"Time to wake up, princess," Inuyasha barked.
Kagome immediately groaned, pulling the kimono and blanket over her face, finding the light and his voice to be more than a little offensive. In comparison, it wasn't the worst way she'd woken up in the Grid. The day prior definitely took the cake on that one but it still wasn't pleasant.
She bit down on her bottom lip, ignoring the way the light of his aura was almost as blinding and unwelcome as his gruff voice booming over her.
Almost.
Not for the first time, Kagome was struck by how the fiery flames of the energy that surrounded him felt so warm and welcoming, how they seemed to call to her and seek her out. It stood in stark contrast to his brash and abrasive treatment of her. The juxtaposition between the two views she had of him further confused and frustrated her.
Especially at the ass crack of their simulated dawn when she had zero interest in being awake and no motivation to get up just to humiliate herself in front of Inuyasha or the others again.
"Nope, not today!" Inuyasha continued, grabbing the edges of both, ripping the cover and robe off her, leaving Kagome to hug herself for warmth. "We have a match tomorrow and you need to learn basic combat skills. So, I repeat…. Wake up!"
"Five more minutes," she pleaded, blindly reaching for where she thought the covers might be. "I barely slept," Kagome whined, still feeling the ache in the back of her eyes from the night spent crying until she'd passed out from pure exhaustion, having let a comfortable numbness soothe her battered will.
"Oh, I'm aware. I heard your pathetic sniveling all night," he growled, seemingly unfazed by her woes. "But we don't have time for you to sleep in. As it is, you're behind. So, get up before I have to drop you in the river!"
Kagome ignored him, burying her face under her pillow and flipping him her middle finger in protest. "Go away."
Inuyasha's lips pulled together in a tight frown as he dropped the blanket and the red kimono onto the ground beside her bed, placing his hands on his hips. Grinding out, "five… four… three…"
"Oh, I'm so scared!" Kagome replied sarcastically, her voice distorted by the pillow that she gripped more tightly, concerned that he was seconds from ripping that away from her too.
"Two… one… Don't say I didn't warn ya," he sneered, sliding his hands under Kagome and tossing her over his shoulder, her ass high in the air and head bobbing, ignoring the pillow as it fell to the ground, joining the sad heap that was her blanket.
"Put me down!" Kagome screamed, her hair flopping around her as she banged her fists against his back. "Inuyasha! This is harassment!"
"You need to learn!" He hissed, walking through camp and ignoring the stunned stares from his teammates who were gathered around the fire trying to eat their breakfasts.
"I get it!" Kagome hissed, "I'll wake up when called!"
"No, that's not the lesson, princess."
Attempting to twist and wriggle, Kagome yelled back, making sure to aim her mouth directly next to one of his precious silver ears, "then what is?! That you take special delight in torturing me?!"
Inuyasha's ears instantly flattened against the back of his head, but he didn't let up. In fact, he laughed at her petty attempt at pay back, "that's cute that you think this is torture."
"Let me go! I get it!" She snarled, attempting to kick and smack and pull herself out of his grip but nothing worked. He was stronger than she'd expected him to be.
"First training lesson," he began, ignoring her attempts to free herself, including her ridiculous yanking on locks of his hair. "Demons, even half-demons like myself, are faster, stronger, and sturdier than you are. You don't compare to our strength, speed, or stamina. Accept that now. Your job is to prevent situations like this where you are caught in our cross hairs."
"This sounds less like a lesson and more like gloating," Kagome quipped angrily.
"Second training lesson," Inuyasha continued, stopping abruptly. "Wake up on time."
Kagome opened her mouth to provide a rebuttal but stopped as she picked up on the gentle sound of running water. Her eyes widened as she realized his threat about dropping her in the river hadn't been idle. "Inuyasha…"
"Third training lesson, I don't give a shit how much you beg or plead," he continued, lifting her off his shoulder and smiling at her for a moment as he held her out in front of him, grinning wickedly, while she looked at Inuyasha with narrow, angry eyes, before he tossed her into the running water.
Kagome shrieked as she felt the cold wash over her, shocking all of her senses, water surrounding her as her butt landed in the shallow end where it wasn't deep enough to completely submerge her but was more than enough to drench most of her body. "What the fuck?!" She exclaimed in a petulant and incredulous gasp.
"Oh, calm down. I did you a favor," Inuyasha sneered from the bank of the river a few feet away, his arms crossed along his chest and a single thick brow raised as he took unfettered joy in her fury. "You reeked of blood, dirt, and exhaust. Now you won't smell so bad."
"Gee thanks!" Kagome hissed, getting to her feet, her teeth chattering as the chill sank into her bones.
"Any time! Now that you're awake," he continued, his entertained grin falling into a serious expression, "go eat and get changed. We have a lot to go over if you're going to survive tomorrow."
Kagome bit down hard on the side of her cheek, rage bubbling and compelling her actions. "Oh, you mean you don't want to join me?!"
"Nah," he waved her off flippantly, beginning to turn and head back to camp, releasing a cackle at her discomfort and the sounds of her ire that carried over moving river, further inciting her wrath.
Kagome clenched her fists together feeling an intense desire for retribution and, well, just plain fucking pissed at the half-demon. It was dumb, it was petty, and yet… it felt so right. Looking down, Kagome picked up two rocks from the bed of the river and threw one at him. It bounced off his shoulder.
She realized it probably felt more like a flick to him after his spiel about him being made of different stuff than humans, but she watched with a modicum of satisfaction as Inuyasha stopped walking, his entire frame becoming rigid before he swirled on his heel to face her.
"Seriously?" He snarled.
"Yeah," Kagome replied defiantly.
"You do realize that didn't hurt, right?"
"Oh, I'm aware."
"So then why are you so smug about it?" He growled, taking a step toward her and the river as she twirled the other rock in her hand.
"Training lesson number four," Kagome began, mocking the tone he had taken with her earlier. "Don't ever turn your back on an enemy."
"You think you're funny, don't you?" He snapped. "I could seriously hurt you and you're willingly provoking me?!"
"Oh, I'm sure you could… puppy," Kagome couldn't help but smile, watching his entire demeanor shift in a visceral reaction to her borrowed pet name for him. He could derogatorily call her "princess" all day and night if he wanted, because now… well now she had her own ammunition. She'd hit a nerve and Kagome loved it. She beamed, 'yes! Some leverage on him.'
"Puppy?" He bit out, coating the word with a layer of disdain so thick that Kagome could almost reach out and touch it between them.
She nodded teasingly, "yeah, you should've known better."
