Chapter 22

Aftermath

A bright flare below him was the only warning Koga spied before the rock beneath his feet started to shake. Jerking his sharp gaze back to the cave, he felt every hair on his neck stand on end.

What the hell—?

The rumbling was growing with increased intensity as a crackling energy raced sharply up the young alpha's back. Sucking in a sharp breath, he felt the air burn his nose.

"Koga, get outta there!"

Hakkaku's raw yell snapped Koga to attention. His instincts were screaming for him to run, to leave this place and never look back. Koga trusted his instincts, depended on them, but he couldn't abandon his men to face another threat alone.

The Birds of Paradise were defeated, the King Bird was dead. What else could possibly…?

However, the distant glow in the inner tunnels told Koga the threat wasn't yokai. The growing heat was reiki!

Without a second thought, Koga leapt from the cave, clearing wave of sizzling holy energy engulfing the whole mountain in a blinding blanket that caused the alpha to cover his eyes as his body dropped in the rushing air swirling about him.

It was only by luck that Koga felt the lush snapping of tree-tops catching his fall and caused him to spin in the blurring landscape as he landed on the rocky ground with a grunt.

What the hell had just happened?! Had the hoshi betrayed them at the end?

If even one of his tribe's men was dead because of that human, he was gonna—

"Koga!"

Head spinning, Koga tried to pin-point where the call was coming from. Hakkaku was still yelling frantically but the rushing footsteps sounded like they could be from anywhere.

Why wouldn't his ears quit ringing?

"Koga, you're alive!"

Hakkaku's hard armor slammed painfully into Koga's throbbing chest as a pair of arms wrapped tightly around him. Koga barely had the breath to snarl as he elbowed one of his betas off him, coughing harshly.

"Holy Kami, did you see that?" another hunter hollered to the left.

"It swallowed the whole mountain."

"I can't believe you're still breathing, Koga."

"I'd never seen anything that powerful before."

"What…." Koga huffed out between gritted teeth, "…happened?"

When no-one answered, Koga snarled in fury as his bright eyes swept about the gathering men, red bleeding into his gaze.

"Tell me what happened," he demanded. "Well?!"

"We….saw you defeat the King Bird," Hakkaku finally replied, tone and posture showing caution. "And, then, this wave of glowing power completely covered the mountain. You barely cleared it."

"Did the hoshi betray us?" Koga growled, fists starting to clench in preparation.

Hakkaku shook his head in confusion. "No, Koga. He's been with us the whole time."

"While I'm flattered you believe me capable," a familiar smooth voice replied, causing Koga to snap his gaze towards the human monk standing calmly with a look of slight worry in his gaze. "I'm afraid I'm no-where near that powerful."

Koga didn't feel relieved at the news. In fact, he could feel his panic start to rise with a vengeance. If the hoshi wasn't who made that blast of holy energy then—

"Kagome," he demanded, jerking his eyes about one way or the other. "Where is Kagome?"

Again, heavy silence hung like a stone over-head as none of the hunters dared answer their alpha's question.

Koga's breathing grew ragged as he forced his aching ribs to take in air. She had to be around somewhere. She'd gotten out of the nest, Rokurou would have seen to that. She had to be safe and alive. Then, where was she?

"Find her!" Koga bellowed, causing his men to jump with shaking terror. "Find my woman! NOW!"

SSS

Koga didn't think the fear roiling in his belly could have gotten any worse than when he couldn't find Kagome with his men. Those thoughts were proven horribly wrong once he finally came across a scene that looked like it had been born straight out of his hellish nightmares.

Surrounded by a pitifully small group of warriors, Ginta shook Kagome's still, bleeding form in a desperate attempt to wake her. However, she was as pale and still as the grave.

Koga didn't think, he didn't feel or consider. He merely dropped to his knees by his woman and clutched her tightly to his chest as he struggled desperately to hear her heart beat in her breast, feel her breath against his cheek. Both were terrifyingly faint.

So caught up in how cold his woman felt in his arms, Koga barely registered the rushed explanations of his men.

"Flock surprised us—"

"Hit without warning—"

"…protect her with our lives…."

"…blast we thought would kill us —"

"…shielded us from it…."

"….killed them all…"

Koga resisted the urge to smirk with pride. He knew that had to have been her. She'd saved them all. But, why wouldn't she stop bleeding?

