Chapter 3: Re-establishment

Kagome was expecting more people to come, many offering their services to her. They had made her the new ruler of the south for what she had done for them. It gave her a home, and a way to protect these people. The forests were already enchanted to protect them. But even she knew that they would need an army, should someone manage to get through the forest. The men would be needed for that. She would need healers and help keeping this place clean, and someone to take care of the twins. They needed to reproduce to strengthen the population. Everyone would be needed.

She looked over the men. They were young and old, human, demon, and Hanyou. They were all in need. But they had to know where she stood with all of this.

"I am Kagome, the one that has saved these lands. I promise to protect those here, and to provide guidance to those who need it. All I ask for in return is your loyalty and to respect each other. It does not matter to me if you are human, demon, or Hanyou. Those who have nowhere to go are welcome here. Everyone will be of value here. Everyone has a purpose, from the tiniest of farmer up to me. Every child is to be loved, every woman will be treated with respect, and every man shall be accepted. There will be no slavery here. No child shall go starving and no man shall go without work, or the ability to feed their family. Those that wish to harm us will not be welcome here. As an extra measure I will ask for volunteers to form an army. They will be paid and trained. Their families will be moved to around this castle so no man shall go without their love and family. Those with skills in healing shall be further trained and employed, and each village in all corners of these lands will have a healer to see to the sick.

"Everyone will be taxed a small amount, just until these lands have been re-established and another form of currency can be established." She looked out at them. "Those that wish to volunteer their services to these lands and our people stay here and I will speak with you. Those that wish to spread the word to others are free to do so." There were murmurs around the group but there were few that left to spread the word.

"Who here has some skill in healing?" She asked. Few raised their hands and came forward. "I will see what you know and expand your knowledge. Please, stand off to my right." They did so. There was a single woman amongst the group of twenty men. "I will need a few cooks here in the castle." Several women stepped forward. "I will need helping cleaning and maintaining the castle." More women stepped forward. "I will need a few skilled blacksmiths." Men came forward, as well as a single woman. "I will need hands to build a village and wall around the walls of this castle." A good group of twenty men came forward, most big and burly. "The rest of you shall be tested and trained for an army. The most skilled and promising shall be assigned positions of officers. I will need a group of the wise as my council. That will come later." She smiled out with them. "The cooks and help are free to explore the castle to familiarize yourselves with it. The carpenters are free to start their work. I have marked a perimeter for you. Only use the trees in that perimeter or the forest will take it as a threat." They nodded and started off.

"I will see to the army first, then the healers. For now, the healers are welcome to relax. Those of you with a desire to fight, come with me." She led them through the castle and to the back. There was an armory to one side and an archery pitch to the other. There was a wide clearing all the way in the back meant for training. She could see what could have been stables. "Find a sword in the armory. I want to see your skills with the sword, then see how you do with the bow and staffs. Those that prove promising with that will be tested with the other weapons." The men nodded and headed in, picking up swords. They paired up, fighting to see who was better. It was several bouts later and the last two were fighting. It was two demons, a female and a male. The female was a tora, and the male was a ryu. It was an even fight but the ryu had won.

"What are your names?" Kagome asked.

"I am Ryuusuke," the dragon said. His hair was an emerald color against his pale skin and his eyes an amber color. There was a ridge of emerald scales above his eyes, and down his neck. There were emerald scales on the back of his hands. He was an attractive man, and she had to wonder where else the scales were. She hid her blush and turned to the tora.

"And you?"

"I was known as Hiyoshi, my lady." She matched the colors of a Siberian tiger, only her hair was short and there was a scar across her right eye.

"You two are quite promising." She smiled. "Now, archery." She watched as they aimed. There were few that could hit the target, but Hiyoshi and Ryuusuke were the victors. They had not done so well when it came to the staffs, instead a human male won. He was dressed as a monk. His name was Riku. He looked like any other male, but he had bright green eyes. She had watched as they demonstrated their skills with tonfas, sias, halberds, kunai and many other weapons. Hiyoshi, she found, was extremely accurate and stealthy, the perfect would be assassin, or body guard. Ryuusuke proved to be extremely strong and skilled with bladed weapons. He would make a good general. And Riku, whom was a balanced fighter, could help train some guards.

