InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Live and Let Die (Part 2): Awakenings ❯ To Catch A Priest ( Chapter 7 )

Disclaimers: I still do not own InuYasha or any of the manga/anime characters. They belong to the wonderful genius Rumiko Takahashi. However, any original characters do belong to me.

 

 

Live and Let Die: Awakenings

 

 

Chapter 7: To Catch A Priest

 

 

The entire group found it a bit unusual that they were welcomed so by the remaining men in the village. Well, the humans in the group actually seemed to think it was only appropriate, considering what they had just done for them, but the hanyou was waiting for the other shoe to drop. He could not believe that nowhere was he hearing whispers of “filthy half-breed,” “abomination,” or “demon spawn.” The villagers had not even acted like they considered it the least bit unusual that he had carried Kagome all the way back to the village and then from the home of the sick elder to the inn. Apparently, they had bought the line that Sango and Miroku had fed to them about InuYasha being Kagome's “protector” hook, line, and sinker. However, old habits die hard, and the hanyou was not totally dropping his guard. He did, however, try to relax just a bit and enjoy the food that was brought before them.

 

Even Lord Sesshomaru had joined them for the feast that the men had prepared. They sat all in a row at the head of the room as the guests of honor. Miroku had taken a place at the end with Sango next to him and Kirara on her other side. Kagome was next to her, followed by InuYasha, Sesshomaru, and then little Rin. The only one missing was Jaken. InuYasha had surmised that trying to eat a meal with this many humans was probably too much for the imp's stomach.

 

InuYasha was careful not to make any contact that might be considered inappropriate with Kagome during their meal. As much as the men seemed to be grateful for the fact that he had destroyed the giant serpent that had terrorized their village, InuYasha knew that could change in an instant. The hanyou did not need to tell Kagome, for she could feel his apprehension in front of the humans. As much as she wanted to reach over and touch him, she followed his lead and kept her hands to herself.

 

Kouketsu, the man who had led them back from the scene of the battle, approached the group. “Forgive me, but with everything that has happened today, we have been rude and have not asked your names. Will you please tell us who you are?”

 

InuYasha nodded at Miroku to answer for them.

 

Miroku started, “I am Miroku, and I am sure you can tell by my dress that I am a monk. The lovely lady next to me is Sango, a demon slayer. Next to her is her companion, the firecat Kirara, though she does not look as fearsome now as she did this afternoon. The miko is Kagome, and next to her is her protector, InuYasha. The youkai that returned your comrades to you is InuYasha's half brother, Lord Sesshomaru, Demon Lord of the Western Lands. The little girl next to him is his ward, Rin. I believe the only one missing is his vassal, Jaken, who also fought bravely today. We are glad that we arrived in time to assist in the battle against the serpents this afternoon. We wish to thank you for this magnificent feast that you have provided for us, as well as a roof over our heads for the night. It is far more than we deserve. This is much more food than we will be able to eat, so we hope that you will join us.”

 

They were interrupted when the toad imp entered the room, muttering something that they could not understand.

 

“Master Jaken! You came! Come sit by Rin,” the little girl called.

 

Jaken shuffled over next to Rin and sat down, laying his Staff of Two Heads next to him. One of the men hurriedly brought him the bowls of the soup and rice that had been given to each of the group first.

 

As they each drank their bowl of soup, the men presented trays of meats, vegetables, and fruits to choose from. Miroku and Sango both noticed that Sesshomaru actually accepted food from the men.

 

Miroku asked, trying to be polite, “Lord Sesshomaru, I thought you did not eat human food.”

 

“This Sesshomaru normally does not, but it would be impolite to turn it down when there is so much. There is food here adequate for a meal.”

 

Sango looked at Miroku, with a puzzled look on her face. “What does he mean?”

 

“I think he means that when we offered him food in gratitude for helping InuYasha and Kagome, we really did not have that much. He was actually being polite when he turned us down so we would have enough. I think he was more concerned that Rin have a good meal at that time,” Miroku whispered back to her and happened to catch an almost imperceptible nod from the Demon Lord.

