Sesshomaru woke up slowly. He had a terrible head ache (like the kind after having too much sake- though he'd never admit to being hungover). His eyelids felt very heavy and it was all he could do to open his golden eyes. He shifted his arms, only to find that he was bound with heavy ropes. He seemed to be tied to a pole. It was very hot in here. He had slumped forward and knowing his eyes were shielded by hair, he dared to open them.

He was in a large circular and domed room. He faced U-shaped benches that were filled with chattering demons. They pointed at him excitedly, laughing and jeering. He glanced to his right and saw Kagome also tied. She was still unconscious. They were surrounded by hay and straw and up on some sort of platform.

Sesshomaru tried very hard to remember what happened. The last thing he could recall was waking up to a noise and then nothing. He assumed that because of the drowsy feeling, they had knocked both of them out with some kind of drug. Of course, Sesshomaru withstood a lot of that; he'd obviously woken up sooner than expected.

It was very hot in here and he could smell smoke- there was a fireplace somewhere. The demons in the stands were chattering and he was trying so hard to make sense of what they were saying but for the life of him, he couldn't clear his head enough. Sesshomaru heard Kagome moan and he turned slowly too look at her. His already hazy mind froze for a moment.

Kagome's legs were surrounded by flames. This was their execution! They had set fire to the straw. Kagome woke up slowly, just like he had, as the flames licked her dirty kimono. She tilted her head, intrigued by the flames, and then upon realizing what was happening, let out and ear splitting shriek. The woman struggled against the ropes that held her, crying out in fear and pain. The demons watching only laughed.

Sesshomaru decided now was the time to act and show these haughty cave dwellers not to take lightly of Lord Sesshomaru. He ripped from the so called 'demon-proof' chains. There was a gasp from the audience and then a cheer- they liked this entertainment? Sesshomaru transformed into his true form.

The giant dog ripped through the execution hall, tearing apart everything in his way. The youkia screamed in terror as the dog bounded through the bleachers, snapping at them. He wore a grin of enjoyment as the blood splattered across his white fur. Several of them tried jabbing at him with spears and swords but it compared only to needle pricks. A few of them were poisoned, he noted, but he had immunity to that.

Through the cries of the demons, he heard Kagome's shrill voice over it all. He transformed back for the use of hands and made his way up to the burning wooden stairs to her. She was bawling now, begging for him to get her out. He tore the ropes off of her and swung her over his massive shoulder.

"You are fine," he said trying to calm her, "the burns are not awful."

Sesshomaru was forced to stop, surrounded by soldiers. He set Kagome carefully at his feet and stood up straight, waiting for the soldiers to come at him. The youkia heard his voice called out and turned to the left to see Asami in her dirty kimono. She held both swords in her hands and when he looked at her, she threw them at him. The lord caught them one after another and tucked tenseiga away while drawing out tokijin. Upon drawing it the sword began glowing, it's aura pulsating. Sesshomaru saw a nervous look pass over the soldiers' face. The youkia lord slashed his sword out in front of him. The blue kenatsu lashed out, hitting the men and killing them all.

Sesshomaru hauled Kagome to her feet and started toward Asami who was pointing to an exit. When they were within earshot, Kagome called out: "Asami! Thank you so much!" The princess opened her mouth to answer and then a strange look passed over her face. Kagome furrowed her brow at the princess before gasping in horror. A sharp spear point passed through the girl's rib cage. At the other end of the shaft was Tomoyo.

The two of them rushed forward. "You stupid bitch!" the older princess cried as she gave a particularly hard twist on the spear. Asami cried out, groping at her chest, trying anything to get her psychotic sister to stop.

Sesshomaru's clawed hand sliced across the woman's face. Blood splattered across them. Tomoyo stared blankly at the demon lord, her mouth opening and closing causing the blood to gush harder. Sesshomaru wrinkled his nose in distaste before drawing his nail across her throat. The princess slumped to the floor dead. Kagome winced as she tugged the lance out of the younger girls chest. Asami screamed in pain and feel forward in a dead faint. Sesshomaru grabbed her.

"Hurry, we must leave," he said to Kagome in a worried voice she hadn't heard before.

"NO!"

The queen's shrill shriek echoed across the hall. She came forward and caught her dead daughter up in her arms, screaming out in heart break. Her yellow eyes slowly rolled up to Sesshomaru. Her lips curled back showing her pointed teeth. "You!"

She stood up glaring at the taller lord. Her hand reached out to do Sesshomaru in the same way as he did her daughter. Then in a flurry of dust and flames, a supporting beam came crashing down from the ceiling and crushed the woman.

Without so much as a passing glance, Sesshomaru lead Kagome out of the hall. They ran out the large double doors of the front hall and out into the twilight forest. They stopped, asami still slung over Sesshomaru's shoulder, and stared back at the burning castle. Smoke billowed out of the windows, blue flames licking at the few wooden parts. The screams of the unfortunate demons caught in the burning fortress echoed out across the forest. For the first time, Kagome didn't think the forest was beautiful.