A/N
Okay, on to the next chapter. I hope everyone is enjoying the story. It will start heating up in the next few chapters. I am getting a bit behind in other stories so I may slow down the updating to every other day until I get the chapters out of the way.
ENJOY
~Smortz
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I wish I did, but I don't. I do own a Sesshoumaru plushy though, that sticks to my closet mirror...
Chapter 7
Kagome had learned quickly that her and Tatsuya would get along. First, he had laughed at her somewhat dumb comment about shaking tongues. Second, he seemed to think of her as a childish human that had only come into this world a few moments ago. She almost liked this old man.
They were sitting in the dining room. Kagome sat adjacent to Tatsuya, watching as he bit into the fried fish. "Now, my dear, tell me how you will find this Egg?" He asked, a gentle smile on his face. Kagome almost felt like she were in a job interview.
She straightened in her chair, swallowing the last of her rice. She glanced at Sesshoumaru and Ryuichi, who were staring at her, awaiting her answer as well. Okay, maybe not a job interview, maybe a court appearance?
"Well Lord Tatsuya," she started, "first, I would like to go to where the Egg was stolen, we could ask the villagers. From what I have heard, it would take a powerful monk or priestess to control the egg. It would be hard for someone like this to hide, even a human with no power can sense a strong aura."
The silence that came next made her feel like she'd gotten the answer wrong. The old dragon youkai looked at her, his eyes seeming to search and yet she knew he couldn't see anything. "I am told you were the one who took down Naraku, how did you find the jewel shards?" He asked, dropping the rest of the fish bones to the plate. He folded his hands together over the table. It worked to make her even more anxious.
"I was born with the jewel inside me," Kagome proclaimed honestly, "I think that is what gave me the power to sense them. I am also the one who shattered the jewel in the first place." She added the last portion under her breath, wishing no one had heard it. Unfortunately, they were all demons.
Tatsuya laughed whole heartedly, and she was happy she could amuse him. "What if the villagers have not seen anyone? A plan like this must have been executed by someone rather clever," he exclaimed.
Kagome chewed on her lip as she thought about it. It was true, the plan was clever. She had also began thinking it had been executed by multiple people. There was no way one monk or one priestess could take out eight of them. From what Ryuichi had told her, eight of them had been transporting the Egg at the time of the ambush.
"Well, in this era, you can't go laong with out finding a demon in the forest," Kagome remarked, "and with winter fast approaching, they would need somewhere to hide."
She could feel his eyes penetrating her. It made her shiver as she put down her rice bowl, her appetite long gone. Suddenly, he clapped his hands together, causing Kagome to jump out of her skin. Her heart raced and she saw the corner of Sesshoumaru's mouth twitch. Had he just laughed at her?
"Yes! You will do, I could sense your powers before you even reached my land, priestess Kagome," the Eastern dragon lord exclaimed happily, he clapped his hands once more. This time a servant came around to his chair. His eyes never left Kagome, and she was beginning to feel as if he could see. "Take Kagome to the study, I will be there shortly," he explained.
The servant bowed to her lord before waiting for Kagome. She pushed herself out of the chair, beginning to follow the servant as the gecko led her up the stairs. Kagome suddenly found it hard to discover if the demon in front of her was a female or male. Lizards did look alike, even in the future, when she looked at them at the pet store, she could never figure it out.
During the debate, Kagome was led to the study. She hated how she couldn't remember where she'd just come from in the large castle. "Lord Tatsuya will be here shortly," the servant replied, shutting the door behind Kagome.
Kagome looked at the large room. It was probably the same size as her high school library, except with more books. She wandered along the shelves, looking at the leatherbound. Instantly, her eyes were trained on finding one thing.
The Dragon Egg.
However, her eyes found something else. She reached for the book. The handwritten notation on it causing her curiosity to rise. Fall of the House of Taisho. The fall? In her opinion, they were still the strongest.
She opened the book, her eyes darting around the room, making sure she was alone. Instantly, she was in a journal.
July 9
Forces have penetrated the warrior's castles. The humans have lost, only the castle needs to be stormed. Ryukotsusei has assured me that the Dog's concubine is hidden amongst the room. It was important that we get rid of her. Taisho's abomination could never be born, a monster created by that dog would ruin the world with its rage.
She paused, her mind going to that pattern of events. They were talking about Inuyasha's birth. Kagome chewed on her lip, arguing with herself if she should keep going. Instead, she skipped several pages.
September 18
Sesshoumaru has taken over the House of the Moon, and the House of the West. He has appointed his mother to the House of the Moon, and strengthened his own armies in the West, without Ryukotsusei we have lost this battle. Sesshoumaru has banished Ryuichi to the Western land across the waters, we do not know if he has made it there safely. We have sent the Egg with him.
