InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Wishmaster ❯ From One Master to Another, Part Five: Ryu ( Chapter 7 )

Morning came far too early to the tiny village where Tenchi lived. The morning birds chirped their wake up calls, alerting those who weren't already up that it was time.

 

Tenchi let out a small yawn then a groan as he felt something poking into his side. Curious and blinking away his sleepiness, he reached into his yukata and pulled out a violet-hued inkpot. He stared dully at it for a moment, trying to recall where he'd found it. Then he remembered finding it by the river. He promptly sat up, turning the delicate object over in his hands.

 

It was an unusual inkpot, as he had noted the previous day. The surface was smooth, like a still pond, and the hue of violet made him think of royalty. At each end, there was a grey-ish blue stripe and two amber-toned jewels. The inkpot itself seemed to radiate with a life and vibrancy of its own but Tenchi dismissed it.

 

'Definitely belongs to someone who's wealthy,' he thought, turning the inkpot this way and that. 'Doesn't sound or feel like it's filled, either. Wonder if the owner ran out of ink . . . not like I can afford to replace it.'

 

With a shrug, Tenchi placed the inkpot in the center of his futon and rolled it up for safe keeping. Until the rightful owner came along, he intended to keep it safe, and wasn't going to mention it to anyone.

 

'Can't steal what you don't know about,' Tenchi reasoned with a grin. 'And this way, I won't lose it.'

 

He laughed a little as he dashed out of his room, the smell of the morning meal making his stomach growl loudly. Tenchi took his normal place at the family setting and helped his mother to dish out the food.

 

The family had just sat down for the morning meal and said the prayers over it when they heard shouting. They paused as footsteps running towards their hut hit their ears. In a burst of energy, the village headman entered their home.

 

“The well,” he panted. “The well . . . it has water now! And that's not all! Tatsu! Come see! You must see this!”

 

Everyone scrambled to their feet and followed the headman out. They followed the village leader all the way to the rice paddies. When they arrived, Tenchi's jaw dropped and his eyes widened.

 

“The Gods have heard our prayers,” the village headman gushed. “This is unbelievable! I never expected for everything to turn around this quickly! We'll even have enough rice to sell to travelers!”

 

Tenchi's eyes roamed over the rice paddies as the headman spoke. It seemed uncanny, the fields coming to life overnight and the well filled with water once more. He, like the rest of the villagers, had offered prayers to the Gods every single morning and night for a good harvest and to revitalize the well. They had for the last two or three seasons. Their prayers had never been answered.

 

'Why now?' he asked himself. 'Why now, after a few harsh seasons, have all our prayers and offerings been answered?'

 

To that, he had no answer.

 

* * *

Inuyasha stretched out on his bed, his eyes still half closed. Somehow, the faded scent of apple dumplings had invaded his senses but he didn't feel hungry. Rubbing his eyes, he sat up, though he still wasn't sure as to why. He still had no way of getting out of his prison and there really wasn't much for him to do.

 

“That isn't true, Inuyasha. You have great power, power that's been channeled for you. All you need to do now is sharpen your mind.”

 

Inuyasha leapt to the floor, his ears perked and swivelling. Hearing a voice out of nowhere, after having read messages in the looking glass, would shock anyone.

 

“Who are you?” he demanded, looking around. “What do you want with me?”

 

“What everyone wants with you, Inuyasha. You have the power.”

 

“I don't understand . . . What are you talking about? And it doesn't explain who you are!”

 

“Who I am is of no importance. At least not yet. Know this. You are special, Inuyasha. Always have been.”

 

“There isn't anything special about me!” he growled, his fist making contact with a bedpost. “I'm just a hanyou! Born of a youkai father and a ningen mother! Everyone knows . . .”

 

“They assume there's nothing special about hanyous,” the voice stated. “Hanyous are a mysterious sort that even youkai can't entirely comprehend. Believe me, I have run into many hanyous but none are as powerful as you. When the time is right, you'll see. Now rest. A battle is brewing.”

 

“A battle? A battle for what?”

 

“A battle to be your master.”

 

“I have no master,” he ground out. “I'm not a slave to be claimed!”

 

“Oh, but you do, you are, and I'm waiting,” the voice chuckled. “Those vying for you just don't know it yet. You are mine.”

 

* * *

 

Night had fallen once more. The campfire had been built and the food had been cooked. Sango sighed as she had noted Kagome refraining from fixing ramen once again, though no one had really seemed to be in the mood for it. She could hardly blame the younger woman. Ramen was Inuyasha's favourite and Kagome normally fixed it for the hanyou when he was in a foul mood or had behaved better than what he normally did. Now that he had disappeared . . .

 

Sango shook her head. She had to stop thinking about him and focus on where he could have disappeared to. Then she sighed in frustration. There wasn't anywhere to focus on. Inuyasha had very few places to go and he never strayed far from Kagome. Even with Kikyou around, he always returned to Kagome.

