'She is truly a curious creature,' Sesshomaru thought as he watched the unconscious girl before him. Not one to indulge frequently in the pleasure of the opposite sex, Sesshomaru prided himself on how meticulous his selection for a bed partner was. The woman most suited for him was soft and pliant while at the same time strong enough to defend herself and those she cared for. His woman would know when to submit and when he preferred a little mischief. Though Sesshomaru did favor woman whose appearance matched his own, willowy, graceful, fair skinned, with lighter hair, he reluctantly found himself appreciating his brother's latest acquisition.

She lay across the fire from where he was seated against a tree and the light from the fire lapped deliciously at her skin, creating an air of mystery where the shadows were cast. Her dark hair seemed consumed by the night surrounding them, the silky tresses twining down her back. He could almost feel the thick locks that had spilled between his fingers from when he had arranged her by the fire hours ago, though it was nothing more than a phantom sensation. Her soft bronzed skin had been warm under his cooler touch and her scent simply couldn't be described. Though she did smell like the nature around her, it was so much more at the same time. The spice seemed to shift and tease him, enticing him to lean in and sniff her neck were it was strongest. Strangely, the more he investigated the stronger his own scent became. Wrenching his face back he realized that the spice had begun to mimic his own woodsy scent. Yet, despite the hours he had gone without coming into contact with her, his scent remained.

All in all, Sesshomaru found himself considering the girl and felt that although she was not his usual type, she was very beautiful. He had witnessed her strength and grace in battle earlier that day and her eyes shined with fierce intellect and passion. If only she were not human.

He heard an increase in her heart beat and knew that it would not be long before she awoke. Originally his plan had been to keep her unconscious until they reached a witch who could make a subjugation charm for her, but that had become unnecessary when such a witch came to him. He had sensed her power the moment she reached the volcanic island and decided that this situation would suit him very well despite being suspicious of the convenience.

It did not take long to track her down having left Kagome at the camp he built; if she died then that was her fault. The witch looked quite young, though her scent screamed that she had lived a life long enough to rival his own. Her red hair was braided down her back and she wore next to nothing which came as no surprise to Sesshomaru, her body reeked of multiple men's seamen. The woman had been offensively forward in her approach, though it was not until she actually touched his person that she lost a limb.

"This Sesshomaru requires your services as a witch and nothing more." His voice was icy and filled with the promise of what he would do should she not comply.

"Of- of course, my lord. Whatever you need, I shall provide." She submitted as she crouched at his feet clutching what remained of her left arm.

"Good. You will provide three pairs of subjugation charms, the strongest you have."

"Ye- yes, my lord." She did not move from her position at her feet.

"You will do so now."

"Yes, my lord." Quickly she rose to her feet and began removing articles of jewelry before turning back to Sesshomaru. "My lord, I need your blood to form the connection."

Sesshomaru didn't hesitate to slice open his palm with a claw. Though blood was not something to be given so liberally he could kill her before she even thought to use it against him. The moment the blood made contact with the pieces of jewelry, they glowed a shade of green similar to his whip. Bowing before him, the witch offered up his request which he quickly took and stored in his sleeve before turning to leave. A hesitant voice called from behind.

"My lord, will I receive no compensation or payment?" Sesshomaru turned, his gaze punishing.

"Is your life not enough?" The witch quickly regretted her words and knelt in apology before him. She remained in such a position for an hour, unable to brave lifting her head in fear of the beast that she may find looking back. Though, when she did, she found that she was completely alone.

Sesshomaru continued to watch as Kagome showed signs of waking and fingered the necklace and bracelets tucked away in his sleeve. He couldn't decide if he wanted to see her panicked and helpless expression when he put the subjugation jewelry on her or if he would rather see her look of horror when she woke and came to the realization that she could not harm him and would obey his every command. Weighing the pros and cons in his mind, he decided to go with the latter. A slower realization would be more drawn out and gratifying not to mention it required less work and risk on his part.

So, making his way to her still sleeping form he pulled out a beaded bracelet and carefully placed it upon her wrist. Immediately the bracelet glowed green to show it was activated and Sesshomaru allowed a satisfied smirk to surface on his face. That is until the bracelet began to disintegrate into nothing more than dust. He frowned at the pile of dust beneath her hand even as the wind carried it away. That was not what was supposed to happen. How dare a mere piece of jewelry defy him!

