InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Terms of Enslavement ❯ Relocation ( Chapter 2 )

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

Author's Note: Hello again! Sorry that it took me *cough*sixmonths*cough* to update this story. I was busy with other stories, interests, and not to mention work. Although I recognize that this is no excuse, so please accept my apologies! That having been said, I wanted to address two other things. Firstly, originally I'd planned this to be a one-shot, and then to have only two chapters, but I think that the story will end up being four chapters long, with what I have planned. Second, some of you may notice that in my story, Sesshoumaru has both of his arms. I refuse to recognize that Inuyasha cut off Sesshoumaru-sama's arm. You may believe what you will, be it that this story takes place before that happens, that perhaps Jaken retrieved his arm and he reattached it, or that it never happened at all. Your choice ^^;

Also, thank you to those who reviewed! It helps to keep me going ^^;

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own these characters; they belong solely to the lovely and talented Rumiko Takahashi, and I'm sure we're all very glad for that. ^^;


As Kagome was thinking about them, Miroku and Sango were waking up in the little village. Sango awoke first, with Miroku and Shippo snoring not far away, and Kirara snuggled into her side. Looking around, it worried her that the miko was not back yet. She was sure that Inuyasha would have chased her off by now… Standing carefully so as not to wake Kirara, Sango left to go to the bathroom.

As Sango wandered out, Miroku snored so loudly that he woke himself with a jolt and looked around sleepily, as though someone had called his name. He noticed immediately that Sango was gone, and sleepily worried where she was. Kagome too was still gone, but Sango wouldn’t have gone after her, would she? Climbing to his feet, he quietly grabbed his staff and went outside to search for her.

Walking around the village, Miroku didn’t see Sango anywhere. He asked a few people if they’d seen her and one, an old lady, said she had. Following her to the outskirts of the city, she led him to a small shack. Making the suspicious man wait outside, she disappeared for a moment. She came back outside looking particularly excited and holding something behind her back. The old lady motioned for him to come closer, and then held out her surprise. It was a dirty white cat dressed in a torn, dirty baby’s clothes wearing an old turtle shell on its head.

“For yoooooouuuu, 300,000 yen!!” She grinned wildly, showing all six of her yellowing teeth.

When the frightened Miroku finally got away from the crazy cat lady, he decided to just go back to their room and wait. On the way Miroku spotted a group of people talking excitedly. Of the people in the group, the ones doing the talking were a man and a woman. They seemed to be telling a story to another, older man who looked like the village elder. The group was getting progressively bigger as nearby villagers became curious.

Sharing the interest, Miroku wandered closer to see what the clamor was about. Worming his way in until he could see and hear them clearly, the man looked like he was eagerly telling a good story. The woman on the other hand looked serious, as though she were trying to convey information.

“He must have been twenty feet tall, with ten-inch claws and dribbling teeth!” The man exclaimed animatedly. The woman swiftly thwacked him upside the head.

“He was not! He was about six feet high, maybe a little less. He had longish sharp nails, and very very long silver hair. He was wearing fancy armor over top of a red and white kimono. He made quite a presence, and had a couple big swords on his hip. He was definitely a demon.” The woman explained to the elder, genuine concern on her face.

‘Sesshoumaru…?’ Miroku thought, now much more interested.

“What about the girl?” The elder asked, serious.

“Oh, she was like a battered princess. The demon’s slave!” This time he ducked on his own when the woman went to smack him.

“She was about medium height, with long black hair and strange clothes I didn’t recognize. They were all torn, wet, and bloody though she looked uninjured. He asked my daughter for the clothes she was wearing and made the girl change right then and there, against her wishes. When she didn’t want to, he tore her clothes off.” Miroku’s heart stopped. Sesshoumaru had Kagome? And he was tearing her clothes off??

“Oh, and another thing,” the woman started. “When the girl woke up, because she’d been unconscious, she seemed rather confused and disoriented. And the demon when talking to her, he said she’d died, and now she was his.” In the ensuing silence, Miroku retreated like a zombie back to their room. When he got there, Sango was sitting on the floor with Kirara on her lap, talking to Shippo.

“Miroku? What’s wrong?” Asked Sango worriedly.

“You look like you saw a ghost.” Followed Shippo.

“I was just out talking to some of the villagers, and I encountered two people telling a story about a girl and a demon the exact likeness of Kagome and Sesshoumaru.”

