Inu-Yasha

Warrior's Lust

Written by: Spike (still don't own Inu-Yasha or his potty mouth!)

A/N: One chapter and it's already loved by a few people… and within a few hours of each other, as well! Now that's a record for me! Anyways, on with the story! Oh, and one more thing – if a sentence appears in italics, it means that the character whom I'm currently writing in their perspective is speaking.

Inu-Yasha

Great… we get to eat more bread. You'd think that living in a place as regal as a castle would merit some half-decent food. Feh… I'll go hunt some unsuspecting village rats later. At least THEY taste better than this piece of shit. As I slowly began to chew upon the wasteful resource of meat, the doors of the dining room were thrown open. There, in the doorway, stood a soldier, wounded in several places and bleeding like a heart valve. Immediately, he was placed on one of the several beds lining the outside of the room, while Sesshoumaru called for nurses to dress his wounds. Meanwhile, he stepped up to the soldier and gave a quick examination of him, sniffing him up and down his body, checking both pulse and heartbeat upon instinct. As the nurses finally arrived, he began speaking to the man.

"You are not of our villages, young man. Why have you come to us so badly wounded and in distress?"

The man stared into my brother's emotion-filled eyes, probably scared half to death. After a moment, Sesshoumaru spoke again.

"Demons have attacked you – their scent rests upon your wounds. Let me now make an educated guess – a pack of vicious demons attacked your kingdom while you were on guard duty, and you are probably the only survivor left."

The man nodded, visibly shaking. Sesshoumaru turned to me, a look of worry upon his face.

"Inu-Yasha, this is an item worthy of inspection. His kingdom is a mere mile away from our own. Select a team of scouts and take them with you to this kingdom. Check every village within – try to see if there are any survivors, or if you can find out more about the demons who attacked."

Hmph… great - another scouting job. This is exactly what my brother makes me do every damn time.

"Fine, I'll go. But what if the demons end up coming here? I mean, you said yourself that the kingdom is only a mere mile away. Are you sure taking a portion of our soldiers is wise at this time?"

"Do you have any other ideas, then, my brother?"

I fell silent. No, I didn't have any other ideas, but at the same time, I didn't find a scouting job necessary for something like this. Of course… it's not like I have any say in the matter.

"Alright. Jaken! Summon forth 25 soldiers for Inu-Yasha to take with him. I expect a full report, my brother."

I watched as Jaken headed out for the barracks to give the news to the soldiers. I had come to believe that avoiding my brother's eyes was wisest when being given an order.

Sango (training within the castle barracks)

"Hyah!!"

I gave another forceful swing, bringing the steel blade downward. With an almighty strike, the practice dummy was broken. At this, the soldiers watching me gave a heavy sigh.

"Dammit, Sango, that's the third dummy this week? Can't you just go back to the village and do chores, like a normal woman??"

I merely grinned. This type of talk was typical among the soldiers – everyone was always so mad that I was one of the few women chosen to be a soldier of our landlord. It was something that few people ever got over. I was about to return to my private bedroom when Sesshoumaru's servant, Jaken, appeared at the front door. In his usual raspy voice (which had given me the creeps from the first time I'd heard it), he fed us the news.

"Lord Sesshoumaru requests 25 soldiers for a scouting job involving a nearby kingdom's most recent attack from demons. Anyone may apply if they feel they are up to the challenge. If you are ready, willing, and able to do this task, please step forward now!"

I joined a small pack of men moving forward to accept the job. There couldn't be much danger in this, anyway… right? Besides, it was a lot better than fending Miroku off from her room (it was nearly time for him to try again, anyway). When all 25 soldiers were chosen, we were taken from the barracks inside the castle and up the elegant staircase to Sesshoumaru's throne room, where our loving landlord sat upon his throne. Next to him, in what would usually be the prince's seat, sat his little brother, Inu-Yasha. Both had been the father of the bravest dog demon to ever walk this planet, and yet no one knows who their mother was. It was all very mysterious, but the father's story made for a very heart-warming bedtime story of heroism. The 25 soldiers, myself included, knelt down before our lord, while Jaken eagerly jumped up to his right-hand man seat next to Sesshoumaru.

"Ah, excellent. All 25 of you in tip-top condition, and I see we also have our beloved Sango joining the scout, as well…" He eyed Sango excitedly, like he was still a little child. He always did this whenever I volunteered for something, as even he found it rather odd that I'd try to be here with the other soldiers. But, unlike the others, he had embraced my decision, and even gave me my own private bedroom (as I was not a guy, it would be rather embarrassing for me to use the usual living quarters). Now, I kneel before him, awaiting his instruction.

"Your orders are very simple: follow Inu-Yasha to the nearby kingdom and scout for any survivors of the attack, or any stray demons wondering about the area. I do wish you to exercise caution… who knows what else may be lurking about in the wilderness outside our kingdom."

We stood up now, looking towards Inu-Yasha for instructions. I've always wondered why he wouldn't be excited about doing this type of stuff. It just never made sense that he'd take this type of responsibility for granted. The younger brother stood up, heaved a deep sigh, and spoke.

"Let's go. I'm feeling fatigued already by today's events, and I'd rather not spend the night out on a mission. I'm sure all of you feel the same way."

Well, here we go. Down the front steps and out the castle, then through the kingdom's star village and out into the wilderness. From here, the danger of our lives increases dramatically. That's just the way I like it…!

Miroku (in a hidden space above Sango's room)

Ah… perfect. She's gone out on a mission – thank the heavens for that man's impeccable timing! Now I may be partially free to roam her room. I must somehow exact my revenge against her for slapping me so thusly in the face. Asking a woman to bear his child is common of a man… so why do I get intentionally hurt for it?

Shh… no time to talk, now. Being extremely careful, I removed the small grate from my hiding space, then jumped downward. Like a cat, I landed on her rug, kneeling down to further soften the noise. Wait a few seconds, and… yes! No one heard me.

Now… where'd she hide it this time? I had discovered, during my first raid of her bedroom, an unusual pink, leathery object, with two large, circular outward edges on the front and an odd little strap on the back. It had confused me for many a hour, and now I've come to ultimately crack the mystery. Alas, it was only a few minutes before I heard noise nearby the room, and knew it wasn't safe to search anymore. Returning to cat-like instincts, I jumped back into the hide space, pulling the grate up behind me.

Dammit…! Failed again!

-Spike (Blood of the Valor, give me strength!)