InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Demon Slayer Sango ❯ Chapter 23 ( Chapter 23 )

Chapter 23

 

"So, whore of a demon you thought you could escape me? I'm sorry bitch, but you've become too valuable to let get away." Jitsuo grasped Sango by both arms and growled into her ear. "That unborn whelp inside you might be my ticket out of hell." Try as she might, Sango had been unable to get out of the cave to open air where Sesshomaru or anyone else might find her. She had not even heard the heavy steps of her jailer until it was too late. Jitsuo cornered her and now held her arms tightly behind her body. Sango thought the circulation would be cut off and she grimaced in pain, but it didn't stop her from trying to wrest herself away from the disgusting youkai.

 

"Let me go! Don't you know Sesshomaru will destroy you? Do you think that if you threaten his child that you won't pay for that? Think of yourself. If you let me go now and call off this damn war perhaps he will let you live." She tried to reason with him. He dragged her along, presumably back to her original keeping place deep in the mountain cave. "Let me go and save your life."

 

The rebel leader laughed. "Not likely, whore. You are a fiesty little bitch though. I like that. I'll enjoy taking you to my bed human woman." Sango shuddered at this.

 

'How can he be so sure of himself,' she wondered. 'Sesshomaru is the most powerful demon in these lands-- this stupid cur is no threat to him, not physically anyway...' Jitsuo now half dragged, half pulled her along the musty, rocky corridors of the cave. She wondered how to extricate herself from the situation. Apparently he planned to do awful things to her, an experience Sango did not believe she could survive.

 

They turned a corner, and a cold blast of air came from the right. 'The outside must be that way.' Her heart began to beat fast in her chest as she contemplated what she was about to do. 'He is bigger than me but I have surprise in my favor. I've got to hit him just right.' Suddenly wrenching her arm away, Sango turned and quickly kicked him hard in the thigh, just below the groin. The blow connected with a loud crack and he reeled, giving enough time for her to strike again with an elbow hard against his neck. She heard him choke and curse and stumble to the ground.

 

The taijiya took her chance and ran. She ran like she never had before, experiencing the first pangs of maternal instinct. A deep force within urged her to protect her baby at all costs, and she would be damned if she let Jitsuo do anything to harm the fruit of her relationship with Sesshomaru.

 

"You lousy bitch! I'll fucking kill you-- I'm sick of this shit!" Sango could hear him get up from his sprawled position on the ground. To her horror she realized he was coming after her again. Youkai were much faster than humans and the taijiya knew she did not have a lot of time. As she continued to run a cleft in the rock eventually appeared-- light from the outside filtered in on long rays throwing shadows against the cave walls to guide her way out. 'Please let me get away from him!' she prayed and slipped her body through the sharply angled opening just as Jitsuo caught sight of her.

 

"Ha! You'll never get away from me, whore!" Heavy footsteps thumped and echoed through the cave.

 

Sango suddenly remembered something. She always carried a weapon concealed in her armor, and now wanted to kick herself for forgetting the small tanto tucked neatly at her side. Pulling it out, she prayed to the gods and turned to face Jitsuo. This had to stop. Now.

 

"Come on!" She dared him to attack. Her pulse raced and she felt the old excitement returning-- a taijiya's love for facing down and destroying dangerous demons again blazed bright in her soul. It was something that had been bred into her by her father, his father and his father's father before him, demonslayers all. She would fight this Jitsuo, kill him if need be. It was her life's work.

 

"Prepare to die, human." Grimacing and with blinding speed the rebel leader advanced on his target with the exectation of easily slicing her to bits with his claws. He raised his hand, but instead of contacting with her body felt a sharp burning sensation in his gut-- somehow the wench had managed to drive a weapon deep inside him. He looked down to see blood streaming from his stomach and howled.

 

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"Its Kirara!" shouted Shippo. Indeed the neko youkai had just alighted in the gardens east of the inuyoukai palace and changed back into her familiar small form. Miroku had accompanied the young kitsune outdoors for a walk and now looked up at to see the little cat trotting forward. He was instantly alarmed. Kirara never went anywhere without Sango, and the taijiya was nowhere to be seen.

