InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Heartless ❯ A Breath of Life ( Chapter 22 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: I neither own Inuyasha nor make any monetary gains by torturing him.

Author’s Note: LOL Who said the story was finished? I know that the previous chapter had a climactic feeling to it like many of you pointed out, but we have a few more chapters until we’re done here. Wait for the next update for more action!

‘Thinking’
“Talking”
Dreams or memories


Chapter 22: A Breath of Life


The scent of hot, steamy broth permeated the air in the woods as the wind blew from the direction of the village nearby. It made Miroku think of a feast consisting of miso soup, sashimi and cups of sake. There was little the monk wouldn’t trade for a rich meal after having eaten so much dried food and roasted rabbits without any sake to make their passage through his throat a little easier. A hot bath and a warm, comfortable bed to sleep in afterward would also be greatly appreciated. Unfortunately, even though he had the means to earn those comforts for at least a night, he could not lead his friends to any of the villages they had passed by since they had set out from the clearing.

Unlike their travels during the quest for the jewel, their little group of demons and humans would not simply be considered unusual and frowned upon. In the eyes of those who had lost family members to the war between the two races, Miroku and his family were traitors while their demonic friends were the enemy.

In a sense, they were right; in a sense, they weren’t.

No one would listen if Miroku tried to argue his case, though. In times of war, people tended to attack before they asked questions. For that reason, the group was careful to remain in the woods, keeping away from any open roads as they traveled, which hindered their progress considerably.

Sighing wistfully, Miroku urged his horse to catch up to his wife, who was riding the only other horse they had with Kagome.

Myoga, who had been suspiciously absent for a while, had shown up before the group had set out for the Western Castle. The old flea had claimed that he had known Kagome would have succeeded in rescuing her husband and friends and that he had merely gone in search of a way to facilitate their escape. No one believed him; nevertheless, they had been grateful for his return once he had led them to a secluded place where he had found two horses secured to a tree.

One of the horses had been tied to a cart. Apparently, Keiko had been planning to take at least one prisoner back to the castle with her, and the monk had no doubts as to whom it was.

In line with his thoughts, Miroku’s eyes turned to the half-demon running ahead of the group.
Inuyasha didn’t like horses, and the feeling was mutual. Despite his wounds, he insisted on traveling on foot and carrying his pups on his back. Whether it was because of the temporary rise of his demonic blood or because of his renewed attachment to life after having his family restored to him, the hanyou was healing remarkably fast.

As if he had heard the monk’s thoughts, Inuyasha effortlessly jumped up to perch on a high branch, showing exactly how much better he was feeling. He let the pups down so that they could chase a surprised squirrel along the branch and up the tree’s bark. Shippo, now transformed from a pink balloon to an orange squirrel with a green bow on its head, ran after the children.

Kirara, who was returning from scouting ahead with Miroku’s kids and brother-in-law on her back, hovered in the air next to the hanyou while he and Kohaku engaged in a conversation that left the monk wondering. He wasn’t left in the dark for long, though. After nodding to Inuyasha, the young slayer led the cat demon down to the ground to meet the horse-riders and let them know that they had found a cave and a spring not that far away from their location.

True to Kohaku’s word, they arrived at the site before sunset. The spring was not hot like Miroku would have preferred, but still, it felt good to have fresh water to pour down his throat after hours of riding. Combing his hair back with wet fingers, he looked up to the mouth of the cave. The younglings were already engaged in a game that involved lots of running around while the women unloaded the horses. Inuyasha stood close to the pups, but his eyes were trained on Kagome. His nose was scrunched up in distaste, and he was glaring daggers at the intricate set of bow and arrows she was carrying to the cave — Keiko’s bow and arrows.

It turned out that the miko had forgotten her bow on Kirara’s back in her hurry to get to Inuyasha, and it had been broken during the hassle to keep the pups away from the clearing. Apparently, Inuyasha’s kids were considerably troublesome when they wanted to be — even for a group of two young, strong men, three skilled teenagers and an adult cat demon.

“No doubts as to whom they take after,” mumbled Miroku as he made his way back to his friends. Reaching the hanyou’s side, the monk patted his shoulder in a gesture of reassurance. “Don’t dwell on it, Inuyasha. Like she said, it’s only until we find a replacement. We do need all the protection we can have, after all.”

