Author Notice:
Warning graphic violence and death. You've been warned.
Porcelain fingers glided upon the roughness of the Goshinboku, sliding down the length of the bark, as her crystalline blue eyes swept from the green leaves and large branches above her. To put it simply, the magic surrounding the tree had vanished, and she realized that returning home would prove just as difficult as before. Of course, Kagome expected this much, after all, that was the main reason she packed such a large hiking bag full of necessities.
Earlier that morning, the bandits had returned the women back to the village, where they were confronted by the angry civilians. Fortunately, High Priestess Kaede had heard the noise and cries of the villagers, especially that of Satouru's interrogations, and ended the argument within a matter of seconds. After which, Kaede had asked to speak with her privately, and for half an hour or so, Kagome revealed the truth about herself and the year she came from.
To put it bluntly, the old woman had believed her, as surprising as it was for Kagome, and she was thankful. The topic of a mysterious jewel known as The Sacred Jewel came into their discussion, and when Kagome revealed the fact that Mistress Centipede and the leader of the bandits were after her because of such a jewel, High Priestess Kaede's complexion paled and took on a more serious nature. It was then that Kagome was told about the jewel and how it originated as far back as the Heian Era and how it was her sister Kikyou who had purified the jewel fifty years ago before it was ultimately destroyed by an interesting clan called The Demon Slayers. Unfortunately, Kaede didn't know much else about the jewel besides the fact that it held a great power which could grant any wish whether from a human or demon.
Fortunately, Kagome managed to explain the mishap which had decimated Kaede's village earlier that day, explaining that it was in fact the orders given by a bird demon. Kagome explained the bird had made a nest out of the leader of the bandit's body and for well over a month, had used the corpse in hopes of searching out the supposed Sacred Jewel which was thought to be in her village; Kaede was nonetheless startled by this, believing the jewel could not have resurfaced after so many years, but there was something on her face that spoke of dread.
Could something which had been destroyed fifty years ago resurface? It wouldn't be possible if she was thinking realistically, but then again, when was it actually possible to time travel through a tree?
Despite all this, and the dangers which were suddenly beginning to fall upon the young woman, Kagome was more worried about more pressing matters. The tree was no longer working, and it wasn't giving off the light from before, meaning she was stuck there in the year 1490, a world plagued by demons, samurai, not to mention priestesses and angry villagers.
A sigh escaped her, and she turned her curious stare to the young woman standing beside her. Aiko was the woman she befriended since she first arrived in this world; her hair was a beautiful brown in color, cascading all the way down her back where it laid against the middle of her waist, held back by a plain hair tie. Soft brown eyes watched Kagome quietly beneath her fringe framing her face nicely.
In all honesty, Kaede had warned her not to reveal her time traveling capabilities through the tree in the Forest of Inuyasha. The old priestess feared if all was revealed, certain difficulties would befall Kagome and the villagers would likely not believe her. Of course, she'd been warned before not to reveal the fact that she knew a little bit about Western Medicine, and even that was a death sentence. However, Kaede had allowed Aiko to join in on their discussion earlier, and besides the fact that she knew everything there was to know about Kagome, it was clear she was someone Kaede put her absolute trust into.
"So, this tree holds powers that allows you to slip through time?" Aiko found herself asking, fiddling with the sleeves of her brown kimono curiously. "Interesting, though I know not how it's possible…"
Kagome nodded. "In my time, the tree exists in my family's yard. This exact spot will someday be my home…"
Hearing this, Aiko blinked. If that was so, then it was like Kagome never really left home at all. Besides the fact it was a different era, it held some familiarity to Kagome, she was sure. "So, what will you do now? Will you return home?"
If possible, then yes. As of right now, however, it seemed entirely impossible. Before, when she had been chased by Mistress Centipede, Kagome had all but released her emotions onto the tree, hitting it relentlessly during the time with her eyes entirely welled up in tears. If it was possible the tree sensed her distressed, maybe that was why it allowed her to return home? "I'm not sure. For whatever reason, the tree refuses to take me back…"
A few hours had gone by since that morning, and for an hour, she and Aiko stood before the tree, waiting for something mystifying to happen. Unfortunately, despite circling the tree, touching the bark in various places, and asking for it to send her back home to her family, the tree refused. For now, it seemed she was stuck there, but she was sure soon it would allow her to return home someday, at least she hoped.
"We can always come back tomorrow and try again, Kagome," Aiko replied before turning her gaze back in the direction of the village. "Even though Kaede warned you not to step out of the barrier, I don't think we should stay out here too long."
Realizing she was right, Kagome accepted this and followed Aiko through the woods and back to the village in the distance. Their walk was mostly quiet, mainly because Kagome's thoughts were a complete disarray of confusion and what ifs. The thought that she might actually have some type of hidden powers as that of a priestess left her confused and also anxious. There was also the fact that demons were suddenly seeking her out because they believed she possessed the Sacred Jewel.
When she finally turned her head up, her eyes falling upon the sight of the huts just below the hill, Kagome blinked twice. They arrived a lot faster than she first thought, but she supposed she was too caught up in her musings to notice they'd already covered that distance by ten or more minutes.
Walking past the rice patties on the path towards the entrance of the village, Kagome couldn't help but look upon the wreckage. Some huts were partially standing while others were still intact after the fire, pottery and grains of rice littered the entire ground, there were logs and many dozens of rocks and hay scattered around everyone's feet and so much more. It was truly a terrible sight to look upon, and as she shifted her gaze around the village, she watched as many of the men and women tirelessly bent down to clean the rubble.
Unfortunately, it wasn't only the village itself which had suffered but so had the fields and the harvests. There were obvious signs of horses which had trampled in the fields, destroying the tall stalks of vegetables with many foods squashed and no longer fit for human consumption. Fortunately, not all the fields were destroyed, and somehow, only one survived the attack, but regrettably for everyone else, the seeds had yet to grow during the sweltering heat.
The entire issue was clearly directed at the bandits, whom Kagome had previously asked for pardon to Lady Kaede, explaining that it was in fact the demon's doing, manipulating the men into believing they were receiving orders from their boss. However, no matter the misunderstanding, Kaede explained that it was still an attack regardless, however, since they showed signs of sincere regret, Kagome managed to talk Kaede into lightly punishing them. Kagome never expected Kaede to show such leniency toward the bandits, but she was grateful.
"For scary bandits, I never imagined them to actually help us in the end," Aiko suddenly voiced.
Kagome stopped, her eyes following Aiko's gaze a short distance to her right, and as her crystalline eyes followed suit, she saw the bandits, their very distinguishable armor and rough exterior, among the villagers, picking up the rubble through the wreckage. Like they were instructed, they were very nimbly picking up all broken remains of the settlement, separating the good and still useable from the bad before tossing them into a cart as they went from each section of the village. Their punishment was obviously to clean up the village and also to rebuild the huts which had been destroyed, but doing so would possibly take a matter of days, maybe even weeks to complete.
One thing was certain, after all this was discussed with the village after her and High Priestess Kaede's discussion, the villagers were not pleased with her or the bandits. It was like things had suddenly took a turn for the worst. The fault was partially placed upon Satouru, wherever he was now; if he hadn't goaded the villagers into turning their aggression towards her with lies about manipulating the men with vulgar indecency, none of this would have happened. Kagome was sure she could have explained the entire situation to everyone if he hadn't intervened and started interrogating them.