 

“Lady Sango?” Miroku's voice cut through her thoughts. Tiredly, she glanced up at him then scooted over so he could sit next to her. “Is everything all right?”

 

“As well as they can be,” she murmured. “I just can't help but feel we've missed something.”

 

“In Inuyasha's disappearance?”

 

“Hai,” Sango nodded. “I've thought of every possible location he could go to and he isn't there. But it also isn't like him to simply disappear or stray that far from Kagome.”

 

“Yes, I've been thinking about that as well . . .”

“You still think he may have been taken against his will?”

 

“Not necessarily against his will,” the houshi replied thoughtfully. “I've been thinking that maybe he was lured away . . . he was on edge before he disappeared, from something that only he could sense . . .”

 

“Thinking that maybe he went to investigate it?”

 

“Hai . . . and got himself into something that maybe he can't get out of.”

 

“But we really haven't seen anything out of the ordinary,” Sango frowned. “Except for that strange man with all of those inkpots and jars.”

 

“Who was traveling with Ayame,” Miroku pointed out.

 

“Ayame was with him? How come I didn't sense her?”

 

“I don't know. I only managed to catch a glimpse of her as they went by . . . Strange thing is, I didn't detect any demonic aura from him or her . . .”

 

“But you sensed something else, ne?”

 

“Hai,” he nodded. “I did. From every object he had on his cart. A great deal of power contained within each inkpot and jar. But I thought nothing of it . . . until now.”

 

“Like why would Ayame be traveling with a human?”

 

“Exactly.”

 

“But it really isn't any of our business,” Sango stated. “Whatever Ayame wants to do, she can do. She is the granddaughter of the wolf youkais' leader. She isn't bound to answer to us as to her actions.”

 

“I was actually thinking that maybe we should seek her out and see if she knew where Inuyasha's disappeared to,” Miroku offered with a faint smile.

 

“We could . . .” she trailed off. “But to locate her would take even more time. What if Inuyasha doesn't have that time?”

 

“I don't know, Sango. I don't know.”

 

* * *

 

With a loud groan, Ryu arched his back and stretched his arms out. Long, dark locks fell in front of his eyes and he flicked them back. Another day had come and it promised to be warm and cheerful. Ryu smiled then got to his feet. As much as he didn't like sleeping out doors - the nights could be very chilly if one didn't have the proper gear - it did have its good points. Offering the rising sun and the youkai gods a small prayer, Ryu straightened his robes, picked up his staff, and set out on his way. He had a mission to complete, a mission he dared not fail in.

 

As he walked, Ryu hummed a little. His spirit had been feeling a bit worn out as of late, his inability to find the ningen monk with a wind void in hi hand taking its toll on him. The promise of a warm and bright day had lifted his spirits, though. That and the last village he had visited had given him quite a bit of useful information, though the humans who had resided there had been on the defensive. Ryu, however, refused to let it get to him. Not many expected a youkai to have great spiritual power nor did they expect him to be a monk of high virtue. Ryu was both.

 

'And that priestess, Kaede, had been most helpful,' he smiled. 'I can see why her villagers love her so much.'

 

He soon started to whistle. His staff twirled a bit. Yes, he was very thankful to Kaede. She had given him a name to go with the monk. Miroku. And Miroku traveled with a young strange miko wearing outlandish clothing and a female taijiya. Their names were Kagome and Sango. What really had Ryu's attention were the number of youkai that traveled with the monk. A kitsune named Shippou, a neko youkai called Kirara - the youkai companion to the taijiya; he knew how the exterminators worked - and a flea youkai referred to as Myouga. But, also according to Kaede, the monk with the wind void did not lead the group. An inu hanyou named Inuyasha did.

 

'And if flea is the Myouga that I think he is,' Ryu mused, 'then the hanyou Inuyasha is the son of the late Lord InuTaisho. A very unusual group indeed. I just have to find him and I will have found Miroku.'

 

Around noon, he entered a small village alight with activity. The inhabitants were very excited about something. Ryu tilted his head. Every place he'd visited had always been busy but nothing quite like this. Something had happened. Something good. A small boy of about eight summers started to dash by him when he reached out and gently grasped the boy's arm.

 

“Excuse me,” he began, smiling warmly, “but could you tell me what the excitement is all about?”

 

Having been startled some by Ryu's actions, the boy looked up at him. Ryu hoped that he wouldn't start screaming “Youkai!” like most villagers did when they saw him. Instead, the boy smiled and nodded.

 

“Hai, I can tell you,” came the reply. “The well to our village flows with water once more and our rice crop flourishes.”

 

“The well flows with water once more?” Ryu echoed.

 

“For the last few seasons, it had been dry,” the boy explained. “We've had to get our water from the nearby river.”

 

“That would be cause for celebration,” Ryu murmured. “But the crop?”

 

“We've had lousy seasons with our crop as well.”

