A week later...

Shuten groaned as he was eased up and several firm pillows slid behind his back, this would be the first time he'd be allowed to sit up on his own. He was thankful the odd devices were gone, but with his arms bandaged as they were he could not yet feed himself. One of the healers had been assigned the task of feeding him. Today it was a thin broth that tasted faintly of beef.

"...I hope you like the broth." Sendril said as she came in.

He was now quite used to "Lady Kitsune" coming to sit at his bedside. But only that once did she have the child with her. He inquired of the child daily, and was told he was in the school room with the other children of Sanctuary. It was simply left at that.

The healer rose and offered the bowel to her. She shook her head, it was too intimate a task just yet.

"Continue, I will see to him after he has eaten..."

He closed his eyes as another spoon slid past his lips, He savored the broth on his tongue. He didn't open his eyes and a few moments later soft sounds said he'd fallen into sleep.

"...He's done this twice already...only a few spoonfuls and he drifts off to sleep." the healer said.

Sendril nodded, "Let him rest, he would not sleep so much if his body did not need the energy..."

The healer nodded and moved to lay him back down.

"No, keep him propped up, it will prevent a relapse, the last thing we need is for him to get sick again."

The healer nodded and left Shuten as he was.

Sendril sat on the stool vacated by the healer, sighing as she watched Shuten sleep. He looked no more than a boy when he slept. She knew he'd been still a young man when Argo twisted him. She heard soft steps, she did not move thinking it was Yukito. She suddenly realized the breathing pattern was different, Kayura had said one would come looking. She didn't turn around, though she acknowledged the other person. The person stank of wolf.

"...He's sleeping." She said softly. "And I would not try to disable me..."

She spun and had a stiletto under the man's chin in in an eye blink. He looked down the blade at the masked woman.

"You have uncanny hearing, woman." He hissed.

One of her hands was at the ready as if to cast something.

"I can hear a spider breathing...Anubis." She grinned. "...Do you wish me to tell him that one of his fellows came searching?"

There was a hitch of breath, telling her this man had come to do more that find out if rumors were true.

"...You cant stop me Kitsune witch."

She dug the point a bit deeper, the former Masho of corruption and darkness was about to get a little lesson.

"Oh yes I can..." She said. "You thought enough of him to track a ghost across a whole realm and into a place where your powers are useless." She drew the blade down, leaving a small line of blood in the blade's wake. "Te Oni Masho is dead, only Shuten Koma remains..."

The former masho of corruption growled at her, scraping his Adam's apple against the point of the blade.

"Then I'm seeing a ghost in his form..."

She did not waver, she wasn't going to let him take Shuten from the one place he could heal.

"Is that what you will tell the other two, you found only a ghost?"

She could hear the subtle shift of his armor, he was going to take a swing at her.

"...That will not be enough."

He swung his clawed hand, she dropped her stiletto digging into a joint of the armor where it joined torso and thigh. She began to cast.

"...Tell your fellows that if they come here, they too will become ghosts.."

She cast a light spell as she kicked him away, only to have him vanish into a patch of shadow.

"Have it your way kitsune witch," Anubis' voice rang in a whisper. "I'm not the only one who will come looking..."

She stood there, in a room light as bright as day, the bastard escaped.

"Damn it..." She whispered.

The confrontation had only lasted a few moments and thankfully had not awakened the sleeping ex Masho. She extinguished the light, Anubis was the first of the Masho to come. She knew with all certainty he would not be the last.