InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Spellbound Destiny ❯ Chapter 9: Mystery ( Chapter 9 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Lady Elviria 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Hentai / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 01.13.2012 | Updated On: 01.20.2012 | Pages: 3 | Words: 6.2K | Visits: 330 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Hentai / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 01.13.2012 | Updated On: 01.20.2012 | Pages: 3 | Words: 6.2K | Visits: 330 | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: I once again do not own Inuyasha. That is the sole realm of Takahashi Rumiko.
Author's Note: I've had a wonderful winter break so far and hope that you all have as well. Though I started on this chapter later than I had intended?some of my Christmas gifts distracted me?I am none-the-less keeping my promise. I go back to school January 17th and though I can't promise when the chapters after this will come, I will write when I have the time.
Definitions:
Bamboo Scroll – a scroll made out of long thin strips of bamboo called slips attached together by string that originated in ancient China. The oldest intact one is roughly from the 5th century BC although there are some references of them going back farther to about the Shang period (1250 BC).
Ookami – wolf (in this case, wolf youkai)
Spellbound Destiny
Chapter 9: Mystery
Sango awoke from a fitful sleep, unable to rest any longer. She turned over and stared at the innocent looking houshi with contempt. How could he sleep so soundly? It made no sense to her. After their first meeting, she knew right away that he held a special place for women. All women. Be they short or tall, fat or thin or even old and ugly. She had expected him to try something since they were alone for the first time.
Instead, he had calmly and quietly taken to his bedroll without a single flirty comment to her. Not once, awake or in sleep, had he move to grope her or pressure her into other more pleasurable pursuits. Blushing profusely, Sango turned around and ignored the sleeping monk. But after a few more restless moments, she knew she could not go back to sleep.
Rising from her bedroll, she walked over to the mouth of the cavern and stared out at the slowly lightening sky. The beautiful golden and pink hues calmed her for awhile before the rushing thoughts of her family and village took over again.
The cave was empty except for her and the monk?not a soul had ever entered in a long while. Her hope of finding survivors was long dead, the conclusion settling on her shoulders the night before as they ate in silence. In her gut, she knew that no matter how much she hoped and wished, the village was gone and no one was left alive. There was too much destruction, too much death?as evidenced by the many bones scattered around the village?for there to be any survivors.
Miroku stood slowly, slightly stiff from sleeping on the cavern's rocky floor, and stared at Sango with sad eyes. He had heard the change in her breathing not long ago to know she was waking and had feigned sleep. She was ever in his mind. Outwardly, he acted like he always had?asking every woman they met to bear his child. But inwardly, he was pulled to Sango for some unknown reason.
It pained him to watch her sit, sad and alone, mourning her people with no one to turn to for comfort. Though she would spurn his actions, he none-the-less walked on silent feet to her slumped form. He knelt behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.
“It's okay to cry,” he whispered softly. “Everyone deserves to let their grief out, no matter how strong they have been trained to be.” His own griefs still pained him on his darkest hours and he never stopped himself from crying, from releasing the pent-up emotions.
Sango blinked back tears as waves of shock and sadness swept her up in a dizzying tumult. She had not expected Miroku to be so kind. Or so gentle. She turned in his arms, half falling into him, and let the dam break. His warm and inviting body the exact thing she needed.
He gently let one hand run from her head to the small of her back repeatedly, not once temping to grope her or feel her inappropriately. All he offered was the comfort of his body and his presence. At another time, in another place, he would pursue the feelings Sango invoked in him. For now, this was enough.
It took longer for Sango to calm than she thought it would. Her grief so fresh and so abundant that it did not want to leave her. But Miroku's tender care of her, his warmth and his very presence, finally stemmed the flow of her tears until they no longer wanted to fall. She mourned her father's and brother's deaths?would always mourn them?and the loss of her entire village was deep but rational thought came back to her as she basked in the comfort Miroku gave her.
Being swept away in her tears would not help her. She needed to find that bastard Naraku and make sure he paid, not only for the crimes he had committed against her, but for all his crimes. The senseless deaths and the utter carnage was unacceptable. It had to stop. And she was willing to join in that quest.
She pulled back from Miroku somewhat reluctantly. It felt good to be held by his strong arms but it was time that they packed up and made their way back to the village to meet up with Kagome and Inuyasha.
“Thank you, houshi-sama,” she said wholeheartedly as Miroku helped her to her feet.
He smiled at her warmly. “You can call me Miroku if you want.”
“Thank you, Mi...Miroku-sama.” She blushed, his name falling from her tongue strangely right. She had never been so forward in her life to call a man so intimately by their name and not their title. Though she secretly acknowledged she would only use his proper name when it was just the two of them together.
“Anytime you need someone to lean on, I'll be here.” And he meant it. Miroku didn't know why it was so important for him to let her known that she could come to him with her troubles. But it was and he hoped she would turn to him whenever the need arose—whether for comfort or just to talk.
Blushing even redder, Sango turned away in embarrassment. No one had ever offered to comfort her, to be her friend, where any secret she shared would be safe with them. She had always been expected to be strong, rational, and, to some extent, unwomanly. She gossiped with the women freely but most of them were not true friends. And Kagome was becoming a friend but it was still untested. Miroku offered her true loyalty. She knew just by his actions that anything she said or did would stay in his confidence, never made public and never used against her. It was astonishing and she couldn't think of anything to say.
Miroku smiled as he watched Sango move around their camp in a daze. He guessed she had never had someone offer to hear and take on her troubles. He had had the fortune growing up of his dear care taker to listen to his troubles. Though Mushin loved his sake, he was someone Miroku could turn to for advice and aid on the more important matters of his life.
Shaking his head to clear out his thoughts, Miroku moved to help Sango pack. It was time they headed out and saw to the new day, with or without survivors from the village.
O o O o O o O o O
Inuyasha glared at Kagome as she walked quickly ahead of him. The relief that had flooded him after realizing she was sleeping and not dead had his heart swelling with joy. He didn't know what had come over him. But before he could stop himself, he had pressed his lips to hers in a kiss of utter happiness. It just happened that at the same moment his lips gently touched her soft and inviting ones, she woke. Startled, she gasped, allowing him the perfect opportunity to sweep his tongue into her mouth and taste her completely.
