Disclaimer: I don't own jack!
Summary: Myths can be more than just old folktales.
Pairing: Okita/Kagome
Suggested Listening: Boadicea by Enya
Firelight
Chapter One:
Kagome combed her fingers through silver fur. The animal gave a slight huff. It turned its snout, pinning an unusually sharp set of golden eyes upon her.
"What?" She queried, dropping her hand from its head down behind its ears. "Don't you go complaining. We've got enough to deal with even without your fussing."
The canine gave a voiceless bark—just a slight huff of wind. She glared at the creature.
"Absolutely not. I told you charging in head first was a bad idea, but did you listen to me?" So perhaps she was egging her companion on a bit too much. A heavy paw came down on her head in retribution for her nagging. "Hey, that's not nice." She shoved it off with a brush of her hand.
Kagome froze at the sound of heavy footsteps. That was right, she wasn't alone here. She sat up, tucking her hands close to herself. How could she forget? She'd been investigating rumors of demons terrorizing the streets of Kyoto at night. Needless to say she'd found the ones responsible. What she hadn't counted on was the fact that the Shinsengumi was the one responsible for their escape. Now here she was, prisoner to a renegade group of men who had little to no qualms about killing her.
Her companion dropped his head into her lap. His fur bristled as his lips curled back in a sharp snarl. Someone was probably watching them from outside of this room. A man with a smile that reminded her of a fox had attempted to bind her hands, however her friend had snapped his fangs at him; preventing him from doing so.
She was used to people being afraid of him. Conversely she was also used to those who would try to kill him due to that fear. So she'd been surprised when the man abided by her request to leave her hands unbound. It was entirely possible that her friend had stirred up a primal fear in him but she couldn't count on that.
The door slid back. A man she had yet to meet stepped inside. He was somewhat older with a balding cap upon his head and a genial smile playing upon his lips. The canine's fur settled. He kept his head upon her lap; golden eyes following the newcomer with a sharp curiosity.
"I do apologize for the rough treatment, miss." He addressed her directly. "Do you think you can stand?"
Kagome patted her companion's forehead, "You heard him." He gave another voiceless bark then rose to all four feet. She followed suit, dusting off the stray bits of silver fur clinging to her clothing. "I take it that the others want an explanation?" It was the only logical reason as to why they'd take her back to their headquarters in the first place. If the existence of their demons was so important then they would've just killed her the second they'd crossed paths last night.
"Yes," The man gave her a wry smile. "Please follow me." So she did, her friend trailed after them silently. He kept his shoulder pressed into her side—forming a protective barrier between her and the man.
They made their way through a maze of open-air corridors. Kagome kept one hand upon her familiar's back. Her eyes took in the surroundings carefully. If they were going to escape alive then they'd need to know where they were going. The man stopped at a set of oversized sliding screens. She felt herself stiffen. Beyond those doors was the tale tell shifting of several signatures at once. This wasn't good.
"I've brought her."
"Come in." A voice she didn't recognize responded. The door slid back to reveal several men gathered in a u-shape. The two from last night peered at her—their eyes boring into her with a curiosity that felt unusually sharp. Her familiar's hackles raised once more.
"Easy," She whispered under her breath. "It's fine." Only he did not cease his growls. They grew louder yet, drawing the attention of those surrounding them.
"That's a serious hell hound you've got there." The fox-like man grinned at her. It was strange how disarming that smile was. "Just about took my hand last night."
The dog's growls grew more intense. She combed her hand through his fur in a soothing manner.
"His name is Inuyasha, and I did warn you that he doesn't take well to threats." By now she'd taken a seat at the center. Inuyasha sat on his haunches beside her. His head towered over her even like this. It'd be more apt to call him a wolf than a dog based upon his size alone.
"Yeah yeah, how'd you even get a thing like that? You steal it from a mountain?"
Now that was just rude.
Kagome sighed, "I've had him since I was born. But more to the point, you've got questions don't you?" She chose to redirect the conversation. The faster they go through this, the sooner she could be on her way.
"Heh, alright we'll do things your way. What's your name kid?" Emerald eyes settled on her in a way that made her shift uncomfortably.
"Kagome." She answered simply.
