Kaya's Story (An InuYasha Fanfic)

Chapter 85: The Bird Woman

It took almost a week for me to catch up with the others. The group was sitting around a fire talking about the location of the last Shard. It sounded like they were looking for a new way into the border of this world and the next. I listened from afar because I wanted to get caught up on information. When they had finished that conversation, I came out of my hiding place and continued to their camp. "Good evening, everyone," I greeted. Kagome did something she hadn't done in a while; she ran up and hugged me. I felt like that was a sign she had at least partially forgiven me for lying to her and the others. "I didn't think killing one demon would take you that long," InuYasha stated. I rolled my eyes, "It wasn't just one, it was two. Besides, we have more important matters like getting to the border between this world and the next; and I need you to tell me everything I've missed." The group explained everything I hadn't already heard from them and I found it troubling. As far as I knew, besides the main gate and Hosenki's gems you couldn't reach the Border; unless you were dead of course. Shortly after our conversation, we decided to keep looking for a way to get there before Naraku does.

About dusk, we found a village; hoping to get lodgings for the night. As we got closer, we found the village abandoned and decided to investigate. Miroku and Sango found the first set of villagers and informed us that the villagers' blood had been drained. InuYasha and I found a couple more groups and discovered they were in the same condition. Over the next couple of days, we found several more villages just like the first; all of the villagers were dead with their blood drained. There are several kinds of blood-sucking demons, our resident bloodsucker, Myoga, fled when we found the first village. It took us a while to find a village that hadn't been attacked yet. When we did, Miroku offered our services after InuYasha scared them by telling them the truth. Lesson number one of working with humans: never tell them the truth unless absolutely necessary because they tend to panic. As we were discussing the demons and our 'payment', my ears twitched causing me to stand up. InuYasha stood up right after I did; he had felt it too. Our group rushed outside only to be met with a swarm of large demonic birds. The birds wreaked of human blood which meant these were the birds that had attacked all those villages. Shortly after the birds arrived, they began to screech in unison. A moment later, the birds descended, InuYasha, Kagome, Sango, Miroku and I began defending the villagers. Once the first wave of birds was destroyed, a second one appeared; this group was on fire. The birds crashed through the roofs of several huts, setting them ablaze and causing the villagers to flee outside. Miroku used his wind tunnel and began pulling the remaining birds into the void but had to stop when Naraku's saimyosho appeared. Just then, a female demon, who called herself Princess Abi, appeared; vowing to kill us for killing her birds. She was more than likely working with Naraku. He liked to make bargains; so, he had probably offered her something in exchange for getting rid of us. She attacked us with a large blast of fire. After that, InuYasha sent Kagome and the others to lead the remaining villagers out of harm's way, while we took care of the bird brain. Fire attacks didn't affect us for the most part, so it would be easier for us to fight her. She sent her birds after the group of villagers, but we stopped the birds and she became enraged. She sent a fire attack our way in retaliation but using our wind scar attacks we dispersed it and still managed to send the attack her way. Just before the wind scars struck, a barrier formed around her. A moment later she retreated along with her birds.

The next day, around lunchtime, we were talking about the events that had transpired the day before. Naraku was using this Princess Abi to do his dirty work, but the question is why? He has no use for human blood, which is something Miroku brought up; maybe it isn't for him, but it's for that female demon. "What do you mean, Kaya?" Sango questioned. I had been thinking out loud again. "Well, having worked with Naraku in the past, I know he had to have made a deal with that bird woman to kill us. I don't think the blood is for him; I think it's for her. Unless it's like you said, InuYasha, and it's somehow needed to get to the border between this world and the next," I explained. InuYasha hadn't heard what I said because he and Shippo had gotten into it again. I flinched when Kagome threatened InuYasha with a 'sit' command. InuYasha stopped and we continued the conversation. Miroku and Sango were right, we needed to stop Princess Abi before anyone else gets killed. It's a good thing she smells like her birds.

Another day, another destroyed village. The demon birds had struck again, not a place in the region was safe. Sango suggested our best bet was to find the nest of demon birds, which I wasn't too pleased about. We had been running around in virtual circles for hours now with no new clues; at least until Kagome got our attention. Four villagers had escaped one of the most recent attacks. The four villagers were an elderly couple and a couple of kids who had lost their parents in the attack. The elderly man explained that they were on their way to see "Saint Hijiri, The Holy One". All of us stopped walking when the villagers explained their journey was based on rumors and that all the survivors of the region are probably headed there. Miroku had the old man climb on his back, while InuYasha had Kagome join the older woman on his back. I ran out in front of the group, trying to catch the scent of the birds.