Musashi Province (Feudal Japan)
The Musashi Province, which was ruled by the Kai Clan in the early 14th century, was the largest territory of the Kanto Region. It was also home to one of the most provincial Villages of the era, Edo and Takeda Castle, ruled by the reigning Daimyo Takeda Nobutsuna.
Current Shogun: Ashikaga Yoshitane of Kyoto.
Ψ
A gentle wind and soft blades of grass brushed against the young girl as she slept on the forest ground. Kagome was unaware her surroundings had changed drastically as she laid there, her expression somewhat serene. Yet as the hot sun shined down upon her, her long lashes fluttered against her cheeks, it wasn't long before she awoke with a start, her crystalline blue eyes shifting around her as she sat up surveying her whereabouts.
Where in the world was she?
The last thing she remembered was some unknown force dragging her into the tree in her yard, but now she was somewhere else. Her house was nowhere in the vicinity and there were no signs of Souta either.
"Where … am I?"
As she regained her standing, the young girl turned to look behind her, but when she did, she was surprised to see the Goshinboku tree standing tall before her. How was it possible the tree was here and yet her house wasn't? Looking around, she realized there were more trees than usual, and for a moment, she pondered if this was just a dream.
It didn't make sense. What on earth happened? Where was her brother? Where was the house? Where was Buyou?
Realizing her questions wouldn't get answered just standing there, Kagome began walking in the direction she hoped to find her house, but no matter which turn she took, ducking beneath low branches, she found herself delving deeper within the forest.
This wasn't right at all.
"Maybe I'm still dreaming," She muttered on her trek before bringing her hand to rest on her wrist. With her fingers, she gave her skin a firm squeeze, and she yelped slightly in slight pain. "Or maybe I'm not…"
Either way, she wouldn't give up that easily. There had to be at least a road nearby or better yet, some people who could help her. If only she had her cellphone with her; with that, she was sure she'd reach her mother faster. Continuing further, her path becoming narrower by the second as the trees became more immense in the area. It was clear to her she was probably going the wrong way, and thus, she turned around, deciding to go a different direction.
"Someone has to be around here…"
Eventually she came across something strange on her walk, and stepping closer, she came to an open area where the trees were less dense. Across from her, Kagome saw two distinct graves, both covered with small flowers. The gravestones were clearly made from wood, its exterior somewhat rough and sharp with mold on the sides slightly visible.
Kagome wondered whose graves these were and why they were the only ones settled so deep within the forest. Perhaps there was a special reason why. Before turning to leave, Kagome clasped her hands in front of her and offered a small prayer to the deceased.
As she stood there, her eyes closed, hoping the deceased had found solace in the next world, the sound of twigs snapping behind her surprised Kagome. With a start, she turned and was greeted by five men, dressed in clothing similar to old times. These top knotted men wore old kimono tops and trousers, some varying in colors of blues, grays or browns with straw sandals upon their cut up and calloused feet. In each hand, they wielded old fashioned shovels and hoes, and a couple were carrying large assortments of freshly picked flowers, their small wooden cart behind them.
"What are you doing there?!"
"Demon!"
Ψ
If anything, Kagome was highly irritated. These strange men had chased her through the woods, shouting unintelligible and belligerent names at her, going so far as to accuse her of being some demon. After cutting off her escape route, they had even threatened to kill her, but for some reason had tied her down roughly and threw her onto a cart and brought her to some small village.
For an awkward and frightening time, she sat there on the ground, her arms and legs entwined with rope, watching these strange people dressed in olden kimonos whisper and converse about her as if she were some odd thing that had showed up. If anything, she was a normal, confused and frightened graduate who wanted to return home.
"You didn't have to tie me up you know!"
All that surrounded Kagome was old village huts, rice patties and farmland. There were no vehicles or towers nearby that she could make out, and for some reason, Kagome felt she wouldn't get out of this situation so easily. If they thought she had done something wrong, it was clearly a misunderstanding, though they didn't seem to think so. These people were suspicious and fearful of her, that much she noted in their expressions.
