The Frozen Mysteries
Taiko hauled herself up over the ledge, finally finding a good bit of flat ground to rest on. She turned and sat down, looking over the hard, rocky climb that she'd spent the last few hours making. Below her stretched the red-rocked western face of the Isshou Mountains. It wasn't a steep route they'd taken, but it was a constant climb over boulders and up ridges with no proper trail to ease the way.
This side of the mountain range was almost as barren as the desert, and it was only recently that they'd started to see trees and signs of water. It blended into the desert as it flattened out at the bottom, and Taiko could see almost the entire path they'd taken to get where she was right now.
They'd left the Dunnies' village early in the morning, eager to get to Frostspire before any inkling of the Oni's defeat reached Queen Tomiko. It had taken half the day to get to the mountains, and the other half to climb to where she was now. It would be night soon, and fortunately Taiko was in a good place to set up camp.
She turned back to the wide, shallow gorge she'd just reached. There was enough space here for dirt to have collected and trees to grow, with a stream running down the far side. It was the true end of the desert, and a welcome sight.
Of course, the rest of her friends needed to reach it first. And Akio, she supposed.
"Hey!" she yelled down the slope, where Haru was helping Yumi over a crevice. "It's really nice up here! Hurry up, and we might even find some fresh berries!"
"Shut up!" shouted Yumi, "I'm going as fast as I can!"
"Throw us down some if you see any!" yelled Miyoshi.
"Shut up all of you!" grumbled Akio. "Do you have any idea how far your voices are traveling?"
Taiko was sure that everyone would have loved to tell him where he could stick his attitude, but he was right, and they made the rest of the climb in relative silence. Yumi had to be hauled up the ridge with a rope, as they'd done several times earlier, and when she was in range Taiko took her arm and pulled her to the top of the ledge. She had to catch her as she almost fell, but they'd made it. About half-way, at least.
"Okay," she said when Haru, the last of the party, appeared in the gorge. "Chiyo, get us a fire going. It's going to get chilly once the sun goes down. There's plenty of wood, thankfully. Miyoshi, scavenge for anything edible in the woods. We should have plenty of rations, but there's no reason not to save them if we can."
"Haru, clear us an area to put our blankets down. Yumi, you keep a watch out. Akio... just try not to bother anyone. I'll scout out as much as I can before it gets dark. Right! Break!"
Taiko walked off at a brisk pace before anyone- mostly Akio- tried to argue, tightening her cloak around herself. Her old shirt was lost somewhere in the desert, buried under the sand. Miyoshi made due with some cloth and sewing supplies from the Dunnies, turning the cloak she'd gotten from the Punnydins into a kind of traveling dress. It was cut short, with grey pants underneath, and despite Miyoshi's best efforts it was a plain little thing. It was decent for mountain climbing, at least, protecting her from cuts and scrapes that her skirt wouldn't have.
Taiko headed up the gorge until she was out of earshot, then pulled Minoru's crystal out of her cloak.
"Hey, are you there?"
"I can't be much anywhere else," he said, appearing in front of her.
Taiko continued walking, although not quite as fast.
"I've been thinking for the past two days," she said. "I need to know more. Not just about Tomiko and her kingdom, but about the worlds, and why they're fusing."
Minoru sighed.
"I'm sorry, I still don't know. I've been trying to figure it out myself, but the truth is my sight just doesn't extend very far. I can't just summon an answer; I need to find more information, just like you."
"Yeah... but there's still plenty you know that you haven't told me. And I think it's time you did."
"What do you want to know?"
"That's what you need to tell me. I can't even ask questions until I at least know what's basically going on."
"Well, that's a tall order. You're basically asking me to explain-"
"Minoru," she said, stopping and looking him in the eyes. "I don't know if I can do what you said when we first talked. About making this world- Akio's world- or the world they make together- a better place. I had to... I had to kill that woman. I let her fall. I let her fall to her death. That's... that's not me, Minoru. I said I was going to change Akio's world, but it's changing me too."
"And what else is going to change? What's going to happen to Umai? I want to make things better for the people here, but I'm scared. I can't ever show the others, but I'm scared that it's too much for me to fix by myself. If there's a way to keep my world from being corrupted, from becoming like this, I have to know. And that means you telling me whatever parts of the story you know I'll never think to ask about."
Minoru looked shamefully to the side. Taiko had nothing to offer him, no way to threaten him, and she certainly wasn't going to trick him into telling her anything. But she sensed that he was a good person, and if he had the empathy to feel what Taiko was feeling right now, he wouldn't be able to refuse her.
"How old do you think your world is?" he asked.
Taiko was caught off-guard by the question
"Uh... I guess, pretty old. Maybe thousands of years. They say that it's been centuries since the last goddess came to-"
"About ten years."
Taiko blinked, too stunned to respond right away.
"What? That's impossible. I'm older than that!"
"You are. So is Yumi, and Chiyo, and Miyoshi. And so are Akio and Tomiko. But this world is younger than any of you."
"That doesn't make any sense," she said. "How can we be older than the world?"
"Think back. Do you actually remember anything before about ten years ago? Do you remember being a child? Do you remember having parents, or growing up, or anything like that?"
Taiko tried to think about it, but her head was instantly lost in a strange haze. It felt weird, uncomfortable, to try to summon up any memories to answer him with.
"Yeah, that's why I'm not generally more forthcoming," he said. "You're not supposed to remember. You're supposed to feel like you do, in a vague sense, but you're not supposed to question it."
"Let's say I believe you," said Taiko, clearing her head and leaving her memories alone. "Where was I before the world existed? And how did I wind up here, with this weird memory thing going on?"
"You were in another world. A much, much older one. A much different one, too. You take for granted how much your world cares about you. How important you are to it, even when it's making you suffer. In that one, you were one of ten billion souls, the whole lot of which could be wiped from existence on any day and the universe would never even notice."
"Of course, the scientists of that world eventually grew powerful enough to force the issue with it. They discovered a way to tap in to the fundamental nature of the universe, and they tried to change it. They tried to create destiny and force the universe to have a sense of justice and meaning. They mostly just broke it."
"The whole thing came apart at the seams. It was too big and too inflexible, and instead of flowing smoothly across it the scientists' tampering tore through it, ripping it to pieces and nearly causing everything to collapse into nothingness."
"Fortunately, they found a way to save it, or at least save the pieces of it. They couldn't put them back together, but they did manage to stabilize the fragments as they broke off. Those pieces molded themselves to the people who broke off with them, making a world that suited their ideas of justice and meaning."
"Your world got lucky. You must have been children then. You created a sweet, innocent, childish little world where you and your friends got to be the heroes in-between eating sweets and singing songs. Tomiko and Akio's world, well... they took some issues with them when they came aboard, and the world suffers for it."
Taiko found herself with her back against a tree. She was done scouting for a while.
"What kind of issues?" she asked, trying not to be overwhelmed. She had a million questions now, but she could never ask that many. She had to ask some of them, though.
