Chapter Four:
The aerospace adventure was gravity defying as several G-forces were hurtled at the inhabitants of the state of the art flying contraption. From the cock-pit, the occasional 'Ye-haws' could be heard from Yusuke causing both Kurama and Kagome to cast worried glances towards the front of their plane.
"Do you think he really knows what he's doing?" Kagome asked when the plane took a sudden dip and then seemed to roll on its side in a steep embankment. "I can't see that I've ridden many planes, but shouting 'Ye-haw' doesn't exactly instill confidence."
Kurama tried to smile reassuringly at her. "I'm sure he knows what he's doing, for the most part," he said.
'Tell her the truth, that fool is going to get us all killed!' Youko growled.
"I wonder how long it will take us to get to Istanbul," Kagome mused as she tried to look out the window only to see a brightly colored blur that caused her to become dizzy and close her eyes. "Flying with Sesshoumaru was much easier," she mumbled quietly.
Kurama unbuckled his safety belt and moved to the unoccupied seat next to the disoriented woman. In spite of Youko's protests of not needing a seatbelt because of his invincibility, Kurama strapped himself in. Then he reached his cool fingers to lightly press against Kagome's closed eye lids.
"What are you doing?" Kagome asked, keeping her eyes shut as she felt the unexpected touch of Kurama's gentle fingertips over the sensitive area.
"You seem to have an ache behind your eyes, this is an ancient Oriental technique to relieve such tensions," he answered matter-of-factly.
Youko rolled his eyes at his human self and his lame attempts of flirtation. 'Please tell me you're at least going to try something a little more…..daring?'
"You were asking about Istanbul," Kurama prompted, ignoring his Kitsune spirit's taunting mannerisms. "I've never been there before, but I have seen documentaries about the place."
"Yeah," Kagome replied as she reached up her hand to grasp Kurama's wrist to pull his fingers away from her eyes so that she could look at him. "So the clue led us to believe it was a reference to the fall of Constantinople in 1453. That's when the Turks overthrew the Byzantine Empire."
Kurama read her train of thoughts. "We're on a limited time schedule and Istanbul is a large city," he said voicing her concern aloud.
"Exactly," Kagome agreed. "My guess would be the location where the Ottoman forces killed Emperor Constantine."
Kurama left his hand in Kagome's weak grasp. She obviously forgot she still held it loosely. He knew he was acting uncharacteristic of himself. He'd never been much interested in holding hands with anyone, but there something about this strange woman that fascinated him. He looked for any excuse to touch her. Was this what Yusuke felt when he was always touching on Keiko? "I would agree that his death would be what marked the fall of his empire and hence started the beginning of the Renaissance. Perhaps once we get there some sort of curator will be able to guide us to that location."
"Hey you two, better buckle up! I'm taking this baby down and the landing ain't gonna be pretty," Yusuke called over the intercom at the precise moment that the plane took a severe dip towards the earth at an 80 degree angle.
The swift movement knocked Kagome out of her thoughtful gaze and she suddenly released Kurama's wrist and gave him a sheepish grin before she clutched each side of her seat in a death grip.
'Look at her knuckles! They're all white. You should do something to ease her worries. At least hold her hand you spineless idiot!' Youko screamed in frustration inside Kurama's head.
'I'll do things on my own time! Don't rush me, you horny fox!' Kurama argued annoyed that the fox wouldn't let him concentrate on solving the first riddle more thoroughly.
'There's nothing more to figure out right now anyway. That clue was too vague to be more precise.' Youko pointed out. 'Now, if you don't at least hold her hand right now then I'll…' He paused thinking up a suitable threat. He grinned a wicked fanged tooth grin that caused his avatar to shudder. 'It's a world of laughter. A world of tears. It's a world of hopes. And a world of fears….'
"Stop it I'll do it!" Kurama cried aloud as he panicked when the song that haunted his childhood came back to drive him insane. It was shortly after his human father had died, his mother had taken him to a place called Disney Land in America. He still had nightmares about that accursed amusement ride.
"Is something wrong?" Kagome asked concerned.
Kurama took a deep breath and tried to ignore the humming of It's a Small World that was going on in the back ground of his mind. He smoothly moved his hand to cover her own in a comforting gesture and squeezed it lightly. "Nothing's wrong, I was just thinking aloud." He smiled charmingly at her and earned an unsure smile from Kagome who looked at his hand in question and then redirected her gaze to her lap as she closed her eyes and appeared to be meditating.
