A Sister's Gift

Chapter 7 – The Training Begins

Kagome once again found herself staring into the enchanting face of Sesshomaru. He was standing just a few centimeters from the bars calmly gazing into her eyes. “Ohayou Sesshomaru,” she said softly.

“Ohayou Kagome. Today I place my life in your hands,” the tall inuyoukai replied.

Kagome shrunk at those words. She didn’t want anyone’s life to be placed in her hands. She had been awake for most of the night thinking the same thing. Sango’s good intentions, though appreciated, had placed a great weight on her shoulders. “I give you my word to always treat you fairly.”

Sango stepped up to Kagome’s side saying, “The first step is the submissive bond. Sesshomaru kneel.” The taiyoukai suddenly looked unsure of his decision. He looked from Sango then back to Kagome. Slowly he dropped to one knee. “Kagome put your hand on his head.”

Kagome lifted her hand and placed it on the top of his soft white hair. Her hand was shaking with nervousness.

Sango then said, “Kagome repeat after me... Bound is spirit, Bound is strength, Bound your will is to me. I am yours, and you are mine, My Protector forever be.”

Kagome obediently repeated the chant feeling a tingle flow through her fingers as a phantom wind began to move Sesshomaru’s flowing hair to dance around him as if it were alive. The necklace around the taiyoukai’s neck began to glow with an eerie purple light. As soon as it had begun, it was ended.

Sango smiled widely. She looked to Kagome and said, That worked perfectly. Now, if you will step back Kagome... your Protector may emerge from his cell.

Sesshomaru felt a rush of exhilaration at being freed from the damnable cell. His first thought was to slash the bitch that captured him in two.

The lock was removed with a sizzle of released magic and the door to the cage was opened. Sesshomaru refused to look at the miko, for he knew she was not going to enjoy what he was about to do. With the speed granted to his kind at birth he unsheathed his claws and sent a powerful arm slashing through the air at the demon slayer’s throat. The claw never made it. Only the width of a hair separated the razor sharp talon from ending the wench’s life. The claw was stayed by some invisible force, too strong to break.

Kagome gasped in fear for Sango’s life! Before she had time to release the shriek from her throat the attack was stopped.

Sango never even blinked. She felt no fear, and knew that the threat was only that... a threat. She smiled at the inuyoukai, who seemed to be in shock that her head was still attached to her shoulders. “Sesshomaru, you can not harm me now. In fact, you can no longer harm anyone, unless Kagome wishes it so. You are bound to her by magic. Bound to her love and mercy. Only in the face of danger or an attack on yourself or Kagome, will you be able to strike out to render an opponent a fatal blow.”

Sesshomaru pulled his hand back and stared at it for a moment, “What would happen should she die?”

Sango frowned a little at that statement. The thought of that happening was almost too much to bear. It would be as bad a losing Kohaku, her blood kin. Sango eyed the demon, slyly. “She will not die, if you do your job. By some strange event that Kagome leaves this world, you will return to me. You would have five days before the necklace begins to suck out your strength. By the eighth day you will be dead unless the necklace is bound to a new master.” She watched him closely, but could not read the inu’s reaction.

Sango looked to Kagome, who appeared ready to cry. “I’m sorry Kagome. I should have warned you.” Sango placed her hand on Kagome’s shoulder, but immediately snatched it back as the demon began to growl. ‘Hmm I’d better keep on my toes around this one, until he adjusts to this.’

Kagome’s temper flared when Sesshomaru growled. Sango was her sister for Kami’s sake! She narrowed her eyes at the taiyoukai and pointed her finger, shaking at him, “Bad Dog! If you snap at Sango one more time... well... your gonna be punished!”

Sesshomaru showed no signs of emotion to the miko’s outburst. He simply stood regarding her with disinterest. Personally, he was a little taken aback. She certainly had a fiery spirit once the coals were fanned. Inwardly he smirked at this newfound knowledge. This would be interesting indeed.

Sesshomaru’s reaction to Kagome’s chastising brought Sango to begin the next lesson. “Next we have to do something about your manners.”

Both Kagome and Sesshomaru swung their heads in curiosity. Sesshomaru thought, ‘Manners? There is nothing wrong with my manners!’

Sango motioned for them to follow. The group walked out to the main walkway and headed toward the training facility. Sango opened a door to the left. It led into a large room with various items scattered about. The floor was wooden and covered with large mats and rugs. Once inside, she motioned for Kagome to stand on the large wine color mat in the middle of the room. Sesshomaru stood next to Kagome.

