Her Destiny

The wolves have been keeping a watch over the western castle. They have discovered that the miko was ill and that she might die from her illness. The mood around the area was very mournful as they were waiting for news on the miko’s health.

Ginta and Hakkaku were in one of the local villages to see what they have heard from the castle. They discovered early on that the best information could be obtained from the villages since the ningens loved to gossip about the lord of the lands.

As they entered the village they discovered that it looked deserted. They didn’t see any of the ningens that would normally be there. The stalls where empty where the merchants would normally sell their goods to passersby.

Wondering what happened to the ningens, they ventured deeper into the village. When they reached the center of the village they found all the villagers gathered there as they were listening to the latest news from the castle.

Ginta and Hakkaku approached with caution as they too paid attention to what was being said. The crowd around them burst into cheers upon hearing that the young miko of the castle recovered from her illness. They were passing the word around to all the villages in the area that the Lady of the West, along with the young miko, will be visiting one of the villages in the morning.

The ningens were excited as they all disbursed from the area and started to get the village ready in case the Ladies of the West decided to come to their village. They wanted to make a good impression with the ladies and it wouldn’t due for them to come to their village and see it in a mess.

Ginta and Hakkaku looked at each other as they both turned and left the village. They needed to report back to Koga and tell him the good news. This might be their best chance to get the ningen while she was away from her mate and the Western Lords protection.

They raced toward the cave, which they have called home, since their failed attempt in getting the ningen onna from the castle. It was still close enough to the castle and it hid them well from the western soldiers.

Upon their return they spotted Koga sitting outside of the cave. They rushed to his side as Ginta yelled, “Koga! We have news of the ningen!”

Koga opened his eyes as he heard his name being called. He spotted his two most loyal pack companions coming towards him as he sat up straight to hear what they had to say. When he heard that they had news of the miko his ears perked up.

Ginta and Hakkaku finally reached Koga, out of breath for running so fast back to their den. Once they could breathe again, they told Koga of their findings at the village.

Koga smiled an evil smile as he said, “This is wonderful news. We will have to follow them tomorrow to see which village they will be visiting. If there is a chance that we can capture the ningen onna, then we will attack when the opportunity arises and leave this area. We won’t stop until we reach the southern territory. Then I will deal with the wench for what she has done to me.”

Koga has already stayed longer than he planned. He should have left this area two days ago to go south for the winter. Already the animals in the area were leaving and it was becoming harder for his pack to find prey to feed them all. This is what he was waiting for so he could leave. He needed confirmation of her death or that she recovered so he could take her away from her mate.

The wolves agreed as they got everything ready for the following day. It was going to be a long day until they discovered if they could indeed take the ningen away from the Western Lord.

---oOo---

At dawn the next morning the wolves moved out. They had everything with them because they were not going to come back to this area. Koga sent out several of his men, as scouts, to keep an eye on the ningen and the Lady of the West. When word came back that they were moving they followed behind, making sure that they stayed hidden from the soldiers that were escorting them to their destination.

Word reached Koga that they were heavily protected. They were outnumbered five to one and this did not sit well with him. They will have to find a way to get to the miko. With this many soldiers he had his doubts that he will be able to get her.

They continued to follow waiting for their chance to grab the girl. They traveled a good portion of the day when they saw the western soldiers stop. Koga stopped his pack as well as he moved through the trees to investigate what was going on.

He heard what the problem was and was delighted when the Lady of the West ordered them to continue on to the village. With a smile on his face he returned to his pack as he said, “Come, we travel to the village that is ahead of us. We must find a place to hide so we can grab the ningen. We should have no trouble with the villagers because there is an illness that is going around and has made them all weak.”

The wolves moved swiftly through the area as they made their way to the village. They arrived there before the western soldiers and what they saw was not what they expected. The village was over run with youkai and he had no idea who they were.

Koga thought, ‘Something isn’t right here. Who are these youkais and what do they want here? Are they after the ningen like we are?’ He could not fight that many youkais at once, but if they attacked the Western soldiers… then he could sneak in and grab the girl. He liked this idea as he turned to his men and told them of his new plan.

It took another hour or so for the Western soldiers to finally reach the village. Koga and his pack observed when the other youkais hid in the huts as they waited for the females to enter the village.

Koga noticed right away that when these youkai hid in the huts he could not detect their youki nor could he pick up their scent. They must have enchanted the area to hide them from the western soldier’s nose.

They watched as the Lady of the West stopped in the middle of the village and got off her dragon. They looked around the area not seeing any of the villagers moving about the place. The females were getting nervous as they decided to leave the area and inform the Lord of the Lands about what they found.

They almost reached their dragons when the attack came. They hit the females with something as they saw the Lady of the West go down. The miko made her way over to her as they took out the dragons, youkai slayer, and the neko. The only one still awake was the miko and she was fighting the spell that they were trying to place on her.

Koga knew that soon she will break the spell and if he wanted to get her he had to move now while she was weak. He was about to leap to her location when he noticed that they hit her again with another needle. The miko managed to put up a barrier before finally collapsing on the ground.

Koga was shocked, he had no idea who these youkai were but they were very good at what they did. He signaled his wolves to stay hidden in the forest. He wanted to see what these youkai wanted with the females. If they managed to get them away from this area then he will have a better chance of taking her away from these fools.

He watched closely from the trees as he saw a tall black Inu youkai approach the females. He was interested to see how he was going break the miko’s barrier and what he was going to do to subdue her.

---oOo---

The wolves were not the only ones that were watching what was going on down in the village. Akurei was also watching from afar. She has been following Jakyoku for a while now. She had sensed his soldiers a little over a week ago and went towards their location. She found his secret base and was watching to see what he was going to do.

He might prove to be of some use to her if he could get the miko away from the Western Lord and his son. She could kill the miko while she was in his care and get the blood she needed to become immortal.

An evil smile crossed her features at that thought. ‘Yes, if he does all the work then I can go in and kill the miko while she is subdued and take the blood that I need. Sneaking into his camp should be easy enough. There are plenty of dark shadows that I can move around in and I can get close enough to the miko to kill her.’

Akurei also noticed that the wolves she made a pact with were also in the area and they were watching what was going on down below. The miko put up a barrier that protected herself plus the Lady of the West. There was also another ningen down there but she didn’t know who she was nor did she care. The only thing she wanted was the miko’s blood as she watched to see what was going to happen next.

---oOo---

Jakyoku left the western castle once he gave his spies instructions. He told them that there will be spies in the area and that any news that would be of importance to him was to be relayed to him immediately. He only had four days to get everything ready to go after the girl. He raced through the forest as he headed toward his new headquarters. Time was of the essence as he quickly made his way toward the boarders of the Western Lands.

When he finally arrived he noticed that most of his army was already there. He was only missing a couple of companies of soldiers, and they should be arriving in the area by the next night.

His generals gathered to greet his return as he turned to all of them, “I want two companies of our best soldiers to be ready. We are going after the Lady of the West and the miko that is with her. They are heading towards a village for a visit but they will not release the name of the village, until the day they depart.

“I want soldiers stationed at the western castle to relay any important messages from the spies that are stationed there. Once the females get ready to leave, we will follow behind to see where they are heading. Once we know which village they are visiting we will attack and kill everyone in the village and then set up our trap. I will not tolerate any mistakes, generals. I want the miko and the Lady of the West taken alive.”

His generals understood his orders as they left to gather the two companies of soldiers that will aid their lord in this raid.

Jakyoku summoned his healer as he waited patiently for him to arrive. Once he got to him he said in a deadly voice, “I want a potion that will put two very powerful females to sleep. It cannot kill or harm them in any way. You have three days to get it done.”

