InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Of Dog Gods & Mortals (new version) ❯ Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER: I'll make this short and sweet. 'Inuyasha' and all character involved belong to Rumiko Takahashi and not to me. Any questions? No? Good, now on with the story.

 

This story has been posted before, under the same name. I was forced to remove it, due to complaints, but as you can see it is now rewritten and reposted, and hopefully I will not have the same problems with this version. For those of you who read my original version, this one has seen some changes in parts, and while the main plot of the story is unchanged I would still recommend rereading the entire story to avoid being confused.

 

Chapter 2

 

Kagome felt like she was in a dream as she followed the priestess Kikyo down the hallway into the parts of the temple not open to the public. She just couldn't believe everything that had just happened. She was now free from Naraku, for prince though he may be he had no way to challenge the decision of a God. Not only that, but after all this time she was finally what she had always wanted to be, a priestess of Inuyasha. Not only that, she was honoured enough to serve her God at the only temple on Earth that had a God as an actual resident.

 

As she walked, she couldn't get Inuyasha's face out of her mind. He was the most singly beautiful creature she had ever seen or even dreamed of. She knew it was wrong of her, a mere mortal, to harbour such feelings for a God but she couldn't help it. Although her family had never actually arranged a marriage for her, she had had a few suitors while living in the city, but she had always turned them away as nicely as she could. She had never felt any kind of real connection with any of them. But with Inuyasha… well the very thought of him made her heart flutter. Not that this could mean anything. He was a God, and not just any God but the God she would now serve for the rest of her life. It was inappropriate for her to harbour such thoughts, and she resolved to put them out of her mind. As his priestess, she owed Inuyasha nothing less than her complete devotion. What was more, he was responsible for saving her Naraku. For that alone she would be forever in his debt.

 

Kagome looked up when Kikyo came to a halt in front of her. Directly in front of them was an unadorned wooden door. To the left of them, the hallway took a sharp turn. It continued in that direction for a while before coming to what appeared to be another sharp turn.

 

Kikyo opened the door in front of them and stepped inside, Kagome right behind her. The room was clearing a bathing room. A plain yet large bath sat in the middle of the stone floor. On the far side of the bath was a fire pit for heating the water. The far wall had another door, this one bared and more solidly made. From the light peeking through the cracks, this door lead out side. This made sense as from what Kagome could remember of her previous observations of the temple, this side of the temple was closest to the river. The bath was about currently half full, although the water appeared to be cold.

 

“Usually, the priestesses of the temple take baths in the morning and the priests at night.” Kikyo said somewhat stiffly. “We heat the water at those times. Under normal circumstances you would have to wait until tomorrow morning to use the bath, but Inuyasha has decreed that you should take one now and given your current appearance, I can't say I don't understand his reasoning. For only one person it is a waste to gather and heat fresh water, so you will have to use that which is left over from this morning.”

 

Kagome bowed politely to the other priestess, not taking offence (or at least not much) to her rudeness. She was truly a mess at this moment, and even a cold bath sounded wonderful.

 

Kikyo just turned her back and headed for the door. “You'll find soaps and the like for women in the lighter chest by the wall. I'll be back when I have something more appropriate for you to wear.” She called back just before she shut the door, a little harder than necessary.

 

###

 

Kikyo could barely contain her annoyance… no, not annoyance, anger. Not only did Inuyasha reprimand her in front of so many others, including none other than the great Prince Naraku, he had actually taken that dirty urchin as his priestess! Such a woman clearly did not deserve the honour of holding such a position. How could one even tell if her story about coming from a long line of priests was true? It could be that Naraku was right and she was his slave. Then again, a God such as Inuyasha would most likely be able to tell if she was lying, she supposed. But even so, if she hadn't found a temple to serve before now, she must not have been a very good priestess, and nobody had wanted her. It made no sense that her God would want a person with no experience, who had already been rejected as a priestess from other temples. She had been shocked as it was that he had accepted a nobody like Kohaku as his priest seven months ago, though she now thought she at least partially understood, with Kohaku's unwavering devotion to their God and everything. But this woman had openly confessed to going from God to God, fickly choosing and then rejecting one after another. So why would her God make her his new priestess?

 

And now, instead of helping her beloved God handle his worshipers and collect the offerings - the duty that had become her favourite, especially since his decision to give her this wonderful job just went to further prove how much he valued her service - she was stuck looking after the unkempt wench. Why was her God punishing her like this?

 

Still grumbling, Kikyo entered her own room. Ignoring for once all the beautiful treasures she had procured from the offerings over the last two years, she went straight to her chest of clothes for a spare set of robes for the new priestess to wear until her own robes could be ordered and made. Purely out of spite, she deliberately chose the oldest and most threadbare robe she had before heading back towards the bathing room.

 

###

 

As soon as the door closed, Kagome decided to shrug off Kikyo's rude behaviour. She was an outsider here at the moment and Kagome was taking Kikyo's time away from her God. In the short amount of time Kagome had observed Kikyo's interaction with their God, she had gotten the impression that Kikyo was peculiarly dedicated to Inuyasha. Kagome imagined she would be somewhat annoyed if she was forced away from her duties like Kikyo was. Hopefully in a few days Kikyo would get to know her better and the two of them would come to better terms with each other. In the meantime, she should see about that bath.

