The morning dawned bright and cool. The sun barely peaked over their campsite when Koga tapped on the poles of her tent. Kagome jerked awake, hair flattened to her head in unattractive clumps. Blurry eyes took in the barely brightening sky and she groaned. While meeting the dragon last night had been exhilarating, her body protesting each movement.
"Higurashi-sama, you ready? We'll head out after you're done eating," rang out Koga-san. She groaned and pushed herself to her feet. Shuffling to the entryway of the jinmaku, she only comprehended that Koga-san had pressed a bowl into her hands, laughing slightly at her state of disarray. His grin rivaled the sun peeking over the horizon and Kagome wanted nothing more than to shield her eyes from their equal brilliance. Groaning once more she looked at the bowl of tofu and soup. Unappetizing radish strips sat on the side of the dish, and Kagome fought the urge to go without breakfast. Doubtless her journey would take a turn for the worse if she fell off the dragon midflight because she failed to keep awake. Wordlessly she stepped back into her jinmaku and ate. The soup slid down her throat and she felt some drops fall on her yukata. Wiping away the moisture with her sleeve, she set down the bowl and stretched her arms above her head. Standing up, she felt the soup working its magic in her, eyes already wider and face brighter after truly waking for the day. Laughing lightly, she set to combing her hair, fingers untangling the knots that formed throughout the night. She frowned at the emerging waves, but Koga's brash voice interrupted her thoughts of twisting the dark locks into a simple updo.
"You done in there? The Emperor expects us back and, no offense to Haruto-san but, uh, two people on his back are gunna slow him down a bit," he said sheepishly.
Kagome huffed in irritation and quickly changed from her soiled garments into a fresh blue yukata. Donning a painted kimono over the yukata, she grabbed an obi from among her things and tied it, the amber fabric encircling her waist. Shivering in the morning air she made her way to where Koga-san squatted packing a small rucksack with provisions for their travels. Her shuffled steps had the man looking towards her with a flashy grin.
"Higurashi-sama, over here!" his loud summons excited her, and she lifted the front of her garments to hurry to his side. Stepping quickly, she miscalculated her stride and started falling forward to the ground. In a flash, Koga dropped the rucksack and captured the young maiden in his arms.
"You alright, milady?" Koga-san's worried expression had her nodding quickly. She paused, her cheeks flushing as her hands grabbed his biceps for support. Muscles flexed under her small hands and she gaped up at him and his unforgiving smirk. A moment passed before either of them moved, eyes still connected. She took a small step back and bent her head in gratitude.
"Arigatou, Kouga-san. Traveling so much these past weeks seems to have made me clumsier," Kagome giggled.
"Ah, Higurashi-sama, I think should be passed such formalities, ne?" came his response. Kagome's grin grew just a little bit more, and it appeared the captain's cheeks had the faintest pink hue to them.
"If we are abandoning propriety, then you must call me Kagome," she exclaimed gaily.
"It would be my honor, Kagome-chan," Koga's teeth flashed.
Stepping carefully now, Kagome followed Koga to where he had been packing.
"How did you get to me so quickly from all the way over here?" she inquired. "I barely saw you move!"
"I'm a wolf, Kagome-chan. I was born to run," came his answer.
It all clicked. His interesting garments, the furs, his strength, his speed- "You're youkai?" The question popped out before she could stop herself. Blushing, she hoped her tone sounded more interested than scared. The fur hanging from his waist twitched and she realized it was a actually a tail.
"Hai. That a problem to you?" his eyes slid back to meet hers, burning into her soul.
"No, no. I've just, um. I've never met a youkai before. Gomen-nasai, Koga-kun, but I fear you will spend the rest of our journey answering my questions. This is so exciting!" she squealed, eyes twinkling with uncontained mirth.
Koga bent and picked up the rucksack and slung the strap over his shoulder. Standing quickly, offered his arm to Kagome. Gracefully she settled her hand in the nook of his arm and they made their way over to where Haruto lay dozing. With a quick kick to a scaly thigh, Koga had the dragon up in moments. Koga also received another snort of smoke to his face and the dragon let loose another one of his guttural laughs. Shaking his great head, the silver dragon stood and stretched his wings.