"You have met Akio, right? Granted, he wasn't like that before. The world- the fantasy it created- changed the person as much as the person changed it. It made you who you wanted to be. Akio was a nobody. An unsure, unassertive little man with a crush on a girl who barely noticed him. Tomiko... I don't know. She was beautiful and people loved her, but I don't think she was ever happy. I don't think she thought she deserved to be happy. The world she helped create didn't know any better, I guess."
"And before you ask again- no, I still don't know why your two pieces of the universe are merging again. All of the pieces should be falling away from each other, growing more and more different, more and more incompatible. You world definitely doesn't mesh with Tomiko's. I don't even know who you are."
"But you knew who they were," said Taiko.
Minoru looked surprised to see her figure out some piece of his puzzle that he was hoping she'd be too dumbstruck to notice.
"Yeah, I did. Taiko- there's something I need to warn you about. When you get to Frostspire, I'll help you get the blood and get out. But I'm not going to let Akio get his hands on Tomiko and do whatever horrible, perverted things he has in mind for her."
"Of course not," said Taiko, puzzled by his sudden intensity. "I wasn't going to-"
"I'm
serious. Very serious. I won't let it happen."
"I understand," she said.
Minoru vanished, fading slowly. Taiko still had questions, more than she could stand, but she also had a lot to think about as it was. She'd touched some nerve with Minoru, not that he couldn't have let her know that, but she recognized when a conversation was over. She could call him again later. Maybe by then he'd have figured out how to tell her whatever was bothering him.
Taiko walked back to the camp, finding a fire with Yumi and Miyoshi sitting by it. It was in a spot nestled between the trees where it would be hard to notice, probably a smart decision in case anyone was patrolling the mountain.
When Taiko came close enough she heard Miyoshi's voice, singing gently. It was such a beautiful sound, despite the sadness in her melody. Taiko knew why she was singing. For the first time she let herself remember being tied to the bench while that man had his way with her. She remembered being bound to the cross, sentenced to die, and having two more men decide that they would rather enjoy themselves with her mouth than show mercy on her in her final hours.
She'd lied to Minoru, hadn't she? Was it really Satsujin's death that she couldn't live with in this world? Taiko needed something to wash it away- to wash it all away, and here was Miyoshi, letting it pour out of her soul. Maybe it could take Taiko's grief with it as it drifted away over the mountains. She leaned up against a tree and listened. Maybe there was something beautiful enough to wipe away the evil after all.
Chiyo sat by the fire she'd just started, gazing into the flames. A book was at her side, but as much as she tried she couldn't focus on it. The book- taken from Ishi-jo- detailed some basic facts about Queen Tomiko and her lands. Chiyo meant to read it, to prepare herself better so that they wouldn't be relying entirely on him when they got there, but her mind refused to take any interest in the tome.
Sleeping the night before had been easy. She was exhausted, and the music and energy of the Dunnies' celebration had thrown her into a haze that she could let her head get lost in. But over the long day of traveling her memories of the day before had only grown sharper. Getting immersed in her own thoughts used to be natural to her. Now the quiet of her own mind only invited awareness of a sick feeling that wouldn't go away
Chiyo stood up and started wandering. Voices behind her asked where she was going. She might have mumbled something about a walk. She needed to clear her head, but nothing was working. She could still feel that man's dick inside of her. She could still taste cum. Every time she closed her eyes she felt hands on her body.
"Chiyo?"
The sound startled her, and even when she turned around to see that it was just Haru her heart was still beating fast.
"Are you looking for something? It could get easy to get lost out here, especially with how dark it's getting. I mean, I know you're used to adventuring, but you just looked a little distracted..."
She had gone a ways from the camp. She was alone out there with him, without her staff, and she kept expecting him to leap at her. There was still rope hanging off of his belt from the climb, rope that he could tie her up with. She would be as helpless in his hands as she had been in Akio's, and he could satisfy his urges with her while she struggled helplessly to stop him.
"Are you alright?" he asked. "You look..."
Chiyo knew that she was hiding nothing. He could see how scared she was, but he didn't want to say it. He looked at her, almost hurt, almost stepping closer but stopping himself.
What was she thinking? Why was she surprised that he wasn't attacking her? This was Haru. Of course he wasn't there to rape her. But the thoughts wouldn't go away, and instead of being relieved she felt anxious and bothered. She didn't know what it was, but it felt more wrong for him to be worried about her than the image of him forcing himself on her did.
"Haru," she said. "I... could you do something for me?"
"Of course," he said, seeming happy that she was asking. "What is it?"
Chiyo looked around, then started down the gorge, putting more distance between herself and the camp.
"Over here," she said. "Just a little bit."
Haru followed her until she'd found a place where another gorge joined the one they were in, going up the other a ways until they were well isolated from the camp.
"This is good," she said quietly, nervous about what she was going to ask him to do.
Chiyo put her wrists together and held them out to Haru. They were shaking slightly, but that wouldn't matter soon.
"That rope... I need you to use it. To tie me up, I mean."
It was dark now, but there was enough moonlight for her to see that confusion on his face.
"What? Why?"
"I don't know. Please, just trust me."
Chiyo didn't know if she trusted herself. She didn't really understand why she was asking for this, but some part of her thought it was the right thing to do.
Haru took the rope and unwound it. He held her hands gently while he laid the coils across her skin. He kept it loose enough not to hurt or pinch her, but once he cinched it and tied his knot it felt secure. Chiyo gave it a test, and found it plenty tight enough to keep her from getting free.
"See that branch?" she asked looking up. "Tie it to that."
Haru still looked uncertain, but he threw the rope over the thick limb and hauled Chiyo's arms into the air, over her head.
"A little more," she said, now shaking badly enough that she could barely keep her voice steady.
Haru gave it another tug, and Chiyo was lifted onto her toes. He tied the rope in place, ensuring she would be at his mercy.
"Okay," he said. "Can you explain this to me now?"
"Not yet. You need to..."
Chiyo had trouble asking him to do it. It was humiliating. But it was how it worked. He needed to do it. She just wished she didn't have to ask him.
"Take my clothes off," she said, not able to look him in the eye when she did.
"Chiyo, what are you asking me to do?"
He sounded as scared as she was.
"I
wouldn't ask you if it wasn't important," she said, her voice cracking.
"I just need this. Please?"
There was a stillness that lasted for too long, then a tugging on her
clothes. He pulled her shirt over her head, bundling it at her forearms where
it wouldn't go past the ropes. Her pants fell to the ground.
"Everything," she said, knowing he would stop at her underwear if she didn't.
His hands brushed against her skin as he stripped her bra and panties from her. She was nude again now, the moonlight no doubt reflecting off of her naked breasts while Haru watched. She forced herself to open her eyes. Haru still looked worried, but he couldn't help but stare a little at her body.
"Take off your belt," she said, "And hit me with it."
"What? No!" he said, stepping back.
It sounded so strange to hear him refuse, even though Chiyo knew it was an unnatural thing to ask him to do. It only made sense to her because of some voice in her head that she couldn't explain, demanding that she suffer.
