4. Punishment

Kagome

I let out a heavy breath as I stared up at the ceiling. The lights were off and the cool light from the moon flooded through the three skylights above my bed, coating me in a silver glow that looked ethereal. In my long white spaghetti strapped nightgown I lay beneath the soft thick covers. I felt like one of the princesses in the fairytales I used to read as a child. I was just waiting for my Prince Charming to come and wake me with his Lover's Kiss.

Kiss.

My right hand came up and my three middle fingers rested lightly on my bottom lip. I could still feel the smooth and soft texture of his lips against mine, the hot strong hold of his hands, the warm, wet and slippery tongue against mine. Pleasant shivers crept up my spine as my bodied recalled the sensations from earlier. That was my first proper kiss from a boy, and I was surprised by how much I liked it.

Bankotsu surprised me. I would have never thought he was capable of being so gentle. Not that I had any reason to think otherwise… He just comes across as a brute, but his touch had been so gentle. I recalled the harsh look in his eyes that suggested that he wanted to be anything but that.

Then I thought of Inuyasha. Those honey golden eyes, staring at me the way Bankotsu had. Another shiver went up my spine. This one was more intense and I felt heat gathering at my core, and my bud started to pulse.

Oh, Inuyasha. The thought of him alone made my heart hammer in my chest. Watching him get beaten up so badly earlier today had nearly broken my heart. I wanted to go down and help him, but I knew better. Even covered in blood and grime from the day he was still amazing to me. During the entire fight it was hard to keep my eyes off his muscles. Though they weren't the biggest – especially in comparison to Kouga's – they were still nice.

I dropped my hand by my side and began to suck subconsciously at my lips, pressing them together hard, trying to mimic the feeling from earlier but failing horribly. A thoughtful sigh was all that escaped my lips.

I shifted to my side and made another attempt at falling asleep. This time I was interrupted by a firm knock on my bedroom door. With an irritated sigh I pulled the covers back and rolled out of bed. I was not sure, but I was confident it was Souta. Unlike me he had not adjusted to life in grandpa's house very well. He said the house was too big and scared him at night, so he would come and sleep with me.

I opened the door and smiled warmly for my brother… At least I would have. I nearly balked when I realized it was not Souta but Bankotsu outside my door. My hand fell from the door knob and I felt my heart stutter in my chest before hammering rapidly.

What was he doing here? Did he come back to finish what we had started earlier? The thought of that made me feel strange in a way I never have before. I studied the intense look in his cobalt eyes and bit my bottom lip anxiously. Unable to keep eye contact I looked down at his thick soled, mud covered boots.

Then I took in the rest of him. Mud was caked onto the kneed and legs of his fatigues. Bloody rips were all along the sleeves of his form fitting black shirt, and the collar was ripped as well, exposing a part of his upper chest. When my eyes came back to his face, I saw residue under his nose that looked like dried blood and a vicious scratch bellow his left eye that was enflamed and swollen. It looked painful.

"Are you okay?" I had reached out to touch the injury but he easily side stepped me, looking stony. I immediately felt embarrassed and dropped my hand, lowering my head and offering a soft apology.

If he heard me he did not show it. "I need to talk to you." His voice was low and surprisingly soft.

I suddenly felt very aware of myself and wrapped my arms around myself. "What about?"

"Your gladiator ran away again." That was not what I was expecting him to say. Still I stood there in complete shock. Not able to form a response. "Luckily me and my men were able to track him and bring him back. He is at the ludus now." I nodded slowly, digesting this new information. "Do have your permission to implement the proper penance?"

I looked into his eyes for a long time. He was angry. I could tell, with me or Inuyasha I was not sure, but I was fairly confident it was with my gladiator. I had a flashback to when I saw Inuyasha hanging on the cross the first time. It pained me to even think about putting him through that again. Why did he run away? I thought we had an agreement?

"I want to see him." I told Bankotsu.

"He did not speak for a moment. He only stared at me. With a thoughtful sigh he nodded. "Fine. Hurry along though."

I went to my closet and slid on a pair of sandals and then a warm robe over my thin night gown. I followed Bankotsu out back where the golf cart waited. On the ride to the ludus I felt myself getting angrier and angrier. What had he been thinking?! Why would he run away? I told everyone to stop treating him so harshly, I made sure that he ate and had a place to lay his head. Why would he betray me like this?

