A/N: So, I'm back! Konnichi-wa, minna-san! I have now 108 reviews! Thank you to all that have made this possible! You guys are the best. :tear: Yes, it has been quite a while since my last update (three months actually) and I am deeply sorry about that. Shame on me! I did not mean to take so long in posting this chapter, let alone writing it. Since I have been back from my two week Spring Break back in April, it has taken me an unusual amount of time to become used to the time change and the homework that my teachers piled on top of us. As I said in my profile, the posts might be weeks apart because of the end of the year stuff that is going on. AP Exams were over on Friday, May 6, 2005 and I offer my sympathies to whomever had taken them. We deserve a pat on the back. And then there are the finals and the final projects to think about. You try doing an eleven paragraph research paper on the Sunday before it is due. It's murder! But I made it and ended up staying awake until one in the morning to finish it and it was ten pages long. So that is why I haven't updated until now. A sorry excuse, I know, but if I don't receive good grades on them and in school, my mother and father will make sure that I never write another story in my life. The mere thought scares me more than I may ever know. :shivers: So unfortunately, school must come first.
Character: Selena in this chapter and the rest of them is dedicated to my little sister Ria-chan! Beautiful and courageous just like her! Love you lots, sweetie!
Thank You: A special thanks to the following people for reviewing thus far: Crystal, Sesshouismine, Lizz456, KatanaFox, Hanyou665, She-Demonstriss, none, short-tempered, twigy, ArtemisMoon, Hot Bitch (a.k.a. Celeste), Inuyasha-Is-My-Boyfriend, Crutches the Magic Hippie, Latinachica, Kagomeissosexy, Orlando-Inu-Lover, Hi, Annie, Tarzan, Kenshrix, Kinomoto, Dark Hanyou Lover, Shaq, InuFan4Life, AuronZs10, EarthQueen11492, LinaoftheLight, chickichicki, tomariella222, spotzplaya888, elementalobsession, Black Betty, InnocentDarkSassyCat, Dark Daimon Fate, Innocent Hope, dreamz-of-hope, azn-modern-miko, Lady Dark Angel, GohanzGirl, Schezerade7, Ria-chan, Shokora no Sakuhen, Embury, lyn, Iuschopstiks, Silver Rain Drops, kawaii-arula, inu-kaglover45, Malitia, AzaraRubie, dragdr, and Alarnia. Thank you for sticking with me so far especially with my random updates and I sincerely hope that you continue to do so. Your words mean more to me than you -or I- may ever know.
"Kind words can be short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly endless." -Mother Theresa
Dedication: This fanfiction is dedicated to Ria-chan, my little sister and best friend. She proof read the first two chapters of this story and has given me the inspiration to begin my story anew. But most important of all, she believes in me, which is why I posted this fic and for that I am eternally grateful. She has been my constant anchor when my world seems like it is turning upside down and inside out. She has been there for me and listened to my complaints and I thank every star at night for leading me to her. Thank you, Ria-chan! Love you lots, sweetie!
Disclaimer: Well, here it is once again, the time for me to tell all of you that I don't own Inuyasha and all of the characters that are associated with the series and manga. They belong to the brilliant mind of Rumiko Takahashi, but in this chapter I do own Selena.
"The most powerful lie is the one you tell yourself." -Yui's Lesson
Chapter 8: An Untold Land
The loud click of heels echoed unceremoniously throughout the wide hallway, the steps sure and deliberate. They belonged to a silk-clad young woman who navigated the overbearing mansion with all the ease of someone that had lived there all of her life. She maneuvered her way easily down the many corridors when most would have been lost at the first turn, descending one mahogany flight of stairs until she came to a pair of French-style doors that she moved to open quietly. Inside lay a fighting arena, the training hall where Sango saw her older brother, Inuyasha, hacking away at dozens of clay soldiers with his Tetusaiga.
He seemed not to hear her entrance as he brutally broke each one of his targets with a ferocity that betrayed his inner emotions. She could clearly see that he was still angry, had been for one week now. Ever since he returned from the human world, the only place he could be found was this place, ruining the hard wood floors with the blade of his sword and the jagged edges of the relics he destroyed. The sweat glistened on his muscles, rippling almost gracefully as he swung his sword at the last inanimate object with a small growl, his might thrown into it. He watched the pottery collapse to the floor below with hollow, detached eyes that had once glowed with such passion but now were lifeless. Something had pierced his rock-hard defenses, that much Sango could see but whenever anyone asked about it he would glare at the with such ferocity that they were silenced immediately. But not anymore. She would not allow that to happen.
Sango clapped her hands leisurely, startling Inuyasha from his dark thoughts. Kagome's words kept playing in his mind over and over like a broken record, shattering his heart a little more each time until he thought that he would break at any moment. 'I don't think my mom should see you...' she had told him. And every time he would curse himself for thinking that she was any different from the others that had taunted him in the past, taunted him ever now. He had been wrong; she was exactly like them but somehow worse. For he had allowed himself to care for her, coaxing a breathtaking smile from her every chance he had had. This time he would not submit to such foolish human notions, even though half of his spirit was human.
"What do you want, Sango?" he asked curtly, turning to walk to the weapons mantle, placing his Tetusaiga almost reverently on the top shelf. Weapons, ferocious and dangerous, lined that side of the hall from one end to another, gleaming in the filtering sunlight. Each had been passed down through the generations to one member of his family and, thus, his brother, sister, and father had mastered different instruments of fighting: swords, boomerangs, spears, and anything else that could be thought of.
