InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Methods of the Heart ❯ Fighting to Keep; Fighting to Let Go ( Chapter 7 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Hello everyone! Apparently I’ve got people on my conscience. A very interesting thing considering I thought I’d lost it at a convention. *grins* So I’ve had this chapter for a while now. But I’ve finally put it through the process. After all, I make all my fics go through a beta reader and my darling editor so that it’s grammatically and characterization-ally..... umm.. Correct.. Yeah. Anyway. So enjoy and I won’t bore you with a ton of author’s notes. YAY!

Disclaimers: I’ve said it seven times already. I’ll say it again. I don’t own.

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Chapter 7: Fighting to Keep; Fighting to Let Go

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Back in his fortress, safe in the inner sanctum, Naraku sat across from Kanna, who held her mirror high. “Tell me, Kanna. It has been more than two months. Have you found Sango?”

Kanna turned her mirror around to look into it. “No,” she whispered. “She must not have been the demon-born woman after all.”

“What?” Naraku’s eyes narrowed.

Kanna turned her mirror again. “The black tiger has settled and will soon take the spider.”

“If it isn’t Sango, then who is it?” Naraku ground his teeth.

“I do not know. She is either too close to here or too far away for me to see.”

Naraku paused for a moment. That sounded very familiar. He considered something for a moment longer. “Kanna. One last question.”

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Sango rolled onto her back. The barest traces of sun were attempting to pull her from slumber. Then, maybe it wasn’t so much the sun waking her as it was Miroku pulling on her arm.

“Sango, you’re oversleeping.”

She shot him a dirty look.

“I brought breakfast.” She sat up. Miroku was only wearing his black pants and his hair was wet. But given that it was bright and sunny, he must have taken a bath.

She looked around for the alleged food he’d brought, half expecting to see nothing. But sure enough, a little tray of eggs, water, and bread was set in front of her. “Slim pickings this morning?”

“Food’s low.” He started toweling himself off, pants and all, at the other end of the hut just out of her view.

Like she’d watch him dry off. She wasn’t Miroku, after all.

Her eyes cast in his direction but quickly snapped back. Picking up the bread, she started nibbling on it. “So why the rushing about?” she asked curiously. Usually she was the one trying to convince him to get up for breakfast.

“Raiding practice.” He pulled on his shirt. “Tonight we’re going to take down one of Naraku’s farming camps.” He sighed, obviously annoyed. “Then we can eat our fill and Naraku will have a little less.”

“Sounds like hard work.” Once he was dressed, Sango turned to look at him, still eating her breakfast. “I heard stories about the farms. They’re supposed to be well-guarded.”

Miroku grinned. “And Naraku’s really been adding security over the years. I think he’s starting to notice us.” He fastened the last of his outer robes. “They’re also supposed to be the hardest place for Naraku’s slaves to work in.”

Sango nodded, sipping her water.

Miroku moved next to her and attempted to steal some of her egg, only to get his hand smacked. He shrugged. “So how did you wind up in the fighting pits anyway? Most arena fighters aren’t women, if you don’t mind my saying.” Granted, he was in a bit of a hurry but Inu-Yasha could mind without him for a little while. Besides, he enjoyed his and Sango’s morning chats – and he really did want to know.

She nodded. “I understand. I was a rarity.” She shrugged, polishing off the last of her egg. “Do you really want to know?”

He nodded in the affirmative.

She fought back a blush. “Well, I told you about how they took me and my brother after the fight.” He nodded casually, pulling back his hair. “The first place they took me was a brothel.”

Miroku’s head snapped up. That had his attention.

It’s not as though he thought she would be any bit a different person if she were not a virgin. It was just that he had met many of Naraku’s slaves who had been forced to be whores. Even the ones who recovered from the trauma were withdrawn. Such women usually hated being touched and rarely went to bed with men because they wanted to –
rather it was for the man.

“Sango…were you...did...” He never thought he’d be the one embarrassed to talk to her about sex. But asking someone if she were raped is never an easy question, he supposed.

Sango instantly understood what he was trying to say. It wasn’t the first time someone had asked, after all. She didn’t know whether to be angry or amused by the whole situation.

She shook her head. “No. My time in the brothels didn’t last long enough. There were a few that tried.” She grinned, intentionally showing off her teeth. “Let’s just say it was a much more painful experience for them than for myself.”

Miroku shifted, trying to rub his legs together, suddenly finding a whole new reason to mind his manners around Sango. He cleared his throat, desperately wanting a change in topic. “So... How did you wind up in the arena?”

She shrugged. “It’s like I said. Naraku told me–”

“Personally?” Miroku’s eyebrows shot up.

Sango glared at him in such a way that asked both who was telling this story and if he wanted to hear the end or not. “Yes. I’d just been dragged back from running away and he told me that if I wouldn’t be a profitable whore,” she made a face, “then I could be a profitable death.”

