Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any characters involved in the anime.
A/N: Glad to see you all liked the last chapter. Sorry this one is a lot shorter, I'll make it up to you! I think I'm sick off of pancakes; I just got back from IHOP with my friend, and stuffed my face with strawberry covered pancakes…while she sat there and tossed fries on the floor and drank 5 jugs of coffee o.o;;
GLADIATOR
Chapter 3
"Damn it, you bastard! Die Already!"
A huge scorpion demon with a humanoid face hissed in reply to Inuyasha's shouting, all the while letting acid spew from its mouth onto the battlegrounds of the arena.
Inuyasha charged towards the weak spots between the scorpion's armor like shell, slicing through it easily with the help of his sword.
As he cut through it, some more poisonous acid poured from the flesh wounds and burned Inuyasha's already damaged chest and arms, but he kept on going, until he sliced all the way through.
Although the scorpion was sliced into bits, it still managed to move, so he quickly finished it off before it could regenerate.
"TAKE THIS YOU BASTARD! KAZE NO KIZU!" he cried out, effectively vanquishing the arachnid via his katana, like usual...
These daily battles were beginning to take their toll on the hanyou…he was actually exhausted…sure, he was fine the day after that wench had come to bandage him up, but she hasn't come to speak to him since.
So, his wounds heal, but not completely, they just get reopened day after day…Naraku seems to have noticed this and found it amusing.
Inuyasha may have been his prize fighter, but Naraku absolutely hated him.
Probably because he knows that if given the chance, the hanyou would slice him into pieces!
He chanced a look up at the balcony, where Kagome was sitting. She looked as if she had spaced out, trying not to pay attention to the previous battle.
"Keh…stupid wench…acting all noble and shit." He muttered to himself.
Later that night…
Naraku sat at the head of the lengthy dining table filled with nobles and the like, with Kagome adjacent to him. She never really spoke during dinner, and he never really spoke to her much either…he would just stare at her now and then.
How awkward for someone to spontaneously propose to a woman and then not say so much as a word at the dinner table! Maybe he was having second thoughts…oh how she wished he was!
"Kik- I mean Kagome…where have you been going off to the past few nights?"
Kagome mentally flinched at hearing the accusatory tone in his dark voice. Wait, did he almost just call her Kikyo? It all makes sense now…that's why he wanted her so quickly…everyone told her she was the spitting image of Kikyo…save for the eyes and wavy hair…
"Umm, I've just been taking walks around the grounds, trying to learn my way around you see…" she stuttered.
He slanted a look at her as he took a bite of his dinner. Once finished chewing he set down his silverware and looked at her straight in the eyes.
"Ah…I see…if you happen to stroll past those demons be careful…they aren't all what they seem…they'll trick you if given the chance."
Her eyes widened by a fraction, how did he know? He gives her the creeps, but of course, she would never say that out loud…and how right he was…those demons weren't ferocious like everyone thought they were…they were kind.
If all you could do to see another day alive is to fight, then, that's what you would do, right? That's how it is for them…they bear no grudges…they just pray that they last long enough to see the next day.
Besides…he seemed to be the trickster around here if you asked her…
"I-I see…" she acknowledged.
So they continued on with their supper in silence. Kagome, being completely weirded out by her fiancé, excused herself once she was finished.
So what if he knows…she would continue her trips to the cell block anyways…until she could figure out a way to help out those nice demons, she would give them food and water, and conversation…that's better than nothing right?
Especially if they might not survive the next day…
She didn't bother to change out of her blue evening gown, it was quite comfortable…it had a nice slit along the side to allow for better mobility than most of her other dresses. So she could move much more quickly if someone happened to spot her.
She had been walking down the corridors for some time before she spotted who she was looking for.
"Here Kagome, I got the basket of supplies ready for you!" Sango whispered to her as she handed her a rather large wicker basket overflowing with food, pouches of water, and some medical supplies if needed.
"Thank you so much Sango, I don't know how you do it, but thank you either way!" she offered her thanks.
Sango slightly blushed as she gave her friend a hug, "Well, I had some help from a servant named Miroku…"
Kagome studied her face for a second but didn't say anything besides, "Well, then give this man my personal thanks."
And off she went to the cell block!
A few rats squeaked their protest at the intruder, but she didn't really care… the guards were all out with the king tonight, he needed extra security seeing as he was going into one of the towns he said. So the coast was clear of those pig-heads.
She made her way towards the cell of the first demon she ever spoke to, she loved talking to him now and then, he was great company, save for the iron bars that separated them…she didn't have the keys tonight since the guards were already gone when she got there…
"Hello my lady, its nice to see you again…" he smiled at her contentedly.
She bobbed her head in agreement and gave him her usual offering of food and water. They talked here and there before she moved down the cell block, doing the same for the other demons.
When she arrived at the end however, she pointedly ignored that Inuyasha fellow...he had nothing good to say anyhow. He just did his usual staring, or rather, glaring at her. She could feel it on her back.