"Ohayo-gozaimasu, Haruto-san. I am most excited to travel with you today," Kagome said to the dragon. A deep, rumbling hum filled their camp as the dragon's lips curved into a quasi-smile. Beaming, Kagome reached her hand out and lightly touched the dragon's shoulder. Her fingers traced over the ward scales and she looked up, shocked to see Koga-kun already on the dragon, adjusting the dragon's saddle and the reins. He caught her gaze and hopped down from the Haruto-san's wide back, landing lightly on his toes. His feet are no louder than a whisper, she noted, while I constantly am falling all over myself.
"Kagome-chan, it would please me greatly to assist you in ascending this great lizard's back," Koga-kun declared with a bow, extending his hand to her. She slipped her dainty hand into his and felt his rough fingers wrap around hers. Hoisting her up, he settled her into the saddle, her legs hanging off one side of the silver beast's haunches. He swung his leg around and sat squarely in the saddle behind her, hands loosely grasping the reins. Kagome looked around at the campsite, not truly believing that she would fly away from her troupe. Yuuto and Touma, as well as a few other men stood by the fire.
Catching sight of her, Yuuto bellowed, "We'll not be far behind yer, Higurashi-sama!" His gruff attitude and way of speaking brought a smile to her face. I'll miss him. I'll miss them all. Touma stepped forward hesitantly, bringing his hand up to salute her departure. She raised hers in acknowledgement, nodding minutely.
"Haruto-san, let's fly!" Koga barked. Haruto leapt to the sky, wings beating laboriously under the strain of two riders. Surging upwards, tree branches enclosed on them and Kagome shrank into Koga's chest. As quickly as the branches had become a threat, they were left behind as Haruto burst through the foliage. Daring to look, Kagome could scarcely believe her eyes. The dawn's rays met them head on, at least until Haruto rolled, turning them to the west and to her destiny.
With the sun at their backs, Kagome could see more than she had before. Fields rolled out below them, some farmers already up and working, backs bent in labor. Far to the south, she saw the village they passed but a few days ago. Roads stretched across the countryside, unfurling outwards connecting to other villages and paths. Trees stood tall but appeared smaller than her fingers. Haruto kept climbing the skies until leveling out at the height of the clouds. Wind whipped at her hair, sending strands flying into Koga's face and her own. At least I didn't put the effort into arranging my hair only for it to be torn loose by the wind, she thought to herself. The sun caught the fields, turning them into shining ranges of golden-green. A flock of birds flew up by them, and Kagome's breath caught in her throat.
"Koga-kun, this is amazing," her wide eyes met his and he chuckled. Haruto let loose another one of his deep grumbling laughs, apparently also hearing her words. His wings spread wide, his hide shone brilliantly in the morning light. The wings straightened as the dragon floated on the wind. Glinting rays of light caught Kagome's interest, and she stretched as far as she dared to see if she could hold it in her hand.
Not long after they had taken to the air, Kagome turned to Koga.
"So," she began, biting her lip in uncertainty, "are there others like you, in the capitol?" Her question surprised him, and he looked down to meet her eyes.
"You mean youkai?"
"Hai."
"Well, yeah. Quite a lot of the Emperor's court and the Imperial family themselves are youkai. But I'm one of the few wolves at the palace," he said with a smirk. His teeth flashed, and Kagome caught sight of his sharp canines. Reaching her hand up, she hesitated before touching his mouth, looking in awe at the fangs. Koga shifted slightly, acutely aware of her intimate presence.
"Do all youkai have teeth like yours?" Her soft eyes met his darker ones.
"Hai. It is common, especially among the canine types. We're all different though. Tenno Heika Inu no Taisho and the whole royal family have markings on their human manifestations. I don't have the same stuff, but that's fine. It just means I can wear whatever I want and it won't clash with my face," Koga said with a laugh.
"Tell me more! Are they also wolves? What do they look like? Are they as strong as you, or as fast?" Her questions spilled out of her mouth, and Koga did his best to keep up. Each answer spurred new questions, and the hours passed quickly in conversation. Koga found himself endeared to the tiny human riding the dragon with him. Her questions ranged from the physical abilities of youkai, their demonic tendencies, the powers different youkai wielded, what the capitol city was like, what styles were becoming more popular, what the environment around the city looked like, so much more. She spoke animatedly of her home, her family, and her meager supply of worldly experiences. She spoke of her cat who would lounge in their small home begging attention instead of chasing away rats and mice. She described how the stars looked from under the torii arch of the village shrine. Her hands moved emphatically, her voice animatedly chronicling her adventures to the local markets, to visit the monk school in the mountains, finding a local hot spring with her friends from the village. Her smile shone brightly.
