Chapter 6: Kaira's Nest Part 1

The group had finally arrived in the village that was being terrorized by Kaira's followers. When they entered the village, they noticed something strange. The villagers seemed to be eying on Kagome and Akari for some unknown reason. Masahiro, Hansuke, Tomoe, and Shippo felt uneasy.

"Is it just me or is it just that there's more of men than there are of women in this village?" Akari asked, feeling uneasy.

"I agree with you on that one, Akari." Kagome said, sensing Akari's uneasiness.

"Something tells me that these humans won't to talk to us even if we ask them." Masahiro said.

"What makes you say that?" Tomoe asked.

"Everyone is just staring at us, but they don't want to approach us." Masahiro said.

"I don't think it's a good idea to stay in this village."Akari whispered.

"Then what should we do?" Shippo whispered.

"We'll camp outside of the village." Masahiro whispered.

"Why should we do that?" Hansuke whispered.

"Since we can't go to them. They'll have to come to us." Masahiro whispered.

"That's good idea, Masahiro." Kagome whispered.

"Actually, that's a really great idea. So what's the plan, Masahiro?" Hansuke whispered.


Later that night, Kagome and her pack set Masahiro's plan into action. Hansuke used his ofudas and made copies of everyone sleeping around the campfire. Everyone sat up in the trees as they waited for their guests to show up. Akari, Tomoe, and Akinobu stayed in tree near their copies. Hansuke sat in a tree above his own copy. Masahiro and Kagome sat above theirs.

However, Kagome was embarrassed about her copy's position. Her copy was leaning her head against Masahiro's shoulder. She couldn't believe Hansuke put the both of them in that position. She was going to have a word with him after this. Better yet, beat him to a bloody pulp.

Masahiro was having the same thoughts as Reina (Kagome). He had a feeling that Hansuke was teasing him or knew what he thought about him and Reina. He's gonna have a bone to pick with him later. Then they heard footsteps coming towards their camp.

They saw a few villagers near the bushes, waiting for the right moment. They had ropes and blind clothes with them. They quietly snuck up behind the copies. Just when the villagers were about to blindfold them, Hansuke activated the trap.

"Heaven's bindings!" Hansuke said. The copies turned into white ropes and wrapped the villagers tightly. Unable for them to escape. Kagome and the others jumped from their hiding spots. The villagers looked panicked as they tried to get out of the bindings. But it was futile for them.

"Would you mind telling us as to why you were trying to bind us?" Masahiro asked.

"Please, release us!" The first man said.

"Not until you tell why you were sneaking up on us." Masahiro said. The villagers were silent for the moment. Masahiro noticed that they looked too afraid to tell them anything.

"Kaira told us to do it!" The second man said.

"The tengu that threatens this village?" Masahiro asked.

"That tengu has my wife!" The third man said.

"He has my sister!" The fourth man said.

"He has my betrothe!" The fifth man said.

"Enough!" Masahiro said. All the men were silent at that moment. Masahiro took a breath and let it out. He wanted to help these humans but they seemed be making even harder for them to help them.

"Tell us what happened." Masahiro said.

"It happened about a week ago. Kaira appeared out of nowhere and threaten us if we don't hand over the women, he and his soldiers will kill everyone in the village. Then three days after he took the women, he wanted to make a deal with us. He said that if we give him the Shikon Miko and the white tengu, he'll give all of the women back." The first man said.

"It's possible he might give back the women. But that doesn't mean he'll just leave the village." Akari said.

"What do you mean?" The second man asked.

"He wants Reina because she's a powerful miko. He wants me so that he can kill me because I took his jewel shard." Akari said, "After he has Reina, he will rule the village and then attack other villages after he's done with this one."

"So what should we do?" The third man asked.

"We seal the deal." Masahiro said.

"What?!" Shippo and Tomoe asked, shocked. They couldn't believe why they should agree to Kaira's deal. They also couldn't believe that Masahiro wanted to endanger Kagome and Akari.

"In order to destroy an enemy, you must defeat him on the inside." Masahiro said.

"Oh, I get it." Shippo said as he placed his fist into his palm. He finally realized Masahiro's plan. But he was still worried for Kagome and Akari. Tomoe had the same thoughts as Akinobu (Shippo). She didn't want her mother figure to be put in danger.

"Can you help us?" Masahiro asked while staring at all of the village men in their camp. They looked uneasy for a few moments. They knew that if they gave the Shikon Miko and the white tengu to Kaira, they would get their women back. But they started to believe that the white tengu was probably right.

"Alright, we'll help you." The first man said.

"Shion!" The second man said.

"We have no other choice, Hayate!" Shion said.

"Why should we trust them? They're demons!" The third man said

"The one we made a deal with is also a demon, Aoki!" Shion said. The men were silent at Shion's yelling. He was right, Kaira is a tengu demon. A demon that they couldn't trust.

"How can we help?" Hayate said.


