InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Echo of Destiny ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 4 )

Echo of Destiny

Chapter 4

The city proper was nothing like any city Kagome or Inuyasha had ever seen. The countryside bumped right up against a shallow moat surrounding the it. The buildings were all made of the same smooth white stone. The city seemed to rise in a gentle swell as the buildings in the center grew larger and more extravagant. It seemed each step up in luxury was broken by an odd gap between the constructions.

The cobblestone streets were wide and crowded with people. Simple, single story buildings lined the streets, their faces open to allow customers easy access. Cloth overhangs extended out and were held up by long smooth poles, giving shade and extra space for merchandise. The air was alive with trade, but grew still and quiet as the small group passed through

Miroku led the way with Kagome, sitting sidesaddle. Inuyasha rode a step or two behind, making sure he kept the strange priest and Kagome in his line of sight. Sango followed silently in their wake. As they passed, the people stopped to stare, and then they got down on their knees and bowed. Kagome and Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably. The fact that their clothes were not designed for riding did not help matters.

The priest led them through the streets, the crowd parting and bowing around them as they passed. The steady clip-clop of the horses' hooves echoed off the buildings, resounding in the eerily quiet streets. When they reached the first break in the city's odd construction, Kagome and Inuyasha were surprised to find themselves passing over another shallow waterway. This one reminded Inuyasha vaguely of a trip to Venice, Italy.  Boats loaded with goods, people, and other items floated slowly towards their destinations - but even this aqua highway came to a stop as the small party passed, the captains and passengers bowing as best they could in the cramped conditions.

The deeper they got into the city, the more lavish it became. The buildings started to have two or three stories and were decorated with extravagant bas relief. Most of the buildings were made of the same smooth white stone. The canals also got wider and more heavily trafficked. At every possible place people stopped to bow, some even prayed.

The closer they got to the center of the city, the more certain buildings began to stand out. Unlike the structures around them, these stood alone. They were taller, the smallest they saw being at least three-stories, and highly ornate. Each was set apart from the buildings around it and raised on a step platform. Large pillars held up the roof in place of the missing wall. Each building was decorated differently; from one surrounded by gardens, to one with people holding a forum on the steps, and one surrounded by statues.

Miroku led them to almost the center of the city, just inside the center-most ring canal, to one of the large buildings. This one was about four stories high and decorated with a large garden of flowers and small trees. Two statues, one male and one female, stood next to a small pond stocked with brightly colored fish. The female statue was sitting on the grass with her hand reaching out towards the pond, the tips of her fingers just brushing the surface. The male statue stood over her, his hand resting on a sword at his hip, watching for danger. Inuyasha and Kagome both noted the striking resemblance of the statues to themselves.

A crowd had formed around the steps of what they could only assume was the temple Miroku had spoken of. Priests, mostly dressed in white clothes, held the crowd at bay an acolyte, this one dressed in a rough robe of tan, hurried forward to take the horses' reins so they could dismount.

Inuyasha slid to the ground easily, ignoring the horse that started slightly, and hurried to help Kagome off. With his hands on her waist, he helped her slide to the ground. Sango and Miroku quickly joined them as the priests took the horses away. Miroku led the way into the large building and Inuyasha followed, keeping Kagome close to his side. Sango brought up the rear.

The inside of the building, presumably the temple the priest had said he was taking them to, was like an ancient palace. The floor was polished and smooth, and the ceiling was high. It was constructed out of the same white stone as everything else, but this stone seemed of a higher quality somehow. The large room was lit by hundreds of candles, each seemingly handcrafted.

The main feature of the large single room, however, were the two enormous statues that towered towards the ceiling. The statue on the right was slightly taller and a perfect, though much larger, replica of the Inuyasha statue outside. The image practically radiated power and protectiveness.

The statue next to it was slightly smaller and much more feminine. This statue had long hair, albeit shorter than the statue of Inuyasha. She had a soft smile on her lips and her eyes seemed to radiate light. Kagome could not help the blush that crept across her face at the sight of herself on such a scale.