 

Because the meal had been prepared in such a hurry, not all of the meat was very well cooked. Fortunately, some meat must have already been on the spit early on in the day for the evening's meal, but much of it was fairly rare in spite of the men's attempt to cook it faster by cutting it up into smaller pieces. However, that suited both Sesshomaru and InuYasha just fine. Sesshomaru selected one of the rarer pieces that was presented to him and made sure to pick up a smaller well-cooked one to set on Rin's plate. InuYasha also picked one that was only half cooked. He did not know why, but at the moment, he wanted rare meat. Deciding it probably had something to do with the combination of his youkai almost escaping his control, mating with Kagome in that state, and then the ensuing battle, the hanyou decided not to worry about it and enjoy the food. It just left the better-cooked pieces for Kagome and the others, anyway.

 

They heard a meow and realized that they had forgotten to give a bowl to Kirara. She twitched her two tails as one of the men hurried in front of her with a bowl, and another came back with the plate of meat. Sango picked up one of the bloodier hunks and put it in Kirara's bowl for her. She knew the firecat would not mind even if it were completely raw.

 

Kagome actually smiled as she watched InuYasha eat. She could tell he had relaxed somewhat from when they had first walked in. She was also amazed at just how much the hanyou could put down when there was a lot of food in front of him. She had no idea how much meat he had eaten, but he also took some of the fruits and vegetables and had devoured them as well. It was pleasant seeing her mate enjoying a meal with his ears pricked forward rather than plastered to his head as he tried not to listen to unpleasant things. They may not have had Ramen, but InuYasha actually seemed to like his food.

 

Finally, though, the miko asked the question of their hosts that had been bothering her. “What happened to the priest? Did he come back to the village?”

 

Most of the village men that were there had sat down to eat after Miroku extended the invitation to them all, and Kouketsu looked up from his plate. “We are not certain where the priest is. He was irate and screaming at us that we were all going to hell for honoring youkai, hanyou, and a dark miko.”

 

“You mean we saved his sorry ass and he still says that?” InuYasha finally spoke, irritation in his voice.

 

“Yes, but we ignored him, figuring that many of us almost went to hell anyway, if it had not been for Lord Sesshomaru. This is normally a very active trading village, and we were used to some peaceful youkai coming through here. Our headman, Ougon, always said that as long as they did not create trouble, and had something viable to trade, there was no reason not to deal with them. By the way, we also wish to thank you, Miko, for treating him. Yuujin came over long enough to get some food and said that elder already seems to be in less pain and is sleeping easier. We do not care what that priest says, we thank the Kami that you appeared when you did.”

 

“We had heard that you had a priest here for a long time, but he was one of the first that disappeared when the trouble started,” Miroku commented.

 

“Yes, we did. However, Hikari was old and wise and did not see every youkai as a threat. He had great spiritual power and could tell us which youkai were peaceful and which intended us harm. We are certain that he felt the great evil of this youkai when it appeared outside of our village and went to investigate. After seeing the size of those things, it is most likely that they devoured him since he went after them alone. Unfortunately, if that was his fate, I guess that we may never know,” Kouketsu said sadly.

 

“If you like, if it has not been done, we can set up a small altar for you to remember him and say a prayer for his soul. I could do that before we leave to return to our village,” Miroku offered.

 

The men all murmured and nodded their heads in agreement, so Miroku said, “All right then, it shall be done. Did he have a hut that was his home that we might be able to find something personal of his to use?”

 

“Yes. We will take you there in the morning if you would like,” Kouketsu offered.

 

Miroku looked at InuYasha, who nodded his head in agreement. Helping to put the soul of their respected priest to rest was the least they could do. And as many times as Miroku might have run a scam to get them a meal and room for an evening, the monk had actually banished a youkai or put someone's soul to rest for just as many times, if not more. Miroku did have a sense of honor in performing his holy duties even if he did not always show it.

 

“And you are certain that the other priest has not already done this?” Miroku asked. He was starting to wonder just what good the troublesome priest had ever done.

 

“No, we are pretty certain he did not, though he did claim Hikari's hut as his own when he arrived. That priest has only been here for a couple of days, but he certainly has been bothersome,” Kouketsu responded.

 

“That's an understatement,” Kagome muttered.

