Hello my dears! So sorry for taking so long! I have had this mostly written, just had to finish it this Spring Break. Midterms have been killer, and I still have more before finals; oh dear (-x-) just strike me down and kick me where it hurts, right? Anyways, without further ado, here is my next chapter. To those amazing people who reviewed, thank you for the kind words Applejax XD, don redmond, The Blue Insanity 8500, rin145, and guest. I love seeing people enjoy my story, as well as getting those really cool emails when I get a follow or favorite! I'm always that weird person smiling for no reason that you see in the library lol.

('3')

Kagome's POV

The trip with Bishop Germanius was going splendidly so far... as in terribly, which is to be expected when traveling through the Roman Empire in iron chains. Rude if you ask me, but no ever really does anymore.

On the ship around the Iberian Peninsula and across the Isle, I was successfully able to fend off multiple attempts at my virginity; it seems that now that the Empire was finally getting rid of me, their protectiveness of my virtue has faltered. Fear of my abilities seems to have not dissuaded the attacks, even when I'm awake, probably due to the Bishop's bribes in the hope of lessening any threat once I am free(I can't help but find humor in such though- the claim that keeping my virginity intact kept my power was more so to keep at least one part of me intact in my imprisonment; breaking such would only enrage me farther). Now, my freedom seems so close, yet I find my kit nowhere near me. The only thing that prevents me from killing those in our entourage and running to my boy is that this so called "Britain" is uncharted territory to me. It's been too long since Shippo left to find a trace of his scent, and even if I can understand any new language thanks to the Jewel, I do not know the way to where they could have hidden my kit; by the time I could have found him, they might have harmed him in revenge.

Still, Germanius is at least somewhat consistent with his almost-respectful attitude towards me; it was the greatest moment when he tried to have a guard take me, while chained, in my sleep, yet I was still able to rip out his jugular and flash a bloody grin at His Holiness.

Still, we are finally traveling the road to Hadrian's wall. While the guards and the bishop ride on horseback, I am chained to the back with a few new accessories that Bishop thought suitable to buy in the market upon our arrival: a bit, and a nifty pair of handcuffs like no other; not even the demons of East Asia had thought of such a device, and in a way I feel it further proves how truly barbaric Romans are under the guise of red capes and breastplates. What started as chains around the wrist at the beginning of the journey has escalated to wrought iron gloves, endowed with spikes that love penetrating my flesh when I slow in my trot while chained behind the carriage.

I haven't been this tired since when I was 15 and traveling around Japan out of shape. Fed once a week and chained, yes, but having to feel my flesh constantly trying to knit itself together in new. It is obvious the Bishop has something planned, trying to make me weak before reaching my son, so I must stay alert and keep my eye out for any threat.

(-3-)

Neutral POV (hopefully it's obvious who is speaking/thinking; better than saying different POV's every step of the way)

It was the knight's last mission before their freedom, and all were a bit excited, their horses serving as mirrors as they paced waiting for sight of the Bishop's entourage.

"Ah, as promised, the Bishop's carriage"
"Our freedom, Bors."
"Mm. I can almost taste it."
"And your passage to Rome, Arthur."

From the many knights that fought, the few that remain sum up their circumstances in a small conversation, but Tristan's one word starts their "last" battle under Rome: "Woads."

As the Roman officers fight to protect the group down below(and sucking at it due to their inexperience with actual fieldwork no doubt), the thundering of hooves can be heard as Arthur's knights make their way to the discourse. While Tristan and Galahad fire their bows, Gawain, Bors, Arthur and Lancelot take to the ground, killing Woads left and right... and then you have Dagonet taking a swim with a couple of fresh corpses, but all the same, their tactics are the reason for the victory against the rebels.

During all of this, our dear kitsune, knowing that her weakness and chains limited her abilities at the moment, maneuvered herself to lay flat on top of the carriage and wait for the climax. Up here she was safer, as while she did not trust the Romans to "accidentally" attack her, she hoped these forest people would respect that this was not her fight; that her chains showed no love for the empire that has suppressed them for so long.

Hearing that annoying ass-kisser or whatever blabbering in Latin prayers was not what she wanted to hear at the end of such a battle; she was used to silence, a small respect paid to the dead, yet the spineless fool never seemed to shut up, just like that small dog she saw centuries ago... like a chihuahua.

