InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Chained ❯ Miko and Taijiya ( Chapter 56 )

A/N: Nothing to say this chapter really... other than I hope you all enjoy it! ^_^ ~*~   Miko and Taijiya

Kagome winced slightly in sleep as Amaya raised her up onto the horse’s back.

Kazkaen frowned (well, mentally anyway) at the human now sprawled haphazardly across her back and looked over at Amaya in question.

‘What is wrong with the ningen?’ She questioned, a slight feeling of unease coursing through her at the girl’s touch. She didn’t know why, but it set off warning bells inside of her, sending her youki into a frenzy and telling her that this being was not safe to be around.

‘She has been beaten and badly neglected in Naraku’s care. And whatever unease you may feel from her is not her own doing-- there is nothing wrong or dangerous about the girl, but she has a strong spiritual aura.’ And, in case the horses missed the point, she added ‘She is a priestess.’ Almost as an afterthought.

‘She’s a priestess!’ Arron said, stepping forward, his eyes glowing angrily, small huffs of steam issuing forth from his nostrils in his outrage. ‘You ask us to carry about a priestess? She will purify us for certain!’

‘She is asleep-- how in the world can you expect her to purify you?’ Amaya countered, knowing it would be no good to tell them that Kagome wasn’t the type of priestess to go around purifying any old demon she came across. All a demon had to hear was the word “priestess” or “purification” to send it into a frenzy of irrationality. The only way to calm them was making them believe the priestess was, essentially, helpless.

‘She could wake up!’ Arron countered, ignoring his mother’s silent gestures to calm and be quiet.

Amaya frowned as she continued weaving the small harness around Kagome’s frame to keep her from slipping off. ‘No, she could not. The spell I have placed her under will not be lifted until I will it so-- until you arrive. You are safe from her. Besides, she has traveled around with two full-fledged demons and one half-demon ever since she came to the feudal era.’

‘“Came to the feudal era?”’ Kazkaen, clearly taking the news that she had a priestess sealed to her back much better than her son. ‘What do you mean came to the feudal era?’

Amaya didn’t bother looking at Kazkaen, eyeing her son instead. There was definitely something slightly off about the boy-- something that didn’t quite fit in with the other youkai, and she couldn’t help but feel that the horses were keeping something from her. Not that that mattered. They had an alliance going, not a therapy group. If they had secrets to keep from her, that was fine, just as she had secrets to keep from them.

‘Kagome isn’t from this time. She comes from the future... I don’t know how far, something like five thousand years or so.’ Amaya frowned at the way that sounded and corrected herself. ‘Five Hundred years. She was pulled back here nearly two years ago, and is the reincarnation of another powerful priestess.’ She decided to leave out the name of said priestess and the information about the Shikon no Tama, knowing it would not help matters. Besides, what the horses didn’t know couldn’t possibly hurt her.

She turned away from the horses toward the taijiya, who could clearly sense that something was going on that she wasn’t aware of, but had not said anything.

‘Are you ready to leave now, Sango?’ Amaya asked, gesturing toward Arron, who eyed the slayer angrily, taking in her tattered kimono. Her armour was not currently present, nor was her weapon. Amaya decided she would have to find those later.

Actually, she already knew where they were, the problem was retrieving them.

Well, actually, it was more of an irritation that a problem.

She was brought out of her thoughts as Arron turned fiercely burning eyes upon her.

‘What game do you play, majo?’ He mentally snarled at her. ‘First a miko, and now a wench taijiya? What do you take us for?’

Amaya eyed the horse incredulously. ‘You don’t really want me to answer that, horse. Because right now the answer is more than a little less than pleasant.’

If horses could growl, she would imagine that’s what Arron would be doing right now.

Instead he just reared his head, stopping his foot angrily, until his mother intervened, using a language she couldn’t understand to tell her son off, before turning angry eyes on Amaya, though the anger was clearly not directed at her.

‘I will gladly carry both the ningens if my son be to lazy to do so. You may ride upon him, ichiko.’

Amaya inclined her head to the horse.

‘I thank you for the offer, Kazkaen, but I will not be joining you.’ She said out loud, allowing Sango (who was now struggling to try and coax Arron toward her (the stallion looking to be thoroughly enjoying giving her a hard time) to hear her, and causing the human girl to turn toward her.

‘You’re not coming?’ She demanded loudly, as though Amaya were crazy for thinking to simply abandon them like this, and Amaya frowned at her.

‘I never had any intentions of accompanying you there, Sango. Sesshomaru will meet you at the other side with Inuyasha and Miroku, and they shall take care of you. But I myself have a matter of more importance that I must deal with.’

Sango frowned at her, too weak to argue as she finally, after a big silent argument between Kazkaen and Arron, managed to mount her horse. ‘Who?’ She asked, conveniently forgetting that the sorceress had a life outside of what they had developed.

To her there was no other life.

Her entire village had been taken away from her in one day, then her brother repeatedly, then she was locked away like that... the only life she knew anymore was the life between her and Kagome and Miroku and Inuyasha and the others, so it was rather difficult for her to imagine anyone else getting so closely involved with them having a life outside of theirs either.

Amaya cast her a dark look, before her expression suddenly turned to one of exhaustion and a slightly sad glint entered her eyes. ‘I have an old friend with whom I must meet.’ She said.

Her tone said that she was not only un-inclined to say more, but would not say more, and would likely get angry if pressed, and so Sango let the matter drop as the sorceress turned her attention to Kagome and a strange energy began to pass between them, Kagome giving a small groan in her sleep.

Sango wanted to question, but Amaya held up a hand to silence her until she was done before turning dark eyes upon her. ‘That should take care of most of her physical wounds while you get where you’re going.’ She said simply, before turning back toward the two horses.

Sango again felt things begin to pass between Amaya and the horse-youkai’s, just beyond her line of perception, and then Amaya turned slowly back toward her.

‘They will take you to Sesshomaru’s castle.’ She said slowly. ‘Please request of him for me that they be allowed to remain and rest there for a time-- I am certain it would be greatly appreciated.’

Sango stared at her, her mind slowly moving to comprehend what she had just said, before she nodded silently, suddenly feeling incredibly reluctant to leave the sorceress behind.

Amaya seemed to sense this for the next second she offered her a small, not-quite smile.

‘Do not fear Sango. I shall only be gone for a short time. Besides, Miroku will be waiting for you.’

That in mind, she cast a look to the horse-- the one called Kazkaen-- and the youkai offered her a small nod of sorts, before taking a few steps back slightly, bracing herself firmly against the ground, and pushing off fiercely.

Feeling her horse about to do the same, Sango grasped his neck harshly (his mane hardly being an option to grip) and braced herself as they shot off into the sky, the wind ripping fiercely around them as they left the castle that had been her prison for so long behind... as she soared slowly off toward her old friends... and a new freedom. ~*~

Glossary

Ningen - Human

Youki - Yes, like “Shippo” and “Shippou” There is a difference between this and “Youkai.” Where Youkai means demon, Youki actually is a demon’s energy, or aura. Basically it’s what takes over when Sesshomaru or Inuyasha transform (since they seem to be the only ones who ever do so).

Youkai - Demon

Shikon no Tama - The jewel of Four Souls

Taijiya - I’m not entirely certain on the exact definition here, but basically it means “Demon-slayer” or, more closely, “Extermination.”

Majo - Witch

Miko - Priestess

Ichiko - Sorceress

(woosh, long one this time)