Chapter 7

A serene old man approached the group, his hands peacefully tucked in the sleeves of opposite arms. He brought with him a calming, spiritual aura especially helpful at a sickbed. The strong, old monk remained unperturbed when he saw Inuyasha's alien features. He knelt next to the group.

"What has happened?" he asked of their anxious expressions.

Kagome immediately launched into a fast, unintelligible stream of words.

"Slowly, child. Begin at the beginning," he said gently.

She stopped speaking, tears glistening in her eyes. Sango took over and described what had occurred, covering only pertinent information and entirely excluding Shippo and Kirara from the tale, along with their escape attempt, of course. About that incident she said only that a guard had injured his foot, which had now become infected.

Miroku interrupted, "It's the chain! You have to take it off! That's what's doing the damage!"

The captain, who stood nearby unnoticed, interjected, "Absolutely not. Lord Atsuo has instructed that it not be removed for any reason. I dare not go against such explicit orders."

The physician-monk listened respectfully, but turned back to Miroku and asked, "This chain?" He lightly set his fingertips on it where it had spilled onto the pallet. "Hmm, yes. I can sense its powers." He proceeded to examine Inuyasha, feeling his forehead and unwrapping his puncture wound. It had slightly reopened again, enough to be oozing yellow pus and blood. The odor was disquieting. The monk removed a knife and pan from within his pocket-ridden robes. He sliced the wound open somewhat and set it in the pan to drain. He then tucked his hands in his sleeves and said,

"Tell me more about him and this chain. He is a half-demon?"

"Yes!" interrupted Sango. "But it has somehow kept him in a sort of quarter-demon state. But it's worse than that! It's making him sick! His fever is really high!"

The physician-monk nodded, sensing the truth of this. He could feel the vile aura of the chain spreading through his patient like a poison. He was silent while he considered his options. He took cloth and herbs out from his pockets and cared for the foot wound.

Finally, he said sympathetically, "I will speak to Lord Atsuo." Their faces lit up. "Be warned, I can guarantee nothing. I can but do my best." They nodded eagerly.

The captain snickered derisively. "You're deluded, monk."

"So be it. I shall soon return." He rose and glided off as a swan upon still waters.

When the other man had gone, the captain said, "Come on, then. You got what you wanted. Time to earn your keep."

"No!" Kagome cried. "Please! Let us stay with him!" She gripped Inuyasha's limp hand like she'd gone through rigor mortis. "Please!"

"No!" he said harshly. "Now come along." He grabbed her arm tightly.

She threw herself onto Inuyasha and refused to let go. "NO!" she sobbed. When he tried to lift her by the arm, he lifted both of them. He dropped her. She was probably going to start screeching again, the banshee. Hysterical, useless b$**.

He unsheathed his katana and leveled it at Sango's throat. "Get up," he hissed malevolently. "Walk in front of me. You, too! GET UP!" The other soldier slowly drew his own sword. "Go," he whispered to Miroku horribly.

Stiffly, Miroku and Sango complied, glancing back anxiously. Kagome raised her blotched, wet face and watched them leave, still crying her heart out atop Inuyasha. Miroku worried about her and about Shippo and Kirara – they were still hiding in his clothes! What would happen to them if they were found…? The group disappeared from Kagome's sight.

Several soldiers arrived at the infirmary a while later and took up positions around Kagome and Inuyasha. They glanced at one another upon hearing her on-going hysteria.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome bawled. She was still holding his unresponsive body with all her might. Her sobs shook them both. "Miroku! Sango!" They'd been taken away! What was she going to do? "Inuyasha!" At least they'd finally found cause for hope! She couldn't stop crying for her life.

Gradually, though, her sobs slowed and stopped. She sniffled. She sat up on a hip and wiped her face. It felt swollen from so much crying. She sniffled again and breathed out shakily, wiping strings of hair back behind her ear. She glanced up at the ring of men, too worn out to care about their presence. She laid back down and curled against Inuyasha's right side, pillowing her head on his shoulder and throwing an arm across his chest. He'd probably be mad and embarrassed if he woke up to find her like this. She hoped he would wake up and snarl at her again.

About an hour passed before the old monk returned. Slight surprise showed on his face when he saw the guards and noted the absence of Miroku and Sango. "Child," he said, shaking Kagome awake.

She looked up groggily, but sat bolt upright when she saw the monk. "Well?" she inquired.

