A Mere Servant

By: Angelwarrior1

Chapter 10: Tactics

Kagome and the others quickly made their ways about the palace, gathering mikos. It took hours to gather all of them and with guards attacking them right and left, things weren't going any quicker. Nightfall came as the last of the mikos were collected and just as everyone met up, a blast shook the palace grounds. Everyone turned to look at the disturbance.

"Oh no! It's the wolf demon tribe!" Inuyasha shouted over the roar of the blasts.

"What are we going to do now!" One of the scared mikos cried.

"Mother, grandmother, are you strong enough to erect a barrier!" Kagome turned to her mother and grandmother.

"Yes, we will assist you!" Kikyo quickly got into position, followed by Kaede.

"We must form a circle. Now link hands!" Kaede yelled in a rush.

Kagome, Kaede and Kikyo concentrated with all their strength and soon a barrier of great magnitude appeared around the palace. The barrier sparkled in an array of colors as their enemies attacks no longer hit the palace, but was absorbed into the barrier when they hit.

"Everyone inside!" Inuyasha led all the scared mikos back into the palace.

When everyone had run to safety, the three powerful mikos let go of each other's hands and retreated into the safety of the palace. As they ran in, Inuyasha closed the huge wooden doors behind them. He quickly traveled around the palace, checking for unsealed doorways and surviving guards. Several of his more loyal guards joined with him, while others chose death over joining his side.

"How long will that barrier last?" He quickly strode into the large room followed by the guards he had picked up along the way.

"For several hours if left unattended. We will mend it at dawn as well as every six hours after that." Kaede sat on the floor as the mikos listened to her every word. One fragile looking young miko stepped forward and timidly kneeled in front of Kaede.

"What shall we do elder? We will surely parish with the palace under attack."

"We will fight."

All eyes turned to Kagome, who stood regally amongst her peers.

"We do not know how! You know not of what you speak! All of our lives shall parish thanks to your little rebellion!" An angry young miko stepped forward.

"You are the one that knows not of what you speak! Would you rather live in shackles till the end of your days! Well I would rather die then continue on in such a miserable existence! It is that kind of thinking that will lead to the end of our kind! Have you no spirits left?" Kagome began to walk around the room.

She looked every miko she passed in the eye, not letting them shy away.

"Have you no will to fight left in you? What kind of existence will we lead if we continue on in this manner? We've watched our sisters die before our eyes! And our brothers have no sooner taken their first breath before dying simply for being born! And for what? To please them, the one's that have held us for generations in chains! Let me inform you of a few things. We are the powerful ones, not them. Why do you think they've kept us in chains for so long? It's because they fear us! They feared the power that lurked inside me and let me tell you that the same power is hidden deep inside of every one of you. You just have to bring it out." Kagome smiled at a miko the same age as herself.

"I can do some of the things you can?" She demurely looked up at her through hooded eyes.

"Yes, you just have to find your powers."

"How do we do that?" Another miko, who looked a little older than Kagome asked.

"My mother, grandmother and I will train you all. It will be difficult, but I know every single one of you can do it if you do your best. So will you live to fight another day or will you simply lay down and die?" Kagome looked around with a serious expression.

The timid young miko that approached Kaede before stepped forward.

"I will fight."

Slowly another miko took a step forward.

"I will as well."

Gradually more and more miko stepped up, until finally all the mikos walked toward Kagome.

"Then the work begins." Kagome looked over at her mother, grandmother and finally Inuyasha who nodded knowingly with a small smile.