"Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. "Listen, he said, "I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me." Genesis 37:9
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DREAMERS
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CHAPTER ONE: PLAYING NICE
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A gold arrow sliced through the air before claiming the center of the target. It seemed to quiver along with the rest of the gold and blue arrows that were squeezed into the tiny bull's eye.
A straw mat hung over the target which indicated the different point values for each ring. This butt hung from the huge oak tree a good fifty yards from the young archers who were presently competing.
'This isn't good,' the older girl grieved as she lowered her bow to observe the damage done. She was feeling incredibly accurate and acute with her aim this morning. 'I can't seem to miss today.'
All her gold arrows seemed to be hitting dead center which was amazing considering how limited space was on the small butt. There were probably about seven arrows total on the target located in every possible ring. With close inspection of the bull's eye however, it was clear that gold had the lead.
"You are not treating me kindly today, Kagome." Kikyo frowned upon her companion's luck. She didn't like losing.
Steadily, she held up another one of those unfavorable arrows, and released it with more willingness than she possessed before. This time she struck dead on the mark. She smashed through Kagome's arrow along with some of the older girl's fear of emerging as the victor.
"Humph," she smirked glancing over at Kagome who stood behind her. "This next one determines the winner. Don't mess up. And don't hold back." She added.
She wouldn't dare win….or would she?
She very well could. After all, Kikyo had only thirty-two points to the other girl's thirty. All Kagome had to do was place her arrow somewhere on the target and she would automatically win.
Kagome tried to swallow the growing lump in the back of her throat as she brushed her hair aside. 'Great. Just what I need; more pressure.' She wiped away the perspiration forming on her forehead. She glimpsed up towards the clear blue sky, sheltering her eyes against the bright sun. When had it gotten so hot lately? It was only morning, yet it still felt like a thousand degrees out.
A light wind rustled the grass and leaves at her feet. She gladly welcomed it as it cooled her damp creamy skin. She could hear the distant noise of the ocean as its waves continued to crash upon the rocky beach. They were standing somewhere in a forest clearing that overlooked the sea. She focused her gaze back on the target.
It wasn't fair. Not only did she give Kikyo the advantage of standing closer to the target, but she also had to lose for her. Why should she have to lose? It's not like Kikyo hadn't won enough times before. In fact, now that she thought about it, she'd let Kikyo win every little 'game' they played. Let her win. That's what it was. Kikyo couldn't win on sheer talent alone.
She let out a long and heavy sigh.
It was time to make a decision. To win or not to win. Kagome fingered the thin rubbery cord feeling her arm tremble as she once again resumed her graceful stance. She couldn't hesitate now. It was all so easy. All she had to do was miss the target and she'd walk away without a single scratch on her back. No harm done. The thought of beating her best friend was tempting though…
No. Kagome didn't feel like facing Lady Kimi today. Especially when they were doing something that her lady disapproved of. Disapproved of was an understatement. Lady Kimi had specifically told Kagome that they were not under any circumstances to play with the weapons that belonged to Lady Kikyo's deceased father. Yet here they were…playing archery with dead dad's bows and arrows.
First of all as Lady Kimi repeatedly said, it was disrespectful. Kagome already knew that. It wasn't even her idea in the first place. The father was the head of the household; the most revered and important person in the entire family. You just didn't go playing with stuff that belonged to the dead. It was enough to make them roll over in their grave.
Secondly, it was dangerous. What if during their fun Kikyo got hurt—or worse? Kagome didn't want to think about that. She couldn't bear all of the whippings and potential beatings she would receive if anything were to ever happen to Kikyo. Not to mention she would be losing the one person that was actually close to her.
But more importantly their games were not permitted mainly because Kikyo was supposed to be training to become a dutiful house wife. At the age of fourteen she was no longer a child. Her time arrived a few months ago when she could bear children. She was now eligible to marry and to start a family of her own.
