The Battle of Hope and Fate
Yumi bit down hard on her gag. There were dozens of men in the hall, most of them soldiers. All of them were looking at her as she was marched passed them. They weren't the first men to see her naked and bound with rope, but the way she was being casually shown to all of them was a fresh kind of insult.
Miyoshi wasn't far behind her. After Akio had finished raping her they'd both been brought to another room to spend the night. They'd been hogtied on the floor with wooden stocks locked around their necks, left to spend a sleepless night next to each other while aching joints gnawed at them. A new gag had been put in her mouth- a wooden bar that sat between her teeth and kept her from closing her lips fully around it. After a night spent drooling uncontrollably her mouth felt like sandpaper.
He'd also left the mark on the back of her neck. It stayed for hours, driving her mad, until her sweat finally soaked it enough to free her. She shuddered to think what he could do with the brush if he used something more permanent than honey.
Two soldiers had come to collect them not long after the sun rose, and now they were on their way to face Lord Akio again. The man beside her kept his hand locked around her arm. It wasn't the only place he'd put it. The bastard had taken his opportunity when she was first let out of the stock to grope her thoroughly, even poking his finger around in her pussy. It was one thing to be Akio's slave, but for it to be open season for every man in the castle to humiliate her like that- Yumi knew that as soon as she got the opportunity she was going to hurt someone. Badly.
Akio was waiting on a large balcony, framed by two gargoyles that sat perched on the corners. He was standing strait and motionless as he looked out over the fortress grounds. Chiyo was also there. She looked just as tired and beaten as Yumi felt with her head bowed and her face red with shame. Yumi dropped to her knees next to her, and Miyoshi followed, lining them up just as they'd been before being stripped and tortured the night before. Akio let them wait, gazing out over the yard.
"Your oath," he finally said. "I'll have it now."
He turned around and took a few steps to stand in front of Chiyo.
She was trembling now, but she opened her mouth and spoke, her meek voice uttering words that tore at Yumi's heart.
"I swear to obey and serve you, my lord and master, without question or hesitation. I kneel to you as your property, to be done with as ever you please, for as long as I live. May your will be my only thought, and your satisfaction my only desire."
They were the same words the soldiers repeated to Yumi and Miyoshi while they were still in their stocks. They were the same words she would be expected to say as soon as Chiyo was done.
"Good. Since I've already had my taste of you, I will reward my master slave handler- you met him last night, the one wearing the mask- by offering you to him tonight. He had some generous words to say this morning about how well you performed on the rack, and he's looking forward to having your cunt."
Yumi kept silent with her head bowed, just as Chiyo's was, while absolute rage flowed through her veins. He'd raped Chiyo too, from the sound of it, and now he was going to let the man who'd tortured her all night enjoy himself with her.
"I expect he'll let his assistants have you as well, once he's done. Serve all of them well. My slaves are the slaves of anyone I grant them to, and they will have my full permission to punish you should you forget the oath you've just sworn."
Akio crossed in front of Yumi, stopping before Miyoshi. Yumi saw the soldier removing her gag out of the corner of her eye.
"Quickly," said Akio. "I have business to attend to."
"I swear to serve and obey you, my master, without question or hesitating. I kneel to you as your property; do with me whatever you please, as long as I live. Your will will be my only thought, and your satisfaction my only desire."
"That was... close. You will have to learn to pay better attention from on now. Orders are to be carried out with precision. Our commands are now the most important things in the world for you. Remember them accordingly."
"Now," continued Lord Akio, "Captain Teruo has distinguished himself recently. You'll be serving him tonight. He won't mind if you're dry when he goes in, but I suggest making an effort regardless. You'll be serving many other men soon, and you'll need the practice."
Yumi still had the image in her head from last night, where Akio had forced himself onto Miyoshi. It had been a brutal, pitiless assault. How was she supposed to 'practice' that? Yumi had waited for Akio to take her as well, but he never did. She would have taken Miyoshi's place in an instant, if she has the choice, but instead she had to watch the whole thing while hanging helplessly from her arms.
Akio's boot appeared on the spot of floor Yumi was staring at, and her gag was loosened and pulled from her mouth. It was her turn. She wanted more than ever to tell him how much she hated him, and how she would rather kill herself than fuck him, but she knew that if she did Chiyo and Miyoshi would share her punishment. Yumi didn't know if she could stand any more herself. She still hadn't been fed or given water, and she'd been tied up some way or another since the fight yesterday.
"I swear to obey and serve you," she said, acidly. "My lord and master. Without question or hesitation. I kneel as your property, to be done with as ever you like, for as long as I live. May your will be my only thought... and your satisfaction my only desire."
Yumi felt like her ropes were squeezing her body even tighter as she spoke. She couldn't believe how humiliating it was to surrender to him. She didn't just say the words, she felt them, deeply. Akio loomed over her like a giant, and as much as she despised him something about being forced to submit at his feet made him seem like a greater man than any other she could think of. She wished that her friends were gone, and that it was only a battle between her and Akio. It would be easier that way, even if she lost.
"I am... not convinced," he said. "I suppose I can call it progress, but your tone speaks more clearly than you words."
"Gag them again," he ordered. "Crucify the other two, and leave them there until their cunts are needed. Tie this one to a post and make her watch them suffer."
Yumi snapped her head up, trying to tell him to stop, but the wooden bar was already at her lips, hands occupying her face to shove it in and interrupting her words. Her friends all tried to speak to, pleading for mercy, but none of them had time before they were only able to whine pitifully, the gags making their words incoherent.
"Quiet!" said Akio, silencing their whining. "You two have just given an oath to serve me however I desire. Right now, what I desire is for you to languish in misery in order to improve your friend's attitude. You will provide this for me, just as you will provide your bodies to my men later tonight."
"You," he said, pulling Yumi's head back, "Will come to my bed tonight. You will offer your flesh to me, and you will show me in no uncertain terms that you have accepted your place as a slave."
