Inuyasha's POV:

'Ugh kuso…my head.' It takes him a long time of trying to pry his eyes open. When he finally manages to, it does not make much of a difference. He is in complete darkness. He tries to make a move, but he quickly realizes his wrists are bound behind his back and his ankles are tied together. 'What the hell?' He rolls onto his side, but instantly freezes as his head throbs in retaliation to the sudden movement. "Ugh!" It is so cold he can see his breath in the air. 'I must still be high up in the mountains, but what the hell happened?' He cannot pick up the scent of anything and trying to remember only makes his headache worse. Still, he does his best to push through the painful haze. 'I know we took care of the attacks…and…that Khuzaimah…he wanted me to stay to eat and…we were eating—no! I was the only one eating. Then I started feeling sick…shit. "Did that bastard poison me?"

As soon as the question leaves his mouth, he hears the scrape of rock sliding against rock. He looks to it and sees a massive boulder being shifted from the mouth of the cave. A looming dark figure stands at the entrance before stepping out of the moonlight. 'Khuzaimah!' "Who do you think you are calling a bastard? Rather hypocritical of you, hanyou."

"Khuzaimah!" A low growl reverberates off the walls as the dragon lord pads closers. His red eyes glow in the pitch darkness as he takes in the daihanyou's vulnerable position. An action that causes him to bear his fangs in a warning snarl, "What the hell do yah' think you're doing teme?!"

Instead of providing an answer, he stalks around him in a slow deliberate circle. Those unnatural eyes scrutinize every inch of his being much like an apex predator sizing up his prey. Inuyasha's golden glare stays lasered focused on him as his inner youkai rages at such threatening actions. He knows he must stay level-headed. He is not in the most advantageous position right now. 'Best thing now is to get this guy talking.' He opens his mouth to fire off more questions but closes it when the long-haired male stops pacing to look down his nose at him. "Yes, a fine specimen all things considered."

"What?"

"Still leaves much to be desired. It is too bad about the human blood."

"Wh—"

"But as unparalleled as I am, it has been some time since I have had a decent challenge. Could it truly be? Am I excited?"

"Hey! You're really starting to piss me off with your nonsense rambling! Tell me what's going on! And untie me NOW!"

"…" The mocking smile instantly drops from his scaly face, leaving an expression so uncannily cold and empty the chilliness around them pales in comparison.

"Are you fucking deaf?!"

"Hrm, yes, that mouth is going to be a real source of pain and agony for you."

"Tch! Let me go and we will see exactly who's gonna' be in agony!"

"Heh." Inuyasha cannot make up his mind to which is worse; the disturbing smile or the stoic superiority. Either way, his wrist is itching to draw tessaiga which he immediately noticed is no longer attached to his hip. The bindings around his hands and feet must be cursed or enchanted in some way because he has been clawing at them since he regained consciousness to no avail. "On second thought, there is something to be said about training someone so low-bred and uncultured. I suppose it makes it more fun to break their will."

"Feh. You ain't the first to try."

"No." For a split second, his eyes glow luminescent. He stares deep into his golden eyes as if trying to invade the recesses of his soul. Inuyasha can, once again, feel his inner youkai riling up in outrage. "But I shall be the last." Whatever retort he was getting ready to spit back literally catches in his throat when Khuzaimah quickly reaches down and grabs him around the neck.

"Ngh! Let…Go…!" With his hands constrained behind his back and ankles tied together, all he can do is thrash against the ground as his windpipe is crushed. Attempting to strain his neck away only prompts him to sink his claws into his tan skin, drawing blood that flows down to stain his haori. The pain is not unbearable, but the lack of oxygen is making him twist and turn more frantically in an attempt to break free. Khuzaimah applies even more pressure behind his death grip and it truly feels as though his windpipe is going to cave in. Inuyasha can see the way he is grinning at him, his eyes narrowed in psychotic glee, but his vision goes fuzzy as his eyes roll back. The lack of oxygen reaching his brain saps all the energy from him and his body goes slack. Only then, does the dragon release his hold around his neck. His breath comes out in desperate pants as the colorful dots slowly fade from his sight.