His expression was a subtle mixture of pleasure, guilt, and dismay. "Lord Atsuo has agreed to remove the fetter for the time being." Kagome swayed with relief. "However," the monk's eyes were apologetic as he spoke, "he's ordered it to be altered and then reattached. I fear it may not be an alteration to your liking."

Kagome said quickly, "As long as he'll be okay, I don't care. Do you have the key?"

He nodded and held it up.

"What are you waiting for? Hurry!" She scurried to Inuyasha's left side and out of the way.

He placed the key and locked eyes with Kagome as he turned it. The delicate machinery ticked and released the catch. He removed the lock. Gently, the monk slid the chain out from under Inuyasha's neck and coiled it to the side.

They both waited silently. After no response was forthcoming, Kagome clasped Inuyasha's hand to her chest and fought more tears. The old monk set his hand on her shoulder reassuringly and opened his mouth to speak.

Inuyasha's hand tightened visibly around Kagome's, stopping the monk. She gasped. He opened his eyes and whispered, "Kagome?"

"Inuyasha!" Now she did cry. "You're okay!"

Suddenly his whole body went rigid. His ochre eyes widened and stared at Kagome. He began to convulse violently. She released his hand in shock.

"What's happening to him?" she asked franticly. The physician-monk didn't answer, just stared helplessly.

Inuyasha continued to shake, foaming at the mouth now. The guards cried out, backing away and whispering to one another about rabies. Inuyasha's nails and canines lengthened into fangs and claws. His hair and ears turned to pure white, his eyes to golden yellow. Kagome swept all the nearby hard objects away in a distressed attempt to do something, anything. Then she squatted next to him, her hands at her mouth, powerless and uncertain. The seizure seemed to last a hellish eternity.

But at last it ended. All his muscles turned to jelly, and his eyes closed. He was asleep.

Kagome asked tearfully, "Is he okay?"

The monk-physician shrugged feebly. "I don't know," he admitted.

"Oh, Inuyasha…," she whispered, stroking his long hair.


Kagome's scent. Familiar medicinal herbs and tinctures. The smell of illness. Soap. The faint residue from many different injured men. Incense. Sweat.

Gentle sounds of sleep. Kagome's deep breathing. A light breeze that stirred his hair. A distant soldier yelling orders.

Sharp, intruding pain in his foot – and in teeth, nails, eyes, and ears. A dull ache throughout. Hmm. No chills. No nausea. Man, he was hungry.

He opened his eyes. Dimness. A large, indoor space. Rows of pallets. Kagome curled on the one to his left.

He raised a hand to his head. Ugh, it was pounding! He still felt better than he had before – he must've been pretty bad to make it to a hospital. Where were the others?

He sat up slowly. Hey! No rattle! Where…? He quickly felt his neck, and touched skin. No metal. The chain was gone! Holy s$%*! Why was it gone? Wait a minute. It's gone! Yes! No wonder he felt more like himself.

He looked down. Claws! He ran his tongue over his teeth. And fangs! His hearing and sense of smell were normal again. Ah, finally. He was returning to his half-demon form at long, long last.

"Kagome!" He lightly touched her arm.

"Inuyasha?" she said slowly. "INUYASHA!" she screamed, waking everyone in a one-kilometer radius. She hurled her arms around him and squeezed tightly enough to constrict his breathing. "Inuyasha! I was so worried!"

He winced, patted her a little and said in a voice compressed, "Kagome!"

Immediately, she loosened her hold. "Sorry." She curved her hand to his cheek. "Are you okay?"

He started to nod, but stopped as pain enveloped his head. "Yeah. What happened? And is there any food? I feel like I haven't eaten in a month."

She chuckled softly. "I don't know about food, but I can tell you what happened." And she told him the tale, moving to the foot of the pallet where she could gaze dreamily at him.

"Jeez. No wonder my muscles feel sore," was all he said.

"Really?" she asked in concern.

Quickly, he said, "Not really. Now what about that food?" He sniffed. "Hmm. Here it comes. Handy."

A few moments later, the old monk appeared. He smiled and said, "Here." He handed over a heaping tray of nutritious food. Then he shook his head and muttered to himself in amazement at the speed of healing, "Wow. I guess there are some advantages to being a half-demon."

Inuyasha ignored him, too busy chopsticking food down his gullet. Kagome beamed at the monk and at Inuyasha, too happy for words. Inuyasha's bruises and fever had disappeared, and his foot was healing rapidly. He was awake! The chain was off.

