“Akemi is it? What a beautiful name for a young beauty,” smiled Miroku.
Has he forgotten our discussion? Sango was about ready to elbow Miroku.
“So what is it again that brings you out here all alone?” asked Kagome.
Akemi sat at one side of the bonfire in front of the group sipping a hot cup of tea.
“For a couple of years now I have been searching for the dragon master.” She explained her quest. “I arrived to places where he once resided only to find he had moved on. My meeting you all means I’m that much closer to finding him.” A smile formed on her face. Akemi’s eyes watered. Miroku noticed she about ready to cry. He got up to go comfort her, but before he could take one step, Sango tripped him and sat him back down next to herself.
“Why have you searched for him for so long?” asked Sango.
“He’s the one person left that truly matters to me outside of my father.”
“Is he like your boyfriend or something?” asked Kagome.
Akemi gave her a blank stare. Kagome explained what she meant. Akemi nodded in acknowledgment. Akemi then noticed Kagome was wearing strange clothing. Kagome laughed and explained where she was from.
“Interesting,” said Akemi. “Well, to answer your question, Raygan is my betrothed.”
The groups’ mouths dropped.
“So, she would not be able to bear my children,” Miroku murmured sadly.
“What did you say, Miroku?” snapped Sango.
“Nothing!” worried Miroku.
Kagome’s heart leaped when she heard Akemi was Raygan’s wife-to-be. I am so happy for Raygan! An honorable man like him deserves someone beautiful like Akemi. “Akemi, you must tell me how you met Raygan,” Kagome said excitedly.
“Hey, I thought we were going to get your book back, Kagome,” said Inuyasha with a bit of an attitude.
“I need to hear this, Inuyasha. Don’t worry we’ll be there in time to pick up my book.”
“Oh, no. We left early from the village to go to the well so you can get your book. We’re not going to sit around talking!”
“Come on, Inuyasha. This is romantic. I want to hear how she met with Raygan.”
“This is a waste of time!” Inuyasha got on his feet. “Come on, Kagome! We’re leaving. It was nice meeting you, Akemi but we have important things to deal with.”
“I understand,” said Akemi.
“Inuyasha, behave yourself!” said Kagome.
“We’re leaving now, Kagome!”
“Inuyasha,” Kagome looked straight into his eyes. “Sit boy.”
Inuyasha’s face hit the ground faster than it takes an apple to fall from a tree.
“I didn’t mean to be of any trouble,” Akemi apologized.
“Don’t worry about him. Inuyasha will be just fine.”
Inuyasha murmured cursing into the ground. Shippo then ran to Kagome’s lap. He wanted to hear the story too. Kirara sat on Sango’s lap. Miroku sat next to Sango. Kagome then pressed Akemi to tell them the story. Kagome was behaving like her friends back at home always gossiping about romance. Kagome thought of her friends for a moment. She was expecting to see them in the morning.
Akemi finished her tea and placed the cup on the side of a log close to Inuyasha’s buried head. Akemi looked at Kagome’s cheerful face. Akemi gave in and began her story.
*******
I was born here in Japan. My home was near the south coast of the island. My village was on a hill overlooking the sea. Every morning I would see the sunrise. The orange sun rising over the blue waters was always a marvelous sight. My father would carry me in his arms at times to enjoy the view. Our village was home to a few families. At the peak of the hill lay a shrine to protect us from the sea monsters. There were times we had to live in bunkers because large sea creatures would climb up the hill in search of food.
My father was an expert blacksmith. Warriors from other villages would come to our village seeking my father. They would ask him to make them various swords and spears. My father hired a few helping hands because of the many warriors seeking his services. Among my father’s helpers was a boy a few years older than I. He watched me every day and hoped to one day marry me. He was twelve years old and I was seven at the time. My father liked his apprentice, but he didn’t think the boy would be right for me. My father would tell me that he wanted someone else for me. Someone better. I was too young at the time to understand it all.
My mother was with child and was soon due to bear. Every day I would help my mother around the house with some chores. My mother would prepare lunch for my father and send me to deliver it to him. Along the way down the street to my father’s workshop I would greet the neighbors. They smiled and waved as I passed them by. When I reached my father’s workshop, my father would take the meal off of my hands and place his hands behind his back.
“Guess what I have in my hands,” he would say with a smile.
I asked for a pony knowing that he was going to shake his head. He held his hands in front of him and looked into my eyes.
“I have a hug for you!”