"Now," Somehow the serpentine timbre to his voice manages to breakthrough the ringing in his ears. "Rules of etiquette demands that a lowly creature should not speak in the presence of a great lord, unless dictated otherwise. I think you should bear this in mind less I rip your insolent tongue from your very throat. Do we understand each other?" They both know he cannot respond at the moment so, he takes his wild gasping as confirmation even though he is aware the hanyou would likely curse him if he could. "Good. That being said, there are a few things I am willing to tell you. Gracious of me, I know. Those bindings are not normal. They will slowly drain your demonic energy over time until you are so weak you are on the brink of death. If left on at that point, it will continue to sap away at your strength until you are no more."

'I knew it. There is some kind of curse or something on these ropes…'

"Do not fret. I will remove them before your demise. I do like my playthings to have a little fire in them." Khuzaimah straightens up and starts walking slow circles around him again. "Although," He continues, talking more to himself now. "They have never been used on a mere hanyou…hm, you could die before we have the opportunity to have any real fun…No matter, you are the wretched offspring of the great Inutaisho." There is nothing but facetious scorn in his tone and he hisses at the mention of the late Lord of the West. "If you cannot survive something like this then you are not worthy of my recognition in the first place."

"I don't know what game yer' playing at," Inuyasha spits back, finally finding his voice again. "But, yer' going to regret it."

If he heard him at all, he shows no indication and slowly moves back to the entrance of the cavern. "I suppose we shall see in a few days. Do try and hang in there half-breed. I am looking forward to playing with you." And with that cryptic message hanging in the air he steps out and pushes the boulder back in place, thrusting him into total darkness again.

'Shit, this isn't good.' The more he struggles, the more his energy is sapped from his body. Even knowing this, the brash side of him cannot help but try anyway. He keeps it up for hours; clawing, wiggling, flexing—but nothing works. At one point, in a rush of adrenaline, he managed to stand and tried slamming his body against different parts of the cave walls, hoping one may give in. When he finally gives up, his body is aching, and his silver locks are plastered to his red face from sweat. His muscles are throbbing so badly, he feels his whole body shake in exhaustion. For a lack of better words, it feels as if someone just handed his ass to him or perhaps like Kagome just 'sat' him into oblivion. He manages to lay on his back and looking up he can see the first rays of dawn shinning through the cracks in the rock ceiling. The little bits of sunshine reflect off his honeyed eyes as he stares at nothing in particular. Although his body is tired, his mind is in hyperdrive, trying desperately to come up with a solution. 'What can I do? Shit…at this rate I may really die before I can escape…It's possible that Miroku and Sango could find me. They should know my general location. At least they know we were heading to the mountains pass Ryukotsusei's Valley. But that could be putting them in danger, especially Sango. I don't know what this Khuzaimah is capable of but just from his battle with the birds, he appears formidable enough. Sango should be giving birth any day now, so it would be best for both of them to stay put. They better. I can handle this bastard on my own. I just have to wait…'

….

Drained.

That is the only description that can accurately describe his current state. The minutes have turned into hours, and the hours into days. His worn-out mind lost track of time after the third day and it certainly feels like it has been an eternity. He has never felt so feeble in his life; he can hardly lift his head anymore. Even breathing is taking a very deliberate effort. His wrists are rubbed raw and numb from where the ropes are cutting into them. His tongue feels like sandpaper and his lips are cracked from thirst. The hunger pains are the worse. With each new wave, he can feel his stomach clenching in protest. He has not felt such hunger since he was a child and on his own. When he tries to focus on something besides the pain, his mind brings up the awful memories which in a way are much worse than anything he could feel physically. Usually his partial demon body can withstand much longer periods without food and water, but the energy drain is seriously taking its' toll. It sincerely feels like his life being sapped from him. He feels more vulnerable than on the nights of the new moon. At least then he has the strength and mobility of a human. If he faces Khuzaimah like this, then he is in a world of trouble. If only he could retrieve tessaiga. When he first woke up in his prison, he could sense his trusty sword's heartbeat but now his senses are so dull he can hardly detect anything at all; no smells, no sounds, no movements. He is utterly at the mercy of his unfamiliar environment. A thought which brings no comfort considering that his captor appears to have sinister motives. If only he could—'What was that?'

