Chapter 2
Human Slave
Inuyasha walked down the row of slaves, peering into each face, smelling them as he went. Which one had the human smell? Youkai, youkai, more youkai... had he been mistaken? But wait...there! He walked to the end of the line. Standing between two demons was a beautiful young girl. The hanyou stared at her. She had long raven black hair that hung to her waits, big brown eyes framed by long lashes, and full red lips. The dress she wore, the slave uniform, complimented the curves of her body, showing off her shapely legs and quite a bit of cleavage. She couldn't have been more than 18 years old. Shaking his head, Inuyasha turned back to Sesshoumaru.
"So? Why did you pick a human?"
He saw Miroku gazing at her, wide eyed, and frowned.
"Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru smiled, "this is no ordinary human girl. This is a miko."
He walked over to his brother. Wrapping his arms around her tiny waist, he pulled the girl to his chest.
"She's beautiful, isn't she?"
Inuyasha watched the girl flinch as his brother touched her. Sesshoumaru smirked as he ran his hand over her breasts, feeling their firmness. Inuyasha raised his eyebrows. Was that damn youkai going to take her in the middle of the front hall? In front of all the other slaves? *Well,* he thought darkly, *at least they'd know what was coming to them.* But...
"Sessh, this really isn't the place for that. Get a room, if you have to."
His brother looked at him.
"Why?"
"Do you really think that the rest of us want to watch you?"
Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes and began to kiss the girls neck. The girl looked up at the hanyou. Her tear filled eyes stared into his, begging for him to help her. He sighed.
"Lay off her, Sessh."
Sesshoumaru smirked. "No, I don't think I will." He grabbed the slaves arm. "Maybe I will get a room after all."
Inuyasha stepped in front of them.
"She's new. At least let her get used to the place before you take her." He hissed.
Sesshoumaru glared at him, before turning back to the slave. He ran his hand down the girl's hip, reaching between her legs...
SLAP!!!
She had spun around, hitting him as hard as she could in the face. The youkai didn't even flinch as he put his hand up to feel the red mark on his face. Suddenly the smell of fear filled the air. Inuyasha looked over at the girl, who was staring, terrified, at Sesshoumaru. He could see why. He had never seen his brother this angry before! All of a sudden, the demon lunged at the girl, who screamed and tried to run. Laughing, he caught her, and slapped her face cruelly.
"You will learn your place, bitch!" he shouted.
Sesshoumaru was furious. No one struck him... especially not a slave! He grinned and dug his claws into her pale skin, tearing the flesh as he ripped his hands down her sides. She screamed in pain, and he struck her again. Suddenly the youkai was pushed off her. The girl crumpled to the floor, bleeding. Sesshoumaru looked at his younger brother.
"Leave her be, bro. she doesn't deserve it." Inuyasha said quietly, stepping in front of the girl on the floor.
"Move, hanyou." Sesshoumaru spat at him. "By the time I'm done with her—"
"Do you really want to kill me bro?" Inuyasha cut in softly. "Cuz that's the only way you'll get to her."
The youkai stared at his little brothers determined face, before sneering at him and turning away.
"Don't you think that I'll forget this, bitch!" he yelled back at the girl. Inuyasha sighed and turned to Miroku, who had been watching, wide eyed.
"Miroku, show the other slaves to their quarters."
"O-of course! Right this way, girl."
The hanyou saw his sly look.
"AND DON'T TRY ANYTHING FUNNY!!" he yelled after his friend, before turning back to the girl still lying on the floor.
"Get up wench." He spat at her.
She got up slowly, trembling. He noticed that she was bleeding freely from her wounds.
"Can you walk?" he asked harshly.
She nodded, but collapsed almost immediately. Sighing, Inuyasha picked her up in his arms and carried her to a guest room, down the hall from his own. Laying her on a bed, he stared down at her.
"You'll sleep in here till your wounds heal." He stated, then realized she had fainted, probably from loss of blood. Her injuries were more serious than he had thought. *shit!* he swore to himself, before yelling out into the hall.
"Sango! Get your ass over here!"
He waited. Nobody came.
"SANGO!!!"