Tears pricked the corner of the young alpha's eyes as Koga forced himself to take breath after breath. He'd killed the King Bird. He wasn't about to let that winged bastard have this victory in death. Kagome couldn't die. He wouldn't let her!

But, she wasn't waking up. She wasn't glowing and healing herself. It had worked before. Why wasn't it now?

"By Kami…."

The stunned mutter had Koga snapping his feral gaze towards the hoshi staring in horror at the scene before him. The alpha felt a black moment of satisfaction at the terror in the monk's eyes. Good! Let him be horrified at the result of his plan. Let him see what's going to bring his death in the end.

"You said, you could handle them," Koga growled as he gently laid his woman back on the ground with the reverence of a priest.

"I did," the hoshi had the honor to admit, not moving from his spot.

"You said, the way would be clear if I got her out," the alpha snarled as he straightened to glare in bristling fury at the monk who'd promised his woman's safety.

And, yet, she lay dying behind him! Agony lashed viciously against the hot anger that caused his clenched fists to shake.

"I did," the monk repeated.

"I trusted you," Koga accused, fangs gritting in self-loathing.

"You did," the hoshi replied, swallowing low. "And, I need you to trust me again."

Koga's laugh was cruel and humorless as he leveled reddening eyes on the tense monk.

"You have some balls, hoshi," he taunted in mocking rage. "And, why should I do that?"

"Because, I can save her."

Every fiber of Koga's being was ordering he take the human's head right then and there, demanding it even. He wanted to kill something. He wanted to howl and snarl and rip with his teeth and claws like the wolf residing within him. He wanted to take every one of the damned monk's calm reassurances and shove them up his ass. But, right now, four words held him still.

I can save her.

Was that possible?

"How?" he asked, the single utterance more growl than word.

To his credit, the monk seemed to have lost his composure, though didn't run.

"What she did was…..amazing," the hoshi breathed calmly. "I could never do such a thing. It would kill me. But, she is still breathing. It's the wound that's killing her."

"Get to the point," Koga warned, the red in his eyes deepening.

"My point, Koga, is she's used so much reiki, there's nothing left to help heal her," the monk explained. "But, I can. I can help replenish her holy energy with some of my own. It will allow her body to heal on more than nothing."

Koga remained still as he tried to grasp what the monk was suggesting. Holy magic wasn't his strength. He was a yokai, for Kami sake!

But, this human was saying he could heal Kagome. He could give her a chance to live. While Koga was hating the idea of another male anywhere near his woman while she's this vulnerable, he didn't see any-other way around it.

The problem was, the den was too far away from here. There was no way Kagome could be moved that much without bleeding out all-over the place. Even Koga wasn't that fast.

"She'll never make it to the den," he replied in a half-whine, frustration roughening his voice.

"She won't have to," the hoshi explained. "Your den is here."

"What?!" Koga demanded, looking towards the peak of the King Bird's nest, their tribe's ancestral home.

"That wave of reiki was pure," the human replied, calmly. "The taint of your enemies is gone. You're home."

"It's true, Koga," Hakkaku quickly added as he crouched beside his brother beta. "The Birds of Paradise's filth is gone. See for yourself."

Koga wasn't sure he could take how much more his Kagome had done for them. That was what she did for the tribe. She'd freed them of the past.

Meeting the hoshi's determined gaze, the young alpha took a deep breath before he tenderly lifted Kagome's form in his arms.

"Let's go," he ordered before heading towards the abandoned caves of his tribe.

SSS

Wiping the sweat from the top of his forehead, Miroku breathed deeply through his nose against the surprisingly fresh scent of air in the dark cave. It had taken him longer than he was comfortable to convince the ookami alpha to leave him alone with the dying woman before him but Miroku was determined to save the priestess' life.

Above his other faults, Miroku considered his greatest one to be his curiosity. He loved to uncover mysteries, whether they be yokai or women. And, this priestess was proving to be the greatest mystery he'd dealt with in a long while.

Even remembering the sudden wave of reiki that had not only killed the enemy yokai but purified the very land itself sent a feeling of inadequate awe through the hoshi. He was a spiritual guide and monk, a protector of humanity against the yokai that wished to harm them. He'd studied under masters and seen some of the purists sites in the land and yet, had never seen anything like that.

And, all in this tiny fragile-looking beauty of a woman. Miroku couldn't let her just die.

Taking a fortifying breath, Miroku peeled back the bloody garment that hid the gaping wound in her side, just above her hip. The gruesome sight made him wince in sympathetic pain. It was truly a blessing she wasn't conscious for this. The suffering would be immense.

