InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Slave's Tale ❯ Ultimate Fear ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: Nope don't own them, I'm just borrowing the characters and doing wonderful evil things to them. MUWAH!

A Slaves' Tale

Chapter 2- Ultimate Fear

"Turn that up," Yuka said with a smile. With a nod Hojo reached over and turned the volume on the radio up so they could perform their duties to a bit of music. It was a Hawaiian song called He Mele No Lilo. It had a tempo that you couldn't help but swing your hips and sing along with. Many Youkai profited from their slaves. In the entertainment industry the humans made tons of money for the Youkai.

Washing the tall windows in the palace was quite a challenge. It took three people do one of them; two on tall ladders and one on the floor. Many slaves were involved in the window washing.

Kagome was on the floor trying to keep herself on task. She still couldn't help herself from falling prey to the music. Her hips swayed as if doing a Hawaiian hula with a more quickened pace and her very pretty voice sang along. Yuka was doing the same thing standing next to her. They both turned and looked at each other laughing slightly but did not cease in their fun.

The washing rags in their hands still moved to clean the windows. The humans standing on the ladders had to be extra careful as to not wobble and fall. They sang along with the song but tried their hardest to not swing and sway their hips around. Soon all the humans washing the windows on the floor couldn't help but be involved in the singing and dancing around. Their voices sounded so pretty and pleasant all together filling the large entry way.

Inutaisho, sitting in his study, heard the slaves singing. This was really relaxing to him and he leaned back in his chair and rested his head against the back of it. He glanced out the window at the scenery. Animals were nibbling and just lying around on the lawn. He knew his time on this world was growing short. He closed his eyes but was still aware of all the things on around him. Inutaisho was feeling weaker as the days went by. Sometimes at night when he felt completely restless he would have two of his slaves, Hojo and Kagome, sing him to sleep. They truly had gifted voices… for humans anyway. Those were the only two slaves whose names he had bothered to learn. He would never replace them.

The door opened and he heard someone come inside and stand before the desk. Inutaisho's eyes opened and he saw his son Sesshomaru standing there looking as emotionless as ever.

"Father, a few things have been brought to my attention since I have been away."

Inutaisho leaned forward resting his hands on the desktop and looked up at his son's face. "Which are?"

"The first thing, why is Prince Kouga still with you here? I was sure he would have gone home a long time ago."

With a slight smirk Inutaisho folded his hands. "I know you do not like him but he has been a great ally to our lands here. I would not turn him away ever. He is very dependable. As long as we keep him happy he will continue to help us."

"Happy, do you mean to tell me that you have given him one of your possessions?"

Knowing what his son was referring to Inutaisho nodded, "You are talking about the slave girl." He took a breath. "It is a small price to pay for his continued alliance and if you must know I have not given him the girl. She is on loan to him in a way until he tires of her and requests and pays for another."

"It is absolutely revolting the way he carries on with the human." Sesshomaru kept his eyes locked on his father's. "If things went my way I would just kill her and come to another arrangement with Kouga."

"I know you do not approve but it is not your concern. Do not involve yourself in arrangements I have made. You are not Lord yet," he said with a commanding tone.

Sesshomaru stepped closer to his father's desk. "You are not going to exist much longer. That is why I returned in the first place. I will take my proper place as lord when you perish."

"Oh how kind of you; and here I was thinking you came here just to spend time with your family." His tone was sarcastic.

"Family, you mean with you and that half breed brother of mine who was born from a dirty slave… disgusting. You had greatly disappointed me father rutting with the slave girl nineteen years ago."

Inutaisho smiled a little in remembrance. "She was beautiful, I could not help myself. It came as close to love as it possibly could with our kind." He stood and approached the window. "I recognize much of the same things that Kouga does for the slave girl of his choice that I did for mine. The only way he can be with her is if he pays for her time. He even bought her virginity when she was of a proper age. I wouldn't have allowed it otherwise. We do not need slaves getting pregnant with Youkai seeds." He said this not because he thought it was wrong because he himself had his son Inuyasha and he still cared about him, but because it was so hard for Hanyou's to be thought of as equal. They were half human and half demon. It was much harder for them than it was for just being a simple slave. Inutaisho sighed wistfully. "I let this happen because he truly cares about her. I had thought about selling her completely to him."