Noticing High Priestess Kaede exit one of the huts ahead, and in her possession a large basket filled with medicinal herbs, Kagome couldn't help but saunter in her direction, with Aiko following closely behind. When she arrived before the flap, Kaede noticed her curiosity and only shook her head. The injury she'd sustained earlier was minimal, thankfully and was currently bound by bandages over her shoulder, her arm secured at her chest carefully.
"What's wrong?"
"He's injured his leg during the fight this morning. It is unlikely he will be able to walk and provide for him and his daughter for some time," The old woman replied with a shake of her head.
Although it was something she didn't want to know, Kagome realized that not sustaining any injuries after all that's transpired wouldn't seem unlikely. In fact, it was almost guaranteed, but fortunately, no one lost a life. "I see…"
The flap to the hut was pushed back and a familiar face greeted Kagome. It was Ume, the child whom Kagome had friended before and saved from being trampled to death. Her large brown eyes were staring up at the High Priestess worryingly before taking notice of Kagome and Aiko beside her. "Miss Kagome! You've returned!"
Kagome hadn't expected the child to throw her arms around her legs, her face wet from her tears. Bending down, she hugged the child close, patting her head softly. "How have you been Ume? Is everything alright?"
The child nodded, pulling away before looking between Kagome and Kaede. "Papa got hurt during the fire this morning. Lady Kaede says he won't be able to walk for a while…"
Her expression fell at the child's words. That wasn't good. "His leg isn't infected, is it?" She couldn't help but ask the High Priestess. To her relief, the old woman only smiled.
"Ye may relax. I have applied some medicinal herbs to treat his burns. He will need frequent changes until the burns have scarred. After which, he should be free to walk without the risk of sustaining infection."
Ume frowned at this, but she couldn't help but ball her hands into fists in front of her. Her downcast expression suddenly becoming fierce and determined. "I'll help papa recover, Lady Kaede. I'll help out in the fields too and I'll gather firewood as well!"
Kaede laughed at the child. "Will ye now? And how will ye manage to lift your father's tools? Ye lack the strength for it, my child. Ye would do good to stay with ye father and help tend to his and ye meals."
"But Lady Kaede…" Ume frowned, her once determined expression falling with every word.
Having heard their conversation, Kagome shared a look with Aiko beside her. The look they shared, although silent, was enough to bring understanding between them. "If you don't mind, I'll help Ume and her father out, Lady Kaede."
"I will also help," Aiko volunteered.
Pleased with this scenario, the High Priestess flashed them a small smile. "In that case, ye can both work in the fields cleaning up the mess and gathering what ye can salvage for food," She replied before pointing to a large cart sitting beside her hut a short distance away. "I have already spoken with everyone else. Whatever ye salvage, place gently into the cart there. From there, we will hand out to each and every person equally."
Kagome and Aiko nodded at this.
"Likely, we will spend the rest of the day cleaning up this mess," Kaede replied with a drawn out and tired sigh. "Tomorrow, however, the real work begins."
Understanding her words, Lady Kaede left the two girls to attend to other villagers who had gotten hurt, leaving the girls to stand before Ume's hut silently. Judging by what she said, it seemed tomorrow the construction of the village would commence and possibly replanting all that was lost within their fields. Something of that magnitude would possibly take them weeks to accomplish.
"Thank you for your help, Miss Kagome and Miss Aiko."
Kagome smiled at the child before her, patting her head softly. "Sure thing, Ume. Is your father hungry? Does he need anything while we are here?"
Ume shook her head. "Papa is asleep right now. I fed him some pears I picked earlier with Kosuke."
"Kagome," Aiko called, earning the young girl's attention beside her. "We should hurry to the fields. When we have salvaged what we can, we can tend to her father after."
She nodded. "Alright. How does that sound, Ume? When we get back, we'll prepare some food for you and your father?"
Hearing this, Ume smiled brightly, nodding her head vigorously up and down with excitement. "Yes please! Thank you, Miss Kagome! Thank you, Miss Aiko!"
Kagome wiped the sweat from her brow, stretching her back achingly as she looked out across the fields. What a mess. It was fortunate that many of the village men had decided to help the women out, especially since the fields stretched long distances, many corning each side of the village. With a crack of her neck and one final stretch, Kagome resumed her work, picking up squashed vegetables from the dry soil. For hours, she and Aiko helped the other villagers tend to the wreckage, collecting the good and the bad crops into their baskets.
During this, Kagome found herself reacquainted with Mayoko, a middle-aged woman who'd taken her in previously before. Although it was clear she was befuddled as to her disappearance a month ago, she was overall delighted to have Kagome back in the village, even if the other villagers didn't seem too pleased with the prospect. She and Aiko spoke with Mayoko, catching up on what had transpired as of late, and it wasn't much despite everyone's routine jobs farming the land.
However, Mayoko did question the events which had happened that morning, especially concerning the bandits and her conflict with Satouru. To put it bluntly, Kagome honestly didn't want to discuss the situation, but Mayoko was insistent, as was the other villagers who were silently listening in on their conversation, many sending baffled stares or those who pointed disrespectfully.
"When I saw those roguish men make off with our girls, I didn't know what to think. I thought for sure this was it for our village!" Mayoko exclaimed, her countenance entirely troubled. "But you managed to bring everyone back unharmed. How did you do it?"
Aiko couldn't help but titter quietly to herself, noticing Kagome's uncomfortable expression knelt beside her and the older woman. "We were all frightened when they brought us to their hideout, but Kagome wasn't the least bit scared, Mayoko."
Mayoko's eyes widened. "Indeed? Well, judging by the skirmish between you and Satouru, I definitely saw a fire in your eyes, Kagome. Never thought I'd see the day where a woman stood up to a man."
Kagome bit her tongue. Of course, that's how things were in this time. A woman wasn't one to talk back or become aggressive towards men, whether they were poor or rich. Just by raising your voice or fist, a woman was promised severe punishments and ultimately death. Somehow, Kagome managed to escape those punishments unscathed, for now at least. She made a mental note to watch herself, especially since this wasn't her time period.
Noticing her silent behavior, Mayoko leaned in, her dark brown eyes scrutinizing Kagome curiously. "You seem troubled. Are you alright?"
Kagome nodded. "I'm fine. I guess there is a lot on my mind."
"That there should be," The older woman replied with a shake of head. "Don't let what Satouru said to you upset you, dear. The boy is nothing but trouble, and I'll see to it he stays clear from you."
"Speaking of Satouru," Aiko began. "High Priestess Kaede released him from his punishment. Though I know not why…"
Mayoko blinked at this, her expression souring suddenly. "Why would she do a thing like that?"
"It's because I pardoned him for what he did," Kagome replied suddenly, surprising the two girls. "When Lady Kaede spoke with me, we also discussed matters concerning Satouru. Although what he did was wrong, and Kosuke and I got hurt, I decided to pardon him this one time."
Aiko almost dropped her basket in disbelief. "But why, Kagome? After what he did … you could have been…"
"It's better to forgive than to resent. Satouru and I do not get along, that much everyone has clearly seen. However, I don't want any of this to drag on. So, I'm willing to forgive and forget what's happened, as long as he steers clear from me."
