Kagome knelt in the dirt, alone and trembling in fear as she nervously glanced up at the seven deadly members of the Shichinintai that had her surrounded. She glanced at her bow which lay at her side; tattered, useless, and without any more arrows to shoot. Even if there had been any left, her body was in no form to shoot it. Her body was in just as bad a state as her weapon. Kagome was sore and bleeding. Struggling to breathe the acrid air searing her lungs, the decimated village before her served as grim evidence of the long and hard battle that she was on the losing side of. The men standing before her, however, showed no signs of a fight save for their demented grins and the light spattering of crimson that dusted their weapons and faces.
"Hm…" the leader of the Shichinintai, Bankotsu, mused as he tapped his chin in mock thoughtfulness, "what shall we do with you?"
Sauntering towards the wounded girl and eyeing her in murderous glee, Bankotsu easily side-stepped the crumpled and unmoving bodies that littered the ground. Kagome fought her fear-driven impulse to shut her eyes as she stared upon bloodthirst incarnate, his lethal sword clanking menacingly with every step that he took. With his blue eyes hellishly fixated on her brown, Kagome braced herself as she knew every footstep brought her closer to her death.
Bankotsu's tongue darted out, casually tracing a smear of blood that stained the corner of his mouth that was now pulled into the beginnings of a smile. Kagome's eyes flickered to the blood - whose was it? Hers? Shippo's? InuYasha's? Her breath caught as the thought passed through her mind, and when she realized that Bankotsu had noticed her hitch of breath her eyes fled his, seeking solace in the dirt and grass below. His cruel smile widened - more animalistic than human - as he reveled at her wordless admission of defeat
As his final stride closed the distance between them, Bankotsu paused before her, curious as to how she would react in her final moments. When Kagome didn't stir, Bankotsu knelt down so that his triumphant form was level with her broken one, and reached towards her.
Seeing his outstretched hand from the corner of her vision, Kagome flinched involuntarily but was unable to evade his deceptively gentle touch. Bankotsu's calloused hand landed on her cheek, thumb tracing over a bleeding wound that throbbed painfully when he touched it. He eyed her expectantly, waiting for a reaction.
Despite her attempt at stoic defiance, Kagome's body betrayed her as a pained wince managed to escape. Bankotsu said nothing but his eyes gleamed with satisfied cruelty. The sound caused a burst of sadistic triumph within him, but one that was was short-lived when she still refused to look at anything but the ground. This act of defiance that both irritated and thrilled the undead warrior. He made no effort to hide how greedily he was drinking in her suffering, and her defiance only made him want more.
Bankotsu looked her over, his gaze filled with predatory amusement. His hand then moved down from Kagome's cheek to chin...to her throat where it lost any semblance of gentility. Kagome let out an involuntary gurgle as Bankotsu's fingers tightened, suddenly cutting off her air supply. An instinctual panic had begun to set in and Kagome was unable to keep her face passive any longer. Raising her gaze from the ground her eyes flitted back and forth, desperate for escape.
"Give us a scream, sweetheart" Bankotsu purred, as he watched terror seep into her expression. He tightened his hand around her throat and grinned "Oh right" he chuckled, "you can't."
Bankotsu gave her throat a tiny shake, enjoying the sensation of her soft flesh beneath his fingers and the very human pulse of her frantic heartbeat that he could feel in his hold. He knew that she knew he was going to die by his hand, but he wanted to make sure she understood that he could do so quite easily with very little effort.
"Killing your enemies is like great lovemaking" Bankotsu continued as another wicked grin stole onto his expression "it's always over far too soon."
Kagome's eyes stilled and swept up to meet Bankotsu's gaze. She realized she was trembling now. Whether it was from fear or rage she wasn't sure, but what she did know was that he was toying with her...and it was infuriating. Fueled by rage at her own helplessness, Kagome channeled her fear into anger and managed to put a look of disdain on her bruised face as she continued to choke in his grasp. She tried to manage a sneer, but the act was painful and caused tears to form and run down her dirty face, leaving muddy trails down her cheeks as further testament to her defeat.
