InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Heartless ❯ At the Castle ( Chapter 5 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or the other characters from the anime/manga. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I suppose life would be easier if I made money by writing these stories, but unfortunately, I do not.

 

 

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Special thanks to my wonderful betas Ai Kisugi and Hedanicree for picking this story to pieces and making it a much more bearable read!

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`Thinking'

“Talking”

Dream or memories

 

 

 

Chapter 5: At the Castle

 

 

 

Kagome sighed again. She was tired. It was the second day of their journey to the castle. They had been on the road since dawn. She supposed they traveled quite a distance since yesterday morning, and only God knew how much farther she would have to walk. Honestly, couldn't they find an easier way to travel? Her feet had been aching when she went to sleep last night and when she got up this morning. And now, they were killing her. She was lucky that Sango had been able to find a pair of sandals for her to wear before they left the village. They weren't as comfortable as her sneakers, but at least they kept her feet from getting scratched.

 

The sun was getting lower behind the hills. That was good. They would stop soon to camp for the night. Then, Miroku would erect a barrier like he had the night before to avoid getting attacked while they slept. He would probably do that channeling thing again.

 

Kagome might not be happy with her situation, but that did not keep her from learning as much as she could. For instance, last night Miroku told her how he kept the barrier intact all night by channeling his energy through the staff he always carried with him. That way, he did not need to stay in a meditative state to keep it up. So, she now knew how to erect a lasting barrier, theoretically. A barrier was a good thing, she decided. Otherwise, she would not be able to sleep after yesterday's events.

 

After Miroku had gotten her out of the well yesterday morning, she had been quite depressed. On the other hand, the monk and his wife had looked very pleased with her failure. She had been so irritated with the stupid grins plastered on their faces that she had decided to hate the couple from that day on. However, that decision had changed quickly after she had witnessed her first demon attack.

 

The creature had been monstrous, with its snake-like body covered with disgusting spider legs. She had thought her end had come, for it had seemed impossible to escape from the giant demon. Luckily, she had been proven wrong with one sutra from the monk and one swipe of Sango's boomerang. They had been amazing.

 

When Kagome had asked, Miroku had told her that it had been just a random demon, not one of General Inuyasha's troops. He had informed her that the general did not work with such mindless weaklings. She still wondered what a strong demon would be like if that one had been a weakling. Shaking her head, the girl decided she did not want to learn the answer to that question. She smiled when she saw that the group finally stopped for the night. `Just on time.'

 

The good thing about being a hostage in this journey was that she did not have to help her captors. All she did was choose a nice spot to rest and wait for dinner to be served. This evening, she decided to sit under a magnolia tree. Making herself comfortable on the grass covered ground, she laid her head back against the tree's bark. It felt good to finally be sitting down. Of course, she would surely prefer a thick, soft bed and a hot bath. `Gods, I would give anything for a soak.'

 

Kagome felt crestfallen now that her only way home had proved useless. How else was she supposed to go back? `What if I can't go back ever? What would Mama and Grandpa do?' Come to think of it, they were probably already worried about her. She hadn't had a chance to leave a note or anything. What did they think happened to her? Maybe they thought she had run away, or perhaps they thought she had been kidnapped or killed by a psycho fan. `Please let them think that I just ran away on my own.'

 

After the talk she had with her mother, it was possible that the matriarch would think her daughter changed her mind about the marriage and left without a word so that she didn't have to justify her decision. Yes, that was possible, wasn't it? Kagome could have changed her mind. `Oh, gods, I was going to get married. I have a fiance, don't I?'

 

Remembering Houjo for the first time since her last night at the shrine, she wondered what her family would tell him about her disappearance. Would he be worried about her? Was he already searching for her everywhere? `Hmm, he probably is.'

 

Thinking about Houjo reminded her of the last time she had seen him and the kiss. She shook her head, as if to clear it from that dreaded memory. Kagome tried to concentrate on the now dancing flames of the camp fire. However, instead of helping her keep her mind blank, they reminded her of something else ... something as hot as the flames ... and as dangerous. Blushing, she recalled what happened at the hot springs. Now, that was a real kiss, wasn't it? That was how you should feel when you kiss the one you love. `Wait a minute! Love? No! This can't be love. I don't even know the guy! No. It is ... an attraction ... an extremely powerful attraction that I can't seem to resist.'