"Forgive and forget, huh?" Aiko mused. "You certainly are an interesting woman, Kagome."
"One with a fiery temper as well," Mayoko chortled.
Dusk set in, the darkened sky overhead alerting Kagome and Aiko it was time to end their chores within the fields. Rising to their feet, rubbing their aching shoulders, they hefted their heavy baskets within their arms, and set out toward the village down the slope. The village women followed suit, followed after just as their husbands and fellow brothers. Each retiring to their huts for the night to rest their aching muscles, Kagome and Aiko on the other hand made their way towards Ume and her father's hut down the path.
Both exhausted from their scavenging and cleaning within the fields, they were nonetheless pleased with their performance; they managed to cover an entire field within one day, though there were three more to go. Roughly, they figured at least three more days of cleanup would finish their task, however, by then, Aiko estimated what remained of most of the crops would become rotten within that time frame.
During their brisk walk, they noticed few traces of hay and broken pottery upon the ground at their feet. It seemed the bandits and the other villagers had done a decent job cleaning up around the huts. All that remained now was cleaning up the rest of the fields and fixing up the few huts which had burned down. However long that would take, Kagome wasn't sure.
During their trek, Kagome couldn't help but recognize the sounds of footsteps following close behind them, and bewildered, she stopped and turned. To her surprise, she noticed the bandits standing behind her and Aiko, bowing their heads at her surprised halt. What were they doing?
Aiko only blinked, her eyes shifting from the bandits to Kagome curiously.
"What is it?" Kagome asked, arching a brow at their strange behavior.
They lifted their heads, smiling somewhat dorkily towards her, which in turned caused the raven-haired girl to shift uneasily on her feet, the weight of the basket in her arms somewhat uncomfortable in her hold. Noticing the weight of the basket affecting Kagome, a couple of the bandits rushed forward, somewhat startling Aiko who stepped away in slight fear.
"Boss, let us hold it for you."
"Yeah, boss. You've been working real hard in the fields."
Although they were adamant on taking the basket from her, Kagome turned her body away, her basket out of reach of their grasping hands. "It's alright. I can carry it. It's not that heavy."
"Are you sure boss?"
"Yeah, it looks a little uncomfortable for you…"
Kagome smiled at them, sweat dropping at their attempts to assist her. Under that rough exterior, they really were nice and sweet guys, but Kagome was beginning to think they were taking this entire 'boss' thing too literally. While she wanted to correct them about this matter, she realized she was too tired to begin an argument. Instead, she continued smiling. "I'm good, but thank you," When they failed to disperse, Kagome blinked, her head tilting to the side questionably at their awkward stances in front of her and Aiko. "Was there something you needed?"
"Well, we've finished up for the day but is there anything else you want us to do?"
"Yeah. Everyone else has returned to their huts for the night, but if you want us to keep working, we will."
"Just give us the word, boss."
Surprised by their determination to help out, considering it was after dark, Kagome only shook her head, shifting her eyes to Aiko beside her for a brief moment. "There's really nothing else to be done tonight, especially with it being so late. How would you see?" At their quietness, she continued. "Besides, you all look tired. Rest up for the night. Okay?" When she saw their nods, rubbing their backs and shoulders achingly, Kagome and Aiko turned and resumed their trek to Ume's hut just ahead.
The sound of footsteps continued once more, and glancing over her shoulder, Kagome caught sight of the bandits following after them once more. What were they doing? Didn't she tell them to rest up? Confused, she stopped and turned to them, Aiko turning as well just as bemused. "What is it?"
"Uh … well … where are we supposed to sleep?"
This caught her by surprise. That was actually a good question. Where were they supposed to sleep? Surely not outside, right? Then again, Kagome recalled a time when she slept outside Mayoko and Daisuke's hut, a bundle of hay which kept her warm through the cold night.
"You can all sleep in the barn," Aiko's voice sounded suddenly. Unfortunately, we don't have any spare huts at this time. You wouldn't be by yourselves in the barn, of course. Since we lost a few huts this morning, you'll be sleeping with some of the other villagers until we can begin rebuilding."
At her words, the bandits' shoulders dropped and their expressions soured. It wasn't that they weren't grateful to have somewhere to sleep, but it was the fact that they had to share the small building with some of the other villagers, the ones who had yelled discriminately towards them earlier that day.
"I don't know boss. Not after what happened earlier…"
"Yeah, I don't like that…"
While she understood the reason for their refusal and the displeased expressions upon their faces, she otherwise couldn't help but sigh. These guys were absolutely hopeless. Before she could tell them to sleep outside for the night, she and Aiko suddenly heard a familiar sound, one which caused a few of the bandits to blush and cover their stomachs in embarrassment.
"Have you guys not eaten yet?" Kagome asked.
To her surprise, they nodded, and she couldn't help but sigh once more. They really were hopeless. Before she could offer them to follow her and Aiko back to Ume's, a pair of footsteps caught their attention.
The figure of a tall individual, his stature lean and robust, emerged from the shadows of the huts, two small deer perched over his shoulders, his large hands holding the animals by their calves. When his dark eyes fell upon his men and that of Kagome and her friend, he arched a brow.
"Oh my!" Aiko exclaimed, a hand to her mouth as she stared at the two deer over his shoulders. Had he caught those animals himself?
"Yuuta?" Kagome blinked, staring at the deer just as well. "Have you been out hunting this entire time?"
He shook his head. "I laid a few traps this morning and managed to catch these two. Still haven't seen a sign of their mother, but the men and I will be eating good tonight. We will be resting in the barn, I presume?"
Kagome nodded. "For a while, I'm afraid. There's still much needed done around the village. Tomorrow they will begin rebuilding."
Although the thought of sleeping in a barn displeased him, Yuuta otherwise showed no signs of it. "I see," He replied before looking upon the bandits before him, their eyes entirely wide and glued upon the fouls, a dribble of drool spilling from the sides of their mouths. "Well men, let's be off."
At his retreat, they quickly followed, but not before bowing their heads to Kagome respectively. As soon as they disappeared into the barn with the other villagers, Kagome couldn't help but pray a fight wouldn't escalate during the night.
Aiko smiled at her sigh during their trek. "They seem to really like you, Kagome. Even though it's only been one day."
"They might look rough around the edges, but they don't seem all that bad. I'm still surprised they were willing to accept this punishment for what they've done…"
Aiko nodded. "It is a bit weird, but you're probably right. They seem like they can be trusted, but depending on how long they stay here, it will take a while for the entire village to appreciate them."
Kagome glanced over her shoulder, her eyes falling onto the barn in the distance warily. "I just hope they behave themselves."
July 11th
The two eventually arrived upon a small hut, alit with a small fire within. Pushing back the flap and entering inside with their baskets, Kagome and Aiko greeted the little girl, who was immediately at their side with a large smile gracing her face. Her father was awake, still bed ridden, but he smiled at their arrival, apologizing for his rudeness and unable to stand.
Setting the baskets aside, Kagome offered a respectful bow, bending at her knees to Ume's father, and likewise with Aiko. After explaining they came to fix their supper, he was more than happy and yet still apologetic he couldn't serve them for their offer.
