Sunday, November 20, 2005

Inuexodus
*episode 6*

Some time later, Inuyasha uncurls himself. Sniffing the air, he realizes that the people, whoever they were, are gone. They must not have seen where he hid. He is now completely alone and he has no idea what to do in the long term. However, the fleeing flea’s advice is still the best idea he has, so he heads toward the forest. The sun will set soon and he hopes to find a hiding place before dark. As he enters the woods, new unfamiliar scents await him. Unlike his grandfather’s woods, which are patrolled by human soldiers, this forest is wild and demons live here unchallenged. Having only the one experience with the imp and having had two bad encounters with humans since, Inuyasha decides that he would rather take his chances with the demons. Quite by accident, he gets an opportunity to put this preference into practice almost immediately. As the sun goes down, he stumbles into a clearing inhabited by two demons and an ogre. Before he can back away, they see him and confront him. One demon says, “Just a runt.” The other asks, “You got kin?” Inuyasha shakes his head. The first demon says, “Well, this is our turf. Stay out’a our way or you’ll get hurt.” The boy nods his head and turns to go. Just then, the ogre says, “Wait a minute! E don’t smell right.” It steps closer and begins to sniff the boy. He stands up to his full height and says, “A boyz, e’s an arf-breed!” The two formerly passive demons suddenly become focused on the boy. “He’s right!” the first one says. “Get him!” Having learned from experience, Inuyasha turns and runs. As he dashes through the woods, the boy hears them in pursuit. The demons see him running away and, knowing the forest, realize that he will soon be cornered. They know that the boy is heading toward a ravine over a treacherous river. As they clear the trees, they fail to see him. As the three approach the edge, they look down at the rapids below. Figuring that there is no way that a weak half-demon could survive both the fall and the river, they turn back disappointed at their lost kill. The top of the cliff juts out above the rest forming a small ledge. Beneath that ledge, Inuyasha hears them leaving. He is clinging to the rockface and emulating it as best he can. When he is certain that they have gone, he begins to climb down the cliff. He doesn’t consider that there is nothing beneath him except an impassible river because he isn’t thinking. He merely knows that the demons are back the way he came so he needs to go another way. When he is about halfway down, a handhold crumbles and he loses his footing. As he strikes the water, he hits his head and loses consciousness.
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