A Father's Embrace
Chapter Eighteen
Accusation
After about an hour break for lunch, the group packed up and headed on their way. It was not long after that, that Maiki began to smell a peculiar scent in the air. It was faint at first, but she knew that it was the smell of something burning. A few more meticulous sniffs of the air, and the familiar twinge of the odor hit her. It reminded her of a bonfire. She realized that it was the smell of burning wood. 'Heh,' she smirked to herself, 'Was I supposed to expect it to smell like an electrical fire or something?'
"Does anyone else smell that?"
Sango and Miroku, who had been leading the group, paused and looked back questioningly at the teenage girl. To her right, Maiki could make out the matching expression on her mother's face as she, too, turned in response to the question. She could only guess at Kazuki's reaction, since he had taken a position behind Maiki, so that he could keep an eye on her at all times.
"Smell what?" Kagome prodded. Obviously no one else could smell it.
"Like something burning, or at least, like something had been burning. I just noticed it a few moments ago. It's getting a bit stronger, so I think we're headed towards the source."
Sango and Miroku turned to look at each other. The monk rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I'm certain that there's a village not far up ahead. If we follow this path, we should come upon it very shortly."
The exterminator nodded. "Yes. I don't see any smoke in the sky, so whatever it was that was burning, it's either a controlled fire or it had been put out long ago. But perhaps we should pass through the village on our way by. It couldn't hurt to make sure that nothing is out of the ordinary. What do you all think?"
"It sounds like a good idea to me," the monk agreed. Kagome nodded her approval as well. Remembering the little boy she had helped earlier, Maiki nodded as well. 'I wonder if Hiroshi is from the village up ahead. If so, at least I'll be able to see if he made it home okay.'
"Doesn't matter to me, I guess," Kazuki's nonchalant voice interrupted Maiki's thoughts.
"Alright, then I guess it's settled. We'll stop by the village to make sure everything is in order and then we'll continue on our way," Miroku replied, turning to face forward once again.
"Nibori-sama! Nibori-sama!" an adolescent male ran through the village, frantically calling out, catching the attention of villagers. The boy stopped short of the headman's house, panting and wheezing. A group of eleven armed men emerged from the house.
The last man approached the boy. "What is it, Shiro?"
"Yokai... headed... this way," Shiro explained in between deep breaths.
"Did you hear that?" muttered a man behind Nibori.
"Yes. Yokai!" whispered another. Nibori raised his hand, silencing the men.
"Shiro, did you get a good look at it?"
"Yes, Nibori-sama."
"And did it match the description of the yokai from last night?"
"Yes, Nibori-sama. A silver-haired yokai," the thirteen-year-old boy repeated. "But I must warn you, that it travels with humans."
"Humans? How many?"
"Four."
"Are they armed?"
"Yes. A boy, slighter older than I, carries a sword and a giant boomerang weapon. As does one of the women. The other woman carries a bow. The fourth human, a middle-aged man, has a staff. And the yokai also possesses a sword," informed Shiro.
"How far away are they?"
"They should be approaching the outskirts of the village within a matter of minutes."
Nibori turned to his men. "Alright everyone. Let's head towards the southern forest. We'll ambush them as they come out into the open. Now, let's move! Quickly! They'll be here momentarily!"
Not far ahead on the path, the forest opened up into an wide field. In the center, stood the small village that Miroku had mentioned. There was a slight haze over a few huts on the east side of the village, evidence that there had once been a fire in that direction. But it was still uncertain whether the fire had been accidental or controlled.
Stepping on her untied shoelace, and almost tripping as a result, Maiki paused a moment, kneeling down to tie her shoe. 'Stupid shoelace,' she grumbled. Feeling it was unnecessary, she didn't call out for her traveling companions to wait for her. She would catch up in a moment. Kazuki, who had stayed behind Maiki during the hike, was the only one who stopped for her. However, he did not do so as a courtesy. Rather, he did so because he simply did not trust her and insisted on keeping an eye on her.