Bankotsu peered into her eyes and grinned, he liked what he saw. She was staring death in the face yet her spunk was still there hating him, wanting to tear him apart limb from limb. 'Good' he thought 'It's no fun killing someone who won't fight back'
Releasing her throat abruptly, Kagome reeled back on the ground gasping. Bankotsu paid no notice as he had turned to walk back towards his men, a satisfied smirk on his face.
"What are we gonna do with her Bankotsu?" asked the frighteningly large Kyuokotsu. He chortled as he rubbed his enormous palms together in fiendish anticipation.
"She's a beauty too, how fortunate." said the toady-looking one called Mukotsu. His words were dripping with lust and it made Kagome's skin crawl. Fortunately, she was looking away so she had not noticed how he licked his lips as stared at her.
Suikotsu was preoccupied with the blood trickling off his steel claws before he chimed in, "I say, we shred her to pieces…slowly" his darkened gaze then turned towards Kagome as he continued, "A woman's screams are always the best ones"
Ginkotsu let out a weaponized grunt in agreement.
"I wouldn't mind hacking a limb or two off," said Jakotsu, "then I'd have something to lure InuYasha to me". He gave a dreamy smile, promptly indulging in his fantasy of slashing at his beloved InuYasha; imagining the sweet taste his blood would undoubtedly have; picturing the life draining from his beautiful golden eyes as Jakotsu dealt the final blow to. Ah yes, he couldn't wait.
Bankotsu was thoughtful and said nothing. Instead, he looked towards the group's strategist, Renkotsu, and called on him to seek the advice of the wisest member of their group. "You are the smartest one among us, what do you think we should do with her?"
"Well…" Renkotsu's eyes narrowed in thoughtfulness as his calculating mind went to work, "Naraku holds a special interest in the girl" he said, remembering when their mysterious benefactor had mentioned that Kagome was the reincarnation of a powerful miko who had inherited that miko's powers as well. "She could possibly be a bargaining piece with Naraku should he try to betray us - an act I hear is not uncommon with him." Renkotsu looked over his shoulder warily, scanning the sky for Naraku's infamous winged insects that served as his eyes and ears.
Bankotsu nodded and Renkotsu continued on.
"Or, we could kill her," Renkotsu said, "somewhat like what Jakotsu said: with her death, InuYasha and Kouga would without a doubt, come running—"
"—to their deaths" finished Bankotsu with an approving nod of his head. "Two— or more like four— birds at once," implying the likely presence—and consequent deaths—of Miroku and Sango's deaths as well.
"So," Bankotsu continued lazily as if pondering to take a walk or to have a picnic, "should we kill her, or…" Bankotsu turned his gaze back towards Kagome, "…let her live?" Kagome flinched when she heard him discuss her fate so nonchalantly. Her life—or death—would all depend on which was more beneficial to them at this moment. She braced herself for their decision because either, it was most definitely going to be painful.
"Aw" Jakotsu began to whine, "I want to carve her up!"
"And my claws are just itchin' to dig into her flesh," Suikotsu said wistfully.
"Quiet" snapped Bankotsu, sharply outstretching his hand and bringing a halt to their protestations, "I need to think about this." He planted Banryuu in the ground and sat beside it, cross-legged and deep in thought as his long braid pooled on the ground behind him.
The dying sun of dusk had melted the sky into an ominous purplish-orange, resembling the cooling embers of charred buildings and bodies from Renkotsu's earlier handiwork. Kagome held her breath. She knew that the next words spoken by Bankotsu would determine whether these moments would be her last. Although she had accepted that she would most likely end up as one of the other hundreds of unidentified corpses around her, her body tensed in anticipation and foolish hope that something - anything - might buy her more time.
The seemingly endless silence was broken by a hesitant Renkotsu. "Big brother," he said quietly, worried about invoking their leader's wrath "I understand your dilemma, but this is hardly the place to linger. Don't forget, InuYasha and the others are not the only ones who are after our jewel shards." Bankotsu once again nodded in agreement with Renkotsu's words. He wasn't sure why Kagome's usual entourage wasn't in tow, but it was true that they would likely come for him and his men shortly.
