The Portal

Chapter 14 – The Youkai Tale

They decided not to tell them that they were from a whole different planet. Not yet anyway. Instead they convinced them that they were blown off course by a great storm, which landed them in this foreign place. Kagome didn’t want to disclose too much information to these people just yet. Sesshomaru and Naraku agreed with her. They needed to find out about the situation between the youkai and humans of this world in order to blend in. Then they had to find a way to return to Earth.

Kagome sat in wonder as she listened to Grandmother Loukie tell the tale of how things here in Abu Simbel came to be.........

“Long ago the great Falcon Headed God ruled over Abu Simbel. He was a powerful being, but had a kind heart and judged all his followers with fairness and equality. He was a lonely creature however, and one day decided to take a wife. He roamed the lands looking for the perfect mate. His search brought him to know four different women, each holding their own assets that made them special in his eyes. Each of the four were of a separate species, and the God Horus could not decide on which of the one’s he wanted more, because he loved them each the same. After many months of courtship and deliberation Horus decided to take them all as his mates, as he could not bear to choose one, and loose the love of the remaining three.

Horus loved a beautiful falcon youkai who could soar the heavens by his side. She would be the first. He loved a dog youkai who is said to have held beauty with which none could compare. The third mate was a baboon youkai who was strong and of the highest intelligence, and last Horus fell in love with a human woman, whose warm countenance, tender heart and simple beauty was a legend among all men.

Although his falcon mate was first among the four, and held dominion over the others, each of his wives were treated equally and loved equally. It is said that the youkai mates soon became jealous of the human woman, because Horus would always turn to her for comfort in trying times. Of course none of his other wives would dare speak out against the ningen wife for fear that Horus would turn his back on them forever.

Many years passed and Horus came to long for the love of children. In honor of the First Wife, she bore the first child. Each of his remaining wives also bore him one child, and Horus was overjoyed. In honor of each of his first-born, Horus requested of his followers to build four great temples in the form of pyramids. Each pyramid would be the home, as well as the place of reverence and worship for each of his wives and their child.

The falcon youkai mate and her male fledgling would reside at the Great Temple Shiraha (white feather).

The human mate and her daughter would reside at the Great Temple Yasaon'a (gentle woman).

The baboon mate and her male offspring would reside at the Great Temple Saijin (clever person/the enshrined deity).

The inuyoukai mate and her male pup would reside at the Great Temple Shikon (fang).

All youkai or humans, their mates and children, soon made these different temples their focal point of worship, business and trade.

All went well in the world of Horus until a great many moons later. One of his own would betray him.

From this point the tale of Horus becomes not one, but two. The youkai story, and the human story. First I will tell the youkai story, as it reigns supreme. The youkai story of Horus is the reason behind human enslavement. The human story is one of youkai deceit,” Grandmother Loukie said with frustration in her voice.

Sesshomaru grunted. It figured that the humans would find a way to blame the youkai for all their problems. This may be a different world, but thing were not different on that account.

Kagome heard Sesshomaru’s grunt. ‘Just like him to think the humans were bad-mouthing youkai for no reason,’ she thought.

Grandmother Loukie took a long sip of her tea, and watched the inuyoukai carefully. Although his face did not show any sign of emotion, his grunt was enough to warn her of his thoughts. She would have to tread carefully with this demon lord. Although he claims that he is not associated with the youkai of Abu Simbel, his attitudes toward the human race are very similar. Loukie wondered at the reason for his traveling with the Exalted One, ‘He clearly has no love of humans, yet she does not appear to be his slave?’

“This is all very interesting, Grandmother Loukie, please go on,” Kagome urged.

Loukie smiled and nodded to Kagome. The old Grandmother liked this young one. She knew that the girl was keeping something from them, and had yet to figure out what, but she felt in her heart that Kagome could be trusted completely, she was after all, a direct descendant of their great God Horus.

“As the youkai story goes, Horus, though he loved his wives and children here in Abu Simbel, also loved to visit a far away land. He would often go there to speak with the foreign Gods, sometimes staying gone for many moon cycles. His human wife, Selket, grew very jealous of the time that Horus spent in this foreign land. Selket had always been favored by Horus, and he had always spent a great amount of time with her. After the return from a lengthy visit to this other land, Selket is said to have attacked him in a fit of rage. Horus became angered with Selket and struck her down. After that day hate grew in her heart for Horus and she began to plot against him. Selket waited until a day of celebration when Horus was filled with good cheer and wine, then placed a mix of poison into his drink which killed him that very night.