Inuyasha glanced at him from the corner of his eye before he furrowed his brows. “Feh! Dunno what you’re talking ‘bout,” he grumbled as he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.

Chuckling at the hanyou’s familiar ‘I don’t brood’ façade, Miroku shook his head. “Sure you don’t, my friend. Sure you don’t.”

Leaving Inuyasha alone with his joyful self, the monk joined his wife in search of dry wood. By the time the fire was ready, Shippo returned with two rabbits dangling in his hand, a fat boar on his back and a wide grin stretched across his face.

Dusk settled into night while they enjoyed a hearty meal behind the safety of the barrier Kagome had erected at the cave’s entrance. With their stomachs full, the younger members of the group crawled to the back of the cave for a much needed rest while the four adults remained sitting by the fire.

The pups were reluctant to leave their parents’ side. They were still too energetic to go to sleep. Miroku surmised that it was to be expected. After ten years of perpetual sleep, he wouldn’t have wanted to go to bed, either.

“Then, I kicked him!” exclaimed Raiden as he sprang his foot in the direction of Miroku’s crotch to spice up his story of how he had escaped Shippo’s hold back in the clearing.

The monk was fast to cover his private parts with his hands before the boy’s foot accidentally harmed his most prized possession. “Umm… Well done?” he commented, making the pup grin in response.

Even though his words were appreciated, it was clear that Uncle Miroku was not the one whose approval Raiden was hoping for when his wide eyes turned to his father in expectation.

Inuyasha did not disappoint. He beamed at the child with pride. “That was very brave of you, pup,” he said with exaggerated seriousness, causing the boy’s smile to widen enough to show all his teeth.

High from his excitement, Raiden started running and tumbling around, growling and roaring in the process and making the adults chuckle at his antics.

“I bit Uncle Kahoku’s hand!” piped up Reika from her mother’s lap, looking away from the ribbon in her hands to see her father smile down at her.

“That’s my princess!” boasted Inuyasha as he patted her head affectionately.

Satisfied that she received her well-deserved praise, the girl turned her attention back to her task.

Once the carefree laughter died down to leave silence in its wake, Kagome looked up at the monk. Her hand caressed Reika’s ear, making it twitch in annoyance as she asked, “How did you find out about them?”

Miroku sighed before he took in a deep breath in preparation for his tale. They had put off this conversation for long enough. “When you showed up and did not recognize any of us…,” he started in a low voice so as not to take the children’s attention. “…I realized that Inuyasha was right about your departure; there was something very wrong with you. That made it possible that Inuyasha was also right about everything he said concerning…” He stopped abruptly, not wanting to voice the deceased high priestess’ name in front of the children before he added pointedly, “…her.”

Inuyasha snorted mockingly, and Miroku didn’t have the heart or the right to be annoyed by his attitude. In fact, the hanyou had all the right to blame them for not believing him in the first place and to tell them to go to hell. But, he didn’t. Instead, he sat across from the friends that had accused him of madness when he had needed them the most and acted as if nothing had happened.

Miroku had always known that Inuyasha had a kind soul, but he’d had no idea that the half-demon could be so mature or so forgiving. Seeing that made it harder to forgive himself.

He took a moment to appraise the reunited family just because the sight of them made it easier to chase away his guilt. Inuyasha sat cross-legged with his eyes trained on the monk while Kagome sat next to him mirroring his position. Raiden squirmed around his father, trying to discreetly take the Tetsusaiga out of its sheath where it rested on Inuyasha’s waist. Each time the boy pulled with all of his strength, he failed, lost his balance and fell on his father’s lap. And each time, Inuyasha unconsciously helped the struggling child stand up. Next to the father and son, Reika sat on her mother’s lap, diligently braiding the miko’s long hair and murmuring a song that had no rhyme to it while Kagome absently stroked the child’s back and winced silently every time the girl pulled too hard at her hair.

An amused smile tugged at the corners of Miroku’s mouth before he cleared his throat to go back to his story. His gaze returned to Kagome, who was watching him with rapt attention. “I started watching her carefully, then,” he continued, still refusing to say Keiko’s name. “I didn’t notice anything suspicious until Inuyasha’s attack on the castle to take you. She inhaled lots of smoke and was very sick after that day, but she insisted on going to the village and performing the monthly ritual to strengthen the barrier. She traveled to the village every single month to perform the ritual personally, and I used to think that it was because of her emotional attachment to the village. But when she insisted on doing it again despite her state, I thought that there had to be something more to it. I asked Sango to spy on her, and she let me know that she prayed for a long time by the Goshinboku.”

