Meioshi, Yuko, and Kyoko were happily searching for fish at the market near the docks. Kyoko was happy to wave her school goodbye for a few weeks until fall began, but her friends, Shotaro and Musuko, were probably still finishing up their work for the year. She saw Musuko raising up his hand in one of the classes with Katsui. While she didn't like schoolwork either, she was all but happy to leave school and learn about other things from Meioshi or even Yuko. The latter usually taught her things about horticulture or how to determine the age of a plant and when it would die out until the spring season. As she walked with her mentors, the bells from the ships rang out and voices could be heard belting out from the sea. Meioshi took in a deep breath and was able to isolate the salty smell of the waters from the aroma of dead or flopping fish.
Some of the fishermen were returning to the shore to refill the stocks after this morning's catch. Seeing some wild boar slabs, Yuko walked over to a butcher's shop to inspect the meat. Yamashi had a special kind of love for wild hog meat, especially if it was roasted. As Meioshi and Kyoko picked out a few fish, a woman forcefully bumped into the doctor so that she would drop her fish, but Meioshi quickly dropped her shopping basket onto the ground and lightly kicked the basket to catch the fish. Calmly lifting the basket, she turned to the woman who remained silent and upturned her nose as she continued her walk. Kyoko didn't like that at all and poked her tongue at the nasty woman. A hostess was walking over the footbridge to visit a man and greeted her rude friend as she approached them. They gossiped for a bit then turned to Meioshi, who had already looked the other way to continue shopping, and gave her dirty looks and wicked smirks before continuing their talk.
Little Kyoko used to admire those kinds of women for their beauty, but, the more time she spent taking care of her mother and learning from Lady Meioshi and Mrs. Yuko, the less she liked their behavior towards her mentors. Although the hostesses were beautiful, Meioshi was a wild beauty, too. Kyoko never personally saw Lady Meioshi dressed up like the hostesses in the village, but she has seen her in nice, casual dresses. Yuko was another charming beauty. Kyoko never saw her dress up either, but Yuko's smile was as warm as a spring sun and she was married. The hostesses typically held no marital status. Kyoko knew her mother was beautiful. She had that peachy skin and infectious laugh. Why downsize these women for being more than a simple hostess?
The more Kyoko thought about it, the less it made sense for such behavior. She had seen a group of women dishonor her beloved doctor before, but Meioshi never seemed bothered by their mockery. She always smiled at them and continued her journey elsewhere. Was that the right thing to do?
"Lady Meioshi?" Kyoko called, grabbing the doctor's pastel green kimono.
"Hm?" Meioshi responded, purchasing another large fish. "What's wrong, Kyoko?"
"Why do those dancer women pick on you?" Kyoko asked, watching Meioshi place her fish in the basket. "Especially the one in the dark pink kimono. Why does she always tease you? You never do anything to her."
"Hm..." Meioshi hummed in thought, wanting to choose her words wisely but not wanting to hide the truth either. If Kyoko was going to be a nurse much like Yuko, they both would have to know that this choice of career was going to be harsh and sometimes lonely. The doctor then said, "Honestly, I don't think they're ready to see women pursue occupations that aren't related to the domestics like singing, poetry, or cooking just yet. It's a very big change and not everyone will accept it."
"Why? Don't they want to feel better? Mommy feels much better now," Kyoko said, not understanding why it mattered who was the doctor.
"Of course, little one. It's just uncommon to see women in such positions is all," Meioshi responded, kneeling down to Kyoko's level and looking her in the eyes. She then smiled at her and said, "It'll take some time for others to get passed this barrier. Would you like to know a secret?"
"What secret?" Kyoko asked with curious eyes.
"My grandmama used to be just like those women there," Meioshi said, nodding at the hostesses. "She was a very beautiful woman, too, and she wanted to do something no woman was allowed to do. Read. She learned to dance and paint landscapes just like them when she was young, but she wanted to speak to this suitor so much that she snuck away from practice just to hear how words were spoken. With time, she was able to correct her teacher on mistakes in writing. She was often punished for it and brought to shame, but she learned something very valuable from that experience and she taught it to me when I was your age. Advance the good and instruct the ignorant."
"Advance the good... and instruct the ignorant?" Kyoko repeated, not understanding what that line meant.