"I'm not a damn dog, you're not my teacher, and this isn't funny. Get out of the fucking water," he snapped, fists clenching at his side as sharp fangs poked out in a manner that Kagome assumed was meant to be menacing but just made her grin wider.
"Make. Me," Kagome spat, tossing the other stone at him.
Inuyasha didn't so much as take his gaze off her but caught the rock in his hand, immediately crushing it into bits of sand that fell from his enclosed palm, the tips of his claws digging into his skin as he tried to breathe through the fury.
"Oh, I'm so scared of the big bad puppy! What ferocious might and obnoxiously adorable ears he has!" She exclaimed, feigning terror in a dramatic fashion, bringing the back of her hand to her forehead while the other rested over her heart, mocking images of a damsel in distress.
"I will maim you…"
"Then do it!" She dared.
"Come over here and I will!"
"Oh, is the puppy scared of a little water?!"
"As if! It's fucking water!" Inuyasha snarled, stepping forward again, his entire body rippling with constrained wrath that only made her want to run her hands up and down each muscle that tensed along his frame.
"Then have some!" Kagome yelled, kicking water up at him, splashing him with the same bitterly cold water that he'd dropped her in, drenching him. He stood in shock, blinking rapidly as if his mind couldn't quite catch up to what had just happened or wasn't sure if it was real even as water dripped and ran down his front.
"It's not fun is it?!" Kagome asked between laughing darkly at how utterly stunned he looked and glaring at him.
"You'll regret that," Inuyasha growled, the heat from his gaze sending a shiver down her spine.
"Whatever," Kagome grumbled, wading through the water, coming right up to him. "Just trade me then."
"Oh… I plan on it," he snapped, getting in her face.
"Sure, and while you're at it…" Kagome murmured, locking her gaze with his before letting her eyes not-so-subtly drop to his lips then flit back up, "don't forget to grab your kimono. I'd hate for you to get the impression I cared for your sympathy."
Kagome didn't wait for him to respond. She didn't really care what he would have said. She felt like she'd made her point clear; she wasn't going to just take his bullshit. Sopping wet but holding her head high, Kagome sauntered back to the camp or, at least, in the general direction that she thought Inuyasha had taken, internally praying that she wouldn't get lost in the foreign place in the process. That would've been unbearably embarrassing and she refused to go back to Inuyasha to grovel for directions.
' I'd rather freeze to death out here,' she thought to herself, pushing through branches and vaguely following the weathered trail in front of her.
She stumbled through the brush, catching the sound of Miroku and Sango idly chatting and followed it until she arrived at the campsite, ignoring the way the conversation between her teammates immediately died as she stomped toward her bed and the extra set of clothes that Sango had provided the day prior.
"Kagome! Good morning!" Shippo exclaimed, excited to see her and oblivious to her furstrations. He paused, brows pulling together as he processed her drenched image. "Why are you wet?"
"Ask Inuyasha," she bit out, swiping under her bed and grabbing another uniform before turning to change behind the concrete enclosure.
Miroku and Sango exchanged quick looks of concern before Miroku faced the opening of the path, catching sight of Inuyasha as he stalked back to camp shortly after Kagome. Miroku snorted involuntarily, bringing a hand to his mouth to stifle his laughter but failing, resulting in a sound more like a strangled bubbling. Sango followed his gaze, curling her lips inward then biting down on them in her own futile attempt to hold back her amusement at their surly and drenched teammate.
"She needs to take this seriously," Inuyasha snarled, loudly plopping down on a log next to the fire. "Sleeping in and this-this shit isn't going to prepare her!"
"I don't know," Miroku teased, violet eyes dragging over his wet and irate friend, "I think… I think this is pretty entertaining."
Inuyasha glared at him, not a single hint of amusement dancing in his livid expression. "Then her blood is on your hands."
"I think that's a little dramatic," Sango interjected. "Look, yesterday was tiring for all of us and we're training her today on evasive tactics. We'll get her through tomorrow and then we have a little longer between rounds to work with her. We'll figure it out."
He glared at her and the nonchalance Sango had spoken with. Inuyasha shook his head in disbelief, angered by the unhelpful leniency his friends were trying to afford Kagome.
"When are the rest of you going to fucking get it?" He began, lip twitching in a snarl, voice dripping with disgust. "She's not cut out for this!" Inuyasha hissed, amber gaze flitting over to a freshly changed Kagome as she walked over. He didn't give a shit if she heard him. Maybe it would knock some sense into her.
This wasn't a joke.
They had a finite amount of time to give her enough skills to get her through her first match. Time was of the essence, and she was wasting it trying to sleep in, throwing rocks, and lobbing insults. She didn't need to like him but Kagome needed to listen to him and they were all acting like he was the joke.
"We need to give her a chance," Miroku muttered, taking a bite of his breakfast.
Inuyasha shook his head, huffing out a hard "keh," before walking away from the group.
'This is ridiculous,' he admonished silently to himself while tossing another heavy glare at Kagome who met it briefly before turning her nose up at him and looking away. Inuyasha didn't care about changing out of his wet clothes, he'd dry off eventually anyway. At the moment, he needed to burn some steam. Kagome was pushing his last fucking nerve and he had barely known her for a day. "Wench," he grumbled bitterly to himself, before launching into the air and taking the quick way to the training ground.
While the humans and Shippo ate, Inuyasha went to work on some of the things he wanted to improve on. The rest of the day would mostly be training Kagome, which meant that he'd have to go slow. He'd have to restrain himself, guide her through it. It would be painful, and it wouldn't benefit him in the slightest.
"What the hell is his problem?" Kagome hissed, accepting food from Sango as she sat down.
"You shouldn't provoke him," Miroku commented, giving her a disapproving look.
"Okay but was dumping me in the river necessary?!" She fought back.
"Probably not," he answered. "Still, he's right about a few things. We need to take the rest of today seriously, okay?" Miroku continued, his tone understanding but firm. "Tomorrow is going to be… rough. The more we accomplish today the better."
Kagome nodded slowly before taking a bite. She didn't like that Miroku was scolding her, even if it was in a calm and amicable tone. Maybe she hadn't experienced the Arena yet but Kagome felt like she was taking it seriously. It had been weighing heavily on her mind since Inuyasha had informed her that she was in the Grid.
Though not an avid fan of the show, she could recall a few bits and pieces and it… it frightened her. Especially now, knowing that it wasn't all special effects, that the demons and people that lost hadn't just lost a stupid game. She didn't want to end up like that.