Kagome and Akari stood in the middle of the village with their hands bonded by rope as they waited for Kaira's arrival while Masahiro, Hansuke, Tomoe, and Shippo watched from the windows of a nearby hut. The villagers were more nervous than Kagome and Akari were. Masahiro's plan was to infiltrate Kaira's nest and save the women. Even though it was his plan, Masahiro was extremely worried about sending Kagome and Akari into the enemy's territory. From what Akari had told them, Kaira was a very dangerous and very aggressive tengu. This tengu will do anything to get anything he wants even if it involves innocent souls. Then he sensed an evil aura coming into the village.

"It must be Kaira and some of his followers." Hansuke whispered.

"Yeah." Masahiro whispered back.

"Do you think that Reina and Akari will be okay, Masahiro?" Tomoe asked with worry in her voice.

"Let's hope so, Tomoe." Masahiro said.

"If they aren't, I'm gonna make sure to torture you for the rest of your life, Masahiro." Shippo said, narrowing his emerald eyes at Masahiro.

"I hope that won't happen, Akinobu." Masahiro said.

"He's here." Hansuke said.


Kagome and Akari gazed at the black winged figure entering the village. He had long inky black hair and red eyes. He was wearing a black kimono and a black haori coat with strange grey symbols on it. He also wore knee high hakamas and tall black tabi socks. His zori sandals looked like high quality that is mostly bought by nobles. Behind him were his followers who wore grey kimonos and dark grey hakamas. They wore black metal beaks that covered their mouths. Kagome could tell why the villagers were afraid of them. They looked very intimidating. Then she sensed jewel shards on him.

"You're Kaira, aren't you?" Kagome asked.

"Why yes I am. It's also a pleasure to meet you, Shikon Miko." Kaira said. He tooked Kagome's bonded hands and raised them to his lips, but she yanked her hands back before his lips touched them. Kaira frowned when Kagome retracted her hands away from him. Then he turned towards Akari. He gave her an innocent, yet eerie smile. Kagome could feel a dark aura around him. It made a shiver go down her spine.

"Akari, it's so nice to see you again." Kaira said.

"Likewise, Kaira." Akari said. Unexpectedly, Kaira bunched Akari in the left jaw and she skid behind Kagome.

"Akari!" Kagome said as she ran over to Akari. She helped her slowly get up from the ground. The villagers looked shocked at this; a miko helping a tengu. What was even stranger for them was that a miko and a tengu were trying to help them get the women back. Some were uneasy at this moment. But then they saw how the miko was protective of the tengu. They never thought that a demon would get along with a miko.

"Let's get going, shall we?" Kaira asked. His followers grabbed Kagome and Akari by both of their arms. All of his followers spread out their large wings and were about to take flight.

"Wait!" Shion called out to Kaira. Kaira turned towards Shion and gave him a stern glare.

"What?" Kaira asked in an impatient tone. He didn't have the time for this. He rather be back at his nest where he will try to woo the beautiful young miko. He had to admit that she was certainly beautiful. More beautiful than any other demoness he encountered. He hoped that she would join him in his bed soon. He was already imagining what she would be like with him on top of her.

"When can we have our women back?" Shion asked.

"Pardon?" Kaira asked, his brow arched.

"You promised us if we gave you the Shikon Miko and the white tengu, you would give back our women." Shion said.

"Did I say that?" Kaira asked as he tapped his chin. Then his eyes widened. It made him look like he had just realized something. He turned back at Shion.

"Oh that's right. I said that I'll give them back to you, eventually." Kaira said. At that moment, Kaira and his followers took flight.


Kagome tensed up as soon they took flight. She hated it when someone doesn't warn her of when they decide to lift off into the air. The air was cold as they flew over the forest away from the village. She glanced back at the village she and Akari left from. She felt terrible for the villagers, being tricked by an evil twisted tengu named Kaira. She looked up and saw a mountain up ahead. She could sense a dark aura coming from the mountain as they got closer. But she sensed something else. It felt like something was pulling her soul. Then she remembered that feeling: jewel shards were nearby!

They landed on the edge of a cliff that had a shade over it. Kaira walked towards the wall of rock and placed his hand on it. Suddenly a rock door appeared and slid open. Kaira entered with his followers who held Kagome and Akari by their bounds followed behind him. After they entered, the door closed behind them and the room was dark. Then torches light up a long hallway. They walked down the hallway and arrived at a pair of shoji doors with a beautiful design of sakura petals on them. Kaira opened the doors and went inside with his followers and the two prisoners in tow.

Kagome sensed more jewel shards somewhere past the room they were in. She didn't know how Kaira gained more shards. Akari gave her a jewel shard that Kaira had. She probably didn't know that he had more or maybe she was only able to obtain one.

Kagome and Akari were forced to sit on the floor while Kaira towered over them. Kagome looked up at the tengu in front of her. When she saw his blood red eyes, she saw traces of lust in them. She saw that look in every low level demon she fought. She really hated that look.

"So, you are the Shikon Miko, right?" Kaira asked, smiling wickedly.

"Yes, what do you want?" Kagome asked.

"Your name, please?" Kaira asked. Kagome stayed silent. Kaira's brow twitched.

