Absurd Distractions

Chapter 25: Team Magic

Princess Igrit led Kagome down a corridor that felt familiar, and she realized that it was the same hallway where Lord Asobibi's butler had showed them through the front doors and down the way toward Lord Asobibi.

She followed Igrit's swift flight to the lighted objects on the sides, and her breath caught in her throat at the sight of it again – the arrows and the esoteric bow imbued with energy from the most powerful miko, Midoriko-sama. Kagome approached them with awe and hesitation, feeling a sense of humility simply by standing in front of them. She bowed and thanked Midoriko for these gifts as she gently picked them up from the display. Cautiously, she stored the arrows with her own and carried the bow with a tight grip as she looked around the room frantically, expecting to be trounced. When nothing happened, Igrit quickly beckoned her forward to the next prize.

Kagome could feel it though. The air was getting heavy and the dark miko's energy was starting to press down upon her like a thick miasma again. She was close, lurking and probably coming up to her soon. She must have figured out that Kagome had escaped the two imps.

Now it was only a matter of time before they met again, which meant that Kagome and Igrit had to get to the dragon fast.

When they found the dragon, Kagome rested her hand against the wall of the prison to catch her breath. The thick air of dark power was still looming over her, but she needed a moment to breathe.

Igrit fluttered around the cage in between the bars and came back to Kagome. "The lock is enchanted. I don't have enough power to unlock or break it."

Kagome felt heat in her hand and looked down at Midoriko's bow, pulsating a bluish-violet.

"You may not have to," Kagome said. "Let me try."

She took the end of Midoriko's bow and tapped it at the keyhole of the prison. The lock shined with the color of the bow, and the dragon behind it stirred. They heard a snap, and the lock turned to cinders from the holy power. The broken door swung open and the pregnant dragon sauntered out.

Kagome looked at the dragon in defeat. Wow, it was really pregnant. She was afraid to use the dragon's power as part of her arsenal against the dark miko.

Kagome watched Igrit, who went up the dragonheads and looked into its eyes. After a strange buzzing and chirping, the dragon's two heads sighed a response.

"Tell the dragonheads what you need them to do," Igrit said.

Kagome blinked, stunned. "You can talk to them?"

Igrit nodded.

"Um, tell them I'm here with Sesshoumaru-sama to rescue them, but he's been captured and so has his brother Inuyasha. We need to get them back, so I need their help, if the dragons have the energy."

Igrit turned to the dragon and chirped at her. The dragonheads bobbled around furiously and smoke blew from their noses. They made some deep, angry growls and then stomped their feet.

"They say they will help you rescue Lord Sesshoumaru," the fairy said. "And they have more energy than ever in their state."

Kagome looked at the dragon with wide eyes. "Good. Because we need them. I can feel the dark miko. She's coming upon us fast."

"They say you can ride them, that they can still bear the weight as they take flight," Igrit said.

"Take flight?" Kagome wasn't sure Ah-Un was able to fly. In fact, she couldn't remember. This was a bonus for her team if they could.

"Um, okay," Kagome said.

"Hurry!" the fairy ordered, and the two-headed dragon gnashed its heads at her to spur her on. Kagome couldn't delay any longer. She couldn't be sure, but she swore she heard the dark miko cackling in the darkness as she descended upon them.

Needed no further motivation, Kagome hopped onto the pregnant, restless two-headed dragon. Igrit settled on her shoulder and she could feel her warmth pulsating against her ear. She shrieked when she felt them lift upward, and then the dragon took flight into the high ceilings of the vast castle – heading right for the enemy as she neared.

Kagome also suspected, as they headed toward the dark miko's location, that they would probably find Sesshoumaru there as well. She only had to trust that the dragon's instinct was leading them there.