Chapter 3
As the sun began to set on yet another day Kagome fought hard against sleep. Her wounds had been treated and wrapped, her clothes changed, her belly fed, and her body was demanding rest as she lay comfortably on her sleeping bag near to a small cooking fire. But she didn't want to sleep. She fought it every second as her heavy eyes tried to close and drop her into dreams.
"Talk to me?" she asked Sesshomaru. "Keep me awake."
He had been with her every moment since she had dropped the Drake at his doorstep, and in that time he had spoken only when she had made it necessary for him to do so. The rest of the time he was merely a silent observer. He had watched as she had bandaged and wrapped her arm, been a steadying arm when she made the climb back up from the riverbanks to find a site to camp, and he refused in what may have passed for politely in his world the food she had offered him as she ate her dinner.
He sat now just across the little fire, leaning comfortably against one of the trees in the little grove Kagome had found, looking for all the world as though he was settling in for the night. Except Kagome could see the occasional tilting of his head and the lazy movements of his eyes as they reflected the light of the fire. He was watching and listening to the night, making sure he would not be caught off-guard by any unforeseen threats.
Sesshomaru didn't even look at her to answer. "You require rest. I suggest you do so."
"Yeah, I know," Kagome sighed wearily. "But if I fall asleep now I'll be up before the sun. Kirara may be able to sleep for sixteen hours, but I sure can't."
The little cat was sleeping now. She had only woken long enough after Sesshomaru shrugged her off his shoulder to find herself a cozy spot on Kagome's sleeping bag and cuddle down again. Kagome envied the little creature for that.
"Come on," she implored him. "Just for a little while. Just until dark. Keep me awake."
A beat too long might have been a sigh before he answered.
"What do you suggest we speak about?"
Honestly Kagome hadn't really thought about it. She hadn't really thought Sesshomaru would agree to it. But now that he had she had to think quick. She bought herself some time by rolling carefully onto her side so that she could look at him without having to crane her neck.
She figured that asking for him to tell her a bedtime story was out. As was asking him to tell her pretty much anything about himself. That left her with a scattering of shared experiences, pretty much all of which involved a battle of some kind. Kagome really didn't think that talking battle with Sesshomaru was a good idea. So…
"Maybe you can help me out with something." She was tentative to ask, but she so rarely got a chance to really speak with an educated person in this time. And a Youkai Lord? That was all but unheard of. "I've tried asking the others, but for the most part they're just supportive. You know? Like whatever I choose would be okay. My family is the same way. They're all leaving it up to me, but what I really want is for someone to tell me what they really think. Can you do that?"
She had certainly got his attention. His focus was on her directly. She could see every flicker of flame reflecting against the golden surface of his eyes. It was strange though, being able to see anyone else so clearly would usually be an advantage.
Pattern recognition for facial reactions was a proven method in Kagome's time. There were professionals that had dedicated their lives to noticing every tiny twitch and eye movement accompanied with everything from truth telling to lies, memories to stories, even emotional distress and elations. Kagome was no expert, but she found that more often than not even someone not trained to detect such things would interpret them subconsciously, a 'gut feeling' that something was amiss.
Kagome's Miko training had been taught to listen to her 'feelings' more, to trust them to tell her what her cognitive processes could not. She used it often with other people, even animals she could sometimes read in a superficial kind of way, but Sesshomaru was something else entirely.
Excluding extreme circumstances, the Youkai held himself completely in check. No involuntary twitches, no recognizable eye movements, nothing to suggest any iota of what he was really thinking. The only thing Kagome was learning to read from him was the pauses, but even they were hard to interpret, especially since sometimes one of Sesshomaru's pauses simply meant he had no intention of answering.
Kagome wondered if this would be one of those times as she looked across the fire into the golden shields of his eyes. The pause was longer than usual, which she took as Sesshomaru thinking through her request. She imagined he was thinking through possible scenarios: things she might ask, the answers he would be willing to give and those he would not.
Eventually her patience was rewarded and he spoke.
"I assure you, Miko, any answer I give will be truthful."
It really wasn't so hard to read between the lines in that statement.
"If you give one all, you mean," Kagome clarified. Still, she was smiling, happy that he had bothered at all to answer. "It's okay," she said. "I get it. I really do. There are some things that you don't want me know, and some things that aren't any of my business. That's fine. Besides, what I want to ask doesn't have any bearing on you, or even on this time, so you don't have to worry about being cryptic or evasive in your answer. I just want a second opinion. That's all."
Most people would relax with the knowledge that they were off the hook from any deep probing questions, but not Sesshomaru. He remained stiff and straight as ever.
"Ask your question."
It seemed to Kagome that he was pushing her to the point, trying to get it over with.
"Alright," she said. "Here it is: I'm having a hard time choosing my major. Through most of highschool I was busy chasing down the Shikon. Now that it's gone, and I'm still here, I find myself looking at universities with no real idea what kind of study I want to pursue. I guess a part of me never thought I'd make it this far. And now that the time has actually come, I'm not really sure which direction is best."
"What are your options?"
"Well…" Kagome paused for a moment. It wasn't as though the question was unreasonable, it was just that she hadn't really thought he would ask. "I guess History is one. Archeology maybe. Finding the relics of the past, learning where the stories came from."
Sesshomaru's reply was almost immediate.
"An inefficient use of you time," he said. "You live through History every day that you spend in this reality. To dig through your own time's past would only reveal to you modified events of which you are already aware, and it can not accurately predict events which in this time's perspective have yet to occur."
"Wha…?" It truly was amazing how quickly and easily Sesshomaru had read her intentions. But then again, who wouldn't want to be able to predict events before they happened? Still… "How can you be so sure?"
Unaccustomed to having his word questioned, Sesshomaru cocked a brow at Kagome's query. She immediately felt bad for just blurting it out like that, but not nearly bad enough to just let it slide. She shrugged a half-hearted apology and waited. Eventually Sesshomaru blinked past whatever agitation he was feeling and continued.
"Your continued presence here is evidence enough," he told her. "Had your travels altered your own History you would have recognized the changes and thus, in the interest of your own self-preservation, limited your contact with the inhabitants of this time. Since you have not, it is only logical to assume that this reality is separate from the one in which you originate."
Kagome was slow to reply. "I…guess so. But that still doesn't explain why my people have stories of yours even though I've never seen or felt a Youkai in my time. There must have been something, some event or magic or technology or something that allowed contact in the past."
"Perhaps," Sesshomaru allowed. "However, one could spend their lives looking for such an event and never find even the slightest clue of its existence. Records can be manipulated, Histories altered. And even if you were to find some evidence of its existence, what then? You already have a portal to this time. Is another so important to you that you would spend your life looking for it?"
"I…" But she didn't know. "I guess I never really thought about it like that."
Kagome drew a shaky breath and let it out slowly. She was getting more than she bargained for asking Sesshomaru for advice. But it was a new perspective, exactly what she needed, what she had been missing.