The healer paled at his request, what he was asking for will require time to mix but he was not about to tell his lord that, because to say that it couldn’t be done will be his death. He bowed as he left in a hurry to make the potion that his lord wanted. He just hoped that he could mix the potion in the time allowed.

Jakyoku was happy that he was finally going to get his miko. After seeing what she looked like he couldn’t wait to hold her in his arms. Yes, she will be by his side for all eternity. She was the most powerful female he has ever seen and she will provide him with many strong pups. His heir will rule the lands of the west just like it was promised centuries ago.

He turned on his heals as he went into one of the caves and went towards his cavern. He long ago moved some of his personnel belongings here, along with some special books that he needed to find now.

Once he got to his cavern he started looking everywhere for his books. It took him the better part of the day but he finally found what he was looking for. He sat down as he started to go over the books looking for the right spells that he needed to subdue the females. He especially needed a spell that will restrain the collars on the females which is what protected them while their mates were not with them.

Jakyoku was not happy. It has taken him two days to find the right spells that he needed to subdue the miko. It was taking him even longer to master the spells since they were very complicated. He was not in the best of moods when a messenger came with news from the castle.

Although the news was disturbing it also brought great relief to him, he sent the messenger back and told his spies to keep an eye on the castle. He wanted to know the moment the miko recovered from her illness. He had no doubt that she will recover from whatever ails her. This little bit of information allowed him more time to master the spells he will need to get the females.

The days passed and still no word was received from his spies. Jakyoku was beginning to have his doubts that the miko will recover from her illness. Then five days after he was told that the miko had taken ill a messenger came back and informed him that she has recovered.

An evil smile appeared on Jakyoku features, as it was time to go and get what was his. He summoned his generals and told them that it was time to leave.

The generals did as they were told, they gathered the soldiers needed for this mission and set off toward the western castle. The healer having the time to perfect his potion gave the generals the needles with the potion on them, along with some long tubes that they could use to shoot the needles out of. It will be easy enough for the soldiers to use and get the females that they wanted. The needles contained a spell that will go through any barrier to reach its target.

They arrived at the outskirts of the castle and waited. Everyone was on edge as this was their first mission that they will be able to shine for their lord. This was the beginning of their plan to take over the Western Lands, finally getting the recognition that they deserved as the true rulers of the west. No longer will they hide in caves like common moles.

They waited until one of the soldiers, which were keeping an eye on the castle, showed up and told them that the Ladies of the West were moving out with two companies of soldiers from the garrison.

They learned the destination of the group from his spies. Jakyoku didn’t waist anytime as he sent a company of his soldiers ahead to secure the village. By the time he made it there the soldiers have killed the ningens and the village was theirs.

One of Jakyoku soldiers signaled that there were soldiers from the west approaching the village. The youkais quickly moved into the huts as Jakyoku along with some of his generals stayed in the center of the village. Jakyoku cast a powerful concealment spell that changed their appearance and scent to that of a ningen as they saw the soldiers approach.

The western soldiers approached the ningens as they said, “Greetings, we come from Gengetsujou, the Lady of the Lands is coming to your humble village for a visit.”

Jakyoku was smiling on the inside as he responded back to the soldiers, “Greeting to you as well oh noble soldiers of the west. We are honored that the lady of the lands is going to be visiting our humble village, but alas our village has been taken over by a strange illness. We don’t know what it is and we have not contained it as of yet. We humbly decline her offer to visit, we wish only for her safety. Please relay our apologies to our Lady.”

The soldiers looked at each other as the one that spoke before said, “Very well, we will relay the message to Lady Ayashiko. We thank you for the warning.” The soldiers turned and left the area. Once they were gone Jakyoku lowered his concealment spell.

The generals were confused as one of them asked, “Milord, why did you say that there was an illness in this village. Won’t that make the Lady of the West and the miko leave the area to go elsewhere?”

Jakyoku laughed, as he said, “No, this lady of the West will come here to investigate what kind of illness this village is infected with. She will not chance the illness spreading throughout the lands. When they arrive, then they will be at our mercy.” The generals didn’t say another word as they set about getting the village ready to greet their newest guest.

They selected several soldiers and gave them the needles to incapacitate the females. That was their sole job. They were not to engage the western soldiers nor leave their post, as they gave them their weapons. They moved to different parts of the village so they could pick a spot to shoot at their targets.

They knew what they needed to do and they were determined to do it. They have been working with these needles for over a week now. They have perfected their skills and now they were very accurate with their new weapons.

About an hour later the females arrived with their escorts at the village. They dismounted their dragons and were looking around the area.

Jakyoku was getting excited as he signaled his men to get ready. When he heard the miko’s words he paled as he saw them turn to mount the dragons again. He was positive that they could not detect them. His concealment spells was one of the most powerful spells he knew. He gave the signal and the youkais attacked the Western soldiers without mercy.

The Western soldiers were outnumbered as they slowly fell by their hands. The females have been hit with the needles as Jakyoku saw the Lady of the Lands, the youkai slayer with them, the dragons, and the fire neko, all fall unconscious on the ground. The only one that was still standing was the miko and she was fighting the potion that was going through her body. He gave another signal to one of his men as he shot the miko with another needle.

He saw his lovely mate stagger from being hit again as she struggled to fight off the potions affects but it was to no avail. He saw as she raised a barrier with the last of her strength as she fell unconscious on the ground.

Reports came back that they have defeated the Western soldiers but with heavy losses. His soldiers were not equal to the might of the West, as he lost about half of his forces to their superior battle skills.

Jakyoku made his way to the fallen females. Stopping in front of the barrier, which the miko raised, he noticed how powerful it was. He knew that the potion weakened the miko considerably, but this barrier was still powerful. His hand moved closer as he touched it. He pulled his hand quickly away from the barrier when he noticed the purifying magic that it held. This barrier was going to be difficult to bring down.

Jakyoku thought for a few minutes as his generals stood behind him waiting to see what their lord was going to do. He pulled his sword from its sheath as he concentrated on the blade. The blade started to glow red as he raised the sword and swung it at the barrier.

The aura from his blade and the barrier meet as the two powers collided together. The blades aura ran across the barrier as it attacked it from all sides. Jakyoku had to give his sword more power in order to take down the barrier. But his efforts were rewarded when he saw the barrier crack under his assault.

There was a big explosion as everyone was thrown back from the females. Jakyoku was panting hard as he stood shakily on his feet. He walked back to the females and noticed that he broke the barrier. If the miko had not been weakened, he would not have been able to break her barrier, this much he knew. It was very powerful and it took almost everything he had to take it down.

He approached the females as he looked at them. There was a barrier around each of their bodies as the fangs around their necks protected them.

Jakyoku reached into his haori and pulled out two new collars. He held them in his hands as he said his incantations. The collars glowed green as he approached the Lady of the Lands. He kneeled down by her side as he said another spell that allowed him to reach into her barrier, this barrier was very powerful, but he managed to put the collar over the one she had on.

A green aura went around Ayashiko body as his collar fought with the one she was wearing. It finally subdued the fang and they were now free to take her. Then Jakyoku turned his attention to the miko.

He moved over to her side and did the same thing. He found it more difficult to get past the fangs barrier. The spell that protected her was more powerful than the one that protected the Lady of the Lands. He concentrated even harder as he got his arms past the barrier and managed to get the collar around her neck.

The red aura of the collar she was wearing surged forward as it fought with the green aura of the collar he just put on her. He was having a hard time subduing the power of Sesshoumaru’s collar. He added even more of his youki to the collar as he continued to fight to subdue the aura protecting the girl.