 

 

 

They finally decided that they all should probably retire for the evening when Rin fell over asleep. The little girl was so quiet and well behaved that the others had forgotten she was on the other side of Lord Sesshomaru until they heard a “clunk” and looked down to see that she had pitched forward, right into her now empty plate. Sesshomaru just shook his head and announced that they appreciated the meal, but it had been a long day and they needed to get some much-needed rest.

 

Sesshomaru looked like he couldn't decide whether to wake Rin up or pick her up, so InuYasha made the decision for him. “Oi, I'll get her for you. I'm getting used to carrying human wenches around.”

 

He flashed a slight smile in Kagome's direction as he said that, and she nodded in understanding with a twinkle in her eye. As much as she wanted to lean over and kiss him, she could tell that InuYasha was not that comfortable in front of these men. She would not disrespect his wishes. Kagome would be alone with him soon enough.

 

InuYasha scooped the little girl up without waking her and followed Sesshomaru from the dining hall. The Demon Lord led them to their room, which was more like a suite, since it was comprised of two separate sleeping areas in addition to the room that they entered from the corridor. Sesshomaru went into the smaller of the two and pulled back the covering on the futon so that InuYasha could lay Rin down.

 

Kagome had followed her mate and watched as the two males tenderly took care of the child. After InuYasha had laid Rin down on the futon, Kagome moved forward and pulled the covers up over her, tucking her in. She did not miss the fact that Sesshomaru had leaned down to brush Rin's hair out of her face and whispered, “Good night” to the already sleeping girl. Kagome just smiled and took InuYasha's hand, leading him out of the bedchamber.

 

The heard a soft rumble coming from the sitting area and saw that Jaken had already fallen asleep on a small futon in the corner and was snoring away.

 

Kagome looked at the toad imp and said, “I guess he's worn out. He actually fought very hard today.”

 

InuYasha could not help but grin, “It was either that, or be a snack for a snake.”

 

Sesshomaru finally spoke, “This Sesshomaru is ready to retire. Perhaps you two will actually sleep tonight.”

 

InuYasha grinned.

 

Kagome blushed, but said as she looked at her mate, “It has been a long day. Us puny humans do need to get some actual sleep.”

 

“Keh.”

 

 

 

Kagome and InuYasha found their way back to their own rooms and found Sango sitting near the fire, stroking Kirara in her lap.

 

“Where's the monk?” InuYasha asked, as he was nowhere to be seen.

 

“He is making arrangements to go with some of the men in the morning, in order to take care of the memorial for their priest that they lost. We did not think that you would mind if it was done before we leave,” Sango responded.

 

“No, if their priest was as good a man as they say, then we can wait long enough for Miroku to help put him to rest. It figures that other worthless priest didn't do anything but take over his hut,” InuYasha said.

 

“That's something else. We do not know what happened to that priest that has been giving us so much trouble. Do you think he has moved on? I hope we do not find him in the hut tomorrow when Miroku goes to find something to use for the altar,” Sango said seriously.

 

“Maybe you and Miroku had better go without us, just in case. He'll make more of a fuss if Kagome and I are there,” InuYasha said thoughtfully. “And besides, I can tell Kagome is exhausted from everything she did today. It would not hurt for her to sleep in some.”

 

Kagome was starting to nod off but jerked up at the mention of her name, “Huh? Did I miss something?”

 

“Only that you need to sleep, wench. Are you about ready for bed?” InuYasha asked, looking around the room to see what the arrangements might be.

 

Sango saw him glance around and said, “They put two futons in the back room, and there are two here. They assumed that Kagome and I would sleep in the back, and you and Miroku in the front. We did not tell them any differently. They also provided the screens for privacy, so Miroku and I will sleep out here. You and Kagome can take the back room.”

 

Sango's cheeks had dusted pink as she said that. Kagome noticed, but did not say anything other than, “Thanks, Sango. Are you certain that you will be all right out here with Miroku?”

 

Sango reddened a little more. “Yes, we will be all right.”

 

“Well, I need to go before I go to bed. Sango, will you go out to the latrine with me?” Kagome asked.

 

“Good idea,” Sango said and climbed to her feet.

 

“Do you want me to walk out with you?” InuYasha asked.

