InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Shard in Kyoto ❯ the lord of the Yuki ( Chapter 12 )

A shard in Kyoto

Chapter 13: The Lord of the Yuki

This starts a very unpleasant part of the story.

You are warned.

____________________________

Sango and Kagome are leaving the bathhouse, after cleaning up for last nights activities. They start walking down the street, moving through the early morning crowds.

Kagome clears her throat. "Sango?"

"Yes?"

"Last night . . . Why didn't you say `no' to Miroku?"

Sango takes a few steps, thinking, before she answers. "Because I do want to be with him . . . and last night was the best excuse I've had since the festival."

Kagome replies, "What about your cycle. You can . . . you know . . . " Kagome right hand forms a circle and she pokes the index finger of her left hand through it, as she talks. "With him on those days when you know that you're safe."

Sango shakes her head. "No, Kagome. Oh, that might work for a while, but as time passes, he'll convince me that I will have more safe days than I do."

"Or that just this once, this time, is safe." Kagome adds in.

Sango nods. "And I'll get pregnant." She sighs. "I do want to have children, but not now."

Kagome nods in understanding.

They walk a couple of minutes, dogging other people in the street.

"Why did you go along, Kagome? Even though we didn't have any privacy?" Sango asks.

"I wasn't going to leave you alone with the pervert." Is Kagome's instantaneous reply.

"Kagome." Sango growls.

Kagome sighs. "Privacy . . . Sango, tell me, among the four of us, do we really have any privacy? I don't mean Miroku's peeking fetish, but real privacy."

"What do you mean, Kagome?"

Kagome sighs, "It's just as time has passed, especially since the festival, privacy is meaning less and less to me." Her mouth twitches, "I suppose that's to be expected after the events of the festival, but . . . "

"But, you don't like it?"

"That's the problem, Sango. I should be furious at the lack of privacy that I've had, that we've all had during and since the festival, but, I just can't get the anger up the way I used to."

"You still slap Miroku and sit Inu-yasha."

"Reflexes, Sango, more than anything." Kagome looks at Sango, grabs her arm and while staring her in the face, says, "Plus, a while back, I made a decision to be more aggressive about sex. And last night was the first time that Inu-yasha has responded to my attempts to seduce him."

Sango smiles, "I thought that was it." She pauses, then whispers, "I suppose, that if he said yes, you'd do him anywhere?"

Kagome blushes. "I don't know about anywhere," She emphasizes the word `anywhere', "Sango, but... I will say that saying no to Inu-yasha would be very, very difficult."

Kagome narrows her eyes, "And once Naraku is killed, I suppose separating you and Miroku will be a challenge?"

Sango blushes. She looks around, "aren't we getting close where we rented that room?"

Kagome looks around, "Yes, I think we are. The lack of street signs in the city is driving me nuts, though. I'm so used to knowing exactly where I'm at."

"Oh, Kagome." Sango whispers, "I did like it that you stayed, last night."

"You can handle Miroku."

"I know. Still, I . . . felt," Sango shrugs.

"That we should stick together, through anything." Kagome supplies helpfully.

"Yes. Something like that." Sango replies.

As they approach the inn, they hear a couple of peasants talking, "Did you see that white haired old man being chased by that monk?"

"That wasn't an old man, did you see his ears? That was a demon."

"A demon in the middle of Kyoto! What is the world coming to?!"

Kagome and Sango look at each other.

"Inu-yasha."

"Miroku."

They sigh.

At the same time, they say, "Boys." And shake their heads.

****************************************

At the inn, in the room where Kirara and Shippo stayed last night.

Inu-yasha and Miroku enter. They are cloaked and disguised, like they are supposed to be, although Inu-yasha is still limping from the sword attack that happened last night.

Kirara looks up, as they enter, then lays back down.

Shippo is still asleep.

"Running in the street was foolish." Miroku stays as he closes the door behind him.

"I will get you, pervert. And when I do." Inu-yasha growls.