This anger started to grow at his inability to subdue Sesshoumaru’s collar as his youki flare dangerously around the female, finally he was able to subdue Sesshoumaru’s collar. He was panting hard as he stood on shaky legs. Now that his collar was on her it will keep Sesshoumaru’s collar at bay and allow him to touch the female.

He turned to his soldiers and said, “It is time to leave, we will head back towards our camp and then we will wait for the Western Lord to come to us. Make sure that everything is ready for his arrival. I’m sure that both the Western Lord and his son will come after their mates.”

Jakyoku turned as he eyed a soldier getting ready to pick up the miko. Jakyoku lashed out with his whip as he said with a deadly tone to his voice, “No one touches the miko! She is mine to deal with!” The soldiers quickly back away as Jakyoku bent down and picked Kagome up bridle style. He held her close to his chest as they all left the village.

The wolves and Akurei were watching from a distance. They thought it best to follow the black Inu youkai, as they were both making plans of their own to get the miko away from this youkai.

---oOo---

Inutaisho has been watching his eldest all day. He was restless and he could understand why. Sesshoumaru was worried about his mate and he even admitted to himself that he was worried about his own mate as well.

They put aside their worries as being over protective of their females, while they set about to finish their plan to protect the West. They got a lot accomplished that day as they got the garrison ready along with the rest of the army to go fight the threat to their lands. They have yet to hear from their spies and they feared the worst. They may have been discovered and now they were their prisoners.

It was getting late in the day and still the women in their lives have not come back to the castle.

Sesshoumaru was almost to the point of losing control, he tried to contact his mate and he could not get in touch with her. Inutaisho thought this odd as he tried to get in touch with his mate. To his surprise he was unable to reach her as well, as he got the feeling that something was very wrong.

He dispatched a company of his soldiers to the village that his mate was going to visit today as he turned to his son and said, “Sesshoumaru, lets go see what is keeping Kagome and your mother.”

Sesshoumaru agreed as they both transformed into their golden orbs and took off toward the village that their mates were going to visit.

When they arrived what they saw was not what they expected. They found their mates escorts all dead on the ground, along with enemy soldiers. There was a monk that was holding Sango in his lap, and he was about to put a sutra on her person. They both approached, ready to kill the monk for what happened here in the village.

---oOo---

Miroku was walking toward the next village in the area. He has been looking for Sango for days now and he has been unable to find her. The last time he groped her she knocked him unconscious and left him there on the ground. When he came to the villagers told him what happened.

He sighed as he got up and left the village. He has wondered from village to village ever since that day trying to find her. He missed her lovely smiles and the way her face will get all red when he touched her.

This youkai slayer fascinated him. He never felt like this about anyone before and ever since she came into his life, he has no desires to touch anyone else but her. Oh yes he still asked his infamous question on whether the lovely young maiden will bare his child. But he never asked the lovely Sango that particular question. With her it was different he couldn’t bring himself to ask her.

He knew that he was falling in love with the girl, but he felt that she was not in love with him. But he will give her time though. Who wouldn’t want to get to know a handsome man like himself? At that thought he chuckled, he knew that his Sango didn’t care what he looked like. She just wanted someone to love her, not just her body.

He loved every bit of her but she wouldn’t give him a chance to show his other qualities. Plus he couldn’t help his cursed hand. Every time she got near him he lost control and groped her, she really did have a nice soft, but firm ass. He sighed as he continued to walk. Sango was making his life a little complicated at the moment.

He continued walking as he was approaching a village, thinking, ‘Good maybe they have a place that needs to be exercised. I could have a nice place to sleep for the night and some good food as payment.’

He walked until he got to the edge of the village but as he approached he noticed the dead bodies of the youkai soldiers that were littering the forest. He slowed his pace keeping his senses opened for the ones who did this. He was checking the youkai soldiers as he went, to see if there was anyone left alive. But all he found so far were dead.

He observed that there were two types of soldiers here. He thought he recognized the uniform of the Western soldiers. They were very distinctive as they were gold, blue, and black with a crescent moon on their right shoulder. The other soldiers were just dressed in black with a hint of gold in their uniform.

Miroku continued on his way when he found no survivors. When he got to the village itself he saw the dead villagers everywhere. There were woman and children all over the ground along with the males who tried to protect them. ‘Whoever did this didn’t care that they were killing women and children.’ Miroku thought as he continued to check the dead and offered his prayers to help them reach the afterlife in peace.

As he continued moving through the village he noticed more dead youkai soldiers. ‘The Western soldiers must have been defending this village against the ones that were attacking. But who would want to attack this peaceful village? This village does not hold anything of value.’ Miroku thought, as he continued to make his way toward the center, looking for anyone that might have survived the attack.

When he got to the center of the village he saw Sango lying on the ground as he rushed to her side. His heart was beating wildly as he thought the worst has happened to his beloved. He didn’t know what he was going to do if he lost his lovely Sango.

His worst fears were assuaged when he saw that she was still breathing. Letting go of a breath that he didn’t even know he was holding, he gently picked Sango up, not wanting to cause her any more injuries if she had any. He sat down on the ground, placing Sango in his lap, as he gently shook her to wake her up. He didn’t get any response from her and he was starting to get worried.

He looked down to the ground and noticed a needle that was long and laying there discarded. He picked up the needle as he looked at it with curiosity. He was not a healer but he was willing to bet that this was the cause of Sango’s unconsciousness.

There was a dark aura surrounding the needle that will subdue anyone who came in contact with the potion placed on it. He reached into his robes as he pulled out a sutra. He didn’t know if this will work but he had to try something to wake up his beloved.

He concentrated on the sutra as he channeled his holy energy into it. He was about to place it on Sango’s forehead when a bright flash of light caught his attention, causing him to close his eyes from its intensity.

When his eyes opened, he saw two very large Inu youkai that were not happy, as they looked around the area and noticed all the dead bodies. He picked up his staff and held it in his hands. He will protect Sango with his life, he had no idea who these youkais were.

---oOo---

Inutaisho saw the monk sitting on the ground with Sango. He didn’t know who he was or if he was the one reasonable for what happened here in this village. All he knew was that he had Sango and was about to put something on her forehead. He quickly made his way towards him as he stopped short of where the monk was located.

He growled his anger, putting an arm out to stop his son who was about to attack the monk, as he said in a deadly voice, “Monk! Are you the one responsible for what happened here?”

Miroku looked at the youkai that was addressing him, as he said, “No, I did not do this. I happen upon this village and I noticed all the dead soldiers in the forest. I decided to walk around the village to see if anyone was still alive so they could tell me what happened here. I came upon Sango and I was trying to revive her. She is under some sort of spell that is keeping her subdued.”

“Subdued? How do you know she is being subdued?” Inutaisho asked as he looked at the monk with curiosity.

Miroku held up the needle he found on the ground as he said, “I found this next to her body. It has some sort of potion and a spell on it.”

Inutaisho moved forward as he took the needle out of Miroku’s hand. He sniffed as a vicious growl left his throat.

Inutaisho then turned to his son as he said, “Jakyoku, has captured your mother and Kagome. There is black magic on this and a strong one. It was strong enough to go through the barrier that protects your mother and Kagome to be imbedded in their skin.

“From this potion I can tell that they will be unconscious for a long while. We will have to go back to the castle and gather the army. We will need them to distract Jakyoku while we fight and find our mates.”

Sesshoumaru was not pleased at all. You could see the look of worry on his features as he thought that he shouldn’t have let his mate out of his sight. Then he shuddered at the idea, knowing that he could lose his mate if he ever restricted her. He didn’t want to go through that experience again. It was a long five days of waiting to see if she will even come back to him.

He sniffed the area, but he couldn’t even find his mate’s scent. It was like her scent was gone from the face of the earth. A low growl escaped his lips, as his eyes were turning red. He wanted his mate back, he was lost without her, yet he had faith in her ability to protect herself and his mother. But that did not serve to calm his inner beast as he raged wanting to go after his female.

