Chapter Fourteen

Kodama and his fellows passed one town on the foot of the mountain and walked up a stone stairs a mile away to the tunnel entrance. Yuhi was right, this tunnel seemed quite favored, even deserving a paved path leading to it. Dark clouds overhung, the smell of rain.

"It will storm, we won't be bothered by it inside luckily," Masao said.

The gaping black hole that formed the entrance to the cave tunnel appeared in their sight. A wooden shrine was build next to it, containing a small statue of Buddha. Yuhi took an incence stick out of his bag and placed it in the bowl of sand in front of the statue. He lit it with the fire stones he owned and murmured a prayer. The other monks followed his example.

"The shrine contains a hidden cabinet in which pre-made torches are stored, if I'm not mistaken," he said whilst kneeling down. He touched the wooden surface with his fingers until he found the edge of the hidden door. He pressed his fingernails into the wood to pull it open. It was dusty inside and dry, a few cobwebs hanging inside the cabinet. He took out two toches. The upper half was wrapped in cloth that had been drenched in oil to get them to burn quicker. He hit the two fire stones against each other close to the cloth and a spark flew up landing on the torch. He blew air softly to get the fire going.

"Nice work, Yuhi," Kodama told him. Yuhi inwardy smiled happy he was getting praise from the otherwise stern Kodama.

He gave one of the torches to Jinsei and held the other himself. Kodama stared at the black hole in front of him and closed his eyes. He couldn't feel anything wrong. No demonic aura.

"Does this tunnel lead in a straight path to the other side, Yuhi?" he asked.

"No," the monk replied, "but the villagers put signs inside to help choose the right path. So it shouldn't be a problem. It takes about six hours to walk to the other side."

It was quite a long journey through the belly of the mountain. They had best to start. Kodama entered the darkness and his companions followed suit. The tunnel was about 4 yards high and 4 yards wide, the ceiling shaped like an arch. Humans made this entrance. It must've taken them weeks to cut the rock into this shape. They walked on and soon entered a cavern. Stalactites were hanging from the ceiling. They stepped down the rocks that had been scoured and flattened by humans to their own comfort. At a lower level of the cavern they found two possible roads to take.

Yuhi quickly walked over to a pile of flat stones ordened by size in a cone-shape with a white cloth half-way between them.

"This is the sign. I knew it should be here, but I'm relieved nonetheless to see it has not been removed. We have to go this way then."

Haruna saw the elongated hand making its way towards her heart, but it was too fast for her to dodge. She gritted her teeth automatically. Sesshomaru, in the blink of an eye, caught the Sa'keeth's wrist only half a foot away from Haruna's heart. He clenched it hard to disable the Sa'keeth from elongating it any further. He stared at the monster ruthlessly. Haruna sperred her eyes open and gasped, clenching her fist. Her chest ached at the thought that she was almost impaled by the Sa'keeth's hand. Sesshomaru used his poison claw technique to erode the Sa'keeth's wrist. It's skin burst and blood splattered on the ground. The otherwordly demon chuckled.

"This pain is nothing... We've been stuck in a world, between dark and day, becoming poison ourselves!" He spat and exposed his glazy black fangs. His arm was shaking from resisting Sesshomaru's attack. Even on his deathbed the Sa'keeth was ferocious. Without thinking Haruna grabbed the Sa'keeth's arm herself. She stared into his eyes, hiding deep under his heavy brow. Red specked and with slit pupils. His skin felt like a lizard's. She started to form a few hand signs with her free hand. Just a touch... white light seeped into the creature's body... visibly coursing through his veins. She was purifying him. Black smoke rose up from his body. He was vaporizing into thin air.

"Those hand signs..." he growled arduously while he slowly disappeared, "you belong to that band of clowns called the Order don't you? We're coming for you... Just you wait..."

All that remained of the Sa'keeth's existence was fleeting smoke.

It started to rain harder, the sky roared. A thunderstorm was ahead. The rain streamed down her face, her hair and clothes were soaking wet. The red hakama pants clung to her legs. The katana pressing against her thigh radiated coldness. Now that she was standing still and the adrenaline was fading she could feel her tiredness and the chill in the air. Haruna rubbed her arms with her hands to warm them and brushed away a strand of hair sticking to her cheek. Sesshomaru looked at her from the corner of his eyes, remaining silent. He finally sheathed his sword.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken came down on Ah-Un to meet them. He looked over his shoulder at his servant. Jaken jumped off the two-headed dragon and rolled over the ground before he came to an halt, right in front of Sesshomaru's feet.