"Take them."
Akio walked away, disappearing behind them while the soldiers pulled them to their feet. Yumi was sick to her stomach. For the second time she'd sentenced Chiyo and Miyoshi to be punished for her defiance. On top of everything, he had to make sure that she felt guilty for the horrible things he was doing to her.
Before she walked into the open yard Yumi had no idea how easy she'd had it with on the men in the hall looking at her. When the sun of the morning sky fell onto her naked skin it was for hundreds to see. Even worse, everyone from Umai was there, locked in cages along the fortress wall. All of them could see her, the person they looked up to when they needed help, helpless to even refuse to grovel at Akio's feet. She put her head down, unable to look back at them, terrified of what she'd see in their eyes.
The ground underneath her bare feet was already hot, and it burned as she walked over it. When she was dropped to her knees- always on her knees- her shins took their turn to soak up the heat. While she waited the soldiers relayed Akio's orders to a group of men, who wasted no time carrying them out. The ground had deep, wide holes in it that let the men drop wooden posts into them. Yumi's back was pressed against one of them, and rope was passed between her arms and her torso, looped around back, and pulled tight. It didn't take much to fix her solidly to the thick column of wood, and it was far too heavy for her to lift by herself.
Next it was Miyoshi's turn. A wooden cross was lying on the ground, with the top supported by a block so that rope could be looped around the arms. Miyoshi was untied and her body laid atop it. Her elbows were hooked over the arms, held there by the soldiers while they were tied to the wood. Her legs were bent and her feet tied to the post where they wouldn't be able to support her.
The cross rose, taking Miyoshi with it, and then sank into the hole by its base. Miyoshi was hanging now, groaning as her weight came down on her arms. It wasn't long before Chiyo joined her. The soldiers stood around them, making comments about how sexy they were while they struggled to breathe properly and wondering what their chances were of getting one of them for the night.
Another task called upon them and they left, leaving the Chiyo and Miyoshi to their fates. Yumi labored against the ropes holding her to the post, but she may as well have been nailed there. Barely a few minutes had gone by and already it was too much, but there was literally nothing Yumi could do to lessen any of their suffering. Nothing but wait for the longest day of her life to crawl torturously by.
Taiko rested her back against the boulder, waiting for Minoru to return. She trusted the stone to hide her from the sentries on the walls of Ishi-jo Fortress, which now rose overhead. It was only the encroaching darkness brought by the setting sun that let her get this close- close enough for Minoru to find out what was going on inside and report back to her.
Aka pressed against her legs in turn, scanning the land around them in silence. He was clearly anxious about their plan, but he was dedicated to seeing it through. Kuzuno was lucky to have him as her friend.
Taiko adjusted the hood of her new cloak around her head. The punnydins had made it for her while she slept. It would blend in well enough with the terrain surrounding the fortress, but it was important to her plan for another reason. She tried to treat it well, knowing that she would need its cooperation later.
"I'm back."
Taiko jumped when Minoru appeared out of thin air, stepping into visibility as if he had just walked through an unseen door.
"Jeez," she said. "You scared me!"
"Sorry. I saw all of your villagers. They're still locked in the outdoor cages; that part should go smoothly. Your friends, though-"
Taiko didn't like the sound of that, but she wasn't going to lose focus so easily.
"Tell me."
"They're in bad shape. He hasn't been treating them well, and I doubt they'll be much help once you get to them."
"Don't underestimate them," said Taiko. "They're strong, all of them.
"I mean it," he said. "You're the one underestimating what they've probably been through."
"Then I'll see for myself. Nothing's going to stop me from saving them."
"What about Kuzuno?" asked Aka. "Have you found that magic thing?"
"Yeah, it's in the keep."
"Great! I can go right after it!"
"Aka," said Taiko, "Remember what we talked about. Sticking to the plan means that we can all help each other out as much as possible. No being a little sneak."
"Alright," he said, adding "weirdo" under his breath.
"Hush!" said Minoru, "They're coming."
Taiko settled down and listened as a column of men approached the boulder. The path that led up to the fortress gates passed nearby by it, and once the men had followed it past them Taiko risked a peek around the side.
She recognized the men- they were the ones that she fought on cliff; the ones that her, Chiyo, Miyoshi, and Yumi defeated before Akio appeared to turn the tides. Perhaps they'd been looking for her; if so they were coming back empty handed. They reached fortress gates just as the sun dipped below the keep, casting a deep shadow along the path and leaving only the area around the gates lit by the glow of burning oil. The captain shouted a password, and the doors began to open.
It was time to move. Taiko ran out, stopping just as she reached the edge of the light and throwing her hood off to show her hair.
"Hey!" she shouted. "I see the loser who couldn't catch me is slinking on home. It's too bad you weren't man enough to get your job done."
The captain's face went red with rage.
"Get her!"
His men broke toward her, intent on obeying. Taiko sprinted back down the path, back into the darkness. She clapped her hands and crossed her arms with her fingers pointing out.
"Hide me, cloak!"
She threw herself against the face of the cliff and pulled the cloak around her. Even once the soldiers got close enough to her that they should have seen her they only ran past, straining their eyes to see where she might have disappeared to. More men were following them out of the fortress. Between the darkness, the shouting, and the rush to follow her before she got away, nobody seemed to notice the fox darting up the path and through the open gate.
So far, it was all going well. Once the path was clear, the soldiers spreading out and combing the area below, she used her next spell.
"Vine's grip!"
Taiko put her hands on the cliff face and started to climb. Even without good handholds it was easy, and she was able to cling to the sheer rock without any trouble.
"More to the right," said Minoru.
She couldn't see him anymore, but she followed his guidance and kept moving. When she reached the wall proper her spell worked just as well, although the lanterns along the top put off enough light that she would be spotted if she wasn't careful. The cloak couldn't quite make her invisible.