Miroku sighs. "What I have to do for penance . . . " he shakes his head.

Inu-yasha frowns. "Miroku."

"Yes, Inu-yasha?"

"Last night, at the geisha house, I just thought about something."

"And your thoughts are?"

"Instead fucking the girls, since we were screened couldn't we just, say jack-off on them and then, they show the musk over the screen." He frowns, "would, not that had been enough?"

"Of course, Inu-yasha." Miroku replies, confidently. "I thought about that while I was getting into position."

"And you still fucked her!" Inu-yasha growls. He moves, so he is standing face to face with Miroku.

Miroku raises an eyebrow. "Am I supposed to pass up a chance to have sex, especially with one of the kindest and beautiful woman, that I know?"

Inu-yasha growls. "Next time, you will not fuck her." His clawed forefinger is in Miroku's face. He taps Miroku shoulder with it. "Do you understand?!" he threatens.

Miroku sighs. "I understand what you are saying, Inu-yasha."

"You'd better." Inu-yasha growls. His ears flick to the doorway. HE whispers, "The girls are coming."

Miroku grins, `they certainly were last night!' he thinks.

Kagome and Sango, still in their disguise as men, enter the room.

They look at the boys. Their eyes flick up and down the boys body's.

Kagome remarks in a light voice, "Did you guys have any trouble on the way back here?"

Inu-yasha, stepping away from Miroku, remarks in an offhand voice, "of course not, bitch. We walked back here without any problems."

Sango looks a question to Miroku.

Miroku looks away.

"I see, Inu-yasha." Kagome says in a very sweet voice. "Then, I suppose you can explain why you're bleeding." She points to the bandage she applied last night over the sword attack from the thieves.

Inu-yasha looks down. His lower leg is streaked with blood. Running after Miroku caused the wound to reopen.

He looks up at Kagome and licks his lips.

Kagome raises her eyebrow. "Well, Inu-yasha?" She taps her foot on the floor.

"It's none of your business, bitch." He growls, turning away from her.

Kagome quickly closes the distance between them. She grabs his shoulder and tries to spin him around.

Inu-yasha tries to resist, and under normal circumstances Kagome wouldn't be able to move him. But, here in Kyoto, with the anti-demon spells covering the city, and he is weakened from the wound and by being awake all night, she does turn him around.

"Inu-yasha. We need to know what you and Miroku did. Do we need to change inns?" Kagome asks.

"We didn't do anything." Inu-yasha starts to say.

"Your leg. And we heard people in the streets talking about you two." Sango remarks, looking at Miroku.

"I chased the monk." Inu-yasha says. "Then we stopped and put on our disguises."

"We should not have to move." Miroku adds. "We stopped running far enough away and changed directions several times before we entered the inn."

"And why were you guys running?" Kagome asks. She shakes her head. "Stop. You two don't have to answer that. It's about last night, of course." She sighs.

Kagome looks at Miroku and then turns her attention to Inu-yasha. "You two can fight out your macho men games later, ok?" she pleads. "Let's get the shard and get out of here, first, though, right?"

"Right . . . " Sango growls, as she glances at both men.

"Right." Miroku says, trying to look innocent.

Inu-yasha grunts, "Feh."

Kagome shakes her head. "Inu-yasha . . . "

He sighs, "right." He growls, "bitch."

Kagome sighs. Kagome bends and whispers into his ear. "Inu-yasha, I know your hurting, Ok. And you're pissed about last night. But, please, let's not fight, OK?"

Inu-yasha sighs, he nods and says, "Feh." In a soft voice.

Kagome looks around.

Everyone nods.

She looks at Shippo and goes to him. She examines him. She bites her lips. "We really need to get out of the city. He's very weak."

"Well let's see." Sango asks, "and our plans for today are?"

"We need to get the Yuki family compound quickly." Kagome says.