 

Kagome first walked over to the chest Kikyo had told her contained the bathing supplies for women. Sitting next to it was another chest made of darker wood, which Kagome assumed probably held the men's bathing supplies. When she opened the chest, she was quietly amazed by the wide range of products. The chest was filled almost to overflowing, and many of the items looked like the kind one could only expect to find in a noble household. Why would a temple, even one with a God for a resident, have such expensive bathing products for its priestesses? Especially since the temple was located in a village as small as Ergos, where such items would be even harder to find. Feeling unsure of herself, Kagome choose the plainest soap in the chest.

 

Kagome had gotten undressed and was in the bath scrubbing away the dirt of the last few days when she heard the door open. She instinctively dropped further into the water and covered her chest with her arms, but when she looked up she was relived to see it was only Kikyo, who was carrying another of the red robes she had already realised were popular at this temple.

 

Kikyo took a moment to study the woman in the bath. Already she could see that she would clean up nicely at least, which at least partly explained why Prince Naraku had wanted her for his wife if not why Inuyasha wanted her as his priestess. She also saw with something like approval that she had chosen to use the cheap soap she had herself used in the past, before Inuyasha had been generous enough to open up the storeroom for her, her aunt's and the priests' use; at least she didn't have to worry about this girl using up the soap scented with lilies and roses that she had become so fond of. What was this girl's name again, anyway? No matter, she'd figure it out soon enough.

 

“Put these one when you get out.” Kikyo said shortly, putting the robes down on a nearby stool. “I doubt they'll fit you all that well, but my aunt, the temple's High Priestess, her robes would no doubt be an even worse fit, so you'll just have to make due with them for now. I have important duties I must get back to, I'll see if I can find someone else to show you around and explain what your new duties will be, but I doubt I'll be able to find anyone for a while. We are so very busy here, having been in need a third real priestess for quite some time.” With that she left, once again shutting the door much harder than was necessary.

 

Kagome bit her lip slightly and looked down at the water. She knew she hadn't imagined the stress Kikyo put on the words `real priestess'. So, Kikyo didn't think she was good enough to be a priestess here? Well, she'd just have to do her best and prove that she was wrong. She'd dreamed her whole life of being a priestess of Inuyasha and now that she was one she was going to do the job right.

 

###

 

Kagome finished her bath, and felt much better once she was clean again. Once she was dry she put on the robe Kikyo had left her, trying not to notice how worn it was. She wasn't surprised to find it didn't fit her very well. Kikyo was taller than Kagome, and her curves weren't quite as pronounced. Still, the robe covered everything it was supposed to, and Kagome decided it would do until she got robes of her own as promised. Besides, she had a job to do now as a priestess, now was not the time to be overly concerned about her looks.

 

As Kagome went to the door she wondered where she was supposed to go now. However when she opened the door she was surprised to see a young priest, two maybe three years younger than her, leaning against the wall opposite, clearly waiting for her. He was somewhat short, and had a fairly slim figure. He had dark brown hair pulled back into a high ponytail with messy bangs and brown eyes. When he saw her come out he smiled welcomely and straightened up.

 

“Hi.” He said happily. “So you're our new priestess?”

 

“Yes, I am. I'm Kagome.” Kagome said, unsure of how she was supposed to act around him. Younger though he may be, this boy was actually her superior in temple matters. It was unlikely considering his age that he had been at the temple long, but even if he had only started yesterday he had still been there longer and had more experience than her.

 

The boy however just smiled friendly at her. “Nice to meet you Kagome, I'm Kohaku. I just became a priest here eight months ago, so I know what it's like to be new. Don't worry, I think you'll like it here. Inuyasha a very kind God, even if he is a bit ill tempered and rude at times. And the other priests and the High Priest Kaede are nice too. And, well, Kikyo generally ignores everyone else if she can manage it so you don't have to worry too much about her. Anyway, I've been told to show you around the temple, so I guess we better get started on that. Come on.”

 

Kagome nodded and followed Kohaku down the hallway in the direction she hadn't already been. This part of the temple was much simpler than the areas she had seen earlier, leaving her to guess that this area was meant be used by the temple priests and priestesses only, and not meant to been seen by the public.

 

“This part of the temple is set aside for use by the priests and priestess.” Kohaku explained, confirming her theory. “The rooms for the priests are on the right, priestesses on the left. That'll be your room, there.” Kohaku said pointing to the last door on the left. Curious Kagome opened the door to see that the room was small, though no smaller than her room in her family's home had been, and simply furnished. The only furnishings currently in it were a wooden cot, a small table with an oil lamp on top and a single wooden chair. A few unlit touches sat in brackets on the walls, and a medium sized window was set opposite the door, which was currently covered by closed plain drapes.

 

“Once you get settled in, you can redecorate the room if you wish.” Kohaku said, noticing how Kagome's eyes travelled over the simple furnishings. “The rest of us did with our own rooms.”

 

Kagome nodded and shut the door. “Which room is yours?”

 

“That one.” Kohaku said, pointing to the last door on the right, which was almost directly opposite Kagome's. “I rarely stay here though. For the most part I'm still living in my family's home in the village, though I do sleep here occasionally. Inuyasha allows this as long I turn up in time to do my duties every morning and don't leave before I finish them at night.”

 

“You grew up in Ergos then?”

 

Kohaku nodded. “My family's been serving on the village guard for five generations. I don't like fighting, so I became a priest instead. My sister's part of the guard though.”

