InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Enigma of Power ❯ Mysteries and Charms ( Chapter 4 )

Sesshomaru started suddenly. Fortunately Jaken and Rin were asleep and did not notice. His mind link with the woman had faded almost to nothingness, but now it was so strong he was sure she was only a few miles away. He leapt up, skimming across the treetops toward her. He sensed Inuyasha and stopped long enough to disguise his own scent and presence before continuing. She was upset, and he was curious what could have rattled her so much. He came to the edge of the village and stopped, as human as he looked there was no way he could stroll through the village without notice.

Sesshomaru detested skulking, but there were times it was more useful than a more direct approach. He slipped around the outskirts of the village until he came to the back of the hut she was in. Listening with both mind and ears to her account of the evening, he felt himself grow angry, much to his own surprise. This mortal boy had touched her, held her, sat with her on his lap. He wanted to snarl, wanted to rend the boy apart but managed to restrain himself. She was after all, only a human and hardly worth his time. He wouldn't bother with her if she wasn't attached to Inuyasha.

Yet there was the enigma of this strange home of hers. How could it be as though she was hundreds, even thousands of miles away one second and then here the next? It was a strange sort of magic he had never encountered, even in all his centuries of study and travel. He'd dined with djini's in Arabia, traded spells with Navajo Skinwalkers, walked the submerged streets of Atlantis, swapped tales with river demons in the deepest jungles of the Congo, and done battle with the demon gods of the Incas. Never in all his vast knowledge could he recall a magic like this.

Perhaps Lady Subaru would have an idea. He shuddered suddenly, that particular youkai had been the bane of his existence since he was little more than a pup. He would not ask the instructor of magic unless he had to. He slipped from the village and waited. She walked past him, so near he was sure he could reach out and touch her, but he did not. Her scent caressed him and he shuddered, remembering her naked form in the moonlight. He followed her to the well and watched as she jumped in, then the presence of her mind vanished. He walked to the well and looked in. How very strange that she could simply vanish like that. He would have to do some research into this phenomenon.

*~*~*~*~*

Kagome entered the new jewelry shop with two of her friends. They had been talking about it all weekend and she decided to humor them and tag along. She wasn't really interested in shopping. The idea that she might wear something other than her uniform to feudal Japan made her cringe. It was strange that she was uncomfortable wearing something different. It was as though the uniform had become some sort of armor, more spiritual than physical certainly, but armor none the less. She smiled at the girls while they poured over cases of charms and earrings, things she had little use for. The shop owner entered the room and froze. She frowned slightly at him. He was old, his hair a shocking shade of white. Though his face was unlined, she could tell he had seen many years from the look in his opaline green eyes. What made her frown was the fact that he was staring at her. He came around the display case and took her hand in both of his.

"You are Kagome." She nodded though it was not a question. "You are."

He nodded slowly and she saw tears form in his eyes. "Are you all right, do you need to sit down?"

"No child. I simply want to thank you. What you did for my son…well there simply aren't words."

"Your son?"

"Jinenji."

Kagome gaped at the man whom she was now sure was youkai. "Jinenji? But that was so long ago."

"And yet it was not." He smiled knowingly and drew her to the back of the store away from her friends who were trying very hard to eavesdrop. "What you did for him meant so much to him. He was able to heal, to gain the trust of his village. He is a healer still. We live with a small colony of youkai in the forest not far from here. Kaigama told me if I opened this store I would have an opportunity to thank you."

"Kaigama?"

"A seer, always trust her, Kagome, the price of her powers is her sight and her ability to lie." He released her hand and fished around behind the counter, bringing out a necklace with a strange charm on it. "I acquired this is what is now Egypt. It is a protection charm. A very powerful ward if I do say so myself."

The charm was pure gold, almost as long as her little finger it had strange hieroglyphics imprinted on it. There was no way to read the words, but she could feel the power radiating from them. He slipped it around her neck, hooking the clasp. She touched it, awed by the gift.

"This is too much."

The youkai shook his head. "In my opinion it is not enough, but you promise me this, never take it off. It will protect you, but it may do so in an odd way. The charm has a life of its own, you know, it may not always agree with you on what you need protecting from."

She nodded though she did not understand and slipped the charm beneath her shirt where it rested between her breasts, alongside half the Shikon no tama. She felt as though both jewel and charm would be safe here. There was no way someone could relieve her of them without her realizing it. She said her goodbyes and promised to visit the colony at the next available opportunity. The idea that part of her simple life in feudal Japan may still exist in the monstrously complex modern world was an immense relief, more of one than she thought it should be.

I posted this one right away so that no one would yell at me. Please review, I love reading them and as you can see you do get results. I am moving tomorrow so it might be a couple days before I can update again. I apologize to everyone who thinks less of me for that. Enjoy, and thank you for reading.