Rising from his seated position, Bankotsu rewarded the bald mercenary with an approving smile. He then turned towards his murderous band of brothers and cheerily called out his orders, "Jakotsu, load up the girl onto and we'll be on our way."
During their conversation, Kagome had remained kneeling on the ground, her breathing was labored and heavy still as she struggled to keep her heart from racing any more than it already was. The blind panic that had gripped her mind earlier was beginning to fade, allowing her to think straight once more. But Kagome quickly found that logic was no more helpful than fear, as the burning from her throat reminded her of what she already knew: death was imminent. And whether they deemed her to be of use or not...if she attempted to escape they would kill her.
Kagome's contemplations were interrupted by the high-pitched whining of Jakotsu, "But why do I have to do it?" he complained, highly displeased with their leader's distribution of tasks. "Disgusting creatures, you know I don't like women! Too soft, too squishy..." he trailed off, caught in the memory of colliding with InuYasha's hard chest during one of their previous battles, and shivered in delight, "I prefer my playthings to be much more durable"
"I do know," said Bankotsu, "but among us, you are most…understanding of a woman's mind which is why I want you to keep watch of her" Jakotsu said nothing further, save for a huff in resignation. An amused smile crossed Bankotsu's countenance, "Renkotsu," he called the good humor still on his face, "I want you to keep an eye on him"
Jakotsu was already turned about, preparing to do as he was bid and not wanting to test the limits of their leader's patience. Walking over to the still girl, he eyed her with open disdain and crinkled his nose in disagreement. 'Such a revolting creature' he thought and hoisted her up none-too-gently onto his shoulder.
Kagome winced but made no other sound as to prevent attracting further attention from the other mercenaries. Already clenching her teeth against the pain of his shoulder jutting against her abdomen, she fought a cry when Jakotsu unceremoniously dumped her onto the metal member of the Shichinintai. She quickly nudged herself into a corner, curling into a little ball and trying to become invisible.
"Aw now, don't cover up those pretty legs," Suikotsu cooed, "cause they won't be there for long." The gang joined in Suikotsu's wicked laughter.
They rode along, cheerfully reminiscing of their previous slaughtering and battles among one another. Kagome shuddered with every gruesome story they told.
"—and then, right as I was about to cut out his other eyeball he—"
There was a sudden jolt as if they had hit something. Kagome lurched forward, nearly falling off the metal-man save for Jakotsu quickly grabbing the back of her collar. The cloth bit into her already bruised throat but was thankfully short-lived. Jakotsu quickly pulled her back using the clothing he held. His inhuman strength resulted in Kagome inadvertently being tossed like a ragdoll. She collided with the floor and the burst of pain made her head swim. 'Now is not the time for a concussion' She knew she couldn't rely on her body, but if she couldn't trust herself to stay conscious and alert, she knew she would be a goner.
Her feelings were reinforced as she turned to look towards her reluctant assailant. Jakotsu flailed his hand in disgust having had to touch her. His eyes turned from his hand towards Kagome and narrowed with undisguised disdain. Kagome's dry throat attempted to gulp as she was sure she would find herself in an "accident" by Jakotsu's hand if she wasn't vigilant.
"Now don't bang her up too much," said Bankotsu chided, "We still haven't decided whether we want to keep her in one piece or not" The promise of future violence roused the men into a hearty chuckle except in all but Renkotsu who had other things on his mind…
Bankotsu stopped laughing when they approached a familiar translucent, purplish haze. A shot of static jolted Kagome and the others, they had arrived at Mt. Hakurei.
Mukotsu eyed Kagome and gave a slobbery smile, "I think it's time for the princess to go to sleep now," and before Kagome could register his words the short man removed a canister from the folds of his clothes, opened it to release a sickly green mist.
'That smell…! It's…InuYasha…help!...' Kagome's eyelashes fluttered before drifting shut. Her body was now limp, and her breathing was slow and shallow.
"Is she…dead?" Jakotsu peered at the fainted woman and poked her in the arm experimentally, then promptly wiping his finger on his robe.
Mukotsu chuckled, "No, no, she's not dead…just knocked out. By the time we get there, she'll be awake—groggy—but alive"
"Hmph," said Jakotsu with a disappointed sigh, "what a shame"
. . .
