Though he wanted to join Meioshi and Kirameku Ha on their journey, Sesshomaru found the village of Heiwa to be true to its name. Walking towards Meioshi's farmlands with Jaken and Ah-Un behind him, the western lord was curious about this festival arriving. He took notice to the aroma of the village changing. More autumn dishes were filling his nose with scents of herbs and squash and heavier meats. The smell of wood and paint and scented fabrics wafted through the air as well. Speaking of which, the chirping of a familiar nuisance approached him.
"Oh, gods, it's you I was sensing," the Green Pheasant started, making Sesshomaru take in a deep breath. He had run out of good fortune, it seemed. "Well, there must be some reason you're here. What is it?"
"Back away, ya feathery bastard! I'll throw a fireball at you and your eg - ! You've birds with you?" Jaken questioned, making Sesshomaru turn around. Sure enough, there were baby birds and the two floating eggs behind the male bird.
A female pheasant scuttled behind him and greeted them politely. "Good morning! You must be Lord Sesshomaru and Lord Jaken. My husband spoke of you."
"Who are you, fair lady?" Jaken questioned, lowering Nintojo from his prior threat of roasting the brown pheasant's husband.
"I am simply known as Madame Pheasant, or Madame for short," she replied, opening her wings to bow and display her colors.
Beautiful bird... Sesshomaru thought.
"A pleasure to meet you all," Madame replied. "What are you doing here, lords of the west?"
"I am not solving another of your ridiculous puzzles," Sesshomaru replied, facing forward to say so.
"There are none to solve, evil talking dog. We're on vacation," the Green Pheasant said, scratching at the ground for something of interest. "Lady Meioshi has quite a feast to prepare for in the coming days. I figured I would assist."
"What is the meaning of this festival approaching?" Sesshomaru asked, earning the male bird's attention.
Madame nuzzled against her husband's neck before running over to a patch of wheat and susuki grass lining against a fence. Sesshomaru didn't realize just how much farming land Meioshi owned until he watched the birds harvest little bits. Ah-Un leaned on a tree to scratch his back. When a fruit fell down, Un ate it gingerly and spat out the seeds a distance away. He remembered Meioshi not liking them breaking her orchard fence last time. Spitting the seeds out seemed safer. Jaken watched the chicks following their mother to the patches. There was a basket already there for them to gather things in. The chicks worked together to roll fruits or fall vegetables into the basket as well. After a while, they started playing hide and seek or some other game in the tall grasses.
"Henka no Koshin Festival is a celebration of this village's birth," the Green Pheasant answered, flapping his wings to get some lingering dust off them. He perched himself on a decorative rock and continued, "You and imp-key mentioned coming here to do battle with Lady Meioshi when we first met at the Blood Oath's Circle. It's rather ironic, in my opinion. If you know anything about this place's origins, you probably know that this village was no more than a refugee camp. Those looking to escape enslavement, poverty, or war filtered into this one place that was once a dense forest filled with animals most only see in their nightmares. You could barely see a fragment of sunlight during the day those years ago. In the nights, it was hideously dark, and demons would lurk about for food. Only those willing to risk their lives to enter this kind of place for safety would come here. Once enough people inhabited the camp, they started cultivating the land. Among those people were many firsts, but of importance was the first emperor, the first general of the royal army, and the first hell traveler."
"You mean Meioshi's ancestor, Unmei?" Jaken questioned, fully invested in the conversation now.
The Green Pheasant nodded and continued, "Unmei and his family left their village in the east to come here for a new life. When he entered the lands of Heiwa, which back then started by that very cliff overlooking Meioshi's home, he spotted an inu flying overhead and regarded it as a symbol of the change to come in his life. I can't imagine that inu being the evil talking dog that he saw; otherwise, I would've recognized you immediately. But, it was an inu nonetheless. That's why I find it ironic. Unmei caught sight of an inu when he first came here to Heiwa, and Meioshi confronted you, a younger inu potentially, at the same place. Some would call that a coincidence, but I say it's irony."
"My lord did discover a map that his father had of this place. Do you think the Great General is who Unmei saw?" Jaken asked, putting a finger to his beak.
"Frankly? No," the Green Pheasant answered, earning Sesshomaru's attention. He still had his father's map on his person. There was no way to mistake the handwriting or the sketching. "How widespread is his father's name? I'd say he's pretty recognizable, correct? Unmei would've known that inu was the evil talking dog's father and named him accordingly. He didn't. How his father obtained a map of this place is the bigger mystery, I'm afraid. However, in light of being in a celebratory mood myself, I would implore you to attend the festival. The House of Inu - no matter who it was that visited Heiwa at the time - did play a part in the hell traveler's origin story. Twould be an honor for you to represent the youkai who inspired Unmei to protect his pack."
