AN: Hello all, Happy New Year first and foremost. Second of all, I apologize for the long, unannounced hiatus. Thirdly, thank you all for your patience. It's been quite a while since I've touched this chapter, it was supposed to be a rather simple quest, but quickly snowballed into something else entirely. This new direction required more outlines, a change in several character arcs, and a major ending change. All that to say is that the chapter and its implications got away from me. But rather than just sit on it for another year and a half, I thought it best to reward your patience with a preview of the chapter and the hints it provides as to what's to come. Thank you again for reading and your continued support. As always let me know what you think. The current ETA for the full chapter is tentatively the end of this month or early March. The new chapter will replace this preview file. Happy reading and I hope to see you all at the end of the month!
50 Years Too Early
(PREVIEW!) Chapter 30: The C- Priestess Part 2
Sasaki gave her a cutting glare. His eyes joined the throng of pairs that took in Kagome, many still reeling at her voice. Their stares of bewilderment, confusion, and some amusement cut into her skin. The weight of them nearly forced Kagome's head down, her throat eager to take back the words. She pushed down the urge and met Sasaki's stare with her own. She puffed out her chest and planted her feet. Her hands found her hips and really the only thing missing to complete the look was a flowing cape. Still, she couldn't deny the effect. An assurance flowed through, making the weight of stares the weight of feathers.
"What did you say…priestess?" Sasaki said, the corners of his lips drooping.
"You heard me," Kagome said, barely recognizing her own voice. "I can cure this, get the people back to work, and give Lord Takeda his silver in a week. I just need a few things from you."
Sasaki scoffed but leaned forward regardless. "And what would that be?"
"Salt and sugar."
The envoy blinked before his sneer became a laughing fit. "A fine joke priestess! Most amusing! I give you this, Kyo, you have thoroughly entertained me this visit! I cannot imagine a proper way to end the day than with this foolishness!"
Kyo gestured for her back away, but Kagome grabbed Sasaki's reins. "It's no joke," she said, hoping she sounded like Kikyo. From the way the envoy's laugh dwindled, she was somewhat successful. "If you want the silver for Lord Nobuzane, you'll need to give me salt and sugar. A lot of it."
"I do not know what training you have had, priestess, but in what world does wasting such valuable resources cure a plague?"
"This one," Kagome said at once. "My sister, Kikyo taught me. You've heard of her, right?"
Sasaki scoffed. "Who hasn't? But that does not mean you get to dictate how we use our resources. This demand for salt and sugar is out of the question!"
Kagome pursed her lips. She looked him over, taking in his round belly, perfumed scent, and silk robes. A man of taste and ambition, she concluded. He had to be frustrated with gathering quotas from a bunch of villagers when his ego made him believe he ought to be elsewhere. "Think about it this way, Lord Nobuzane owes me a favor or two," she began.
"I highly doubt that, priestess."
"You said he's recently defended the castle? Do you want to know from what? An entire horde of demons who were trying to sack it. My friends and I rescued Lord Nobuzane when he was surrounded and helped him defeat the demons. He was forever grateful for that."
Sasaki glowered at her. "In the report, there was mention of a priestess's aid….but what of it?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Kagome said. "I helped him, so I can help you. Maybe get you a better position in the clan."
"I am perfectly content with my current status, priestess!" he declared, though his wavering eyes said otherwise. He was intrigued. At least somewhat. She had to sweeten the deal.
"Think about it, Master Sasaki. You must be tired of riding around barking orders at Kyo and his village and wasting the day going to village after village for their taxes. I'm sure a man of your…talents would be far more useful to Lord Takeda elsewhere. Maybe as an advisor?"
He shifted in the saddle. "You cannot guarantee me such things, priestess. Only through service to the lord may I rise."
Kagome held up a finger. "But that's what I'm offering you! A way to serve Lord Takeda and stand out from the crowd! This plague has been a thorn in his side for a while, right?"
"It has," Sasaki said glaring at the gathered villagers. "Production at the forge is halted and shipments to the continent and the Ryuku kingdoms have been delayed."
