InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Kagome! Where are you?! ❯ a day in the iron age.. ( Chapter 21 )

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

Chapter 21: a day in the iron age . . .

Just to be clear. Kagome believes she is in the year 505 BC. This is the year, according to
Japanese legends & myths. (The 4th emperor of japan ruled from 510 to 477 Bc by the traditional
Japanese calender. So the fifth year of his reign is 505.)

They are really in the year 225 Bc plus or minus a decade or so. a new iron age culture is
conquering the stone inhabitants of japan. In 250 BC somebody introduced then-modern Chinese
Iron working and rice growing tech . . . and proceeded to conqueror Japan.

The title Tenno means the same as the emperor.

Kami translated roughly as God . . .

_______________________________

"The servants are here with breakfast." He points to a group of human females approaching them


The female servants place a very old fashioned traditional breakfast in front of Kagome. They
don't place anything in front of Sesshomaru. One of them stays nearby to help Kagome, the
others go into the bedroom and begin to clean it up. The dialect they are using is very different
from what Kagome is used to. She can understand them, but only if they speak slowly and
pronounce the words clearly.

Kagome frowns and shakes her head, ‘are they gossiping about not finding sperm in there? I
have to be misunderstanding them' as she tries to listen in as the servants talk as they clean and
serve her.

"When you have finished, woman, this Sesshomaru will continue your combat training." He says
as he points to nearby field, which is visible through the open porch. On the field Kagome can
see groups of men, a few hundred total, gathering, they have spears and simple bows, like the
one she uses. "They use that as a practice field, we will use it."


Later . . . after breakfast and tramping through the mud to the field.


The weapons practice of the soldiers becomes a little uneven as they watch Sesshomaru and
Kagome.

‘Hmm . . . The weapons are primitive, of course, but, the discipline and organization of these
humans are as good, if not better, than any I have seen,' Sesshomaru thinks as he surveys the
field.

"Are those stones on top of those spears, Sesshomaru?"
"Yes, the spears are tipped with sharpened stone, not metal." He points to the officers that are
yelling and organizing the men. One of them is giving a man that faltered, as he looked as
Sesshomaru and Kagome, a major ass-chewing. The Tenno is there commanding his armies
training.


"The only warriors with iron weapons are the officers, and the weapons I can see are of very
poor quality." He comments.

‘We are in the early iron age, late stone age . . . ' Kagome thinks as she looks around. ‘Weird.
I'm used to be smaller than men, but I'm taller than most of these men.'

She looks at the Tenno, who since he is the emperor, she would have expected him to be sitting
back and observing, but instead, he is moving around and is involved in many, if not most, of the
training. His hair is greying, but that is probably due to stress than age, he looks like he is in his
late thirties or early forties, otherwise. He is smaller than she would have thought, smaller than
her even, and his features have a Chinese cast to them.

"Draw your sword, Higurashi Kagome." Sesshomaru orders as he pulls Tokijin.

‘Let's see if I can surprise him.' Kagome thinks as she draws Jaa Kalpa, a small smile on her
lips.

‘Hmmm . . . where did she get this confidence with that weapon?' he begins a slow, very basic
attack pattern, one she should be able to deflect.

Jaa Kalpa and Tokijin sing as they clash.

As they spar, the soldiers practice comes to an end, as all the men stop to watch the sparing
match between a human female and the dog demon.

Kagome's eyes light up as she sees an opening, ‘now!' she releases a very minor flash of energy
into Jaa Kalpa.

She swings . . .

Sesshomaru, with visible effort, uses his speed to avoid her attack. "I see. You finally were able
to awaken the blade. This Sesshomaru was wondering about how, exactly, you defeated those
alien bugs."

"I almost got you." She smiles.

Sesshomaru's raises his eyebrow, "You need to learn, however, if you have a surprise . . . save it
until you can win, not to use it to impress your opponent. Now, I am aware of it, and I will not
be surprised."

Ring! Ring!

Jaa Kalpa flies out of her grip and lands point first in the mud.

Kagome is flexing her hand, trying to work out the stinging sensation in her hand.

"Good. Gather your weapon. Now we can begin the real combat training." Sesshomaru's grin is
showing a large amount of teeth, especially his pointed canines.

Later . . .

Kagome is on her knees. She is using her sword for support. She is bloody, from various small
cuts, and muddy, from all the times she slipped in the mud.

Sesshomaru is immaculate, of course. "We are finished for today."

‘I would complain, but from what I do remember of his childhood . . . he is going easy on me.'
She thinks.

