** Author's Note: I apologize for taking so long to update. This chapter was actually cut in half because it was so long. The other half will be apart of the next chapter, which means the next update should happen a bit quicker :)

I do not own Inuyasha.

Chapter Seven – Seeking the Priestess

The sun was slowly drifting behind the hills to the west by the time the prosperous village at the foot of the mountains came into view. Sesshomaru had summoned his cloud while Rin rode on AhUn at his side. Neither one had spoken to one another since their brief encounter in the woods. Rin's mind was lost in thought as they made their journey through the sky.

She was soon distracted by what appeared to be fireflies twinkling one by one inside the village. As AhUn flew closer, she realized they were actually torches being lit along the streets. Dusk had made quick work of blanketing the countryside in shadow.

Soon, the rooftops of the village came more easily into view in spite of the impending darkness, thanks to the torchlight. Though these particular buildings didn't seem different from any others she'd seen before, something that did catch her eye was a very large and beautiful shrine erected just to the north of the town. It was multi-tiered and showcased a red, ceramic-tiled roof and was surrounded on all sides by beautiful flowering bushes. The inside seemed to glow with an ethereal light.

Sesshomaru had begun to descend on his cloud, and AhUn followed suit. Rin thought she could see dark forms bustling about the streets before the dragon demon's feet touched solid ground.

In front of the unlikely troupe stood the main entrance, which was a 6-foot wide gap in the stone wall that surrounded the entire perimeter of the village. The only way to distinguish the entrance from the skies was from the red archway erected above it. Though Rin couldn't see much, she could hear the lively chatter of voices and an occasional laugh from inside. It almost sounded like a celebration.

Sesshomaru stared at the entrance. He could see the figures of humans darting back and forth between the gap. He found it odd how lively the town seemed despite the late hour, and more odd still that the village was protected by a wall and yet there were no guards to interrogate them at the entrance. He knew that simply waltzing into this village would draw a lot of unwanted attention; he was a demon, after all. And yet no one paid him any mind as they casually went about their evening. Several pairs of eyes looked in his general direction as they passed by but none became fearful. Well, he supposed he wouldn't give them a reason to fear him unless it was necessary. He began to walk through the entrance despite urgent pleas from Jaken, who floundered clumsily behind him screeching and waving his arms.

"Jaken, stay behind with AhUn," Sesshomaru commanded.

Jaken protested as readily as ever. "But, but mi lord-"

"Don't make me repeat myself," Sesshomaru warned. Jaken stared down at his feet in his usual defeated stance.

"Yes, mi lord," Jaken grumbled as he watched Rin follow behind Sesshomaru.

Rin ignored the hateful looks from Jaken in favor of looking at the village. The sights she saw beyond the walls were truly awe-inspiring.

The fiery light from the torches cast an orange glow over the dirt pathways and buildings, and created hard shadows as people walked by; it made the area seem almost dreamlike. Just a few feet away, some of the villagers began lighting multicolored paper lanterns that were strung across the walkways between buildings, casting pastel lights across the faces of the people as they walked by. The streets themselves were alive with people of all classes and backgrounds. While some of people were dressed plainly, she also saw a group of Monks wearing their traditional robes of purple and black, as well as heavily armored warriors and even extravagantly dressed street performers trying to earn a coin with their stunts. What most caught her interest, however, was a group of noblewomen standing at the corner of two cross streets, talking amongst themselves.

They wore the most exquisite kimonos she had ever seen. Each one must have been crafted of the finest silk, and the colors and patterns were so intricate she could only imagine how long they must have taken to make. One woman boasted a pale lavender kimono with a white vine pattern that began just below the sash, which was white with royal purple trim. The vines cascaded down into an explosion of white and light pink flowers around the base. Another woman was dressed in a more delicate white kimono with a cream and yellow daisy pattern. Rin looked down at her own kimono, which was very dingy and old looking. It's plainness and lack of pattern absolutely screamed peasant's garb. And, she was reminded as the tops of her breasts peered up at her, it was much too big. Rin adjusted her top and tied the sash around her waist a little tighter to keep the fabric in place. She looked away from these women and followed Sesshomaru down a pathway that lead away from them. She found herself thankful for this; her sad state of attire suddenly made her feel embarrassed.

