The forest provided excellent cover as the wanderers attempted to satisfy their curiosity. The occasional rumble that called to them lured them further, like the song of a siren. After a short distance, they stumbled across their first clue to their new mystery.

"It smells like," said Inuyasha, while hunkered to the ground, "there was a fire here, a foul smelling one. I think its black powder."

"It's a very strong odor," complained Shippo.

"Indeed," affirmed Sango, "even a human can smell it, and I wish we couldn't since it's so acrid."

Kagome conjectured, "Well, I don't see any signs of an explosion, or a fire for that matter."

"True," Miroku noticed. "Perhaps it was a kind of demon?"

"No," Inuyasha said with an air of disbelief, "whatever they are, they smells like humans."

Another crackling noise split the air, much closer than before.

"Weird," was all Shippo could say.

The group pressed on.

Realizing that they were nearing the source of the noise, Inuyasha gave his friends the slip. Two feet were much quieter than several. A quick announcement that he was going ahead and he was gone, into the trees.

The most recent roar was coming from only a few yards ahead. Slinking through the branches, Inuyasha grew tense with imminent discovery, and a potential fight. With as much effort as needed, he slowly eased himself through a tree that overlooked a new sound, voices.

Inuyasha didn't really think that they were voices at first. From the blindness of the trees, he thought it was more of a growling sound, or barking, as if from unintelligible monkeys. But, lo, as he looked to the path below he saw humans. The strangest he'd ever seen.

Their clothes were very coarse, perhaps made of wool. The garments they wore were of various shapes, to match the burly, small, portly, and gangly bodies that filled them. It was the details that made some of them more exotic than others. Some of the men below had ropes tied around their clothes. Others had leather skins, fastened by peculiar metal braces. Their footwear was entirely different altogether. Entirely leather, these articles of clothing completely encompassed their feet. These too were fastened by metal bracings. The men themselves were even more peculiar.

They all wore their hair loose, not a braid in the bunch. Not that they needed any. Many of them had cut their hair short anyway. Their hair, also, came in a rainbow of colors. Some had dark black or brown hair, which Inuyasha deemed normal for human hair. The rest had bright red or yellow hair.

There were two details that filled Inuyasha with a firm dislike of these strange men. Firstly, they gave off a stench that made the half-dog demon wrinkle his nose at them. Secondly, and most important, they were armed. Everyone had a blade. Some men were equipped with long straight swords that were double-edged. Two of these men were near some bushes, prodding the vegetation. There were several men carrying spears who assisted the first two. In addition to these weapons, Inuyasha spotted daggers and knives stowed away in their leather sashes and in their crude footwear. It was the larger majority that caught his eye.

Are those, he asked himself, clubs?

The investigator was staring intently at the heavy items slung over the shoulders of some of the men below. They were quite long, and were a peculiar construction of metal and wood. Attached to them were long, smoldering cords. Some of the men were actively holding the burning embers to their face and blowing on them, causing the weak sparks on the long cords to flare. Though some held their "clubs" to their side, to access the cords, others had them slung over their shoulders. All totaled, there were eighteen armed men below.

A stir in the bushes…

A man with a spear was waving and bellowing in a bizarre language. No sooner than the foreigner finished his call, than a lumbering beast, a small bear, came into the clearing. As it was similar in height to the men it had stumbled amongst, the bear was reason enough for humans to make a commotion. The swordsmen and spearmen formed a large circle around the bear, at least each man six feet apart from the other. The snarling creature knew better than to run against the blades, so it warily swayed amongst the walls of steel.

At this time, four of the men with clubs sprung into action. Taking a position inside the six feet of empty spaces open to them, they readied themselves.

They can't think they'll beat that bear to death, do they?

The strange performance became even more ridiculous to behold. Instead of raising the club overhead, the man brought the head of their clubs to their shoulders, craning their necks over the weapons. Some moments passed.

Inuyasha tensed in expectation of something. He just didn't know what.

Yet another thunderclap sounded from nearby. Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara were becoming anxious over their sixth. Though traveling more slowly than Inuyasha, they had found what he had gone in search of soon enough.

Also, in difference to their friend, they remained on the ground. However, they still had an overlooking position atop a rise in the ground. They soon marveled at the strangers below. Looking down, upon these coarse, hairy, men, everyone was dumbfounded. As if looking upon some newfound animal, the spectators were both repulsed and intrigued. At least, the majority were, there was a minority viewpoint.

Foreigners, Europeans, Kagome thought, and if that weren't enough; they're armed.

"Who are these strange men?"

Shippo's question brought Kagome out of her contemplation.

Miroku whispered, "Why did they kill that bear?"

A commotion was brewing below. From an adjoining path, two men with spears jogged back to join their associates. Quickly following, a horse trotted along. Atop this steed was a man of considerable importance, at least in comparison to the vulgar men around him.

