InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Remnants of the Spider ❯ The Fox's Plea ( Chapter 31 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Lady Sianna 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 11.11.2009 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.6K | Visits: 242 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 11.11.2009 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.6K | Visits: 242 | Status: Work In Progress
Remnants of the Spider
The Fox’s Plea __________________________________________________________________ ______
Awkward silence settled in filling the physical space between the demon lord, miko, and the ancient kitsune youkai.
Still avoiding Sesshoumaru’s eyes, Kagome looked down to see her bare feet standing in the short grass which surrounded her hut. Suddenly aware of her state of dress, the miko bit back an embarrassed squeak and placed a protective hand over her chest. Willing herself not to blush, she looked up and summoned her voice.
“If you’ll excuse me for a moment…” she directed her comment to the kitsune, a small uneasy smile on her lips.
“Of course.” the demon replied politely before nodding his understanding.
She then turned, rather hastily, and made her way into the hut.
Left alone with the stoic demon lord, the kit folded his hands into the billowing sleeves of his dark green haori. There was just the barest hint of a smile hovering over his lips. His back was straight and he held his head high. It was almost as if he was completely unaware, or perhaps unconcerned over the distrustful golden glare which had recently shifted in his distinct direction.
In Daisuke’s mind, Sesshoumaru was but a pup, a powerful pup, but a pup none the less. He, Daisuke, had dealt with his fair share of disgruntled demon lords before, and was not discomfited in the least by the hard, cold eyes that even now seemed intent on boring a hole into his skull. The old kit was fully confident if not in his ability to defeat Lord Sesshoumaru in battle, but his ability to escape him should he decide to attack. He had not spent his very long life as a kitsune without learning a few tricks.
The inu lord took in the old fox’s various features, uncaring that the other demon would surely notice the fact that he was staring. Though the demon’s appearance was similar to a human nearing his mid forties, Sesshoumaru could tell that the male was one of considerable age; likely two thousand years or more. The existence of the nine long, slender tails at his back spoke of such.
It was no wonder the demon did not fear him. Kitsune of his advanced age and power had little to fear from almost any potential opponent. They were excellent in the arts of trickery and escape. It was likely that not even he, Sesshoumaru, would be able to catch him should he suddenly decide to flee.
Such knowledge only served to agitate his already sour mood.
Inside the hut, Kagome was quickly making herself presentable. Even though Sesshoumaru and the other demon were still outside, she was a bit uncomfortable about their proximity so she gathered her clothing from the day before and scampered into the back room of her little hut. Her mind was racing. Between her situation wit Sesshoumaru, and the appearance of this new demon, Kagome hardly knew what to think. Her mind blurred through one thought after another, hardly allowing her to focus on the significance of one matter before it was off to the next.
Attempting to place all of her discombobulated thoughts aside for now, she wrapped herself in her haori before slipping into her hakama, tying it as neatly as her quickly moving fingers would allow. Leaving her sleeping kimono in a messy heap on the floor, she exited the small storage room and looked almost frantically around her.
‘What next?’ she wondered as she continued to scan the small room.
Spotting a small plastic bottle of water near her sleeping mat, the miko picked it up and unscrewed the cap. She poured a bit of water into her remaining hand, using the lukewarm water to scrub any and hopefully all embarrassing remnants of sleep from her face.
When she was finished with that, she hastily ran her fingers through her hair, straitening it as much as possible before going over to check on Rin. She kneeled at her bedside and carefully brushed a few stray hairs away from the girl’s face.
Even in sleep, Rin was able to soothe Kagome’s slightly racing heart. Kagome smiled down on her before placing a light kiss onto the tips of her fingers. She then transferred the kiss to Rin’s forehead before rising to her feet and heading for the door.
She gave herself a final look, straitening the lapels of her haori before stepping outside. The two demons appeared as she had left them. She forced a small smile, and turned her attention to the kitsune.
“My…” she trailed off as she struggled to adequately put her thoughts into words. “There is a young girl sleeping inside. She is… a student miko and a very close friend of mine. If her being here is going to be a problem for you…”
Daisuke held up a hand to cut her off. “I do not believe this will be a problem. The information I wish to disclose to you is indeed sensitive in nature, but I cannot see how an apprentice miko would make ill use of it.” he smiled gently. “Should she wake, you will however see that she does not speak of this matter with anyone else?”