She wanted to go home.
Preferably in one piece and conscious.
"What… what is it like?" Kagome murmured, chewing on her bottom lip after asking.
"What is what like?" Sango asked, looking over at her.
"The Arena…"
Miroku and Sango exchanged another set of quick looks, before the former sighed, placing his food to the side and giving Kagome his undivided attention. "It's… at first it's dark. You walk through tunnels to your section of the Arena and the doors open, herding you into your starting position. You can see your opponents across the field, though depending on the specific battle ground you're in the scenery and distance varies. There's usually a wide open expanse with different types of terrain. It's… it's kind of hard to describe without being there," he tried, tapping a finger against his chin.
"The important thing," Sango added, "is that it's big and it's like an obstacle course. There are places to hide and there are places you can get stuck. Today in training we'll teach you a few of the basics for our team strategy. Try to stick to it, okay? We have it because it works and Inuyasha is a stickler for it."
Kagome frowned, but nodded her understanding.
"Don't worry Kagome," Shippo commented, coming to sit next to her and finish his own meal before training. "The first round is scariest but you'll get the hang of it soon enough. You find a rhythm and go with it."
'I wish I had half as much faith in myself as Shippo has in me,' Kagome thought bitterly to herself, looking down at her food with apathy and disinterest.
"Another lesson," Sango murmured in her ear as her fingers worked through Kagome's hair to pull out the knots and bind it back in a braid. "We always braid our hair to keep it out of our face, okay? Nothing worse than being in a match to the death and having your hair blur your vision," she joked, chuckling at the end as if she'd been in that exact position before and it hadn't been as traumatizing as it sounded to Kagome.
"You guys have a lot of rules," Kagome mumbled, cringing at the thought that her hair would be the reason she lost in a game.
"Some are more rigid than others. All are meant to increase your chance at survival."
"Why-why do you fight?" She asked, wincing as Sango pulled tightly on her head to bring the raven strands together and out of her face.
"What do you mean?"
Kagome sighed, "I mean… why not just boycott the whole system?"
"She's asking dumb questions again!" Inuyasha growled, walking up behind the two women and depositing various bottles of water and basic medical supplies on the ground, all undoubtedly preparations for a long day of training.
Kagome rolled her eyes, refusing to otherwise address him. Miroku had told her not to provoke him and she had decided to interpret Miroku's advice to mean don't speak to Inuyasha unless absolutely necessary.
"Because if we don't the consequences are worse than fighting," Sango replied quietly and solemnly. "We have a choice: fight and see another day or-"
"A guaranteed, gruesome death," Inuyasha interrupted, coming to stand in front of Kagome as Sango tied off the end of the braid. "Remember that, princess. You can die in the Arena and you can die by failing to follow the rules but the only way you survive is by winning. Got it?"
"Understood," Kagome grumbled.
"Good, now then," he smirked, "ready for training?"
"Aren't I practicing with Sango?" Kagome squeaked, turning and noticing that Sango was no longer by her side but was already walking off toward the far end of the training space, getting ready to spar with Miroku.
"Nope," Inuyasha sneered, looking nothing short of immensely pleased with himself. "The others also need training. I don't, at least not as much. So… I get the lovely task of whipping you into shape."
Kagome let her head fall back and groaned loudly in displeasure.
"Trust me, I don't like it either," he muttered. "Now get up. We're working on evasion first."
"Evasion?" She questioned, slowly rising to her feet. "Not like… fighting?"
"No," he sneered. "Your goal tomorrow is to duck and roll until Sango or Miroku can get to you. Got it? No offensive maneuvers."
"Why not?! Aren't I supposed to fight for my life?!" Kagome snapped, her hands flying into the air for emphasis.
"No, you're supposed to not die until we can get to you. Got it?" Growled Inuyasha. "You're too green for offensive tactics. If you attack it will leave you open and increase the likelihood that you'll suffer a fatal blow. You will get hit but the more we can minimize the impact of those hits the better."
"So, I'm bait," Kagome ground out, her face scrunching in pain and frustration while the back of her aching eyes began to burn with new unshed tears.
"Do you ever fucking listen?" Inuyasha spat, "you're not bait. You're new. The name of the game is to survive. You don't have to like me but you need to fucking trust me. Got it?"
"Why do I have to trust you?!" She exclaimed. "You want me gone!"
He rolled his eyes in an exaggerated manner, shaking his head and letting out a loud, rumbling breath before turning back to her, his jaw set and amber eyes burning like molten lava. "Being traded is not the same thing as dead, Ka-go-me. I don't want you dead. So stop fucking fighting me and let me fucking help you!"
"Fine." It came out strangled and skeptical. Kagome still didn't like him and she certainly didn't feel like they'd made any progress in mending the fissures that separated them but she did want to trust him. There were a lot of things Kagome could think of to call him - an arrogant jerk face for one - but Inuyasha hadn't lied to her or hid from her. Despite her short tenure in the Grid, Inuyasha had been unapologetically honest about how he saw her chances and Kagome did respect that. Only a little, but it still counted for something, maybe.
He wasn't feigning anything. He didn't want her there, sure, but he was still standing beside her, trying to help. The least she could do was accept his help, right?
"Good. Now, I want to see what your natural strengths and weaknesses are, okay?" Inuyasha began. "So… I'm going to come at you slowly and you just… react naturally and focus on avoiding me, got it?"
"Got it."
"Good."
"When do we-"
A clawed hand hurtled toward her in the blink of an eye, interrupting her thought and forcing her to fall back to avoid it, crashing onto her butt. "Hey!"
"Get up!" He snarled advancing toward her with the other hand, claws extended and practically glittering in the artificial light of their fake day as he moved through the air.
Kagome shrieked but pivoted, tossing her body recklessly to the side, narrowly avoiding his attack, hearing his hand crash into the dirt where her head had just been. "I thought you were going slow!"
"This is slow… for me," he replied, grinning mercilessly as if this was just more payback for her actions earlier. Inuyasha had a wicked gleam in his gaze and Kagome knew he was enjoying the way she scrambled and panicked to avoid his "slow" moves.
She didn't respond, she didn't have enough time to. Before Kagome could think of a reply, he was up and coming for her throat again.
Nothing about her movements was graceful or fluid. Kagome dodged and weaved in a choppy bombastic manner across the training space, over and over, desperate to avoid the half-demon. She couldn't believe that he wasn't using his full strength or speed as he moved. He even had the audacity to look somewhat bored as his claws sailed through the air, whizzing by her face, nicking her arms repeatedly before shoving her to the ground.