Finished with her task, Maiki rose to her feet just as Miroku, Sango, and Kagome cleared the edge of the forest. It was also just in time to witness a group of about two dozen men spring out at them, swords drawn and poised threateningly at the trio. Most flanked Sango and Miroku while a few had grabbed Kagome from behind. Maiki and Kazuki were a good thirty feet behind their parents, frozen in utter shock at the turn of events. It was Miroku who spoke first.
"What is the meaning of this?"
One of the men, who had not yet drawn his weapon, calmly stepped forward. He glanced at Maiki momentarily, before turning to face the monk. "I find it odd that a monk, two yokai exterminators and," glancing at Kagome, "what appears to be a rather odd-looking miko, would chose to travel with an abomination such as that." He gestured towards Maiki. "Surrender the yokai, and my men shall release you."
"And why should we do that?" demanded Sango. The man, who obviously was the leader of the group, turned his attention to her.
"Not that it is really any of your business, but that beast attacked our village last night, killing much of our livestock and causing two of our huts to burn down. Now, surrender it into my custody, or I shall have to assume that you are accomplices to the crimes that the creature committed during the night."
Maiki seethed at the accusations. "I did no such thing! I've never even been to this village before!"
"Silence yokai! Nearly thirty of my people witnessed the atrocities you performed!"
"Just because they saw someone attack your village in the middle of the night doesn't mean that it was me! I have proof that I didn't attack your village! I was with my mother all night! Right, mama?" she shouted towards Kagome.
Before she could answer, the leader glared disgustedly at her. "You? Are its mother? What sort of miko dares to defile herself by bedding with a yokai? And spawns another of the vile cretins, no less? A miko? Hah! You're no better than a common whore."
Kagome winced at the venomous words, struggling to hold back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. Sango gasped at the man's audacity. Miroku's entire body tensed up, trying to keep his anger under control. Outnumbered as they were, it was not wise to further agitate these men, no matter how much he desired to defend Kagome's honor. Maiki, on the other hand, was livid. And there was no way she was going to show any restraint.
"You... bastard..." she growled loud enough for the man to hear. "You have no idea the shit my mother's had to go through over the years! Who the fuck are you to say such things!" Not thinking clearly, she grabbed for the hilt of the Tetsusaiga strapped to her left side.
"Ah ah! I wouldn't draw that weapon if I were you," tutted the man, "lest you wish something unfortunate to become of your mother."
At that, one of the men holding Kagome lifted his sword to rest against her throat. Maiki froze, ire quickly melting into fear. Given no other choice, she reluctantly relaxed her stance, dropping her hand away from the Fang. The leader smirked.
"Very good. Now, yokai, unless you surrender yourself to my men, there is no guarantee that your mother will make it away from my village alive. As for the rest of you, my men will be confiscating your weapons. I wouldn't be so foolish as to take your precious yokai from you and then leave you with a means of gaining her back, now would I? After you relinquish your weapons, you are free to go. Except for the miko-whore. We keep her until the yokai has been punished for its transgressions."
At the orders of their leader, the men stripped Kagome of her bow and arrows. Some of the men who had gathered around Sango and Miroku approached them, silently demanding their weapons. Reluctantly, the monk gave up his Shakujo. Sango seemed even less willing than her husband. She handed over her sword first, then untied Hiraikotsu from her back.
"Here," she said bitterly, shoving the giant boomerang towards a waiting captor. With the combined weight of the weapon and the force with which Sango shoved it at him, it nearly caused the man to fall over. One of his fellows caught him at the last moment. Both were left baffled and awestruck by Hiraikotsu's weight and the fact that Sango was able to lift it with ease. With the adults unarmed, four of the village men headed towards the irate Maiki and the contempt Kazuki.
"You heard what Nibori-sama said. Your weapons, or else the miko dies," warned the first of the three. Begrudgingly, Maiki handed over the Tetsusaiga despite her mother's silent pleas that she not give up the sword. The men then turned towards Kazuki. "Your weapons, brat."