"Help those in need and teach those who don't understand," Meioshi clarified. "Be patient most of all."
"Okay," Kyoko said, nodding. "Can we at least throw a mud ball at them?"
"No!" Meioshi responded with a laugh, tickling Kyoko to cheer her up. "But I won't say it hasn't crossed my mind. Who knows? If I can't help them or teach them, maybe I can knock over a few silk parasols while it's raining by accident. You never know what might happen if you're not paying attention in awful weather."
"Lady Meioshi, you're always talking about getting dirt on people or their belongings!" Kyoko giggled. "Do you like playing in the mud, too?"
"I rather enjoy splashing in the puddles when it's raining," Meioshi replied, smiling.
"I like you, Lady Meioshi. You like to get dirty!" Kyoko said, holding up a large fish. "You're not like the hostesses, all powdered and groomed. You work hard and do your best every day; they get to lounge about and work on nights only."
"I wouldn't say that young lady," a merchant said, overhearing only part of the conversation. "Those dancers have to practice their art every day just like Meioshi has to work every day. They have to study poems and songs just like children have to study literature and arithmetic. The ladies do a lot of work, too. The trick is seeing them do it. I bet if Lady Meioshi became a dancer, she would have to work even harder to maintain that beauty."
"No, she doesn't! She's beautiful just as she is!" Kyoko declared, blushing and smiling vibrantly. "You don't need paint to be pretty, Lady Meioshi. Mrs. Yuko doesn't need it either. You're you! The kind, hard-working doctor that I love."
Meioshi gave Kyoko the gentlest smile that warmed the little girl's heart and the people's hearts around them. The dancers, who were visiting the fishing docks, listened to their conversation and scuttled to another part of the village in protest. The rattling and ringing from the line of chanting priests echoed through the docks. The fishermen by the docks began to sing the hymns and let the wind carry their voices to the seas. The leading priest spotted Meioshi purchasing different fish and walked towards her. Kyoko turned to see the priests walking towards them and clutched Meioshi's skirt in fear. The leading priest wore his orange kimono while the others wore white. He had an intimidating presence that irked the nerves of any passersby.
Kyoko whimpered, causing Meioshi to turn. She looked up to see the priest then placed her hand on Kyoko's shoulder. The priest looked down on the little girl, smirked then, with a faint gleam in his eye, he looked up. Meioshi's hazel eyes were especially enchanting with the sun's warm glow making them look like pools of honey. His smirk widened to a grin.
"Well, if it isn't Lady Jigoku. Still gathering items for your patients or are you out of food?" the priest asked with a sneer.
"Both," Meioshi answered honestly with a polite smile. "I've run out of meat. Thank you for purifying the village. I hope your doors are opened to the injured."
"They are always opened to those in need," the priest replied with a faint growl in his voice. He produced an eerie smile and then said, "However, we do not allow those who live in this village to wander aimlessly outside of these walls in case such attacks happen and the emperor becomes threatened by some unforeseen circumstance. By now, you know of this rule. Do you wish to poison the children's minds yet again with your abominable influences?"
"I am not telling the village's children to venture out to your oblivion," Meioshi stated, becoming firm with the priest's ignorance of what lies outside of the village. "My duties and intentions are clear. I heal whoever is in need in the event that other physicians cannot."
"We have capable doctors here already. You could be of better use as a nurse to one of them. Instead, you waste your time stealing money for your services rather than supporting our economy by working as an extra farmhand," the priest passively insulted, raising an eyebrow. "Even putting your radical ideas into the minds of other women to deplete the workforce. Ha! You have the grace of the gods by not burning or hanging by some tree. You could be busy looking pretty for a husband instead of walking around through the oblivion grounds collecting its filth and scourges. What sort of physician are you? Walking around in dirt!"
"I am the only doctor who isn't afraid to open your skin and look underneath," Meioshi challenged, not dropping her smile or her eyes. "I gather my own vegetation because I enjoy doing my own labor, and I support your economy by purchasing my meat from the docks and farms, do I not?"
The priest's eyebrow twitched with Meioshi's challenge. The nerve of this filthy, insubordinate woman to talk back to his authority! The gods will certainly damn her! He thought of something more to say but she beat him to it.
