Chapter 8

The Belly of Ice

 

Yumi had never been so cold in her life. She'd thought Akio's cellar was chilly when she'd had her first taste of being stripped, but it was nothing compared to Frostspire. The thick coats that everyone wore weren't just for show, and even when she had hers she could feel the chill. Now Yumi had nothing but her underwear to keep her warm. The floors were made of ice. Literal ice that burned the soles of her feet as she walked on it. Even the ropes that bound her wrists, chest, and arms were somehow made of ice.

They were walking down a wide hallway now, with plenty of people in various kinds of dress to stare at them. It wasn't the worst Yumi had endured, but she was hardly unaffected by it. Only her memories of what her disobedience had bought her and her friends at Akio's hands kept her mouth shut and her legs moving. Taiko was in front of her, and from the way she was shivering she must have been just as cold as Yumi.

Yumi was stopped in the middle of the hallway. She glanced to her left and saw that there were prison cells built into the side of the hall. The ice-covered stone yielded to frost-covered iron bars and the cells that were behind them. They were shallow, only a few feet deep, but wide, made to show off their prisoners to the palace's foot traffic. The inside of the cells seemed to be made purely of ice, and Yumi realized that they would have no salvation from its vicious bite.

One of the soldiers opened the door, pulling a wooden box from the corner and placing it against the wall. The men pushed Yumi forward, up to the box, and for just a moment she was happy to step onto it and off of the floor.

"Turn around," said the Captain.

Yumi did as ordered. One of the soldiers was holding two u-shaped metal bands and a maul. Taiko was on her knees, bowing with her head almost to the ground and a sword and her neck. The men untied Yumi's hands. Her urge to attack them was overwhelming, but she knew she would lose. She might hurt some of them, but more would come, and she was unarmed and almost naked. She would lose, and they'd torture her and Taiko for resisting.

She let the men take her wrists and put them up against the cell wall, stretched out and up. She kept her back from touching the wall, but her arms had to feel the cold ice grab her skin. The bands were placed over her wrists and beaten into the wall, fusing her arms in place against the ice. When both of her arms were secured one of them leaned over and pulled on the box.

Yumi barely had time to brace herself before it disappeared from under her feet. Her body flopped against the wall, held from the ground by her wrists. She screamed, all of her muscles instantly cramping. She squeezed her legs together, trying to hold in what little warmth she could. The soldiers found some chains and wrapped them around her ankles, adding another place where freezing metal touched her and weighing down her feet so that she couldn't lift her legs.

It was Taiko's turn next. She wasn't shown any more mercy, and soon her body was dangling against the wall next to Yumi's. Both of them were breathing fast, their hearts pumping furiously to try to warm their bodies. The ropes around their breasts had been left in place, still occasionally dripping down their bodies and squeezing them uncomfortably. They still hadn't gotten the tiniest bit warmer for having been against their skin for so long. The soldiers shut the cell door and left them, their manner as cold as the palace around them. They hadn't leered, taunted, or groped at them like Akio's men would have. It wasn't much comfort.

It didn't take long for Yumi to regret not fighting while she had the chance. Maybe Akio really was the merciful one after all. She never would have thought that she could miss being tied up on her knees in front of him, but now all she could think of was how warm his body would have been, pressed on top of hers. It was a pitiful thought, but with her body begging for any kind of relief at all against the cold she embraced it.

Neither of them said anything. What could they? Empty assurances and platitudes? Both of them knew what kinds of things were coming, and neither had the heart to speak of them. The hallway was still full of people, some of them walking by and some milling about, occasionally glancing at Yumi with either pity or disgust.

It was a long time before a trumpet sounded, stirring everyone into greater action. The hallway cleared, something in the palace apparently being important enough to attract all attention. Yumi and Taiko were left alone in a silent, freezing hallway.

It was Minoru who disturbed the silence, fading into view in front of them.

"Y- y- you piece of shit-" stammered Yumi.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't want this to happen to you."

"Why?" asked Taiko, her words as frozen as Yumi's.

"I told you. I won't let Akio get his hands on Tomiko."

"So you let them get their hands on us instead?" asked Yumi. "What are they going to do to us now, huh? Why do we deserve this when she doesn't?"

"There's something you haven't told us yet," said Taiko. "Please. You owe us that, at least."

Minoru looked away in shame.

"Tomiko is my sister. Was my sister, I guess."

"What?" said Yumi. "That monster is your sister?"

"Watch it," said Minoru. "She isn't really this person. Tomiko- the real Tomiko- wasn't like that. This world screwed her up as much as she screwed it up. It took some dark piece of her soul and engulfed her in it. All of this horror- it isn't her fault. My sister is still in there, somewhere. I know she should be stopped, but I won't let Akio rape and torture her every night for the rest of her life. Not that, no matter what."

"I wasn't going to let that happen," said Taiko.

"Did you let it happen when Akio raped Miyoshi and Chiyo? Did you let it happen when you had that soldier's dick in your mouth? You trust in fate too much, Taiko."

"If she's your sister why don't you go talk to her and tell her to let us go?" asked Yumi.

Minoru shook his head.

"She won't recognize me. She doesn't remember anything from before the shattering any more than you do."

"But you do," said Taiko. "Why? And why are you a spirit?"

Minoru looked away, trying to hide the guilt in his eyes.

"I'm dead, that's why. I died a couple of years before the shattering. Or I guess I should say that Minoru- the real Minoru- died a couple of years before the shattering. I'm just a figment, something from Tomiko's psyche that improperly manifested into her world. An anomaly, I guess."

"Is that what made Tomiko so sad and cold?" asked Taiko.

"Maybe. All of this might be my fault."

"You shouldn't say that," said Taiko. "You didn't choose to die."

"Yes, I did. I committed suicide a day before Tomiko's birthday. I don't even know why. I say that I did it, but I'm not really Minoru, after all. I only know what Tomiko knew about me, plus what was pulled from some public databases. I know that I hid it, mostly. That I was pushing people away for a couple of years. She was the last person close to me."

"Maybe I screwed her up. Or maybe she's just cursed with whatever I was cursed with."

Yumi was struck dumb. She couldn't even wrap her head around the idea- killing yourself when there were people around who loved you. For no reason. No wonder Tomiko's world was such an awful mess.

"So what else is there?" asked Taiko. "What else are you waiting to drop on us?"

"There's nothing else," said Minoru. "I told you last time, and I wasn't lying. I know why Akio is here. He was a nerdy little fart who had a crush on Tomiko. He shouldn't have wound up in her world; it's not like she wanted anything to do with him. But I guess she didn't have anyone else. Or maybe stuff happened after I died. I don't have the slightest idea what your connection to either of them is."

Yumi started laughing. It hurt, but she couldn't help herself.

"Akio... a nerdy little fart... I should have known."

"Don't laugh. I doubt that you were much more impressive before the shattering. You were probably always getting picked on by bullies or something. Both of you now are the fantasies you had about yourselves back then."

"You should have told us before," said Taiko. "If she's hurting- I can help her. I know I can. Could you do at least one thing for me?"

"What do you need?" he asked.

"Miyoshi and Chiyo- have they been captured too?"

"No. I was able to hold the soldiers up just long enough for them to get away. They managed to climb back up the garbage chute, and none of the soldiers thought to check it."

"Can you go find them? And tell them everything you told us? And give them a message for me?"

"Sure," he said. "I'll do whatever I can."

 

"I don't hear anyone coming," said Miyoshi.

It'd been at least an hour since the battle and their panicked flight. They’d been lucky; something had held up the soldiers who chased after them, and the garbage chute was still unlocked when they reached it. Now they were hiding in a room that was filled with tithes brought in earlier. Miyoshi wondered if Warmbelly had been found yet.

"They'll come here eventually," said Chiyo. "They'll find us. We don’t have any way out and they'll find us."

Chiyo was on the floor, hugging her knees and trembling. Miyoshi knelt down in front of her and held her shoulders.

"Don't say that. We can't give up, not now."

Chiyo started sobbing, burying her face.

"It's my fault. I couldn't do it. I… I… I saw them coming, and it was just like before, and I all I could think of was being tied up again, and what they were going to do to me."

"Chiyo, stop."

"I left them there. I left Taiko and Yumi, and now they're-"
        "Stop!" said Miyoshi, as loudly as she dared, lifting Chiyo's head up to look her in the eyes.

"I need you, Chiyo. I need you to calm down and think. You're the smart one, right? Stop crying. Put that big brain of yours to use and figure out what we're going to do next."

"There isn't anything we can do. Taiko and Yumi- they're the real fighters. Maybe if we leave, maybe if we get help somewhere else."

"Chiyo, no," said Miyoshi, as hard and uncompromising as was possible for her. "We have no idea if we can even get out alone. We definitely can't get back in. And who knows what they'll do to them in the meantime. Taiko came through when we needed her at Ishi-jo. Yumi came through when we needed her in the desert. Now it's our turn. We have to come through for them. I won't leave Taiko behind."

"But I don't know how. I'm so scared, Miyoshi. I don't want to die here in a dungeon. I just want to go home."

"Me too, Chiyo. But I'll never forgive myself if I run away. You won't either. I know you won't."

Chiyo was quiet. Miyoshi let her be, knowing she needed time. She just hoped they had it.

"Miyoshi..."