"This day just keeps getting creepier," Inuyasha whispered out of the corner of his mouth. Kagome nodded in adamant agreement. They waited quietly as Miroku shooed all but themselves and Sango out of the temple and shut the doors firmly behind him. He gave an excuse to one of the other priests that the Lord and Lady needed a moment alone.

"Sorry about the lie, my Lord and Lady, but it would not do for the people to know you are not yourselves." The priest reached up and pulled a torch off the wall and moved around behind the statues. "This way please, Lord and Lady." Inuyasha and Kagome followed.

"Stop calling us that." Inuyasha growled. Again the priest and girl exchanged looks. "As you wish." Miroku ran his hand over the wall, as if looking for something in the smooth surface. Suddenly, he put his shoulder against it and pushed. The wall shifted easily, a whole section moving in and to the left. The passageway was small, and Miroku had to duck to step in. Inuyasha followed, pulling Kagome behind him. Sango closed the wall before falling into step in their wake.

They entered a small passageway that looked like it had not been used in some time. Cobwebs clung to the ceilings and dust covered the floor. The group left footprints as they moved. The only light came from the torch Miroku carried.

It was not long before the path dead-ended at an ancient-looking door. It was made of heavy wood and wrought iron bands. The knob was a rusty ring hanging over an equally rusty keyhole. The priest grabbed the ring and pulled. For a moment it looked like the door was stuck, but then it slowly gave way. The old hinges groaned and whined in protest. With great effort Miroku managed to get the door open enough for them to slip inside.

The room beyond lacked windows, so they had to wait until Miroku had lit the other torches from the one he had brought with them. Like the hallway the room was covered in dust and cobwebs. Large shelves stacked high with scrolls stood against every wall and a simple table and chair sat in the middle of the room.

"Forgive the mess, my…" Miroku glanced over his shoulder as he reached for a scroll. "Forgive the mess. This room is seldom used and very few even know of its existence." The priest carefully lifted a scroll from one of the piles and unrolled it. After scanning it quickly, he shook his head and returned it. He repeated this several times before he found the scroll he was looking for.

Miroku brought the scroll over to the table and carefully unrolled it, looking over it once more. He beckoned them closer. Sango remained in the doorway, her weapon at the ready, as Inuyasha and Kagome complied.

The paper was yellow with age and the edges slightly worn, but the letters were still bold as if they had just been written. Kagome leaned closer, studying the text.

"What is this?" she asked, even as her eyes scanned the strange words and symbols.

"It is the story of how you came to be." Miroku's voice was patient, but his eyes had worry gathering at the edges. "Have you forgotten everything?" Kagome looked up and Inuyasha narrowed his eyes.

"Remind us."

"As you wish." Miroku took a deep breath and began. "The story goes that Zeus looked out over the land one day and saw a woman of great beauty; he fell in love in an instant. But the great Lord knew he would have to be careful, for Hera never condoned his infatuations. To distract her, Zeus presented his wife with a beautiful necklace of gold and precious gems. Not wasting a moment, Zeus turned himself into a great white dog and descended to earth.

"He came upon the woman, whose name was Izayoi, in the field. He approached her with caution, not wanting to frighten the girl with his appearance. When he had gained her trust he confessed to her that he was more than he appeared. Quickly he swept her away, taking her deep into a valley. There, hidden from view of Olympus, they spent many nights in each other's company.

"But Zeus was soon forced to return to his home. He left Izayoi with a small home, a garden, and a promise to return. But Hera had noticed his absence and kept a close eye on him. It was five years before he saw Izayoi again." Miroku glanced at his audience, trying to gauge their reaction. Sango looked impassive, but she had heard the story many times over the years. Inuyasha looked dubious, his eyes narrowed and his mouth in a crisp line. Kagome looked curious, like a small child being told a story that they did not quite believe.

"When Zeus did return to his lover's side he found that she had borne him a son." Miroku continued, "The boy had hair of the purest white and eyes of fine gold. But his most outstanding feature, were the two dog ears that sat atop his head and the claws where fingernails should have been. Izayoi had named him Inuyasha.