"I am here," his sister replied humorously, stepping over the debris with meticulous movements, "To bring salvation to these poor men of clay that you have been taking your temper out on. Do you know how may of these you have destroyed over the past week?" Sango was smiling at him brightly when she stopped at his side but the smile faded as she saw his pained expression, the slight drooping of the silver dog-like ears on his head. Never in her life had she seen Inuyasha this unhappy, always the charming man with the infectious smile. What had happened on Earth to make him this way? A sigh escaped her lips as she wrapped a towel over his neck, looking him straight in the eyes, deep chocolate meeting rich golden orbs.
"You've barely spoken a word to us since you arrived in this house and we are worried about you, Inuyasha," she told him in a soft voice. If she worded her sentences carefully he wouldn't shut her out like he had done with the others. They shared a special bond, her and Inuyasha, helping them to communicate when it mattered most.
Inuyasha answered emotionlessly, "It's nothing. I've just needed to train, that's all. When has that been a source of anxiety for all of you?" He moved away from her, hoping that answer would suffice. But knowing Sango she would most likely pursue what was none of her damned business in the first place. And she didn't fail him in the least. He could almost hear the tightening of her jaw as she set it in that stubborn way that meant a debate would be coming down upon them.
"It's a source of anxiety," she spat, "When all you have done is mope around like the pathetic puppy that you are, snapping at whomever tried to get close!" He stiffened at the accusations she was throwing at him, Sango continuing her small assault. If she baited him long enough she would get the answer she was looking for. "Is it because of this Kagome girl? Is that why you've holed yourself up in this place?" She emphasized her words with the fall of her feet, crunching the pottery pieces until they snapped with a loud sound.
Inuyasha had had enough of this interrogation, whirling on his younger sister with anger darkening his amber eyes. "And what the fuck would you know about Kagome, Sango!" he yelled back at her, tossing the towel he had been using to wipe the sweat from his face to the floor.
A smile broke across Sango's beautiful features, "Ah, so it is Kagome. I knew it, I knew that someday my big brother would fall for someone." She snapped her fingers in front of is face in triumph, tilting her head to one side awaiting his next words. Inuyasha stood dumbfounded for a moment, wondering what had just happened. One moment she was insulting him and the next-
"Fuck," he wore under his breath. He had managed to fall into another one of Sango's traps, now having to explain everything to her. Inuyasha shot his "caring" sister a dirty look before he faced the large window, disgusted with himself at having been tricked. Yet again. Why was no one on his side! He ran a hand through his rumpled hair as he sighed, knowing that Sango would not leae until she had her answer. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed lazily but refusing to meet her unwavering gaze. No one ever said that he had to make eye contact.
"She kicked me out," he began, his voice tight with the torrent of anger within him, "She kicked me out of her house saying that her mother shouldn't see me" There he had said it. Was she happy now? Sango's next words startled him, turning his head swiftly to face her, his face a mixture of disbelief and fury.
"Could you blame her, Inuyasha? Look at you!" She closed the distance between them, reaching up a hand to tug at his silver ears. She chided him like a small child, even her actions reflected it. Impudently. Inuyasha snapped his head away, enraged that Sango, of all people, would dare jump to Kagome's defense. She continued to speak rapidly, "You're a demon. Can you not see what she was trying to do?" The look on his face told her all, told her that he clearly did not understand. As usual. "Kagome protected you from what her mother might have done. Think about it, brother. You showed yourself to humans outside of this world once and they ran away screaming. One of them even went so far as to try and harm you. Kagome knew that that was what her mother would have done, drove you out to shield your ungrateful self from that kind of pain," Sango reasoned, every word making perfect sense. Leave it to Sango to be the only one that could make Inuyasha feel like a complete heel. Now it was clear why.
At first, Inuyasha refused to believe it as he physically moved away from her eyes, unable to stare into them anymore. There was no way that he had been wrong about this whole thing. He would not entertain the thought because if what she said was true, then- in that moment, the accusing things that he had spat at Kagome returned swiftly to his mind without mercy. He had called her a bitch, placed her on the level of all those others. Those that had mocked him, injured him, scowled down upon him as a half-demon. Hardened his heart to the world. But not Kagome... She had welcomed him with open arms and smiled at him, shining as radiantly as the sun himself. Kagome had saved him from death, shed tears for him that night he had awoken with her at his side. That day, in the kitchen, she had been more than willing to give herself fully to him. The passion she held had enwrapped him in its unmatchable grace. Drawing him closer to her soul. And above all, she was willing to protect him and look at how he had repaid her.
"Fuck," he swore again, louder this time as he placed one foot in front of the other slowly before breaking into a run. Flying past Sango, a ghost of a smile playing across her delicate features.
"Where are you going?" she called out after him, walking to the door to see that he was already halfway up the stairs. His answer was less than accommodating as he rounded his eyes to stare at her.
"I need to take care of something and it's none of your damned business." And to think that he was one of the most sought after gentleman of their land? Sango had always known that there was a woman who would capture Inuyasha's heart like none other could, it was this Kagome. She had found out about her from Oki when she had been concerned about why Inuyasha had been spending so much time in the human world. This girl had been the one that Inuyasha had glowed with, basking in the light of her wings as she gave his life new meaning. She just hoped he would see what was right in front of him before he lost it for eternity.