"Wait," said Minoru. "Now!"
She climbed as fast as she could, making it to the top at a spot where nobody was looking. She was near the keep, and once she was down the other side of the wall she rushed to it and started climbing to an open window.
"Hey, over here!"
Taiko's heart froze for an instant before she realized that it was Minoru. A trio of soldiers who might have spotted her were now directed somewhere else, and she scurried up the side of the wall to the waiting portal, just as the spell on her cloak faded away. She sighed in relief, and it was only a moment before Minoru appeared beside her.
"Don't relax yet. You need to get to the cellar now. Go through that door, take a right down the hallway, down the stairs, and then another right. They'll be an archway with more stairs leading down. I'll whistle when each part is clear."
"Right."
Minoru vanished again. Taiko waited intently for her signal, and when it came she ran without even looking, trusting in her new friend. Soon she was pressed against a door at the bottom of the second stairwell. She could hear a man talking on the other side.
"She's firm isn't she? I'll bet she's tight, too. Aren't you? We'll find out once I get you to my room."
Her friends were on the other side, and stealth wouldn't be an option anymore.
Taiko took a deep breath, threw open door, and screamed.
"They're in the castle! Tomiko's men are in the castle!"
She didn't even have time to get the lay of the room. A soldier drew his sword and rushed past her, barely giving her time to step aside, and two other men followed him. They yelled something from the top of the stairs that Taiko didn't have time to listen to. There was one man left in the room, and he wasn't moving. He cocked his head, his face concealed behind a mask, and Taiko knew that her ploy had accomplished as much as it was going to.
She threw the door shut and quickly cast a spell on it.
"Hold fast, door!"
Taiko turned around to face the man again. The men outside started beating on the door, having figured out what was going on, but it didn't matter. They wouldn't get through until the spell wore off.
Now that she had a moment to take stock of the cellar she was shocked by what she saw. Miyoshi was kneeling on the ground. She was completely naked. Rope was woven around her chest, binding her arms and pressing deeply into her bare skin. She was staring back at Taiko in stunned disbelief with a wooden bar wedged between her teeth. Chiyo was naked as well. She was hanging from her bound wrists, her toes barely touching the ground, and she was gagged the same way.
Taiko was appalled; what were these men doing to them? They both looked like they were in as awful shape as Minoru said, with glassy stares and slow, feeble reaction. But they weren't her biggest problem right now- the man in the mask was.
The man approached her with a whip in his hand, ready to fight. Taiko ducked as the tip of the weapon cracked above her, scrambling to keep out of its path. He advanced on her steadily, and with nothing else to defend herself with she ripped off her cloak and threw it at him, trying to dive past him while he caught it.
The man was faster than she expected, and the whip wrapped around her ankle, pulling her leg out from under her. She hit the floor face-first, and by the time she could roll over both of her feet were tangled in the whip. He hauled her toward him, reached down, and grabbed her by the throat. Taiko wrestled with his arm, but he was surprisingly strong and he had better reach than her.
Something collided with him. It was Miyoshi. She was barely able to stand, and was doing little other than leaning against him now. It was no more than a distraction, but it was enough for Taiko to get her fingers on his mask.
The man screamed when she pulled on it. It was an almost inhuman sound, startling Taiko so badly that she lost her grip. The man lurched back, holding the mask to his face, and retreated into another room. Taiko wasted no time in getting her feet free. She expected him to return any moment, but soon the only sound was the pounding on the door. Miyoshi moaned softly, lying on the ground next to her. Taiko had found two of her friends, but the fight was nowhere near finished.
Yumi climbed the stairs, step by step. There were too damn many of them. She was on her way back to Akio's room, as he had promised that morning, and her legs burned with every step she had to climb.
She'd spent all day out there in the courtyard, bound to that post. She'd been the lucky one. Chiyo and Miyoshi had hung from their crosses from the early morning to sundown. Every one of their groans or sobs wrenched her heart and made her stomach tie itself into knots. Yumi felt weaker than she could ever remember being, both physically and spiritually. She didn't know if either of them would ever forgive her. She just hoped they would survive.
Akio was waiting in his room. Yumi fell to her knees in front of him, too tired to stand. No, it was more than that. She was too tired to fight him anymore. Her pride had crumbled after watching her friends cry in agony for endless hours.
"You know what is expected of you," he said.
"I swear to obey and serve you, my lord and master, without question or hesitation," she said, this time with nothing by humility in her voice. "I kneel to you as your property, to be done with as ever you please, for as long as I live. May your will be my only thought, and your satisfaction my only desire."
She wasn't just saying the words. She meant them. She was submitting to him, for real. It wasn't by choice, but speaking the words out loud made her feel a grim acceptance of his power over her. Her will to resist was gone, and she was ready to suffer the final humiliation of him taking her virginity.
Akio grunted in approval.
"It's too bad you couldn't be this pliant earlier. You'd be more rested for your first night of having a cock inside of you."
He circled behind her, kneeling down so that he could put his arms around her and fondle her chest. She did nothing to resist. Her breasts were sensitive, and she was surprised by how her loins responded when he touched them. She bit her lip, stifling a moan that wanted to come out of her throat. Yumi gasped when he ran his fingers down to her pussy.
Akio chuckled.
"For all of your spirit in refusing to accept your place you certainly are getting wet in a hurry. I supposed you'll be putting all of that energy into your sexual performances now."
Yumi knew what she was feeling now. What she'd felt every time she'd been on her knees in front of Akio. She was aroused. Mentally she was repulsed by the thought of having his dick inside of her, but her body craved it. He was a monster- cruel and uncaring- but he was also bold and strong. She didn't understand why- it didn't make any sense, but now she couldn't imagine being fucked any other way.
She didn't feel relieved when he stood up and let her go. She was on edge, and if her hands hadn't been tied she would have put her own fingers to her pussy to replace his.
"She's filthy; take her to be washed, then bring her immediately back."