“Kagome and…Sesshoumaru? What did they say?” Sango asked, standing.

“According to the woman, the demon was procuring clothes for the girl, whose clothes were torn, wet, and bloody.” Sango’s face turned white as a sheet.

“What does that mean…?” Sango asked quietly.

“It means Sesshoumaru has Kagome, although why, I can't say.” Miroku answered, wincing at the look on Sango’s face.

“We’ve got to go find them then!” Sango exclaimed, grabbing her hiraikotsu and heading for the door.

“Wait, Sango.” Miroku called, and she hesitated and turned. “I think we should go find Inuyasha.”

“Miroku, we can’t waste any time! There’s no telling what that demon will do to Kagome!” The taijiya exploded.

“Sango, calm down. If Sesshoumaru really did take Kagome, then we know at least he won’t kill her. There’s just no way we can get Kagome back. Without Inuyasha, we don’t stand a chance.” Miroku put a reassuring hand on Sango’s shoulder.

“Okay…” She conceded. “Let’s go find Inuyasha.”



In the forest, Sesshoumaru was starting to get very annoyed. You see, he had a very nice rump not three inches away from his face. Thus, all he could think about was how much he wanted to sink his fangs, and perhaps something bigger, into that wonderful behind. The woman attached to the rump, however, was throwing quite a fit, pounding on his lower back and yelling. He considered dropping her, but didn’t want to damage the already crippled female any further.

“Put me down, Sesshoumaru!” Kagome yelled in a tone that was somewhat more pleading than demanding. The blood was rushing to her head, and it was altogether very uncomfortable, for both parties. It certainly amused Sesshoumaru that she’d gotten her feisty spirit back nearly the second he’d thrown her over his shoulder. Still, the yelling was getting rather annoying…

Reaching his hand up, Sesshoumaru gave the rump on his shoulders a firm smack, getting a yelp from the female. Snaking his hand under the edge of her kimono, the taiyoukai lightly traced his fingers up the inside of her thigh. Immediately she gave a soft whimper and her whole body tensed.

“No, please…” Kagome begged, beginning to tremble. Sesshoumaru conceded with a growl and a pinch. They continued on for a ways, Kagome silent with fear, but still exceedingly uncomfortable. Her entire body already ached, but her head was beginning to pound and she felt dizzy as the blood pooled in her head and stayed there. Her abdomen began to cramp, white-hot lances of pain flickering through her muscles over his shoulder. Sesshoumaru could feel the distress in the female rise as she fought to keep her head clear. Finally, in a tiny voice, she spoke.

"Lord Sesshoumaru...please...please put me down..." Her meek, pleading voice was barely a whisper, but his youkai ears caught it. Grunting in reply, he stopped where he was and carefully pulled the crippled female from his shoulder, setting her on the ground. He glared at her coldly, but he could see that she barely noticed; she sat with her head down, eyes closed, breathing heavily. Her face was flushed, her hair tousled, and she held an arm over her midsection. "Thanks..." She breathed, before passing out altogether.

The taiyoukai growled his impatience. He hadn't wanted to expend that much energy, but it was proving to be too much of a hassle to travel otherwise. For a moment Sesshoumaru almost regretted the damage he'd inflicted on the female. Almost. Scooping the miko up and holding her against him, he tried to ignore her scent, and the softness of her body. 'Soon...' He told himself.

The air around them began to shimmer as Sesshoumaru slowly released his energy. Into the air they floated, weightless. Above the treetops they flew, heading towards a line of mountains. Watching the forest below, the taiyoukai saw many demons - to his amusement, a couple of whom even tried to chase them for a short distance, but they were too high, flying too fast for them to catch up.

Kagome stirred against him, letting out a soft moan into the crook of his neck, which actually gave the taiyoukai goosebumps. Looking down, he tensed - the top of her kimono was hanging open, and he could see the soft peaks of her breasts pressed against him. Feeling the stirring in his loins, he closed his eyes, willing them towards their destination.

Originally, Sesshoumaru had thought to take the woman straight to the place where he'd left Rin and Jaken, but he'd since changed his mind. He wanted more time alone with the miko, and as long as Ah-uhn and Jaken were with Rin, she would be safe. He would call to Ah-uhn to bring them when he was ready. The taiyoukai simply didn't want Rin around Kagome before he'd broken her, and an old home of his would be the perfect spot for such a thing.

