Beneath Goshinboku by Aoi-Kaji

The Auction

Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim any of the original “Inuyasha” characters from both manga and anime. A round of applause goes to Rumiko Takahashi.

A/N: Yes, this is my story. I had abandoned it to in pursue of stupid crushes and parties, later on, in middle school and high school. Believe me, I would get on fanfction.net to finish it, but unfortunately the password I used is unknown to me and I can’t remember exactly how I typed the e-mail. It’s been several years, so I’ll have to mostly start from scratch on the story.

 P.S. Even though this is most definitely not going into any sex scenes, the reason why I put that there would be “erotica” was because in some of the scenes within the story there will be close encounters. Sort of a tease, if you will, from me to you. I hope you enjoy.

Not Proof read. As is.

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 Silence fell in the cathedral ceiling stadium where the auction was taking place when the last of the slaves was led to the block. Kagome had sat with several of her friends at the auction for more than three hours already, waiting for the auction to finish. For Kagome, the Higurashi family owned enough slaves and hired enough servants. Although her older twin Kikyou loved purchasing slaves, Kagome really didn't see the purpose of buying any more slaves.

But this one was breathtaking.

He had his hands restrained behind him in bides that were surely tight enough to chafe him, and yet he kept his chin raised in a silent defiance of his station of servitude. His long silver hair flowed behind him, defying all the laws of nature that dictated that it should tangle. Blue and purple markings marked his youkai pedigree. But it was his proud, austere bearing that drew the words out of the potential masters' minds.

"Sesshoumaru Taisho," the auctioneer yelled loudly, although he needn't have, "bound for execution for his crimes unless sold! Three counts of violence against his master and five counts of out and out murder."

A collective, loud gasp broke the silence.

"Although he wears the strongest restraining band," the auctioneer proclaimed, gesturing at the silver band that was on his left arm. "It seems as if he can still refuse the commands of his owner. This is the end of the legally mandatory warning. The auction starts at thirty-thousand."

The voices started muttering all at once. Kagome, too, turned to her friend. "He's beautiful," she said in awe. "He has hair just like Inuyasha's, but finer, smoother, and longer."

Inuyasha was one of the Kikyou's slaves. He had been in the family for as long as Kagome could remember, but she rarely ever saw him because Kikyou seemed very possessive of him.

"He is," Sango agreed, "but he's also as deadly as he looks. See those markings? If he were not enslaved, he would probably be one of the most dangerous beings that exist. Even now, with his restraining band, he has committed such violent crimes."

"But, to kill him..." Kagome could hardly believe that so beautiful a being would take life without compunction, but she had learned to trust Sango on matters concerning the youkai.

"Only thirty-thousand," the auctioneer repeated himself. "He's beautiful and strong, you can do anything you want with him. He'll…"

"Boo," one of the women yelled. "He scarred the face of my best friend just because she wanted him to share her bed. You can't do anything you want with him."

The auctioneer flushed, but did seem to get the message. "Going once," he bellowed. "He's going to his death and you will never be able to set your eyes on him again."

Nobody bid.

"Going twice..."

Still, nobody bid.

"Do you really want such perfect beauty to decay?" The auctioneer asked more than a bit desperately.

"You buy him then," somebody shouted from the corner.

The auctioneer sighed. "Going…"

"Thirty-thousand," Kagome shouted impulsively. While others might have been perfectly fine with the thought of Sesshoumaru dying, Kagome had never liked the thought of not saving somebody when she could.

Besides, she had a fair amount of allowance, seeing as how she usually saved them unlike Kikyou who spent hers as soon as she received her allowance.

"Are you crazy?" Sango asked Kagome.

Kagome shrugged. "Hn? Probably, but nothing’s ever worth anything unless you take a chance."

Sango sighed. Sometimes, there was no reasoning with her too kind-hearted friend. She would just have to hope that it didn't get Kagome into trouble.

Kagome stood up, dusting out her kimono, and told her friends she would see them at the Higurashi shrine as she began walking towards the area where purchasers pickup their designated slaves before either of them could protest.

Sango stared at the back of her friend, giving a silent prayer that she will make it home safely.

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"Hn," the handler grunted at Sesshoumaru. Unlike any other slaves, the auctioneer had yet to see Sesshoumaru show any reaction to anything. As usual, the youkai remained silent, and the handler continued his somewhat one-way conversation.

"The lady who bought ya... sixteen-year old Kagom, she be a real Higurashi from all the stories I heard them tell of Higurashis. Miko, they tell, but I ain't never heard anything to prove it. Except her twin Kikyou be true miko, purifying arrows and all such.” The handler began to whisper to the ever silent youkai standing stiffly at attention. “Now, Kikyou be the one ya hear stories about. Surprised, I am, that she ain't coming today. Usually, she buys a three or four slaves at every auction. But Kagome, never ain't heard 'bout her buying slaves, but could just be that she just couldn't resist yer beauty, eh?"

The handler sighed at some private woe, and then turned back to Sesshoumaru again, "Well, here, we are, and yer goin' to yer new mistress now."

'New mistress, indeed.' Sesshoumaru thought in sarcasm, as he slowly and gracefully set his crystalline amber eyes towards the ningen girl whom had now bought him from deaths gate and was to be her servant till she felt the time that he was not needed anymore.

'Or until I felt the time that she is not needed anymore.' He thought, as a slight smirk appeared across his face only to fall back into the grim line that it was once before as he came to a stop in front of the short but elegant, human girl.