"Ah" Bankstu sighed loudly with satisfaction, "Home sweet home. Naraku may be a creepy sonofabitch, but he sure knows how to furnish a place," The other mercenaries let out a low whistle of approval.
Furs and other body parts of various dead animals and demons were strewn about the house. Snarling heads adorned mantles and hung above the doors while large murals with bloody war scenes decorated the walls. The furniture was luxurious; from where it came, the Shichinintai did not know nor care.
The hideout had been provided by Naraku without any explanation; Bankotsu and his men were led there by a strange human boy with blank eyes and even stranger armor. Bankotsu did not question the little ninja boy about how Naraku acquired the former temple or about the boy's association with the mysterious demon-man - all he was concerned with was that he and his men were resurrected to do what they did best: bringing about murder, mayhem, and fear. There had only been one instruction given when they had been reanimated by the jewel shard's power: Obstruct InuYasha's group by any means. Kill them all, if you can.
Bankotsu was no stranger to doing the dirty work for the whims of a master and felt no qualm in following his orders. Taking the girl priestess, however, had not been in the job description and he wasn't entirely sure whether Naraku would be angered by Banktosu's creative method of following his orders.
"Alright!" Bankotsu called to his men, "Bring out the cargo"
Kyoukotsu picked up the still unconscious girl, her slender body easily entirely into his gigantic hand. She made a small noise but didn't stir when he dumped her crumpled body onto a tiger skin by the door. The men assembled inside, growing rowdier by the second.
"I want some sake" whined Jakotsu, "Renkoooootsu" he pouted as he sidled over to the bald Shichinintai's side and began playfully tracing the markings on his face.
Renkotsu smacked his hand away in irritation. "If you want sake, get it your own damn self" he growled.
"Now, now," said Bankotsu, scolding them as if they were small children getting into a quarrel, "I know we're all cranky from this purifying barrier, but I guarantee this girl will be worth the trouble…one way or another"
. . .
Kagome came to slowly, her thoughts were as groggy and scrambled as her senses. She attempted to blink, experimentally opening and closing her eyes, but even that was an effort. She gave up and relied on her other senses to give her a clue as to where she was.
The air smelled of graveyard soil: earthy and with a slight trace of the deceased. Beneath her, she felt the smooth planks of a wooden floor and a constant static-like charge in the air from purifying energy. Mount Hakurei, she thought in resignation. She had already accepted that a certain white-haired hanyou would not have come to rescue her, but now that she was on the other side of Naraku's yokai-blocking barrier, she knew it was an utter impossibility now.
The faint din that came through the walls confining her let Kagome know that she was alone. The Shichinintai had left her alone for the moment. In the privacy she was sure would be short-lived, she sluggishly attempted to gather her bearings.
She lay still, in assessment: she was lying on the ground but her hands and feet were not bound neither was she gagged; she still wore the same singed clothing from their battle. Aside from the wounds attained in battle and the disorientation from being knocked unconscious by poisonous gas, it seemed that Kagome hadn't been harmed any further.
They don't think I pose any threat, she thought bitterly, hands balling at her sides and itching for her bow. Their message was loud and clear: they didn't need ropes or chains to keep her captive, she was their prisoner and only death, either deliberate or from an escape attempt, would release her.
Kagome didn't know how long she had been knocked out, hours…days? In the silent darkness, Kagome ignored her protesting body as she struggled to rise to her feet. Heart pounding and knee-trembling, the poison had done a number on her and left her as shaky as a newborn fawn. I'll have to put a rain check on escaping, she thought darkly.
Unable to stand, Kagome painfully rolled onto her front and willed herself to lift onto all fours. Feeling her way towards a wall of the thankfully small room, Kagome used a trembling arm to brace herself as she rose up onto her knees.
There was a sudden bang when her dark room was abruptly bathed with light. Through closed eyelids, Kagome could see in her periphery, the faint purplish glow of a jewel shard shining from the intruding figure. Daring a glance, Kagome slowly turned towards the noise and creaked open one bleary eye. A blurry glance confirmed that it was Bankotsu, his long braid swinging triumphantly behind him as one arm lifted the heavy sheet that served as the door to her cell.
