Bound by Privilege

This story is not for profit. It is purely fanfiction. I don't claim any ownership of the manga or anime Inuyasha, the original story, or the characters created by Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 4

Rin took a deep breath as she entered her condo. It was nice to finally be done with touring and be home for a little while. She kicked off her heels as she nearly ran to the comforts of her bed and jumped onto it celebrating the pillow top luxury. She'd ignored the huffing and puffing that had followed her as Jaken fell over the weight of the bags he'd carried in. He'd done everything possible to clear Rin's name from the negative press, in the last two weeks including contacting her fixer Miroku. The talk finally slowed down. It was to her advantage that some demons did not have the most positive reputation so it was easier for the story to fall from the minds of the humans.

"Jaken, order room service."

"My lady, it's 5 am."

Jaken immediately regretted reminding Rin of the obvious as a bottle of water was thrown at his head.

"I only meant to ask what exactly it was you wanted?"

"Breakfast of course!"

"Wouldn't you like to get some rest first?"

"We slept on the plane."

"But..."

"Jaken!"

Jaken was again met by another flying object which he was more grateful to identify as a pillow but still forceful enough to knock him over.

"Right away." He was sure that a full breakfast was not available yet.

Rin sat up on her bed happy to get rid of the squawking presence for a while. Picking up her phone she swiped through the messages and memos reminding her of the next day's schedule which seemed just as jam-packed as ever. She tried to ignore the message from her stylist that she would need to come by for another fitting for the appearances and performances she had in town. Rin rolled her eyes. It was a backhanded way of telling her she'd gained a few pounds. She glanced at her nails trying to decide whether or not she should hire another trainer. Rin shook her head tossing the phone to the side and opting to just take matters into her own hands. She hadn't gone to the trails in a while. The morning would leave her peace and privacy and it would do her some good just to get fresh air.

Jaken entered the room with a package of toaster pastries and banana in hand only to freeze as he was met with the ready stance of his boss. No matter where Rin was going or what she was doing, she never settled for anything short of perfection. Dressed from head to toe with a purple hat made purposefully to pull a ponytail through the top, a running jacket, cute leggings to match, and the most expensive tennis shoes any woman could find for running, Jaken knew where this was going. Rin's outfit was as stylish as it was practical.

"Oh no."

"Let's go Jaken."

"My lady, short legs were not made for running. We just got off the plane and..."

"Let's go."

"Might I add, you look beautiful?"

"Flattery will get you nowhere little demon."

...

Sesshoumaru stumbled through the trees trying to keep his footing and his consciousness. He held to his shoulder, trying to press into it enough to stop the bleeding. It was easy for him to let his thoughts slip back to only an hour ago at the pier, entering the ring against another bred demon creation. Moryomaru was such a mix of demons that it was hard to pinpoint. Sesshoumaru figured the most dominating features were the dragon claws and fangs that had done him the most damage. Moryomaru's body was a shell of spikes. He'd been bred to be a weapon and that was exactly what he was. This monster had no openings, no weak spots outside of his throat. There was no way to wear this opponent down with body shots. What was worse, he'd gone into the ring already weak, too hungry, too desperate for a win that his very life depended upon. He'd managed to put up a good defense for a long time but Moryomaru's patience had worn thin. Sesshoumaru shook away the feeling of being pinned and impaled. He'd fought in many rings and never had he been so sure that he would meet his death. Moryomaru's handler was sure to let him die and he was well aware that he had not been the one to stop the fight. It was unsanctioned and it was ironic that the people he was doing his best to stay away from had ultimately saved his life. The police rushed the pier in a bust. It was no doubt that the humans would be fined and the demons would be thrown into prisons to await trials that would never come only to be recycled into a system. He had mustered the strength to escape the ring and evade the police but it had cost him and he was too exhausted to go any further.

...

Rin kept her pace as she jogged along listening to upbeat sounds from the pods in her ears as she tuned out Jaken's huffing and puffing. She was grateful for this trail. It was secluded and few people used it. This early in the morning left it to herself and Jaken, but at a time like this, she wished she hadn't fired Han.

"Jaken, keep up, we have to get back soon."

"I'm...trying...to...umph"

Jaken's response was cut off as he crashed into the back of Rin's legs. He wasn't sure why she'd stopped so abruptly until he peaked around.

