Bound by Corruption by BelovedStranger
Save Me
AUTHOR’S NOTE:
This story has been REVISED as of 2025. I have kept this story true to its original plot and characters. For the most part, the revisions are because my writing style has greatly changed.
This story was originally 32 Chapters. The revision is longer. To those who love to read, and love our daemon lord and miko, I hope you enjoy the additional content!
PS: This story was originally a oneshot of mine, named “Spice of the Gods”, in my lemon oneshot collection “A Smell So Sweet”. “Bound by Corruption” deviates from the oneshot to turn it into a dark romance, multi-chapter story. The original oneshot has ALSO been revised as of 2025 for any who wish to read it. :)
PSS: This work has no benefit of a beta. Sorry in advance for any typos!
PSSS: "Bound by Corruption" won 1st place in Best Darkfic/Horror in the 2nd SemiAnnual 2013 Dokuga Awards, and 3rd place for Best Lemon 2014 Feudal Association.
Word Count: 3,673
Glossary:
Obaasan—Grandmother
Miko—Priestess
Reiki—Spiritual
Youkai—Daemon
Inu no Kami—Dog God
Kami—God
Haori—A Loose Garment Resembling A Coat
“FOR ONCE, OBAASAN, can you not believe in me?” The also went unsaid, but not unheard.
The elderly woman sighed, and Kagome knew a moment’s elation, understanding the sound for what it was: capitulation.
Victory.
Kagome was kneeling beside her grandmother inside the small hut she shared with her, along with her absent elder sister, Kikyo.
Rather than speak, Kaede leaned forward to stoke the embers in their cooking pit, coaxing the flames to burn brighter. Her hands were old, but beneath the deep wrinkles, gnarled knuckles, and old scars was a resilient strength undiminished by time. Kagome did not dare disrupt the ensuing silence as Kaede began preparing their tea, knowing that any sign of impatience from her would only prove her grandmother’s misgivings correct.
Too young, too inexperienced.
Kagome nearly snorted. Both Kikyo and Kaede had been younger than she was now when they had begun shouldering the full weight of a miko’s responsibilities, duties all three of them had inherited at birth. An important fact her family too often overlooked.
She watched her obaasan’s face covertly, hoping to gleam Kaede’s thoughts, but her wizened visage was smooth, expressionless. And unfortunately, Kagome sat on Kaede’s left—her blind side. Whatever her one, good eye revealed, Kagome could not see, so remained in ignorance.
Kagome’s attention settled on the simple, black eyepatch that concealed the ruined flesh beneath. Far from an imperfection, the old wound was a mark of Kaede’s bravery, and a harsh reminder of the dangers all miko faced.
The story of Kaede’s bravery was legendary amongst the villagers, even fifty years later. When Kaede had been just a child, demons had attacked their village. The horde was of such magnitude and strength that—despite her youth—Kaede hadn’t hesitated in taking up bow and arrow alongside her own mother in defense of the villagers. The battle had been long and grueling, but in the end, Kaede and her mother had successfully beaten the threat. Unfortunately, Kaede had lost her eye.
A sacrifice Kagome had never known Kaede to lament.
Pride suffused Kagome. She came from a long line of proud, upright miko, human priestesses who possessed spiritual powers called reiki, a pure energy capable of cleansing the taint of evil. By blood, Kagome was bound by a miko’s duty just as firmly as either her sister or obaasan. There was no choice, only fate. One she longed to fully embrace—if not for her family’s constant coddling.
For her protection.
As Kaede focused on her task, Kagome realized the lack of scrutiny placed upon her was a blessing in disguise. Her resemblance to Kikyo was uncanny, but for all their physical similarities, Kagome was not Kikyo. A fact Kagome was painfully aware of every single second of every single day.
Because you are weak.
Kagome tightened her fists until her nails dug painfully into her palms, hating the voice inside her head, speaking words her family had never actually given voice to, yet their lack of faith in her abilities couldn’t have been more apparent had they shouted their doubts in her face. She swallowed the bitterness, and instead, salivated over the victory she sensed was hers—if she just kept her rouge tongue silent. For once, let her not speak rashly, she internally prayed.