At the mention of the God Tree where the pups had been bound for years, a harsh curse accompanied by a low growl interrupted the monk’s narration, bringing his gaze to the hanyou. Inuyasha was biting his lip to keep the string of profanities Miroku was sure was on the tip of his tongue from spilling out. His hands were balled into fists at his sides; he was trying very hard to retain his composure. His first reaction upon hearing what had happened to his children had been to create a brand new meadow in the middle of the forest. It had been Kagome who had been able to calm him then, and it was her touch on his shoulder that kept him grounded now.

Looking down at the miko’s hand, Inuyasha’s growls immediately ceased, and a whimper left his lips at the sight of the thin scar on her wrist — the scar his claws had caused. The hanyou’s mood shifted swiftly from rage to remorse, but the pain written on his features eased considerably when Kagome gave him a gentle smile and caressed his cheek. Closing his eyes, he placed a kiss on the marred flesh of his wife’s wrist before his shoulders finally relaxed.

Seeing the crisis was averted, the monk started poking the fire with a piece of wood as he recounted the rest of his story. “On our way to the Western Castle, I detoured and stopped by the village. I meditated by the Goshinboku for hours until I sensed a protective barrier. I couldn’t get past it no matter how hard I tried, but it was obvious that the barrier protected something… something that was hidden. It wasn’t hard to guess what it was. What could she have that needed to be concealed and was precious enough to be protected like that?”

Inuyasha snorted again and grumbled, “There’s nothing more precious than them.”

Scratching his neck, Miroku shrugged as he added, “Like I said, it was only a guess.” He turned his gaze back to Kagome, then. “I could have been wrong, so that’s why I didn’t tell Myoga what you were supposed to find behind that barrier when I asked you to meditate there. I didn’t want to give you any false hope.”

“Thank you, Miroku,” the miko whispered when he was done. Seeing the sentiment mirrored in Inuyasha’s eyes made the monk feel much better.

Now that he thought about it, if he and his wife hadn’t abandoned Inuyasha all those years ago, they would not have been close to Keiko at all. If that had been the case, it was highly possible that none of them would have found out about the children’s fate. That realization brought a smile to the monk’s face and lifted the heavy weight off of his conscience.

All eyes turned to Inuyasha when a tiny bare foot kicked him on the chin. Raiden had passed out with his thumb in his mouth after he had crawled into the hanyou’s haori, and it appeared that the pup had attacked his father in his quest to get more comfortable in his nest. When Inuyasha looked up from his little boy to his wife, he was bearing the softest smile Miroku had ever seen grace the hanyou’s face.

Reika had also fallen asleep in her mother’s arms with her tiny fingers clutching the braid she had made of the young woman’s hair. A silent conversation passed between the couple, and Inuyasha carefully extracted Raiden from the confines of his haori before standing up along with Kagome. They laid the children down next to the sleeping Kirara at the back of the cave. The hanyou then took off his haori and tucked it around the pups before he reclaimed his place next to his mate by the fire.

Once the couple was seated again, Miroku pinned Inuyasha with the question he had been wondering about for years. “Say, Inuyasha… What did you do to the priestesses you captured?”

Raising an eyebrow, Inuyasha smirked. “Why do you ask? Spying for information, monk?” he asked before he shook his head in mock disapproval. “Shame on you.”

Miroku rolled his eyes. The half-demon general’s carefree attitude on the subject gave him courage, though. So, when he told him about the disturbing rumors he had heard about the female prisoners’ fates, it was easier to do so. “It’s said that you forced them to work for your army...” He paused to think of a way to convey his meaning without using the word ‘whores’ where the children could hear in case one or more of them had awoken. “…to give men pleasure,” he concluded after a while, satisfied with his description.

Even when he thought that Inuyasha had lost his mind, the monk never believed in those tales. As a result, he wasn’t surprised when the hanyou snorted in response. But, he noticed that Kagome straightened, waiting for her husband’s answer with interest.