"But Zeus had forgotten to distract Hera. The Goddess appeared and, in a jealous rage, killed Izayoi. She then turned on the child. It was only by Zeus's order that he was spared.

"Zeus brought his son to Mt. Olympus, against Hera's wishes. Despite his half human blood, he quickly became a favorite among the other gods. But more than any other, Artemis coveted the child. For his appearance reminded her of the wilds and her hunting hounds." Inuyasha snorted and Kagome giggled, reaching up to scratch his ear. Miroku paused, when they gave no indication that they wished him to stop he pressed on.

"Unfortunately, Hera still wished his demise, but she could not strike him directly because he was in such high favor. So she crafted a plan. She turned to Ate, goddess of misfortune, to cast a spell on the young demi-god. From then on, for one night a month when the moon was dark, he lost his godly powers. Since no mortal could lay eyes on the home of the gods and live, he would die before the month was out.

"But Apollo, Artemis's twin, overheard the plan and told his sister. She defied Hera, and took the young god that very night. She hid him away deep in her forest, safe from Hera's eyes. And there she kept him, teaching him to hunt and track.

"It was only by chance that a mortal woman passed through the forest on her way home and came across the child. Artemis was away, and Inuyasha had been left to his own devices until she returned. The woman felt pity for him and took him home. Upon Artemis's return she set her hounds to search out her lost charge.

"She found him at the home of the mortal woman, whose name was Panagiota. The woman was frightened, fearing the Huntress's wrath. But Artemis found her anger failed her. Panagiota's home was small but secluded; a small farm set a good distance from the village and just brushing the edge of the forest.

"The Goddess knew she could not always stay in her forest to care for the god-child, but to bring him back to Olympus was not an option either. So she charged Panagiota to care for him. In return for her service, Artemis would grant the woman a single wish.

"Panagiota thought carefully. She was a young woman, but her family had been lost to a sickness that had seized the village the year before. She had little money and no dowry, and the farm was on poor land. More than anything, she wanted a child of her own.

"Artemis considered the woman's wish. Then she pulled out one of her silvery arrows and slit her arm. Blood dripped onto the ground and formed a dark puddle. Turning to Panagiota, the Goddess told her that her wish would be granted when the light of the full moon shown onto the pool.

"That night, Panagiota emerged from her hut and stood next to the still glistening pool. As the moonlight hit the blood a wondrous thing happened. A plant with twisting vines sprouted forth, spreading rapidly across the ground. It spread wide leaves that seemed to glisten with their own silvery blood. In the middle of the tangle, a large stalk rose above it all. In a matter of moments it budded and bloomed. Blood red petals unfolded to reveal a baby girl nestled in their folds.

"Cautiously, Panagiota approached and took the child into her arms. No sooner had she taken the child than the plant withered and died; disappearing into the ground as if it never was. Panagiota named the child Kagome and raised her and Inuyasha as her own."

Miroku lifted his eyes to gauge the reaction of his small audience. Kagome looked a little dazed. Her eyes were glazed and her mouth slightly opened as if to speak, but no noise was forthcoming. Inuyasha looked more annoyed than dazed. His ears flicked back and forth and his mouth was set in a hard line. The priest licked his lips nervously and the Amazon shifted uneasily in the pregnant silence.

"Lord…?"

"You've got us confused with someone else," Inuyasha replied sharply. The priest swallowed.

"But, Lord, there is no denying who you are. Your appearance proves you are a son of Zeus."

"My appearance proves that I'm a hanyou!" Inuyasha snapped back, "Half demon, half human. I'm not a god or half god or anything else you want to dream up." Miroku cast Sango a look, but neither spoke. Finally, the priest turned back to Inuyasha and Kagome.

"My Lo-" Miroku cut off at the sound of Inuyasha's rising growl, "Umm… If I could prove this all to you…?"

"And how exactly do you plan to do that?" Inuyasha snapped. Miroku took a step back. Kagome reached out and touched his arm. The demon relaxed a little under her touch. The girl turned to look at the priest.

"Sir…"

"Miroku, my Lady. You need not honor me with any title," Miroku answered and Inuyasha snorted.