'Great now she thinks I'm psychotic,' Kurama complained to his ever present side-kick.
'If you ever refer to me as your side-kick again I swear you'll regret it avatar. Besides I think she's meditating because of this descent. I swear that friend of your's can't fly. Maybe you should meditate too.'
'Why would I need to do that? I'm perfectly calm,' Kurama argued.
Youko growled at the human's smart response. 'Because if you don't I may just puke from this motion sickness and that means that you won't make a very good impression on the woman that has piqued both of our interests and happens to be our research partner.'
After catering to the requests of an airsick Kitsune, Kurama was surprised when he could hear Kagome's sweet voice singing softly a familiar, highly annoying tune. He wanted to tell her to stop, but instead listened half-way fascinated how she was able to transform the annoying song into something sweet and poetic.
"There is just one moon and one golden sun. And a smile means friendship to everyone. Though the mountains divide and the oceans are wide, it's a small world after all." After that verse Kagome resorted to humming the tune which was probably worst than singing lyrics. It was like one of those wretched commercial jingles that sticks in one's head for hours at a time.
"Why in the world are you singing that dreadful song?" Kurama finally asked as he removed his hand from his research partner's slightly disgusted that she should sing such a thing. How could he have for a moment thought the song sounded cute?
Kagome laughed self-consciously. "When I'm nervous I tend to sing to myself, and for some reason that song got stuck in my head." She laughed again.
Youko laughed loudly inside of Kurama's head.
'You two would be perfect together,' Kurama told the Kitsune in a sneer of disgust.
'Really? Then shove aside and I'll take over the rest of the mission and you can sing annoying songs for attention. Just drink some of the special juice and I'll be happy to oblige.'
'Nevermind,' Kurama quickly changed his mind as the aircraft straightened itself into a 180 degree angle and began to skid to a halt on the runway.
OoO
"Are you sure this is the place?" Yusuke asked as he scratched his head and turned in a full circle to get the full effect. Presently the trio could be found walking the slums of Istanbul. It was a truly beautiful city with architectural wonders as far as the eye could see. So the question remained, why were they in the slums?
"Yes," Kurama answered as calmly as he could. It didn't take long to run into a curator at the national museum and he seemed to know what he was talking about. He even gave them a map to use and with an orange high-lighter, the curator circled the location where the king of so long ago supposedly was killed.
"Let me see that," Yusuke said as he pulled the map out of Kurama's hands while Kagome stifled a giggle.
Kurama turned to her with a raised red eyebrow and she winked at him. Her flirtation caught him off guard.
'Yeah, she definitely wants us. Screw Yusuke and this mission. We don't really give a rat's ass about that Sir Slate's grand kids. Let's just find a hotel room, or heck even a nice spot in the woods, and have some fun with our research partner.' Youko was getting rather anxious walking around in the heat of the city and having to listen to Yusuke making idiotic comments. And all the flirtatious looks from Kagome were driving him absolutely bonkers!
'Calm yourself Youko. We don't have time for this. Those children are in danger and you and I must do what we can to save them. Besides I've got two good justifications for doing this,' he continued when Youko was about to interject. 'One: Sir Slate pays our salaries and two: what's sexier than a man who risks his life to save the lives of innocent children?'
'Alright fine, you have some good points,' Youko conceded.
"Hey, this map is in some funny language! I can't even read it!" Yusuke complained as he flipped the map upside down, hoping to make his task better. Kagome rolled her eyes as Kurama clinched his fists tightly at his side.
"Look that's the statue you described Kurama!" Kagome pointed towards a statue that seemed to be hidden in the corner near a back alley entrance into an old cathedral. It was a statue of Constantine himself from the fifteenth century. Kagome rushed to the statue and Kurama was hot on her heels.
Kurama began to run his hands over the base of the statue where the curator had suggested there might be a secret compartment. Bingo! A little pressure added to the Achilles tendon, ironic since they were just studying the location of the battle of Troy, and a small drawer shot out. Kurama pulled out a small scroll that was rolled up inside. The parchment was fresh. He looked up towards Kagome, green eyes sparking with excitement.
"We're pretty good at this treasure hunting," Kagome commented with her hands on her hips and a satisfactory smile on her lips.