Suddenly a girl came into the room. She had waist length black hair and sparkling brown eyes, only, now they were flashing in annoyance.
"Inuyasha! What the hell is wrong? I could hear you shouting from all the way downstairs! I was right in the middle of—" Sango gasped as she caught sight of the girl on the bed.
"Inuyasha!" she shrieked. "Who is she? Look at her! She's covered in blood...those wounds look deep!"
"Just take care of her." spat the hanyou as he stalked out of the room.
************
It was night. Inuyasha lay in his dark room, staring up at the ceiling again. He was angry at himself. Why had he protected that slave? Why hadn't he just let Sesshoumaru take her? It wasn't like he cared about her. She was, after all, just another whore. But...she had looked so helpless, her brown eyes staring pleadingly into his...but, she was a human, capable of many emotions...
The hanyou rolled over and closed his eyes.
A human... he growled as he realized that his brother had never answered his question. Why 'had' Sesshoumaru brought a human to the castle? So what if she was a miko? So what if she was really damn beautiful? Sesshoumaru hated humans! He remembered the girl's wounds. *Well, she's probably figured it out by now. Your there for pleasure. Resist and you get hurt.* he thought darkly. Luckily Sango had been there, so he hadn't needed to deal with the hurt slave himself. He grinned. Sango and Miroku... the taijaya and the hentai... they were his closest friends, ones he had met on his travels. Good thing they had agreed to come to his home when he 'asked', or he probably would have gone mad by now and cracked, such was his hatred for the place...
Inuyasha sighed. Sesshoumaru would be in a rage tomorrow, still angry about the day's earlier events. Well, he would just have to live with it till his brother cooled down.
The hanyou slowly drifted off into sleep, his last conscious thought about the miko down the hall...
************
He woke the next morning, rolling over into a patch of bright sunlight. The hanyou hissed in pain, and covered his eyes before moving to the edge of the bed, away from the offending light. Not yet completely awake, Inuyasha sighed and closed his tired eyes. He couldn't go back to sleep, however. It seemed like there was something he should be remembering, something that had happened recently...but what?
Then it clicked. His eyes shot open as he quickly sat up. Sesshoumaru's anger. The hurt miko slave. Groaning he got out of bed and got dressed. Stumbling down the hall towards the room she was in, he wondered to himself why he was bothering to go and check on her.
*I should have just told Sango that when the wench was better to have her sent down to the servant quarters. Now I have to go myself* he grumbled, as he pushed open the door.
Inside, he saw Sango asleep in a chair, and the girl lying on the bed where he had left her last night. Walking past her, he tapped his friend on the shoulder. When she didn't move, he frowned, looking down at her face. There were black rings under her eyes, and Inuyasha realized guiltily that she had probably been up all night. Should he let her sleep? Suddenly she groaned, and sat up rubbing her eyes.
*Well, scratch that idea.* he thought.
"I-Inuyasha? What t-time is it?" Sango yawned.
"9:47am, babe." Inuyasha grinned at her.
She gasped. "I should have been up long ago! How is she?"
"I was about to ask you the same question. What happened last night?"
"Not much. She fell asleep as I was cleaning her cuts. There pretty d- deep." Sango yawned again.
"So why were you up half the night, then?"
"I didn't want to fall asleep in case she got worse."
"I see."
Movement from the bed across the room startled them as they looked round. The girl was waking up, and Sango rushed to her side. She helped the miko sit up. Inuyasha saw her wince, as she leaned back against the headboard.
"Inuyasha, stay with her a moment, will you? I have to go get some fresh bandages. Just a sec." Sango rushed out of the room.
Walking over to the bed, the hanyou stared down at the girl's small crumpled form. There was something about her that intrigued him...
The girl looked up onto beautiful golden eyes, and gasped. It was the man who had helped her! He leaned down closer to her, staring deep into her eyes. She blushed at their nearness.
Inuyasha smirked. "So, bitch, recovered yet?"
She nodded and looked away. The hanyou frowned, and gripped her chin, turning her head so she was forced to meet his gaze.
"What's your name, wench?" he asked, and then he was surprised at himself. It wasn't like he wanted to know...
Her blush became darker.
