Fallen

Chapter 5


Sudden fingers of icy dread crept through his stomach as he watched her fidget. She was planning something and her hesitation to read the scroll, nearly incensed him to kill her right then. But he knew the outcome of that would be unpleasant for his person and so remained impassive, not a shift of his outward appearance to give him away.

Kagome closed her mouth for the third time. Did she really want to try reading the stupid thing? What if it made everything worse? She closed her eyes imagining the scene. Now they were fine as long as they were in eyesight of each other, but what if suddenly they couldn't be further than an arms reach? All sorts of images filled her head and she nearly choked in maidenly horror. Of course the rebellious part of her mind had to speak up and remind her just how incredibly sexy the silver haired youkai was, helpfully supplying images of him dripping wet and wearing that almost transparent silk robe...

Kagome shook her head. This was not the time for thinking such things. Miroku would have been bursting with pride at her blatant gawking. Deciding that such thoughts were dangerous she pushed them to the back of her mind and stared at the words in front of her. “Um, I'm not sure this is a good idea...” she tried finally.

Sesshomaru stood to his full height. “Are you going back on your word?” he demanded with a voice that reminded Kagome of the hiss of poisonous snake. Quickly Kagome shook her head. “I- I'm just not sure that this is a spell I should read.” He gave her a dark look. “You agreed to read it miko, do so now or damn the consequence...” No he didn't want to die from killing her but at least he would be taking her life with him if he did. It was not much of a comfort but all he really had if she forced it.

Realizing that it was her only choice Kagome closed her eyes asking the Kamis to give her strength. An unnatural wind swept through the clearing born of Sesshomaru's youki and Kagome shivered. “Walk together on paths unknown.” She read. His ears perked at the words. Oh no... “Only together will light be shown” A strange eerie quiet filled the clearing. Those fingers of dread became fists that pummeled his gut with silent warning. Sesshomaru wanted to stop her but his voice would not come. All of the adrenalin still flowing was igniting him to do something he'd never done in his life. He bit his lip drawing blood, he was not going to run, he decided locking his muscles in place.“Embrace the path walked by the Gods, to undo the curse and right the wrong.” Kagome choked on the words as they poured from her mouth, but she could not stop them, this was holy magic unlike anything she'd ever seen. It was too late to stop she had to finish the spell “Travel now through time and space, to forever learn thy true place.”

As the last words left her lips the entire clearing was filled with a light so brilliant that they both had to look away. Then the wind rose and a vortex drew the two together and sucked them down in to the unknown...


Of three things Kagome was certain of as she came awake. One she was comfortable. More so than she had ever been before. She was warm and content at least until she realized that... Two her pillow was breathing and three it was... growling. Kagome shot up as quickly as she could manage. Just as he moved to do the same. The result left them both further tangled together by their limbs and bed clothing. Wait... bed clothing? Kagome stopped struggling to look around.

They were in a building of some type with high ceilings and carved pillars. There seemed to be a repeated pattern of ocean life carved in the reliefs and walls. The air was humid and steadily growing warmer as the sun rose higher. Adoring curious faces surrounded them as eyes of every human color watched the two of them avidly and cautiously. A low growl of warning returned her attention to the current situation of her person horribly tangled in the pale blue sheet rather intimately with a very irritated youkai lord in front of a room full of strangers.

Carefully and quickly he extricated himself from her and shifted them so Kagome was further from the strange humans. Almost as one the humans dropped to their knees faces pressed to the floor. Still gawking at the room and the faces Kagome failed to notice that some rather important things were missing from both she and Sesshomaru. Until Sesshomaru stood. Kagome's eyes widened in shock and then she turned her head and covered her eyes. “Why are you naked?!” She hissed with growing panic. Looking down brought her to a nice shade crimson. And in a flurry she grabbed the sheet to cover her nude body. “Why am I?!” she whimpered in virginal distress.

Sesshomaru resisted the urge to sigh. Personally he always thought her to be used to near nudity and the like due to what she always wore. But clearly she had never been nude in a bed before and from the purity of her scent she had never been with a male before either. He covered her mouth with his hand when he noticed her inhale to speak. Sleep must have addled her brain if she just now realized they were in a bed naked together. “Be silent. Do not bother yourself with our current situation. Your innocence is safe, you have nothing that could ever tempt or entice this Sesshomaru otherwise.” he hissed low enough that those humans in the room would not hear his words.

Kagome was stunned silent. It wasn't that she wanted anyone to look really but, his comment stung her womanly pride, badly. She shifted away from him and covered herself further. Slowly a handful of women rose keeping their eyes averted from Sesshomaru's form.”We are here to serve thee Holy Ones.” one young woman said as she held out her arms and offered an odd garment to the view of the distressed young woman.

Sesshomaru growled as the woman approached the miko. Ignoring the strange looks he took matters in to his own claws. Neatly slicing the sheet in two he wrapped his portion around his hips and secured it with a thin strip from the same sheet. It was not as decent as his normal clothes but it covered him and kept his mind from wandering to the dangerous places it had been when he woke feeling her flesh on his. An elderly woman stepped forward and frowned thoughtfully at his action. “We have brought brought clothes for thee my Lord as well. If we may be permitted to serve thee?” He glared at her for a moment and then stepped aside as he permitted the elderly woman to access the girl.

The humans were efficient as they dressed and groomed he and the miko. They moved almost reverently as they brushed and styled the girls hair. When one of the women ventured too close to his person he flashed his fangs and glared. From the corner of his eye he saw the girl roll her eyes. He gave her a glare too for good measure.

Sesshomaru's senses kicked in to high gear, as he waited for the women to finish dressing the girl and leave, trying to determine from the scents around where they were. Nothing smelled familiar. The air was heavy like an impending storm was threatening but the sky was clear and blue as he could see it through the space between the pillars. Looking around he noticed they were in a structure set above the rest of the buildings. A temple of sorts he imagined from the scent of burning incense and the grand sculptures surrounding the room.

Kagome frowned thoughtfully as she walked up to the side of him and looked out over the sprawling city and the ocean neatly surrounding the edge of the land. The thick fragrant air and swaying palm trees added a tropical image to all of it and Kagome sighed and muttered under her breath, “Toto I don't think we are in Japan...”