August 16th

A nauseating smell filled his senses coupled with a thunderous and aching throbbing of his cranium and feeling a warm sensation pooling around him as if he were laying in a warm bath, aroused him from his slumber. Satouru awoke to a dim surrounding, the sunlight shining through the open window of his hut, and as he laid there, discerning his state of mind, the smell which awakened him became much stronger in a sense and reeked of animal piss.

"Well look who's awake," Came a deep voice beside him, followed after by an amused chuckle.

Bemused by the voice, Satouru turned his head to the side, his blurry vision taking in the sight of a taller man standing over him, his trousers pulled slightly down. A steady stream of yellow urine splattered onto his already soaked clothes, and realizing he was laying in puddle of piss, Satouru immediately sat up and scooted to the farthest side of the hut entirely disgusted.

"What the hell?!" Satouru bellowed, looking down at himself in complete disgust. How long had he been asleep, and how long had those useless bandits been pissing on him? His arms were tightly bound by rope in front of him, and realizing he was unable to free himself, he glowered up at the bandit, mocking him with his smirk.

The bandit laughed at the sight, finishing up his business before pulling his trousers back up. With one last look at Satouru and his obvious discomfort, he stepped out of the hut, and immediately after, Satouru heard the distinct sounds of masculine voices just outside.

Recalling last night's event where he attempted to murder the demon child in the woods, he shuddered at the memories. The bastard Kosuke had followed him which resulted in his missed opportunity to eliminate the demon from their village. If that wasn't bad enough, the child's dead mother attacked him with an onslaught of disturbing memories which he'd done previously to others months before. The image of his dead friend still weighed heavily on his mind, and he shuddered at the thought. Why did the demon show him those things?

The flap to his hut opened, a couple familiar faced bandits stepping inside, their cocky expressions amused at his current state. Although they found the smell emanating within the room pungent and disgusting, they otherwise stepped over the puddle and roughly dragged him out of his hut, throwing him onto the ground at the feet of others.

A chorus of laughter bellowed beside him, and feeling entirely humiliated, he slowly pushed himself up onto his knees, but he paled when he saw the numerous eyes of the villagers watching him from a distance, a large throng gathered just outside. A chill immediately swept down his back, the hairs on his body standing erect as he felt the resentful gazes pierced through him.

"Get up you piece of shit! The High Priestess is expecting you!" One of the bandits hollered, throwing a kick into his side, which caused Satouru to double over in discomfort, though he refused to give them the satisfaction of hearing him cry out in pain.

"We got something special awaiting you this morning, you piss stain! So, after she's done with you, you better expect we've got something as well!"

Realizing there was no escaping this time, Satouru slowly regained his standing, despite being unable to use his hands. From there, he was pushed roughly from behind and forced to walk the rest of the distance to Lady Kaede's hut, and with each heart pounding step, the villagers watched him, their displeased expressions obvious in his peripheral vision.

Unexpectedly, something sailed through the air and hit him in the side of the face, its smell reeking of rot, the juices slipping past his closed lips and he realized it was a rotten tomato. Several rotten pieces of vegetables were thrown his way, coating his already disheveled appearance, its scent mingling with his abhorrent smell.

"You're disgusting!" Someone shouted.

Following after that, several more insults were thrown, and as most of the children threw rotten food his way, the adults began tossing stones, many ranging from small pebbles to sharp stones the size of their palms and chucked them at him.

Satouru felt the nasty sting on the side of his head, his shoulders, side, arms and legs, but he refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing his anger. Instead, he continued on, his stare focused entirely on Kaede awaiting him up ahead, her expression not bothered in the least.

"Die you son of a bitch!"

Turning his head slightly, he caught sight of an elderly man, skin and bones, running towards him with a large and flat board, and unable to dodge the attack, the board hit him severely in the back of the head. Losing his balance, Satouru fell onto his face, his mouth filled with the dust from the dirt. Everything around him spun, and for a moment, he couldn't move, and blinked away his dizziness.

Before the old man could continue his assault, one of the bandits stood between them, and pushed the older man aside gently. "That will be enough of that. We want him alive for the time being."

Disgusted but accepting his words, the old man spit a huge glob of saliva at Satouru's face before rejoining the crowded villagers. "Filth like this doesn't deserve to live," He muttered, gripping the board in his hand tightly.