She spun around to see Minoru standing behind her. Her breath stopped, and she waited in terror for him to shout out to the guards again.
        "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't want your friends to be hurt. But..."

"You're sorry?" said Miyoshi, her voice cracking as she almost shouted the words. "Those monsters have Taiko now! Your 'sorry' doesn't mean anything! Are you going to hand us over to them too? Are you going to be sorry about that?"

"No, I'm not. I think I've found something. Something that can help."

"What?" asked Miyoshi suspiciously.

"I'll show you. You'll be safer there, anyway. There aren't any guards in the hallway. Come on, now that the alarm's already raised I don't have to worry as much about calling the soldiers away when they show up."

Minoru passed through the closed doors, but Miyoshi heard his voice just as clearly on the other side.

"It's clear. Hurry up."

Miyoshi looked back to Chiyo. She looked confused, still not altogether there. Miyoshi picked her up by the arm and led her out, checking the hallway herself just in case Minoru was leading them into a trap.

"I talked to Taiko and Yumi," he said. "They're not in the best of accommodations right now, but they're mostly unhurt."

"I don't know why I should trust you," said Miyoshi.

"I've never lied to you, have I? I told Taiko that I wouldn't let Akio get his hands on Tomiko."

"Why is that so important to you?"

"I'll tell you when we get where we're going," he said, turning invisible again. "You need to focus for now. This way."

Miyoshi didn't like being kept in the dark, even for a moment longer, but she couldn't stop and argue with him in the middle of sneaking around. She followed his voice, dragging Chiyo behind her. There was a junction in the hallway up ahead, but before she could get to it Minoru's voice appeared again.

"Stop," he hissed. "Into that room- the one behind you!"

Miyoshi threw open a door and pulled Chiyo inside. It was some kind of office, with a desk piled high with papers and cabinets along the walls. It was unoccupied, at least for the moment.

"Ah, shit," said Minoru. "They're coming in- hide!"
        There wasn't anywhere to go but behind the desk. The door opened and a man stepped in.

"I'll only be a moment," he said. "The records should be right in my drawer."
        He was coming toward them. Chiyo was huddled next to her behind the desk, holding her staff. She was still shaking.

"Two soldiers," whispered Minoru.

Miyoshi didn't know what to do. Maybe she could shove her way past the soldiers, but they had nowhere safe to run to. The rest of the guards would be on top of them in no time. She turned to Chiyo. Her eyes were closed, and she was breathing deeply and steadily. Her white-knuckle grip on her staff eased, but remained solid. She stood, quickly and decisively.

Miyoshi jumped to her feet after her, startling the gaudily dressed bureaucrat about to round the corner of the desk. The two soldiers hadn't quite registered what was happening when Chiyo thrust her staff at them and grunted through her teeth. Both men slammed against the wall and fell to the ground. Miyoshi grabbed a wooden tray from the desk and hit the bureaucrat in the head while he was still gaping at her.

"Minoru!" called out Miyoshi.

"Back to the junction, take a left."

She turned to look at Chiyo again. Miyoshi saw in her face that she wouldn't need to drag her along anymore. They ran into the hallway and followed Minoru's directions. The stairwell was clear for them when they came to it, although Miyoshi still hadn't abandoned her caution.

"Up the stairs, to the right, go past two intersections, and take another right at the third."

"They're over there!"

The shout was coming from behind them.

"Just go!" yelled Minoru.

Miyoshi and Chiyo took off, running up the stairs. They nearly knocked a few people over in the hallways, but none of them were soldiers and didn't do anything to stop them. The guards were on their heels, but they had enough of a head start to hide if they could find a good place.

At the end of the last hallway was a pair of double doors, closed shut and frosted over. They sprinted toward them, skidding to a stop just before they slammed into them. There was no handle or lock that Miyoshi could see, but the door felt locked. Without even trying to push it open Miyoshi found herself sure that it would never budge.

"In there," said Minoru, appearing again. "Hurry, the soldiers are coming."

Miyoshi put away her anxiety and pushed. The door was heavy and sluggish to move, but it opened. It took all of her strength to stop it once she'd slipped inside, Chiyo right after her, and reverse its direction to shut again. It closed with a dull thud, just in time for Miyoshi to hear the soldiers run into the hallway on the other side.

"Quick," said Miyoshi, "Find something to bar the door!"

"Don't bother," said Minoru. They won't come in here. They can't even see the door."

"Why not?" she asked.

"Because this room is glitched."

"Glitched?" asked Chiyo.

"Yeah, glitched. It's… I don't know. Phased out somehow. It's not properly part of the world. You two can see it because you're a little outside of the world too. You weren't created as part of it like they were. I can see it because I'm more aware than they are. I know what I'm look for."

Miyoshi looked around, still not entirely at ease. The room was some sort of library, full of books which were too iced over to pull from their shelves. At first Miyoshi though that it was dust that covered everything else in a thick layer, but when she touched it she realized that it was a powdery snow, so fine that it could barely be felt. The room was circular, with a high domed ceiling, and Miyoshi could only see about a fourth of it with all of the bookshelves in the way.

"Here's what you really need to see," he said, walking down an aisle.

Miyoshi followed him, still watching and listening for an ambush. Instead they came to another door, much like the last one, on the opposite side of the room.

"What's in there?" she asked.

"I don't know. I can't get through it. It's disrupting me somehow- whenever I get too close I start fading out. My bet is that whatever's causing the worlds to fuse is in there."

Miyoshi stepped cautiously forward and tried the door. It wouldn't budge, even after Chiyo joined her.

"Can you magic it open?" asked Miyoshi.

"I don't know if I want to until I'm sure what it is."

Miyoshi turned to Minoru.

"Okay. We'll figure that out later. Right now I want to hear about you and Tomiko."

"I'll tell you everything I told Taiko," he said. "And she has a message for you, by the way."

"What is it?" asked Chiyo.

"It's about helping Tomiko."

 

Taiko was cold. All she could think about was finding something warm to ball up with. She would give anything- make any deal, submit to any master- if she could only stop shivering.

Right now she couldn't even hug her own body. Her wrists were in iron shackles, chained to a thick, heavy collar around her neck. Her hands were being held high up against her back again, with chains wrapping her torso to form a harness. Her ankles were chained together as well, as if walking on the ice that made up the floor wasn't already hard enough. A metal bar sat in her mouth, her teeth clamped around it. And it was all cold.

The metal burned her skin everywhere it touched, and they'd made sure it touched her in plenty of places. Not even the Oni in the desert had been this cruel- this thoroughly, meticulously cruel.

The soldiers led her and Yumi on leashes, chained to their collars, to an open pair of double doors. There were plenty of witnesses to see them marched into the room. It would have been a beautiful place if not for the evil intent that hung in the air- a throne room of polished ice and dancing light. It was all of craftsmanship that Taiko had never seen before, but the crown jewel of the chamber was the woman who sat above everyone else.

Her skin wasn't pale- it was like porcelain. Taiko had never seen a face so flawlessly rendered before, or a body that was carved out with such perfection. She looked as cold and magnificent as the palace around her, with eyes that somehow made Taiko shiver even harder that she couldn't look away from.

Taiko was still staring at her when she was shoved to her knees in front of her throne.

"Your Majesty," said a man at Taiko's side, bowing. "These are the intruders, as you requested."

Queen Tomiko was as still as the throne she sat in. Not even her head moved; it was only her eyes that deigned to slowly work their way over her.

"Nice," said the creature to the Queen's right.

Taiko had been so enraptured with Tomiko that she hadn't noticed the Oni standing at her side. She was built much like the other one- Lady Satsujin. Taiko had a flash of memory, seeing her face as she fell from the plateau to her death. This one had a different look in her eyes. It was just as cruel, but there was desire in it too. It reminded Taiko of the way the kitsune had looked at her, except without any of the warmth or playful affection.

"Interrogating them will be fun," said the Oni.

"Send them to the dungeon," said Tomiko, disinterested.

"Yes, Your Majesty," said the soldier.

Taiko whined her protest, but the soldiers hauled her to her feet and pushed her back toward the entrance.

"Wait," said the Queen.

Taiko saw a bit of shock on the faces in the room. The soldiers were frozen for a moment, but then turned Taiko and Yumi back around to face her. Even the Oni was surprised to see her rise from her throne, descend the stairs, and stop within arm's length of Taiko. She reached out and touched her face, turning it a few times while gazing silently at her. The room was absolutely quiet as she moved on to Yumi, inspecting her in the same way.

"Have I met either of you before?" she asked.

Taiko spoke into her gag to respond, but her words were unintelligible. If she could just get her to take it out, to let her speak, she could tell her everything. She would find a way to move her, somehow.

"Take them to my private interrogation room," she said.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The soldiers bowed again and hauled Taiko away. She managed one last glimpse over her shoulder as they left the room, only to see Tomiko still standing there, unmoved.

Tomiko's private room was two more flights of stairs up. The chain between Taiko's ankles wasn't quite long enough to let her climb them, and each step was a struggle. The room itself was dark. Taiko tried not to look around, not wanting to spend the next few hours imagining how the contents would be used on her.

Yumi's back was pushed against a pillar, and Taiko watched as they chained her wrists to a metal ring that stuck out of it. The ring was a little too high, and Yumi had to stand on the balls of her feet to avoid twisting her arms too much. Her wrists were still chained to her collar as well, and the soldiers put another lock on it to remove the slack that had been created by letting the ring keep her arms raised. Yumi's head was pulled back against the pillar, the collar pressing into her throat. She grunted as she squirmed against the pillar, but Taiko could see that she would find no relief.