 

“Your sister?” Kagome repeated, shocked. She couldn't quite imagine a woman working in such a field.

 

“She's the only woman in the guard.” Kohaku said, obviously proud. “She had to claw and scratch her way in, but then she went all out and became one of the best fighters the village guard has.”

 

Kagome shook her head in amazement and decided to change the topic back to temple matters. “Who do the rest of the rooms belong to?”

 

“Well, the one next to yours belongs to Kikyo, who you've already meet. The one directly next to the bathing room belongs to Miroku, the Head Priest, he was the one helping Kikyo with the offerings this morning.” Kohaku suddenly laughed. “That room's belonged to the High Priest for as long as anyone could remember, but when Miroku was given that position, it really looked like they were going to change that tradition. Miroku's a good priest and everything, but he's also an incredible letch. We half expected him to start drilling holes in the wall so he could watch the priestesses bathe or something. Fortunately, even he's not perverted enough to want to look at old Kaede, and I think he's actually somewhat scared of Kikyo.” Kagome felt a little apprehensive about meeting this High Priest after that.

 

“The room next to Kikyo's, across from Miroku's is Kaede's. She's the High Priestess here and has been at the temple for over four decades now. The remaining room on the left belongs to Hojo, our remaining priest. Kaede and Hojo are both healers as well as priests. They've gone to the village this morning to check on one of the village women who's currently pregnant. You should be able to meet them when they come back to the temple for lunch.”

 

Kohaku lead Kagome down the small amount of hallway remaining, until they came to another corner. The hallway only continued for a few feet past the corner before it terminated into a set of beautifully carved double doors with the symbol of Inuyasha. They were very similar double doors at the temple's main entrance, except that they did not have the same gold inlays and were much smaller.

 

“The doors lead out into the courtyard and garden.” Kohaku said calmly. “Me and Hojo do most of the work maintaining the plants in there. Mostly Hojo. There are other entrances to the courtyard are in the hallway closer to the main hall, and another in the main hall itself. I'll point them out to you later when we see them. There's a well in the courtyard filled with drinkable water you can find easily enough if you just follow the path. Other than that, it's just a nice area to sit and relax for a while when you have some free time.”

 

After Kohaku started leading Kagome back the way they had come, back towards the main hall. Once again Kohaku pointed out what the different rooms were as they walked along. This time all the rooms were on the left until they reached the main hall once again.

 

“That room used to be a storage room.” Kohaku said, pointing to the first room they came to. “But Kaede - remember how I said she was a healer? - well several years ago she turned it into an infirmary. She'll treat anyone who needs it, free of charge. She was worried when Inuyasha arrived that he would want her to stop that, but surprisingly he not only allowed her to continue, he encouraged it. Said he admired her for being so willing to help people.”

 

Kagome interest was peaked, this Kaede was that dedicated to being a healer, as well as a priestess? When Kagome wasn't dreaming of being a priestess over the years she had slipped in a couple of dreams about being a healer instead. Her mother was a healer's assistant in the city and had taught her some remedies, but she had always wanted to learn more. Maybe once she was settled in, she could ask this Kaede to teach her some things. But wait, didn't Kikyo say that Kaede was her aunt? If the two were alike, that might not be such a good idea.

 

Kagome was brought out of her thoughts when she realised Kohaku was talking about the next room.

 

“That room was turned into a small library and archive nearly two hundred years ago when the temple first started to seriously collect scrolls and record it's doings. I'm told if it keeps growing the way it has been, we're likely going to have to expand it in within ten years or so.” He paused here to look at her. “Can you read at all?”

 

Kagome nodded. “My grandfather taught me and my brother when we were growing up.”

 

“In that case, you might be called in to help in there at times.” Kohaku said. “We need to at least look it over every few months and make sure everything's still in an order that makes sense. I'm only just learning how to read now so my usefulness in there is limited, and most of the others all have important duties of their own to carry out which leaves them a little pressed for time.”

 

Kohaku paused here to point out another door to the courtyard on the right, this one with door identical to the first ones she saw, before turning his attention and hers back to the final rooms in the hallway.

 

“The next room we simply use for storage.” Kohaku explained as they continued down the hallway. “Any offerings we get, with the exception of meals which we eat basically right away, we usually store in there until we can sort through them and find out which ones are useful and which ones aren't. Those offerings we don't use we transport to the Southern Market every few months and sell them to buy those things we do need. We used to do that occasionally anyway when the room got too full, but once Inuyasha arrived he's been encouraging us to do it more often. He's a very practical God, and though he does appreciate the offerings people leave, he doesn't see much the point of keeping too many things we aren't likely to ever use when there are things we rather need and don't have. The last room is a private audience chamber. We rarely have to use that, so for the most part we just have to make sure it stays clean for those rare occasions it is used.”

 

Having reached the end of the hallway, Kohaku then turned back into the main hall. By this stage, Inuyasha and Miroku had both left the hall, and the worshipers were all gone, leaving it empty. Once in there he pointed out the things she had missed the first time she was there, such as the simple wooden table and chairs in the back corner where according to Kohaku the priests and priestesses ate their meals and discussed their duties for the day every morning, and the third set of doors to the gardens which were located directly opposite the main temple doors.