At last, the silence was broken.
“These are troubling times, child,” Kaede warned, offering one, final chance for Kagome to change her mind, she knew. “As strange as this may seem, daemons are the least of ye worries should ye continue on this course, and I am too old to go with ye.”
Kaede turned towards Kagome, love and concern reflected in her one, brown eye. “Why not await Kikyo to accompany ye? She should be returning shortly, I expect.”
Kikyo, Kikyo, Kikyo, Kagome gripped internally with a stab of annoyance. A reaction she was hard-pressed to conceal.
Was she never to escape her sister’s shadow?
If she waited for her sister as Kaede suggested, she wouldn’t be accompanying anyone anywhere. Kikyo would go alone, with no one questioning her ability to take care of herself.
In spite of her secret resentments, Kagome loved her sister. Even looked up to her. How could she not? Kikyo was capable. Courageous. Kagome strove to emulate her, but no matter how hard she tried, Kagome was forever falling impossibly short. While Kikyo held herself with a quiet dignity and grace, Kagome was overtalkative and clumsy, and whereas Kikyo was a skilled miko—powerful, Kagome lacked control.
It was well-known that Kikyo was beyond gifted. Few could match the potency of her reiki, no doubt inherited from their ancestor centuries past, the legendary Midoriko herself. All that power was at Kikyo’s fingertips. More importantly, she possessed the strength to control it.
Unlike Kagome.
Though she could boast that her own reiki could ravel the might of even Kikyo’s, Kagome’s control over her powers was tenuous at best.
Everything seemed to come so easily for Kikyo, whereas Kagome struggled constantly. Even her mastery of archery, a miko’s sacred weapon, could not match Kikyo’s capabilities. None could fail to see the sisters’ dissimilarities—if not in looks, then in capability. So much so, the villagers failed to acknowledge many of Kagome’s achievements, too busy praising Kikyo for hers. Comparisons were drawn, and, unsurprising, Kagome was found lacking. The villagers were never purposefully unkind, Kagome knew, but it didn’t change the fact that no one seemed to notice Kagome for herself. Not even Kaede.
Guilt assailed her. Perhaps she held an unhealthy dose of envy towards Kikyo, but how could she not? Frustration ate at her. How was it possible to love someone to the very depths of her being yet harbor such resentment at the same time?
Despite her jealousy, hatred for Kikyo had never touched Kagome’s heart. Such an emotion was impossible. Kikyo had always been there. Helping with her lessons, guiding her, and gifting her with warm encouragement. Kikyo had told her, on more than one occasion, that Kagome was not inadequate or lesser in any way, that what came easier for some might be harder for another. Kikyo had always pressed upon her the value of consistent effort and faithful dedication, which Kagome had in abundance.
For all her shortcomings, Kagome was resolute, her determination unshakable.
Kagome answered Kaede’s worries with forced calm. “Kikyo isn’t here. And she’s late. She should have returned days ago.” Kaede glanced at her sharply, but even had she not, Kagome couldn’t voice the worry she knew Kaede shared with her, that Kikyo might be in danger. Hurt. Or worse. “Our village faces a serious threat,” she stressed instead. “We cannot afford to wait much longer.”
For weeks, men and women of all ages had been passing through their village, or had collapsed in need of medical attention, as they brought terrifying news of brutality and destruction. Bandits had been raiding the countryside, pillaging, raping, murdering, and burning everything to the ground wherever they went. Kagome had never seen such devastation as described, her village a far remote place in the west. An occasional youkai problem arose, or a vengeful spirit attacked, but never anything a miko couldn’t handle. But bandits weren’t youkai. Miko could not purify humans, even those who were evil at heart.