“Of course.” Kagome agreed readily. “Please,” she said as she turned back and held the straw panel door aside. “Come in and have a seat.”
Sesshoumaru remained silent and allowed the kitsune youkai to go ahead of him. Daisuke was not fooled into thinking that the gesture was done in kindness or consideration of any kind. No, the old fox was well aware that the dog lord had allowed him to go first for no reason other than that he refused to show his back to someone who could be considered a potential threat. Selecting a small area near the entrance, Kagome seated herself on the floor. Attempting to be as graceful as possible, she tucked her legs beneath her, and folded her hands in her lap.
‘I hope this meeting doesn’t last too long.’ she thought absently, ‘I hate sitting seiza.’
The fox demon lowered himself to the floor directly across from her, folding his legs neatly in front of him and folding his hands in his sleeves. For his part, Sesshoumaru took a place behind and to the right of Kagome as if he intended to do nothing more than supervise the proceedings.
The miko gave herself a little shake attempting to escape the slight discomfort Sesshoumaru’s proximity invoked. It wasn’t so much that she was uncomfortable having him near her, it was the fact that she could still feel his eyes on her. It was almost as if she was, for lack of a better description, on stage giving a performance for which she had never been given a script. The idea that she would do or say something embarrassing was as an elephant in the corner of her mind; something large, imposing, and impossible to ignore.
Taking a deep breath, Kagome willed herself to speak.
“Would you like some tea?” she offered politely.
Daisuke offered a gracious smile. “No thank you. I was never very fond of tea myself.”
Kagome nodded, slightly relieved. Turning back, she looked up at the male behind her.
“Se-- Lord Sesshoumaru?” she asked in an equally genial manner.
The inu lord narrowed his eyes slightly.
“No.” he answered coolly. They stared at one another in silence for several seconds before his deep voice roused Kagome from whatever spiraling train of thought she had been pursuing. “Thank you.” the demon added almost as an afterthought, and the miko was left with the impression that the polite revision had been forced. There was the promise of a later discussion glimmering in the depths of his narrowed eyes and Kagome had to force herself to look away.
Turning back to Daisuke, she plastered another phony smile on her lips. “How can I help you?” she asked, her voice surprisingly calm.
The old demon did not speak right away. There was much to discuss and he needed to take a moment to put his thoughts in order.
“I was sent to seek you out by Hiroshi-sama, reining Lord of the Northern region.” he began at last. “We are in dire need of your assistance, if you would be willing to aid us.”
Kagome attempted to repress her uncertainty. She had helped many people in the past, but not by herself. She wondered what sort of help he needed. A heavy knowledge was beginning to surface from the corners of her mind. She had been the one to defeat Naraku, and according to both Kouga, and Tsunjin, this information had been spread far and wide across the land. It wasn’t a good thing as it was very likely that some details had been exaggerated, altered, or fabricated all together.
If this Daisuke was expecting some warrior priestess, he was going to be thoroughly disappointed. Her archery had advanced to a level beyond proficient, and she was more powerful now than she had ever been before, but she still wasn’t really a fighter. She hadn’t defeated Naraku because she was an excellent strategist, or a great and powerful warrior. She had merely been desperate to save her friends. She had wanted their survival more than anything, and had sacrificed her own to see to it. If not for the grace of a kindhearted spirit priestess, she wouldn’t bee here now.
“Proceed.”
Kagome could not repress the shudder that wracked her body when the unexpected voice spoke from behind her.
Seemingly unaffected by the stern order, the youkai’s eyes took on a far away look as he decided the best way of conveying what he needed to say. Finally, he chose to simply start from the very beginning.
“The Northern region holds a very powerful allegiance with that of the East. An unbreakable bond was forged between our provinces centuries ago due to our previous emperor Hiro-sama.
“Five hundred years ago, the Eastern province was ruled by a leopard youkai called Kanagawa Youichi. The emperor was stern, and shrewd, but reasonably fair in his dealings with his people and the other lords of the land.