Sesshomaru felt absolutely disgusted with this information. He did not care about a slaves' worthless purity. It made his stomach churn with just the thought of any noble Youkai laying with a human. "Just why would you do a thing like that. Do you want other lords to walk all over you? You give so much free reign to these humans. Is it true you have given them money to set up some kind of human entertainment building in the city?"

Inutaisho nodded, "That I did, happy slaves work much harder."

"I can't believe this. A once feared war lord like you reduced to… this!" He looked disgusted at the back of his father's head

"A little compassion is not unheard of Sesshomaru. Your ten years away seemed to have hardened you even more… if that was even possible to begin with."

Sesshomaru came close to rolling his eyes, "I care not of your opinion of me, father. It means very little. I do what I must to ensure a firm hand and to see that our power is not usurped."

"Speaking of power… Lord Naraku will be arriving here tomorrow."

With a slight nod Sesshomaru was pleased even if he didn't show it. Now that was a Youkai with power who managed to strike fear into many a human and Youkai. "How long does he intend on staying?"

"Not long, just a few days. He's going around inspecting all the lands and seeing how we're fairing."

Sesshomaru was done in here and he turned to leave. His father cleared his throat to get his attention.

"Sesshomaru, do not harass the slaves. If they are irritating you come to me and I will take care of it. I do not need my slaves killed off one by one. Do you understand me?"

"I understand, but they should not irritate me much since they all know to stay clear of me. They don't really realize that you are a slave sympathizer and will protect the lot of them." Sesshomaru was really irritated by the soft touch his father used with his slaves. Once he was Lord he would end all the warm cuddly stuff and treat them how they deserve to be treated… lower than dirt. Having said all that he needed to he left his father's study and closed the door behind him. He saw two slaves. The one human male that had gotten beaten by Kouga and Inuyasha earlier at breakfast and Kouga's slave girl carrying large baskets walking side by side.

"That window washing was horrendous. How can they get that dirty in only one day?" Kagome sighed carrying a large wicker laundry basket walking next to Miroku who was carrying the same thing.

"Kagome, can we not talk about chores. We do enough of them. I don't want to be dreaming about them as well. I would much rather talk about the movement of your hips while you were dancing around to the radio," he sighed.

With a roll or her eyes Kagome took a deep breath, "Is that all you ever think about Miroku, honestly."

"No, I also think about sex and breasts and…" he was interrupted by Kagome's twisted up face, she looked like she had just sucked on a lemon. He couldn't help the chuckle that he let out. "Oh come on. If it was Youkai Kouga saying this it wouldn't bother you."

"Yes it does and he doesn't talk that way. Well okay, that's a lie, he does but he's well, different." Her excuses were not holding up, she needed to change the subject. She saw Sango crossing the hall looking in both directions opening a door to a bedroom chamber and going inside. Inuyasha's head poked out and he too looked in both directions of the hall and closed the door.

Kagome laughed lightly. "As if they think we don't know what is going on with the two of them."

Miroku shrugged. "Everyone knows about them. Perhaps we should tell them that they don't need to be sneaky." He grabbed Kagome's arm as she was passing up a chamber. "Hey you're forgetting this one."

"Uh… we can't go in there." She paled slightly.

"Why not, it needs to be cleaned. I don't want a lashing tonight," Miroku said seriously, "I already got quite the beating this morning or have you forgotten."

Kagome humpfed "Well you shouldn't have grabbed my ass, you deserved what you got."

"No matter," he kept his firm grip on Kagome's arm and turned the knob on the door and pushed it open. He quickly pulled her inside. "Why don't you want to clean this room?" Miroku glanced around and found the room very tidy, not a mess could be seen. The only evidence that led anyone to believe that the room was occupied was the ruffled bed, the full laundry hamper and a few trunks open. The packing of those trunks were still neat and clean.