 

“I see . . . The Gods must have smiled upon your village then.”

 

To that, the boy's smile faded some.

 

“Yes. It would seem so . . .”

 

“Is there something bothering you, child?” the youkai houshi inquired.

 

The boy glanced around quickly, grabbed both of his hands, and led him to a quiet pathway. Ryu followed without question. When the boy was certain that no one would hear, he nodded his head.

 

“Yes, monk,” he whispered. “There is something bothering me.”

 

Ryu knelt in front of the boy, grasping the boy's chin so their eyes could meet.

 

“What is your name, child?”

“Tenchi.”

 

“My name is Ryu, Tenchi. Now tell me . . . what is it that bothers you so?”

 

Quietly, the boy reiterated how when, last night, he'd had to go to the river and fetch water for his family. How the well had been dry last night but flowed with water in the morning. How the crops had not been faring so well, either, yet, they, too, had made a very miraculous recovery. How the villagers had been praying and sending offerings to the Gods to turn everything around for them but never had.

 

“I see,” he murmured. “Has anything out of the ordinary happened in the last few days? Any youkai attacks? Any strangers passing through?”

 

“No,” Tenchi shook his head. “Nothing like that.”

 

“But there is something?” Ryu raised an eyebrow.

 

“I can only speak for myself,” the boy's voice lowered. “Last night, when I went to the river for the water, I found an unusual-looking inkpot floating in the water. I tucked it into my yukata and thought nothing of it . . .”

 

“May I see this inkpot?”

 

At Tenchi's nod, he straightened and allowed the boy to lead him to where he and his family lived. Tenchi's mother had busied herself with preparing the afternoon meal but had given him a very courteous nod as they had entered. Once they were in the boy's room, Tenchi unrolled his futon and pulled out the inkpot he had described to Ryu.

 

“Here it is. It feels like it has a life of its own,” he whispered as he handed it to Ryu. “I thought I'd keep it safe, in case its owner showed up looking for it.”

 

“Smart boy,” Ryu praised quietly, turning the delicate object over in his hands. The inkpot did radiate with a life of its own and it contained power. A great power. “And you found this floating in the river?”

 

“Hai.”

 

Ryu sighed. Whoever lost this would be coming for it. Anyone who could sense its power would be coming for it and not all of them would leave the village in one piece.

 

'Strange how this child can feel its power, even if he doesn't know it,' Ryu mused.

 

“Tenchi . . .”

 

“Hai, Ryu?”

 

He glanced up from the inkpot to the boy in front of him.

 

“How about I find the owner of the inkpot for you?” he offered. “Instead of waiting for him to come to you. It could take him a while to even find this village.”

 

“Would you do that?” Tenchi's eyes widened.

 

“Hai, I would,” he smiled, tousling Tenchi's hair. “That is, if you'll allow me to. And once I find the owner, I'll be sure to let him know that it was you who found it, and took very good care of it and kept it safe.”

 

Tenchi thought it over for a moment then reluctantly nodded. Ryu bit back his sigh of relief. If anyone could detect the inkpot's power, it would be where he traveled and not in this village.

 

“Thank you, Tenchi,” he murmured. The boy shook his head.

 

“No . . . thank you,” Tenchi bowed. “I'm glad that it will soon find its rightful owner.”

 

'And I'm just glad that this village will be safe,' he thought as he smiled and bowed in return.

 

* * *

 

A strange wave of dizziness washed over him. He had a different master now, someone of high virtue and power. The child had handed him over. Why, he didn't know. He couldn't hear the conversation on the outside. Around him, tapestries and books appeared, pillows rearranged themselves and a small chair appeared in the center of the room. Blue dust swirled everywhere. Inuyasha groaned.

 

'I don't think I can take anymore of this,' he thought, dropping to his knees. 'Please, Kami, let this end!'

 

* * *

 

“Lady Kikyou! Lady Kikyou!” a young man cried out.

 

The shouting of her name and the sound of running feet approaching her caused the undead miko to look up. Granted, no one in the village she watched over knew that she was made of clay and bone. What they didn't, however, wouldn't hurt them. As long as Naraku didn't attack.

 

“What is it?” Kikyou inquired, rising to her feet.

 

“There is a horde of youkai heading for a small village on the banks of the river,” the young man panted. “Why, I do not know but you told me to let you know if I heard of any unusual youkai movements.”

 

“I see,” she murmured thoughtfully. Without a moment's hesitation, she grabbed her bow and her quiver of arrows. “Where is this village?”

 

“Less than a day's march from here,” he supplied. “To the south. It'll take the youkai more than that to get there.”

 

“Then to the south I go. I shall return,” she vowed. As she walked out of the village, she couldn't help but wonder what a small village could contain that so many youkai could want.

 

'At least I'll get there before they do and be able to offer them some protection,' she told herself. 'Before more people have to die needlessly.'

 

Once out of sight of the village, she vanished into the air.