Miroku nodded. “Must have been a surprise when you lived.”

“Mm-hm. Naraku locked me in the animal cages for a week.” She finished the few remnants of her breakfast. “Don’t you have to get going?”

Miroku blinked, getting to his feet. Shit! She was right. Inu-Yasha was going to kick his ass. “You’re right. I have to be on my way.” He grabbed his staff and a few other things and ran out the door with a quick wave. “I’ll be back later.”

Sango just shook her head, grinning.

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The day passed by like a condor on a windless day. Sango could practice now–though the dummy was quickly falling apart–so she didn’t spend the day growing bored to death. The raiding practice didn’t last long either, most of the camp’s warriors having done such tactics a million times over. If anything, they were getting far more efficient every month.

Miroku returned to his hut about early evening so that he could get the last of the supplies he would need for the real battle, as well as handle any other last-minute tasks. He sighed, making sure his staff was sharpened and his kaze ana was ready for the worst. He had all his sutras and everything else he thought he might need. He looked at the cooked fish on a sick.

That only left one thing.

It took him some time to find Sango. She’d gone by the river to sit down and relax for awhile. Miroku dimly noted how soft the evening light made her face seem. “Sango?”

She turned and smiled when she saw it was he. “Time to leave?” She stood up.

“Yes.” He smiled, holding out the fish. “Dinner isn’t much tonight so I thought you’d like this.”

“Thank you. It looks good.” She poked one experimentally to see how hot it was.

“Well.” He turned around and walked two steps before stopping again. “Sango. I want you to know... I hate doing these raids. But this time... This time something good might come out of it.”

He turned to look at her and couldn’t prevent himself from chuckling. She had started to take a bite of her fish and part of it now hung from her lips. “When the party returns, I hope you smile, Sango.”

And with that he was gone. Sango blinked. What did that mean...? She took another bite of the fish and another. His words kept ringing in her head. Something good? Try to smile? That’s when it hit her. She dropped the fish and ran.

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Inu-Yasha looked the men over. Each was dressed and in (almost) straight rows. They were ready for a fight so that tomorrow they could eat.

“Okay. So you all understand what you’ll be doing, right?”

“Wait! Inu-Yasha! I want to go!” Sango had stopped only briefly at Miroku’s hut to put on a set of black leather armor and was still finishing attaching some of the body plating as she hurried to catch up before the others left.

Inu-Yasha blinked. Twice. “You what?”

Sango caught sight of Miroku in the crowd. His eyes widened for a second, then hardened as he pushed his way through to reach her. She didn’t let him intimidate her. No man ever did that.

“I want to help. Besides, what if... what if I could find Kohaku?” She shouted out the last part, looking straight at Miroku, telling him she knew. Miroku froze in place, his face a mask of emotion.

Inu-Yasha looked to Miroku, who nodded, somewhat astounded himself. He didn’t tell her that this place might be where Kohaku was. And even though he was irritated, he was also proud that she had correctly evaluated what was happening. And here he hadn’t thought he’d been that obvious.

“All right. All ya have to do is get the wall down with the rest of us. Then stay with Miroku and don't go wandering off, got it?” Inu-Yasha crossed his arms.

She nodded, quickly selecting a weapon from the stack, a long sword. She turned around to find Miroku in her face. Apparently he had moved forward again. “Naraku thinks you’re dead, Sango. If you are seen, he will know otherwise.” She could see in his eyes his concern for her.

“I have to take that chance it if means finding Kohaku.” She wanted, no, NEEDED him to understand that her mind was made up and there was no changing it now.

Miroku nodded. “I’m not trying to stop you.” He tied a black scarf around her face, effectively disguising her, so long as no one there knew her too well or looked too closely at her. “I’m just telling you to be careful.”

Sango was a bit surprised by his encouragement... and also by his touch as his fingers grazed along her face. She was suddenly glad the scarf was there to hide the rising blush she felt spread across her cheeks. “Thank you, Miroku. I will.” She gave a small smile, though it couldn’t be seen below the cloth.

He nodded. “Just remember. When the wall comes down don’t go running too far away from it. I’ll come get you.” She nodded.

And with that, the troops were called to battle.

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Sango stood in the bushes just outside of one of Naraku’s many farming camps. The people inside consisted of slaves and refugees–and the guards who kept control of them. People were forced to grow fine foods only to never see the fruits of their labor, receiving only the barest scraps.

She was not hiding alone. People were spread out across the brush and in several locations.

“The key is just to relax.”

If only he knew. She had lost count of the number of fights she’d been in. It was fighting in a group that worried her. In a group, one had to watch out for others. She had to take care not to be spotted and to watch for the right moment.

The only thing between them and the farmland, besides the guards, was a huge wooden enclosure. Miroku, Inu-Yasha, and some of the other warriors had been quietly and delicately cutting the ropes that held the wall together. When they retreated, the others such as herself would storm the wall and send it hurtling down. Then the next wave would run in and fight.