At that thought, however, she felt dismay. "Excuse me," she said to the monk, "do you know how they're going to alter the collar?"

Inuyasha paused, eyeing him.

The typically serene monk-physician shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid not, child. But it won't be good."

Inuyasha looked to Kagome, still poised over his food. She inquired, "Well, can you tell us more about the chain?"

"I know only that it was meant for subjugation. But apparently, it did its job too well. Another, most likely similar, method will take its place."

Kagome met Inuyasha's troubled, furious eyes. He looked away and began eating again.


Reawakening at dawn, Inuyasha stretched and yawned. He flicked his ears. Ah, he was so relieved to have that collar off. Only a slightly painful twinge remained. Just about back to normal.

"Kagome. Wake up," he said.

She rolled over and blinked. "What?" she moaned.

"It's morning. Isn't that great?"

"Uh, no. Let me sleep."

"Oh, come on." He lowered his voice. "Now is the best time to escape. Duh."

She merely blinked dumbly at him. "What?"

"C'mon, Kagome, wake up!" He laughed, happy to feel so healthy and alive. "Wake up!" he demanded petulantly, mock-pouting.

She smiled in spite of herself. "You're in a good mood."

He frowned at her and made to pull her up when she didn't move off her pallet. "All right, all right, I'm up," she said. "Jeez."

Kagome propped herself against the wall, running her fingers through her hair. "I wish I had a brush. My hair is so tangled." She lowered her hands and looked thoughtfully at Inuyasha. "Yours is, too."

He flattened his ears to his head and glared. "No. Way. You are not getting anywhere near my hair."

She smiled wistfully and turned away. "Relax. I don't even have a brush." She added to herself, "Though I would like to comb it." He growled. His white hair rarely, if ever, felt a brush. A half-demon in feudal Japan wouldn't worry about that sort of thing, according to Inuyasha. Although, she doubted he was normal even by half-demon standards, not that there were many of those around. It was probably just an Inuyasha thing. She sighed.

Kagome said, "All right, well, let's get out of here, then. You obviously feel well now, so let's find Miroku and Sango. And Shippo and Kirara," she added worriedly. "I hope they weren't discovered."

Inuyasha replied, "I'm sure they're fine. They can take of themselves." He yawned again, and then bounced to his feet. "Let's eat, first. It smells good…."

"What smells good? Food? Where is it?"

Inuyasha had already started to wander away. "Let's go, Kagome."

She thought darkly to herself, thoughts tinged with amusement and pleasure, He always just leaves without explaining why.

He located the source of the smell: the old monk was cooking breakfast. Inuyasha blurted, "Is it done yet?"

Kagome stepped up behind Inuyasha just as the monk jumped sky high and put a fluttering hand to his heart. After Kagome scolded the half-demon – he wasn't really sure why – they ate the meal the monk expanded to feed three.

Inuyasha gobbled down his lion's share, and then had the audacity to stare at Kagome in boredom while she ate. She protested to his tacit condemnation, "I eat normally. You're just a speed demon."

He cocked his head at her. "No, I'm a half-demon. What's a speed demon? I've never fought one of those before."

She rolled her eyes. Sometimes she forgot that slang didn't travel well through the centuries. She continued eating. Inuyasha stopped staring at her and instead stared into the distance. A strange look came over his face.

"Inuyasha? Are you okay?"

He looked up, and seemed to shake off whatever had been bothering him. "Yeah."

"Jeez," she muttered in relief and frustration. "You're a lot of trouble lately, you know that? Worrying me and freaking me out one minute, then driving me crazy the next. Don't you have anything in between?"

"Oh, ha, ha. Like it's my fault this happened," Inuyasha replied.

"Yeah? Well, maybe it is," she said, just to spite him.

"Is not!"

"Is, too!"

"Nu-uh!"

"Nu-huh!"

Inuyasha cut himself off. "Kagome? Kagome?" He reached for her.

"Just… a bit… woozy." She swayed, holding her head. "Ow."

"Kagome? What's wrong?" he demanded.

Her face pinched. "It hurts," she said, perplexed and surprised.

"What hurts?" He was growing frantic.

"My head…. Jeez. Ouch…."

Inuyasha instigated another demand, but stopped, suddenly, ephemerally too exhausted. He began again. "How am I supposed to help you when you won't tell me what's wrong?"

Kagome glanced askance at him, her head pounding. "I did tell you. And don't talk so loud. It makes it hurt worse."