It was like having cold water thrown in his face when at first she had kissed him back and then slapped him. She blushed heatedly and stammered some excuse. The shock drowned out her words. Even after an hour, he was still mad about it. His cheek, though holding no marks, tingled and inflamed his anger more. Yes, maybe he didn't have the right to kiss her while she was in an exhausted sleep but he didn't even know why he had done it! And that didn't give her the right to slap him when she kissed him back!
Inuyasha glared at the back of her head even harder. Kagome made no sense to him. His own feelings made no sense. Actually, nothing was making any damned sense! He longed for the days when he knew what he wanted and what his own mind thought. But at the same time he knew it would not satisfy him, not now. Though what had changed him was unclear.
Kagome could feel Inuyasha's furious gaze on her back and felt as if she was being mentally called by every foul name he knew. Remembering the feel of his lips, so soft and supple for a man, gently caressing her's and awakening her made her cheeks burn again. His lips had felt so good and when he swept his tongue in her mouth, she was startled to realize she liked it. But it was too fast and too soon. They didn't know each other?not like she wanted. So many questions were yet unanswered. What was his favorite food? His fondest childhood memory? How was it like to grow up as a hanyou and as Inutaisho's son?
It was partly because she wanted those questions answered and because his kiss felt so good, she wanted him to continue that she wished to push him away from her. It felt wrong to like his kiss when she didn't even understand the basics that made Inuyasha who he was. But somehow, instead of pushing him away, she had slapped him. She understood his anger and even deserved it. But how was she going to fix it?
Kagome slowed enough to walk beside him and opened her mouth to speak. She closed it again when he turned those angry golden eyes on her. His anger this time was much different than before. Much deeper and a bit scary. Then she hardened her resolve and looked him in the eye. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to slap you.”
Inuyasha huffed and turned away from her, quickly putting distance between them. He was so like a child sometimes, it was infuriating! “Will you just listen to me!” Kagome yelled.
In her own growing anger, she had closed her eyes and let her hands fly above her head while walking. She ran right into Inuyasha's back as he stood in place. She would have fallen if he hadn't used his quick reflexes to steady her, their faces mere inches from each other. She stared into his eyes, noticing for the first time the many shades of yellow and golden orange that made up the beautiful color of his eyes she loved so much.
“I'm sorry,” she whispered, licking her lips.
It was hard for Inuyasha to let his anger go but staring deep into Kagome's eyes, he could see she was sincere. He huffed a final time then released her. Her lips were becoming a distraction now, especially when her tongue flicked out to moisten them. He wanted to kiss her again, the feeling so strong, he had to move slightly away to stop himself.
He remembered again the kiss from earlier. It was so unlike any kiss he had ever had before. Nothing could compare. He and Kikyou had stolen a few small pecks on the cheek and, once, a decent one on her lips. But it was nothing like what he had experienced with Kagome. Nor was Kikyou responsive. She had borne his advances with a sense of polite courtesy but nothing like the glimpse of wild abandon Kagome had shared with him.
And that passion only added to the insistent tugging that drew him to her. It was not what he wanted.
“Fine,” he grumbled, grudgingly acknowledging her apology. He turn and walked briskly down the dirt path.
Kagome beamed at his back. She felt ecstatic. It was a start but she had made some progress with Inuyasha just now. And if she could figure out how to make it last the rest of their lives, they could have a happy marriage.
Kagome ran to catch up with him, grabbing his hand as she settled in step with his strides. Inuyasha started, surprised she would hold his hand yet relishing the feel of her small delicately boned fingers against his. He was careful to only rest his claws against her hand so as not to hurt her.
Inuyasha could hear her humming under her breathe?a cheery tune that lifted his spirits and made him forget about his anger, for the moment at least. They continued down the path like that, comfortable for once in each other's presence, until they came within a few minutes from the village. As if embarrassed, they let go of each other's hand at the same time.
Rounding the last corner, they saw Sango's and Miroku's backs as their two companions gazed out at the wreckage of the village. Kagome blushed heatedly, glad that her two friends hadn't spied her and Inuyasha becoming so cozy. She was not yet ready for other people to know about her growing affection for him.
“I take it you didn't find anything,” Kagome commented as she took the lead.
Sango turned, her heart sinking as she gazed at the two figures. “No. No one had been at the cavern. Houshi-sama and I thought that we could give the villagers a proper burial and try to salvage anything we could from the village. I know Midoriko thought something might be here to help you so we can look for that in the process.”
Kagome nodded, unable to speak. She too had held a hope of finding someone alive. Silently, she and Inuyasha made their way to their two human friends. Together, the four of them started from one end of the village to the other, collecting the many scattered bones and rummaging around the burned timbers and ashes of the houses.
They skirted around Sango's house. Just looking at it made Sango queasy and heartsick with grief. The memories of her family, of their happy times together, kept her eyes watering with tears. But she would be strong, at least right now, and willed herself not to cry until after they had buried the villagers.
Sango wasn't the only one suffering. It was hard on all of them. Inuyasha hated that his kind, youkai, could cause such destruction. What hit him the hardest were the children. His own bad childhood memories swamped him, showing him again how cruel life could be to young ones who depended so much on their parents.
Humans were especially weak. They were not as strong as youkai and did not have the same instincts that drove youkai to fight if cornered?no matter how scared they were. Even hanyou, though weaker than full blooded youkai, relied on their youkai side to give them their strength and healing abilities.
To see so many children slaughtered without a fighting chance was wrong. It went against everything in nature. It made Inuyasha so angry. It was another thing he could hold against Naraku and one more thing the bastard deserved to die for.
It was already late afternoon by the time they were done collecting all the bones. Unable to identify who the villagers were and what bones belonged to what body, Sango decided that it would be acceptable to create a mass grave for them. Miroku and Inuyasha found two shovels that were half burned but still usable and worked on digging a wide enough grave. Sango and Kagome went out to the outlying forest to gather up some food. Nothing special would be cooked tonight. They didn't want to tempt fate with any type of fire.
