Chapter 7: The voyage
Kagome was unbound and tossed into the captain's cabin, with a box that held a Kimono, informed that she must change for dinner with the captain. she knew that this would be a long voyage, or what ever they called it. She threw the box into a corner and sat right where she was, not moving.
"Kagome!" a voice cried, followed by a few more, all female.
"Akina! Rin! Megumi! You're Safe!"
"Yes. You have to change though. I don't like Aoi, but it's better than having to sleep with his men. They don't wash at all, and are simply disgusting." Akina explained, helping Kagome change quickly. Aoi had taken her bow and Katanas, hiding them somewhere. But kagome had two daggers on her leg, her reviving dagger and the dagger that she had charmed herself, giving the appearance of death for two weeks, unable to even be detected by the most powerful witch. Hopefully she wouldn't have to do plan 'B' otherwise it would be a long time before they reached Shore. Kagome listened as they explained everything.
"We might have become whores, but as long as we participate in the... sex" Megumi said with disgust, "Then we stay in here, and he is the only one who trusts us."
"He is rather gentle. I've never known a man so evil be so gentle or give into desires that much." Akina said. Rin was saying nothing.
"Rin is usually the one he... uses to satisfy the needs of his second in command, because she looks to be the youngest. He'll probably use You tonight Kagome. I'd hide your weapons before he comes in for dinner." Megumi said sadly. kagome took the daggers and hid them under a loose floor board, placing a very small spell to secure them.
The next few months went by slowly for kagome. Because she was the "oldest" Aoi sent her to his second lieutenant, liking Akina and Megumi. Rin was practically discarded. Rin hid every night after dinner was done and he had left. Every night, after he was passed out and drunk, Kagome and the others would sit by the little light he allowed them and formulate a plan. Thanks to the counter spell she had placed on her necklace before she placed it on, the spell of his was wearing off, though he could still see a spell on it. automatically he figured that is was his spell he saw, but it would not have mattered, because she made sure he was always drunk. Megumi and Rin, when they had drank the human rum, got heavily drunk. But to Kagome and Akina, who was used to the potency of Demon Sake, only acted drunk.
A year passed before there was even talk about making port. The night before they docked, after everybody had gone to sleep once again, Kagome and the other three huddled around the little kerosene lamp.
"So, Are we ready for tomorrow? is everything Ready?"
"Yes. Aoi is leaving the boat, and only three are staying on."
"We take your death dagger, stab them and toss them overboard."
"If anymore come on, you call your powers to blast them away."
"I'll call my weapons to me, for anything else." they all finished each other's sentences, giggled slightly and then Kagome did her thing. She placed a barrier that he couldn't detect around the heads of the crew, keeping them from moving consciously, and keeping them from sensing and hearing anything. As Megumi and Akina chanted to keep the barriers, Kagome called her weapons and her companions' weapons to her. They arrived in a soft blue light, and she stored them with her daggers, under the loose floor board. They shut the light off and fell asleep, eager for tomorrow.
"Wake up! Everybody! We're at port!" the second lieutenant shouted. The captain snorted awake, Kagome sleeping on his chest, where she was when he had fallen asleep. He shook the girls awake. they sat at breakfast.
"I'm leaving to boat for a few hours. I'll be back at sundown, for the usual evening. Don't try anything." he said. they all made small bows to him, and he left with most of his men, leaving the three men with the girls. Kagome then put the plan into action. Turns out that he had stored her outfit with her Katanas, along with her pack, which held their fighter clothes. They put them on, under the Kimonos. Around noon, They walked out onto deck to see where the sun was rising from. It shone right in their face, and Kagome knew where they were. Far. From. Home. Marcus, a simple pirate, one who never wished for the life, saw them, and walked over.
"Hey! get back inside! You know you're not allowed out!"
"Please, Marcus, would you deny us a touch of fresh air? We've been in the stuffy cabin for too long, could we just stand here for a minute?" Kagome said seductively, which intrigued the other two sailors to come over. Akina and Rin attracted them, following Kagome's lead by Kissing them. Quicker than anybody could bat an eye lash, she stabbed the three sailors, giving them the appearance of death, and tossed them onto the port. Kagome pointed a finger at the anchor rope, which caught on fire. The good thing, was that Kagome not only steered the boat, but also the waters, and she turned the boat towards the open sea. By the time somebody discovered that the boat was missing, they were far out to sea, and Kagome had brewed a storm over the harbor, making it impossible to follow them. Aoi was passed out on a brothel, so he had no idea. Now the girls faced their biggest challenge: Navigating out of the Caribbean sea.
Kagome landed the boat on the Persian border, and they kissed the ground. After a month, Kagome and the girls had made land. By this time, Kagome and the others had made a plan to get back. But they knew, based on Aoi's maps, that it would be long and harsh. Kagome had taken everything that was able to be sold or anything otherwise. Akina and Megumi were confident of the plan, But the months on the ship had Rin wary, weak, and scared to death of any male near her. This was not good, as they had to go into a city to buy horses and supplies for the trip through China on the Silk Road.
The city was crowded, and not many people ignored the four girls. Who could? The four women were beautiful, and they were not wearing the traditional garb for women in Persia. But they got through the city with Five horses, and plenty of supplies, thanks to some coins and kisses.
A week's hard ride led them to a village just before they reached the mountains, which would be hard enough, because of the snow and the fact of NO villages. This would be the last stop for several weeks.