 

"What is she doing here? Where is Sango?" The cat mewled and went up to him. "Kirara, what is it? Is something wrong?" A series of growls and mewls proceeded from the cat, none of which the houshi could understand. "Damn, we need someone who speaks the neko language..."

 

"I know someone!" said Shippo.

 

"Are they here?"

 

"Yes! Come on!" They raced to the area where Shiro could usually be found-- in the first floor conference area closest to Inuyasha and Kagome's apartments.

 

"What is it, little fox?" asked Shiro as Shippo bounded quickly towards him. He had been going over supply requests for Inuyasha and Kagome and puzzling over the miko's need for 'first aid supplies', wondering what on earth she could mean. He looked up to see a winded Miroku following behind the kitsune. He stood. "Miroku-sama-- is everything alright?"

 

"You can speak the neko language?" he asked between breaths.

 

"Speak? I wouldn't say that but I understand it somewhat. Why?" He produced the little cat and set it before Shiro. The young demon lord could instantly detect trouble. Kirara repeated her story to him in the same growls and mewls she had related to Miroku and Shippo in the garden. The houshi's eyes grew wide with alarm as he noticed the look of distress begin to form on Shiro's usually cheerful face.

 

"What? What is it? Is Sango in trouble?"

 

"Apparently the huntress has been taken prisoner...by the enemies of Lord Sesshomaru. She is in grave danger."

 

"Where, where is she?!" Miroku shouted, frantic with worry. Although she was no longer his woman he cared deeply for the beautiful demon slayer. If he could prevent harm coming to his lost love he would not hesitate to act.

 

"She is at Mount Koragi in the south...several hours march from here."

 

"I will go now. Shippo-- tell Inuyasha and Kagome where I've gone. Someone has to help Sango! Kirara needs rest, she must stay here..." With that the monk rushed away from the assembled group and set off for the mountain.

 

"But Miroku-- shouldn't we get Inuyasha or Sesshomaru--"

 

"There is no time, I must go now!" He called over his shoulder while rushing away.

 

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'Okay now what Sango?' she asked herself. Weaponless, she stood before a wounded and very angry inu demon knowing her options were running out. She felt her skin crawl as he growled and his dark eyes flashed bloody red. 'He is going to kill me.'

 

Jitsuo advanced on his prey. 'This bitch needs to die.' He cracked his knuckles and raised a hand to deal her a fatal blow. Sango cringed, bracing herself for the impact and readied for a counterstrike. But to her great shock the gruff inu demon did not hit her. In fact he suddenly fell in a heap, apparently unconscious. Sango gasped when she noticed what or rather who was behind him. "Miroku?"

 

"Sango!" He ran to her, alarming the taijiya with the wild look in his eyes. He'd lashed out with his staff and struck the rebel leader with all of his strength square in the back of his head. Relieved to see the blow had its desired effect, he sighed in relief.

 

"Are you alright?" asked Sango.

 

"Don't worry about me! Did he hurt you? Kirara came to the palace. She told us you were taken prisoner-- "

 

"I am fine. Calm down. Thank you for saving me!" She threw her arms around his neck in a grateful embrace. "Did you walk all this way? You look exhausted." She really was worried about Miroku. He seemed unusually thin and his eyes had lost the bright luster she had come to know so well. Hugging him close, she felt his body tremble.

 

"I was so worried, so worried. I thought you might be...dead." He clasped her to him tightly, tremendously relieved that he had found her still alive. His shoulders shook.

 

"Are you crying? Miroku! Don't cry...shhh...I'm alright. You saved me." They stood together for a long time. It felt so good to Sango to be in the arms of a friend once more and she closed her eyes, grateful to the gods.

 

'I am so happy she is safe,' thought Miroku. 'If she had been lost I fear I would have been too...' he still loved this woman. She was still precious to him. He may never have another chance to prove his devotion to her, but as long as she lived he would be there for her. He held her tightly to him.