She certainly didn't act like an adult though. By god, was Kikyo rebellious. She never obeyed her mother nor did she ever respect any of her superiors.
When the Queen's chief advisor visited Kazuo's family several years ago (Kazuo was Kikyo's father), Kikyo literally cursed the man and kicked him in the shin before running off to create disasters elsewhere. Apparently the man had been sent to examine Kikyo and provide her with a list of men anxiously waiting to court her. The man was livid for her wild behavior. And of course, as Kikyo's personal playmate and close friend, Kagome was given all the blame for her unruliness. But Kikyo had gotten better lately. She actually seemed interested in men…
Kagome shook her thoughts back to what she was doing.
'No,' she thought at last. It wasn't worth it.
She took careful aim for the space above the target, which happened to be the branch she was observing earlier, and released the shining arrow.
Kikyo stared in wonder as the arrow sailed off course piercing a branch that hung lightly over their target. It was nowhere close.
A long silence passed between the two girls before it was interrupted by Kikyo's laughter. It was a contained and distinguished laugh, Kagome decided.
"Damn, Kagome! Grandmother has better aim than that!" She stopped abruptly after letting out another squeal of laughter. Once catching her breath, she continued in a playful tone. "You actually want me to believe that you weren't purposely trying to miss? Oh, you're so much fun!"
Kagome found nothing humorous in the situation. She was simply trying to protect herself. This wasn't her idea of fun.
She had no desire of having another "meeting" with Keiji. Keiji was the master guard for the Kazuo household. He was a stern and solemn figure that nobody ever messed with. She never told Kikyo what Keiji did to her when she and Kikyo disobeyed Lady Kimi's orders. Kikyo never understood what Kagome went through behind closed doors. She was too naïve and free-spirited to understand.
"My lady, it appears that you have won," she spoke quietly.
Kikyo sniffed, but gave up trying to tease her. "Only because you're so modest." She flashed her one of those roguishly cute and pouty faces that always made her wooers sigh in adoration. "And, since I'm the Queen's niece, you're afraid of beating me in a simple game of archery. This is why you don't care about winning."
Not true. Kagome cared. But that didn't mean she would let the temporary pleasure of one measly victory override the possible pain she might feel in the future. You just didn't go hurting the feelings of Queen Maemi's niece. She refused to do anything that might upset Kikyo and it helped that her more submissive side always won over.
Some six years ago when they were each roughly eight and ten years old, Kagome beat Kikyo in a game of chess. A harmless not to mention pointless game of chess.
The first thing Kikyo did was cry like the little baby she was. This terrified the slave girl of course. It was a sin to make your master cry. She was practically begging to be smacked. Kagome naturally tried to cheer her up by telling her that it wasn't a big deal and that she still was a great chess player. But Kikyo would hear none of it. She went so far as to tell Lady Kimi what an awful thing her playmate had done to her.
That was when Kagome learned the harsh difference between being a playmate that made their masters smile and being an older sister who could cream little siblings whenever they felt like it. Kagome wasn't Kikyo's older sister despite their strong physical resemblance. And she most certainly wasn't Lady Kimi's daughter.
So Lady Kimi sent her to Keiji, the headman in charge of the behavior of slaves. Not many people knew about his other job though. His other occupation required him to sell slaves that Lady Kimi grew tired of, in exchange for fresh ones. This is what frightened Kagome.
There were worse things than having to entertain Kikyo. She could have been sold as a concubine to some perverted master. Or she could have been forced to do physical labor out in the sun for some lord in a rural area. But Keiji wasn't that cruel. He was actually very generous. All he did was give her a well thought-out not to mention educational whipping experience. True, he did slash her back out for a good half an hour until she was just an inch away from breaking point, but she learned her lesson. All for the sake of never upsetting her lady again. Which, sure enough she never did. At least not on a frequent basis…
So this was why Kagome was so polite, so nice. She wanted to tear Kikyo's eyes out after that incident, but she didn't. In fact, nowadays, she felt like thanking Kikyo for teaching her how to be obedient and gracious. She remembered literally getting done on her knees to praise Buddha when Keiji didn't sell her.