"Get up!" Someone said from behind him. "I won't say it again!"

Following the orders, despite growling inwardly at the humiliation, Satouru pushed himself up and regained his standing once more. Despite his pounding head, he trudged onwards. Withholding his shameful appearance and easing his face into an expressionless mask, Satouru lifted his head and stared blankly ahead, the sight of the older woman in priestess clothing awaiting him.

As he drew closer, the entire village gathered around, and pushed him into the midst of the circle, he was forced to his knees from behind, his eyes staring into the faces of Lady Kaede, Naomi, Kosuke, Kagome, Yuuta and Aiko in front of him.

Noticing his tattered clothing, despite being drenched in a pungent smell, Kagome couldn't help but notice various dark markings all over his body, markings which represented Murderer and Rapist. Leaning into Kosuke beside her, her child held securely asleep in her arms, she whispered to him. "Those markings…"

Hearing this, Kosuke leaned in as well, eyeing Satouru. "The vengeance of a deceased mother…"

Shippo's mother? Kagome gasped. "You mean, Shippo's … Are you saying she intervened?"

He nodded. "She deemed him a murderer and because of his actions, I believe she isn't wrong. She appeared before us in the woods last night, during the scuffle between myself and Satouru. I believe it was Shippo's cry which caused her to intervene."

Kagome cradled her child close to her chest, recalling the events which transpired last night. When he went missing from their hut, she was certain Satouru had killed him, but upon having him returned to her an hour later, she realized just how much she couldn't live without the child. Fortunately, it seemed Shippo's mother was still watching over him, despite having passed on three days ago.

Seeing Kagome's scornful stare blazing into the suspect, Kosuke pulled her aside, despite her confusion. Once he was sure he was out of earshot, he leaned into her once more. "Last night, I heard Satouru say something while he was consumed by the flames. It's bothered me…"

"What is it?" Kagome asked.

"I heard him cry out "I had no choice. I had to kill him…"

She blinked. Killed? Now that she thought about it, there were several markings all over Satouru's body which said Murderer. Who did he murder then? "He's killed someone? From our village?"

He nodded. "I do believe so…"

If that was the case, then surely it was news to her and everyone else. "The only other person who died in our village, besides Tsuki…" She replied, recalling the ominous day when the bird demon attacked, swooped in and devoured one of their own; it was traumatizing situation, which even she couldn't erase from her memories. A thought suddenly struck her. No. There was someone else who died that day. "Wait..."

Before she could finish her sentence, two faces approached them, and as they acknowledged them confusedly, Kagome realized these two young men were once Satouru's close friends, Toshiro and Makoto.

"We have a confession to make," Makoto replied, lowering his head apologetically.

Surprised by their words, Kagome and Kosuke moved closer to them, making sure no one else heard them from their short distance away. Sure no one was listening, they turned their curious stares to the young men.

"What is this about?" Kosuke asked.

"It has to do with Satouru," Toshiro replied. "He killed someone."

Before he could finish, Kagome's eyes widened. "Do you mean … it was Mitsuki?" She asked, and her thoughts were answered when their eyes widened. So, it was true.

Makoto shared a look with Toshiro and they both nodded. "Yes. After the demon bit his arm completely off and dropped him into the rice patties, all of us ran to see if he was alright. Satouru got to him first and Mitsuki was still alive. We…"

Noticing Makoto's hesitance to continue, Toshiro took over. "We witnessed Satouru kill our friend. Mitsuki didn't want to die. I'm sure we could have saved him, but Satouru … ever since that moment, he's changed…"

"Why have you kept quiet about this for so long?" Kosuke asked, narrowing his gaze.

Makoto only shook his head. "We didn't tell anyone about his murder. We should have, but we were too afraid of what Satouru would do after. We understood his obsession with hurting you, Kagome, was the only thing fueling his anger in our village. There's no telling what else he would have done, but we're sure our lives would have been over…"

"Please forgive us for keeping this for so long!" Toshiro bowed, squeezing his eyes tightly shut as he anticipated some sort of remark from the young girl and guy in front of them.

Understanding their regret to reveal the truth after so long and their fear of what might happen should Kaede learn the truth, Kagome placed a comforting hand on both their shoulders, offering them a small smile, which took them by surprise. "It's alright. I forgive the two of you. Thank you for telling me. I'm sorry about what has happened to Mitsuki; no matter the situation, he didn't deserve that. Once this is all over, we'll prepare a memorial for him."