"…ose the door…" she mumbled, her dry tongue feeling foreign and uncomfortable in her mouth. She smacked her lips experimentally to reacquaint her mouth with speaking.
"Huh?" said Bankotsu, he eyed her kneeling figure with open curiosity. He was surprised. These were the first words she had spoken to him since her capture and he found himself awaiting her words with a buzzing excitement. Another chance to break her spirit, another opportunity to gloat in her capture.
"Close the damn door" Kagome croaked angrily, unable to raise her voice beyond a hissing whisper. Her throat felt raw and dry due to Bankotsu's violent touch and severe dehydration. "If you've decided to keep me alive, you're doing a shit job at it," she furrowed her eyebrows and she continued to eye him through a single slitted gaze, "Bring me water," she commanded.
A wide smile of delight came across Bankotsu's face, showing teeth and making him appear more beastly than ever. He removed the arm was holding the sheet aloft, casting them both in darkness.
"Interesting position to be making demands from," he said and she could feel the leer in his grin. She felt herself burn hot at the mention of her current position on her knees. Staggering, she planted one foot before and made a motion to stand, mind racing to think of a curse to spit back at him. Bankotsu interrupted her, continuing on before she could muster up her retort.
"Glad to see you've got some fire left," he said, casually folding his arms and leaning against the closest wall, secretly thrilled at his prisoner's sudden chattiness. "It'll make it that much more interesting when we kill you."
Kagome tensed at both his movement and his words. Had he made the decision? How soon was her impending death? She eyed Bankotsu warily, though she couldn't see much as they were both in relative darkness again. Her eyes had adjusted enough that she could see his lean muscles were taut and menacing beneath his crossed arms. Although his Banryu was not at his side, her guard was still up as he could easily kill her with his bare hands.
His tilted to one side as he pondered Kagome's words, his thoughtful gaze directed upwards, temporarily distracted by his own musings. After a beat, Banktosu opened his mouth to speak and Kagome's heart nearly stopped in dreaded anticipation.
"But..." he trailed off with gleeful intention "not just yet"
Kagome's already shaky knees nearly buckled in relief. She was immensely thankful that they were in darkness and that there was a chance Bankotsu hadn't noticed. He had, of course, the light reflecting off his toothy smile as a look of rascally delight crossed his face.
"I'm not used to keeping prisoners, you see. You'll have to excuse me" his tone was mockingly apologetic and Kagome could feel the grin through his words. "Perhaps I should just stick to the job that I've always been good at?" Bankotsu raised a self-satisfied eyebrow and let the words hang in the air.
Kagome's temper flared, her anger finally overtaking her fear. "Those threats are getting real old" she snapped as a rush of rage-fueled adrenaline finally gave her the strength to stand. "I've dealt with far worse than the likes of you. Do your worst." Her bravado quickly faded when she heard the creak of a floorboard. Bankotsu, who had stayed near the room's entrance and had given Kagome a blessedly wide berth, was now closing the gap between them. She felt his touch before her eyes registered his location.
A rough finger grazed Kagome's lips in a shushing motion, her body immediately stiffened at the unexpected contact. Before she had overcome enough her surprise enough to swat his hand away she felt his breath tickle her ear. His husky voice caused the hair on the back of her neck to rise and she was unable to quell the shudder that ran through her.
"Oh, don't you worry," Bankotsu purred, "I certainly intend to". With that, Bankotsu turned to leave and Kagome was soon alone once again in the quiet darkness.
She waited until she heard his footsteps fade before she allowed tears to leak from her eyes. The quivering droplets clung to her eyelashes before plopping soundless onto the floor beneath her. Finally allowing herself to wallow in the hopelessness of her situation, she sagged against the nearest wall as the adrenaline rush was fading fast and leaving her jittery.
Kagome was deep in her self-pity when the sound of clanking metal approached her door. Before she fully registered that someone was coming, a hand shot in and ungraciously plopped a bucket on the ground, causing it to clang loudly and its contents to slosh back and forth. Wordlessly, the hand retracted and the footsteps quickly faded from earshot. Kagome held her breath, not daring to hope as she crawled her way towards the bucket.