"I promise," she said. "I'll explain later. I promise this is right. Just this one time, don't ask why."
Haru slipped his belt free, doubling it over. Chiyo closed her eyes and bit her lip, waiting.
The belt hit her, slapping across her ass. It was nothing compared to the beating she'd taken in Akio's dungeon, but it hurt enough to make her body tense. Haru waited before swinging again, a little harder this time. She resisted the urge to cry out, not wanting anyone to hear. She wound up squealing instead, feeling her arms start to burn.
"Don't stop," she said when the next strike didn't come.
Haru beat her with his belt, but after a half dozen more lashes Chiyo no longer felt it was enough.
"I... I need a gag," she said. "You can use my socks. Stuff one in my mouth, and tie it there. Then I want you to hit me harder. Until I can't stand it anymore."
"But- how will I know when to stop?" he asked. "I still don't understand."
"Just do it for a while," she said. "Do it until I'm too weak to struggle much."
"Chiyo, I could really hurt you. I couldn't stand doing that."
"You won't. I just need to see..."
Chiyo squirmed, wondering if Haru thought her body looked as good bound like this as Akio and his minions had.
"I'll be able to explain in just a little bit. Please hurry, before I get too scared."
Haru took her sock and held it to her face. It smelled awful, and as soon as she opened her mouth she regretted telling him to do it. The gross, dirty sock went between her teeth and onto her tongue, Haru carefully pushing every part of it into her mouth. Her jaw had to stretch to fit it all, but it would do the job, at least. Haru tied his own bandanna around her head, and when Chiyo moaned she found herself effectively muffled. She wouldn't even be able to tell him to stop now, and the ache already settling in her jaw was a punishment in itself.
That what this was. It was a punishment. Haru hit her across her back, and her gag was immediately put to a real test. This time it stung, deeply, and if she hadn't been tied she wouldn't have been able to bring herself to stand and bear it. Chiyo panicked when the next blow game, as hard as the last; she had no way out now, and this was going to hurt. A lot.
She moaned and whined as Haru whipped her, begging him to stop. He didn't, of course. She'd seen to that. She didn't deserve to be able to stop it. Chiyo knew what the feeling was that kept her awake was now. It was guilt. Guilt over what, she didn't understand. What had she done wrong? She'd been the one tortured and raped. All she knew is that she felt ashamed for it. She felt like she deserved to be punished.
Haru was obliging. She pulled at her hands with all her might, but there was no chance of them going anywhere. She could do nothing but endure her penance, just like every other time. Tears rolled down her cheeks as the pain flooded her body and as fear that Haru really would go too far gripped her.
She convulsed, twisting as the belt slapped at the small her back. She felt her knees collapse when it wrapped around to catch her in the ribs. She groaned as loudly as she could when it went low, below her ass the the tender flesh of her legs below.
The assault didn't end until Chiyo was hanging limp from her arms, her head drooping while sweat dripped down her body despite the rapidly cooling air. For all of the lingering pain she felt in her skin and muscles she felt a rightness, as if this was how she deserved to spend her nights.
Haru gently lowered her to the ground, her hands still tied. He crouched over her and took out her gag, tossing it aside. Chiyo looked up drunkenly at him, knowing she owed him an explanation that she barely understood herself. There was quiet, and before she could speak he leaned in and kissed her.
He was going to rape her after all. She pushed against his chest with her hands, but what little strength she had drained away when he cupped his hand around the back of her head and held her lips to his. Did she deserve this too? When his other hand wrapped around her back she knew. She didn't deserve what he was about to do to her, but she didn't have the slightest chance of bringing herself to make him stop.
Haru took her hands and slipped them over his head, using her own bound wrists to hold her body to his. She waited helplessly for him to take her mouth again, moaning when he did. She struggled as he squeezed her in his arms, his warmth protecting her from the cooling air. He didn't say a word to her, but the way he groped her and enveloped her with his arms said everything it needed to about how she would serve him.
He took his shirt off, slipping it out from under her arms and tossing it away. His bare chest came to rest on hers, and a sensation that hadn't happened the last time- when it was Akio pressing himself against her- overcame her. She felt like Haru was fusing with her, not just touching her but absorbing her into himself.
He pushed his pants down while he kissed her neck, leaving her own lips to do nothing but quiver. She felt his dick on her loins, as hard as any that had touched her.
Chiyo thought that she was prepared for having a man's penis forced into her now, but when Haru guided his manhood into her pussy she found out how wrong she was. She tensed, squeezing as he fit himself into her. What she felt the other times was intense, but it could never have been called what this was- pleasure. Haru was gentle, starting off slow and holding her body to move it with his. He was strong, and she was no less helpless against him than Akio, but time it somehow made her feel safe.
He took possession of her body, from her loins to her mouth, and as the moon slowly crept across the sky she let her passions surrender to him, moaning loudly when he made her orgasm. She welcomed his cum when it came, hoping that she'd given him as much pleasure as the other men had taken.
For a long time after she lay in his arms, her back to his chest. Her hands were still tied, but it only made her more comfortable in his hold. Her body still felt like someone else's property, but at least if the man whose warmth she was cradled in was the one who owned it, she could be happy.
Miyoshi shivered, even with her coat pulled tightly around her. They'd taken winter clothes with them, of course, but even Umai's coldest day was warmer than this. An icy wind blew through the pass as they crept through it, as if it was trying to push them away from Queen Tomiko's domain. Maybe it would be happy if it could just freeze them solid where they were instead.
"I hope it gets warmer when we get out of the mountains," she said, having to speak up over the howl of the wind.
"It won't," said Akio. "You should have brought a thicker coat if you're this weak to the cold."
"Maybe I would have if our supposed expert had mentioned it."
"We'll figure something out when we get down there," said Taiko.
Miyoshi felt bad for a moment. It was probably the tenth time today Taiko had to stop someone from bickering with Akio. Even Chiyo was talking more than she had been, and more than once she had barbed comments for him. At least she was getting better.
Taiko, leading the way, reached the top of the upward slope.
"Woah," she said. "Look at this!"
Miyoshi burned a little extra energy to join her, and stopped by her side in awe. The ground fell away in front of them, and from here the plains of Tomiko's kingdom could be seen, laid out below in white and blue. In the center stood Frostspire, a fortified palace larger and taller than Miyoshi could have imagined. Her breath stopped when she saw the eerie stillness of the frozen land, from the lakes that were as smooth as mirrors to the trees that refused to sway despite the winds that were blowing. Only the snow would allow itself to be disturbed, flurrying up occasionally and decorating the air.
"It's beautiful," she said.
"It looks cold," said Chiyo.
"Yeah," said Taiko. "We should hurry. It'll be bad if we don't get down there and find some shelter before it gets dark."
"At least it's downhill from here," said Haru.
"That's right," said Taiko. She turned back and looked at Yumi, who was just getting to the top with his help.
"It'll be easier from here. Thank, you, Haru, for helping us this far. We should be able to make it the rest of the way, now."
She gave him a slight bow, then handed him the map they'd sketched of the mountains. Haru frowned and furrowed his brow.
