Chapter 21 - Now we hunt-sango,miroku,shippo and kirara

Although it had taken them longer to get from the shrine than the others, to the edge of the 'Nighwalker's Graveyard', once within the dark and sinister area, it had not taken Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Kirara, long to reach the designated area that they had all decided would be used as a central meeting place. Despite their limitations as ningen, Sango and Miroku were resourceful. What they could not accomplish without youkai abilities, they found ways around.

They could not fly as much as they might have done with Kirara in the past, especially in the more lighted areas. Once they had reached the areas cloaked in darkness, however, Kirara did transform and they all rode her great and stalking form to their designated place.

They had decided that while Kirara could fly for short distances, it was best to walk for the most par. When the mononoke flew, she would keep as low as possible to avoid attracting unwanted attention to herself and the group.

Once there, the small group carefully looked around the small area, and the neighboring buildings. While they knew that the two buildings that had once stood in the small space, were nothing but rubble now, it was obvious that many of the nearby structures were not too far behind in their own unkempt and damaged state.

With this in mind, they decided to move with more caution than they might otherwise have used. While they were not overly worried about the danger of the dilapidated buildings themselves, their mission would not permit them the time to have to worry about rescuing themselves. They were there to help others, and didn't need to bring any more attention to themselves than they could help.

"Before we go into any of these buildings," stated Sango with authority, "I think it is best if we circle around the perimeter. It will give Kirara and Shippo a chance to pick up any scents, and save us a lot of work, if we do not have to go into each and every building."

"I quite agree, Sango-san," spoke Miroku, the determination on his face more than equaled her own, as did the looks on Shippo's and Kirara's faces.

"Sango," asked a slightly scared Shippo, "do you think we will find more joshi that look like those pictures, and Kagome?"

It was obvious that the kit wanted to help, but was still quite upset about the horror of the things that he had seen so far. On the one hand, he wanted to do something that would help to stop the pain that these filthy fiends were doing to the innocent. On the other hand, he was horrified of what they might find.

"Hai, Shippo-chan," was her honest reply.

Seeing the look on the little kit's face, Miroku spoke up, "Shippo-chan, it is alright to be afraid. It might help you to know that both Sango-san and I are afraid, too."

"You are?" he asked confusion and curiosity warring on his face at the idea that two of the few people that he looked up to, were scared by any of the things that they had seen in all of their adventures, other than perhaps Naraku. "Really?"

"Hai," was the surprising answer from Sango. "Shippo-chan, what happened to Kagome and the other joshi, is the most horrifying thing that anyone can do to an onna. It is a horror that goes far beyond the physical pain that her injuries caused to her body."

"I don't understand," was the small reply.

"How do you feel, Shippo-chan," spoke up Miroku, "when you think of how your father died?"

"Like someone was ripping my heart out as I watched," was the young kit's heartfelt, and pained reply. "Like I will never be the same, ever again. Those are images that I do not think I will ever forget."

"When an onna is attacked the way that these joshi have been," spoke of Sango, the anger and rage once again, apparent, "it is not unlike what you feel when you remember your parents Shippo-chan. For us, however, it goes deeper. For joshi, it is like a part of us dies inside, a part that we know we can never get back. The way it is lost haunts our every waking and sleeping moment, some for the rest of their lives, others finally learn how to live despite it, and a very few are lucky enough to find someone to help them learn how to let it go, and move on. But this kind of violation, is something that never quite goes away."

"It is a hard thing for an onna, Shippo," continued Miroku, "Almost nothing that a man can experience comes close, although even some of us have had such experiences. In most cases, it is not the act itself that is the hardest to cope with, but the shame, guilt, and horror afterwards. Especially from those around you, who you rely on for support and comfort, who in most cases are anything but helpful."

"Oh, you mean like if someone had made me feel," spoke up Shippo, trying to honestly understand, "like it was my fault for my father being killed. The only difference being that instead of it being my father, it would be me instead, having lived after being attacked."

"While that is not the most accurate description, Shippo-chan," Sango spoke up, for the first time all night a small smile haunted her face, "it is close enough so that you have some idea what Kagome-san will face, when she awakens. But she will be one of those lucky ones, in that she has all of us to help her get through this."