 

“We will be okay, InuYasha. It's just down past the bathhouse. We should be back in a few minutes,” Kagome told her worrisome hanyou.

 

 

InuYasha was sitting alone, waiting for the girls to return when Miroku came in. The hanyou was rubbing the back of his head, which for some reason hurt like hell.

 

“What's wrong with you?” Miroku questioned as he walked in, wondering why InuYasha was rubbing his head so.

 

“I think I finally understand what Kagome calls a `headache',” InuYasha quipped.

 

“Where are our beautiful ladies?” Miroku asked.

 

“They wanted to use the latrine before they bedded down for the night. They probably got sidetracked by girl talk,” InuYasha responded.

 

“I just came from there, and didn't see or hear any sign of them. Are you sure that is where they went?”

 

A flash of panic went through the hanyou. “Are you certain? They went together.”

 

“Unless they have another one. I was down by the bathhouse,” Miroku responded.

 

“Fuck. Let's go,” InuYasha said, jumping to his feet. He suddenly realized his hurting head might have something to do with his mate.

 

 

 

Kagome and Sango were idly chatting about their plans for the next day when everything went black.

 

When they came to, they found themselves gagged with their wrists and ankles tied, and tossed into the corner of some hut with little light. As they struggled to sit up, they heard a chuckle.

 

“Well, you are not so tough without the hanyou and demon lord are you, Miko?” Venom dripped from the voice of the priest.

 

Kagome just glared at the priest, who was really going to be in trouble now once InuYasha was finished with him.

 

“Are…are you sure this is such a good idea?” another man in the hut asked.

 

“I said that I would prove to you that she is a dark miko. Why else would a demon slayer and a monk travel with her and do her bidding? Remove the gag from the slayer,” the priest commanded.

 

Sango bit her lip and did not say what she so badly wanted to. Instead, she just glared at the men that held them captive.

 

The priest walked up to Sango and slapped a sutra on her. “There, Slayer, that should free you from her dark spell. Tell us everything about this evil miko, and we will free you.”

 

“There is nothing evil or dark about Kagome! You are just jealous because she has more power than you!” Sango yelled at him.

 

“I am telling you, you are free to speak. The spell has been lifted,” The priest reiterated.

 

“I am not UNDER any spell, you fool! Kagome is not evil! We saved your sorry ass today and you treat us like this? What kind of priest are you?” Sango spat.

 

“I…I told you I didn't think this was a good idea,” the man who spoke earlier whined.

 

The priest turned and slapped the man across the face, hard. “Well then, LEAVE if you do not have the stomach for this. We must expose this dark miko for what she is!”

 

The man, rubbing the side of his face, stumbled out of the hut. Not sure what to do, he headed back towards the inn.

 

Kagome had not moved a muscle. She had closed her eyes and was trying to call out to InuYasha, but her head was pounding so that she could neither relax nor concentrate. She opened her eyes when she heard the priest address her.

 

“Well, Dark Miko, we will expose you soon enough for what you are. Even if this slayer is under a spell that I cannot seem to lift, I will still prove to everyone what you are. You can look all sweet and innocent, but you are pure evil!” the priest ranted.

 

“I am telling you, Kagome is NOT evil! She killed all of those snakes today after you ran and hid, you coward!” Sango shouted.

 

“Put her gag back on!” the priest commanded another in the room.

 

“That just shows how powerful her evil is!” the Priest continued, “It would take a great evil to defeat something as massive as that serpent! It went after her because of the power she possesses!”

 

Kagome and Sango could do nothing more than glare since they were both gagged, though Sango fell back on her butt when she tried to lash out with her feet at one of the men near her.

 

“Get the miko!” the priest demanded. “We will find a way to expose her.”

 

One of the men reached down and yanked Kagome up by her top, ripping it so it fell off of her shoulder. The priest just stared at the mark that was revealed.

 

“I KNEW it! I knew it! You ARE evil. You are not just a dark miko; you are the whore of a demon! Which one is it? That abomination of a hanyou, or the Demon Lord that came to your aid? Or do you even care and just fuck them both! How about that monk that is so quick to come to your rescue? Do you fuck him too?”

 

“AAARH!” Sango yelled through her gag. She was really pissed now.

 

“Strip the miko! We will show this entire village what she is!” the priest screeched.