"Do you suppose she's a Kitsune in disguise?" And older lady with long raven hair questioned, her two children behind her, staring in curiosity.
"No, those shape-shifting foxes are a lot trickier than that!" An older man retorted back.
"You reckon this is war?" An old man asked, balancing himself with his small cane, to which a young man presumably in his early thirties grunted.
"Of course, it is, and right in the middle of rice planting season!"
As they continued conversing, eying her up as if she were some sort of oddity, going so far as to question if she were some spy from another village, Kagome felt a slight headache form. It seemed trying to convince them otherwise was out of the question; they thought she was some kind of threat, but how was she a threat if she was already tied up?
'Top knot, top knot, top knot, top knot. What is this, Japan Medieval Times?' It certainly seemed like it, though she wondered briefly if this was some sort of prank that was usually advertised on TV. No, it seemed a little too real to be a prank.
"Make way for High Priestess Kaede!"
There was a sudden movement in the crowd which didn't go unnoticed to the young girl or anyone else for that matter. Without having to push through the throng of people, an elderly woman, dressed in what seemed like priestess clothes, sauntered into the area. In her hand, she held a large bow and with it, she kept her balance, moving it upon the ground with each step. Her long and graying hair was pulled behind her and a large black eyepatch rested over her right eye; she looked upon Kagome suspiciously.
For a moment, the two shared a long look, and Kagome wondered if she noticed Kagome's innocence and nonthreatening appearance. Unfortunately, Kagome was immediately rewarded with a strange and dusty substance thrown in her face by the old woman.
"Hey! Hey! Stop that! I'm not a demon, okay?!" Kagome's eyes were closed as she attempted to shake her head of the substance littered upon her. To her reprieve, the priestess known as Kaede stopped.
"Are ye not? Then why were ye found in the Forest of Inuyasha?" She questioned.
Forest of Inuyasha? What a strange name. What was the big deal? Surely those woods weren't prohibited by others passing by, right? This had to be some kind of joke.
"I don't know what you're saying," She replied, struggling to break free from her ropes. "I was only passing through. I don't know what the big deal is anyway."
Stepping closer to the aged priestess, a young man dressed in a gray Kimono top, and blue trousers, whispered into her ear, though it was loud enough for Kagome to hear. "She could be a spy from another village."
Kaede's glare narrowed, not once leaving Kagome's form on the ground before her. "In that case, she would be a fool! Who would dare invade a poor village as ours?"
Kagome almost sighed. Couldn't they see she wasn't a threat? "I'm telling you I'm not a threat. Look I'll tell you everything if you want."
At her response, the other villagers seemed somewhat hesitant to listen, believing her words would seem false in their ears, yet some of the village men demanded her explanation immediately, to which Kaede nodded.
From the corner of her eye, Kagome noticed that some of the children and older men had gathered up a small collection of rocks, some larger than others with sharp and jagged edges. If her story wasn't deemed believable, she guessed she would meet a cruel fate.
"Well, ye best start talking child."
Gulping, Kagome took a deep breath and exhaled. "Well I was with my younger brother and somehow I got lost in these woods. I didn't recognize my surroundings and I thought if I kept walking, I might find my house. That's when I stumbled upon a couple graves nearby and then I was attacked by your men." That was simple enough to seem believable, right? It wasn't like she was lying.
A chorus of whispers sounded around her once more, and Kagome felt a strange uncertainty in the air. Did they not believe her? Before she could say anything, a few stones were chucked at her, narrowingly missing her skull. A few sharp stones hit her in the sides and back of the neck, scraping her flesh, and she cried out in pain.
"That is enough!" Kaede called out.
From the tone in her voice the villagers ceased their attempt to stone the girl to death and curiously looked to their elder. Handing her bow to one of the village men beside her, Kaede stepped towards Kagome before bending down to inspect her closely.