Koga felt himself wishing the journey to the palace could be delayed, even a day or two, so that he could enjoy his time spent with the unique woman. Even Haruto-san made his amusement known by her stories and questions with quick snorts and rumbles. Once or twice smoke curled back into their faces as the great dragon gave his equivalent of a laugh, making his riders laugh as well.
With the sun high in the sky, Haruto descend to the ground for a brief respite. His wings angled slightly, and Kagome savored the weightless felling that overcame her. Koga's arms tightened around slightly to ensure she would not fall. The ground surged up to meet them and Haruto changed his wing positioning again. The silvery webbing of his wings billowed out as he caught the air, rapidly slowing their descent. Sudden pressure robbed her of the weightlessness, and she fell back against Koga's armored chest. They landed near the start of a forest, a bubbling stream not far from their landing site. There were no roads here, the nearest village on the other side of the valley they crossed.
"Kagome-chan, would you permit me to help you dismount?" Koga asked.
"Hai, Koga-kun. Arigatou," Kagome responded. He gathered her in his arms and leapt from the dragon, much like he had when she saw him for the first time. The jump was nothing like flying had been, but the same weightlessness came over her before Koga lightly touched down on the ground. Gently he lowered her legs so that she was standing before him. Blushing, she gratefully stretched her legs, wandering towards the edge of the forest. Catching sight of colorful lavender flowers and other small blooms nearby, she skipped over and began piling flowers into her arms. Haruto rumbled off to the stream, leaving the maiden and the wolf to themselves. Kagome gathered her blossoms and perched on a small rock, fingers moving quickly to braid the flowers together into a chain.
"Kagome-chan, you are not like the other girls at the palace," the words slipped out before Koga could stop them.
"E? What do you mean?" she said, not looking up from her flowers. The chain was taking form, flowers peeking out from among the braided foliage. Her fingers slowed as she looked up, catching Koga's reddened cheeks. She smiled gently as Koga began responding.
"Eh, you know, most girls," he started haltingly, hand rubbing the back of his head, "Most of the girls at the palace are not as interesting as you. They only care for attracting the prince's gaze. But you care for so much in the world," came Koga's soft response. He cleared his throat and declared loudly, "Come, let's head to the stream. Kami knows we should drink after covering so much of the countryside and Haruto left us a pretty clear trail to follow." He chuckled and offered her his arm, which she graciously accepted bowing her head to hide her blushing cheeks. Walking into the forest the pair followed the dragon's tracks, deep claw marks gouging the soft earth. Kagome's flower chain hung around her neck, a few loose blooms in her hand.
Once they reached the stream, both Kagome and Koga laughed at their mount's antics. Haruto had flopped his great girth in the middle of the stream and sat with his mouth open for the stream to pour in. Water pooled around the dragon's body, and he lifted his eyes to the pair in acknowledgment before closing them once more. Koga led Kagome to the edge of the stream and produced a small chawan from the rucksack, which he promptly filled in the stream before offering to Kagome. She accepted and took a long drink. Cool water poured down her throat, and Kagome returned the dish to Koga for him to drink. The youkai himself stood in the stream with water running over his feet, reaching into the rucksack once more and traded the dish for a rice ball. Kagome gratefully accepted the food, nibbling on the tonjiki as Koga took his own drink from the stream. Haruto had not moved since the arrived, but now lifted his head as if smelling the fish within the tonjiki. He grumbled, and Koga looked at the silver dragon before digging into the rucksack once more. He threw a rice ball at the mount, and Haruto's head snapped up to catch it midair and chewing loudly. Satisfied, the beast shook his head before returning to the coolness of the stream.
Their time for respite passed quickly. Koga replaced the chawan in his rucksack and shouldered in once more, the strap lost in his thick furs. Haruto stood and shook himself, flinging water in every direction. Koga stepped between the maiden and the dragon, grinning as she cowered behind him. Free of water, Haruto trampled over to where they were standing. The stream, now no longer blocked by the dragon, filled in the impression the dragon's body left behind, creating a mini lake in the woods.