As the duo continued onward, Rin noticed several people glance in Sesshomaru's direction and quickly look away. They didn't look afraid, but they seemed wary of his presence. Despite the mis-matched combination of people around these streets, it was unlikely that they saw demons often. Perhaps he was even the first.

Still, even more eyes seemed to glance at her following not far behind him. A blacksmith forging tools outside of his shop stared as she walked by. A young couple followed her with their eyes even though they were in deep conversation. She even thought she could hear a group of older men whispering as she passed by them, but couldn't make out the words. She turned a curious ear towards them after she passed, and was able to make out the word "strange", though it was barely audible. She wondered...was it the sight of her traveling with a demon that they found strange?

THUMP! The side of Rin's head plodded against a firm surface in front of her. She stumbled back and caught her balance (quite easily this time, she thanked the gods) and quickly faced forward to apologize to whoever she must have bumped into. She found herself unable to speak when her eyes met with that of a tall, husky man who appeared as if he hadn't cleaned himself in years, and didn't smell much better. His stubbly chin wrinkled up with the most terrible scowl she'd ever seen as his deep set eyes stared down at her from behind a furry black brow.

"Watch where you're walkin'," the man grumbled hoarsely. "You wouldn't want to find yerself meetin' with the wrong sort, would yeh?" He let out a mucus-twinged cackle and then spit on the ground next to her feet. Rin took an involuntary step backwards and cringed at the splat of phlegm in the dirt. Her shoulders resounded with another "THUMP!" as she backed into someone else standing behind her. She reeled around to see a slightly shorter, skinnier man with bowed shoulders and the most rotten teeth she'd ever seen as he grinned down at her.

"What's a young thing like you doin' walkin' these streets all by yerself? Don't you know it's....dangerous?" The skinny man grinned even wider to show off his receding gum line and crooked teeth that ranged in colors anywhere from yellow to black. Rin backed fearfully away from him and into the belly of the husky man still standing behind her. A pair of over sized, hairy hands clamped down over her shoulders and held her in place as she began to struggle.

'Where is Lord Sesshomaru?' Rin thought in panic as her eyes darted from one onlooker to the next, and realized she must have gotten distracted and fallen behind. She made a queer face as the skinny man licked his lips in a crude fashion, then reached his hand forward to touch her face.

"That's an ugly face for such a pretty girl to make," he sneered as his forefinger barely brushed against her frightened lips.

SLASH! The finger was instantly severed off and sent flying into a basket of rice that a nearby village woman was carrying. The woman's jaw dropped as she tried to distinguish the dark, oozing shape that was now sitting atop her rice. Upon realizing what it was, she threw the basket down and screamed as grains of rice scattered across the street. Moments later, curious street goers began rallying around to see the commotion.

The skinny man looked at the empty space where his finger used to be in disbelief at first, which then transformed into gaping horror as he gripped his bleeding stub and groaned. "WHAT IN THE--"

He stopped mid sentence as he saw a flash of bright green behind his husky companion, who yowled in pain and fell backwards. An undiscerning blur of color dashed in front of Rin, then became still.

The sharp features of Sesshomaru's face were now met with his. "You'll lose a lot more than a finger if you don't get out of my sight. NOW."

The skinny man was at a loss for words. He backed away towards the crowd of people behind him, who watched the scene curiously but with great caution as they eyed the skinny man's bleeding stump and the grumbling fat man laying on the ground. The skinny man watched as his friend began to sit up, with one hand holding a deep lash wound on his backside. Sesshomaru turned his attention to him next.

