The morning sun shone down through the clouds the next morning. The
village was already up trying to repair what damage they could from the
attack last night. Many people were shocked to see the shrine violated,
but the old priest told them merely to set it right and worry no further.
"It was probably done by the water imps," he said. He winked at the hanyou when he said it. They blushed and made themselves scarce at the temple.
In fact, the sun found them sitting by the lake, relaxing for a bit before they went back on the road. Juanyu was helping with some of the repairs to the village. And the priest had told them that he might be able to get them some transportation for a part of their journey. That would be welcome from all the walking.
Hikaru held the Tennega partway out of the scabbard and looked near the hilt. There was no indication that the runes she had seen were ever there; but she knew that she had seen them last night.
"So, that isn't a bad inheritance that Father left for you, imooto. You certainly found out how to use it faster than I did mine," Inuyasha said. He was proud of what she had done last night. Hikaru did possess a warrior's spirit; if she only allowed it to surface. He hadn't realized that her sword would be so powerful. But she would have to be careful with its use. How knew what the consequences might be?
Hikaru blushed at the implied compliment and replied, "It will take some getting use to though, ani-chan." She stared at the blade and added, "I think that because I was so angry that I couldn't protect you, the sword awoke for me."
"That is indeed possible, Hikaru-sama," Myouga commented and landed on her nose. After a few sucks she slapped him off her face. The little flea- youkai picked himself up and jumped to sit on her shoulder.
"What do you mean by that, Myouga-jii?" Inuyasha asked.
"Simply that while your sword activates when you're trying to protect humans in memory of your mother; Hikaru's sword has the same purpose but for anyone that she cares for."
Hikaru sheathed her sword and laid across her lap. "It makes sense I guess," she said. Inuyasha nodded in agreement.
Not too far from where they were sitting, bubbles started rising from somewhere in the depths of the lake and popping on the surface. It drew their attention as they also sensed a small bit of youki coming towards them. It was too small to be a large youkai but too large to have been one of the water imps.
Small spout of water shot up into the air a few feet and something came out of the top and landed on the ground in front of their feet.
It looked like a child of ten years dressed as a nobleman's son. But the boy had blue hair, fins for ears, webbed hands, and a tail that was going side to side in agitation. Inuyasha thought that this kid was probably related to the water youkai that died last night. Hikaru was thinking along the same lines but she couldn't help but find the boy a tad bit kawaii.
++ For those you that don't know, 'kawaii' means cute.
No one spoke for a moment. They each seemed to be evaluating the other. Then the boy puffed up his chest, inhaled, and spat a green, sticky goo that hit both Inuyasha and Hikaru in the face. The hanyou tried to get the mess off.
"What in the hell?" Inuyasha cried out.
"How disgusting!" Hikaru said.
"A curse be on you both!" the boy shouted, pointing a finger at them both.
Inuyasha and Hikaru stopped what they were doing and looked at him in surprise.
"A curse?" Myouga echoed. Somehow, the goo missed the little flea.
"Yes, a curse. A curse on the both of you for killing our lord and master," the boy responded.
Inuyasha blinked. "A curse? You've got to be joking. You're just a kid."
The boy grew angry. "I'm old enough, you damn hanyou!" Then he turned serious and cleared his throat. "I place a curse on you both. Since you two fight so well together, then that is how it shall always be. From now on, when you both enter a battle one shall fight as the other's twin!" he said. Then he tried to cackle mightily and leapt back into the lake before anyone could do anything about it.
The hanyou stared at where he was for a moment before finally wiping the goo of their faces. By this time, Juanyu and the old priest were coming towards them. The hanyou stood and faced them.
"Have you finished, Juanyu?" Inuyasha asked.
He nodded, "The priest says that I can go now, Inuyasha-sama."
"Yes, and I made sure that you were packed with some food and water. It is the least we can do for what you two have done for us," the priest said.
"No, it is we should thank you for taking such good care of Tennega all these years," Hikaru replied. The miko and priest bowed to each other and then he left them.