 

Finally, he pointed out the set of doors opposite the entrance to the hallway, which were currently resting slightly open. These lead to the room of Inuyasha himself. Kohaku explained that if the doors were open - which he assured her they usually were - that the priests and priestesses were welcome to enter if need be provided they announced themselves first. If the doors were closed however, they were not to disturb their God unless it was an emergency, and even then they were expected to at least knock and wait for an answer first. While Kagome doubted she would have reason to enter Inuyasha's room herself at any point in the near future, if ever, she nevertheless made careful note of these rules. She did not want to risk accidentally offending her God after he had given her this wonderful opportunity.

 

It was about this time that Kohaku and Kagome both looked up at the sound of movement at the temple doors, to see a short elderly priestess with a patch over her right eye and a wiry young priest enter, followed by a teenage boy who appeared to be from the village and was carrying a pot of something which even from where Kagome stood smelled delicious.

 

“Welcome back, Kaede, Hojo.” Kohaku called out happily when he saw who was there. “How's Thea?”

 

“Rather unhappy at the moment.” The priestess who Kagome assumed was Kaede said. “Her child is making her miserable at the moment by rejecting everything she eats.” As the old priestess was speaking, her eyes were travelling over Kagome, a clear question in her expression.

 

Kohaku quickly saw this and decided to answer. “Kaede, Hojo, this is Kagome, as of this morning the latest priestess at the temple.”

 

To Kagome's surprise, Kaede instantly brightened at that. “Well, this is wonderful news! Welcome to our temple, Kagome. Do you have any experience serving as a priestess?”

 

Kagome shook her head slightly. “I come from a long line of priests and have been trained to serve as a priestess, but I've never actually served as one before.”

 

“Oh, well, don't worry I'm sure you'll learn soon enough.” Kaede said calmly. “Even with Inuyasha in residence our temple is still small enough that the duties here never get too difficult. Have you been shown around yet?”

 

Kagome nodded, relieved that it appeared that Kaede was far friendlier than her niece. “Kohaku just finished showing me the temple.”

 

“Well good.” Kaede said happily. “That's out of the way, we can finish getting you settled in after lunch. Where are Miroku and that niece of mine?”

 

“I think they're still sorting through the offerings from this morning, I'll go get them.” Kohaku said, quickly leaving the main hall.

 

“Well, while he's doing that, the rest of us can get lunch sorted.” Kaede said, taking the pot from the village boy who had been watching everything with curious eyes. “Thank you Demetios, you can get back to your family now.” Realising he was staring, the boy quickly bowed slightly and headed back to the village. “Hojo will you get the plates out for lunch, please?”

 

“Certainly Kaede.” Hojo said, quickly going over to the stone table in the corner.

 

Kagome followed. “Can I do anything to help?” She asked, wanting to be useful. After all she was going to be living and working with these people for hopefully a very long time, she might as well get started.

 

“Sure, if you could help me set the table that would be great.” Hojo said, pulling out a stack of plates out of a chest near the end of the table and putting them in Kagome's arms while he pulled out the cutlery. Kagome was quietly amazed that the plates were made of fine china, while the utensils were pure silver.

 

“My name's Hojo, by the way.” The priest said with a smile. Kagome smiled back, not bothering to point out that she already knew that. Hojo was slightly taller than her and looked like he might be a year older, two at the most. He had wavy brown hair and kind brown eyes. He also had a slightly vagrant look to him, like he wasn't all that smart.

 

While Kagome and Hojo were setting the, Kaede put the pot of stew in the middle of the table and went over to a nearby food cupboard to get a loaf of bread to go with their lunch. Kagome helped Kaede dish the food up while Hojo grabbed a jug and went out to the well in the courtyard to fill it up.

 

Kagome looked over the food while he was gone, noticing that Kaede had set out seven servings, though from what Kagome had heard there were only six priests at the temple including herself.

 

Kaede noticed what Kagome was looking at and decided to explain. “Inuyasha at times decides to eat meals with us, usually when he has some orders he wishes us to listen to. Other times we set aside a plate of food for him that he eats in private in his room. If we don't see him by the time the meal is over, we bring his plate to him then.”

 

Kagome nodded, though she was surprised that a God would need to eat the food of mortals. Once again Kagome seemed to guess what Kagome was thinking.

 

“Inuyasha says that Gods don't have to eat, but that they enjoy it.” Kaede explained calmly. “Who are we to deny him the pleasure?” Before Kagome could think of anything to say, Kohaku returned with Kikyo and the priest who had stepped in between Kagome and Naraku's guards earlier.

 

“Ah, lunch time.” The prist said happily. “And unless my nose is mistaken, it is that delicious stew Mara makes.”

 

“Yes it is.” Kaede said happily. “Come over here and help us eat it, will you?”

 

Kikyo simply went over and grabbed her plate without a word, but Miroku first went over to Kagome and took her hand.

 

“I don't think we've been properly introduced yet.” He said. “I am Miroku, the Head Priest here.”

 

Kagome lowered her eyes slightly, a little cautious about this man after what Kohaku had said about him being a pervert. “I'm Kagome. Thank you for helping me earlier when Naraku's men tried to grab me.”

 

Miroku grinned. “How could I not step in to help a beautiful young lady in distress?” He asked. He would have said more, but noticed that Kohaku was watching him closely with a suspicious look on his face, and quickly changed what he was about to say to an innocent, “shall we eat?” Sometimes having the younger brother of the woman you're courting working under you could be a real drag.