"Go join your wretch of a friend. You're lucky to still be breathing."

The husky man winced in pain as he slowly stood up and looked down at his hand, which was now covered in blood. He muttered something under his breath and began limping towards his rotten-toothed friend, but not before casting a nasty look at Rin, who stood behind Sesshomaru in awed silence. His look almost seemed to say, "This isn't over yet."

The husky man joined his nine-fingered companion and gave him a sore look. He glanced over his shoulder at Sesshomaru briefly and shook his head, still in shock over what had just happened. The onlookers began murmuring amongst themselves, looking at one another in confusion. Would these two disgusting men retaliate, or simply run with their tails between their legs?

The two men whispered to each other, and gave one final look before turning to leave. The people became more restless as they watched them saunter off. Then, several of the people began to cheer and clap. More joined them as they celebrated the riddance of the two scoundrels. Apparently, these two were widely disliked in the village.

Sesshomaru ignored their applause and turned to face Rin. "Why did you fall so far behind me?" he questioned her sharply.

Rin's eyes were swimming as she looked up at him. "I'm sorry, Lord Sesshomaru. I was distracted."

Though his expression remained blank, his eyes were teeming with a sort of ferocity that Rin had not witnessed before. But slowly, as a few seconds went by, they dulled to their usual calm as he stared into her eyes. It was obvious to him that she was trying with all her power not to cry.

"Be mindful, Rin," he said at last. "Your transformation does not come without consequences. Now let's go." He then extended his hand to her, just as he had when he'd helped her onto his cloud. Rin stared at his hand with hesitance, but then reached forward and allowed him to take her hand into his own. Without another word, he began to move hurriedly forward. Rin had no choice but to follow. The crowd had begun to disperse behind them as they walked on.

Sesshomaru's mind raced as he continued his search for someone of authority within the village. 'How foolish of me to think those of her own kind would not take notice of her,' he thought. 'She has become a trophy for pigs like them. And her mind remains so much like a child's...I must keep a closer eye on her."

A man's voice calling behind him caused his hands to tense. Rin made an uncomfortable squeak, but he didn't loosen his grip until he turned to see that the man calling to him was dressed in monk's clothes.

The monk ran up to him rather unceremoniously as he begged for Sesshomaru to wait. He was panting lightly as he approached, and stopped a moment to catch his breath before continuing on. "Sir...I apologize for intruding like this. But I must ask you, why did you not kill those men back there?"

Sesshomaru kept a firm grip on Rin's hand as he spoke. He seemed put off by the monk's question. "What a curious question for a religious man to ask. Did you want me to kill them?"

The monk gave a smile and waved off his question. "Forgive my rudeness. I only ask because it is obvious to me that you wield great power and yet you chose not to kill them."

Sesshomaru stood silent for a moment before acknowledging the monk's observation. "Had I not been seeking aid from this village, they would long since be departed from this world" he said. "But I currently have more important matters to attend to, matters that concern my...companion."

The monk's attention shifted from Sesshomaru to Rin. Rin squeezed Sesshomaru's hand involuntarily as he gazed at her. He was relatively young man, and handsome at that, with chiseled features, soulful eyes and a confident stance. But there was something disconcerting about his smile.

Sesshomaru was growing impatient. "If you have no assistance to offer, then I have no further business with you."

The monk laughed. "Aren't you curious as to why no one is protecting this village? There were no guards to greet you, and as a monk should I not be obligated to banish you, a demon, from existence? Such a flagrant display of power, as well. You are obviously quite dangerous to the rest of the villagers--" the monk raised an instinctive hand as he watched Sesshomaru release Rin's hand in favor of reaching for his sword handle instead. "Oh don't worry, I have no intentions of fighting you."

Sesshomaru made no motions to retract his hand from the sword. "I'm not worried. I only ask that you get to the point."