"Are you sure? There's still a ways to go, and even when you get to the palace-"
"This is a stealth mission," said Akio. "We will be better off with fewer people, and whatever mediocre skill in fighting you have won't be enough if we get caught and have to fight the whole palace guard."
"I'd rather take him than you," said Chiyo.
"Stop!" said Taiko, sighing. "He's right. We're only even bringing him along because he knows what we're looking for and about the castle."
"But it's dangerous," said Haru. "I know you're used to dangerous stuff, but it's been worse lately. After what happened in the desert... you might need help."
"Maybe," said Taiko. "But our best chance is to go in as lean as possible. Besides, we can't drag you into something like this. It matters a lot whether you get back safely, too."
"I don't care about that," he said.
"You should," said Chiyo. "Please, it'll be easier if we're not worried about you. We've got enough on our shoulders already."
Miyoshi was surprised by the look in her eye when she spoke to him. There was depth to it, her concern for him not just their usual care for the villages of Umai.
Haru took the map, his head cast down, and made a few steps back toward the path they'd taken there.
"Make sure you come back, okay?"
"We will," said Chiyo.
"Come on," said Akio. "Daylight is a commodity not wisely wasted out here."
Taiko bowed to Haru again and started down the mountain, Yumi following her with the lead they used to guide Akio. Miyoshi was a few steps behind them, but she stopped to turn around on some instinct. Chiyo, while she didn't think they were watching, had run after Haru, and Miyoshi saw her kiss him. Miyoshi smiled at the sight, hoping that someday she could kiss someone that way. She turned back toward Frostspire, letting Chiyo keep her privacy.
"I can't believe how cold it is," said Yumi, hugging her self and rubbing her arms for warmth. "Have I ever mentioned how much I hate the cold?"
Their journey down the mountain wasn't quite as brisk as she'd hoped. There was snow and ice now to threaten their balance, and as it got thicker it sometimes hid branches, holes, and other hazards. They were still in the lower slopes when they came across the first of the fields where Queen Tomiko's subjects grew their food.
Rows of what looked like frozen, leafy bulbs ran up the mountainside, planted in hard dirt. Off in the distance Miyoshi saw figures, covered in torn, raggedy clothes working the crops. She pulled her hood over her head, hiding her face as best she could. The others in her party had already done the same, but nobody seemed to take notice of them or stir to meet them.
Soon they were passing nearby poorly-built houses that couldn't possibly be keeping the wind out. Most of them barely seemed like they should still be standing. A fenced-in area they passed held great beasts, as high as a man at the shoulder and covered with long, thick fur. They seemed mostly docile, having hooved feet and a mouth full of flat teeth for chewing grass, or whatever like it was around here. Miyoshi hadn't seen any foliage, and wondered what it actually ate. They did have a pair of horns coming out the sides of their heads, and Miyoshi imagined that their sheet bulk could make them dangerous if something did make them mad.
They passed many of the farms, avoiding a village and keeping it far to their right, and tried to keep nearby to stretches of forest in case they saw any patrols. Miyoshi grew nervous at how silent everything was, and how easily their going was so far. None of them spoke except for the most important comments, mostly from Taiko and Akio.
The sun had already disappeared over the mountains, although it wasn't fully dark yet. Miyoshi wondered if they were going to find shelter for the night; Akio seemed to think that there might be some abandoned farms nearby, but his map was incomplete and had already proved inaccurate, and he wasn't able to read it anyway.
Just when Miyoshi was about to suggest talking to one of the farmers to ask for shelter a scream broke out from the other side of a strip of woods they were traveling along.
Miyoshi froze. It sounded like a child. Before she could say anything Taiko was already running, and Yumi was trying her best to follow. Akio was looking around, blind and confused.
"What's happening?" he hissed.
"Just stay here," said Miyoshi.
She ran after Taiko, catching up with Yumi and helping her through a snowbank. When they reached the edge of the trees on the other side they saw one of the farmers, small and frail-looking, huddled on the ground as one of the beasts she'd seen before in the pens thrashed about.
"Hey!" shouted Taiko, waving her arms above her head. "Come try that over here!"
The beast didn't even seem to hear her, continuing to swing its horns wildly through the air, stomping and bucking at nothing Miyoshi could see. It bellowed, both mournfully and angrily, in the throes of some horrible agony.
"It's gone completely mad," said Chiyo, appearing by Miyoshi's side.
She leveled her staff and grunted from the pit of her stomach. A twisting arc of swirling air leaped from her staff to the beast, and Chiyo dug in her heels as it pushed the creature back. Miyoshi saw her struggling to keep a grip as it threw its weight one way or the other, and grabbed onto the staff herself to back her up.
"Toward that stream!" shouted Taiko, pointing to the right.
Chiyo wrestled it over, and when its hooves hit the frozen surface it cracked, sinking the beast halfway up its legs in the water.
Taiko was already casting her spell, her thick coat obscuring her gesturers somewhat.
"Freeze, icy stream!"
The beast was instantly stuck, bellowing and lunging with its horns but safely held for the time being. Taiko rushed to the figure on the ground, Miyoshi almost there herself already.
She helped Taiko roll the huddled figure onto his back. Now that Miyoshi saw him up close she realized that he was of some race she'd never seen before. He was covered in a very fine blue fur, with a pig's nose and curly white hair. He looked much thinner than he should be and unhealthy in general, but the blood that was seeping through his clothes was a much more immediate concern.
"It's bad, but I can fix it," said Taiko, making a sign and putting her hand on him.
His face eased and Taiko's magic closed his wound. Miyoshi looked up to see that beast was tiring out, still trying to break free but too weak to have any hope now. She sympathized with it. She walked over to it, risking her hand against its side as a low, deep sound rumbled out of its belly. She couldn't see anything obviously wrong with it, but soon its head drooped and its body sank onto the ice, as much as it could with its legs frozen in place. She stroked its side as its breath came slower and slower, and then stopped.
"Swune!"
Miyoshi turned to find the source of the voice. Another one of the blue pig-nosed people was running toward them, an older woman from the look of it. Taiko was still crouched by him. He wasn't awake yet, but he was started to move.
"He's okay," she said as the woman picked him up, shaking him. "Swune! Wake up!"
"You don't need to do that!" she tried to tell her.
Miyoshi put her hand on the woman's shoulder.
"Calm down, everything's okay. Well, except for the big furry thing."
"Mom?" said boy, opening his eyes. He sounded so much younger than he looked.
"Swune! What happened?"
"It was Coffafu. I was bringing him out to haul in a load of firewood and he went loopy. I don't remember after that- I thought maybe he kicked me, but-"
"You're bleeding!" said the woman, seeing his clothes and trying to open them to see the source.
Taiko put her hands on the woman's arm and stopped her.
"I told you, everything's okay. I healed the wound. Coffafu, though..."
She looked over her shoulder at the poor beast, frozen in the stream.
"Healed me? How?" said the boy.
"With magic, of course!"
"I've never heard of magic healing someone," said the mother, suspiciously.
