For what seemed like minutes on end, but in actuality, a few seconds had passed, Kagome felt her breath hitch in her throat when Satouru took another intimidating step towards her. Kagome noticed how his eyes narrowed further, darkening as his gaze shifted to the bandits and back at her. It was obvious the tension between them was still pretty intense and uncomfortable, and while Kagome wasn't purposefully trying to invoke his agitation, it was definitely clear Satouru planned to make her life a living nightmare, whether she wanted it or not.
Never in his life had Satouru met with such a difficult woman, one so morbid and strange. Unlike the other village women, she displayed herself tall and firm, her defiance more heightened than when she first arrived in their village. It was clear she had become more confident in her standing, perhaps even more brazen and clearly overstepping her boundaries with these barbaric men, and the longer he kept staring into her entrancing blue eyes, the more agitated he became. She was a woman he could not have, a woman who defied him with every means necessary, and she proved she was not like the other women.
"Glare at me all you want, but you don't scare me, Satouru."
Satouru felt the sides of his lips twitch at her words, and he fought to control the urge to smirk. He didn't scare her? The last he remembered, she was beneath him in the Forest of Inuyasha some time back, crying and begging for him to release her, and now she wasn't afraid of him?
He almost laughed at this before leaning forward towards her, his words lowered in a harsh whisper at her ear that only she could hear. "Is that so? Do you think you will be safe in this village now that you've returned? It's only been a month since our exciting endeavors in the forest. Don't think I've forgotten what happened back then…" His voice darkened suddenly, and he made sure that only Kagome heard his words before pulling himself away from her face. "Though the women have been returned, we are nonetheless grateful, however, we cannot accept such a punishment to slip by without severity. A crime has been made this day, and our Daimyo in Edo will be written to. I'll be sure to mention you as well, girl."
So that's how he was going to play this? Why wasn't she surprised? Write to the lord then; she didn't care. However, the fact that he had brought up what he had attempted to do to her once before really irked her; she hated remembering how weak she felt that night, and she was sure if Kosuke hadn't come to the rescue when he did, she wouldn't have escaped Satouru.
Yuuta, who'd been leaning against his horse, his arms crossed as he watched the spectacle play out, couldn't help but noticed Kagome's sudden and unusual stance before one of the village men. Her shoulders, her legs and her entire posture was quite tense, her lips pressed together in a firm line and her eyes glaring distrustfully and angrily at one of the village men. Although he was seeing her emotions from a side angle, it was clear Kagome did not like this person.
As his brown eyes looked upon the man, whom Kagome referred to as Satouru, Yuuta realized he was not someone to take lightly. The constant shift in Satouru's gaze traveling along every curve of the woman's body did not go unnoticed by Yuuta; it was clear he lusted for her, and in no way, did it look charming. However, as he looked further upon him, accessing him from head to toe, there was also something off about him; Satouru displayed himself in front of everyone in a manner of superiority, and there was definitely a hint of a violent nature emanating from his authoritative and distrusting stance. However, there was one thing Yuuta was most certainly sure of; there was definitely tension between Satouru and Kagome.
"Listen, I know we don't get along, but can't you see it from their perspective?" Kagome asked, and at Satouru's unflinching glare, she turned her eyes to the other villagers, who were looking between the two, their eyes focused on them and the bandits warily. She had hoped they would say something, anything to her or at least back her up, but they said nothing, surprisingly. However, she did notice their murmurings behind Satouru, but it was clear he was taking leadership of the situation, and whatever the purpose was, it certainly ticked her off.
"A woman shouldn't have a perspective in anything. A woman shouldn't have the audacity to question the laws and persecutions of criminals and thieves, and she most surely shouldn't act like a man," Satouru suddenly retaliated, eyeing her strange clothing once more before scoffing.
A woman this. A woman that. Kagome knew all about it. That was definitely one of the shocks she had received from this time period, but she didn't need to constantly be reminded of it. Yet, the more he brought it up, the more defiant she wanted to behave. Kagome wanted to tell him and everyone else that their laws were wrong, and that their views on women were unfair, but she knew if she said those words, her life would definitely become threatened. Besides, this wasn't the modern era; this was the feudal era.
How could she persuade the villagers to reach a peaceful understanding with the situation at hand? And also, where was the High Priestess at?
"Now I'll say it again," Satouru began more loudly than before, his ax clenched tighter in his grasp. "Step aside."
