Bound by Corruption by BelovedStranger

Failure

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

This prompt is implied! Happy reading :3

Hopefully everyone had an awesome holiday ^^

Prompt: 'Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.'

Sesshomaru stood over the unconscious Onigumo, face impassive, as he once more took control of himself, methodically discarding all irrational thoughts concerning the miko. He reinforced his resolve, his very being, refusing to be angered any longer about the strange feelings he had just felt in her presence. He reminded himself of who he was, his beliefs, and why he tolerated the onna’s existence. They had a contract, and this human filth before him was to be another key element in his schemes.

The Inugami refused to even consider the thought that he had failed in his endeavors in teaching his disillusioned companion how sweet revenge was, to punish those who have so wronged you. He had seen firsthand how she had reacted to the death of the human filth that had killed then raped a woman’s corpse. She had been vengefully happy of his demise.

Sesshomaru told himself that the miko had felt the same dark satisfaction when he had cut down the bandits; however, since she was unaccustomed to how messy death could be, she was merely in shock. How many times had he already seen her in such a state? Surely it was brought on by her false sense of morality that warred with her true human tendency to destroy. He was confident once she overcame her inner struggle, accepting who she really was, a greedy, self-serving mortal, she would thank him for freeing her of the chains that bound her.

A menacing gleam entered his golden gaze as he perused the unsuspecting bandit yet living, who would be the next key to unlock the onna from her prison.

Eager to begin, Sesshomaru brought the heel of his boot down on Onigumo’s shattered knee. The bandit awoke with a loud shout, his hands instantly clutching his upper thigh in agony, his back bowed against the tree he rested against.

At Onigumo’s curses, Sesshomaru merely removed his boot and continued looking down at the pitiful human with blatant disregard to his suffering.

Kagome lunged to her feet where Sesshomaru had left her at Onigumo’s yell, the pain in his voice sickening her. She rushed to Sesshomaru’s side with conflicted feelings, her hands intertwined before her stomach in a tight grip.

Seeing the bandit clutch his injured knee, she knew without a doubt that Sesshomaru had hurt him. She turned to him with an angry, upset expression, her hands lowered to her sides in tight fists as she regarded the Inugami.

“Sesshomaru! Did you have to hurt him? We haven’t even started questioning him yet.”

His amber gaze impaled her, his expression inscrutable. “There would have been no questioning had he remained unconscious.”

Standing her ground, though her knees trembled at his unnerving gaze, she shot back, “You didn’t have to hurt him to wake him up.”

“Hn.”

Both of their gazes lowered to Onigumo when he began to speak, his voice deep and pleasing to the ear, even laced with pain as it was now.

“Come to kill me, demon?” Onigumo gazed around Sesshomaru, the moon lighting the dirt road, making it easier to see the multiple, unmoving bodies of his men. “I should have known from the very beginning by your strange coloring that you are no man.”

Before either could reply, he looked back up at Sesshomaru, showing no fear, which surprised Kagome. Here he lay, injured and in agony, knowing what Sesshomaru was and that he had no chance of ever defeating the powerful youkai, but he was unafraid.

“No, I doubt it’s my death you seek, at least not yet, or I would have been the first to perish. You came after me, separated me from my men, and wounded me so that I could not hope to escape. I ask again, what do you want with me, youkai?”

Before Sesshomaru could answer, Kagome took a small step forward, saying quickly, “We just have a few questions to ask you.”

Sesshomaru shot her a displeased look from the corner of his eye, which she ignored.

Onigumo’s gaze shifted to meet her eyes. The total confidence he exuded in the face of imminent death was not something she expected to see. Did this man truly not fear Sesshomaru, or was he a fool?

“Woman, who might you be? You travel with this demon?”

Onigumo’s gaze traveled over her face and down her body in a quick but thorough appraisal, before meeting her eyes once more. Kagome couldn’t miss the masculine interest he regarded her with. Even severely injured, he admired her, and she flushed.  

“You will be answering my questions, not voicing any. If you do not respond correctly, you will regret it,” Sesshomaru warned before Kagome could speak, effectively regaining Onigumo’s attention.

