My Lord

Chapter 3: Priestess

Vocab:

Yukata: Kind of like a kimono, but typically lighter and worn around the house (Like a robe)

Miko: priestess/shrine maiden

Futon: a bed that is placed on the floor, much thinner than western beds, but still comfortable

Youki: demonic energy

Youkai: demon

Inuyoukai: dog demon

"Where…am I?" Kagome was utterly lost. After waking she had discovered that not only did her body ache all over, but she was lying on the floor in a strange room, beneath a very comfortable, very expensive blanket, and wearing a pristine white yukata. Although the light was dim it was obvious that this room was not her assigned bedroom. The ceiling rose at least two feet taller than her own, and after tilting her head to the side, she discovered that the walls were made of precious shouji screens and the floor was covered with smooth wooden planks.

As she contemplated how exactly she had arrived in this strange place (and wondering who exactly had changed her out of her old clothes in favor of the yukata) the sound of footsteps caught her attention. A moment later a woman slid open a section of the wall and stepped inside.

"You're awake I see," the woman murmured, giving her an almost imperceptible smile. Like just about every other person in Japan, this woman had black hair and muddy brown eyes. She wore a kimono exactly like the red and white formal clothes Kagome had had to wear while serving her Lord. The woman came to her side and kneeled to the floor, clasping her hands in her lap. Up close she had a certain beauty and dignity beneath her plain looks. "How are you feeling?"

"I…I'm sore," Kagome muttered, clearing her throat. It was scratchy and dry and made it painful to speak.

The woman nodded with a smile that was neither warm nor comforting. "It's not surprising, after what happened."

"'What happened'…" Kagome repeated, frowning. Her mind scrambled to find something, anything, about what she was doing before ending up here. "What exactly…oh." Now she remembered. The blood, the man's gray eyes…even chasing him down and fighting. She remembered praying to Amatarasu for her life, and then… "Is the girl alright? What happened to the robber?"

"She is recovering in the infirmary under our Lord's orders. You don't remember what you did to the man, Suikotsu?" Her previously emotionless face furrowed into a frown, one eyebrow lifted in a way that Kagome envied. She had never been able to make her brows rise quite so dramatically.

"He was...he just disappeared!" she blurted. Blushing, she added, "I closed my eyes…I thought…thought I was dead. Then there was a bright light, and when I opened my eyes he was gone!"

The woman's face settled into its previously indifferent features. Kagome had a hunch that this was the face she portrayed to everyone, even her friends. "Ah, then you truly have no idea, do you?"

"Idea? About what?" Kagome huffed. She struggled to sit up, ignoring the scream of protest her muscles made. As a warrior she couldn't let pain get in her way. "What're you talking about?"

"You are a miko."

"A…what?"

"A priestess with spiritual powers. That light you saw was your holy energy reacting to the danger you were in," the woman said. Kagome couldn't help but wonder if this woman entirely sane. True miko no longer existed in this age, if they had indeed existed at all. What this woman was saying was completely ludicrous.

"But holy energy isn't supposed to hurt humans!" Kagome argued. "Besides, they've all died out. Without demons around anymore, we don't need them. All miko are good for these days are performing religious ceremonies."

The woman's eyes narrowed. "We have not died out…and neither have youkai."

That was it. The absurdity of the situation was too much for her. Kagome scrambled to her feet and bobbed her head in a small bow. "Well, thank you for looking after me. I think I'll be going now…"

When she heard the obvious sound of the shouji screen sliding, she almost groaned. Now who was here? Would they try to convince her of the existence of demons as well? Turning around to see who had entered, Kagome gaped like a fish out of water. In the doorway stood none other than Lord Sesshomaru in all his white glory. He was just as imposing as ever, but no longer wore the strange armor that he seemed to wear at all public occasions.

"You have not been dismissed, Higurashi." Horrified, Kagome bent over at the waist in perhaps the lowest bow she had ever conducted, blushing and cursing whoever had put her in these clothes. It was embarrassing enough to have him scold her for her abrupt attempt to escape, but to do so while she was wearing a thin yukata? The gods had to be laughing at her. To make matters worse, she could just see Inuyasha peeking over his shoulder with that insanely infuriating smirk of his.

"My Lord! Inuyasha-sensei! I-I beg your pardon…"

"Hnn. Sit, Higurashi. You still have not recovered from your earlier activities."