Inuyasha stood dazedly in front of Kagome's home, his golden amber eyes searching her bedroom window for perhaps a mere glimpse. But as much as his heart urged on, Inuyasha's feet refused to obey its commands. What could he possibly say to her that would pardon what he had done? He wanted forgiveness at the same time that he did not; he wasn't worthy of it. He had done exactly the same thing as the... the "mall," Kagome had called it, insulted her. Drove her away, maybe permanently this time.
Inuyasha leapt into the tree outside of Kagome's window, willing his heart to slow its rapid beating before he entered into the sweet-smelling room through through the open window. She always did make it a habit to leave it open... Inuyasha's heart sank when he beheld the empty chamber, no sign of Kagome anywhere. It was exactly how he had seen it when he stormed out so roughly the week before. He crawled from the window and with what he hoped was quiet steps, made his way to the bed. He sat gently upon it as if he was afraid that he might ruin something else in her life. Even one that was as trivial as this. Her scent, vanilla and cherry blossom, wafted around him deliciously. Wrapping him in the small memories that they had made in so short a time, each precious to him like nothing else.
Rapid footsteps were detected by his ears, the door bursting open without care. Inuyasha was already halfway to his feet, his eyes alight with hope, glowing softly from the golden depths. Souta rushed in, his eyes wild and voice frantic, "Kagome! Where have you been-!" He stopped abruptly in mid-sentence, visibly deflating in front of Inuyasha's gaze.
With every fiber of his being, he had prayed that the footsteps he had heard in this room had belonged to Kagome, had belonged to the one person that mattered most. Inuyasha stepped forward to kneel in front of the small boy, his eyes searching Souta's troubled ones. They swam in an untold anguish, one that tied Inuyasha's stomach in knots.
"What happened?" he asked simply, that small question Souta's undoing. Instantly he threw his arms around Inuyasha's neck, his body beginning to tremble.
"S-she disappeared," he whispered brokenly, "One week ago, mom and I couldn't find her and we looked everywhere!" Inuyasha's heart leapt into his throat and his breath was pushed from his very lungs as Souta's words sunk in. Disappeared...? She wasn't here? Absently, he drew the small boy closer to him, needing to feel solidity as never before. His world shattered around his feet, each shard pushing into him even more as it ripped his soul to shreds. Drawing blood that came in the form of fury and if he didn't work to control it quickly, then there would be hell to pay.
Pulling back, he rose to his feet and placed a comforting hand upon Souta's head so the small boy stared up at him with glossy eyes. The hanyou did his best to smile, wanting serenity to come to at least one of them. And to him, it seemed that Souta needed it more. He had gone seven long days without Kagome, without his older sister sleeping safely in her room beside his. How that must feel- the helplessness, days passing as hope faded little by little until nothing remained but an empty void.
Inuyasha assured Souta with a confidant voice, "I will find Kagome, Souta. Don't you worry about that." Souta seemed skeptical, his eyes betraying what he felt. He didn't know Inuyasha well, could hardly trust him in finding Kagome. His mother had hired policemen to look for her, investigators, had sent out messages of her absence everywhere. But for Souta, it could never be enough. He had gone out himself to search the depth and breath of the city, coming back exhausted and even more disappointed than he had been before he left. However, what choice did he have? Inuyasha might be the only one that could truly find her, being a half demon. In the end he nodded, running a hand across his eyes to banish away the threatening tears. He looked back to Inuyasha with dry eyes and a small smile, placing his trust fully in the half-demon's ability. He had no other options for whom could find Kagome than the man she liked? Perhaps loved. Inuyasha ruffled his hair gently before turning and leaping from the window once more, moving away from the house in slow jumps. He didn't care who saw him. His eyes were only alert for Kagome's form and his sharp nose trying to decipher the varying scents. In hopes that one of them might belong to the young woman that occupied his thoughts for so long. For there was much he had to say to her; he wanted them to talk.
He would find her that he vowed above all else. Even if she never spoke with him again, he would find her and bring her back. But there was one thing that Inuyasha would not do and that was beg. His pride wouldn't allow him to do such a thing. All he wanted to do was find Kagome, bring her back and leave her life forever. He had no business with her. Not now and not ever. He just wanted to know that Kagome was safe, protected.
It seemed like an eternity. The days melting into one another, the sun rising and setting without stop. But all of it carried no meaning. At least, to Kagome it didn't. When she had awoken the last thing she remembered was a bright light enveloping her in its brilliance. And then nothing. But now she was here, in this strange and working as a servant. But not of her own free will, never of that. Because to the creature that had "purchased" her she had no will of her own and certainly no feelings. That demon, Shardul, had taken a liking to her when he found her in the slave market soon after she had awoken in it. It had been seven days ago if she counted them right and he had brought her to his castle where she met the other unfortunate souls that were under his beck and call.
Apparently Shardul possessed an obsession with those that came from the Earth, especially if they were young women. And that was another thing: Kagome wasn't on Earth anymore. She wasn't living in Tokyo. However, she had learned not ask about such things to Shardul, the tiger demon. He would callously beat them for it because they were supposed to be the perfect slaves. Mindless and downcast. No questions and thus no severe punishments if they were lucky, which was not often. Shardul took pleasure in their pain. Their happiness was his anguish.