Kagome learned that it was never the master's fault for punishing her. There was a saying from one of the upper-class nobles that said slaves earned their status in life by offending the gods.
Who did she ever offend?
"We should leave now." Kikyo's voice snapped her back into reality. "Mother's probably fretting over my sudden disappearance again. I wish the bitch would just leave me alone sometimes. "
"She has every right to worry." Kagome smiled weakly. Kikyo only talked with an attitude in front of Kagome. Kikyo would never speak such trash in the presence of her mother.
'She must feel comfortable around me.'
Oddly enough, they both felt secure in each other's presence, sort of like two peas in a pod. No matter how annoying Kikyo could get sometimes, Kagome always loved her and was grateful for their friendship. At night, they'd share secrets together and whisper what they wanted to be when they grew up. Kikyo did most of the what-I-want-to-be-when-I-grow-up wishful thinking.
But while there were endless possibilities awaiting Kikyo, Kagome already knew what she was going to be when she grew up: a slave.
It was because she was not free. Nobody would ever lay a hand on Kikyo. Nobody would ever command her to do something she didn't feel like doing or playing with someone when she didn't feel like playing.
It all came down to freedom.
And that's exactly what Kagome dreamed of every night.
"Since you lost, you can carry everything back home." Kikyo fidgeted with her hair and stared into a small hand mirror that she always carried with her if she engaged in any playful activities. Breaking a sweat from the blistering heat was not something she was fond of.
Kagome tried not to notice, but she couldn't help it. Kikyo was growing vainer every day now. Every time she looked at the younger girl, she was either brushing her hair or plastering another layer of make-up onto her whimsical face. This new Kikyo frightened her. She didn't want Kikyo to become a lady. If she became a lady then she'd no longer play games with her—not that Kagome minded or anything. What it meant was that she'd no longer need a playmate. Kagome would no longer serve any useful purpose. Anything that failed to serve a purpose, Kimi usually got auctioned off.
"Why are you still staring at me Kagome?" She glanced up from her compulsive item to give her a sharp reminding glare. "I don't like it when you obsess over me. It makes me feel uncomfortable."
"Sorry Lady Kikyo," she responded hastily. "Forgive me for my gawking." Yeah, like she ever lost sleep at night from obsessing over her master. The very thought was laughable.
She moved to the tree at once to pick up the target. After she returned she found her friend scrutinizing her--similar to the way a lion would stare at an antelope.
"Kagome," she paused before looking up to meet the other girl's dark brown eyes. They shined like a full moon at night or perhaps a blossoming flower in the morning. Kagome's eyes were so warm and deep. Entirely captivating to the observer.
No doubt Kikyo was very attractive herself. Despite the cosmetics and the expensive dresses she wore, she had a way of carrying herself with poise and refinement that was practically unmatchable. She also possessed a cold beauty that drew men looking for danger and excitement. Her grace however came with living the life of a noble.
"Tell me Kagome, honestly." Again there was a pregnant pause. "Am I beautiful?"
For all the suspension, the girl could have seriously written a book.
This question seemed to be the flavor of the week. One's face didn't change overnight!
"My lady I assure you that you are quite lovely." But you might want to try working on that self-absorbed wispy personality of yours.
"But you are prettier."
Not this again.
Kagome smiled. "Only because you are so hard on yourself. Consider all the powerful and wealthy lords who have been watching you blossom over the years. Is that not proof enough of your beauty? They are waiting for you my lady," Kagome felt a sudden pull in her chest. "Not me."
"I suppose you're right." Her response was slow and calculating. "After all, you are just my slave. And slaves do not fall in love." She walked over to Kagome and rested her hands upon both shoulders. "But still…I envy you."
"Don't!" Kagome laughed reaching over and tickling the young girl on the side.