"My marital status is my own business. Unless you have found a competent man who knows the difference between an actual physician and your ambiguous charlatans, I will court who I deem worthy enough to satisfy my needs..." with that pause, Meioshi's eyes turned into a smoldering flame that made the priest shift uncomfortably in his own skin. He wasn't looking into a furnace, a pit of hell, or even an oven. There was something untamable in those hazel eyes that was trapping him. Meioshi's voice produced a seductive tone that spoke to the very core of his being when she said, "And my wants. Does this cause room for concern, sir?"
The priest inhaled sharply, gritted his teeth to the point of a headache growing, positioned his bottom lip to lightly cover the top lip, and then stomped away once he realized there was nothing more to say. He had been defeated for today. She knew the other kind of power she had over him. That's the only reason why he couldn't really express what he wanted. Meioshi was a wildfire destined to kill him or the divine fire that would send him to hell. She was very capable of bringing down any man she wanted if she wanted to do it. He knew she was celibate, and he also knew that... NO! Never! After stomping a considerable distance, the priest turned to Meioshi sharply and ranted.
"One day, Lady Jigoku, one day! You'll be ill, wondering what has gone wrong with your oblivious utopia, and no one in this village will have your meats to help you get better because the economy has reached its impending collapse! You'll be crawling on the ground begging the gods to redeem you from your illness. They'll laugh at you. Ha, they'll say, ha! By then, you'll feel guilty for crossing me and lay in the ground. They'll be no room for you, madame. None! The worthless beggars and cheats of the human realm will inhabit all of hell; the demons will throw you out for there's no extra space for a dirty doctor. Perhaps then you'll wonder if there is room for concern!"
With that, the priest ran off. His face enraged with heat and anger. Kyoko poked her little tongue out, insulting the priest behind his back. She thought about his words. They were so hostile. They were almost the same as the dancers who pick on Meioshi. She thought about his words and wept. She wept in anger.
"Kyoko," Meioshi whispered, kneeling down and holding Kyoko's shoulders. "What's wrong?"
"Why are they so mean to you? I hate them!" Kyoko answered, struggling to wipe away her bitter tears. "You never did anything to them. Why are they so mean? Why? Why?"
"I'm so sorry, Kyoko," Meioshi whispered, embracing the little girl. "I'm sorry."
Jaken was seated next to Musuko on an island in the center of a pond. The island was a study. It was made of wood and built like a small house (with exception to the lack of furniture and its size) with a black marble writing table positioned in a diagonal view. Aa and Un were swimming in the pond, enjoying the peace of mind and other demon creatures swimming in the pond. Jaken was beyond impressed by the village's serenity. There were all sorts of demons who had been living here for years, yet he never heard of this place. Why? Shotaro mentioned there were demons living in another village with humans as well; he called it the sister town. There were scholars near the shrine further into the village who could explain the Heiwa's history, so Jaken made plans to visit the temple north. First, he had to gather his thoughts and interpret them into questions for Aka. Lord Sesshomaru ordered him to investigate any more information on Lady Meioshi. That was his focus.
"You, human boy," Jaken called, looking at Musuko.
"My name is Musuko, Lord Jaken," Musuko responded, annoyed by being called out of his name. "I thought we agreed not to call each other names. Do ya want me to call ya, Kappa Jaken, that badly?"
"No! It sounds ridiculous!" Jaken argued.
We did agree to stop insulting each other so that I could meet Lady Meioshi, Jaken thought.
Jaken snapped out of his thoughts then cleared his throat. He said, "What is Lady Meioshi like?"
"He didn't," Shotaro said, looking at Jaken incredulously. Musuko likes to talk about Meioshi in the weirdest ways, and he'll sometimes take until tomorrow to finish his thoughts. "Lord Jaken, I don't think - !"
"What's she like?" Musuko questioned, standing up with his eyes closed and nose growing out to a point. "She's...the greatest woman in the world! Where should I begin?"
Shotaro pulled out a fan and popped Musuko in the forehead before saying, "Let's skip to the present for starters! Jeez! Well, Lady Meioshi keeps herself busy a lot nowadays, but she said she used to study the stars and learned how to be a map maker when she was younger. She travels most of the time to help people in the sister town, and she'll pass by here to check up on her old patients. I heard my mother say she was going to travel to another village further than the sister town soon."