It was relentless.
Over and over they went. She'd manage to dodge maybe one or two before she'd feel her skin tear. Again and again, Kagome threw herself out of the way, pushed herself up, rolled over the bumpy ground, anything only to feel the burn of his claws regardless.
Worse still, Kagome could feel her body aching and slowing down after several attempts - and failures - of moving out of his path. Inuyasha on the other hand, wasn't. He seemed to have energy to spare. His speed remained consistent, neither faster nor slower than before. Though Inuyasha's mood began to sour, his claws turning red with her blood.
He lunged, claws breaking apart the threads that covered her arm and slicing the surface level of the skin on her arms as she tumbled to the ground, over and over, her chest heaving and face covered in dirt, until Kagome faltered.
"Get up!" Inuyasha insisted angrily, watching her arms shake as she tried to push herself off the ground for what felt like the thousandth time. Instead, Kagome collapsed back into the dirt, her chest shuddering as she desperately took in air. "Get up!"
"I can't!" She cried, rolling onto her back and digging her hands into her sweat-soaked bangs. Her muscles screamed at her, ones she didn't know she had, yelling and crying in pain, her skin tattered and hissing as sweat and dirt coated the tiny cuts he'd given her.
"You can and you will," Inuyasha snarled, a strange desperation to his voice that Kagome couldn't hear even as he stood above her, ignoring the tears that started to roll down the sides of her face.
"Maybe we should take a break?" Miroku called from the other end, noticing Kagome laying on the ground and hearing her strained tone even from his distance.
"We haven't even gotten through the first stage of this!" Inuyasha roared. "Kagome, get up, now!"
"I can't!" She cried, heavy sobs breaking free.
Swallowing thickly, Inuyasha reached down and grabbed Kagome by the collar of her uniform. He lifted her so far off the ground that her feet no longer touched. Her hands reflexively circled his wrists, fear eclipsed the pain and frustration she felt as Kagome looked at him, shocked and confused. She sniveled in his grip, flailing while Miroku and Sango yelled at him from yards away.
Inuyasha ignored his other teammates, focusing on her, the acrid scent of the tears that were still falling. He'd heard it all night, her muted cries. It made him insane with grief and sorrow.
She shouldn't be here.
But she was.
"If you do this tomorrow… you're dead."
"Then let me die," Kagome sobbed, closing her eyes.
"Inuyasha, put her down!" Shippo shrieked.
"If you won't fight for your life, why should I?" Inuyasha purred darkly.
"I'm not asking you to!"
"Do you want to die?" Inuyasha pressed, his voice level and low.
Kagome looked at him, a pathetic hiccup breaking free, every limb screaming in pain and exhaustion. She, like him, could hear and even see the others in her periphery running toward Inuyasha. They were angry that he was treating her so callously. But Kagome wasn't, at least, she wasn't angry at him for that.
She was angry that he may have been right.
Maybe she didn't have what it took to get out alive.
The pejorative way he called her "princess" rolled around in Kagome's mind as she contemplated his question. It was a serious one, she recognized that from his tone and the heat in his gaze. Whatever her answer, it would have long lasting ramifications.
If she said yes… Kagome just knew that meant that he wouldn't come for her. He'd leave her to fend for herself in the Arena and, in time, they both knew that Kagome would get her wish even if she managed to get out of tomorrow alive.
But if she said no… if she told him she wanted to live, he'd push her. He'd make her go through the pain and frustration, the aches and the tremors, all of it. And he'd do it with a smile on his face because that's what he thought it took to survive. If she said she wanted to live, Kagome would have to show him that.
She closed her eyes, swallowing thickly before opening them again.
He watched her, ignoring Sango and Miroku as they neared, scolding him still. Instead, Inuyasha kept his eyes on Kagome, watching her mind turn. For the first time in their brief relationship she seemed to understand his question and his intention; she'd listened. Inuyasha waited, but truthfully, once Kagome re-opened her eyes he knew what her answer was.
Before they had fluttered shut, Kagome looked defeated; tired. He could see the exhaustion in the dark circles under her eyes and her pain in the puffiness that surrounded them. He could hear the whine in her voice that was more interested in having a pity party than fighting. He could practically smell the fear and woe-is-me attitude on her and how it fell away the moment she pulled her eyes open again.
When she looked back at him, it sent a thrill through him. Her blue eyes blazed hot like a giant star, burning far brighter than the artificial crap that existed in the Grid. Inuyasha could feel static in the air, pricking his skin and forcing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up.
Even if it was only her fury directed at him, she was electrifying. It made his heart race, staring back unwaveringly into her. For a moment, Inuyasha forgot about where he was. He couldn't hear his teammates anymore, he couldn't recognize the landscape around them, it was just her, a bright and burning force that made it hard to breathe around her.
"No," Kagome forced out, answering his question.
She didn't want to die. Abruptly, Kagome pulled up her knees, twisting her body so that her arms were bearing the brunt of her weight as she gripped him, lifting her feet until they connected with his chest then exploded outward, shoving him back several feet as she shot then tumbled in the other direction. The force ripped at the collar of her regulation shirt but Kagome didn't care. Her muscles screamed in protest but she got up.
Staggering for a moment but on her feet again, Kagome panted and narrowed her eyes over at the half-demon. 'No,' she thought, her chest swelling with renewed vigor. 'I will not die. Not here.'
Inuyasha slid across the dirt, laughing darkly as he pushed himself off the ground. 'Game on,' he thought, watching her sprint into the forest that surrounded their designated grounds before jumping to his feet.
"Inuyasha!" Sango screamed. "Don't hurt her!"
'Ludicrous,' he thought to himself as he bolted after Kagome. He wouldn't hurt her.
Her heart was racing but it finally seemed like her mind was catching up. Fear ate at her consciousness and yet the world seemed clearer for a moment. 'Zig zag.' She wasn't even sure where the thought came from. It just leapt out at her and she obeyed, turning sharply to the side.
Just as Inuyasha dove toward her, she zigged, twisting out of his path, leaving him to skid across the ground, a surprised and thrilled grin decorating his face as he came to a stop then bolted toward her once more.
'Water,' her mind provided. "What?" She panted to herself, trying to make sense of the thought. Kagome didn't have much time to think. She could hear Inuyasha closing in behind her. "How is he findin-" she began as it started to come together. 'Puppy.' She had made fun of him earlier for it and it finally sunk in why that term had probably caused him to have such a strong reaction.
"You reeked of blood, dirt, and exhaust. Now you won't smell so bad."