The soldiers took Taiko to the opposite side of the pillar. She felt her arms being lifted as they were chained to the ring, and was almost on her tiptoes trying to keep her arms from breaking. The collar around her neck pulled toward the ring too, bending her back oddly.

The man who'd spoken to the Queen stood in front of Taiko. She was surprised to see an almost sympathetic look on his face. It didn't stop him from slipping a knife under her bra straps and cutting it off. Taiko shut her eyes, not able to look at him anymore. His fingers touched her skin as he dragged her panties down, cutting them off as well.

She didn't know if he enjoyed seeing her like this, but it didn't matter. The last paltry bit of cover she had was gone, and the cold was free to take her loins and breasts without the slightest protection. When she heard Yumi rattle her chains she guessed that her underwear had been taken as well. The soliders left the room and shut the door without offering them a single word.

Taiko and Yumi waited in silence, save for the occasional grunt, moan, or clink of their chains. The chains twisting her body into an unnatural pose competed with the freezing air to see what made her suffer the most. Even her gag provided a new dimension to her misery as drool leaked out of her mouth, ran down her chin, dripped onto her chest, and slowly built up enough that it could make it all the way down her stomach and abdomen to her loins. The wetness helped even more heat leave her body, while the pillar stung her back wherever it touched.

She shut her eyes, trying to remember happier times. She remembered Miyoshi, beautiful Miyoshi, singing in the Tampopo Forest, and wondered if she would ever see her again.

It was a long time before the door to the room opened again. The Oni was the first to enter, Queen Tomiko following behind her while she held the door open, shutting it once the Queen was inside. The Oni stalked over to Taiko and grabbed her breasts, squeezing them in her unnaturally strong hands.

"They're both nice little cuts of meat," she said.

Her hands ran down Taiko's body and over her hips, moving behind to lock around her ass. Taiko groaned and wriggled against the pillar. The woman's touch was as selfish as the men from the deserts', but it wanted far more from her. Taiko had a feeling that whatever the Oni did with her, it wouldn't be over with nearly as quickly as her ordeal on the plateau.

The Oni circled around the pillar, out of Taiko's view. Tomiko was still there, staring at her dispassionately.

"Especially this one," said the Oni.

The sorrowful sound of Yumi's voice told Taiko that the Oni was giving her the same treatment as she had Taiko.

"Where should we start? Do you think they're ready to talk yet? From the way this one is squirming I'll bet she spills as soon as we take the gag out."

"No," said Tomiko. "I don't care about that right now. Something about them sticks in my mind. I'm not sure what it is. Perhaps..."

Tomiko brushed her fingernails across Taiko's cheek. Then Taiko saw it. The familiarity lurking beneath that icy face. She'd seen this woman before. Not in her world- she was sure of that. But she was just as sure that she'd seen Tomiko, that she'd known Tomiko, in a world that was gone now.

"Put this one in the tub. I'll see what comes to me."

The Oni stepped between Taiko and the Queen, a hungry smile on her face.

"The tub, huh? I think that'll suit her."

The Oni unlocked Taiko from the pillar, a small relief that wouldn't last long. She dragged her across the room to a large, rectangular bathing tub made of brass and threw her in, bending her torso over the lip and lifting her hips to flip her over it. Taiko grunted as she plopped down awkwardly, unable to soften her landing with her hands chained. The Oni rolled her onto her stomach and curled her legs to put her feet against her ass.

The tub was large enough to fit her whole body as her captor posed her. It was even wide enough to accommodate her elbows which were forced outward by her hands being fixed where hey were. The Oni took the chain that ran between her ankles and pulled it up toward her wrists. She ran another chain around them and looped it through, bending Taiko's back to make it reach and locking it in place to hogtie her.

The Oni left her for the moment, but Taiko wasn't going anywhere. She wouldn't have been able to roll onto her side even if she wasn't trapped in the tub. If she so much as tried to relax her back the collar would strangle her. Just for a moment, Taiko considered letting it, embracing the only way out of the torture of the cold and chains. How long could she last, anyway? Her muscles already burned, and the hours of non-stop shivering had exhausted her.

Taiko screamed in shock when freezing water poured over her back, soaking her. The Oni laughed as the tub filled, coming up to her chin and above until it poured into her mouth. She raised her head as much as she could, but the water only stopped just below her nostrils. She couldn't see much, but Tomiko's figure appeared in front of her. The Queen put a single finger into the water, and suddenly chunks of ice began to form.

Taiko had thought she was cold before, but now she was shivering so hard that the newly created ice made strange music as her shaking rattled it. She rasped loudly as she filled and emptied her lungs, and she felt like there was knot of solid ice in her stomach. Her neck cramped, but as soon as she let her head droop her nose went underwater.

"Turn the tub, a little. I want her to be able to see her friend. We'll put her on the block."

The Oni dragged one end of the tub around, and over the lip Taiko could see a curved chunk of stone that was covered with a layer of ice. Tomiko absently dug her fingernails into Taiko's back while her pet monster fetched Yumi from the pillar. Yumi screamed and fought while she was bent backwards over the the stone, but the Oni handled her as easily as if she was a child. There was a chain at one end near the floor, and while holding her down with one hand she used the other to hook it to the collar.

She moved to Yumi's feet and removed the shackles around her ankles, taking one of her legs and bending it to put her foot against the side of the block where a metal clamp was waiting to lock around it. Taiko couldn't see the other side of the block, but Yumi's other leg was soon position the same way, held in place while she struggled.

The block bent her backwards nearly a full half circle, with her head and knees both almost touching the ground. Her arms, trapped between her back and the ice that covered the block, further contorted her shape. She tried to look up, to see what they were planning to do to her next, but the chain kept her neck down and her face pointed toward the wall. She was shivering and trying to push her body off of the ice as much as possible, but without much success. She screamed, not in fury or defiance, but in fear and sorrow, a pitiful wailing that Taiko was shocked to see she was even capable of.

"What's the matter, you don't want to share that cunt of yours with the rest of us?" asked the Oni.

She put two of her fingers against Yumi's sex, thrust out by the position of her hips, and let them sink inside. Yumi whined and twisted against the block as much as she could, but she was trapped by the frozen chains while the Oni was free to play with her clit.

"Quiet, you selfish little bitch. You'll get your turn to play with my cunt, except you'll be using your tongue."

"Use the rods," said Tomiko. "You can fuck her later. I want to hear her scream some more."

Taiko groaned, pleading for Yumi even if they couldn't understand her. The Oni she could understand- it was disgusting, but she was at least taking pleasure in torturing them. But Tomiko seemed to be motivated only by the mildest curiosity.

The Oni took her fingers out of Yumi, running them up over her body to rub them on her lips, and stepped away. Taiko couldn't see anything until she came back, holding two sculpted chunks of ice. Each one was made to look like a penis, although larger than the ones Taiko had endured so far. She knelt next to Yumi, put one of them down, and placed the tip of the other against the lips of her pussy.

Yumi whined frantically, which only brought a smile to the Oni's face. She licked her lips as she pushed it in, the shaft of ice disappearing into Yumi's sex. Yumi bucked wildly, thrashing so much that Taiko was afraid she'd hurt her neck. The Oni didn't stop, pushing it until the base rested flat against her lips.

"Bet you miss those nice, warm fingers now, huh? What about that ass of yours? Is it nice and tight too?

Yumi shook her head, her body still jerking periodically.

"Let's find out."

She picked up the other frozen cock and slid it under the first one, searching for Yumi's hole.

"Here we go," she said, starting to push.

Taiko had to shut her eyes. She heard Taiko screaming again and the rattling of her chains.

"It's a little harder going in, isn't it? But that's the fun part. It'll be easier if you relax, but I've never known anyone who could do that with a chunk of ice being shoved up their asshole."

Taiko felt the tip of her nose touch ice, and she jerked her head back up. Her neck was so tired now, and her whole body was numb, but somehow still hurting.

"Would you like to know something interesting about Frostspire?"

It was Queen Tomiko's voice. Taiko opened her eyes and saw her, kneeling in front of the tub while Yumi still struggled and cried out behind her.

"The cold here will never kill you. This is the palace of ice's embrace. It will grab a hold of you and never let go, no matter if you try to bundle up in a thick coat or if you get so cold that your body wants to die. Frostspire won't let it. There are women here who have literally been frozen solid, but still lived. That's why you haven't passed out by now."

Tomiko put her hand on Taiko's head and pushed her face into the water.

"You can still drown, though."

Taiko didn't have the strength to fight her, but soon her desperate body took over, straining to lift her head while her lungs were ready to explode. The chunks of ice in the tub crunched against each other as she churned the water with her struggling. Just when Taiko was convinced that Tomiko meant to end her, she let go.

"I still don't know what it is. For some reason, it makes me a little sad to see you like this. To hear your friend scream. I haven't felt that in a long time. So strange..."

Taiko tried to wrestle her lungs back into control enough to speak. She did her best to explain what she knew through the metal bar, but Tomiko didn't seem to care.

"Whip that one," she said. "I'm still trying to decide what I want to do with this one."

