Chapter 3 : Let me help you
Slowly, her heartbeat increased at the same time that she was awakening. She moaned in displeasure : she was hurting everywhere. She was hurting before, but now her muscles ached even more. Hell, even breathing was painful. Sleeping on a cold and hard ground wasn't the best idea ever to feel better.
She opened her eyes slowly, but her simple movement sent a violent pain flashing behind her eyes. Her head was throbbing all over. It was like someone was sucking her poor brain dry. She didn't think that she would one day feel so much pain. Hell, migraines sounded like a happy vacation on the beach in comparison to that.
To try to escape this horrible pain, Kagome squeezed her eyes shut as tightly as possible and whimpered pitifully. She took several deep breathes. Slowly, little by little, the pain became more tolerable. With a lot of trouble, she tried to sit up. She couldn't lay down indefinitely anyway, whatever her body was screaming at her, rather vehemently you could add, right now. That wouldn't help her.
It was as if the world was spinning around her. Not a great sensation at all. She opened her eyes again, even if it still hurt, and looked around her. Dim light, cave, cell, she remembered now. She whined softly when her mind remembered that it wasn't a nightmare. No such luck.
She turned and looked at her cell companion. He didn't move. He can't Sherlock ! Her mind screamed at her. She winced. Even screaming in her mind hurt.
Now what ? How long before InuYasha came to rescue her ? She whimpered. How long before InuYasha knows that she has been abducted ? She really was in deep shit. Why were problems always following her everywhere like shadows or the plague ? Why her ?!
She didn't know how long she'd stayed on her butt, lost in her thoughts and self pity. A moment for sure. She felt better. Yeah, try to lie to yourself. Ok, she felt a little bit better, so she decided that it was time to go back to Sesshomaru's side to see how he was, and if she could help. Like he would let her ! But hey, they were in the same boat, she was sure that Sesshomaru's intelligence could surpass his immeasurable pride, right... ? Hmm maybe not. It was an acknowledgeable fact that if the demon lord was in water drowning, he would let himself drown before asking for help. It's something in common with someone else she knows. Must be in the genes, this stupid arrogance. Hope that was only a myth. But, only one way to know.
As quietly as possible, she made her way toward the wall-chained demon Lord. On her way, being the ever clumsy person she was, Kagome almost tripped over her own feet. She succeeded in catching herself but let a yelp escape. So much for being quiet, she sighed.
At this moment, a noise like a thunderstorm started to resound off the cell walls. The young Miko raised her head. This time, she came face to face with the glaring amber eyes, still slightly unfocused, locked on her. She eep-ed in surprise and fell on her rear. Ok, how many time did that happen in the last 24 hours ?! It's really getting old. She could almost hear a voice in her head snickering at her, not even able to stay on your own two feet for more than two seconds ! She groaned and looked up.
Sesshomaru, he was growling at her and ... looking at her !
« Sesshomaru... ? » She whispered, climbing back on her feet. The growling intensified. He could hear her ! Then, he snarled at her. « Don't come closer. » His voice was so raw. You could see that he was fighting the need to cough. He would not, it was beneath him. Damn prideful dog.
« Sesshomaru, let me help you... »
He glared down at her. « Don't make me repeat myself. »
She huffed and glared back. « Stop growling at me ! I'm not the one who captured and chained you so stop it now, you big jerk ! » Ok, she and diplomacy weren't the best of her friends right now, but she had excuses for being like this. « It's not my fault that you are bleeding all over, so stop growling and glaring at me ! » She said, crossing her arms on her chest and turning her back to him.
She could hear him behind her, trying to release himself and hissing- oh so silently now and then. After a moment, she sighed. If she stayed as stubborn as him, the situation will never be resolved. She shook her head, her mind made up, and walked towards him.
.....................
Sesshomaru looked up again when he heard the woman move. When he woke up, he found himself, hurting everywhere, still bleeding, chained like a lowly animal. It was degrading. At first, he had heard movements and the noise of clothes rubbing. Now, he knew that he wasn't alone. At least, one thing was good : his hearing seemed to come back. However, he still couldn't smell a thing. When the sound had seemed to come closer, he'd opened his eyes with difficultly. Everything was a blur, his eyes were burning, but at least it wasn't darkness like before.
Even in that state, he could decipher something green and white coming closer. Those colors should ring bells but for the life of him, he couldn't remember why. Then, the person, for an unknown reason, fell on the ground, in front of him, with a yelp. The voice was a soft , feminine voice, obviously.
It was time to make it known that he has awakened. He started to growl, even if that hurt badly. Who was it, he didn't know, nor did he care. He felt so foolish to have been captured, HIM, the Western Lord ! His ward, Rin, was somewhere in the care of his incompetent fool of a retainer. At least, his ever so faithful two-headed dragon, Ah- Uhn was with them.
Like always, since the last abduction of Rin by the vile half-breed, Sesshomaru left strict instructions : if he didn't come back to the camp within one or two days time, they have to go back to the Western Fortress and wait for him there. They will be fine and safe. But it didn't mean that he had to like his predicament !
He made it clear that he didn't want the female anywhere near him. That was already killing him that somebody could see him in this shameful situation, chained to the wall of a cell like a vulgar animal. It was hurting so much to speak but a little pain will not stop this Sesshomaru. The onna spoke about helping him...Help him ?! He would never let someone purposely come close to him, even now that he was injured and even if it was difficult to admit, weaker than normal.
He growled louder, his eyes flashing red angrily. The stupid woman wasn't listening to him. Even worse, she was talking back to him - him- the most powerful demon Lord of Japan, without fear!
Disrespect,... white and green clothes,... long dark hair,...female... At that moment he froze, recognition had flashed in his head and he thought he was going to die on the spot. Of all the people in the world, he could have been trapped with, it had to be InuYasha's wench !!! Somewhere, someone really hated him. If he could, he would have looked livid.