"Alright," she said. "Let's forget about History for now then. What about Law Enforcement? I'm really good at reading people, better than most. They could teach me how to do it better, to read more from what I'm seeing. Not to mention improve my confrontational abilities, situational analysis, mediation, crowd control-"
"You are forgetting something." Sesshomaru cut her off.
"What?"
"You are Miko."
"So? That doesn't have anything to do with-"
"Think, woman," he cut in again. "What is your duty?"
"My duty? To protect the innocent, of course. To-"
"Wrong."
Kagome growled a very Human growl of frustration. "Are you ever going to let me finish a full sentence?"
"Perhaps when you start making intelligent statements," Sesshomaru returned unperturbed. "Now again: What is your duty?"
Kagome glared angrily for a moment or two, but, after realizing it really wasn't getting her anywhere, she gave it up with a dramatic roll of her eyes.
"I am a guardian of the Light," she told him with annoyance. "It is my duty to protect the innocence and preserve the Faith."
"Preserve it by any means necessary. Is that no so, Miko?"
"I guess."
"Then you admit: You are judge, jury, and executioner in accordance to your Faith and your Duty. The contradiction does not allow for your pursuit of Mortal Justice."
"Contradiction?" Kagome couldn't see it. She shook her head. "No. I would still be protecting the people. I would still be doing my duty. And as for being an executioner: you're wrong. I would no sooner kill a man than I would a Youkai without reason or provocation."
She spoke the truth from her heart and something about it made Sesshomaru pause. His interrogative approach to speaking with her lapsed. Even something in the way he looked at her changed. Not closer in any way, but further away. Like he was thinking back to some other time or place.
"That may be so…"
His voice seemed distant. And if Kagome heard it, Sesshomaru certainly did. A hard blink and he brought himself back to the present, resetting all of the shields and barriers that kept him so immaculately in check. .
"However," he went on, "The fact remains that you have killed. Perhaps you were provoked, but then perhaps a trial by your peers would reveal reasonable doubt for your actions."
Kagome still couldn't see it. "It wouldn't come to that."
"It would." Sesshomaru seemed convinced of the inevitability. "And the idea of a Miko standing up to face the charges of Man is offensive. They would hail your Power when it suits their purpose only to condemn it when it does not." He shook his head. "No. A Miko must remain above the Law. In the field of battle it is you and only you who can make the necessary calls. You must not be held back by their Politics of Justice or you will fall."
Sesshomaru spoke with such conviction that Kagome found it impossible to argue. She didn't want to think of herself as above the law, but the more she tried not to the more she couldn't help herself. Because he was right. Because she had made the call. And because she hadn't looked back.
The things she had done, in her heart, she knew them to be right. She had saved countless lives in her journeys, but she couldn't have done it if she hadn't been able to make the tough decisions, if she hadn't been able to pull the trigger. And she knew if her hand had been stayed, if only for an instant of doubt, she might very well be dead already.
It was a lot to process in such a short time, but Kagome did the best she could. The sun was riding low on the horizon. Darkness would come soon. She didn't have much time left. She pressed forward.
"What about Medicine?" she asked hopefully. She was running out of options, but this time she thought she had one that would fit. "I could learn how to treat diseases and injuries that would mean death to anyone in this time. Or use my abilities in my own time to treat psychological disorders that no other doctor can touch."
This time Sesshomaru didn't answer right away. He spent several minutes in silent appraisal of the matter before he spoke, so long that Kagome grew wary of what he would say.
"Might I make a suggestion?" Sesshomaru eventually asked.
"I guess."
"You are an educated young woman. You have knowledge of Science, Literature, Language, and History."
"Don't forget Mathematics," Kagome thought she should add. The hours of studying the annoyingly precise subject had to be worth at least something.
"As you say," Sesshomaru amended.
"Oh, and Geography, Geometry, and even a bit of Geology and Astronomy."
"Are you finished?"
Kagome opened her mouth to say more. She was sure that there was something she had missed. But she caught a less-than-amused glare from Sesshomaru and wisely shut her trap.
"Yeah," she said. "Finished."
"As I was saying: You are educated. More so than most in this time. Though the idea of furthering your education is commendable, such would take a great deal of time and effort. Is it possible that your hesitation in choosing a major has less to do with the subject and more to do with your uncertainty regarding whether or not you want to commit to such a venture?"
"I…I don't know…"
But it made sense didn't it? Maybe it wasn't about what subject she studied at all. Maybe what it really came down to was making a choice.
All this time she had spent trying to choose a path where both of her worlds would fit. But maybe making a choice for her future meant more than just where she would take her life. Maybe it meant she must choose when.
The idea of having to choose one time or another was heartbreaking. Her family and friends in her own time had hopes and dreams for her. But her friends and family in this time had dreams as well, hope for a future she knew she could help them build. So maybe Sesshomaru was right. Maybe she had to make a choice.
Maybe she already had.
"You're pretty good at this advice stuff," Kagome told Sesshomaru. She was on the verge of tears but she forced a smile. "Even if you are faking it."
"Hn."
That was all Sesshomaru was willing to say on the matter. He looked away, his gaze traveling once more to far-off places.
"Night has come," he said. "Rest, Priestess."
This time Kagome didn't argue. She pulled her blanket up around her and settled in for the night. She closed her eyes and let her body rest. Her thoughts still spun but even they began to grow weary. Soon they settled down as well and she began to drift away.
Dreams came to her in the night. Thundering moments where tenderness reigned. She saw her family, her friends, the ones she loved, and together they found the path to walk towards a new day.
vvvvvvvvvvvv
Kagome awoke the next morning to the sound of birds chirping. For a minute or two, as the sound filtered into her subconscious, she cursed the twittering bastards for ruining her dreams. But despite her cursing the sound continued, melodic and happy and bright as the rising sun. It was nature's alarmclock telling her it was time to get up.
Still groggy, it took Kagome a moment to remember exactly where she was. And then a moment more to remember with who. She was fully awake the instant her memories caught up with her waking mind.
Her eyes snapped open and she sat up quickly. It wasn't the smartest move. She was still sore and sleep had made her muscles stiff, but Kagome ignored the throb of protest from her body. She looked immediately across from the small fire, now nothing but coal and ash, but there was no one sitting by the tree in the grove, no Youkai Lord as there had been the night before. Sesshomaru was gone.
There was something there though. A little ball of fur crouched on the ground at the base of the tree. Kagome blinked the sleep from her eyes to focus on it.
"Kirara?" she asked. "What are you doing over there?"
The little cat mewed. She sounded annoyed. Then she proceeded to ignore Kagome and began licking her paws.
Kagome laughed a little at the display. "Guard duty huh? For how long?"
Kirara paused her grooming. She tilted her head, looking up and to the right. Kagome followed her gaze. She brought focus to her senses, looking for sources of power not of the earth. A flicker caught her eye like a blip on a radar screen. Ten, maybe twenty miles to the West something was moving fast. At such speed it couldn't have taken Sesshomaru long to get there.
"I guess he's not one for goodbyes," Kagome said distantly.