'Now what?'
Forcibly, Kaede grasped her chin, turning her head from side to side. While she did, Kagome had the sudden urge to bite the old woman, but from the cautious stares of the villagers, she knew it wouldn't be wise. This lady was scrutinizing her, judging her reaction to discern whether she was good or held ill intentions.
"Be clever girl, or be ye a halfwit?" Kaede questioned. For a moment, she didn't see anything sinister about the girl, yet Kaede couldn't be certain whether her story added up. It was obvious in the way she explained her arrival in the Forest of Inuyasha as somewhat farfetched. She wasn't entirely truthful, and because of that Kaede couldn't bring herself to trust her.
"Kaede what should we do with her?" A younger man questioned, sauntering over towards the pair, his eyes glowering at Kagome, who returned the glare full on. He held Kaede's bow out for her to take, much to her appreciation.
"Ye have a peculiar color to ye eyes, child. If I wasn't mistaken, I'd think ye were indeed a demon," She explained, looking into her eyes deeply. Kaede noted the bright and vivid color as bright as the sky overhead, her irises a darker shade near the exterior and surrounding her pupil. Never before had she laid eyes on such a color, and as she searched her gaze closely, the old lady couldn't help but feel something emanating from deep within the girl. What was it? The feeling was too subtle to understand.
After much scrutiny, Kaede pulled away from Kagome and regained her standing, retrieving her bow from the young man. "Seeing as how the powder held no effect on her, she is not a demon. Ye may lower your weapons."
At this, the villagers shared baffled glances.
Aggravated, the young man quickly bent down and grasped Kagome by the collar of her navy-blue blazer roughly pulling her to her feet, earning a startled yelp from the girl. "Don't tell me you believe her story, Priestess Kaede? Just look at her!" His dark eyes took in her entire form disgustedly. "Look at how she is dressed!"
The others seemed to agree, nodding their heads vigorously. Kaede however said nothing as she watched the scene play out before her. His words did speak truth. The girl was quite an oddity and they'd never seen a Kimono quite like hers before nor as short.
As he leaned in closer, he inhaled the strange perfumed scent emanating from her. It was a sweet fragrance, a scent fit for someone of higher standing than this woman in his grasp. Reaching down, he grasped her plaid blue skirt, tugging at it roughly as he looked back at the villagers, much to Kagome's dismay and embarrassment. "If you ask me, she seems to enjoy parading herself around in these whorish clothes!"
A twitch under Kagome's eye formed, and if she wasn't tied up, she'd smack this guy for insulting her. She was far from a whore! "Excuse me?! What did you say?!"
He chuckled darkly at her before placing his knee in between her legs, rubbing the area between her thighs with his knee in a motion that made Kagome sick to her stomach. "I'm right, aren't I?" He asked loudly, urging stern glares from the villagers. "Listen here, we don't take too kindly to women selling themselves from village to village." Yet there was something strangely attractive about this woman that seemed to spark his interest.
When Kagome recognized the lust and ill intentions in his gaze, a certain fear welled up inside her, and she couldn't hold back any longer. As she collected the spit within her mouth, she pursed her lips and spat at him, coating his face with her saliva. "I'm the farthest thing from a whore you jerk! How dare you! Get your hands off me!"
Although she should have realized her mistake, in an instant, a resounding smack across her face forced her to the ground at his feet, and Kagome cried out painfully. Why were they treating her like this?
"You bitch!"
Fed up with the young man's insulting actions, Kaede stepped forward. "That is enough. I do not condone such behavior in this village, Satouru."
Surprised by her interference, Satouru apologized and stepped away from the strange looking girl who had the audacity to spit at him. It wasn't his fault she displayed herself as a whore; the girl was practically asking for attention.
"What do you plan to do with her, Priestess Kaede?" An older woman asked, eyeing the girl distrustfully though she showed signs of pitying the child.