The red haired man looked down at the scroll and carefully unrolled it. "Technically, to be treasure hunters we are to seek treasure, what we are doing is playing a complex around the world version of hide-and-seek." He scrunched his forehead at the foreign writing and groaned.
'What the hell kind of script is that?' Youko demanded.
"I'm afraid I can't read this language. It reminds me of Latin which leads me to believe it may be Spanish," Kurama said. Perhaps one of the gadgets given to them by Sir Slate included a translation application.
"Oh, let me try!" Yusuke offered as he shoved the map at Kurama while taking the scroll out of his fingers none-too-carefully.
"Well, can you read it?" Kagome prodded. Yusuke shook his head and handed the scroll to her. "Then why did you ask to try if you can't read Spanish?"
"Oh, well, I eat Mexican food all the time, so I figured with my knowledge in that area I could figure it out," Yusuke admitted sheepishly.
Kagome cast Kurama another pleading look before directing her attention to the words before her. "It speaks about a royal union between the two largest kingdoms of their land. Many questions were asked and the answers were not forth coming. One was sent West while a conquest was made. I speak of this conquest. At the base of a mighty mountain stands a garden renown."
"So, what is that supposed to mean?" Yusuke interjected before either of the more educated individuals could think aloud.
"Yusuke," Kurama spoke politely. "Perhaps it would be best if next time you wait in the air craft." Yusuke frowned but didn't comment as he stuck his hands in his front pockets and tried to think over the clue.
"West is capitalized, so I believe that means our destination is west. Questions make me think of an inquisition," Kagome started.
"The Spanish Inquisition!" Kurama surmised. "Excellent thinking, the kingdoms under Ferdinand and Isabella were joined in their marriage. They sent Columbus West and in that same year of 1492 they conquered Granada!"
"How did you figure all that out from the word inquisition?" Yusuke asked angered at his feelings of inadequacy. He might not be a brainiac but he wasn't stupid! It wasn't like he was Kuwabara!
Kurama patted his old friend on the shoulder sympathetically. "It has to do with my photographic memory and quick wit intelligence."
Kagome remained pondering the riddle. "Alright, so then we should go to Granada. Where in Granada do you suppose?"
"The base of a mountain, do you happen to know what the biggest mountain range is in Spain?" Kurama asked trying to shuffle through various maps that he'd memorized over the years.
"The Sierra Nevada mountain range," Yusuke supplied. Both Kurama and Kagome looked at him in surprise. He shrugged. "I'm not totally useless you know. I'm good at my geography."
Kagome smiled sweetly at him. "That was very useful Yusuke."
Yusuke's cheeks blushed slightly.
'Damn him, did you see that?' Youko cried in agitation. He was struggling at his bonds within Kurama's soul in desire to rip Yusuke a new hole. 'He was flirting with my woman!'
Kurama cleared his throat, effectively gaining his friends attention and silencing Youko at the same time. "There is a garden at the palace of Generalife. It is quite famous actually."
"Famous for a guy obsessed with plants anyway," Yusuke grumbled.
"So shall we be off then?" Kagome suggested as she pushed the secret drawer back inside the foot of the statue. She stood straight and looked at both her companions expectantly.
"Be off? But we just got here!" Yusuke cried with a frantic look at his watch. "We haven't even been here for two hours!"
"We are on a limited schedule, I hope you are up to flying us to Spain or else perhaps we should tell Sir Slate we will require a more experienced pilot," Kurama said antagonizing his old friend with successful results. If you wanted Yusuke Urameshi to do something you did it by saying he couldn't handle it.
"Shut up, I'll get you to that damn peninsula," Yusuke grouched as he turned around to lead the way out of the alley.
Kurama offered his arm to Kagome and she took it easily. "Shall we be off to the next stop of our grand adventure?"
"Indeed, this is almost too easy don't you think Shuuichi, I mean, Kurama?" Kagome questioned as they followed behind Yusuke out of the dark alley.
"Certainly not, it just means we're highly intelligent," he countered reassuringly as he cast her his most charming smile.
'Or it could be that the clues will progressively get more difficult. If this truly is a game then that would be the most logical conclusion. Enjoy the ease of your discoveries now for I fear that soon you will be facing a great deal more obstacles.' Youko warned his human half.
'That's what google is for,' Kurama argued with his counterpart.