 

By this stage, Hojo had returned with the water and they were all sitting down. Kagome was about to start when she noticed that every one else had suddenly frozen, and when she looked up she was quietly shocked to see that Inuyasha had arrived while she wasn't looking. Kagome wasn't sure what to do, but Inuyasha simply sat down and started eating without a word. Taking her que from everyone else, Kagome waited until he had swallowed his first bite before starting on her own meal. After a while conversation started around the table as the others started discussing temple business. Not having anything to add, Kagome was content to just eat and listen to what was said.

 

“We may need to travel to the Southern Market sooner than excepted.” Miroku said calmly after a while. “The storage room is getting pretty full, and a doubt we'll have much use for a lot of what's currently in there.”

 

Inuyasha spoke up at this point, causing everyone else to stop and listen to what their God had to say. “Have Kagome go through it this afternoon and see if there's anything she needs or wants for her room.” Inuyasha said calmly, turning his eyes to his newest priestess. “You'll start your actual duties as a priestess here tomorrow morning. I suggest you take advantage of your time to get settled in while you can, for it may be a while before you have such free time again.”

 

Kagome bowed her head slightly in response to her God's words. She was actually surprised she wasn't expected to start preforming her duties immediately, and felt quite honoured that she was given permission to go through his offering for things she might want or need. She was quite certain priestess at other temples would not be given that same luxury.

 

After that the conversation turned away from Kagome and onto other topics. Lunch ended before much longer and Inuyasha returned to his room. Kohaku started to clean the dishes, while Kaede, Kikyo and Hojo all left to attend to their duties. Miroku decided now was the best time to have Kagome go through the storeroom and so lead her there.

 

When they got there, Kagome was, to put it simply, amazed as she took in the wide range of beautiful items in the storage room. An amazingly large amount of gold and other precious metals filled the room, as well as countless precious stones. Even those things that weren't made of gold or the like were more beautiful and expensive than anything her family had ever owned. Surely she wasn't worthy of taking such things as her own.

 

“Well?” Miroku asked with a small smile at seeing Kagome's obvious amazement. “Go take a look around and see if there's anything you want.” He could understand the girl's disbelief, having felt something very similar when the vast amounts of gold had started arriving two years ago. Before that the offerings the temple had received were mostly from people in the village and therefore much more humble. Even he had felt unworthy of taking the more expensive offerings that had started arriving the same time Inuyasha did. He got over that quickly enough though, never let it be said that Miroku doesn't know how to take advantage of a good thing.

 

Slowly Kagome started to move through the room, feeling undeserving of even touching such things, let alone owning them. After a while though, she got a little less reserved with Miroku's encouragement. First she chose a well-made yet fairly modest wooden table and a matching chair. She put the new table and chair to one side of the room with her old chair. The old, smaller table she moved closer to her bed, leaving the oil lamp on it. She also choose a beautifully made clay water pitcher with three matching cups, all hand painted with a pretty pattern, which she set up on top of the larger table.

 

Coming back to the storage room, she decided to see if she could find a modest chest to keep her robes in when she got them. There were two different chests to be found in the storage room. One was a plain yet serviceable wooden chest, clearly donated by a village family rather than one of the rich worshipers that came through so often. The other was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Made with immaculate attention to detail, it was inlaid with gold in a complex and beautiful pattern, at the centre of which was Inuyasha's symbol. She found herself wanting it more than she had ever wanted anything in her life, but felt that she simply didn't disserve it. Resolved to take the plain chest, she couldn't help but give the other one a look of longing.

 

“If you want it, you can have it.” A voice said behind Kagome, causing her to jump. Spinning around, she was shocked to see that Inuyasha had arrived while she wasn't looking and was currently leaning against the doorframe.

 

“My lord?” She asked nervously, unsure as to how she should address him.

 

“If you want the chest, you can have it.” Inuyasha said calmly, straightening up and walking further into the room.

 

Kagome quickly looked down at her feet, too scared to meet the eyes of a God. Especially when those eyes were so inhumanely beautiful that she found herself becoming flustered by the mere thought of them.

 

“While I thank you for your generosity, my lord, I believe such a chest is better suited to one of your standing than mine.”

 

Inuyasha let out a very un-Godlike snort. “I have no use for it.” He said calmly. “If you don't take it it'll just end up sold at the Southern Market to some rich old coot before much longer. Didn't Miroku explain that to you?”

 

“I tried my lord.” Miroku said with a slight bow. “But I'm afraid your newest priestess is of modest tastes and does not yet understand the benefits you bequeath on your priests.”

 

Kagome bit her lip, still uncertain. “If you are sure it is alright for me to take the chest, my lord…”

 

“It is.” Inuyasha calmly. “Now, if you've decided, let get it to your room shall we?”

 

Before Kagome could answer, a strange light engulfed Inuyasha and quickly spread to cover Kagome and the chest in question. Kagome had a strange sense of being weightless for a moment, until the light diminished and she found that she, Inuyasha and her new chest had been transported into her room.

 

“Where do you want this?” Inuyasha asked, picking up the chest like it's weight was nothing.

 

Kagome just stood there in silence for a moment, too shocked by her sudden change of location to think of anything to say before she managed to shake that off and said a little breathlessly, “by the foot of the bed would be fine, my lord.”

 

Inuyasha put the chest in place before standing back up and looking her in the eye once more. “Now, if you want anything else from the storage room, just take it next time.” He said calmly. “I want my priests and priestesses to be comfortable and someone should make use of those things after all. Do you understand?”