Akio turned away, going to tend some papers of his that were sitting on a desk. The soldier who'd brought her to him took her by the hair to make her stand again. She was furious now. Akio had not only found a way to force her to submit to him, but he'd somehow made her lust for it.
Once again one of the soldiers was putting his hands on her, shoving her in the direction he wanted her to walk. The little snot doing it now wasn't quite up to placing her under the same spell that Akio had, and when he took an opportunity to feel her breasts for himself she let all of her anger out on him. She turned, using strength she didn't know she had, and put her knee in his groin.
Watching him fall was the most satisfying thing she'd done in a long time. She immediately knew that it was going to cost her.
Akio was already to her. He threw her back into his room, too violently for her to keep her balance. She stayed where she fell, praying that she could mollify his anger if she offered herself up for punishment. To her surprise, he froze, almost seeming to forget her. Then she heard it- yelling from outside. Something was happening in the courtyard, and a moment later alarms starting ringing, both outside and from inside the keep.
Akio turned sharply to look her in the face.
"Now what? How have you managed to create a disturbance in my domain this time?"
He was angrier than she'd yet seen him, and the thought of what he might to do her when he'd already tortured her so severely while no more than mildly displeased terrified her.
"I don't know!" she said, "I've been tied up and gagged all day! I have no idea what's going on!"
Akio ripped a familiar box from his shelf. He rolled Yumi onto her stomach and straddled her back.
"Please!" she said, "I just want you to fuck me! I can't take not having your cock anymore! Whip me first, to punish me, but please fuck me!"
Yumi didn't know how convincing she sounded, but appealing to his sexual impulses looked like her only hope.
"I have played around with you too much already. I admit that I find your strength alluring, but I've been a fool to let you keep it and put my operations at risk."
"Don't worry, you'll get your fucking, and your lashing too. But first I'm going to do something to make you more manageable. Then, after I've dealt with whatever this little uprising is, and after I've fucked you to exhaustion, I will let every man at Ishi-jo fuck your throat, one by one, non-stop, even if it takes an entire week."
Akio opened one of the jars and dipped his brush in it. A black, tar-like substance coated the bristles. Yumi recognized the smell, and remembered Ikumi.
He took her hair and stretched out her neck, uncovering the back of it. She felt the tickle of the brush on her skin, but Akio's strong grip kept her still. He finished his writing and let her go, carefully putting his brush away. When he stood he took her by her arms and put her on her knees.
Yumi immediately fell over. She felt weak- weak beyond any mere state of exhaustion. She knew it was whatever he'd written on her. She wanted to sit up, but her muscles didn't have the power to do it.
"You-" said Akio, pointing to the soldier. "Watch her. She should be no trouble to handle now, not even for you."
Akio grabbed his sword and marched out of his room, not giving Yumi another thought. The soldier, leering to show his intent of getting his revenge on her, walked over and knelt next to her. His hand hit her across her face, and he laughed at her limp attempt to respond. Yumi felt his hand on her thigh, and she realized that she'd probably have to taste his dick before long. She had no doubt about Akio going through with his threats.
Aka scurried from one patch of darkness to the next. The courtyard was relatively well-lit, but shadows still found places to settle, and he joined them while he watched the commotion.
About half of the soldiers who had been in the courtyard had run out of the gate. Most of the other half took to the wall, peering into the darkness beyond to try to figure out what was going on. Only a few were left still on the ground, but Aka was cautious of being spotted anyway. It was fun to see them all in a panic over one woman yelling a few insults at them. Humans and their strange sense of 'pride' always puzzled Aka, but it made for good entertainment, at least.
One more dash took him to the cages. The villagers had noticed that something was going on, and were murmuring nervously to each other. Aka quickly spotted the fat one- 'the Mayor'. He looked kind of like a moron, with a red little face and a bushy mustache.
"Hey, chubby," hissed Aka, getting as close as he could to him. "Down here."
The man jumped, and if the cage had been less packed he probably would have fallen over.
"What! Who? Did you just speak to me?"
"Yeah, and keep it down! Does this look like something you want the guards to be watching? Listen, there's this woman out there name Taiko who's trying to spring the lot of you, but she needs help. You need to keep enough of the guards busy long enough for her to get to her friends, since they're the ones who can actually fight."
There were worried looks among the villagers. Aka didn't need Minoru's report to have his own doubts about whether they'd be in fighting condition or not, but as long as the villagers did their part he would be able to get to his real objective. Aka hoped for the best for Taiko and her friends, but he couldn't let worrying about them get him off-mission.
"I know what to do," said a man from the same cage as the Mayor. He was in much better shape than the fat little hairy man, and Aka would have given him decent odds against a soldier if he was armed.
"Get the cage open and I'll give you the time you need."
"Great, wait here and don't draw any attention to yourselves."
Aka still needed the key. The man in charge of tending the cages wasn't far off, and he was too busy paying attention to the wall to watch his prisoners. Aka had no trouble sneaking up behind him. Getting the keys mean lifting them off of a hook on his belt, which meant rearing up on his hind legs. It wasn't the most graceful position for him, but he managed, and carefully trotted back to the cage.
The bold one didn't waste any time taking the keys and getting them to the padlock that hung from the chain that kept the cage door shut. He did a decent job of being quiet about it, at least by clumsy, lumbering human standards.
Aka moved on, letting him work while he advanced toward the keep. He turned back when he heard a shout- the jailer had spotted the man. Aka was impressed when he saw him react quickly, throwing the keys to the villagers in the next cage and tackling the jailer before he could draw his weapon.
The fight was on. The villagers were streaming out, picking up anything they could to use as a weapon, throwing rocks and using barrel lids as shields.
"Get to the walls!" shouted the big one- Aka wondered why he wasn't the mayor- and in a few moments the confusion in the fortress had grown a hundred fold.
"Ready?"
