Chapter 3

"Look, Kirara – it's almost morning! The New Moon is almost over."

Kirara meowed, and turned her gaze to Shippo. The two of them sat on a rock outcropping just below the compound of the lord's mountaintop castle.

Waking some time after their friends had been kidnapped, they had found and followed the wheel marks from the wagon. They just caught the end of the exchange at the hill, and continued to pursue the group from a safe distance.

"When Inuyasha changes back," Shippo said, "I bet he'll tear right through those stupid chains."

Kirara nodded. "Meew."

"He's so strong, I'm sure it'd be easy. But how could those guys have known when he's in his human form?"

Kirara gave him blank eyes.

"Well, Inuyasha has lots of enemies – he's not the friendliest person. That's for sure." Shippo chuckled a bit. "But I can't think of anyone who'd want to capture him. They'd all just want to kill him." He rubbed his chin in thought. "Maybe they're not after him 'specially. Or maybe they don't know who they have?"

"Meow!"

"You're right, Kirara. That's not likely. But never mind. We can think about that later." He waved his hands in dismissal. "Our friends are in trouble! We have to help. That lord is just a human, not like all those terrible demons we fight." He shivered. "Too bad you couldn't fly us here, Kirara. Those tracks were really hard to find! We had to walk."

Kirara winced, and licked a paw.

"We're here now, though – let's go help them! Wait, look! There they are!"


Roughly kicked awake, the band was forced once more out of a wagon bed. Looking around, they saw that night was brightening toward dawn. They'd traveled through a labyrinth of plastered walls and sharp corners throughout the castle before reaching these open grounds. Several buildings lay around them – the central keep and lord's house, servant's quarters, and guard stations. Soldiers were scattering. Four stayed standing by each of the new slaves. The lord himself lingered before them, flanked by two samurai on each side.

"I suppose you would like an introduction," he said without preamble. "My name is Atsuo, and I am the lord of this region. You are now my property. All your weapons have been confiscated, and it is futile to attempt escape." He spoke matter-of-factly, hands clasped loosely behind his back. "However, breakfast will soon be served, and I will allow you a single day to adjust to your new situation. You should be glad – that's more generous treatment than most other masters would give you. You three," he gestured to Kagome, Miroku, and Sango, "will join the others in the slave quarters. It," he pointed to Inuyasha, "can stay outside. Stake its collar to the ground."

"WHAT!" shrieked Inuyasha, lunging for Atsuo's neck. Growling ferociously, he struggled against the chain held by a samurai, who was dragged a meter or two before he could plant his feet.

"See?" the lord said to the air. "Half-demons are truly animals. This is our proof." Atsuo's mood suddenly changed. "That's enough! Take care of these troublesome slaves." He turned and strode confidently away.

The light of dawn had slowly grown stronger throughout this exchange. Impending sunrise colored the landscape. Suddenly, the sunlight struck Atsuo's withdrawing back, and Inuyasha grinned, triumphant. The night of the New Moon had ended. He was changing back to half-demon form at last, and he would waste this arrogant lord.

But it didn't happen as expected.

His shriek ripped through the air. Kagome, Sango, and Miroku stood in horror, motionless. Atsuo turned back quickly. An expectant grin already sat on his face.

Inuyasha screamed again, shock in his eyes. The chain around his neck glowed, startling the soldier into dropping it. Inuyasha cried out once more.

His human ears receded slowly, the skin smoothing over. He doubled over. He clamped his hands over his pointed, triangular, dog ears, moaning, as they formed atop his head. (They were black, not white as they should have been.) His feet cramped up, claws growing on his toes. He collapsed to his knees, the system of manacles jerking his hands down. He threw his head back and shrieked in anguish. His canines lengthened to form short fangs. The color of his hair flickered, white, then black, over and over. His irises bled from black to gold, swiftly sliding through shades, back and forth. Once, the sclera of his eyes blazed scarlet.

