-Sorry it took so long to update, I'm kind of a procrastinator, well that's an understatement.... ~.~; anyway, here's a response or two to some of the peoples that reviewed, (Not all, just a few.) And as for Inuyasha...well...nevermind...

Strawberry Shortcake: Sorry for the short chapters, I try to make them long...they just sorta...end....-.-;
Rainfall: Ditto above ^ .....-.-;;
(Blank reviewer): Yeah's it's a s/k

Avihenda and AngelXS: You may already know, but you're not going to find out till...possibly next chapter...I'm not quite sure....

SB: ??? Is it safe to ask why you hate it? Like in specifics? I'd be interested to know.
avihenda:Questions questions that will be explained later on, besides if I told you now then there goes my fanfic huh? ^___^

))))Also, FYI: The society/something of youkai have created a form of government, there are THREE dominant rulers/big 'dogs'/masters of the world/etc. The rest are under there rule. (((((

These are going to be on every chapter so that you can come back to it for referance if stuff/people are being sold....
a single Venle: about $700,000,000 us dollars...
a single Noer(nO eR): about 700,000 us dollars...
a single Xev(Z eV): about 7,000

Ruling Youkai

Chapter 3: To Break a Spirit

She rubbed her eyes, she was noticeably gawking; and that alone made one stupid. Ignoring the figures in the tent she jumped off the roof of the dais and ran towards the awaiting form of Ryo.

The large stallion nickered softly at her return, nudging against her with his forehead. She glanced back once, sheathed her dagger, and then pulled herself up onto the stallions back and rode towards the sanctuary, already forming her plan of attack upon the ignorant youkai.

"She'll be back." A boyish voice spoke gruffly, a small growl escaping his clenched lips.

"Probably some damned human spy with petty, low-level magicks." He added rudely at having been spied on while conversing with a long time friend.

"..." The other said nothing as he simply let his mind work it out about this newfound refugee spy.

Loud cheers of agreement broke the silence of the shrine as everyone took up three cheers for Kagome and her masterful plan. She blushed at the amount of enthusiasm these people were exhibiting; but then it dissolved, they were no better than the youkai, they just wanted there revenge in blood for the loved ones they had all lost.

Kagome couldn't blame them for there hate, but it still wasn't right to kill another just for revenge. Because no matter how many you killed, the ones you lost would never come back. She sighed as she walked to her room; closing the door behind her she unslung her bow and quiver full of poison-tipped arrows.

She fell onto her bead with a heavy sigh; tomorrow, she might die. A harsh laugh escaped from her, Kagome didn't really mind if she died, at least she might get the chance to take the three responsible for enslavery into hell with her. She groaned once before falling into a heavy sleep.

"...kagome...Kagome...Kagome!" A muffled voice reached her ears, she felt herself shaking, being gripped by the shoulders, her head lolled to the side before she cracked open an eye.

"It's almost time, hurry." Kodosa's unusually soft voice reached her ears.

Looking at him she saw three red stripes across the eye that was missing and he wore a special type of cloth that prevented youkai from piercing the flesh; 'from a firerat...' Kagome thought absently as she roused herself from sleep.

Kododsa gave a curt nod before turning and exiting her bedroom.

Kagome stretched briefly then pulled on her own armor; also from that of a firerat, except her clothes were more modernized, the tight black armor laced up the front, stopping just below her naval. The shirt was a long-sleeved turtleneck that was tight around her wrists and neck, it was due to the thick leather bands on them, littered with razor sharp spikes. She tied her hair up on top of her head so as not to distract her or be snagged during battle.

The reason for the spikes was to keep herself from being strangled if a youkai got to close, leaving any vital organ ungaurded when going out to battle any youkai was likely to come back to the sanctuary; in pieces.

She laced up her boots and hid several small daggers strategically around her body, she strapped a small short sword to her hip. Her bow and quiver were strapped across her back, a deadly glaive in her right hand.

Exiting her room for what she knew to be the final time Kagome met the several dozen able men and women armed and ready, most carried weapons similar to hers, a few had machine guns and revolvers. That was another thing, the TRY had destroyed most if not all types of guns and bombs, making sure only they had that sort of power.

Bullets could kill youkai, if their heart had been pumped full of them that is. In the long run all they did was put a nick in there defenses, nothing more.

She nodded once, everyone made there way above ground; the pregnant, young, and old watched as there only chance for a better future walked out to fight the ones responsible for the fall of humankind.