Aka snapped around, finding Minoru at his side. He wasn't used to people sneaking up on him, but being a spirit gave Minoru a massive advantage in that area.
"Yeah, let's go!"
Minoru turned invisible again. Aka listened for his whistle and followed it. It led him to the threshold of the keep itself. Soldiers were rushing out, and Aka had to be careful to keep aside and wait for a gap to open up. When his chance came he sprinted, barreling full speed into the halls of Ishi-jo.
There were too many men for him to sneak past, but it didn't matter. He darted through legs and bounced around corners, slipping by the soldiers even as they tried to throw themselves in his way. There was already so much shouting and action that nobody was on alert for him, even as the men behind him yelled for them to catch him.
A dozen twists and turns, three staircases, and who knows how many soldiers later, and he was bounding down a hallway with a single open door at the end. Something was going on in the room, but it wasn't until Aka flew through the doorway that he got a good look at it.
There was a woman on the ground, lying on her back with her knees raised. She was naked, which was usually a big deal for humans. She was also tied up, which something they liked doing to each other. One of Akio's soldiers was kneeling over her, poking at her while she made faces at him. He'd hardly failed to notice Aka storming into the room, but like most humans he was slow to move.
Minoru appeared, pointing to an unassuming jar on a high shelf.
"I can't get that!" barked Aka, knowing he had little time to figure out anything creative.
"Hey!" said the soldier, pulling his weapon.
He was still just getting on his feet, and Aka had barely enough time to skirt around him and clamp his jaws onto his ankle from behind. The soldier yanked it away, stumbling. Minoru appeared in front of him and swung his fist. It would have been harmless if it had hit, but the soldier didn't know that. He fell backwards, hitting the wall. Aka saw his opportunity and used the man as a springboard, leaping high enough to smash against the underside of the shelf.
The shelf fell, all sorts of junk plummeting to the floor, the jar among it. Aka hoped it would crack when it hit the stone, but he was out of luck. He had to struggle to get his jaws around it as Minoru kept the soldier busy, dodging and jabbing while making sure never to actually make contact.
Once he had the jar in his grip he hopped up to the window, dropping it to the courtyard far below. He slid back down the wall, unable to hang on long enough to see it hit the ground, and even his ears couldn't hope to pick up the noise of a jar shattering above the din of battle going on outside.
For a moment he thought that he'd have to go all the way back down and get it, maybe find a villager to smash it for him. He was about to curse himself when a golden glow appeared beneath the window. An orb of light rose into view, and Aka could feel a familiarity in its presence. The orb shot off away from the fortress, curving through the air as it disappeared over the wall.
Aka turned to face the soldier again. Running would be an option at this point, but it would be pretty disappointing to miss his chance to bite one of Akio's goons in the ass.
Nǎinai could hear the battle, even as far away from the fortress as she was. It was risky being even this close; if Taiko's plan failed and Lord Akio got wind of the Punnydins' involvement, it would spell their doom. Still, it was too good a chance to pass up, and Taiko had helped them by capturing Kuzuno.
The kitsune was sitting beside her, still locked in chains. They'd gagged her as well, having quickly grown tired of her plots to get them to free her. Bohai and Niu were with her, keeping an eye on Kuzuno. They waited, not sure what sign they were looking for, hoping that things at the castle didn't go sour.
One of the many lights at the fortress started moving. It arched over the wall, plunged down the side of the cliff, and raced along the ground toward them. Nǎinai felt a bit of panic strike her, but even if she wanted to flee the approaching orb was coming far too fast. It shot past her and slammed into Kuzuno's chest, instantly sinking inside and vanishing. She gasped, and for a moment there was a golden light in her eyes.
If there was going to be a sign, that had to be it.
"Let her go," said Nǎinai, wary but eager to see the plan through.
Bohai and Niu hesitated, but they unlocked Kuzuno's chains and took the gag out of her mouth. As soon as she was free she shook herself and stretched, showing off her lean, graceful body.
"Are you back to normal?" asked Nǎinai.
"I'll let you know after I've had a little while to get my head straight," she said. "Right now, I've got a naughty lord to pay back for stealing part of my soul."
Kuzuno leaped, and before she hit the ground her body was that of a fox's. She vanished into the night, heading toward Akio's fortress.
Taiko tried to ease the rope down slowly. Chiyo grunted as she sank, going all the way to the ground. Taiko hurried to get the knots binding her hands loose; they had some time, but not an excess of it.
"Are you alright?" she asked, having trouble with the ropes.
Chiyo didn't answer her. She was breathing quickly and deeply, but her head was resting on the floor with her eyes shut. Taiko finally felt the knot come loose and unwound the rope from Chiyo's wrists. Her hands flopped to the ground. She made one attempt to get at her gag, but gave it up, resting instead.
Taiko put her hand on Chiyo's stomach and made her healing sign, reaching her senses into Chiyo's body. She wasn't injured, at least not in any one major way. Taiko could feel the hundreds of different little wounds, though, from abused joints to battered muscles and skin. She focused and let her magic restore them, hoping it would bring Chiyo back to life.
Relief came over her face, and her body relaxed. Taiko was amazed at how much tension there had been in it now that she saw it fade away. She still rested, but Taiko's magic couldn't restore someone who was merely exhausted. She let Chiyo recover while she returned to Miyoshi.
Miyoshi moaned softly, letting Taiko work at getting the ropes off of her. There were a lot more of them on her body. Taiko was astounded by how complex the web around her was, and hoped it wasn't as tight and restrictive as it looked. It took longer than she'd hoped, but she eventually got it loose, and was able to take it apart bit by bit.
When her arms were free enough she reached up to unstrap her gag. She wasn't much stronger than Chiyo, and Taiko had to help her. She groaned as it came out of her mouth, and from the looks of it moving her jaw afterward wasn't easy. Taiko did her best to heal her, as she'd done to Chiyo, and found her with the same litany of aches and pains.