'He's part demon… he's gotta be some sort of canine then,' Kagome thought. 'Duh! He can smell me! Water!' The recognition had her smiling and changing directions again. She needed to find the river.
It took a little maneuvering, some more zigging and the occasional zag as well, but Kagome found it. The running water that she dove into, swimming with the current downstream a little way before crossing the bank and sprinting into the other side of the forest. She turned briefly, smirking behind her as she ran. Finding no sign of Inuyasha, Kagome circled back toward the training site. Despite the burning of her lungs and legs, she relished the sweet feeling of victory, holding it close to her like a small flame in need of protection.
Inuyasha ran up to the river and shook his head. "That wench," he admonished, crossing his arms over his chest. Her scent had been completely washed away and her most recent zag had took him a moment longer than he cared to admit to counter.
He stood silently for a moment, unsure what to do, feeling an odd sort of way. The water was smart. His heart raced while amber eyes scanned the area around him only to find nothing.
He'd… he'd lost her.
'Maybe… maybe she won't die…'
Inuyasha landed softly in the clearing of the training field, gold eyes assessing the three bodies that sat huddled in the shade, sipping on water and nibbling on the snacks Inuyasha had brought over earlier that day. He frowned as he approached, looking around for the one body that was missing. "Where's Kagome?"
All three stopped and looked over at him then between each other.
"Um, we thought she was with you," Sango spat. "Did you lose her?"
"No, no way!" Miroku exclaimed, "he can smell-"
"She went into the river. I lost her scent," Inuyasha stated dryly. "I haven't been able to pick it up since."
"Can she swim?" Shippo asked, looking over to Sango.
"What?" Miroku muttered in surprise.
"Kagome… can she swim?"
A heavy silence fell around them.
"Does anyone know if she can swim?" Sango asked, her tone edged with panic.
"You killed our healer!" Shippo shrieked, jumping up and grabbing at Inuyasha's face with his little clawed hands. "She's dead because of you!"
"Get off!" Inuyasha spat, trying and failing to rip off the child without his face coming off too.
"Go get her!" Shippo continued to shout in an inconsolably high pitch, his shrieks becoming manic cries. "Go get her and get Ayame! You mongrel! We might be able to save her!"
Inuyasha gripped Shippo with two hands, still attempting to free himself. "Let go of me and I might-" He hissed, before feeling a flick against his back and hearing a light thud as whatever had hit him fell to the ground.
He turned slowly, looking down at the ground and seeing a smooth, wet rock. A rock from the bed of the river. Inuyasha looked up and twisted further to see behind him, though as soon as he did, he wished he hadn't. Kagome stood proudly in the space behind him, twirling another fucking rock in her hand and looking far too smug.
"Kagome!" Shippo exclaimed, pushing off Inuyasha's face and jumping over to her. "We were so scared! We didn't know if you could swim!"
"I'm sorry I worried you!" Kagome smiled, catching Shippo in her arms. "But, yes, I can swim."
"What a relief," Miroku grinned, looking mainly at Inuyasha.
"Would you like a snack, Kagome?" Sango offered, relief of Kagome's safe return evident in her tone.
"Sure."
"Only a small break!" Inuyasha barked, metaphorically trying to wipe the egg off his face and reassert some semblance of control. "We still have a lot to work on."
"Whatever you say, sourpuss," Kagome muttered, taking a seat next to Sango and graciously taking some of the prepared food.
"I think," Miroku began, noticing all the nicks and cuts along Kagome's arms and legs, "Inuyasha, that in your next training session with Kagome, you should help her with the armor."
"Armor?" Kagome questioned. "What armor?"
"Miroku went to the Square yesterday to procure some extra protection for you and Shippo," Sango explained. "We want to give you both as much of a fighting chance as possible in the Arena tomorrow. The armor will help prevent a lot of those," she continued, lifting a pointer finger and referring to the cuts that tattered her uniform.
"Ah, I see," Kagome mumbled, looking down, seemingly noticing for the first time exactly how many times Inuyasha had gotten a handle on her earlier in the day. Her shoulders slumped as she took them in. She had felt so victorious after their last round that she had momentarily forgotten that it had been one out of five dozen that she'd won. All the others had been humiliating losses that would have surely resulted in her death in the Arena for anyone willing to expend more energy or force than Inuyasha. "That's… probably for the best."
"Probably?" Inuyasha scoffed, "your form is pathetic and your reflexes are concerningly slow, even for a human. You're not entering that Arena without all the armor we can fit on that weird looking body of yours."
"Can't we have one meal in peace?" Miroku whined, rolling his head to the side and glaring at Inuyasha as the half-demon scarfed down snack after snack.
"I'm just telling it like it is," Inuyasha replied dryly.
The armor was, in a word, bulky. Kagome grimaced as Sango slid on the final plate that guarded her shin. She frowned as the fighter stepped back, nodding as Sango gave Kagome a once over. "Yeah, I think that's it."
"Um," Kagome murmured, twisting and attempting to bend her arms and knees with the various plates guarding her weak flesh. "They looked easier to move around in."
"Oh, are they not up to your standards, princess?" Sneered Inuyasha, who was lounging under the tree still. Miroku and Shippo had already gone off to work on their own tactics, while Sango had offered to help Kagome into the armor in an attempt to maintain any semblance of civility between the group and put physical distance between Kagome and Inuyasha.
"It's not that!" Kagome snapped. "I feel like I can barely move," she whined.
"What do you mean?" Sango asked, examining the woman closely.
Kagome strained, using all the strength she had left in her muscles to lift a single leg off the ground and push it an inch forward. She exhaled loudly, her chest expanding and contracting in an exaggerated fashion as she looked between the armor and Sango. "I can't wear this…"
"I-I don't understand," Sango murmured, poking at the armor. "It's not heavy. You shouldn't be having a problem moving around."
Inuyasha jumped to his feet, walking over and sighing impatiently. "It's low-level armor. She should be able to move around in it easily," he insisted. "Wasn't that precisely the point when Miroku wasted our funds on this junk?"
"I mean, yeah," Sango affirmed, pulling off one of the plates that shielded Kagome's thigh. She held it up, turning it around in her hands and looking it over. "I don't get it."
"Lemme see," Inuyasha demanded, walking up and picking the plate out of her hands. His eyes fell to the tiny inscriptions embedded on the interior of the armor, his gaze flicking up to Kagome for a brief moment before back down to the piece in his hand. "Move that leg," he commanded, pointing to the one without the thigh plate.