Once above groundlevel Kagome nodded to a particularly bold woman on her left, she didn't bother to answer as she began casting a barrier spell. It would hide there scents and movements, until it was time to fight.

Kagome whistled, instantly the large black youkai stallion appeared in front of her. The others took a step back and some even aimed there guns to fire.

"No!" Kagome called out to her men as she mounted Ryo whom heald his head high, full of his youkai pride.

"This is Ryo Gintaka; the youkai sentenced to an eternity in his true form for helping thousands of slaves. You owe him your respect." Kagome spoke to her group of refugees, some stood there ground, taking the safety off there guns.

"Ashumei, you owe your daughters life to this man, if it weren't for him, she would not have been smuggled out safely to the sanctuary." Kagome said to one woman that had been holding a shotgun.

The woman slowly lowered her weapon, studied the stallion Kagome was seated upon then gave a bow of thanks and respect.

The horse snorted and returned the bow.

Another spell was cast by several men and women, instantly the gathered men and women lifted up into the air, flying towards there destination at a breakneck pace.

They passed over many tall buildings and old ruins, some of the men spitting upon the heads of unaware youkai jerking there servants forward.

Wordlessly the group split up into three sections, each with their own sorcerer or sorceress. The first group broke up into smaller groups, landing silently on top of the roofs of the small merchant shops that were busy with youkai and packed with slaves. The second did the same but landed around the slave cages, already picking the locks and giving the slaves instructions.

Kagome's group headed straight for the auction blocks that were already parading nude concubines back and forth. Each member floated above there designated sections, waiting for there leaders signal. For as soon as they landed, the barrier would dispel.

Kagome herself was directly above the dais where she'd been last night, she glanced around, seeing dozens of rich youkai bid for the best piece of flesh they could rut with until they were torn and scarred from there rough treatment.

"One noer and four xevs!" one youkai shouted.

"Two noers and SIX xevs!" the other shouted.

"Three noers and 14 xevs!" a new bidder yelled.

It was no secret that youkai were sadistic bedpartners; it was more like a public secret. Everyone knew it, nobody said anything.

"SOLD! To the youkai in the lovely blue kimono!" The auctioneer cheered.

Squeezing her glaive she stood on Ryo's back, said her silent goodbyes then jumped from her mount with a bloodcurdling battle cry, to land on the stage. She sliced the youkai auctioneer's neck, his blood gushing from his paling throat as he fell to the ground, dead.

Youkai everywhere screamed, gasped, and twisted this way and that in surprise at there sudden attack. Their momentary shock would last only moments until they attacked. But that had given Kagome's men the momentary advantage.

They fell like stones out of the sky as they each picked a youkai to slaughter before moving onto the next one. Jumping from the stage she rushed a large boar youkai with the bladed end of her glaive, sending her miko powers through the weapon to blast against the surprised demon.

His eyes glazed over with a clear film of death.

Her eye's scanned the dais, there faces were shaded but the three responsible for everything were sitting calmly in there seats, not being attacked, not killing others. Just watching her with sadistic amusement.

Wiping her blade on the bloodied kimono of another youkai she'd killed she made a direct pathway towards them; heading for the one in the center. She stopped a few feet away, her eyes glowing with anger as her body began to glow blue.

She raised her glaive to attack when the sound froze her in her tracks, chilling her blood to the bones. Kagome heard the strangled cry of an animal in pain, she looked up to see Ryo's shiny black mane, matted with fresh blood, the large black eyes of her beloved friend stared into her blue-green ones, in a flash of an instant, they'd become lifeless.

Nothing registered in her mind. Everything was blank, she didn't hear the sounds of battle, the screams directed towards her, nor the dead youkai she'd mysteriously killed that now lay at her feet. Only then did she notice the colors, everything was a hazy, bloody red. She felt her teeth clench in pain, anger, and sorrow.

A haughty laughter caught her attention. She jerked her gaze towards a lean-muscled man sitting on the far left in the dais, she noticed his bloody claws that he brought to his lips as he licked Ryo's blood.

A great nothingness filled her mind and body as she walked brazenly up the steps and stood before the now silent youkai member of TRY. She slammed the blade of her glaive into the wood, not before it pierced his foot, nailing it to the floor, he released a howl of pain, he lashed out at her with his claws, they made a sound of scraping metal as it collided with her armor.

