Bound by Corruption by BelovedStranger

Vengeance

AUTHOR'S NOTE: 

Word Count: 3,947

KAGOME HAD BEEN careless not to have grabbed her bow and quiver last night before going to the lake. Unable to sleep, she’d made her familiar trek to the cliffs on the outskirts of the village.

How often had Kikyo drilled into her not to go anywhere without protection? It was now habit to go everywhere armed, so why hadn’t she?

She grimaced. She’d been distracted, consumed by thoughts of Sesshomaru. Or, more disquieting, perhaps on a subconscious level, she’d felt her safety was assured with an inugami protecting her?

Laughable. Reckless.

What use was she unarmed? She didn’t even have the proper supplies for a lengthy journey, having only taken the absolute essentials from the strangers’ hut. She’d refused to appropriate anything of value. Like the coin pouch she’d found and quickly set aside. Taking from the dead had sat ill with her.

Fortunately, it was mid-summer. The days were sunny, hot, and the nights were comfortably warm. She didn’t have to worry about the elements overmuch. This did little to cheer her.

Despair threatened, doubts plaguing her.

Kagome shook her head. She had a mission, and neither the fact that she was ill-prepared for a prolonged journey or Sesshomaru’s nefarious intentions towards her, she had to find Kikyo. Hope and purpose flooded her with much needed optimism.

Speaking of the inugami, Sesshomaru was fast outdistancing her. Trotting to catch up, she tripped over the hem of her borrowed yukata. She went down with a small cry, catching herself on hands and knees before she went sprawling face first in the dirt. Her landing was rough, her left knee cracking against a tree root. Her breath caught, then hissed between clenched teeth as she curled into herself and lifted the injured knee off the ground in a useless bit to ease the unexpected pain.

Sesshomaru was there in an instant, kneeling before her.

“It’s not my fault,” she defended before he could say a word, her embarrassment at her clumsiness morphing into anger. “These clothes are too long.”

The unknown woman had been much taller than Kagome, but there had been no other options. Unless she wished to wear the murdering rapist’s hakama. He hadn’t been a very tall man, and though taller than her, walking in his hakama would have been much easier.

She’d refused.

Now, she was paying the consequences, and yet, she felt no regret in her decision. She just couldn’t—wouldn’t—wear his clothes.

Sesshomaru made no comment to her heated defense. Instead, he reached around her and the sound of cloth ripping caused her to stiffen. “What are you—oh.”

He’d torn off the bottom portion of her clothing, making it easier for her to move around. She blushed, realizing he’d ripped the garment just above her knees, exposing her pale limbs, but that wasn’t why heat suffused her face. No, Sesshomaru was eyeing her calves far too intently.

“You didn’t have to rip it so far up,” she groused, unable to be grateful under his lascivious gaze.

“You are perspiring from being overly heated.”

Did he just say she stank? Before she could take offense, he added, “You are injured.” Fingers grazed the knee she continued to hover inches above the offending root.

Kagome’s flush intensified. “It’s nothing! Don’t worry about it. I’m fine.” His touch was soft, gentle. Yet her flesh blazed from his heat, his touch.

Taking her at her word, he said nothing further, but surprised her by offering her a hand up.

Hesitant, she placed her palm atop his, allowing him to help her to her feet. “Thank you,” she murmured, feeling unaccountably shy by his sudden gentleness.

His response was a brief nod before turning and leading her down the road once more. She quickened her pace until she strode alongside him. He made no comment, but she didn’t think he minded since he adjusted his stride closer to her own without comment. They walked in silence for a long time, but the tension was absent.

Instead, it was almost companionable.

Should she allow the tension to ease between them? Even if she came to regret it, Kagome couldn’t find it within herself to maintain her anger toward Sesshomaru. The last few days of constant emotional upheaval had exhausted her. Not to mention, they’d been travelled most of the day at a steady pace, allowing her to add physical tiredness to her string of excuses to avoid further conflict.