Once they had eaten the simple meal, Miroku intoned a prayer over the bones and helped Inuyasha lay them in the grave. He continued to pray as he placed the dirt back other the grave and constructed a pile of rocks as a grave marker.
Sango finally let her tears fall. She could hold them back no longer. Even with her vision blurry, she managed to place wild flowers she had gathered in the forest along with the food on the grave. After pulling back, she crumpled to the ground. Miroku took her in his arms and comforted her. But the day's events were too much and Sango could not stop her tears now that they had started.
Kagome walked over to a clear spot in the village and rolled out Sango's bed roll. They would stay there for the night and work more in the village the next morning. Miroku carried Sango over to it and placed her gently on the soft surface. He was sad to see that she had cried herself to sleep in so short a time but it was understandable. She was exhausted from everything.
It wasn't long after that when Kagome and Miroku rolled their bed rolls out and went to sleep. Inuyasha walked around the village a few times to make sure it was safe. He then took up a position by the entrance of the village, his back against what was left of the wooden wall.
O o O o O o O o O
The bright morning sun hit Sango directly in the face. She scrunched up her face in annoyance. She didn't want to get up. Her exhausted crying last night had made her eyes puffy and her head ache. She could hear the rest of her companions doing their best to keep quiet while they went about preparing breakfast. She wished she could just turn over and go back to sleep but that would not help anyone, least of all herself.
No. Sango needed to get up and help Kagome find the mysterious piece of work that Midoriko talked about. She needed to get up and move on, one step at a time. She needed to plan for when she fought Naraku, to make sure he didn't destroy another village.
Sango took a shaky breath and sat up. “What are we having for breakfast?” she asked into the silence. Three pairs of eyes stared at her in astonishment.
“You can go back to sleep, Sango. No one will mind,” Kagome spoke up.
“No. I need to get up and help you. I need to do something to help keep my mind off of this. Nothing will ever be the same and I can't spend all my time grieving. I know that. I would rather do something even remotely productive than spend all my time sleeping and crying.”
Determined to prove her point, Sango stood and made her way to Kagome. Kagome gave her a smile and handed her a basket of fruit they had gathered last night. Sango went to work cutting them into even portions and taking out any seeds they could not eat.
It was silent at first. But soon, Kagome started up a conversation with Sango and Miroku sighed in relief. He had feared the grief would be too much for Sango to handle. He had seen some extreme cases were women became empty shells of themselves, only reliving the deaths of their loved ones and bemoaning the fact that they hadn't died as well. He had fervently hoped Sango would not spiral into that kind of grief stricken despair and anger. But it looked like she was going to be okay.
“I think the first place we should look for what Midoriko wants is at my house,” Sango stated seriously a little after breakfast.
“Are you sure, Sango-chan?” Kagome was concerned that it would be too soon for her friend to handle going to her childhood home.
“Yes,” Sango said with a nod. “I know it will be hard but if there is anything that will help you, it'll be there.”
Sango stood and took the lead, wending her way past the charred remains of the houses. Her house sat in the middle of the village on a slight inclined hill. It was more devastating than Sango could have imagined. Her house was the most intact yet seeing the same places that held so many memories partially destroyed was hard. The garden in the back was slightly damaged but still held to the shape it had been planted in. The front shoji door was half burned and some patches of the roof were missing but the walls still stood and the deck for the most part was whole.
Emotion swiftly overtook Sango?anger, grief, sadness, and worst of all, loneliness. Her family would never walk through those doors again or grace the back garden, practicing their fighting techniques. She was all that was left.
Kagome came up behind Sango and rubbed her back. “It's okay. We're here for you.”
Sango smiled wobbly, sniffed and squared her shoulders. They had work to do. Later, she would cry.
Sango carefully stepped onto the deck, testing how sturdy it was. Feeling safe that it would hold their wait, she made her way to the door and into the front hallway. “If there was anything from the past leaders of the Taijiya, my father would have kept it safe in his room.”
Her three friends followed her as she moved on past two rooms that were very badly damaged under the caved in roof and took a left turn. Sango stood still in front of her father's room, unable to lift her hand up to push the remains of the shoji aside. She was grateful that her and Kohaku's rooms were the ones the most damaged. Her father's room, which held most of the important artifacts of their clan, was barely touched at all by the fire.
Taking a deep breath, Sango finally pulled away the broken shoji and entered. It was as he had left it. His own personal scent still lingered, though barely. She tried to think of where he hid the most important things and remembered a trap door under the tatami matting she had seen him open once as a young girl.
No longer realizing her three companions were with her, she walked as if in a swamp, her legs and feet sluggish. Her eyes stared straight at the spot the trap door was. She knelt and removed the matting. With shaky hands, Sango unlatched the lock and opened the trap door. She released a breathe she hadn't known she was holding.
Carefully, she took out and placed everything out on the floor around her. Some things she remembered. There were the papers that depicted their techniques in beautiful calligraphy. Some of the smaller ancient weapons they had used in the past. One thing surprised her.
She reverently held a necklace with an off-white iridescent spiral sea shell on it. She couldn't believe her father had kept it. He had made it for her mother on one of his trips to the coast to deal with some youkai. In a fit of rage, her father had destroyed a lot of her mother's things, unable to bear seeing them so soon after her death. But this necklace remained. Sango put the cord over her head and let the shell rest in the middle of her chest. She would wear it always.
Going back to her task, she found an old and very large leather bound scroll case. Lifting it, she felt the heavy weight and knew something was in it. Whatever it was, someone wanted it to stay well protected. Not many scrolls were deemed important enough to have their own case let alone a leather one.
Sango scooted backward a bit and held up her find to her waiting companions. “I've never seen this before but it looks important.”
Kagome moved in closer and sat down. She watched with bated breath as Sango removed the lid to the case and slid out an aged bamboo scroll. It wasn't dusty and didn't appear to be in bad shape. Someone had taken good care of it.
Sango began to unroll a bit of it and stared in amazement. Her father had told her stories about the language used by her ancestors. In some of them, the language would be changed so that no one could read what was written unless they held a key. A secret code. Though she had never seen it, she believed this scroll had that coded language written on. The letters were familiar, as if their current language had been derived from the older one but it still looked foreign.