They touched down lightly on a ledge on the side of the mountain, in front of a small opening in the rock. As high up as it was, no one on the ground could see the opening, and aside from the ledge they were on, everywhere else was a sheer drop, so nothing could climb up. Still holding on to the woman, Sesshoumaru slipped though the entrance into the cave. If it had looked small before, it certainly didn't now. The walls were smooth, and the ceiling arched high overhead. The walls, which were very dark-colored stone, expanded into a huge, lightly furnished room. It wasn't even dusty or dirty. It was the same as he'd left it, a year before.

The floor of the entire room was wooden, the dark red wood of ancient trees that grew nearby. Torches hung on the walls around the room, and an especially large one hung from the ceiling in the middle, to provide the cave-room with plenty of light. To Sesshoumaru's left was a sitting area with a large fireplace set in the stone wall, in which a long thin tunnel funneled the smoke outside. The long, low-backed benches around the fireplace were made of the same dark red wood as the highly-polished floor, and the fabric of the cushions on them were black, trimmed with dark red.

On his right was a small kitchen area, with low tables to prepare food. There was even a deep, metal pit in one of the tables with scorch marks all around it, to cook in. The back half of the room was a step higher than the front half. To the left was a very large bed with four high posts, set against the wall. The wood and blankets were the same make and color as the rest of the furniture in the room, and there were many pillows. This corner of the room was separated from the rest by thick, heavy glass dividing screens, which obscured the view to the other side. To the right was another opening leading elsewhere, and a small stream that trickled down from a crack in one wall flowing in a shallow bed of pebbles across the corner and exiting through a crack in the floor.

Altogether, it was not an unpleasant accommodation. It had once been a place where his father had stayed, for a time. Certainly Sesshoumaru didn't need such comfort. Still, it would suit his purpose just fine. Striding over to the bed, he laid the miko upon it just as she started to stir again. Reaching across her, he grabbed a shackle from it's hook on the wall and clamped it around her wrist. There was only one reason a youkai like himself would need a bed.

Fear clutched Kagome as she opened her eyes. It was dark, pitch black except for a small dot of light way up high. She was lying on something very soft, though she was cold, and she could feel the overwhelming presence of a youkai nearby. Despite what he'd done, it was still a comfort to not be alone in such a strange place. Trying to sit up, the miko paused as she heard the jingle of chains, and felt something heavy around her left wrist. Lifting that arm, she unhappily noted the shackle that chained her to what she assumed was a wall, limiting her movement.

"Sesshoumaru...?" Her tentative voice called out quietly, echoing off of the walls. Her only reply was silence, and the ever stifling darkness that pressed in around her. Cold fear gripped her as the presence slowly crawled towards her on the bed. What if it wasn't Sesshoumaru? She stiffened when a large, strong hand gripped her right arm and pinned it to the bed away from her. The chain rattled in the darkness as she tried to use her arm, to no avail.

The taiyoukai basked in the scent of the woman's fear. He'd forgotten that humans were blind without any light. In the darkness, he let a vicious smirk grace his features. Having already shed his armor and clothes, he crawled the rest of the way over to the female. Her body was tense, but fear kept her from resisting as he parted her legs and settled between them.

With his free hand, Sesshoumaru pulled off the obi that was tied around her waist, throwing it behind him. Kagome shivered underneath him as he pulled open her kimono, exposing her to the cool air. The taiyoukai could see perfectly with the tiny amount of light that entered the room, and he could clearly hear the woman's heart pounding hard and fast beneath him. The scent of fear still saturated the air, and he could hear her breath coming in shallow pants.

Slowly and deliberately, Sesshoumaru ran his claws lightly over her pale flesh, starting at the base of her neck, running between her breasts, over her navel, and stopping between her legs. He could feel her skin erupt in a wave of prickly goosebumps, causing her to shiver again. Her nipples hardened immediately into little pink nubs. He leaned down over her, repositioning his hand so that he wasn't crushing her arm, and grabbed the left nub between his thumb and forefinger.

Kagome gasped at the sudden sensation that was foreign to her. She was completely blind, and she closed her eyes rather than strain them futilely against the dark. The small noises in the room, the ruffle of the covers and the taiyoukai's low panting, were obscured by the sound of her heart pounding in her ears. The miko could feel the overwhelming heat of him between her legs and stretched over her, the pressure of his hand on her arm, and the strange sensations caused by his light twists and pinches on her nipple.