She could see Inu-Yasha on the wooden barricade. She watched him jump down and the others run back. That was the signal. The whole group of the brigadiers ran forward, shoving the wall with all their strength. They had been noticed at this point and guards were coming out to attack them. Sango found herself fighting one of the guards in defense of the people she had come to call friends.

While metal clashed with metal, the warriors pushed harder, and with one final heave the wall was broken. The people defending others slowly worked their ways back inside. Sango slashed the man with her sword, but another came behind her. She parried him easily. She wasn’t thinking anymore, simply reacting to the rush and the fight. Her mind was one step ahead of her body, anticipating an attack rather than seeing it.

The guards who had come to stop them were being beaten back, having been caught slightly short of numbers. But that was why Inu-Yasha, Miroku, and Kagome had chosen them as targets, after all. Sango found herself in single combat before long, which was something she was much more used to.

She crossed blades with her current opponent, trying her best to knock him back as he did the same. It ended in a tie with both jumping back a step. Then the man fell over, unconscious from a staff blow to the back of his head. Miroku looked from the man to Sango, his face serious. “Come with me.”

“But the others–” she protested.

“–are going to raid the food storage.” This was by far more important. She knew that.

When she still didn’t move, he grabbed her wrist and started walking quickly.

“So where exactly are we going?” She had pulled back her wrist but was keeping an even pace with him.

“Anywhere else,” he grumbled. “I don’t like having to steal food.”

“But don’t you need it on the mountain? Besides, it’s Naraku’s food. Your need is greater, correct?” She looked ahead, trying to figure out where Miroku was leading her. She thought back to some of the conversation she’d heard with Inu-Yasha and Miroku. It was probably to women then.

“True. But no matter how much food and such we take from Naraku, he still has more. The bastard just takes it from his prisoners, his slaves, his servants...” He turned to look at her. “…his pit fighters.”

Sango was taken aback. That explained several days in the pits when everyone had gone without food.

“So... what do we do instead?” She looked around.

He smiled “Glad you asked. Let’s see if we can’t find Kohaku, hm?”

Sango stopped and looked at him. “You know something?” He just smiled secretively. “If you’re kidding me, Miroku...” He just shrugged, unruffled by her tone of voice.

She quickly caught up to him.

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They had managed to get around the combat and into a large house. There Miroku had taken the lead, seeming to know his way around perfectly. His only explanation was that most of the structures in Naraku’s land were made similarly. Then it was down a path of twists and turns.

They ran into a guard every step or two. The pair fought in perfect harmony, side by side. She would raise her blade, duck under, and move to the side to block an attack behind her. This way had them moving, running, fighting... rushing breathless and slowly growing weary.

“There! Up there, head through that room!” Miroku grabbed Sango’s wrist to urge her from the affray so as to quickly get inside. She paused only a second to pull back from her assailant, then rushed forward. They both skidded into the room. She was the first to turn and force the door shut while he moved the iron bar, locking it.

Sango kept leaning against the door as more and more guards came, shoving on it, trying to break it down. They had to be in the right place. She turned to see her little brother, but the room was empty.

She looked to Miroku; he seemed similarly confused, but also curious. “Now what?” She frowned.

It took a moment longer before it caught his eye. “There!” He pointed to the ground. Sure enough, in the middle of the room there was a small barred door on the floor that most likely led to a deep pit: the perfect place to keep someone out of reach of others. A child would never be able to crawl out.

Miroku stepped closer to the cage and leaned over it.

“H… Hello?” It was a child’s voice, weak and indistinguishable. “Help me. Get me out.”

Sango practically pushed Miroku out of the way, grabbing on to the bars of the door and pulling on it desperately. She tried to see and reach through at the same time. She could make out a small dark head but nothing else. “Kohaku?” Her voice squeaked out, not nearly loud enough for the prisoner below to hear her.

Miroku put his hand on her shoulder, pulling out a set of lock picks. “I’ll get it open in no time. Just watch the door so we have that time, all right?”

Shaky and pale, she nodded. Then, just as fast as her passion had dominated her logic, she went back to being the strong warrior. She held her sword in one hand while leaning on the door to fight back at the men trying to shove it down.

Miroku pulled out different tools. Each one had a different use and each one would be needed.

He had to concentrate.

rustle

The one below mumbled something he couldn’t understand.

rustle

“Hang on, I’m coming.” It wouldn’t take him long to get it open.

snort

"Almost..." He finally managed to turn the last bearing. The next part would be tricky. The door looked heavy and Sango couldn't help him get it open.

“Miroku, look out!” Miroku heard Sango’s voice and looked up. His eyes widened as the clawed paw of a huge bear demon barreled down at him from the darkest corner of the room. He knew he should roll away – yet he couldn’t.

BLAM!!!!

The fist crashed down, splattering blood.
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