 

Yes, it was undeniable that she was attracted to the half-demon she had only seen twice. No matter how much Kagome thought about it, she did not understand her reaction to him. He was gorgeous, that was obvious, and his woodsy scent made her feel dizzy. There was something in his eyes. Something in his eyes other than their blatant beauty had captured her, called out to her heart and made it difficult for her to breathe. However, there was one thing she wondered about more than her own feelings.

 

What was Inuyasha thinking? Was he somehow feeling the same emotions as her, or did he have an ulterior motive for acting the way he did since their first meeting? She thought it would be wonderful if he felt the same way she did. If not, what other reason could he have to enchant her like that? It could not be that he saw her as his enemy. He already had the chance to hurt her, if that was the case, but he hadn't. What else, then? She wasn't even a part of this world, let alone a part of the war.

 

Kagome remembered what Sango had told her at the hot springs — that he had loved a human priestess. What exactly happened to the girl? How did she die? Was it true that he had become a heartless man after losing her? What did he do to make people think so? Did he love her so much that he would lose himself like that? More importantly, did he still love the priestess? `If he does, what is he doing with me?'

 

Seeing that trying to analyze and understand the enigma named Inuyasha was futile, Kagome let her thoughts drift back to the night at the hot springs. Sighing, she closed her eyes to replay the memory in her head. Even now, she could feel his hot breath on her ear, his strong arms around her waist and his soft lips pressed to her burning ones as if the memory was real. `Gods, this will be a very long night.'

 

 

~*~

 

 

The rest of the journey to the castle was fortunately uneventful. It took them a total of three days to reach the fortress. Kagome was fascinated when the giant structure first came into her line of vision. Standing proudly atop a lone hill, it looked both inviting and menacing at the same time. The thick, high walls surrounding a group of buildings seemed impassable from the base of the hill, where the young woman stood with her mouth agape. As they got closer to the structure, she realized that those walls were not the only defense of the castle. She could make out the archers placed on top of the walls. She supposed they would not be needed at all, though, because a shimmering barrier surrounded the castle just outside its walls.

 

As they made their way up the hill, Kagome saw another group coming from the other direction. The two groups reached the large gates almost at the same time. Now that she was able to examine the newcomers from a close distance, she saw that half of the group was soldiers, who were dressed exactly like the ones who escorted her. There was also a group of women standing in front of them. They wore white shirts and red hakamas, the traditional uniform of shrine priestesses.

 

What were priestesses doing out with soldiers? Were they fighting alongside them in real battles? Or, were they prisoners like her? She supposed that could not be the case, for they seemed to be quite pleased with themselves.The women stood proud with small smiles on their faces. `They look like they just won this war. Well, maybe not the war, but a great victory nonetheless.'

 

When her eyes fell upon the rest of the group, she decided that her conclusion was correct. `These must be demons.' Chained to each other with strangely shining robes, they presented a heartbreaking sight. Kagome felt ashamed at first in the name of her kind because of the way the demons were treated. She hoped that this treatment was only out of necessity.

 

Sighing, the young woman raised her eyes from the chains binding the demons together to examine their other features. Their differences from the humans were obvious, with their pointy ears and sharp-looking claws. She saw that some of them had fangs when they sneered at the nearest soldiers, and to her surprise and amusement, she saw that some even had tails. She thought it to be cute until she received deadly glares from the demons she had been examining. `Okay, maybe not that cute.'

 

Even without those strange attributes, it would not be difficult to tell a demon apart from humans, for they were too beautiful compared to the humans standing next to them. `Just like him ... Not as beautiful as him, though. There is something else about him ... Something none of these demons possess.'

 

Her thoughts came to an abrupt halt when she realized she had been looking into two eyes that were looking intently back at her. Seconds passed, and the owner of those large, green eyes refused to look away. Intrigued, Kagome examined the rest of his features. Red hair was tied back at his neck with unruly bangs falling down his forehead. He had two pointy elf-like ears on the sides of his head, canine fangs visible under his upper lip, and a bushy yellow tail that came into her sight as it swished from left to right at his back.