The taiyoukai's sensitive ears caught every tiny moan and heavy breath that escaped the miko's mouth. Moving his hand to the other nipple, Sesshoumaru descended upon the first with his mouth. First he licked it, teasing it with his tongue, and he could feel her chest heave beneath him. Then he placed his lips around it, while continuing his ministrations with his hand, and earned himself the first real moan out of the woman under him. Alternately, he liked, sucked, and bit the tiny nub, receiving all manner of tiny noises from the miko, and then he moved to the other one.

On a whim, Sesshoumaru bit the nipple harder, and a sharp cry pierced the darkness. He lapped up the droplets of blood, and slid his right arm down Kagome's side, gripping onto her hip. He leaned down low over her until they were face to face, inches apart, and watched her anxiously open her eyes, her gaze searching and afraid. She couldn't see him, even as close as they were, and she closed her eyes and turned her head away, grimacing.

Releasing her arm, he brought his left hand to her mouth, resting two fingers against her lips. Her eyes snapped open in confusion, but they closed again as she opened her mouth, letting his fingers in. He pushed them into the warmth, over the slippery appendage that was her tongue and into her throat, careful not to stab her with his claws. Kagome gagged but didn't pull back, tentatively rolling her tongue over his fingers. She ran her tongue under his fingers and sucked, to his growling approval.

Sesshoumaru rolled his fingers in her mouth, making her gag again. This time she did pull back, and he pulled himself upright, his fingers thoroughly coated in saliva. Kagome felt his warmth withdraw, and she wondered briefly what for. She didn't have to wonder long, and he leaned over her again, his right arm holding him up. She felt his left arm against the inside of her thigh, and then felt the burning heat of his cock against her. Gritting her teeth and closing her eyes, she was still so sore that even that small amount of pressure hurt.

His left arm moved to grasp her hip as he very slowly began to rock himself into her. It hurt a lot, but not nearly as much as it had the night before. Kagome absently thought that it must of been because he was so angry, and she mentally promised herself never to make him that angry again. As he slowly rocked deeper into her, she began to relax underneath him. When he'd sunken completely inside of her, he stretched out over her again, propping his left hand on the bed next to her arm.

The taiyoukai paused above her, waiting. Kagome slowly brought her legs up around him, changing the angle of penetration and making herself more comfortable. They waited in silence - only the sound of their panting could be heard. She couldn't even hear her heartbeat anymore, and with the cold hard lump in her chest, she had to wonder if it was still beating. The seconds drained by slowly, and her apprehension increased.

Finally, Sesshoumaru pulled back, very slowly. He stayed like that for a long second or two, before ramming his cock back inside her. Surprised, Kagome let out a cry that echoed off of the walls. He continued his thrusts with no discernible pattern; sometimes slow and deliberate, other times hard and fast. The air was filled with the miko's cries and the heavy scent of sex.

At first, it had hurt more than anything, but after he'd let her get used to him, and with the added lubrication of her saliva, it began to feel good. It was a strange sensation that she'd never felt before, a feeling that raced through her body from her head to the very tips of her toes. Kagome barely noticed the tickle of the taiyoukai's hair on her shoulder, or how her legs were wrapped tightly around his waist.

For Sesshoumaru, it was the look on her face that made him lose himself. Mouth parted as she panted and moaned, cheeks tinged red, and eyes half-lidded in pleasure, Kagome seemed to be enjoying herself. Sitting up and grabbing her hips in both hands, he brought her to him at the same time as he thrust, working faster. The jingle of the chain was incessant now, and she lay with her eyes shut tight and her hands balled into fists, voicing her pleasure ever louder.

Pulling her up and twisting so that she was sitting on his lap and so that her arm wasn't being yanked out of it's socket by the chain, he began to bounce her, pulling her up and pushing her back down again. They were face to face, although hers was lower than his, and she wrapped her arms around his neck to keep herself from falling backwards.

The taiyoukai could feel himself close to the edge, his speed increasing, and suddenly he lurched forward and clamped his teeth down on the soft flesh where Kagome's neck met her shoulder. He bit down hard and she screamed, and he growled as he came inside of her, a wave of pleasure washing over him, blinding him for a few seconds. He rode her down shortly, licking the blood from her shoulder, and carefully laid her back down on the bed where she stayed, eyes closed and chest heaving.

