"The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones."
William Shakespeare – Julius Caesar
The first thing InuYasha noticed when he and Kagome returned to the village was the metallic smell of fresh blood on the air. The second was the group of villagers milling around a prone body. He scented the air again and almost recoiled. They reeked of fear and confusion. Benji caught sight of the two and started running towards them. He threw himself into Kagome's arms.
"Kagome the bad man took mommy!"
Kagome caught the little boy and he buried his tear streaked face into her chest, locking his arms around her neck in a death grip. She exchanged a look with InuYasha and he nodded as they approached the group. The villagers parted as they saw them coming, some of them looking relieved and some of them staring at the pair with accusing eyes.
The body turned out to the Isamu. Kagome gasped and raced over to the fallen ronin, still clutching the boy.
He groaned and blinked slowly coming to.
"Kagome?" He whispered. The miko swallowed in relief and nodded.
"What happened?"
He pushed himself into a sitting position and the villagers backed away.
Shaking the grogginess away, he clenched and unclenched his fists. Riko, his mind screamed. The bastard had Riko. A feeling not unlike desperation gripped his chest and he fought with everything he had in him to remain calm. He needed calm, he needed reason, going off half cocked would not help her. He drew a trembling hand through shaggy locks and turned to the miko.
The concern in her eyes almost undid him and the wild anxiety increased ten fold. He wanted to rail at the heavens but instead he said.
"Tatsuo threw me into a wall and grabbed Riko. Something was wrong with him Kagome…his eyes…you should've seen his eyes."
The fear that tinged the ronin's words made Kagome's heart pound. Isamu was like InuYasha, he never admitted to fear and to hear it now…
One of Tatsuo's men sneered and said loudly.
"He lies. I bet he did something to the healer and Master Tatsuo, and is simply trying to cover his crimes."
Injured or not, those words caused the former samurai to surge to his feet. Hot rage pounded through his veins and he clutched his sword, spun, and placed the razor sharp tip at the man's throat. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears and a rush of bloodlust assailed him. He wanted blood, he wanted blood for Riko, and this maggot would do just as well as Tatsuo.
"You miserable worm, you have insulted my honor. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't run you through?"
The bravado in the villager's eyes dimmed considerable and he gulped.
Kagome turned frightened eyes on InuYasha and he nodded, stepping between the two men. He grabbed Isamu shoulder and shook him.
"We don't have time for this. I smell blood and a lot of it." The ronin blinked and his mouth thinned.
"Where?"
InuYasha gestured with his chin.
"It's coming from Tatsuo's hut."
The man who'd accused Isamu sneered.
"See I told you. I told you he killed him."
Isamu moved so quickly the villager didn't know what had hit him. He brought his elbow around and clocked him in the face, dropping him in one blow. He groaned and fell unconscious and the rest of the men loyal to Tatsuo immediately rushed over and grabbed him. They were glaring at Isamu. The rest of the villagers started murmuring amongst themselves, some of them loudly supporting Isamu and some of them siding with Tatsuo's men.
The ronin ignored them and motioned InuYasha towards the hut. He nodded and followed. When they got to the door they found it ajar and both men quickly took position on either side.
InuYasha wrinkled his nose and gagged.
"What is it?"
He looked at the ronin. "Blood, feces, and some sort of cloying demonic aura. I haven't smelled a stench like it since…"
"Since when?"
The hanyou face went hard. "Since Naraku."
Isamu frowned and readied his sword and InuYasha drew Tetsusaiga. The ronin nodded and the half-demon entered the hut, and Isamu followed covering his back. They went through the main room and InuYasha followed the smell into the back. What they found there had both men turning a sickly shade of green.
"It's Tatsuo's wife," Isamu whispered. InuYasha had covered his nose and mouth with the sleeve of his robe.
"Come on, let's get out of here."
The two men stumbled out of the hut and Kagome ran over to them. The rest of the village had followed her and also stood around waiting for what he was going to say.
"It's Mia, Tatsuo's wife. She's dead."
A loud wail came from the crowd and a middle aged woman ran forward.
"My sister. My sister!" She sobbed. Kagome recognized her as Eri. She was one of the first to settle in the village after the war and despite Tatsuo's troublesome nature, she had done everything in her power to show that she supported Sango.