Escape was not an option, Kagome having tried it numerous times before but always encountering dead ends. She was placed in solitary confinement, but always rebelled against Shardul's harshness. This infuriated him beyond belief that a simple woman would go so far as to defy him. She was a nuisance, inspiring the other usually timid Earth mortals to go against him as well. And he would put a stop to it. Barely had she been with him a week and already he had grown tire of her impudence, seeing that nothing he did to harm her would break her spirit.
"Sulta!" he bellowed from his game room, using the name he had given to Kagome when he first laid his yellow eyes upon her. In his ancient tongue, the language that had died out centuries ago, it meant "the ocean's kiss." For her eyes were of the deepest ocean blue, almost as if the vast body of water had brushed his lips across them. Blessing her at birth. No one in all of Madrien possessed such an eye color. Upon purchase, Shardul always gave his slave girls new names that would last until he killed them. That time had come for her, Shardul finding the game room the perfect place to deliver her to death's door. This room possessed the many heads of humans and demons alike mounted on his wall, all of them his trophies for he had killed them with his own hands.
Even after he had closed his wide mouth, Shardul's voice seemed to echo throughout the enormous castle he occupied. It sent visible shivers through the servants that sat huddled together in the dark chamber all thirteen of them shared. In the midst of them was Kagome's slender form, their arms wrapped tightly around her as if that small action could protect her from their master's wrath. Each had come to love the ebony haired girl as their sister, mother, mentor.
"Don't go," the smallest whispered, fear ringing clearly in the softness of her voice. She clutched Kagome's waist tighter when she attempted to rise to her feet, not wanting her to leave them. If she answered Shardul's call it meant that she would die at his hands. That was the only possible reason that he would have to call her to him so fiercely. Kagome met her large auburn eyes, wide with concern for her safety and gave the child a small smile in return. Gently she untangled her arms from her person but before she rose to her feet, she pressed a kiss to the little girl's forehead.
"I'll be fine," Kagome told her, the tone equally as soft. If she failed to act now then her actions would cause suffering to the rest of them and Kagome refused to be the cause of that. These girls had been through enough without her adding to the heavy burden upon their frail shoulders. Slowly, Kagome walked to the wooden door that separated her from Shardul, her fingers reaching for the cool metal of the knob in order to turn it. The bright light flooded in immediately as Kagome drew in a deep breath to calm her rapidly beating pulse. No sooner had she taken a step when a hand tugged at the ratty clothing that Shardul had given to her, drawing Kagome's attention to the behind her. There stood the same little girl, but this time she pressed a small dagger into Kagome's hands, bidding her to take it silently. She had done so much for them, the least they could was protect her in return.
Kagome looked at it in confusion at first, not understanding what they were trying to tell her. Never had she seen them act this way... Carrying daggers or any form of weapons was strictly taboo. Kagome looked to each of them in turn, nodding an unspoken thank you for the friendship they had shared with her. Her mouth set in a grim line, Kagome made her way to the game room, her least favorite of all. However, she had a weapon this time, concealed in he skirt as she faced Shardul's towering form. At well over seven feet, the demon was definitely imposing with his beady eyes that seemed to see everything at once. Sending a chill into one's stomach at his thorough gaze. And this moment was no different as he stomped to her with thundering steps, almost succeeding in throwing Kagome off balance if she hadn't righted herself in time. Shardul circled her, running clawed fingers over her shoulders with an unnatural grace, the nails grazing over her skin eerily. As prey and predator.
Kagome was sure that he saw her as his prey, but he was wrong. As he continued his touch, Kagome suppressed the urge to dig her nails into whatever body part she could a hold on. His touch was revolting to her, something that made her stomach queasy. Waiting with tense muscles until he stopped in front of her, she looked up at him steadily in the eyes. She knew that it made him angry, for he had always saw himself as one that should be revered. And eye contact was strictly forbidden among other things.
"Even standing in front of your maker you still defy me. Even when your soul is mine," he hissed, baring his sharp fangs that were coated in dried blood from the many he had killed. They glinted wickedly in the light of the few candles that were lit around the room, casting shadows to the walls. Flickering with every shift of the tiger demon's body. Their flames Kagome drew strength from, the little warmth they gave infusing her body with its gentle swaying. Kagome lifted her chin in a show of mockery to his authority.
"My soul belongs to no one, but me," she replied in a clipped tone, flicking her hair off of her shoulder. "It certainly does not belong to a putrid being such as yourself." She knew her words were ill chosen, especially when she saw the anger burning in his eyes' depths. She swallowed hard but maintained her position, even when his hand wrapped around her body to lift her into the air.
The vice-like grip relentlessly bit into her body and she bit her lip to hold back a scream that she refused to five him the pleasure of hearing. His face loomed ever closer, the hot breath fanning over her with its stinking fingers. How dare she! Shardul would not allow this to go unpunished as he had so few times before. He had had enough of this wench and her sharp tongue. He would make sure that she payed for all of the grief that he gave her, every ounce of it.