Water!
It was glorious, life-giving water and her mind spun into action at the implications of its arrival - they really were planning on keeping her alive...for now. Hastily wiping her tears against her arm, Kagome's mind went into survival mode. 'Now is not the time' she thought firmly, 'If I must cry…I'll do it in the afterlife'
. . .
Kagome had slept uncomfortably, carefully shifting herself every now and then to try and keep her sluggish blood-flow moving. She needed her body to be somewhat functional should an opportunity to escape present itself. Deep in through, Kagome did not notice the sounds of footsteps and it wasn't until the heavy door caused Kagome to jump—much to the protest of her aching limbs and muscles. Sorely and slowly, Kagome turned over to face the newest intruder.
"Wake up woman," said Jakotsu with a sneer, "you're coming with me"
Kagome's eyes widened, had Bankotsu changed his mind? Were they going to take her out in the forest somewhere and kill her? She could only pray, it would be as straightforward as that.
'How cruel of them', she thought, to leave her alive for one more day of a miserable existence. She'd rather they had killed her with her weapon by her side and on the same ground that her friends had fought heart and soul on earlier.
She experimentally opened her mouth and tried to swallow, attempting to work up some moisture in her dry mouth.
"Wh…where…are we going?" she asked, not really expecting an answer, the words coming out hoarse and rough.
"You'll find out soon enough," said Jakotsu said, which didn't leave Kagome feeling good. In the same manner as before, Jakotsu hoisted her up and onto his shoulders with no care for her injuries. The metal of his chest armor bit into her skin, but he paid no mind. Once they left the darkness of the room Kagome was in, Kagome winced. The light seemed extremely bright compared to the uninterrupted darkness of the room.
When her eyes adjusted, she saw six figures lounging on the luxurious furniture. In the grandest chair sat Bankotsu, a bear-skin lay at his feet and a jug of sake on his left. Jakotsu dumped Kagome on the floor, this time she could not help but cry out. She was now at the feet of the heartless leader of the Shichinintai, whose look as he stared down at her sent chills up her spine.
"Tell me," he said while sipping from his cup filled with sake, "what are InuYasha and the others planning now?"
Kagome merely stared down at the rug and said nothing.
"Do not try his patience, girl" Renkotsu said with his cold voice, "you won't live long enough to regret it"
But still, Kagome was silent.
Instead of being angry, as the others expected, Bankotsu merely smirked and took another sip from his cup.
"No matter," he said, "Telling us or not makes no difference. Either way, InuYasha will meet his demise" now addressing his companions, "Load her up boys! We'll be on our way now"
Kagome was flung once again against the hard metal of the creature Ginkotsu. Wishing she could disappear, Kagome instead was silent and still, feigning sleep.
On their way to the mysterious destination, Kagome could gather no clue as to where they were headed. She had determined that they had left Mount Hakurei as she no longer felt its purifying energy, but that was the only clue she could manage. As they traveled down the mountain the only thing she recognized was the destructive sound of Ginkotsu's wheels upturning the road.
She had given up on trying to figure out her surroundings when a low, urgent whisper caught her attention. Bankotsu managed the rear of their traveling party while the others walked ahead and chatted easily among one another. Kagome heard Renktosu quietly slow his pace to walk alongside their leader and the ensuing exchange as the fire-wielding mercenary beseeched Bankotsu for information.
"So what did Naraku say, brother?" Renkotsu asked a hushed tone. Bankotsu was the only one of the group who ever had direct communication with the mysterious demon that was responsible for their resurrection. While Bankotsu was content to simply have a renewed opportunity to bring violence and agony and death into the world, Renkotsu was not so easily pacified.
"Don't worry your head over it Renkotsu, pay it no mind" Kagome heard Bankotsu say dismissively, "All you need concern yourself with is finishing off InuYasha and his companions"
Kagome didn't hear Renkotsu push the subject further, but could sense that he was unsatisfied with the answer that Bankotsu had given him.