He knelt, lit by fresh daylight, as his body struggled with itself. His back arched, muscles going rigid. His hands contorted painfully. The chain kept glowing, getting brighter and brighter until it rivaled the rising sun, though it lay cool against his skin. It undulated, whipping about, forcing everyone to back away. He dimly perceived that many people now stood watching all over the courtyard. Sparks and miniature lightning bolts crackled over the metal leash. Light seemed to gather around the spectacle from all the corners of the yard, leaving it in darkness, except for Inuyasha. He gasped for breath, curling into a ball while still on his knees. He clutched his stomach, eyes squeezed tightly shut with the pain. His hair color kept flickering, more slowly now, slower, stopped. Life in the chain died gradually.

His forehead to the ground as if in prayer, Inuyasha's muscles relaxed little by little. His body was in between states – part human, part half-demon. He now had yellow-brown eyes, small fangs, clawed toes, normal fingers, dark gray hair and gray dog ears. The pain lessened from a sharp agony to a persisting, bone-deep ache.

Atsuo's vicious laughter finally reached him through the haze of pain. He looked up, his right eye suddenly yellow, his left deep brown. The colors melded again as Lord Atsuo got himself under control. Inuyasha could see his friends struggling against samurai, blood oozing from minor wounds. They were yelling at Atsuo, telling him to stop it, to let Inuyasha go, and how could he be laughing?

"It's quite easy," he replied, stifling a chuckle. "You thought you would escape when your mongrel changed back. Not so. The looks on your faces!" He fell into chortles. "Ah, yet now they look outraged." He shrugged indifferently. "But I shall not tell you how I managed such a thing. I will enjoy your torment of the unknown." Atsuo sighed blissfully.

"But enough of that. Disperse!" And he threw his arms out for emphasis. He added, "Remember to stake that mutt near the slave quarters. I doubt it will give you much resistance this time." Lord Atsuo laughed merrily again as he left.

"Inuyasha! Are you okay?" cried Kagome as they were all led away. He groaned in response, eyes closed, even as a different, bolder soldier hoisted him up. The man coiled the chain around his hand, disgustedly giving Inuyasha support when it became apparent that he couldn't walk on his own.

Kagome, alarmed as he swayed, yelled, "Inuyasha! Say something!"

He groaned once more, his eyes opening briefly and seeking her gaze. When he found it, he tried to smile reassuringly before allowing them to slide closed again.

Miroku hissed at his condition. "This is bad. He can hardly stand. And he tried to smile! You know it's bad when he does that." He smirked, trying to lighten the mood, even though they were all being roughly shoved through a doorway now.

Cells lined a short hallway, about four on each side. A large, common area was visible beyond. Triple-level bunk beds filled it, distressed occupants sitting up and looking around. They were too fearful to speak or even murmur. After Sango, Miroku and Kagome were pushed into separate cells along the right-hand side and briskly untied, the guards herded the other slaves out another door opposite the one they'd entered through. The smell of food wafted in prior to the slam of the prison door.

Rubbing her wrists, Kagome looked around. Three of the walls of the cell were made of vertical and horizontal bars welded together. She could see through Sango's cell to Miroku's, and through his to the common sleeping area. The fourth wall they all shared was a plastered beige. She looked out its moderately substantial window, which was thoroughly crisscrossed by more bars. Excitedly, she called out, "Look! Inuyasha's next to this wall!" Miroku and Sango rushed to their windows. Together, they cried, "Inuyasha!"

He was lying on his back, seemingly asleep. His shackles were removed, the single fetter around his neck trailing away to a short post. The rod had an umbrella-like rusted cap. The chain now had an attached mechanism that locked it about the post and required a key.

His dark gray dog ears twitched, then turned toward their voices. His yellow-brown eyes gradually opened. He blinked gray hair from an eyelash. Hoarsely, antagonistically, he answered, "Yeah?"

A synchronized sigh issued forth. Their shoulders relaxed, and they breathed more deeply.

"Inuyasha, how do you feel?" Miroku asked.

"Like garbage. What about you guys?" Inuyasha closed his eyes again.

"Eh, we're a bit bruised. It's you we're worried about."

"Mmm. You'll do what you want, I guess."

"Inuyasha!" said Kagome, exasperated.

He cracked one ochre eye. "What?"

She sighed. "Never mind."

He smiled slightly, and closed the eye.