“He ruled for two hundred relatively peaceful years before problems began to brew. It is unclear how he came into possession of a powerful three headed dragon, but when he did so, the emperor began to show his true nature.
“Through use of an amulet, he held exclusive power over the dragon. At first he claimed that the dragon was to keep potential enemies at bay, but in time, he became the enemy, even to his own people. Soon, his already iron grip on the land tightened to the point of suffocation. He dispersed severe and often deadly punishment to any and all who angered or apposed him. None who questioned his orders or tactics remained alive as they quickly became fodder to the red dragon. Unrest began to rise in the region, as it became increasingly clear that the emperor had gone mad with power. From what we know, Youichi planned to take over the regions one by one. With his control over the dragon, no one would have been able to stop him.
“At that time, Hiro-sama had been Youichi’s highest ranking general. It was he who spearheaded the revolt against the Eastern Lord. He began secretly meeting with the, then human emperor of the North, Tokushima, Akio. They soon formed an alliance and a plan was created to stop Youichi’s madness.
“Lady Izumi, the high priestess, and Akio’s only daughter would be the key to Youichi’s downfall. With the promise that Hiro-sama would protect her should anything go wrong, Lord Akio offered his daughter to become Youichi’s mate. The idea was that an alliance would be formed through their marriage bond, and Youichi would refrain from any and all efforts to conquer the North. It was a ruse however, as Lord Akio knew that the Eastern lord would not honor the alliance.
“As planned, Lady Izumi stole the amulet, making off with it during the night. The leopard youkai was quick to discover his mate’s betrayal, and immediately sought her out to slay her. Hiro-sama protected Lady-Izumi as promised and then demanded that the Eastern Lord surrender his throne. Refusing to accept defeat, and loss of power, Youichi refused and fought to his final breath. In the end, the fatal blow was delivered by Hiro-sama himself.
“Freed from her mating bond through Youichi‘s death, Lady Izumi later became wife and mate to Hiro-sama, and together they took the rein of the North upon Lord Akio‘s eventual demise. Akiyama-sama, Yoichi‘s second general in command and Hiro-sama‘s only brother took over the reins of the Eastern rule.”
“Is there a point to this endless rambling?” Sesshoumaru asked coolly.”
Slightly annoyed at the interruption, a small sarcastic smile curved Daisuke’s lips. It came and went in the space of a breath and Sesshoumaru subconsciously tensed and flexed his claws.
Kagome noticed the little smirk and instinctively looked back to Sesshoumaru. She quickly sent him a beseeching look, mentally willing him to remain calm. The inu lord’s eyes remained fixed on the fox and he made no move to acknowledge that he saw her. The miko watched him for several seconds and was relieved when some of the tension melted from his stance. Turning back, she breathed a small sigh of relief. The old fox was not showing the kind of deference Sesshoumaru was accustomed to, but at the same time he had not been outright disrespectful. She sent a silent prayer to the gods for them to get through the meeting peacefully.
“The reason I sought you out,” Daisuke’s slightly rough voice began again. “Is directly connected with the previous tale.
“For the past few days, myself, and several others combed these lands looking for a powerful priestess called Kagome. In our search, we came across even more information than we set out to obtain. We discovered that a powerful, but maniacal hanyou by the name of Naraku fell at your hand, is this so?”
Kagome shifted uncomfortably. “Umm yes, but--”
“Splendid!” Daisuke declared exuberantly, the clap of his clawed hands sounding loud in the small room.
“A priestess who is able to accomplish such a feat would be more than powerful enough to accomplish this simple task!” he smiled brightly
“What task?” Kagome wanted to know.
“Lady Izumi was entrusted to keep the amulet. Deciding that the dragon was too dangerous, she commissioned the construction of a temple where the creature was to remain in stasis. Because she ordered that it do so, the dragon merely slept. After a short time however, it was decided that additional measures needed to be taken. If someone, even a corrupt member of her own house were to get their hands on the amulet, the results could be disastrous.”
Kagome frowned in concentration. Something about this whole story seemed so terribly familiar. An insistent little nudge kept prodding her from the back of her mind telling her that she had heard this story somewhere before.
“Under orders from Lady Izumi, chains were forged, and locks were crafted to bind the dragon so that even if it managed to wake, it would not be capable of leaving the temple. Lady Izumi herself infused the chains with an immense amount of spiritual power to help keep the dragon’s power dormant.
