InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Captive Soul ❯ chapter 5 ( Chapter 5 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters.

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L ast time on Captive soul: Boldly determined, Rin casually walked up to the merchant with a purpose. "Excuse me sir, how much for the slave?"

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The fat, oily man looked up from his magazine to acknowledge her presence with a gap-toothed grin. "Five thousand, Missy."

'Five thousand!!?'........Rin's eyes widened slightly before narrowing. She did not know much about slaves and their worth but her experience with the market had taught her a few tricks. "I'll give you three thousand."

"Five thousand." he grunted.

As she gestured toward the youkai with a small wave, Rin silently prayed her intuition was on target. "Judging by the look of your slave here, I would say that you didn't pay more than two thousand for him."

The salesman's eye twitched. "Forty five hundred."

Oh...Now she had hit a nerve. "And knowing the people around here, he won't be sold anytime soon."

Resisting the urge to hold her nose, she bent down closer to the foul smelling man. She spoke in a hushed voice and said. "Slavery is morally unacceptable around these parts."

Inwardly smirking at the man's growing comprehension of the situation, she added. "I'll give you thirty five hundred."

The merchant grumbled. Switching his gaze from the youkai to the girl in front of him, he relented.

"Sold!"

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Rin signed the last of the papers while her new 'purchase' was gotten ready.

She watched as the short merchant unshackled the youkai slave and ordered him to put his clothes back on.

When the demon finished dressing, the pudgy dealer attached a long leather strap to a place on his collar. The youkai kept his eyes fixed on the ground as he was led over to her.

She was suddenly shocked and if not somewhat embarrased when the youkai stepped in front of her and lowered to his hands and knees, his face only inches away from her shoes.

Seeing her ignorance, the merchant smirked. "He's showing his obedience to you."

Rin really did not know what to do. "Oh...ah...okay."

"He will follow your every order." The crude man explained while rumaging under the booth. "Here...these go with him...it's in the papers."

Hearing the heavy clink of metal, Rin looked over to see two swords on the counter.

"What are these for?" she asked, starting to feel a little anxious.

"All I know, lady, is that they go with him...He's some sort of bodyguard."

"Oh yeah, girly...before I forget...There's one more thing you need to know." The man said as he handed her the copies and deed of sale. "This demon is spelled by a word of subjugation and only his owner can use it."

Rin frowned as she looked at the merchant then at the slave still at her feet. "What will it do?"

Scratching his chin, the man admonished offhandedly. "Don't really know. Never had to use it. Something to do with the collar and meant as punishment. The spell also works if he purposely disobeys a direct command from you or your kin. The word is on the deed of sale."

Immediately, Rin shuffled through the papers in her hands. She had to find out what that word was before she accidently said it and caused any unwarranted physical pain to her new 'slave'.

She pulled out the deed of sale and studied it. Finding the word in question, Rin blinked serveral times as a creepy, bone-cold chill began spreading through her gut.

'CONSTRICT'

Handing over the leash for her to take, the man grunted. "Here...he's all yours."

The young girl stared at the leather loop in her hands then at the youkai who was still showing his 'submission' before her.

"Um ...you can get up now..."

The demon rose from the ground, blatantly keeping his eyes downcast.

"Can you carry those?" She asked, pointing to the long, sharp swords.

"Yes Master."

Rin started, hearing his voice for the first time. It was a deep, soft baratone, and it echoed on the tips of her senses.

The youkai did not motion to pick up the weapons.

"You have to give him a direct command." The merchant told her while packing up.

Rin faltered..."Pick up the swords and put them where they belong...please."

The male before her did as he was ordered. He picked up the weapons then attached them to his belt.

Then a thought struck her...leading a full grown youkai around by a leash would cause quite a few stares and maybe questions that she did not know how she would answer.

She turned to where the merchant had been packing up to ask him if the leash was really necessary only to find that he had already left. "That was fast." she mumbled.Rin looked up to the tall youkai. "Can you follow me without the leading rope?" she asked quietly.

"Yes master."

Rin reached up to unhook the leather strap but couldn't quite make it. "Bend down, would you?" She mumbled while trying not to notice how very close he was to her.

He complied to her wish and inclined far enough for her to reach the small hook on the metal choker.

A few strands of his silver hair lightly fell to caress her forarms as her fingers worked the knot on the cold metal loop. She swallowed heavily, losing the battle to squash the intense reaction her body was having to his heady scent...wind...sun....and...spice.

'Come On!' She mentally pleaded with the tangled leather, hoping he could not sense her growing discomfort to his enveloping presense.

As Rin fretted with the tight knot, she happen to glance at the obscure inscription etched onto the surface of the collar. 'must be the spell'. It was in another language or some sort of code. It also occured to her that the collar was solid and not really iron as she first thought but another type of metal that she had never seen before.

Finally, Rin succeeded in removing the strap. Rolling it up, she placed it in her bag.

She looked up to the youkai who had now straightened. His dulled, vacant expression locked onto the ground.

The girl took a deep breath. "Okay Rin...you can do this." She whispered to herself.

"Follow me." She softly ordered him.

Just as Rin turned around, she unexpectedly crashed into something tall and dark.

"Well, it seems I have come a bit too late." said a smooth, sinister voice above her head.

Rin backed up a step, sporting an apology, when it was cut short by her dawning comprehension of just 'who' it was she had bumped into.

"Naraku?!"

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