“I think this is it,” Sango said, the amazement clear in her voice. “We don't use bamboo any more to write on. And my father told me stories about our ancestors and the secret messages they would write on bamboo scrolls.”
Kagome felt excited. Now she would have the answer to helping Midoriko purify the Shikon no Tama that ran in her blood. She looked to Sango but when Sango didn't return the same excitement, Kagome felt a sinking in her heart.
“I can't read this,” Sango said honestly. “My father told me that there were some scrolls written in a secret code that you have to have a key to figure out. I think this is one of them.”
Kagome felt numb. After finding the thing that could help her, the hope was crushed in an instant because they couldn't read it. She looked up at Sango. “Do you know where the key is?”
Sango shook her head. “I was suppose to become the new leader of the Taijiya but my father never finished my training. He's showed me some of the training scrolls”?she pointed to were they rested?“so I could start to familiarize myself with them but since he was so fit, he never bothered to go farther. He wanted me to be young and carefree, if only for a while.”
Sango turned back to the trap door after placing the bamboo scroll back into its case. She took out several more paper scrolls. These she never recalled seeing before. Carefully unrolling them one by one, she found her father's perfect hand writing detailing something mixed in the same language as the bamboo scroll and their own more modern language. At a quick glace, she didn't understand what it meant. It could be the key she needed, however, to read the bamboo scroll. She hoped so. It would take her time but she was confident that if it was the key to the bamboo scroll, she just needed to learn from the paper scrolls what to look for and how to read the ancient language.
Satisfied that she had found everything she could, Sango packed the scrolls into her shoulder pack. She didn't need the ancient weapons. Those were fun artifacts but not necessary. Sango stood with her pack held in front of her. She stared down at the small pieces of history that were hidden deep in her pack's depths. Some day, the training scrolls could be used again. For now, she would protect them as best as she could.
“That's it. We have every thing here.” Sango looked up at her three friends. She wanted to make one last stop by the grave and say good bye but other than that, they were ready to leave.
She didn't know where she was going. She assumed Inuyasha would head back to his palace along with Kagome. Miroku hadn't said anything about where he lived. And now with her own home was in ruins, Sango wasn't sure what her life would become. But she could figure that out later, when they were closer to Inuyasha's palace.
O o O o O o O o O
Kouga paced wildly. After Inutaisho's festival, he had kept close to the palace in order to bring forth his bid to marry Kagome but his plans were ruined when he caught the mutt running away with her with a monk in tow. Was he that impatient to marry her? It seemed unlikely.
Suspicious, Kouga followed them for a good week. He wasn't sure what had caused the scent trail to vanish but it had. It was completely gone. His two subordinates, Ginta and Hakkaku, found him shortly after with a message from the Elder. The council had been called together and Kouga was expected to be there in less than a week.
Now he paced the confines of a cave deep in the mountains, itching to get back to the hunt of finding Kagome. He fell still as the Elder, a stooped old man dressed in ragged robes with wiry hair has as white as snow, walked in. Beside him strode a young woman. Her hair shone a deep coppery red and her eyes held emerald fire. She was dressed in feminine armor and white wolf pelts that clearly stated her status as a Princess of the Ookami. Yet he had never seen her before. Which was unusual considering that he was named Prince to his parents clan on their death five years ago.
Kouga tried to stop starring at the young woman while the others that made up the council filed in after them. Their society was based on pack law. The Elder held the reigning power but since the Elder could not be everywhere at once, Princes and Princesses of the Ookami were named to govern each individual clan. Princes and Princesses were asked together in council meetings to discuss issues between the clans or if an enemy threatened them all. Kouga had no clue why the council was being called now. No new enemy was present. And the last dispute among the clans had been settle the year before.
Taking his place opposite the Elder, Kouga sat along with the other council members. He took note that the young woman sat next to the Elder. That was also unusual.
“I've called you all here today to announce the marriage of my granddaughter,” the Elder paused. He stared down at them all while the woman looked at Kouga.
Kouga had no clue why. He felt as if he should know where this was going.
“Ayame,” the Elder called and looked to the young woman.
Kouga stilled. Her named sounded familiar. It rattled in his mind like echoing footsteps.
“As is dictated by the marriage contract, now that you have completed your training and are my successor, you and Kouga shall be wed.”
Kouga stilled. His breathing stopped and blood pounded incessantly in his ears. Wed? Him? To her? No! He was to wed Kagome!
“You will not,” the Elder boomed. It was then that Kouga realized he had spoken his protests aloud. Embarrassed, Kouga settled down and became silent.
The Elder continued. “Your parents signed the contract with me when you were still a pup and Ayame still a babe. It was official and will be honored no matter who this Kagome is. Ayame is your intended bride as she has been most of your life. I cannot believe you have forgotten her.”
Ayame stared at him with anger. She couldn't believe he didn't remember his responsibility! They may not have ever met but it was their parents wish to have them marry and continue to bring new and strong pups into the world, to better their people's bloodlines. He could not back out now!
“I-I can't!” Kouga stammered. He stood in agitation. “Higurashi Kagome is the one I want to marry. She's the perfect mate for me.”
The Elder blinked. “Higurashi?” he asked in confusion.
“Hai. Higurashi, the royal house of Avaren. They are alive. I met them at Inutaisho's festival. I want to marry Kagome, the young daughter who is the true heir to the kingdom.”
The Elder silenced him with a look. “The Higurashi clan is human. You cannot marry a human. It is against our laws. Our very nature. No, you will marry Ayame in a months' time. That is why I called the council. We need to prepare for the wedding and your succession as mate to the new Elder. You are young and brash but you will eventually thank me for this.”
Kouga felt stunned. He had forgotten about his betrothal contract to the young Princess all those years ago. His parents' sudden death had left him grief stricken. His new duties as Prince was all that kept him from succumbing to it. Whether parent, child, spouse or friend, the Ookami held close ties to everyone. When one died, grief became a very powerful emotion.
