded like a bar being thrown across the door.



Silence, for a moment; Kagome stared at the door in dismay. Suddenly there was an outburst of crows calling in the treetops. Kagome looked up, but couldn't see anything in the darkness, and the cawing receded as the crows moved away. They must have been disturbed by the noise, she thought, frowning. But when she looked down she surprised a worried look on Inbe's face.



"Let's go, children," he said, and moved to the car. "Quickly."



"Some help," Yasei grumbled as he climbed back behind the wheel. They all got back in, Inuyasha last. He hesitated for a long moment, staring up the road, before getting back to the car.



"Did you smell anything?" Kagome asked him anxiously when he slid into the back seat.



"Yep. That bitch-scent, it's over the ridge," he nodded to the road forward. He sat forward, not tense, but watchful.



"Be careful, Yasei," said Inbe. He definitely looked concerned now, Kagome thought, as the kitsune wheeled the car around sharply and sent it forward, gravel flying, towards the ridge and presumably the house. It was completely dark now; the road turned and twisted its way up, making it difficult to see around the next bend. The left side of the road appeared to verge on a ravine or a steep dropoff.



"I always am, sir!" said Yasei, not slowing down. "Haven't I always-"



At that moment what appeared to be a huge animal, bigger than a horse, leaped into the road just in front of them, opened a mouth wide with sharp teeth and screeched. Yasei swore, slammed the brakes, and jerked the wheel around violently, but he couldn't stop in time and had nowhere to go. The huge trunks of trees loomed on the right side, and to avoid hitting them he made a panicked swerve to the left, sending the car over the edge.



Kagome screamed as the car struck something and rebounded with a sickening crunch, and began to slide down the incline. The headlights revealed that they were heading down a nearly vertical drop to a deep gorge far below, and she clutched the car seat in panic.



"Shit! I knew this would happen!" Next to her, Inuyasha angrily slammed his arm against the car door on his side. It popped off with a squeal of tortured metal and he was gone. Abruptly the car jerked to a halt, seeming to float above the ravine.



"I thought you could fucking drive, asshole," Inuyasha's voice came up from underneath the car. Kagome let out her breath and relaxed her death grip as the car was carried back to the road and set down with a small bump. He was standing beside the car, Tessaiga drawn, and was scanning the area warily. "You all right, Kagome?"



She murmured a reassurance as she crawled out, shaking a little. Yasei had gotten out immediately and was inspecting the underside of the car with a flashlight. He frowned fiercely. "Damn, the driveshaft's broken. That's it." He got up and gave Inuyasha a sulky look. "I can too drive, shithead. When I don't have giant things running out in front of me."



Inuyasha snorted. "And you a kitsune. That thing didn't have any scent, stupid. It was /fake/."



Kagome was assisting Inbe out of the car; he looked shaken, but unhurt. "Are you alright, Inbe-ojiisan?" she asked, looking him over.



"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you, Inuyasha, for saving us." He shook his head. "I hope the house is not far, because we will have to walk."



"I'll carry you, Inbe-sama," said Yasei, looking contrite.



They got their things out of the trunk, Kagome her quiver of arrows and her bow, and Inbe directed the kitsune to pack up his implements. Inuyasha put Tessaiga away, and motioned Kagome towards his back. "Let's go," he said impatiently.



"Thanks," she said, climbing on. "Though we're already really close."



"Thought you were the one in a hurry," he grunted, and took off.



I am, she thought. Michiko's fear was so close now, it throbbed like a pulse. Hurry./ Hurry. Hurry./ She clutched Inuyasha's shoulders as he bounded past Yasei, loading up Inbe and his equipment. "Kagome--!" she heard the priest call. She waved behind her distractedly but didn't look back.



They were not far from the top of the ridge. As they came over they could see light, fairly close, and the lights of a village far down in the valley. Cautiously following the road, they saw a couple of lamps marking an unpaved driveway entrance. The lamps partially illuminated a clearing, and at the end of the drive the dark bulk of a large building loomed.



A ditch and the ruins of an old wall encircled the property. The building appeared to be an old manor house, familiar to Kagome from her journeys in the feudal era. Not quite a castle, but something obviously built to take advantage of a defensive position here near the top of the mountain. It was in very good shape for a structure that old.



The trees pressed in on the crumbling wall, but within it the land was cleared but weedy. The house was mostly dark; there was a faint glow in the window, as if there was light in a back room, mostly obscured.



Then Kagome looked up, and caught her breath. Taller than the surrounding trees, the form of an immense black fox rose above the house, outlined in the eerie green glow of foxfire. Nine tails were arrayed behind it, spread in a peacock display. It looked down on them with eyes that glowed fiery red, burning with rage and hatred.



Inuyasha heard her gasp, and followed her gaze.



"Crap."





TBC

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Yamabushi//: ascetic mountain priests and warriors.