Kagome raced through the underbrush, her legs and arms being cut by thorns and brittle bush limbs. She had to escape while she had the chance, she knew. But without shoes on, her feet were sore and wanted her to stop moving at rest for a bit, but Kagome refused to give in. they were after her, and if she didn't get away, they would surly kill her, right? Most certainly! That had been what they were discussing before she had escaped from their fort, and now she had to escape this forest and their tracking grounds!

Spotting the clearing up ahead, she swiftly made her way towards it, but suddenly, her foot caught on a tree root. With a loud yelp, she fell to the ground, crashing into a bed of thorns and leaves, and more roots. Moaning, she felt the needle sharp thorns in her arms, hands, and face, but she still, somehow, managed to stand.

Off in the distance, she heard the loud baying of hounds and wolves. They were tracking her, and they were gaining on her! Their masters, she guessed, would be right behind them. Shaking her head, Kagome quickly exaimed her arms and hands. There was no way how she could tell if her face was all right, but her hands weren't stuck full of thorns, but they were bloody. Gasping for breath as she stood, Kagome took off again, a throbbing pain in her foot where she had tripped.

As the moonlight shown down on her shadowed face, Kagome could now hear the crashing of the underbrush as the dogs caught up with her. They were a mere twelve yards away! Kagome was almost to the clearing, tough. Almost there…a few more feet…and…

"Ah!" Kagome screamed as she felt claws tear into her back as she was shoved to the ground by one of the dogs or wolves.

Kagome struggled to fight the dog off of her, but it was futile. The dog was very heavy and powerful. Whenever she moved, she felt teeth on the back of her neck, signaling for her to stay still. "Did we get her?" came a voice from behind Kagome. Since she couldn't turn around, she couldn't see who it was, but she could tell by his voice. It was Chi, the Hunter.

"Yeah, Fang has her." One of the others said.

Kagome heard one of them come towards her and then she saw out of the corner of her eye, the Hunter crouch down and look her in the eye. He wore a red had and camouflage clothes. He also had black boots and a shaved face, but his eyes were narrowed with unseen anger. "Hello, Little Missy. Did you think you could escape us?" he asked, his breath was foul smelling.

Kagome just scowled at him. "I thought so. In that case, your death will be more painful than you could imagine!" the man threatened. Kagome didn't know him, but she guessed he was the one everyone called Vain.

Vain withdrew a knife, its blade glinting in the moonlight. Kagome shuddered, but she was helpless. He shoved the knife in Kagome's face and grinned, "You see this blade?' he taunted. "This is what is going to kill you!"

"Don't frighten her too much, Vain." Chi laughed. "You'll get the wolves and dogs excited."

"Right." Vain agreed, grasping Kagome by the arm and shoving Fang off. He yanked her to her feet. Kagome reluctantly went with them, Vain dragging her most of the way back to the fort.

"Wait till he gets here and finds out what you're doing!" Kagome fumed as she was forced into the fort, the gates locking behind them.

"Oh? And who's he?" Vain asked tauntingly.

"You know damn well who he is!" Kagome snapped.

"Do I? I'm sorry I forget, what was his name again?'

"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed.

"Inuyasha is dead, remember?" Vain grinned as Kagome flinched and tried to break away.

"No he's not!" Kagome snarled, but deep down, she really believed that Inuyasha was dead. The Hunters had killed him. They had stabbed him through the chest with their swords and never withdrew them, allowing Inuyasha's wounds to heal, and he had been so weak that he couldn't have pulled the sword out.

"Vain, we are to take her to the boss, see what he wants done with her." Chi instructed.

"I'm not going to your boss!" Kagome fumed.

"You're going whether you like it or not!" Vain growled.

"No I'm not!" she argued, yanking away from Vain.

Vain quickly lunged for Kagome, knocking to the ground. He also withdrew his knife, and carefully cut it across the top of her hand. It bled and it hurt. Kagome tried to yank away, but the blade only dug deeper. She bit her lip, trying to suppress a scream. Vain took the knife away, casing it in his side and then pulling Kagome up, blood dripping from her hand.

"You-" Kagome didn't finish because she was dragged through a dark chamber, and unable to see. All the demons could, of course, but she couldn't. Kagome was the only human in this place, and because she had hung around Inuyasha, she had been placed here for her death. Vain held a hand over her mouth, shushing her and also dragging her through darkness. To Kagome, it seemed as if Vain was trying to make her hit everything in sight. Kagome was slung into rocks and walls, making her wounds that were on her already, sting even worse.

When finally, Kagome spotted a thread of light, she was actually glad. But the happiness faded and turned to deep anger and pain. Vain dragged her right through the light and in front of their 'boss'. "Kagome." Breathed the dog demon. "You are caught hanging out with my damn brother, there is a price for that. You have two choices, and only two!" Sesshomaru snarled. "And usually I'd kill you, but I have a better idea."

"Okay, what are my choices?" Kagome asked, her voice barley audible, but Sesshomaru heard it clear as day.

"1. You can join that worthless half-breed in hell. 2. You can have this injected into you." Sesshomaru held up a syringe full of a thick silver liquid.

"What is that?" Kagome spat suspiciously.

"That is what we want to find out." Sesshomaru said, and for the first time ever since Kagome had met him, the evil dog demon grinned.

"Then I choose death!" Kagome shouted.

"And I choose to give you this. Hold her still Vain." Sesshomaru ordered, jumping down from his throne and walking swiftly towards her, the syringe in his hand.

"No!" Kagome screamed, but before she knew what was happening, Sesshomaru plunged the needle into her throat, and emptying the silver liquid into Kagome's body.

Kagome felt dizzy as the silver liquid entered her blood stream. She no longer felt any pain from the wounds on her, not even where Vain had cut her. Her vision grew blurry and her heart began to beat faster. She felt strange. Very strange. Whatever had been in that syringe, was either poison or something that made a human really sick. Slapping Vain away, Kagome wearily rose her hand to her forehead and found that she was burning up. Staggering away, Kagome groaned and then fell to the floor, unconscious.

Sesshomaru looked down at Kagome with a bitter look. "Too bad it didn't kill her!" he spat and then looked at Vain, "Throw her back into the dungeons!" he ordered.

"Yes my lord." Vain said, dipping his head and then swiftly lifted Kagome up and took her to the dungeons where she had been before she had escaped.