Chapter 7

"A Dragon's Rage"

"Kagome!" Elisana's voice cracked a bit.

She held the unconscious Miko in her arms. Saria stood by her side, his face was confused. He had still been trapped in Kikyo's crystal when she had shot Kagome

with her arrow. Kagome's power had finally died down, Elisana let her dragon sense run over Kagome's limp form. Kagome's powers as a Miko had purified most of the hatred of Kikyo's arrow, but it still lay embedded in Kagome's heart, and still emitted it's evil. The arrow had

fused itself with the muscle and tissue of Kagome's heart, making it impossible for Elisana to remove it, for fear of damaging Kagome's heart.

'What am I going to do?' Elisana thought, panic beginning to rise in her mind. 'How am I going to save her?'

"Elisana," Saria's calm voice broke into Elisana's panicking brain, bringing clarity to her.

She looked up at him.

His outer appearance was calm, but in his amber eyes, she could see worry, confusion, and concern.

"Saria?"

His amber eyes locked on Elisana's prismatic emerald orbs. His calm voice soothed Elisana's wild thoughts.

"What happened? What did Kikyo do to lady Kagome?" Saria asked.

Elisana turned back to Kagome, her eyes searching the Miko's still face. It was almost impossible to tell that she was hurt. Her face was calm, as if she was in a

comfortable sleep.

"Kikyo shot her with a strange glowing arrow. She said that it would pore all of her hatred and pain into Kagome. I don't fully understand what exactly she is trying to

accomplish by this, but it is clear that she did not mean to kill Kagome." Elisana said, her voice low, barely above a whisper.

Saria nodded. He could not understand Kikyo's motivation for doing something like this either. One thing was for sure, they needed to get Kagome somewhere safe,

and to someone who could treat her.

"We must go, Lady Elisana, Lady Kagome needs treatment." Saria said.

His voice was calm and impassive, but Elisana could see his concern.

"I agree, and I know of someone who may be able to help her. But I don't know if he will do it." Elisana replied.

"I do not know of whom you speak My Lady, will you enlighten me please?" Saria said.

"I am speaking of the Lord of the Western Lands. Lord Sesshoumaru." Elisana replied with a patient sigh.

Saria raised an eyebrow.

"You mean Lord Sesshoumaru will be able to remove the arrowhead?"

"I'm not sure, but I believe if he can not, he will know of someone that can. But like I said, I am not sure if he will be willing to help." Elisana replied.

"Then let us go, Lady Kagome can not wait much longer." Saria said as he began to change form.

"Wait Saria, you can not change form in these trees, there is not enough room. We will go in these forms, I will take Kagome." Elisana said.

Saria nodded as he returned to his previous form, and gently opened his green feathered wings to take flight. Elisana too opened her leathery draconic wings, lifting Kagome into her arms, and took to the air. Saria and Elisana turned to the West, flying as fast as their wings

could carry them. Flying towards the one Youkai in all of the world that no man or woman, ningen or Youkai, would dare to ask help from.

'And that is exactly what we are going to do ... Is it really worth risking our lives for one miko?' Saria though as he flew beside his mistress, he turned his head and

looked at the peaceful sleeping face of Kagome, soft and innocent.

A small smile touched his face.

'Yes, ' He decided, 'It is worth it.'

--Elsewhere--

Inu Yasha and the others had arrived back at the gorge. The strange fog was gone, they still couldn't see the bottom, it was dark by now.

"Okay," Inu Yasha said, turning to the others, "We're here, but we need to find out what happened to Kagome. I don't know what that thing was that attacked us

before, but the fog is gone so we'll be able to see if it comes back."

"I don't know if Kagome is down there..." Sango said quietly.

"What do you mean?! You're the one who said before that you knew Kagome was there!!!" Inu Yasha yelled.

Sango sighed.

"I know I said that before, and yes, before I did sense Kagome down there, but I don't sense her now."

Miroku placed his hand gently on Sango's shoulder. Sango turned and looked at him. He wore a small smile.

"Don't worry, Sango-sama, It won't hurt to look and see if we can find out why Kagome-sama was here. Besides, we may even be able to find out where she went

if we look around enough."

Sango nodded and turned back to face the gorge.

"Alright lets go an-"Sango was cut off in mid sentence, Miroku's wandering hand had found its way to her bottom.

"Hentai!" Sango screamed as she slapped him across the face, almost knocking him into the gorge.

Miroku laughed and rubbed the glowing red hand print on his cheek.

"Enough screwing around!" Inu Yasha hollered, "Lets go!"

The others nodded and they all turned back to the gorge. Sango, Miroku, and Shippo all climbed onto Kirara's back. With one last deep breath, the group leapt over

the side of the gorge, falling into the darkness below.

--somewhere in the east--

The dragon below the earth stirred again, pushing up with her front legs. She could feel the earth beginning to give, but had not freed herself yet.

'Elisana, ' She thought with a hiss, 'It wont be long, and I will come for you, and for my revenge.'

The thought of Elisana made the dragon's mind drift back to when she was imprisoned. That grim day returned to her with perfect clarity.

--Flashback--

Maya sat in her simple hut, waiting for her mate to return. In her lap rested some cloth, buttons, needle, and thread. She had been sewing one of her mate's tunics. He