His ears swivel in every direction in a frantic attempt to locate the noise in the otherwise desolate alcove. Dust and dirt fall on his pale face, causing him to look up in time to see a rock in the ceiling being pushed aside. The sudden burst of light causes him to flinch and renders him blind for a moment, but in the next second a shadow moves in to block the abrasive light. Looking up again, he finds sparkling emerald eyes staring back at him. The two watch at each for several long seconds before the wide-eyed child breaks the stillness with a trembling whisper, "I-Inuyasha-sama? A-Are you okay?"

"…" As silly and ridiculous as the question was, Inuyasha would have at least made a snide remark if he could, but his throat is so parched, he doubts anything would come out. The boy observes him for a while longer before glancing around nervously. He positions himself in the hole that is barely large enough for his petite body and drops to the ground with a hard thump. His knees buckle from the impact of the several foot drop, but he quickly scrambles to the hanyou's side. Inuyasha watches him pull a canteen from his satchel and pour water in the top before offering it to the weakened male. His eyes widen in elation, but he stops himself just short of allowing the cup to press against his lips. 'Am I an idiot? I can't trust this kid. He is the one who led me here. He's most likely in on this.'

Tatsuya tils his head in confusion, causing his cobalt hair to shift and reveal the disfigured part of his face. "I-Is there s-something wrong, Inuyasha-sama? Are you n-not thirsty?" His gold eyes narrow in the face of his pitiable frown, but he cannot help but glance back at the cup wantonly. It takes all his self-control to look away and jerk his chin towards the dragon-boy. It takes the child a beat to catch the other's meaning. "Y-You want me to drink first?" After receiving another sharp nod, he brings the cup to his mouth and takes a deep swallow. Tatsuya waits for a tense few minutes before trying again by placing his small hand behind the other's head and bringing the cup to his chapped lips. This time there is no hesitation as Inuyasha gulps down the chilled water. In his haste, some of it spills down his front but he pays it no mind. Tatsuya refills the chalice four more times before the flask is empty.

"Aaaah, hah, hah, hah." He also completely forgot to pause long enough to breathe.

"I-I have some bread as well I-If you'd like?" He pulls an old load out of his bag before ripping pieces off to feed the starving captive. The bread is hard and stale, but he devours it with gusto. "S-Sorry it isn't much, but it is all L-Lord Khuzaimah allots me."

After finishing off every last bite, he opens his mouth to speak for the first time in days. "What are you doing here brat?"

His voice came out in a strained rasp, but it is still enough to strike fear in the boy. He scoots back and starts to tremble uncontrollably. "I-I-I t-thought—I, you, I-I thought you'd w-want s-something to—"

"Calm down!"

"I-I…" He stares at him as if he just asked the impossible. "G-Gomenasai."

"I mean it. Cut it out already and use your head. Do you really think I could do anything to you in this condition?"

"…" He does not answer, but the way his weary eyes rove over the hanyou's weakened body shows he understands.

"How long have I been here?"

"Ano, I think…s-seven or eight moons?" 'Shit, that long?'

"Where is that bastard Khuzaimah?!"

He looks mortified at his choice of words, but answers nonetheless, "M-Master said h-he had business elsewhere and will return later tonight."

"Good, now undo these damn things."

"I…" The unbridled fear is apparent on the boy's face and he looks like he is dreading his next few words. "Inuyasha-sama I…I c-cannot."

"Tch. So, you are a part of this after all? You led me into his little trap knowing this would happen. To think I fell for the innocent kid act. I should know better than that."