He picked me up and pressed me against his soot-covered overalls covering me in soot too. I would laugh at him and commented on how bad he smelled. He laughed every time and make streaks of soot on my face. Whenever I returned home my mother would frown and send me to take a bath. I loved those days but then times became more difficult. There were days work was slow for my father. There was one week my father had to let go of his helping hands because very few warriors were showing up. One day I carried lunch over to my father’s shop as usual. When I got to the shop my father was speaking with a weary warrior. The warrior was asking for fewer swords than before.
“I am curious, why you ask for so few swords?” asked my father.
The weary warrior’s face cast down. “We are so few in number now,” he said. My father asked him why they were so few. “Demons have been attacking in greater numbers. They devour our fellow men quickly. Your swords are light for us to swing around, but the demons have become too many. They seem to be heading in this direction. We have sent a messenger to the village of the demon slayers, but the demon slayer village is so far. We’re not certain the messenger made it to the village.”
My father was worried. The warrior pulled out a sack of silver to pay for the swords. My father only asked for half of the payment. The warrior bowed in gratitude. My father helped carry the weapons to the mule-pulled cart. The warrior hopped onto the mule cart and thanked my father. He then went on his journey to his village. My father returned to find me quivering under his work bench.
“Sweetheart, where you here the whole time?” he asked me.
I nodded with tears flowing out of my eyes. He picked me out from underneath the desk and into his arms. He held me tight assuring me all was going to be well. We had enough money to live off for the rest of the week. I felt better, but I knew my father was worried as much as I was about the demons.
That night my father gathered the village leaders and explained what was going on. I sat on my aunt’s lap on her patio. We looked over everyone’s heads at my father standing on a crate addressing the village leaders.
“The warriors have assured me of this news: demons are traveling in this direction destroying and devouring villages and villagers in their path.” Scattered conversations rose throughout the crowd. Fear grew among them. Some asked what course of action they should take. My father had thought of a solution. “I can prepare weapons for all the men of the village to prepare to defend us from the demons.”
“What? No!” shouted someone from the crowd. “We are few. We will die trying to protect this village. We could defend ourselves on one side from the demons but what about the sea monsters? They are due to come out again!”
Members of the crowd agreed with the protestor. My father tried to calm the crowd.
“There are alternatives we could take. One is to defend ourselves against the demons. The other choice is to leave this place and move to a more secure place.”
Some disagreed. The same protestor spoke again. “I prefer living somewhere else than to be left to die here!” he shouted followed by shouts of agreement from others.
“I will not abandon the heritage of my forefathers. I prefer to stay and defend this beloved home of ours!” responded my father followed by other cheers of agreement.
The crowd was sharply divided. I hugged my aunt. The crowd came to an accord; some were going to flee the village and others were going to stay. My family was among the few that remained in the village after the others left in hopes of finding refuge elsewhere. Days after the meeting, my father regrouped the remaining villagers at his workshop. He handed swords and other various weapons to the men and young boys of the village. Among the boys was the one who wanted to marry me when I grew of age. The men and young boys trained night and day to battle demons. The young women were given bows and arrows. My father was the experienced warrior of the village so he trained the group.
Weeks later, after the long wait for the demons, a scout returned with news of their whereabouts. He was out of breath but delivered the report as best he could. The demons had feasted on the villagers that decided to leave. The demons devoured their flesh to the bone. Now the demons were traveling up the valley to the hills to attack the village. The scout was given water and taken to a place to rest. The leaders ordered the village people into the bunkers. I ran back home to get my mother. My mother lay on a mattress in labor pain. I came over to her and sat on my knees.
“Mother, we have to get to the bunkers. A boy said the demons are coming this way.”
My mother wept from the labor pain. Sweat dripped off her face. She struggled to get up. I did my best to help her up, but all my strength was not enough. My mother started to cry out of fear.
“My dear child, go. Go to safety. Go now.”
I began to cry not really knowing why.
“Mother, I can’t leave you! You’re coming with me. We have to get to the bunkers. Father will slay the demons.”
