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Strangled Time

Chapter 43

When Kagome fell asleep that night she fell swift and deep. Drained emotionally, physically, and spiritually, there was no way that she would have made it through a guard watch, so Saburo offered to take first lookout. Curled up on the ground in her deep swathes of kimono silks as she was, Saburo envied her. Beyond the troubles of her waking life, the young woman finally looked at peace.

He didn't know how she could do that—how she could sleep so restfully after such an encounter. The blacksmith supposed that when events and battles like that were everyday occurrences to a traveler like her, they weren't as jarring in the long term. She'd seen worse and would continue fighting on; it was only the dog demon she'd been so on edge about, not the creatures actively trying to kill one of them.

For Saburo, though, there was no way that he was going to see a blink of sleep on the top of that steep hillside. Not when he'd just learned the sorts of beasts that could be stalking them from the distant shadows of the forest.

No. Not stalking them.

Stalking Togashimaru.

They were predators out hunting to fill their gullets and in his current state the fucking demon General was easy pickings. How many more would come after them as the dog declined? How many more times would Kagome have to run herself into the red zone before the guy died? Just how much of all that could Togashimaru take before he snapped to his primal self and turned on them?

The thought filled Saburo with a rush of horror.

It wouldn't take much for the human man to just put an end to it before it even happened. It would be easy. He could even dispose of the body before Kagome woke up; there were plenty of ravines and cliffs about.

He could call it an accident, could call it the call of nature—yeah, Toga must have wandered off in the middle of the night to find a comfortable place to die, like something a beloved pet would do.

Right there, right then, he could finally bring the beast's reign of terror to an end.

Just do it.

"Do you think me unable to recognize the sound of my own sword being pulled from its sheath?"

Saburo's eyes widened. His heart thumped hard against his sternum. In his hands was the cream hilted blade. He didn't remember picking it up. At his feet, staring up at him from beyond the tip of the tachi, gold eyes burned.

"Well?" Togashimaru dared him.

Swallowing hard and unable to find his usual wit, Saburo stammered. "Y-yer awake."

"I never truly fell asleep."

"Ah…huh."

Of course he'd been awake the whole time, that terrifying inhuman bastard.

Unconcerned by the sword still held tight and close in the human's hands, Togashimaru rolled away to face the other direction. He stared towards Kagome's sleeping form, so quiet and in need of rest. "Whilst I sleep is the time when my mind is most haunted by memory." He admitted softly, so not to wake the priestess.

Up and down in a ragged rhythm, the demon's chest rose with his each pained pulse.

It hurt to watch.

Eyes pinched and heart conflicted by rage and pity, Saburo's breaths rolled in waves that pounded increasingly faster and faster against his breaker walls. Huge hands tightened to the hilt. It raised against his volition, point aimed for the prone man's jugular. Then with one final hiss, Saburo sucked all of the surrounding air into his lungs and held it.

And held it.

Red faced and pissed that he couldn't scream out loud, the hulking craftsman brought the sword down as hard as he could. With it his chest decompressed in a gust. The blade sliced clean through the white stuffing of Kagome's traveler's bed and into the dirt beneath.

It missed Togashimaru's skin by a mere width of wheat.

By the gods, Saburo could not bring himself to do it.

He was a sorry fool.

The blacksmith leaned forward against the propped sword and closed his eyes. "What're we doin' here?" He asked, lost.

Togashimaru hummed. There was a trace of amusement in the sound that by all rights shouldn't have been there. "I am currently resting but will soon continue to follow a cold trail in search of the woman I love. You? I do believe that you are attempting an assassination by beheading—incorrectly, I might add. It is not generally customary to engage your victim in conversation beforehand."

Unable to help himself, Saburo let out a little crazed laugh.

"Yeah, I guess that was kinda th' kicker ta my failin's, huh?" He paused, and then asked, "So are ya gonna kill me fer this?"

For a moment Togashimaru was silent and still. Then he shifted. Still not looking to the human he replied, "No. Although I do believe that you and I need to settle a few grounds before we proceed."

"Grounds?"

"I have come to realize what your purpose for being here is—it pertains to the completion of certain tasks with which I require assistance. I had been planning to ask foryour corporation, but now I feel as though your compliance will be mandatory."

"So… you want me ta be some sort of lackey?"

"Think more of it as being a retainer."

Saburo slid further down until he could feel the pommel of the hilt press hard against his forehead. He tried to wrap his mind around Togashimaru's words. They sounded familiar somehow. Falling free from the folds of his collar, the heavy stone of his necklace dropped down to sway. "Why me, though? I just tried ta kill you."

"That is being rather generous to your capabilities."

"Why not Kagome? She's already yer guardian. You're teachin' her ta fight with a sword and she'd go ta th' ends of the world ta save yer sorry ass. Wouldn't she be th' better choice ta help ya out with yer stuff?"

The noise the dog demon made to that was gruff and followed up with a slow exhalation.

"I do not wish to harm Kagome anymore than I already have and already will. Her knowing my wishes before the correct time would only succeed in doing just that. She is already under enough tension. On the other hand, burdening you does not only relieve that additional weight from her shoulders, but it would also grant me a small measure of entertainment to see you contesting with your human moralities."