"Ah-Un is ready, milord," he croaked a little dizzy and looked up at his master.

"Find us a place dry, Jaken," Sesshomaru told him.

"A dry place? We're not going to continue?"

"Isn't it obvious?" he replied glaring down.

"I'm s-sorry milord! I'll go right away!"

Jaken looked at the miko. She wasn't paying much attention to their conversation. The look on her face said she needed a little rest and warmth. The way she was hunching over and had her arms wrapped around her chest...

'A place dry, surely to warm and dry our clothes. Us demons are not bothered by the effects of the rain, so it's because of Haruna. We'll be delayed by the human again... My lord is so patient,' he grumbled in thought.

"Jaken."

"Yes! I'll be going, please be here when I return milord!"

Ah-Un let out a friendly growl when he saw Jaken approach to get on his back. He hopped onto the dragon's saddle and took hold of the reigns. Haruna was walking to the rubble of the rock formation. The way the boulders landed on top of eachother offered her at least some protection from the rain. Sesshomaru watched her go, one foot after another placed almost with perfection, with the grace of someone trained to fight in close combat if they needed to. The fabric of the hakama that sticked to her slender legs revealed her strong calves. Someone put effort into training those legs and teaching her that level of control. She knelt down and put her arms around herself. One moment a fierce fighter, the other just a woman. He watched her without saying a word. A feeling rose inside him... curiosity? He didn't know all that much about this miko. Even from where he was standing he could see she shivered. He walked over to her calmly and stood next to her.

"You must have trained for a long time, priestess," he stated.

"Heh..." she half-smiled, "I'm glad you notice, because I have. I've been training to reach member-status of the Order all my life."

"Then why did you leave?" Sesshomaru continued, looking at her with his amber eyes. Her expression held something sad.

"You know... I was born inside the monastry. My mother broke the Vow of Celibacy. They made an exception letting her keep me. If it would've been any other woman I would've been given away for adoption. Sometimes I wonder what my life would've been like then. Simple, I presume. I'd gussy up every festival, I'd learn a profession such as seamstress or basket weaver. A normal girl... After my mother died I convinced myself that the temple was all I needed in my life. For a while I was quite content living this way... But I was wrong. I realized I was being trained to become a tool to the Order. When I aged past puberty I desired to see what other options there were in life, what was outside the boundaries of my small world."

Now that she started, it was as though her tongue moved by itself. The words came out one by one and her story unfolded to Sesshomaru. He was hearing her in silence, staring out into the rain. Well... whether he was interested or not... it felt good getting it off her chest.

"I learnt about my mother's past and found out there was a time she had not been so loyal to the temple. I thought that, perhaps, like me she was born within the temple but this was not the case. She had grown up in a different temple. A young monk looking for talent travelled to her location and saw her skills. He invited her to Yamanakako where she could train even further. Back then she lived far away from this region, up in the north. It took them two weeks to travel back. On their way they got to know each other and fell in love... But they had both promised to Buddha, their relationship was forbidden. Despite the controversities they kept seeing eachother at night, sneaking out of their individual dormitories. Ahh well... what am I telling you... you're probably not even interested," she sighed.

"You may talk if you want, priestess," he replied looking at her for a moment.

"It so happened she got pregnant and they decided to flee. They ran away back to my mother's region. For half a year I believe they lived in hiding until Kodama found them living as farmers in a town. Kodama-sama convinced them to head back to the temple, despite her pregnancy. And she got me! My father, being a priest, had to go on missions and he died during one. I was only two. After that my mother completely devoted herself to the Order."

She remained silent for a moment. Memories of long ago...

A young girl was crying, running towards her mother. Wakana was fanning a fire under an iron pan, ready to start making diner for herself, high priestess Mei and her six-year old.

"What's wrong, Haruna?" she asked softly and knelt down to the child's level to envelope her frail body in her comforting arms. She was wearing a miniature version of the priestess' robes, but her pants were orange instead of red, signifying the child did not hold the status of miko yet.

"T-they... They don't let me... play with them," she said between her sobs, "they t-tell me... I'm an outsider."

"Aw sweety, and you just wanted to make friends," she hushed the child.

"Yes!" young Haruna cried out, tears trickling down her face, "they're all stupid!"

"You must forgive them, Haruna. They've only ever seen you in the company of the monks. It's only since recently that you are allowed to go down the path to Yamanakako yourself. They just have to get used to you."

"B-but..." her voice trembled.