Annoyed, he withdrew the other bracelet. He had asked for three as a precaution and was glad that his desire for perfection drove him to take such measures. Once again he slipped a bracelet onto her wrist, each of his senses straining to catch any change or discrepancy. Like before they glowed with his power before turning to dust. His frown became a scowl. He had seen it that time, he had watched as a golden hue molded with his own green forcing his power to turn against itself. Just what could have caused it?

Even as he thought the words, his mind had already found the solution. Innocently resting by her bicep was a golden cuff humming with power. It was simple looking and one would normally not give it more than a passing consideration, but Sesshomaru was far from normal and could see it. Occasionally, he would see a ripple across the smooth metal. It was truly a living thing. The energy it contained must be immense for it to create reactions in the physical world.

He felt the weight from his final piece of subjugation jewelry and knew that if he were going to use it, the cuff would have to go. Unfortunately, he needed the girl's ability which she drew from the band. He doubted many humans, let alone demons, other than her would be able to manipulate such power and even fewer who would be willing to do as he directed. He was in a bind.

He didn't seem to realize that she had woken up ages ago and Kagome decided to amuse herself by softly blowing the looming demon's hair into his face, tickling his cheeks and causing him to wrinkle his nose in discomfort. He seemed to be trying to work out some puzzle which called for his complete attention and Kagome had the sneaking suspicion that it involved her. Though she did not particularly care for the elder brothers attitude from the brief conversation she had held with him, if you can even call it that, she knew that he had information regarding the state of the world; information that would hopefully bring her to the source of the problem and complete her quest.

Though she enjoyed her time with Inuyasha and the others, she had not made any real progress towards finishing her work and returning home. Inuyasha had to remain with Kikyo and Kaede was incapable of traveling great distances. All she could get from them was information which they were less than forthcoming about. So despite how much she despised the elder demon's personality, she decided to let things play out until she knew what his goals were and her role in them.

Kagome smirked at the perturbed expression on his face, she had obviously done something to confuse him and he was clearly upset by it. She supposed it wouldn't hurt to get a little revenge either; dogs had always been rather fun to tease.

Sesshomaru was rather vain about his hair. The long silver tresses were immaculate and he enjoyed the feeling of running his claws through them as they reminded him of cool water slipping between his fingers. His father had also chosen to keep his hair long; though he had kept it tied back. Unfortunately, Sesshomaru could not do the same due to the similarity in their appearance causing him to be mistaken for his father on more than one occasion. So, he kept his hair loose. It had never gotten in the way of battle, his years training and experience on the battlefield had taught him how to move so that his hair would not be a hindrance and to prevent blood splatter from marring his garments. So he could not understand why, when he is trying to work out a rather annoying problem, his hair had decided to rebel and force its' way into his face. Tired of it tickling him he lashed out and twisted his hair together behind him so that the strands would not come loose before letting out an annoyed huff.

A muffled laugh reached his ears causing him to stiffen. The woman who had been sleeping was very much awake and was definitely mocking him. He rose to his feet and drew his sword with an air of finality. He had no other choice now that she had seen him act in such a barbaric manner; he would be shamed if she ever spoke of it.

"Die." Was all he said as his sword arched down only to impale itself on the ground where she had been moments before. His eyes sought her form and found her crouched in the tree above him, a materialized bow drawn and trained on him. She could have fired and done substantial damage to him had she been so inclined. Displeased at having been bested, Sesshomaru lunged for her while deflecting the arrow fired. Once again, his sword failed to find purchase and there was a pressure against his back; the sharp pressure of a sword's blade.

He did not recall her being so quick in her fight with the chameleon demon and wondered where her speed and efficiency had come from. Try as he might, Sesshomaru felt an increasing familiar thrill race through him. With her sword trained on his back, Kagome couldn't help but share his sentiments. It had been too long since she had a powerful enough opponent to cross blades with and she was more than recovered from Totosais' blood collection. On earth she had been unmatched and even in this new world she had been given an overwhelming power. She knew that although people strive to be the best at something, once attained, it is rather lonely and disappointing. Gone were the thrilling battles that would stretch on without either side giving in. In fact, she was rarely asked to spar anymore the fight would be so one sided. Even with Hojo.

But this man- no, this demon may be just the thing she had been looking for. The speed with which he turned and disarmed her sent a chill to her bones; she adored the challenge in his eyes. Immediately they set in on each other, neither giving an inch. His attacks were indeed more powerful but she more than made up for that with her speed. The power she felt emanating from his sword warned her of the danger it possessed should she allow him enough distance, being at a disadvantage for fighting with nothing but her materialized weapons.