'He's…hiding it from me' thought Renkotsu suspiciously, he snuck a sly glance at their seemingly carefree leader who didn't catch Renkotsu's gaze, a scowl beginning to form as his body tensed in resentment, 'He doesn't want me to know…but why?'
"Ah!" Kyoukotsu said happily in his booming voice, his giant hands pointing towards a hazy lump in the distance "A village!"
Oh no, Kagome thought. Run, please, she begged to the unsuspecting villagers who would soon be victim to another one of their vicious massacres.
"Get to it, men! Leave no one alive!" Bankotsu yelled. A cheer went up as they all raced towards it.
Ginkotsu led their attack with the firing a deafening shot from his cannon. The faint whistling noise of the missile was followed by a resounding BOOM when the cannonball made contact with the ground. Then, complete hell broke loose. The Shichinintai rushed towards the village seconds after the explosion, cutting down villagers and leaving puddles of blood in their wake.
The screams were piercing; Kagome couldn't block out the sound children crying and animals bleating in terror and she wished more than anything that they had already killed her so that she wouldn't have to bear witness to all this gory carnage.
The coppery smell of blood hung throughout the air and seemed to stick onto her skin. Kagome heard another scream that sounded closer, causing her to jump and her heart to race. With such an overload of her senses and huge doses of adrenaline pumping through her system, it was to no one's surprise when Kagome passed out.
. . .
Kagome was bound this time when she eventually came to. This time she was lying on a cold dirty floor of what seemed to be a temple. Bankotsu sat in front of her, lounging on the stairs as he sipped his sake with cold satisfaction. On the ground around them, was red soil, the blood that had been absorbed into the dirt. Bodies missing limbs, and heads, were scattered throughout, all with ghastly wounds as their bodies lay in crumpled, violent positions. Kagome quickly turned her head, a few more tears escaped from her eyes as she saw the remnants of the Shichinintai's latest massacre.
The other members of the Band of Seven were also lounging about, reveling in the feeling of taking life from others.
"Damn it, you guys" suddenly cursed Bankotsu, "You shoulda' left at least one woman alive…then we'd have someone to pour our drinks"
"Hey!" came the cheerful shout of Suikotsu, "I found one!" the others looked on with interest as Suikotsu roughly pulled out an elderly woman from one of the huts. His steel claws sliced through her flesh, but she didn't cry out.
"Bring her to me," said Bankotsu, his interest piqued. He regarded the older woman with curiosity. Her body was small and bent, but her countenance was haughty and proud. As Suikotsu dragged her to Bankotsu's feet, she uttered no sound and showed no sign of fear.
After examining her, Bankotsu spoke, "You're the village elder aren't you?" he asked.
"…Yes" the old woman said stiffly, she eyed the leader of the killers that had annihilated her village so coldly.
"Thought so," he said, "Your hair is more ornate than the others, and your clothes are much finer"
The village elder said nothing.
"Hm," Bankotsu mused before continuing, "Yes, this will do nicely". With one impossibly quick movement, Bankotsu grabbed Banryuu from his side and neatly sliced the old woman's head from her body. Kagome's eyes went wide with horror. A woman had been decapitated right before her very eyes and the man hadn't done so much as blink.
"Mukotsu!" he called, "Cut the girl's bonds loose"
"Hehe" he chuckled, his smile evident even though he covered his face, "It'll be my pleasure Bankotsu" and with a twisted grin on his face, Mukotsu went over to Kagome and cut her arm and leg bonds. Kagome recoiled from his touch in disgust.
"Shame," he whispered quietly, "You would've been such an excellent bride." To Kagome's relief, he returned to his former position after her bonds were cut. Kagome sat up experimentally, her arms still weak from the minimal blood flow.
"Girl!" called Bankotsu, not bothering to turn around to regard her, "take this woman's clothes, you'll be wearing this to serve us, instead of that strange kimono you wear" he said, referring to her school uniform that she'd been wearing.