She wasn't sure why she felt disappointed. Sesshomaru was only with her for his own reasons. It shouldn't have been much of a surprise that he would leave as soon as his objective had been met. Still, there was a part of her that wished she could have at least thanked him for all he had done.
A soft purring sound stirred Kagome from her thoughts. She looked back to Kirara and found the two-tail rubbing her flank against a small wooden post jutting out of the ground. No, she realized, not a post. An arrow.
"How did that get over there?" Kagome asked in confusion.
The arrow was one of hers. She was certain of it. But her quiver was bundled with her pack, and she had been using the bag as a pillow.
Curious, Kagome got up and made her way over to Kirara. She brushed the little cat aside with a soft stroke against her flank and picked up the arrow. There was no question that it was hers. But it had been altered. Running down the shaft of the arrow tiny etchings had been engraved in the wood.
Kagome read the words once, then, smiling, read it again aloud.
"Next time ring the bell."
Her fingers closed gently around the shaft of the arrow. She held it with care as one might hold a delicate flower. Her smile never left her as she looked to the West and offered silent thanks. Then she looked back to Kirara.
"Let's get out of here," she bid the cat. "I think it's time we all went home."
vvvvvvvvvvvvv
The journey home was thankfully uneventful. Mostly clear skies lit the way. A scattering of clouds on the Eastern horizon told of an afternoon shower, but that seemed ages away. The sun was warm and a lazy summer breeze cooled their skin. There seemed no rush to be anywhere at all.
Though Kirara's Youkai healing meant she had recovered almost fully from their battle the day before, Kagome felt no need to rush her. She was content. More than that, she was happy. Happier than she had been in a long time.
She watched the beauty of the land flow by beneath her, imagined the people working and toiling away in their simple lives, and she didn't lament the time she would leave them. She didn't think of a home far away and missing her. Because she was home. She had known it for so long, she must have. But she just couldn't bring herself to let go of the world she had known. But now…She was ready. All it had taken was a little push.
She wondered about that though. After all, it was possible that Sesshomaru's suggestion, no matter how it was phrased to make her believe the decision was hers, could have been meant to direct her to make the decision she made. He could have been leading her to the decision. He could have been doing it to suit his own agenda rather than in difference of her position. He could have…
But Kagome couldn't see it like that. Maybe he did have his own plans. Maybe he did influence her choice. But in the end the decision was hers. It always had been. She just hadn't been able to see it. He gave her that. First his eyes to see the world, then what she needed to see herself. It didn't matter why. Not to her. What was important was that she could see it now. And she owed it all to Sesshomaru.
Maybe one day she would get the chance to thank him.
Just not today. Today she was going home. Home to her little house in the little village. Home to her friends and her new family. Home to the man she loved. With any luck she would with them all by dinnertime. Until then, she was content to wait.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
With less than an hour to go before they reached Endo Kagome began to sense that something was wrong. There was heavy traffic on the roads, far more than normal commerce.
Riders on horseback drove their steeds hard. Carriages, hastily packed, rode in convoy. And people, so many people. Some were peasants; farmers and townsfolk with their families fleeing to the West. Others were tradesmen; beefy blacksmiths, lumberjacks, hunters and cooksmen all marching East. With them went men in suits of armor, conscripts from neighboring villages and landowners. Few banners flew, but they couldn't be far behind.
Kagome pushed Kirara harder. As they neared Endo the encampment became more obvious. Farmland had been taken over by troops. There were make-shift watchtowers and fire-basins stretching a perimeter hundreds of acres larger than the village itself. Tents were pitched in the mud. The glint of armor and steel could be seen as soldiers moved throughout the camp.
"What's happening?"
Kagome asked the question aloud even though she knew Kirara would have no more answer than she did. It had only been three days, but judging by what she was seeing a war was being waged. And Endo was trapped right in the middle of it.
Flying over the encampment would have been dangerous. Soldiers not knowing if they were seeing friend or foe might fire on them. Kagome wasn't willing to take the chance. She brought Kirara in to land as close as she dared. They would go on foot to the village.
The road was barricaded about a mile out. An inspection station had been set up to log the traffic. The guard duty was well enforced and heavily armed, but Kagome walked straight up to them with all the authority of her station.
"I am Higurashi, Kagome, Miko of this village," she informed them. "I wish to be brought immediately to the officer in charge of this division."
The word Miko was like a magic key. It managed to get Kagome into places that most people couldn't dream of. Of course, most people wouldn't want to go many of the places that Miko Kagome often found herself, but that was beside the point.
The centre guard, a big beefcake of a man with a grizzly scar running over his left cheek, did what most everyone in this time did when Kagome introduced herself in such a way. He paused. His grip on his weapon loosened ever so slightly – It was considered blasphemy to draw arms against a Holy person – but then, after a cursory look over Kagome's person, he noted her attire and stiffened once more.
Kagome was used to the treatment. People just didn't like her futuristic clothing. They considered it indecent. And, by association, they would often consider her indecent as well. But Kagome just didn't care. She liked her clothes and she wasn't about to change them for a few narrow-minded fools. She stood her ground.
Eventually the guard realized she wasn't going anywhere.
"Wait here," he told her gruffly.
Kagome passed the few minutes in wait stroking Kirara softly. The little feline was demure and attentive to the treatment, but they both knew it was all a show. One sniff from the men that the cat in her arms was actually a Youkai could lead to all sorts of trouble that they couldn't afford at the moment. So they waited, passing themselves off to the men at the gate as a Miko and her animal familiar.
They didn't have to wait long. The guard returned promptly, and with him another man. The newcomer was much smaller than the guard, but then much could have been said about an ox compared this particular guard. Dressed in fine silks despite the muddy terrain the man appeared to be a noble of some kind. His armor was likely still in his tent awaiting the actual battle, battle which this man would see only from the distant lines. But such was the way of things.
"Miko Kagome," the newcomer greeted. "We have been expecting your arrival."
He spoke through his nose. It made his voice much higher than it should have been. But Kagome suspected that much of this man was higher than it should have been. He was an elderly gentleman, but with his hair pulled up tight in a knot and his clothing binding him just as tightly, he was clearly using every cosmetic advantage to make himself appear younger than he was.
"I am Yomaro, personal page of Lord Takeda."
"Kuranosuke Takeda?" Kagome asked. She hadn't heard that name in years. "Is he here?"
"Hai. The Lord requests your presence at your earliest convenience."
Which in ancient speak meant immediately. It wasn't proper to leave a Lord waiting.
"Take me to him then."
Kagome followed the page through the barricade. He walked ahead of her, clearly not interested in conversation, but Kagome couldn't wait. She walked faster to catch up to Yomaro.
"What's going on here?" she asked. "The soldiers and all these men? And Kuranosuke? His territory is two provinces over. Why have they all gathered here? I don't see any evidence of battle. Has there been an attack?"
"Your questions will be answered in due time," Yomaro answered briefly. "If you will follow me, Lady Miko."