Inutaisho noticed all the emotions that were running through his son’s features. Never before has he ever seen his son show so many emotions at one time. His little one has opened his heart to the love she offered and now he could not live without it. He knew that time was of the essence as he turned his attention toward the monk that was still sitting on the ground looking at them.

“Monk if you think that you can wake Sango then do so. I need her to tell me what happened here.” Inutaisho said with authority in his voice.

Miroku had no idea who these youkais were but he knew that they were powerful. If they knew Sango, then they could be trusted, he knew that Sango was working for a very powerful youkai lord.

Miroku then turned his attention back to Sango as he placed the sutra on her forehead and watched as the light from the paper charm went over Sango’s body.

They all waited patiently as they saw the spell break on Sango, which allowed her to wake up. Sango moved slightly as she groaned and then opened her eyes. At first her eyes were blurred as she blinked a couple of times to get them into focus.

The first person she saw when her vision came into focus was the monk that was after her. She noticed right away that she was sitting in his lap as she jumped up and stood in front of him, with her hand over her heart. It was frightening to wake up sitting in the perverted monks lap.

Sango’s mind finally brought back all of her memories as she looked around the area. She spotted Lord Inutaisho standing there next to her as she turned and bowed deeply to him, “I’m sorry milord but I have failed in my duty to protect Kagome.”

Inutaisho heard the cracking of Sango’s voice and the scent of her regret. He knew that she prided herself in protecting Kagome and for this to happen was a big blow to her. He gathered his wit about him, as he needed information, “Sango, what happened here? Who attacked you?”

Sango still kept her head bowed low as she told him what happened. When she was done she remained silent. She has failed in her mission to protect Kagome from harm. She knew that she brought dishonor to her family and her village by letting those youkai take Kagome and Lady Ayashiko.

Inutaisho took in the information that Sango offered. He now knew a little more about Jakyoku and that will help them get their mates back. He turned his attention to Sango as he said in a gentle voice, “Sango, do not blame yourself for their capture. We knew that Jakyoku was about to attack the Western Lands but we let our mates travel on their own to show that they are strong and that we trust them to take care of each other. Do not worry, we will get them back.”

Inutaisho then turned his attention to the monk as he asked, “Monk what is your name?”

Miroku heard the youkai address him as he stood and placed his staff on the ground, “My name is Miroku.”

Inutaisho nodded as he continued, “Very well Miroku, my name is Inutaisho and I’m lord to these lands. I am in your debt for reviving Sango. Do you think that you can do the same for the rest that are here and under the same spell?”

Miroku having heard that he was talking to the actual lord of the lands bowed deeply as he said, “Forgive me milord for my earlier rudeness, I did not know who you were. And Yes I will be honored to revive them.”

Inutaisho then turned his attention to Sango and said, “Sango stay with him until the dragons and the neko are revived. There will be a company of my soldiers that will be arriving here shortly. They will help you with the village, see to it that all are properly buried and given the necessary services. We are going back to Gengetsujou and moving the army towards Jakyoku. No one takes what belongs to me and lives.”

Inutaisho then turns his eyes toward his son as he walked over to him. His son has not moved from the spot he was standing at since he heard the news about his mate. Inutaisho puts his hand on Sesshoumaru’s shoulder, he then formed his youki ball of light as they left the area and went toward the castle at a fast pace.

Sango stood there and watched as the youkai lord left. She couldn’t believe that Miroku of all people helped her. She has never seen this side of him before and it surprised her to no end. She turned towards the monk as she said in a low and shy voice, “Um, thank you Miroku for helping me.”

Miroku smiled at Sango as his eyes softens, “I will always be there for you Sango. I know you don’t think very highly of me but I do care about you and I will not let anyone hurt you. Now let’s see what we can do to wake up your friends.” Miroku gave Sango one of his most brilliant smiles and had the honor of seeing her blush a beautiful red, as he made his way toward her fallen friends. He pulled out some more sutra’s from his robes as he started his prayer to release everyone from the spell they were put under.

As Sango watched what the monk was doing she heard a groan off to her side. Thinking that some of the youkai soldiers survived the attack she looked for the injured soldier. It took her a few minutes but she finally found the one that survived.

It was General Dewa that survived the attack as Sango took a look at his wounds. Then to her surprise there were others that survived the attack as well, while she got Miroku to help her with the injured soldiers.

---oOo---

It wasn’t until the next day that General Dewa finally woke from his injuries. His body healed over night and he was almost back to his old self. When he opened his eyes he saw Sango sitting next to him with a concern look in her eyes. He turned to her as he asked in a tired voice, “Sango, what happened to Lady Ayashiko?”

Sango eyes watered as she replied, “She was captured along with Kagome. Jakyoku has taken them away and we don’t know where they are. Lord Inutaisho left yesterday along with Sesshoumaru and they are moving the Western army to meet him in battle.”

Dewa took a deep breath as he slowly sat up. He was allowing his body to get use to moving again as he tried to stand. He wavered just a bit as Sango steadied him. He looked around and found that there was a company of the lord’s soldiers in the village. He also noticed the dragons that the ladies were riding as he got an idea.

He was sore as he made his way over to the dragons with Sango and a monk following closely behind him. He had no idea who this monk was but he was no threat to him. He also noticed that the village was devoid of the dead as he noticed the graves that were made where they buried everyone.

Dewa sighed, ‘This was such a waste of life. These people did not deserve to die just because Jakyoku wanted to capture the miko.’ He knew that Jakyoku was after the miko. What he couldn’t understand was why he took the Lady of the West with him. ‘Is he trying to lure the Lord into a trap along with his son? I know that Lord Inutaisho will do anything to get his mate back. So this has to be a trap. I just hope that these two dragons can help us.’

Dewa finally made it over to the dragons while Sango, Miroku, and half of the youkai soldiers followed him in his wake. He stopped in front of the dragons, and looked up at each one. He was wondering whether they will even help him as he heard Sango say, “General Dewa, why have you come over here to the dragons? They were unconscious when Kagome and Lady Ayashiko were taken, they don’t know where they are located.”

Dewa smiled as he said, “That is where you are wrong Sango. They don’t have to be awake to know where their mistress is located. Dragons have a very special connection with the one they swore their loyalty to. We might not know where they have taken the Lady of the West and the miko, but I’m willing to bet that their dragon’s can track them down.”

Dewa then turned his attention to the dragons as he asked, “Ah, Un, Ryuuou, can you find your mistresses?”

The two dragons roared into the sky as they scented the air, when they found nothing they disbursed their combined aura’s into the land as they searched. It took a while until both dragons roared and looked at the General, they nodded that they knew where their mistresses were located.

Dewa smiled at this as he asked, “Can you lead us to them?”

The dragons nodded their agreement to lead them to their mistresses as they waited to leave the village. Both dragons were eager to get to their mistress. They knew that both ladies were in trouble and the danger was very real to them. There was a sense to protect that, which was entrusted into their care, and they were impatient to leave.

Dewa turned to the soldiers that were gathered around him as he said, “Get ready to move out. We will join the Lord of the Lands and his son in getting back their mates from these fools.” The soldiers quickly gathered everyone as Dewa limped over to Ryuuou and climbed on board the dragon.

Ryuuou, who would normally not let anyone ride him except his mistress, gently kneeled so that the general could climb onto his back. He saw Sango getting on Ah, Un, along with Kirara on her shoulder, as he said, “Sango where do you think you’re going? I want you to stay here out of danger.”