After careful consideration, Kaede decided for the time being to keep this strange woman within the village. If she was indeed a spy then they would keep a close watch over her, watching her actions and behavior for signs of suspicion. "She does not leave here. Until we are certain of her intentions, she will work for us. Do ye understand?"
As she turned her eyes to the villagers, they erupted once more in a chorus of conversation. Many refused to allow the strange woman to linger in their homes, believing her appearance would bring bad luck, while others mockingly laughed.
"If she works for us, then I see no problem!" A village man exclaimed.
Surprised by this, Kagome immediately sat up, her eyes glaring directly at the old Priestess. "You can't keep me here! That's kidnapping! I have the right to go where I want!"
"Silence girl! You don't make the rules around here!" Another man shouted angrily, waving his hand at the girl, who refused to listen.
Her head whipped back in his direction defiantly. "I refuse to be kept here against my will! Let me go!"
While her efforts were in vain, Kaede simply shook her head. "As ye appearance poses great confusion, for now ye will stay until we know for certain ye do not threaten us. Ye will do best to adhere to our ways, child or ye be a fool to think otherwise."
"Shouldn't we first put her in her place, Priestess Kaede?" The same villager asked, the men beside him nodding in agreement. It seemed the girl held a difficult feistiness about her and breaking her would prove difficult.
But to Kagome's surprise, the old lady merely shook her head. "There will be no need of that. As ye can see, she will soon learn her place. Ye will be sure to properly do so without the need of violence. If I hear tell of any misconduct, be ye warned I shall intervene, do ye understand me?"
They nodded, lowering their heads respectively to her.
With that said, the old lady walked off to resume her duties back at her old and small hut, leaving Kagome struggling to regain her modesty. The humiliation she felt at that moment, as the villagers looked down at her, kicking the dirt up at her and stalking off was enough to well her eyes up in tears but she refused to cry in front of them.
The only person who was left before her was an older lady, and as Kagome looked up questionably, noticing the dark circles under her eyes and the pale red kimono tattered with rips in places, she didn't seem as menacing as the others. In fact, she bent down behind Kagome and untied the ropes at her feet and her arms, allowing Kagome her freedom to move finally.
"Thank you…"
"Come. You've got a lot of work to do."
Although she wasn't planning on staying here, she noticed that her escape from this small village was not possible considering the watchful eyes of the village men. As much as she hated to admit it, she realized she was stuck here, but it wouldn't be for long. Somehow, she would find a way to escape and return back home to her family who were no doubt worried.
Kagome was led through the village by the woman, whom from her understanding, seemed in her early thirties. Just like all the other girls, her long black hair was tied back in a loose ponytail with a few strands framing her round face. Their feet were either adorned in straw sandals or they walked around barefoot, their heads lowered respectively to the village men. The woman never gave her name or asked for Kagome's, but she supposed for someone as suspicious as her, there was no importance in exchanging such information.
Eventually, after passing multiple rice patties, and fields where the men laboriously harvested their crops, plowing through the ground with the few oxen they had, Kagome arrived at a small hut. It was like all the rest, wooden with a straw flap which served as their doors, and barely any windows to offer any light.
"Go in."
Abiding, Kagome stepped inside, pushing back the straw flap as she entered the small room. The entire floor was made from the same wood as the hut's exterior, and it seemed straw also served the purpose for their mats as well. There was barely anything within the hut, save for a small fire pit sitting in the very center of the room, a few baskets in the far corner containing a small selection of turnips and mushrooms, a chest, and a small futon. There were a few wooden buckets outside the hut as well but other than that, there wasn't much else.
How awful it had to be to live in these circumstances. The more she dwelled within this village, the more surreal it seemed. Perhaps she had traveled back in time, as strange as that idea sounded.
The woman was sorting through a small chest across the room and after regaining her standing, she turned and threw a small bundle to Kagome, who caught it unexpectedly. "Change out of your clothes and put those on. Once you are finished come outside. Do not take too long. My husband doesn't take too kindly to strangers."