Their eyes suddenly welled up in tears, and grateful for her understanding and generosity to forgive them, they couldn't hold back their lament any longer. As much as they tried to fight back to onslaught of tears, they leaned on each other for support.

Taking a deep breath, Kagome nodded to Kosuke, and the two returned to the crowd and took their place beside Kaede and their friends. Absolute silence surrounded everyone, the villagers and everyone glaring scornfully at Satouru, who otherwise didn't seem fazed by the situation. In fact, he put up an air of indifference around him, which only annoyed Kagome further.

Stepping forward, Kaede narrowed her gaze. For years, she'd put up with Satouru's antics, his crude mannerisms towards certain people within the village, and after everything he'd done to torment her people, she realized she could not hold back her disdain for him. "Despite having been warned in the past, Satouru, ye continue to disappoint me and shame our village. Last night's circumstances will not be overlooked."

Satouru scoffed at her words. "Then kill me. Why do you keep hesitating? You know exactly what I'm capable of."

"Damn this man…" One of the bandits murmured, clenching his fist tightly. That was no way to talk back to their High Priestess, despite having only recently accepted her since living in the village. That man lacked common sense and righteous morals, a man's whose head was filled with ignorance and hatred.

Despite his words, Kaede only nodded. "Yes. We are all very well aware of ye capabilities. What has turned ye heart so cold?" She asked, but he didn't answer. "It's clear ye distaste for my people runs high, especially concerning this child here," She glanced briefly at Kagome. "Since the start, ye have been against her, going so far as to force yeself onto her, and not only that, make off with her child in the dead of the night."

"She's a witch!" Came his explanation before he suddenly regained his standing. "That's exactly what she is! You all don't see it, but you've been bewitched by her powers. From the start, did you all not resent her when she first arrived?" He asked, though no one answered. "Even back then, she wasn't easily trusted among us, and yet, you've all started treating her as if she were family. What has she really done for this village?" Satouru asked, raising his voice louder by the second. "Not only has she brought certain disaster to us, whether in the form of those barbaric bandits, but also that demon! If that wasn't bad enough, despite losing our own people to bloodshed, you've allowed her to raise a demon child in our village! If she were a priestess, as you claim she is, she would have never allowed such a thing!"

Annoyed by his words and his slandering towards her friend, Aiko stepped forward. "The only person bewitched is you, Satouru! The fact that you cannot have her, you've gone to disgusting lengths to hurt her and the people around her. The only person who is at fault, is you!"

Despite the murmurs in the crowd, an elderly man stepped forward, a cane in hand as he glowered down at Satouru. "Fifty years ago, that was not the case. Our fair priestess Kikyou showed mercy to a half demon. I'll admit, back then, I was skeptical of having a half demon live among us, but my thoughts changed when I saw his loyalty to protect us from harm. Even back then, Satouru, our priestess held a kindness in her heart, just like Kagome here," He replied, receiving many nods of agreement from the other villagers, including Kaede herself.

Kaede continued. "Ye were brought before the village this morning, and though I intended to punish ye myself, I have decided to leave that decision up to Kagome, since it concerns her and her child," She replied.

Satouru scoffed, shifting his gaze towards the raven-haired woman. Punish? He wanted to laugh. Despite having been physically harmed by the girl in the past, he only found the situation ridiculous. In the end, it all came down to this.

Handing her child to Yuuta beside her, despite Kosuke's comforting hand on her shoulder, Kagome approached Satouru, her face betraying her loathe. Ever since last night, she was fully prepared for this moment between herself and Satouru. When she stood at least a few feet away, she scoffed. "The sight of you angers me to no end. I have tried to be patient and forgiving for all that you have done to me, but I cannot turn a blind eye to this, not after what you did to Shippo and Naomi."

There was a sudden pause at the mentioning of Naomi, and with it, the villagers looked between both individuals, Naomi clinging closely to Kosuke's side, her resentful gaze peering at Satouru from a short distance.

Satouru glowered at her. So, the wench decided to courageously tell them? He should have killed her when he had the chance. Then again, it didn't matter anyways. What was the point in denying his crime? After all, he was standing there, soaked entirely with piss and fresh wounds from the villager's stoning.

"Speak up!" One of the bandits hollered, annoyed by Satouru's suspicious silence.