Sango’s eyes flashed in anger as she said in a deadly voice, “I’m going with you! Those bastards took Kagome and it’s my job to make sure that she is protected. Now we can do this the easy way or the hard way, it doesn’t matter to me.” She finished holding up her weapon as she threatened to bash the Generals head in if he tried to leave her behind.

All Dewa could do was chuckle as he said, “All right Sango you may come. Just be careful when we finally get there.”

Sango smiled as she grabbed Ah, Un reins and got ready to leave when she felt someone behind her. She looked over her shoulder and saw the monk sitting behind her as she turned her deadly eyes on him and said, “Miroku, what do you think you’re doing? Get off right now!”

When Miroku dealt with Sango he usually had a mischievous gleam to his eyes and he would slightly curl his lips in a devilish smile. But today when he addressed her there was nothing but determination in his eyes and a stern look to his features as he replied, “I’m going with you Sango. You’re going to need all the help you can get to fight these youkais. I am a powerful monk and I can help you defeat them. Plus I’m not about to let you go into battle without me to protect you.”

Sango flushed a bright red at his statement. ‘He wants to protect me? Could this mean that he is having deep feelings for me?’ She was so confused that she didn’t say another word as she turned around. Once she got her composer back she said in a deadly voice, “You can come along Miroku, but the first time I feel that hand of yours in the wrong place I will have Ah, Un burn you to ashes is that understood?”

Miroku swallowed hard at her statement before he answered, “I understand Sango.” This was his chance to show her that he cared for her and that he could protect her. He wasn’t about to mess it up by trying to feel her ass again, though it did looked more beautiful than ever, just sitting there in front of him. He held on to his urges as he put his staff around Sango’s middle and grabbed it on either side of her waist. That way his hands stayed where she could see them and she will know that he meant what he promised.

After General Dewa had all of his men gathered, and he was satisfied that they were ready to move out, he turned to the dragons and said, “All right Ah, Un, and Ryuuou take us to your mistresses.”

The dragons roared into the air as they quickly left the village. They were not flying but they moved just as quickly on the ground. They both raced through the forest as they went toward their mistress with the youkai soldiers following closely at their heels. They just hoped that they made it in time to save their mistresses.

---oOo---

Jakyoku finally made it back to his hidden base camp. As soon as he entered the barriers that surrounded and protected this location, cheers could be heard all over the camp. His soldiers were cheering their victory, for finally capturing the females of the Western Lord. Soon the west will fall to them and their lord will rule supreme.

Jakyoku walked straight and tall never showing anyone how weak he really was at the moment. It took everything he had to subdue these two females and he was not about to appear weak in front of his soldiers.

He walked with his soon to be mate into one of the caves that was set up to hold prisoners. This one cave in particular was heavily warded to make sure no one enters that is not supposed to be there. He still feared that someone might come and take his mate to be and he was having none of it. Once he rested he will pay his lovely mate a visit and tell her the wonderful news. He was sure that she was going to be happy to be mated to him. He was, after all, a very powerful youkai and he will provide her with everything that her heart desired.

He walked deeper into the cave as he finally reached his goal. He placed Kagome on a futon and then attached the shackles that were there as he put them on her wrist and ankles. These shackles will keep their powers at bay once they revived. The spells in the chamber will prevent them from leaving, plus they were chained to the floor for added protection in making sure that they stayed, where they were put.

Once he was done Jakyoku looked around the cavern and saw that his soldiers had left the area. They left as soon as they placed the demoness on the other futon and attached the shackles to her wrist and ankles.

He then turned his attention to his soon to be mate as he smiled. Soon she will be his and her current mate will be dead. He moved the hair away from her face as he felt how soft her skin was. He was correct in his assumptions that her skin would feel like silk. In fact it felt like the finest silk in the lands. He was pleased, very pleased at the choice he has made for his mate.

Jakyoku stood as he turned on his heals and left the chamber. He needed to rest and then in the morning he will deal with his potential mate. He had to start showing his dominance over her as soon as possible. She was close to going into heat and he needed her subdued before that if he was going to bond her to him.

He made sure that everyone was out of the cave as he set up his final spells. He was making sure no one got in to see the females. He didn’t want them hurt in any way. He needed them both alive so the western lord would come to him. Then the fight for the Western Lands will begin. It will be the end of the youkai lord’s rule and the start of his.

Once he was outside the cave he told his guards, “No one is to enter this cave. You are to protect the females inside or it will be your heads. Is that understood!?”

The soldiers that were to guard the cave were shaking in their boots and they nodded their understanding of their lord’s orders. This was one night that they didn’t need to be goofing off. If something happen to those females it will be their deaths.

Jakyoku then left to get some much-needed rest before he confronted his female. He couldn’t wait until he did. It will prove very interesting indeed.

---oOo---

Akurei was in the shadows’ watching everything that was going on around Jakyoku encampment. She knew where the miko was being held as she waited patiently to get to her. She had her potion in her robes, all she needed now was the miko’s blood, and then she will kill her to make sure that the power transfer took affect.

She finally saw when Jakyoku left the cave as she heard the warning he gave to the guards. To her amusement she saw when they tripled the amount of guards at the entrance. ‘Hmm, they are serious about keeping the miko inside the cave safe. There must be at least 20 soldiers standing guard outside that cave. Well I will just have to show them not to mess with me.’

Akurei silently made her way to the cave. The entrance being tall and wide gave her an idea on how she could enter the cave. She cast a spell as she started to rise off the ground. She floated over to the cave’s opening, masking her scent and aura to make sure they could not detect her.

She was floating above the soldiers that were guarding the entrance and soundlessly enter the cave using the ceiling as her way to sneak in. She smiled evilly as she slipped by the guards. She moved with stealth making sure not to make any noise as she moved towards her prey.

She stopped for a second thinking that someone was coming into the cave as she listened. When she was satisfied that no one was coming towards her she continued on her way. Her powers were strongest when she was in the dark so she made sure she stayed in the shadows of the cave, plus it helped conceal her presence.

As she was getting closer to her prey she came upon a powerful barrier. She looked at the barrier to try and see how to best bring it down. After a few minutes of her trying different types of spells that she knew will lower barriers, her features twisted in anger, when she realized that she could not bring it down. It was an ancient spell that was created over 1000 years ago. She had no idea how to break it and if she made too much noise the guards will come in to investigate.

Akurei cursed her rotten luck. She was so close to obtaining the miko but her efforts now were being hindered. She could almost taste her wonderful blood but she couldn’t get through this barrier.

Now she stood there trying to figure out what to do next. She could not get to the miko and her options were getting thin. The only thing that she could do is wait until they took her from this cave and then attack. It will be the only way that she will get a hold of the miko. She knew that the confrontation with the Western Lord was at hand so all she has to do was wait.

Yes, that line of thought really pleased her as she turned and left the cave. She left the same way she got into the cave as she headed back into the forest. She has waited this long, she could wait a little longer for the miko’s blood.

---oOo---

Koga and a couple of wolves managed to sneak into these youkais camp. He found out where they were holding the ningen as they made their way toward her location.

They were currently in a tree watching as they waited for the Inu Youkai, who seemed to be in charge, to leave the cave. When the Inu finally came out of the cave they overheard what he said to his men and knew that he will be hard pressed to get into the cave.

Then Koga saw the kuro miko that betrayed them to the Western Lord. His hackles were raised as he watched what she was doing. They saw her going into the cave while the guards didn’t even notice that someone flew right over them.

Ginta who was with Koga turned to him and asked, “Koga, what is that kuro miko doing here?”

Koga turned to Ginta as he whispered, “She wants the miko’s blood so I’m guessing that she is going to kill the miko to get it. We can’t go in and attack because they have too many guards. The way she snuck in is a good idea, but knowing that Inu Youkai, I bet that there are more spells and incantations in that cave. We have to wait and see when she comes out. If she kills the ningen then we will leave to go to the Southern territories.”