"I feel okay now," said the boy, fighting off his mother to stand up.
"What happened with you big furry thing?" asked Miyoshi. "Why did he go 'loopy'?"
"What, you've never heard of a frostfur going loopy? If you keep working them when they get too old and sick they do that. Right before they die, they just snap and go mad."
"Why did you keep working it then? If it was so old and tired..."
"I'm old and tired," said the woman, "But I have to keep working. It's sad, but we can't afford not to get everything we can out of them. I'm just glad Coffafu lasted this long. If he'd gone a month ago we wouldn't have gotten enough in the harvest to pay our tithe. Now we'll have to butcher him and sell the meat."
"So he doesn't even get to rest in death? Poor Coffafu..."
"Who are you people? I've never seen such going on about a frostfur that's not even yours."
"My name is-," said Taiko, catching herself. "Maybe I shouldn't say."
Akio appeared through the woods, groping around and having to brute force his way through the snow.
"You don't know if there's any place we can rest for the night, do you? We've been traveling for a while, and it's getting dark."
"Traveling? Around here? Nobody does that except Her Majesty's people."
The woman sighed.
"Come one. You helped Swune, so I guess we can put you up for the night. I'll have to get my husband to drag Coffafu back to the barn."
"I can help," said Taiko.
"You don't look that strong," said Swune. "Frostfurs are heavy, you know."
Miyoshi caught him looking at Coffafu. At least he seemed to be mourning him.
"I'm not," she said, winking at him. "Magic, remember?"
It wasn't far back to their house. It was a tight fit with everyone inside, although at least it helped keep it warm. The place was as drafty as it looked, and very bare besides. There wasn't even a bed, just some blankets on the floor to share between Swune's parents and three siblings.
"So Coffafu's dead?" asked Oin, Swune's father.
"Yeah," said Swune. "He's in the barn. The woman with the pink hair used some kind of magic to make herself super strong, and she was able to drag it there with the rest of us helping."
"We're sorry about your frostfur," said Miyoshi. "It doesn't look like you have very much. I hope you can get by without him."
"I hope," said the man, sighing. "We've got a younger one out grazing right now. She's not old enough to replace Coffafu, but maybe if we can survive the rest of the year..."
"Enough about that, though. You're a strange bunch. We don't get visitors here. We've barely even heard of what lies past our farms. Where do you come from, and how did you get here?"
"Better that we don't say," said Akio.
"Why?"
asked Miyoshi. "Everyone we've seen so far looks so destitute. This land
can't be that poor; we've seen Queen Tomiko's men and her palace."
"Her Majesty takes a very heavy share," said Pokr, the
mother. "She leaves us with just enough to survive, sometimes a little
less. In two days we'll have to deliver our tithes to her, a set amount for
every family, no matter what they actually have to spare."
"That's awful," said Miyoshi. "Why does anyone stand for that?"
Oin laughed bitterly.
"What else can we do? Queen Tomiko is ruthless and powerful. The Butakin have been her slaves since any of our fathers can remember. Even the humans fear her."
"But if everyone who was afraid of her just got together, you'd be able to stand up to her no problem."
"You should be careful with that talk," said Pokr. "If any of Her Majesty's men hear about it you'll find out why everyone's so scared of her yourself. Besides, it's pointless. Queen Tomiko has great magical powers and fearsome creatures she can send after her enemies. Her soldiers eat well, at least, and what chance would a bunch of us poor folk stand against them?"
"Her grip over this land is unshakable," said Akio. "Trust me, there have been attempts to shake it. If worse came to worse she could retreat to Frostspire and let Hyōga loose to ravage the lands outside."
"Hyōga?" asked Taiko.
"A beast of ice and wind that cannot be stopped. Luckily, it can't travel far from Frostspire, but it would be more than able to devour these wretched creatures if they tried to rebel."
"What if they got into Frostspire and made her stop it?" asked Miyoshi.
"Frostspire is nearly impenetrable. The walls are made of solid blocks of stone, and even if you climbed them there are no openings to get inside. The windows are all covered with an unbreakable sheet of ice, courtesy of Tomiko's magic. The roof is cursed to send anyone trying to climb onto it falling to their deaths, often with sharp winds to help. The only way in is the main gate, which Tomiko's minions can easily defend."
"That's going to be a problem," said Taiko.
"Why's that?" asked Pokr suspiciously as she laid out bowls of a porridge-like meal in front of them.
"Oh, nothing," said Miyoshi, smiling.
"Don't 'oh, nothing' me," said Pokr. "I've raised children, I know when somebody is about to get themselves in trouble."
"There's just something we need from the palace," said Taiko. "Nothing major, but our friend needs it or she'll die, and we've been told that Queen Tomiko doesn't like making trades."
"You're planning a burglary against Queen Tomiko?" asked Oin, his eyes wide. "That's crazy. You'll be caught, no question, and you'll spend the rest of your lives in her dungeon."
The words made Miyoshi shiver. She knew that they had to try, but she'd learned the hard way how easily things could go wrong for them. So far they'd been lucky that someone always managed to get away and stage a rescue, but what if Taiko had fallen too in that first fight against Akio? Would they ever have escaped, or would all four of them have been broken and spent the rest of their lives as sex slaves? Miyoshi imagined still being tied up with another soldier on top of her, and had to shake the image out of her head.
"We'll be careful," said Taiko.
"Careful, my foot!" said Pokr. "If you were being careful you'd stay away."
"You don't know any ways in, do you?" asked Miyoshi.
"Of course they don't," said Akio. "What would be the point of a secret passage into the palace that every slave farmer in the kingdom knew about?"
"The only way in is through the front gate," said Oin. "And only people who work for Her Majesty or have tithes to deliver get through."
"What if we had some tithes, then?" asked Taiko.
"What kind of tithes? And you think they wouldn't spot something suspicious about you?" asked Pokr. "You should go back home. I'm sorry about your friend, but there's no sense in throwing yourself away after her."
Miyoshi wished she could take Pokr's advice, but she knew that Taiko would never let her.
"I have an idea," she said. "But we'll need to borrow Coffafu's hide. You won't mind, will you?"
Pokr and Oin looked at each other nervously.
"This isn't going to get us in trouble, is it?" asked Oin.
The gates to Frostspire were just ahead. Taiko had been staring at them all morning as she waited her turn, standing among a mass of people all there to deliver tribute to Queen Tomiko. She was starting to get worried; if their turn didn't come soon, her spell might wear off.
Taiko absently put her hand against the side of her new friend, 'Warmbelly'. Miyoshi had outdone herself this time. Next to her stood a life-like construction of a frostfur, courtesy of the late Coffafu's hide. Last night Oin had skinned the beast and helped Miyoshi put the furs over a complex wooden frame, complete with moving joints. She'd worked all day and part of two nights to assemble the puppet, passionately and tirelessly.
Even Taiko had doubted that she could pull it off, back when Miyoshi was energetically rattling off her plans, but once she saw the finished product she was amazed. While it stood still it looked perfectly like any other frostfur, and when they pushed it forward it even walked with the right gait. Of course, it would take Taiko's spell, letting it be the frostfur that the construction had made it want to be, to make it convincing enough to pass the guards up ahead.