"Hmm, does this actually work? I don't feel any different, mustn't be doing it right." Now that was intriguing, something new. Crawling to peak over the edge as quietly as possible, she got her first look at the new arrivals, and my my had it been a while since she someone attractive. Each had a glorious trait, but since Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru, even Naraku... especially Naraku... she knew looks weren't everything. Feeling eyes on her, she found a male with messy hair and gorgeous eyes staring at her in guarded interest, trying to decipher friend from foe.

"...Ancient tricks for an ancient dog. Speaking of such, where is our chained vixen?" Came the Bishop's annoying accent. After decades of living in the dungeons of the Pope's domain, you'd think she'd get used to it, but it still grossed her out.

"Maybe if you humans looked up for once you might find that some questions may not need to be asked you old fart." Even after centuries, Kagome's childish retorts never seem to mature.

"Ah yes, come down, would you? I hate having to yank your chain," at this she knew he would love nothing more, yet was behaving in front of this new Arthur Castus figure. At the set of his jaw after hearing mention of her chains, she gained a little comfort knowing there might be a somewhat respectable Roman in the Empire after all. Gingerly, Kagome lifted herself up, situated the chain so that it would get hooked on the way down, and jumped to land gracefully on feet. "It was nice to lay down for once without having to guard my purity around your men." She probably shouldn't have mentioned such from the hardening of Bishop's eyes, yet she couldn't help being witty with such new, interesting company.

Looking around now, it was a welcoming sight to see the tense bodies of the new arrivals, their protectiveness of a stranger something I haven't seen since my days with Sango when one didn't expect something in return(though with the way mister double swords was checking out my ass, maybe a little reciprocation was on their minds).

It seemed Arthur had found himself speechless; to see this interaction between a well-spoken, exotic beauty(indicating some form of education) who the Bishop had put in chains and left to be ravaged, his faith in Rome withered slightly, like a flower which had bloomed too long. Even as Bishop tried to direct the conversation back to his Knights, Arthur was distracted by the troubling atmosphere surrounding his knights; he knew in their culture, women were protected, and some have slivers of memory indicating a sister or promised, so feeling their mix of protectiveness for this new female in their midst, and increased ire toward the Roman officers before them was disconcerting to say the least.

For another knight, it was like his childhood memories were rekindled and suddenly strong enough to view in detail, like a parent shoving a picture book into his hands. Somehow, he knew this woman, knew her face, and to think that he was seeing someone from his Sarmatian life was a little overwhelming. Being the youngest knight, he was brought in a little later than the others at a younger age. The year his brothers were taken, he was too young and remained home. A year past and it was as though someone had salted their fields with the tears of the mothers who watched their sons be taken too soon to see them grow; he had lost his mother that winter when food was sparse due to what food they produced being taken by traveling Roman soldiers. His mother, in the hope of protecting her child snuck her food to him as father had disappeared one night to hunt and never returned.

It was the very next spring that he met Kagome. She arrived in chains, a red-haired boy standing at her hip protectively. They were introduced as a gift from the Roman Empire until fall, a goddess to give life to our barren fields that would feed their future knights and their horses. By this time, Galahad has become a silent child after his parents' death at the age of 8. He did not play with the village children but was intrigued by this new woman. On the first full moon of spring, after the fields were seeded, he stayed awake to spy on the newcomers and find out how they would heal the land, finding a Fox goddess and her kit walking through the fields with an ethereal glow.

"Come out little wolf, no need to hide. Would you like to help?" Came a melodic voice that captured the young boy's attention.

"You can help Mama water the plants, then I can show you my spinning tops and we can play a game if you want. I always get bored cause there is nothing more I can do," Shippo said, which seemed to break the spell on the boy. Galahad walked up to the woman, ready to help in something that might have saved his family, only to be distracted by the fluffy swaying things behind her. Reaching to grasp one, he found only air as it moved out the way. This continued for a little while in the moonlight; the Kitsunes completing their chores while distracting a lost wolf pup from his grief with an evasive prey.
For the next few months until the harvesting season, Galahad became increasingly attached. They became his surrogate family, and when Kagome and the women weren't tending the fields, she taught Galahad how to hunt with the bow while Shippo helped him prank other members of their village. That is, until the day came that the Romans were to return their prize to her cell on display for the rich and powerful. Not knowing whether they would cross paths again, Kagome scent marked him as hers and Shippo marked him as blood one of their blood, a sibling. Not 2 years later, Galahad was taken by Rome and yet here they were, 15 years later and she doesn't seem to have changed.

"Mother..."