 

“Yes my lord.” Kagome said with a slight bow.

 

“Good, then I'll be going.” Inuyasha said, just as the red light started to engulf him again. This time when it cleared Kagome was still in her room but Inuyasha was gone.

 

Kagome abruptly sat down on her cot and started breathing heavily. If this was an everyday occurrence at this temple, she would have a much harder time adjusting than she thought.

 

###

 

Inuyasha rematerialised back in his room, trying not to breath too heavily and give away how tired he was. Using a quick burst of telekinetic energy, he shut the heavy doors to his room before collapsing on his bed, safe in the knowledge that he wouldn't be bothered. By all the stars in heaven, what was he thinking? He knew that when he was sent down to live on Earth that his parents had restricted many of his powers, and that transporting himself took more energy than basically any of the other powers he had remaining. It took even more energy when he had to transport something else alive with him, so much so that even the short distance from the storage room to Kagome's left him drained. And he couldn't let anyone else see him so weak without risking destroying people's respect for him. It was only that respect and fear of him that was getting him by at the moment, he truly wasn't the God he used to be.

 

Inuyasha growled slightly to himself, what was he thinking? He was thinking about how beautiful his latest priestess was, that's what he was thinking. He couldn't believe this, he was acting like a little boy with his first crush, trying to show off for her benefit. It was so stupid. He was over six hundred years old, and he had had innumerable affairs during that time. It wasn't like lust was all that new a feeling to him - much to his parents' despair - and he had long ago learnt to deal with it. So why couldn't he control himself better around this new girl, this Kagome?

 

Inuyasha sighed, he better get some control soon or else there would be trouble. She was his new priestess after all, and as such they were going to be seeing a lot more of each other. He supposed he could just bed the girl and get it over with, but he quickly rejected that idea. The poor girl had only just escaped being forcibly married to a very evil man; he couldn't put her though being used for his own lusts. That would be beyond dishonourable. Besides, he had enough trouble with those damn rumours as it was.

 

Inuyasha sighed again, relieved to feel his strength quickly returning. Apparently he hadn't used up as much energy as he feared. He just had to be mature about this, that was all there was to it. After all you can't always get what you want, not even if you're a God, and he was above being a slave to his body. He could handle this… he hoped.

 

###

 

Kagome was just getting her breath back when she heard a knock on her door and looked up to see Miroku and Kaede enter.

 

“Ah, Kagome, there you are.” Miroku said, looking slightly worried. “How are you?”

 

“Okay I guess.” She said carefully, wondering about the look on Miroku and Kaede's faces.

 

The two of them instantly seemed to calm down. “Well good.” Miroku said happily. “I was afraid you would be upset by Inuyasha's show of power.”

 

“It was bit unnerving, but I'm fine.” Kagome said. “Does he do that often?”

 

“Not really.” Miroku said, looking a little thoughtful. “While he does use his various powers at times, I've only ever seen him use that one a handful of times, and he's never brought someone else with him before. I think he doesn't wish to upset people too much with shows of power, I'm surprised he did so with you. Anyway, is there anything else you wish from the storage room, before we forget?”

 

Kagome thought for a moment before shaking her head. She was used to living a simple lifestyle and her room was already about as well done up as her old one at her family's home. “No thank you, I think I'll be fine with what I have.”

 

“Well, if you're sure.” Miroku said. “You can always grab other things later if you change your mind. Kikyo is always adding new things to her room, and the rest of us occasionally add new items as well. Inuyasha is a rather generous God in that regard.”

 

“If you're done with your room dear, perhaps we should see about getting you some new robes.” Kaede spoke up. “We have a very talented seamstress here in town who takes care of all our robes here at the temple. I'm pretty sure she doesn't have any projects she's currently working on, and I'm certain she'd be happy to see about making you some robes of your own. That old robe of Kikyo's is rather a poor fit for you. How about I take you to see her now?”

 

“I wouldn't want to be a bother, High Priestess.” Kagome said nervously standing up.

 

Kaede just smiled. “Just call be Kaede dear, High Priestess makes me feel even older than I already do. And it's no bother, I assure you. I have to head back into the village this afternoon anyway.”

 

A short time later Kagome and Kaede were walking side by side towards the village. As Kaede lead Kagome to the home of the village seamstress, she spoke up.

 

“I'll be leaving you for a little bit while you are with the seamstress dear.” Kaede said. “As you may or may not of heard, I also serve as the village healer. I promised one of the village women who is currently pregnant an herb tea that she can take to help with her morning sickness. I should only be a little while, and should hopefully be back before your done with your fitting.”

 

Kagome nodded, then bit her lip trying to think of a way to voice a request she had. “Kaede, do you think, would it maybe be possible for you could teach me about healing?”

 

Kaede looked at Kagome in something of surprise. “You're interested in healing, my dear?”

 

Kagome nodded. “My mother is a healer's assistant. She's taught me a few simple remedies over the years. I always wanted to learn more, but with training to become a priestess I never had time.”

 

“My dear, I'd be delighted to teach you.” Kaede said happily. “Hojo's a good boy and he tries so hard but sadly he doesn't quite have what it takes to be a truly good healer. He is much better suited to being a priest and a gardener. I used to teach Kikyo, but lately she has lost interest. If you want to learn, I'd be delighted to have a student again. I'm sure we can work something out around your priestess duties.