Not born of these lands, this man had golden curls that draped over the back of his neck. His clothing was not as coarse as the rest, but it was still possessed that uncouth, foreign, air. His garments were tight to his body. Except around the thighs, the clothing he wore outlined much of his physique. Around his neck, a frilled collar made him appear ridiculous. The most ornate thing about him was his hat. Unlike anything seen on these islands, the hat was composed entirely of fabric. It was molded into a squat cylinder, with a broad brim with one side folded up. Pinned into the fold, three blue feathers gave an air of self-aggrandizement.

The man on horseback was calmly directing the men below him. As he was doing this, two more of the strange foreigners came into the clearing, carrying a long stave. The carriers demurely toted the pole, with a small menagerie of animals dangling from it.

"Who are these guys?"

Kagome nearly gasped loud enough to attract alien eyes and ears. Recovering from the shock Inuyasha caused her, she snapped, "Strangers that don't need to be bothered. Let's get away from them and I'll explain."

A universal nod assented to a peaceful exit. As they exited, Shippo glanced back to see that a fatter member of the group was speaking to the man on horseback.

"As you can see, Cap'n Marlowe, sir, the bear is a handsome catch, he is," the First Mate beamed of the dead ursine.

"That may be so," the imperious man judged. "But, I'm quite doubtful of the impression it will make upon his lordship. I've almost spent a year in these lands. The people here are more discriminating in their tastes than you are, especially in superstitions. That man-sized creature is good enough for a simple evening of baiting, but it is far from the ideal monster the locals conjure up to frighten themselves with. We must find something more exotic."

Once Marlowe made first use of the word "but", Crick's face faltered and the reluctant first mate knew that he must continue the walk through an alien terrain. A nervous twitch seized his foot, and he cast his eyes to the quivering appendage. A crooked smile formed as a sweat bead dribbled down his ruddy cheek.

"Well, Cap'n, I still think that…"

Marlowe leaned forward. Forming a very stern face he hissed, "Think that you know more about these heathens than I?"

Crick broke into a full sweat as the captain's insulted fury flared so close to him. This cowed Crick. After all, Captain Marlowe had first visited these lands as a hired hand aboard a Dutch ship, the Druon Antigonus, some time ago. The months spent in Japan had made him a qualified expert on the island and its people. Fluency in the language and a shrewd mind had elevated him to Captain for the English, once they arrived.

Lowering his head, Crick mumbled, "No, sir. Sorry, sir. We'll press on, sir."

"Very good."

Authority reaffirmed, Marlowe subsided. There was no need to overplay his hand.

"Captain Marlowe!"

The commander turned his attention to the speaker. A little ways off, along a low ridge, Marlowe spied out Thomas Samuels. Quite the opposite of Crick, Samuels was lanky and haggard. Samuels even liked his work.

Not that Crick hated his job. He preferred not to work too hard at it was all. This was the direct cause of their physical differences.

Samuels was second mate because he didn't mind working with his hands and strove to get his tasks accomplished. Moreover, he seemed content with his post. For Marlowe, this meant that Crick could never do Samuels's job, nor would the reverse prove successful. Presently, Samuels was studying an item, a tuft of fur, in his left hand, while he held his matchlock over his shoulder with the right.

"What have you found, Mr. Samuels?"

Marlowe's horse was already below the ridge. Not the one to revel in his elevated location, Samuels gazed down to his superior.

"It seems that there's a very strange creature lurking about."

"Really," Marlowe asked in mild interest. A statement from Samuels, of this nature, meant that he had found what the captain was searching for. "How strange does it appear to be?"

"Strange enough to have long strands of fur that smell of fire."

"Is that so," taunted Crick. "Couldn't it have been lurking about someone's cook fire?"

"Unlike you, Mister Crick," he wryly commented, "not every creature always has food on its mind."

As Crick grumbled and prepared to return the insult, Marlowe opted to intervene. Marlowe allowed for "tit-and-tat", but not before it could escalate into a control problem. He only allowed one round in a duel of words, especially between ranking crewmen.

"How long has it been since this creature left, Mr. Samuels?"

Samuels answered the captain, "Perhaps some time within the hour."

"Do you think it could be handled before dark?"

"Most definitely, sir."

"Very well then. Take a half dozen and seek it out. You may have something worth collecting."

"Sir!"

As six men scrambled up the ridge, Marlowe addressed Samuels again, "We'll be heading back to the castle. Will you be needing any torches?"

"No sir," Samuels responded to one of the captain's impromptu tests. "They would frighten away our prey. According to the charts, a new moon is scheduled for tonight."

Marlowe grinned, "Excellent."

"I was right, wasn't I?"

"Yes, Inuyasha, I suppose you were."

After traveling some distance away from the foreigners, the gaijin, Inuyasha resumed his belligerence, with some justification.

"So, it was a big waste of time after all."