Once it's obvious that Sesshomaru and Kagome have finished sparing, The Tenno, who has been
watching approaches Sesshomaru. They talk, but Kagome is to far away to understand them.

She walks toward them, her eyes widen and she runs up and grabs Sesshomaru's arm.
Sesshomaru's hand is on his hilt. "Sesshomaru! Stop!"

Sesshomaru stares at her, his eye's red. "Human, do not interfere."

"I am not going to allow you to hurt him. That's final, Sesshomaru, sir."

"Repeat what you just said, Tenno." Sesshomaru growls at him.

"I offered to purchase you from him, woman. No human female should be the servant of a
demon." The Tenno replies.

Kagome releases Sesshomaru arm, but moves so she is between him and the Tenno. She bows,
very deeply to him, and from the bowed position, without looking at him, "Tenno, please. You
misunderstand, lord Tenno. I am not owned by him. I am a free woman."

"Very odd. Answer me. You are not his wife?"

"I am not his wife."

"You are not his concubine?"
"I am not his concubine."

"You are not his property?"
"I am, definitely, not his property."

"What are you then?"

Kagome raises herself, but, still looking at the ground, not the Tenno, replies, "I am a miko. My
name is Higurashi Kagome."

"There is no family with that name."

Kagome licks her lips, "It is my name, Tenno. Given to me by my mother and father."

"And your parents are where?"

"Ahh." Kagome begins, ‘how to I answer that question? Trying to explain . . . would be hard,
so. Ok, a little while lie, then' she thinks. "They are dead, Tenno."

"Ah, sooo . . . Then, since you are a miko . . . yes." The Tenno looks her up and down,
something sparkling in his eyes. "Go and clean up, report to the temple for spiritual cleaning, as
well, and then have the servants dress you for supper, tonight. You will sit on my left-hand side."

He turns and walks off, back to the other soldiers to restart their training.

"Well . . . " Kagome whispers as she straightens. She puts her hands on hips, and repeats, "well.
That was refreshing."

Sesshomaru raises an eyebrow as he observes her.


‘How can you refuse the emperor?' she thinks. She shakes her head, ‘you can't.'

"You are going to accept that?"

"He is the emperor of Japan. I am Japanese. You obey him." Her mouth twitches, "Although
neither one of you knows a thing about politeness."

"Politeness is for lesser beings. You do not waste it on inferiors."

Kagome raises her eyebrows. "Politeness is never wasted. Well, I'm going to find out what types
of baths exist in this time." She starts to walk back to the building they left from this morning.

Sesshomaru follows her. "Why are you following me?" Kagome asks over her shoulder.
"What else is there to do here?" Sesshomaru asks in a serious voice.

Kagome nods. "Yes. You would be bored here. Ok. But, please, give me some privacy."

He nods. "Within limits."
Later . . . at the bathhouse . . .

Soap is a surprise to the servant girls that are helping her bathe, as Sesshomaru stands guard
outside. Kagome is kind enough to share with the girls, but does not leave any samples behind.
(Not enough for everyone, sorry.)

Kagome walks out of the bathhouse in a plain robe made out of hemp. "This is very stiff and
scratchy. But . . . cotton wasn't introduced into Japan for another thousand years or more, so . . .
"

"Your clothes?"

"They said that I need to wear this to the ritual cleansing." She sighs, "after that they have a silk
kimono for me to wear tonight."

They walk toward the temple.

Kagome frowns as she looks around the small town. The Tenno's capital is bigger than Keade's
village, but . . . It only holds perhaps 5,000 people in it. "All of this looks new. I know it's all
wood, but still . . . I would think that the buildings would look older."

"They move to a new town every few years and built it anew."

"Huh?"

Sesshomaru points to a man carry a large sack across his shoulders, it must weigh 75 to 100
kilograms. "The only way to move rice and food around is by carrying it and walking. It is easier
to store the rice and food at each village. After three or four years the Tenno and his court eat all
the stored food in a village, and they move to a new village. Perhaps half or more of this village
will move with them as part of the court. When they arrive at the new village, everyone joins
together and they build a new larger village. The Tenno and his court, basically, lives a nomadic
existence as they move from village to village."

"How do you know that, Sesshomaru? I thought you didn't study human history?"

"I didn't. My hearing, on the other hand, is superior. I can hear the discussions between various
people and they are beginning to plan for the next move. It will happen next year. This year, the
Tenno, once the rice planting is done, will take his army and attack the Jomon tribes that live in
area near the new village. Then next year, everyone moves into the area that has been cleared of
the barbarian Jomon tribes. They will then build new rice fields and start preparing to attack a
new group of barbarians . . . "

"Jomon . . . probably their name for the Ainu tribes."