"And just why do ya think I'd say yes ta doin' this fer ya?"

Togashimaru chuckled. "Because if you do not I will tell Kagome just how her sleeping bag came to host such a strange new hole."

Saburo's eyes popped open and he stared in horror down at the evidence he'd punctured through the bedroll.

"Also, because you have already been assigned the part." The dog demon propped himself up then and twisted to reach up a hand. With a strength that Saburo didn't expect from the weakened General, Togashimaru wrapped his dangerously clawed fingers around the green magatama stone on the necklace cord and pulled Saburo down further to his level. "By Ma Kilin."

Before Saburo could struggle, Togashimaru released, sending the blacksmith and sword stumbling backwards. Saburo clutched at his stone and pearls to ensure that they were still in place around his neck.

Curse it all.

The innkeeper.

Had he sworn himself to be a demon's retainer that first time he met alone with the kilin woman? He had vowed to her that he would protect and follow all instructions of the man pretending to be their father. At the time it'd been a stupid and innocent thing to say—he was just playing his part of their ruse as the dutiful son. But to her? To the eyes of a powerful, influential demoness, and in regards to a former demon Lord?

Had he been tricked into pledging fealty?

"That doesn't count. I don't owe you nothin' from that."

"Oh? So you had spoken with Maki on the matter?" Togashimaru lounged back then, his fang-bearing smile was a barbarically twisted entrapment. "Do tell."

…

Kagome scowled down at the sleeping bag she'd been rolling up. From behind she poked two fingers through the hole to the front and wiggled them. How in the world? A rock, maybe?

It became silent. Too silent.

She looked up at the boys by the fire. They'd both been staring at her, but quickly turned back to their food when she caught them.

Well that wasn't suspicious…

Lips puckering to a frown, Kagome narrowed her eyes at them as she finished bundling the bedroll and tied it off with its elastic bands. They remained the perfectly innocent traveling pair the entire time.

Weirdos.

…

There was a bit of a smell coming from the skewered serow. It was a smelly smell, the kind of smelly smell that smelled... smelly. Kagome scrunched up her nose as she tossed the carcass down the hill and slapped her hands to brush away the grime that hadn't started to form yet.

It wasn't a big loss, she reminded herself as she walked back to camp, they still had food from the village and she could hunt again thanks to her new bow. She just felt bad that Saburo's first game kill had mostly gone to waste.

Stepping over to kick out what remained of the damp fire pit—because only she could prevent forest fires—Kagome caught the sight of Toga straightening his clean white and burgundy robes. It made her kind of happy that it was his other, darker set that had suffered the mudslide. She really liked his crisp maple leaf getup. It looked great on him.

When he flinched, the priestess frowned. She hadn't gotten a chance to check to see of his wounds had reopened in the mess the night before; it'd been too dark. Kagome dropped everything, shifted direction, and started for him.

"Hey, let me check that out. You didn't tear stitches, did you?" Kagome asked.

Togashimaru didn't look up at her. Instead he replied with a breezy, "That will not be necessary. Your craftsmanship remains intact."

He was brushing her off. Kagome didn't like that. "No, let me see it." She pushed forward. "I haven't seen your wound in like three weeks. I want to make sure it hasn't gotten infected or anything."

"I have been tending to it properly." The dog demon retaliated, but he had backed himself into a tree. He was hiding something. "Everything is well, Kagome. The only injury I suffered against the moryo had been to my pride."

"Liar. You have no pride."

Without an invitation, Kagome pulled apart the folds of the large man's haori. From across the clearing Saburo had stopped whatever it was he was doing to stare with huge, dinner-plate sized eyes. Togashimaru looked up and away from the top of her head.

Kagome froze.

"Toga, this is… Oh my god." She peaked beneath a white bandage. "…You should have told me. This…"

The mightiest demon General looked down at the bare expanse of his own chest and winced.

"Toga, this is looking great." Kagome breathed out with a huge smile. "It's clearing right up. You almost don't even need the stitches anymore! Why didn't you tell me? I was worried sick about this! Holy cow! Alright then!"

Still smiling, Kagome straightened back his robes to fold in the right places and recover his pale, clean skin. "Sorry about that." Patting his sternum, she was nearly giddy. "I'm just going to go… yeah. Wow, yeah."

Nearly skipping, the young woman got back to work cleaning up their campsite, leaving Toga standing there against the tree as if she hadn't just accosted him like a tiny tornado. She was so elated. Toga's wound was nearly healed—the skin around it had returned to its normal color and all of his smaller scrapes were gone.

Toga was getting better!

Things were finally, finally, for the first time in weeks, looking like there could be a light shining at the end of the tunnel. Toga's body was healing.

She could have sung!

Instead, she whistled.

In her joy, as Kagome puttered about, she missed the shared look between the two tall men. She missed the dark scowl that crossed Toga's expression and the tight-lipped surprise that haunted Saburo. And neither one of them spoke up to break the bubble that was carrying Kagome higher into the sky, lifting that dark burden from her soul.

…

Breath loosed, Togashimaru's gaze followed after Kagome in shock. Briefly he turned to the blacksmith, then back to himself.