"And then we'll start working for them." Sango adds. "But he didn't say anything about the monk or Inu-yasha." She waves to them. "What do they do today?"

Kagome looks at both boys, neither one will meet her eyes. "I think, especially after this morning, that they need to stay here, look after Shippo and rest up."

She pauses, "right, boys?"

Miroku and inu-yasha look at each other. They both remember that they really shouldn't be out in the city all that much. "You are correct, Lady Kagome." Miroku says. "I can place stronger wards around the room than you did last night, and that will help Shippo, Kirara and Inu-yasha."

Inu-yasha grunts at the thought that he needs help, but he does not specifically comment about it. "I suppose. We still need to get into the compound, though." He says.

"I'll buy some black hair die, today, Inu-yasha." Kagome mentions, "And we'll ask about rooms in the compound. Hopefully, tomorrow, we can die your hair black, like last night, and" She nods to Miroku, "and he and you can dress up as girls, and the four of us can enter the compound." She sighs. "I would do it today, but, I think the first day, it just needs to be Sango and I."

Sango and Miroku nod vigorously. Inu-yasha growls, deep in his chest, but slowly nods.

Miroku pulls out some paper and a couple of modern pencil from his robes. "Once you get inside the compound, you two can start drawing maps." He emphasizes. "And," he continues, "write down any mystical symbols you see. That way, I can know what anti-demon spells that they have up, so that I can neutralize them."

Kagome and Sango take the paper and pencils from him. Kagome looks Miroku in the eyes, "Thank you for finding these pencils, I thought that I had lost them."

Miroku, faintly blushes, "I've been meaning to return them to you, Lady Kagome, but it keeps slipping me mind."

Kagome nods, faintly "Hopefully, your memory will improve."

His blush deepens, "I think it will, Lady Kagome."

"Good." She smiles.

"Anything else?" inu-yasha growls as he steps between Kagome and Miroku.

Kagome, Sango and Miroku look at each other. "I don't think so." Sango slowly says. "We do need to get moving."

Kagome nods. "Oh, Miroku? A question?"

"Yes, Lady Kagome?"

"I do, on occasion, see peoples aura's. Do you know what colors mean what?" She looks at inu-yasha. "You know like jealousy?" Inu-yasha growls. "And do you know a way that I might be able to make an aura visible to everyone?"

Miroku thinks, rubbing his chin, "I believe I can answer both your questions, Lady Kagome. But, the answers are time consuming."

Kagome sighs, "and we have to leave."

He nods.

She sighs, "If you could, please, write down the answers to those questions, Miroku. That way I can read them when I get the chance."

"And It'll give me something to do." He smiles.

She nods.

"Well?" Sango asks. Nobody says anything. "Let's go, Kagome."

Kagome nods. The girls leave the room.

"Forgot, hmmm?" Inu-yasha mumbles as he looks at Miroku.

Miroku glances at Inu-yasha. "Things do occasionally slip my mind."

He pauses, he purses his lips and thinks, `No. Inu-yasha. I'll let Kagome's spring that idea on you, herself. I wonder what your reaction will be, should she start to show, you, and everyone else, what your moods are…'

"Oh, well, Inu-yasha. We're stuck here, so you might as well sit down and rest that leg, and I get started writing down the spells that Kagome wants."

"Feh."

***************************************

They arrive at the front gate of the Yuki family compound, a bit winded after running to make sure that they would arrive as quickly as possible.

"We are Hojo Donsai and Hajake Toorima." Sango says to the gate guard. "The prince of the family, hired us last night."

The guard looks at the captain of the gate. The captain nods. "I was told to expect you. You're a bit early."

Sango and Kagome look at each other and both sigh in relief.

"Akio, come here!" the captain of the gate calls, "Show them to the dressing room inside, so they can prepare themselves."

"Dressing room?" Kagome asks.

"Yes. You surely didn't think that you would be introduced to the head of the family, in those rags, did you?"