"What about you, pheasant? Will you attend?" Jaken asked.
"Of course! I gave the hell travelers' their armor to enter the Netherworld in the first place. I even remember the day I met each one down to the hour!" the Green Pheasant said, puffing his chest out with pride.
"What was it like meeting the witch for the first time?" Jaken asked out of curiosity.
"She was a very adventurous girl. Moreso than now," the pheasant replied, turning to an old piece of fencing. "She was insatiable with her curiosity. Always eager to play and learn new things beyond the domestics. She was a handful! That wood post there is where she used to pray to the gods and make offerings for different things. The first prayer I had seen her make was for an adventure bag. Never heard of such a thing! But, sure enough, her family made one together. Everything you could think to put in it was in it. Snacks were in a little box that fit in a pocket, painting and drawing tools in another, tools, all kinds of things! That museum that the children love visiting got its start when she was their age. She drew diagrams of animals and organs if one was in the process of being eaten. Her grandmothers didn't find it to be lady-like for a girl to be involved with dead things, so they put her in school to learn domestic skills. She was very good in many of them, especially sewing. She made a jacket for me once. One teacher, however, sat down with Meioshi to understand her. She hated ikebana class and misbehaved from time to time out of spite. Too boring! That teacher showed her how sewing could be used to close wounds and how plants could be used to heal them. Meioshi took to that instantly, and she worked her hardest to prove that all domestics could be used medically. Her adventures became school lectures, and her drawings became scholastic journals. Once she got her grandmothers' approval to continue learning medicine, the rest became history. She's a doctor today because someone gave her a chance. I watched her during that time."
"That's a big difference. She went from a bag to slippers," Jaken grumbled.
What kind of... friend would you have been... if I met you sooner? Sesshomaru thought.
"Has the funeral reached its conclusion?" another familiar, deep voice asked. It was Hikozaemon II!
"Elder!" Jaken exclaimed, hurriedly bowing in respect.
"This funeral is... rather quiet. Emptier than I thought," Hikozaemon II said, locking eyes with his grandson.
He did eventually analyze his surroundings while Sesshomaru regarded his clothing. He was wearing a beautiful indigo cloak that hung down at the center and was pinned on both sides of the shoulders with an odd set of broches that reminded Sesshomaru of a horse-riding cape. He couldn't clearly see the designs of the pins with them facing the other way, but they were thick and had jade, gold, and some black detailing protruding outward. His grandfather had a bit more armor than last time, probably because the older gentleman wasn't sure about the area and wanted to prepare himself for some form of battle, but he wasn't wearing his elder clothing. He dressed in black to grey funeral attire. He actually was coming here to honor a human burial! Why? For... Sesshomaru's sake? His grandfather hadn't been around much since his father's death, especially when Sesshomaru adopted Rin and had her living and traveling with him. His ward might've seen Hikozaemon II once in passing, but he stayed far away from her. Sesshomaru supposed that he could take this opportunity to ask why Hikozaemon II wanted to be involved in his life again after his prolonged silence on things. The Green Pheasant walked up to the elder, making the man look down at it, and smiled a bit.
He greeted politely, "Good morning, elder. It's been some years since I've seen an Okuri-inu in person. What, pray tell, has brought you here?"
"I am here to support my cute grandson there," the elder replied, lifting a brow at his former title. "His mother mentioned that an ally of his had passed on. The time of grieving is early, but the body would have been cremated by now, and the ashes brought to the fallen's family if living members are present. It is custom for the inu to honor a person's death within 7 to 12 days."
"The humans use the 7-day custom. By the 49th day, all is done. I did not know your Sesshomaru was a descendant of such a well-known military troop," the Green Pheasant said, smirking widely. He was quite impressed.
"Uh, what is an Okuri-inu, my lord? A special division of soldiers?" Jaken asked.
"Do you not know your own family history, young lord?" the Green Pheasant asked, turning to Sesshomaru.
"I know of my father's," Sesshomaru answered, mouth twitching a bit at this new knowledge.