 

 

“Fuck, Fuck, Fuck, Fuck, FUCK! I should have known something was wrong. I just thought they were talking since they had not had much time together lately. I couldn't feel anything wrong,” InuYasha said for the tenth time as they circled the area around the latrine and bathhouse.

 

“FUCK! I can't pick up anything. They must have used those fucking sutra that they had when they snuck up on me that hid their presence,” InuYasha said, sounding close to panicked.

 

“InuYasha, do not take this the wrong way, because I am worried too, but will you please calm down. I will try to detect the aura of that priest, for I am certain he had something to do with this if they hid their scent the same way they hid from you before,” Miroku said.

 

InuYasha was drumming his fingers across his arm while Miroku reached out to see what direction the girls may have been taken.

 

Miroku finally pointed his staff and said, “That way.”

 

“What is it, Little Brother?”

 

Both InuYasha and Miroku jumped. They were concentrating so on Kagome and Sango that they completely missed the powerful aura of Sesshomaru approach.

 

“We think that fucking priest snatched Kagome and Sango when they came out to use the toilet,” InuYasha stated. “I couldn't pick up their scent so Miroku was trying to locate them.”

 

“Do you think you know which direction they were taken?” Lord Sesshomaru asked.

 

Miroku pointed again. “That way.”

 

“This Sesshomaru will accompany you. InuYasha, can you not reach out to your mate?”

 

“Oi. My head hurt so bad I did not think about it. But I don't know how to reach out to her and have her hear me,” InuYasha responded.

 

“Your head hurts?” Sesshomaru asked.

 

“Yeah, like I was hit with a fucking boulder,” InuYasha replied.

 

“Your mate may not be conscious. If you did not feel anything from her at all, they may have surprised them and knocked them out cold. That is probably why your head hurts. If she is conscious, hers may hurt too much to relax and concentrate without knowing what to do. That is something that must be worked on later,” Sesshomaru responded.

 

InuYasha suddenly jerked his head. “Never mind. Kagome is awake, and she is PISSED. Let's go!” the hanyou said as he took off at a run.

 

 

`You will NOT touch me,' Kagome thought as the men approached her, planning to follow the priest's directions. They really did not care so much about exposing the evil miko; they just saw an opportunity to see the young woman naked.

 

Any thoughts of removing the remainder of her clothing went right out of their heads as a barrier suddenly formed about Kagome and Sango. This time Kagome knew what was going on around her because she was MAD.

 

Sango had not been bound as tightly as Kagome, and took the opportunity to first lean forward so she could pull her gag out of her mouth. Not sure if she would break Kagome's concentration if she spoke, Sango indicated to the miko to lean forward so that she could remove her gag. Now she could find out just how pissed Kagome really was.

 

Even though the miko and demon slayer were inside of a barrier, you would have thought there was a strong wind caught up in it with them as Kagome's hair started whipping around her. Apparently the ropes the priest had bound them with were some sort of mystical bindings, for suddenly they were dissolving and Kagome and Sango were free. Kagome stood and helped Sango to her feet, and Sango released the blade that she kept hidden in her sleeve. The other men in the hut were afraid now. Not only did they have one really pissed off miko, they had an extremely mad demon slayer, and she was armed. The men started backing away from the priest and two women. After all, this wasn't even their village, or their battle. They had just been talked into the glory of battling and defeating demons by the priest that they met in the other village. Suddenly, deciding this was not a good place to be, they ran.

 

Sango was about to find out what else Kagome had picked up from her mate.

 

“You stupid, fucking, moron that calls yourself a fucking priest! How DARE you, you fucking coward! You had those men come up and hit us from behind, didn't you? Do you EVER do anything your fucking self? Who the fuck do you think you are, thinking that you are going to strip me and expose me to the village! If anyone is going to be exposed, it is YOU for the fucking moron coward that you are! The monk we travel with may be a lecher, but at least he has a good heart! And, by the fucking way, my MATE is INUYASHA, the one YOU called an abomination! He may only be half human, but he is a stronger and better man than you will ever be with a purer heart than you could EVER hope to have! His brother might be a full demon, but even he is not despicable like you are! At least he is honest. If he is going to kill you, he does not sneak up behind you and try to do it in your sleep!”