"You can be the one to end all of that," Kagome said brightly. "Think about it. Think of riding before Lord Takeda Shingen and announcing you have single-handedly solved the plague crisis and gotten the workers back to the mine, continuing his advantage over Lord Uesugi. Think of how the lord will reward you for bringing that kind of news! And I could contact Lord Nobuzane and ask him to ensure that his father properly rewards you. Kyo and his village keep their home, the men are back to work, you get your just rewards, and Lord Takeda gets his silver. Everyone wins!"
Sasaki glanced between his men who were already talking among themselves and the villages who watched the strange exchange with bated breath.
"You can guarantee all of this?" the envoy whispered.
Kagome held in her smile. She had him. "Of course," she said with a nod. "All it will take is some salt and sugar. Two things I'm sure Lord Takeda won't miss when faced with his silver mine back on schedule."
He pulled on his reins, releasing it from her grip. "You can do all of this in one week?"
"I can."
"What if you're wrong?"
"Like I said, you can take my head. Bury the entire thing. You can't go wrong either way."
He stroked his chin, mumbling to himself all the while. The air was tight around her chest. Kagome's stance wavered. Maybe he'd just turn around and call for the village to be burned after all. If that happened, what could she do? She couldn't shoot another person. Even if he was this unpleasant. But Kikyo would do that to protect this village. Wouldn't she?
"Very well," Sasaki said suddenly, breaking her thoughts. "One week. Not a day more!"
Kagome bowed at the waist, preventing herself from jumping up and down at her triumph. "Thank you, Master Sasaki. You will not regret this."
"If I do, you surely will."
Without another word, he urged his horseback to the gate and kicked it into a gallop, his two guards not far behind. For the longest time, no one in the village moved. She heard them whisper about her. Words like 'crazy', 'insolent', and 'foolish' the most popular. Some even said she must have been a foreigner to speak like that to Lord Takeda's envoy. That one, at least, wasn't too far off.
"Is it true, Lady Kagome?" Kyo asked steadily. His eyes never left the gate. "Can you really cure this plague in a week?"
"Kyo, I need you to take me to the mine," Kagome said without preamble. "I need to see how bad it is."
He looked at her up and down as if seeing her for the first time, before nodding. "Yes, of course, my lady."
"Hakura," she said next. "Gather as many able bodied people as you can. I need water. A lot of it. As much as you can carry."
"B-but you told me not to drink the river water," Kyo's sister said with a confused blink.
"You're not going to drink it," Kagome said at once. "You're going to boil it. Put it all in one giant pot and boil it for a minute. A complete boil," she emphasized. "Then pour it into smaller containers and leave it out for us."
"I-I don't understand…."
"Hakura," Kyo said, clutching her shoulder. "Do as she asks. This might be our one chance…."
She sighed and nodded, pointing to the gathered crowd to begin to grab pots and buckets to start the task.
"I shall prepare horses for us," Kyo said as he jogged to the stable.
It was only when the villagers were engrossed in their assignments did Kagome approach Hatchi, huddled away behind a tree in his "Yoshi" form. She stooped to the badger's level and whispered in his pointed ears. "I need you to follow Sasaki, Hatchi. Find out where he keeps his salt and sugar and take as much as you can carry."
The minor demon stared at her aghast. "B-but Lady Kagome…didn't he agree to your terms. He said he would bring you a lot right?"
"Something tells me he and I are going to differ on that definition," Kagome said. "This won't work unless I have the full amount that I need."
"W-well…how much would you need?"
"As much as you can get me. Please, Hatchi. Without you, none of this will work."
The disguised badger scratched his ear with a grumble. "If I help…. will I get paid?"
Kagome blinked at him. "Um…sure…" she said, for lack of anything else. Kikyo never told her that demons, even minor ones, needed paychecks. Most of the demons she had met only wanted flesh or something just as unappealing. The memories brought a bitter taste to her tongue that made her glower at Hatchi. "You don't mean something like souls or blood, do you?"
Hatchi flinched at her tone. The badger's skittishness flowing through even in his human form. "O-of course not, Lady Kagome! What would I do with someone's soul?"
"So, what would you want?"
"Just some of the silver that's all."