The group gathered their belongings and left the village while the sun was still in its morning arc. The villagers wished them well and resumed their work. The priest was grateful that the request was complete. The girl seemed to be able to handle the sword's powers; he had no doubt that she was the one Inutaisho meant for the Tennega to go to all those years ago.
******
The youkai hurried through the woods, panting for breath. He knew that quarreling and fighting amongst his kind was typical and expected considering their nature. But this was ridiculous! This boy killed youkai for apparently no reason that he could see.
And why him? He was nothing more than a minor youkai; he had no any particularly special powers. There was nothing to be gained if the boy took his head like he had done with all the others. He gave it no further thought and concentrated on running. That seemed the most important thing in the world to him at the moment.
******
The large youkai stopped in his tracking and leaned against the tree. The intended prey was so small and weak that it wasn't worth going after. It might get stronger some day, better to wait until then to catch it.
Thick, heavy footsteps announced the arrival of his twin. They were the mirror image of each other. Thick, almost stone-like scales covered their bodies, which were heavyset to begin with. Their arms and stumpy legs were as thick as logs.
"It got away?" his twin said. He nodded in response. The other youkai sighed and sat down beside him. "Just as well. It wasn't worth the chase."
"Where to now, aniki?"
"I have heard of a village guarded by a powerful youkai. He possibly could be worth the time to hunt."
******
Inuyasha was tense. The travel for the past few days was calm and uneventful. But knowing his luck and the way his life went, things were ripe for something to happen.
But he didn't bring this up with the others. They were just happy to be on the road again after so many delays and sidetracks. The hanyou had to admit that was good to be on the move again. If only something didn't happen to spoil it.
"Hey, Myouga. How much further is it until we reach the village?" he said instead. And it was a fair question. They had been traveling for about two weeks now.
The flea was quiet for a moment. "Hmm, if memory serves me correctly, Inuyasha-sama, we should reach the village in a few weeks," he said wisely.
It took all of Inuyasha's self-control not to grab the little youkai from the top of Juanyu's head and shout at him. A few weeks more? Inuyasha had been waiting for over as long as he had been; he wanted to get back home. It was strange that he now thought of the village as home now.
But he did nothing and said nothing just merely nodded. There was nothing he could do about it. The old guy was trying his best to get them home. And a few weeks shouldn't be too long, right?
As the day wore on, the group spotted a small village, more like a trading town actually, over the crest of a hill. The day was almost over, so it seemed that they would be forced to stay there for the night.
They descended into the village, and felt very conspicuous. The villagers stopped talking when they passed by, stared, and whispered behind their hands afterward. The humans especially stared at the hanyou.
Finally they reached something that best resembled a restaurant and took a seat inside. The people inside were like the ones outside. They stopped talking at the sight of the hanyou, and after they found someplace to sit, little conversations started up again in small whispers.
"Um, I guess that I'll go and ask for some supper, neh?" Juanyu asked. He rose without waiting for a reply and started his search for a server.
The hanyou waited in silence for his return. Inuyasha felt uneasy at being stared at, but he tried to hide it with his usual demeanor. Hikaru was very self-conscious about the glares but she wasn't sure what the right course of action would be.
A few moments later, a man decided to do something; which turned out to be getting up from his seat and joining Inuyasha and Hikaru at their table. They could smell the sake on his breath. This human was obviously drunk.
"Wha' are ya doing ere, heh?" he asked. He still had his sake cup with him and he sipped at it as he leered at Hikaru. She tried leaned as far away from him as she could and pinched her nose close. The stench he gave off was terrible!
"We're here to get some food and maybe find a place to sleep. Now go away before I do something about that horrid breath of yours," Inuyasha answered and made a point of examining his claws.
The man chuckled and stood. "Don't matter to me none what you're doing here. But staying in town is probably a good choice. What with what's been happening around here, it's not safe for people like you," he said.
"What do you mean?" Hikaru said.
The man stared at them in surprise. "Ya mean that neither of you have heard? Someone's been going around killing youkai." He made a slicing motion across his neck. "Ripping the bodies apart and consuming parts of them; the rest is left for us to find. Naturally, it takes a while for what's left of the bodies to actually stop moving. But we have grown accustomed to waiting," he replied. Having said that, he walked unsteadily back to his original table and rejoined his drinking companions.