Kagome and Sango look at each other and gulp, afraid that their disguises will be penetrated. Sango, takes a deep breath, and follows the soldier into the compound. Kagome follows. "Sango?" she whispers.

"I'm hoping that all we have to do is put some robes over our clothes." She whispers back.

Kagome nods.

They follow the soldier into the compound. Kagome, allows her sandal to slip off. She turns, stops and adjusts it, as the soldier grumbles at the delay.

However, as she is doing this, her eyes are looking at the gate. She is looking for magical spells and mystical symbols. Her eyes spot several white strips of paper, with symbols written on them. And her senses show her several magical spells, protecting the compound. `Sometime today, I've got to study the gate.' She thinks.

As they approach the main house, they can see a couple of a pony sized bronze lion-like dogs, known as Shishi or Jishi's protecting the entrance. Their mouths are open to scare off demons.

"Sango." Kagome hisses. "I'm sensing a lot of magic from them."

Sango nods. "I'm sure they are there to protect the house against demons. If Inu-yasha was here, they would awaken and attack him."

"So, we've going to have to come up with a plan for them."

"There is one, Kagome. You can beat them in combat, but you can't hide from them." Sango remarks

Kagome grimaces.

They enter the main house. It is a large two story wooden building. Sticking out of the building is a larger pagoda temple which has been built into the building. The guard leads them through a short corridor and into a room. In the room is a couple of women and several large open chests full of robes. The women, when the men enter the room, bow low, putting their faces on the floor.

"These two will be introduced to the head of the family. Select the proper clothes for them and tell them the proper way to move in these clothes." The soldier orders. He inclines his head to the Kagome and Sango."I'll tell the chamberlain that you are here, and he'll take care of you."

He leaves the room.

The women slowly stand, and after asking a couple of questions about how and why Kagome and Sango are here. They pull out a couple of very large and cumbersome robes. The robes are large and drag the floor. The outer parts of the robes are brightly colored silks, but the robes are made out of seven layers of thick silks.

The girls are also given a nicely decorated hand fan, to help them cool off. `Thanks the gods. I was going to ask for one.' Sango thinks. `We'll need them in these clothes.'

As they are draping the robes over the two girls, still disguised as men, an older man, in a fancy robe enters. The chamberlain, sniffs, and he begins to order minor adjustments to the robes.

He sniffs, again, and in a very haughty tone, says, "Since you have not been introduced into the presence of Lord of the Yuki family before. This is the proper procedure. If you don't follow it, you will be killed. You will, at all times, focus your eyes on the ground. Only with his express permission may you look at him. You will, at all times, speak in a loud and clear voice. Don't speak in your peasant slang. Do not speak to the lord, except in a direct response to a question. You will, at all times, stand straight and move slowly in his presence."

He pauses. "Do you two understand?"

Kagome and Sango stand up straight, and looking down at the ground, say in a loud and clear voice. "This poor soldier understands."

He sniffs, "that will do. When you enter the room, I will give specific instructions on where to stand."

He sniffs, again, "The ceremonies will be short today, the master will be going to the temple of the war god, at noon."

He gives them one more look, then, turns and says, "follow me. Always stay close."

He walks out of the room. Sango and Kagome follow him.

The interior corridors are lined with polished hardwoods. Paintings hang from the walls, helping to decorate the walls. Flowers arrangements are placed at regular intervals, also decorating the palace, and they help make the palace smell better by the perfume they give off.

Kagome looks at question at Sango.

"They douse the flowers in perfume each morning."

Kagome nods.

Lamps and torches light the walls, but, the corridors, even in daylight, are filled with shadows.

The corridors are filled with men, women and children doing their daily routine. Their clothes also help decorate the palace.

The chamberlain is moving slowly, which is a good thing. Both Kagome and Sango are having trouble moving and walking in the thick, stiff, robes, especially as the robes drag about a meter behind them.