 

“Kagomeeeee!” InuYasha yelled as he crashed into the room, stopping Kagome in the middle of her tirade. Her barrier vanished when the hanyou appeared in the hut.

 

“Kagome, are you all right?” InuYasha said with concern as he took off his haori and placed it around his mate.

 

Sango looked a bit shell-shocked, so Miroku asked her the same, “Are you all right, Sango?”

 

Sango just nodded, and surprised Miroku by moving to him, and wrapping her arms around him. Miroku wrapped one arm around her and stroked her hair with the other. “It is okay, we are here now.”

 

“You…You MUST be a dark miko! How else could you keep you power when you lay with that abomination!” the priest was screeching again.

 

Kagome strode over to the priest and slapped him so hard even Miroku winced. “My MATE is NOT an abomination. He is an INU-HANYOU! Understand! If anyone here qualifies as an abomination, it would be YOU!”

 

“You are not pure! You cannot have such power unless you are a dark miko!” The priest could not seem to get past that idea.

 

Miroku finally spoke up. “Kagome's strength and power does not come from the purity of her body. Her power is ingrained in the purity of her heart. The more she loves, the more powerful she becomes. Her love for InuYasha only makes her stronger, which is something that you will never be able to understand.”

 

Sesshomaru had watched all of this without saying a word. The entire time he was actually contemplating if he should pull out Tenseiga and send the priest into the next world, where he could discover the true meaning of abomination. Instead, the Demon Lord said, “What they say is true. Even this Sesshomaru does not completely understand, but there is no doubt that the miko has only become more powerful since my brother took her as his mate. In fact, he has become stronger as well. While they were strong before, they are even more formidable now. Priest, you must stop this nonsense before I send you to the underworld myself.”

 

“You do not hold that kind of power!” the priest retorted.

 

Kagome looked at the priest and said, “You have gotta be kidding. Did you miss the part where he brought all of those men back to life? Do you not think he is capable of the reverse?”

 

Miroku looked at the priest, who looked like he was about to have a complete meltdown. “Priest, you have two choices. You could probably stay in this village if you change your ways. They lost their priest when the evil arrived in this area. However, he was old and wise. He helped the villagers by telling them which youkai were dangerous and which were peaceful. He was smart enough to know the difference. However, if you cannot change, then you are doomed to continue to roam. We will not bail you out again. Next time, we will just let whatever the problem youkai is eat you. Do you understand?

 

“Oh, and since you have defiled the home of the previous priest with your actions tonight, I will just warn you now that I will be coming here in the morning, to find something that belonged to Priest Hikari. A prayer will be said for him and an altar established for these good people to give thanks and to remember him. If you do not think that you will be of any help, I would suggest you move on, tonight,” Miroku concluded.

 

“You…you cannot do that!” the priest said.

 

“Actually, I can. I have already made the arrangements with the townspeople. They are not happy that additional people died because of your cowardice and foolishness; I would not recommend that you stay and antagonize them,” Miroku said.

 

“NO! I will not go without a fight! I will destroy all of you!” The priest screeched, this time coming after Miroku.

 

Surprised and initially almost losing his balance, Miroku countered the insane priest's attack with his staff. The others jumped out of the way as the monk and priest battled with each other, staffs clanking as they hit and countered one another's moves. Before they knew it, the fight had been moved outside into the street.

 

The priest was driven by a rage that no one could ever hope to explain. Miroku had started off only trying to defend himself, but quickly realized that he had better start fighting for real, because the lunatic was actually trying to kill him. The monk started deftly hitting at the priest and driving him back, back towards the clearing at the end of the road.

 

Sango, Sesshomaru, and InuYasha, now carrying his mate, had followed the battle outside. They were watching as Miroku skillfully warded off the blows from the priest as he inflicted his own. However, InuYasha set Kagome on her feet and pulled out Tessaiga as he felt something ominous approach.

 

“A youkai has been drawn towards their fight. It will try to kill them both while they are distracted,” the hanyou told them.

 

Miroku may have been fighting the crazy priest, but he still felt the threatening aura approach. The priest was able to land a good blow and knock Miroku off of his feet when the monk was distracted by the approaching youkai.