 

He suddenly felt something strange. Sango's body abruptly went limp and her grip on him slackened considerably. Something was wrong. He opened his eyes to see her sliding to the ground in front of him and had to grasp tightly to keep her from falling. Somehow Jitsuo had revived and was now stabbing viciously at her with what looked like a long-bladed dagger.

 

"I told that whore I would kill her," growled the wounded youkai. He had got to his knees and crawled close enough to strike at the taijiya with the special blade given to him by the witch Koto, the one said to kill with one thrust. Miroku lashed out with his fists and tackled him, yelling his fury. However the demon easily deflected his blows and shoved him away like a basket of rice.

 

"Master, Master!!!" Noguro came bounding up. "We have to get out of here! Sesshomaru! He is nearby! I scented him! He will be here!" He growled at Miroku and then dragged his master away from the scene. Noguro knew they would both surely die at the demon lord's hands if he caught them and so they had to get away quickly. He picked Jitsuo up and raced away back into the mountain.

 

"Sango! Oh no!" Miroku knelt down next to her still and seemingly lifeless body. He shook her arm gently in an attempt to revive her. She did not move. Quickly examining her body for wounds, he found a deep incision just below her ribcage. Blood seeped copiously from the cut, and Miroku worked fast to bind it with cloth from his own robe to try and staunch the flow.

 

"Please Sango, please wake up...please be alright." He patted her hand and prepared to lift her to take her away to help. He realized that time was of the essence.

 

"Remove your hands from her immediately." A low and stern voice spoke up behind them.

 

"Sesshomaru, I--" Miroku suddenly found himself pushed aside by the demon lord who dropped himself next to Sango's body. 'This is highly unsatisfactory,' he thought. Stroking her face, he searched for signs of consciousness. There were none.

 

'Sango why? Why did you not let me protect you?' He had not seen Jitsuo attack but knew what happened on arriving to see the blood dripping from her side and finding Jitsuo's scent in the air. He was disgusted with himself for allowing her to come to harm. 'Am I too late? Have I failed you?'

 

Sesshomaru finally heard Sango's call again after several hours. 'She must have been imprisoned inside this mountain-- Koragi is known to have a concealment aura. That must be why I was unable hear her before.' He leaned in close and spoke clearly. "Sango. Listen to my voice. You have been wounded, apparently by a cursed sword of some kind. You must hold on. I will take you to safety."

 

Through this Miroku stood back angry, fearful and confused. "Where were you Sesshomaru? I thought you were taking care of her-- she needed you!"

 

The monk's words barely registered with the demon lord who was consumed with Sango's well being. He finally realized he had been addressed and responded harshly. "I am here now, monk. I do not answer to you. I must get her back to the palace." He lifted Sango's limp body in his arms.

 

"This is all your fault! Sango would never have been in this position if it weren't for your arrogance. You should do her a favor and let her go. Just leave her alone."

 

Sesshomaru spoke over his shoulder. "I should have killed you months ago human. You broke her heart. You have no more say in her life."

 

"And you should? Everyone knows you don't really care for her. You are using her and that is wrong. Sango deserves better than that!"

 

Sesshomaru felt his youki beginning to rise. "I have no time to argue with you. The only reason you have not already been destroyed is that she considers you some kind of friend. But my patience will be pushed only so far. I suggest you get out of this forest before Jitsuo and his dogs come looking for more human flesh." With that the demon lord swept away with the unconscious woman tucked carefully in his arms.

 

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The first battle between the forces of the central authority, made up of Sesshomaru's warriors, and the assembled rebel army took place three days march from the inuyoukai palace. Ryuchi, as Sesshomaru's chief military advisor had been ordered to engage the enemy early that morning, to destroy as much of the opposing force as possible.

 

It began with an ambush. A detachment of Ryuchi's warriors had been scouting vantage points in the nearby hills when suddenly a barrage of arrows rained down upon them from above. Long distance bowmen on the rebel side were set up in advance of their approach and let loose a volley of deadly metal-point projectiles that ripped through the bodies of the surprised troops.

 

"Those bloody curs! Retreat! Battle formations!" The captain yelled. Half the advance detachment survived the initial attack and were able to reconnoiter with the larger body of Ryuchi's army shortly thereafter. Groups of heavily armored fighters were called forward-- some with spears, some with swords, some with bow and arrow-- to advance on the enemy.

