Kai Province (Feudal Japan)
Year 1490
Bordered by the Sagami, Suruga, Shinano and Musashi Provinces, Mount Fuji lies just at its border. Ranked as a "Superior Country", the province, much like Musashi, is also controlled by the Takeda Clan, with Nobutsuna Takeda's family governing the capital of Fuefuki.
Multiple temples, shrines and nunneries fill this prosperous land, and it is here that many pilgrimages visit, not only to find enlightenment, but it is also a country well-known for its knowledge and sought after scenic-beauty for many poets and inspired artists.
December 1st
Stirring from an uncomfortable slumber, Kagome turned on the futon, her eyes fluttering open as she surveyed her surroundings. The room where she slept was small, smaller than she expected since her arrival at the temple two months and three weeks prior. A small chest was cradled near the far side of the room, filled with the few traveling kimonos she brought with her from Kaede's Village. Beside the chest, there was another, filled with several layers of white and red priestess attire, the very garments she'd continue to wear until her last day of training.
While she regarded the room dismally, ignoring the small wooden table settled quite close to the futon and the spice and herb cabinet nestled by the shoji screen door, her eyes flickered toward the open window. The skies were dark and gray, and the air which poured through the room emanated a slight chill, and she sighed. Only a couple hours remained until dawn, but her day was just now beginning.
Sighing, she sat up from her bedding and crawled over toward the chest, opening it before retrieving the attire she would wear. Since it was now the beginning of winter, she also retrieved the long white chihaya from the chest, donning it over top her haori and red hakamas, and once dressed, Kagome reached into her hiking bag nestled against the wall.
Sorting through the belongings she'd brought with her from her own time period, which were few, she retrieved some haircutting scissors. After which, she approached the rounded table near the futon and propped an old copper mirror up and accessed her reflection. Since her arrival to this Feudal World, her hair had grown quite long, so long in fact, it now fell at her bottom, the ends in need of a trim.
As she brushed out the tangles, pulling the length over her shoulder, she soon trimmed the ends, feathering them before brushing her fingers through her bangs. They needed a trim; for days, she tucked the strands behind her ears, but the look didn't suit her.
With her index and middle finger, she pulled on the front of her bangs, cutting upwards in a layered fashion before moving her fingers to the rest of her fringe, cutting them only to frame her face. After running the brush through her hair once more, she soon dropped her scissors, scrutinizing her image in the mirror once again. Her fringe fell below her eyebrows, and pleased, she soon wiped her face clear of fallen hair.
Now that her appearance was maintained, she soon dipped her hands into a copper bowl filled with fresh water beside her on the table, and with a clean cloth, she patted her face dry, her gaze once again lingering toward the open window.
Regaining her standing, she retrieved her bow and quiver of arrows, compliments of Yuuta's going away present, and proceeded toward the door. For the rest of the day, and tomorrow, she would finish up her training with the bow, and this time, she prayed to Kami she could hit one hundred bulls-eyes without fail. The moment she stepped upon the outside terrace, her eyes lingered upon the snow-covered training grounds, the large white flakes continuing their descent.
The Shinto Temple, while grand in appearance, was far larger than Kagome first imagined; it was surrounded by towering external mud-brick walls; the structure situated uphill from a small village below the mountain. The training grounds were not placed in just a single point, in fact, the grounds surrounded the entire temple, serving well in its use for over a century since it was first built.
Two large Komainu statues, which were like lions, protected the front entrance of the grounds and were placed just below the tori gate; from her knowledge of living on a shrine herself, these statues dated back as far as the early Nara Period and were used to ward off evil spirits. Often when Tsubaki received visitors, travelers would often rub the head and rear of these statues, and while Kagome found the scene quite bizarre, she soon understood the meaning behind their actions; a person could get a life without sickness should they rub the lion's rear, and if they should rub the head, they will no longer be plagued by worries for the rest of their life; it was odd and interesting, but it gave the people hope.