"No!" His whisper of a voice comes out in a surprisingly loud squeak. "You are misunderstanding the situation Inuyasha-sama. I-I truly did not know! I only do Master Khuzaimah's bidding, I serve no other purpose in life. I-I am not allowed to question my Lord, nor does he reveal his desires. I-I, if I had known, I…"

"…" And just like that his pleas end abruptly. Inuyasha matches his guilty expression with a blank stare. They both know he cannot finish that sentence without lying. Even if the dragon boy knew of his master's plans, he would have done nothing to stop them and would have dutifully carried out his orders. Like he said, he lives to serve the dairyu. In the short time that Inuyasha has spent with him, he already noticed how terrified the kid is of him. Tatsuya may have a general fear of everyone, but he revers Khuzaimah like one would a kami. Something that he is sure the man demands and expects.

"I-I am…sorry." He whispers after realizing Inuyasha is not going to break the silence.

"Does it look like sorry is going to help me?" Tatsuya's face falls and he hangs his head in remorse, so the older sighs, "Look just get out of here already." 'I cannot be tricked again. This brat is not to be trusted.'

"Y-Yes sir." He keeps his head down as he gathers his things. He jumps up toward the hole and almost falls short and has to sink his claws into the rocky opening to pull himself through. After clambering through, he spares one more guilt-ridden look at him before moving the rock back in place.

Once again, Inuyasha is thrust into a bleak and eerie stillness. It is so unnerving and unnatural that he wonders if there is some kind of barrier around the place. Regardless of his complicated feelings towards the kid, the food and water did give him some much-needed strength. But it is not nearly enough. He is still trapped and no closer to escaping than before. 'There's no way that kid is going to help me get out. He's scared shitless.' Right now, he knows his only hope is Miroku and Sango, but he really does not want to get them involved. If Miroku and Kirara come close enough they should be able to sense his exact location unless there is a barrier. It has been seven or eight days so it is possible that they simply cannot find him. 'I'm running out of options here. I hate to pull them into danger but, I'm counting on you guys…'

….

The rest of the day drags on uneventfully and his measly meal did little to aid his escape efforts. The curse is doing a perfect job of taking away the energy from that as well. He feels more alert than before, but just as defenseless.

The sound of crumbling earth shatters his thoughts, and he looks to the opening to see the boulder being pushed to the side. The flood of moon and starlight brightens up the place enough for him to finally see his surroundings again. The only thing casting a shadow is the tall figure watching him from the entryway. He can only see his glowing red eyes until he takes slow dramatic steps towards the prolonged hanyou. His shit-eating grin widens when Inuyasha starts to growl on instinct. "Well, well look at this. The half-breed bitch managed to stay alive."

'He's gonna' get enough of calling me a bitch!' "Khuzaimah! Untie me now and face me properly!"

His eyes harden, but he manages to keep his sneer in place and the mockery in his voice. "Face you? My little hanyou, why would I ever do that when you are so far beneath me?" To emphasize his point, he looks down his nose at him and kicks him onto his stomach before placing his booted foot on top his head.

"Kuso!" Trying to lift his head in his current state proves impossible, especially when his foot presses down harder so he settles for insults instead. "You can spin it however you want, but the truth is yer' a fucking coward! Only weaklings' resort to tricks like this!"

"…"

"What? Don't like hearing the truth? Where's that pride and honor you daiyoukai are so hung up on?! Even right now, if you give me back tessaiga, I'd make short work of a bastard like—!" A swift kick to the face immediately silences him as blood fills his mouth in pools. He spits and in the crimson fluid he can see two of his dislodged teeth.

"Let us come to an understanding, hm? You will no longer address me so insolently. A hanyou mutt knows nothing of pride and honor. Just look at the way your father perished; giving his life for a ningen and her hybrid bastard. It would be laughable were it not so disgusting."

"This is about my old man and Ryukotsusei, isn't it? This your demented way of getting revenge?"

"Do not ever question me again." His tone turns icy, but his eyes burn with hatred. "And do not take my uncle's name in vain. I will say, however, that my actions have nothing to do with your father nor my uncle."

"Then what the hell…" His question hangs in the air as the demon lord shrugs his haori down to his waist. The dark green scales that color his face and hands also trail down the sides of his stomach. Inuyasha's confused frown quickly twists into a scowl when he uses his foot to secure him onto his back and straddles his waist. "Get the hell off of me!"