Reaching down over the side of the bed, Sesshoumaru grabbed a soft piece of cloth in his hand. He pulled out of the woman, using the cloth to clean himself off and then setting it on her so she could clean herself. He watched her arm shakily reach down to grab the cloth, amused as she winced when she felt it's dampness. She wiped herself off and threw the cloth over the side of the bed, never opening her eyes. The rise and fall of her chest became steady as Kagome fell asleep beside him.

Leaning back against the wall, the cool stone soothing against his body heat, Sesshoumaru watched the miko for a minute or two. The woman had always been stubborn, and he thought that he'd have to break her, but as it turned out he wouldn't. He was almost disappointed, it would of been fun, but then again there were always more fun things to do. As he watched a silver tear roll down her cheek, he knew his mongrel brother had broken her for him. Perhaps he should break him for her. With that last thought, he closed his eyes and allowed himself to fall into a deep slumber.



Miroku, Sango and Shippo raced through the forest on the back of the taijiya's nekomata Kirara. Swiftly and easily the big cat demon dodged trees, heading east to the village where Inuyasha had sought out the priestess Kikyou. None of them said a word as they traveled in anxious silence, wondering what would await them at the miko's village. Would the hanyou come with them to help them find Kagome?

It didn't take them very long to find the small village, nestled in a clearing in the middle of the forest. Instead of stopping, Kirara continued forward, having caught scent of the inu-hanyou. They moved through the street, passing many bewildered-looking villagers who stared after them. The group stopped a little ways up a hill. At the top of the hill was a small house, and a very big tree. Sitting in the tree was the inu-hanyou, watching a miko intently as she conversed with a group of children nearby.

Sango jumped off of Kirara and Miroku followed, hurrying up the hill towards the big tree. The nekomata decreased in size to it's usual tiny form, and she and Shippo bounded up the hill after the humans. Inuyasha caught sight of them and jumped out of the tree, walking towards them.

"Inuyasha!" Sango called, distress settling on her features.

"What do you guys want? I thought I told you to stay where you were." Inuyasha questioned in annoyance.

"It's Kagome..." Miroku started, and Inuyasha's face turned red and he huffily crossed his arms and turned his back to them.

"Oh, her. What am I, her babysitter? What do I care what that idiot does?" Inuyasha asked angrily, eying Kikyou nervously as she watched them.

"She's gone, we can't find her!!" Shippo exclaimed, waving his arms anxiously. The hanyou scoffed and narrowed his eyes.

"Kagome's a big girl, I'm sure she's fine. She probably just went back to her own time again. Now beat it." He waved them off and turned to walk away.

"Inuyasha, wait! She's been gone for two days, and she normally tells us when she's going home! Also..." Sango started, looking distraught. She glanced back towards Miroku.

"Also what?" Inuyasha stopped and looked back at them over his shoulder.

"A couple of villagers described having an encounter with a demon and a girl the exact likeness of Sesshoumaru and Kagome." Miroku finished for her. The hanyou turned, all pretense forgotten, and stepped towards them.

"Sesshoumaru and Kagome? What would those two be doing together?" Inuyasha asked, alarmed.

"They said that she was there against her will. They said the demon took clothes from them, for the girl, who's clothes were torn, wet, and covered in blood." The monk replied, his expression unreadable. The hanyou swore loudly.

"Inuyasha, please help us find Kagome! What if she's injured? What if he hurts her??" Shippo worked himself into a frenzy, running in circles and waving his arms around, tears running down his little face. The little fox sat down where he was and began to wail. A very annoyed Inuyasha silenced him with a blow to the head.

"Okay, okay, I'll help you find her, now stop crying!" He ordered. The fox looked up at him, sniffling.

"Thank you, Inuyasha. There isn't any time to waste, we have to hurry if we want to find her." The taijiya was obviously relieved, but still anxious. The inu-hanyou looked back over his shoulder to the miko, who stared back at him levelly.

"Wait a second." He told the others, and turned and walked over to her. "Kikyou...I have to go, but I will come back. Will you wait for me?" He asked softly. She was still for a second before nodding, a shadow of a smile on her face. Miroku and Sango exchanged glances. Face glowing, Inuyasha turned back to them.

"Come on, let's get this over with." He said, unable to keep the happiness from his expressions. Exchanging another glance, Miroku, Sango and Shippo climbed back onto Kirara and they sped away.