They didn’t have to wait for long when they saw the kuro miko come back out. The angry look on her face told them all that she did not get past the barriers. A smile came to Koga’s features as he thought, ‘So Akurei, you could not get to the miko either. Well I guess we all have to wait until the youkai lord comes here to get his mate back. Then it will be a fight to see who gets to the ningen first.’

Koga and his men left the area as they planned their next move. They knew that they will not be able to get the ningen out of that cave. So they have to wait until the Western Lord came here to get his mate back.

Koga understood that Sesshoumaru would be coming with his father to get his mate. While this Black Inu’s army fought the youkai lord off, they will be able to sneak in and take her away from this place. This was their only option at the moment so they settled in to wait for the arrival of the Western Lord.

---oOo---

Ayashiko moaned softly. She was slowly waking up from her forced slumber, feeling the tremendous headache that she has. The events of the previous day were starting to come back to her as she slowly opened her eyes. They were blurred and she couldn’t see anything. She raised her hand up to rub the temple on the side of her head to alleviate the pain she was feeling.

She heard the sound of chains and felt something heavy on her wrist. She furrowed her eyebrows together thinking about what it could be. She didn’t remember wearing any bracelets on her wrists as her eyes slowly came into focus.

Ayashiko noticed immediately that she was in some sort of cave. Torches dimly lit the area and she was lying on some sort of futon. She raised her arm up so she could look at it and noticed that she has been subdued with shackles. They were around both her wrist and when she moved her legs she felt their weight there as well.

Her senses were quickly coming into focus as her blood started to pump even faster through her body. Her instincts were telling her that she was in danger and the one thing that quickly came into mind was her pup. She had to find Kagome and get out of here.

Ayashiko struggled to sit up and once she did she was breathing hard from the effort. Her head was spinning and she felt sluggish. She breathed in deeply, trying to get her body under control. Whatever they used to subdue her was still present in her body and she had to fight it off.

After about five minutes Ayashiko noticed that her youki was not helping her recover from her ordeal. She felt weak, she didn’t have any strength, but she still had her senses, which was a plus. Whoever captured her has limited the use of her youki. She could not overcome the affects of the potion and this did not please her at all. No one subdued her except her mate.

She opened her eyes again and looked around the cave. She looked to her left and noticed that the chains were attached to the floor of the cave. They were enchanted to prevent her from leaving as a growl escaped her throat.

She heard a noise and looked to her right, she noticed another futon and her pup was lying upon it. She moved to stand to go to her. She had to make sure that her pup was all right. She was able to stand on her own, albeit she wavered on her legs as she got her balance back. She took a few steps towards Kagome, when the chains restrained her from reaching her location. She didn’t even make it half way to her pup.

She growled deep and menacing, ‘How dare they keep me from my pup!’ Ayashiko thought as she struggled to get to Kagome. But she was not strong enough, yet, to break the chains. She knew that she could break these chains but she has to wait until she recovered some more from what happened. She continued to struggle against her bonds but nothing she did would release her to go to Kagome.

Ayashiko stood there and looked at her pup. She was breathing and for that she was thankful. She sniffed and didn’t pick up the scent of blood so she was not hurt. But then she noticed that she had something around her neck. It was covering the collar her son gave her and it was glowing green.

She furrowed her eyebrows together, deep in thought. ‘Could this collar be what is subduing my youki? Do I have one like that too?’ She raised her hand up to her neck as she looked for her mate’s collar. She couldn’t feel the fang that was always there for her. She felt something on top of it as she tried to take it off. She yelped as the spell on the collar sent a jolt of pain down her spine.

Ayashiko was breathing hard. There was a spell around this new collar that will not allow her to remove it. She was trying to calm her erratic breathing as she sat back down on the small futon. She concentrated as she tried to contact her mate by their link. Try as she might the collar around her neck prevented her from calling her mate.

For the first time in over 500 years true fear gripped Ayashiko heart. It was the first time since she has been mated that she was unable to contact her mate. A lone tear fell down her cheek, as she got herself together to think of a way out of this mess. But first she needed to know if her pup was all right.

She turned her attention back to Kagome as she said, “Musume, please wakeup. I need to know if you are hurt in anyway.” She watched closely to see if her pup will wakeup from her sleep. To her delight she saw her start to move as she waited patiently.

---oOo---

Kagome heard as her mother calling out to her, but the fog in her mind was preventing her from coming fully awake. Then she heard another voice, it was a voice she recognized as Sesshoumaru’s Hiijiji. “Kagome my sweet pup, you must be strong. You have been captured along with your mother. Remember what I said about the necklace that I gave you. You must fight the spell you are under but you must also choose when to attack. Plan well my pup for you will only have one chance to defeat this enemy. But be careful there are many more that are after you and you will meet them all this day.”

Kagome understood his warning as she slowly opened her eyes. She blinked a few times and noticed that she was in a place that was faintly lit. She moved her hand up to rub the temple on the side of her head, when she felt the heavy weight of something on her wrists.

She looked at her wrists and saw the shackles, while her eyes opened wide with shock. She tried to pull them off but she couldn’t, she tried using her Reiyouku but found that her powers were being subdued. A deep and menacing growl escaped her lips when she started to piece everything together. She stopped growling when she heard her name being called again.

Kagome turned her head to the left and saw Ayashiko sitting there looking at her. She took deep cleansing breaths as she slowly sat up. She looked around the area and noticed that they were in some sort of cave. It was dimly lit with a few torches but at least she could see Ayashiko.

She slowly stood as she tried to move toward Ayashiko when the chains on her wrist and ankles stopped her from getting closer to her. Kagome looked at Ayashiko with sad eyes as she asked, “Oka-san, do you know where we are?”

Ayashiko was watching her pup’s progress. She was moving just as slow as she did at first. She heard the menacing growl that came from her pup and felt pride well up within her. Her temper was still there, but she noticed how quickly her pup got her focus back to the business at hand.

Ayashiko saw as Kagome stood on weak legs, catching her balance when she wavered. Then she observed when Kagome tried to move in her direction, but the chains that were binding them stopped her progress. She heard her pups question as she answered, “No my Musume, I have no idea where we are. All I know is that when I woke up here, we were chained with these shackles and we have another collar over the one we wear from our mates. From what I can determine it’s subduing our mate’s protection of us and our powers, I can’t remove it.”

Kagome listened to what Ayashiko was saying as she noticed the collar she wore. She reached up with her hand and felt for the offending collar. Her mother was correct, it was right over the collar that Sesshoumaru gave her and it was subduing her powers.

Kagome tried to remove the collar but found that it would not come off. When she tried to tug harder on it to get it off, she felt the intense pain that the collar gave her, as she fell to her knees. She was panting hard as her anger started to grow. She took deep cleansing breaths in order to keep calm. She needed to think with a clear mind and break the spell that was subduing her.

Kagome noticed the other necklace that she wore, the one given to her by Sesshoumaru’s Hiijiji, was glowing brightly keeping the full effects of the spell from taking control. She felt enough of the spell to know what it was trying to do so she wouldn’t give away that she was gaining control.

Kagome sat back down on the futon as she looked at her shackles. She looked at the lock to see what kind it was. Ever since they locked her away in the dungeon of the castle, she took to carrying a lock pick that will allow her to open any lock, in this era, whenever she wanted.

She went to the black smith of the castle and requested a small round piece of metal with the end slightly flatten. He was more than willing to comply with her request and once she got the piece of metal, she crafted it into a lock pick. It was disguised as a hair ornament that she constantly kept with her.