The Oni stopped pinching Yumi's nipples and went to find a whip. Tomiko moved out of Taiko's way so that she could watch her when she came back, holding a thick, flat leather strap. Yumi couldn't even raise her head enough to see, but the Oni dragged it across her stomach to let her feel it.

She raised it in the air and brought it down across Yumi's belly, a sharp slap echoing through the room. Yumi screamed until her voice went hoarse, which delighted the Oni. Taiko shut her eyes, but Tomiko pushed her face into the water again, sending a clear message that she was meant to watch. The leather strap slammed across Yumi's breasts, three times, while her muscles convulsed, straining so hard that Taiko couldn't believe that the chain hadn't snapped.

Taiko struggled against her own chains while Yumi was beaten again and again, but even if the shackles hadn't been sealed tightly around her wrists and the chains digging into her chest it would have been hopeless, her body now too frozen and weak to much more than shift the ice around.

Yumi roared in agony, the leather strap coming downtime after time. Just hearing the leather crash against her skin made Taiko hurt. She didn't know how Yumi was even surviving.

"Flip this one over," said Tomiko.

The Oni laid the whip down across Yumi's crotch and walked over. She lifted Taiko out of the tub enough to turn her around, then lowered her back down into the water. Her head sank under, water covering her face. She tried to lift it up, but her hands and legs were both chained underneath her, and the collar around her neck pulled it back. Her body refused to budge, even as she struggled more and more frantically. There was barely an inch of water between her and the surface, but she was as trapped as she'd been while at the bottom of the pit in the monster's cave.

Tomiko reached her hand under Taiko's head and lifted her up, postponing her execution. She took in all the air she could, knowing how easily she could be plunged back into her death. After a few moments Tomiko lowered her again, enough that her nose was just barely out of the water. Taiko felt like her next breath could fill her lungs with icy liquid, but didn't dare stop breathing.

"They tell me you that had two other friends with you," said Tomiko, her voice distorted by the water. "Aside from Akio, I mean. My soldiers will find them soon."

Tomiko let Taiko's head dip just a hair, sending Taiko thrashing about as the water touched her nostrils.

"I hope they're as beautiful as you are. I have plenty of surprises for all four of you."

 

Chiyo gripped the railing as if her life depended on it. If what Akio said about Frostspire's curse to hurl anyone climbing to its roof to their deaths on the ground below was true, then it just might.

She stood at the top of the palace's tallest tower. It was the only one open at the top, letting Chiyo look out over the clouds below. In the distance she even saw the mountains they'd crossed to get to Frostspire. The wind blew fiercely, howling as it rushed through the gap between the roof and the top floor of the tower. As scary as it was, Chiyo was counting on that wind.

She lifted the fruits of the last eight hours of her and Miyoshi's labor into place. Miyoshi had named it 'Hopewing'- a glider designed to use the fury of Frostspire's winds to fly all the way into the desert and to the Dunnie's village. With any luck, they would see the magical flare that it was timed to set off and find it. It had taken Chiyo's engineering and Miyoshi's craftsmanship to make it, along with a couple of hours of calculations on how to launch it to send it the right way.

Chiyo re-checked her markings, sighting them against the peaks of the mountains. The glider's built-in gyroscope would make sure that it always righted to the same direction, no matter where it was blown. All she had to do was aim it correctly. She waited until a particularly strong gust of wind roared through the spire, nearly throwing her over the balcony, and let it go. Hopewing shot forward, climbing as the wind blew over its wings and taking its precious cargo with it. The jar of blood needed to save Ikumi was on its way, along with detailed instructions on what to do when the Dunnies found it.

Chiyo climbed back down the stairs. Now that she had committed Hopewing to the hands of fate her weariness demanded its due. She'd been awake since they left the Butakin's farm for Frostspire the day before. She'd been tired when Minoru first led them to the hidden library. Since then she'd had to design the glider, sneak down to the workshops to steal materials for it, do the calculations, and climb the tower again to launch it.

The tower had been a lucky break. It was the only way out of Frostspire other than the front gate. The only reason it had probably been overlooked was that it was above the library. They'd found the stairs to it while exploring the space and looking for anything they could use. There was no other way to it other than through the library, which meant that nobody except Tomiko herself could have known about it. Chiyo had climbed it just before the last night had fallen. That's when her plan for everything came together.

Miyoshi was already asleep, hunched over a table with sewing implements strewn out around her. She was tailoring some stolen guard uniforms for them, to make sneaking about easier. They'd need them. Chiyo sat down opposite her and found a piece of paper to sketch on. Even as exhausted as he was, both physically and mentally, her mind was still churning. She drew the rough outlines of what she needed Miyoshi to build next, and started to work out how she would make the maps she needed of the palace to the precision that would be required.

"How did it go?" asked Minoru, his voice coming out of the silence.

"It should get there tonight," she said. "The Dunnies will find it."

"Have you figured out anything about the door yet?"

"No, I haven't had any time. But I don't sense any magic around it. I think it's more of one of your things than one of mine. If it's in Tomiko's palace, then it's probably connected to her. I bet we'll need her to open it for us. How are... how are Taiko and Yumi."

Minoru hesitated before speaking.

"They'll survive. Don't worry about them."

"Don't worry? They're being-"

"Worrying keeps you distracted, and it doesn't help them at all. They need your plan to succeed. I'll worry about them for you. You should get some sleep for now. You can start on the next phase tomorrow."

"What about Akio?" she asked sourly.

"I can't find him. He's too far away from my crystal, which is currently sitting in a trash pile where Taiko's clothes were thrown. From the chatter, though, he's still down in the mines, giving them a hell of a time. You need to get that crystal, too. I know, you’ve got plenty on your plate already, but if they dump the trash somewhere you might lose me altogether."

"No, it's okay. I have to go all over the place anyway. And there might be something I can use down there."

Chiyo put her head down, resting her eyes for just a moment. All of this had to end soon. She missed Umai so much- its festivals, its food, its people. She already missed Haru. She wished she could be tied up in his bed, a slave with no worries or weight on her shoulders other than pleasing him with her body. She tried to think about her sketches again, but strange dream logic kept seeping in, and soon all of reality was lost as she fell asleep.

 

Yumi tried to stay on her knees. It wasn't easy. She'd spent at least an hour, probably more, bent over the block while the Oni whipped, beat, and lashed her until her throat was raw from screaming. Then she'd gotten to trade places with Taiko, chained up in freezing water and almost drowning, hearing Taiko as she was whipped in Yumi's place. They'd spent just as long on her as they did Yumi, all while Yumi wished she would just freeze and get it over with already.

She'd spent the rest of the night wishing that as well, chained to the pillars again, except with metal clamps biting down on her nipples and pussy. Whatever magic made her shackles perpetually freezing was working tenfold with the steel teeth. Her entire breast felt like it was covered with ice, which didn't make her nipples feel any better for the jaws sinking into them. Her pussy was in agony too, the clamp fixed onto a fold of skin at the top of her slit. A chain was running from the clamp, down between her lips and up between her ass cheeks where it split behind her back to come around her sides and link to her nipples.

The straighter she stood the more it pulled, both on her nipples and on her pussy, and she'd spent the night bent backward from having her arms between her and the pillar. Her and Taiko were left in each other's company, Tomiko offering no other explanation of herself before shutting the door behind her. Now she was back, along with her pet monster.

She was sitting in a chair a few feet in front of Yumi, her legs crossed and her dress pulled back to offer her soft leather boot forward. A leather crop dangled from her fingers while she waited for the Oni to finish taking Taiko down from the pillar. Yumi tried to stay where she was, her body too drained to demand anything more from it.

"Remove the pink one's gag," said the Queen. "And if she tries to speak so much as a single word you may rip her tongue out."

Taiko plopped down next to Yumi. She was just as unsteady, and the Oni was practically holding her up by the strap of her gag while she worked it loose. Taiko didn't dare utter a word once the bar came out of her mouth, but she couldn't stop a few painful moans from escaping.

"Come forward," said Tomiko. "Lick my boot. Thoroughly."

Taiko risked one glance at her face before shuffling forward on her knees. She put her mouth to Tomiko's boot and let her tongue drag across it. She repeated her motion, licking the same spot a few times. Tomiko was so still and quiet that Yumi wondered if she was even breathing. It wasn't until Taiko stopped to take a breath that she struck, her crop cracking against Taiko's breast without a hint of warning.

"Did I say that you could have even a single moment for yourself? Lick until I tell you to stop."

Taiko yelped and went back to Tomiko's boot, moving faster than before.

"I said thoroughly!"

Tomiko smacked her breast again, and Taiko struggled not to stop, even for a moment, and give Tomiko another reason to hit her. Yumi watched her kiss and suck on the boot, from toe to heel, while Tomiko looked down without the slightest sign that she was even getting off on this. Yumi couldn't understand her; Akio wanted obedience and desired them sexually. The Oni seemed to be like him. But Tomiko offered no reason, not even the most twisted one. She simply tortured them, as if it was the only thing to be done.

"Go back to your spot," she said. "The other one, now."

Yumi felt the Oni's hands undoing her gag. She couldn't even move her jaw once it came out for how stiff it was. She shuffled forward while Taiko moved back, both of them too ashamed to look each other in the face. Pain shot through her arms with every inch of progress she made while her collar and clamps tugged on her. The chains around her chest dug in when she breathed, and she was no more used to the cold that still tore at her unceasingly than when she first tasted it.