"I'm fine, really…"

She clamped her mouth shut when he raised an eyebrow. "You shake even as you stand before me. Sit."

"Y-yes, Lord Sesshomaru…" She backpedaled towards the futon, tucking her trembling legs beneath her and keeping her eyes focused on the floor.

"You will look at me when I speak."

Kagome gulped and raised her eyes, face flushing at the intense gaze he was turning towards her. Her Lord's golden eyes were like amber pools and quickly mesmerized her. "Yes, my Lord…"

"Geez Sesshomaru, give the girl a heart attack," Inuyasha grunted. They both sat on the floor across from her, one with much more grace than the other. "Don't worry, Higurashi, his bark is worse than his bite…eh, what am I saying, he bites pretty hard too…"

"S-sensei…?"

"We are not here to have idle banter," Sesshomaru interrupted, narrowing his eyes at his grinning brother. He returned his piercing gaze to the stammering girl. "You do not believe what Kikyo has revealed." It was not a question; her lord rarely asked anything but rather demanded it. His position gave him more than enough room to boss around just about everyone, except perhaps another Lord, and she had a suspicion that most Lords would have groveling under her Lord anyway.

"Her? N-no, my Lord…it's only fairytales…" she murmured. Crossing her fingers, she hoped her Lord wasn't one of the men that used harsh punishments on his subjects for petty reason. She was, after all, arguing with Kikyo, who was most likely an important person in the court.

As soon as the words left her mouth, the atmosphere within the room changed. The air felt as if it were charged and crackling, similar to the tingling feeling one felt before a thunderstorm. An unmistakable feeling of dread washed over her and her limbs began to quake. Attempting to hide her shaking, she clasped her hands together, eyes flashing back and forth across the room to find the source of this strange feeling.

"You feel that energy?" Kikyo questioned, voice practically a whisper.

"I…" She tried to hide her shudder, but by the knowing look in their eyes knew that she was unsuccessful. "I do feel…something…"

"That'd be Sesshomaru's youki," Inuyasha piped. "He's unmasking his ki for you. It's so powerful, even untrained miko should be able to feel it for miles around."

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief when the mysterious feeling suddenly evaporated. Looking into her Lord's intent eyes wasn't nearly as frightening now, although, after that burst of power, perhaps she should have been more intimidated. "You're…youkai?"

"As are many of your instructors and classmates."

"But…how come no one knows about demons if you're all around us?"

"There are many residing within this castle, but fewer within the countryside. We conceal our identity to survive. While weaker than a demon, ningen immensely outnumber us. If it came down to war, our kind would perish." As he spoke Kagome vaguely wondered if he always spoke so abruptly and business-like.

The silliest question popped into her head then, and before she could think of something else to say, she blurted, "What kind of youkai are you?"

"We're Inuyoukai," Inuyasha grinned, a fang poking out over his lip. She couldn't help but stare at him. Not only were his canine teeth much longer but there, perched at the top his head, were a pair of fuzzy silver ears that swiveled and twitched with every sound. When he reached up to scratch the side of his cheek she was startled to see that his previously blunt nails were now menacing claws. "Dog demons, that is."

"Do…do you have ears too, my Lord….?"

The air around the tall man's head seemed to shimmer for a moment, and his ears lengthened themselves into sharp points. "Not the same as my younger brothers."

"We're only half brothers, you know," Inuyasha said. "And since my mother was a human, I'm what people call a 'half-breed'. It's how I got these kinda ears instead of pointy elf ones."

"You're not…dangerous, are you…?" Blushing, she stammered, "I mean, you're not here to hurt me, right?"

"Hnn. Not unless you intend to disobey orders."

"Or perform a demon genocide," Inuyasha added.

Kagome glanced down at her clasped hands and frowned. Slowly, as if unsure of herself, she said, "You're not…you aren't here to dismiss me, are you?" Her back stiffened at the silence that followed.

"You have presented me with a very unique problem, Higurashi. As you know, miko are an enemy to youkai, and thus dangerous to myself and all of my vassals within this castle. However, you could be a strong weapon against those who are not under my command."

The girl visibly clenched her jaw, straightened her back, and bowed low to the floor. Only when her forehead was touching the smooth wood did she speak. "I have made a promise to you, my Lord. If my…powers will grant you success, then I will more than gladly follow your orders. As you wish, I will declare my loyalty to you again, in light of these unexpected twists."