Rin wasn't sure what to make of this scene. She was too reluctant to approach and too shocked to turn back. It wasn't every day that you ran across a demon that seemed lifeless. The blood-soaked t-shirt made her think that if she got too close she would find him dead. Rin ignored Jaken's grasp on her legs to try to keep her from going any further. She swallowed and calmed herself as her feet took her forward. She'd rounded him to get a better look at his face as his outstretched arm covered it. It was hard to make out but the dawn revealed the dark stained ground underneath him. Rin glanced at his wrist quickly and immediately regretted it. Instead, she focused on his chest which she'd been relieved to see faint movement of a rise and fall. At least, for the moment, he was still alive. She hesitated but let her fingertips rest on his shoulder. Rin noticed the movement behind his closed eyes before she was met with gold. Immediately, he'd jerked away from her touch, trying to sit himself up.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. Are you ok?" Rin noticed him calm

"..." Sesshoumaru tried to regain himself as he looked around for anyone else who might be in the area. The little green demon was the only other being he could sense. He held to his left shoulder again noticing the bleeding had slowed down but the pain was still present. He would heal quickly but without food or water, it was taking a lot longer than it should have.

"You're injured pretty badly. I'm going to call an ambulance for you."

"No! Don't!"

Rin was shocked by the sudden rejection of help.

"What?! Why?!"

Sesshoumaru shook his head not wanting to divulge anything else.

"I'll heal on my own."

"You were near dead. You need to get that wound looked at or it could get infected or something."

Rin stood her ground as Sesshoumaru got to his feet.

"I'm sure you've noticed something different about me already."

Sesshoumaru held up his bare wrist, only the markings of demonic ancestry showing.

"You're rogue."

"Exactly."

"That doesn't mean you can't go to the hospital and get help."

Sesshoumaru sneered at the idea of going into any hospital, a rogue demon, and getting help without prying and prodding for information about how he'd gotten the injuries in the first place. Then they would want to know more when he couldn't tell them the truth or had no answer. He would become a watched target even more than he was now.

"...I'll be fine."

Although she hadn't much embraced the demon world, she knew what being a rogue demon meant and it usually was not a good situation. They refused to be registered and use the purifying bands, leaving them their full powers. Most of what Rin understood was that they were outlaws, thieves, thugs, or either ventured into some other illegal means for survival as most were also homeless. They refused societal norms and couldn't be trusted.

"Where did your injuries come from?"

"..." Sesshoumaru eyed her suspiciously before turning to find the nearest water source to wash away the blood that was drying into his clothing.

Jaken scoffed at the reaction, "Hey! What was that look for? You should be grateful to Lady Rin for even stopping to help you."

"Jaken, seriously?"

"...Lady Rin?" Sesshoumaru shook his head at the small demon's willingness to give her such a title.

"No. Jaken's just extra sometimes. What's your name?"

"...Sesshoumaru."

Sesshoumaru's attention quickly shifted to the faint sound of voices coming from further beyond the trees. Listening, they started to sound familiar. The conversation grew closer and he began to put together exactly why these voices were so familiar. Takemaru's demons were usually the silent type but they did have their conversations with each other and he could remember their voices from his childhood. He would never forget some of the conversations that they'd had with his father. They didn't agree with their lot in life but they also weren't about to die for disobeying orders either. There was a certain loyalty that they held to Takemaru if only to keep themselves housed and fed or at the very least, alive. Sesshoumaru knew they were most likely looking for him after the bust but Takemaru had to know he wouldn't be able to pay him anything. He hadn't even taken the fight against any of Bankotsu's team. So whatever the reason Takemaru was sending his demons after him wasn't good.

"We have to get out of here."

"Why?"

"There's someone after me."

"Someone's after you? What did you do?"

"There's not enough time to explain that right now. But what I can tell you is that if you don't leave here too, these people will threaten to kill you to find out what you know about me or where I went."

"How would they even know I ran across you?"

"A lot of demons have a good sense of smell."

"You...you Rogue! My lady is now in danger because she stopped to try to help you. Now look at what you've done!"

"Jaken, enough. How long do we have before they get here?"

"There's no time left to talk. Where did you park?"

"On the south end. Wait, why are you...?"

Jaken grumbled his dissatisfaction as Rin jumped back with Sesshoumaru's shift in form.

Rin didn't hesitate to pull Jaken with her and get onto Sesshoumaru's back as three demons burst from beyond the trees and onto the trail. She ducked down against the white fur and her grip tightened around the abundance of it available. Rin gasped, looking back at the sight of the three demons that they were now placing a good deal of distance between. Something about these demons seemed more ominous and threatening than the ones that she usually saw. Even Sesshoumaru's stature and demeanor seemed less threatening. Rin was surprised at how quickly they were moving and even more so that the demons that she'd seen seemed to have been left behind as they'd reached the south end. Something about this escape didn't seem right and she began to get an eerie feeling that she should have listened to her assistant.

A/N: If you're not quite sure how the society is run yet, there's more to come soon that will hopefully make that clear. My continued thanks for your reading and reviews!