The junior exterminator scoffed. "What makes you so certain that I'd attempt to rescue the shibunyo and the miko-baba?"
The men blinked, puzzled by his words. Then, the one who spoke before said, "It doesn't matter. You were given orders by Nibori-sama. Now hand over your weapons."
"With all due respect," Kazuki replied sarcastically, "but no, I don't believe I shall. I have no interest in saving this mongrel's hide. In fact, I wouldn't doubt it if she did attack your village last night."
"You little... Traitor!" Maiki protested, clenching her fists at her sides, struggling not to knock him upside the head. Kazuki turned his attention to her.
"Traitor? To be a traitor, I would have had to have been your ally first. And since I never considered myself so, then I cannot be considered a traitor. On the other hand, there's no proof that you didn't attack their village. You can't honestly say that your mother was awake the entire night with you. And, if you had indeed attacked their village, then it would certainly explain the sounds of someone coming and going from our campsite last night."
Maiki's eyes widened in surprise. 'He had been awake to hear -- whatever it was -- that had pilfered food from our camp last night! And now he's using that bit of knowledge to pin the blame on me! That bastard!' She gritted her teeth, glaring daggers at the boy.
Nibori interrupted the exchange, shouting at the men from his location at the tree line. "What's taking so long?"
One of the men called back, "Our apologies, Nibori-sama. The boy is being stubborn, though he did inform us that this yokai is in fact the one who attacked us during the night!"
Maiki gasped. 'That's not what he said!'
Nibori chuckled. "So, he shows no loyalty to his traveling companions, willing to sacrifice them for the sake of his own interests. Or perhaps, we simply aren't being persuasive enough."
He nodded to one of the men standing beside Sango. At the silent command, he branded a short sword, holding it to her throat in the same manner the other man had done to Kagome. Miroku moved to save his wife, but as he took the first step to go to her side, he was met with three swords pointed at his face. Helpless, he halted in his tracks.
Satisfied, Nibori then called out to Kazuki, "I think it's safe to assume that this exterminator means some sort of significance to you. At the very least, she is no doubt your mentor. If you do not give up your weapons, then both women will die."
The teenage boy gritted his teeth. With his own mother's life now on the line, he resentfully handed over his weapons. Falling back to regroup with the rest of their allies, the first man carried both swords from the teenagers while the other three men carried Akkiwareru.
"Very good," chuckled Nibori. "Now, yokai, you can come with us willingly, or you can say 'goodbye' to your mother. Which will it be?"
Maiki sighed heavily. It was all she could do to force back the tears of anger, fear, and frustration that threatened to well up. This was no time to cry. No time to get emotional. Not a time to show weakness. Defiantly, she held her head high and slowly approached the men, stopping ten feet from them.
"I'll go."
Nibori nodded with a satisfied smirk. With the exception of the one holding Kagome hostage, the men lowered their weapons. Nibori turned to Sango and Miroku.
"If you care anything for this miko, then you will not follow us into my village. Meddle in this affair, and she will die. When we are through with the yokai, she will be released. Understood?"
The monk and elder exterminator silently glared at the village headman. He simply grinned back at them.
"Good," he replied with satisfaction, then turned to his men. "Alright. Let's go."
Sango and Miroku watched helplessly as their friends were dragged away. Kazuki, on the other hand, couldn't care less for Maiki's welfare. His irritation was due to the threat on his mother's life and over the loss of his weapons. But all three vowed, that their dealings with this village were not over yet. Not by a long shot.
Nibori - rising to eminence
Shiro - fourth son
About the "relationship" between Maiki and Kazuki: Simply put, there is none.Kazuki and Maiki have mutual feelings of dislike for one another.Eventually, these negative feelings will wane, and they begin to tolerate each other.But they will not be falling in love or anything like that. Sorry if that disappoints anyone.