East of the temple, a dense forest rested, and during Tsubaki's frequent outings to visit the village below the mountain, she'd often collect herbs from the woods, herbs which only grew in the cold season. There were also rumors of many smaller demons inhabiting the forest, demons which have kept their distance from the temple thanks to Tsubaki's barrier, and while Kagome remained in training, she was ordered never to leave the safety of the barrier.
Since her time spent living in the temple, spending her mornings and evenings meditating and practicing her archery, she'd befriended two small children, Maemi and Aiya, both apprentices of Tsubaki. Though they were only at the tender age of nine, they spent their days maintaining the grounds, and when they weren't busy, they often guided Kagome through her training, as well as informing her of knowledge concerning Tsubaki, the temple and the province, which Kagome was eager to learn.
According to the twins, Maemi and Aiya, Kagome learned there were very few shrines and temples in the Kai Province; in fact, the only notable ones rested well within the capital of Fuefuki, which was only a day's ride from the temple, a large town Kagome briefly visited with Yuuta. The twins also revealed that nobles and commoners would often seek Tsubaki's aid, many traveling from far-off provinces to seek Tsubaki's words of wisdom and with hope to cleanse their troubled minds, as well as obtaining remedies for illnesses and various other ailments, and it was this information which told Kagome how infamous Tsubaki was.
While Tsubaki spent most of her days on the grounds, observing Kagome's training and greeting visitors, Kagome recalled several instances where the older woman would disappear for hours or even several days at a time. Of course, while this spurred Kagome's curiosity at first, she soon realized the reasons for her absence, and those reasons were clustered together, concerning the health of those in need, exorcising demons, and collecting herbs from the mountains and forest.
Many rectangular and painted targets were hung upon the branches of a small gathering of trees near the front of the training grounds. The path was illuminated by lanterns, which gave Kagome just enough light to begin her training for the day. Nocking an arrow, she squinted her gaze toward the trees and pulled back on the string of her bow, releasing moments after. The arrow soared, hitting one of the many targets with ease, the arrow barely resting near the corner of the bullseye.
"One," Kagome began counting, nocking another arrow. Until she could hit one hundred in a row, her training with the bow would not end, but she was determined to finish in just the days' end.
Perspiration fell from her brow, and wiping her cheek with the sleeve of her attire, Kagome's gaze remained fixated on the target ahead, where an assortment of arrows was lodged perfectly in the center. After a little over two months of training, she'd hit all one hundred bulls-eyes without a single miss.
From beside her, she heard the twins, Maemi and Aiya cheering, and overtop their boisterous cheers, Kagome heard clapping, accompanied by a much older voice. When she turned, she noticed Tsubaki approach her from the temple, her waist length black hair billowing in the breeze behind her, and a pleased smile alighting her youthful countenance. Kagome lowered her head in greeting. "Lady Tsubaki…"
"I'm impressed. In just a short amount of time, you've completed the first task I set upon you. Your dedication is admirable, Kagome. Well done."
"Thank you, Lady Tsubaki," Kagome smiled, proud she passed so early in her training.
"Now all you have to do is focus more on your meditation and training with the staff!" Aiya exclaimed.
"You'll be done with your training in no time, Kagome!" Maemi said with a smile. "Pretty soon you'll be able to fight demons all on your own!"
Despite their encouragement, Kagome smiled at them. In all honesty, she wasn't sure if she was anywhere near ready to confront her first demon, let alone a group of them. As far as her training with the bow came, she knew she was still lacking, not to mention her footwork needed more focus; now that it was already so late in the afternoon, Kagome realized it was nearly time to continue her laps around the temple grounds, but all she wanted to do was take a moment to rest.
"Not necessarily. Kagome has only scratched the surface of her training," Tsubaki soon exclaimed, much to the twin's brief disappointment. "Now that Kagome has proved she can hit stationary targets without fail, she must now focus a great deal more on moving ones. Maemi," She called with a raise of her hand.
