Chapter 7: Izanami-No-Mikoto

I tried to take as many small breaths as I could. This corset was suffocating me. The deeper the breathes I took it's like this thing would shrink, and these shoes were not much better. Why didn't they have any normal clothes here? I pushed my hair out of my face for the thousandth, according to the maid I was not allowed to put my hair up. It had to be out because I was going to need it to be down for later. Whatever that meant. I was trying to keep my emotions under control, walking next to him like this. He just traipsed around as if nothing had happened. As if he didn't commit mass murder a few days ago. All of these maids and helpers around the palace didn't make it any better. I felt uneasy under their gaze. They were souls, yet they looked so real, so life-like. Moving about the place doing chores as if they weren't dead. Did they know that they were dead? They stared, they pointed and they whispered. Could I blame them though? It made sense. I was a human... sort of. Could they tell that I was different? I was walking among the souls in hell. Next to the king of hell himself. Still, It made me uncomfortable. I looked around the hallway, trying to distract myself from their obvious gossiping. It was so regal. I had seen pictures of some palaces before, but this one put them all to shame.

"Ignore them." I heard him say. "I do."

"Of course you would. You're rude."

"Careful Miko," he said with a grin. "It almost sounds as though you're trying to start with me."

"It was you who started with me. You always start with me. You push to see how I will react and when you do not like my reaction you try to punish me as if I am some child."

He laughed. "You've gotten too big for your britches I see. Such a tone could get you killed."

I gave him the side-eye. "If you wanted me dead I would be dead. But I am not. So, I will say whatever I want."

I felt him grab me by the wrist. "You seem to forget what happened to all those humans when you'd challenged me."

I snatched my hand away. "I have not forgotten, but I'm not going to let you use that to control me; because the fact of the matter is you will do whatever you want, whenever you want just to torment me. So, no I have not forgotten."

My chest heaved at my slight rant. I caught him staring at my hand. My eyes traveled down seeing the white light peeking out at my fingertips. I gasped clutching my hand to my chest. Breathing deeply as I did before to calm myself down. He looked shocked for a moment, but only for a moment. Being replaced by that nonchalant look once again.

"You have become even more brazen woman."

I continued walking on. "Dealing with you I have to be."

We continued on for another few minutes or so. Coming to a pair of large oak double doors. As if on cue they opened. Revealing one woman sitting at a vanity, combing her hair. It cascaded down her back like a river of black, pooling at her feet. She was one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen. Her skin was like pearls. Her ruby red eyes were bright, yet so deep. Long lashes that seemed to go on forever. Her clothes left nothing to the imagination. It seemed as though her nipples would show at the slightest movement, from underneath her bindings. Her lace underwear could be seen through her sheer black robe. I could feel myself blushing.

"Aamon this is the child I was telling you about."

I nearly scoffed at the word child.

"Ahh yes." She purred. "The one he had called Izanami."

Then something clicked, my head snapping toward her. "Aamon? The half-wolf half serpent? Who governs forty legions in hell?"

She smiled brightly. " So, you have heard of me. I haven't been in that form for ages, but aye that is me. However, you may call me Yura." She'd said, her voice was so smooth, so seductive.

I watched her rise from the couch, as she sauntered over to me, hips swaying in the most hypnotic motions. Her hair trailing behind her like a train. She circled me a few times. What the hell was wrong with me? I didn't even like women.

"Careful Aamon." He grinned. "She might just fall in love with you if you keep toying with her like that."

"I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself. She is just so cute. Besides, it has been so long since I have had a playmate, and I do love a good virgin."

I clenched my jaw. She was playing with me on purpose, and Sesshomaru was enjoying it. She smiled stroking my cheek, moments later she yipped in pain. I could see Sesshomaru smiling off to the side. She looked at her hand then back at me. I didn't have my Miko powers fully under control, but I could still do this much.

She grinned. A similar mischievous look in her eyes, that Sesshomaru had had before.

"Well, now I want you even more and, you have such beautiful hair." She whispered, running her fingers through it.

"Yura." he'd said in a warning tone.

She put up her hands in defense. "Sorry, your highness. What can I do for you today?" she asked, propping her hand on her hip.

He took a seat. "I need you to read her memories and find out whatever it is you can. Anything that looks out of place."

"Understood."

Read my memories. How was something like that even possible?

She smiled holding out her hand to me. I cautiously took it and she walked me over to a table.

"Please lay here."