Seeing that all eyes were on him, Inuyasha shrugged nonchalantly. “What we did is that we had their powers sealed and sent them off to an island protected by a barrier. Trust me; as long as those wenches don’t try to cross the barrier, they live a pretty comfortable life there.”

“But what about those women in the castle?” chimed in Kagome, earning a confused look from the half-demon. “The ones that came in the middle of the feast,” she clarified.

The monk had no idea who the miko was talking about, but he saw Inuyasha’s eyes widen in recognition before the hanyou asked, “What about them?”

“Weren’t they priestesses as well?”

Miroku caught the tremors in Kagome’s voice, but Inuyasha stayed oblivious as he snickered at her question. “Did they seem like priestesses to you?”

The young woman’s brows furrowed in confusion. “But… I thought…” she stuttered nervously before her shoulders tensed. “What were they then?” she demanded in annoyance.

Inuyasha’s humor died when faced with the miko’s ire. “We’re in a war,” he started reluctantly. “We feed an army in that damn place. What do you expect?” He raised an eyebrow at her, but Kagome continued to look at him in confusion. He sighed tiredly before he muttered, “They were whores — paid ones.”

To Miroku’s amusement, both women looked at the hanyou sharply with narrowed eyes as they shushed him, afraid that the children would hear. Kagome abruptly stood up and pulled on the sleeve of her mate’s shirt to make him follow.

“What?” asked Inuyasha in bewilderment. “I ain’t done nothing. You made me say it!” However, his defiance deflated with one exceptionally frightening look from the miko.

Kagome dropped the barrier at the cave’s entrance and dragged her husband out before re-erecting it to keep the insiders safe in their absence. The last thing the monk saw before the couple disappeared into the darkness was the hanyou’s drooping ears.

Miroku chortled in amusement as he threw his arm around Sango’s shoulder and pulled her close. “Those two will never change,” he uttered to his wife’s hair and felt her nod in agreement. And, since the slayer hadn’t commented on his hand’s advances toward her lovely bottom, he supposed his diversion was working. When he opened his mouth to make another comment that would keep her attention away from his quest, he was interrupted by Sango’s low voice.

“Miroku?”

He stiffened, knowing she didn’t like to be groped when they weren’t alone. “Yes, Sango?” he asked timidly.

The slayer leaned up and whispered in his ear. “After everything we’ve been through in the last few days, that was just disappointing.” With that, she straddled his lap and proceeded to kiss him, giving her amorous husband a pleasant surprise.

Inuyasha followed his mate into the night, grumbling about women and their mood shifts. He didn’t understand why she was so irritable all of a sudden. It couldn’t be simply because of a word he had inadvertently blurted out. Was this about the priestesses? Or was it the whores? He rubbed his forehead with his free hand. He could feel the telltale signs of a headache; he had forgotten how much this woman confused him.

Once they were far enough away to not be heard but were still within sight of the cave, Kagome stopped in front of a tree and turned to face him with her arms crossed in front of her chest. The storm in her blue orbs gave him chills.

“Do you often call those women to your service?” she demanded tersely.

Realizing that it was about the whores — or more specifically, the one he had called to his table during the feast — Inuyasha’s first reaction was to defend himself. “Hey! They come for the…” he started, immediately wanting to explain that he had nothing to do with those women. But the look in his miko’s eyes stopped him. The hanyou knew that look very well, and he basked in it.

She was jealous.

A mischievous smirk lifted one corner of his mouth up before he snickered. “What if I do?” he questioned with a raised eyebrow as he stepped closer to her, trapping her against the tree.

Kagome’s fists clenched, and she bit her trembling lip. Her eyes glimmered oddly bright under the moonlight once they met his golden gaze. Her voice was meek when she asked, “Inuyasha? Have you ever been with…”

The hanyou stopped her question with a finger on her lips. Even though he loved being the center of her attention, he couldn’t stand to see her so upset. “The night of the feast,” he started as he combed her hair back. Cupping her cheeks so that she couldn’t look away, he continued, “I was desperate. I needed you to remember. There had to be something to trigger your memory.”

Sadness flooded her eyes, causing them to sparkle like gems under the stars. His words pulled at her lingering guilt for having forgotten who she was and what he was to her; Inuyasha couldn’t have that.