I tried helping my mother up again. Screams startled me. Women and children ran in panic to the bunkers. I got up and ran to the door. I could hear the men shouting at people to hurry into the bunkers. The young lady archers formed a wall to screen to the fleeing people hurrying into the bunkers. I looked up at the sky and saw the cloud of approaching demons. I ran back to my mother to help her up. An armed man came into the house. He hurried over to my mother and helped her up. He ordered me to run to the bunker ahead of them. I tried helping my mother. The man yelled telling me that I should go. He assured me that my mother would be all right. Crying, I ran out of the house to the bunker. I saw arrows fly into the air tearing through demons. Pieces of demon gore fell from the sky like hail. Men yelled as they battled the demons. Some were gored. I tripped over a rock on my way to the bunker hurting my knee. Demon parts continued to fall around me. I cried in fear. Someone picked me up. It was my father. I looked behind him and saw the man helping my mother to the bunker. I cried out to my mother. My father stopped and turned around. He knew the man needed help carrying my mother.
“Akemi, you have to go to the bunker while I help your mother. Can you do that, child?”
I nodded. He sent me on my way while he ran back to my mother’s aid.
The female archers held their ground even as a demon devoured one of them. A flying, bird like demon pierced its talons into a man, carried him in the air and released him from high above. He landed on an archer’s head snapping her neck. My father reached my mother and got a hold of her other arm. The two men moved my mother as fast as she could bear. I reached the bunker and tried pressing myself in. Demons destroyed the village houses. I could hear the pains of the wounded men and women. They would not last much longer. The demons were too many. I entered the bunker. The guardsmen shut the doors behind me. I watched the rest of the action through an opening on the bunker walls. My father was near. A large demon crashed onto the village house behind them. It was a tripod-legged, one eyed, green demon. It swung an arm and sliced the warrior carrying my mother in two. My mother fell on the ground wounded on her back. My father drew his sword and engaged the demon. He sliced off one of the demon’s arms. It stood in two and growled at my father. A demon threw a boulder at the scattering archers. One archer tripped and released her arrow ripping past my father’s left arm. He was hurt badly. The demon head butted my father. I screamed in horror as I heard my mom screech in pain as the demon ate her. I looked away, but I couldn’t erase the images of my mother being eaten. All I could hear where the wailing moans of pain, suffering, and finally silence.
*******
Night fell. It was cold in the bunker. We drank what little water we had stored in the bunker before the assault. Outside of the bunker we could hear the footsteps and growls of demons. The sound of bones cracking filled the silent night. I cried myself to sleep. The next morning the crowd inside the bunker was uneasy. The demons were starting to become aggressive towards one another. They were hungry again. I stared out the opening on the wall. The ground was littered with body parts of both man and demon. A loud thud shook everyone awake and made the demons stop their arguing. Demons shrilled and screeched. Some fled in panic. The sea monsters came to the village in search of food. They feasted on the demons they could capture. After having their fill the sea monsters returned to the ocean. The people in the bunker and me became restless. The bunker doors were blocked from opening by debris. Some of the people panicked thinking that we were going to starve to death. I kept looking outside trying to look for survivors. I saw none. We heard footsteps on the roof. Someone came to the front doors. I couldn’t see his face. I could tell he was wounded because he removed the debris from the doors with one arm. The sun shone inside the bunker. People cheered and slowly made their way out. They greeted the hero. My eyes widened when I saw him. My father was alive! I ran to him. He held me in his good arm. I didn’t want him to let me go. I cried on his shoulder. I could feel his tears falling on to the back of my neck. He was crying too. He knew I saw my mother’s death and took no time to try to explain it to me. We just held one another. Two other men survived the battle. They came out of hiding. One of the men was badly wounded the other was bruised. The survivors gathered together. People mourned over the loss of their loved ones.
When the grieving was over my father and I stood in front of our ruined home. My father got on one knee in front of me. My aunt had patched his wounded arm with bandage. I knew he would get well soon.
My father looked me in the eyes. “Daughter, I want you to forgive me for failing to protect your mother.” With that, he cried. I hugged him trying to assure him it wasn’t his fault. The demons were too many. Had we all decided to leave we would’ve been killed along with the rest. My father regained his composure. “You’re all I have left. I will do everything I can to take you somewhere safe.”
“Where would we go?” I asked.
“We must leave the island.”
I gasped. I couldn’t leave my home, but my father knew he was doing this in the best interest to protect me. We would sail far away from the demons and the sea monsters that crawl up the mountains. My father asked me if I was alright with his decision. I was young. He was wise. I trusted him. My father instructed me to collect what I could that was still left intact. The other villagers were gathering their remaining things as well and heading down the hill further into the island. My aunt was leaving with the crowd. We weren’t going to follow them. My father and I gathered what spare clothing we could find and packed ourselves up. I moved some of the debris off a little sack. It was the sack of silver. I gleefully gave it to my father. He told me that this money would pay for our transportation to the mainland. We picked up our baggage, looked around the village one last time and headed down to the coastline avoiding the sea monsters and demons.
