InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Leiko ❯ A Day in the Life of a Slayer ( Chapter 11 )

Chapter Eleven

A Day in the

Life of A

Slayer

 

Leiko stood staring at the people milling about the village. She was having a serious deja vu moment as she stood on the outskirts of the tiny village. Hadn't Sasuke said something about a woman named Sango and a man named Miroku? She could hear her father's voice telling the story of his adventures with two people with just such names. Could these two people be the same ones from his story? It wasn't only the names or the story that made her fell as if she knew this place. She felt like she'd been here before.

"Come." Sasuke said, moving towards a huge mansion towards the back of the village.

Leiko glanced at Yamainu. He was watching the people with a very guarded gaze. Garou walked close by his mistress, growling at any who rested their eyes on her for too long. Keiyo kept looking at each person, praying to the gods that none of them had any desire to claim their hides as prizes.

"Does anyone else feel like these people are going to kill us if we breath too deeply?" Keiyo asked.

"No one's gonna hurt us." Leiko said. "Sasuke brought us here so these people have to see that we mean them no harm."

Kari nodded agreement. "Just stay calm, Keiyo."

Yamainu growled and clenched his fists to his side. "What makes you so sure of this samurai we just met last night?!" he demanded.

"My father and mother knew Sango and Miroku." Leiko shot back. "What's with you?!"

"Nothing." Yamainu growled.

Kari and Keiyo giggled knowingly. Leiko rolled her eyes at them. She glanced down at Garou, but all he could offer her was a wolf-like grin. When they stood on the steps of the mansion, Sasuke led the way inside. Leiko hesitated for a moment, then entered with a determined look in her eyes. They entered the living room and stood staring at the lavish tapestries. Leiko walked over to one and her jaw dropped. Her father was in it except he was a hanyou and he was weilding Tetsusaiga. Her mother was behind him with her Sacred arrow blazing, notched against the taunt string of the bow Leiko now carried over her shoulder. Sango and Miroku were there as well. Each weilding their tell-tale weapons. Kilala lay at Sango's feet in her full-grown demon form. In the background the man her father had named Naraku hovered in shadow.

"Mom. Dad." Leiko breathed.

Her hand went to the Shikon no Tama around her neck. Leiko closed her eyes and saw herself as a child standing in front of the same tapesty. How could such a thing be in her memory? She never been here. Or had she? Leiko shook her head to clear her mind. It was all just some silly thought. She'd never been here.

"Lady Leiko." a voice said.

She turned to the voice. A woman in a green skirt and a white tunic stood on the threshold. Behind her, a demon cat hovered near her feet and a man in purple robes stood staring at the young woman. They were the onces from her father's story.

"You're Sango and Miroku?" she asked.

"Yes." the woman said.

Leiko sighed heavily. "You knew my mother and father?" she asked, waving to the tapestry.

"Of course we did." Sango said, with a tiny smile.

"Inuyasha's daughter?" Miroku asked.

Leiko nodded.

"What happened?" Sango asked.

Leiko looked at her companions. They all nodded. It was only right to tell these people what had happened. Sango sat down on a cushion and Kilala leapt into her lap. Miroku disappeared into the kitchen beyond. When he returned, a young woman in black and red robes, black and red prayer beads wrapped around her arms and across her breasts entered. Her long black hair fell down to her waist and her green eyes danced with delight as her eyes fell on Sasuke. She placed the tray of steaming food in front of them. Miroku passed around a large clay pitcher of cool fruit juice in front of the weary travelers.

"This is my daughter, Satzuka."

When their hosts sat down once more, the six of them looked at one another then launched at the food. Leiko shoveled the sushi into her mouth and gave a delighted laugh. The last time she'd had a real home-cooked meal was when she had gone to visit her family. She shoved a large handful of sliced apples into her mouth, splattering juice all over her chin.

"Leiko, how are your parents." Sango asked.

"Hmm. Fhey're aright." she said through a mouthful.

Sango giggled.

"Just like your father for the world." Miroku said, shaking his head and smiling.

The train of conversation trailed away from Leiko's family and on to Sasuke's tale of his training. Leiko heard rain begin to fall on the bamboo roof. She looked around the room to be sure no one was looking. She slipped out of the house and out onto the porch. Leiko sat down and let her bare feet dangle over the edge into a small puddle forming. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply.

She caught a sweet scent on the air. Yamainu stood behind her, silent. Leiko didn't turn to him. She didn't have to turn to acknowledge his presnce. It went unsaid that she knew he was there.

"It was raining the day I left." she said in a low voice.

Yamainu stepped forth a few paces and sat down beside her.

"Akira had gone to the doctor. She'd always been sick, but every single doctor told my parents the same thing." Leiko swallowed hard, then continued. "There was no way to help her and it was just a matter of time before...she...died."

Yamainu placed his hand over hers. So that was why she had been so eager to go home. He saw a tear slip through her closed lashes. Yamainu wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close.

"Don't cry." he whispered.

The sound of the bamboo windbreak being moved out of the way brought Leiko out of her slump. She sat up right quickly and wiped her tears away. When she turned, she saw Sango and Miroku's daughter. She smiled at the two of them and let her deep green eyes rest on Yamainu.