Kagome placed Benji down, keeping hold of his hand and pulled the woman into a hug.
"I'm so sorry, Eri."
The older woman clung to the miko and sobbed. When she was able to somewhat speak she asked fearfully.
"What of Shuji? Is he in there as well."
Isamu frowned softly, sadly and shook his head.
Hope curled in Eri's heart. "Then he might still be alive."
The ronin highly doubted it, not after having seen the scene, but he didn't want to crush her hope. Besides his thoughts had shifted once again to Riko; he had to find her, and he had to find her now.
As if reading his mind Kagome placed a comforting hand on his forearm.
"We'll find her. I swear."
She prayed it was a promise she would be able to keep.
"Miroku, my boy."
The wizened old man shuffled towards the monk and the slayer and blinked his weak, light blue eyes as the blurry shapes grew closer. He pulled the young monk into a brisk hug and he returned it gently.
"It is good to see you again Master Manabu."
The old man waved him off and waggled his eyebrows at Sango.
"And who is this beautiful young woman? Don't tell me a flower such as yourself has fallen for the dubious charms of this lecherous holy man."
Sango smirked and blushed. "He does seem to know you pretty well, Miroku."
Miroku shrugged and winked at her. "Not as well as you do, my love."
She blushed deeper and was equal parts thrilled that he called her his love and embarrassed that he would use such innuendo in front of a stranger. She glared at him and he smiled wider.
Manabu chuckled. "Young love, does an old heart good to see."
Miroku laughed outright and slapped the old man on the back. "You're half blind old-man."
The old priest bristled. "That doesn't mean I can't see what's right in front of my face." He turned away mumbling. "Insolent…needs to show more respect for his elders…should flog him."
Sango heard the mutterings and instantly her hand covered her mouth to stifle her giggles. Manabu looked back, annoyed.
"Well are you two going to stand there all day or are you going to come inside for some tea? Figured be nice to have a few cups before we get into to why you're here."
Miroku joviality left him and he regarded him seriously.
"You already know why we're here Master?"
He briefly looked over his shoulder and nodded. "Don't need to be a seer to know that. You're here for the same reason your father came. You want to know about Toyotomi."
Sango and Miroku exchanged a look and followed the monk into the temple. Miroku knelt with him and preformed their cleansing rituals and Sango mimicked them before following them back to what could only be the old man's chambers.
He motioned for them both to sit at the low table and soon after, another monk, this one much younger than Manabu, came in with a tray of tea.
"This is Sadao, he's my new apprentice." Miroku bowed politely to the young man and he hastily bowed back.
"Will you fetch the scrolls Sadao?" He bowed again, nodded, and walked away to comply with his Master's request.
Sango rose to start pouring tea but Manabu waved her off and did it himself. They sat in silence for a few moments, each enjoying the warmth from their cups and waiting on the ancient monk to begin. He took his time and both were shifting impatiently. He noticed.
"Just enjoy your tea for now. I'm afraid that my recollections will not be as concise as those that have been written down. When Sadao returns with the scrolls we will discuss what you've come to discuss, not before."
Miroku frowned slightly. "What sort of scrolls is he bringing, Master?"
To Miroku's surprise Manabu gestured towards Sango. "The taijiya will find them very interesting. They are a lost history of sorts and concern the powerful priestess Midoriko."
Sango started in surprise. "Midoriko? I don't understand. What does Priestess Midoriko have to do with Lord Toyotomi? She lived more than five centuries ago."
The monk smiled. "I promise to answer all of your questions if I am capable of doing so, but you must understand taijiya, much of what I know has been pieced together through the years from various accounts and texts and may be nothing more than one old man's theory."
Miroku shrugged. "Conjecture and a vague sense of foreboding is all that we had when we began this journey. At least, by your own admission, some of what you have to tell us will have some basis in fact."
Manabu opened his mouth to reply but at that moment Sadao returned with his arms full of old scrolls. He gingerly laid them next to his master.
"Will that be all, Master Manabu?"
"Yes, thank you Sadao."
He bowed to his master and then turned and bowed to Sango and Miroku.
"Master; honored guests." He left. Manabu picked up a nearby scroll, unfurled it with the utmost delicacy, and turned to Sango.
"Tell me taijiya, what do you know of the Priestess Midoriko?"