Inuyasha rounded on the monk. Suddenly, the man smelled of guilt. "What did you do?" he hissed.

The poor old physician cowered. He grabbed a small bell from within his robes and rang it franticly, an apologetic, guilty look on his face. Soldiers rushed in, clattering loudly. Kagome cringed and, after shoving the empty plates away, put her head on the table, covering it with both arms.

A man most ornately dressed said, "Good job, monk. Now, out of our way." The man shoved the monk roughly out the back door to the herb garden through which the soldiers had entered. The aristocratic man yanked it shut. The magical chain was coiled and hooked onto his belt.

Inuyasha jumped to his feet, fighting off the encroaching fatigue. He put himself in front of Kagome and took his suikan off, causing the guards' eyebrows to raise. With his white undershirt thus revealed, he threw the scarlet shirt at her for protection,. "Kagome? Get out of here." He settled into a fighter's stance: feet apart, knees bent, hands up and ready.

"Yeah, okay." She stood up, putting it on. Turning around, she staggered out the other door toward the beds.

Inuyasha swiveled his right ear and listened intently, hearing her stumble a few times, but she made it to the outer door. It swung shut, cutting her away from him.

The soldiers had been cautiously advancing as he stood listening, still poised for battle. His eyes hadn't moved away from their leader, who leaned against a wall and watched.

Inuyasha queried angrily, "What do you want?"

The senior officer raised an eyebrow. "Your obedience."

Inuyasha snorted. "Make me." Inwardly, though, he knew that whatever the monk had given him would make him slower. These were just humans, however. Easy prey.

"Take him down, men!"

Inuyasha's lip curled in contempt. There was absolutely no way he was going to let them put that thing back around his neck. He'd die first. And so would they. His conscience twinged slightly, but he ignored it. He had no other option.

The samurai yelled battle cries and rushed toward the half-demon. He blocked their weak, human blows easily. Their swords couldn't harm his robe-protected legs, so he only evaded attacks to his torso. "Iron Reaver, Soul Stealer!" he cried, slashing with his innate demon strength. Two soldiers died in one sweep of his claws. Their blood dripped off his fingers as he panted.

They paused, wary. The monk had been instructed to use three times the normal dose, but this monster hardly seemed affected. Their leader yelled, "What are you waiting for? Get him!" He drew his own katana at last, joining them, boosting their morale. They circled around Inuyasha within the kitchen built to feed an injured army.

Inuyasha ran at a man, yelling the name of his battle maneuver. The satisfying feeling of clawing, ripping through flesh was immediately followed by a white-hot pain in his right shoulder. He cried out, the sword's quick removal almost as painful as its penetration. He whirled and demolished the soldier. He wouldn't allow another to wound him again, he vowed.

The nervous, but determined soldiers took aim, one or two at a time thrusting and slashing at him. Their careful strategies were wasted on his brute strength and temper. He didn't bother after a time to parry blows. He just slaughtered them before they could lift their weapons. Men died under his claws until only a handful remained. Blood made the floor slick.

The senior samurai, gazing around at the casualties, said sadly, "Well, I didn't want to have to do this. But you forced my hand. Bring them in!"

Miroku, Sango, and Kagome – all bruised and the first two bound – toppled through the garden door. Kirara's and Shippo's voices sounded with the others, muffled and audible only to Inuyasha's sharp hearing. Inuyasha gasped and stepped toward them. An ephemeral moment of inattention was all it took for another man to thrust his blade. Inuyasha cried out and fell to his knees.

Kagome screamed when she saw the katana protrude from his right upper arm. Blood covered him. It soaked into the knees of his hakama. "Inuyasha!" Her head pounded in time with the yelled syllables, but she couldn't care less. "Inuyasha!"

Miroku and Sango were baffled by this strange turn of events. Last time they saw Inuyasha, he'd been near death. Now he was battling soldiers to prevent the replacement of the chain? Why? But judging by the ratio of corpses to those still standing, he hadn't had much trouble.

"Now, let us put this on," the captain patted the chain, "and we won't hurt your friends."

Inuyasha looked at their injured faces as he staggered upright, struggling not to succumb to the drug and wounds.

He charged the captain.

"Ah, ah, ah! Too slow!" His sword poised to thrust through Inuyasha's midsection. He nodded at the men who'd entered behind the prisoners.

Their cries filled the air.

