Chapter Ten: Prison of Darkness

"Heal her," a deep, calming voice broke through the numbing silence in Kasumi's brain. She didn't recognize the sound of the voice, and it held no concern, no sense of emotion, and yet it put her aching chest at ease. Or perhaps that was medicine being applied to her chest wound.
Chest wound? With a clouded mind, she barely registered the stabbing ache in her bosom and she hissed, clutching at the pain with her claws.
"Stop that!" A frantic female voice entered next, and Kasumi's hand was taking away and held down to her sides. Once again it was another voice she didn't recognize.
Where am I? She wished she could ask aloud, but it seemed her voice wouldn't work, or her mouth wouldn't open. She couldn't bring herself to speak, only gasp painfully.
"She's awake?" The deep male voice spoke again, and Kasumi was calmed once more at the sound.
"It seems, m'lord." The female said. "But she isn't aware. Here, dear." Kasumi felt a hand sliding under her head and lifting her slightly. "Drink this. It'll help you sleep." She said. Something was held to her lips, and thoughtlessly, Kasumi drank, deeply. The putrid stench of the drink didn't reach her nose until after she had taken several swallows of the thick concoction and she gagged, furthering the pain in her chest. "I know, it's awful, but it will help you…" The female reassured Kasumi. She didn't care what the woman said, the foul stench did nothing to hide the even worse flavor of the slimy medicine. She couldn't really complain, however, as a dull numbness seeped into her core, spreading out like a slowly burning flame until it blanketed her mind into a full, deep slumber.

Deep sorrow fell through Kasumi's heart in her sleep. She saw images in the darkness of her mind, of her father mostly. Sobs wreaked through her small frame, as she cried out aimlessly for her father, her mother. Anyone. She was alone in the world, left to face this never ending darkness that seemed to consume her.
Darkness.
Once again, Kasumi knew only of the blanket of black. She groaned at this, maybe from the pain in her chest and heart, but she couldn't see anything, feel anything other than the mind numbing pain. How is it that twice in her life she had succumbed to darkness?
Twice? Kasumi asked herself. When was the first time? And hadn't it been safe? She didn't die, did she?
No, but I was close… so close. Am I close again…? Will I see him again soon? She wondered, feeling her sorrow grab her again as another sob flew from the confines of her lips and out into the open world. She could scarcely make out the sound of worried voices, taste the slimy drink she recalled from a dream, and then nothing, her body falling limp to the waking world, body too heavy to bother moving. Sleep tugged her mind down, and she succumbed to it, for in sleep, she held no sorrow, only the sweet memories of her father.

Days passed into weeks, weeks slowly passed by, and the tiny kit he brought up never woke. It grew to frustrate him, and his frustration turned to impatience, and his impatience he took out on the servants who tended to her.
"Why isn't she waking?" He lowly growled to the court lady, a small fry of a demon with horns on her forehead and white hair.
"I-I am not sure, m'lord…" The girl spoke softly, which irked him for no reason, other than the fact he hated how quietly she spoke. "Her wounds have healed, but it seems something is holding her back. It's as if she doesn't wish to wake up."
"Then wake her," he demanded.
She swallowed hard, not wanting to disobey her lord, but knowing the effort would be futile. Kasumi showed no signs of the living, except for her short breaths, and the occasional sobbing. "M'lord, as I understand your concern-"
"Concern? I have no concern for the kit." He said sharply, causing the small woman to flinch at his venomous tone.
"Yes, of course, m'lord. I merely wish to point out, she cries often for her father. Perhaps taking her to him will entice her to awaken?" She suggested, not meeting his gaze. She heard his scoff before she heard his reply.
"Impossible. I can't send for him until she wakes. Otherwise, my debt will not be repaid in full, and I do not wish to owe that lord any more than I do already." His eyes narrowed on the sickly face of the kit he rescued.
She was pale, as pale as any would be he supposed, if they were as weak as she was in body. Perhaps mind too, given the reason as to why she hadn't awoken yet. Her breathing was short, and hallow, showing it was difficult for her to some degree. At some point, she had been bathed by the court lady attending her, and the kit no longer smelled of blood, sweat and dirt. Faintly, he caught a hint of her natural odor, a sweet smelling peach and cherry blossoms. He scoffed at that too, annoyed that the girl smelled as sweet as she looked.
She is not sweet looking. He reminded himself. She was too skinny to be sweet looking, on the path of malnourishment, just from the view he got of her clothed form, he could make out the poking's and prodding of bones against the thin haori she bore.
He turned sharply away from her once he realized he had been staring for too long and turned his back to the girl attendee. "Fix her, quickly. I don't have the patience to sit here and wait before the council meeting starts."
"Yes m'lord…" At the girl's soft acceptance, he left the room he had given the kit, annoyed more now than he had been when entered.
Cold. Kasumi shuddered as something cold and wet touched her forehead, her body shaking with the effort and she tried to bundle herself up but couldn't get herself to move.
"M'lady?" A sweet sounding woman's voice reached her ears, and Kasumi didn't miss the sense of hope in the girls voice. "Are you wake, m'lady?"
Kasumi tried squeezing her eyes shut, light pouring in as if from nowhere, lighting up her mind more than she wished.
"M'lady, please, you have to wake up, or M'lord would be very upset." There was worry now, and Kasumi, in her inborn ability to fret over others, peered open one eye. She hissed as sunlight bore down on her from an open window, blinding her for a moment and making it difficult for her to make out the face of the voice. "M'lady!" The woman cheered up quickly and Kasumi felt a groan rumble through her chest. Her chest.
Quickly she sat up straight, surprising the woman and she clutched her chest, expecting pain, or blood or something. But she felt nothing. Didn't she get stabbed?
"Where am I?" She questioned, turning to look at the girl and her eyes widen in shock. "D-demon!" She practically screeched. "Y-you're a... a demon!"
"I… Yes, m'lady, I am." The woman said, confused by the demons reaction. "And you are in M'lord Sesshomaru's home, in the west."
"T-the west?" She pushed her hand through her hair, swallowing hard. "The west… but I could have sworn I was in the east? Or was I wrong?" Her head hurt, trying to recall which lands her father residing over. "Father, tell me, where is this lord? I wish to speak to him, at once. I need to confirm something. Please bring him to me."
"Well, m'lady, I will inform m'lord of your health, but I'm afraid he is out at the moment. You will have to wait until he returns from his travels." The woman said apologetically.
"He's gone?" She questioned. "What kind of lord leaves his guest unattended to travel?" She rubbed her forehead, just wondering what kind of hell she woke up in.