Disclaimer//: Inuyasha…hum let's see-rifles through papers-…nope no record of me owning Inuyasha.
Authors note: Sorry about the slow update I had a Spanish project that was giving me total shit, it was a video report and I know nothing about computers beyond Microsoft word and the internet, so editing a video; major pain. Plus some boring family stuff for my brother. Anyway on with the story.
When Good Mikos Go Bad
Chapter 14 Setting Off
"Well at least Miroku's phony exorcisms are good for something." Shippou tried at optimism, it wasn't working too well. They had been traveling village to village asking about Kagome, figuring it would be pointless to go back to the cliff, and clue from there would be long gone, but no one had seen nor heard of a miko is strange clothing carrying jewel shards.
"How is Mroku helping? What's a place to stay when it doesn't get us any closer to Kagome?!" Growled a very irritated hanyou.
"Now, now Inuyasha, fighting amongst ourselves shall get us nowhere." Chastised a hypocritical monk as his 'cursed' hand wandered toward a nodding Sango.
Sango's right eye twitched feverously, not again, was the collective thought as they watched a bright red handprint form on the monk's cheek at Sango's cry of, "Hentai!"
"When will he ever learn?" Inuyasha just nodded in agreement at Shippou's statement. Something was off about scene, he suspected it had something to do with Kagome not being there to analyze the monk and slayer's behavior, and lecture the former about groping not being the way to a woman's heart. Kami he even missed her lectures, who would've thought?
"Remember Shiri; elbow tucked and anchor, release your energy with the arrow." Kagome instructed her young charge in yet another training session.
If Shiri was coming to look for shards she better be prepared. Kagome had left the decision of whether or not Shiri would be coming with her group up to the girl herself, who couldn't have been happier to be under Kagome's leadership.
In Kagome's mind the team was relatively well-balanced; she could sense, see and purify shards an ability that made her the group leader, Marianne was the most practiced and experienced of the group (supposedly the wisest as well but Kagome didn't plan on trusting that wisdom with their lives) Tari was the best at controlling energy, fighting with perfectly controlled bursts of miko energy rather than relying on arrows, and Shiri; master of defense, trail marking, and deception, who knew a little angel could be such an evil genius.
Kagome practiced for a little while longer aside Shiri before declaring it to be bedtime, after all the Shikon retrieval squad, as Kagome deemed them, would be heading out in the morning.
The sun was just breaking over the horizon when Kagome gave up on sleep, she had been too nervous about leading the group to get any rest. So instead, she went around gathering supplies for their journey. She filled three small packs to bursting and a fourth halfway for Shiri, surveying her work she couldn't help but think it would be much more convenient to just have one large pack to carry, but oh well there wasn't a single pack big enough to carry all this stuff.
Looking up the young miko was shocked to realize the sun was now risen, even if it was still low in the sky. It was time to meet the others; she rushed off scooping up all for packs as she headed to the agreed meeting place.
Upon her arrival she found all three members of her team already waiting for her, Marinne leaning against a tree stiffly, and Tari sitting crossed legged on the ground with a yawning Shiri in her lap.
"Sorry, I'm late guys. I didn't realize how much stuff we needed in way of supplies." Kagome apologized, handing Tari and Marianne each a heavy pack, both mikos showed shock at how much weight had been forced into them. Shouldering her own pack and Shiri's with ease, Kagome offered a hand to the little girl as she smiled at her team.
They got the message; time to head out, Shiri grasped Kagome's hand, regaining her usual cheer. "Kagome-sama where are we going first?" Why is it the innocents always ask the best questions?
Kagome opened her mouth to answer but Marianne beat her to it, "The elders think we should head east, there's been some trouble with a powerful demon slattering villages. People over there might know why the demon is suddenly more powerful." Marianne feigned a shy smile before adding, "if that's okay with you Kagome-chan."
Ignoring the stab at her leadership, Kagome flashed a much more convincing smile. "I was about to suggest the same thing." Well actually she was about to suggest they ask a nearby village if any such situations had been occurring.
Tari came up behind Kagome, linking her arm the Kagome's unoccupied one. "So boss where to?" she feigned a salute which Shiri decided was funny and mimicked the gesture.
She gigglied at her friend's attics playing along with a dramatic, "To the east!" The three spun in said direction, Marianne following behind, her glare focused on the center miko.
Marianne's demeanor went unnoticed by Kagome until the voice spoke up from the confines of her mind; Don't let your guard down around that one. It warned, sending her a mental image of the eldest priestess. She might be trouble.
Author note//: I know its short but now everything is n place of the main plot to begin. I'm putting my stories on hold temporarily so I can focus on writing the chapters rather than posting, it shouldn't take more than a month at most I want to be back to regular updating by the time my birth day roles around in may. I will be checking my account regularly and if you message me I'll send you progress reports if you want, I'll be posting chapter names as I write on my bio schedule, so until then enjoy what I've already written.