"Oh, right! I almost forgot!" Maemi gasped before running back toward the steps to the temple.
"Moving targets?" Kagome inquired, though she couldn't help but sigh at the thought. She hoped it wouldn't take too long to complete; already her fingers were covered in blisters, most which of course were quite sore to the touch, but nothing a little healing couldn't fix.
In no time at all, Maemi returned with two rectangular boards in hand, each painted with a white circle at the center, and as she handed the other one to Aiya, Kagome felt an incredible anxiousness overwhelm her. The girls weren't planning to involve themselves in this part of her training, right?
"Give it all you've got, Kagome!" Maemi said.
"We won't hold back, so you shouldn't either!" Aiya next replied.
As the twins aligned themselves a distance away, it wasn't long before they started moving from side to side at different angles. Kagome frowned and clenched her bow. "Are you serious right now? This is too dangerous, Lady Tsubaki."
But the older woman only arched an ebony brow, watching the girls as they awaited Kagome's aim. "Regardless of the situation, there will always be danger, Kagome. That is something you must learn early on. Ignore the girls; focus only on the targets. Imagine those targets as demons."
This didn't feel right. What if she accidentally hit them? From where she stood, the girls were running in diagonal steps just ahead, the boards well above their heads; even if they were young, how could they possibly put themselves in such a situation? The last thing she wanted to see was an injury; she'd never forgive herself if they got hurt.
"Lady Tsubaki…" She almost pleaded, but the woman remained firm in her decision.
"Aim and shoot your arrow, Kagome."
Understanding, Kagome knocked an arrow and aimed, her gaze shifting from one target to the other and then to the smiling faces of the twins, expecting the first strike. Focus on the target. Just focus on the target. I should be able to handle that much. But her arm trembled, especially since she'd been practicing since before dawn. Don't mess this up. I can do this!
The first arrow missed the target by a long shot, the likes of which caused Maemi and Aiya to pause and look back, but not before encouraging Kagome once again. Again, Kagome knocked an arrow, her gaze shifting to the board Aiya held above her head, and with deep concentration, she released. It nicked the side of the wooden board, mere inches away from the child's fingers, and the sight caused Kagome to wince.
With Tsubaki's incriminating stare just behind her, she felt her nervousness only grow. There was no holding back in this segment of her training, but the thought of hurting one of them left her anxious. The third arrow soared toward the closest board, but as the girls continued moving from side to side, the arrow missed the edge of the board in Maemi's possession and flew straight toward Aiya. There was no time to warn the child, a cry forming from her lips when the arrow head grazed the child's arm, ripping through the material of her Miko attire.
And then, mortified by the sight, she saw Aiya drop the board and fall to her knees, clutching her arm. Throwing her bow to the ground, she rushed to her side and inspected the injury. "Are you all right?! I'm sorry, Aiya!"
"It's okay, Kagome," She said with a weak smile.
How was it okay? The child was bleeding! Even worse, it was her fault. "Hold still," She chided, taking her arm gently. Closing her eyes, she focused on the wound; thanks to her meditation, it was a lot easier to call upon the spiritual powers she harbored, especially where the Shikon Jewel was concerned. Soon enough, the wound on Aiya's arm closed, but the blood remained upon the fabric of her clothes.
"Thank you, Kagome!" The child's eyes alit with joy. "I feel better now!"
"I'm sorry, Aiya. You and Maemi shouldn't be involved…"
Maemi frowned. "But there is no other way, Kagome. Don't worry, we'll move much slower so you can get used to it. Okay?"
Aiya nodded, standing beside her sister with the board above her head. "Yeah, and if you miss the target, we'll avoid it this time! So, don't blame yourself. Okay?"
Although she still felt strongly against the very notion, Kagome could not help but pull the girls into her arms, holding them as though they were her younger sisters. They were such sweet children, despite being naïve to certain situations, but she couldn't bear the thought of lifting her bow again. From behind her, she heard Tsubaki approach, and releasing the girls, she regained her standing and faced the older priestess.