"You will die here and now, Sulta and I shall enjoy every minute of it as I taste your sweet blood upon my lips," Shardul growled. To his utmost fury, Kagome merely laughed, a twinkle of a sound that could only be carried on the floating wind. Before he knew why, there was a spurt and all that he could now think of was that one of his eyes had just exploded, the pain shooting into every nerve ending. With a bellow of rage and agony, Shardul dropped Kagome roughly to the floor, clutching his palm over his eye as to stifle the pain. The dagger that Kagome had concealed in her skirt was now jutting from his eye as she had taken the moment to plunge into him for she knew that that was her only hope. Kagome used the opportunity to dash between his legs, running for cover inside the castle. Try and find someplace that she could hide.
Okinamaru. He would know where to find Kagome. Inuyasha had searched high and low for Kagome, through the whole city practically and still there was no sign of her. She was not in her world it seemed, more like she had disappeared into thin air and Inuyasha knew that was impossible. At least, for an Earth mortal it was.
He jumped far distances across the large castle that his king occupied and was headed straight for the rooms in the very back. That was where the sorcerer was, the one that would find Kagome because if he didn't then there was no hope for the world that was around Inuyasha. He would destroy it in his fury and be done with it. But he hated feeling this way. He was... helpless. Something that Inuyasha had never experienced before. Realizing that he might never find her was something that he could not stand thinking about because his heart swelled with so many emotions when he was with her. She drove him to anger, to passion, to-
Inuyasha stopped that thought before he was able to finish it. That was not a path that he wished to explore for its possibilities scared him. He was the great Inuyasha, one of the king's knights and yet he was powerless to save one woman. The woman he happened to care for above the rest. Then why couldn't he say it? Why couldn't he admit it even to himself? His mind went over those details, trying to find an answer. But all of them led to the one path that he could not take. The one path that would mean risking his heart and soul to someone and that was something that Inuyasha could not see doing.
"Yes, that is what I have heard. Shardul has another new Earth mortal for his collection." The whisper caught Inuyasha's attention as he passed, the silver ear atop his head swiveling to listen. But they couldn't be talking about... No, that wasn't possible. There was no way that Kagome could have ended up here in this world. Very few could. The servants chattered on quietly, huddled together behind a column so that no one would be able to see them not working. In their hands they held baskets of sheets and other articles of clothing that needed to be washed and then dried. But their was a rumor moving swiftly throughout the world of Madrien. When that happened everyone stopped what they were doing to listen, to pass it on to another being. They thrived off of it like one would water, sustaining their life for it could become tedious being the servants of royalty.
"It is rumored that the girl is quite beautiful, breath taking in fact," the other whispered in a hushed voice. Kagome was beautiful... "And she possesses the richest eyes that are a shade of blue that no one has ever seen upon a mortal. Madrien itself has never seen anyone with blue eyes." The color was reserved by the Gods for those that were worthy of it, seeing such a color was an honor, but giving it to a mere mortal girl? What could the Gods be thinking? Kagome had blue eyes... Kagome had the richest blue that he had ever beheld.
The servants would have continued with their chat if not for Inuyasha's hands around their throats. In an instant they dangled from the ground like puppets on string, staring straight into the infuriated golden orbs that were Inuyasha's eyes.
He bared his fangs at them in a hiss, "Where is she? Where is this girl you speak of?" Had it been anyone else they might have lied about the whole thing; Inuyasha had caught them gossiping. That fact alone could cost them their lives. Not to mention that clawed fingers that were fisting into their skin.
"Shardul's castle, high in the eastern lands," they managed to choke out in unison, "Please... let us go." Satisfied with the information, Inuyasha dropped them to the ground and exited the castle. Having every intention of taking Kagome back from this Shardul. Whomever he was, he would be the one to bear the brunt of Inuyasha's anger and frustrations.
A sickening thud echoed throughout the castle that would have made any person cringe at its sound. But not Shardul. Seeing Kagome's body hit the pillar, the way that her neck snapped back, was a joy to him. He had caught her with one mighty swing of his furred hand, sending her flying backward into the first thing that was in her path. And lucky for him that object was a gray marbled column. But as lucky as it was for Shardul, it was not so lucky for Kagome's battered form.
Pain shot through her back like thousands of tiny needles, each one jabbing into her with an unceasing hand. Her nerve endings screamed in pain as her body crumpled into a heap upon the cobblestone floor, feeling the cold press into her just as cruelly. What had she done to deserve this? She couldn't even move from the helpless position that she had fallen in, finding no strength to do so. She had not eaten anything in days, had only drank some water from time to time. Shardul gave them just enough to survive, just enough so that they wouldn't pass out. But that threat was coming ever closer. Kagome's vision blurred so that everything was a mass of colored swirls as she craned her neck slightly to look up at Shardul who was now coming to stand at her body. Had he always been that tall? Kagome thought wearily.
There seemed no end to his massive height as he towered over her his face a mixture of anguish and fury. The blood was running down his face in streaming rivulets, tangling the shorthaired fur that was slowly becoming a crimson color as well. How dare she mar his face as she had done! In the tiger demon tribe the act that she had committed that was forbidden, a taboo. It was reserved for the Gods to decide whether a tiger demon would be blinded in one or both of their eyes. And from where Shardul stood, Kagome was no god. And for that he would make her pay, make her suffer for her crime. An eye for an eye, her life in his grasp so that he would keep it for the rest of eternity. He would take her sight from her as well, but he would torture her slowly at first, have her begging him to kill her in one swift plunge of his claws. But that was where he was going to enjoy killing her the most: when she was pleading to him for mercy. A mercy that he would not show.