He had to honor the marriage contract. For now. Kouga decided to protest as much as he could and seek Kagome out to further his claim. He hoped he could get away that long. Though with the way the Elder stared at him, leaving for more than a day may not be possible.
The Elder motioned him forward and Kouga was obliged to sit down with him and Ayame to discuss their wedding.
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Author's Note: I've had a wonderful winter break so far and hope that you all have as well. Though I started on this chapter later than I had intended?some of my Christmas gifts distracted me?I am none-the-less keeping my promise. I go back to school January 17th and though I can't promise when the chapters after this will come, I will write when I have the time.
Definitions:
Bamboo Scroll – a scroll made out of long thin strips of bamboo called slips attached together by string that originated in ancient China. The oldest intact one is roughly from the 5th century BC although there are some references of them going back farther to about the Shang period (1250 BC).
Ookami – wolf (in this case, wolf youkai)
Spellbound Destiny
Chapter 9: Mystery
Sango awoke from a fitful sleep, unable to rest any longer. She turned over and stared at the innocent looking houshi with contempt. How could he sleep so soundly? It made no sense to her. After their first meeting, she knew right away that he held a special place for women. All women. Be they short or tall, fat or thin or even old and ugly. She had expected him to try something since they were alone for the first time.
Instead, he had calmly and quietly taken to his bedroll without a single flirty comment to her. Not once, awake or in sleep, had he move to grope her or pressure her into other more pleasurable pursuits. Blushing profusely, Sango turned around and ignored the sleeping monk. But after a few more restless moments, she knew she could not go back to sleep.
Rising from her bedroll, she walked over to the mouth of the cavern and stared out at the slowly lightening sky. The beautiful golden and pink hues calmed her for awhile before the rushing thoughts of her family and village took over again.
The cave was empty except for her and the monk?not a soul had ever entered in a long while. Her hope of finding survivors was long dead, the conclusion settling on her shoulders the night before as they ate in silence. In her gut, she knew that no matter how much she hoped and wished, the village was gone and no one was left alive. There was too much destruction, too much death?as evidenced by the many bones scattered around the village?for there to be any survivors.
Miroku stood slowly, slightly stiff from sleeping on the cavern's rocky floor, and stared at Sango with sad eyes. He had heard the change in her breathing not long ago to know she was waking and had feigned sleep. She was ever in his mind. Outwardly, he acted like he always had?asking every woman they met to bear his child. But inwardly, he was pulled to Sango for some unknown reason.
It pained him to watch her sit, sad and alone, mourning her people with no one to turn to for comfort. Though she would spurn his actions, he none-the-less walked on silent feet to her slumped form. He knelt behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.
“It's okay to cry,” he whispered softly. “Everyone deserves to let their grief out, no matter how strong they have been trained to be.” His own griefs still pained him on his darkest hours and he never stopped himself from crying, from releasing the pent-up emotions.
Sango blinked back tears as waves of shock and sadness swept her up in a dizzying tumult. She had not expected Miroku to be so kind. Or so gentle. She turned in his arms, half falling into him, and let the dam break. His warm and inviting body the exact thing she needed.
He gently let one hand run from her head to the small of her back repeatedly, not once temping to grope her or feel her inappropriately. All he offered was the comfort of his body and his presence. At another time, in another place, he would pursue the feelings Sango invoked in him. For now, this was enough.
It took longer for Sango to calm than she thought it would. Her grief so fresh and so abundant that it did not want to leave her. But Miroku's tender care of her, his warmth and his very presence, finally stemmed the flow of her tears until they no longer wanted to fall. She mourned her father's and brother's deaths?would always mourn them?and the loss of her entire village was deep but rational thought came back to her as she basked in the comfort Miroku gave her.
Being swept away in her tears would not help her. She needed to find that bastard Naraku and make sure he paid, not only for the crimes he had committed against her, but for all his crimes. The senseless deaths and the utter carnage was unacceptable. It had to stop. And she was willing to join in that quest.
She pulled back from Miroku somewhat reluctantly. It felt good to be held by his strong arms but it was time that they packed up and made their way back to the village to meet up with Kagome and Inuyasha.
“Thank you, houshi-sama,” she said wholeheartedly as Miroku helped her to her feet.
He smiled at her warmly. “You can call me Miroku if you want.”
“Thank you, Mi...Miroku-sama.” She blushed, his name falling from her tongue strangely right. She had never been so forward in her life to call a man so intimately by their name and not their title. Though she secretly acknowledged she would only use his proper name when it was just the two of them together.
“Anytime you need someone to lean on, I'll be here.” And he meant it. Miroku didn't know why it was so important for him to let her known that she could come to him with her troubles. But it was and he hoped she would turn to him whenever the need arose—whether for comfort or just to talk.
Blushing even redder, Sango turned away in embarrassment. No one had ever offered to comfort her, to be her friend, where any secret she shared would be safe with them. She had always been expected to be strong, rational, and, to some extent, unwomanly. She gossiped with the women freely but most of them were not true friends. And Kagome was becoming a friend but it was still untested. Miroku offered her true loyalty. She knew just by his actions that anything she said or did would stay in his confidence, never made public and never used against her. It was astonishing and she couldn't think of anything to say.
Miroku smiled as he watched Sango move around their camp in a daze. He guessed she had never had someone offer to hear and take on her troubles. He had had the fortune growing up of his dear care taker to listen to his troubles. Though Mushin loved his sake, he was someone Miroku could turn to for advice and aid on the more important matters of his life.
Shaking his head to clear out his thoughts, Miroku moved to help Sango pack. It was time they headed out and saw to the new day, with or without survivors from the village.
O o O o O o O o O
Inuyasha glared at Kagome as she walked quickly ahead of him. The relief that had flooded him after realizing she was sleeping and not dead had his heart swelling with joy. He didn't know what had come over him. But before he could stop himself, he had pressed his lips to hers in a kiss of utter happiness. It just happened that at the same moment his lips gently touched her soft and inviting ones, she woke. Startled, she gasped, allowing him the perfect opportunity to sweep his tongue into her mouth and taste her completely.