As soon as she finished Miyoshi turned and wrapped her arms around Taiko. She found herself strangely embarrassed. This wasn't the first time they'd been naked around each other. They'd played while bathing in the hotsprings before many times, but now there was a hard to pin down new element that she felt when Miyoshi squeezed their bodies together. It wasn't a very strong hug- she was still almost as tired as Chiyo- but it was warm and heartfelt.
"Taiko!" said Miyoshi. "I can't believe you're here!"
"What do you mean you can't believe it?" said Taiko. "Of course I'm here, what else did you expect me to do?"
Her chiding was gentle and she hoped it sounded reassuring.
"It's been awful, Taiko. They've... they've done things to us. I don't know how to explain it. We've been tied up all this time, and they wouldn't feed us, and beat us and held me underwater and..."
"Shhh...." said Taiko, giving their hug the firmness that Miyoshi couldn't. She sounded like she was about to break down.
"We can talk about it later. Right now we need to finish escaping."
The men were still pounding on the door, but the magic still had plenty of life left in it. Taiko could see that something more wrong than she could have imagined was happening here. She didn't understand it, but she understood what it had done to Chiyo and Miyoshi.
"Miruku is here," said Chiyo, quietly. She'd gotten her gag out now and was sitting, hugging her knees. "She's in the other room."
"I'll go see," said Taiko, letting Miyoshi go and standing up.
She entered the room carefully, still wary of the masked man. Taiko was confused when she saw that there was no way out other than the one she'd come through, and wondered if there was a secret passage. If so, more men might be coming through it soon.
The room held a bunch of metal cages, all of them empty except for one. Miruku the cat girl was curled up inside, as naked as Chiyo and Miyoshi had been.
"Miruku?"
Miruku was slow and cautious to stir, but when she saw that Taiko was there she started shaking and struggling against her ropes.
"T... Taiko? You're here? Get me out! Please, you have to get me out!"
Taiko looked around for a key, but didn't see one.
"Do you know where the key is?"
"No, but you can magic it open, can't you?"
She was pleading desperately. Taiko shuddered at the thought of what they all must have gone through.
"The cage wants to keep you in. My magic will just make it harder to open. Just sit tight. I might have to beat Akio before I can get you out, but I won't leave anyone behind. I promise."
Miruku put her head against the bars and started sobbing quietly. Taiko hated to leave her, but she had to get moving. There was a pile of clothes on the floor. A lot of it was torn up, but she found Chiyo's clothes and took them to her.
"Come on. Get dressed. You'll feel better."
Chiyo took the clothes and hugged them to her chest. She didn't say anything, and she hadn't even untied her feet yet. Taiko wished she had time to talk to her more. She wished she had time to hear everything that happened, for their sake, as much as she dreaded knowing about it. She could see that there was more than physical weariness weighing on them, but she needed to finish saving everyone. She'd promised, after all.
"Chiyo," she said. "I don't know what they did. I don't know if I could understand it even if you told me. If you can't fight right now, if you're too hurt- I'll understand. And I'll find a way to win all by myself if I have to. I just want to know that you'll be okay. Maybe not right now, but once this is all over, and once everyone is together again- will you be okay?"
Chiyo looked up into her face. She wiped way the tears that were in her eyes and sniffed once.
"I'm okay," she said, starting to put her clothes on. "I can be okay for right now."
"The tore my dress all to shreds," said Miyoshi, picking at the clothes pile.
"Where's Yumi?" asked Taiko, fearing the answer.
"They took her to Akio's room," said Miyoshi bitterly. "We need to get up there."
"We will, but the villagers are fighting in the courtyard right now. They'll need our help too, and if we don't take the courtyard we'll never get out of here with everyone. Don't worry; I'm sure Akio has noticed the commotion by now. We'll probably find him out there."
Miyoshi walked over to the wall where a robe was hanging on a hook. It looked like the one the masked man had been wearing. It was too big for her, but with a little impromptu tailoring she made it work.
"I need my staff," said
Chiyo. "I don't know what they did with it. It might not even be here in
the castle."
"Can you make her a new one?" asked Taiko, turning to
Miyoshi.
Miyoshi looked around. She narrowed her gaze onto a wooden rod with metal hoops on the end that was lying against the wall. She went to fetch it, along with a knife that was hanging amongst a number of other instruments.
"Taiko, please get those candles over there and light them. Chiyo, I need your help with what symbols I need to carve."
Chiyo described the runes while Miyoshi dug them into the wood. She was incredibly fast; Miyoshi had always had a gift for working with her hands, and she filled the rod with Chiyo's markings with blazing speed. When she was done she took the candles and poured the wax all over the staff, then scraped off the excess, leaving only the runes filled.
"Taiko," asked Miyoshi, "Once the spell on the door wears off, how long do you think it'll take them to get in?"
"Not long, but it's still a heavy wooden door, even without the magic."
"Can you cast another spell before they do?"
"Yeah, easily."
"Okay. Can this staff- can it want to be magic staff?"
Taiko knew what she meant. As the spell on the door wore off Taiko danced, pouring her magic into the staff. It wasn't a real magic staff, not like the one that Chiyo had enchanted using special ingredients and complicated rituals, but Miyoshi had made it in that image.
"Channel, young staff, for as long as you can!"
Chiyo took the staff, just as the door broke open. Five men were in the doorway when she leveled it at them and shouted. A magic bolt crashed into the lot of them, throwing them against the wall and knocking them out.
Chiyo leaned on the staff. She was still tired, but the fight was on now, and Taiko could see that enough of her spirit was back to carry them through the night.
"There's a balcony," said Chiyo. "If we go there, we'll be able to what's going on outside."
"Right," said Taiko. "Let's go."
Taiko had to help Chiyo up the stairs. She was still weak, but once in the hallway they made good enough speed. A group of four soldiers appeared, coming around a corner in front of them. They had nowhere to go in the confined space, and with another shout Chiyo knocked the wits out of them.