"Are we almost there?" whispered Warmbelly's stomach. "Ow! What you elbowing me- mmph!"
"There, there," said Miyoshi, stroking the beast as Yumi's voice was suddenly muffled. "Don't be nervous, just be a good boy. A good, quiet boy, so that none of the guards hear you."
The construct was only big enough inside to hold two people with all of the equipment they needed to sneak in. Akio had gone inside, of course, given that he was a highly recognizable enemy in this land. Yumi volunteered to go with him, not trusting him with anyone else and being the least useful of them until she could fight again. That left Taiko, Chiyo, and Miyoshi to guide the beast into the palace.
Frostspire was huge. It was larger than the entire plateau that Ishi-jo had rested on. Huge stone blocks made up its walls, grey in color, but often covered with a thin layer of ice or snow. Blue banners and trimmings showed its outlines, marking the towers that rose high above that would otherwise be lost in the grey, cloudy sky. One spire, in the center, rose higher than all the others, and even the blue of its roof was hard to make out.
They stood in a wide plaza, crowded at the moment because of all of the Butakin who there to deliver their tithes, but having no signs that it was normally occupied. There were no stalls or storefronts nearby, and the only notable feature of the place was the altar off toward one end. At least that's what Taiko took it to be- it was wide and long enough for a person to lie on and have plenty of space to stretch out. There was a strange trough surrounding it, and a giant basin standing above it.
The line shuffled forward, and now the entrance to Frostspire itself loomed before them. It was wide enough for at least three frostfurs to pass through abreast, with a heavy iron portcullis hanging over it. A wooden door was also visible above, threatening to drop on them at any moment if there was trouble. Taiko noticed that there was another doorway to the side, currently barred. The door was a normal size, but it was banded with iron and Taiko had no doubt that there were more defenses behind it.
"Names?" asked the soldier as they stepped forward, Warmbelly lumbering alongside them.
"Snouw," said Taiko, repeating the name that Pokr had given her. She prayed that her disguise would hold up. Miyoshi had even found time to make masks for them that would make them look like Butakin. Taiko's magic couldn't be spared for these, but they were very good on their own, made from wax and forstfur sheddings.
"Bhoar," said Miyoshi, her hood tucked over her head as much as possible without being suspicious.
"Tus," said Chiyo, looking down.
The soldier flipped through several pages, frowning.
"I don't see those names."
"It must be a mistake," said Taiko, imitating the fearful tone that most of the Butakin took with the soldiers.
"What are you bringing?" he asked.
"We're bringing our frostfur. We were told Her Majesty needed some."
"Did you hear anything like that?" asked the soldier, turning to one of his companions.
"Of course not, they don't tell us fuck. Just write down their names on the back and take the stupid beast. Nobody's going to complain if we have extra at the end of the day."
The soldier shrugged.
"Take it in, tell private Hideyo to find a place for it."
He waved them through, and Taiko gave a quick prayer of thanks as she passed into Frostspire. The great entrance hall they found inside was full of goods and workers, with soldiers giving them directions on where to take what. Taiko reached into her cloak and found Minoru's crystal, waking him without pulling it out for anyone to see.
They found an out-of-the-way place to stop and wait, and nobody seemed to notice or care. Everyone was too busy, and there were plenty of messy pileups and bits of confusion to blend in with.
"You need to get through that hallway to the right," came a whisper.
Taiko nodded, and saw that a group of workers were hauling some crates in that direction. She found some unoccupied baskets of that frozen fruit and loaded them onto Warmbelly, then attached herself to the end of the train of workers. The guards let them pass without much notice, and once in the hallway they veered left to follow Minoru's voice.
They passed several patrols on their way, but with plenty of other workers around they were ignored and allowed to go as they pleased.
"Here," said Minoru, appearing in sight, next to a large pair of doors.
Taiko looked around, found the way clear, and opened them long enough to shuffle Warmbelly in.
"This is as far as you'll get with that thing," he said. "The rest of the palace is out of the way of the main storerooms, so the guards there won't be expecting anyone bringing tithes through."
Miyoshi reached into Warmbelly's fur and pulled a lever, opening his side and letting Akio and Yumi fall out.
"About time," said Yumi as Taiko helped her to her feet. "I hope we don't have to get out the same way."
"We probably will," said Miyoshi.
"It's cold in here," said Yumi.
Taiko knew what she meant. Even with their coats on the chill was getting to her, and their breath was frosting in the air. She could feel an undercurrent of magic in the atmosphere, as if the entire palace wanted those inside to freeze. Taiko wondered quietly to herself how close they were to Tomiko.
"Enough whining. We need to go to the lower levels," said Aiko. "The storeroom with the deepshrieker blood we need will be down there."
"How do you know that?" asked Chiyo, suspiciously.
"I've been gathering information about this palace for years," he said. "I know quite a bit about its layout. The information didn't come cheaply, I assure you. There are mines underneath the palace. The place we're looking for is near the entrance."
"I can get some of the guards out of your way," said Minoru. "But be careful- if you get caught, there won't be any fighting your way out. Even if those two get their tar off."
"We'll make it through," said Taiko while she exchanged her ragged Butakin cloak for one she could more easily move in. She took off her mask, storing it with Miyoshi and Chiyo's inside of Warmbelly.
"How much longer will that spell last?" asked Miyoshi.
"Not long. It'll wear off sometime while we're on our way to the room. I can recast it when we get back. At least I'll be able to use that part of my magic if we need it to get to the storeroom."
Minoru turned invisible again. While Taiko waited for him to give her the signal she heard Akio mumble something. She looked over and saw him facing toward the wall.
"What was that?" she asked.
"Nothing," he said.
Before she could press the issue Minoru whistled from the hallway. Taiko slipped through the door, trusting that it was safe to go. They moved quietly, trying not to disturb the eerie silence of the palace. It was slow going, and they had to hide a number of times, waiting for a passageway to be clear. The stairways down had guards stationed there, obliging them to climb down a garbage chute. The doors to the chute were all latched from the outside, but fortunately whoever had designed them was more concerned with someone climbing up toward the important areas than down toward the mines, and the room the chute fed into at the bottom was unlocked.
"That guard isn't moving," said Minoru, whispering, when they were finally one dash away from the storeroom. "And there's no other way in."
"I assume you can take down one guard?" asked Akio.
"Without blasting him with magic, preferably," said Minoru. "There are a lot of guards milling around the entrance to the mines; you need to do it quietly."
"Tell me when he's looking the other way," said Taiko.
"Now," said Minoru.
Taiko peeked around the corner and down the hallway. The storeroom was halfway down, with the guard standing in front of the door. He was looking down, picking at his fingernails, but he could look up at any moment, and there was no cover in the hallway.
"An arrow would do it," said Akio.
"We'd have to kill him," said Taiko. "I've got a better idea. Come over here, Miyoshi. Akio, get ready to punch about stomach height right around the corner. Minoru, tell him when. Everyone else be quiet. Miyoshi- you try to be as quiet as you can too."