While Ume sat beside her father, her little straw doll held securely in her grasp, Kagome and Aiko busily began tending to the small fire in the middle of the hut. Once it was started, Kagome secured the blackened pot over top the flames, while Aiko poured a bucket of cold water into the pot. From their baskets, they managed to gather food that day which was still edible for consumption, although it wasn't very much, even for the four of them. Then again, this was primarily for Ume and her father.
A handful of rice, radishes, and peas were poured into the bubbling pot and a couple freshly sliced fish were also dropped in. As Aiko tended to the soup, Kagome rummaged through the basket some more. Unfortunately, there wasn't much else within but some stalks of wheat and rice. As soon as the soup reached a thickened consistency, Kagome ladled the rice stew into two small wooden bowls, the boiled fish cut up nicely and stacked atop the rice. It wasn't much, but it was something to fill Ume and her father's belly. Aiko and Kagome allowed themselves a small portion of what was left of the porridge, and it was enough to sustain them for the night. It wasn't exactly tasty and was a bit plain in taste, but it otherwise served its job.
After spending a little time with the family, Aiko and Kagome said their goodbyes, despite Ume wanting them to stay longer. Eventually the two girls returned to Aiko's hut and greeted by darkness, Aiko quickly pushed open the flap near the small window by the door. The moonlight drifted in through the small opening, and it brightened up the darkness within the hut.
Kagome took in the familiar surroundings, and while Aiko fumbled, pulling out two large futons for the night, Kagome suddenly recognized a familiar chest in the corner of the hut. Approaching it, she bent down and pushed open the lid, and she was surprised to see a familiar navy-blue blazer, white button up shirt and a pleated blue and gray skirt; it was her high school uniform which she had left behind that fateful day, and seeing that Aiko still kept it, bemused her.
"You still have my clothes?" Kagome voiced.
Laying out the futons and soothing out the wrinkles on the sides, Aiko's eyes shifted to her friend and she softly smiled. "Of course. I knew these clothes were important to you and I wasn't sure if you would return or not, so I held onto them."
She appreciated this, closing the chest before returning to Aiko's side. "I wasn't sure if I would really come back, not after what happened…"
Laying their heads down upon the futon, Aiko curiously stared at the raven-haired girl beside her. There was a particular question which burned her curiosity; in fact, she'd been wondering about it since her return. "Kagome. If you don't mind me asking, why did you come back?"
"Huh?" Kagome turned on her side, facing the young girl, her face illuminated by the moonlight from the window.
"It's just … the village treated you so terribly, and not to mention Satouru attacked you. And yet, you came back when our village was attacked," Aiko voiced. "Why?"
Although it was something she often wondered about, she realized she already knew the answer to that. "I came back … because there were still people who treated me kindly. When I saw the fire, I couldn't just not return and help."
Aiko seemed to accept this. "Did you see the fire from your time?"
Kagome nodded. "I did."
During the course of the night, Aiko had asked about Kagome's world and how different it was compared to now. While Kagome wasn't able to give her everything in regards to such information, she was able to tell her the advancements mankind made in the course of history. The discussion of some technologies and the usage of horses were no longer a mandatory way of transportation truly astounded her, but she didn't question it; in fact, Aiko seemed to accept it, probably a lot easier than anyone else in the village would, and yet, Kagome was thankful for that.
"Your world seems so much safer than ours," She replied, a somewhat sorrowful smile gracing her face. "The people there must be so happy and free. Like you said before, they have opportunities to pursue their dreams, more so than any of us here. I'm a bit envious of you, Kagome," She laughed.
"It's not as great as it might seem though…"
"Oh?"
Kagome nodded. "While we do get the freedom and right to pursue our educations and dreams, we do still face discrimination by others and we must still abide by certain laws," She explained. "Society … well, let's just say society has a certain image it tries to stigmatized on us and if many of us don't fit that image, well … I'm sure you get the idea. And there's still war in the world, but in regards to this time period, it's become a lot worse, especially with the advance in technologies governing over that of swords…"
"I see…" Aiko mused silently. "Even 500 years in the future, things still haven't changed much. "But still, it seems a lot easier to live in your time than it is ours, right?"
At this, Kagome pondered. "Well to be honest, yes. At least, that's what I think now. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate your time period, but it's just that I was never born in it and I'm still getting used to everything here. I've never experienced any of this before, so it's still fairly new. I still can't believe demons actually existed…"
Aiko's eyes widened at this. "What do you mean?"
"Well, all our lives, as children and growing up, we've been taught that demons only reside in fairytales and myths. There's no evidence in the future that tells of any demons ever existing this far back or ever. When I arrived here, I was really surprised to learn this," Kagome explained, recalling Mistress Centipede and the demon crow from before.
This almost blew Aiko's mind. How could it be possible to not know of this in the future? "How strange. Maybe…maybe we've progressed so far in life that we were actually able to eliminate all the demons…"
Kagome nodded. "Maybe. You might be right."
Although Kagome watched Aiko's expressions beside her, she couldn't help but feel Aiko had more questions to ask, but she remained silent, appearing somewhat content with what she learned. Eventually sleep consumed the two girls.
There was a certain irritation in Kagome's posture that afternoon, her feet firmly planted to the ground just outside High Priestess Kaede's hut, her foot tapping ever so impatiently and her hands firmly placed on either side of her hips. The expression upon her face spoke nothing but frustration, her left eye twitching while she looked upon the nine bandits standing awkwardly before her.
All this morning they'd been following her around, jumping at the chance to make her workload a lot easier, carrying the hefty baskets of spoiled crops and trash to drop off near the wagon. While she was grateful for their assistance, she didn't expect their behavior to last hours since dawn, their heads seemingly always turning sharply the moment she bent down to pick something up and the next thing she knew, they were there.
Even the villagers, who were busy cleaning the remnants of what was left scattered upon the ground and fields noticed their unwanted display of obvious obsession with her. Kagome wasn't oblivious to their stares, their pointed fingers and not to mention their foul-mouthed whispers not even ten feet away from her.
"Alright. What gives? You've been following me around all morning," Kagome all but remarked, keeping her irritation to a minimum, as best as she could control. From her peripheral vision, she noticed Aiko and Kosuke watching from the sidelines a distance away, most likely noticing a small crowd of villagers looking her way.
The bandits' expressions altered, some looking hurt and confused, while the others submissively lowered themselves to the ground, possibly expecting a slap or some kind of abuse. Simultaneously, they apologized, and it only served to irk the raven-haired girl further.
At this point, Kagome crossed her arms. "Well?"
One of the bandits, their head clean of any hair and dressed in the usual armor as the rest of them, clasped his palms together before her, hesitation gracing his features. "We just wanted to make sure you were alright, boss."
Another agreed beside him. "Yeah. After everything we did to this village, we wanted to help out more. We didn't like seeing you struggling to pick up all this stuff."
"Yeah, boss!"
One of the bandits on the ground, his upper lip somewhat covered by his mustache, an eye patch over his eye, only nodded. "We didn't like the way the villagers turned against you and not to mention that one guy who insulted you near the entrance. Boss, we don't like that you're still remaining in this village. You don't deserve that kind of treatment."
"We'll protect you, boss. Even if you don't tell us to, we want to protect you."
Hearing this, Kagome only sighed. So that's what this was all about? Well, she supposed she should have expected that answer. "You don't have to protect me from anyone. I am more than capable of handling my own matters," She replied. Kagome wasn't the type of girl to let others look after her or protect her; all her life, she handled it on her own and quite well, to an extent. "As for you guys following, would you stop?"