And that was the end of that. Kagome guessed that either this man was not privy to the details of the situation, or he didn't have leave to give them out. Either way she had been wrong about him being a noble. Or maybe not. The Takeda family had always been one of means and affluence. Since the death of Kuranosuke's father he had inherited it all. It stood to reason that a man in the position of his page was well-off in his own right.
With no other options, Kagome followed the man. He led her to a large tent set up just at the boarders of the actual village, well back from the barricade and cleanly out of the mud and mess created by the moving troops. Kuranosuke's banners flew high and proud over the tent.
The flaps opened and a young woman stepped out.
"Miss Kagome, thanks be that you have returned to us in time."
"Rin? What are you doing here?"
"In your absence I have been appointed to coordinate the movement of the villagers with Lord Takeda. Kaede-baba and Miroku-san are kept busy with the wounded and the dead. Miss Sango has taken charge of the villagers left behind to ensure food and water is kept flowing for the troops. Much has happened since you have been gone. Please…" She pulled the tent flap aside further and gestured Kagome inside. "We can speak more of these things inside."
"Yes. Of course."
Kagome stepped inside the tent as she was bid, but the second those flaps closed she demanded answers.
"What is happening here?" she asked again.
She could see Kuranosuke now. He sat at a table inside the tent. Maps and scrolls were sprawled all over its surface. Lord or not, he would answer to her.
Beside Kuranosuke a heavily armed man put a hand on the hilt of his sword.
"Uminasoke." Kuranosuke stilled his general with a short hand gesture and turned his focus to the young Miko. "It has been a long time Miko Kagome. I wish we could have met again under better circumstances."
"Skip the formalities, Kuranosuke. Tell me what's happened."
Uminasoke took offense. His Lord prevented him from drawing his weapon, but he did not still his voice.
"Insolent woman. You will address the Lord with the proper respect."
But Kagome wasn't in the mood.
"If I wanted the opinion of an underling, I would give it to you," she said. "Until then you will address me as nothing less than Miko-dono." She swung her sights back to Kuranosuke. "Now tell me what has happened to my village!"
"Miss Kagome, please." Rin was at her side trying to calm her with a soft touch on the arm. "Lord Takeda is here on Imperial Order. Endo is merely a way-ground for the march North to commence within the next few days."
The tightness in her chest loosened enough for Kagome to take a breath. But she wasn't satisfied.
"Is this true?" she asked Kuranosuke.
"It is," he replied with a short nod. "If you wish you can inspect the Imperial Documents yourself, though I would hope that is an unnecessary provision."
Kagome sighed in relief. "No. Thank you. And I apologize for being so frank, but I'm sure you can understand my concerns."
"No apologies necessary," Kuranosuke assured her. "I understand completely. You have a village to protect. Just as I have a Duty to perform for my Land. It is my hope that we can work together during this time of strife."
"Anything I can do to help."
Kagome knew not even a Miko could dispute an Imperial Order. As much as her work was for the people, the Emperor's was for all of Japan. The best she could usually hope for was to be there for the Faith and for the wounded. But, since Kuranosuke was apparently in charge of the operation, new avenues were opened to her.
"Is there anything I should know about the campaign?" she asked.
"I am afraid that even I do not know that much," Kuranosuke replied. "Though anything I do know I will be happy to share with you." He beaconed her over to view the maps on the table. "From what I can gather an army is reported to be marching South from the Northern regions of Mutsu Province. My orders are to assemble here and wait for reinforcements from the Tokugawa clan of Edo before we begin the march North. Though I have yet to meet with any of the Shogunate, messengers have been riding nonstop with further orders and plans. By our best estimate, we will be able to meet the approaching force before they reach Lake Inawashiro. Should negotiations fail and it become necessary, the planes will serve as our battlefield."
Kagome could see the plan in the details of the map.
"Keeping an open supply chain for you and mountains at their back," she said. "It sounds like a solid plan."
Though she couldn't help but think of what it would mean for the Tokugawa family. The castle was, very literally, in the heart of Tokyo Bay. Endo was a tiny village, easily thirty to forty miles inland from the castle town of Edo. But both would soon find themselves enveloped by the ever-expanding new capitol that would come to be known as Tokyo, founded by none other than the Tokugawa Shogunate. A grand battle ordered by the Emperor was just their ticket into the decisive battles that would rule Japan for the next four hundred years.
"That is our hope," Kuranosuke said.
But something in his voice made Kagome wonder.
"There's something you're not telling me."
Kuranosuke looked up in surprise. But after a moment he smiled. "I suppose I can not fool you either. The Lady Taijiya was just as quick to pick up on the omission."
The lovelorn prince was the only person Kagome knew that addressed Sango as a Lady. Even after she had refused his offer of marriage and took Miroku for a husband, Kuranosuke's admiration of the Slayer girl had not dwindled.
"Riders have been sent North to survey the enemy but none have returned," Kuranosuke told her. "We are uncertain as to their true position. The only information we have comes from villagers fleeing the destruction. And what they can tell us is…unsettling."
Kagome didn't like the sound of that "Unsettling how?"
"Perhaps it would be best for you to see for yourself," he said. "Miss Rin, would you please see the Lady Miko to the infirmary?"
"Of course, Lord Takeda," she replied with a low bow.
Kagome spared a questioning look at the girl. Rin was always eager to please, but her behavior with Kuranosuke seemed a little over the top. In fact, it struck a remarkable resemblance to how she had once acted around Sesshomaru. Such unquestioning obedience wasn't exactly unusual in Feudal Japan, but the faith that accompanied it in Rin's happy smile certainly was. Kuranosuke must have realized this as well. Kagome caught his gaze lingering a moment too long.
"I'll be back," Kagome said, drawing Kuranosuke's attention to her. "Hopefully I'll have a better idea of what's going on in the North by then. If not, I volunteer to scout the area with Kirara. You're going to need more information if you're headed into battle, and we can get it for you in ways that your riders can't."
"As much as your help is greatly appreciated, Lady Miko, I can not justify putting you in danger for a simple scouting mission."
Kagome was grateful for the Lord's concern, but something about the whole situation wasn't sitting right with her.
"We'll see," she said.
With a short bow of her head towards Kuranosuke, Kagome turned and exited the tent. Rin obediently went with her.
"This is a mess," Kagome said once she was outside. "I never should have left."
"This is not your fault, Miss Kagome," Rin told her. "You could never have known that Mutsu would fall under attack. We did not receive the first riders from Morioka until late afternoon following your departure. The city had fallen and only the few messengers dispatched by the Lord there managed to escape with the news. Refugees from surrounding villages began making their way south after that, but even then we did not know how bad things had become, at least not until Lord Takeda and his men arrived."
It was a small consolation. Only a few hours. If only she had waited a few hours before taking off to see Shippo. But she had been so preoccupied by her own affairs that she hadn't thought about anyone else. She just picked up in the middle of the night and left. Now her village was a staging ground for a battle against some unknown force.
"How long have they been here?" Kagome asked.
