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Strangled Time

Chapter 32

Heat transferred from the ceramic mug in her grip to the palms of her hands and tips of her slender fingers, slowly moving up her arms to recharge her drained battery. Bobbing stem in the steaming liquid retreated as far away from the edge as possible when she tilted the cup to take a sip. Hot tea warmed her chest and then her stomach, relaxing her even as their demon hostess stared wide eyed from behind the half wall on the other side of the room. Kernels of roasted rice made the drink nutty, filling, and well worth the stop.

"That thing he said this mornin,' is that what's been eatin' you?"

"About the village kids?" Kagome glanced up at the large man sitting cross-legged across from her, his own tea left untouched on the table by the kettle. He nodded. Shaking her head, the young woman peered into her cup to avoid counting the faces that were watching her every move with interest.

"No." She eventually replied. "I'm just a little overwhelmed, is all."

"I don't blame ya." Saburo said in a heavy tone that drew her attention back to the blacksmith. His focus was roaming about the room, slowly picking out the people trying too hard to be inconspicuous and checking every nook and cranny of the space for traps. Posture slouching lower to the table, as if that would get him out of the public eye, Saburo lowered his voice to a rumbling whisper. "What with you bein' the priestess of destiny and all, it's no wonder they're curious. It aint hard to know yer different. Better them lookin' from a distance than comin' right up, though. Right? Else we'd never get outta here."

"Priestess of—" Kagome burnt her tongue on her tea. She made a show of blowing away the steam that was hovering over the mug to hide just how badly she'd hurt herself. "Right, yeah. It can really attract a crowd once word gets around."

She forgot about that. To get around telling Saburo the truth of her time travel, she had made up some excuse about being able to predict the destinies of influential people and demons as if she were some sort of prophet.

Gods, he thought she could see the future.

"Don't you worry, Miss Kagome. Ain't no one's gonna bother you; not while I'm here. I'll make sure of it." His voice was still hushed, but the hand he held up to shield them from the rest of the room and sniggering onlookers was the furthest thing from low-key. It was clear to see why Ichiro was the better business broker of the brothers. "You say the word and I'll scare 'em off like the flies they are."

The time traveler had to set down her drink and touch her lips to keep from laughing. That poor, sweet, innocent man. Not only did he think that she could see the future, but he thought they were being stalked by paparazzi.

Paparazzi, demons, they were pretty much the same thing, right?

Except maybe that one had a soul and the other had a camera.

To keep from complicating things when they were already such a mess, Kagome continued to play along. What he didn't know wouldn't hurt him. It wasn't right to keep in Saburo the dark, especially after coming all that way for her, but it was in everyone's best interests, she justified. For now.

She promised herself that she would straighten things out and stop lying at some point, just… not until after they left the demon village and got him away from stress inducing kitsune like Yuugo. Lest he punch the wrong being in the face by mistake.

"Okay." Kagome replied to his terms with a playful smile. "Just make sure you wait for me to say the word first."

He agreed, locking his turbulence behind an imaginary safe word that she would never invoke.

…

There was a sound that didn't belong in the streets of their peaceful village. A whimper, a cry. It was so strange, foreign even, but Kagome knew what it was. She locked onto the slight whine—that barest of mewls—and sought after it. Past vendors and shops, she chased the noise. Through the streets she turned down an alley which lead out to a more residential area. She wouldn't rest until she found the source.

And then she did.

"Miss Kagome!" Saburo called out, finally catching up to her with panting breath.

Shushing, she waved him over to the spot where she was hiding behind a tall bush. Then she peered around it to the yard beyond.

"Look." Kagome whispered in awe, enlightening him to her discovery. "She has a baby."

Saburo glanced around to where a woman was sitting on her deck and cradling a fussy infant to her bare bosom. He pulled away sharply, turning a vibrant tomato color.

"Uh, yep." He agreed, refusing to look at the priestess. "Yep she does."

"Don't you know what this means!?" Kagome moved back from the shrub and shifted from foot to foot with glee.

"It means that... the baby was hungry?"

"No!" She whisper-shouted with a lunatic smile. "It means there's a baby in the village!"

Saburo nodded very, very slowly.

"Yep." He repeated. "Yep it does."

…

A single bead of liquid slid down the neck of a freshly opened jug from the side of the lip where he'd poured his first glass. Moisture shown slick against the dry matte porcelain like a solitary road of glossy glaze. It seemed to be a good brew—clear and crisp with a pleasant aroma. He had yet to take a sip, but he imagined that it was quite delicious and deserving of its rich honey hue.

Sake was always best enjoyed after battle. Successful battle. When the naturally more resilient tolerances of demons were weakened and morale was high. Revelries among triumphant allies often led into the high light of the days following victory and were used as an excuse for indulgence to those who would otherwise not feel the effects of their alcohol so strongly.

