Freedom

Chapter2: End

Everything works out in the end. If it hasn't worked out it's not the end

Inuyasha was awakened by someone's elbow resting in a tender spot in his abdomen. After years and years for being subjected to the same thing, one would think that they would get used to it. But no matter what, Inuyasha couldn't go to back to sleep.

He sat up as much as his small space would allow him and glanced around the hut. The stench of death met his nostrils and he wrinkled said appendage. It seems that one slave hadn't made it though the night.

The hanyou shifted slightly and pressed himself deeper into the corner. Dawn was close and the slave drivers would be coming by soon to use their most preferred method of awakening the slaves. At least the water wasn't as cold this time of year.

The hanyou's sensitive, upright ears shifted as he heard someone shifting to his right. He glanced over just in time to see Miroku work his way out from under a young malnourished ningen boy. Inuyasha indifferently noted that that was where the smell was coming from.

Miroku noticed the same thing the same time Inuyasha did and made a mournful gesture with his right hand, before turning to his companion. "I really hate it when that happens. They start to smell overnight."

Inuyasha made a slightly disgusted face as he turned to look at the hut's opening.

"How long is it until dawn?" Miroku asked quietly moving closer to the corner as well.

Inuyasha answered without even gracing the man with a look. "Soon…" he yawned, his tongue curling up before he could stop himself. "…way too soon…"

As if on cue the cloth door covering was wretched aside and bucket upon bucket of chilled water was thrown at the inhabitants of the small slave hut. Inuyasha winced as his hand was stepped on, displacing at least two of his fingers.

'Oh, how lovely…'

Miroku grunted as someone fell on top of him and with a little more force than necessary, freed himself with a shove. The two of them managed to climb to their feet and it only took a few minutes until they could walk out of the hut and into the morning sun.

Inuyasha winced as he flexed his damaged hand and there were a number of loud pops as his bones reset themselves. Inuyasha gave a satisfied grunt and balled his hand into a fist. Miroku merely watched impassively as Inuyasha flexed his fingers again.

"And that brings you joy?" he asked after a short pause.

Inuyasha snorted as he stepped forward to get his shovel from Goshinki. For once the slave driver simply thrust the shovel into his hands instead of going through the daily routine of making Inuyasha bow down to get it. The hanyou was mildly surprised and thought of taunting Goshinki just to see what he would do but a shove from Miroku quelled that thought.

"Take advantage of it. We might actually go to sleep tonight with very minimal bruises for once."

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed as he glanced back at Goshinki but he fell silent as Miroku succeeded in pushing him into the quarry. Instead of getting right to work the other slaves had been lined up in formation. Miroku and Inuyasha both heaved a sigh as they took up two spaces near the back knowing what was coming.

Goshinki took up his spot in front of the slaves, the other slave drivers flanking him. They all unwound their whips, cracking the weapons threateningly on the ground as their leader drew himself up to make his speech.

"Gems have been disappearing from the mine." he shouted, walking up and down the slaves' silent alignment. "You animals haven't been working hard enough and now you dare steal from me?"

His whip snaked out and struck a young human woman across the back. She cried out and fell to the ground, sobbing. Goshinki hit her again ordering her to get to her feet. The young woman cried out for a second time and tried to pull herself to her feet but Goshinki was snapping his whip against her relentlessly. The slaves were forced to watch as her back became bloodied and her cries slowly ceased.

The slaves that had been standing next to the woman in the formation had been splattered by the blood as it had flown through the air and now they stood still, shivering. Goshinki straightened and began walking up and down the formation again. But Inuyasha wasn't paying him any attention. His eyes were on the body that laid a few places away from him. He'd known her. Her name had been Mai. Goshinki had killed her father recently in a drunken rage. She'd been crying for days but Miroku had made her feel better by reminding her that her father was in a better place. Inuyasha would remember her…but who else would?

The hanyou was drawn from his thoughts by a jarring blow on his back. He stumbled forward in surprise and turned to see what had hit him. Goshinki's sneering face filled his vision as the youkai raised his whip again.

"It was you, wasn't it half-breed?"

Goshinki cracked the whip again and Inuyasha winced in pain as old, half-healed wounds reopened and blood began to stain his old, torn, slave tunic.

"Does that hurt?" Goshinki asked, using the end of his whip to hit Inuyasha in the temple.

Miroku closed his eyes and pursed his lips. Inuyasha didn't make a sound as the whip hit him again and again. Finally the hanyou was knocked to his hands and knees and he cringed when he heard Goshinki prepare to make one finally blow to his head.

The beatings never killed him. They were never enough to kill him; only injure him. Tomorrow he would hardly be able to move and would stay in a corner of one of the slave huts, sleeping off his injury. Slashes like these would take at least a week to heal completely, and even then the scars were fragile. All of this ran through Inuyasha's head as he waited for Goshinki's final blow to come.