 

Apparently, at least one giant snake had been left after the battle, and it was rising above the fighting men with the intention of devouring them both. It struck just as the priest had swept Miroku off of his feet and the monk fell back, clearing him from the serpent's strike.

 

The priest was not so lucky. They heard him scream as the snake plucked him off of the ground, and proceeded to gulp him down. Miroku took the opportunity to scramble out of the way, landing at InuYasha's feet.

 

“Stand aside,” Sesshomaru commanded as he pulled out Tenseiga and sliced through the air. The sword glowed as the Meidou Zangetsu Ha opened the gateway to the next world and sent the youkai, along with the priest it had devoured, to Hell.

 

“They will trouble you no more,” Sesshomaru stated as he turned and headed back towards his room.

 

Miroku fell to the ground, panting from his exertion. Sango ran to his side. “Oh, Houshi! Are you all right? You are not hurt, are you?”

 

Miroku gasped, “Just out of breath, my dear Sango. That priest was crazy. He was fighting with such force, and I think he was only driven by his hatred of us. Just let me sit here for a minute and rest. I will be okay.”

 

Sango looked at InuYasha and Kagome. “Go on back to the room. I will stay here with Houshi and make certain that he is really uninjured and walk back with him.”

 

Kagome could take a hint, but asked, “Are you sure?”

 

Sango nodded from her place kneeling next to Miroku, so Kagome responded, “We will go in, then. I really need a good rest.”

 

InuYasha caught the miko as she swayed on her feet and nearly passed out. “Kagome, are you all right? What did you do?”

 

Sango looked up. “She managed to erect a barrier to protect both of us when the men came after us. She was really angry when the priest told them to rip off her clothes to expose her, after they tore her shirt and he saw her mark. Let us just say that I now understand what was meant that day when Kagome said that she had picked up something from you that we probably would not want to see demonstrated.”

 

InuYasha looked at the barely functioning miko in his arms and whispered, “I should have been there to protect you. I should have gone with you.”

 

Kagome said weakly, “It is all right, InuYasha. You cannot guard me every minute of every day. I had Sango with me, and even she was overpowered since the cowards hit us in the head from behind. Please, just take me back. My head is still killing me and I just want to sleep.”

 

Sesshomaru suddenly reappeared at his brother's side. InuYasha looked at him somewhat puzzled, but then realized that the men from village that had previously provided their meal were now coming towards them. The man that the priest had slapped and sent out of the hut was in the lead. InuYasha clutched Kagome even tighter; wanting to protect her from what he was certain was about to come.

 

The man that had been struck by the priest had decided on his way back to the others that the priest did not act, well, very priestly. He had finally gone to the innkeeper and Kouketsu and told them that the crazy man had kidnapped the miko and demon slayer. When he told them what they had done, and how the priest said that he was going to expose the miko as a dark miko, the others decided that they had better investigate.

 

Kouketsu stepped forward, surveying the scene before him. “What happened? Is it true what he told us?”

 

Kagome almost blurted out that it was true that she was InuYasha's mate, but then realized that the man who led the others had left before that had been exposed. “If he told you the priest knocked Sango and me in the head and kidnapped us, that was true.”

 

“Where is the priest now?” Kouketsu asked.

 

Miroku was still sprawled out on the ground, but replied, “He attacked me in his anger, and we ended up bringing the fight outdoors. It drew the attention of a youkai who thought to eat us both while we were distracted by one another. The priest did not notice the arrival of the giant snake and continued his attack on me. When I fell, it grabbed him and ate him. Lord Sesshomaru took care of the remaining serpent before it attacked anyone else.”

 

“Where are the remains?” one of the others asked.

 

“This Sesshomaru sent it directly to the next world.”

 

The innkeeper turned back to the others that had followed. “It looks like there is nothing else to worry about. Please return to your homes now. You will want to be rested for the ceremony for Hikari in the morning.”

 

The other men nodded and turned away, grateful to return to their beds without any more fights for the evening. After most of them were gone, one more man ran up, one of the ones who had fled when Kagome and Sango broke free of their restraints.

 

“Wait! Wait! What the priest said was true! She is evil! The miko is mated to a demon!”

