'Nother SP bit
Don't know why I like this scene so much but I do. Inuyasha doesn't have much luck this chapter, but I like all the bits about him. (I don't think I'm a closet masochist...)
A motley group of men cautiously approached the immobile, red-clad form they’d just taken down, staring warily. After a few tense moments of indecision the bravest of them stepped forward, prodding the prone figure with the butt of his shotgun. When there was still no sign of movement he carefully rolled him over with the toe of his boot so they could all see it…him…it more clearly.
Strange ears came into view, fingers tipped with claws, and they all drew a collective sigh of relief as they were clearly able to see they hadn’t accidentally killed any human, despite the similarities in physiology.
Now that they were confident they were in no danger from the intruder, a second man hunkered down over him, scrutinizing his every feature. “What the hell is it?” he asked, tugging on one of the ears to make sure it wasn’t a fake.
“A hanyou,” answered a third man, a sneer plainly evident in his voice. Comprehension dawned on all faces except for the second man, who still looked confused. The sneering man elaborated. “The bastard offspring of one of us sleeping with one of those fucking youkai.” He spat derisively.
“Oh. So what do we do with ‘im?”
Several mouths opened but the sneering man was just a hair faster to respond than the rest. “It’s intruded on our lands, stolen our food, and terrorized our livestock. We do what we’d do to any other wild animal who’d done as such: we put it down. Now make sure it’s dead.” While he’d been speaking to the group at large at first, he directed this last at the second man, still kneeling over Inuyasha’s body.
The second man shrugged. “Easy enough.” Standing so he’d have enough room to aim, he raised his rifle, preparing to lodge another bullet right into the creature’s heart.
“Wait! Stop you idiot!”
Another man rushed at him, knocking his hand aside just as the trigger pulled. At the resounding concussion and the backfire of the gun they stared at each other before hastily checking to see what had happened. The intruder looked down at creature, breathing a sigh of relief to see the bullet had avoided striking his chest, even if it had lodged deeply in its arm.
“What the hell did you do that for?” the second man cried. Disgruntled at having his task interrupted, he ripped his rifle out of his neighbor’s grasp. So what that there had been interference? It wasn’t a proud moment to have his shot go astray, especially for a target so close.
“Look at what he’s wearing,” the interloper hissed.
“What, you want his haori so you don’t want it mucked up? Still got a shot off so it’s too late for that,” he added, more confused than annoyed at this point.
“No, you dolt, look at his necklace, his necklace!” he cried, shaking his comrade. “It’s a rosary. What if he’s a shrine pet? You think whatever kami he serves would smile on those who killed him?”
Everyone present, even Mr. Snide, took a collective step back, except for the two standing almost on top of the hanyou.
The second man tried to back away as well but the intruder hung onto his shirt. He swallowed nervously. “And i-if he’s already dead?”
The intruder let go of him with a none-too gentle shove.
“We shot him in the trees while hunting a known predator. Not that any kami would be pleased with our action regardless, but it’s better at least than shooting him point blank after we’ve had the chance to get a good look at him.”
He glanced once again at the hanyou, who was completely immobile, not even the slightest rise and fall of his chest to hint that any breath remained in his body.
“Let us hope he has no such affiliation and that he got those beads through other, more nefarious means.”
They all shifted uncomfortably. What evil, predatory creature would be able to survive wearing something so holy? It hardly seemed a likely hope.
The man sighed, realizing how unrealistic that scenario was.
“Otherwise, let us pray for mercy from his kami.”
All of them sank slightly into despair and slunk even further away from the immobile form.
After all, kami weren’t exactly known for being forgiving.
A motley group of men cautiously approached the immobile, red-clad form they’d just taken down, staring warily. After a few tense moments of indecision the bravest of them stepped forward, prodding the prone figure with the butt of his shotgun. When there was still no sign of movement he carefully rolled him over with the toe of his boot so they could all see it…him…it more clearly.
Strange ears came into view, fingers tipped with claws, and they all drew a collective sigh of relief as they were clearly able to see they hadn’t accidentally killed any human, despite the similarities in physiology.
Now that they were confident they were in no danger from the intruder, a second man hunkered down over him, scrutinizing his every feature. “What the hell is it?” he asked, tugging on one of the ears to make sure it wasn’t a fake.
“A hanyou,” answered a third man, a sneer plainly evident in his voice. Comprehension dawned on all faces except for the second man, who still looked confused. The sneering man elaborated. “The bastard offspring of one of us sleeping with one of those fucking youkai.” He spat derisively.
“Oh. So what do we do with ‘im?”
Several mouths opened but the sneering man was just a hair faster to respond than the rest. “It’s intruded on our lands, stolen our food, and terrorized our livestock. We do what we’d do to any other wild animal who’d done as such: we put it down. Now make sure it’s dead.” While he’d been speaking to the group at large at first, he directed this last at the second man, still kneeling over Inuyasha’s body.
The second man shrugged. “Easy enough.” Standing so he’d have enough room to aim, he raised his rifle, preparing to lodge another bullet right into the creature’s heart.
“Wait! Stop you idiot!”
Another man rushed at him, knocking his hand aside just as the trigger pulled. At the resounding concussion and the backfire of the gun they stared at each other before hastily checking to see what had happened. The intruder looked down at creature, breathing a sigh of relief to see the bullet had avoided striking his chest, even if it had lodged deeply in its arm.
“What the hell did you do that for?” the second man cried. Disgruntled at having his task interrupted, he ripped his rifle out of his neighbor’s grasp. So what that there had been interference? It wasn’t a proud moment to have his shot go astray, especially for a target so close.
“Look at what he’s wearing,” the interloper hissed.
“What, you want his haori so you don’t want it mucked up? Still got a shot off so it’s too late for that,” he added, more confused than annoyed at this point.
“No, you dolt, look at his necklace, his necklace!” he cried, shaking his comrade. “It’s a rosary. What if he’s a shrine pet? You think whatever kami he serves would smile on those who killed him?”
Everyone present, even Mr. Snide, took a collective step back, except for the two standing almost on top of the hanyou.
The second man tried to back away as well but the intruder hung onto his shirt. He swallowed nervously. “And i-if he’s already dead?”
The intruder let go of him with a none-too gentle shove.
“We shot him in the trees while hunting a known predator. Not that any kami would be pleased with our action regardless, but it’s better at least than shooting him point blank after we’ve had the chance to get a good look at him.”
He glanced once again at the hanyou, who was completely immobile, not even the slightest rise and fall of his chest to hint that any breath remained in his body.
“Let us hope he has no such affiliation and that he got those beads through other, more nefarious means.”
They all shifted uncomfortably. What evil, predatory creature would be able to survive wearing something so holy? It hardly seemed a likely hope.
The man sighed, realizing how unrealistic that scenario was.
“Otherwise, let us pray for mercy from his kami.”
All of them sank slightly into despair and slunk even further away from the immobile form.
After all, kami weren’t exactly known for being forgiving.