They hurried, climbing another staircase as fast as Chiyo could make it. The castle was buzzing, with soldiers running every which way. Everyone seemed too confused to organize a hunt for them, and the small numbers they came upon at a time were easy for Chiyo to blast in their surprise.
They emerged onto the balcony and immediately pressed themselves against the railing, looking nervously at the battle below. The villagers weren't doing well. They were penned up on a section of the wall, doing their best to keep from being pushed too tightly together, but the soldiers were slowly advancing. Some of them were hurt, and some had been recaptured already
Taiko saw Haru bravely thrusting a staff at the soldiers, trying to press them back, but he was outnumbered and too few of the villagers had the strength to help him. Worse yet, there were archers lining up now. Any moment they could decide to open up on the villagers, and there was no way for them to defend themselves if that happened.
"Chiyo," said Taiko. "They need your help."
Chiyo nodded and pointed her staff.
"Ha!"
Magic bolts rained from her staff, and in an instant the tide of the battle turned. The advancing soldiers' formation shattered and the archers ran for cover. Haru led some of the hardier townsfolk in a charge, and soon they were surging along the wall, threatening to throw the soldiers off entirely.
"Miyoshi," said Taiko. "We're still vulnerable up here. They'll send some men for certain now that they've seen what we're doing."
"I have an idea," she said. "Just keep a lookout for me, okay?"
Lord Akio grabbed a solider as he was running by, his equipment and armor tucked under his arm.
"What's the meaning of this?" he demanded.
"My Lord! The prisoners from the village we raided yesterday have gotten free. They're rioting in the courtyard!"
"How? Who let them out?"
"I don't know, my Lord. Captain Teruo just sounded the alarm and sent orders for everyone to respond. I'm expected outside now!"
Akio shoved him along. Two men ran past him going the other way, deeper into the keep.
"He went this way!" he heard a man shout from down a hallway.
He had to take control of this mess, and fast. He walked quickly, making for the exit to the courtyard. As soon as he was outside he could see that things were out of hand. The slaves from the village were running amok, and rather than rounding them up his men were on the defensive. They were even starting to retreat through the gate! Akio climbed onto the wall on the opposite side of the courtyard from the slave pens and ran along the top to take command of the situation.
"Captain Teruo!" he yelled, seeing the man below, apparently the one directing this debacle. "Have you gone mad? What are you doing?"
"L...Lord Akio!" he stammered back. "I'm following the orders you just gave."
"You are mad! I've been inside the keep; I haven't given you any orders like this."
The captain and his lieutenants shared confused glances.
"But... you were just here. We
all saw you!"
"It's true, my Lord!" said Ryoichi, one of Captain
Teruo's
subordinates. "We couldn't make any sense out of the orders either, but
you were there on the wall, just a moment ago."
Lord Akio prided himself on being a strict commander, but he was never wrathful without good cause. His men would never dare engage in this kind of foolishness had they not been duly convinced themselves.
"Hey, fathead!"
Akio spun around to find the source of the insult. It was the woman- the one who had escaped yesterday. She was standing at the entrance to the keep, making a rude gesture at him.
"Your idiot men were having trouble finding me, so I thought I'd come here and see if their idiot commander could do any better. I just hope you're better at catching little girls than you are at not smelling awful."
She spit at him, or at least in his directly, and disappeared into the keep.
"Captain Teruo," said Akio. "You're in command of the courtyard. Don't follow any more orders from me until we've settled this; I'll trust that I can leave it in your hands. Don't disappoint me."
Lord Akio took off toward the keep. He thundered down a hallway, spotting a glimpse of the woman as she fled into the mess hall. It was a fatal error; there was no way out from there. He followed her in, but to his dismay there was nobody there except the cook.
"Where did she go?" he demanded.
"W... who? Where did who go?"
"A woman! Didn't one just run in here?"
"Good job, loser! What are you, seeing things now?"
The voice was coming from the direction of the barracks. Akio sprinted, taking the keep's passageways as fast as he dared. He had to skid to a stop when he saw a group of soldiers putting up a barricade in the hallway. They were immediately confused at the sight of him, and he didn't waste time confirming his suspicions.
"Get outside! Now! Report to Captain Teruo and follow only his orders!"
The soldiers were too well-trained to make him repeat himself, despite their obvious puzzlement. He brushed the unfinished barrier aside and entered the barracks, now empty.
"Watcha doin'? Thinking about taking a nap?"
This time he saw her again, leaning against the doorway he'd just passed through. As soon as he moved she took off, her pink hair and skirt trailing behind her. He was close enough this time to keep sight of her until she dodged into the armory. A moment later a soldier ran out, a bundle of arrows under his arm.
Akio put his sharp eye to the man. It was Ryoichi. The same Ryoichi who'd been with Captain Teruo at the gate. Akio feigned to let him pass, but just as he was beside him he struck, chopping the man in the back of his head. When he fell to the ground his form changed, revealing a woman with fox ears and a orange, bushy tail.
It was that damned kitsune- the one that Teruo was supposed to have dealt with. He'd sort that out later; if this ended with her as his captive as well then perhaps this whole incident would work out to be in his favor.
"You," he said, finding the first soldier he could. "Tie that woman up. Very, very tightly. And gag her. And take her to the cellar and throw her in one of the cages."
Before the man could even acknowledge the order a clap of thunder came from the courtyard. Akio rushed back to the barracks where the nearest window would be. The villagers had been hemmed in on the wall, and under Captain Teruo's command they'd almost retaken the whole lot, but now his men were being taken apart by arcane energies that were arching and streaking from above.
The balcony. That's where they were coming from. Akio started for them at once. He wondered who could be responsible- was it a new enemy? The blue-haired one had magic, he knew, but she should be in no condition to fight after an entire day hanging from a cross. Perhaps the pink-haired one was here after all.