"She is?" Musuko asked, eyes sparkling and cheeks beginning to color.
"Yes, Musuko, she is!" Shotaro answered, readying his fan. "Besides her travels, she gathers a lot of food in her house. I've never been there, but travelers will often say that her home is like paradise. She has everything she needs except meat, which some travelers will sell to her. Kyoko's mother is the only human from the village who has been to her house for a long amount of time. Maybe later today, you can ask what she knows about the medicine she prepares and how she treats her patients."
A primary resource is a good start, and she's a more recent patient I hope, Jaken thought.
"Now, you can describe her, Musuko," Shotaro allowed, putting away his fan and continuing his calligraphy.
"Lady Meioshi has a very kind heart, and she seldom causes trouble for anyone. She always checks on her patients to ensure nothing else happens to their health. She is never mean to anyone no matter what they say that might seem spiteful, and her beautiful smile can melt anyone's heart," Musuko said, sighing. Hearts seeming to float around him. "That's all I can say."
"That's it?" Shotaro shouted. "What about your undying loyalty and your admiration and how she took care of your dad and how beautiful she is when the heavens shine upon her? You always say those things!"
"Well, that'd take too long, and Lord Jaken doesn't have time for that," Musuko replied, looking at Shotaro. "Besides, he'll be able to see all the things I like about her if we can catch her before she goes home."
"Unbelievable..." Shotaro muttered, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "If it were anyone else, you'd rave on about everything you know about Lady Meioshi and now you're taking it easy? What a load of pishposh!"
"Shotaro...are you in love with Lady Meioshi too?" Musuko asked, face full of stars glittering about. "You just said one of her favorite phrases!"
"I'm not in love with Lady Meioshi like you! It just... feels like I'm an aristocrat when I say that phrase. All sophisticated and intelligent," Shotaro admitted, blushing.
"So, you're in love with the woman. We all understand it," Jaken and Musuko said in unison.
"I am not!" Shotaro defended.
"Musuko. Shotaro. You may take your friends and go into town. Your lesson for today is over," a man called. "Enjoy your time off, boys."
"Boys! Where are we going?" Jaken questioned, following the cheerful lads through the village. Some of the neighboring demons were watching them as they walked. "We better not be going in circles."
"Circles?" Musuko questioned. "Puh-lease! We know the village like the back of our hand. Calm down, Lord Jaken. First thing we gotta do is find out where you want to go. You said you wanted to investigate, right?"
"I know what I said!" Jaken argued. "First, I should find this Lord Aka."
"Hey, that's Kyoko's mother," Musuko said, pointing to a home close by. "I think I saw feed being thrown to the chickens. Let's go see. She'd know where Lord Aka is. They're friends."
"Come on, Lord Jaken!" Shotaro called, pulling Jaken's arm.
They arrived at the front door of the house. Musuko and Shotaro removed their geta sandals while Jaken was steadily being pulled by Shotaro. Musuko called out to the mother until she responded. They rushed to the backyard where the chickens were running around. Musuko loved to run after the fowl. Shotaro released Jaken's arm to tell the mother about Jaken then turned his attention to Musuko. He called out to him, trying to stop Musuko from catching the chickens while they ate.
"Lord Jaken," the woman called, startling Jaken. He crept towards her then waited. She said, "Shotaro tells me you wish to speak with me about your investigation. How may I be of help?"
The mother was an attractive woman. Her skin looked fresh, and her hair was shining in the sun's glow. She was wearing a pale rose kimono adorned with a fuchsia hyacinth at the hem of the skirt. If she were ill, it would be hard to tell. Her husband must be proud. In her earlier years, she must have been stunning!
"Oh, uh, ahem!" Jaken said, coughing. "My lord has requested that I find more information about Lady Meioshi. The boys have told me that she had taken care of you before, and that you would also be able to introduce me to Lord Aka. I'm looking for him as well."
"Yes," she said, nodding. "Lady Meioshi said I was suffering from pallor and has been treating me for the entire summer season. My daughter went to go see her while I was shopping in the market. They may return here for a check-up before she leaves home. She does this for all her patients. Sometimes, it feels like she's my other daughter."
"Hm," Jaken hummed, furrowing his forehead. "The boys have also told me that you have gone to her home for treatment. Could you tell me your experiences?"