When he made to move past her, despite her stubbornness, Kagome moved along with him, her arms held out to stop his advancements onto the knelt bandits. "I won't. If you're going to kill them, you'll have to go through me first."
Satouru scoffed. Well, if that's all it took, then he would happily oblige such a request. "Very well. You certainly wouldn't be missed." With a raise of his ax, he prepared to plunge the sharp edge into the side of her neck, hoping to slice her head clean off with one or two swings, but to his surprise, his attack was blocked by a long blade which intercepted his target.
The blade belonged to Yuuta, and the bandit found himself glowering at the ignorant villager. So, he intended to kill this woman, right there in front of the entire village? "From my understanding, what harm has she done? She risked her life to free your women, and yet you welcome your ax to her head? And here I was hoping for a peaceful compromise."
"Compromise with a group of low life bandits?" Satouru questioned, his eyes focused on Yuuta entirely. His ax was barely inches away from Kagome's neck, blocked by Yuuta's blade, but he realized this ruffian was strong in terms of strength. "I don't think so. Siding herself with you vile thieves is a crime in itself. You're not welcome here, and if you even so dare as to take one step towards what's left of our home, after you fucking bandits burned it to the ground, I will end your existence," He seethed.
Caught between an ax and a sword near her neck, Kagome couldn't help but suddenly pale. Her blue eyes shifted from Satouru and behind her where Yuuta stood, the two men glaring heatedly before her. This wasn't good. Not good at all.
"Kill the bandits!" Someone in the crowd shouted.
"After what they did, they deserve death!"
"We should burn them like they did our huts!"
"I never trusted that wench in the first place! Burn her!"
To Kagome's absolute distress, the entire crowd became much louder, their confused and worried stares suddenly transformed into monstrous faces, their eyes glowering in her and the bandits' direction. She swallowed nervously, her hands clenching upon her tank top. Among the crowd, Kagome noticed Daisuke and Mayoko, and to her relief, they had not joined in with the villagers. Instead, the husband and wife simply looked in her direction with concern.
Hearing this, Satouru smirked. It seemed the other villagers sided with him absolutely, and his stare upon Yuuta hardened. "You display yourself much taller than your men. I take it you are their leader?" When he didn't respond back, Satouru continued. "Then you'll be the first to die by my hand. Get on your knees. If you're truly sorry for what you have done, then I'll make your death less agonizing."
"And why would I kneel before an arse such as yourself?" Yuuta questioned, his eyebrow arched. With the girl standing between him and the village farmer, Yuuta grasped her by the arm with his free hand and pushed her behind him and out of harm's way; the action irked Satouru, but Yuuta didn't care. "Go ahead and try to plunge your farm tool into me."
"Y-Yuuta!" Kagome was flabbergasted, and she grasped his arm to pull him back, but he didn't move away. "Are you crazy? This will only make the situation worse."
The subtle way in which the woman grasped Yuuta's arm, her expression showing her apprehension, was enough to truly irk Satouru, and yet, as he shifted his gaze between the two, a curious thought surfaced. Was it like that? His imaginings between these two brought a smirk to his lips, and he realized he finally had the wench cornered. "I believe I understand the situation perfectly. This wench is not only attempting to bargain for their lives, but has also bewitched these bandits!" Satouru exclaimed loudly to the other villagers to hear.
Kagome gasped, her hand tightening on Yuuta's arm.
Satouru went on, pacing a few feet before them, his ax swinging threateningly at his side as he looked between the two. "It wasn't even daybreak when our village was attacked, but in a matter of a few hours, this wench somehow managed to bring our women back. Not only that, she has managed to bewitch these bandits onto their knees before us. Does that not seem strange?" He questioned.
"He's right! It is strange!"
"How did she do it? She's just a girl!"
"Is she a demon?"
Satouru's stare fell onto Yuuta, and he raised his ax in his direction. "And you protect her. Before you intended to have your way with her and the other girls, but now you've all completely changed. It's clear this wench has bewitched you, and it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest how she managed it."
More murmurings spread amongst the throng of people, and Kagome felt all their eyes upon her, eying her suspiciously from head to toe. There was distrust in their gazes and perhaps even fear. No, she didn't bewitch anyone. It wasn't like that at all.