Ever since receiving the news, their village had been in turmoil, but denial prevailed—at least, in the beginning. Their village was small and out of the way of larger settlements. Surely, the villains would pass them by for greater rewards. Denials soon morphed into fear—followed by flight as the threat loomed ever closer. Now, the village was little more than a shell of its former self, nearly abandoned as people Kagome had known all her life fled alongside the strangers passing through in a desperate bid to outrun the danger.
The remaining inhabitants were too old or infirm to run. They were restless and on edge. Now, they clamored for their village miko to go to the Inu no Kami’s shrine, a day’s journey on foot, and pray for divine protection. Kaede was too old to make the journey, and Kikyo was currently in the next village over, aiding the headman’s wife, who was in labor. The woman had lost her previous babe the year before in childbirth, and the headman was determined not to lose another. There was no one to make the journey to the Inu no Kami’s shrine except Kagome.
However, Kaede was hesitant to send her on her way. The dangers of traveling alone, especially during these trouble times, were real. But Kagome was adamant. She would go, if only to prove her worth to her village, to her family. To herself. She was not Kikyo, but neither was she incapable.
Desperation and pain leaked into her voice. “Trust me.”
Only then did her obaasan give a single nod, her stooped shoulders sagging. Kaede’s following sigh was drawn-out, full of weariness. When she glanced over at Kagome again, her worried expression had intensified, but Kagome detected a resigned acceptance that had been absent moments ago, sending her heart fluttering.
“Ye are right, Kagome. Ye must go and without delay, if we are not too late already.”
Smiling, both relieved by her obaasan’s capitulation yet grateful for her obvious concern, Kagome placed a hand on her obaasan’s hunched shoulder. “I know you do, Kaede-obaasan, and I thank you, but I’ll be fine. You’ll see. I’ll be back before you know it.”
Her grandmother didn’t seem as confident, but Kagome was too elated to let her obaasan’s doubts dampen her spirits.
Nodding her grey head, Kaede abandoned the heating tea kettle and rose slowly to her feet, her arthritic knees obviously paining her. Confused, Kagome watched her grandmother move around the interior of the hut collecting items as she went. First, she wrapped a linen cloth around a bottle of sake, along with a small cup. Next, she gathered dried meat, a bamboo container filled with water, along with other necessities Kagome knew she would need for her journey.
It took her a moment, but when she understood, warmth suffused Kagome’s heart. By packing her supplies, Kaede was sending Kagome off with her blessing. When she was finished, Kaede put everything in a large, traveling cloth before offering the bundle to Kagome. Solemnly, Kagome accepted the pack with a wordless nod.
“I am giving you the highest quality of sake our village has to offer, along with our ceremonial cup. Give this to the Inu no Kami when you arrive at the temple and pray for our deliverance,” Kaede instructed. “There is special incense included. Be sure to light it first before pouring the drink.”
Kagome knew her obaasan did not believe she would actually meet the Inu no Kami face to face when presenting her gifts and offering her prayers, but, rather, hoped her efforts would please the kami in the spirit world, who would then act on their village’s behalf. To Kagome’s knowledge, no one had ever actually met the Inu no Kami, who was known to protect the Western region.
“I will not fail you, obaasan.”
Before Kaede could even think to change her mind, Kagome swiftly raced to her room to add a few extra supplies to her pack. Then she was off after giving Kaede a fond peck on her papery dry cheek. Kagome left the village with a smile on her face, happily greeting those who bowed to her respectfully as she passed.
She had a long walk ahead of her, and knew she would not reach the temple before nightfall. Looking up at the midmorning sky, Kagome judged her way by the sun’s position, heading farther west where the shrine stood. All day, her spirits were high even when her path led her into the forest. It wasn’t until the last tendrils of sunlight had left the sky and darkness settled over the land that unease began to follow her steps. All around, the shadows crept closer, the forest looming larger. Even the normal sounds of the night, made by insects and scurrying animals, caused the fine hairs on her nape to rise.
For the very first time in her life, she was alone. The one thing she’d strived for all her life, for the chance to rely on no one but herself, had finally arrived, and Kagome realized just how ill-prepared she truly was.