"This is very uncomfortable." Kagome whispers to Sango. "How do they stand it?" Her head points to some of the men that they are passing the corridor. Those men are also dressed in similar large, flowing robes. Many of them are using richly decorated hand fans to try to cool themselves.

Sango shrugs, "sometimes. It does get hard." She points her head to a young boy, semi-hidden in the shadows, carrying a small pot and a bamboo tube. "He's there in case someone needs to piss. He'll crawl under the robes and place the tube over the manhood, and…"

Kagome blushes. "Yes, I can see. Getting into and out of these robes…"

"And these robes are good protection for the lord of the manor." Sango whispers.

Kagome raises her eyebrow in a question.

"It's impossible to attack in these robes. So, the lord of the manor is protected against assassination attempts, as long as everyone is wearing these" She lifts her arms, dragging the long floor-length sleeves. "The long sleeves and stiff fabrics prevent any standard attack. Of course, ninjas' have their own special weapons to get around these clothes, but."

Kagome's mouth twitches, "yes. Doing anything but moving slowly and cautiously in these robes, is going to be difficult."

The chamberlain sniffs. "I know that you two were born in a pig-stye, so I do understand you two whispering about these majestic surroundings, but be quiet."

Kagome raises her eyebrow, "majestic?" she whispers. She shakes her head. Even in the morning the corridors are stuffy. She shudders, thinking about what they'll feel like during the heat of the summer, especially wearing these heavy robes.

The chamberlain stops in front of a pair of large doors. In front of the doors is a line of men, all in fancy robes, waiting to enter into the presence of Lord of the Yuki. He turns to Kagome and Sango and in a louder than normal voice, "since his son and heir recommended you, the lord of the Yuki family, directs that you be allowed into his presence without delay."

The men whisper among themselves. And even though Kagome and Sango can't hear exactly what they are saying. The angry tone is evident.

The chamberlain, this time in a lower voice, orders Kagome and Sango, "you will continue to follow me. Stop when I stop. When you are dismissed from his presence, you will turn to the left. You will see a doorway. You will exit via that doorway. While you are exiting, you will not show your back to the lord, and you will not raise your eyes from the ground."

Kagome and Sango nod.

"When I bow, to the lord, you, two will also bow, going down to your knees."

They nod again.

The doors open and the chamberlain leads them through the doors. They slowly walk into the room, Kagome's and Sango's eye, like they are supposed to, remain on the floor. Kagome does flick her eyes from side to side and she sees that men, dressed in formal robes, like she is wearing, line the walls of the room. The lamp and torch light shining off the brightly colored silk's give the room a certain stately beauty.

The chamberlain stops his slow walk and bows to his lord.

Kagome and Sango, their heads bowed, slowly go to their knees.

"You may rise." A strong male voice orders.

All three raise. Their heads still looking at the ground.

"My son and his advisors tell me that you are good warriors. Given the tensions in the city, the Yuki family needs good warriors." A pause. "Hojo Donsai, you may look at me."

Kagome raises her head, and finally looks at the man who she's to be working for.

He is an older man, in his mid-fifties. His face is tanned, but his gorgeous silk robes prevent her from determining how physically fit he is. He is sitting on a raised pedestal on what has to be a throne.

"It is my decision that you will help Nejiru. This afternoon he will be carrying out my orders and punishing evil doers at the nearby square."

Kagome bows, and says in a clear, throaty voice, says, "yes, lord."

"Hajake Toorima, you may look at me"

Sango looks up.

"It is my decision that you will join my personal guard and travel with me to the temple of the war god, later today."

Sango bows, "I am honored, lord." She says in a throaty voice as well.

`We're not going to be together!' Kagome thinks in a semi-panic, but seeing Sango nod her head and smile at her, she calms down.

The lord of the Yuki thinks, `You two are obviously something other than what you seem. I am not stupid enough to allow you two to work and plan together. So, I will separate them and we'll see what they do.'

A commotion behind the throne attracts everyone attention.

An older man, in his sixties, rushes into the room. "Lord!" he yells.