As soon as the lady had stepped out of the hut to allow Kagome her privacy, Kagome looked at the bundle of cloth in her arms. As she unfolded it, she realized it was an old Kimono, a pale blue in color and made from what seemed to be cotton while the obi was a darker shade.
After removing her uniform, Kagome wondered if her clothing would be thrown away. She hoped not; it was the only thing she had left to remind her of her home and family. Deciding against removing her panties and bra, Kagome donned the Kimono and tied the obi as best as she could manage around her waist. After which, she folded her uniform and placed it into the small chest, hoping the older lady wouldn't mind.
Once dressed, she stepped out of the hut and was immediately confronted by another villager, this one a tall and robust man with a large scar across his cheek. From his appearance, he was at least the same age as the other woman who had taken her in.
As he looked at her, Kagome felt her heart pound fast, and she wondered if he was going to hit her. Judging by his attitude, he wasn't pleased about her intrusion in the house which told Kagome he was possibly the husband.
"Where are your manners? Lower your head girl!" He yelled, causing the other villagers in the vicinity to turn their heads in question.
Fearful he would strike her like Satouru, Kagome flinched when he raised his fist and quickly lowered her head in a respective bow. Unfortunately for Kagome, this was not the proper way to greet just anyone, at least to his standards.
"Such insolence!"
His tone of voice frightened her and before she could look up in question, the man had grabbed Kagome by the back of her collar and forced her onto her hands and knees, pushing her head into the soil at his feet.
"This is the proper way to greet someone!" He hollered before standing up. For a moment, he watched her under his gaze, not once moving yet he noticed her legs tremble slightly. "As long as you live in my hut, you will respect me in this manner! Make the same mistake again and you won't be able to walk for three days!"
After which, he went into the hut, leaving Kagome in the same spot. This time, she couldn't help but fight back the tears which threatened to fall. Why was this happening to her?
"Get up.
Although she would rather not, Kagome didn't have a choice in the matter, and did as she was told. Once doing so, the woman threw a pair of straw sandals to Kagome who quickly reached out to catch them. After putting them on, she followed her towards the fields where dozens of other village women busily harvested the crops.
"It's that girl…"
"Don't look at her. She might bring us bad luck!"
"Even in a Kimono she doesn't fit in."
As she worked alongside the woman who had taken her in, whose name Kagome learned was Mayoko and her husband Daisuke, Kagome had been ordered to pluck all the weeds from the soil. It was an arduous job, especially since there was so much soil to cover within such a small village. Kagome wasn't the only woman plucking weeds; there were at least two other girls around her own age, though they seemed keen on keeping their distance.
Ψ
As the hours slowly drifted by and the sun began its slow descent, Kagome trudged through the fields, a basket in hand filled with a small selection of mushrooms she'd found nearby. Since morning she'd been working, breaking her back to pull the weeds which were almost never-ending; it hadn't helped much when the two girls had disappeared on her, leaving her to finish what they ignored.
Wiping the sweat from her brow, Kagome finally arrived at the small hut. The boisterous laughter of Daisuke from inside warned her not to go in, and so she knelt at the door, the basket forgotten at her side. From head to foot she was covered in sweat and dirt, and she wanted more than anything to bathe.
From across the dirt path, she heard the village dogs barking and the chickens clucking as they scampered about the village. What a horrible place. Since there was no absolute reason for her to walk inside and make herself comfortable, Kagome resigned herself to a small bundle of hay lying outside the hut. Somehow, she would use it as a makeshift bed, and ignoring the fact that bugs had probably crawled or lived within the straw, Kagome nestled her head down, and covered the straw over her legs and chest.
From there, she closed her eyes, but sleep did not come. Her thoughts carried worry and anxiety of what would come tomorrow and the next day. How long could she continue this torment from strangers? The villagers hadn't been fazed one bit by the thought of keeping her hostage, and that alone frightened Kagome.