"My mother has a request." she said.

"What is it?" Leiko asked.

Satzuka kept her eyes on Yamainu and moved to kneel before the handsome wolf youkai. She took his hand in hers and leaned forward. Her face was only inches from Yamainu's. Leiko's eyes burned with a jealous rage. Before she knew what she was doing, she had moved between Yamainu and Satzuka. The dog hanyou's fists were clench at her side, her anger rising. The very thought of this lecher groping on her guy made her burn with a fire of rage.

Whoa! Did she just think of Yamainu as her guy?! Leiko continued to glare at the young woman before her. Yamainu wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck. Satzuka visibly shrank away from the two of them. Her eyes took on a sort of dull look now.

"The slayer village isn't what it used to be. My mother is the only real slayer left. In all truth, my family are the only slayers in the village." she explained.

"So you want us to help you slay some demon that's been hounding you." Leiko said flatly.

Satzuka smiled sweetly. She hadn't caught the undercurrent in Leiko's voice. Kari, Shadow, Garou, Sasuke, and Keiyo came to stand on the threshold and watched the three on the porch. Keiyo smiled at Leiko. The hanyou ignored the cougar demon. She knew what Keiyo was thinking.

"We'll do it." Leiko said.

"Good." Satzuka said.

A loud roar filled the air and the ground rumbled as heavy feet pounded the ground. Leiko turned to the sound, then whirled on Satzuka. Had she known that the monster would soon be coming to attack the village? Yamainu rose to his feet.

"Let's go." he said in his dangerously low voice. "Ready, Lei?"

She nodded and unsheathed Yakeima. The blue and silver sparks filled the air. Leiko sliced the air before her, sending a spray of sparks to follow in its wake. A satisfied smile touched her lips. This demon was as good as dead. Yamainu, Leiko, and Garou ran to meet the demon head-on. Sasuke hung back to watch how the three of them worked. Kari and Shadow ran half-way to where the scene of the battle would take place. They skidded to a stop and prepared to watch their opponet's skills.

A large bear demon stormed into the slayers' village and went for the livestock. It sank its massive fangs into the frightened cattle. A sickening crunch filled the air as bones were broken. Blood colored the soft soil black. Leiko growled angrily and leapt at the monster of a bear. She swung her sword up, bringing it down to slice into the furry back of the creature. The demon roared and brought one of its massive paws to swat her away. Garou leapt into the air and sank his fangs into threatening paw. Yamainu launched himself onto the bear and shoved his claws into the thick fur.

Leiko landed on the ground, breathing heavily over her near-death encounter. Her silver eyes blazed with rage. She ran at the bear demon, slicing into its haunch. It roared angrily and began to buck and slash at the air. Leiko's clothes and body was drenched in blood. She shook her silver locks and sent a spray of blood everywhere.

"Our time now,Shadow!" Kari shouted to the wolf pup.

Shadow became engulfed in his transformation cloud and leapt forth in his massive form from hell. Kari and Shadow ran to join the battle. Kari ran and launched herself into the air. Her wings stirred up a small cloud of dust as she flew at the creature. She withdrew her kantanas and embedded them between the ribs of the demon. Shadow and Garou charged as one and sank their deadly fangs into the bear's right foreleg. Leiko was still trying to wipe the blood from her eyes.

A deafening roar filled the air. The bear rose to its muscular hind legs and let out another rageing roar. It shook its paw and sent the two wolves flying. Shadow transformed into his smaller form once more. The bear grabbed hold of Kari, throwing her to the side. His claws sank into her silver wings and tore them. Kari screamed as pain seared through her. Yamainu tried to leap out of the bear's range, but the bone-crushing paw took hold of him. He was thrown away from the bear like a ragdoll.

Leiko finally cleared the blood from around her eyes and took in the scene of her friends laying beaten. She whirled on the roaring bear. Red beads flew through the air and expolded in the bear's face. It roared in anger. Leiko turned to see Satzuka standing behind her, twirling the prayer beads around her fingers. She'd blinded it so Leiko could attack it.

She hefted Yakeima off of the ground and growled angrily in the base of her throat. Leiko charged at the bear.

"Let's go, you big behemoth!" she cried. "Die!"

Leiko brought Yakeima over her head and as she ran underneath the bear demon the sparkling blade sliced open its stomach. In her wake, the intrails littered the ground. She skidded to a stop behind the bear. The bear let out one more feeble roar and slammed to the ground. A sickening smile crossed Leiko's lips.

"Score one for the home team." she said as she hefted Yakeima onto her shoulder.

Satzuka turned to her parents as they walked up. They stared at the remains of the bear. Leiko sheathed her sword and strolled over to them. Shadow was in his adult form, carrying Kari on his back. Garou licked a wound on his haunch and joined his mistress. Yamainu climbed to his feet slowly. Keiyo and Sasuke came running from the house.

"You are your father's child." Miroku chuckled.

Leiko smiled. "Aw, it was nothing." she said. "All in a day's work for a slayer."