Kagome lifted it easily that time, her shoulders slumping as it took little to no effort.
He came closer. "Don't do anything cute," Inuyasha warned, slowly lowering himself down to his knees in front of her, clearly expecting Kagome to attempt to tackle him or kick him in the balls. The latter certainly seemed appealing to her, though given her lack of mobility she was hesitant to test it.
His hands burned through the fabric of her uniform, across her leg, as they slid along the lines of her thigh, re-attaching the armored plate. Kagome bit down hard on her lip, willing her breathing to remain even, instead of hitching in her throat in a manner similar to the way her heart had skipped a beat when his hands traced over her flesh. His touch had been so tender, so fleeting, and had her entire body thrumming.
It was an unwelcome feeling.
Inuyasha paused momentarily, his nose twitching and his pupils expanding before a scowl pulled at his features. He lifted his heated gaze up to Kagome's for the briefest of seconds, giving her his hardest glare. "Try to move again," he directed, his tone incrementally thicker than it had been before.
Kagome inhaled deeply and attempted to push forward again, groaning outwardly as she strained to pull her leg off the ground.
Inuyasha remained kneeled down next to her, looking utterly deadpanned as he watched her struggle. "Okay stop, let me try something," he muttered, lifting himself up and walking back over to the tree. He picked up a different, smaller plate of armor before standing in front of Kagome again.
She worried her lip, watching his hands as they reached around her thigh, removing the constricting armor, his hand skimming tenderly over her. The way his hands moved over her felt like wisps of fire licking at her and branding her with tingles of excitement that traveled up her body. 'Get a grip,' she internally reprimanded, rolling her eyes, desperately recalling all the times he had been a jerk to her.
Kagome noticed his nose twitch again but he seemed intent on ignoring whatever he was picking up on.
He removed the armor plate that Sango had originally picked out and replaced it with the smaller one he'd grabbed by the tree. "Try again," Inuyasha insisted.
"Inuyasha…" Sango began, her tone akin to a teacher about to scold a student for eating glue or putting gum in someone else's hair.
Kagome followed his directive and lifted her leg. To her relief and surprise it complied effortlessly and she exhaled loudly in relief. That was, until Inuyasha started laughing hysterically, still kneeling next to her. "What's so funny?" Snarked Kagome, as she strained to move her arms that were still covered with the other armor.
"You don't have enough experience points to use the basic-level armor that Miroku picked out for you," he barked, practically falling over in laughter. "Holy fuck, this is… this is fucking rich!"
He was laughing but Inuyasha wasn't happy. It felt like a punch to the gut, right as he began thinking that Kagome mightstand a chance, Inuyasha was reminded that she was a novice, and that he was clearly naïve. Kagome was, evidently, soinexperienced and uninformed that she couldn't wear the already weak armor. 'She's fucked. Truly fucking fucked,' he thought, letting the frustration and helplessness roll out of him in dark chuckles.
"It's not funny, Inuyasha," Sango snapped.
"Can someone please explain to me what's so going on?!" Kagome exclaimed, looking between a cackling half-demon that she had the distinct urge to step on and Sango who looked like she had a very similar urge that she was struggling to resist.
"You're too weak to use the other armor!" Inuyasha managed to get out, wiping a stray tear from his eye that had fallen after laughing too hard.
"I don't understand…"
"Every Player comes in with a set number of experience points," Sango began, giving Inuyasha an icy glare. "The Creators determine the points based on a set of criteria we aren't privy to-"
"But have guessed over time," Inuyasha interrupted, finally standing up again and sucking in a large breath. "The points are how Players are rated and evaluated. They are what we see on the trading floor and how teams decide whether a Player is a good fit or not."
"They also determine what power-ups and equipment you can use in the Arena," Sango finished, glaring at Inuyasha.
"Okay, so…" Kagome pressed, "I'm new… that makes sense that I wouldn't have a lot of those points though, right?"
Inuyasha snorted, shaking his head, another annoying, self-deprecating smile breaking out while Sango shook her head.
"What am I missing here?" Kagome snapped, attempting to cross her arms but failing because the armor was too difficult to move without significant effort.
"Your initial score," Sango began, "is, evidently, much lower than we thought it would be…"
"Like, the Creators think Shippo is stronger than you low," Inuyasha snickered, still having trouble believing it himself. He bit on the side of his cheek, failing to understand what was happening literally right in front of him.
She was a novice, sure, but to rate her lower than a child? Shippo was a demon and Kagome human, that explained some of the point differential, but Kagome was still older and stronger, or, rather, she should have been. He stared at the ground, stifling another bitter chuckle. 'Ayame said she was strong… what the actual fuck?'
Kagome's cheeks burned and her gaze fell to the ground as she swallowed down her embarrassment. 'Great. Inuyasha is never going to let me live this-'
"Hey," Inuyasha murmured suddenly, "don't worry about it. The Creators get a lot of things wrong. Just keep working at it and the points will come. You get points through battles. So, make it through tomorrow and you'll be strong enough to wear the dumb armor in no time."
The softness and understanding in his tone caught both Sango and Kagome off guard. Kagome would have stepped back, both physically and mentally imbalanced by the uncharacteristic kindness he'd just displayed but evidently, she was too weak to use the fucking armor and it held her mostly in place.
Sango raised a single brow, her mulberry gaze watching him closely as Inuyasha moved around Kagome, beginning the process of removing all the plates of armor that restricted her mobility. Her eyes flickered between Inuyasha and Kagome, taking note of the way Kagome's gaze adamantly averted Inuyasha's as he worked around her, even as her cheeks grew rosy.
"Hey," Sango mumbled, drawing Inuyasha's attention. "Why don't I get her fitted in the other set of armor and you go tell Miroku we need a new plan for Shippo?"
He looked confused at first, his head tilting ever-so-slightly to the side as he perceived Sango. Inuyasha looked up at Kagome for a brief second, not quite understanding what he was doing wrong. Hadn't Sango and Miroku spent the entire fucking day before and morning earlier telling him he was supposed to be nicer and more helpful? And now that he was trying not to be an overt dick after catching the abhorrent expression that was Kagome's embarrassment and self-loathing after learning the Creators thought she was weak, Sango was still telling him to take a fucking hike?
'What the hell?' He growled quietly, before rising and walking away. "Fine by me," he muttered, choosing not to fight with Sango over it and just go talk to Miroku. 'Women.'
"What do you mean by a new plan for Shippo?" Kagome asked, finally able to take a normal breath now that Inuyasha's hands weren't on her.