"Perhaps, those tribes use only stone weapons, according to what I'm hearing."

Kagome purses her lips and nods, "yes, the iron age Yamato clan is conquering Japan from the
stone age Ainu or Jomon tribes."

Sesshomaru shrugs. This really doesn't matter to him.

Kagome looks around at the small town. "So . . . everything that will become Japan is in this
village. All the history and culture I know . . . begins here . . . " she whispers.

She approaches the building that she was told is the temple. It is built next to a water fall.
Surrounding the temple is a fence, the gate of which looks similar to the torii gate she is familiar
with, but with some changes.

Kagome and Sesshomaru enter the compound. Kagome does all her standard rituals, but some of
them cause the priests that are watching her to mutter along themselves. Apparently some of the
rituals have changed with time. Also Sesshomaru's presence is also something they dislike, but
they are not brave enough to confront him.

Kagome's brow furrows, ‘I'm still sensing a lot of minor spirits and demons, even in here. Don't
they know the basic protection spell Keade taught me? That would ward the temple, even the
village from these small pests.' She thinks.


"Is there a sacred mirror?" she asks. The priests shake their heads.

‘Not even a mirror?' Kagome shivers and she thinks, ‘Shinto is still being created, so many of
the standard objects aren't being used yet . . . '

"May I borrow a bronze mirror, please?"

After short discussion, the priests bring out a bronze mirror, it is a plain, circular mirror about as
big as her head. "May I?" She asks as she reaches out for it. They hand it to her. She flips it over.

"Sesshomaru, do have an ink and brush set on you?"

"Of course, human."

"May I borrow them, please?"

Sesshomaru prepares his ink and brush set. Kagome takes the brush and draws a basic protection
symbol on the back of the mirror.

"Mystic Chinese symbols . . . " one priest mutters.

She concentrates and a flash of light leaves the mirror.

Sesshomaru shivers. ‘That spell . . . normally it just drives off some of the minor spirits, and
does not harm them. But . . . that burst. Even I felt it. It must have destroyed all the minor spirits
in here.'

She hands the mirror back to the priests. "Anyone that looks into the mirror will be freed of
minor demons." She smiles. The priests take the mirror and huddle around it.

After a while, and a very loud discussion between the priests, she is taken to the water fall and
directed to strip and stand under it to become ritually clean.


Later . . . back at the building where they woke up . . .

Kagome opens Shippo's bag of candy and is handing some of it out to the naked children that
have gathered around her. "I can't do much, but, at least, I can do this." She whispers, smiling at
the good time the children are having.

A group of women servants enter, carrying a large bundle of silken robes. "Sesshomaru, if you
could, please wait outside, I'm going to be dressed for tonight's feast."

"That feast is still hours away." He comments.

"Yes, but, it takes that long to get ready, apparently."

He shrugs and leaves the room. He stands with his back to the wooden wall.

Inside the room . . .

"Why are you girls being sooo . . . attentive to me?" Kagome asks as the servants. They have all
been bowing and muttered excuses as she's undressed.

"Lady, what you have done today . . . is beyond the words of this person." One of them finally
mumbles.

‘Great . . . just like the first few days at Keade's village, when those villagers were offering me
things, the same thing happened here.' She thinks.

"There is even a story being told that you are a Kami." Another girl whispers.
"Huh? No. I'm not a Kami. Just a Miko." Kagome shakes her head.

The girls whisper among themselves. Then one of them pulls out a small wooden jar and opens
it. In it is a black paste. "Please, Miko, open your mouth so, this person, can blacken your
teeth." She asks.

"You want to rub that black goo on my teeth?" Kagome asks, her eyes wide.

All the girls smile, and Kagome can see that all their teeth have been blackened. Kagome shakes
her head, "No. I'm sorry if I'm going to be offending people or not. But I am not applying that to
my teeth."

The girls huddle and whisper. They break the huddle and one of them says, "Miko, we are going
to follow your orders, here. The Tenno likes his wives to remove the blackness before they go to
bed, he doesn't like it when it gets on his manhood, so he should allow you not to have it on for
supper. Now, if you could sit, nude on this stool, so we can continue to dress you."

A nude Kagome sits down on the low stool and she smiles, "Thank you, I really didn't want to
offend . . . " Her eyes widen, "Wives." She squeaks out.

