I walked down the small road of the small village, admiring the children and the people. I carried my basket out of the village, ready to carry out the day's daily chore. I waved to my grandmother who was currently carring for a young village boy. My grandmother was a healer none the less like the rest of the family. I myself am a nurse for this village. My mother a doctor and my grandmother a pharmicist. I gather herbs for bother her and my mother. Everyday I do this for the morning and arrive back home for lunch. The villagers' health is in our familiy's hands. The women in our family are doctors for their village and the men in the family are soldiers and carry out with the protection of our village.
My name is Kagero and I live with my older brother, Hanzaki, and my mother, Kirube. I am eighteen years old. I have waist long black hair and yellow eyes. I have pointed ears and fangs like a demon. My brother holds the same features except he has short brown hair and blue eyes. Our mother is a normal human and has shoulder length brown hair and black eyes. Every women in our family wore kimonos so I wore a lavender one with a dark purple obi, my mother a pink one with a white obi, and my grandmother a blue one with a navy blue obi. Hanzaki wore a yukata that was completely black.
I walked out of the village with my basket at hand. I walked a good two miles away from the campus until I found where the herbs I planted grew. I began to pick the tallest and placed them in the basket. I kept my guard up when out of the safety of the village. Many demons roamed the outside of the campus so it wasn't seldom that people vanished suddenly. I quickly picked the necessary amount of herbs and began to walk back to my home. My ears perked up when even the slightest of all vibrations was sent close by. I was close to the village when I saw something far out in the distance. There were about four tall human shapes, one small human with a tail, and a small animal. I watched as they were nearing the village in the same direction I was heading. I rapidly began to run back to the village, not knowing if these travelers were peaceful or violent.
I ran faster as I sensed that they had seen me. Now they were running towards me. I could of ran faster but the load in my arm needed for the village's health, I could not release for my life. I was in reach of the village and I ran as fast as I could to my home. I slammed the door behind me and slid down the door with my load. My mother came running out from her room when she heard the door slam. My brother came running from the dojo as well. I panted hard as I tried to regain my breath. I finally calmed and sensed the village surroundings. The travelers were close and they were nearing faster.
"What's wrong, Kagero?" my mother asked me.
"Why did you run so fast? What did you see? Is the village in danger?" Hanzaki asked as he pulled out his sword and tried to sense the surroundings like I had.
"Travelers. They're close by. I ran when I saw them out in the forest where the herbs grew. I don't know if they are peaceful or violent. There was five with a small animal." I said. My mother gasped as she ran back to the room. Hanzaki felt their presence and became alert.
"How close were you by them?" Hanzaki asked. He was always the man of the house after Father passed away.
"About a mile. They might have sensed that I ran so they ran as well. I'm guessing that at least one of them is a demon or half-demon." I stated.
He nodded and began to open the door. We saw that everyone was in their houses and the travelers were loooking around. Hanzaki pushed me aside and opened the door fully. He stepped out and closed the door behind him. I placed my ear against the door and listened closely. They were laughing. Had they killed Hanzaki? Just the thought of my brother hurt sent me into a frenzy. I stood up and was about to open the door when my mother came back in the room. She whispered to let my brother deal with the travelers. I nodded in response and went to her. She held my hands in hers and she began to pray for the travelers to be peaceful and no harm to come to my brother. Soon I heard more laughter. A low growl came from my throat as I glared at the door. My mother saw and assured me that Hanzaki was alright. The door began to open and I instinctively made my long nails glow lavender with poison. The door opened all the way and my brother came in with the travelers.
I saw that one seemed human with long black hair and eyes. She had a green skirt and white shirt on, as if it was some sort of uniform. Another girl had a giant boomarang on her back. She had long brown hair and eyes. One man had short black hair and eyes and had beads around one of his arms. The last man, as I suspected, was half demon. He had all red clothes and long white hair. He had yellow eyes such as my own and cat ears on his head. He reminded me of someone somehow. When he saw me, his eyes widened and his ears perked. Hanzaki just laughed at the expression. He was acting as if he knew them. Strange enough, I had no memory of these people, just the half demon. I looked down and saw a small animal. Another half demon was on the ground. He had ears such as my own and fangs like mine. He had a fox's tail and looked at me strangely. Hanzaki was talking with everyone when we sat at the table. The tall half-demon was laughing and talking with him. This was very strange. My brother looked at my mother and I when we sat at the table with them. I just starred back at him. He smiled at us.
"Kagero, do you remember Inuyasha?" Hanzaki asked me. I was confused but I wasn't showing it.
"No. I have no memory of that." I said in my soft but powerful voice. The tall half-demon chuckled softly. I glared.