"Only the stories my father told me when I was younger. Most of the stores were about the battle against the youkai that created the Shikon no Tama and the founding of the youkai taijiya village."
Manabu nodded. "Yes, those are the most common tales. I have here something that might shed a bit of light on her earlier years, in the time before she became the priestess of legend.'
He pointed to the scroll he held and Sango leaned forward eagerly, her eyes widened.
"T-This can't be, how…?"
He smiled and Miroku, curious leaned forward as well. He crowded near Sango to get a better look at the scroll and she blushed lightly. Unable to resist he dropped a quick kiss on the back of her neck where it met her shoulder. She jumped a little and glared at him. If Manabu noticed he didn't say anything. He was too busy pointing something out on the scroll.
"A very powerful monk from this temple once assisted the young priestess many centuries ago. It was during the time when our order was not as widely spread as it is today. I'm afraid that his name has been lost to antiquity, but his accounts of his time with Midoriko have survived for posterity. This scroll is from his personal accounts."
Miroku rested his head on Sango shoulder and he flashed a mischievous smile. She fumed silently, but did not shrug him off. He took this as an encouraging sign.
He reached out, making sure that his fingers brushed lightly down her arm as he did so, he heard her breath catch. Smiling he pointed to something on the scroll.
"This here. It doesn't look like a journal entry it looks more like a genealogy."
The old monk nodded. "That's because it is, a very brief one. It took me years to track down the source for this entry. I will show you that after this. It will be very enlightening."
"Whose genealogy is it?" Sango asked, somewhat breathless. Miroku smirked and the hand hidden behind her lazily started caressing her back.
"Why Midoriko's of course."
She sucked in a breath. "But even the village never had record of her lineage."
"As I said, took me years to find. It was very well hidden."
Miroku sensed a story behind that and as much as he would have liked to indulge the old monk they were getting off topic.
"What does all this have to do with Lord Toyotomi?"
Manabu settled in and started pointing out various parts of the scroll.
"It doesn't really, at least not directly. It might, however, shed some light on the some of the things that have been happening in Toyotomi's lands for the last century."
Miroku frowned and exchanged a confused look with Sango.
"Perhaps you should explain." He nodded.
"The rumors have been around for years about people that suddenly vanish from their homes, usually young women and children but strangely that is all that the stories have been; simply rumors. Few people born in the southern lands ever leave and those few that have usually don't remember much of their time there. It's as if they are blank slates waiting to be filled.
The story I am going to tell you, however, goes back much further and I believe that it is at the root of the unnatural occurrences that have plague the people of the south. Long before Priestess Midoriko's became the priestess of legend she was apprenticed, as many young shrine maidens were, to a priestess of remarkable power. Her name has also been lost, or overshadowed by Midoriko, but it is not important.
What is important are the events that occurred surrounding the apprentice. Midoriko was sent on a mission of peace to the warring Shogunates, along with two other maidens from her shrine. Toyotomi was one of the clans, the other was Ashigawa. The southern lands were in misery and poverty and starvation was rampant amongst the people. The apprentices were bringing food and healing arts to the ease the suffering and disease.
On the way to the lands the maidens were set upon by bandits. You must understand, Midoriko, at this time, had not come into her full power nor was she the formidable warrior she was to become. The bandits set upon them raping and killing her sisters. When it was her turn she fought them, and would have also lost her chastity and her life had not a monk happened upon them.
He was able to fight the bandits off and he saved Midoriko from the fate that had befallen her comrades. The young priestess was unwilling to give up her mission, despite what had happened, and the monk pledged his protection to her. She accepted and together they made their way into the southern lands.
Upon arriving they beheld a blood soaked battle field covered in a choking demonic aura the likes of which they had never felt. It seemed to be feeding on the souls of the dead, growing denser, stronger.
Here is where the story gets fuzzy. The rest of the scrolls were lost and I've had to piece the rest together from other sources. As far as I have been able to ascertain, the nameless monk and the young priestess encountered a great evil. It is never named, never given form, it simply was. Through the combined efforts of Midoriko and the monk the evil was sealed away, but it was never completely banished."
"You think that it is this evil from so long ago that has corrupted the lands, don't you," Miroku stated. Manabu nodded.