"It is going to be a joy to tame you Inuyasha."

"What the hell are you saying?" Instead of responding, the lord cups the side of his face with a clawed hand, stroking his jaw line with his thumb. Inuyasha's natural reaction is to jerk away from the unsolicited touch, so he tightens his grip on his jaw to keep him in place. "Get off—mph!" He purses his lips when his wondering thumb runs across them to wipe the blood from the corner of his bruised mouth. He was tense before, but when he uses his free hand to slip into his robe of the fire rat, he struggles to get out of his grip. His cold ivory hand caresses his chest in way that sends a revolted shiver through his body. "Seriously, stop touching me!"

"Sensitive, are we?" His dark low chuckle makes the hair on the back of his neck stand. He removes the hand from his face to slash through the hanyou's top, slicing through much of the skin on his chest and stomach as well.

Inuyasha growls low in his chest as the bastard traces the fresh wound with long graceful fingers, staining his alabaster skin red. He licks at it with his abnormally long dragon tongue and takes a deep breath as if savoring the smell and flavor. He kneels over him suddenly and grabs at the waistband of his hakama. Inuyasha's eyes widen when he yanks them down in one fluid motion. "What the fuck are—mmph?!" Khuzaimah clamps his hand over his mouth is a painful smack, effectively shutting him up.

"No more questions. No more talk. I do not expect an uncultured swine like you to learn obedience and deference overnight, but the only noise I will allow from these impudent lips are screams of agony or cries of mercy." Of course, such a declaration only makes him struggle more, so he keeps his hand firmly in place to muffle his threats. The other hand continues its' unwarranted exploration of his mostly nude body. The feel of his scaly touch feels odd and abrasive against his tan skin and makes him squirm in disgust. 'Just what is he playing at? Shit, I'm so weak. I can't do anything right now. He isn't even reacting to me trying to bite through his damn hand.' "Ugh!" His face slams into the ground as the dragon abruptly flips him over onto his stomach. The rustling sound of clothing prompts him to look back, but the sudden pressure on the back of his head keeps his face firmly planted into the dirt. When he proceeds to grab and slide down his fundoshi he renews his efforts to wriggle free. Khuzaimah disregards his feeble attempts to knock him off knowing that the spell has done its' job in rendering the hanyou useless. He is no better than a human—a dying human at that. Inuyasha's face burns with outrage and embarrassment when he succeeds in pulling the underwear away. His body goes rigid as his hands cup and squeeze his toned backside. 'I'm going to fucking kill him!' "Is that fear I smell, mutt?"

He eases up on the back of his head just enough for him to lift his face and snarl a retort. "No, it's murderous intent."

"Heh. Even at your age, could it be you have never gone into rut or heat?"

"What does that have to do with anything?! Get your filthy hands off of me!"

"I only ask out of curiosity. It will certainly make things more painful for you."

"Stop fooling around and fight me honorably, you fucking coward—what are you doing?!" Instead of his cold hands, he feels something warm and hard rub across his bottom. He glances over his shoulder and the color instantly drains from his face. The daiyoukai is naked from the waist down and he can see his erection bobbing over his bottom. His sex is human in appearance but much too large to belong to any human male. Their eyes meet and the corner of his mouth curves upward as he rubs himself against his toned cheeks.

"You know, I was going to show some modicum of mercy, but you do not deserve it. Nevertheless, do not worry. I hear after awhile the blood dulls the pain. I would not really know though. You'll have to take the others' word for it."

"You! What do you think—?!" The question sticks in his throat with a gasp when he lunges into the valley between his pert bottom. "Cut it out, you sick bastard!" Khuzaimah laughs at this show of bravado since he can see how uneasy the half-demon is. His canine ears are flat against his skull and the anxiety is radiating off of him in abundance. His body is shivering slightly, but he is trying to mask it by growling and writhing. Khuzaimah brings an end to this by using his muscled body to trap him fully between himself and the ground. His lips graze the furry appendage now in his face, causing it to flicker in agitation. Inuyasha arches against the ground in a vain attempt to muster the strength to push him off, but his body jolts in shock when he feels his cock prod at his opening. "Get! OFF! I'm gonna' tear you limb from limb!"