"That armor," Sango indicated, pointing to the one on the thigh she could move, "was purchased for Shippo so that if we had to break rank and go to you first, he would still have protection."
"Oh," Kagome mumbled, biting down on her lip again. "I don't need-"
"Yes, you do," Sango insisted, pulling off the pieces that held her in place. "Shippo won't be the target tomorrow. You will. Miroku told me that the rumor mill is spinning a lot of wild theories about you," she paused, mulberry crashing into sapphire. "The other teams are nervous about you. They don't want to face another Kikyo."
"But I don't even know how-"
"They don't know that and, more importantly, we aren't going to tell them that, okay? Let them think you're strong."
"Why?"
"If they think you're powerful, it means they might hesitate and a moment's hesitation is the difference between a mere cut and a dagger through the chest. It could save your life."
"But won't they just realize that I suck after tomorrow?" She asked flatly.
"Not necessarily. They may figure it out after a few rounds if we can't get you to use your healing powers but… you're new. They know that you're still adjusting. Any and all fuck ups can be blamed on that. Or, at least, that's what we'll be telling people."
"Oh," Kagome mumbled. "So you started the rumors?"
Sango smiled over at Kagome, "not me, but Miroku probably played into the hand we were dealt. He really enjoys stirring the pot in the Square. It's part of the strategy. Right now, you are both our biggest advantage and biggest liability."
"How am I an advantage?" Kagome asked, rolling her shoulders and stretching out her limbs after all the higher-level armor was fully removed.
"Because," Sango smirked, winking over at Kagome as she placed the lower level armor along her limbs, "you're a wild card. The other team may hesitate because it's a smarter thing to do until they know what you're capable of."
"Can't they just take a look at the armor and realize I'm not strong?" Kagome pressed.
"No. Inuyasha wasn't lying when he said that the Creators get a lot of things wrong. For example, Koga, he's an ally, he was one of the lowest rated Players ever when he first arrived. Now he heads the wolf-demon team and they are one of the most respected units in the Games. What matters isn't the ranking you start with, but what you do in the Arena." Sango gave her a reassuring smile, repressing the pit forming in her stomach.
"Okay," Kagome responded, feeling a small swell of determination burn across her chest. "So, do well and show everyone I am strong. Got it."
"Great! That's exactly the attitude we need!" Sango cheered, strapping the last piece of the lighter armor in place. "Okay, you ready to go at it with Inuyasha again?"
"Can't I train with someone less… him?" Whined Kagome.
Sango chuckled, briefly looking over to notice that Inuyasha had definitely heard Kagome's comment and had turned to glare in their direction. "I know you guys don't get along very well but he's a great fighter. You'll get the most out of your lessons if you train with him. Yeah, he'll take joy in making you look dumb but he won't go easy on you. It sucks in training, makes you want to gouge his eyes out, but it does make a crucial difference in the Arena."
"Alright," Kagome bemoaned, begrudgingly accepting that, at least for the time being, for better or worse, she and Inuyasha would be spending a good deal of time together.
"Oi, you ready?" Inuyasha asked, though it sounded a lot more like an accusation than a genuine question.
"Yeah, she's good to go," answered Sango for Kagome. "Give him hell," she winked, patting Kagome on the shoulder before jogging over to where Miroku and Shippo were practicing.
Inuyasha walked over to the stand that Kagome had noticed the prior evening, amber eyes dragging along the collection of knives. His hand hovered over a few before plucking out two and turning as Kagome walked up to him. "That armor work better?"
"Yeah, I can actually move in it though it's still uncomfortable." She felt her cheeks heat in embarrassment, frowning at the desire she felt to impress Inuyasha and win his approval. Kagome felt a need to prove to him that despite all the odds – her lack of knowledge, her status as a human, her inability to channel her healing power, and her low starting score – that she was worth it, that she had value, even if nothing else evidenced it.
"Get over it. Metal isn't meant to be comfy; it's meant to prevent a sword from slicing up your organs," he chastised, facing her and holding up the two identical daggers. "We're going to holster these on your thighs, got it? These are for emergency use but you need to get used to having them and drawing them."
"Alright," Kagome answered, worrying her lip.
"What is it now?" Inuyasha sneered, his tone laced with an irritation that hadn't been there a moment earlier.
Truthfully, she had been thinking about how wrong it was to be excited that he was going to touch her again but she couldn't very well tell him that, especially not when he was already so frustrated with her. Kagome frowned.
"Are-are we practicing with knives now?" It felt like a dumb question, but Kagome had been mentally pre-occupied, and he was staring at her expectantly.
"You are, yes," Inuyasha rolled his eyes.
"But… you're not?"
"No. I don't need sharpened metal," he scoffed, lifting up his free hand and showing off his claws.
"But what about a bow-" Kagome suggested, looking forlornly over at the large bow that sat, untouched, in its spot from last night.
"Absolutely not," Inuyasha scoffed. "I don't have enough time to teach you how to use a goddam bow before tomorrow and even if I did, this is still more important. Basics first. Can't run before you walk."
"But I alre-"
"No, princess. No goddamn bow. We are playing with knives now, okay?" He growled, earning him a deep frown and defiant glare from Kagome. "Once you get a feel for the terrain in the Arena we can think about training you on that but right now," Inuyasha continued, holding up the daggers in her face, "right now, we need to make sure you actually see tomorrow evening. A bow is a long-range weapon, you still need to learn close combat."
"Fine," Kagome grunted.
"Awesome," Inuyasha muttered sarcastically, reducing the already thin space between them to nothing more than a sliver of air as his free hand slid down her leg before circling under the back of her knee and hiking it up.
Kagome inhaled sharply, surprised by the action. He held up her leg, almost against his hip, with one hand and the daggers in the other. "You see this?" He stated, pointing one of the blades toward a band embedded in her uniform. She nodded, afraid to speak, and bit down on her lip. "You slide the dagger in here," Inuyasha informed, carefully slipping a holster through the band and tightening it. "Pull it."
"What?" She choked out.
"Make sure it's secure," he growled, dropping her leg. "If you're running you need it to stay in place but you also need to be able to use the damn thing. So… pull it out."
"Right, right," she muttered, glaring at him then yanking the dagger out with too much force, almost slicing Inuyasha's right cheek as her hand flew through the air.
"Be careful!" He hissed, backing up and chastising her.
Kagome laughed nervously while sliding the dagger back into its holster. "Sorry…"
He rolled his eyes and handed her the other one. "Okay, you put this one on."