After Kagome looked at the lock she turned to Ayashiko and said, “Oka-san, I think I can open these shackles. But we must plan our escape from here. I’m sure that they have guards at the mouth of this cave. Plus there must be barriers and spells to keep us in here. But without my Reiyouku I can’t begin to break them. We must find a way to get these collars off so we can defend ourselves.”

Ayashiko was shocked at what her pup was saying, she was unaware that she could open the shackles. Curiosity got the better of her as she asked, “Kagome, how can you open these locks without your Reiyouku? These shackles are enchanted to keep us here.”

Kagome smiled as she said, “Do you remember when you and Otou-san put me in the dungeons when I first arrived at the castle? Well I broke out of there and I didn’t have my Reiyouku. But the one thing you could not take away from me was my knowledge. I figured a way out of the cell you placed me in and escaped. I can do the same here.”

Ayashiko chuckled, she was about to learn how her pup escaped their dungeons when she first arrived. But she had to stop her Musume before she took them off. “Kagome, you might want to wait for a while before you take off the shackles. My senses are telling me that we are being heavily guarded. I can tell that there are about 20 youkai outside the cave. Strong Jyaki fills this area meaning we must be in the enemy’s camp. What they are going to do to us, I have no idea, but I have the feeling that we are bait for your father and mate.”

Kagome understood Ayashiko as she thought. ‘I have no idea who this Jakyoku is and why he is so interested in the Western Lands. The only thing I do understand is that I must protect this land. The fates have sent me back in time for a reason and this must be the reason why. This is the destiny that I have to face, I will try with all my might to make sure that Lady Ayashiko stays safe. Even if I meet my demise here and now, she will be protected, this I vow.’

Kagome stiffened as she felt the aura of a very powerful youkai coming their way. Ayashiko felt it too as she tensed. Both females set their resolve as they looked toward the mouth of the cave and waited for this youkai to show himself.

---oOo---

Jakyoku woke up feeling refreshed this morning. He felt that the females were still in his camp and this pleased him to no end. He got up as he dressed in his finest to meet the female of his dreams. Today was the day that he will let her know who he is and that she was to be his mate.

He left his cavern as he made his way out into the morning light. It was a beautiful day to take over the Western Lands. It was cold but it was the way of things. Winter was upon them and he could almost smell the barely contained heat within his bitch. Soon she will go into heat and he will be able to claim her as his life mate.

He also knew that soon the Western Lord will come for his bitch and the ningen. His son and heir will not be able to wait for too much longer before his beast takes over and rushes to their mate’s aid. He is truly weak if he cannot control his more feral side. True power comes from within and the inner beast was the key.

Jakyoku chuckled, he knew that Sesshoumaru was fairly weak compared to him, he has effectively blocked his protection on his mates collar to subdue her. He not only subdued his mate to be but also the demoness with her. He felt confident that he was strong enough to subdue the miko should she prove to be unreasonable, because he didn’t have to subdue the demoness.

Maybe she will like the gifts he was bringing to her. He needed to get her out of those western colors. She needed to be dressed in the colors of his pack and take her rightful place by his side. Not to mention that bastard’s scent is all over her and he needed to rectify that immediately.

Upon him exiting his cave, guards fell around him, as he was escorted to the cave that held the females from the west. As he approached the cave he noticed that the females were both awake. ‘Good now it is time for me to introduce myself to my mate.’ Jakyoku thought as he stopped in front of the cave, eyeing his guards with intensity.

The guards shook in fear as they saw their lord coming closer to the cave. They all knew that the females were awake. But no one dared to step foot inside the cave for fear of their lives. Their lord didn’t want anyone near either female especially the ningen. He seemed to be taken with her and it wouldn’t be long before he took her as a mate.

The guards bowed deeply to their lord as they awaited his commands.

Jakyoku sniffed the area and noticed that no one has come even close to the cave. This pleased him as he turned to his soldiers and said, “I will be going into the cave alone. Make sure no one enters or leaves this place.” He smiled an evil smile as they all said in unison, “Yes milord.”

The guards moved aside as they let him pass and then took up their positions as guards once more.

Jakyoku walked past his guards, once he was in the cave he straightened his posture and walked with an air of regalness that only he could hold. He was the next Lord of the Western Lands and he was about to meet his mate. He briefly stopped at the barrier he set up the night before as he lowered it. His barrier has not been disturbed and he was satisfied with that. He continued making his way deeper into the cave, getting nearer to his objective.

---oOo---

Kagome’s mind was reeling with what to do. She couldn’t contact her mate as the spell on the collar prevented her from doing so. She had another idea and she thought that she could do it since it required a small amount of her Reiyouku and it will not be noticeable. It was worth a try as she concentrated and held out her hand.

Ayashiko looked to see what her pup was doing. She could feel Kagome’s power rise just a bit as a small ball of light appeared in her hand. She watched in fascination to see what Kagome was going to do.

Kagome’s hand began to glow as a small white bird appeared there. She could not contact her mate but she did have contact with this bird and it will show her mate where she was located.

Kagome turned her blue orbs to the bird as she mentally said, “I want you to find my mate and show him and my Otou-san what is happening. Then bring them back here with you. Do you understand?”

The bird in her hand didn’t make a sound as it bowed its head acknowledging her commands, then it took off to the highest reaches of the cavern, not making a sound as it flew off and waited for its chance to escape.

Ayashiko watched with amazement as she saw the bird appear in her Musume’s hand. It was a Shikigami but its aura was so slight that it was barely noticeable. She saw the bird take off to the ceiling as it perched on a small rock that jetted out from the cavern wall. She was about to ask her Musume what she was doing when they heard a noise and turned to the one coming into the cavern.

Jakyoku slowly entered the cavern. He spotted both females sitting there looking at him. The one that caught his attention was the ningen with the blue eyes. She was even more beautiful up close.

As he approached the females he heard their growls of warning. He chuckled as he continued to walk and then he stopped just a foot away from the futon they were both sitting on. He was far enough away that they could not attack him. He has subdued their powers but they were still physically strong, well the female Inu youkai was still strong. He knew that the ningen was weak, it was their nature to be.

He turned his eyes away from the demoness until they came to rest upon the blue orbs of his miko. His breath hitched at her beauty and scent. Her scent of night blooming jasmine was heavenly but the scent of her mate was still heavy upon her person.

His eyes opened wide when he noticed that she held no hint of his scent on her. He carried her back here yesterday, so she should still have some of his scent on her, but she didn’t. He saw the color of her eyes change to a deeper blue then going to a deeper grey to almost black in color. Anger was clearly visible in her aura and the angrier she got the more her eye color changed to that of an approaching storm.

He got himself together as he stood tall and asked, “How is it that you do not carry my scent on you, you were in my arms when we arrived here yesterday? You should still have my scent on you.”

Kagome gave him a scowl, her body will only carry the scent of her mate and no one else’s. If this fool thought that he could mark her as his mate, the idiot has a rude awakening coming. She remained silent to piss him off. She knew that not answering him will bring out his true nature.

Jakyoku was not pleased at not having his question answered. His eyes were slowly turning red as he growled, “No matter, soon you will carry my scent and be at my side for all eternity. I have brought you some new clothes to wear. You are to remove those offending robes. I can’t have my female wearing the western colors. You will be adorned with the colors of my pack.”

The rage that was slowly rising in Kagome has reached an all time high, she was about to release her powers when a gentle voice spoke into her mind, “My little pup, do not give in to his taunting. You must remain in control and not show your hand yet. You must have command over your powers if you want to escape this place. If you were to attack him out right then you will have his garrison upon you in a minute. You cannot risk getting your mother hurt. Restrain your powers, and do not show him that you have partially broken his spell.”