The monk only continued to smile wider. "This village...it does not require protection. Not anymore. Not since the Miko Mitchitsuna has taken residence here."

Sesshomaru loosened his grip around the sword handle. This was now an encounter that was worthy of his time. "She is the Priestess of this village, then..." He recalled the shrine to the north of the village and assumed that's where she must be. "How can a single Priestess so readily protect a village of this size, especially when she isn't present?"

The monk chuckled and the number of teeth in his head seemed to double as he spread his smile wider still. Rin thought Sesshomaru may strike him down simply because of his arrogance, but he did not. "She is no ordinary Priestess. She is very powerful. So powerful in fact, that people travel long distances to receive aid from her. She is a miracle worker of sorts. She can exorcise the strongest of demons. She has given sight to the blind. She has been able to extract life-threatening illnesses from the body through will alone, without the aid of any medicines. She can even bring people back the dead. So you see, it matters not whether your intentions here are good or bad. Lady Mitchitsuna can right all wrongs. That is why you see so many different people here in the village. Many of them are travelers that have come for her aid and are passing the time before returning home."

Sesshomaru wasn't convinced. "If what you say is true, then why did she not stop me from maiming those men?"

The monk gave a hearty chuckle, as if this was the most ridiculous question he had ever heard. "If those men had not deserved it, no harm would have befallen them. Truthfully, the village is in your debt for what you did. Their presence here has been very unsettling to the people."

Sesshomaru had heard enough. Though he still doubted this Priestess was as powerful as the monk claimed, she was his best hope for curing Rin. However, he was finding it increasingly difficult to conceal his apparent dislike for this monk, who smiled idiotically as he talked of the Miko's exploits as if they were his own. Sesshomaru thought it was best to see the Priestess as soon as possible, and hopefully forgo any further contact with the monk. "Then I ask that you lead us to this Lady Mitchitsuna at once."

The monk waved him off again as if to mock his impatience. "You demand so much, mighty demon! It is getting late, would you not prefer to stay a night here and see the Lady in the morning?"

Sesshomaru did not look pleased with the invitation. "I have no desire to stay here any longer than I must. Lead us to this Miko, or we shall test just how powerful her spiritual protection really is."

For the first time, the smile was wiped off of the monk's face. "It is not your place to make threats, demon. You should consider yourself lucky to still be standing here. I only offer my hospitality out of gratitude. But if you reveal yourself as a bigger menace than those men, then I have no choice but to exterminate you on account of Lady Mitchitsuna herself. Think of the future of your little friend, there. Is that really the path you wish to follow?"

Sesshomaru turned to Rin and motioned for her to step back. She did so unwillingly, but knew was no arguing with him. He regarded the monk with his usual indifference as he drew the Tokijin. If the monk would not lead him to the Priestess, he would bring her to him. And if she did not have the spiritual power to aid the monk, he would know she was a fraud and there would be one less arrogant fool standing in his way.

A nearby spectator shrieked as Sesshomaru lashed his sword at the monk. It was an effortless move that would easily slice into his human flesh; but his sword was met with a strong barrier that now stood between them.

"Enough," a woman's voice said. Sesshomaru cocked his head towards the voice and saw a woman in a vibrant red silk kimono approaching them. She was young, but well into adulthood, perhaps in her early 30's. She wore her hair back with a red silk ribbon and was decently beautiful, though she wore a stern face as she made her way towards two men. The monk motioned for something in his robes, but the woman raised a hand and shook her head, as if to say "no." She came stand a few feet away from them before speaking.

"I dare say you've caused quite a stir in our village," the woman said almost humorously, though her face still looked stern, almost as if she was reprimanding a child. "Pray tell, what business do you seek in this village, demon?"

Sesshomaru did not care for her demeanor one bit. "Why should I tell you? I seek business with the Priestess, and the Priestess only."

The woman smirked and raised an amused eyebrow. "I am the Priestess. My name is Lady Mitchitsuna."