The Search for the Blood Crystal

Chapter 4: The Claws of Light

Kisho laid on the wooden floor of Kaede's hut staring at the corner of the room boredly. The old miko gently poked the bored boy, "Come Kisho fresh air will due those wounds some good. Laying around won't help."

"I'm thinking of my parents. . ."

"Do not lie, ye don't remember and staring at the wall won't help. Doing things will."

Kisho grumbled some as he got out and went outside obediently, plus if he didn't she would of used some foul herb to shoo him off. He leaped down the wooden steps and decided to explore the village some, "So that's why these villagers were staring at me. They were trying to remember who I was." Kisho found many of the villagers waving to him and offering him some food. He found himself a bit embarrassed almost by all the attention.

It was odd, even though it's a bit of a shocker to travel in time, for some reason he wasn't all that surprised or bothered about it.

"Humph, its because being part youkai."

"Nothing wrong with that you know." The girl said from behind as she tapped him on the shoulder.

Kisho yelped in surprised and found his hair standing on in from the freight, "Women must you scare me like that all the time?"

She laughed some as she sat down, "So, you finally stopped denying your youkai heritage."

Kisho nodded some though he didn't acknowledge her directly. A small grin crept across her face as she took his hand to shake, "The names Mieko."

Kisho starred at her for a moment before pulling his hand away, "Yeah. . .well its Kisho if you haven't heard."

"You know you should be a lot nicer."

"And you should shut up."

"See? That's what I mean. I'm trying to tell you that I know some things about your parents and-"

Kisho grabbed her by her cloths and shook her lightly, "You what!? Tell me!"

She smacked him across the head with her staff, "Down boy, I will."

Kisho dropped her as he rubbed his head in annoyance, "Ow. . ."

"Now sit like a good dog."

"Pardon? Must you refer me as a dog?" Kisho eyed her some.

"Inuyasha was a dog youkai so you're part of that."

Kisho sat down in the soft grasses, "Yeah. . .Kaede told me, but don't call me a dog."

"Anyways your parents were after this new youkai that appeared. I don't know his name, but he's a dragon youkai from what I've heard. A really smart one, not like those idiotic ones."

Kisho nodded slowly, "Hmm. . .dragon, huh. Those hard to fight?"

"By far. The idiots ones were hard. If this one has a mind then he should be incredibly hard."

Kisho looked down at his claws and thought to himself, 'That bird youkai was hard enough. . .can't imagine anything harder.'

"Also, they were after the Blood Crystal."

Kisho was intrigued by such a name for a crystal, "Oh? What for?"

"Silly, to keep it from youkai's hands. I don't have an idea what it does."
"Some help you are. . .well this was a nice talk but I'm going for my walk now." Kisho got up, but her staff blocked him all of a sudden, "Hold it right there, we have a test for you to take."

"Eh?" Kisho said a bit confused.

Mieko pulled him along back to Kaede's place where she stood waiting, "Ah, there you are Kisho."

Kisho waved greetings just so he didn't seem all that bad all the time. Kaede patted the boy on the head and she received a glare for that from Kisho, "Now, can ye use that technique you used with your claws?"

"Uh. . .sure. What's my target?"

"Aim for the trees, away from the village."

Kisho nodded as he turned towards the forest and aimed for somewhere that seemed safe. He drew his hand back with his claws barred and just as he was about to swing he had a vision of his father Inuyasha fighting in the village. The claw technique was similar to his own, but something was different with Kisho's. Kaede noticed Kisho's sudden hesitation, "Ye alright? "

Kisho shook his head lightly, "Oh, yeah I'm fine. . .just concentrating. Ok here we go," With that he leaped into the air and swung through the air. As his sharp claws racked through the air and the light ignited from them shooting across the sky in a blaze. Off in the distance the trees were sliced in half and the ground barred the scars from the slashing marks. Kisho landed with ease back on the ground. The more he used his powers the stronger he felt each time. The villagers clapped in his show of power as he only smiled in appreciation. Kaede nodded as Mieko also clapped with the villagers. Kisho looked to Kaede with a cocky grin, "How's that ya old hag?"

"Like your father more and more. Why couldn't ye be like your mother?"

Kisho shrugged some, "I don't know."

"Well ye shows an interesting skill. Seems like you rip the sky open with that power of yours. Similar to your father cutting the Scar of the Wind with his sword, you cut yours with your own claws. I come to believe that ye has some control over his youkai more since there only little amounts, but be warned Kisho. Being a youkai means having power, do no abuse it or your heart will be lost."

Kisho nodded some as he leaped up to the trees, "Don't worry about it Kaede. I won't use my powers for anything, but protecting others. Not to mention to slice up the bad guys."

"Ye have such a way with words."

Kisho wasn't sure to take her comment as an insult or a compliment. Instead he just grumbled off something. Mieko giggled as she tapped her staff against the ground lightly. The rings around the top of her staff jingled in a soothing chime, "Hey Kisho! How about your spar with me? We'll see how good you are."

Kisho stared at her for a moment before tossing his head back in a laugh, "What? You. . . I don't know. . .I wouldn't want to hurt you any."

Now it was Mieko's turn to laugh as she tossed off her heavy robes, leaving her just wearing her light tunic. The villagers stared at the two laughing as the whispered among each other. Kaede rubbed her head some as she took her seat, "These two are embarrassing themselves."