When we got to the ludus I was boiling with rage. They only indication to my mood was the frown on my lips and the slight dip of my eyebrows. Instead of the house I was taken around back to the training grounds. As I walked through the gate between the tall cement walls I was immediately welcomed by the soft light coming from a few torches lit around the walls. It was like I had stepped into another world. In a way I did.

Inuyasha was kneeling on the ground with a heavy chain attached to a heavy steel collar around his neck – over the one he already had. His hands were bound in steel shackles as well as his feet and the same thick heavy chain connected all of them. The end was held by a large red headed man who stood a few feet behind him. On his right side a tall slender man stood. He had beady brown eyes with red markings beneath them and a bald head. To his left a man stood as well. He was the same height as the other man, but his head was covered in thick long black hair. The closer I got I realized that the man was wearing eyeliner and shadow.

I did not focus too much of my attention on this though because my eyes went back to Inuyasha. His head was down but I saw blood matted in his silver hair. Upon my approach he lifted his head and I saw his face. Hard lumps had formed and both eyes were swollen nearly shut. His nose looked broken and his bottom lip was split.

All my anger at once dissipated. My chest ached for him and I wanted nothing more than to run to him and wrap my arms around his shoulders. I wanted him to feel safe and protected with me. I wanted him to be calm and never hurt again. Then I remembered why it had happened in the first place. He ran away. Again!

"You should not have done what you did," I heard myself whisper. I took a deep breath and steeled my nerves. I had to be strong, at least for right now. I could not show any emotion. That would raise suspicion, especially with Bankotsu. "I suppose I will have to punish you now."

I could not make out his expression; his face had been too badly beaten. He did not make a sound though. Only his labored breathing through his nose and mouth was any indication that he was even alive at all. I felt Bankotsu slip something into my hand. When I looked down, I saw that it was a handle to a long black leather whip.

I looked over at the man who stood very close beside me. I had not noticed before. I looked down at the whip, and then at Inuyasha, and then the whip again. He wanted me to beat him. I knew that punishment was the only way to deal with this situation but… Could I ever beat Inuyasha? I was not a violent person. I had never fought anyone before. Even when I was younger I never lashed out at anyone. Besides, Inuyasha looked like he had already been beaten enough. I could not possibly bring myself to it.

I bit my bottom lip worriedly and stared at the hanyo who was the source of a lot of personal emotional conflict lately. I hated this. All these feelings that I was having for him. I knew they were wrong and it confused me. He needed to be punished but I could not bear to hurt him. Nor could I stomach anyone else hurting him for me. No. I he would not be beaten again. Not tonight. I dropped the whip to the ground, shocking everyone.

Slowly I moved forward. "Kagome," I heard Bankotsu say in a warning voice behind me. I briefly paused but kept going until I stood only a foot away from Inuyasha. Now I could see his golden eyes looking up at me.

"I'm not going to beat you," I said in a low but firm voice.

"Madame," the gentleman who wore the makeup spoke. "I mean no disrespect but he must be punished. Once the other slaves catch wind of this many more will try to run free."

"Have they tried in the past?"

"No, but that's because brutal punishment has always been executed. I understand that you wish to display gentler ways but these are demons. They have to be shown that they are subservient to us."

I let his words sink in. "What is your name?" I asked.

"Jakotsu."

I nodded. "Thank you, Jakotsu. I understand fully what you are saying but I do not think beating him will work. Think about it. He's run away several times before. Each time you catch him and beat him. Then he runs away again, you catch him, you beat him. Then he runs away again… Apparently beating him into submission won't work." I crossed my arms over my chest and looked down at Inuyasha, recalling his half-breed heritage. "He has too much heart," I added.

Human heart.

"What do you suggest then?" Jakotsu asked, genuinely curious.

I paused. I had not thought that far yet, but I was relieved that they were throwing away the idea of harming him further. Just then gust of wind blew in our direction, and my nose was greeted with the foulest of stenches I nearly gagged. I searched the perimeter for the source and my eyes landed on a small circular wooden fenced area not too far away.

I pointed at it. "What's that?"

All three men turned to look. The large red headed on turned back to me and spoke. "That's the shit pit." He stated plainly.

"Genkotsu, don't swear in front of the lady?" The bald one reprimanded.

"What's a 'shit pit'?" I asked innocently.

All three looked at me with vacant expressions. Jakotsu started giggling – very girlishly. The bald man merely looked at me. Genkotsu was the one who answered.

"It is where the slaves dump their… waste."