"What are you going to-"
Taiko didn't let Miyoshi finish. She placed her against the wall, opened her coat, and stuck her fingers inside. Miyoshi yelped, catching herself and trying to stay silent, but with Taiko tickling her in the ribs it was a losing battle.
"Stop!" she said, trying to choke back her laughter, and failing just enough that the guard wouldn't be able to help but hear it.
Miyoshi's torture continued while Taiko waited for the guard to get curious enough to come see what was happening. It sounded innocent enough, she hoped, that he wouldn't think to call the other guards to help, but he could hardly ignore it either. Miyoshi's voice was so alluring as she laughed, and Taiko had to admit that she was enjoying having her hands on her more than she should.
"Now!" said Minoru.
The guard appeared around the corner just as Akio threw his fist in his direction. The man doubled over, the wind knocked out of him. It didn't take long for Akio to grab him and choke him unconscious after that.
"Alright!" said Taiko, "Let's hurry."
"I... I need a minute," said Miyoshi, but Taiko wasn't going to press their luck. She grabbed Miyoshi by the arm and ran her over to the storeroom.
They threw the door open and rushed inside, holding it long enough for Akio to drag the guard in with them. It wasn't what she'd been expecting. The room was mostly full of mining equipment, some foodstuffs, and lots of other random, low-value junk.
"What's something so important doing in here?" asked Taiko.
"The deepshrieker's blood isn't particularly important," said Akio. "The creatures appear sometimes in the mines, and since the blood has a few uses as a corrosive they keep it around after the soldiers kill one. But our situation is very rare. The kurosumi isn't from around here, and there are few other things that the blood is absolutely needed for."
"So where is it?" asked Yumi.
"Look for a red jar. There's a certain kind of pot needed to hold it to keep it fresh."
"There!" said Yumi, rushing over, as best she could, to a jar on crowded shelf. "Crap... Taiko, can you get this open?"
Taiko went over to her and took the jar. The cork was tightly stuck, but she managed to work it out regardless. There was a loud popping noise as it came free, and a pungent odor rose from the jar. It didn't smell like blood.
"Are you sure this is it?" she asked.
Chiyo took the jar and gave it a sniff.
"Gross," she said, "This is frog dung."
Taiko heard Minoru's voice outside. She couldn't make it out at first, but it quickly grew loud.
"Hey! I said- don't go in there!"
The door opened and a well-dressed man strode through. He was wearing a robe made from fur and silk with gold lacing. He didn't look surprised to see them at all, and none of them moved while he simply opened a chest and retrieved a jar from it. The clear glass showed a deep red liquid inside, and the man wasted no time in handing it to Akio.
Chiyo leveled her staff at the two, apparently having realized the same thing as Taiko.
"Put that away!" hissed the man. "Do you want to call every guard in the palace down here?"
Aiko opened the jar and dipped his hand in, smearing the blood across his eyes. The tar started to bubble and drip, and Akio quickly peeled it off of his skin. He opened his eyes, squinting as the light he'd been cut off from for so long stung them. The man handed him a cloth, and he took it to wipe his eyes.
"Who is that?" snarled Yumi, trembling at the sight of her salvation in Akio's hand. "How did you set this up?"
"I told you," he said. "I've been gathering information about this palace for a long time. Obviously, I have a spy in my employ. My ring- the one that buffoon we were traveling with let me get from my room before we left- was my means for communicating with him. He's been hearing everything I have since we've been within a mile of the palace."
"You bastard!" spat Yumi.
"Please, you were hardly planning on letting me go after this. Were you even going to give me the blood to clear my eyes after you used it? I've only been a move ahead of you in a game we were both playing."
"So now what?" said Taiko. "We can't let you leave with that jar. We'll fight you, even if we have to risk the guards hearing."
"I'm not ready to leave. Not yet. I'm closer to Tomiko than I've ever been before, and two of her precious Oni aren't here to protect her. I can end this war today. And you're going to help me."
Akio poured some of the blood onto the rag, then resealed the jar and handed it back to his spy.
"I'll give you enough for Yumi, but Jinpachi here will ensure that nobody leaves this palace until Tomiko is my hostage. We can hold her until one of my armies arrives to take possession of Frostspire. I'll even let you keep Ishi-jo in the deal, if you wish."
"We're not making any deals with you," said Miyoshi. "You're a filthy liar."
"Maybe we should," said Taiko.
"What?" said Miyoshi, looking at her like she was crazy.
"Queen Tomiko is just as bad as Akio. Her people deserve to be free from her too."
"They won't be free," said Chiyo. "They'll have Akio ruling over them if he gets what he wants."
"We'll make sure that doesn't happen. But this might be our only chance to save them. And- it's more than that. Whatever is causing the worlds to fuse might be here. We need to find it. We can't leave without doing that."
"She's got a point," said Yumi. "If we can take her out, maybe we can get the whole kingdom to rise up. Akio can plan whatever he wants, but I bet you his army won't even show up."
"No!" said Miyoshi, "Please! We've already done so much- I just want to go home."
Taiko saw tears begin to well in her eyes, her hands clasped together as if she was praying.
"We've already been captured twice. You don't understand, Yumi. You weren't- I can't do that again."
"I can't either," said Chiyo. "I just want what we need for Ikumi, then we can go back to Umai. We promised we'd come back safe, remember? Every time we try to fight these people, something happens. Yumi, remember the crosses? At Ishi-jo? Please, don't make us go through that again."
"I'm sorry, Chiyo," said Taiko. "If you don't want to stay here- if you want to leave- I'll understand. But I won't let this awful world be the one we have to live in. I'll either end Tomiko's reign or find a way to separate our worlds again."
"Give me the rag," said Yumi. "Just don't act surprised when I don't let you keep her crown."
Akio tossed the blood-soaked cloth to her. She immediately started wiping off down the back of her neck. Taiko saw the strength return in her grip on her spear.
"Yumi, I'm begging you!" said Miyoshi.
"I'm sorry, Taiko."
This time it was Minoru's voice.
"I warned you that I wouldn't let Akio get his hands on Tomiko."
"What? Wait- I won't. I'm not going to hand her over to him, no matter what."
"No. I can't risk it," he said, his face hard.
Minoru backed out of the door, sighed, and started shouting.
"Intruders! In the storeroom!"
"Run!" shouted Miyoshi
They'd be trapped where they were, of course. Taiko ran into the hallway as Akio drew his sword, Yumi on her heels. The first guard rounded the corner, and Akio met him with a crushing blow that set him crumpled to the ground.
"This way," said Miyoshi, her and Chiyo already halfway down the hallway in the other direction.
"Fox's swiftness!"
Taiko let the magic surge into her veins. Akio was easily holding the hallway against the soldiers who had piled up in front of him; if they could just win this fight, they'd still have a chance to get upstairs while the rest of the palace guard was still confused and disorganized.