Shippo stood just a bit prouder, and his little chest could not be puffed out more. With a braver face than he had, had all day, he replied to Sango's implications, "I will be there for Kagome. She was there for me, when I needed her. Now it is our turn to help her."

With that, the group moved out, and began to scout out the surrounding area for any scents that Kirara and Shippo could ferret out. They moved off to the north, first, and staying within sight of the designated meeting place, circled around with the meeting place being the center, like a bullseye in a target.

Their first round brought nothing of interest or out of the ordinary. Well, at least not out of the ordinary for where they were. As nothing unusual was noted, they moved one row of houses further out, and again circled.

Their intent was not to try to enter any of the buildings for now, but to find the most likely spots that would yield either one of their prey, or some of their prey's victims. Knowing where your target was located, was the first step. Scouting it out for advantages, and disadvantages was second. Planning your attack, and moving in was the third and final step to bringing down that which you wanted most to defeat.

With the second round, there were a couple of buildings that seemed to reek of recent use. According to Shippo, both he and Kirara could smell a lot of blood, as well as, other even less tolerable odors. Some of the smells were several days old, but there were hints that some of it was only a few hours old.

Still, they continued to circle around. They noted the two spots that seemed to have the scent markers, and then moved to their third and final round of scouting, one more row out from the clearing. Again, they started from the northern side, and circled around letting Kirara, and Shippo take their time to sniff around for any tell tale signs of what they sought. When they were finished, they returned to the clearing and went over their findings.

"Well, going by the smells that Kirara and I picked up," spoke up Shippo, "there are three places that seem to have had recent activities. Of those, one seems so strong and fresh, as to suggest that perhaps the male we are looking for is still there. There are at least three joshi with him, but there might be one more. It is hard to tell, because her smell is not like the others."

"Not like the others how, Shippo?" asked Sango. She thought that she knew, but while afraid to ask, it was necessary so that they could be fully prepared for what they had yet to do.

"She smells of death," sighed the little kitsune sadly.

Miroku put a comforting hand on the little kitsune's shoulder. This whole experience was and would be hard on the child, unfortunately, there was no help for it. All that they could do was help each other, as they all found their own way to cope with this horrible experience. Even without the sights that the kit had yet to face, there was still the images of Kagome to haunt him, quite probably for the rest of his long and unnatural life.

In the long run, however, helping to aid in the rescue of others suffering the same assault as Kagome, would help to bring a measure of peace to the little kit's heart. He might not have been able to protect Kagome from her own attack, but in some small indirect way, doing this was helping both her and himself. Both Sango and Miroku knew this, and understood the turmoil that gripped the kitsune.

Again, Shippo sighed, and swallowed the lump in his throat. He was torn. On the one hand, he wanted more than anything to just be back in Sengoku Jidai with Kagome, and helping her there. On the other hand, he knew that this would help not only joshi still being held captive, but also the onna who had become almost a mother for him. The idea of bringing those who had harmed her, and others joshi as well, to justice was something that he wanted to do just a much as he wanted to go home.

It was hard to face what he knew they would see. The idea of seeing other joshi, injured like Kagome had been, was sickening and frightening. If they were hurt like she had been, then it was the same nightmare for them, as for Kagome. If the things that had hurt her was still hurting these other joshi, then they needed help, too. If Kagome were here, she would want to help them. With this thought in his mind, Shippo found it easier to face what he knew that he must.

Squaring his shoulders, and holding his head a bit higher, he continued, "The other two houses, where Kirara and I caught similar scents, suggest that there is definitely joshi in them. At least three in one, and possibly five in the other. All are alive, at least their scents suggest that they are, but they are very badly hurt."

"Arigato, Shippo-chan," spoke up Miroku. "Kagome-sama would be most proud of you if she were here."

That brought a smile to the young kit's face, and gave him the strength to face what the night had to bring. Kirara mewed at him, and nudged him with her nose, to help reassure the kit that they were doing the right thing.

"One more thing," Shippo spoke up, before they could head for the first house. "The last house that we spotted...the scents coming from there suggest that there are two males inside. One of them smells like the scents of the six we are looking for, but the other one is a different male."

"Does it smell like this other male was hurt?" asked Sango, not believing this for a moment.

"Iie," spoke up Shippo, "he smells like....like Inuyasha sometimes smells around Kagome....."