"Lord astrologer what is the meaning of this interruption." The lord of the Yuki growls threateningly.

"Sir. The protection spells around the house are telling me that a Miko has entered the house."

Kagome and Sango exchange glances.

The lord frowns, "No miko was scheduled to enter the house today."

The lord astrologer nods. "I know Lord, the stars are foretelling that a powerful one will be challenging the house soon, so you ordered all miko's to leave the house."

Kagome, barely, prevents a smile from appearing on her mouth.

"Where is this Miko?" the lord asks in a low, dangerous tone.

The lord astrologer bows, "I don't know lord, I asked the gate captain and he reported no new women are in the household. I even asked the mistress of the kitchen, in case some new woman has entered the household."

"And?"

"Nothing. Sir."

"Then why have you disturbed me?"

The astrologer swallows. "Sir. Lord. You need to know. The stars are showing that a power has entered Kyoto. A power that will change the world."

"Of course the rumors of the jewel of the four souls." The lord replies.

The astrologer shakes his head. "Not that. The stars are saying that power is something else."

The lord of Yuki waves his hand toward the entrance the astrologer used. "Come back when you know more, Lord Astrologer."

The man, slumps, but bows to his lord and retreats from the room.

The lord of the Yuki turns his attention to Kagome and Sango. "You two are dismissed."

They bow, going to their knees before him, then slowly leave the room.

Once they leave the room, the Kagome and Sango are separated.

***********************************

Sango is directed into a room. The robes are taken from her. She directed, by servants, outside to the courtyard in the front of the house, where she can see a large group of men, some are in armor, some are obviously servants. They are apparently preparing to leave the compound.

A large man, wearing samurai armor, with a long sword at his waist and an even longer sword strapped to his back introduces himself to Sango. "I am the captain of the lord's personal guard. You, Hajake, are new."

"Yes, sir." Sango replies.

He stares into her eyes. She stares back. Neither blinks . . .

His hand moves toward the hilt of his sword. She grabs it. Their eyes never moved.

"You are as good as they said." The captain says. He blinks, and nods. "You'll do."

Sango squeezes his wrist. "I dislike hazing, captain." She pauses. "So, unless you wish to lose men, I'd suggest you tell them not to bug me." She releases his wrist. His wrist is bone white from the pressure Sango's was applying.

He pauses. He purses his lips and nods. `The lord wants to know what he is doing here. He is obviously not just some common ronin. Hazing him, would upset him, and that is not what the lord wants.' He thinks. `I'll tell the boys to lay off and make friends with Hajake.'

"Today, the Lord will be making a parade to the temple of the war god." The captain begins to speak, ignoring what just happened. "A large number of the warriors of the house will go with him. To impress the rest of the city with our manpower."

Sango nods.

"You will walk next to the lord. I believe that you have interested him. You will answer all his questions."

Sango nods. `Hopefully, I won't have to lie to much . . . ' she thinks.

"I would expect that he will want to see what you can do." The captain remarks. "So be prepared."

Time passes . . .

Sango is introduced to the rest of the personal guards. There is some grumbling between the men. `Sooner or later, I'll going to have problems with them.' Sango thinks.

Most of the men are very busy, organizing the parade.

But, Sango, who is the odd person out, has more free time then most, so she manages to move next to the front entrance and even write down the symbols on a couple of the scrolls.

The lord of the Yuki walks down the front stairs of the house and gets into his person palanquin. The palanquin is a boxlike structure attached to a couple of poles. The box is a small richly decorated room with many pillows for comfort. The eight bearers lift the poles that the palanquin box is attacked to and the parade begins.

Sango is directed to walk close to the Lord, but, the captain of the guard and a couple of other experienced samurai walk close to Sango as well. `If I try anything, they'll try to kill me.' Sango thinks. `Since assassination isn't what we've got planned, they aren't a problem.'

The Lord of the Yuki begins to ask questions, in this manner.