"It's nothing new," He replied, suddenly chuckling to himself. "I'm surprised you're only just now approaching me about this. Yes. I fucked her, I fucked them all, behind your backs, and you know what's more?" He asked, looking into the eyes of the many angered villagers surrounding him. "I liked it," He replied, satisfied by the disgusted look appearing on Kagome's face. "When I couldn't get to you, Kagome, I had to make do with what else was around, regardless if it was my own hand or some other wench. It's your own fault. If you had only submitted to me that night, none of this would have ever happened. Besides, it's not like I actually saw Naomi as I raped her. All I could think about was you and my revenge. So clearly, the fault rests with you, Kagome…" He found amusement in his sick confession, despite the hostility brewing among the people.

Unable to hold back her tears, Naomi sobbed into Kosuke's arm, feeling anguish and shame within the situation. Beside her, Kosuke patted her arm, his eyes staring angrily in Satouru's direction.

Without any hesitance, Kagome reeled her arm back, and before Satouru could dodge, her fist collided with the side of his face and he staggered back, losing his balance before falling onto his back with a busted lip. Her breath came out a little erratic, her heart pounding deafeningly in her ears. Disgusting. To think, such a deranged and vile man existed, and even after punching him, it didn't feel like enough.

This wasn't the first time the villagers saw this side of Kagome, in fact, they remembered previously her scuffle with Satouru in the past. Though she looked small and fragile, deep within her, there was a fire, one which had yet to die out as the days went on. Rather than stop her, they instead, cheered her on, pleased by the notably exasperated expression gracing Satouru's countenance.

Kagome seethed, her hands still balled into fists, shaking at her sides. "You're not a man. You're a monster. Like those marks on your body, they speak the truth. You're nothing but a murderer and a manipulative rapist," She replied, trying to hold herself back from knocking the smirk off his face. "I'll keep this short, because just looking at you makes me sick. After what you've done to me, Shippo, Naomi and everyone else, you will not be forgiven. As for what you did to your friend Mitsuki … you will also not be forgiven."

Raising his bound hands to his face, he wiped away the small dribble of blood from his lip, though his smirk only remained. So, it seemed his old friends had finally ratted him out.

"Mitsuki?" Kaede voiced, bemused suddenly by Kagome's words. "Are ye saying Satouru had a hand in Mitsuki's death?"

Kagome nodded. "It was brought to mine and Kosuke's attention just recently that Mitsuki didn't actually die when he was attacked by the demon. In fact, despite losing his arm, he was very much still alive."

"What is this about?" Someone asked, turning their fingers at Satouru accusingly. "Did he kill him?"

Toshiro and Makoto, who'd been standing off to the side fearfully, shared a look and with silent agreement, approached the circle before collapsing to their knees apologetically. "Forgive us, Lady Kaede!"

Outraged by this unexpected news and the fact that it was kept secret, Daisuke hollered at the young men. "You were both aware of this from the start? Why did you wait until now to tell us?"

Seeing their trembling shoulders and realizing they might also receive punishment, Kagome stepped between them. "Please do not be angry with them," Kagome pleaded to the villagers and to Kaede. "They were too afraid of what Satouru would do. If anything, we should be thankful they confessed. Let's not take out our anger on them, because they also have lost someone very precious to them. Mitsuki was a dear friend to them, and it's clear this entire situation has left them with many regrets," She replied.

Lifting his head, Toshiro regarded the young woman standing protectively in front of him, and grateful for her generosity, he turned to Lady Kaede. "Mitsuki, I'm sure he could have been saved, but Satouru brandished his sickle and struck him in the skull. He believed that by doing so, was the best course of action, despite the situation."

Makoto nodded. "Mitsuki wanted to live. Despite missing his arm, he wanted to live…"

Scoffing at their words, Satouru lifted himself from the ground and regained his standing, staggering only slightly. "That's right. I killed him," He replied, earning a disappointed look from Toshiro and Makoto. "He would have slowed us down because of his injury. There was no saving him. I did him a favor."

Angrily, Makoto stood up and balled his fists, turning aggressively towards Satouru. "He was still alive! Stop saying he would have slowed us down! There's been plenty of people in our village who have sustained terrible and life-threatening injuries and still survived!"