Kagome sighed. It was great to see that greed was not only alive and well 500 years ago, but it crossed over to supernatural creatures too. She wondered what that meant for human nature in general. "Fine," she said shrugging. "You take a bit from the top of whatever silver they give us. That sound fair?"
Hatchi nodded vigorously. "Yes! That will do nicely, Lady Kagome!"
"Pleasure doing business with you, Hatchi," Kagome said. "Now get to it!"
"Yes, my lady!"
A leaf, and a faint pop, was all it took for Hatchi's gourd form to take flight and disappear over the horizon, humming about a silver reward as he went. At the village gate, Kyo was waiting with two horses. With his one arm, he scaled the height of the horse to swing onto the saddle with an ease straight out of Mom's romance novels. Kyo gathered his reins and looked at her expectantly. Kagome could only stare at the horse; horseback riding skills absent from her brain. Something told her it wasn't at all like riding a bike.
"Come, my lady," Kyo said gesturing to the saddle. "There isn't time to waste."
"Uh…. right…" Kagome muttered. "Kyo, any chance we can walk?"
The young headman frowned. "We would not reach the mine until after dark if we did. Time is of the essence is it not?"
Kagome rubbed her neck, taking in the massive creature before her. A sudden dread filled her chest that cooled her previous fervor. "R-right. Yeah, of course," she mumbled. "No problem…."
"Do you not know how to ride, my lady?"
"Oh, no, no, no!" Kagome said at once. She took a firm hold of the reins, ignoring the irritated snort from the horse. "I'm fine. Just, go on ahead. I'll catch up."
Kyo raised an eyebrow but thankfully kicked his horse into a gallop that sent him speeding down the road. Kagome sighed and placed a foot in the stirrup. If a one-armed man could do it, so could she. The schoolgirl heaved, forcing her weight in one foot and swung her hips and pulled on the reins.
The horse trotted forward.
Balance left her.
Kagome stared up at the blue sky as the horse carried on oblivious.
This was going to take a while.
#
It was dusk by the time Kagome slid off the saddle before the mine. Soreness flooded her body from her legs to her back. Walking became a chore of dragging her 100-ton leg across the ground and hoping the other one would follow, while her back protested at even the slightest of movements. No wonder the car took off so quickly, Kagome thought, glaring at the horse hitched to a tree branch. It nibbled on a small patch of grass, unaware of the pain it and the stupid saddle had given her.
"Lady Kagome, please hurry, there's little time," Kyo said already at the entrance.
Kagome reddened, thankful that Kyo did not mention her dismal riding. Or the fact he had to double back at least four times to free her snagged foot from the stirrup.
The mine was a wound that cut across the face of the mountain. It was an old structure with uneven pillars, stone that looked ready to erode in the next rainstorm, and uneven stairs that were far too steep to attempt to climb without a helmet and four layers of padding. The mine loomed over a small village. It was a meager square of hastily built wooden houses for the miners that seemed as well-maintained as the mine itself. The half-hearted gate and fence that enclosed the compound couldn't stop a wounded, starving housecat, let alone Kyo who strode towards the entrance with vigor. He glanced at the barely conscious guards who gave a mild grunt of acknowledgment.
"My brother," Kyo asked the more lucid one. "Where is he?"
The lucid guard gestured to the furthest house that sat atop a slight set of stairs. "Where he's been the last two weeks."
"Of course," Kyo grumbled before signaling for Kagome to follow.
"We're not going straight to the mine?" Kagome asked, trying to keep pace with Kyo's brisk steps. Though, she didn't mind the delay. The mine entrance looked like every haunted house or cursed mansion she'd seen in the horror movies. And she knew there would be monsters far worse than any Freddy or Jason lurking in the depths. Kagome wrung her hands then adjusted her bow and arrows on her shoulder. She was nowhere near as skilled as Kikyo, but at least she would stand a better chance against whatever demon she would inevitably run into down there, even if the problem lied in bacteria in the water.
"You need written permission to enter the mine," Kyo replied, walking down a cramped road of empty huts. "Lord Takeda appointed my younger brother, Kai to lead this mine. We will need his permission."
The entire compound was empty, Kagome realized. Candles that were never lit sat on the windows, waiting for their purpose to be filled. Fire pits were pitch black, lacking even a faint ember.