 

InuYasha was growling as the man spoke, but the innkeeper replied, “Be gone. We are all tired and do not wish to hear any more tales. That priest is now dead. You are not even from this village, so go back to where you came from if you want to create trouble. We have had our fill here, and are ready for some peace and quiet. Leave.”

 

“But I'm telling you, I saw the mark myself!” the man reiterated.

 

“And I am telling you that I do not care,” the innkeeper replied. “Leave my sight before I ask that very angry looking demon slayer over there to remove you for me.”

 

The man took one look at Sango, who was glaring at him from Miroku's side. Deciding he really didn't want to face her again, he took off.

 

InuYasha looked at his brother and simply said, “Thank you.”

 

Sesshomaru actually shrugged his shoulders. “This Sesshomaru was not needed.”

 

“Still, thanks,” InuYasha told the Demon Lord, before he asked the innkeeper, “Are you certain you want to allow us to stay?”

 

“I have no problem with you. Your group saved our village. Your miko helped my old friend, Ougon. Why would I want you to leave?” the innkeeper responded.

 

They barely heard Kagome whisper, “Because what he claimed is true.”

 

The innkeeper continued leading them back towards his inn but simply said, “I know.”

 

InuYasha stopped in his tracks. “You know?”

 

The innkeeper stopped and turned to face them. “I was fairly certain when I first saw you together. You may be her protector, but you are her lover, too. I have been in charge of this inn for many, many years and worked here with my father before I took over. I have seen many couples come and go during my time here - some in love, some not. It is something you simply learn to recognize when you have been in this business as long as I have. All I know is that our village will be better tomorrow because the lot of you came through. I will not be the one to cast you out.

 

“I am certain that those who actually live in this village and did not come here from somewhere else looking for adventure with the priest will agree with me. No, I will not make you leave. In fact, you are welcome to stay for as long as you need to in order to recover. The miko looks exhausted after her ordeal tonight, and she had already fought one tremendous battle this afternoon. The monk also looked like he could use some time to rest after his fight with the itinerate priest. The villagers will want to have a proper memorial for our priest of so many years, Hikari, and that will require the monk's help. I hope that you will stay here with us for another night or two, at the very least, so that you are well rested when you begin your travels again.

 

“So, do not worry about what others may say. The men all came tonight because they were concerned when the man arrived and told us that the miko and demon slayer had been kidnapped. They do not know anything further, and most have had enough of the tall tales spun by that priest since his arrival. You both acted appropriately during dinner, and they have no reason to believe anything else,” the innkeeper concluded.

 

InuYasha heard a small sob. “What is it, Kagome? Are you all right?”

 

Kagome nodded as she reached up and wiped her tears away. “I was afraid we were going to be tossed out in the middle of the night. I'm just happy that we can stay, and I am completely worn out. Please, just take me to our room.”

 

The innkeeper nodded in understanding and began walking again. “Are your two friends back there going to be coming along?”

 

“Miroku was out of breath and wanted to rest for a few minutes. He'll come in when he is ready,” InuYasha said.

 

“The demon slayer looks like she is a formidable foe when she is angry,” the innkeeper commented.

 

“You have no idea,” Kagome responded with a smile.

 

“Lord Sesshomaru, are your accommodations satisfactory?” the innkeeper asked him as they reached the inn.

 

“They are more than adequate. Thank you,” the Demon Lord replied.

 

InuYasha looked at his brother. “You were not worried about leaving Rin?”

 

“She is not alone. As you noticed, Jaken can fight when he must. He makes certain no harm comes to her,” Sesshomaru answered.

 

Of course the imp knew what would happen to him if any harm ever did befall the young girl.

 

“Thank you again for your help tonight. Will we see you tomorrow?” Kagome asked as they reached the Demon Lord's suite.

 

“Rin will have to eat,” was the response as Sesshomaru slid the door open to reveal the soft snores of his vassal.

 

“We'll take that as a `yes' then,” Kagome said, and then added, “Goodnight, Lord Sesshomaru.”

 

“Goodnight, Miko.”

 

 

To be continued…

 

 

^~^

Hikari =Light

Kouketsu=Venerable

Yuujin = Friend

Ougon = Golden