"Lady Tsubaki, isn't there another way? Can't we use fake arrows or something?"
"It's best to learn from your mistakes, Kagome. Practicing with fake arrows, while I can see the benefit of them, I would hate for you to rely on them; they will only impede your learning. Do it again."
"They're children!" She argued. "You saw what happened! Had my arrow pierced her arm, then I'd never forgive myself!"
But the woman's aqua eyes only narrowed at her refusal, and Tsubaki crossed her arms, a stance Kagome knew well enough not to further insight into her temper. "It seems you are still lacking in your training. When you first stepped foot onto these grounds, I instructed you to throw away any lingering sympathy, as well as any unwanted thoughts that would cloud your judgement, but it seems you have not yet understood. Those very thoughts and emotions are holding you back, and if you cannot overcome them, then your training will have been for nothing."
As much as she wanted to tell her she was wrong, Kagome knew she was right. Those thoughts were holding her back. Fear was her worst enemy, something even she knew she could not escape; she was only human after all. "I know…"
"If you know, then pick up your bow and aim again. Until you can hit the target one hundred times, causing no injury, then I'll consider this part of your training completed."
As instructed, Kagome reached for her fallen bow and distancing herself from the twins, with Tsubaki standing just at her left, she withdrew an arrow from her quiver and aimed once more. Don't think about the twins. Imagine the targets as demons. Well, it was easier said than done, and as she kept her gaze focused on the boards, imagining them as the ugliest demons she'd ever seen, she let her arrow fly once more.
Again and again she let loose the arrows, but every single one had missed the target, either by a long shot or too close for comfort. Several of those shafts were littered at Maemi and Aiya's feet, most of which they'd kicked away and or side stepped over, but it was clear from her practice Tsubaki was displeased.
"You're too focused on hitting. Clear your mind, Kagome. Do not let fear hold you back."
"I'm trying!" But it wasn't good enough, no matter how hard she tried not to hit the twins; it was that very thought keeping her from hitting the target, and even Tsubaki knew.
"Should we move slower?" Aiya asked from a distance. "Or should we move closer?"
"Maybe we should take a break?" Maemi exclaimed.
"As soon as Kagome can hit her first target without fail, then I'll allow all of you a reprieve from training," Tsubaki soon answered. "Focus. You've gotten this far already. I'd hate to see you fall over something like this."
One by one, the girls moved in a crisscross fashion just ahead, their own faces determined to see Kagome through this. For a moment, Kagome did not release her arrow and instead focused only on the targets. Like Tsubaki said, it wasn't impossible and with more training; she was sure she could hit the targets with ease; she only needed to get past this moment of weakness.
Imagining the boards as demons did little in this moment to ease her thoughts, but something else came to mind. There was a time in her childhood where her mother had taken her and Souta to a carnival, and Kagome recalled a particular game of interest, one which involved moving ducks. The ducks were only pieces of painted cardboard which could easily be knocked away by a toy arrow and or ball. At this very instance, she started imagining those boards as cardboard ducks, and imagined her arrow as nothing more than a toy.
"Don't worry! We'll be fine!" Maemi called.
"You can do it, Kagome!" Aiya cheered.
When the arrow struck the bullseye of Maemi's board, followed by another just as true, it was then that Kagome released a heavy sigh and lowered her bow. The girls were cheering, jumping up and down with elation, and Kagome smiled at this, joining with the laughter. She'd done it, and neither Maemi nor Aiya had gotten hurt, that much she was thankful.
Looking back at Tsubaki, Kagome was relieved when the older woman smiled, nodding her head in approval. With this new imagery of the targets, she wanted to prove she could hit the targets one hundred times and further her training, but she felt the twins reach out and hug her waist suddenly, and she welcomed their embrace.
"If you keep that up, then I expect you to finish within the week," Tsubaki soon exclaimed. "Now then, let us retire for the afternoon. You deserve some rest after all."