Chapter 16: Invasion in the Middle Lands
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.
-Kagome-
I followed Jakken outside with conflicted emotions. I had always thought of Sesshomaru as just arrogant demon lord with a penchant for violence, murder, and conquering, but today I got to see another side of him. He had shown me that he actually cared for justice and was willing to wage war against his own court to shut down the power play and abuse, in order to make it better for his people.
Apparently, Sesshomaru was a true ruler.
"Lady Kagome!" Lord Toga's voice stopped me just outside the court hall. I halted and almost felt guilty for thinking of killing his son the night before. "Jakken, you may go back now."
He gazed at me softly and I gazed right back, asking myself if he can see the train of my thoughts before. Then he shifted his eyes to look pointedly at Jakken who made no move to leave.
"I think I told you to leave," He told Jakken coldly.
Jakken fell on his knees and repeatedly begged for forgiveness. Lord Toga took my arms gently and stirred me away from the hall but Jakken's high-pitched voice called our attention.
"My lord, wait! Lord Sesshomaru will have my head if I allow you to take Lady Kagome." Jakken pleaded.
Lord Toga's hold on my arm tightened a little and he glared at Jakken sideways. "I will have your head if you say another word."
I raised my brows at him in curiosity. "What is going on?"
Lord Toga smiled at me almost tiredly. "Let me take you to your new chamber, my lady."
I nodded and let him take me away to the safety of my room.
Once we got there, we stopped in front of the closed door, and I turned to him with a fond smile on my face. "Thank you, for standing up for me."
Lord Toga returned my smile but it looked a little melancholy. "You did nothing wrong."
"Inuyasha…" I paused hesitantly. "Is he really your son?"
"Is he really your friend?" He countered.
"Don't you believe me?" I asked with a pout.
He chuckled and shook his head in disagreement. "No. I am just…grateful"
"Grateful?"
"Yes." He nodded and his eyes looked a little distant. "Knowing that my son has a loyal friend like you? It's enough to put a father at ease."
I stared at him wistfully. "You must have deep affections for him even if he's…"
"Even if he's…?"
I bowed my head a little and smiled wistfully while biting my lip. I did not know how talking about father stings.
He hooked his finger on my chin and lifted up my head so he could look at me. I swallowed loudly. "Even if he's a hanyou."
His gentle smile turned bitter and he shook his head in frustration. "Ah, yes. The prejudice of the world for the hanyous." He grimaced. "A parent always has an affection for their children."
I scoffed. "I doubt that."
"Why is that?"
I smiled sadly at him. "Nothing. I'll be going in first to rest, my lord."
I curtseyed then turned to open the door to my room but his gentle touch on my arm stopped me from going inside.
"Your father…he might be reserved in showing his affections for you but I know he cares." He told me. "Another thing, my lady. Sesshomaru. Do not resent him too much. He never intended for you to die. Your trial's goal is to put the elders in their place. They have grown too arrogant and Sesshomaru wanted to teach them a lesson."
"You have known this from the start?"
"No. You know Sesshomaru. He does not really consult with me."
I nodded slowly. "Yeah, I appreciate how he admonished his abusive court of elders, but I just wished he did not make me the center of it.”
"Lady Kagome!" Sango greeted me from the inside. Upon seeing Lord Toga, she bowed nervously. "Lord Toga."
"Thank you, Lord Toga. For everything." I bowed my head slightly before going inside with Sango.
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"Are you alright, my lady?" Sango asked as I sat on the massive bed.
I nodded. "Yes. Did I make you worry?"
Sango smile seemed brittle and her eyes turned a little darker. I frowned at her reactions.
"Yes. I thought you wouldn't come back alive."
I raised my brows in interest. "Why is that?"
"Well, you were accused of treason and it is punishable by death."
"Did you pray for my death?" I asked while removing the ribbons in my hair.
She tensed. "Why would I pray for my lady's death?"
I stood up in front of the wall mirror and brushed my hair. I picked up a crimson ribbon to tie my hair back as a commoner would. When I finished, I spared her a glance through the mirror. "Why wouldn't you?" I asked softly.
"Are you doubting my loyalty, my lady?" She asked, bowing her head.
I turned away from the mirror and went to the armoire to collect the clothes that I usually use when going to the Middle Lands. I held the dress up, seemingly inspecting it, but my attentions are focused solely on her. "Sango."
"Yes, my lady?"
"Many believes that aside from human blood, my gentle heart weakens me." I smiled softly. "Contrary to their beliefs, I am not always gentle. I particularly do not look kindly upon betrayal. In my opinion, treason should not be punished by death alone." I lifted my eyes from the dress and fixed it on her. "Why give traitors the reprieve of death when all the anguish are in life?"
"That seems cruel, my lady." She replied, still not lifting her head to look at me.
I stride towards her and leaned down next to her ear. "Cruel? Treason is more cruel, my dear. Why? Because they never come from your enemies."
I straightened and smiled sweetly at her when she peered at me through her lashes.
"You can go now and have some rest. You must have worried so much for me."
She bowed and rushed outside. My jaw tightened and I narrowed my eyes. I could feel it. Cruel events are about to unfold. Soon.