His hand reached forth to loom over her and at the sight of it, fear tore instantly through Kagome's body and she tried desperately to escape from it. She ignored the pain seering into the raw flesh of her back but it proved to hinder her movements and Shardul was able to capture her easily. He brought her up to his height once more, squeezing her bones so that he would crush her, intending to make her suffer. Kagome screamed out in pain as she heard a harsh crack within her ribs, her sound echoing around the castle to no end. Seeming to reverberate through it with strength. It brought an unexplainable joy to Shardul as he reveled in the dying tone of her voice. It was beautiful and full of fear and that was what he wanted. It was what he lived for.
"Yes!" he rejoiced loudly, "Scream, Sulta! I want to hear your anguish above all else!" Shardul tightened his hold upon her cruelly, feeling her slender body break beneath his claws. Oh, how he had awaited this day, this very moment. It was heaven! Breathe… That was what Kagome kept telling herself as she squirmed beneath his grasp. As futile as that might have been for, his hold was too strong for her weak body to break and the air refused to stay inside her lungs for very long.
A sudden thought occurred to her and its content had the tears prickling the back of her eye lids. She was going to die here. Shardul would kill her and there would be no one to stop him from doing so. Kagome wouldn't even be able to see Souta once last time or see the home she had grown up in. Her mother… she would never be able to rectify the rift between them. She was going to die in a foreign land with Shardul as her maker. He would kill her and there would be no one to cry for her because no one would ever know. And there would be no one to cradle her broken body as it hit the floor when Shardul was finished with her. No one…
Shardul's sinister laughter stopped when Kagome no longer cried out from the pain that he was inflicting upon her. He wanted her screams, her anguish! But Kagome's head merely lolled to the side as the darkness was beginning to overtake her, pulling her into its depths for what would be eternity. It seemed like the only respite from this hell, her only salvation and for that moment, Kagome was glad to take it. The tiger demon shook her with a jerky movement, wanting to wake her for she would be consciousness when he killed her. Seeing that she would not wake, Shardul raised his hand as if to strike at her. He had had just about enough of her and this was where he would end it for the last time. It was something that he should have done a long time ago.
"Death shall be glad to have you!" he roared at her, bringing his fist down swiftly. Shardul didn't know what hit him but the next thing he knew, he was flying through the air and landed into a wall, sprawled out amongst the rubble and debris. His claws had released Kagome's frail body, dropping her to the ground so that just before she hit, Inuyasha was there to catch her. It had not taken him long to find this place once he had received a whiff of Shardul's stench in the mountains. He had run as quickly as his demon speed would take him through the castle, searching for Kagome, to see of she was here.
Inuyasha leapt away from the site and stood far from where Shardul had landed holding Kagome protectively in his arms. "Kagome?" he whispered hesitently, brushing away a tendril of hair that clung to her now-damp forehead.
He tried to awaken her when he received no response, shaking her gently as he called her name. She was so pale. And the way in which she breathed, shallow and uneven, frightened him to no end. It could only mean that something inside of her had been broken and was now peircing her lungs, allowing the air to escape from her. If he didn't get her to Selena quickly, she would not make it.
"Don't worry, Kagome, I'll get you out of here," Inuyasha told her, shifting his body toward the exit and in the direction of the mansion that he resided in. The sooner she received medical attention, the better. But a hand tightening on the arm that held her stopped him. Looking down, he saw that Kagome had awakened but the haze clouding her eyes was still there. The azure blue was glazed over in such a way that Inuyasha could not stand to look at it and because of that same reason he could not look away from her either. He was captivated for all of the wrong reasons.
It had taken every ounce of her strength to pull herself from the darkness, having felt the living warmth of Inuyasha brush against her cold body. It infused her with a new strength that she gladly took, having needed it for so long. The past seven days had been devestating, not only for her but for the other girls. Staying with them for so long, learning their names and their loves, seeing the way they looked up to her had Kagome wishing that she could help them. That had been why she had tried to escape Shardul in the first place: to find help. That and Inuyasha. She had wanted to see him and see the wonderful amber of his golden eyes and now that she had it brought her a new resolve.
She shook her head when he tried to protest to her speaking because she refused to hear what he had to say in that firm voice of his that, at that moment, could probably convince her to do anything. She barely had the energy to lift her arm as she pointed to where Shardul lay so brokenly. Inuyasha followed her gaze and her finger as she turned her head to look but he didn't understand what she was trying to tell him. And that annoyed Kagome as a small frown crossed her features.
She managed to wheeze in a shattered voice, "My... locket." Shardul had stolen it from her when he bought her from the slave market, insisting that under his rule she would not need it. He had done it to many of the other servants as well, taking away precious metals and articles that would have otherwise remained in their possession. Most of them he kept inside of his room or gave to the mistresses that he brought home, but Kagome's he had worn it around his neck after he saw the contents and the message. Saw the picture of her father and her and he reveled in mocking her with it as he fingered the golden chain that Kagome had always feared might break beneath his cruel touch.