Kagome was getting her control back. Tsuyoimaru was correct in what he was saying, she couldn’t risk getting her mother hurt because she let her anger get the best of her. She will restrain her powers but it didn’t mean that she was going take what he said laying down.

Kagome squared her shoulders as she said with venom in her voice, “I don’t care who you are! YOU are NOT my MATE!! I would rather die than be your mate. Sesshoumaru is the only male that I will have. You didn’t defeat me in battle to subdue me. You stooped to drugging me and placing a spell over the collar I wear to subdue my powers. At least my mate proved his true worth as a male when he showed me he could dominate me on his own.”

Kagome knew that she was in for it when she saw his eyes glow red. She braced herself for the impact as he flew towards her. Jakyoku had her by the neck in an instant as he pinned her to the futon. His blood red eyes trained only on her and no one else.

Ayashiko watched as that bastard attack her pup. Rage like no other came forth as she struggled against her chains to attack the offending male. Her aura flared in anger but the collar kept her restrained as she watched, helplessly, at what he did to her pup.

Jakyoku lost it as he pounced on the female and pinned her to the futon by her neck. He snarled as he said, “You listen to me bitch! You belong to me. You never should have been mated to that bastard in the first place. I’m the strongest male in the lands and he will die by my hand. You will be mine for all eternity and when you go into heat I will bind you to me.”

Kagome was struggling against his grip. She was not weak not by any sense of the word. She prides herself in keeping her body fit in case she needed to fight without her Reiyouku. Now this was one of those times that she has to fight or the male on top of her will think she will be his submissive bitch.

Kagome glared at the male above her as she brought up her right knee with tremendous force. She hit him right in his jewels as he gasped at the pain she inflected. She took her right fist and channeled as much of her strength that she could muster and hit him square in the chest sending him flying through the air to land about five feet away from her.

Kagome quickly got into a crouched position on the futon. She didn’t have that much room to move but she wanted to be able to protect herself, if he came at her again.

Jakyoku was breathing hard. The little bitch hit him hard in his jewels, causing him to see stars in front of his eyes. The force of her punch on his chest sent him flying through the air to land hard on the cave’s floor. He couldn’t believe that this ningen was this powerful without her Reiyouku. This was nothing but pure physical strength coming from her ningen body.

He slowly rolled over onto his stomach as he slowly got up on hands and knees. He will show her to respect him or it will be her death. Blood red eyes turned to the female that was crouched on the futon. She was truly the most powerful female in all the land if she still had this much strength without her Reiyouku.

Jakyoku got his breathing under control as he slowly got up on his feet. His eyes never left the onna, as he got ready to attack again. This time he will not be as lenient as he was before.

He flexed his claws as he attacked, it was time to teach his bitch who she belonged too. His arm came up as he made to slash her across her chest.

Kagome saw him coming towards her at great speed, as she got ready to deflect his attack. She didn’t have much room for this move but she will do the best she could. She saw his claws coming as they made to slash her. She grabbed his wrist as she turned her body in the direction of his attack and brought his body off the ground and tossed him half way across the room. His momentum was his downfall and she didn’t have to use too much of her own physical strength to throw him.

Jakyoku couldn’t believe that a ningen onna was defying him. She was strong enough to fight him in battle and hold her own, while she was chained to the floor no less. He was about to attack again when he heard the mouth of the female Inu and it pissed him off even more. He attacked her instead to take out his frustrations.

Ayashiko had enough, she was watching everything between her pup and the black Inu. With him trying to subdue her and Kagome defying him it was raising his youki as he tapped into his hidden strength. She was at her wits end as she yelled, “You bastard!! Kagome is mated to my son and that is the way it will stay. You can not even begin to subdue her no matter what you do!” Ayashiko saw as Jakyoku turned his attack toward her.

Jakyoku had enough of the Inu bitch as he went after her. He punched her in the stomach as he turned and slapped her back onto the futon. He stood straight up as he said in a deadly tone of voice, “Bitch! I don’t care if she is mated to your precious son. She will be my mate and she will learn her place just like you. You better get used to my touch bitch, I have decided to keep you here as my concubine.”

Ayashiko heard his words as she snarled at him. She vowed to never let him touch her as she wiped away the blood on her lips.

Jakyoku turned his attention to the ningen. He had enough of her too as he went after her.

Kagome saw him coming towards her and then at the last minute turned and attacked her mother. The bastard hit her as she saw her mother go down. She saw the blood coming from her lips as she made to go towards her. Kagome forgot about the stupid chains as she fell on the ground while they restrained her.

Jakyoku didn’t waist any time as he pounced the on the female. He was not one to look a gift horse in the mouth as he landed on top of her and held her by her neck. He had her pulled enough that the chains didn’t allow her to move her arms or legs. She was trapped.

He leaned down as he said in her ear, “Now that I have your attention you will obey my every command or you will be severely punished.”

Kagome glared at the youkai that was on top of her. Her eyes were still changing colors quickly as she spat in his face. She will defy him with her last dying breath.

Jakyoku leaned up and wiped away the spittle she put on his face. His eyes were burning red as his hand went back and he slapped her across the face. His frustration level grew when he didn’t hear her cry out in pain. He continued to hit her but still she would not cry out.

His temper was getting the better of him as his claws elongated and he slashed at her haori and tore it to shreds. The only thing that remained was the binding across her chest. He looked at his mate to be and smiled. Her punishment was fitting as she now had numerous cuts across her chest. He leaned down and licked the blood away from her chest. She tasted really good as he finally got up from on top of her.

He looked down at his female with satisfaction; he sniffed hauntingly as he said in a feral voice, “Now you have no choice. You are forced to wear the clothes I have provided for you. You will submit to me or your next lesson will not be this easy. I promise you that you will submit to me or you will die.”

He walked out of the cave, leaving behind a bloody mate to be with numerous wounds. She will learn her place with him. Her defiance was unexpected and her will is strong but he will win her no matter what, she will be his mate or she will die by his hands.

Outside of the cave everyone in Jakyoku’s camp froze in place. There was a howl so menacing and powerful that everyone shook in fear. It promised death to those who dared touch what was his as the intensity of the howl shook the land itself. Fear like no other penetrated deep into their souls. They now knew the full extent of what they have done. They will have to face the wrath of a very pissed off Inu youkai for taking his mate.

---oOo---

This is the end to another chapter. Jakyoku has capture Kagome and Ayashiko. General Dewa, along with Sango and Miroku are heading towards the Ladies of the West to save them. Inutaisho is gathering his army to and fight Jakyoku for taking his mate.

Sorry to disappoint everyone. This is not the battle for the west as of yet. I had to bring all the players together so the fight can start. With Koga, Akurei, and Jakyoku in place the stage is set for the final battle to begin. Plus I needed a way for Miroku to come into my story and this was the best way to introduce him.

I hope this answered some of your questions on why Kagome never detected the youkai in the village before they were attacked. But I can’t give all of my plans away now can I?

All right everyone I have something that I want to clear up. Advi my beta was the one that came up with the name of Ayashiko. I have her permission to use this name in my story along with some other ones that will come later in the story.

I want to offer my sincere apologies to Advi for not doing this before and the one that accused her of taking Ayashiko’s name if you would apologies to her I will be happy. Advi has been a great inspiration to me during this story and I wouldn’t have been able to write this with out her. Again Advi I’m sorry for the mix up.

The stage is now set for the final battle, the enemies have gathered as Sesshoumaru and his father go after Jakyoku. Who will win the fight against Jakyoku? Will Koga get his hands on Kagome or will General Dewa reach Lady Ayashiko before anything happens to them? Join me in the next chapter as the battle is about to commence.

Until the next time!

Ja ne!