Akio's spy wasn't far away. Taiko shocked him when her hand shot out faster than he could see and took the jar of blood from him. She threw it to Miyoshi, who barely reacted in time to catch it. While Yumi joined Akio to push the soldiers back Taiko's arms went into a blur, forming another spell.
"Frostfur's bulk!" she shouted, forming the image of the beast in her head and sending her magic toward Chiyo to give her the creature's stoutness, hoping it would protect her in case any soldiers got to her again during the fight.
Just as the spell went off a door was thrown open, and more men poured into the hallway, this time between the two halves of their party. Taiko, Akio, and Yumi were on one side with Miyoshi and Chiyo on the other. The poor men were doomed- the narrow hallway would make them perfect targets for Chiyo's magic.
Taiko looked back over to her, and in an instant knew that she'd made a mistake. Chiyo was frozen in fear, her staff out of position, with the soldiers closing in on her and Miyoshi. Taiko rushed to help them, but there were half a dozen men between them. Two of them faced her, stabbing at her with their swords. She dodged easily, tore the blade out of one of their hands, and tripped the other, but she had to back away before she could press forward to avoid the first man's fist.
She heard Miyoshi scream Chiyo's name, and through the men caught a glimpse of Chiyo dropping her staff and running. Miyoshi picked it up and tried to ward off the soldiers with it, but she was quickly forced into a retreat, following after Chiyo, screaming for her to wait.
"Where are they going?" snapped Yumi, coming to Taiko's side.
"I don't know," said Taiko. "Just fight!"
Yumi jammed the butt of her spear into the soldier's stomach, putting him down, but more men poured out of the doorway. Even as half of them ran after Chiyo the odds against Taiko and Yumi increased. Between Yumi's darting spear and Taiko's quickness they held them at bay, dropping one of them every few moments, but their numbers weren't decreasing.
"Rush them!" shouted a voice from behind the press. "Now! Before they pick you all off!"
A push rippled from the back of the mass to the front and they surged forward. Yumi put her spear in one man's leg, and Taiko kicked another in the groin, but the sheer weight of the push carried the soldiers into them. Yumi jumped back, but lost her spear, and even Taiko wasn't swift enough to fight them at the speed their charge was building.
Yumi tried. Her fist hit a man's jaw hard enough to knock him out, but instead of falling back he was pushed into her, and while she tried to throw him off the surge caught her. Taiko saw her falling, and then only the men who pushed past her, leaving Yumi completely overwhelmed.
"Akio!" she shouted, looking to him for help.
He had almost cleared his end of the hallway, and for a brief moment Taiko thought that he would come to reclaim Yumi. Instead he scowled, roared, and barged into the men in front of him. They were caught off-guard and fell, letting Akio flee toward the mines, his spy on his heels.
She tried not to let her shock paralyze her. She spun back around to fight, but there was no way to maneuver around the men in the hallway, and when they charged Taiko was caught and slammed against the wall.
Taiko hit the ground, breathless. She was still trying to get her first gasp of air when two men grabbed her arms and flattened her against the cold stone floor. The fight was over. They'd lost, and she was about to be a prisoner again.
"So," said a man that Taiko couldn't see. "Allies of that despicable man- 'Lord' Akio. Strip them both and tie them up. Her Majesty will want to interrogate them."
Taiko felt her coat being peeled off. One man put his shin on her neck, holding her down while they twisted her arms behind her back to pull her clothes off. Her speed was useless while she was on the ground, and there were too many of them to fight.
It was cold in the palace. Taiko had forgotten about it in the dash to the storeroom, but with the warmth of her garments taken away and her naked skin pressed against the stone it didn't take long for her to start shivering. They took everything except her bra and panties, neither of which provided much protection from the frigid air.
Men arrived with rope- rope that looked like it had been soaked with water and left to freeze. They dropped it next to her, close enough that a few coils of it touched her ribs. She jerked away when she felt how cold it was. They couldn't really mean to tie her up that, could they?
"Wait-" she said, forcing the words out through a chest that was still too tight.
"Please, don't-"
The man with his shin on her neck pressed down, shutting her up. They crossed her wrists and wrapped them tightly with the freezing rope, laying it both vertically and horizontally and making each loop neat and tight. She felt the chill dig into her skin as more and more pressed against it. After they tied their knots they dropped her wrists onto her back. Taiko yelped and tried to lift her arms, needing to get the icy rope away from it, but the men pushed them back down.
She fought to gain some measure of freedom, but there were at least four men holding her. They tossed the rope that trailed from her hands over her shoulder, lifting her chest just enough to begin threading the rope around it. A freezing line was laid from her shoulder down between her breasts, then around her torso and up against the underside of her bosom. The rope wasn't wrapped around her arms, but as they continued on to run it, putting it above as well, it started to squeeze her breasts between the two coils.
They tied a knot right between them, catching the rope where it ran over her shoulder. They pulled the rest of it over the opposite shoulder, tying it back to her hands. Every bit of it was burning her skin where it touched now. Her wrists were half-numb, and the rope didn't feel like it was warming up at all. She clenched her jaw to keep her teeth from chattering, wondering how long it would take.
She felt some more tugging behind her back, and without any other warning the rope between her wrists and her shoulders shortened, pulling her hands up until they were as high up her back as her joints would allow.
Taiko cried in pain, but the men held her while the rope was tied to keep them there permanently. The number of hands holding her down finally reduced to one, letting her try to pull her wrists back down a little. When she did the rope around her breasts tightened, pinching them mercilessly. Even when she tried to just relax the natural tension in her arms they pulled tightly on her chest. She remembered the desert, and the all-night march in that stringent bondage, and realized that she could be bound this way for a very long time.
"Please, just let me talk," she said as they put her on her knees. "I'll cooperate if you just promise to-"
"Shut up," said the man in charge. "One more word out of you and I'll take the rope around your arms and pull it tight until your bones break."
Taiko heard Yumi moan, looking over in time to see her eyes open, then go wide as she realized that she was a prisoner again, bound just like Taiko was.
"No, no!" she shouted, struggling fiercely.
One of the soldiers pulled a spare length of rope across her neck and used it to hold her while he put his knee in her back. She fought him for a moment before submitting to her punishment, her face turning red as he strangled her. When she'd been still long enough he let her go. She hung her head in shame, gasping for air, and Taiko saw a look of pained submission on her face that she never imagined could be possible.
"Take them to the cells on the third floor," said the Captain. "I will inform Her Majesty and send for them when she's ready. Go."
Taiko was lifted to her feet and shoved forward. Her bare soles had to tread across and icy floor, while the rest of her had to contend either with the winter air of the hallways or the wet, freezing rope that was even starting to drip down her torso now. The cramps already setting into her arms added to her misery, and Taiko knew that it was only a matter of time before she was given away again to satisfy some pervert's sexual urges.
Miyoshi and Chiyo had been right. She'd been such a fool to let this happen. She prayed that they would escape Frostspire, and that at very least they wouldn't share in the horrible penance she was about to pay. Taiko thought about everything she'd heard about Queen Tomiko, and mercy wasn't looking very likely.