“The chains were secured with four heavy locks. The keys were also infused with spiritual power to ensure that they remain hidden. They can only be seen by a priestess of immense spiritual power. The keys were then scattered across the land, one in each region. Maps were drawn to archive the keys’ location, but…” the demon trailed off for the first time.
“Recently, the maps were stolen. We can only speculate as to who was behind the theft, and what is being planned, but as you can imagine, a situation such as this can turn out rather poorly.”
Kagome swallowed thickly. This was not good. In her mind she could see a puzzle forming as piece after piece fell into place. She did not like the picture that was being created. Naraku had been a crafty bastard. He had been obscenely meticulous, and every plan he created was backed with another, and that one was backed with an escape rout so that even if he failed, he would at least be able to escape with his pathetic life. What if he really had left another demon behind? What if he gave it instructions to avenge his death should he finally meet his demise? It was exactly the kind of thing he was well known for. If the new demon was anything like Naraku himself, he or possibly she likely wouldn’t want to get involved directly, and probably would try to use the dragon to exact revenge.
It made sense in the worst way.
“The keys react to spiritual power, not purity, so even a dark priestess would be able to see them.” Daisuke continued, unaware of the miko’s sudden sense of foreboding.
“The Northern Lord has decided that it is best that the keys be destroyed.” the fox pressed on. “A priestess of your caliper would easily be able to sense the keys. All four keys must be collected and taken to the temple. That is where the locks and the keys were forged, and it is there that they must be destroyed. In the temple’s cellar there is a furnace. It is no ordinary furnace however. The furnace can only be activated by the spiritual energy of a powerful miko. It must be activated, and the keys thrown in and destroyed. A representative of the North will meet you at the temple with the amulet. So that it will not fall into the wrong hands, the amulet is to be destroyed as well.”
Kagome frowned in thought. “This may be a silly question,” she began slowly, “but why wasn’t the amulet destroyed in the first place?”
Daisuke smiled patiently. “It was attempted.” he said softly. “But not even Lady Izumi and Hiroshi-sama’s combined energies were enough power to destroy the amulet. It seems that the wretched thing is nearly as indestructible as the dragon itself.”
The miko’s frown deepened. “If that’s the case, why do you think I would be able to destroy it?”
Daisuke‘s smile broadened. “You underestimate yourself Kagome-sama. Your spiritual power is unlike anything I have ever felt. Even as you sit peacefully before me, the air around you is charged with spiritual energy. I am certain that you would be more than powerful enough to complete this task However, if you are unable to complete the task alone,” he added glancing at Sesshoumaru, “the added energies of a powerful youkai would surely be enough to help you finish the job.”
Neither Kagome or Sesshoumaru responded to that.
For her part, Kagome was still considering all that Daisuke had told her. Her mind went over the details with a fine toothed comb and she noticed with a level of displeasure that a particular piece of information drew her attention again and again. Daisuke had said that even a dark miko would be able to see the keys, and it just so happened that Kagome knew of a dark miko who likely was powerful enough to see them.
Was it possible that Tsubaki was also involved? The wretched priestess was still alive as far as she knew, and she had sworn revenge against Kagome.
The young miko held back a sigh. These last peaceful weeks had managed to blot from her mind the fact that she had created many enemies in her efforts to protect the Shikon jewel.
Her thoughts were interrupted when the rustle of thick cloth drew her attention. Daisuke had reached into the large sleeves of his haori and withdrew a thick scroll. No, she could see that there were four sheets of parchment rolled together as one, bound by a thin piece of red cloth.
“These are copies of the original maps.” the ancient kitsune explained calmly. “They are not as detailed as the originals but they should be sufficient.”
Kagome watched, as almost in slow motion, the demon extended his arm offering the scrolls to her. The air in the room suddenly became stifling for the young miko. This was a BIG responsibility. While it sounded relatively simple, Kagome was well aware that things were not always as they appeared. Still, whatever was going on, it was probably best to try and take care of it as soon as possible.
