Antiquity's Rune

Chapter Two: Coming into The Nightmare

Kagome tilted her head, her long black hair shifted against the black skirt she wore as she looked up at the sky; it was full of stars, she was definitely in Feudal Japan but thinks seemed strange, even from inside the well. With easy movements she pulled herself up and out of the well; sitting on the edge her chocolate brown eyes scanned the area, there was something very wrong here. Cold chills in the air made the air on her arms and she wrapped them around her body, her gaze shifting from left to air. What was that in the air? Frowning she shifted the backpack so that she could carry it on both shoulders and slowly she pulled away from the well stepping onto the dieing grass of her once beautiful feudal Japan.

Grimacing slightly Kagome decided that her best course of action would be to head to the village, perhaps the miko there could help her and tell her what had happened here. Something…strange was hanging in the air that she just couldn't place her finger on. It only took her about 15 minutes to reach the village and the feeling of dread within her drew as she moved over a hill, once reaching the top she paused, her eyes widening in disbelieve and shock.

"Wha…."

Kagome's heart sunk deep within her as the colour drained from her face,

"Where….where is Kaeda's Village?"

The village wasn't there, maybe she would have reacted differently if it had been brunt to the ground or torn down…but it just wasn't there. As if it had never been there. Looking around her she had to make sure...was this the spot? Of course it was she hadn't been gone that long that she would forget. Something in the air made Kagome feel sick to her stomach, there was something dark that clung over the spot where the village and once been. Standing in her spot Kagome wasn't sure what to do. She had imagine coming to his village and seeing the people from her past and being directed to the problem at hand but now, she was lost as of what to do. Should she go back into the well in hopes of returning home or continue on alone? Shifting the pack against her back her brown eyes narrowed slightly as she stared down at the field. There was something very wrong here and it was up to her to find out...even if she had to do it alone.

With a small frown she made her way down the slope of the hill, pausing for a moment as she entered the section of field where the village should have been. Kagome shivered as a chill crawled along her flesh and her eyes quickly canned the area. There was definitely something sinster going on here. Softly her voice drifted along the air as she talked to herself, asking the question she could ask no other,

"What happened here?..."

If the village was gone did that mean everyone who had once lived in the village was gone? Was Inuyasha gone? Kikiyo as well? Shifting she bent low to the ground to take a closer look at a flower that was growing in the field with many others of it's kind. It was like nothing she had seen before; a little like a rose yet the petals were much bigger and it had a small golden center that appeared to be an orb. Slowly her hand reached out to touch the flowers sparkling center, her fingers inches away,

"No! Don't touch it!"

It seemed out of nowhere a little girl, no more then ten years old, appeared. She was dressed in a miko's white and red robes, her hair was black and pulled up into pigtails, which were tied with red ribbons. Kagome was taken aback, the young girl appeared to be in good health and well but what was she doing here, frowning Kagome with drew her hand from the flowers golden center,

"Who are you? Where did you come from?"

The young girl paused, her eyes widening in uncertainity as her small hand moved to touch the bow on her shoulder,

"I'm Miru (Mee-roo), Miko...I was sleeping underneath the tree..."

Kagome shifted slightly against the ground as she stood to her feet, she was slightly bewildered by the girl. Surely a girl so young couldn't be a priestess or in such a place alone,

"What...What are you doing alone here? For that matter what has happened here? Where is Kaeda and Kikiyo?..."

Her voice caught slightly in her throat as her hand clenched into a fist at her side,

"Where is Inuyasha?"

--

Miru sat across from the girl in the strange clothing, so far they hadn't really talked and Miru had avoided answering her questions but she had done her duty and taken her out of the Cursed Field and once again she sat underneath her large tree, supplies littered the area. Shifting in her spot she looked over her shoulder, she wondered when her mother and father would be back, she didnt' want to wait in this cursed area much longer...and definitely not with the strange girl,

"I asked you a question...actually i asked you several, i'd like some answers."

Miru cringed slightly at the tone of the girls voice, it was slightly upbeat and friendly but she could hear the underlining tension, she hadn't asked for answers to those questions she had asked, she had demanded them. The thing was, Miru wasn't sure... the girl seemed harmless enough at times but then there were times when she could feel this power run through her, this girl wasn't an ordinary person, that was for sure. Looking up from the small fire she had rekindled Miru smiled weakly,

"What was your name again?...I don't think you've told me...and...I would rather wait until my mother and father got here before we talked. They know more then i do..."

Miru watched the girl shift with irritation at the mention that they should wait from for her parents and her voice came out as a chilly whisper, enough to make Miru pull her robes closer to her body,

"Then i think i shall wait to give you my name."

Alright, so the wait with this girl wasn't going to be very pleasant but she had to be sure and sometimes her powers just wasn't enough to tell if this girl was evil...or good.

--

Kagome shifted in her spot, she was irritated and alittle more then upset, this girl knew something about what had happened, yet she was refusing to tell her anything, but of course she wasn't going to try to force it out of the girl and she knew she was being horrible rude. It was unlike her but she had to know what had happened and the longer she waited the tighter the knot got in her stomach, the more closer she came to screaming. Softly she whispered as she looked into the flames of the fire, she didnt' except an answer...but she had to ask,

"What happened here...?"

From behind her, she got her answer, two people covered by the darkness of the night stepped into the light of the fire,

"It was Inuyasha..."