"In fact," Satouru went on, his eyes traveling from Yuuta and the girl equally. "it wouldn't surprise me if she's been spreading her legs to all the bandits. Let us not forget how she first arrived upon our village, scantily clad in revealing clothes, displaying herself in a tempting and disgusting manner, especially in front of the children and the married men!"
"How disgusting!" Someone in the crowd shouted.
"Burn the whore! Burn her!"
"What did our High Priestess see in that girl?! She's nothing but trouble!"
What? What?! Kagome's jaw literally fell. Was he serious? He was still spouting such nonsense about her being a whore? And not only that, but now Satouru had completely turned everyone against her as well, and she couldn't help but become shaken by this. When would it end?
Before Satouru could say any more, he was suddenly knocked off his feet and onto his back, and before Kagome could even discern the situation quick enough, Yuuta was upon him quickly. The strong bandit, who exceeded Satouru by a good four inches, grasped him by the throat tightly with both hands, his strength cutting off the oxygen to Satouru's lungs.
"You'll hold your tongue or I'll rip it from your disgusting mouth!" Yuuta barked, squeezing the man's neck tighter.
"Yuuta, stop!" Kagome cried, trying her best to pull him off Satouru, but Yuuta only shoved her away. "What are you doing?!"
Those who were knelt on the ground suddenly lifted their heads, their dark eyes widening in surprise at the situation unveiling before them. At first, they'd been quiet, awaiting their impending death, but when they heard the words the farmer shouted towards the woman, they felt their blood suddenly boil. However, it was to their relief when they saw Yuuta jump him for his vulgarity towards them. His words had been insulting, and though they were used to such words, they were also directed at the woman whom they thought of as their Boss.
"Yuuta! Please!"
The eight bandits turned their eyes to the woman, and noticing her distress, not wanting to invoke the situation any more than it was, they jumped to their feet. In seconds, they were blocking the entrance from the other villagers who had dispersed to put a stop to Yuuta and Satouru's fight.
"These barbarians have learned nothing!" Someone in the crowd shouted.
Having heard enough, Aiko, who'd been standing amongst the other village women, clenched her hands and moved closer to the scene before standing beside Kagome confidently. "Kagome wasn't wrong!" She shouted, her voice loud enough to silence the entire crowd. "Yes, we were kidnapped and for hours we were gone, but it's not something that involves indecency! Kagome saved us, all of us, including these men here!" She replied, pointing at the bandits, who looked back curiously at her. "If you would just give Kagome and all of us a chance to explain the situation, then there wouldn't be any reason to continue fighting!"
"Yuuta, please, get off him. The situation is bad enough…" Kagome exclaimed, bending down to pull Yuuta off him. "At this rate, he'll die," She warned, noticing how Satouru's face began turning purple from the tight grip of Yuuta's hands around his neck. As much as she wanted him to suffer, it was still wrong.
Yet, even though he wanted to ignore Kagome's words, glaring heatedly at the man beneath him who squirmed for breath, Yuuta snarled. It could be over in an instant if he wanted, but Yuuta realized the situation at hand was bad enough. Before he could remove his hands from Satouru's neck, he heard surprised gasps in the crowd in front of him leading into the village.
The sudden stir caught everyone's attention, including Kagome's, and as they looked on curiously, they watched as the villagers separated, their heads suddenly lowered in a manner of respect. The familiar sight of High Priestess Kaede surprised them, and she walked towards them in a manner of displeasure, her bow acting as her cane with every step and her arm bound in bandages. One thing was noted however and that was her unending scowl.
A familiar face belonging to that of Kosuke, walked alongside the old woman, helping her walk before turning his startled eyes towards the scene before them. He noticed the bandits first and secondly, he noticed a familiar blue eyed and raven-haired girl. "K-Kagome?!"
"That will be enough of this!" Her aged voice exclaimed, her old eyes falling upon the bandits distrustfully, and they suddenly shrank back at her stare. Shifting her gaze, she caught sight of Yuuta bent over one of her village men, choking the breath from his lungs, and she scrunched her face irritably. "Ye would do best to remove yeself from there at once, bandit, or ye will be meeting the tip of my arrow," She warned.
Nervousness settled itself in the pit of Kagome's stomach, and hastily, she grabbed Yuuta's arm and pulled him away from Satouru. She was thankful he moved when she reached for him, but seeing the hardened stare from High Priestess Kaede worried her. The atmosphere felt a lot tenser than before, and she couldn't stop her hands and legs from trembling. This was the first time she'd seen the old priestess so angry.