The other girl jumped unexpectedly with glee, her hard expression instantly dissolving into a smile. Then a new idea popped into the young girl's mind.
"Oh my goodness! I forgot that the Queen's advisor was supposed to be coming today! Mother's going to kill me if I miss another opportunity to discuss future husbands. He's probably already there!" Their previous conversation was forgotten as Kikyo started sprinting back to their estate. "Hey, I'll race you back, Kagome!"
Kagome remained where she was standing, as Kikyo got her usual head start. But her mind was a thousand miles away as she stared out to sea.
'After all, you are just my slave. And slaves do not fall in love.'
She shook her head before turning to catch up with her friend carrying dead dad's bows and arrows along with his target mat. She didn't know why she felt so disappointed with those last words.
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"Do you see them?" The young boy whispered to his comrade. "I can't make out anything with these damn branches in the way."
"Shut up, Makoto," the other voice snapped. "I can hear them coming. Do you want them to discover us?"
They had been hiding up in a tree for a good hour or so waiting for the Northern soldiers to pass by. There weren't that many-- probably fifty men at the most-- not counting the fifteen captured soldiers from the Southern side who were marching in chains. The fight had gone horribly wrong. Not only did they underestimate the number of men in General Kouga's army, but they had also allowed them to take advantage of them--on their own turf! And it wasn't just their primitive weapons that had cost them the win. It was also their ridiculously embarrassing fighting skills.
Yesterday, the Northerners made a surprise assault. Who would have thought they would attack from the riverside? Hadn't the Southerners, gained control over all the mainstreams and bodies of water in the area. Apparently not.
"You remember the plan?" the hanyou asked in a much gentler tone. "I'll distract them, while you go free the prisoners. Once you release them, I want you to get your skinny little ass out of there and lead them back to camp. Is that clear?" He peered over a small branch as the remnants of a worn-out army emerged from the underbrush. It looked like they'd be passing directly beneath them.
"Yes. I understand," sighed the young, but by no means feeble, adolescent. He stared at Inuyasha for a moment before they both made eye contact.
God, the kid looked like he couldn't be any older than thirteen or fourteen at the most, but here he was fighting in a man's war. What had the world come to?
"You know, not too many mercenaries would risk their lives to free a bunch of captured soldiers." Makoto spoke in a skeptical tone. "You're either an extremely nice person, or you have some secret motive that you're not telling us."
"Well aren't you the nosy one?" smirked Inuyasha before reverting his attention back to the marching army. A distant look seemed to protrude from his very eyes. "I'm not a mercenary. And stop digging around in other people's business." The demon inched his way down the tree taking careful notice not to make any noise.
'Strange foreigner,' Makoto shrugged lightly before calling out in an utmost quiet voice, "Be careful!"
"Keh," was his response. He didn't need to be careful. Careful was for the timid and weak who were afraid of losing their lives for a noble cause.
He continued to crawl down until he was directly above the captain of the small regiment. The infantry swayed and stumbled over rocks and tree roots like they'd been shot in the legs one too many times. He'd make sure to get them back on their feet though.
The young demon smiled at the captain sitting atop his "steadfast" stallion that looked like it would collapse any minute now from sheer exhaustion. Perfect. None of them would even suspect a surprise attack.
Before the commanding officer had a chance to figure out what was going on, Inuyasha was on him slamming his head against the tree. The officer fell to the ground unconscious while his buddies stared blankly at the whole scene playing before them. They were clearly still in shock. With the grace and agility of a god, Inuyasha took on ten more men throwing, punching, and clawing his way through until their battered bodies were covered in blood.
After waking the entire regiment from their weary and melancholy trance, Inuyasha felt the need to entice them some more. He leapt away until he was at least a hundred yards out of their reach. Then, turning his back towards the now disgruntled army, he leaned over and began to slapping his ass at a nice slow and steady pace.
"Hey all you Northern bastards, looks like you missed someone!" After a long series of slaps, he committed the ultimate degradation by sliding his red pants down to his knees and revealing his cheeks to the armored men.