The sight of Inuyasha bunching up his shoulders in preparation for the next stroke of the whip set Miroku off. His eyes narrowed and in one fluid motion, he turned and drew his fist back in preparation.

Youkai are stronger than ningens in many ways. Their five senses, plus the sixth that some youkai had that sensed other's auras, are generally keener. They have faster reflexes and also the instincts that have been bred in them for ages. They have the gift of youth, which allows them to appear to be in their prime for hundreds of years. All of these things may lead one to believe that a youkai is indeed, stronger than any human. Unfortunately for Goshinki, that is a lie.

Miroku's fist connected with the side of the youkai's face as he was about to strike his friend's unprotected back. At Goshinki's shout of surprise and pain a number of things happened. All of Goshinki's underlings snapped to attention and looked up in surprise from the slaves they were beating. Inuyasha pulled himself to his feet with a grimace and gave Miroku a long hard glare as he smoothly plucked his shovel from the place by his feet.

"Idiot! What do you want to do, get yourself killed!"

Miroku only smiled and scooped up his own shovel, moving away from the formation with Inuyasha at his side. Goshinki was climbing to his feet as the slave drivers moved in on the two men. One of them paused and looked back at the mob of slaves behind him.

"Get back to your huts and stay there!"

The poor fools actually listened to him.

Goshinki climbed to his feet and held his hand out for a sword as he studied the two slaves before him.

"What's wrong? Are you that tired of living?"

Inuyasha's fingers popped as he flexed his fist and Miroku's eyes merely narrowed.

"To die is to die. It happens to the best and the worst of…men. Neither you or we are an exception." he said holding the shovel as one would a sword, his violet eyes flashing.

Goshinki's mouth twisted into a smile and flicked his sword once before charging at the two slaves. The small band of slave drivers followed him with a battle cry. Inuyasha and Miroku both fell into a defensive position as Goshinki pulled ahead of the charging mob and swung his sword at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha jumped to the side, avoiding the slash as all the other slave drivers rushed towards Miroku.

The man chuckled as he blocked a sword trust aimed for his chest. "Looks like I'm more popular than you Inuyasha!"

The hanyou let out a bark of laughter as he sidestepped a clumsy swing from his only opponent. "You're probably getting more action then I am."

Miroku laughed again and slammed the shovel handle into one youkai's foot before slamming his elbow into his face.

Goshinki slashed at Inuyasha again and the hanyou jumped to the side. He jumped back at Goshinki on his right flank, which he had left open, managing to slam his shovel in the youkai's ribs. Inuyasha jumped away again only to rush back in, faking another attack with the shovel to punch Goshinki in the face from the left.

"Keh…payback…"

Miroku knocked the shovel handle into one youkai's chin, before swinging it around to incapacitate another youkai by hitting him in the side of the head. The demon fell, dead or unconscious, it didn't matter which.

Goshinki had finally managed to get through Inuyasha's defenses. A blind swing, made in desperation as Inuyasha closed in after bringing Goshinki to his knees, left a long deep gash in Inuyasha's right arm.

The hanyou jumped away before he could be maimed again but the damage to his arm was already done. Goshinki climbed to his feet, sneering at the hanyou even as blood from his cheek dripped down his face. Four long slashes marred the youkai's face, a reminder of the punch he hadn't been able to block.

Inuyasha stared impassively at the slave driver and simply switched the shovel from his right hand to his left. The sneer wavered slightly but didn't leave the youkai's lips.

He hated to admit it but he needed help. The hanyou's human friend was easily taking out all of his underlings. The hanyou himself had skill that a slave shouldn't have. Goshinki did have pride, hidden deep, deep down but now he merely wished not to be killed by a slave, a hanyou slave no less.

Goshinki found himself wavering, slowly backing away from Inuyasha. His underlings, seeing what was happening between the slave driver and the hanyou slave hesitated and stopped their attack on the human.

Miroku blinked in surprise when the attack suddenly stopped and backed up a pace so he was back to back with Inuyasha. Upon silent agreement the two slaves began to back up toward the road and for a moment it seemed like Goshinki and his underlings would let them go. It was easy to see that the slave-drivers (the ones that were still able to stand) had no wish to lose their lives over a human and a half-breed. Miroku and Inuyasha traded a glance as their feet came in contact with the main road. Almost there. A few more steps and the two slaves would have enough of a head start to outrun anything. Goshinki's face twisted into a sneer before he straightened and sheathed his sword.

"Fine then, get out of here!"

Inuyasha and Miroku blinked and gave the slave-driver an odd look. Why was he smiling like that? The two slaves narrowed their eyes and took another step back.

Imagine their surprise when the back of their heads knocked against a hard surface behind them.