Hikaru shivered in the warm air, "I'd rather not know what they do with the remains."
Inuyasha shrugged, "Probably take what they can and sell it for some profit. This is a trading town you know." Hikaru looked horrified; but Inuyasha hastened to explain. "Come on, sis, you have to admit that it can be hard for people to earn enough for food to last them the entire week. With all the fighting that's going on right now. These people have to do almost anything to survive. Even if that means looting a dying man's body for anything that they can sell here. This isn't a safe time for anyone right now, human or youkai," he said. He crossed his arms and leaned back from the table.
Juanyu returned to their table with a tray bearing what smelled like stew and water. He settled the tray on the table and took his seat. "I've heard some interesting things about this town," he said.
"Like what?"
"This village is being guarded by a youkai in a shrine not too far from here. And there are rumors of someone going around killing off small youkai in the areas beyond the village. I think that it might be a good idea if we stayed here for the night."
"We know, Juanyu. Any idea where we might get a place to stay for the night?" Inuyasha said. He and Hikaru ate their food with a little haste. The restaurant was making Hikaru nervous and Inuyasha wanted to find a safe place to sleep quickly.
After they had eaten, the bill was paid, and they left the restaurant. Each of them asked around and got the directions for the shrine. The plan was to see if they might spend the night there. It seemed the safest place to stay in the town. At any rate, it would be safer than trying to stay in the village.
The group reached the shrine without any difficulty. Night had fallen by now and the moon was climbing in the eastern sky. The shrine building itself was in good repair. Obviously the villagers still had some respect for the youkai that lived here and gave proper due. The inside was dark and empty when Hikaru knocked. The door had swung open with little prodding. Since there was no one to stop them, the group entered the room and made themselves as comfortable as they could. In the morning they would leave and continue on their way.
******
Further uphill from the shrine, the twins looked in anticipation and delight. Not only was there the shrine youkai to feast on, a pair of hanyou and a small youkai as well. This would certainly be a most memorable night!
"It was probably done by the water imps," he said. He winked at the hanyou when he said it. They blushed and made themselves scarce at the temple.
In fact, the sun found them sitting by the lake, relaxing for a bit before they went back on the road. Juanyu was helping with some of the repairs to the village. And the priest had told them that he might be able to get them some transportation for a part of their journey. That would be welcome from all the walking.
Hikaru held the Tennega partway out of the scabbard and looked near the hilt. There was no indication that the runes she had seen were ever there; but she knew that she had seen them last night.
"So, that isn't a bad inheritance that Father left for you, imooto. You certainly found out how to use it faster than I did mine," Inuyasha said. He was proud of what she had done last night. Hikaru did possess a warrior's spirit; if she only allowed it to surface. He hadn't realized that her sword would be so powerful. But she would have to be careful with its use. How knew what the consequences might be?
Hikaru blushed at the implied compliment and replied, "It will take some getting use to though, ani-chan." She stared at the blade and added, "I think that because I was so angry that I couldn't protect you, the sword awoke for me."
"That is indeed possible, Hikaru-sama," Myouga commented and landed on her nose. After a few sucks she slapped him off her face. The little flea- youkai picked himself up and jumped to sit on her shoulder.
"What do you mean by that, Myouga-jii?" Inuyasha asked.
"Simply that while your sword activates when you're trying to protect humans in memory of your mother; Hikaru's sword has the same purpose but for anyone that she cares for."
Hikaru sheathed her sword and laid across her lap. "It makes sense I guess," she said. Inuyasha nodded in agreement.
Not too far from where they were sitting, bubbles started rising from somewhere in the depths of the lake and popping on the surface. It drew their attention as they also sensed a small bit of youki coming towards them. It was too small to be a large youkai but too large to have been one of the water imps.
Small spout of water shot up into the air a few feet and something came out of the top and landed on the ground in front of their feet.
