Glancing up she saw that Inuyasha was making quick work of positioning the boxes around the room, though he did seem to get in the servant's way a lot. She grabbed the packages left and raced to her room to prepare everything for tomorrow.
: Sesshomaru is going to love this, I just know it.
Early the next morning Kagome slipped out of her room, running to the main hall to check that Inuyasha had followed her instructions last night. Sure enough all four black boxes were placed at strategic positions around the room, all surreptitiously draped with white cloth to hide them from demon sight until the time was right.
The room was almost finished though there were still servants scurrying around, twitching at fabric here so it hung perfectly, arranging and suspending more candles from every inch of the walls that they could. There were even some demons darting amongst the rafters of the ceiling, hanging four smaller chandeliers around the huge central fountain of glass.
A small section against the north wall in the centre was clear of cloth, though there were literally thousands of candles waiting to be lit that covered the wall. This would be the stage area for the singer they had hired. The demoness had the most amazing voice Kagome had ever heard, and she couldn't help but stare in wonderment when she sang. However Sesshomaru had informed her she would only be performing for the first half of the ball. This rest of the music would be provided by the demonesses and mates of the higher court demons.
Nodding to herself that all was as it should be she made her way to the breakfast hall, the sounds of hundreds of demons eating already reaching her weak human ears.
The rest of the day passed for all with excitement. The demon lords and males spent most of their time in the dojo, trying out their hands at the various collected weapons. Typically all but two would line the walls, staring in towards the duo that were currently battling, feinting one way then the next, looking for the next weak point in their opponents defence to slip through and deal the winning blow. The ladies, from where they sat and chatted in the gardens, often saw trails of their mates and friends walking or being carried up to the infirmary for their smaller injuries, while the deeper more life-threatening ones were taken straight to Kagome. Ironically her miko powers were proving useful in a castle of hundreds of demons.
After a particularly nasty chest wound was brought to her, the edges sizzling with a bright green poison she recognised all too well she decided it was time to take a trip down to the dojo to see just what they thought they were doing, ripping each other to shreds only hours before the ball.
Stepping into the doorway her slight shadow fell over the pair in the centre of the room, one boar demon pinning the young snake demon to the ground, each of their hands grasping towards the others throat. She stood and watched as the snake youkai quickly transformed to his true form and slithered out from under the boar, winding his body around his opponents, effectively immobilising him as he pressed his sharp fangs to his throat. The boar demon raised his hands in defeat, moving aside as the long thin snake transformed back into the yellow eyed male it had been only moments before. As they moved away to discuss with some of the other the tactics each had used Kagome strode across the room to stand in front of Sesshomaru. He had been watching the battle with little interest, though his eyes now shined as they watched the priestess that moved towards him.
"Sesshomaru, I understand that you all must find something to entertain yourselves with for the whole of five hours, but must you rip each other apart quite so much? All I've had all day is injured demons being brought to me to heal!"
Sesshomaru chuckled.
"I apologise for us all Kagome if we have been inconveniencing your day, however it is merely fun."
She gave him a slightly scathing look.
"Fun it may be Sesshomaru, but you had all just better be fit for the ball later. There will be no excuses for any of your absences!"
Sesshomaru chuckled low, gaining him a few odd glances from his surrounding youkai.
"This Sesshomaru gives you his word, we all be fine for the evenings frivolities"
Kagome frowned lightly, then decided that it was their own damn foolish fault if they got hurt, she just wouldn't keep on healing them anymore.
As she turned to leave Sesshomaru grasped her hand and pulled her back.
"Do you fancy a try Kagome? I'm sure the fellow lords and males of the youkai court would love to see you in battle. It really is a spectacular display."
The last part he said louder for all to hear. The youkai's surrounding her all nodded in approval and anticipation. They had to admit they were curious about the priestess, for her to have caught the great battle warrior that was Sesshomaru she had to be a strange enigma.
Kagome shook her head.
"Really Sesshomaru, I am not up to battling anyone in this room, you should just keep going as you were."