It was obvious that the kit could not find the right words for what he wanted to describe, but the reference was enough for the two ningen to grasp his meaning. They both just nodded their understanding, leaving the matter stand. Nothing more was needed to explain what the house contained.

They had brought the map with them from the shrine and looking it over, comparing it to their surroundings. They decided to take care of the two houses where they felt that there were victims first. It was felt that if they got them first, by then some of the others might be finished with their own hunts, and could stand watch while they took care of the third house, or they could even assist with taking them down if need be. With that in mind, they checked the map for the best approaches to their respective targets, and proceeded to the first house.

While it was hard for the two ningen in the dark, they were used to having situations that were fought a night or even deep underground. After all the experiences of the past four years, it was not unusual for them to have encounters with their enemies at night It taught them valuable lessons that were almost second nature to their youkai and hanyou friends. But for them, and their much inferior senses, they had found other means to adapt to the environment.

To their advantage, both had senses that most ningen didn't have. Their ability to sense auras, and powers, both spiritual and magical, had proven to be invaluable in their nighttime encounters. Miroku, also, had a few suitable spells that were useful in such conditions. This situation proved to be no exception.

Evil has an aura of its own, one that some can sense. This was one of the senses that both the houshi and the Taijiya had long ago learned to trust and use. It had saved them, and their friends more than once.

They got no sense of evil, other than the lingering evidence of its having once been present, from the first two houses that they came to. What they found, however, both sickened them all, and yet strengthened their determination and resolve to see this nightmare through to the end.

In the first house, they found an easy entrance through the rear of the building. Although it was obvious that whoever commonly used the place had tried to keep the entrance somewhat hidden from possible prying eyes, it was a poor effort, and pointed to the building being just a temporary haunt.

Kirara currently in her smaller form, led the way into the building, following the scents that her and Shippo had picked up earlier. They all cautiously passed through the door, and down a flight of steps. At the bottom, Kirara sat, and waited while Sango and Miroku pulled out the small flashlights that Kagome's mother had provided them with.

They had waited until they were inside, so that the spark of light from the small devices, would be less likely to be seen from anyone outside. With the small glow of the two magic candles, they continued to follow the small neko.

Kirara led them to a lone door in a dank, dark, musty basement. She walked over to the door, and for a moment, sniffed around it, and seemed to listen for any sounds that might be inside. Shippo did the same, although he sat on Sango's shoulders rather than on the floor.

After a moment, the small neko turned and mewed up at the little kit. Shippo listened and then turned to Miroku and Sango.

"Kirara and I can only smell joshi inside. All are injured, at least two are unconscious," he informed them. "It smells like there are at least five of them in there, one of them is in a very bad way."

Sango took a moment to examine the door. In her time, barging through a closed door could present a lot of hardship. Traps, and such were common in her experience, and she was not sure that such was not the case in Kagome's time. Satisfied that there was nothing to hinder their entering the room beyond, she stepped back, and spinning on one foot, she put her other foot through the door, taking it off of its hinges and turning the old door into nothing more than kindling.

Several muffled screams of terror greeted their loud and unexpected entrance. At their sounds, Sango stepped through the door first, while Miroku chanted a quick spell that allowed the top of his shakoju to glow with a light of its own. With more than enough light to see the contents of the room, both the ningen put away their small flashlights and entered the room. Shippo and Kirara entered right behind them.

As Shippo had said, there were five joshi in the room. The odor of blood, sex, and filth was strong enough to even make the weaker senses of the ningen cringe. The sight was horrible, and sickening as they took stock of the room and its contents before them.

A small table sat against the back wall of the room with a number of unusual items resting on it. They might have been unusual, but it was obvious what they were meant for, and the little group cringed at the visions that threatened to overwhelm them.

The muffled sniffles and whimpers of three of the five joshi in the room, drew their attention. Along the right hand wall, were three futons so filthy and vile as to be not much more than rotted pallets on the floor. Each one held an onna in various conditions of injury, fear, and bondage. All were bound with wire, gagged, and blindfolded, as were the two on the left hand side of the room.

One on each side, accounted for the two that Shippo had said were unconscious. A third looked as though she was barely holding onto consciousness, and indeed from the looks of her one broken leg, her broken right arm, and the obvious broken ribs, which hampered her breathing, it was a miracle that she was awake at all. Her pale skin, through the innumerable cuts and gouges, clearly showing that she had suffered considerable blood loss, further making it a wonder that she was not unconscious.