Sudden the two slaves were being wrestled to the ground by Goshinki's men as the cursed youkai stood nearby cackling madly. "Stupid vermin! You believed I would actually let you go?"

Miroku grunted as he was jerked to her feet and glanced back at the carriage that had appeared out of nowhere. "Inuyasha?" The hanyou grunted from where he was on the ground, having his hands bound together behind his back. "I feel stupid."

Inuyasha was also tugged up and he glared at the carriage as he was being led away from it. "That was the closest we've got too."

The men moved to drag the two seething slaves away but a voice from the carriage stopped them. "Hold on a moment."

The door swung open and a noble youkai jumped down onto the road, eyeing the small mob curiously. Unlike most female noble youkai, she wore a kind of dressy armor and she was armed. Her eyes were a deep piercing blue as she raked over the two slaves and the band of slave drivers needed to restrain them.

Finally Goshinki got fed up with waiting for the noble youkai to speak. "Who are you and what the hell do you want?" he asked sharply

"I am Lady Touran and I have come from the city in search of strong slaves."

"Really…" Goshinki drawled, picking at his claws.

Touran raised an eyebrow at Goshinki's rudeness and gestured to Miroku and Inuyasha. "It seems that you were having a bit of trouble." She looked to the two slaves, her eyes slightly apologetic. "I wanted to watch. Sorry if I got in the way."

Inuyasha bared his teeth in anger and Miroku heaved a sigh.

The noble youkai made a face and turned back to Goshinki. "Are there any slaves you would be willing to sell? I am willing to pay any price."

Goshinki looked up from his hands to pin Touran with a hungry look. If the noble youkai noticed she ignored it. "I'll have someone check for you. I'm sure I can spare something for a price."

Touran's features twisted for a moment before she nodded. Goshinki made eye contact with one of his underlings and jerked his head toward the slave huts. The youkai nodded and let go of Miroku as someone else took his place. He and two other slave-drivers climbed the hill leading to the slave huts as Goshinki began picking at his claws again.

"If you'll wait for a while, they'll bring a few down so you can pick," he told Touran without looking at her.

The noble youkai made a face at the slave-driver's bad manners but otherwise ignored him as she turned to look at the two slaves that were still standing by her carriage. She examined them carefully and took in Inuyasha's injured arm and blood soaked back with a bit of concern.

"What's your name?" she asked the hanyou quietly, moving closer.

The men holding onto Inuyasha gave the youkai odd looks but jostled Inuyasha roughly when he made no move to answer. The hanyou narrowed his eyes and pulled his lips back in a silent snarl.

"Why do you care?"

Touran gave a wan smile. "Just curious. I feel like I've met you before."

Inuyasha snorted and winced when he was jostled again. "Unlikely…"

Touran's face fell when he fell silent and Miroku nudged Inuyasha with his elbow. "Come now Inuyasha. No need to be rude."

Touran gave a little jerk and stared at Inuyasha in surprise, her jaw hanging open in astonishment. "Inuyasha? That's your name?"

Both slaves and the slave-drivers gave the noble youkai an odd look. "Yeah…that's my name…" Inuyasha said carefully, leaning away from the youkai slightly.

Touran nodded and turned to Goshinki. "I want him," she said shortly, pointing at Inuyasha.

Goshinki glanced up from his claws but did a double take when he saw who the youkai pointing at. His mouth fell open and he stuttered for a moment before finding his voice. "Wha…NO! That one's very…violent!"

Touran glared at the slave-driver and reached into her armor. "I'll pay whatever you want but I want him," she said coldly. She glanced at the two slaves before nodding to herself. "I want the other one too."

Goshinki's face puffed up in anger and he opened his mouth to object but Touran shoved a bag of gold coins under his nose. "Here, this is enough money to buy 20 more slaves if you wished to."

Goshinki's mouth fell open and he plucked the bag out of Touran's hands "All this for a human and a hanyou?"

Touran gave a small smile, one that plainly said that he really didn't deserve it but nodded. Goshinki eyed the gold in his hand almost wearily as he shifted through it, no doubt making fast calculations in his head. After a moment he looked up from the money, his eyes suspicious. "Why do you want them?"

Touran stepped back and sent Goshinki an icy glare. "That is none of your concern. I'll be taking my purchases now."

"Who said I would allow you to take them?" Goshinki asked sharply, even as he gestured to his men to let the slaves go. The slave-drivers cut Inuyasha's and Miroku's bonds and stepped away from them, even as Inuyasha and Miroku blinked in surprise. Well this was definitely a shock.

"Try not to let your hatred for the hanyou override your judgment. I am paying you enough money to buy yourself into nobility. These slaves won't be missed. You probably bought them off the street."