"Kagome."
Inuyasha walked down the row of slaves, peering into each face, smelling them as he went. Which one had the human smell? Youkai, youkai, more youkai... had he been mistaken? But wait...there! He walked to the end of the line. Standing between two demons was a beautiful young girl. The hanyou stared at her. She had long raven black hair that hung to her waits, big brown eyes framed by long lashes, and full red lips. The dress she wore, the slave uniform, complimented the curves of her body, showing off her shapely legs and quite a bit of cleavage. She couldn't have been more than 18 years old. Shaking his head, Inuyasha turned back to Sesshoumaru.
"So? Why did you pick a human?"
He saw Miroku gazing at her, wide eyed, and frowned.
"Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru smiled, "this is no ordinary human girl. This is a miko."
He walked over to his brother. Wrapping his arms around her tiny waist, he pulled the girl to his chest.
"She's beautiful, isn't she?"
Inuyasha watched the girl flinch as his brother touched her. Sesshoumaru smirked as he ran his hand over her breasts, feeling their firmness. Inuyasha raised his eyebrows. Was that damn youkai going to take her in the middle of the front hall? In front of all the other slaves? *Well,* he thought darkly, *at least they'd know what was coming to them.* But...
"Sessh, this really isn't the place for that. Get a room, if you have to."
His brother looked at him.
"Why?"
"Do you really think that the rest of us want to watch you?"
Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes and began to kiss the girls neck. The girl looked up at the hanyou. Her tear filled eyes stared into his, begging for him to help her. He sighed.
"Lay off her, Sessh."
Sesshoumaru smirked. "No, I don't think I will." He grabbed the slaves arm. "Maybe I will get a room after all."
Inuyasha stepped in front of them.
"She's new. At least let her get used to the place before you take her." He hissed.
Sesshoumaru glared at him, before turning back to the slave. He ran his hand down the girl's hip, reaching between her legs...
SLAP!!!
She had spun around, hitting him as hard as she could in the face. The youkai didn't even flinch as he put his hand up to feel the red mark on his face. Suddenly the smell of fear filled the air. Inuyasha looked over at the girl, who was staring, terrified, at Sesshoumaru. He could see why. He had never seen his brother this angry before! All of a sudden, the demon lunged at the girl, who screamed and tried to run. Laughing, he caught her, and slapped her face cruelly.
"You will learn your place, bitch!" he shouted.
Sesshoumaru was furious. No one struck him... especially not a slave! He grinned and dug his claws into her pale skin, tearing the flesh as he ripped his hands down her sides. She screamed in pain, and he struck her again. Suddenly the youkai was pushed off her. The girl crumpled to the floor, bleeding. Sesshoumaru looked at his younger brother.
"Leave her be, bro. she doesn't deserve it." Inuyasha said quietly, stepping in front of the girl on the floor.
"Move, hanyou." Sesshoumaru spat at him. "By the time I'm done with her—"
"Do you really want to kill me bro?" Inuyasha cut in softly. "Cuz that's the only way you'll get to her."
The youkai stared at his little brothers determined face, before sneering at him and turning away.
"Don't you think that I'll forget this, bitch!" he yelled back at the girl. Inuyasha sighed and turned to Miroku, who had been watching, wide eyed.
"Miroku, show the other slaves to their quarters."
"O-of course! Right this way, girl."
The hanyou saw his sly look.
"AND DON'T TRY ANYTHING FUNNY!!" he yelled after his friend, before turning back to the girl still lying on the floor.
"Get up wench." He spat at her.
She got up slowly, trembling. He noticed that she was bleeding freely from her wounds.
"Can you walk?" he asked harshly.
She nodded, but collapsed almost immediately. Sighing, Inuyasha picked her up in his arms and carried her to a guest room, down the hall from his own. Laying her on a bed, he stared down at her.
"You'll sleep in here till your wounds heal." He stated, then realized she had fainted, probably from loss of blood. Her injuries were more serious than he had thought. *shit!* he swore to himself, before yelling out into the hall.
"Sango! Get your ass over here!"
He waited. Nobody came.
"SANGO!!!"