“It wasn’t hard to see that you wanted me,” he added cockily, smirking and making the miko blush as his finger traced an unseen line down her neck. His eyes followed the movement of his hand until it settled over her heart, and he mumbled, “…even though I was already yours.”

Her heart skipped a beat, and she sucked in a breath, bringing his loving gaze back to her face. “But you didn’t know it. Idiot,” the half-demon said as he tapped her nose with the tip of his finger. “So, I thought if I made you jealous or angry, you might unconsciously sit me or something.” He finished his explanation with a shrug.

But then, he remembered the way she had sat on his lap instead of subduing him and he chuckled softly. “It didn’t work. But what do you know?” He leaned down until his face was a hair’s breadth away from hers. His eyes bore into her sapphire orbs, and his lips ghosted over hers as he whispered breathlessly, “Apparently, you don’t need to say the damn word to subdue me.”

Kagome’s cheeks colored so deeply that the hanyou could see it despite the scarce lighting, and thanks to his nose, he could tell that it was more from excitement than embarrassment.

Her small hands closed around his forelocks to keep him close. “Apparently, I don’t,” she breathed out. “And, you better remember that…” Sapphire orbs bore into golden ones as the miko declared, “…for you are mine, as I’m yours. And, I have no intention of forgetting that ever again.”

The tremors of Inuyasha’s growl passed from his chest to Kagome’s until they reached his hand on her back. The lips that uttered the words the hanyou had been yearning to hear for far too long were suddenly enveloped by his hungry ones. Lips caressed; tongues searched; hands pulled and pushed at clothing, clutched at silky hair; skin burned to touch skin — all in the name of becoming one again.

But, something felt off as what was at first passion morphed into desperation until Inuyasha tasted salt on his miko’s honeyed lips. Pulling back from her kisses was always a hard task, but when combined with her protests, it was next to impossible. Though somehow, he did it. Panting, he let go of her hair and cupped her cheeks instead. “What’s wrong?” he asked, concern lacing his voice at the sight of her tears. “Kagome?”

Two more beads of liquid sorrow dropped from her eyelashes as the young woman closed her eyes. “I was so scared,” she whimpered, trying hard to keep in her sobs. “I thought I was going to lose you. I thought…”

This time, Inuyasha silenced her with the touch of his lips. Leaning his forehead against hers, he whispered, “It’s over. I’m here. You’re here. There’s nothing to cry about. Right?”

Kagome sniffled and nodded silently.

Inuyasha grinned then, knowing just how to cheer her up. “You can’t get rid of me so easily,” he commented lightly, causing the miko to open her eyes in confusion. “So, don’t raise your hopes up the next time.”

His half-assed joke served well for his purposes and earned an involuntary giggle from Kagome. She slapped his shoulder half-heartedly. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Feh!” Inuyasha snorted with all the arrogance he could muster. “You better.”

Kagome’s eyes narrowed. “Jerk,” she uttered in an attempt at faking annoyance, but the breathless quality of her voice betrayed her, and it came out more like a term of endearment.

“Wench,” he shot back in a whisper and smiled when her eyes glazed over and her lips parted as his warm breath fanned over her sensitive skin.

When his lips caressed hers again, it was an act of worship; when the beat of his heart obediently picked up after hers, it was a profession of undying devotion; and when their hands linked at her sides, it was a manifestation of their unbreakable bond.

But strong was the pull of their bond, it soon turned out to be hard to ignore. Breathing became negligible as soft kisses grew passionate and gentle caresses turned into impatient tugs. Inuyasha didn’t need air; his Kagome was the breath of life he needed to survive.

And, he inhaled her greedily.

Her small hands snaked into his shirt to meet his heated skin and ignited a line of fire as they trailed up to his shoulders and down his back. One of her legs rose to his hip only to be wrapped around his waist along with its twin when the hanyou’s roaming hands eagerly lifted them up.

A familiar tingle on his aura, a slight disturbance in the air poked at Inuyasha’s consciousness; but it was fated to be ignored, just like his basic needs had been ignored for years. But, he could no longer hold back. His hips pressed Kagome firmly to the tree’s bark as they grounded against her of their own accord, causing the lovers to groan in bliss.