Once Yuuta had removed himself from his being entirely, Satouru struggled to catch his breath, his face reddened and his throat painful to touch. Coughs escaped his mouth, and he struggled to push himself into a seated position, almost hunched over as he fought to catch his breath.
Noticing the village girls were returned and unharmed standing behind Kagome and Aiko in a huddle, Kaede ushered them back into the village with a wave of her hand. As the young girls quickly scrambled past the old woman, Kaede turned her glare back to the eight bandits. "Though I know not the reason as to why ye have returned, ye were foolish."
"Lady Kaede," Kagome voiced suddenly, but when she caught the old woman's glare, she couldn't help but shrink back, her face paling at her stare.
"Child, come with me. I think it best we talked privately," High Priestess Kaede replied before turning her back to Kagome entirely. The old woman looked at the village men and women, their heads still lowered respectively to her. "Tie up these bandits and don't ye dare let them escape. They will not leave this village unpunished."
At her order, Kagome watched stupefied as the village men roughly grabbed at the bandits before forcing them down onto their knees roughly. However, this did not sit well for the bandits who retaliated with indignation and snarls.
"Get your hands off me!"
"Where you think you're touching?!"
Seeing this, Kagome quickly approached the bandits, and at her approach, they stilled, their eyes looking upon her in surprise. "It's alright. I'll talk to her and I'll explain the situation. For now, just do as you're told, and don't start any fights. Okay?"
Hearing her kind words, and realizing she truly did care about their well-being, they nodded. "Yes boss! Whatever you say!" They replied in unison.
Thankful that was settled, Kagome looked around her, noticing Aiko at her side worryingly. She shared a look with the young girl before turning her eyes in the direction the old priestess disappeared. Why was she so nervous all of a sudden? This entire situation could have been avoided if she hadn't suggested the bandits return to apologize, but even so, it was inexcusable.
"Stupid bitch. Watch your back," Satouru suddenly remarked several feet away from her, and Kagome caught his glare, watching him as he rubbed his neck painfully before walking into the village, his three friends following after him.
"Kagome…" Aiko muttered softly, her hand placed upon the young woman's shoulders. "Don't listen to anything he said. Since you've been gone, our High Priestess has put him under punishment. He won't get away with his actions before nor today. So please, don't worry…"
Kagome nodded at this before sending the girl beside her a friendly smile. "Thank you, Aiko." Turning her attention back to the situation at hand, Kagome made her way towards the entrance of the village, but noticing Kosuke standing before her, she paused in her steps. "Kosuke. I'm glad you're alright."
For a moment, he was quiet, his soft brown eyes looking upon the woman before him. His emotions betrayed him, showing he was deeply regretful in his inabilities to save Kagome earlier that morning. The ruffians had gotten away with their actions, and yet, she was safe and standing before him, and for that, he was very much relieved. "Kagome … did they hurt you?"
She shook her head, offering a small smile to the taller man. "I'm fine. Before we talk, I need to talk with High Priestess Kaede…"
Realizing this and not wanting the older woman to wait any longer, Kosuke quickly stepped aside, his head bent apologetically towards the woman. "Yes. You should hurry. Let's talk after…"
As she walked past him, she placed a small hand onto his arm, her blue eyes looking at him for a brief moment, and when he caught her stare, she stepped away. Although it was something small, she knew it had to mean something to the guy at least. After all, he did his best to save her and it was obvious he was regretting the situation, but Kagome was just thankful he was alright.
As she stepped inside the entrance of the village, Kagome found her eyes looking upon the destruction before her. It was worse than before. The huts, or what was left, were practically burnt to a crisp, collapsed and in shambles. Pottery was lain broken upon the dirt ground before her, and bags of rice scattered across the ground at her feet. Shifting her gaze around, she saw curious stares of the other villagers peering at her from behind the few huts which hadn't been touched by the smoldering flames early that morning; they were afraid of her.
Closing her eyes, Kagome took a deep breath before releasing it. Opening her eyes, she continued on her way in the direction of the High Priestess's hut, and when she neared it, she saw it was still intact before stepping inside.
The old woman was standing with her body facing the flap of the door, her eyes no longer cold, much to Kagome's relief. "Seat yeself child. There is much to discuss."
Doing as she was told, Kagome took a seat in front of the small fire, her eyes looking upon the old woman worryingly. As she sat there, her legs bent under her, Kagome couldn't help but notice something familiar of hers leaning against the far wall of the hut. It was her brother's hiking bag she had brought with her into this world, and she realized the old lady had brought it safely inside.