"I do. The things I have come to believe fit the evidence. The strange aura, the memory loss, the missing children, they are symptoms that were seen in the past."
"Is it a demon?" Sango asked. The old monk turned thoughtful.
"I think for the sake of simplicity we can see it as such, but as far as its actual form, well it is hard to say. The texts I have collected only call it evil."
Miroku stilled and his thoughts wander to things that he'd not known prior to his travels. He had learned that many religions had concepts of evil. For Christians evil was personified by the fallen angel Lucifer and his armies of the damned. The sultan, with whom he and father Manuel had spent a brief few days with; thanks to the misunderstanding in regards to his harem, told him that evil was simply part of the divine plan of Allah and in his wisdom all things, good and bad, are part of his preordained design.
These concepts, however, were abstract and based on unsubstantiated belief and faith. Miroku had nothing against faith, but after fighting his way across Japan for the better part of his life, battling demons and Naraku, evil without substance was hard to fear.
Only one man in his travels had ever really spooked him and that was because he'd experienced the phenomenon for himself. He and Father Manuel had accompanied the first mate and a few of the sailors when they went ashore to trade with African tribesmen off the coast of West Africa. While there, they were invited to spend the night in the village.
As honored guests, the headman allowed the first mate, Father Manuel, and Miroku to witness an attempt at purification or as Father Manuel deemed it, an exorcism. A teenage boy had been declared a witch after being caught having carnal relations with his sister.
The witch doctor had caught the boy and a purification ritual was scheduled. The young man, however, refused to reveal the part of his body were the essence of witchcraft was hidden and because his family was wealthy and they could afford the cost of cremation, he was to be burned. When they went to retrieve him from the hut they'd sequestered him in, however, the boy had vanished without a trace and so had his sister.
Miroku found the whole affair unsettling. He had not missed the feel of the black aura choking the boy's spirit when he'd witnessed the attempt at purification, and he could not deny that something, be it spirit or demon, had infected the young man.
The witch doctor had told Father Manuel in broken Portuguese that witches were not uncommon, often they could be purified and regain their place in the tribe, others were not so lucky. He told them to beware if they saw the boy, for witches had the power to appear and disappear at will and they brought disease and sometimes even death.
The first mate reluctantly accepted the headman's invitation to stay in the village and that night a strange thing happened. Always a light sleeper, Miroku woke and found the teenager standing over Father Manuel murmuring strange words. He could see the aura from the boy dancing over his friend. Reacting on years of instinct, he called upon his own spiritual powers and threw up a barrier between Manuel and the boy.
The boy had grinned at him eerily, said something in a language he couldn't understand, and had vanished without a trace. Manuel had become very ill after they left the village and the first mate would have left him behind had not Miroku taken it upon himself to nurse the fat priest back to good health.
He eventually got better, but the monk had never forgotten the village and the strange aura surrounding the young man. It was one of the first times he'd encountered an intangible evil that he hadn't fully understood.
If what Manabu said was true, he and Sango were about to face something of a similar nature.
"Is there anything else you can tell us about this evil?" Sango asked, voicing the question that had taken root in Miroku's own mind.
"There is something, but first a question taijiya. What was your grandfather's name?"
Sango wondered why such a thing would matter but she answered.
"His name was Shako."
The old monk smiled, unrolled another scroll, and motioned the slayer closer. Sango bent forward.
"It is as I thought. You are of Midoriko's bloodline."
She gasped and turned wide eyes on him. "How is that possible?"
"Just because the priestess lived her life chaste did not mean her relatives followed the same path. You carry in you the blood of her relations and you are the third young woman I have met in my lifetime that can make such a claim."
Miroku frowned. "The third?" Manabu nodded.
"Yes, and I do not think that it is a coincidence that the other two were also traveling with your grandfather and your father. I didn't make the connection at the time because this scroll had not come into my possession, but I remember both women very well. They were both quite beautiful and remarkable in their own ways."
Miroku felt a chill traverse his spine.
"What were their names and what happened to them?"
"The woman who traveled with Miyatsu was called Suzu; she was a miko with impressive powers. She was renowned as a healer and the one who came here with your father, her name was Kyoko. She was a noble." He grew quiet for a moment and whispered.
"I do not know what happened to those women. Once they entered Toyotomi's lands…they never returned."