"Kagome, What are we getting here in this village?" Megumi asked.
"We have to get some warmer clothes. Those mountains," she pointed to the snowy mountains, "are the only pass to China. If we can get through China, we will be closer to our element, so to speak. But I'd like not to freeze. I can make sure we don't get bad weather, but I can't do much about the cold."
"Oh. how long will it take?"
"I think a few weeks, if we ride hard. We'll ask at the inn just up here. spend the night, and start fresh in the morning." She said. Rin brought her horse up to Kagome.
"Mother, what about the men there?"
"Don't worry. I'll blast anything that touches you. Trust me, I'm not going to be doing anything anytime soon. It's been nearly two months, and I am still sore." Kagome joked a bit. They handed off the horses to the little inn boy and Kagome gave him a tip for caring for their companions, and walked inside. She walked up to the bar.
"Hello, pretty lady, what can I help you and your friends with?"
"I would like one room to share with my sister and daughter, we are traveling over the pass and would like a peaceful sleep for a night before we face the cold."
"Don't try to go up there. It's dangerous and is very tough during the winter, and you've arrived at the most horrid time."
"We'll manage. we are passing through one way or another. We've survived rape, pirates and two months at sea. We can manage some cold weather for a few weeks."
"Then the best of luck to ya. What room ya want?"
"a simple room, enough room to sleep peacefully." She said.
"Ok. through here. Do you want some food?"
"We'll be out in a minute for some mead and food."
"Very well" he said. Kagome, Akina, Megumi, and Rin walked into the back hall and followed the man to a room. And Kagome's request was met; It was small, but comfy. a large bed was in there, and they dropped their belongings, then followed him back to the front room, where four large cups were waiting, along with some soup and small breads. This meal was different from what they were used to, But with Kagome's knowledge of the past and other things, they followed her lead.
The next morning, they got fresh horses, trading for their olds one. they loaded all the horses full of supplies, and got some very warm clothes for their trip. Turns out, if they were careful, yet fast, they'd make it through the mountains in two weeks, far from their original estimate of six. that was including bad weather, and much would be done to ensure good weather. They had made it to the beginning of the path, when they ran across a pair of young children, begging for food, water and anything they could get. Kagome could tell they were not very old, and from the other side of the pass. Kagome stopped the horses.
"Kagome, what are you doing?" Akina called, but Kagome didn't answer. She walked over to the little boy and girl, begging a man for some food. They froze, seeing her, afraid to run. But Kagome knelt next to them.
"Hello. Are you ok?" She asked in her most sweet voice.
"I'm Mabaru. This is my sister, Ruby. We need money to get horses and supplies to cross back to our homeland."
"Where are your parents?"
"They died in the pass. We got picked up and taken back here, where we started." Mabaru said. "We came from a pirate ship, and we're trying to get back."
"How about you come with us? We have enough supply, and you can sit with one of us. We are going through," Kagome said, holding out her hand. Rin brought up the rest of the horses, and looked at the little kids. His sister was maybe three, and he was about seven. They reminded her of herself, looking for somebody to care for her. The three smiled at the children. Mabaru looked unsurely, holding onto his sister's hand. He nodded, and Kagome picked them both up.
"So, these kids coming with us?" Rin asked. Kagome nodded.
"This is Mabaru, and Ruby. They don't have any parents." Kagome said, putting Mabaru in front of Rin on the saddle. She put Ruby on her own. Megumi grabbed the pack horse from Rin and Kagome saddled up. Thankfully they had bought some blankets, and Kagome wrapped Ruby, whose toes were very cold, and held her to her chest. She tossed one to Rin, who helped Mabaru cover up.
"Tank ou" Ruby mumbled, not quite talking right, But Kagome held her tight as they took off into the snowy pass.
Three days into their trip, they encountered a snowstorm in the night. Kagome made sure none was hitting their campsite. Waking up, they had a small breakfast, put on their warm clothes, (kagome had made the children boots and coats) and took off, nearing the top of the pass. It was near the end of the long mountain pass, two days hard Ride and they were on the silk road.
There had been three months between their last day at sea and where they were now. Nobody else noticed, but She knew something was growing, inside Megumi and herself. This would not go over well.
China was definitely their element. They shed the clothes and regain their warrior outfits, and the children were attached to Rin at the hip practically, and so Rin adopted them as Kagome had done to Shippou long ago. Akina and the others had left the horses in China, halfway through the country. Their necklaces, Thanks to the counter spells Kagome had put on them, had lost their power and they discarded them without another thought. Once in a while, they would get into a battle, and win quickly against the demons. Other times, Kagome would make a plate of Earth, which freaked the children out at first, until Rin had explained everything to them, Now they wanted to use it always. Which they did, until they reached the last segment before the stretch home. It was loaded with demons, dead demons. And in the midst of the fighting, was their mates, who had gone looking for them. Now, Kagome, Akina, Rin and Megumi, who had been rarely seen around their mates in battle attire, went unrecognized by Sesshoumaru, Kohaku, Takumi, and Kai. You would think that they would stop to sense the auras, before they were hidden, but their beasts were in control, practically in a blood rage. This was dangerous for the children, who stayed in the woods. The girls knew their husbands, and they had the advantage, if they ever came in a fight. So for mere practice, the four started to slay demons in effort to get their mates to stop. But it just so happened that The males thought them only enemies. The battle with the hundred of demons was over, and now they faced the deadly enemies they have called mates.