We walked for two days before we finally saw a large town with a port. We stopped by the port to find out if and when a ship will sail to the mainland. A dirty sailor told us the ship was going to sail a little past noon. That gave us enough time to have breakfast. We walked up to a nice old lady preparing some food. I greatly enjoyed the meal. It brought memories of my mother’s cooking. That’s when I started to really feel the loss of mother. I tried my hardest not to cry. My father placed his armed around me. He paid the nice old lady then we walked back to the port and paid the sailor. We climbed aboard the fish-smelling ship. We settled on the deck and looked out at the horizon. Water as far as the eye could see. I was beginning to doubt the mainland really existed. I gripped my father’s hand. I told him I was afraid of the sea monsters. He told me not to worry. He told me everything was going to be fine.
The ship set sail to the mainland. The voyage took weeks. I kept the belief that there was no mainland. When we finally saw land the crew and passengers cheered. My father held me up so I could view the mainland. We reached the port. While we were getting off a uniformed man came up to the passengers and instructed us all to get under the shelters past the docks. We all scrambled underneath the shelters. I asked my father what was going on. He didn’t seem to know either. We could hear the thunder of soldiers running into the main streets. Archers lined the roof of the buildings. We could hear the hellish roar of demons approaching. Arrows covered the sun for about a moment after they were released by a command from a leader. The arrows continued flying in the air until the demons retreated. We were allowed to come out of the shelters again.
My father went up to one of the soldiers to present our passes. “I thought we would be safe from all the demons here,” my father spoke to him in the native language.
“There’re a lot of demons here,” the soldier laughed. “You came to the wrong place.”
My father didn’t want to return to Japan. He asked him if there was any safe place to live on the mainland. The soldier thought for a bit then called out to another soldier asking him about a certain location. The other soldier came over to them.
“You want to live somewhere away from all demons? If so, there is no such place,” the soldier set. “There is, however, a village inhabited by a dragon master. His village is made up of experienced demon slayers. It’s probably the safest place to live on the mainland.”
“Can you guide us there?”
“No. You can go over to one of the booths down the main street. There are transport carts that head out that way daily. I have to warn you, they charge plenty because the road to the village is long.”
“How long?”
“About a month.”
The dragon master’s village was be deep inside the continent. My father pondered a bit. He looked at me and smiled. He asked the soldier for the location of the booth. The soldier guided us down the crowded streets of the town. People shoved one another trying to get through the shoppers lining the boardwalk. We reached the booth. The soldier excused himself and returned to his company. The man at the booth put down his pipe weed to attend us. The man reeked of the scent of fish and smoke. My father spoke with him about transportation to the dragon village. The man told him a caravan was to head out soon. They had room for three more people. We were two so that worked to our benefit. The man asked for a large payment. My father gave him some money and said that he would pay the rest to the driver upon reaching the village.
“If you try to make a funny move, the caravan guards will punish you for your non-payment,” threatened the man.
My father assured him he would have his money. The man led us to the carts. People were seated and others were hopping aboard the carts. We got on the last cart. My father picked me up first and placed the luggage on the cart. He got in and sat next to me. A few minutes later the carts left the fish-smelling port town out into vast green valleys. The caravan made many various stops in different places for the passengers. My father and I were among the very few going to the dragon master’s village.
*******
Inuyasha yawned. He complained about the time. It was night. The campfire was still burning strong. Inuyasha wanted to get to the well so Kagome can get her book.
“Okay, Kagome. Let’s go get your stupid book. We can finish this later.”
“Sit boy,” she said. Inuyasha hit the ground again. “As you were saying, Akemi,” Kagome motioned to Akemi to continue.
Sango and Miroku too waited to hear the rest of the story. Shippo sat with his eyes wide open next to Kagome while Kirara slept on Sango’s lap. Akemi cleared her throat and continued on with her story.
*******
It was a long journey to the dragon master’s village. After about a month we reached a road leading to another country side by the mountains. The cart driver let us off. My father handed the man the rest of the payment. The cart driver thanked him and departed. I simply looked at the valley and mountains.
“The village is somewhere in those mountain,” my father said.