Their eyes widened at her words and their heads dropped solemnly and confusedly. They didn't understand why she was against their assistance, but it only proved she wasn't like the rest of the village women they'd met.
"But bos-"
She wagged her finger, interrupting one of the bandits suddenly. "Listen. I know that yesterday we weren't exactly on good terms, but calling me your boss after is another thing…"
"But you saved us!" One of them exclaimed worryingly. "You are more than worthy of being our leader."
More than worthy? But Kagome wasn't a leader, she wasn't part of their band of rogue bandits, and she certainly wasn't comfortable with this entire situation. Yet before she could retaliate back with her disapproval, someone else joined the conversation, and she recognized it was Yuuta.
Since this morning, he'd noticed his men following the young girl from one end of the village to the next, almost fighting one another to attend to her needs, which he knew were unnecessary, but still the sight was a bit humorous in his opinion. Judging by their words of exchange this very moment, Kagome was not pleased, and he understood why.
"Yuuta?" Kagome blinked.
"They're right, Kagome," He replied, much to her dissatisfaction. He went on despite her frown. "It's customary for bandits. Should another rival their leader's abilities or fighting spirit and win, then they are seen as more than worthy of the title."
"But I'm not—"
He interrupted her. "You proved your worth against the demon controlling our leader. You showed loyalty and honor to your people, and you protected even them until the end, despite being a hostage at the time," Yuuta replied.
At his words, the other bandits nodded vigorously, and Kagome's shoulders dropped at this, understanding shining in her eyes.
"They only wish to protect you as you have protected them."
For a moment, she was silent, her eyes looking from Yuuta to the bandits before her, some standing and some lowered onto their knees waiting for a reply. As annoying as their behavior was, she realized now this was probably a normal thing for the bandits. Should someone much stronger come along, they might end up following that person instead. "I see. But there's more to life than just being a bandit. Do you all wish to continue living like that? Stealing and hurting people?"
Now this took them all by surprise, even Yuuta's whose eyes widened at her words. They exchanged looks, murmuring their whispers to each other before looking back at Kagome who silently looked between them.
"If it displeases you, then we promise not to hurt other people. We can do our best to change that, boss."
"Yeah, whatever you want boss. You say it and we'll do it."
"But only if it's not a threat. If someone threatens you or even us, then we have no choice but to fight."
A sigh escaped her. "No. that's not what I meant…" When she saw their confusion, she waved her hands before her, motioning for the other bandits to stand up rather than remain seated on their knees. "I don't want to give you orders and have you follow those orders. I want you guys to make your own decisions and do what you want to do," She clarified. "Listen … do you really like being bandits? Do you like hurting and stealing from other people?"
"It's all we've ever known…" One commented.
"Yeah, in order to get by in life, we have to do what we need to do to survive, boss."
"To be honest boss, I don't like all this farming. I used to be a farmer's son long ago," One of them replied, recalling terrible events long ago with a displeased expression. "I took up the sword but not for a noble cause. It's something I've known since I was a child, boss."
"I didn't know you were a farmer, Kei," Another bandit replied, staring at his companion beside him who only nodded.
"Yeah, well. That old life isn't worth remembering," Kei replied. "But my point is. It's easier to kill and steal than it is to work long hours in a field sowing crops."
That was interesting to learn, but she somewhat understood their reasoning, even if it wasn't very good. Working in the fields took a lot of energy and focus, and tending to crops normally took an entire day, but even half the work wouldn't come close to being done, depending on how big your fields were. Not to mention all the taxes they had to pay, and from what she learned while staying in Kaede's village, even they weren't privy to their entire harvest since much of it was taken by to their Lord in Edo. For these bandits, it was easy for them to steal, harness a lot of money from their victims and carry on through life a lot more easily than the rest of them, but still, it was wrong. Maybe not to them, but still.
"Are you interested in changing that at all?" Kagome asked, hoping maybe she could deter them from their path and turn their lives around for the good. Judging by how they hadn't killed anyone in the village during their raid, maybe there was still some good in them. "Are you interested in being a normal villager instead of a bandit?"
Again, the bandits exchanged looks with each other, and Yuuta remained ever so silent watching. For a long moment, they were caught up in their murmured whisperings, waving their hands around every once in a while, as they discussed the topic. When they finally came to a conclusion, they turned to Kagome.
"We could try, boss."
Her eyes lit up at those words and a wide smile graced her face. This was great. Maybe she could actually change their lives for the better. Kagome could imagine many lives being saved and these bandits living a much easier life within the village, learning to adapt and friend the people.
"But we can't guarantee this, boss."
Her smile dropped. What?
They somewhat awkwardly rubbed the back of their necks, some smiling a bit forcibly towards her and at each other.
"Yeah. For now, we want to stay by your side and protect you. We promise not to hurt the villagers and we'll do our best to please you, boss."
Even if it wasn't an entire change, it was something at least. They were willing to do what it took to change, even if it wasn't a guarantee. They had listened to her words, understood how uncomfortable it made her to be treated like so, and they seemed to catch on, a little bit. Still, it was a start, something which would take time to get used to.
"Well in that case, the first thing you can all do right now is help the villagers," She replied. At their uneasy looks, their gazes shifting to the villagers scornfully looking in their direction, they stiffened. "There's a lot to do around the village, a little more cleaning here and there and—"
An unexpected and feminine shriek rang in the air, everyone's eyes turning towards the source of the noise, only to spot a distressed woman in the throng of villagers pointing towards the cloudy skies overhead. As Kagome and everyone else turned their gazes upwards, they saw a horrendous sight of a massive black feathered bird flying above their village, circling the skies, its multiple red eyes looking down hungrily at the people.
All at once, a chorus of screams vociferated around her, men and women running to the safety of their huts, their children gathered in their arms tightly. As Kagome found herself being shoved around by multiple bodies running past her, the bandits did their best to shield her from the beast flying overhead.
At that moment, High Priestess Kaede quickly exited her hut, her old eyes widened at the sight of the villagers fleeing in panic, some remaining grounded to their spot in fear. "What is happening?!" To answer her question, she saw the monstrous bird circling the village, its large talons opening and closing with anticipation.
"It's a demon!" Someone cried.
Although High Priestess Kaede was helpless in this matter to fight off the bird and protect her village, a few village men stepped up to the task, gathering their pitch forks and spears while a few other picked up their bows and quivers of arrows to shoot down the beast if it got any closer.
"It's the bird from yesterday!" Kagome exclaimed, her legs trembling at the sight of its ginormous stature. How had it become so much larger than before? And here she thought it was crushed beneath the rubble after the old shrine collapsed.
In one fell swoop, it descended upon them, its speed quickening as it prepared its talons to catch its prey. Fortunately, as it passed through, it barely managed to grab onto one of the villagers and ascended into the sky once more.
"Impossible. The barrier should've kept it at bay!" High Priestess Kaede remarked, her eyes widened fearfully.
At her words, Kagome blinked. Even the barrier had failed to hold back this demon? Just yesterday, it wasn't nearly this size, but seeing it now, soaring the skies overhead, made her scarily uneasy. How on earth would they escape its wrath now?