"Only since this morning. But so much has happened in that time. Lord Takeda is a very resourceful man. He has seen to the village's defenses, the evacuation of the people, even the treatment of the wounded refugees."
"You speak very highly of him."
It really didn't take much to see that the girl was smitten. She bowed her head to try and hide her blush, but Kagome could still see it.
"Lord Takeda has been very kind to me. Even though I am not one of his men he allows me to serve him as one."
"Yeah, well, just as long as he's not asking you to service him I guess we're ok."
"Miss Kagome?"
"Errmm…Nothing. Forget I said anything. So what does Sango have to say about all this?"
"Miss Sango…She has been quite agitated, I'm afraid. I think that she wishes she could do more, but at the same time is fearful for her children. She will be quite happy to see you back, Miss Kagome."
Not exactly what she was going for, but Kagome took it. She would ask Sango herself once she had a better idea of what was really going on.
"And Inuyasha…?"
Rin shook her head. "I am sorry, Miss Kagome."
And still he hadn't returned. It was getting harder and harder to forgive his absence. His family needed him. Kagome needed him.
Breathing deeply, Kagome tried to centre herself. "Alright. I guess we'll just have to do this without him. Let's get to that infirmary. I'm sure Miroku will have something for me."
"Yes, Miss Kagome."
vvvvvvvvvvvvvv
As it turned out the infirmary was old Kaede's hut and two of the neighboring houses. The elder Miko must have appealed to the villagers' humanity to have them give their homes to those in need. Several of the village women had remained to care for the sick. They moved between the dorms carrying blankets and fresh water and supplies.
The door to Kaede's home was lifted completely off to allow for easy passage. And even from the street Kagome could smell the pungent smoke coming from the chimney that was thick with burning herbs.
All of it would have made sense, would have even seemed normal for a Miko's domicile in a time of war; would have, if it were not for the five-man guard unit stationed outside.
Before Kagome could even ask what was going on, Rin took the lead.
"Please follow me, Miss Kagome,"
"…Alright."
Maybe it was her sweet smile, or maybe it was that the guards knew Rin was working directly for Kuranosuke, but whatever it was they let her pass without so much as a word. Kagome followed, though she didn't miss the fact that she was relying on a twelve year old to get her past a military post. Oh, sorry. Twelve and a half.
"Kagome? Is that you?"
The voice came from inside Kaede's hut. Kagome couldn't quite see inside, but she didn't need to. She knew that voice.
"Miroku…"
The jingle of metal links and a brush of cloth later and he was standing in the doorway.
"Thank the Gods you're back," he said. "We must hurry. Your medicines may be able to do something for them."
"My medicine…?"
Miroku didn't give her any time to ask. He hurried her along into one of the neighboring dorms.
"I've never seen anything like it," he told her as they went. "Even Kaede is baffled. We have been praying for your return."
"I…Oh God Miroku. I'm so sorry. I never should have left."
"We can deal with lamentations later, Lady Kagome. Now we must help these people."
Miroku always was the voice of reason. Kagome found it best just to listen to him. She fell in step with him with Rin trailing just behind.
They entered the first house and right away sounds of suffering met them. Patients moaned and whimpered. One even screamed a terrible scream, angry and hurt and helpless to do anything about it.
Miroku led them past the first few beds. They were empty now, but Kagome felt the impression of them. The beds had not been empty long. And if Miroku's reports were as disturbing as they seemed Kagome feared the worst for the once occupants.
"Here." The Monk stopped by the bed of a woman. Middle-aged, robust, but with skin sickly gray. She appeared to be sleeping. "This is Mikayla. A farmer's wife. She was in the market at Morioka selling her goods when the first attack came. She managed to evacuate with many others, fleeing south to the nearby villages. But the attackers came again, and again they were forced to flee. She made it as far as Kitakami with her husband before taking a stand against the Army with the men there. It was a massacre. What people managed to escape, most were afflicted as you see here, and most did not make it this far. Mikayla managed to secure only a few in her vegetable cart. They rode a full day and night until they found the soldiers here and finally rested."
Kagome needed to take a closer look. She knew Miroku was hoping that she had some magic medicine from her time that would be able to help these people. And she truly hoped she did. Passing Kirara to Rin to hold, Kagome moved closer to the woman.
Close-up the woman's skin was even more gray. It was as though all the blood had been drained away. To the touch it was cold. Not clammy and wet with fever, just cold, almost lifeless. And it was hard. When Kagome pressed a finger into the skin of the woman's arm to check for bounce-back it took nearly three times the force needed to even make a small impression. The tiny dent didn't plump back after she pulled her hand away either.
"Nnnnggh…"
Kagome gasped when she heard the sound. She looked up to the woman's face and saw her eyes open. It was a frightening sight. Her eyes too had turned gray, blank like slate, lifeless as though they were made of stone. Yet she spoke, or at least was trying to.
"Mikayla?" Kagome spoke to her gently. "Can you hear me?"
"Hhhuuuh…Nnnggg…"
She was struggling to make even the simplest sounds. Her breathing was labored. It hissed out and gurgled in much too slowly.
"We're trying to help," Kagome assured her. She placed her hand softly on the woman's forehead. "Please just hold on."
But the skin under fingers felt even more hard and lifeless. Kagome ran her hand down the side of the woman's face. The skin was so dry cracks had begun to form where creases would have been. It didn't flake or peel like damaged skin should. It remained hard, almost solid to the touch.
Kagome tried to find a pulse at the woman's neck, but it was difficult. The skin was so tough she could barely feel a beat, and when she did the dull thump came far too slowly.
"Mmmuuhh…"
Kagome smiled warmly and stroked the woman's cheek once more. "Shhh," she whispered softly. "Rest now, child. I will say a prayer for you, Mikayla of Morioka. May the Gods give you strength and your heart be filled with their Light. May you know peace and the unending joy of their ageless Love. Rest now, child. Soon this pain with be nothing but a memory, and you will look down upon us and smile your blessings."
It was all she could give, but not nearly enough. Mikayla's eyes closed for what very well might have been the last time. Kagome drew a blessing in the air above her and whispered one last prayer before she stood.
Miroku understood. "You can not help her, can you?"
"No," she said. "I can't. Whatever is infecting her is beyond my knowledge. There is no medicine even in my time that can help her. But maybe…"
Kagome looked around the make-shift hospice. There were other beds, more villagers that had been made sick by this whatever this was. She focused on the man that had been screaming. He was thrashing in his bed, fighting against the village woman trying to give him water. Tien, if Kagome wasn't mistaken, the miller's daughter.
"Tien, step away from that man," Kagome instructed.
"Lady Miko…"
The girl did what she was told, stepping back and bowing low to Kagome. But Kagome wasn't interested in formalities. She walked over to Tien and grabbed her arm, holding it up for inspection.
"How long have you been helping these people?" she asked.
"For nearly two days now, Lady Miko," Tien replied.
"Have you been washing your hands regularly?"
"Yes Lady Miko. Lady Kaede has insisted."
"Flex your hand for me. Make a fist."
