Chapter 4
"Inuyasha is still asleep!" cried Sango as the sun completed its arc through the sky. Her face took on an orange hue when she popped her head up by the window.
"Yeah," said Miroku as he glanced out his own barred window. "This has been terribly hard on him." He shook his head. "I can't believe how horrible these people are!"
"Yeah! How could anyone be so cruel?" exclaimed Kagome. "They're treating him like he's an animal!"
They had spent the entire day in their cells. (None of the other slaves had returned yet.) Lunch had come and gone, and their simple dinner was approaching its end.
Full and sated, Miroku finished his meal and leaned comfortably back against the plastered wall. Pensively, Miroku posed a question to his companions, "Where do you think that chain came from, anyway?" He licked his fingers clean.
Sango swallowed and said, "Well, it was the traders who had it, remember? They must've gotten it from a very powerful monk or priestess. Who else could make that?" She thought a moment, searching through archives of memories. "I've never heard of anything like it, and as a demon-slayer, I should have."
Said Kagome, "Really? Hmm. I wonder if Inuyasha has. He is the half-demon." She took a thoughtful bite of her rice cake.
"I doubt it. He looked really surprised," ventured Miroku.
"Definitely," agreed Sango. "But why buy a slave, and then do that? He can't even walk, – you saw him – much less work!" She mused absentmindedly, "Is it malfunctioning?"
"I don't know… maybe," replied Miroku. "But more importantly, how are we going to get it off him? Constant half-transformations like this can't be healthy."
"I agree," said Kagome firmly. "We need to form an escape plan. I'm worried about him…. And I hope Shippo and Kirara are okay."
Sango reassured, "I'm sure they're all right. That smoke was probably meant for us humans, not demons. I bet they're trying to find us right now!"
"Yeah, now would be a good time for that," replied Miroku. He scooted toward Sango's cell, and lounged in the corner closest to her. He eyed her luscious body and sighed. He caught a disapproving, knowing glance from Kagome and grinned. Then he sighed again. It was really too bad Sango sat so far away. His hand itched to cup her curves.
Sounds of swishing cloth and munching came through their windows. Miroku called, "It sounds like Sleeping Beauty is finally awake!"
"Shut up," Inuyasha answered, the words distorted and muffled.
Through their windows, they could see him lying on his stomach, gobbling down the food arrayed before him. He was so hungry now he didn't care that the effort made his head spin. Kagome chastised, "Don't choke! You should slow down."
He grunted. "Like I'd die from choking. I'm not weak like you humans." He paused and looked down at himself. "Well, right now… since it's almost like I'm a quarter-demon… who knows?" he asked indifferently. He flipped his deep gray hair away disgustedly, and then shoveled more food in his mouth.
"I'm glad you have such an appetite, Inuyasha. The fact that you slept through lunch really worried me. Since when is Inuyasha nothungry?" Kagome teased.
"Ha, ha," he mumbled. Having wolfed down the food in record time, he tried to get up. His arms began to quiver, however, and his head pounded. He sunk his claws into the soil, and managed to swing a knee forward to rest his weight on. It's pathetic how that stupid chain laid him up! He would do this! He panted and waited briefly for the nausea to subside. So much for the food if he threw up, huh? Twisting his body to the right, he flung himself down and slumped against the wall. He pulled his legs in one by one. At last, he sat cross-legged. He shook his head. Pathetic.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. You get too worked up," he murmured to their vociferous apprehension. He rested his head against the wall and closed his eyes. His sight was all blurry and whirling, anyway. He swallowed, trying to keep the food from coming up.
Kagome exclaimed, "Yeah, right, Inuyasha! You're the one who's always trying to bluff! Just like when you say a wound through the gut doesn't hurt!" She huffed. "You're lying! You always do this!"
"Hey! I do not bluff!" he said, eyebrows lowering in slight hurt.
"Sorry, Inuyasha, but Miroku and I have to back Kagome on this one," added Sango. Miroku nodded as she spoke.
"Hey! That's not – " Inuyasha interrupted his own protest, perking up his dark gray ears. He sat intently, listening. They all fell silent, straining to hear over the noise of an approaching, laughing crowd of soldiers. Were those padding footsteps? The sound was so elusive and quiet; it was difficult to be certain. Then from the right-hand corner of the building a nearly imperceptible shadow stretched out through the dusk, preceding none other than:
"Shippo! Kirara!" cried Sango. "Hurry, climb in here before those soldiers see you!"
Quickly, they ran and jumped onto the protruding windowsill. Kirara swiftly stepped through the metal rods, but Shippo didn't fit. Thinking fast, he took his special, transfiguring leaf from within his shirt, placed it against his forehead and said, "Transform!" There was a burst of smoke, and then a tiny yellow songbird stood in his place. (Kirara sprang onto Sango's shoulder, farther from temptation.) He went through, and then reverted back to a young boy with the feet and tail of a fox.
A boisterous, drunken group of guards entered the courtyard and spotted a red form next to the slave house. It was the slothful mongrel their lord had purchased. Their noble lord had performed a great and glorious service by shackling that half-demon monster. The common people were saved from its innate cruelty, a trait for which it deserved punishment. They headed toward the figure.