"What are you fools doing?!" A familiar masculine voice rang out. "Take cover in the huts!"
Kagome turned at the voice, recognizing the face of Satouru in the crowd, who was now equipped with a bow and a quiver of arrows slung over his shoulder. His three friends followed behind him, making their way to High Priestess Kaede's side, before urging her into her hut for safety from the demon, but the old woman refused haughtily.
"Kagome!" Kosuke cried out, and as she turned her head the other direction, she practically reached out for him, her eyes darting back to the skies worryingly. "It's not safe! Take refuge inside! We'll handle this!"
"What do you mean you'll handle this?! Kosuke look how huge that bird is!" She replied back, knowing full well there was no possible way the men of this village could defeat such a demon.
While it wasn't surprising Kagome was almost in hysterics seeing this, her legs trembling before him, he grasped her arms and pulled her towards the safety of Kaede's hut, despite her refusal. "Kagome please. Take shelter."
"Kosuke…"
"It's coming!" A village man cried out.
As everyone turned their sights to the skies, they watched horrifyingly as it swooped down once more, its entire body crashed through a few huts, the structures collapsing almost instantly from impact. The few villagers who were within the huts were covered by the rubble, whether or not they were alive, remained uncertain.
"Run!"
Someone slammed into Kagome, the multiple bodies around her pushing and colliding against one another in hopes of escaping the terror. Kagome all but fell onto her side, wincing as a stone dug into her hip. In an instant, Yuuta and the other bandits were at her side, Yuuta helping her to her feet before pushing her towards the hut where High Priestess Kaede and Aiko stood.
"What do we do?!" Aiko cried.
A shrill scream rang out suddenly, so loud and ear piercing, that it turned all heads, and to everyone's horror, they witnessed a sight too gruesome for words. A young woman, no older than fifteen, had been caught by the demon, her entire body clenched tightly between its blackened beak, its sharp fangs tearing deeply into her midsection. She cried out, almost animalistic, her arms flailing and her legs kicking wildly, and the demon took to the skies once more, biting down hard onto its prey until her screams abruptly ceased.
Positive she was dead, Kagome turned her eyes away, her hands clenched tightly upon Yuuta's shirt as he held her close. She couldn't bear to witness her death, not like that, but there was an effective gasp in the crowd, and she turned her head.
To her terror, half her body dropped from the skies, the lower half remaining firmly within its mouth, her entrails falling like bloody snakes in the vicinity. There was a loud thud after, her upper body lying motionless upon the ground a short distance away, blood oozing consistently around her.
Aiko gasped at the sight and covered her face with her hands.
Silence filled the air, the people shrinking back, many crowding the hut beside Priestess Kaede, praying for some form of aid from their leader, but even she could not do anything against this demon, not with her injury. There was really no where they could run without getting caught, their backs pressed hard against the wooden walls of the huts.
Feasting upon her innards, the bird paused in the sky overhead, its black talons pulling its prey's leg, ripping parts of her body apart as it devoured her more easily. Buckets of rain fell from overhead where it lingered, and lightning lit the clouds in the distance. Soon enough, its beak was coated with blood and raw flesh, the sight of her lower half still twitching ever so slightly in its mouth.
"Suki! Suki!" A middle-aged man called out. His hands shook, fear ensnarling him entirely as his slow strides carried him towards his daughter, lying in a puddle of her own blood. Although the villagers cried out to him, urging him to ignore the girl, he disregarded them. His daughter. His own daughter had been killed by a demon.
"She's dead! Leave her!" Satouru shouted, turning his gaze to the bird overhead worryingly. "Damn it! She's already dead!"
Holding tightly to Yuuta's shirt, Kagome felt tears prickle her eyes. The girl must have been his daughter. She watched, helplessly as his strides quickened before collapsing before her corpse, or what was left of it. "How awful…" There was no denying she was scared. While Mistress Centipede was a terrifying ordeal, this crow was also just as terrifying. The bird could have decided to keep its prey alive and carry it off to its nest but instead, it decided to feast upon her ligaments before them.
"Don't look…" Yuuta voiced, but it was already too late; she'd seen it all, everything from her frantic screams to the sound of her body snapping in half.
Tearfully looking across the path, she couldn't help but notice the victim's arms move, almost twitching beside the father. Kagome gasped. "She's still alive!"
"What?!" Yuuta exclaimed almost unbelievably. "But how?"
While his bow remained positioned in his hold tightly, an arrow notched and ready to strike, Satouru made his way carefully towards the father and the fallen girl, taking his place beside the two. Yet, when he got there, he almost fell back in disbelief, the girl's eyes frantic, shifting from side to side as blood oozed from her midsection. How was it possible she was still living?
"Suki. Suki…" The father called, taking hold of his daughter carefully and cradling her head against his chest. "I'm sorry … I'm so sorry…"
"Pa … pa…"
The father broke down, unable to hold back the onslaught of anguish wracking his body. He cried out loudly, his cry filled with the sorrow of losing a loved one. Yet as he mourned, he was unaware of the man standing behind him, a sickle drawn menacingly.
"It's too late for her. Let her go and hurry to safety," Satouru urged, kneeling beside him, a hand placed upon his trembling shoulders. Better judgment told him it was best to leave the girl, as she was already food by this point, and she would die within moments. Looking over his shoulder, he caught sight of his three friends, two of them holding tightly to a large fishnet and awaiting orders. 'Once it's finished feasting upon her, it'll swoop down to devour what's left of her.' By that time, they would throw the net over the bird, effectively trapping it and from there, they would end its pitiful life.
"Suki…" The sight of his daughter convulsing within his hold tore him apart, her eyes frantically staring toward the skies where the bird circled. "Suki, don't look. You mustn't look…"
"H-hu … rts … papa…"
Tenderly brushing back her raven locks and turning her face towards his chest and away from the direction of the demon, the father felt another tug on his shoulder by the man beside him. Looking over, he saw it was Satouru, his face contorted disgustedly towards the girl in his arms and the sickle in his grasp, held tightly and prepared to strike. "What are you doing?!" He almost fell back from the sight, realizing the young man intended to kill his daughter.
"It's already too late. Do you not see how much pain she is in? I'll end her life now. There's nothing else that can be done. She's a goner either way, but this is for the best," Satouru explained.
"No! She's my daughter! I won't let you touch her!" He cried out, his eyes large and almost unfocused. "Stay away!"
From the sidelines, Kagome gasped. While she couldn't hear every word between the two, she realized Satouru intended to put the girl out of her misery, as mortifying as it was for everyone. If the situation wasn't so dire, she would have disagreed as well, but considering what she suffered, it was for the best, as much as she wanted to deny it. "There's no saving her…"
"Damn it," Yuuta cursed. "It's moving!" He cried, pointing at the demon.
Swallowing her entire leg in one gulp, blood spilling from its beak, the bird descended upon the three, its scarlet eyes hungrily locking onto the remnants of what remained of its prey below. As it neared, an arrow unexpectedly flew past its field of vision, but it didn't deter it from its target.
"Run!" Kosuke cried out, another arrow notched.
Realizing the middle-aged man wouldn't budge, most likely accepting the oncoming death just as his daughter, Satouru took matters into his own hands. With all his strength, he pulled the girl from his grasp, her body falling several feet away, and while it mortified the father, Satouru otherwise didn't care. "It's too late for her! Accept it!" His body slammed into him, the two falling onto the ground mere seconds before it landed.