At some point each realized that they were no longer trying to defeat the other, rather they did not want the moment to end. They had expanded their senses, hearing the harsh inhales of the other's breathing. Their eyes missed nothing, seeing every movement; preventing the success of feigns and the tensing of muscles before an attack, keeping them at an equal ground. They also saw the vicious grins on the other's face, high off the heat of the battle. They both felt alive.

Moving as one, they fought until the sun began to disappear and twilight settled in; their weapons singing with every collision. Sesshomaru's eyes had long since turned feral. Thinking to catch her off guard, he lashed out with his whip only to watch it intertwine with one of her own making. His smile widened, she was a worthy opponent.

When he watched her fight the chameleon he had thought she drew her strength from the powerful band around her arm, but in close combat there was nothing that could escape his eyes. She was not using the power from the band for things other than her weapons. The individual before him was fighting with her honest ability, the perfection of her forms and confidence in her various blades told him of her dedication to the craft. Her calloused hands mirrored his own; never having been given a chance to heal due to constant practice. He had been too quick to judge her.

Despite being evenly matched, their fight finally concluded with Sesshomaru as the victor. However, he was aware that it was no fault on her part but rather the difference in weapon capability. His sword had been forged by the greatest blacksmith in the world and possessed incredible destructive abilities where as she had only materialized energy at her disposal. Energy is not as strong when it is crafted into something in the physical world and is strongest when working in conjunction with a physical object, thus making her weapons inferior to his Bakusaiga. Yet, even with the deadly blade pressed against her throat she refused to submit.

"I win." She panted cheekily. Sesshomaru's eyebrows rose in surprise and he blinked his blood red eyes at her in curiosity. Kagome smiled at how different the beast was from the more demure logical side.

"You believe this even when I hold your life in my hands?"

"Yup." Kagome saw him struggling between satisfying his curiosity and remaining aloof. She decided to take it easy on him as a reward for such a great spar. "Best two out of three. I beat you twice and you only won once."

"This Sesshomaru does not recall losing to a human."

"Oh? This Kagome recalls pointing an arrow at your unsuspecting head and pressing my blade into your back. I won twice and you won once. That makes me the overall winner." Sesshomaru said nothing as he though back to the first two times he had been caught off guard. He couldn't deny that she was right, but he refused to confirm her thoughts none the less. Kagome stretched, her arms straining above her head as she loosened her muscles, completely disregarding the sword pressing into her neck. "That was fun, I haven't spared like that for quite some time."

Sesshomaru had to admit, to himself anyway, that he had enjoyed himself as well. He lowered his sword to create more space between them. Though completely innocent, her stretching was causing her tank top to ride up and her breasts were pressed together enticingly. He may have allowed that she was a decent fighter, but she was still a human and he was not interested in humans.

"Anyway," Kagome said as she bent over to stretch her legs, "what had you so confused when I woke up? You seemed quite focused." At the reminder of his hair problems and her laughter he clenched his sword and his eyes narrowed in accusation. "Hey now, calm down! I'm not going to tell a soul how you worked yourself into a tizzy over your hair and were huffing about it like a hormonal teenage school girl." His eyes were menacing as he smiled lightly at her. She had the distinct impression that not many lived after having seen it and was quick to intervene on her own behalf. "Kidding! I was just kidding!"

"You lie."

"…" Kagome swallowed.

"Die."

"Waaaa!" Kagome screamed dramatically as she avoided each of his attacks. "Can't we just talk this out?"

"No."

"How about a deal? Yea, let's make a deal." Kagome pled. Though, she didn't really mind another fight, she had a feeling that he would kill her at the end. "Umph," she grunted when she was suddenly forced against the hard ground, the wind completely knocked out of her. She hadn't even seen him get that close.

Sesshomaru stared down at his prey. The little human was squished beneath his foot and he found the whole situation highly pleasurable. He liked her lying indisposed beneath him at his mercy. A smirk spread across his face as his amber eyes met her blues, reviling in her indignant expression. Yes, he quite liked this.

"Twice."

"What?" Kagome huffed.

"Were tied now, we've both won twice."

"Ugh! Let me up will you?"

"This Sesshomaru thinks not."

