Here's another update. I'm almost outta chapters, so I better get typing! Well, I suppose not everyone has read my other story Curiosity Killed the Dog, so I should explain the strange symbols by speech. Like when Zanmaru was talking as a dog, I use different symbols for the animal demons talking. Here's a list.

Inuyasha/Sesshoumaru- :Blah:

Ah- /blah/

Un- 'blah'

Kirara- &blah&

Zanmaru- who cares! He's dead! Yeah!

I'll add more as I get to them. And now to the story.

Ch. 11

With speed that could rival a race car, the enormous Were-Dog pelted to the village. He caught a scent of Inuyasha, but he kept his eyes on the prize—the village.

Within moments, he reached it and began to catch and devour humans one by one. He even ate several youkai that got in his way, but after about a dozen villagers disappeared down his stomach, he felt the lower half of his body go numb.

Two silver-tipped arrows were embedded into his right hind leg.

He snarled at the girl who had shot him.

"Inuyasha, I got him."

"Good! Now shoot his upper body and he won't be able to move."

Sesshoumaru dragged himself to a hut with his one forepaw and attempted to devour another villager. She was halfway down his throat and he hadn't even bothered to chew her…

When his entire body failed him.

His jaws went slack and he collapsed to his side, breathing harshly. Three more silver arrows were embedded in his neck.

Inuyasha ran to his brother's side and pried his jaws open, where the villager had nearly been swallowed whole. Other than being extremely terrified and covered in acidic drool that was steadily eating through her kimono, she was fine. Inuyasha carried her to a stream and she washed the drool off.

"Thank you, kind sir. I'm not sure what would have happened if that beast had kept me in his jaws much longer, swallowed or not."

Inuyasha nodded his reply and left his fire rat robe to her.

"I'll need that back when you got some clothes on ya. I gotta go back now."

The woman nodded with a smile and Inuyasha leapt off.

Fortunately, the sun came up very soon. Of course, it wasn't too fortunate for Sesshoumaru. His wounds of old were back again, with the addition of the five arrows in his neck and leg. He was passed out with a fever when Inuyasha returned.

"Inuyasha, I can't look at him. He's…he's…split open…" Kagome moaned.

Inuyasha looked to see that his brother was indeed cut open from the breast down. It made him want to kill Zanmaru all the more, but he knew what Sesshoumaru had done. Even on the shorter fangs his brother now had, he could smell Zanmaru's blood.

Sesshoumaru had eaten him.

The taiyoukai woke up, groaning in pain.

"What happened? I…one moment I was in the woods and now…now I am here?" he said hoarsely.

"You transformed," Inuyasha said.

"That's right…and I remember killing Zanmaru, but that's it…"

"Oh, Sesshoumaru, you ate the villagers!" Sango said, tears streaming down her cheeks for his sake. "I know you didn't mean it, but you did it…"

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened. All the twelve humans he had sensed were inside of him. Inside his stomach, being digested at that moment.

"I…I can't…"

He began to gag and gasp, but he couldn't purge the flesh from his body. He couldn't…

"Leave this Sesshoumaru alone…please," he said slowly, stretching out on the ground, lying on his stomach, which was churning rather sickeningly.

Everyone left, with the exception of Kirara.

&Sesshoumaru, I'm going to get your friends. I'll leave Rin, but us demons need to have a talk, okay?&

:I will obviously not have any peace, will I? he said softly. Very well, do what you want, neko:

Sesshoumaru turned to his side and curled up, trying to make himself as small as possible. All the villagers glared at him, save for a few that took pity upon him for what torture he'd evidently been put through. Eventually, before Kirara came and without the rest of the Inu-gumi's knowledge, he was forced to flee as children and adults began to stone him, prod him with swords, and generally be nasty in any way they could. However, he collapsed before he was halfway out. He breathed heavily in exertion, then several monks began placing sutras on and around him. He felt his body go numb as before (AN: Kagome had already taken out the arrows) to the point where he couldn't even talk. His tongue was partially numb.

"That should contain the demon. These sutras are specifically meant to burn demons if they come within close range of the barrier," the monk announced.

"Good," A woman said. "I'll rest easier knowing the beast is contained and away from my children."

"Me too, but the sutras will not hurt humans, correct?"

"That's right."

"Oh, good. I could only imagine if one of the young ones stumbled into the barrier and it hurt them..."

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes with a growl.

"It growled! The demon growled! Are you sure it's secure?" The first woman said.

"Indeed," the monk assured her.

Sesshoumaru found the strength to speak and lifted his head to see the woman as best he could.

"Ningen, this Sesshoumaru assures you that he will not harm your children unless provoked. And even then, it is only adults I would bother harming. You have my word. Children know not their bounds, and it is not my place to teach them. I can only hope their parents can," he said with a slight slur. His head flumped down again in weakness. The sutras were sapping his demonic strength.

"Well…"

"Do not trust him! A demon with honor? Pah! There is no such thing!" A man said, kicking at Sesshoumaru, who hissed between his teeth in pain. His fangs grew slightly and the villagers saw it. They decided to leave him alone.

Wonderful. I expect I shall be left here to rot until tomorrow. The wench said something about going to her country, and asked if the others would see her off. None of these villagers will feel any regret…

Sesshoumaru whimpered doggishly. He wanted companionship so badly he could taste it. He didn't want to feel what he did; he didn't want his injuries to heal slowly because of Zanmaru's poison.

&Sesshoumaru!&

"Wha…"

&Change your dialect&

"Neko…"

&Neko has a name, honey. It's Kirara.&

:Kirara…:

/Milord/

'Milord, what have they done!'

Sesshoumaru no longer had the strength to turn or lift his head to see Ah-Un. More to the point, when he tried, he was forced to stop because of the pain...

&Now our problem is that I had the plan of taking Sesshoumaru out of here so that when Kagome came back, he'd at least be tended to by us demons. Speaking of, where's Jaken?&

Oh, we wanted to spare his gushy side of seeing his lord all beat up as such, so we left him to care for Rin. Not that the child couldn't take care of herself.-

Ah-Un gave a draconic chuckle.

&So what do we do now?&

R and R please! Thanx!