This peaceful truce continued throughout the rest of the day. The sun was finally setting when they emerged from the forest that opened into a wide field. Across the patch of farmland stood a decent sized town, much larger than her small village, but Sesshomaru did not continue down the path towards the constructed buildings. Instead, he appeared to inspect the immediate area for a few minutes, only to guide her back down the path into the forest where they’d come.

Being watchful, she didn’t question him. Nearly half a mile in, he stopped and turned to her. Before she could question him, her curiosity getting the best of her, Sesshomaru grabbed her. A surprised shriek left her when he jumped high into the trees, where he deposited her upon a thick branch near the trunk. She did not feel safe at all and clung to the bark, her nails digging in, only to feel one of them tear. Only a wince revealed her hurt. She had a much more pressing concern. 

“Why are we up here, Sesshomaru?” she asked, but she knew.

“To wait,” was his cryptic reply.

Then he startled her by gathering her into his arms. In a moment, Kagome found herself held securely in his lap, his muscular arm wrapped around her waist. With her back to his chest, Sesshomaru leaned against the trunk. One foot was supported on the branch, his knee bent, while the other foot hung below them.

She was surrounded by his warmth, his heady scent enveloping her. Heart beating too quickly, Kagome sat stiff against him, trying to deny how nice it felt to be held so close by him. No, it wasn’t him! She was lonely, traumatized. She desperately wanted comfort, her spirit bruised and aching. There was no way she wanted him specifically.

“Rest if you are weary, aijin.”

“My name is Kagome.” A complaint without any real ire.

She was tired, her legs sore. With a soft sigh, her muscles unclenched. She relaxed, even rested the back of her head upon his shoulder. The position tipped her chin, bringing her their faces uncomfortably close, but rather than look at him, she closed her eyes, allowing herself a moment of weakness. Against her better judgement, she gave in to temptation, deriving comfort from this cruel youkai who confused her with his surprising acts of gentleness.

The tranquility did not last, however. She was half-awake when moist breath bathed her ear, a soft demand. “Wake, aijin.”

“What—”

A large palm covered her mouth, silencing her. Kagome stiffened, instantly awake. That was when she heard them, men’s voices and the stamping of feet. They were yet some distance away, but soon, the men would be upon them.

“Do not speak.” Another warning whispered next to her ear. When she nodded, Sesshomaru lowered his hand before repositioning them. He made it seem easy even though they were high up in the trees with only a thick branch to maneuver upon.

Kagome clung to the trunk while Sesshomaru balanced on bent knees next to her, eyes intent below them. She wasn’t particularly afraid of heights, but even if she had been, what she knew was about to happen stole all of her attention. Wide eyed, she tried to catch his attention, silently imploring him not to do what he was intent upon doing.

She was desperate to learn about her sister, needed to question these criminals, and the desire to put a stop to their brutality was strong, even by force if necessary. But not like this.

What Sesshomaru intended was not justice.

The inugami cared nothing for her sister, or the innocent lives taken—or ruined—by these wicked men. No, his reasons were far more nefarious, and Kagome couldn’t pretend otherwise.

These bandits had taken everything from her. There was anger beneath the weight of her grief, but no bloodlust. No vindictiveness, no desire to hurt those who’d hurt her. All she felt was unease, and heavy sorrow at yet more unnecessary cruelty and violence.

It was one thing to defend yourself or protect others. But this? This was murder for the pleasure of it.

Whatever darkness that had gripped her back at that lone hut, when she’d allowed that loathsome man to die, grief had taken its place. Along with repentance. In that moment, she knew. She was not a creature of violence or someone capable of holding a vendetta. But staring into Sesshomaru’s gleaming amber orbs, she knew there was nothing she could say to convince him otherwise.

She wanted these murders to pay for their crimes against humanity, but what was about to happen wasn’t right.

But what could she do? Nothing.

Unless she recanted her contract with the inugami.

If she did that, she would be forsaking Kikyo, leaving her to whatever cruel fate awaited her, and that in itself was a choice submerged in darkness, for she held her sister’s life above the men below.

Justification came on swift wings.

These men were rapists, murders, and thieves. Her sister was the epitome of kindness—if a bit reserved. Always selfless, Kikyo put the needs of others before her own.