Selket made one mistake however, and that was by keeping the poison mixture beneath her pillow. The following morning when the dead body of our beloved God was found, the human mother was soon accused of the horrific act. The youkai sons infiltrated the Temple of Yasaon'a, and soon discovered the poison in Selkets bedchamber. She was then sentenced to death by stoning, which was carried out immediately.

The youkai’s problem however was the firstborn of Selket. Through the union of Horus and Selket, the firstborn of the human wife had acquired a great power. A power which was feared by all youkai, and evil men alike. The power to purify, which soon brought Selket’s firstborn to become known among human’s as the Exalted One.

As she was a great threat to the youkai lords, they sent an army to take her prisoner. Many youkai were slain by the firstborn of Selket, starting the Great War. The Exalted One would possibly have defeated the entire youkai army through purification, had she not been overwhelmed with grief over the murders of her father Horus, and her mother, Selket. As it were, the poor woman fought well, but soon fell to the onslaught of youkai.

It was agreed between the youkai lords that their human sibling would be banished from Karnak to the very lands that her mother had so envied. After Midoriko’s banishment, the lords then removed the keys to the land so that none other would ever be able to pass through. The four keys are still kept by each lord to this very day.

After some discussion the youkia lords then agreed that due to the weakness of humans, that they could not be trusted to roam free, so they herded all men, women, and children together, and divided them amongst the three, to be kept as slaves.” Loukie finished.

Kagome gasped when the old woman said the name of the firstborn. Things were beginning to become much clearer. As soon as Grandmother Loukie finished speaking, Kagome leaned forward with wide eyes and asked, “Midoriko? That was the name of the Exalted One?”

“Yes my dear, her name was Midoriko, and she was said to have untold beauty and kindness of heart, just as her mother before her,” Loukie replied.

Sesshomaru took all of this in, and could not believe the implications that this story held. Was the ancient warrior miko who created the Shikon no Tama, the same Midoriko, as the one from this world? It was too fantastic to believe. He decided to ask a question of his own, “Why is it that you believe Kagome to be the Exalted One of your story?”

Naraku grunted smoothly, “Yes, do tell, as our Kagome would simply be lost without Inuyasha to protect her.”

Kagome turned on Naraku with a fury, “Shut up Naraku, before I show you how well I can purify you!”

“Kukuku, did I hit a nerve, my lovely Kagome?” Naraku purred.

“That’s enough half-breed. Keep your comments to yourself,” Sesshomaru ordered with narrowed eyes. He then turned back to the old human female, “Continue old woman.”

Loukie took all of this in and came the conclusion that the hanyou was not well liked between the three of them. An important piece of information for later use. She returned her attention back to the inuyoukai, “Kagome is the Exalted One, because of the pet.”

Kagome gasped again, and reached to stroke Tala’s fur, “You mean, Tala here?”

The grandmother nodded then continued, “Yes. Tala, as you have chosen to call it, was the loyal pet of Midoriko. He was gifted to her by her father Horus, to serve as her companion and protector. There is no other like him. You see, the Exalted One was never seen without the pet, he was constantly by her side, and after her banishment, the pet was never seen again... until you came along. You may not be Midoriko herself, but you are her direct descendant, and carry her power.”

Sesshomaru couldn’t hold in the chuckle, there was no since in even trying. They thought that just because this thing had attached itself to Kagome that she was the Exalted One. Oh how humorous.

Kagome shot Sesshomaru a glare when he chuckled. She didn’t have to guess what he was thinking. ‘Stupid jerk,’ she thought.

Naraku, however, did not laugh. That would explain much, especially concerning Kagome’s attachment to the Shikon jewel. His concern over the jewel was foremost in his mind, but he was also concerned with something else now. If these humans thought that Kagome was some kind of savior for their people, then what were they expecting of her?

Kagome continued stroking Tala’s fur, as he purred lazily at her feet. ‘So Tala is the only one of his kind. He must get very lonely,’ she thought sadly. She wondered where he came from, and if Horus had taken him from another world somewhere out there.

This was so much to take in. Midoriko was the daughter of the Falcon Headed God Horus, and came to Earth through banishment by her youkai half-brother’s. So the Portal that she, Sesshomaru and Naraku had passed through, was the same one used by Horus to travel between worlds. If they could just find the portal on this side and get the keys back from the youkai lords, then they could go home!

Her excitement only lasted briefly as the full implications of it all hit home. ‘Easier said than done, girl,” Kagome thought bleakly.

“Grandmother Loukie, tell them of the human story,” Mizuto requested.

“I’m getting there, just hold your horganon,” Loukie fussed.

Kagome started to ask what a horganon was, but thought better of it. She didn’t want to get off on the wrong subject. She was ready to hear the human version of the tale.