"My dear child... Anger, fear, they are rudimental emotions that everyone knows. It's easy to feel pity on yourself, to feel self-righteous, to be mad at others, to avoid difficult situations. But it's harder to understand people, to feel compassion. Kindness is like a candle that can light up even the darkest heart, that's what I believe. Haruna, sweety... Be patient and kind, true to yourself, and have confidence. Then people will like you eventually, always."

'Back then, mother's words were complicated and I didn't understand exactly what she wanted of me. But I was impressed anyway. She had stared at me with gentle care, piercing right through me. Looking back, I understand what she was thinking. And she was right... Anger and fear, they are easy. Lying on the surface of our human instincts. I would like to be someone with compassion... It's just not always that simple.'

She thought about the Sa'keeth. When she touched him she could feel the malice in his heart like a dagger to her own. The kids in Yamanakako eventually turned round and she became friends with Cho, Sakura and Ryouta. She was always different, but they accepted her regardless. But this Sa'keeth... he was filled with a hatred that consumed him. Unlike any she had ever felt. He wasn't human, neither like any demon she knew. If she had to choose between killing him to defend what she loved or showing kindness to cure that hatred... She knew she would kill him without hesitation. But who was she to decide what was justice? Why should souls lost in the dark be forsaken? He talked about betrayal... She wondered what happened to him that made him turn out this way. At the same time, she couldn't forgive him for the slaughter she had witnessed in the bear-yokai's cave... Couldn't forgive him for threatening what was precious to her. Things are hardly ever straightforward and simple. Haruna didn't hold the answers.

'Mother, what would you have done?' she thought to herself.

"My mother was kind... She had a good heart. Most of the monks have... But they are also bound to their duties. And thus... She left one day and never returned. My parent's did their best to give to the world, to protect everyone. I often came second. I loved my mother. At times she felt near, but she was shrouded in mystery at the same time. I was too young to understand. When she passed away I was the only child inside the monastry... I felt lost for a while... and training became my anchor. Kodama-sama was tough on me, perhaps I needed it back then. But my rebelliousness is hard to expel, you see... I don't want to lead a life holding the hands of others, having them decide about me, losing my own responsibility to them. I want to make my own decisions, my own mistakes."

Haruna swallowed. She felt a lump rise in her throat. The turmoil inside... her pain went deeper than she had expected. When was the last time she had talked so openly about her past to someone? Why did she feel safe with the stoic taiyokai? He didn't even address her with her own name. She shivered from the cold.

'I've said enough. I'm letting my emotions get the better of me. I shouldn't let my memories confuse me now,' she thought to herself, 'Kodama-sama would be disappointed.'

For a moment a smile flashed on her face. Yes, the old monk was a strict teacher, but she respected him. He might mask it, but she felt he cared for her. She just didn't want him to decide for her on his own. Yes, she had stolen the scroll that her mother used to guard. The Gatekeeper's scroll. It was meant to belong to her eventually. Haruna understood she had driven a wedge between her and her old master that would not easily be bridged anymore. She shivered again and rubbed her arms, pulling her legs up a little closer to her body.

Something soft and warm wrapped itself around her back. She looked at her shoulder and a white puffy tail was lying there, crawling over her arm and resting on her knees. She looked up at Sesshomaru. His amber colored eyes were focused on something else, his expression held no apparent emotion.

"You are cold," he stated, "if you get sick it would not be in my benefit."

She chuckled a little at the excuse and felt Sesshomaru's warmth through her wet clothes. Sesshomaru eyed her discretely. Her eyes were soft now, smiling, the sadness had disappeared. Humans... They lead such different lives from demons. They burden themselves with so many worries. They care too much about their relations. He could understand better now than before... Having almost lost Rin, having lost Kagura... His heart was touched by grief and it changed him forever. But holding compassion was nonetheless not one of his traits. Yet, something about this priestess... He, Lord Sesshomaru, would offer her the warmth of his tail now, but it didn't mean anything, he told himself. He just wanted to avoid her getting a cold and becoming a burden to him.

"I could use some food. I wonder when Jaken will return," she said.

"Hnn," Sesshomaru responded.

The sky rumbled, clouds rolling over their heads. It was windy and it still rained. They weren't completely shielded from the weather's wrath. However... waiting under the overhanging rock, they both felt a little warmer, enjoying each other's presence in silence for the remainder of time until Jaken would return. Both of them were too used to hiding their truest feelings. They wouldn't show, but inside they were content with their present situation.