Everyone doubted her. Her obaasan, her sister, even the villagers. But not Kagome. She was a woman grown, able to care for herself. She burned to prove herself, to escape the cage of security her family had cocooned her within. Only now did she truly understand the disservice they’d done her. Coddling her, protecting her.
Crippling her.
Doubts she’d never allowed herself to feel suddenly encroached, slowing her steps, causing her to falter.
She wouldn’t make it to the temple this night. She’d known that. She, also, knew that she was close. The temptation to continue on beckoned; however, the forest was too dark despite the moonlight filtering through the break in the canopy of trees above. Kagome had never considered herself to be a coward, and certainly she’d never been afraid of the dark—until now. She yearned for the comforting presence of walls surrounding her that would offer protection against the darkness enveloping her.
She shook her head. She was being silly, jumping at shadows. She wasn’t a child, she reminded herself, steeling her resolve as she made camp. As a distraction from wayward thoughts, she collected several fallen branches and built a small fire. Her tension eased the moment the cheery light combatted the thick cover of night.
Too late did she realize her error. The fire was a beckon—to her.
There were predators all around. Animals. Youkai. Bandits.
Fear returned, worse than before. Childish apprehension was one thing, but the threat of bloodthirsty bandits was real. Reacting swiftly, Kagome snuffed out the flames, her movements jerking with scarcely suppressed panic. Once again night enclosed around her. Darker. More foreboding. Rather than wait for her eyes to adjust, Kagome crept through the forest, trying not to stumble on roots and fallen tree limbs. She had to remove herself from where she’d doused the source of light without delay. A precaution. However, she had not been expecting the minor depression in the earth. When her foot went down—down—her knee buckled, and she fell with a small cry of alarm that was cut off on a pained grunt when she hit the ground.
“Ow,” she muttered, shoving herself into an upright position, her bow falling from her shoulder with a clatter.
The abruptness of her fall was jarring, both physically and mentally.
Shame swamped her. Thank the kami no one had witnessed her panic, her fear. She’d never be able to live it down. The villagers, her family, wouldn’t let her. Neither would she. Pride came on swift wings, pulling her to her feet, while anger carried her towards a large tree, where she sat with her back against the trunk. She settled her pack beside her left hip and her bow and quiver of arrows on her right with more force than was necessary, before settling with a quite huff and cross of her arms.
Determination made her fist the sleeves of her white haori and glare defiantly at her dark surroundings. Tomorrow, she would do her duty. She would not fail.
One of Kaede’s many proverbs came to her: ‘If eating poison, don’t forget to lick the plate.’ Implying, when starting something, one must complete it—whether it was of benefit or not.
Resolved, pride battling with fear, Kagome passed a fitful night in the forest, thinking she would never fall asleep; though, she did eventually—hours later. Early the next morning, her journey continued, her mood less cheerful than the previous day. After her less than restful night, she was tired and aching from sleeping upright. The tree had been rough, the ground hard and cold.
A few hours later, she exited the forest and entered a grassy plain that led to a large hill a little over a mile away. At the apex was a shrine. The Inu no Kami’s temple. Even from this distance, Kagome could see the beauty of the small, elegant structure, remembered its elegant craftsmanship during her last visit with Kikyo. Unconsciously, her steps quickened, but when she reached the hill, her progress slowed. The going was steep, her breaths becoming shallow pants as her legs felt the strain. She didn’t stop, didn’t slow.
Nearly to the top, Kagome became aware of a commotion below and far in the distance. Turning to look over her shoulder, her steps faltered. Behind her, men—dozens of them—where pointing and running in her direction.
They were already mostly across the field! How had they crept up on her without her being aware?
A chill of premonition slithered down her spine. Instinct kicked it, sending her sprinting onward. Her thoughts raced faster than her feet. With the men between her and the safety of the trees, seeking obscurity within the dense forest was beyond her, and although she knew it was a terrible idea, Kagome continued towards the shrine. There, she would be trapped, but where else was she to go?! She couldn’t outrun her pursers before they caught her.
