Chapter Two
Back in Sengoku Jidai, a royal procession is under way.
"Kagewaki-sama, we're almost there. How do you feel?" a guard asked, to a young man that rode on his own horse beside him.
"I feel glad to be going home. It's been years since I was well enough to return here." The young man replied, his brown, gray-flecked eyes showing a gentle soul.
"Indeed. You've always been in poor health before. It's amazing how fast you have recovered these past few months. Your father will be pleased to see you." The guard said, as they neared the valley where the young man's home was. They all stopped when they saw what had become of the place; the walls were knocked down, the castle was burned to the ground, and burial mounds dotted the landscape.
"W-what happened here?!" the guard stammered, in utter shock, as his charge spurred his horse into a gallop and raced to the decaying castle.
"Father! Father, where are you?" Kagewaki shouted, but there was no sign of his father, nor any of the servants. The castle, or what remained of it, was deserted.
"Kagewaki-sama, we must leave from here. There's nothing left." The guard said, as he gently, yet firmly, took Kagewaki's horse's reins from his limp hands, and led him away.
"How did this happen? Why did this happen? Right when I am well enough to return home, there is nothing for me to return to." Kagewaki said, as tears gathered in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall.
"Kagewaki-sama, there is a town nearby, do you want to go there?" another guard asked.
"I guess that is about all I can do now. Let's go, and leave these graves in peace." Kagewaki said, but not before giving his ancestral home a last, remorseful look, then turning and riding away, long raven hair blowing out behind him as he rode.
Townsfolk looked up as the procession rode into town. Kaede, who was tending one man's wounds, looked up from what she was doing and nearly gasped in shock. There was a young man on horseback that resembled the descriptions she had been given of what Naraku had looked like without his baboon pelt, coming into town!
"Miko, is there a place here where my men and I can rest? We have traveled far and have experienced much grief." The young man said, his soft voice and gentle eyes convincing Kaede that he was not who she thought he was.
"Aye. There's a couple of empty huts near the edge of this town. Ye and your men can stay there. But what is your name? I have not seen ye around before." Kaede said.
"I am Kagewaki. I was once the son of a lord who lived near here. I have been away from my homeland since I was young because of an illness." The young man replied, his brown eyes sad.
"Ah , I see. Though ye still look sickly, young man." Kaede said, taking notice of how pale Kagewaki looked.
"I know. I thank you for your concern, Miko-sama." Kagewaki said, then rode to the empty huts.
"Ye two, let me know if he needs anything while he is here." Kaede said, to the guards of the young lord.
"We will, don't worry. We're also worried about our lord's health. He's just taken in a nasty shock over seeing his father's home destroyed." A guard said, as he ushered for the rest to follow him to where their lord had gone. As the afternoon shadows grew long, Kagewaki took a stroll along the village. At his request, his guards left him alone so he could sort things out on his own. What had happened to his father? Why had his home become a battlefield? As he mused over these questions, Kagewaki found himself beside an old well.
"A well. I feel almost drawn to it, for some reason……….." Kagewaki thought, as he approached the side and peered down into it. He couldn't see the bottom, but, at the back of his mind, his psychic ability revealed an aura that was cloaking the bottom from view.
"Strange…………." Kagewaki muttered, then suddenly felt himself lose his balance. Before he could even cry out, he was falling headfirst into the well.
"I'm going to die! Help!" Kagewaki thought, before the darkness of unconsciousness enveloped him.
Kagome jumped when an unfamiliar presence came across her mind.
"What is it, Kagome?" Inu-Yasha asked, noticing her startled expression.
"Someone else has just come though the well. I can sense him." Kagome said, looking a little concerned.
"Then let's go find out who it is." Miroku said, as he, Sango, Inu-Yasha, and Kagome went into the well-house. As they entered the shelter, Kagome motioned for the rest to remain by the door, while she went to the side and looked down.
