#ch11.3

“What now, cousin?” Azuka asked, eyes dilated at the scent of Kagome’s blood.

“Now you finish the patrole; two weeks, I expect your return with exceptional improvements to Kagome’s survival skills.” With a glance at Kagome, as if to show her, if she wished her to be stronger, he would ensure it so.

After his was gone Kaori grabbed her hair and snarled quietly, “Dammit! It would have taken us three weeks of nonstop running to complete the Patrole! He wants it done is two!? WHILE TRAINING A HUMAN!” Kaori shrieked softly, as if Sesshomaru still might be able to hear her.

Kagome laughed and stuck a hand behind her head, “W-well, I guess we better get going then? Don’t worry, I’m a quick study and there is nothing I excel at more than studying!” Kagome took a strong pose, one fist in the air and her legs spread in a power-stance.

Shizuka laughed heartily while Kaori palmed her face, muttering about doom. Azuka cleared her throat and gestured to Aderyn, “Why hasn’t she woke up yet, Kagome?”

“Actually, it could be a number of things. I purged the darkness and I don’t sense any in her right now... Although I suspect it has more to do with actual physical exhaustion and less with spiritual duress. I imagine she hasn’t slept in two days.”

Azuka watched the human girl carefully as she spoke, but once Azuka’s fears had been dismissed she looked back down at her friend. When Kagome said Aderyn hadn’t slept her ears snapped back and she cursed, glaring off to the side, “... little idiot...”

“I would venture to imagine, you did not sleep either, Azu-chan?”

Azuka’s tail stopped its incessant swish and her hands balled at her hips. Kagome placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, “Don’t worry so much, you should get some rest too. After all, Sesshomaru-sama did say we had two weeks to complete this mission and what a better way to start out that training then by some good old fashioned endurance training!” She began to jog in place, a big smile on her face.

Azuka leered at her lifting an index finger and poking the girl on the forehead, “Your brain is broken, isn’t it?”

Kagome fell over and began to twitch as the twins fell over each other in a fit of laughter.

“... not you... too?”

Azuka tilted her head to the side, “Eh? Me too?”

Kagome grumbled and pulled her hair, glaring up at the silver kitsune who was so strange it drove her nuts, “... Nevermind!” She pouted, jerking her face to the side with her arms crossed. The human girl missed the smile on the kitsune’s face before Kagome was hauled up by the back of her green haori.

                Set on her feet the girl uttered a sound of surprise, “Oro....”

                “You want training? I’ll give you training.” Azuka glanced at the twins, “Oi! Pay attention you pair of giggling morons!” Kaori snarled at the insult while Shizuka snickered. “She’s going to keep pace with me; rest for two hours and run for four. Every three hours Kaori’s going to be a ‘moving target’ and kagome you’re going to hit your mark while running. Every six hours Shizuka is going to attack you without warning and as the days pass, its going to get progressively harder. Assuming Aderyn wakes up tomorrow, every second day, you will devote that entire day to working on controlling your reiki.”

                Kagome’s color drained from her face and she held up a weak finger in protest, but Azuka left no room for it and bent over to scoop Aderyn into the cradle of her arms, “Everyone of us will be right there with you. You may be the focus of this training, but it will strain us as well despite us being youkai. Where you rest, we will not.”