"Hi! My name is, Higurashi, Kagome! I'll be your new mistress." The girl with strange blue grey eyes introduced herself, as she gave a slight incline of her head in respect.

Sesshoumaru just looked back at her face, all the while with a cold emotionless face plastered on. He then gave a scoff like grunt and walked right past her. Almost knocking her down when he pushed her out of his way with his shoulder, leaving a distraught Kagome in his wake. As soon as they made contact, however, both felt a sharp electrical current go straight to their heart. Kagome lifted her hand and rubbed the invisible sore spot above her chest with a grimace. Sesshoumaru also felt the annoying singe, but refused to acknowledge it physically as he continued down the path.

Finally noticing he wasn’t going to turn around, Kagome sighed and went after him, almost tripping in the process because of her long kimono. Coming to a stop as soon as she was at his right side, she continued to rub away at the memory of the pain she’d felt. Unaware that it had stopped once she came next to Sesshoumaru.

‘That was an odd feeling… I wonder what could have caused it.’ She wondered, as they continued down the road. Coming to her senses, Kagome shot her head to look ahead and noticed they were going too far west from the direction of her family’s shrine. She halted, and put a hand over Sesshoumaru’s arm.

Instantly, Sesshoumaru reacted by letting a growl rip from his throat as he grabbed her hand with unnecessary animosity and flung it towards her side. Kagome gave a pained whimper as she cradled her abused hand to her bosom, as ears threatened to spill from her tightly shut eyes.

“Why did you do that?” She choked out.

“Never again think you can put your filthy human hands on me, mortal, lest you have a death wish that you would like to be granted.” Sesshoumaru hissed through baring sharp teeth as his bleeding red eyes froze her in place with fear.

Suddenly, Sesshoumaru balked and fell to one knee on the ground in immense agony as bright pink lightning emit from the silver band he still had melded into his skin, and wrapped around his form. Panting, he stood the bit of ground he still had underneath him, refusing to fully fall victim of the pain scorching his insides, as he continued to stare down Kagome. Most of the red already flickering out of his eyes.

Panic and concern replaced the fear in Kagome’s eyes as she fell to her knees in front of Sesshoumaru, grabbed his arm, and lightly whispered the chant that would cease Sesshoumaru’s pain.

Immediately, Sesshoumaru ripped his arm away from her small, soft hands and let out a barely audible growl.

“I didn’t ask for your assistance, human. I could have withstood the effects of my band without your unwanted chant to cease it. It would have calmed once I had my violent emotions in tact.” He replied with an even colder voice than before. The ice around his eyes also dropped down to another inth degree.

Slowly, Kagome got up, never letting her gaze drop from his eyes, and straightened in front of him. She now knew that the beauty he distributed on the outside had no room within his gruesome interior. Already, the few broken bones that she had obtained from Sesshoumaru’s rough handling had re-arranged and healed properly. She drew her sleeve over her hand as she tried to address Sesshoumaru once more, with caution this time.

“I only wanted to inform you that this was not the path to my family’s shrine.” She said, with a now calm voice, as though speaking to a frightened child. “I didn’t mean to harm or force you to do anything.”

At the latter Sesshoumaru let out another scoff like grunt, unbelieving of what he just heard.

“Human, you are already forcing me to come with you, against my will. How then, can you make the claim you just made.” He said in his steel tone.

Kagome’s back instantly went stiff at the truth of his words; however, she sighed and replied, “Yes, it is true what you said, but if I let you wonder on your own you’ll be captured and possibly sent to death in assumption that you killed me and finally purify the living essence out of you?” She gave him a pause to think, but continued when she saw that he was unrelenting, “Or, would you prefer that I take you with me, without protest, under the façade that you are my slave and I your mistress for the time being. In the meantime, I will try to figure out a way to remove the band that is melded to your skin and blood.” She steeled her eyes to him as his bore down at her while she waited for his reply.

Time passed by as late afternoon was slowly approaching, and Sesshoumaru had yet to give her a reply to her offer. Kagome sighed, turned around towards the direction where she suspected her carrier was, and began walking away, her sandals softly clogging against the hard dirt road. The pain on her chest returning, but she ignored it.

‘At least I saved him from near death, but unfortunately not from death itself.’ She remorsely thought to herself until large hand wrapped fully around her upper arm and halted her. Ready to rebuke the intruder, she scowled up to be stunned by the cool features of Sesshoumaru staring down at her.

“I have decided to come with you, woman. I will look forward to the promise you have made me.” Sesshoumaru’s monotone voice interrupted her temporary stun from his beauty. He instantly dropped her arm, waiting for her to direct them to their destination.

Clearing her voice and straightening back up, Kagome nodded.

“Right then, let us go to my carrier head back to the shrine.” She turned back towards the direction she was previously walking towards prior to his interruption.

Sesshoumaru let her gracefully walk ahead of him, and he couldn’t help but notice this time how the miniscule tinge disappear once he was near his human mistress once more. Letting out a soft grunt, he fell to step behind her and let hear lead them.

‘I shall have to find out what the origin of this annoyance is whilst my little “mistress” finds a way for me to be rid of this accursed magical binding.’ He planned to himself as he held up his arm to glare down at the band in question. It gleamed harmlessly against the setting sunlight.

‘Soon, if permitted, I shall be fully free to execute my revenge on this world… Soon.’

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P.P.S.

Updates will be sporadically. School, irl, and stuff. Also, if anyone would like to proof read, please send me a message.