The sound of bones crushing under the weight of the demon sickeningly resonated within the village, and the girl gave one final breath. The father cried out hysterically, watching in absolute horror as the demon tore through her neck, its talons ripping at her arm, dislocating it from its socket before tearing hungrily into it entirely.
"Suki! Suki!"
Despite his calls to his daughter, Satouru glanced behind him, signaling his friends to hurry. "Now! Throw the net!" Picking himself up, and forcing the father to stand, he signaled Kosuke over and after getting the father away and back to safety, he turned back with his sickle ready.
His three friends ran forward, mustering as much courage as they could and tossed the net over the demon. The bird didn't react instantly, too engrossed in its meal to notice, and as his friends held tightly to the ends of the net, Satouru signaled the other men of the village, to attack.
"Now men! Eliminate the beast!"
All at once, the men of the village moved, leaving behind their wives and children who remained huddled together fearfully near the huts. Kosuke and Yuuta, followed after by a few other archers who took their positions a few feet away and notched their arrows, the pointed shafts soaring and hitting the bird instantly. Those who were equipped with farming tools followed after and drove their tools into the demon's body, piercing its wings, back and stomach simultaneously.
When it seemed they were almost victorious, the bird gave a loud shriek, its large wings suddenly tearing through parts of the fishnets. Grasping onto the netting with its mouth, it pulled, practically dragging Satouru's friends towards it without mercy, but they held tightly, trying their best to remain grounded in their spot.
"Don't let up men! Kill it! Hold onto the net!" Satouru bellowed, driving his sickle into back, tearing at it flesh.
"We can't hold on much longer, Satouru!" One of his friend cried out panicked.
"Spears and arrows, nothing is working against it!"
Satouru cursed, watching almost helplessly as the hole in the netting grew larger. "Shit! Pull back! Pull back!"
Within mere seconds, the netting broke and the bird lunged free, the expansion of its wings throwing the men off their feet. It shrieked at them, and at that moment, the villagers ran around the huts in fear, hiding behind the structures while others took cover within. A few of the men guided Priestess Kaede away from the area, as well as Kagome and the others.
"I said pull back!" Satouru shouted.
As two of his friend released the net and backed off, following Satouru's orders, one of them wasn't so lucky. Mitsuki, who was still holding tightly to one end of the netting, was paralyzed in fear, and the crow demon took that moment of shock and dragged the young man towards it.
It happened instantaneously. One minute, Mitsuki was being pulled and the next, the demon reached out with its talons and bit hard into his arm, blood pouring from the open wound. Mitsuki cried out, his free arm reaching towards Satouru and his friends, but they remained frozen in their spot, watching helplessly as the bird bit into him.
Before anything could be done to stop it, the bird flew off with its captive. Mitsuki's arm was held tightly in its beak, the rest of his body hanging limply as it covered a great distance over the village. Not long after the bird's ascent, Mitsuki's body dropped, falling into one of the rice patties away.
"Damn it!" Satouru cursed, ignoring his friends who were frozen in fear and fled towards the area Mitsuki fell. While the bird remained distracted above them, he arrived at the rice patties shortly after and saw his friend half submerged in the water. Bending down, he reached out and pulled his friend above the surface, dragging his body onto the grass to inspect his wounds. Upon seeing the severity of his injuries, Satouru paled.
Still alive and thankful for his friend's help, Mitsuki smiled somewhat pathetically. When the bird flew off with him, his entire arm had been ripped from its socket, and though he was losing a lot of blood, he was still alive.
"Mitsuki…"
"I'm alright. It's not as painful as it looks," He replied before a ripple of pain overcame him seconds after, but he only relaxed in Satouru's arms, his breathing a bit erratic. "I think I'll live…"
"Mitsuki!"
"Satouru, is he alright?!"
The sounds of his two friends running towards them a distance away didn't reach his ears. Something flashed in Satouru's gaze, his eyes lingering on the extent of the injury before looking up toward the bird circling overhead. There was no saving Mitsuki, that much he knew, and even if he said he was alright, there was no way of escaping such a fate.
With that thought in mind, Satouru laid his friend in the grass, a somewhat passive look overtaking him. The sorrow he felt moments ago for Mitsuki faded from his face and instead was replaced with nothing, not even remorse. "I'm afraid this is the end of the road for you Mitsuki…"
"What? What are you … talking about?" While Mitsuki confusedly looked up at his friend, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of fear when he saw Satouru raise his sickle over his face. "S-Satouru! No wait! Don't kill me!"
The sounds of his two friends behind him were nearing, and as time was ticking, Satouru knew it had to be done. "Even if we manage to save your life, you'd only slow everyone down as you are now. What use would a man be without an arm?"
"Satouru no! Please, spare me!" Mitsuki cried out, trying in vain to scoot away, kicking his legs in hopes of putting some distance between them, but it was useless.
Grasping his leg, Satouru leaned over him and raising his sickle, he plunged the sharp blade through his skull. Within seconds it was over, and the fear which had clouded Mitsuki disappeared. "Sorry friend. But it was for the best…" With one last look at his corpse, he stood up and turned, but he paused at the sight of his two friends staring horrifically at him.
Their eyes shifted from Mitsuki and to Satouru's sickle frightenedly. Whatever had possessed Satouru to attack his friend left them entirely speechless and wary. This was not the Satouru they once knew, this was a monster.
"Y-you killed…"
"W-we could … have saved him…"
Regardless if they could or couldn't, what was done was done. Sooner or later they would come to understand why Satouru chose what he did, but for now, they had more pressing matters to attain to. Without even answering his two friends, he ran past them and towards the huts where the other villagers were hiding and cowering in fear, and soon after, they followed as well.
As the demon flew overhead, half the villagers who'd been hiding quietly behind the hut with Kagome and High Priestess Kaede suddenly fled. Their incessant screams captured the demon's attention, and it dove after them. Fortunately, the crowd separated just as it descended, diverging in different directions, some seeking the sanction of the shrine up the steps.
"Papa! Papa!" A child cried.
Recognizing the familiar and soft voice, Kagome turned away from Kaede, Kosuke and Yuuta, her cerulean eyes falling onto the little girl a great distance away. During the escapade, she'd fallen, struggling to pick herself off the ground, and when Kagome saw the demon flying over her, Kagome's legs moved instinctively. "Ume!"
"Kagome no!" Kosuke reached out.
"Come back!" Yuuta hollered.
"Kagome!" Aiko cried.
Ignoring their calls, Kagome's legs carried her towards the child, her steps quickening with each passing moment. Her heart drummed loudly in her ears, the sight of the bird flying over her and towards the little girl frightened Kagome, and just as she neared, several feet away from her, she'd lost her footing, her straw sandals effectively tripping her.
Struggling to lift herself up, knowing she'd scuffed up her knees from the fall, she watched helplessly as the child was caught by the demon, its black and large talons wrapping around her small body before ascending into the sky once more. "No! Ume!"
"It's making off with her!" Someone shouted.
"Kagome! Come back!" Aiko cried.