"It's just as well," Miroku intervened. "The day is wearing thin and tonight's the night of the new moon."

"Right," added Sango. "Even if we found Naraku, we wouldn't be at our best."

"Especially you Inuyasha."

A loud "bop" frightened a few birds from their perches.

"That should teach you some manners!"

Shippo nursed his abrasion. Though he was often times more mature than Inuyasha, the fox-demon still lacked experience in tact. Sango at least said "we".

"Kagome," asked Sango, hoping to prevent further confrontation, "you said that you knew something about those strange foreigners."

"Uh-huh," she answered, "they're merchants and traders from Europe."

"Your up?" Inuyasha asked, screwing his face up in confusion.

"No," Kagome corrected, "Europe. It's a continent many, many miles away."

"What would these men from 'Europe' be doing here?" Shippo asked with a child's curiosity.

"Well, Kagome said they were merchants," Miroku conjectured, "they must mean to trade."

"Carrying weapons?" Inuyasha's biliously snapped. "I think they're trying to invade us. They've even brought some strange clubs that breath fire to accomplish the job."

"They're called 'guns'."

"Guns?" asked Shippo.

"Yeah," rejoined Kagome. "They're weapons developed by the Europeans. You already know about black powder, of course, since it comes from the mainland. But, the Europeans took the idea and developed it into something more advanced, at least for this era anyway. They're simple to use. They use black powder to fire small metal projectiles into their target, and they're pretty dangerous."

"I still think they're going to use them on us," Inuyasha dryly quipped.

"No," Kagome flatly retorted. She then rolled her eyes up into a look of contemplation, "If I remember my history correctly, they're here to sell those guns to the great lords at war with each other."

"That's awfully stupid of them," Inuyasha judged.

"Not necessarily," Miroku interjected. "If they find warlords willing to pay any price for these weapons, the Europeans can demand exorbitant fees."

"Just how powerful are these 'guns', Kagome?"

Kagome answered Sango's question softly, "They're very powerful. There are very few things that can stand up to a gunshot."

Kagome spoke with such a forceful honesty that the others were moved to silence. None of the others could really grasp the dangerous machines. Just what kind of threat did these Europeans present?

After some moments, Inuyasha grunted, "It's getting dark."

The day had been spent in a fruitless search. Dealing with regular people – at least in the fact they were non-magical "humans" – going about their usual business wasn't worth abandoning their main objective, no matter how short the delay may have been.

When the sun had set, Inuyasha underwent his temporary transformation, losing all of his demonic essence. Everyone was always a little edgier at this time of the month. Even Kirara slept in her transformed state, in case of an emergency. Shippo was given the first watch.

First watch is easy. Even a kid can handle first watch; unless, of course, there are certain complicating factors involved.

"Oh," Shippo groaned to himself. "I'm so hungry. I know I had dinner an hour ago… But, it wasn't enough."

Somehow, slipping more junk instead of eating a well-cooked meal never fills a stomach. Feeling sorry for his gut and its quick metabolism, Shippo began thinking of a solution to his dilemma. It was at that moment that the hungry urchin spied out Kagome's knapsack. A fiendish glint flashed in his eye.

"Hold on," Shippo caught himself. "It wouldn't be right of me to sneak food."

A furious stomach voiced its own argument.

"Oh," he groaned. "Still, Kagome won't know." An impish smirk crossed his face, "Especially if I get rid of the evidence."

Stealthily approaching the backpack, Shippo quietly opened the flap that covered the food. The fox-demon was satisfied in absconding with two sticks of jerky and two cookies. With secrecy essential to success, Shippo then disappeared into the bushes, hoping to find a spot to snack, without making any noise.

"Keep quiet men," Samuels whispered down the line.

Seven figures crept through the shadows, leery of the light up ahead. Judging by the signs and tracks left by the animal, it was possible that it had been traveling with people. How many? He couldn't say, but the closer they got made Samuels all the more brazen, even if he was a little wary of an unplanned confrontation.

The hunting party had traveled some distance, but had still remained in the lord's domains. Captain Marlowe always reminded these expeditions not to wander into another lord's territory. Such actions might offend a prospective buyer later. They were lucky. The animal was near the crackling fire up ahead. Perhaps it was a pet to some eccentric natives?

Carefully peeling back a branch, Samuels peered towards the light. The trek showed a heartening promise as it yielded the spectacle of the most unique creature any Englishman had ever seen.

A great and powerful cat lay by the fireside, its magnificent chest rising and falling in a deep slumber. Samuels could easily tell the pelt of the creature would be worth a fortune in London. If the natives couldn't consider this creature a "demon", then the captain should consider any purchase a lost cause.

Glances around the fire revealed that the animal had, indeed, been domesticated, somehow. Why else would it be sleeping so soundly in the company of others? Samuels scratched his chin, a sign of a dawning inspiration.