It looked like a child of ten years dressed as a nobleman's son. But the boy had blue hair, fins for ears, webbed hands, and a tail that was going side to side in agitation. Inuyasha thought that this kid was probably related to the water youkai that died last night. Hikaru was thinking along the same lines but she couldn't help but find the boy a tad bit kawaii.
++ For those you that don't know, 'kawaii' means cute.
No one spoke for a moment. They each seemed to be evaluating the other. Then the boy puffed up his chest, inhaled, and spat a green, sticky goo that hit both Inuyasha and Hikaru in the face. The hanyou tried to get the mess off.
"What in the hell?" Inuyasha cried out.
"How disgusting!" Hikaru said.
"A curse be on you both!" the boy shouted, pointing a finger at them both.
Inuyasha and Hikaru stopped what they were doing and looked at him in surprise.
"A curse?" Myouga echoed. Somehow, the goo missed the little flea.
"Yes, a curse. A curse on the both of you for killing our lord and master," the boy responded.
Inuyasha blinked. "A curse? You've got to be joking. You're just a kid."
The boy grew angry. "I'm old enough, you damn hanyou!" Then he turned serious and cleared his throat. "I place a curse on you both. Since you two fight so well together, then that is how it shall always be. From now on, when you both enter a battle one shall fight as the other's twin!" he said. Then he tried to cackle mightily and leapt back into the lake before anyone could do anything about it.
The hanyou stared at where he was for a moment before finally wiping the goo of their faces. By this time, Juanyu and the old priest were coming towards them. The hanyou stood and faced them.
"Have you finished, Juanyu?" Inuyasha asked.
He nodded, "The priest says that I can go now, Inuyasha-sama."
"Yes, and I made sure that you were packed with some food and water. It is the least we can do for what you two have done for us," the priest said.
"No, it is we should thank you for taking such good care of Tennega all these years," Hikaru replied. The miko and priest bowed to each other and then he left them.
The group gathered their belongings and left the village while the sun was still in its morning arc. The villagers wished them well and resumed their work. The priest was grateful that the request was complete. The girl seemed to be able to handle the sword's powers; he had no doubt that she was the one Inutaisho meant for the Tennega to go to all those years ago.
******
The youkai hurried through the woods, panting for breath. He knew that quarreling and fighting amongst his kind was typical and expected considering their nature. But this was ridiculous! This boy killed youkai for apparently no reason that he could see.
And why him? He was nothing more than a minor youkai; he had no any particularly special powers. There was nothing to be gained if the boy took his head like he had done with all the others. He gave it no further thought and concentrated on running. That seemed the most important thing in the world to him at the moment.
******
The large youkai stopped in his tracking and leaned against the tree. The intended prey was so small and weak that it wasn't worth going after. It might get stronger some day, better to wait until then to catch it.
Thick, heavy footsteps announced the arrival of his twin. They were the mirror image of each other. Thick, almost stone-like scales covered their bodies, which were heavyset to begin with. Their arms and stumpy legs were as thick as logs.
"It got away?" his twin said. He nodded in response. The other youkai sighed and sat down beside him. "Just as well. It wasn't worth the chase."
"Where to now, aniki?"
"I have heard of a village guarded by a powerful youkai. He possibly could be worth the time to hunt."
******
Inuyasha was tense. The travel for the past few days was calm and uneventful. But knowing his luck and the way his life went, things were ripe for something to happen.
But he didn't bring this up with the others. They were just happy to be on the road again after so many delays and sidetracks. The hanyou had to admit that was good to be on the move again. If only something didn't happen to spoil it.
"Hey, Myouga. How much further is it until we reach the village?" he said instead. And it was a fair question. They had been traveling for about two weeks now.
The flea was quiet for a moment. "Hmm, if memory serves me correctly, Inuyasha-sama, we should reach the village in a few weeks," he said wisely.
It took all of Inuyasha's self-control not to grab the little youkai from the top of Juanyu's head and shout at him. A few weeks more? Inuyasha had been waiting for over as long as he had been; he wanted to get back home. It was strange that he now thought of the village as home now.