"Certainly," the mother agreed, walking to the porch to sit. "It was in the middle of spring. I had been experiencing severe aching in my head and nothing seemed to help relieve the pain. I tried many natural herbs in my cooking, but it felt as though they worsened the sheer multitude of the aching tenfold. The head priest, Master Bokushi, had kept me in his study the entire season. He told me that evil spirits were resting in my skull, and the spirits were interfering with my prayers to the gods. I followed his instructions to rid the spirits by allowing one of the priests to do one-inch incisions on each side of my head, where the temples are located; thus, allowing the same man to place a clove of garlic on the cuts."
"That's barbaric! I would prefer Lady Kaede's treatments than his," Jaken remarked, seating himself down. He had decided to go to the temple directly after this. Speaking with Meioshi would have to wait.
"Ah, this Lady Kaede is a doctor from your village?" the mother asked, feeling the sun's rays beam on her face.
"No, she is an elder," Jaken corrected. "I don't live in a village like you all, and I left my tribe many years ago. Lady Kaede is an ally of ours. My lord might not care about Master Bokushi, but I'd like to know how garlic in the brain is supposed to ward off evil spirits."
"After the incision, I was to pray for three days without sleeping," she said, showing remorse in her eyes. "Master Bokushi said the spirits will ravage my body and make me weaker if I become vulnerable for a moment. I returned home after this procedure. I had to lie that I was feeling better so that I could see my husband and daughter. The villagers had pity for me, but one demon saw my agony: Lord Aka. In the middle of the night, I had been crying after the house was aslumber. Lord Aka, the red-horned demon, had secretly called for a woman who lived on the outskirts of the village and asked if she could help me. Early morning, she had come to check on my condition. She introduced herself: Jigoku Meioshi-san. I thought she was going to be another one of those useless doctors who tell you to eat grass and burn a piece of tree bark in the yard when the moon rises. Some travelling physicians claim this is good for the mischievous demons who prey on your good fortune. But she didn't say this to me. She stayed with me for three days, watching over me. When she inspected me after the third day, she found other things wrong with me and told me that I was suffering from different causes relative to pallor. My skin was paling in my mouth and on my palms. She said the disease wasn't significant since it could be treated by acknowledging the other symptoms. This was the beginning of summer when she diagnosed me, and it was then that she brought me to her home for several days."
"What was her home like? Did she make you get incisions too?" Jaken questioned.
"Her home is one of the most beautiful places I've seen," the mother commented. "She has gardens, an irrigation system, a shrine, a pond, even a little barn for the foods she harvests. Master Bokushi has tried to get me to tell him what I saw, but he would become so abusive that I've always had to tell him otherwise. I don't know why he wants to know where she lives so desperately, but it must not be a good thing."
"Why?" Jaken asked, watching the boys chase the other farm life.
"Religion and science simply don't agree," she answered. "Did you know that an owl watches over her? There are many superstitions about owls because of their appearance. I believe that this is why the priest does not admire Lady Meioshi in any way."
"Because of some bothersome myth about a bird?" Jaken questioned. "How stupid can you be?"
"For centuries, we humans have conjured the oddest of superstitions pertaining to the owl. The myths that have spread for this one bird strikes fear into those who believe the myth," she informed.
"Name one myth that could frighten a soul to the very bone," Jaken challenged.
"My mother once told me that 'If an owl lands on the roof of your house, it is an omen of death.' I was told that the owl that watches over Lady Meioshi had landed on her roof once and a shriek was heard from the plateaus of the sister town. Many travelers who are led by the owl to her home will say, 'Constant hooting near your house also foretells death.' The owl has hooted near her home before many times, but no shrieks were heard. Only sights of her carrying bodies onto her cart are a result. This is why Master Bokushi has dubbed her the hell doctor. The product of hell, the owl, marks the darkness beneath her practice. You know, some people of the village simply will not accept her help because of Master Bokushi's influence."
"Because he's scared of a wretched bird?" Jaken questioned. "If you ask me, they should be turning to your doctor more than him! He shoves garlic in your skull like he's going to cook a soup inside your head!"
"Those were precisely my thoughts," she said, standing. "Boys, we're going to visit Lord Aka's home. Come."