Sighs of disappointment echoed around the dojo, Kagome turning to see all of the males looking intrigued.
"But I...Sesshomaru I really don't think...You can't be...Oh what the hell, as long as you go easy on me!"
Sesshomaru winked at her.
: Don't worry my dear; I will go easy on you...for the time being.
She sent him a look before walking away to the side, untying her outer hoari to shrug out of it and hang it on one of the hooks on the wall. If she was going to fight full blooded, battle hardened warriors she was damn well going to do it in clothing that allowed her to move, and to hell with the looks they were all giving her.
Next she walked to the southernmost facing wall and trailed her hands across the silver weapons there, deciding finally on a pair of Sai, much like her own, though these seemed to be made of glass. Silver veins ran through the hardened ice, making the weapons beautiful. She turned back to the youkai to see them looking smug.
"The miko uses Sai? This will be easier than we thought. Sai are hardly deadly in the hands of a human, let alone a woman!"
Kagome raised her eyebrows as she span the blades across her palms, flipping one over her hand and spinning it across her shoulder as she did a quick back flip into a crouch, holding out a hand as the Sai landed perfectly back in her palm. Her eyes never once left the arrogant youkai male who had spoken and his never left her, even as his face fell and jaw hung open.
Sesshomaru smirked.
"Well then Tsuni, I guess you should be her first opponent, just to check she's not deadly with them."
The youkai, now named as Tsuni, visibly gulped as a group of chuckling males pushed him forward. He glanced around; seeing no one beside him he turned back to his opponent and eyed the weapons on the wall shiftily.
"By all means Tsuni, take one. It would be no fun battling an opponent with no weapon."
The youkai caught Kagome's subtle taunt and stood up straighter.
"I need no other weapon than the ends of my claws to defeat a human."
With that he crouched into a battle stance and began to circle Kagome. The miko merely laughed and stood still; watching him carefully with her eyes till she could no longer see him, after which she kept track of where he was with her miko senses. His aura showed surprise that she would dare to show her back to him in battle, though he obviously took it for foolishness or an amateur mistake as he dived forward, arm overstretched, eager to get the first strike in.
Kagome rolled left milliseconds before his claws would have touched her, grabbing Tsuni's outstretched arm and using his own weight to throw him in front of her. His already precarious balance was lost as he toppled forward, scrambling to get up and turn to face the girl even as a glistening Sai was placed against his throat.
"I win. You should have picked a weapon."
Kagome let him up and turned back to Sesshomaru.
"Are we done here now? I have work I really could be doing..."
She stopped and smirked as she heard a growl behind her.
"Again."
Slowly the priestess pivoted on the spot. Tsuni was standing in front of her, now holding a large blade, one from the south wall. Her smirk grew into a wide grin, matched only by Sesshomaru. She had had many hours to study all the deadly items in this room, and she knew the sword he now held as well as Sesshomaru did, probably even better. She had mostly stuck to her Sai and trusty bow, but Miroku had given her a couple of lessons in handling a long sword.
The dark veins of purple that currently stood dormant on the sword caught the light as Tsuni raised it and once more beckoned her forward.
"Again."
"I do not even need to fight you. I can defeat you perfectly well from here."
The youkai surrounding the room all murmured in confusion.
Sesshomaru stepped forward.
"I propose a small wager. I bet 50 gold that the priestess can take down Tsuni without ever laying a finger on him."
The males of the court glanced around. True, for Sesshomaru to bet on the girl she must have power, though how she could take him down from where she was they didn't understand.
One stepped forward.
"I will take that bet Lord Sesshomaru, on one condition. The miko is to have no weapon."
Sesshomaru seemed to consider this for a second before inclining his head.
"Very well, the miko is to have no weapon in her hands from hence forth."
Kagome threw the Sai down, embedding the tips in the wooden floor she was standing on as almost all of the youkai stepped forward to take Sesshomaru's bet. Just as the last male stepped away a coarse voice was heard from the door way.