Daisuke studied the miko as he eyes fixed unwaveringly on the rough parchment he had extended to her. He gave her a moment to consider the matter before finally asking,
“Would you be so gracious as to assist us Kagome-sama?” __________________________________________________________________ ______
The Fox’s Plea __________________________________________________________________ ______
Awkward silence settled in filling the physical space between the demon lord, miko, and the ancient kitsune youkai.
Still avoiding Sesshoumaru’s eyes, Kagome looked down to see her bare feet standing in the short grass which surrounded her hut. Suddenly aware of her state of dress, the miko bit back an embarrassed squeak and placed a protective hand over her chest. Willing herself not to blush, she looked up and summoned her voice.
“If you’ll excuse me for a moment…” she directed her comment to the kitsune, a small uneasy smile on her lips.
“Of course.” the demon replied politely before nodding his understanding.
She then turned, rather hastily, and made her way into the hut.
Left alone with the stoic demon lord, the kit folded his hands into the billowing sleeves of his dark green haori. There was just the barest hint of a smile hovering over his lips. His back was straight and he held his head high. It was almost as if he was completely unaware, or perhaps unconcerned over the distrustful golden glare which had recently shifted in his distinct direction.
In Daisuke’s mind, Sesshoumaru was but a pup, a powerful pup, but a pup none the less. He, Daisuke, had dealt with his fair share of disgruntled demon lords before, and was not discomfited in the least by the hard, cold eyes that even now seemed intent on boring a hole into his skull. The old kit was fully confident if not in his ability to defeat Lord Sesshoumaru in battle, but his ability to escape him should he decide to attack. He had not spent his very long life as a kitsune without learning a few tricks.
The inu lord took in the old fox’s various features, uncaring that the other demon would surely notice the fact that he was staring. Though the demon’s appearance was similar to a human nearing his mid forties, Sesshoumaru could tell that the male was one of considerable age; likely two thousand years or more. The existence of the nine long, slender tails at his back spoke of such.
It was no wonder the demon did not fear him. Kitsune of his advanced age and power had little to fear from almost any potential opponent. They were excellent in the arts of trickery and escape. It was likely that not even he, Sesshoumaru, would be able to catch him should he suddenly decide to flee.
Such knowledge only served to agitate his already sour mood.
Inside the hut, Kagome was quickly making herself presentable. Even though Sesshoumaru and the other demon were still outside, she was a bit uncomfortable about their proximity so she gathered her clothing from the day before and scampered into the back room of her little hut. Her mind was racing. Between her situation wit Sesshoumaru, and the appearance of this new demon, Kagome hardly knew what to think. Her mind blurred through one thought after another, hardly allowing her to focus on the significance of one matter before it was off to the next.
Attempting to place all of her discombobulated thoughts aside for now, she wrapped herself in her haori before slipping into her hakama, tying it as neatly as her quickly moving fingers would allow. Leaving her sleeping kimono in a messy heap on the floor, she exited the small storage room and looked almost frantically around her.
‘What next?’ she wondered as she continued to scan the small room.
Spotting a small plastic bottle of water near her sleeping mat, the miko picked it up and unscrewed the cap. She poured a bit of water into her remaining hand, using the lukewarm water to scrub any and hopefully all embarrassing remnants of sleep from her face.
When she was finished with that, she hastily ran her fingers through her hair, straitening it as much as possible before going over to check on Rin. She kneeled at her bedside and carefully brushed a few stray hairs away from the girl’s face.
Even in sleep, Rin was able to soothe Kagome’s slightly racing heart. Kagome smiled down on her before placing a light kiss onto the tips of her fingers. She then transferred the kiss to Rin’s forehead before rising to her feet and heading for the door.
She gave herself a final look, straitening the lapels of her haori before stepping outside. The two demons appeared as she had left them. She forced a small smile, and turned her attention to the kitsune.
“My…” she trailed off as she struggled to adequately put her thoughts into words. “There is a young girl sleeping inside. She is… a student miko and a very close friend of mine. If her being here is going to be a problem for you…”
Daisuke held up a hand to cut her off. “I do not believe this will be a problem. The information I wish to disclose to you is indeed sensitive in nature, but I cannot see how an apprentice miko would make ill use of it.” he smiled gently. “Should she wake, you will however see that she does not speak of this matter with anyone else?”
