Silver Conquest by Sparkle Kit

Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1 - Flight on Swift Wings

The funeral pyre was fully lit and most of the village had left the funeral. A few stragglers stood by the edge of the flames, hands clasped in prayer for their guardian, praying for her spirit to find peace in the afterlife. Kagome could not find it in herself yet to join them in prayer. The loss of Kaede was like a gaping hole in her chest, a chilling wound that would never close.

Kagome stretched a handout towards the fire. She had been here before, only a year ago. They had won the battle against the evil spider hanyou Naraku but he had won the war by destroying InuYasha with a tentacle fully loaded with miasma. To be honest, Kagome would of expected InuYasha to of survived it but he had been weakened by the loss of Kikyou and despite his quest for a wish on the Skikon No Tama gave his last breaths in her arms after Naraku disintegrated on the winds around them.

She wished that she had joined Sango and Miroku with the slayer village rebuild. Letters came every few months and Kagome was delighted at the progress that they enjoyed but secretly she lamented their absence. She had very little in common with the village women, oh mostly they were kind enough! But there was no conversation that stimulated her; after a while the talk of rice paddies, children (not that she did not adore the kids!) and bawdy tales of marriage life (oh please, no more of that..) and forth coming marriages she tended to tune out and instead took to her training.

Often, she could be found wandering on the outskirts of the village by herself, unknowingly becoming an outsider to what would one day be her neighbourhood in Tokyo and the target of what could be considered vicious gossip. Whispers that she would never marry and yield children despite that she was only 17 years old, young in her time but considered old in the Sengoku period. That she could not tempt a man. That she would be a drain on the village, a not yet fully trained priestess leeching on the village resources. The forgotten quest to vanquish a tyrant was becoming a memory to those who survived.

Her outspoken nature and intelligence once highly valued now made her a target to the more chauvinistic of the village men, in particular the head man’s oldest son and heir. Sighing, Kagome wondered what she would be berated for tomorrow. With Kaede’s death her place in the village was hanging by a thread, the respect for the elderly priestess was the only thing that had kept her safe. Would this be happening if InuYasha was still alive? A sorrowful expression came to her face at this thought. Would they have of gotten over the large Kikyou shaped hurdle? Shaking her head, Kagome tried valiantly to get her thoughts in order before she returned to the village. Clapping her hands and bowing, Kagome uttered a prayer for her mentor to find peace and turned towards the village.

Upon entry her guard was up as there was a crowd waiting for her, Shin the heir to the village head man already had a sneer on his face and was surrounded by his cronies. Determined to ignore them, Kagome kept her eyes on her feet and walked. Already she could feel the violence in the air; time it seemed had run out.

“Well well. The pretend priestess returns from bidding the old hag goodbye.” Vicious smile in place, Shin stepped forward and reached to grab Kagome’s arm as she passed. Gripping it, he enjoyed the hiss of pain he caused. “No answer, Harlot? Not going to own up to your part in the death of the old biddy? Demons whore!”. He tightened his grip on her arm, determined to get a reaction. It was time the wench learned her place, under him. On her knees. Haughty, bitch. When no reaction came from his target he sneered again and motioned with his head at his gathered forces. Within moments they too began to shout and hiss. Demons whore, filth. Pathetic wench. Unclean. Grinning in pleasure he spun Kagome and forced her to look at him.

Kagome grit her teeth and tried to pull her arm from Shin’s grip but found it fruitless. Time had indeed run out. Looking around her at the gathered villagers she knew that she needed to escape, she could no longer stay in the Edo village. Looking up and straight at the vile ingrate manhandling her she hissed a warning.

“Let me go, Shin! We are in mourning for Kaede. Have you no respect for the dead?” trying to yet again shake him off and stumbling with the effort, Kagome’s eyes flashed with her anger. Trying again to prise his fingers from her arm, Kagome’s heart stopped at the next words that were spoken.

“Respect.. you speak of words you do not understand, woman. I will teach you, this I promise.” Looking at the growing crowd that was now surrounding them, Shin cleared his throat at his fathers’ approach and adopted a contrite, pious look on his face. “You are unwed, Kagome-san. What kind of man would any of us be to leave you in this state? Unprotected with no security. I take it upon myself to offer you marriage. A home and safety.” Giving his father a short bow and snickering in his mind, he turned to the village and spoke again. “I will take care of this woman so she will not be a drain on our resources. My brother Haku returns from the south soon with a shrine maiden fully trained who can offer her services. She will never be able to fill the place that Kaede leaves behind of course but we cannot expect that Kagome will ever achieve the rank of priestess now. It is my honour to take care of Kagome and honour my village”.

Shocked into stillness, Kagome could only gape at her tormentor. She did not hear at first the mummering of the rest of the villagers about how honourable and dedicated Shin was that she took action. Stamping on the foot nearest to her, she could of smiled at the yelp that confirmed her attack hit target, spinning wildly she held out her hands in entreaty but one look at the faces surrounding her told her that the battle was already lost. Shin’s victorious look was all she needed to bow quickly and make a break for the priestess hut drawing the closing mat into place quickly. Panic breathing Kagome could not believe what had happened. Had the world gone mad? Being basically forced into marrying that bastard, Shin? The looks on the village elders confirmed that they would not help her, they thought that he was putting the needs of the village first. Ha! Bending down and quickly gathering her quiver and bow, she hopped upwards and gathered her trusty yellow backpack and began to fill it guessing she would have moments before her shared home with Kaede would be violated and she would be dragged towards certain doom.

Eyeing the window as she heard voices coming closer, she made a decision. She would run and hide. She would journey to the Slayer village in hope of rescue.