Tien did as she was told, but she was curious. "Lady Miko?"
"Do you feel any discomfort? Any stiffness?"
"No, Lady Miko."
"Have you been feverish at all? Felt sick to your stomach? Any loss of appetite?"
"No. Lady Miko."
"Kagome?"
Miroku was beside her. He wanted to know what she was thinking. But Kagome shook her head.
"It's just a theory," she said. "Go wash your hands Tien. Scrub thoroughly with soap and water. Then go to Kaede and use some of the disinfectants I've given her. Tell the others to do the same. Every hour on the hour. And after your shift for the day repeat it over your entire body. Do you understand?"
Tien nodded "Yes, Lady Miko."
"Rin, I want you to go with her. Wash your hands and face. And give Kirara a bath while you're at it."
"Of course, Miss Kagome."
Miroku watched the girls leave. "I don't suppose you asked for the Ladies to leave us just so I could be granted such a lovely view of their backsides?"
"In your dreams, Monk."
Kagome didn't snap nearly as hard on Miroku for the lecherous comment as she normally would have. She needed the levity and he probably knew it. Besides, she was distracted with shrugging her pack off her shoulders. From the left side pocket she pulled out a bottle of hand sanitizer. She squeezed out a generous supply for herself and then for Miroku.
"Am I to take it that you have some idea of what is causing this affliction?" he asked as he rubbed the goo in.
"Not really," Kagome said. "But I'm not taking any chances. The alcohol in this stuff should be enough to denature whatever toxin is causing the sickness."
"You believe it is a toxin?"
"I can't see it being anything else. Spells and curses are too particular to be able to affect so many. And any biological agent wouldn't be very effective if it killed its host without any means of transference. It's obviously not airborne or you all would be sick. And I'm guessing it's progressive or you wouldn't know what happened to Mikayla."
Miroku nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, you're right. She was much more coherent when she was brought to us."
"And the Army? What did she have to say about that?"
"Only that it was unstoppable. What little resistance they were able to put up was broken through in moments. Before they knew it the Army was within the city, attacking even the women and children."
"And she didn't say anything about a Youkai? Something that could have caused this sickness?"
"A Youkai?" Miroku paused as though the thought had never occurred to him. "You think a Youkai would be fighting with an army of Men?"
"They fight with us, don't they?" Kagome returned. "And besides, History is littered with stories of Youkai posing as Gods and convincing the people to follow them as such."
"I suppose so." Miroku said, though he didn't seem convinced.
Kagome shrugged. "It's only speculation for now. But let's see if we can find out something from this man."
"Be careful," Miroku warned. "That one has been delirious and aggressive since he was brought here. We haven't been able to get anything more from him than a few angry rants and curses. Not even his name."
"Goody, another challenge."
Kagome threw a fake smile at Miroku and turned towards the bed. The man was still thrashing, though not nearly as aggressively as when Tien was trying to give him water. Like Mikayla his skin was graying, but unlike the woman this man had been bandaged for a long laceration down his side. Blood had soaked the cloth but the man's resistance to aid was obviously preventing the others from changing it.
A normal approach wasn't going to cut it. Kagome drew on some old Miko tricks to sooth the man. She brought up a level of her Power, letting it encase her in a calming blanket. She looked through her Miko eyes to see the sprites scratching at the casing of mortal flesh to try and release the spirit and sent them away with a wave of her hand. They would not have him just yet.
"Be still," she soothed the man. "I am a friend. I am here to help. Please, speak with me."
"…N-noo…speak…n-noo…friend…D-dead!...All…dead!..."
"I know," Kagome said softly. "Your friends are all dead. We can not help them. But if you would-"
"No!" The man was thrashing again. Somehow he managed to move his arm enough to latch onto Kagome's "F-friennnn…dss…D-iee…F-rienn…ds…Fight!"
His eyes were mad, wild and spinning. And they were gray as the woman's, solid like stone. Kagome tried to pull her arm free but his grip was too strong. He was frantic.
"…D-daeeemoonn…F-f-einnds…"
That made Kagome pause. "A Demon took your friends?"
But the man had gone beyond her reach. His hold on her fell limp. His arm fell back to the bed. His eyes rolled up in his head.
"…D-dieee…" his voice was hoarse and barely above a whisper. "…Aaalll…diiiee…"
"Well that was productive," Miroku said from her side.
Kagome shot him a look. He should know to be more respectful. Still, something about the man's words, something about his fear and his strange repetition bothered her immensely. He was obviously in distress. The disease that was afflicting him seemed to be affecting more than just his skin. It was as though his mind was hardening as well, making it impossible for him to speak or think clearly. And then there was the Demon he mentioned…
"We need to find out," Kagome said. "We need to see this Demon for ourselves."
Miroku wasn't so sure. "Kagome, this man has obviously been through a great deal. He is confused. You can not take his words as truth. There may not be a Demon to find."
"Maybe not, but I'm going anyways. Will you come with me or stay here?"
The Monk sighed and shook his head. "Alas, I could never refuse the request of such a lovely Lady." His smile was charming, if not a bit too disarming. "But of course, Lady Kagome. I will accompany you on this perilous journey."
Kagome just rolled her eyes. "You're impossible," she scolded.
Still, she was smiling.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvv
Night had come by the time Kagome and Miroku set out North on Kirara. The rain had started to fall by then and showed no sign of stopping before morning. It promised to be a very wet ride. They had to be thankful though for the lack of lightning. The rain was heavy but steady, a soaking summer shower but not a storm. A small blessing in a terrible time.
Their departure had been delayed by Kuranosuke. The Lord was overly reluctant to put faith in Kagome's assessment that a Demon was at play in this. He insisted that they wait for his scouting party to return before any decision was made. But when the sun set and no riders from the North returned, he reluctantly gave them leave to go.
Needless to say, Kagome hadn't taken it well. She wasn't accustomed to having to abide by any orders, and she was sure as hell that if Inuyasha had been there they wouldn't have waited around for anyone, least of all a trespassing Lord. If it hadn't been for Sango and Miroku and even Rin keeping her rage in check, Kagome would have told Kuranosuke exactly what she thought about his brilliant plan.
Now it was dark, raining, and she was cold and wet and completely miserable. But at least she wasn't suffering alone. Miroku was just as wet and just as cold, and, judging by the fact that he hadn't even attempted to grab her ass once the entire time they had been flying, just as miserable.
Conversation was sparse. It was one thing for old friends to hang about a campfire and laugh and joke and tell stories, but with lives on the line and the weather not in their favor, both Kagome and Miroku mostly kept their own company for the long ride.
Kirara made good time. Despite the rain and despite having two passengers, she got them to the shores of Lake Inawashiro in under two hours. Still, it would take at least another four hours to reach Kitakami. It was a long run North.
Except they didn't make it that far.
Less than two hours after they saw the turbulent waters of the lake the Northern horizon started to glow. With sunrise still hours away in the East and electricity still a long way off, the sight struck instant fear: Fire.
"Is that what I think it is?"