I nodded slowly in understanding. I smiled as I did a mental pat on the back. I figured it out. I knew how I would punish Inuyasha effectively without nearly killing him in the process. Even though the idea was disgusting I knew it was the best thing I could come up with. Besides, he needed to be taught a lesson.

"I think I know what we can do."

The bald one had a smile that matched my own while the other two looked lost. He crossed his arms over his chest. "I have to admit Madame that is very, very creative. Probably the best idea anyone has ever thought of."

"What?" Bankotsu demanded coming forward.

"You're going to love thins one Bank. She wants to put him in the shit pit."

Bankotsu thought about this and turned to face me with a devilish smirk. And Gods help me but, it melted my insides. I quickly looked away, back to the bald one. "I never caught your name."

"Renkotsu. I am second in command."

I nodded. "Very good. Renkotsu, if you would be so kind as to put my slave into the… 'Shit pit'. He is to remain there for the next twenty four hours. He is to have no food or water."

I cast another glance down at Inuyasha. "We'll see if that will teach him."

With that I spun on my heel and began walking away. I overheard Jakotsu's voice, "I like her."

I let out a deep breath and kept my head held high. I did a great job at not showing it, but I felt guilty. I did not want to put Inuyasha in the 'shit pit' but I had no other choice really. He needed to be punished and I did not want him to be beaten.

When we got back to the golf cart I asked Bankotsu if my grandfather knew about Inuyasha's escape. He assured me that he didn't. The rest of the ride was silent. By the time I got back to my room sleep easily came for me. Right before I slipped into unconsciousness I could hear howling in the distance not too far away. I remember wondering if that was Inuyasha. I wondered if he would hate me for what had done.

Inuyasha

I closed my eyes and focused all of my energy on breathing short filling breaths through my mouth. The stench was foul. My sensitive nose was near bleeding after the first three hours. It was midday now and the sun was boiling the sludge around me. It was getting inside my skin. I knew I would stink for days. As an added bonus they had stripped me naked –Jakotsu's idea of course – before depositing me into my shit bath.

I was irate. This was beyond humiliating. I would have rather had her beat me. I could take a beating, but this… This was the worst torture I have ever endured. It did not help that every once in a while someone would come and dump more of their filth into the pit. Some sort of sick game had formed to see if they could get it on my head. Though I was quick enough to dodge, it always left me feeling even more disgusted when I had to move. I could feel it sliding along my naked body.

I audibly gagged but held down my bile. The last thing I wanted to do was vomit all over myself while standing waist deep in a pool of shit.

"He he. You never learn do you, Pup?"

I gritted my teeth as I looked up and saw Kouga standing on the rim of the pit with his arms crossed over his bare chest, staring down at me with an amused grin. I could not smell him over the stench o I did not know he had approached. I really hated him. I wish he would just die. Or better yet, I wish he would just fall in. Headfirst.

"Fuck. Off." I growled at him.

He let out another chuckle. "Calm down, Inuyasha. I only came to talk."

Talk?

"Well I don't want to talk to you. Now go away."

This was so humiliating. I hated that little bitch. Once I get out of here I am going to rip her little head off. They'd have to kill me then.

The image of her from last night popped into my head. Though my vision had been distorted then I could still make out her face. When she looked at me she looked so… sad. Disappointed even. Like I had done something to betray her.

I guess I had – but that still gave her no right to do this to me. I get it she wanted to save my life but I don't want saving. Not from anyone.

"I wish it was that easy, Pup." I heard Kouga say before taking a seat cross legged on the ground. Was he really about to talk to me?

"Stop calling me pup," I growled out.

"Fine. Whatever you want, Mutt."

I growled again and he only cracked a smile. "If talking means antagonizing me then I'm afraid I don't feel like doing that either."

"Calm down. I was only teasing you. I seriously need to talk to you." His voice lowered and his gaze was steady.

I waited for him to continue with a narrowed gaze and bared fangs. "Well?"

"The preseason tournament is tomorrow. Are you prepared?"

What kind of fucking question is that? "As I'll ever be."

"Inuyasha," he began. His voice lowered even more, becoming sterner. "You have to win a game tomorrow. You have to. Otherwise, your time here will be up."

"Feh. Fine by me. I'm sick of this place anyway. I don't care if they kill me."

"Death will not be your punishment. If you do not succeed they will send you to the mines."

My ears perked up at that and my expression flattened a little. The gold mines were the worst place a yokai could go. Working nonstop with little rest and no food or water for days at a time while constantly being beaten and whipped by the over seers. The weather went from blistering heat in the day and freezing cold at night. That's where lesser demons and often runaway slaves were sent to serve out a sentence they often never completed. Most died under the harsh conditions.