Unfortunately, Miroku could also see the attack had also taken a bite out of her; a pound of flesh as it were. The bleeding didn't appear to be stopping soon and already the rank filth of festering appeared to be not that far off. She would probably never be the same again. Miroku just hoped he could heal her enough to save her life.

However, before he could start to search his healing herbs, a bright flash caught the monk's eye. Brow furrowing in confusion, he leaned closer to the wounded woman to spy something in the blood hole of her side. Had a weapon embedded itself in there? Surely one of Koga's men hadn't-

Gingerly lifting the top flap of skin, Miroku was struck dumb by what he saw. Nestled like a gleaming pearl in the center of the wound was a round jewel that flashed in the flickering light the torch provided to the room.

While the sight was strange, what caused Miroku to freeze in trembling terror was the realization that the powerful energy he felt emanating from the woman was pulsing to life right from the gem itself. It was beautiful and terrible and more tempting than anything he'd ever felt in his entire life.

Only one thing was possibly ever able to possess this much power and Miroku wasn't sure if he even wanted to consider the option.

The jewel of Four Souls, the terrifying power that held the desires of human and yokai alike, the greatest temptation this world had ever seen. The Shikon no Tama.

And, this tiny slip of a woman had it inside her?

Before Miroku could decide what he thought of the idea, the jewel suddenly slipped back into the bloody folds of the priestess' skin, a gentle glow struggling to heal the body it inhabited. Swallowing low, Miroku quickly pressed the wadded up cloth in his hands against her side as he forced his thoughts to center.

It all made sense now. The woman, the power that made no sense, the yokai's obsession with her. Miroku didn't believe the alpha Koga was even aware of it. He seemed to genuinely believe to care for the woman. But, everyone knew the stories of how the yokai were drawn to the jewel with a terrifying ferocity.

Nodding in agreement, Miroku came to a decision. He would stay as long as he could. The lady would need his help and there was no way he was leaving her to the alpha Koga's mercy. Even if he believed Koga had the best intentions, there was no telling how he'd react once he found out what the priestess held. Ookami were wild and unpredictable.

Miroku had to keep her safe, and the jewel out of the ookami's hands.

"Hoshi!"

The tiny voice had the monk practically jumping out of his skin as he watched the little kitsune scurry over to him, a bundle of new bandages in his little hands.

"I got the bandages you asked for," the little warrior chirped as he offered his load.

Miroku nodded in thanks.

"That's good, Shipo," he replied in a calm he didn't truly feel. "Why don't you take these old ones and get rid of them for me."

"Sure thing, hoshi," the kit answered as he took the bloody strips.

A final, mournful glance towards the pale woman was the kits last indulgence before he swallowed his threatening tears.

"Help her, hoshi," he half-pleaded, half-commanded. "Just help her."

Without a word, the kit scurried off to finish his task. Miroku watched the little kitsune disappear into the surrounding darkness with pity in his gaze.

"Don't worry," he whispered softly as he looked back down at the still priestess. "I will."

SSS

The stained bandages were easy enough to discard. So long as an animal couldn't get to the blood, what difference would it make if a stray wind caught it or not?

Such a breeze seized a small piece, to toss and flick it sharply through the air and out of the surrounding mountains.

No-one would truly pay the scrap any attention as it flowed like a forgotten spirit through the great expanse of the sky. It was nothing, inconsequential.

It was exactly what he was looking for.

As sudden as a snake, a clawed hand snatched the fluttering cloth from the breeze that carried it as it passed a thick tree.

The same breeze rustled the thick white pelt he kept wrapped about him like armor, shielding him from detection of any he didn't wish to know.

Staring down at the scrap, he watched as it fluttered futilely in his palm; as stubborn as the woman who was just as eager to slip through his grasp. She'd almost succeeded. But, now his efforts were coming to fruition.

Bringing the flimsy material to his nose, he breathed deeply of the familiar scent of human blood crackling with underlying power that was unmistakable.

A cold, almost feral grin spread across his smooth face.

"There you are."

It was time to bring her out of hiding.

Announcement Announcement!

Hello, wonderful readers! Just letting you know, the story is continuing. However, we have reached the end of this story-arch. I will be continuing the next tale in the next installment, The Wolf and The Miko (part 3).

Same rules and characters. And, some new ones to follow. ;) Hope you all enjoy it. Love you all and Review for me!