 

He did not look as strong as the other demons around him. That was probably because he was younger than the rest of them. He was sixteen or seventeen at most. Kagome looked back at his face and, seeing the the strange look he was giving her, her eyes could not leave his. She did not have the chance to ask him anything, though, for in the next instant, she heard Sango calling her.

 

The girl from the future glanced in the direction the voice came from and saw the slayer coming her way. The couple had been in front of their group, talking to the gatekeepers since the group arrived. When she finally reached her, Sango informed the curious young woman that the barrier would be taken down any moment, and they would be able to get inside. The new group was indeed coming from a battle that had taken place near one of the surrounding villages, bringing new hostages with them.

 

Before Kagome could ask anything else, their group was making its way inside the castle. She looked back at the demons, who were waiting aside with their guardians, but the young demon with striking green eyes was nowhere to be seen. Once she was on the other side of the gates, she forgot about everything else at the sight before her.

 

Inside the walls were many buildings of different sizes. A large paved road brought them from the gates to the depths of what appeared to be a small town. On both sides of the road, she could see lots of small shops. Life seemed to be quite busy in the fortress, with shopping women, men carrying carts from one place to another, and children running around and pestering the soldiers to let them touch their swords. At the end of the paved road, a large building could be seen — probably the lord's residence.

 

When they were halfway to the large building, a loud cheering noise was heard, and she looked back to see what the commotion was about. The group with the hostages was making its way toward the main building behind them, and the townsfolk were happy to see the soldiers return home safely with proof of their victory. Turning her eyes forward, Kagome saw that Sango was a significant distance ahead of her, and she ran to catch up with the slayer. As they got closer to the main building, Kagome saw another structure to her right.

 

Noting Kagome's questioning eyes, Sango informed her that it was a shrine building to accommodate the monks and priestesses that aided the lords in the war against the demons, also that it was where the barrier protecting the castle was erected from.

 

As they passed the building, the hostage witnessed a group of priestesses and monks gathered around a small statue in the garden in front of the shrine building. They were clearly meditating. She realized that they had been erecting the barrier again when the little statue of Buddha started glowing like the staff Miroku used to channel his energy.

 

After finally arriving at the main building, Miroku asked the guardians to see Lady Keiko, only to be told that she wasn't there. Apparently, the head priestess had gone on a mission a few days prior, which had been quite a victory, and was expected to return with the troops in a day or two. Sighing, the monk thanked the soldier and signaled the two ladies to follow him inside.

 

They walked through several halls decorated with colorful paintings that depicted battle scenes, before they stopped in front of a large sliding door. Miroku turned to her with a smile on his face. “This is where you will be staying until we get a chance to see Lady Keiko.”

 

“What about you?” asked Kagome.

 

“Don't worry, we'll be close.” He indicated the room next to hers with his head. “We'll be right next to you. Don't hesitate to let us know if you need anything. I suppose someone will be bringing food to your room. Now, go and rest. I'm sure you need one after our journey.”

 

Kagome nodded her head, and with a small `thank you', she entered the room, closing the door behind her. Upon turning to face the room, a huge smile formed on her face at the sight of a comfortable looking bed lying in one corner. Not wasting a second, she made her way to the corner and dropped down, letting the soft mattress take away the tiredness in her muscles. In mere seconds, she was asleep. The woman did not wake even when her dinner arrived.

 

 

~*~

 

 

On her second day at the castle, Sango took her for a walk through the castle grounds. When they reached the outskirts of the town, Kagome's eyes met with a sight that disturbed her. There were demons everywhere, chained like the ones she had seen the day before. They were being used for hard labor; some were breaking rocks with their bare hands, while others carried huge rocks on their backs.

 

Turning to face the slayer, the young woman couldn't keep herself from exclaiming her anger at the sight. “This is outrageous! How can you do this to someone?! I thought they were hostages, not slaves!”