The other two conscious ones, didn't seem to have any broken bones, but the evidence of numerous cuts, and repeated violations showed the major cause of their injuries. The two who were unconscious, were of course in the worst shape. One girl was lucky to be alive, as it appeared that the last time they had violated her, a cord had been wrapped around her neck. It was still there and just barely loose enough for the woman to take in air.

Miroku quickly went to her, and removed the cord from her neck. He checked her heartbeat, and breathing, relieved that she was still alive. He made quick work of removing her bondings, and then moved to the next girl.

"Onegai," Sango spoke. With unspoken agreement, Sango took charge of talking to the injured joshi, at least until the captives were more comfortable with the houshi's presence. Especially, as they were still blindfolded, it helped to hear another onna's voice, rather than the voice of another male. "We are here to help you. The houshi, and I have come to rescue you, and can take you to safety. We are going to undo your bindings, and remove your blindfolds. We need you to help us, so that we can help you."

"You need to understand that what you are going to see, is not something that you are used to seeing. Onegai, do not be afraid. Nothing you see will harm you," she offered as warning.

Projecting as much calm and confidence into his aura as he could, Miroku soon made short work of all of the women's bindings. With Shippo's help, he did his best to make the two unconscious joshi a bit more comfortable, not that they were in any condition to notice, but anything was better than the way they found them, and if in some way it eased their discomfort, then their efforts were not useless.

"We can take you to safety, but we are going to need you to help us," spoke up Miroku as soothingly as he could. He tried his best to keep an even tone to his voice, and made sure that his hands were visible at all times, this was not the time or place of hentai behavior. We do not need to take you far, but to get out of this....place....we will need to carry your friends. Shippo, can you help the young onna over there?" the houshi asked, pointing to the barely conscious girl with the broken arm and leg.

Shippo looked at the onna for a few minutes, seemingly lost in thought. Finally, he pulled a leaf from his vest, and placed it on his head.

"Fox magic," he said, and there before the surprised young joshi, was another young onna not much different than themselves. Shippo, who had used her image a number of times before, transformed himself into Kagome. By doing so, he could help the badly injured onna out of the building, and once there, he could then change as needed to continue to help her.

When they all gasped in surprise at the actions of the small 'child', Sango spoke up, "This is part of what I meant, when I said that there were things that you would see, but that they would not harm you. Shippo is a master the magic of illusion. He can hold this form long enough to help you make it outside, and once there, Kirara, here," she said pointing to the small kitten form on the floor, will be of even more help."

"Sango, and I will carry your friends, and Shippo will help you," Miroku said, looking at the girl with the broken limbs, "If the two of you can manage to just make it outside, then we can be of more help. Can you do that?"

"My name is Chisaki," spoke up the girl with the bad arm and leg. Her voice was low, and raspy, not just from her apparent weakened condition, but also from throat tissues that had suffered from screaming in her torture. It was surprising that the onna could talk at all, let alone with such determination. "If you are as you say, here to help us escape our captors, despite my injuries, I will crawl out of here if I have to."

Shippo walked over to her, "Don't worry. I will carry you out of here. Can you climb onto my back?" She nodded and he turned around to allow the onna to get on his back. It was hard for her, even with Miroku's help, but with a strip of the tattered and filthly excuse for bedding covering the pallet that the girl had been occupying, they managed to get her secured to Shippo's back and ready to leave.

Sango and Miroku, each lifted one of the unconscious girls, and the remaining two, leaned on each other, helping themselves to stand long enough to make their own way out of the building and away from their nightmare. Once they had them outside, Kirara wasted no time in transforming, allowing Sango and Miroku to place the two unconscious joshi on her back.

They immediately went to help the remaining two joshi. Shippo changed form once more becoming a cute, but animated version of a small toy pony. In this form, the onna on his back was better able to just lie upon his back as he continued to carry the girl as they made their way back to the clearing. By the time that they reached the meeting place, Kouga's ookami companion was waiting for them, and with Shippo's help, they got Kouga's request for help.

