Setting and all non-original characters are property of Rumiko Takahashi.
Illustrations by (Kawaii) Kitty Kuchiki (ne Nakamura)
Got any other bright ideas?
“YOU SHALL NOT PASS!”
“What?”
“YOU SHALL NOT PASS!”
The friends were met at the gate of the village by a contingent of guardsman brandishing spears. None of them actually wanted to fight the villagers, but after so much walking, and so much listening to Kagome sneezing every few seconds, InuYasha was short on patience.
“Whadaya mean?! We’ve been walking for days! Why… I… oughta… haaahAAAHTCHOO!” His hand had been moving closer to Tessaiga’s hilt, but the sneeze pulled it away while he covered up. Kagome stepped forward, put a hand on InuYahsa’s shoulder to calm him and tried to allay the villager’s fears.
“We don’t want to fight. *sniff* We’re just looking for a place to *sniff* sleep and to replenish our supplies in… the… m-morn… ing… HASHOO! HASHOO! haAHTSHoo! Oh man!”
“SHE’S A DEMON TOO! NONE SHALL PASS!”
“I’m not a… a… aAHTChoo! Demon! Do I *sniff* look like a… de… mon… HAT-shoo!” She had been resisting the urge to rub her nose, but was now overcome.
The one appearing to be the captain of this rag-tag troop stepped forward. The others fell silent as he spoke. “You smell that fragrant dust in the air? The tree-spirits release that to keep the demons out of the sacred wood. It drives them crazy! Just like your friends there! It don’t bother humans. So what’s your story?”
“I don’t… Ha-ha…AAAAshoo! know… AHTCH-oo! I… ah… I… ah-hah-*long inhale*-HATCHOO!”
The guards all started yelling again. “SICKNESS! ILLNESS! THE PLAGUE! UNCLEAN! UNCLEAN! NONE SHALL PASS!” Now convinced Kagome was bearing some dreaded illness, even the Captain could not restore order to his men. They were starting to thrust their spears more aggressively.
“*sniff* Got any other bright ideas, Kagome?” Inuyasha muttered derisively, wiping his nose with his sleeve.
Miroku stepped forward, trying to ply his trade in exchange for entry to the village. “I sense a dark presence surrounding this place!” he began boldly. “If you let…”
But he was cut of by the cackle of hysterical laughter coming from behind the guards. “HahahahHAAAAH! Oh sonny! Hahaha! Don’t even try that one here! I used to run that scam all the time when I was a young traveling monk! AAAHhahahaHAAA!” An ancient looking man, scarcely four feet tall made his way through the guards, who made way for him deferentially.
“Village elder?” Several of the guards gasped. “But… But they’re demons! And she has the plague!”
“Out of my way, you superstitious fools! We’ve just lost one battle, you shouldn’t be so eager to start another!” The feisty old man scolded. He gave each of the travelers an appraising look. “Hmmmm… three demons traveling with a priestess, and monk and demon slayer? I don’t think we’ll have to worry about them. Come in friends. You may stay at the temple. You’ll have to work a bit, but you’ll find plenty of food and rest as well.”
TO BE CONTINUED
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