"No!" Inuyasha yelled, beginning to turn their way. The captain slashed Inuyasha's chest almost daintily, sketching a thin line of blood. "Ah, ah, ah! The only way to help them is to put on this." He smiled maliciously as he unhooked the chain and held it forth.

Sango yelled, "Don't, Inuyasha!"

"Kill him!" hollered Miroku.

Whips cracked over both their backs, and they flinched, but didn't cry out. Kagome was rolling on the floor, holding her ears. Tears leaked out of her squeezed-shut eyes.

"Don't do it, Inuyasha!" Sango screamed again.

Unsmelled and unheard soldiers circled behind Inuyasha, circumspect in their movements.

She called, "Look out!" Too late. His lower back was gashed open, the two flaps of skin bleeding profusely. He clenched his teeth to hold in the scream. He collapsed to his knees once more.

Kagome looked up. His back was facing her, and she saw the gaping wound. "INUYASHA!" A flogger whistled as it came down on her back. She shrieked reflexively. Bewildered, though, she felt no pain. …Inuyasha's robe!

Inuyasha jerked with her scream. His muscles trembled and struggled to hold him upright, but the drug had a soporific effect. His drugged body kept relaxing sleepily, forcing him to catch himself as he leaned one way or another. His wounds throbbed, spreading yet more blood over him.

He fell on his face, still trembling and now half-asleep.

The senior officer nodded and said to himself, "About time. Although, I wonder. Are men's lives really worth the one slave?" He shook his thoughts away. He squatted on Inuyasha's right. The half-demon tensed.

Kagome stood up in the quiet, unnoticed, and kneed her soldier in the groin. He groaned and toppled. She snatched his belt knife and hurled herself toward the captain. She fought not to scream her desperation. Her arm swung around, and plunged downward.

At nearly the same moment, Inuyasha swept his left hand out, aiming for the captain's throat.

The captain merely stepped up and back.

Kagome's and Inuyasha's eyes widened. Her arm continued to circle, now heading toward Inuyasha. Inuyasha's deadly claws kept moving, now for Kagome. All he could do was change the trajectory just enough to miss. Kagome began to release her blade, but before she could, their weapons collided. The knife stabbed through his hand up to the hilt.

Kagome screamed, the sound tearing apart her ears. She began to cry and apologize, falling to her knees and clutching his bloody shirt. Inuyasha held his impaled left hand and refused her apologies.

"No need," he muttered, his eyes fluttering closed.

The captain waited briefly, and then motioned to a soldier, who shoved Kagome away. He dragged her back to Miroku and Sango, who were helpless to assist. The leader kicked Inuyasha. He sprawled on his face, jarring the knife painfully. He cried out. He wasn't angry about it, though. Must be the drug, he mused dreamily.

As Miroku, Sango, and Kagome struggled, the captain withdrew the chain and lock once more. He knelt with one leg on Inuyasha's back, sweeping his hair aside. It landed in a cooling pool of blood, soaking red. Inuyasha fought automatically, but the herbs made him sluggish. The horrid, hated chain whirled around his neck and clicked closed, locking him in a deep, dark dungeon of no escape.

His task finally completed, and at great cost, the captain stood up, looping the leash around his hand. He tugged. "Get up."

Inuyasha's right fist tightened. This brought the knife skewered through Inuyasha's other hand to the leader's attention. He pulled it out and handed it hilt-first to its original owner. Inuyasha flinched as his hand began to bleed faster.

"Get up!" the captain cried, yanking on the collar.

Déjà vu, Inuyasha thought languorously. They really like to choke me with that thing. He tried to get angry, but the feeling kept sliding away from him. He decided he really didn't like these herbs, whatever they were. Though all he could really feel now, besides the pain, was a sort of floating peacefulness. Strange. Wasn't it supposed to make him sleep, not… this? Hmm. He could hear the captain yelling from a long way off. What was he going on about? Oh. He was supposed to get up. Well, okay. Don't know what all the fuss is about. 'S not that hard. Right?

Oh. Maybe it is. His muscles didn't seem to want to respond. He wondered why…. Oh, yeah, he was hurt. At the thought, the pain flooded back.

All of a sudden, he realized he was moving somehow. He picked up his hanging, pounding head. Sango and Miroku were carrying him, his arms over their shoulders. When were they untied? What just happened? The emotion of confusion drifted away. All his emotions seemed to be doing that lately.

What's this? Their old cell? Well, that was strange. Weren't they just in the hospital, eating with the monk? No, wait. Something happened in between there… .