Kagome stood up slowly, trembling. She took a few experimental steps on her shaky legs, the others eyed her with mild interest but did not appear to be concerned. 'Of course, they wouldn't worry' Kagome thought to herself, 'They all know that they could kill me before I even got out of breath'
With her steps still wobbly, Kagome proceeded down the few shallow steps, and slowly bent down towards the recently deceased woman. Kagome was furious now and was now tearing in anger. In her mind, Kagome said a little prayer for the woman, she died with her integrity and hoped that she was at rest in the afterlife. Kagome embraced the headless body and poured out her sorrow.
"Can I change in private?" Kagome asked, her words were docile but her expression was hateful. In actuality, Kagome was not concerned with modesty - after what she had seen and experienced, little things like privacy didn't matter anymore. Out of respect for the woman that was murdered in front of her, Kagome had requested to be out of sight of these heartless killers.
Bankotsu considered her request, and shrugged, "Don't see the harm", he said, "Go into the shed behind the temple. Jakotsu, go with her"
Jakotsu huffed in annoyance, but other than that did not audibly complain. He approached Kagome, who still sat there holding the elderly woman's body tenderly, Jakotsu made a move to grab the body.
"No!" yelled Kagome to her, and everyone else's, surprise. Bankotsu, whose drinking had been interrupted by the sudden outburst, looked at her quizzically.
"No" Kagome repeated more quietly, "I-I'll carry her"
Jakotsu just shrugged, "Suit yourself" and walked ahead of the emotional girl.
Kagome struggled with the body, but through gritted teeth and determination, Kagome got the body to the shed that Bankotsu was referring to. Jakotsu already stood in front of the door looking impatient and annoyed.
To Kagome's relief, Jakotsu stayed outside of the hut when she entered. She carefully placed the headless body down on the soft ground. "You deserve better than this" she whispered as a tear escaped from her eye and fell onto the woman's kimono.
Wiping away her tears, Kagome began disrobing the woman. The village elder looked so small and frail now that she was left lying there in her undergarments. Kagome stared at her in uncertainty but then decided to disrobe herself as well. Originally, she was just planning to wear the woman's clothes over her own, but after seeing the body half-naked, Kagome couldn't bear to just leave the womans' body like that. Instead, she took off her ripped school uniform and used it to cover the dead woman's body.
Kagome re-emerged from the shed cautiously.
"Finally!" said an exasperated Jakotsu, "women take so long!" and began walking back to the direction of the others.
Kagome followed suit more slowly, turning back, she tried to get one last glance of the dead woman, but the shed was already out of sight.
"Hurry up!" called Jakotsu from up ahead in exasperation of his ward. Kagome was shaken out of her reverie and quickened her steps. The others whistled when Kagome came into view.
"Who knew we caught such a beauty eh?" said Suikotsu with a grin, as he leered at her.
"Hmph, I noticed it first," said Mukotsu with a pout.
Bankotsu looked up to see what the others were talking about when his eyes caught on Kagome, he raised an eyebrow mischievously.
"Well now, I'm almost tempted to keep you alive for longer now," he said as he continued to eye her. "Come" he called, "Pour our drinks for us"
Kagome reluctantly went to his side and retrieved the sake jug. Bankotsu held out his cup and watched her impassive face as she poured out the drink gracefully.
He eyed her smugly before taking a sip. Afterward, he released a long and loud sigh of satisfaction, "Much better" he said.
Renkotsu could barely restrain himself from rolling his eyes. "So what do we do now?" he asked with thinly veiled impatience, as he saw this whole outing as pointless.
"Might as well get yourselves a cup, boys," said Bankotsu with a grin, "because now we wait"
March 2021 update: Hello all! I apologize for the years of inactivity. Despite my lack of updates, I've occasionally received a number of sweet reviews that have inspired me to continue this story.
As it stands, I found it difficult to continue with my unrefined, adolescent-style of writing. I've decided to go back and do some heavy revisions which I think will tremendously improve both readability and plot. So in addition to fixing a number of appalling grammar errors and contradicting storyline details, some of my edits include re-writing entire chapters and removing some dialogue or scenes altogether.
So to any OG readers out there who feel like the story seems radically different from what they remember: You're not crazy. While the main plot points are essentially the same, there is quite a bit that has changed. The rating has changed as well from T to M because I fully intend on putting some adult situations in here.
Thank you to new and old readers alike, I hope you enjoy the story!