Togashimaru had been one of them, frolicking in the festivities after battles long fought and yielding to desire. The birth of his eldest son hadn't changed that very much, except the demon Lord found himself to be more persnickety about his drink choices; choosing refinery and flavor over sheer strength. What started out as more a semblance of maturity than a true change in taste eventually turned to honest preference. Togashimaru found that he rather enjoyed alcohol of a more delicate nature.

And that he had a bit of a sweet tooth.

Plum wine was perhaps not the most appropriate of drink for what he had intended it for—he certainly wasn't in the position to reward a victory—but if he was going to drink something then by the blood of the damned he was going to drink something that he liked.

It wasn't very often that the once powerful demon Lord had reason to acknowledge a battle lost.

Lifting the jug once more, Togashimaru poured out a second cup of the syrupy sweet liquid and set it down on the deck beside him. He listened to the voices chattering over the fence in the streets beyond and to the leaves rustling on the wind. A fox barked in the distance; a sound that could have easily been mistaken for a pet dog.

He took that time to think about all of the men he'd lost when the dragon clan recanted their alliance. Confederates, associates, even friends, stolen by the backstabbing hand of Ryukotsusei and his brethren. That night should have been spent in revelry, marking both the births of a new treaty and of a new prince. Instead it had been painted black with blood, death, and betrayal.

Years had passed since that day and lives have moved forward, yet for him it'd been barely more than a full cycle of the moon's face.

Still far too much time to have gone without a proper memorial.

Togashimaru raised his glass and clicked it against the porcelain of the second. "To a valiant battle." He whispered. "And a noble end."

Then he took a drink in honor of all that had been lost on that day, ally and enemy alike.

For Ryukotsusei, for his own companions, and for himself.

…

"What do you think?"

Togashimaru ran his hand down the smooth shaft of the simple black lacquer bow as the priestess sat before him. She was trying hard to stay still, but there was anticipation on her face and her foot was jittering. From the looks that she kept shooting towards Saburo it was clear that she really wasn't focused on the weapon, but didn't want to talk freely in front of the human man about what was really plaguing her mind.

So, she figured it out that quickly, did she? That was quite the feat in a village so well concealed.

But, of course, he should have expected nothing less from Kagome.

She only continued to impress him.

Extending the bow forward, the dog demon moved his sake cup to a safer location behind his knee before plucking the waxed string and testing the pull. The wood reeked of kitsune. The bowstring itself tingled with the barest thread of demonic energy interwoven in its braided hemp cord. Simple, subtle, hopefully wouldn't snap the first time Kagome tried channeling her purity through it. It was good.

Togashimaru shuddered when he just barely got the string to his chin and an electric jolt of pain cracked down his side. Grunting, he released the tension slowly. It was more of a strain than he had expected. The bow was tight.

With a grace that well hid his pain he held it back out to its new owner. "Are you certain that you will be able to handle the draw? It seems to be quite heavy, compared to your previous bow."

Kagome took it from him and frowned. "Just a little bit." She said. And then she tested the draw for herself, pulling the string back to her ear with the ease of a seasoned master. "It shouldn't take too long for me to get used to."

She made it look effortless.

That was the moment when he realized just how weak he'd grown in his injured state. The very same movement that Kagome could perform with ease had been near debilitatingly painful for him to carry out. He—the mighty demon general, Togashimaru of the West—had been bested in might by a tiny human woman.

Discomforted, the dog demon reached out of habit to rest his hand on the hilt of one of his swords, seeking the support they brought; only there was no sword on his person. His hand fumbled, nearly tipping over his sake cup, which he grabbed instead.

Togashimaru looked up and met the eyes of the blacksmith across the room.

Saburo turned away, feigning politeness like the fake bastard he was.

Togashimaru resisted the urge to throw the cup at him. His grip tightened around it.

"Toga?"

Kagome's voice reminded him to breath. The priestess was watching him, expression open with concern and bow held to a lesser importance in her hands.

Pointing to it with his drink, Togashimaru brought her attention back to her new weapon and took a sip of his alcohol as if he hasn't just about panicked like a pup missing their favorite security fur. "That piece is durable. It should withstand strain better than any other you held in the past. That string, however…" He tapered off.

"Yeah, I noticed that." Kagome responded. She plucked the taut cord like a harp and made it strum. "I tried lighting it up back at the shop and it held no problem. But it didn't do anything special, either. Not that I expected it to."

Togashimaru nodded. The futuristic teen had fought alongside Tetsusaiga for years; it was only natural that she had an intimate knowledge of the blade's workings. Most demon wrought weapons could not be brought to their fullest power unless held by someone of demonic blood. The exceptions to that rule for some—like Sou'unga—were humans who had fallen under the possession of their demon blade, or whose hearts were tainted black with evil. Neither were a problem for Kagome; the demonic energy coursing within that bow was not nearly strong enough to possess a field mouse, let alone a person, and her heart was quite possibly the least polluted thing he'd ever come across in his four thousand years of life.