A snort finally broke the tense silence as Inuyasha shot his brother a smug look. "Told 'ya."

Ignoring the silver eared man seemed to be one of Sesshomaru's strong points. "Rise, Higurashi. I will not be dismissing you this day." Her shoulders relaxed in relief and she peeked through her bangs to see what her Lord was doing. His golden eyes roamed across her with a gleam, and she was suddenly, hopelessly, embarrassed. Trying not to squirm took a great deal of her concentration, and she almost missed what he murmured next. "Yes…I can use you."

"Th-thank you, Lord Sesshomaru…"

"Your training begins tomorrow," he said, voice returning to its stoic, vaguely bored, tone. "After dinner. I will have Sango escort you to your new teacher. You are not to inform your fellow trainees what you are, nor anything we have spoken of in this room. Tell them that you are merely performing chores as your punishment for chasing after a suspicious person on your own without a senior officers permission. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru."

"Hnn. Get your rest, miko, while you still can."

It was easy enough to write off her mysterious absence to her fellow classmates as a simple interrogation by their Lord. While Daitaro Shunsuke and his ever present following of pimple faced friends were loudly protesting her ability to take down, let alone chase, a notorious criminal, a few other boys grinned at her and clapped her on the back in such a familiar way that Kagome couldn't help but grin. Everyone that asked her what had happened were given the highly edited version Lord Sesshomaru had ordered her to deliver. She even managed to blush convincingly and admit that she now had an extra hour of or two of chores as punishment for running off without a senior officer's permission.

The day seemed to fly by in a blur to her whirling mind and it wasn't long until dinner was over and Sango was leading her briskly down a dimly lit corridor lit every few feet by flickering torches. "I never would have guessed that you were a miko." Kagome blinked at the back of the taller woman, mind automatically trying to come up with some sort of believable way to lie to her teacher. As if reading her mind, Sango added, "Everyone within the castle that needs to know has been informed. We had to explain to the various demons why there was such a large outpouring of holy energy the other day, after all."

"Are you…a demon?"

Chuckles erupted from her as her teeth bared in a grin. "No, I'm not. Possibly the farthest thing from it, besides priestesses, of course. I'm from a long line of demon slayers-we kill youkai."

"B-but…Lord Sesshomaru is…! Why are you here…?"

"My family is known for its tolerance of demons," Sango supplied, making a sharp right turn. Kagome scrambled to keep up with her fast pace. "We don't find it necessary to eliminate them unless they're wreaking havoc upon humans, so it's not really that big a deal for me to serve Lord Sesshomaru."

"I see…"

The slayer abruptly stopped in front of a heavy wooden, and Kagome barely avoided smacking right into her back. "We're here." She didn't even have time to fidget before the door was opened and she was thrust inside. Blinking in the sudden light, she realized that instead of being inside the castle as she had expected, she was actually standing in a brightly lit courtyard. It was a round patch of land covered in meticulously trimmed low hanging trees, beautiful flowers, and a sparkling pond bursting with multicolored koi. Following her teacher farther into the massive garden and along its gravel path was a reflex on her part; without it she would have stood there gaping for hours at the unexpected sight.

"Who would have known that Lord Sesshomaru would have something this beautiful here…he seems more like the practical type."

This time she really did bump into the back of her sensei when she stopped, mind overflowing with the strange thought. Rapidly back-pedaling, she saw a figure out of the corner of her eye and immediately bowed at the waist, erring on the side of caution that this was an important person. "This is Kikyo Toriyama, your new teacher. Kikyo sama, this is Kagome Higurashi. I believe you have already met…?"

Glancing up in surprise and meeting a familiar pair of carefully neutral brown eyes, Kagome hoped that her gulp wasn't audible to her teachers. "We have indeed met, Sango san. Thank you for bringing her here for me."

Plainly dismissed, Sango clapped her arm over her chest in a salute, turned crisply on her heel, and crunched away on the gravel, quickly disappearing behind a copse of trees. Unsure of how to proceed, Kagome waited for a moment, listening to the tranquil sound of birds trilling in the setting sun. Finally, licking her lips, she murmured, "I-I was unaware that it was you who would be teaching me, Kikyo sensei…it is truly an honor."

Another aching amount of silence passed before Kikyo sat on one of two pillows cushioned on the ground, motioning with a sweep of her trailing sleeve for her to do the same. "It was decided by Lord Sesshomaru that as the highest ranking priestess under his command, I would be best suited for the task. Now, shall we begin?"