Kagome didn't really need to ask, but she really hoped she was wrong.
"I'm afraid so," Miroku replied, clearly as stricken by it as she was. "Sendai is burning."
The rain poured down and still the fire raged. It left Kagome with a decision. Though a part of her wanted to press forward, to do what she could for the people trapped in that inferno, she knew that she could not. An Army awaited on that path, and they didn't have nearly enough fire-power to face it. But the question remained: How close could they get?
None of the riders sent North had returned. There had to be some kind of advance force that was protecting the bulk of the Army. So how close was too close?
"We should head for cover." Miroku had to raise his voice to be heard over the wind and the rain. "We're too exposed here."
"You're right," Kagome shouted back. "Kirara, head for the highlands. We'll skim the peaks. Hopefully they will give us enough cover."
The Firecat huffed a reply. Kagome held onto the cat's fur tightly as they banked, and Miroku onto her waist. The Monk was pressed close against her back, but Kagome didn't mind. She was grateful for the warmth. Besides, it was Miroku. And despite his silly advances and lecherous play, he loved his wife dearly and would never do anything to shame her.
"Never thought I would be thankful for this rain," he said in her ear. "No one will be looking up for us in this."
Kagome disagreed. "It'll make them harder to see, too. And there won't be any torches or campfires to spot the advanced line."
"So what do you suggest?"
"Heh." A laugh that wasn't a laugh was Kagome's only suggestion. "I was kinda hoping you would have a plan."
"Ah. I see. Well-"
"Shh!"
Kagome reached back and grabbed Miroku's arm to still him. She thought she had heard something. The rain was so loud. It was hard to pinpoint exactly what it was.
"Kagome…?"
Miroku's voice was hardly over a whisper.
"I thought I…"
But there it was again. Something about the pattern of the rainfall was off. Almost like…
"Kirara down!"
Kagome pushed the Firecat so hard into a tilt that she and Miroku actually caught air off her back. They only just managed to keep a hold on the feline as she dove for the trees. They landed in a thick covering of pines, but Kagome didn't loosen her tight grip on Kirara.
"What is it Kagome?" Miroku asked. He kept his voice low, knowing something was amiss.
"Wait for it," Kagome told him.
And then the sound came again. A strange echoing, as though the raindrops were striking against a drum.
"There. Did you hear it?"
"Yes…" Miroku replied slowly.
"Like rain hitting a tent, right? The sound is distorted."
"Yes. But I don't see-"
Kagome cut him off by raising her hand. She looked up, above the trees to the mountain peaks.
"Wait for it," she said.
Then to the sound of the raining drum another beat was added. A whooping sound like a heavy breath from the sky. Once, twice, and then a third. Steady like a beating heart.
Then they saw it. From over a peak crested a great black shape in the night sky. Its wings beat. Whoop. Whoop. And every time it stretched them out in their massive span came the patter of thousands of tiny drops striking the toughened skin.
"A Dragon." Miroku didn't take his eyes off the creature to whisper the word.
Kagome didn't look away either. "Not just a Dragon. A Firedrake. It's no wonder none of the scouting parties have made it back."
They watched in silence for a few minutes more, waiting for the beast to fly on to wherever it was going. By the time it had gone, Kagome had come to a realization.
"This can't be a coincidence," she said.
From beneath her Kirara rumbled an agreement.
"What coincidence?" Miroku asked.
"Kirara and I ran into a Firedrake yesterday. He was a lot further West from here, but it can't be a coincidence seeing two in so many days."
"Perhaps they have been scavenging from the dead."
"Maybe." Except Kagome didn't think so. "But I think it's more likely that they're working for this Army. Why else would a Firedrake reveal himself in the rain? It has no fire when it's wet. It's weak. Easy prey."
"If that is so…" The look on Miroku's face said it all. It was dreadful news. "We must report this back to Kuranosuke at once."
"Not yet." Kagome wasn't going to turn back now. "We have to see this through to the end. We must find the Demon that's causing the disease or the Drakes are going to be the least of our problems."
For a moment it looked as though Miroku was going to argue her point, and it wasn't as though Kagome didn't understand. She had faced a Drake and barely made it away with her life, wouldn't have if it hadn't been for Sesshomaru. For an army of men it would be a slaughter. If Kuranosuke wasn't warned, if his men weren't prepared, they would be walking into a bloodbath from which there was no escape.
But there was something worse out there, something powerful enough to be commanding even the Dragons. Miroku knew that.
"You're right," he said at last. "We must press forward. But we will be smarter then them. We will go further inland, follow the mountains as they curve around and view Sendai from the North. With any luck they will not be guarding their backs as well as their front."
"Sounds good to me," Kagome agreed. "You heard him Kirara. Let's go. Nice and steady. Keep as low as you can. We'll watch the skies."
vvvvvvvvvvvvvv
Going the roundabout way through mountain valleys and highland forest took another hour, but the precaution was well worth the extra effort. The little group managed to pass North of Sendai without any further incident.
Kagome had kept her senses on high alert since their first scare. Though she knew she couldn't see a Dragon as she would a Youkai because of their scale plating, if she concentrated hard enough she could feel them approach. She had directed Kirara several times to take a different turn or path to avoid coming close to another Drake. By her count there were at least two prowling these mountains.
"There's a village ahead."
Kagome had been so focused on the skies she almost missed Miroku's comment.
"A…village?" she asked dazedly.
"Yes." He pointed ahead to a nearby valley. "Just there. It is dark, but I can make out a few structures. Perhaps we should take a closer look."
"Alright. But be careful. First sign of trouble and we're out of there."
"Mayhaps the Lady is thinking of someone else," Miroku teased. "Certainly you do not have to tell me that twice."
Leave it to Miroku to put a smile on her face right before a battle. Kagome even laughed a little at herself for it. She really had spent too much time with Inuyasha. He was always leaping into trouble without a second thought, leaving her to chase after him and make sure he didn't get himself hurt. Telling him once to keep out of it didn't help; the second had just come naturally. Not like it did much good either.
"Yeah, yeah," she blew off his remark. "Just be careful, okay?"
"But of course, my Lady."
Kagome twitched at the feeling of a hand patting her ass. She considered briefly swinging her bow around to whack the damn Monk upside the head, but thought better of it since it would probably end up with him falling off Kirara. So she settled on elbowing him in the gut.
"Keep it in your robes, Miroku," she warned him. "Or I'll end up feeding you to a Drake."
"…Yes…Kagome…" he wheezed.
The village was more like a tiny hamlet. With only a scattering of houses and farms it was likely a feeder branch for Sendai. One of hundreds scattered throughout the area. It was quiet as they approached. Only the sound of rain pattering against the ground remained constant.
"It looks deserted," Kagome said.
Miroku remained hopeful. "Perhaps they have gone into hiding. We are close enough to the main road for these people to have seen the march of such a massive army. If one remains, they may be able to tell us something."
"I guess it's worth a shot. We can't just walk into Sendai with an Army camped there. And I don't know how much closer we can risk getting without being noticed."
