Love Beyond the Western Lands: The Curse of the Black Gem
Chapter 5: Kikyou: Life or Death Situation!

Sesshoumaru paced back and forth in his room, the bamboo letter perched on his silky black pillow. Riko walked in, brushing her hair. She watched Sesshoumaru pace back and forth for a few minutes. "What's the matter with him!" Riko thought worriedly, "He's not like this… usually…." "Sesshoumaru?" Riko said in a declaring loud voice. He looked up, as if he did not even notice her. "Riko…" Sesshoumaru began. "Is something wrong?" Riko asked.

Sesshoumaru picked up the bamboo letter and handed it to Riko. Riko read it vigorously and gasped. She ran down to Enju's room and flashed the letter in her face. Enju was startled by Riko's behavior for she was generally calm. Enju's bright orange eyes shined as she read the beautifully formed kanjis. She got up from her chair. "O-one full moon?" Enju stuttered. "It can't take that long… unless…."

While Sesshoumaru ran down the stairs, he yelled out to Riko: "Riko, Enju, gather your weapons. We are looking for Kikyou. Jaken and Tomo will come along as well."

Kikyou awoke from her slumber. She was stripped down to her white semi transparent under robe. Her arms were chained to a circular frame above her. Her legs were weighed down by OVERSIZED chains which appeared were chained to a giant. Around her were smaller chains of standard size, wrapped here around her body. She looked and around her neck was the eight corner star. Kikyou heaved a breath of relief: They could not take her vessel of the Shikon no Tama.

"Had a good night's sleep?" Bankotsu said smugly. "TEME (bastard)!" Kikyou snarled when she heard Bankotsu's voice. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME!" Bankotsu stifled a laugh. "Nothing," he said, slyly. "Just strung you up." He turned to a window where the sun was coming up as well as snow. "Strange…" he said curiously, "Snow falling around the volcano…" "URUSAE!" Kikyou snapped. "Why did you take me here!" She struggled to breathe out a breath of ice to freeze the chains then melt them away with fire. "What is happening to me?" she thought frantically.

Bankotsu let out a bark of laughter. Suddenly, a chill of electricity zapped Kikyou painfully. "What did you do to me!" she screamed. "I gave you a potion which paralyzes you as well as disables your powers if you have any. Now, then," he said, "the Shikon No Tama: Where is it?" Kikyou chuckled painfully. "…Up your ass and around the corner!" "Now that won't do…" Another jolt of electricity shot Kikyou.

After 2 hours of torture and torment, Kikyou's body was covered with cuts, burns, lashes, etc. A thin layer of sweat coated her torn up body. "Still won't reveal your secret?" Bankotsu said, bored. "Secret?" Kikyou thought, worriedly. "He knows!" "Your necklace…" Bankotsu began. She looked down wearily at her beautiful eight corner star, the chain shimmered of sapphires. "I… I will not… let you have it!" Kikyou said, tired.

"Shame!" Bankotsu said. With another lash from his spiked whip, Kikyou's slender leg bled. With another whip, it tore away a sleeve from her white robe, now stained with blood and blackened from burns. When he felt he wanted to, Bankotsu reached for the necklace, but in a split second, light electricity burnt Bankotsu's hand. "That's it," Bankotsu said, furious, "The only way to get that necklace and break that barrier…" He paused as he pulled out a shining, red tanto. "…is to kill you…"

To be continued…