"I bet 3000 the girl can do it."
All turned to the hanyou shaped shadow standing in the doorway.
"Half-breed, your place is back in the castle shadows. Leave us alone."
Kagome's powers flared in warning.
"Leave Inuyasha alone. This is his family's castle, and he has more right to be here than you do."
"Keh, forget it Kagome, they're all the same."
Inuyasha was turning to leave when his brother spoke.
"Inuyasha, you may freely join in on our games, however you do not have 3000 gold to wager with."
Inuyasha turned back to face the group.
"I don't need it. I know she's going to win, and if not I will give up my Tetsusaiga."
Kagome and Tsuni circled each other, neither willing to make the first move. Kagome wanted to play with him a bit, make him think he could win it before she brought him down in a second, plus she wasn't allowed to touch him. Tsuni wasn't attacking for he was trying to gauge the priestess, work out in his mind how she could possibly win without weapon or proximity to himself. Seeing no way, he lunged forward, the tip of his blade slicing where the miko's arm had been only moments before.
: Miko, you could take him down right now. What is delaying you? Tell me I did not bet to lose my money my love.
Kagome growled audibly for all to hear.
: You have so little faith in me?! I am merely playing with him Sesshomaru. Make him think he could win before I show him I am merely bored.
Sesshomaru chuckled low as Tsuni once again span, bringing his sword down in a low sweep which Kagome merely dived over, rising elegantly out of her roll to once more face the demon.
Tsuni snarled, infuriated that such a slight woman could avoid his attacks. Of course he had been going easy. She was human after all, and should he accidently hurt her he would have to deal with a very pissed off Sesshomaru. But now...she just kept stepping out of the way, making it all look so...so...effortless. Too effortless. He began to lung and swipe with both sword and claws, determined to at least scratch the priestess. Kagome laughed as she kept up with the pretence of being on the defensive. She ducked, dodged and leapt away from Tsuni, grinning more widely with each attack he sent her as he grew more and more aggravated.
Eventually the on lookers grew restless.
"Come now Miko, if your battle plan was merely to dodge Tsuni till he became too tired to fight any more I do not consider that a victory to yourself."
Kagome once more jumped over Tsuni's sword before raising her finger to her lips.
"Your right, this is becoming tiresome. I have many more important things to do."
With that she steadied her stance and threw forward one hand, her reiki expanding out around her until it hit into Tsuni, awakening the veins of spiritual power that ran throughout the metal of the monks sword he held, letting just enough channel down to Tsuni's hand to bring him to the floor. When he was on his knees she used her other hand to form a web of tangible power that threaded through her fingers and knitted together neatly before she launched it towards the demon.
Tsuni had no chance of escape. He could just about see the net of pink that was coming towards him through the sun spots in his vision but he couldn't move, he couldn't even let go of the sword that currently held him like a statue. He drew a breath and closed his eyes, ready for the end as the reiki touched him, opening like a flower before closing tightly around him, squeezing the air from his lungs before it loosened and fell away in tendrils.
Kagome stood before him; hand out to help him up. He looked like a child, huddled on the floor surrounded by dissolving light. As he shakily took her hand and allowed her to help him to his feet she sent a warming jolt or her power through him, this time with the intention to heal and help, not bind and hold like the last lot. His eyes widened at the feeling, before he stepped back and bowed to a power far superior to his own. Kagome giggled and turned back to the group of wide eyed, shocked demons and a laughing Taiyoukai and half demon.
"I think gentlemen that it is time you paid your debts and retreated inside. There is a ball to be preparing for."
With that she walked over to Sesshomaru and kissed his cheek on tiptoes before sweeping out of the dojo in the direction of the main castle.
Stunned eyes followed her till she rounded a line of Sakura trees and continued to stare even after she was gone.
A clicking of fingers snapped them all out of their stupor.
"Oi, oh knowledgeable ones...PAY UP!"
From a long way away a small shout could be heard just before a much closer, loud crash.
"Inuyasha, sit boy."