Yet who was she to judge the value of one life above another?

Had Sesshomaru’s intentions been just, Kagome would not be agonizing over her choices.

She’d always thought she was a good person, consumed by her own sense of self-righteousness. Only now was she realizing how wrong she’d been—and how right Sesshomaru was.

“I care not for your paltry understanding of morality, miko.”

Kagome closed her eyes against the condemnation she remembered seeing in Sesshomaru’s eyes, but she could not close her mind so easily.

“I seek more. The opportunity to corrupt the pure light that surrounds you, to show you that darkness does indeed lurk within even your heart, miko.”

She saw it now, that darkness, but he was wrong. There was goodness inside her, too.

Large hands cupped her face, tilting her head back. Her eyes opened, meeting amber fire. “Breathe, aijin.”

Only then did she become aware that she was suffocating. Her breaths came too quick, were too sharp. Her chest was on fire. She wasn’t getting enough air. A panic attack. Darkness ate at the edges of her vision, and she knew she was going to pass out. Unconsciously, she gripped his wrist, curling around the two purple strips, a wordless plea.

“Look at me, aijin.” His voice was low, intense.

She’d closed her eyes again. They blinked open, clashing with amber.

“You are hurting yourself. Calm yourself. Breathe. Watch me, follow my breaths.”

Sesshomaru parted his lips and demonstrated by exaggerating an inhalation through his mouth. She watched how his massive chest expanded, before his exhalation deflated his chest. He repeated the exercise, and Kagome was helpless but to follow his breathing. That first indrawn breath was painful, burning her lungs, but by the third and fourth breath, she was breathing easier, the tightness in her chest easing.

“That—has never happened…before.”

“Poor, aijin. You were like a rabbit caught by a wolf and panicked, scaring yourself to death.”

Kagome’s heart pounded for a whole different reason, realizing that he still held her face in the palms of his hands. The intensity in his inhumane gaze captured her, and she was helpless to look away. She tried to tell herself she was suffering after-effects of her panic attack, not wanting to admit to the powerful pull she felt towards this daemon.

He was frowning at her, his expression perplexed.

“You cannot truly be upset that your enemies shall die tonight? Have you already forgotten how it felt to watch the life of an evil man come to an end?”

Desperation filled her, but Kagome was unable to find the words to convince him of the wrongness of their course. Instead, she found herself saying, “I don’t understand you.” Against her will, she was drawn to the magnetism in his golden stare. “One second you’re helping me, almost being nice, but then you say or do something cruel or upsetting. It’s like you want to hurt me.”

She heard the voices and steps of numerous men approaching closer, but neither she nor Sesshomaru broke away, an intimate spell having taken hold over her.

Sesshomaru’s face neared, until she felt his lips brush against her own, a ghost of a touch. He wasn’t quite kissing her, not yet.

“Am I being cruel?”

“Yes.” Her eyelids dropped, becoming heavy. Her lips tingled. She wasn’t certain what she was agreeing to, his voiced question or the one she felt pressed against her mouth, the one filling his gaze with heat and desire.

She felt him press her against the tree trunk, crowding her, yet not giving her the kiss they both needed. Ached for.

“Am I hurting you?”

“Yes.” What was she saying yes to? The world around her had become little more than an insubstantial haze. The only reality was his lips not fully taking hers, of his body not pressed closely enough.

Her body was alive with sexual tension. Her breasts felt too full, her nipples tightening, pressing against the fabric of her yukata, and between her thighs, she ached. Felt a strange emptiness. Lifting her hands, she fisted his haori, swaying towards the hard contours of his muscular frame.

“Sesshomaru.” A needy whimper.

A man’s loud laughter cut through the fog, jarring her. Kagome stiffened. What was she..?! With a horrified gasp, she yanked her head to the side, tearing her mouth away from his. But there was nowhere for her to go. He had her pinned against the tree. Her hands on his chest now shoved away rather than pulled him closer, yet he was immovable.