"The miners are supposed to live here during their commanded work periods," Kyo said, answering her unasked question. "My brother, ever since his appointment, has insisted on keeping them inside the mine." He spoke with a faint growl that almost reminded her of Inuyasha. "He has exhausted the men working the mine cranks and going deeper than they should. If it weren't for Lord Takeda and our dire straits, the men would have revolted months ago."
"Hakura mentioned that the village moved south recently. What happened to your home?" Kagome tensed as Kyo shot her a hard look. She shouldn't have asked, she knew. But a long-winded story was better than the stone silence that pilfered the air, promising danger at every corner.
"We were forced out," Kyo said simply. "We hail from the lands of the Uesugi clan in the northern mountains. The silver and copper were plentiful there and paid for weapons, armor, bribes for our lord. But as the war between the Hojo and Takeda clans worsened, our lord demanded more from our mines. We dug deeper into the mountains and deeper in the valley for more silver to meet the lord's new demands. We were successful for a season or two until…. We discovered that we were not alone in the mountains."
Kagome held back a gulp. She could sense where this was going. "A demon?"
"Demons, my lady," Kyo said. "We stumbled upon an entire tribe. The Wolf Demon tribe. And they were not eager to share their territory with us."
Kagome stared at her sandals. She definitely knew where this was going. She already regretted asking. "They attacked you?"
"Small raids at first," Kyo said, his hand twitching. "We managed to chase away the weaker ones and it appeared that we would be able to maintain our land. However, we soon learned that those raids were only the beginning and that the wolf demons, though some of them resemble men, are beasts to their very core. Their leader descended upon us with his wolves. Slaughtered everyone who tried to fight. Maimed those who tried to run. Devoured whoever was left. I held off as many as I could while Hakura and Kai helped the survivors escape. The wolves dragged me to their leader." Kyo held up his empty right sleeve. "Took my arm with a single swipe of his claws. A warning he said. And to ensure I could never work in the mines again."
"Lord Uesugi didn't help you?"
Kyo scoffed. "Even if he had sent 10,000 men it wouldn't have mattered. Men cannot stop these beasts, Lady Kagome. We were fortunate that the ten arrived when they did to ferry us to the nearest castle. But…. The lord of the castle wanted to send us back immediately. The silver in the mountains was too valuable to leave in the hands of the demons."
Kagome's jaw slackened. Words refused to form on her lips. "So…. They sent you back?" she asked finally.
"He tried…." Kyo said. "We fled south in the night and were found by a Takeda general who believed our knowledge of Uesugi lands would benefit Lord Takeda Shingen as he advanced against Uesugi. Faced with slaughter to the north and starvation elsewhere, what choice did we have but to betray Lord Uesugi?"
"No one is blaming you…." Kagome said, gripping her hamaka pants. "You helped them get out and probably saved dozens of lives."
Kyo's voice was hollow. "While hundreds more perished… I couldn't even save Mayu…." He clawed at his eyes with his sole arm, refusing to face her. "And now, the gods are punishing us even more for our betrayal with this plague. I was supposed to protect them. They chose me to protect them…. and I-."
"You are doing exactly what you're supposed to be doing," Kagome said at once, her hand found his quaking shoulder. "Kyo, listen to me. Everything that's happened…. It wasn't your fault. I can tell you now that it's not the gods who are punishing you. What's making everyone sick can be cured, trust me. If you weren't the right man to protect them, you wouldn't be here right now. You'd be with Sasaki drowning in sake and fish while everyone else starves."
"I…. suppose you are right, Lady Kagome…." Kyo muttered. "But… the others. Those who perished in the escape…. I failed them. They're-."
"At peace now, I know it," Kagome said. She offered him the brightest smile she could manage, though an iron grip had taken hold of her heart and sought to squeeze out every ounce of her tears. "If you want, I could say a prayer for them, all of them. And make a small shrine for the village so when everyone's cured, you offer them your prayers. Maybe their spirits will help you protect the village moving forward."
Kyo gave her a small smile and patted her hand. "I would like that very much, Lady Kagome. Thank you."
"No problem," she said. "Now, let's go save a village."