Koga helped Kagome back onto the saddle before settling behind her. With a quick pat on the dragon's shoulder, Haruto was climbing to the sky once more. Kagome, anxiously anticipating that moment Haruto would leave the ground, giggled in delight at taking to the sky. Unseen by her, Koga smiled at the woman in his arms. Their journey continued, Kagome settling into a comfortable silence. Her eyelids drooped as she fell back against the wolf, and knew no more.
Kagome awoke to Koga's gentle hands rocking her shoulder. She looked around, wide eyes taking in the city sprawling below them. Huts and homes were crowded along the roads leading into the city, and further behind them she saw surrounding farmland.
"Look, Kagome-chan, the palace is just over there. The gates are open to the city and to the left, you see the gardens?" said Kouga.
"Sugoi," breathed Kagome, taking in the sprawling gardens of the palace complex. They extended to the left side of the palace and around the back from what she could see. The manicured gardens turned into tamed forests the further from the palace. Fields flanked the other side of the palace, ending in the foothills of the nearby mountains. At least there are mountains here too. Maybe I can visit them while I'm here.
Haruto angled downward, bringing them lower over the city. Merchant stalls and food vendors came into view, and she excitedly thought about visiting the city to explore and experience the thrill of life in the capitol. Shrines dotted the city, torii arches standing tall over the citizens and their bright splashed of red vied for her attention. The setting sun cast hues of all colors across the sky, oranges and red and blues and purples twisting together and Kagome could not identify where one color stopped and the next began.
"It's totally different from above, am I right?" Koga smirked.
"It's… It's so big, I didn't know it was this big," Kagome replied, eyes shining.
"Wait- you mean you've never been here before?" His question came quickly, and she shook her head.
"I've never really left the mountains around my village before," she confided.
"Kagome-chan," hesitantly, Koga turned her face to his, "you must be careful. Not everyone is like you here. Some of the people outside the palace are not as kind as you are. Just, don't leave the palace without asking me or taking me or another guard with you."
His eyes never left hers, and she timidly nodded her consent. Placated, he looked up to see the palace grounds below them. Haruto's wings shifted slightly, and they glided in a loose spiral towards the ground. Below them, ladies walked in the gardens and guards patrolled the palace walls. Some looked up in awe to the great silver dragon, wondering what could have brought him here from his home in the foothills. Others saw their descent and took refuge in the nearest shelter. Kagome looked around in awe, eyes drawn to a man riding a horse in the nearby fields. His silver hair streamed behind him, glinting in the rapidly fading light. She tried to look and see his face, but they touched down on the ground behind the palace gates and her vision only saw the steps leading up to the palace. Golden statues of dogs, dragons, and deity dotted the walls and grounds. She could hear gentle streams and the soft buzz of conversation from the nearby gardens. Alighting from the dragon once more, Koga set her gently on the ground. She turned and gave a low bow to the dragon.
"Arigatou-gozaimas Haruto-san. You have fulfilled my dream of touching the sky today," she rushed out and hugged the dragon around his neck. Rumbling in pleasure, the dragon bent his neck around her back to reciprocate the human gesture. Kagome giggled, stepping back to ask, "May I give you a gift, Haruto-san?"
The dragon fixed one bright cobalt eye on her and nodded his great head. If she didn't know better, she would have said a smirk crossed his face. Grinning, she removed her flower chain from around her neck. Breaking the chain, she placed it around his neck, fingers moving quickly to braid the chain together again. Some of the lavender flowers were crushed where she had laid against Koga, but their sweet smell counteracted the odd flat spots of the floral strand. Admiring her handiwork, she bowed once more to the dragon, who was inspecting his new gift with reverence. His cobalt eyes sprung to hers once more, and she could sense rather than see what the dragon wished to convey.
"If you should wish for more flowers, Haruto-san, you know where to find me," she said with a laugh. Returning to Koga's side, she took his proffered arm as they ascended the steps to the palace. Haruto bounded to the sky and soared over their heads, letting loose a loud roar as he headed to the foothills east of the palace. The pair laughed gaily before continuing up the steps.