Though he had never heard of the Okuri-inu before, he was slightly disappointed in his grandfather for not telling him how he played a part in the House of Inu's history. He's only ever known him to be an elder or his father's advisor from time to time. He didn't know he was an accomplished soldier! He never mentioned anything about his past. No one did. Sesshomaru's sole focus as a child was usually on the role of a king to take his father's place once the time came. All the time he spent with his grandfather... was usually wrapped around a normal life. Building pet houses, painting pictures, solving puzzles, practicing fighting moves, or cooking things. There was even the occasional help with studying. His grandfather... was a grandfather before anything else.
"That's quite a pity," the Green Pheasant replied, turning back to Hikozaemon II. "This gentleman here was one of few brave soldiers who led the revolt against the Chinese. I believe the name of their group in the Chinese army was the Chimei Tiangou, or black dogs of the tundra. They were assassins - very efficient ones at that. I'll not fib and say I know the reason, but they were forced to leave from home and sentenced to death by way of the youkai that thrived in what's regarded as ancient Nihon now. Their skills were challenged often, but they had a key advantage that beat many native youkai. You can fly, can you not?"
"Me lord flies beautifully," Jaken complimented, proudly. "Your witch has even said so when she first saw him in the air."
"Native inu youkai don't possess the ability of flight. Only the Chimei Tiangou could. The young soldier, Sanraku, cannot fly. He's a descendant of the native inu. That's an easy way to tell whose ancestors are whose," the Green Pheasant explained, watching Jaken's mouth drop at the information. "Much like Heiwa's origin story, the elder's troop cultivated a certain part of the land that resembled home. Their land became known as the Forest of the Flying Inu. Ironically, their forest is at the base of the mountain where the House of Inu is located. That's why I'm surprised your lord doesn't know about this. The inu and wolf youkai native to these lands began working with the Chimei Tiangou to control enemy attacks from other tribes and sort of adopted them into their own tribes through trading of resources and such. Many interbred with them. Though the wolves don't possess the ability of flight, they do possess a higher amount of speed and stealth reminiscent of their partners. The inu like Lord Sesshomaru there and the Great General possess the ability of flight, however; meaning, it's quite obvious who their ancestors are, or at the very least where their father came from. The House of Inu have done a great disservice to these soldiers if their young lord doesn't know his own origins."
"I've been to the House of Inu before. I've seen the tapestries and everything! You're saying none of the old arts have the Chimei Tiangou in them?" Jaken asked in Sesshomaru's place.
"Your elder has his broach holding up the troop's mantel," the Green Pheasant said, nodding to Hikozaemon's cloak. "That's how you can recognize them. The indigo dyes used for that cloak are obtained with a practice only those soldiers know how to use. Same goes for the broach's design. When the Chimei Tiangou that still served China came to attack Nihon, the revolutionaries formed the Okuri-inu group and beat them back. Your House of Inu's military was home to at least half of these warriors. Your elder is one of them. It should've been obvious to you that you have some Chinese influence. Look at your clothes and armor!"
"Hmph!" the elder huffed, showing the ghost of a smirk on his lips and amusement in his eyes at his grandson's surprised expression. "You don't have to do that at all. Look no further than the missions you've received in the past or the name you were given. You're not an aristocratic assassin for no reason."
You... you were...? Sesshomaru thought, interrupted by the Green Pheasant once more.
"Oh, the Okuri-inu are still in service? Now, that, I didn't know," the pheasant said.
"My cute grandson is the last active member of the troop. I assigned him such work as a test to see if that's where he fit best. Since my flirty son enjoys spoiling him, he wanted to test my young one's political influence instead to take his place as king. Though this position is an honor, and my Toga was the first in our family to be given such an honor, I believed my young one was capable of so much more than wearing a crown. Revolution is in our blood. He should answer to that, not the elders," Hikozaemon II responded, never removing his gaze from Sesshomaru's eyes to see how he would take this new truth. "I was not aware you were in acquaintance with a Green Pheasant."
"Don't tell me he has an ancient origin, too!" Jaken argued, flailing his arms about.
"I do indeed!" the Green Pheasant said, chest puffing out with a pride.
"The Green Pheasant is part of the trinity for holy warriors in Nihon. They are divine protectors and messengers of kami. This ally that passed on has to be of significant value to a priesthood and the kami," Hikozaeomon II explained.
"What!?" Jaken shouted more than questioned before fainting.
"My girl didn't die, by the way, elder," the Green Pheasant informed. "Your grandson was misinformed. She just used up a great deal of energy that left her quite weak."
Hikozaemon II's eyes widened exaggeratedly before he grumbled, "A girl?"