 

###

 

The next few days went well for Kagome. She started her duties as priestess the next day, as Inuyasha had said she would. At first her duties seemed to include mostly housekeeping like work, though she was promised that they would try to find her more important work as time went by. Kagome didn't mind, she was comfortable in her new role and wanted to be useful in anyway she could.

 

Kagome started learning healing from Kaede in the evenings, and delighted her teacher with how quickly she grasped concepts. Kaede swore that Kagome had all the makings of a great healer as well as those of a great priestess. Kagome always blushed at the praise, though inwardly she was ecstatic that Kaede thought so. By now she had learnt that Kaede was considered the best healer for miles around and knew what she was talking about.

 

Kagome's new robes arrived after she had been at the temple three days, and she was able to give Kikyo her old tattered robe back with much relief. Her new robes were far more beautiful than she thought a priestess's robes should be, and hugged her figure beautifully. Though she herself was rather neutral when it came to her looks, those around her quickly saw that she looked stunning in red, and that the new robes only enhanced her natural beauty.

 

Kikyo was still acting cold towards Kagome, almost as if her mere presence was an insult to the older woman in some way. Kagome didn't understand, but was determined not to let it get to her. Kagome remained polite towards Kikyo at all times and was careful not to say or do anything to accidentally offend her in the hopes that she would eventually become friendlier towards her, but so far it wasn't working. Fortunately Kagome did not see Kikyo very often as their different duties did not overlap much and Kikyo spent most of her free time by herself.

 

On the other hand Kagome was getting along wonderfully with everyone else at the temple. Kohaku, despite being a few years younger, was a wonderful companion to be around. He was always willing to help Kagome with her chores if she needed it, and always seemed to have a joke or two to lighten the mode if need be. Hojo was extremely nice, in a dopey sort of way. As Kagome had expected, he wasn't the brightest boy she had even met but he was endearing in his own way. He seemed to have developed a crush on her, but Kagome did not return his feelings and tried not to give him the wrong impression. She just hoped he would get the idea and give up on her soon; she didn't want to have to hurt him by turning him down. Miroku, despite being something of a pervert, was actually okay to be around most of the time. Over a year of courtship with Sango had taught him respect for women, and he was willing to let his lecherous nature go with the occasional flirtatious comment. On the other hand, he was full of useful knowledge and more than willing to share it when asked. As for Kaede, Kagome was starting to think of the old woman as something akin to a grandmother.

 

Kagome found herself getting along well with the villagers too. They were for the most part happy, friendly people who were glad to welcome her as a new priestess of Inuyasha. She met Sango, Kohaku's older sister and the woman Miroku had been courting for over a year. Sango's profession as a village guard, having never met a woman who was a fighter before, amazed Kagome. Sango on the other hand was impressed by the knowledge Kagome held, as the granddaughter of a priest and daughter of a healer's assistant. The two quickly became good friends.

 

The only real problem Kagome seemed to have, was that no matter how hard she tried, she could not completely dispel the feelings she felt whenever she saw Inuyasha. She knew it was wrong for a priestess to be lusting after a God, but she could not help it. And it just got worse as the days went by and Inuyasha's personality began to show itself as well. She quickly saw that despite his quick temper and stubborn nature, Inuyasha was a honourable God, kind and generous to his followers and harsh on those who angered him. The more she saw of him the more her feelings grew, though so far she was able to hide them. She was terrified that if he ever saw how she felt about him, he would have no choice but to dismiss her as his priestess.

 

###

 

Eight days after Kagome had arrived at the temple, she found herself unable to sleep one night. She wasn't sure why that was; she had worked hard that day and knew she should be tired, but she was wide-awake. After a while she decided to get a drink and see if that helped. She went over to the jug on the table on the other side of her room, but found it to be empty. With a small sigh, Kagome picked the jug up and headed out towards the well in the courtyard.

 

Once she was outside, Kagome couldn't help but stop and enjoy the beauty of the gardens. They were simply breathtaking. Filled with plants of all shapes, sizes and colours - many of which imported from places unknown - it was without a doubt one of the most beautiful places she had ever been. Hojo certainly did himself proud as gardener here. Deciding to forget about filling the jug for a moment and simply and enjoy the beauty of this night, Kagome moved to one of the many stone benches that filled the garden.

 

“Shouldn't you be in bed?” She heard a voice she knew so well by now ask from further down the path. Kagome quickly jumped to her feet and turned to bow to Inuyasha as he walked towards her.

 

Inuyasha simply sat down next to where she had been siting on the bench and gestured for her to do the same. “Shouldn't you be in bed?” He repeated once she had complied.

 

“I couldn't sleep.” She said, and then hoping she wasn't overstepping her boundaries she added, “what about you my lord?”

 

“Gods don't need as much sleep as mortals.” He said simply, as he turned to look back at the garden. Kagome did the same.

 

The two sat in silence for a couple of minutes until Kagome dared to whisper, “It's beautiful here.”

 

Inuyasha nodded. “Yes it is. Even Jinenji thinks so and when the God of Gardening thinks a garden looks good you know it is.”

 

“The God of Gardening has been here?” Kagome asked in surprise. She had never heard of a God visiting another God's temple.

 

“He comes to visit me often.” Inuyasha explained. “The two of us have been best friends since we were children, so he likes to catch up with me every now and then now that I'm living on Earth. Every time he comes here he likes to tease that one day he's going to steal Hojo away from me.”