"I did him a favor. I ended his life before that demon could finish him off and tear him to shreds. Would you have wanted him devoured like that girl?!" Satouru countered just as loudly.

The father of Tsuki, the girl who had perished that fateful day, suddenly cried out, his fist raised. "Don't you dare speak of my daughter! She was still half alive before you pushed me away from her in her final moments! You … I would have rather died with her than let her pass on so early in her life! I never got the chance to say goodbye to her! You took that from me!"

Despite his words, Satouru only looked away, his eye twitching. No one understood him. No one. "You're all fools…"

"It's over, Satouru," Kagome replied, stepping around Makoto and Toshiro. "As Lady Kaede said, she's left the decision regarding your punishment to me," She explained, eyeing him scornfully. As much as she wanted to assault him with her fist and inflict the same amount of damage he'd caused her in all her days living in the village, she couldn't bring herself to do so. "Satouru, I banish you from this village. Don't ever return."

"You banish me?" He inquired, arching a brow at the hilarious remark. How the tables had truly turned. Now she was given the power as if she were someone of importance. A forced laugh escaped him, his shoulders trembling from the sheer stupidity of it all. "Fine. I'll leave. I've grown tired of this shitty place anyways," He replied, looking around the village curiously. "I refuse to live among demons and witches, and a bunch of piss smelling bandits. This village will not thrive for much longer, I can assure you of that."

Despite his rudeness, Kagome no longer acknowledged him and turned her back before returning to Yuuta's side, taking her child back into her arms once more. "Kaede, I've said what I had to say…"

Understanding, the High Priestesses raised her hand. "Ye heard the child. Untie his ropes. As of right now, he is no longer under our protection. From this moment on, Satouru, ye are a stranger to us. Pack ye things and leave, and if ye should ever return, I will see to it ye own execution," She warned.

As Yuuta approached the young man, whose face was alit with morbid amusement, he was sure he was boiling within. Despite the humiliation he must have felt at the moment, Yuuta untied his ropes, freeing his arms before turning away.

Looking at his reddened wrists, he looked back up at Kaede and Kagome, but they'd already turned their backs to him, and as his eyes scanned the throng of villagers surrounding him, they too, turned their backs to him, no longer acknowledging his existence. Scoffing, he turned on his heels and despite having sprained his ankle last night, forced himself away from them and through a separated gap within the crowd. There was no use packing up his things, especially since his entire hut reeked with the smell of urine.

Once he'd placed enough distance between himself and the village, Satouru paused in his trek and glanced back, the village just below the hill of the forest in front of him. How dare those foolish people do this to him. Those wretches. That wench was a fool not to have him executed on the spot, but instead, hoped he'd live on regretting all his mistakes for the rest of his life. Pathetic. They'd pay for this humiliation one day, that he was certain.

With no idea where his feet would carry him, he decided anywhere was better than here. Turning around, he continued on his way, but there was a sudden rustle in the bushes near him and turning at the sounds of approaching footsteps, he was suddenly attacked, his vision filled with the sight of eight large men. "What the hell do y—" His voice became muffled as a long stretch of rope was secured around his mouth and head, his hands tied behind his back. After which, he felt something hard hit the back of his head, and soon after, his vision darkened.

Satouru wasn't sure how long he'd been unconscious and hearing the distinct sounds of masculine voices near him, she awoke to eight large men gathered around him, smirking devilishly down at him. Unable to say anything, despite the rope tied around his mouth, he glared.

Unable to resist, one of the bandits raised his leg, kicking the young man precisely in the stomach, and with satisfaction, watched him double over in pain. "That's for the times you've made our boss suffer, you dirty mongrel!"

"I believe we have yet to give you a proper farewell," One replied, grinning from ear to ear. "Men, why don't we show him what it means to cross us."

Nodding in agreement, they suddenly pulled him aside, dragging his body until they arrived at a flowing stream. After which, they forced Satouru down onto his knees, before pushing his head into the water, regardless if the water slipped through the rope into his mouth.

It burned, the water coursing past his lips and down his throat, and as he kicked and struggled against their weight, he was unable to pull his head up. Relentlessly, they continued this onslaught, allowing him only a few seconds of reprieve to gather what little oxygen he could before his head was dunked forcibly back into the stream.

"I was beginning to wonder where you ventured off, but I see now why…"

At the voice, the bandits turned unexpectedly, their eyes as wide as saucers when they noticed Yuuta suddenly behind them, his eyes taking in the scene before him. They intended to quietly teach Satouru a lesson, but they never expected Yuuta to stumble upon them.