Sesshomaru didn't understand his grandfather's reaction, but the Green Pheasant did and took note of it. He proceeded to instigate mischievously, "Oh, why, yes! He visits my girl quite often. We're in her farming lands now. He's even slept in her home quite a few times now. Whenever she's in trouble, he leaps into action. It's rather cute!"
The death glare that Sesshomaru sent the Green Pheasant's way was enough to raise the dead and have them drag the wretched bird to his grave. How dare he assume that he...! Oh, the nerve of...!
Hikozaemon II put a palm to his head to rub away his growing headache before asking himself, "What the hell are we doing here? My flirty son wanted two wives. Now, my grandson is hot for a holy warrior of the gods? What is wrong with my bloodline? I swear you get that from your grandmother!"
"Oh, your wife was a flirty thing, elder?" the Green Pheasant questioned jokingly, finding amusement in the high-class warrior's turmoil.
"You've no idea..." Hikozaemon II responded with a grimace. "Of course, that would be a trait that passes down to my sons."
"That how she got you, elder?" the Green Pheasant asked. Sesshomaru was towering over him with sharpened claws at this point.
"Unfortunately, yes!" the elder replied. "My love was very outgoing. My grandson's maternal grandmother was no different. That's why his mother was such a fox. I've aged a century faster than usual because of this foolishness! If my cute grandson's friend is well, then I will take my leave. It was a pleasure meeting you, Green Pheasant. My regards to your family there."
"Actually, it would be an honor to have you for dinner someday. My girl will be traveling to the direction of your old home soon to honor the memory of her grandfather. One of the ladies she works with is an excellent cook. She's quite the expert in Chinese cuisines. You might like that!" the Green Pheasant invited, nuzzling one of his children who decided to hop by. "You may follow us to my girl's outdoor deck. It's just before the funeral home where she honors the dead. It's quite nice."
"I said I aged a century, not aged to my death," Hikozaemon II commented, tilting his head at this.
"Well, your grandson will forbid you from seeing the waterfront property my girl owns. He's not fond of her artwork," the Green Pheasant said, taking some steps away from Sesshomaru. "But the lady who cooks Chinese cuisine can be found there as well. Just don't mind the painting studio."
"Keep your disgusting displays away from my grandfather!" Sesshomaru growled, lightning dancing around him.
"Told you," the Green Pheasant remarked, pushing his child away from a loose bolt before moving the child back to his side. "Will I see you soon for the occasion, elder?"
"Does your lady chef know how to make Hóngshāo ròu?" Hikozaemon II asked, making Sesshomaru turn to him.
You trust this bird enough to go? Sesshomaru thought. Or is it...? That you miss your old home and the cooking? So... you really are Chinese, Jikomo? Not Nihonese?
"I should say so. She might be a widow, but she was once married to a Chinese nobleman," the Green Pheasant informed. "She cooks for my girl as well. She spoils my holy warrior often with her favorite childhood treats and makes dishes popular on the Silk Road."
"The trade route overseas?" Hikozaemon II questioned, taking a step forward with evident surprise. "She's familiar with it?"
"Why, yes! Both women are!" the Green Pheasant replied joyfully, flapping his wings out of excitement. "You'll love her cooking, elder."
"I suppose I will," Hikozaemon II said, eyes softening at this bout of information. "It is tradition to bring a gift to dinner. Does your chef favor an item?"
"Wine is a definite favorite, but she adores cake. Bring both!" the pheasant suggested.
"You just want to eat!" Jaken complained.
"Well, of course! Vacation food is the best cuisine!" the Green Pheasant cheered. "Let me have this!"
Hikozaemon II chuckled at the pheasant, making Sesshomaru's ears twitch and pull back at the familiar, hearty sound before he looked at his grandfather. He seemed happy - happier than usual anyway. For a small moment, he could see his physical appeal to an unsuspecting or lonely woman. If his grandmother was a flirty woman, then she had most of the charm in comparison to his quiet grandfather. She must have been the one to break his shell then. But was his paternal grandmother Chinese or Nihonese? Were they part of the same military troop? What about his father? Was he not an Okuri-inu? Why did his grandfather want him to be a member of his dying troop? Were they related to the wolf tribes all along? What about Koga? Were they related through the interbreeding that occurred with this troop? Or is he a direct descendant of the native wolves? Inuyasha... he can't fly either, but... his mother was a human anyway. Would he have been able to fly if he was a pure breed? There were so many questions to ask.
"My lord... do you wish to join this onery pigeon for dinner as well?" Jaken asked, more annoyed that he was asking this question than anything else.
"Only to establish the fact that I have no interest in the witch," Sesshomaru said, narrowing his eyes.