It was like having cold water thrown in his face when at first she had kissed him back and then slapped him. She blushed heatedly and stammered some excuse. The shock drowned out her words. Even after an hour, he was still mad about it. His cheek, though holding no marks, tingled and inflamed his anger more. Yes, maybe he didn't have the right to kiss her while she was in an exhausted sleep but he didn't even know why he had done it! And that didn't give her the right to slap him when she kissed him back!
Inuyasha glared at the back of her head even harder. Kagome made no sense to him. His own feelings made no sense. Actually, nothing was making any damned sense! He longed for the days when he knew what he wanted and what his own mind thought. But at the same time he knew it would not satisfy him, not now. Though what had changed him was unclear.
Kagome could feel Inuyasha's furious gaze on her back and felt as if she was being mentally called by every foul name he knew. Remembering the feel of his lips, so soft and supple for a man, gently caressing her's and awakening her made her cheeks burn again. His lips had felt so good and when he swept his tongue in her mouth, she was startled to realize she liked it. But it was too fast and too soon. They didn't know each other?not like she wanted. So many questions were yet unanswered. What was his favorite food? His fondest childhood memory? How was it like to grow up as a hanyou and as Inutaisho's son?
It was partly because she wanted those questions answered and because his kiss felt so good, she wanted him to continue that she wished to push him away from her. It felt wrong to like his kiss when she didn't even understand the basics that made Inuyasha who he was. But somehow, instead of pushing him away, she had slapped him. She understood his anger and even deserved it. But how was she going to fix it?
Kagome slowed enough to walk beside him and opened her mouth to speak. She closed it again when he turned those angry golden eyes on her. His anger this time was much different than before. Much deeper and a bit scary. Then she hardened her resolve and looked him in the eye. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to slap you.”
Inuyasha huffed and turned away from her, quickly putting distance between them. He was so like a child sometimes, it was infuriating! “Will you just listen to me!” Kagome yelled.
In her own growing anger, she had closed her eyes and let her hands fly above her head while walking. She ran right into Inuyasha's back as he stood in place. She would have fallen if he hadn't used his quick reflexes to steady her, their faces mere inches from each other. She stared into his eyes, noticing for the first time the many shades of yellow and golden orange that made up the beautiful color of his eyes she loved so much.
“I'm sorry,” she whispered, licking her lips.
It was hard for Inuyasha to let his anger go but staring deep into Kagome's eyes, he could see she was sincere. He huffed a final time then released her. Her lips were becoming a distraction now, especially when her tongue flicked out to moisten them. He wanted to kiss her again, the feeling so strong, he had to move slightly away to stop himself.
He remembered again the kiss from earlier. It was so unlike any kiss he had ever had before. Nothing could compare. He and Kikyou had stolen a few small pecks on the cheek and, once, a decent one on her lips. But it was nothing like what he had experienced with Kagome. Nor was Kikyou responsive. She had borne his advances with a sense of polite courtesy but nothing like the glimpse of wild abandon Kagome had shared with him.
And that passion only added to the insistent tugging that drew him to her. It was not what he wanted.
“Fine,” he grumbled, grudgingly acknowledging her apology. He turn and walked briskly down the dirt path.
Kagome beamed at his back. She felt ecstatic. It was a start but she had made some progress with Inuyasha just now. And if she could figure out how to make it last the rest of their lives, they could have a happy marriage.
Kagome ran to catch up with him, grabbing his hand as she settled in step with his strides. Inuyasha started, surprised she would hold his hand yet relishing the feel of her small delicately boned fingers against his. He was careful to only rest his claws against her hand so as not to hurt her.
Inuyasha could hear her humming under her breathe?a cheery tune that lifted his spirits and made him forget about his anger, for the moment at least. They continued down the path like that, comfortable for once in each other's presence, until they came within a few minutes from the village. As if embarrassed, they let go of each other's hand at the same time.
Rounding the last corner, they saw Sango's and Miroku's backs as their two companions gazed out at the wreckage of the village. Kagome blushed heatedly, glad that her two friends hadn't spied her and Inuyasha becoming so cozy. She was not yet ready for other people to know about her growing affection for him.
“I take it you didn't find anything,” Kagome commented as she took the lead.
Sango turned, her heart sinking as she gazed at the two figures. “No. No one had been at the cavern. Houshi-sama and I thought that we could give the villagers a proper burial and try to salvage anything we could from the village. I know Midoriko thought something might be here to help you so we can look for that in the process.”
Kagome nodded, unable to speak. She too had held a hope of finding someone alive. Silently, she and Inuyasha made their way to their two human friends. Together, the four of them started from one end of the village to the other, collecting the many scattered bones and rummaging around the burned timbers and ashes of the houses.
They skirted around Sango's house. Just looking at it made Sango queasy and heartsick with grief. The memories of her family, of their happy times together, kept her eyes watering with tears. But she would be strong, at least right now, and willed herself not to cry until after they had buried the villagers.
Sango wasn't the only one suffering. It was hard on all of them. Inuyasha hated that his kind, youkai, could cause such destruction. What hit him the hardest were the children. His own bad childhood memories swamped him, showing him again how cruel life could be to young ones who depended so much on their parents.
Humans were especially weak. They were not as strong as youkai and did not have the same instincts that drove youkai to fight if cornered?no matter how scared they were. Even hanyou, though weaker than full blooded youkai, relied on their youkai side to give them their strength and healing abilities.
To see so many children slaughtered without a fighting chance was wrong. It went against everything in nature. It made Inuyasha so angry. It was another thing he could hold against Naraku and one more thing the bastard deserved to die for.
It was already late afternoon by the time they were done collecting all the bones. Unable to identify who the villagers were and what bones belonged to what body, Sango decided that it would be acceptable to create a mass grave for them. Miroku and Inuyasha found two shovels that were half burned but still usable and worked on digging a wide enough grave. Sango and Kagome went out to the outlying forest to gather up some food. Nothing special would be cooked tonight. They didn't want to tempt fate with any type of fire.
Once they had eaten the simple meal, Miroku intoned a prayer over the bones and helped Inuyasha lay them in the grave. He continued to pray as he placed the dirt back other the grave and constructed a pile of rocks as a grave marker.
