Chapter 2 luk tsut k'I
It was a full seven-day later when the combined group arrived, tired, dusty, and hot, back at the village near the Bone well. They had managed to recover a shard during that time, but were low on supplies. They needed an opportunity to rest, recover, and restock.
As the village came into view, Kagome squealed, "Yay! I'm just going straight home, you guys. I'll see you in a couple days."
Rin and Shippou looked at her sadly, "But, isn't today Thursday? What about 'Family Game Night'?", asked Shippou.
Kagome knelt down beside the kitsune, "Shippou, yes, tonight is 'Family Game Night'. Sometimes when my brother and I are super busy with studying or if other things are scheduled on a Thursday so that we can't have a game night, we do a make-up night. I'm going to go through the well and I'll find out what games are available for me to bring back. When I get back, we'll have a 'Make-up Family Game Night' with a new game for you and Rin to try."
"Promise?", asked Rin, her eyes big and pleading.
"Yes, I promise", said Kagome
"Do not fret about being without entertainment this evening, Rin. This Sesshoumaru will allow you and the kit to teach him the game you have been playing these last few days. Perhaps, there are other games or similar activities to be explored. It will be educational."
Sesshoumaru smirked slightly when three sets of eyes – Rin's, Shippou's, and Kagome's, widened in surprise and stared at him. Rin recovered first. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama. Rin would love to teach you Toe-Toe-Toe"
"TIC-TAC-Toe", hissed Shippou, mostly under his breath.
"Oh! Tic-Tac-Toe", Rin corrected herself.
"Thank you, Sesshoumaru! That is very kind of you.", said Kagome happily. "Shippou, be good for Lord Sesshoumaru. I'm heading off now. See you soon." With a bounce to her step, Kagome hurried to the well and disappeared into its depths.
The rest of the group headed to Kaede's hut to let the older miko know of their return.
After a quick scout around the village, Inuyasha announced, "Well, everything seems to be I order. I'm just going to head to Kagome's time to make sure she comes back when she's supposed to. I don't want my shard hunter taking too long to get back." With that, he disappeared into the summer evening, towards the well.
Sango muttered under her breath, "He only wants to have ramen for supper and play games with Kagome's brother."
After eating supper, Sesshoumaru allowed the children to teach him how to play Tic-Tac-Toe, drawing a board in the dirt outside Kaede's hut.
"Hnnn," Sesshoumaru hummed, his thoughts only partially on the simple game. "This is a basic strategy game. Suitable for the young to begin to develop skills for battle. Or politics. If the miko learned this as early as the child and the kit, what other skills suitable for leadership and rulership does she have? I also learned strategy early, though it was never described or treated as a game."
"I will teach you a new game," Sesshoumaru declared, drawing a different board in the dirt with a stick. A square made of 3 rows, with each row containing 3 dots. The dots were connected by lines, dividing the square into eight triangles. There were 3 horizontal lines, 3 vertical lines and 2 diagonal lines.
"Each of you find three pebbles of the same color, but different from each other's pebbles, so you can recognize your own pebbles.", commanded Sesshoumaru.
"This game is called 'luk tsut k'i. The winner is the first player to align their three pieces on a line drawn on the board. Each of you will take turns placing your pebbles on empty intersections. Once all pieces are placed (assuming there is no winner by then), play proceeds with each player moving one of their pebbles per turn. A piece may move to any vacant point on the board, not just an adjacent one. This Sesshoumaru will assist you in the beginning until you have the rules learned. You may begin."
At first, the children were a bit confused on what to do, trying to play like an extension of Tic-Tac-Toe. Soon, however, with an occasional comment from Sesshoumaru and a more than occasional indicator with the stick in his hand, they were playing the game enthusiastically if not strategically. Early into the third game, both Sango and Miroku drew near, at first observing, then adding their comments to help the children, and eventually to drawing their own board in the dirt and playing a bit more intensely than the younger players. Sesshoumaru made occasional corrections to their game as well, until everyone seemed to have the rules of play firmly understood.
Eventually, it grew too dark to see the dirt drawn boards. At which point, Kaede declared it bedtime, late enough that even Shippou didn't protest too much.
As the tired humans and kitsune retired to their huts, Sesshoumaru glided back to the edge of the forest where Jaken and Ah-Un had set up a small camp.
"Jaken, I have an errand for you," stated the demon lord. "You will return with what I require with in two days. Do not disappoint me." He proceeded to elaborate on the items he required.
"Of course, Lord Sesshoumaru. I shall do all you command," squawked the kappa, even if he didn't understand why he was fetching such odd items.
"Hnn"
The miko would be surprised when she returned. And the next 'Family Game Night' should be most interesting.