She could smell Taiko's saliva on the boot. This was disgusting. She knew that she couldn't refuse, that it was a battle she would lose and suffer horribly from, but her hesitation got the better of her.

Tomiko's crop slammed into her chest. Her entire breast stung, her frozen skin amplifying the pain as ever. She hit Yumi twice, rapidly and without holding back. The tip of her crop came to rest under Yumi's chin, lifting her head while Tomiko leaned over and let a gob of spit fall from her lips to her boot. Yumi knew what she was meant to do, and knew that she had no choice but to obey.

She closed her eyes and pressed her tongue against Tomiko's boot, right where the mass of spit still lay. Her mouth, her stomach, and her throat all tried to rebel, but Yumi fought them down despite her nausea. She covered every spot where Taiko had been, tasting both her and Tomiko's saliva all the way to the back of her throat. Tomiko let her go over the entire boot two, three, four times, in no hurry to stop her.

"I'm bored with these two," she finally said. "Would you like them, Lady Yokubō?"

The Oni laughed.

Yumi hadn't though it was possible for her to feel even sicker, but she did. She kept her lips on Tomiko's boot, knowing that she still hadn't been told to stop.

"I was up all night making plans for them. I don't think I've ever had a pet as fun as this one," she said, grabbing Yumi's hair and pulling her head back.

"Take them. Just don't ruin either one until we have their friends too. I still have a strange feeling about the whole affair."

Yumi bit down on her rage. Tomiko still hadn't allowed either her or Taiko to speak a word to her. They could explain so much to her, but the thought of even trying terrified her. Tomiko was lost in some strange game that only she understood, and the Oni didn't care about any of it.

The Oni lifted her by her hair, forcing unready legs to take her weight. She cried out, having to learn to walk again in a hurry. The monster took Taiko by the hair as well, dragging both of them out of the room and leaving the mad queen behind. Once they were in the hallway she pushed them forward, making them stumble and almost fall. Yumi kept moving, not wanting to give her another excuse. The soldiers she passed in the hall reminded her that she was stark naked. Part of her hoped that the Oni wasn't taking them far, but Yumi knew in her head that whatever waited for her there was probably worse.

Only a dozen or so more guards got to see her march past before they reached Yokubō's room. The bed and other personal affects marked it as her sleeping chamber, but the rest of the furniture was better suited for a dungeon. She jumped at the sound of the heavy door slamming shut behind her, locking her in.

"Down," said the Oni, grabbing Yumi by the back of her neck and pushing her to her knees.

She put Taiko in front of her, face to face, while she stood over them.

"Give your friend a kiss. A nice deep one with some tongue."

Taiko's face flushed with embarrassment. Yumi was surprised at such a tame reaction- she was sure that her own face showed outright revulsion. Maybe it was easier for her with a friend than with a stranger, but for Yumi it only added to the grotesqueness. She'd have rathered any of Akio or Tomiko's soldiers.

They had to obey; Yumi knew from experience now that defiance alone wouldn't protect her from being tortured, and the Oni was more than willing. Taiko leaned in, her lips open and waiting. Yumi brought herself hesitantly forward, closing her eyes and hoping that Taiko would do it for her. A soft, wet mouth pressed against hers, and she stiffened her lips in response. She knew that the Oni wanted more, but bringing herself to open up to fully entwine their mouths was hard. Taiko probed at her with her tongue, just as ordered, and Yumi had to let her in. It made her gag when it slid over hers, Taiko's lips still working.

Taiko almost seemed eager to please the Oni. Maybe she was just stronger and smarter than Yumi. She took Yumi as greedily as Akio would have, fluid and passionate while Yumi was still stiff and hesitant.

"Let's see those tongues dance," said the Oni. "If I have to beat some more obedience into your hide I will."

Yumi cursed her silently and forced herself to stick her own tongue out. Taiko closed her mouth around it, sucking on it while Yumi fought to keep her stomach from turning. They kept at it with Taiko guiding Yumi and teaching her how to kiss. It was a disgusting, humiliating lesson.

"I can see that one of you likes this more than the other."

The Oni pulled their heads back by the hair. It hurt, but Yumi was thankful that she wasn't mashing her mouth against Taiko's anymore.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you, Pink? You delicious little slut. I bet you've wanted to fuck your friend for a while, haven't you?"

Yumi knew that it was a lie- Taiko would never want to use her friends like that. She wasn't the perverted monster that the Oni was.

"But you, my sexy little bitch, don't have any taste for women, do you? I bet you wish it was Akio here, giving you a nice taste of his dick."

Yumi wanted to spit in her face, but it was true. Akio had tortured, molested, and humiliated her into subjugation, but his lust was natural, at least. Her body returned it, offering itself to him in his victory. This was nothing like that. Yumi felt none of the arousal on her knees in front of Tomiko or this monster that she did when Akio was proclaiming her his slave. She would suck Akio's dick a thousand times if it got her out of Frostspire.

 "That makes you the fun one," she said. "Let's get you your first taste of cunt."

The Oni let her go, but Taiko wasn't so lucky. She yelped as she was dragged over to the foot of the bed. There was a wooden stock on the floor in front of it, open and waiting for Taiko's neck. The Oni wrested her into it, still gripping her by the hair, and slammed it shut. She put a bolt in place to hold it, and Yumi hoped that it wasn't as tight as it looked. She remembered her own night of being locked in one of those things at Ishi-jo.

"Ass in the air," she said, positioning Taiko's knees to expose her pussy as openly as possible.

"Stay put."
        She looked over to Yumi, a lustful sneer still on her face.

"What are you waiting for? Dinner's ready."

Yumi tried not to think about what she was doing. She slowly made her way over, hoping she wasn't testing the Oni's patience. When she was close enough she stopped, Taiko's ass and pussy right in front of her. She leaned over, shut her eyes, and let her tongue venture out until the tip brushed against Taiko's lips. She smelled and tasted like sweat- she wasn't exactly clean after spending all night in strenuous bondage.

The Oni hooked her finger around the chain that ran to Yumi's pussy clamp and pulled it, sending pain surging through her groin.

"You're going to stick your face in there, and you're not going to come out until she cums. Don't waste any more of my time."

Yumi pressed forward, burying her face in Taiko's ass in order to fully reach her pussy. She had no idea how to even make Taiko cum. She'd never had an orgasm before, nor had she see one when Akio fucked Miyoshi in front of her. She kissed Taiko's pussy, feeling the chain that ran from the clamp was still on it up through her ass cheeks. It burned her face, but it was only one of my chains that still bit into her skin with its freezing touch.

She pushed her tongue inside, hearing Taiko moan in response. She was trying to hold it back, but Yumi could hear pleasure in her voice. Was the Oni telling the truth? Was Taiko getting off on this after all? The thought sickened her, but there was nothing either of them could do about it.

Yumi did her best, rubbing Taiko's clit with the tip of her tongue. Taiko was squirming, but she wasn't trying to get away. She moaned again, and Yumi started to taste her juices. Soon she was panting and shrieking in carnal bliss.

"Good girls," said the Oni. "Make her work for it, and then squirt right in her mouth."

Yumi sucked on her, hoping she could just get it over with. Taiko was fighting for control of herself now. Yumi realized that she was trying to hold it back. Maybe she wasn't enjoying it after all, even if her body was aroused against her will. She finally slipped, going over the top and smearing her gross, slimy orgasm all over Yumi's face.

Yumi sat back up. It was over with, for now, but she could still taste it in her mouth and feel it freezing against her skin.

"Tell me how much you like sucking cunt," said the Oni, pulling her head back by the hair again.

"I like sucking cunt," said Yumi.

"Tell me how much," she said, tightening her grip.

"I love sucking cunt. I can't wait to do it again."
        "You lying little bitch. I'm going to show you what getting your face fucked is really about."

The Oni picked Yumi up by the arm and threw her onto the bed. It was soft. Yumi realized how long it had been since she'd been able to lay down. She watched while the Oni removed her armor, not wanting to waste whatever brief respite she'd been given. The Oni's kimono fell to the floor, revealing her naked body underneath. She had the shape and the curves of a woman, but hard muscle showed under her skin.

She slid onto the bed, rolling Yumi onto her back and crawling on top of her. Yumi felt the Oni's hand clamp onto her jaw and squeeze. Her face drew closer with her mouth open, ready to swallow Yumi. She kissed her, threatening Yumi with another squeeze of her jaw to force her to cooperate.

Taiko's kiss had at least been gentle. The Oni's was rough and brutal. Her mouth tasted slightly putrid. Her tongue pushed in too hard and too far. She bit Yumi's lip and tongue, laughing when Yumi screamed.

Her hand found places all over Yumi's body to dig into. Her strength and weight alone were enough to pin Yumi in place, even if she would have dared fight back. She felt like she was being buried, and when the Oni's arms wrapped around her they nearly crushed the life out of her. She was strong enough to break Yumi, and she didn't seem to care if she did.

Yumi felt the chain that linked the clamps that were still biting into her skin rising. She looked to see it in the Oni's hand, and glanced up at her face. She must have been waiting for that, for Yumi to look her in the eyes before tearing it away. The claps were yanked from her nipples, and then her pussy, and all three places screamed in pain. Yumi's entire body tried to ball up, but the Oni used her body to keep in flat against the bed, writhing in agony.