“Torture before death, is it?” inquired Onigumo unimpressed.

Kagome had a strong urge to reprimand the bandit, to tell him not to be a fool and antagonize Sesshomaru if he didn’t want to be hurt further, but she bit her tongue. Why should she care if this evil man was in pain? He had taken everything from her, and possibly had Kikyo hidden somewhere. However, she found herself shedding away from forcing the answers out of this man. Killing another in cold blood was awful enough, but torture? No, no one deserved such a fate. Not even a vile man such as Onigumo.

She silently begged him to stop antagonizing Sesshomaru.

If she feared Sesshomaru’s response to Onigumo’s disrespect, he did not react, merely stood stature still, silent. But when Onigumo looked at her for his answer, she couldn’t meet his gaze, dropping her eyes to the ground from guilt and shame.

Onigumo nodded as if his question had been answered, before turning his attention back to Sesshomaru.

“In exchange for the information you seek, my life is to be spared.”

Kagome’s wide eyes shot up, gaping at Onigumo’s audacity.

“You are in no position to barter for anything, ningen,” Sesshomaru said in a low, menacing tone, driving his heel brutally into the bandit’s shattered knee once more, pulverizing the joint until there would be no hope for the human to ever fully recover and gain the use of his leg again.

Kagome cringed violently at the agonized yell Onigumo expelled on a sharp exhale, sucking in his next breath for an animalistic sound of unbearable pain that followed afterwards. It sent chills down her spine, rose goose bumps on her arms, and the hair on the back of her neck to stand up. Her nerves were shot. There was no way she could let this go on, allow this to happen before her eyes, and do nothing.

“Sesshomaru, please—“ Kagome began in a tortured whisper.

“Silence, miko.”

Onigumo gazed up at her through pain filled eyes. “A miko? If that is true, then why do you stand by and allow this monster free reign and not stop him? Why do you travel with him?”

Kagome looked away from the condemning accusation in Onigumo’s brown eyes, biting her bottom lip as once again guilt and shame overcame her. How can this bandit not judge her when she had done nothing to prevent the slaughter?

She shook her head sharply as she said loudly in anger, almost defensively, “None of this would have happened if it hadn’t been for you and your men destroying my village. You killed everyone! Helpless villagers who begged for mercy. So don’t you dare look at me like this is my fault!”

Kagome lifted her hands to either side of her head as if in pain. This wasn’t her fault! Not her fault.

Sesshomaru had been the one to kill those men, and it had been Onigumo who had set the Inugami on this path. Why did they both blame her for what happened?

She hadn’t killed that murdering rapist back at the small farm. She didn’t kill Onigumo’s men.

Stop blaming me! she shouted silently, helplessly, to the memories of their accusations running unchecked through her mind, unable to bear the burden of so many lives on her conscious.

Then who is to blame, aijin? You could have stopped me at any time if you were so averse to such measures.

Kagome’s head pounded as she replied mentally to Sesshomaru’s accusation. As if I had a choice in the matter. You took that away from me because of the contract. This isn’t my fault!

A contract you agreed to.

Kagome swallowed with difficulty at the reminder, but quickly rallied her wits. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, and you know it.

Kagome heard his malicious chuckle resound in her mind, warning her seconds before he uttered the condemning words, You were made perfectly aware that if you did not wish to abide by our contract, all you had to do was say so, forsaking your life. If you had done that, then none of this would have happened.

Her heart beat painfully in her chest. Before she could sink into despair, Onigumo answered her previous accusation to him, interrupting her mental conversation, her torment.

“Then it’s revenge you seek? I was unaware a shrine maiden could have such malicious tendencies.”

“You’re wrong. I only want to find my sister!” Kagome defended herself on a sob.

I only wanted to find Kikyo, she cried out mentally to Sesshomaru. Yes, everything had been for her sister. How could she die, allowing Sesshomaru to murder her if she did not follow their contract, and forsake Kikyo?

Have you forgotten already, aijin? You were unaware of your sister’s peril when we first met. You chose life over death that fateful day.

Before she could respond, though it was doubtful she could after Sesshomaru had so firmly put her in her place, Onigumo responded to her cry concerning her sister.

