* THIS IS A COPYRIGHTED STORY OF MINE, MIDNIGHT_LILAC, PUBLISHED ON WATTPAD. IF YOU FIND IT ON ANY OTHER WEBSITE, IT HAS BEEN COPIED/REPUBLISHED WITHOUT MY CONSENT AND YOU ARE LIKELY AT A RISK OF A MALWARE ATTACK. IF YOU WISH TO READ THIS STORY IN I...
Our journey to where Naraku was currently hiding was silent. I had not moved from the nearly affectionate position I was in with Naraku, and he too kept his arm wrapped around me holding me to his broad frame. It was oddly comforting, as if I was being protected not just physically but emotionally as well, and I wished we had stayed in the position longer when we landed just a little away from our destination.
Almost reluctantly, I let go of Naraku and gazed at the thick mist that was around us that only seemed to thicken and make nothing visible in the distance.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Where are we?" I questioned, looking up to Naraku and meeting his scarlet eyes. We had separated but still remained standing comfortably close to each other.
"We are just a little away from Mt. Hakurei, where I am currently residing and making myself stronger," he answered before reaching out to caress my cheek with the back of his fingers. Unlike how I would have done before, I did not slap his hand away and merely accepted the gentle gesture.
"Why is there so much mist?"
"This mist is the result of a spiritual barrier set up by an aide." As he spoke, I noticed Kohaku stepping towards us from the thicker part of the mist. When he was with us, Naraku added, "You will have to go with Kohaku from this point onwards. I will see you when you are inside Mt. Hakurei."
I knew that demons could not enter spiritual barriers for they would be purified. However, the fact that Naraku was here had me wondering how he was going to enter Mt. Hakurei through such a strong barrier. Perhaps there was a path he used that was free of the barrier. Then again, if there was such a path, why did he not want me to know of it? Surely we could have gone through it together instead of split up like this. Perhaps if it had been any other time, I would not have minded being with Kohaku, or even alone, but I felt uneasy being separated from Naraku at the moment, from someone I felt as the only one who was there for me. I did not allow it to show up as an expression though.
It seemed that Naraku had figured out my train of thought by the questioning expression I had. A small smirk came upon his lips before he spoke, "What you see now is only the essence of me - a demon puppet that I use to freely roam the lands outside the barrier without suffering possible damage from enemies."
"A demon puppet?" I repeated curiously.
"Yes - it is one of the many abilities I possess."
With that, he looked to Kohaku and nodded, giving him the order to escort me to Mt. Hakurei through the mist. He then stepped closer to the barrier, only to be purified into dust and leaving a small wooden doll behind. The doll split in half from having the spell on it broken and I noticed a single strand of dark, wavy hair wrapped around it - it was Naraku's, and most definitely the link between his original body and this puppet.
Without a word, I looked to Kohaku who regarded me with a chaste bow of his head before ushering me to follow him. I did follow him, easily maneuvering over the rough terrain around the mountain and that of it, climbing one side of it until we reached a cave opening through which we entered the inside of the mountain. The inside was as plain as any cave would be, though was spacious and had the emptiness running through up and down until I could see nothing but darkness. I gazed at the hugeness of the space for a few moments before looking to the side at the footsteps I heard from there.