Kaede took her seat across from the young girl, her eyes staring intensely upon her. Not much had changed within the course of one month, however, her clothing certainly had. "I had my suspicions ye weren't an ordinary girl," She began, and at this, Kagome couldn't help but widen her eyes. "On the day ye vanished, it was through the old tree in the Forest of Inuyasha. How it happened, I am not sure."
Nervously swallowing, Kagome's mouth fell open in surprise. How had she known about that? Was she there the entire time when Mistress Centipede attacked her? "How…"
"When ye turned up missing, one of my watchman informed me it was because of Satouru. Ye were dragged deep into the forest, and I had the village men search for ye," Kaede admitted.
This surprised Kagome. The High Priestess of this village had actually gone out of her way to search the entire woods for her? So, she was concerned about her well-being. "That's right…" As much as Kagome hated remembering what happened that night, she realized there was no escaping the subject.
Kaede continued. "My men found Kosuke wounded and Satouru unconscious, but there were no signs of ye within the area, Kagome. It wasn't long after that I realized a menacing demon had resurfaced after so many years, and its sights had turned on ye. I never imagined something of such magnitude to transpire once more into this world," She explained.
"What do you mean? What exactly was that demon?"
"Mistress Centipede was the most feared demon within our era fifty years ago. The demon harbored terrifying powers, even capable of reviving herself countless times. A group of well-known Demon Slayers had vanquished the demon, and for many years, it never returned, until just recently," The old woman replied. "Why it returned and after ye, I am not sure. However, there's no mistaking what my eyes witnessed that night…"
The sudden thought of the creature brought a shudder down her spine. Just remembering its demonic face and hundreds of thousands of legs moving on their own accord made her slightly sick to her stomach. "Um…"
Kaede went on. "When faced with the demon, I was sure ye would be consumed, however, ye managed to stun and even blind it with a mystifying means," She explained before reaching behind her and revealing a familiar staff.
"That's my grandfather's staff," Kagome replied, her eyes meeting once more with the old woman's.
If the old woman remembered correctly, a gust of wind had propelled itself out of the staff and towards Mistress Centipede, but Kaede had a feeling Kagome was not aware of the action. She noted Kagome's curious stare on the staff, her eyes looking between it and herself. "Not only that, but there was a bright light which engulfed ye form, Kagome. Do ye remember such?"
Kagome nodded. "I do…"
"I was caught off guard when faced with such a scene, and yet, I was left almost speechless again when I heard voices emanating from the old tree, and ye seemed to recognize such voices. No sooner after, I clearly remember seeing a human hand extend itself from the bark, and in an instant, ye vanished into the tree itself and disappeared from the forest…"
The young girl's eyes widened at this. So, Lady Kaede really saw everything? Judging by the way she was calmly discussing the situations which transpired a month ago, Kagome realized she wasn't angry at her, simply curious. Before, Kagome was hesitant to reveal the truth about where she came from, knowing that if she did, she'd probably end up in a worse situation. Right now, the old woman was quietly awaiting a response from her, and Kagome realized there was no more hiding the truth.
"Child, tell me now what ye have been hiding since the day ye were brought into this village, and that is an order."
Taking a deep breath, Kagome slowly nodded her head and exhaled. "Well … as unbelievable as this might sound, I'm not originally from this era," She began, staring at the old woman to gauge her reaction, but it remained passive. "My name is Kagome Higurashi, and I came from the future in the year 1990…"
"It is an absurd thought, but from what I have witnessed, I believe ye story. If ye had told me long before, I wouldn't have believed ye, however, I'll admit, I was very suspicious and curious of ye place of origin from the start. Ye were unlike the others, and ye carried ye self with a higher sense of purpose."
Relieved her story was believed, Kagome slumped her shoulders and relaxed. It seemed like a weight had lifted itself from her shoulders and she could finally breathe. "To be honest, this is all really confusing. The day I arrived into this world, I had just finished graduating high school. I was playing soccer with my brother and the next thing I knew, I heard a strange voice whispering to me on the wind…"
"A voice ye say?" Kaede asked. While the elderly woman did not understand most of the things in her explanation, he did understand parts of it.
