Chapter 15 : The Followers



"Inuyasha...don't you think we should tell her now?!" Shippo half whispered his question while in his position atop Kagome's shoulder.

"SHHH!!! Shut up you little rat! We don't wanna reveal our plan too soon!" Kagome rolled her eyes at the male hanyou's arrogance. They had been following Jade for some hours now, morning was on its way. They had seen her walking on from them late that night, Inuyasha had been the first to discover it. They knew well that Jade would not allow them to follow her, so they acquired a mix of herbs and spices that had been blessed by a local priestess that inhabited a nearby village. The mix of ground plants were used to hide their scents, the concoction allowed total odor invisibility from youkai for twenty-four hours, so Jade, was unknown to their following. The forest was becoming brighter, no longer the ominous abyss that it was only two hours earlier. Dew had begun to set into the blades of grass, birds were singing to the approaching sun, begging it to rise further. Most of the stars were now asleep, resting for the appearance they would make later on, when the sun would retire to bed.

"Inuyasha, if Jade needs to find Sesshoumaru, we could help her. We shouldn't be traveling along without her knowing." Sango's outspoken suggestion halted the hanyou, making him realize that this idea should have been thought of sooner.

"Ugh! Fine! You know I could've used this input a little while ago when I had to shut Kagome up from blowing our cover at Totosai's !" Miroku quickly cut in, not wanting a dispute to form between the obvious "couple".

"Well, you must admit, Inuyasha, the news of Sesshoumaru and Jade having a marriage was quite...surprising." Inuyasha only scoffed at the remark of the lecherous monk, "Ha! Surprised that cold-hearted prick had even heard of the word marriage!"


"So, Inuyasha, are you gonna -....do you guys hear something?" Shippo's distorted question was only momentarily confusing to the rest of the group...they soon realized what he was mentioning. A sound was coming from somewhere, beyond the hundred yards from them, where Jade was walking. It soon was discovered to no longer be a sound, but singing. Singing was coming from there...from her, a beautiful, strong voice was emerging from her. It had to be her, she had said the night before that her voice could be used as a weapon, against men, but she was in no danger, why was she singing? The voice, her voice was not all that was among the forest now, other instances were occurring, and seeming to take quite an odd affect on Miroku and Inuyasha.

A smell, no, not a smell, a fragrance. It was a fragrant scent, a lovely odor, her odor. Jasmine and rain, Jade's scent, it was filling the noses of the young men who followed her, calling them. Something else was also stirring... a glow. A soft, pink glow was surrounding the nearby trees and dying grasses, surrounding the male companions. It welcomed them, it said follow me, come to the source of these wonderful sites...come. We, the scent, and I, the pink, warming glow will show her to you, we will show the Sung Beauty. Kagome, Sango, Kirara , and Shippo all watched as Miroku and Inuyasha gently hummed to the hypnotic melody. The pitch and tone was constantly changing, echoing into the ears of her unknown audience, creating total, and complete rhythmic balance...perfect harmony. This "music" was indeed heard by all six comrades, but it was not at all demonstrating the same affects on the three females and young kitsune that it was on Miroku and Inuyasha.

"Kagome, what's happening to them?" Shippo's outstretched question was naive, portraying his ultimate, innocent, personality.

"They're being hypnotized; they're under Jade's control." Sango spoke only minutes after Kagome had, still watching the mindless acts of the two young men as they hummed along with their "controller".

"But she doesn't even know we're following her. Why is she singing?" Sango's question went unanswered, Miroku and Inuyasha were leaving. The two boys were walking ahead, towards Jade's position. Their pace was slow, posture still and tall, their legs being the only parts of them moving. Kagome and Sango, did not speak to them, knowing the boys would pay no attention; they would have to follow them. The glow still surrounded, the odor still hung. All these miraculous elements frightened the young women, along with the cat demon and kitsune . This woman, this new "friend", held so many secrets. She had been enslaved to Naraku and his body for ten years, before then she had been married to someone that had once been their arch enemy, prior to this she had been taught to be the subject who would avenge her family, and now she held a gift that could kill effortlessly, when would her surprises subside?




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