The idea of being seen there did scare me a bit, but I would never show it. Kouga went on talking.

"Listen, the young mistress has given you a blessing by backing you. If she hadn't you might be on your way there now for your performance last night. You should show some appreciation."

I snorted. "Right. You would say that. Like I said before, I am not going to bear my stomach to these humans. If that's what you want to do then go for it. Me… I'll keep my pride."

Kouga leaned forward and snapped, "Is that what you think this is about?! Pride? You are more stupid than I gave you credit for." His entire demeanor changed. He was fuming. "This is about survival. Where I come from you are taught to do whatever you can to keep yourself and your pack alive. Even if that means sacrificing the things you hold dear, like your pride.

"I'll tell you a story, Pup. You can choose to listen and learn, or you can continue to be a dump, arrogant prick… When I was captured the slavers came and killed my pack. My father, mother, and siblings they were all dead. When I came here I had given up on life. Then I met Ginta and Hakkaku. They were wolves, like me. They were lone survivors, like me. We trained together, ate together, slept in the same bunker, and we watched each other's back. When I started winning, I noticed that I was being treated better, and so were Ginta and Hakkaku. Then I met Ayame… And she changed everything. I realized that I had my own pack now… And they were relying on me."

I had no idea where this was going. Honestly I think the damn wolf just liked the sound of his own voice. I had no idea what the fuck he was talking about. What did any of this have to do with me standing in a pile of shit?

"The point I am getting to, Mutt," as if he read my mind, "is that I do what I do because I have people depending on me. If I mess up, they all suffer. I have something to fight for. Do you have something to fight for?"

A long pause passed between us. I thought about it for a moment, but then I realized I could come up with nothing. I could not think of anything worth fighting for. Not even my own damn life. Not anymore. I remembered my visions of Kikyo, but that's just what they were visions, allusions, most likely brought on from dehydration and a lack of sleep.

"How about I give you something to fight for then, Mutt?" I looked back up at Kouga with raised brows. "For every victory you get a portion of the winnings. It's not much, but it's something. The more you win the more gold you make. The more titles you bring in, the higher they will pay you. You could buy your freedom, Inuyasha. Just because you abide by their rules does not mean you have to submit to them. It means that you are using your head."

I took his words into consideration but many doubts flew to mind. Was he just telling me this to get me to behave for the humans? Why else would he be talking to me? The Wolf and I weren't friends, or acquaintances. Hell, we weren't even enemies. They weren't anything to each other. So why all of this? And why now?

"If it's that easy why are you still here? You could have bought your freedom long ago."

Kouga nodded. "True. I could have gone free long ago. But it's not just my freedom I have to buy. I have a pack that is relying on me, remember?" There was a short pause. Kouga quickly got to his feet. "That's all I had to say. I'll leave you alone now… I know you want to enjoy your bath." He cracked a smile and began laughing.

I growled and he only laughed harder as he walked away.

I fucking hated him.

For the rest of my day I was stuck thinking about Kouga and his story. Even though I hated to admit it, even internally, I could relate to the wolf. My family had been killed as well. I was a lone survivor, as well. But unlike Kouga, there was no one for me to share camaraderie with. No one wanted to even be seen talking to a hanyo, especially here.

So why did Kouga spend so much time talking to me today? I was sure that the humans put him up to it, but there was something about how he spoke to me. He was not condescending or mocking. He seemed genuine. He seemed like he really wanted to help me.

If you do not succeed they will send you to the mines. Those words haunted me. It was not so much I was afraid to go. It was just… the fear of the unknown.

It was several hours later when I was finally pulled from the shit pit. The sun had set long ago and the boiling gooey mess around me began to cool and eventually chilled. Kyokotsu, the largest of Bankotsu's drones, and by far the most stupid was the one who pulled me from the filth. They took me to the shower house where was allowed to bathe. I washed my hair six times and used my claws to scrub the soap into my skin as hard as possible without injuring myself. Still, it was like the smell was glued to me. I was not too surprised, my ass had been literally marinating in shit for the past twenty four hours, I did not expect to smell like a bed of daisies afterwards.

After my shower I was dressed in my training clothes. Heavy weights had been placed on my sword arm and on both my legs. I was then lead to the training grounds. There I saw her. The bitch. For once she did not wear a nightgown. Instead she wore a fitted long sleeved black shirt, and a pair of jeans. Her hair had been pulled back into a ponytail leaving her face open for perusal.