Goshinki looked up from his money to the two slaves. They were still blinking owlishly, obviously trying to catch up to what was happening. They were being bought? He heaved a sigh and watched as Inuyasha and Miroku were loaded into the back of Touran's carriage. The youkai herself however, waited until the slaves were off the ground before facing Goshinki again. The slave-driver looked up from bouncing the gold in his hand and glared at her.

"You have your slaves and I have my money. Leave before I change my mind," he barked angrily.

Touran smiled coldly and blew a soft breath through her lips. Surprisingly her breath lingered in the air before fading away. The day had been usually hot before but now it felt like they had just been thrown into a premature winter. Miroku and Inuyasha watch in fascination as cracks appeared in the ground, spreading outward until it touched the feet of Goshinki and his men.

Frost began to gather on their bodies and they panicked trying to brush it off them. Goshinki looked up at Touran who was still blowing softly through her lips. The slave driver's eyebrows and lips were covered in icicles and he seemed to be having trouble breathing. The other slave drivers had already fallen to the ground, frozen to death.

Goshinki glared at Lady Touran and staggered forward as if to strike her. Touran simply stepped out of the way and placed her hand on Goshinki's shoulder. Ice spread from her fingertips and into Goshinki's skin slowly freezing him. He limply to the ground, unmoving. Inuyasha and Miroku peered down at his body from a small window from the carriage. "Whoa…"

Miroku just nodded in agreement and they both looked to where Touran was kicking Goshinki's body to the side of the road, out of the way of her carriage. After that was done she turned in the direction of the slave huts and cupped her hands around her mouth. "Hey! All of you in their! I've killed all the slave-drivers! You're free now!"

After a few moments a few brave slaves poked their heads out of the huts and stared down at the scene below them in surprise. Touran smiled and pointed to the bag of money that Goshinki had dropped. "When you come down here, you can use this money anyway you want to!"

A few more slaves filtered out of the hut and began pointing at the bodies of the slave-drivers. They began to shout happily and a few of them called down to Touran.

"Thank you!"

Touran smiled before turning to talk to her driver (who had remained completely silent as everything happened) and then she hopped up into her carriage with a sigh. With a jolt the carriage started up and Touran turned to look out the window as the scenery flew by, a strangely satisfied look on her face. For a few moments the carriage was silent as the two slaves struggled to piece together what had just happened. Miroku recovered first.

"Excuse me Lady Touran; do not take this the wrong way, because we are very grateful..." Miroku said formally

"Why did you buy us?" Inuyasha interrupted bluntly.

His face was once again impassive as he examined Lady Touran carefully. Miroku closed his eyes in irritation and sighed.

"Inuyasha please try to be a little more…" Miroku trailed off as he searched for the right words "…less you?"

Inuyasha glared at him but was otherwise silent. Miroku turned back to Touran who was laughing silently. "I suppose you do have a right to be confused." Lady Touran said softly. "I search the country for strong slaves that have at least a little fighting ability and train them to be stronger."

"For what purpose?" Miroku asked. He didn't have to look to see that Inuyasha was listening intently.

"Entertainment…" Lady Touran was looking out of the window again with a sad smile on her face. "The noble youkai like to watch slaves fight each other, because they cannot fight themselves. They have to cure their bloodlust somehow."

Miroku and Inuyasha frowned in confusion and Lady Touran turned back to them, her eyes sad. "I train slaves so they can kill each other in front of hundreds of blood thirsty youkai."

Miroku's eyes widened in retaliation. "You're a Shihitou trainer aren't you?"

Touran turned to look at him, her nose wrinkled as if she wasn't sure how he would react. "Yes I am."

Inuyasha snorted and crossed his arms. "Why were you so surprised when you found out what my name was?" he asked sharply.

Touran gave a startled look before quickly looking away. "Uh…no reason. It's a very nice name isn't it?"

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed but he made no move to question Touran further. Miroku glanced between the two of them as silence fell once more in the carriage and he turned to look at Touran again.

"So you want to train us as Shihitou?"

Touran nodded and eyed the two of them carefully. "I watched your fight. If you hadn't been cut off by my carriage you would have escaped. Even though you were greatly outnumbered and you," she gestured at Inuyasha's arm and bloodied back, "were injured."

Miroku shook his head. "I'm human."

Touran smiled at him. "You're strong. It doesn't matter."

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed and he gave the noble youkai a cold stare. "What if we don't want to be Shihitou?" he asked sharply drawing attention to himself. "What if we wanted to be free?"

Touran sighed and looked out the window again. "It is…understandable, but at least come to the compound with me. Then you can make your decision."

Inuyasha's eyes remained cold but he nodded and relaxed against the back of the carriage. Miroku did likewise, closing his eyes as he began to go through everything that had happened that day. And here he had thought that today was going to be lousy.

AN: Revised and reposted. Continue to watch this space…and review too. Don't forget that.