Seeing his approach, one of the bandits stepped between Yuuta and the others. "We're going to personally give him a proper a farewell, Yuuta. After what he did, we don't plan to stand back anymore!"

Another nodded. "Don't try and stop us, Yuuta."

"Even though we know she is against violence and has told us not to do anything bad, we can't hold back any longer," Another replied. "He crossed the line. He went after her son and for that, he won't live to see the sun again."

Sidestepping around the bandit blocking his path, Yuuta approached the stream and knelt beside two of the bandits holding Satouru's head beneath the water. Without a word, he grasped the back of the suspect's kimono top and pulled him up from the water, despite the bandits disapproved glares. "Kagome ordered for his banishment, not death," He replied, shaking his head disappointedly at his men.

"Even so, he crossed us!" Someone replied.

"He hurt the boss and tried to hurt her child!"

"Scum like this doesn't deserve to live!"

Despite their repetitive replies, Yuuta only sighed. As much as he wanted to end the bastard's life, he wanted to remain true to Kagome's wishes. From his understanding, Kagome wasn't the type to wish harm on others. "Still, I believe Kagome would be very displeased by your behavior. Wouldn't you agree?" He asked, and noticing their shoulders drop at his words, they knew he was right.

A muffled noise escaped Satouru through his ropes, and bemused by what he was saying, Yuuta untied the ropes behind his head, the bandits around gathering close. "What was that?"

"You disgusting vermin!" Satouru spat. "Once this is over, I swear this won't be the last you'll see of me!"

Satouru's words pissed them off, but because Yuuta was with them, they held back their assault. "Shut your fucking mouth! Do you know the situation you're in right now?!" Someone replied.

"I swear to Kami, I'll make you and that fucking wench pay for this. This isn't over!" Satouru growled, despite being surrounded at all sides by monstrous heathens.

"You're not in any position to bad mouth her!" Another replied just as harshly before pulling him up from his seated position and raising his fist to his face.

Another sigh escaped Yuuta and deciding he didn't want to see any more of this, he turned his back to his men, but before leaving, he looked over his shoulder briefly. "Finish up quickly and return back to the village, that's an order," He replied before disappearing past the line of trees.

Spitting out a collection of blood which gathered in his mouth, Satouru sat there, seething irritably at the bandits, trying in vain to escape the rope tied at his wrists. Somehow, he didn't like the situation he was in this very moment and couldn't find it in himself to laugh.

Certain Yuuta was gone, the bandits shared a look, their eyes shifting between Satouru and themselves. Somehow, just letting this despicable creature run free didn't settle well with their thoughts. In fact, the earlier threat of claiming vengeance weighed heavily on their mind.

"What should we do? Do we let him go?"

"I'm not finished roughing him up yet!"

"But Yuuta said to make it quick and return…"

"Did you not hear what he said? He said he would return and make them pay, especially boss!"

They nodded at this, and after a moment of quiet bickering between themselves, they turned fully to Satouru, bounding his mouth once more, with their minds already made up. There was no way in hell they would allow him to walk freely any longer, and with the sun pressing down upon their backs, they cracked their knuckles.

Shortly after Satouru left the village, Mayoko and Daisuke said their farewells to the entire village. Today was the day they would head West to a fishing village to start over; because of the shortage of food, they found it difficult to get by within the village and concerning Mayoko's pregnancy, Kaede believed it would be for the couple to leave.

Mayoko and Daisuke explained they would pray for the well-being of the village and hope for a fruitful harvest in the coming year. And as Kaede offered up one of her horses to the couple, the entire village saw them off until they disappeared into the distance.

Eventually, the crowd dispersed, the people returning to their mundane and repetitive chores around the village. While Kagome was hoping to return with Aiko back to the hut, with Naomi in toe, Lady Kaede suddenly called for Kagome to speak privately within her hut, which confused the young girl.

"Huh?" Kagome blinked, her cerulean gaze staring peculiarly at a written missive, rolled up and tied securely with string in the palm of her hands. Bemused as to why it was given to her by Lady Kaede, she looked up at the older woman seated across from her. "I don't understand. What is this?"