Suddenly a girl came into the room. She had waist length black hair and sparkling brown eyes, only, now they were flashing in annoyance.
"Inuyasha! What the hell is wrong? I could hear you shouting from all the way downstairs! I was right in the middle of—" Sango gasped as she caught sight of the girl on the bed.
"Inuyasha!" she shrieked. "Who is she? Look at her! She's covered in blood...those wounds look deep!"
"Just take care of her." spat the hanyou as he stalked out of the room.
************
It was night. Inuyasha lay in his dark room, staring up at the ceiling again. He was angry at himself. Why had he protected that slave? Why hadn't he just let Sesshoumaru take her? It wasn't like he cared about her. She was, after all, just another whore. But...she had looked so helpless, her brown eyes staring pleadingly into his...but, she was a human, capable of many emotions...
The hanyou rolled over and closed his eyes.
A human... he growled as he realized that his brother had never answered his question. Why 'had' Sesshoumaru brought a human to the castle? So what if she was a miko? So what if she was really damn beautiful? Sesshoumaru hated humans! He remembered the girl's wounds. *Well, she's probably figured it out by now. Your there for pleasure. Resist and you get hurt.* he thought darkly. Luckily Sango had been there, so he hadn't needed to deal with the hurt slave himself. He grinned. Sango and Miroku... the taijaya and the hentai... they were his closest friends, ones he had met on his travels. Good thing they had agreed to come to his home when he 'asked', or he probably would have gone mad by now and cracked, such was his hatred for the place...
Inuyasha sighed. Sesshoumaru would be in a rage tomorrow, still angry about the day's earlier events. Well, he would just have to live with it till his brother cooled down.
The hanyou slowly drifted off into sleep, his last conscious thought about the miko down the hall...
************
He woke the next morning, rolling over into a patch of bright sunlight. The hanyou hissed in pain, and covered his eyes before moving to the edge of the bed, away from the offending light. Not yet completely awake, Inuyasha sighed and closed his tired eyes. He couldn't go back to sleep, however. It seemed like there was something he should be remembering, something that had happened recently...but what?
Then it clicked. His eyes shot open as he quickly sat up. Sesshoumaru's anger. The hurt miko slave. Groaning he got out of bed and got dressed. Stumbling down the hall towards the room she was in, he wondered to himself why he was bothering to go and check on her.
*I should have just told Sango that when the wench was better to have her sent down to the servant quarters. Now I have to go myself* he grumbled, as he pushed open the door.
Inside, he saw Sango asleep in a chair, and the girl lying on the bed where he had left her last night. Walking past her, he tapped his friend on the shoulder. When she didn't move, he frowned, looking down at her face. There were black rings under her eyes, and Inuyasha realized guiltily that she had probably been up all night. Should he let her sleep? Suddenly she groaned, and sat up rubbing her eyes.
*Well, scratch that idea.* he thought.
"I-Inuyasha? What t-time is it?" Sango yawned.
"9:47am, babe." Inuyasha grinned at her.
She gasped. "I should have been up long ago! How is she?"
"I was about to ask you the same question. What happened last night?"
"Not much. She fell asleep as I was cleaning her cuts. There pretty d- deep." Sango yawned again.
"So why were you up half the night, then?"
"I didn't want to fall asleep in case she got worse."
"I see."
Movement from the bed across the room startled them as they looked round. The girl was waking up, and Sango rushed to her side. She helped the miko sit up. Inuyasha saw her wince, as she leaned back against the headboard.
"Inuyasha, stay with her a moment, will you? I have to go get some fresh bandages. Just a sec." Sango rushed out of the room.
Walking over to the bed, the hanyou stared down at the girl's small crumpled form. There was something about her that intrigued him...
The girl looked up onto beautiful golden eyes, and gasped. It was the man who had helped her! He leaned down closer to her, staring deep into her eyes. She blushed at their nearness.
Inuyasha smirked. "So, bitch, recovered yet?"
She nodded and looked away. The hanyou frowned, and gripped her chin, turning her head so she was forced to meet his gaze.
"What's your name, wench?" he asked, and then he was surprised at himself. It wasn't like he wanted to know...
Her blush became darker.
"Kagome."