Sango finally let her tears fall. She could hold them back no longer. Even with her vision blurry, she managed to place wild flowers she had gathered in the forest along with the food on the grave. After pulling back, she crumpled to the ground. Miroku took her in his arms and comforted her. But the day's events were too much and Sango could not stop her tears now that they had started.
Kagome walked over to a clear spot in the village and rolled out Sango's bed roll. They would stay there for the night and work more in the village the next morning. Miroku carried Sango over to it and placed her gently on the soft surface. He was sad to see that she had cried herself to sleep in so short a time but it was understandable. She was exhausted from everything.
It wasn't long after that when Kagome and Miroku rolled their bed rolls out and went to sleep. Inuyasha walked around the village a few times to make sure it was safe. He then took up a position by the entrance of the village, his back against what was left of the wooden wall.
O o O o O o O o O
The bright morning sun hit Sango directly in the face. She scrunched up her face in annoyance. She didn't want to get up. Her exhausted crying last night had made her eyes puffy and her head ache. She could hear the rest of her companions doing their best to keep quiet while they went about preparing breakfast. She wished she could just turn over and go back to sleep but that would not help anyone, least of all herself.
No. Sango needed to get up and help Kagome find the mysterious piece of work that Midoriko talked about. She needed to get up and move on, one step at a time. She needed to plan for when she fought Naraku, to make sure he didn't destroy another village.
Sango took a shaky breath and sat up. “What are we having for breakfast?” she asked into the silence. Three pairs of eyes stared at her in astonishment.
“You can go back to sleep, Sango. No one will mind,” Kagome spoke up.
“No. I need to get up and help you. I need to do something to help keep my mind off of this. Nothing will ever be the same and I can't spend all my time grieving. I know that. I would rather do something even remotely productive than spend all my time sleeping and crying.”
Determined to prove her point, Sango stood and made her way to Kagome. Kagome gave her a smile and handed her a basket of fruit they had gathered last night. Sango went to work cutting them into even portions and taking out any seeds they could not eat.
It was silent at first. But soon, Kagome started up a conversation with Sango and Miroku sighed in relief. He had feared the grief would be too much for Sango to handle. He had seen some extreme cases were women became empty shells of themselves, only reliving the deaths of their loved ones and bemoaning the fact that they hadn't died as well. He had fervently hoped Sango would not spiral into that kind of grief stricken despair and anger. But it looked like she was going to be okay.
“I think the first place we should look for what Midoriko wants is at my house,” Sango stated seriously a little after breakfast.
“Are you sure, Sango-chan?” Kagome was concerned that it would be too soon for her friend to handle going to her childhood home.
“Yes,” Sango said with a nod. “I know it will be hard but if there is anything that will help you, it'll be there.”
Sango stood and took the lead, wending her way past the charred remains of the houses. Her house sat in the middle of the village on a slight inclined hill. It was more devastating than Sango could have imagined. Her house was the most intact yet seeing the same places that held so many memories partially destroyed was hard. The garden in the back was slightly damaged but still held to the shape it had been planted in. The front shoji door was half burned and some patches of the roof were missing but the walls still stood and the deck for the most part was whole.
Emotion swiftly overtook Sango?anger, grief, sadness, and worst of all, loneliness. Her family would never walk through those doors again or grace the back garden, practicing their fighting techniques. She was all that was left.
Kagome came up behind Sango and rubbed her back. “It's okay. We're here for you.”
Sango smiled wobbly, sniffed and squared her shoulders. They had work to do. Later, she would cry.
Sango carefully stepped onto the deck, testing how sturdy it was. Feeling safe that it would hold their wait, she made her way to the door and into the front hallway. “If there was anything from the past leaders of the Taijiya, my father would have kept it safe in his room.”
Her three friends followed her as she moved on past two rooms that were very badly damaged under the caved in roof and took a left turn. Sango stood still in front of her father's room, unable to lift her hand up to push the remains of the shoji aside. She was grateful that her and Kohaku's rooms were the ones the most damaged. Her father's room, which held most of the important artifacts of their clan, was barely touched at all by the fire.
Taking a deep breath, Sango finally pulled away the broken shoji and entered. It was as he had left it. His own personal scent still lingered, though barely. She tried to think of where he hid the most important things and remembered a trap door under the tatami matting she had seen him open once as a young girl.
No longer realizing her three companions were with her, she walked as if in a swamp, her legs and feet sluggish. Her eyes stared straight at the spot the trap door was. She knelt and removed the matting. With shaky hands, Sango unlatched the lock and opened the trap door. She released a breathe she hadn't known she was holding.
Carefully, she took out and placed everything out on the floor around her. Some things she remembered. There were the papers that depicted their techniques in beautiful calligraphy. Some of the smaller ancient weapons they had used in the past. One thing surprised her.
She reverently held a necklace with an off-white iridescent spiral sea shell on it. She couldn't believe her father had kept it. He had made it for her mother on one of his trips to the coast to deal with some youkai. In a fit of rage, her father had destroyed a lot of her mother's things, unable to bear seeing them so soon after her death. But this necklace remained. Sango put the cord over her head and let the shell rest in the middle of her chest. She would wear it always.
Going back to her task, she found an old and very large leather bound scroll case. Lifting it, she felt the heavy weight and knew something was in it. Whatever it was, someone wanted it to stay well protected. Not many scrolls were deemed important enough to have their own case let alone a leather one.
Sango scooted backward a bit and held up her find to her waiting companions. “I've never seen this before but it looks important.”
Kagome moved in closer and sat down. She watched with bated breath as Sango removed the lid to the case and slid out an aged bamboo scroll. It wasn't dusty and didn't appear to be in bad shape. Someone had taken good care of it.
Sango began to unroll a bit of it and stared in amazement. Her father had told her stories about the language used by her ancestors. In some of them, the language would be changed so that no one could read what was written unless they held a key. A secret code. Though she had never seen it, she believed this scroll had that coded language written on. The letters were familiar, as if their current language had been derived from the older one but it still looked foreign.
“I think this is it,” Sango said, the amazement clear in her voice. “We don't use bamboo any more to write on. And my father told me stories about our ancestors and the secret messages they would write on bamboo scrolls.”