Despite her confusion, Kaede cleared her throat and motioned towards the letter. "Since the recent attack, I'm afraid our shortage of food is greatly depleting, despite our small harvest still growing within the fields. I fear, that even with that, it will not be enough to sustain my people's hunger," She replied dismally.

Kagome nodded, completely understanding Kaede's concern. "We've been fortunate so far, but I've noticed some of the villagers have grown weak and sickly as a result…"

"Indeed," Kaede replied. "The letter within ye hands, I have written the night prior, despite the unfortunate events, and it explains our troubled situation as of now. Normally, I do not find comfort reaching out for help, but I fear if this continues, our village will likely succumb to extinction. Kagome, I would like for ye to deliver this missive for me in my stead."

Deliver? To where? "You want me?" She asked, blinking confusedly at the High Priestess.

Kaede nodded. "There is no other person suitable for the task but ye, Kagome. In fact, sending ye off with this would definitely help ye as well and ease my restless mind."

"I … don't understand. Where am I to deliver this?" She asked. From her knowledge, she'd never set foot anyway outside the Forest of Inuyasha, and despite having come from the future, she knew nothing about the terrain of the ancient past. In fact, she wasn't entirely good with directions either. "Are sure you don't want to send someone else? Why me of all people?"

It was a question which the old woman had thought long and hard about for days now, and in her mind, sending Kagome felt like the right thing to do, especially since she became caught up in so much since her appearance. "Do ye remember our conversation that day, the day in which your powers surfaced?"

Kagome nodded. How could she forget. It was the same fatal day, dusk to be exact, in which the bird demon attacked their village. As if by some mystical means, she managed to save the entire village, and it was all because of a powerful jewel within her, a jewel which should have perished long ago.

"For some time, our village has remained protected since that fatal night," Kaede replied. "the day in which I placed the Beads of Subjugation upon ye wrist. Bearing the Sacred Jewel within ye body, that bracelet has protected all of us. Ye do remember the story about how the jewel was once destroyed, correct?"

"Yes," Kagome replied. If she remembered correctly, Kaede told her a story of her childhood, a time which took place fifty years ago when her sister Kikyou protected the village. The jewel was supposedly destroyed by a clan of Demon Slayers and never resurfaced again until now. "Are you saying…"

Again, the old woman nodded. "I wish for ye to deliver this letter to the Demon Slayer Village," Kaede explained, earning a surprised reaction from the young girl seated across from her. "A long time ago, our village was once on friendly terms with the clan. I'll admit, I haven't heard much from them for years now, not since the death of my sister. Even so, a friend of mine lives within the village, someone I haven't seen in ages. I'm sure that person would be more than willing to offer a helping hand to us."

"The Demon Slayer Village…" Kagome whispered. "How far is that?"

"A five day walk North from here," Came her reply. "Of course, do not fear, I will not be allowing ye to venture there on ye own, Kagome. In fact, I have asked Yuuta to accompany ye on the trip. Also, this is not only a trip which will aid our village, but one which will aid ye as well, Kagome."

"Me?"

"Since ye harbor the Sacred Jewel, I'm certain it's reappearance will startle the clan. In the letter I have given to ye, I have explained the situation regarding ye own problems. Perhaps, in some way, they may be able to help ye, though I am unsure whether or not they can remove the jewel from ye. However, they may be able to supply ye with more information regarding it," Kaede explained. "As ye know, I only have little knowledge of the jewel, despite its capabilities."

So that was the reason why she wanted Kagome to make the trip, because it not only involved their village's dire circumstance, but also involved Kagome's appearance in this world. If the Demon Slayers were able to destroy the jewel fifty years ago, would they be able to remove it from her body?

Noticing the child silently processing the information given to her, Kaede turned to the flap of the hut. "Ye may enter," She replied, noticing a figure standing just outside the door.

Pushing back the flap, Yuuta stepped in, bowing his head respectively to the older woman, his eyes turning to Kagome seated ahead of him. In his arms, he cradled a restless baby and knelt beside the raven-haired woman. "He's been making a fuss for a while now," He explained, apologizing to Kagome.

Understanding, she took Shippo from his outstretched hands and cradled him against her chest, rocking him gently until he calmed his whimpers. "There, there. It's alright now. Mama is here."

Turning towards the High Priestess, Yuuta placed the palms of his hands onto his lap. "I apologize for the intrusion, but I was wondering when you wished for us to set out," He asked.