"There's a man at the bottom! And he's unconscious! Inu-Yasha, get over here and help me get him out!" Kagome ordered, as she went into the well. As gently as she could, Kagome turned the young man over and gasped; he looked exactly like Naraku! Before she could get out of the well, the man moaned and opened his eyes and looked at her. For a moment, all they could do was stare at one another, each as baffled as the other.
"Who are you?" the man asked, coming out of his stunned stupor long enough to ask.
"My name's Kagome. Who are you?" Kagome asked.
"I'm Kagewaki. What are you doing at the bottom of this well?" Kagewaki asked, confused.
"I was wanting to ask you the same thing." Kagome said, then looked up as Inu-Yasha and the rest looked down. Miroku was the first to react.
"Dammit! Why can't you stay dead, Naraku?!" Miroku shouted, furiously, as he prepared to launch himself at the hapless (and completely human) Kagewaki. It took all of Inu-Yasha's strength to prevent the enraged houshi from killing not only Kagewaki, but also Kagome, in the small well.
"Who's Naraku?" Kagewaki asked, now completely at a loss.
"Kagewaki-san, I think we need to talk." Kagome said, as she climbed up the ladder first, then had the confused man follow her.
"What have I gotten myself into?" Kagewaki wondered, as he emerged from the well and followed the strange crew out of the well-house.
Sesshomaru awoke to find himself in unfamiliar surroundings. He was in a dimly lit room that had the scent of herbs.
"You're awake!" a woman's voice said, sounding relieved.
"Where am I?" Sesshomaru asked, grimacing as he shifted a little into a more comfortable position.
"Inside my family's shrine. I heard you cry out in pain and saw you fall from the tree outside. I had my father bring you in here and I bandaged your wounds. How do you feel?" the miko asked.
"Like my body has been ripped apart. What hit me anyway?" Sesshomaru asked, as the miko gently brushed his silvery bangs aside.
"My brother threw an anti-scroll at you. Apparently it has reopened an old wound." The miko replied, seemingly unafraid of what Sesshomaru was.
"Why aren't you afraid of me, miko? You should by now know what I am." Sesshomaru said, as he gazed in confusion at the gentle miko's face.
"In school I am studying to be a doctor. And, since a doctor is supposed to help people, I am not supposed to turn anyone away that needs help. It doesn't matter to me whether or not you're human or youkai. I just want to help." The miko said, then added, "By the way, I'm Kei. Kei Yamagi. What's your name, if I might be so bold to ask?"
"I am Sesshomaru, the Lord of the Western Lands. Though I wish we could have met under better circumstances." Sesshomaru said, with a slight smile.
"I quite agree. By the way, your swords are right next to you. My brother wanted to destroy them as well, but I have a feeling that they have served you well and did some good." Kei said, as she turned her emerald gaze to the two sheathed swords that lay on Sesshomaru's right hand side.
"Indeed they have. Several months ago, my brother and I, and our companions, fought in a war against a being known as Naraku. I was wounded in battle by a weapon forged from youkai bones." Sesshomaru said, with tired sigh.
"I see. So the wound has bothered you even since then?" Kei asked.
"It has, to some extent. On some days I would be more sore than on others. And, even though youkai heal quickly, I was slow to recover from the back wound and was bedridden for a month." Sesshomaru said, his eyelids drooping just slightly.
"Get some sleep. I'll be back to check on you later. I'll bring you something to eat then as well." Kei said, getting a sleepy nod from the wounded youkai as she stood up.
"Sleep well. If you need me, just call." Kei said, before she disappeared from view beyond the doorway into the next room, closing the door behind her. Before he drifted into dreamless slumber, Sesshomaru thought of how worried his brother and friends would be when he failed to return to the Higurashi Shrine or to Sengoku Jidai.
"I hope I will be able to move soon. They must be worried." Sesshomaru thought, before finally succumbing to the welcome darkness of sleep. Little did he realize just how important Kei would be to his survival and those of his friends and brother, but soon fate would open up a whole new path. And he was expected to follow it to its end.