They traveled back to the other village, no one saying a word. Sango couldn't shake her anger at the hanyou. He was constantly running off on his own to chase that woman, and now what? Were they together? What about Kagome? What right did Inuyasha have to act as if Kagome were nothing but a burden to him, after all she's done for him? It made the taijiya's blood boil just thinking about it.

Once they'd reached the other village, Sango quietly led Inuyasha to the last spot she'd seen Kagome, at the edge of the forest. Immediately the inu-hanyou set his nose to the ground and began to sniff out Kagome's scent. It was easy enough to find, and it led straight into the forest. For a second he faltered - he thought he'd caught a whiff of his half-brother, but he ignored it and followed the young woman's trail along the bank of a river.

"So..." The monk began nonchalantly, unable to overcome his curiosity. "What's this new development between you and Kikyou? I noticed she wasn't trying to kill or run away from you." The hanyou tensed and jerked his head towards the monk, his face scarlet.

"That's none of you concern! She just accepted that we were tricked, that's all!" He exclaimed, a bit harsher than he'd wanted. Sango burst.

"So what about Kagome? Are you just going to forget about her now, after everything??" She questioned hotly. Inuyasha went back to sniffing out her trail, as if to ignore her.

"What about her? I don't need her anymore; Kikyou and I will get revenge on Naraku together. Kagome's her reincarnation, Kikyou could sense the Shikon no Tama long before Kagome was born. Besides, she's just a child." Inuyasha replied defensively. Sango was flabbergasted.

"She's a woman, to whom you owe your life! She's helped you more than you will ever know! She's a being, with thoughts and feelings, who loves you! You, the most stubborn, childish demon of all! And now you're just going to throw her away, like she's trash?!" The taijiya panted, the image of fury.

"Hey, I never asked her to love me! To follow me!" The hanyou didn't turn to face her, keeping his back to her. Miroku, however, could see how troubled he looked.

"No, you followed her, because you needed her to track down the jewel shards! You protected each other, and fought for each other! You even acted as though you were starting to love her! And now you turn your back on her, for some dead woman?! She's not even flesh and blood, just dirt and bones!!" Inuyasha whirled around.

"Shut up! What would you know about it?!" He exclaimed, his face a mix of anger and anxiety. Sango fell silent, though still fuming, and Inuyasha went back to following the trail in silence, his mind buzzing. Miroku watched his rapidly changing expressions with interest. Suddenly the hanyou stopped at the edge of a waterfall and stood, rigid with alarm.

"What is it Inuyasha?" Shippo asked as he drew even with him. The hanyou stood in silence, scanning the ground and water below with his eyes.

"Inuyasha..." Miroku called, apprehension claiming him. Sango stepped forward slowly.

"Her trail...it just ends here." Inuyasha replied, not taking his eyes off of the ground below.

"What does that mean?" Sango's voice was filled with fear. The hanyou didn't reply - instead he jumped down and walked forward a few steps towards the side of the waterfall's pool, and picked something up out of the water. The others jumped onto Kirara so the demon could carry them down to Inuyasha, and they approached him slowly. Wordlessly Inuyasha lifted what he was holding up so that they could see it. It was Kagome's shoe.

Abruptly the hanyou dropped the shoe and turned, sprinting down the riverside, eyes ceaselessly scanning the water and riverbanks for any sign of the miko. Sango, Miroku and Shippo scrambled back on Kirara and raced after him, but he was running so fast that he quickly disappeared from sight. Then he stopped so suddenly that the nekomata had to skid to a halt to avoid passing by Inuyasha altogether, who knelt down next to the river.

Inuyasha was still and his visage was haunted as his fingers touched something on a spot of grass. Slowly he began to tremble. Miroku hesitated - whatever the hanyou had found, it was bad. Sango stepped forward slowly and knelt down beside him, looking at the spot of grass before him that was pushed down, as though someone had lain there. Tiny Kirara pawed at the edge of the imprint carefully and mewed.

"Blood..." Inuyasha answered the silent question darkly. "Kagome's blood...The scent of death...And Sesshoumaru was here." The group sat in silence, putting together the pieces they'd found. Her trail at the edge of a waterfall, her shoe, her blood and Sesshoumaru's scent...

"What happened..?" Sango asked no one in particular, her voice hushed. Inuyasha stood again.

"Her scent is only in this spot, but Sesshoumaru's goes off in that direction..." The hanyou pointed into the forest in front of them.