She wrapped her hands around Yumi's breasts and squeezed them until they felt like they were going to pop. Yumi cried out with the Oni sucked on her nipples and licked her where her bosom leaked out between her fingers.

"You look tough, but you're such a tender little piece of meat. I almost want to roast you over a spit to see how good you taste then."

She leaned up and slapped Yumi's breasts. Yumi squirmed to get away, not able to stand it anymore, but her hips were still under the Oni, crushed into the bed and holding her in place for the Oni to hit them again with the back of her hand. Yumi tried not to look into her face, but when a hand closed around her throat she opened her eyes and saw the monster that was hovering over her. There was spiteful pleasure written all over it, and barely a hint of control showed in her eyes.

Yumi could barely breathe, and her head started to go a little light. She was sure that the Oni didn't mean to choke her- she would probably crush her windpipe if she actually tried- but she rasped painfully as she drew air into her lungs all the same. The Oni slapped her breasts a few more times with her free hand before covering Yumi's mouth with it and squeezing her nose. Yumi wondered if she was going to end her life right there, but she only held for a moment before pulling her hand away and slapping her across the face. It wasn't enough to make her see stars, but it stung, and she wasn't surprised when it was followed up by strike against the other side.

"You ready to taste some real pussy?" she asked.

"Yes, please," said Yumi, as best she could with her throat being squeezed.

The Oni slapped her again, harder this time.

"Lying. Little. Bitch. I don't give a shit anyway. You'll taste cunt whether you're ready or not."

The Oni rose enough to scoot herself over Yumi's face. Her pussy was hot and dripping wet, smelling just like her mouth had tasted. It lowered onto Yumi's face, threatening to smother her as the Oni's full weight pressed down.

It took all of Yumi's willpower to open her mouth and let the Oni's cunt in. It was gross beyond words, rotten fluids dripping into her mouth and her nose smashed right into her clit, but there wasn't going to be any salvation from this. The Oni started grinding against her face while Yumi tried to pleasure her. Every few moments Yumi had the chance to take a breath, followed by the Oni crushing her face again with her crotch.

Working her cunt was harder than with Taiko- at least then she had some freedom. Yumi knew that the Oni didn't care. She did her best, and it didn't seem to take much for her to start grunting. The Oni's first orgasm came quickly, her legs almost crushing Yumi's head while she roared in animalistic fury. It wasn't enough for her. Cum coated Yumi's face while the Oni keep grinding, and Yumi keep licking and sucking. She learned every fold of the Oni's pussy while she came two, three, and four times without tiring out.

Yumi's jaw ached. She never thought that a tongue could be tired, but it burned as well while the Oni demanded more. Her lungs also burned, her chest heaving from having limited chances to breathe for so long. It wasn't until the tenth time, the tenth furious assault on Yumi's face, that she slowed down and came to a rest with her pussy over Yumi's nose and mouth.

She looked dreamily down at Yumi while she was smothered, not even able to pull her head out from under her weight. Yumi was about to black out when she slid off, leaving a trail of her cum all the way down Yumi's body.

The Oni lay half on top of Yumi, resting her face in Yumi's neck. She licked her and let her hot breath flow over Yumi's skin.

"Are you tired?" she asked. "I hope not. The morning's barely started. Go ahead, get a little rest. Starting once you wake up, I will make sure that no second of your life goes by where you are not in abject misery. Next time I'll make sure that you pass out from pain and exhaustion before you ever get a chance to actually fall asleep."

The Oni wrapped her arm around Yumi's body and pulled her close while she nuzzled her neck, the creature's horn laying under her jaw. Somehow, despite the body pressed against her, she was still freezing cold.

 

Taiko lapped hungrily at the cunt between Lady Yokubō's legs. The Lady Oni's fingers were tangled in Taiko's hair, locking it in her grip and pulling on it while she grunted in pleasure. The taste of sweat, cum, and saliva all mixed together in Taiko's mouth as the fluids smeared across her face.

Yumi pushed up against her, their lips touching in an almost kiss as they fought over The Lady Oni's cunt. Taiko pushed back, claiming her clit and sucking on it while Yumi's tongue slid between her chin and Lady Yokubō's slit to find its way inside. The Lady Oni moaned unashamedly and pressed their faces harder against her while enjoying her orgasm.

Taiko and Yumi had been trained to pleasure her together on their first evening as her slaves. Both of them had been too hesitant and too awkward, and they'd been whipped mercilessly afterward for it. That night was spend with their heads in a tub of ice water. A chain had been fastened between their collars, run through a metal bracket fixed to the bottom to the tub. Once the tub had been filled the chain was only long enough for one of them to barely pull her head out of the water at a time. Their whole night was spent alternating between drowning with their faces being devoured by the cold and gasping for air while watching the other take her place.

That morning they had been eager- very eager- to eat The Lady Oni's pussy like it was the most delicious thing in the world. That earned them a whole hour of rest before Taiko was chained to a wooden horse with weights tied to her ankles and whipped again while the tip of the wedge drove itself against her pussy. Then she got to watch Yumi be fucked in her ass by dick made out of ice that was too big for her.

After that they got to follow their Lady around the palace while she attended to her business. They were both naked, of course, aside from the shackles around their wrists, arms, and feet. And the clamps, which had been fixed to their breasts and pussies again, and chained in a way to guarantee that they would be tugged on relentlessly as they hobbled through the palace hallways, shivering and trying to hold themselves together.

They weren't allowed to speak at any time. Not even to beg for mercy. They were to keep their eyes on the floor whenever possible. They were to always use their mouths to please Lady Yokubō whenever they were in a position to before she had a chance to even tell them. Yumi was to put her mouth on Taiko as well, whenever possible.

The release that Taiko felt when Yumi made her cum, working her clit with increasing skill, was the only thing that was keeping Taiko sane. She knew that Yumi hated it, but she couldn't help herself. Taiko had come to appreciate how beautiful Yumi was, even chained up and beaten. Her body was willing, and even the guilt that she felt couldn't stop it from being happy when Yumi buried her face between her legs and gave her respite from Lady Yokubō's attentions.

She would have gladly reciprocated. She would have enjoyed that too, she thought. Yumi had never been given a chance to cum before. Taiko wished she could at least give her that much, but the Lady Oni's rules were clear. Yumi had been a little too slow the previous night to get down to Taiko's pussy when they were locked in a cage together, landing them both in a strappado that they were left in until morning.

Lady Yokubō finished cumming, squeezing her legs around their heads so tightly that Taiko thought she was going to pass out while the Oni grunted and gushed in their faces. After crushing their heads for too long she relaxed, sighing and pushing them back.

"Clean each other up," she said, leaning back on the bed.

Taiko scooted over to Yumi. They were both bound in chains, as they had been in one way or another for the last three days. Right now their wrists were sealed in a single shackle that kept the backs of their hands pressed together. Chains were wrapped around their arms from their elbows to their shoulders, pulling them together and locking their arms into an absolutely straight position. The chains that linked their collars to their ankles kept them from standing or stretching their legs.

Taiko licked Yumi's face, not hesitating for a moment. It tasted like Lady Yokubō's cunt, of course. She really was a repulsive creature. Taiko could find nothing in her that could be twisted into any kind of good quality. The joy she took in torturing them for the sake of torturing them was incomprehensible to Taiko. Sexual pleasure wasn't something that she seemed to want to share, only take.

Taiko finished cleaning Yumi and leaned back, letting Yumi have her chance to obey the Lady Oni's command. Yumi did her best. Taiko always felt just a little bit of hesitation and stiffness, and was always afraid it would get them punished. She couldn't blame Yumi.

A knock at the door drew Yumi's attention away. Taiko, not giving  Lady Yokubō enough time to notice, kissed her. Yumi almost pulled away, but caught herself and opened up to Taiko's mouth.

"Who is it?," asked Lady Yokubō, pulling up her pants.

"Summons from Her Majesty," said a man from the other side of the door.

"She requests your immediate presence, along with that of the two prisoners."

Taiko wasn't sure how much worse things could possibly get, but she knew that nothing good awaited them. She buried herself in the kiss she was sharing with Yumi. She knew she shouldn't be enjoying it, not when Yumi didn't, but how could she not? It might be her last.

"Tell her I'll be there in a minute," said Lady Yokubō. "Looks like I'll have to get you two clean myself."

She stood up and grabbed both of them by the hair, pulling them across the room. Taiko had to scoot on her knees as quickly as she could to keep up. She was already drained from sleepless nights spent in painful bondage, and only the slickness of the floor made it possible for her to slide along without falling and being completely dragged by her hair.

Lady Yokubō took them to the tub of ice water they'd been chained to before and shoved their faces into the liquid. Taiko strained against her hold, her face instantly going numb. She heard and felt Yumi struggling next to her, and as her bones themselves started to freeze her lungs began to demand air. She knew that the Oni wouldn't let her have it until the last moment before she passed out and let the freezing water rush it. She tried to wait calmly, telling herself that fighting would only make her need to breathe sooner, but as she seconds dragged on it was impossible to deny her instinct to live.

Taiko thrashed and squirmed, but neither the Oni's iron grip nor the chains that sealed her arms together could be defeated, or even bothered in the slightest. Bubbles escaped from her mouth, and she was sure that her lungs would fill on their own at any moment.