He'd know soon enough. He passed through the armory, arming himself with a bow. He bounded up stairs and dashed through passageways, coming to the main hall. He could see to the balcony on the other end.
There were three of them. The blue-haired one was there after all, as well as her pink-haired friend. The brunette was next to them, and when Akio appeared in her view she shouted a warning. The one with the staff turned it toward him, but he was faster with his bow. An arrow ricocheted against the railing next to her, and she panicked, falling out of his line of sight to find cover.
He'd never miss such an easy shot, of course, but he had no doubt that he could subdue all three once he got into melee with them. Besides, death would be too easy a punishment for the girl. Once the battle was over all four of them would lend their cunts to the celebration afterward.
The woman tried a few more times to blast him, but he was able to interrupt her each time. She was slow; her experiences during the last two days showing an effect after all.
"Now!" shouted one of the women.
Akio's instincts warned him of danger just a moment too late. The ground moved suddenly, and took his feet with him. His back hit the ground, and when his gaze reached up to the high archways of the ceiling he saw what was about to land on him.
"Chiyo, now!" shouted Taiko, burning with trepid excitement.
Miyoshi's trap worked as well as she'd hoped. The rug in the hallway had been tied to one of the stone statues on the balcony, which was now on its way to the ground. Right before it hit, the rope it was pulling triggered the second part, dropping one end of a banner that had been tied between two rafters and filled with whatever junk they'd found lying around in the hall.
The collection of pots, incense bowls, and other assorted odds and ends was dumped onto Akio as he lay on the ground. It wouldn't keep him down for long, but all Chiyo needed was one good shot.
She pointed her staff at him, drew in a breath, and with a gesture that must have taken up all of her remaining energy, sent her magic surging down her staff.
Before it could fire off a figure appeared with a blur, coming from inside the doorway. He grabbed the end of the staff and forced it upward, sending Chiyo's bolt of power into the wall of the keep, just above the doorway. It felt like the whole structure shook, and a cloud of stone dust exploded around them.
Taiko saw Chiyo freeze, a look of absolute terror on her face. It was the man in the mask, the one Taiko had fought in the room where she'd found Chiyo and Miyoshi. He had a whip in his free hand, and he wasn't wasting any time in swinging it at Chiyo. Taiko grabbed her and pulled her to the ground, out of the man's lash.
He twisted his whip around and came in for a second strike, this time sure to hit her while she was vulnerable on the ground. Before he could finish his swing one of the vases still on the balcony smashed into him.
"I don't think I've ever said that I hated anyone before," said Miyoshi. "But... but... just die!"
The masked man snapped his whip at her, and Miyoshi had to fall to the ground with Taiko and Chiyo to get out of its way. It cracked against the balcony railing just above her head, making her shriek.
Taiko wasn't staying still while it happened.
"Ushimuttsu's brawn!"
Taiko leapt to her feat. The man was taken off guard by her sudden aggressiveness, and she was able to get one, good punch right in his masked face.
The mask shattered, as if made of baked clay. The man screamed and fell back. Takio watched in shock as a shadow appeared across the man's body, then lifted itself off and flew up into the darkness, disappearing into the blackness of night. She looked back to the man, now old and frail, lying unconscious on the floor.
Taiko didn't have any time to wonder about it. Akio was in the doorway. Chiyo reached for her weapon, but she couldn't match Akio for speed. He put his foot on the staff to keep her from lifting it, then grabbed her, picked her up, and dropped her over the edge of the balcony. Taiko lunged for her, but she was already out of reach. Akio took advantage of her opening to hook his arm around her neck, putting her in a choke hold.
He was strong, but Taiko's magic gave her the muscle power to throw him off. He was clearly surprised, but too quick-witted to leave himself open as the masked man had. He kicked the whip into the air and snatched the handle. Taiko ducked to avoid the tip as it sliced through the air.
Miyoshi was about to rush him from behind, but he hadn't forgotten about her. He turned and looped the whip around her stomach, catching her arms along with it. She screamed as he yanked her to keep her body between himself and Taiko long enough to jerk on both ends of the whip, tightening the loop enough to keep her arms from getting out. He tied a simple, hurried knot and threw her to the floor.
It wasn't good enough to keep her bound for long, but Taiko saw that Akio meant to finish things quickly. She never liked fighting all that much, and she didn't like using her magic this way, but the situation was dire. She threw a punch at him, but now that he knew how strong she was he simply dodged it. Even with her advantage in raw strength he was still better than her, redirecting her blows and using his reach to keep her from getting close enough.
Taiko launched her fist at him again, only to have him grab her arm and send her world spinning as he flipped her over his hip and onto her back. She found her arm locked where even her strength couldn't get it free.
"Taiko, was it? I supposed you'll be a good enough fuck with a broken arm."
"W.. wait!"
Taiko felt the pressure against her elbow joint, and was about to
scream when something drew Akio's attention.
"Hey, asshole!"
It was Yumi. She was leaning against a pillar, wearing nothing but a sheet wrapped around her chest. Aka was at her side, part of a soldier's uniform held in his mouth.
Yumi threw something at him. For a brief moment Taiko thought that she'd been saved, but then she saw how weak the throw was. Yumi fell to the floor with the effort, and the thing she threw hit the ground well before it reached him, clattering and rolling toward Taiko. It was a jar- one filled ink.
She snatched it up with her free hand, popped the lid off with her thumb, and swung it at Akio's face just as he turned back toward her. The black ink hit him square in the eyes, but not before he'd closed them. Still, he was blinded for a moment, and his grip loosened enough for her to pull her arm free.
Akio shook his head, and she saw that he'd been unable to whip the ink out of his face. In fact, he was clawing at it as if it was-
Taiko stood and took a closer look at the remnants of the ink left in the jar. She smelled it. There was no mistake. It was the same stuff that Ikumi had been attacked with.
Taiko punched Akio right in his gut. This time, he went down, and didn't get back up.