Layers of clothing could not cut off the heat his miko emitted for him as Inuyasha pushed again and again. Being enveloped in the warmth of her arms, breathing in her heady fragrance and listening to her soft moans made the hanyou’s head spin in ecstasy; and he wanted to get lost in this sensation, get lost with her.

But, he had to stop.

And, he did so once the sound of footsteps reached his ears only a few moments after he had smelled a familiar but unwelcome scent. Inuyasha broke the kiss with a frustrated groan and let his wife’s legs go. Holding onto her waist, he helped the disoriented miko regain her balance before he dropped his head on her shoulder. “The fucker always has the worst timing,” he grumbled against her neck.

“What?” asked Kagome, still in a daze and breathless from his kisses. “Who?”

Inuyasha didn’t have to answer her for ‘the fucker’ chose that moment to speak from the shadow he was still concealed behind. “Almost ten years under my roof, and I see that you have learned nothing about propriety. Tell me, Inuyasha. Do you have to act like a savage animal every time I turn my back?”

Following his voice, Sesshoumaru’s pale figure appeared from behind one of the trees. While a blushing Kagome hurried to adjust her shirt, Inuyasha blocked her from his brother’s view and sent the dog demon a glare in response to his comments.

“What the fuck are you doing here, bastard?” the hanyou demanded politely.

“Routine scouting, half-breed,” snapped the dog demon as his golden gaze swept over the couple and the entrance of the cave behind them.

“Scouting so far ahead?” Inuyasha’s eyebrows rose in disbelief. A thought occurred to him then, and he crossed his arms against his chest in a challenging manner. “Wait. Were you looking for me or somethin’?”

“One cannot be blamed for being related to a mongrel who cannot find his way back home.”

The meaning behind his brother’s words clashed with his disinterested demeanor. A tiny smirk formed on Inuyasha’s face. “So, you were looking for me, after all.” Forgetting about his annoyance, the half-demon launched into one of his favorite games: make the bastard’s eye twitch in rage. “Oh, I’m touched, Sesshoumaru,” he mocked with a hand over his heart. “Gimme a hug, you bastard.”

“Don’t you dare,” growled Sesshoumaru, causing the hanyou’s smirk to widen. Ignoring his little brother’s amusement, he stated, “I’m done tolerating your ignorance, Inuyasha. I’ve wasted too much time tracking you down. Do I need to remind you that we’re in a war? There is an army of demons under my roof, and their idiot general keeps disappearing to rut against trees!”

A tiny squeak brought the two men’s matching golden gazes to the raven head peeking over Inuyasha’s shoulder. “Umm.” Kagome bit her lip nervously before she forced a smile on her face. “Hi, Onii-san.”

That earned the miko a murderous glare from the dog demon. Turning to Inuyasha, he raised an eyebrow. “I see that your mate’s little head has been restored.” Not waiting for an answer, he added, “And, your offspring. I can smell their stench all over you.”

“Pups are fine,” mumbled Inuyasha. Annoyed as he was with his brother, he still couldn’t help the grin that stretched across his lips at the thought of how much his life had changed since the last time he had seen the dog demon.

As if mirroring his expression, Sesshoumaru’s lips twitched into a ghost of a smile before it disappeared without a trace. “There was a lot of blood in that clearing. What did you do with the high priestess?”

“Sent her high-ass down to hell.”

Sesshoumaru nodded. “One less thing to worry about. You haven’t been completely useless, after all.”

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at his brother’s insistence on being an ass.

“Do you think you can manage to bring your family to the castle in one piece?” asked the dog demon as if goading the hanyou was his favorite pastime. Before Inuyasha could retort with an expletive, he added, “On second thought… Now that you have your pathetic group back, perhaps you can.”

Ignoring the hanyou’s growls, he turned to leave. “Do not linger anymore, Inuyasha,” he commanded over his shoulder before looking up to the dark sky as if his eyes could pierce through the night and reveal its secrets. “I sense something foreboding in the air.”

The hanyou cursed Sesshoumaru for ruining his mood because now that the dog demon mentioned it, Inuyasha could also feel that something was off. He didn’t share it with his miko as he led her back to the cave, however; he didn’t want to worry her in case it turned out to be nothing more than an impertinent fear his brother had successfully instilled in him.

Unfortunately, he became even more restless as the ominous feeling only continued to grow as the group took off for the Western Castle the following morning.

End of Chapter 22
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