As they moved closer, one soldier snatched a bucket from a passing servant, sloshing water onto his hand. "That's mine, thank you," he said roughly, sarcastically, shoving the hapless man. He reached the dog first, and threw the water into its face. He laughed hysterically when it sputtered and bared its teeth.
Whooping and hollering, his friends arrived. "Way to go!" they shouted. Cheering, one grabbed its chain and yanked. He dragged it along a short way on its back, while it scrabbled and tried to gain slack. He laughed until tears ran down his cheeks. He let go of the chain, incapable of holding on through the laughter. It kicked at the other guards' approaching legs, scratching one with its repulsive clawed toes. "How dare you!" they shrieked. The scratched one freaked, yelling, "It infected me! It infected me!"
The man angrily pulled it to its knees by the chain. Its hair flickered white briefly, startling them. Their fear egged them on. One soldier punched it across the face, and it sagged in the chain's grip. The man laughed as he jiggled it around like a marionette. Its head flopped backward. Its open eyes stared at the sky and flowed through shades. It snarled weakly, trying to slash them with nonexistent fore-claws. They all sniggered at its stupidity.
Finally, the first soldier said, "Come on, men, this dirty cur isn't worth any more of our time." Still hooting derisively, they left. Released, it collapsed to the ground. Someone got in one last hard kick to the midsection; the creature grunted and curled up. As they retreated they shouted approval of the mangy half-breed's treatment. The mere fact of its sacrilegious, grotesque birth justified it!
As all his friends shouted from within, Inuyasha gazed dazedly off into the distance. He let his mind drift and his eyes close, trying to remove himself from the deep, unrelenting ache in both heart and body. Old, painful memories of his childhood resurfaced and tore at his heart, burning bright with anguish. He brushed them away angrily.
That beating had hurt, true, but this collar sapped his strength. He was injured mostly because he couldn't fight back. Still, it's not as if stuff like this hadn't happened before. But this stupid thing drained and sickened him terribly. He thought in alarm that its effects might have increased since that morning. He felt absolutely awful….
… His friends were yelling his name and screaming insults at the guards. Several guards turned around and looked ready to return. Their faces contorted with anger. Sango quickly realized that they were in danger. She shouted to shut up, right now, or they'll attack us, too. Kagome kept on screaming. Sango had to stretch through the bars, seize her shirtsleeve, and drag her close. She hissed in Kagome's face, "Shut up or they'll come back and beat him up again. 'Kay?"
Kagome nodded vigorously, tears coursing down her face. "Yes. You're right. Of course you're right. It's just…." She glanced toward the window and sniffled.
Sango said gently, "I know. Just wait until they're gone."
The soldiers disappeared swiftly, and soon they all pressed against the window posts again. Inuyasha still lied on his right side where he'd been dropped, facing the yard. His left arm held his stomach, the right flung out into space. Bruises were blooming around his neck and his face from the day's abuse. His soiled, tangled, gray hair fanned out behind him. Dirt encrusted his back. Blood trickled slowly down his chin. His eyes were closed.
"Inuyasha!" screamed Kagome without constraint. "INUYASHA!"
His eyelids quivered and then slowly opened. His irises had returned to ochre, but he lied staring with unfocused eyes for far too long.
"INUYASHA!" yelled Shippo. He was frightened by this turn of events. Somehow, Inuyasha hadn't really returned to half-demon, and now he let a bunch of humans beat him up? Quickly, he transformed himself and went through the bars.
"Be careful, Shippo! You might be seen!" Miroku called in a stage whisper.
Shippo ignored him. "Inuyasha! Inuyasha! Are you okay?" Shippo crouched in front of him, between his gaze and the far distance. Inuyasha blinked, and then seemed to return to himself.
He whispered, "Shippo? Kagome?" He exhaled gently, and then let his eyes slip shut. "Hey."
Kagome burst into relieved tears. Shippo cried happily, "Inuyasha! You're okay!" And he threw himself on his shoulder, clutching the red robe tightly. Sango's and Miroku's shoulders both eased, and they whispered, "Inuyasha."
Inuyasha at last stirred, rolling gently onto his back to better look at them. Shippo let go of his robe. "I'll be okay. Don't worry." He exhaled shakily and demanded, "Don't you have an escape plan, yet? What have you guys been doing? Go on."
"Oh, Inuyasha," breathed Kagome through her tears.
"Don't cry, Kagome." He waved his hand. "Go on. Get cracking."
"Are you sure, Inuyasha? Are you really okay?" asked Miroku.
"Of course. As if this," he gestured, "was even worth noticing."
Sango asked, "And you just want us to work on a plan now? Just like that?"
"Yeah. Hello! Didn't you hear me?" he said as if they were dolts. "Though you might want to be quieter about it," he added.
Miroku muttered slowly, turning away, "Well, okay. I guess. Um… Well… they said they'd let us out of here tomorrow." He paused, thinking. "We should either leave tonight, and somehow get out of these cells, or wait until tomorrow night when we're over there." He pointed over his shoulder with a thumb to the nearby bunk beds. "Either way, we should probably get him out of that chain as soon as possible."