"Well, now what do we do?" Sango recounted, ticking off on her fingers, "We're really in a bind. We've been sold as slaves, locked up, and Inuyasha... I hardly even know. Plus, we have no idea what happened to Kirara and Shippo. And our weapons are missing."

After a short silence, Miroku's eyes widened suddenly, and he muttered, "Uh-oh." Then, louder to everyone else, "The Tetsusaiga's not here! He cried to Inuyasha, "The Tetsusaiga can't suppress your demon blood when it's not with you. You might transform!"

Kagome gasped, "I saw your eyes back there – they were red for a moment!" She warned, "You need to be really careful. We have no idea how that… that chain will react if you transform."

Inuyasha's eyelids swept open, skin tightening in subtle anxiety. "Wonderful," he said sarcastically, indulging in a bit of self-pity. "That's just great. As if we need that – me rampaging through here, maybe even coming after you guys."

Silence held sway as they all considered those ramifications. "You know, though," Miroku added slowly, thoughtfully, "I don't think they know about my Wind Tunnel. They've taken precautions with you, Inuyasha, but not with me."

"Good," Inuyasha said, "because I don't plan on staying here long. We need to go after Naraku." He attempted to sit up, gasped as his vision swirled and his head pounded, and then slumped back to the dirt. "… so dizzy," he mumbled to himself, his eyes shut. "This thing sure packs a punch." He raised a hand to tug on his leash.

Kagome stretched an arm through the bars. "Inuyasha! Are you okay?"

He turned toward her, his eyes spinning through colors again, unsynchronized with each other. He shut them swiftly, clamping both hands over them.

"Inuyasha!" they cried.

From behind them a male voice spoke, "Is that all you ever say? 'Inuyasha?'"

They whirled around to face a soldier who entered the hallway carrying trays of food. "You should learn some new words. Enlarge your vocabulary," he drawled as he slid one tray through the shafts and set it on the floor of Kagome's cell. "And don't worry, that guy out there," he pointed with his chin, "will get some of this, too. Half-demon or not, he needs to eat. At least, I assume he does." He wandered off with a dense, pondering look on his face.

They looked at each other, eyebrows raised.

"Well, at least someone around here isn't totally evil. He brought food!" said Miroku.

As he dived in, Kagome returned to the window. "Inuyasha? Are you doing okay out there? And don't lie to me this time."

"I didn't lie! Stop asking!" Inuyasha exclaimed. "Worry about yourself!" He wished he could sit up. Lying stretched out here was terrible; he was so weak and all because of a stupid metal chain! There were people in the courtyard staring at him, too, and he couldn't do a thing about it. He gritted his teeth. He didn't even have the energy to prop himself against the wall! What in the world was this thing? Being in human form, though difficult to admit, was better than this. And if he did try, he'd probably do something even more embarrassing – like throwing up. Since when did a half-demon throw up? They don't get sick! It was better to stay where he was. Besides, he didn't want Kagome to worry. If he threw up, she'd really be concerned. And then he'd never hear the end of it. Speaking of which…

She scolded, "Inuyasha!" She gripped the bars in the window. "You are lying – and you know precisely what I mean. Answer me!"

He snorted. "Or what?" He lifted an eyebrow. "Like you'd use the enchanted necklace now. Ha! I dare you to say 'sit!' Just get out of here. Go on!" He waved at her when her face set in stubborn lines. "Go on and eat, Kagome. I heard someone say he'd bring some for me." He added in a singsong when she didn't move, "Miroku will steal it from you."

"Hey! I would not!" Miroku called.

"Well, okay… but only if you're sure," Kagome said slowly.

"Yeah, I'll be here," Inuyasha grunted.

"Come on, Kagome, he'll be fine. Besides, there's nothing you can really do for him right now," said Sango logically.

"Yeah, I guess so." And she turned away.

Mmm. Time for peace and a little rest, now. He'd indulge in a nap. That's all. Just a nap. Then he could get up and eat. Time enough for that later. He wasn't that hungry, anyway… . He was too sleepy. And escape takes energy. Better stock up while he could.

And Inuyasha drifted into slumber.