"Alright then. Beautiful miko, I want you to help me find the sacred jewel shards." Kaira said.

"Why should I help you?" Kagome asked, glaring at Kaira.

"Well, my dream is to I obtain all the shards so that I'll be the most powerful tengu that has ever lived. But not only that, I will rule all of the Eastern lands!" Kaira said with an evil laugh that sent a shiver down Kagome's and Akari's spine. Both them were not surprised that a demon would want extreme power. But they never met any one who wanted to take over the Eastern lands.

"That's impossible, Kaira." Akari said, regaining her composure.

"What?" Kaira asked when he stopped laughing.

"The dragons of the East are just as powerful as the dogs of the West. If you plan on fighting them, you'll probably end up dead." Akari said, smugly. Kaira glared down at Akari. Unexpectedly, he punched Akari in the jaw. Akari fell to the floor with excruciating pain in her right cheek. She didn't know that he grew this strong since the last time she saw him. But it's probably the power of the tainted jewel shards. She should've looked for the ones he still had. Unfortunately she was only able to get one that was in sight. Not to mention she was caught when she found only one.

"Akari!" Kagome said while struggling to get out of the tengu's grasp when she saw Akari laying on her side on the floor. She could tell that Akari was trying to surpass the pain in her jaw.

"Still cheeky as always." Kaira said. Akari glared back at him,

"Then again, you'll always be cheeky, Akari."

"How do you know Akari?" Kagome asked.

"Oh? She didn't tell you? She's my younger sister." Kaira said, "It's too bad you're not a true tengu, you would have been able to fight me and my followers. I also would have recognized you as family. But you're not."

Kagome was shocked by what Kaira said about Akari. She never would have guessed that Kaira was Akari's older brother. It reminded her of Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's relationship. Two siblings who hated each other because they're different in levels of power and species. Was she the only sibling in the world that acknowledged their younger siblings?

"Anyway, back to the subject at hand. Miko, will you help me with my dream?" Kaira asked, giving Kagome an innocent smile. But Kagome knew it wasn't an innocent smile. It was a fake smile. He also sounded like Naraku when he was trying to ass kiss Sesshomaru into killing Inuyasha that one time. Luckily, Sesshomaru wasn't buying it at the time.

"No, I won't help you with your foolish dream." Kagome said. Kaira's smile vanished and it turned into a frown of displeasure. A dark and sinister frown to be most precise.

"If you won't help me then give me the shards, miko." Kaira said.

"No." Kagome said, glaring.

"Give me the shards, now." Kaira said.

"No, I will not." Kagome said with a stern look. Kaira dove his hand into the collar of her kimono. He seem to be searching for something. Kagome hated him for even touching her. The touch of his hands felt rough and violent. She hated this tengu more than any other vile man she came across. Then she looked up and saw Kaira with a frustrated look on his face. He didn't find what he was looking for.

"Where are the shards, miko?" Kaira asked. Kagome smirked.

Flashback:

They waited for their guests to arrive at their campsite. Kagome had a feeling that Kaira would try to obtain her shards. She couldn't let him have them if she gets caught in the middle of this. She looked towards Masahiro. He was the only one she could trust for the moment. Even though he's a demon, she knew that he wouldn't use the shards for a selfish cause.

"Masahiro." Kagome said.

"Yes, what is it?" Masahiro asked when he looked towards her. Kagome took her little jar of jewel shards from around her neck and placed them into Masahiro's palm.

"Keep these safe for me, Masahiro." Kagome said.

"But,...are you sure?" Masahiro asked, shocked. He didn't know why Reina (Kagome) would entrust the shards to him. He was dragon demon, nobody trusts a dragon demon.

"Yes." Kagome said. Masahiro looked at Reina (Kagome) and then the shards. He closed his eyes and held the jar close to his chest. Reina trusts him. She was placing her trust in him. He opened his eyes and gave her a look of determination.

"I'll protect them with my life, Reina." Masahiro said.

"Thank you, Masahiro." Kagome said.

Flashback Ends

"I must have dropped them somewhere." Kagome said.

"Don't lie to me, miko!" Kaira said, grabbing Kagome by the collar. She could see the rage in his eyes. They were exactly like Naraku's when one of his plans had failed.

"I will not tell you." Kagome said, defiantly. Kaira's frown grew darker as he stared into her sky blue eyes. Knowing that he wasn't getting anywhere with the miko. Maybe if he locked her away for a few days without food and water might change her mind or maybe…

"If you don't tell me, miko, I will kill all the women from the village including the white tengu." Kaira said. Kagome's body grew tense when Kaira stated his threat. She knew that she couldn't let the women or Akari die because of her. But she also knew that she couldn't let Kaira get a hold of all the jewel shards. She had to think of something and quick.

"Give me a week." Kagome said.

"A week?" Kaira asked, his brow arched.

"Then I will make my decision by then." Kagome said. Kaira let out a frustrated sigh.

"Fine. I'll give you one week." Kaira said, "Just make sure you make the right one."

End of Part One