No, she had to find a defensible position and stand her ground, and hope they would leave once she proved more trouble than she was worth. Even as her mind whirled with strategies, she couldn’t prevent a gasping sob as male laughter and cruel taunts reached her ears. Enormous relief struck her as she scaled the short flight of stairs leading up to the shrine, before shoving the double doors open.
Over the frantic pounding of her heart and the mad rush of blood in her ears, the men’s words became horribly discernable, promising to do unimaginable things to her. Kagome threw herself inside and slammed the doors closed, before looking around franticly. Seeing a long, golden pole with a bowl secured at the top to light incense, she grabbed it, ignoring the ashen debris that fell to the tiled floor at her feet, and thrust the metal stick through the bars of the door, locking herself inside.
Within minutes, pounding sounded against the doors. Kagome gasped, stumbling backwards when they shuddered. Desperate, she turned and ran for the temple stairs, ignoring the majestic interior. Falling to the floor before the three steps that led to the altar, Kagome begged for divine intervention.
“Please, Inu no Kami! Help me!”
Frantic, she shook off her pack. Her hands trembled with fright as the pounding at the entrance intensified. Kagome almost dropped the delicate cup when her pursuers demanded she open the door or her punishment for making them wait would be far worse.
When she placed the cup on the altar above her kneeling form, Kagome realized her error. She’d forgotten to light the incense! Praying for forgiveness for her lapse, she tried to control the tremor in her hands as she attempted to strike a flame with her flint. It was a miracle that she succeeded without burning herself in the process. She grabbed for the jug of sake, intending to pour her offering, but a particularly lewd comment made her jerk, and spill the precious liquid onto the floor.
With tears spilling down her cheeks, she prayed, begging to be spared.
She couldn’t die here! No, worse than death awaited her. She knew it. Heard every awful threat flung at her from beyond her pitiful barrier.
Get ahold of yourself!
She had to be ready.
Prayers spoken—too quickly and inelegantly, she gripping her bow and stood to face the trembling doors. Only experience made the process fluid as she freed an arrow from her quiver and pulled back on her taught bowstring. The familiar movement steadied her hands. Hardly a trimmer shook her stance as she waited. It was not courage that bolstered her, only desperation. And still, she prayed. Never had she faced such danger, least of all alone.
“Oh, kami! I beg you, look upon me kindly. Do not forsaken me. Deliver me from this evil!”
She prayed not only to the Inu no Kami but to any who might hear and come to her rescue.
No answer came.
Loneliness. Despair. Terror.
She was going to die, but not before she suffered. Why hadn’t she listened to Kaede? Why had she fallen to pride? It no longer mattered what the villagers thought of her, or how her family coddled her. She vowed if someone, anyone, would come help her, she wouldn’t complain anymore or try to move out from beneath her sister’s shadow.
A horrendous crash smashed against the doors, causing deep fissures in the wood. Reflexively, her eyes squeezed shut, her teeth biting into her bottom lip until she tasted blood.
They were breaking in!
Someone, save me!
Then she felt it. Warm fingers wrapping around her own where she held her bow. She gasped, intending to scream but her lungs seized on a spasm of fear. Her eyes opened impossibly wide, tears cascading in fierce waves down her face as she gazed at the one before her. At the same instant, her fingers slackened. Her arrow released.
Through watery eyes, she saw the shaft of her arrow, clasped between two long fingers. She waited for the stain of red blood to mar the pristine white haori as the unknown figure held onto her arrow. The expanse of his chest was wide, muscular. Kagome blinked in surprise, shocked to see the arrow’s head. The point made a dimple in the cloth but hadn’t pierced beyond and reached flesh. Impossible!
Her mind skipped, jarring her with the horrible reality that a bandit had somehow gotten inside without her knowing. That she was about to be raped and tortured.
Her fearful gaze lifted higher, higher, before colliding with amber.