"Well that Sesshomaru can go and-"

"We shall make a deal. This Sesshomaru will spare your pitiful life and, in exchange, you will assist this Sesshomaru in dealing with that cursed jewel and hanyou." Kagome paused in her struggles to escape his foot and considered. This could work, she thought. It would get her right where she needed to be and Sesshomaru was powerful enough that she wouldn't have to worry too much about him. Though she hesitated over the fact that she did not know what his reasons for hunting the evil down were. From what Inuyasha had told her, his brother was a power lusting monster. What would drive him to do something that would benefit society?

"Alright." Kagome said holding her hands beside hear head on the ground in a sign of surrender. "We can partner up for the time being."

"Not a partnership, Miko, but a master-slave relationship."

"Noooo way!" Kagome drawled, "The universal declaration of human rights was mandated by the UN back in 1948 you idiot." Sesshomaru cocked an eyebrow, he had never before heard of a declaration of human rights, whatever a UN was, or the significance of the numbers 1948 but he refused to let her know that. The woman would surly hold it over him that she knew something he did not.

"That may be the case, woman. However, I am no human and am therefore not bound by it." 'Whatever it is.' He thought.

"Right." Kagome said dryly. She had forgotten that. Though she did find it cute that he was pretending to know what she was talking about. Men and their pride. "Regardless, because we are tied two-two, we are technically on equal footing. Thus, until our next match, we are partners."

"This Sesshomaru accepts." He said taking his foot away, "You shall be this Sesshomaru's servant by morning's light." Kagome just groaned and rubbed her back, sure that there was now a dusty footprint on her shirt.

"Whatever, just know that this agreement goes both ways. Who knows, you may end up my slave." Sesshomaru's eyes widened before narrowing into slits.

"The probability of such a thing happening is near impossible."

"Mhmm," she hummed, "Just don't go breaking your word."

"An inu yokai without his honor is nothing more than a gutter rat scavenging for scraps." Sesshomaru's voice was almost robotic and Kagome wondered just who it was that had beat that idea into the dog's thick scull.

"How eloquent."

The two soon found themselves seated before a dimly lit fire. Preparing the fire was easy enough as the volcanic energy wisps had emerged from the ground before Kagome even reached out to them, offering their services. Of course the volcanic earth was warm enough but instinct and routine she had developed from her survival training led her to take such measures. She also didn't want to let Sesshomaru know that she could see in the dark, it was always good to keep some of her cards hidden. For all Sesshomaru knew, she was just a human with abnormal fighting capabilities.

As for Sesshomaru, he had been forced to veil his surprise when a fire sparked to life without needing wood or a fire starter. He could not see the energy field without connecting with his mate but he could feel the hair on the back of his neck and his arms standing on end from the immense charge of energy surrounding them. He trained his eyes on her fire lit figure; suspicious. Although she showed no sign of possessing inherent power, he could feel the energy spiral and build around her. Yet, despite the obvious threat, Sesshomaru felt his muscles relax as waves of comfort flowed over him. Even stranger was the way her eyes seemed to glow for a moment though it could have just been the reflection of the fire.

Curiously, the golden band she wore was rippling with higher frequency than it had earlier. He couldn't really recall what had happened between the moment he was watching the fluctuating cuff and finding himself kneeling beside her as his clawed hand reached out to brush the aggravated metal. However, before contact could be made, his hand's path was halted by a small hand griping his wrist tightly. Slowly, his gaze rose to meet Kagome's which held a severe look of warning that screamed DO NOT TOUCH! Had Sesshomaru been any lesser a demon he would have bared his neck in submission her eyes were so fierce. Lesser he was not.

Instead his found himself drawn back to the trinket that held such power. Where it had once been rippling with the energy that had gathered in the area, it was now positively vibrating as it became more fluid in form; expanding, contracting, and temporarily losing its shape as a piece of jewelry. Even stranger was how it seemed to be stretching out to his suspended hand, almost as if it had recognized him.

"Where did you acquire such a piece?" Sesshomaru asked without looking away. When he didn't get a response he finally turned his attention on the owner who was unusually silent, her eyes continued to burn into him. Realizing that his questions would not be answered that night, he withdrew. "This Sesshomaru will unveil your secrets, Miko. You can be sure of that."

"Why the interest, Sesshomaru?" She inquired defensively, "Looking for one of your own?"

"This Sesshomaru does not rely on false foreign power." He bit out angered at her implication he was weak.

"Nor do I." Were her muttered words as she turned to walk from him.

He opened his mouth to retort that she was obviously lying until he was stopped when the wind shifted bringing her scent to his nose. She was telling the truth.

What does this mean?