Shippo and Miroku took care of their five burdens, while Sango and Kirara went to assist Kouga. A short time a later, Sango and Kouga returned with both his prey, securely bound, and the victim that he had rescued.

Just about the same time, Genya showed up with a message from Hakkaku and Sango set off immediately to lend him a hand. Miroku went with Kouga to the second house, and Shippo stayed with the already rescued victims.

Among some of the few supplies that they allowed themselves on this night, were a number flasks of herbed water. It was not much, but it was felt that most of the victims would be in sore need of liquids, and while they could not provide them with medicine for whatever ailed them, they could provide them with some simple herbs that would ease them pain, even if only a little. This Shippo took the time to give to those who were awake. For the unconscious ones, he carefully let the moisture drip slowly into their mouths with practiced ease, just as he had done many times in the past with his friends.

It was a short time later that Kouga and Miroku returned. Miroku was helping one onna, who though badly injured and in great pain, was still able to just barely walk. Kouga had one on his back, using every last bit of strength she could muster to hang on, while he carried a third who was just barely conscious.

Just as with all of those found so far, all had various injuries, ranging from broken bones, numerous bruises and abrasions, and the ever present random pattern of cuts all over their bodies. One apparently had been stabbed, although it was clear that the culprit had been careful to do so in a place that would not hit a vital organ. She was the one that Kouga was carrying, her blood loss being too great for her to hang on to more than just a thread of consciousness.

The one on his back had a badly broken jaw. As the onna that Miroku was helping explained, she had been screaming from her injuries as they were inflicted, and her assailant had punched her in the jaw.

As they were helping to lay their last round of rescued victims down, Ginta arrived with his prey, and Sango arrived with Hakkaku and the group he had rescued. Right from the moment he had shown up, everyone could tell that things had not gone well for the ookami youkai.

He was leading his prey, very much like an inu on a leash. Actually that would not have been an accurate description, because Ginta would have given even a dog more consideration, if not respect. He dragged his prey, uncaring of whether the male was walking or not. If he crawled so much the better. Even then, he cared not for whether the male had to go through or around obstacles. If the male got injured, so be it.

His prey some what battered and bruised, Ginta dragged his prey the last few yards to where the others were being kept. He grabbed him by his make shift collar, and practically threw him to the ground.

The feral gleam in Ginta's eyes, with the outline of red, spoke volumes of the turmoil that was in the ookami youkai's heart. It must have been bad for him, for him to be reacting this way. When his friends and companions tried to get him to speak of what happened, and if there were any victims, the youkai merely walked over to a nearby tree and sat down like no one was there.

By nature, ookami are social creatures. It is rare to find a loner, and even they prefer, at least for a short time, the companionship of their own kind. Ookami youkai are no different. The habit among many others, when one of their kind is in obvious emotional pain, is to leave them be and give them solitude. Not so with the ookami. While Ginta obviously didn't wish to speak of his experience to others, he did need to know that those who were a part of his pack were there for him.

Knowing where he had been assigned to go, Miroku took Kirara and went to check out the site. When everyone saw the victim, and caught the fresh scent of death upon her body, they all knew what had occurred. Miroku and Sango did their best to lay the poor onna in as comfortable a way as possible. Not that the dead would notice, but it did give just a small amount of comfort to those present.

With this in mind, those present took a moment from their own tasks to sit with their depressed brethren, each offering their own sympathy and prayer to the soul of the lost one. With their hearts, they reached out, doing their best to let the lost soul know of their quest, and that her tormentor and his companions would be brought to justice.

~~You can rest in peace now. We share your burden through one of our own, and we will see that justice is done.~~

It was the unspoken message that they all poured out with their very souls. Something of their message must have reached the soul of the poor onna, as for the briefest of moments, Ginta's face seemed to almost glow. It didn't last long, and it was gone no one could be sure that it had happened at all, but it was enough. Their pack brother smiled after that and the air of depression left his face.

Although there was still a hint of the blood rage in his eyes, it was no longer tainted with the sorrow and guilt of earlier. He stood and walked over to their already acquired prey, and knelt beside the one that he had captured himself. Ginta then, did what was completely natural for an ookami youkai. He just sat and stared at his prey, watching him as he squirm under the intensity of the promise of paying for his crimes in ways that he had yet to understand.

