Maiden of the Peach

Chapter twenty-five: Fair Maiden Lady Kikyo

      I don't know how long I was running for, but it felt like a lifetime. My legs felt like they were going to fall off at this point. I could feel the piercing pain clawing its way from the bottom of my feet and up towards my thighs. I was taking in greedy gulps of air, even though it felt like I was taking flames instead. A loose crooked root ensnares my foot, forcefully stopping me in my tracks as I fall face-first into the solid ground.

      "Gah!" the word erupts from my lips as the dust is jostle from underneath my tired and sore body into a small cloud.

      Quickly I try to collect myself again as I try to get to my feet. Instead, I winch in pain as I fall backward on my rear. I grit my teeth in pain as I instinctively cradle my throbbing ankle in disbelief, carefully look it over to see it is bruised and swollen.

      'That's just great!' I growl bitterly in thought. 'What am I going to do now? How am I going to reach Koga and the others to warn them about the approaching demon?' my frown deepens as I drag my lame form to lay nestled in between the nearby tree's protruding roots.

      It brought little comfort, but it was something at least than being in the open for more demons to try their luck at a midnight snack. Images of the friends I made up to this point start flashing before my eyes as I cradle my legs closer to my chest. I take in a deep breath, fighting to keep myself as calm as possible before attempting to continue back to the wolves.

      'That's strange,' I thought to myself as I peek out from between the roots. 'It's a lot quieter than it was moments ago,' sweat beads across my brow as I crawl further back into the tree.

      I can feel the rough bark biting into my back as I press as far back as possible, my eyes scanning for any potential threat. What should I do? Every fiber of my being is screaming in alarm that danger is nearby, but where is it? Goosebumps start appearing all over my arms as a chill ripples through my body.

      "Get down!" a woman's voice erupts from the shadows, followed by a bright light flying through the air and narrowly missing my head.

      "Eek!" I scream as I duck down at the last moment.

      A strange dark slithery muscular creature disintegrates from over my head. Its large glowing green eyes widen as the light, which seems so familiar, flashes through the darkness. The demon hisses as its serpent-like pale gray skin body crumbles into black particles once the light makes contact. Massive maw with terrible long yellow fangs feebly trying to take a bite before vanishing right before my eyes. I could hear footsteps erupting from the nearby tight cluster of trees, the subtle crunching of dead foliage.

      A beautiful pale-skinned woman with long black hair tied into a low loose ponytail by a white ribbon, her bangs were hanging above over forehead, rich brown eyes. She's wearing a traditional dress of a miko except for the lack of the slit-shoulder seam. A white jacket with sode-kukuri laced through the sleeves and open shoulders. Strings called muna-himo are attached to each lapel and tied in front to keep the garment closed. The kosode is very much like a modern Kendo or Naginata Keikogi, with the sleeves fitting somewhat closely like a stylish loose shirt and extending slightly past the wrist. The slits on the side of this priestess' hakama, and the openings at the sleeves and shoulders of her hitoe showed the white kosode she sported. She even wearing a bright red nagabakama, which included the small board on the lower back —wearing common tabi and rice straw sandals while sporting a red Obi.

      "K-Kagome?" I spoke in pure disbelief as I watch as this strange woman narrowed her gaze dangerously in my direction.

      'On second thought, that's not Kagome,' my mind frantically relents as sweat beads down the side of my cheek. 'Am I so desperate to find Kagome that I'm starting to think almost every other stranger looks like her? Or is she some kind of ancient relative of hers?'