"Captain. Please ask our new soldier about his father?" the lord of the Yuki asks the captain of the guard.

"Hajake, the lord of the Yuki desires to know about your father?" The captain of the guard asks Sango, even though Sango is walking right next to him and can hear the Lord's question without any problem.

`I thought questions like this would be coming.' Sango thinks, `I thought about a personal history for my new self, while we were coming to the compound and getting dressed. Now to see if this slightly modified history holds up.' She pauses. `I wonder if Kagome has come up with a fake history?'

"My father is . . . " Sango begins to speak. And like with the questions, the Captain of the guard relays her answers, basically word for word to the Lord of the Yuki.

`Once I know more about this young man.' the lord of the Yuki thinks. `Then I will offer him a better job than his current lord, and make him mine.'

Parading to the temple takes time, as the street has to be cleared as the procession moves along. And everyone is proceeding at a slow, stalely walk.

While crossing over a small bridge, over one of the many canals in the city, a dirty peasant pops out from under the bridge and accurately throws a bound-up scroll into the palanquin, right on the Lord's lap.

"Read my petition! Lord of the Yuki!" the peasant yells as several of the lords guard jump down into the canal to grab him. "Your servants are overtaxing my village! And we need relief! OOF!" he yells. The `oof' is from the spear staff hitting his back and knocking him face first into the dirty water.

"Halt!" the captain of the guards yells. Everyone halts. "Bring him up here. The Lord will want to punish him for having interrupting the lord's procession."

Sango whispers, "what is the normal punishment?" to one of the guard, still standing next to and guarding her.

"Death. As slow or as fast as the lord desires."

The dirty peasant, an older man in his fifties, is dragged beside the palanquin. He is kicked to the ground, laying face down in front of the lord.

"Ask the peasant why he wishes to die?" the lord of the Yuki asks the captain of the guard.

"Peasant!" he kicks the man in the ribs to make sure the peasant is paying attention. "Why do you wish to die!?"

"Lord! Please, I beg you, read my petition! If I need to die to get you to read it, I will die a happy man!" the peasant screams from while he looks at the ground.

The lord of the Yuki glances at Sango. Sango catches the glance, but doesn't move. `Damn. He's going to order me to kill him. I know it. As a way to prove my loyalty to the house.'

Sango thinks. `Do I? If I don't than these guards will try to kill me and no matter what, Kagome is also going to be implicated, as she knows me. And the guards at the house will kill her. And we need these positions to help get the jewel shard. And once we get the jewel shard, than the tensions in Kyoto will probably go down and the war that is about to happen, will be avoided.'

Sango looks at the peasant. `IF I save his life, then I jeopardize, mine own, Kagome's, and the lives of my people in the city, because we will prevent the coming war. IF I kill him, then, I save mine and Kagome's life, and the lives of many in the city. Which is more important, saving this life in front of me, at the certain risk and destruction of others? Or killing this life in front of me, knowing that in the future, this act will save lives?'

The Lord of the Yuki opens the scroll and reads the petition. After a couple of minutes, he orders, "Scribe."

"Sir!" One of the men following the palanquin steps up, a reed pen, ink and scroll ready.

The lord of the Yuki begins to speak. "This document states that some of my tax officers have been increasing the tax rate to six parts in ten, instead of the normal five parts in ten, which they are authorized to do. The petition asks me to remove the officials, and reduce the taxes, as that tax rate is a burden on the peasants."

The scribe writes down the lord's words.

"Have the heads, and only the heads, of the tax officials mentioned in this petition brought to me." The lord pauses. "Not because they overtaxed the peasants. But, because they stole that additional money from me. I own all the peasants and all their property. I allow the peasants to keep enough food and money to survive and grow more food. So, that extra one part in ten belongs to me, I simply allow the peasants to continue to use it." He says in an angry voice.