Lady Yokubō jerked her back up, and Taiko didn't waste an instant in gulping down precious air. Her hair, now soaking wet, flopped across her back and dripped water all down her body, letting the cold bite into her even more deeply that usual.

The bit gag that she'd become intimately familiar with over the past few days appeared in front of her lips. Her mouth was already gaped open, and she knew better than to shut it. The bit sank deep between her teeth and the leather strap tightened around her head. She knelt, shaking uncontrollably, while Yumi was gagged. They waited together while Lady Yokubō dressed herself. Taiko knew she wouldn't be afforded that luxury.

The Oni fixed chains to their collars and promptly used them to pull Taiko and Yumi to their feet. Their march to Tomiko's throne room was filled with the usual discomforts and indignities that had become Taiko's new life. Her bare feet had to walk on floors made of ice. Soldiers and maids alike saw her unclothed body as she passed them. Drool ran down her chin, and her arms cramped from the chains that kept them contorted behind her back.

Tomiko's throne room must have been the coldest in the palace. The Queen was sitting on her throne, motionless as usual, while courtiers and bureaucrats stood by the side, hoping and fearing for their moment of her attention. Lady Yokubō pushed them in front of her, and when Taiko came the foot of the steps that led to the throne she sank to her knees and bowed her head.

Saliva from her chin dripped to the floor below while Queen Tomiko watched them in silence. Taiko heard her rise from her throne. Her heels clicked against the ice as she descended the stairs, and her feet appeared in Taiko's view. Tomiko raised her head by the jaw and stared into her eyes.

However much pain Taiko showed in the tears that welled up and ran down her face, it wasn't enough to soften the Queen's glacial expression.

"It has been three days since you were caught sneaking around in my palace with your friends. To my displeasure, they are still eluding my soldiers. Akio remains in the mines, somehow a step ahead of my best men's efforts to trap him. The other two, we've had no sign of whatsoever."

Tomiko let her go and drifted over toward Yumi. Conflicting emotions tore at Taiko's heart. Maybe her friends had escaped. Maybe she should be glad that at least they were spared. But had they left her and Yumi to be tortured endlessly for the rest of their lives? Taiko knew that she shouldn't expect them to throw themselves into Tomiko's grasp, but to be abandoned to an existence so hopelessly cruel- how could her heart every accept that?

"To be defied in my own palace as such- I am out of patience. I speak of this openly, in front of all of these people, because I wish for your friends to hear what I am about to say. I have decided to pass a sentence on the two of you."

"You," said Tomiko, now standing directly before Yumi, "are sentenced to die by exposure."

Taiko looked up. She couldn't stop herself, even if it was forbidden. Yumi tried to say something. She was pleading, softly and tearfully while Tomiko looked down into her eyes, completely unmoved.

"Tomorrow morning you will be brought into the courtyard outside, where you will be allowed to freeze to death."

"Aw..." said the Lady Oni, still standing behind them. "She's such a good pet, too."

Tomiko looked over to Taiko and fixed those lethal eyes on her.

"In my dungeon there is a creature- I don't think it even has a name- that has an insatiable lust, and his attentions have a special property. You're the one with the magic, yes? Well, this creature of mine can seal that magic of yours. He can fuck parts of your soul into submission, taking away your ability to feel and do certain things. Your ability to have an orgasm, for example, will be taken as well. I'm told that he can make you feel like a still-breathing corpse after a few days. You'll get to find out for yourself."

Taiko tried to find some shred of hope, some tiny reason to think that there would be some reprieve. She cried into her gag, unable to accept that Tomiko would kill Yumi and hand her to that monster without even letting her speak a word first. But it was true, wasn't it?

"Your friends will have no choice but to expose themselves in a vain attempt to rescue you, of course. There's no point in denying that this is a trap, but I'm willing to wager that they'll try their hands anyway. And when they do, I'll capture them, and they will suffer fates as black as yours."

Behind Tomiko's mask of ice Taiko finally saw a flame of anger, burning deep inside. For the first time, her words had hints of passion and intent.

"Lady Yokubō, take this one to the dungeon immediately. The other should spend her last night hanging from her wrists under the lash of a whip. Make sure she is thoroughly punished for trying to speak just now. And punish her for her friend's indiscretion as well."

Tomiko turned and started back up the stairs.

"That is all. Take them away."

Yumi rose to her feet, spitting fury through the bit in her mouth. Taiko started to stand as well when Lady Yokubō grabbed her by the collar and took control of her. She yanked on Yumi's leash, pulling her over so that she could seize her the same way. Taiko protested all she could, but the Oni had no trouble dragging them out of the room by their necks.

They were almost on the tips of their toes, carried by their collars as much as walking. Taiko struggled to keep up, feeling herself go light-headed as her collar strangled her. They had to descend three different staircases before reaching a dark, empty hallway. The ice here was roughly hewn, coarse and sharp in places, and Taiko had to walk over it until she came to a metal door buried in the wall.

Lady Yokubō lifted Yumi by the chain attached to her collar and set it on a hook against the wall. Yumi could barely reach the ground, and Taiko watch in horror as she was being slowly choked to death. The Oni unlocked the door and pushed Taiko through. She tried her best to look her friend in the eye one last time, to say goodbye in some small way, but the Oni's strength was irresistible, and soon the sound of Yumi's rasping was cut off by the slam of the door behind her.

"I'm going to make sure she has a hell of a last night," said Lady Yokubō. "Still a shame about losing her, though. Anyway, how about I show you some of our other guests?"

She forced Taiko down a bleak passageway, bare stone now visible where it poked through the ice. It was dark. Shadows lurked wherever the dim lanterns couldn't reach and yearned to swallow Taiko whole. The Oni dragged her into them, deeper into the dreadful corridors. When they reached a door she threw it open to show Taiko the woman inside.      

She was bound with harsh-looking rope, naked, of course, and suspended from the ceiling. Her hands had been tied behind her back, and rope looped around her elbows, and it was from there that she dangled from a hook. Taiko didn't know how her arms hadn't broken by now. She was covered in whip marks, red lines covering places that didn't even seem possible to reach. The poor woman groaned every time she exhaled, too delirious to even notice them.

"This is Naoki. I'm almost finished breaking her in. The real fun is going to start soon for her."

Lady Yokubō shut the door and hauled Taiko along to another door. Taiko was horrified to see the woman inside- it was Jammlo, one of the women from the Dunnies' village. She was chained to a pillar that was covered with nails, the sharp ends pointing out. Her body was pressed against them, forcing her to strain to keep them from poking her too badly. Water poured from a spigot above, landing on her head and flowing down her body. Taiko could hear her teeth chatter, and wondered how long she'd been chained there.

Jammlo was conscious enough to turn her head, but Taiko could do nothing to help her, even as she saw the spark of recognition in her eyes.

"I forget this one's name. She was brought in from the desert. She's due for a round of whipping, but I'll have to come back tomorrow after your friend is done with. Well, maybe. I guess I might have your other friends at that point, huh?"

The Oni took Taiko to the next cell, buried at the end of another hallway. Taiko was shocked to see the woman inside. At first she thought it was Tomiko, but then she noticed the subtle differences, and the lack of that unmistakable iciness.

"This is Akane. I think I might let you have this position a try, if there's anything left of you in a couple of days."

The young woman was in a hogtied so strict that her ankles were against the palms of her hands. Her elbows were tied directly together, and she was bent backwards excruciatingly far. Her face was against a stone post, with a rod of ice sticking out that went into her mouth. She was held to it with a rope tied around her neck.

"Let me tell you something fun about that rope she's tied with," said the Oni, closing the door and taking Taiko with her.

"It's special. It's enchanted with a mild healing effect, keeping our toys in just the perfect shape to spend those long nights tied you like you saw them."

Lady Yokubō shoved her into a chamber that was full of shackles, chains, and other kinds of restraints. And rope. The kind that Naoki and Akane had been tied up with.

"You're going to need some of your own. Your new lover needs a lot of time to do his thing, and he has the stamina to go the distance. You'll need help."

The Oni took a bundle of the rope and tossed it to the ground. Taiko was thrown beside it with about as little care. The weight that settled on her thighs as Lady Yokubō sat on her, pinning her to the ground, dispelled any fantasies she might have had about escaping while she was being unchained. Even as the shackles came off of her wrists the Oni's hands, just as strong, twisted them into a new position.

Taiko's wrists were pressed together, palms touching, and before she could even feel her skin breathe again the rope was tightening around them. Lady Yokubō didn't spare her any comfort, and Taiko felt her hands throbbing already as the rope dug into her skin. She squealed as the knots were tied, sure that the creature on top of her would be pleased to know how much it was hurting her.

Lady Yokubō lifted her enough to run the rope under her stomach, tying her forearms together halfway between her wrists and elbows and fixing both to her torso. She tied her elbows to her chest as well, pulling it tight until Taiko could hardly breathe.

"Alright, get up," she said, pulling Taiko to her feet.

She filled her hands with Taiko's breasts and squeezed them, hard enough to make them feel like they were going to pop, as usual. Taiko tried not squeal again, but her willpower was drained from days of abuse.

"I'm going to miss these tits of yours. Either of your friends have nice tits like this? I am just going to destroy the next one of you I get my hands on. Come on."