“Of course.” Kagome agreed readily. “Please,” she said as she turned back and held the straw panel door aside. “Come in and have a seat.”
Sesshoumaru remained silent and allowed the kitsune youkai to go ahead of him. Daisuke was not fooled into thinking that the gesture was done in kindness or consideration of any kind. No, the old fox was well aware that the dog lord had allowed him to go first for no reason other than that he refused to show his back to someone who could be considered a potential threat. Selecting a small area near the entrance, Kagome seated herself on the floor. Attempting to be as graceful as possible, she tucked her legs beneath her, and folded her hands in her lap.
‘I hope this meeting doesn’t last too long.’ she thought absently, ‘I hate sitting seiza.’
The fox demon lowered himself to the floor directly across from her, folding his legs neatly in front of him and folding his hands in his sleeves. For his part, Sesshoumaru took a place behind and to the right of Kagome as if he intended to do nothing more than supervise the proceedings.
The miko gave herself a little shake attempting to escape the slight discomfort Sesshoumaru’s proximity invoked. It wasn’t so much that she was uncomfortable having him near her, it was the fact that she could still feel his eyes on her. It was almost as if she was, for lack of a better description, on stage giving a performance for which she had never been given a script. The idea that she would do or say something embarrassing was as an elephant in the corner of her mind; something large, imposing, and impossible to ignore.
Taking a deep breath, Kagome willed herself to speak.
“Would you like some tea?” she offered politely.
Daisuke offered a gracious smile. “No thank you. I was never very fond of tea myself.”
Kagome nodded, slightly relieved. Turning back, she looked up at the male behind her.
“Se-- Lord Sesshoumaru?” she asked in an equally genial manner.
The inu lord narrowed his eyes slightly.
“No.” he answered coolly. They stared at one another in silence for several seconds before his deep voice roused Kagome from whatever spiraling train of thought she had been pursuing. “Thank you.” the demon added almost as an afterthought, and the miko was left with the impression that the polite revision had been forced. There was the promise of a later discussion glimmering in the depths of his narrowed eyes and Kagome had to force herself to look away.
Turning back to Daisuke, she plastered another phony smile on her lips. “How can I help you?” she asked, her voice surprisingly calm.
The old demon did not speak right away. There was much to discuss and he needed to take a moment to put his thoughts in order.
“I was sent to seek you out by Hiroshi-sama, reining Lord of the Northern region.” he began at last. “We are in dire need of your assistance, if you would be willing to aid us.”
Kagome attempted to repress her uncertainty. She had helped many people in the past, but not by herself. She wondered what sort of help he needed. A heavy knowledge was beginning to surface from the corners of her mind. She had been the one to defeat Naraku, and according to both Kouga, and Tsunjin, this information had been spread far and wide across the land. It wasn’t a good thing as it was very likely that some details had been exaggerated, altered, or fabricated all together.
If this Daisuke was expecting some warrior priestess, he was going to be thoroughly disappointed. Her archery had advanced to a level beyond proficient, and she was more powerful now than she had ever been before, but she still wasn’t really a fighter. She hadn’t defeated Naraku because she was an excellent strategist, or a great and powerful warrior. She had merely been desperate to save her friends. She had wanted their survival more than anything, and had sacrificed her own to see to it. If not for the grace of a kindhearted spirit priestess, she wouldn’t bee here now.
“Proceed.”
Kagome could not repress the shudder that wracked her body when the unexpected voice spoke from behind her.
Seemingly unaffected by the stern order, the youkai’s eyes took on a far away look as he decided the best way of conveying what he needed to say. Finally, he chose to simply start from the very beginning.
“The Northern region holds a very powerful allegiance with that of the East. An unbreakable bond was forged between our provinces centuries ago due to our previous emperor Hiro-sama.
“Five hundred years ago, the Eastern province was ruled by a leopard youkai called Kanagawa Youichi. The emperor was stern, and shrewd, but reasonably fair in his dealings with his people and the other lords of the land.
“He ruled for two hundred relatively peaceful years before problems began to brew. It is unclear how he came into possession of a powerful three headed dragon, but when he did so, the emperor began to show his true nature.