 

"For the memory of Inutaisho! For Lord Sesshomaru! Advance!" They galloped forward and soon encountered the enemy several meters away-- a band of some one hundred to one hundred and fifty rebels shouted and charged to meet them head on. A fierce hand-to-hand battle took place. Jitsuo's forces were far outnumbered by the central authority's highly trained and disciplined forces. The bloodiest fights took place between swordsmen, with limbs and blood flying about in the heat of battle as opponents hacked away at each other. After some three hours a clear victor had emerged: the rebels were in retreat, and the forces of Sesshomaru were victorious. The first battle of the war had been won.

 

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"Hold on, Sango." Sesshomaru continued to speak softly while carrying her wilted form into the palace and on to the hospital area below the ground floor. She had not stirred since he found her laying in Miroku's arms back at the mountain. His heart beat fast in his chest. The demon lord had never experienced anything like the distress he was beginning to feel at her condition. He could not lose her. There was always Tensaiga, but the thought that she might suffer death at all worried him greatly.

 

"As soon as I know she is safe, I will kill him. Jitsuo must pay with his life for this." The very thought that his enemy had got to her, had successfully attacked his woman made the youki inside rage madly, and Sesshomaru had to fight hard to keep it under control. 'I must for her sake,' he concluded.

 

"Sesshomaru-sama!" The healers in the infirmary bowed to the ground seeing the unfamiliar figure of their master appear. The demon lord had never come to the hospital for any reason before.

 

"Attend her. She must not die..." Sesshomaru laid her on a specially prepared mat and stood back to let the experienced youkai healers instantly get to work. Being responsible for the health of hundreds of resident inu nobles and their families, these seasoned healers were perhaps the best at their craft in the entire territory and knew what to do. Silently marveling at the intense interest their lord seemed to take in what looked to be a human female, they carefully attended the broken body of the young woman.

 

"Is that the human woman everyone has been talking about?" Whispered one attendant to another in one corner of the room. "The one he has taken to his bed?"

 

"I think so. I heard she fights demons."

 

The whispering came to an abrupt end when their lord growled angrily in their direction. Jumping to attention, the young attendants went to gather fresh water at the instruction of one of the senior healers.

 

Initially he stood back, deferring to the healers who needed access to her body. But Sesshomaru moved forward again as they began removing her armor. He was surprised to find himself chafing at the sight of these inferior inu males touching her so intimately. 'Do not be foolish. They are healers,' he told himself. Still it bothered his youkai senses seeing this and he could not stop the gall he felt at this shameless disrobing of his woman. "Stop it. I will do that." He stepped forward to gently finish undressing Sango. The busy attendants exchanged glances. Their lord clearly favored this inferior human creature, something everyone in the palace heretofore had thought impossible.

 

"We need to monitor her pulse my lord." He stepped back again but not far enough away that he couldn't watch their movements or grasp her hand.

 

After a while a wise looking elder inuyoukai led Sesshomaru aside to confer with him. "She is breathing, my lord. Her pulse is strong, but she has lost a lot of blood."

 

"Will she survive?"

 

"I cannot foretell the future, master. But she is young and otherwise quite healthy it seems. The instrument that cut her, it was poisoned. It didn't slice very far-- if it had gone any deeper I have no doubt that she would have died immediately. The woman will be in some pain I fear. If she can survive the potion that seeped its way into her system she will live."

 

"She is with child." A long pause. Total silence. Sesshomaru swallowed. "Will it live?"

 

"There is no way to know that at present, my lord. She must not be very far along in her pregnancy."

 

"She is not."

 

"Then it may be alright. Time will tell."

 

"She must live. She must." The healer looked away noticing the slight waver in his famously indifferent lord's tone. The master obviously cared a great deal for this human woman. He hoped not only for her sake but for his own life and that of his juniors that the woman and her unborn child would pull through. Sesshomaru would surely punish whoever was present at her death, and none wanted to be at the receiving end of their master's famed wrath.