“Onna, if you had not noticed, I traveled with no woman, so I have no idea where she might be. Perhaps she fled to meet a lover? In any case, it is no matter to me. You waste both of our time here.”

Again she was unable to respond as Sesshomaru whispered in her mind. It seemed to her as if she were being attacked from both sides. She was having a difficult time not collapsing in a pitiful heap, and hugging herself defensively for comfort.

Don’t despair, aijin. It is only natural to want to live. You torture yourself needlessly. The men who have died were scum of humanity. Would you truly offer up your life for theirs?  

Tears glazed her eyes, so she lowered her head, hiding behind her bangs. Why did he keep doing this to her? First Sesshomaru would act purposefully cruel, then he would backtrack and offer comfort. Why did she yearn to turn to him and bury her head against his chest, allow him to shelter her, as she cried her heart out? This need made her angry to such a degree that most of her anguish was dispelled by the fire of her hatred, which only grew for this youkai masquerading as a man. Now she was able to meet Onigumo’s eyes squarely, even if they were still shiny with unshed tears.

“My sister was in a village very near to the one you had just destroyed. That village, too, was laid to dust. You had to have seen her. She is a miko like me. Surely you would have noticed her.”

Onigumo regarded her coolly. Though in immeasurable pain, he still looked down on her, as if she was acting like an overemotional woman, which only made her ire flare higher.

“I saw no miko, and I assure you, if my men had seen such a woman, believe me, I would have been made aware.”

“Liar! She was there! Where is she? What have you done with her?”

“If you doubt my sincerity,” he mocked her with a smile, “then have you checked the corpses? Perhaps your demon here would be able to sniff her out should she be there.”

His callousness appalled Kagome. No wonder Sesshomaru thought everyone was evil at heart with people like Onigumo running around.

She gritted her teeth as she said, “She wasn’t there, so she has to be alive. Now where is she!? I’ve had enough of your lies.”

He had to be lying. Because if he wasn’t, then were was Kikyo?

Onigumo’s only answer was a raise of his brow; his expression clearly stated what he thought of her mind, slow.

Kagome saw Sesshomaru raise his arm from the corner of her eye, curling it towards his body, then swinging it towards Onigumo. It happened so fast, she almost couldn’t believe her eyes. Four thin, green slivers of light, embedded themselves in Onigumo’s right shoulder, easily burning through armor and cloth and into his flesh if his yells of agony were anything to go by.

“Wrong answer,” Sesshomaru intoned.

“Goddammit! I said I don’t know!”

“Sesshomaru…what…what did you do?” whispered Kagome as the smell of burning flesh filtered to her nose, and a strange low, sizzling sound emanated from the wounds.

Somehow, the Inugami heard her over Onigumo’s wails.

“Concentrated acid from my claws. Normally it would erode anything it came into contact with, but I am capable of controlling how powerful the acid is. Do not worry. He will not die from theses wounds; however, human flesh is so very weak. My strike easily went straight through his body.”

Then Sesshomaru pointed a finger at the bandit’s injured leg, and one single sliver of light shot through his thigh in answer to Onigumo’s continual denials.

“For god’s sake, stop! I’m telling you the truth! I never saw a priestess. None of my men commented on her presence, and I’m sure they would have, so she couldn’t have been there!”

Kagome hastily put a hand to Sesshomaru’s arm when he moved to hurt Onigumo again, stopping him. “Wait! I think he’s telling us the truth! So please, stop hurting him already.”

Sesshomaru gazed at her from the corner of his eye, saw that she cried, for this bandit who was supposed to be her enemy. He was angered by her sorrow, that she dared protect the human. Onigumo was supposed to be her enemy, yet she acted as if it was he, Sesshomaru, in the wrong.

Unaware of Sesshomaru’s thoughts, Kagome silently cried as she held onto his muscular arm, but her tears weren’t brought on by Sesshomaru’s heinous acts against Onigumo—though her stomach rolled and her conscious was continuously assaulted by her strong sense of morality. No, she wept for Kikyo, fearing for her elder sister, not knowing where she was, if she was harmed or not.