Fingers curled around her chin, forcing her gaze back around. Sesshomaru peered down at her with eager anticipation. “Watch.” Then he was moving away and leapt from the branch.

He landed smoothly in the center of the large party of men, their surprised cries and yells echoing into the night.

Sesshomaru’s demand whispered along her mind. Watch, or your sister’s life is forfeit, as will be yours, aijin.

Kagome sucked in her breath at the threat. She hated that he could communicate telepathically with her. It was too intimate. She hated more that he would dare threaten the life of her sister. It was one thing to threaten her, but a whole other matter to do so to the remnant of her family.

“Who the hell are you?” The speaker was a heavyset man who nudged his mount closer to Sesshomaru. With his superior height upon horseback, he stared down his bulbous nose at Sesshomaru.

The inugami ignored the men on foot surrounding him, their shifty postures conveying their uneasiness at his sudden appearance in their midst. They sensed something wasn’t quite right with him, and well they should, Kagome thought with a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach.

Sesshomaru’s attention never wavered from the fat horseman. An ugly scar marked his left cheek, curling above his upper lip, which gave him a permanent snarl. Cruel eyes regarded Sesshomaru under bushy brows.

“Are you the leader here?” Sesshomaru inquired coolly, seemingly unimpressed by the man’s show of bravado.

The speaker sneered. “I’ll be asking the questions here, pretty boy! Now, who the hell—”

“No, I am,” a strong voice interrupted the fat brute. Another horse and rider moved through the crowd, who parted readily for him, before stopping beside the fat horseman.

This newcomer sat his mount with regal pride. Even with the waning light and distance, Kagome noticed his handsome features. His long hair was pulled back in a high topknot, the dark mass waving in a way that any woman would envy. It was, also, obvious this man did not view Sesshomaru as a threat. A mistake he would soon come to regret.

His armour was black and she saw a sword sheathed at his left hip. His left hand gripping the hilt, an unconscious gesture, she guessed. He oozed confidence. A warrior.

“Onigumo-sama, I can take care of this bastard. There’s no need for you to—”

“Silence,” the man named Onigumo commanded, never once looking away from the black and white clad figure before him. The other quietened immediately, though a scowl twisted the fat brute’s features, making him appear even uglier.

“Who are you, and why do you interrupt our march?” Onigumo demanded.

“Death has come to claim you. All of you.”

Onigumo looked taken aback, while his men became even more restless, casting uneasy glances into the trees, obviously wondering if they had been ambushed.

“Alone? Or do you have men yet hidden like frightened children?” Onigumo inquired. With a flick of his thumb, the click of his blade was loud in the heavy silence. A wordless signal his men were eager to take up. The sound of dozens of swords leaving their sheaths set Kagome’s nerves on edge.

She wasn’t worried for Sesshomaru. With a sinking feeling, she knew what she was about to witness would forever plague her dreams.

Sesshomaru didn’t react to the crowds’ threat, seemingly unconcerned by the hostility surrounding him. “You insult me. I do not need assistance killing such weak and small numbered ningen.” 

Onigumo stared at Sesshomaru silently for prolonged seconds, before tossing his head back and roared with laughter. The other men joined in after a moment’s hesitation, adding their voices in mocking glee.

“You hear that,” one man called. “There’s only one of him and against all of us, and he thinks he can kill us all?”

“Look out, Onigumo-sama,” another hollered. “Pretty boy means business.” Then he hooted with mirth.

Sesshomaru let them laugh, his attention never leaving Onigumo. “You will be the last to die.”

With that promise, Sesshomaru leaped, clawed hand outstretched. His palm slapped against Onigumo’s face, tightening around it as his momentum unseated the ningen from his mount, where his dark head cracked against the unforgiving ground. Before anyone could react, Sesshomaru released Onigumo, raised his fist over his head, and brought it down with crushing force, shattering the ningen’s left kneecap. Crippling him, preventing escape.

Onigumo was still screaming when Sesshomaru stood and turned towards the surprised ningen. They were frozen, shocked by such swift violence, at how swift their commander had been taken down.