Kagome whispered, "Definitely!" She wiped the tears off her face. "And I think I have an idea for the locks. We could pick them! I've never tried it, but basically, you stick a paperclip into the lock, wiggle it around and ta-da! It opens."
Shippo said, "Whoa, cool! I want to try! But, uh, what's a paperclip?" He clambered back through the window as he spoke.
Kagome was flustered. "Shippo, keep it down!" she hissed. But then she considered his question. "A paperclip is… um… a thin, poky piece of metal that holds parchment together. We'd need to find something like that."
Sango said in a low voice, "There's more to consider. They'll most likely expect us to try tonight. Slaves probably try to break out right away. Tomorrow night, there's a possibility that they won't expect it. And I hate to leave the other slaves here, though we may have to. Oh, and tomorrow, we could ask if they know a way out! Kirara can't fly us all out the way she flew Shippo in. I'm sure the layout of this place is like a maze. We need more information."
"You have a point," replied Kagome softly, "but what about Inuyasha? The chain seems to really hurt him, and the soldiers might come again. We can't afford to stay any longer than we have to."
Miroku said in an undertone, "I agree. I'd rather escape now. We can always try again later. Although it will probably be harder then if we fail now."
Kirara meowed softly and Shippo agreed, "Okay! So what do we do?"
"Well," offered Kagome, "we should probably wait until full dark, at least. It would be better after everyone is asleep, especially the other slaves there. But what are we going to do about them? We can't just leave them here!"
Sango whispered, "I think, if we are going to try to rescue them, we should come back later. Inuyasha can't fight, and he's the best we've got. Our first priority must be us. Besides, to get this many people out would definitely mean a battle. We don't have our weapons!"
"Yes, we need to find those somehow," agreed Miroku. "Maybe it would be better to wait until tomorrow night."
Kagome whispered emphatically, "No way! Inuyasha won't last that long."
Outside, a dark grey ear flicked in irritation.
Kagome continued, "Okay. That's all well and good, but we need to hammer out the details."
"Yes," said Sango slowly. "Shippo, would you be willing to look around for us? We need to get our weaponry and find a way out of here. And nobody here knows about you, so it'd be less risky if you go. Kirara can come with you, too, right, Kirara?"
Kirara nodded, saying, "Meew!" Shippo, though, looked wary and frightened.
"You can do it, Shippo!" Miroku encouraged quietly.
"Yeah, Shippo!" said Kagome in a low voice.
Shippo paused and then nodded, exlaiming softly, "Right!" He clenched his trembling fist. "I can do this!"
Miroku agreed in an undertone, "Yeah! And while you're scouting, we can work on these locks. We'll just make it look like we're bolted in. You can do this, Shippo!"
"Okay. Come on, Kirara! Let's go!" And they went back out through Sango's window.
On the way past Inuyasha, Shippo looked up into his face. Inuyasha had somehow, unbelievably, managed to sit up again. His head was hanging, and his straight, dusty hair formed a curtain around him. "Are you sure you're okay?" Shippo asked worriedly. "You look like you're about to puke."
"Shut up," Inuyasha grunted.
Shippo lifted his hands in a defeated, all-right-then gesture. Inuyasha might talk big, but he must actually be feeling pretty bad.
Inside, the three friends pondered on what they could use to pick a lock. Quiet reigned supreme until Kagome gasped quietly, "Miroku, your earrings!"
Sango turned to look; Miroku lifted a self-conscious hand upward. He asked in disbelief, "These? Would they work?"
A drop of doubt fell into the pool of Kagome's face. "Well, I think so. It's worth a shot. Pass it here."
After Sango played courier, Kagome took the small hoop earring with a straight stud. She reached awkwardly around the bars to the built-in lock. The side of her face pressed against the cage as she blindly groped around with the earring. Some time passed before Miroku removed his other earring and tried his own lock.
"So basically," he asked doubtfully, "you just wiggle it around and hope it works like a key?"
"More or less," she strained.
Sango sighed. There was nothing for her to do! She walked to her window where deep twilight had settled in over the landscape. A few lonely torches wavered in a zephyr. She asked softly, "How are you doing, Inuyasha?"
He didn't respond. He didn't even twitch. Alarm grew until she saw the faint movement of his breathing. "Inuyasha? Come on, say something."
"Go away," he grumbled hoarsely. "Can't a guy get a little peace around here?"
She exhaled shakily. "Jeez, don't scare me like that."
"Feh. Leave me alone."
"Come on, Inuyasha, be honest. How are you feeling?"
"UGH!" The half-demon fought his voice down to a lower level. "Would you people stop asking me that already? For the last time, I'm fine!" He clenched both fists. His face was still hidden by a tumble of hair. Why couldn't they just leave him be? The pain and nausea was easier to bear alone…. Nightfall sure made the temperature drop. He shivered.
Sango asked, "Are you cold? It's still warm out."
He lied, "No, it was a shiver of disgust. Now leave me alone."
She sighed. "Fine."