He led the way and I followed after him. We hiked up the mountain and came across a rocky pass when we saw a woman walking with a basket on her head. My father introduced us then asked if she knew where to find the dragon master’s village. She told us to follow her there. A large valley lay in the mountain range. At the center of the valley was a large village. The lady told us that was the village.
“Will we be welcomed there?” asked my father a bit concerned we weren’t going to be allowed to stay.
The lady couldn’t give us an answer. She said she didn’t speak for the master. We made our way down the hill on the main road to the village. People busied themselves farming, exercising defense moves, playing out in the field and fellowshipping with one another. Upon reaching the village some of the villagers turned to look at us. I hugged my father expecting something bad to happen. A man came over to us. He bowed to welcome us.
“Greetings,” he said. “Welcome to our village.”
“Thank you,” said my father. “I wish to see the leader of the village.”
The man nodded and guided us to the village leader. The village houses were scattered throughout the ridges. I looked around as we walked down the winding road to the master’s house. Everyone was staring at us. I was feeling very uncomfortable. We reached the steps of the large house. A man no larger than my father walked out of the house followed by a girl about my age. The man was medium build. He wore a friendly face appearing to be no threat to anyone. The man that guided us excused himself and left us with the master.
“I am Keitaro from the island of Japan,” My father introduced us. “This is my daughter Akemi.”
“I am Long. This is my daughter Hanna. Welcome to my village. Please, come inside. You must be hungry and weary from your journey.”
We laid our bags on the front porch and went in to sup with the dragon master. He welcomed us like friends. He sat us at his table. His home was cozy. He kept many pretty stones on his shelves around the dining area. Master Long spoke in a soft yet serious voice, but Master Long was a very kind person. He asked us where we were from. My father told him about our home and explained to him why we arrived at his village.
“I am sorry such tragedy befell your village and family,” sympathized Master Long.
“We wish to stay in your village. Many natives had told me this is a safer place than any to raise my daughter,”
Master Long looked at me. I tried not to look at his sharp eyes but couldn’t resist.
“How old is your daughter?” asked Master Long.
“She is eight.”
“She’s the same age as my daughter. I am sure they will get along. I will direct some of the villagers to build a new home for you.”
My father’s eyes watered with tears of joy. He thanked the dragon master. I could hardly hold my joy back. I gave my father a hug but accidentally hurt his arm. My father grunted. Master Long noticed my father’s wound. He got up and told my father to follow him. He led him to the next room. I was afraid of being on my own, but Hanna calmed me down.
“Don’t worry. My father is going to heal your father’s arm,” she said.
I turned to her. She had a nice smile. Hanna had her father’s spirit of kindness.
“I’m Hanna.”
“I’m . . . Akemi.”
“I’m sorry about your mother. I lost my mother to a demon too. My father started hunting demons down with his dragons to avenge her death.”
“Dragons?” I asked a bit confused.
“My father is a dragon master. He is part of the bloodline of the dragon clan. He is responsible for carrying on the tradition of keeping dragons for protection.”
“How many dragons does your father have?”
“Seven. He let three go.”
“Can I see one?”
“Oh, they’re not here. My father calls them when he needs them,” she explained.
Our fathers returned.
“Your wound will be healed soon. My dragon ointment helps you heal faster,” said Master Long.
“I do thank you for your help.”
The flesh around my father’s wound was turning green from gangrene. Master Long’s medication burned the infection and sped the healing process.
The servants brought a freshly prepare meal to us. While we ate Master Long asked my father if he had any working skills.
“I am a blacksmith,” my father replied.
“You’re a blessing to our village!” Master Long’s eyes widened. “We are in need of a blacksmith! Our meeting was meant to be.”
“Hanna, show your new friend around the village,” instructed her father as the men discussed business.
Hanna got up and grabbed my hand. She pulled me out of the house and guided me around the village. We met the neighbors, greeted the farmers and chased birds. For a moment, I felt at home. We rested by a flowerbed.
“Do you miss your home?” asked Hanna.
I picked a flower. “Not really. My home scares me now. I don’t think I can ever go back.”
“Well, I’m happy you’re staying with us. We like new company especially people from faraway lands.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Because they have many stories to tell,” Hanna smiled. “I like stories.”
We continued talking and playing for the rest of the afternoon. We then headed back to the village. Master Long had prepared a room for us. Hanna asked if I could sleep with her in her room. My father agreed so ran inside the house. I could hear Master Long telling my father that we get along well. After a needed bath I went to bed. For the first time in months I had a pleasant dream. I dreamt I was home.