 

Sango looked at her with solemn eyes before talking. “Don't be so quick to judge, Kagome. I know how it looks, but you must know that we are being merciful compared to what demons do to those they captured. Do you know that they only capture priestesses and force them to fight on their side? I've heard horrible stories about what they do to the priestesses that do not obey their wishes. I don't want to believe those stories, but I can't help but think it possible after seeing how much Inuyasha has lost his mind ... after seeing what he did to Lady Keiko.”

 

`What he did to Lady Keiko? What could he have possibly done to make Sango believe him capable of anything?' Already dreading the answer, Kagome asked in a small voice, “What did he do?” `And why am I so afraid to hear it?'

 

Shaking her head, Sango refused to tell her anymore about the subject. “It's not my place to talk about it. It's her story, and she will tell you if she wants to let you know.”

 

When Sango walked away after being called by a soldier, Kagome saw the young demon from before looking at her from behind a small building. After a few seconds, he moved to walk towards her, but stopped when he saw Sango coming back. She found it strange that this demon was somehow interested in her but did not ask the slayer about him, fearing that she would put the boy in danger. After touring the town and visiting several shops on their way, they returned to the main building just before the sun went down.

 

 

~*~

 

 

When she woke up the next morning, the sun was already up. After stretching her completely rested body to her heart's content, Kagome got off the bed and made her way to the window to let the sunlight and the morning air in. It was a beautiful day.

 

She looked down at the cries of the children playing in the garden. There were a dozen of them, male and female, running around a figure sitting on the grass and laughing with them. She couldn't see the person's face because it was cloaked with a veil but she decided that it was a woman from the tone of her voice.

 

The veiled female wore the traditional red and white clothes of a priestess, with the only exception being the white veil hanging from the hat on her head. The fabric covered her face and shoulders. Kagome could see that the children liked this priestess in abundance. It didn't surprise her though, seeing how the woman behaved toward them with kindness.

 

`Wow, I would probably be telling them to shut up already, but then again, I'm not a priestess like they declared me to be. That woman, though ... That is how a real priestess should be.' She shook her head when two of the children tackled the woman to the ground.

 

Kagome turned back to get ready for the day, a small smile still gracing her lips.

 

 

~*~

 

 

Later that day, Kagome was summoned to meet Lady Keiko. An old maid escorted her to the lady's room, all the while talking about how lucky she was to be meeting such an honorable person. By the time they arrived at their destination, Kagome had learned a lot about how kind Lady Keiko was and how brave and self-sacrificing she was for protecting them against the demons.

 

Upon hearing the invitation from inside, the captive thanked the old woman and let herself in through the sliding door. Closing the door, she turned around, only to freeze at the sight of the woman sitting on a cushion right below the window on the far wall. She was the woman with the veil. `She is Lady Keiko?!'

 

When she stood there for a long time with her mouth agape, Lady Keiko must have noticed her hesitation, because she called out to her visitor in a warm voice, “Come here, girl.”

 

Blushing for her idiocy, Kagome heeded her command and sat on the other cushion next to the window. She folded her legs beneath her; her eyes were fixed on her fidgeting hands in her lap.

 

“So, you're the one that helped General Inuyasha escape?” the veiled woman began.

 

Kagome's head shot up at that. She did not waste any time, did she? Her interrogation started the moment she arrived. “Yes, but I didn't mean to! I mean, I meant to help him, but I didn't mean to get involved in your war. I didn't even know there was a war!”

 

“You didn't?” asked Keiko. “It's hard to believe that. Everyone in these lands knows of the war and the enemy.”

 

Those words were not encouraging. Besides, it was difficult to see her expression because of the shroud covering her face. However, Kagome could somehow tell from her voice that the lady was trying to understand her motives, rather than condemn her.

 

“I'm not exactly from these lands,” Kagome justified.

 

“Oh, where did you come from, then?”

 

The woman sounded sincerely curious. For a moment, Kagome thought about whether it was safe to tell this woman the truth of her unlikely existence in this strange world. `Gods, I really don't know who I can trust here, but she seems like a good person. Besides, I had no control over how I came to be here, did I? She shouldn't blame me for what I unknowingly did, right? Oh, what am I thinking about?! Even if I don't tell her, Sango or Miroku will. They both know everything.'