"Oh, you're not going to-"
"No," Inuyasha sneered, narrowing his eyes and shaking his head as if she'd asked him if he preferred eating garbage over fresh food. "That was to show you where the fuck it went. I'm not going to fucking dress you and shit."
"Right, right… no, that makes sense…."
He rolled his eyes, unimpressed with her pathetic attempt to cover her embarrassment. "Just do it so we can get back to practice. We still have a lot to cover before nightfall and we can't be late to meet Ayame."
"Ayame?"
"She's a healer," he explained. "Do you not remember her from yesterday? She's the one that fixed your broken skull."
Kagome frowned, "it's all a little fuzzy to be honest."
"I didn't ask for your life's story. Just put the dagger on and let's go."
The rest of training had been just as, if not more, harrowing than the first half. Inuyasha pushed her again and again on evasive tactics, with the added bonus that she could try to occasionally prick him with a dagger. Kagome rather enjoyed that aspect, though it was during those moments when she pulled out a knife that she experienced what his true speed looked like. Most times she barely caressed the top of the handle before he pinned her to the ground, grinning down at her triumphantly while she was left huffing in frustration.
He was a fast fucker that was for sure.
It both made her revere him and fear more for her life. Especially when he'd off handedly tossed out a comment that he wasn't even the fastest Player. Not for the first time, it reminded her how fragile she was in comparison to everyone else she came across.
Occasionally, during water breaks, Kagome had looked over to where the others were training. They all looked like masters of their crafts, even Shippo who she knew was still learning and growing into his powers. And then there was her… the odd potato who the Creators dubbed as a weak little chicken shit. After her day with Inuyasha, more and more, Kagome was beginning to think that the Creator's weren't really that off about her. She hadn't so much as been able to nick Inuyasha once with a dagger, though she had tried really hard to.
"How are you feeling, Kagome?" Shippo asked cheerily, jumping up and landing on her shoulder, big green eyes wide, smiling at her like she actually meant something.
"Exhausted and sore," she answered. "You?"
"I'm tired too but excited for dinner! And don't worry, Ayame will take care of the soreness."
A multitude of questions bubbled in Kagome's mind as they closed the distance between the path and their campsite. Sure enough, as soon as the line of brush and trees broke, Kagome could make out the silhouette of another person making herself at home around their fire pit.
Kagome examined her closely but smiled as she approached. She didn't recognize the face but she immediately recognized the aura. It had been one of the few that broke through the cloud of pain she had felt the previous day. Vivid memories of a sing-song voice whispering to her floated through Kagome's mind as the woman came fully into view.
"Good to see you again!" Ayame exclaimed, smiling warmly at the group.
"How did your match go yesterday?" Miroku asked, returning her warm greeting with a confident smile.
She shrugged, "not our best performance but we still won handedly."
"Please share our congratulations with Koga," Miroku continued.
"Will do but I believe we have more pressing matters at the moment," Ayame commented, her brilliant emerald eyes landing on Kagome. "How are you feeling today?"
"A little beaten up," Kagome responded honestly.
Ayame nodded, "Inuyasha is a tough trainer but he's really good."
"You've trained with him?" Kagome questioned, surprised by the compliment.
"Mmhmm, our teams will scrimmage when we each have longer breaks between games. You'll see soon enough, I'm sure. Oh, but… I didn't get your name yesterday," Ayame mentioned, suddenly remembering and walking over to her.
"Kagome."
"Kagome, nice to officially meet you," she grinned. "Now, let's get you healed up so you're in tip-top shape for your battle tomorrow."
"We'll be over here, okay, Kagome?" Sango informed, pointing to the sleeping quarters where the rest of the team had assembled.
Kagome nodded dumbly before taking a seat next to Ayame. "So, um… how often do healers heal people?" Kagome asked, watching in fascination as Ayame pulled a petal out from the flower in her hair and smashed it between her hands.
"It depends on the healer's strength but typically the evening before a game and after a game. It's important to keep Players in as best shape as possible," she answered, smoothing the crushed pieces of the petal over her hands and closing her eyes. "We are used constantly, though. The weaker ones need to conserve their energy, so those teams are typically desperate for a stronger one. Most teams covet their healers."
"Okay," Kagome murmured, mesmerized by the blue glow that began to emanate from Ayame's hands where she'd spread the petals across.
"Let's start with your arms so you can become accustomed to the feeling, okay?" She stated cheerily. Kagome nodded, extending her left hand and feeling a warm tingle against her skin as Ayame's hands clasped around hers.
"Is it… is it okay if I keep asking questions?"
"Yes!" Ayame giggled, "I imagine you have several."
"I do," she mumbled, shivering as Ayame slowly pushed her hands up along her wrist to her forearm but also fascinated, watching each cut and bruise beneath her hand fade into non-existence. The individual wounds itched for a second as Ayame worked, but otherwise Kagome almost found the practice relaxing. "So healers heal their teammates all the time, really?"
"Yes, our roles include taking care of not only serious injuries but training injuries too."
"That sounds exhausting. Does it take a lot out of you?"
Ayame hummed for a minute, thinking about the question before answering. "I'm a different kind of healer," she began, "I draw my healing capabilities and strengths from different sources. Each healer is unique in their own way but it depends on where and how you access your healing powers, really. I only get exhausted if there are really big, traumatic injuries, like a broken limb or a really gruesome wound."
"Are there healers for healers?" Kagome asked, only partially kidding.
"There are actually! That's usually how most alliances start between teams. Healers play a pivotal role, so taking care of them is important. We form alliances so that no one is ever without healing capabilities between rounds."
"That sounds so… pleasant in comparison to what I've heard about the Arena…"
Ayame chuckled, pressing her hands into Kagome's shoulders, "most of us aren't bad people - or demons - we're just… we're here. And we all want to survive. Not everyone makes alliances but most do. It's rough in the Arena but it doesn't have to be as rough outside of it."
"How long have you been here?" Kagome asked, lowering her voice to a near whisper.
"Not as long as most of the others," she admitted, sliding her hands across Kagome's clavicles and adjusting her position as she reached for her other shoulder and arm.
"Ho-how do you get the will to fight so much?" She whispered, feeling guilty for asking such a question. "I'm exhausted at the prospect of it… I can't… how do all the Players manage it?"
"Ah, so no one has told you about the prize," she purred, pausing to look at Kagome.
"The prize?" Kagome mumbled, her gaze meeting Ayame's as the demoness's hands returned to sliding down the end of her right arm.
"The prize for winning the games," Ayame explained, "is your freedom."