-Saira-
Chapter 9: The Tragic Priestess' Warning
Saira wandered into the dark forest in something like a trance.
Her groceries were forgotten as she followed the red and white figure. The aura of magic drew her and the strong scent of graveyard soil made her dizzy.
She vaguely wondered why she was tracking the figure, but her mind went blank again as what now appeared to be a woman only a few years older than herself beckoned her into a clearing. The apparition was calmly aware of the girl's presence as if she had been merely leading her the whole time.
Saira stepped into the clearing and faced the woman, examining her.
Her raven hair, which fell past her waist, was tied in a loose ponytail at the back, loops spilling from the tie over the front of her miko robes, which were the same style as Saira's own.
The woman had a confident air about her, but it was also thick with sorrow. Her hard gray eyes were looking straight through Saira as if examining her very spirit. Cold and calm.
Saira finally found her voice. She was angry. "Who are you? Why have you summoned me?!"
She knew what a summoning felt like. Kaede had tried it on her once. Now that she thought about it, it was probably to test how much demon she had in her.
Summonings only worked on those with demon blood. It would hone in on a specific demon in an area and lure them out. It was irresistible and when the demon was brought in, it was exterminated immediately, before it could wake up from its trance. Mikos who could perform summonings often lived in exterminator villages so they could keep their homestead clear of malevolent presences.
Saira had known what summonings were when Kaede had tried it on her. It was a small betrayal in her eyes. The old woman hadn't even warned her she was going to use it. A spell that took away free will, Saira had never totally forgiven Kaede for that.
Now she was beyond pissed that someone had done it to her again. Wasn't she a miko? Couldn't she have shielded herself? No. Because she was part demon. Again with the fun weaknesses!
"Answer me!" Saira demanded of the wraith.
The woman's infuriating poker face was as cool as ever. "My name is Kikyo, but that does not matter at the present. I summoned you because I have business with you."
As the trance wore off further Saira could finally sense the woman's aura. "You're not human." she breathed. "What business do you have with me then?"
"It is about the journey you are undertaking, to find those who sired you. You may find answers there, but the past is best left buried. Uncovering your answers would only bring trouble. Give up that which you seek and return to your village." Kikyo demanded calmly.
Saira thought about revealing that she wasn't looking for her parents at the moment fleetingly. But decided she'd rather hear what the bitch had to say about what she could and could not do. Nobody ordered HER around!
"Going to the place of your parents' doom will only bring about destruction. You could awaken things that were meant to be sealed forever. The world would again be in danger and more lives would be forfeited for the sake of the Jewel. Darkness would reign." Kikyo turned slightly to watch the setting sun as she waited for Saira's response.
"The Jewel? You mean the Shikon no Tama?" Realization dawned on her. "You knew my father but- Didn't you die?"
"Yes. I was once the guardian of that cursed jewel. I died so that it would never be released into the world again. My reincarnation released it back here a mere fifty years later and my soul was dragged back to life. It is sealed again for now. The Jewel will always try to find a way back into the world to corrupt it. I cannot let it be released again." She drew out her bow. "Will you give up your foolish search?"
Saira raised her eyebrows. Now she was being threatened? She hadn't even done anything!
"And if I don't?" Saira asked, annoyed.
Kikyo notched an arrow. "Then I cannot let you leave this clearing, girl."
Saira watched as the undead miko's energy absorbed into the arrow.
Oh shit. That looks like it'll pack a punch. She immediately went for her new sword.
Shit again.
She had left it with her bags at the edge of the forest. Smart move. Now she had pissed off the priestess who was said to have been the most powerful to date. Even if she was dead, her soul would have kept a great amount of her spiritual powers.
Great. Saira sighed. I guess I could try a shield against it. If it blows us both up mores the better.
She concentrated her energy just as Kikyo let loose her glowing purification arrow.
Saira opened her eyes to witness the arrow coming straight at her. The shield didn't work! She dived to the side at the last moment and breathed a sigh of relief. Missed.
Unfortunately Kikyo just had to have more than one arrow on her.
Why?! Saira asked herself and she dodged again and landed on her still tender ribs. "Dammit! I just have to get into a fight without a weapon, don't I?!" she shouted a few choice obscenities as she kept dodging the flaming blue arrows in her wake.
She went into a crouch to stand again and was once again faced with an arrow coming at her face at warp speed. No time to dodge.
So she did what anyone would do when faced with a flying projectile. She reflexively tried to catch it.
And she did.
She looked at the arrow in her hands in amazement. She had caught an arrow! It wasn't even burnin- "OW!" That meant-
Saira dropped the arrow and ran as far away from the clearing as she could get with her demon-like speed, leaving Kikyo staring at her arrow. It should have blown Saira's hand off instead of merely burning.
Saira kept moving. She was not stupid enough to stick around after that.
She had touched another's purification arrow. Her energy had mixed with it. That meant that--
The explosion gave a satisfying boom before she reached the edge of the woods.
Ha! That's what you get for threatening me! For once she was glad of her combustible energies.
Myike was lying on his pallet fantasizing about Yume, one of the kind priestesses taking care of his wounds. He touched his cheek where she had marked him after he had tried to get to know her a little better. She had a really nice ass--
Myike was jerked out of his fantasy as Saira stomped into the shrine.
She does not look happy. "What's going on Saira? Bad shopping day?"
She merely sent him a glare. "Gather your stuff. We're leaving at dawn. Tell Mikkoku." With that said she lay on her pallet. Myike stared at her for a second, then mentally shrugged and obediently packed his strewn belongings.
Saira lay deep in thought into the night, long after the people of the shrine, Myike, and Mikkoku had already settled into bed for the night.
Kikyo had been adamant about keeping her away from her parent's resting place. She had even implied that they might not be dead. She shivered at the thought of them being like Kikyo.
Hopefully not. She had also mentioned sealings. But I think that meant in accordance to the Jewel. Whatever it means; our plans have changed. I am going to my parents' grave.
If I can find it.