She finished her angry rant and then turned her back to him. The ultimate show of disrespect to his person. If he wasn't in this position and so weak, he would have killed her, transforming her into a pile of goo, or maybe decapitated her. He wasn't sure, but she would be dead, that was certain.
He tried to break the chains, but they wouldn't move. Something wasn't normal about them. He bit his lips so as not to let a sound pass through them from his movements. He was hurting, badly. Nevertheless, he had to get the hell out of here before his idiotic half-breed of a brother showed up and saw him in such a state. He would not let that happen. He would get out of here and kill all the witnesses of his moment of weakness and get back to his castle and forget that ever happened. How, he didn't know, but he would.
Kagome turned around to face the demon Lord. At his sight, her anger fluttered. To make it short, he was a horrible mess. It was almost painful to see a such fierce, powerful and proud Daiyoukai reduced to that state. She walked toward him, ignoring his vicious growling. « Why is he not healing ? » She whispered to herself. She came closer and this time, Sesshomaru tried to attack her.
Fortunately for her, the chains held him back but not without damage. Blood oozed out from the lacerations on his arm. He winced in pain, closing his eyes when the waves of pain washed through his body.
Kagome was shocked for a few seconds before immediately yelling.
« Stop that ! You are hurting yourself. Stop ! »
He opened his eyes slowly and just glared at her. He was now having trouble breathing. His bloody chest was moving up and down erratically. You could see that he was struggling to keep his head up to look, or glare, at her. His body seemed to have lost the fight, and now it was only the chains that were maintaining him up right and not on the floor.
The young Miko was almost in tears at the scene in front of her. He was InuYasha's enemy, in a way you could say and tried to kill her a couple of times but to see him like that... Her throat tightened almost painfully, and she blinked repetitively so as not to let a tear fall. He wasn't someone to be seen that way. Whether he wanted it or not wasn't important, she had decided to help.
She looked at him more attentively and saw armband-like things around the biceps of his right and left arm, or at least what was left of his left arm. That was where the chains were attached. However, he had one around his neck too... What is the meaning of these things ? Then something caught her eye : the chains...It looks like they are... glowing ? She thought to herself.
« Sesshomaru ? » She said softly. His eyes flicked to her. When she knew that she had his attention, she continued. « The chains, I can see them slightly glowing. Maybe, » Biting her bottom lip, « Maybe it is because of them that you aren't healing. They must have put some sort of spell on them. I... I can try to remove them. » She saw something flash in his eyes, but it was gone before she could identify it. She shook her head lightly, must have imagined it. But the demon Lord stayed silent, just watching her.
Taking his silence as consent to let her try, she came closer to the proud Daiyoukai and reach slowly for the chains.
When her fingers came close to them, she could feel the power they had put on them flirting with her Miko powers. But, when she was about to touch them, the metal glowed fiercefully and sent Kagome flying away on the floor.
The young Miko yelled when she touched the ground. She sat down on her knees, her sore muscles screaming at her to never again do something like that in the following twenty years if she wanted to stay alive. When she looked up, she saw that Sesshomaru was as shocked of the result as her. Since when am I able to read him ? She thought vaguely.
« Well, they seemed to have made them so I couldn't break them either. » She said it in a way to try to lighten the, but it fell flat.
Kagome looked at her hand. At least she wasn't hurt...more. Even in the dim light, which she was starting to get used to, she could see that her fingers were slightly red but not really burned. She was ok...If you didn't count the new scratches on her elbows. Oh and she was sure that with the number of times she has fallen on her butt in the last twenty-four hours, her cheeks must be turning blue.
Sesshomaru looked down at the Miko with as much boredom on his face as he could muster in his condition. His sight was still blurred, but he could still see her form. Pathetic onna.
He didn't have enough strength to glare down at her again. He couldn't speak either...hurt too much.
During that time, Kagome noticed something she didn't see earlier. How couldn't I have seen it ? She though.
She got up and walked towards one corner of the cell. There was a big container gathering the water that was running drop by drop from somewhere in the ceiling. She watched the water, and chanced a glance toward the bending demon Lord. She bit her bottom lip again. She had to try.
She gathered water in her hands and walk back in front of the Lord of the West.
« Sesshomaru.... ? » She spoke softly.
He raised his head to look at her. If he wasn't attached to the wall, he would have jumped on her to attack.
« Sesshomaru, » She started quietly, « I just want to help you. Everything that has happened here will stay here, I promise.
There is water over there but there isn't a bowl and this container is too heavy for me, so I can only do it with my hands... »
He growled again but didn't do anything when she brought her hands close to his mouth. He finished by accepting her water.
When he was drinking, she got the chance to look at him closely.
« Oh Kami, what happened to you ? » She said in a whisper.
It was already difficult for his pride to drink in her hands, but he didn't have any other choice. He wasn't stupid to refuse and die like that. When he finished, he felt that his throat and tongue were a little better because of the water.
« Don't come near, human. » He snapped.
Kagome almost jumped out her skin at his voice. « I just want to help. » She answered.
« Don't need. » He all but growled out.
« But there is something wrong. You are still bleeding. Your youki isn't able to heal you.
Let me help you. » She said, almost pleading.
Sesshomaru looked at her pondering if he should honor and gift her with a response from his person. Then, when Kagome though he had transformed into a statue or something, he spoke.
« Why ? »
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End of the chapter 3.
Thanks a lot for the ones that took the time to review.
Hope you had like this new chapter, even if the story is still calm for the moment...
Thanks to my beta, Theresa, too. Girl you are amazing ! :)
Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha
Well, I'm off. Take care,
Sweetest Angel