"He probably carried her." Sango stood, brushing dirt off of her knee. Miroku drew level with them.

"The road's that way. That's probably where he stopped those villagers for the clothes." Sango nodded in assent.

"Come on, let's go." Inuyasha growled, pushing past them into the forest. The others followed in silence.



Kagome groaned and stirred as she awoke, opening her eyes and blinking sleepily. At first panic set in as she fought to remember where she was, and looking around didn't help any because she didn't recognize her surroundings. Realization set in slowly and as her heart calmed, she remembered the events of the past couple days. Everything had happened so fast - it was hard to believe that she died, and that the taiyoukai had brought her back to life and taken her as his slave was almost unthinkable. That first night when he raped her seemed like just an old nightmare, but it still made her shudder.

Turning to look around, the first thing that she noticed was that she could see; Sesshoumaru had lit a series of torches all around the large cave-room that bathed them in flickering light. The second thing she noticed were large dividing screens that blocked the view of the rest of the room, except for the corner right across from her, and the top of the walls and the ceiling, which was arched a good fifteen to twenty feet above her head.

Glancing down, Kagome began to examine the bed beneath her. The blanket she was lying on was made of black and red satin, and the bed was made of very rich, dark red wood. It was a four-post monster, big enough for she, Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku and Shippo to all sleep on comfortably. The miko let herself fall backwards with a sigh, feeling a pang in her heart when she thought of her friends, and of Inuyasha. How long had it been since she'd last seen them? Two days? Three? They were probably worried out of their skulls...

Reaching a hand up to brush away a hair tickling her cheek, Kagome noticed how light her arm felt and saw the light bruise on her wrist from where the shackle had been. Turning her head, she saw the chains and shackles that hung on hooks against the stone wall. Sesshoumaru had taken it off, which meant he was either close by, or he was confident she couldn't escape.

Curiosity got the better of the woman and she pulled herself out of the bed to stand somewhat unsteadily on her feet. She noted with satisfaction that for the most part, the various pains in her body had receeded to a dull ache, of which there were no foreseeable lingering effects. Walking past the bed, she stopped and gaped at what she saw across from her. There was a stream cutting through the corner, coming in one wall and leaving at the next, but it was what the stream was framing that caught her eye.

The corner of the room behind the stream had been cut though a huge crystal formation in the stone, laying the gleaming crystals bare for all to see. The formation extended up towards the ceiling, curving from the corner halfway up so that it touched the arching stone through the middle of the wall, like a gigantic, brilliant scar. The crystals were a multitude of various shades of purple, each one catching the light of the fire and glittering beautifully. As if it were there to accentuate the crystals, the stream reflected their light so that the whole corner of the room danced and shimmered when lit, all the way up to the ceiling, throwing little rainbows across the walls and floor.

Kagome puzzled for a moment over how it was she hadn't noticed the corner immediately upon opening her eyes. Taking a few steps backwards towards the bed, she noted that the further towards the bed she got, the less the crystals danced. Backing onto the bed completely, the crystals stopped dancing altogether, and the corner easily escaped one's attention. Happy with her conclusion, the miko turned her attention to the doorway on her left that led off into darkness.

On the other side of the room in the entranceway stood Sesshoumaru, silently watching the miko explore her surroundings. So far she hadn't even so much as glanced towards the other side of the room where he stood, which meant she was either extremely ignorant of possible danger or she felt that it was safe because he'd brought her there. The taiyoukai watched as she stood in awe of the crystal formation, guessing her thoughts as she backed towards the bed. He was going to remain silent and watch her until she noticed him before he saw her poke her head through the doorway.

"Miko." Sesshoumaru's called shortly, his voice harsh. Kagome jumped, then froze and turned around to face him as he strode across the room towards her. "Watch yourself. Those are stairs. If you have to relieve yourself, you will do it down there. You may take the torch on the wall next to the doorway with you, so you do not fall. Understood?" The woman nodded hastily, her cheeks tinged pink. The taiyoukai growled.

"You will answer me when I question you. Also, I am a lord and you will address me as one, with either Lord Sesshoumaru or Sesshoumaru-sama. Do I make myself clear?" His voice held a tone of finality as he glared at the female. At first Kagome felt her anger rise, and she almost opened her mouth when the taiyoukai's eye's narrowed dangerously, as though he could read her mind.

"Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru." She answered nervously. Satisfied, Sesshoumaru turned, and behind him Kagome cursed herself for being afraid. She'd stood up to the toughest demons, had even fought Naraku, and here she was, afraid of Inuyasha's older half-brother. Then again, all those other times she hadn't been alone, she'd always had her friends and Inuyasha beside her. It was harder to be brave when she was by herself, at the taiyoukai's mercy.

As she watched Sesshoumaru leave the cave-room, Kagome thought about what he'd told her. It was true, she had to pee really bad. Could the inu-youkai sense that somehow? Letting go of the disturbing thought, the miko turned around to face the doorway. Reaching up, the torch easily came out of it's holder and was lighter than she'd expected. Staring into the darkness, she gathered her resolve. She may be scared of the taiyoukai, but she wasn't scared of a dark staircase into the unknown. At least, not when she had to pee so bad.

The worst part about descending the staircase was the steepness of the small-cut stairs, although the closeness of the walls was a close second. The walls were so close that the stairs could only fit one person at a time, and Kagome had to hold the torch way out in front of her to avoid being burned. At least the ceiling was fairly high, having been built by demons for demons; it meant that the heat from the torch could rise over her. She walked slowly to avoid misstepping, and as she got further down she started to feel a breeze coming from below her. The air was moist, carrying the scent of water and mold.

Finally she emerged into a small, damp, roughly carved chamber. Holding the torch up high so she could look around, she noted drops of water falling from a couple spots in the ceiling, and a few tiny dark shapes that scurried out of the light. Ahead of her was an upraised block of stone with a large hole in it that looked as though it had been carried down here. Cautiously walking forward, Kagome peered into the hole, which extended into the stone under her feet and far out of sight.

Beside the stone block, which was obviously a crude toilet, was a small pile of small-cut squares of cloth. Gazing up towards the ceiling, Kagome felt extremely nervous about being underneath so much rock, alone in a dark space. 'Let's just get this over with...' She thought to herself as she spied a holder on the wall and slid her torch into it.

"Okay bugs...Come near me and I'll squish you." Kagome said softly. Instead of echoing like she thought it would, her voice sounded flat. Hiking up her kimono and sitting down on the cold stone with a wince, the woman let go of that which she'd been holding for too long. It was only then that she noticed the tiny breeze blowing gently through the room, and the tiny beams of light all around her. Looking around wildly, Kagome found several tiny holes in the stone that led all the way to the outside.

At first she froze, images of rock crumbling down under weak support flashing through her mind, but then she realized that those holes must of been there for a very long time, and if the rock hadn't given out yet, it probably wouldn't. Reaching down and picking up a square of cloth, Kagome shook the hell out of it to dislodge any bugs and cleaned herself off. It wasn't until she reached for the torch that it clicked; ventilation. Demons have incredibly sensitive noses, so the holes were probably there to keep the air moving and remove any lingering smells.

Anxious to escape the confining corridor, Kagome ran up the stairs as fast as she dared. It turned out to be a bad idea when her foot slipped and she went down, falling hard on her right knee against the edge of a stair, holding tightly to the torch in her left hand. She grabbed her leg and cursed anything and everything she could think of, stars dancing in her eyes. When the initial blinding pain had passed, she proceeded to slowly limp her way up the rest of the stairs, anxiety forgotten.

Sesshoumaru was standing near the doorway when she finally came into the room; no doubt he'd smelled the small trickle of blood from her newly wounded knee. He raised an eyebrow at her coolly, and Kagome turned red with embarrassment and looked away as she limped over to the bed and sat down. To her surprise and displeasure, the taiyoukai chuckled.

"Should I accompany you next time, to ensure that you do not hurt yourself?" He asked, looking somewhat smug as he watched her examine her wound.

"No!" Kagome blurted incredulously, then quickly added, "I mean, no, Lord Sesshoumaru. It won't happen again..." Sesshoumaru merely smirked, stooping low over Kagome's knee and lifting her leg gently, one hand on her calf and the other on her thigh. The wound was not serious, just a scrape.

The taiyoukai's gaze slid over the female, from the patch of exposed skin between her legs, the way her kimono was hanging open slightly, how she was leaning back on her arms and the hesitant blush on her cheeks as she looked at him somewhat stubbornly. The taiyoukai issued a low growl, feeling the familiar stirrings, and gave himself over to them once again.