"Miroku this is the one room we should never be in." Kagome said looking around the barren white walls and the light painted blue ceiling a slight nervous air about her.

"And why is that? Afraid of a little dust bunny?" Miroku teased.

"No, that's not it. This here is…" she was cut off by a low growl coming from the doorway.

"This room is mine," a cold and angry sounding voice said. He noticed the girl just stood rigid and did not turn around and the boy's eyes just widened a little. He could smell a strong scent of fear radiating from the girl and a slight fear from the boy. He seemed a bit more in control of himself. "What are you two doing in here?"

Kagome's heart pounded painfully in her chest. She just knew this was the end. Being caught in here by him was just too much. She again felt seven years old. She could still see him raising his clawed hand to her ready to strike down inches from her face wanting to rip her body in half.

Miroku knowing of her great fear of this Youkai would have to be brave for the both of them so he stepped in front of her as if shielding her. They were back to back with Miroku looking at Sesshomaru and Kagome looking the other way at the far wall. He leaned back a bit into her to let her know that he was there and hopefully to relieve some of her fear. "We are here to straighten up bed chambers and take dirty laundry to be cleaned. We do this everyday."

Sesshomaru studied the two humans. This boy was pathetic in his attempt to protect this girl. It amused him to see this. As if that human boy could prevent Sesshomaru from doing anything to them. "Carry on then." He did not move from the spot.

Miroku jumped around to where Kagome was staring at the wall. "Why don't you go clean the bathroom, while I take care of the bedroom?" With a slight nod Kagome bent slightly and picked up her large basket and scurried off toward the adjoining door without looking back at the two males.

Walking over Miroku started with the bed. Sesshomaru felt strange as this similar scene was played out earlier this morning. It was another in the role of sending the girl away through another door and she still did not give the proper respect to him. It was as if she was ignoring him. No slave would ignore him! "I am very observant. This is twice the girl was sent away. Why is that?" Sesshomaru spoke as if he were talking to a child.

Miroku resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "We have other duties to get to today so it is best of she cleaned the bathroom. Our duties are many and we have to delegate the responsibility. If we don't take care of everything there are serious punishments."

"Don't speak to me that way. Your words and tone are unacceptable." Sesshomaru stepped closer to Miroku. "My father said not to kill your kind but he didn't say that I wasn't free to punish as I see fit. You best watch what you say human." He spat hatefully. Turning elegantly around, Sesshomaru sat down on a soft white leather chair. "Send the girl back in here." He noticed the human hesitated. "Now," Sesshomaru demanded.

Trying very hard not to glare at the Youkai, Miroku nodded and headed into the bathroom. "Kagome, the white fluff ball wants me to bring you back out there."

Kagome had been kneeling down scrubbing the bathtub and she jumped up and covered Miroku's mouth with her hand which was trembling. "Miroku, don't say such things," she hissed in his ear, "Don't you know he can hear you?"

Seeing the absolute fear in her eyes Miroku concernedly lifted his hand and took a hold of hers that was covering his mouth bringing it down away from his face. "You really are terrified, aren't you?"

"I feel so ashamed. I know I shouldn't be afraid," she looked down at pale blue tile flooring. Her voice dropped even lower, "Considering what we're trying to accomplish. I'm supposed to be a leader damnit and here this Youkai scares the crap out of me."

"You spend too much time with Inuyasha, your language has gotten worse." Miroku's lips twisted up into a grin. "Look, not everyone can be strong Kagome, we all have our weaknesses. It's a strong person to be able to realize what those weaknesses are. You'll never get over your fears unless you turn and face them." He clutched her hand comfortingly. "Come with me and we'll face your ultimate fear together." He started pulling her from the bathroom.

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Well that's it for chapter 2, I know its not that long, but remember it's the quality of the story that counts not how long the chapters are. Remember to review!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks,
Ryoko Blue ^_^