I kicked off my shoes doing as was I was told. I could feel her fingers running through my hair, her fingernails grazing against my scalp. It made me shiver, and not in a good way. I had felt violated in some way. I watched her pull out a red comb. She started to run it through my hair. It felt as though I was floating, before I knew it, everything had gone dark.

I smiled as she had burned Yura.

So, the little kitten has begun to grow claws.

"Well, now I want you even more and, you have such beautiful hair." I heard her whisper.

"Yura," I warned.

This was one head that she could not have.

She put up her hands in defense. "Sorry, your highness. What can I do for you today?"

I took a seat. "I need you to read her memories and find out whatever it is you can. Anything that looks strange or that may seem out of place."

"Understood."

Yura led her over to the table. She soon fell asleep. I watched as Yura worked her magic. Weaving her comb through the girls' tresses. Yura's eyes turned black as smoke-like images appeared above. Birthdays, graduations, all insignificant memories that were not answering the many questions that I had.

"Go deeper," I ordered. "I need to see more."

She nodded. I watched as she dug her nails into the Miko's scalp. Mewls of pain slipping past her lips while she slept. As she dug deeper the memories had changed. They were of someone else. A different time. I inched closer as the memories surrounded us. One in particular catching my eye. A reflection in a mirror.

"Stop. Do not move any further. Not yet."

I stared in astonishment. It was the Miko, yet at the same time, it was not. Her appearance was different from it was now. Her waist length hair now reached down to her ankles. Her ivory skin paler than usual. Eyes that were empty and dark. Snakes that coiled around her arms and at her feet as she held a single lantern, between her slender fingers. Her white robes stained with blood. It was the Miko's face, yet it was not.

"Show me more." I ordered.

She continued to dig. I had lost count of the countless dead bodies I had seen. However she was not the one who had killed them. I knew what she was doing because I had done it many times. She was collecting the souls of the dead. Aiding them to pass on to the afterlife or reincarnating them. I could not pull my eyes away. Were these truly the Miko's memories? Who was this woman? We had come to the last memory. Why did it abruptly stop here? Screams of pain flooded my ears, causing me to flinch. I had never heard screams such as these. I got closer to the memory paying close attention to every detail. It was from her point of view; as was every memory. She seemed to be laying on her back with her legs spread. A woman whom hadn't shown up in her memories before appeared.

"Push your grace!" She'd yelled.

She was giving birth, and her screams only worsened as time went on. My eyes went wide at the sight before me. She had given birth to a child engulfed in flames. Unfortunately for her the flames were catching. Amidst her screams she somehow managed to muster up the last of her strength to say,

"His name... is Kagu-tsuchi!"

Her charred outstretched arm dropped. That was the end of the memory. Everything had gone dark after that. I plopped down into my chair trying to make sense of what I had just seen. The smoke disappeared and Yura pulled away, clutching her robe.

"What the hell was that? Were those memories hers?"

She nodded. "Yes... but of a past life. It seemed she had died but wasn't reincarnated until some years ago, but why?."

I shook my head. "If I had reincarnated the Miko I would have known. This was not me."

"Then who?" She whispered.

I clenched my jaw. "Instruct the maids to bring me all of the books of Mythology that we have."

"What for? You don't honestly think there are other Gods out there do you? We would have known about them. Gods do not just appear out of think!"

"Then explain what we just saw. Explain her celestial power."

She straightened up. "I will instruct them to bring the books."

Both Yura and I had been sifting through books for at least two hours now. Roman, Greek, Japanese, Semitic, Elamite, Hattie, Egyptian, Norse. An endless amount of Gods, their children and their children's children. Even demi Gods that were produced. None of them matched that woman's description or name. Nor was there any mention of the name of the child she had birthed.

I groaned. "How many more books are there?"

She signed. "Too many."

I glanced over at the sleeping Miko, before turning my attention back to the books.

"Give me the Japanese one again." I told her.

"I don't see what for. I looked through that one already." She said sliding the book across the table.

I grabbed it flipping through it carefully. Scanning over every word; twice. Izanami and that childs name were Japanese. They had to be in this book. I looked through that damned book until my yes burned. Coming to some of the last pages, I noticed that there were three pages stuck together. Mentally rolling my eyes at Yura. I carefully pulled the pages apart, a sense of relief washing over me. Seeing the name Izanami-No-Mikoto at the very top of the page. However, I was unable to get past the first line. I was stuck on the words Goddess of both creation and death.

My eyes darting over to her sleeping form once more.

What the hell was this woman?

In Japanese mythology, Izanami no Mikoto (Meaning "she who invites") is a goddess of both creation and death.