Inuyasha nodded his head at her, knowing how dear the small trinket was to her. He had taken note of it that night in Kagome's room when he had seen her fall asleep with it in her hands after she had had the nightmare. Tenderly, he laid Kagome on the ground as he made his way to Shardul's fallen form, watching with a hard glare as he tried to push himself up from the rubble. How dare that half breed even think of laying one finger upon him and if not for the furious look that gleamed from Inuyasha's eyes he might have said something. But instead, he tucked his tail between his legs and cowered there as Inuyasha reached over. Fearing for his life, Shardul flinched away but the silver haired hanyou only wrapped his fingers around the gold chain at his furry neck and very carefully pulled the trinket away. He broke the chain only slightly so that the pieces that fell away from it were caught in his palms.
Inuyasha didn't want to lose any of the links, turning away with a serious expression crossing his features and one that should not have distracted him from seeing Shardul rise from the debris around him with a murderous sheen in his eyes, glowing flourescent yellow. The pupil green and dilated with his fury as he scooped up a guilded axe, preparing to swoop it down upon him with a roaring scream. Just as Inuyasha whirled around to defend himself, there was a blazing blast of pure purple energy and one that was able to send the tiger demon away in a whirlwind of crackling lightening. A loud groan was thrown from his lips as he sunk to the ground and lay there stunned. His eyes stared up at the ceiling and then closed, knowing that he had been beaten.
Inuyasha snapped his head to the side rapidly, met with the sight of a young man with black hair and amused eyes of brown coloring. "You never were good at keeping yourself safe, now were you? Inuyasha?" he joked, stepping over the fallen axe with meticulous movements. Such violence, he thought sadly.
Despite the situation, Inuyasha found himself smiling as he knelt by Kagome's side and gently enclosed her in his arms. Brushing away soft wisps of her hair from her closed eyes, seeing the lashes spill over her pale complexion like smudged ashes. "It's never been my specialty, Miroku," he murmured as he cradled Kagome's frail form in his arms, rising steadily to his feet so that Kagome's hair tumbled down his arm with the abrupt movement. "Take the other servants to the mansion and have Selena look them over."
Miroku eyed the careful way in which Inuyasha held Kagome, grinning inwardly. How... interesting. Perhaps Sango and Selena would like to hear of this as well? He nodded at him and immediately went in search of the girls. That little order also created an actual smile to play across his features as Miroku began to leave the room, his fingers curling with pleasure at the thought of seeing all of those mortal girls that desperately needed a man at that moment. And who better than himself?
"Don't you dare touch them, Miroku. You're courting my sister," Inuyasha called over his shoulder, all the amusement gone from him now. Miroku had a certain... lecherous problem that he couldn't seem to overcome by himself. So Inuyasha would do it for him.
Miroku only laughed as he threw his hands up in the air in martyr-like submission. Did no one trust him?
"What in the seven hells is taking her so long!" Why would no one answer his questions when he asked them! Damn it! he thought to himself as a another servant passed through the door way and just when he thought he would hear news of Kagome's condition, the damned servant went through another damned door. Leaving him in damned suspense once again. Damn!
Miroku watched Inuyasha pace the floor from one end of the room to the other and if he didn't know any better, he'd have guessed that by now Inuyasha would have walked a hole in the plush carpeting. And he had had just about enough of it. For the past hour since arriving back at the mansion Miroku listened to the near endless complaining of the half demon as he stalked the doorway to Kagome's room like a lost puppy. And what was even worse was that he was obviously worried about the girl and refused to show it. Instead he hid his anxiety with angry words, a cold facade that he would not allow to fade away. Even in front of his own family and friends.
Sighing dejectedly, Miroku ran a free hand through his hair and began to wonder himself if this waiting period would never end. It was beginning to become lonely here, especially without his dear Sango to bring him any comfort. She was inside helping Selena heal the wounds that Shardul had inflicted upon Kagome. Oh, how his heart craved for her beauty, her wit! And not to mention her breath taking rump that just cried out for him to caress it...
It would do no good to imagine her by his side so he decided to bring some sort of peace to Inuyasha, rising to place his hand comfortingly upon his shoulder. The muscles beneath the shirt were stiff with tension, with the restlessness that plagued him. And how could he help it? Kagome was in there with Selena and it was taking his sister-in-law too damn long to heal her wounds. She was a priestess for God's sake, why was it taking her so long!
This was all weighing heavily upon Inuyasha's mind. This and the fact that sooner or later he would have to explain to the king and most likely to his family as well that he had found the legendary Maiden of Twilight and the reasons he had for waiting so long to tell them of this little development. For the past week he had tried not to think about it because it would mean bringing her here and that was definately something that he refused to do. Partly because he had been angry and hurt by her words to him and partially because-
The door creaked open, causing Inuyasha's head to snap to the side to see his younger sister step out, a weary expression etched into her delicate features. Her crimson eyes with their soft flecks of gold met his gaze and something flashed within them tha Inuyasha did not care for in the least. Selena motioned silently for him to come inside and he did so hesitently, not sparing his sister Sango a glance as she made her way out to be with Miroku. From the look upon Selena's face it was as if Kagome had... He shook those thoughts away rapidly. She had to be alright, she just had to be. The injuries she must have sustained could not have been that horrible. Unless... he had arrived here too late. With that in mind, Inuyasha rushed through the bedroom, coming to the large bedside that seemed to take up most of the room despite its enormous proportions.
Kagome lay in the middle on her stomach, surrounded by plush pillows, and she paled in comparison to the large four poster bed that surrounded her. The bed spanned largely from its place in the middle of the room, nearly suceeding in swallowing Kagome up in its vastness. It made her look more fragile than she should have been, so pale and small that it frightened him. For one of the few moments in his life Inuyasha was afraid because he couldn't help her in this.