But he did nothing and said nothing just merely nodded. There was nothing he could do about it. The old guy was trying his best to get them home. And a few weeks shouldn't be too long, right?
As the day wore on, the group spotted a small village, more like a trading town actually, over the crest of a hill. The day was almost over, so it seemed that they would be forced to stay there for the night.
They descended into the village, and felt very conspicuous. The villagers stopped talking when they passed by, stared, and whispered behind their hands afterward. The humans especially stared at the hanyou.
Finally they reached something that best resembled a restaurant and took a seat inside. The people inside were like the ones outside. They stopped talking at the sight of the hanyou, and after they found someplace to sit, little conversations started up again in small whispers.
"Um, I guess that I'll go and ask for some supper, neh?" Juanyu asked. He rose without waiting for a reply and started his search for a server.
The hanyou waited in silence for his return. Inuyasha felt uneasy at being stared at, but he tried to hide it with his usual demeanor. Hikaru was very self-conscious about the glares but she wasn't sure what the right course of action would be.
A few moments later, a man decided to do something; which turned out to be getting up from his seat and joining Inuyasha and Hikaru at their table. They could smell the sake on his breath. This human was obviously drunk.
"Wha' are ya doing ere, heh?" he asked. He still had his sake cup with him and he sipped at it as he leered at Hikaru. She tried leaned as far away from him as she could and pinched her nose close. The stench he gave off was terrible!
"We're here to get some food and maybe find a place to sleep. Now go away before I do something about that horrid breath of yours," Inuyasha answered and made a point of examining his claws.
The man chuckled and stood. "Don't matter to me none what you're doing here. But staying in town is probably a good choice. What with what's been happening around here, it's not safe for people like you," he said.
"What do you mean?" Hikaru said.
The man stared at them in surprise. "Ya mean that neither of you have heard? Someone's been going around killing youkai." He made a slicing motion across his neck. "Ripping the bodies apart and consuming parts of them; the rest is left for us to find. Naturally, it takes a while for what's left of the bodies to actually stop moving. But we have grown accustomed to waiting," he replied. Having said that, he walked unsteadily back to his original table and rejoined his drinking companions.
Hikaru shivered in the warm air, "I'd rather not know what they do with the remains."
Inuyasha shrugged, "Probably take what they can and sell it for some profit. This is a trading town you know." Hikaru looked horrified; but Inuyasha hastened to explain. "Come on, sis, you have to admit that it can be hard for people to earn enough for food to last them the entire week. With all the fighting that's going on right now. These people have to do almost anything to survive. Even if that means looting a dying man's body for anything that they can sell here. This isn't a safe time for anyone right now, human or youkai," he said. He crossed his arms and leaned back from the table.
Juanyu returned to their table with a tray bearing what smelled like stew and water. He settled the tray on the table and took his seat. "I've heard some interesting things about this town," he said.
"Like what?"
"This village is being guarded by a youkai in a shrine not too far from here. And there are rumors of someone going around killing off small youkai in the areas beyond the village. I think that it might be a good idea if we stayed here for the night."
"We know, Juanyu. Any idea where we might get a place to stay for the night?" Inuyasha said. He and Hikaru ate their food with a little haste. The restaurant was making Hikaru nervous and Inuyasha wanted to find a safe place to sleep quickly.
After they had eaten, the bill was paid, and they left the restaurant. Each of them asked around and got the directions for the shrine. The plan was to see if they might spend the night there. It seemed the safest place to stay in the town. At any rate, it would be safer than trying to stay in the village.
The group reached the shrine without any difficulty. Night had fallen by now and the moon was climbing in the eastern sky. The shrine building itself was in good repair. Obviously the villagers still had some respect for the youkai that lived here and gave proper due. The inside was dark and empty when Hikaru knocked. The door had swung open with little prodding. Since there was no one to stop them, the group entered the room and made themselves as comfortable as they could. In the morning they would leave and continue on their way.
******
Further uphill from the shrine, the twins looked in anticipation and delight. Not only was there the shrine youkai to feast on, a pair of hanyou and a small youkai as well. This would certainly be a most memorable night!