 

“Since you were children?” She repeated, confused, before mentally kicking herself. Did her tongue have a mind of it's own, asking questions she had no business in asking?

 

Inuyasha on the other hand did not look the least bit offended. “Even Gods have childhoods as such. How long it takes us to grow up depends on which God you're talking about. We can control our own aging to some extent, which is why Gods usually look fairly young.” Suddenly he laughed. “I don't think my younger brother, Shippo, ever wants to grow up. Four hundred and fifty years old, and he still looks like he's about eight. My parents finally forced him to take on a full God's responsibilities about a hundred years ago in the hope that it would cause him to act more responsible. Too bad that backfired when he choose to become the God of Mischief. Now he just uses it as a way to spend all his time playing and pulling pranks on people. Back when I was living in the heavens I was his favourite victim. I'm glad I don't have that worry anymore.”

 

Kagome couldn't help but smile. Despite his complaints, his tone and expression told her he was actually very fond of his younger brother, and she found this positively endearing. However, she quickly pushed that thought out of her mind, she shouldn't be thinking like this.

 

“Gods choose what they will represent then?” She asked to distract herself, hoping he would not think her too nosy and get mad.

 

“Well, partly.” Inuyasha said. “Our choices need to be approved before we take them on. If two Gods want the same title, it's up to my parents to choose which one gets it, or else the conflicts could cause real problems. Back when Sesshomaru and Koga were fighting over who would get to be the God of War, their anger literally affected the weather on Earth and caused several violent storms and earthquakes, before my parents stepped in and gave the title to Sesshomaru. Koga's still pissed off about that. Generally our positions are decided by our personalities”

 

“So, how did you become the God of Protection?” Kagome asked, trying not to think too closely about the dangers that came with fighting between the Gods.

 

Inuyasha stared off into space for a moment, his expression reflective. “That was close to six hundred years ago now. Back then, me, Jinenji, Hiten and Manten were all in the childhood stages of Godhood, although Hiten and Manten were older and bigger than Jinenji and me. Hiten and Manten were also rather big jerks and loved to tease those smaller than them. I was the second son of the King and Queen of the Gods so they didn't dare pick on me very often, but Jinenji was fair game as far as they were concerned. He was clumsy and kind of funny looking, so they thought he was the perfect target. He was also rather sensitive and got scared easily. One day they were teasing him so badly that he ran away in tears, but they just kept after him. Finally they cornered him, and Hiten actually went to hit him. I saw this happening and ran forward to put myself between them and told them to back off, that Jinenji was under my protection from now on. It was more bluff than anything, but lucky for me Sesshomaru also saw and stepped in as well before things could get any worse. But that was how things started for me. Ever since then everyone thought I would one day become the God of Protection and I did. Me and Jinenji were best friends from that day forward as well.”

 

Kagome smiled at his story, before finding herself feeling the irresistible urge to yawn which of course Inuyasha instantly picked up on.

 

“Oi, here we are talking when you should be in bed asleep.” He said firmly. “Off with you, you've got to get up pretty early to get to your duties.”

 

Kagome nodded before turning around to walk back to her room, her drink long forgotten.

 

Inuyasha watched her go, as a strange feeling settled into his stomach. He knew full well what it was, had suspected it for several days but had been able to deny it until now. He had never felt this emotion before, and wasn't sure what he should do about it. He was falling in love with Kagome.

 

###

 

Kagome was feeling much more tired when she got back to bed, but once again found herself unable to sleep as her conversation with Inuyasha replayed itself over and over in her head. It was the first time she had sat down and actually talked to Inuyasha, and what he had said caused her feelings for him to grow tenfold.

 

Suddenly she sat up in shock as she realised something. No, she couldn't be, it was impossible! But she was. She was in love with Inuyasha.

 

 

Author's Notes

 

Now, to help people avoid confusion, I would like to clarify a couple of things. One, the prophecy Taisho and Izayoi mentioned in the Prologue is known only to them and Kanna, no one else even knows that it even exists let alone what it says (except me, the author, nah nah). Being a prophecy by the Goddess of Seers, you can assume it's correct. The rumours first mentioned in Chapter 1 relating to Inuyasha's reasons for being on Earth on the other hand, were created by mortals when Inuyasha first arrived on Earth. You cannot assume they're right, therefore, and Inuyasha certainly doesn't believe them. The prophecy and the rumours are completely separate things, not to be confused with each other. As to what the prophecy and the rumours say, well you'll just have to keep reading to find out.

 

 

Gods (only Gods mentioned in chapter listed)

 

Taisho: King of the Gods, God of Law; husband of Izayoi; father of Sesshomaru, Inuyasha and Shippo

Izayoi: Queen of the Gods, Goddess of Love and Marriage; wife of Taisho; mother of Sesshomaru, Inuyasha and Shippo

Sesshomaru: God of War; son of Taisho and Izayoi; elder brother of Inuyasha and Shippo

Inuyasha: God of Protection; son of Taisho and Izayoi; younger brother of Sesshomaru; elder brother of Shippo; Best Friend of Jinenji

Shippo: God of Mischief; son of Taisho and Izayoi; younger brother of Sesshomaru and Inuyasha

Koga: God of the Hunt

Jinenji: God of Gardening; Best Friend of Inuyasha

Hiten: God of Lightening; slightly elder twin brother of Manten

Manten: God of Thunder; slightly younger twin brother of Hiten