Her cheek rested sweetly on the velvet pillows as she slumbered peacefully for the first time in what must have been days. Selena's healing powers had washed over her like a mother's healing kiss upon her child's brow and had muddled her senses in a state of calm that allowed her to drift into a wonderful sleep. And this time there was no Shardul to worry about; she didn't have to fear for her life. She was among friends, those exact words coming from Selena's lips. And Kagome chose to believe them for she had nothing else to hang on to. They were her anchor when she had felt like there was no one in this crazy world that cared about what happened to her and those girls.
Slowly, Inuyasha looked to Selena as she drew closer to the bed, her dusty ebony tresses swishing with the movement as it brushed the back of her thighs. He was confused as to why she had asked him to come until she drew back the covers to reveal Kagome's bare back. She had been stripped of the clothing that Shardul had given her and because of it Inuyasha could now see the faint criss-crossing marks that littered her skin. They were faint, barely noticeable if not for Selena pointing it out for him.
Frowning furiously, Inuyasha knelt at the bedside, running his clawed fingers over them softly, outlining every detail with silent presicion. But his quiet countenance did not fool the servants or Selena as they stood by watching him. Selena could see the anger bubbling within him, saw him becoming a volcano that was ready to erupt. Dog demons by nature were very possessive creatures or so she had been taught while she was growing up as a priestess in her village and any harm that came to the ones they cared about meant death. And being the mate to one had certainly quelled the doubts in her mind, if there had been any. But watching Inuyasha, seeing the golden amber eyes darken, was something that she had probably never seen before.
"I managed to heal her other wounds successfully but I can't heal those any more than that," Selena began nervously, her tone soft as she sat on the edge of the bed. It tilted slightly beneath her weight as she moved forward toward Kagome's sleeping form, the crimson skirt of her dress bunching beneath her legs. Reaching out she tenderly brought the blankets over her once more in hopes that their disappearance from Inuyasha's view would calm him somewhat.
"They were found on the other girls as well and from what they have told us, this tiger demon took his pleasure out of doing such things to them. Usually I can heal them so that they do not leave a lingering scar but these wounds were deep and never had the chance to fully heal before they were inflicted upon her once again. Upon all of them," Selena told him in a matter-of-fact voice but one that was sympathetic to this girl that had been placed in her care. It was hard to explain all of this to Inuyasha, especially when the tension in the air just became thicker and thicker. She could tell that he was not pleased, though that description might have been a bit too soft to fully capture all that she saw before her eyes.
He had hurt her... Inuyasha's hand clenched at his sides, balling into tight fists so that the nails cut into his palm without mercy. Drawing subtle droplets of crimson blood to the surface. Words could not begin to cover what was raging within him as Kagome's scars continued to flash in front of his eyes. That bastard had dared to lay his filthy paws upon her and what was worse, Kagome had those marks to serve as a cruel reminder for what she had been through. For a brief moment but one that felt as if an eternity had passed, his full demon blood overcame his senses and turned his golden orbs into a red that could rival the blood that dripped from his palm. That tiger demon had tainted what was his, what was Inuyasha's and for that he would pay dearly.
Seeing this, Selena quickly pulled energy from her body and radiated it outwards so that it filled every corner of the room from top to bottom. Its soft aura proved to dampen the hold that Inuyasha's demon blood had over him for it slowly receaded back into his body, not being able to stand up against Selena's healing powers. The red color faded from his eyes leaving only the amber they had been before and he shook his head to clear the stubborn clouds from his mind. A growl burst from Inuyasha's lips. It frustrated him to no end when his demon blood reared its ugly head for he had no control over it and constantly had to rely on Selena's miko powers to hinder its advancements. But he was grateful to her and to the fact that Kagome had not been awake to witness his moment of weakness. What would she think when she saw that he had an even uglier side to his temper? What would she think?
He looked back to Kagome's seraphic features and leaned down to brush a kiss to her temple. He told himself that he was only doing it for Kagome's sake, but deep down he knew that it was just as much for him as it was for her. He needed that feeling of solidity, to know that she was actually there.
"Welcome to Madrien... Maiden of Twlight," Inuyasha murmured in her ear as his lips caressed her skin in teasing strokes.
A/N: Well there is Chapter 8 for you and I really hope you enjoyed it. And again I am deeply sorry for not posting this chapter sooner. There was too much going on that I couldn't possible juggle it all but now it is Summer Break which is a blessing and a curse. As you might know, I don't have the internet at home and so I am limited to going to the public library to update but that is not as easy as it may sound. I have summer school plus summer homework to deal with and I might be able to get to the library but only sparingly. But I can promise that you won't have to wait three months for my next update; I really, really didn't mean to take that long in posting and this is in answer to one of my reviewers. They said that they hoped that the reason for me not updating wouldn't be that I forgot and believe me, that was NOT the reason. I simply had no time to do so. That and I have a lot of family problems that I have to deal with at home, ones that seem to consume me by day and by night. Ones that I hope to overcome soon... Please be patient with me and I am sincerely grateful to all of those that have not given up on me. Your support means the world. Love you all! Please press the little purple button and submit a review because I am really looking forward to reading them:smiles toothily:
Translation:
miko- priestess