Sango began covering various rules of obedience that were to be followed. She assured Sesshomaru that the magic of the necklace would insure his obedience. The wearer would obey the rules given to the master or mistress during this session, or the necklace would punish with a painful response. He soon found that her words were indeed the truth. His first defiant act brought about a tightening of the neck muscles. Not quite enough to choke him, but in combination with the stabbing pains that followed shortly after it was enough to bring him to his knees. He would soon find that the sooner he dropped into a submission stance, the better off he would be.

He was none too happy about the situation. Sesshomaru now realized that he had been tricked. The magic of the accursed necklace had sealed his fate. Not only was he bound to the miko, but also he would be forced to bend to the rules this demon exterminator set forth.

The training went on for several hours after the rules of obedience were given. Various commands were taught. None extra ordinarily humiliating. Standing three steps behind and to the left of the mistress. Kneeling on one knee with the head bowed during a long wait. Never meet the eyes of one not of his station. Sitting protocol, standing protocol, nodding, not nodding, etc., etc. Etc.! He was pretty sure he felt a headache coming on. Thoughtlessly he rubbed his temples.

Sesshomaru, who was busy trying to ease the pain in his head, missed the command to ‘heel’. The lesson he learned from his mistake would not soon be forgotten. The necklace sent a shock of power through his skin. A burning pulsing sensation that literally sent the muscles in his neck and shoulders into convulsive spasms. It took all of his strength as he clawed at the beads, to stay on his feet.

Kagome turned to see that Sesshomaru was not walking closely behind her, and was instead, struggling with an intense bolt of pain. Her face drew up with the shock of seeing the beautiful man struggling to stay on his feet. She immediately looked to Sango, “What’s wrong with him? Stop it!”

Sango motioned for Kagome to calm down. “He disobeyed. You must release him, by saying a word of forgiveness.”

Kagome swiftly turned from Sango and shouted, “Excuse! I excuse you!” She ran to his side and grabbed his arm. She could already see the effects of the necklace wearing off. He was panting for breath as he again moved to stand upright. “Oh Sesshomaru, I’m so sorry, are you alright?”

Sango laughed a little sarcastically at Kagome. She looked to the taiyoukai who was glaring at her with unveiled disgust. She flashed him a fake smile and said, “It looks like you’d better pay attention to you commands Sesshomaru, if only to spare Kagome from such a fright.” The demon simply lowered his eyes and shook his head a few times, sending billowing waves of white hair flying around him.

Despite discovering the intense pain of his bondage, Sesshomaru decided that the day was taking a turn for the better, when they came to the subject of disobedience. Sango explained that the immediate response to Kagome’s ‘excuse’ command, required Sesshomaru to kneel at her feet rubbing his cheek in a circular fashion on her stomach or hip. This would show obedience, remorse, and submission. The master should accept the offering with a pat or rub to the Servants head. “Sesshomaru, use your nose. Draw in her scent. Become aware of the changes from anger to submission.”

Sesshomaru kneeled to the floor as Sango instructed. The miko’s sweet smell was absolutely intoxicating from this vantagepoint. He could clearly smell her nervousness as he moved to rest his face against her flat stomach. She tensed with his touch, but slowly he could feel her relax against him. He closed his eyes allowing her scent to fill his mind. He began to nuzzle her, moving his head in a circle. The act of it was very much to his liking. The miko slipped her tiny hand over his head to accept his apology. The feel of her slender fingers in his hair sent feathery pleasure all the way down his body.

“Uh... that’s more than enough,” Sango interrupted.

“Misbehaving to different degrees causes different degree’s of response by the necklace.” Sango explained further. “Disobeying a direct order, such as to ‘heel’ would cause a more intense pain, such as what you recently experienced.”

Sesshomaru and Kagome snapped out of their fuzzy world and dropped back into the basic standing position. The inuyoukai had just discovered the first little perk of having this little miko for a Mistress. ‘Hmm I will have to be sure to misbehave frequently.’

Sango was a little disturbed by the reaction of both her friend and the inuyoukai. Was she imagining that? It seemed they both enjoyed it a little more than they were supposed to. She brushed off those thoughts to head on the next lesson.

Sango discussed the use of scent in the relationship between Servant and Mistress. “In time you will become acutely aware of her inner emotions. Her responses to various stimuli will guide you to know when she is afraid of someone or something. Angry or anxious. Saddened or happy. You will use this as your guide to Protect. You will growl in warning if she is afraid, unless the offender merits an immediate attack. Her command or the varying degree’s of fear will determine this. A command to ‘stand down’, will always over-ride your attack. A miko of Kagome’s power, will have many enemies. Some which she may never suspect. Your keen senses will offer her guidance on her path.”