They landed out of view of the centre square, just behind a makeshift stable attached to the side of one of the huts. They armed themselves as they dismounted, Kagome with her bow, an arrow notched in the draw and ready; Miroku with his staff and an arsenal of sutras and smoke bombs concealed in the folds of his robe; and Kirara ready and guarding their backs.
Soft steps and controlled breathing combined with the night and the steady rainfall made them virtually invisible. They hugged the walls of the hut and kept low. Kagome was on point. Her bow gave her the advantage at a distance, and her eyes were better equipped to see even in the dark. She paused at the corner of the hut and peered around.
The street was quiet. No movement, no sound. Kagome signaled Miroku ahead. He brushed past her carefully, keeping out of the sights of her weapon. Still hugging the wall he crept towards the door. Kagome stayed on lookout.
The little hut was just as dark as the rest of the town. Miroku inched the door open and peered in.
"Is anyone alive in here?" Kagome heard him whisper.
With no answer the Monk chanced a closer look. Kagome watched him disappear into the hut out of the corner of her eye. She saw the brief flash of a light inside. Though tiny, it cast an illumination on the path. Kagome took a breath and waited, her bowstring drawn tight. But still no movement came from the village.
A moment or two later Miroku emerged from the hut. He shook his head. There was no one inside. They repeated the search in house after house, and house after house the result was the same. After the fourth they relaxed a little. They still searched the homes, but more openly. Had there been a guard station here they would already have run into it.
As they made their way towards the village square, Miroku made an observation.
"It doesn't make sense. There's no looting. No damage to the houses. If an Army passed by here they would have taken all of the supplies from this village. But there is still food in the storerooms, linens on the beds, even chests filled with weapons and heirlooms."
"And not a villager in sight," Kagome added. "They couldn't all have fled."
"Maybe they didn't."
Miroku was looking ahead to something on the road. A cart had been left abandoned. It stretched across the narrow path just before the intersection at the heart of the village.
"Blockade?" Kagome asked.
"Perhaps."
Miroku nodded to the right and Kagome took the cue. She started flanking right with Miroku slinking off the road to the left. As they got closer, what had looked like ruts and lifts in the road mud from a distance became clearer. Vague shapes started taking form. Once they were close enough to make out the bodies of men lying broken in the street they got their first true glimpse of what had really happened in this village.
It wasn't easy to just walk past the dead, but it was necessary. They needed to clear the area. They inched their way around the cart, both Kagome and Miroku with weapons at the ready and senses on full alert.
But there was nothing. No Army men. No villagers. No signs of life in the houses across the square. They stood in a ghost-town where the only thing that had life at all was the falling rain.
Kagome looked across to Miroku and shrugged. "If they were here, they're not now. Let's tend to those fallen men out there and call this one a bust."
Miroku nodded. "Agreed."
Turning back, Kagome finally lowered her bow arm. She pulled the arrow from the draw but kept it clamped tight in her grip. One hand was more than enough to give a blessing. Absently she wondered if situations such as this were the reason why.
The man closest to Kagome was lying face-down in the rainwater. By his tattered clothing Kagome judged that he was a farmer, though any of the villagers from this tiny town would be dressed in such humble attire. He wasn't a large man. Kagome figured she should be alright on her own turning him to face the heavens. She reached down with her free hand but stopped just before she touched him.
The skin was the wrong color. Even in the dark she could see it. A man dead for hours would be pale, ghastly white where blood no longer flowed. This man's skin was gray, coarse and cracked. It hardly looked human.
More suspicious now that respectfully cautious, Kagome shouldered her bow and reached down with both hands. She heaved the man over in one solid jerk then took a quick step back.
The body remained motionless. It was clearly dead, perhaps most clearly where the face should have been. Because there was no face. In its place was a crater where eyes and nose and mouth should have been. No blood. No terrible carnage. Just a cracked and broken gap of nothingness.
"Kagome."
Miroku was calling her. She looked over to the Monk and found him inspecting one of the other bodies.
"What do you make of this?"
She moved closer to see what he was looking at, but a part of her thought she already knew. As she approached she began to see that she was.
Another man lay in the street, at least what had once been a man. Like the other one the body was beyond recognition as a human being. It looked as though it had been carved of stone. Except this one seemed to have had an angry artist. It had been nearly cut through at the waist. A wedge of a gap split the midsection, clearly the act of a heavy swing with a large ax.
"There's another one just over there."
Miroku nodded down the street, but it only took a quick look to see what had brought that one down. At least six arrows were sticking out of him.
"Do you think the sickness took them as they were trying to defend the village?" he asked.
But Kagome shook her head. "Look at where they're lying, Miroku. All of theses men died ahead of the barricade, not behind it. And these wounds weren't inflicted before the sickness took them, and certainly not because of it. There's no blood. There's no torn skin or muscle. It looks like solid stone chopped or sledged. I think these are the men that attacked the village."
"These men?" Miroku asked in confusion. "But they're farmers, Kagome, not soldiers. Look at the way they are dressed. They have no armor, no weapons."
"You don't need armor if you're made of stone," Kagome replied. "And you sure as shit don't need a sword, especially if everyone else is turning to stone with you."
"Everyone…? You mean this village…?"
"Think about it, Miroku. How many people came to you with this sickness? How many died because of it? In a whole village, we find only three men? No women, no children, no elderly left behind? And an Army on the march that took no provisions? No food, no water, no weapons, nothing?"
"You're saying you think that entire Army is…made of stone?"
"The man in the village said his friends died and then they fought. I heard him say a Demon, but I think he was saying his friends were the Demons, that they were possessed somehow. Think about it. If the people we saw didn't change for days, it's possible they weren't exposed to a full dose of the toxin. The people of this village couldn't have been attacked more than a few hours ago but there are no bodies. Mikayla said that the Army broke through their defenses as if they weren't even there. That they were in the village before anyone knew what was happening. But maybe it wasn't the Army outside the village that was getting in. Maybe it was that the people inside started to change."
"If that is so…" Miroku's eyes suddenly drew wide with fear. "We must get back!"
Kagome understood his panic. Miroku had buried many men and women that had been afflicted with the stone sickness. But she shook her head and called for calm.
"I don't think this thing has a range like that. Something has to be controlling them, and I doubt that it could reach all the way to Endo from here. Besides, if the dead were to walk, we would already have seen it."
"Still," He was firm. "We must return."
Kagome agreed. "Yes. And as quickly as possible."
They were on Kirara and airborne in under two minutes. Even though Kagome had tried to sooth Miroku, she couldn't deny that she was feeling anxious for her friends left behind. She couldn't imagine what Miroku was feeling for his wife and children.
They rode hard through what was left of the night. They took chances in the skies, liberties they knew they didn't have with such large predators on the prowl. But they were willing to press their luck if it meant buying a few minutes more.
Kirara was on a mission of her own. She flew harder and faster than she ever had. From below she must have looked like nothing more than a burning streak of red in the night sky, her riders nothing more than shadows gone as fast as they had come.
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