Inuyasha and Sesshomaru had still to be heard from. But no one was bothered by their absence. It was not known how many victims they might have encountered or what obstacles and challenges they might have to overcome to achieve their goals. No one even considered that they might fail. There was just no way that such would be the case.

The final target on Sango and Miroku's list, was the next target for the gathered group. As Shippo and Kirara were sure that there were at least two males in the house, with three possibly four joshi, Kouga and Hakkaku chose to join in on this last assault. Ginta for reasons that everyone understood, chose to stay with the captured prey. Shippo asked to stay with the rescued joshi, to continue to help them in whatever small way he could.

So, moments later, a group of three youkai and two ningen stood before the entrance to the third house that Shippo and Kirara had earmarked as a hideout. It was decided that Kouga and Hakkaku would take care of the males, and Sango and Miroku would free the prisoners. Kirara would act as back up if needed, and to aid in carrying any of the joshi that could not be helped by the others.

Without a word, Sango stood where she could easily be seen by anyone exiting the house. As the only onna in the group, she made for both the best target and the best lure. Kirara walked up to the entrance that they had found earlier, and scratched at the door to get the attention of the males inside.

At the unexpected sound, by a door that only a hand full was supposed to know of, both males made for the door. In their panic at the possibility of the authorities finding them with their victims, they had charged through the door without wait to see what was afoot.

Upon seeing an onna, alone and defenseless (a/n: HEH! HEH! HEH! They don't know her very well, do they? HEH! HEH! HEH!), their initial panic quickly subsided, replaced by overconfidence, and a feeling of superiority. Both started to approach Sango, neither paying much attention to Hiraikotsu or her stance. While she didn't have a hand on her weapon, her right hand hung loosely at her side, fingers flexing and prepared for action as needed.

"Heh, heh, heh! Look what we have here! Pretty little thing," said the first of the two males. "What brings such a tempting morsel out here all alone? Have you not heard that it is dangerous around these parts?"

"I-I-I am l-l-lost," Sango stuttered doing her best to look weak, and scared. "I-I-I-I am new in t-t-t-ow-n. Can y-y-y-you h-h-h-hel-p-p me?"

"Suuure we can sweet one," spoke up the second male. "We would be happy to 'show' you around."

'I am sure you would,' thought Sango.

By now, the two males were standing on each side of her. Both looked to each other, and out of the corner of her eyes, Sango saw them nod in unison as they tensed to grab and subdue her. It never happened, however, as they were both surprised when an almost wicked grin spread acrossed Sango's face.

"Arigato for your cooperation boys," she said to both of them seductively, as both suddenly found themselves lying on the ground, with what sounded like growling animals on their backs, holding them down.

They began to struggle, hoping to break free, only to still at the sound of what could not possibly be ookami. The heated breath that hovered over their necks, the feel of sharp claws digging into their unprotected flesh, and the slight graze of a fang on their throats stilled them in a way that no voiced command could have done.

As their fear increased with the strangeness of their attackers, the growls coming from them grew as well. Nothing entices a prowling hunter more than the smell of fear coming from their prey. Sango took a moment to look in disgust at each of them.

"I suggest that you calm yourselves," she spoke, letting her confidence and disgust drip from her words. "You see, my friends have not hunted in awhile, and they are hungry. Being the cowards that you are, you must not know how delicious fear smells."

At this news, the two males froze as if paralyzed. They neither one wanted to see or know what held them down. Her friends? Who or better yet, what was she and they?

Sango and Miroku rushed into the building, quickly finding the four joshi that they sought. As Shippo had sensed, three of them were still alive, though badly injured, but one was more than obviously dead and had been for at least a day. Despite this, Miroku quickly removed the poor onna's bonds, as Sango took care of the others.

With the joshi freed, and Sango soothing them, Miroku quickly took the bindings that had been used on the joshi, and between Kouga, Hakkaku, and himself, they soon had the two males bound much as they had done the joshi inside, except that their legs were hobbled. The belts off their own pants made suitable collars, and a bit of conveniently found rope made perfect leashes.

Kouga, Hakkaku, and Miroku, each lifted one of the joshi to carry back to the clearing. Sango riding on Kirara, lead the two frightened males, as they followed the others. Soon they were all back at the designated meeting place, their prey in hand, and the rescued joshi being cared for.

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