 

Deciding that she had no choice but to spill out everything she knew, Kagome looked the woman in the eyes — or what she thought were her eyes, for it was not easy to see her face through the veil. “I — I know this will sound crazy, but I believe I came from the future. I think I somehow traveled through time to the past.”

 

“Time travel?” The woman chuckled wholeheartedly. “You're right. It does sound crazy.”

 

“I'm sorry, but I don't have another explanation,” mumbled Kagome irritably.

 

When her chuckles died down, Keiko continued her interrogation. “Tell me, how exactly do you think you traveled through time?”

 

“The well,” Kagome blurted out at once. “I fell through the well at my family's shrine, and when I climbed out of it, I was in this strange world.”

 

Without a second thought, the priestess asked, “Is it the Bone Eater's well you're speaking of?”

 

“Yes!” exclaimed the girl from the future before asking, “Do you know anything about it?”

 

“That well is known to possess strange powers,” explained Keiko. “People used to throw demon bones in it, and they would disappear without a trace. I guess we now know where they went, don't we?”

 

“So, you believe me?” the girl asked in amazement. Was this woman for real? At first she was laughing at Kagome, and now she said that she believed her?

 

“Why wouldn't I? You seem sincere enough. Besides, I've seen my share of strange things for long enough to know that many things can happen without regard to what we think is possible.”

 

“Oh.” This Lady Keiko was a clever one, wasn't she? She also seemed to be a good judge of character. Feeling more comfortable now that she knew this woman believed her, Kagome decided to convey what she had learned during her journey here. “It doesn't work anymore, though — I mean the well. I tried to go back, but it won't let me.”

 

“I'm sorry to hear that. It must be hard to find yourself trapped in a world you know nothing about without a way to return home. Poor child.” Her voice reflected the pity this kind woman felt for her unwilling visitor. Turning her back, Lady Keiko took the tray that had been brought in right before her visitor arrived and proceeded to fill two cups of tea.

 

Feeling solemn, Kagome turned to look out the window, Lady Keiko's last words still ringing in her head. `... trapped in a world you know nothing about without a way to return home.' Just as she felt her eyes start pricking with tears, her attention fell on the crowd she could see entering the castle gates. A few soldiers were running to the main building far ahead of the crowded group. `This must be a new group of demons recently captured.'

 

While she disinterestedly watched the newcomers, Kagome felt the familiar sensation of being watched and noticed someone looking at her from the corner of her eye. She turned her head to see that it was one of the soldiers she saw running towards the main building. It was hard to tell these soldiers apart because of the helmets they wore, so she couldn't tell whether he was one she had met before.

 

Shaking her head, Kagome decided she did not care about these people at all and diverted her eyes to the new group of hostages making their way through the main building. Seeing the demons with their hands chained reminded her that she was a hostage as well.

 

“What will happen to me now?” she asked solemnly.

 

“That is up to you.”

 

The captive turned from the window to look at the woman's covered face. She had finished filling the cups, and now she was sipping from her cup under her veil. She noticed the other cup was placed in front of her, but right now, Kagome was not in the mood for tea. “You won't chain me like you do to the other hostages, will you?” she asked before adding, “By the way, that is a terrible thing, you know? They don't seem dangerous at all.”

 

“That's because they are subdued,” answered the priestess.

 

“Subdued?” `What the heck does that mean?'

 

Before Lady Keiko could answer her, a small but insistent tapping noise was heard. After Keiko told the intruders to come in, a soldier entered the room with the young demon Kagome had seen earlier.

 

“Excuse me, my lady. We caught this one sneaking around the main building. He wasn't under the spell. He probably got in among the group that arrived the day before.”

 

“Come closer, child.” Upon hearing the priestess' command, the boy took a few steps and stopped in front of Lady Keiko, who was now standing to examine the new hostage.

 

Although he did what he was told to do without hesitation, Kagome could see the fire flashing in his green eyes. `He's so angry ...' It was obvious that he did not have any control over his own body, for his stance was relaxed, in contrast with the stress in his expression.