"Tomorrow," Came her reply, despite Kagome's surprise. "As I said before, this is an urgent matter. And since the trip will take five days at most, I surmise ye return within two weeks' time. There are only four months left before we experience Winter, and by that time, I hope things have returned to seeming normalcy."

"Understood. We'll prepare for the trip right away, Lady Kaede," Came Yuuta's response. Picking himself up onto his feet, he bowed once more to the head priestess before stepping out.

After his retreat, Kaede turned her attention to the child in Kagome's arms, it's small hands touching the woman's long strands of hair. "It may also be a good idea to take ye child with ye, Kagome."

"Shippo? But it's dangerous, as you've said before. It might be safer leaving him behind with Aiko."

"The Demon Slayers, from what I gathered long ago, are a knowledgeable clan, and would not turn the child away," She replied. "I'm certain they can offer advice on how to properly raise Shippo, especially since ye are adamant to raise him. Let them have a look at him once ye arrive safely, and from there, ye burdens will become less than they are now."

Despite wanting to leave Shippo safely behind in the village, she couldn't bring herself to tell Kaede no. Instead, she offered a slight bow to the older woman, her eyes staring worryingly down at the child in her arms.

Hours passed since Satouru's banishment and as the bandits trudged further and further away from the village, they waited until nightfall before exacting their vengeance upon Satouru. They stood within a ravine, situated entirely by many hills and with their tools brandished, half of them began cutting down the nearest tree, the others watching Satouru menacingly.

The night weighed heavily on, the moon at its highest, and as Satouru came to accept his fate, he watched silently and bound as the bandits near him began digging a hole, so deep, it took well over half an hour to unearth. Following after, the lumber which they cut down with their axes were thrown into the pit shortly after, and once they were satisfied with their results, all eight roguish men turned their attention to him.

One of the bandits knelt beside Satouru, scrutinizing the blank expression gracing his face before slapping his cheek roughly. "What's with that look? Have you already given up on life?" He asked, though he didn't expect a response, flicking the thick rope bound around his mouth. Instead, he only received a dirty look, which only slightly amused him.

The men gathered around laughed.

"We were going to let you live the moment Yuuta arrived, but because you made that comment about our boss and wanting revenge, we couldn't sit idly by any longer."

"You know, for someone who reeks of piss and acts like shit, you sure do know how to piss someone off. I'm surprised Lady Kaede kept you alive for so long!"

"Are we ready? I'd like to get back soon for supper," One of the bandits replied, stretching his arms above his head exhaustedly, a yawn escaping him.

With one final smirk at the disgusting man seated before them, two of the bandits reached over and roughly grabbed him by his arms, dragging him towards the edge of the pit before releasing him.

Nothing could be seen at the bottom, and while Satouru anticipated his fall shortly after, the mere hesitance from the bandits only heightened his fear. So, this was it? This was the end? What had he accomplished in life which led to this? Was this really what awaited him, after everything he'd experienced in this god forsaken world?

If anything, it was the fear of the unknown which frightened him. Rumors of a hellish void, teaming with unbelievable and terrifying demons lurking within an underworld of nothing but brimstone and fire. Though he'd never truly believed its existence, he suddenly had his doubts, his eyes glimpsing a lit torch from his peripheral vision.

Murderer … Murderer … Murderer…

The voices which plagued him last night were whispering in his ears, and unable to block out the voices, his hands bound behind him, he squeezed his eyes shut. No. Not again.

Upon noticing the young man's trepidation, one of the bandits stepped up behind him, a sudden smirk upon his lips. "If boss should ask why we were late, we could say we were letting you go after seeing you off," He replied, earning chuckles from all around.

"You mean like this?" Someone asked, kicking Satouru's back legs, causing the young man to stagger forward before falling into the depths of the hole at their feet, his body colliding achingly against the hard pieces of lumber at the bottom.

A chorus of laughter resounded after, and as Satouru laid in darkness, the sharp edges of the wood beneath him digging into his flesh, he scrutinized the small space encompassing him. Unable to move, let alone escape from the pit, he glanced up, glowering at the numerous faces peering down at him. They were not the faces of humans, but demons.

"Let this be a lesson, Satouru," One of them replied, raising a flamed torch above the pit, his smirk illuminated by the dancing embers. "It's over…" He replied, dropping the torch suddenly.