She desperately tried to tell herself that Kikyo was well, that since she obviously had not been at the neighboring village, then she surely must yet live.

“You defend him?” grated Sesshomaru.  

Kagome tried to blink away her tears. “There’s no point in harming him if he is telling the truth, which I believe he is.”

Sesshomaru lowered his arm, and Kagome promptly released him.

His amber gaze then returned to Onigumo who seemed on the verge of unconsciousness, though he fought to remain aware.

“Since you know not where the other miko is, your usefulness has come to an end.”

When Sesshomaru again raised his deadly claws, Kagome swallowed audibly, knowing what he meant to do. Should she stop him? She gazed down at Onigumo and inadvertently caught his eye. He must have seen her uncertainty.  

“Would you really stand by and allow this youkai to murder me in cold blood, while I am unable to defend myself? Are you so blood thirsty then?”

“Silence,” Sesshomaru warned.

Onigumo ignored him, not talking his eyes from Kagome. “No, I don’t think you are—“ His words ended on a tortured gasp when Sesshomaru kicked him in the stomach hard enough to steal his breath, and making drawing another next to impossible, as Onigumo coughed uncontrollably when he tried to fill his lungs with air.

Yet still he was somehow capable of speech as he gritted out, “Would you show a defenseless man no mercy, miko?”

“As you showed mercy to hundreds of defenseless women and children? I shall first rip out your sly tongue before showing you the mercy you gave them,” Sesshomaru said, bending forward, hand out reached to do just that, for he spoke no idle threats.

Eyes going impossibly wide, Kagome cried out, “Stop!” and once again wrapped her arms around his in an attempt to halt his brutal actions.

“Miko,” he grated out between clenched teeth, eyes narrowed on her face that she dared defy him before another.

“You can’t just kill him.”

Sesshomaru sneered in answer.

“I can’t just sit by and let you kill a defenseless man. Onigumo is right about that. Hasn’t there been enough blood shed?”

“Our contract—“

Kagome interrupted him, declaring loudly, “You failed!”

 Sesshomaru gazed at her uncomprehendingly, pausing in reaching for Onigumo.

“I realize now that, yes, I wanted them to pay for what they had done to my village, but not by killing them! I want them all to be brought to justice and be punished by the law. If I went out seeking their death in revenge, then that would make me just like them. I would be the same as the ones who took everything from me, and I don’t want that. I don’t!”

There was no way for Sesshomaru to declare her liar, for he saw conviction blazing strongly in her brown eyes, and it angered him that he had failed. What was it about this onna? He couldn’t understand her. His confusion only angered him more, so after shooting both humans a dirty look, he stepped out of Kagome’s hold and turned his back on them both as he began walking away.

Kagome stood dumbfounded. She had actually stopped him. Then she called, “Wait! Where are you going, Sesshomaru?”

“We have the answers you sought. We are leaving.” He kept walking.

When Kagome turned to follow, Onigumo spoke up in a faint voice. “Do you mean to abandon me, miko? If you turn your back and let wild animals devour me, or anything else that may happen upon me that wishes me ill, it’s the same as if you yourself had killed me.”

Guilt wracked Kagome. She hated having to help this vile man, but her conscious wouldn’t allow her to walk away from him.

“I’ll be right back,” she promised, before running after Sesshomaru’s retreating form without giving Onigumo time to respond.

“Wait, Sesshomaru!”

He didn’t, but she finally caught up with him. She wanted to put her hand on his arm and halt him, but she had already done that twice in less than ten minutes, and she thought she had run out of luck when it came to Sesshomaru. She could tell he was far from happy with her, not by expression, but by his refusal to wait for her to catch up to him and by how he ignored her completely.

“Um…Sesshomaru?”

Still no response.

“I think we should take Onigumo to the village for healing.”

“No.”

Finally, a response, if not what she wanted to hear.

“We can’t just leave him to die,” she said loudly.

He kept walking, and Kagome knew he would not be swayed by her words.

She stopped in the middle of the road, refused to budge, even as he continued onwards. Kagome started to feel uncertain if he would stop, but he did abruptly, though he did not turn to face her. She almost breathed a sigh of relief.

“Come.”

“No.”