"Ryuusuke, Hiyoshi, Riku, I wish to speak with you three. The rest of you are free to relax. There is a spring through those trees if you wish to freshen up." They nodded and headed off. "Ryuusuke, are there anymore warriors as skilled as you in your village?"

"Very few are skilled in my village, but none as skilled as I." He was prideful but honest.

"What about your village, Hiyoshi?"

"I have no village. I was left orphaned. I had to learn to survive." Kagome nodded.

"Riku?"

"I am a traveling monk looking for a purpose. I came here to see if I can find a calling." Kagome nodded.

"Hiyoshi, I want you to find a few people that will be able to learn how to attack in stealth like you do. I want you to train a stealth unit." She nodded her consent. "Ryuusuke, you shall be my general. You shall be in charge of training the army. Riku, you will find and train the royal guard. They need to be as balanced in fighting as you." The three nodded. "Go. I need to test the healers, and the black smiths." Hiyoshi and Riku walked off.

"My lady," Ryuusuke's deep voice said.

"What is it, Ryuusuke?" She looked at him.

"My sister could not make it here. She is gifted in healing. I wish…"

"To bring her here." She smiled. "As I said, those employed here are welcome to bring their family here."

"She is blind and cannot make the trip here on her own."

"Go and get her. Make haste, though. I am trusting you to train these men."

"I thank you, my lady. I shall be back with her by day break." Kagome nodded. He took up her hand and kissed it. "I will have those skilled in fighting in my village to come." Kagome nodded and watched as his form shifted to that of a white dragon with emerald outlining and an emerald mane. He flew off. She turned back to the castle and walked in, seeing the healers around the first floor. She gathered the healers into the medical wing. She had found some injured children, and some ill. She valued children.

"Your test is to heal these children." She stepped aside and they approached. The most some could do was bandage wounds. The woman sat by an ill child and felt his pulse and checked for fever. She inspected the child before pulling out a pouch. She dumped it out and started to sift through it, finding what she needed before crushing them ad making a tea. She got the child to drink the tea, whispering words of reassurance. They child drank and settled back down. His breathing had evened and his fever was reduced.

"Very good." She smiled at the woman. "I need healers that will be able to do more than just heal injuries, but also ones that know how to treat ailments. She will teach you that." The woman blushed. "I am trusting you to do this for these lands."

"Of course, my lady." She bowed as Kagome left, the kittens running to her.

"We live here now?"

"Yes, Sora," She answered the girl. "I am going to help re-establish these lands so that everyone can live without suffering." She smiled at them. "How does that sound, Yuki?"

"What of those children? They are orphans as well."

"And I am never one to turn away someone in need. If you want, they can stay here and play with you two." The two nodded. "Now to go hunting. You two go play in the gardens." They nodded and ran off. She grabbed a bow and arrow and headed into the forest. She hunted a deer and dragged it back to the castle. She had several children to feed. The cooks will be able to cook it, and she had already gathered plenty of wild vegetables. She would have to start a farm nearby, and start raising cows and chickens, as well as horses. She did not want to take food from the others.

"I will need more help," she murmured. She dropped the deer off in the kitchen. "Make sure the children eat. There are vegetables in the cold box." They nodded. "I have something I need to do." They nodded and she turned around heading towards the courtyard. She formed her cloud and flew in the direction she knew Jinenji lived. On her way there she found a caravan of abducted men and women. She dropped down and broke the bindings. "Run into the forest. You will be safe there." They ran, women ushering children and men covering the back as Kagome fought the slave traders off. Once the last person was in the forest, she flew off. She watched as the men ran after the escaped slaves, only for vines to wrap around them, stringing them up by their ankles as the slaves fled further into the south.

Author's Note: Here is the next chapter, though I am not getting too much feedback for this story. It would be greatly appreciated. But read, review, and ENJOY!