 

“I think I know this one and why he is here,” announced Lady Keiko. After looking at him in the eye for almost a minute, she gently patted his head and then turned to the soldier waiting by the door. “Take him out to the grounds. Do not be harsh with him, but make sure that he learns not to get involved in matters that are too big for one so young.”

 

Once the door was closed behind them, the priestess sat back in her place on the cushion and addressed Kagome, “You see, we found a better way to deal with the demons than killing them. We subdue them with powerful spells — Like that youngling you saw here. You saw how he obeyed every command without giving trouble. Did you notice the collar around his neck?” At Kagome's hesitant nod, the woman continued, “That is what contains the spell. It subdues their auras and does not let them to do anything unless they are told by someone that had taken part in the spell. You see, it takes a lot to cast such a powerful spell. Unfortunately, there is no priestess alive that can do it alone. Because of that, each collar is imbued by a hundred priestesses. Once a collar is ready, it can be placed on a demon by one of those who had imbued it, and that demon will obey every command given by any one of those priestesses. Luckily, they are powerless against our spells. Without the spell, we wouldn't have a chance against the demons in this war, because each and everyone of them is deadly — almost as mush as Inuyasha.”

 

“Inuyasha?” Kagome looked out the window to the afternoon sky. The sunlight dazzled her eyes, reminding her of the two golden orbs that had blinded her to everything else around only a few days before. A small smile graced her lips. “Everyone here tells me how dangerous he is, but it's hard for me to believe that. Although he had the chance, he didn't hurt me, even before I helped him escape.” She turned her gaze back to the woman under the veil. “I mean, he didn't know who I was or where I was from, but in his eyes, I must be one of you, right? — His enemy. He should have killed me if he was anything like you say, but instead, he's been so kind toward me.”

 

Lady Keiko looked thoughtful at her revelation. After a few seconds, she nodded her head as if she came to a conclusion. “I see. I shouldn't be surprised to hear that. After all, that's to be expected.”

 

“What do you mean?” Kagome sensed something coming.

 

“It's the way you look,” supplied Keiko.

 

“The way I look? I don't understand ...,” her voice trailed off. She shook her head, trying to clear her muddled thoughts.

 

“What do you know about his past?” asked the priestess.

 

`What does his past have to do with me?' Unsure of where the conversation was headed now, Kagome started to explain what she had heard about him. “Well, Sango told me about him being a good person before and that he had loved a human and had lost her. Then, he changed.”

 

Nodding her head, the priestess took up the conversation from where Kagome left off. “Exactly. Her name was Kikyo. She had been a powerful priestess, who was kind and beautiful, just like you.”

 

“M-me?” stuttered the captive.

 

“Yes, you my dear friend, have her face.”

 

Not understanding what her hostess meant, Kagome asked, “You mean I look like her?”

 

“No.” Chuckling at the naivety of the young woman, the priestess tried to better convey the meaning of her words. “I mean you have her face. An exact copy.”

 

“What!” With eyes as wide as saucers, Kagome proceeded to exclaim her disbelief, “B-but that's not possible! How can that be?!”

 

Sighing at the girl's reaction, Keiko muttered grimly, “I'm afraid I know how.”

 

“Tell me,” demanded the girl from the future. Her voice left no place to arguments. She had to know the reasons if she had lived her life with someone else's face.

 

“It's not only her face you possess. I can sense her aura in you.”

 

“Her aura? What does it mean?”

 

“It means that you have her soul in you,” explained the prietess before concluding, “You must be her reincarnation.”

 

`Reincarnation?' Was that possible? Despite having grown up at a shrine, she never thought much about such matters. Did she believe in reincarnation? `But then again, I did not believe in magic and look where I am now.'

 

When the young woman did not speak for a while, Lady Keiko continued her explanation, “I believe Inuyasha knows it as well. That's why he behaved the way he did. You must understand, you have to be careful when it comes to him. ”

 

The woman's voice was grim when she said that, sending chills down Kagome's spine, but she did not want to hear any more warnings about him. She had seen him with her own eyes and she would not believe anything other than her own conclusions. She might be a stranger in this world and know next to nothing about it but she was not a child. She formed her opinions based on her experiences. With these thoughts in her mind, she shook her head in disbelief.