Training that day turned out to be more difficult than it sounded. At first Kikyo handed her an arrow, instructing her to flare to tip of it with her miko energy. After multiple failed attempts, she was then instructed to meditate to find her center. Finding one's miko energy after having released it only once was a difficult task. She had no idea where exactly to look, how to look, or even what her energy felt like. Her mind held only vague memories of what it had felt like when her energy had burst from her body, and after over half an hour of searching, Kikyo kindly murmured that it would take time for her energy to build back its strength and be able to correctly identify it.

"You're exhausted, Kagome. I believe that will be enough for today."

"Yes…Thank you again for teaching me, Kikyo sama…"

Wandering back towards her room and paying no real attention to where she was going, Kagome let out a loud 'oomph' when she ran into a solid chest. "Oh for the love of…!" Before she could even look up at the person she had bumped into she was slammed against the side of the wall. Her head rapped against the unforgiving stone and left her seeing stars, gasping at the pain that exploded behind her eyelids. Warm breath ghosted unnervingly close to her forehead.

"I told you, bitch, you don't belong here!" a voice sneered. Kagome blinked to refocus her eyes, and almost groaned at the dark eyes and crooked nose that met her gaze. It was none other than Daitaro Shunsuke, the self-acclaimed hater of warrior women.

"W-what are you…?" She found that it took more concentration than she would have liked to form a simple sentence. Wriggling around only made him tighten his hold on her arms to such a degree that she couldn't help but yelp.

A dark smirk spread across his lips when she finally hung limp in his grip. "Women are only good for one thing, Kagome-chan," he purred. He leaned forward until his lips hovered next to her right ear. "Following a man's orders."

She was going to tell him where he could shove his notions about submissive women until they both heard a throat clearing in the overly quiet hallway. Peering past her captors ridiculously large shoulders, she grinned at the fidgeting figure of Kohaku. "Daitaro-san, I suggest you put Higurashi-chan down."

"Heh, and what do you think you can do about it, squirt?" the taller man snarled. Kagome winced as his arms tightened around her biceps.

A glint appeared in Kohaku's eyes as his hand casually fell on the hilt of his dagger that was poking above his red obi. "I'm sure you wouldn't want to hurt your nose. It looks like it's been broken a time or two already."

"Is that a threat?"

The freckled youth shrugged. "Perhaps, Daitaro-san. I only ask that you release my friend."

After a tense moment of glaring between the two men, one of whom was turning increasingly red with rage and developing a twitch in his right eye, Daitaro finally released Kagome to crumble to the ground. "This ain't over, bitch. And you'd better watch yourself, Kohaku; I can make your life hell."

Waiting until the bully was thoroughly gone; Kohaku visibly slumped with relief and scrambled over to his friend to pull her to her feet. "Boy am I glad he left."

"Thank you, Kohaku…" Kagome said. She gifted him with a small smile, causing his almost permanent blush to spring back into existence. The boy escorted her as far as he dared into the left wing before excusing himself and heading back to his own room.

As she slid into the cool sheets of her futon Kagome clenched her hands. "That's the second time now that I wasn't able to defend myself. The only reason I defeated Suikotsu was because of my miko energy, which was a fluke in and of itself, because I didn't know it was even there. And if Kohaku hadn't shown up when Daitaro had me pinned…damn, but I'd probably have a black eye and a few broken bones." Her eyelids drooped when the past few days' exhaustion finally caught up with her. "I've got…to get…stronger…"

I decided that I didn't want Kohaku to be quite so shy. He's still silent for the most part, and adorably cute, but protective when it comes to friends. He is in military training, so I thought it would be better if he had a wee bit more of a 'backbone', if you will.

Just for those interested in this kind of thing, the meaning behind Daitaro Shunsuke: Daitaro basically means great first son (Kinda shows that his family has a bit of an ego themselves for naming him that, eh?). The 'Shun' in Shunsuke means speed or quick. I could of course be entirely wrong, because I used online resources, but they seemed reliable enough. If I made a mistake in translation, please feel free to correct me. Also, please excuse the possible drones of grammar or spelling mistakes. I have yet to find a beta.

Thank you all for your wonderful words of encouragement and for stopping by to read my humble story. I hope you'll continue to give me feedback and constructive criticism! -Master of all Perv's, out!