Kagome nodded. "Return to us priestess thus is your fate," Kagome replied before shaking her head. "That's what it said. I don't understand or know whose voice it was, but a few moments after hearing that, I was pulled through the Goshinboku Tree on my family's shrine. The next thing I knew, I was here."
Again, Kaede nodded. The old woman assumed the very tree within the Forest of Inuyasha was likely the very same tree within the girl's time period, living so far into the future. "I see, so that is what happened. Although the voice is something which confuses even myself, it referred to ye as a priestess. Tell me, child. Are ye a priestess?"
"Actually, no. I never took on the ceremonial duties like my grandfather. I focused all my attention on my studies in school. Honestly, I never had an interest in that type of stuff," Kagome admitted.
Pleased with all of her answers, Kaede relaxed her shoulders, and placed a hand to her injured arm, feeling a slight pain shoot up her arm. After a few seconds, she refocused on the girl. "Although my village was decimated by the attack, ye brought the girls back safely and unharmed. For that, I thank ye."
"No. I didn't do anything. Really."
High Priestess Kaede held up a hand to silence her. "Regardless if ye do not believe so, ye have saved the village," She replied. "Whether it was by the work of Kami himself or fate, I thank ye for your endeavors."
Kagome flushed at this, and scratched her cheek awkwardly. Honestly, she didn't do anything besides wound up kidnapped as well. But, in the end, things kind of turned out alright, besides the wreckage and misunderstandings. "I couldn't just turn a blind eye…"
"That reminds me. Why did ye return?" Kaede asked, her brow arched as she watched the girl closely. The thought had bothered her the very morning the child arrived in the chaotic situation within the village. Kaede never thought she'd return, especially after all the hell she'd been through.
"Well…" Good question. "Well, I kept having nightmares the past month about the village, as strange as that might sound. I dreamt it was being attacked by the bandits…"
The old woman's eyes widened at this. "A prophetic dream?"
Kagome nodded. "To be honest, I wasn't going to return to this world, not after everything that has happened to me. Don't get me wrong, but I felt entirely shamed during my time here. The situation got out of control and you practically kept me here against my will," Kagome found herself replying. It had to be said. There was no reason for her to keep it to herself, and she wasn't about to have the whole thing replay itself once again now that she was back. "Not to mention the fact that I was frequently attacked by Satouru and his friends and nothing was done about it."
"Ye have my sincerest apologies, Kagome. Although I understand the situation clearly, before, none of us knew anything. We thought at first ye were perhaps a spy or someone with sinister means, but I later realized ye were not a threat. I do apologize for keeping ye here against ye will, but it was more towards ye safety than anything else, child."
"My safety?"
Kaede nodded, her thoughts trailing back to her discussion with Daisuke a month ago. "Before ye disappeared, I felt there was something strange about ye. And after witnessing the events take place that very night with Mistress Centipede, I realized my suspicions were real. Kagome, I believe ye may possess great powers, though their origin leaves me baffled. However, I believe ye may hold powers as that of a priestess, even though ye explained ye have never been trained."
"But I can't have powers. That's … no one besides my grandfather studies such practices. Besides that, my mother and father were ordinary people," Kagome explained, her brow furrowed as she tried to understand this. "There's no way I could be. I'm just Kagome." Besides that, there was no way she could have some sort of hidden powers; the thought in itself sounded ridiculous. If anything, it sounded like it came from a manga or anime, but then again, Kagome had time traveled into the Sengoku Jidai Era. Nothing made sense to her.
"Even so, I believe ye presence here will only pose to attract demons similar to Mistress Centipede. As long as ye are within the barrier, no demon can lay their hands upon ye."
A sudden thought came to mind, and Kagome looked at the old woman in surprise. "That reminds me. When we were brought to the bandits' hideout, Yuuta explained to us that the reason they attacked the village was because of a jewel," She explained before musing suddenly. What was it called again? "The … Sacred Jewel. I think that's what he said."
In an instant, Kaede's entire form shook as if with fright and she leaned over the small fire before her, her eyes looking at Kagome in great surprise. The Sacred Jewel?! "What do ye mean child?"
Judging by the old woman's countenance, it seemed the mere mentioning of the jewel shook her. What exactly was the Sacred Jewel? "Well … if I'm being perfectly honest, Mistress Centipede said the exact same thing. Both that thing and the leader of the bandits were after the jewel and me for that matter."