But she didn't listen. Although she knew there was probably no saving Ume, Kagome didn't want to believe it. There had to be a way to stop the demon and save her life. Without really thinking, she regained her standing, tossing her sandals and chased after the demon. All the while, she was weaponless, and she realized too late she had no way of fighting the bird.
Someone else was following after her, the sound of their footsteps nearing hers, but she didn't turn to see who it was. Her gaze was primarily focused above her, watching Ume struggle within the demon's grasp calling desperately for her papa.
'What do I do? If nothing is done soon, it'll likely carry her off and eat her! I have to think of something, anything!'
Ahead of her, Kagome noticed she was nearing the river which separated the village from the fields. Along the way, she noticed one of the village men standing there, cowering in fear at the sight of the crow passing over him. Before she passed the man, she paused, noticing his quiver of arrows and a bow at his side. Without so much as a thought, she grabbed the weapons and continued her trek towards the river.
"Woman! What the hell are you doing?!" Satouru's voice shouted from behind.
Ignoring him, Kagome crossed the wooden bride, pausing on it as she notched an arrow, her aim pointed directly at the bird demon. It wasn't very far from her, and if she aimed just a little higher, she could hit her target. With shaking arms, she let loose the arrow, watching dismally as it missed its target.
"Not good," She muttered, notching another arrow.
Fortunately, the demon noticed the attack from behind, pausing briefly in the air above to inspect the woman standing on the bridge. For whatever reason it paused, Kagome was thankful. Taking aim once more, she released the arrow, only barely missing its target. It was close, but not close enough. If only she took up archery like her grandfather wanted years ago.
Ume, who'd been crying out for her papa to save her, knowing he was at home resting in bed from his burn injuries, suddenly noticed the demon's stall. Looking down toward the bridge, she caught sight of a familiar raven-haired woman. "Miss. Kagome! Kagome help!"
Before she could reach for another arrow, she was unexpectedly pushed to the ground, her bow slipping from her hands. Looking up, she realized Satouru was now standing beside her, his arrow notched and aimed. Without even a word, he let loose and the arrow effectively hit the demon in the stomach.
Seeing this, Kagome stood up quickly, her hands grasping tightly to the wooden railings of the bridge. The bird reacted violently from the attack, flapping its wings erratically in pain. "You did it!" Kagome cried out, hoping the bird would fly over to the ground and let Ume go, but unfortunately, it didn't go as planned.
Satouru released another arrow, this one hitting the demon between its multiple eyes. Pleased with the hit, he and Kagome watched as it dropped the child, the two falling into the currents of the river submerged. Because of this outcome, he turned to Kagome beside him with a scowl. "What do you think you're recklessly doing? Go back! You're in the way!"
At his words, Kagome cast him an irritated look before running past him toward the shore. When she neared, her gaze looking toward the currents frighteningly, the other villagers who'd seen the bird shot down came running over. When many crossed the bridge, celebrating elatedly that the bird had been shot down and killed, they suddenly heard a splash.
"She jumped in!" Someone cried, pointing towards the river.
"Do you suppose she's a water imp?"
Satouru looked as well, followed after by the others. "What the hell? The bitch is crazy!" Why was she jumping in there when the kid was probably already dead? "She's really asking for it!"
"Kagome!?" Aiko cried out, running towards the lake with Kosuke and Yuuta beside her. "What happened? Did she jump in?"
Crossing the bridge, High Priestess Kaede peered down at the water, her old eyes trying to pinpoint the young girl's whereabouts, but there were no movements. So, the girl jumped in at the cost of her own life to save the little girl?
Silence fell over them and after a long minute waiting with anticipation, now knowing what would surface, if anything or anyone, there was another splash. Immediately everyone jumped at the sound, surprised when they noticed it was Kagome, trying desperately to swim back to shore, cradling the child in her other arm.
"Kagome! Ume!" Aiko cried out, running towards the shore with her arms outstretched to her friend. Helping the raven-haired girl to her feet, entirely drenched from head to toe, they placed Ume onto her back. "Is she alright?"
"Has she stopped breathing?" Someone asked.
Eventually a crowd gathered around the small child, who was lying motionless in the grass, her head turned to the side and her eyes closed. Seeing this, they realized she'd drown and could only lower their heads remorsefully.
Checking her pulse, Kagome's fingers sliding upon her neck and wrist, Kagome realized her heartrate was faint, and she had no choice but to perform resuscitation on the child. As odd as it might appear to the other villagers, it was the only way, otherwise the child would continue choking on the water in her lungs.
Without a moment's pause, Kagome tilted the child's head back, pinching her nose before placing her mouth upon her own. From there, she breathed into her mouth, hoping to fill her lungs with oxygen. Fortunately, no one said a word around her, and for that, she was entirely grateful. Once breathing into her, she gently placed her hands onto her chest, creating rhythmic pumps, which would in turn force the water from her lungs. She did this for a few moments, switching back and forth between the two until eventually the child coughed up the water.
"She's alive!"
"The girl revived her with magic!"
"Boss you did it!" One of the bandits cheered.
"Way to go boss!"
Astonishment and whispers spread amongst the people, and High Priestess Kaede found herself at a loss for words. How extraordinary. It was definitely clear Kagome was not a normal girl, despite being from a different time period. 'Even in the face of danger, ye was willing to go above and beyond, despite ye inabilities to fight the demon. Kagome, ye managed to save the life of one child…'
Cradling the child against her chest, Kagome smoothed her fingers through Ume's hair, the child leaning into her warmth shivering. It was fortunate she was alright, free of any injuries besides a few scratches on her arms and feet.
A sudden splash shifted everyone's attention off Kagome and Ume, a sudden fear rising within them when they saw the crow demon had resurfaced from the water's currents. Fearfully, they fell back in fear, the village men standing protectively in front of them with whatever weapon they held in their possession.
"It's alive!" Someone screamed.
It flew from the water's edge, the arrows still lodged into its bodies, its injuries still great, and yet, it still had the energy for more. As it flew up from the river, ascending high into the sky, it flew overhead, its target, the raven-haired girl with blue eyes.
"Damn it! Why won't it die?!" Yuuta cursed.
"Shit, I only have one arrow left!" Satouru growled.
It lunged, descending rapidly upon them. The villagers immediately scattered, crossing the bridge in hopes of getting out of its path. The bandits quickly scooped up the little girl, a few of them trying to pull Kagome out of its intended reach, but Kagome remained grounded to her spot, her eyes heatedly staring transfixed upon the demon.
"Boss look out!"
"Boss run!"
"Miss. Kagome!"
Prepared to strike the girl, its elongated, razor fanged beak opening with anticipation, it was a few feet away before a blinding blue light enveloped itself around the girl. Kagome's eyes glistened in a surreal and mystifying glow, and those who saw this, paused in their escape, distracted by the light emanating off her body.
"Stop it…" She voiced, regaining her standing before facing the demon head on, its ascent towards her continuing. "Go away!" The light which shrouded her grew in intensity, so bright many of the villagers fell to their knees in surprise.
High Priestess Kaede gasped, her hands grasping the railing of the bridge tightly. How could it be? That light! How was it possible that light resurfaced? "It can't be. It's impossible…"
With her arms outstretched in front of her, a power surged from her palms and the light which enwrapped itself around her body propelled itself at the demon. So bright and so intense, even the proximity of the forest behind her and the village became shrouded by its glow.