"How long until you break, I wonder?" Khuzaimah hisses low in his ear then thrusts his hips forward. The sharp motion belies his tenseness and buries him deep inside the unsuspecting hanyou.

Bright, white stars cloud his vision as the intense pain takes his breath away and he nearly loses consciousness. As he penetrated him, the dragon also chomped down on his ear, biting through it and compounding his agony. His body has no time to adjust before he pulls back and slams back into his body again. He can feel himself stretching and tearing, trying to accommodate the intrusion. "AAH! YAMERO!"

His screams only spur him on, and he picks up the pace, pounding him into the ground with fervor. "That's right scream you half-breed bitch, I want to hear you." His claws dig into his frosty locks and he yanks his head back to listen to his strangled gasps.

With his hands still trapped between them he claws at his stomach, but it is to no avail. He cannot even put enough force behind it to break his scale-hardened skin. "Ngh—s-stop this, ugh fuck." He feels something wet between his legs which adds to the irony scent of his blood in the air. Despite what the daiyoukai suggested earlier, the blood does little to sooth the excruciating ache. It is an intrusive discomfort he can feel all the way in the pit of his stomach and every forceful lunge forces bile up his throat. His yelps sound pathetic even in his own ears, but he cannot help it. He can hardly hear it over the harsh slap of skin on skin. His cries grow louder when the lord sinks his razer sharp teeth into his shoulder and rips through the skin there. It feels like he is trying to devour him. He can hear his animalistic grunting and tears of humiliation prick the corner of his eyes. He quickly shuts his eyes to keep them from falling, but he knows the other can smell the salty water.

"You have no reason to cry. Rejoice for you are mine now." He all but purrs. His calm façade is gone completely now. He has dissolved into pure savagery and the lust in his gruff tone is clear. "Do you hear me?! You're mine."

"Ugh—ah, f-fuck ngh you!" He can hardly gasp the words out, but he refuses to show any more weakness.

"Shut. Your. Impudent. Mouth." Each word is punctuated with a more aggressive thrust. He is gripping his hips so hard, he feels like he is going to break. The sickening slaps that echo off the cave walls are so loud, Inuyasha is sure anyone on the mountain can hear them. He does not know how much time passes; his body being pounded into the earth, the animalistic grunts of the man on top of him, the pain below his waist threatening to split him open at any moment—it feels like an eternity. But finally, the vicious rhythm breaks down in a series of intense lunges. "Consider yourself lucky hanyou." He snarls into his torn ear, "Not many have the great honor of receiving my seed."

"N—ah No dammit! Ngh yamero, I'll kill you—ugh." The protests die on his lips when he has to refocus his efforts on not loosing the contents of his stomach. Khuzaimah sinks his claws into his already bruised and bloody waist and holds him close as he reaches his peak. "No! Fucking—," This time he cannot hold it back and retches as he empties his full orgasm into him. It seems to go on forever and the feel of him filling him is enough to make him vomit.

"Oh yes~" The dairyu hisses in ultimate pleasure. The retching inadvertently causes his abused body to clench around him, milking him for all he is worth. When he is fully spent, he shoves the silver-haired male off of him like a used doll. Khuzaimah stands and gets his clothes in order before moving to the exit with a certain smugness to his graceful gait. He spares one more look at his captive and his attempt at indifference fails him as a smirk splits his face.

The lord of the West's second born is lying face down in a pool of his own blood, drool, and vomit. His gold eyes are wide open yet vacant and empty. His clothes are in shreds around his semi-nude body and the lord can already see the black and purple bruises beginning to show on his tanned skin. Anyone who saw him now would think him dead if it were not for the occasional twitch of his tattered dog ear.

'…' He feels numb as darkness creeps in around him. Khuzaimah moves the stone back in place but hisses out one final reminder before shutting him in.

"You are mine now."