“Now is not the time for your games,” he warned, his tone sending shivers of unease down her spine.

“Another’s life is no game,” she replied slowly.

“Is the life of the one who murdered your loved ones and destroyed your home worth so much to you?”

When he put it like that, Kagome winced, but she did not bend.

“We have to help him. It’s the right thing to do.”

Sesshomaru was silent for several long seconds. “You have two choices, onna. Come with me, or stay with Onigumo.”

An ultimatum? Kagome blinked in confusion.

“But…our contract…” she replied uncertainly. Did he mean to abandon her if she continued to stand her ground?

“Make your choice quickly.”

Angered by his attitude, she said firmly, her voice like steel, “I’m staying.” Without waiting for his answer, she turned from him, and ran back to Onigumo.

To say Sesshomaru was pissed was an understatement, that she dared choose Onigumo over him, the man who had ordered her village’s destruction, over him, made him see red. He began walking once more, leaving both ningen without a backwards glance.

“You’ve returned,” Onigumo greeted her with a small, relieved smile.

Kagome tried to push her anger and upset aside as she knelt beside the fallen bandit. She shot a quick look in Sesshomaru’s direction from the corner of her eye, but he was gone. Her heart faltered in her chest.

He left her.

He had truly abandoned her.

A sharp pain lanced her heart. She felt betrayed all over again.

She gritted her teeth when tears threatened. No, she would not cry over him! Focusing on Onigumo, she said, “This is going to hurt, but I need to remove your armor, and use your haori as bandages.”

“Do your worst,” Onigumo said with a half-smile, making Kagome realize that he teased her, and at a time like this. Why did she find that oddly charming?

It took Kagome a while to bandage his many wounds. There was his head injury from when Sesshomaru had cracked his skull on the ground when he had unseated Onigumo from his horse, the four punctures in his right shoulder from Sesshomaru’s acid—which looked like the flesh surrounding the wound was black and burnt—another acid puncture high on his thigh, then his shattered knee—which she splint with long sticks tied to his leg.

All throughout her ministrations, though she tried to be gentle, he made grunts and groans of pain, adding to her guilt.

When she was finally finished, he thanked her, and she was surprised he had yet to pass out from the pain.

“I’m going to help you on your horse. It’s the only one that came back,” Kagome said.

Onigumo chuckled. “He is a war horse, well trained. I admit we have not come across a youkai in battle before, but his training runs deep. He probably followed my scent to return to me.”

“Do you think you can stand?”

“Do I have a choice?”

Kagome helped Onigumo to his feet without further ado, her shoulder pressed hard into his armpit, her hand tight around his right wrist, as he used her as a crutch. Luckily, Onigumo had whistled his horse to stand next to them, so they didn’t have to attempt to walk.

Kagome gazed high up at the intimidating beast.

“I’m not sure how we’re going to get you up there.”

But when Onigumo gave his horse the order to kneel, it actually complied at once, lumbering down to its knees before them. It took several tries to get him on his horse, but finally they succeeded.

Before Kagome scrambled up before him, she noted how white his complexion was, sweat beaded his brow, and his breaths were too quick and shallow. She doubted he would last much longer before he passed out.

As the horse lurched to stand, Onigumo didn’t even groan from the pain that surely had to have caused at least his shattered knee. Was he unconscious? No, his left arm wrapped firmly around her waist, and he buried his face in her hair.

“The heady smell of a woman,” he breathed into her hair. “Enjoying…being so close to you.”

Kagome blushed at his words, unsure if he had a fever and hallucinated.

Guiding the powerful horse, she headed towards the nearby village at a steady, but slow pace, not wanting Onigumo to fall. She doubted she would be able to get him back on the horse. It was still dark out when she came to the edge of the village, almost crying out in thankfulness. She was so tired, both physically and mentally. All she wanted to do was give Onigumo into capable hands and sleep for days.

She was brought out of her thoughts when she felt Onigumo shift behind her.

“Onigumo?” she called softly, halting the horse.

When she tried to look over her shoulder at him, she gasped when he shifted further sideways, falling from the horse as if in slow motion, to land on the hard ground with a loud thud.

“Onigumo!”