“Through use of an amulet, he held exclusive power over the dragon. At first he claimed that the dragon was to keep potential enemies at bay, but in time, he became the enemy, even to his own people. Soon, his already iron grip on the land tightened to the point of suffocation. He dispersed severe and often deadly punishment to any and all who angered or apposed him. None who questioned his orders or tactics remained alive as they quickly became fodder to the red dragon. Unrest began to rise in the region, as it became increasingly clear that the emperor had gone mad with power. From what we know, Youichi planned to take over the regions one by one. With his control over the dragon, no one would have been able to stop him.
“At that time, Hiro-sama had been Youichi’s highest ranking general. It was he who spearheaded the revolt against the Eastern Lord. He began secretly meeting with the, then human emperor of the North, Tokushima, Akio. They soon formed an alliance and a plan was created to stop Youichi’s madness.
“Lady Izumi, the high priestess, and Akio’s only daughter would be the key to Youichi’s downfall. With the promise that Hiro-sama would protect her should anything go wrong, Lord Akio offered his daughter to become Youichi’s mate. The idea was that an alliance would be formed through their marriage bond, and Youichi would refrain from any and all efforts to conquer the North. It was a ruse however, as Lord Akio knew that the Eastern lord would not honor the alliance.
“As planned, Lady Izumi stole the amulet, making off with it during the night. The leopard youkai was quick to discover his mate’s betrayal, and immediately sought her out to slay her. Hiro-sama protected Lady-Izumi as promised and then demanded that the Eastern Lord surrender his throne. Refusing to accept defeat, and loss of power, Youichi refused and fought to his final breath. In the end, the fatal blow was delivered by Hiro-sama himself.
“Freed from her mating bond through Youichi‘s death, Lady Izumi later became wife and mate to Hiro-sama, and together they took the rein of the North upon Lord Akio‘s eventual demise. Akiyama-sama, Yoichi‘s second general in command and Hiro-sama‘s only brother took over the reins of the Eastern rule.”
“Is there a point to this endless rambling?” Sesshoumaru asked coolly.”
Slightly annoyed at the interruption, a small sarcastic smile curved Daisuke’s lips. It came and went in the space of a breath and Sesshoumaru subconsciously tensed and flexed his claws.
Kagome noticed the little smirk and instinctively looked back to Sesshoumaru. She quickly sent him a beseeching look, mentally willing him to remain calm. The inu lord’s eyes remained fixed on the fox and he made no move to acknowledge that he saw her. The miko watched him for several seconds and was relieved when some of the tension melted from his stance. Turning back, she breathed a small sigh of relief. The old fox was not showing the kind of deference Sesshoumaru was accustomed to, but at the same time he had not been outright disrespectful. She sent a silent prayer to the gods for them to get through the meeting peacefully.
“The reason I sought you out,” Daisuke’s slightly rough voice began again. “Is directly connected with the previous tale.
“For the past few days, myself, and several others combed these lands looking for a powerful priestess called Kagome. In our search, we came across even more information than we set out to obtain. We discovered that a powerful, but maniacal hanyou by the name of Naraku fell at your hand, is this so?”
Kagome shifted uncomfortably. “Umm yes, but--”
“Splendid!” Daisuke declared exuberantly, the clap of his clawed hands sounding loud in the small room.
“A priestess who is able to accomplish such a feat would be more than powerful enough to accomplish this simple task!” he smiled brightly
“What task?” Kagome wanted to know.
“Lady Izumi was entrusted to keep the amulet. Deciding that the dragon was too dangerous, she commissioned the construction of a temple where the creature was to remain in stasis. Because she ordered that it do so, the dragon merely slept. After a short time however, it was decided that additional measures needed to be taken. If someone, even a corrupt member of her own house were to get their hands on the amulet, the results could be disastrous.”
Kagome frowned in concentration. Something about this whole story seemed so terribly familiar. An insistent little nudge kept prodding her from the back of her mind telling her that she had heard this story somewhere before.
“Under orders from Lady Izumi, chains were forged, and locks were crafted to bind the dragon so that even if it managed to wake, it would not be capable of leaving the temple. Lady Izumi herself infused the chains with an immense amount of spiritual power to help keep the dragon’s power dormant.