Kaede studied the child seated in front of her, her expression wavering between surprise and suspicion. If what she said was true, then Kagome was indeed no ordinary girl, but what was this of the jewel? Did this child have it? If so, how could that be possible? "Tell me Kagome. Do ye have the Sacred Jewel?"
At this, Kagome shook her head, her eyes narrowed confusedly at her question. "I don't have any jewel on me. I really don't know anything about this jewel or what it really is."
Having heard the sincerity in her words, Kaede mused. So, she knew nothing of the jewel at all. Although the child claimed to arrive from the future, she emitted a strong aura of immense powers, that even she seemed confused about. Not only that, but even demons were beginning to target her, and not only demons, but humans as well. Who was this child and what was her connection with the Sacred Jewel? "Even so, there would be no possible way the jewel could manifest once more," She began and at Kagome's confused stare, she continued. "After all, the jewel was destroyed fifty years ago…"
Flashback
It was an ordinary day like any other, the leaves were falling in their vibrant shades of oranges, yellows and reds and the wind was cooler to the touch. Kaede was out helping her sister gather medicinal herbs over the hillside from their village, and from a distance, the child smiled. The village was doing well, despite the circumstances which had befallen their mother and father a few years prior. Without their father to lead the village, Kikyou, her older sister, took over the task and led the village properly.
Like many prosperous villages, they were doing just as well, and were always sharing their harvests with others faring poorly. Kikyou led the people justly, and because of her kindness, and willingness to help others, the people adored her, even those from distant villages. Kikyou's kindness and virtue spread for miles within Japan, especially that of her abilities to purify demons with a single touch.
It wasn't long after her name spread across the lands that a missive was delivered. Kaede remembered that day on the hillside gathering herbs with her sister when one of the village men ran toward them. The missive was sent by a clan of Demon Slayers, asking for her older sister's help with purifying a particular object, and never one to turn down a request or help, her sister accepted the task.
"Kikyou, will you take me with you?"
Looking away from the parchment in her hands, the long raven-haired woman looked down at her younger sister beside her and smiled. "I see no reason why not, Kaede. You've never been to such a village before, have you?"
Kaede shook her head, smiling with anticipation to join her sister on her travel. "How far is it?"
Kikyou mused before looking back at the parchment. "It says the village lies North. It would take us five days on foot to reach, but if we took a horse, we would reach it within two days. Are you certain you wish to travel along?"
Kaede nodded. "Yes. I'm sure."
When we reached the Demon Slayer Village, I remember standing in shock beside my older sister. The village was an abundance of many large huts, training grounds and many villagers, some dressed in their training and battling attires. The village itself was surrounded by a large wooden wall, it's height so high you couldn't even see the village without stepping inside. There were slots in the wood where archers could shoot out and many towers along each of the four corners with men standing watch.
The sight was amazing to see, and it was then I realized just unprotected our village seemed compared to the Demon Slayers. When my sister and I first stepped inside, we were greeted by the chief of the clan, a rather tall man with dark black hair pulled back in a high short ponytail and a jagged scar over his left eyebrow. Atop his shoulder, Kaede remembered seeing a cute and soft cream-colored feline with large red eyes and two tails.
"Greetings Kikyou. We welcome you to our village," Shako replied.
"Greetings. We received your missive for assistance with a particular object," Kikyou replied, noticing the feline atop his shoulder before smiling softly back at the chief.
He nodded before noticing the little girl dressed in orange colored kimono with tiny black patterned flower petals across its stitching's. With a wide smile, he also greeted her. "And who might this cute child be?"
Flushing under his gaze, Kaede couldn't help but lean closer to her older sister timidly. He seemed rather young in his age, probably a few years older than her sister, but he displayed himself very masculine and strongly to others.
Smiling at this, Kikyou pressed her hands atop Kaede's shoulders. "This is my younger sister, Kaede. She was very interested in coming along to see your village."
"Is that so?" Chief Shako asked before laughing whole heartedly. "Well, feel free to look all you like." Looking back at Kikyou, his face took on a more serious look. "Kikyou, if you would please follow me."
As the leader of the Demon Slayer village turned his back and made his way towards his large house, Kaede remembered her sister turning to her with a smile. "Sister Kikyou. Can I come with you inside? I want to see the object they want you to purify."
"I'm afraid it's best to wait here, Kaede. I'm not sure what object it might be or what darkness it possesses. Should something happen, I'd rather you be away from it. Alright?"