Kagome felt excited. Now she would have the answer to helping Midoriko purify the Shikon no Tama that ran in her blood. She looked to Sango but when Sango didn't return the same excitement, Kagome felt a sinking in her heart.
“I can't read this,” Sango said honestly. “My father told me that there were some scrolls written in a secret code that you have to have a key to figure out. I think this is one of them.”
Kagome felt numb. After finding the thing that could help her, the hope was crushed in an instant because they couldn't read it. She looked up at Sango. “Do you know where the key is?”
Sango shook her head. “I was suppose to become the new leader of the Taijiya but my father never finished my training. He's showed me some of the training scrolls”?she pointed to were they rested?“so I could start to familiarize myself with them but since he was so fit, he never bothered to go farther. He wanted me to be young and carefree, if only for a while.”
Sango turned back to the trap door after placing the bamboo scroll back into its case. She took out several more paper scrolls. These she never recalled seeing before. Carefully unrolling them one by one, she found her father's perfect hand writing detailing something mixed in the same language as the bamboo scroll and their own more modern language. At a quick glace, she didn't understand what it meant. It could be the key she needed, however, to read the bamboo scroll. She hoped so. It would take her time but she was confident that if it was the key to the bamboo scroll, she just needed to learn from the paper scrolls what to look for and how to read the ancient language.
Satisfied that she had found everything she could, Sango packed the scrolls into her shoulder pack. She didn't need the ancient weapons. Those were fun artifacts but not necessary. Sango stood with her pack held in front of her. She stared down at the small pieces of history that were hidden deep in her pack's depths. Some day, the training scrolls could be used again. For now, she would protect them as best as she could.
“That's it. We have every thing here.” Sango looked up at her three friends. She wanted to make one last stop by the grave and say good bye but other than that, they were ready to leave.
She didn't know where she was going. She assumed Inuyasha would head back to his palace along with Kagome. Miroku hadn't said anything about where he lived. And now with her own home was in ruins, Sango wasn't sure what her life would become. But she could figure that out later, when they were closer to Inuyasha's palace.
O o O o O o O o O
Kouga paced wildly. After Inutaisho's festival, he had kept close to the palace in order to bring forth his bid to marry Kagome but his plans were ruined when he caught the mutt running away with her with a monk in tow. Was he that impatient to marry her? It seemed unlikely.
Suspicious, Kouga followed them for a good week. He wasn't sure what had caused the scent trail to vanish but it had. It was completely gone. His two subordinates, Ginta and Hakkaku, found him shortly after with a message from the Elder. The council had been called together and Kouga was expected to be there in less than a week.
Now he paced the confines of a cave deep in the mountains, itching to get back to the hunt of finding Kagome. He fell still as the Elder, a stooped old man dressed in ragged robes with wiry hair has as white as snow, walked in. Beside him strode a young woman. Her hair shone a deep coppery red and her eyes held emerald fire. She was dressed in feminine armor and white wolf pelts that clearly stated her status as a Princess of the Ookami. Yet he had never seen her before. Which was unusual considering that he was named Prince to his parents clan on their death five years ago.
Kouga tried to stop starring at the young woman while the others that made up the council filed in after them. Their society was based on pack law. The Elder held the reigning power but since the Elder could not be everywhere at once, Princes and Princesses of the Ookami were named to govern each individual clan. Princes and Princesses were asked together in council meetings to discuss issues between the clans or if an enemy threatened them all. Kouga had no clue why the council was being called now. No new enemy was present. And the last dispute among the clans had been settle the year before.
Taking his place opposite the Elder, Kouga sat along with the other council members. He took note that the young woman sat next to the Elder. That was also unusual.
“I've called you all here today to announce the marriage of my granddaughter,” the Elder paused. He stared down at them all while the woman looked at Kouga.
Kouga had no clue why. He felt as if he should know where this was going.
“Ayame,” the Elder called and looked to the young woman.
Kouga stilled. Her named sounded familiar. It rattled in his mind like echoing footsteps.
“As is dictated by the marriage contract, now that you have completed your training and are my successor, you and Kouga shall be wed.”
Kouga stilled. His breathing stopped and blood pounded incessantly in his ears. Wed? Him? To her? No! He was to wed Kagome!
“You will not,” the Elder boomed. It was then that Kouga realized he had spoken his protests aloud. Embarrassed, Kouga settled down and became silent.
The Elder continued. “Your parents signed the contract with me when you were still a pup and Ayame still a babe. It was official and will be honored no matter who this Kagome is. Ayame is your intended bride as she has been most of your life. I cannot believe you have forgotten her.”
Ayame stared at him with anger. She couldn't believe he didn't remember his responsibility! They may not have ever met but it was their parents wish to have them marry and continue to bring new and strong pups into the world, to better their people's bloodlines. He could not back out now!
“I-I can't!” Kouga stammered. He stood in agitation. “Higurashi Kagome is the one I want to marry. She's the perfect mate for me.”
The Elder blinked. “Higurashi?” he asked in confusion.
“Hai. Higurashi, the royal house of Avaren. They are alive. I met them at Inutaisho's festival. I want to marry Kagome, the young daughter who is the true heir to the kingdom.”
The Elder silenced him with a look. “The Higurashi clan is human. You cannot marry a human. It is against our laws. Our very nature. No, you will marry Ayame in a months' time. That is why I called the council. We need to prepare for the wedding and your succession as mate to the new Elder. You are young and brash but you will eventually thank me for this.”
Kouga felt stunned. He had forgotten about his betrothal contract to the young Princess all those years ago. His parents' sudden death had left him grief stricken. His new duties as Prince was all that kept him from succumbing to it. Whether parent, child, spouse or friend, the Ookami held close ties to everyone. When one died, grief became a very powerful emotion.
He had to honor the marriage contract. For now. Kouga decided to protest as much as he could and seek Kagome out to further his claim. He hoped he could get away that long. Though with the way the Elder stared at him, leaving for more than a day may not be possible.
The Elder motioned him forward and Kouga was obliged to sit down with him and Ayame to discuss their wedding.
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