From his pocket he pulled his little green leaf.

Suspicions were confirmed as the glowing charm faded to a dull, dead brown beneath his fingertips before crumbling to dust on the bitter cold wind.

Hand empty, the dog stared disbelievingly into it.

He had been given a single illusion.

Now it was gone.

Listening to Kagome's tune and feeling the psychological weight that had been lifted from both her mood and aura… Togashimaru could not say for certain whether or not the honest mistake of his accidental invocation had been a bad thing.

…

Walking was excruciating without the medication to numb the electricity radiating from the near black and festering wound at his side, but Togashimaru did not want to ask Kagome for another one of the confiscated painkillers. It was not that he was unwilling to humble himself for assistance, but that he did not want the priestess to realize that the state of his healing had been an illusion.

She was rather more enjoyable when she was not panicking.

That being said, the mighty dog demon was not above asking for them to take a short rest. Kagome had already feigned her imaginary foot ailment twice that morning, and as much as he enjoyed all of her theatrics that accompanied the routine, Togashimaru wanted her to know that he was capable of acknowledging his own limits—especially now that she was keeping him on a strict timetable with the pills.

Kagome had skipped into a flurry when he asked that they pause for a drink, her mood still high on false reassurances. She'd helped him to a log and dug out her empty water bottles from Saburo's bindle before disappearing in search of springs.

A gloom took over the moment the cheery yellow canary of her personality bobbed out of view.

The woods themselves were beautiful and bright, with a gentle dusting of snow and flurries drifting through golden sun rays, but that did not seem to matter. Kagome was the light, and now more than ever was she shining her brightest. Without her beside him there was nothing left to distract Togashimaru from thoughts of an inevitable future. He was close to his end, he could feel it, and not even all the Bufferin in the world could save him from that.

He truly hoped that he would make it to Izayoi in time.

Death had not been a thing he'd ever feared. There was no question that his life had been long—he'd survived over four thousand years on strength alone—and he'd escaped death more times than any man ever should have. He would welcome his end when it came in the next few days. However, it wasn't the length of his time that he'd come to ponder, but his fulfillment.

Was he satisfied with what he'd accomplished?

With what he would leave behind?

Something soft hit Togashimaru in the head. In his lap dropped a wound roll of fresh bandages. Startled, he looked up. Saburo flushed with humiliation and turned away to scratch at the base of his ponytail.

"I thought you'd catch it." He explained. "Yer needin' new ones, right?"

Distracted from his inner musing, Togashimaru gave a mute nod.

"Well? Come on, ya cur. We gotta be quick before Miss Kagome gets back."

Without speaking a word, Togashimaru allowed the blacksmith to assist as he changed his ragged, blood stained bandages for the fresh set. Saburo even disposed of the evidence in a place where the priestess would not think to look.

The blacksmith was nearly almost kind about it.

Oh how strange it was, the dark places where one could find flickers of light.

…

"Parry! No, parry! Parry!" Kagome shrieked and then laughed when she lost her balance and ended up shoving her sheathed and top-heavy short sword through Saburo's armpit. The man hadn't heeded her warnings to parry.

"You've stabbed me, Miss Kagome! I'm a goner now; there's no goin' on for me from here!" The massive human crooned dramatically, playing the part of a felled villain as well as he did for the audience of his nieces and nephews. Heavy, he fell to his knees. "Show me mercy!"

"Never show mercy, Kagome. He will only rise up to cut you down from behind at a later date. You must always finish what you set out to start." Togashimaru instructed from his seat on the sidelines of the mock battle. "Do not ever allow an enemy to walk away. There is no telling when they will return."

"What if he changes his ways?" The chipper priestess called over to him. "Are you sorry, Lord Saburo? Do you promise to never do it again?"

Saburo nodded, feigning meekness. "Yeah, 'course. I'm sorry!"

"Good." Kagome smiled with triumph then turned back to her dog demon trainer. "See? He said he's sorry! We're all cool now!"

Suddenly from behind her Saburo roared and heaved to his feet. He held Togashimaru's sheathed tachi above his head in the worst form that the General had ever seen in his entire life. Then he lunged after Kagome while her back was turned. Hearing him, the priestess sidestepped his advance.

"Hey!" She shouted again. "You promised!"

The blacksmith guffawed and shook his head. "He said ta never trust yer opponent, Miss Kagome."

"Why you!"

Togashimaru smiled to himself in silence as the two continued goofing off in the background. What had intended to be a serious lesson had disintegrated into play quite quickly once Saburo stepped forward to take Togashimaru's place as Kagome's sparring partner. But it was a pleasant atmosphere and not entirely without educational instruction. It also allowed time for the dog demon to finish the project he'd been working on while Kagome had her hands busy role playing her pretend persona of the warrior heiress.

Laying finishing stitched in red thread, the former Western Lord pondered with amusement if scenes like that were commonplace for his eldest son in the future. There he was, lazing about with a watchful eye as his two wards romped about in a snow touched glade.

Yes, he very much enjoyed that comparison.

Saburo would make for a moderately decent imp, once he learned to better respect his superiors.

Chapter End