"Oi! Wench!" came his gruff comment, he growled irritably when she refused to turn around. "I know you can hear me! OI!" she stiffened visibly, but still didn't acknowledge him.
He muttered a string of colorful curses before propping himself up against the wall with a wince. Damn…these injuries really hurt…
He stopped his mental complaints when he caught sight of her legs as she bent over to grab some food from that big basket of hers…
She kept ignoring him and talking to the demon in the cell across from him…
What's a nice pair of kicks doing on that brat of a woman anyhow?...
Damn it…she was being nice to everyone but him…and he felt left out…but he didn't know why.
She knew he was still staring at her, so she continued on with her pleasant conversation to sort of rile him anyhow…that was until he did the unexpected…
"Oi…Kagome…" he said softly.
She whirled around and saw him wince in the torch light. She took in the sight of his pained posture and immediately felt horrible for ignoring him…she excused herself from her current conversation and strode over to Inuyasha's cell bars.
"Yes Inuyasha?..." she looked at him kindly, and in that moment had forgotten of all the mean things he had said to her previously…all that she could think of was the fact that he had just said her name…
He blushed slightly…how would he ask her?...
"Would you…would you mind tending my wounds?" came the soft request. That scowl he usually had was long gone, only to be replaced by a hesitant expression, as if he was scared she would refuse….who could do such a thing?
Oh! For the love of….the night she needed those keys most! What to do…
"I would if I could…but I'm afraid I don't have the keys…"she replied softly…it grew quiet for a few seconds before she came to a solution. "Do you think you could come over here? There is enough room for me to work between the bars…it would take a little longer, but it would do, if you want…"
She didn't want him to come over to her if it pained him, but he obliged, surprisingly.
She helped him strip his top as much as she could with those bars in her way, and began to clean him up.
"You have some pretty nasty wounds here…how do you manage?..." she muttered softly, paying special attention to that large gash on his throat.
When she began cleansing the area on his throat, she felt that strange pulse again.
But what surprised her was when the gash had begun to quickly seal itself up!
He felt it again, he felt like his powers were returning. It had to be her, she was doing it…she must be purifying the jewel…
He looked up at her to see the surprise in her eyes…so she didn't know huh?...
He didn't say anything, and decided to let her keep on, and so he could see where things would go if this were the case.
"I manage because I don't really feel like dying. I don't plan on staying here for the rest of my life either. You can have my head for me saying this if you want, but your fiancé can kiss my ass. I plan to make him do so once I escape anyhow, that or just slice him to bits."
To his surprise, she just laughed and said she would love to see that. "I look forward to that day then, sir Inuyasha."
He stared at her face for sometime, observing how her silky hair coiled about her face, framing her porcelain skin.
"You mean, you don't want to marry him?"
"Oh gods no," she laughed, " he just picked me up off the streets basically and proposed to me. I now know it was because of my resemblance to his recent wife, Kikyo."
He growled at that name. "Kikyo was a bitch. She deserved to die…"
She gasped at his choice of words, "Even if she was a mean woman, no one deserves to die. What did she do that was so bad?"
He sighed as she continued massaging ointment onto his chest, he could get used to that… "She was no better than Naraku…treated us all like dogs,-"
"But you are a dog aren't you?" she interrupted.
He snorted, "LIKE I WAS SAYING, she treated us BADLY, and only saw us as pawns in a game. She loved the matches…and she would schedule them whenever she could…it was like rushing us all to our dooms as fast as she could."
"That is rather horrible…maybe it is a good thing she is gone then…I'm sorry but I need you to sit up some so I can bandage you up."
He did so without complaint, he was feeling great! He felt as if he could jump over a mountain…for once he was thankful for receiving help…
"So…does your jewel tend to turn pink now and then?" she asked out of curiosity.
He looked down to see that half of the jewel had turned pink.
"No…this is only the second time it's done that. I'm not really sure why yet…"
He wasn't ready to share his thoughts on the matter yet.
"Oh I see…well, you're all done now. Sorry it took so long…I didn't have the keys…so-"
"Its ok….thanks.." he interrupted softly.
She almost didn't hear him when he said thanks…her eyes widened at his kindness. "Well, I should be going now. My friend is probably worried sick. Try not to move so much or those wounds will reopen. Here is some food and water, please take them, even though you said you don't need them.."
He just nodded his head as she slipped him some of the supplies and watched her stand to leave.
"Good night Inuyasha…good night everyone!"
"Goodnight Lady Kagome!" all of the demons chorused.
As she left the jewel fragment on Inuyasha's neck grew dark once more, bringing a heavy feeling with it. He no longer felt like he could jump a mountain…he felt like shit. That woman…there's just something about her…
Inuyasha stared at her retreating form… "Good night…Kagome…"
A/N: Im glad to see that people are taking time to review my work. It makes me happy : I'm also surprised that I even have three chapters out already, haha. Its all for you my dears, ;D
Until next time!
-Jinju-