"This is Inuyasha. He was a friend back when we were little. He was the second son of our father's good friend. He's the younger brother of Sesshomaru. You must remember him, eh?" Hanzaki explained. I kept my emotionless expression as I looked at the one called Inuyasha. I was still confused but things made sense at least a little.
"No. I have no memory of this 'Sesshomaru' either. But I must say, he does look familiar." I told them. I couldn't put my finger on it but he resembled an old friend.
"Well, you'll remember later. Anyways, this is Kagome, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo, fellow travelers of Inuyasha." Hanzaki said as he pointed at each and said their names.
"Pleasured." I said and nodded respectfully to them. They nodded back. I looked at my brother as he continued to talk to the newly arrivals.
"I'll go make some tea." Mother said and stood up. I stood up as well.
"I will help you." I said and followed my dear mother.
As we made the tea, I listened contently to the confersation. They were talking about the past, my father, and this 'Sesshomaru'. The name rang through my head. It was so familiar but so strange to me. It was the name of an old friend, most definately, but yet so different to my ears. Inuyasha did remind me of this certain friend but only because of the eyes and hair. Everything else was the exact opposite.
Mother and I finished the tea and took it out to the others. They were talking amoungst themselves when we entered. I poured the tea to each of them. I sensed that the man named Miroku had his eyes on me. I decided to not make eye contact with these strangers. But Miroku's eyes bothered me so I looked at him. Sango had seen this and slapped Miroku. They began to yell at each other for no good reason. Kagome scooted next to me and began small talk with me.
She talked about how beautiful the house was, that the tea was delicious, my mother was a good cook, and that the village was more peaceful than any other that they went to. I asked her why they came to this village for. She looked disturbed to answer at first but then said that they were looking for jewel shards. I was confused. What were 'jewel shards'? I decided to ask her this ad she laughed softly. She said that they were tiny parts of a very powerful gem that was broken in battle. Now they were searching for all the shards to put back the gem.
I asked her what she was doing around here when she was a human. She said that she helped out the others since she could see the shards in others. I then decided to ask her why she was here when no one seemed to have a shard. She said that there was someone in the village with a shard inside them. She told me that the people that have the shards could not sense them when they were inside their bodies. I told her if she knew who it was. She laughed softly as the others stopped to listen. She told me that the owner of this shard was me. I was surprised but didn't show it. Our whole family never showed emotion. That was when my mother came in.
"Why the sudden silence?" She asked. We all kept quiet.
"Kagome, you must be confused. My sister can't have a shard inside her. It's completely impossible." Hanzaki said. I looked away from everyone when I loooked at the ground.
"I am able to see it. It is inside her and it shines brightly. There is no mistake." Kagome said. My mother was confused and she showed it. She was a human after all.
"Then how do you remove this shard?" I asked her. She along with the rest now looked sad.
"You're going to have to be hurt so we can take it out. It increases your powers and makes you stronger. I can see that the shard is in your right hand." She said.
My mother's eyes widened. The only reason I was good at helping to heal others s because of my right hand. My mother said that it was a miracle since my father was a demon and his children could only kill. I had inheirted both my father's diabolical powers and strength and my mother's healing specialty. I could only hurt until I was ten so maybe that was when I first got the shard. Without that shard, I would go back to killing and hurting others.
"No, no. Kagero cannot give up that shard then. This village's life depends on our specialty. Kagero is the best of our family. Without her, this village will surely die." Mother said and I continued to look at the ground.
My head shot up when I sensed a dark aura coming into the village. I stood immediately and looked at the door. My brother understood and soon stood up too. Everyone stood up as well. I narrowed my eyes as I sensed this aura's level. It was very high. I gave a small shreik, signaling that it was dangerous. My mother told everyone to go into the back of the house but they said that they could help. I glared at their disobedience.
"Kagero, go see who it is." Hanzaki ordered.
I nodded and began to transform. This was how I kept a lookout. I transformed into a carmel colored wolf. I had red eyes and four poison tails. I had sharp claws. Hanzaki opened the door and I crept out. Inuyasha and the others said that it was dangerous and that they would check it out. I ignored them and left. I walked up the roads of the village, sensing where this person was at the same time. I sensed him up in the mountains close by. I was angered at this. The mountains were my father's resting place. Going up there without a sacrifice can bring danger to our village. I quickly ran up the mountains, saying that the sacrifice shall be the person who has disturbed my father. When I got there I saw a man like Inuyasha. Strange enough, he had a sacrifice. I quickly turned into my regular self and my hand glowed again. I was ready to strike the man when he turned towards me. I recognized him. This man was Sesshomaru.