Unstrapping her bow with amazing calmness and sureity Kagome pulled a single poison-tipped arrow and aimed it into the man's trembling forehead. She pulled the bow back as far as it was able without snapping, and held it there with bated breath.

"Kukukuku...Tell me your name so I may carve it on your flesh, so that whenever I look at your pretty corpse I will know who tried to avenge the pathetic stallion." The mans haughty voice spoke levely though he trembled with rage.

"Kagome Higuirashi." She answered dead pan.

Preparing to release the arrow Kagome quickly swung the bow to the left, releasing the arrow with a 'twang'. It sailed through the air with deadly accuracy, embedding itself deep into the forehead of a youkai that had nearly killed four of her men that had been busy with others.

Saving her men had been her downfall as Kagome turned back to face the TRY member only to have a fist connect with her jaw. The blow sent her through the air to land heavily on the ground, four to five feet away from TRY. Getting back on her feet she grabbed a hidden dagger and flung it at the now standing youkai; filling it with a blast of her miko powers.

The blade became lodged in the youkai's hand, he clutched his wrist in pain as his entire right arm disintergrated into ashes, leaving him nothing in it's place. Ashes slipped through his claws; the dagger clattered to the floor.

"YOU WILL DIE!" He howled in anger as he charged at her.

Instantly a large, old fashioned shield appeared in front of the furious youkai, he collided head on and fell to the ground, his head spinning.

"Don't you interfere fox! I have no qualms with you!" The demon howled as he bared his clawed hand at the shield.

"No, I want her!" The shield spoke, "I'll pay for her life." He added.

"Naga! Cast the spells and get everyone out of here, fight another day! Bury Ryo for me by the father tree!" Kagome ordered as her loyal ali(?) nodded swiftly and cast the spells.

Instantly the men and women were shielded, corpse, wounded, and still fighting were dragged up into the air, headed for the shrine. Her friend Ryo trailing in the air behind.

The lone figure who still sat in the middle seat upon the dais wave a stripped hand towards something. Instantly several guards had encircled Kagome, they wore gask masks and four of them had tazers, another three had large nets. She was soon electrocuted into submission, the nets further becoming entangled as she faught to get free.

"NO! I will kill her!" The other growled.

"There's only one way to settle this then." The shield said as he turned into a puff of red smoke, standing in his place, a tall, thin-muscled teen with a shiny fox tail protruding from his backside. Wild red-brown hair tied back half-hazardly, his ears were pointed and his features were hardened yet still held the boyish charm of a kid.

"We auction her," he said, "Whoever bids the highest gets to keep her." He stated flattly.

"Hmph." The youkai snorted, "It's obvious who'll win, but I'll allow you to be shamed in public so as to better me." He growled.

"Get her ready then." The youkai snapped to the guards.

"What impatience Naraku." The teen snorted as he took his seat back upon the dais.

"As were you, you sniveling littly kit! If I didn't know better I'd say you liked the wench!" The demon named Naraku retaliated.

"As if you'd know any better you baka! Look who fell in love with a corpse!" He shot back.

Kagome struggled against her captors as they tore off her armor with ease; apparently they'd dealt with this type of clothing before...-.-* She struggled relentlessly, flaring small bits of her power towards the youkai, several lay dead at her feet.

"Keep you hands off of me!!!" She screamed as the armor and her under garments were ripped from her body, to land in tatters on the floor.

She held her hands over her body, trying to shield herself from the eyes that watched her with a different look, lust.

"Time to auction you of on the slave block you pretty little ningen." A frog youkai croaked to her, dragged her towards the stage where the uninjured youkai roared in impatience.

"...No...!" She gasped as she strained against his arms.

She felt a sting in her arm as a cat youkai retracted her claw from Kagome's arm. The sedative was already calming her nerves, placing her in an intoxicated state of consciousness, willingly walking out onto the stage into the bright sunlight.

'My. . . .my last day. . . . of. . . . my last day of. . . . freedom. . .' She thought dimly before the sun blinded her.

-*MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA*coughing horribly* Anyway...that's the end of that chapter, I'm so proud of myself, I ended exactly where I wanted to! YAY! ^__________^ (Obviously you can tell that this does not happen very often for me...-.-;) tomorrow I'm going to write up the (4th?) chapter of Lost Within and then post it, r/r, you know the rules by now...-
Next chapter will be Chapter 4: The Price of Flesh