The fat, scarred man, the only other on horseback, regained his senses first. With a shout, he pointed his sword at Sesshomaru. “Kill him!”

Battle cries from the ningen filled the night as they charged Sesshomaru with swords raised.

Sesshomaru held his ground, his face upturned, meeting Kagome’s apprehensive gave. As he’d demanded, threatened, she hadn’t looked away. Keeping his eyes on hers, he lifted his right hand and swung his arm around his head. A green light manifested from his claws in a long whip, striking the five men closest to him.

Kagome watched in horrified fascination as limbs were severed and terrible gashes lacerated the bandit’s chests and abdomen, easily cutting through their armor. Blood soaked the ground, appearing as black as oil in the darkness. The men fell, unmoving. She saw the others hesitate in their mad rush towards Sesshomaru. The inugami, however, did not pause. Looking away from her, Hhe moved towards a man on his left and thrust his arm into the ningen’s chest. Kagome saw it emerged from the man’s back.

She made a small noise, a whimper of distress. Crouching on the branch, she pressed her side into the trunk, her fingers digging into the bark. Unable to help herself, her eyes clenched shut at the gruesome sight.

Open your eyes. Watch them fall. I do this for you.

Sesshomaru. Whispering in her head.

Her eyes popped open, only to witness him claw out another bandit’s neck, blood splattering across his white haori. He was already turning to attack another who was running away, screaming, before his cry was cut off by an awful gurgling sound. He fell, unmoving upon the ground. Other men tried to run with fearful screams that were horrible to hear.

Kagome was forced to watch as Sesshomaru used his green whip to corral them all together again, then witnessed their gory demise.

“How can you say this is for me?” she asked on a horrified whisper as another man went down, blood spurting from his chest after Sesshomaru struck the ningen with his deadly claws. “This isn’t for me.” Her voice grew louder, shrill. “It’s for you, for your ends. Don’t you dare say this is for me!”

No, this can’t be her fault. He couldn’t lay the blame on her! It wasn’t her fault; it wasn’t! She didn’t realize she was saying it aloud, over and over again, as Sesshomaru stood before the scarred man still on horseback. “It’s not my fault, it’s not my fault, it’s not my fault.”

The horse’s shrill cry hurt her ears, and Kagome covered them with a wince. The horse reared, and the rider fell from his perch with a yell, before the horse bolted.

Your enemies fall before me, crying out for mercy. Where was their mercy when your people begged for their lives as they were cut down, one by one?

Sesshomaru’s telepathic words reached her as he walked towards the cringing bandit who tried to crawl backwards, away from Sesshomaru’s advance. The inugami lifted his foot as the man bellowed in fear, before crushing the man’s skull beneath his boot.

Do you not feel elation knowing that retribution has come for them? Look deep inside your heart, and you will know what I speak is true. Still waters run deep, aijin, and there is more to you than the kindhearted miko you pretend to be.

There were two men left and they were already a distance away, screaming down the road. Sesshomaru speed after them, faster than her eyes could track. He beheaded one from behind, the ningen’s head rolling away from his body, while he ripped the spine from the other.

All was quiet then except Kagome’s heavy breathing as Sesshomaru walked sedately back, blood staining his clothes. He stopped just under her tree and smiled up at her, revealing fangs. Even from her perch, she could see small splatters of across his face. She shuddered.

“This is my gift to you,” he told her, before turned away to return to the only bandit left alive.

Onigumo had crawled from where Sesshomaru had left him, but he hadn’t been able to get far with his shattered knee. He’d ended up propping himself up against a tree, and was currently holding up his sword. Defiant to the end.

Kagome was amazed by the commander’s courage, or did he react on instinct, in self-preservation?

Sesshomaru’s last spoken words haunted her. Somehow, she knew he spoke not of the lives he’d already taken, but the act he was about to commit against the helpless Onigumo.

Without thinking, she lunged forward, trying to get to her feet. “Wait, Sesshomaru!”

She forgot that she was still high in a tree and lost her footing.

She felt strangely weightless for a split second, then she was screaming as she plummeted towards the ground.