"But, I don't know, maybe it'll like me. It might help to have a little extra spark." She sounded hopeful. "Think you might be able to show me how to unlock it?"

Not wanting to completely dash her aspirations, Togashimaru offered a gentle smile.

"I can certainly try." He promised her, even though they both knew it likely wouldn't do any good. "Be sure, it will make for an impressive companion, even conveying your natural abilities alone. You have made a fine choice, Kagome."

Flushing, the priestess clutched the black bow close to her chest and sought confirmation of his approval. "You really think so?"

Gladly and truly, the demon affirmed his commendation.

"I really do."

…

Five more steps to the door.

Three more steps to the door.

The sounds of Saburo's heavy bare feet against the wood floor were unusually loud as Kagome watched the blacksmith leave the room in search of early evening snacks.

Okay, maybe watching was a bit of an understatement. She was downright staring at him out of the corner of her eye like a dog that caught sight of a squirrel and wanted desperately to chase it out of her yard, but was trained not to.

One more step to the door.

It slid open.

The instant the sliding door clicked shut behind him Kagome was up on her hands and knees, scrambling to the other side of the room. Toga sat there with one leg bent, looking both formal and cool as he played his fancy game of checkers.

"So." She said, settling in before him for an audience. Any attempt at casualness was devoured by a chittering, excitement begot impatience. "Demon village, huh?"

She'd figured out the town's secret hours ago and had been dying to bring it up to Toga ever since, but Saburo had taken so dang long to leave!

"It appears so." Toga replied without looking up from his game board. He set down another white stone.

Kagome didn't let his apparent indifference dissuade her. He knew what was up.

"But there are no kids here."

"Oh?"

"Nope, not a single one in this entire village. I looked everywhere I went. Curious, right?"

Toga spared a glance to raise a delicate silver brow in her direction. His choppy bangs tried to hide the smirk on his lips, but she saw right through his sneakery.

"Curious indeed." He said before turning back to his game.

"But it's not!" Kagome exclaimed suddenly, smacking her hands down on the floor in front of her with enthusiasm. Several of his stones bounced off from their spot on the board. One rolled its way to her knee. "It makes perfect sense! You know why?"

He humored her prompt. "Why is that?"

"Because I saw a baby!"

Amused, the dog demon finally extricated himself from his game to give the priestess his complete and undivided attention. Crossing his arms within the sleeves of his yukata, Togashimaru met her with an airy grin.

"And why would finding an infant cause a childless village to be any less of a curiosity, Kagome?"

"It didn't at first." Kagome replied with a flippant shrug. She was going to draw out her detective moment as dramatically as she possibly could and relish the feeling of solving her own mystery movie plot. The answer had been simple, once she thought about it. One might even say elementary. But she was proud of her discovery.

"In fact," She continued. "It made the whole thing even weirder. I mean, why would there be an entire village of demons, but only a single baby among them? Demons have kids just like humans do, right?" She straightened and scooted a bit closer before he could answer that rhetorical question.

"It's because this isn't just any demon village." She declared, voice low. "This is a kitsune village! They have kids; they're just all away at the illusion school learning their powers!" Again she inched closer. "Right!?"

Silently, the dog demon studied her. Kagome was wound up tighter than a spring from her great reveal and hanging onto the edge of her seat. She was right, right? That just had to be the reason! Come on, man, just say it! All he needed to do was say—

Toga huffed.

Kagome blinked, thrown off guard.

Then his breath turned into a rich and hearty laugh. When he turned up to face her he was wearing a heart-melting smile that was the perfect blend of impressed and proud.

"Clever girl." He finally said once the bulk of the laughter had subsided.

Kagome threw her arms up in the air in absolute triumph.

"Yes!" She cried, almost literally. "I knew it! First there was the kid thing, then Yuugo, the weapon guy—Oh my god can that guy talk! You're never going to believe what he kept calling me. And I'm pretty sure he was this close from actually trying to eat me. He wanted my liver! Then there was the baby and everything just—Wait." The excited priestess tripped herself up and slumped back down to pin the dog demon with a prying stare. "Is our innkeeper a—?"

Kagome never got the chance to finish asking that question, because Saburo had taken it upon himself to walk in at that very moment to interrupt them, once more sliding the door open and stepping in before announcing his arrival. It was okay, though. He had snacks.

Another time, then.

Kagome looked at Saburo's bewildered expression and then over to Toga's mischievous look of innocence as he reset his game of Go. She would get her answers soon enough.

Until them they were just going to enjoy their stay under the protection of a village filled to the brim with lots and lots of foxes.

End Chapter