 

Keiko sighed at her stubbornness. When she spoke, her voice betrayed her impatience. “You still don't comprehend how dangerous he is to you, do you? He's merciless! He cost us many men. He wants to enslave the human race for what he went through. All he wants is revenge. He captured many of our priestesses. Do you know what he did to them?”

 

When the young woman hesitantly shook her head, the priestess continued, “He didn't kill all of them. No. Only the old ones were killed, but the young and beautiful ones were not so lucky. They had been made whores to demons.”

 

`That is ... Gods ... Can this be real? Sango said something about rumors of what happened to the captured priestesses, but are these rumors true? Does this woman know that for sure? I can't believe he would do such a thing. Gods, please don't let it be real.'

 

At Kagome's silence, Keiko pressed on, apparently tired of her pointless resistance. “Do you want to see a proof of what he is capable of?”

 

Before the young woman could give an answer, Keiko's hands went to the veil covering her face. She slowly removed the veil under the wide-eyed gaze of her visitor. When her face came into sight, she flinched at the frightened gasp that escaped Kagome's lips. “It was before the war, sometime after he had lost his lover,” she explained. “He thought that I had the power to bring her back, but I refused to commit such dark magic. He did this to me as punishment. He tortured me with his bare hands. If you had seen his face then, you would understand what people mean when they call him heartless.”

 

`No, no, he couldn't have done that! Please, no!' No matter how much she wished, Kagome could not remove her tear-filled eyes from the woman's distorted face. It was full of marks, deep claw marks on her cheeks, her neck, her forehead — everywhere. One of the deeper cuts started on the left side of her upper forehead and ended in the middle of her right cheek. Another one went through her chin and lower lip. Her right eye was almost completely closed, with another ugly scar placed on its outer edge.

 

“Do you see how far he's willing to go to get her back? Do you think he would hesitate to do you harm if there's a chance to get his precious lover back?”asked the priestess bitterly.

 

She only received tears from the young woman as an answer to her question. “Let me tell you, he wouldn't. Unfortunately for you, you are his only chance to bring her back, because you have her soul. All he needs to do is to find someone with the power to awaken her.”

 

When Kagome kept her silence, Keiko pressed on. “What do you think will happen to you then?”

 

Having no answer, or rather choosing not to say what she thought would happen, Kagome bent her head down, letting her tears fall onto her hands, which were tightly clasping her skirt in her lap.

 

“She will have your body and soul. You will simply cease to exist.” Since the young woman did nothing but continue crying silently, Keiko finished her words in a grim voice, “You must help me stop him before its too late for all of us.”

 

Not even raising her head back, Kagome asked in a quivering voice, “Me? How?”

 

“He is the only one that is immune to our subjugation spells,” answered the priestess. “I need you to change that.”

 

“How am I supposed to do that?”

 

“I don't know if you have noticed, but he wears a necklace that he never takes off. It contains a powerful spell that protects him against our subduing spells. I need you to get close to him and take it off.”

 

Closing her eyes, the girl whispered, “Why me?”

 

“First, you are the only one that can get near him without being killed. Second, and most importantly, I don't think anyone other than you could remove that necklace even if they had the chance.”

 

Kagome raised her tear-stained face, her eyes questioning the priestess' for the meaning of her words.

 

Understanding her confusion, the priestess explained, “I believe that the spell was put on him by Kikyo, judging by how powerful it is. With these kinds of spells, only the person who put it on can remove it and since you have her soul ...” Her voice trailed off.

 

`But ...' Shaking her head, Kagome opened her mouth to object but was cut short by Keiko.

 

“You'll be doing him a favor. You'll save his life. Once he is subdued, there won't be a need to kill him. He'll be harmless.”

 

`But he'll hate me.'

 

“And I promise you that I'll find a way to make the well work for you. I'll send you back to your home.”

 

Kagome's mouth fell open at that revelation. However, before she could ask anything, a loud booming sound was heard. Lady Keiko looked out the window and with a cry of `Gods!,' she rushed outside. Wondering what was happening, the captive turned to look out the window, and to her horror, she saw that the shrine building was covered in flames.

 

 

End of Chapter