"The families, their wives and children, of these tax officials, will be arrested and jailed. Their extended families and friends, if such thieves have any, may purchase their freedom. I will set the amount later, once I have determined how much, these tax officials have stolen from me."

"Thank you, lord!" the peasant yells in pleasure.

The lord of the Yuki looks at the peasant, and smiles, an unpleasant smile. "The tax rate on the village is to be reduced to the five parts in ten, as is standard."

"Lord! I am grateful beyond my wildest dreams!"

"However, you, peasant, will be killed for interrupting my procession."

"Yes, Lord. I knew that."

"Your wife and children will also be killed. They should have stopped you, or at least informed my officials of your plans, so that my officials could have stopped you."

"Lord! Please have mercy!" the man begs.

"This petition mentions six other men in the village that helped you. They will also be killed, because they should have stopped you." The lord pauses. "In my mercy, I will allow their families to live."

"Thank you, lord!"

"In addition, from reading this petition it is apparent that a tax rate of six parts in ten, did not unduly hurt the village. The new official tax rate will be six parts in ten."

"Lord! Please!"

"Hajake." The lord of the Yuki orders, "Kill it."

Sango takes a deep breath. `Do I obey or not?'

(Authors' note: What is your, the readers, choice?)

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Kagome, after removing the ceremonial robes, is taken down stairs deep in the building. After going down one flight of stairs, the servant that is leading Kagome, knocks on a paper door.

"Come in." Comes from the room.

The servant opens the door and motions from Kagome to enter the room.

Sitting, cross-legged, like Inu-yasha, on the floor is a large man. He is dressed in a simple, but very red, robe. Even sitting down, Kagome can tell that he is taller than even Sesshomaru, and while he not as huge as a sumo wrestler, he is still larger than the men she knows. And that additional size is in muscles, not fat . . .

He looks up for the paperwork that is spread out on the floor. "You are Hojo?"

Kagome nods. "Yes, sir."

"I am Nejiru, your boss."

"Yes, sir." Kagome pauses. "Although, I have not been told anything about what, my duties will be."

Nejiru grunts. "Not surprising. I'm damn important in this household, but nobody really likes to talk about my job." He looks into Kagome's eyes. There is a gleam of humor in his eyes, "I am in charge of the prison, Hojo."

Kagome swallows and nods. `This morning I mentioned to Sango that we might be used as prison guards, but, I didn't really think that would happen . . . '

Nejiru looks Kagome up and down, `small man. Ah well. I can use the help today.' He thinks.

"Your duties, especially today, are going to be to help me."

Kagome nods.

"Later today, the lord wishes me to stage a public display. He wishes the city to know that the house of Yuki is a strong house and should you disobey it, you will be punished, severely."

Kagome grimaces, but nods.

"So, your duties will be to help me drag the prisoners out of their cells, take them to the public square and help me torture and execute them."

"Torture?" Kagome, almost says in a ladylike squeak, but she manages to get the word out in a low, man-type voice.

"Of course. In order to be effective, the public most know what will happen to them, should they disobey. And the only way to do that is to put on a show for them." Nejiru smiles. "The people of the city love to watch criminals being punished."

the end chapter 13....

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Ceremonial clothes: sigh. I could spend 5000 to 10,000 words just trying to describe the large and complex robes that were used in feudal japan. They were uniforms and simply by glancing at them, you could tell a lot about the person.

If you want to read about it in depth go to

Remove the spaces to get the link.

sengokudaimyo. com

And click on the history of Japanese clothing link. Very in depth and complex. I am not going to try and do it. (I'll get it wrong . . . )

Authors' note: the Sango & the peasant and his story. That story is from "Tales of Old Japan" by A.B. Mitford. Pages 182 to 203. I vastly simplified the story. Although in the story, The tax rate was reduced, not increased. I increased it in my story, because I wanted to show the Lord of the Yuki as a vindictive, nasty man . . .

Chapter 14: crime & punishment 101 . . . will not be pleasant . . .

thank you for reading

jeff shelton