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I sneaked out of the Western palace after talking to Sango, intending to meet with Ah Chen. As I was running in the thick forest on my way to the Middle Lands, a deafening and powerful explosion took place. It was so strong that the ground shook with the impact.
I fell on my knees and the dizzying effects blurred my vision. Where did it took place?
I breathed heavily and lifted my head upwards. The sky was dark with smoke. It was so thick that it seemed to swallow the sky. Only an extremely big fire could create that extremely large smoke. The Middle Lands have been attacked.
The realization propelled me forward and I shook the dizziness away. I ran at full speed to get there. I squinted at the blinding smoke in the Middle. I watched as the entire land burn. Many people were running to escape, some were screaming for a lost loved one, and few were fighting against the invading hordes of youkai.
I looked for weapons that I could use but I was suddenly pushed forward. I stumbled down and my right elbow took the impact. I cried out as the pain shoot to my arm and shoulder.
A youkai wrestled me while I was still down and lifted his clawed hands to strike. I kneed him and pushed him aside with all my strength. I lifted my clawed hands and scratch at his face. He gave a piercing scream as the skin on his face almost falls off. Beside him, I grabbed a wood with pointed edge. It must have been from a ruined house. With my youki wrapped in the wood, I struck the youkai's heart.
I jumped up and tried to focus my senses in finding Shippou. Although, my heart prayed that Ah Chen had already saved him. I swiped at the endless hordes of youkai, sometimes with my claws and sometimes with the sharp wood. Then I reached the house that served as Shippou's home. I ran inside the burning hut, only to find him and his things gone.
Ah Chen must have saved him.
I breathed a sigh of relief. Just as I was feeling awashed in my relief, another explosion took place not far from where I stood. I fell on the ground and my left ear felt deafened for a moment. It rang with the loud sound.
The sleeve of my clothing caught the fire. I rolled on the ground to stop it from burning the rest of my clothes.
"Help us! Please." My right ear caught the pleading voice of a girl.
I dragged myself up and ran to the sound of the voice. I saw three little human girls huddled at the corner, unable to escape the fire.
I went to them and yelled harshly amid the chaos around us, "Stand up. I'll get you out of here."
They stood up shakily and grabbed at my clothes as they cried.
"Xiao! It's Xiao. Please help us. Please." Many familiar voices called out to me as I was helping the girls escape.
I turned to the sound and I found humans trapped in ruined houses and fire. While thinking of a way to help them, three youkais encircled me and the girls. I narrowed my eyes and bared my fangs as I growl.
"Who are you?" I asked harshly. "Why have you invaded the Middle Lands?"
One of them laughed then replied in a broken sentence, "Hanyou…die…"
Another spoke, "Fire…rules…"
"Xiao-chan." The little girl beside me faced her thin face on my waist, shaking in terror.
I closed my eyes and tried to summon my spiritual powers. With a miko as a mother, I inherited some of her powers. But it'd always difficult to use it. My father barred me from using my miko power because it was like a stigma. A brand that showed to the world that I was, indeed, an abomination he created. He then had someone put a seal so it would be hard for me to use my reiki.
But desperate times calls for desperate measures. I opened my eyes just as my miko power found a loophole in the seal. My eyes glowed brightly white but my hands glowed like blood as my youki joined my holy powers. When these two powers were combined, it'd always created a crimson hue.
I lifted my left hand and created a bow while my left hand created an arrow. I shoot at the first one then the other then the last one. I shifted my eyes to the trapped people and shoot an arrow in front of them. The arrow cleared their way, seemingly parting the fire created by some kind of a youki. The people rushed forward.
"Run faster." I yelled. "This way!"
I led them while fighting off other youkais. The men took some sharp wooden sticks and fought alongside with me.
"Xiao!" Sohma, my full-fledged wolf-youkai friend, called a few feet away from me. He held a sword in his hand, fighting off other hordes of invaders.
"Sohma! Where is Shippou?"
"Ah Chen saved him!" He yelled just as he was putting a sword to a youkai's belly. "Come here, Mizuki will take you to a safer place." He addressed the people behind me.
I looked at them and nodded. "Go with him. He'll protect you."
Mizuki appeared together with Goyo. "Come! I think there will be another explosion."
The people rushed with them and I stood next to Sohma. "We saved most of the people." He told me.
I nodded grimly. "But not all."
He nodded just as grimly. "Not all."
I pursed my lips and fell on my knees. Sohma curses and shielded me.
He glanced at me worriedly. "Are you okay?"
I nodded, breathing heavily. "I have used too much miko energy but I'm alright." I pushed myself up with effort. "Let us look around the place and see if there are still people we could save."
With that, we parted and scoured the burning lands full of corpses of people that I had tried to save many years ago.
Ten youkai encircled me and I used all my energy to fight them off. When there was only one left, I fell to the ground, heaving badly.
The smoke was thinning and there were only few invaders left. I can do this.
"Xiao!" A young sweet voice piqued my attention, and I looked behind.
My eyes widened, and my heart pounded in my chest with so much force. Shippou struggled away from Ah Chen's arms and he ran towards me.
I tried to stop him but it was too late. "Shippou!" I screamed, my voice echoing throughout the lands.
Just then, the youkai threw a spear through his heart.
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Word Count: 2100
Prompt: The Soundtrack Challenge – Scream
Stella's Word Prompt Game – Stigma