Kagome heard a door open, and she closed the book, setting it back on the shelf. Sesshoumaru had been the one to exile Ryuichi. Well, she mused, that would explain the lack of conversation.
Lord Tatsuya walked into the study, his hand feeling out for the chair. Kagome found herself helping. She let a tendril of her holy powers out, making a path from him to the chair. He nodded his thanks to her, collapsing in the chair.
"Sesshoumaru has informed me that you travel a lot already," he let out. Kagome caressed him with her powers, hoping that would signify a yes. He gave a nod in return as she strolled through the books. "You adopted a son, Shippo, it is very disgraceful of you," he grumbled.
"What's disgraceful is none of his own demon kind taking him in, instead wanting to make food out of him," Kagome threw back without a moment's hesitation. She wouldn't stand by and allow anyone to insult her son.
"He is a demon," the dragon lord reminded her, "a human priestess could never raise him right."
Kagome snorted pulling back her holy powers. Any angrier and she was afraid she might kill him. "He is more honorable than most of the demons I met when I was last here! He wanted to be trained, to learn his powers, not steal a precious jewel shard and take the shortcut. He wanted to protect his friends, the people that cared for him!" She shouted angrily. Her chest heaving.
Tatsuya gave a curt nod, then a twisted smile came over his lips. "Yes, you will definitely do," he mumbled.
Kagome wanted to punch him. Instead, his wrinkled hand waved her over to the desk. "There's a box, dark red, open it," he instructed. Kagome nodded to him. Her chocolate eyes found the box. Her fingers ran the length of it. It was ancient wood, rough against the soft skin. She lifted the lid and gawked at the amulet.
"Is the jewel still in there?" He asked quietly, almost worried.
"T-This amulet is amazing," she whispered, not daring to touch it. It was an assortment of bright colored scales. She felt as if she was seeing a fresh rainbow, moist from the rain. The silver chain that held it reflected all the colors.
"Go ahead," Tatsuya grumbled, "put it on. It will help you find the Dragon's Egg. That is a piece of the Egg Shell. We were transporting both of these to get an old priestess to repair it. Fortunately, I was smart enough to send them on two different trips. It will work to detect the Egg, when you are near, it will begin to burn."
Kagome's fingers brushed against the shell. It felt like an egg shell and she was suddenly scared to break it. Tatsuya barked out a laugh, "Go on, even Sesshoumaru's sword couldn't break that piece."
Kagome swallowed the nervous lump in her throat.
Well just think Kagome, at least it's already a shattered piece, you couldn't possibly shatter it anymore, so there's no way you can do what you did to the jewel, she told herself. With that in mind, she pulled the chain apart, relinking it around the back of her neck. It was cold against her skin, hanging just above the beginning of her clevage. The fragment of shell was no bigger the a sand dollar.
"How far away can it detect the Egg?" Kagome asked, brushing the shell with her thumb.
"It has to be within two days travel," he answered.
Kagome could only nod in shock. The dragon let out a shout for the servant. The gecko ran to his side. "Take Kagome to the hot springs, I'm sure she wants it," he ordered.
Kagome felt as if she'd just found her second grandfather. She bowed to him, "Thank you so much, Lord Tatsuya." She gave a low, respectful bow before following the servant out, swinging the bag over her shoulder.
The servant guided her to the back of the house, were it reached the outside. There were tall fifty feet bamboo fences encasing a large hotspring dividing only by a small rock wall that came about three feet above the water's surface. She groaned, picturing her very own paradise. "At least dragon's know how to bathe in this era," she whispered to herself, thinking about all the times Inuyasha had huffed at her idea of a hot bath.
"You may get changed here," the servant whispered, showing Kagome to a small room, with paper thin doors. Kagome spotted the robe, and even a towel, hanging on the wall. Without thinking, she pulled the servant into a hug. The gecko demon gasped in shock at the show of affection.
"I love you," Kagome exclaimed, slamming her eyes closed. She was sure she was going to cry. Realizing what she was doing, she released the stunned demon. It didn't move for a few seconds, before she bowed, "I will be here when you are done."
The demon left without another word. Kagome watched, slightly worried that she had put the demon in such a rush to leave. Her eyes went back to the water. It looked as if it had been herbally treated too. The steam came off of it, and she inhaled it as if it were chocolate chip cake on her birthday. She tugged the tower off the wooden handle, and tied it around her body.
Her feet sank into the water. Stone met her foot and she shivered in delight. "Hot springs," she sang, "I love hot springs, without hot springs there'd be no springs." She hummed the tune she'd just made up in her head, squealing with pleasure as it reached the top of her breast.
She actually found a rock she was able to sit on, leaning her back against the rock wall she looked up at the stars. This was heaven. This felt like a weekend getaway, and not a taiyoukai's house. She let another pleasurable sigh escape her.