"Yes, ma'am," Musuko replied, Shotaro following behind him.
The mother, Jaken, Musuko and Shotaro left the house and walked further south in the village. Aka's home was up ahead. It was actually a pretty nice piece of property for a demon farmhand. Lord Aka was a sizable beast, but he was very gentle with the livestock. He didn't have to lift a finger at them at all. He only had to point at a group of sheep to command them to go to another farmhand and sheer the sheep of their wool. It was a quiet and probably therapeutic process. The home itself was tall and long due to Aka's size no doubt. Jaken followed Kyoko's mother further along until they crossed a small wooden bridge where koi fish swam in the stream beneath it. One of the koi fish drunk some fresh air then sank back into the clear depths.
Jaken was having a humorous conversation about Sesshomaru's punishments with Kyoko's mother as they walked past a row of homes. There were more demons in this section of the region walking by as if it were normal for humans to be around. Jaken, for the first time in his life, witnessed a rather lovely specimen. She was a voluptuous amphibian the color of the freshwater koi fish, and she wore a befitting opulent blue kimono while carrying a pale blue parasol. One of her friends was giggling as Jaken's mouth sat agape as he continued to observe the group of females. Kyoko's mother smiled at this then spoke.
"That is Madame Ao, the lady lizard. She was a patient of Lady Meioshi years ago as well. It is believed that Madame Ao was the first demon Lady Meioshi treated in her entire career. Madame Ao is always grateful to the doctor. She frequents her house whenever she is free."
"She works in the village, too?" Jaken asked, waving to the demon girls. "As what?"
"She is an entertainer. The favorite, I hear," Kyoko's mother replied. "She performs with the girls at her side."
"Ah," Jaken dragged, blushing from Ao's bow towards him. "Their performances must be intriguing."
"Lady Meioshi had invited me to a performance once. The experience was rather exciting!" she said. "They danced and sang and blew fire from their lips! There was even Madame Ao's bubble show."
"Do the human and demon performers ever collaborate in dance?" Jaken asked.
"Oh, on many occasions!" the mother said, looking Jaken's bulbous eyes. "They learn each other's practices, but I do not believe the human women ever use what they learn from the demon women. It is rather unfortunate, too. I believe they would much more popular. Ah!" Kyoko's mother gasped. "There's Lord Aka! Lord Aka!"
Jaken glanced over to where the mother was calling and saw a tall, red-skinned demon with ivory tusks protruding from the sides of his nose. He had hind legs and a lion's tail flailing about. His arms were burly and his back strong. White hair descended from his skull and chin; some of the hair coated his forearms. A brown loin cloth made from cowhide was tied about his waist and hung to his ankles. His long, pointed ears twitched at the call of his name. He turned his head to Kyoko's mother and curled his lips into a toothy smile - a very pointy-toothed smile. Kyoko's mother ran towards him, Jaken reluctantly following behind her.
"Young Tsukushi," Aka said, holding out a large red claw. "How are you fairing?"
"All healed," she declared, smiling brightly and placing her hands on Aka's large fingers. He was aware of his size and dared not to clutch or grip the woman in any way. He was well-known for his unbearable strength. "There are not enough words to show you how much gratitude I wish to bestow upon your blessed soul for calling Lady Meioshi to help me. Had it not been for you I would surely have suffered."
"No thanks is necessary for doing what is right," Aka said, caressing Tsukushi's cheek. "You needed help; I only wanted to find someone who could."
"Oh!" Tsukushi gasped, looking to Jaken with a reassuring smile. "I almost forgot. This fellow wanted to know about Lady Meioshi and her practices. Could you perhaps tell him what you know, Lord Aka?"
"Hm..." Aka hummed, evaluating Jaken. "Someone requested that you come to Heiwa?"
"Aye," Jaken responded.
Aka looked at some villagers engage in conversation before they greeted him with a wave or bow. He bowed in response and said, "I fear the man who sent you seems to misunderstand our ways. Apparently, his peace was broken by curiosity. Who sent you here?"
"Lord Sesshomaru, son of the Great Dog Demon General," Jaken replied proudly.
"He is a very powerful warrior I have heard," Aka continued, leaning on his spade. "Fought a heathen by the name of Naraku, saved you and a young human child, and has continued on his quest for glory since then. We know of his travels somewhat. The humans may not. What does this warrior want with the likes of Heiwa?"