"Of course Miko, This robe is the traditional wedding dress. The Tenno ordered us to dress you
in it for your wedding tonight."

Kagome mouth hangs open. "Wedding . . . tonight . . . " She blushes, and closes her mouth. She
clears her throat, "Umm. Why wasn't I told?" She squeaks out. ‘Or even given a choice?' she
thinks.

The girls look at each, confused obviously. "You are not owned by the demon. Your parents are
dead. And you are miko." One says as if Kagome getting married is the most natural thing in the
world.

Another nods and continues, "And since your parents are dead, the Tenno, by law and custom,
becomes the head of your family, and he can decide when and whom you marry."

Yet another adds in, "Besides. You are a miko, a servant of the Kami and the temple. The Kami
is supposed to speak through you. The Tenno is a living Kami. He is, also, the head of the
temple. Since you are a miko, you belong to him as a servant of the temple, anyway. He is
honoring you, greatly, by marrying you."

"But . . . but. What if I don't want to get dressed and married?" Kagome whispers.

The servant girls look horrified, plainly the idea that someone would even think about refusing
the Tenno has never occurred to them.

"You have to!" one of them cries.
A couple of the others begin to weep into their robes.

"You have to marry the emperor!"

"If you don't show up dressed properly, the Tenno will punish us!" another cries.

"Yes, he could kill us!"

"Or give us to the barbarians! Please allow us to dress you!"

‘But . . . what I am supposed to do?' Kagome thinks in shock. ‘If I don't show up dressed, he'll
punish these girls, and who knows what might happen? But . . . how can I marry the emperor?'

"Doesn't he have a wife?" She asks.

"Yes, you would become the third wife."

"And you need to watch out for the northern wife. She is very jealous. And with all that you've
done today, you will have made her jealous." Another girl whispers into Kagome's ear.

Kagome stares out in shock, ‘what do I do?' she thinks. The girls, seeing Kagome doing nothing,
continue their normal tasks.

One of the girls, kneels between Kagome's legs with a small lit candle. "Please spread your legs,
miko. I need to clean your secret place for the emperor tonight."

Kagome's eyes widen. "What are you doing?!"

"I am going to burn off your hair. Fire cleans any spiritual and physical pollution." The girl
smiles at Kagome, "don't worry, I'd done it many times before. Everything will be fine."

"Just relax, my Lady Miko and enjoy your marriage tonight." One of the girls smiles as she
speaks. "The Tenno is really good between the pillows. You'll enjoy it. I know that I did when
he accepted me into his household as a servant."

Kagome looks around at all the smiling girls waiting for some sign from her. ‘I can't leave, if I
do, they'll be punished. But, if I stay . . . I cannot get married. What do I do?'

The girls begin to dress and apply makeup to Kagome as she sits there . . . trying to figure out
what to do . . .

Outside . . .

Sesshomaru allows a small smile to appear on his lips. ‘Everything is going as I thought it
would. There is no way she'll want to marry the Tenno. So, sooner or later, she'll want to leave.
I will rescue her from the Tenno and his guards. She will be grateful for that, and that will help
in my quest for her soul. I've to remember to make sure her bag is ready.'

______________________________

the end chapter 21

The mirror bit. Ok. The Japanese Imperial regalia is a curved jewel, a sword and a bronze mirror.
All three objects are tremendously important to Shinto and the Japanese. Perhaps, this was
creation of the mirror of legend, perhaps not . . .

That last bit with the candle . . . your choices were expensive bronze or iron knives, which also
weren't very sharp, or flaked razor-sharp obsidian flakes to cut hair. And no soap, only water. Or
a flame to burn off the hair.

I am Sorry, if this offended anybody, but. I wanted this to be as realistic as possible (and yes, I
am a hentai.).

Sigh . . . Once upon a time, I thought up an A/U world in which Kagome went through the well
and instead of landing in 1500ad, she landed in 600ad (the beginning of written Japanese
history), so, I modified that idea for this story.

Authors' note: another world that failed to make the cut . . .

The world of Conan the barbarian . . .

For 1 reason, really . . . I can picture . . . Kagome I is in a chain-mail bikini for the fan boys.
Sesshomaru is in a loincloth, for the fan girls . . . (yes, I am hentai, I've only barely shown it) . .
. Sigh . . . However . . . that was all I could really think of. Oh... I could probably go with
Conan & Belit fishing them out of the sea. And they go on a pirate raid into stygia. But, shrug. I
like the worlds I chose better than that.

Thank you for reading
jeff shelton