Her thoughts went back to the journey she was agreeing to go on. There was Sesshoumaru and Ryuichi. She hardly knew anything about the two, and yet she had jumped at the opportunity to go on such an adventure. She pulled her hair over her shoulder, looking at her reflection in the water.
I didn't want to watch everyone's life carry on and be alone, she found herself thinking. She shook the thought from her head. No, she was happy for everyone. Kagome was proud that they had all carried on. Miroku and Sango had always been in love. Inuyasha, she would rather him find love then still be alone, with her in the future. Kagome shook the selfish thoughts from within in. If she learned anything from the days of hunting jewel shards, it was that being selfish got you no where good.
She shook her head to clear the thoughs, pulling her knees up and resting her chin on top. She focused on relaxing. The hot water felt so good against her skin. Her eyes closed and she thought back to this Dragon Egg. Obviously, it had been in the east for a while. It didn't explain how the curse was weakening before it was taken though. Ryuichi had mentioned it needing to be repaired, but how did you repair an egg?
A door slid open, and she stood up and gasped at the intruder. It was only the gecko servant. Her eyes didn't connect to Kagome's, and she suddenly felt bad. "Sorry about my outburst," she let out, "it's just been a while since I've last been in heated water."
The servant only nodded, setting another towel and robe on the hook. Kagome watched her, her mind beginning to work. Someone else was coming out here. "Who is joining me?" Kagome asked nervously.
"Lord Ryuichi and Lord Sesshoumaru, it is tradition that guests spend their first night in the blessed hotspring, to bring them good luck on their travels," the servant explained, "it is frowned upon to miss it. It may offend Lord Tatsuya."
Kagome had almost gotten out, but upon hearing it would offend the old man, sank back in the tub. After all, how hard could it be to sit silently in a hotspring, even if she were about to be surrounded by god-like demons.
Wait, did that even make sense? God-like-demons, Kagome shook her head. No, no sense at all. Handsome as the devil? Yes, much better Kagome.
The door slid open and the blush surfaced to her cheeks before she could even figure out who it is. Kagome mentally punished herself. She was eighteen now, men had seen her naked before in the gym locker rooms, or doctor examinations. She'd even cut into cadavers, she could do this.
"Priestess," Sesshoumaru let out. Her entire being froze as she awaited his next words, "it is rude to turn one's back to the host."
She shuddered at his voice. She turned around, keeping her chin along the surface of the water. Sesshoumaru seemed like a giant compared to the rock wall. He had to be at least six feet and seven inches.
Her eyes wandered up the length of his chest. My god, Kagome thought, was the Bowflex invented in this era? She wondered.
His abdomen looked like bronzed perfection. His collarbone lining his neck where two magenta strips ran along each side, disappearing over his back. She swallowed hard.
"Definitely," she got out around a breath, "not a cadaver."
"What is a cadaver?" Sesshoumaru asked. Kagome's attention snapped back up to his molten eyes. Her mouth was suddenly dry. She had said that out loud.
"I-It is a – a god-like creature," she lied. He would surely kill her if she told him that she was comparing him to a dead body.
His eyebrow rose a fraction. "Do humans worship these cadavers?" He asked. Kagome's lip tightened, she fought the need to laugh.
"S-Some do," she forced out. She thought of one of the students who had gotten too fond of their cadaver. Instead of slicing it open, they'd created a romantic bond with it. He had needed therapy. Kagome had never seen him again.
"Hn," Sesshoumaru replied.
Kagome gave a nod. She found his eyes wandering to the amulet that hung around her neck. "Tatsuya has given you the amulet," he noted. Kagome gave, yet another, nod.
"It means he approves of you to handle the Egg," Sesshoumaru rumbled, almost pleased. He somehow knew that the priestess would be the one for this task. He shook off his sudden proud feeling.
"Tatsuya does not pick the handler," Kagome let out, "the Egg does."
The dog demon considered it for a moment. In a sense, it was true. He was about to reply when his nose picked up the scent of the kitsune, then the dragon. Their time was up. It was time to entertain the others.
Shippo dove into the hotsprings, breaking through the surface with a grin. "This feels great," he exclaimed hapiply. Kagome found herself grinning at him. Those torquoise eyes looking at her.
"Lord Sesshoumaru says we leave tomorrow around mid-day," Shippo explained, leaning over the rock wall. Kagome nodded with a grin at him. He could barely see over it, she could see him struggling to hold his weight.
"Relax, Shippo," she let out with a soft smile, "enjoy your time in the bath." He only gave a nod before he released his hold and fell back into the water with a splash. She noticed Ryuichi coming into the hotspring. His hair was tied back into a loose bun, a towel wrapped around his pale waist. His skin looked like leather, tough yet smooth.
She leaned against the bamboo wall this time, making sure she didn't turn her back to her guests. Manners were manners, and she didn't want to be rude. She closed her eyes, leaning her head back up. Hopefully, this bath would help her relax.