"Two nights ago, or rather three days ago, Lord Sesshomaru and I had come across a guardian beast from hell," Jaken informed, remembering the events quite clearly and not realizing that Aka was observing Jaken's eyes as though he were watching his memories play out in sequence. Whether or not this was a power Aka possessed was unknown to Jaken as he continued to speak, "It didn't attack us, but it was searching for something. We only learned later on that it was hunting for Lady Meioshi because she had taken a sword that it was guarding. When a farmhand had requested we stop the creature, the beast could no longer be detected and we came here to warn Lady Meioshi. Moeru told us that Lady Meioshi does frequent hell, but this is part of her family's heritage. They save lives precious to them from hell's clutches. My lord wants to know more, however. I only request a little more information about the Jigoku name."
Aka hummed with suspicion, wondering if he should speak on this at all, and contemplated on how much he should reveal. He looked into Jaken's eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled as he began plowing his crops once more. "I was once a monstrous soul that preyed on the humans before I was purified. I watched over this village three centuries young, feeding off wavering souls. Jigoku Meioshi's ancestor, Unmei, was the only human to ever defeat me. His power was great, and Meioshi will be on his level fairly soon if she continues her training in order to save the soul that was lost. Bichisutomu is the ancestor that purified me. I never healed from Unmei's damage for more than a century, but Bichisutomu had great sympathy and nursed me to better health. He taught me a human's peaceful way of life as I recuperated. His death is what first brought me pain in a way I never felt before. His grandson, Arimasa, is the one I watched over closely. We became friends with time. I have been a guardian to the Jigoku family in a way. I assist where I can and stay alert for any new information regarding wars or suspicious movements. This is all I am willing to disclose to you. Just know that the Jigoku family is not evil in any way."
"Are there heirlooms Lady Meioshi could have inherited that could contribute to her powers? Like a shield maybe?" Jaken asked.
"This, I do not know," Aka answered, stopping his task again. "That is a question you'd best save for Lady Meioshi."
"Is there some concern here?" a sweet voice asked.
Aa and Un bellowed sleepily as they followed the woman holding it by the reigns. Kyoko and Yuko were riding the dragon. Jaken turned to see a lovely young woman, looking at each person in the small group with a curious pout. Her hair was tied in a messy bun, but loose strands hung about and framed her round face. Her eyes were a beautiful hazel color, and her skin was somewhat tanned. She had painted lips, though not rouge-colored like the Heiwan dancers. Her baby green kimono was oddly filthy, which contradicted with her fresh face and hands. She also smelled of fish and some other substance Jaken couldn't mark, but it certainly wasn't a pleasurable fragrance to his nose. How she managed to tame the dragon so easily was another story entirely?
"Lady Meioshi!" Tsukushi called, running up to the doctor to hug her.
"Hey, Kyoko's got your dragon, Lord Jaken," Musuko said, running up to meet his friend. "Was he just trailing behind us or something?"
"I let Aa and Un walk about freely for a while," Jaken answered, earning shouts from the boys. "What?"
"You can't let a dragon walk around like a fine a kettle of fish! Is that thing tamed?" the boys shouted in unison.
"Of course, it's tamed!" Jaken shouted.
"Oh, so this is who it belonged to!" Kyoko said, hopping off the dragon.
"Kyoko, what are you doing on a loose dragon? Give Lord Jaken his pet back this instant!" Tsukushi demanded.
"We were giving him back!" Kyoko said, reassuring her mother. "Lady Meioshi found it by the docks. We fed them and everything."
"A little girl shouldn't be holding something as strong as a dragon, especially one with two heads!" Tsukushi said. "But she must have evaluated the dragon properly if she said it was appropriate for you to handle it."
"Oh! Before I forget, Lady Meioshi said you don't need your medicine anymore! You're all better, mommy!" Kyoko said, smiling brightly.
Tsukushi gasped at her daughter's words then looked to Meioshi for a response. When the doctor smiled and nodded, Tsukushi covered her mouth and teared up with gratitude in her eyes. Jaken looked to the mother and daughter then watched as Aa and Un yawned. The mother produced a warming smile that softened passersby's hearts instantly.