"Yoooohooooo!" he hooted in a very feminine voice. "I bet you wished your wives had asses half as nice as mine!"
He continued on shaking his bare tush while the men advanced. With a loud series of whoops and hollers, Inuyasha was chased deep into the forest by the entire regiment. Several men remained however to keep guard over the bound prisoners.
"That's my cue," cried the boy still up in the tree that'd been waiting for the 'signal'. He made a dramatic leap from his hiding position and tackled one of the men on guard. His rapier made quick work of the man and by the time the guard slipped into afterlife, blood covered the boy's entire face.
'One down, nine to go.' Makato licked the edge of sword. He was outnumbered, but that didn't scare him in the least.
"Release them if you value your lives," he said, pointing the tip of his blade toward the remaining guards. "Unchain them now!"
The prisoners stared at the kid like he'd gone crazy while the guards howled with laughter.
Fine. If they wouldn't oblige, then he could kill them without regret. Humans were foolish creatures to underestimate someone for their small stature.
When would they learn that size didn't matter?
He grinned a boyish smile. Sure, he was just a kid. But a child in human years was far different from a child in demon years.
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"Shit," the ill-fated hanyou concluded as he approached a cliff overlooking the sea. He was cornered with no place to run. He glanced around to see if there was any way out. The channel below him separated the Northern territory from the Southern. Across the strait was the Northern continent-- he definitely didn't want to go there.
Something else caught his eye on the Northern region though. A young girl was standing near the edge of the overhang looking out towards the sea. She didn't seem to notice him watching her though. It was hard to make out the expression on her face, but she almost looked like she couldn't make up her mind about something. Like something was troubling her. The possibility however was quickly thrown aside as she turned around and disappeared into the vast woodland.
"Well, well, well. Looks like the magician has run out of tricks." His pursuers had finally arrived. The man who spoke stepped boldly out from the safety of his comrades. Inuyasha had never seen a man with a larger or more well-defined Mohawk in his entire life up until now. What kind of gel did the man use to get his hair to stand up so perfectly straight?
"What should we do with him? Pull out of all of his pretty white hair and toss him out to sea or should we take him back to Kouga?"
"Sankon tessou!" Inuyasha shouted angrily as he moved to cut the obnoxious soldier with hair problems in half. But, before he could touch the guy, much less get close to him, he was tackled to the ground by one of his buddies.
A beaded lasso was hurled over his head before Inuyasha could dodge out of the way.
"Sit, dog!"
Inuyasha went crashing deep into the ground. What the heck!
The rope seemed to tighten around his neck. Were they trying to strangle him? He wasn't suffocating. The weight around his collar felt immense though as he tried to stand up. It felt like he was being drained of all his energy.
"What'd ya do to him, Hakkaku, use the old prayer beads?" asked the guy who had tackled him from before.
"Yeah, Ginta," replied the one named Hakkaku. "I threw on one of those necklaces they use on demons slaves to control their power. After that, all I had to do was command him to sit like the smelly, flea-ridden dog he is. The necklace works wonders. I never realized how effective these things were on demons! I know they use them all the time in the slave trading business to control powerful unwilling demons, but who would have thought that you could use it as a weapon during war?"
The two idiots started laughing their dim-witted heads off while the poor hanyou persisted on sitting up.
'Prayer beads? Is that what's was holding me back?' Inuyasha glanced down at the interesting ornament surrounding his neck. 'I don't see what the problem is…' he grunted as attempted to pull the beads over his head. 'It shouldn't…' another tug. 'be…that… difficult!' The dog demon finally collapsed slamming hard into the ground as another 'Sit' command was issued from Hakkaku.
"Haha! That'll teach you, for your disgusting performance today!" Hakkaku walked right over to him and kicked the hanyou hard in the stomach.
Inuyasha groaned loudly and keeled over mumbling something that distinctly resembled, "Bitch."