With a sigh, Kaede nodded. She understood, and as she watched her sister disappear into the hut a moment later, Kaede couldn't help her curiosity. She followed after, trying her best not to look suspicious and opened up the door to peek within.
Within the large hut, she saw her sister seated before a large rectangular table and the chief of the village seated across from her on a soft velvety looking pillow. Lying on the table between them, cushioned on a small pillow similar to his chair, was a round crystalline black jewel. Although Kaede was a little far away, she saw from where she was leaning against the hut the darkness swirling within the object.
"Such a strange jewel…" Kikyou commented, eying it suspiciously as she recognized the darkness within it. Even as she stood there, she noticed a swirling dark vortex of energy swirling within the entire jewel and the power it emanated made the hairs on her neck stand on end. "Such greed. I've never encountered this object before."
Shako nodded, his eyebrows furrowed as he also took in the sight of the jewel. "After uncovering much information about it, my people managed to find its origins easily enough. This jewel has lived through the Heian Era, Lady Kikyou."
This surprised her. "For so many years? Tell me, Lord Shako. What is this jewel and where did you find it?"
"We found it within the body of a large centipede demon," He explained.
As Kaede listened on, she learned Mistress Centipede had attacked the Demon Slayer village not long ago. Unfortunately, after defeating the beast, it had somehow magically regenerated its body and attacked them once more. A few lives were lost, but after severing its stomach, a mysterious jewel fell out and the demon's body immediately after turned to bones.
"We call it the Sacred Jewel," Shako replied after explaining the depths of what happened with Mistress Centipede. "I believe it's because of this jewel, the beast kept reviving. As you can see, the jewel has survived for 580 years and is completely tarnished with darkness and malice. We have heard of your endeavors across the lands, and with your superior powers, we would like to ask you to purify the jewel's wickedness."
The priestess nodded, her eyes falling onto the jewel once more. Purifying it wouldn't pose a problem for her, but she couldn't help but frown upon the evil emanating off it. "Very well. After which, we should properly dispose of the bones of Mistress Centipede so it's soul will not seek vengeance."
"Thank you, Lady Kikyou."
With a small smile, Kikyou reached for the jewel and grasped it with her fingers before holding it into the palm of her hands. Immediately after doing this, the darkness within the jewel began swirling faster and faster before it suddenly began diminishing. In an instant, there was no longer any darkness and a vibrant pink color surfaced upon the jewel, glinting with a newly returned innocence.
Seeing this, Kaede's mouth fell open in surprise, and so too did Lord Shako's. With just a single touch, her sister easily purified the jewel. It was amazing, especially since Kaede wasn't always one to see her sister's extraordinary powers.
"Lord Shako. I would like to hold on to this Sacred Jewel, if that's alright? Many humans and demons with greed in their hearts will likely continue chasing after this jewel. I can protect it and keep it from darkening," Kikyou insisted.
Kaede held a hand to her mouth in surprise. What? Her sister was going to take possession of the jewel? But what if demons begin attacking their village? Something like the jewel would bring nothing but trouble to their lives and others. This was the first time she felt nervous of her sister's decision.
End Flashback
After remembering the events that took place fifty years ago, Kaede returned her attention to the young girl seated in front of her. Kagome had heard every word of Kaede's story regarding the Demon Slayers and the Sacred Jewel. "However, my sister Kikyou was turned down. The chief at that time explained he would destroy the jewel himself, and he did just that."
Kagome nodded. So, if the jewel was gone, then why were demons still after it? "It was born into existence so many years ago, way back into the Heian Era." If her grandfather was here, he would practically have a field day and would no doubt talk High Priestess Kaede's head off about his ancient heirlooms and such.
"It's an object which was once desired by both humans and demons. The Sacred Jewel was said to grant any desired wish, whether evil or pure," Kaede explained.
Again, Kagome nodded. How interesting. If Kagome remembered her history, this was definitely never mentioned in the books. In fact, something like this Sacred Jewel would likely be mentioned in old folk lore and myths. A sudden thought came to her mind, and she found her gaze traveling around the small hut.
"Is something wrong?" Kaede found herself asking, noticing how the child suddenly sweat dropped.
"If you don't mind me asking, what is the year now, Lady Kaede?" Kagome understood she was now dwelling in the Sengoku Jidai, but the approximate time period was somewhat difficult to discern, especially considering the lack of calendars within the village.
"The year is 1490," Kaede replied.