"Miroku," Kagome continued, "I think that if you could show us this proof you have, then we could show you that you are mistaken. I agree that we bear a striking resemblance to these gods of yours, but we really are mortals."

"As you wish."Miroku bowed his head and turned back to the shelves. After a moment of examination, he stepped to the side of one shelf and pulled the torch from its holder. With a heavy grinding noise, the shelf full of scrolls slid to the right, revealing another hidden passage. But this time it was very short, and they could see that the room beyond was brightly lit. Miroku led the way, and everyone else followed.

The room was larger than the one that held the scrolls and the walls were bare. Light streamed in from above, since there appeared to be no ceiling. The only item in the room was a pedestal draped in a blood-red cloth, trimmed in gold. On the platform lay a sword and scabbard that looked like they had seen better days.

"This sword is the Tetsusaiga, a sword that can cut down an army with a single blow. It was crafted by Hephaestus on the orders of Zeus for the sole use of his son Inuyasha. No god, demi-god, or mortal may wield this blade except for its rightful owner." Miroku explained, and then turned to Inuyasha. "If you can take hold of the sword, it will prove beyond a doubt that you are indeed the son of Zeus. If you cannot, then I have made a grave error and I beg your forgiveness."

Inuyasha turned towards the sword and shrugged. He had misgivings about leaving Kagome's side, but had no doubt he could cross the small space quickly if they tried anything. Releasing his bride, and giving both their companions a pointed glare, he leapt to the pedestal in a single easy bound.

The sword lay in its scabbard on the cloth. The hilt was ragged and worn, and the wooden sheath was nicked and gouged. It was an odd sight, set as it was in such an honored place.

Inuyasha rolled his shoulders, reached out, and picked up the sword with ease. There was a soft murmur behind him and he glanced back to see the priest praying. The Amazon was watching him carefully, her face set in a neutral line. Kagome looked at the sword with mild curiosity, but said nothing.

Turning back to the sword, he took hold of the hilt. For a moment the air around him seemed to become charged, but the moment passed and the blade slid free as easily as a hot knife through butter. The steel of the sword looked no better than the rest. The edge was dull and chipped, and the metal badly rusted. It was well-balanced and obviously a well crafted sword. It would have been a fine blade in its hay-day. Inuyasha turned around to find both the priest and the Amazon bowing down and Kagome looking a little flustered again.

"This is your powerful sword? It's a piece of crap," Inuyasha huffed as he stomped back to the group. "It couldn't cut wet paper."

"But you were able to draw the blade," Miroku protested. Inuyasha scowled.

"If you are so sure I'm the only one who can draw this sword," Inuyasha slid the blade back into the scabbard and extended it to the priest. "Then you try and prove me wrong." Miroku's eyes widened and he shook his head.

"Then as far as I'm concerned it's the same as any other sword." Inuyasha turned to take the sword back to its place.

"I'll do it." Sango's voice stopped him. Inuyasha half turned to stare into the girl's eyes. Her deep brown eyes gleamed in the light of the room, reflecting an unnatural strength and determination that seemed almost out of place on a female face. She reminded him of the demon hunters in his father's stories of the old days. This was not a woman to be taken lightly

Inuyasha nodded to her and extended the sword hilt towards her. Sango placed her oversized boomerang against the nearest wall with great care, before stepping up to the offered sword. Miroku and Kagome watched the scene with both curiosity and worry.

Sango reached out hesitantly, and carefully wrapped her hand around the hilt. The room seemed to hold its breath. The Amazon frowned slightly and gave a tug. No sooner had the blade begun to slide free than the air filled with a loud crackling sound. An arc of lightning wrapped around Sango's hand and snaked up her arm. Sango cried out before she was thrown completely off her feet and into the wall.

Miroku instantly ran to Sango's side while Kagome and Inuyasha both stood frozen, eyes wide in shock.

"I am fine," Sango snorted, pushing the priest away from her, "I do not need help from a man like you." Miroku frowned, but stepped away and looked back at Inuyasha.

"Do you believe now, my Lord Inuyasha?"