“The chains were secured with four heavy locks. The keys were also infused with spiritual power to ensure that they remain hidden. They can only be seen by a priestess of immense spiritual power. The keys were then scattered across the land, one in each region. Maps were drawn to archive the keys’ location, but…” the demon trailed off for the first time.
“Recently, the maps were stolen. We can only speculate as to who was behind the theft, and what is being planned, but as you can imagine, a situation such as this can turn out rather poorly.”
Kagome swallowed thickly. This was not good. In her mind she could see a puzzle forming as piece after piece fell into place. She did not like the picture that was being created. Naraku had been a crafty bastard. He had been obscenely meticulous, and every plan he created was backed with another, and that one was backed with an escape rout so that even if he failed, he would at least be able to escape with his pathetic life. What if he really had left another demon behind? What if he gave it instructions to avenge his death should he finally meet his demise? It was exactly the kind of thing he was well known for. If the new demon was anything like Naraku himself, he or possibly she likely wouldn’t want to get involved directly, and probably would try to use the dragon to exact revenge.
It made sense in the worst way.
“The keys react to spiritual power, not purity, so even a dark priestess would be able to see them.” Daisuke continued, unaware of the miko’s sudden sense of foreboding.
“The Northern Lord has decided that it is best that the keys be destroyed.” the fox pressed on. “A priestess of your caliper would easily be able to sense the keys. All four keys must be collected and taken to the temple. That is where the locks and the keys were forged, and it is there that they must be destroyed. In the temple’s cellar there is a furnace. It is no ordinary furnace however. The furnace can only be activated by the spiritual energy of a powerful miko. It must be activated, and the keys thrown in and destroyed. A representative of the North will meet you at the temple with the amulet. So that it will not fall into the wrong hands, the amulet is to be destroyed as well.”
Kagome frowned in thought. “This may be a silly question,” she began slowly, “but why wasn’t the amulet destroyed in the first place?”
Daisuke smiled patiently. “It was attempted.” he said softly. “But not even Lady Izumi and Hiroshi-sama’s combined energies were enough power to destroy the amulet. It seems that the wretched thing is nearly as indestructible as the dragon itself.”
The miko’s frown deepened. “If that’s the case, why do you think I would be able to destroy it?”
Daisuke‘s smile broadened. “You underestimate yourself Kagome-sama. Your spiritual power is unlike anything I have ever felt. Even as you sit peacefully before me, the air around you is charged with spiritual energy. I am certain that you would be more than powerful enough to complete this task However, if you are unable to complete the task alone,” he added glancing at Sesshoumaru, “the added energies of a powerful youkai would surely be enough to help you finish the job.”
Neither Kagome or Sesshoumaru responded to that.
For her part, Kagome was still considering all that Daisuke had told her. Her mind went over the details with a fine toothed comb and she noticed with a level of displeasure that a particular piece of information drew her attention again and again. Daisuke had said that even a dark miko would be able to see the keys, and it just so happened that Kagome knew of a dark miko who likely was powerful enough to see them.
Was it possible that Tsubaki was also involved? The wretched priestess was still alive as far as she knew, and she had sworn revenge against Kagome.
The young miko held back a sigh. These last peaceful weeks had managed to blot from her mind the fact that she had created many enemies in her efforts to protect the Shikon jewel.
Her thoughts were interrupted when the rustle of thick cloth drew her attention. Daisuke had reached into the large sleeves of his haori and withdrew a thick scroll. No, she could see that there were four sheets of parchment rolled together as one, bound by a thin piece of red cloth.
“These are copies of the original maps.” the ancient kitsune explained calmly. “They are not as detailed as the originals but they should be sufficient.”
Kagome watched, as almost in slow motion, the demon extended his arm offering the scrolls to her. The air in the room suddenly became stifling for the young miko. This was a BIG responsibility. While it sounded relatively simple, Kagome was well aware that things were not always as they appeared. Still, whatever was going on, it was probably best to try and take care of it as soon as possible.
Daisuke studied the miko as he eyes fixed unwaveringly on the rough parchment he had extended to her. He gave her a moment to consider the matter before finally asking,
“Would you be so gracious as to assist us Kagome-sama?” __________________________________________________________________ ______