She smirked at me. A mirror image to the one Kikyo used to give me. I blinked hard, trying to get rid of those thoughts before they even had time to form. Before I knew it I was standing before her. On her left Ayame stood calmly with her hands clasped in front of her and her head bent down. To her right was Bankotsu. He was glaring hard at me. I know his palms were itching for a good beating. He looked like he wanted to throttle me, but he couldn't. Not anymore.

Behind him Jakotsu and Renkotsu stood patiently. Renkotsu was dead faced as usual but his eyes were focused on me. Jakotsu watched me as well. Only his gaze was a lot more heated. There was a hunger in his eyes that often left me feeling unsettled. When he saw me looking at him a slow – almost perverted – smile crept across his face making my hairs stand on end. Dipping my head slightly to hide the faint blush that may have appeared I quickly looked back at Kagome.

Yes. She was much more pleasant to look at. Her head was slightly tilted as she stared at me with a soft gaze. Her arms were crossed under her chest.

"What did we learn?" She asked.

It was a very simple question, and she was looking for the right answer. There was a part of me, the biggest part of me that wanted to tell her to go to hell and to take Bankotsu, his men, and the rest of the human race with her. Then there was another part of me. A small part that I had not heard from – that was more or less silent throughout these few years.

This part told me not to say that. This part reminded me of Kouga's words this morning. All of them. I could but my freedom. If I win and serve her right I could buy my freedom and move on. Maybe even find the men who killed Kikyo and kill them.

"I should not have run away," I heard myself say. "It was an impulsive decision and I should have used better judgment. I will never embarrass you in such a way again, Mistress."

There was dead silence. Jakotsu, Renkotsu, and Kyokotsu had gone completely slack jawed. Bankotsu was all red in the face, and looked like he was choking on something. Ayame's head had snapped up and her wide emerald stare was filled with shock. Kagome was the only one who did not have such a reaction. She only smiled at me.

It was sweet and gentle. Like the one a mother would give her child if they said something endearing. It made my chest clench, but not unpleasantly. We stared at each other for another moment longer, and that's when I felt it. A spark. It was so small but I felt it spring to life in my lower abdomen and nether regions. I had never reacted in such a way in very long.

"I am glad to hear that, Inuyasha," she said. "Since you missed an entire day of practice on the day before the preseason tournament you will train now. Luckily, someone was polite enough to agree to train with you."

That's when I smelled him. As if he magically appeared from the shadows, Kouga stepped into my left side peripheral eye view. I turned and could not hide the grimace on my face. He smiled a toothy grin at me and sauntered up in his cocky way.

"Hey, Mutt!"

I let out a low displeased growl, but no one took notice.

"Inuyasha you should be grateful," I heard Kagome say in a chastising tone. "Kouga actually volunteered to help you."

"Yeah, Pup. Show some appreciation."

I let out another growl. "Don't call me pup."

"All right!" Kagome said clapping her hands together. "Why don't you get started? I'll be up in the balcony watching." When she said that she looked at me with a strange look. It was as if she was trying to assure me of something. What, I am not sure.

Kagome, Ayame, and Bankotsu all went inside the house and appeared on the balcony moments later. The others stayed behind, but most likely to keep an eye on things. When Kouga and I got into formation with swords we stared at each other.

"I see you took my advice, Mutt." Kouga stated conversationally.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said curtly.

Kouga smiled. "All right, I'll let it go… for now." He chuckled. Cocky Wolf. I hated him. "Hey, Inuyasha." He called.

"What?" I grumbled.

"You smell like shit!"

"Begin," I heard one of the males call out.

With very little speed – slowed by the weights – I met Kouga's blade with my own as he lunged at me. He easily disarmed me and round housed me in the jaw. I hit the ground with a hard thud. I could hear Kouga's snarky laughter and sat up to glare at him.

"Don't tell me you're tired already, Pup."

I growled and lunged at him. He easily sidestepped me, and I stumbled, falling face first into the dirt.

Yes. This was going to be a long night.

A/N: Mmmkay, so here is another chapter. I am curious. What do you guys think of all of the characters relationships? So far I am enjoying all of Inuyasha and Kouga's scenes together, but are there certain characters you want to hear more from?

This next chapter will focus on the tournament so we won't get much of Kagome's perspective. There will be a lot of Inuyasha (obviously), some Kouga, we might hear from Shippo and I am thinking about throwing a little Sesshy in their too. Let me know what you think.

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