"Come on, dog boy. You only have one trick and you just showed it to everyone." Mieko said with smirk across her face. Her long hair was tied up nicely, making her still have an appeasing look as she held her staff firmly against her side.

"Fine it's your death wish. Everyone stand back, because I'm going to be working my moves."

Kaede waved to the villagers to back up some due to the power Kisho had, "Yes everyone back op, Kisho is inexperience and my not be able to control it well."

"That's not what I meant!"

"Come on Kisho, let's see what kind of moves you have." Mieko had one hand against her hips.

Kosho growled deep in his throat, causing it to have a lower sound. Mieko smiled to herself as she spin her staff around before her, 'Good seems like he's tapping into his youkai powers some.'

Kisho leaped straight into the air leaping for the sun, to blind his were abouts. Mieko covered her eyes some with her free arm, "Figured he do something like that, but it's no use if he's going to use the same attack."
Kisho came down in a blinding bright light with his claws leading the way, "Claws of Light!"

Mieko laughed as put her staff out in front of her, "Nice try, instead of dog boy you're now just pup."

"What?!" Kisho said as his claws hit her staff with a bone shattering hit. He had hit the staff so hard he felt a shocking like pain up his arms. Her staff had stopped his attack and she was holding the power back with only one arm while he was using both, "But how?"

"Mind over matter. I'm a spiritual warrior. I learned these tricks from my father and now I'll show you what my mother taught me," Mieko nudged her staff forward some against Kisho's claws sending him flying backwards. Kisho himself was getting better as he used his arms to balance out his fall and land back on the ground with a skid. Before Kisho could even react he saw the staff coming for him in a spinning like motion. He quickly leaped in the air again as it whizzed past his feet, clipping the end of his heals. Kisho swing himself up to the highest tree, "I think I lost it."
"Think again, pup!" Mieko yelled. Kisho cringed out the sound of her voice again, but instead of looking where this staff was he relied on instinct and he back flipped onto another branch just as the staff closed in on him. Kisho stood there catching his breath as the staff spun for him again, "Ah, what the hell is up with that thing?!"

"It closes in on your youkai. It's tasted your blood when it clipped your heals so now it has a lock on you."

"Grr. . .damn bitch is smart too. Well my claws work as an attacking weapon lets try defense."

Kisho readied himself as the staff closed in on him. Mieko watched, 'What is that idiot doing?'

Kisho waited until the staff was just about to hit and he swung his claws down in front of himself in an 'X' like pattern. The move created the rip in the sky again making a void in the area. Kisho stayed behind it hoping it be enough to stop that crazy staff of Mieko's. The staff hit and caused the light of the X void to flicker some, but it held out and even drained some power from the staff. Kisho could feel some of its energy running through his veins and he could feel the pain from his arms ease. It was a tense moment until the staff finally fell to the ground in defeat and the void of Kisho's faded away. He sighed in relief as he leaped off the tree down to Mieko, "What were you trying to do? Kill me?"

Mieko picked up her staff again and looked at him with a smile, "Yup."

Kisho raised his hand up to hit her when he found himself being held back by the villagers. Kaede shook her head as she walked over, "Ye did well. Mieko was only teaching your thick head a lesson. Defense is just as important as attacking. Ye mustn't rush into things."

Kisho pulled away from the villagers who were holding him back as he grumbled some, "Yeah, yeah well I handled it well."

Mieko nodded, "Yup, but more training will help."

"Humph, what ever. I'm going to the hot springs."

"How come?"

Kisho looked over his shoulder some, "No reason, perhaps I'm dirty."

"Not because of this." She patted him on the shoulders. Kisho instantly fell over, "Ah!"

"Oops, I guess you're a bit sore from the attack." Mieko said with a laugh as the rest of the villagers joined in.

Kisho sighed some as he got up, "Yeah yeah I'll be back soon."

Kisho walked away to the where he smelled the warm waters brewing in the earth. He leaped up onto one of the rocks and sat. He was looking down at his reflection, thinking of what to do. Only quick images of his parents were all he could remember. He dug his claws into his head, trying to remember but just couldn't. Blood trickled down to the waters edge as Kisho stared down at his pathetic reflection, "Bah, its no use. Look at me. I can't even save myself! How am I going to even figure out about my parents!"

"Your father's Inuyasha is it not?" A cold voice said walking out from the shadows.

Kisho lifted his head to see who it was; he was also kicking himself for not being more alert of things, "Yes. . .why do you ask?"

"Interesting, that my half brother could produce an offspring with more power then himself. Though you are his son, you have power yet no skills."

Kisho turned and starred at this new youkai. If he were a woman he'd have to say the man was very handsome. His long silver hair flowed in the wind, dancing along with the soft breeze. He bared two swords from his hip from what Kisho could tell, so it wasn't wise to provoke this youkai when Kisho himself had nothing, but claws as a weapon, "Half brother huh? You're related to me then."

He received no comment from him as his eyes just held a study glare on Kisho. Kisho waned to yell something out, but he with withheld that urge. The man gestured his head some as he began to walk away. Kisho blinked some in confusion as he watched him, 'Does he want me to follow him? Why not, I got nothing to loose. Perhaps he could tell me the things I want to know.'

((Ah, thanks for reviewing my story. So far I've been able to get a chapter out everyday, but I'll start slowing down soon. Anyways, keep reading and reviewing))