"Yeah, give it to him, Hakkaku!" He could hear Ginta chanting in the background.
'Mother,' Inuyasha screamed silently. Why did it hurt so bad?
He could hear the rest of the soldiers in the background who had just arrived. They were singing something indistinct, and he could feel the ground beneath him tremble. Was it his imagination or were the poor fools dancing and celebrating?
'What a bunch of idiots. They think they've just won the whole war by capturing me."
His thoughts were rudely interrupted as Hakkaku crouched down next to him. "You don't happen to be the Southern war hero known as Inuyasha?" He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I mean, I heard the guy had white hair and all, but nobody ever told me he was a filthy mutt!"
"Better a filthy mutt than a reeking wolf," Inuyasha snarled.
"Ha, you son of a bitch! I take that as a yes," barked Hakkaku before kicking him again; this time in the head. "Aren't you the funny one, Inuyasha? Only a moronic dog could lead those Southern bastards right into the trap we set yesterday. You guys never even considered the possibility that we might strike from your water routes. That's because you guys…"--another kick in the face-- "are so damn cocky!"
Inuyasha couldn't hold out much longer. Everything was getting darker by the minute. Something wasn't right though. The only times he'd ever blackened out were when he was a human. He glanced down at his claws…or more like his fingernails.
Aw, shit no. How could he be human? There was no new moon tonight!
"It looks like those beads have finally sealed your demonic powers," Hakkaku sneered indicating the necklace. "You won't be turning into a demon anytime soon. At least until you're released from the spell by your master."
His master? Were they planning on selling him into slavery? His head was pounding hard and his vision was fading fast, but he could still here their muffled voices.
"I say we send him as a present to General Kouga along with the rest of the men we captured. Kouga could use some slaves to manage his household while he's away at war. Nothing would give Kouga greater pleasure than having complete reign over a Southern leader."
Why did they keep calling him a Southerner? He was just temporarily lending his strength to the army so the Northerners wouldn't take over his people's lands.
The half-breed groaned one last time before passing out.
"Humans are so weak and fragile," mocked Ginta as he heaved the black-haired man onto his back.
"Hey!" Mohawk now stood to assume command of the leaderless regiment. "I want everybody to turn around and head back now."
Again, the rest of the men around him let out another war-like cry rejoicing over the hanyou's capture.
"Lieutenant Hakkaku!" cried a man emerging from the crowd. He was breathing hard and raspy like he'd just sprinted a mile. "I went back to check on the prisoners, and they're gone! All of them!"
"What are you talking about?" Hakkaku flared as he walked right up to the panting soldier.
"All of the prisoners of war!" stuttered the man. "Somehow, they've escaped!"
The entire forest seemed to go quiet as these last words were said.
"That's impossible!" Mohawk sputtered. "A few of the men were to stay behind and protect the surroundings!"
"They were! But when I got there, everyone on guard was dead!" He paused for a moment before continuing. "We've been duped, Hakkaku!"
Hakkaku stared long and hard at the unconscious man in Ginta's arms.
So he was just a decoy to lead them away. And they fell for it. There was more to this baka than he'd given him credit for.
A growl worked its way up Hakkaku's throat.
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I've thought a lot about this story lately, but I never actually put it into writing. This is not completely original- some of the plot comes from a book I read called Dreamers by Angela Hunt. You might have noticed that I pulled the title from this story as well. It's a really good book to read if any of you ever happen to come across it.
Well, I hoped you enjoyed my first chapter! Kikyo will be playing the younger companion of Kagome in this story. I just felt like changing it around. For anyone confused, Inuyasha is from the South, but he lives in a separate region. The war is between the Northerners and the Southerners (because I couldn't think of anything original). Inuyasha fights on the Southern side—why? Because I am evil and all shall be revealed in due course. Mwhahahah.
Oh and by the way—that little button to the left down there always helps me write better. Please? I could use some feedback on this story and some constructive criticism.
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