"What, don't have a surname?" He attempted to tease her. She closed her eyes.
"No, I don't." The words were more sharp than she'd intended, but that didn't make what she said any less true. Kagome was the only name she'd ever known. She never had the luxury of a family.
An awkward silence fell over the group. The wide grin that'd slanted over the man's lips dipped somewhat.
Another man, one she had yet to meet officially, spoke up, "What did you see?" There was something odd in the way he interrogated her. He was expecting an answer but the violent flash in his gaze gave her pause.
"Exactly as what you saw last night." She brushed her fingers through Inuyasha's fur. "I'd been investigating rumors of demons terrorizing Kyoto at night. At first I thought it might've been some sort of wild animal however we both know that's not the case."
The air grew thick. Tension snapped between them as if it were a living creature. She pushed onwards, "I don't know what you're doing with those things but you cannot allow them to run rampant in the streets." Kagome narrowed her eyes at them. "Rumors have already spread down to Osaka. Thankfully people are less inclined to believe in demons and panic like they used to, but this is becoming a serious problem."
"Toshi," A burly man addressed the violet-eyes on beside him. "Have they gotten that bad?"
Kagome closed her eyes.
"We've gotten reports that they're testing their luck recently." The man known only as 'Toshi' spoke. "Which will be coming to an end tonight." There was a threat in his words but she didn't pay them any mind.
"Do you at least have a contingency plan?" Kagome pressed on. "It only takes a moment for something like this to happen again. In a worst case scenario one of them escapes into a crowd and starts murdering at will. Do you have a fall back plan on how to handle the disaster that would fall to your reputation afterwards?"
She hadn't meant to put them on the defensive. By now the others had grown tense. They all stared at her as if she'd just pointed a sword at their throats. Perhaps her concerns had, had an opposing effect.
"A lot of talk coming from a hostage." The fox-like man set his disarming grin upon her. "It'd just be easier to kill her."
Truly, was death always the first resort in these cases? Inuyasha snapped his fangs together. A low growl bubbled at the back of his throat.
"That still won't fix your problem. Killing me is only a temporary solution. I can guarantee you that eventually someone will stumble upon their existence as well." She held her familiar back by bracing her arm around his back. "You need something to prevent them from escaping. Clearly they're weak to ofuda since that's what I used to subdue them last night." She reached into her sleeve, withdrawing a stack for their observation. "Have you tried using anything like this to keep them from escaping? Arranging for a monk to bless these grounds can be done easily."
The men shared an incredulous look amongst themselves.
"So you're saying that you purified them?" The grinning man started slowly, as if the idea were impossible to fathom.
She rolled her shoulders, "You don't questions those things' ability to exist, but my ability to purify them? You'd seen it firsthand yourself."
His smile slid away. The thought rolled over in his mind, turning the idea around as if it were difficult to process.
"There is some truth in what she says." This time a man with a stoic expression interjected. She briefly recalled him being there the previous night; however he hadn't spoken much. So at that time she'd chosen to keep her attention on the fox-like man.
"Saito, please explain." The burly one requested politely.
Saito nodded firmly, "Last night we were dispatched to handle the failed soldiers." Kagome was quick to note that he did not refer to them as anything other than human. "By the time we arrived we found her finishing them. She was not holding any weapon besides the ofuda. Plus," he set a pouch upon the ground before him. His fingers pulled at the drawstrings, spilling a finely ground dust onto the floor. "The bodies had been reduced to ash. Only clothing remained."
Kagome sighed, "If you wish I can do it again, however I'm not keen on killing."
"Souji," Saito directed his comment to the fox-like man. "There is merit in her concerns. We can test her claims on one of the failed soldiers. If she correct then it's possible to find a way to reach a compromise."
Inuyasha lowered his head onto her shoulder. His growls had softened but not stopped completely.
"You suggest I help you erect a barrier to keep them in." She had a feeling that this would be the end result. It wasn't too bad of a compromise. She'd rather they'd stop dallying in such forces but that was neither here nor there.
"You are correct." Saito confirmed. She glanced from one stern face to the next. Inuyasha was strong but his power along wouldn't be enough to defeat all of them. If she wanted to live then she'd need to abide by their requests.
Kagome rose to her feet, "Take me to them."
