Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Running To Stand Still: The hidden ones
*episode 3*

“Before I die, will you bear my child?”
Inuyasha groans, “Will ya give it a rest monk?!?” The elder woman asks, “Do ye mean this offer?” Miroku says, “I do.” Inuyasha says, “Sure, just like he means it to every other girl he meets.” Turning to him, the woman asks Inuyasha, “And what of his strength; is this also as he says?” “Sure, I guess.” Inuyasha says. “You ain’t seriously thinkin about…” “Silence!” the old woman snaps. “There is much to discuss and more to prove; but ye may survive after all. Return the hostage; but I warn ye, ye shalt not escape this village with thine lives.” As the two women leave, Kagome is brought to the cage and put in with the others. Inuyasha asks, “Are you ok?” She nods. Turning on the monk, Inuyasha shouts, “What were you thinking!?!” Miroku says, “You should be thanking me. She was about to decree our deaths; I have at least bought us a respite.” “How?” Kohaku asks. “What was the deal with that old woman?” Kagome says, “She wasn’t a priestess.” Kagura says, “From the deference she received from one of the village’s leading warriors; you would think she was the headman. Except she can’t be because she’s a woman.” Miroku says, “For that matter, everyone we’ve encountered so far has been female.” Kohaku asks, “How can you be sure?” Miroku says, “Trust me; I know.” Kagura says, “If this is their village, maybe all the men are way; working as ninja.” Inuyasha says, “I don’t think so. Other than me, the monk, Kohaku and Shippo, I can’t smell any guys at all.” Kagome says, “A village of warrior women…they we’re interested in the human guys…I think, hey!” Kagome calls to one of the guards. “In my bag there were some books; can I please see the blue one?” Two of the guards begin to whisper to each other. Miroku says, “They fear that your books may contain spells.” Their discussion completed one of the ninja leaves. She returns shortly with the book and 4 additional guards. She hands it to Kagome. As Kagome begins to flip through it, Miroku reads the words on the binding, “Western Mythology? From the western lands?” Kagome says, “A bit further west…ah! Amazons; in Greek legends there was a tribe of warrior women who lived without men. They reproduced by…” Everyone looks to her. Blushing, she passes the book to Miroku. Taking a moment to find the right place, he begins to read silently. When he sees what she had seen, he grins. “Somebody wan’a fill us in?” Inuyasha asks. Miroku says, “They reproduced by taking men from other villages and then returning them when they were done with them.” Kohaku asks, “So when they wanted to know if there were any men from my village…” One of the guards says, “The demon slayers were well known for their strength. Now that they have fallen, their blood would be a valuable asset to our daughters.” Another guard snaps, “Kousetsu; be quite!” The one called Kousetsu responds, “Calm down Kaze. If they’re going to live, they’re going to be told; and if not it doesn’t matter.” Miroku asks, “And might one of you lovely ladies be interested in bearing my child as well?” “She’s wrong.” Another ninja says, timidly. “At least about us. We don’t take men. Every 16 years we find a man; he fathers our village. Weather you meant to or not, when you proposition Yamaneko, you were asking for that job. Your offer is being discussed by the elders now.” Kaze says, “You too Kouu? Both of you stop talking with the prisoners.” Miroku says, “Kouu, Kaze, and Kousetsu; you were the ones who captured us.” A nod from Kousetsu who then gets an evil stare from Kaze is the only answer he gets.
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