Taiko was pushed toward another passageway while her arms strained against the rope. She couldn't budge them, and even when she tried to relax she couldn't ease the tension out of them. The rope was too tight, not just for comfort, but for arms to even survive like this.

The chamber they came to was dark. Taiko had so many evils to focus on that she hadn't even had time to think about what was about to happen to her. She was going to be raped, again, and it was going to take away her magic. And more. She couldn't wrap her head about it, and when Lady Yokubō shoved her she didn't have the presence of mind to keep her balance and fell to the floor.

To Oni rolled her onto her back and put her shins together, one foot to the other knee, and tied her ankles to her calves. It left her legs spread wide open, offering up her pussy to whatever demon was about to be released onto her.

"I guess he might want your mouth," she said, unstrapping Taiko's gag.

"Please," said Taiko, fighting against the feat that had been instilled in her of speaking to her captor, "I can help Tomiko, I can help your queen. Please, just let me talk to her!"

"I'll tell you how the execution went next time I see you," she said, standing up.

"I hope you enjoyed your last kiss with her."

Lady Yokubō left the room, slamming the door behind her. Taiko stared at the ceiling, wishing that she had never been so stupid as to come to Frostspire. Everyone had told her. She had even been almost killed, drowned and eaten by a monster while trying to help the Punnydins. But she hadn't taken the lesson. Not even after being raped in the desert. Now another monster was going to devour her.

The sound of a gear grinding and a door sliding open somewhere in a dark corner of the room stopped her heart from beating. She heard bare feet padding toward her and sharp inhale of a creature sniffing the air.

Something that looked almost like a man drew close enough for Taiko to see. He was bestial, almost hairy enough to count as having fur. He had long, torn-up fingernails on rough and sinewy hands. His face bore a wild, hungry expression with his tongue hanging out of his mouth, drool falling out of his mouth in massive amounts, and eyes that glowed in the dim light.

Between his legs was a cock that put the others she'd seen to shame. Her loins hurt just from the thought of having it forced inside of her, and the pain in her arms from the rope reminded her every second that she wasn't getting them free, no matter how horrible what awaited her was.

He crouched at her knee and sniffed her, reaching out with one hand to touch her leg. He seemed pleased with the feel of her skin, and in a moment he lunged, throwing his body on top of hers.

The creature mauled Taiko, digging his hands into her and groping her flesh like he was about to tear it apart. He licked her neck and then bit her, sinking his teeth into her shoulder while squeezing her whole body hard enough that Taiko thought he was going to break her back. Next she felt his teeth on her breasts, his saliva covering her chest. She screamed, for once not having a gag to muffle the sound, but the creature only bit harder.

He put his hands on her hips and positioned himself in front of her pussy. Taiko tried to brace herself, but when he jammed his cock into her she drained her lungs into the air. He didn't wait a moment, immediately starting to pound away at her. His animalistic grunting matched the viscous thrusting of his hips. He leaned over her, and she turned her head to the side and shut her eyes when she saw the drool about to drip onto her face. It landed on her cheek, bead after bead, until it was running down her neck and onto her nose. He licked her, dragging his tongue across her face before biting her neck again.

Taiko's wailing echoed through the room. The creature didn't care. It didn't even understand. He fucked her with a fury that she was sure couldn't last, but as time dragged on there was no sign of him slowing down. Every second brought a new surge of pain as his cock forced her open anew. Every moment there was some new part of her body that he was pinching and ripping at. He lasted longer than the man who'd had her in the desert, longer than her time with Kuzuno, longer than any of her sessions with Yumi or Yokubō, and eventually longer than all of them combined.

Her pussy ached. Her body wasn't made to be used this way. She wished she would just pass out and let him fuck her limp body, but instead she hung on the edge of what it was humanly possible to endure. It was the rope. It was healing her just enough to keep her stuck in the worst moment possible. Sweat and drool froze onto her skin. The creature fucked away, still just as eager as when he started.

A rare break came when he flipped her over, pulling her ass into the air to fuck her from behind, just as hard as before. Somehow, despite how much he was hurting her, she felt her body slowly rising to a climax. The creature seemed to smell it, and increased his tempo. Taiko screamed, both in agony and in frustration as her climax refused to come and pass. Drool poured onto her back as her face was pressed against the ice. The night refused to end, and the day after promised nothing but the same.

 

Yumi stumbled into the daylight. It stung her eyes after so long spent in the dim illumination of the palace. It was one more way they'd found to hurt her.

The Oni had taken Tomiko's orders seriously. Her arms, now chained behind her back, were in terrible shape after she'd hung from them for an entire night while she'd been whipped over and over again. She'd only been let down a brief few times to eat the Lady Oni's cunt, and when she was lifted back up her joints hurt twice as much each time.

And Yumi had done it. She'd eaten cunt like she was told to, as if they weren't already hurting her as much as they could. She didn't even feel like a human being anymore. She was trash, and she was about to be thrown away.

Lady Yokubō pushed her forward. Once her eyes were able to open a little she saw that the courtyard was filled with soldiers, lined up and standing at attention. Even beyond the borders of the courtyard they stood; half of Tomiko's army must have been there. For the first time since she'd been captured Yumi had been given clothing. It was just a cloak, wrapped around her body, arms and all, but she was glad for it. She wasn't warm, by any stretch, but she wasn't freezing anymore either. Not yet.

"Kneel," said Lady Yokubō.

Yumi obeyed without thinking. Before bowing her head she saw the throne that had been set up at the other end of the courtyard. The buzz of noise around her went silent, and a horn blast announced the presence of Queen Tomiko. Yumi waited while she made her way to the throne, ascended, and placed herself down. After her usual pause she spoke, her voice loud and commanding.

"Bring the prisoner to the slab."

Lady Yokubō pulled Yumi to her feet one last time and faced her toward the side of the courtyard to the right of the Queen. There was her slab, waiting for her. Yumi's legs locked up, unwilling to take her there. The Oni paid no mind, dragging her along irresistibly.

The slab was flat, with a trough surrounding it that opened up at the foot. A basin was sitting above it at the head. The slab was made of ice- of course it was- although it appeared that stone and dust were mixed in. The surface was smooth, but underneath it grew dark and murky.

"Light the slab," ordered Tomiko.

The soldiers turned a valve, and Yumi saw the oil flow out into the trough. A torch was touched to the oil, and a ring of fire leapt up around the slab.

"Place the prisoner."

The Oni tore off her cloak, leaving her completely naked. The heat of the flames toasted the front side of her body while her backside bled warmth, and an uncountable number of eyes saw her standing nude, humiliated in her final moments. Lady Yokubō pushed her through the gap in the trough and up to the slab.

She threw Yumi on top, the sheet of ice that covered it melting enough to make it wet and slick. She felt it start to re-freeze as her bare skin was laid to it, sticking to her and burning. She was on her back, with her hands still behind her, held by The Oni's grip. A soldier approached her and placed an iron band over her neck. She shut her eyes and winced as they lined up the bolts that would hold it down. The blow of a hammer, hard and loud, landed right next to her neck, first on one side and then on the other. Yumi wasn't surprised when she tried to lift her head and felt the band refuse to budge.

The Oni unlocked the shackles around her wrists, dragging them to the corners of the slab. The soldiers were ready with more metal bands, and as the inhuman grip of the Oni held her down the reverberations of the hammer let her know that her arms would never move from that spot again.

Lady Yokubō spread her legs, in her final humiliation, and tugged on them, making sure she was stretched as much as possible as the soldiers nailed her ankles to the slab. The soldiers, done with their work, left her. She didn't need to struggle to know how firmly she was held- the bands were already pressing deeply into her skin, and her limbs were already pulling against them from her body's natural tension. It was only the sensation of that monster's hand taking one last tour of her body, groping a woman who she was about to murder, that made Yumi try to squirm free.

"Goodbye, you little whore. I'll let your friends know how good you got at sucking my clit when I get my hands on them."

The Oni took her hand away and walked out of the gap, leaving Yumi alone in the circle of fire.

"Close the value, and may the cold take her body."

The Queen's voice was loud and clear, even over the flames. A mechanical grinding let Yumi know that she'd been obeyed. Now all there was to do was to wait. She was still cold, even as the fire slowly baked her skin. She shivered, from the cold and from fear. She clenched her jaw to keep from chattering while the Queen and her audience waited too, in abject silence.

The flames died slowly, giving Yumi plenty of time to suffer as the cold crept in. The warm feeling against her skin where the fire licked at it faded. Feeling bled, so slowly, from her hands and feet. Her breasts were next, devoured by the encroaching frost. Yumi wanted to scream out in defiance, but her lungs were no longer under her control. The fire burned, just enough to keep her from totally succumbing, while her lips and nose froze. Even her pussy felt like needles were being driven into it.

The flame disappeared into the depths of the trough, but strangely, Yumi felt warm. She was ready to fall asleep. She hadn't slept in so long... Yelling and screaming only registered on the edges of her consciousness. A shadow appeared overhead, her vision too blurry to make it out. She fought to focus, to see what it was before she fell asleep.

It was a bird. A giant bird, perched on the edge of the basin. There was a woman on its back, somehow familiar. Yumi's brain was too sluggish, to frozen to make sense out of it. She commanded any muscle that would still listen to her to move. Everywhere they did she was flooded with agony, but her mind stirred, just a little bit.

        Ikumi. It was Ikumi.